Hong Kong: Transplant collaboration discussed Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau met a delegation led by the National Health Commissions Department of Medical Emergency Response Director-General Guo Yanhong today to discuss collaboration with the Mainland in the realm of organ transplantation, with a view to deepening co-operation. Prof Lo recounted that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Mainland completed an unprecedented cross-boundary organ donation with resounding success in December last year. He said: Not only did it save the life of a four-month-old baby girl, it also offers an opportunity for the two places to forge ahead the standing collaboration with greater confidence. This also serves to exemplify to the fullest the shared principle and mission of the Mainland and the Hong Kong SAR in protecting lives. We are in exploration with the Mainland to push ahead organ donation and transplant co-operation on all fronts, including continuing the drive for in-depth co-operation on communication management, academic exchanges and organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism. Ms Guo explained that in recent years the Mainland has established and refined its organ donation and transplantation systems with notable achievements. She said systems had been put in place covering organ donation, organ acquisition and allocation, clinical transplantation services, quality control, and regulation, adding that these adhere to scientific principles of ethics and impartiality and align with Chinas national conditions and culture. Ms Guo also noted that the Mainlands organ donation and transplantation work now ranks second worldwide in terms of numbers of donations and transplantation, and that its transplantation technology is among the best globally. The Mainland delegation responded well to Prof Los proposal, agreeing that communication management, upskilling and the establishment of mechanisms and policies to support standing co-operation on cross-boundary organ transplantations should be stepped up. Prof Lo said the Hong Kong SAR Government is deeply grateful for the strong support and collaborative efforts shown by various Mainland authorities. We anticipate more patients will benefit from the organ transplant technology through the setting up of a standing organ transplant mutual assistance mechanism with the Mainland, he stressed. The delegation led by Ms Guo arrived in Hong Kong yesterday for a four-day visit. In addition to visiting Hong Kong Childrens Hospital and Queen Mary Hospital to get a better understanding of Hong Kongs organ donation arrangements and transplant services, they will also participate in the ongoing 18th Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation. This story has been published on: 2023-08-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Driver Tyler Buter swept a pair of $51,500 divisions of New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) with popular two-year-old trotting fillies Sadbirdstillsing and R Melina on Friday, Aug. 25 at Vernon Downs. After starting her career with three runner-up finishes in stakes action, 3-5 favourite Sadbirdstillsing ($3.30) broke her maiden in the first division for trainer Tony Alagna. Sadbirdstillsing was quick off the gate but landed in fourth through first-half fractions of :28.4 and :58.2 while Seven Year Itch (Joe Bongiorno), Evangelina (Marcus Miller) and Star Attraction (Mark MacDonald) all traded turns on the lead. Shuffled back to third, Seven Year Itch went first-up heading to three-quarters with Sadbirdstillsing following the cover. As the Seven Year Itch engaged in a battle with Star Attraction on top turning for home and began to edge ahead, Sadbirdstillsing rallied three-wide and got up in a photo finish for the win, hitting the wire in a career-best 1:56.3. She won by a head over Seven Year Itch, with Star Attraction settling for third nearly two lengths behind. Sadbirdstillsing is a homebred filly by Chapter Seven out of Fade Into You for Crawford Farms, co-owned by Pryde Stables Inc. of North York, Ont. R Melina ($2.20) was an easy winner in the second division, leading wire-to-wire to score her third straight NYSS victory for trainer John Butenschoen. Taking control from the outermost post four in the field with one scratch (Sister Mary Maude), R Melina cruised through splits of :29.3, 1:00.3 and 1:30 before sprinting home in :27.3 to keep her rivals at bay. The 1-9 favourite won in 1:57.3 over the track that was downgraded to 'good' by 2-3/4 lengths over the ground-saving Shirin (Marcus Miller) and the pocket-popping final turn challenger, Erin (Dan Daley). Also by Chapter Seven and out of Goodtogo Hanover, R Melina improved her record to four-for-five for owners M And L Of Delaware and Alabama Harness Associate. Buter also drove pair of $20,000 Excelsior Series division winners: the Marcus Melander-trained filly Dozen (Chapter Seven-Sequin), who notched her fourth straight series win in a career-best 1:55.4, and five-time series winner Barn CJ (Crazy Wow-Fractured Dream) in a new mark of 1:57.1 for trainer Steven Pratt. The other Excelsior split went to Crowbar Girl (Chapter Seven-Miss Trixton), who dropped down from NYSS competition to lower her mark to 1:57.1 with Bongiorno driving for the Ron Burke stable. Live harness racing resumes at Vernon Downs on Saturday, Aug. 26 with post time at 6:05 p.m. for the 13-race card. (Photo of Sadbirdstillsing winning her New York Sire Stakes division on Aug. 25 at Vernon Downs) Robert Bob Schmitz, former Chairman of the Ohio State Racing Commission, has been selected as the 38th Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame honouree by the Delaware County Fair. Schmitz has been an avid supporter of harness racing for more than 50 years and has championed the sport in many ways including representing racetracks and the Ohio Harness Horsemens Association (OHHA). He was appointed to the Ohio State Racing Commission in 2011 by Governor John Kasich and served two terms as Chairman of the commission. During his tenure, the state introduced Video Lottery Terminals (VTLs) at the racetracks and opened two new harness tracks Miami Valley Gaming and Dayton Raceway. Schmitz lobbied for the OHHA from 2001 until 2011. He was appointed to the Standardbred Development Fund in 2001 and served until his appointment to the commission in 2011. He operates Robert K. Schmitz Associates located in downtown Columbus and his knowledge and expertise as a government affairs specialist is extensive. He has more than 50 years of experience working with the Ohio General Assembly and state government. He has been an owner and breeder of Standardbred horses since 1983 and has bred horses with fellow Wall of Famer, Jim Buchy and Midland Acres as part of their 98 Degree Farm. Schmitz was awarded the Harness Horsemen Internationals Person of the Year Award in 2013 and he received the OHHAs Maynard and Stella Hagemeyer Significant Contribution Award in 2019. I love the Little Brown Jug and have only missed one Jug since my first in 1969. The year I missed, I was clerking in the Ohio Senate and the General Assembly was in session, said Schmitz. I am truly humbled by this honour. A Columbus, Ohio native, Schmitz has been married to the former Jenny Hamman since 1974 and has three daughters and two grandchildren. He will be honoured the Tuesday evening (Sept. 19) before the 78th edition of the $1 million Little Brown Jug. (Little Brown Jug) As Brett Miller drove two-year-old pacing filly Flyin Bullets first across the finish line in Ohio Sire Stakes action on Friday, Aug. 25 at Scioto Downs, he celebrated his 10,000th career win and became just the 22nd driver in North America to hit that milestone mark. In the $55,000 eighth race stakes division, Miller looped to the lead with the favoured Clair Umholtz-trained Flyin Bullets, taking over the top spot from Fearless Ginger after a :27.3 opening quarter. They set middle splits of :57 and 1:25 with first-over Bad Girls Racing matching strides but then drifting wide and out of contention as they turned for home. Flyin Bullets kept the rest of her rivals as bay down the stretch, winning by 1-1/2 lengths in a new lifetime mark of 1:53.2. Johns Shadow edged out Fearless Ginger for the runner-up honours. The Downbytheseaside-Pistol Packin Mama filly picked up her third win -- all in Ohio Sire Stakes -- from six career starts for Umholtz And Kennedy Racing. Miller, who turned 50 last Saturday, earned his first career driving win at Northfield Park in October 1992 and has driven in more than 60,000 races with his mounts earning in excess of $112 million in purses. The other Ohio Sire Stakes division for two-year-old pacing fillies went to the Ryan Miller-trained Rose Run Zoey, who blew by pacesetter Daisys Star at the third quarter mark and used a :27.4 final frame to win by six lengths in a career-best 1:51.2. Tyler Smith drove the popular Lather Up-Crying Game filly, who is a two-time winner in six starts, for owners Miller Racing Stable and Let It Ride Stables. Beautiful Lather completed the trifecta. A pair of Ohio Sire Stakes divisions for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings were won by favourites Jet Hill and John Dutton. Driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. had Jet Hill on top in front of the grandstand the first time and after Grand Revival moved in front they retook the lead into the stretch to win going away in 1:51.4 by more than three lengths for trainer Edward Miller and Serenity Racing Stables. The What The Hill-Schlim Schlamma gelding established a new lifetime mark winning for the ninth time in his career and smashed the track record for three-year-old trotting geldings. Rumble Strips rounded out the top three finish order. Chris Page rallied John Dutton three-wide past the duelling leaders on the final turn to score by more than two lengths in 1:54.1 for trainer Ron Burke. The What The Hill-Fast Love gelding, who now boasts 11 career wins, is owned by Burke Racing Stable, Knox Services, Johnny Yoder and Ras Racing. Jogging Full Trot and Burtons Hill came on for second and third, respectively. On the undercard, driver Tony Hall swept the Open events with millionaire pacing mare Grace Hill and trotting mare Pioneer As. The Grand Circuit stakes-winning mare Grace Hill overcame her outside post assignment to make front and led all the way in the $31,000 Fillies & Mares Open Handicap Pace, winning in 1:49.4 by nearly three lengths over Velocity Lady with Ocean Music third. Hall drove the five-year-old Always B Miki-Western Silk mare, who is trained by Virgil Morgan Jr. and owned by Tom Hill, to her 26th career victory. Pioneer As rallied off cover to prevail in a blanket finish in the $30,000 Open Trot for trainer Anette Lorentzon and Acl Stuteri Ab. The four-year-old Devious Man-Provide As mare was a 1:52.3 winner in a close call over Kildare King, Tequila Talking, Refined and Caviar Gold. Pioneer As has won two of her last three starts in the Open at Scioto Downs and notched her 10th victory lifetime. A 19-year-old Winchester man has been charged with second degree murder and eluding law enforcement in a fatal crash with a train earlier this month in northern Fauquier County. Virginia State Police entered the charges against Jeremiah A.T. Greenfield, who was arrested Friday and taken into custody by Winchester Police without incident, according to a release from Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Brent Coffey. Greenfield was transported to the Northwestern Regional Adult Detention Center in Winchester and held without bond. An 18-year-old Berryville woman, Haidan B. Smallwood, was a passenger in the vehicle Greenfield was driving on Aug. 2, when he allegedly ran from police and collided with a Norfolk Southern train. She was flown to INOVA Fairfax Hospital and later died. Smallwood was a 2023 graduate of Clarke County High School who had been accepted into the nursing program at Liberty University, according to her obituary. The fatal wreck occurred at 12:22 a.m. at the intersection of Route 17 (Winchester Road) and Route 712 (Delaplane Grade), north of Warrenton. Police say Greenfield was traveling on Route 17 in a 2015 Honda when he encountered a rail crossing with stopped traffic waiting for an approaching train. Police say he crossed a centerline, went around the stopped vehicles, disregarded the railroad crossing arms and attempted to cross the railroad tracks when it collided with the freight train. Greenfield suffered serious injuries and was flown to INOVA Fairfax Hospital. A second passenger in the Honda suffered minor injuries and was transported to Winchester Medical Center. The Honda was reported stolen out of Winchester, according to Coffey. No one on the train was injured. According to the Fauquier County Sheriffs Office, prior to the train wreck, the Honda Accord was observed driving at 97mph in a 55mph zone on Route 17. A pursuit followed and the suspect got away for a period of time near the village of Marshall. The deputy encountered the vehicle again at the intersection of Free State Road and Grove Lane, where the driver nearly struck the deputys vehicle, according to the sheriffs office. The driver entered onto Route 66 westbound with the deputy again in pursuit. Driving at over 115 mph, the deputy could not gain on the driver, lost sight of him near exit 23, but continued north on Highway 17 where he again terminated his pursuit considering the high rate of speed, the two-lane road, and safety of other drivers, according to police. Continuing to search near Delaplane, the deputy located the Honda at the railroad crossing where it had struck the side of a moving train. The deputy immediately requested EMS for the driver and two passengers, extinguished a fire in the vehicles engine bay and rendered first aid, according to the sheriffs office. Event Dates Aug. 28 Oct. 14 Donate to the CAPWN Food Pantry. Available throughout the duration of the Reading Program. Donation Box located in the library. Sept. 5, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Multicooker 101 Multicooker and pressure cooker cooking class. Learn the basics of using a multicooker. Sept. 11, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Music from Around the World, presented by David Marsh. Sponsored by Humanities Nebraska. Sept. 13, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Intro to the Library Community Quilt Square Project. Sept. 16, 8 - 11 a.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Coffee with a Librarian. Sponsored by Cappuccino and Company. Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month. Sept. 18, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. People vs Stuff Presented by Professional Home Organizer Lydia Christian. Learn how to declutter and organize your home. Sept. 22, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Movie Night at the Library Sept. 26, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Join Local Author Lawrence Gibbs for a Presentation on His Book Nebraska Sweet Beets: A History of Sugar Valley Oct. 3, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Multicooker 102 Multicooker and pressure cooker cooking class. Learn about the advanced features of your multicooker. Oct. 11, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Movie Night at the Library Oct. 14, 6 p.m., LSPL Meeting Room. Wrap Up Party: Bingo Night FORT ROBINSON Buildings can be ghosts, too. Compared with Fort Laramie, its famous Wyoming contemporary, Fort Robinson State Park near Crawford retains a wealth of historic structures to charm tourists and day trippers. But physical gaps are evident where buildings were torn down long ago around the separate 19th- and 20th-century parade grounds on opposite sides of U.S. Highway 20. Four have been rebuilt during Fort Robinsons 66 years as a state park. Three more are likely to reappear after a $20 million, two-year cash infusion from the Legislature to bolster both storytelling and tourist appeal at the park, which recorded 739,310 visits from motor vehicles in 2022. Itll be exciting to bring more parts of Fort Robinson back to life, Mike Morava, park superintendent from 2001 to 2017 and the Northwest Region superintendent for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, told the Star-Herald. But he cautioned that planning for the various projects is in its early stages and that the park faces challenges in adding more structures, new or restored. Ive always said its a shame that some of them got torn down, said Morava, who joined Fort Robinson in 1989. But Ive spent my career trying to restore the buildings we do have. Given the sparse northwest Panhandle population, staffing to run and maintain additional buildings is probably the A-No. 1 hurdle or obstacle that we have, he added. Historys forceful voice Perhaps no other place in Nebraska has more tales to tell. Oglala Lakota led by Red Cloud, the Lakota leader who beat the Army in Wyomings Powder River Valley in the late 1860s, collected supplies at the Red Cloud Agency before Camp Robinson was established next to it in 1874. That was two years before the Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana, fought on June 25, 1876. Crazy Horse, the military genius behind the wipeout of Col. George A. Custers 7th Cavalry detachment, surrendered at Camp Robinson the next May and was killed there on Sept. 5, 1877. In between, the 5th Cavalry clashed with Cheyenne on July 17, 1876, west and north on Warbonnet Creek. William F. Buffalo Bill Cody killed Yellow Hand there and claimed for decades to have claimed the first scalp for Custer. Dull Knife and his Oklahoma-exiled Northern Cheyenne band were detained at now-renamed Fort Robinson in 1878 after long eluding authorities on their way home. They broke out of a log cavalry barracks on Jan. 9, 1879, fighting pursuing troops as they fled. Some died; many were recaptured. The 9th and 10th Cavalry, all-Black regiments dubbed Buffalo Soldiers by Native Americans, were based at Fort Robinson between 1885 and 1907. Transformed after World War I into an Army cavalry remount depot, Fort Robinson made more history during World War II. K-9 military dogs and handlers were also trained there, and German veterans of Gen. Erwin Rommels Afrika Korps were held at a prisoner-of-war camp near the Red Cloud Agency site. All this and more fired the imaginations of state Sens. Justin Wayne and Terrell McKinney, the Legislatures two African-American lawmakers from northeast Omaha. They visited Fort Robinson last year on a trip organized by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, a registered Oglala member. Fort Robinson presents some really great intersections between rural history, Nebraska history, African American history and Native community history and overall our countrys history, Wayne told Appropriations Committee members March 9. Rebuilding history A half-dozen 1874 buildings remain at Fort Robinson, but the Cheyenne Outbreak barracks burned down in 1898. Many others were demolished between 1947 and 1957, when Game and Parks started managing the fort. Inclusion of $20 million over two years for Fort Robinson in the Legislatures main 2023-25 budget bill came 24 years since senators last earmarked funds for fort restoration. A 1999 effort by former Harrison Sen. Bob Wickersham helped rebuild the Cheyenne Outbreak barracks and one of the 1887 adobe brick enlisted mens barracks where Buffalo Soldiers were housed. Both were dedicated in 2003. One room in the 1887 barracks, which includes a rentable conference room, holds Buffalo Soldiers artifacts besides those in History Nebraskas Fort Robinson Museum in the 1905 fort headquarters building. Wayne persuaded senators to specify that $4 million of their aid be used for an additional building honoring Buffalo Soldiers. Four other projects are mentioned in the budget bills language: Reconstruction of an additional officers quarters for overnight lodging and an unspecified Bakery building. Interior upgrades to existing lodging units in the iconic brick Fort Robinson Lodge, an 8th Cavalry barracks built in 1909, and enlisted and officers quarters built between 1874 and 1909. Enhancements to the Post Playhouse, housed since 1967 in an 1892 quartermaster stores building off U.S. 20. Restoration of Carter P. Johnson Lake north of the fort. While planning is just starting, Morava said, the Buffalo Soldiers and officers quarters directives likely will be fulfilled on the new parade ground and loop north of the main lodge. The rebuilt 1887 Buffalo Soldiers barracks stands on the south end of a six- building barracks row. Restoring a second would be a logical way to meet the Legislatures wish for a Buffalo Soldiers memorial, Morava said. The officers quarters to be rebuilt, he said, likely will match a duplex quarters from 1891 that Game and Parks reconstructed with its own funds on the loops northeast side. It sleeps 16 on each side and was dedicated in 2016. We have quite a bit of lodging here, a lot of variations here, Morava said. Thats one of the strengths of it. Camp Robinsons original 1874 footprint included a long-gone bakery. But a later bakery was built in 1906 across the access road to the playhouse, next to a one-time guardhouse built in 1891 or 1892. Either could be rebuilt, Morava said, but the 1906 bakery would be better to house a Post Playhouse ticket office and more expansive restrooms for playgoers. Because Fort Robinson was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1960, state law requires Game and Parks to rebuild on former structures original footprints and ensure they look like their predecessors, Morava said. He expects to call upon History Nebraska to test the old sites and do an archaeological dig to first recover artifacts that may be buried there. Jill Dollberg, interim director of the formerly named Nebraska State Historical Society, said shes looking forward to finding out. I imagine well just have to coordinate a trip out there for an archaeological investigation and see how much work is warranted, she said. Sometimes in Nebraska, we clear out everything. Sometimes, we bury stuff. Enhancing the experience Carter P. Johnson Lake, located 2 miles northwest, is the last of five fishing areas within the 22,000-acre park needing renovation, Morava said. Moss grows on much of the lake, which he said has shrunk from silted-in areas taken over by reeds. Meanwhile, Game and Parks leaders will mull how they can most appropriately upgrade lodging rooms in the 100- to 150-year-old buildings. None of Fort Robinsons rooms includes a TV, and Wi-Fi service for visitors use is limited to Fort Robinson Lodges restaurant and front porch. The park finally gained a fiber-optic trunk line this summer, courtesy of a $360,000 Nebraska Broadband Bridge grant to Mobius Communications LLC of Hemingford. Thatll extend up-to-date high-speed internet service to park offices and sales points, Morava said. While Wi-Fi might cover more of the main lodge, he said, hes resisting adding wireless service and even TVs. Ninety percent of the people are here to decompress away from constant connection with the world, he said. A Statesville man is facing multiple felonies linked to a reported sexual assault of an adult at Northview Academy in Statesville, according to police. Triston Dionte Perrin, 29, is charged with felony second-degree forcible rape, felony assault by strangulation, felony first-degree kidnapping, two counts of attempted felony second-degree forcible sex offense and misdemeanor assault on a female, the Statesville Police Department said in a news release. On Aug. 19, the Statesville police officers responded to a report of a sexual assault that occurred at 625 Carolina Ave. N. The case was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division. Following the investigative process, the suspect was identified as Perrin, Statesville police said. Statesville police said it was discovered that Perrin initiated contact with the unnamed victim through online means and arranged a 3 a.m. meeting at the Northview Academy, located at 625 Carolina Ave. N. Both the victim and Perrin are adults with no affiliation to the school. The victim, who was not familiar with the area, arrived at the school in her vehicle while maintaining a phone conversation with Perring, Statesville police said. Statesville police said, Perrin arrived at the school and met the victim in the outside picnic area. The assault occurred at the picnic area. The Statesville Police Department emphasized that aside from the school being the meeting location, there is no association between the assault and Northview Academy. Perrin is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Farm Credit of the Virginias, a lending cooperative that serves Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland, recently announced that Floyd native Sarah Scyphers has moved into the role of loan officer and will be serving the Abingdon branch area. Previously serving as the Knowledge Center Program Specialist, Scyphers grew up on her familys farm in Floyd County and has been a resident of Washington County for the last 15 years, FCV said in an Aug. 11 release. She attended Virginia Tech, where she earned both a bachelors degree in Animal and Poultry Science and a masters degree in Career and Technical Education. She served as an agriculture educator for 12 years, prior to joining FCVs Knowledge Center team in 2018. Currently, Scyphers, along with her husband and their two children, raise registered Herefords and Charolais, as well as commercial cattle on her husbands family farm. Scyphers joined the FCV team in 2018, and her favorite aspect of her five years with the Association has been carrying out the mission of Farm Credit, which is to be an engaged partner in our rural communities. I love being a part of a rural community and even more so, a part of the agriculture industry, said Scyphers. Working for Farm Credit empowers me to show up and be my best self-day in and day out to serve those in rural communities and involved in agriculture. In regard to her new role, Scyphers is eager to put her knowledge of the industry and background of producing educational opportunities and resources to work as a loan officer. I look forward to working with young and beginning producers to realize their potential and dreams, and also working with seasoned farmers and business owners as they expand and continue to do business and farm in their communities, she said. Regional Sales and Lending Manager Chris Frazier said Scyphers passion for agriculture and serving our customer-owners is exhibited daily. We are excited to see Sarah continue to grow in her new role as a loan officer, he said. She is very driven, and her experience and agriculture industry ties will strengthen our lending efforts in southwest Virginia. Outside of work, Scyphers supports both of her children with their 4-H market animal and breeding animal projects. She also serves on a number of boards and committees, including the Virginia Hereford Board, the Agriculture Committee for the Washington County Board of Supervisors (of which she is Chair). Discover the highlights of the 14th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bangladesh, which took place in New Delhi on August 21st and 22nd, 2023. This annual meeting plays a crucial role in strengthening customs cooperation, enhancing cross-border trade facilitation, and fostering connectivity between the two nations. Press Release- 14th JGC meeting between India and Bangladesh The 14th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bangladesh was held on 21st and 22nd August, 2023 in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Member (Customs), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, India and Member (Customs: Audit, Modernization and International Trade), National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh. The India-Bangladesh Joint Group of Customs meetings are held on an annual basis to discuss issues relating to customs cooperation and cross-border trade facilitation. These meetings play a vital role in enhancing connectivity and developing trade infrastructure for smooth customs clearance at land borders. There are 62 Land Customs Stations (which include land border crossing points, railway stations and river banks/ports) along the India-Bangladesh Border in the States of West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. Several trade facilitative measures have been undertaken by India in this context recently such as enabling exports from Bangladesh to India by rail in closed containers, with customs clearance facility at any Inland Container Depot (ICD) vide Circular dated 17th May 2022. This would also help decongest the border trade points. Circular dated 09th September 2022 has been issued to enable export of cargo from ICDs in India to Bangladesh using Inland Waterways. Similarly, Circular dated 14th September 2022 has been issued to enable transshipment through India of containerized export cargo of Bangladesh, destined for third countries, using Riverine and Land routes. Likewise, Circular dated 07th February 2023 has allowed transshipment of Bangladesh export cargo to third countries using Delhi Air Cargo. The 14th JGC meeting discussed a host of bilateral issues such as opening of new land customs stations, easing port restrictions, development of road and rail infrastructure, pre-arrival exchange of customs data and a bilateral agreement on customs cooperation. India thanked Bangladesh for completing trial runs and issuing notification for operationalizing the Agreement on Use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports (ACMP) as was decided in the 13th JGC meeting, and initiated discussions on electronic connectivity of the respective transit modules of ACMP. The bilateral meeting was successfully concluded with both sides committing to furtherance of cooperation in areas of mutual interest. A man pleaded guilty Friday to shooting another man in the head, taking his truck and burying his body near the Cowlitz River. Jeremiah Donnie Mathews, 35, pleaded guilty to seven charges, including first-degree aggravated murder, first-degree felony murder and first-degree robbery, in the 2021 crime. He is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11. Both the first-degree murder and the first-degree robbery charge carry a statutory life sentence, and aggravated murder also has a life sentence without parole, according to court documents. When Mathewss former partner was arrested for outstanding warrants in October 2021, she told police Mathews murdered a man and buried the body on private property near the 1900 block of South River Road in Kelso, where the former couple use to squat, a police report states. Investigators later found the body of a male, buried about 6 feet deep, wrapped in a tarp, in the location. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the rear base of the skull, and authorities struggled to identify him due to decomposition. The woman told police they met the victim the day before the shooting. Mathews believed the victim was either a cop or a narc, and he wanted to take the victims truck and cash, the report states. After the killing, Mathews and his former partner carjacked the victims vehicle, later using it to drive over a futon mattress covering the body. Mathews then dumped the victims belongings, dug a hole, wrapped the body in a tarp, and used the victims pickup truck to drag the body into the makeshift grave, the report states. When he couldnt clean the crime scene, he burned the futon and his clothing. Mathews, now in his underwear and gloves, drove off in the victims truck. On Sept. 16, 2021, Mathews traded the victims truck for a Ford Aspire, forging the signature in the process; he was later arrested in Vancouver on Oct. 14, 2021, according to police. Following his arrest, Mathews told police the murder occurred on Sept. 15, 2021, and stated, I seen an open shot and got him in the back of the head, a report states. He said he killed the man to show loyalty, to his former partner and take the truck. 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: Meta is facing a backlash in Canada over its decision to block news sharing on its Facebook platform despite an ongoing wildfire crisis. Meta is being accused of endangering lives by blocking news links in Canada at a crucial moment, when thousands have fled their homes and are desperate for wildfire updates that once would have been shared widely on Facebook. The situation "is dangerous," said Kelsey Worth, 35, one of nearly 20,000 residents of Yellowknife and thousands more in small towns ordered to evacuate the Northwest Territories as wildfires advanced. She described to AFP how "insanely difficult" it has been for herself and other evacuees to find verifiable information about the fires blazing across the near-Arctic territory and other parts of Canada. "Nobody's able to know what's true or not," she said. "And when you're in an emergency situation, time is of the essence," she said, explaining that many Canadians until now have relied on social media for news. Meta on August 1 started blocking the distribution of news links and articles on its Facebook and Instagram platforms in response to a recent law requiring digital giants to pay publishers for news content. The company has been in a virtual showdown with Ottawa over the bill passed in June, but which only takes effect next year. Building on similar legislation introduced in Australia, the bill aims to support a struggling Canadian news sector that has seen a flight of advertising dollars and hundreds of publications closed in the last decade. It requires companies like Meta and Google to make fair commercial deals with Canadian outlets for the news and informationestimated in a report to parliament to be worth Can$330 million (US$250 million) per yearthat is shared on their platforms, or face binding arbitration. But Meta has said the bill is flawed and insisted that news outlets share content on its Facebook and Instagram platforms to attract readers, benefiting them and not the Silicon Valley firm. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week raged against Meta, telling reporters it was 'inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of (safety)' Profits over safety Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau this week assailed Meta, telling reporters it was "inconceivable that a company like Facebook is choosing to put corporate profits ahead of (safety)... and keeping Canadians informed about things like wildfires." Almost 80 percent of all online advertising revenues in Canada go to Meta and Google, which has expressed its own reservations about the new law. Ollie Williams, director of Cabin Radio in the far north, called Meta's move to block news sharing "stupid and dangerous." He suggested in an interview with AFP that "Meta could lift the ban temporarily in the interests of preservation of life and suffer no financial penalty because the legislation has not taken effect yet." Nicolas Servel, over at Radio Taiga, a French-language station in Yellowknife, noted that some had found ways of circumventing Meta's block. They "found other ways to share" information, he said, such as taking screen shots of news articles and sharing them from personalrather than corporatesocial media accounts. 'Life and death' Several large newspapers in Canada such as The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star have launched campaigns to try to attract readers directly to their sites. Many Canadian evacuees have struggled to get accurate wildfire information after Meta on August 1 started blocking the sharing of news articles on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. But for many smaller news outlets, workarounds have proven challenging as social media platforms have become entrenched. Public broadcaster CBC in a letter this week pressed Meta to reverse course. "Time is of the essence," wrote CBC president Catherine Tait. "I urge you to consider taking the much-needed humanitarian action and immediately lift your ban on vital Canadian news and information to communities dealing with this wildfire emergency." As more than 1,000 wildfires burn across Canada, she said, "The need for reliable, trusted, and up-to-date information can literally be the difference between life and death." Metawhich did not respond to AFP requests for commentrejected CBC's suggestion. Instead it urged Canadians to use the "Safety Check" function on Facebook to let others know if they are safe or not. Patrick White, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, said Meta has shown itself to be a "bad corporate citizen." "It's a matter of public safety," he said, adding that he remains optimistic Ottawa will eventually reach a deal with Meta and other digital giants that addresses their concerns. 2023 AFP When Emily Fisher was in college, one professor shaped the next course of her life and led her in a new direction, helping bring her to where she is today. I went to Blinn Junior College right out of high school and for some reason I took an engineering calculus class, even though I had no idea what my major was going to be, Fisher told The Eagle on Thursday. [Ms. Smith] was my calculus teacher and I probably should not have just jumped into that class but I did and I had to work really hard. I was doing really well and she asked what I was going to [study] at [Texas] A&M. I said I have no idea and she said I really need to think about something science and engineering related. After that conversation with her math professor, Fisher said she switched her major to civil engineering and hasnt looked back. A native of Bryan who grew up in College Station, Fisher said she knew she wanted to find a way back to Aggieland. After receiving her degree from Texas A&M University, she started working in the public sector and worked in Houston on various projects, before making her way back to College Station. For 10 years she worked as a project manager with the citys public works and capital projects department. She was later promoted in December 2021 as the city of College Stations public works director. All along I have always had the mind for building things and putting things together, but it just never crossed my mind as in doing engineering until I got to college, she said. As a woman in a leadership role, Fisher said having other female leaders whom she admired and also encouraged her to succeed impacted the rest of her life. Having [women] teachers telling me, Hey, this is something youre good at, was huge. And then engineering some would say that it might be a male-dominated field, but its really not anymore which is great to see, she said. STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] has become [more] equal now. Fisher said finding affinity groups to be a part of like the society of women engineers, and anything where women can be empowered by other women, was crucial in the development of her leadership skills. For me it has always been What can I do to better myself? What do I need to work on? And I feel like getting outside my comfort zone I hate doing it but it needs to happen and joining those types of groups was huge, she recalled. Putting yourself in that position and getting outside of that comfort zone, just really helped develop me as a leader and develop my potential. Growing up, Fisher said she looked up to her mother, Carla Robinson, who inspired her from a young age to keep pursuing her dreams. She also admired many other female department leaders at the city who she was able to learn from in her career. With the city, there are so many department heads, city managers and councilwomen that are there to look up to which is great, she said. It is so good to see that and I am glad that I work with such a great team and so many inspiring leaders. I always want to learn and I have definitely learned so much from the other women I work with, and I feel like I have had that more now than ever. There are always women in other workplaces I have been in, but now I feel really lucky to be amongst the women that I am. For any woman who might be starting a new leadership role and might have hesitations or worries about being respected in their position as a leader, Fisher advises them to set aside their worries and still feel empowered. Its never as bad as you think. You are way more powerful and you are heard more than you think, she said. I know sometimes confidence can be an issue, but I would just want anyone to know to not second-guess yourself, to not question yourself going into a situation, and just always give yourself the room to grow, the room to learn more and the room to make mistakes. Because that is going to happen and it is not because you are a woman or anything, you are just going to mess up and just give yourself that grace and that room to do that. If she could give any advice to her younger self knowing she would be in many leadership roles, she said it would be to not sweat the small stuff. Let the small stuff go, she said. Go easy on yourself and know that it is going to be OK, and just have room to enjoy it along the way. Just have fun. The Brink's Company provides secure transportation, cash management, and other security-related services in North America, Latin America, Europe, and internationally. The company offers armored vehicle transportation of valuables; automated teller machine (ATM) management services, such as cash replenishment, cash forecasting, cash optimization, ATM remote monitoring, service call dispatching, transaction processing, installation, and first and second line maintenance services; and cash-in-transit services. It also provides transportation services for diamonds, jewelry, precious metals, securities, bank notes, currency, high-tech devices, electronics, and pharmaceuticals; cash management services, as well as cashier balancing, counterfeit detection, account consolidation, electronic reporting, check imaging, and reconciliation services. It serves banks and financial institutions, retailers, government agencies, mints, jewelers, and other commercial operations. The company was formerly known as The Pittston Company and changed its name to The Brink's Company in May 2003. The Brink's Company was founded in 1859 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. Hillenbrand, Inc. operates as a diversified industrial company in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Advanced Process Solutions, Molding Technology Solutions, and Batesville. The Advanced Process Solutions segment designs, engineers, manufactures, markets, and services process and material handling equipment and systems comprising compounding, extrusion, and material handling equipment, as well as offers equipment system design services; and provides screening and separating equipment for various industries, including plastics, food and pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilizers, minerals, energy, wastewater treatment, forest products, and other general industrials. The Molding Technology Solutions segment offers injection molding and extrusion equipment; hot runner systems; process control systems; and mold bases and components for various industries, including automotive, consumer goods, medical, packaging, construction, and electronics. The Batesville segment designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells funeral services products and solutions, such as burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, other personalization and memorialization products, and web-based technology applications. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Batesville, Indiana. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, nacelles, struts/pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats flight control surfaces, wing structures, and fully functional and tested wing systems. This segment primarily serves commercial and business/regional jet programs. The Defense & Space segment engages in the fabrication, bonding, assembly, testing, tooling, processing, engineering analysis, and training on fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures; provision of missiles and hypersonics solutions, such as solid rocket motor throats, nozzles, re-entry vehicle thermal protections systems; forward cockpit and cabin, and fuselage work on rotorcraft aerostructures; and classified programs. This segment primarily serves U.S. Government defense programs. The Aftermarket segment provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services; fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures spare parts; repair services for radome, flight control surfaces, and nacelles; rotable assets trading and leasing; and engineering services. This segment primarily serves both Commercial and defense and space programs. The company was formerly known as Mid-Western Aircraft Systems Holdings, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. 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. All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to one goal and one goal only: finding a reliable edge in the markets. If you can do that, grab hold of it and never let go. Because once you have that edge, and you can count on it, you never need to do anything else. Arcus Biosciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes cancer therapies in the United States. The company's pipeline products include Domvanalimab, an anti-TIGIT investigational monoclonal antibody, which is in Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical trial; and AB308, an investigational anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, which is in Phase 1b clinical trial to study people with advanced solid and hematologic malignancies. It also develops Etrumadenant, a dual A2a/A2b adenosine receptor antagonist, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial; Quemliclustat, a small-molecule CD73 inhibitor, which is Phase 1b and Phase 2 clinical trial; Zimberelimab, an anti-PD-1 antibody, which is in Phase 2 clinical trial for metastatic cell lung cancer and monotherapy; and AB521, an oral and small-molecule inhibitor of HIF-2a, which is in Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of Von Hippel-Lindau disease. In addition, the company's preclinical pipeline products include AB598, a CD39 antibody; and AB801, a small molecule Axl inhibitor. It has a clinical collaboration with AstraZeneca to evaluate domvanalimab in combination with durvalumab in a registrational phase 3 clinical trial in patients with unresectable Stage 3 NSCLC; and BVF Partners L.P. to support the discovery and development of compounds for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Arcus Biosciences, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Hayward, California. The following companies are subsidiares of Avery Dennison: ADC PHILIPPINES INC., ADESPAN S.R.L., ADHIPRESS BANGLADESH LTD., AVERY CORP., AVERY DE MEXICO SRL DE CV, AVERY DENNISON (ASIA) HOLDINGS LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (CHANGZHOU) FILMS TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD, AVERY DENNISON (CHINA) COMPANY LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (FUZHOU) CONVERTED PRODUCTS LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (GUANGZHOU) CO. LTD., AVERY DENNISON (GUANGZHOU) CONVERTED PRODUCTS LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (GUANGZHOU) INTELLIGENT LABELS CO. LTD., AVERY DENNISON (HONG KONG) LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (IRELAND) LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (KENYA) PRIVATE LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (KUNSHAN) COMPANY LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (MALAYSIA) SDN. BHD., AVERY DENNISON (QINGDAO) CONVERTED PRODUCTS LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (SUZHOU) CO. LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON (THAILAND) LTD., AVERY DENNISON (VIETNAM) LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON ATMA GMBH, AVERY DENNISON ATMA d.o.o., AVERY DENNISON AUSTRALIA INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS PTY LTD., AVERY DENNISON AUSTRALIA PTY LTD., AVERY DENNISON BELGIE BV, AVERY DENNISON BELGIUM MANAGEMENT SERVICES SRL, AVERY DENNISON BENELUX BV, AVERY DENNISON BV, AVERY DENNISON C.A., AVERY DENNISON CANADA CORPORATION, AVERY DENNISON CENTRAL EUROPE GMBH, AVERY DENNISON CHILE S.A., AVERY DENNISON COLOMBIA S. A. S., AVERY DENNISON COMMERCIAL EL SALVADOR S.A. DE C.V., AVERY DENNISON CONVERTED PRODUCTS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., AVERY DENNISON CONVERTED PRODUCTS EL SALVADOR S. A. DE C. V., AVERY DENNISON DE ARGENTINA S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON DO BRASIL LTDA., AVERY DENNISON DOMINICAN REPUBLIC S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON EGYPT LLC, AVERY DENNISON ETIKET TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, AVERY DENNISON EUROPE HOLDING (DEUTSCHLAND) GMBH & CO KG, AVERY DENNISON FINANCE GERMANY GMBH, AVERY DENNISON G HOLDINGS I LLC, AVERY DENNISON G HOLDINGS III LLC, AVERY DENNISON G INVESTMENTS III LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON G INVESTMENTS V LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON GROUP DANMARK APS, AVERY DENNISON GROUP SINGAPORE PTE LTD, AVERY DENNISON GULF FZCO, AVERY DENNISON HOLDING FRANCE, AVERY DENNISON HOLDING GMBH, AVERY DENNISON HOLDING LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON HOLDING LUXEMBOURG S. A. R. L., AVERY DENNISON HOLDINGS LLC, AVERY DENNISON HOLDING & FINANCE THE NETHERLANDS BV, AVERY DENNISON HONG KONG B.V., AVERY DENNISON HONG KONG HOLDING I B.V., AVERY DENNISON IBERICA S.A., AVERY DENNISON INNOVATIONS LLC, AVERY DENNISON INTELLIGENT HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS LLC, AVERY DENNISON INTELLIGENT LABELS EUROPE S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON INTELLIGENT LABELS HK LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON INVESTMENT LUXEMBOURG II SARL, AVERY DENNISON INVESTMENTS LUXEMBOURG III SARL, AVERY DENNISON INVESTMENTS LUXEMBOURG IV SARL, AVERY DENNISON ISRAEL LTD., AVERY DENNISON ITALIA S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON JAPAN KK, AVERY DENNISON JAPAN MATERIALS COMPANY LTD., AVERY DENNISON KOREA LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON LABEL LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON LANKA (PRIVATE) LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON LUXEMBOURG S.A.R.L., AVERY DENNISON LUXEMBOURG SALES SARL, AVERY DENNISON MANAGEMENT GMBH, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS BELGIUM SRL, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS EUROPE B.V., AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS EUROPE GMBH, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS FRANCE S.A.R.L., AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS GMBH, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS IRELAND LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS NEDERLAND BV, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS NEW ZEALAND LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS PTY LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS ROM SRL, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS RUSSIA LLC, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS SALES BELGIUM SRL, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS SALES FRANCE S. A. S., AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS SALES GERMANY GMBH, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS SDN BHD, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS U.K. LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON MATERIALS UKRAINE LLC, AVERY DENNISON MAURITIUS LTD., AVERY DENNISON MEDICAL LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT I BV, AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT II B. V., AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT III BV, AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT VII B.V., AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT VIII BV, AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT X BV, AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT XI B.V., AVERY DENNISON NETHERLANDS INVESTMENT XII BV, AVERY DENNISON NORDIC APS, AVERY DENNISON NTP A. S., AVERY DENNISON OFFICE PRODUCTS COMPANY, AVERY DENNISON OFFICE PRODUCTS HOLDINGS COMPANY, AVERY DENNISON OFFICE PRODUCTS MANUFACTURING U.K. LTD., AVERY DENNISON OVERSEAS CORPORATION, AVERY DENNISON PENSION TRUSTEE LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON PERU S. R. L., AVERY DENNISON POLSKA SP. Z O.O., AVERY DENNISON PRAHA SPOL. S R. O., AVERY DENNISON R.I.S. FRANCE S. A. S., AVERY DENNISON R.I.S. IBERIA S.L., AVERY DENNISON R.I.S. ITALIA S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON RBIS (CAMBODIA) CO. LTD, AVERY DENNISON RBIS (CAMBODIA) TRADING CO. LTD, AVERY DENNISON RBIS INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON RBIS PTY LTD, AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES (PTY) LTD, AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES COLOMBIA S. A. S., AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES DE MEXICO S. A. DE C.V., AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES EL SALVADOR LTDA. DE C. V., AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES GUATEMALA S. A., AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES HONDURAS S. DE R.L., AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES LLC, AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES PERU SAC, AVERY DENNISON RETAIL INFORMATION SERVICES UK LTD., AVERY DENNISON RFID COMPANY, AVERY DENNISON RIS TAIWAN LTD., AVERY DENNISON RIS VIETNAM CO. LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON S.A. DE C.V., AVERY DENNISON S.R.L., AVERY DENNISON SCANDINAVIA AB, AVERY DENNISON SCANDINAVIA APS, AVERY DENNISON SECURITY PRINTING EUROPE APS, AVERY DENNISON SHARED SERVICES INC., AVERY DENNISON SINGAPORE (PTE) LTD., AVERY DENNISON SMARTRAC LATAM LTDA., AVERY DENNISON SOUTH AFRICA (PROPRIETARY) LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON SUPPORT SERVICES, AVERY DENNISON TEKSTIL URUNLERI SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, AVERY DENNISON TRADING COMPANY LTD, AVERY DENNISON TREASURY MANAGEMENT BV, AVERY DENNISON U.K. II LIMITED, AVERY DENNISON U.K. LIMITED, AVERY GRAPHIC SYSTEMS INC., AVERY LLC, AVERY OFFICE PRODUCTS PUERTO RICO L.L.C., AVERY PACIFIC LLC, AVERY PROPERTIES PTY. LIMITED, AWESOME PROFITS LIMITED, BEST COURAGE INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, CB VELOCITY HOLDINGS LLC, CB VELOCITY MIDCO INC., CHOICE CLEVER PROFITS LIMITED, CREATERO GMBH, DENNISON INTERNATIONAL COMPANY, DENNISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, DM Label Group, Dunsirn Industries, ELECTRONIC IMAGING SERVICES INC., EUSTON FINANCIAL LIMITED, EVERGREEN HOLDING SARL, EVERGREEN HOLDINGS V LLC, FOXFIRE PRINTING AND PACKAGING INC., Finesse Medical, HANITA COATINGS USA LLC, HANITA EUROPA GMBH, HEBEI YONGLE TAPE CO. LTD., Hanita Coatings, INFORMATION PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SERVICES INC., INK MILL LLC, INTEGRATED RETAIL LIMITED, INTELICHOICE LLC, JAC ASIA PACIFIC SDN BHD, JAC CARIBE C.S.Z., JAC DO BRASIL - LOCACAO DE EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA, JACKSTADT FRANCE S.N.C., JDC EAST PTE LTD., JDC SOLUTIONS INC., JDC Solutions, JINTEX LIMITED, Jackstadt GmbH, L&E AMERICAS SERVICIOS S. A. DE C.V., L&E Packaging, MACtac Europe S.A., MARKSTAR INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, MODERN MARK INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, NINGBO AVERY DENNISON SHENZHOU EMBELLISHMENT CO. LTD., P. T. PACIFIC LABEL INDONESIA, P. T. PAXAR INDONESIA, PAXAR (CHINA) LTD., PAXAR B.V., PAXAR BANGLADESH LIMITED, PAXAR CANADA CORPORATION, PAXAR CORPORATION, PAXAR DE EL SALVADOR S. A. DE C. V., PAXAR DE GUATEMALA S. A., PAXAR DE MEXICO S. A. DE C. V., PAXAR DO BRASIL LTDA, PAXAR FAR EAST LIMITED, PAXAR MAROC SARL, PAXAR PACKAGING (GUANGZHOU) LTD., PAXAR PAKISTAN (PRIVATE) LIMITED, PINNACLE BUSINESS PRODUCTS LLC, PLYMOUTH YONGLE TAPE (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD, PT AVERY DENNISON INDONESIA, PT AVERY DENNISON PACKAGING INDONESIA, RVL AMERICAS S DE R.L. DE C.V., RVL CENTRAL AMERICA S. A., RVL PACKAGING FAR EAST LIMITED, RVL Packaging Inc., RVL SERVICE S. DE R. L. DE C. V., Rietveld, Rinke Etiketten GmbH, SECURITY PRINTING DIVISION INC., SKILLFIELD INVESTMENTS LIMITED, SMARTRAC INVESTMENT B.V., SMARTRAC SPECIALTY GMBH, SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY (GUANGZHOU) CO. LTD, SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY FLETCHER INC., SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY GERMANY GMBH, SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY GMBH, SMARTRAC TECHNOLOGY MALAYSIA SDN. BHD, SSH LABORATORIES INC., Stimsonite Corp, TIGER EIGHT GROUP LIMITED, TexTrace AG, VESTCOM BROKEN ARROW INC., VESTCOM NEW CENTURY LLC, VESTCOM PARENT HOLDINGS INC., VESTCOM MID-ATLANTIC LLC, WORLDWIDE RISK INSURANCE INC., YONGLE TAPE LTD, and Yongle Tape Co. Read More Banco do Brasil S.A. provides banking products and services for individuals, companies, and public sectors in Brazil and internationally. The company's Banking segment offers various products and services, including deposits, loans, and services to retail, wholesale, and public sector markets, as well as to micro-entrepreneurs and the low income population. Its Investments segment engages in the intermediation and distribution of debts in the primary and secondary markets; equity investment activities; and rendering of financial services. The company's Fund Management segment is involved in the purchase, sale, and custody of securities, as well as the management of portfolios, and investment funds and clubs. Its Insurance, Pension and Capitalization segment provides life, property, and automobile insurance products, as well as private pension and capitalization plans. The company's Payment Methods segment is involved in the funding, transmission, processing, and settlement of transactions through electronic means. Its Other segment engages in the provision of credit recovery and consortium administration services; development, manufacturing, leasing, and integration of digital electronic systems and equipment, peripherals, programs, inputs, and computing supplies; intermediation of air tickets; and lodging and organization of events. Banco do Brasil S.A. was founded in 1808 and is headquartered in Brasalia, Brazil. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It also offers bilateral loans; structured loans including syndicated and clubbed, such as acquisition and pre-export financing, A/B loan financing, bridge loans, and liability management; and project financing. In addition, the company provides letter of credit comprising import and export letters of credit, and credit discounting and financing, as well as usance payable at sight; stand-by services; bank guarantees, which includes first demand and local guarantees; import and export documentary collection; irrevocable reimbursement undertaking, and canal tolls. Further, it offers liquidity and investment solutions including time deposits, DDA accounts, Yankee certificate of deposits, and EMTN private placement services, as well as supply chain finance services. The company primarily serves financial institutions, corporations, and sovereigns and state-owned entities. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.was formerly known as Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones, S.A. and changed its name to Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. in June 2009. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Panama City, the Republic of Panama. Vermilion Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in North America, Europe, and Australia. The company owns 82% working interest in 796,648 net acres of developed land and 85% working interest in 384,237 net acres of undeveloped land in Canada; 149,043 net acres of land in the Powder River basin in the United States; 96% working interest in 258,125 net acres of developed land and 100% working interest in 106,993 net acres of undeveloped land in the Aquitaine and Paris Basins in France; 53% working interest in 1,604,206 net acres of land in the Netherlands; 107,351 net developed acres and 1,549,929 net undeveloped acres in Germany; 975,374 net acres land in Croatia; 614,625 net acres land in Hungary; and 97,907 net acres land in Slovakia. It also owns 20% interests in the offshore Corrib natural gas field located to the northwest coast of Ireland; and 100% working interest in the Wandoo offshore oil field and related production facilities that covers 59,552 acres located on Western Australia's northwest shelf. Vermilion Energy Inc. was founded in 1994 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Canadian Western Bank provides personal and business banking products and services primarily in Western Canada. The company offers current, savings, notice, cash management, US dollar, and chequing accounts, as well as organization, business trust, and trust fund investment accounts. It also offers commercial lending and real estate, and equipment financing and leasing products; agriculture lending products; mortgages; lines of credits; registered retirement savings loans; consolidation, and vehicle loans; and credit cards. In addition, the company offers cash management services; life and disability insurance products; and ATM, mobile, and online banking services, as well cheque order services. Further, it provides investment products comprising guaranteed investment certificates, US dollars investments plans, registered retirement income funds, tax-free savings accounts, registered education savings plans, and mutual funds, as well as personal and business planning services. Canadian Western Bank was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Edmonton, Canada. 5 Wall Street equities research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for CEMEX in the last twelve months. There are currently 3 hold ratings and 2 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street equities research analysts is that investors should "hold" CX shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in CX, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares. View CX analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources. Its distribution system comprises 208 miles of high-voltage distribution overhead lines; 4 miles of high-voltage distribution underground lines; 4,428 miles of high-voltage distribution overhead lines; 19 miles of high-voltage distribution underground lines; 82,474 miles of electric distribution overhead lines; 9,395 miles of underground distribution lines; 1,093 substations; and 3 battery facilities. The Gas Utility segment engages in the purchase, transmission, storage, distribution, and sale of natural gas, which includes 2,392 miles of transmission lines; 15 gas storage fields; 28,065 miles of distribution mains; and 8 compressor stations. The Enterprises segment is involved in the independent power production and marketing, including the development and operation of renewable generation. It serves 1.9 million electric and 1.8 million gas customers, including residential, commercial, and diversified industrial customers. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Jackson, Michigan. CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Limited is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund of fund launched by Goldman Sachs International. The fund is managed by CVC Credit Partners Investment Management Ltd. It invests in the fixed income markets of Western Europe. The fund seeks to invest in securities of companies across diversified sectors. It primarily invests all of its assets in units of the CVC European Credit Opportunities S.ar.l, which in turn invests in sub-investment grade senior secured debt obligations of companies. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the S&P European Leveraged Loan lndex, iBoxx EUR Liquid High Yield Index, S&P Europe 350 Index, and HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index. CVC Credit Partners European Opportunities Limited was formed on March 20, 2013 and is domiciled in Jersey. Edison International (NYSE:EIX) pays an annual dividend of $2.95 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.76%. EIX has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 19 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 118.95%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, EIX will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.07% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for EIX. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world London & Associated Properties is a fully listed property investment company specialising in retail. It owns a portfolio of shopping centres and other retail property currently worth some 78m. LAP also invests in joint ventures with institutional co-owners; these have included Oaktree Capital Management, Schroders and Bank of Scotland. LAMS, LAP's directly owned subsidiary, is an property asset manager that carries out both asset management and property management for third parties. These parties have included the Lloyds Bank, NAMA, Deloittes and Grant Thornton as well as the joint ventures in which LAP has invested. LAP also has a 41.5% interest in Bisichi Mining Plc, a fully listed mining company. Bisichi owns a retail property portfolio that is also managed by LAP. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM) pays an annual dividend of $5.20 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 5.94%. PM has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 15 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 100.97%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, PM will have a dividend payout ratio of 79.03% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend. Read our dividend analysis for PM. Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. operates as bank holding company for the Prosperity Bank that provides financial products and services to businesses and consumers. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand, savings, money market, and time accounts, as well as and certificates of deposit. The company also offers 1-4 family residential mortgage, commercial real estate and multifamily residential, commercial and industrial, agricultural, and non-real estate agricultural loans, as well as construction, land development, and other land loans; consumer loans, including automobile, recreational vehicle, boat, home improvement, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans; and consumer durables and home equity loans, as well as loans for working capital, business expansion, and purchase of equipment and machinery. In addition, it provides internet banking, mobile banking, trust and wealth management, retail brokerage, mortgage services, and treasury management, as well as debit and credit cards. The company was founded in 1983 and is based in Houston, Texas. Thai Union Group Public Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells frozen, chilled, and canned seafood in Thailand and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Ambient Seafood; Frozen and Chilled Seafood and Related Businesses; Pet food; and Value-Added and Other Businesses. It provides ambient seafood products, including tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel, herring, and salmon for retail and wholesale customers; frozen and chilled seafood, such as shrimp, lobster, and crabs that are sold directly to restaurants, hotels, and caterers; ready-to-cook or ready-to-serve products, as well as bakery treats; marine ingredients for use in consumer goods, such as infant formula, cosmetics, dietary supplements, and clinical nutrition; and pet care products comprising surimi-based fish snacks, canned cod liver, and wet seafood-based cat and dog foods. The company offers its products under the Chicken of the Sea, Genova, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, King Oscar, Mareblu, RUGEN FISCH& Hawesta, Sealect, Fisho, QFresh, Monori, Bellotta and Marvo, Red lobster, Thammachart seafood, Zeavita, OMG Meat, Interpharma- ZEAvita, and Food and Beverage United brands. It also manufactures and distributes canned tuna and seafood, frozen foods and aquatic animals, pet food, frozen shrimps, animal feeds, ingredients product, and smoked salmon products. In addition, the company offers printing manufacturing, export and import, training and management, e-commerce, consultancy, technical, and property rental services. Further, it is involved in the packaging food products, tuna oil refinery, shrimp farming, and shrimp breeding and hatchery businesses. The company was formerly known as Thai Union Frozen Products Public Company Limited and changed its name to Thai Union Group Public Company Limited in September 2015. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Mueang Samut Sakhon, Thailand. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization Trading Experts Call It The Perfect Tesla Trade (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world Pfizer Inc. is a US-based multinational biotech company. The company operates as a research-based pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, production and marketing of medicines and vaccines. It is the 2nd largest drugmaker globally by revenue and is ranked 64th on the Fortune 500 list. The companys avenues of research include Immunology, Oncology, Cardiology, Endocrinology and Neurology. Regarding its product line, the company has at least ten blockbuster drugs producing more than $1 billion in avenue revenue each. The company brought in over $81 billion in total revenue in 2021. The US is its main market and represents roughly 50% of all revenue. China and Japan make up roughly 12% of the business, while the rest come from the rest of the world. It employs roughly 79,000 people and is headquartered in New York state. Pfizer Inc. was founded in 1849 by Charles Pfizer Sr. and his cousin Charles Earhart. The two were German immigrants and chemists that set up shops outside New York City to make medicinal compounds. The first major success was an antiparasitic called santonin, and the commercialization of citric acid-making technologies quickly followed that up. Their success with citric acid led to the companys expansion and other major discoveries. World War I caused a shortage of materials for making citric acid and forced the company to seek alternatives. The one they latched on to was the fermentation of certain fungi known to produce citric acid naturally. This led to the advancement of fermentation technology that was later used in the commercial production of penicillin and then the advancement of antibiotics in general. Pfizer Inc was incorporated on June 2nd, 1942 in Delaware, and another period of expansion began. The postwar drop in demand for penicillin led to the discovery of newer, more marketable antibiotics and cemented the companys role in modern medicine. By the time he 80s rolled around, the company was trading on the New York Stock Exchange and on the path to developing todays blockbuster lineup. The companys top seller in 2021 was Comirnaty, a COVID-19 vaccine. It generated nearly $37 billion in 2021 and was followed by Prevnar, Ibrance and Eliquis with just over $5 billion in sales each. Other blockbuster names on Pfizers list include Xeljanz and Enbrel, each bringing in $3.5 billion. Pfizer operates 39 research and production facilities worldwide and sells its products in 125 countries. As of 2022, the company had a robust pipeline of potential treatments, with more than 220 in some stage of clinical trials. Among its leading candidates is a vaccine for RSV, a life-threatening respiratory disease affecting children. 2021 highlights include 8 FDA approvals, four new regulatory submissions and 13 new trial startups. Pfizer is also a well-known dividend payer and has returned more than $8.7 billion to shareholders since going public. Tokuyama Corporation produces and sells various chemical products in Japan. The company operates through six segments: Chemicals, Cement, Electronics and Advanced Materials, Life Science, Eco Business, and Others. The Chemicals segment offers caustic soda, soda ash, calcium chloride, sodium silicate cullet, sodium bicarbonate, purified, vinyl chloride monomer, polyvinyl chloride resin, propylene oxide, methylene chloride, and chloroform. The Cement segment provides cement, ready-mixed concrete, and cement-type stabilizer, as well as engages in the resource recycling business. The Electronic and Advanced Materials segment provides polycrystalline silicon; fumed silica and tetrachlorosilane; aluminum nitride; high-purity chemicals for electronics manufacturing and photoresist developer; and isopropyl alcohol. The Life Science segment provides medical diagnosis systems, dental materials and equipment, pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates, plastic lens-related materials for glasses, and microporous film. The Eco Business segment offers plastic window sashes, ion exchange membranes, as well as engages in waste gypsum board recycling activity. The company was formerly known as Tokuyama Soda Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Tokuyama Corporation in April 1994. Tokuyama Corporation was incorporated in 1918 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Newly declassified US intelligence agency reports reveal its Russian counterparts are operating a systemic program to launder pro-Kremlin propaganda through private relationships between Russian operatives and unwitting US and other Western targets. Both CNN and the New York Times first reported on the revelation, saying US intelligence officials believe the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) was attempting to influence public policy and public opinion in the West by directing Russian civilians to build relationships with influential US and Western individuals and disseminate narratives supporting the Kremlin's objectives while obscuring the FSB's role through layers of ostensibly independent actors. "These influence operations are designed to be deliberately small scale, the overall goal being US [and] Western persons presenting these ideas, seemingly organic," a US official authorized to discuss the material told reporters on the condition of anonymity. The independent actors, which were called "co-optees" in the report, were "primarily built on personal relationships" by building their trust with them and leveraging it to covertly push the FSB's agenda. Read Also: Pro-Kyiv Russian Volunteer Corps Urges Wagner to Switch Sides to Avenge Prigozhin's Death Some FSB Co-optee Cases The declassified intel report added the campaigns have been effective in planting Russian narratives in the Western press. One of the names mentioned in the report was Maxim Grigoriev, who heads a Russian NGO. He made multiple speeches to the United Nations presenting a false study that claimed the humanitarian group the White Helmets - which operates in Syria - was running a black market for human organs and had faked chemical attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, with whom Russia is allied. According to open-source materials provided by the US intel official, the claims eventually found their way into a television report on the far-right US media outlet OANN. The official added that the Western people who eventually propagated the Kremlin's agenda were almost certainly unaware of the role they were playing. "At the end of the day, this unwitting target is disseminating Russian influence operation, Russian propaganda to their target public," the official added. The intelligence report has also provided several examples of Russian civilian co-optees doing the FSB's work, such as Andrey Stepanenko, who founded a media project in 2014 that sponsored journalists from the West to visit the Donbas in eastern Ukraine and learn the "alleged truth" about the situation on the ground, with the FSB "almost certainly" bankrolling him to invite the said journalists into the area prior to its destruction because of Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. The official also cited Natalia Burlinova, the founder the a Russian NGO Creative Diplomacy who routinely coordinated FSB-funded public diplomacy efforts aimed at influencing Western views and individuals. In 2018, she visited, had meetings, and hosted events at multiple US think tanks and universities in New York, Boston, and Washington, all of which were funded out of the FSB's pockets. She was indicted earlier this year on charges of conspiring with an FSB officer to act as an illegal agent of Russia inside the United States, although she remains at liberty in Russia. All of the names and entities the US intelligence official mentioned were asked for comment but have yet to respond as of this report. FSB's Involvement in US, Russian Politics Speculated While the official declined to offer specifics to cross-reference the US intelligence community's assertions the FSB was bankrolling such operations, the official noted that once they were able to establish FSB backing, it would be easy to trace the narratives co-optees were pushing in open-source materials. The official has also declined to say whether Russia was also using the same tactics in trying to influence US elections, just like the speculations simmering about Russian influence on the election of former US president Donald Trump in 2016, and how the organization running the troll farm in his favor, the Internet Research Agency, was founded and funded by presumably-deceased Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and was in operation until very recently, when Prigozhin decided to lead Wagner into a failed mutiny last June, which purportedly cost his life exactly two months later. However, the FSB does use similar tactics to influence political opinion within Russia, just like the case of Russian media personality Anton Tsvetkov, who organized protests outside of embassies in Moscow, including the US Embassy, at the FSB's behest. The protests were pushing the Kremlin's narrative of the war in Ukraine, "promoting the 'Ukrainian Nazi' narrative and blaming the U.S. and its allies for the deaths of children in the Donbas," while concealing its role, according to the declassified report. "The purpose of those protests really was...designed to sell it to the Russian people," the official added. Related Article: Russian Mi-8 Helicopter Pilot Defects to Ukraine @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production, distribution, wholesale, and retail sale of beer products worldwide. It operates through seven segments: Shandong Region; South China Region; North China Region; East China Region; Southeast China Region; Hong Kong, Macau and Other Overseas Region; and Finance Company. The company sells its beer products primarily under the Tsingtao and Laoshan brand names. It also provides wealth management, and agency collection and payment services; and financing, construction, and logistics services, as well as technology promotion and application services. Tsingtao Brewery Company Limited was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Qingdao, the People's Republic of China. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates warehouse clubs on the eastern half of the United States. It provides perishable, general merchandise, gasoline, coupon books, promotions, and other ancillary services. The company sells its products through the websites BJs.com, BerkleyJensen.com, and Wellsleyfarms.com, as well as the mobile app. The company was formerly known as Beacon Holding Inc. and changed its name to BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. in February 2018. BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts. 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. 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 If you like Taylor Swift, chances are excellent that you'll like Ember & Oak. The Nebraska duo will play plenty of Swift music in their performance Sunday morning at the Nebraska State Fair. Ember & Oak consists of Natalie McGovern, who lives in Omaha, and Lowgaen Schmidt of Elgin. McGovern's stage name is Natalie Christie. McGovern says the pair has a dynamic and rich sound with lush harmonies that expand cover tunes by a host of artists. In addition to its eclectic original music, the duo covers 1990s alternative music and hits from the '80s. On Sunday, the duo will play the music of Kacey Musgraves, Sixpence None the Richer and Thompson Square. They'll play "Just Like Heaven" by the Cure, Darius Rucker's "Wagon Wheel" and an acoustic version of Toto's "Africa." If people like acoustic-style tunes and music with a "stripped-down folkie/country vibe, then they will really enjoy what we have to offer," she said in a phone interview. Ember & Oak will play its new single, "Stay With Me." The show will include Lady Antebellum's "Bartender" and Dolly Parton's "Jolene." But they'll also cover a lot of Taylor Swift tunes, "especially if we have some Swifties in the audience," she said. McGovern and Schmidt have performed together for two years. Both are graduates of Platteview High School, but they didn't know each other in school. McGovern graduated in 2007, Schmidt in 2011. They didn't meet until both were involved in a 2017 "Spamalot" production at Lofte Community Theatre in Manley. McGovern is the duo's main vocalist. Schmidt plays multiple instruments. McGovern is a graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where she studied journalism and public relations. She's written for Omaha Magazine and has done musical theater and opera. She was in two movies that filmed in Nebraska last year. Schmidt teaches music at Elgin Pope John XXIII. The duo has played JunkStock, the Mimosa Fest in Norfolk, bars, wineries and brewing companies. Later this year, they'll play Vala's Pumpkin Patch in Gretna for the second year in a row. They go "wherever people need live music," she said. LINCOLN Situated just off 48th Street in Lincoln's College View neighborhood, The Loft by Lee Douglas Interiors gives off a muted vibe from the outside. So much so that the retail store which operates out of a century-old home at 4821 Lowell Ave. often goes unnoticed by passersby. That made it a perfect fit to be included in this year's Nebraska Passport tourism program, which showcases "hidden gems" across the state and encourages travelers to visit a variety of museums, parks, restaurants, wineries, retail stores and more. "It's surprising how many people come in and say, 'You know how many times I've pulled into this parking lot over here and I have never come in?'" said Brenda Nore, the retail division manager of Lee Douglas Interiors. "We are one of those hidden treasures, those gems, that people aren't aware of what we have to offer." The store has 11 rooms on two floors, each room following a theme to display hand-selected furniture and home decor. Nore said The Loft has a somewhat regular client basis, but seeing new faces and such a variation in foot traffic since being a part of the passport program has been exciting. Last week, Lincoln residents Rod and Judy Strothkamp were visiting the store for the first time. The couple said it's the second year they've participated in the Passport program and have traveled as far as Crawford in northwest Nebraska to visit stops. But they've also discovered many new places in Lincoln that they never knew existed thanks to the program. Because of its distinct storefront, the Lincoln location is "unparalleled," said Michael Murphy, director of marketing for Lee Douglas Interiors. Having to compete with big-box retailers and online stores, Murphy said Lee Douglas Interiors strives to create an all-senses experience that competitors can't match. "You might not always remember Lee Douglas Interiors or The Loft, but you'll always remember the place that had the Fireballs," Murphy said, gesturing to the bowl of Fireball hard candies that welcomes guests at the main entrance. "You'll always remember the place that had the really cool music playing or the amazing candle, the tangible things that that lead you back to this." In addition to helping locals find new businesses that they might not be aware of, the Passport program also aims to provide out-of-state visitors with ways to have an experience truly unique to the state. Murphy said there has been a definite uptick in business since being featured as one of the 70 stops in this year's program which runs until Sept. 30 and he encouraged shoppers to make their way to The Loft. "We have a wide variety of products, we would just really love the opportunity to help them see what they need," said Nore. "One of our core values is treat each other like family; we want that individual connection, that one-on-one." GRANITE CITY A man who was shot by a Washington Park police officer after stealing his car and then fleeing the scene was struck by a different squad car and a passing motorist as he lay in the road in Granite City, according to Illinois State Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene, a news release states. The man was identified as Kyeiiree Meyers, 28, of St. Louis, ISP said. It all started at 10:52 p.m. Wednesday in Fairmont City, where police there were conducting a traffic stop near Collinsville Road. The unidentified Washington Park officer responded to assist the Fairmont City police. Moments before the traffic stop, a man later identified as Meyers got out of his car and started walking toward Illinois 203, according to ISP. The Washington Park officer approached Meyers, who ran, with the officer running after him, the press release states. Meyers and the officer got into a physical altercation. Meyers was able to break free from the officer and gain access to his police squad car, the press release said. Meyers rammed the police car into a pillar near the officer. The officer fired his duty weapon, striking Meyers in the squad car, the release states. Meyers continued to flee, driving away at a high rate of speed, ISP said. "An ISPERN (Illinois State Police Emergency Radio Network) broadcast was made and several agencies began searching for Meyers," the news release said. At 11 p.m., Meyers got out of the stolen squad car on Illinois 162 at Mockingbird Lane in Granite City. He was laying in the roadway when a Pontoon Beach Police Department Squad car and a passing motorist struck him, the release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release. ISP said this is an ongoing investigation, with no further information released at this time. Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2009 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2005 State Fair 2004 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2006 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2018 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2021 State Fair 2021 State Fair Over the course of the past 35 years Ive spent countless hours with hunting, fishing, wildlife and birding guides. Guides have helped me harvest ducks and turkey in Southern Illinois, helped me catch salmon on Lake Michigan and in Alaskas Talkeetna River, smallmouth in Lake Erie, redfish in the Mississippi Delta, black-tipped shark in Florida and white bass in Oklahomas Grand Lake of the Cherokee. Birding guides showed me black-throated blue warblers in Minnesota, green-tailed towhees in Colorado and Altamira orioles in Texas. Perhaps Ive been lucky, but Ive never encountered a bad guide. Each and every one has been the consummate professional, taking their jobs quite seriously. Over the years, theyve tended to be apologetic, even after a good day afield. During my newspaper career, I discovered one of the great loves of my life photographing wildlife. Over the last few years at The Southern Illinoisan, wildlife photography became my favorite part of the job. Upon retirement, I decided to hang up my own shingle Winkelers Wings and Wildlife. Now, I find myself on the other side of the guide-client relationship. As a result, I hold guides in even higher esteem. Certainly not for the work I do, but because now I can fully appreciate how easy these men and women made the job look. Believe me, not every day afield has a fairytale ending. The fish dont always bite. The turkey dont always respond to calls. That happens. Thats nature. When I hire guides, Im fully aware that Mother Nature is fickle. There are two criteria by which I judge guides how they handle adversity and effort. If my guide keeps trying to the very end, even though our livewell is empty or we didnt fill our tags, Im happy. Being shutout is sometimes part of the experience. Another amazing thing, over the years the guides Ive hired have been miraculously free of mishaps. There have been a few memorable moments, but generally the guided trips have been free of drama or inadvertent comedy. I do recall one crappie guide turning multiple shades of red while we were fishing deep water around boat docks in a Missouri lake. We were vertical jigging at about 15 feet when a crappie slammed my bait. With an upward sweep of the rod, I hooked something solid. Generally, a crappie gives ground quickly, but this wasnt one of those occasions. Whatever I caught felt like dead weight. I figured a channel cat or possibly a turtle. A minute or two later I was able to see something slowly rising to the surface. It was a perforated plastic bucket filled with fish food. Ummm, you werent supposed to see that, the guide stammered. On a duck hunting trip years ago, our guide went over an extensive checklist before launching our boat. One of the final questions was, Do you have your hunting licenses? When we all replied in the affirmative, we set sail. Wed been hunting for about 45 minutes when a Conservation Police Officer pulled up, checked our boat and asked to see our licenses. Everyone produced a license except our red-faced guide. I nearly had one of those moments last Saturday on a bird trip. As we got out of my car on one of the last stops, I grabbed a couple bottles of water for my clients. In one motion, I tossed my keys in the trunk and slammed the lid. The lid hadnt even latched yet when I realized my idiocy. A million questions raced through my head, including, What the $@%@ am I going to do? My only hope was I hadnt locked the car doors. I held my breath while pulling on the door latch. The relief I felt when the door opened was indescribable. Only one of my three clients saw what I had done. This is between us, I said sternly. Ill deny it if you say anything. It goes without saying that she is now one of my all-time favorite clients. COLUMBIA South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture named two Advocates of the Year for 2023 in honor of their service to the states agriculture industry. The 15th Advocates of the Year Recognition Reception was held Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Phillips Market Center at the South Carolina State Farmers Market in West Columbia. Mixon - Wannamker Seed Luther Wannamaker, left, of St. Matthews' L.B. Wannamaker Seed Co., and Danny Mixon, right, founder of Mixon Seed greet each other at Mixon Se S.C. Senate President Thomas Alexander, a native South Carolinian and Oconee County businessman, has been committed to agriculture throughout his 29 years in the Senate. He supports South Carolina farmers, agribusinesses and rural communities in his work at the State House. Danny Mixon of Orangeburg, who founded Mixon Seed 50 years ago and remains part of its leadership team, has been instrumental in developing the states seed industry. His work to preserve and promote South Carolina agriculture is a model for others. Its very fitting to recognize people who have done so much for South Carolina agriculture, said Commissioner of Agriculture Hugh Weathers, who serves as an adviser to the Advocates for Agriculture board. On behalf of the states farmers and the more than 250,000 people whose jobs are supported by agribusiness, I thank these two men for their service. Sen. Alexander has always welcomed feedback from agribusiness leaders as to needs within the industry and has always exhausted every effort to provide support when and where needed, said Ronnie Summers, president of Advocates for Agriculture. Danny Mixon has been a leader in South Carolina agribusiness for well over 50 years and is still making a major impact on the states number one industry. Just recently, for example, Danny was instrumental in helping the state land a peanut processor. These two leaders are without question deserving as Advocates of the Year! Founded in 2005, the nonprofit South Carolina Advocates for Agriculture helps promote the states agricultural products and overall agriculture industry. For parents sending their children to school, safety is important. For students, seeing familiar, approachable figures in the hallways means the world. For the Orangeburg County School District, ensuring both these elements come alive daily is where school resource officers come into play. These officers serve a majority of schools. Sgt. Kendrick McCullum and Deputy Quentin Williams of the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office are representative of the dedication of SROs. McCullum, who formerly served at Robert E. Howard Middle School, has been a constant figure at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School for the past eight years. In addition to being an officer of the law, he has been a mentor, guide, and friend to over 1,100 students. "I've had the privilege of seeing many students grow over the years, and it's heartwarming when they reach out after graduation. A few have even been inspired to walk the path of law enforcement, and it's an indescribable feeling knowing I played a small part in their journey," McCullum said. Emphasizing the importance of visibility, he believes that being available can make all the difference to a student in need. "Each day, I wear this badge, not just as a symbol of law and order, but as a testament to my purpose. It's incredible how often the students themselves are the anchors of my day," he adds. On the other side of the district, Williams serves at Carver-Edisto Middle School. His connection with the school is personal and profound. He attended the school from kindergarten and graduated from Edisto High School in 2011. As an SRO for five years, his dual role as an alumnus and an officer affords him a unique perspective. "Our students are the torchbearers of the future, and I've been where they are. I understand their journey, and I am here, at the school and in the community, to ensure they can be their very best," Williams said. He has gone beyond his duty by initiating a student-involved security team and taking on the role of MUSC Health and Wellness Liaison. "Our SROs, Including Sgt. McCullum, Deputy Williams, and all others across our district, embody the dedication and commitment that goes beyond just ensuring safety. They play an integral role in shaping and nurturing and supportive environment. Their consistent presence and genuine care make a significant difference in our students' lives every day," said Dr. Shawn Foster, Orangeburg County School District superintendent. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety has recently awarded the district a grant that will cover the complete expenses for SROs at two of the district's elementary schools. Funding for other SROs in the district comes from collaborative efforts between the district and either the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office or the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. The Russian invasion of Ukraine made the country the one with the most landmines as of writing. Experts warned that the terror brought by Russia's minefields will remain even if the war ends. Russia's Hidden Explosives: Ukraine is Now the Country With Most Landmines According to Business Insider's latest report, the Russian military's landmines are maiming Ukranian soldiers, as well as Western tanks. But, defense officials said that these underground explosives are posing more risks than these. Dr. Aaron Epstein, a former defense contractor, said that he doubts that the Russian military will tell where the rest of its minefields in Ukraine are located. "It's going to be a really unfortunate, nasty discovery process," added Epstein, who is also a military medicine expert. Epstein explained that since landmines are laid underground, they will only be buried deeper as the war drags on. He warned that it would take a very long time to make a place filled with minefields safe for living. "How deep do we need to scrape the surface of the Earth to really make these places safe to live?" he asked. Aaron added that it could take several years before mine-clearing operations can make Ukraine a country safe to live in again. Read Also: Explosions Reported After Ukraine Executes Drone Attack on Russian Naval Base in Crimea Ukraine Needs Help Clearing Russia's Landmines Aside from getting buried deeper and harder to be cleared, another long-term issue posed by Russia's landmines is the need for extensive care for serious injuries. Experts said that some of the worst injuries caused by the Russia-Ukraine war are amputations, which are mainly caused by minefields. Based on statistics, between 20,000 to 50,000 Ukrainians suffered from amputations ever since Russia began invading their country. Since Russia's landmines are greatly affecting Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that they are desperate for help to clear these underground explosives. Via The Guardian, Reznikov said that they have skilled mine sappers and modern equipment. However, these are still insufficient. Ukraine's defense ministry stated that there are millions of explosive devices and hundreds of kilometers of landmines in some parts of the nation's frontline. In the recent July meeting, 54 countries supporting Ukraine said that they are willing to train and equip Ukrainian mine-clearing units. Thanks to this conference, Reznikov said that the initiative was able to unlock donations for landmine clearings. But, he said that they still need a wider range of partners. The Ukrainian defense minister added that they critically need more mine clearance equipment to remove Russia's deadly hidden explosives. Related Article: Ukraine Launches Series of Supersonic Warplane AttacksInside Russia, Blowing Putin's Jets Within 3 Days @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Local law enforcement agencies are teaming up with Orangeburgs universities to improve safety. The City of Orangeburgs Department of Public Safety, the Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office, South Carolina State University and Claflin University have announced the opening of a joint police substation. This is community policing in its purest form, when we bring together the various resources that are available to us to include the community, ODPS Chief Charles Austin said during a Thursday morning press conference. I expect that we are going to begin seeing results by virtue of this presence, he said. The substation, which opened Thursday, is located at the intersection of Goff Avenue and Buckley Street in a 1,000-square-foot former home. The structure was acquired by S.C. State. Austin said local law enforcement agencies have been having some conversations now for some time about how we can strategically place our resources in an effort to address some of the concerns. This is an optimal strategic location for all of us in terms of being able to address the concerns of the community, Austin said. In addition to the substation, an additional camera will be installed to help monitor the area. Personnel from each department will be in and out of the office, Austin said. The personnel who will utilize it will come in and write reports or, if we need to meet citizens regarding concerns, we will be able to do that, Austin said. Since resources are already in place, Austin said there will be no substantial additional cost to man the station. It is just a matter of scheduling," Austin said. The departments will meet with students to explain the concept and role of the station, he said. "If there is an incident, what we would encourage them to do is to find the nearest law enforcement personnel to get some action," Austin said. S.C. State Police Chief Timothy Taylor said the substation is, a step in the right direction for us to bridge our gap between law enforcement in this community. We often come on one page and fight crime around Orangeburg, South Carolina, Taylor said. We will continue to build our relationship under my leadership and we will grow stronger than ever here at South Carolina State. We will work together and share information with one another in this community with law enforcement to make this a better place, Taylor said. The partnership allows Claflin University to extend its work with the city, S.C. State and the sheriffs office, Claflin Executive Director of Public Safety and Chief of Police Melvin Williams said. We are excited about what is going to happen here. We are excited about the successes we are going to have protecting our campus communities as well as the citizens of the City of Orangeburg and the County of Orangeburg, Williams said. Sheriff Leroy Ravenell also praised the partnership. I know visibility is one of the greatest things you can have to curb crime in our communities. This is one of the things we want to be visible and we are going to be here, Ravenell said. Orangeburg City Administrator Sidney Evering said, It goes without saying that public safety for our community, for our universities, for our students are the utmost importance. The City of Orangeburg is a college town. We find that South Carolina State and Claflin University are a very important part of our community and we want to make sure that we are always maintaining the trust of the parents who sent their children and their students to South Carolina State and Claflin. S.C. State Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Frederick Evans said, We wish to extend our appreciation for the community constituents to help South Carolina State University and the other surrounding institutions with this joint substation that we will open. It is our belief that it takes a village to protect a village and with this village, with all of our university partners here, with Claflin University, the City of Orangeburg, the County of Orangeburg, we are certain that it will provide a much safer environment for all of our students. Last year, Claflin University President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack asked Orangeburg City Council about the possibility of closing a portion of Goff Avenue for safety reasons. The city has proposed closing the street from Magnolia Street to Clark Street during certain times, with the potential of expanding the closure to Buckley Street. Evering Thursday said the discussions about closing the road continue with the S.C. Department of Transportation. With each day, Americans are becoming more aware of a burgeoning and seemingly insurmountable political divide. In previous generations, Americans generally disagreed over what would now seem to be minor issues like tax rates, level of spending and priority of national defense. We were generally in agreement over the other fundamental issues, like corporate belief in God, importance of family and respect for the importance of freedom. Those days appear to be over, as even families are coming apart over political disagreement. Many have tried to break down the political divide as solely as blue (Democrat) states vs. red (Republican) states, but that it too simplistic. Closer to the truth is the divide being an urban (Democrat) vs.) rural (Republican) split. Thats closer to whats happening but not most critical. By newly published data, the most important factor is religion, and the religious divide best explains the political polarization we witness growing. The answer is for America to turn back to religion or lose everything. Every 10 years, the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies produces a religious census report on the number of members of religious denominations during the previous decade http://www.asarb.org/Products.html. At the end of 2021, the religious census for 2010-20 was published and provided the most valuable insight into the connection between religion and politics in modern America. Most are aware that religious belief among Americans plummeted during the past decade. What the ASARB report shows, in shocking detail, however, is the close connection between the non-religious and identification as a Democrat. Additionally, the decline of religion is happening quickest in the midwest and other Rust Belt states like Pennsylvania (Note: the blue areas of the Pacific Northwest and New England had already declined significantly). According to Politicos analysis of the 2020 ASARB report: Religion is taking a beating across the middle part of the country. When comparing the rate of religious adherents in 2020 vs. 2010, a fascinating pattern emerges, illuminating the political relevance of the shifting religious landscape: Democrats are making gains in areas where religion is fading (the census defines non-religious as the percentage of a countys population that does not show up on the rolls of any religious organization in that county) and Republicans are increasing their vote share in places where houses of worship are gaining new members. Of note, this helps explain presidential election gains for Democrats, as the number of battleground states are losing religious fervor and simultaneously becoming more Democrat leaning. One example of how this dynamic plays out politically at the county level: Bucks County of Philadelphia is both the fourth largest in Pennsylvania and a national bellwether. Religious membership dropped by a whopping 18 points in Buck County, the most of any large county in the state. At the start of that drop, President Barack Obama barely won the county by under a percent in the 2012 election, yet by 2020, Biden won Buck County by over 5 points. In Michigan, 65 of 83 counties saw a religious decline during the 2010s, and Biden was able to more than double the margin of Obamas 2012 win. This, despite the razor thin 2020 election of Biden compared with the clear win for Obama in 2020. The religion dynamic in politics plays out in reverse and explains the political metamorphosis of Miami-Dade County. During the 2010s, Miami-Dade saw a 10% increase in the religious, and a 30% margin of victory for Clinton in 2016 dropped to only a 7% margin for Joe Biden in 2020. If nothing changes, the non-religious Democratic voter is the future. In the past 30 years, the overall number of nones (non-religious and unaffiliated with a religion) has quadrupled, driven by the younger generations. Almost half of Generation Z, for example, identify as religious nones. Unsurprisingly, based on the data of ASARB, Bidens primary voting block in the 2020 election was the 46% of nones. Those being primarily white progressive non-religious. Conversely, a number of new immigrants to America are religious and cut across the perceptions generated by mainstream media and the Democratic Party by voting Republican. Miami-Dade, various Texas counties, and Maricopa County, Arizona, have shown that religious legal resident Hispanic voters are voting Republican in increasing numbers. The political future of the Republican Party and the nation will rise or fall on religious belief. With the increasing stridency of liberal Democrat attacks on gender, family, fatherhood, freedom, and religious belief, its critical not to allow them a monopoly on power. We all see the results with the Biden administration. Founding father John Adams spoke presciently about the importance of religion to our system: This Constitution was made for a moral and religious people, it is wholly unsuited for the governance of any other. More to the point, George Washington admonished us in his farewell address of the importance of religious belief: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, Religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labour to subvert these great Pillars of human happiness. Either we listen to the founders and unabashedly encourage belief in God throughout all of America, or we lose everything on the pillar of apathy and godlessness. (TBTCO) - Tam iem cua thi truong tai chinh toan cau nhieu tuan qua la su gia tang khong ngung cua loi suat trai phieu chinh phu My co ky han tu 10 nam tro len. Tuan nay, loi suat trai phieu ky han 10 nam a vuot qua muc 5%, lan au tien ke tu nam 2007, khi cac nha au tu ban thao do lo ngai lam phat co the tiep tuc cao hon trong boi canh chinh phu My ang ngap trong no. For the past 22 years, Ed Gavagan has been in what he calls a race against time. Seeking justice for the sexual abuse he suffered as a teenager and later disclosed as an adult, Gavagan watched the man he accused a Catholic priest grow old while evading repeated efforts to hold him accountable. He even wrote to Pope Francis asking for his help. When he heard Joseph Hart, the former bishop for Wyoming, died Wednesday, Gavagan was left feeling like he should have done more to pursue justice, he said. At 60 years old, with decades between him and the abuse, he had to remind himself that what happened was not his fault. When justice feels unattainable, its just awful, Gavagan said. Its layers of misery on top of injury on top of distrust. Hart, who faced multiple sexual abuse allegations found credible by the Diocese of Cheyenne, was 91. Hart served as bishop of Cheyenne from 1978 to 2001. Men first came forward with allegations of abuse in 1989. In 2018 the current bishop, Steven Biegler, announced that an examination initiated by the diocese and conducted by an outside investigator concluded Hart sexually abused two boys in Wyoming. A month later, the diocese which confirmed Harts death in a brief statement Thursday morning reported a third abuse allegation against Hart that it deemed credible. Hart, through an attorney, repeatedly denied abusing any children, and police investigations from 2002 and 2018 did not result in criminal charges. A Vatican investigation later exonerated Hart of multiple child sex abuse allegations, while finding other allegations could not be proven with a moral certitude. The Vatican did rebuke Hart, however, for his flagrant lack of prudence as a priest and bishop for being alone with minors in his private residence and on various trips. It further rebuked him for failing to refrain from public engagements that would cause scandal among the faithful due to numerous accusations against him and the civil and canonical investigations and processes being conducted in this regard. Biegler, for his part, continued to support Harts accusers. Today, I want the survivors to know that I support and believe you, he said in a statement at the time of the Vaticans decision. Multi-state accusations Before coming to Wyoming, Hart served as a priest in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph from 1956 to 1976. Starting in 1989, multiple men accused him of sexually abusing them as boys while a priest in Kansas City, according to the Cheyenne diocese. While church officials at the time dismissed the allegations, Kansas City-St. Joseph Bishop James V. Johnson in 2018 found the allegations to be substantiated, according to reporting from the Kansas City Star. The diocese there reached financial settlements with accusers in 2008 and 2014 based on allegations tied to Hart and other priests. In 1976, Hart became an auxiliary bishop for the Cheyenne diocese, then became bishop two years later. In 2002, Cheyenne police received a report that Hart sexually abused a teenage boy in the 1970s both in Kansas City and in Wyoming. A detective interviewed the accuser, but the prosecutor in the case, then-Natrona County District Attorney Kevin Meenan, cleared Hart of wrongdoing, stating the allegations were without merit. The survivor, who later identified himself as Ed Gavagan, said it felt as if the detective had made up his mind before the interview began. A black mark Upon hearing the news of Harts death, Gavagan processed his feelings by writing his own obituary for the late bishop, which he shared with WyoFile. May the numerous district attorneys and the special prosecutor along with the police departments in Cheyenne and Kansas City as well as the FBI in both cities bear his dying without accountability as a black mark upon their professed missions to investigate crime, uphold the law, and confront evil, Gavagan wrote. Chilon of Sparta, quoted in 300 AD, said that we should not speak ill of the dead, Gavagan concluded. In Harts case, remaining silent would be complicit. We must speak up, those institutions must listen and do better. Gavagan heard the news from his sister, who still lives in Cheyenne. Shes lived there her whole life. As soon as anything happens, she gets the word. But that responsibility shouldnt have fallen to his sister, Gavagan said. Im pretty disappointed that the diocese didnt call me or text me to let me know. Biegler took over as bishop of Cheyenne in 2017. He ordered a new investigation, which found substantial new evidence while also concluding the 2002 investigation was flawed. A diocesan review board concurred with the new investigations findings that the allegations against Hart were credible and sustained, according to a diocese announcement from 2018. By then, Hart had already been restricted by a past bishop from celebrating public liturgical services. Biegler extended that restriction. The Diocese of Cheyenne also passed along the results of its investigation to authorities in Cheyenne, and police there launched a new criminal case. Detectives ultimately recommended prosecutors pursue charges against Hart, but the Natrona County District Attorneys Office, which handled the prosecution, declined. They informed Gavagan that they thought Hart had victimized him, but did not believe a prosecution of the then-retired bishop would be successful, the Casper Star-Tribune reported. Documents later revealed a rift existed between police in Cheyenne and the prosecutors in Casper. Lost opportunity Harts death ended any opportunity to hold the priest accountable in the mortal world. But Gavagans strongest emotions have less to do with the former-bishops actions and more to do with the response he got when he reported the abuse. Im over Hart, Gavagan said. Its about the institutions now. Without justice, that leaves a lingering question in the air, about whether to believe the victims, Gavagan said. It seems incredible to think that they all were lying, but if they werent lying then how come nobody ever did anything? Gavagans daughter is 14 years old the same age he was when he says he was abused which adds another layer to the pain he already feels about the lack of justice. What I have said to people is that youre always going to have a bad cop, youre always going to have an incompetent doctor, youre always going to have a pedophile priest, its the world, its humanity, its people, Gavagan said. But what you hope is that the good cops root out the bad cops and stand up for the honor of their badge and their commitment and their mission. Gavagan was featured in the 2021 Netflix documentary Procession, which centered on several men who said they were sexually abused by priests as children. The film was screened in Wyoming at events hosted by the Diocese of Cheyenne. Hart declined to speak to a Star-Tribune reporter who sought an interview at his home several years ago. His lawyer, Tom Jubin, steadfastly denied the abuse allegations and accused the Cheyenne diocese of engaging in a smear campaign, the newspaper reported. Jubin did not respond by press time to an email seeking comment for this story. Theres a profound disappointment in the fact that he as a person didnt make the attempt to find a just reconciliation, said Darrel Hunter, another of Harts accusers. As a religious leader, [he] didnt attempt to make any kind of an amends for his behavior. Hunter, who knew Hart from his time in Kansas City, accused the priest of abusing him when he was 12 years old in 1959. Hes now 75 years old. For years, Ive held the idea that if Jesus Christ walked into the Vatican today he would have some tough questions for the people that are there, Hunter said. His question would be, what was it that I said, that made you think that this is what I meant? Rather than defend the vulnerable, the church has protected the powerful, Hunter said. If youre supposed to love God and love your fellow man without any qualifications, I dont think that theyve succeeded at that. A federal judge ruled against six University of Wyoming sisters Friday dismissing their case after they sued their sorority earlier this year for admitting the schools first transgender Greek life member. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson threw out the case against UWs Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and transgender member Artemis Langford, ruling that sisters Jaylyn Westenbroek, Hannah Holtmeier, Allison Coghan, Grace Choate, Madeline Ramar and Megan Kosar could not force the private, voluntary sorority to use their definition of woman, which does not include transgender people, when choosing who to admit. Johnsons decision brings at least an initial end to a lawsuit that has captured national attention amid intense debate around transgender rights. The University of Wyoming chapter voted to admit and, more broadly, a sorority of hundreds of thousands approved Langford, Johnson wrote. With its inquiry beginning and ending there, the Court will not define woman today. The six sorority sisters alleged that Kappa Kappa Gamma did not follow its bylaws and policies, breached its housing contract and misled the woman by admitting a transgender member. They asked a federal judge to remove Langford from UWs Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter and permanently ban any man from joining the group. In their complaint, the sorority sisters argued the central legal question the lawsuit would answer was whether the word woman includes a man who identifies as a woman. But Johnson rejected that idea, concluding that the sorority members did not prove their legal claims and the lawsuit failed under multiple legal standards. According to Johnson, Kappa Kappa Gamma has both a First Amendment right and the latitude to determine its own bylaws, including how to define woman. Instead of petitioning the courts, he said the women needed to go through the sorority if they wanted to remove Langford, though Johnson noted that UWs chapter chose to admit and induct Langford despite the six sorority sisters, their families and their lawyers spending months trying to overrule the UW chapters decision. Defining woman is Kappa Kappa Gammas bedrock right as a private, voluntary organizationand one this Court may not invade, Johnson wrote. While the six sorority sisters and their attorneys John Knepper and Cassie Craven have portrayed the lawsuit as an attempt to protect womens rights both in legal documents and in media appearances, lawyers for Kappa Kappa Gamma argued that a vocal minority was trying to impose its personal beliefs at the cost of Langford and the sorority. Craven declined to comment on the decision when reached Friday. In a statement, Langfords attorney Rachel Berkness criticized the lawsuit, describing it as an attempt to discriminate against a transgender student. As the ruling shows the case to remove Ms. Langford from KKG began before any of the allegations arose, she said. The plaintiffs and their counsel wanted her removed because she was transgender and then they watched her like a hawk to backfill support [for] their transphobic request. Today the judge ruled on the procedural issues at hand. This never should have been brought. Originally filed in March, the case touched off a frenzy of local and national media attention drawn by the polarizing battle over transgender rights in Wyoming and across the country. Outlets from NBC and ABC News to Breitbart and the National Review picked up the story. Craven and the six sorority sisters made appearances on Fox News and The Megyn Kelly Show, interviews that referenced some of the more lurid accusations the sorority sisters leveled against Langford in their complaint. In their request to dismiss the case, lawyers for the national Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority urged Johnson to sidestep the national debate and politically divisive issue of transgender rights, instead making his ruling on the legal claims of the sorority members. Natalie McLaughlin, Scott Klosterman and Brian W. Dressel, the attorneys for the Ohio-based sorority, insisted that the sisters claims did not pass muster. Throughout his decision, Johnson largely agreed with the sororitys lawyers, concluding that the sisters failed to prove their legal allegations and could not point to any Kappa Kappa Gamma bylaw that defined woman as they wanted. Instead of a case about broken bylaws and breached contracts, Johnson said the sisters were fighting over an interpretation that the court does not have the authority to decide. This Court cannot step in every time a member, or even multiple members, cries foul when a bylaw is disparately interpreted; if it did, KKG and its Fraternity Council would spend their days responding to derivative suits from their thousands of current members and 210,000 alumnae. Our federal and state courts would similarly be overrun with disgruntled members challenging large organizations, he wrote. Johnsons dismissal of the case was met with celebration by some in Wyoming. I am so grateful that one of the kindest young women I know, and the Sorority [sic] sisters who welcomed her in, can put this behind them and move on, Sara Burlingame, the executive director of Wyoming Equality, the states largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, said in a statement. It took us a while, about 153 years, but Wyoming is starting to show the world that we know how to lead on equality: the live and let live motto in our state just became more true. In a statement, Langford expressed relief at Johnsons ruling as well as optimism that it could shield other LGBTQ students from similar controversy. Im grateful that its over and I can get back to being a student, Langford said. Im grateful for everyones supportthis has been a hard time. I hope this helps other students who are LGBTQ+ avoid the kind of scrutiny Ive been under and we can be who we are. For years, I drove across that vast landscape between Lander and Rock Springs enjoying the views of the Wind River Mountains and imagining the experiences of those who came before me: the native people, the pioneers headed to Oregon or Joseph Smiths promised land. In good weather, the drive was spectacular and Id stop the car to listen to the quiet of the big empty. In bad weather, Id marvel at how sturdy those earlier travelers had been and I was glad I was born in an age of cars with climate control. A few years ago, after a map of the Red Desert was published, I stopped driving past the Northern Red Desert and Big Sandy country and headed into it instead. The map showed places with names like Chicken Springs, Honeycomb Buttes, and Steamboat Mountain. It felt like studying the map of Disneyland a childhood friend of mine had brought home after a summer vacation. I had to go. On our first trip, Andrea and I spent a couple of nights camped on a shelf overlooking the kind of view you see in the movies with dramatic music on the soundtrack. Alone. I knew we were not the first or only people to have seen that view, but it felt like it. Most of this area is public land, managed for us, the American people, by the Bureau of Land Management. A few days ago, that agency released a draft management plan for these lands. The plan calls to protect the wildlife habitats, cultural sites, and wild lands of the Northern Red Desert and Big Sandy Foothillsareas where there is almost no potential for oil and gas and where renewable energy would be out of place. This is a reasonable proposal that looks thoroughly at the values of these landscapes, takes seriously the opinions of the thousands of us who appreciate these areas, and plans responsibly for the long-term health and utility of these lands and our communities. Unfortunately, some people have already started attacking this draft plan. Nasty words have been thrown around in press releases. This is both unfortunate and unnecessary. Yes, the plan was frustratingly overdue in delivery. Over the past ten years of development, three presidential administrations have overseen the process and who knows how many legal interventions were attempted. But the draft was not written by politicians or even their appointees. It was developed by professional land managers with years of experience and training in disciplines like range and wildlife management, archeology, and economics. These are land managers who live in the communities they serve and know these lands well. I am proud of my public service career in two national land management agencies so I know that professionalism is paramount among those folk. This locally developed plan outlines several options and opportunities for how to manage this complex landscape. There are places out there that are critical to the survival of our heritage. Wildlife is hard-wired to the habitat occupied for thousands of years. Places, sounds, views, smells, and even the solitude afforded by the Northern Red Desert are testimony to who we are as humans. This draft carefully proposes how to use the areas resources in a way that ensures that our children will benefit from them too. The review process of the plan is important. Every one of us has a responsibility to chime in. Lets read it, listen and discuss it, and comment. Most importantly, go there. Go see the Honeycomb Buttes that look like a parfait of ice cream flavors. See the form of handprints worn into the sandstone at Birthing Rock. Discover this magical place for yourself. It will bring you home. 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. 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. (Photo : Valerie GACHE / AFP) (VALERIE GACHE/AFP via Getty Images) Greece authorities reported the arrest of dozens of alleged "arsonist scum" who are believed to have ignited wildfires in the country that have killed at least 20 people. Greek authorities ordered the arrest of dozens of alleged "arsonist scum" following the wildfires that have killed at least 20 people. Officials warned that other suspects are trying to ignite new blazes, with nine arson attempts within four hours on Thursday morning in the Avlona area in the northern foothills of Mount Parnitha. Greece Arrests "Arsonist Scum" In a statement, Greek Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, said that arsonist scum was setting the fires that threatened the region's forests, property, and human lives. In the televised Thursday speech, Kikilias said they were committing a crime against the country. So far, authorities have made 140 wildfire-related arrests, including 17 for negligence and 23 others for deliberate arson. Nearly all arrests were made for heat-inducing or agricultural outdoor work, said the national fire and rescue service agency, the Hellenic Fire Service. Firefighters discovered the bodies of 18 people on Tuesday who were believed to have been migrants. They were found in a recently burned forest area near the northwestern port city of Alexandroupolis, an area close to the country's border with Turkey, as per ABC7 Chicago. There were reports that two more people died on Monday, one in northern Greece and the other in the central part of the European nation. At least 60 firefighters were injured or developed serious breathing problems while working to contain hundreds of wildfires burning across Greece last week. The Alexandroupolis fire has already burned through more than 730 square kilometers in the last six days. The European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarcic, said it was the largest on record in the European Union. In total, 246 firefighters, 40 vehicles, and eight aircraft were deployed by eight countries to support Greece's fight against the wildfires. The Hellenic Fire Service said that Albanian, Bulgarian, Czech, and Romanian firefighters with vehicles were assisting officials with the Alexandroupolis fire. Read Also: US Slams North Korea's Spy Satellite Launch, Claims Pyongyang Violates UN Resolutions Threat of Wildfires The Greek Civil Protection Ministry also said there was a high risk for fires to burn through several areas throughout the weekend. According to Forbes, these areas include Attica, Boeotia, Corinth, Evia, Evros, Rhodope, Samothrace, and Skyros. A spokesperson for the Hellenic Fire Service, Yannis Artiopios, said a fire in Evros was the "most active part of all the fronts we are facing at the moment." He added that the situation in the area is considered the most difficult to address. As summer wildfires are commonplace in Greece, scientists linked the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, to climate change. The director of the Centre for Wildfire Research at Swansea University, Stefan Doerr, said that more flammable landscapes resulting from hot weather or poor vegetation management mean that arson and other similar incidents can transform into fast-moving wildfires. Authorities reported that just last month, thousands of people were forced to flee fires on the Greek island of Rhodes after the flames broke out in the area and other parts of the nation, said BBC. Related Article: Surfer in Critical Condition After Shark Attack in Australia @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 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. Question: Other than my air conditioner conking out, how will I know when it is time for a new unit? Are there symptoms to look for? Answer: Arizonas air conditioner systems take a beating. We have one of the harshest environments in the country, as our temperatures throughout the state reach 110-120 degrees. This climate puts demands on our units including: Systems operate outside their intended outdoor design temperature for several months in a climate that is 110-plus. Our wide temperature variations put a significant demand on equipment, as well. Air conditioning systems in Arizona are required to work twice as many months as in other places. Our dusty environment puts a lot of wear and tear on the unit dust can be the No. 1 enemy of efficiency and longevity. These conditions affect our systems performance over time. Efficiencies degrade and can cause a system failure. Other issues include higher bills, poorer air quality and decreased comfort. Todd Russo, owner of Reeis Air Conditioning, a Rosie on the House certified partner, offers frequently asked questions and answers to help homeowners determine if it is time to invest in a new system. What are the driving indicators to consider a new system? If your system has difficulty keeping the house cool, needs a major repair or frequent repairs, or is driving a high utility bill, it may be time to consider your options. Generally, systems should be replaced every 10-15 years, although he has seen units last 15-20 years. What should homeowners be looking for in a new system? 1. Quality of installation. Proper installation by a qualified air conditioning company is critical. The National Comfort Institute has performed studies showing that improperly installed systems reduce a units cooling capacity by up to 58%. That is a loss of 42% in efficiency. 2. Select the right equipment for our desert climate. There are three types of cooling delivery systems: single-stage, two-stage, and the new inverter technology. Single-stage: Generally, Russo does not recommend a single-stage system as it often leads to choosing an oversized unit. Oversized equipment short cycles cause your home to be uncomfortable and your energy bills to be high. Two-stage: A two-stage unit allows a system to run at low and high stages. This diminishes the need for an oversized unit. Inverter or modulating: These systems deliver the exact amount of cooling your system needs based on its demand. Your home will be exponentially more comfortable and your energy bills will be significantly lower. If a homeowner meets the criteria described for a new system, what system would you recommend? Russo says that Trane recently released a new product that he considers the best value in the industry. The Trane XV17 is a price-conscious, fully-modulating smart air conditioner (or heat pump). The new inverter compressor has 75 air conditioning stages. This unit delivers maximum comfort and energy savings at a net price comparable to a base single-stage system. What is the cost of a new system? Russo says that Trane designed the system to qualify for all available rebates and priced it competitively. This unit is only available through premier, qualified dealers. The cost of a new system varies by size and application. Russos team performed a competitive price analysis and found the basic, single-stage equipment priced around $10,000 to $12,000. When they looked at air conditioners with the new modulating air conditioning or inverter technology, they found the typical price to be $19,000 to $25,000. However, these units qualify for discounts and incentives of $5,500 to $6,000. The discounts bring the price close to that of the basic, single-stage equipment. You can expect savings of $3,500 to $4,000 from utility companies. Several factors will determine this amount: Who is your utility provider? Will you finance the unit through the contractor, pay by check or with a credit card? A dollar-for-dollar tax credit of $2,000 is also available. With rebates, net prices for the XV17 are approximately $11,000 to $12,000. Note that pricing depends on the individual details and circumstances of the familys lifestyle, as well as the construction and orientation of the house. What are the expected savings with a more efficient unit? Russo tells us that with a system that is 10 years old, a homeowner could see around $650 to $1,080 in air conditioning utility savings. There can also be savings on the heating system. Over 10 years, a homeowner could see between $7,500 and $12,500 in utility savings, depending on where they live. They can also expect to save several thousands of dollars in savings from needed repairs as their new system will be under warranty. Over the systems lifetime, the unit will pay for itself, and you get to experience a much more comfortable home. Just 35 miles north of downtown Tucson sits Oracle, the namesake road lined with yuccas on your way to the small town. Oracle is where lavender blooms at a local farm in the heat of June. Its where you can step into a rainforest, amid the heat and humidity, at the incredible Biosphere 2. Its where you can enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich with guava jam alongside a glass of wine on the patio of the Oracle Patio Cafe. Its a little cooler than Tucson in the summer and sometimes gets snow in winter. But Jodi Criser's favorite part about Oracle is the community. They band together through everything. Somebody needs help, they take care of each other, says Criser, who has lived in Oracle for four years and runs social media for Visit Oracle, in addition to owning her own business, Imagination Plaza. If you happen to be in the area to visit Biosphere 2, the lavender farm or to stargaze in Oracle State Park, here are some other spots to visit in Oracle and the nearby town of Catalina while you're there. Most were suggested by area residents Criser, plus Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm owner Carolyn Blair and ice cream shop Licks Catalina owner Jill Perez. Where to eat Licks Catalina Owned by Perez, Licks is home to ice cream that can be infused with cereal. There are bubble waffle cones, Italian sodas and a whole menu of decadent signature desserts. Check out rotating flavors like maple walnut, strawberry shortcake and honey fig bacon. Blair says the ice cream is amazing and I agree. It's worth the trip to Catalina. Oracle Patio Cafe & Market The Oracle Patio Cafe is home to amazing food, Blair says breakfast, sandwiches, soups, salads and pizza. She raves about the pies. They also have a market where you can pick up sandwiches, wine, amazing cheeses, she says. Criser says the deli is delicious and says their peach pie is dubbed the best in Arizona. Nonna Marias Ristorante & Pizzeria Blair says this Italian restaurant is delicious, owned by the kindest people you will ever meet. Criser likes their pizza We have really great Italian food here, she says. Claires Cafe & Art Gallery Make yourself at home, a server said to a diner who walked in. Perez says this is a staple in Catalina and describes it as quirky, hippie and artsy. The space has artwork on the walls and a case of jewelry you can purchase. The menu is filled with traditional diner food but what really makes this place special is the familial atmosphere. Everyone seems to know everyone. Peppersauce Kitchen Located at Arizona Zipline Adventures, the restaurant boasts the best darn burgers around. Criser says it's delicious. Casa Rivera's Taco Express This Mexican American restaurant is where former #ThisIsTucson food writer Andi Berlin stopped on her way through Oracle a couple years ago. The name makes it sound like a fast-food taqueria, but Casa Riveras is actually a homey Mexican restaurant with a first-rate breakfast menu, she wrote. Ore House Hilltop Tavern This reader-recommended spot is home to burgers, pizza, street tacos and smoked meats by the pound. There are more than a dozen beers on tap, plus yard games in the outdoor area. Things to do Biosphere 2 Owned by the University of Arizona, Biosphere 2 is dubbed the worlds largest controlled environment dedicated to understanding the impacts of climate change. You'll take a self-directed tour, guided by a phone app that teaches you about the scientific research you're walking through. You'll see a room that a Biospherian lived in, the world's largest experimental ocean, a rainforest (yes, humidity and all) and more environmental biomes. Arizona Zipline Adventures If youre looking for something a bit more adventurous to add to your itinerary, this is it. Criser says it's the longest zipline in the state and it's so cool, she says, also mentioning the scenic views. They have the Peppersauce Kitchen with it and it's delicious food, so you can go on the zip and go eat. Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm Come June, you can walk amid blooming lavender and take in the earthy scents on open farm days. When lavender season rolls around each summer, Blair hosts a number of workshops lavender wreaths, lavender wands and events a fairy festival, lavender dinners. Although the bloom season is over at the moment, the farm is has fall events on its roster, including a pumpkin pancake brunch and a witch broom workshop. Oracle State Park Bask in the outdoors at this park where you can tour the historic Kannally Ranch House, enjoy a picnic and explore 15 trails. It's also an International Dark Sky Park, which makes it a great spot for stargazing. I also imagine it's a picturesque place to watch the sunset. Bonus outdoorsy activity: Peppersauce Campground! Sue & Jerrys Trading Post Drive east on American Avenue and on your right, you'll see a giant yard with metal art and quirky fixtures out front. That's Sue & Jerrys Trading Post, where you can shop from an explosion of antiques, home goods, clothing, DVDs and more. Blair says its so fun to visit! Golden Goose Thrift Shop Perez says this thrift shop is often busy and is one of her favorite spots in the area. According to the shops website, Golden Goose benefits both Saddlebrooke Community Outreach and Impact of Southern Arizona. Imagination Plaza Owned by Criser, this spot is a fusion of art and metaphysics. On one hand, they can engrave your grandmother's handwritten recipe onto a cutting board. Then there's the wellness center, with items like crystals and sage, and services like reiki. Absolutely Art Gallery & Gifts Definitely go see Pam at Absolutely Art! Its fantastic, Perez says about the stores owner. The space is home to artwork by Arizona makers, from paintings to ceramics to jewelry. Upcoming events Oracle Farmers Market Every Wednesday, a local farmers market takes over Sue & Jerry's Trading Post, complete with live music, food and shopping. Both Perez and Criser recommend it. It is unlike anything I have ever witnessed, Criser says. GLOW! Head to Triangle L Art Ranch for illuminated art experience GLOW! Wander through 10 acres of trails filled with glowing artwork. Tickets are $65 per carload and the experience takes place Oct. 27-28. Oracle Artist Studio Tours In November, area artists will open up their studios. Criser says about 40 artists usually participate, allowing guests to drive through town and talk to makers about their creations and their inspiration behind each piece. We have artists who have shown in museums and if you love art, it's a great thing to check out, she says. A class of veterinary students started a three-year University of Arizona adventure as trailblazers and have now exited their graduation ceremony as doctors of veterinary medicine. The 106 students in the UA College of Veterinary Medicines inaugural class graduated Thursday amid a veterinarian shortage. You can feel it, said graduate Megan Brown. Theres never a shortage of pets and their owners walking through the doors or youre getting called out to their house for emergency, vaccines, all of those things. The students studied and practiced in active clinics, many of which are short-handed. Dr. Christine Staten, a veterinarian at Adobe Veterinary Center in Tucson, said her clinic is protective of its schedule, for instance. We had almost two years where we did not accept any new patients into our practice so that we could take excellent care of our current patients, and not book them out a year, she said. The U.S. Labor Department projects 4,900 new veterinarian openings nationwide within the next decade. The veterinarian employment growth rate is projected at 19%, compared to 5% for all occupations. Arizona not having a veterinarian school hasnt helped the state, Staten said. Arizona students who were going to veterinary school were leaving and they werent always coming back. Now weve got them potentially staying here, Staten said. Thats good for our community, thats good for our state. According to the UA, the 110 students admitted into the inaugural class were among 518 applicants. Fewer than half of the applicants were interviewed. The UA veterinary school coursework is expedited, with four years of study condensed into three. Therefore, the students are getting into the veterinary workforce a year faster than at many other schools. Its the same amount of money, but it gets me into clinical practice one year quicker, which gives you the chance to pay off your student loans faster, Brown pointed out. The only other college of veterinary medicine that offers an accelerated program like UA is Ross University in Saint Kitts, an independent British commonwealth. Besides its accelerated program, UAs College of Veterinary Medicine is among only a few veterinary schools using active learning methods, said Dr. Julie Funk, the schools dean. Funk said the method is proven to help students retain information rather than memorizing and risking forgetting. Using the method in veterinary schools is uncommon, Funk said. Were not the only one, but were one of the few. I would say that the combination of the accelerated program as well as the fully distributed model is very rare, Funk said. The model entails rotations covering a wide range of veterinary specialties, such as large animal medicine and companion animal medicine. Students also get a chance to study at Tucsons Reid Park Zoo. Adobe Veterinary Center was one of the programs hosts. When they arrive here, they have a good base knowledge to jump into clinical learning, which is a very different type of learning, Staten said. For two UA veterinary students, their rotation in Adobe Veterinary Center doubled as a hands-on job interview. They will work at the clinic soon after graduation. Because of this veterinary school, and because of our opportunity to spend time with people, its the best working interview you could possibly get, Staten said. Brown, who is one of Adobes new hires, said, You get to choose who you want to be as a doctor and to work so closely with so many amazing veterinarians and network across the country within the state within the city. That was absolutely my favorite part of the program. Starting a veterinary school has its own obstacles. There have been talks of adding a vet school to UAs menu for about 50 years, Funk said. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Staten was in Tucson, waiting in the wings. We all wanted it to happen, and it didnt, Staten said. I left and went to the closest school at the time to Tucson which was Colorado State. Twenty-four years ago, Staten returned to her hometown of Tucson. During those 24 years, I kept hearing about the school, the school, the school . The reality was it just wasnt getting off the ground and seemed like something that wasnt going to happen, Staten said. In 2016, UA officials were chomping at the bit. They applied for a letter of reasonable assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. That is a status conferred by the AVMA to developing colleges to allow them to pursue their plan for the veterinary program and to admit students, according to the associations website. We were committed to (starting the school). So, we regrouped and took their recommendations, Funk said. The commitment paid off. The University of Arizonas College of Veterinary Medicine has the highest accreditation possible at this juncture: provisional accreditation. Over the course of time, we give every six-month reports, plus the accrediting body comes out and does site visits, Funk said. The school must also graduate its first class before receiving full accreditation. The AVMA did not respond to the Stars requests for comment. My thought process (when enrolling) kind of was theyre taking a chance on me, so Ill take a chance on them, Brown said. This has been a goal of mine for a very, very long time. To have that goal realized (Thursday), it was a really a humbling and really awesome moment. Because of her learning experiences at UA, Brown, who is originally from Michigan, saw how much she and her classmates are needed. Ive definitely seen firsthand the need here in Tucson, Brown said. Im so excited that myself and some of my classmates will be here in Tucson to help hopefully relieve a little bit of that burden. It will take time, Funk said. I dont think well be able to take all the burden off with our first graduating class, Funk said. Were hopeful that this starts to help with some of the needs in Tucson, in the state of Arizona, and honestly, across the nation. University of Arizona officials gathered Friday to further emphasize campus and student safety as a top priority a week after classes resumed. President Robert Robbins and Steve Patterson, the UAs interim chief safety officer, led Fridays Welcome Back briefing, which was also broadcast on the schools YouTube channel. They both highlighted a multitude of physical safety upgrades made to campus, like updated emergency building plans, the installation of new locks on classroom doors and distribution of all-hazards posters, something previously reported by the Star. They also talked about expanded mental health and threat awareness services available to staff and what Robbins described as the largest, most diverse incoming class in the schools history. Were very excited about the start of the new academic semester at the University of Arizona, Robbins said. About 9,300 new students coming to the university, which gives us a total of about 52,000 students. These upgrades are part of several recommendations made by the PAX Group, LLC, the crisis management consulting firm the UA used following the shooting death of UA professor Thomas Meixner last October. Part of my role is to not only ensure that we do the physical updates, but also create awareness and really focus on making people aware of what resources are out there, chief safety officer Patterson said. These resources have been made available on the universitys safety page, created by their new Office of Public Safety. These include the Wildcat Safety Guide, active shooter preparedness training for students, as well as mental health resources for both students and faculty. A lot of these resources have been with the campus for a number of years, were just highlighting those resources, Patterson says. The importance of the campus community promoting safety and awareness is not missed by officials, Patterson said. One of the new tools employed by the university is the LiveSafe app, which students and faculty can use to report concerning behavior, as well as to have a direct line to UAPD. (Mental health) is a big part of our safety ... its been a very exciting time, Patterson said of the new semester and incoming class. Were trying to make sure UAPD has a presence out there so people are aware of what to do moving forward. Patterson also announced that Jessica Semmann will take over as director of the universitys Threat Assessment and Management Team effective Monday. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: August 26, 2023 will mark the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. I will have the opportunity to participate in that event. Not as a speaker, but as a spectator. One of the millions who hope to celebrate The Dream and this landmark action that took place in America. I joined the Air Force in 1966 because I believed in the Constitution and that America would always move to live up to the promise the Constitution has for us all. America will always move forward, even when that movement is laced with pain. For we had our own Civil War that freed the slaves. Those people who suffered the degradation of slavery were then subject to the repression of Jim Crow laws and the denial of economic opportunity and academic achievement. We heard the inspirational oratory of I Have a Dream challenging the inequities of America and challenging all of us to live up to the promise that is bestowed us by our Constitution. The belief that the America we believed in would transform to the reality of freedom for us all. Three months later, the pain of America would be reflected in the assassination of a president. And in 1965, the Voting Rights Act would be passed. But before the ink was dry, the second largest city in America went up in flames. And I watched my city burn. I joined the Air Force in 1966. I served my country for seven years (1966-1973). And participated in the bombing or North and South Vietnam. I did this not because America had a past regarding African Americans that it should be proud of, but a belief in the future that America will strive to keep its constitutional promise to us all. Unfortunately, now I see America is failing in two of the old tropes 1. Any person who forgets their past is doomed to repeat it. 2. Any person who lives in their past, forfeits their future. With the help of the Supreme Court, we are managing to succeed in both. As we approach the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, I am filled with trepidation. I am totally expecting to hear much of the same oratory that was presented in 1963. Those words were very much about fighting for voting rights; establishing processes for economic equity and security, as well as creating the environment for academic achievement for children of color. Based on current events, I believe that many of those conversations have been re-ignited. As a veteran who served proudly for my country, how do I encourage those to fight for their country when that country works to deprive them of everything their citizenship should mean? How can I encourage them to fight for the hypocrisy the Supreme Court has laid before them? As a people, we have lived through this version of America (notably, WWI and WWII) where we can die for this country, but, be denied any of the privileges this country grants, (even for veterans). If an item is Contrary to the constitution in one area, it should be in all areas. Yet, the Supreme Court has decided that the military can use race as a designation for selection, but higher academic institutions cannot. What they are saying is obvious. We can die for white privilege while being denied those same privileges. I cannot, in good conscience, advocate for that ideology. And, considering that this Supreme Court has put religious freedom for all, personal freedoms for women and others, voting rights, to strive for academic achievement, economic success, and other previously constitutionally protected rights on the chopping block, what Constitution would a person of color be pledging allegiance too? What are we fighting for? My concern is that on this 60th anniversary of the March On Washington it will sound like 1963 never happened. The fight continues. Energy source competition Re: the Aug. 19 article Localizing power: Response to TEP foreign profit drain. Bravo! for taking on the sacred cow of TEPs rate of return and smashing the issue right back into Susan Grey and TEPs court. Loved the comparison to ordinary businesses who would give up eye teeth to have the kind of return that TEP has. That guaranteed rate is insidious and holds TEP back from any real investment into solar. Why spend $10 million on solar when you can spend $50 million on a gas plant and quintuple your rate of return! Problem is that a co-op is a non starter. Its way too expensive to purchase all that infrastructure that TEP built on our backs. Theyll charge an arm and a leg for their outdated system and youll be in court for years hammering that out. Community Choice Energy is the only answer where TEP becomes a partner and continues to provide a stable grid and send you bills but you dont pay through the nose for their dividends. Lower your bills and see real energy source competition. Rick Rappaport Oro Valley No jail deaths What is the proposal before the Commission meant to address? Specifically, please detail which adjustment to programming and infrastructure will address which articulable issue within the jail. Why, in your understanding, did the Sheriff bring this proposal to the County? What events precipitated this proposal? Can you talk about the three surveys that were done in 2021 that said there were no structural issues but rather a lack of maintenance and upkeep by the sheriffs department? The Commission has been meeting privately for the past six months to receive information and reports, and to deliberate over essential questions. It then convenes once a month to read out the top-line takeaways of those sessions in public meetings. Why did the County Administrator decide to keep the majority of the Commissions work private, with no option for public access? The Sheriffs Department exploited a loophole in state and federal reporting requirements to underreport the number of jail-related deaths under Sheriff Nanoss watch. Initially, the Department reported 12. Corrina Echerivel Downtown Blood on their hands This morning (Aug. 23) I woke up to news that a mother of nine in Arrowhead, California, was shot down in front of her clothing shop because she was displaying a Pride flag. Not only is this senseless crime incredibly sad; it was a likely avoidable. The far-right agenda of the Freedom Caucus, DeSantis, MAGA Republicans, and many other right-wing groups have blood on their hands for promoting agendas that target the LGBTQ community with such vitriol that a sick man with a gun took their words to heart and acted upon them. While these people didnt pull the trigger, they definitely loaded the gun. Inclusiveness doesnt mean anyone loses their rights, it means everyone has access to those same rights; how that is a threat to anyone is beyond me. Please vote these dangerous people out of office, and dont vote them in if they are running. There is no place in America for this kind of rhetoric. Ask yourself, is this the America we want? Vote your answer. Terri Hicks Northwest side Empathy The city of Lahaina, Maui, was wiped out by the incredible wildfire that swept through their community two weeks ago. Over 100 people are dead and more than 800 are still missing. DNA is being requested by authorities to try and make final identifications. Im sure the residents of this community appreciated President Joe Bidens comment that he and Jill Biden could relate to what they experienced because they had suffered a kitchen fire in their home 15 years ago. He almost lost, my wife, my 67 corvette, and my cat. According to the local fire fighters, the blaze was brought under control in less that 20 minutes. Thank you for your empathy, Joe Biden. Lois Boehl Southwest side Why dont they get it? Women have been subjugated since the beginning of time. Step by step they have gained ground except for primitive governments like Iran, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan where women are being denied education, employment and their rights as human beings. In America one party is doing all it can to dictate to women whether they have children. Can they not see that regardless of political philosophy the people resent this interference in what should be a family decision? What next if this control succeeds? Aborting a child is wrong and should only be done as a last resort. Government could provide counseling and financial assistance but not criminalize doctors and women. There are ways to prevent pregnancies such as vasectomies, condoms, implants and drugs. Common sense and decency might help. All those who care about our country should vote for this party and hope for the best. Abortion alone will assure this doesnt happen. Jack Walters Northeast side Trumps indictments I cant figure out how the Republicans keep blaming President Biden, the DOJ, Jack Smith and the Democratic party for Trumps indictments. There have been hundreds of people testifying as to the crimes Trump has committed in New York, Mar-a-Lago and in Georgia. What is a telling factor is that the great majority of those testifying are Republicans, and many that worked with Trump because of their political persuasion. I dont know of any high ranking Democrat that has testified. I am sure there have been a few people that have testified that are not Republicans but they are in the minority. So please, stop saying this is a witch hunt, admit that Trump lost to Joe Biden, and that the grand jury did its job, and now its time for Trump to be tried by a jury of his peers. Neil Norton Oro Valley Debate I just watched the Republican debates and I have one thing I would like to say. Tonight when Chris Christie went and stated Americans should be proud of former vice president Mike Pence for doing his duty by acknowledging who had actually won the election. Plus then Nikki Haley did the same! YES. All Americans owe Pence a grateful and thankful acknowledgement of his actions. Its time to move on to true patriots. Its time to talk about the problems that confront our country and work towards solutions. An interesting idea. Mary beth Schneider East side Oppenheimer and the bomb, Tucson and Raytheon After seeing Oppenheimer and reading the guest opinions here about the bomb, I went to Raytheons website to learn more about the new Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missiles theyre building in Tucson. But there was absolutely nothing to be found about this controversial nuclear-armed, air-launched cruise missile. Instead, I found war porn and fulsome corporate zeal for Air, Land, Sea, Space, [and] Cyber products, celebrating the missiles, bombs, directed energy weapons, interceptors, radar, surveillance and cyber miracles rolling out of Raytheon. Its hardly a secret an April 2020 Raytheon press release had been quoted in the Star to announce the multi-billion dollar contract. But now even that press release has been scrubbed from the corporate websites media archive. Why? Why this silence when Raytheon is so proud of everything else they do in Tucson? Is building nuclear missiles nothing to tell the neighbors or write home about? Jack Cohen-Joppa Midtown Its not confusing Re: the Aug. 24 letter Confused. The letter writer cant understand why 60% of Star letters vilify Trump. I can explain it to him. We all witnessed his attempted coup for ourselves. Now he is running for president again. He has the stated goals of consolidating all independent agencies under his personal control. He has stated he will use the Justice Department to go after his enemies. He thinks climate change is a hoax-you know its a perceived problem, not real. He would end the war in Ukraine by giving Putin everything he demands. Beating a dead horse? One has to wonder how intelligent informed people can continue to dismiss Trumps blatant attempt to end constitutional law and install himself as an autocrat. William Garrity (Photo : KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images) A woman prepares to log on to the Facebook website on Jaunuary 26, 2010 in Washington Today is the final day for individuals who have used Facebook in the United States within the last 16 years to participate in a significant settlement opportunity offered by Meta, Facebook's parent company. The settlement, totaling $725 million, is connected to allegations of privacy violations that have been the subject of numerous lawsuits against Facebook, as per CBS News. Facebook Settlement: Who's Eligible? This payment initiative is in response to Facebook users' claims that their confidential information was improperly shared with third parties, including advertisers and data brokers. In 2018, Facebook was embroiled in a privacy scandal involving Cambridge Analytica, which led to the initiation of these legal proceedings. To create voter profiles, this consulting firm improperly obtained user data from the social media platform. Meta has categorically refuted any wrongdoing or responsibility in relation to the settlement. The agreement, which was formalized through the establishment of a dedicated class-action website, was designed to compensate users for the aforementioned violations of privacy. Despite Meta's denial of any malfeasance, the settlement addresses the concerns of US Facebook users between May 24, 2007, and December 22, 2022. Those who fall within this timeframe have the opportunity to submit an online financial claim, so long as they do so by Friday, August 25 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time. Those who choose to mail their claims must guarantee that the postmark on their correspondence is dated August 25. The submission of a claim requires the submission of fundamental information including name, address, email address, and phone number. Claimants must also indicate whether they resided in the United States between May 24, 2007 and December 22, 2022, and whether they were active Facebook users during this time. In instances where the user account was terminated within this timeframe, the account's deletion date must be provided. In addition, claimants must provide their Facebook username and designate their preferred payment method, such as PayPal, Venmo, or a Mastercard prepaid card. Through the "Account" section of Facebook's website, you can access your username. Users can access their username by selecting "Settings and Privacy" and then "Settings." On the mobile application, accessing the menu, clicking on the display name at the top of the screen, and selecting the "..." option next to "Edit Profile" discloses the user's username under "Your Profile Link." A Meta representative clarified the company's position by asserting, "Because it is in the best interest of our community and shareholders, we pursued a settlement. We are informing Facebook users about this settlement so they can choose whether or not to participate." In addition to emphasizing the need for vigilance regarding requests for personal information, the administrator of the claims settlement emphasizes that the administration will never ask for a Social Security number. Any requests for payment in exchange for a portion of the settlement should be viewed with skepticism, as they could be attempts at fraud. The procedure is straightforward for individuals who have already filed claims but need to make modifications. Claimants can amend their information by visiting the settlement's website and selecting "Click here to edit your claim." This requires supplying the confirmation code and claim ID received via email after the initial filing. Those who submitted their claims electronically can amend their information by sending an email to info@facebookuserprivacysettlement.com, while those who submitted their claims by mail can send the updated information to the specified address. Although additional procedures are necessary, the settlement accommodates deceased individuals. Initially, the claim must be lodged under the deceased person's name, with their details included in the "Your Facebook Account" section of the claim form. The claimant must then submit an official request for a name change to the beneficiary or estate. This request requires supporting documentation, such as a copy of the death certificate. Claimants can initiate the procedure by corresponding with the administrator via its secure portal, The Washington Examiner reported. Read Also: Denmark Drafting Legislation to Outlaw Burning of Quran, Other Sacred Materials How Much Facebook Settlement Pay Can You Receive? The amount of the settlement allocated to each user depends on the number of claimants and the involvement of attorneys in the case. Up to 25% of the settlement, or $181,3 million, is potentially available to legal representatives. If the lawyers are awarded this amount, the remaining settlement for Facebook users would be adjusted to $543.7 million. Individual claimants are awarded points for each month during which they maintained a "activated" Facebook account within the specified time frame. The total points of all claimants are added together, and the net settlement amount is then divided by this total. Then, each claimant receives a settlement amount per point, multiplied by the points assigned to them. Regarding the distribution schedule, it is anticipated that the final approval hearing for the settlement will occur on September 7. During this hearing, the court will determine whether to approve the settlement and will allocate attorneys' fees and other related expenses. If the settlement is approved, potential appeals could lengthen the timeline for payments, with the resolution of these appeals dictating the distribution of funds. The Facebook settlement process exemplifies the expanding landscape of digital privacy concerns and the available legal avenues for affected parties to pursue compensation, according to Cnet. Related Article: Florida Bathroom Regulation Seeks To Penalize, Fire Transgender College Staff @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Citing the Chinese language program at a Tulsa high school, the Oklahoma State Board of Education is asking school districts across the state about foreign influences in the classroom. At Thursday's meeting, the Oklahoma State Board of Education unanimously approved a request from State Superintendent Ryan Walters to require school districts to submit reports detailing any monetary or in-kind transactions with foreign governments, including those involving third-party vendors. "I am very concerned as we have found out about Tulsa Public Schools funding programs through the Chinese Communist Party," Walters said. "This is pure propaganda meant to undermine our American institutions." As part of the consent agenda at its July 10 meeting, TPS' Board of Education renewed an agreement with International Leadership of Texas, a nonprofit charter school network headquartered in Richardson, Texas, to allow the Chinese language teacher at Booker T. Washington High School to participate in supplemental professional development sessions provided through its Confucius Classroom Coordination Office. Confucius Classroom is a Chinese language and cultural program aimed at school-age students around the world. According to a report compiled in May by the Congressional Research Office, both it and its collegiate counterpart, Confucius Institutes, are now managed by the Chinese International Education Foundation, a nongovernmental organization sponsored by the Chinese government's Ministry of Education. Prior to 2020, both programs were directly overseen by a government office with ties to the Chinese Communist Party's external propaganda arm. Before working with International Leadership of Texas, TPS had a similar arrangement with the East Asia Institute at the University of Oklahoma for more than a decade. OU hosted a Confucius Institute from 2006 through 2020. Its East Asia Institute closed in July due to staffing issues. TPS officials have previously publicly denied getting any funding from the Chinese government. During a student-led town hall meeting Saturday at the University of Tulsa, two juniors from Booker T. Washington's Chinese language program denounced the claims that the courses include propaganda. "More than anybody, I agree with Ryan Walters that the Chinese Communist propaganda has no place in my school," said Sadie Fu, noting some of her family members were pressured to commit suicide and sent to reeducation camps after the Chinese civil war. "However, after taking Chinese at Booker T. Washington for two years, I can confidently say that it is nothing more than a language class. Every lesson and assignment we're given is from an American-published textbook." Aside from Booker T., only a handful of publicly funded schools across Oklahoma currently offer Chinese language courses. Representatives from Holland Hall, Jenks, Norman and the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics each said their Chinese language programs currently do not have any affiliation with Confucius Classroom or the Confucius Institute. Holland Hall, a private school, is a participant in the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarship Program, which redirects state funds to pay private school tuition at approved sites for specific groups of students, including those eligible for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or who were adopted while in permanent custody of the Department of Human Services. Jenks Public Schools did previously partner with the Confucius Institute in an effort find language teachers. However, according to district officials, that partnership ended four years ago, and the Confucius Institute did not provide any funding or edicts about the district's Chinese program. The district is in the process of phasing out the Chinese language program at its Southeast Elementary School. Sharon Bishop-Baldwin Sand Springs Leader Staff Writer Follow Sharon Bishop-Baldwin 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 SAND SPRINGS The Spring, a Tulsa-area domestic violence shelter, recently received an unexpected donation of a half-million dollars from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation in celebration of the foundations 75th anniversary. The $500,000 gift came as a surprise to the nonprofit, which serves survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking at its shelter in the Sand Springs vicinity. Leslie Clingenpeel, executive director of The Spring, said the Mabee Foundation had put a $250,000 capital gift toward a renovation at The Spring that began in 2021 and had donated $100,000 prior to that, but the $500,000 gift was a complete surprise to us. It was pretty incredible. I think I probably started crying on the phone when he told me, she said, adding that the Mabee Foundation is kind of a new partnership that has been cultivated over the past couple of years. Clingenpeel said the only restriction on the gift, which equates to about 28% of the shelters $1.8 million annual operating budget, is that it be used for capital expenditures, not operating expenses. Although nothing has been set in stone, she said, the plan is to use the money to help The Spring expand its reach with a second shelter in the Tulsa area. She noted that according to a survey conducted in Tulsa by Housing Solutions in January, some 54% of respondents cited domestic violence as contributing to their homelessness. On the heels of that survey, a new study released by World Population Review ranks Oklahoma first in the nation for something in which no state wants to be a Top Ten performer: its domestic violence rate. The study, for 2023, found that 49.1% of Oklahoma women and 40.7% of Oklahoma men have experienced domestic violence in their lifetimes, including intimate partner physical violence, intimate partner rape, or intimate partner stalking. Additionally, Oklahoma ranks third in the U.S. for the number of women killed by men in single-victim, single-offender homicides, according to World Population Review. Clingenpeel said the studies show that the need for services like those provided by The Spring with funding such as the Mabee Foundations gift is great. Were honestly kind of setting that aside in the hope that we will be using it for some future expansion potentially a second location, she said. We all see a need in the Tulsa community. Meanwhile, The Spring which opened its first shelter in 1980 in Tulsa and which was known at one time as DaySpring Villa is nearing the finish line of a massive renovation of its current facility. Although the organization moved to its current site in 1995, the facility itself was built in the late 1950s, Clingenpeel said. The plumbing and electrical work, as well as the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, were all original to the building and needed replacing. The work began in early 2021, but a $1 million federal pandemic-related grant that was to fund part of it was tied up for months last fall in the state Legislature. The dispute was over two projects of the roughly one dozen proposals seeking part of $95 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding. Clingenpeel said The Spring received its first reimbursement check only this week, although work on the HVAC portion began in July with the knowledge that the funding was coming soon. The renovation should be completed by early 2024, she said. A massive wind storm that hit the Tulsa area late June 17 and into the early hours of June 18 created even more work to be done at the shelter, Clingenpeel said. The storm, which brought 100-mph winds to the Sand Springs area, left The Spring without power for a week, took down a fence and a number of trees, and did minor damage elsewhere at the facility. Although the shelter has contingency plans for relocating its residents should power outages occur, their Plan B and Plan C sites also were without electricity, Clingenpeel said, so The Spring relied on the assistance of its neighbors. Our community backing is just really incredible, she said, noting that several Sand Springs-area churches helped with storm debris cleanup and that a Sapulpa church, The Way, let The Springs staff and residents spend their days at the church enjoying the air conditioning and charging their phones. Such kindness, although never taken for granted, is not uncommon for her organization, Clingenpeel said, and the Mabee Foundation gift is just the latest example. We just want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Mabee Foundation and to (the family) for their commitment to caring for the most vulnerable in the community, she said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Women-only village in Kenya a safe haven for gender-based-violence survivors Curtis Killman Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Curtis Killman 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 A Broken Arrow man who admitted to helping run a social media group whose criteria for entry was to have a child available to sexually abuse and photograph has been sentenced to life in federal prison. Cameron Kelly McAbee, 33, whose arrest uncovered what prosecutors said was a cabal of alleged child predators, was sentenced Friday in Tulsa federal court to also serve two 20-year prison terms and one 30-year prison term at the same time he serves the life sentence. Prosecutors say McAbees arrest has led to the apprehension of other people in Australia, Canada and Norway, as well as the U.S., who were connected to the chat forum that he administered. McAbee was the ringleader in a child porn enterprise identified through an investigation by the FBI and our task force partners, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said in a written statement. In addition to McAbee, a group of 47 other predators were identified and have or will face justice in their respective jurisdictions for the trauma they have caused to children. The U.S. Attorneys Office and our partners in Oklahoma and across the nation will continue to identify, track, arrest and prosecute pedophiles who harm the most vulnerable among us. McAbee pleaded guilty May 5, 2022, to four counts: child exploitation enterprise, sexual exploitation of a child by a parent, receipt and distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography in Indian Country. McAbee was arrested in July 2021 after an FBI employee who had access to the online chat group McAbee administered saw an account later linked to McAbee post a photo depicting child sexual abuse, according to court records. During an interview with agents, McAbee said he had been using the social media app Kik to share pornographic photos of a 3-year-old girl who was a relative, according to court records. McAbee admitted to using the app since 2019 to view and share images of child sexual abuse. Law enforcement found a total of 1,309 visual depictions of child sexual abuse on McAbees electronic devices when they searched his home, records show. The visual depictions contained images of 18 different prepubescent minor females, many of which appear to be images and videos created by other members of the forum as they sexually abused their own children, according to court records. Investigators have been able to identify and rescue at least 20 child victims whose abuse was documented and traded on the forum run by McAbee, according to prosecutors. McAbee told investigators that he installed at least 10 hidden cameras throughout his house, which he used to take explicit still and video images of children and adults. McAbees actions violated federal law, but they also transgressed every conceivable normative principle undergirding our laws and the sense of trust and morality associated with being a parent, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Nassar wrote in a government sentencing memo that argued for the life sentence. Tulsa-based Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group and Hertz Global Holdings announced a proposed $2.6 billion merger plan on this day in 2012. The merger had Hertz buying Dollar Thrifty stock at a price of $87.50 per share. Dollar Thrifty has been in Tulsa since 1958 and had made its headquarters here since 1994. The company had about 780 people in the area, and Hertz had about 1,700 in Oklahoma City. Hertz had been trying to acquire Dollar Thrifty, off and on, for two years. Here's a timeline of the events that led to the merger: Tourism service providers in Phu Quoc, Hon Son, and Nam Du, popular tourist attractions in Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam, have seen modest tour and hotel room bookings for the upcoming National Day (September 2) holiday, so they may experience a slump during the four-day holiday lasting from September 1 to 4. Ly Thua Loi, deputy general director of Golden Link Tourism Trade JSC based in Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province, said on Thursday that the National Day holiday is around the corner but his companys hotel room occupancy rate has reached some 60 percent, down 40 percent year on year. Hon Son and Nam Du islands in Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province are ideal locations for diving and catching seafood. However, bookings for tours to the islands remain modest. Travelers on board a boat to visit Phu Quoc at night. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre In the middle of August last year, rooms were fully booked. Visitors preferred fishing and diving tours. We saw a small number of customers [during the same period] this year. Service providers on Hon Son and Nam Du islands are looking forwards to customers, Loi added. Lam Kim Phuong, director of the Phu Quoc Branch of local travel firm Vietravel, said bookings by tourist groups were modest. The branchs customer number is not as high as expected. These days last year, we welcomed 15-20 groups of tourists to Phu Quoc. The situation is opposite this year as we have served two to three groups per day, plunging some 80 percent, Phuong informed. She attributed the decline to the economic downturn and bad weather. Travelers prefer tours to dive and catch fish, snails, and sea urchins on Hon Son and Nam Du islands in Kien Hai District, Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cong / Tuoi Tre Le Trung Thuc, director of external affairs at Phu Quoc Sunset Sanato Resort and Villas, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the resort occupancy rate has reached 20 percent only, plummeting 80 percent over the year-ago period. To attract customers, the resort has offered a discount by 10-15 percent and collected no additional fees. It has also launched promotional packages, specifically customers booking for rooms for over two nights will get tickets to VinWonders Phu Quoc Theme Park and for cable services to Hon Thom Island in Phu Quoc at no charge. We expect the room occupancy rate to hit some 50-60 percent during the National Day holiday, Thuc said. The Kien Giang Department of Tourism has required local tourism service providers to publicize product and service prices and offer services and products at these prices, and not to entice or fleece customers, said Bui Quoc Thai, director of the department. Speed boat service providers must ensure safety for passengers. All tourism enterprises should issue policies to lure travelers during the upcoming holiday, Thai added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ho Chi Minh City, a southern economic hub of Vietnam, wishes to further expand multifaceted cooperation with Belgium to fully tap the potentials of the two countries, Secretary of the citys Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen said on Friday. Nen was speaking at a reception he hosted for President of the Belgian Senate Stephanie DHose, who arrived in Vietnam on Monday for an official five-day visit at the invitation of Vietnamese National Assembly chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. The citys Party leader, also a Politburo member, highly appreciated the visit by DHose as it took place when two countries are celebrating the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations and five years of the bilateral strategic partnership in the field of agriculture. In the past 50 years, the relationship between the two countries has been constantly developing, with a shift from purely humanitarian cooperation to an increasingly effective partnership in all fields from politics, diplomacy to economy, culture and people-to-people exchanges, Nen stated. At the same time, the two countries have common interests in the fields of education, culture, mitigation of consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin, disadvantaged women protection, environmental protection and climate change response. As an economic, culture, education-training, science and technology hub of Vietnam and the countrys center for international integration, the city has implemented various cooperation programs and plans between the two nations in all areas, Nen said. He emphasized that Ho Chi Minh City has also operated many effective cooperation projects with Belgium, but the current trade and investment partnership between the city and Belgium has remained modest compared to the potential and aspirations of both sides. The citys Party chief believed that the Belgian Senate Presidents visit will help expand the cooperation between the two countries as well as between the city and Belgian localities, especially in the current period when the city has piloted a number of specific mechanisms and policies to further attract foreign investment. The official extended his high appreciation and thanked the House of Representatives of Belgium for issuing a resolution on support to Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) victims in Vietnam. DHose said her visit aimed to further strengthen the Vietnam-Belgium relations and added that the two nations are far apart geographically but they have closeness in terms of culture, patriotism and empathy. The resolution on Agent Orange of the Belgian House of Representatives is not only a political, diplomatic and humanitarian issue but it is also of ethical and humane significance. Through the resolution, Belgium wants to awaken humankind conscience and prevent similar acts in the future, she added. Belgium and Vietnam have similarities in history, so there is sympathy for the pain of war consequences, DHose said, adding that the friendship and cultural closeness between the two sides will contribute to erasing the pain of war. She presented Nen a pen as her gift, saying she hoped the official will use it to sign such projects that help boost the development of the city. Throughout her visit to Vietnam, the President of the Belgium Senate had highly effective discussions with senior leaders of Vietnam, from Hanoi, Hue, Quang Tri to Ho Chi Minh City, to discuss steps to beef up the strategic partnership between the two nations She said she respects the country and people of Vietnam because in her eyes, the Vietnamese people are very humble and honest. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (Photo : Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) South Korean protesters wearing masks of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and South Koreas President Yoon Suk-Yeol during a protest against the Japanese government's decision to dump radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, near the Japanese Embassy on July 05, 2023 in Seoul, South Korea. As China bans all Japanese seafood due to the release of one million tonnes of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the ruined Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility. Beijing has been accused of hypocrisy and of using the incident to stir up anti-Japanese sentiment, according to The Guardian. China's Seafood Ban Amid Fukushima Wastewater Release Scientists have pointed out that China's nuclear power plants release wastewater with higher levels of tritium than those detected in Fukushima's discharge, but that these levels do not pose a health risk to humans. The company that manages the plant, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), began pumping water containing radioactive tritium into the sea on Thursday, initiating a 30-year-long wastewater discharge procedure. The United Nations' atomic overseer, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the Japanese government have approved the plan. Tepco announced on Friday that rapid analyses of samples taken from the first batch of released wastewater revealed radioactivity levels that are well within safe limits. Fumio Kishida, the prime minister of Japan, stated that his government had used diplomatic channels to request that China lift its prohibition on Japanese seafood. According to the Kyodo news agency, Kishida told reporters, "We ardently encourage scientifically-based discussion among experts." China's Fuqing power facility in Fujian province discharges approximately three times more tritium into the Pacific than Fukushima is expected to release. Beijing's distinction appears to be based on the fact that Japan's emission originated from a nuclear calamity. "There is a fundamental difference between the nuclear-contaminated water that came into direct contact with the melted reactor cores during the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the water released by nuclear power plants during normal operation," said the spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, on Wednesday. They are distinct in nature, derived from distinct origins, and require varying degrees of sophistication to manage. When asked about its prohibition on Japanese seafood, Hong Kong authorities claimed the situation was "completely different" and that other radioactive substances could be present. The Kori nuclear power facility in Busan, South Korea, emits a quantity comparable to that of Fuqing. South Korea has also criticized the Fukushima decision, but its government has recently stated that it accepts the IAEA's report on the plan's safety, Denver Post reported. Read Also: Evacuations Ordered After Chemical Leak at Louisiana Refinery; Fire Ongoing Concerns Over Fukushima Water Discharge Impact Numerous scientists concur with the IAEA that the discharge will have "negligible" radiological consequences for humans and the environment. Dr. David Krofcheck, a senior lecturer at the University of Auckland, stated, "The release of filtered cooling water containing tritium atoms from the Fukushima facility will not cause any physical harm." Tritium is produced naturally as part of our normal background radiation, and it travels to the world's oceans via rain or rivers. The water release is designed to contain seven times less tritium per liter than the World Health Organization recommends for potable water. Normally operating nuclear power plants have released significantly more tritium into the north Pacific Ocean since these plants in China, South Korea, and Taiwan were first located on coastal sites. The biological effects of tritium, carbon-14, strontium-90, and iodine-129, which will be discharged with the water, have been "ignored," according to Greenpeace. Tepco and the Japanese government have stated that the filtration process will remove strontium-90 and iodine-129 from the contaminated water, while the concentration of carbon-14 in the water is well below the discharge standard. The Citizens' Nuclear Information Centre in Japan is among the critics who assert that not enough is known about the long-term effects of tritium discharge into the ocean. "Tepco, the [Japanese] government, and the IAEA have all failed to adequately consider and evaluate the environmental contamination caused by the long-term discharge of radioactive materials and the behavior of radioactive materials in the environment," it said. Chinese fishmongers are now concerned about vacant shelves because they are unable to restock with Japanese imports, which were previously regarded as of superior quality to seafood from other countries. As in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima catastrophe, there has been a run on salt in some Chinese supermarkets due to unfounded rumors that the iodine in salt can prevent radiation poisoning. The China National Salt Industry Corporation, the state-owned salt monopoly, issued a statement on Thursday addressing "panic purchasing" and assuring consumers that its salt was not contaminated by Japanese nuclear pollution. Additionally, the dispute has stirred up nationalist sentiments. In a poll posted to Weibo this week, respondents were asked about their feelings regarding the discharge. There were three choices: "It violates international conventions and international marine protection laws," "It is irrational behavior that defies common sense," and "It causes severe ecological damage." Six of the top ten trending topics on Friday morning were related to Japan and Fukushima, with one topic advocating for Mount Fuji to erupt. On Weibo, Chinese users have begun spreading lists of Japanese cosmetics and urging others to boycott them out of radiation concerns. On Thursday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked why it was only prohibiting seafood imports from Japan, given that its stated scientific concerns regarding water contamination should also apply to the seas surrounding Russia and South Korea. Wang did not respond, instead reiterating accusations that Japan had turned itself into an ecological system saboteur and ocean polluter, as per BBC. Related Article: Denmark Drafting Legislation to Outlaw Burning of Quran, Other Sacred Materials @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Police in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City on Friday arrested a 35-year-old woman for tying an eight-year-old boy to a power pole and beating him with a broom. Le Thi Diem Trang, 35, declared that she had beaten T., who is her eight-year-old neighbor, about 10 times. C., who is T.s father, had had Trang take care of T. since June as C. was busy working and T. was on summer holiday. On Wednesday afternoon, local peoples witnessed Trang using a broom to hit T. while he was restrained to an electric pole without clothes. They stepped in and subsequently informed the authorities about the incident. Trang has admitted that since she was entrusted with looking after T., she has physically disciplined T. in approximately ten instances due to T.s disobedience. The woman compelled T. to lie face-down on the floor and used bamboo chopsticks, belts, and broom to hit his buttocks, delivering five to six blows during each of these occurrences. On Wednesday, while overseeing T.s studies, Trang noticed that he was neglecting his homework. In response, she removed all his clothing, brought him to the front of the house, used an Internet cable to tether him to a utility pole, berated him, and repeatedly struck him with a broom handle. While T. cried and struggled to free himself from the rope, Trang executed about 28 blows on him with the broom stick. By examining the marks present on T.s body, officers documented approximately 15 bruises. On Friday, the police investigative unit in District 12 promptly apprehended Trang for probing into allegations of physical abuse toward others. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Con Dao National Park on Thursday said it had recently found the body of a green sea turtle washed up on Dat Doc beach, Con Dao Island off the coast of Ba Ria - Vung Tau southern province. The mother turtle, weighing about 85 to 90kg, was 91cm in length and 83cm in width, appeared to be killed before being washed ashore. The reptile was found with an around 15cm incision on its right hip and without eggs and viscera inside. Its left front flipper was also fastened with a 1.5m rope. The turtle was in a state of decay and died about a week before it was found. An around 15cm incision is seen on the turtles right hip. Photo: Van Vung According to local forest rangers, the mother turtle might be killed for its eggs. After killing the reptile to get its eggs, the poachers used a long rope to tie the front flipper of the turtle to the corals on the seabed to destroy the traces. After about a week, a part of the rope tied to the coral broke off, the turtle emerged and was washed ashore. A representative of Con Dao National Park called the killing very cruel and barbaric. He also said this is a criminal case, and anyone who catches and kills green sea turtles to get eggs is subject to criminal offense. A rope is tied to the turtles flipper. Photo: Van Vung Con Dao National Park will join functional agencies and local authorities to discuss solutions to dismantling this type of crime. Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is on the government's list of endangered precious and rare species prioritized for protection. Over the past time, the authorities in Con Dao had criminally treated many cases of storing, transporting, as well as trading green sea turtles. Years ago, they also discovered a case of catching a green sea turtle and slaughtering it for meat, organs and eggs but it was on land. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The site clearance work for the second metro line project in Ho Chi Minh City is being conducted at a snails pace, resulting in an increase by VND68 billion (US$2.8 million) in costs per year, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR), the investor of the project. MAUR has reported the execution of the metro line, connecting Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Tham Luong Depot in District 12, to the municipal Peoples Committee. In particular, districts where the metro line will pass through have handed over 86.69 percent of the site for the project. Since early 2021, the progress of the work has slowed down due to obstacles in District 3. Some households in the district have yet to hand over their land lots as they do not accept the compensation, affecting the compensation and resettlement work. The slowness raises the costs of the project by VND68 billion ($2.8 million) per year due to loan interest, fees, and price escalation. Under a decision on the compensation and resettlement for the metro line project, District 3 has some VND268 billion ($11.2 million) left for the increased costs. If the progress remains slow, the project may face cost overruns. The second metro line in Ho Chi Minh City was designed to stretch 11.3 kilometers, passing through six districts of 1, 3, 10, 12, Tan Binh, and Tan Phu. It will include a 9.3-kilometer underground section and two-kilometer elevated section, with 11 stations, upon completion. The project will require an estimated cost of over VND47.89 trillion ($2 billion), including VND4.1 trillion ($171 million) for site clearance and resettlement, and a total space of more than 251,100 square meters, and affect 603 households. The metro line construction commenced in 2010 and was expected to be put into commercial operation in 2016. However, the deadline for the completion of the project was delayed many times before the Ho Chi Minh City Peoples Committee proposed extending it further to 2030 in July last year. An office building and ancillary works at the Tham Luong depot in District 12 have been finished. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A Vietnamese female student was reportedly stabbed more than 100 times to death by her stepfather while she was trying to prevent him from assaulting her mother at home in the U.S. city of Seattle, the Seattle Times reported on Thursday. Angelina Tran, 21, believed to be Vietnamese-American, was allegedly given 107 stabs to death by her stepfather Nghiep Kein Chau, 54, on August 7, according to the newspaper. In the early morning on that day, Tran woke up due to the sound of a quarrel from the kitchen at a 31st Avenue South residence in Beacon Hill in Seattle, the state of Washington. The schoolgirl ran into there and witnessed Nghiep repeatedly beating her biological mother. The schoolgirl immediately prevented the man from his cruel acts but she was stabbed by Nghiep repeatedly to death with a kitchen knife. Examining the homes security camera footage, local police said Nghiep punched Tran's mother in the face and head at least 15 times before Tran interfered. After killing Tran, Nghiep went around the house looking for Trans mother with an aim to kill her, too. Meanwhile, the woman had managed to hide from a place near the scene of crime and called 911 for help. Around 5:00 am on the same day, local police officers rushed to the house and saw the stepfather still holding a bloody knife in his hand. Nghiep confronted officers inside the house with the knife, but he eventually dropped it and police took him into custody. The man told officers that he and Trans mother had a quarrel as he was in doubt that his wife would divorce him and take all of his assets. In a fit of anger during the argument, he hit her, the suspect killer said. He also said he became angry with Tran as she intervened in the quarrel and tried to block him from her mother. The man confessed that he was trying to find and kill his wife before police arrived, according to court documents. Nghiep is currently being held at the King County Jail on a US$5 million bond, waiting for his hearing expected to take place on August 31. The man displayed irrational and extremely violent tendencies and classified him as a flight risk, the Seattle Times cited prosecutors as saying. According to local court documents, Trans mother and Nghiep had known each other for 19 years before they got married last year. Angelina Tran is a design and engineering student at the Seattle-based University of Washington, where a professor commented that Angelina was an energetic and enthusiastic student, who was set to graduate next year. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The 37th ARIA Awards will be held on Wednesday, 15 November at the Hordern Pavilion, for the first time screening Live on Stan, with a Free to Air broadcast on Nine in primetime. Red Carpet will also be Live on YouTube Live from 1.30pm AEDT: red carpet on YouTube Live from 5pm AEDT: the 2023 ARIA Awards in full on Stan 7.30pm AEDT: the 2023 ARIA Awards on Nine and broadcast globally on YouTube Roving Productions will produce the event, helmed by exec producer Craig Campbell, while hosts are yet to be announced. ARIA CEO, Annabelle Herd, Since 1987, the ARIA Awards have represented the pinnacle of achievement in Australian music. The incredible releases over the last 12 months prove theres no shortage of world-class talent on our shores, and 15 November is our opportunity to showcase a year of amazing Australian music to the world. Were thrilled to be back at the Hordern and broadcasting a spectacular show across Stan, Nine and Youtube that will make Aussies proud of our outstanding artists and their achievements. A huge thank you to our partners and everyone involved for backing Aus music and helping to put it on the global stage for another year. 9Networks Director of Programming and 9Now, Hamish Turner: The 9Network are thrilled to again be broadcasting the ARIA Awards, showcasing its brilliant performances and awarding some of the biggest and best names in the industry. We are excited to celebrate and honor the incredible talents of the Australian music industry. Stan Chief Content Officer Cailah Scobie said: We are extremely excited to announce that Stan will be home to the live broadcast of the 2023 ARIA Awards. Stan is committed to supporting local content and being the live broadcaster of musics night of nights is a fantastic opportunity to spotlight Australias amazing local artists. Featuring performances from some of the biggest names in the industry, the ARIA Awards are a momentous occasion to showcase the breadth of musical talent in our country and it is an honour to be able to celebrate the Australian music industry on Stan. ARIA nominee Gretta Ray, said Im so excited for the upcoming 2023 ARIA Awards. This event holds a special place in my heart, not just as a celebration of incredible music and artists, but also as a moment to connect with fellow musicians and fans who share the same passion. The ARIA Awards are a recognition of the hard work, creativity, and dedication that goes into making music, and being a part of it is truly an honour. Minister for the Arts, Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy and Minister for Jobs and Tourism (!) John Graham said, As the states first Minister for Music, I am delighted to welcome the ARIAs back to the Hordern Pavilion. Sydney is already the centre of much of the recorded music industry, but we want to make music a bigger part of our states story. I want to thank ARIA for their advocacy for the industry. Management for John Farnham did not want Seven to screen a Spotlight episode with archival footage, so soon after the success of the feature documentary John Farnham: Finding the Voice. Seven, which part-funded the doco drew such big ratings from the doco, it aired a replay in primetime the following week and a Spotlight episode called The Lost Tapes earlier this month. Co-manager David Wilson, speaking to Mediaweek said he had a discussion with Spotlight executive producer Mark Llewellyn. I said, We dont think its necessary At the time about 3 million Australians had already seen the movie, on TV on Seven over the two screenings and with all the catch-ups and what have you. We didnt think there needed to be any more John on TV, he said. He pitched saying, Weve got such a rich archive here. Its a waste not to use it, and we really think people will want it , its a tribute and we want to celebrate John and everything about him. (It was) well-intended, but its not something that we wanted to have happen. Especially so soon. It felt like overkill to me. They did a good job, but it just seemed, unnecessary. I think was it was the special no one asked for. For their efforts Seven drew 458,000 metro viewers. More encouragingly David Wilson also discussed Farnhams current recovery after being given the all-clear on throat cancer. Hes home, hes comfortable. Hes confirmed, I think, about a month ago to be cancer-free., said Wilson. Hes still in recovery because it was a major procedure. So theres still a ways to go, but he is strong. He is back to his daggiest version of himself. He is doing the worst, lamest jokes at home, but you roll your eyes and put up with it there will be some music on TV and he will just break into song. He just sings along with stuff as the mood takes him. And that just fills your heart. John Farnham: Finding the Voice is out now on DVD. Staff reporter/ TCN The people of Khatauli in Muzaffarnagar are overwhelmed with pride as Areeb from their town contributes to the success of Mission Chandryan-3. Areeb is currently working with the ISRO and was part of the team responsible for the success of Chandran-3. Support TwoCircles Mohammad Areeb hails from a middle-class family in Khatauli. His father is a businessman. Celebrations in Areebs house continue as friends and acquaintances hop in to congratulate the family. A former engineering student of Jamia qualified for ISROs scientist exam just last year and placed in the Mechanical Department of ISRO. Areeb had always been curious about space. After completing his education in mechanical engineering, he began working for a food company. His childhood curiosity about space persisted, and he eventually made it to ISRO by passing the examination. In 2021, Areeb was among three Muslim youth who qualified for ISRO, making headlines. Areebs family, typical of a middle-class household, consists of his housewife mother and a sister pursuing her studies at Aligarh Muslim University. Expressing his happiness over his sons success, Areebs father states, When children make a name, it is parents who feel more joy than children themselves and I feel the same. He and his wife are currently in Harikota, celebrating their sons contribution to the nations success. Describing Areebs values, his sister Afreen shares, Indias great scientist and former president APJ Abdul Kalam has been his role model since childhood. He often talked about ISRO and NASA, consistently praising the scientists at ISRO. Today, he is one of them. She adds, He used to create project models for the family members, today he is involved in designing real satellites. This fills us with immense pride. Mohammad Areeb has become the youth icon in his town, Khetauli. Whatsapp DPs are replaced with his picture. Areebs childhood friend, Akshay som called him after 15 years. Talking to the TCN Akshay Som says, We studied together in class eighth. After that, they could not connect for 15 years. He was very humble in his conversation. This is a moment of pride for all of us, Som adds. Areebs uncle shares that the household now revolves around discussions about Areeb. Every child in the family aspires to follow in his footsteps, a true testament to his inspirational journey. Litterateur Ajay Janmejay, a resident of the Khetauli considers this a success of the Nation. Having a resident of the Town on the team is a big thing for him. He says that this pleasant event will inspire the youth of the region. Mohammad Areeb says that he has a long journey to cover. Recalling the moment of the launch of Chandryaan-3, Areeb says that when the Chandryaan was being sent into space his Abbu, Ammi, and sister were present in the launch gallery and he could see tears in his mothers eyes. He believes all this was possible just because of the blessing of his parents. Mentioning his sister, Areeb says whenever he got depressed or felt like giving up, it was his sister who made him believe in himself again and cheered him up. Mohammad Areeb, who joined ISRO two years ago, is associated with the launching team as a mechanical engineer. Areeb now starts crying while talking, his throat fills up, he says that he is only in his third year of joining ISRO and so soon he is becoming a part of such a big success, it is a matter of pride for him. There was no TV in Areebs home. People in the locality arranged a big screen and watched the live streaming together. Areebs Father Mehtab Jiya was present at the gallery in the Sriharikota during launching. He says he is loss for words, he is very emotional and happy with the success of the country. Summary: Apohair Import Export JSC celebrates two decades of setting industry standards with premium hair extensions and ethical commitments. CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan's visionary leadership drives innovation and positive change, leaving an indelible mark on the global hair extension landscape. Hanoi, Vietnam--(Newsfile Corp. - August 26, 2023) - Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company, a prominent figure in the global hair extension landscape, commemorates two decades of outstanding achievement, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to social responsibility. Led by CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan, Apohair's journey has redefined industry standards by merging premium quality with positive change. Apohair Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation and Social Responsibility in the Hair Extension Industry To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/178490_a64057cf445339a3_001full.jpg Over a decade ago, Mr. Toan embarked on a transformative path, recognizing the empowering potential of high-quality hair extensions to elevate confidence and natural beauty. Operating under the guiding principle, "Reputation is more valuable than gold," Apohair has consistently set new benchmarks for product excellence, earning trust and accolades on a global scale. Apohair has taken another significant stride toward making a positive impact. The company proudly introduces the launch of the APO Group's charity fund, with a dedicated focus on supporting the children of K Hospital. This collaboration reflects Apohair's commitment to stand beside those who face medical challenges, extending its ethos of empowerment beyond beauty into the realm of health. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDueqGnoSs Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Toan, Apohair's reputation as a purveyor of ethically sourced, meticulously crafted hair extensions has flourished. The company's factory, housing a workforce of over 500 skilled artisans in Vietnam, stands as a testament to precision and talent cultivation. This commitment extends beyond products, with Apohair investing in the holistic growth of its workforce. Story continues Apohair's core values extend to ethics, environmental sustainability, and the well-being of its employees. Through workshops and collaborative projects, the company fosters a culture of teamwork, while its community engagement initiatives underscore its responsible corporate citizenship. Beyond its remarkable business journey, Apohair's narrative resonates with transformation and meaningful impact. By seamlessly intertwining innovation, quality, and compassion, Apohair serves as an inspirational model for businesses striving to create a positive footprint. As the company evolves, its unwavering dedication to excellence and positive change will undoubtedly shape its future and leave a profound mark on the world - strand by strand. About Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company: Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company is a trailblazer in the hair extension industry, headquartered in Vietnam. Committed to delivering unparalleled hair extension products while driving impactful social change, Apohair exemplifies excellence, innovation, and compassion. CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan's visionary leadership has steered the company's journey, redefining the potential of quality products combined with responsible corporate citizenship. Contact Detail: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apohaircompany Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apohair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@apohairvn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apohaircompany/ Contact Info: Name: Tony Phan Organization: Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company Address: No 4 Ham Nghi Street, My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Lien District, Hanoi Capital, Vietnam Phone: (+84) 902 190 509 Email: marketing@apohair.com URL Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/RFGzyRQN51LzJ2xy7 URL YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDueqGnoSs To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/178490 A portrait of Yevgeny Prigozhin at a memorial for the dead Wagner Group leader in Moscow. A former senior Kremlin official told Insider that Prigozhin's death was "inevitable" after his June rebellion. Contributor/Getty On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesperson said the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin was behind the Wednesday plane crash that killed Yevgeny Prigozhin was "a complete lie." But a former senior official who served at the highest levels of the Russian government told Insider a different story. "The rebellion was an anomaly," they wrote. "But the consequences were indeed inevitable." In other words: The crash was no accident. It was unavoidable payback for Prigozhin's insubordination, which culminated in a march towards Moscow with a column of his Wagner Group mercenaries. The march was a stunningly open challenge to the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the man who had found Prigozhin when he was running a string of Saint Petersburg restaurants and made him into one of Russia's most feared power brokers, trafficking in weaponry, gold, and armed men across three continents. As for Prigozhin himself, the former Kremlin official scoffed at the idea that his death was an untimely surprise. "His death could not have been more timely," they wrote. "His life was that of Chekov's gun. When his blank was fired, there was nothing left to do but be swept behind the curtain and let the play carry on." By invoking Chekhov's gun, the official was suggesting that any private military force that refused to submit to Putin's direct control was destined to be crushed by him. That famous storytelling principle a gun innocently hanging on the wall in a play's first act will be fired in its third is one of Russian literature's great contributions to world culture. But the story of Prigozhin's rise and fall can also be told through a trove of internal files that exposed the inner workings of his corporate empire in the months before his death. Those files included dozens of detailed spreadsheets showing how Prigozhin's Wagner Group tracked and spent its money: Story continues Wages for a Nigerian gig worker to push Kremlin memes through a troll farm $276. Fuel to light up a famous hillside sign in the Central African Republic $791. Worldwide promotion budget for "Tourist," a feature film depicting heroic Russian mercenaries who save an African government from local bandits and European elites, including ads on TikTok, YouTube, and Google 29 million rubles, or roughly $300,000. Those files were obtained from anonymous hackers who had pried them loose from the Wagner Group. They show why Prigozhin was so useful to Russian President Vladimir Putin, not only in the invasion of Ukraine, but in surreptitious campaigns to influence US politics and extend Russia's reach throughout the Middle East and Africa. Even before we reviewed evidence of Wagner troops engaging in rape, beheadings, and other war crimes, Prigozhin was known to be a bloodthirsty warlord, an ex-convict and Saint Petersburg restaurateur who had taken the brutal logic that he'd learned during his years in the Russian prison system to the global stage. But the spreadsheets showed us that Prigozhin was more than that. He was a bloodthirsty warlord who knew how to stretch a buck. The tiny amounts of money that we saw meticulously accounted for in the Wagner Group's monthly budgets and expense reports were a fraction of what American or European would have spent on similar overseas operations. Of course, that money was supplemented by pillage and extortion. The files included a shakedown letter Prigozhin had sent to the Syrian government, demanding oil revenue from a tract of land that his men had taken back from ISIS. Russia uses the Wagner Group to boost its military strength, but it is nothing like a conventional fighting force or diplomatic corps. Though often referred to as a private military company mercenaries Wagner's brutal methods, semi-official status, and appetite for resource extraction makes them something closer to 16th-century privateers. For so long as he remained loyal, Prigozhin was a perfect instrument for Putin to build up Russia's superpower status despite having an economy less than a tenth the size of China or the US. During the two months between the time that Prigozhin marched on Moscow and the explosion onboard his private plane, it wasn't impossible to imagine that Prigozhin had made himself so indispensable to Putin that he might be forgiven. Putin had already shown a remarkable tolerance of Prigozhin's grandiosity and his propensity to take to social media and publicly castigate the Kremlin's favorite generals for bad strategy and supply problems in Ukraine. Prigozhin's death suggests that Putin has accepted a setback in Russia's global ambitions in favor of ensuring the stability of his own regime. Of course, he'd prefer to have both. New reporting by the Wall Street Journal shows how vigorously Putin was attempting to supplant Prigozhin's authority during the final weeks of his life, maintaining Wagner's African shadow empire while centralizing control, and how Prigozhin continued to antagonize the Kremlin by refusing to fade into the background. After the mutiny, Russian authorities punched back, raiding Wagner's offices, blocking their social media channels, and releasing photographs of Prigozhin's lavish apartment filled with cash, gold, and guns. What they did not do was file criminal charges against Prigozhin or his Wagner minions, despite the fact that they'd killed some 15 Russian service members during their aborted march to Moscow. This led some to believe that Putin and Prigozhin could come to terms, including Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, who fancied himself a peacemaker between the two men. But in fact, Putin appears to have busied himself with absorbing the Wagner empire into the Russian state while plotting his revenge. Russia's Ministry of Defence reportedly sent emissaries to the foreign governments that Wagner had been propping up, informing them that they should now talk directly to the Kremlin. Other reports suggest that the job replacing Wagner in Africa will fall to the GRU, Russia's military intelligence unit. Regardless of who does it, rebuilding Prigozhin's intricate country-by-country network of bribes, propaganda, and fear will take years. Gen. James Clapper, the former head of the US intelligence community, told Insider that the apparent decision to kill Prigozhin was unsurprising given his priorities. "Putin typically and consistently has chosen his personal stature, prestige, and power over everything else," Clapper wrote in an email. "I don't think he gave overseas activities a thought." As for Russia's future, "I think we'll just have another strongman as successor to Putin. Just more of the same." Mattathias Schwartz is Insider's chief national security correspondent. He can be reached by email at schwartz79@protonmail.com. Read the original article on Business Insider By Manoj Kumar NEW DELHI (Reuters) - A senior European Union official urged Russia on Saturday to renew a deal to allow the safe export of Ukrainian grain through Black Sea ports, after Russia quit the agreement last month. European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis said Russian restrictions on shipping of Ukrainian grains via the Black Sea were creating problems not only for Kyiv but for many developing countries as well. Russia is using "grain as a weapon", said Dombrovskis, who is in India to participate in a G20 trade ministers' meeting. "We support all efforts by United Nations, by Turkey on Black Sea grain initiative," he told reporters, adding the bloc was providing alternative trading routes, also called solidarity lanes, to Ukraine for grain and other exports. Turkey has been trying to persuade Moscow to return to the agreement, which was brokered by Ankara and the United Nations a year ago and which ended last month. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday that Russia will return to the deal only if the West fulfils its obligations to Moscow. So far, some 45 million tonnes of grain, oil seeds and related products have been exported through alternative routes via Poland and Romania, providing an important lifeline to Ukraine, Dombrovskis said. According to EU Commission website, the bloc has used the alternatives routes, or Solidarity lanes, since May 2022. The Commission launched the Solidarity Lanes Action Plan to establish alternative logistics routes via rail, road and inland waterways. These routes have also helped Ukraine export over 36 million tonnes of non-agricultural products including iron ore, steel, earths and wood, generating about 33 billion euros ($35.64 billion)for Ukrainian farmers and businesses, the EU said on its website. The European Union is supporting Ukraine through defence, financial and other aid, aiming to throw "Russian troops beyond international borders of Ukraine," Dombrovskis said. Story continues The bloc is concerned that some countries including China and India have not joined Western sanctions against Russia. In bilateral talks between India and EU officials, EU officials raised the issue of exports of refined oil processed by India from Russian crude oil, which partly defeated the purpose of sanctions, he added. However, he said this was unlikely to affect ongoing talks about a proposed EU-India free trade agreement. ($1 = 0.9259 euros) (Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Frances Kerry and Christina Fincher) (Photo : Photo by JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images) Packages of cocaine totalizing 9,436 kilos, that were found hidden in a container from Ecuador, are seen during a police press conference at the port of Algeciras, southern Spain, on August 25, 2023. Spanish police and customs officials today announced the seizure of nearly 9.5 tonnes of cocaine from Ecuador, saying it marked Spain's biggest seizure to date. The seizure, which took place on August 23 in the southern port of Algeciras, is "the biggest cargo of cocaine in Spain to date" and was hidden in a refrigerated container coming from Ecuador among banana crates, according to a joint statement. In a major breakthrough, Spanish customs agents and the National Police have effectively intercepted 9.5 tons of cocaine, the country's largest cocaine haul to date. The enormous drug seizure was concealed within an Ecuadorian banana container, sending shockwaves through law enforcement and highlighting the ongoing fight against narcotics trafficking, according to Reuters. Ingenious Ecuadorian Banana Container Scheme The discovery took place in the port of Algeciras, which is situated in the southeastern region of Spain. The enormous stash was cleverly concealed within a cargo of 1,080 boxes of bananas, which was concealed within a refrigerated container. This audacious attempt at smuggling was discovered on a Wednesday, and the authorities were astounded by its scope. A high-ranking official from the Spanish tax agency in charge of customs examinations, Jose Carlos Arobes, provided insight into the operation. He disclosed that the investigations that led to this significant seizure began in July in response to intelligence reports about an impending shipment of cocaine from Colombia via Ecuador in August. A front company that exports bananas from Machala, Ecuador, was in charge of the intricate operation. This interception signifies a substantial escalation in the ongoing fight against the illicit drug trade. Prior to this extraordinary accomplishment, Spain's largest cocaine seizure in 2018 totaled 8.4 tons. In the port of Algeciras, this shipment had also been concealed within a container containing bananas. The resilience of such smuggling techniques underscores the need for law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant and flexible. The activation of the State Emergency Operations Center by the governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, further emphasizes the importance of combating drug trafficking. This serves as a striking reminder that not only do these operations imperil public health and safety, but they also pose a complex threat to the social fabric. The temerity of criminal networks in attempting to conceal a massive quantity of cocaine within a shipment of bananas speaks volumes about their ingenuity. This demonstrates the dedication and efficacy of Spain's law enforcement agencies, which are capable of uncovering and foiling such complex plots, as per Fox News. Read Also: Recently-Declassified US Intel Reveals Russia Uses Influence Laundering to Spread Propaganda to the West Cocaine Seizure Highlights Global Fight Against Transnational Crime Nonetheless, the increasing magnitude of these clandestine attempts demonstrates the persistence and evolution of the drug trade. Beyond the immediate significance of this seizure, there are global ramifications that have a greater impact. This massive shipment of cocaine originating in Ecuador was intercepted, highlighting the challenges presented by transnational criminal networks. These criminal enterprises transcend national borders, necessitating international cooperation and intelligence exchange in order to effectively combat them. In addition, this incident is a microcosm of the larger fight against the illegal drug trade, which fosters violence, corruption, and insecurity worldwide. As nations face a variety of extreme weather conditions, such as tropical cyclones, wildfires, and heatwaves, it becomes evident that climate change and environmental disruptions can exacerbate the difficulties posed by criminal networks. Never before has the urgency to resolve these interconnected issues been so apparent. At the same time that Spain is dealing with the aftermath of this record-breaking seizure, it is at the forefront of a larger global endeavor to confront the complex nexus of crime, climate change, and societal well-being. Communities affected by both natural disasters and criminal activity are resilient in the face of adversity, demonstrating the indomitable human will to rebuild, adapt, and prosper. Ultimately, the interception of 9,500 kilograms of cocaine concealed within a cargo of bananas exemplifies the unwavering dedication of law enforcement agencies to protect society from the dangers of the drug trade. It highlights the importance of continued cooperation, innovation, and vigilance as nations endeavor to ensure a safer and more prosperous future for all, Alarabiya reported. Related Article: Maui County Suing Local Electric Company After Recent Wildfires; Here's Why @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Robinhood Markets, Inc. is seen at a pop-up event on Wall Street after the company's IPO in New York City By Nate Raymond BOSTON (Reuters) -Massachusetts' top court on Friday handed state securities regulators a major victory in their enforcement action against online brokerage Robinhood by holding that a state fiduciary duty rule that is central to the case is valid. The Massachusetts Supreme Judiciary Court reversed a lower-court judge's decision in favor of Robinhood in a lawsuit it filed after Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin in 2020 accused it of encouraging inexperienced investors to place risky trades. That case has been on hold and an administrative trial in it was delayed while Galvin appealed a judge's March 2022 ruling invalidating a rule stating that broker-dealers have a fiduciary obligation to provide investment advice without regard to the interests of anyone but their customers. Lucas Moskowitz, Robinhood's deputy general counsel and head of government affairs, in a statement said: "We are disappointed in todays decision and remain committed to providing access to the markets for our Massachusetts customers." That 2020 state fiduciary duty rule went beyond a standard the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a year earlier and was a key part of the case Galvin, the state's top securities regulator, filed against Robinhood. Galvin had alleged Robinhood used strategies that treated trading like a game to encourage young, inexperienced customers to engage in risky trading through its online platform. Galvin is seeking to have Robinhood's state broker-dealer license revoked. Menlo Park, California-based Robinhood denied the allegations and argued Galvin overstepped his authority by adopting a regulation it claimed improperly overrode state law governing stockbrokers' duties and conflicted with federal law. But Justice Dalila Wendlandt, writing for the court in Friday's 5-0 ruling, said Galvin permissibly extended the standard of care that applies to traditional investment advisers to "new-age broker-dealers" like Robinhood. Story continues She noted that Galvin deemed the rule necessary "to protect investors confused by the increasingly blurred line between broker-dealers providing investment advice and investment advisers." "The rule that has been upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court today will give the highest protections to Massachusetts investors when brokers provide investment advice," Galvin, a Democrat, said in a statement. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Alexia Garamfalvi) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hugs a close relatives of a deceased Ukrainian soldier during an official ceremony to celebrate Ukrainian Independence Day (Photo by Alexey Furman/Getty Images) The full-scale war has now raged for a year and a half. A few weeks after Russia formally invaded Ukraine, Phillips O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews, warned that the West must do all it can to ensure a quick and decisive Ukrainian victory. Not delivering what Ukraine needs now, he argued, is far more likely to lengthen this war and make it bloodier in the end. His words ring as true this week as they did when they were first written more than half a million Ukrainian casualties ago. In an article written last week, Dr Jack Watling, an expert on land warfare at the defence think RUSI, argued that government prevarication and institutional foot-dragging over the export of military equipment to Ukraine have exposed structural flaws in governments across the West which, he argues, have lost the institutional memory of how to cohere the operational level of war. We have watched these failures play out in real time throughout the war as countries across the West have dithered and debated about whether or not to send certain pieces of equipment to Ukraine and have almost always decided in favour after months of delays. In Germany, countless column inches and hours of parliamentary time have now been spent debating whether or not to send long-range missiles to Ukraine with several politicians, including the Chancellor, voicing their reluctance to send these weapons in case wait for it they were used to fire at Russia. Chancellor Scholz even announced that he was even considering options to reduce the missiles strike range something the Ukrainian Ambassador described as being akin to banning national team players from entering the opponents half or taking penalties. It is likely, however, that these long-range missiles will eventually be sent, just like German Leopard 2 tanks were after a similarly long and painful period of internal debate. Indeed, one frustrated Member of the Bundestag said that the debate around sending long-range missiles and the refusal to hand over important equipment that will probably be delivered in the end gave him an uncomfortable sense of deja vu. Olaf Scholz, with the weight of his countrys history pressing on him, had been reluctant to send these tanks to Ukraine conscious that this decision would make him the first German leader to send heavy armour rolling across Europe since World War Two. And yet, after months of discussion, the tanks were sent long after they could have and should have been. Story continues It seems, despite Chancellor Scholzs much-praised Zeitenwende speech, that Western governments have still struggled to move at the pace that Ukraine needs to fight and win the war for its survival. Western governments do not all seem to have fully realised that limiting arms to Ukraine is doing nothing but dragging the war out, leading to thousands more deaths and driving up the economic cost of rebuilding the country. Germany, however, is not alone in this and, despite the examples above, often unfairly bears the brunt of criticism in this regard. The United States spent months maintaining that its M1 Abrams tanks are not suitable for the Ukrainian battlefield, with one official at the Defence Department telling reporters in January that the vehicles are very complicated, expensive, [and] hard to train on and are not helpful to Ukraine in the long run. Less than a week later, the United States had changed its position: the tanks were useful after all. The Abrams tanks are tentatively scheduled to arrive in Ukraine next month, long after the recent spring counteroffensive started and when they could have played a decisive role. As Ben Hodges, the former commanding general of all US Army forces in Europe noted, the amount of time it took to get to this decision, and the way it is going to be implemented, does not convey a sense of urgency by the Administration or the Pentagon to help Ukraine win. See also the debate around the supply of F-16 jets. Earlier this year President Biden ruled out allowing F-16s to be supplied. Yet in recent days, after another shift in policy from Washington, Denmark, The Netherlands and Norway committed to supplying well over 100 F-16s after getting the green light from the Biden administration - who also signed up to providing US training for Ukrainian pilots alongside NATO allies. The UK MoD has, to its credit, been something of an outlier here. It was the first state to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine and the first to supply Ukraine with Challenger 2s, the main modern western battle tank. After the United States, the UK is the largest provider of military support to Ukraine something that we can be proud of, even if its response to Ukrainian refugees was wanting. This, I believe, is in no small part due to the strong cross-party support for Ukraine and for the defenders fighting for our freedom something that I hope will endure for as long as this terrible war continues. But the war will drag on until Ukraine has been given the equipment it needs to defeat Russia on the battlefield something that Western observers and politicians who complain about the pace of the counter-offensive would do well to note. In a recent press conference on the prospect of sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, Germanys Green Party Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock urged her colleagues in government to come to a speedy decision, reminding them that every day matters. As the Ukrainian defenders continue their counter-offensive, governments across the West would should heed her words. HA NOI The Ministry of Industry and Trade proposed 11 State-owned enterprises (SOEs) in which the ministry represented the State ownership to be handed over to the Commission for the Management of State Capital at Enterprises (CMSC) and the State Capital Investment Corporation (SCIC) at the same time and in their status quo in 2022-25. The proposal was raised in the ministrys recent report to the Government about the supervision on the conversion of State-wholly-owned enterprises into joint stock companies. The ministry wanted to handover all 11 SOEs at the same time and in their status quo to avoid the situation that only efficient SOEs were received while inefficient ones were rejected, the ministry said. The 11 SOEs included Viet Nam Motors and Agricultural Machinery Corporation (VEAM), Hanoi Beer Alcohol And Beverage Joint Stock Corporation (Habeco), Viet Nam Paper Corporation (Vinapaco), Machines and Industrial Equipment Corporation (MIE), Viet Nam Industrial Construction Corporation (Vinaincon), General Construction and Export Import Joint Stock Company, Viet Nam Agricultural Products Joint Stock Company, Investment, Construction and Building Materials Joint Stock Company, BMCC Commercial Construction and Building Materials One Member Limited Liability Company, Viet Nam Textile Research Institute Joint Stock Company, and Industrial Machinery and Instruments Holding. The ministrys report showed that among 11 above SOEs, many had huge revenues and profits, reaching up to trillions of Vietnamese ong per year. Specifically, VEAM which had a charter capital of VN13.288 trillion (US$563 million) and a State stake of 88.47 per cent reported a profit of more than VN6.1 trillion in the second quarter of this year, up 33.3 per cent against the same period and an after-tax profit of VN6.071 trillion, up 33.2 per cent. VEAM was considered a golden goose which reported an after-tax profit of more than VN56 trillion in 2022, 25 per cent higher than the plan. Habeco reported an after-tax profit of VN184.6 billion in the first half of this year. However, some companies were not very efficient, the ministry said. For example, Vinapaco earned a revenue of more than VN2.7 trillion but the after-tax profit was modest, just VN10.33 billion, in 2022. Vinaincon reported a revenue of VN254.9 billion, only 64 per cent of the plan in 2022, while the profit was just VN14.7 billion and the liabilities up to VN181.2 billion. MIE earned a very modest profit of just VN105 million in 2022. Currently 19 corporations were under the management of CMSC, including SCIC, Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group, Viet Nam Electricity, Viet Nam National Petroleum Group. VNS JAKARTA The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has officially joined the Regional Payment Connectivity (RPC) initiative. The recent development is an expansion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Regional Payment Connectivity (MOU RPC) initiated by the central banks of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit on 14 November 2022 in Bali. On the sidelines of the 10th ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting (AFMGM) on Friday in Jakarta, Viet Nam's central bank signed the Supplemental Pages of the MOU RPC. The RPC initiative was established to strengthen and enhance collaboration on payment connectivity through the development of faster, cheaper, more transparent, and more inclusive cross-border payments. According to the MoU, member central banks agreed to promote cross-border payment connectivity based on the application of such payment methods as QR Code, instant payment, and other payment models, as well as cooperation in monitoring and building a sound risk management mechanism in line with the legal framework of member countries. Mechanisms for implementing MoU include dialogue, monitoring, evaluation, and information exchanges. Within the framework of the Working Group on the ASEAN Payments System (WC-PSS), the members highly appreciated this initiative of the five ASEAN central banks (ASEAN5) and encouraged the participation of ASEAN members. Appreciating the potential benefits and opportunities from the initiative, the SBV coordinated with ASEAN5 central banks to complete the procedures to officially become the 6th member of the MoU, which demonstrates its commitment to cooperation and integration in the payment field, in line with the orientation of the Vietnamese Government and central bank as well as the current trend of promoting cross-border payments. VNS HCM CITY Vendors at many traditional markets in HCM City, in a bid to attract customers, have been offering discounts, selling online and accepting cashless payment. Recently more than 100 of them at Nguyen Tri Phuong Market in District 10, including those selling fresh foods, cosmetics, footwear, and clothes, participated in the first phase (ending July 15) of the citys 2023 "Shopping Season" promotion programme by offering discounts of 5-20 per cent, even 50 per cent, on many products and saw sales skyrocket. "The number of visitors to the market increased by 30 per cent compared to before the programme and by 70-80 per cent compared to just after COVID-19, am Van, deputy head of the markets management, said. Vegetable, meat and fish stalls offering promotions were always sold out, and traders were very happy." Tran Thi Anh Thu, a trader, said after COVID demand was very weak, especially for non-essential goods, as people tightening their purse strings amid a difficult economic situation. The promotions saw the number of customers at her shop go up by 50 per cent from normal times, she said. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, owner of a stall selling dried seafood, said: Thanks to the programme, I have got more new customers. Crowds have brought a lot of vitality to the market. Van said the market management and traders organise promotions on occasions such as International Women's Day (March 8), Vietnamese Family Day (June 28) and National Day (September 2). Going forward, the market management plans to organise quarterly promotions and encourage small traders to participate in them to bring more customers. The market also plans to upgrade toilets and other facilities to become cleaner and cooler to attract more customers. Similarly, traders at markets like Ben Thanh (District 1), Xom Chieu (District 4), Binh Thoi (District 11), and Ba Chieu (Binh Thanh District) have offered promotions and given gifts to attract customers. To add convenience, they accepted payments via QR codes and POS machines and sold their products via Facebook and Zalo, making home deliveries. Trang, a vegetable seller at a Kao Market in District 1, said: I sell both directly at the market and online, and the prices are the same. I also co-operate with many other small traders to sell other products, which makes it convenient for customers and saves delivery costs. Thanks to this, she regularly sells out within a day, she said. Nguyen Thanh Chau, head of the Thai Binh Market management board, said most shops have wifi and connect online with customers and deliver goods to their homes. Goods prices are listed clearly, which is also an important factor in retaining customers." Reform to survive According to experts, traditional markets are not only a place to buy and sell fresh goods, but also an inherent part of local culture. But nowadays, most customers at these markets are older people, and young people rarely buy there for fear of being overcharged and their less modern appearance, they said. The rise in online shopping has also hit traditional markets, they said. The managements of many traditional markets in the city said traders are struggling with poor sales and many have opted to close down. This requires merchants to embrace new consumer trends to survive, the experts said, while traditional markets need to upgrade themselves to offer more comfort and convenience to shoppers. Economist Dr Huynh Thanh ien said traditional markets with historical and cultural significance such as Ben Thanh and Binh Tay need to be preserved to serve as tourist icons. But others need to be converted into mini supermarkets with their merchants trained to sell goods online, he said. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, deputy director of the city Department of Industry and Trade, said there are 232 traditional markets, all established long ago along with residential quarters. But most have deteriorated and lack public facilities, wastewater treatment systems, sufficient storage space, and standard business areas, he said. The department has recommended that the city People's Council consider supportive mechanisms and funding to renovate and upgrade them, he said. Chau of Thai Binh Market said: Sales at the market remain sluggish, and so the management has called on authorities to support small traders with fee and tax breaks. "It is trying to improve the markets looks and rearrange stalls to make them more eye-catching, VNS HCM CITY - The number of international visitors looking for accommodation in Viet Nam for long holidays in the last months of the year is forecast to increase significantly thanks to the new visa policy. Starting from August 15, electronic visas (e-visa) will be extended from 30 to 90 days. Additionally, citizens of countries unilaterally exempted by Viet Nam from visa requirements will see their temporary residence permits increase from 15 to 45 days, and their visa applications and temporary residence extensions will be considered as per regulations. With these more open visa policies, opportunities to stimulate tourist spending and keep visitors for longer stays are expanding, and the creation of continuous tours through countries is being revitalised. oan Thi Thanh Tra, director of marketing and communication at Saigontourist Travel, said that as soon as the new policy was announced two months ago, their company worked with partners to adjust and update products accordingly. After the pandemic, foreign markets were requiring Viet Nams tourism industry to refresh its products, and products for the international market needed to be redesigned. However, businesses could make use of longer guest stays to develop tour programmes based on the criteria and regulations of the expanded lenient visa policy. "Besides casual tourists, various business groups that frequently enter and exit Viet Nam have the tendency to book necessary services in advance. When working with these partners, travel products are always designed based on visa conditions. Visa-free countries will receive different offers compared to those with visa requirements, Tra said. She added that longer-duration tours, connecting with Laos and Cambodia, had become much easier to implement. Some other tourism agencies hope the new visa policy will positively impact and potentially increase the number of international tourists coming to Viet Nam by 5 to 25 per cent each year. "Previously, creating consecutive tours involving three countries was quite a struggle. If foreign tourists wanted to travel to neighbouring countries, they had to apply for visas again. Many of them eventually decided to leave Viet Nam even though they wanted to stay longer," a representative of a travel firm said. European tourists coming to Viet Nam often have to take long round-trip flights with expensive airfare, leading them to plan for more extended vacations compared to tourists from nearby regions, according to the representative. When Viet Nams visa policy was less open, these trips had to be shortened. It is crucial to note that this is a group of high-spending tourists who wish to spend more time in Viet Nam. Nguyen Ngoc Toan, CEO of Images Travel & Events, also anticipates an increase in the number of tourists but believes this increase will come from individual travellers, while group travellers through travel agencies might need more time to adjust. Pulling visitors back again and again Jurgen Dorr, CEO of Vinpearl Holdings, believes that the next step after the new visa policy is direct flights. "Visas are just the beginning. Convenient flight routes can bring tourists to destinations," he said. During the last months of the year, travel businesses need to develop quality products that emphasise experiential factors and offer flexible services to tourists, such as flexible departure times and itineraries, according to the expert. That being said, a larger number of tourists means that relevant authorities need to ensure stable pricings across all localities. International tourists appreciate experiences linked to the daily lives of local people, street food, and local eateries, but they need to be effectively managed to avoid issues like price gouging, improper pricing, hygiene concerns, and environmental issues. According to Nguyen Ngoc Hoai Nguyen, CEO of BenThanh Tourist, after the pandemic, domestic travel companies are facing a reality of fewer service options, leading to higher product prices and reduced competitiveness compared to other countries in the region. "Nowadays, customers demand information about what activities to do, what to eat, and the quality of service. It will be challenging for local companies if they do not stay updated, Nguyen said. Toan added that while the visa policy had become more lenient, how it would be implemented was also a concern for businesses. In practice, occasionally tour groups still encountered challenging situations with e-visa procedures. For instance, a guest in a group was once left behind during the immigration process in Viet Nam due to a minor misspelling in their name. And the company had to transport the guest to Laos to wait for a new visa. "We have a lenient policy, but there needs to be a flexible process and guest-oriented attitude as well," Toan suggested. VNS By Tran Khanh An HA NOI She was one of the Viet Nams most historic female icons. A woman who was not only the countrys first-ever female army general but would also become Vice President of Viet Nam State Council. Now a special portrait of Madame Nguyen Thi inh (1920 - 1992) is taking pride of place on the walls of Viet Nam Women's Museum, handed over on the 31st anniversary of her death. The work of art was carefully created by Le Van Nghia from ong Thap Province who used lotus leaves as the canvas to create the piece in three months. The painting belongs to Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, the president of Viet Nam Ao Dai Heritage Club, who owns the largest collection of lotus-leaf art. Tam hopes her donation to the museum will help diversify the artefacts about Madame inh and educate the young generation about the history and tradition of Vietnamese women. "When I received the painting of Madame inh from artist Nghia, I was extremely emotional, especially when the painting shows the appeal of a female general, strong and very kind," Tam said. Tam shared that she had the opportunity to meet the general in 1984 when her brother worked as a driver for Madame inh. The female general left many impressions on her. The handover event was organised by Viet Nam Women's Museum in conjunction with the Women's Club of Cultural Heritage and the Viet Nam Ao Dai Heritage Club. Not only does it coincide with the anniversary of Madame inhs death, but the ceremony also took place on the 78th anniversary of the August 1945 Revolutionary (August 19), and Viet Nams Independence Day (September 2). The event was attended by former Vice President of Viet Nam, Truong My Hoa, who said the late general was a great inspiration in her own political career. "Thanks to the guidance of Aunt Ba inh, I learned and gained more motivation to contribute to the leadership position of the nation, Hoa said. Aunt Ba inh once said to me that there were tasks that only women could do." ang Thi To Ngan, former director of Viet Nam Women's Museum, shared her gratitude to Madame inh and her significant contribution to the foundation of Viet Nam Women's Museum. "General inh was not only strong and decisive but also thoughtful and kind," Ngan said. VNS Madame Nguyen Thi inh - a female iconNguyen Thi inh was born into a peasant family in Ben Tre Province, and she joined the Viet Minh forces against France when she was 16. Her reputation was associated with the ong Khoi Revolution as the leader of the Long-haired Army - a nickname given to female soldiers due to them having longer hair than the men.During the war, she became a founding member of the National Liberation Front and the first female general of Viet Nam People's Army.After Viet Nam's reunification, General inh continued to hold important positions such as Vice President of Viet Nam State Council and the President of Viet Nam Women's Union. She passed away in 1992 in HCM City while still in office.For her tireless dedication, in 1995, General inh was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the People's Armed Forces. SINGAPORE Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loongs official visit to Viet Nam from August 27-29 will help consolidate and deepen the two countries strategic partnership for peace and stability in the region and the world, Vietnamese Ambassador to Singapore Mai Phuoc Dung has said. This will be Lees fifth visit to Viet Nam in his position as the Prime Minister of Singapore, showing the closeness and cohesion between the two nations. It is among a wide range of activities in celebration of the 50th founding anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership. Lee is expected to attend many important activities and events. Dung said he believes that based on the fine cooperation results, during the Singaporean leaders trip, the two countries will continue concretising and implementing agreements reached in Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's Singapore visit in February. The two countries are expected to sign an agreement on carbon credit. If inked, this will be the first of its kind Singapore has reached with any country in the world, as it wishes the deal will be a model for cooperation between ASEAN countries, the diplomat stated. Viet Nam will extend the signing of the framework agreement on connecting the two economies, which will be expanded to new areas such as green economy, digital economy and innovation. Regarding human resources development, the two sides can promote cooperation in education and training, and in training skilled human resources and senior managers of the State and State-owned enterprises. They will also increase high-level working meetings to accelerate the implementation of existing cooperation programmes, he said, adding that from eight to 10 very important documents in many fields will be signed during this visit. Associate Professor Vu Minh Khuong from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy under National University of Singapore, also believes the visit carries a significant meaning in the Viet Nam-Singapore ties, both at present and in the future. Khuong said that PM Lees visit has a strategic importance in the context where the world is experiencing many changes and the two countries are facing great challenges. Singapore sees Viet Nam as a particularly important partner with a population of 100 million and a strategic location which is maintaining a growth trend and will become a large economy in the future, he said. The scholar underlined that the two countries share strategic trust and similar viewpoints in many areas as both economies are greatly dependent on the world economy and the two countries are supporters of peace and stability. The expert asserted that Viet Nam will be a special strategic partner of Singapore in the coming time. Khuong said that the all-round cooperation between Viet Nam and Singapore has been bustling, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, adding the two governments are making specific preparations to lay a foundation for the future. Viet Nam has shown a strong performance in attracting investment from Singapore, while the exchange between the two countries has been deepened and become comprehensive, the expert said. He stressed the need for Viet Nam to promote offshore power, underlining that the two sides should become the motivation for the formation of a power network in Southeast Asia. Noting that Singapore has signed agreements with some countries on strengthening cooperation in digital economy, the scholar said he hopes Viet Nam will join this cooperation group at an early date. VNS 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 When NASA launched its historical Voyager 1 spacecraft, the Space Union included gold vinyl. Now, experts claim that these music disks could outlive humans. Here's why. Voyager 1's Gold Vinyl for Aliens Could Outlive Humans According to The Guardian's latest report, the Voyager 1 took a photo of Earth in 1990 from a distance of four billion miles. This image of the planet is called the "Pale Blue Dot." Carl Sagan, a popular American astronomer, described the image as "a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam." After this, the Voyager 1 glided through space and out of the solar system. As of writing, the NASA spacecraft is still gliding through space; The Sky Live estimated that the Voyager 1 is currently in the constellation of Ophiuchus. While the Voyager 1 is gliding through space, it also carries the gold-plated vinyl LPs, which contain recordings of Bach, Chuck Berry, and Beethoven. Aside from these, they also contain greetings of humans in 55 languages. Experts said that these gold music disks could outlive humanity, serving as silent ambassadors. Read Also: India's Chandrayaan-3 Spacecraft Captures Stunning Images of Luna Surface Ahead of Historic Moon Landing About NASA's Gold Vinyl Carl Sagan and Frank Drake, an American astrophysicist, created the two gold-anodized aluminum plaques, which are affixed to NASA's music disks called Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11. Via its official Jet Propulsion Laboratory website, NASA explained that the two gold vinyls were created in hopes of communicating Earth's story to extraterrestrials. "The Voyager message is carried by a phonograph record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth," said NASA. The aerospace agency said that it would take around forty thousand years before the vinyl records could make a close approach to another planetary system. Carl Sagan said that if ever the Voyager 1 encounters other spacefaring civilizations in interstellar space, these beings need to be advanced enough to play the gold music disks. "But the launching of this bottle into the cosmic ocean says something very hopeful about life on this planet," he added. As of writing, it is still unclear if these gold vinyls will be able to send the Earth's message to other-worldly lifeforms (or if there are even other beings in outer space). If you want to learn more details about NASA's historical gold-plated music disks, you can click this link. Related Article: Space Update: Moscow's Moonshot Failed, NASA's Lunar Trailblazer Prepares Lunar Trailblazer To Find Water On The Moon @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HA NOI Viet Nam and Canada have witnessed quantum leaps in bilateral ties over the past five decades, Canadian Ambassador to Viet Nam Shawn Perry Steil told local media on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties (1973-2023). Apart from the establishment of the diplomatic relations in 1973, the opening of the Canadian and Vietnamese embassies in respective countries and the formation of the comprehensive partnership on the occasion of the official visit to Viet Nam by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2017 are major milestones in the relationship, which challenge both countries to boost their cooperation even further, according to the ambassador. Steil said that the early days of cooperation focused on development assistance, mainly poverty reduction. Since Viet Nams economy started to grow, Canada has provided support to its small and women-led businesses. Such efforts paid off as Viet Nam has become Canadas largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said, emphasising the thriving partnership and extremely gratifying trade between the two countries. The ambassador also mentioned the establishment of the Canada-Viet Nam Joint Economic Committee (JEC) on January 10, 2022, a mechanism that provides an opportunity to discuss current and emerging trade issues. Since the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to which both Viet Nam and Canada are signatories, came into force in 2018, Viet Nams exports to Canada have grown rapidly, he said, adding that Vietnamese products like seafood, fruits, furniture, shoes, clothing and electronics are finding an enormous market in Canada. The diplomat called people-to-people exchange the foundation of the bilateral relationship, which has helped facilitate trade and education cooperation between the two countries. Given that Viet Nam is working hard to raise living standards for everyone, Canada is also working with the Vietnamese Government and community-based organisations to ensure that all people fully benefit from the rapid economic growth and that social inclusion forms part of the Southeast Asian nations development, he continued. Notably, Canada has supported Viet Nam in clean transition and environmental protection, providing the country with technical assistance and policy consultation to reduce plastic waste. Canada is a member of the Just Energy Transition Partnership and through that partnership, it is elevating assistance to support Viet Nam in not only increasing renewable energy production, but also looking at increasing the capacity to store energy, which is important for renewables, and to improve transmission, he said. We're particularly excited about supporting carbon pricing in Viet Nam. The Vietnamese Government has a plan to pilot carbon pricing by 2025 and have a national carbon market by 2028. Canada is one of Viet Nams closest partners in supporting options to pursue this goal, the diplomat added. I believe that the next quantum leap for Viet Nam and Canada will be a partnership for the benefit of the world. How can we carry forward this strong partnership and understanding that we've developed to contribute to the rules-based international order and respect for international law? How can we work together to foster more peace and stability in ASEAN and Indo Pacific and beyond? Lauding Viet Nams increasing role in the region and the world at large partially thanks to its bustling economic growth, as well as its remarkable international integration, the ambassador noted that Viet Nam has been a critical partner and supporter to help Canada achieve a strategic partnership with ASEAN. The Government and the people have increasing confidence in playing a role on the world stage, he said. ASEAN is a recently important organisation, a great example of consensus building, multilateralism and Vietnamese diplomacy with a great history of fine diplomats is playing a really critical role, bringing consensus for that group. So we looked to Viet Nam playing an increasing role, the diplomat noted. Going broader, I think Viet Nam can play a leadership role even beyond that. And with a partner like Canada, there's no limit to that, he stated. Indo-Pacific Strategy With questions regarding the role of Viet Nam in Canada Indo-Pacific Strategy, Steil noted that there are three major players to Canada in ASEAN which are Viet Nam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, given the huge amount of Canadas investment in these countries, along with strong political relations and trade ties. The Canadian diplomat described the priorities in the strategy with five P words. The first is Partnership Canada is committed to being here more strongly and Canada needs more partners, he said. A strategic partnership with ASEAN is important to that and Viet Nam has been a critical partner and supporter of achieving that strategic partnership. The second is Peace, as part of peace, stability, and security, We believe that a strong ASEAN is fundamental to securing a peaceful South China Sea or the East Sea and Viet Nams role in securing a rules-based approach to settlement of disputes in this region is also fundamentally important, the Canadian diplomat said. Canada has long been invested in international law and we have a strong partnership with Viet Nam to share experience on how to best leverage international law to protect the peace and settle disputes, Steil noted. The third is Prosperity, finding ways to which trade and investment between countries could contribute to prosperity for everyone, not just big corporations, he noted. The third is People, people-to-people exchanges, education, culture or academic exchanges, these are critical to supporting awareness and increasing opportunities between the two countries. The fifth is Planet, the climate change and environmental concerns don't know of any borders, he noted. Viet Nam is particularly vulnerable, but it's also part of the solution worldwide by transitioning to clean energy. At this point of rapid economic growth. We believe it's a perfect opportunity, though it's never easy to invest more in global energy and catalysts that support that transition, the ambassador concluded. VNS HA NOI Former Ha Noi Peoples Committee Chairman Nguyen uc Chung and 14 other defendants on Friday go on trial for price gouging of public trees in the capital city. The Supreme People's Procuracy is prosecuting Chung for abusing positions and powers while performing official duties according to Article 356, Clause 1 of the Penal Code. According to court documents, before 2016, the planting and replacement of trees in the capital city was carried out through bidding. In December 2015, Chung, then appointed as the city Peoples Committee Chairman, directly managed the task and suspended all bidding then switched to quarterly orders of trees. He also directed the Department of Construction director to order the plants directly from Sinh Thai Xanh Company, whose director was Bui Van Man. Under Chungs management, from 2016 to 2019, the tree planting process in Ha Noi met the requirements for bidding, but the Division of Maintenance and Repair for Urban Technical Structures (under the citys construction department) assigned Hanoi Green Trees Park Ltd Co (under Ha Noi Peoples Committee) and Sinh Thai Xanh Company to plant the trees, then created estimates and appraisal after. Having 10 contracts signed with the maintenance and repair department, Hanoi Green Trees Park Ltd Co worked with traders to illegally increase the tree prices in quotations and appraisals. Six similar contracts were also signed with Sinh Thai Xanh Company. These 16 contracts caused VN34 billion (US$1.4 million) in damage to the State budget. Court documents said these companies illegally benefit from significant sums of money through close relations with Chung. The Supreme People's Procuracy said that Chungs actions violated the operation protocol of State agencies and negatively affected the publics trust. Chung abused his position and power as the leader of Ha Noi to direct his subordinates to place orders illegally, violating the bidding law to benefit those who have close connections with him, the procuracy said. This is the fourth case that the former Ha Noi Peoples Committee chairman has to stand trial. He is currently serving 12 years in prison for three other cases of illegally obtaining confidential documents related to Nhat Cuong Company, violations in the procurement of Redoxy-3C substance and wrongful intervention in the bidding process at Ha Noi Department of Planning and Investment. Eight defendants in the cases are being prosecuted for offences against regulations on the management and use of State-owned property that lead to losses or wastefulness according to Article 219, Clause 3 of the Penal Code. They are Hanoi Green Trees Park Ltd Cos former chairman Vu Kien Trung, former director Nguyen Xuan Hanh, former head accountant Bui Phuong Thao, former director of the sub-company for tree and plant production o Quang Tien; Sinh Thai Xanh Companys former director Bui Van Man; division of maintenance and repair for urban technical structures deputy head of finance-banking office o Khac Tu Anh; and Vietnam Valuation and Finance Consultancy JSCs former price appraiser Nguyen Thi Ngoc Lam. Other defendants stand trial for smuggling, offences against regulations on the management and use of State-owned property that lead to losses or wastefulness, printing, issuing, dealing in illegal invoices and receipts for payment of State revenues, and negligence that results in serious consequences according to the Penal Code. The trial is expected to last for five days. VNS HA NOI Minister of Natural Resources and Environment ang Quoc Khanh held a working session with Japanese Minister of Environment Nishimura Akihiro in Ha Noi on Friday regarding cooperation in environment protection and climate change response. Khanh told his Japanese counterpart that Viet Nam is always at the forefront of climate change response, evidenced by the Prime Ministers commitments to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Viet Nam has been actively partnering with other developed nations to implement the Political Declaration on establishing the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), he said. He called for cooperation in monitoring the quantity of waste discharged into the sea, and adopting measures to sort, collect, and process plastic waste while helping fishermen switch to the use of eco-friendly tools. As Viet Nam is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change, notably landslides in the northern mountainous region, geological fluctuations in the Central Highlands, and river and coastal erosions in the Mekong Delta, Khanh suggested Japan continue helping Viet Nam build a carbon credit market and improve disaster forecasting and warning. Akihiro, for his part, affirmed that Japan always accompanies Viet Nam in environment protection and climate change response for sustainable development. He proposed collaborating with Viet Nam to survey and monitor ocean plastic waste, toward creating a handbook to improve the monitoring and surveying capacity. He also suggested inviting Vietnamese experts to Japan for training on this technology. On the occasion, the two ministers signed a Letter of Intent on cooperation in marine waste management. Under which, both sides will launch pilot projects and studies on marine waste in Viet Nam, hold training sessions and workshops to enhance the capacity of Vietnamese members in managing marine waste, including monitoring and treatment. The two countries will share knowledge and experience to develop handbooks and guides in the field. They also agreed to boost mutual liaison at multilateral forums on plastic waste issues; share data on marine waste monitoring, including publicly disclosed plastic waste collection data; as well as work together in other areas of mutual interest. VNS HA NOI Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Friday visited and planted a tree at the Huu Nghi (Friendship) International Border Gate as part of his working trip to the northern mountainous province of Lang Son. Minister of Public Security Gen. To Lam, Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chinese Ambassador to Viet Nam Xiong Bo, among others, were also present at the event. Talking to the Chinese ambassador and representatives of competent forces at the border gate, the Party leader stressed that the name says it all, the Huu Nghi International Border Gate demonstrates the time-honoured friendship between the Vietnamese and Chinese people. Viet Nam always attaches importance and gives the top priority to building and developing its good relations with the Chinese Party, State and people, he said. Trong lauded efforts by local authorities and competent forces at the border gate in coordinating with China to promote the friendship and cooperation between localities of the two neighbouring countries, including the management and building of a common borderline of peace, cooperation and development. He asked Lang Son Province and the border gate's authorities to carry forward the achievements and make more contributions to enhancing cooperation between Viet Nam and China in the time ahead. The border gates personnel should maintain their fruitful cooperation with competent forces of Chinese localities to contribute to building the shared borderline of peace, friendship, stability, cooperation and development, the Party chief stressed. Located on National Highway 1A, the Huu Nghi International Border Gate, which is 17km from Lang Son City and 171km from Ha Noi, witnessed entry and exist activities between Viet Nam and China. It also plays an important role in terms of external affairs, and national defence and security. Earlier, the Party leader visited and presented gifts to two families of revolution contributors in Lang Son City. VNS HA NOI Two babysitters have been jailed for the murder of a 17-month-old boy they were supposed to be caring for. On Friday, Nguyen Thi An, 30, was jailed for life and 31-year-old Nguyen Thi Lanh was sent to prison for 20 years by Ha Noi Peoples Court following the death of the baby in Thuong Tin District. According to judges, An and Lanh's behaviour of assaulting, beating and abusing the child caused extremely serious consequences. The defendants, who do not have professional teaching qualifications, opened an illegal childcare facility. Despite being ordered by the local authorities to stop operating, the two continued to work and look after children. An and Lanh, both living in Phu Minh Town, Phu Xuyen District, Ha Noi, started to run a kindergarten at the end of 2022 in Van iem Commune, Thuong Tin District. The two have admitted assaulting, beating and abusing the child, born in September 2021 since he arrived at the kindergarten in mid-February 2023. According to the indictment, on the morning of February 23, 2023, seeing the boy crying, babysitter Lanh threw him to the foam mattress on the floor, making his head hit by the mattress. An kept using her legs to hit, and crash the boys belly, chest and ears. After the boys mother discovered bruises on his ears and asked the teachers for a reason in the afternoon, they said the boy fell into the toy basket while playing in class. The boy vomited at night after returning from school but the mother continued to send him to class over the next few days. As the boy cried non-stop in class, babysitter An continued to throw him to the floor and kick his belly on the morning of February 26. The boy then was unconscious, vomited and used his fingers to scratch his face. The babysitters asked the boy to drink water but he refused. They poured the water on his face and used their hands to slap the baby's face so that he could wake up. Finding that he was not awake, they called the mother. He was rushed to the healthcare facility and died at 4.15pm on March 2 of irreversible respiratory failure due to severe traumatic brain injury. The two babysitters paid compensation of VN500 million to the victims family. VNS Due to significant foreign investment, strong assets, and performance, Viettel has a brand worth close to $9 billion and has been the most valuable Vietnamese brand for eight years. On August 15, Brand Finance announced the Top 100 most valuable brands in Vietnam. With a nearly 9 billion USD price, Viettel Group continues to become the most valuable brand in Vietnam and the most valuable telecommunications brand in Southeast Asia. Alex Haigh - Managing Director of Brand Finance Asia-Pacific, said that the unit considers three pillars to determine a brand's strength: investment - assets - and performance. Brand investment represents all the tools a company has at its disposal to affect brand value. Due to its successful entry into the worldwide market, Viettel is currently considered by Brand Finance specialists to be the most valuable brand in Vietnam. According to Alex Haigh, Viettel has established branches in many countries. This demonstrates the Group's capacity to harness its experience, adapt to various markets, and generate value on a worldwide scale. Alex Haigh states, "The unit's success abroad has strengthened Vietnam's position in the international arena and opened the door for other businesses to explore and prosper in various potential new markets." Alex Haigh commented on Viettel's brand value during the list announcement event. Photo: Viettel After nearly 20 years of foreign investment, Viettel is currently in the top 20 of the world's leading enterprises in telecommunications investment. The unit launched an overseas investment strategy early to expand the market and create new development space to achieve this result. The Group develops business in 10 overseas markets, spanning three continents (Asia, Africa, and America). In which there are 7 foreign markets, Viettel ranked first and second in mobile market share. The second aspect mentioned is brand equity - a measure of brand awareness among different groups and stakeholders. It is positive that brands are considering ESG sustainable development factors. Immediately after entering the market, the Viettel unit has a sense of adding value to the neighborhood. Also read: Viettels revenue reaches $11.5 billion Alex Haigh also pointed out that the company's involvement in digital transformation and investment in cutting-edge technologies, such as 5G, demonstrates a forward-thinking approach. This technological power creates new opportunities for growth and innovation in Southeast Asia and globally. "Viettel's strengths in research and innovation attributes and quality further confirm its commitment to always be at the forefront of innovation," the analyst said. The third important factor is brand performance. Brand Finance will evaluate quantitative market and financial measures to evaluate success in achieving superior price and quantity. In these indicators, the diversification of operating fields has contributed to outstanding results when Brand Finance assesses the brand. Mr. Alex Haigh said: "Viettel's success has gone beyond telecommunications. The unit has diversified its business lines into digital services, information technology, network security and the defense industry. ". This diversification allows the entity to enter different sectors and markets, minimizing risks and opening new revenue streams. The Group plays a pioneering and key role in the national digital transformation strategy in telecommunications - information technology and high-tech defense industry. The representative of Viettel Group received the award. Photo: Viettel In 2022, the Group's revenue increased by 6.1%. The digital solutions and services field showed a breakthrough; revenue increased by 58%. Viettel accompanies, consults and implements 19 digital transformation projects for more than 20 units under ministries and sectors, nearly 40 Smart City Monitoring and Operation Center (IOC) projects implemented in many provinces and cities nationwide. In defense and security, the Group has researched and produced over 50 products belonging to 10 weapons and high-tech equipment branches to supply the army and master the entire 5G network system from radio base stations, transmission equipment and core network. The unit has deployed a full range of products in the 5G ecosystem. Read more: Viettel tops list of largest corporate tax payers for five consecutive years Viettel named best mobile service provider in Vietnam From the above three factors, the CEO of Brand Finance Asia-Pacific affirmed that "Viettel has a solid foundation for further development in Southeast Asia and globally". According to experts, the brand is a telecommunications giant moving into technology, innovation and international expansion; it is well-positioned to capture market opportunities, taking advantage of the growing demand for advanced telecommunications technologies and services. The business has absolutely the potential to continue to thrive in the telecommunications industry and continue to grow on a global scale. McLennan County Administrator Dustin Chapman will see an almost 44% pay increase beginning Oct. 1, having become a go-to source of specifics and legal guidance when county commissioners need answers. It was clear that given his level of experience and expertise, he was grossly underpaid, said Commissioner Patricia Miller, who joined colleagues in giving Chapman and County Judge Scott Felton pay hikes well above the 3.5% cost of living adjustment most of the countys other 1,100 staffers will see. Chapmans salary would move from $127,850 to $184,061, while Felton will get $188,491 including supplements, up from $170,857. Commissioner Jim Smith said commissioners felt Felton should retain the highest salary as the countys chief administrator who is publicly elected. Felton will see a pay increase of about 10% in the new budget, which commissions will vote on Tuesday, along with the proposed tax rate of 32.9 cents per $100 valuation, a rate reduction of about 4.7 cents. After initially saying he would not feel comfortable commenting on his pay boost, Chapman said in an email message: I appreciate the unanimous support from the Commissioners Court and look forward to continuing to work hard to serve the Court and the County. The pay increase for Felton appears to put him in the upper-middle of the pack among county judges statewide, according to figures compiled and published by the Texas Association of Counties. Salaries range from $198,476 in Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth; and $190,861 in Harris County, which includes Houston; to $68,503 in Gregg County in East Texas and $70,546 in Taylor County, which includes Abilene. Interestingly, the judge in Gregg County receives $51,413 in salary supplements. The Comal County judge makes $92,838 in salary, $31,823 in salary supplements, a $2,000 travel allowance, and a $6,000 car allowance. The judge in Denton County makes $158,636 annually, plus a $1,500 supplement and $12,420 in travel and car allowances. If anyone walked in the judges footsteps, seeing how many hours he spends every day, and I would say every night, performing his duties he is a valuable asset that represents the county well, Smith said. Commissioner Miller said there are differences in city and county government, but she likened Chapmans responsibilities to those of a city manager. She said his $127,850 salary was substantially lower than salaries received by city managers, deputy city managers and assistant city managers locally. We have been able to make this adjustment to Mr. Chapmans salary while adopting a preliminary no new revenue tax rate, Miller said. She said she believes in rewarding employees proficient in their work while maintaining fiscal responsibility. I am pleased we were able to do both, Miller said. She also noted commissioners since 2016 have cut the tax rate by 20 cents, or 37.2%. I think to my knowledge, though I cant speak for the entire court, his duties have increased dramatically the past few years, but I dont think he has seen any pay change except a cost of living allowance, Smith said of Chapman. Chapman is a licensed attorney, so commissioners and county department heads are able to bend his ear without going to outside counsel when the clock is running and dollars are adding up, Smith said. He said he has heard no grumbling from other county employees since the proposed pay increases for Chapman and Felton have become public. Ana Picazo, the countys human resources director, said her office uses several sources to analyze county wages and job descriptions, including eight Texas counties with a similar workforce and population size. She said it was determined Chapmans pay was below market, and he needed a classification correction. She said findings show the city of Wacos assistant city managers make $155,455 to $248,324 annually. We want him to work for us, Felton said of Chapman. I supported giving him an increase, Felton said. We recognized his duties are much broader than his job grade. He has the energy and command of management processes to get through the maze we deal with. By Nigel Hitchman & James Kightly Queensland, Australia-based two-seat Mustang VH-MFT is heading to Archerfield airport this weekend (26-7 August 2023) to be dismantled for shipping to the UK, where it will be re-assembled and repainted in a new scheme before joining the Air Leasing / Ultimate Warbirds pleasure flying fleet. Platinum Fighter Sales brokered the transaction. This Mustang identity was originally built in Melbourne, Australia under license by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) as CA-18 Mk.21, construction number 1435, with the serial A68-110. Delivered in 1948, it spent most of its RAAF life in store, before being sold for scrap in 1957. Decades later, the identity reappeared for a composite restoration project via Fort Lauderdale Florida, according to Geoff Goodalls research, and was shipped to Australia, arriving at Caboolture, Queensland in May 1995. In 1997 it was registered as VH-MFT and restored to airworthy, the first flight being on 24 January 2002 from its home base at Caboolture, configured with full dual controls for the passenger seat. Operating for the following two decades as a joy-flying machine, it was sold in 2020, and recently sold again. The colors it has worn since restoration are of a more active veteran Dallas, Texas, North American Aviation built P-51D-25-NT Mustang 44-84502 (a Mustang Mk.IV in British Commonwealth use) and given the RAAF serial A68-769. This aircraft served with 82 Squadron RAAF in postwar Japan, as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force. It was the personal mount of the squadron commanding officer, Squadron Leader Frank Schaaf while the unit supported the post-war in Japan, and later flew several combat missions over Korea with 77 Squadron RAAF. Unusually for a post-war RAAF Mustang, A68-769 carried a golden Pegasus on a light blue circle nose art in honor of 82 Squadrons motif, and the name Mabel II under the canopy, Mabel being Schaafs wife. Snifter was a newspaper cartoon dog, a favorite of wartime Australian service personnel. The Mustang was returned to Australia in 1949 and issued to 78 Wing, Williamtown, NSW, before being converted to components in 1951-52. The growing popularity of warbird pleasure flying in the UK is a factor in this aircraft making the move from one hemisphere to the next, no doubt to the delight of the future passengers. Singapore Presidential Election 2023 is just around the corner and is special for Singaporeans since they will be choosing their ninth leader. However, they should also be careful since scammers are looking to take advantage of this as well. Singapore Presidential Election Scam 2023 According to The Strait Times' latest report, police officials warned Singaporeans about scams linked to the upcoming presidential election. On Saturday, Aug. 26, the police suggested to be vigilant since scammers could impersonate election candidates, as well as government officials. Authorities explained that these malicious actors will solicit banking and personal information from their victims. Aside from these sensitive details, scammers will also try to ask for victims' banking credentials and one-time passwords (OTPs). They usually do this via SMS or unsolicited in-app and phone calls. Singapore's police officials said that one of the apps scammers rely on is WhatsApp. Read Also: Spain Seizes Largest Cocaine Haul with 9.5 Tons Hidden in Banana Shipment From Ecuador How to Avoid Presidential Election Scams Singaporean police authorities said that the public should never transfer money to anyone claiming they're government officials or election candidates without verification. They urge Singapore's residents to install the ScamShield app, check for scam signs with official sources, and set security features for online banking. If they suspect that a scammer is trying to fool them, they can call the anti-scam hotline at 1800-722-6688. Aside from this, they are also advised to check their voting status via legitimate sources, such as the ELD (Elections Department) Voters Services page and the Singpass application. About Singapore Presidential Election 2023 Channel News Asia reported that Singapore's Presidential Election 2023 is scheduled for Sept. 1. As of writing, three candidates for the presidential election have been confirmed. These include the following: Former Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam Former GIC chief investment officer Ng Kok Song Former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Kin Lian Before the presidential election started, Singapore's officials said that voters needed to know their designated polling stations. Aside from this, they also need to ensure that their NRIC and poll cards are with them once the presidential election day starts. If you are among the Singaporeans voting for the next president, you can click this link to learn more details about this essential event. Related Article: Singapore's Nomination Day Features 3 Candidates Expected To File Their Intent to be Nation's 9th President @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cleaning tips and tricks to keep your home spotless, and more videos to improve your life Here are some tips and tricks to keep your home clean and spotless, what to do if a natural disaster strikes while you are on vacation, and more videos to improve your life. WAVERLY Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools may see slight growth in enrollment this fall based on Wednesdays first-day student numbers. Superintendent Ed Klamfoth said when I compare reports from this year and last year, it would appear that we might be at about the same, or slightly higher, enrollment level, in response to emailed questions from The Courier. A year ago we served 2,278 students, so Im estimating somewhere between that number and 2,300. The enrollment figure from last year is based on the 2022-23 school year official count on Oct. 1. A year ago, Klamfoth provided a rough estimate of first-day enrollment that totaled 2,236 kindergarten through 12th-grade students. Attendance on the first day is harder to capture than you might think, he noted, due to lags in the student information system. Students who have left the district may still be in the system and the information of others who are new to the district may not yet be entered. Open enrollment into the district is up, initial figures show, but that isnt having a big impact on student numbers. I believe our open enrollment numbers are 205 in and 129 out, said Klamfoth. This year we have added more open-enrolled in than what we have going out, but not in a way that changes our enrollment dramatically. He provided enrollment by school with the caveat that the numbers are still in flux. The kindergarten through fourth-grade student breakdown was Shell Rock Elementary, 134; Margretta Carey Elementary, 238; West Cedar Elementary, 225; Southeast Elementary, 168. Shell Rock also has preschool students, who are not included in this count. Klamfoth said he is less confident in the numbers for secondary students. Those are 710 at the middle school, 790 at the high school, 34 at Greenview Alternative School, and 14 Bremwood residential students at the Lied Center program. North Ridge Elementary, one of two new schools under construction in Waverly, is currently expected to open in October. When it does, Shell Rock Elementary students will attend there as their school is renovated. Next fall, when the second new school is completed, students at the three Waverly elementary schools will move into the two new buildings and Shell Rock students will return to their school. Klamfoth does not know how many students who had been attending district schools have transferred to a parochial school with the help of a state-funded education savings account, a new option this fall. The Iowa Department of Education earlier this month said Bremer County families had applied for 118 ESAs that were approved, according to a news release breaking down 18,627 approved accounts across the state. At that point, there were less than 1,000 applications left to review. It is likely that at least some of the approved applications were for students who had been attending a school in the Waverly-Shell Rock district, which is completely within Bremer County. CLINTON Jesup native Sister Kathleen Sadler is celebrating her 25th Jubilee, the anniversary of entrance into religious life, this summer. She entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Clinton in 1998. She has ministered in the areas of elder care and spiritual direction and been a retreat director. Sadlers early ministry centered on the physical and cognitive well-being of persons afflicted with Alzheimers disease. She served as an activity director in the dementia units of several nursing care facilities, including Winchester House of Lake County, Libertyville, Illinois; Washington and Jane Smith Community, Chicago; Emeritus at Urbandale (Iowa); and The Alverno, Clinton. Since 2016, she has been offering spiritual direction and spiritual-themed programs at nursing homes and senior living facilities. She also leads one-day and three-day retreats at retreat centers in Iowa and Illinois. Sadler resides at The Canticle in Clinton, where she serves on the advisory and liturgy committees and is a sacristan, cantor, and emergency responder. Additionally, she serves on the congregations anti-death penalty and sharing fund committees. The assailants assaulted the victim, knocked him to the ground and took $5 in cash. He got to his feet and began to flee and nearby constructi My lovely wife and I recently attended the Iowa State Fair. Its always a fun time. Lot of things to see, lots of things to do, people watching, and above all really good food. Every four years we see candidates running for president at the fair. This year was no exception. Republican candidates showed up in droves. I only listened to a few of them, but what I did hear and also read about the candidates indicates they have a misguided focus. Almost all the Republican candidates spend their time criticizing Joe Biden and his policies. This would be the conventional wisdom in races of the past, but it may not work anymore. Donald Trump has a lock on the Republican nomination for president because of the way the Republicans choose their candidate. At one time candidates were selected by a small group of party leaders in what was referred to as a smoke-filled room. Thats not the process anymore. Now, candidates are pretty much selected through primary elections in many states, and that spells defeat for anyone but Trump. Polls abound showing overwhelming Republican support for him. If Republicans want a chance at beating Joe Biden, Trump is not the person. Eventually, his legal problems may result in many voters in a national election moving away from him. Never forget he lost the popular vote by 7 million people in 2020. Its likely that number will increase because of his legal problems. Some middle-of-the-road voters who chose Trump in 2020 will move away from him in 2024. The only chance Trump would have in a national election for president would be because of the vagaries of our Electoral College system. Other than that its doubtful he can win. So, Republican candidates are making a mistake when they run and campaign against Joe Biden. They should be campaigning against Trump. The crowded field of Republican candidates needs to get together, set aside their personal ambitions and decide on a single candidate. Once that is done they should all campaign for that candidate and emphasize Trumps negatives. It may not be legal for the candidates to collude and agree to all support one person, but its the only way Republicans can stop Trump from being the nominee. And even that has little probability of succeeding. Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson are the only candidates that Ive heard criticizing Trump and talking about all of his legal problems. They have been rewarded with lousy poll numbers. But perhaps if the Republicans could coalesce around one person and then all run collectively against Trump in support of that person they could have some success. However, even that is a long shot. Ultimately, the Republican presidential nominee could potentially be a convicted felon and chronic liar. Regardless of what Trump promises, that says a lot about what our voters value. Character should be important, and we are learning a lot about Trumps character or lack thereof. To be clear, this is not as much about parties as it is about the message this sends about Americans. And its not a flattering one. I had my experience in Greece at the start of the SMO, induced by NATO and well, the link below will tell what happened and simply put. I was told if I ever came back to western society, I would be in trouble Now we will not get into specifics, but Greece is showing that they still had to put the icing on the cake they desired and now they are doing just that. Greece has become a cesspool of corruption and rivals Ukraine. Greece is walking a bad path Greece is following the rules of its masters the EU and USA and well simply being a good lap-doggy country. It will only get worse and not get better And You really thought that I was lying! Jokes on you in the Western World WtR https://greekcitytimes.com/2023/08/26/greece-to-cancel-russian-air-defense-contract-transfer-to-ukraine/ Well now, that leaves Greece totally at the mercy of the USA, it is over for Greece as a country and I look for Turkey to start playing ring around the Greecy Rosy Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation Last night, the Russian Navy has launched a strike with long-range, sea-based precision weapons against a port infrastructure facility used in the interests of the AFU. The goal of the attack has been reached. The facility has been neutralised. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, together with Ground-Attack and Army aviation, have successfully repelled three attacks by the AFU close to Zaliznyanskoye, Kleshcheevka, and Staromikhailovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 260 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, and two D-20 howitzers. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, have repelled three attacks by 47th mechanised and 68th jaeger brigades of the AFU close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Sergeevka (Lugansk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and one D-20 howitzer. In Zaporozhye direction, as a result of active actions by Russian units, supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, five enemy attacks have been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 110 Ukrainian servicemen, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two U.S.-manufactured Stryker armoured personnel carriers, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems, as well as two UK-manufactured FH-70 guns. One AFU field ammunition depot has been destroyed near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with Operational-Tactical Aviation and artillery, repelled an enemy attack close to Sladkoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In addition, units of the 38th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy have been eliminated near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). In addition, the actions of two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the 31st Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been suppressed near Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 125 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, two U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems, two Msta-B, and one D-20 howitzers, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, as well as one AN/TPQ 36 counter-battery radar station. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of actions of units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation and artillery, an attack by servicemen of the 42nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been repelled close to Kuzmino (Lugansk Peoples Republic). In addition, units of 63rd, 67th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard have been eliminated close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Torskoye and Grigorovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The enemy losses were up to 80 Ukrainian servicemen, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two pickup trucks. In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, as well as Msta-B and D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 147 areas. Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces have shot down one AFU Su-25 aircraft near Semyonovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Air defence facilities have shot down one Su-25 aircraft near Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region), five HIMARS MLRS and one HARM surface-to-air radar system projectiles, manufactured in the U.S., as well as one S-200 SAM system missile, modified in a strike version. In addition, 73 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been intercepted and suppressed by electronic warfare means close to Olshana (Kharkov region), Shishkovo (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Berestovoye, Golmovsky (Donetsk Peoples Republic), Vasilyevka, Sladkaya Balka, Inzhinernoye and Zhovtnyovoye (Zaporozhye region). In total, 464 airplanes, 246 helicopters, 6,085 unmanned aerial vehicles, 433 air defence missile systems, 11,492 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,144 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,042 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,424 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR With reduced revenue and increased costs, Baraboos historic Al. Ringling Theatres lights have dimmed in recent years. The current operating model is no longer sustainable, so a new path forward is needed to protect this vibrant local landmark and regional asset, Charlene Flygt, president of Al. Ringling Theatre Friends, Inc. said in a statement. The Al. Ringling Theatre Friends group has approached the Wisconsin Historical Society about exploring ownership of the theatre. Any such transfer of ownership would be contingent on raising $3.07 million in private support to establish an endowment to help ensure a sustainable transition of ownership, including the integration of infrastructure systems and support for first year operating costs of the Baraboo landmark. This plan is promising, but we need to rally the support of the local community, region, and beyond to make this a reality, Flygt said. The theatre has, and should continue to be, a reason for people to come to downtown Baraboo from all over Wisconsin. The Friends group first reached out to the Wisconsin Historical Society about owning the Al. Ringling Theatre in July 2022. The Society already operates Baraboos Circus World, and has since 2018. We determined this was a strong mission fit, said Wes Mosman Block, deputy director and COO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Al. Ringling Theatre is part of the national and Wisconsin Ringling story that we preserve and share at Circus World daily. The theatre is already on the National Register of Historic Places and was restored in 2016. Acquiring the theatre would provide an immediate opportunity for Circus World to provide year-round programming, which is a goal we prioritized for the future, Mosman Block said. The theatre would continue to serve as a venue for local and community groups including the Baraboo Theatre Guild, Baraboo School District and local dance studios, and would be the venue for the Baraboo Concerts on the Square on rain dates. Like Circus World, the Al. Ringling Theatre would also receive operational support from central services within the Wisconsin Historical Societys division of museums and historic sites and division of business services, Mosman Block said. Donors have so far pledged $650,000 toward the $3.07 million needed in private support. Once the full amount has been raised, about $2 million would go toward the endowment, while $1 million would go toward immediate facilities improvements, including enhanced stage rigging, HVAC, security, and hiring a full-time technical support person. This is an incredible opportunity for us to come together and ensure the legacy of the Al.; that it can live on and the arts can thrive in our community for generations to come, Flygt said. Mosman Black is optimistic about the future of the Al. Ringling Theatre. We share the long term vision and goal of the Al. Ringling Theatre Friends to preserve and sustain the theatre as a regional home to the arts that provide enriching programming, performances, and artistic opportunities. For more information, or to support the fundraising efforts, visit alringling.org or email future@alringling.org. GALLERY: Al. Ringling Theatre youth drama camp Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Youth camp at Al. Ringling Theatre Saying they needed more time to study the issue, the Portage Common Council on Thursday voted to table until January a resolution aimed at closing the Portage airport and abolishing its airport commission. The 5-4 vote, following two hours of public comment, disappointed many of those attending the meeting who want the airport to remain open. I feel like they have the statistics, said Anastasia Lawrence, 17, a local student who is learning to fly in preparation to become a U.S. military medevac pilot after she graduates high school. We gave them everything they needed, but they just want to keep postponing it, like they have the last 50-plus years. It is vital that aviation gains more interest, Lawrence told the council. If Portage shuts down the airport it will lose the opportunity to welcome new businesses, tourism and getting youth out of the house, like it did for me. The resolution would direct city staff to inquire with the Federal Aviation Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Transportations Bureau of Aeronautics about what it would take to shut down an airport. A separate measure also scheduled for a vote Thursday but postponed until January would have abolished the Portage Airport Commission, which oversees the operation and management of the airport. The motion to postpone the the vote was initiated by Ald. Allan Radant, District 1, and seconded by Ald. Eric Shimpach, District 6. The two council members originally proposed the resolution on Thursdays agenda. Im going to need that much time, the staff is going to need that much time, and people on the council will need that much time to get all the facts and figures brought forward. Radant said of the effort to delay the vote. Barry Erath, chairman of the Portage Airport Commission, noted that the airport uses roughly 1% of the citys budget every year. Airport commission members feel they have been treated poorly by the Common Council, Erath said. It is the expectation that the council work in good faith, be transparent and collaborate with the commission, Erath said. It is very disappointing that once again the cloaked-in-secrecy disrespect for (the) commission has resurfaced. Japan's Fukushima nuclear wastewater release is negatively affecting Japanese citizens in China as well. Officials said that Japanese residents who are living in China need to lie low as tensions between China and Japan intensify because of the radioactive water release. Japanese Citizens in China Asked to Lie Low According to the Japan Times' latest report, the Japanese government is urging Japanese nationals in China to keep a low profile. Even talking loudly in public is not recommended by officials. Their warning came after Beijing criticized Tokyo for releasing radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. On Thursday, Aug. 24, Japan began its controversial nuclear wastewater release into the Pacific Ocean. Before it happened, the Chinese government warned Japan's decision to release the water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Beijing said that this plan was selfish since the radioactive wastewater could harm the environment, as well as human health. Since it is clear that the Chinese government is against the release of the Fukushima nuclear wastewater, Japanese officials said that citizens need to pay close attention to the surroundings of the embassy if they want to visit the country. Japan's Embassy in South Korea also provided a warning to Japanese residents, saying that they must behave cautiously and avoid unnecessary trouble. Read Also: China Slams Japan's Fukushima Wastewater Release by Banning Tokyo's Seafood Exports Head of Japan Coalition Partner Canceled His China Visit Reuters reported that Natsuo Yamaguchi, the head of Japan's Komeito party, decided to cancel his visit to China. The Japan coalition partner was supposed to visit China on Aug. 28. He was expected to stay in the country until Aug. 30. Yamaguchi was planning to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Aside from this, he was also supposed to give a personal letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. However, because of the tensions between China and Japan, Natsuo decided to postpone his trip. He decided to do this after Chinese officials said that the timing of his visit was not appropriate considering the current relationship situation between the two Asian nations. If you want to learn more details about the worsening tensions between Beijing and Tokyo because of the nuclear wastewater release, you can click here. Related Article: Japan Starts Releasing Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater, Prompting China to Boycott Seafood From Tokyo @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to purchase or use two brands of eye drops that it found to be contaminated with bacteria, fungus or both. Testing found that Dr. Bernes MSM Drops 5% Solution and LightEyez MSM Eye Drops Eye Repair were contaminated with microbes and are not sterile or safe to use. AARP Membership Join AARP for $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine. Join Now The products were sold online by retailers like Amazon and contain an FDA-unapproved and illegal chemical methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). The substance is found naturally in humans, certain plants and animals. Its purported to enhance nutrient absorption and eye circulation when used in eye drops. The FDA is aware of two adverse events associated with Dr. Berne's products. Patients who have symptoms of an eye infection should talk to their health care provider immediately, the agency advised. Dr. Berne agreed to voluntarily recall all lots of the 5% and 15% strengths of MSM Solution, all lots of Dr. Bernes Organic Castor Oil Eye Drops and Dr. Bernes MSM MIST 15% Solution. The FDA is waiting for a response from LightEyez about its concerns. Additional questions should be directed to Dr. Bernes Whole Health Products at 877-239-3777, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain time on weekdays, or by e-mail at hello@drsamberne.com. Anyone who has any of these products should stop using them and send a return to Sun Star Organics, 988 Main St., Orange, CA 92867. Dr. Bernes MSM Drops 5% Solution were found to be contaminated with the bacteria, bacillus and the fungus, exophiala. Meanwhile, LightEyez MSM Eye Drops Eye Repair was found to be contaminated with the bacteria pseudomonas, mycobacterium, mycolicibacterium, and methylorubrum. Any adverse events or quality problems with any medication should be submitted to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online at MedWatch or by faxing this form to 1-800-FDA-0178. Several other brands of eye drops have been recalled this year over contamination concerns; the cause was that were later discovered at the manufacturer. The issue resulted resulting in infections that caused at least 14 people to lose their vision. Editor's note: This story, originally published Aug. 25, 2023, has been updated to reflect new information. Adderall, among the most prescribed treatments for attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been in limited supply throughout the country for most of the year. Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that the situation could get worse in the coming months. While there has been some improvement in availability, many people in the US are still unable to fill their prescriptions for the medicine and other ADHD drugs. Due to the lack of transparency in the pharmaceutical sector, healthcare specialists told CNBC that it is exceedingly impossible to anticipate how much longer the shortages will endure. Some are worried about market circumstances when children who are typically afflicted by ADHD come back to school. Scarcity Might Become Worse Erin Fox, a pharmacist at the University of Utah and the leading expert on US drug shortages said she is concerned that the situation may deteriorate when the school year starts. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists released a list in June of more than 300 medications that are now in low supply throughout the US, including Adderall. Methylphenidate, sold under the trade names Ritalin and Concerta, is another option for Adderall on that list. Because of their potential for misuse and severe psychological or physical dependency, the federal government controls how these drugs are produced, administered, and delivered. Millions of people in the US rely on these medicines to help them focus, rein in their urges, and otherwise handle the stresses of school, job, or interpersonal interactions. In many cases, a diagnosis of ADHD made in childhood continues throughout adulthood. As of 2016, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reported that 6 million children had been diagnosed with ADHD and that 60% of those cases were being treated with medication. Although 8 million individuals have been diagnosed with the illness, according to WebMD, only approximately a quarter of them are really receiving therapy. See Also: Young Woman Diagnosed with ADHD Explains Why 'Time Blindness' is Real Limited Information Many kids and young people who take medication for ADHD do not take it during the summer. Because of this, demand may rise in the coming months beyond supply. According to David Margraf, a pharmaceutical research scientist at the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, there is no indication this year will be different in terms of the rise in prescriptions for ADHD drugs as the school semester begins. An FDA shortages database shows that several manufacturers anticipate restocking certain ADHD drugs in August or September. But Margraf advised cautious optimism since drugmakers do not reveal how much stock they will hold by then. That points to a more fundamental problem with the persistent scarcities. With so little information available from the pharmaceutical sector, it is difficult to predict when these problems will be solved or what can be done about them. This is a major setback for patients, medical facilities, and the healthcare system as a whole. See Also: ADHD Diagnoses in UK Drastically Increase-NHS Struggling to Manage Patients @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Instagram/Cover Images/Julia Nikhinson/CNP Celebrity Shortly after learning that Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail, the 'Please Excuse My Hands' spitter trolls the former president over his mugshot, height and weight via social media. Aug 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Plies has not stopped trolling Donald Trump. Shortly after learning that Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail, the "Please Excuse My Hands" spitter made fun of the former president's arrest via social media. On Thursday evening, August 24, the hip-hop artist made use of X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the joke. "I Will Not Be Referring To Donald J Trump By His Name Anymore!!! From Here On Out I Will Be Referring To Him As 'Inmate P01135809,' " he wrote in a tweet. Near the end of it, he added shrugging and rolling on the floor laughing emojis. Earlier that day, Plies roasted Trump's mugshot. Along with a photo of the former president, the rapper stated, "The Look U Give When U Been Yelling Lock Her Up & The Biden Crime Family .. But U The B***h Thats Really The Criminal!!!! U Can Fool Everybody But God!!!! #Plies #IGotMotion." In a follow-up tweet, the "Put It on Ya" rapper went on to roast the former star of "The Apprentice". He penned, "The Only Way Some Of Y'all Will Ever Say F**k Trump! Is If He Told Y'all To Start Taking Care Of Y'all Kids!!!! At That Point Y'all Would Say 'F**k Bruh A N***a Ain't Need Dem F**k Azz $1500 Anyway!!!' " Not stopping there, Plies also gave his two cents on Trump's height and weight. In another tweet, he pointed out, "Bruh Said His Height & Weight Was 6'3 215lbs!!! He Wouldn't Even Tell The Truth About Dat!!!!!! [a slew of laughing face emojis]." Plies trolled Donald Trump over his arrest via X, formerly known as Twitter. Plies was not the only hip-hop star who voiced his thoughts on Trump's arrest. That same day, Chief Keef uploaded via Instagram Story an edited photo of the former president showing off a "blood" sign. Over the snap, he noted, "Nah my boy in dat b***h bangin on dem folks. I know whatever deck he on he good in the hood for sure he finna run the prison. That boy finna be eating like a MF all da Blacks finna have my boy back." On Thursday, Trump surrendered at Fulton County Jail for the 13 counts that he is facing in Georgia due to his alleged interference in 2020 election results in that state. He showed up to the jail one day earlier than the deadline. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Shortly after his baby mama filed a custody case for child support, the 'Rack City' rapper appears to have not agreed to the request and orders the reality TV star to stick to her 'schedule sat-mon.' Aug 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Tyga has responded to Blac Chyna's child support demand. Shortly after his baby mama, whose real name is Angela White, filed a custody case for child support, the "Rack City" rapper gave his two cents on the matter via social media. On Friday, August 25, the 33-year-old rapper shared his reaction to the 35-year-old reality TV star attempting to put him on child support via Instagram. In the comments section of a post which was shared by blog @theshaderoom about Chyna's demand, he wrote, "10 years laternahstick to your schedule sat-mon." Tyga's remarks came shortly after Chyna's mother Tokyo Toni publicly dissed him for allegedly never supporting his child financially. "[Tyga] you should be paying child support. What kind of man are you? She never asked you for a dime her son. You should be ashamed of yourself," she blasted in the comments section of The Neighborhood Talk's Instagram post. "Why are you putting pressure where it doesn't have to be. You could've come in here but you think it's good don't you. Let me stop here before I go up on one side slide down the other," Toni continued in the comment. In another comment, Toni claimed, "Tyga does not have full custody of my grandson. He has never paid child support in 11 years. It's about time this boy is growing." She later added in a third comment, "Let me put my take on this. He has never pay child support and 11 years my daughter takes care of her kids. What woman today would not ask money when you can see that the man is getting money!" Chyna reportedly has filed a custody case as she is trying to put Tyga on child support for their 10-year-old son King Cairo Stevenson. In legal documents, which were filed in July 24 and obtained by Page Six, she demanded for "joint legal and physical custody of their son to be split between his parents." In the court files, the former "Rob & Chyna" star also wrote down her opinions on what should be done for the "best interest of the child." A statement in the docs read, "The court may make orders for support of the children and issue an earnings assignment without further notice to either party." However, the amount of money that she requested has not been revealed to the public. Tyga started his romantic relationship with Chyna back in late 2011 after the two met during the production of his "Rack City" music video. In October 2012, they welcomed King together. A few months later, in late 2012, the pair got engaged. In 2014, the two decided to call off their engagement. You can share this post! Instagram Celebrity Shortly after being accused of forcing himself on his show's crew member, the 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' star deems the allegation 'so weird' and 'far from the truth.' Aug 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Gary King has broken silence on sexual assault allegation leveled at him. Shortly after being accused of forcing himself on his show's crew member, the "Below Deck Sailing Yacht" star shut down the claim and deemed it "far from the truth." On Thursday, August 24, the cast member of the Bravo series set the record straight on the alleged sexual misconduct on his Instagram page. In the comments section of his Instagram post, he clarified by writing, "I have never sexually harassed someone in my life, and I will never." Gary was replying to an Instagram user's comment demanding him to speak up about the matter. "@rollingstone has got your number, why no comment? Get sober, get clarity and stop your sexual misconduct. Your mom will be proud," the comment read. In a separate statement, Gary went on to confirm that the crew member, whose name is Samantha Suarez, accusing him of wrongdoing is not telling the truth. He claimed, "Yes she is [lying]. But I will not get into it through comments. Thanks." "It's so weird, it's also so far from the truth. She always wanted a platform and unfortunately I'm the unlucky target," the TV star continued via his social media account. "I'm not going to let some lying girl get to me read that article fully, multiple times, and this happened to her on multiple seasons seems odd." Replying to more Instagram comments, Gary stated, "Please tell me who I've harassed from bd if I did I'm sure they would have said something and not some random person." He added, "Please can you tell me where I have sexually harassed multiple women you're watching the wrong show pal." Gary King denied the sexual harassment allegation leveled at him via his Instagram page. Earlier that day, Gary made headlines after Samantha publicly accused him of sexual harassment. In an interview with Rolling Stone, she claimed that he attempted "to force himself" on her when she was on assignment during production of the show's season 4 back in July 2022. The incident reportedly took place in a hotel, where the crew and cast members were staying, in Sardinia, Italy. In the wake of the allegation, Bravo, the network which airs "Below Deck Sailing Yacht", issued a statement to the outlet. "Bravo is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows," the statement read. "The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings." You can share this post! Cover Images Celebrity The 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' alum and the attorney, who tied the knot in October 2018, reportedly waived their right to alimony or spousal support as a part of their settlement agreement. Aug 27, 2023 AceShowbiz - Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling's marriage is officially over. The winner of "America's Next Top Model" season 3 and her ex-husband reportedly have finalized their divorce five months after they called it quits. According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, the 38-year-old and her former spouse signed their settlement agreement on August 3. It was unveiled that the exes waived their right to alimony or spousal support. In addition, Eva did not ask Michael to pay her child support. "The parties agree that each has ample income and assets to support the Children in their respective homes," the legal docs read. "Accordingly, the parties agree that neither shall pay direct child support to the other." Eva and Michael were also reportedly awarded their own respective retirement and bank accounts and worked on a private custody agreement for their two kids, 5-year-old son Michael and 3-year-old Maverick. However, it's unclear if the agreement included her 9-year-old daughter Marley Rae, whom she shares with ex Kevin McCall. Eva, who tied the knot with Michael in October 2018 after less than a year of engagement, filed for divorce from him in March. When announcing their separation, "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" alum said, "This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, but sometimes life takes your journey in a direction you were not expecting." "Our children remain our biggest priority and the eight and half years we have spent together will always be cherished," she added. "We ask that you respect our privacy at this time." Eva last posted a photo of Michael on her Instagram page back in January. At the time, she shared a snap of the lawyer posing on a yacht and she simply captioned it with a sunflower emoji. Meanwhile, Michael still posted a loving tribute to Eva on Valentine's Day by posting a picture of the actress sitting on his lap as they shared a laugh. You can share this post! Instagram Music The 'Drivers License' hitmaker reveals a songwriting advice she received from the White Stripes alum, saying the male musician told her to focus on making radio-worthy music. Aug 26, 2023 AceShowbiz - Olivia Rodrigo got a letter of advice from Jack White. The White Stripes alum, 48, said to the 20-year-old Grammy winner that her "only job" is to write radio-worthy music. "He wrote me this letter the first time I met him that said, 'Your only job is to write music that you would want to hear on the radio.' I mean, writing songs that you would like to hear on the radio is in fact very hard," Olivia said in an interview with The New York Times. St. Vincent - whose real name is Anne Clark - also had this praise for the star in the profile, "I've never met anyone so young and so effortlessly self-possessed. [Rodrigo] knows who she is and what she wants - and doesn't seem to be in any way afraid of voicing that. And just a really lovely girl too. I've never heard her say a bad word about anyone." Olivia recently revealed she "felt immense pressure" making her second album, "GUTS", the follow-up to her record-breaking 2021 debut LP "SOUR". Speaking on Hits Radio Breakfast to Fleur East and James Barr, she said, "Making this album definitely had its ups and downs." "And there were some days where I'm just like, wow, the pressure is just insurmountable. I just feel, I don't know what I'm gonna do, and other days where it was really fun and, you know, had a great time. But uh, you know, I think at the end of the day, the most important thing, it sounds like so cheesy and cliche, but I just wanted to make an album that I really liked and felt really proud of." Although she was an actress before, Olivia's music career saw her catapulted to new heights of fame in 2021, with the record-breaking success of her viral hit "Driver's License", which became the UK's longest-running number one debut single since Gnarls Barkley's 2006 hit "Crazy", while also consistently topping the charts in the US and elsewhere. You can share this post! JoBlo/New York Times Celebrity The former Bond girl calls her new boyfriend a 'wonderful spirit' and 'spectacular soul' after she confirmed their relationship following their public display of affection. Aug 27, 2023 AceShowbiz - Monica Bellucci has praised Tim Burton as a "spectacular soul" as she opened up about their romance. After recently confirming the couple's relationship after months of dating rumours, the 58-year-old actress has now gushed about her "wonderful" partner in a new interview with Harper's Bazaar Spain magazine after their friendship of more than 15 years turned into a love affair. "Let's say that I found in Tim a wonderful spirit, a spectacular soul, someone that he has a dream world. He is wonderful, of course he is, of course he is ," she explained. The pair first met at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 and have been friends for more than a decade, but they were rumoured to have started dating after both attending the Lumiere Film Festival in Lyon, France, in October 2022. French outlet Paris Match reported the "Edward Scissorhands" director and the actress "got closer" behind the scenes while they were working at Lumiere. They were later pictured kissing and wrapping their arms around each other on a Valentine's Day walk in Santa Monica, California in February this year. Monica seeming confirmed the romance in an interview with Elle France in June, saying, "What I can say I'm glad I met the man, first of all. It's one of those encounters that rarely happens in life I know the man, I love him, and now I'm going to meet the director, another adventure begins. I love Tim. And I have great respect for Tim Burton." The director split from actress Helena Bonham Carter, 57, in 2014 after more than a decade together and they have son Billy, 19, and 15-year-old daughter Nell. Monica separated from her artist partner Nicolas Lefebvre, 41, in 2019, and was married to actor Vincent Cassel, 56, from 1999 to 2013 - with whom she has daughters Deva, 18, and 13-year-old Leonie. You can share this post! More than 100 out of the 388 persons listed as missing after the Maui wildfires had been found safe, as confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Yet, Maui County officials said that the fresh information still has to be examined and corroborated before those over 100 names can be taken off the list. According to CBS News, FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill thanked the public for their help. At a press conference, he said, "We're very thankful for the people who have reached out by phone or email. As we get someone off of a list, this has enabled us to devote more resources to those who are still on the list." The Lahaina fire has claimed the lives of at least 115 people so far, and that number is more likely to go up. Officials in Maui County said on Friday, August 25, that 45 victims had been positively identified. The first kid casualty of the wildfire was identified as Tony Takafua, 7. The bodies of Takafua, his mother Salote Tone (aged 39), and his grandparents Faaoso Tone (aged 70) and Maluifonua Tone (aged 73) were discovered in a torched car close to their house. The high percentage of youngsters among the victims has alarmed authorities. See Also: Delayed Water in Maui Contributes to Wildfire's Severity; Hawaiian Company Shares Details Could the Blazes Have Been Averted? Meanwhile, at a press conference on Friday, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced the appointment of Darryl Oliveira as the interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency. He replaced Herman Andaya, who resigned a week earlier after receiving criticism for his agency's response to the wildfires. On August 17, Andaya stepped down after publicly defending his choice to not activate the island's warning sirens as the Lahaina wildfire progressed. Andaya stated that people in Lahaina may have mistaken the sirens for tsunami alarms and run into the path of the fire had they been activated. People have been instructed to "seek higher ground" in case of sirens, Andaya added. Recently, Maui County said it had filed a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Company for its role in the Lahaina fires, claiming that the company had been irresponsible in failing to turn off electricity amid strong winds and dry conditions. According to eyewitness testimony and footage, fires were started by sparks from power lines when utility poles broke in the high winds caused by a cyclone that passed well to the south. The complaint indicates that the damage could have been prevented if the utility company had properly maintained and repaired the electric transmission lines and other equipment associated with the transmission of electricity. Front Street in Lahaina came to a complete halt as a result of collapsed power lines and police or utility employees barring several roadways. Several locals leaped into the ocean off Maui to get away from the blazing buildings and thick black smoke that had engulfed the city center. See Also: Congress is Under Pressure To Approve Disaster Relief Funding as Maui Wildfires Continue To Burn @ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Bisleri, India's leading packaged drinking water, has partnered with the most awaited Mollywood movie, King of Kotha, starring the industry's heartthrob Dulquer Salmaan. The association features Dulquer Salmaan on Bisleri's limited-edition packs - 500 ML, 1 Litre, and 2 Litre. These limited-edition bottles will be available across Kerala and a select few cities in Tamil Nadu, such as Coimbatore, Pollachi, Tirupur, Nagercoil, Tenkasi, and Theni. Commenting on the collaboration, Tushar Malhotra, Head of Marketing, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., said, Through the limited-edition pack collaboration with King of Kotha, we aim to strengthen our local brand love in Kerala and select cities of Tamil Nadu by providing an exciting experience to both our consumers and trade partners. " Also commenting on the collaboration, Wayfarer Films Private Ltd. & Zee Studios said, "Much like the south film industry, Bisleri has carved a special place in the hearts of millions. This collaboration allows us to connect with audiences in new and engaging ways with Dulquer Salmaan's collectible on the limited-edition bottles, thereby creating a memorable experience beyond the silver screen." The company continues its hyper-local approach strengthening cultural nuances with its ongoing association with South Indian films. The King of Kotha limited-edition packs are an ode to the cinematic grandeur of the Malayalam film industry while celebrating the irresistible charm and appeal of Dulquer Salmaan. The packs will be promoted across over 12,000 outlets, in all general and modern trade outlets in Kerala and select cities in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, it will be available online through the Bisleri @Doorstep App. Digital Latte, a full service creative digital agency, has bagged the digital mandate for Kiko Live, a digital platform that enables local sellers to open an online store and list and sell on ONDC as well. The agency will be in charge of their social media strategy, creative duties & performance marketing with an objective to enhance brand awareness, increase exposure through media campaigns, and provide strategic communication guidance. Kiko Live is a platform that helps local shops manage and grow their delivery business through an interface to collate all delivery orders. Sellers can use the app to get discovered, enable payments and deliver to new and existing customers apart from expanding their digital footprint and quick trackable deliveries. Kiko Live has already raised seed funding of $1 Million in 2021 and are now in process of raising their pre series A Round. With our 10000 retailers already on board, Kiko Live looks to quickly scale up to 1 lakh sellers. Chintan Vora, the Director and Founder of Digital Latte said, We are thrilled to join forces with a tech-forward company like Kiko Live. Utilizing our vast knowledge of digital marketing, understanding of the consumer journey and bolstered by strong data capabilities, we look forward to co-creating exciting and effective campaigns to leave a lasting impression on our audience. Alok Chawla, CEO and Co-founder of Kiko, commented on this, he said, The ideologies of Kiko as a brand align perfectly with Digital Latte, a company that has achieved its reputation over the years. With the launch as a seller app on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), we intend to help 1.25 crore small retailers in India increase their business by selling on ONDC. Digital Latte is a 11-year-old full-service creative digital agency with core expertise in Digital, Design & Development. Kalyan Jewellers, one of Indias most trusted and leading jewellery brands, today announced that it will expand its presence in Mumbai, with the launch of its brand new showroom at Chembur. Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty and brand ambassador Prabhu Ganesan will inaugurate the all-new showroom on 27th August (Sunday) at 11:30 AM. This will mark the company's 9th showroom in Mumbai. This month, Kalyan Jewellers launched its 200th showroom globally. To mark this momentous occasion, the company has announced the launch of Celebrating 200 Showrooms campaign, which encompasses unique offers to ensure that patrons gain maximum benefits on their jewellery purchases. As part of this, customers can avail the unique promotion: 0% making charges on half the purchase value for customers shopping for a minimum of Rs. 1 lakh. Additionally, the Kalyan Special Gold Board Rate, the lowest in the market and standardized across all company showrooms, will be applied, ensuring a seamless and service-backed shopping experience. Customers are entitled to receive a raffle coupon on every purchase from Kalyan Jewellers. The jewellery brand will be giving away 2-gram gold coin to 200 lucky customers, who will be chosen through an electronic raffle draw. All the jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers is BIS hallmarked and undergoes multiple purity tests. Commenting on the new showroom launch, Mr. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director of Kalyan Jewellers, said, We are delighted to announce our foray in the vibrant and bustling neighbourhood of Chembur, which is one of the suburbs that offers tremendous growth potential for brand Kalyan Jewellers. We are constantly working towards making the brand more accessible to patrons, the new showroom will benefit our patrons and the larger consumer base in the suburb of Chembur. Building upon our strong foundations laid in the city of Mumbai, the new investment reflects our commitment to strengthen market presence and further boost our growth momentum. The showroom launch in Mumbai is part of the company's strategy to expand its retail footprint and operations in the region, making the brand more accessible to patrons and supplementing the growth momentum. The showroom will feature an extensive range of designs from various collections of Kalyan Jewellers. Patrons can expect state-of-the-art facilities with a world-class ambiance, providing an unparalleled experience. All the jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers is BIS hallmarked and undergoes multiple purity tests. Patrons will also receive the Kalyan Jewellers 4-Level Assurance Certificate, guaranteeing purity, free lifetime maintenance of ornaments, detailed product information, and transparent exchange and buy-back policies. This certification reflects the brand's commitment to offering the very best to its loyal customers. The showroom will also stock Kalyan's popular house brands, including Muhurat (Wedding Jewellery Line), Mudhra (Handcrafted Antique Jewellery), Nimah (Temple Jewellery), Glo (Dancing Diamonds), Ziah (Solitaire-like Diamond Jewellery), Anokhi (Uncut Diamonds), Apoorva (Diamonds for Special Occasions), Antara (Wedding Diamonds), Hera (Daily Wear Diamonds), Rang (Precious Stones Jewellery), and the recently launched Lila (Coloured Stones and Diamond Jewellery). McDonalds India- North and East, one of Indias most loved restaurant brands, has launched a quirky television commercial featuring its brand ambassador, Kartik Aaryan revealing his favourite McDonalds meal. The TVC takes the fans on a laughter-filled roller coaster with his signature monologue style in a unique McDonalds way. The Kartik Aaryan Meal includes his favourite, go-to menu items from McDonalds - the classic McAloo Tikki Burger, delicious Cheesy Fries, ever-so favourite Pizza McPuff with a Regular Beverage, served as a 4-piece meal. To add to the fans delight, the 4-pieces meal will be served in a special Kartik Aaryan-themed, QR-code enabled packaging offering fans an opportunity to take a virtual selfie with their favorite celebrity. Talking about the launch of the TVC, Rajeev Ranjan, Managing Director, McDonalds India North and East, said, This campaign is all about knowing a little better the ones we like & love and celebrating the feel-good delicious moments and shared laughter at McDonald's. We're proud to unveil and bring Kartiks favourite go-to McDonalds meal to our customers and fans and provide a limited -time-opportunity to our customers to eat as their favourite celebrity and youth Icon. We are hopeful of this campaign reigniting our customers and fans' love for our food and creating another cultural moment for our brands association with youth and the younger generation. Conceptualized by DDB Mudra, the TVC opens in a McDonald's restaurant, where Kartik Aaryan and his friend stand at the counter, greeted by a warm smile at the front counter. Before Kartik can respond, his friend asks about his order. Kartik looks at him a little annoyed and begins to vent about how his friends always ask the most obvious things in every imaginable scenario. Just when he mentions that his best friend doesn't even know his favourite meal, the server smoothly slides a tray in front of Kartik, revealing the "Kartik Aaryan Meal." The TVC ends with Kartik suggesting McDonald's to create a meal named after him so that his friend never forgets it. No matter who you are, everyone has a go-to McDonald's order. This truth forms the basis of McDonalds global platform called Famous Orders. The new Kartik Aaryan Meal aims to transform a visit to McDonald's into an opportunity for people to connect with their hero, creating a one-of-a-kind cultural experience for youth tastemakers, said Iraj Fraz, Creative Head, DDB Tribal. Campaign Credits Creative Agency: DDB Mudra Group Creative: Rahul Mathew, Iraj Fraz Batla, Debasish Mandal, Dhruv Tiwari, Ashwini Kumar Mishra Strategy: Mehak Jaini, Nupur Sharma Business: Ashutosh Sawhney, Aniruddha Deb, Divyanshi Misra Producer: Sohan Gowda Production House: K Films LLP Director: Vivek Dubey The Kartik Aaryan Meal is now available across McDonalds restaurants in North and East India or through Swiggy, Zomato or Magic Pin), as well as take-away, or drive-thru for a limited time. After decades of having its Board of Directors nominate the esteemed inductees for the biannual Creative Hall of Fame, The One Club for Creativity is for the first time opening the nomination process for 2024 to its global membership. The Creative Hall of Fame has a rich heritage of honoring the lifetime achievements of creative luminaries in advertising, design, and education, starting with the induction of Leo Burnett in 1961. In its current incarnation, the Creative Hall of Fame encompasses the Copywriters Club Hall of Fame (19611974), the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame (19722012), and the Educators Hall of Fame (2012present), all under the umbrella of the non-profit One Club for Creativity. Nominations, which are free for members, are now open, with a deadline of October 20, 2023. Details about becoming a member are here. Criteria for consideration is three-fold: Impact - Those who have a celebrated body of work. This includes work that has been recognized as the best in the industry over multiple years for multiple brands, can be considered truly innovative and original in thinking and execution, and has an undeniable lasting impact. Those who have a celebrated body of work. This includes work that has been recognized as the best in the industry over multiple years for multiple brands, can be considered truly innovative and original in thinking and execution, and has an undeniable lasting impact. Influence - Those who have used their creativity and leveraged their resources to advance the industry and serve the greater good. Those who have used their creativity and leveraged their resources to advance the industry and serve the greater good. Inspiration - Those who have had a measurable, positive effect on the next generation of creative leaders, and are known industry-wide as mentors, door-openers, and opportunity-creators. Nominations must be accompanied by a current bio, headshot, 6-10 examples of work, 1-10 references to accolades and recognition they received, and at least four testimonial letters of support. Qualified nominees will be reviewed by The One Club Board of Directors, who make the final selection of honorees to be inducted at a special black-tie fundraising ceremony in November 2024 in New York. In addition to honouring an esteemed group of advertising and design professionals and educators, the Creative Hall of Fame ceremony is also a major fundraising event to support the non-profit One Clubs many ongoing education, diversity, gender equality, and professional development initiatives. These include programs to support the next generation of creative leaders, such as workshops for high school students to learn about the industry, college-level scholarship, mentoring and recognition programs, outreach to bring underrepresented talent into the industry, portfolio reviews for young creatives, and more. The Creative Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition of visionary creative professionals and educators who transformed the industry, uplifted underrepresented groups, and continue to inspire the next generation of creative leaders, said Kevin Swanepoel, CEO, The One Club. Its only appropriate to engage the broader community and open the nomination process up globally to those who represent the current state of creative excellence. The Gulf of Mexico may have a hurricane on its hands in the next few days. The National Hurricane Center designated Tropical Depression Ten in the northwestern Caribbean Sea on Saturday, and it is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and head in the direction of Florida next week. Forecasters were also tracking a stronger Hurricane Franklin (which is no U.S. threat) in the western Atlantic and two other tropical waves. Franklin could become a Category 4 hurricane later this week and is forecast to pass west of Bermuda. But its the new depression headed for the Gulf that is the one to watch. It could become a tropical storm by Sunday -- and a hurricane by Tuesday, according to the hurricane center. The hurricane center began issuing advisories on the depression on Saturday afternoon -- and track maps. Here is the forecast track as of 10 p.m. CDT Saturday: Tropical Depression 10 could become a tropical storm on Sunday. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba, and tropical storm watches were in effect for other parts of Cuba. As of Saturday night the depression was centered 55 miles east-northeast of Cozumel, Mexico, and was drifting southwest at 2 mph, according to the hurricane center. The depressions winds increased to 35 mph late Saturday, the hurricane center said. A system has to have winds of at least 39 mph to become a tropical storm and get a name. The next names on the Atlantic storm list, by the way, are Idalia (pronounced ee-DAL-ya), Jose and Katia. The hurricane center said the depression may not move much through Sunday, but then it should begin to track slowly northward on Monday. It could make into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by Monday. Landfall, possibly on the Florida Panhandle south of Tallahassee, could come by late Tuesday or Wednesday. Forecasters cautioned, however, that the long-term track is far from certain: Users are reminded that there is significant uncertainty in 3-4 day intensity predictions and are urged to monitor changes to future forecasts. The hurricane centers intensity forecast has the storm peaking as a Category 1 hurricane before landfall. The depression is forecast to strengthen during the next few days and could become a hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, bringing a potential of dangerous storm surge, heavy rainfall, and strong winds to portions of the west coast of Florida and the Florida Panhandle by the middle of next week, the hurricane center said. Heavy rainfall is also likely to spread into portions of the Southeast U.S. by mid to late next week. Although it is too soon to specify the exact location and magnitude of these impacts, residents in these areas should monitor updates to the forecast of this system and ensure that they have their hurricane plan in place. The National Weather Service in Mobile continued to watch the system and said on Saturday that it could at the very least increase the risk for rip currents along the Alabama and northwest Florida coasts next week. Expect rain chances to increase as well -- especially on Tuesday and Wednesday -- with scattered to numerous storms expected. The hurricane center was also tracking Franklin, which on Saturday morning became the second hurricane in the Atlantic in the 2023 season. Franklin continued to strengthen on Saturday , but it is not expected to directly affect the U.S. Franklin was a Category 1 hurricane on Saturday and was expected to strengthen next week. Franklin had 85 mph winds as of 10 p.m. CDT Saturday, making it a Category 1 hurricane. The hurricane centers intensity forecast shows Franklin possibly peaking as a Category 4 hurricane with 130 mph winds in a few days. Franklin was located 615 miles south-southwest of Bermuda on Saturday night and was tracking to the northwest at 8 mph. The center of the storm is forecast to pass west of Bermuda by Tuesday, and it could be a major hurricane at that point. Franklin is the second hurricane so far in the Atlantic this year. The first was Don, which briefly strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane in July but didnt affect land and quickly weakened. The hurricane center was also tracking a tropical wave in the central Atlantic that could become a tropical depression soon but is no threat to land. Another tropical wave that could develop was expected to move off Africas west coast by early next week and track westward. SpaceX's Starship rocket is one step closer to launching again. The private space company recently succeeded in test-firing the boosters for its Starship rocket, clearing one crucial obstacle to launching it soon. Starship's first launch went up in smoke after it experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" during the test. It has yet to pass a test-fire until recently. Next Destination: Space? SpaceX is excited to try out its Starship rocket again. According to a Space.com report, the private space company successfully ignited the rocket's Raptor Super Heavy booster engines for its second "static" fire test. During this time, the booster sat atop SpaceX's orbital launch mount at the company's Starbase site in South Texas while burning its engines for about six seconds as planned. The test, which SpaceX broadcasted live in a webcast, was a success - all of the rocket's engines (of which there are 33) ignited successfully. However, there is a problem with the test towards its end. While all 33 of the engines ignited, only 31 burned their engines for the rest of the six-second test; the other two shut down prematurely. Regardless, SpaceX considered the test a success and gave itself a pat on the back for it, though it didn't clarify if 31 is a sufficient number to proceed with a launch attempt. It even said that the test was an "exciting milestone" during the webcast, per Space News. Read More: Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano Visits Fortnite Battle Royale Having only two engines prematurely shutting is better than four, as was the case for SpaceX's previous test. You may recall that SpaceX's previous test was considered a "mostly successful" affair, as only 29 of the 33 engines ignited as planned. The four faulty engines shut down prematurely, which meant less thrust for the rocket's first stage. Despite only 29 of its 33 engines, however, SpaceX deemed it a success because 29 is still a "good number," and its engines and orbital launch mount are still intact and emerged from the test in one piece. Lack Of Prerequisites While SpaceX is excited about attempting a second test launch of its Starship rocket, it has yet to gain clearance to do so. A report from Ars Technica stated that the private space company must receive a launch license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Once the FAA and SpaceX accept or modify the "mishap investigation report" the former has been reviewing, they will identify what the latter must do to ensure the safety of people, property, and wildlife near its South Texas site before it can get its desired clearance. SpaceX seems to be confident it will get the FAA clearance it needs. According to CEO Elon Musk, the company has made more than 1,000 design changes to its Starship rocket after its first test flight, which includes a "hot staging ring" meant to facilitate a difficult maneuver called "hot staging." Thanks to this ring, Starship's upper stage will now begin firing its six Raptor engines before fully separating from the Super Heavy booster. Related Article: SpaceX's Latest Starship Booster Fire Test 'Mostly Successful' The Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed is about to bring up some Stuff you might have forgotten about. Yes, thats Stuff with a capital S. Over the last half-century of American popular music, there have been a handful of cases where accomplished studio musicians took to the stage, carving out a name for themselves as respected live performance acts. One of them was Stuff, formed in the middle of the 70s by bassist Gordon Edwards, guitarists Cornell Dupree and Eric Gale, keyboardist Richard Tee and drummer Chris Parker, with the later addition of Steve Gadd on drums. Decades later, Stuff doesnt have quite the same renown as, say, Booker T. & The M.G.s. But the group had a great run from 1976 through 1980, releasing steady stream of albums and seeing some of them go gold. MOJOs long-running Jazz Jambalaya series has always had a broad palette, ranging from blues and bebop to R&B and contemporary jazz, so its not exactly a stretch for Stuff to be chosen as the focus for the Jambalaya coming up on Monday, Aug. 28. But its probably still safe to say that the session will go down as one of the funkiest Jambalayas on record. Starting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Club 601 @ The Elks, 601 State St. in downtown Mobile, a select band of coastal players will go through some Stuff for Jambalaya patrons. The ensemble includes drummers Fred Domulot and Jimmy Roebuck, bassist Joe Murphy, keyboardist John Link and guitarists William Howell and Clint Hall. Though hes not in the band, one local player whos likely to be among the listeners is guitarist Rick Hirsch, one of the founding members of Wet Willie. Hirsch said he has particular reason to appreciate the music. Wet Willie actually did some touring with Stuff, Hirsch said. Wet Willie toured with just about any working group that had product out in the 70s, you name it, from REO Speedwagon to Stuff to Wishbone Ash. But Stuff was one of my favorite groups because I was already into them and knew all about them. They actually opened for us, that was quite a remarkable thing in itself. Hirsch said he knew the players and held them in high regard because of all the work theyd done on Atlantic Records sessions for producer Arif Mardin. He had a more personal appreciation for one of Stuffs guitarists. Cornell Dupree was one of my guitar heroes, I just love the way he played, said Hirsch. All that stuff that I play in Red Hot Chicken came straight out of Cornell Dupree, basically. It was really a pleasure to get to see them play at that close vantage point and to shoot the breeze with Cornell, Hirsch said. Theres some beautiful stuff those guys did, he said. Hirsch isnt alone in his appreciation, said MOJO leader Kevin Lee. Ive noticed among musicians that when I say something about Stuff, their ears perk up. Theyre in a weird spot where theyre not really jazz, theyre not really blues, theyre not really funk and theyre not really soul, theyre just kind of their own thing, Lee said. Im really looking forward to it, I think the audience is just going to eat it up. Tickets for the Jazz Jambalaya session are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers, and are available through mojojazz.org. Food is not included in the admission price, but beverages and a limited menu are available from the venue. For updates on the performers and other MOJO activities, visit www.facebook.com. A Friday-night shooting in Montgomery left a young teen dead. Police and medics were dispatched at 10:10 p.m. to the 4800 block of Park Towne Way on a report of a person shot, said Maj. Saba Coleman. When they arrived on the scene, they found a 15-year-old boy wounded. He was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Coleman said no additional details were available. No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call Montgomery detectives at 334-625-2831, the Secret Witness tip line at 334-625-4000 or Central Alabama Crime Stoppers at 334-215-STOP. An early-morning crash in eastern Alabama left two teens dead, and another seriously injured. Valley police officers were dispatched at 4:21 a.m. Friday to Interstate 85 northbound near the 73-mile marker. Police Chief Mike Reynolds said officers arrived to find a single-vehicle crash. The driver and a passenger, both 19 and from Lanett, were pronounced dead on the scene. Another passenger had been ejected and was found in the median. He was taken to Piedmont Hospital in Columbus. His condition wasnt immediately available, but he is also 19 and from Lanett. Reynolds said the wreck is still under investigation by the Valley Police Department and the Chambers County Coroners office. Alabama Power scored as one of the lowest utilities in the country in a new energy efficiency report published this week, ranking 51st out of 53 utilities surveyed. Alabamas largest electricity provider scored just 5 out of 100 possible points in the scorecard, published Thursday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The utility earned a 0 for categories such as overall energy savings, programs aimed at low-income populations, achieving energy efficiency targets, peak demand reduction and setting energy efficiency targets for the future. The Southeast region as a whole struggles with energy efficiency, said Mike Specian, lead author of the report and utilities manager for ACEEE. If you look at the achievements of Southeastern utilities, they tend to be among the worst in the country just as a cohort. And to be near the bottom of that cohort is kind of an ignominious distinction. Specian said Alabama Power was one of six utilities included in the scorecard that chose not to respond to ACEEEs survey, meaning all the information had to be pulled from publicly available sources. The company finished dead last in the 2020 scorecard. Alabama Power spokesperson Alyson Tucker said the company chose not to participate in the scorecard because they feel it does not adequately give them credit for things they are doing to assist customers. Alabama Power has robust energy efficiency programs and energy-reduction programs that support our customers and their desire to be more energy efficient, Tucker said in an email. We do not participate in the ACEEE survey and feel their scoring methodology excludes some energy-efficiency and reduction programs that have made a real difference for Alabama Power customers. Alabama Power is committed to providing our customers options to best manage their bill, Tucker said. Our company continues to heavily emphasize a number of energy efficiency tips for all seasons, geared toward making the customers home more energy efficient, while also keeping them comfortable. Tucker said those programs include: But those programs didnt impress ACEEE. According to the scorecard, Alabama Power earned its five points for the following: Alabama Power earned 1 of 3 possible points for residential efficiency programs offered 2 of 3 possible points for commercial and industrial programs 1 point for offering a time of use rate that encourages power use during off-peak hours 1 point for including energy efficiency in its integrated resource plan The thing that we weight most importantly, is just what has the utility accomplished, Specian said. Its largely a question of are they investing any of their revenue and energy efficiency programs? And are they achieving savings through those investments? Alabama Power was the only Alabama utility included in the scorecard. The Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides power for much of north Alabama, was not included because it is a wholesaler and efficiency programs vary among the local power companies that operate within TVA territory, none of which are large enough to make the scorecard. Specian said the ranking was not just a reflection of Alabama Power itself, but also of the state legislature and the Alabama Public Service Commission, which regulates the utility. In truth, all three of those things generally need to be working in concert, working together for a utility to be able to effectively help its customers save energy, lower their bills, reduce energy burdens, improve in-home comfort, help the grid as an energy resource and all the myriad benefits that energy efficiency brings, he said. Part of the problem comes down to money, Specian said. Alabama Power, like most regulated utilities, earns a rate of return on the infrastructure like power plants that it needs to serve its customers. So building more power plants means more profit for the company. Encouraging customers to use less energy does not. Energy efficiency doesnt fit into that model, Specian said. With energy efficiency, youre lowering electricity demand which not only reduces volumetric sales, but reduces the need to have more equipment out there, more infrastructure. Alabama Power in recent years has focused on building new infrastructure, including a $1.1 billion expansion approved in 2020 that involved the purchase of one existing natural gas plant, and the construction of a new natural gas unit at Plant Barry in Mobile County. Alabama Power says a new combined-cycle unit under construction in at Plant Barry in Mobile County will be among the most efficient natural gas plants in the country when complete.Alabama Power Company The company also recently applied for license to build a new energy storage facility on Chandler Mountain, before withdrawing its application amid a fierce public backlash. A utility that chooses to focus on just building more generation is depriving its customers of the ability to have a system that meets their energy demands with less resources, Specian said. If you can meet energy demands with less resources, thats less revenue, thats less profit that goes into the utility themselves. Ohio Edison finished last in the scorecard, with a score of 2.5. Specian said that an Ohio state law enacted in 2020 blocked utilities from offering efficiency measures, effectively canceling many of the programs in the scorecard. That state law, primarily a $1.3 billion bailout for Ohio utilities, was passed only after what has been called the biggest corruption scandal in state history, as Ohio utilities funneled more than $61 million to state politicians to ensure the passage of the bill. Ohios House Speaker and the head of the state GOP were convicted of racketeering and sentenced to prison for their role in the scandal. There is now a bipartisan effort in Ohio to pass a bill that would allow energy efficiency programs to resume. Specian said that efficiency measures can benefit all utility customers, not just the customers who choose to take advantage of programs offered. Whenever a single customer helps to reduce demand on the system, that reduces the need for all this infrastructure that is paid for by all ratepayers, he said. The programs can also help customers live in comfort year-round, during blazing hot summer days and cold winter mornings. A big reason that people tend to engage in these programs is not only to save money, but also for comfort, Specian said. Weatherization measures, for example, having a better roof with better insulation and better ventilation -- is often cited as the number one reason why people engage in those programs. A white man fatally shot three people inside a Jacksonville, Florida, Dollar General store on Saturday in a predominately Black neighborhood in an attack that the local sheriff called racially motivated. The shooter then killed himself. He hated black people, Sheriff T.K. Waters told a news conference. There is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group. Waters said the shooter, who was in his 20s, used a Glock handgun and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with at least one of the firearms painted with a swastika. He left behind writings that led investigators to believe that he committed the shooting because it was the fifth anniversary of when another gunman opened fire during a video game tournament in Jacksonville, killing two people before fatally shooting himself. The shooting happened just before 2 p.m. at a Dollar General near Edward Waters University, a small historically Black university. The shooter had driven there from neighboring Clay County. Shortly before the attack, the shooter had sent his father a text message telling him to check his computer. The father found writings and the family notified 911, but the shooting had already begun, Sheriff Waters said. Edward Waters University students were being kept in their dorms, the school said in a statement. No students or faculty are believed involved, the school said. Penny Jones told the The Associated Press that she worked at the store until a few months ago. She lives a few blocks away in the predominantly Black neighborhood. Im just waiting to hear about my co-workers that I used to work with, Jones said. I dont know if its safe to move about the neighborhood. Jones added that she was feeling awkward, scared. I dont want to leave my house. Im thinking, do I want to go back to the store? Is this going to start happening more frequently? I dont know what the cause of it is. Im confused. Its a lot of different feelings going on right now, she said Saturday afternoon. The deadly shooting took place within hours of the conclusion of a commemorative March on Washington in the nations capital, where organizers drew attention to the growing threat of hate-motivated violence against people of color. An attack on a shopping center in a predominately Black neighborhood will undoubtedly evoke fears of past shootings targeting Black Americans, like the one at a Buffalo, New York, supermarket in 2022, and one at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. The Buffalo supermarket shooting, in particular, stands apart as one of the deadliest targeted attacks on Black people by a white lone gunman in U.S. history. Ten people were killed by the gunman, who has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole A state prison worker is under arrest after authorities say she tried to smuggle drugs into William Donaldson Correctional Facility. Jasmonique Ware, 30, of Hueytown, is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, unlawful possession of marijuana and promoting prison contraband. Ware was a mental health worker at the west Jefferson County prison. When Ware went to work on Thursday, correctional officers conducted a search. They found two packages on her and plastic bag with an unknown substance under the food in her bag. Jasmonique Ware is charged with trying to smuggle drugs into William Donaldson Correctional Facility. (ADOC) The two packages contained five clear bags of marijuana and two clear bags of suspected methamphetamine. Ware is an employee of YesCare, the health care services provider for the ADOC. She was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 10:08 p.m. Thursday and remains held on bonds totaling $45,000. Why do people commit suicide? Volumes have been written on the subject and in many cases, we know, or like to think we know, what motivated them to do so. But some cases, even after ready explanations, still remain rather mysterious. A little over a month ago Richard Bilkszto, a middle-aged Toronto high school principal, jumped to his death from the sixteenth floor of his condo building. His suicide briefly made a stir in the legacy media because it was said that he had taken his life because of a nasty encounter he had had with a DEI indoctrinator. During a diversity training session, he had had the temerity to open his mouth and make a mild comment about the narrative that was being shoved down the throats of the attendees, that Canada is an irredeemably white supremacist racist country, worse even than the United States. His exact words were, Is there room for improvement -- absolutely! Are we racist and everything -- absolutely! This mild deviation from the narrative was all it took for Kike Ojo-Thompson, the race-hustler that was doing the brainwashing, to mercilessly lash out at him giving him a severe dressing-down in front of everyone present followed by another such harangue at the next session. Though an ensuing investigation by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board found that he had been bullied he received no support from the administration. Indeed, there followed a pile-on by some of the fully-woke attendees. Directly after Ojo-Thompson thus shamed him he took a seven-week sickness leave ostensibly due to depression and on July 17 killed himself. Obituaries following his death have portrayed Richard Bilkszto as a hero for daring to open his mouth. But one must be forgiven for asking, if he was indeed a hero, why did he kill himself in the face of such a manifestly stupid and ugly reproach from a nasty harridan? With all due compassion for this poor man, we still need to ask, is that all there is to the story? Really? A professional race-hustler gives you a dressing-down for mildly questioning her toxic narrative in a public meeting and that is all that it takes to make you take your own life? What kind of hero would do this rather than stand his ground and fight on in the face of such evil? His death was indeed tragic, but why call it the death of a hero? And might it not also be added that a society that would deem it so is rather pathetic? At this point a little more background is in order. The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is one of the most woke, and therefore most toxic, in North America. Richard Bilkszto has been and should be commended for his moment of courage. But it was not his courage that made him commit suicide, it was what might be called his leftist fragility. Janice Fiamengo has pointed out that to get where he got in the TDSB, to work his way up the ranks and be promoted to principal, and to be praised for his work he must have bought into all the garbage (DEI, Critical Race Theory,) that the TDSB has been shoving down the throats of its employees for at least a generation. There is no reason not to believe that he was indeed a very fine teacher and principal but all within the context of working in a toxic workplace, a workplace where the poison is always in the air and virtually inescapable. During his courageous moment, this high school principal was listening to his healthiest instincts and to reason and was trying to embrace or at least describe reality. He was like a drowning person coming up for air. Unfortunately, he had apparently already internalized poisonous thoughts about his own country and at that moment must have suffered from unimaginable cognitive dissonance. As Janice Fiamengo has observed, Having spent years believing, trying to believe, or trying not to be overly bothered by the idea that a school system should promote equality of outcomes and that achievement gaps can and must be closed, Bilkszto was caught in an ideology that both inspired and did violence to his best instincts. No wonder, then, that when he lost his public identity as an anti-racist educator, he could not bear it. The damage was done to him not only in the training session but in the years before. Now that Bilkszto is dead, now that the system has been publicly embarrassed by this heinous outcome which is impossible to sweep under the rug, Kike Ojo-Thomas is getting some flak, which she is naturally dismissing as yet another manifestation of white supremacy. Perhaps she will lose some clients for a while, she might even have to reboot as another brand. Since she charged the TDSB $60,000 for four diversity training sessions, perhaps by now she has already made enough money from her lucrative hustling to comfortably retire for the rest of her life. Now that this poor man has taken his life the Ministry of Education of Ontario and the TDSB have announced plans to investigate what happened. This is a joke, because what happened at these DEI struggle sessions happened not behind closed doors but in plain sight before numerous witnesses. Moreover, in the present climate DEI training is now everywhere and, more likely than not, everyone who will be investigating the matter will have been through the training themselves and acquiesced to its agenda. Theodore Dalrymple has pointed out the hard truth: those who acquiesce to propaganda and lies are no longer passive but become complicit in them. These investigations will take time because a PR firm will have to be hired. The powers that be will also need to lawyer-up in case there is a wrongful death suit on the way or, one would hope, even a class-action lawsuit for poisoning of the workplace because working this kind of environment is the psychological equivalent of working with asbestos and has resulted in this employees death. If he had not killed himself, Richard Bilksztos feeble protest at the diversity training session would have quickly faded out of memory as a tiny blip on the radar of public protest against the evil of wokeness. But now that there are inquiries into his death the question is: will anything change, will this garbage known as DEI finally be flushed down the toilet where it belongs? One would hope so, and if it does, then in taking his life Richard Bilkszto will have made the supreme sacrifice for the good of the world. In the movie Gladiator, before their mortal combat, the Emperor Commodus, who claimed to be an accomplished swordsman, stealthily stabbed, and lethally wounded his opponent Maximus before facing him in the Colosseum. In a way, Bilkszto, like Maximus was indeed a hero because he tried to save himself from the poison that had been infused in him, and had he succeeded he might, by example, have saved others along with himself. But by the time he tried, he, like Maximus, had already been mortally wounded. Unfortunately, unlike Maximus who also died trying to save himself and others, in doing so Richard was not able to take the evil emperor with him. Image: PickPik What is the point of a national government? Can a government serve its people if it is not democratically elected? The answer to the second depends on the answer to the first. Consider El Salvador. The president, Nayib Bukele, was democratically elected in 2019 and proceeded with wide-ranging arrests of criminals and gang members with nary a thought to their rights. His nationwide dragnet caught up tens of thousands and some indiscriminately so but freed the law-abiding citizenry from a reign of terror with some of the highest murder rates in the Western world and an economy based on payoffs to drug lords. The people of El Salvador give very, very high marks to their less-than-human-rights-or-prisoner-rights-oriented president. Now others in the region want to emulate him. The U.S. is considering sanctioning El Salvador over its democratic deficits. Questions: Will economic sanctions help the people, or will it make them hungrier? Will it provide a wider opening for China? Will it help the government become more democratic? How? Move now to Africa. While El Salvador has received little press attention, the recent coup in Niger has received a bit more mostly having to do with some presumed backsliding on democratic norms in Niger. But look more closely. In June, Omar Touray, president of the 15-nations known as Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), reported to the U.N. Security Council that there were more than 1,800 terrorist attacks in West Africa in the first six months of 2023, resulting in nearly 4,600 deaths. Touray told the UN that half a million people in ECOWAS countries are refugees and nearly 6.2 million are internally displaced. If there isnt an adequate international response to the 30 million people ECOWAS assesses need food right now, he said, another 12 million will be added to the rolls next month. U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the U.N., The United States remains gravely concerned by democratic backsliding across the region and is deeply concerned by the spread of instability in coastal West Africa. Mr. Ambassador, coastal West Africa is not backsliding, it never was a secure, democratic region. In the last ten years, there have been 15 coups and 33 attempted coups some countries had multiples, including the present object of concern, Niger, which had three coups and an attempt. Mr. Touray said terrorism, armed rebellion, organized crime, unconstitutional changes of government, illegal maritime activities, environmental crises and fake news were responsible for the region's problems. But Mr. Touray is discussing symptoms without mentioning the disease ISIS. ISIS, uncontrolled and well-armed, is wreaking havoc across the region. And the junta in Niger and the ones that took over in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Gambia make a further point that civilian governments have proven incapable of controlling the security issues created by ISIS. According to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, the military juntas are correct. One of ISISs largest and most powerful regional branches, ISISWest Africa controls broad swaths of territory (It) rejects national borders and seeks to discredit regional governments and eventually replace them with an ISIS-style state (promoting) sectarian violence and (exploiting) poor economic conditions and social divisions to attract members. It receives funding from ISIS core and local revenue sources, including kidnappings-for-ransom, taxation, and extortion. ISIS has declared war military war on the region and all the other issues are weapons in its arsenal. Just as MS-13 and other gangs and cartels have done in El Salvador. It is not an American problem to solve, but the West has not proven to be tremendously effective in counterinsurgency warfare. New strategy and tactics must be devised and executed. The war against ISIS and MS-13 must be won first because the other issues civilian issues require physical security and stability. France couldnt be rebuilt in 1942. Speaking of France, there is clearly a strong element of anti-colonial sentiment among the people and the military juntas. West Africa was under French colonial control and the people have no confidence in it as a political or security partner. The U.S. is not former colonial power in Africa and the U.S. military was working with the military of Niger on stopping ISIS, which might account for the fact that the U.S. government is still in contact with the junta. The U.S. has leverage and some political capital to spend along with the money we have been spending. This leaves an enormous question for Washington to answer: What is the point of government? If the point is to defend the concept of democracy, there is one set of obligations. But if the point of government is to protect the people, there is another. Form over function will not work. That's what we see playing out in both El Salvador and Niger. Image: RawPixel // CC0 public domain In a now widely noted Tablet article, David Garrow pointed out Obamas fantasies of sexual perversion with men. To that, ATs Jack Cashill added the dishonesty in Obamas autobiography regarding the question of his birth and his claim to being the author of his first book. Whats also missing from Obama biographies is his identification with Islam. Obama is, after all, the bearer of two Arabic names, with the second that of the Prophet Muhammeds grandson. In fact, Obama was not president more the ten minutes when he did a most common Islamic thing; during his first inaugural address, he slapped the Jews in the face but did it so subtly that few noticed. When he was reprising the proud American cliche about being a nation of all religions and ethnicities, Obama did not use the common and accurate couplet Judeo-Christian to describe American culture. The first Americans were heavily Old Testament Christians whose social models were drawn from the Jewish Bible. One estimate is that a third of the laws in the Thirteen Colonies were directly lifted from it. During the Revolution, when the Continental Congress asked Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin, and John Adams to design a seal for the new republic, one idea was a bas relief of Moses leading the Children of Israel to freedom. Traditionally as well, in American communities with a Jewish presence, shopkeepers will decorate their display windows on one side with Merry Christmas and on the other Happy Chanukah. But Obama said something very different: We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers He effectively dispossessed the Jews from being the second-most important religious community in the country, demoting them to third place next to the Islamically-hated Hindus, who endured arguably the greatest massacres in history, greater than the Jewish Holocaust, at the hands of Muslims who overran the Indian subcontinent, killing an estimated 90 million of them over the centuries. The next day, Obamas first in the Oval Office, with the US economy a shambles after the 2008 crash, Obama didnt first call a respected economist for advice. Instead, he called Mahmoud Abbas, partner and successor to Yasir Arafat, the most successful Jew-killer since Adolf Hitler. He also called two other Muslim state leaders and the smarmy Prime Minister of Israel and future jailbird for fraud Ehud Olmert. Once in power, Obama ordered that government documents could no longer join the words Islamic and terrorism in the same phrase. Three months in his presidency, Obama made his first foreign trip, not to ally Israel, but to Egypt, for a speech co-sponsored by Cairo University and Al-Azhar University, though the latter isnt a university as people in the West know the term. For a thousand years, it was nothing but a seminary for aspiring Muslim priests. In the 1960s, Al-Azhar added a secular subject or two and started calling itself a university, but remains mostly a seminary and is the alma mater of many of the major Muslim terrorism-preaching clerics of the last century. Obamas audience that day were Muslims for whom religious piety includes the glorious martyrdom of simultaneously committing suicide and murdering Jews. Image from the public domain. In the audience were ten members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Indeed, various Middle Eastern news sources report[ed] that the [Obama] administration insisted that at least 10 members of the Muslim Brotherhood be present. The Brotherhood, founded in Egypt in 1928 in reaction to Ataturks Turkish nationalism after the fall of the Muslim Caliphate, has never recognized the legitimacy of Egypts secular governments, and thousands of its members have spent time in Egyptian jails. Obama effectively bypassed the Egyptian national assembly and spoke under the auspices of the historic Muslim seminary preaching jihad. His speech opened with a minute of thank yous to Al Azhar, Egypt and Cairo U, then elided into a formal address that began with As-salaamu alaykum!Islams plagiarized version of the Hebrew shalom aleichemand did so with proper pronunciation and cadence. His audience erupted in cheers and applause because his affect was I am one of you. After all, Obama had two Muslim fathers (one biological, one adoptive), and spent some years as a boy in Indonesia. Although he first attended a Catholic school, he then switched to a government school, which in that country meant daily prayers. He is proud that, even as an adult, he can recite flawlessly the opening lines to the Muslim call to prayer. During his speech, while Obama said, I am a Christian, he added, I have known Islam on three continents before coming to the region where it was first revealed. But no serious Christian believes the Koran was revealed. Catholicism does not even consider Islam a separate religion but, instead, as a heresy because the Koran doesnt acknowledge Jesuss divinity. In any case, that volume is largely a plagiarized version of Jewish Scripture, containing the stories of dozens of Biblical Jews, all of them altered and corrupted. (When Muslims are asked to explain the discrepancieswith the Jewish versions having been written down some two thousand years before Muhammad was even bornMuslims say the Jews stole the stories from them. They say that when Jews say Musa brought down the Torah from Mt. Sinai, the Jews are lying because Musa really brought down the Koran, after which the evil Al-Yahud snatched it away and re-wrote it, making the Torah false. Sura 3:78) Obama also said, I made clear that America is notand will never beat war with IslamThe partnership between America and Islam must be based on what Islam is, not what it isnt. And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam. These are strange statements. The US, like all governments, engages with other nations governments, not religions. The US government has no relationship, for example, with Indias Jains or Japanese Shinto. And where is it written that an American president is responsible for fighting against negative stereotypes of Islam? Moreover, what did Obama mean about the US being at war with Islam? Perhaps he was remembering that Islam sees itself at war with America because the US supports Israel, whose existence is an insult to Islam. Indeed, 9/11 can be described as the greatest antisemitic massacre since WWII, though most victims were not Jews. Fourteen months after the horror, Osama bin Ladin explained that the main reason for what he did on 9/11 was because America is his enemy for supporting Israel. Seven months later, Fort Hood, a Muslim US Army officer massacred thirteen fellow officers and wounded thirty-three other soldiers while shouting Allahu akbar! Obamas administration characterized this as workplace violence, as if there had been a dispute over who was next in line at the water cooler that got out of hand. He also said at the UN, The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam, and elsewhere has said, The Muslim call to prayer is one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset. Obama also spent years in the church of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who once invited Louis Farrakhan to deliver a sermon to his flock and receive a medal of honor; and then there is that photograph of a smiling Obama standing next to Louis Farrakhan that had been kept secret until after the former left office. Benjamin Netanyahu, in his recently published autobiography, says a meeting he had with Obama ended with words that Netanyahu refused to quote directly but that were threatening and vulgar, perhaps in a class with (my words, not his) Dont f with me or Ill cut your b-lls off. I hope someday Israels prime minister reveals Obamas exact, insulting words. (see Bibi, hardcover edition, pps. 422-423.) Lastly, there was Obamas so-called Iran Deal which supported Iran developing A-bombs after he had left office, the same Iran whose mullahs have publicly joked and dreamed of nuking the worlds only tiny, Jewish state. Obamas perverted sex fantasies may have prurient interest, but his love of Islam surely affected his policies. Moreover, given that many believe he is still in charge, he could be instructing the senile and stupid criminal Biden how to destroy America for the same reason al-Qaeda wanted to, because the Koran calls the Jews Islams greatest enemy (5:82) and the US is Israels life preserver. _________________________________________________________ Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States ambassador to the United Nations, and the sitting president of the United Nations Security Council, gavels in a meeting of the council to discuss the war in Ukraine, Aug. 24, at United Nations headquarters. AP-Yonhap The United States' envoy to the United Nations called on the U.N. Security Council, Friday, to condemn North Korea's recent failed satellite launch, while insisting that China and Russia's refusal to hold the North accountable for its actions is encouraging the recalcitrant country to continue its provocations. The U.S. envoy. Thomas Linda-Greenfield, said China and Russia's refusal to condemn North Korean provocations was "troubling." "I urge every council member every single member of this council to condemn this launch and discourage the DPRK from conducting another test," the U.S. diplomat told a UNSC meeting in New York. The emergency meeting comes after Pyongyang made a second failed attempt to launch what it claims would have been its first military reconnaissance satellite, Thursday (KST). "This should be an issue that unifies us. We have all reaffirmed our commitment to the global non-proliferation regime time and time again. But since the beginning of 2022, this council has failed to live up to its commitments because of China and Russia's obstructionism," Thomas-Greenfield said. More than a dozen UNSC meetings have been held since the start of last year to discuss North Korean provocations, including an unprecedented 69 ballistic missile tests in 2022. China and Russia, both close neighbors of North Korea, have vetoed all proposed actions against North Korea in those meetings. "This is a relatively new phenomenon here and an increasingly troubling one, I have to say," said Thomas-Greenfield, noting that both China and Russia had voted in favor of UNSC resolutions on North Korea in 2017. "Russia and China are not living up to their responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Instead, they are celebrating, celebrating violations of Security Council resolutions and continuing to block council action," she added. The U.S. ambassador stressed a need for the UNSC to take "unequivocal" action. "We must unequivocally and denounce the DPRK's unlawful behavior. We must call on the DPRK to fully and faithfully implement all relevant Security Council resolutions and we must address the DPRK global revenue generating activities, which fund its unlawful weapons program," she said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Friday's UNSC meeting ended without any concrete outcome, again due to explicit opposition from China and Russia. "Clearly, the convening of today's meeting is a merely a cynical, hypocritical attempt by the U.S. and allies to step up pressure on Pyongyang and to detract attention from the reckless escalatory actions of Washington and its allies in the region, who represent the real sources of threats to international peace and security," a Russian envoy to the United Nations told the meeting through an interpreter. China echoed the sentiment. "Several parties, including the U.S., have been continually engaged in military activities," a Chinese envoy said, referring to the U.S.' joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan. "Notwithstanding the reflex of certain countries to pin all the blame on the DPRK as usual, it must be pointed out that the DPRK's recent launches are closely linked to the military activities of certain relevant countries," the Chinese diplomat added, while speaking through an interpreter. North Korea's envoy to the United Nations claimed that it was the country's sovereign right to launch a satellite, while accusing the U.S. and its allies of escalating nuclear tension in the region. "As we made it clear time and again, our launch of the reconnaissance satellite is an exercise of the legitimate right to self-defense to deter ever increasing hostile military act of the United States and its followers," the North Korean diplomat told the UNSC meeting. The North Korean envoy said the country will "more vigorously exercise its legitimate right" to launch a satellite should the U.S. continue its hostile policy toward North Korea. Pyongyang said earlier that it plans to take its third attempt at putting a military satellite into orbit in October. (Yonhap) Doctors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the NYU Langone Transplant Institute in New York City reported successfully implanting genetically modified pig kidneys into two "brain dead" men this month. The New York patient, a 57-year-old man, has demonstrated continuous kidney function for over a month, the longest time that a gene-edited pig kidney has functioned successfully in a human. The team plans to observe the patient's kidney functioning until mid-September, during which time he is being provided with cardiopulmonary support in a critical care setting. In Alabama, a 52-year-old man with both "brain death" and renal failure underwent removal of his native kidneys and was implanted with a pig kidney that had received ten genetic modifications. In contrast to last year's results (in which the xenograft kidney placed into the "brain dead" person failed to function properly), Dr. Jayme E. Locke and her team reported that this time, the xenograft kidney functioned well for the full seven-day study period, which included daily kidney biopsies. These xenografts not only made urine, but they cleared ... toxins and maintained normal renal function, and really stability, in this model for a full seven days," said Locke. "And, in fact, at study completion, the kidneys were still working[.]" Medical ethicists are less impressed. Joel Zivot, M.D., M.A., J.M. wrote in an opinion piece for MedPage Today: Broadly, the rightness or wrongness of this type of procedure [is] the consequence[] of a series of moral choices, thus far unreported and unexamined, and include the problems of brain death, human experimentation, consent, rationing, and animal rights. He points out that the concept of "brain death" has turned people into resources, commodities to be used for the valuable vital organs they possess. Most people do not receive any type of informed consent when they selflessly sign a donor card at the Department of Motor Vehicles and have no idea that they can be considered "dead" while they are still respiring and have a beating heart. Or that doctors currently are not following the legal definition of death by neurologic criteria under the Uniform Determination of Death Act (or UDDA, some form of which has been passed into law by all 50 states). While the UDDA requires "cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem" for a diagnosis of "brain death," doctors now generally follow the 2010 American Academy of Neurology Guidelines, which require only documentation of coma, a bedside test of brainstem reflexes, and an apnea test. No other special studies of "the entire brain" are required. According to Dr. Zivot, [d]eath is the permanent absence of the signs of life. Permanence remains a problem in the case of "brain death" as we can't know the durability of the state of death until it proves itself durable. Mistakes have been made in determining death. ... Brain death determination continues to have uncertainty. It is conceivable that a tiny remnant of brain function may elude detection. As functional brain imaging advances, we will likely detect brain activity we thought absent. How comfortable are we with the possibility that some deep brain function might still be present in those we call brain-dead? In 2008, The President's Council on Bioethics published a white paper, "Controversies in the Determination of Death." At that time, they justified continuing the neurological standard for "brain death" because of strong moral convictions about the respect owed to the newly "dead." While they granted the necessity of maintaining these "bodies" for a short time to facilitate organ-harvesting, they deplored the unnecessary anguish of families whose loved ones were continuing to be ventilated and maintained after such a diagnosis. But the two "brain dead" men discussed above are receiving no such respect. They are being maintained on ventilators as xenograft hosts until such time as the experiment is terminated and they are sacrificed for pathological examination. And it is very unlikely that these men were given the chance to consent to this treatment. Zivot writes: Current advance directives contain no language for such postmortem wishes. Individuals may sign up to be organ donors in advance of death, but donating one's entire brain-dead body to host a xenograft transplant is without clear precedent. ... Brain death, as a criterion for death, must constantly reflect what is known and justify why the possibility of a wrong brain death diagnosis can be set aside if a xenograft experiment, or any other experiment, is at stake. The best possible outcome would be that perhaps some of these "brain dead" people now being used as xenograft hosts would demonstrate neurological improvement during the time that they are being given top-flight ICU care as medical test subjects. The diagnosis of "brain death" is usually a self-fulfilling prophecy, with these unfortunate people either quickly becoming organ donors or having their medical support withdrawn. But more and more people, such as Zack Dunlap, Jahi McMath, Taylor Hale, Trenton McKinley, and others, are proving doctors wrong about their "brain death" diagnosis. These "brain death" survivors prove that this diagnosis can be made in error, and that using these people for medical experimentation is ethically unjustified. Dr. Heidi Klessig is a retired anesthesiologist and pain management specialist. Her work may be found at respectforhumanlife.com. Image via Pxfuel. On June 5th, 1989 an iconic photo was taken by CNN in Tiananmen Square of Tank Man, a singular Chinese citizen, facing down the Chinese Communist Partys ruthless imperium. Prior, Tiananmen Square had become an impromptu abattoir, a site where pro-democracy sympathizers had been slaughtered by the thousands. It was the embodiment of Mao Zedongs famous quip, political power grows out of the barrel of a gun. What the Chinese regime didnt know though, was that the image of Tank Man would be captured by a tired photographer from a hotel balcony, and become one of the most recognized symbols of brave defiance to tyranny in the history of the 20th century. The refusal of one man to bow before a despotic regime poured steel down the spines of freedom-lovers and Trumps mugshot is the new Tiananmen Square Tank Man photograph. Populism is anathema to fascism, and the last time we had a populist president, the government killed himNovember 22nd, 1963. The modern era makes for precarious situation for the malevolent, dirigiste DNC, One Ring To Rule Them All Deep State party, and forces them to initiate a slow-motion assassination of President Trump by way of the monomaniacal pursuit of a farcical, ironic prosecution of his thought crimes in local star chamber show trials which would border on Monty Python sketches if people were not actually being jailed. We live in a post-constitutional nation ruled over by the DNC and their Wall Street allies, down through the Acela Corridor into the radix malorum of D.C. where, renegade DOJ/FBI criminals have Maos guns in their hands, and are more than willing to mow down those who dont acquiesce in front of the deep state tank. America used to single out and prosecute corrupt law enforcement officials on a public stage to insure that Americans knew the justice system was objective. Now, the DOJ/FBI mafia, suborns witnesses, withholds Brady material, lies under oath to Congress, lies under oath to the courts, alters official documents, hides criminal behavior, releases thousands of classified documents to the progressive press pack dogs for distribution in order to affect elections and every day, makes a mockery of our so called justice system. The D.C. establishment is a warmongering machine, and the president of peace is an enemy; manufactured foreign wars must continue to provide Croesus-like riches to the Rich Men North of Richmond. Like the Tiananmen Tank Man, President Trumps mugshot captured his steadfast defiance in the face of a wicked and unjust government, and like Tank Man, the image will go down in history as an iconic symbol of what it means to never surrender. Image from X. Walt Heyer is a canary in the coal mine, and this mother isnt paying attention; shes too busy scrounging for social media likes to see whats happening. (I will warn you, I find this video utterly soul-crushing.) Shared to the Twitterverse a couple of days ago by several prominent conservative accounts was a video of a what appears to be a mother and daughter duo, updating the viewer on week 4 of testosterone a la Dylan Mulvaneys gross journey through girlhood; see below: Look at this narcissistic, abusive mother selling her very withdrawn daughter on testosterone. Do you want a studly beard like your dad? You're going to be so much hotter than him. Mom should be locked up.pic.twitter.com/DPshc3RviH Billboard Chris (@BillboardChris) August 24, 2023 You are gonna be really hot, its really exciting. In 2020, I attended an Eagle Forum conference in St. Louis, Missouri; the theme was Socialism and Sexualization and one of the speakers was a man named Walt Heyer. At some point in adulthood, Heyer transitioned from male to female, and after a literal come-to-Jesus moment, Heyer detransitioned away from his nearly decade-long identity of Laura Jensen. His story though, of why he struggled with the transgender lifestyle, is one I can see playing out in this mother-daughter duo. In Heyers words, via a news outlet: I started my transgender journey as a four-year-old boy when my grandmother repeatedly, over several years, cross-dressed me in a full-length purple dress she made especially for me and told me how pretty I was as a girl. When his parents found out about what the grandmother called their little secret, they forbade unsupervised visits; but then an uncle heard that little Walt was a freak and began to abuse him. That abuse caused me to not want to be male any longer. Cross-dressing gave me an escape. I lay awake at night, secretly begging God to change me into a girl. In my childlike thinking, if I could only be a girl, then I would be accepted and affirmed by the adults in my life. I would be safe. At the conference, Heyer told attendees, I received more love in that purple dress than I ever did in my little muddy blue jeans. All he wanted was to be accepted and affirmed by the adults in his life like every other precious child. How is the young girl in the video any different? Like Heyer, heaping attention and affirmation from the adults in her life comes only when shes pretending to be someone shes not. The mother asks of the testosterone injections:Any high points? Any good things? To this, the girl replies, not really. Then, finally acknowledging the overt resistance, the mother says, Are we struggle-busing a little bit with the injection? And, the daughters reaction says it all. With an exasperated eye roll full of pain she emphasizes, a little bit. Every child wants to feel loved by their parents, and it looks like the only way this girl can get any sort of acceptance is by becoming a human casualty for a narcissistic sociopath so thats what shes doing. Whats so painful is you know the mother is playing off the depressed and withdrawn behavior as nothing more than the difficult teen years. Yet, the canary is now dead, but shes too preoccupied trying to be a social media influencer to notice. Image from X. Reports indicate that Austrian and German mainstream news outlets have agreed to cover the alleged climate crisis in lock-step and uniformity, disallowing deviation from the their narrative. To this end, many major Austrian news outlets have agreed to sign a climate codex, thereby committing themselves to cover the climate crisis by portraying it as the most urgent crisis in this century. The Network of Climate Journalism responsible for the codex developed a Climate Charta on how to cover the issue together with our colleagues from the Network of Climate Journalism Germany. Austria and Germany united again in promulgating an extremist agenda? In pushing a dangerous lie? Are these media outlets going to blame the climate crisis on the Jews? The Holocaust was the most dangerous crisis of the last centuryif you happened to be Jewish. And, unlike the climate crisis, there is no doubt that catastrophe was man-made. Not again. Never again. I beg German and Austrian citizens: dont go along with this. Rebel this time. The absolute refusal to allow opposing voices, the utter intolerance and close-mindedness, the unfounded religious fervor to believe and act in certain wayscan only lead to disaster. But the rest of Western European mainstream media isnt much better. Nor, sadly, is the American mainstream media. They all proudly march in goosestep lockstep. Revolting. We can defeat climate change, they say. However, since it is man-caused, we must take the fight toourselves. So, everyone say it with me now: Sieg heil! Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License There is much talk today about autonomous vehicles. There is less talk about the possibility that when automobiles become autonomous, human beings no longer will be. A sad irony, indeed. Let me explain. It is not a coincidence that in large inner cities-- where most people take the subway, buses, taxis, and other public transportation to get where they are going-- they tend to vote 80% to 90+% for so-called progressives, leftists, Democrats. Whereas in more rural areas, western states, i.e. flyover country, people vote for conservatives for the most part. This is because the latter are used to being independent and doing things for themselves. They map out their own lives, and dont need the government to tell them what to do-- and when and how to do it. In fact, they grow the food and extract the energy that all of us, especially those in the big cities, need to survive. They prefer to be responsible for their own lives, drive themselves around, and make their own schedules. They also tend to like land, whether a suburban yard, or a ranch or farm. By contrast, most in the densely populated urban areas live stacked up in relatively small apartments, flats, and condos, with neighbors on all sides of them, just a few feet away through the walls, floors, and ceilings. They therefore heavily rely on public transportation. When they walk to the local deli or boutique, policemen are often visibleand signs tell them when to Stop, Walk, or Yield. Where am I headed with this? The more we allow others to control us, the more autonomy we cede. That is obvious. When we surrender our autonomy to gadgets and machines, we eventually forget how to do the things they now do for us. Many kids can no longer tell time when looking at an old analog clock. (In fact, some schools in Englandand elsewherehave removed these clocks from their walls for that very reason.) Unless a digital clock shows them it is, for example, 10:15, they are lost. And who among us hasnt handed cash to a clerk at a checkout lane and watched them briefly struggle to figure out the change we are due backuntil they look at the digital display on the register? We are in real trouble if they cant, of their own competence and volition, quickly determine that if the bill comes to, say, $19.72-- and we hand them a $20 bill-- we are owed 28 cents in change. Much as we outsource many of our jobs, we are outsourcing many of our brain functions. And, while there are numerous and obvious benefits to technological innovations, if we allow them to, in effect, dumb us down, will it ultimately be to our benefit? Especially when we consider the potential ramifications of the rapid onset of artificial intelligence. I fear that the God-given, organic intelligence we possess may one day be eclipsed and usurped by an artificial one. No one knows where that will lead. And we will have simply let that happen. Americans have long had a love affair with the automobile. (Get your kicks on Route 66.) In large part because of the sheer, unlimited freedom cars provided us. There was great joy in taking the wheel, and charting your own path. In mastering the machineand the road. With the coming Great Reset and Fourth Industrial Revolution we are in danger of writing ourselves out of our own story. Will we let our machines master us? When our vehicles are autonomous, will we need them more than they need us? By relinquishing our control, will we have swapped our independence for theirs? Will we have ceded our autonomyand freedomto the big corporations and governments that manufacture, monitor, and control them? Perhaps that is the reason progressives and the Great Reset favoring elites seem so hell-bent on making our vehicles autonomousand us less so. Image: Grendelkhan, via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 4.0 (ANSA) - ROME, AUG 26 - The 19-year-old victim of an alleged gang rape in Palermo in July said Saturday she was tired of being stigmatised for her behaviour and told that she deserved what happened to her, and told her detractors to knock it off. "Honestly, I'm tired of being polite, so I'm going to say it in French: knock it off with things like: 'Oh, but she makes videos on Tik Tok with obscene songs, it's normal that this should then happen to her' or 'Of course, because of the way she dresses'," said the young woman, speaking out for the first time on social media after allegedly being gang raped by seven youths including a minor on the night of July 6-7. Comments such as the ones she has been receiving could drive some girls in a similar situation to commit suicide, she added. "Unfortunately for you, I couldn't give a damn (about the slurs)," continued the woman, addressing her critics. "So, shut your little gobs and continue watching the other Tik Tokkers who open their legs in videos and commenting on them with heart emojis and drooling instead of judging a girl who has been raped," she concluded. The case has made headlines in Italy. High-profile comments by Italian rapper Ermal Meta in solidarity with the victim have also driven other women to send him "thousands" of stories of abuse, some of which he has posted on his social media. On Wednesday Meta wrote to Premier Giorgia Meloni on Instagram urging her to end "this slaughter". "I did not vote for you but you are my premier, as you are of all these women, and I address you with the utmost respect, as an institutional office, a woman, a mother and a Christian: do you not believe that the time has come to end this slaughter?" he said. Photo: Protest march in Palermo in solidarity with the victim of the gang rape in July. (ANSA). Korea's Second Vice Foreign Minister Oh Young-ju speaks during a high-level consultation on nuclear cooperation between Korea and the United Arab Emirates at a hotel in Seoul, July 28. Yonhap Second Vice Foreign Minister Oh Young-ju will visit China next week to discuss ways to ensure stable supply chains and boost economic cooperation, Seoul's foreign ministry said Friday. Oh is set to hold the 27th meeting of the joint economic committee with her Chinese counterpart during the trip, slated for Aug. 28-30, according to the ministry. The two sides are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues, including the stable management of supply chains and China's yearslong ban on Korean movies and other cultural content. The meeting comes after the leaders of Korea, the United States and Japan met at a summit last week and vowed to step up security and economic cooperation amid an intensifying Sino-U.S. hegemonic rivalry. It also follows China's recent decision to lift its ban on group tours to Korea after a six-year hiatus, a move widely expected to boost cultural and economic exchanges. Korea and China have held the vice ministerial talks on a regular basis since 1993, right after they established diplomatic ties. The meeting was last held in-person in 2020, and virtually in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (Yonhap) Some of the estimated 2,000 artefacts stolen from the British Museum have already been recovered, George Osborne has said. The former chancellor, who is now chairman of the museums trustees, said groupthink may have prevented the institutions leadership from believing that treasures had been taken. Director Hartwig Fischer has resigned and his deputy Jonathan Williams has stepped back in the wake of the scandal, which Mr Osborne conceded had damaged the British Museums reputation. An unnamed member of staff suspected of involvement has been sacked and the museum said it is taking legal action, while a police investigation is under way. Mr Osborne told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Saturday: We have started to recover some of the stolen items, which is a silver lining to a dark cloud. The London institution is working with the art loss register and members of the antiquarian community who are helping to return some of the missing items, he said, adding that security has been stepped up around museum storerooms. The artefacts stolen were small items of jewellery, gems, bits of gold that were not on public display. The former Conservative minister admitted the museum did not have a complete catalogue of everything in its collection amassed over several hundred years. Someone with knowledge of whats not registered has a big advantage in removing some of those items, he said. Obviously, a clear outcome from what has happened is that the British Museum has to accelerate the process that was already under way of getting a complete register of the items in our collection. Mr Osborne continued: Its certainly been damaging to the British Museums reputation. I think thats sort of stating the obvious and thats why Im apologising on behalf of the museum. We believe weve been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them. The museums chairman vowed that it is a mess that we are going to clear up. He said an independent review will look into how come the museum missed some of the signals that could have been picked up, not least when the museum was alerted by an antiquities dealer to items being sold on eBay in 2021. The British Museum museum revealed earlier this month that items from its collection were found to be missing, stolen or damaged and police are investigating (Yui Mok/PA) While he denied there had been a deliberate cover-up, Mr Osborne said: Was there some potential groupthink in the museum at the time, at the very top of the museum, that just couldnt believe that an insider was stealing things, couldnt believe that one of the members of staff were doing this? Yes, thats very possible. Antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel previously told the PA news agency that claims he had withheld information from the institution were an outright lie. It is understood that the artefacts were taken before 2023 and over a significant period of time. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that a man had been interviewed in connection with the alleged thefts. The force said no arrests had been made and it would continue to work closely with the British Museum as inquiries continue. A cloud of sadness and devastation hung over a Co Tipperary town after four young people died in a car crash while on the way to celebrate their State exam results. Luke McSweeney, 24, his sister Grace McSweeney, 18, Zoey Coffey, 18, and Nicole Murphy, 18, died after the car they were travelling in struck a wall and overturned in Clonmel. They had been on their way to celebrate after the three teenagers received their Leaving Certificate exam results earlier that day. The principals of the two schools the teenagers had attended said they had received excellent results and were looking forward to the next phase of their lives. (l to r) Luke McSweeney, 24 his sister Grace McSweeney, 18, Nicole Murphy, 18, and Zoey Coffey, 18 (Family handout/PA) President of Ireland Michael D Higgins and Irelands premier Leo Varadkar were among those who expressed their deepest sympathies with the families and the local community. For young lives, so full of possibility, to be cut short in this way is truly devastating and heartbreaking. The whole nation mourns them, Mr Varadkar said. My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and the wider community in Clonmel and Tipperary. The thoughts of the whole country are with them, their school and their community. Speaking on Saturday afternoon, Superintendent Kieran Ruane, of Clonmel garda station, extended his sympathies to their families, who he said had appealed for privacy. He said a Garda investigation had been launched into the incident, which would focus on delivering a report to the local coroner. Heavy downpours on Friday evening would form part of the investigation, he said. He praised the work of the first responders who attended the scene, which he described as very difficult, as exemplary. For the members to arrive and quickly realise that there was three Leaving Cert students and their brother at the scene, and unfortunately all were dead, is a very traumatic scene for everybody, he said. Superintendent Kieran Ruane of Clonmel garda station (Damien Storan/PA) Michael OLoughlin, the principal of Presentation Secondary School where Ms McSweeney and Ms Coffey attended, said the town was covered in a cloud of sadness and devastation, and said no words can express our sorrow, our pain and our grief. Local secondary schools in the town that the four young people had attended opened on Saturday to support students as the community comes to term with the tragedy. Several local sporting events and the Clonmel Pride parade, as well as other activities in the area, have been cancelled in the wake of the fatal crash out of respect for the grieving families. Bouquets of flowers were left near the scene by locals and students, who were seen comforting each other. A man lays flowers near to the scene of the crash (Damien Storan/PA) Minister for education Norma Foley pledged psychological support for students and staff. This is heartbreaking news on what should have been a day of enormous celebration and joy for the class of 2023, she said. School communities in Ireland are akin to tight-knit families and I know this morning that staff, students, parents and guardians will be united in their grief and utter devastation at this tragic and sudden loss of life. Local TD Mattie McGrath said Clonmel had been left numbed by the loss and that it would take some time to recover, but that the community would rally around those grieving the losses. A vigil is to be held in Clonmel at 6.30pm on Sunday night, and books of condolences will be opened in council offices on Monday morning. Father Michael Toomey, a chaplain of CBS High School in Clonmel, urged the community to ask for help if they need it. Please, look out for one another in these days, and dont be afraid to look for help and support in the coming days. Local TD Mattie McGrath speaking to media the scene of the crash (Damien Storan/PA) The scene at Mountain Road remains closed to allow for a forensic examination, and Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with camera footage or images from the Mountain Road, specifically the Hillview area, between 7pm and 7.30pm on Friday is asked to submit it to Gardai. Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out over the coming days at Waterford University Hospital. An incident room has been established at Clonmel garda station and family liaison officers have been appointed to each of the families. Our local communities in particular Clonmel, Kilsheelan and Ballypatrick are shocked and deeply saddened by these events, Mr Ruane said. I want to assure our local communities that An Garda Siochana is here over the coming days, weeks and months to support our communities as we all come to terms with this tragedy. I have been in contact with the principals of the local secondary schools that the girls attended and supports are being put in place for the friends of all four deceased today and over the next few days. The fatal crash follows on from other tragic events over the summer period involving school leavers. In July, two Dublin teenagers died while in holiday in Greece and two teenage best friends were killed in a crash while travelling to a Debs ball in Co Monaghan. Valerie Clemson, 76, keeps getting bills and letters from energy supplier EDF. (Reach) A pensioner claims she has been hounded by an energy firm which has chased her with demands for payment even though she is no longer a customer. Valerie Clemson, 76, from Conwy, North Wales, is "going crazy" with frustration because EDF keeps asking for money even though she says she has moved to British Gas. The widow had been with EDF in Penmaenmawr but paid her gas and electricity bills with the company in full and switched to British Gas when she moved to Conwy. EDF confirmed it was investigating the issue. EDF confirmed it was investigating the issue. (Reach) Mrs Clemson said EDF told her "Sorry you've left us" but then "the letters and bills started coming" to her new home. A bill dated April 10 demanded 1,263.83 for gas. The former nurse and shop worker had been living in Penmaenmawr but moved to her bungalow in Conwy in April last year. Sadly, she lost her husband Maurice soon afterwards. "I don't know which way to turn," Mrs Clemson said. She added: "I've never owed a penny to anyone in my life." The exasperated British Gas customer claims she even got three letters on one day from EDF. "They (EDF) are hounding me, saying I owe them money but I'm paying by direct debit to British Gas!" Ms Clemson said she has contacted EDF and says they said they were sorry yet she says the demands for payment did not stop. "I thought 'Thank the Lord' but two days later I got a bill! It's like nobody speaks to people in other departments. I'm going crazy with it all." An EDF spokesperson said: Were sorry to hear about the problems Mrs Valerie Clemson has been facing and were investigating this as a priority. We remain committed to helping as many customers as possible, including providing debt relief and installing energy efficiency for those in fuel poverty. How you can complain about a bill Firstly, contact the energy supplier through customer service. Make a copy of anything you send to the supplier, including bills, and write down when you sent them for your records. Include all supporting evidence of your claim in correspondence, eg bills and other records. If you find yourself in a deadlock situation with the energy firm, it may be beneficial to refer the complaint to the Energy Ombudsman. Latest Ofgem energy bill announcement The average household energy bill will fall after wholesale prices dropped slightly. Energy regulator Ofgem said the new cap on a unit of gas and electricity would reduce the average bill to 1,923 from 1 October, from 2,074 per year. The average customer with a prepayment meter will see their bills fall to 1,949 per year. This average is based on an estimate that the typical household uses 2,900 units of electricity and 12,000 units of gas. But despite the fall in the cap consumers still face the prospect of paying more this winter because government support which was in place last year has gone. A Metropolitan Police IT system breach could do incalculable damage in the wrong hands, the Metropolitan Police Federation has said. Scotland Yard said it had been made aware of unauthorised access to the IT system of one of its suppliers. The force is now working with the company to understand if there has been any security breach relating to its data. A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Federation said any potential leak will cause colleagues incredible concern and anger. The company in question had access to names, ranks, photos, vetting levels and pay numbers for officers and staff, but did not hold personal information such as addresses, phone numbers or financial details, the force said. A spokesman for the force was unable to say when the breach occurred or how many personnel might be affected. Rick Prior, Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation said: Metropolitan Police officers are as we speak out on the streets of London undertaking some of the most difficult and dangerous roles imaginable to catch criminals and keep the public safe. To have their personal details potentially leaked out into the public domain in this manner for all to possibly see will cause colleagues incredible concern and anger. We share that sense of fury this is a staggering security breach that should never have happened. He added: Given the roles we ask our colleagues to undertake, significant safeguards and checks and balances should have been in place to protect this valuable personal information which, if in the wrong hands, could do incalculable damage. The men and women I represent are justifiably disgusted by this breach. We will be working with the force to mitigate the dangers and risks that this disclosure could have on our colleagues. And will be holding the Metropolitan Police to account for what has happened. Our brave Police Officers who give up so much to do this job deserve so much better. The Met has taken security measures as a result. The matter has been reported to the National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is also aware, the Met said. It follows an admission by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) that personal data on all its serving members was mistakenly published in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Details of around 10,000 PSNI officers and staff included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in. After the PSNI breach was revealed, Norfolk and Suffolk Police announced the personal data of more than 1,000 people including crime victims was included in another FOI response. On Wednesday, South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the ICO after noticing a significant and unexplained reduction in data stored on its systems. The force said it is now urgently working with experts to recover footage filmed by officers as they attended incidents or engaged with the public and which, in some cases, could be used as evidence in court. A spokesperson for the National Crime Agency said: We are aware of the cyber incident and we are working with law enforcement partners to understand the impact. Dangerous offenders who commit the most heinous murders will face life behind bars with no chance of being released under new plans announced by Rishi Sunak. The Government aims to change the law so that judges are required to impose whole-life orders on the most depraved killers, except in extremely limited circumstances. Whole-life orders are the most severe penalty available in the countrys criminal justice system. The most despicable criminals should never walk free.Its as simple as that. Heres my plan to toughen up sentencing and help keep the public safe from harm pic.twitter.com/C0KCoZmmMU Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) August 27, 2023 The law change will also for the first time make this the default sentence for any sexually-motivated murders. Downing Street said this could have applied to the recent cases of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. Sex attacker Jordan McSweeney was jailed for life with a minimum term of 38 years for murdering law graduate Ms Aleena as she walked home in east London. Sexual predator Koci Selamaj was jailed for at least 36 years for murdering primary school teacher Ms Nessa in south-east London. Rishi Sunak wants to ensure that life means life for those who commit the most horrific types of murder (Leon Neal/PA) The Prime Minister said: I have shared the publics horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing. By bringing in mandatory whole-life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free. Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct. This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison. No 10 said the Government will legislate for the changes in due course. Under the Tories, over 90% of crimes go unsolved and criminals walk free. Have you been a victim of a crime that has gone unsolved? Let us know The Labour Party (@UKLabour) August 1, 2023 But Labour, which is pitching itself as the tough on crime party ahead of a likely general election next year, accused Mr Sunaks Conservative government of falling short. Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: No-one will take any lessons from this soft on crime Tory government. Under their watch, nine out of 10 crimes go unsolved and tens of thousands of dangerous criminals including gunmen, child abductors, and sex offenders have avoided jail sentences. To make matters worse, our prisons are now full because they failed to build the prison cells we need, forcing judges to hand out softer sentences. Labour is the party of law and order. In government, we will implement tougher sentences for dangerous criminals and build the prison places to put them behind bars. Child serial killer Lucy Letby will face the rest of her life behind bars, becoming only the fourth woman in UK history to receive such a punishment (Cheshire Constabulary/PA) Lucy Letby was sentenced to a whole-life term on Monday for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more. The nurse 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 whom are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. 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 allow 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. Rishi Sunak is to become the first UK prime minister in a decade to skip the UN General Assembly, despite calls from non-governmental organisations for him to attend an event to achieve sustainable development. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will lead the British delegation at the annual gathering of world leaders in New York in September, Downing Street said. A No 10 spokesperson pointed to the Prime Ministers busy schedule for the autumn, noting that he will meet counterparts at the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 and the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai in November. Save the date: SDG Action Weekend! The SDG Mobilization Day on 16 September and SDG Acceleration Day on 17 September are perfect opportunities for all stakeholders to get engaged in the SDG Summit and help advance the #SDGs. Learn more and register: https://t.co/M7nmRArXuj pic.twitter.com/HtOcaoGGBh UN DESA Sustainable Development (@SustDev) August 25, 2023 It is unusual for a modern British premier to miss the UNs so-called high-level general debate. Mr Sunaks predecessors, including short-lived former prime minister Liz Truss, made time to travel to New York to deliver speeches on the world stage. The last no-show from a UK leader was David Cameron in 2013. More than a hundred aid and development leaders wrote to Mr Sunak, calling on him to go to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) summit the centrepiece of this years UN gathering. The SDG summit is held once every four years and marks the halfway point to the 2030 deadline for achieving the global plan to improve the planet and the quality of human life. In a letter on Friday, the NGO leaders urged the Prime Minister to walk the talk and show leadership by turning these commitments into action and rebuild the UKs reputation as a trusted partner to lower-income countries and global actors. Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Mr Sunaks absence would mark a low ebb of the Conservatives isolationist foreign policy (Jordan Pettitt/PA) Stephanie Draper, chief executive of Bond the UK network for international development organisations, said Britain appeared to have stepped back from leadership on globally agreed goals. The upcoming UN SDG Summit is an opportunity for the Prime Minister to show leadership on the global stage and rebuild the UKs reputation as a trusted partner to lower-income countries, and this requires being present as a starting point, she said. Labour shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said earlier this month that Mr Sunaks absence at the UN General Assembly would mark a low ebb of the Conservatives isolationist foreign policy. Last year, the Prime Minister faced a backlash when he indicated he would miss Cop27 in Egypt and eventually decided to go after all. The upcoming UN [Sustainable Development Goal] Summit is an opportunity for the prime minister to show leadership on the global stage and rebuild the UKs reputation as a trusted partner to lower-income countries, and this requires being present as a starting point Stephanie Draper (@SDStephDraper) August 26, 2023 A No10 spokesperson said: The UK delegation at the UN General Assembly High Level Week will be led by the Deputy Prime Minister, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary and others. The Prime Minister is expected to hold discussions with a number of world leaders in the coming weeks, including at the G20 Summit in New Delhi and the Cop28 Summit in the UAE. He and other ministers will continue to use all their engagements with their international counterparts to drive forward the Governments priorities, including on growing the economy, stopping illegal migration and supporting Ukraine. Former President Donald Trump's legal battles are piling up: in Washington, Georgia, New York -- the list goes on. But even if all of those cases work out in his favor, advocates say a new legal challenge could still sideline him. Separate from the criminal cases, over the past few weeks a growing body of conservative scholars have raised the constitutional argument that Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election make him ineligible to hold federal office ever again. That disqualification argument boils down to Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which says that a public official is not eligible to assume public office if they "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against" the United States, or had "given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof," unless they are granted amnesty by a two-thirds vote of Congress. Advocacy groups have long argued that Trump's behavior after the 2020 election fits those criteria. The argument gained new life earlier this month when two members of the conservative Federalist Society, William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, endorsed it in the pages of the Pennsylvania Law Review. PHOTO: Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pa., on July 29, 2023. (Lindsay Dedario/Reuters) "If the public record is accurate, the case is not even close. He is no longer eligible to the office of Presidency," the article reads. Since then, two more legal scholars -- retired conservative federal judge J. Michael Luttig and Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Laurence Tribe -- made the same case in an article published in The Atlantic. "The disqualification clause operates independently of any such criminal proceedings and, indeed, also independently of impeachment proceedings and of congressional legislation," they wrote. "The clause was designed to operate directly and immediately upon those who betray their oaths to the Constitution, whether by taking up arms to overturn our government or by waging war on our government by attempting to overturn a presidential election through a bloodless coup." The argument even got raised on the Republican presidential debate stage in Milwaukee this week. "Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump was morally disqualified from being president again as a result of what happened on January 6th. More people are understanding the importance of that, including conservative legal scholars," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, eliciting a mix of cheers and boos from the audience. "I'm not going to support somebody who's been convicted of a serious felony or who is disqualified under our Constitution." Baude and Paulsen maintain their theory is "self-executing." They say that means that public elections officials don't need special permission from lawmakers to disqualify Trump from the ballot: if they believe the argument is valid, they can disqualify potential candidates on their own. Not only that, the scholars argue, the election officials are legally required to do so. "No official should shrink from these duties. It would be wrong -- indeed, arguably itself a breach of one's constitutional oath of office -- to abandon one's responsibilities of faithful interpretation, application, and enforcement of Section Three," Bode and Paulsen write. PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump campaigns at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Alternatively, ordinary citizens could file challenges on the same grounds with state election officials themselves. Either scenario is almost certain to face legal and political blowback, and the argument could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The most immediate hurdle for those disqualification efforts might be timing as the legal challenges must be brought during specific time periods that vary depending on the state where they are brought. Plans materialize at state level On Tuesday, Bryant "Corky" Messner, a lawyer who lives in New Hampshire, became the first person to announce concrete plans to do just that. Messner was endorsed by Donald Trump when he ran for a New Hampshire's U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Now, he says that as a veteran and a graduate of West Point, his civic duty compels him to try to keep Trump off the ballot. "I really don't view myself as turning on Trump, as odd as that sounds," he told ABC News. "I love this country. I've served this country. I've taken an oath to this country. My sons are serving right now and I believe someone's got to step up to defend the Constitution." Messner first announced his plans on a local radio show, NH Today, on Tuesday morning. He says he is still doing initial legal due diligence on the topic and finding a lawyer to bring the case. He plans to finance the legal challenge himself and through his own personal network. New Hampshire's Secretary of State Office confirmed to ABC News that Messner met with Secretary of State David Scanlan Friday to discuss Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. "Secretary Scanlan will be conferring with the New Hampshire Attorney General and other legal counsel on this issue; however, he believes any action taken under this Constitutional provision will have to be based on Judicial guidance," Anna Sventek, communications director for Scanlan, told ABC News in a statement. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), another legal advocacy group, is also pursuing a push to this effect. Last September, CREW was successful in its effort to remove a New Mexico county commissioner from his post due to his participation in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. PHOTO: In this June 17, 2022, file photo, Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, D.C. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP, FILE) A district judge in New Mexico barred Otero County commissioner and "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin, citing a clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits those who have engaged in insurrection from serving. Griffin was convicted of a misdemeanor trespass charge. The judge's ruling was the first time in 150 years that the provision has been used to disqualify an official and the first time that a court has ruled the events of Jan. 6 were an "insurrection." Griffin was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021, on a federal misdemeanor trespassing charge related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Griffin was convicted of the charge on March 22 and sentenced on June 17 to 14 days time served, ordered to pay $500 restitution, pay a $3,000 fine, complete community service and one year of supervised release. Following Trump's announcement that he would make a third bid for the White House, CREW released a statement saying it would work to ensure that Trump is disqualified from ever holding office again. "We warned him that should he decide to run again, we would be taking action to ensure the Constitution's ban on insurrectionists holding office is enforced," a statement from CREW said. "Now we will be. Trump made a mockery of the Constitution he swore to defend, but we will see that it is defended." In an interview with ABC News, a CREW official said its focus now is doing whatever possible to keep Trump off the ballot. "I will say we are focused on winning. We are not focused on getting our name in the paper ... We are focused on bringing the strongest cases possible in order to win and hold the former President accountable. And we are making the strategic choices in order to effectuate that," CREW Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel Donald Sherman said. MORE: Judge removes local official for engaging in Jan. 6 'insurrection' Free Speech For People, an organization that unsuccessfully challenged the candidacies of several members of Congress in 2022 under the disqualification clause of the 14th Amendment, also plans to take similar actions to attempt to prevent Trump from running for office. The organization plans to pursue two different paths. The first path involves sending a letter to all 50 secretaries of state asking them to exercise their authority to rule that Trump is disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The second path, when the timing is right, they said, is to file legal challenges to Trump's eligibility for office using state law procedures where available. Ron Fein, a lawyer involved in the organization's effort to prevent Trump from holding office, told ABC News that they are prepared to take on the former president. "We're prepared to challenge Trump's candidacy in multiple states. We're not going to tell him which states and when in advance," Fein said. "We have assembled top-notch legal teams and are working with voters in these multiple states and partners outside as well." Trump's campaign team is preparing for the challenges, telling the Washington Post in April the former president is being targeted. "What these undemocratic organizations are doing is blatant election interference and tampering," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to the Washington Post. "They are not even trying to hide it anymore and it is sad they want to deprive the American people of choosing Donald Trump -- the overwhelming front-runner by far -- as their President. History will not judge them kindly." Trump has denied any involvement in the attack on the Capitol. ABC News has reached out for comment to Trump's campaign team. Challenges ahead Still, as the efforts to keep Trump off the ballot for his alleged role around the attack on the Capitol and efforts to overturn the election grow, constitutional scholar and political science professor Kevin Wagner told ABC News in an interview the challenge to the former president's candidacy faces an up hill battle, due in part because there is no consensus on if Jan. 6 was an insurrection. "The challenge here is that the 14th Amendment isn't necessarily self-executing. In other words, it doesn't just automatically happen and there is some question about what it means to be engaged in insurrection or rebellion and how that is defined. The challenge for us is that historically, it hasn't been well-defined," Wagner, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, said. "The question is about what is "participating in a rebellion or an insurrection." There is dispute and people feel strongly what happened was essentially an insurrection -- and it's often referred to that way fairly regularly -- but others have suggested that this was a protest that may have gotten out of hand -- and may have even become criminal -- but didn't rise to a level of a rebellion or an insurrection. And the provision of the 14th Amendment really turns on how it is that we assess what happened," he said. 14th Amendment, Section 3: A new legal battle against Trump takes shape originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Owner Jimmy Spears and his daughter and bar manager, Grace, stand behind the bar at West Peoria's iconic Irish pub Jimmy's Bar at 2801 W. Farmington Road. Jimmy's Bar has been going strong since 1982. Walking into Jimmys Bar, customers will find a hodgepodge of photos, Irish flags and knickknacks. Over the years, the collection has migrated onto the ceiling and out into the bars covered outdoor space. Some of the decor such as a mounted deers head in the outdoor seating area have been gifts from local patrons. Other trinkets, like a light-up Guinness tapper, have come from friends abroad. Photos depict family, friends, visitors and the history of the 41-year-old bar. Throughout its decades in business, Jimmys Bar has fostered a sense of community in Peoria and beyond. Its the best bar in the world. It truly is. , said Tim Groom, who has patronized the business since it opened. Its a family. 'Not your average popcorn shop': Peoria business thrives with unique menu in first year A rite of passage A photo of Jimmy Spears' father, Joe, hangs behind the bar at Jimmy's Bar on Farmington Road in West Peoria. Joe was a popular bartender and regular customer at Jimmy's Bar until his death in 2005. Family has long been at the center of the establishment. One of seven boys, owner Jimmy Spears worked alongside his brothers at the bar situated at 2801 W. Farmington Road in West Peoria. His father, Joe, also became a bartender during his retirement. Spears said the family would often joke that Joe had to work there because his wife wanted him to get out of the house. Joking aside, Spears said his father ran the show during the day. Everybody loved my dad. As time went on, a third generation of the Spears family got involved. Jimmys daughter Grace Spears said Jimmys Bar has always been a part of her life. Grace said helping out at the family business grew into something like a rite of passage for her and her 19 cousins whether they were cleaning up the space on weekends or bartending as young adults. Eventually, Grace began working as a hairdresser. Even then, however, she found time to stay involved at Jimmy's Bar. You have those days when I was driving to my other job and it's like, Man, I really wish I was just at the bar, because it doesn't feel like a job, Grace said. Because you're just hanging out with people you know all the time. An opportunity to become more involved arose after the salon she worked at closed. Grace said she decided to spend a year at the bar before finding new work. During this time, she said the previous bar manager moved to a new job and suggested Grace fill the role. I dont think a lot of people can say that theyve worked with both their mom and dad, she said, and actually, me and my dad can both say that. 'It's in our blood': Peoria bakery continues as son carries on his mother's legacy Creating a sense of home Photos from visits to Cary's Pub in Clonmel, Peoria's sister city in Ireland, hang on the wall at Jimmy's Bar on Farmington Road. Over the years, Grace said many of the bars customers have become like family, as well. Some patrons, like Groom, have visited the business since it opened. Grace said Groom has known her family since he was in high school. The bar also continues to draw in new customers. Grace said many of these first-time faces gradually become familiar friends. This sense of community extends beyond Peoria and even the United States. Jimmys Bar and Careys Pub in Clonmel, Ireland, became sister bars in 2010. A year later, Jimmy said he visited Clonmel with a group of Peorians. We figured, well, we better make this partnership legit, he said. So, we went over there. The trips have since become a tradition, taking place in odd years. Jimmy said groups typically spend about eight days in Ireland and visit Clonmel, as well as other areas of the country. The visits were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic but saw a rebound this year. Jimmy said over 90 people went on the 2023 trip, requiring two tour buses. The sister bars also face off each year for a trivia tournament. It adds something to the trip, he said. The local connection with Ireland extends beyond the sister bars, though. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Peoria and Clonmel becoming sister cities. When you go over there, it gives you a sense of home and gives you something like, Hey, I know somebody or something in this town, Jimmy said. In September, Jimmy said a group from Clonmel will visit Peoria City Hall before visiting Jimmys Bar. More: The best and worst Peoria food inspections for July The next 41 years There have been challenges along the way, of course. Jimmy said the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the bar just before St. Patricks Day in 2020 and described it as a real worry. He said there are always challenges or things to fix when it comes to running a business. In the end, though, Jimmy's Bar has continued. After 41 years, sometimes you roll with the punches, Jimmy said. A Facebook post celebrating the anniversary of Jimmys Bar describes its namesake as The man, the myth, the legend who made the business possible. As for Jimmy himself, though, the last four decades would not have been possible without the support of his family, friends and dedicated employees. Jimmy said he hopes to see the family business continue long into the future. Grace said she plans to continue taking on more responsibilities as time goes on, and Jimmy said he has two other daughters, Alice and Maeve, who are also in the area. Hopefully, theyll enjoy it as much as I have, Jimmy said. I think they are, you know? They say the next 41 is a lot easier. More: Peoria neighborhood groups oppose liquor sales at proposed lounge This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Jimmy's Bar in West Peoria, IL, in business 41 years Carlos Santana faced criticism on Thursday when a video of the musician making anti-transgender comments during a concert in New Jersey in July resurfaced on social media. When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are, the guitarist is seen saying in the clip. He continued, Later on when you grow up, and you see things and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good but you know it aint right, because a woman is a woman and a man is a man thats it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, thats your business, Im OK with that, Santana added, before mentioning his closeness to his brother Dave Chapelle, who also faced criticism for anti-LGBTQ comments made in his 2021 Netflix comedy special The Closer. The criticism Santana faced on Thursday prompted the Smooth musician to release a statement on his Facebook page, where he wrote, I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They dont reflect that I want to honor and respect all persons (sic) ideals and beliefs. I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended, his statement continued. Santana went on to mention that his personal goal is to honor and respect all persons (sic) ideals and beliefs whether they are LGBTQ or not. This is the planet of free will and we have all been given this gift. I will now pursue this goal to be happy and have fun, and for everyone to believe what they want and follow in your hearts without fear. It takes courage to grow and glow in the light that you are and to be true, genuine, and authentic. We grow and learn to shine our light with Love and compliments, he concluded. The comments come during a record-shattering year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in the United States, with over 400 bills having been introduced in state legislatures since the start of the year a new record, according to American Civil Liberties Union data as of April. Education and health care-related bills, in particular, have swept through state legislatures at unprecedented levels, with a renewed push to ban access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth and a heavy focus on regulating curriculum in public schools, including discussions around gender identity and sexuality. CNNs Annette Choi contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Erik Isakson / Getty Images Although cheap cruise prices are available year-round, the best time to go or book last-minute cruise deals depends on your destination, budget or vacation schedule. Scheduling your vacation for non-peak cruise season such as when the weather is slightly less optimal or wave season lets you cut costs while escaping the crowds. Cruise experts have varying advise on which times and or types of cruise ships to book next to get the best deal. Read: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases Cheapest Times To Go On a Cruise Whether you are waiting for a price drop or just know the best time of year to book last-minute deals, there are many inside tracks on how to book your next cruise or even get some onboard credit. Here are seven types of cruises to consider and what month is cheapest to book them in: Caribbean Cruise Canadian or New England Cruise Alaskan Cruise Mediterranean Cruise Mexican Riviera Cruise Southeast Asia Cruise Disney Cruise 1. Caribbean Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: Late April to May or September to January You can cruise in Royal Caribbean style any time of year, as nearly every major line sails there. However, the traditional vacation season (June to August) is not an optimal time for scoring cruise deals, said Colleen McDaniel, managing editor of CruiseCritic. For lower fares, look to visit the Caribbean when the crowds lessen late April through May and September to early January (holiday weeks excluded). You can usually save hundreds per passenger by cruising during those times, she said. Many cruisers pick Western Caribbean itineraries that reach destinations such as Cozumel, Mexico, Grand Cayman and Jamaica, said McDaniel. These can be reached with a short cruise from Florida, New Orleans and even Galveston, Texas. 2. Canadian or New England Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: Late October Early autumn can be a wonderful time to explore the coastlines and historic ports of Canada and New England. Prices, however, generally increase during leaf-peeping season, which lasts from early September to mid-October, said Simon Duvall of Cruiseline. For the best deals and lowest prices, look to late October, said Duvall. Its past the leaf peeping prime, but depending on the itinerary, [there] will still likely be some color left to see. 3. Alaskan Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: May and September Its easy to understand the allure of Alaska, with its exotic wilderness, glaciers and mountains. The best time to visit with regard to both weather and wildlife encounters is from June to August, and its also possible to score discount cruises in the prime season if you travel on northbound glacier routes according to McDaniel. But to find the best Alaska cruise packages, she suggests traveling during the shoulder season May and September. If order doesnt matter to you, McDaniel suggests picking a less popular route when exploring cruise offers. Doing so could save you anywhere from $50 to hundreds per person. To save on costs to port, Duvall recommends looking for round-trip cruises from Seattle, as Vancouver departures can be more expensive. Southbound itineraries are more popular and thus higher priced because passengers often combine land tours with cruises, and the preference is to tackle the busy land portion at the front of the trip, then relax a little with the cruise portion. 4. Mediterranean Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: April or October The best times to book a cruise to the Mediterranean for price and weather are in April and October, said Duvall. This, of course, bypasses the summer crowds. Although you can find cruise packages with good deals in November and March, the risk of cold temperatures or inclement weather make them not ideal months to cruise in the Mediterranean, he said. Its also important to note that there are a limited number of ships that offer Mediterranean itineraries year-round, said McDaniel. If youre traveling in the off-season, she recommends cruising to Spain, Morocco and the Canary Islands. You can also opt for a more intimate experience on your Mediterranean cruise. It might not necessarily be cheaper but you might be able to score more perks. Look to the smaller lines, which might be more money upfront but will be able to get into some of the smaller, less-visited ports and oftentimes spend more time in port, McDaniel said. And while your base fare might be higher than visiting with a mainstream cruise line, youll likely experience a more inclusive experience oftentimes, smaller lines offer things like alcoholic beverages, WiFi, select shore excursions and gratuities in the cost of their base fare. 5. Mexican Riviera Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: Early January and May As is true of the Caribbean, the best time to take a cruise vacation to the Riviera is when temps cool down up north although youll want to avoid traveling around the holidays, when many people are on vacation. But if you dont mind paying more money, you might want to cruise on one of these luxurious ships during the holidays. But if you want to save money, McDaniel said early January and May are ideal for both weather and pricing, as crowds dwindle and rates drop during these times. When considering cruise lines, McDaniel said to look to Carnival and Disney for quick escapes. If you want to take a longer vacation, consider the Princess cruise line. By cruising during shoulder season, you could save hundreds on your cruise, she said. Theres also the opportunity to find deals during hurricane season in the fall, but McDaniel said those come with the risk of itineraries being altered. 6. Southeast Asia Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: March to May Southeast Asia offers stunning beaches and other sights to see. Unfortunately, the best times to cruise for weather and price dont match up for this part of the world. The ideal time to visit Southeast Asia would be during the dry season, said McDaniel, noting that this period from November to February tends to feature higher costs. If youre looking for a deal, consider shoulder seasons and be prepared for hot sometimes really hot weather, said McDaniel. For the best cruise specials to Southeast Asia, McDaniel recommends looking at different lines and cruise lengths. Theres the potential to save hundreds or even thousands if youre flexible, she added. Youll visit the same countries as the longer cruises, but might visit fewer ports or have less time in port, she said. But if you have the time and money, perhaps youll want to visit more ports and take a longer cruise. If so, you can take a journey of a lifetime with one of these around-the-world trips. 7. Disney Cruise Best time to go on a cruise: Fall According to the Disney Cruise Line website, the fall is a good time to go on a Disney Cruise if you want best-value pricing. However, the site does recommend travelers book their cruises at least one year in advance if sailing during the peak season. If youre planning a trip to a Disney park, remember these are the best and worst times to book. The truth about planning a Disney cruise is that you likely wont find the larger discounts that you will on other mainstream lines theyre a popular option throughout the year, said McDaniel. That said, its still worth following destination high and low seasons, as cruise fares will likely fluctuate with those, and it cant hurt to travel while school is in session and fewer families are traveling. Final Take To GO Be sure to factor in the time of year you book as that can be just as important as to when you book your trip when it comes to saving money. Depending on what type of cruise you are looking for you can find different off-seasons to go during to save a few bucks. Lia Sestric contributed to the reporting for this article. This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: What Is the Cheapest Month to Book a Cruise, According to Experts? South Korean and U.S. special warfare troops engage in drills at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 25, in this photo released by the South Korean Navy. Yonhap South Korean and U.S. navy special commandos held joint drills at an American military base south of Seoul on Friday to beef up their readiness, Seoul officials said, amid tensions caused by North Korea's failed yet defiant space rocket launch earlier this week. The exercise took place at Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, 65 kilometers south of the capital, as part of field drills during the allies' ongoing annual exercise, called the Ulchi Freedom Shield. Soldiers engaged in drills on special reconnaissance operations, casualty treatment and responses to unexpected military situations, among other training programs, according to the South Korean Navy. "Our special ops unit will strengthen our 'decisive warfare' posture and combined defense posture through repeated realistic training programs to ensure that it can accomplish its mission 100 percent under any circumstances once it is given a mission," a Navy official was quoted as saying in a press release. The allies' special warfare personnel plan to continue various training sessions, including those on seaborne and overland infiltrations and strike operations, throughout September, the Navy said. (Yonhap) Courtesy of Holland Clement Scott Michael Foster is absolutely down for a revival of Greek and has hopes for where his character, Cappie, is today. I have my [own] opinion. I think hes probably operating a fish taco stand in Baja, California somewhere, selling tacos and hanging out by a beautiful beach, Foster, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly while promoting his upcoming Netflix film, Choose Love, in an interview conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike. After taking a beat, Foster quickly added: And somewhere, hopefully, with [his girlfriend] Casey. Foster starred on the ABC Family series from 2007 to 2011 as John Paul Cappie Jones, the lovable president of Kappa Tau fraternity with major Peter Pan syndrome. The comedy-drama focused on sorority and fraternity life on the fictional campus of Cyprus-Rhodes University, but Foster believes the shows success stemmed from breaking down the stereotypes that come along with Greek life. Created by Patrick Sean Smith, Greek premiered on ABC Family on July 9, 2007 and ran for four seasons until March 7, 2011. The series about sororities and fraternities on the fictional campus of Cyprus-Rhodes University starred Spencer Grammer, Scott Michael Foster, Jake McDorman, and Jacob Zachar. Read up on the actors -- then and now! A lot of times college shows sort of focus on the stereotypical partying aspect, the drinking and the hookup culture and it was so much more than that, he told Us. [Greek] was really about who you are between the ages of 18 and 22 and the growth that happens, the change that happens, the friendships that are built. It was more than just, youre partying. Thats an easy trap to fall in. I think we just were smart enough to avoid that. Fosters character arguably experienced some of the most growth throughout the series, majorly in part to his will-they-wont-they romance with girlfriend Casey (Spencer Grammer). While the show introduces them as exes, viewers follow them throughout the four seasons as they find their way back to one another and cement themselves as one of TVs most iconic couples. Casey and Cappie end their story driving off into the sunset, but fans have often wondered where their characters along with the rest of the Cyprus-Rhodes gang would be today. In 2016, Freeform announced plans to debut a Greek: The Reunion movie. The two-hour film would have gathered together the cast for their five-year reunion but the network decided not to move forward with the film. Foster, however, is still ready to reprise his role if the time comes. There was talk a few years ago about a feature [film]. I know that ended up not happening, but I think I can speak for most of us from the cast [when I say] that we had a good script come along and they were willing to do it, he said. I think a lot of us would entertain the idea as long [as it] honors the original story. I think wed all be very happy with it. Whether the cast will reconvene on screen remains to be seen, but Foster looks back on his time with Greek fondly and credits the series for helping craft him into the actor he is today. YouTube Greek was those early days, right? So I was still trying to figure out who I was as a person, much less what I learned as an actor, he explained. And that role [of Cappie] was pivotal in shaping how I approached [my] future characters. He was written very smart, very funny and very witty. So I think that really helped me bring that into future auditions and roles. I definitely think that was such a good role for me to start off with because it helped me embrace that side, which I might not have embraced before. Foster has brought those lessons to his latest work, the upcoming romantic comedy Choose Love. The actor portrays Paul, the steady boyfriend of Cami (Laura Marano) who must choose between him and two former flames. The Netflix film, which features an interactive feature and multiple endings, introduces Paul as the dream guy but Foster insists theres more to the character than meets the eye. Best TV Shows About College Set College Greek Grownish Felicity More Back to school! Felicity, Grown-ish, Greek and The Sex Lives of College Girls are just some of the television dramas that have captivated audiences and brought major university nostalgia over the years. Keri Russells Felicity Porter hooked viewers in on the series by the same name from 1998 to 2002. More than two [] Theres layers to him, he told Us. Hes definitely more than just what he says on paper. He loves Cami and wants to be with her but there are always problems. I dont know how much I can say, but lets say hes definitely more complex than the log might say. Choose Love premieres on Netflix Thursday, August 31. 1/ MEGA Amanza Smith and her new boyfriend, David LaQua, stepped out in public for the first time since the Selling Sunset star revealed she had a new man in her life. Smith, 46, and LaQua held hands as they headed to dinner in Beverly Hills on Thursday, August 24. The Netflix personality wore a metallic blue minidress with heels for the occasion while David was dressed in a black t-shirt and plaid pants. A few weeks ago, Smith made their relationship Instagram-official when she shared a video of herself splitting a coconut beverage with LaQua. When I needed you most there you were, she captioned the post. Love really shows up when you least expect it so grateful for this man! . A Timeline Chrishell Stause Christine Quinn Selling Sunset Drama Alls fair in love and real estate! Selling Sunset is partly about the luxury home market in Southern California, but it still devotes plenty of airtime to the casts personal lives. When the agents of the Oppenheim Group arent pounding the pavement in five-inch stilettos, theyre sitting around their West Hollywood office catching up on [] Smith did not reveal his name at the time and hinted people might have trouble finding him online. Hes not a social media guy! she wrote in response to a commenter who wanted to lurk on his page. One of the many amazing qualities he has lol. Smith was married to Ralph Brown from 2010 to 2012. They share daughter Noah, 13, and son Braker, 12. The reality stars big reveal came nearly three months after breaking the news that she was hospitalized for a serious blood infection. Initially, Smith shared that doctors were worried she had a tumor because the infection appeared that way on her MRI. 1/ MEGA Everyone was very scared, including myself, she wrote via Instagram in June. Here I am day 10 and Im making this message a bit quickly because Im about to go into surgery to have portions of the infection removed from my spine that werent getting any better. Im still in pain, but I am hopeful that with the surgery my back pain will diminish. Selling Sunset Stars Then vs Now: What the Realtors Looked Like Before the Netflix Reality Show Transformation time! The stars of Selling Sunset know a lot about glamour, and while they regularly step up to the plate to deliver fashion and beauty looks worthy of the red carpet, many of the women underwent makeovers prior to the hit series. Christine Quinn, for instance, has been forthcoming about the way she appears [] In July, Smith announced that she had been discharged from the hospital. 1/ MEGA 31 days later and Im out! she captioned her Instagram Story post. Learning how to use my new antibiotic machine that will be permanently hooked to me 24/7 for the next couple of weeks. #onthemend. After her experience in the hospital, Smith explained that she has a new perspective on life. You know who your friends are when you become a burden, she shared in an August interview with People. Its like a rebirth. I will never take my mobility for granted again. When I can walk and jog again and do Pilates or ballet, I hope I stick to them because I plan on living to be 107. By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) -The Kremlin said that Western suggestions Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders were an "absolute lie" while declining to definitively confirm his death, citing the need to wait for test results. Russia's aviation authority has said that Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, was on board a private jet which crashed on Wednesday evening northwest of Moscow with no survivors. President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash on Thursday and spoke of Prigozhin in the past tense, breaking his silence after the incident which occurred exactly two months to the day after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against army chiefs. Putin cited "preliminary information" as indicating that Prigozhin and his top associates in the Wagner mercenary group had all been killed and, while praising Prigozhin, said he had also made some "serious mistakes." Western politicians and commentators have suggested, without presenting evidence, that Putin ordered Prigozhin to be killed in order to punish him for launching the June 23-34 mutiny against the army's leadership which also represented the biggest challenge to Putin's own rule since he came to power in 1999. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the accusation and many others like it were false. "There is now a great deal of speculation surrounding this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the plane's passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, in the West, all this speculation is presented from a well-known angle," Peskov told reporters. "All of this is an absolute lie, and here, when covering this issue, it is necessary to base yourself on facts. There are not many facts yet. They need to be established in the course of investigative actions," he said. Earlier on Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov had scolded U.S. President Joe Biden for expressing his lack of surprise that Prigozhin had been killed in a plane crash, accusing Biden of disregarding diplomatic norms. 'WAIT FOR TEST RESULTS' Russian investigators have opened a probe into what happened, but have not yet said what they suspect caused the plane to suddenly fall from the sky northwest of Moscow. Nor have they officially confirmed the identities of the 10 bodies recovered from the wreckage. Asked if the Kremlin had received official confirmation of Prigozhin's death, Peskov said: "If you listened carefully to the Russian president's statement, he said that all the necessary tests, including genetic tests, will now be carried out. The official results - as soon as they are ready to be published, will be published." Peskov, who said Putin had not met Prigozhin recently, also said it was unclear how long the tests and investigative work would take. It was therefore impossible to start talking about whether Putin would attend Prigozhin's funeral, Peskov said in answer to a question on the subject. "There are no dates for the funeral yet, it is impossible to talk about it at all. The only thing I can say is that the president has a rather busy schedule at the moment." Nigel Gould-Davies, a former British ambassador to Belarus who is now a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said the funeral would be significant. "If Putin wishes to emphasise that Prigozhin died as a traitor, he will ignore it," said Gould-Davies. "(While) Prigozhin's supporters may use it as an opportunity to eulogise him and his critique of the Kremlin's conduct of the war -- and could strengthen the hostility of a core of Wagner loyalists towards the Kremlin," he said. British military intelligence said on Friday there was not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin had been onboard but that it was "highly likely" he was dead. The Pentagon has said its own initial assessment is that Prigozhin was killed. Russia's Baza news outlet, which has good sources among law enforcement agencies, has reported that investigators are focusing on a theory that one or two bombs may have been planted on board the plane. Asked about the future of the Wagner Group, which has series of lucrative contracts across Africa and a contingent in Belarus training the army there but now appears leaderless, Kremlin spokesman Peskov was concise. "I can't tell you anything now, I don't know," he said. (Reporting by ReutersWriting by Andrew Osborn Editing by Guy Faulconbridge) Two suspects have been arrested after at least eight people were injured in a shooting that took place during the annual Caribbean Carnival in Boston on Saturday morning. The shooting was not related to the Caribbean parade, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said during a news briefing Saturday afternoon. This mornings shooting is not related to the parade that occurred, since it happened on the outskirts of it, Cox said. Very early in the investigation but it seems to potentially be maybe two groups having some type of altercation. The incident happened during the J'ouvert Parade, which kicks off the annual Caribbean Carnival in Boston at 6:30 a.m. The second and main parade, the Caribbean Carnival, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Officers with the Boston Police Department responded to the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue for a report of multiple people shot at around 7:43 a.m. Seven victims were found shot and taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, police said. An eighth victim may have suffered a graze wound, according to Cox, who added that there could be more victims. Police stopped the parade in order to gather evidence, but the rest of the day's festivities will go on as planned, Cox said. Multiple firearms were recovered from the scene, and two suspects were arrested. It's not clear if police are looking for more suspects. Mayor Michelle Wu spoke about the importance of cultural events like Carnival and urged people not to blame the violence on the Caribbean community. Its always just heart-wrenching to hear that a treasured community event has been disrupted by acts of violence from those who had nothing to do with the event, Wu said at the news briefing. And theres no, absolutely no excuse, for something that is open to the community and part of Bostons culture and heritage to be talked about in this way because of the acts that were introduced. Police are encouraging anyone with information on the incident to come forward. Many women in the U.S. aren't being treated for menopause symptoms by doctors. (Illustration: Aisha Yousaf for Yahoo; photo: Getty Images) Two years ago, 49-year-old Tina Mulryan, a New York City hair colorist, visited her primary care physician looking for answers. For over a year she had been waking up several times at night, suffering from hot flashes and experiencing brain fog during the day. Mulryan tells Yahoo Life she used to have plenty of energy but recently was feeling depleted. Im just kind of really irritable because Im tired, she says, recalling how she felt. I want to take a nap in the middle of the day and thats not me. Ive always had a ton of energy. Her doctor offered her Lexapro, an antidepressant. I said no, Im not depressed, she says. Mulryan wanted answers about her symptoms and didnt get them. I was just like, you know what? Youre not the doctor for me anymore. And I just left. It turns out that Mulryan was experiencing perimenopausal symptoms. I felt frustrated, she says about the lack of help she received from her physician. "I felt let down by the medical community. Mulryans experience is not unique. The majority of menopausal women in the U.S. aren't being treated for symptoms by doctors. Tina Mulryan suffered from hot flashes and brain fog, but didn't feel supported by her physician. (Photo courtesy of Tina Mulryan) Were not educating providers on menopause According to a recent study from Elektra Health, a digital platform that offers menopause-related education and support, only one in five women between the ages of 40 and 60 receive a menopause diagnosis, even though 80% of all women generally experience symptoms. Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for the North American Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Womens Health, tells Yahoo Life that the mentality among her colleagues is, If I just ignore it, these women and this problem will go away. But with menopause symptoms lasting on average seven to nine years, we can't just pat women on the head, tell them its going to be fine and not to worry about these symptoms, she says. Were not educating providers on menopause management anymore, she says. Faubion is co-author of a 2019 study that found just 6% of residents said they felt comfortable managing menopause and more than a third said they were not prepared at all. On average, they reported having about two hours of education about menopause in medical school total. Dr. Anna Barbieri, ob-gyn and founding physician of Elektra Health, tells Yahoo Life: Youve got a lack of education. Lack of time as a resource. And just the controversy surrounding treatments of menopause that are still so prevalent, and its like a perfect storm of why [doctors] dont feel comfortable with it. Dr. Anna Barbieri, ob-gyn and founding physician of Elektra Health, says there's "a lack of education" about menopause in medical school. (Photo courtesy of Dr. Anna Barbieri) Theres nothing wrong with you move on When Barbieri was finishing her residency at Mt. Sinai in 2003, she says she barely had any menopause training. It turned out to be a blind spot for her in 2014 when, at 41, she began experiencing brain fog and forgetfulness. Being a busy ob-gyn with no real experience in the area of menopause, I took myself to a neurologist and had a brain MRI because I thought I had a brain tumor, she tells Yahoo Life. Well, I didnt have a brain tumor. I was actually in early perimenopause, and it was really through my own search that I was able to find ways to feel better. Barbieri saw her experience as an opportunity to educate herself on the topic so she could better help her own patients. She says that 80% of her patients now come to her because of menopause. Most of them find her after not getting answers or help from their ob-gyn or primary care physicians, who often dont know enough about menopause and how to treat it. In some cases, she says women are being flat-out told Theres nothing wrong with you move on. Adding to the challenge is the fact that few people both patients and doctors even talk about menopause. That was the case for Gwen Harris, of Nashville, who, when she was 54, says menopause symptoms, including insomnia, chronic eye problems, hot flashes and anxiety, descended on her. She was unsure who to turn to. I didnt know anything. It was not something my mom ever told me, she tells Yahoo Life. Harris says the doctors she went to wanted to give me sleep medication and anxiety medications. Instead, she worked with a naturopath, who practices alternative medicine. I literally had to go on this journey myself because I felt very alone and frustrated, she says. In 2013, Harris organized a menopause support group that has grown to over 124,000 members the largest of its kind on Facebook. Suffice it to say, I found out that Im not alone, she says. One of the common threads in the support group is the feeling of frustration, says Harris. They went to their doctor and their doctor didnt know what to do for them is a typical refrain, she says. Harris now co-runs a menopause support network called Menowave and says in the 10 years since she created the support group, she notices that the younger generations are talking more about menopause and helping to break the taboo. Barbieri agrees that support groups are places of community to share stories about menopause, but cautions not to take medical advice from these groups, since treatment varies for each individual. Gwen Harris, left, pictured with her co-founder of Menowace, Tina McDermott, says she felt "very alone" trying to navigate her menopause symptoms. (Photo courtesy of Gwen Harris) Why doctors hesitate to prescribe hormone therapy One of the barriers to women getting treatment for menopause symptoms is the reluctance some doctors have to prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT). That typically stems from the 2002 Womens Health Initiative study, which reported that HRT causes an increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer and stroke, and had more risks than benefits. However, researchers critiquing the studies have pointed out that no distinction was made between users and their age. The study also used a kind of oral estrogen called Premarin on the women, which contains a mixture of multiple estrogens found in the urine of pregnant horses. We dont typically use this type of hormone therapy anymore. We mainly use estradiol today, which is what the ovary used to produce before menopause, says Faubion. Its available in multiple forms, including skin patches, which doctors believe to be safer than taking estrogen orally because it bypasses the liver. Before the report was released, Faubion says about 40% of postmenopausal women were using hormone therapy. After the report was released, that number dropped to 6% and hasnt changed. So it dropped by orders of magnitude and has not rebounded, says Faubion. And its because providers and women are not educated and theyre afraid of it. Women need to educate themselves: I found my voice Adding to the challenge is that many women don't even realize theyre in menopause nor do the doctors theyre working with. Faubion says she's seen many women come into her clinic with a slew of perimenopausal symptoms without realizing thats what theyre experiencing. It was like, Im sweating, Im gaining weight, Im losing hair, I have palpitations, Im anxious. And all of it, theyre thinking, Oh my God, Im dying. And Im like looking at them going, Oh my God, youre in menopause. But if a doctor isnt tuned into menopausal symptoms, it can lead to a slew of unnecessary testing. Women are seeing a urologist for urinary frequency and maybe some incontinence. Theyre seeing a cardiologist for palpitations, theyre seeing a psychiatrist for mood changes, says Faubion. And all of it is really just related to menopause. Barbieri says women cant wait for the changes that need to happen for doctors to become educated about menopause management. Instead, she encourages women self-educate and self-advocate. Thats what Colorado resident Christen [last name withheld] had to do when she turned 46 and was dealing with numerous perimenopause symptoms. I thought I was terminally ill, she recalls. Her journey began when the first doctor she visited wanted to put her on Premarin, the conjugated equine estrogen. She had learned about the possible side effects and instead asked her doctor for an estrogen patch. He agreed. I did find in menopause that I found my voice, Christen says. I learned I could be so clear and direct. That its OK to say, This is not enough for me. This is what I want to do. If you cant help me, Ill find it somewhere else. Christen says she learned how to advocate for herself during menopause. (Photo courtesy of Christen) How to advocate for yourself Think your symptoms might be related to menopause? Barbieri suggests preparing for your doctors visit in specific ways so you can advocate for yourself. Organize your symptoms. Spend a few minutes identifying all of your symptoms and writing them down. In my practice, I will often spend a good hour with a new patient, but a lot of people dont have that luxury of time with their doctor, Barbieri says. Instead of telling your doctor, I just dont feel myself, knowing your specific symptoms struggling to focus, waking up multiple times per night, hot flashes, etc. helps. Prepare what youre going to say. Barbieri advises saying to your doctor, I think Im having symptoms of perimenopause including and list out your symptoms, adding: Do you think thats what it is? Can these symptoms be attributed to something else and do we need to address that and rule those out? Ask questions about how to manage symptoms. Ask the doctor if they can help. Barbieri says some doctors will be open about their lack of background and make a referral. Another question to ask: Do I qualify for hormone therapy? If the provider says, No, I think hormones are dangerous and nobody should be doing it, she says, then ask: Why or why not? Whats the data to support it? If the provider says yes, then ask, What am I looking at in terms of risks and benefits? What are some alternatives? What is the next step? Barbieri cautions against any doctors with extreme responses or absolutes like hormones are dangerous. She says the field is complex and requires a nuanced understanding of the individual patient. For Faubion, she wants women to understand that menopause is not a disease. Its a normal life transition that 100% of [women] are going to go through. But that doesnt mean having to put up with symptoms or navigating treatment options on your own. A man was shot and killed by multiple suspects in Kansas City, Kansas, Friday evening on a commercial street, police say. Around 7:30 p.m., dispatchers received a 911 call about a shooting outside a business on the 5500 block of Leavenworth Road near Churchs Chicken, Toms Burgers, Security Bank and Happy Foods North. The victim was shot several times before the suspects got into a vehicle and fled the scene, according to a statement from the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where he died. Police have not released anything further about the shooting. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the incident to call the anonymous Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477). Hundreds of people are still listed as unaccounted for after this months devastating wildfires on Maui a number thats expected to change as the FBI continues vetting names. The validated list curated by the FBI currently includes 388 names, Maui County said Thursday, as cell phone data is now being used to try to pinpoint where victims may have been when the deadliest US wildfire disaster in more than 100 years tore through the Hawaiian island. At least 115 people are confirmed dead, though authorities say that number is likely to change. The FBI on Friday acknowledged the list of names was a subset of a larger list of people who are believed to be missing. Steven Merrill, the bureaus special agent in charge in Hawaii, said those currently on the list are people who authorities had more complete information about. Since the list was released, theyve gotten at least 100 people that have notified us that a certain person shouldnt be on the list, Merrill said so the number of those still unaccounted for is expected to change. As the race to identify the lost continues, the states main electrical utility stands accused of compromising evidence in the fire investigation, and Maui County officials have followed others in suing the company over responsibility for the fire. First responders also are pressing for answers about why they werent better prepared after a similar ruinous fire five years ago. The updated list of the missing was released with hopes of confirming anyone whos not truly still lost, officials said. Were releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation, Police Chief John Pelletier said in the release. 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. Pelletier said Friday that since the names were released, authorities have received hundreds of calls. Authorities would like to do a weekly update on the list of missing people to help notify the public, he said. The FBI has worked with agencies to unduplicate people that have been reported missing, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said earlier Thursday in a social media post. Some 800 to 1,200 people have been listed as unaccounted for since the fires, he said. The grim search for those believed missing began shortly after wind-whipped flames tore through the island on August 8. Much of the western Maui community of Lahaina once a lively economic and cultural hub was left in ruins, with entire neighborhoods and businesses reduced to ash. Some residents were forced to jump into the ocean to survive as flames overtook the town. Search crews and cadaver dogs have searched 100% of single-story homes in the disaster area, Maui County officials said Tuesday. They are now going through multistory homes and commercial properties. And an FBI team that specializes in using cell phone data has launched in Maui to help identify potential fire victims, a law enforcement source told CNN. The Cellular Analysis Survey Team was on the island working with local law enforcement, the official said. The team can get and analyze cell phone company subscriber records and cellular tower registration data, which could prove useful to the search efforts by geolocating the last known area where a victims cell phone was operating. The team in the past has used information obtained through court orders to help with terrorism, kidnapping and criminal investigations. Cellular telephone analysis is among the resources being provided by the bureau, Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the FBIs office in Hawaii, said during news conference Tuesday without giving specifics. Additionally, Maui County has named a new interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency after its prior chief resigned from the post August 17. In announcing Darryl Oliveiras hiring Friday, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said he has a track record of invaluable experience and skill during challenging times. Oliveira, who previously served as the administrator of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, is expected to begin leading the countys emergency agency Monday. Evidence may have been compromised, power company says As the human toll of the fire comes into focus, investigators also are trying to determine what sparked the flames, and while no official cause has been announced, the Hawaiian Electric Company is facing scrutiny over its actions before and after the fires broke out. Some evidence potentially vital in determining the cause of the deadly fire in Lahaina may have been compromised, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) acknowledged in an exchange with attorneys included in court documents obtained by CNN. The company said fallen power poles, power lines and other equipment were moved during firefighting efforts and as officials worked to make the area safe for residents, according to letters part of a class action lawsuit. The company told attorneys, who are representing Lahaina residents in the class action suit, that it was possible, even likely that evidence that relate(s) to the cause of the fire might be lost, correspondence obtained by CNN shows. The equipment was removed from the area around the Lahaina substation which is thought to be where the blaze started before federal investigators arrived. Those actions could have violated national guidelines, which say the fire scenes should be heavily preserved for investigators and any and all evidence should be secured and not removed from the site without documentation, court documents filed by attorneys say. The ATF said on August 17 that its National Response Team was being deployed to Hawaii to help determine the cause and origin of the deadly fire days after the utility company acknowledged equipment and evidence had likely been moved or lost. On August 10 two days after the wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina, a group of attorneys notified the utility of anticipated litigation and requested that all electrical equipment that may relate to the origin of the fire including power poles, lines and conductors be preserved. An attorney for Hawaiian Electric responded on August 11 that some potential evidence may have already been compromised during the firefight, not by the utility itself, but by others. John Moore, an attorney for the utility wrote to attorneys for the families on August 11 that the companys main focus was the safety of first responders and displaced residents and restoring power. The company also noted it was taking steps to preserve property but local, state and federal agencies were on the ground and it was possible that the actions of these third parties, whose actions Hawaiian Electric does not control, may result in the loss of property or other items that relate to the cause of the fire. The families attorneys then submitted a request for a temporary restraining order to stop Hawaiian Electric from altering the scene where its believed the Lahaina fire started, court documents show. A judge signed an interim discovery order on August 18, detailing how the company should handle evidence around the scene, including preserving and protecting all physical evidence within a defined area and refraining from destructive testing. The order also specified that it was not making any findings of any wrongdoing at this time. The class action lawsuit was filed several days after the fires ignited alleging Hawaiian Electric failed to deenergize power lines ahead of the fire despite high wind and red flag warnings. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. It is believed to have ignited near a power substation where where authorities reported a downed power line early on August 8, 2023, the complaint says. Hawaiian Electric vice president Jim Kelly previously told CNN that, as has always been our policy, we dont comment on pending litigation. At this early stage, the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review, he said. Hawaiian Electric has been in regular communication with ATF and local authorities and are cooperating to provide them, as well as attorneys representing people affected by the wildfires, with inventories and access to the removed equipment, which we have carefully photographed, documented and stored, a spokesperson told CNN. The spokesperson for the utility company told CNN Hawaiian Electric understands its legal obligations and took extraordinary steps to preserve evidence. The ATFs National Response Team, which is investigating the cause of the fire, declined to comment. The county has sued the electric company While the investigation continues, Maui County officials made their position clear in a lawsuit filed Thursday, claiming the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness, and/or unlawfulness of Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries is directly responsible for the fires. The utility, known as HECO, inexcusably kept their power lines energized in early August, despite the National Weather Service issuing a High Wind Watch and a Fire Warning, the lawsuit alleges. The warnings cautioned that strong winds could knock down power lines and ignite a fire that would spread quickly due to dry conditions, the lawsuit indicated. Maui County is seeking damages from HECO that may total tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, said John Fiske, an attorney representing the county in the suit. Our primary focus in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy has been to do everything we can to support not just the people of Maui, but also Maui County. We are very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding, a spokesperson from Hawaiian Electric told CNN in a statement. Hawaiian Electric Company serves 95% of the states customer base. As of Thursday, officials still were tracking at least three active fires on Maui, including the Lahaina fire, which was 90% contained after burning more than 2,170 acres. The Olinda fire, which has burned an estimated 1,081 acres, was 85% contained, and the Kula fire was also 85% contained, with just over 200 acres burned, county officials said. We all knew this was going to happen again And even as fire crews work to find and contain hot spots, a Hawaii police union official said firefighters were set up for failure ahead of the outbreak. Following a destructive wildfire that broke out in 2018 under similar conditions in the same area, no wildfire management or other preventative methods were taken to mitigate future disasters, Nicholas Krau, the Maui Chapter Chair for the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, told CNN. We all knew this was going to happen again. While no one could have predicted this much destruction or loss of life, we all knew there would be another destructive fire that would threaten these same businesses and homes again, Krau said. I dont know whos responsible for preventing wildland fires and managing the private owned land where the fire started, but they should definitely answer for it. More than 2,000 acres burned and 20 homes were damaged in the 2018 fire, county officials have said. Many police officers who helped with evacuations this month suffered smoke inhalation because they didnt have proper respiratory protection, even after it was requested following previous fires, Krau said. If someone needs help, (the police) are going to rush in and do everything they can to help. But the department and county of Maui have the obligation to properly equip them, he said. CNN has reached out to Maui County and the Maui Police Department for comment on Kraus claims. CNNs Josh Campbell, Norma Galeana, Taylor Romine and Paradise Afshar contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A new study looked at unique natural wonders you cant find anywhere else in some of the most extraordinary places on the planet to rank 10 that are actually worth a visit. Titan Travel a travel agency that offers escorted tours across the globe looked into the popularity of world-famous natural wonders on Instagram and TikTok, as well as Google search volumes and Tripadvisor to reveal which natural wonders of the world are the best, the company said. Two natural wonders in the United States made the list. While plenty of countries offer spectacular man-made sights like the Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu or the Great Wall of China, it's the natural wonders that only a few people will ever get to see in their life that truly fill us with awe, the company stated. Seven world wonders in less than a week: Man sees The Great Wall, Taj Mahal and more to set new record Top 10 best natural wonders of the world 1. Arches National Park, United States 2.4M Google searches / 61.7M Tik Tok views / 663.8K Instagram posts 87.57% excellent reviews / 0.25% terrible reviews 8.29/10 wonder score 2. Iguazu Falls, Brazil 2.5M Google searches / 44.8M Tik Tok views / 296.7K Instagram posts 90.73% excellent reviews / 0.11% terrible reviews 8.19/10 wonder score 3. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe 2.6M Google searches / 63.9M Tik Tok views / 318.5K Instagram posts 86.57% excellent reviews / 0.22% terrible reviews 8.14/10 wonder score 4. Grand Canyon, United States 682.0K Google searches / 568.9M Tik Tok views / 4.2M Instagram posts 89.99% excellent reviews / 0.60% terrible reviews 7.91/10 wonder score 5. Table Mountain, South Africa This photograph taken on December 26, 2021 shows Table Mountain lit up with a faint purple glow to honour the memory of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate, in Cape Town. - South African anti-apartheid icon Desmond Tutu, described as the country's moral compass, died on December 26, 2021, aged 90, President Cyril Ramaphosa said. 1.4M Google searches / 44.5M Tik Tok views / 1.3M Instagram posts 81.83% excellent reviews / 0.26% terrible reviews 7.67/10 wonder score 6. Matterhorn, Switzerland 162.6K Google searches / 137.0M Tik Tok views / 969.7K Instagram posts 91.39% excellent reviews / 0.43% terrible reviews 7.24/10 wonder score The most 'beautiful' sights in the US? This study of travel reviews shows us. 7. Mount Everest, Nepal This picture taken on April 25, 2021 show Mount Ama Dablam, which peaks at 6,812 meters, in the Everest region. This photograph taken on May 31, 2021 shows mountaineers lined up as they climb a slope during their ascend to summit Mount Everest (8,848.86-metre), in Nepal. 13.3M Google searches / 638.2M Tik Tok views /222.7K Instagram posts 88.68% excellent reviews / 1.62% terrible reviews 7.14/10 wonder score 8. Great Barrier Reef, Australia Gillian Backhouse of Australia swims to view coral during an athlete Great Barrier Reef experience on day eight of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games at the Great Barrier Reef on April 12, 2018 on Lady Elliot Island, Australia. Marine biologists pilot a small boat on the Great Barrier Reef above Moore Reef in Gunggandji Sea Country off coast of Queensland in eastern Australia on Nov. 14, 2022. 4.0M Google searches / 164.1M Tik Tok views / 989.0K Instagram posts 77.44% excellent reviews / 2.44% terrible reviews 6.62/10 wonder score 9. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland 3.0M Google searches / 61.3M Tik Tok views / 693.8K Instagram posts 76.85% excellent reviews / 1.29% terrible reviews 6.53/10 wonder score 10. Angel Falls, Venezuela Aerial view taken on December 16, 2014 of the Angel Falls (Salto Angel), the world's highest waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3,212 feet), located in Canaima National Park, Bolivar State, Gran Sabana Region, South-Eastern Venezuela. 1.6M Google searches / 20.2M Tik Tok views / 34.1K Instagram posts 91.03% excellent reviews / 0.28% terrible reviews 6.52/10 wonder score 10. Milford Sound, New Zealand 1.3M Google searches / 17.0M Tik Tok views / 426.3K Instagram posts 79.72% excellent reviews / 0.26% terrible reviews 6.52/10 wonder score What are the seven natural wonders of the world? In 1997, CNN released a "Seven Natural Wonders of the World" list, which comprises geological, aquatic and astrophysical phenomena, in collaboration with the Seven Natural Wonders organization. Dispersed throughout five of the seven continents, these wonders are comparable in scale, but vary in accessibility and tourism infrastructure. Mount Everest Paricutin Volcano The Grand Canyon Victoria Falls The Harbor Of Rio de Janeiro Great Barrier Reef Northern Lights This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10 natural wonders of the world worth visiting: US, Brazil, Ireland Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life. The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow, Lukashenko told reporters in comments carried by Belarusian state news agency Belta on Friday. I told him: Yevgeny, do you understand that you will doom your people and will perish yourself? He had just come back from the front. On an impulse he said: I will die then, damn it! The longtime Belarusian leaders comments came just days after a plane believed to be carrying Prigozhin, the notorious head of the mercenary group Wagner, crashed in a field northwest of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg. The crash came two months to the day after Prigozhin launched a short-lived mutiny against Russias military leadership, posing an unprecedented challenge to the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It is not clear yet what caused the crash, but US and western intelligence officials that CNN has spoken to believe it was deliberate. Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation. The Kremlin on Friday denied any involvement in the plane crash and no evidence has been presented that points to the involvement of Putin or Russian security services. The Belarusian leader said that during second time he spoke with Prigozhin he warned him in no uncertain terms to watch it. Lukashenko did not say when the meeting took place. He added that Dmitriy Utkin, a long-term lieutenant of Prigozhins, had come alongside Prigozhin. The Belarusian President said he suggested to Prigozhin that he could talk with Putin and guarantee full security in Belarus if he was concerned for his security, Belta reported. I said: If you are afraid of something, I will talk to President (Vladimir) Putin and we will extract you to Belarus. We guarantee full security to you in Belarus. And credit where credit is due, Yevgeny Prigozhin has never asked me to separately pay attention to security matters, Lukashenko said, according to the agency. Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm Prigozhins death, though Putin spoke publicly about him in the past tense on Thursday. Prigozhin and Utkin were both on the list of passengers released by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, and both the Pentagon and British Ministry of Defense said its likely the Wagner leader was killed in the rash. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said testing is underway to determine who was on board. Cant imagine its Putin Lukashenko previously said that he could not imagine that Putin was behind the apparent death of Prigozhin. I cant say who did it. I wont even become a lawyer for my older brother. But I know Putin he is a prudent, very calm and slow-paced person when making decisions on other less complex issues. Therefore, I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that he is to blame, Lukashenko told journalists. It was too rough, unprofessional work, for that matter, he added. According to Belta, Lukashenko said Prigozhin had never asked him for security guarantees following the attempted mutiny two months ago. I dont have to ensure Prigozhins safety. This is first of all. Secondly, the conversation (between Prigozhin and Lukashenko) never centered on this, he said. He also said Wagner will live in Belarus, adding that within a few days everyone will be here, referring to Wagner fighters and the deal he struck to host the group after the failed uprising. Up to 10 thousand people, he said. As long as we need this unit, they will live and work with us. Referencing satellite imagery that purported to show camp sites for Wagner fighters being dismantled recently, Lukashenko said: Why are we removing extra tents, we dont need so many of them. The core base remains here, someone went on vacation, someone decided to live on the sidelines, but all telephones, addresses, passwords, and appearances are known. Prigozhins death, however, has thrown Wagners future both in Belarus and elsewhere in doubt. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com CINCINNATI (AP) Brynn Schulte nearly died twice when she was a baby, at one point needing emergency surgery for massive bleeding in her brain. No one knew what was wrong until a test that looked at her full genetic blueprint found a rare bleeding disorder called factor XIII deficiency an early diagnosis that saved her life. You have this hopeless feeling when you dont really know whats going on, said her father, Mike Schulte. Casting a wide net really made a world of difference figuring this out quickly and getting her the right care that she needed almost immediately. Brynn, now 4, got the genetic testing as part of a clinical trial, the results of which were published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Whole genome tests are nearly twice as good as narrower tests at unearthing genetic abnormalities that can cause disease in infants the study found 49% of abnormalities, compared to 27% with more commonly used tests targeting particular types of genetic diseases. Whole genome tests could solve the problem of doing several narrowly targeted tests on babies, which still might not find the disorder. Experts caution there are some issues, because labs vary in how they interpret results, and whole genome tests are costlier and less likely to be covered by insurance. But researchers envision that whole genome tests eventually will be used for millions of hospitalized babies with confounding, sometimes life-threatening conditions. According to the U.S. National Human Genome Research Institute, around 350 million people worldwide live with rare disorders, and about 80% of the more than 7,000 conditions are genetic. Ive been doing clinical trials of babies for over 40 years, said study author Dr. Jon Davis, chief of neonatology at Tufts Childrens Hospital in Boston. Its not often that you can do something that you feel is going to really change the world and change clinical practice for everyone. ___ The night after Brynn was born, her mother Lindsay noticed her skin was gray, her breathing labored. Blood had pooled beneath Brynn's scalp, causing two bulges on her head. Doctors transferred her to the neonatal intensive care unit at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, where she got blood transfusions and tests for different bleeding problems. She improved and went home only to wind up back in the hospital when she was about a month old for the massive brain bleed. A doctor warned she likely wouldnt make it. A pastor prayed with the family. After her surgery, Brynn stayed in the NICU for two months. At various points, doctors thought she might have a vascular problem or a mass in her liver. Everybody was very unsettled because nobody knew what the heck was going on, Lindsay Schulte recalled. I dont think we slept. I mean, watching your child nearly die in front of your eyes twice is a memory Ill never erase. Then the Schultes learned about the clinical trial, which involved 400 hospitalized infants. Brynn and both parents got the whole genome testing. The diagnosis came in less than a week: She had the rare bleeding disorder, which affects an estimated 1 in 2 million to 1 in 3 million live births, and another condition causing a severe reaction to certain anesthesia drugs. Doctors said that diagnosis would likely have been delayed or even missed with multiple narrower tests. Many babies in the trial had genetic variants that narrower tests just couldnt detect, said Dr. Jill Maron, a study author and chief of pediatrics at Women & Infants Hospital in Rhode Island. Thats because targeted tests cover maybe 1,700 out of 20,000 genes, so whole genome testing simply captures more things, said Dr. Paul Kurszka of GeneDx, a company that provides whole genome testing but wasnt involved in the study. Another child in the clinical trial, 2-year-old Cash Denaro of Oceanside, California, was found to have a genetic condition called Noonan syndrome, which involves heart defects, developmental delays and other problems. His mom, Amanda Denaro, said that with the diagnosis, we know what they think he may be delayed on, so we can work on these more not just kind of push it under the rug. ___ Broader access to full genome tests is necessary if more kids are going to be helped, experts like Maron said. Full genome tests generally cost about three times more than narrower tests, she said, and aren't covered by Medicaid in most states. Then there's the question of interpreting test results: More than 40% of the time in the study, labs found the same genetic variant, but one considered it the cause of disease while the other saw it as insignificant. Philip Brooks at the National Institutes of Health, which helped pay for the research, said it remains a topic to be addressed. One reason for the differing interpretations is that science is moving so quickly linking genes to disorders and there isn't a comprehensive international system where doctors can check for the latest information, said Mara Aspinall, who teaches biomedical diagnostics at Arizona State University. She was not involved in the study. Despite such hurdles, some kids are already benefitting from whole genome testing. It made all the difference in ensuring Brynn got the right treatment so she could thrive, said Dr. Cristina Tarango, her hematologist at Cincinnati Childrens. Today, Brynn lives like any active preschooler except for regular infusions of factor XIII replacement. On a recent morning, Lindsay Schulte put Sleeping Beauty on the television and laid Brynn on a blanket on the kitchen counter. A visiting nurse took blood from a port implanted in her chest and Schulte slowly administered the medication through a syringe. Like usual, Brynn chose the bandage to put over her port one featuring a cat from her favorite show. All done! her mom chirped, and soon Brynn was running barefoot across a couch, gleefully chasing her older brother. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. gettyimagesbank By Jung Min-ho The Ministry of Justice is now paying close attention to recent changes in public opinion on resuming the implementation of the death penalty. In response to inquiries sent by The Korea Times recently, the ministry said its stance on the issue has not changed that there should be a thorough review before deciding whether to carry out capital punishment again. But "violent crimes seen recently and the rate of recidivism" forced officials to pay attention to growing calls for the resumption, it said. The statement comes amid mounting calls for stronger penalties against criminals after a series of violent crimes have occurred targeting random people. On Aug. 17, Choi Yoon-jong, 30, assaulted a woman in her 30s in an alleged attempt to rape her on a hiking trail in Seoul. This occurred just two weeks after Choi Won-jong, 22, rammed his vehicle into pedestrians before going on a stabbing rampage inside a mall near Seohyeon Station, leaving one woman dead and 13 others injured. Another man, 33, Cho Sun, attacked people in a similar way with a knife in Seoul on July 21. To address public fears of such attacks, President Yoon Suk Yeol told his officials earlier this week to come up with measures to prevent such crimes. Given diplomatic risks regarding relations with the European Union, which imposes trade restrictions on countries that execute criminals, the ministry said it is considering adopting a life sentence without parole through legislation as an alternative measure. Korea is categorized as a "death penalty abolitionist in practice" by Amnesty International, a human rights watchdog. The country carried out its last execution on Dec. 30, 1997. Hersha Parady, who starred as Walnut Grove schoolteacher Alice Garvey on "Little House on the Prairie," has died. She was 78. (NBC / Getty Images) Hersha Parady, who starred as Walnut Grove schoolteacher Alice Garvey on Little House on the Prairie, has died. She was 78. Parady died Wednesday night in Norfolk, Va., at the home of her son, Jonathan Peverall, who confirmed her death via the GoFundMe page he launched in July to improve her quality of life in her final days. Last night at the age of 78, she left us, and is now at peace, Peverall wrote. My mother was a talented actor, but more importantly a beloved presence in many hearts more than I had ever realized. I have been consistently astonished by the number of people that have expressed to me her impact on their lives. He added, Despite what I could only describe as her being 'difficult' at times, she was the best mother. She was also a doting grandmother, and her three grandchildren, who brought immense joy to her life, will miss her dearly. Peverall said his mother had fought a courageous battle against a challenging medical condition, a meningioma, and even in her struggle, she continued to inspire us with her strength and resilience. At one point, a doctor expressed to me her surprise that she had stayed with us for this long, given her condition; I said, If you knew my Mom, you wouldnt be surprised. According to "NCIS" producer Jill Weinberger, who was the actors longtime next-door neighbor and close friend, Parady successfully came through surgery to partially remove her brain tumor, but was transferred to a rehab facility, where she developed pneumonia. After several weeks in the ICU, she died. Though the last couple of years were tough for her, she never stopped emitting light and laughter, and between her friends and her fans, I know she touched literally thousands of lives and brought so many people so much joy, Weinberger wrote on Facebook. Read more:Laura Ingalls Wilder's real-life memoir to be published Parady portrayed Alice Garvey on the Michael Landon-created Little House on the Prairie for 33 episodes, beginning in the series' Season 4 premiere episode, Castoffs, in September 1977. In her final episode, May We Make Them Proud, which aired as a two-hour episode in 1980, her character attempted to save blind children from a burning building and ultimately succumbed to the flames. Parady was born Betty Sandhoff on May 25, 1945, in Berea, Ohio. She renamed herself Hershey after the chocolate bar, although she didnt have a sweet tooth she just loved the name. Her agent changed it to Hersha. In a 2019 interview with The Little House on the Prairie Podcast, the actor said she had been poised for stardom since childhood. Instead of playing dolls, I was either on my bike riding down streets I wasn't supposed to go down, and when I couldn't do that, I was pretending. As soon as I could walk, I was downstairs in my basement being a movie star or a damsel in distress. Parady graduated from Berea High School in 1963 and despite her grandparents' disapproval moved to the city to pursue her dreams. My mother always said that I put my grandparents in their grave because I left high school and went immediately to the Cleveland Play House, and into an apartment during the 1960s in the ghetto, she said. And I was living by myself. And it was dangerous. Read more:'Paris Is Burning' star Carmen Xtravaganza, ballroom icon and transgender advocate, dies at 62 In the 1970s, she packed her bags for Los Angeles, where she nabbed the role of Stella opposite Jon Voight in a touring production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Parady splashed onto the small screen in 1971 on an episode of Bearcats! and over the next few years landed roles in episodes of "Mannix" and "The Waltons." In 1976, she landed Little House on the Prairie, then moved on to film with Raw Courage (1984), Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star (1986) and The Break (1995). Parady was married to British film producer and director John Peverall, who shared the best picture Oscar in 1979 for The Deer Hunter. Together, they traveled to India, Thailand and Africa for Peveralls various projects. They lived for a year in India. At 74, Parady said, I've always felt young and full of spit and vinegar and I still am. In addition to her son, survivors include her siblings, Patty, Kenny and Bobby. 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. Jurgen Klopps wants the Europe and Saudi Arabia transfer windows to align (PA) Jurgen Klopp finds himself under attack from Saudi Arabia on two fronts: one new, one even newer. He is entirely complimentary about one Eddie Howes fast-improving Newcastle side while calling for help in another respect. Klopp believes Fifa should act to bring the Saudi Arabian transfer window in line with its English equivalent. The acquisitiveness of their newly super-rich clubs has already disrupted his summer once; when, after beginning his midfield rebuild with the auspicious acquisitions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, he was stripped of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, two he intended to keep. Now there is the prospect of a raid for Mohamed Salah, perhaps after 1 September, when it would be too late to replace him. His suitors are Al-Ittihad, a club run by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, who own 80 percent of Newcastle. Klopp is remaining defiant. Mo Salah is a Liverpool player and essential for everything we do, he said. We dont have an offer. If there would be something, the answer would be no. Saudi spending power would look still more transformative if each of Klopps definitive front three Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Salah were to move to the Pro-League in the same summer. Its influence is apparent in the North-East as well as the Middle East, however. Liverpool head to St James Park on Sunday after winning the battles against Newcastle, beating them home and away last season, but losing the war. They were forced out of the Champions League places by a rising force. Newcastle, Klopp thinks, are no one-season wonders. They are here to stay. Most definitely, he concurred. The changing landscape has made it harder for imperilled Liverpool in a division where others are spending, when they operate by different financial parameters. And Chelsea, he noted. And Manchester United in the future. We have to [live within our means]. We cannot put sticks around the area and hope that no one will run through. Thats how it is: I have no problem with that. As long as it is all by the rules I have no problem. In the end its the circumstances, it could be different but its all about what you make of it. And, as he readily admits, Newcastle have made a lot of their budget. They have spent around 400 million in four transfer windows under Howe. There was a hint from Klopp that their spending spree could have been more like Todd Boehlys billion-pound exercise in incoherence. Instead, Newcastles buying has been underpinned by intelligent thinking. So far they have not done crazy business, said Klopp. I have to say nobody knew exactly what would happen after [the takeover] but so far I dont think they have done crazy business. One of those windows where people thought it would look like the Chelsea windows rather than the Newcastle window. They have brought in fantastic players like [Alexander] Isak, [Sven] Botman, Bruno [Guimaraes]: really smart business, piece by piece. And then this year [Sandro] Tonali and [Harvey] Barnes, and they can swap strikers between Isak and [Callum] Wilson, which is impressive. But they still have players from before like [Miguel] Almiron and [Sean] Longstaff. So, yes, they did business, and it was clear - could the Newcastle of before have done it? Probably not. There are certain similarities with some of Liverpools recruitment over the years: buying improving players, rarely from the superpowers, for what can soon look bargain prices. Liverpool became champions of first Europe and England in part because, where there was little margin for error, they rarely erred. Klopp believes Howes Newcastle are here to stay (PA Wire) There was one year when money was less of an issue because Phil went to Barcelona so we could do sensational transfers, Klopp said, and Philippe Coutinhos 142m sale financed the arrivals of Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. But otherwise we have always spent to improve the team. With business, we have had to do it our way. Our situation is great, just not in comparison to the other teams you mentioned. We have to be on point. There is not a lot of space for failure. Now, once again, his plans are taking shape, with Wataru Endo the belated replacement for Henderson and Fabinho, after Liverpool failed in bids for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, but with the risk that a sudden departure of a player of Salahs standard could create further problems. I was always glad when transfer windows are over, Klopp reflected. I cant remember a transfer window where every single person was happy. I have to improve the squad, I know, but I have all the information around and I know what is possible and not possible. It is not my job to complain. It is my job to take the team we have at the end of the transfer window and make the best of it. Which he has tended to do against Howe, with 10 straight wins. Newcastle have only suffered four home league defeats under the Englishman, but two were to Klopp and Liverpool. And while the job of managing Liverpool and of securing top-four finishes has got harder in other respects, at least he faces less opposition on Sunday. When he looks across to the home dugout, only one man will be on his feet, instructing the Newcastle players. Klopp had quipped that the new regulations were designed to stop the United tag team of Howe and Jason Tindall. It was a joke, he said. If Liverpools anthem dictates that he will never walk alone, Howe now has to stand alone. Editors Note: Monthly Ticket is a CNN Travel series that spotlights some of the most fascinating topics in the travel world. In August, were making the most of the last month of summer by highlighting some of the top ways to enjoy the season. My sons eyes pooled like a melting glacier. We were in Churchill, a town of roughly 900 people nicknamed the Polar Bear Capital of the World, in Canadas Manitoba province. It was mid-August, and Id pulled Nico out of his first week of first grade in Florida for a Family Learning Adventure with Frontiers North Adventures and a trip I was sure would be worth missing a week of school to attend. But Id been wondering whether anything was sinking in. Together with several other kids in our group aged five to 10, my restless boy was suddenly rapt with attention in the towns Polar Bears International office. He was listening to a story about a bear named Ursula who had been tracked for several seasons around Churchill and finally far out on the sea ice in the middle of Hudson Bay with her two cubs before her tracking signal went offline. The device was eventually found washed ashore on land. Ursula made it back, but the fate of her cubs was unknown. Nico, 6, had just seen his first polar bear in the wild, a thin male splayed across rocks in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, just outside of town, where our Tundra Buggy driver, Jim Baldwin, had spotted the bear from a couple football fields away. As we approached in the towering vehicle with tires up to my shoulders, Baldwin told us the bear was too skinny for his liking. A male polar bear rests during a Tundra Buggy ride into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area in August. People have to learn to co-exist with polar bears in Churchill, where some of them stay waiting for sea ice to refreeze. - Alex Cupeiro/Fronters North Adventures By mid-August, Churchills polar bears had been off the Hudson Bay sea ice for 60 days, essentially fasting until it would freeze over in late October or November. Then they could hunt for seals again. We learned the window of ice-free time in Hudson Bay was getting longer, with the ice melting earlier in the year and freezing later each year. Hudson Bay polar bears are among the most vulnerable on Earth because of loss of sea ice, with their numbers in sharp decline. We didnt have all the facts about what happened to Ursula and her cubs, but I could see my son was putting two and two together. Did they die? He turned to me and whispered, tears spilling over. I told him we didnt know. Unexcused absences and a different kind of classroom Bring your binoculars! Young Tundra Buggy passengers with Frontier North Adventures scout for wildlife during a stop in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area. - Terry Ward Back home in Florida, the stories we share usually have a happy ending, all the better for a good nights sleep. But as a firm believer that travel is the best education, Id called in a week of unexcused absences to Nicos public elementary school in Tampa and came to this remote place with no road access. Most visitors arrive in Churchill via a two-day train journey from Winnipeg, Manitobas capital, more than 600 miles (965 kilometers) south, or by commercial flights on Calm Air, which can cost around $2,000CAD (about $1475 USD) roundtrip for the 2.5-hour flight from Winnipeg. Once youre on the ground, things are similarly pricey. A comfortable but no-frills room at the Tundra Inn in town is $335 CAD ($247.26) per night during falls peak polar bear season. Summertime beluga-watching tours by Zodiac cost $125 CAD ($92.26 USD pp). And groceries cost a pretty penny, too. Terry Ward and her son take a selfie in front of a warning sign near Churchills city beach, fronting Hudson Bay. - Terry Ward Id ventured this far with my son in hopes of painting a real picture for him from the Arctic animal books wed paged through and talks wed had about the climate crisis. This was a place that was changing forever in our lifetimes, the time to see it was now. The last time Id been among polar bears was just before I got pregnant with Nico, on a sailing adventure in Svalbard, an Arctic island off Norway. Together with friends on a small boat named Barba, I witnessed open coastline where sea ice should have been, saw a polar bear scavenging for bird eggs because the seals were out of reach and even used a wooden pole to fend off a hungry bear that tried to board our boat, perhaps smelling the cod wed left out to dry. I wasnt looking to get that up close and personal with the animals with my son. But considering the impact traveling in the Arctic had on me in my early 40s and knowing how quickly the region was changing, I was eager to give Nico a head start on lessons you cant get in school. Our Frontiers North Adventures guide, Jennifer Diment, briefed us on our trip, telling us wed witness the largest migration of beluga whales in the world. It happens every July and August in the Churchill River and nearby estuaries, when the cetaceans arrive to feed, mate and calve in the sheltered waters. Wed learn about the regions Indigenous peoples and the perils a warming Arctic brings to their way of life. And wed likely see polar bears, she said, with unusually high numbers of them spotted around Churchill, their natural migration corridor, this summer. Nico pushed his toy car across the airports floor as she talked. Churchill is the most representative place for kids to get a clear picture of what is happening with our environment and climate change, Diment, a biologist, reassured me. When you see the number of days the polar bear population here has gone without eating because of the number of days the area has been free of sea ice, then you see a polar bear on land, it really puts things in context. Into the realm of the polar bear An Inukshuk, a structure of boulders piled to look like a person, fronts Churchills city beach. - Terry Ward Context in Churchill, which sits at roughly the same latitude as Scandinavian cities such as Stockholm and Oslo and is the southernmost place in the world to see wild polar bears, comes in being immersed in a surprisingly accessible slice of true wilderness. Helicopters patrol the towns perimeter to keep children safe while trick or treating on Halloween night (when nobody would dare dress like a bear). And a large sign with the Polar Bear Alert Lines phone number and a warning to never go outside after 10 p.m. is the first thing you see upon landing at the airport. Together with our group of four other families hailing from Toronto, Denver, Vancouver and Washington, DC (including two kids who were similarly missing their first week of school) we set out to learn all we could. A group of parents and children on a tour with Frontiers North Adventures walks to the wreck of the Ithaca. - Alex Cupeiro/Fronters North Adventures During a low-tide walk to the SS Ithaca, a rusting freighter grounded along the shore of Hudson Bay since 1960, the kids marveled at fossils and the idea that they were strolling across the seabed while my son splashed in tidal pools and gaped at his first real shipwreck (Is it bigger than the Titanic?). We all got a jolt of adrenaline when our polar bear guard essential in these parts and armed with a rifle that could shoot cracker shells as well as more serious ammunition as a last resort spotted a mother and two cubs strolling a distant shoreline. We stopped to see the towns Polar Bear Holding Facility (often referred to as the polar bear jail), a hangar where repeat-offender bears that have refused to leave town by other means are held for 30 days without food as a deterrent to coming back before being released into remote areas away from town. Conservation officer Chantal Maclean shared her unusual career with the kids. Its not something I ever heard about at a job fair growing up, she said, explaining how the bears are trapped, darted and later transported by truck or helicopter as part of the towns Polar Bear Alert Program to keep both them and the areas humans safe. This year, the bears have been forced onto land a lot earlier because they got off the sea ice a lot earlier, Maclean told the kids. Theyre here in really high numbers because the ice melted earlier. Nico wanted to know who was in jail for what, and the kids all giggled to learn a large male polar bear was among the three prisoners after he was caught gorging on bags of dog food at the port. Last year, we had 18 calls about bears around town at this time, Maclean told us. This year weve already had around 80. Clearly impressed with her, Nico turned to me and said, I wish you could still be my mommy but also be Chantal. I was thrilled hed gained a new option for answering what he wants to be when he grows up. Belugas, belugas everywhere The worlds largest migration of beluga whales happens every summer in the waters around Churchill, with visitors heading out on zodiacs, kayaks and paddleboards for an close 'n' personal look. - John Gunter/Fronters North Adventures Everywhere you go near the water in Churchill during July and August, the rounded backs of beluga whales surface like white caps. They arrive as soon as the sea ice breaks up to feast on small fish called capelin that spawn here. One afternoon, Nico and I boarded a Zodiac while others in our group kayaked out for a closer look at the belugas. They paraded alongside our vessels, peering up from underwater and frolicking in the boats wake, protected from the propeller by a cage around it. Just-born babies appeared velcroed to their sides (and yes, everyone broke out singing Raffis Baby Beluga). The adults in our group were giddy at the spectacle and a few of the kids gave the whales names (Indiana Jones and Joe) and dipped their hands into the icy cold waters to snap photos. Nico was at first captivated by the mechanics of the whales blowholes and whooshing sound when they surfaced. But soon enough he went back to fiddling with a toy skateboard hed gotten on the plane. I tried not to be disappointed hed maxed out on belugas after 15 minutes. Our action-packed itinerary took in talks about conservation and Indigenous culture, carting behind sled dogs through the boreal forest and bowling at the Churchill Town Centre Complex, where local children scrambled over an indoor playground complete with a polar bear-shaped slide. During an art class with local artist Sandra Cook, we got pointers on painting Arctic scenery on rocks wed collected. She praised Nico when he painted a tropical waterfall instead. Visitors take a summertime ride behind sled dogs with Wapusk Adventures in Churchill. - Alex Cupeiro/Fronters North Adventures The parents got along as well as the kids, much to our collective relief, and were quickly comfortable admonishing whoever was playing polar bear guard with a condiment bottle at dinner or wreaking havoc in the back of the bus. One night, after theyd all gone to bed, we toasted with canned beers someone picked up from the grocery store in the Tundra Inns lobby and even caught a mild display of an early-season Aurora Borealis, peeking our heads outside the hotel door to look for both polar bears and the sky. If you ask my son what his favorite moment from our trip was, he might say belugas to please me but surely it was driving the Tundra Buggy. We had just seen a giant polar bear and skirted alongside tundra swans, sandhill cranes and a multitasking caribou (Action shot! shouted Baldwin, getting a giggle out of everyone since the animal was pooping while walking). But the moment the buggy driver passed Nico the wheel to what might as well be a monster truck on steroids and all his new friends started chanting his name as he steered us across the tundra, the biggest smile of the week lit up his face. With a polar bear guard scouting the perimeter, Frontiers North Adventure guests roast smores at a bonfire on Churchills city beach. - Terry Ward Later, my boy asked me if wed ever see his new friends again. On our last night in Churchill, we gathered at a bonfire on the beach for smores. Then we wandered down to the rocky shoreline to skip stones, the now familiar humps of belugas stretching to the horizon, the cold saline wash of Arctic Ocean in the air. I looked at my son doing what he does on our retention pond back homechucking rocks into the water while I worried hed hit one of his friends. But this time it was with with a backdrop of belugas (safely out of rock range) for a change. But I was done worrying if any of it was sinking in. We had been here together, and that was something. As we walked back to the bus, I grabbed Nico by the hand, on high alert in polar bear territory. If you dont see me panicking, mommy, theres no reason to panic, he said, gently letting go of my grip and following the other kids into the bus, using a line hed clearly remembered from a safety protocol talk days before. A seed had been planted, I was sure of it. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com ATLANTA Only one of former President Donald Trump's 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case has been jailed as a result of the charges. On Friday, defendant Harrison Floyd was informed during his initial court appearance that he'd be spending more time at the Fulton County Jail since he was considered a potential flight risk. Floyd bristled at the suggestion that he might not return for future proceedings in the case. Theres no way that Im a flight risk, maam," he told Judge Emily Richardson after she denied his bond request. "I showed up before the president was here, he added, referring to Trump. Floyd, who's charged with racketeering, conspiracy and influencing a witness, turned himself in Thursday afternoon, ahead of Trump's 20-minute appearance at the jail that evening. Prosecutors allege that Floyd, the former leader of Black Voices for Trump and the only Black man among the defendants, was part of a scheme to pressure election worker Ruby Freeman into making false statements. Freeman had been falsely accused by Trump and his allies of election fraud. Harrison Floyd. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office) Unlike the other defendants in the case, Floyd did not have a lawyer reach a bond agreement with prosecutors before surrendering. During Friday's hearing, Richardson asked Floyd if he had an attorney and he said he did not. He said the ones he'd spoken to cost between $40,000 and $100,000, and I cant put my family in that kind of debt. He added that'd he'd requested a public defender and was denied one. The judge told him he did not qualify for one. Richardson added that the judge who'll be presiding over the election interference case, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, "will go through the process if you choose to represent yourself and to not retain a lawyer. He will go through that process and those questions with you. Richardson said one of the reasons she was denying him bond on Friday was a pending case for allegedly assaulting a federal officer earlier this year. According to an affidavit in that case, Floyd attacked a pair of FBI special agents who served him with a federal grand jury subpoena at his Maryland home for special counsel Jack Smith's election probe. The affidavit says Floyd body slammed one of the agents as they were leaving and repeatedly bumped him while yelling expletives at him. He was charged with assaulting a federal officer. "I do find that based on the open charge against you there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point, Richardson said. So Im going to go ahead and find that you are at risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. She also told Floyd that the issue is ultimately "not going to be decided by me. Its going to be decided by the judge who was assigned to handle your case. A date for Floyd's next court appearance has yet to be set. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had set a deadline of noon Friday for all of the defendants to surrender. The last of the defendants to turn himself in was Stephen Lee, an Illinois-based pastor who allegedly enlisted Floyd to help pressure Freeman. FARGO, N.D. (AP) Former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer learned a lesson about his car keys after his vehicle was stolen as he hosted a Fargo radio show. Schafer was guest hosting KFGO's News and Views program Friday morning when police called the station to ask if he owned a 2020 GMC Yukon, the station reported. It turns out that the SUV had been stolen out of the stations parking lot. The thief apparently drove it to a probation office and surrendered to authorities, Schafer said. The vehicle has a push-button start feature and requires a key fob to be in the vehicle before it can be operated. But Schafer had left a spare fob inside, enabling the thief to start it up and drive off. The former governor and U.S. agriculture secretary says he's been warned about being more careful. My wife for 31 years has said, Why dont you lock your car? Schafer said. A jury convicted a Topeka man of two felonies and acquitted him of two others Friday regarding the Halloween night 2020 shootings of youths in a car he said tried to run down he and his brother as they looked into the theft of Donald Trump signs. An eight-man, four-woman jury deliberated about three hours before convicting Robert L. Sinner II, 42, of two aggravated battery charges, which they reduced from more serious aggravated battery charges he had faced. Jurors found Sinner found guilty of aggravated battery committed recklessly causing great bodily harm, which victimized Angel Escobar-Garcia, and of aggravated battery committed recklessly causing bodily harm, which victimized Edgar Valenzuela. The jury also found Sinner "not guilty" of a separate aggravated battery count and of one count of the criminal discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle with great bodily harm. Friday's verdicts ended a five-day trial overseen by Shawnee County District Judge Brett Watson. Two women who heard the case as jurors were dismissed as alternates that day after Watson drew their names from a hat. Robert Sinner II, of Topeka, was convicted Friday of two felonies linked to the Halloween night 2020 shootings of youths in a car. What was Robert Sinner II accused of? Authorities said Sinner fired shots that injured three teenage Hispanic occupants of a car late Oct. 31, 2020, in North Topeka. The shooting was caught on a security camera video, which was shown at the trial. All three wounded teens survived. Two, Escobar-Garcia and Valenzuela, suffered serious wounds, prosecutors said. The other reported suffering a burn to his leg from a bullet. One of the car's occupants driver Jose Garcia, then 17 was charged as a juvenile with aggravated assault after prosecutors alleged he drove a car toward Justin Sinner, Robert Sinner's brother, who had been on foot in the same area. The Shawnee County District Attorney's office later dropped that charge. Court records said the Sinners were convinced the youths were responsible for the Oct. 30, 2020, theft from a neighbor of signs promoting what turned out to be Trump's unsuccessful run that year for reelection to the presidency. The property owners involved chose not to pursue charges related to the theft. A jury convicted a Topeka man of two felonies and acquitted him of two others Friday regarding the Halloween night 2020 shootings of youths in a car he said tried to run down he and his brother as they looked into the theft of Donald Trump signs not far from their home in North Topeka, shown here. The teens were playing a Halloween prank, said Shawnee County deputy district attorney Steven Karrer. Authorities said after the teens came back the next evening, the Sinners armed themselves and went on foot to confront them. The teens then drove at the Sinners in a speeding car, Robert Sinner said. Karrer questioned whether the teens actually drove at Robert Sinner. Robert Sinner said he and his brother both fired at the car, Robert Sinner using a rifle and Justin Sinner using a handgun. Justin Sinner wasn't charged with any crimes. Kansas 'Stand Your Ground' law was used as a defense Robert Sinner's attorney, Kevin Shepherd, contended at this week's trial that Robert Sinner acted in self-defense under Kansas' Stand Your Ground law. That law considers a person justified in the use of deadly force against another when the person using force reasonably believes such force is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to themselves or a third party as a result of the use of unlawful force by another person or people. Shepherd said the law consequently required jurors to look at the situation from the vantage point of Robert Sinner, who clearly thought he needed to shoot at the car because it was being driven at him and used as a weapon, Shepherd said. Karrer responded by saying that for the Stand Your Ground law to apply, it also requires "the existence of facts that would persuade a reasonable person to that belief." Karrer asked jurors, "Do you, as reasonable people, believe he acted reasonably and in self-defense?" If jurors didn't think Sinner acted reasonably, the law required them to convict him, Karrer said. Valenzuela and Escobar-Garcia were "shot in the back" while riding as passengers in the car, he stressed. Karrer said while the Stand Your Ground law didn't require Sinner to retreat if someone else was the initial aggressor, it gave Sinner the duty to retreat if he were the initial aggressor, which Karrer contended Sinner was. Victims were 'shot in the back,' prosecutor says Shepherd stressed that Sinner was in "self-defense mode" at the time, adding, "How do you turn it off?" Also, Sinner didn't know if the car might turn around and come back, Shepherd said. Karrer said Sinner himself had acknowledged he no longer considered the car to be a threat at that point. Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Trial in Donald Trump sign-related shooting yields 2 guilty verdicts Tropical Depression Ten has formed near the Yucatan Peninsula in the western Caribbean, according to the National Hurricane Center, and it could become a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon that would make landfall in Florida as early as Wednesday. A tropical storm warning has been issued for the Yucatan in Mexico from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel. A tropical storm watch has also been issued for the western tip of Cuba in the provinces of Pinar Del Rio and the Isle of Youth. The system is developing as what was Tropical Storm Franklin has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane in the Atlantic. The depression is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm on Sunday as it meanders in the Yucatan Channel. By Monday, the system will begin moving north, entering the Gulf of Mexico. The storm is expected to further strengthen on Monday and Tuesday as the system crosses the Gulf, moving towards Florida. The official track calls for the storm to become a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and make landfall along the western coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday. The forecast cone stretches from Tampa Bay to Panama City, and the NHC notes that that there is significant uncertainty in 3-4 day intensity predictions and [the public] are urged to monitor changes to future forecasts. The next storm name on the Atlantics list is Idalia (pronounced ee-DAL-ya). Who should pay attention? Anyone living in Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula, Cuba and the northern Gulf and Florida coast should monitor the forecast in the coming days. The direction and strength of the upper-level steering winds around this system will dictate where it will move and how quickly. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an executive order Saturday declaring a state of emergency for 33 counties ahead of the potential inclement weather. The Governor and the Florida Division of Emergency Management are taking timely precautions to ensure Floridas communities, infrastructure and resources are prepared, including those communities that are still recovering following Hurricane Ian, reads a news release announcing the executive order. When could it affect the US? The depression is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm on Sunday as it moves through the Yucatan Channel. By Monday, the system will likely enter the Gulf of Mexico, and move towards Florida. It could become a hurricane by Tuesday afternoon and hit the western coast of the Florida Peninsula by Wednesday. How strong could it get? Its still too soon to tell how strong this system could get or how fast it could strengthen. But it will be tracking through the warmest waters in the entire Atlantic basin a vast source of energy for a developing storm. Exceptionally warm water can provide storms the fuel needed to strengthen and sometimes undergo rapid intensification. Sea surface temperatures are record warm in the Gulf of Mexico and extremely high across the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Water temperatures need to be around 80 degrees Fahrenheit to sustain tropical development, and portions of the Caribbean and Gulf are well above that threshold. A hurdle to development: Warm water isnt the only factor at play. This tropical system would also need upper-level winds to cooperate. High wind shear the winds change in direction or speed with altitude can tear a developing storm apart. How much wind shear this potential system faces is a critical factor in its formation and final strength. One forecast model shows more wind shear, limiting its development. Another shows less wind shear, allowing the system to develop. Either way, wind shear may decrease for a time early next week across the far northern Caribbean and eastern Gulf of Mexico, allowing any system that forms to hold together. Franklin strengthens into hurricane as it heads for Bermuda Meanwhile, out in the central Atlantic, what was Tropical Storm Franklin strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to a Saturday morning update from the National Hurricane Center. This was confirmed via aircraft reconnaissance by the NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunters. Hurricane Franklin is currently located 620 miles south of Bermuda and is moving relatively slowly at 7 miles per hour towards the north-northwest. Steady strengthening is forecast, and Franklin could become a major hurricane early next week, said the center in its update. A major hurricane is defined as Category 3 or higher with winds above 111 mph. Swells generated by Franklin are expected to begin affecting Bermuda by Sunday night, the hurricane center said, noting that, these swells are also likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions late this weekend into early next week along portions of the East Coast of the United States. Small variations in Franklins track through the weekend will determine exactly how close it gets to Bermuda when it make its closest pass Monday and Monday night. Franklins winds and rainfall will extend beyond its center. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts are possible across Bermuda early next week as Franklin makes its closest approach. A few showers and thunderstorms are also possible across Bermuda as Franklin passes. CNNs Zoe Sottile contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Vermont artist has lost his legal battle to force a law school to display a mural that portrays enslaved Black people in a style critics have called cartoonish and racist. Sam Kerson, 76, a multi-disciplinary artist and theater director who says his work focuses on social justice, sued the Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton, Vermont, in 2020, after the schools administration erected fabric-covered panels to hide his artwork a response to backlash over its depiction of enslaved Africans in what court documents note critics have described as an almost animalistic style with exaggerated facial features and physiques. Kersons lawyers had argued that covering the mural violated a 1990 law that gives living artists the right to protect their work from destruction or modification. But a three-judge panel with the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit sided with the school on August 18, affirming a district court decision and ruling that mere concealment of the Murals neither modifies nor destroys them. Covered murals are seen in the Chase Community Center at Vermont Law and Graduate School in South Royalton, Vermont on February 9, 2023. - Richard Beaven/The New York Times/Redux Kersons attorney, Steven Hyman, called the ruling a mistake and told CNN he viewed the backlash as a part of the cancel culture that we are experiencing. He said his client will be discussing whether to take his legal fight to the Supreme Court. Eye of the beholder The Underground Railroad, Vermont and the Fugitive Slave mural has long been at the center of controversy among students at the school and in the wider community. In 1993, Kerson painted the murals two large panels directly onto the walls of a conference room and study center on the schools campus. Each colorful panel is 24-feet long. The first part depicts the atrocities of slavery among them the capture of people in Africa, the brutality of a slave market and ends with a slave insurrection. The second panel features images of the abolitionists Harriet Beecher Stowe, John Brown and Harriet Tubman, as well as Vermonters providing help to formerly enslaved people. The mural is about liberation, Kerson told CNN. All people from Africa who are depicted in the slavery panel, they are liberating themselves taking the great risk and the brilliant march north saying, That star is north of here and by God we are going to follow it! That is not racist. Despite the artists intentions, however, students and community members have felt differently, and have been registering objections with the artwork with the schools administration for more than two decades. As cited in court documents, critics have charged that the depictions of enslaved people are Sambo-like and portrayed Africans in a cartoonish, almost animalistic style with exaggerated facial features and enlarged muscles. A steady backlash In response to the backlash, Vermont Law and Graduate School President Rob Smolla said that a plaque was installed in 2014 to explain the mural and its message. It read, in part, that its intent (is) to depict the shameful history of slavery as well as Vermonts role in the Underground Railway. But, he said, opposition to the artwork reached a fever pitch in 2020 amid a national reckoning against racist symbols like confederate statues. The school initially offered to let Kerson remove his work but because the mural had been painted directly onto sheet rock, that proved impossible. (To this point, the courts ruling concludes with a note that, nothing in our decision today precludes the parties from identifying a way to extricate (the paintings) so as to preserve them as objects of art in a manner agreeable to all.) Critics have described the mural's character as painted in an almost animalistic style, with exaggerated facial features and physiques. - From United States District Court for the District of Vermont Ultimately, the school decided to erect fabric-covered panels, offset from the wall, to permanently conceal the murals panels without destroying them. Kerson objected to the schools decision, and filed his lawsuit. He has relocated to Canada in the years since the mural was painted, but has not stopped fighting for the work to be displayed. The mural has no existence without its relationship to the viewer, Kerson said. By being covered, he argued, its made dysfunctional, its like painting it over. Justin Barnard, an attorney for the Vermont Law and Graduate School, told CNN there was no rancor toward the artist. When you are depicting someone elses culture, and you are hearing a steady drum beat on how they are depicted you respond and listen to the voices of those whose bodies are being depicted, he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com More than 100 people said they contracted bacterial infections after competing in a Tough Mudder challenge on Saturday and Sunday in Sonoma, California. The event was held at Sonoma Raceway, which is about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco, and challenged participants to run, wade and crawl through a muddy obstacle course. Three days later, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services issued a health advisory for all racers, citing multiple reports of rashes, fever, muscle pains and vomiting among the participants. These symptoms could be indicative of a minor illness called Swimmers Itch, but they can also indicate a Staph infection or other more serious bacterial infection such as Aeromonas, the advisory said. Swimmers itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a rash caused by water parasites and doesnt usually require medical attention. Staph infections, however, are caused by bacteria, can produce swollen, pus-filled bumps on the skin and may lead to lung infections or sepsis if left untreated. Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria, also found in water, can cause infections, with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting. The rash on Noa Umbaughs leg/stomach. (Courtesy Noa Umbaugh) On Wednesday, 112 participants contacted Tough Mudder to report bumpy, pus-filled, rash-like infections, according to an email provided to NBC News. The email said it was writing on behalf of 344 participants, including the senders family members and friends who also raced but were not named or copied on the email. Most of our doctors have identified this as staph, the email said, adding: Many of us have these additional symptoms, as well as fever and fatigue. Several have been hospitalized for days. Tough Mudder did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in a reply to the group email, a Tough Mudder representative wrote that the organization was working to complete its own investigation, ensure that the health advisory reached all participants and assist the Sonoma County health department. NBC News spoke to five people who said they experienced symptoms of bacterial infection after competing in one of the Tough Mudder races Sunday. David Long at the Tough Mudder event in Sonoma, California, on Aug. 20. (Courtesy David Long) David Long, 57, said he raced with several co-workers, then came down with a fever, chills and lesions from his ankle to his chest that night. He sought medical attention the next day and tested positive for Aeromonas on Friday, Long said. The larger sores on his leg resembled boils and were painful, he said. I think there is an element of what you would call negligence, Long said. It doesnt seem like it would be very difficult to test those water pools for bacteria. Matt Brown, a Sonoma County communications specialist, said the health department had logged seven cases of Aeromonas hydrophila infection so far, based on physician reports to the county. Our health department has received dozens of phone calls and emails from participants either concerned about their health or reporting symptoms, he said. Founded in 2009, Tough Mudder holds 5k, 10k and 15k races across the country in which participants are submerged in pits of muddy water, crawl through mud under barbed wire and scale muddy hills. After last years event in Sonoma County, a participant emailed Tough Mudder to report that she and several friends who raced had developed fevers and rashes, according to a screenshot of the message she shared with NBC News. In the recent group email to Tough Mudder, the senders wrote that the company should have informed them about the previous complaints but did not. Dr. Henry Chambers, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at San Francisco General Hospital, said mud can house thousands of species of bacteria, so crawling through muddy terrain especially with cuts and scrapes from obstacles carries an inherent risk of infection. The best way to prevent it, other than not doing the course is to immediately clean off, shower right away, so that organisms dont have a chance to get established, Chambers said. Though testing the area might have detected Aeromonas bacteria before the event, he said such a course comes with myriad infection risks beyond that particular one. Malia Helms, 25, said she completed the 10k course with five other friends, then woke up the next morning with itchy, painful red bumps across her body. She tested positive for Aeromonas infection, she said. Im still feeling sick from it, and my body is still recovering, Helms said. After learning of the complaints following last years event, Helms said she felt frustrated that the company didnt inform this years participants of a potential risk. Noa Umbaugh, 26, another member of Helms six-person group, said she woke up with similar bumps on her arms and legs, though she did not test positive for Aeromonas infection. After emailing Tough Mudder to report her symptoms, Umbaugh said the company told her it was looking into the matter. Umbaugh said she wants her registration fee refunded. It was just supposed to be a fun thing, and now all six of us are on antibiotics, she said. A farmer in Great Britain has made international headlines because people are posing naked in his field of sunflowers. The news made Leavenworth farmer Jacob Thomas laugh out loud. Has he ever caught folks in the buff among his blooms? Fortunately not, laughed the owner of JET Produce and Meats. Its the question of the moment for farmers like Thomas who grow the flower Latin name Helianthus annuus in the Sunflower State. They report this is not a trend on this side of the pond and if it was they would not encourage it. They run family businesses, after all. Thomas typical visitors, he said, are moms and their kids. They go to see flowers, not fannies. News outlets from CNN to The New York Times have spread the story this week of Stoke Fruit Farm, off Englands south coast, and its recent plea on Facebook. Reminder to all we are a family area and please keep your clothes on in the sunflowers! We are having (an) increase of reports of naked photography taking place and this must not happen during our public sessions please! the farm begged in its post. Farm owner Sam Wilson told CNN hes had about six cases of people posing naked in the sunflowers this season. Weve always had people take risque pictures but this is the first year its been a problem, which is why weve put signs up, he told CNN. He posted one of those caution signs with a red slash mark. It shows a hand dangling a bra and the caption: no topless. Grinter Farms, the larges sunflower field in the Kansas City area, is expecting blooms in early September. But they arent expecting nudity. To our knowledge, we havent had naked posers in the sunflower field, Kris Grinter, who runs the farm east of Lawrence with her husband, Ted, told The Star Thursday. That being said, the UK story is everywhere, so we may get some copycats this year. Heck, if I was my lovely young self, I might be tempted. Sunflowers, Thomas said, are just so shiny and fun that it makes you happy and I guess some people are just happier without clothes on. The most unique photo hes ever seen taken with his sunflowers happened this year. A woman from India posed in traditional garb and it was just stunning and beautiful to see her with the purple dress on, against the yellow flowers. His sunflower season finished up last weekend, He was busy with a customer at his farm market when he took the phone call from The Star. He told his customer the newspaper was calling about someone naked in a sunflower field. And they want to know if it was you? the customer asked him. Kansas farmers say they dont want people posing naked in their sunflower fields. Thats become a problem for one British farmer who has gone viral. Giggling girls Jay Shively runs Berry Hill UPick Farm in Berryton, Kansas, right outside Topeka. Two of his sunflower fields have peaked and have been mowed. But a third should be bursting with blooms by the end of September, shortly after he opens Sept. 23 for the pumpkin season, he said. Has he ever caught anyone au naturel in the flowers? Not technically, he said. Shively recalled one night in 2018, just a year after he and his wife opened their farm. It was getting dark and he heard some girls giggling in one of the sunflower fields. He could see flashes of light in the darkness so he knew they were taking pictures. Just the way they were giggling, I knew something was up, he said. They later tagged the farm on Instagram. From their post he deduced they were University of Kansas students and one had posed topless, holding his bodacious, big-headed sunflowers to cover her chest. He didnt really care, he said, because there was no one else around. But his sunflower fields are so small there would be no way of getting away with that during the day, he said. But thats been 2018 and I havent seen anything like that or heard anything like that since, Shively said. Why are people stripping off? There is little evidence on Instagram that a trend is afoot, suggesting the British farmers experience is an anomaly. Most of the Instagram images that pop up of naked people with sunflowers were created for commercial use. The go-to-pose is strategically holding the flowers to hide bare breasts. (Some varieties with larger heads seem more suited for the task.) No one has ever asked local professional photographer Merry Ohler to do a naked photo session in a sunflower field. Not that she would. She specializes in senior and family portraits, but sunflowers are one of her favorite subjects to photograph. She has devoted an entire page to her sunflower work on her website, MerryOhler.com. People around here have fallen in love with sunflower photo sessions, she writes there. But, she told The Star, her subjects are always clothed. She created her own family tradition around the flowers. Before the beginning of each school year she rousts her two children out of bed before dawn and heads to the sunflower fields at Grinter Farms to watch the sun rise over the flowers. Naturally, she documents the moment. (Grinter reports on Facebook that its sunflowers, planted in mid-July, should bloom around the first part of September and typically last two weeks.) The sunflowers are beginning to come into their own at Grinter Farms. Ohler said she doesnt understand this whole get-naked-in-the-fields thing, unless there is something enticing, exciting about flowers that live briefly, a fleeting photo opp. I dont know. Maybe thats what people are thinking, Ohler said. Sunflowers are beautiful, sunflower fields are beautiful. But I dont get the whole stripping down Maybe, Shively said, people are so overwhelmed by the beauty that famously inspired artists like Vincent van Gogh that they simply cant help themselves. Maybe being out in nature and its pretty and they feel pretty, they get a little more risque, I guess, Shively said. I guess more people feel free when they get out in the wild. Please keep your clothes on Farmers and photographers warn about the inhospitable reception awaiting anyone who walks, stands or otherwise moves around naked in a field of sunflowers. The fields are dirty and dusty and get muddy after rain. (Why do you think you dont see many brides in white dresses posing in a sunflower field?) The prickly hairs on the stems are scratchy. And the bees! There are tons and tons of bees out there, said Ohler. I would not take anyone allergic to bees out there. I tell my clients if they have any kind of allergy they need to bring appropriate medication. Thomas, the farmer in Leavenworth, warned about bugs, too. Sunflowers are host to a lot of insects, and so some of those insects will maybe sting or bite you, Thomas said. Definitely lots of bees, but also things like grasshoppers can bite people if they so choose. And praying mantis. Shively said he would probably reject a request to pose nude in his fields, unless we figured out some date and time the public wouldnt be there. And I dont even know then. Id probably have to talk to my wife. Lawmakers and party officials of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, including party chief Lee Jae-myung, second from left, march toward the presidential office after staging a protest at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, Aug. 25, calling for Japan to stop the discharge of treated, contaminated wastewater from its nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Yonhap The United States reaffirmed Friday its support for the release of treated radioactive water from Japan's destroyed nuclear power plant in Fukushima, calling it safe and transparent. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the Department of State, also said the U.S. is happy with the level of transparency Japan has shown in the lead up to the release, which began Thursday (KST). "Japan has been open and transparent as it has sought to responsibly manage the Fukushima Daiichi site and the eventual release of treated water, proactively coordinating with scientists and partners from across the Indo-Pacific region as well as with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which concluded that Japan's process is safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards," Miller said in a released statement. Some people in Virginia are using a new anti-porn law to report website that host the Bible to the state attorney general for not requiring age verification. Alecu Mocanu/Getty Images Reddit users are reporting Bible websites after the state passed a new anti-porn law. One Reddit user claimed the sites are "failing to require age verification before accessing porn." The user cited a passage of the Bible that discusses men with "genitals like those of donkeys." As more and more states pass laws targeting "pornographic material" in books and online, they are repeatedly running up against a problem: The Bible has not just a few passages that could be considered indecent. Virginia, for instance, passed a law in July requiring websites where a portion of the material hosted is "harmful to minors" which in this case would include pornography to verify that its users are over 18 years old. That law does not apply to social media platforms like X, formerly known as Twitter, and Reddit, which allow pornography to be posted, according to the Virginia Mercury. But it would apply to some other websites, a fact that Reddit users have picked up on. In a Reddit post in r/Virginia, a subsection of the site for people in the state to post about what's happening in their community, one user encouraged people to use the new law to file consumer complaints to Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. In the post, which has at least 2,000 upvotes, the user cited a passage from Ezekiel that appears on Bible.com, which says a woman "lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose semen was like that of horses. So she longed to do the sinful things she did when she was young in Egypt, when young men caressed and fondled her breasts. " The post also listed six other websites the user said were "failing in requiring age verification before accessing pornographic material" from the Bible. "They ALL need to follow the law!" the post says. "Think of the children." Bible.com did not immediately return Insider's request for comment. The website Pornhub has pulled access to users in several states like Virginia, Utah, and Mississippi that have recently passed similar laws requiring porn websites to verify a user's age. In Louisiana, Pornhub is requiring visitors to verify their age with a state ID, in a sort of malicious compliance with a new anti-porn law there. Utah also signed the Sensitive Materials in Schools Act into law in March 2022, which banned books with "pornographic or indecent" material from schools. In response, one parent of a Davis High School student in Utah filed a complaint in December 2022 against the school, claiming that the state legislature should ban the Bible from schools because it includes "incest, onanism, bestiality, prostitution, genital mutilation, fellatio, dildos, rape, and even infanticide." "Get this PORN out of our schools! If the books that have been banned so far are any indication for way lesser offenses, this should be a slam dunk," the parent wrote in the complaint. The Davis School District initially removed the Bible from school libraries after a review determined it did include "vulgar" content. But the school board unanimously reversed its decision after a review by an appeal committee determined the text has " significant, serious value for minors which outweighs the violent or vulgar content it contains," the AP reported. Critics of these kinds of laws say they have been used to disproportionately target books written by people of color and books with LGBTQ themes. Read the original article on Insider The UAW said Friday its 150,000 members who work for Detroit Three automakers have given union leadership the OK to strike if necessary. The strike authorization vote is more of a formality and was expected to pass, but given the strong rhetoric around the potential action against the automakers, it was given more weight this time than in the past. On Friday mid-morning, the UAW said final votes were still being tabulated, but the current combined average across the three automakers was 97% in favor of strike authorization. The vote does not guarantee a strike will be called, only that the union has the right to call a strike if it cannot reach an agreeable tentative contract. The current contract expires Sept. 14. Our goal is not to strike, our goal is to bargain a good contract for our members. But we prepare for a strike so that were ready no matter what happens," UAW President Shawn Fain told members during a Facebook Live broadcast Friday from UAW Local 862 near Ford Motor's Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Union members there were holding practice pickets Thursday and Friday. The overwhelming vote of those UAW members voting and endorsing a strike if necessary was expected, "but is still meaningful," said Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, reacting to the results. "It indicates strong member support for the 'ambitious and audacious demands the new leadership has put forward." Bring an offer by Sept. 14 or union takes action The Facebook feed was interrupted several times by technical difficulties, but Fain did make a few noteworthy remarks. UAW President Shawn Fain gives a Facebook Live update on the strike authorization vote on August 25, 2023 from UAW Local 862, which represents the hourly workforce at Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant in Kentucky. In an update on the progress of the talks with General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis, he said management has not yet made counterproposals to membership demands and the core economic demands. But the slow pace was not unusual in company-wide bargaining, where progress usually intensifies closer to the contract deadline. The current contract expires at 11:59 P.M. Sept. 14. Fain emphasized that deadline was firm and that extending the contract was not an option. He indicated the UAW was keeping its options open regarding how to strike if it becomes necessary. Fain told about 1,400 UAW members tuning into the Facebook feed that he informed each of the Detroit Three to come to the table next week with counterpoints to the union's demands so that a new contract can be reached before the expiration date. When asked if he will pick a lead company to reach a new contract with first and then pattern that deal with the other two, such as has been the tradition, Fain said no. Were not picking a target company," Fain said. "We expect all three to bargain with us and all three to be done by Sept. 14. We want contracts by Sept. 14 by all three. When someone in the online audience forum posted a comment that "it seems like Stellantis is the worst to bargain with," Fain said, None of the three have come to the pump yet for the membership. So until they want to get serious, theyre all the same in my opinion. They want to drag this out and weve warned them and warned them, we want something by Sept. 14. Fain promised to keep the members informed and said he had to earn their trust, noted Marick Masters, a business professor and labor expert at Wayne State University, who watched Fain's presentation. "In sum, Fain's livestream reflected the accentuated militancy of the UAW and the new leaders' devotion to responding to members' interests." Labor expert Erik Gordon, a business professor at Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, said, "Given his view that workers are fighting a class war with the automakers and that working together with the carmakers doesnt work, it would have been hard for him to explain why one company is a target and others aren't. Despite expressing hope for an agreement, he doesn't seem to expect one because the companies 'worship at the altar of profits' and don't care about workers." Automakers react GM reacted to the vote by posting a Q&A about what the vote means for the company on its www.gmnegotiations2023.com. "We continue to work hard with the UAW every day and bargain in good faith to ensure we get this agreement right for our team members, our customers, suppliers, the community and the business," GM spokesman Pat Morrissey told the Free Press in a statement. Jessica Enoch, Ford's spokeswoman, told the Free Press, Ford is proud to build more vehicles in America and employ more UAW-represented hourly workers in America than any other automaker. We look forward to working with the UAW on creative solutions during this time when our dramatically changing industry needs a skilled and competitive workforce more than ever. Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson provided this statement following the announcement of the vote results: The discussions between the Company and the UAWs bargaining team continue to be constructive and collaborative with a focus on reaching a new agreement that balances the concerns of our 43,000 employees with our vision for the future one that better positions the business to meet the challenges of the U.S. marketplace and secures the future for all of our employees, their families and our company. Workers for Stellantis voted to authorize a strike with an overwhelming 95.3%, according to a letter to local presidents, shop chairmen and financial secretaries from UAW Vice President Rich Boyer, who heads the unions Stellantis department. Boyers letter, posted on Facebook, called the level of participation inspiring and said it highlights the solidarity and dedication of the membership. The turnout was exceptional, indicating just how deeply each member cares about our shared values. It is essential for us to continue to stand together, especially during such pivotal times. We are ready to do what is needed, by any means necessary, the letter said. Big Locals, big turnout Turnout at one of GMs biggest plants was strong when voting started at 5 a.m. Wednesday, UAW Local 2209 Shop Chairman Rich LeTourneau told the Detroit Free Press. About 650 people from one shift, so about half, had already voted by mid-morning, he said. Thats great turnout, LeTourneau said. By Thursday morning, Local 2209 had authorized the union to strike in a vote of 97.5% voting yes. LeTourneau said the workforce deserves a generous wage increase because the jobs they do are difficult and they work long hours, but he gave pause on going on strike right away. He's lived through strikes in the early 1980s, 1998 and the most recent 40-day long strike in 2019. UAW Local 2209 Shop Chairman Rich LeTourneau stands next to a 2020 Chevrolet Trail Boss Silverado pickup built on June 2, 2020. It was recently at GMs Fort Wayne Assembly plant. We have a very young workforce and they dont know the implication of a strike and how long it can last. They just think we can get whatever we want," LeTourneau said. "But a lot of money comes out of pockets and not just General Motors, but the workforce too and you never get it back. I hope collective bargaining takes precedence over a strike. He said he has explained to his membership the challenges of a strike, noting it's easy to get fired up, but harder to put out that fire. He hopes Fains attempts at transparency through repeated Facebook live forums works, but LeTourneau said it is "dangerous" in his opinion. "Audience-based bargaining is dangerous, its extremely dangerous," LeTourneau said. "Youre answering questions on the floor and on Facebook and the expectations then are higher than the reality, and if that happens, its very difficult to get a yes vote on a tentative agreement from anybody, ever. Todd Dunn, president of UAW Local 862, represents Ford factory workers at the Kentucky Truck Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant and reported 99% strike vote approval. He declined to provide specific numbers. The plants employ roughly 12,000 rank-and-file workers at the factories. On Wednesday, August 23, 2023 the UAW posted on social media the results at one of Ford Motor Co.'s biggest UAW locals, Local 862, showing overwhelming support to authorize union leaders to strike if necessary. Dunn told the Free Press The membership has spoken. We must stay the course and support our national negotiations for a fair and equitable contract. As for the mood and overall feel, he said, It was business as usual. Detroit Three production ahead of a possible strike Experts suspect the automakers are doing some preparation ahead of a possible strike. Production at two of the Detroit automakers has increased in recent months, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of Global Vehicle Forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC. GM and Stellantis do not report detailed inventory numbers, but each automaker contributed inventory to a sector that showed anincrease in inventory by about 8% over the past two months, Fiorani said. That indicates they are boosting some production in preparation for a possible strike, he said. GM had a hiccup in production of its more popular and profitable vehicles: pickups. It has had to pause production at some truck plants due to parts shortages, which is not what it wants to do ahead of a possible strike, Fiorani said. Fords inventory, which the automaker does report, has dropped by more than 12% in August compared with July, he said. Fords inventory drop is normal for this time of the year, he said, noting that production of some key vehicles, like the Explorer and Expedition, were abnormally low in June and July, possibly due to a lack of parts. Additionally, the Mustang and Ranger small pickup are transitioning between generations. While dealer inventories havent grown significantly, there are a few more vehicles available to cover a short strike, but theres simply no way the automakers could prepare for a protracted factory shutdown, Fiorani said of the Detroit Three. Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW says OK for strike against Detroit 3 overwhelmingly passes Cradling a bucket of freshly picked basil, Laura Seleski referenced a common refrain among farmers: It takes a lot of calories to produce the calories people consume. After five years growing produce in California and Hawaii, Seleski understands the demands and rewards of farming as a career. But she wants to learn more. When it comes to acquiring the necessary skills to grow vegetables in the long term, "You hope you land at the right farm to learn the things you want to learn." But the informality often associated with entering farming is changing. Seleski, who grew up outside Chicago, returned to the Midwest to work as an apprentice in organic vegetable farm management the first program of its kind in the U.S. The Wisconsin apprenticeship has grown from three participants in 2019, its first year, to 18 this year. Last year, the nonprofit National Young Farmers Coalition released a survey of more than 4,300 former, current and aspiring farmers ages 40 and younger. More than three-quarters were "first generation" in the industry, without prior farming experience. On paper, Wisconsin's farming apprenticeship program has a relatively low barrier to entry for newcomers to the industry: It doesn't require any previous agricultural experience, and apprentices are paid an hourly wage as farm employees. FairShare CSA Coalition, the industry sponsor for the program, oversees a network of 22 farms statewide that grow organic vegetables and take in apprentices. The two-year program costs about $700 total, or the cost of three required classes taken virtually through the Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College based in Green Bay. But that doesn't mean it's easy, given broader issues within farming as a career. "A lot of farmers don't feel like they're set up to succeed," said Sarah Janes Ugoretz, the apprenticeship program manager with the community-supported agriculture nonprofit FairShare CSA Coalition. "It's really fulfilling, and rewarding, but it's a difficult thing to do this as a career, long term." As part of her doctorate degree in environment and resources, Janes Ugoretz researched the conditions that create positive labor experiences on vegetable farms. The apprenticeship's focus on management is strategic, she said: It helps newcomers find their way into higher-paying jobs without having to take the leap of starting their own farm. It's all in the interest of building a workforce that has a better chance for long-term stability, with less turnover and burnout. Finding affordable land, startup capital and housing, as well as paying for healthcare and student loans were among the top challenges among young farmers in the 2022 national survey. Those barriers to entry particularly affected farmers of color, the study found. About half of the incoming apprentices this year are from out of state, Janes Ugoretz said. She hears from organizations outside of Wisconsin weekly with interest in growing similar programs. Currently, the apprenticeship can handle about 24 apprentices total, she said, which could grow if demand continues. Organic farm apprentice Laura Seleski speaks about the valuable hands-on learning opportunities at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. Seleski is one of four apprentices working at the 430-acre Gwenyn Hill Farm near Waukesha, 15 of which are used to grow vegetables. While she's happy to be building a longer career in farming, she wants to see a stronger connection between food how it is produced, where and by whom and people who eat it. "Our whole food system needs to change," she said. Crop rotation, succession planting: the basics of managing a vegetable farm Vegetable Production Manager, Liz Lyon, checks on the crop of roma tomatoes at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. A former apprentice, Liz Lyon now oversees the growth of more than 70 varieties of vegetables at Gwenyn Hill. It's her year-round job to figure out how to make those vegetables grow steadily for several months. The task requires farmers to merge their knowledge about plants with business. The 2022 national survey found the "cost of production," or making enough money from a product, was a main challenge for young farmers. One of the main ways Gwenyn Hill pays its bills is through CSA shares. For $600 upfront, customers pick up vegetables from the farm bi-weekly, from June to October. Weekly pickups cost $1,200. The farm has about 300 shares this season across various payment options, and also sells produce at a farmers market, to a few local stores and restaurants, and at its own "farmstand" store. During the off-season, Lyon works with apprentices to recap how the previous growing season turned out and to set goals for the next. They plan for elements like the farm's crop rotation, or where seeds should be planted depending on the nutrients in the soil left behind from its previous crop. Green beans, for example, leave behind lots of nitrogen, one of sweet corn's favorite foods. "You make a lot of very specific plans over the winter, but then you have to be really adaptable and be able to switch things up based on the weather, or a million other factors," Lyon said. From February to June, farmers attend to seedlings in the greenhouse. Some plants prefer to be planted as soon after frost as possible, like tomatoes, and harvested as needed all summer. Others, like winter squash and potatoes, grow until early fall, when they are harvested in one go. Broccoli and lettuce are among the vegetables that are "succession" planted a few weeks apart throughout the summer to ensure a steady harvest for CSAs. Apprentices track their learning against a set of curriculum overseen by the state. They are employed at least 32 hours weekly during the growing season; it's up to the farm whether to pay during the off-season. Apprentices are also paid for the 144 hours they spend on classwork through the technical college. Garlic cures in the greenhouse at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. Wages average out to about $14 hourly across current apprentices in the program. Of the 22 farms where they work, 10 also provide housing. As the program manager, Janes Ugoretz said she talks with potential apprentices upfront about housing and transportation, knowing those factors can act as a barrier to entry. Some farms are considering whether to subsidize the cost of employee housing using a stipend. Apprenticeship aims to help fix retention, turnover in farming workforce Organic farm apprentice Brian Randall tills the leeks at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. Growing up near Rice Lake, Brian Randall helped out on neighbors' and friends' dairy farms. After finishing a career in the Marine Corps, he returned to Wisconsin and began a farming apprenticeship. On a Tuesday in early August, Randall spent the morning "hilling" leeks using a vintage red tractor. The process of pulling up soil around their stalks shields them from the sun, protecting the tender, white stalk used in cooking. Nearby, the farm's informal mascot, a Chilean terrier named Riley, watched Randall intently. A variety of certified organic produce and flowers are grown at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha as seen on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. It's this lifestyle working close to the land, among animals and nature that draws people to try farming. But running a successful business means retaining employees who stick around for the grittier, dirtier side of the job. Linda Halley, Gwenyn Hill's general manager, said that's one reason the business decided to support the apprenticeship program: It attracts serious employees like Randall who are looking for careers. It gives the business a more stable influx of employees, rather than workers looking for a one-time fun summer job. "First, it was like, 'Yeah, we want to train the next generation of farmers,'" Halley said. "Well, that's a fine statement to make, but are you doing it? And now we're doing it in a much more intentional way. And the program is helping us." Riley, a Chilean Terrier rescue, greets visitors at Gwenyn Hill Farm in Waukesha on Tuesday, August 7, 2023. Casual mentoring has always existed in farming, said Harriet Behar, the farmer services consultant with the Organic Farmers Association, a national nonprofit that advocates for expanded organic farming. Behar spent 16 years running a farmer-to-farmer mentoring program, which is still operating today through the nonprofit Marbleseed. As more organizations have cropped up to support farmers, so too have programs that leverage the benefits of one-on-one mentorship to usher new workers into the industry, she said. She's also managed an organic farm since 1989. The market is out there, she said: think local produce in grocery stores, farm-to-table restaurants and farmers markets. What's key is learning how to get started selling, sustainably. "In farming, you have to love it," she said. "If you're just kind of doing it as, 'I'm going to make some money, it's kind of a job' forget it.'" Want to get involved? Information about Wisconsin's organic vegetable farm manager apprenticeship can be found through the Department of Workforce Development tinyurl.com/yc3j229z or through the FairShare CSA Coalition at www.csacoalition.org/apprenticeship. The FairShare CSA Coalition website includes a tool for finding CSA farms in Wisconsin at www.csacoalition.org/farm-search. Information about Marbleseed's farmer-to-farm mentoring program in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota and South Dakota can be found at tinyurl.com/3pfcaxsm. Cleo Krejci covers workforce development, job training and post-K-12 pathways for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. You can reach her at CKrejci@gannett.com. Please consider supporting journalism that informs our democracy with a tax-deductible gift to Report for America. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: How to become an organic farmer: This apprenticeship program can help Sarasota and Manatee County Emergency Management Officials began monitoring conditions on Friday as a tropical depression is anticipated to form late this weekend or early next week in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The National Weather Service said most forecast models show it moving into the Florida Panhandle or Western Florida by Tuesday or Wednesday. Most of the rain is forecasted to fall Tuesday and Wednesday with the drought in Western Florida soaking up a lot of the rain. Will the storm hit Sarasota or Manatee County? Its too soon to forecast impacts since the storm hasnt developed yet, but where the storm develops could impact what area of Florida it moves into, according to the National Weather Service. If it forms near Cancun, it would move to Cedar Key. If it develops further east, it could move to Southwest Florida. If it's a stronger system, favors Florida Panhandle. If it's a weaker system, favors Western Florida. On a budget? Here's 5 cheap ways to prepare your home for Florida's hurricane season While the National Weather Service said that their confidence in the forecast of impacted areas is low, their confidence is "moderate" that the storm will occur. What information is known about this disturbance in the Caribbean Sea? A broad area of low pressure over the northwestern Caribbean Sea is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms. Hurricane preparation: Sarasota and Manatee residents urged to prepare as hurricane season draws near Environmental conditions appear conducive for the gradual development of this system during the next several days, and the possible tropical depression is likely to form late this weekend or early next week while moving generally northward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and eastern Gulf of Mexico. Residents in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, western Cuba, and Florida should monitor the progress of this system. A formation chance through the next 48 hours is low at 40 percent, and the formation chance through the next 7 days is high at 80%. When is the Atlantic hurricane season? The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. What is Sarasota County doing to prepare? Rich Collins, Director of Emergency Services, said the county is monitoring the weather, and the Emergency Management Team is coordinating with the National Weather Service as the future path of the storm becomes more clear. "At this time, as always, we encourage our community members to be prepared," Collins said in a written statement. What is Manatee County doing to prepare? Steve Litschauer, deputy chief for emergency management, said that his team is having internal meetings and daily calls with the National Weather Service and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Theyve contacted their leads in emergency support functions, Red Cross, Turning Point, and law enforcement agencies to let them know about the storm and keep them in the loop on preparations.Litschauer recommends that residents use the weekend to gas up their cars, stock up on groceries, and think of places to go if they're planning to evacuate. "Theres nothing to panic about," Litschauer said. "We dont know if well truly need it, but its always best to have a plan." Longtime Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane retired Aug. 25. Whos in charge now? Ed McCrane retired Aug. 25 after 18 years as Sarasota Countys Emergency Management Chief. Scott Montgomery, who retired from Sarasota County in June 2021 as an Emergency Management section chief and chief lifeguard, is stepping in as interim emergency management chief, while Sarasota County searches for a permanent chief. Where can I receive updates from Sarasota and Manatee County on the disturbance? Use Sarasota Countys website at https://www.scgov.net/beprepared for a disaster planning guide, transportation plan, and resources for preparing homes for storms. Sign up for emergency alerts at MyManatee.org/AlertManatee. Use MyManatee.org/weather to determine the evacuation level and location of open shelters and sandbags. Where can I find a list of hurricane supplies to get? The second of two 14-day sales tax holidays to help residents purchase hurricane supplies began on Saturday, Aug. 26, and will run until Sept. 8. House Bill 7063 makes the following items exempt from sales tax during the two 14-day periods: Self-powered lights of $40 or less. Portable self-powered radio, two-way radio or weather-band radio of $50 or less. A tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting with a sales price of $100 or less. An item normally sold as, or generally advertised as, a ground anchor system or tie-down kit with a sales price of $100 or less. A gas or diesel fuel tank with a sales price of $50 or less. A package of AA-cell, AAA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries, with a sales price of $50 or less. A nonelectric food storage cooler with a sales price of $60 or less. A portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage with a sales price of $3,000 or less. Reusable ice with a sales price of $20 or less. A portable power bank with a sales price of $60 or less. A smoke detector or smoke alarm with a sales price of $70 or less. A fire extinguisher with a sales price of $70 or less. A carbon monoxide detector with a sales price of $70 or less. The tax holidays also include a number of items related to the safe evacuation of household pets. Exempted items include: Bags of dry dog food or cat food weighing 50 or fewer pounds with a sales price of $100 or less per bag. Cans or pouches of wet dog food or cat food with a sales price of $10 or less per can or pouch or the equivalent if sold in a box or case. Over-the-counter pet medications with a sales price of $100 or less per item. Portable kennels or pet carriers with a sales price of $100 or less per item. Manual can openers with a sales price of $15 or less per item. Leashes, collars, and muzzles with a sales price of $20 or less per item. Collapsible or travel-sized food bowls or water bowls with a sales price of $15 or less per item. Cat litter weighing 25 or fewer pounds with a sales price of $25 or less per item. Cat litter pans with a sales price of $15 or less per item. Pet waste disposal bags with a sales price of $15 or less per package. Pet pads with a sales price of $20 or less per box or package. Hamster or rabbit substrate with a sales price of $15 or less per package. Pet beds with a sales price of $40 or less per item. Contributing: Samantha Neely, Fort Myers News-Press, and Cheryl McCloud, USA Today. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota, Manatee officials say to plan for potential storm The White House told New York Gov. Kathy Hochul that it cannot send more assistance to the state to help with the influx of migrants, placing the blame on a lack of Congressional action. Hochul announced Thursday that she wrote a letter to President Biden requesting executive action to help the state. She estimated that about 100,000 asylum seekers have come to the state in the last year, mostly to New York City. The reality is that weve managed thus far without substantive support from Washington, and despite the fact that this is a national, and indeed an inherently federal issue, Hochul said. But New York has shouldered this burden for far too long. The Biden administration responded by defending its actions so far, while explaining the Congressional hurdle. Without Congressional action, this Administration has been working to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system and has worked to identify ways to improve efficiencies and maximize the resources the federal government can provide to communities across the country to support the flow of migrants, a White House spokesperson said in a statement. We will continue to partner with communities across the country to ensure they can receive the support they need, the spokesperson wrote. Only Congress can provide additional funding for these efforts, which this Administration has already requested, and only Congress can fix the broken immigration system. The state has earmarked over $1.5 billion to assist migrants this year. The governor said she expects that cost to rise to $4.5 billion next year and has asked for federal assistance in footing the bill. New York City shelters have been at near capacity for months and officials have scrambled to set up temporary housing in hotels, recreation centers and school gyms. Mayor Eric Adams (D) has also demanded more assistance from Hochul and the federal government for months. The city has already received $140 million in federal funds to assist migrants, the largest amount for any city not on the U.S.-Mexico border. Hochul and Adams want the federal government to speed up processing for asylum-seekers so they can work in the U.S. legally. The migrants have created a rift between Adams and the Biden administration which resulted in him being stripped of surrogate status for the presidents reelection team over comments deemed too critical to the president. While many Republicans in Congress may be holding up critical reform, the White House can help us now, Adams said earlier this month. The federal government must take action. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Thousands of people rallied in Seoul, Saturday, to protest Japan's release of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant. The rally was held near City Hall, with the participation of some 90 civic groups who have formed a coalition to protest the water release, and members of four opposition parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK). Occupying four car lanes, the protesters chanted slogans and held up signs reading: "Retract disposal of Fukushima contaminated water," and "Denounce the Yoon Suk Yeol administration." The rally came two days after Japan began to release the water into the Pacific Ocean despite lingering concerns in South Korea and China about its potential impact on the environment and people's health. Authorities had recently denied permission to hold the religious procession after an earlier one was disrupted following communal violence NEW DELHI: In view of the call for a "Shobha Yatra" in Nuh, the Haryana government on Saturday ordered the suspension of mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in the communally charged district till August 28. Director-general of police Shatrujeet Kapur presided over a meeting with senior officers of bordering states through videoconferencing and called for a coordinated effort to effectively deal with the situation. In the meeting, attended by senior police officers of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Union territory of Chandigarh, Mr Kapur said the administration has denied permission for the yatra due to a meeting of the G-20 sherpa group, scheduled to be held in Nuh during September 37, and to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the July 31 violence. The government announced the decision to suspend mobile Internet from August 2628, apprehending the spread of rumours through social media ahead of or during Monday's rally. The Nuh authorities had recently denied permission to hold the religious procession on August 28 after an earlier one in July was disrupted following communal violence. On Saturday, additional chief secretary (home) T.V.S.N. Prasad issued the order to suspend mobile Internet. The district administration has also imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people in an area, as a precautionary measure. This order will be effective from August 2628, said officials. During this period, no person will be allowed to carry weapons such as licenced firearms, lathis, axes and others. According to an official statement on Saturday, the state police chief said that despite permission being denied for the yatra, there are inputs that certain organisations have invited people from Haryana and neighbouring states to reach Nuh on August 28. Mr Kapur said all necessary arrangements have been made by the Haryana police in view of the proposed yatra. Police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. As a preventive measure, mobile Internet has been suspended in Nuh. While emphasising the need for sharing intelligence inputs to effectively deal with the situation, Mr Kapur asked the senior police functionaries of bordering states to ensure regular monitoring of social media, share information about the people who try to disrupt peace through hate speeches and take action against them according to law. He asked the police officers of bordering states that in case any incident that can disrupt communal harmony comes to their attention, it should be shared on a real-time basis so that preventive action can be taken on time. "Inter-state barricading should also be done to prevent any kind of mobilisation of people. Nobody will be allowed to take the law into their hands," Mr Kapur said. Additional director-general of police (law and order) Mamta Singh will be the nodal officer and will be stationed in Nuh. The order suspending mobile Internet read, "...This order is issued to prevent disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from August 26, 1200 hours, to August 28, 2359 hours." On Friday, Nuh deputy commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata wrote to Mr Prasad, bringing to his notice that the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat had called for a Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra in the district on August 28. In his Saturday order, Mr Prasad said there is a clear potential for disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh via the spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the Internet. He ordered the temporary suspension of mobile Internet services, bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls. Curious as to what Madras cuisine they would be serving, we went with the idea. Madras Week has become a thing over the last decade and has been creating an exponential increase in the Pride of Madrasis. (Photo: Facebook) Last week, a dear friend whom we hadnt met in a while invited us out for lunch. He thought going to a restaurant that was serving a special buffet to celebrate Madras Week would be a good idea. Madras Week has become a thing over the last decade and has been creating an exponential increase in the Pride of Madrasis. Curious as to what Madras cuisine they would be serving, we went with the idea. Here are some of the items they had at the buffet: Periamet Pizza, Besant Nagar Baclava, Sowcarpet Sushi, and, above all, at the counter that had the largest queue, Rajinikanth Rasam. The last item lived up to its promise, I must say. It made me go once but it felt like I had gone a hundred times. I have recovered though, thanks to an Electral drip, and an archana done in my name by Roja Bai our cook at the Mariamman Koil. Which brings me to the idea of Madras Week. (Or, for that matter, Mysore Month, Faridabad Fortnight or Bangalore Biennial.) And our Pride. And our need to celebrate everything. Mostly by eating. Incessantly. And before I forget, our Pride. Yes, yes, we are all proud of Madras (or Delhi, Bombay or Prayag Raj). And we are all Proud Madrasis. And never mind that some of us currently live in Palo Alto, and our patriotic son has his lawn manicured by a Hispanic guy called Javier, Madras will always be home. And we will celebrate it Proudly. I, too, am a Proud Madrasi, mind you. Of the five books with my name on them, three are all about Madras. One has the word Madras in the freaking title. So where is my award, dammit? Cant you guys see the selfless service Ive done for Madras? And doesnt this obvious Pride entitle me to a garish zari shawl from some officious fool which I will gracefully accept at a felicitation ceremony where other Proud Madras Mamas and Mamis have a fight unto death over the bondas being served? Heres the thing. I wrote about Madras not because Madras Mata appeared in my dreams and told me Son, I appoint you my chronicler because no one is more qualified than you. Go forth and sing my praises and cover yourself in glory, but because Id lived here all my life and the city organically became the setting for my stories. I stayed back in the city of Madras and it became my permanent home not because I refused Cameron Diazs marriage proposal in the late 90s because that would mean moving to LA, nor did I turn down the post of UN secretary-general because that would mean doing without my weekly visit to Mount Road to stand outside where Safire Theatre used to be, and sob uncontrollably as I looked at the uncleared rubble. I stayed because I didnt really attempt to leave. I stayed because fabulous non-Madras opportunities didnt present themselves to me. I stayed because I wasnt adventurous enough to leave. I stayed because I was a tiny bit of a coward. Most people whove remained where they are, whether its Madras, Pune or Bobbarlanka, do so for roughly the same reasons. Especially the ones who claim to be Proud Madrasis, Nellorites or Gurugramvasis. What Pride are you talking about when your sole effort was remaining immobile? Lets take the other lot: the ones who scoot at the first given opportunity, not that there is a thing wrong with that. And come back at specific times to their beloved city like they are doing it a massive favour purely to buy saris and jewellery, take part in some tired old festival, or to send off vestigial parents from assisted-living facilities claiming Madras will always be home. And how Proud they are of it. How the heck is it your home? You left, remember? And, to my knowledge, no one made you leave. For both types of Proud Madrasis, before you get all sentimental and orgasmic about your hometown, it might be good to ask yourselves what youve done for the city, whose lives in the city youve quietly improved and what you have genuinely given up to remain here. The irony being that such folk and they do exist dont usually feel the need to speak of homes, hearts and Pride. I did get a tiny bit of revenge a couple of years ago though on some Proud NRIs. I was visiting a cousin from, where else, the Bay Area. And he dragged me to the kind of party that I wouldnt have gone to back at home had I been roofied and taken unconscious in a JCB. The selling point, apparently, was that there would be a bunch of Mamas who were all Proud (insert schools name)-ites, and I had gone to the same school, too. My antecedents were declared loudly by my cousin as soon as we entered so his buddies would know the interloper had sound bona fides. Fourteen Mamas of various sizes, bursting with Pride and the good life, surrounded me to see how much Pride I had for studying in this particular school. Which year? Who was princi? Which batch? Do you remember Simran Bhalla? The questions came fast and thick. I hated the ****ing school, I said. May I now have a whisky? The history of parliamentary privileges can be traced back to the Privileges of Parliament Act passed in 1512. The recently concluded Monsoon Session of Parliament witnessed the arbitrary suspension of parliamentarians across Opposition parties on specious grounds without being afforded an adequate opportunity to present their case either before the privileges committee or before the concerned House itself. Even though a suspension from the House may ostensibly be temporary or even for an indeterminate period of time, the fact such suspension at all takes place without providing an opportunity to the concerned member to be heard before any action is initiated is in violation of the fundamental principle of natural justice, Audi alteram partem (or audiatur et altera pars) let the other side be heard as well. At present, decisions regarding the suspension of a Member of Parliament are made through Rule 374 and Rule 256 of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Rules of Procedure and Conduct, respectively. Under these rules, a Member of Parliament can be suspended immediately upon a motion being introduced and put to a vote without being afforded an opportunity to be heard before the said motion is put to vote. Such actions circumscribe the principle of free speech and expression a sine qua non of any parliamentary democracy for it takes away or at the very least strongly abridges the right to represent constituents, either territorial in the case of the Lok Sabha or the state they represent in case of the Council of States. This procedure subverts the essence and substance of Article 105 (1) of the Constitution of India that states. Subject to the provisions of this constitution and the rules and standing orders regulating the procedure of Parliament, there shall be freedom of speech in Parliament. This freedom of speech includes the right of dissent, the right to offend, the right to say even the sharpest words is the bluntest manner possible without, of course, resorting to expletives and as the Late Arun Jaitley used the operative phrase, there are but rare occasions in history when parliamentary obstructionism is a part of legitimate parliamentary tactics. The rare has unfortunately become routine for an obtuse government refuses to discuss issues critical to the very idea of our nationhood. The Opposition having to resort to a no-confidence motion to force a discussion on Manipur being but the latest attempt to surmount the cussedness of the Treasury benches. The history of parliamentary privileges can be traced back to the Privileges of Parliament Act passed in 1512. This Act served as a shield to protect representatives from the monarchs suppression of dissenting voices. Englands history is marked by deliberate attempts by monarchs to seize power and limit the influence of Parliament. The foundation of modern parliamentary privilege can be found in the Bill of Rights of 1689. This bill enhanced the privileges guaranteed to Parliament, and provided legitimacy to Lockes principle of constitutionalism, thereby introducing regulations to restrain the unchecked power of the sovereign. Regrettably, little progress has been made in further developing the existing framework of parliamentary privileges in India since 1950. The Venkatachaliah Committee, established in the early 2000s, proposed changes to constitutional provisions concerning privileges. However, to date, no action has been taken to pursue these recommendations. Furthermore, the absence of a concrete framework has created a void that cannot be filled by the existing Rules of Procedure for the Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Rules governing parliamentary conduct cannot disregard the core jurisprudential principles that underpin a parliamentary democracy. The current set of rules grants wide discretionary power to the presiding officers of either House. Though the conventions of Parliament envisage that the presiding officers must act as impartial umpires in interpreting parliamentary rules and tradition, the safeguards to make their autonomy absolute have still not been put in place. By way of example in the United Kingdom there is a convention that the outgoing Speaker is assured of re-election with the rival parties not putting up candidate in his/her constituency. Once re-elected there is an implicit assurance of continuity as Speaker even if his/her party is not the one forming the government. In this manner, the Speaker becomes substantially non-partisan dehors personal biases and ideological predilections ensuring respect for the doctrine of natural justice, in particular the maxim of nemojudex in causasua, or no one should be a judge in their own case which becomes difficult to uphold if the person concerned has to seek a ticket for re-election from his original political party and then has to depend on that partys machinery for victory. The presiding officer of the Council of States is, however, much better insulated in terms of Article 67 of the Constitution of India to perform his functions as the ex-officio chairperson of the Council of States in a non-partisan manner. To codify parliamentary privileges the recommendations concerning the same as outlined in the Venkatachaliah Committee report must be implemented. A tribunal with the authority to adjudicate complaints related to breaches of privilege by Members of Parliament and of MPs must be established. This tribunal should consist of the following members: (1) The Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha or the Speaker serving as the Chairperson as the case maybe for the house concerned whose breech of Privilege or of Member thereof is being adjudicated. (2) The Leaders of the Opposition in the house concerned whose breach of privilege or of the Member thereof is being adjudicated (3) A sitting Supreme Court judge nominated by the Chief Justice of India. It also needs to be ensured that all written or even verbal communications made by any parliamentarian to the Speaker/Chairperson or any Union minister/ minister in the state government or any other Central/state government official, public or private sector functionary or any other person be regarded as privileged communication qua the member concerned. Members of Parliament must have a right to audience in all courts of law on issues of public interest, notwithstanding whether they are lawyers or not. A member of the Lok Sabha represents, on an average, close to two million of the electorate and may have close to another million more living in his territorial constituency. Similarly, a member of the Council of States represents vital state interests for India is but a union of states. The privileges so codified must ensure that no member should face unwarranted interference, threats, obstruction, or assault while performing their parliamentary duties. In conclusion, to fortify democracy, address biases and strengthen oversight, it is must that parliamentary procedure is revisited and it is ensured that a proper legal architecture is provided to parliamentary privileges. AnchorAnchor by Nirmala Carvalho Archbishop Thomas D'Souza celebrated a mass on the day the saint would have turned 113. Followed by a stop at the tomb of the nun and a prayer to pay homage to an existence "completely at the service of others". Her "reliance" on "divine providence" and having been "chosen" by God. Delhi (AsiaNews) - Mother Teresa's existence revolves around "life, giving life ... she always said: a life that is not spent for others is not worth living," said Msgr. Thomas D'Souza, archbishop of Calcutta, in a Eucharistic celebration on the day the Saint would have turned 113 (today, incidentally, is also the prelate's birthday). The function took place this morning at 6 local time in the mother house of the Missionaries of Charity, with a final stop at the tomb of the nun. Her existence, he continues, was "spent completely in the service of others" and looking to the source of life which was "Jesus in the Eucharist". Reflecting on the first reading, focused on the Book of Ruth, the prelate recalls how the saint depended on "divine providence" and on being "chosen" by God who has always guided her existence and her journey of faith. "She satiated-added-her thirst for Jesus by being with the poorest of the poor" facing "the many challenges" and "giving her life for the mission". The word "thirst" is the one that best characterizes her life: of God, of Jesus, of his word, of the cross, of humanity. A thirst for God that is a guide to salvation, redemption: "He-says-satisfies this thirst, she is a thirsty mother who has been satisfied in Christ for her whole life". Secondly, her life was devoted to "complete transparency" and "full authenticity. In today's Gospel Jesus says he is not like the hypocrites, who say one thing and do another." The prelate observed that the life of Saint Teresa "was authentic because she lived according to the principles of Jesus" and according to the ideal of humility "finding the face of Christ in every poor, indigent and suffering person". Her source "was the Eucharist" and every mass was "an opportunity to carry on one's mission" by working "with fidelity to Jesus until the end of his life". The archbishop of Calcutta then invites us to reflect on one of the most appreciated quotes from the missionary of Charity: "Life - he said - is an opportunity, take advantage of it. Life is beauty, admire it. Life is a dream, make it come true. Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it. Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, keep it. Life is a pain, get over it. Life is a song, sing it. Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, face it. Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, create it. Life is too precious, don't destroy it. Life is life, fight for it." At the conclusion of the Mass, Msgr. D'Souza spoke at the tomb of Mother Teresa, lighting a candle and emphasizing once again the importance of "protecting, promoting and defending life". He concluded: The mother's life inspires us to protect life in all its phases; today, unfortunately, we hear of killings every day, so we must oppose the culture of death and promote life". Finally, Sister Christie led the assembly in Mother's favorite prayer for Peace: "Let me become an instrument of peace", then the children of the Shishu Bhavan orphanage sang "Happy birthday to Mother". The Justice and Peace Commission reiterates its condemnation of the Kishida government's choice. While TEPCO "reassures" on the absence of significant amounts of tritium in the first seawater samples tested, the prelates of Naha and Sendai retort that "it is not only the concentration that is the relevant parameter: no one knows how much water will be discharged as debris removal is still far away. The objections of local residents and other people at home and abroad should be listened to with humility." Tokyo (AsiaNews) - In a recently released statement by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Bishops' Conference, the Japanese Catholic Church has reiterated its opposition to the decision by the Kishida government to discharge into the ocean the water used to cool the core of the Tokyo nuclear power plant Fukushima went out of control after the 2011 accident. The operation, announced some time ago, began on Wednesday 24 August and, despite the reassurances of the Tokyo government - strengthened by the endorsement of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) - it is sparking strong protests in large regions of Asia-Pacific. Yesterday TEPCO - the company that manages the plant - announced the first data on water samples taken in 10 different locations at a distance of 3 kilometers from the Fukushima plant, from which there would not be significant quantities of tritium, the non-eliminable radionuclide not even after the treatment to which the plant's cooling waters have been subjected. TEPCO will make these results public every day for approximately one month. Other data relating to similar findings will be released by the Tokyo Ministry of the Environment every week for about three months, while for this afternoon they are those of a research institute commissioned by the Fisheries Agency. But precisely these reassurances are strongly contested by some voices of Japanese civil society, including the Catholic Church which had already spoken out on the matter two years ago, with a joint document signed together with the bishops of South Korea. The note from the Commission for Justice and pace bears the signature of its managers, the president, Msgr. Wayne Francis Berndt, bishop of Naha, and the secretary Msgr. Edgar Gacutan, bishop of Sendai. Quoting the words of a biblical passage of the prophet Ezekiel ("Son of man, intones a lament about Tyre, the city situated at the entrance of the sea, which trades with peoples and with many islands" Ez. 27,2-3) the bishops express their "firm protest" against the decision to release "the so-called treated water". "The government should humbly listen to the protests of local residents, fishermen, East Asian, Pacific Islanders and other people at home and abroad," they write, also going into detail on the issues raised. The government says tritium, a radionuclide contained in treated water at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, exists in nature and is emitted from all operating nuclear power plants, not just the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. Daiichi. However, it has been emphasized that tritium entering the body of living organisms is absorbed by cells for a long time. It accumulates and concentrates in the food chain. Therefore, tritium should no longer be released into the ocean for any reason." Furthermore, the bishops underline the specificity of these waters compared to those of other plants, because in Fukushima they "came into direct contact with the debris of molten fuel" due to the accident. As for the thesis also supported by the IAEA, according to which the residual radioactive materials in the treated waters of the TEPCO plant are sufficiently diluted, the Justice and Peace Commission replies that "it is not only the concentration that counts. It's about how long water will be released into the ocean, how much radioactive material will eventually be released, and how much it will pollute." Furthermore - they recall - "the amount of contaminated water in Fukushima continues to increase: cooling water is needed, unless the removal of fuel debris is completed, an operation whose work is significantly delayed and also the construction method it has not been finalized yet. We have not even been able to stop the inflow of groundwater and rainwater, which are the main causes of water contamination. All environmental destruction is a problem that derives from our negligence in believing that a certain amount is tolerable - concluded mgr. Berndt and Msgr. Gacutan -. Our determination never to allow this outrageous act is a matter of ethics and responsibility towards the earth of tomorrow and the children of the future. The Catholic Church believes that this world was created by God to be extraordinarily good. Everything God created is connected and needs each other. As custodians of this connection, we, the Catholic Council of Japan for Justice and Peace, strongly protest the government's release of treated water into the ocean." (Photo taken from Tepco website) by Stefano Caprio Prigozhin's ghost, dead or alive, will hover over Russia for a long time to come, as indeed happened with so many tsars and tsarevichs of the past. After the "conquest of Bakhmut" - a meaningless clash of months and months transformed into a heroic legend - the narration of the "alternative army" no longer held up the scene, and mythology showed all its inconsistency. In the end Vladimir Putin achieved his victory. Even if offensives and counter-offensives remain bogged down and contradictory with Ukraine, what matters is having defeated the internal enemies, symbolically represented by the shady figures of "cook" Evgenij Prigozin and his trusted "Mr. Wagner," cutthroat leader Dmitry Utkin, who were smashed and charred in the explosion of the business-jet flying from Moscow to their native St. Petersburg, the birthplace of all contenders. It is the war of the gopniki, the "street bandits" according to a jargon dating back to the underworld of the Soviet years, the real conflict that has been going on for 30 years in "all of Russia." Putin is the most powerful of all the gopniki, whether he really took out the one who just two months ago had threatened to evict him from the Kremlin, with the so-called "march from TikTok," or whether this is yet another lowbrow action movie skit, like those of his actor friend Steven Seagal, and that in reality only Prigozin and Utkin's doppelgangers are among the charred bodies. One awaits the investigation, which according to Putin's promise will be "very thorough," and then one can imagine other manipulations, not even DNA evidence can be blindly believed; after all, the "cook" is (was) also the "king of trolls" and fake news. The effect does not change, underground or in the Maldives is the same, only the supreme gopnik remains, who thanks to the downed or hidden former or non-former friend, was able to out all the unwelcome commanders and generals, who criticized him for weakness in the war against the Ukronazis.Many wonder why Putin waited two months to stage the great revenge, on the precise date as he likes it, lover of symbolic days. The question has two dimensions: why he waited so long, and why he waited so little. Two months is a long time if it was to avert the danger of a coup d'etat, too short if it was just revenge, a dish traditionally to be served cold, a law always respected by the Kremlin's godfather, who is used to taking out enemies and the inconvenient when no one pays attention anymore, as witnessed by the long list of "excellent assassins," now exhumed by the entire international press. In the first case, one thinks that time was all that was needed to adjust business in Africa and relocate the "musicians" to Belarus; in the second, it seems that Putin is no longer able to contain himself, and his hysteria attests to an increasingly blatant weakness, anything but a show of strength. Be that as it may, the Rosaviatsija air agency reported minutes after the crash and without hesitation that Prigozin and Utkin were on the list of ten passengers on the jet, which collapsed a stone's throw from Putin's residence-bunker near Tver. The first assumption was that the plane had been shot down by an anti-aircraft missile, in a scenario worthy of the war tragedies of the past eighteen months. Later we turned to the more prosaic suitcase of explosives hidden in some meanderings on board, and even the live pictures of the vertical collapse, which were immediately broadcast, seemed of poor script. Prigozin's death, in fact, neither his friends nor his enemies believe, and his specter, dead or alive, will hover over Russia for a long time to come, as indeed it did with so many tsars and tsarevichs of the past. The traitor Grisa Otrepev, during the "turmoil" in the early seventeenth century, claimed to be Ivan the Terrible's youngest son, Prince Dmitry, who choked to death while playing shooting gallery, due to guilt attributed to the regent Boris Godunov. The insurgent Cossack Emelian Pugacev in the late eighteenth century posed as Tsar Peter III, done away with by his wife, Tsarina Catherine II, and even Tsar Alexander I, the victor over Napoleon, seems to have faked his death to escape the conflicts of nineteenth-century Russia by sheltering in the Siberian tajga as a hermit, the starets Fyodor Kuzmic. This is just to stick to the most egregious cases evoked in so many poems and novels of great Russian literature, even in some of the art films of Andrei Tarkovsky and others. The fate of the false czars, the wandering aliases, the samozvantsy (self-appointed) who want to put themselves forward as saviors of the Fatherland or the whole world, is a side effect of the deified autocracy, which distributes angels and demons in the shadows of its exasperations and frailties, as was the case in the time of the pharaohs of Egypt and the emperors of Rome. After all, the "death of Prigozin" is also a recent classic of Russia's heroic adventures. It was first announced in October 2019 in the Congo, where an An-72 military cargo plane with eight people on board had already crashed, and the head of Wagner was given to be among the passengers, only to find out later that he was not among them. Last year it had been reported on several Telegram channels that the "cook" had died during the clashes in Lugansk, but soon he himself had reappeared with his mocking smile, the hardest part for his four official look-alikes to imitate, and for who knows how many others. Blowing up one's opponent was then the usual practice of the Russian mafia groups of the 1990s, vying for the power and business vacuum left by the collapse of the regime, and this is precisely the soil from which such malignant plants as Putin's and Prigozin's have sprouted. In such a context, comments in favor of the various conspiracy texts for or against the protagonists of the affair are rampant on Russian social networks, and not only from compulsive users of the digital universe, but also from more or less authoritative voices. Noted journalist Konstantin Eggert speaks of "Al Capone style with ballistic missiles" of what appears to be "an extra-judicial public condemnation of ten Russian citizens by army means," and never mind that "these citizens were in fact a reject of society." The grotesque attack, according to Eggert, makes it clear that "the leader is not a president, but a bandit with torture irons as in the 1990s, from which he himself to this day claims he wants to save us." Instead of solving the systemic crisis that followed the end of the Soviet regime, Putin has only prolonged it indefinitely. Editor and political scientist Sergei Parkhomenko believes that Prigozin "buried himself in the Philippines or Paraguay." Writer Mikhail Sevelev notes that Prigozin's "only guarantee of survival was the three tons of compromising dossiers he collected in his career as a criminal plutocrat. There's the entire Rublevo-Uspenskoe sosse [the avenue of the powerful] there...if scandals come out it may mean either that the cook has changed residence, or that someone else is using them to take out the inconvenient, let's get the popcorn and wait to see who the beneficiary is." Pro-Putin and pro-war commentators, for the most part, try to attribute the attack to Ukrainians or Americans, "right on Ukraine's Independence Day," observes MP and Putin adviser Sergey Markov. The "polit-technologist" Marat Basirov, a former member of the Lugansk government, believes that "events on the African continent, in Niger in particular, pose a great threat to the interests of the U.S. and France," and Prigozin was allegedly shot to prevent Wagner from spadronizing those latitudes. One of the leading voenkory, the "war correspondents," Evgenij Poddubnyj from Belgorod, says he is certain that Prigozin's assassination is a maneuver by Kiev and its "information-psychological structure" in order to "increase the pressure on Russian society" after the Wagner march on Moscow was shaken, and of course in this there is the support of "the mainstream media of the collective West," which coordinates with the Ukrainians. BBC correspondent Ilja Barabanov recalls that "in literature there is the concept of ring composition," the repetition of certain elements at the beginning and end of a work, a kind of "biblical inclusion" recalling various episodes of "elimination of the superfluous" by Wagner members, until their leader became a "superfluous" himself. Writer and political scientist Kirill Rogov reads the affair as a satisfactio exerciti, after Prigozin had humiliated the military leaders for a year by shouting all sorts of accusations at them, claiming that "the life of a single Wagner fighter is worth much more than twenty professional soldiers in the Russian army." The march on Moscow in favor of public social, Rogov recalls, had resulted in the deaths of precisely 20 soldiers, killed only "for demonstration purposes," and one cannot remain at the top of the Armed Forces of Greater Russia and "be insulted with impunity by a recommended thug, who by trade brings lunch to school children." The "myth of Prigozin" had built up in the spring-summer of 2022, when the demoralized Russian army did not know how to correct the absurd Putinian initiative to invade and conquer Ukraine in no time. Then the "cook" offered the leader the alternative of the "myth of the alternative army," which could replace the official one and achieve the desired results, in defiance of all generals. After the "conquest of Bakhmut," a meaningless months-long confrontation turned into heroic legend, this narrative no longer held sway, and the mythology showed all its flimsiness. Putin won, proving that the law of Russia is now only the law of the jungle. RUSSIAN WORLD IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO RUSSIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY SATURDAY IN YOUR E-MAIL? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A large group of Koreans in the market became the prey of Lowell's camera and have forever been immortalized. Image by Percival Lowell in 1884. Robert Neff Collection By Robert Neff When Percival Lowell, an American, wrote about his stay in Seoul in the winter of 1883-84, he frequently mentioned the curfew that was imposed at night and how it contributed to the safety of the city's residents. One night at midnight, while sitting alone in his room, he poetically described nocturnal Seoul: "Of a sudden, across the deathlike stillness comes the boom of the great bell. It cannot startle anything so dead; it only intensifies a silence it is powerless to dispel. There is something weird in it, as it finds me the only one to hearken to its sound. It marks, I know, the middle of the night; and then it is lost again in the universal hush. At intervals, as the hours come round, I can hear for a moment the tinkle of the watchman's bell, and the clank of his chains as he paces his beat within the courtyards; and then all is once more quiet, and the city seems its own vast tomb." Although Lowell was an American and thus seemingly a proponent of individual freedom, he was rather positive about the curfew: "It is thought expedient that all the common people shall remain within doors after dark; by this means thieving will be rendered impossible. If everybody is kept at home, the evilly disposed will, of necessity, be included. The plan works admirably in both directions: on the one hand, there are no thieves aboard; and on the other, all the houses are guarded." There were spots in Seoul where one could find a degree of solitude. Image by Percival Lowell in 1884. Robert Neff Collection Of course, it should be noted that Lowell's apparent appreciation for this restriction of personal movement may have been colored by the fact that he was exempt from it. As a foreigner, he was able to wander the streets at will. His observations of the perceived safety of Seoul's nocturnal streets are also at odds with those of his foreign peers. In March 1884, one foreign resident wrote: "Robbery is rife everywhere after dark, and it is as much as one's life is worth to walk through the streets after nightfall." He added that the Korean government had "the least hope in staying them [the robberies]." Others also echoed his sentiment noting, "The capital is infested with thieves whom the authorities are doing their best to arrest" and that the curfew was being enforced with more vigor in order "to facilitate the arrest of the robbers." The Korean constables or watchmen had a rather interesting way of deterring crime. Traveling in pairs, they roamed the streets with a lantern and bell. The lantern was used to guide their way through the dark streets and the bell (which never stopped ringing) was used to "give any thief that might happen to be about due warning to escape." Lowell opined that providing thieves with this warning made the Korean constable's occupation "less exciting, if slightly more onerous; for any thief who waited to be caught under such circumstances would be not only a knave but a fool." Chinese soldiers also patrolled the streets in some sections of the city but, according to one writer, it was commonly believed they were "chiefly instrumental in despoiling the [Korean] citizens of their property." The American legation was frequently a target for thieves. Ensign George C. Foulk, an American naval officer assigned to the legation in Seoul, frequently mentioned thieves in his letters home. In July 1884, he stepped out of his room for a short time and when he returned found that his gold watch and chain had disappeared. A Korean jail in the 1880s or early 1890s. Robert Neff Collection There are 10 buildings on the Colorado Outward Bound School campus, 1.5 miles east of Beaver Lake in Marble. Aspen Valley Land Trust is set to acquire the buildings and surrounding 42 acres in October. The line of American pickup trucks, so cherished in our day and age, was technically born in the years following the Second World War. With renewed confidence in the recently brokered peace and the revival of the American public for spending, the local industry embraced pickups with an enthusiasm worthy of a better cause. Photo: Mecum Photo: Mecum Almost all of today's vehicles of the kind can trace their roots to the late 1940s, but also to the 1950s. Even if some of the families born then are no longer around, the ideas they brought to the segment still inspire today's vehicles.For Chevrolet , just like for its competitors, the respective decades were years booming with inspiration. The '50, for instance, are the years that gave birth to the still beautiful Bel Air, and the still omnipotent Corvette. The decade prior is when the line of Advance Design trucks was born and rose to fame.Chevy had been making trucks long before the war, but the lessons it learned during those hard years, combined with the realities and demands of post-war America led to a complete shift in the way trucks were made.The Advance Design came as the first new line of trucks following the conflagration, and completely different in terms of styling and technology than what came before.The first truck of this kind rolled off the assembly lines in 1947, and the breed quickly grew to include several important names for the light and medium-duty truck segment. By the time production ceased in 1955, the range already had hold of a major slice of the market.So important was the Advance Design for the average American driver that the love for it still lingers in our time. Just like the C/K series that followed, the Advance Design still is in the news today, thanks to the many examples that have survived and got modified by talented shops across the country.And there's no better example of that than the 1954 6400 truck we have before us. Put together by a crew called Rust2Rodz, it's a one-of-a-kind machine that's been featured in various specialized shows, winning award after award.For background, we'll remind you the 6400 was a two-ton truck, and those are less favored by the custom industry than the half-tons. Yet even this beast of a machine can impress audiences if done right. And the unnamed scary monster before us sure seems that way.It's not the blackness of the thing that strikes first, or the many visible, shiny rivets, nuts and bolts carefully aligned along the edges. It's the complete absence of a bed at the rear, leaving the custom-built chassis and some of the hardware that makes the truck move exposed to the elements and the naked eye.When looked at from a certain angle, the truck seems to be broken in half, trailing behind it through invisible means the rear axle, with the 20-inch Mayhem wheels completely hidden under massive fenders. The sight is so strange that it'll make you question what your eyes are seeing for a second.But then you really get to look at the thing, and it all starts to make sense. You see some of the hardware that forms the suspension system, things like the RideTech adjustable shocks and the air ride.You then see the front end of the truck , complete with the cab, and here the build seems totally normal. Except, perhaps, the LED lights that have been added as a touch of modernity.The long hood, decorated with touches of British Racing Green and Candy, lifts to reveal a 454ci engine of unknown output. This one is tied to an automatic transmission and breathes through a hand-made exhaust system.The interior is simple, disappointing even, considering the sight from the outside, and only stands out through the custom covers pulled over the seats, and the Dakota Digital gauges fitted on the dashboard. We have no info on how much miles the truck's odometer shows.The truck is called in this form The Remedy, as clearly stated in metal on the rear axle, and it is scheduled to sell during the Mecum auction that takes place at the end of September in Dallas, Texas.The auction house makes no mention as to how much the truck is expected to go for, but there seems to be a reserve on it, meaning at least some expectations are at play here.It's not clear exactly what those are, but whoever plans to bid for this truck gets a mild warning: because of the non-traditional manner of applying the VIN, the truck could be subject to a state inspection and require a new VIN in some states.Or we could see it pop up for sale again, as it often happens in this crazy world of custom vehicles. On August 23, India became the first country on Earth to successfully land a spacecraft on the moon's dark side. This is huge, especially because three days earlier, Russia's Luna-25 crashed on the Moon's surface (bummer, this "special operation" supposedly was meant to prove Americans didn't actually walk on Earth's natural satellite). But back to the star of the moment: India. Indians are proud of Chandrayaan but also Thar SUV EV Photo: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Best people-mover for the Moon? A rugged 4x4 EV, of course size Photo: Mahindra Electric Automobiles The Chandrayaan-3 mission really is a big deal because Indians will be the first to search for iced water near the Moon's south pole. Scientists believe that craters in that area could host large quantities of water, which could be the basis for human colonization of the Moon. For instance, Toyota hopes to use that water for its Lunar Cruiser , featuring the novel Regenerative Fuel Cell Technology.Back on Earth,mania is on the rise, while iconic offroad nameplates join theparty like crazy. It's like everybody wants to taste the freedom promised by rugged 4x4s. To go anywhere, anytime, not worried about any boundaries. Here on Earth, or up there on the Moon, why not?The "Thar" name is far from being iconic for the Westerns, but make no mistake: it designates an Indian Jeep. And I don't mean a Chinese-style copycat. Back in the '40s, Mahindra acquired the Jeep Willys manufacturing license and then the Jeep CJ's. No wonder that starting from 1975, the Indian models were named CJ. The funny thing is that the same year, the Indian Space Research Organisation launched India's first satellite, Aryabhata.In 2008, it launched the Chandrayaan-1 mission and was the first to discover water molecules on the Moon's arid surface. It was one of the main reasons for the most powerful nations on Earth to spark a new race for the Moon. Two years later, in 2010, Thar emerged as an uglier Wrangler TJ based on CJ's chassis, but it soon became one of the most appreciated SUVs in the Indian market. Surprisingly, it also had a brief history in the US, where it was sold as the Roxor.In 2019, India became one of the five nations to crash a spacecraft on the Moon because of the 2019 Chandrayaan-2 mission failure. It was a harsh lesson to be learned for Indian space enthusiasts. Still, at least Indian offroad enthusiasts were thrilled to see the second generation of Mahindra Thar a year later. The 2020 Thar was more prominent, expensive, and angular, similar to the American Wrangler JK.The Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on July 14, 2023, from the Sriharikota space center, south of India. Two days later, 8,000 km / 5,000 miles away, in Cape Town, South Africa, Mahindra Electric Automobiles unveiled the Thar.e concept, supposedly an "electric evolution of the legendary off-roader." To my surprise, the CGI animation places this concept on Mars, not the Moon! Maybe Mahindra didn't expect the Vikram probe to work flawlessly and India to become the fourth country to land on the Moon successfully?!The Thar.e concept looks very different from the current production Thar . It also looks very different from any other Jeep concepts I've seen so far. In my opinion, this Indian concept is not sexy at all compared to the American brand's concept cars. Nevertheless, Thar.e's style is original and has a clear message: rough, rugged, harsh, just like Mars or Moon's environment.The wheel arches are probably this offroad electric concept's most striking visual element. They best emphasize the designers' "explore the impossible" philosophy, while the eye is fooled into believing that the second pair of doors is missing. And another thing: is it only me, or does the Thar.e have a Land Rover-ish stance? After all, the British offroad brand is owned by Indian Tata Motors.As expected, the interior has a "digital spartan" style, but the pair of roof glasses above the back doors is a pleasant surprise. And get this the cabin incorporates "50% recycled PET and recyclable uncoated plastics." I hope they're better suited for Mars or Moon's low temperatures.While no technical spec was unveiled, it looks like Thar.e is a very compact offroader. Due in 2026, the production model will get a wheelbase between 2,77 and 2,97 meters / 109 and 117 inches. Is this a hint for two body versions: a three-door and a five-door, respectively? It really made me curious.The ground clearance of the production model will be around 300 mm / 11.8 inches. This is more than Wrangler Rubicon 's and on par with the new Land Rover Defender's. This should raise an eyebrow for any offroad enthusiast out there and spark jealousy in every SUV fan. Becauseground clearance does matter, as they say.Mahindra's officials praise Thar.e's "one-of-a-kind modular construction and adaptable components position." But I find it more important that Thar.e's INGLO EV platform is based on VW's MEB. Just one day before Thar.e's unveiling, Volkswagen Group and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. announced a partnership for supplying MEB electric components for more than one million of five all-electric future SUVs.The rumor mill in India expects a starting price of Rs. 25.00 Lakh for the production model, which is around $30,000 / 28,681. This is a very competitive price for an electric offroader, and it could be possible if Mahindra would use less expensive Chinese batteries. But at this point, it's just a wild speculation.The fact is India's ambitions should be noticed. While it's not as aggressive as China regarding "the new world order," India's industry, especially the road vehicles sector, is rising. I wonder if the production version of Thar.e will be much different than this concept car But, for now, it got my attention. And probably millions of other EV offroading enthusiasts. Because, if you didn't notice, true offroaders are ditching ICEs for battery-electric propulsion. This is a nice trend, and the Moon or Mars colonizers may be among these new early adopters. It can be pretty easy to fall victim to hyperbole in this business. But there's something to be said about an industry leader so eager to take their sector by the horns and show everyone where things are headed. Though not the first to invent the UTV form factor, Polaris side-by-sides are routinely among the most refined in their category. As an impact statement to this effect, the all-new Polaris Ranger XD 1500 might be nothing short of the ultimate utilitarian side-by-side. EV Not your grandpa's side-by-side Photo: Polaris More features than some passenger cars Photo: Polaris Fun to drive and functional at the same time CVT 4WD Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution Expensive for a toy, amazing value for a work vehicle Photo: Benny Kirk/autoevolution For such a special occasion, autoevolution was happy to be among those invited to the Three Forks Ranch along Colorado's border with Wyoming for a first-time look at one of Polaris' true halo vehicles. If you didn't think things could get any more refined than the all-electric Ranger XP Kinetic we reviewed last year, the peppy gas three-pot engine in the new XD 1500 might have the quietbeaten. The XD-1500 can legitimately do 90 percent of what a light pickup can do, but in a small, compact package that makes much more practical sense.Across a range of applications from farm work to hauling light construction loads or even as a top-notch transport vehicle for hunters and fishermen in barely hospitable environments, the XD 1500 is well-equipped to handle the demands its consumers can not and will not compromise on. Let's take a closer look at the details. Safe to say, there's plenty here to excite.In both a two-door, three-seater or a four-door, six-seat configuration, the XD-1500 melds the worlds of the automotive and off-road powersports and excites both ends of the spectrum. The simple reason is that the sheer level of features on even the most basic Ranger XD 1500 makes entry-level, road-legal passenger cars feel cheap. But if the UTVs on display in Colorado that afternoon were beauties, the weather and the terrain of the forests and mountains between Wyoming and Colorado were even more spectacular. But before we descend into going ga-ga over the scenery, let's break down the facts and figures around Polaris' flagship utility side-by-side.Though unmistakably resembling its Ranger brethren of old, the XD 1500 is a wholly bespoke and all-new chassis that serves as a strong foundation for the considerable technology on offer. With dimensions of 137 inches long and 64 inches wide (328x163 cm) in its single-cab form and 27 inches (68.6 cm) longer for the crew cab, the XD 1500 dwarfs UTVs in Polaris' lower-end Ranger XP class, of which the Kinetic EV is a member. With a claimed curb weight of 2,473 lbs (1,121 kg) for the three-seater variant and 2,905 lb (1,317 kg) for the six-seater crew cab, the XD 1500 is tantalizingly close to being automotive-sized.It's hard not to make comparisons to road-legal automobiles when doing a 360-degree sweep of the XD 1500's exterior. With its impressive size, aggressive front grille, and high-output LED headlights, plenty of modern cars and trucks have less appealing front ends. This heir of automotive-grade quality isn't skin deep. The XD 1500's interior is so car-like in its standard features that you might find yourself reaching for the non-existent turn signals as you make your way down a woodland trail.Of course, a flagship side-by-side needs a flagship drivetrain to match. In the XD 1500's case, each variant, from the entry single-cab Premium Edition without doors to the highest-trimmed crew-cab, six-seater NorthStar Edition, packs a 1.5-liter (1,498 cc) three-cylinder ProStar engine jetting 110 horsepower and 105 lb-ft (142.8 Nm) of torque. With selectable four-wheel-drive operated by a button to the bottom left of the steering wheel, there's very little terrain out there the XD 1500 can't traverse. Coupled with the new engine is Polaris' all-new SteelDrive transmission. It's the first steel-belt CVT ever designed for a powersports application, and it's another reason why the XD-1500 feels more like a light truck in its application than it does a more basic and traditional UTV.For our trip to Colorado, Polaris brought a fleet of XD 1500 single-cab NorthStar Editions for us to play with. Each example was sent out in eye-catching Turbo Silver or Sunset Red paint that shined with a pearl any automotive production operation would be proud of. This considerable dedication to quality continues when you open the NorthStar Edition's suicide-hinged doors and peep at what's on offer in the interior. Only when you check out this rig's plush contoured seats and seven-inch infotainment screen with Polaris' Ride Command software can you appreciate how refined the inside of this cab is.It's one thing for a UTV to have a navigation screen slapped on its dashboard. Plenty of side-by-sides come equipped with one nowadays, and even more options are available on the aftermarket. But for Polaris' propriety Ride Command software to be as crisp, responsive, and downright smartphone-like in its functionality in our testing was an absolute treat. There are automotive-grade navigation screens made not long ago that could never hope to be as easy to use as this in-house system from Polaris. The chunky rubber buttons for all the controls also had a delightful tactility to them, all the more valuable when driving with thick gloves on your hands. Meanwhile, the Ride Command+ mobile app puts all the functionality of the XD 1500's center screen in the palm of your hand.From the moment you turn the key and throw the XD 1500 into drive, its SteelDrivedelivers a smooth wave of power that stays consistent across the rev range. Particularly noted out on the trails was the lack of sudden, abrupt jolts after putting it in drive like you might expect from a UTV with a lesser transmission. From low-speed rock crawling using the XD 1500's hill-assist system to high-speed dashes across loose sand at 50 mph (80 kph), there wasn't any speed that this novel UTV didn't feel perfectly at home at.Across the dusty trails, narrow woodland passes, and the occasional herd of cows that we found ourselves driving over, the XD 1500 was everything you'd expect a flagship, top-of-the-line UTV to be and then some. Its 15 inches of ground clearance is achieved using a clever A-arm front suspension with a hinged link between the frame and the rest of the suspension. With familiar arched A-arms in the rear, small ruts in the trail turned into nothing special behind the wheel. The four-wheel hydraulic disk brakes are light and responsive for a UTV. However, we get the sense you'll be doing more engine/drivetrain braking going downhill in the XD 1500 than riding the brake, like every highway motorist's pet peeve.Truthfully, the respective Pro-Armor and Kenda off-road tires available with the 14 and 15-inch wheels on the XD 1500 NorthStar Premium and NorthStar Ultimate editions make for a vehicle that seldom needs itssystem to skip around over most terrain. Only on the most aggressive up-hill and down-hill sections of the course laid out for us that day necessitated switching into 4WD mode. All the while, switching between the XD 1500's standard driving mode and its comfort and sport modes really did make a difference to the experience. Comfort mode, in particular, appeared to turn an ordinarily buzzy, active engine into something that lets you conversate with a passenger and hear yourself think better than you might expect.In the practically not-useful but still all-important category of off-road hooning, the XD 1500 didn't disappoint. But keep in mind, this isn't the more sporting-oriented RZR line. Ranger vehicles, be they the smaller XP or the big-boy XD line, are true-to-form work vehicles first, and off-road toys a very distant second. From a utilitarian point of view, the XD 1500 doesn't disappoint either. How could you be underwhelmed when the Ranger XD's towing capacity of 3,500 lbs (1,587.5 kg) outright beats low-end, road-legal trucks? We're looking at you, 2WD Ford Mavericks . The rear-bed loading capacity of 1,500 lbs (680.4 kg) out of a 137-inch (348-cm) or 164-inch (416.5-cm) rear bed box, depending on the cab size, is pretty phenomenal as well.The optional Lock & Ride MAX storage containment solution will also assuredly come in handy when carrying precious cargo. Further trinkets like power windows, ample 12-volt charging, and utility capability in the cab and the bed combined with a surprisingly robust air conditioning system make for a space that's not only lovely to sit in but all the more functional for farmers, ranch hands, and hunters/fishermen, most likely to buy this work vehicle. Pulling other stuck motorists out of mud bogs with the optional 6,000 Lb. Pro HD Winch is likely a breeze in this thing as well. In the extreme weather and temperatures that these folks tend to work in, such luxuries pay dividends in ways we desk jockeys might fail to appreciate at first. And let's be honest, most people who buy a UTV with a $29,999 sticker price for the most basic model are probably looking for it to pay for itself with the hard labor that gets done behind the wheel.In this, the category that likely makes the biggest difference for the XD 1500's customer base, this halo-vehicle UTV ticks all the necessary boxes with flying colors. Of course, the MSRP can spike through the roof once you add the crew-cab option. The highest-specked XD 1500 NorthStar Ultimate with the fancy Polaris Pro camo package starts at $50,499 before taxes and fees. Add in the extra utility goodies of the bespoke Ranch, Farm, and Hunt options packages, and you're off to the races in terms of base price.It's undoubtedly quite a bit of coin if you're just messing around in the forest for fun. But for the hard-grafting workers who earn their pay behind the wheel of these UTVs, we're almost certain the extra functionality is worth the added expense. But even if you're not a ranch hand or a farmer in the heartland of America, the level of refinement that went into a UTV that's explicitly not road-legal proves the trickle-down effect really does apply between the automotive and powersports community. In truth, it's genuinely difficult to come up with gripes or complaints about the XD 1500.Apart from a slightly annoying level of drivetrain cabin noise, the experience of driving this beast over the course of almost five hours was almost completely perfect. Besides, the XD 1500's interior might trick you into thinking it's a car. But it's really not, so a little drivetrain noise is by no means the end of the world. When you weigh the considerable upsides with the negligible downsides, the Ranger XD 1500 impressed in ways few side-by-sides in its class could hope to compete with. By melding the best qualities of both the automotive and powersports sectors, the XD 1500 is a machine that people from all walks of life can really appreciate after some time behind the wheel. That's a 5 out of 5 star driving experience every day of the week and twice on Sunday.Check back real soon for more automotive and powersports test drives and so much more right here on autoevolution. The Ford Mustang GTD got all the spotlight at Pebble Beach. It is one more V8-powered Mustang, and the Dearborn carmaker is not planning to change that detail in the lineup. But what about electrification? Photo: Ford ICE The Ford Mustang GTD race car is a V8 affair, rated at $300,000. And there are more where that came from, despite the marching full electrification across the industry. But FoMoCo is trying to keep that away from the Mustang coupe lineup for as long as possible, considering the circumstances.In an interview with Bloomberg, Fords CEO Jim Farley ruled out the possibility of the carmaker building an electric Mustang Coupe. Thus, the only Mustang-badged model with electric motors will remain the Mustang Mach-E for a while. The most potent in the lineup is the GT version, powered by two electric motors for a total system output of 480 horsepower (487 PS) and 634 lb-ft (860 Nm) of torque. These are the figures that take it to a top speed of 124 mph (200 kph), while it needs 3.8 seconds to do the 0-60 mph (0-97 kph) run.Meanwhile, the most potent ICE-powered Mustang coupe is the Shelby GT500, coming with a 6.2-liter V8 that can deliver 760 horsepower (771 PS) and 625 lb-ft (847 Nm) of torque. It does the 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and hits a top speed of 180 mph (290 kph). So Ford still needs resources to squeeze that much power out of the electric motors before it converts the Mustang coupe into an electric model.Jim Farley says that "Nah, probably not," when asked about a fully electric Mustang. But Farley does not rule out the possibility of Ford coming up with a hybrid version. "Could there be a partially electrified Mustang coupe and it be world-class? Yeah," he said for Bloomberg.Ford has flirted with the idea of an electric Mustang over the years. But none made it to series production. They came up with the Cobra Jet 1400 drag racing demonstrator. Then Ford brought a 900-horsepower all-electric Mustang Lithium coupe at the 2019 SEMA Show.Probably Ford's head honchos will change their minds towards the end of the decade, when internal combustion cars will be minoritized. And that would be the logical step considering that over at Stellantis, Chevrolet is planning on building an entirely electric successor for the Camaro high-performance sedan, which might arrive in 2026 as a 2027 model year.Furthermore, Dodge is also phasing out the iconic HEMI V8-powered Charger and Challenger after the 2023 model year and will make the switch to electrified eMuscle. The electric muscle cars will arrive in 2024. The Last Call Charger and Challenger are the last-powered versions of two of America's most popular muscle cars before they get discontinued. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Windy with lots of sunshine. High 71F. Winds ENE at 20 to 30 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 32F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph. 26 August 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00) Rena Murshud Read more Recently, a special antipathy towards Russians and especially Russian officials and public figures has been formed in Armenia. The situation has reached such a level that some of them are even being pressured at the state level and their entry into Armenia has been banned. One of the famous targets of the Armenians was Konstantin Zatulin, then Margarita Simonyan who are popular with the pro-Armenian stance and love for the country. And another target is Viktor Krivopuskov who has recently been disappointed with having been held in a long wait at the airport in Yerevan. However, there is an interesting fact about the denial of his entry into the country. Despite the fact that Zatulin and Simonyan were warned about the ban in advance, Krivopuskov did not even receive any notice. He found out about this upon his arival at the airport in Yerevan. Thus, Krivopuskov was detained at the airport for several hours and was not released to Armenia without any explanation. It is worth noting that if such cases once used to occur in relation to ordinary Russian citizens, now the same trend is being made in relation to Russian public figures and officials. This situation, which has already started to become more and more serious, has created some cracks between Russia and Armenia on a national basis. Now some parties are interested in only one question: What is the real reason behind this antagonism and anti-Russian tendencies? Sharing his opinion on the above issue, Yuriy Shevtsov, political analyst, director of the Center for European Integration Problems told to AZERNEWS that it is not yet known who is behind all this, but giving several reasons, he added that at the moment Armenia is in a very difficult domestic and foreign political situation. "Based on the fact that Russia is more involved in the war in Ukraine. In Armenia, many people feel like abandoned as they are used to Russian attention, and they are expecting it very much. On the other hand, while Russia is fully engaged in the war with Ukraine, there are forces in the South Caucasus region that try to allude Armenian politicians that they can orient themselves towards the West," the expert added. Adding another reason for the weakening of Armenia, the expert continued: "Armenia is also weakened by the fact that Russia has lost its power and influence in some territories. Therefore, various kinds of internal difficulties will grow in this country until the geopolitical situation stabilizes," the political analyst said. Then the Belarusian pundit spoke about the political relations of Russia with neighboring countries, such as Iran, Turkiye, and especially Azerbaijan. "I think that is why Armenia is so nervous," he added. According to the expert, at the end, all these actions will not come into a big conflict, despite Armenians having some problems with Russian society at the community level. But it is still too far to think it leading to a conflict between Armenia and Russia," the expert said. In conclusion, the Belarusian pundit said that Armenia is not considered a closed country for Russia, since Armenia is a member of the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organization) and various other organizations. "At present, the dynamics of some Western-leaning forces influencing the country's politics are being observed in Armenia. Otherwise, there is no other reason to separate Armenia and Russia. I believe that such a course of action in the country can permanently disturb the internal peace," he added. --- Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 10:35 (UTC+04:00) According to the order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, urgent measures have been taken in Fuzuli city to create drinking and sewerage water supply systems. The project has been implemented by the State Water Agency of Azerbaijan to provide drinking water to the population living here, as well as buildings and structures belonging to the public and private sector, until the implementation of the project on the creation of drinking and sewage water supply systems in Fuzuli city implemented, Azernews reports, citing State Water Agency. According to the information of the Coordination Headquarters established for centralized solution of issues in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan, an Urgent Action Plan has been prepared to provide Fuzuli city with drinking water. According to the plan, it was decided to use the available capacities until the establishment of new drinking water supply systems in Fuzuli City. To this end, the drainage systems built during Guruchay in the 1980s, which had fallen into disrepair during the occupation, were restored and put back into operation. At the same time, 2 catchment tanks with a total capacity of 100 cubic meters and a pumping station were constructed at the water source. A 630 mm diameter main water pipeline was laid from the water source to the town of Fuzuli. The main pipeline is connected to the distribution network of the Fuzuli residential complex under construction, and water supply to the buildings has been ensured. As an urgent measure, 4 modular wastewater treatment plants were installed to treat and utilize wastewater generated at the complex. In addition to urgent measures, the implementation of the project on the creation of drinking water supply, sewerage, and rainwater systems in Fuzuli City continues. The infrastructure laid down by President Ilham Aliyev on 5 May 2023 is designed to meet the needs of 50 thousand people of Fuzuli city, taking into account perspective development until 2040. According to the project, 15 new sub-artesian wells will be dug and 4 reservoirs with a total capacity of 22 thousand cubic meters will be built to provide Fuzuli with stable and quality drinking water. Construction of a 10.7-kilometer-long main water pipeline from the water source to the town of Fuzuli has been started and is being intensively continued. According to the project, 103 kilometers of drinking water, 87 kilometers of sewage, and 100 kilometers of rainwater networks will be constructed in Fuzuli town. A wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 15 thousand cubic meters per day will be built to treat and neutralize wastewater generated in Fuzuli. The new infrastructure created in Fuzuli city will be managed on the basis of a "Smart Water" system. Within the framework of the project, each element of the infrastructure will be provided with a SCADA system. The state of operation of sub-artesian wells, water level in reservoirs, hydraulic regimes in the distribution network, and other processes will be regulated online through SCADA systems. Due to the possibilities of the infrastructure being created, it is planned to provide drinking water to the Dovletiyarli and Dadali villages of Fuzuli district in the future. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00) President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin has sent congratulatory letter to First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva on the occasion of her birthday, Azernews reports. "Dear Mehriban Arif gizi, Please accept my sincerest congratulations on the occasion of your birthday. We highly appreciate your personal contribution to the strengthening of the allied relations between our countries. I am confident that further development of constructive multifaceted ties will fully meet the interests of the friendly peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan. Dear Mehriban Arif gizi, I sincerely wish you good health, happiness, well-being and success in your state activity," the letter said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea, in this undated file photo released Aug. 6, 2016, by China's Xinhua News Agency. AP-Yonhap Taiwan's defense ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and ships toward the island, just days after the United States approved a $500-million arms sale to the island nation. The ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the People's Liberation Army, and nine vessels from the navy, were detected in the 24 hours between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the ministry said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwan's political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a "stern warning" after the nations' vice president stopped over in the U.S. while on an official trip to Paraguay. The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets, and other related equipment, to Taiwan worth half a billion dollars. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said Friday that China opposed the arms sale, calling it a "gross interference" in China's internal affairs and describing it as a "heinous act" that violates its "One China" principle, as well as three Sino-U.S. joint communiques. Zhang also said that China urged the U.S. to fulfill its commitment of not supporting the independence of Taiwan. (AP) 26 August 2023 16:00 (UTC+04:00) A large-scale meeting of the Presidium of the Collegium of Advocates and a solemn ceremony of swearing in of candidates to the advocates took place, Azernews reports. The press service of the Collegium informed that first, the souls of our martyrs who died for the Motherland were honoured with a minute's silence, the National Anthem of Azerbaijan sounded. Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Board of the Bar Association Anar Baghirov spoke about the history, development and raising the prestige of the Bar in Azerbaijan, and also positively assessed the recently adopted amendments to the Civil Procedure Code. It was reported that 11 written tests for admission to the Bar Association have been held since 2018. Of the 4,594 candidates who took part in these exams, 1,357 passed the professional exams, successfully completed the mandatory training and took the oath of an advocate. A.Bagirov noted that today, after taking the oath, 46 candidates who successfully passed the qualification exams and compulsory training were admitted to the Bar: "Thus, the number of advocates has reached 2334 people. Currently, of the lawyers participating in the swearing-in ceremony, 32 are men and 14 are women. Of them, 3 lawyers will work in the regions, and 43 - in Baku. Among the candidates Mirzamedova Gulzade Ilham gizi Mirzamedova, born in 1998, is our youngest lawyer". MP Bahruz Magerramov said the Azerbaijani advocacy has passed an honourable historical path: "During the presidency of Anar Baghirov, the advocacy in Azerbaijan has achieved successes desired by great leader Heydar Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev is today the greatest friend and supporter of lawyers. The legal profession in Azerbaijan today is free and independent. If a young Azerbaijani wants to become a lawyer, this profession has a reputation". B.Magerramov was awarded with the jubilee sign "100th anniversary of the Bar Association of Azerbaijan" for effective co-operation with the Bar Association, as well as for his contribution to the development of the Bar. The candidate advocates made a speech and stated that they were satisfied that they had learnt the profession of advocate and were grateful to the Presidium of the Bar Association for the intensive conduct of the qualification examinations for admission to the Bar. Then, a swearing-in ceremony was held for the candidates who had successfully passed the qualification examinations for admission to the Bar Association and had undergone compulsory training, the candidates to the Bar took an oath in front of the State Flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan and were presented with certificates. In the second part of the event, a group of members of the Collegium who distinguished themselves in the course of their activities and celebrated their anniversaries were honoured. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 16:30 (UTC+04:00) Information has been circulated that on August 30, representatives of local self-government bodies of Paris and a number of regions of France will attempt to commit a provocation in the direction of Azerbaijans Lachin district on the conditional border with Armenia. It is reported that this adventure organized by the racist, anti-Azerbaijani Anne Hidalgo and the radical representative of the Armenian community in France Jeanne Barseghian, allegedly aims to provide "humanitarian assistance" to the Armenians living in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing the Western Azerbaijan Community. These individuals and the French government, which is the true organizer of the provocation, are not interested in humanitarian issues at all. If the abovementioned circles were interested in the fate of people, they would have protested against the occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia, the ethnic cleansing committed by Armenia against more than one million Azerbaijanis, the killing of over 20,000 Azerbaijani civilians and the destruction of 900 settlements of Azerbaijan. France's goal in organizing this heinous act is to further aggravate the situation in the region, as well as prevent the reintegration of Armenians living in the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan and establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the Community emphasized. The Western Azerbaijan Community called on France to refrain from this cheap provocation, not to hinder the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and to support the return of the Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to their homes. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani entrepreneurs have donated a demining machine to the Garabagh Revival Foundation to clean the territories liberated from occupation, Azernews reports. Economy Minister Mikail Jabbarov said in his account on social network "X". "Lachin City Day represents a special day in our country, which is also associated with care, mercy and kindness. On such a date, it is a matter of pride and joy that an Azerbaijani-made demining machine was presented to the Garabagh Revival Foundation as a donation from entrepreneurs to clean up our territories liberated from occupation. We thank all those who contributed to this," he said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 20:30 (UTC+04:00) Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev has informed Austrian officials about Armenias provocations, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Fariz Rzayev visited Austria on August 22-25. During the visit, Rzayev held bilateral meetings with Secretary General of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs Launsky-Tieffenthal, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi, acting director of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) Niklas Hedman. Also, a meeting was held at the Vienna branch of the UN on the topic The role of Azerbaijan in outer space: the 74th International Astronautical Congress, Baku Azerbaijan. At a meeting with Launsky-Tieffenthal, bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Austria, the current state and prospects for the development of cooperation in the political, economic and humanitarian spheres, including within the international organizations, were discussed. The Austrian side was informed about the current situation in the region in the post-conflict period, about the ongoing activities of Azerbaijan to establish peace and security in the region, as well as about the provocations committed by Armenia. The 74th International Astronautical Congress is scheduled to be held on October 2-6, 2023 in Baku. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 19:01 (UTC+04:00) The Association of Azerbaijanis "Gunyash" operating in Lithuania has appealed to the international community with a request to support the peace efforts of our country, Azernews reports. This was reported by the press service of the State Committee for Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The statement sent on behalf of the Association to the United Nations headquarters in Geneva says that Lithuanians of Azerbaijani origin are deeply concerned about the current situation in the South Caucasus region as a result of unacceptable actions of revanchist forces in Armenia and the Armenian Diaspora. It is noted that as a result of Armenia's occupation policy, the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan has turned into ruins over 30 years, and the urgent problems left after the 2020 war have remained unresolved. More than 300 Azerbaijani civilians and servicemen have so far been killed and wounded as a result of the explosions of mines laid by the Armenian armed forces. The actions of the Armenian side in not providing Baku with accurate maps of minefields can be regarded as a gross violation of the norms and principles of international law. Accordingly, it was reiterated that Azerbaijan, which had proved its commitment to regional cooperation through the example of neighbouring Georgia, was trying to protect its sovereignty in accordance with international law, including over transport and communication routes, and that the Khankendi - Lachin road was open. At such a critical and important stage, the "Gunyash" Azerbaijanis Association called on international organizations not to believe Armenian fabrications, to provide practical support to Azerbaijan's peace-loving position and promote constructive dialogue between the sides. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 18:30 (UTC+04:00) Minister of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and other high-ranking officials of the Ministry welcomed a delegation headed by Minister of National Defence of the Republic of Turkiye Mr. Yashar Gular to Heydar Aliyev International Airport on August 26, Azernews reports, citing the Ministry. Within the framework of the official visit, it is planned to discuss various aspects of military cooperation between our countries, regional security and other issues of mutual interest. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00) Selcuk Bayraktar, the chairman of the board of the Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar, has conducted technical inspections on the USS Gerald R. Ford, the US Navy's largest aircraft carrier, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. Bayraktar, along with Turkish commanders and naval officers, was invited by US Ambassador to Turkiye Jeffry Flake to the ship, which is currently conducting joint exercises with Turkish first aircraft carrier assault ship, TCG Anadolu, in the Mediterranean Sea, the firm said on Friday. The Turkish and US Air Forces are also conducting joint training flights as part of the exercise. Baykar is currently developing the Bayraktar Kizilelma, a single-engine, low-observable, carrier-capable, jet-powered unmanned combat aerial vehicle, and the Bayraktar TB3, a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicle capable of short-range landing and take-off. During the inspection, Bayraktar was briefed by Rear Admiral Erik J. Eslich about the joint drills. Bayraktar examined the landings and take-offs of the fighter jets in the US Navy inventory after receiving information. He explained to Rear Admiral Eslich, Admiral Rick Burgess, and the US officers on board the ongoing development work on Bayraktar TB3, which is planned to take off and land on the TCG Anadolu and similar short-runway ships, and Bayraktar Kizielma. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 17:06 (UTC+04:00) The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved capital acquisition proposals worth 78 billion rupees (over $943 million). The DAC approved the purchase of rough terrain forklift trucks, bridge laying tanks, wheeled armored fighting vehicles with anti-tank guided missiles, and weapon locating radars, all of which will be procured from domestic sources with an emphasis on indigenous design and development, Azernews reports, citing Tacc. In addition, the DAC has approved the procurement of Next Generation Corvettes (NGC) for the Indian Navy, at an estimated cost of approximately 36,000 crore rupees (over $440 million). These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles, such as surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, surface action group operations, search and attack, and coastal defense. The NGCs will be constructed based on an in-house design of the Navy, using the latest technology of shipbuilding, and will contribute to the Government's initiative of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). The DAC also approved the manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), with a focus on enhancing indigenization, particularly in indigenizing aero-engine material. Further, the DAC has approved a 'Digital Coast Guard' project under the 'Buy (Indian) Category'. This project will establish a pan-India secure network for digitizing various surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance, and human resources processes in the Coast Guard. The DAC also approved the procurement of a Long Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSOW) for the Indian Air Force (IAF), to be designed and developed indigenously and integrated into SU-30 MKI fighters. In addition, the DAC has approved the procurement of a 155mm/52-calibre Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS) along with High Mobility Vehicles (HMVs) and Gun Towing Vehicles (GTVs) for the Army. The DAC also approved the procurement of Advance Light Helicopters (ALH) MK-III from HAL for the Coast Guard. In a boost to the government's plans to achieve greater self-reliance in defense, India will spend 75 percent of its defense capital in 2023-24 on procurement from the domestic industry, up from 68 percent in 2022-23. As many as 266 partnerships were forged during the event, including 201 MoUs, 53 major announcements, nine product launches, and three Transfers of Technology, worth around Rs 80,000 crore. These procurements and partnerships are expected to provide a substantial boost to the Indian Defense Industry and reduce foreign spending significantly, while also helping India achieve greater self-reliance in defense. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 August 2023 20:00 (UTC+04:00) Plans to export primary electric vehicle production to Europe by Turkiye - TOGG in the first quarter of 2025, said Gurkan Karakas, the head of the Turkiye Automotive Initiative Group (TOGG), Azernews reports. "At present, 100 automobiles are produced per day. In September, we plan to expand production to 170 cars per day. After switching to a two-shift operation, it will be possible to produce 28,000 cars by the end of 12 months. This figure could be doubled next month," Karakas noted. Karakas also said that in 2026, using new using new state-of-the-art facilities, annual output will reach 100,000 cars. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Seawater samples taken from near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, destroyed by a massive earthquake and tsunami, March 11, 2011, are seen at Mothers' Radiation Lab Fukushima, known as a citizens' testing center Tarachine, in Iwaki, northeastern Japan, Aug. 25. AP-Yonhap Seawater samples taken following the release of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors showed radioactivity levels well within safe limits, power plant's operator TEPCO said Friday. The start of the discharge, Thursday, of some of the 1.34 million tons of water collected on-site in the 12 years since the plant was swamped by a tsunami, prompted China to ban all Japanese seafood imports. TEPCO took what it called rapid tests Thursday afternoon after the release into the Pacific Ocean began, and it said Friday that the results showed that radioactivity levels were within safe limits. "We confirmed that the analyzed value is equal to the calculated concentration, and that the analyzed value is below 1,500 bq/L," TEPCO spokesman Keisuke Matsuo told a news conference. Becquerels per liter is a measure of radioactivity. The national safety standard is 60,000. The results were "similar to our previous simulation and sufficiently below" the safety limit, Matsuo added. "We will continue to conduct analysis every day over the next one month, and even after that, to maintain our analysis effort," he said. "By providing swift, easy-to-understand explanations we hope to dispel various concerns." Japan's environment ministry said it had collected seawater samples from 11 different locations Friday, the results of which would be released Sunday. 26 August 2023 21:00 (UTC+04:00) The Danish government said Friday that it has presented a bill criminalizing the burning of religious scriptures publicly, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency. The action is being taken for criminalizing the burning of the Bible or the Quran, said a statement by Foreign Ministry. "As a result of recent Quran burnings, Denmark is increasingly seen in large parts of the world as a country that facilitates insulting and denigrating actions against other countries and religions," the statement added. The bill will not cover verbal or written expressions, including drawings, but it targets actions that are performed in a public place or with the purpose of wider distribution. "These insulting and disparaging actions negatively impact the security of Danes, both abroad and at home in Denmark," said Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard. He noted that this specifically means that "it will be a punishable criminal offense" to publicly burn for instance the Bible or the Quran. Deputy Prime Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen noted that burning, damaging or otherwise destroying the holy scriptures of others "serves no other purpose than to provoke for the sake of provocation." "It has put Denmark in a difficult situation abroad. The Government cannot sit idly by. Books are not to be burned they are to be read," he added. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Lars Lookke Rasmussen expressed that Quran burnings in Denmark have reached a level "where Denmark in large parts of the world is seen as a country that supports the insult and denigration of other countries and religions." "I am pleased that we now have a model on the table that will allow us to put a stop to the kind of insult and denigration we are currently witnessing in Denmark," added Rasmussen. The statement said that the bill will undergo a four-week public consultation process and expected to be ready for introduction during the opening week of the forthcoming parliamentary session. "As there is a risk that the situation may quickly change, the Government wishes to introduce the bill on 1 September 2023 so that, if necessary, it can be considered and adopted before the end of the current parliamentary session," it added. Sweden and Denmark has met wide-range of criticism over allowing public desecration of Quran that are being held under police protection. Swedish-Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, the leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) Party, continued to burn copies of the Quran in Swedish cities of Malmo, Norrkoping, and Jonkoping as well as in the capital Stockholm during Easter holiday last year. On Jan. 21, he burned copy of Quran outside of the Turkish Embassy in Sweden and on Jan. 27, outside of the Turkish Embassy in Denmark. Iraqi-born refugee Salwan Momika burned a copy of the Muslim holy book outside a mosque in the Swedish capital of Stockholm on Jan. 28, during Eid al-Adha, one of the major Islamic religious festivals celebrated by Muslims worldwide. On July 20, outsde of the Iraqi Embassy in Sweden, he threw a copy of Quran and the Iraqi flag on the ground and stepped on them. He later burned a Quran outside of the Swedish parliament on July 31. Iranian immigrant Bahrami Marjan held same provocative acts in Angbybadet, Stockholm on Aug. 3 Momika, also staged another Quran burning outside the Iranian Embassy in Stockholm early in August. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. After the ribbon was cut, and as groups flocked to their cars, many left the ceremony Tuesday asking themselves the question: How easy is it f Claudia Elliott is a freelance journalist and former editor of the Tehachapi News. She lives in Tehachapi and can be reached by email: claudia@claudiaelliott.net. 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. Rockingham resident Doug Isley speaks to Co. Comm. By Peyton Majors Christian Action League August 25, 2023 Hundreds of opponents of a casino in Rockingham County packed a Board of Commissioners meeting Monday to urge a no vote on the rezoning of 192 acres of land, only to watch the board members unanimously vote yes as part of a plan to turn the property into a major gaming site. Members of the crowd, though, said the issue is far from over. An estimated 700 opponents of the rezoning packed the main room and six overflow rooms, holding signs that read Keep Our Community Great No Casino and urging commissioners to oppose the requested rezoning of 192 acres along U.S. Highway 220. One sign read, How would Jesus vote? Republican leaders in the North Carolina House and Senate have said they are seriously considering including in a section of the upcoming budget to allow the construction of casinos in Rockingham, Anson and Nash Counties, three largely rural counties. Rockingham borders Virginia, while Anson borders South Carolina. Nash is located just east of Raleigh. Some opponents urged the commissioners to vote no because the land rests next to a camp (Camp Carefree) for children with disabilities. Other opponents pointed to the historical ties between casinos and crime, addiction and destroyed lives. After the commissioners voted yes, opponents filed out peacefully. A few could be heard discussing the need to vote the commissioners out of office. The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, which opposes casinos, released a report in 2022 noting that the most comprehensive study to date concludes that after three or four years, counties with casino gambling experience increases in rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, auto theft, and human trafficking compared to counties without casinos. Casinos also help tear apart families, the report said. One study shows that those with the lowest socioeconomic status in the poorest neighborhoods were at greatest risk for gambling problems, Researchers involved in this study speculate that gambling may be viewed as one of the few opportunities for financial advancement, and perhaps provides the lure as a means for easily gaining money, the report said. Gambling harms not only those directly involved in gambling but also harms the innocent, including members of the gamblers family. Gambling creates financial problems and special tensions in the home. The children of gamblers suffer disproportionately when a gambling parent loses the money for such necessities as food, rent, clothing, and medicine. Rev. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League, said the debate in Rockingham County and other counties is far from over. Monday nights decision by the Rockingham County Commissioners has left many Rockingham residents feeling disheartened and deeply concerned, Creech said. It is truly unfortunate when a legislative body chooses to overlook the collective voice of the electorate they serve. By zoning a large parcel of land for a possible casino despite overwhelming opposition, it appears as though the commissioners have taken a step away from representing the very citizens who entrusted them with their positions. For heavens sake, there was a record-breaking turnout of over 700 citizens, each expressing their resolute opposition to this rezoning. Surely that stands as a clear testament to the will of the people. Democracy, Creech said, thrives when the voices of those impacted are not only heard but genuinely taken into account while making crucial decisions affecting their lives and community. Unfortunately, I fear that the people of Rockingham County have two serious issues now before them: 1) the possibility of an unwanted casino in their community, and, 2) a rogue board of county commissioners. Creech urged Rockingham County residents not to lose hope. Their collective voice is still powerful, Creech said. They must continue to engage in open dialogue, raise awareness, and support advocacy efforts aimed at ensuring that their democratic institutions remain responsive to the needs and desires of their community. Together, they can work to insist on a more transparent and participatory decision-making process, where the will of the electorate is genuinely heard and respected. The Christian Action League is ready to help in any way we can. Judith Martin, Ulster Business; Karen McGarvey, events manager Belfast Telegraph; Martin Breen, deputy editor in chief of Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life; John Mulgrew, editor of Ulster Business magazine; and Ed McCann, director of publishing operations at Mediahuis. Picture by Peter Morrison Dozens of business and industry leaders have attended the launch of this years Ulster Business Top 100. The Ulster Business Top 100 Northern Ireland Companies, in association with KPMG, is the flagship edition of the monthly magazine which showcases the performance of the biggest companies here from right across the sectors. The official launch of the edition took place at Waterman in Belfast city centre, welcoming leaders from across the world of business, industry and wider civic society. Businesses making the list saw sales turnover grow by 16.6% to 30.7bn from 26.3bn, compared with figures year-on-year. Pre-tax profits grew by 11.4% from 1.43bn to 1.59bn. The annual Top 100, which has been running for almost four decades, provides a detailed snapshot of the Northern Ireland economy the jobs created, the income generated and overall contribution to society as a whole, Ulster Business editor John Mulgrew told those gathered. The edition a snapshot of businesses from right across the sectors employing more than 100,000 people. We all know costs are rising faster than they have in two decades. Thats impacting bottom lines across businesses, but its also impacting homes and households across Northern Ireland and beyond. Were still without a working Executive, however. We have people and organisations in this room who are facing severe cuts due to the slashing of their government support, and others, which cant progress with major developments or fresh strategies due to a lack of ministerial oversight. Thats something which needs to be solved now. We need our government back at work. Family-run firm W&R Barnett topped the list for the first time in 2023 with turnover of 1.57bn and pre-tax profits of almost 70m. Some 13 companies within the listing declared losses for their last financial year these losses amounted to 213m. One morning in 2004, Joe Nawaz was woken up by a phone call from his sister, who had devastating news to deliver. Five Days starts with me waking up, in the middle of the week, on a sofa after a house party, in a very delicate state, at six in the morning, woken by a phone call from my sister to break the news to me that our father had been murdered in Pakistan, says the Belfast writer and publicist. Ill never forget it the phrase she used was Think of the worst thing you can think of, Joseph. And I just flippantly, half awake, half hungover still, said: Oh, Daddys dead. And in the show I dramatised this a little theres a brief pause where, you know, in that silence, thats exactly whats happened. It was just like the air was sucked out of my lungs. It was just such a weird and odd situation to find myself in 6am, on the Oldpark Road, getting a phone call about this surreal thing that had happened. Read more Development director Alison shares her excitement ahead of the Open House Festival in Bangor Joes father, Rab, was a Pakistani born in the British Indian Punjab who had came to Northern Ireland in the 1970s to study geology at Queens University Belfast. He met and fell in love with Eileen Keelan, a Catholic from south Belfast, and the couple went on to have four children together, Joe, Yasmin, Omar and Farah. It was during a trip home to Pakistan to visit relatives and recharge that Rabs life was tragically cut short. With mixed messages coming from different sources in Pakistan and poor-quality phone signal hindering communication further, Joe and his family decided to travel there in search of the truth about Rabs death. It was an attempted robbery perhaps and my father surprised them doing it, Joe said. But then, as we started to learn more, there were more and more contradictory pieces of information that were coming up, and it ended up that we just werent sure exactly who was behind it, why it happened or what the motivations were. Because we were so far away from it, it was hard to get any conclusive answers. So, we made the determination to travel to Pakistan to, first of all, track down his grave, because he had to be buried there. There was talk of us bringing him back, but its incredibly hard. Its easier to transport a pet than it is to bring back a body through international lines. So he was buried in his home village, and family members there assured us that they would take care of things. Poignant new theatre production Five Days follows the Nawaz family as they try to come to terms with their dads death. We were on the trail of a murder mystery and in search of him, looking for him, because we hadnt seen him in six months and we didnt have a body, Joe says. When you dont have a body, youre in this weird state of limbo where youre told that the person is gone but youve no hard evidence. You havent said your farewells. Although hard-hitting at times, the production is not all doom and gloom, Joe assures: I have this involuntary reflex to try to make things humorous; it is quite light-hearted and its a travelogue. Joe Nawaz Its a double helix, if you will. Its a story about us, these five people ostensibly from Belfast, who dont speak the language, not many of the cultural smarts, not really aware of where were going. Its like going to Mars although, on paper, we have the right surname and we should have some connection. We have had very little contact with this country. Its about us going there as fish out of water and trying to navigate the terrain the physical terrain and the legal terrain and the social terrain, which is a little bit of adventure. Although the Nawazes have to deal with visa issues and various situations that arise on arrival in Pakistan, Five Days also features quieter moments of reflection where Joe converses with his late father. The one-man show also explores Joes experience of growing up and living in Northern Ireland as a part of a mixed-race family and explores identity in a place where identity is still contentious. In the process, I think Five Days talks about identity and what it means to belong, what it means to say you are from a place and what it takes, which I think is kind of pertinent especially coming from here, Joe says. Both my mum and dad came from countries that were divided by British rule and left with a degree of turmoil behind, so I think theres some interesting parallels between where my father is from and where my mother is from and what my generations place is amidst all of that. Read more TAKE FIVE: CIAN SMYTH For now, Joe is busy rehearsing his lines for the upcoming Open House Festival performance in Bangor and he hopes to bring the subject matter to a wider audience. Im also working on a film version of it, he says. Im taking to filmmakers about maybe making it into a visual document, so thats quite exciting. Im also working on the next one-man show, which is something I trialled before lockdown. I was just about to try it out and Covid happened, which put paid to that particular thrilling adventure. Its called Tall Tales From Talktown. Its a show based on me being an extremely nosey and voyeuristic people watcher in Belfast, and its about the conversations Ive overheard from local people and all sorts of interesting situations. Im working on that as well. But first of all is Five Days. I have to get that out of the way and then Ill stop talking about myself forever, I swear. I did a prequel show a few years back called Fake ID, which was about growing up here in the Troubles being mixed race. Like an Asian in Derry Girls, if you will. That was very well received, about five years ago. Read more Belfast arts centre suspends Palestine show after complaint Despite plans to produce Five Days immediately after Fake ID, Joe decided to put the project on hold until the time felt right. I was meant to do this show straight after, but it was kind of too soon for me to talk. The other thing about Five Days is its obviously very personal and I think you need a bit of distance before you can start examining that stuff without it emotionally affecting you. Even now when I talk about it on stage, I have to remember not to get caught up in what Im saying and just perform it. There have been a couple of times when Ive done it and Ive been in danger of choking, which is why I think it took me five years to do it. Five Days by Joseph Nawaz shows at The Court House, Bangor, on August 30 as part of the Open House Festival, before showing at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast, on September 14-16. lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/five-days A 38-year-old man has been remanded into custody accused of ramming into a police patrol car in west Belfast. Three PSNI officers were injured during attempts to stop a stolen vehicle in the Falls Road area early on Thursday morning. Paul McQuade appeared at Belfast Magistrates Court in a wheelchair to face a total of 18 charges connected to the incident. McQuade, of Fishermans Lane in Killough, Co Down, is accused of aggravated vehicle taking causing injury, failing to stop for police and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. He is further charged with dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and when unfit through drink or drugs, criminal damage to a police car, resisting police and disorderly behaviour. McQuade is alleged to have taken a Vauxhall Mokka SUV without the owners consent before a PSNI patrol tried to intervene. Police said officers made an attempt to stop the stolen vehicle on the Falls Road at around 2.45am. The driver mounted a footpath in a bid to avoid them and struck a constables arm before making off. A short time later the vehicle was located in the Cluain Mor Close area, where it was repeatedly reversed into the patrol car, causing injury to another two officers. A man was detained at the scene. As McQuade was wheeled into the dock to have the charges put to him, the court heard that he sustained injuries during his arrest. With no application for bail, McQuade was remanded in custody until next month. It was a Friday afternoon with a difference for one office in Belfast. OutForm Consulting a leading business transformation consultancy swapped their usual taks and donned their lycra OutForm Consulting a leading business transformation consultancy, who provide hands-on consultancy solutions for infrastructure, transport and manufacturing companies, made this Friday (25th August) a sweaty one- embarking on a 311 mile row and cycle on static bikes and rowing machines; the distance between their Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh hubs. A number of the team in their Belfast location took part from Venyou Scottish Provident Building with the help of some bike ergs and a rowing machines on loan from Queens University, with the rest of the team contributing virtually to their mileage total walking in Scotland, Donegal and even Spain, with MD Brian Thompson's son Issac (9) joining in to take a mile or two off the target for the team. Giving back to the local community is important to OutForm and this fundraiser was to help reach their 5,000 target to take part in the Northern Ireland Hospice Dragon Boat Race 8th September. Jason Armstrong, who is leading the OutForm Dragon Boat team said: We are taking part in the Dragon Boat Race as its a great opportunity to get out and have some fun on the water, but more importantly to support a charity which has benefited and supported our families as well. Three teenage girls and a male in his 20s were travelling in car.Vehicle is believed to have overturned outside Clonmel, Co Tipperary.Two of those involved are understood to be siblings A Garda Lamp with a Garda Siochana logo seen outside Kevin Street District Garda Station in Dublin city center during Level 5 Covid-19 lockdown. On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images) A community is in shock after four young people died after a car carrying teenagers celebrating their Leaving Cert results spun out of control and overturned in Tipperary. The four involved were travelling to a Leaving Cert party. A man in his 20s was driving the car when it was involved in an accident outside Clonmel around 7.30pm on Friday. No other vehicle was involved. A priest said it was a terrible loss on what should have been one of the happiest nights of their lives. Local reports indicated that the four suffered critical injuries and died at the scene. Two of those involved are understood to be siblings. It is understood the three teenagers in the car were all female classmates who had just received their Leaving Cert results. Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he was deeply saddened by the tragic, heartbreaking loss of four young lives in Clonmel. He added: Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, classmates, the first responders, and the entire community today. Irish Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said it was devastating news. "Leaving Cert results day represents achievement, celebration and excitement. Tonight that has been replaced by grief, shock and sadness. Thinking of the families, friends and school community of the four young people. There are no words. Heartbreaking. Fr Michael Toomey, Administrator of the parishes of Ardfinnan, Ballybacon and Grange, urged locals to look out for one another in what will be "difficult days ahead for the entire community". "Sometimes no words seem adequate when a tragedy like what occurred in Clonmel tonight happens," he told RTE. He added: "No words can give comfort at this time. My thoughts and prayers are with the families tonight who suffered a terrible loss in this terrible accident. He added: "My thoughts and prayers are with the four young people who tragically lost their lives tonight, to their families, and their friends, on what should have been one of the happiest nights of their lives. Extensive damage was caused to the vehicle in the collision and, because of where it left the road, emergency services initially had difficulty in accessing it. Gardai confirmed: The bodies of the deceased have been removed from the scene to South Tipperary General Hospital and post-mortem examinations will be conducted in the coming days. The collision happened on the Mountain Road on the southern approach to the town. Initial fears are that the vehicle involved may have spun out of control and then overturned along a very steep part of the road. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators (FCI) will examine the scene on Saturday morning. An incident room has been established at Clonmel Garda Station and a senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation. Images of the immediate aftermath of the collision have been shared on social media. An Garda Siochana are appealing to the public not to share any of this material, if received, out of respect for the privacy of the deceased and their family and friends, a spokesperson said. Clonmel's Mayor Councillor Richie Molloy said that the town was numbed by the tragedy. "It is really shocking news. As a parent myself I can only imagine what the parents of these young people are going through, he said. At this stage we do not know who was involved but I know that there are a number of families receiving the most awful and tragic of news tonight. Today was a happy day for the young people who received their Leaving Cert results. "This has cast a cloud of sadness and grief over the entire community both young and old. Everyone is thinking and praying for the families at this time." The Mountain Road is notorious locally for having a very steep incline in parts. It links the south Tipperary town with Waterford and the eastern section of the Knockmealdown Mountains. A major emergency services response was triggered to the collision with multiple ambulances, Tipperary Fire Brigade and Garda units at the scene. The Coast Guard's Waterford-based Rescue 117 helicopter was also on standby. Gardai closed the road involved to facilitate the work of the emergency services. Motorists have been urged to avoid the area with local diversions being put in place. A major emergency response was triggered in South Tipperary General Hospital with standby medical support in both University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and Cork University Hospital (CUH). The Royal Black Institution parade in Artigarvan outside Strabane which was hosted in the village for the first time. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 The Royal Black Institution parade in Artigarvan outside Strabane which was hosted in the village for the first time. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 Pipers Stephen Clarke, Uel McMullan, Simon Clarke, Sammy Gilchrist and Mervyn Wilson at the Last Saturday Parade in Artigarvan. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 Kenny Alexander, Norman McSorley and Robert Irwin Sproule at the Royal Black Institutions Last Saturday Parade in Artigarvan. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 The Royal Black Institution parade in Artigarvan outside Strabane which was hosted in the village for the first time. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 The finale to the parading season, the Last Saturday, is taking place across Northern Ireland. The Royal Black Institution is holding demonstrations at six locations, with 17,000 members on the march. The parades are being held at Loughgall, Co Armagh; Moneymore, Co Londonderry; Lisburn, Co Antrim; Larne, Co Antrim; Dromore, Co Down; and Artigarvan, Co Tyrone. Approximately 350 preceptories and 300 bands are taking part. The Royal Black Institution parade in Artigarvan outside Strabane which was hosted in the village for the first time. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson, who will address the event in Loughgall later, said: The annual Last Saturday parades are flagship events on the parading calendar. We expect to see thousands of supporters turning out at the various locations to witness a glorious expression of culture, pageantry, music, and history. The institutions principled stance on the Reformed Christian faith will be to the forefront at all our demonstrations on the Last Saturday. Dromore is hosting the largest demonstration of the day. An estimated 6,000 participants, including 90 bands, are on parade. In Lisburn, six districts are taking part: Lisburn, Ballymena, Antrim, Larne, Ballymoney and Ballyclare. Around 5,000 participants are expected, with 79 preceptories and 75 bands. Meanwhile, 60 bands are on parade in Loughgall, with an estimated 4,000 participants in the procession. Summerisland RBDC No 6 are hosting the demonstration in the village, home to the headquarters of the Royal Black Institution. In Co Londonderry, the parade is staged in Moneymore for the first time since 1997. Some 35 preceptories and 31 bands - an estimated total of 1,000 participants - are taking place. Elsewhere, City of Belfast Grand Black Chapter are the organisers at Larne, which last hosted the demonstration in 2014.Seven districts are taking part, comprising three from Clifton Street, with the others from Sandy Row, Shankill Road, Ballymacarrett and Ballynafeigh. Amy Johnston from Omagh True Blues prepares to march in Artigarvan. Picture Martin McKeown. 26.08.23 The Tyrone demonstration is being held in Artigarvan for the first time. Districts from Omagh and Castlederg are joining the organising Strabane Chapter. A total of 25 preceptories and 20 bands are on the march today, with an estimated total of 900 in the procession. Police have said a man convicted of murder more than 30 years ago is unlawfully at large, and appealed to him to hand himself in. The PSNI said that Thomas McCabe, 59, had been allowed out on day release from prison but did not return. Detective Inspector Bell said of McCabe, who was sentenced to life for murder in 1990: He was due to return on August 23 but has failed to so do. He is described as around 5ft 8in tall, of medium build with short grey-coloured hair. He was last seen wearing a grey top, blue jeans and grey trainers. We believe he has connections to Dublin, Newry and Newtownabbey. I would appeal to anyone who has seen Thomas McCabe, or who knows of his whereabouts, to contact us on 101. I would also appeal directly to him directly to hand himself in. Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous. Imam Jamal Iweida outside the mosque after the incident earlier in the week The erection of Nazi flags outside a mosque in west Belfast will not intimidate the local Muslim community, a leader said. Three banners bearing swastikas and the SS logo were placed outside Iqraa Mosque in the Ashley Park area of Dunmurry on Tuesday night. They were discovered by a woman and her children as they arrived for prayers at around 5.30 the next morning. During the congregations Friday Prayer, Jamal Iweida, imam and president of the mosque, addressed the incident, saying: Our message is peace, love and equality. Im sure many of you have heard that there were Nazi flags on display outside the mosque, he said. Mr Iwedia said the support the Muslim community in Northern Ireland has received since the incident proves those who put the flags up are not welcome or supported. They are against the overwhelming majority, they know that and we know that, there is no place for such hatred in this community and this country, he said. Read more Rally organised following disgraceful Nazi flag incident at Belfast mosque Mr Iweida told the crowd that there is no danger in or around the mosque, however, he also said they were investing in security cameras to ensure worshippers feel safe when visiting the mosque. Police have said they are treating the incident as a racially-motivated hate crime. Mr Iweida thanked police for their ongoing support. Imam Jamal Iweida outside the mosque after the incident earlier in the week [Initially] there was some shock and a bit of a feeling of intimidation but now we feel better about it, with the assurance we had from the police and the neighbours and the community leaders and the media, so we thank everyone that supported us, he said. Mr Iweida also thanked the community in Dunmurry for the support they have given the mosque in recent days. There were ordinary people coming out of their homes and showing their disgust at what had happened. We say to our neighbours, thank you very much, he said. He also reached out directly to those responsible for putting the flags outside the mosque. We are citizens of this country as they are and we love this country as they love this country and we would love to see anyone who has any point to say it to us, or anything to discuss with us to talk with us and see what we do here, Mr Iweida said. Local politicians condemned the hate crime. Read more Police investigating after Swastika flags erected close to Belfast mosque Sinn Fein MLA Danny Baker described the appearance of racist symbols outside a place of worship as deeply concerning and branded it a clear and outrageous attempt to create fear and intimidate people. There is no place for this type of behaviour in our society, he added. I would urge anyone with information on the erection of these flags to bring it forward to the police. Political and community leaders must stand together to continue building a safe, welcoming and inclusive society for all. People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll also condemned the fascism on display and added that the horrendous and racist act has no place here. A convicted murderer has gone on the run in Northern Ireland, police have said. The PSNI is on the hunt for Thomas McCabe, who is unlawfully at large.McCabe, originally from Northern Ireland, was sentenced to life for the 1990 murder of a teenager in London and later released on licence. However following a number of breaches his licence was revoked in January 2018. He was on day release from prison and was due to return on August 23, but failed to so do. Detective Inspector Bell said: He is described as around 5' 8" tall, of medium build with short grey coloured hair. He was last seen wearing a grey top, blue jeans and grey trainers. We believe he has connections to Dublin, Newry and Newtownabbey. "I would appeal to anyone who has seen Thomas McCabe, or who knows of his whereabouts, to contact us on 101. "I would also appeal directly to him directly to hand himself in. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous. McCabe was convicted of murdering teenager Richard Hunt, whom he beat to death with a scaffold pole in London in 1990. He had come home around 10.30pm in a drunken state to find Hunt there with his girlfriend. However, the victim was his girlfriend's cousin and had only been around to help out with decorating. Sentenced in England, he was later transferred to Northern Ireland to serve out his jail term. McCabe has absconded several times previously and been repeatedly suspended from a pre-release programme over concerns about his inability to comply with conditions and fears he would commit further violent offences. He last went missing in 2020. A group representing victims of clerical abuse has criticised the decision to invite a prominent US cardinal to Northern Ireland. Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, is visiting Armagh on Sunday. He will celebrate Mass at St Patricks Cathedral to mark 150 years since its dedication in August 1873. However, abuse victims have expressed dismay at the invite. Previously Cardinal Dolan has been criticised for authorising payments to abuser priests in exchange for their departure. In the US, survivors of clerical sexual abuse have also raised concerns over Cardinal Timothy Dolans cover up of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy. The Dromore Group said it was appalled at the decision. It comprises survivors of Irelands most predatory paedophile priest, Fr Malachy Finegan, and their families. The group has written to Archbishop Eamon Martin criticising the invite. Its letter states: The Dromore Group sees Dolans participation and role in the mass, and your part in that process, as grossly insensitive and disrespectful of clerical abuse victims and survivors. It said members wanted Cardinal Dolan, who also previously completed a three-year term as president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, to be withdrawn from the mass. Abuse survivor Anthony Gribben said: Dolans officiating at the Armagh mass triggers grisly memories of Fr Malachy Finegans active participation in a celebratory mass in Hilltown despite requests from Finegan survivors to have him removed from the ceremony. "That incident eventually led to Dr McAreaveys embarrassing resignation in 2018. Dr John McAreavey was Bishop of Dromore. He resigned with immediate effect five years ago, following claims he celebrated Mass alongside a priest he knew was a paedophile; Fr Malachy Finegan. Mr Gribben continued: Dolans participation in the Armagh mass empowers and enables the man who has failed to effectively address allegations of complicity in clerical abuse survivors in the US. His cover-up of sexual violence against children is a travesty of both canonical and criminal justice. Read more Co Tyrone priest in court accused of historic sexual offences A decade ago, The New York Times said that files then released by the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, revealed that in 2007, Cardinal Dolan requested permission from the Vatican to move almost $57 million into a cemetery trust fund to protect the assets from victims of sexual abuse who were demanding compensation. In 2018, Dolan openly argued against a proposed amendment to the statute of limitations in New York for cases of sexual abuse, which later became law, that was introduced to empower victims to come forward. The Catholic Church has been contacted for comment. St Patricks Cathedral in Armagh serves as the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Ireland, Primate of All Ireland. On August 24, 1873, massive crowds gathered from all over Ireland and beyond to witness the official day of opening and dedication. Zoey Coffey, Nicole Murphy and siblings Grace and Luke McSweeney diedThree victims were just 18Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: The whole nation mourns themNI political leaders speak of sadness Police at the scene of a crash which claimed the lives of four young people in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Credit: PA Police at the scene of a crash which claimed the lives of four young people in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Credit: PA Four young people have died after a car carrying teenagers celebrating their Leaving Cert results spun out of control and overturned in Tipperary The four young people who died in a crash in Co Tipperary have been named by gardai. They were Zoey Coffey (18), Nicole Murphy (18) and siblings Grace McSweeney (18) and Luke McSweeney (24). The four died in the accident near Clonmel on Friday evening while on their way to celebrate the results of Leaving Certificate exams earlier. All four victims were from the Clonmel area. Four young people have died after a car carrying teenagers celebrating their Leaving Cert results spun out of control and overturned in Tipperary Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said it was truly devastating and heartbreaking, adding: The whole nation mourns them. DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said the prayers of everyone in Northern Ireland went out to those affected, while Sinn Feins Michelle ONeill said our hearts are sore. A priest said the young people had died on what should have been one of the happiest nights of their lives. The accident happened on the Mountain Road on the southern approach to Clonmel at about 7.30pm on Friday. No other vehicle was involved. Garda Forensic Collision Investigators (FCI) arrived on the scene shortly after 8am on Saturday morning to begin trying to piece together what had happened. Local reports indicated that the four suffered critical injuries and died at the scene. Extensive damage was caused to the vehicle in the collision and, because of where it left the road, emergency services initially had difficulty in accessing it. Police at the scene of a crash which claimed the lives of four young people in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Credit: PA Speaking this afternoon, Superintendent Kieran Ruane from Clonmel Garda Station sent his condolences and sympathies to the families. "Luke McSweeney, 24 years, his sister Grace McSweeney accompanied by Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey, all aged 18 years were travelling in a car, at approximately 7.30pm, which struck a wall and tragically all four occupants lost their lives at the scene, he said. An Garda Siochana supported by other emergency services including Clonmel Fire Brigade, HSE Paramedics, Tipperary University Hospital and Tipperary County Council initiated a major incident response. The scene at Hillview remains closed today and a technical and forensic examination is being carried out by An Garda Siochana Forensic Collision investigators. The remains of all four deceased were removed from the scene last night to Tipperary University Hospital. An Garda Siochana have notified the local coroner and post-mortems will be carried out over the coming days at Waterford University Hospital. He said family liaison officers have been appointed to each of the families to provide support. Supt Ruane added: I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my colleagues in An Garda Siochana and the other emergency services who attended the scene last night. "The scene was very difficult, in very adverse weather conditions and the professionalism shown by all first responders and the care and respect shown to the four deceased was exemplary. Our local communities in particular Clonmel, Kilsheelan and Ballypatrick are shocked and deeply saddened by these events. "I want to assure our local communities that An Garda Siochana is here over the coming days, weeks and months to support our communities as we all come to terms with this tragedy. "I have been in contact with the principals of the local secondary schools that the girls attended and supports are being put in place for the friends of all four deceased today and over the next few days. Irelands political leaders also spoke of their shock. Mr Varadkar said today: It is with deep sadness that I learned of the tragic incident in Clonmel last night. Leaving Cert results night should mark the beginning of a world of opportunities for young people. Its a milestone on the road from childhood to adulthood. "For young lives, so full of possibility, to be cut short in this way is truly devastating and heartbreaking. The whole nation mourns them. My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and the wider community in Clonmel and Tipperary. "The thoughts of the whole country are with them, their school and their community. I am assured that the school authorities and HSE will work together to put in place the necessary supports for their classmates and community. We must come together in times such as this. Read more Nation mourning after four young people killed in Co Tipperary crash Varadkar In Northern Ireland, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson spoke of his sadness. This morning our hearts go out to the families and community in Clonmel who have suffered such a devastating loss, he said. "How quickly joy can turn to tragedy as we are all reminded of the uncertainty of life. "Our thoughts and prayers are with each family and with the emergency and healthcare services who attended the scene or are caring for others at this time. Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle ONeill said: Our hearts are sore following the devastating news that four young people have tragically lost their lives in Clonmel, Tipperary. Their families, friends, and the local community are all in the thoughts and prayers of everyone across the island. The country mourns with you during this very sad time. UUP leader Doug Beattie said it was absolutely terrible news, adding: My thoughts are with the families at this very difficult time. The Mountain Road is notorious locally for having a very steep incline in parts. It links the south Tipperary town with Waterford and the eastern section of the Knockmealdown Mountains. A major emergency services response was dispatched to the collision with multiple ambulances, Tipperary Fire Brigade and Garda units at the scene. The Coast Guard's Waterford-based Rescue 117 helicopter was also on standby. A major emergency response was also triggered in South Tipperary General Hospital with standby medical support in both University Hospital Waterford (UHW) and Cork University Hospital (CUH). Police at the scene of a crash which claimed the lives of four young people in Clonmel, Co Tipperary. Credit: PA Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he was deeply saddened by the tragic, heartbreaking loss of four young lives in Clonmel. He added: Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, classmates, the first responders, and the entire community today. Irish Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said it was devastating news. He posted on social media: Leaving Cert results day represents achievement, celebration and excitement. Tonight that has been replaced by grief, shock and sadness. Thinking of the families, friends and school community of the four young people. There are no words. Heartbreaking. Fr Michael Toomey, Administrator of the parishes of Ardfinnan, Ballybacon and Grange, urged locals to look out for one another in what will be "difficult days ahead for the entire community". "Sometimes no words seem adequate when a tragedy like what occurred in Clonmel tonight happens," he told RTE. He added: "No words can give comfort at this time. My thoughts and prayers are with the families tonight who suffered a terrible loss in this terrible accident. He added: "My thoughts and prayers are with the four young people who tragically lost their lives tonight, to their families, and their friends, on what should have been one of the happiest nights of their lives. Mattie McGrath, an Independent TD for South Tipperary, said there was "disbelief and numbness" at the tragedy. Michael Lowry, a local TD, said Tipperary was shrouded in sadness. The Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr, delivers his I Have a Dream speech to thousands of civil rights supporters gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 (AP) By Aaron Morrison and Ayanna Alexander, Associated Press By Aaron Morrison and Ayanna Alexander, Associated Press Thousands converged on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Reverend Martin Luther King Jrs March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfil his dream. We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr King led the March on Washington, said Alphonso David, president and chief executive of the Global Black Economic Forum. Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot. The event was convened by the Kings Drum Major Institute and the Reverend Al Sharpton s National Action Network. People attend the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) A host of black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in US history. Inevitably, Saturdays event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. I was eight years old at the original March and only one woman was allowed to speak, she was from Arkansas where Im from, now look at how many women are on the podium today, she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now, said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today. The Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington (Andrew Harnik/AP) As speakers delivered messages, they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were under way along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial while joggers and bikers went about their routines. Yolanda King, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, roused marchers with remarks delivered from the same spot her grandfather gave the I Have A Dream speech 60 years ago. If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say Im sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realising your dream, she said. Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools and our shopping centres. Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc pose for a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) From the podium, Mr Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. Sixty years ago Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later were the dreamers. The problem is were facing the schemers, Mr Sharpton said. The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for womens right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks. Yolanda King speaks as her father Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King Jr., listens (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. Several leaders from groups organising the march met on Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining (discriminatory commercial activities). Saturdays gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the August 28 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organisers of the 1963 gathering. All of Dr Kings children have been invited to meet with Mr Biden, White House officials said. Martin Luther King Jrs Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. Tiffany Collins holds an image of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later in 1963, four black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as Bloody Sunday, forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speakers warned that Dr Kings unfinished dream was in danger of being further whittled away. Im very concerned about the direction our country is going in, Martin Luther King III said. People arrive to attend the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) And it is because instead of moving forward, it feels as if were moving back. The question is, what are we going to do? Rosetta Manns-Baugh knew the answer: Keep fighting. I think we have accomplished a lot, but I also think we lost, said Ms Manns-Baugh, who was a Trailways bus counter worker in 1963 when she left her seven children and husband at home in Virginia to come to DC. Now she is so disillusioned shes stopped singing We Shall Overcome, the anthem of the civil rights movement. But even at age 92, she returned to Washington for the 60th anniversary, bringing three generations of her family, all the way down to her 18-month-old grandchild. I think thats why we all are here because we do expect the world to get better, Ms Manns-Baugh said. We cant stop working at it thats for sure. Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died in the crash on Wednesday (Vagnera telegram channel via AP, File) The air crash which is presumed to have killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has raised questions about the future of the Russian mercenary outfit. The Wagner Groups presence extends from the ancient battlegrounds of Syria to the deserts of sub-Saharan Africa, projecting the Kremlins global influence, with mercenaries accused of using brutal force and profiting on mineral riches they seized. But that was under Mr Prigozhin, who boasted that Wagner is making Russia even greater on all continents and Africa even more free in what is possibly his final video, broadcast earlier this week. On Wednesday, a private jet carrying Mr Prigozhin and his top lieutenants crashed north-west of Moscow, two months after he led an armed rebellion that challenged the authority of Russian President Vladimir Putin. There is wide speculation that Mr Prigozhin, who is presumed dead, was targeted for this uprising, although the Kremlin has denied any involvement. In African countries where Wagner provided security against groups like al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State, officials and commentators predict Russia will likely maintain its presence, placing the forces under new leadership. Others, however, say Mr Prigozhin built deep, personal connections that Moscow could find challenging to replace quickly. Africa is vitally important to Russia economically and politically. Wagner Group military with residents during the June uprising in Rostov-on-Don (AP) This summer, Wagner helped secure a national referendum in the Central African Republic that cemented presidential power in a country that is a key partner for Malis army in battling armed rebels. Wagner also contacted the military junta in Niger, which is seeking its services following a coup. Expanding ties and undercutting Western influence in Africa is a top priority as the Kremlin seeks new allies amid its war in Ukraine, where Wagner forces also helped win a key battle. Africas 54 nations are the largest voting bloc at the UN, and Moscow has actively worked to rally their support for its invasion. Mr Prigozhins presumed death in a plane crash along with some of his top lieutenants raises doubts about the future of the military contractor (Prigozhin Press Service via AP) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that Wagners forces are destabilising, and weve encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions. On Thursday, the Republican Front in the Central African Republic, allied with the ruling party, reiterated its support for Russia and Wagner, saying they were determined to fight alongside the African people as they struggle for self-determination. Wagner forces have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, protecting the capital of Bangui from rebel threats and helping secure a July 30 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. Central African activist and blogger Christian Aime Ndotah said the countrys cooperation with Russia would be unaffected by new leadership with Wagner, which has been well-established there for years. But some in the Central African Republic denounce the mercenaries, and the UN peacekeeping mission there criticised them in 2021 for human rights abuses. Jean Serge Bokassa, former public security minister, said: A states security is its sovereignty. You cant entrust the security of a state to a group of mercenaries. Russian mercenaries boarding a helicopter in northern Mali (French Army via AP) Nathalia Dukhan, senior investigator at The Sentry, predicted the Kremlin will try to bring Africa closer into its orbit. Wagner has been a successful tool for Russia to expand its influence efficiently and brutally, she said. In the midst of all the turmoil between Putin and Prigozhin, the Wagner operation in Central Africa only deepened, with increased direct involvement by the Russian government. High-ranking Wagner operatives have built relationships in Mali and the Central African Republic and understand the terrain, said Lou Osborn of All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group. They have a good reputation, which they can sell to another Russian contender. It wouldnt be surprising if a new organisation took them over, Osborn said, noting that Russian military contractors in Ukraine, such as Redut and Convoy, have recently expressed a desire to do business in Africa. Redut was created by the Russian defence ministry, which has sought to put Wagner under its control. Following the June mutiny, Mr Putin said the mercenaries could sign contracts with the ministry and keep serving under one of the groups top commanders, Andrei Troshev. It was not clear how many troops accepted, but media reports put the number at a few thousand. Wagner has sent forces to Syria, Ukraine and several African countries but its future is uncertain (Belarusian defence ministry via VoenTV via AP) The Kremlin still faces challenges in keeping the strong presence in Africa that Mr Prigozhin helped establish. Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov argued Mr Prigozhin may have been allowed to continue his activities because Russian authorities had to find people who would take over his work. Time was needed to create the new channels, new mechanisms of control over those projects, he said. And its not a fact that they have been successful in that. Its possible that they have failed and the Kremlin may lose some of those projects. The UKs Ministry of Defence said Mr Prigozhins demise would almost certainly have a deeply destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Wagners future. Russias defence ministry and Moscows mayor said Ukrainian drones were downed in Moscow and the region surrounding the captial (AP) Russian forces struck a cafe in a key front-line area in north-eastern Ukraine, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials said. The shelling near the city of Kupiansk came as UK officials said that Russia may try to retake the area, which was captured by Kyiv in a lightning counteroffensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation. Fierce fighting there earlier this month prompted mandatory evacuations and fears of a second Russian takeover. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post that Russian shells on Saturday struck the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupiansk. He added that rescue teams were working at the site. In Bakhmut, the Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly made gradual gains (Libkos/AP) UK military intelligence on Saturday assessed that Russia may increase the intensity of its offensive efforts around Kupiansk and nearby Lyman in an attempt to take pressure off its forces near Bakhmut and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly made gradual gains. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian defence ministry, said in a regular briefing on Saturday that Moscows forces had improved their position along the front line in the Kupiansk area and repelled five Ukrainian assaults over the previous day. He did not give further details regarding any troop movements. Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk, citing a concerted effort by Russian troops to punch through the front line. After the Russian occupiers left Kupiansk last year, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers and mass graves in the region. Also on Saturday, a new drone attack on Moscow forced an early-morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported. Officials blamed Ukraine for what appeared to be the latest of near-daily strikes on the Russian capital and the surrounding region. Kyiv has sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia since the start of the year, saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. Ukrainian drone attacks have repeatedly targeted Moscows business district (AP) Russias defence ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Red Square. Mr Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. According to Russias state Tass agency, the Sheremetevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports all suspended flights for over an hour on Saturday. Russian Telegram channels posted videos, some of them apparently from home security cameras, of what they claimed was Russian air defence downing the drone. One video shows a car parked outside what appears to be suburban home, its alarm beginning to blare seconds after two loud blasts sound in the distance. Russias defence ministry blamed Ukraine for the attack. The Kremlins forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian grain storage facilities (Jae C Hong/AP) As of Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities had not said whether Kyiv had any involvement. Russia and Ukraine traded multiple drone attacks earlier this week, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow and the Kremlins forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics. Also this week, Kyiv claimed it had destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian media also claimed that Ukrainian saboteurs co-ordinated by Kyivs military intelligence services carried out a pair of recent drone attacks that destroyed and damaged bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia. AN author based in Northern Ireland has told the story of her lucky escape from behind the Iron Curtain. Hungarian Csilla Toldy, who has lived in Co Down for 25 years, risked life and limb as a teenager to cross the Yugoslav border. The author and her family moved to Northern Ireland because of the good vibes, hope and positivity of the Good Friday Agreement. Csilla has incorporated part of her story into her new novel, Bed Table Door, which will be released in October. I left Hungary in August 1981, traveling through the Iron Curtain from Yugoslavia to Italy, she said. We heard that there was a hole in the Iron Curtain and some people even said that the soldiers there showed you the way to the West. This was not true, of course, as I found out 20 years later from a Slovenian writer who was a border guard at the time of my escape. They were told to shoot, in fact. It was traumatic. The danger of being caught and sent back was very much in my mind throughout, but luck was on our side. When Csilla was growing up Hungary had a secret police that imprisoned non-conformists and the government ruled with an iron fist. Her experiences form part of Bed Table Door, whose protagonists rebel against the system in Hungary but find their ideals of a free West crushed in an England ruled by Margaret Thatcher. Yet they also find freedom on a personal level, which is more than they could have had in socialist Hungary, Csilla explained. I show this world through the outsiders eyes. Of course, the Northern Ireland hunger strikes are also mentioned in the background, seen by an English woman. Except for these factual elements, much of the novel is fiction. Unlike my characters, I did not end up in the UK. I stayed in Paris and later settled in Germany for 15 years. A high-risk sex offender has narrowly avoided an immediate custodial sentence after he admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance. Deputy District Judge Gerard Trainor told David Hatch his offending reaches the custodial threshold and surpasses it but imposed a six-month jail term, suspended for two years. The judge continued: Its clear to the court that you are going to end up in prison sooner or later. Hatch, from Dobbins Grove in Armagh, who is also known as Richard McCrea, admitted driving while disqualified and without insurance on the M1 on July 11 this year. Those offences were committed five days after he had been handed a six-month driving ban and a fine for his ninth offence of no insurance. Craigavon Magistrates Court was told the 44-year-old was spotted driving a car by police officers who knew he was banned from the roads. He claimed he had been given permission to drive, pending an appeal of the sentence handed out a few days beforehand. The court heard this was not the case and that Hatch was disqualified until January. Read more Thief who drove off without paying for petrol is a sex fiend who groomed girl A defence lawyer said his client had missed his bus to get to work, so he made the foolish decision to drive clearly it was the wrong decision. While admitting Hatch had an unedifying record, including convictions for driving offences and sex crimes, the lawyer asked that his guilty pleas be taken into account. Judge Trainor imposed a two-year driving ban and a 250 fine in addition to the suspended sentence. He also warned Hatch he would be jailed if he committed any more offences. The pervert has more than 50 convictions, including multiple breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo) that was imposed in 2017 after he was jailed for sexual communication with a child and attempted grooming. McCrea posed as 17-year-old and attempted to convince a younger girl to meet him. He was assessed as a high-risk, category three sex offender, with a court being told he had a disturbing pattern of breaching the Sopo. Hundreds turn out for rally in support of Muslim community Cries of "Refugees are welcome here" rang out at the gathering (Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX) Worshippers at a mosque targeted by neo-Nazis are living in fear of a far-right attack resembling the Christchurch massacre, the imam has said. Banners bearing the SS insignia, swastikas and the Totenkopf (SS Nazi skull) symbol were put on a lamp post outside the Iqraa Mosque in Dunmurry last week. They were discovered by a woman and her children as they arrived for morning prayers on Wednesday. Imam Jamaal Iweida (54) said the sinister banners, put up in the dead of night, caused fear of an attack like the 2019 Christchurch shooting in New Zealand, in which 51 people were murdered and 40 injured. He told Sunday Life: One of the parents was bringing their child to the mosque the following morning and saw the flags. It reminded him of Christchurch and what happened in the mosque there. He was afraid this could happen here. Of course we hope nothing horrific like that ever happens here, but the problem is you cannot predict the actions of individuals. Some people who are full of hatred can do anything, but this is why we have increased security and vigilance around the mosque and were going to raise money to put additional measures in place. The imam was speaking at a solidarity rally for the mosque in Dunmurry on Saturday which was organised by United Against Racism alongside the local community and a coalition of rights groups and unions. Sunday Life's John Toner speaking to Imam Iweida (Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX) Several hundred people turned out to show their support. Chants of Nazis out, refugees are welcome here and up the workers filled the air as speakers addressed the crowd, including Imam Iweida. He expressed gratitude to all those who had supported him and his congregation and said the attack had only strengthened the communitys resolve. He added: There was a bit of shock immediately following the incident, but when we see the support and solidarity from the community we feel reassured about it. The reaction from the police and politicians and wider society has been positive and were feeling grateful to everybody. We have not been intimidated despite what some people might think. That was the intention of those flags, but it has brought our community together and made it stronger for the future. Representatives of People Before Profit, including West Belfast MLA Gerry Carroll, were in attendance. Hundreds of people attended the demonstration (Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX) Posting on social media after the event, Mr Carroll shared images of the protest with the caption: Massive turnout in Dunmurry to say fascists arent welcome to organise or show their rotten flags in our communities. The turnout testifies to what can be achieved by anti-racists and anti-fascists when far-right hatemongers attempt to organise in local communities. The rise of the far right in the last few years should be of great concern to all radicals and progressives. But there should be no cause for pessimism. Today showed what can be achieved by bold, energetic activism and a commitment to bring people together in united action. Shutterstock.com "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). This verse comes from the Acts of the Apostles, the fifth book of the New Testament. The book is traditionally attributed to St. Luke the Evangelist, according to the website BibleGateway. In the book, "Luke has provided a broad survey of the churchs development from the resurrection of Jesus to Pauls first Roman imprisonment, the point at which the book ends," said the same source. "In telling this story, Luke describes the emergence of Christianity from its origins in Judaism to its position as a religion of worldwide status and appeal," the site added. In this particular verse, the Apostle Paul speaks about his upcoming suffering and imprisonment, said Jon Bell, senior pastor at Calvary Chapel in Flower Mound, Texas, to Fox News Digital. "The verse reveals the heart of Paul and the secret of joy," said Bell. "How can one have joy when all seems lost? How can one have hope when the future seems bleak?" "Paul," explained Bell, "shows us the secret of joy." In beginning with "none of these things move me," Paul was indicating that regardless of circumstance, he's still the same person, said Bell. "Whether good times or bad, he has learned to be stable through all. This is important to understand, yet impossible to accomplish," said Bell. "Yet Paul truly was stable in the face of torture, imprisonment and death." Human beings must realize that they are in need of a "stability that is not conditional upon circumstances, but independent of them," he also said. Additionally, Paul's declaration that he "doesn't count his life dear to himself" showed that he was "not holding onto anything that could be lost," said Bell. "He had a dependence upon that which could never be lost: Jesus Christ. He had turned over all rights to himself over to God and therefore was able to rest in Gods lap," said Bell. This is true for Christians as a whole, he added. "The more we hold onto our life, the more we are attached to changing circumstances. It is impossible to have true joy until we detach from ourselves and attach to God," said Bell. By Paul's declaration that he "may finish my race with joy," he was stating that "there is a direct relationship between joy and losing our lives to God," Bell revealed. "Lastly, Paul says he doesnt count his life dear to himself, not only so he could finish his race with joy, but also, the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus," he said. Knowing that "our joy comes from living for God and fulfilling the ministry he has given us" is "the last piece of the puzzle," said Bell. "Thats why Paul could be grateful in prison, being stoned, persecuted, arrested and tried. He saw everything, even that which would seem bad, in the context of Gods plan," said the pastor. Paul's persecution, arrest, imprisonment and death were the completion of his ministry "and that was what he saw life to be about." Paul "lived for something bigger and better than himself, which in turn was also the best for himself. His life was meaningful, and nothing was ever lost or taken away because all was given to God," said Bell. "Joy flowed from Paul like a whitewater rapid because he was Gods, and therefore, joy was his and it can be yours also," he said. "Joy is vital and is directly related to your relationship with Jesus," said Bell, referring to the faithful. "A life lived for God's glory and under his direction will result in joy. This is why we are here and where we find fulfillment." Article by Christine Rousselle, originally appearing on FoxNews.com. The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that because carbon dioxide is good for crop growth, efforts to remove it from the atmosphere will destroy the planet. It is a good thing that three major international election observer missions have submitted their preliminary reports: The Commonwealth Election Observation Mission, the African Union (AU) Observation Mission and the Sadc Election Observation mission. Meanwhile, there are no matters arising from the preliminary reports by the Commonwealth and the AU election observers, pending the release of their final reports in two or so months. Otherwise, election observation mission reports are precisely that, namely, reports on what the relevant missions actually observed on the conduct of an election in question. But not so for the Sadc Election Mission Preliminary Statement on Zimbabwes 2023 harmonised general election. Led by former Zambian Vice President Nevers Mumba, appointed by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, who recently assumed the chairmanship of the Sadc Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. Unlike its African Union and Commonwealth counterparts, the Mumba Mission clearly, intentionally and scandalously wrote its report on the basis of what it heard, and not what it observed. Rather than making news about the election it ostensibly observed, the news is on the Sadc Election Observation for coming to Zimbabwe with an axe to grind, wielding it recklessly and shamelessly. It would be irresponsible to let the preliminary report of the Sadc Election Observation Mission go scot-free, unchallenged. The Mumba report is premised on this far reaching conclusion, which it is not competent to make: The Mission noted that some aspects of the Harmonised Elections, fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Writing under the rubric, Constitutional and Legal Framework for the Elections, Mumba and his colleagues make sweeping and opinionated statements and conclusions that are all based not on the direct observation of the election by the Mission but on hearsay with not a single thread of even desktop evidence. The sweeping statements and conclusions include an array of gratuitous comments based on hearsay about the voters roll; freedom of assembly in general and the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA); freedom of expression in relation to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act; the nomination of candidates; participation of women as candidates; alleged intimidation of voters; postal voting controversy; and coverage of the election by the state media. In the result, the main thrust of the report is pure and naked hearsay. In this connection, the reports treatment of two key issues is telling: one is the delimitation of constituencies and the other is on the so-called Patriotic Act. Regarding the so-called Patriotic Act, the report makes the following conclusion based on untested hearsay submissions: The Mission noted that the Patriot Act is incompatible with the spirit of section 61(1) of the Constitution, and paragraph 4.1.2 of the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections which requires Member States to uphold, amongst others, the freedom of expression. This is utterly shocking. What jurisdiction, power and legal competence do Nevers Mumba and his colleagues in the Sadc Election Observation Mission on the Zimbabwean 2023 harmonised general election have to make such a judicial pronouncement? The pronouncement is manifest and gross interference with the rule of law in Zimbabwe under which such judicial findings are made by competent courts of law and, even worse, the pronouncement is an unacceptable violation of Zimbabwes sovereignty. Then theres the reports treatment of the delimitation of constituencies, about which it says: The mission WAS INFORMED that the delimitation exercise that was conducted in 2022 by the ZEC was marred with controversy. Without saying who informed it, the Sadc Observation Mission preliminary report makes the following scandalous statements and partisan conclusions on Zimbabwes delimitation exercise conducted by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission in 202, which it is not entitled to make as it lacks the jurisdiction, authority and competence to do so and which statements and conclusions demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that its preliminary report is heavily opinionated hearsay that smacks of a malicious and predetermined hatchet job: "(i) In its Delimitation Report of 2022, the ZEC rightly states that, the Constitution recognisesthe impracticability of having equal number of voters in each constituency by allowing the Commission to depart from this requirement within a stipulated margin. In this case the Constitution in section 161(6) stipulates that no constituency may have more than 20% more or fewer registered voters than other such constituencies. The constitution in section 161(6)a-f also lists factors that need to be considered when delimiting since they are important during the exercise. However, the ZEC goes on to also state that, Based on the provision of section 161(6) the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission then calculated the 20% deviation from the national average voter registration expected in each constituency which was 27 640. This yielded a deviation of 5,528 voters. Since the average number of registered voters was regarded as a stable benchmark against which delimitation of constituencies was conducted, the deviation figure was added to the national average to determine the maximum number of registered voters that a constituency delimited would contain i.e., 33 168. (ii) The Mission noted that the use of the average number voters per constituency is not consistent with the provision of section 161(6) of the newConstitution that was adopted in 2013. The word average appears in section 61A(6) of the old Constitution of Zimbabwe under which it was permissible to calculate the minimum and maximum permissible number of voter per constituency by using the national average as the baseline. That word average does not exist in section 161(6) of the new Constitution which deals with the same subject matter. The difference between section 61A(6) and section 161(6) of the old and the new constitutions respectively is far from being merely technical. (iii) In the new Constitution, and in the context of section 161(6), the maximum deviation is 20% of the voters registered in the constituencies. The new Constitution uses actual constituency by constituency registered voter population, not the national average number of constituency voter population to calculate the permissible deviation from the requirement that constituencies must have an equal number of voters. Mathematically, the two methods produce very different results and affect the equality of the vote with respect to the elections to parliament. On the other hand, since the country votes as a single constituency in the presidential election, the difference in the methods has no particular impact on the equality of the vote in that election. It was therefore not unexpected that ZEC would receive substantial criticism on this aspect of its latest Delimitation Report. (iv) The Mission noted that the use of the average number of voters per constituency is not consistent with the provision of section 161(6) of the new Constitution that was adopted in 2013. The word average appears in section 61A(6) of the old Constitution of Zimbabwe under which it was permissible to calculate the minimum and maximum permissible number of voter per constituency by using the national average as the baseline. That word average does not exist in section 161(6) of the new Constitution which deals with the same subject matter. The difference between section 61A(6) and section 161(6) of the old and the new constitutions respectively is far from being merely technical. (v) In the new Constitution, and in the context of section 161(6), the maximum deviation is 20% of the voters registered in the constituencies. The new Constitution uses actual constituency by constituency registered voter population, not the national average number of constituency voter population to calculate the permissible deviation from the requirement that constituencies must have an equal number of voters. Mathematically, the two methods produce very different results and affect the equality of the vote with respect to the elections to parliament. On the other hand, since the country votes as a single constituency in the presidential election, the difference in the methods has no particular impact on the equality of the vote in that election. It was therefore not unexpected that ZEC would receive substantial criticism on this aspect of its latest Delimitation Report." There are three things to highlight about what Mumba and his team say regarding the delimitation of constituencies. Firstly, everything they say is very familiar to Zimbabweans because the delimitation issue was widely, hotly and robustly debated. More specifically, the words used in the Mumba narrative about the delimitation report are familiar words that were used during the debate. It is disappointing that the familiar words have found their way, verbatim, into the Sadc Election Observation preliminary report. This alone is sad, and the less said about it, the better for everyone concerned. Secondly, ZECs delimitation exercise was challenged at the High Court of Zimbabwe and in the countrys apex court, the Constitutional Court. The views that the Sadc Election Observation Mission regurgitates as its own, when in fact theyre not, were argued in Zimbabwes courts, but no pronouncement or finding of the kind that the Mumba team goes to town about was made by any court of the land. What makes this even more egregious is the following statement in the Sadc Election Observer Missions report: In view of their significance in the event of legal challenges in the context of the electoral process, some stakeholders expressed the view that the judiciary is compromised by the Government. A key justification for this perception was information received from these stakeholders that the judiciary recently received large financial and material incentives which the stakeholders viewed as an attempt by the Government to buy the loyalty and allegiance of the judiciary. So, the Sadc Election Observation Mission on the 2023 harmonised general election in Zimbabwe received information fromstakeholders that the judiciary recently received large financial and material incentives which the stakeholders viewed as an attempt by the Government to buy the loyalty and allegiance of the judiciary. Why is the Sadc Election Observation Mission disrespecting Zimbabwes judiciary in this manner? The is outrageous, and for it to find expression in this report is shameless and unacceptable. In the interest of fairness, the Sadc Mission must be required by Sadc to share this information with everyone, particularly the Government of Zimbabwe which represents the Zimbabwean State, a member of Sadc. As already pointed out, the Sadc Observer Mission has no jurisdiction or competence to make any judicial pronouncements on Zimbabwean elections, not least because it is not a judicial inquiry; it is just and only an observation mission. This needs to be rectified by the Mission in its final report. Thats why it has been both important and necessary to engage the preliminary report at this stage. Thirdly, and last but not least, it is important to recall the Missions conclusion that is making news everywhere in order to show that it is politically opportunistic, and arguably is self-evident malice aforethought. The Sadc Election Observation Missions preliminary report has this running thread that ties everything in the report together, and which is effectively the essence of the reports conclusion: The Mission noted that some aspects of the Harmonised Elections, fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Is this conclusion in any way linked to or an outcome of the observations that the preliminary report lists as the observations that were actually made by the Sadc Mission? The best way to unpack the question is by looking at the full list of the observations that the Mission says it made, and they are the following: "3. OBSERVATIONS ON ELECTION DAYS (23-24 AUGUST 2023) On the Election Days, the SADC Electoral Observation Mission observed the voting process in 10 Provinces of the Republic of Zimbabwe. The deployed observer teams covered 172 polling stations in their respective areas. The political contestants have continued to call for peace during this election period and after. The SEOM observed the following critical aspects at the 172 polling stations that we visited: (a) The environment at the polling stations was relatively calm and peaceful. (b) A number of voters expressed concern due to a lack of, or late arrival of ballot papers and poor administration at some polling stations. However, voters remained patient to exercise their constitutional right to vote. (c) Professional and attentive police presence enhanced the overall peace and secure environment in all the polling stations observed. (d) 64% of the voting stations observed opened on time, 36% did not open on time for the 07:00am stipulated opening time. Some polling stations opened more than 12 hours after the stipulated time. The reason provided by ZEC for this unprecedented development was the unavailability of ballot papers, particularly for the local authority elections, and also due to previous litigation. This challenge was, however specific to Harare and Bulawayo Provinces. Due to the delays, some voters left without casting their votes, while others opted to remain in the lengthy queues throughout the day and night. By 06:00am on 24 August 2023, some voters in these two provinces had still not voted. Consequently, these delays also had a knock-on effect as they dissuaded voters from voting in the first place. Against this observation we further note as follows: i. Section 52(1) of the Electoral Act provides that for any election, the ZEC shall ensure that every constituency elections officer is provided with polling booths or voting compartments and ballot boxes, and shall provide papers, including ballot papers. ii. Prior to election day, ZEC had assured our Mission and other stakeholders, that all necessary voting materials, including ballot papers, were available and ready for use before election day. This communication was made in the context of section 52A(2) of the Electoral Act which requires ZEC to provide information on the number of ballot papers and publication of details regarding them. On the basis of these two considerations, the subsequent information from ZEC that they did not have adequate ballot papers has the unfortunate effect of creating doubts about the credibility of this electoral process. (e) The voters roll was unavailable at 1% of the polling stations observed, and was therefore not displayed outside the polling stations for the convenience of the voters and verification by party/candidates agents. (f) During the voting period, and at 26% of the polling stations observed, not all voters who turned out could vote. The reasons advanced for this included: i. Voters were identified, but the names were not found on the voters roll; ii. It was not possible to establish the voters identity; iii. Voters were at the wrong polling station; and iv. Voters did not have a national identity card or passport, or due to the absence of an official witness confirming an electors identity. (g) 8% of the polling stations observed were not accessible to voters living with disabilities. (h) At 50% of the polling stations, voters living with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women were not given priority to vote. (i) In 3% of polling stations observed, indelible ink was not checked on the voters before allowing them to cast their vote. (j) At 97% of the polling stations observed, voting was free from irregularities. (k) Voting proceeded in an orderly manner at 95% of the polling stations observed. (l) Ballot boxes did not remain locked and/or sealed at 2% of the polling stations. (m) As a result of the excessive delays in the opening of polling stations in Harare and Bulawayo provinces, at least 36% of the voting stations observed did not close at the scheduled closing time of 1900hrs, while some had not even opened by that time. It was announced that voting would be extended to proceed into 24 August 2023 to compensate for the late opening. (n) In previous stakeholder consultations, a shadowy organisation referred to as Forever Associates Zimbabwe was accused of conducting a country-wide exercise of electoral intimidation. Our observers confirmed the existence of this group as its officials or agents were easily identifiable at some polling stations as they were dressed in regalia emblazoned with the FAZ name and were accredited local observers. These, and other unidentified persons who were not polling officials were also observed taking down the names of voters before they cast their votes. In some areas, voters were intimidated by actions of these individuals. (o) The Mission observed the closing and vote counting processes. A proper analysis of these two processes shall be provided as part of the final SEOM Report." CONCLUSION Three points to conclude: Firstly, it is notable that the actual observations made by the Sadc Election Observation Mission are given as a skeletal laundry list with little if any analysis. Yet the observations are at the core of how the actual polling or election was conducted on polling day. Secondly, theres no connection between the preliminary reports running theme that the Mission noted that some aspects of the Harmonised Elections, fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Surely, to sustain the theme, it has to be connected with the actual observations made by the Mission. But the preliminary report makes no connection, not least because the connection is contrived, based on hearsay and therefore has no factual foundation. Thirdly, one of the observations that proves malice in the preliminary report is the following [number m on the laundry list of observations]: As a result of the excessive delays in the opening of polling stations in Harare and Bulawayo provinces, at least 36% of the voting stations observed did not close at the scheduled closing time of 1900hrs, while some had not even opened by that time. It was announced that voting would be extended to proceed into 24 August 2023 to compensate for the late opening. It is an unfortunate falsehood that there is any polling station that had not opened by 1900hrs on polling day, 23 August 2023. Its a shame that such a falsehood found itself in a report of this stature and implication. Otherwise, if the report was based on good faith, the name and location of polling stations that had not opened by 1900hrs on polling day should have been specified for purposes of verification and rectification. Fourthly, right upfront the preliminary report says: The Mission was informed that a further proclamation was issued rendering 24 August 2023 as a polling day in view of the delays experienced at certain polling stations. Furthermore, President Mnangagwa also proclaimed 2 October 2023 for the run-off election to the office of president if such a poll becomes necessary. Two points about this. One is that the mind boggles at why the Mission had to be informed about this, and why the Mission did not get a copy of the proclamation for itself. Was this out of laziness or what? The other point is why does the preliminary report fail to see and understand that the further proclamation was the specific solution to the litany of what the Mission lists in its preliminary report as its observations regarding the delayed opening of polling stations on polling day and the shortage of ballot papers and related issues? An impression, a false one at that, is created to the effect that the litany of observations of problems that beset polling stations that opened late or opened without some or all ballot papers for the three elections were left unattended to. If truth be told, the Sadc Election Observation Missions preliminary report leaves a distinct and disturbing impression that the Mission had a sinister and a not so hidden mission against the people of Zimbabwe and the Republic of Zimbabwe, abi nitio. Thats unfortunate because the impression is palpable! Prof Jonathan Moyo, writing on X (Twitter) The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that Transportation Security Administration managers were told on Aug. 15 that by mid-September they, along with airport employees, will again be required to wear face masks and by mid-October the policy will apply to travelers as well. The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming that the fact that former President Donald Trump won more counties than President Joe Biden in 2020 suggests Trump actually won the election. How to donate to The Berkshire Eagle's Local Journalism Fund Like many news organizations across the country, both for-profit and nonprofit, we at The Berkshire Eagle are seeking ways to expand our comprehensive and in-depth reporting. Together with Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, we have created The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund. It is a dedicated charitable fund whose purpose is to support The Eagles reporting of local matters relating to health, education, economic development, and arts and culture. Your tax-deductible gift will expand our coverage of these critical areas. Please contribute to the Local Journalism Fund and support our reporting for economic development, arts and culture, health and education. Would you like to send a check? Please make checks payable to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation with the fund name, "The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund," on the check's memo line, and mail to: Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, 800 North Main St., Sheffield, MA 01257-9503. To donate online, visit berkshireeagle.com/donate. Or, scan the QR code with your phone's camera to make a donation. The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund is a fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. NORTH ADAMS A three-year journey to assess the citys flood chutes began in earnest on Friday. Representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers came to North Adams to kick off a feasibility study project that will determine next steps for the aging flood control system. The day began with a gathering of more than 50 people squeezed into a City Hall room to hear an overview and timeline of the project. Seth Greenwald, a project manager with the Corps' New York District, was on hand, as were state and federal officials, Mayor Jennifer Macksey and Judy Grinnell, president of the Hoosic River Revival, a local group that organizes for flood chute safety and river beautification. Laura Searles, lead planner for the Corps, announced that the city has signed a two-part agreement enabling the project to go forward. The agreement promises the city will hold up its half of the funding for the study and summarizes what the city and HRR consider to be the scope of the project and its outcomes. After the overview, the group piled into a school bus to tour problem areas of the chutes, including the Beaver Street dam at Beaver Mills, the Eclipse Dam, Willow Dell, the flood chute floor at River and Eagle streets, and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Years spent seeking solutions Grinnell has said that she and other community activists have been lobbying for this project since 2008. And she recognizes that the feasibility study itself will not fix the citys infrastructure. Once the study, which will take three years, is conducted, the next task will be finding the funding for multi-million dollar construction. Getting the funding in place for the feasibility study took a long time. In late 2019, the federal delegation got the House and Senate to agree to a statement in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 ensuring a feasibility study for the Hoosic River in Massachusetts. A combination of federal money and money from the city will cover the $3 million price tag for the study. The City and the Corps are each bearing half the price. Grinnell said it could cost $200 million to repair and modernize the river in town. The city is contributing $500,000, and the state $1 million, thanks to state Rep. John Barrett, D-North Adams, state Sen. Paul Mark, D-Becket and former state Sen. Adam Hinds. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, and Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, helped to secure the $200,000 for the first year of the study, with the remaining federal cost share to be provided through the Corps annual budgeting process, according to the HRR. Built by the Corps in the 1950s, North Adams flood chutes have long been in need of repairs. The north and south branches of the Hoosic River meet at Mass MoCA, where sections of the flood control walls have failed. Since the early 2000s, five walls 20-foot-wide panels have fallen along the chutes, and seven are leaning, Grinnell said. What comes next Greenwald said that the next three to four months are critical. During this time the Corps project team will look at the many documents and studies compiled by the city and HRR to develop a scope for the project. Eventually they will come up with potential solutions, a schedule and a budget to present to higher-ups. This process will rely heavily on public input, including a public listening session scheduled for Wednesday. For the following nine months, the Corps will evaluate the alternatives it birthed, perform hydrodynamic, economic, environmental and engineering analyses and begin to prepare its draft report. Then, for around 18 months, the Corps will finalize the draft report of the study. The final six months will be for Washington-level review of the draft report, culminating in the chiefs report, essentially a summary, which is projected to be complete by Aug. 21, 2026. An interdisciplinary team of engineers and planners from the Corps, and a team including the mayor, her appointees and members of HRR, will undertake the study, Grinnell said. The HRR started out in 2008 as an organization meant to beautify and make healthy the river in North Adams, but in recent years, its mission has expanded to include the safety of the flood control system. Grinnell cited examples of how cities like Kansas City, Mo., Denver, Greenville, S.C. and Seoul, South Korea, with rivers far from unsightly have become drivers of economic development and local activity. Yes, we want safety, she said, but we would really like, and we deserve, a community asset. Greenwald seemed to agree. Im very excited to be here to help continue to protect the community of North Adams from future flooding as well as to provide potential project modernization to enhance the environment of the river, he said. "Were very open-minded," he told The Eagle, "On Day One, which is today, we dont want to say, 'Here is the answer,' we want to listen." Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks Wednesday during an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Battle of Kursk at a memorial in the village of Ponyri, near Kursk, Russia. On the same day, a plane believed to be carrying Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who briefly led a coup against Putin earlier this year, crashed and killed all 10 aboard. A Catholic order of nuns is being sued for trying to shut down a Manhattan shelter for women who were victims of domestic violence, at a time when the citys shelter system is straining under pressure from an influx of asylum seekers. The suit, filed in Manhattan Civil Supreme court, accuses the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany of violating the states laws for non-profit corporations by ordering the women to find housing elsewhere, not paying employees and blocking them from entering the building. FSA abruptly plans to end all supportive services for the vulnerable residents . without providing substitute or replacement programs, and with no plans to assist residents in transitioning to alternative facilities, the complaint reads. But the nuns say they have been left with no choice but to close the shelter. Their argument revolves around one woman: Deborah Pollock, the former president and executive director of the shelter. In court papers, the nuns say Pollock squandered the shelters money and is now squatting in the facility, leaving a mess of unpaid bills while making it impossible for any new staff to work in the building. City Councilmember Erik Bottcher, along with a resident at the shelter, are plaintiffs in the suit against the nuns. Theyre asking the judge for a temporary restraining order to keep it running as a shelter and slow the shutdown. The Dwelling Place provides food, shelter and services to about a dozen women at a time. Run by the nuns, the transitional shelter in a building owned by the Archdiocese of New York operated in Hells Kitchen for more than 40 years, with residents usually staying for about six months. The shelter services victims of domestic violence, a leading cause of homelessness in New York City. With the shelter system under immense strain as it struggles to accommodate the migrants, the shelter was one hyperlocal solution to the citys homelessness problem. The Dwelling Place, 409 W 40th St in Manhattan. One of the main challenges for women escaping a domestic violence situation and building a new life for themselves, Stephanie McGraw, founder and CEO of W.A.R.M., a domestic violence nonprofit, said, is finding stable housing. When youre talking about closing [a shelter], that leaves them with little to nothing sometimes the unknown can be very frightening, uncertainty can be very frightening for women, McGraw said. A victim of domestic violence and plaintiff in the lawsuit has resided at the shelter since August 2022. She said the shelter has been essential to rebuilding her life, providing her clothes, food and a safe place to sleep. In the lawsuit, the resident called the nuns callous and cruel for shutting the shelter down, saying that the nuns sent messages to her and the other residents to get out, find yourself somewhere to live in the NYC shelter system. I implore the Court to stop what is going on, and to restore things to the way they were two weeks ago, while this dispute between the Franciscan Sisters and Ms. Pollack is sorted out, the resident wrote in an affidavit. What has been done here bears no relationship to charity, or for caring about the women whose lives, like mine, are being rescued at The Dwelling Place shelter. Legal tangle The nuns reasons for shutting down the shelter go back to a complicated legal tangle that involves the firing of the programs executive director, claims of missing cash spent on Carmines dinners and Uber rides and accusations of lies on both sides all while the future stays uncertain for the residents of the shelter, who have refused to leave the shelter. Much of the case revolves around the firing of Pollock, the president and executive director of The Dwelling Place, which is the non-profit, started by the nuns but which the plaintiffs say is financially independent. In court documents, the lawyers for the nuns call her a convicted fraudster and rogue former employee who took advantage of the nuns. Thats where the nuns failed. I dont mean this to be mean, but theyre a bunch of 82-year-old women, said Dean Burri, a lawyer for the nuns. They trust, theyre not cynical like me. Pollock was hired in 2020. Nearly three years later, the lawsuit alleges, the nuns found out about Pollocks criminal history she was charged for a $300,000 welfare fraud scam in 2001 and moved to fire her. The nuns said they were unaware of her criminal charges until it appeared that Pollock was mismanaging the finances of the Dwelling Place and they further looked into the situation.Pollock was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge, $100,000 in restitution and 1,000 hours of community service on the 2001 charges. In court documents, the nuns say that Pollock left them a jumble of unpaid bills and taxes totaling around $100,000. In addition, they said Pollock couldnt account for about $60,000 in cash they allege she spent on unnecessary Uber rides and $500 dinners at Carmines, the court papers say. The Sisters do not believe there will be any money left after they completely satisfy all outstanding liabilities, a lawyer for the nuns wrote in opposing the TRO. After the nuns fired Pollock, they asked around at other religious orders and charity organizations to find a replacement for Pollock, but couldnt immediately find anyone to take the job, their lawyers wrote in court papers. It would have been an injustice to have somebody else come in and try to untangle some of the unknowns and just all the questions that came up so that really we felt we had to shut The Dwelling Place down to get to the bottom of exactly what had transpired, said Margaret Magee, the Congregational Minister of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany Leadership. Pollock, whose role as head of the Dwelling Place involved her in the legal tangle, denies the allegations. I had very little to do with finances, Pollock wrote in court documents about the allegations of unpaid bills. All bills went to Ms. Kim Vaccari, the Board Chair, and a Board member. Our financials were audited every year before the IRS 990 and the NY CHARR were filed. I asked the Board, many of whom I inherited, to take more responsibility over finances, grant writing, other fundraising, and strategic partnership. Pollock also addressed some of the claims from the Franciscan Sisters about the missing $60,000 calling them hearsay allegations in an affidavit filed as part of the case. She addressed her use of rides hares, saying she used them only for business travel purposes that were approved by the Board. Lawyers for Bottcher and the residents wrote the issues raised by the nuns are problems with simple explanations, not worth of the take down of a half-million non-profit. Future murky The nuns say that theres no going back and have no viable option to reopen the shelter, because theres no staff left and theyve already given back the keys to the building. However, after her firing, Pollock refused to leave the building, where she lives. Shes collected donations to support the residents. While some of the residents have been able to find alternative housing, around eight of the women, still in limbo, remain at the hotel. They came up with their own set of rules for the shelter to determine how theyre living together. Pollock has collected donations for the women and asked as a caseworker for the women, Arthur Schwartz, the plaintiffs lawyer, said. The shelter residents are still in limbo and face an uncertain future. It was a very sweet place. It really was, Pollock said. And Im sorry that its not going to be that. Schwartz said that the Archdiocese, Catholic Charities and both Bottcher and Councilmember Gale Brewer have been trying to find a new provider for the building in order to keep it a shelter for victims of domestic violence. The dwelling place is a critical link in the continuum of social services for women experiencing homelessness, City Council Member Erik Bottcher said in a statement. We must do everything we can to preserve these services at this location that have been saving lives for decades. When God made the world He created humanity, and first created a man He named Adam. Then He made a woman that Adam named Eve. God intended for men and women to be different, and to play different roles in the world. After the fall, men and women both became capable of sin, and both had to strive to be more righteous, as God intended before sin entered the world. A man who pursues that righteousness, and strives to live for the Lord, is sometimes called a man of God. It can be difficult to define what that kind of man looks like, but the Bible provides insights into how a man can conform to the image of God, and help others identify them. Some of the traits of a man of God include faith, a consistent relationship with God, patience, and temperance, among other things. What Is a "Man of God"? A man of God is not one stereotype of a man. It is not a scholar who has memorized all the Scriptures. It is not a man who can lift very heavy objects and fight back any enemy at the gate. Instead, it is a display of character the Bible highlights, while attempting to avoid temptation and sin. A man of God values the things of Heaven over the things of the flesh. He may not be perfect until he is with the Lord, but he makes his relationship with the Savior the first priority in his life. He loves justice, wisdom, and discretion. He is also not a hypocrite like the Pharisees who, clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence (Matthew 23:27b). He does not just exhibit good behavior, but pursues a clean conscience, pursuing a real relationship with Jesus Christ. In many ways, a man of God is someone who strives to live by the following verses from Proverbs, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones (Proverbs 3:5-8). Bible Verses about Being a Man of God There are many verses that outline the character traits that God wants both men and women as well as just men to possess or strive to exhibit. These verses include: 1 Timothy 6:11 But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Proverbs 5:1-2 My son, be attentive to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge. Psalm 2:2-4 I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel. Ephesians 5:25-28 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Who Were Some Men of God in the Bible? It becomes clear through a study of the Bible that an important part of what it means to be a man of God is pursuing righteousness, being familiar with Gods Word, being kind to others, knowing when and how to exert ones strength, and being willing to sacrifice the same way the Lord Jesus did. There are many examples of godly men in the Scriptures. Men identified as men of God include: King David: Literally called a man after Gods own heart. He trusted the Lord as a shepherd, as a man fleeing a kings wrath, and as a king himself. He was not perfect, and succumbed to lust with Bathsheba, but repented. He loved God, and wrote many Psalms about that relationship. Nathan: A prophet during the days of King Davids reign, God asked Nathan to confront the king about his sin. Taking the steps to publicly declare that David committed adultery and then ordered the death of the womans husband required courage, faith, and obedience to Gods commands. Abraham: The father of the Jewish nation, his faith in God was so great he was willing to obey Gods command to sacrifice his son, believing that God could bring Isaac back from the dead. He followed God from his homeland to another. There were points in his life where his faith lapsed and he acted out of fear, but he always tried to put his relationship with God above all else. He also advocated for his relatives with God, and asked God to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of a few righteous, willing to see mercy extended. Nehemiah: A Hebrew who had authority in Babylon, he trusted God to leave the comfort of his post and go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. He defended the borders of his city while maintaining a godly character that served to testify to Gods glory to the people around him. He demonstrated wisdom, tactical skills, and wisdom. Boaz: Certain men played roles in Gods plan that foreshadowed the role Christ would play for all of humanity. Boaz served as a kinsman redeemer for Ruth, redeeming her and her deceased husbands family from poverty. Despite having a Gentile mother, he was known as a godly man who loved the Lord. He was kind to people who were of lesser status than him in society, loved one woman, and displayed great generosity. Jesus: Called the Last Adam, Jesus lived the life intended for Adam, but without sin. The Lord came in the body of a man, clothing His divine nature in flesh. He obeyed his earthly parents, worked hard as a carpenter, learned the Scriptures, and perfectly submitted to the will of the Father. In many ways, He is a model for manhood. He displayed perfect righteousness, something every man should strive for, even if they fail. How Can I Grow into More of a Man of God? Becoming more of a man of God involves becoming Christ-like in character. It is not something that can happen by force of will, but by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Prayer is the first step to growing into the person God intended. Studying the Gospels and modelling Christ is also important. Learning from the men of God in the Bible, from their successes and failures, is also a part of that journey. Another way men grow in their character and their faith is through being discipled and discipling one another. Studying verses about good character and asking God to help grow those is another way. The fruits of the Spirit are foundational to building a character like the Lord has; But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23). Ultimately, it will require a daily walk with the Lord and getting to know Him personally to experience the lifetime journey toward becoming a Man of God. A Prayer to Pursue God with Your Whole Life For men: Holy Father, Thank you for the life you have given me. As the Bible says, you formed me in my mothers womb, making me the man I am today. Thank you for loving me enough to die for me on the cross, and that I will share in Your resurrection. I pray that you will take my life and use it for Your glory, for the expansion of Your Kingdom, and as the man You created me to be. Lord, take my life and guide it. Help me to pursue You sincerely and fully. You gave me life and salvation, so help me use that life to make a difference for eternity. Whether that is as a husband or a single man, as a father or a mentor, however You want to use me, I pray that my life will glorify Your name. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. For women, for the men in their lives: Holy Father, Thank you for creating me and loving me. I know that You know the very hairs on my head, and that Your plan for me is perfect. Lord, thank you for the men in my life. You made each of them uniquely, and You have a plan for their lives. Lord, show me how I can support them spiritually. Show me how I can pray for them. Help me to have healthy relationships with the men in my life, and to pray for ones who have hurt me. Lord, guide my heart in all things, but help me to stay focused on You first. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen. While all have sin and fallen short of Gods glory, through Jesus Christ, all can be saved and have the Holy Spirit indwell them, and help them become the individual God intends. A man of God is a man who pursues the Lord with sincerity, and obeys as best he can in all things. Sources Blackaby, Henry and Tom Blackaby. The Man God Uses. Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1999. Kelly, Robert. The Strong Man of God Back to Basics. Portland: Open Door Communications Ministries, Inc., 2014. Moody, Dwight L. Daniel, Man of God. Chicago: F.H. Revell, 1884. Redpath, Alan. The Making of a Man of God Lessons from the Life of David. Grand Rapids: Baker Books House Company, 1962. Photo credit: Unsplash/Eyup Belen 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. Eight social innovators awarded Rs 2 crore for groundbreaking innovations in healthcare, education, and women empowerment Infosys Foundation, the philanthropic and CSR arm of Infosys, has announced the winners of the third edition of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards. These awards, established in 2018, aim to recognise and reward individuals, teams, and NGOs for creating pathbreaking solutions for social good, benefiting the underprivileged in India. This year, Infosys Foundation recognised winners across three categories: Healthcare, Education, and Women Empowerment. The winners were shortlisted from a pool of over 2,400 submissions and evaluated by an esteemed jury. Awarded Rs 50 lakh each in prize money, the winners, across categories, of the Aarohan Social Innovation Awards 2023 are: Healthcare Subrahmanyam Prasad Muddam and Akitha Kolloju from Hyderabad who developed nLite 360 an advanced, portable, standalone, and battery-powered smart phototherapy device that provides customised treatment for severe and dynamic jaundice conditions. Subrahmanyam Prasad Muddam and Akitha Kolloju from Hyderabad who developed nLite 360 an advanced, portable, standalone, and battery-powered smart phototherapy device that provides customised treatment for severe and dynamic jaundice conditions. Education Seetharam Muthangi from Bengaluru who developed Smart Vision Glasses an artificial intelligence-enriched assistive device that helps people with visual disabilities identify objects and people, gauge distance, detect currency, read books and manuscripts in Indian regional languages, among other things. Seetharam Muthangi from Bengaluru who developed Smart Vision Glasses an artificial intelligence-enriched assistive device that helps people with visual disabilities identify objects and people, gauge distance, detect currency, read books and manuscripts in Indian regional languages, among other things. Women Empowerment Shelter Associates, an NGO from Pune that created One Home One Toilet a data-driven model focused on facilitating sanitized household toilets for the underprivileged urban women. In addition to the category winners, the jury recognised five social innovations and awarded their creators prize money of Rs 10 lakh each. The Jurys Special Award-winning innovations are: The leaders of nations, representatives of international organizations, and philanthropists say they are committed to creating free and open societies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook has independent fact-checkers, is open to all perspectives, and doesnt interfere in elections. And, in response to questions from a colleague at Public, a representative from George Soros Open Society Foundations insisted the philanthropy supported free speech. In response to your effort to conflate any attempt to address hate speech as a frontal assault on free speech itself, the Soros spokesperson said, perhaps the words of the UN Secretary-General will help in illuminating a crucial distinction: Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech. But these words are a thin veil covering an aggressive attack on freedom of speech around the world, from Australia to North America to Europe, where the Digital Services Act, which demands Internet companies Address any risk they pose on society, including public health, physical and mental well-being, goes into effect today. A blockbuster new investigation by Australias Sky News discovered that Meta-Facebook has been paying activists to serve as neutral fact-checkers while, in reality, using their power to censor their political enemies. The context is that this fall, Australians will vote in a special national election, the Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, on whether to give special political powers to native peoples. Facebook is funding those in favor of the referendum to censor its opponents. An audit of RMIT Voice fact checks showed the 17 Voice checks between May 3 and June 23 this year were all targeting anti-Voice opinions or views, Sky News Found. Meta allowed the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) to censor disfavored views even while knowing it was a breach of the rules Zuckerberg established to distance himself from fact-checking responsibilities, reported SkyNews. The RMIT, which is a respected technical university like Americas MIT, used the powers Facebook has given it to throttle Sky News Australias Facebook page with false fact checks multiple times this year, breaching the Meta-endorsed IFCN Code of Principles and preventing millions of Australians from reading or watching Sky News Australias journalism. How did the fact-checkers abuse their powers? By smearing their political enemies as racists. Fact-checkers employed by RMIT have led to numerous code breaches, reports Sky News, including one fact-checker using her social media account to label Opposition Leader Peter Dutton a fear-mongering racist for his views on the Voice. As for Soros Open Society Foundations, its spokesperson cleverly tucked a call for expanded censorship into her response to our queries. After saying, Addressing hate speech does not mean limiting or prohibiting freedom of speech, the spokesperson said, It means keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous, particularly incitement to discrimination, hostility, and violence, which is prohibited under international law [emphasis added]. Keeping hate speech from escalating into something more dangerous is precisely the justification for censorship that politicians in Ireland and Scotland are making to be able to invade peoples homes and confiscate their phones and computers, as Irish reporter Ben Scallan described yesterday. Consider the twisted logic. Irish police must invade peoples homes in order to make sure that their hate materials dont escalate into something that could be illegal. Thats a totalitarian move toward the police enforcing precrime, as depicted in the terrifying science fiction thriller Minority Report. Meanwhile, the UN is now building a digital army of censorship activists around the world to wage war on wrongthink, or what it calls deadly disinformation. According to the UN, misinformation is deadly and poses an existential threat. The UNs effort matches the WHO effort, which views speech it disagrees with as a kind of pathogen. In Germany, a court ordered the American writer C.J. Hopkins to either go to jail or pay 3,600 Euros for comparing the COVID lockdowns to the Nazis. The government claimed Hopkins was promoting Nazism when, obviously, he doing the opposite. While some may take offense at the comparison, it makes clear that Hopkins has a negative, not positive, view of Nazism. In the United States, a nonprofit organization called Center for Countering Digital Hate, whose former communications director worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, has successfully led a boycott against X, formerly named Twitter, for not being more censorious. As a result, advertising revenue to X is down 60 - 70%, according to news reports. In short, Western elites, both governmental, corporate, and philanthropic, are embracing the kinds of totalitarian tactics made famous by the East German Stasi, the Chinese government, and dystopian regimes depicted in movies like Minority Report. Why is that? And how can we fight back? The Internet, Power, and Psychopathology George Soros and his son, Alex Soros, who has taken over his fathers political giving. The Internet enables all of this digital totalitarianism. As Big Brother Watch Director Silkie Carlo notes, The internet gave us the possibility to have the greatest democratization of speech and information ever...It also opens up the possibility for the greatest ever control surveillance, monitoring, and censorship. So, too, does money. The Poynter Institute is the go-to organization for spreading misinformation in the form of partisan fact-checking. It founded Politifact and the International Fact-Checking Network. The Knight Foundation, Ford Foundation, Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation, Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation, Tides Foundation, Tides Center, Omidyar Network Fund, Carnegie Corp. of New York, Annie E. Casey Foundation, the National Endowment for Democracy, Google, and Facebook all fund Poynter and its headlong crusade to censor citizens around the world in the name of protecting free speech. There is bad psychology behind the war on free speech. Elites came to hate and fear ordinary people after the election of Trump and the Brexit referendum in 2016. Liberals made a deal with the devil, partnering with forces within the national security state, particularly in the Five Eyes nations of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, to label populists and nationalists as racists, anti-Semites, and fascists. Behind that hatred and fear are leaders and bureaucrats high on the spectrum of narcissism, anti-social, and other Cluster B personality disorders. They mesmerize and intimidate government officials, journalists, and academics in the same way that past totalitarians did. The narcissists, in their pettiness and fragility, demand the censorship of their critics, while the leaders with anti-social personality disorders bully their way to the top of various institutions and then force out those people who oppose their ideological and political corruption. As we have seen, this toxic combination of narcissists and psychopaths transforms Americas institutions into highly partisan quasi-religious organizations. Major news media organizations forced out curmudgeonly journalists who were skeptical that COVID came from nature, just as the FBI forced out agents who are, rightly, more loyal to the Constitution than the FBIs corrupt leaders. Why are elites cracking down? The reasons are that the Internet allowed it, the elites are funding it, and power-mad individuals have seized upon the Wests decline to take over powerful institutions. Donate to Save Free Speech Standing Up For Free Speech Overcoming overwhelming elite support for censorship wont be easy. The simultaneity of the crackdown, the extent to which pro-censorship advocates have taken power in institutions, and the amount of money they have is as shocking to me today as when we first discovered the crackdown back in early May. Recently I have come to believe that I will need to fight for freedom of speech not for a few years but perhaps for decades, given how entrenched the pro-censorship elites are. The good news is that free speech advocates are finding each other and starting to fight back. Next month, we will issue a strong statement in support of free speech. We are building our own fact-checking apparatus in alliance with those news media companies and think tanks that have been censored by institutions, including governments, spreading disinformation. And with luck, the Supreme Court will decide to hear Missouri v. Biden, which could radically alter the U.S. governments relationship with social media companies. And now, we are happy to announce a major push to kill or reform Irelands proposed hateful censorship law. Yesterday our new Irish Free Speech Coalition launched a website and advertising campaign. We will kick off at a September 16 free speech event in Dublin. Tax-free donations to the cause can be made through the website Censorship Industrial Complex, which describes the global crackdown on free speech. We cant do this alone and arent. Many people have stepped up to make donations since we first raised the alarm about the global crackdown on free speech nearly four months ago, and we are grateful to all of them. But the situation is more dire than most people realize, and we need support to be able to fund the investigative research, events, and travel that building a global movement requires. We are nearing the end of the beginning of our movement, which has involved ripping away the mask hiding the real agenda of the worlds censorious elites. The leaders of nations, representatives of international organizations, including the United Nations, and philanthropists who say they are committed to creating free and open societies are, in reality, not. Rather, they are interfering in elections and violating both the First Amendment and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. We can stop them, but were going to need your help. The widowed father of two children who survived a gruesome Brooklyn hammer attack that killed their mom was greeted by his 5-year-old son during a Bellevue Hospital visit, with both kids still fighting for their lives, a state senator said Saturday. Grief-stricken Jing Hong Liu reunited with his children at Bellevues Trauma Center, where they remained in the intensive care unit three days after the savage Wednesday assault inside their Sunset Park apartment, said Sen. Iwen Chu (D-Brooklyn). The bloody hammer identified by police as the weapon in the gruesome Brooklyn attack that killed a Brooklyn mother and critically injured her two children. Whatever happens next, we will face it together and provide the best care I can offer to my children, said Liu, according to Chu. Liu, a restaurant kitchen worker in Ohio, rushed to the city after receiving the heart-breaking news of the brutal attack on his family. While older child David woke up when Liu arrived, his 3-year-old sister Sophie was fighting a lung infection Saturday, said Chu. A GoFundMe page established to help the family said Sophies scheduled Friday surgery for her injuries was postponed until her vital signs could improve. Photo obtained by Daily News shows one of Zhao Zhaos children at Bellevue Hospital. A GoFundMe page was established to help the family. The father and his children will also need a lot more resources for long term recovery, both physically and mentally, said the fund-raising page, noting they no longer have a home to recover in once out of the hospital. Accused murderer Liyong Ye, 47, remained behind bars Saturday after police arrived to find him covered in blood Wednesday and holding the hammer near the body of Zhao Zhao, the 43-year-old mother. I am heartbroken, said Chu. As a mother myself, I cannot began to imagine what Mr. Liu is going through. Seeing them in such pain breaks my heart. The suspect was charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons possession in the slaying, with a roommate who shared the apartment with the killer and his victim saying the two had argued in the past over the living situation. On March 15, 2022, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a Memorandum to the heads of executive departments and to federal agencies mandating how they were to handle Freedom of Information Act requests. Garland wrote: For more than fifty years, the Freedom of lnformation Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552, has been a vital tool for ensuring transparency, accessibility, and accountability in government. As the Supreme Court has explained, the Acts basic purpose is to ensure an informed citizenry, which is vital to the functioning of a democratic society [and] needed to check against corruption and to hold the governors accountable to the governed. NLRB v. Robbins Tire & Rubber Co., 437 U.S. 214,242 (1978). Despite this laudable endorsement of FOIA by the Biden administrations top law enforcement officer, the Securities and Exchange Commission under Chair Gary Gensler is drawing a dark curtain around a case of critical public interest and importance to the American people in rooting out ingrained and systemic corruption on Wall Street. Wall Street On Parade is a public interest financial news site which has already devoted months of research into bringing in-depth reports on this matter to the publics attention. But despite this, the taxpayer-supported SEC is refusing to provide Wall Street On Parade with even a shred of paper in response to our FOIA request. The case involves the more than 15 years that the taxpayer-backstopped Wall Street mega bank, JPMorgan Chase, was making 9,000 money transactions totaling $2.4 billion and providing hundreds of thousands of dollars in hard cash annually to child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein knowing full well for much of that time that Epstein was a Level 3 Registered Sex Offender and was credibly alleged by the Palm Beach County Police Department (supported with videotaped victim testimony) to have sexually assaulted dozens of underage schoolgirls, paying them $200 to $1,000 in hard cash after each encounter to stay quiet. Making JPMorgan Chases position even more indefensible, internal documents obtained during discovery in federal lawsuits show that the bank held accounts not just for Epstein, but for his accomplices, procurers of underage girls, and victims. The bank casually moved money from Epstein into these accounts on a regular basis. According to internal documents and depositions in the federal lawsuit brought by the U.S. Virgin Islands against JPMorgan Chase for actively participating in Epsteins sex trafficking venture, the bank conducted a secret internal investigation into bank employees relationship with Epstein. It dubbed the internal investigation Project JEEP. (The JE was for Jeffrey and the EP was for Epstein.) That internal investigation turned up hundreds of highly incriminating emails showing the nauseatingly sycophantic relationship that bank executives maintained with Epstein. (See a partial listing of 260 of those emails here.) As the JPMorgan Chase executives were falling over themselves to curry favor with Epstein and get client referrals, the compliance, anti-money laundering and human trafficking personnel inside the bank were referring to Epstein in their own internal emails as a known child sleaze, that scum Epstein while another acknowledged that he was aware that Epstein had stocked his mansion with nymphettes. According to court documents, JPMorgan Chase conducted Project JEEP in 2019, the same year that Epstein was arrested and criminally charged by the Department of Justice for child sex trafficking and his ties to Wall Street figures began to make headlines in newspapers that JPMorgan cares about, i.e., the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. (Epstein died in jail on August 10, 2019, a little more than a month after his arrest. The Medical Examiner ruled it a suicide.) The bank thus became fully aware in 2019 that it had serious legal liability over its relationship with Epstein; that one of its executives had received sexually suggestive photos from Epstein; and that the same executive had visited Epstein in jail while he was doing time for sex with a minor in Palm Beach County. The bank also likely learned of its potential liability for funneling more than $5 million in hard cash to Epstein much of which was used to perpetuate his international sex trafficking ring according to the U.S. Virgin Islands, while failing to file the legally mandated Suspicious Activity Reports. According to the SEC, form 8K must be filed with the SEC by a publicly-traded company to announce major events that shareholders should know about. Companies, typically, have just four days to make the 8K filing after becoming aware of the event. We could find no record of JPMorgan Chase ever filing an 8K report with the SEC in 2019, or in any year since, that shares its Project JEEP internal report with shareholders and the public. The U.S. Virgin Islands lawsuit is providing some transparency on what transpired with Epstein inside the five-count felon JPMorgan Chase. But, aside from news reports and a breathtaking, nonfiction book of criminal intrigue, One Nation Under Blackmail, by Whitney Webb, connecting members of the JPMorgan Chase Board of Directors and its predecessor bank (Banc One), to Epstein and one of his largest clients, Leslie Wexner, and to crime families and Israeli intelligence operations, there has been a tight lid on the deeper facts involving the Wexner connection. Leslie Wexner is the former longtime Chairman and CEO of The Limited (a/k/a L Brands) retailing chain which, at various times, included Abercrombie & Fitch, Victorias Secret, Lane Bryant, Bath & Body Works and others. Epstein functioned as a financial advisor to Wexner and held a power of attorney for Wexners financial interests from approximately 1986 to at least 2008. Epsteins Boeing 727, which was referred to as the Lolita Express, had been a corporate asset of The Limited. Epsteins Upper East Side mansion in Manhattan came from Wexner. According to Epsteins victims who have come forward, both the 727 and the Manhattan mansion were used to facilitate sexual assaults on underage girls. Prosecutors found a safe full of photos of naked girls, hundreds of which appeared to be underage, when the Manhattan mansion was raided by the FBI in 2019. According to court filings, Epstein also posed for years as a recruiter for Victorias Secret models, telling models that he could get them work at the company. Multiple women have said that when they showed up for the modeling interview with Epstein, he sexually assaulted them. In July 2019, the New York Times reported the following: Mr. Wexner authorized him [Epstein] to borrow money on his behalf, to sign his tax returns, to hire people and to make acquisitions. Over the years, Mr. Epstein obtained a New York mansion, a private plane and a luxury estate in Ohio today valued at roughly $100 million all together previously owned by Mr. Wexner or his companies. In addition to having an inordinate amount of power over Wexners finances connected to his retailing empire and his charities, Epstein also became a business partner of Leslie Wexner in Wexners multi-million-dollar residential/business development project known as the New Albany Company in New Albany, Ohio. JPMorgan Chase had members of its Board of Directors who were designated as independent but were co-business partners with Epstein and Wexner in the New Albany Company project as JPMorgan looked the other way at Epsteins money laundering at the bank. (See our report: Lawsuit Bombshell: Sex Trafficker Jeffrey Epstein Was a Business Partner with Members of JPMorgans Board of Directors.) JPMorgan was regularly involved in stock dealings for Wexner, credit facilities for his retail businesses and debt offerings for his companies. In 2019, the Board of Directors of L Brands hired the law firm, Davis Polk & Wardwell, to investigate the ties between Epstein and Wexner after their close relationship became public following Epsteins arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Wexners wife had been a lawyer at Davis Polk prior to her marriage to Wexner and the law firm was the longstanding outside counsel to the company. After a shareholder sued the company over Davis Polk not having adequate impartiality in the matter, L Brands hired a second law firm, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, to conduct a second investigation. We could find no public release of the findings of either the Davis Polk or Wachtell report, nor could we find an 8K filing by L Brands with the SEC disclosing those findings. What followed the Davis Polk and Wachtell investigations suggests that there were damaging findings. Wexner announced in 2020 that he would be stepping down as Chairman and CEO of L Brands. In 2021, both Wexner and his wife, Abigail, announced they would not seek reelection to the Board of L Brands. In August of 2021, L Brands ceased to exist with the spinoff of Victorias Secret and Bath & Body Works as separate companies. On August 7 of this year we filed a FOIA with the SEC seeking to learn if L Brands had ever filed the Davis Polk or Wachtell internal investigative reports with the SEC which would mean that the publicly-traded company requested and received confidential treatment of those reports by the SEC since they are not in the SECs public database. On August 23, we received a letter via email from the SEC advising that nothing would be forthcoming to us in the way of documents under our FOIA request. The SEC based its refusal to provide even a shred of a document on the following: We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any records responsive to your request. Even to acknowledge the existence of such records could interfere with the personal privacy protections provided by FOIA ExemptionsUnder Exemption 6 the release of this type of information would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. What the SEC actually seems to be saying is that Leslie Wexner, a billionaire who has donated tens of millions of dollars to Harvard and Ohio State University, deserves privacy protection notwithstanding the American peoples legally-enshrined right to government documents. The Limited (a/k/a L Brands) was a publicly traded company during a period in which corporate assets, such as a Boeing 727, fell into the hands of a child sex trafficker. Shareholders have a legal right to know how that came to pass. Leslie Wexner was the Chairman and CEO of L Brands when the Davis Polk and Wachtell internal investigations were conducted. A Chairman and CEO of a publicly-traded company takes on a fiduciary role with duties of loyalty and care to the company and its shareholders. Those duties take priority over any claims of personal privacy when it comes to the management of corporate assets. Moreover, there is longstanding precedent for the naming of names when a publicly-traded corporation engages in scandalous or potentially fraudulent activity and tarnishes its brand. The shareholders have a right to a full accounting, notwithstanding that billionaires who plaster their names on public buildings (and the institutions themselves) might wish otherwise. Leon Black was Chairman and CEO of Apollo Global Management, also a publicly-traded company, when his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein became headline news. The Board hired the global law firm, Dechert, to investigate the matter. On January 25, 2021, that internal review was released to shareholders and the public. Dechert may now be regretting its findings, which concluded: Dechert found no evidence that Mr. Black was involved in any way with Mr. Epsteins criminal activities at any time. NBC News reported last month that A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday accuses billionaire Leon Black of raping a 16-year-old girl with Down syndrome and autism in 2002 at the Manhattan townhouse of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The quintessential internal report of wrongdoing at a Wall Street bank came on March 15, 2013 when the U.S. Senates Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations released a 300-page report on the derivatives trading scandal at JPMorgan Chase known as the London Whale. The bank was gambling in derivatives in London using deposits from its federally-insured bank and lost at least $6.5 billion. The report had no qualms about protecting anyones privacy. It uses Jamie Dimons name 298 times and not in a good way. So, this is a case of the legislative branch of government, with lots of lawyers working as legal counsel, deciding that the Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan had no right to privacy that surpassed the public and shareholders right to know. Then there is the judicial branch of government, which via its U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, has released 260 emails without redacting the names of the multiple JPMorgan employees who are cajoling and setting up meetings and potential deals with child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. (See link in seventh paragraph above.) So, if the legislative branch has no problem releasing a 300-page investigative report of scandalous behavior, naming plenty of names at JPMorgan Chase; and the judicial branch of government has no problem releasing 260 emails, naming plenty of names in this matter; we have to conclude that the SEC has both misapplied and misinterpreted the law on behalf of the billionaires involved. Welcome to the United States of Kleptocracy. We talked yesterday about the horrifying coincidences surrounding the devastating tragedy on Maui. But one thing that I cant get out of my head is the fact that, in this case, many of the decisions made by the authorities were NOT in the best interest of people trying to survive the fires. You cant just blindly obey the authorities during a disaster if you want to live. The thing that particularly stands out to me the thing that could affect any of us in a wide variety of emergencies on a one-to-one level is that there were barricades meant to prohibit people from evacuating on certain roads away from the fires. The people who bypassed the barricades survived. Many of the ones who turned around have not yet been found or have perished. The AP reports a chilling story: As flames tore through a West Maui neighborhood, car after car of fleeing residents headed for the only paved road out of town in a desperate race for safety. And car after car was turned back toward the rapidly spreading wildfire by a barricade blocking access to Highway 30. One family swerved around the barricade and was safe in a nearby town 48 minutes later, another drove their four-wheel-drive car down a dirt road to escape. One man took a dirt road uphill, climbing above the fire and watching as Lahaina burned. He later picked his way through the flames, smoke and rubble to pull survivors to safety. But dozens of others found themselves caught in a hellscape, their cars jammed together on a narrow road, surrounded by flames on three sides and the rocky ocean waves on the fourth. Some died in their cars, while others tried to run for safety. I could see from the bypass that people were stuck on the balconies, so I went down and checked it out, said Kekoa Lansford, who made several trips into town to look for survivors. What he found was horrible, Lansford said, with dead bodies and flames like a hellish movie scene. And I could see that people were on fire, that the fire was just being stoked by the wind, and being pushed toward the homes. The road closures some because of the fire, some because of downed power lines contributed to making historic Lahaina the site of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. We want to think that in a life-or-death crisis, the folks in uniform waving us on or stopping us are there to legitimately help us. We generally assume they have our safety in mind and are privy to more information about the disaster than we have. Wed like to believe that if theres a barricade, its for our own safety and that theres some unknown, even worse hazard beyond it. Because of this, most of us would be prone to follow directions in such an event. But what if that isnt the case? To be absolutely clear, Im not accusing the people manning those barricades of deliberately inflicting harm on the people of Lahaina. I cannot be privy to their reasons, and theyre certainly remaining mum about the many catastrophic mistakes that were made. The lesson here is that in life-and-death situations, we must use our own best judgment. We cannot always rely on the judgment of others. Whether bad decisions are made with evil intent or due to a lack of acuity, the end result is the same. People die. Ive written before that in an emergency, survival is about surviving. Its not about figuring out the grand conspiracy or identifying the culprits plotting behind our backs. Its about living through the horrible event and keeping your family alive. You can spend time thinking it all through later. In the case of Lahaina, I cant tell you why those barricades were placed where they were, that sent people turning back into the fire. I have spent many hours thinking of the anguish and terror of those who faced that inferno, and I cant get that out of my head. People died who couldve lived if it had all been handled better. The fine line between blind obedience and reasonable cooperation When I lived in California, in the middle of wildfire country up in the mountains, we had two close encounters with wildfires. Cal Fire has an extraordinary crew of wildland firefighters, the brave men, and women who move to a camp near a blaze and spend every waking moment out there trying to get it under control. I never had a single doubt that their mission was first to save lives and second to save property. They did an incredible job at it, and considering the vast amount of acreage that has been consumed by wildfires over the past decade, its astonishing how few people have died. The ones who died either got caught by surprise by a rapidly moving blaze or ignored evacuation orders. There, I had trust in our firefighters and emergency personnel. I would have followed their instructions to the letter because I believed in them. Theyd proven we could trust them. But it seems like this could be an outlier. Perhaps its because, in California, we were so accustomed to natural disasters that the response is so good. However, we can look at authorities in other areas and see that often the response is NOT like this, and peoples lives are not so valued. Everyone remembers the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when some responders were reported to have joined in the lawlessness, looting and raiding, taking peoples weapons, and failing spectacularly at saving the victims of the disaster. (The officers were later cleared of looting charges, but for some murky reason, still suspended from their jobs.) Also, the leaders of New Orleans gave officers permission to shoot looters on sight. Would you feel that following the emergency directives from authorities such as these were unquestionable? I wouldnt. Id want to get as far away from them as possible and avoid them like I would any other threat in the aftermath of a disaster. In another Louisiana incident, a massive flood saw the Cajun Navy, a group of well-organized local volunteers who had boats, prepare to rescue those trapped by the rising waters. They were turned away repeatedly because they didnt have permission to rescue people but finally, local law enforcement accepted their help. But the good vibes didnt last long when the government stepped in, wanting to charge Cajun Navy rescuers for licenses to help people. The government got in the way at every turn in the aftermath of this disaster and I wouldnt have trusted one of those authorities any further than I could throw them. Weve seen mismanagement of disasters again and again and again. You are your own first responder. While I wouldnt go so far as to say, never trust emergency workers, Ill say this. The only person you can really trust to have the whole-hearted best interests of your family in an emergency is you. This is why you must be prepared in the following ways: 1.) Understand the emergencies your area is prone to experiencing. Where I live now, tornados are the threat. Ive lived in wildfire country, hurricane country, and blizzard country. In each of these places, I took great care to understand the forces of nature I could face and to make a plan to survive these events. 2.) Know your area. I have always spent time driving around my area and learning multiple routes away from it. As a long-time Jeep owner, I used to traverse the side roads in California and find different ways down the mountain I lived on with my family. Ive always enjoyed a drive (though with the price of gas, this gets a bit harder), and Ive always tried to quickly learn the ins and outs of where I lived. 3.) Trust your gut. I really hesitated before writing this article because in many cases, the local authorities really do want to help people. They want to save lives and may have further information that you do not, which would make the route youre going unsafe, like a bridge being out or something like that. In most situations, I do think that following instructions is probably the best course of action. But not in all of them. Clearly. You are a prepared, intelligent person. Emergencies are something you spend a lot of time thinking about and researching. If your every instinct is screaming inside your head, No, this is wrong! listen to it. If theres time, ask questions to see if youre just missing information. If theres not time to get more information, you have to move past your social conditioning to follow the instructions of authorities and do what you have to do to save your family. The people who were willing to disobey were the people who lived to tell the tale. What are your thoughts? Have you ever been in a situation in which authorities were giving bad instructions? How did it turn out for those who obeyed? What about those who didnt obey? Would you be willing to bypass blockades and barriers or would you be hesitant to do so? Do you think authorities should always be heeded during emergencies? Lets discuss it in the comments section. About Daisy Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging, adventure-seeking, globe-trotting blogger. She is the founder and publisher of three websites. 1) The Organic Prepper, which is about current events, preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty; 2) The Frugalite, a website with thrifty tips and solutions to help people get a handle on their personal finances without feeling deprived; and 3) PreppersDailyNews.com, an aggregate site where you can find links to all the most important news for those who wish to be prepared. Her work is widely republished across alternative media and she has appeared in many interviews. Daisy is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, Gab, MeWe, Parler, Instagram, and Twitter. Via: Daily Mail: Mauis top emergency officials were on another island when the wildfires begun, it emerged on Wednesday and did not join a call about the response until five hours after the blazes broke out. Dozens of senior bureaucrats were gathering on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, on August 8 for the annual meeting of FEMA coordinators in the Pacific region. The first fire on Maui, the Upcounty Fire, broke out in the early hours of August 8. Around 6:40am on that day, a school near Lahaina was evacuated, but an emergency response call was not held until nearly five hours later, at 11am. The fire was declared contained by 9am, CNN reported. Yet by 3:30pm the fire had spread so significantly around Lahaina that an evacuation order was given for the town, and Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, Hawaiis acting governor, activated Hawaiis national guard. A Brooklyn mother of six found stabbed to death in her blood spattered apartment earlier this week was killed by her ex-con former boyfriend, police said Saturday. Detectives took Albert Jerido, 56, into custody on Friday, charging him with murder and weapons possession for the slaying of Latanya Parker. Im glad. A person like that doesnt need to be free, Parkers neighbor Aaron Thompson, 71, said of the arrest Saturday. Theyve got to answer to God for that. She never really bothered nobody. Parker, 58, was found dead inside her Bedford-Stuyvesant home by the worried daughter on Tuesday. She had been stabbed in the chest and stomach. Her sixth-floor apartment on Fulton St. near Lewis Ave. was in shambles, with blood inside the bedroom and splashed from the kitchen to the front door once Shymecca Parker used a spare key to go inside. The family had gathered at Shymeccas home in East New York on Saturday for the victims joy-filled birthday celebration. She died in her birthday outfit, the 38-year-old daughter, the oldest of the victims children, told the Daily News Wednesday. She didnt even get a chance to take it off. She was slumped on the wall, down on the floor. I never expected to have seen that. I was in shock all day. Police investigate after Latanya Parker was found stabbed to death in her apartment at Fulton St. in Brooklyn on Aug. 22, 2023. The victim was stabbed and slashed in the chest and suffered a deep puncture wound to the waist, police said. I thought she was going to die from old age, said Shymecca. I think if I had just walked in, and she, like, died of a heart attack, it wouldnt have been so bad. But she was murdered. Shymecca recalled speaking with her mother around 2 a.m. Sunday after the victim returned home after the party. Before she died, Parker filmed a Facebook Live video showing a man inside the apartment with Latanya. Cops identified the man as Jerido. He and Parker had dated at one time and had recently rekindled their relationship, a police source with knowledge of the case said. On the live stream my mother said, If anything happens to me, yall know,' recounted Shymecca. Then you hear his voice saying Dont say that, dont do that. I met him, I know him. Jerido had done three stints in prison, including a 12-year stretch on a Manhattan assault conviction that ended in 2018, according to court records. He was also sentenced to four years for a robbery conviction in 1999 and three years for attempted robbery in 1987. He lived in Brooklyn about two miles from Pakers home, cops said. Jeridos family was left stunned by the arrest. He didnt seem like the type of guy who would do something like that, his brother-in-law, who only identified himself as Jay, told The News. He just lost his mother five years ago, and that was his only support. Jay last saw Jerido a few weeks ago when he stopped by his home. He helped me drink my wine and then he broke out of here, Jay said. I tried to tell him to go get a job or something, to get his (stuff) together. I cant say he didnt (kill someone), but he aint that type of guy, you know? A judge ordered Jerido held without bail during a brief arraignment proceeding Saturday. Hes expected to answer the charges in court on Wednesday. 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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The principals of the two schools the teenagers had attended said they had received excellent results and were looking forward to the next phase of their lives. (l to r) Luke McSweeney, 24 his sister Grace McSweeney, 18, Nicole Murphy, 18, and Zoey Coffey, 18. Photo: Family handout/PA. Advertisement President Michael D Higgins and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar were among those who expressed their deepest sympathies with the families and the local community. For young lives, so full of possibility, to be cut short in this way is truly devastating and heartbreaking. The whole nation mourns them, Mr Varadkar said. Advertisement My sincere condolences to the families and friends of those who have died and the wider community in Clonmel and Tipperary. The thoughts of the whole country are with them, their school and their community. Speaking on Saturday afternoon, Superintendent Kieran Ruane, of Clonmel garda station, extended his sympathies to their families, who he said had appealed for privacy. Advertisement He said a Garda investigation had been launched into the incident, which would focus on delivering a report to the local coroner. Heavy downpours on Friday evening would form part of the investigation, he said. He praised the work of the first responders who attended the scene, which he described as very difficult, as exemplary. For the members to arrive and quickly realise that there was three Leaving Cert students and their brother at the scene, and unfortunately all were dead, is a very traumatic scene for everybody, he said. Advertisement Superintendent Kieran Ruane of Clonmel garda station. Photo: Damien Storan/PA. Michael OLoughlin, the principal of Presentation Secondary School where Ms McSweeney and Ms Coffey attended, said the town was covered in a cloud of sadness and devastation, and said no words can express our sorrow, our pain and our grief. Local secondary schools in the town that the four young people had attended opened on Saturday to support students as the community comes to term with the tragedy. Advertisement Advertisement Several local sporting events and the Clonmel Pride parade, as well as other activities in the area, have been cancelled in the wake of the fatal crash out of respect for the grieving families. Bouquets of flowers were left near the scene by locals and students, who were seen comforting each other. A man lays flowers near to the scene of the crash. Photo: Damien Storan/PA. Minister for education Norma Foley pledged psychological support for students and staff. This is heartbreaking news on what should have been a day of enormous celebration and joy for the class of 2023, she said. School communities in Ireland are akin to tight-knit families and I know this morning that staff, students, parents and guardians will be united in their grief and utter devastation at this tragic and sudden loss of life. Local TD Mattie McGrath said Clonmel had been left numbed by the loss and that it would take some time to recover, but that the community would rally around those grieving the losses. A vigil is to be held in Clonmel at 6.30pm on Sunday night, and books of condolences will be opened in council offices on Monday morning. Father Michael Toomey, a chaplain of CBS High School in Clonmel, urged the community to ask for help if they need it. Advertisement Please, look out for one another in these days, and dont be afraid to look for help and support in the coming days. Local TD Mattie McGrath speaking to media the scene of the crash. Photo: Damien Storan/PA. The scene at Mountain Road remains closed to allow for a forensic examination, and Gardai are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone with camera footage or images from the Mountain Road, specifically the Hillview area, between 7pm and 7.30pm on Friday is asked to submit it to Gardai. Post-mortem examinations are to be carried out over the coming days at Waterford University Hospital. An incident room has been established at Clonmel garda station and family liaison officers have been appointed to each of the families. Our local communities in particular Clonmel, Kilsheelan and Ballypatrick are shocked and deeply saddened by these events, Mr Ruane said. I want to assure our local communities that An Garda Siochana is here over the coming days, weeks and months to support our communities as we all come to terms with this tragedy. I have been in contact with the principals of the local secondary schools that the girls attended and supports are being put in place for the friends of all four deceased today and over the next few days. Advertisement The fatal crash follows on from other tragic events over the summer period involving school-leavers. In July, two Dublin teenagers died while in holiday in Greece and two teenage best friends were killed in a crash while travelling to a Debs ball in Co Monaghan. Nadine Dorries has resigned her parliamentary seat with a scathing attack on Rishi Sunak, accusing him of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against her. The Tory former minister had announced in June that she would quit the Commons with immediate effect in protest at not getting a peerage in Boris Johnsons resignation honours list, but failed to follow through until now. Advertisement Her exit triggers a challenging by-election for the British prime minister in her Mid-Bedfordshire constituency this autumn. Advertisement Ms Dorries on Saturday said she had submitted her resignation letter to Mr Sunak, publishing the blistering text in The Daily Mail. In it, she accused Mr Sunak of leading attacks on her resulting in the police having to visit my home and contact me on a number of occasions due to threats to my person. Advertisement The clearly orchestrated and almost daily personal attacks demonstrates the pitifully low level your Government has descended to, the former culture secretary wrote. She also heavily criticised his record in Government, saying: Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a zombie Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened. Advertisement You have no mandate from the people and the Government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what? Ms Dorries accused Mr Sunak of abandoning the fundamental principles of Conservatism and said history will not judge you kindly. I have submitted my resignation letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, today. https://t.co/80YwuBm2jn Advertisement Rt Hon Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) August 26, 2023 The staunch ally of former premier Mr Johnson has angered voters, Opposition MPs and some in her own party by remaining in post since announcing her intention to resign more than 10 weeks ago. Advertisement She said she was delaying her exit while she investigated why she was refused a seat in the Lords. Ms Dorries told Mr Sunak in her letter that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer does not have the winning X factor qualities of a Thatcher, a Blair, or a Boris Johnson, and sadly, Prime Minister, neither do you. Advertisement Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods, because in your impatience to become Prime Minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing. Downing Street has been contacted for comment. The air crash which is presumed to have killed Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has raised questions about the future of the Russian mercenary outfit. The Wagner Groups presence extends from the ancient battlegrounds of Syria to the deserts of sub-Saharan Africa, projecting the Kremlins global influence, with mercenaries accused of using brutal force and profiting on mineral riches they seized. Advertisement But that was under Mr Prigozhin, who boasted that Wagner is making Russia even greater on all continents and Africa even more free in what is possibly his final video, broadcast earlier this week. On Wednesday, a private jet carrying Mr Prigozhin and his top lieutenants crashed north-west of Moscow, two months after he led an armed rebellion that challenged the authority of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Advertisement Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine 25 August 2023 Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/6VR3ky8rWE #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/UmCmmMRUu2 Advertisement Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) August 25, 2023 There is wide speculation that Mr Prigozhin, who is presumed dead, was targeted for this uprising, although the Kremlin has denied any involvement. Advertisement In African countries where Wagner provided security against groups like al-Qaida and the so-called Islamic State, officials and commentators predict Russia will likely maintain its presence, placing the forces under new leadership. Others, however, say Mr Prigozhin built deep, personal connections that Moscow could find challenging to replace quickly. Africa is vitally important to Russia economically and politically. Advertisement Wagner Group military with residents during the June uprising in Rostov-on-Don (AP) This summer, Wagner helped secure a national referendum in the Central African Republic that cemented presidential power in a country that is a key partner for Malis army in battling armed rebels. Wagner also contacted the military junta in Niger, which is seeking its services following a coup. Expanding ties and undercutting Western influence in Africa is a top priority as the Kremlin seeks new allies amid its war in Ukraine, where Wagner forces also helped win a key battle. Africas 54 nations are the largest voting bloc at the UN, and Moscow has actively worked to rally their support for its invasion. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Prigozhins presumed death in a plane crash along with some of his top lieutenants raises doubts about the future of the military contractor (Prigozhin Press Service via AP) Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that Wagners forces are destabilising, and weve encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions. On Thursday, the Republican Front in the Central African Republic, allied with the ruling party, reiterated its support for Russia and Wagner, saying they were determined to fight alongside the African people as they struggle for self-determination. Wagner forces have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, protecting the capital of Bangui from rebel threats and helping secure a July 30 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. Central African activist and blogger Christian Aime Ndotah said the countrys cooperation with Russia would be unaffected by new leadership with Wagner, which has been well-established there for years. But some in the Central African Republic denounce the mercenaries, and the UN peacekeeping mission there criticised them in 2021 for human rights abuses. Jean Serge Bokassa, former public security minister, said: A states security is its sovereignty. You cant entrust the security of a state to a group of mercenaries. Russian mercenaries boarding a helicopter in northern Mali (French Army via AP) Nathalia Dukhan, senior investigator at The Sentry, predicted the Kremlin will try to bring Africa closer into its orbit. Advertisement Wagner has been a successful tool for Russia to expand its influence efficiently and brutally, she said. In the midst of all the turmoil between Putin and Prigozhin, the Wagner operation in Central Africa only deepened, with increased direct involvement by the Russian government. High-ranking Wagner operatives have built relationships in Mali and the Central African Republic and understand the terrain, said Lou Osborn of All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group. They have a good reputation, which they can sell to another Russian contender. It wouldnt be surprising if a new organisation took them over, Osborn said, noting that Russian military contractors in Ukraine, such as Redut and Convoy, have recently expressed a desire to do business in Africa. Redut was created by the Russian defence ministry, which has sought to put Wagner under its control. Following the June mutiny, Mr Putin said the mercenaries could sign contracts with the ministry and keep serving under one of the groups top commanders, Andrei Troshev. It was not clear how many troops accepted, but media reports put the number at a few thousand. Wagner has sent forces to Syria, Ukraine and several African countries but its future is uncertain (Belarusian defence ministry via VoenTV via AP) The Kremlin still faces challenges in keeping the strong presence in Africa that Mr Prigozhin helped establish. Advertisement Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov argued Mr Prigozhin may have been allowed to continue his activities because Russian authorities had to find people who would take over his work. Time was needed to create the new channels, new mechanisms of control over those projects, he said. And its not a fact that they have been successful in that. Its possible that they have failed and the Kremlin may lose some of those projects. The UKs Ministry of Defence said Mr Prigozhins demise would almost certainly have a deeply destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Wagners future. The countrys biggest pub operator has been fined $550,000 after an investigation sparked by an anonymous tip off found hundreds of poker machines operating at Victorian venues in breach of gambling rules. Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group was found to be running 220 gaming machines without installing the harm reduction technology YourPlay, which is mandatory for gaming machines in Victoria and enables players to voluntarily set time and loss limits. The Victorian gambling regulator has cracked down on the countrys biggest pub operator. Credit: Jason South Under the brand ALH Hotels, Australias largest operator of electronic gaming machines was penalised for breaches at 62 of its Victorian venues. The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) investigation included searches at pubs in Hallam, Sandringham, Narre Warren, Mulgrave, Laverton and Cheltenham. The investigation was sparked by an anonymous tip-off in December 2021. VGCCC inspectors alleged the group operated the gaming machines without YourPlay for up to five weeks. A road rage argument on the Cross Bronx Expressway Friday night escalated to violence when a gunman returned to the scene of a fender-bender and shot the driver dead, cops said. The victim, Fausto Rodriguez, was an excellent friend to everybody and was married with four children, said a friend. Rodriguez, 40, and a friend were heading south along the Cross Bronx Expressway near the Jerome Ave. exit in Morris Heights just before 11 p.m. when their Honda Accord was rear-ended by a Ford Edge in the right lane, cops said. As soon as the two vehicles pulled over to the shoulder, the four men inside the Ford jumped out of the vehicle and scattered, running off the highway on foot. Rodriguez called 911 to report the accident. Minutes later, one of the four men from the Ford returned to the scene in a Toyota Rav4 with Florida plates driven by a man who wasnt involved in the initial collision. As Rodriguez began arguing with the man, the suspect whipped out a gun and shot Rodriguez, cops said. The suspect and the Rav4 driver took off again, abandoning their vehicle a short distance away. Road rage victim Fausto Rodriguez, 40. EMS rushed Rodriguez to St. Barnabas Hospital, but he couldnt be saved. Rodriguezs passenger was not hurt, said police. Police recovered both vehicles and were looking them over for any evidence that could link them to the shooter. No arrests had been made as of Saturday night. Rodriguez is survived by his wife, two young boys and two young girls, and worked as a mechanic for Xtreme Quality Collision and General Mechanic in Mt. Eden, said Mariella Dejada, a friend and neighbor. Rodriguez lived near his workplace, Dejada said. He has a reputation for being very respectful to everybody, she said. Hes a good father. He worked hard for his children . He always had a big smile. He had happiness for the whole world. Sunlight has won in a planning dispute over a seven-storey apartment block in Brunswick, with changes to the developments design required to ensure less overshadowing of a neighbouring property. The ruling is being hailed as a win for human rights when adjudicating planning disputes after the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal sided with Merri-bek council to protect sunlight on the house of a family with a son on the autism spectrum. Philippe Yardin and Elisa Hill with son Jai who lives with severe autism. Credit: Chris Hopkins Merri-bek (formerly Moreland) council voted unanimously in March to refuse a planning permit for the apartment block in Dods Street, Brunswick, against the recommendations of its planning officers. The council found the proposed development was contrary to the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act on the basis that it infringed on rights to privacy, family and home. Craig Emerson, a former Hawke adviser who went on to become a Labor cabinet minister, draws a contrast between the political style of the two Labor treasurers. He points out that Chalmers this week thanked the Business Council of Australia for promoting policy ideas even though he disagreed with them: Hes chosen to keep engagement with the business community, he tells me, in effect saying that notwithstanding the differences we can talk and find common ground. He recalls that Keating, however, went to war with some business leaders or, as Emerson puts it euphemistically, Paul wasnt enamoured of the business community, especially in his later years as prime minister. He insulted and offended some business leaders. And he enjoyed every minute of it. Treasurer Jim Chalmers at the National Press Club this week. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Chalmers address to the National Press Club this week rang with echoes of Keating. In presenting Australias sixth Intergenerational Report, Chalmers set out a vision for the country over the next 40 years: Australians living longer and healthier lives. In a country powered by renewables and transformed by technology. With care and compassion at its core, adding value and maximising opportunities in a world of churn and change. An Australia of generational responsibilities and endless possibilities. But to get there, Australia would have to overcome the daunting problems set out in the Intergenerational Report. Without corrective policies, Australia will grow hotter, its population older, its workforce relatively smaller and the cost of supporting its ageing population crippling. Loading Chalmers put the task on the same scale as the Keating reforms of the 1980s:If the 1980s meant the End of Certainty, the 2020s must mark the End of Complacency, said the treasurer. The End of Certainty was the name attached to the Hawke-Keating economic reform era by the title of a book by journalist Paul Kelly. Why? Because the primary economic mission of Hawke and his treasurer was to dismantle a highly regulated and protected economy and replace it with an open and competitive one. They stripped away rigid controls on Australias markets capital, labour, foreign exchange, imports and exports and allowed the free market to operate. The change was wrenching as the old certainties collapsed. But the country prospered as capital and labour shifted to areas where it enjoyed comparative advantage and Australia became the first, and remains the only, developed nation to have 30 years of continuous economic growth. But the country has changed and so have many of the problems. What does Chalmers mean by the End of Complacency? Complacency is Australias traditional enemy. Chalmers talks about five big transformations under way globally: From hydrocarbons to renewables, from IT to AI, from a younger population to an older one, and from globalisation to fragmentation. Loading Each poses problems; a Chalmers theme is that he is determined that Australia become a victor rather than victim in all. But complacency achieves nil and effort is needed. Of these five, the biggest is to transform the carbon-based economy to a renewable one, in the governments view. Emerson, an economist, agrees: The energy transition is another transformation of the economy on a similar scale to the Hawke-Keating reforms, he says. The Intergenerational Report estimates that, if the world misses its Paris Accord target of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees and it rises as much as 3 to 4 degrees, the national economy would lose between $135 billion and $423 billion in todays dollars over 40 years as the heat saps labour productivity. The agriculture sector and tourism are obvious losers in this scenario, but the Treasury report says that the manufacturing, construction and services sectors would all lose. Loading Dealing with climate change is a global environmental and economic imperative, Chalmers told the press club. Plus, the vast scale of investment needed to respond some additional $225 billion to decarbonise heavy industries and transition our energy system. And he turned from the cost to the opportunity: These are not only risks to manage, costs to bear but vast industrial opportunities, with more clean, cheap, renewable power creating cumulative comparative advantages in the new industries of the net-zero economy. In addition to its carbon emissions goals, the federal government is using four investment funds, two pre-existing and two new, in an effort to accelerate the switch the Clean Energy Finance Corporation and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and the newly minted Rewiring the Nation fund plus the National Reconstruction Fund. But Hawke and Keating, followed by Howard and Costello, trained Australia into thinking that a big reform program must depend on a big reweighting of the tax system. Chalmers wants the country to understand that the biggest problem requires the biggest reform effort, and, in 2023 and beyond, its not the tax mix. He has made some moderate changes to the tax system to grab revenue, and he will have to attempt more in the next term of parliament if Labor should win. But these are far from the systemic overhaul of the Keating or Costello years. Besides, Keating enjoyed two essential preconditions for his reform program. He had Hawke, a folk-hero prime minister whose popularity allowed him to win elections while Keating made unpopular change. And, on many of the key reforms, Keating faced a quiescent opposition. Chalmers has neither. Albanese is popular but hes not in Hawkes league, though he lives in hope; and the oppositions response to the Intergenerational Report has been juvenile. When the Liberals Angus Taylor said the government should concentrate on the next 40 days rather than the next 40 years, Chalmers said that a government should be able to do both. Then he spoke of reform ambition within: If you dont have that sense of the future, that flame flickering in you, you know, if you dont have that pilot light of purpose in you, then you have no business being in this line of work. Lima: An ancient coloured wall discovered in northern Peru is believed to be more than 4000 years old and could have been part of a ceremonial temple, according to archaeologists, offering new insights into the regions historic cultures. The wall was first spotted by farmers in 2020 during harvesting work in the Viru Valley, some 480 kilometres north of the capital Lima, prompting an extended dig to determine its origins, said archaeologist Feren Castillo, head of a research project in the coastal region of La Libertad. An archaeologist works on a 4500-year-old polychrome wall, part of a temple dated to the late Preceramic period, in the Huaca Tomabal in the Valley of Viru, Peru. Credit: PAVI via Reuters Three years later we started a new procedure whose results showed us its age ... Today we are sure its a building built during the Pre-ceramic Period between 4000 and 4500 years ago, Castillo said referring to the beginning of Mayan civilisation between the 7th and 2nd centuries BC. The wall, likely about three meters high, presents triangular geometric lines with occasional shades of red and yellow, Castillo added. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said it has arrested two directors of a West Bengal-based company that allegedly ran a ponzi scheme and diverted Rs 1,786 crore worth of public funds. Prabir Kumar Chanda and Pranab Kumar Das, directors of MPS Greenery Developers Limited, were arrested on August 24 and a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Kolkata sent them to ED custody till September 1, the central agency said in a statement. MPS Greenery Developers Limited raised funds of about Rs 2,682 crore during 1999-2000 to 2013-2014 from investors through various "fraudulent" income schemes, by issuing agro, orchard and teak bonds in violation of norms of banking regulator RBI and markets regular SEBI, it alleged. The company was controlled and managed by its CMD Pramatha Nath Manna, the two arrested directors and other associates. The ED alleged that the accused "diverted" public funds of Rs 1,786 crore to subsidiary and associate companies of MPS Greenery Developers Limited and associated firms. "The funds were ultimately withdrawn as cash, diverted to third party entities and properties were acquired in the name of directors and their family members," it claimed. Stressing that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, implemented in 2016, is a crucial milestone in the economic reforms, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that India, which used to be counted among the "Fragile Five" economies, is now being considered a bright spot in the global economy. The Prime Minister took note of the seminar, titled, 'Rejuvenation of Economy under Insolvency Laws' being organised by Insolvency & Professionals Council of India. In a signed message to Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, President of the International Council of Jurists, London, for the seminar, to be held in New Delhi on August 27, PM Modi acknowledged the need to make the insolvency regime "even better". Taking note of the initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, added "It is particularly heartening to note that this seminar is being attended by many legal luminaries, domain experts and other stakeholders". The Prime Minister said he was sure that the deliberations at the seminar "will prove fruitful and provide a roadmap to make the insolvency regime even better". "India has pursued a human-centric approach to development, for true progress is always people-centric. Just a few years ago, India, which used to be counted among the "Fragile Five" economies, is now being considered a bright spot in the global economy" added the Prime Minister in the message to Dr. Aggarwala, who is also the President of Supreme Court Bar Association. According to the Prime Minister, "One of the important reasons for the turnaround of the Indian economy has been the advent of several reforms and their thorough implementation in a coordinated manner by several institutions." "When we speak of Ease of Doing Business, ease of winding up a business is also an important facet of the cycle. Since its enactment, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has brought a paradigm shift in the insolvency regime in the country and is a crucial milestone in the economic reforms," Prime Minister Modi asserted in the message. "Today, the health of our banking system is seeing new highs while the recovery of NPAs has been extremely encouraging. The sustained efforts by all stakeholders to get the process of resolving insolvency going smoothly has been an important contributor. It is the outcome of these dedicated and committed endeavours that the nation has massively improved its Ease of Doing Business," PM Modi wrote to Dr Aggarwala, who is also co-author of the Prime Minister's biographies with eminent British and American authors. Also Read Opposition's no-confidence motion defeated in Lok Sabha by voice vote PM Narendra Modi's US visit: Top points for Indian diaspora in US Together we stand stronger: PM Modi as he leaves for US on 1st state visit Leadership at global institutions like UN needs to be re-evaluated: PM Modi Fact check: Did Asle Toje call PM Modi biggest contender for Nobel Prize? Over 500 mn Jan Dhan accounts opened in past 9 yrs, deposits cross Rs 2 trn FinMin considering proposals to include EVs under priority sector lending Centre considering inclusion of EVs in priority sector lending category G20 Summit: 'Tourist Police' trained in soft skills to assist visitors 86% of employees feel reskilling can help decrease unemployment: Report He added that Amrit Kaal reflects the resolve of more than 140 crore people to build a developed, self-reliant nation. When the hopes and aspirations of every citizen get connected with the nation's goals, self-reliant India becomes a national spirit. Meanwhile, the seminar's organiser said that India's persistent Non-Performing Assets (NPA) challenge has worsened in recent years, contributing to the country's economic slowdown. "Although other factors, like rigorous tax enforcement, still impact the economy, resolving NPAs is pivotal for revitalising credit growth and investment," he said. "Previous mechanisms for NPA resolution, primarily established by the Reserve Bank of India and limited to banks, were suboptimal. With the aim of resolving the NPA crisis and enabling a smooth flow of credit within the economy in mind, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBP) was enacted by the government in 2016," the organiser stated. State Bank of India Chairman Dinesh Khara is likely to get an extension as the government is considering relaxing the retirement age of chiefs of all public sector banks and LIC. The proposal before the government also includes hiking the retirement age limit of managing directors of public sector banks (PSBs) to 62 years, from the current 60 years, a senior government official said on Saturday. Veteran banker Khara took over as the chairman of SBI in October 2020 for three years. Under existing norms, the SBI chairman can hold the post until the age of 63 years. Khara attains 63 years in August next year. "There is a discussion to increase the age limit for retirement of chiefs of PSBs and Life Insurance Corp (LIC). Simultaneously, discussions are on for raising superannuation age for managing directors of PSBs to 62 years from 60 years," the official said. A final decision is yet to be taken on the retirement age for heads of PSBs and LIC, the official added. Currently, the retirement age of LIC chairman is 62 years. An alleged Pakistan spy, who is a resident of Bihar, was arrested from Kolkata and sensitive documents were seized from his possession, a senior police officer said on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police personnel nabbed the man from his residence in Howrah on Friday. "He was found directly involved in activities prejudicial to the safety of the country," the officer said. The man was arrested late on Friday night after hours of grilling, he said. "Secret information in the form of photographs, videos and online chats were found in his mobile phone. These were sent by him to a suspected intelligence operative of Pakistan," the officer said. The accused person, who was working with a courier service company in Kolkata, earlier stayed in Delhi. The man will be produced before a city court on Saturday, he added. A court here on Saturday dismissed a plea seeking vigilance inquiry against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his daughter and others in connection with alleged financial transactions between a private mineral company and her IT firm. The Special Vigilance Court in Muvattupuzha dismissed the petition filed by social activist Gireesh Babu, for want of evidence, sources said. The petition sought an investigation into the "illegal financial transactions, coming under the ambit of bribery, carried out between the accused persons," in connection with mining and other "business interests" of Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL). Apart from Veena T and Vijayan, the petition had also arraigned former leader of Opposition in the state Assembly and senior Congress leader, Ramesh Chennithala, Indian Union Muslim League leaders P K Kunhalikutty and V K Ibrahimkunju, Veena's IT firm, CMRL and others. A controversy had erupted recently over certain financial transactions between CMRL and the Chief Minister's daughter Veena and her IT firm. The issue came to fore after a Malayalam daily recently reported that the CMRL had 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 added. Also Read There are some in govt service who have doctorate in corruption: Kerala CM Centre creating obstacles in Kerala's development: CM Vijayan in Assembly Kerala CM moves resolution in assembly against imposition of UCC in country Kerala CM alleges electoral agenda behind UCC move, urges govt to withdraw Case on misuse of funds against CM sent to full bench of Kerala Lok Ayukta NCP questions Smriti Irani's silence over Muzaffarnagar school incident Mudslide blocks tunnel in Meghalaya, traffic in NE states affected: Police CSIR-NEERI plans grid-based strategy to combat Delhi's air pollution How climate change is helping pests and diseases destroy our food PM told us Sky is not limit: Isro women scientists after meeting PM Modi Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would soon hold a meeting so as to provide permanent relief to onion farmers, Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan has said. Farmers in the district have been protesting the Union government's decision to hike the export duty on onions to 40 per cent, saying that it hinders exports and pushes the prices in the domestic markets down. Chief minister Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will hold a meeting soon to provide permanent relief to onion farmers. At present, 40 onion purchase centres of NAFED are operational in Nashik district and instructions have been given to increase the number by ten, Mahajan said on Friday night. He was speaking at a meeting with district collector Jalaj Sharma, district agriculture officer Vivek Sonawane, other officials and representatives of farmers and traders. The state government has announced a Rs 350 per quintal subsidy for onions. It will be distributed in two phases and deposited in farmers' bank accounts directly. The farmers in the state will get a subsidy of Rs 865 crore in all. Out of it, the state government has recently given its consent to distribute Rs 465 crore. Discussion will be held with the chief minister and deputy chief ministers for the release of the remaining amount, Mahajan added. The minister visited the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) in the district, Asia's biggest wholesale onion market, on Saturday and held discussions with the farmers and traders there. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal visited Vinchur sub-committee of Lasalgaon APMC and interacted with farmers there during the day. I have discussed the onion issue with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. I will make efforts at the government level so that farmers get the right Minimum Support Price," he told reporters. Meanwhile, during the morning session on Saturday, 412 vehicle-loads of onion were auctioned at Lasalgaon APMC. The prices were Rs 600 per quintal minimum, Rs 2,301 maximum and Rs 2,050 per quintal average. Also Read After tomatoes, now onion likely to get costlier by September on low supply We're with onion farmers, says Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde in Assembly Onion growers will be given financial relief of Rs 350 a quintal: Maha CM Govt procures 20% more onion at 300k tonnes for buffer stock this year Nepal faces shortage after India slaps 40% tax on onion exports: Report Multiple backups, tech to ensure continuous power supply for G20 Summit Baghel writes to PM, seeks probe into toilet construction during BJP rule Brij Bhushan touched breasts of woman wrestler on false pretext: Counsel SC agrees to hear plea of NGO challenging reduction of age of consent PM Modi gave new speed, energy to country's space mission: Amit Shah An outraged Queens straphanger viciously elbowed another passenger in the face after the man innocently nodded off on his shoulder, a stunning video of the brutal fight shows. Im not your fg pillow! the sunglasses-sporting suspect screamed repeatedly in Spanish before he smashed his 27-year-old victims face with three devastating elbow strikes and bedlam ensued on the F train heading into the Forest Hills-71st Ave. station, the now-viral video shows. Cops on Saturday were still hunting for the crazed commuter, who was quite literally all fists and elbows during the Tuesday morning clash. The incident began about 5:30 a.m. when the victim fell asleep and accidentally rested his head on the suspects shoulder, sparking an argument, cops said. The video begins with the man arguing with the victims friend, who was seated across from the two, in Spanish. I speak your fg dialect and I know who you are, the suspect, wearing a black-and-white American flag T-shirt, screams as the heated argument continues. Fk you! Go sleep somewhere else. As the victim leans in and tries to calm the man, the suspect screams, Im not your fg pillow! in Spanish repeatedly before slamming his elbow into the victims face. The victim was knocked unconscious as his companion, dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, immediately jumped up and punched the suspect, knocking off his sunglasses, as passengers scrambled for safety. Video shows an individual elbowing a victim in the face before fighting another passenger. A no-holds-barred brawl ensued as the dazed victim remained in his seat. At one point, the victims friend put the suspect into a headlock. The man kept swinging, but the punches didnt land with any force. Good enough? the companion said. Good enough? The victim and his friend exited the train at the Sutphin Blvd. stop and reported the incident to police. The victim declined medical attention, but filed a complaint, an NYPD spokesman said. By the time police were alerted, the suspect had gotten off the train, cops said. No arrests have been made. The video made its rounds on social media, with city residents both decrying the violence and worried that they, too, will be attacked by a stranger. When in public, especially in enclosed places with no easy escape route, I always assume Im surrounded by psychopaths, Reddit user Airbornedoc1 wrote while commenting on the video. Crime in the subway system is down 4% this year, but there have been a number of high-profile assaults, including a stabbing at the Times Square station last month and a fatal shove to the tracks at an Upper West Side station in January. Subway crime soared 30% in 2022, but started declining the last two months of the year, with 1,200 more cops assigned underground. Thats on top of the 1,000 that had been added to the system earlier in the year. Anyone with information regarding the suspects whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. The Supreme Court has held there is no specific provision under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which requires the investigating agency to file a charge sheet in the language of the court. Section 272 of the CrPC, which deals with language of courts, says the State Government may determine what shall be, for purposes of this Code, the language of each Court within the State other than the High Court. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal gave the ruling while allowing the CBI's appeal challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court order, which asked the probe agency to provide a copy of the charge sheet to two Vyapam scam accused in Hindi. The Vyapam or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board scam broke out in 2013, wherein candidates had bribed officials and rigged exams by deploying imposters to write their answer sheets. The probe into the scam that began in 1995 was taken over by the central agency following an order of the Supreme Court in 2015. The racket involved politicians, senior officials and businessmen. The bench said, "Coming to the issue of the language of the final report/charge sheet under Section 173, there is no specific provision in CrPC which requires the investigating agency/officer to file it in the language of the Court determined in accordance with Section 272 of CrPC. Even if such a requirement is read into Section 173, per se, the proceedings will not be vitiated if the report is not in the language of the Court." It said in a given case, if something which CrPC specifically requires to be done in the language of the Court is done in any other language, per se, the proceedings will not be vitiated unless it is established that the omission has resulted in failure of justice. The bench said while deciding the issue of whether there is a failure of justice, the Court will have to consider whether the objection was raised at the earliest available opportunity. "Thus, the power of the State Government is to determine for the purposes of CrPC what shall be the language of the Courts within the State other than the High Court. The power under Section 272 is not a power to decide which language shall be used by the investigating agencies or the police for the purposes of maintaining the record of the investigation," it said. The bench dealt with relevant provisions of CrPC and said that under Section 207, it is the obligation of the Judicial Magistrate to supply a copy of the charge sheet and other documents to the accused. Also Read IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act would be Indianised: Law minister Meghwal Court must not act mechanically under CrPC sec 319 to summon accused: SC Pre-arrest bail remedy to be granted in extraordinary cases: Delhi court Youth Cong chief files anticipatory bail plea in sexual harassment case Parl panel examines three bills seeking to replace existing criminal laws Shift from fossil fuel to renewable energy must avoid price shock: BP chief Mudslide blocks Sonapur tunnel, traffic to Tripura, Mizoram cut off Bihar govt asks ministers' secys not to interfere in working of depts Chandrayaan-3 should be used to power scientific temper among youth: PM Kerala Court rejects plea seeking vigilance probe against CM Vijayan It said that similarly, in a case triable by the Court of Sessions, Section 208 of CrPC empowers the judicial officer to provide copies of the statements and documents to the accused including the statements and confessions recorded under the procedural code. The bench said when a copy of the charge sheet and the documents are supplied to the accused under Section 207 or Section 208 of CrPC, an opportunity is available for the accused to contend that he does not understand the language in which the final report or the statements or documents are written. In such a scenario, he must raise this objection at the earliest, the top court said, and added, "if the accused is appearing in-person and wants to defend himself without opting for legal aid, perhaps there may be a requirement of supplying a translated version of the charge sheet and documents or the relevant part thereof concerning the said accused to him." The bench, in its judgement which was pronounced on Friday, said such a situation is also subject to the accused satisfying the court that he is unable to understand the language in which the charge sheet has been submitted. "When the accused is represented by an advocate who fully understands the language of the final report or charge sheet, there will not be any requirement of furnishing translations to the accused as the advocate can explain the contents of the charge sheet to the accused. If both the accused and his advocate are not conversant with the language in which the charge sheet has been filed, then the question of providing translation may arise," the bench said. It said the reasoning behind this is that the accused must get a fair opportunity to defend himself. "He must know and understand the material against him in the charge sheet. That is the essence of Article 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution of India. With the availability of various software and Artificial Intelligence tools for making translations, providing translations will not be that difficult now," the bench said. The bench said, however, a charge sheet filed within the period provided either under the CrPC or any other relevant statute in a language other than the language of the Court or the language which the accused does not understand, is not illegal and no one can claim a default bail on that ground. The bench said, "There is one more aspect of the matter. There are central agencies like the National Investigation Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, etc. These agencies investigate serious offences or offences having wide ramifications. Obviously, such central agencies, in every case, will not be in a position to file the final report in the language of the concerned Court as determined by Section 272 of CrPC." The bench set aside the Madhya Pradesh High Court order and upheld the order of the trial court refusing Vyapam scam accused Narottam Dhakad and Sunil Singh, a copy of the charge sheet in Hindi. Both Dhakad and Singh had claimed they don't understand the content of the charge sheet filed by the CBI in English. The trial court had found that both of them were educated, had knowledge of English and even put their signature on court documents in that language. The Supreme Court on Friday issued a circular stating that it will remain closed on September 8 in view of the G20 Summit in the national capital. The G20 Summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. A notification issued on the Supreme Court website said the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud has declared September 8 as a holiday for the apex court considering the office memorandum of August 24 issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. All Central government offices in the national capital will be closed from September 8 to 10 considering the G20 summit. The circular issued by the top court stated, "Invoking the provision of sub-rule (3) of Rule 4 of Order II of the Supreme Court Rules, 2013, the Chief Justice of India has declared September 8, 2023 as holiday for the Supreme Court of India and its registry and September 9, 2023 as holiday for the registry of the Supreme Court considering the OM issued by the Government of India, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (DoP-T)." The newly inaugurated ITPO complex at Pragati Maidan which is going to host the G20 summit lies adjacent to the Supreme Court building. Also Read G20 Summit: Delhi police's advisory; check restrictions, routes, and more As India gears up to host G20 Summit in New Delhi, here's what's on agenda G20 explained: Details on the global bloc, its history & India's presidency Three-day-long G20 event in Kashmir to begin today: All you need to know Security preparations for next month's G20 meet in full swing: Delhi Police Preparation underway at HAL airport in Bengaluru to welcome PM Modi Shah asks police leadership to ensure timely justice, rights of citizens PM wraps up his maiden visit to Greece, agrees on doubling trade by 2030 India is emerging as driving force in S Asia's maritime history: Sonowal India, China offer different views on Modi-Xi conversation in Johannesburg Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday lashed out at Governor Banwarilal Purohit for "threatening" to impose President's rule in the state and asked why his counterparts were "silent" on the law and order situation in BJP-ruled states. Mann said the "selected" governor does not have any moral authority to "threaten" elected representatives of the people and asserted that he is "not going to bow down". Addressing a press conference, the chief minister alleged that the governors are acting as "puppets" of the Union government to create hindrances in the functioning of non-BJP governments in states like Delhi, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and said such things don't augur well for the country's federal structure. "Punjab is most affected in the past due to (Article) 356. So, don't rub salts on our wounds... Governor Sahab, don't try to test the patience and emotions of the Punjabis," Mann said. The governor has been accusing Mann of not responding to the letters sent to him in defiance of his authority. Purohit had on Friday warned the Mann government that he could recommend President's rule in the state and also launch criminal proceedings if his letters were not answered. Mann said on Saturday that the governor wrote 16 letters, of which replies have been given to nine and the rest are being followed up. He said replies for the remaining letters are being readied and will be given in the coming week as in some cases detailed information has to be gathered which takes time. At the same time, the chief minister alleged the letters from the governor reek of "hunger for power". Taking potshots, he said Purohit may be feeling ''politically irrelevant'' and now he can become BJP's chief ministerial face for poll-bound Rajasthan, from where he originally hails, and take power there so that he can freely give orders. He asserted that that "threats" like the imposition of the President's rule won't scare him and the Punjabis. "The threat which the governor gave to the people of Punjab, peace-loving people of the state, I will call it a threat of imposition of the President's rule," Mann said at the press conference, decrying the governor's "unconstitutional" remarks. Also Read Sprinter, Asian Games medallist Dutee Chand faces four-year ban for doping Doping: Sprinter Dutee Chand to file appeal after facing 4-year ban Punjab Assembly passes Bill to replace Governor from Chancellor's post Punjab govt to buy private thermal power plant, says CM Bhagwant Mann GST Council: Oppn-ruled states raise concern over ED sharing info with GSTN Sonia Gandhi arrives in Srinagar for personal visit, to join son Rahul Why did he do a roadshow: Congress' Wadettiwar on PM Modi's Isro visit Kamal Nath slams state govt, says MP has become 'scam', 'corruption' state Media misrepresented me, Ajit Pawar is not our leader: Sharad Pawar Cong leader Sonia Gandhi to join son Rahul in Srinagar on Saturday Mann said that while his government had been taking proactive steps to tackle the scourge of drugs, confiscating and raiding properties of smugglers, and going after gangsters with the formation of an Anti-Gangster Task Force, the governor claims law and order in the state is not good. "I want to ask Governor Sahab, has the Haryana Governor issued any notice to Haryana Chief Minister Khattar regarding what happened in Nuh, communal clashes and violence that took place there and curfew had to be imposed? Did the Haryana governor write any letter to Khattar? No, because their government is also ruling at the Centre," he said. He said the Punjab governor was concerned about law and order in Punjab, but never gave a statement on Manipur which is reeling from ethnic violence. "Is the Constitution not applicable in Manipur?" In Uttar Pradesh, a murder takes place in front of journalists, "But will the UP Governor dare issue any letter to Yogi Adityanath questioning law and order" asked the CM, apparently referring to the brazen gunning down of mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed in April this year. Most people would not know of their governors' names, except those in Punjab, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, because they all are ruled by the non-BJP governments, Mann claimed. Mann said that six bills, two of which are from the tenure of the previous government led by Amarinder Singh, are still awaiting the governor's assent and added that while Purohit expects a reply to be given immediately to his letters, he keeps sitting on the bills on the grounds that he is seeking legal advice. Questioning the conduct of governors in non-BJP ruled states, Mann said that the Telangana government had to move the apex court against delays by the governor in giving his assent to the bills passed by the assembly. "We (AAP govt in Punjab) are an elected government with 92 MLAs. The Election Commission held polls as per the Constitution. We pass agenda in cabinet and then bills are introduced, but they get stuck for want of governor's assent," he said. Mann cited investments in the state during AAP's tenure, saying this would not have been possible if law and order was not good. Taiwan's defence ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a USD 500-million arms sale to Taiwan. The defence ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the People's Liberation Army and nine vessels from the navy were detected in the 24 hours between 6 am Friday and 6 am Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the defense military said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwan's political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a stern warning after Taiwan's vice president stopped over in the US while on an official trip to Paraguay. The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets and other related equipment to Taiwan worth half a billion dollars. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said Friday that China opposed the arms sale, calling it a gross interference in China's internal affairs and describing it as a heinous act that violates its One China principle, as well as three Sino-US joint communiques. Zhang also said that China urged the US to fulfil its commitment of not supporting the independence of Taiwan. Also Read China sends ships and fighter jets toward Taiwan in new show of force Tension on Taiwan Strait: What is the dispute between China and Taiwan? China launches military operations, patrols as 'stern warning' to Taiwan Unclear who would aid Taiwan in a war with China, says foreign minister US Navy warship sails through Taiwan Strait after China's exercises Pakistan terms Chandrayaan-3's success as 'great scientific achievement' Election Commission of Pakistan raises hopes for elections in February Alabama wants to execute prisoner by making him breathe only nitrogen Pakistan Peoples Party demands general elections in 90 days US condemns conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, blames RSF Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan was interrogated by counter-terrorism officials from the Federal Investigation Agency on Saturday at the Attock Jail in the cypher case under the Official Secrets Act, according to media reports. Khan, 70, is currently serving a three-year jail term after he was sentenced by a court in a corruption case earlier this month. Pakistan's Former Prime Minister and Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan's wife Bushra Bibi has alleged that her husband has a serious threat in prison, The Express Tribune reported on Friday. The Express Tribune is a daily English-language newspaper of Pakistan. The Express Tribune reported that the former premier's wife submitted an affidavit to the Apex court through Advocate Syed Rifaqat Hussain Shah, after meeting Imran in Attock jail on August 22. Bushra stated in the document that she was allowed to meet Imran "after unwarranted delays and difficulties" on Tuesday at the Attock jail. The document added that "during the course of the meeting, the petitioner expressed his determination to stand for the Constitution and the rule of law in Pakistan and to offer any sacrifice and suffer any privation or hardship for his beloved country". She also highlighted that there's a "significant decline in the petitioner's health" and that he "appears to have lost weight substantially during the course of his confinement, particularly loss of muscles around his arms". "Such a decline in the health of a person in his 70s can be a serious danger to his life," it stated. She concluded by urging the SC to take notice of Imran's deteriorating health and the serious threats to his life in prison. The news daily reported that the Bushra had raised similar concerns in front of Pakistan's Punjab government last week. Earlier, Pakistan district and sessions court on August 5, sentenced PTI Chairman Imran Khan to three years in prison in the Toshakhana case i.e. for illegally selling state gifts and he has been disqualified from politics for a period of five years, local media reported. The PTI Chairman was arrested from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore soon after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. The court also imposed a fine of Pakistani Rupees (PKR) 100,000 on Imran Khan, Geo News reported. Also Read Imran Khan's party claims police raided PTI leader Usman Dar's residence Miffed Pakistan judges briefly adjourn hearing on Imran's bail plea Imran Khan to be presented at Police Lines Headquarters in H11 in Islamabad Pakistan President Alvi holds hours-long meeting with PTI chief Imran Khan Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf members threatened to quit party: Imran Khan Chinese developer Country Gardens warns of $7.6 bn loss as it nears default Military takeovers in Africa's Sahel hamper fight against terrorism: US Joe Biden says he will request more funding for a new coronavirus vaccine At least 12 people reported dead, 11 injured in stadium crush in Madagascar US sanctions military leaders accused of exacerbating violence in Congo The United States warned Friday that the string of military takeovers in Africa's Sahel region will hamper the fight against terrorism and demanded that Afghanistan's Taliban rulers deny safe haven to terrorist groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a U.N. Security Council meeting that the United States is focused on the increasing terrorism threat across Africa and continues providing its African partners with critical assistance in disrupting and degrading IS and al-Qaida affiliates. The long-scheduled council meeting on combating terrorism took place days after the head of Russia's Wagner Group, Yevgeny Progozhin, and top associates were reportedly killed in a plane crash after leaving Moscow. They had just returned from Africa where Wagner mercenaries are active in now military-ruled Mali and Burkina Faso, which face escalating terrorist threats. Thomas-Greenfield was asked after the council meeting what the West should do to stabilize the situation in those countries and others in Africa where Wagner is active, including Libya, following Prigozhin's death and uncertainty about the future of Wagner's African operations. The U.S. ambassador had no comment on Prigozhin but said: Our position on Wagner is very well known. Their actions and their activities in Africa are destabilizing, and we've encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions. In his briefing to the council, U.N. counter-terrorism chief Vladimir Voronkov reiterated that the threat from the Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh, constitutes a serious threat in conflict zones and neighboring countries. In parts of Africa, the continued expansion of Daesh and affiliated groups, as well as the increasing level of violence and threat, remain deeply concerning, he said. Voronkov said the Daesh affiliate in the Sahel is becoming increasingly autonomous and increasing attacks in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where the presidential guard took the elected president and his family hostage in July. The confrontations between this group and an al-Qaida affiliate in the region, coupled with the uncertain situation after the coup d'etat in the Niger, present a complex and multi-faceted challenge, Voronkov said. In Congo, he said, attacks by terrorists and armed groups have also increased along with their continuing clashes with government forces. He said that in the country's volatile east some 500 people have perished due to terrorist violence. Also Read India, Africa face common threats like terrorism: Army chief Pande Niger adds to growing list of countries in the Sahel run by the military Sri Lanka delays presenting new Anti-Terror Bill amid fresh opposition Protests in Sri Lanka's northern, eastern provinces over anti-terror bill Tendency of categorisation of terrorism based on motive is dangerous: India Joe Biden says he will request more funding for a new coronavirus vaccine At least 12 people reported dead, 11 injured in stadium crush in Madagascar US sanctions military leaders accused of exacerbating violence in Congo Nawaz Sharif to return to Pakistan in October: Former PM Shehbaz Sharif Niger junta expels French Ambassador Sylvain Itte as tensions mount The conflict in Sudan, which began in mid-April, also renewed attention on the presence and activity of Daesh and other terrorist groups in that country, Voronkov said. Beyond Africa, he said, the situation is growing increasingly complex in Afghanistan, with weapons and ammunition falling into the hands of terrorists. The operational capabilities of the Daesh affiliate known as ISIL-K has reportedly increased, with the group becoming more sophisticated in its attacks against the Taliban and international targets, he said. Voronkov also warned that the presence of some 20 terrorist groups in Afghanistan combined with the Taliban's repressive measures, the lack of development and a dire humanitarian situation pose significant challenges for the region and beyond. Russian deputy ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya blamed the collective West's intervention in the affairs of sovereign developing countries and their destructive role for fueling the growth of terrorism. She claimed the West plundered the natural resources of these countries and only provided weak economic development and public administration. She said foreign troops led by the United States were in Afghanistan for over 20 years under the pretext of fighting terrorists but they departed without defeating al-Qaida, leaving behind a huge quantity of weapons and military equipment. And consequently, the Western weapons that were brought into the country to fight terrorism ended up among other places in the hands of the terrorists themselves, she said. Zabolotskaya claimed the Islamic State appeared in Africa as a result of the NATO-backed uprising in Libya that toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 and plunged the country into chaos. And she said the size of the Islamic State group's emergence in the Middle East was a direct result of the aggression of the United States and their coalition against Iraq in March 2003. While IS has largely been defeated in Iraq and Syria, she said, pockets of terrorist activity remain in areas illegally occupied by the U.S military. U.N. experts said in a report circulated on Aug. 14 that the Islamic State group still commands between 5,000 and 7,000 members across its former stronghold in Syria and Iraq and its fighters pose the most serious terrorist threat in Afghanistan today. The experts monitoring sanctions against the militant group also said that during the first half of 2023 that the threat posed by IS remained mostly high in conflict zones and low in non-conflict areas. By Katarina Hoije Nigers military leadership expelled the French ambassador just as talks to restore democracy between the West African nation and its regional partners were making progress. Nigers military leadership expelled the French ambassador just as talks to restore democracy between the West African nation and its regional partners were making progress. The junta said earlier it was also expelling the ambassadors from the US, Germany and Nigeria, before a spokesperson retracted those orders. The embassies of the three nations didnt immediately respond to requests for comment outside of regular business hours. Frances ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave the country in 48 hours after failing to honor summons to respond to questions about actions contrary to Nigers interests, the foreign ministry said in a statement. France rejected the order, saying its ambassador would stay in the country as the junta doesnt have the authority to make the demand, Agence France-Presse reported. Frances ambassador was accredited by the foreign ministry under ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, Nigers Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday. France has previously said it supports all actions by the Economic Community of West African States to restore democracy in Niger. Nigerias President Bola Tinubu has taken the lead, preparing for a regional military intervention. The latest development comes as the junta facing regional and international pressure, has refused to relinquish power and release Bazoum. Ecowas on Friday reiterated its readiness to use military action to overturn the July 26 coup if dialog fails. Read More: Nigerias Tinubu Seeks Swift Niger Talks Solution to Avoid Force All options are on the table, including the use of force, Omar Alieu Touray, the president of the Ecowas Commission, told reporters in Abuja, Nigerias capital. Tensions have been mounting in recent weeks after Nigers self-declared military leader Abdourahamane Tiani announced a three-year transition to democracy and paved the way for neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso to intervene militarily if the country is attacked. Pakistan has tried to downplay the snub from the BRICS, saying it has not yet made a formal request to join it after the bloc ignored Islamabad when it announced its major expansion in years. On August 24, The leaders of the BRICS nations decided to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the new members of the grouping, sealing a long-drawn process. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch issued the details of her weekly briefing on Friday night, a day after the bloc of developing countries added new countries. We will examine the latest developments and make a determination about our future engagement with BRICS, Baloch said. To a query, if Pakistan was ignored by the bloc, she said Pakistan followed BRICS' developments in its latest summit in South Africa and also noted its openness to inclusive multilateralism. Pakistan is an ardent supporter of multilateralism and as a member of several multilateral organisations it has always played an important role in global peace and development, she said. The spokesperson termed Pakistan as an important developing country that has made important contributions to promote peace, solidarity and cooperation among countries of the South. We shall continue our efforts at the international fora for fostering the spirit of international cooperation and revitalisation of inclusive multilateralism, she said. BRICS initially composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has undertaken major expansion taking its members to eleven, making it more representative of the Global South. Reportedly several countries are queuing up to join the group but Pakistan may face a challenge due to the presence of India which enjoys veto power to reject its request. Also Read Nations want to join Brics for unfinished biz of last century: Diplomat India has 'open mind' for expansion of Brics: Foreign secretary Kwatra Will strengthen grouping, says PM Modi as Brics adds 6 countries to group China confirms Xi will attend Brics in S Africa followed by state visit PM Modi, China prez Xi seen having brief exchanges at Brics summit China sends aircraft toward Taiwan days after US approves $500 mn arms sale Pakistan terms Chandrayaan-3's success as 'great scientific achievement' Election Commission of Pakistan raises hopes for elections in February Alabama wants to execute prisoner by making him breathe only nitrogen Pakistan Peoples Party demands general elections in 90 days The Wagner Group's presence extends from the ancient battlegrounds of Syria to the deserts of sub-Saharan Africa, projecting the Kremlin's global influence with mercenaries accused of using brutal force and profiting on mineral riches they seized. But that was under Yevgeny Prigozhin, who in what could have been his final video released earlier this week appeared in military fatigues and held an assault rifle from an unidentified dry and dusty plain as he boasted that Wagner is making Russia even greater on all continents and Africa even more free. On Wednesday, a private jet carrying Prigozhin and his top lieutenants of the mercenary group crashed northwest of Moscow, two months after he led an armed rebellion that challenged the authority of President Vladimir Putin. There is wide speculation that Prigozhin, who is presumed dead, was targeted for his uprising, although the Kremlin has denied involvement. That crash has raised questions about the future of the Wagner Group. In African countries where Wagner provided security against groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State, officials and commentators predict Russia will likely maintain its presence, placing the forces under new leadership. Others, however, say Prigozhin built deep, personal connections that Moscow could find challenging to replace quickly. Africa is vitally important to Russia economically and politically. This summer, Wagner helped secure a national referendum in the Central African Republic that cemented presidential power; it is a key partner for Mali's army in battling armed rebels; and it contacted the military junta in Niger that wants its services following a coup. Expanding ties and undercutting Western influence in Africa is a top priority as the Kremlin seeks new allies amid its war in Ukraine, where Wagner forces also helped win a key battle. Africa's 54 nations are the largest voting bloc at the U.N., and Moscow has actively worked to rally their support for its invasion. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said Friday that Wagner's forces "are destabilizing, and we've encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions. On Thursday, the Republican Front in the Central African Republic, allied with the ruling party, reiterated its support for Russia and Wagner, saying they were determined to fight alongside the African people as they struggle for self-determination. Also Read Russia's Wagner group launch joint training with Belarusian military Cost to cut sickle cell disease's risk beyond reach of most Indians: Lancet Russian mercenary chief's likely death could destabilize his army: UK Offered Wagner mercenaries option to keep operating as a single unit: Putin Wagner mercenary leader issues 1st audio statement since halting mutiny Vivek Ramaswamy grabs attention with his performance in Republican debate Not made any formal request to join Brics so far: Pakistan Foreign Office China sends aircraft toward Taiwan days after US approves $500 mn arms sale Pakistan terms Chandrayaan-3's success as 'great scientific achievement' Election Commission of Pakistan raises hopes for elections in February Wagner forces have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, protecting the capital of Bangui from rebel threats and helping secure a July 30 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely. Central African activist and blogger Christian Aime Ndotah said the country's cooperation with Russia would be unaffected by new leadership with Wagner, which has been well-established there for years. But some in the Central African Republic denounce the mercenaries, and the U.N. peacekeeping mission there criticized them in 2021 for human rights abuses. A state's security is its sovereignty. You can't entrust the security of a state to a group of mercenaries, said Jean Serge Bokassa, former public security minister. Nathalia Dukhan, senior investigator at The Sentry, predicted the Kremlin will try to bring Africa closer into its orbit. Wagner has been a successful tool for Russia to expand its influence efficiently and brutally, she said. In the midst of all the turmoil between Putin and Prigozhin, the Wagner operation in Central Africa only deepened, with increased direct involvement by the Russian government. High-ranking Wagner operatives have built relationships in Mali and the Central African Republic and understand the terrain, said Lou Osborn of All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group. They have a good reputation, which they can sell to another Russian contender. It wouldn't be surprising if a new organization took them over, Osborn said, noting that Russian military contractors in Ukraine, such as Redut and Convoy, have recently expressed a desire to do business in Africa. Redut was created by the Russian Defense Ministry, which has sought to put Wagner under its control. Following the June mutiny, Putin said the mercenaries could sign contracts with the ministry and keep serving under one of the group's top commanders, Andrei Troshev. It wasn't clear how many troops accepted, but media reports put the number at a few thousand. The Kremlin still could face challenges in keeping the strong presence in Africa that Prigozhin helped establish. Former Putin speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov argued Prigozhin may have been allowed to continue his post-activities because Russian authorities had to find people who would take over his work. Time was needed to create the new channels, new mechanisms of control over those projects, he said. And it's not a fact that they have been successful in that. It's possible that they have failed and the Kremlin may lose some of those projects. Britain's Defense Ministry said Prigozhin's demise "would almost certainly have a deeply destabilizing effect on the Wagner Group. His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor, it said. On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Wagner's future. For Prigozhin, who created Wagner in 2014, its missions weren't simply about advancing Russia's global clout. His contractors in Syria, Libya, Sudan and elsewhere tapped the mineral and energy wealth of those countries to enrich himself. Central African Republic lawmaker and opposition leader Martin Zigul said Wagner was active in gold mining, timber and other industries without paying taxes. We can only conclude that it's plundering, he said. Prigozhin reached a deal with Putin after the rebellion that saw Wagner mercenaries move to Belarus in exchange for amnesty, and the mercenary boss spoke repeatedly since then about expanding his activities in Africa. He was seen courting African officials at a recent summit in St. Petersburg. He quickly welcomed last month's military coup that toppled Niger President Mohamed Bazoum. The junta reached out to Wagner, but the group's response was unclear and there's no visible presence of Russian mercenaries there other than crowds waving Russian and Wagner flags at protests. While U.S. officials didn't confirm that Russia or Wagner had any role in the coup, there are fears the Kremlin could exploit it to weaken Western positions in West Africa, where the mercenaries already have a presence in Mali and Burkina Faso. Niger's residents say Prigozhin's presumed death won't stop Russia from trying to expand its influence. Our belief is that Russia wants to get a base here and to be popular. It's obvious they want to be here, Niamey tailor Baraou Souleimanin told The Associated Press. Since the coup, he said he's sewn more than 150 Russian flags in a month. We pray that Allah strengthens the relationship with (Wagner) to continue the deal. If the relationship is good and strong, it's possible they'll continue with the deal even after his death, he said Thursday. In neighboring Mali, a military junta that seized power in 2020 expelled French troops, diplomats, and media, and ordered an end to a decade-long U.N. peacekeeping mission. Though not officially recognized by Malian authorities, Wagner forces have been known to operate in the rural north, where rebel and extremist groups have eroded state power and tormented communities. Human Rights Watch says Mali's army, together with suspected Wagner mercenaries, committed summary executions, looting, forced disappearances and other abuses. What we have experienced through Wagner is the massacre of our people, said Ali Nouhoum Diallo, former president of the national assembly. Timbuktu resident Youba Khalifa said Wagner's presence in Mali wouldn't change after Prigozhin because "they're going to replace him with another leader. Although Prigozhin had told his troops in Belarus their new mission would be in Africa, several thousand of them trained the Belarusian army near the Polish border, prompting Warsaw to bolster forces there. There were signs, however, the mercenaries were preparing to pull back to Russia. Belarusian Hajun, a group monitoring Russian troops in Belarus, said Thursday that satellite images showed more than a third of the tents at a Wagner camp had been dismantled, a sign of a possible exodus. Still, President Alexander Lukashenko insists his country will host about 10,000 troops. That draws strong objections from the Belarusian opposition, which demands their withdrawal. Prigozhin's death should put an end to Wagner's presence in Belarus, which will reduce the threat for our country and its neighbors, exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told AP. A Queens mom revealed shocking details of her 5-year-old daughters interactions with a 75-year-old stranger in a bizarre case where she acknowledged leaving the child alone with the accused elderly predator. The mother, in an exclusive interview with the Daily News, recalled how senior citizen Franz Vila showered attention on the alleged victim after they first crossed paths in the spring on the street near their Queens apartment when the little girl went over to say hello. He told me he had kids and grandkids, said the mom, who saw no hints of the suspects intentions. But I dont know if that is true. I thought nothing was going to happen. I thought, He has grandkids. The moms assessment proved wildly inaccurate. She recounted finding the Manhattan man in the shower with her little girl, adding he asked her to remove her clothes and told the mother to dress her without underwear. Vila was arrested last Tuesday on charges of false imprisonment, child endangerment and criminal sex act on a minor after taking the girl to a Queens playground with the moms approval and never returning. But before that he twice visited the victims home at the invitation of the mother. He buys her dresses, the mother said, adding she saw the defendant as a grandfatherly figure when they first met about three months ago. I told her not to be naked with him. He wants her just in dresses and shorts without underwear. He says its really hot out. The mother, who is not being identified to shield the identity of her daughter, admitted that she had made a mistake in letting the man into her life. I dont know why I did that, she said. I question myself. I thought maybe he was normal. The mom said that Vila occasionally bought groceries for the family. Friday, the girls father retained custody of the child at a Queens Family Court hearing at which the mother appeared two days after her release from jail on charges tied to her daughters alleged molestation. The judge in the case will determine the level of abuse and neglect of the child and decide on appropriate social services for the child and visitation for the mom, a child welfare source said. The mother acknowledged she failed to shut down access to the child, even after learning of the inappropriate conduct between the old man and her daughter. I dont know why I did that, she said. I question myself. I thought maybe he was normal. Vilas son, speaking with The News, said his immigrant dad now held on $275,000 cash bond was a former college professor with no criminal record and the patriarch to a family of six adult children and nine grandkids. Hes never been in any legal trouble in the past, said the son. Hes always been a very kind and respectful and joyous person. I have a very good, a very high opinion of him. The mother was initially arrested by the NYPD for acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17, but the Queens district attorneys office declined to prosecute and sealed the record. The Queens DA said that they would continue to investigate the case. Vilas criminal complaint said the mother ran into him last Tuesday morning outside a Jackson Heights supermarket and asked if he could watch the girl at a nearby park for about 30 minutes. When the mom returned, the man was gone, along with her little girl, setting off an NYPD search for the suspect. Authorities said he took the child back to his Upper East Side apartment, sexually abused the girl and then took her on a subway back to Queens. The mom was taken into custody this past Tuesday after a good Samaritan recognized the missing child and the suspect from an NYPD alert, leading to Vilas arrest. Vilas lawyer, Alex Moulter, did not return a phone message asking for comment on the moms accusations. The mother is now limited to only supervised visits with her daughter under a temporary order of protection issued by Judge Margaret Morgan in the twisted case. The City Administration for Childrens Services was brought in to oversee the fathers care of the child, with everyone due back in court this coming Tuesday. The mom said shes hoping now for a second chance at raising the girl. I just want to see her, she said. I am a good mom. But I need a lot of help so I can take care of her. The US on Friday strongly condemned the "pervasive conflict-related sexual violence" (CRSV) in Sudan, which the State Department, citing credible sources, attributed to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias. "The numerous reports of rape, gang rape, and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls in West Darfur and other areas are deeply disturbing. These acts of brutality contribute to an emerging pattern of targeted ethnic violence," Mathew Miller, the spokesperson for the US State Department, said in a press release. The US urged the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Pramila Patten, to call on the RSF to condemn CRSV, commit to effective measures to prevent and address any acts of CRSV and declare zero-tolerance for sexual violence. The statement added that the US is gravely concerned about the situation in and around Nyala, South Darfur where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped as fighting escalates between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). "We call on the RSF and SAF to immediately halt the fighting and allow safe passage for all civilians out of the city. Perpetrators of atrocities must be held accountable," the official statement added. Friday, August 25, 2023 at 11:35PM Google If you use Google Keep on your Android device, youll be glad to hear that it finally has text formatting options. You can now bold, italicize, and change the appearance of your text in your notes. Google said this week that the feature is rolling out, and you should see it soon in the app (if it hasn't yet). The text formatting options are not new or flashy, but are essential and long overdue. Keep is a great note-taking app. It's fast, simple, and smart. It works on Android, iOS, and the web. It can turn a link into a rich preview, a short note into a Post-it, and a long note into a document. You can also draw, record audio, and set reminders in your notes. And since it's a Google product, you can search and access your notes from other Google apps. As The Verge pointed out, its future felt tenuous, but seeing it get a necessary update gives us hope it'll be around for a while. A couple was killed and a 33-year-old woman was wounded when a groping incident inside a Bronx apartment building ended in a bloody knife attack, cops said Saturday. Cops called to the Rochambeau Ave. building near E. 206th St. in Norwood about 10:15 p.m. Friday found two women outside bleeding from vicious knife strikes, cops said. One woman, 29, had been stabbed in the chest. The second woman, 33, had a deep cut to her arm and wrist. The panicked women told police that the 29-year-olds boyfriend was still inside the fourth-floor apartment where the violence unfolded. Cops raced up to the apartment and found the boyfriend, 45, dead from multiple stab wounds. The stabber had run off. Police on the scene at Rochambeau Ave. where three people were stabbed in an upper floor apartment on Aug. 25, 2023. A distraught bystander is also seen. EMS rushed the two women to St. Barnabas Hospital, where the 29-year-old woman died of her wounds. The surviving victim told police that she and the two homicide victims the 29-year-old woman and her 45-year-old boyfriend were visiting the apartment building when a resident confronted them on a stairwell and groped the 29-year-old woman, sparking an argument. The three visitors chased the man back to his apartment, where the suspect grabbed a knife and attacked, cops were told. During the fight, the tenant stabbed the 29-year-old woman in the chest and slashed the older woman in the wrist. As the two men ran out of the apartment and sought help, the 45-year-old man was fatally stabbed as he tried to fight off the attacker, cops said. Building residents were oblivious to the violence as it erupted. I just heard screaming, I thought it was coming from outside, said a tenant who didnt wish to be named. Police got here and they blocked off the building, the tenant told the Daily News. Its really crazy because nothing like that happens over here. Its a quiet block. It wasnt immediately clear why the three victims were visiting the building. The two dead victims were both Bronx residents, police said. Their names were not immediately disclosed as cops track down family members. Cops identified the man responsible for the attack early Saturday. Hes not a tenant of the building, but has been known to stay there from time to time, a police source with knowledge of the attack said. Building tenants said they know the man cops were seeking to arrest and found it hard to believe he could have been so violent. He was a nice guy, the stabber, said Rose, a 53-year-old woman who moved into the building in 2018. I didnt know his name, said Rose. I mostly call everyone neighbor, but Im shocked by this. S.H. Cotugno is a 2012 Calarts graduate who went on to work on some of the biggest animated series of the 2010s and 2020s including Gravity Falls, The Owl House, and Star vs. the Forces of Evil. In addition to their work in animation, Cotugno self-publishes the digital graphic novel The Glass Scientists, which has been viewed more than six million times. Now, the series, a modernized take on the classic Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde narrative, is expanding into a graphic novel for young adults. Weve been following Cotugnos work since they were still an undergrad and recently spoke with the now-veteran animator about working in both mediums, the mental toll of working alone, and the timeless appeal of the Jekyll and Hyde story. Cartoon Brew: What inspired you to produce your own graphic novel? Cotugno: I started writing the outline that would become The Glass Scientists as a way to teach myself story structure after I was rejected from the Disney feature story trainee program in 2012. Even after I managed to break into story as a board artist on Gravity Falls, I stuck with the practice because I missed getting to tell my own stories, like I had done with my student films at Calarts. About a year into the endeavor, the story felt solid enough to turn into something real, but I was way too much of a scaredy-cat to consider pitching it to a studio (an informational session telling us that Disney TV wouldnt consider a show with characters over the age of twelve also had a chilling effect). Making a comic felt like a much more achievable goal than making an entire television show, so I Kickstarted a prequel comic in the summer of 2014 and launched The Glass Scientists as a webcomic the following winter. Is this your full-time gig now, or are you still animating? Im still very much in the industry! Right now, Im working as a supervising director on an unannounced show for Apple TV+. Ive been spending my nights and weekends on this comic for over eight years now, so it hasnt been too difficult to juggle my comic work with a day job. The trade-off is I havent had much of a social life during that time, and I dont really know how to go to clubs, drink alcohol, or maintain un-monetized hobbies. Once this comic is finished, I will find myself in the embarrassing position of trying to fit all the experiences I missed as a twenty-something into my mid-thirties. But Im also trans, and according to the brochures, second adolescence comes with the territory. How did the skills you picked up working in animation translate to storytelling using still images? Making comics is quite similar to storyboarding, so it was pretty natural to translate my skills in thumbnailing, composition, pacing, character acting, and basic visual communication into this medium. I also did a couple of visual development internships at Pixar and Disney Feature after college. I did terribly at both Im a bit relieved The Good Dinosaur went through a total rehaul after I left, if only so no one had to fix my terrible attempts at plant model sheets but Ive been able to apply the skills I learned in color, value, and shape language to The Glass Scientists as well. And, of course, working in the industry teaches you to put out consistent work on a deadline. I still get tripped up over the parts that are exclusive to comics, especially the jigsaw puzzle that is panel layout, but on the whole, its been a fairly seamless transition. Would you encourage other animators to explore working on webcomics? Yes, but maybe not in the way I did it! A full-color, fully serialized story uploading one page at a time over the course of a decade is not exactly the most efficient form of storytelling. If youre thinking about starting a webcomic, I would recommend listing out the things you care about and finding ways to slither around everything else. For instance, if youre excited to explore character dynamics but dont care too much about your setting, find stylish ways to simplify or eliminate your backgrounds. If you hate drawing crowd shots, set your story somewhere that allows you to avoid them. And if you hate drawing circles within circles in perspective, maybe dont write a story in a Steampunk-adjacent genre that will require you to draw those stupid goggles over and over again. How did you find the experience of working alone? Obviously, the shows you worked on had big teams of artists contributing; with the comic did you have people around you to bounce ideas off and ask for critiques? Oof, real talk? I dont love it. When I was a kid, I thought I would love working at home by myself all day, but it turns out I super dont. I had about an eight-month stint last year where I was working full-time on the comic with a couple of part-time development gigs on the side and honestly, it wasnt great for my mental health. So many of my friends are in the industry, and when everyone else but me was staffed on a show (this was before the recent dry spell), it felt like Id dropped off the face of the earth. Plus, I give myself way harsher notes than any network could. Now that Im back on a crew, Ive noticed my mood has improved significantly. With that said, I have managed to find great critique partners while working on The Glass Scientists. I have a fantastic writers group that my friends and I put together over the pandemic, and theyve given me a ton of insightful notes over the years, as did my former editor at my comic network Hiveworks, Atla Hrafney. Its easy to lose perspective when youve got readers reacting to every micro-update you post weekly, so its been vital to get this kind of feedback early and often. What drew you to the Jekyll and Hyde story for this project? Ive been obsessed with Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde since I was a teenager. As a mixed-race, queer, and nonbinary person, Ive always been drawn to stories about characters caught between two worlds, and I cant imagine a character that embodies that duality more than a guy who would literally rather split his soul in two with science magic potions that fit himself into any one box. Jekyll and Hyde isnt exactly the biggest fandom out there its no Marvel or Star Wars, unless you count Universals Dark Universe franchise thingy from a few years back so The Glass Scientists is basically my attempt to trick other people into liking the same 140-year-old, vaguely queer-coded science fantasy that I do. In this ongoing series, we profile the most interesting independent animation filmmakers working today the artists who, through short films and other projects, change our ideas of what the medium can do. This weeks subject is English animator Paul Bush, who sadly lost his life in a motorcycle accident earlier this month. In a sentence: Whether working in scratch animation, stop motion, time-lapse, engraving, VR, or even video collage, Bush was part archeologist, part philosopher who explored (with a lot of humor in case you were worried) the world and our stuff and how we perceive it all. Where to start: Furniture Poetry (1999). A playful philosophical stop-motion dance inspired by a Ludwig Wittgenstein quotation: What prevents me from supposing that this table either vanishes or alters its shape when no one is observing it and then when someone looks at it again changes back? But one feels like saying Who is going to suppose such a thing? What to watch next: (Episodes From) Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (2001). In this flickering, schizoid wonder, Bush takes a scene from the famous story but adds a twist by having two people play Dr. Jekyll. Their bodies change continuously. An inspired take on the fluid thing called identity. Other key works: His Comedy (1994), Still Life with Small Cup (1995), While Darwin Sleeps (2004), Ride (2018) Influences: When I was 14, my school showed us The War Game by Peter Watkins and Family Life by Ken Loach and they opened up the possibility of film as something terrifying and thought-provoking. By the time I was 18, Godard and the U.S. experimental filmmakers (Brakhage, etc.) gave me the possibility of making films myself. After that, so many influences but I would choose the brilliant maverick Chilean director Raul Ruiz as the most important. In art I was influenced by conceptualism and minimalism, but the most inspiring Dadaism. As a teenager I consumed book after book my favorite authors: Beckett, Thomas Bernhard, Milan Kundera, Vladimir Nabokov, Thomas Mann, Italo Calvino, Jorge Luis Borges. Says: I never learned animation and have no techniques worth mentioning or even passing on to anyone else. Therefore I dont feel there is an area that is not open to explore. Ideas lead from one to another. I dont want to continue to make the same film again once Ive achieved a result Im satisfied with. Currently working on: At the time of his death, Bush was pitching a high-concept psychological sci-fi titled The End of Forever. His final work was the vr experience I Horizon, which received a special mention at the 2022 Encounters Film Festival and competed at this years Animafest Zagreb. Photo: k'eml?ps te Secw?pemc Facebook Bruce Ralston, Harjit Sajjan and David Eby joined Tk'eml?ps te Secw?pemc Chief Rosanne Casimir, left, at the Ts?elle?tkwe Lodge for Indigenous evacuees. This week the provincial government reported it had evacuated 27,000 people from their homes due to wildfires across B.C., largely on account of those in the Okanagan and Shuswap Lake region. A disproportionate number of those evacuees are from First Nations reserves, a fact that aligns with historic trends of natural disasters in Canada, says risk analyst and disaster response expert Lily Yumagulova of the Canadian Climate Institute. The first important thing to keep in mind is the disproportionate impacts that First Nations communities are faced with, Yumagulova told Glacier Media in an interview discussing the unique challenges Indigenous people are faced with during evacuations. This week the First Nations Emergency Services Society reported as many as 3,598 Indigenous people living across 10 First Nations communities were under an evacuation order in B.C.; another 12 are under an evacuation alert. That means the reserve residents account for at least 13.3 per cent of all evacuees in the province. Add to that the Westbank First Nation near West Kelowna, where Statistics Canada says only 948 residents live on reserve land out of a population of 10,660, and that number is likely much higher. Across Canada, the trend is much the same: Indigenous people make up 4.9 per cent of Canadas population, but those living on reserves alone accounted for 27 per cent of natural disaster evacuees between 1980 and 2020, according to Natural Resources Canada. And over the past two decades, the number of evacuees on reserves has more than doubled to nearly 65,000. Evacuating on First Nations can be more difficult Evacuating First Nations communities is not as simple as evacuating non-Indigenous communities, said Yumagulova. That's partly because of the colonial legacy of reserve formation. A lot of communities were placed on marginalized pieces of land, that are prone to risk, either flood risk, or obviously wildfires and so on and so forth, Yumagulova said. While that First Nations communities are 18 times more likely to be evacuated due to disasters compared to non-Indigenous communities, many reserves were created with just one road in and one road out, Yumagulova said. First Nations people were controlled whether they can leave the reserve, or not. And it was an easier way to control if there was just one road in and one road out, she said. And it becomes a death trap... if you can't evacuate under the scenario. Yumagulova says reserves also face chronic underfunding for disaster mitigation and emergency response mechanisms. A lot of the fire departments are volunteer; they're understaffed, obviously, because, you know, it's very hard for somebody to have a job and then also be a volunteer firefighter. They don't have the adequate equipment, and the list goes on, she said. 88 First Nation disaster recovery projects unreviewed or unfunded In 2022 Canadas Auditor General produced a report critical of Indigenous Services Canada for failing to fund and approve infrastructure projects that would minimize the impact on First Nations recovering from natural disasters. Some of the projects were aimed at preventing or reducing the impact of emergencies. They included reducing the intensity and spread of wildfires by removing branches and trees, or building culverts and dikes to prevent seasonal floods. Many issues have not improved since we first identified them in our 2013 audit of emergency management on reserves, the auditor wrote. The report found that in B.C. there were 25 unreviewed and 63 eligible but unfunded structural mitigation projects, whereas just 12 had been completed and 17 were in progress. Glacier Media has asked for a list of those 88 unreviewed or unfunded projects but has yet to receive a response from Indigenous Services Canada. 'Another form of forced displacement' Questions around culture and self-determination can also complicate evacuations for Indigenous people, said Yumagulova. For example, elders who have been through the residential school system may have a heightened anxiety about being relocated. So, for elders, this triggers residential school trauma, right; it's another form of forced displacement. And that's why there needs to be a distinction-based approach when it comes to evacuations in First Nations communities, she said. Earlier this month, the provincial government partnered with Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation to establish a permanent evacuee lodge for up to 300 people in Kamloops, B.C. It is being managed by the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness with cultural and traditional support provided by Tk'emlups te Secwepemc, including a cultural activity space to support smudging and prayer. Premier David Eby visited the Ts?elle?tkwe Lodge with Tk'emlups te Secwepemc Chief Rosanne Casimir this week after severe fires ripped through the Interior, displacing thousands of people. Yumagulova said governments typically centre their disaster response centres around property rights, such as home and auto insurance considerations. When First Nations lose their homes, it takes years and years before they are rebuilt because Indigenous people need to work through the federal government, said Yumagulova. At the same time, reserve residents are often tied to their land more so than non-Indigenous people, making rebuilding more complex and difficult, Yumagulova added. Fund emergency response and learn from First Nations, says expert There have been some positive signs emergency response on reserves is getting better. Yumagulova said she was pleased to see how Indigenous communities responded to the heat dome of 2021 when extreme heat killed over 600 British Columbians. During that extreme heat, Indigenous elders did not suffer disproportionately because they had a better community care network, said Yumagulova. What was absolutely incredible is that in every single community, elders were immediately prioritized, either through family, kinship systems, or proactive communities; they were put in place to really protect the elders, said Yumagulova. It's one example where Yumagulova says broader society can learn from Indigenous people. But first, they need to be equipped with the proper resources to handle disasters. Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, a former Washington State Ph.D. candidate accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last year, have requested that cameras be banned from the courtroom for the remainder of the proceedings. In a new court filing obtained by ABC News, his lawyers contended camera-wielding courtroom observers have failed to obey a previous directive issued by Judge John Judge that ordered them not to focus exclusively on Kohberger. The defense cited several images they said were a blatant violation, as well as headlines they called blatantly sensationalistic and prejudicial. Kohbergers legal team said the continued exclusive focus on their client also provides fodder for those on social media who are not bound by notions of journalistic integrity and who have potentially an even greater reach than traditional media outlets. They also argued such content could prejudice a potential jury pool. Far from constituting an undue and over restrictive burden on the press right of free speech, his lawyers said, Mr. Kohberger is entitled to defend himself against capital criminal charges without cameras focused on his fly. FILE Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, a former Washington State PhD candidate accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last year, have requested that cameras be banned from the courtroom for the remainder of the proceedings. The request comes after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial during a status conference on Wednesday. His attorney, Anne Taylor, spoke on his behalf and said she may not be ready for the trial, which was initially scheduled for October. Kohberger is facing four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the deaths of 21-year-olds Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, also 20. All four students were found fatally stabbed inside a Moscow home, not far from the University of Idaho campus, on Nov. 14. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. The man accused of assaulting a sex worker and holding her captive in a small cinderblock cell in his garage tried to bust out of the Oregon jail where he is being held, police said. Negasi Zuberi has been behind bars in Jackson County since his arrest last month on charges of interstate kidnapping and transporting someone across state lines with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He is now facing additional charges of second-degree attempted escape and first-degree disorderly conduct, according to a statement from the Jackson County Sheriffs Office. Zuberis alleged escape attempt was foiled by a maintenance worker, who reported a suspicious noise coming from inside the jail on Tuesday. When authorities arrived on the scene just before 1 p.m., they found Zuberi standing on top of his bunk bed near a chipped window, police said. A subsequent search of his cell turned up an improvised tool that investigators suspect was used to damage the window. The Jails exterior windows are made of reinforced glass so Zuberi was only able to damage the interior layer of the window, police noted. He was then detained, sent through a full-body scanner and put in a different cell without windows. Zuberi was arrested on July 16 in a Walmart parking lot in Reno, Nev. The day before, he traveled approximately 450 miles from his Oregon home to Seattle, where he picked up a sex worker and then lied to her about being an undercover police officer, according to the FBI. The woman later told investigators that he threatened her with a Taser as he cuffed her hands and legs in the backseat of his car, and then made the long drive back to his rental home in Klamath Falls. There, he forced the woman into a small soundproof cell inside his garage, according to authorities. She remained trapped for hours before she managed to bust the door down and escape. She has also claimed Zuberi sexually assaulted her while she was restrained. Zuberi, who has multiple aliases and has lived in 12 states over the last decade, is being investigated in connection to at least four other sexual assaults in four states, NBC News reported. He has not yet been charged in connection with any of those cases. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services - J Douglas Properties, real estate brokerage firm, recently organized a barbecue competition aimed at supporting various charitable organizations in the Chattanooga area. The event showcased the community's dedication to giving back, while celebrating culinary creativity and camaraderie among BHHS J Douglas Properties real estate professionals.The competition, held on Aug. 5 at The Commons in Collegedale, featured several J Douglas Properties teams within the company.Each team selected a charity to support, with the goal of raising funds and awareness for causes close to their hearts. The participating teams not only demonstrated their prowess on the grill to the hundreds who attended the event, but also their personal commitment to philanthropy.The victory of the event was secured by the Lawrence Team Homes, who cooked their way to the top. Their chosen charity, "Wreaths Across Chattanooga," resonated with the team, as they showcased their culinary skills in support of this cause. Michael Lawrence, the team leader and head chef for the team, showcased his expertise with his personally created winning dish the Polynesian Slider which was the favorite among the crowds and judges."The unanimously praised dish demonstrated Mr. Lawrence's culinary finesse and creativity," organizers said.Cindy Sexton's "made-from-scratch carrot cake" also took the dessert first place, further solidifying Lawrence Team Homes' dominance in the competition, securing their first-place victory."The combination of unique flavors and dedication to quality in their dishes showcased their commitment to excellence," organizers said.As a result of Lawrence Team Homes' victory, "Wreaths Across Chattanooga" received a contribution of $1,520. Accepting the donations on behalf of Wreaths Across Chattanooga were Retired Navy Captain Mickey McCamish, and Laverne Guthrie, a local volunteer representative for Wreaths Across Chattanooga. Presenting the Donation and representing Lawrence Team Homes were Mr. Lawrence, director of sales and expansion, Sherry Lawrence director of marketing systems and Doug Lawrence, director of planning and operations."This contribution will undoubtedly contribute to the meaningful work carried out by the charity in the community, whose purpose is 'to provide holiday wreaths for the 50,000 military gravesites at Chattanoogas National Cemetery to insure no veteran will ever be forgotten for the selfless service to our country,'" said Capt. McCamish."Berkshire Hathaway Home Services - J Douglas Properties remains committed to fostering a culture of giving back, unity and support within the Chattanooga area," officials said. "The brokerage barbecue competition stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, passion and generosity among real estate professionals and the community at large."To make a donation to Wreaths Across Chattanooga, visit "Threads" on Signal Mountain, or mail checks payable to Wreaths Across Chattanooga to 426 Market St., Chattanooga, Tn. 37402. A man told police he towed a car from Walmart at 490 Greenway View Dr. to an East Ridge location, planning to receive a drop free of $125 at a gas station. The customer was a white male, 25-35 years old. The man lowered the vehicle off the bed and the customer got into his vehicle and drove off without paying the drop fee. He wanted it documented to explain the situation to his superiors. * * * Police found an abounded silver Pontiac G5 on Bailey Avenue. The car was found with its windows down. The reporting person saw a black male looking around the vehicle. Doug Yates responded and removed the vehicle out of the roadway. * * * A man on Jersey Pike told police he had been in an argument with his girlfriend, but he was going to stay with his mother for the night so that there wouldn't be any more arguing. The man left while police were still on scene. * * * Police were asked to check on a black male lying in a driveway on Bennett Avenue. Police arrived and the man appeared to be asleep. The officer woke him and he said he had "a fun night" and didnt want to walk home at three in the morning. The man said he felt safe sleeping where police found him. The man was given a ride back to his residence. * * * A woman on 12th Avenue told police a black male was yelling at her and holding a brick in his hand while attempting to intimidate her. The woman said she didnt know the mans full name, just that he goes by Tyrell. The suspect wasnt found in the area. * * * A man and woman staying at an Airbnb on Stockyard Place told police over the phone their vehicle was entered sometime while they stayed there overnight. The woman believed she left the vehicle locked but she's not sure and so it was possibly left unlocked. Another guest there told them they heard an alarm going off, which was possibly their vehicle's car alarm. There is a ring camera but they're not sure if there is video available and will have to speak with the owner first. The womans Farmers and Merchants debit cards were used at Raceway for $49.86, $8.48, and $25.99. * * * A woman in an apartment on Citygreen Way told police over the phone her vehicle was egged sometime overnight. There was no permanent damage that she could see but she wanted a report for documentation in case there are more problems. * * * A man told police over the phone he last saw his bike at 3:03 a.m. and it was left locked to a city bike rack in the lot on Manufactures Road and Cherokee Boulevard. When he returned 12 hours later, both the rack and his bike were gone. Someone would have had to unbolt the bike rack to get it off the lot. * * * A Speedway employee at 1330 E 3rd St. asked to have a white male removed from the property. The man was found on E. 3rd Street where he was also asked to leave by the manager. The man left the area and was told not to return to the business. * * * A man on Van Buren Street told police he received a phone call from an unknown person saying they were an officer and had warrants for his arrest. The officer ran the man through Watson and it didnt show any valid warrants. * * * A man on Igou Gap Road told police his Walmart Exceed Mastercard had been hacked by a company named "CLARO" that was based in the Dominican Republic. The man canceled the card and ordered a new one. * * * A woman told police her wallet with her keys attached had been stolen and her credit/debit cards had been used multiple places for multiple transactions. She believes her wallet was taken from her work at Belk at Northgate Mall. Her Georgia drivers license and social security card were also in her wallet, along with various rewards cards for places. The woman said a transaction on her Bank of America credit card had been made at Walmart at 490 Greenway View Dr. Walmart loss prevention were able to assist police and track down the transaction for the amount and time shown on the womans transaction history. Police were able to get pictures of two black males who were using the womans card for payment at a self-checkout. Police were also able to get a picture of the vehicle the two men arrived in however, no tag could be made out on camera. The Walmart transaction was for $29.05. The suspects then attempted to use the card 20-minutes later, next door at City Gear for $169.34. Police spoke with employees there who remembered and said one of the same men police had a picture of was the one who made that purchase. Photos of the suspects and vehicle will be sent out to CPD Sworn for possible identification. The woman said all her cards had been turned off and she was going through the process of reporting her ID and social stolen. * * * A woman at Family Dollar at 4749 Highway 58 told police her vehicle was parked in the parking lot and when she returned, she had some small dents in the passenger side door. An officer watched camera footage to attempt to see what caused the damage. However, there was no video footage of how the damage happened. * * * A woman on Sunrise Lane told police she was parked in front of an apartment complex when a black male exited his vehicle with a firearm in hand and once she put her arm out of the window, he put his firearm in his pocket. When he made contact with her, he told her the parking was reserved for residents and for her to move her vehicle. She did so without incident. The woman said the man didnt point the firearm at her, nor threaten her with it at any point. She was simply alarmed that he had it and she was trying to pick up her son from her friend's house. The woman was able to pick up her son and leave. * * * An anonymous caller asked police to do a wellness check on Tacoa Avenue. Police spoke with both residents inside who said they were fine and didnt need any assistance. * * * A woman on Cowart Street said a neighbor had captured footage of homeless people in the area using buckets to take water from her exterior faucets. She described a black female with black shorts and gray shirt. An officer checked the area and didnt find anything. * * * A man on Gunbarrel Road told police over the phone he hears folks talking about killing him. He couldnt be specific as to who was saying this. He fears that someone will try to kill him when he sleeps. The man also told police he was carrying a gun. He said he has not been committing crimes because Barrack Obama told him not to. The man also said government officials have been following him. The officer asked the man how they could help him and he didnt have an answer for that question. When the officer said it sounded like he might have an issue that needs to be addressed with his state of mind he became offended and refused offered help. The man was homeless and sleeps in the Gunbarrel area and according to him works at Captain D's and Cheddars. * * * An officer was working an extra-job for CHA and on normal patrol saw a man walking on 25th Street Court. The officer didnt recognize the man as a resident and went to speak with him. As police pulled up, the man took off running. The man, described as an 18-22-year-old black male, approx. 5'07" wearing a white hat, white shirt, and black shorts, ran up to 25th Street Court, ran down 6th Avenue, and then to 26th Street Court and then police lost sight of him. Police checked housing cameras and the man ran to the 2200 block of 25th Street Court to a common hallway that contained four units. Police checked the area and didnt see him again. * * * Police met with loss prevention personnel at Walmart at 501 Signal Mountain Road who had a shoplifter in the office who admitted to tag swapping merchandise when confronted. They were able to retrieve all merchandise. They declined prosecution at this time. * * * A woman on Douglas Street told police one of her roommates allowed another woman to stay at the apartment. Per the woman, the other woman doesn't stay at the apartment at this time. As per apartment policy, guests are only allowed to stay for no more than two days. The woman and her other roommate are attempting to tell the other woman she is no longer allowed to stay with them. The woman said the other woman threatened her and her other roommate with physical violence after she left the apartment earlier in the night. The woman is scared the other woman will come back and "lay hands" on her. The other woman does have a copy of the apartment key. * * * A man on Garnett Avenue told police over the phone he had left his wife's vehicle parked on the street in front of their house and later discovered there was two-foot-wide hole toward the top of the back windshield. He's not sure how it happened since there were no storms during the night. * * * A man at Hampton Inn and Suites at 400 Chestnut St. told police over the phone he was in town for a recruiting conference and had parked his government 2023 Ford F150. When he returned to his truck, he found driver's side damage across the truck from an unknown source. He needed a report made to forward to his supervisor. * * * A woman told police she had left her gun in a rental car she had returned. She contacted the rental company, Thrifty Rental on Shepherd Road, and they told her the gun was not found in the vehicle, but that the vehicle had been rented since then and returned. The gun was entered into NCIC. * * * The night clerk at Mapco at 200 Browns Ferry Road told police over the phone a black female entered into business and proceeded to engage in a verbal disorder with him for not selling her a lottery ticket. The clerk explained she didnt have the necessary documents to purchase the lottery ticket. He said she left the area, and later returned to engage in a further argument with him. The clerk said her actions prevented him from being able to effectively provide business to other patrons. She left and the clerk called police. He will call again if she returns. The queen 'understood' the concept of texting, but not another major part of having a cell phone, according to a royal author. Queen Elizabeth IIs calling. The late monarch had and used her own cell phone. Who the queen called the most, what about cell phones she didnt quite get, and whose calls she always answered. Queen Elizabeth had a hack-proof cell phone Queen Elizabeth II | Underwood Archives/Getty Images The queens cell phone went way beyond average. After all, this was the queen of the United Kingdom. It wasnt gold or diamond-encrusted to rival the crown jewels. Rather, it came equipped with some serious tech. The queens phone was among the most advanced in the world, per royal author Brian Hoey, (via Express). Queen Elizabeth apparently has a mobile phone which is said to be a Samsung packed with anti-hacker encryption by MI6 so nobody can hack into her phone, Jonathan Sacerdoti, a royal expert and author, said on Royally Obsessed before the monarch died in September 2022. In Gyles Brandreths book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, the author shared that her obliging grandchildren were tutors, saying they were ready to show her how it worked, (via Daily Mail). And while certain parts of using a phone clicked, others didnt. She understood texting, though was rather defeated by apps, Brandreth wrote. And she did not allow her grandchildren to bring their devices to the dining table, under any circumstances. As for charging the phone, the task supposedly fell to the queens assistant. The queens frequent call list included her racing manager and Princess Anne Apparently, the queen has two people who she speaks to the most on her phones, Sacerdoti continued. The two people she phones the most are said to be her daughter, Princess Anne, and her racing manager, John Warren. The queen, known in life for her love of horses and dogs picked up Warrens calls. If he calls, she answers, Sacerdoti said. He is the son-in-law of the queens friend, the late Earl of Carnarvon. And his home was Highclere Castle in Berkshire, which viewers of TV may know better as Downton Abbey. Per the Mirror, Warrens considered one of the worlds leading horsemen who oversaw all of the queens racing and breeding interests. Queen Elizabeth didnt like how cell phones changed her experience of greeting the public Queen Elizabeth II | Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images Although Queen Elizabeth used her cell phone, she wasnt a fan of how technology impacted her walkabouts, also known as when royals greet crowds. According to author Ian Lloyd, the queen, who began greeting members of the public on walkabouts in the 1970s, felt phones made the experience less personal. In the digital era, she missed that eye contact, with mobile phones thwarting that genuine connection, Lloyd said. The author continued, saying instead of faces, the queen saw cameras. People would just hold up their camera phones or, even worse, their iPads, so she would be faced with a wall of screens, he explained. They just want to record the moment rather than experience it, which is a shame. After the queen died, members of the royal family have engaged in more selfie-taking on walkabouts. Believed to be frowned upon during the queens reign, Prince William and Kate Middleton are among those who have posed for photos. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close During his tenure as Oklahomas governor, Kevin Stitt has been at odds with tribes, including the Cherokee Nation. Israel to review visa policy for Evangelical Christian organizations amid concern Israel is reassessing its visa policies for Evangelical Christian organizations, including the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, after years of restrictions. The move follows a surge in visa denials for Evangelical clergy and comes against a backdrop of rising tensions between religious communities in the country. Israeli authorities are in talks to establish new visa procedures for permanent staff of Christian organizations like the ICEJ, Bridges for Peace and Christians United for Israel, Al-Monitor reported, citing a spokesperson for the Israel Population and Immigration Authority. Founded in 1980, the ICEJ has a small permanent staff of 40 in Jerusalem and is involved in various charitable and resilience-building projects in Israel. However, the organization has faced difficulties obtaining staff visas since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Israeli authorities have also ceased issuing clergy visas for the group as the Israeli Ministry of Interior recently stated that the ICEJ does not meet the criteria to be considered a religious organization. "We are slowly being squeezed out of existence by the [Israeli] Interior Ministry," David Parsons, the group's vice president, told Haaretz. Parsons met with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen four months ago, but the situation remained unchanged. He told The Jerusalem Post that Israeli authorities had offered volunteer visas with strict limitations instead of work or clergy visas. Eyal Siso, a senior official at the foreign ministry, was recently appointed director general of Israel's Population and Immigration Authority. Siso is pushing for policy changes, possibly retaining the volunteer visa but waiving the requirement for a six-month stay abroad between visas, according to Al-Monitor, which says the ICEJ is seeking a long-term solution. The visa issue occurs amid rising violence against Christian sites and clergymen in Israel. President Isaac Herzog recently visited the Haifa Stella Maris monastery, a target of ultra-Orthodox youngsters. Last Friday, thousands of Orthodox Christians were denied access to the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor due to alleged fire risks, despite prior agreements. Rev. Jerry Pillay, secretary general of the World Council of Churches, said in a statement this week that the denial of worship and constraints on Christian life in Israel are unacceptable. "The World Council of Churches calls upon the Government of Israel to allow Christian worship and community events to proceed freely, and to protect the rights of religious freedom for all people," Pillay said. Other Evangelical organizations have also faced visa difficulties, leaving advocates puzzled given the historically strong relations with Israel's right-wing governments. Christians make up about 2% of Israel's population, with 75.8% being Arab Christians, according to a report by the Central Bureau of Statistics. Lawmakers from Israel's United Torah Judaism party had proposed a bill criminalizing Christian evangelism, which Netanyahu said in March would not pass. Existing laws already restrict evangelizing to minors and offer jail time for financial incentives for conversion. Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa reported a rise in attacks in the Christian quarter, attributing it to radical Jewish extremists. During Easter Holy week, the number of people allowed in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was reduced from 10,000 to 1,800, citing safety concerns. American Christianity just got an engine boost of Gospel commitment I believe that historians of American Christianity, looking back two decades from now, will identify Aug. 22, 2023, as a truly significant day in the history of 21st century Christianity in America. Why? On Aug. 22, 2023, Dr. David Dockery gave his Convocation Address, having been inducted as the 10th president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS) in Ft. Worth, Texas. Dr. Dockerys address is of pivotal significance for two reasons. First, SWBTS is an institution of critical importance to the future of the largest Protestant denomination in America, the Southern Baptist Convention. Founded in 1908, SWBTS has over the past 115 years become one of the two flagship theological seminaries among Southern Baptists, along with Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) in Louisville, Kentucky, founded in 1858. In addition to SWBTS and SBTS, Southern Baptists operate four additional official seminaries: New Orleans Baptist Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Seminary (Wake Forest, North Carolina), Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (Kansas City) and Gateway Baptist Seminary (Ontario, California). And while all six seminaries have played, and do play, a significant role in Southern Baptist life, historically, SWBTS and SBTS have been the flagpole institutions, with SBTS being the lead institution east of the Mississippi River and SWBTS fulfilling that role west of that great river. For example, I am a graduate of New Orleans Baptist Seminary, but being a native Texan who grew up in Southern Baptist churches in the Lone Star state, I, like most Texas Baptists, consider myself a Southwesterner and SWBTS as my seminary in a very proprietary sense. Until I was a college senior I never even considered going somewhere besides SWBTS for my theological training (I believe God sent me to New Orleans seminary so I could meet my wife of 52 years who I met on my 23rd birthday in the seminary cafeteria best birthday I ever had.) It is doubtful that the Southern Baptist Convention can continue to be the driving engine that it has been historically in Evangelical American Christianity unless SWBTS is thriving, pledging deep allegiance to core biblical values, and committing to serving the local New Testament church. In other words, what happens in Ft. Worth reverberates throughout North America and beyond. Where Dr. Dockery made his declaration of commitment to first Gospel principles is truly strategically important. The second reason Dr. Dockerys address is a truly significant moment in American Evangelical Christianity is provided by the content of his address namely what he said. So, what did he say? He began by revealing that this academic year commences his 40th year of service in theological higher education (in the interest of full disclosure, 40 years ago I offered Dr. Dockery his first full-time professorial appointment at Criswell College and he has been making me look good ever since). Dr. Dockery declared at the outset of his message that he was leading SWBTS to a basic reaffirmation of the foundations of the historic Christian faith, once delivered to the saints. As SWBTS president, he declared, each day, each week, each month, each semester, and each year SWBTS will be seeking to fulfill its primary mission of providing theological education which encourages the priority of the Great Commandment and the fulfillment Great Commission. Dockery acknowledges that theology can be threatening or suspicious to some because in church history it has been the path down which some have traveled to open the door to liberalism, heterodoxy, or wrongheaded thinking or practice. He acknowledged that Christians must never allow theology to devolve into some kind of intellectual aloofness or uncommitted intellectual curiosity, which, as Francis Schaeffer warned in The God Who is There, can wrongly become some kind of game or mere intellectual exercise. Such past abuses must not turn us away from theology, which derives from two Greek words, logos (words) and Theos (God), i.e. words about God. Dockery contends that theology done correctly is essential for the transmission of the Christian faith and is foundational, fundamental, and basic for theological education. At its most elemental level theology in essence is thinking rightly about God. In this foundational role, all Christians are theologians. Dockery correctly emphasizes: [T]he Christian faith is much more than a personal and subjective experience. While Christian faith is an active and dynamic dependence on God for our daily walk with Him, a full understanding of the Christian faith recognizes that it is also the body of truth delivered to the saints once and for all (Jude 3). Thus, our understanding of the Christian faith certainly includes belief in, but it is also imperative to recognize that it includes belief that. By this we mean that our relationship with Jesus Christ comes about by believing and trusting in Him, but we must not fail to recognize that this Jesus is . . .the Jesus recognized by the apostles as the Christ, the Son of the living God; as the one who is the radiance of Gods glory and the exact representation of Gods being (Matt 16; Heb 1). Thus, both the personal and the propositional understandings of Christian faith are necessary. While acknowledging that academic and public theology have a rightful place in seminary education, theologys primary focus at Southwestern remains the church, and should be carried out primarily by ecclesial theologians, helping others reflect biblically and historically on the Triune God, His Word, His Work, His Will, and His world in order to prepare for a life of walking with God, worshiping and serving God, as well as serving others. Dockery references an important new study The Great Dechurching. Whos Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back by Jim Davis, Michel Graham and Ryan P. Burge, which details how Evangelical Christianity in America has experienced unprecedented decline since the early 1990s and has actually returned to the same percentage of adherents Evangelicals had in the 1970s prior to their surge of growth during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Dockery quite correctly identifies that our failure to emphasize serious discipleship, worldview formation, and the importance of theology ... as the culture has become more secularized, polarized and confused has played a major role in Evangelical decline. Consequently, President Dockery proclaimed and pledged: We take seriously our responsibility at Southwestern to set before the church and the world the pattern of Christian truth, which is grounded in the inspired and inerrant Word of God, which depends on the regenerated mind, and which exposes the radical difference between Christianity and the insufficient worldviews and philosophies. I cannot speak for others, but for myself and my house, as a seven-decade Southern Baptist and a professing Evangelical, as I heard Dr. Dockerys convocation address, I smiled and even amened a few times. Speaking as one devoted Southern Baptist, Dr. Dockerys address exemplified and embodied what I envisioned when I first participated in the Conservative Resurgence starting in 1979 and I could not be more pleased that SWBTS is under such dedicated and capable leadership. I can also assure you that none of the six Southern Baptist seminary presidents in office in 1979 either could have or alternatively would have, delivered the address given by Dr. Dockery on August 22nd. Never have Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, Americans, and the world more needed such dedication and piety. May Dockerys and SWBTSs tribe increase, and may God bless their efforts to serve Christ and His Church. American nurse kidnapped in Haiti forgives abductors: 'Jesus is always willing to forgive' Alix Dorsainvil, an American Christian nurse kidnapped from the school of Christian education ministry El Roi Haiti and released this month, has spoken out in a public video saying she "holds no grudges" against her kidnappers and forgives them. Dorsainvil and her daughter, who are New Hampshire residents, were abducted on July 27 near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In an Aug. 17 YouTube video posted on the El Roi Haiti website, Dorsainvil shared a message in the native Haitian language of Creole in which she offered sentiments of forgiveness to those who abducted her and remarks of gratitude to those who had prayed for her release. "For the gangsters, I have a message for you. I want you guys to know that everything I said during my time in captivity was sincere. They were not the manipulative words of someone desperate to escape, but simply the truth, especially when I told you my clinic doors are always open to you or anyone in need when you're sick or wounded, without any problem," said Dorsainvil, addressing the group of armed men who kidnapped her and held her captive for two weeks. "I understand now why that doesn't seem like a possibility for you guys. But, if it were up to me, I would care for you without any prejudice and receive you with open arms. I want you to know that I hold no grudges against you in my heart," she continued. "That doesn't mean that I agree with what you are doing, especially what you are doing against your own Haitian brothers and sisters, because even if ransom is paid and the victims are released, this particular event leaves a scar in their heart. That will never go away." Dorsainvil is a devout Christian who married the founder of El Roi Haiti, Sandro Dorsainvil, in 2021. She has been traveling to Haiti since 2010 and has worked as a nurse at the school since 2020. Dorsainvil was taking care of the needs of patients in a tiny brick clinic when a swarm of armed men abducted her and her daughter away from the campus, according to The Associated Press. Although it remains unclear whether a ransom was given for her freedom, Dorsainvil was freed from captivity on Aug. 8. The U.S. Department of State, which worked with Haitian counterparts to secure the release, has not confirmed if a ransom was paid. "We have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas," a State Department spokesperson said in a statement. "As you can imagine, these individuals have been through a very difficult ordeal, both physically and mentally." In the week following her and her daughter's release, Dorsainvil's husband reported that the two were not harmed and are in healthy condition. El Roi Haiti wrote that the release of their founder's wife and daughter displayed how faithful God can be when powerful prayers are sent His way. "We are so thankful for everyone who joined us in prayer and supported us during this crisis," the nonprofit ministry wrote. "We praise God that He has proven Himself faithful as He restores, supports, and strengthens Alix and her family, the ministry of El Roi Haiti, and the community that Alix has impacted and continues to impact with her ministry in Haiti." Speaking directly to her former abductors, Dorsainvil also shared in her recent video that she believes that their actions towards her were all a part of an effort to fill "a void" in their hearts that she said can only truly be filled through Jesus Christ. "I understand that all of you are in search for happiness, satisfaction, money, power and status to fill the void in your hearts; like a hole in your heart, an empty space within your heart, and you're searching for all those things as a way to try to fill that hole, that empty space. But, I want you to know that those things will never truly satisfy you," Dorsainvil said. "They will never fill the void in your hearts. The only way for this hole to be filled is with the love of Jesus Christ. Jesus is always willing to forgive you, no matter what you have done. All you need to do is accept that love." Dorsainvil noted that if her abductors were to truly accept Jesus' love, every part of their hearts that feels empty and every hole in their hearts would be filled. "Every part of your heart that feels like something is missing will be filled with His joy, peace and love in a way you never could have imagined. And you'll realize that all the things that you've been chasing are nothing," Dorsainvil said. "That's my message for you. I love you in Christ and one day, I hope to hug you in Heaven." When Dorsainvil was held captive, hundreds of Haitians joined together to protest the kidnapping in the streets near El Roi Haiti's campus. At the start of her video, Dorsainvil detailed that she was unaware she was being prayed for during her captivity, but she could still feel the prayers of many people on her behalf. "To all my friends in Haiti, thank you so much to everyone who was praying for me. And for all those who stood up and marched demanding my freedom, thank you so much," Dorsainvil said. "God granted me courage and strength. This is a result of all of your prayers. So, thank you so much. While in there, a gangster came in and said: 'Nurse Alix, the people of Duvivier are marching for you.' This encouraged me a lot because I knew you were standing with me during that difficult time," she continued. "Thank you because it took a lot of courage for you to do that. Thank you so much. God is faithful and God is great. God was with me and He never left me." After the assassination of former Haitian President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Haiti has endured rising political tensions and increased violence among the Haitian population. Gang violence and crime have skyrocketed and continue to terrorize the Caribbean country which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic to its east. As her video concluded, Dorsainvil delivered a final message to the Haitian population. "Despite what has happened to me, my love for you all, my love for Haiti, has not changed or gone away. I may need some time to pray and seek God's direction because I cannot take one step out of God's will," Dorsainvil said. "If it were uniquely my decision, I'd be working in the clinic today. But, I know I have undergone a lot of trauma, emotional trauma and I need to take some time to heal. But, I would like to come back, to be there for you, and to support you in Christ. Thank you very much," she added. "Have a good day. Hang in there. I know that Haiti is very difficult in these times. I know. But, God hears you. Don't give up faith. OK? Goodbye." The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington was celebrated Saturday by a large crowd and prominent speakers on the National Mall. We cant give up, because theres a moment in time when change comes, said Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., who led the march on August 28, 1963. We have to celebrate the small victories. If youre not grateful, you will undermine your progress, too. Thousands of people gathered between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial for the commemoration of the march and Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech, which came two days before the exact anniversary of the march. The King familys Drum Major Institute partnered with the Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network to set up the event. President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the official march anniversary on Monday. A person holds an image of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as they listen to speakers during the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington, said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot. Many speakers at Saturdays event focused on the progress made toward racial equality since 1963 but also emphasized the amount of work left to be done. Sharpton said he always honored the March on Washington anniversary following a promise he made to Coretta Scott King and her eldest son, Martin III, in 2000. The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) I never thought that 23 years later, Martin and I, with Arndrea, would be doing a march and wed have less [civil rights protections] than we had in 2000, Sharpton told the crowd, also mentioning Martin IIIs wife, Arndrea Waters King. Sharpton and his National Action Network have been fixtures at events across the country following police killings of Black people. Hes spoken at numerous anniversary events throughout the years, including alongside then-President Barack Obama in 2013 for the 50th anniversary. Prior to the speeches, leaders including Sharpton met with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke to discuss ongoing racial injustice and attempts to limit voting rights, among other issues. The crowd at Saturdays event was notably smaller than the original March, which filled the Mall. But those on the ground remained inspired. I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now, said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today. With News Wire Services Library group claims 'book banning' at record high as parents oppose sexually explicit books in schools The American Library Association has claimed that efforts to ban or restrict books in school libraries are on the rise amid parents' concerns about sexually explicit material depicting child sex and pedophilia. The ALA reported the data on Friday in a press release in advance of Banned Books Week, a September event that raises awareness about frequently challenged books. Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, the organization documented 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources, aimed at 1,651 titles; more than 70% of the attempts sought to ban multiple titles. According to the ALA, the ban attempts are "on track to exceed record counts from 2021," when 729 attempts were made that targeted 1,597 book titles. The unprecedented number of challenges were seeing already this year reflects coordinated, national efforts to silence marginalized or historically underrepresented voices and deprive all of us young people, in particular of the chance to explore a world beyond the confines of personal experience, ALA President Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Lozada stated in the press release. Librarians develop collections and resources that make knowledge and ideas widely available, so people and families are free to choose what to read. Though its natural that we want to protect young people from some of lifes more difficult realities, the truth is that banning books does nothing to protect them from dealing with tough issues. Instead, it denies young people resources that can help them deal with the challenges that confront them, she added. The ALA did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment. Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for education studies at the socially conservative Family Research Council, told The Christian Post that she believes the ALAs characterization of parents' concerns over the content available in school libraries is unfair and self-serving. She believes the organization is promoting itself as oppressed when its responsible for the systems that influence the reading materials provided to children. And the fact that they can tolerate no parental input on that whatsoever, I think, says all you need to know, Kilgannon said. Pelayo-Lozada asserted in the ALA's statement that efforts to prevent libraries from providing certain books are more about politics than they are about protecting children. Library professionals trust individuals to make their own decisions about what they read and believe, Pelayo-Lozada continued. ALA and our partners in the Unite Against Book Bans campaign are asking readers everywhere to stand with us in the fight against censorship. Kilgannon, however, asserted that no one is banning books like the ALA claims, noting that parents are free to access the materials elsewhere and put them in front of their children. No one who's concerned about whether or not public dollars should be spent to purchase sexual content for children is suggesting that sexual content be banned, she said. We're simply asking the question, what is the appropriate use of public resources and what is the responsibility of education experts in making those judgments, and can parents be involved? Kilgannon added that schools can determine at the local level whether a book should be removed from the library or placed in a restricted section. I think that good people can come together and come up with a system that allows for this very thing to be determined by each school and each school board, any school district in the country, Kilgannon said. That's why we have local control in schools. In a statement to The Associated Press, ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone, said most of the books attracting controversy focus on LGBT subjects and racism. Some of the more heavily criticized books include Maia Kobabes Gender Queer and Jonathan Evisons Lawn Boy, which contain graphic sexual content and promote pedophilia. During a Fairfax County Public School board meeting last year in Virginia, a mother pointed to the sexually explicit and graphic images depicted in these books. Both titles were available in the districts high school libraries. The mother, Stacy Langton, pointed out that both books depict sexual acts, with one describing a fourth-grade boy performing fellatio on an adult man. The other contains detailed illustrations of a man having sex with a boy. I cant wait to have your c*** in my mouth. I am going to give you the b*** j** of your life and then I want you inside me, Langton read aloud from Gender Queer. She then read from Lawn Boy: What if I told you I touched another guys d***? What if I told you I sucked it? I was 10 years old, but its true. I s***** Doug Gobles d***, the real estate guy, and he s***** mine too. A school board member advised Langton to watch her mouth, reminding her that there are children in the audience here. The mother argued that the library containing these titles is not an oversight on the part of the school. Last August, other parents spoke during a Carmel Clay School Board meeting in Indiana about several books made available to students that contain pornographic sex scenes and promoted gender confusion and transgenderism. In July, the Miami-Dade County School Board reversed its initial decision to adopt two sex education textbooks for middle schools and high schools after parents objected to how the books discussed gender identity, contraception and abortion. District incentivized teachers to attend webinar with doctor who promotes sex surgeries for kids One of Californias largest school districts reportedly offered financial rewards to teachers who attended a webinar with advocates who encourage children with gender dysphoria to receive cross-sex hormones or undergo body-altering surgeries. The Los Angeles Unified School District invited teachers to attend a webinar last week titled The Wellbeing of Sexual and Gender Diverse Girls in exchange for three Continuing Education credits and hours to use towards salary points, The Daily Wire reported. The Los Angeles Unified School District did not immediately respond to The Christian Posts request for comment. The webinar featured Aydin Olson-Kennedy, a female licensed clinical social worker who identifies as a man, and her spouse, Johanna Olson-Kennedy. Johanna Olson-Kennedy is the medical director of The Center for Transyouth Health at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, and she has been providing cross-sex hormones and other medical interventions to trans-identified youth and adults for 16 years. She is also a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, an organization that promotes transgender health to its professional and student members. The couple presented alongside one of the school districts diversity officers during the webinar. While the content of the webinar is unclear, the couples advocacy work is available to the public. According to an archived GenderTrender post from August 2015, Aydin Olson-Kennedy requested members of the trans community donate funds for a double mastectomy procedure for a child with Down syndrome in a hospitals intensive care unit. The child, named Sky, could not read or write on her own, so her mother had to write the fundraising requests for her. The report also shared a screenshot of a 2015 commercial disclosure that showed Aydin Olson-Kennedy and her wife have ties to Endo International Pharmaceutical, which markets the types of hormones they reportedly provide to trans-identifying individuals, including minors. Johanna Olson-Kennedy is the co-author of a study facilitated by the National Institutes of Health and published by The New England Journal of Medicine in January. The study examined the psychosocial outcomes of experimental sex hormones on 315 youths after two years. The participants ages ranged from 12 to 20, and the youth identified as trans or nonbinary. As journalist Brandon Showalter wrote in a February CP op-ed, two participants committed suicide, which the study documented as adverse events. Showalter also highlighted a progress report detailing a 5-year NIH grant, which was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request. The NIH awarded a $5.7 million grant, which started in 2015, to study the impact of early medical treatment in transgender youth. The unearthed report revealed that mid-way through this study, Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy, one of the grants awardees, lowered the age for the cross-sex hormone cohort inclusion criteria from 13 years old to 8, Showalter wrote. In a video published in March 2019 on YouTube, Johanna Olson-Kennedy is heard discussing how some teen girls with gender dysphoria undergo surgery to remove their breasts. The video was reportedly recorded at the "Professional Symposium" convened by the "Gender Spectrum" in July 2018. In the recording, she suggests that girls who later regret undergoing a double mastectomy can simply obtain breast implants. The invitation for teachers to attend the webinar featuring the pair of advocates is not the first time LAUSD has received attention for encouraging its teachers to promote LGBT issues. Last July, Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the conservative think tank Manhattan Institute, shared documents he obtained from the school district's Human Relations, Diversity, and Equity Department on X, formerly known as Twitter. "Los Angeles Unified School District encourages kindergartners to experiment with non-binary pronouns, trains teachers to subvert 'mainstream white cis-heteropatriarchy society,' and promotes sexual identities such as 'trans,' 'pansexual,' 'two-spirit,' and 'genderqueer,'" Rufo tweeted. Other documents included a "Queer and Trans-Affirming School Calendar" titled "Queer All School Year." Its smut: Kid reads sexually graphic book he got from school library to school board members An 11-year-old boy gained national attention after he spoke at a school board meeting where he read aloud from a sexually graphic book that his father said was displayed at his son's middle school library. At a meeting of the Windham Raymond School District RSU14 on Feb. 15, student Knox Zajac read from the school library book Nick and Charlie by Alice Oseman, which was marked as inappropriate for children under the age of 14. Nevertheless, Knox was able to check out the book, which has a plot centered on two teenage boys sexually experimenting with each other, and read it aloud to school board members. My back over my hips. I asked if he should take his clothes off. He was saying yes before I finished my sentence. Hes pulling off my T-shirt, laughing when I cant undo his shirt buttons. Hes undoing my belt. Im reaching into his bedside drawer for a condom, said Knox as he read the expletive book for the record as seen in a video shared by 1776 Project PAC. Knox added, When I rented it out and showed my dad it, the librarian asked if I wanted more and if I wanted a graphic novel version. His father, Adam Zajac, told The Maine Wire that many parents just dont know whats going on in the school. What I dont understand is how we have books in the middle school library that adults would be fired for having at work, or potentially prosecuted for sharing with children given their pornographic content, said Adam Zajac. Its smut, really. Public school districts across the United States have seen passionate debates over their decision to allow sexually explicit books in school libraries and classrooms. One such book, Lawn Boy, promotes pedophilia by depicting scenes where an older man grooms an underage boy. Another book is Gender Queer, which features violent nudity and other adult content. Last November, Dearborn Public School officials announced that they were removing a couple of their sexually explicit books in response to protests by Muslim and Christian parents. These included Push by Sapphire, which features a girl being sexually abused by her father, and Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston, a sexually explicit LGBT romance story. In April of last year, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a law requiring school boards to inform parents of when books used in their kids classrooms contain sexually explicit content. According to a press release by the American Library Association last September, efforts to ban or restrict books in school libraries were increasing, with 681 attempts to ban or restrict library resources occurring during the first eight months of 2022. ALA President Lessa Kananiopua Pelayo-Lozada was quoted in the press release casting these efforts in a negative light, believing that they reflected coordinated, national efforts to silence marginalized or historically underrepresented voices. Though its natural that we want to protect young people from some of lifes more difficult realities, the truth is that banning books does nothing to protect them from dealing with tough issues. Instead, it denies young people resources that can help them deal with the challenges that confront them, she stated. Loudoun County schools to require parental notification before exposing kids to sexually explicit content The Loudoun County School Board in Virginia, which has faced parent protests in recent years that have garnered national headlines, will now require schools to notify parents when their children may be exposed to sexually explicit material. The Washington, D.C., suburban area school board adoptedPolicy 5055 Tuesday, requiring "parental notification of instructional materials with sexually explicit content." The policy seeks to bring the school district into compliance with the Virginia Department of Education's model policies relating to instructional materials with sexually explicit content enacted this year. Policy 5055 states: "At least thirty days prior to the intended use of any instructional materials with sexually explicit content, schools shall provide notice to parents that (i) specifically identifies the instructional materials with sexually explicit content, (ii) informs parents of their right to review such instructional materials, and (iii) informs parents of their right to have their child use, in a non-punitive manner, alternative, instructional materials that do not include sexually explicit content." The policy identified course syllabi, email notices, newsletters and "learning management systems" as methods for informing parents of the impending use of sexually explicit material as part of the school curriculum. The policy defines such content as "(i) any description of or (ii) any picture, photograph, drawing, motion picture film, digital image or similar visual representation depicting sexual bestiality, [or] a lewd exhibition of nudity," "sexual excitement, sexual conduct or sadomasochistic abuse" and "coprophilia, urophilia, or fetishism." The policy authorizes the creation of a "current list of instructional materials with sexually explicit content intended to be used in classroom instruction, by grade and subject on the LCPS website." Before creating the list, the school district will review materials to determine whether they contain content that could be regarded as sexually explicit. As The Christian Post reported, Virginia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 656, signed into law by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin in April. The law ordered the Virginia Department of Education to formulate model policies for school boards across the state to emulate regarding "parental notification of any instructional material that includes sexually explicit content" by July 31. It required individual school districts to adopt such policies by Jan. 1, 2023. Concerned parents have descended on school board meetings in Virginia and the United States in recent years to oppose books and other materials in school libraries and curricula they believe include sexually explicit content. One book, Gender Queer, has garnered particular outrage for its graphic depiction of a minor performing oral sex on an adult male. In neighboring Fairfax County, Virginia, parent Stacy Langton addressed the school board to condemn the inclusion of Gender Queer and the book Lawn Boy at high school libraries in the largest school district in the state. While the school district shelved the books to conduct a review, it ultimately reinstated them last November. Last year, Loudoun County School Board enacted a policy allowing trans-identified students to use bathrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity instead of their biological sex. The policy also requires teachers to refer to trans-identified students by their preferred pronouns and names. Policy 8040 was enacted despite parents' concerns about a boy wearing a skirt having sexually assaulted a girl in a district high school bathroom. At a heated school board meeting where the board was hearing comments on the proposed Policy 8040, the school district maintained that no such assaults had occurred in school bathrooms. However, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office insisted that district leadership knew of the assault. A local news outlet obtained an email written by Superintendent Scott Ziegler informing school board members on the day of the assault that "a female student alleged that a male student assaulted her in the restroom" earlier that day. The perpetrator of the spring 2021 sexual assault went on to commit an additional assault at another high school in the district, where he was transferred following the first assault. The second incident occurred after the approval of the bathroom policy. Loudoun County Public Schools also made headlines in 2021 for suspending a Christian teacher who voiced concern about proposed policy 8040, specifically its requirement for teachers to address students by their preferred names and pronouns. Leesburg Elementary School teacher Byron "Tanner" Cross stood before the school board to say that he could not in good conscience comply with the policy because of its direct contradiction with the tenets of his Christian faith. He was placed on leave shortly after that but reinstated as part of a court settlement. Parental outrage over the inclusion of sexually explicit material, LGBT ideology and racial elements in school curricula has sparked national grassroots movements to elect school board candidates who will oppose such ideologies. In Loudoun County, the Broad Run district elected Tiffany Polifko as its school board member last month. Polifko's campaign website highlighted her concerns about "the increase of political and ideological influence in [the] curriculum" and the promotion of "ideas, attitudes, and opinions that may be in direct conflict with parent values." Polifko's victory comes a year after Youngkin won the Virginia gubernatorial race over his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe. Some pundits believe the debate over parental rights in education played a significant role in Youngkin's victory after McAuliffe made national headlines for suggesting that he doesn't "think parents should be telling schools what they should teach." Why we must rethink our modern missions model The world and its geo-political sensitivities are far different from the last century. While industries, businesses and politicians have to contend with phenomenal changes, it appears that Western churches and missions are unwilling to adapt to the complex new realities. Take, for example, the lingo used by missions organizations. Many still use old language which triggers deep hostilities and violence against Christians. Terms like conversion or unreached people groups cause great trouble. The Western world also needs to take an honest look at the steady decline of the Western Church. Western Christians need to acknowledge that their mission models are not working within their own cultures. Churches are increasingly lost in the bubble of their own Christian subcultures. The question arises: How can a church that has not addressed its own serious decline think they have a model for the rest of the world? Slogans such as discipling a nation, coming from a Western church, are tone-deaf in that many of the churches working toward this agenda have not even discipled their own neighbors. People in the majority of the world live in complex communities such as their place of employment, extended families, and tribes. It is within these domains where we need to see Christian discipleship, beyond just ones identity as an individual, which remains a supreme value in the Western world. Furthermore, Western missions have found it very hard to hand over power and strategy to local leaders. Various forms of neo-colonialism are still at play. Financial power is also a major stumbling block. Those who have degrees in conducting mission work need to understand that Jesus actually humbled himself, and in an inverted power paradigm shift, allowed humans to lead the church under his headship. It is still surprising to see missional organizations continue their obsession with numbers. According to some, there have been 500 million decisions for Christ in India in the last 50 years. If that were true, why do we not find that many radically transformed lives everywhere in India with a massive impact on society? Similarly, think about all the claims of decisions for Christ made in America. What is the net impact of transformed lives and communities? Where are the supposed tens of millions of genuinely transformed lives there? The simple explanation is that in todays world, a decision does not mean authentic regeneration. One reason for this sad reality is a shallow and reductionist understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that seems to pervade the West. Its time for a level set on what the power of the Gospel truly means for a world in need today. For too long weve heard preachers encourage hurting souls to accept Jesus as their savior to go to Heaven with too little regard for inter-requiem between Heaven and earth. A ticket to Heaven isnt a cure for Hell on earth for the poor, the trafficked, the disenfranchised, the suffering, and the lost in this cruel world. This error has left societies around the world with people who long to know the life, love, and presence of Jesus in order to live life here and now with only a partial version of the truth that will set them free. Many broken individuals and entire communities are crying out for God's solutions for the issues and burdens of today. For the Good News of the full Gospel to take root in the majority world, it also ought to be preached in the context of long-term relationships and societal involvement where paradigm-shifting decisions are made. These bold decisions are made collectively and not merely by individuals. We ignore the bond of tightly-knit families and cultures at our own peril in the work of being a Christian witness to a community. Put more simply: transactional Western thinking has hallowed out the full power of the Gospel in many cultures around the world. Transformational impact takes root best in a local setting, at a slower pace than is customary in the West. With that, those of us who live in the majority world must recognize that a modern missions model built around the economic, political, and cultural might of the Western world is theologically flawed and unsustainable. The culture of fast training, instant church plants and the like is one flaw of this imported model. This is simply inexcusable when we see the Spirit being poured out in the world and demonstrating remarkable miracles. It is up to the global Church to determine the new wineskins in which the new wine has to be conserved, in order that the flow of this wine continues uninterrupted. Western Christians must recognize that, in the majority world, church planting as it exists today is often seen as part of the imperial colonial political enterprise to bring about demographic changes and destabilize local cultures especially when it is carried out at the behest of foreign agencies and groups. There is a significant pushback against this in todays culture which was not there 100 years ago. We need to engage in the spread of the Gospel as the early Christian communities did, by patiently coming alongside our brothers and sisters who are trying to witness and give them the freedom and authority to witness in a way that reflects the specific needs and issues of that community. The early church did it best through the laity who reached out to their communities on a more personal and social level. Laying down community roots and building trust as men and women of peace takes time, care, and a lot of listening. Arbitrary goals and milestones, or counting conversions, must become a thing of the past. Genuine transformation within a local community is what matters, and this will more authentically draw people to the love of God. We must remember that historically the typical size of a local congregation is about 200. A multiplicity of these small congregations can transform societies if they are committed to the full Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Some Christians look to the year 2033 the 2000-year anniversary of the resurrection as the next big impetus for world evangelization with its accompanying publicity and goals. But I would encourage these believers to refocus their efforts. It would be best to spend a good degree of effort re-evangelizing the West. Perhaps it's time for Western Christian leaders to visit local Christian leaders in the majority world, learn from them, and see what God is already doing in the hearts of those there. Before you cross the ocean, you must first have credibility when you cross the street. That credibility will build, in time, when the love of Christ is displayed not as a way to get to Heaven, but as a way for Heaven to invade the earth. Franklin Graham brings message of God's love to London American evangelist Franklin Graham has returned to London for another stop on his God Loves You Tour. He will share the message of God's love at a free event at the ExCel London on Saturday night. He will be joined onstage by Christian artists CeCe Winans, The Newsboys and Michael W Smith. Graham was in the UK last year for four dates on his God Loves You tour. Thousands came to hear him speak in London, Liverpool, Sheffield and south Wales. The tour went ahead after Graham successfully challenged venues over a string of booking cancellations. Speaking ahead of Saturday's event, Graham said he was "excited" to return to the UK to preach the Gospel. "We are grateful for the thousands of Christians and hundreds of churches that have stood alongside us in recent years and continued praying for this tour to come to their cities," he said. "We saw hundreds of people turn to Jesus Christ in faith last year, and we believe this is God's timing for many more people in London and Glasgow to hear the message of God's great love for them." Another date has been scheduled for the OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, on 22 June 2024. Graham is partnering with a thousand churches around his God Loves You Tour. Rev Hany Abdelmasih, regional minister with London Baptists, said, "Last year's God Loves You Tour was a blessing to many people in London. "Churches across this city united together to invite people to hear about Jesus Christ's love and forgiveness for them and the eternal hope available in Him. "London is the place where you find the world, and it is also a place that needs the Good News of Christ proclaimed again and again. I look forward to what God will do through Rev Franklin Graham and the God Loves You Tour this year!" Doors open at the ExCel London at 6pm on Saturday 26 August. For more information, visit GodLovesYouTour.org.uk Martin Luther and the transformative power of individual conviction In the quiet town of Eisleben, Germany, in the year 1483, a baby boy named Martin Luther was born. Little did anyone know that this child would grow up to become a pivotal figure in the history of Christianity, leaving an indelible mark on the faith that has shaped Western civilisation. Luther's journey into the world of theology and religious reform began in an unexpected way. One day, while taking a solitary walk in a field, a thunderstorm erupted around him. Faced with the power and fury of nature, Luther found himself making an earnest promise to God. He vowed to become a monk if he survived the storm. Although it may have seemed like a fleeting commitment at the time, Luther would go on to honour this promise in a profound way. As a young man, Luther's path initially led him toward a career in law, following his father's wishes. However, a near-death experience during that thunderstorm lingered in his mind, and his spiritual journey took a different turn. He felt an inner calling that could not be ignored, leading him to enter the Augustinian Monastery in Erfurt, where he would dedicate his life to God. Within the walls of the monastery, Luther immersed himself in the study of the Bible, theology, and philosophy. It was here that he began to develop a deep understanding of Scripture, which would later lead him to question certain practices of the Catholic Church. One practice that troubled Luther deeply was the sale of indulgences. The Church claimed that these indulgences could grant remission of sins in exchange for monetary donations. Luther's growing understanding of the Bible led him to challenge this practice and the broader authority of the Church itself. He believed that salvation was a matter of faith alone and that the Bible should take precedence over the traditions of the Church. In 1517, Martin Luther penned his famous '95 Theses' and boldly affixed them to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. These theses were a call to debate, a challenge to the Church's practices and interpretations. Luther's ideas quickly spread, thanks in part to the advent of the printing press, the modern media of its day, which allowed his writings to reach a wider audience. This act of defiance set off a theological debate that would escalate into a full-fledged religious and social revolution. Luther's ideas resonated with many who were disheartened by the corruption and opulence of the Catholic Church. However, this bold stance led to his excommunication from the Church in 1521. Luther found refuge and support under the protection of German princes who embraced his ideas. This support allowed the Protestant movement to grow, and Luther's theological writings laid the foundation for what would become Lutheranism, one of the earliest Protestant denominations. The impact of Martin Luther on modern Christianity is immeasurable. His teachings and the Reformation he ignited set in motion a series of events that transformed the religious and cultural landscape of Europe and, ultimately, the world. The Reformation gave rise to religious pluralism, allowing individuals to explore different interpretations of Christianity and contributing to the diversity of denominations we see today. Luther's translation of the Bible into German made the Scriptures accessible to ordinary people and inspired translations into other languages, fostering a widespread practice of reading and studying the Bible. Moreover, Luther's emphasis on individual faith and conscience laid the groundwork for broader principles of individual rights and freedoms, which would influence the development of democracy. The separation of religious authority and political power, a consequence of the Reformation, contributed to the secularisation of society, paving the way for the secular societies we see today. Martin Luther's life and work stand as a testament to the transformative power of individual conviction. His legacy, from the Protestant denominations that bear his name to the principles of religious freedom and individual conscience, continues to shape modern Christianity and the world at large. Luther's journey, from a simple monk to a fearless reformer who challenged the might of the Catholic Church, reminds us that sometimes, one person's courage to question the status quo can have a profound and lasting impact on the world. Duncan Williams is outreach director for the Christian Free Press and has worked for Son Christian Media here in the UK and Recovery Network Radio in the United States. He is an ordained minister and a long-term member of Christians in Media. He provides content and syndicated news for regional publisher www.tindlenews.co.uk Nigerian court affirms right to convert from Islam to Christianity (CP) A court in northern Nigeria has granted a court order protecting an 18-year-old Christian convert from threats to her life by family members, a ruling that emphasizes the fundamental right to change religion, in this case, from Islam to Christianity. Mary Olowe, not her real name, faced death threats from her father and brothers after converting to Christianity. Her mother helped her escape to safety in a Christian community before seeking legal protection through a restraining order. According to the human rights group ADF International, a high court in Nigeria granted an order of perpetual injunction against her father and brothers. "[T]he defendants are hereby restrained from threat and attempt on the life of the applicant following her decision to change from the practice of Islam to Christianity and also not to breach her fundamental rights as to the choice of her religion or thoughts," the order states. No appeals were filed against the order. "We are relieved that Mary has found protection from these credible threats and that the court recognized her fundamental right to convert from Islam to Christianity," ADF International Legal Counsel Sean Nelson said in a statement. "This is an important decision that we pray will help others facing threats to their lives only because they came to believe in Christ." "No person should be persecuted, harassed, or threatened with death for their faith nor for converting from one faith to another," Nelson added. "Christian converts from Islam in Nigeria are often denied the ability to freely live out their faith because of targeted threats and attacks against them, even from their family members." Olowe's case comes after a 25-year-old Christian student was beaten to death last year by her Muslim classmates in Nigeria's northwestern Sokoto state. Deborah Emmanuel, a member of the Evangelical Church Winning All and a student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, was killed in May 2022 after classmates claimed a WhatsApp message she sent to a classmate during an argument was blasphemous. A Christian woman named Rhoda Ya'u Jatau was arrested in Bauchi state in May 2022 and was held incommunicado for more than four months on blasphemy charges for sharing a post on WhatsApp condemning Emmanuel's killing, Morning Star News reported at the time. The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is particularly severe, with 90% of the over 5,600 Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year being Nigerian, according to persecution watchdog group Open Doors. Christian converts from Islam, such as Mary, face significant social hostility. Egregious laws in Nigeria, including blasphemy laws, systematically punish religious minorities, ADF International noted. In its latest International Religious Freedom Report, the U.S. State Department noted a spike in deadly violence impacting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. The NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reported there were 3,953 civilian deaths from violence across the country in 2022. "There continued to be frequent violent incidents, particularly in the northern part of the country, affecting both Muslims and Christians, resulting in numerous deaths," the State Department's report on Nigeria said. "Kidnappings and armed robbery by criminal gangs increased in the South as well as the North West, the South, and the South East. The international Christian organization Open Doors stated that terrorist groups, militant herdsmen, and criminal gangs were responsible for large numbers of fatalities, and Christians were particularly vulnerable." In June 2022, gunmen stormed into St. Francis Catholic Church in the southwestern Ondo state and killed dozens. Nigerian Christians and human rights groups have voiced concerns for years that the violence carried out against predominantly Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt states by radicalized herdsmen has reached genocidal levels as thousands have been killed in recent years. However, the Nigerian government has rejected claims that the violence is influenced by religion and insists it's part of decades-old farmer-herder clashes. Additionally, data cited by the U.S. State Department suggests that violence targeting Christians accounts for a small fraction of the killings. The Christian Post A police officer fatally shot a pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting in the parking lot of an Ohio grocery store, according to a statement from authorities. The Franklin County Coroners Office identified the victim as 21-year-old Takiya Young on Friday, a day after the deadly confrontation unfolded outside a Kroger in Westerville. Officers with the Blendon Township police department were initially called to the parking lot to help a driver who was locked out of their car, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Around 6:45 p.m., they were approached by a store employee, who told them Young had just stolen several bottles of liquor. Young was inside a four-door Lexus sedan that did not have a license plate and was illegally parked in a handicapped spot, according to Blendon Township police Chief John Belford. One officer went to the drivers side window to address her while the other stood in front of the vehicle. Despite being ordered to get out of the car more than a dozen times, she refused to do so, Belford said. The woman put the car in gear and accelerated forward. The officer who was directly in the path of the oncoming car fired one shot through the front windshield. A police officer fatally shot a pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting in the parking lot of an Ohio grocery store. Belford said there is bodycam video that the department plans to release as soon as the necessary legal redactions can be made. The car kept moving and officers ran after it for about 50 feet. It then came to a stop on the sidewalk outside the store, he said. Young was taken to Mount Carmel St. Anns Hospital, where she died. According to her family, she was pregnant with her third child, a girl, and was due to give birth in November. She also has two sons, a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. The most common rude behaviours in Canada include being absorbed by your phone or being noisy in public. Thunder Bay scores poorly on a list of rudest cities. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday he had warned the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, that his life could be in danger before this weeks plane crash thats believed to have killed the mercenary leader and some of his lieutenants. Prigozhin, who led a failed rebellion against the Russian military just over two months ago, dismissed concerns raised by Lukahsenko, a loyal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, that his life could be in danger, the Belarusian leader said. Putin, who initially said anyone involved with the rebellion would suffer inevitable punishment, later changed his tone after a surprising truce deal brokered by Lukashenko. During the mutiny, Lukashenko said he warned the mercenary chief he would die if he kept marching toward Moscow. To hell with it I will die, Prigozhin answered, according to Lukashenko. He said he tried to warn him a second time, telling both Prigozhin and his close associate Dimitry Utkin to watch out. Utkin is also believed to have died after a private jet carrying Prigozhin and some of his lieutenants crashed about 60 miles north of Moscow on Wednesday. A preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence found the jet crashed following an internal explosion and that Prigozhin was very likely targeted for his role in the failed coup though the Kremlin has denied any involvement in the deadly crash. On Friday, Russian officials said any suggestions that Moscow was behind the incident are a complete lie, Reuters reported. Lukashenko also shot down any ideas the incident was orchestrated by Russia. I know Putin. I know how scrupulous, careful, delicate he is, he told reporters Friday, according to the Belarusian state-owned news agency BelTA. I dont believe he would do such a thing. And another point. It is madness for a head of state. He is no madman. BRUNSWICK, Ohio If you like to visit Honey Hut Ice Cream at 922 Pearl Road in Brunswick, this will be your last season to eat there. In Spring 2024 the location will become a Rosatis Frozen Custard. It will be the second Rosatis in Northeast Ohio. The first custard location operated by the Rosati family opened nearly 25 years ago at 95 East Aurora Road, Northfield Center. The change means that Greater Cleveland will now be home to four Honey Hut Ice Cream shops and two Rosatis Custard stands, all operated by the same extended family. Fans can be assured there are no plans to convert other Honey Hut locations. But more Rosatis Frozen Custard shops could be coming to new locations, according to Jonathan Rosati, a second-generation operator. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Larry Householder is now a federal prisoner in Oklahoma. The Federal Bureau of Prisons searchable listing of inmates for the first time either late Friday or early Saturday listed as being in an Oklahoma City federal transfer facility the name of a Larry Householder, matching the name, race and age of the former Republican Ohio House speaker. Householder was sentenced in June to 20 years in federal prison after being convicted in the largest bribery scandal in state history. U.S. District Judge Timothy Black imposed the maximum possible sentence. Householder, 64, led a scheme to secretly receive $60 million from Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp a bankroll that helped fund his political operation, execute a campaign to pass legislation worth more than $1 billion for the company, and pay off his personal debts. Householder had been held in the Butler County Jail after being convicted. A jury in March found Householder guilty of racketeering alongside FirstEnergy Solutions lobbyist Matt Borges, a former chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. Borges was sentenced to five years in prison. When Donald Trump rode that escalator into the cellar of Trump Tower for what most everyone thought was another stunt (as no one believed he was serious about really running for president, having played at it for years to get attention), he dragged politics and American democracy into the cellar with him. His xenophobic acid tongue gained him fans when he ranted about When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. He won applause for lies like, I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and Ill build them very inexpensively, I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words. We have marked his words and they have been destructive, but not nearly as much as his actions. Trump started low (beneath street level in the Trump Tower concourse a fancy word for cellar) and went lower than was possibly imagined. He was an awful president, who was tossed out by a margin of seven million votes. And then it got even worse. Instead of a normal post-presidency, receiving visitors and accolades and serving on boards, he has received four indictments for crimes related to running for office (in Manhattan), for trying to illegally keep the office after he lost (in Washington and now in Atlanta) and for retaining and exposing secret government records (in Miami). And soon enough he may not be serving on boards, but serving prison time. Now we have the shame of a mugshot and a booking number. Of course, Trump the salesman is offering shirts and other schlocky goods with his Fulton County sheriff photo on them. He was a horrible flawed man when he began his run on the afternoon of June 16 eight years ago. And he has only lowered standards and norms ever since. And hes trying to repeat it all by running again. God help the Republican Party to rid itself of its curse and God help America if it cant. During the GOP debate this week, Asa Hutchinson pointed out that More people are understanding the importance of that, including conservative legal scholars who says he may be disqualified under the 14th Amendment from being president again as a result of the insurrection. This is something that could disqualify him under our rules and under the Constitution. Heres what Hutchinson is talking about: No person shall hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath as an officer of the United States to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. If Trump is convicted for Jan. 6 crimes, a clear insurrection or rebellion, as now charged in Washington and in Georgia, he will be challenged by lawsuits to keep him off the ballot. The nightmare never ends. There were almost 2 million excess deaths in the two months after China lifted its "zero-Covid" restrictions, a U.S. study found, contradicting official figures from Beijing that have been criticized as too low. Researchers estimate there were 1.87 million excess deaths from all causes among people 30 years and older from December 2022 to January, according to the study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle published Thursday. The deaths, which were observed across all mainland Chinese provinces, except Tibet, were predominantly among older people. China's strict zero-Covid policies, which included mass testing, border closures and extended citywide lockdowns, kept Covid cases and deaths to a minimum for much of the pandemic. But when the government abruptly lifted the restrictions in December after rare mass protests across the country, the virus was unleashed on 1.4 billion people who had barely been exposed to it. The resulting wave of cases, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, brought a huge increase in hospitalizations and deaths that experts say were underreported by officials. They pointed to anecdotal evidence, as well as satellite imagery showing heightened activity at crematoriums and funeral homes. The 1.87 million figure is far higher than the official data from China, which said about 60,000 Covidrelated deaths had been recorded in health facilities from early December 2022 to Jan. 12. It is also consistent with estimates by other researchers, including a study by Zhanwei Du of the University of Hong Kong and Lauren Ancel Meyers of the University of Texas at Austin that found Covid may have killed more than 1.4 million people in China from Dec. 16, 2022 to Jan. 19. The estimate from the study released Thursday was based on obituaries published by three Chinese universities for both current and retired employees, as well as searches on Baidu, a popular Chinese internet search engine, for words such as "cremation" and "burial." "Our study of excess deaths related to the lifting of the zero-Covid policy in China sets an empirically derived benchmark estimate," the researchers wrote. "These findings are important for understanding how the sudden propagation of Covid-19 across a population may impact population mortality." The study did appear to be "close to the actual data" based on the research available so far, said Jin Dong-yan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong. The way the study estimates data is not "scientifically rigorous," but it is nonetheless an "objective" and "beneficial" attempt, Jin added. Jin said the actual data could be a few percentage points lower or higher than the study estimates. The university employees used as benchmarks by the study, most of whom are intellectuals living in cities, may be characterized by a stronger self-preparatory awareness, higher vaccination rate, and more accessible health care resources, Jin said. This could be offset since they may also have been more likely to have underlying health conditions than normal people, Jin added. "The best approach would be for the country to be honest and transparent, disclosing everything just as it was done in previous years such as 2018 and 2019," Jin said. State and federal lawmakers are pushing to regulate foreign ownership of U.S. real estate because of fears that Chinese entities are creating a national security risk by amassing swaths of U.S. farmland, some of it near sensitive sites. A review by NBC News of thousands of documents filed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, however, shows very few purchases by Chinese buyers in the past year and a half fewer than 1,400 acres in a country with 1.3 billion acres of agricultural land. In fact, the total amount of U.S. agricultural land owned by Chinese interests is less than three-hundredths of 1%. But the review also reveals a federal oversight system in which reporting of foreign ownership is lax and enforcement minimal. Any foreign individual or entity that buys or leases U.S. agricultural land is required by federal law to report the transaction to the USDA within 90 days, yet some were not reported for years in one case, more than 20 years. And in that same time period, no one has been fined more than $121,000 for failure to make such a report. NBC News was able to review filings on foreign purchases and leases of agricultural land, meaning both farm and forestry land, from 35 states since Jan. 1, 2022. The vast majority of the transactions were European wind power companies leasing land from U.S. farmers to build wind turbines. One Italian wind company disclosed 40 new leases of farmland in just one rural Illinois county. The same company had leases in at least four other states. In those 35 states, NBC News found 11 purchases by Chinese entities that had been reported to the USDA from Jan. 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Several of the disclosures were not recent sales, and at least one was a repeat of a previous disclosure. Another was not reported to the government till it had been revealed in the media. Smithfield Foods reported that it bought 186 acres in 2022 and 2023 in Missouri and North Carolina, adding to its existing U.S. portfolio of less than 128,000 acres, according to a company spokesman. Formerly a U.S. owned company, Smithfield Foods was bought by a Chinese firm in 2013. "There are important issues to be addressed between the U.S. and China," said Jim Monroe, Smithfield's vice president of corporate affairs. "Ownership of U.S. agricultural land is not one of them." Syngenta Group filed six disclosures of a total of 772 acres spread across Iowa, Florida and California, but the purchases had already been reported to the USDA when they were made under the company's former owner, a Swiss company. Syngenta was bought by a Chinese firm in 2017. Saswato Das, a spokesperson for Syngenta, told NBC News the company owns or leases a total of 6,000 acres in the U.S. Fishermen pull the seine with Baltic smelt at the pier on the Neva River in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 4, 2016. Russia hopes to increase its marine product exports to China in the wake of China's ban on Japanese seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Russia is one of the biggest marine product suppliers to China, with 894 Russian companies allowed to export seafood, Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian food safety watchdog, said in July. In a statement late on Friday, Rosselkhoznadzor said it was seeking to increase the number of exporters. "The Chinese market in general is promising for Russian fish products. We hope to increase the number of certified Russian companies and ships, the volume of products and its range," the Rosselkhoznadzor statement said. To aid that effort, Rosselkhoznadzor plans to continue dialogue with China on seafood safety issues and finish negotiations with China on regulations for Russian marine products supply to the country, the statement said. China has already banned some food imports from Japan but Thursday's total ban was prompted by concerns about the "risk of radioactive contamination" after it started releasing the treated water. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft on top is seen after sunset at Launch Complex 39A ahead of the launch of the Crew-7 mission. SpaceX launched four people to the International Space Station from Florida as Elon Musk's company begins its 11th human spaceflight mission to date. Known as Crew-7, the mission for NASA will bring the group up to the space station for a six-month stay in orbit. The mission is SpaceX's sixth operational crew launch for NASA to date, and the first of the additional missions the agency awarded SpaceX. Crew-7 launched in the early hours of Saturday morning from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, beginning a nearly one day journey to the ISS. The mission brings the number of astronauts SpaceX has launched to 42, including both government and private missions, since its first crewed launch in May 2020. Crew-7 consists of NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli as the commander, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen from Denmark as the pilot, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov as mission specialists. A combination picture shows police booking mugshots of former U.S. President Donald Trump and 11 of the 18 people indicted with him, including Ray Smith, a lawyer who previously represented Trump in Georgia, Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, former Georgia Republican Party leader Cathy Latham, Trump campaign attorney Kenneth Chesebro, former Georgia Republican Party leader David Shafer, Republican poll watcher Scott Hall, Trump's former lawyer John Eastman, Harrison Floyd and former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Former President Donald Trump said he feels some sympathy for his co-defendants in the Georgia elections case, saying their "lives are destroyed" by the criminal charges. "Those people that have been so unfairly dragged into this, these are high-quality people who don't even know why they were brought in," Trump said in an interview with Newsmax several hours after he was booked in a Georgia county jail. "Those people have to be released. They have to be released from this horrible thing that they're going through," he added. Trump is one of 19 defendants charged in a sprawling RICO indictment that accuses them of conspiring to overturn the results of the 2020 Georgia presidential election. Trump also noted that some of his co-defendants "don't have a lot of money, and some of them have almost nothing." The former president dodged a question about whether he sees his co-defendants as a "team." Trump is a billionaire, but he has not offered to contribute to the legal defense costs of the people charged alongside him in Georgia. Christina Wilkie To revitalise its struggling tourism sector, Bhutan is cutting its daily tourist fee by 50 percent. The country had initially raised its "Sustainable Development Fee" to $200 per visitor per night from $65 after ending Covid-19 restrictions in September 2022. The increased fee was intended to offset the carbon footprint generated by tourists. Bhutan is a Himalayan kingdom and is known for its pristine landscapes. It has now reduced the daily fee to $100 per night. The new rate will come into effect from September and will remain in place for a duration of four years. The government's decision is driven by the recognition of tourism's role in generating employment and adding revenues to its overall economic growth. Bhutan opened its doors to tourists in 1974, initially welcoming merely 300 visitors. However, over the years, its popularity has grown with 315,600 tourists visiting the country in 2019, which was a 15 percent rise compared to 2018. Also read: Despite the economic benefits of tourism, Bhutan has remained cautious about the potential negative impacts of mass tourism. To preserve the sanctity of its natural landscapes, the country prohibits mountain climbing. The higher tourist fee has also acted as a deterrent, allowing Bhutan to attract high net worth visitors, unlike neighbouring Nepal. In a bid to encourage more tourists, the government recently relaxed rules related to stay lengths and fees for visitors. However, the anticipated increase in tourist numbers did not rise as intended. A government spokesperson informed Reuters that that over 56,000 tourists visited Bhutan since January, with a significant proportion being from India. Indian visitors pay a reduced fee of Rs 1,200 Indian rupees ($14.5) per day due to existing agreements between the two countries. The tourism sector employs approximately 50,000 individuals and contributes around $84 million annually in foreign exchange earnings. The government's decision to lower tourist fees is expected to boost boosting tourism, while maintaining a balance with the nation's environmental and cultural priorities. In the late 1970s, Robert Callahan slept on the streets of the Bowery. He was destitute and lived with substance abuse, which made it difficult for him to secure and maintain permanent housing. At the time, there werent many options for someone like him because the state and the city did not believe that they had a legal obligation to help or house people experiencing homelessness. Callahan was experiencing homelessness before right to shelter protections were court-ordered in New York, but he became the lead plaintiff in a landmark lawsuit that would greatly improve the way unhoused New Yorkers are treated. Callahan died before the case was resolved, but his name is now shorthand for the right to shelter in New York. In 1979, the very first decision in Callahan vs. Carey cited Article XVII of the state Constitution (which mandates that New York State and its political subdivisions like the counties and New York City have a duty to provide for the aid, care and support of the needy) to find that the state and city are required to provide shelter to unhoused men, thereby enforcing the right to shelter. Subsequent rulings in other cases made it clear that the Constitution also mandates the provision of shelter to unhoused women and families.. Today, Aug. 26, marks the 42nd anniversary of the date that the court and the parties finalized the Callahan consent decree. Since then, the protections it has offered have served as an inviolable baseline of humanity and decency in our city. But on the anniversary of this landmark case, its protections are at risk. Mayor Adams asked a judge to suspend the right. And Gov. Hochul is impeding the citys ability to provide shelter by, among other things, permitting counties throughout the New York State to undermine her declaration of a state of emergency by issuing their own conflicting declarations to keep out new arrivals who desperately need shelter. Just three weeks ago we saw what happens when the government turns its back on the right to shelter: hundreds of human beings were left sleeping outside on 45th St. just across from Grand Central Terminal. That is in no ones interest. All three levels of government can and must do better, otherwise New York will soon see the emergence of vast tent encampments like we see in places like Los Angeles or San Francisco where there is no right to shelter. More Robert Callahans will end up on, and die on, our streets. We must not allow this to happen, and the right to shelter is frankly the least we can do to protect the lives and wellbeing of those without homes. It is a floor, not a ceiling. As chief attorney of the civil practice of The Legal Aid Society, which represents the Callahan plaintiffs, and as executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, the court-appointed shelter monitor in Callahan, we know firsthand just how dangerous and ill-advised attempts to overturn or undermine the right to shelter are. We also know that all three levels of government have many other viable options for addressing the migrant crisis, including expediting work authorization for new arrivals and helping secure housing for New Yorkers currently in or at risk of entering shelters. Thousands of homeless New Yorkers needlessly languish in shelters sometimes for years because the city and state are failing to address the many obstacles to accessing permanent affordable and supportive housing. Emergency shelters should be used for just that: emergencies. If more New Yorkers had access to permanent housing, we would have vastly more capacity for dealing with what is now, in fact, an emergency. Solving this situation requires effective and humane leadership from city, state, and the federal governments and, crucially, coordination among them. What it does not require, however, is a reversal of decades-old protections that have saved countless lives from being lost on our streets. Eviscerating the constitutionally-mandated right to shelter protections will relegate tens of thousands of vulnerable people, including new arrivals, to bedding down in public spaces, exposed to the elements, just as Robert Callahan was forced to do four decades ago, leading to his tragic death. Ignoring what weve learned over the past 42 years that housing is a human right, and providing it to those in need benefits all of us in the long term is a grave mistake and an abdication of our legal and moral responsibility that will only exacerbate the suffering of longtime New Yorkers and recent arrivals alike. Holder serves as chief attorney of the civil practice of The Legal Aid Society. Giffen is executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) --- The Philippines and Australia will soon hold joint patrols in the hotly contested South China Sea, it was announced by Australia's defense chief. We are working closely together, doing joint sails is something that we've been keen to pursue now for some time, said Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in a press briefing on Friday. And our two defense forces have been working closely together about how to make that happen and to do that in the most effective way, he also said. And we're really pleased with the progress of those discussions, and we expect that the first of those joint patrols will happen in the not too distant future, Marles added. Troops from the Philippines, Australia, and some reinforcements from the United States conducted on Friday a combined amphibious assault exercise in Zambales. The joint activity is part of Australias Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2023 program, where it seeks to strengthen its defense cooperation with 14 countries in a period of four months. We want to see a free and open Indo-Pacific and we want to see that operating on the basis of an established rules-based order which exists, said Marles. And in order to see that, countries which want to live by those rules, it's really important that they are standing up and asserting those rules," he added. "And we see that happening through what the Philippines does. Aside from the Philippines, other ASEAN member-states such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, also have claims to certain areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will visit Manila on Sept. 8 to discuss with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. how the two nations can strengthen cooperation on defense and maritime security. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) Authorities on Saturday seized suspected shabu, valued at 1.3 billion, in an "abandoned vehicle" at a parking lot of a mall in Pampanga. The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Manila Task Force Against Illegal Drugs and the Mabalacat City police conducted the operation at around 2:30 a.m. in Barangay Camachiles. The PNP said 200 kilograms of the suspected illegal drugs were found in a red Avanza with license plate number ZGS643. It added that it is now working with the Land Transportation Office to determine the ownership and registration details of the vehicle. "The discovery of such a massive drug haul serves as a stark reminder of the persistent challenges posed by illegal drug syndicates in our society," PNP chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said in a statement. The seized items are now under the custody of the NBI. 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. Stormy Daniels has joined the chorus of social media users who are skeptical of former President Donald Trumps booking weight. On Friday, the adult film actress and director took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to explain why she doesnt believe the 77-year-old controversial politician was telling the truth when he claimed to stand at 6-foot-3 and weigh 215 pounds, according to the official paperwork from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia. The current frontrunner for the GOP presidential nomination was booked Thursday to face charges in the Georgia election interference case, when both his mugshot and measurements overshadowed most of the days news. Mmmkay! And Im 110lbs and a virgin, Daniels wrote on X Friday, adding a laugh-out-loud emoji. Im not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215lb men and Tiny was not one of them, she added. Former President Donald Trump speaks to the media at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after surrendering at the Fulton County jail on Aug. 24, 2023, in Atlanta, Ga. The award-winning performer, real name Stephanie Clifford, first made national news in 2018, after saying she had sex with Trump in 2006 and later accepted $130,000 in hush money to keep silent about their encounter. Earlier this year, that case resulted in the first of four indictments against the former president. Prosecutors in New York accuse Trump of falsifying business records to cover up alleged election law violations ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Daniels wasnt the only social media user to make fun of Trumps alleged height and weight which rivals Muhammad Alis measurements when he battled Joe Frazier in 1971s Fight of the Century. Over the past two days, social media timelines have been inundated by a growing number of memes and photos comparing Trumps weight with that of famous athletes. Daniels message, which quickly went viral, was reposted more than 11,000 times and liked nearly 73,000 times in about 24 hours. Good thing she wasnt paid by the inch, one user wrote. Wish it had been by the pound, Daniels responded. I just assumed the 6 3? is 2 separate measurements, wrote another. Tweet of the day! she summarized it. Singapore theatreperson G Selva puts the audience in charge with the novel concept of mediated plays Most days, theatre audience members troop into an auditorium, take their seats, and wait for the curtain to rise and the play to begin. They watch the plot unfold, but cannot change any of the elements. Not so in any audience mediated play, where the audience can decide which actor plays which character and even gets a say in the direction of the plot. Singapore is set to see this rather novel play format in September, as Avant Theatre, led by G Selva, presents Hangman. The Tamil and English shows for the play will be staged on September 14, 15, and 16 at Stamford Arts Centre Blackbox. G Selva, who has directed the play Hangman, staged his first audience mediated play in 2012. Photo courtesy: Avant Theatre The play is a thriller; its description reads: In a twisted game of psychological warfare, can a guilt-ridden executioner withstand the sadistic manipulations of a cunning serial killer? While the basic premise of the play is the guilt that a hangman is supposed to experience, nothing else is cast in stone. Audience members can intervene to swap the actors playing the characters and even the situations in the play they can do this live, as the play is being staged. Bewildering as it sounds, this shifting sands format brings out the best in the actors and thoroughly draws in the audience, according to G Selva. Speaking to Connected to India, he said, Audience interactive plays and audience mediated plays engage the audience to be part of the performance rather than being a passive one. Also, such concept productions challenge the strength and capabilities of Singaporean stage artistes, which is another primary objective for attempting such an idea. This has been the motive behind many plays staged under Avant Theatre. The first time that this theatre company staged an audience mediated play was in 2012, but its experimentations go back longer than that. Avant Theatre has always tried different performance concepts over the past 22 years, such as total theatre, where audience [members] view the process and narrative of a play through various mediums, said Selva. The companys first audience mediated play was titled Twelve Angry Men, and it let audience members take a call on which actor would play which character. Selva explained the audience-led casting process: At the entrance of the auditorium, the audience members could see the images of the 12 actors, and they were invited to choose who would play the character of Juror 1 and so on, until all the 12 characters were assigned. For the actors of Twelve Angry Men, it was quite a nail-biting wait they did not know until the entire audience-led casting was over which of the 12 roles they would be assigned. That was not all; even after the show began, an actor might have to switch to a different character. There was one show [of Twelve Angry Men] in which halfway through the show, we asked a different set of audience [members] to assign new characters to the actors, who would then have to carry on as those new characters, said Selva. The success of this play showed that our actors are more than capable and dynamic enough for such a concept theatre performance. In Hangman, too, the audience would be empowered to swap the roles of actors twice during the play. Initially, Selva wanted all the actors on stage to swap language as well roles, but now one actor (Karthikeyan Somasundaram) will be swapping characters in both languages, and the other two actors (Raguvaran and Aric) will be acting in their respective languages, with character swaps at the cue of the audience. As for how the character swap would happen while the play was live, Selva said that there would be an online poll where the audience could vote. When the poll reaches a certain percentage, derived from the number of audience members attending the show, the performance will be stopped briefly and the roles will be swapped for the performance to continue again. This is done twice. Besides bringing actors out of the comfort zone of well-rehearsed roles, these disruptive concepts also make the audience think more about the medium of theatre and cut through the digital clutter that fills everyones lives now. Innovation, in general, is an essential part of theatre, not only to push creative boundaries but also to give the audience members a reason to keep coming back for plays. Selva said, It is a challenging medium with much distraction from screen and social media platforms. In addition, ticket prices are relatively high for live performances compared to screen presentations. As such, constant innovative ideas and concepts where the audience has a say or input in the performance process gets them involved they get to see a change that involves them, too, which excites them. When they are effectively engaged throughout the play, the audience feels satisfied about paying a higher price to watch a theatre performance, be it in any language. Participants in the Avant Masterclass in Acting, held in June 2023. Photo courtesy: Avant Theatre Subjects that lend themselves best to these novel play formats are those that go against received wisdom, feels Selva. Audience mediated plays are most effective when the core of the play is an opinion that challenges the common perspectives of the actors in the play and the audience. I strongly believe that plays are about making one think while being entertained, he stated. About the physical setting of an audience mediated play, it all depends on the treatment of the play and the directors vision. Hangman is set in the gallows of an unspecified period, locality, country, and culture. Hence the seating arrangement does not impact the outcome of the play. The minimalist approach of the performance setting is also meant to make the play location-agnostic, he said. Next year, Hangman will travel outside Singapore and go to the Midsumma Festival in Melbourne and Edinburgh Fringe Festival. To make theatre as a whole sustainable in Singapore in the long run, the niche crowd that offered steady support to Avant Theatre would not be enough, said Selva, though his company was grateful for that encouragement. He said, We truly believe that the hand-in-hand relationship between dynamism on stage and effective marketing to attract new audiences is necessary for theatre to thrive and to ensure its long-term sustainability in Singapore. This week, humanity reached the Moons southern pole for the first time. Is this area populated by penguins? Is the entire moon made of green cheese? Those are both reasonable questions, unless you know basic facts, in which case they arent. The best way to avoid suggesting such theories in front of your friends, all of whom are astronauts, is to educate yourself. So, here are some facts. Besides one bit about a famous Moon man, youll learn about the tigers stalking you, and also about who really owns your kidney. 15 Flawless Logic LEGO used to insist that you not refer to their toys as Legos. You should call them LEGO bricks, they said. They feared that if you called them Legos, youd call similar competing toys Legos as well, and the company would lose the trademark. 14 Mozarts Starling Mozart was paranoid about someone stealing a composition he wrote in 1784, so he held on tight to it till it was going to be performed publicly. Then he visited a pet store and saw a bird that he was convinced was singing the song. He bought the bird and kept it as a pet. 13 The Hidden Observatory Michigan State University had an old photo of an astronomy building on campus, but no one knew what had happened to it. This summer, construction workers stumbled upon the observatory, which was buried underground. 12 I Want My Kidney Back When divorcing his wife, whom he said had cheated on him, a New York doctor in 2009 claimed he officially owned one marital asset: the kidney he had previously donated to her. A court disagreed. Advertisement Advertisement 11 The Hidden Hand You rarely see Bob Ross left hand in footage of him painting, since hes holding his palette with it. You therefore probably dont know that the man was missing one finger, from his time as a carpenter. 10 The Laws the Law Langholm in Scotland had a centuries-old law stating that if an Armstrong ever showed up, the town must hang him. This law received renewed attention in 1972, when Neil Armstrong came to visit. Advertisement Advertisement 9 The Half-Blind Piglet In 2015, New Haven posthumously pardoned a man for bestiality. George Spencer never actually committed the offense but had been executed for it anyway. He was missing one eye, so when a one-eyed pig was born, George was presumed to be the father. 8 Dangerous to Go Alone A scientist trekking in the Himalayas fell into a 70-foot crevasse and broke 15 bones. He hauled himself back up with one arm, crawled to his tent and eventually made it back to civilization. Advertisement Advertisement 7 Stealthy Tigers Tigers are bright orange and live among green leaves. But to nearly every mammal besides humans, orange and green appear the same color. And so, tigers are as camouflaged as if they had green fur (it seems actual green fur is impossible). 6 McDump Some guy in Australia dumped a bunch of trash in a national park. This included a receipt from his trip to a McDonalds which still wouldnt have been enough to identify him. But police cross-referenced this with CCTV footage and nabbed him. Advertisement Advertisement 5 Wouldnt Hit a Man in Glasses Many lawyers employ something called the nerd defense to make defendants look less threatening. They give the client spectacles, often sprayed with oil to further make them look awkward. The strategys quite effective. 4 Centenary Cups For years, Japan would present people with commemorative silver cups when they turned 100. In time, the population became so old that this proved too expensive. The country had to switch to a cheaper silver alloy. Advertisement Advertisement 3 The Power of Lift I fart means in motion in Danish. Go to Denmark, and youll see elevators light up with the sign I fart. 2 Holy Water During the Black Death, France ran out of consecrated ground to handle all those bodies. The Pope had to bless the entire Rhone river, so it would be okay to dump bodies in there. Advertisement Advertisement Even though The View is still on summer hiatus, theres one hot topic that the shows resident Republican co-hosts couldnt resist weighing in on Donald Trumps mugshot. Alyssa Farah Griffin and Ana Navarro took to social media following the release of the former U.S. presidents booking photo, which was taken on Thursday after Trump turned himself in to Georgias Fulton County Jail on charges relating to interference in the 2020 election. A reminder that he hasnt learned a thing and is as small a man as he was on 1/6, tweeted Griffin, who worked for former Vice President Mike Pence during Trumps term. She reposted the MAGA leaders tweet of his mugshot, comparing it to his final tweet on Jan. 8, 2021, before he was banned from the social media platform following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. The 34-year-old former White House director of strategic communications has been openly critical of Trump since resigning on Dec. 3, 2020 because she wasnt comfortable with how the administration was handling losing the election weeks prior. Navarro, on the other hand, has never supported Trump, and the Nicaragua-born political strategist didnt mince characters in letting the former reality star know how she felt about his latest publicity shot. Taking to Instagram, she told her followers she could look at [the mugshot] all day, asking if anyone had turned it into toilet paper yet. I try not to get joy out of other peoples troubles, but this is about justice, the 51-year-old added. His lies and conspiracies have caused the country so much harm and pain. So yeah, Im celebrating hes finally being held accountable and facing consequences. On Aug. 8, 1940, the Blonde Tigress vanished into a cornfield behind the womens reformatory near Dwight, Ill. She was never seen again. The Tigress, Eleanor Jarman, earned her nickname because of how witnesses said she subdued victims in a series of 1933 Chicago robberies committed with her boyfriend, George Dale, 28, and another accomplice, Leo Minneci, 27. Eleanor Jarman, aka Blonde Tigress, during her murder trial. When she vanished, she was serving a sentence of 199 years for the last of these holdups, which ended with the August 1933 slaying of Gustav Hoeh, 71, owner of a mens clothing store in Chicago. The Tigress was born Ella Marie Berendt in April 1901 in Iowa, one of 10 children of a poor laborer and his wife. Her mother died when Ella was 6, and her father died when she was 18. By the start of the Great Depression, she was living in Chicago and separated from her husband. She worked waitressing jobs to help support herself and two young sons. She later paired up with Dale, a factory worker. Early in 1933, newspapers around Chicago started to carry items about a couple who, like Bonnie and Clyde, were robbing shopkeepers of cash, clothing, jewelry, and anything of value they could get their hands on. Newspaper accounts talked of a blonde gunwoman, wrote Sylvia Pettem in her new book, In Search of the Blonde Tigress. The woman was generally seen with male accomplices. Victims and witnesses said she was ferocious, offering accounts of her delicate hand whacking someone with a blackjack or a gun. Mrs. Eleanor Jarman, 27, tells Capt. Willard Malone of the Austin police station, of a holdup and killing of an aged merchant as she gazes at the arsenal found in her flat at 6323 Drexel Avenue in Chicago On Aug. 4, 1933, the robbery spree turned deadly. Gustav Hoeh put up a fight when the trio demanded money. The murder was committed on the street in front of Hoehs store in broad daylight, 2:30 p.m. Plenty of witnesses saw him die shopkeepers and their patrons, restaurant owners, diners, newsstand owners, and passersby. Some recalled the woman clawing and punching the victim. A few people wrote down the license plate number of the getaway car. With the plate number, police quickly found the cars owner Emil Minneci. He had an alibi and told police that his brother Leo borrowed the car that night. When investigators found Leo, he was nursing a bullet wound to his hand. It was showing signs of blood poisoning. He was about to turn himself in to get medical attention. Minneci told police that he, Dale, and Jarman were heading to a ballgame that afternoon but stopped to buy a shirt. Once in the store, Dale pulled out a gun and said, This is a stickup. Hoeh put up a fight, and a wild shot got Minneci in the hand in the struggle. Eleanor Jarman, the blond tigress, who is alleged to have kicked dying Gustav Hoeh in the face as he lay writhing from bullet wounds inflicted during a holdup, showed little of the tigress when she was arraigned in August 1933 with her alleged accomplices in the holdup: Leo Minneci, left, and George Dale, center, before Chief Justice Prystalski. Within three days, police tracked down Dale and Jarman, now a flaming redhead, in a tiny, rented apartment the couple shared. A dozen detectives with guns drawn burst into the room, the Chicago Tribune reported. Detectives also found a neatly wrapped package containing four guns and a blackjack. Nearly 40 previous robbery victims identified Dale and Jarman as the team that held them up. VICTIMS IDENTIFY TIGER WOMAN IN SCORES OF CRIMES, reported the Chicago Tribune on Aug. 11. A raging Chicago crime wave meant there would be little delay in giving the accused their day in court. Despite the best efforts of their attorneys to obtain a continuance, Jarman, Dale, and Minneci faced a jury less than three weeks after Hoehs murder. Her story was that she was in a back room looking at ties for her sons when Hoeh was shot. It took two days to reach the verdict for all three guilty. New York Daily News for Sunday, September 3, 1933. GIVE TIGER GIRL 199 YEARS, blazed across the front page of the Aug. 31, 1933 Chicago Tribune. SWEETHEART TO DIE IN CHAIR FOR HOLDUP MURDER. Dale went to the electric chair on April 20, 1934. Minneci got 199 years but was paroled in 1957, his sentence shortened because he volunteered for malaria studies during World War II, according to Pettem. Jarman took the matter of her freedom into her own hands. Seven years into her sentence, on Aug. 8, 1940, she and another inmate, Mary Foster, 39, who was serving a one- to 10-year sentence for larceny, scaled a 12-foot fence topped with barbed wire and dashed off into a cornfield. All roads were closed off, and a posse beat through the surrounding fields, but the prison uniforms were all that they found. The women had stolen dresses from the staff quarters, changed into them, and took off. In the following days, there were reports of fleeting images of the fugitives and accounts of drivers who picked up hitchhikers fitting their description. Mrs. Eleanor Jarman, the blonde tigress, in the county jail on Aug. 31, 1933, after being convicted in a murder case. By November, Foster was back in custody. But there was still no sign of Jarman. Even an FBI wanted poster issued in 1953 led to nothing but dead ends. In the 1990s, her family told of a one-time meeting at a bus depot in 1975. After that, the fugitive receded into the shadows again. Jarmans children were raised by Iowa relatives and had productive, ordinary lives. In 1999, Douglas Jarman, a grandson, asked the Illinois governor to grant Jarman clemency. He wanted to meet her. After 66 years on the lam, the 93-year-old, if she was still alive, made no effort to come out and meet her young relative. Douglas Jarman told the Des Moines Register in 1999 that whenever he asked about his grandma when he was a child, his family told him she was just gone. And that was how the Blonde Tigress stayed. JUSTICE STORY has been the Daily News exclusive take on true crime tales of murder, mystery and mayhem for 100 years. Click here to read more. Tim Babbage was on a fishing trip with the boys when he had what felt like a little bit of indigestion. The 40-year-old builder doesn't typically drink or eat unhealthy foods, so figured the short holiday away from home had knocked him about. Three weeks later, he was diagnosed with a rare and deadly cancer after scans showed 'a tumour the size of a house brick' in his gut. The diagnosis left Tim floored. He was thrust onto the 'cancer train' and booked into Chris O'Brien Lifehouse. one of Australia's leading cancer hospitals. within days of his diagnosis. 'It all happened so fast, I couldn't believe it. I never would have thought cancer. And for it to be that big, speechless,' he explained. Tim Babbage pictured with his daughter Eloise, five, and wife Gillian The family have been left feeling crushed by his unexpected cancer diagnosis His wife, Gillian Campbell, has been left trying to work out 'what's next'. She is pregnant with the couple's second child - and knew at 41 that giving birth and rearing a newborn as well as wrangling their five-year-old Eloise would be difficult. 'Now I have to work out how to do that without Tim's help, and how to support him through chemo as well. 'It's one of those things where you think it could never happen to us.' The couple are in the 'prime of their lives' after working hard in tough corporate gigs for years. 'Tim just changed careers to be a builder, he is halfway through renovating our house and we are about to complete our family,' she said. 'These are meant to be the dream years.' In fact medical emergencies or Tim being unable to work at all had been so far off the couple's radar that they had planned for him to be the sole bread winner for a year. Tim, left, had recently changed careers and said he was feeling healthier than ever because he was always outside and getting physical The family were in their prime when the disease was found - Gillian pregnant with their second child 'I am taking unpaid maternity leave, we knew things would be tighter but now it feels like it will be impossible. I have looked around but because we have had good jobs and worked hard we don't seem to qualify for help,' she said. 'I am so stressed about how we will make ends meet, pay the mortgage, support the kids. 'And devastated that this has happened to him, to our family.' Tim is 'a tough bloke' by all accounts but always took his health seriously. 'I assumed it was indigestion at first but it slowly got worse. 'The night before I went to the hospital I ate two spoons of casserole and was full. Gillian asked me what I had eaten on the way home but I just couldn't eat. 'I am a builder, I was hungry but there was no room,' he said. Gillian is pregnant with their second child - and terrified of the future The next day he had pain in his stomach so bad he decided to go to the doctor. 'Gillian said it must be bad for me to take the day off, it takes a lot to bring me down.' he said. When he got to the doctor they had a lot of hypothesis, with everything pointing toward Gall stones, but offered him the opportunity to have some scans, out of pocket. 'I think it is important people know that they can do that. So what if I pay $100 - that's less than I would have lost skipping a day's work. 'And if I didn't pay it they wouldn't have found the cancer when they did.' During the scan he was told to go straight to emergency, where to his shock they ushered him straight in. The cancer is a type of Sarcoma - fast growing, hard to treat and rare. 'It grows in the fatty tissue, and around the organs so can grow for a while before you get any symptoms,' he said. The diagnosis came before the June long weekend and ten days later Tim began chemo The Stage 4 diagnosis left the family rattled. But Tim refuses to let the cancer win. 'They asked me if I was happy to do the top level chemo - it knocks you around more but it is the strongest dose and more likely to kill it.' The plan after chemo is to be considered once the team understand how the cancer has reacted to treatment. 'We are hoping treatments shrink it enough to cut it out,' he said. Gill and Tim have told their daughter 'daddy has a sore tummy' to protect her from the harrowing truth. 'We said doctors are helping, that daddy got his hair cut at hospital,' Gill told FEMAIL. 'She is going to day care as usual. Daddy is in hospital for one week then back for three, we just don't want her to be too scared for him. Gillian has never asked for help - but a friend insisted she start a Go Fund me to raise money to relieve the financial hardship. And finally she relented. READ MORE Charlie Hunt's sarcoma battle: In 2020, Charlie Hunt, 53, was diagnosed with sarcoma. He had major surgery on his right leg, not knowing if he would ever walk or run again, and later had surgery on both of his lungs Advertisement She wants other people going through a scary medical diagnosis to do the same. 'Rally your village. It took me weeks to accept help. 'People want to help, they want to babysit, fill your freezer, do whatever they can so take it,' she said. Tim hopes for a speedy recovery so he can get back on the job. He is scared that he won't be able to support his wife enough while she's recovering after having their second baby. The family want to raise awareness of the disease He says he is already feeling confident it's shrunk. 'I can eat now and sleep on that side which doctors say is a good sign.' At the moment he is hoping to be healthy by January. Doctors still don't know much about the cancers however say that genetic factors and chemical exposure can increase risk. The Mayo Clinic explained there are 70 types of Sarcoma which all attach soft tissue - and are all super rare. The poblem is each one act differently making survival statistics grim. The rosemary hair oil trend has taken over TikTok in recent months, with many using the liquid in the hopes of achieving thick glowing hair. TikTokers have embraced the product to enhance their hair growth, documenting their hair progression on the app. But while the essential oil may have worked for some, beauty experts are warning people to take caution when participating in the trend. And, despite many TikTokers hailing the home remedy, there's little evidence that it actually works. The rosemary hair oil trend has taken over TikTok in recent months, but experts have warned users to use it carefully While many TikTokers have jumped on the trend, some experts say the essential oil could damage your hair if it is not diluted with other products While a clinical study, published by SkinMed in 2015, saw that after six months of using rosemary oil candidates experienced an increased hair count. They found that it came at the expense of an itchier scalp and irritation. Due to this Dr Vanita Rattan, Skin Doctor and Cosmetic Formulator at SkincarebyDrV, would advise against using the essential oil, warning that it could lead to 'brittle hair growth' if the scalp is inflamed. 'I would not recommend using it beyond 2% it because there's no point increasing hair count if the hair is breaking faster,' she said. 'Inflammation on the scalp can take months to calm down, and this will result in weaker hair growth, so it's not really worth it.' Some TikTokers, perhaps unaware of the irritation rosemary oil can cause, have hopped on the trend - many using the products several times a week. One TikToker, who goes by the name lifeaszeph, has been using rosemary essential oil alongside various other products, including a microneedle roller and a hair massager, for the past nine months. Most of the videos on his page document his 'hair transformation', showing him applying rosemary oil to his scalp two to three times a week. One TikToker has used , has been using rosemary essential oil alongside various other products, including a microneedle roller and a hair massager, for the past nine months Most of the videos on his account document his 'hair transformation', showing him applying rosemary oil to his scalp two to three times a week READ MORE: TikTok 'catfish' showcases incredible transformation after removing facial hair for stunning makeup look Advertisement While many of the videos have received millions of views and comments from impressed followers, Dr Rattan would advise against using essential oils on the scalp. 'They should never be applied directly to the scalp as they are a skin sensitiser and volatile. 'As essential oils dissipate from the skin, they can contribute to skin dryness and the generation of free radicals, which in turn harm collagen - a crucial protein required for maintaining healthy hair.' Dr Rattan added that 3-4 per cent of the population can contact dermatitis, especially for skin of colour, so it is best to avoid it in your hair care products. Zeph isn't the only hopeful hair grower to hop on the trend, many TikTokers have been uploading their 'hair routines' on the app, gaining thousands of comments from followers. One TikToker, Liv Preston, claimed the oil 'changed my life' after using it for '4 months' and apparently noticing hair growth. One TikToker, Liv Preston, claimed the oil changed her life after she used it for four months But experts warn that the undiluted essential oil should never be applied directly to the scalp as it can cause scalp irritation But on the recommendation, one user commented: 'I don't understand, I've never struggled with hair loss I started using this same one and now my hair is so thin.' Hairdressers have also advised against the trend. Fabian Martinez, of The London Hair Clinic, agreed that rosemary oil could result in itching and burning for those with sensitive skin. He added: 'If you have naturally oily hair, this [rosemary oil] is only going to make it look greasier and more lacklustre in appearance.' , recommended safer oils beauty lovers can use as an alternative. He suggested using argan oil, jojoba oil or coconut oil. He explained: 'These are suitable to be used without the use of carrier oil, are light enough not to clog the pores and provide just enough protection for the hair to maintain its moisture.' Some rosemary oil users pair the technique with a microneedle roller to stimulate hair growth which, according to Dr Hamed is all the more dangerous. He explained: 'Excessive use can lead to skin damage and punctured skin, which can lead to skin infections and a host of other issues down the road.' Instead, he advised opting for scalp massages to improve circulation and stimulate hair follicles. If you're struggling with hair loss, Dr Hamad recommends undergoing a medical checkup to find the cause. In many cases, he said it could be due to iron and vitamin deficiencies. Meanwhile, Dr Hamdan Abdullah Hamed, dermatologist and founder of PowerYourCurls.com A mum who almost lost her son to meningoccocal has told of how the disease is still affecting his life seven years later, and her regret at not checking whether his fingers and toes were cold from blood loss. Stephanie Ryder said Chevy woke up like normal one morning back in 2016 but quickly lost all his energy and then refused to eat or drink. Within hours the Perth mum-of-three spotted a rash and quickly rushed the then-three-and-a half-year-old to the emergency department where doctors immediately suspected and started treating him for invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). Chevy's conditioned rapidly worsened to the point his blood stopped circulating to his extremities, his oxygen levels were dangerously low and his organs started to fail. He was put into a medically-inducted coma, had to have several fingers and toes and his whole right foot amputated, and spent five months in hospital recovering. Stephanie Ryder (left) said her son Chevy (left) is still dealing with the side effects from the invasive meningococcal disease that almost claimed his life seven years ago When he was three years old Chevy woke up feeling unwell - by the evening his organs went into failure and he was placed in a medically induced coma Stephanie said she was a 'mess' throughout the ordeal, grappling with the possibility she could lose her son, leaving the details of the early events blurry in her memory. She wants parents to educate themselves on the signs and symptoms of IMD and listen to yourself if you think something is wrong. Chevy's initial signs were similar to those of common viruses but Stephanie now wishes she had checked to see if his fingers and toes were cold from blood loss. 'It's hard especially when a doctor tells you it's one thing and there are so many different flus and viruses out there,' Stephanie said. 'Believe in yourself and if you don't think something's right, even if you've seen a doctor, go to the hospital anyway.' 'When he woke up, he was his usual crazy self and then it got to between 8 and 9am and he was really lethargic,' Stephanie told FEMAIL as she explained how the ordeal began. 'He just lay on the couch and didn't want to move, he just wanted cuddles and that was what it started with.' As the day progressed, Chevy stopped eating and drinking, vomited a couple of times and his temperature started to climb so Stephanie gave him Panadol and Nurofen. The 35-year-old called a GP who came to the home and said Chevy most likely had a stomach bug and advised Stephanie to keep monitoring him closely. 'It got to about 7:30pm, I was checking on him all the time. He was in bed and when he rolled over the covers came off a little bit and I noticed a little rash spots, they were quite little tiny purple spots,' Stephanie said. The rash was the final straw that caused Stephanie to rush Chevy to the hospital as she knew it could be a sign something serious was going on. Stephanie was by Chevy's side as doctors came to check on his progress, monitor the legion on his brain and check to see if his circulation would return to his hands and feet 'The only reason I was educated is because my mum lost a friend to meningococcal when she was a teenager so she had kind of drilled it into my head,' Stephanie said. By the time Chevy was with doctors, he so weak and lethargic, he wouldn't speak and his rash has spread 'quite a bit' over his body. Thinking back to the first night in the hospital Stephanie's memory is a haze of doctors and nurses, tests and worrying statistics. Doctors quickly started treating the boy for IMD before tests confirmed. Chevy's oxygen levels were very low and his blood was leaving his limbs and digits to try and save his failing organs. '(Doctors) were giving me his chance of survival rates and asking about antibiotics. They did give us the impression he wasn't going to make it,' Stephanie said. 'I wasn't coping at all. I was panicking and feeling physically ill, we basically thought he was going die.' Get to know the signs and symptoms of meningococcal Meningococcal disease can progress rapidly and be hard to diagnose. Meningococcal disease is a rare but potentially devastating infection that can progress rapidly, causing serious disability or death within 24 hours. It is caused by a bacterial infection of the blood and/or membranes that line the spinal cord and brain. It can progress rapidly, beginning with symptoms such as fever and irritability that are easily mistaken for a common cold. The distinctive meningococcal rash is an advanced symptom of blood infection, which may or may not occur. Most children survive meningococcal disease, but if it is not diagnosed or treated quickly it can lead to serious long-term disability or death within 24 hours. Early symptoms of meningococcal disease can be difficult to recognise as they may be similar to a cold or the flu. Common symptoms of meningococcal disease amongst babies and young children may include: High fever Refusal to eat Difficulty waking or extreme tiredness Vomiting Pale, grey or blotchy skin Cold hands and feet Sensitivity to light In babies only: High-pitched moaning cry Bulging fontanelle (soft spot on top of the head) Source: Know Meningococcal Advertisement Once he was stable, Chevy was moved to the Perth's children's hospital and put into an induced coma due to a swelling on his brain and to help his body fight the infection. Stephanie was by Chevy's side as doctors came to check on his progress, monitor the legion on his brain and check to see if his circulation would return to his hands and feet. By day three, they were starting to see improvements which offered the parents hope. 'It was very up and down, even when he was in the coma, they were doing tests and he even had dialysis because his kidneys weren't working,' Stephanie said. 'They didn't know brain-wise how he would come out of it.' Over a week later when Chevy woke from the coma he was surprisingly chipper. 'He was completely himself and that was one of the things that was the biggest relief. He was talking and being his normal self,' Stephanie said. However, Chevy still had a long road ahead of him in hospital. Ten days after he was placed into a coma Chevy woke up chipper and 'back to his normal self' but had to spend five months in hospital recovering (pictured with his dad and older brother) As the tissue had started to die and wouldn't recover, Chevy had the top half of his fingers on his left hand, some toes on his left foot and his whole right foot amputated. His rashes had turned into burn-like blisters which had to be dressed and treated every day and he had to learn how to strengthen his muscles from being confined to his hospital bed for so long. Chevy was able to fight off the terrifying disease and go from strength to strength to finally be able to leave hospital in January, five whole months after that first night in the emergency room. Now 10, Chevy is still suffering adverse effects from the potentially fatal disease he caught as a kindergartener. An 'incidental' brain lesion doctors suspected may have swelled because of the illness has caused some hearing loss, while the growth plates in some of Chevy's bones were damaged. This means some of his bones, like one in his left forearm, will not grow with the rest of his body and he will need bone lengthening surgeries. Chevy already had his first procedure last year which was painful and traumatic for the pre-teen. 'His hearing we only found out a year ago and even the bones thing was only a year or two ago. Every year something new comes up,' Stephanie said. Chevy also has anxieties around illness and the meningococcal dented his confidence. 'He doesn't like to talk about it a lot. I think that's just because he doesn't want to think about. It's simple things like he used to love riding his bike when he was younger but now he thinks he can't do it,' Stephanie said. 'He said to me the other day something like, "meningococcal took my talent away". We're just trying to encourage him.' While it will be a guessing game as to how Chevy will continue to develop the family remain positive that he can regain his confidence and live a happy and healthy life. While it will be a guessing game as to how Chevy will continue to develop, the family remain positive that he can regain his confidence and live a happy and healthy life (pictured with his younger sister) Another unknown is where Chevy picked up the disease which can present as asymptomatic in some people. 'They say people carry it in the back of their nose and throat and he did go to day care but there are hundreds of kids there. I don't think we'll ever know,' Stephanie said. 'I think that's the worst thing about it; that it's unpredictable and every child will get different outcomes from it.' The swathe of celebrities having babies in their mid-40s is giving women false hope over their chances of conceiving later in life, experts have warned. Actress Sienna Miller, 41, is one of the latest celebs to reveal she is becoming an older mum, now expecting her second child. Super model Naomi Campbell, 53, welcomed her second child via surrogate in June and said 'it's never too late'. Others movie star Michelle Williams, 41, who had a baby late last year, currently pregnant Orange is the New Black star Uzo Aduba and Oscar winner Hilary Swank, who had twins at 48 this year. But fertility experts warn such success stories are luring women in their 30s and 40s into a false sense of security and contributing to women choosing to delay having children. While conception rates vary for individual women it is universally accepted by experts that fertility levels peak when younger then generally begin to fall off by the late 20s and then rapidly decline from the mid-30s onwards One year after her first Tony Award nomination for Clyde's, Uzo Aduba revealed she's expecting her first child with husband Robert Sweeting Hilary Swank showing off her growing baby bump on Instagram in February Michelle Williams, 41 had her baby in October 2022, here he pictured during the 75th annual Cannes film festival in May that year They noted that most women in their early 40s only have a 5 per cent chance of becoming pregnant per month of trying. And for those aged over 45, the odds of successfully conceiving fall to just 1 per cent. Doctors said celebs often have the money to fuel multiple expensive fertility treatments out the reach of many regular couples. Age is one of the biggest factors determining how fertile a woman is, with experts saying that women in their late twenties have the best chance of success before the odds rapidly decline from their mid-30s. Even in vitro fertilisation (IVF) - when eggs are collected and fertilised in a lab before being implanted into the womb a process that has helped thousands of women unable to convince naturally become mothers- may not prove successful. WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS OF A LATE PREGNANCY? Greater difficulty in initially conceiving a child, with the personal and psychological difficulties that this can cause. Increased risk of complications for both mother and infant during pregnancy and delivery (although the actual size of the risk may be small). Greater risk of general maternal health problems, such as high blood pressure, which can contribute to complications. Higher risk of miscarriage in women above the age of 35. Higher risk of having twins or triplets, which is itself associated with higher risk of complications. Increased chance of having a baby with a congenital abnormality, such as Downs syndrome. Increased risk of pre-eclampsia. Increased risk of complications during delivery, such as prolonged labour, need for assisted delivery or Caesarean section, or stillbirth. Source: NHS Advertisement Hopeful mums in their early 40s only enjoy an 11 per cent success rate via IVF, declining to just 4 per cent in women aged 44, according to the NHS. For this reason, the health service doesn't usually recommend IVF for women over 42 as the success rate is considered too low. Dr Tim Bracewell-Milnes, an expert in reproductive medicine from Imperial College London, told MailOnline that many hopeful mums in their forties will not have children naturally. 'The reality for women in their forties trying to conceive is that the majority of them will not be able to, especially in their mid-forties,' he said. He warned women looking to older celebs enjoying a successful pregnancy that these stars likely employed specialist techniques to boost their chances. 'When reading these articles about celebrities in their forties having children, women should be aware that the vast majority of them will have conceived with IVF by either using their own eggs they froze when they were younger, or a donor egg from a younger woman to conceive,' he said. 'Of course it is the celebritys right to not disclose the nature of their conception.' But he noted such examples could be luring older women into a false sense of security that they plenty of time to have children naturally. 'The media attention these celebrity pregnancies are giving to the general public is currently giving a false message that could, at least partially, be contributing to them delaying having children. 'Many women are currently being indirectly falsely reassured about how easily they could conceive when theyre older.' He urged women wanting to have children later in life to seek out professional advice on their fertility, ideally before the age of 36. Pregnancies among women over 40 have soared to the highest level since records began before the turn of the century (brown line). Yet conceptions among teenagers have plunged over the same period, despite rebounding slightly last year (grey line) Professor Adam Balen, an expert in reproductive medicine and former chairman of the British Fertility Society, also warned that many older celebrity mums use expensive egg donor treatments to boost their chances. 'Many conceptions in celebrities are with donor eggs as IVF doesnt work over 45-years,' he said. He said such donor eggs, which are harvested from younger women and are more viable, can boost the odds of successful conception in an older woman by up to 40 per cent. However, such treatments are expensive, costing at least 5,000 per round and often even more. Hopeful older mums don't just have to contend with reduced odds of conception. They also run a higher risk of suffering from complications in their pregnancy. The figures also reveal the conception rate for women aged 40 and over has continued to rise and is now at a record high of 17.3 conceptions per 1,000 women Experts have previously warned that older celeb pregnancies risk 'glamourising' being an older mum without highlighting these risks. Such complications include high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, congenital abnormalities, such as Downs syndrome, and even miscarriage and stillbirth. WHY ARE WOMEN DELAYING HAVING CHILDREN? An explosion of opportunities for women born in the 1970s and 80s has led to the decline, experts say. They are more likely to go to university and pursue their careers before settling down than previous generations. Surveys suggest financial pressures have left women feeling like they can't afford to have a baby in their 20s. The rising costs of childbearing, job uncertainty and housing factors are also thought to have contributed to the plummet in young mothers. Fertility specialists have warned women the risks of not being able to conceive increases the further into their 30s they wait. But supporters say the health service has to bend to meet the changing habits of modern mothers. Advertisement While individual conception odds will vary per individual woman about seven in 10 of those in their early 30s will become pregnant within a year of trying. This falls to around six in 10 among those in their mid-30s and falls to about 4 in 10 when they reach 40 then decreasing to just one in 10 among those aged 45. Other experts, who published their research in the journal of Human Reproduction in 2021, have put these figures even lower. Some claim 19 to 26-year-olds only have up to a 50 per cent chance of conceiving two days before ovulation - a woman's most fertile time. But this drops to 40 per cent for those aged 27 to 34. After 35, the women studied had only a 30 per cent chance of falling pregnant in any given month. Official data shows rising numbers of women are looking to delay having children. Figures from the Office of National Statistics, published in March, show pregnancies among women over 40 soared in 2021 to the highest level since records began. Of the 824,983 conceptions were recorded across England and Wales more than 33,000 were among those of an 'older' maternal age the most ever logged. Experts believe the increase in older women conceiving is because they are opting to have kids later in life while they pursue careers and relying on advances in IVF and other fertility treatments as a fallback. The NHS says while most couples trying for a baby should be successful within a year those who aren't should contact their GP for advice. A commonly prescribed blood-thinner may be ineffective for people of South Asian descent, a study suggests. More than half of those with Bangladeshi and Pakistani ancestry have a genetic mutation that stops the drug, clopidogrel, from working properly. Clopidogrel, also known as Plavix, is taken by millions of Britons to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It helps stop blood cells from sticking together, reducing the risk of a deadly clot. Doctors have long known that many people do not respond to the medicine, but recent studies have found this is due to a genetic mutation in a gene called CYP2C19, which is responsible for making an enzyme that helps the liver activate the drug. Previous research involving European populations have estimated that this is the case for around a third of people. More than half of those with Bangladeshi and Pakistani ancestry have a genetic mutation that stops the drug, clopidogrel, from working properly Clopidogrel, also known as Plavix, is taken by millions of Britons to prevent heart attacks and strokes But the new study, by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, analysed the DNA of more than 40,000 British South Asians and concluded that, in this population, the prevalence is far higher. They found that 57 per cent of those studied had the common genetic change that makes clopidogrel ineffective. Worryingly, two thirds of participants had been prescribed clopidogrel to prevent a secondary heart attack or stroke. The researchers say that the high risk of recurrent heart attacks in Britons of Bangladeshi and Pakistani ancestry more than three times that of people of European heritage could be due to clopidogrel treatment failure. Dr Emma Magavern, lead author of the research which was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and Barts Charity, said: It highlights the importance of using genetics to determine who can benefit from clopidogrel after a heart attack. 'Not doing so is likely to disproportionately disadvantage specific groups. She added that the findings further highlight the importance of including different groups in medical trials, saying that systematic under-representation of South Asians in studies has obscured our understanding of the risk for this community. There are many alternatives to clopidogrel available, including warfarin, aspirin and new types of blood thinners such as dabigatran. The NHS must provide free dental repairs for people who damage their teeth as a result of epileptic seizures, charity campaigners have urged. Half of those who have suffered dental injuries from an epileptic seizure, such as broken or chipped teeth, have not had them repaired due to the steep cost of treatment, according to the Epilepsy Society. The British charity added that, as a result, many patients are now permanently missing teeth. If a person breaks their nose, arm or leg as a result of a seizure, the injury will be repaired for free on the NHS, says Clare Pelham, chief executive at Epilepsy Society. But if they break their teeth and many with epilepsy do they are expected to foot the bill themselves or get by without their teeth. Half of those who have suffered dental injuries from an epileptic seizure, such as broken or chipped teeth, have not had them repaired due to the steep cost of treatment, according to the Epilepsy Society We all know the NHS is struggling, but the financial burden should not fall on people who are already coping with a debilitating disability. Epilepsy, where sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain causes seizures or fits, affects 600,000 people in the UK. These can be brought on by a number of factors, such as an imbalance of nerve-signalling chemicals in cells, strokes and brain damage. There are several drugs, known as anti-epileptics, which can help reduce the number of seizures people with epilepsy experience. However, about 200,000 people have uncontrolled seizures where medication cannot stop the episodes which can often lead to further injuries when patients fall over. The NHS currently has no medical exemptions for dental treatment. While it does have payment exemptions for people on low incomes, an Epilepsy Society survey found that three-quarters of people with the condition were not eligible. Teeth are not an optional cosmetic accessory, adds Clare Pelham. When people in the UK with uncontrolled seizures crash to the ground without warning, the NHS should be there to pick up the pieces, literally. Toby ONeill, 26, from Hampshire, has lost his two front teeth on his upper jaw, chipped teeth on either side of his mouth and lost fillings because of his seizures. The Tesco worker says it is unfair that he should pay for repairs which could cost thousands of pounds. Im angry that I am forced to pay for repairs to my damaged teeth that I have no control over, he explains. My teeth are ruined. I dont want my confidence to be ruined, too. I wont smile around people at the moment as Im scared. Actress Gemma Whelan, from Leeds, says her description of those scenes as a frenzied mess has been taken out of context I meet Gemma Whelan in a cafe near her home in South London, where shes been enjoying five minutes of zen peace before I arrive. She hugs me, her calm spreading instantly over me. As well as an actress, it turns out she trained as a yoga teacher, because my mum said Id need something to fall back on all the faith! With two young children and a burgeoning TV career, she has to take these moments where she can: it turns out the fallback option was not required. Whelan, 42, says that people dont recognise her in public she has one of those famous faces you cant place. But many will know her from Game of Thrones as Yara Greyjoy, one of the few characters who lived until the end of the show, unkillable: Im still ruling the Iron Islands somewhere, she says. Dress, Karina Bond. Earrings, Eshvi, from Koibird. Socks, Falke. Sandals, Gina Other hit TV roles have included Marian, sister of Anne Lister, in the 19th-century drama Gentleman Jack, and Kate in Upstart Crow, the BBC2 sitcom about Shakespeare. She is currently playing two detectives: in the ITV dramas DI Ray (series two, recently completed, will be shown in 2024) and The Tower II: Death Message, the second season of the crime thriller series. Were here to talk about the latter, set in a multicultural part of London where tensions run high. The show centres around Farlow police station, where we last saw DS Sarah Collins, played by Whelan, given the unpopular job of investigating her own colleagues after a police officer and a young girl fell to their deaths from a tower block in mysterious circumstances. YOU GROW UP QUICKLY WHEN YOU LOSE A PARENT. ITS A SEISMIC SHIFT. I WANTED TO MAKE MY OWN FAMILY Both series are based on the first and second novels in the Metropolitan trilogy by Kate London, a former murder squad detective She has a feast of knowledge of what its actually like, says Whelan. I completely underestimated it; I thought, one death a month maybe, the occasional big murder a year. No, its 11 or 12 a week in London. We just dont hear about most of them. Whelan grew up wanting to be a detective, but admits she was naive about what it entailed before she played this part. A lot of the extras were retired detectives, so Whelan asked them constantly for advice although once, in character, she pulled off a forensic suit and shoved it in a bin while talking. They were, like, No, stop, its evidence. It has to go in an evidence bag. Youll get letters sent in! But there has to be a bit of artistic licence, or every episode would be four hours long. Dress and top, A-Jane. Tights, Tabio. Sandals, Gina Its vastly different from her role in Game of Thrones, in which her sex scenes rank among the most notorious in TV history, not least incest with her brother Theon, played by Alfie Allen. She says her description of those scenes as a frenzied mess has been taken out of context. While intimacy co-ordinators didnt exist at the time, she says the cast worked it out together respectfully. Youd say to the other person, How about this, shall we do this, are you OK if I do this ooh, this feels a bit weird, doesnt it! The real fruity chaos was on stage at Londons Soho Theatre in 2014, when she performed a monologue by Philip Ridley called Dark Vanilla Jungle, which became very frenzied and sexual and wild and with my mum and dad in the audience. Im intrigued to know how sexually frenzied a one-woman play can become. She splutters, laughing, at which point we notice that the yummy-mummy cafe we are sitting in has gone very quiet but Whelan is undeterred. I mean, there was a masturbation section, which no one needs their dad to see. But Im also not someone who will back off from that, she adds. You dont want to watch someone not commit to something, because thats more embarrassing. So I knew they were in the audience one night and I still went for it. Jacket, shorts and beret, Shrimps. Tights, Tabio Talking about her dad brings up a wave of sadness because he was a real champion of me; he was always the one saying, I absolutely believe in you, youll win a Bafta. 'We used to watch The Graham Norton Show together and I said, Ooh, Id love to be on that one day. And hed say, You will be! And I was, but, she says, blinking away a tear, he didnt live long enough to see it. He died of cancer in 2016, when Whelan was shooting Moorside, the true story of Karen Matthews, who in 2008 staged the kidnapping of her nine-year-old daughter Shannon for money. Whelan and co-star Sheridan Smith found themselves in an unlikely shared predicament: Oh god, its so sad, she says. Both Sheridans and my father were diagnosed with the same kind of incurable cancer on the Monday, before we started shooting on the Thursday. AS YARA GREYJOY WITH HER BROTHER THEON (PLAYED BY ALFIE ALLEN) IN GAME OF THRONES 'Hers survived a bit longer, till the winter; my dad passed away in the August. I miss him terribly, although I feel, somehow, that he left me equipped; that father-daughter relationship, if you get a good one, is unique. But it is like losing your roof, your fundamental champion. Whelan and her husband Gerry Howell, 43, a comedian and playwright turned psychotherapist, werent sure they would ever have children. In fact, her dad had begged her not to, on his deathbed. He said, Will you promise me not to have children? But only because of the state of the world that I would be bringing them into. I mean, she says, the world he left behind was peachy compared to now. 'Seven years ago, Brexit hadnt been finalised, there was still a bit of hope and decent weather; a relative utopia. But I fully agreed with him. Then he passed away and the urge to make my own children was, she gasps as if winded, so strong. And just over a year later [daughter] Frances arrived. It is strange how it happened. Gerry and I had been together for years, quite content, like, Guess we dont need children, were having fun, arent we? This is fine. WITH HUSBAND GERRY HOWELL AND DAUGHTER FRANCES, 2020 'But you grow up quickly when you lose a parent. Its a seismic shift. I wanted to make my own family. They rushed through a wedding when she was five months pregnant, she says, chuckling. Outrageous! We had to go to the register office and just get it done. She wore a blue silk dress she had seen while passing a sari shop on Oxford Street. I thought, thats lovely. Not cultural appropriation, just a really nice dress. Their daughter, Frances, now five, was born a few months later, joined by her brother Freddie in 2021. While we are talking, Howell texts a photo of the toddler and she gazes at it. Oh god hes so cute, Fred bear! Around the time of Francess birth, Howell started training as a psychotherapist, something she says has been invaluable as they both read up a lot on how our psychology is formed in childhood. She laughs, though, about trying to be a good parent when your kid is making demands. You know, when youre in trouble for cutting the banana in half and you want to scream, Its just a banana! Youre so lucky to have a banana! Do you know how many children dont have bananas? I KNEW ACTING WAS WHAT I WANTED TO DO. I WAS GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE 'But instead you breathe and say, Im so sorry, shall we try and stick it back together? Shall we get a different banana and Mummy eat this one? And then you think, Oh my god, who am I? I do try to arrest the shouty parts of me but its hard. And if you do shout, its also human. Mummy gets angry, Mummy gets sad, Mummy gets all sorts, just like you. Whelans career began in comedy, having done stand-up as a module on her performing arts degree at Middlesex University, although her first comic role was an accident. Aged five, in a local ballet show in Leeds (where she lived until the family moved to Warwick), Whelan was supposed to skip round in a circle with all the other girls. She went the wrong way, so everyone else fell down like dominos. I was the last one standing, having knocked everyone over. 'The audience fell about laughing and my mum says I didnt get upset at all. I was like, ta-da! I remember being on stage and enjoying being the spectacle, whether it was good or bad. Her dad worked in an office, her mum as a teacher and receptionist. They had met while doing amateur dramatics, its just that their options werent to be creative as a lifestyle. They wanted their daughter to have the opportunities theyd lacked. So perhaps my mum saw a light come on in me that day. Whelan was so dedicated to dance school she would spend entire Saturdays there. She certainly hasnt lost her agility, as the image of her high-kicking on the cover of this issue shows. WITH CO-STAR JIMMY AKINGBOLA IN THE TOWER II: DEATH MESSAGE She was in all the school plays, too notably playing Daisy in Daisy Pulls It Off always staying behind to practise more. Im not sure anyone even asked me to do the plays, I just burned to do them. It was a private girls school: The other girls had cottoned on to boys whereas I didnt understand that they existed. As a teenager, she became anorexic and was hospitalised. She has previously described overcoming the eating disorder as her greatest achievement and says the experience shaped her personality, but feels she has said enough about it for now. A personal heroine throughout was I Love Lucy actress Lucille Ball. The largesse, the strength she was a force, wasnt she? I guess she made me feel brave, she showed me what I could do. Kathy Burke was another inspiration, fearless of being, you know, not the pretty one, because Im not the pretty one, Whelan says calmly. This is not to be self-deprecating, because it does mean I can be all sorts. Yes, I can glam up but I can also be really ugly thats where the character is. The freedom not to be frightened of going to the edge of that. She also thinks it might give her a certain career longevity that beauty wouldnt. Theres no cut-off point for ugly muglies, she says, laughing. As a young graduate she would sit down every Monday with an industry printout of small acting roles and send letters and photographs to every one: From my little flat in Greenwich, where I lived in the lounge me and two boys were sharing it and we couldnt afford a three-bed. 'I was driven there was no alternative. I dont want to sound arrogant, but I knew thats what I wanted to do. I was going to make this happen in any way possible. What about the little voice in you that says youre rubbish, youll never make it? Umm, she says, thinking, and I realise she didnt have one but is considering the most diplomatic way to answer. Again, I dont want to sound arrogant but there wasnt a voice. Its not that I thought, Youre the best, but more like, theres a quiet place inside you where you know youre on the right path. Whether it works out or not is another question. Im on this path and there is no doubt that its the right path. Im loving this journey, so lets see where it goes. From left THE FIlLM FESTIVAL DIRECTOR - WENDY WASON Shirt, 110, withnothing underneath.com. Jeans (with belt), 35.99, zara.com. Shoes, 349, lkbennett.com. Jewellery, Wendys own THE BAKERY BOSS - DEENA ATAIE Shirt, 115, and trousers, 115, cos.com. Scarf, 18, accessorize.com. Shoes, 120, stories.com. Jewellery, Deenas own THE WORKSPACE MANAGER - NATALIE LOVETT Shirt, 95, withnothing underneath.com. Trousers, 250, yaitte.com. Sandals, 95, dunelondon.com FROM LEFT: WENDY WASON, DEENA ATAIE AND NATALIE LOVETT It looks like a funky suit Wendy Wason, 50, is a comedian and director of the Saturn Returns Film Festival The problem When shes performing stand-up, Wason knows what she likes to wear on stage. Jeans, a jacket and heels. Its an outfit that says: Im funny. So shut up and pay attention! she says. But now that Im heading up a film festival, I need to be authoritative without being corporate. Top, 35.99, and trousers, 35.99, both mango.com. Shoes, 229, essenthelabel.com. Jewellery, Wendys own The solution These outfits are different from what Id normally wear, says Wason. The stripy shirt is brighter and more fun, but with jeans it looks dressy. As for the silky set from Mango, when Wason saw it on the hanger she assumed, in the nicest possible way, it would look like I was wearing pyjamas. Far from it. It feels like pyjamas (luxurious and silky) but looks like a funky suit. The navy outfit is empowering Natalie Lovett, 32, is general manager of WeWork in the UK and Ireland The problem How do I strike the balance between professional and casual? says Lovett. I work for a company with an informal dress code, but my job means I am meeting CEOs. Top, 55, cos.com. Trousers, 195, meandem.com. Earrings, 245, giovanniraspini.com. Shoes, 35.99, reserved.com Lovett once turned up to a business supper in her uniform of jeans and jumper. She was the only woman in the room and the only person not in a suit. Im a professional, but Im also a bubbly person. How do I bring that to what I wear? The solution I love the navy outfit. It isnt a suit vibe but it feels empowering. At 5ft 2in, Lovett is petite. I tend to go for a slim fit as I feel swamped otherwise. The YOU team managed to get me in outfits that are looser but still fit at my waist. Heels help, too. I look deliberate, not drowned! This feels airy and fresh Deena Ataie, 34, is director of Heriots Patisserie chain The problem I wear work clothes from 7am to 7pm, six days a week, so I need something that is comfortable, says Ataie. She also wants her outfits to be modest. I often find the most beautiful dress but then it has a huge hole in the back or cutouts at the midriff. Thats lovely for someone else, but for me its a concern. Dress, 149, ghost.co.uk. Scarf, 15.99, mango.com. Jewellery, Deenas own Make-up: Julie Read at Carol Hayes Hair: Alex Szabo at Carol Hayes Shot on location at WeWork, St Helens Place, London The solution Normally I just wear dresses, but I love the trousers and shirt. I can still move in them and they feel airy and fresh. That said, Ataies favourite item wasnt something she wore. After the photo shoot, she went straight to Mango on Londons Oxford Street and bought Wasons silky trousers and shirt. Ive been on a work trip in Europe, she told us later. And I wore them the entire time! Shop the look Brighten up your working wardrobe with these new season picks by fashion stylist Stephanie Sofokleous Blazer, 533, cefinn.com Trousers, 378, cefinn.com Trousers, 89, aligne.co Shirt, 79, hush-uk.com Dress, 32, Simply Be, and trainers, 12, Tu, both sainsburys.co.uk Loafers, 18, Tu, sainsburys.co.uk Bottle holder, ,26.50, oliverbonas.com Glasses, 35, izipizi.com Boots, 199, whistles.com Earrings, 34, byraejewellery.co.uk Trousers, 139, karenmillen.com Dress, 70, laredoute.co.uk Coat, 299, jumper, 125, and trousers, 89, Jaeger; bag, 99, and boots, 69, M&S Collection, all marksand spencer.com Jacket, 325, meandem.com Sandals, 49.50, fatface.com Shirt, 16, George, asda.com Behind the door of an unassuming 1930s semi in Whitley Bay lives the woman responsible for two of TVs biggest crime dramas. This is the home of Ann Cleeves, the creator of Shetland (now in its eighth series) and Vera (starring Brenda Blethyn in the eponymous role, and now on season 13). Cleeves is an unlikely criminal mastermind. A 68-year-old grandmother of seven, shes written 37 books, sold eight million copies and been translated into 20 languages and thats without the TV success. Yet she still lives in the three-bed she bought with her ornithologist husband Tim in 2006. Cleeves already has the kettle on when I arrive and leads me to the kitchen table that doubles as her desk, because its warm, she says. Its got the Aga and its quiet. Plus I love sitting here making stuff up. The room is a testament to her twin loves: family and writing. Photos of her family cover the shelves and her husbands ornithology books are mixed in with her crime novels and awards. Behind the door of an unassuming 1930s semi in Whitley Bay lives the woman responsible for two of TVs biggest crime dramas, Ann Cleeves His death in 2017 from a heart attack coincided with the last of the Shetland books. It was a weird coincidence, she says. Id already decided Wild Fire would be the last and I was glad I did. It was the end of an era, for me and Shetland. I cant help observing that lots of people with her success might have moved somewhere flashier. What would I want with that on my own? she says. Anyway, Ive got lovely neighbours. Cleeves has the respect for money that comes from having spent much of your life without it. If money has been tight and suddenly you can go to the supermarket and not look at the prices, thats huge. She has, though, made one concession to success. For a time after Tim died, I found it difficult to come into this house after Id been away, so I did buy a cottage in the Northumberland hills. 'Hed have hated us having a second home, but I fell in love with it. When I came back here I got out the Ordnance Survey map and Tim had put a pencil mark around the square where the cottage was. 'Hed done a bird survey there. It felt like he was saying: Its all right. Tims work with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds brought the couple to the Northeast in the early 80s with their daughters, Sarah and Ruth. Cleeves considers herself a Northeasterner by choice and the whole family still lives in the area. While Im there, one of her granddaughters calls wanting to come over and show her holiday photos. Photos of her family cover the shelves and her husbands ornithology books are mixed in with her crime novels and awards. Pictured: with husband Tim on West Kirby Beach 1979 Cleeves visibly glows as she tries to hustle her off the phone. I cant help thinking shed rather have seen the photos. Born in Herefordshire and raised in North Devon, Cleeves had never lived anywhere bigger than Barnstaple until a year out took her to London in 1972, where she worked for Camden social services, looking after a family of children whose mum had left. Its the only time shes lived in a city, and she hated it! I had bronchitis the whole time. From there she studied literature at Sussex University, but dropped out: It was very trendy. I didnt fit in. Posh people sitting around drinking wine and talking about poetry wasnt for me. She left Sussex in 1975 after a chance meeting in a pub with a guy who was off to work at Fair Isle Bird Observatory in Scotland inspired her to go there, too, as an assistant cook. Id done no cooking, knew nothing about birds! It was an escape, she says. She fell for it instantly. Its a pretty island and it was spring there were wildflowers and puffins on the cliffs MOST KILLERS ARE BORING MEN WHO KILLED THEIR WIFE BECAUSE SHE ANNOYED THEM She met Tim that autumn, when he went to Fair Isle to work as an ornithologist. A year later, riding on the back of a hay cart, he proposed. The couple wed in 1977. Tims job meant they often lived in remote places, but perhaps none so much as Hilbre an island near Liverpool, only accessible by foot at low tide where they went after they were married. While Tim worked on Hilbre, Cleeves commuted daily first to Liverpool University to do a social work diploma, and then to work as a probation officer. It was a weird existence, she says. We were the only people on the island, with no mains water or electricity. But it was only a couple of miles out, so I commuted by waiting for low tide and walking across. I spent half the time on the island where it was just us and the birds and the other half on some of Merseysides most dangerous council estates. Born in Herefordshire and raised in North Devon, Cleeves had never lived anywhere bigger than Barnstaple until a year out took her to London in 1972. Pictured: Outside her house on Hilbre, 1980 Three years later, their lives were nearly upended. Tim and another guy went to Middle Eye [one of two other tiny islands that make up Hilbre] to ring some wading birds. Its not far from here to the washing line but the tide was going out and it caught and sank their canoe. 'They were swept out into the estuary towards the Irish Sea. They were lucky that somebody happened to be on the island, as they contacted the coastguard and got hold of the inshore lifeboat. The event inspired the opening scenes of her latest book The Raging Storm, which is dedicated to the RNLI. It was also, arguably, responsible for her being a writer. Right after the accident I got pregnant, she recalls. And I thought, I cant be doing with leaving Tim on his own here, I cant trust him. So I gave up work and stayed on the island throughout the pregnancy. Thats when I started writing. Wasnt that lonely? No. Im better on my own than with loads of people, she says. I started off thinking Id write great literature and then, about halfway through, I thought, Would anybody actually want to read this? Probably not! And so she turned to crime. There are no guns or serial killers in her novels. People, and what makes them tick, are what interest her. Murders are often banal, she explains. I met killers when I was a probation officer and theyre usually boring ineffectual men who, for instance, killed their wife because she got on their nerves when they were drunk. Few are planned in advance. It took 20 years and 20 books for Cleeves to break through. During that time, a lot of life happened. Ann Cleeves with her husband Tim and their daughter, Sarah in 1981 The event inspired the opening scenes of her latest book The Raging Storm, which is dedicated to the RNLI After their daughters were born and the family moved to the Northeast, Tim was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after a psychotic episode that saw him hospitalised in the mid-80s. Hed had depression before, she says, but he had real stress at work and thats when he got ill. 'A wonderful psychiatrist diagnosed him and put him on the right medication. He still had highs and lows but, after that, no more psychotic episodes. Tims illness came after her own diagnosis of breast cancer, in her mid-30s. She has been in remission for decades. While the children were growing up, and throughout her own and Tims illness, Cleeves did odd jobs to earn cash, such as running the village playgroup and youth club. Alongside work, shed get up early and write a bit every morning to keep sane. She wrote and wrote, earning tiny advances, until, in 2006, she published Raven Black, the first in her Shetland series featuring detective Jimmy Perez. It won the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award, with a prize of 20,000. Not long after that Vera was commissioned by ITV. For the first time the couple could afford to buy their own place. Tim took early retirement and I started writing full time, she recalls. It was a big risk. A big risk with an even bigger pay off. This July, Cleeves was awarded the Outstanding Contribution Award at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Its a fitting testament to a woman whose creations have dominated our screens for more than a decade, but Im sure Cleeves has taken it all in her stride. If you want to see her really glow with pride, youll have to ask her about her grandchildren. Heineken has finally quit Russia 18 months after the invasion of Ukraine. The Dutch brewer, which also makes Amstel and Birra Moretti beers, has sold its business in the country, including seven breweries, to Russian company Arnest Group for 1. Heineken said it expects to incur a total loss of 256million as a result. Bosses at the brewer (whose alcohol-free Heineken 0.0 was advertised by James Bond actor Daniel Craig) admitted it 'took much longer than we had hoped', after it faced criticism for the slow pace of its exit in the wake of the outbreak of war. Shaken not stirred: The brewer's alcohol-free Heineken 0.0 was advertised by James Bond actor Daniel Craig Heineken had insisted it was trying to look after its local employees in Russia. In March last year, it said it was quitting Russia as the business there was 'no longer sustainable nor viable in the current environment', but added it wanted to ensure an 'orderly transfer' to a new owner. Chief executive and chairman Dolf van den Brink said: 'We have now completed our exit from Russia. 'While it took much longer than we had hoped, this transaction secures the livelihoods of our employees.' Heineken said Arnest, which is based in Tula Oblast, has guaranteed the employment of Heineken's 1,800 local staff for three years. Big hit: Tory peer Lord Cruddas Tory peer Lord Cruddas saw 20million wiped off his wealth as shares in his spreadbetting company tumbled. In a bleak update to the stock market, CMC Markets said it expects a drop in full-year profits following subdued trading by clients in August. Shares in the company fell 9.7 per cent, or 11.8p, to 110.2p, cutting the value of the 62 per cent combined stake held by Cruddas and his wife Fiona by 20m to 190m. The stock is now at its lowest level for four years, having fallen 80 per cent since its peak during the pandemic when trading boomed. Trading platforms are struggling with a slowdown in client activity as market volatility eased from highs seen during Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year and the Covid-19 pandemic. The company said it expects full-year profits of 250million to 280million lower than the 288.4million it posted last year. Peel Hunt analysts said: 'This is clearly disappointing, and is another reminder that CMC can suffer from periods of subdued trading activity.' Drivers trying to avoid the 12.50-a-day charge within London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) can benefit from a new map plotting where the cameras are located. Transport for London uses hundreds of fixed cameras located across Central and Greater London to monitor which cars enter and exit the zone that runs 24/7. Many of these cameras are dotted around the perimeter of the zone, which covers everywhere inside the North and South Circular roads. But there are also plenty inside the zone too - affecting drivers who live within the Ulez making internal trips. Now, developers at the Ulez.co.uk website have created an interactive map showing every known location of a Ulez camera - which they have shared with MailOnline. It means motorists driving within the Ulez might be able to work out a route that does not pass a camera and therefore they could legally avoid paying the charge. The automatic number plate recognition Ulez cameras check each car's registration with DVLA records to determine the vehicle's age and therefore its compliance. It comes just days before London Mayor Sadiq Khan's controversial planned extension of the Ulez to include the outer boroughs of the capital from Tuesday. MAP 1 - Zoom in on the map below to see where the Ulez cameras are near you The Ulez.co.uk website has an interactive map showing every known location of a Ulez camera When you zoom in on the map, you can see where the cameras are located with the blue icons MAP 2 - Input your postcode on this map to see if the Ulez boundary is near you TfL does not reveal where the cameras are located to avoid the exploitation of routes avoiding them, and it can add or move cameras at any point without consultation. And while the map aims to help drivers of non-compliant to work out where they could travel to avoid cameras, it is not a guarantee that they will not have to pay. Alexander Thomas, founder of Ulez.co.uk, told MailOnline: 'Ulez.co.uk aims to be the only place you need to learn everything about the Ultra Low Emissions Zone. The website was set up to be a clear guide to everything Ulez. 'We created various tools to help Londoners navigate the Ulez and understand better the expansions, compliance and more. 'The map has been custom-developed to display various elements such as a postcode checker with search, the Ulez boundaries and more recently the camera locations. 'The website also has a very nifty vehicle checker that can tell you real quick if you are compliant or not.' But the chances of avoiding cameras will likely be reduced when Mr Khan implements a fleet of camera vans to reduce vandalism and enforce the levy. Last month the Ulez was cited as being a key factor for the Conservatives' narrow by-election victory in Boris Johnson's old seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip. The scheme featured heavily in the campaign of successful Tory candidate Steve Tuckwell, who said it would penalise residents and businesses in the borough of Hillingdon. Separate from the congestion charge, which is aimed at reducing traffic, Ulez is designed to cut air pollution in the capital by discouraging the use of high-emission vehicles through imposing a daily fee. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) currently covers the area inside the North and South Circular roads, but the Mayor intends to expand it across all of Greater London on August 29 It runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week and aims to improve the health of people by reducing the amount of particulate matter and nitrous oxides they breathe. The scheme applies to all cars, motorcycles, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes. Generally, petrol cars registered after 2005 and diesel cars registered after 2015 meet the emissions standards. Cars older than this are charged 12.50 a day with a penalty for non-payment of up to 180. Drivers can check whether their vehicle meets the emissions standards on TfL's website by entering in their registration number. Protesters demonstrate against the expansion in Orpington, South East London, on August 19 Anti-Ulez protestors demonstrate on July 29 outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London The scheme was first approved in 2015 when Mr Johnson was London mayor but introduced four years later under Mr Khan's stewardship. Mr Khan has since been a strong supporter of Ulez and has been advocating for its expansion towards the outer boroughs. At first, Ulez only applied to central London but in 2021 grew to border the North and South Circular roads as part of a pandemic bail-out agreement between TfL and the Government. Mr Khan said he wants to expand the zone further to encompass the outer London boroughs from next Tuesday to lower the air pollution in those areas. But opponents of the expansion believe the Mayor is using it as a way to make money for TfL. Mayor Sadiq Khan wants to expand the zone further to encompass the outer London boroughs Signage indicates the boundary of the Ulez scheme beside the South Circular Road in London They also say the scheme disproportionately affects poorer people who need to drive for work and that it discourages sole traders from outside London taking work in the city. A scrappage scheme is in place for people with older cars to receive up to 2,000 or a mixture of cash and public transport passes, but critics of this say the money is not enough. The Conservative-run outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon along with Surrey County Council took legal action against the Mayor of London in the High Court, saying he lacks the legal power to order the scheme's extension. However, a judgement at the end of last month rejected this appeal and confirmed the expansion could go ahead as planned. The 'bomb threat' at Sydney Airport that left 194 passengers stranded on a flight for three hours last week caused chaos for thousands of travellers but was resolved with no physical harm to anyone. For a small band of old NSW detectives, that incident brought back memories of a far more sinister and potentially catastrophic incident at the same transport hub more than 40 years earlier. There was no bomb on Malaysia Airlines flight MH122 on August 14, but an improvised explosive device the long-retired cops encountered on April 4, 1979 could have killed hundreds and destroyed the international terminal. The first attempted hijacking of a jumbo jet in Australia occurred at Sydney Airport that Wednesday morning and ended with Italian immigrant Domenico Speranza being shot dead down the aisle of a Boeing 747. The first attempted hijacking of a jumbo jet in Australia occurred at Sydney Airport on April 4, 1979 and ended with Italian immigrant Domenico Speranza being shot dead in the aisle of a Pan Am airliner (above) Speranza, a carpenter who had been in Australia for eight years, took New Zealand-born nurse Suzanne Chisholm hostage at knifepoint before threatening to detonate a home-made bomb packed into a KB beer can on a Pan Am airliner. After kidnapping Chisholm, 34-year-old Speranza demanded the Clipper Mayflower jet be flown to Rome so he could meet the Pope, before continuing on to Russia. After a four-hour stand-off a senior constable from the NSW Police Force's Special Weapons and Operations Squad shot Speranza in the torso, then the head. The nine SWOS-trained detectives who took part in breaching the plane that day knew Spreanza had a bomb that would have killed them all if it exploded. Now, the detective who fired the fatal shots has explained how he and his colleagues ended the operation, as detailed in a brief of evidence put before the coroner. Daily Mail Australia is identifying that detective as 'Officer 3' and naming only those police involved in taking down Speranza who have since died. Domenico Speranza took nurse Suzanne Chisholm hostage at knifepoint before threatening to detonate a home-made bomb packed in a KB beer can on a Pan Am jet. The bomb was recreated (above) and detonated to show it could have destroyed the airliner Pan Am flight PA815 touched down at Sydney Airport at 11.12am after flying from Los Angeles via Auckland and parked at Gate 7 where 256 passengers and 18 crew disembarked. The plane was still carrying 13,449 litres of aviation gas and its empty tanks were filled with highly flammable vapour. The centre fuel tank was located directly behind and below the position Speranza would take up with his bomb - seat 7F in first class. Chisholm, who had been working in Canberra, was going home to attend her brother's wedding and was due to celebrate her 23rd birthday three days later. Shortly before 11.30am, Chisholm was waiting in the departure lounge to board her 3pm Qantas flight, QF58, to Christchurch when she was grabbed from behind. Speranza held a knife with a 15cm blade to Chisholm's throat and pushed her through the Customs barrier. When Commonwealth police approached Speranza he said, 'Stay back or I will kill her'. Police withdrew and Speranza forced Chisholm onto the jet where she realised she was bleeding from a neck wound, and he ordered cleaning and maintenance staff off the aircraft. A short time afterwards Chief Inspector John Burrows of the Commonwealth police boarded the jet and spoke to Speranza, who demanded he be flown to Singapore, Rome and Moscow. Suzanne Chisholm was going home to attend her brother's wedding when she was taken hostage by Speranza in the departure lounge. She is pictured at the Coroner's Court Burrows told Speranza he was getting a doctor to treat Chisholm's wound and left the aircraft. While he was gone, Speranza bragged to Chisholm this was the first time an airliner had been hijacked in Australia and it would be all over the news. 'Have you ever been to Singapore or Rome?' Speranza asked Chisholm. When she said no, he told her: 'I will take you to meet the Pope'. After Burrows returned to the plane an agitated Speranza continued to hold the knife near Chisholm's chest and said he no longer wished to live in Australia. Italian-born hijacker Domenico Speranza (above) was shot dead by a SWOS officer Unable to resolve the situation, Burrows grabbed Speranza's arm and called out to Chisholm to run. Burrows and Speranza fought and at 1.17pm Chisholm escaped through the airbridge. Chisholm told police Speranza had warned her he had a bomb that would blow up 100 people. She saw he was carrying a KB beer can with a 15cm fuse protruding from the opening. Back in the Pan Am jet, Speranza produced the beer can and held a lit match near the fuse, telling Burrows: 'This is a bomb. Get off the aircraft or I'll blow everything up.' The next officer through the doorway was Detective Sergeant Nelson Chad, an FBI- trained negotiator from the SWOS. Chad saw the KB bomb and another device with a fuse in a smaller 'cartridge-like' container. 'I am finished with talking,' Speranza told Chad. 'I want you to take this plane off to Rome. I want to see the Pope and then I want to go to Russia to live. Australia is no good anymore. 'I want this plane to leave by 3.45 or I will blow us all up.' While Chad attempted to calm the hijacker, Speranza held a lit match 5cm from the KB bomb's wick and screamed out, 'Stop!'. After 20 minutes, negotiations broke down and Chad left the aircraft. After kidnapping Chisholm, 34-year-old Speranza year-old demanded the 'Clipper Mayflower' jet be flown to Rome so he could meet the Pope before continuing on to Russia Another SWOS member, the Italian-speaking Detective Senior Constable Aldo Lorenzutta was then called to the scene to talk to Speranza in his native tongue. As police waited for Lorenzutta to arrive two detectives went to Speranza's home at Fairfield in Sydney's west and made several alarming discoveries. In Speranza's bedroom they located 200 or more 12 gauge shotgun shells that had been emptied of lead shot and gunpowder. Two empty KB cans were found in the backyard. Now knowing the likely composition of the main bomb, experts from the police ballistics section and NSW Mines Department concluded its detonation could destroy not only the jet but at least part of the international terminal. Police considered options to overpower Speranza including the use of mace, fire extinguishers, removing oxygen from the plane and a narcotic dart. Lorenzutta arrived at the airport about 1.30pm and spoke to Speranza for 45 to 55 minutes through the jet's doorway. Speranza was holding the KB can and a box of matches in his left hand, with a single match in his right. Behind Lorenzutta were seven SWOS members including Detective Sergeant Don Worsley as well as Chief Inspector Don Thomas from the Commonwealth police who had previously been a member of the squad. 'If you love your children, don't come near me or I will blow this plane up,' Speranza told Lorenzutta. 'Me, you and everybody else.' The hijacker told Lorenzutta he wanted some bread to eat and threw a crumpled $2 note down the aisle. About 2.40pm Speranza again said if all his demands were not met by 3.45pm he would ignite the bomb. After Lorenzutta left the plane a new plan was formed: to blast Speranza with a burst from a fire hose. The water would subdue the bombmaker and stop him lighting the fuse without anyone getting hurt. Chad tested the hose in a nearby toilet and the pressure was deemed up to the task. Lorenzutta told Speranza the bread was on its way and the seven other SWOS members, along with Thomas, were assembled ahead of an assault. Chad would go in with the hose flanked by Officer 3 and another breaching party member, with two others in close support and three more behind. Each man was armed only with a .38 Smith & Wesson revolver. 'We had no protective equipment at all,' said Officer 3. 'The simple reality is if he had detonated the bomb we would have been vapourised.' About 3.35pm Lorenzutta received two loaves of bread and returned to the aircraft. He threw one loaf onto the seat in front of Speranza and the second into the aisle. Pan Am flight PA815 (above) touched down at Sydney Airport at 11.12am after flying from Los Angeles via Auckland and parked at Gate 7 where all 256 passengers and 18 crew disembarked Speranza ordered Lorenzutta off the plane and demanded an airline crew be immediately brought on board to fly him out of the country. Lorenzutta took a last glance at Speranza and saw he was holding the KB bomb and box of matches. Believing this was the last chance to disarm the hijacker and with less than ten minutes before Speranza's deadline expired, Lorenzutta called out, 'Now'. Chad stormed through the doorway with the fire hose at 3.38pm and hit Speranza in the face with a stream of water. Speranza had been sitting down and turned away to dodge the spray, yelling out, 'I kill you'. As Speranza struck a match to ignite the bomb Officer 3 fired a shot which passed through the hijacker's left arm and entered his abdomen. When Speranza tried again to light the device Officer 3 shot him in the forehead. 'He was trying to ignite the frigging thing,' Officer 3 said. 'I fired two shots and that was the end of that.' Despite having been shot twice, Speranza tried to struggle with police and attempted to remove a packet from his top pocket. Police feared that may have been another bomb but it turned out to be a box of tablets. Suzanne Chisholm drew this sketch of the bomb Domenico Speranza made with a KB beer can and the layout of where she was seated with Speranza in the first-class section of the jet The KB bomb was made safe, along with the smaller device, and Speranza was taken to Prince Henry Hospital. He underwent surgery and was pronounced dead at 9.20pm, about ten hours after he had started the siege by taking Chisolm hostage. That night detectives interviewed Speranza's sister Guiseppina Ronzini who told them she believed her brother was mentally disturbed and had recently been acting 'very strangely'. Speranza had been bitter about not receiving compensation for a neck injury he sustained in a car accident and wanted to kill his brother-in-law, who he blamed for colluding with the insurance company. For three or four days before the attempted hijacking Speranza would only say when asked what was wrong, 'I have something to do, mind your own business'. The KB bomb was found to contain about 200 grams of gunpowder and 300 grams of lead shot as well as two screwdriver blades. The smaller device contained 70 grams of powder and 140 grams of shrapnel. Two replicas of the bombs were built and detonated at the Anzac Rifle Range at Malabar in Sydney's eastern suburbs for the benefit of the coroner. 'The bigger bomb lifted a derelict vehicle up off the ground and it became consumed in flames,' Officer 3 said. 'The smaller device was put under a 44 gallon drum and blew debris 50 feet in the air.' The destructive capability of the bombs Speranza took onto the jet was demonstrated for a coroner at the Anzac Rifle Range at Malabar in Sydney's eastern suburbs (above) Coroner Len Nash said having seen the detonation of the KB beer can bomb any sceptics who claimed Speranza did not need to be shot 'should now be silent'. 'It is quite obvious the device was capable of not only destroying the aircraft but causing the deaths or injury to hundreds of persons at the terminal at the time,' he found. Mr Nash commended the SWOS team members, as well as Thomas and Burrows, who had all placed themselves 'at great personal risk' during the operation. 'The only homicide that could be considered in my opinion on the evidence is that one of a justifiable homicide,' he found. 'It is quite obvious from the evidence placed before me that what transpired was the last resort, there was no other way open to the officer of police there other than to shoot the deceased. 'It is unfortunate that the shooting resulted in his death but there seems to be no other way that he could have been stopped from doing what he intended to do.' This August Bank Holiday weekend, millions of revellers will take on Notting Hill Carnival. The parade has its roots in an indoor celebration organised from 1959 to 1966 by Trinidadian communist Claudia Jones in response to Notting Hill race riots in 1958. The murder of aspiring Antigua lawyer Kelso Cochrane spurred on Rhaune Laslett to organise a children's street fayre that ended up being the first outdoor carnival in 1966 when the popular Russ Henderson Steel Band got involved. Now, it is one of the most exciting weekends for Londoners and draws in millions of pounds as people enjoy the cultural celebrations, music, food and eccentric costumes. And with any big event in London, dozens of streets will shut to make way for the colourful parade so people can party in safety. To make sure you're not caught out by the closures, here is a full list of information ahead of the bank holiday weekend. This August Bank Holiday weekend, millions of revellers will take on Notting Hill Carnival, here is a full list of travel information so you can enjoy the big weekend care-free August bank holiday 2023 travel information and advice According to the TFL website, there are various closures and disruptions in light of the festival. Those heading to the parade will need to plan their journey ahead of time. Tube Ladbroke Grove will be closed Latimer Road: Closes at 23:30. It may close for short periods of time to manage congestion Notting Hill Gate: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. District and Circle lines will not stop from 11:00-18:00. No interchange between Central line and District and Circle lines. It may close for short periods of time to manage congestion Westbourne Park: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. Closes at 23:30. It can become extremely busy during peak times, so use other stations Holland Park: Exit only from 11:00 to 15:00. Closes at 15:00 Royal Oak: Exit only from 11:00 to 18:00. Closes at 18:00 Travellers should be aware that Ladbroke Grove will be closed in light of the carnival this weekend Travelling from east London The Central line through London is expected to be extremely busy Use the Elizabeth line that takes you from Stratford to Paddington in 25 minutes Travelling from west London The Central line toward Notting Hill is expected to be extremely busy Use Shepherds Bush station which is a 20-minute walk to the Carnival National Rail services London Kings Cross: No long-distance services operating out of London Kings Cross from late Saturday 26 August at night to Monday 28 August in the morning London Euston: Reduced services operating to/from London Euston from late Saturday 26 August to Monday 28 August London Charing Cross/London Cannon Street: No services will operate out of these stations Tube stations are likely to be very busy over the weekend, so travellers may have to wait longer than expected. Stations where you may have to wait for safety measures include: Northern line at Battersea Power station Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines at Mile End Bakerloo, Jubilee, and Metropolitan lines at Baker Street Bus Buses will be affected by road closures for the event, and there is likely to be delays. The TFL website advises: 'Some bus journeys in West London will take longer due to diversions or routes being stopped short of their destination.' Buses are expected to have severe delays as roads close this weekend to make way for the carnival Santander Cycle Hire Those wishing to hitch a quick ride out of the festival may have to think again as Santander Cycle docking stations will be suspended in the area between 14:00 on August 26 and 8:00 on August 29. Tower Bridge closure The City of London will be conducting maintenance work on Tower Bridge over the bank holiday weekend. Travellers should be aware of the following disruptions and make the necessary adjustments. From 22:00 on Friday 25 to 05:00 on Tuesday 29 August, Tower bridge will be closed to all users including people walking Bus Routes 42 and 78 will be diverted over London Bridge Bus Route 343 will terminate at Queen Elizabeth Street on the south side of Tower Bridge Adjacent river crossings are expected to be busy Before heading off for the big weekend, TFL advises travellers to download helpful tools to assist them. Travellers should download the TfL Go app for live Tube mapps and planning advice, they can also subscribe to email notifications which will remind customers of any important closures. When he went missing in Papua New Guinea in 1961, Michael Rockefeller's family used their immense wealth to try to track him down. But no trace of the 23-year-old was ever found, until 2015, when film footage that had been lying in a warehouse since 1969 suddenly came to light. It showed a naked and bearded white man among the massed ranks of a group of Papuan cannibals, prompting intense speculation that Rockefeller was alive and well. This week, popular Youtuber MrBallen showed the clip to his millions of fans in a video explaining the mystery of what happened to Rockefeller. MailOnline sheds more light on his case below, as well as those of others from the ranks of the wealthy and high society who have disappeared without a trace. Michael Rockefeller Michael Rockefeller, the scion of the Rockefeller dynasty - the richest, most powerful family in US history - went missing in 1961, during a trip to photograph the Asmat people in New Guinea and collect their art Rockefeller went missing during a trip to photograph the Asmat people in New Guinea and collect their art. His canoe capsized and was never seen again. The official verdict was that he drowned, although others believed he had been eaten by canniabls. But in 2015, unearthed footage that had been filmed in 1969 showed a white man living among cannibals and many believed it was Rockefeller. In 2015, unearthed footage that had been filmed in 1969 showed a naked and bearded white man among the massed ranks of a group of Papuan cannibals It was filmed close the spot where Rockefeller was last seen. The clip featured in a documentary made by Fraser Heston, son of actor Charlton Heston. The Daily Mail's report when Rockefeller went missing Rockefeller, who was a keen anthropologist, had wanted to supply his father Nelson - governor of New York and later Gerald Ford's Vice-President - with exhibits for a museum of primitive art he had just founded. The Asmat tribes were ferocious headhunters and made wooden sculptures that were smeared with the blood of those they killed. They also made beautiful decorated skulls that had been collected from tribal foes. Rockefeller spent six months in Papua New Guinea, writing home about the art he acquired and his fascination with Asmat culture. After he went missing, the hunt for him was exhaustive and saw his father charter a Boeing 707 to fly a media army out to the region. Thousands of locals also joined the search, which involved dozens of ships, planes and helicopters. However, with no trace having been found, his devastated father gave up after 10 days. Rockefeller's last words to his Dutch companion, Dutchman Rene Wassing, had been 'I think I can make it' when he decided to try to swim ashore when their canoe got into trouble. In 1968, New York magazine editor Milt Machlin flew out to Papua and launched a months-long search. He came across a retired Dutch missionary who told him that he heard that Rockefeller had been caught, killed and eaten. However, the story was disputed by Dutch officials and was rivalled by another rumour: that Rockefeller was alive and being 'kept as a white idol by a tribe near the coast.' The footage showing the white man among the tribesmen was shot by photographer Malcolm Kirk, who had been sent by Machlin. But Machlin then allowed it to language for more than 40 years in a US warehouse until documentary maker Mr Heston found it. While researching a screenplay based on Machlin's book, he came across 15 reels of uncut film and sound tapes. Lord Lucan Aristocrat Lord Lucan was a well-known member of high society when he vanished after being accused of murdering his family's nanny in his London home in 1974. The peer's wife Veronica, who was also beaten in the brutal attack - at the hands of her husband, she claimed - died aged 80 after taking a cocktail of drink and drugs in 2017. Aristocrat Lord Lucan was a well-known member of high society when he vanished after being accused of murdering his family's nanny in his London home in 1974 Lord and Lady Lucan with their son George, then aged three, taken from Lady Lucan's photo album Neil Berriman, the surviving son of nanny Sandra Rivett, claimed in 2020 that Lord Lucan was alive and well and living as a Buddhist in Australia. The claims were dismissed as outlandish, although police did launch a probe into the matter. However, in 2022, a facial recognition match for the peer and the Buddhist was allegedly made. Professor Hassan Ugail, a leading expert in the field who correctly identified the Russian agents behind the 2018, claimed to have used an AI algorithm to run 4,000 cross-checks of seven photos: four of Lord Lucan, who vanished in 1974, and three of the frail Australian pensioner. Lady Lucan in 2017 (left), and with Lord Lucan before they married on November 20 1974 The Daily Mail of November 12, 1974, on the ongoing murder mystery He said: 'This isnt an opinion, it's science and mathematical fact.' It was alleged that the pensioner moved from house to house across Australia before settling just outside of Brisbane. When confronted about his identity, the 87-year-old's carers reportedly denied he was Lord Lucan. Professor Ugail's analysis of the photographs included studying micro-millimetre measurements of spaces between facial features. The expert said he has spent 20 years developing his algorithm, adding to The Mirror: 'It has never been wrong.' Ambrose Small Millionaire theatre magnate Ambrose Small disappeared in December 1919, the day after he sold his chain of theatres in Canada and the US for $1.75million - the equivalent of millions of pounds in today's money Millionaire theatre magnate Ambrose Small disappeared in December 1919, the day after he sold his chain of theatres in Canada and the US for $1.75million - the equivalent of millions of pounds in today's money. Small had vanished shortly after depositing a $1million cheque in his bank account in Toronto. He then visited his barber for a shave before going for lunch with his wife and lawyer. He then returned to the Grand Opera House in Toronto and had plans to meet his wife for dinner, but instead vanished. The last person to see him alive was his lawyer Edward Flock. One theory suggested that he was kidnapped and held to ransom. But no ransom demands were ever made. His wife Theresa offered a $50,000 reward for any information leading to her husband's whereabouts if he was alive, and $15,000 if he was found dead. However, the reward went unclaimed and the case was finally closed in 1960. The Daily Mail's initial report into the disappearance of Small Dorothy Arnold Dorothy Arnold was an American socialite and heiress to her millionaire father's perfume business. She disappeared in New York in 1910 after telling her family she was going shopping for a dress. Wearing a navy-blue outfit that she tweeted with tan gloves and a fox fur muff, Arnold initially went to a sweet shop and bought a box of expensive chocolates. After leaving the sweet shop, she walked to a bookshop, where she bought a tome of essays. On leaving, she bumped into her friend Gladys King, who would later report that Arnold was in a good mood and had told her she was going to walk home through Central Park. Dorothy Arnold was an American socialite and heiress to her millionaire father's perfume business As she walked away, she looked back and waved twice. It was the last time she was ever seen by her friend. The Daily Mail reported at the time: 'She left her parents' residence early in the afternoon, saying she was going shopping. The Daily Mail's report of Dorothy Arnold's disappearance 'She had some 4 in her pocket. From bills subsequently sent to her father it has been found that she went into a sweet shop near 42nd-street and bought a box of chocolates, and afterwards visited Brentano's book store, whence she carried away a new novel. 'She was seen by a girl friend walking with the book under her arm slowly up Fifth-avenue. Her disappearance after that is absolute.' It added: 'The theory that she eloped is pronounced utterly untenable by her parents, whose only explanation of the mystery is that their daughter must either have been kidnapped and held prisoner somewhere or have suddenly lost her memory and wandered away.' In an attempt to keep his daughter's disappearance out of the news, Dorothy's father Francis enlisted the help of private investigators rather than the police during the hunt for her. Investigators from the famous Pinkerton detective agency suspected she may have eloped with a European man. When the family did finally report Dorothy's disappearance to police, officers suggested they hold a press conference to get publicity. Francis offered a $1,000 reward for information about his daughter's whereabouts and also alerted reporters to the fact that his daughter had previously enjoyed a relationship with young man George Griscom. Griscom insisted he knew nothing about Dorothy's disappearance, although it was claimed he was seen talking to a veiled woman at a hotel. However, the Arnold family believed that Dorothy was dead, after being attacked in Central Park. Francis said he believed her body was in the Central Park reservoir, although this theory was dismissed by police and a search found nothing. The family did receive two ransom notes demanding $5,000 for Dorothy's return, but they were judged to be fraudulent. In 1911, Francis received a postcard signed by Dorothy that read 'I am safe', but he dismissed it in the belief it had been sent by someone who copied her handwriting. Griscom speculated that Dorothy could have taken her own life after becoming disillusioned at the lack of success in her attempt to be a writer. In 1916, a felon claimed to a prison warden he had been paid $250 to bury Dorothy's body. However, the story was again dismissed by the Arnolds. Francis died in 1922 in the belief that his daughter was no longer alive. Arthur Kingsley Porter Archaeologist and historian Arthur Kingsley Porter disappeared in 1933 during a visit to a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. Porter, who had relocated from the US to Donegal with his wife, had become an overnight millionaire at the age of just 18 because his father was a banking tycoon. He bought the remote Glenveagh Castle in Donegal for 5,000 in 1930 and settled there. But Porter, who had admitted to his wife that he was gay, suffered recurring bouts of depression. Archaeologist and historian Arthur Kingsley Porter disappeared in 1933 during a visit to a remote island off the west coast of Ireland. Above: The archaeologist with his wife He turned to an an unorthodox psychotherapist in London who encouraged him to give in to his sexual desires with a young patient of his. The man, who was called Alan Campbell, would regularly visit Porter's home. However, the archaeologist continued to suffer from depression. In June 1933, he went out walking in a storm on the island of Inishbofin. An inquest concluded that Porter had likely died from misadventure, although the coroner reported that his wife appeared to be 'strangely without affect', as if she was not surprised by his disappearance. The ensuing years brought reported sightings of Porter in Europe but they were never confirmed. Porter's former home was bought by a former student of his, Henry McIlhenny - another millionaire - in 1937 and it became popular with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo. Gumar Aguiar Oil and gas tycoon Guma Aguiar, 35, vanished off the coast of Florida in 2012 after going sailing in rough seas. His 31-foot boat T.T. Zion washed ashore the next day on a beach with the lights on and its engine on full throttle. Police found Aguiars cell phone and wallet aboard the vessel, but there was no sign of the married father of four. Oil and gas tycoon Guma Aguiar, 35, vanished off the coast of Florida in 2012 after going sailing in rough seas In 2015, he was officially declared dead after a petition submitted by his wife and mother so they could gain access to his $100million fortune. Officials concluded that he accidentally fell overboard and drowned. Aguiar, who had a history of mental health problems, was on probation for domestic violence when he disappeared. He had also reportedly argued with his wife when she threatened with him with divorce hours before he went missing. Jacqueline Levitz Jacqueline Levitz was the striking 62-year-old millionaire widow of furniture chain founder Ralph Levitz. She vanished from her home in Mississippi in 1995 and no trace of her has been found since. Signs of what her brother-in-law called a 'violent struggle' were found at her home, including a blood-stained mattress. Jacqueline Levitz was the striking 62-year-old millionaire widow of furniture chain founder Ralph Levitz. She vanished from her home in Mississippi in 1995 and no trace of her has been found since In 2000, Levitz was declared dead by a Florida court and her fortune, estimated between $5 and $8million, was dispersed. There was speculation that she could have been murdered and then dumped in the Mississippi River. Another theory suggested she had been buried under a restaurant that was being built at the time of her death. However, despite the offer of a $200,000 reward for information about her fate, no further trace of her has ever been found. Anne-Elisabeth Falkevik Hagen Anne-Elizabeth Falkevik Hagen, the wife of one of Norway's richest men, disappeared in 2018 and is believed to have been kidnapped or murdered. Her husband Tom Hagen, who founded electric company Elkraft in the early 1990s, has an estimated fortune of 1.7billion kroner (around 200million), according to the magazine Kapital. He was arrested on suspicion of his wife's murder in April 2020 but furiously denied it and was never charged. Anne-Elizabeth Falkevik Hagen, the wife of one of Norway's richest men, disappeared in 2018 and is believed to have been kidnapped or murdered. Her husband Tom Hagen, who founded electric company Elkraft in the early 1990s, has an estimated fortune of 1.7billion kroner (around 200million), according to the magazine Kapital A poorly-written ransom note containing threats and a demand for 9million in crypto-currency was discovered at the scene of Ms Hagen's disappearance. Authorities made contact online with people who appeared to be the 'kidnappers' - initially supporting the theory that she had been abducted. But police then suspected that there had been no kidnapping and that an abduction had instead been staged to cover up murder. A pre-nuptial agreement made in 1987 showed that Anne-Elisabeth was entitled to only 15,000 of Hagen's 156million fortune along with a plot of land and a Citroen car if the couple divorced. Blog Archive: Oct 2023 (150) Sep 2023 (150) Aug 2023 (155) Jul 2023 (155) Jun 2023 (150) May 2023 (155) Apr 2023 (150) Mar 2023 (155) Feb 2023 (140) Jan 2023 (155) Dec 2022 (156) Nov 2022 (150) Oct 2022 (155) Sep 2022 (150) Aug 2022 (155) Jul 2022 (154) Jun 2022 (150) May 2022 (155) Apr 2022 (150) Mar 2022 (155) Feb 2022 (140) Jan 2022 (156) Dec 2021 (156) Nov 2021 (150) Oct 2021 (155) Sep 2021 (150) Aug 2021 (155) Jul 2021 (155) Jun 2021 (150) May 2021 (155) Apr 2021 (150) Mar 2021 (155) Feb 2021 (140) Jan 2021 (155) Dec 2020 (155) Nov 2020 (150) Oct 2020 (158) Sep 2020 (150) Aug 2020 (130) Jul 2020 (124) Jun 2020 (120) May 2020 (124) Apr 2020 (120) Mar 2020 (124) Feb 2020 (116) Jan 2020 (125) Dec 2019 (126) Nov 2019 (120) Oct 2019 (124) Sep 2019 (120) Aug 2019 (125) Jul 2019 (124) Jun 2019 (120) May 2019 (123) Apr 2019 (121) Mar 2019 (124) Feb 2019 (112) Jan 2019 (125) Dec 2018 (126) Nov 2018 (120) Oct 2018 (124) Sep 2018 (121) Aug 2018 (124) Jul 2018 (125) Jun 2018 (120) May 2018 (124) Apr 2018 (121) Mar 2018 (124) Feb 2018 (112) Jan 2018 (123) Dec 2017 (124) Nov 2017 (124) Oct 2017 (141) Sep 2017 (135) Aug 2017 (138) Jul 2017 (137) Jun 2017 (134) May 2017 (138) Apr 2017 (135) Mar 2017 (139) Feb 2017 (129) Jan 2017 (143) Dec 2016 (135) Nov 2016 (138) Oct 2016 (142) Sep 2016 (128) Aug 2016 (133) Jul 2016 (136) Jun 2016 (138) May 2016 (164) Apr 2016 (311) Mar 2016 (348) Feb 2016 (320) Jan 2016 (348) Dec 2015 (314) Nov 2015 (338) Oct 2015 (363) Sep 2015 (358) Aug 2015 (399) Jul 2015 (374) Jun 2015 (331) May 2015 (337) Apr 2015 (319) Mar 2015 (320) Feb 2015 (271) Jan 2015 (286) Dec 2014 (254) Nov 2014 (238) Oct 2014 (287) Sep 2014 (267) Aug 2014 (259) Jul 2014 (260) Jun 2014 (238) May 2014 (241) Apr 2014 (228) Mar 2014 (240) Feb 2014 (217) Jan 2014 (263) Dec 2013 (226) Nov 2013 (254) Oct 2013 (256) Sep 2013 (252) Aug 2013 (263) Jul 2013 (261) Jun 2013 (251) May 2013 (250) Apr 2013 (221) Mar 2013 (193) Feb 2013 (164) Jan 2013 (157) Dec 2012 (155) Nov 2012 (240) Oct 2012 (526) Sep 2012 (411) Aug 2012 (394) Jul 2012 (284) Jun 2012 (229) May 2012 (213) Apr 2012 (213) Mar 2012 (253) Feb 2012 (269) Jan 2012 (298) Dec 2011 (273) Nov 2011 (219) Oct 2011 (204) Sep 2011 (201) Aug 2011 (236) Jul 2011 (217) Jun 2011 (211) May 2011 (206) Apr 2011 (215) Mar 2011 (215) Feb 2011 (186) Jan 2011 (215) Dec 2010 (107) Nov 2010 (98) Oct 2010 (55) As the once-bustling jewel in Britain's crown, five years ago it was inconceivable London could lose its X-Factor appeal for celebrities like Simon Cowell. For the music tycoon, 63, the move away has been prompted by a combination of reasons, not least his wife, son and dogs and the need for more space for them all. But crime plaguing the city, the sheer cost of living there and fears about safety have meant many stars are turning their back on it. It paints a depressing picture for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who is desperately trying to tempt people into the capital. The Beckhams spend less time in the city after they were targeted by an obsessed stalker. Sharon Bell, 58, was charged with harassing former Manchester United and England midfielder David with a series of letters after trying to contact him since 2016. Amir Khan was robbed of a 70k watch outside the Sahara Grill in Leyton back in 2022 In 2022 Amir Khan abandoned plans to move to London with his family after being robbed of his 72,000 luxury watch at gunpoint while out with his wife in the capital David Beckham and his family have been spending less time in London, seen here in the USA She wrongly believed she was in a relationship with Beckham and that he and Victoria had conspired to steal her eggs from inside her body. In the most frightening incident Bell turned up at the Beckhams' 11-year-old daughter's prep school on November 18, claiming: 'I'm Harper's mother. I'm here to pick her up.' Victoria was also there and saw the stalker looking 'vacant' as police arrived and took her away. She was sectioned for stalking the family at their Oxfordshire and London homes between July and November 2021. Jeremy Clarkson last year said his London-living daughter no longer went to her local shopping centre as it's 'permanently full of gangs with bats and blades'. Clarkson wrote in his column in The Times: 'My daughter, who lives in a leafy part of London, tells me she can no longer go to the local shopping centre because it is permanently full of gangs with bats and blades. The celebrity departures paint a depressing picture for Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who is desperately trying to tempt people into the capital. Jeremy Clarkson last year said his London-living daughter no longer went to her local shopping centre as it's 'permanently full of gangs with bats and blades' 'And they can do whatever they want because they know for a fact that the police are not coming. 'They're not coming because they are all busy trying to catch Fiona and Rupert with a bit of powder, or, more likely, they're standing around on the pavement, with their hands in their pockets, watching a group of eco-herberts who've glued themselves to the road.' In 2022 Amir Khan abandoned plans to move to London with his family after being robbed of his 72,000 luxury watch at gunpoint while out with his wife in the capital. The former world champion boxer had a gun thrust in his face as masked assailants stole his Franck Muller Vanguard Chronograph in East London before escaping while his distraught wife Faryal Makhdoom looked on. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline last year, Khan said: 'My plan was to move to London later this year with Faryal and the kids but after what happened there's no chance that we'll be doing that. 'London is not a place I want to live in anymore. Our plan to move there is not happening. We're going to stick with living in our home in Bolton and spending time in Dubai.' The boxer added: 'I'm not sure if I even want to return to London for the foreseeable future because of increasing crime, terrible traffic and it's not safe. This is no place for me and my family.' Simon Cowell waving to fans after appearing on America's Got Talent earlier on this week Having owned the home for 16 years he was keen to make a move after outgrowing it Removal men got to work clearing out Simon Cowell's possessions on Tuesday after he quietly sold his 15million mansion in Holland Park last week Turning his attention to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, the boxer fumed: 'Mayor Khan needs to pull his finger out and tackle the increasing levels of gun and knife crime. He's making the city unliveable. You can't drive anywhere, traffic is horrendous and there's no quality of life. 'It's disgusting what is happening in London and what happened to me. Sadiq Khan is doing a terrible job and this huge increase in gun and knife crime is happening under his watch. It's absolutely disgraceful.' Cowell has left the capital after his family grew, meaning he needs more space to accomodate them. But he had also been subject to a number of concerning incidents at his Holland Park property. They included home invasions by two intruders one of whom stole 1million in jewellery - and even flooding two years ago. Just months ago it was alleged that a criminal gang had sold the exact lock to his front door which horrified him. The steroid addict expressed a desire to enter the Mr Universe contest in 2019 Christian Bolger sprayed his body with fake tan and took over three weeks off A police officer who should have been working after the Manchester Arena bombing took time off sick the next morning and then competed in at least two body building contests in the following weeks, MailOnline can reveal. Hulking Christian Bolger, 48, a serving Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officer at the time of the 2017 terrorist atrocity at an Ariana Grande concert, was suspected of faking illness to get time off to allow him to attend the events, saying he had a bad back. While colleagues investigated the atrocity in which homegrown terrorist Salman Abedi killed 22 people, many children, and injured 1,017 on May 22 2017, the officer sprayed himself with fake tan and took at least three and a half weeks off work. Bolger, who had become addicted to steroids, was finally sacked from the force when he was caught selling body building drugs - and sold a sample to an undercover police officer. But its only now that details of Bolgers suspect behaviour after the bombing can be made public, after we uncovered details about his previous disciplinary cases. Christian Bolger, 48, was off sick the day after the 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing but still competed in two body building contests in the following weeks Bolger sprayed his body with gold fake tan while taking three and a half weeks off work Bolgers Professional Standards misconduct records reveal: An allegation that the officer has reported sick with a bad back the day following the Manchester attack at the M.E.N. and whilst certified sick he competed in at least two body-building competitions. Footage taken on June 11, 2017, at the British Physical Culture Show at Birmingham Symphony Hall shows Bolger competing in the Class 1 Category next to other bulked up men naked except for briefs - and coming third. Bolger is shown in the film contorting his steroid-fuelled body as the crowd cheers him on. Dressed only in skimpy pants and sporting a gold spray tan, Bolger writhes on stage, popping the veins in his greased body and contorting his frame with zero hint of a bad back. Days later, on June 15, 2017, Bolger appeared at a second body-building contest NABBA British Finals. Again, there was no sign of Bolgers bad back or any other physical ailment, and all while signed off sick from his duties as a serving police officer. Its unclear if any action was taken against him by his employers for apparently feigning his medical condition, but the incident is recorded in his personnel records. Bolger had been bodybuilding for at least five years by the time of the bombing all the while taking steroids and serving in the citys police force. Before Bolger was sacked from the force, he was also suspended from duty, on full pay, along with seven other officers from GMP, following the death in custody of a suspect. Andre Mouras death in the cells came in July 2018, a year after the Manchester bombing, after his arrest for a breach of the peace. Before being dismissed from the force, Bolger was suspended from duty while being on full pay. after a suspect died in custody An inquest heard that Bolger was one of three officers who began struggling with him outside his home in Oldham. Father-of-four Mr Moura was said to have been the subject of repeated 999 calls from his partner who had asked him to leave their home as he had been taking drugs. She then said Mr Moura was trying to get inside her property and a police team was sent to arrest him for breach of the peace. Bolger admitted he had kneed and punched Moura but said it was after he had 'grabbed his testicles' and 'twisted his finger.' Within an hour of police arriving, Moura was deceased, having suffered an acute behavioural disturbance, cocaine toxicity combined with obesity. Professional Standards cleared Bolger of using unreasonable force and ruled he had no case to answer. Bolger's bosses at GMP had allowed Bolger to work as a personal trainer whilst suspended from duties while being investigated following Mr Mouras death. In an interview filmed with Bolger at the Mr England Contests while he was suspended in 2019, the muscle-bound officer was filmed discussing his desire to enter Mr Universe. During this period while he was probed over that case the officer sold muscle gaining drugs. In early 2019, GMPs Anti-Corruption Unit received information suggesting that Bolger was supplying anabolic steroids at his local Evolution Gym. Acting on this information, the force launched an investigation named "Operation Aristotle". Deploying an undercover police officer who spent months training with Bolger, eventually leading to Bolgers conviction. At his sentencing hearing, Bolger told the court that he had been a victim of unlawful entrapment. When interviewed by his by then former colleagues at GMP, in a written statement, Bolger maintained he was a victim. The body building police officer (far left) expressed his desire to enter Mr Universe in an interview at the Mr England contests while he was suspended in 2019 It was also revealed that twenty-eight glass vials of anabolic steroids found at his home had been for personal use and that some drugs sold to the undercover officer were fake, containing no evidence of human growth hormone. Bolger was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to ten weeks' imprisonment, suspended for eighteen months, for the supply of anabolic steroids. By this point, in October last year, he had been suspended on full pay by GMP for four years, since the death of Moura and while his drug case was resolved. Bolger was finally sacked following a disciplinary hearing into his drug dealing activities and conviction. MailOnline learned details of Bolgers sickie when information was released as part of another case involving senior officers from GMP, a civil action in which Bolger and others were accused of misfeasance in a public office and malicious prosecution. The victim received significant compensation from the GMP. The force has been contacted for comment. The court ordered her rival to pay her legal costs of 300,000 The first wife of Ernesto Colicci slams her rival after winning inheritence battle The first wife of an ice cream tycoon has slammed her love rival after winning an acrimonious inheritance battle over her late former husbands 4.75million fortune with his second wife. Josephine Colicci said she hoped her court victory over a share in her family's company would inspire other women who might have to resort to legal action to fight what they believe is rightfully theirs. Not only did the 59-year-old win a High Court battle to make sure 1.6million in shares in the family company go to her children but the court has this week ordered her rival to pay her legal costs of 300,000. I knew from day one that we would win as we had a cast iron case, Mrs Colicci told MailOnline in an exclusive interview. That woman is just out to get as much as she could. I have no sympathy for her. She has just tried to get as much money as she could, and it has backfired. I knew from day one that we would win as we had a cast iron case, Mrs Colicci told MailOnline in an exclusive interview Russian-born Nora Grinberg (pictured outside High Court), the second wife of a multimillionaire ice cream tycoon, was ordered to pay a 313,000 court bill after losing the inheritance fight with his first spouse I hope the court decision gives other first wives encouragement not to give up in any disagreement. The bitter dispute began earlier this year when Mrs Colicci sued the wife of her ex-husband Ernesto Ernie Colicci who died from Covid in 2021 aged 66. He had left his 4.5m fortune to Russian born Nora Grinberg who he married in 2014 after the end of his almost 30-year marriage. Ms Grinberg, who is in her 50s, also retained her husbands 40 per cent stake in the Colicci ice cream business worth 1.6million. Mrs Collicci, from Esher, Surrey, sued her ex-husbands widow arguing that his stake should remain with his first family and go to his son Rob and daughter Rosanna. The family produced to the High Court documents that showed the 40% stake in the family business was ring fenced by a 2016 agreement they had drawn up together. Lawyers for Ms Grinberg had tried to argue that a 2017 shareholders agreement wiped out the earlier legal deed. They said the 1.6m in shares were part of her husbands estate and in accordance with his final will should go to his widow. The tycoon's first wife Josephine Colicci (pictured with their son Robert) won the inheritance row with Nora Grinberg in May 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 Ms Grinberg did not dispute the shares should remain with the family but had wanted the family to pay a fair price to retain them. In May a High Court judge ruled the 2016 Colicci family agreement trumped any other document and ruled Ernies stake should remain with the family. Then in another blow to Ms Grinberg the Judge Mark Anderson KC this week ordered Grinberg to pay 300,000 in legal costs. It means Ms Grinberg has lost out on close to 2m. During the court hearing Mrs Colicci was accused of using a derogatory term to describe her rival by calling her a Russian maid. Lets just say we dont get on. She made no attempt befriend our family. She was dismissive of them and not a nice step-mum. I dont think I have heard the last of her as there could be further court involvement. Mrs Colicci said she and her children celebrated the latest court win that landed Grinberg with a six-figure bill with drinks and a meal. I knew all along that we would win. She was just being greedy and it has backfired on her. It is not as if she doesnt have any money from Ernie but she just wanted it all. Josephine Colicci, pictured with her ex-husband, sued Mr Collici's widow over his inheritance Josephine played an integral part in building the business that included a fleet of vintage ice cream vans, and retains a 40 per cent stake READ MORE: Russian widow of millionaire ice cream tycoon faces a 300,000 court bill after losing bitter inheritance battle for his fortune against his first wife and children 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 Advertisement Mrs Colicci revealed that her rival was unaware of the 2016 agreement she had signed with her husband two years after he wed Ms Grinberg. She said: There were solicitors and barristers and six people in the room when the agreement was drawn up. I knew it was solid, said Mrs Colicci. 'Ernie and I had agreed that if either dies, the shares would go to the children. When I go all the shares in the company pass to the children. Ernie and I might have been divorced but we got on so much better as friends. He was always popping round to my house and he told me had not told his wife about the 2016 agreement. I just dont think he had the courage to tell her what we had all agreed as a family. I am sure he would have been horrified by what has been going on. Mrs Colicci said it was not as if Ms Grinberg, who was sued as executor of her late husbands will, had been left penniless by the court decision. She lives in a 2.5million house in Surbiton and the court heard she owns another flat in Hampton Court. Her lawyer had argued that she had sacrificed a dynamic career as a chemical engineer to raise a family with Mr Colicci - they have a daughter aged six. The court was told that much of Mr Coliccis fortune was swallowed up by debts and liabilities. Mrs Colicci is sceptical that as her exs second wife she has no money. She has been very well cared for. Her house is worth between 2.5-2.7million and it came out in court that she owns a flat in Hampton Court. She is hardly down to her last penny. Mr Colicci had arrived in the UK in 1982 with a dream to sell ice cream. Over the years he built up a thriving business based around 35 sites, including Hyde Park and Green Park. They also supplied ice creams at big events, including The Chelsea Flower Show and Royal Ascot. Josephine played an integral part in building the business that included a fleet of vintage ice cream vans, and retains a 40 per cent stake. Her children Rob, who is married to former Hollyoaks actress Scarlett Bowman, and daughter Rosanna are also shareholders. From left, Robert, Ernie, Josephine and Rosanna all played a role in the success of the family business Mr Colicci had arrived in the UK in 1982 with a dream to sell ice cream. Over the years he built up a thriving business based around 35 sites, including Hyde Park and Green Park Ms Colicci had argued her ex-husband's shares in ECSI Ltd should pass to their children, Robert and Rosanna (pictured) When the first and second wives faced off in the High Court in March Mrs Colicci said she had initially viewed Ms Grinberg as a friend and attended her wedding to her ex. She told the court Ms Grinberg and Ernie almost broke up when he suggested she sign a prenup. 'She reluctantly came to the altar, he had to go and fetch her from the room to come down, she told the court. Mrs Colicci told MailOnline her ex-husband made it very clear that he wanted his stake in the business ESCI Ltd to pass to his children. Ernie was very firm on that. We agreed that when one of us passed away the shares would go to the children. There was never any doubt and the 2016 agreement made it very clear. We knew by going to court the agreement would stand up. I dont want to sound arrogant, but I knew we would win. I was never in doubt that the court would find in our favour. When I go my shares will go to the children. That is how we wanted it. Ms Grinberg refused to comment when approached by MailOnline. Brits heading to beaches over the Bank Holiday weekend will have to dig deep into their pockets as car park charges have been hiked by up to 70 per cent with top destinations charging up to 35. A new survey has revealed that that the price of parking at some of the UK's favourite seaside destinations has increased by an average of 67 per cent since 2022. Research by YourParkingSpace compared parking options at ten popular locations. Visitors to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk face the biggest jump of 222 per cent, with the cost of an eight-hour day in the most expensive car park on the seafront up from 9 to 29. Newquay saw its highest parking cost of the day rise from 12 to 35, becoming one of the most expensive destinations and beating last year's 'winner' Brighton which only saw a six per cent increase to its parking from 33 to 34.95. And in Bournemouth the price of a parking stay has gone from 10 to 24.20. See how much it costs to park in your favourite beach spot as prices rise Great Yarmouth in Norfolk has seen the most expensive price increase for a parking spot near the beach (stock image) Newquay saw its prices rise from 12 to 35 (stock image) Brighton saw a six per cent increase to its parking from 33 to 34.95 (stock image) The seafront promenade at Brighton, East Sussex, where parking spaces can be seen on the right (stock image) But not all price increases were as steep - Eastbourne's highest parking cost on the day increased from 9.60 to 10, Southend-on-Sea's increased from 12 to 20 this year, and Blackpool have increased prices but by 4 during the same period from 11 to 15. Brannan Coady, CEO of YourParkingSpace said: 'Everyone looks forward to August's bank holiday break and a final chance to enjoy a long weekend in the sun. 'So far we have had a miserable summer weather-wise, and with forecasts looking better for the coming weekend, it would be a shame if people planning to go to one of these destinations find themselves stung with exceptionally high prices.' Coady added: 'There are two major benefits to drivers pre-booking a space. 'First, there are the financial ones, but then there is also the guarantee that they will not need to spend hours trawling around looking for a potential spot.' According to the website booking a private spot - like someone's drive - could save visitors almost 30 - and spaces start from as little as 2.50 up to a maximum of 12.50 for a full-day's parking. But not all resorts are cashing in - Eastbourne have increased prices but by just 40p (stock image) Blackpool have also increased prices but by just over 4 during the same period (stock image) Southend-on-Sea was another destination with a price rise of 8 for an eight hour stay (stock image) This research comes after it was reported in March that visitors to Camber Sands would be charged 30 to use the council-run car park this summer. Rother District Council's cabinet agreed the new fees for Camber Sands Central car park, also adding that drivers arriving after 3pm would pay a reduced rate of 15. Explaining their decision, the council said it was aiming to 'get as much back into the council for the massive costs we have at Camber'. Hourly parking will still be available at the popular UK beach, but the rate was set to be 4 and it will be 20 for six hours or more. The 30 fee will also apply to the Putting Green car park, however this is only for a single season as the site is set to make way for a new recently approved housing development. After the news spread, furious locals and people planning to visit the area threatened to boycott the council and said they would longer use the beach because of the hefty price. Rother District Council announced that visitors will now be charged 30 to use this car park during the summer One social media user on Twitter said: 'Let's boycott Camber Sands. Let's all object to Councils who fleece the public.' Another complained: 'That will prompt people to go elsewhere, killing any trade at Camber Sands.' Someone else similarly tweeted: 'So do they just not want anyone to go there, or what? Why on earth would anyone pay that to park, no matter how lovely the beach is?' A Rother District Council spokesperson said at the time: 'Summer tariffs operate in Camber car parks from April 1 to September 30 annually. 'Camber Sands is a very popular beach, with high numbers of visitors every year from Easter onwards, and income from the Camber Sands car parks is used to maintain and improve facilities in the area. 'There has been a significant increase in the costs associated with managing the car parks and parking charges pay for maintenance and security. 'Car parking revenue also funds the councils coastal control officers at Camber, beach patrols, public toilets and beach cleaning.' Parking prices have been an issue in ongoing months, and it's not only popular beach spots that are hiking their costs. Research earlier in August revealed how airports charge holidaymakers up to four times more for parking if they pay on arrival rather than in advance. Consumer group Which? said its analysis of prices at 16 UK airport car parks revealed the 'serious financial sting'. It compared prices for a week's stay in mid-August paid for on the day with those paid for in advance four months earlier. The largest price difference was at Manchester airport, where paying on arrival was 406, compared with just 95 if booked in advance. Other airports charging a significant premium for travellers who pay on the day include Heathrow, where you have to pay 583 on the day compared with 190 in advance. Birmingham with 392 on the day versus 150 in advance) and Gatwick (180 compared with 106 in advance) also have a significant price mark up if holidaymakers pay for their parking on the day rather than in advance. Two years ago, a suicide blast ripped through the streets outside Kabul's international airport and killed 13 American service members. The attack marked a catastrophic end to 20 years of the United States' involvement in Afghanistan and became one of the darkest days of President Joe Biden's administration. No Americans had been killed in 18 months before the fateful events of August 26, 2021. Now 13 families would welcome their sons and daughters home in flag-draped coffins. Speaking two years on, loved ones of the fallen service members have said their deaths were needless and have accused Biden of ignoring multiple requests to meet them. They also demand the president come forward and finally admit flaws in the bungled withdrawal that tore their lives apart. Christy Shamblin, the mother-in-law of Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee who died in the bombing, told DailyMail.com that the past two years have been 'very painful.' 'One of the hardest parts has really been being ignored largely by the administration and official elected officials,' she explained. She says she is working to get a 'glimpse of hope' to actually 'have some truth about the circumstances of their deaths.' The service for fallen marine Sgt. Nicole Gee in July 2023. Families of the U.S. service members killed during the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal are seeking accountability from the Biden administration almost two years later - demanding that the president 'admit flaws' in the catastrophic evacuation Hunter Lopez, 22, was a Marine among the thirteen U.S. service members who were killed in a deadly airport suicide bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan The 13 American service members killed in Kabul blast Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David Espinoza, 20, of Rio Bravo, Tex. Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole Gee, 23, of Roseville, Calif. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, 31, of Utah Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tenn. Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22, of Indio, Calif. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee McCollum, 20, Jackson, Wyo. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Calif. Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan William-Tyeler Page, 23, of Omaha Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario, 25, Lawrence, Mass. Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, 22, Logansport, Ind. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared Schmitz, 20, of Wentzville, Mo. Navy Hospital Corpsman Max Soviak, 22, of Berlin Heights, Ohio Advertisement 'That's what is important to us to make sure it doesn't happen again,' continued Shamblin. 'I don't want to watch another family or service member have to go through the same thing.' She told DailyMail.com that the only time the Biden administration reached out to her was at the Dover Air Force Base dignified transfer. The president made the unannounced trip to Delaware as the caskets of the 13 service members killed in the attack were brought back to the United States in the days after the bombing. But he was criticized for appearing to look at his watch just seconds after the salute honoring the return of their remians. Alicia and Herman Lopez, the parents of Cpl. Hunter Lopez, told DailyMail.com that they were never personally reached out to by any administration officials other than seeing them in Dover. 'We did receive a certificate or a letter or something from Biden saying that they were sorry for our loss but that was it,' they said. Shamblin said she and other Gold Star families have 'recently' reached out to ask President Biden to meet with them. 'We haven't heard anything. We just haven't heard anything back,' she said. Shamblin said she would like the administration to acknowledge that the withdrawal 'wasn't a success, that there were flaws.' 'I would love to sit down with President Biden and have him outline the successes.' Shamblin sees 'moments of success' in the rescue of women and children, but that was on the part of the armed forces, she said. 'Those successes belong to them. I don't see where the administration had successes, and I would love to see his perspective.' Nicole was 'amazing' and was 'widely known for being a very enthusiastic encouraging partner,' said Shamblin. She had a very uplifting spirit for everybody around her, and her 'absence is missed every single day by a lot of people.' The Gold Star families hope that meeting with Biden and other military leadership can ensure the tragedy is never repeated. Marine Sgt. Nicole Gee died in the bombing in August 2021 Christy Shamblin said she and other Gold Star families have 'recently' reached out to ask President Biden to meet with them, but he hasn't responded Although being in the military is dangerous, it 'doesn't need to be reckless or needless loss,' said Herman Lopez. 'This is not over because these are things that potentially could affect decision makers that are tasked with keeping our military in our country safe,' he continued. 'And so if these people are not in a position or capable of making the right decisions or their hands, or their hands are tied or they're not capable, then you know, that needs to be addressed so that our country is safe and that other members of our military are not needlessly in danger.' Shamblin added that she hopes she can 'rest easy' knowing that troops in the future won't unnecessarily be put in harms way. 'I hope that I can rest easy knowing that the next time we send our armed forces to a humanitarian crisis and an evacuation, that there won't be needless murders of our armed forces by our own mistakes,' Shamblin said. The Lopez family says they are 'definitely are still seeking answers' two years later. They are still waiting on getting their son's cell phone back from the Pentagon and his other personal items. Their other son is still in the military, and the Lopez family respects their processes and thorough procedures, but the information they have received so far is very 'limited.' Hunter loved to play chess and was an extremely 'committed' and good kid, his parents say. He was a fun-loving, easygoing guy who loved Star Wars and deeply enjoyed being a Marine and reading about history and military tactics. Hunter planned to join the sheriff's department like his parents when he left the miliary. The Americans killed in the blast were: (left to right, starting with top row) Cpl. Daegan W. Page - Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo - Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover - Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza - Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum - Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui - Cpl. Hunter Lopez - Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz - Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss - Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez - Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak - Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola - Sgt. Nicole L. Gee Last month, during a congressional hearing into what went wrong during the withdrawal, the family members were asked whether the Biden administration had taken ownership of the botched exit. They shook their heads in unison during a powerful moment. A handful of the Gold Star families will be back on Capitol Hill next week. They are participating in a roundtable hosted by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas. Christy Shamblin will be in attendance next week to keep the memory of her daughter alive and get more answers that she is seeking from the administration. On Saturday, Biden released a statement on the families of the 13 casualties of the attack. 'We will forever honor the memory of the 13 service members who were stolen far too soon from their families, loved ones, and brothers- and sisters-in-arms, while performing a noble mission on behalf of our nation, he said. 'We can never repay the incredible sacrifice of any of the 2,461 U.S. service members who lost their lives over two decades of war in Afghanistan or the 20,744 who were wounded. 'But we will never fail to honor our sacred obligation to our service members and veterans, as well as their families, caregivers, and survivors. Today, Jill and I remember and mourn these 13 brave American service members and the more than 100 innocent Afghan civilians who were killed in the horrific terrorist attack at Abbey Gate. 'Many more were injured and will carry the impacts of their wounds and the horrors of that day for the rest of their lives. We pray for the families of our fallen warriors. We grieve with them, we honor them, and we will always continue to support them.' The winner of a luxurious 3million mansion overlooking a sweeping bay left his new home just three days when he discovered the clifftop on which his property had been built was at risk of collapsing into the sea below, MailOnline can reveal. Foundry worker Glen Elmy, from Walsall, moved into the James Bond-style property in October 2021 and marvelled at the views across Combe Martin Bay on the north Devon coast. But three days later, after learning of the coastal erosion threatening his property, he handed the keys to Stealth House back to Omaze and is understood to have asked for money equal to the property's 3million value. Mr Elmy has never returned to the five-bed property. The winner of a luxurious 3million mansion overlooking a sweeping bay left his new home in after just a few days when he discovered the clifftop on which his property had been built was at risk of collapsing into the sea below, MailOnline can reveal Foundry worker Glen Elmy (pictured with his wife Debbie), from Walsall, moved into the James Bond-style seemingly-idyllic property in October 2021 and marvelled at the views across Combe Martin Bay on the north Devon coast Stealth House is seen at the top of the cliff in Devon this month According to title deeds held by the Land Registry, Omaze Properties LLC bought Stealth House for 3.8million in June 2021 - four months before Mr Elmy moved in - which suggests Omaze had not transferred legal ownership to the West Midlander. As a result, Stealth House has stood empty for almost two years and neighbours predict it will have been swallowed up by coastal erosion within five to ten years. A source told Mailonline said: 'I met the Mr Elmy when he was here for the publicity. He was apparently planning to stay for a week but left after three days and that was the last we saw of him. 'The corner of the house goes almost to the cliff edge, it's about two metres away from the edge.' Three days later, after learning of the coastal erosion threatening his property, he handed the keys to Stealth House back to Omaze and is understood to have demanded a cash pay-out equal to the property's 3million price tag Mr Elmy has never returned to the five-bed property and it is believed the house lottery company met his demands and paid up The property was a far cry from the 230,000 family home (pictured) that he and wife Debbie, 60 shared for 26 years Mr Elmy won a 3million 'Bond' style home on the North Devon coast after entering a 25 charity prize draw on TV back in August 2021, raising funds for NSPCC's Childline The home's gorgeous infinity pool (pictured) looks out to sea and shows off the bright patio Glen with his family, left to right: son Sam and his fiance Emily, Glen, wife Debbie and son Luke The five-bedroom mansion, which is situated on the North Devon coast within picturesque Exmoor National Park, is 'like something from a Bond film' and features a stunning panoramic view that looks out to sea The mansion has six modern bathrooms that look out onto the stunning North Devon coast and show-off the coastal scenery The modern open plan kitchen is surrounded by natural greenery and offers space-saving cupboards to fit its modern yet minimalist design The property has five double bedrooms and has been compared to a James Bond-style lair because of its modern layout The large balcony area features a stunning glass edge to offer a panoramic view of the coast and oak-stained decking Every evening the mansion's glass windows make it look like a property that is in the Hollywood hills and shows off the gorgeous poolside retreat It is not clear if Mr Elmy was given a different prize but Omaze's terms and conditions state they can offer the winner a cash alternative or other prize. When MailOnline visited earlier this month, imposing metal gates stood at the entrance to the house, where an intercom went unanswered. There was no sign the house was lived in. A neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said: 'I never see anybody going in or out since the win. 'There is all sorts of speculation that it can't be insured because of how close it's been built to the sea and on the cliff edge. 'There is a problem with coastal erosion all along the coast here. There are signs around the beach warning about falling rocks. 'It could just be local rumours but the person who originally built the building was told it was too close to the edge and mortgage and insurance might be a problem. 'When I moved in five years ago it was on the market for 2.5 million but nobody wanted it. 'When the competition was running we saw cars coming and going, but soon after the winner was announced that stopped and there's been nothing since.' The cliffside property gives 360 degree views of the area The 2.5million cliff-top spacious property above Combe Martin Bay features stunning minimalist bedrooms The property's lounge features an oak finish and stunning laminate wooden flooring to give an outside feel to the mansion Every room in the house looks out to Combe Martin Bay, which is favoured by locals and tourists in the area, making the location highly sought-after The walls of the new house are made from natural green slate (above) to match the hillside landscape and the rooms are very spacious The view was one of the main selling points of the property, which is located right on the cliff-top, close to the edge, with nothing blocking the view of the water and of the surrounding natural landscape The 10-seat dining room table is next to the large fireplace and open-plan kitchen, which features a dark wood stain and black decor In June 2021, as the competition was running, locals voiced similar concerns that the house was built too close to the cliff edge which could be worn away over time, resulting in it potentially being an unsafe structure. One person wrote on Devon Live's Facebook page: 'Very nice sea views but 5 to 10 years it will be in the sea, a lot of money to lose.' Another wrote: 'I'm sure it'll look a lot more interesting in about 20 years when half of it has fallen off the edge of the cliff due to erosion.' The property, near Ilfracombe, was designed by award-winning architect Guy Greenfield and boasts five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two living areas and 0.9 acres of land. It first came onto the market with estate agents Knight Frank in 2018 with a guide price of 2.5million. It features a modern infinity pool with stunning panoramic views of the ocean and is only 11 miles from the stunning market town, Barnstaple. Combe Martin Beach is just half a mile away and the popular surfing beaches of Croyde, Putsborough and Woolacombe are close by. Mr Elmy was visiting his parents' house when he found out he scooped the main prize in the Omaze Million Pound House Draw. He had spent the last 33 years working at the same foundry in Walsall. MailOnline has contacted Omaze for coment. A female City worker has won more than 1.2 million after her boss sexually harassed her a boozy work party, telling her 'if I had breast like yours I would be demanding too.' Julia Sommer was left speechless after global department chief Robert Llewellyn smirked at her in front of her colleagues and made the derogatory remarks, before adding 'I bet you like to be on top in bed'. Ms Sommer - who was working as a junior underwriter at insurance giant Swiss Re - said the executive made the remarks after she'd joked about trying to persuade her boyfriend to marry her. An employment tribunal heard that Mr Llewellyn then told the group that Ms Sommer was interested in pursuing an 'open relationship'. As time went on Ms Sommer and Mr Llewellyn had an increasingly difficult relationship, the hearing was told, with him criticising her for her 'dominant' personality and screaming at her to 'shut up' in a meeting. Julia Sommer - who was working as a junior underwriter at insurance giant Swiss Re - has won more than 1.2 million after her boss sexually harassed her a boozy work party And after she fell pregnant and went on maternity leave he plotted to have her forced out on the pretence that she was being made redundant. After taking Swiss Re to an employment tribunal, she successfully sued the insurance company for sex discrimination, sex harassment, victimisation, pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal. Ms Sommer who was on a salary of 75,000 a year has now been awarded 1,287,014. The huge fee covers injury to feelings, financial losses, future losses, pension losses, aggravated damages, and damages to cover 'psychiatric injury'. The tribunal - held remotely in central London - was told Ms Sommer started work at the company in June 2017 as a Political Risk Underwriter. Her team was led by Mr Llewellyn, the Global Head of the Political Risk and Trade Credit Team, based in Zurich. Swiss Re also has a London office in the famous Gherkin skyscraper. The tribunal heard that Ms Sommer was the victim of sexist conduct from Mr Llewellyn from early on in her career including an incident on 13 December 2017 at work drinks. 'She says that when chatting in a group... she joked about relocating to London to demand that her then boyfriend now husband marry her after a long-distance relationship,' the hearing was told. 'Mr Llewellyn then joked at my expense, 'If I had breasts like yours I would be demanding too',' she said. 'I responded: 'No, I just know what I deserve and what I want'. Robert smirked and randomly blurted out 'I bet you like to be on top in bed'.' Swiss Re also has a London office in the famous Gherkin skyscraper When she complained, the executive denied making the remarks. Instead, he claimed she made a number of 'inappropriate and derogatory comments about her relationship with her husband, at one point suggesting to the group she was looking for an open relationship'. The tribunal heard Ms Sommer regarded these allegations as 'false, inflammatory, and scandalous' and could not have been said, because she was receiving IVF treatment at this time, wanting to start a family. The hearing - chaired by Employment Judge Mark Emery - concluded that Mr Llewellyn had made the remarks. 'It was unwanted conduct,' the panel found. 'We noted that it was 'blurted'...an attempt we felt at a joke - sexist, demeaning and derogatory but an attempted joke nonetheless - which went badly wrong and should never have been made. '(Ms Sommer) didn't complain. We felt this was because she was a new employee, a junior underwriter and he was the global Head. 'It was not, we considered, designed to harass the claimant, it was a horrible attempt at a joke in the context of (her) often blunt comments about her private life. 'In this context it was not sexual, it was effectively a comment about (her) relationship with her partner. But it was related to (her) sex, it was a comment objectifying her body.' The hearing was told that in February 2019 she raised a sex discrimination grievance after Mr Llewellyn shouted 'Shut up, Julia!' during a global team conference call. A month later the tribunal was told Mr Llewellyn accused Ms Sommer of having a 'dominant personality', asked her 'why do you always try to be strong?' and told her to 'show more vulnerability' and take a more 'submissive role'. He then asked her to take a personality test and to go through a '360 degree' feedback exercise with her colleagues. In April 2019 she told her employers she was pregnant, that she intended to take maternity leave and return to work. The tribunal heard that within days of her announcement, Mr Llewellyn and other staff began exploring how to remove her from the business. Ms Sommer returned from maternity leave to part time work in July 2020 and in October was informed her role was at risk of redundancy, a move Swiss Re claimed was needed to cut costs. However, this was a sham, the tribunal ruled. 'We concluded that the rationale for (her) redundancy was retrofitted onto a decision already taken to dismiss (her),' the tribunal concluded. 'This was not a genuine rationale, and it is not one which would have been applied to a male comparator - an employee with similar length of service and competence as the claimant.' Ms Sommer said she suffered 'severe and wide-ranging detrimental effects' on her mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. She left Swiss Re following the conclusion of a disciplinary investigation in February 2021. Of the way Mr Llewellyn spoke to her, the tribunal said: 'We regarded some of the language as intrinsically sexist: a male would not be talked of in a negative way as having a dominant personality, or show vulnerability, or be submissive. 'The language was based on how he felt (she) should behave as a junior female underwriter, he would not had a similar view of a male underwriter. And the reason why Mr Llewellyn felt able to talk in this way to the claimant was because she is a woman.' Ms Sommer's other claims related to victimisation and equal pay were dismissed. Now DailyMail.com can reveal that the female with Campbell when he died is a 26-year-old Obama staffer Speaking to DailyMail.com, First Amendment advocates criticized authorities for spawning 'a cottage industry of rumor-making and malign speculation' Massachusetts State Police are yet to address exactly how Tafari Campbell, an apparently capable swimmer, could have drowned in shallow water last month Police in Massachusetts are continuing to cover up information about the death of Obama personal chef Tafari Campbell even after declaring the case closed this week, DailyMail.com can reveal. The response has prompted an outcry from First Amendment advocates who have been left asking: 'What do they have to hide?' And it has also sparked a plethora of conspiracy theories including the role of the former president's family in the cover-up and Campbell's relationship with the unidentified woman who witnessed his death. Earlier this month state police had withheld information under the guise of an 'ongoing investigation', citing a Public Records Law exemption that allows authorities to keep details on grounds that it could jeopardize an active investigation. But after the 45-year-old's death was officially ruled an accidental drowning earlier this week, authorities are yet to address how an apparently capable swimmer, paddle boarding near the ex-president's summer home in Martha's Vineyard, could have drowned in shallow water. Details have trickled out from unofficial sources since then, with DailyMail.com exclusively revealing last week that Campbell's paddle boarding companion was a woman who worked in the Obama household. Now we can reveal that she is 26 years old. Her identity, however, is still unknown. The death of former U.S. President Barack Obama's personal chef Tafari Campbell (center) while paddle boarding in the Massachusetts resort community of Martha's Vineyard has been officially ruled an accident Massachusetts State Police are yet to address exactly how Tafari Campbell, an apparently capable swimmer, could have drowned in shallow water last month The Obama residence is seen at Martha's Vineyard. Tafari Campbell, 45, visited the resort island in late July and was paddle boarding near the Obamas' summer home Releasing the summary conclusion of a report from the chief medical examiner, officials refused to reveal even basic findings, such as whether Campbell suffered a medical episode or was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. State police have also warned other law enforcement agencies to not to release information. With the case now closed, Edgartown police released an incident report Wednesday confirming that it was a Secret Service officer who made the 911 call as DailyMail.com first reported, but redacted their name, and left out information on the other paddle boarder, who was the sole witness to the drowning. 'Per the request of the Ma State Police, the names of the witness and reporting USSS agent have been redacted,' Edgartown police chief Bruce McNamee replied to DailyMail.com when asked for the additional details. DailyMail.com also put in a renewed request for the 911 call on Tuesday morning with the Dukes County Sheriff's Office, which fielded the call. Susan Schofield, the sheriff's supervisor of communications, has yet to provide it. 'I am waiting for a response from the trooper who is in charge of the investigation,' Schofield replied to DailyMail.com on Wednesday morning. 'Nothing yet,' she replied Thursday morning to a follow-up inquiry. 'As soon as I hear, I will get it right out to you.' Campbell drowned the night of July 23 and was found by a rescue boat with side sonar and pulled from the water the next morning. Pictured: Edgartown Great Pond. The scene of the desperate search for Campbell was launched after a paddle boarder went missing in the water off Martha's Vineyard Tafari Campbell had been a sous chef at the White House and came to work for the family after Obama completed his second term in 2017 Officials have refused to reveal even basic findings, such as whether Campbell suffered a medical episode or was under the influence of drugs or alcohol Police declared early on that they believed that this was an accidental drowning, but cited pending toxicology results as a reason for withholding additional information. When the tests were completed they said toxicology report findings are only released to the family. After 11 days of silence, the head of the region's First Amendment coalition told DailyMail.com that the state appeared to be violating the Public Records Law. 'The burden is on law enforcement to show how their investigation may be jeopardized by releasing certain information,' Justin Silverman, executor director of the New England First Amendment Coalition, said at the time. Robert Bertsche, general counsel of the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA), sounded a new alarm on Thursday. 'The 911 call absolutely should be released,' Bertsche told DailyMail.com. 'So should the other details about the now-completed investigation by state or local authorities. That's not merely the law it's a sound public practice. 'When the government keeps secrets, the void inevitably gets filled with conspiracy theories, and that leads to suspicion and distrust of government,' Bertsche added. 'That doesn't serve the legitimate interests of law enforcement and it certainly doesn't serve the public, which has a right to know how the police reached their conclusion. 'By refusing to disclose the investigation details, the police have spawned a cottage industry of rumor-making and malign speculation,' he said. 'It's natural for members of the public to ask: "What do they have to hide?" ' Campbell is seen in the background of an interview the Today Show's Savannah Guthrie conducted with the former president at the White House Former President Barack Obama shared a touching tribute to his personal chef earlier this month, weeks after he drowned in a pond near his Martha's Vineyard estate on July 25 Following the news of Campbell's untimely passing, his wife Sherise shared this photo on Instagram noting she was 'heartbroken' Conspiracy theorists have questioned whether Obama himself has played a role in the alleged coverup. Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group that has also filed for information on the case, was quick to pounce on a DailyMail.com report that Campbell was out on the pond with a female Obama staffer. 'Who was that witness who was paddle boarding with him?' Fitton asked DailyMail.com Thursday. 'Obviously, it wasn't his wife. So who was it? As of today, we still don't have a sufficient reason for the withholding of any of this information. 'We'll be very interested to learn about communications between the Secret Service and the state and local police,' Fitton continued. 'It's simple information. What's the state secret about this other than to protect Obama, to protect him from embarrassment or having to answer questions on this. 'This is why people don't trust what they're told about cases such as these,' he said. 'What otherwise looks to be a simple tragic accident becomes something else because the government withholds information improperly to protect a politician.' Bersche, however, noted that the Massachusetts state police are notoriously secretive when it comes to the media. He cited a 2015 survey conducted by the Center for Public Integrity giving the state an 'F' for public access to information. The search for the missing paddle boarder took place near Barack Obama's estate. The former president bought the mansion, pictured here, in 2019 A helicopter, part of the search mission, is seen flying over the area last month He pointed out that the Boston Globe had to sue the state police in 2020 for repeatedly violating Public Records Law, including its failure to respond to its request for information on state police officers who left the force during the department's controversial handling of the arrest of a judge's daughter. The department later folded and produced the records, while the Globe won attorney fees, Bersche said. ' "Sunlight is the best disinfectant",' Supreme Court Justice Brandeis wrote more than a century ago,' he said. 'Those who are refusing to disclose details of what happened to Tafari Campbell, and how the supposed drowning death of this capable swimmer was investigated, are keeping the skies in Massachusetts cloudy indeed.' And so, predictably, the conspiracists are having a field day. It's a dumb practice, and a disservice to the public.' The Edgartown Police Department, which was involved in the initial response but not the follow-up investigation, shared some of its information Wednesday with DailyMail.com. An incident report confirms a Secret Service agent dialed 911 shortly after Campbell disappeared while paddle boarding on Edgartown Great Pond on July 23. The witness, whose identity is redacted, contacted authorities at 7:46pm about a 'possible drowning.' The call prompted a rapid search operation during which authorities recovered Campbell's paddle board and clothes within 16 minutes, but still 'no contact with the missing party.' The chef would frequent the Edgartown Meat and Fish Market in Martha's Vineyard. He is pictured here with his family Tafari knew how to swim as evidenced by a video he'd posted on social media of himself swimming laps The report, however, did not specify the article of clothing found nor did it provide further information on other witnesses or the second paddle boarder. It wasn't until the next morning that the chef's body was ultimately found in shallow water in the Edgartown Great Pond bordering the former president's summer home. The report states that 'secret service agent [redacted] adv swimmers unable to locate the party at this time. Party last (seen) wearing all black, on a paddle board' At 8:02pm, the report adds that 'no life vest was worn, they have recovered the paddle board and clothing, still no contact with missing party.' Campbell was found the next morning. A source told DailyMail.com the body was at least partially clothed. McDonalds has become the first major food company in Australia to offer support tailored to young people to its thousands of employees. The fast food giant has partnered with wellbeing platform Sonder to add the app to its employee assistance program (EAP). Sonder provides 24/7 live chat with registered professionals such as nurses, psychologists, and emergency responders, plus a range of wellbeing resources and safety support. More than 10,000 McDonalds employees have signed up to the app, a figure that's growing by 30 per cent each month. McDonalds has become the first major food company in Australia to offer support tailored to young people to its thousands of employees According to restaurant manager at Thornleigh McDonalds Blake Northcott, the app has made his job much easier since it was brought in four months ago. 'It gives me a tool and resource to say 'there's someone that you can speak to that's qualified and able to help you in any issue that you're facing',' he said. 'It's been really helpful and a good resource for me and my managers as well.' There's been 100 per cent uptake of the app in Mr Northcott's managing team along with half of the store's crew, a figure that's growing. The vast majority of McDonalds 115,000 employees are young people, with approximately 75 per cent of crew in secondary school, TAFE or university. Research shows that people aged 18-24 are more likely to report higher levels of stress, exhaustion and acute mental health, with 43 per cent of young people struggle with anxiety compared to 27 per cent of the wider population. All of the managers and half of the crew at Thornleigh McDonalds have begun to engage with Sonder since it launched 'The app is especially good for the Year 12 students at the moment going into HSC,' he said. 'It's a very nervous and difficult time so a few of them have said that its really good to be able to reach out and have that anonymous chat to someone, just to manage that mental health aspect throughout this sort of difficult time.' The fact that most workers are younger strongly influenced the decision to use an app-based EAP provider according to chief people officer Emma Napoli-Hala 'We are one of the largest employers of young people in Australia, which means we have a big responsibility to ensure our crew are supported whenever, wherever, and however they need,' she said. So far, the majority of chats between Maccas workers and Sonder's professionals have taken place between 10pm and 1am, showing that younger generations needs are different when it comes to support in the workplace according to Ms Napoli-Hala. 'I think it shows that businesses have an opportunity to rethink the way they're supporting the mental health and wellbeing of younger employees,' she said. McDonalds has found that its crew have engaged with Sonder at a rate 30 times higher than their traditional EAP. Stephen Shillington, one of the first franchisees to sign up to trial the app said it was an easy decision to do so. Sonder provides 24/7 live chat with registered professionals such as nurses, psychologists, and emergency responders, plus a range of wellbeing resources and safety support 'I employ more than 500 people, and their wellbeing has always been my priority,' he said. 'My own kids are Macca's crew members, and so as an employer and a parent, it's important to me to ensure they have access to as much support as we can provide.' Sonder co-founder and chief executive Craig Cowdrey, said the business was excited to partner with the fast food juggernaut. 'Through our initial launch program with McDonald's, 100% of crew members who reached out for help told us they felt more supported by having Sonder,' he said. 'By helping these employees live well and perform their best, we can ensure McDonald's continues to be an employer of choice for generations to come.' A Florida woman had a brush with death reminiscent to famed Australian Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin after a stingray impaled her back on a Tampa beach - missing her lungs by just four inches. Kristie O'Brien was visiting Ruskin's Bahia Beach with her husband Thomas to escape the sweltering heat when she went for a swim and felt a stinging sensation in her back. When she stood up, a huge stingray barb was protruding from her shoulder with horrific pictures from hospital revealing how lucky she was to live. She was rushed to St Joseph's Main hospital in Tamps where the trauma team removed the barb and treated her to counter the venom. A Florida woman had a brush with death reminiscent to famed Australian Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin after a stingray impaled her back on a Tampa beach - missing her lungs by just four inches The travel nurse will remain in hospital for another week due to the risk of infection Paramedics freed O'Brien in the water using shears to cut the stingray at the base of its tail. 'Yesterday while I was a Little Harbor in Apollo Beach I was impaled by a stingray' O'Brien wrote on Instagram. 'This stingray tried to pull a Steve Irwin, and almost pierced my lung. A near miss by only a few inches. 'I have never been so scared and actually thought I was going to die, but Thomas was by my side and kept me calm' she added. O'Brien is currently in hospital where she will remain for a further 7 days to ensure she did not pick up a bacterial infection from the water. The incident was reminiscent of the shocking and tragic death of Australia's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Irwin was killed by a stingray in 2006 while filming in the Great Barrier Reef. O'Brien (middle) was visiting the beach with her husband Thomas (right) The terrifying incident occurred at Ruskin's Bahia Beach, Florida The incident was reminiscent of the shocking and tragic death of television's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin Irwin was killed by a stingray in 2006 while filming in the Great Barrier Reef 'It is still incredibly sore, like spurts of pain and they say that's just because of the toxin that is in the barb of the stingray itself' she told Fox13. 'It went through muscle where the puncture actually was, and there are still toxins there. As a longtime Florida resident, O'Brien said she is not afraid of getting back into the water. 'I'll go back in the water again, probably (just) not in the bay. I probably won't be swimming in the bay,' she said. 'But I mean, stingrays are out there and we're in their environment' she added. Based on the color and size, the creature was likely a Southern stingray which, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, is a non-aggressive species usually of little danger to humans. Lucy Letbys despicable crimes will be investigated by a judge- led inquiry, the Prime Minister has indicated. Rishi Sunak signalled plans to beef up the probe into Britains most prolific child killer of modern times, having previously resisted pressure to give it a statutory footing. The neonatal nurse was convicted last week of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital. The Daily Mail understands Health Secretary Steve Barclay has asked the Ministry of Justice for a list of appropriate senior judges available to lead the inquiry. But the initial shortlist supplied by the department was deemed by Mr Barclay to be too limited and he has asked mandarins to add more names. Letby, 33, was given a whole-life sentence on Monday, meaning she will never be released from prison Mr Sunak said yesterday: Obviously this was one of the most despicable, horrific crimes in our history. Its really important that we get answers, particularly for the families of the victims, and of course my thoughts are with them. The Health Secretary is taking that work forward, speaking to them to make sure we understand what they need and want and how best we can address that. Now, whatever form the inquiry takes, I believe it is important that it is judge-led so that it has a strong independent voice to get to the bottom of what happened. Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Rob Behrens and former home secretary Jack Straw are among those calling for an inquiry into Letbys crimes to be given a statutory footing. It is believed any decision to upgrade the inquiry will be made after discussion with the families of Letbys victims, several of whom are taking a break following the conclusion of the ten-month trial at Manchester Crown Court last Friday. Letby, 33, was given a whole-life sentence on Monday, meaning she will never be released from prison. A non-statutory inquiry can often be concluded more swiftly but lacks the powers to force the disclosure of evidence and cannot compel a witness to attend. However, it is a criminal offence to fail to give evidence at a statutory inquiry such as the Covid-19 and Grenfell probes when asked to do so. The neonatal nurse was convicted last week of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six more at the Countess of Chester Hospital A non-statutory inquiry means families would not be able to apply for core participant status, which gives them the right to contribute to the probe and appoint counsel to act on their behalf. The Department of Health and Social Care has sponsored a number of probes including the judge-led statutory inquiry into the infected blood scandal. Some inquiries, such as the investigations into child sexual abuse and the Post Office computer software scandal, began on a non-statutory footing before being upgraded. Many statutory inquiries are also judge-led and having a judge chair a Letby inquiry means it is more likely that person can continue in post if the probe is upgraded. Earlier this week the Prime Ministers official spokesman refused to rule out the potential for the inquiry to be made statutory. Lucy Letbys despicable crimes will be investigated by a judge- led inquiry, the Prime Minister has indicated He said: The most important thing is to make sure families get the answers they need, that its possible to learn the lessons, that its done transparently and that it happens as quickly as possible. We will have an inquiry on the right footing to achieve that. Meanwhile, amid calls for NHS managers to be held accountable, NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard has called an urgent meeting for next week to look at setting up a new regulator, Sky News reported last night. The Ministry of Justice declined to comment. The Department of Energy has defended its plan to introduce new requirements for ceiling fans, insisting that they would save households energy after Republicans claimed the rules would put manufacturers out of business. Under the new proposal, the maximum estimated energy consumption for large diameter and belt-driven ceiling fans would be decreased. The Energy Department believes ceiling fans which comply with the new rules would save households about $39 over their lifespan - a saving of 40 percent - and cost customers around $10 more for each fan. They say the $10 cost will be offset within four years. However, the cost to manufacturers associated with the increased equipment will total $86.6 million per year, the department said. Roger Williams, a Republican from Texas who chairs the House Small Business Committee, wrote to Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, on Thursday to demand they rethink the plan. Roger Williams, chair of the House Small Business Committee, is pictured with Donald Trump. Williams has complained about new proposals for ceiling fans 'This rule would require numerous small business fan manufacturers to redesign their products and may put between 10 and 30 percent of small business ceiling fan manufacturers out of business,' wrote Williams and his colleagues. 'It appears that the Department of Energy (DOE) may not have properly considered small entities during this rulemaking process.' Williams sent Granholm a list of five questions, asking for specifics on the proposal and seeking information on whether the department expects manufacturers to abandon their existing fans, or rework them. They also asked what the cost implications would be. 'It is important for agencies to examine small businesses interests - which make up 99.9 percent of all businesses in the United States - when passing any new rule,' the committee wrote. 'America's small businesses deserve to have their voices heard and considered.' The Department of Energy defended the changes, with a spokesman telling Fox Business that manufacturers have five years to update their facilities, and arguing that the move reduces air pollution. Jennifer Granholm, the energy secretary, and her department defended the new proposals Ceiling fans must be more efficient under the new proposals The spokesman pointed out that Joe Biden, on his first day in office, ordered the Energy Department to make 'major revisions' to current appliance regulation standards and standards set by the Trump administration. A month later, the agency listed more than a dozen energy-efficiency rules impacting appliances like water heaters, cooking products and lamps, that it would review. 'These proposed standards, which are required by Congress, wouldn't take effect until 2028, would give Americans more energy efficient options to choose from, and would save hardworking taxpayers up to $369 million per year, while substantially reducing harmful air pollution a crucial fact that some have conveniently failed to mention.' Earlier this year, the Energy Department kicked a hornet's nest when it emerged that they are in the process of proposing stronger efficiency regulations for new gas stoves that would also effectively reduce their emissions. And in January 2023, the Consumer Product Safety Commission made it clear that while the agency isn't looking to ban gas stoves, it is actively researching performance tests for measuring emissions, safety standards, and other solutions for reducing the potential hazards. Critics accused the Biden administration of overreach, saying they were implementing a nanny state and imposing excessive restrictions on how people run their own households. A Canadian chef has appeared in court after allegedly selling lethal substances to assist people across the world with taking their own lives. Kenneth Law, 57, was arrested in his hometown of Ontario and charged with two counts of counselling and aiding suicide after allegedly selling 1,200 packages to 40 countries through disguised websites. The UK's National Crime Agency has launched a probe into the deaths of 88 people who bought products from Canada-based websites selling substances to assist with suicide. The agency could not confirm the chemical allegedly sold by Law was the direct cause of the 88 deaths. On Friday, Law appeared briefly in court in Brampton, Ontario, before the hearing was adjourned to September 8. A Canadian chef has appeared in court after allegedly selling lethal substances to assist people across the world with taking their own lives Kenneth Law leaves the post office in the town of Mississauga in Ontario, Canada. International police are now investigating a string of suicides around the world for links to him Kenneth Law previously appeared in court in Brampton, Ontario on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, an artist's sketch Law is also being investigated by forces across the world including in the United States, Italy and Australia. British police have also been making welfare visits to hundreds of addresses to trace buyers across the country. In total, 272 individuals in the UK have been identified as having purchased products from the websites in a two-year period up to April 2023. The NCA said 88 of those people have died. The law enforcement agency added that 'at this early stage there are no confirmed links between the items purchased from the websites and cause of death in any of these cases'. National Crime Agency deputy director Craig Turner said: 'Our deepest sympathies are with the loved ones of those who have died. They are being supported by specially trained officers from police forces. 'In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, the NCA has taken the decision to conduct an investigation into potential criminal offences committed in the UK. This operation is under way.' Law came onto law enforcement's radar after telling an undercover reporter for The Times newspaper that 'many, many, many, many' of his customers had died over a period of two years. The Times reported Law also claimed he had sent the substance to 'hundreds' of people in dozens of countries. 17-year-old Anthony Jones Westland from Michigan, an American who ran to his mother shouting 'I want to live' after ingesting the substance which eventually killed him Michael Dunham from London, UK died after buying products from the Law's company Tom Parfett, from Maidenhead, Berkshire in the UK, died aged 22 after buying the substance Neha Raju, from Surrey, UK, who died after buying products from Law's company Peel Regional Police released images of the chemical allegedly sold He was said to have boasted that some buyers had told him he was doing 'God's work'. Law told the reporter that he had started selling the poison after seeing his mother suffering from a stroke. 'We're not advanced enough as a civilization to accept death openly. I hope I'm just being a little bit more enlightened,' he said. Anthony Jones, a 17-year-old from Michigan, was one of Law's alleged victims. 'It was 3 a.m. and he went running into his mom's room, screaming and begging to call emergency responders,' New York lawyer Carrie Goldberg told CTV News Toronto. He ran to his mother shouting 'I want to live' after ingesting the substance, which eventually killed him, The Times investigation said. In Britain, Tom Parfett, Michael Dunham, 38, Neha Raju, 23, and a 21-year-old student all died after allegedly buying products from Law's company. Tom Parfett, from Berkshire in England, died by suicide aged 22 after reportedly buying Law's substance. His father, David, said his son had effectively been handed a loaded gun. He told The Times: 'I believe my son would still be alive if it wasn't for this substance.' In the UK, retailers by law must alert authorities if they believe the substance may have been bought to cause harm. It is also illegal to assist suicide in the UK and Canada, punishable by up to 14 years in prison in both. Law's websites have since been taken down by its domain owners. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741. In the UK, Samaritans' is helpline available round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, whatever you are going through. It's free to call them on 116 123 and you don't have to be suicidal to call them. Immigration numbers are unlikely to fall, a key Government adviser warned the Prime Minister yesterday. It leaves Rishi Sunak in severe danger of missing his immigration targets. He vowed earlier this year to cut net migration the number of new arrivals to the country minus those who leave to below the 500,000 figure he inherited. The numbers hit a record high of 606,000 in the year to June 2022. The chairman of the Migration Advisory Committee, which decides which industries should be allowed to recruit staff from overseas, cast doubt that his pledge could be achieved after Home Office statistics showed that more than a million work and study visas were issued in the 12 months to June this year. Professor Brian Bell told the BBC yesterday that with such rises it would have to take a remarkable increase in outflows for net migration not to either go up from its previous number, or at least stay at the high levels that we saw a few months ago when it was 600,000. It came as Mr Sunak told broadcasters his plan to tackle illegal migration was working. Mr Sunak vowed earlier this year to cut net migration the number of new arrivals to the country minus those who leave to below the 500,000 figure he inherited Asylum seekers can be seen milling around at the stern of the BF Typhoon after being picked up by the Border Force vessel Small boat crossings in the last week Date Migrants Boats 18 August 2023 144 3 19 August 2023 130 3 20 August 2023 337 5 21 August 2023 661 15 22 August 2023 211 5 23 August 2023 345 6 24 August 2023 208 4 Source: Home Office Advertisement Mr Sunak has insisted that he is working 'night and day' to deter migrants from making small boat crossings across the English Channel as people were plucked from the water by Border Force agents for a 10th consecutive day. Pictures taken at the Port of Dover on Friday show the Border Force vessel BF Typhoon pulling into the harbour before docking to unload more people believed to have been rescued as they tried to cross the Channel. More than 4,000 people have made the crossing this month - and the number of asylum applications made in the UK has has hit its highest level in two decades. Speaking to broadcasters on Friday, Mr Sunak said: 'I think the current situation with illegal migration is simply ridiculous. It's unfair and it's unsustainable. 'That's why one of my five priorities is to stop the boats, and I really want people to know I'm working night and day to bring that about. 'And when I became Prime Minister, before I outlined my plan, the number of illegal migrants coming to the UK had quadrupled in just the last couple of years. 'But for the first time this year, crossings are down. They are down about 15 per cent versus last year. 'That's the first time that has happened since the small boats crisis emerged. That shows that the plan is working. 'Now I never said this would be easy. I said it would take time. There's no simple, single solution that will solve it. 'We're working on a range of different things that will make a difference. For example: our deal with Albania that's returned 3,000 illegal migrants to Albania.' Migrants crossing the English Channel on Thursday, dodging huge vessels along the way The Border Force boat carrying migrants from the English Channel arrives into Dover on Friday morning A dinghy carrying around 50 migrants drifts into the English Channel after being escorted out of French territory on Thursday. Experts say they resist any help from French vessels in order to reach the UK A total of 19,174 migrants have made the treacherous crossing in 406 dinghies so far in 2023. Last year saw a record 45,755 people make the journey overall, a 60 per cent increase on 2021. There were a total of 78,768 asylum applications relating to 97,390 people in the year ending June 2023 - 19 per cent more than the previous year. And despite his pledge to 'stop the boats', crossings continue to rise at levels higher than those seen in 2021, 2020 or 2019 - though levels remain lower than those seen this time last year. The Prime Minister also told the Daily Express on Friday: 'The best way to relieve the unsustainable pressures on our asylum system and unacceptable costs to the taxpayer is to stop the boats in the first place. 'That's why we are focused on our plan to break the business model of the people smugglers facilitating these journeys, including working with international partners upstream to disrupt their efforts, stepping up joint work with the French to help reduce crossings and tackling the asylum backlog.' The driver allegedly behind the wheel of a car that crashed into a tree, killing two young nephews and injuring his daughter has been charged as shocked witnesses revealed harrowing new deatils. A Subaru Impreza sedan hit a tree on The Grand Parade in Monterey in Sydney's south on Friday. Police alleged the driver lost control of the southbound vehicle and crossed to the incorrect side of the road before the impact. Two boys aged 10 and nine sitting in the back seat were freed from the wreckage and rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick where they died shortly afterwards. A nine-year-old girl siiting in the passenger front seat, the driver's daughter, was heard 'screaming for her daddy' as she was pulled from the vehicle by witnesses. She was also taken to hospital with minor injuries. The driver, a 33-year-old man believed to the uncle of the boys killed was taken to St George Hospital under police guard. Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit officers attended St George Hospital on Saturday afternoon to speak to the Beverly Hills man. Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, was charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death, and one count of cause bodily harm by misconduct. He will face court via a hospital bedside hearing on Sunday. The horrific moment of impact on Grand Parade, Monterey in Sydney's south was captured on a neighbour's CCTV. The driver allegedly behind the wheel has since been charged Residents and other motorists rushed to the wreckage after the car crashed into the tree Police are investigating whether the car was street racing another vehicle at the time of the crash. The impact of the crash was so intense that the engine from the Subaru Impreza was flung from the bonnet. READ MORE: Driver ploughs through the front yard of a Melbourne home A driver ploughed through the fence of a home at Hoppers Crossing, west of Melbourne, before copping a tirade from the resident Advertisement Residents have recalled the 'deafening' noise of the crash that left their homes and windows shaking. Some raced outside to pull the injured occupants from the vehicle. The nine-year-old girl 'screamed for her daddy' as emergency services tried to save her young cousins. 'She was screaming 'get me out,' one man told Nine News. 'We were trying to open the other doors but we couldn't open them.' Residents are still haunted by the harrowing scenes. 'We went to the right side of the car and we were able to get the little girl out,' Hadi Sawan told the Saturday Telegraph. 'On the other side we weren't able to do that, it was jammed from the impact. I don't even want to explain what I saw out of respect to the families.' 'It's heartbreaking but I was also scared, if it weren't for the tree the car would have ended up in my house or my neighbours house.' Shaima Bakr added: 'It was actually very scary seeing that.' 'Seeing [it] on the news usually it's upsetting, but seeing it in real life it was traumatic. I didn't want to go close to it ... hearing the little girl crying and asking for her dad and her uncle.' Two young boys were killed in Sydney's south last night after the car they were both travelling in crashed into a tree The little girl remains in hospital in a stable condition and is expected to be interviewed by police in the coming days. CCTV from a neighbouring property captured the moment the car flipping and slamming side-on into a tree after it crossed the median strip. Residents are seen racing to the scene of the wreckage moments later. Police are investigating whether speed and street racing were factors that contributed to the crash. They are hunting a grey sedan they believe may have been involved in the incident. 'At this stage we will be seeking the assistance of members of the public to identify a grey sedan that was travelling in lane one around the time of the collision,' Detective Inspector Jason Hogan from the NSW Crash Investigations Unit said. 'That will be a significant line of inquiry for our crash investigators, to establish the speed of the vehicle, and that appears to be...a contributing factor.' 'It is a particularly nasty crash where two innocent young children have lost their lives.' 'We'll be in constant contact with all members of the family to ensure their welfare and that they're kept abreast of the investigation as it unfolds.' The car hit a tree on the Grand Parade in Monterey around 9.50pm on Friday Detectives will investigate whether speeding and street racing were possible factors in the horror crash which killed two boys aged 9 and 10 The tragedy has prompted residents to renew concerns about 'drag racing' along Grand Parade in Monterey. The speed limit along that strip is 60km/h. Residents say they've been camapigning for speed cameras for several years. Anyone with information, dash cam or CCTV is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. One of Donald Trump's co-defendants was spending a second night in Fulton County jail on Friday after he told the court he could not afford a lawyer, and was deemed a flight risk and denied bail. Harrison Floyd, a former U.S. Marine and mixed martial arts fighter, is accused of participating in a scheme to pressure an election worker to falsely admit to voting fraud. On Thursday he surrendered at Fulton County jail in Atlanta, but - unlike the other 18 - the procedure to set bail was complicated by his arrest in Maryland in May on charges of assaulting FBI agents who tried to serve him with a subpoena. He spent Thursday night in the infamous jail, and on Friday appeared before Judge Emily Richardson via videolink to plead with her to release him, without paying bail. Harrison Floyd's mugshot was taken on Friday, when he handed himself in. He spent Thursday and Friday night in Fulton County jail Floyd appeared virtually before Judge Emily Richardson on Friday Floyd appeared via videolink from jail on Friday, but the judge refused to release him Floyd told the judge that it typically cost between $40,000 to $100,000 just to retain a private lawyer to fly to Georgia. 'I cannot afford an attorney for something like this,' he said, telling Richardson that he did not want to put his family in debt. Richardson told Floyd that he could either hire a lawyer or represent himself. It was not immediately clear why Floyd was told he could not be represented by a public defender. Generally, defendants must meet certain financial requirements to qualify. Floyd is accused of pressuring poll worker Ruby Freeman to confess to voter fraud crimes she didn't commit. He allegedly worked alongside a former publicist of Kanye West, Trevian Kutti, who is also charged Trevian Kutti was beaming in her mugshot, taken on Friday Floyd (left) speaks to Republican activists Paris Dennard (center) and Kamilah Prince (right) in 2020 Who has surrendered at Fulton County jail? Donald Trump: former president - surrendered on Thursday Rudy Giuliani: former Trump attorney - surrendered on Wednesday John Eastman: attorney - surrendered on Tuesday Mark Meadows: former Trump chief of staff - surrendered on Thursday Kenneth Chesebro: former Trump campaign attorney - surrendered on Wednesday Jeffrey Clark: former Justice Department official - surrendered on Friday Jenna Ellis: former member of Trump legal team - surrendered on Wednesday Ray Smith III: the lawyer who represented Trump in 2020 election challenges in Georgia - surrendered on Wednesday Robert Cheeley: Atlanta lawyer - surrendered on Friday Michael Roman: former Trump staffer - surrendered on Friday David Shafer: a fraudulent 2020 Republican elector and former chairman of the Georgia GOP - surrendered on Wednesday Shawn Still: one of the fraudulent 2020 electors and a current member of the Georgia Senate - surrendered on Friday Stephen Lee: an Illinois police chaplain - surrendered on Friday Harrison Floyd: executive director of Black Voices for Trump - surrendered on Thursday, in jail overnight Trevian Kutti: a Chicago-based publicist who represented Kanye West - surrendered on Friday Sidney Powell: former Trump legal team member - surrendered on Wednesday Cathy Latham: one of the fraudulent 2020 electors and former chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party in Georgia - surrendered on Wednesday Scott Hall: a 2020 Fulton County Republican poll watcher - surrendered on Tuesday Misty Hampton: former Coffee County Elections Director - surrendered on Friday Advertisement For now, Floyd will remain in Fulton County Jail, which is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for violence and unsanitary conditions, as well as 15 inmate deaths last year. One of those was a man whose family says in a lawsuit was 'eaten alive' by bedbugs. Floyd had maintained that he was not a flight risk, but he was told that the issue of the bond would ultimately be decided by Judge Scott McAfee, who is overseeing the case. 'There are grounds for bond to be denied at this point,' Richardson said. 'I'm going to go ahead and find that you are a risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. 'So I'm going to deny bond, but a full consideration of bond will be addressed.' All 18 other defendants in the case have been released after posting bond, records show. Trevian Kutti, a former publicist for Kayne West, and Stephen Lee, a police chaplain from Illinois, were the final two to surrender. Bail amounts range from $200,000 for Trump to $150,000 for former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani to $10,000 for Misty Hampton, a former election supervisor in a rural Georgia county who is accused of tampering with voting equipment. One of those defendants, attorney Sidney Powell, asked the court on Friday for her trial to begin by November 3 at the latest, as is allowed under Georgia law. She became the second of the 19 to seek a speedy trial: Kenneth Chesebro, seen as the architect of the plan to persuade Mike Pence to deny the January 6 certification of the election, has also exerted his right for a quick trial. Fani Willis, the district attorney, had originally proposed a March 4 trial date for all 19 defendants, including Trump. But McAfee has agreed to a separate October 23 trial for Chesebro, who like Powell had asked for an earlier date. Trump's legal team has not yet proposed a trial date. Floyd's appearance comes after a momentous day in which Trump's mug shot from the jail was released. Trump, 77, was captured glaring at the camera in the first such photograph of a former president in U.S. history, yet another extraordinary moment for the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination. After spending about 20 minutes at the jail on Thursday evening, Trump repeated the claim that Willis' prosecution - along with the others he faces - is politically motivated. 'What has taken place here is a travesty of justice,' he told reporters. 'I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows it.' All 19 defendants have now surrendered at Fulton County jail, and all except Floyd have been released One of the final defendants to surrender, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, turned himself in early on Friday and was released on $100,000 bond, records show. Trump has not yet entered a plea in the Georgia case. He has pleaded not guilty in two federal cases accusing him of seeking to overturn the 2020 election and retaining classified documents after leaving office, and to a New York state case linked to hush money payments to a porn star. Far from damaging his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination, however, the four cases filed against him have only bolstered his standing. He holds a commanding polling lead in the Republican race to challenge Biden in the November 2024 election. Alice Cooper has been dropped by a cosmetics company a day after he made comments opposing gender affirming care for children. The rockstar, known for his trademark black eyeliner, claimed transgender surgeries were a 'fad' and said he found it 'wrong' that kids were being confused. He was let go by Vampyre Cosmetics on Thursday following his remarks just two weeks after he signed a partnership agreement with the company. The brand, which markets goth-themed makeup, lipstick and palettes, signed a deal with him to sell a collection of Cooper-style mascara, guitar and amp shaped makeup palettes and microphone styled lipsticks. Vampyre Cosmetics issued a statement which said it would no longer be collaborating with Cooper 'in light of recent statements' and that it stands with the LGBTQ community. Alice Cooper has been dropped by a cosmetics company a day after he made comments opposing gender affirming care for children Vampyre Cosmetics, which markets goth-themed makeup, lipstick and palettes, signed a deal with him to sell a collection of Cooper-style mascara, guitar and amp shaped makeup palettes and microphone styled lipsticks The brand issued a statement which said it would no longer be collaborating with Cooper 'in light of recent statements' and that it stands with the LGBTQ community Cooper, famous for hits 'School's Out' and 'Godfather of Shock Rock', shared his views in an interview with music website Stereogum on Wednesday. 'I'm understanding that there are cases of transgender, but I'm afraid that it's also a fad,' he said. 'I'm afraid there's a lot of people claiming to be this just because they want to be that.' The musician, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, said he did not agree with transgender care for children. 'I find it wrong when you've got a 6-year-old kid who has no idea,' he added. 'He just wants to play, and you're confusing him telling him, 'Yeah, you're a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be'. Cooper, 75, claimed it was 'confusing' to kids and teenagers and described the issue as 'absurd'. The rockstar, known for his trademark black eyeliner, claimed transgender surgeries were a 'fad' and said he found it 'wrong' that kids were being confused Cooper, whose real name is Vincent Damon Furnier, said he did not agree with transgender care for children He said: 'You're still trying to find your identity, and yet here's this thing going on, saying, 'Yeah, but you can be anything you want. You can be a cat if you want to be'. 'I mean, if you identify as a tree And I'm going, 'Come on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?' 'It's so absurd, that it's gone now to the point of absurdity.' Cooper also took aim at 'the whole woke thing' and asked: 'Who's making the rules?' 'Is there a building somewhere in New York where people sit down every day and say, 'Okay, we can't say mother now. We have to say birthing person. Get that out on the wire right now?' 'Who is this person that's making these rules? I don't get it. I'm not being old school about it. I'm being logical about it.' His comments were not well-received by Vampyre Cosmetics who canceled its collaboration with the musician the next day and issued refunds to those who pre-ordered products. 'In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no longer be doing a makeup collaboration,' it wrote on Instagram. Vampyre Cosmetics is sold in 130 stores which are mainly in New Orleans. The brand describes itself as 'proudly women owned, disabled owned and LGBT+ owned' 'We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded.' It is not clear how much the partnership between Cooper and the company was worth. Vampyre Cosmetics is sold in 130 independent stores which are mainly in New Orleans. The brand describes itself as 'proudly women owned, disabled owned and LGBT+ owned'. Karen Holton, the managing owner of the company, said: 'We are queer, disabled, and proudly neurodiverse women working round the clock to bring you cosmetics so uniquely packaged you exclaim 'Holy Crap!' when you see it.' Dailymail.com has contacted Vampyre Cosmetics and Cooper's representatives for comment. A psychopath who was Australia's youngest-ever murderer when he killed an innocent three-year-old girl will be freed from prison despite experts warning there's a high chance he'll violently offend again. In one of the most shocking cases in Australian history, the now 36-year-old man, known only as SLD, walked down the road from his adoptive home to kill toddler Courtney Morley-Clarke when he was just 13-years-old. Justice Stephen Campbell made the difficult ruling last Friday for SLD to be taken out of prison and put under an extended supervision order (ESO). The court heard SLD had a very difficult childhood. He was one of three children and was abused by his junkie mother before entering the foster system at just two-years-old. Despite being a problem child, he was adopted by a family in the small NSW Central Coast town of Point Clare when he was four. However, the newfound stability did little to change the 'disturbed' nature of the boy. SLD was just 13-years-old when he snatched toddler Courtney Morley-Clarke (above) and stabbed her through the heart By the time he reached his teens, a psychiatrist was convinced he'd never become a functioning social adult. Now we know they were right. Three-year-old Courtney Morley-Clarke was sleeping in her home when SLD snatched her from her bed in January, 2001. Courtney's body was discovered the next morning hidden in a patch of tall grass, she'd been stabbed in the heart and abandoned wearing only her nappy. SLD, aged 13 years and 10 months, gladly took credit for his horrific crime. The tragedy broke hearts around Australia but the court was at a loss at what to do with a young boy who committed such a cruel murder. For guidance on sentencing, Justice James Wood looked at the British case of toddler James Bulger who was tortured and killed by two 10-year-old boys. SLD was sentenced to 20 years behind bars. His sentence expired in 2021 but he was deemed too dangerous to be released, The Weekend Australian reports. His possible freedom was assessed again last week but this time the court-appointed expert favoured an ESO over more prison time, noting there was little to no chance of rehabilitation for SLD in jail. Still, experts aren't convinced freedom will rehabilitate SLD either. Justice Stephen Campbell ruled last week SLD will be released from prison despite experts warning he's becoming obsessed with the idea of losing his virginity and could become violent 'where his will is denied' SLD has been diagnosed with a severe personality disorder with antisocial and psychopathic features. His lack of empathy is further driven by an attitude of self-importance and entitlement. The court heard evidence SLD is obsessed with sexual fantasies and the idea of losing his virginity. His intense desire coupled with his continued anti-social state that could see him 'act without compunction' have led to fears for the safety of women around him. Worryingly, Justice Campbell found SLD was 'liable to offend in a circumstance where his will is denied' and 'his offending may involve the use of a weapon'. Under the ESO, SLD will be required to wear a GPS monitor and stay in line-of-sight surveillance at an offender support unit run by Corrective Services in Long Bay jail. The strict supervision orders are handed to offenders who are at risk of committing serious violent, sexual or terrorist crimes if left alone in the community. Justice Campbell admitted keeping SLD under the order would be 'extremely challenging', which has already proven true. In his first months living in the support unit, SLD was caught breaking his restrictions by accessing WhatsApp, YouTube and link-up app Tagged. SLD will be supervised an offender support unit run by Corrective Services in Long Bay jail (above) When confronted about his wrongdoing, he told the officer: 'Listen miss, I will choose what conditions to follow and what ones aren't important.' Still, Justice Campbell urged people to remember 'SLD's general right to be at liberty following the expiration of the sentence lawfully passed upon him'. SLD was back behind bars at the time of last week's hearing but was told he will be allowed back into the unit if he agrees to behave. 'I am not aware whether SLD has agreed to this,' Justice Campbell said. A holidaymaker has claimed to have spotted the elusive Loch Ness monster ahead of one of the biggest ever hunts to track down the famed beast this weekend. Steve Valentine, 44, was left completely stunned when he saw a 'black shape' floating above the water as he and his family returned to the dock during a boat trip. The father, from Urmston, Greater Manchester, was advised by the boat skipper to register what he saw as an official sighting - the fourth this year. Mr Valentine, who had visited the Loch Ness Centre with his wife Maria and their children before the cruise, told The Sun: 'There was nothing else on the surface of the water. All of a sudden I saw this black shape. It was a bit of a distance away, about 200 metres, near Urquhart Castle.' He said he felt he had to take a photo of the black shape which he said looked like the 'hump of the body and the back of the head'. Steve Valentine, 44, was left completely stunned when he saw a 'black shape' floating above the water as he and his family returned back to the dock while on a boat trip Mr Valentine was on the Deepscan vessel (pictured) which can take up to 12 people out onto the water to learn about Nessie The Nessie hunter, who was on the Deepscan vessel which can take up to 12 people out onto the water to learn about the beast, added: 'I showed the photo to the driver and he was quite taken aback. I am quite open-minded and I was genuinely shocked.' It comes as Nessie enthusiasts prepare for the biggest hunt in 50 years to track down the Lock Ness Monster this weekend. The Loch Ness Centre and the Loch Ness Exploration, an independent research team, will scour the waters for the beast using drones with infra-red cameras and underwater detectors in the biggest search since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch back in 1972. Over the weekend, members of the public will be asked to keep a close eye on the loch for breaks in the water, movement, or even a sighting of its most famous inhabitant. Cameras have been set up along the shores, meaning people from across the globe can take part. Meanwhile, drones using infrared cameras will capture thermal images under the water, and a hydrophone will be used to detect acoustic signals beneath the surface. Paul Nixon, general manager of the Loch Ness Centre, said: 'The interest in our weekend of activities has been fantastic, and to see how people from all around the world are still fascinated by the story of the Loch and Nessie. Sturgeon's Photograph: For 60 years this celebrated photograph of a long necked creature helped keep afloat the legend of the Loch Ness Monster The biggest hunt to finally track down the Lock Ness Monster is set to begin this weekend, with Nessie enthusiasts from around the world expected to have their eyes on the infamous loch 'We want anyone in the world to be able to help, which is why we are looking for budding monster hunters from anywhere to log in to the live stream of the Loch over the weekend and see if they spot anything mysterious. 'We can't wait to see what we find.' So far this year, there have been four sightings, with one little girl's photo of the elusive beast being branded the best picture in years. Charlotte Robinson had been staying at the Loch Ness Highland Lodges at Invermoriston nack in 2018 when something popped up in the water 50 feet from the bank. Grabbing her camera, Charlotte was able to snap a picture of a blob in the water which apparently surfaced for a minute before disappearing again, reports the Mirror. Charlotte had been on holiday with her parents Kat and Dave when the incident occurred at about 7pm one evening. Describing the moment she came face to face with 'Nessie', Charlotte explained she knew there had been 'something' there. She said: 'There was something in the water about 50 feet from the shore. I took a photo. It had a neck and head was in the shape of a hook. 'I just took what I saw. It was black - I just don't know how far it was out of the water. I'm not good at judging distances. 'But after about a minute it disappeared and then came back up again in a different place. It was up for less than a minute the second time. Charlotte Robinson at Loch Ness where she took a photo of what she thinks is the Loch Ness Monster The grainy picture appears to show an object moving out of the grey water Over the years there have been thousands of 'Nessie sightings' at Loch Ness 'I kind of believed in Nessie, but I wanted to see the proof. I always imagined her as having a long neck and flippers. I have seen something but I'm not sure what.' The photograph was rapturously received by the Nessie spotting community including long-time loch hermit Steve Feltham - who has spent the last 27 years watching the water. Mr Feltham, 55, who holds the Guinness world record for the longest continuous monster hunting vigil of Loch Ness, said: 'I am totally excited by this photograph - it is the best of 'Nessie' in years. 'There is clearly a solid object in it and it is relatively clear. It warrants further study. There may be a mundane explanation such as a seal, but I have not heard of a seal in the loch this year. 'For my money it is larger than a seal or an otter. It is a fantastic picture by Charlotte.' Charlotte's picture has drawn parallels with the the 'Surgeon's Photograph' an infamous shot of Nessie that was eventually proven as a hoax. In 1934, The Daily Mail published a picture by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson of what appeared to be a sighting of the Loch Ness Monster. For 60 years this celebrated photograph of a long necked creature helped keep afloat the legend of the Loch Ness Monster. It became known as the 'Surgeon's Photograph' as Lieutenant Wilson was a Harley Street gynaecologist. However, this photograph was actually of a modified toy submarine. Now it's alleged he was part of a plot to perpetuate the myth of the monster which began as a joke. A holidaymaker captured incredible pictures of what looks like the Loch Ness monster from the hotel he was staying in a mile away Hundreds of Nessie enthusiasts are gearing up to take part in the biggest organised hunt for the mysterious creature in 50 years A general view of Loch Ness where drones with infra-red cameras and underwater detectors will be used in an attempt to track down the elusive monster Merchandise on sale in a shop next to Loch Ness ahead of what is being described as the biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster since the early 1970s A sighting on June 15 was photographed by a French tourist Etienne Camel, who said he and his wife Eliane witnessed a dark shape which was 15-20 metres (49 feet to 65 ft) long on the surface of the loch. 'It was quite strange, I am a man of science so I never believed that the Loch Ness Monster is a prehistoric animal', he said. 'But when I was taking a picture I saw this long, long shadow. I called my wife over and we saw the shadow move. 'It was 15-20 metres long and was about 150 metres away. It was quite strange and then it disappeared.' In April, father-of-three John Payne, 55, was admiring the scenery from a window at guest house Foyers Roost, Inverness, next to the Loch Ness when he noticed some strange movement on the loch. He took a picture of the scene, describing what he saw as 'huge'. 'It must have been something very large because we were about a mile away from the loch and I could see it clearly', he said. 'You wouldn't have been able to see a bird or anything from that far away - it had to be something large. It was like a huge neck. 'At first I thought it was a giant fin, but I know there are no dolphin or porpoises in the loch so I was thinking what the hell is this thing. The first written mention of a monster in Loch Ness appeared in a 7th century biography, according to Britannica 'It wasn't like it was tied to anything, like a buoy, because it kept moving further away.' Rumours of a strange creature living in the waters of Loch Ness have abounded over the decades, yet scant evidence has been found to back up these claims. The first reported sighting of the monster is said to have been made in AD565 by the Irish missionary St Columba when he came across a giant beast in the River Ness. An online register lists more than 1,000 total Nessie sightings, created by Mr Campbell, the man behind the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club and is available at www.lochnesssightings.com. Many Nessie witnesses have mentioned large, crocodile-like scutes sitting atop the spine of the creature, leading some to believe an escaped amphibian may be to blame. Native fish sturgeons can also weigh several hundred pounds and have ridged backs, which make them look almost reptilian. Some believe Nessie is a long-necked plesiosaur - like an elasmosaur - that survived somehow when all the other dinosaurs were wiped out. Others say the sightings are down to Scottish pines dying and flopping into the loch, before quickly becoming water-logged and sinking. A reality TV star's unusual business has caused a stir among neighbours, who claim they have been inhaling the ashes of human remains. Crematorium business Coastal Cremations moved into an industrial complex on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane but is accused of producing exhaust smoke. Former Bachelor contestant Elora Murger is understood to be a director of the business. Former Bachelor star Elora Murger (right) is a director of a crematorium business based on Queensland's Sunshine Coast that has left owners of neighbouring properties complaining of fumes reaching them The exhaust from the building owned by the crematorium is understood to be emitting ashes of those cremated inside the facility. A business owner next door to the company collected samples of the substance that was emitted, to have the material tested. According to the results, the ash was coming from the company's building and contained forms of organic matter. An environmental scientist told A Current Affair, the ash could be the human remains of someone who was cremated or a burnt coffin but further testing is needed to determine where it's from. John Kelly, who owns a shed next to the building, said the roof of his business is covered in ash. He told A Current Affair that the smoke that comes out of the building leaves him coughing uncontrollably. 'I end up in major coughing fits and dry retching everywhere,' Mr Kelly said. 'I've had x-rays... my lungs are inflamed from the fumes and whatever else that's coming through,' he said. The ashes have fallen onto neighbouring properties, forcing owners to clean up the mess Dan Mackay, a mechanic who works out of his shop next door to the building, said the stench from the smoke is unbearable. He said the toxic fumes make their way into his workshop and leaves dust all over the place. 'The ash and everything comes into the workshop and lands all over the cars,' Mr Mackay said. John Kelly, who owns a shed next door to Coastal Cremations, said ashes fall onto the roof of his shed after it is let out of the facility's exhaust on top of the building. It's believed the company is complying with all building regulations, according to Sunshine Coast Council. It's understood the council also gave approval for a second furnace to be built at the facility. In a statement, a spokesperson from the council told A Current Affair they are working with the owners of the surrounding properties to address their concerns. 'Council has been responding to concerns raised by neighbouring businesses,' it said. 'This has included odour monitoring and liaising with the crematorium operator.' Ms Murger who is a director of Coastal Cremations, told A Current Affair in a statement the business has 'all necessary approvals' to operate the business 'The crematorium is complying with noise and air quality conditions and environmental performance standards.' Ms Murger told A Current Affair in a statement the company rejects the complaints against the business and that 'our client obtained all the necessary approvals for the carrying out of cremation services at its current premises'. 'Any allegations of by-products and odours are completely unfounded,' she said. A Guatemalan immigrant who entered the U.S. in January and is accused of raping and murdering his 11-year-old neighbor says he was forced to do it by 'two black men who held him at gunpoint.' Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, appeared in court for the first time on Thursday after being accused of raping, strangling and hiding, Maria Gonzalez, 11, in a plastic bag shoved into a laundry basket on Aug 12. Gonzalez's body was found by her father at their home in Pasadena, Texas, when he returned home from work. Pasadena Police Department named Garcia-Rodriguez a 'person of interest' and the main suspect in the case - noting a key left behind in the little girl's home as a vital piece of evidence. Juan Carlos Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, appeared in court for the first time on Thursday after being accused of raping, strangling and hiding, Maria Gonzalez, 11, in a plastic bag shoved into a laundry basket on Aug 12 Garcia-Rodriguez, 18, is the main suspect in the murder case of Maria and claimed he was forced to do it by 'two black men who held him at gunpoint' Authorities in Shreveport, Louisiana, took Rodriguez into custody last weekend after Harris County, Texas, officials charged him with capital murder in connection with the girl's death. Police said that Garcia-Rodriguez had been 'residing at the same apartment complex where the victim was found' prior to her death. Bail was denied for Garcia-Rodriguez in the case and according to prosecutors he came in voluntarily first denying the heinous incident and then admitting he had been involved Bail was denied for Garcia-Rodriguez in the case and according to prosecutors he came in voluntarily first denying the heinous incident and then admitting he had been involved, according to Fox News. They claim that Garcia-Rodriguez said he was forced at gunpoint by two black men to commit the sexual assault which could see him face the death penalty. According to court documents obtained by the outlet, Maria's father, Carmelo, had heard Garcia-Rodriguez in the stairwell on the phone when he left for work. Maria was taking out the trashy and told her dad it was 'the long haired neighbor' and then Carmelo proceeded to go to work. Around 10:02am Carmelo received a WhatsApp text from Maria stating that someone was knocking on the door, so he sent family to check on her. When he came home at 2:30pm he found his daughter's body in a black trash bag and stuffed inside a white clothes hamper which was wrapped in another trash bag. Her body had blunt force trauma to the head and neck. Carmelo also found a silver key on the floor. After speaking with neighbors Garcia-Rodriguez roommates said that he had a new job and was moving away but refused to give back the key. Carmelo Gonzalez said he left for work at around 10am on August 12 and communicated with his daughter over the phone a little later. That is when she told him a stranger was knocking at the door Maria and her father Carmelo had been had been living in the apartment complex for about three months, after stints in Florida and Austin, Texas. The girl's mother lives in Guatemala They told cops they were forced to change the locks. When police returned to the scene they asked for the old lock and the roommates keys which matched the old lock. Garcia-Rodriguez was reportedly drinking until the early hours of the morning the day of the murder and denied being at the crime scene, according to Fox News. Prosecutors said that when he turned himself in he said he was with friends but they did not corroborate the story. The 18-year-old was living at the hotel complex for several weeks, and last seen at the complex two days after the brutal killing. Garcia-Rodriguez is believed to have entered the US in January. He crossed the border in El Paso, Texas. After he 'self-surrendered,' it is believed the teenager, who was 17 when he crossed, was then let free. Detectives released a photograph of Garcia-Rodriguez with their appeal and also offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to his arrest or charges before finding him and taking him into custody. In a press conference - six days after the murder - Pasadena Police Chief Josh Bruegger named Garcia-Rodriguez as a 'person of interest' Sources in the Department of Homeland Security told NewsNation that it's believed he may have fled to Mexico, before police picked him up on Aug 19. Garcia-Rodriguez had been released after entering the US because he had a sponsor in Louisiana. A sponsor typically agrees to provide housing or financial support to a migrant while they are processed and their status is determined. Talking to Fox News, Carmelo said the last thing he heard from her was that she was 'in bed.' Shortly after leaving, Carmelo said he received a message from Maria telling him someone had been knocking at the front door. 'I told her, 'Don't open the door, because I am arriving at work,' and she responded, 'I am in my bed,' Gonzalez told the outlet. Law enforcement officials said there was no forced entry into the home. The father and daughter had been living in the apartment complex for about three months. The girl's mother lives in Guatemala. Maria and her father lived in Austin, Texas, and Florida before Pasadena. Maria was not enrolled at Pasadena ISD, police said. Chief Bruegger said that detectives spoke to Garcia-Rodriguez at the apartment complex before he was a suspect Maria and her father had lived at the relatively quiet apartment complex for about three months when the murder occurred Police also took DNA samples from others living in the complex, but say getting cooperation has been challenging. Tens of thousands of migrants entered the US through El Paso this year. The crisis has been ongoing for several years but reached its peak in around December 2022 as the government prepared to end COVID-era Title 42 rules that made it harder to enter the country. Many present to authorities and are processed before they are released. Most are expected to appear in court at a later date for a process to determine their status. A man who fled a drug bust on a scooter in the Bronx, New York City, and crashed after an undercover police officer threw a cooler at him has had his death ruled a homicide. Eric Duprey sold drugs to NYPD Sergeant Erik Duran who was working undercover on the Bronx Narcotics Division, conducting a buy-and-bust operation on Aqueduct Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. Duprey, 30, quickly tried to flee on his scooter when Duran tried to arrest him at about 5:20pm. Duran threw a cooler at him - which he had snatched from a bystander who was on the street with his family. The fatal impact from the cooler - that was filled with soda cans - caused the suspect to lose control of his scooter and strike a parked Jeep. Duran has since been suspended while cops investigate his involvement in the fatal incident. Eric Duprey, 30, died after being hit by the cooler on Wednesday. He was fleeing a drug bust in the Bronx, and was traveling on a scooter The suspect, Eric Duprey, was attempting to get away when he crashed to the ground just after 5.20pm on Wednesday - and now NYPD Sergeant Erik Duran has been suspended while cops investigate his involvement in the fatal incident Pictured: The cooler. Sergeant Duran was suspended early on Thursday morning Duprey died from 'blunt force injuries of the head' a spokesperson from the city medical examiner's officer confirmed to the New York Post. Father-of-three Duprey fell to the ground, and was pronounced dead at the scene. Sergeant Duran was suspended early on Thursday morning. CCTV footage shows the moment that the cooler hit the man on the Bronx street. An image obtained by DailyMail.com showed the red cooler with a white handle that was lobbed at Duprey during the drug bust. The NYPD said in a statement: 'Early today, New York City Police Department Sergeant Erik Duran was suspended from duty without pay following a fatal incident in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon involving a man attempting to flee from the police on a motorcycle. 'The citys medical examiner will determine the cause of death. 'The New York State Attorney Generals Office is leading the investigation into this incident with the assistance of the New York City Police Departments Force Investigation Division. 'The NYPD is committed to ensuring that there will be a full, thorough, and transparent investigation of this incident to determine the facts and to take the appropriate steps forward.' The red cooler can be seen lying on the ground on the sidewalk The fatal impact from the cooler - that was filled with soda cans - caused the suspect to lose control of his scooter and strike a parked Jeep A 42-year-old man, whose cooler was used during the ordeal, told NYDailyNews: '[Eric] was on the bike, moving north when the cops started chasing him. 'Then he took a U-turn and was riding on the sidewalk. 'The cop then took my cooler, which was filled with soda cans, water bottles, and hit him.' Witnesses described how there was a family party occurring close by - and the children were left 'almost paralyzed by what they saw.' They continued: 'I think he died the moment he fell on the ground, because there was no movement. The cops tried doing CPR but that did not do any good.' Jose Colon, the dead man's step-dad, slammed the police for the actions. He said: 'Why couldnt the cop use any piece of equipment which was authorized for him to use? Why did he hit him with a cooler? What happened to the cops Taser?' Duprey's wife Orlyanis Velez added: 'We were given no information. I am scared as (police) are acting as if nothing happened.' Erika Duprey Soto, his sister, said: 'Its crazy that the cop threw a cooler at him. He used to work as a delivery man for Uber, Doordash. He used the same scooter for deliveries that he was riding yesterday when he was attacked. 'Hes gone. I loved my brother to death.' According to public records, officer Duran joined the force in 2010 and has faced 17 accusations of wrongdoing over his career. Only one, for an unnecessary stop, was substantiated. Duran also made 197 arrests during his role at the NYPD. He has been suspended without pay. Duran was reprimanded by his colleagues. According to the NYDN, a police official said: 'The use of force here is not consistent with our guidelines. 'We dont train officers to pick up something and throw it at a suspect.' Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has identified herself as the federal MP who received online threats in a menacing video. Australian Federal Police charged a Melbourne man, 30, last June for using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence after he allegedly threatened an MP in a video. The AFP had launched an investigation into the video in January, 2022, after receiving a complaint from an MP about it. On Saturday, The Age revealed the allegedly threatened MP was Lidia Thorpe. 'The senator will not be making any further statements on this matter due to ongoing physical impacts resulting from a car accident she was involved in last month,' a spokesperson from her office told the publication. 'The senator is experiencing significant complications as a result of the accident and is undergoing medical treatment.' Lidia Thorpe (above) was allegedly threatened by a 30-year-old Melbourne man in an online video last year Police allege the 30-year-old man produced and shared a video which 'includes threats of violence against a federal member of parliament'. Police seized three of his electronic devices during a search of his Mernda, northeast Melbourne, home last June which allegedly contained evidence of the video's production. Commander Stephen Nutt said the AFP used sophisticated technology to track the alleged offender down. 'The AFP supports political expression and freedom of speech, but when it leads to criminal behaviour including threats and harassment it will not be tolerated,' he said. The Melbourne man will face the charges in Heidelberg Magistrates' Court on September 20. He faces a maximum of five years' imprisonment if found guilty. Convicted international drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury, nicknamed Cocaine Cassie, will release a fitness program following her dramatic weight loss. Sainsbury shared the new venture alongside a selfie showing off her toned stomach to her Instagram on Friday. She captioned the photo, 'Sun-1 Cassie-0' after getting sunburnt. In a separate post, Sainsbury said she has dropped four dress sizes in five months by sticking to her 'fitness program'. 'So since March this year I have managed to lose four sizes,' she wrote. Cassie Sainsbury shared a photo of her toned stomach (above) on Friday alongside news she will be launching a fitness program Sainsbury (above) said she's dropped four dress sizes since March by sticking to her routine 'In February/March I was a size 12, [I] weight on due to some personal and health issues. Today I can comfortably fit into a size 6/8. 'It took me a lot of hard work to do it and that is why I decided to create what I did into a fitness program. 'It's called the hourglass challenge for those ladies who want to achieve the hourglass look. It will be released soon.' Sainsbury was a failed gym owner before she was arrested in Columbia in April, 2017, when she was caught trying to leave the country with 5.8kg of cocaine in her luggage. The bust shot her to international infamy and she was dubbed 'Cocaine Cassie'. She was sentenced to six years behind bars at Columbia's notorious El Buen Pastor prison but only served three before she was released. The jail, in Colombia's capital of Bogota, is renowned for its harsh conditions and overcrowding. Sainsbury spent another two years on parole in South America before returning to Australia last year to live in Adelaide with her wife, Tatiana. The pair married one year ago after meeting in a Colombian nightclub. However, Sainsbury told the Herald Sun in March the move back home has been anything but easy. Sainsbury earned herself the nickname 'Cocaine Cassie' when she was caught trying to smuggle 5.8kg of cocaine (above) out of Columbia 'Trying to get a job and move forward. I quite often get told that I'm a murderer, that I'm quite conniving and cold and don't show remorse,' she said. 'People can't show emotions because that's a sign of weakness so I buried the sadness and I'd feel I pretty much got to a point where it would explode. I'm not this nasty person.' She added she sadly didn't have friends in Australia and her family life was in 'bits and pieces'. 'What got to me was I had friends writing letters supporting me and then on social media writing crap about me. It is what it is,' she said. Police have smashed what they allege is a 'dial-a-dealer' drug ring following a string of raids across Sydney's south-west. NSW Police arrested three men and a teenager and charged them with serious drug offences. Police established Strike Force Winetr earlier this year in an effort to break an alleged cocaine supply syndicate, which they believed was involved in a 'dial-a-dealer' scheme. As part of the three-month operation, officers raided homes at Fairfield West, Smithfield and Bossley Park on Friday morning. NSW Police arrested four men after smashing what they allege was a dial-a-dealer ring. Pictured is one of the men arrested A stash of prohibited drugs was seized in raids across Sydney's south-west Strike force investigtaors were assistaned by officers attached to Bankstown Region Enforcement Squad, Southwest Metropolitan Operations Support Group and the Raptor Squad. Police seized a number of electronic devices, prohibited drugs, a knife, ammunition and over $70,000 cash during the operation. The items will undergo further examination. A 24-year-old man was arrested at a Fairfield West Home and was charged with directing a criminal group, commercial drug supply and other offences A 21-year-old was arrested at a Smithfield address and charged with driving and drug offences, including supplying a commercial quantity of a prohibited drug. A 25-year-old man and 17-year-old boy were arrested at Bossley Park. Nore than $70,000 cash (pictured) was seized during Friday's police operation A knife was also seized during Friday's rais as part of Strike Force Winetr The 25-year-old is facing five counts of supplying a prohibited drug, among other drug charges. The teenage boy was charged with supplying a prohibited drug before being granted bail to appear before Parramatta Children's Court later this month. The other three men were all denied bail. Investigations under Strike Force Winetr continue. Anyone with information about the supply of prohibited drugs in their community is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: She used the threats to get paid The woman threatened to expose clients to partners A former sex worker blackmailed clients by threatening to reveal they were unfaithful to their partners. A court heard that Amber McCabe from West Beach in Adelaide threatened to expose her clients if they didn't pay her for her services. The former nurse pleaded guilty to three counts of blackmail against two people in November 2022. Former sex worker Amber McCabe blackmailed two of her former clients in order to get paid for her services Ms McCabe was paid $1,360 and $650 in payments from the clients through instalments of smaller funds. The court heard she engaged in the acts against the clients after she became disgruntled when they cancelled their bookings. 'She had become obviously quite frustrated at constantly having bookings made and not being following through...' her lawyer Chris Pouras told the court. 'She took matters into her hands, unfortunately, to her significant detriment.' He said Ms McCabe 'didn't intend to cause significant distress other than to expose their infidelity'. Ms McCabe apologised for the threats she made and said she would return the money she was paid back to the men. The court was told she will not go back to being a sex worker but will instead look to study professional writing. She hopes to 'become a freelance journalist or to write blog posts'. Ms McCabe turned to sex work following an injury which left her homeless. She is also living with various medical conditions. The prosecutor of the case Peter Cannell told the court Ms McCabe's offence was not as significant as other charges but her actions were negligent. Mr Cannell said the woman received payments from her victims in batches of hundreds of dollars including in amounts of $200 and $300. The former nurse pleaded guilty to blackmailing two men after threatening to tell their partners they were unfaithful Her actions led her to find out where her victims worked and the names of their partners. The prosecutor said Ms McCabe's actions were designed to harm the men by humiliating and embarrassing them, in order to extort money from the victims. It was revealed that both men were distressed from the woman's threats. (One victim) says in his statement that he was worried that the accused would visit his house and his pregnant wife and cause harm to them so there is an implied threat,' the prosecutor said. Ms McCabe was released on bail and will be sentenced in September. A woman whose story Ron DeSantis used in the Republican primary debate to emphasize his anti-abortion stance has been revealed as a grandmother from Michigan. DeSantis on Wednesday night said his pro-life views were shaped in part by meeting 'Penny', whose parents tried to abort her. Many assumed the anecdote to be apocryphal, but the woman has been identified as anti-abortion activist Miriam 'Penny' Hopper. Hopper's remarkable story is impossible to verify, but for years she has been telling how she was saved by her grandmother from a botched abortion in 1955. 'I know a lady in Florida named Penny,' said DeSantis. 'She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. 'Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to a different hospital.' Ron DeSantis referenced a woman named 'Penny', who has been revealed as Miriam 'Penny' Hopper DeSantis is seen on Wednesday night, telling the audience the story of 'Penny' ICYMI: Ron DeSantis drew outrage last night for highlighting the story of abortion survivor Miriam Penny Hopper. She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a panher grandmother saved her & brought her to a different hospital.pic.twitter.com/YpBUlzU05i Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) August 24, 2023 Critics seized on the story, accusing DeSantis of lying. Steve Schmidt, a founder of The Lincoln Project, wrote on X: 'The story of Penny found in the pan by DeSantis is ludicrous, and obviously untrue. It should be looked into by the media.' Jill Filipovic, a journalist and author, said: 'I understand that politicians lie, but DeSantis's story about 'Penny,' a woman he says survived multiple abortion attempts and was rescued from a pan by her grandmother(????), is just such a bizarre and impossible story, it's stunning that any human is that gullible.' James Gibney, a journalist at Bloomberg Opinion, added: 'What reporter will go out and find Penny. DeSantis waffling on direct question on abortion.' Kylie Cheung, writing in Jezebel, identified Hopper first, and on Friday The New York Times published further details. Hopper appeared in a 2020 pro-life campaign video and told her story, explaining how the tale was based on what her family told her. There appears to be no documentation confirming it, and those involved - her mother, aunt, father and grandmother - have died. DeSantis is seen speaking on Wednesday night during the Fox News-hosted debate Hopper said that her mother, 23 weeks pregnant, sought medical care at a clinic in central Florida in 1955 because of bleeding and other complications. Abortion was illegal at the time. The doctor who examined her said he could not hear a heartbeat. He induced labor, and Hopper said her parents were told: 'You do not want this baby to live if it lives, it will be a burden on you all of your life.' Hopper said the doctor told a nurse to discard the baby 'dead or alive,' and she, as a one pound 11 ounces newborn, was taken away by a nurse who 'placed me in a bedpan on the back porch of the clinic.' When her grandmother and aunt arrived, they found the newborn Hopper, and her grandmother called the police and then took her to hospital. Medical experts told The New York Times that a baby born at 23 weeks in 1955 stood very little chance of survival. Now, nearly 60 percent of infants who are born at 23 weeks survive, if they receive state-of-the-art treatment in a neonatal intensive care unit. DeSantis's team told the paper that he had met Hopper, and her story had a deep impact on him. In April, the Florida Governor signed a new bill banning abortions six weeks into pregnancies - a move that progressives have been using against him during his presidential bid. The six-week ban has sparked controversy in states where it has been enacted across the country because it's often too early for a woman to determine if she is pregnant. A national Democratic operative, who remained anonymous, told Politico of how the signing will hurt DeSantis' presidential aspirations. 'We're going to make him own this, and his agenda, everywhere he goes,' they said. 'We'll hang this incredibly toxic abortion ban and his agenda around his neck with different tactics,' the official added, saying their colleagues will go door to door, state to state if necessary. In April, DeSantis signed a new bill banning abortions six weeks into pregnancies - a move that progressives have been using against him during his presidential bid Meanwhile, Donald Trump, spent Friday crowing about the 'views' for his interview with Tucker Carlson - which rivaled Wednesday's debate. He wrote on Truth Social: 'The Debate on FoxNews had a hard time with the proverbial RATINGS. It was one of the lowest rated EVER, if not THE LOWEST. It showed that many of those participating are second tier and merely pretenders to the throne. Some of the answers were sooo bad, with delivery even worse. The numbers were less than half what I had in 2016, not a good way to start the fight against Crooked Joe Biden, and his Lunatic Thugs. We will not let this happen. MAGA!' He added: 'Wow! My interview with Tucker Carlson has turned out to be the single most watched Video and Interview in HISTORY. Such a great honor to have participated. 257,000,000 Views, and counting - more than doubling the long time reigning Champ, the Oprah Winfrey interview of Michael Jackson. THANK YOU!' Fox announced on Thursday that almost 13 million people tuned in to the first Republican debate, which was broadcast from 9-11pm ET on Wednesday. Carlson's interview with Trump had, by 6pm ET Thursday, received 238 million 'views'. However, it is not a direct comparison. X counts a 'view' each time a user scrolls past the video, even without watching any of it. Fox declared on Thursday the debate was 'the most-watched, non-sporting event cable telecast of the year' - but cable news executives will certainly be unsettled by the social-media numbers. The night marked the first debate for the 2024 presidential campaign season - and, for the most part, featured eight challengers taking shots at each other and President Joe Biden. Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson recorded an interview which aired on Wednesday night, clashing with Fox News's Republican primary debate The debate found the candidates also grappled with the best way to approach abortion as a political issue. While most on stage supported restrictions in some form, the issue has proven to be a profound vulnerability for the party in recent general elections. Nikki Haley, who said she was strongly anti-abortion, seemed to try to find a better way to speak to moderate voters on the topic. 'Can't we all agree that we're not going to put a woman in jail or give her the death penalty if she gets an abortion?' said Haley, the only woman on the debate stage. 'Let's treat this like a respectful issue that it is and humanize the situation and stop demonizing that situation.' DeSantis was pressed on his support for Florida's six-week abortion ban, which he signed into law in April, a move some wealthy supporters found too extreme. Asked if he would support a six-week federal ban, DeSantis was evasive, suggesting it was an issue that would be best left to the states but also saying he would support 'the cause of life.' Mike Pence accused Haley of being too soft on the issue. 'Consensus is the opposite of leadership,' he told her. 'It's not a states-only issue. It's a moral issue.' Pence said that he had made pro-life policies a corner of his politics for decades. Trump shunned the official Republican debate on Fox News for a sit down with Carlson on the former Fox News host's X show Haley countered by saying Pence wasn't being honest with voters, arguing there would not be enough support in Congress for a federal ban. 'Don't make women feel like they have to decide on this issue,' she said. Trump's decision to skip the first Republican primary debate appeared to have paid off, as the moderator referred to him as 'the elephant not in the room,' and his rivals almost universally endorsed him even if convicted. Vivek Ramaswamy, the newcomer on the scene, praised Trump as 'the greatest president of the 21st Century,' while Mike Pence touted his accomplishments as Trump's vice president. Trump will be buoyed after no candidate managed to dominate the field, with all contenders failing to resoundingly win over commentators. Perhaps the most impressive performance came from 38-year-old Ramaswamy, who was little known until debate night. Ramaswamy set out to introduce himself to the national electorate and present himself as an energetic, fresh alternative to the establishment. As the debate entered its second hour, the candidates on stage were asked about Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Pence defended certifying the electoral vote in the U.S. Congress despite pressure from Trump. Chris Christie, Trump's most persistent critic, said his conduct was beneath 'the office of president.' DeSantis argued the party needed to focus on the future. Eight Republican contenders took the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night Pence, DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Haley are introduced to the crowd ahead of the first Republican debate ahead of the 2024 primaries Trump had a fierce defender in Ramaswamy, who called him 'the best president of the 21st century' and vowed to pardon him if he is convicted of federal crimes. Ramaswamy later argued against U.S. support for Ukraine in its war against Russia - a key Trump talking point that separates him from many in the party. Former South Carolina Governor Haley, however, sought to speak frankly to the millions of Republicans watching at home. The eight candidates were also asked what they would do about the economy: all said that they had spoken to ordinary Americans who were hurting with high inflation and the costs of groceries and fuel. Migrant smugglers were seen boasting how easy it is to illegally cross the border into America in a confronting clip showing a long line of men entering the U.S. smiling and waving at the camera. The alarming footage, filmed on May 27 near Lukeville, Arizona, reveals a long line of migrant men casually climbing through a gap in the US-Mexico border wall and meeting no resistance or questioning. A caption in Spanish accompanying the video reads: 'Achieving their goals, the gents' followed by two prayer emojis. Text overlaid on the video also describes the crossing as a 'desert adventure.' The remote outpost where the video was taken is around two and a half hours from Tucson, which has become the busiest point of illegal entry into the country, with 1,300 people a day crossing into the US in this area, according to federal statistics. It comes as a federal judge is set to rule on whether poverty would classify admission to the US on humanitarian grounds in a lawsuit filed by Texas and 20 other Republican leaning states against the Biden administration. A video of migrant smugglers boasting of how easy it is to cross the US Mexico border has garnered attention on social media Migrants wade through the Rio Grande river past buoys and razor wire in search of an entry point into the United States from Mexico in Eagle Pass, Texas July 29, 2023 The alarming footage, taken on May 27 near Lukeville, Arizona, reveals a long line of migrant men casually climbing through a gap in the US-Mexico border Border Patrol agents told the New York Post they believe smugglers make these videos to promote the crossings to others. It is 'free information for everybody,' an unnamed agent told the Post. Migrants reportedly pay smugglers anywhere between $200 and $6,000 per person for assistance crossing the border. The issue of illegal migration at the border has become a hot political issue in recent months. Texas is currently challenging the Biden administration's program of allowing 30,000 people into the U.S. each month from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela combined on humanitarian grounds. The opposing states have accused the policy of being a 'shadow immigration system' that's letting in nearly everyone who applies. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton said that a 'massive chunk of the world' lives in poverty, adding he's visited Haiti and seen terrible living conditions there firsthand. 'Does the fact they are living in poverty qualify as an urgent humanitarian need?' Tipton asked as closing arguments were being presented in the trial in Victoria, Texas. A bus carrying migrants from Texas is seen arriving at a church in Los Angeles Border Patrol agents escort migrants onto a bus to be taken to a processing facility to begin their asylum-seeking process in Eagle Pass, Texas A second group of migrants was bused from Texas to Los Angeles on Saturday and dropped off at downtown's Union Station 'I think probably not,' said Elissa Fudim, a lawyer with the U.S. Justice Department, which is defending the federal government in the lawsuit. Attorneys for Texas and the other states say the large numbers of migrants being paroled in the U.S. show officials are granting parole en masse and not on a case-by-case basis as required by law. But lawyers with the U.S. Justice Department and the immigrant rights groups argued migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela are not simply fleeing economic hardship but also oppressive regimes, escalating violence and worsening political conditions that have endangered their lives. The governors of red states, such as Florida and Texas, have taken to bussing migrants to blue states such California and New York. Texas has bussed more than 21,600 migrants out of state since last spring, Governor Greg Abbott's office said. Abbott said he was sending migrants to Los Angeles because California had declared itself a 'sanctuary' for immigrants, extending protections to people living in the country illegally. Abbott said in June 'Texas' small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Biden's refusal to secure the border.' 'Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. The issue of illegal migration at the border has become a hot political issue in recent months Texas has bussed more than 21,600 migrants out of state since last spring , Governor Greg Abbott's office said 'Our border communities are on the frontlines of President Biden's border crisis, and Texas will continue providing this much-needed relief until he steps up to do his job and secure the border.' Texas has bused more than 10,000 migrants to Washington D.C. since April 2022, over 8,200 migrants to New York City since August 2022, more than 2,600 migrants to Chicago since August 2022, more than 1,600 migrants to Philadelphia since November 2022, over 210 migrants to Denver since May 2023, and over 80 migrants to Los Angeles since June 14. Earlier in June, the state of Florida picked up three dozen migrants in Texas and sent them by private jet to California's state capital, catching shelters and aid workers in Sacramento by surprise. Earlier this year, DeSantis sent two planes filled with migrants to ritzy Martha's Vineyard island, off the coast of Massachusetts. The migrant crossings come after Title 42 ended in May - causing an influx of people moving into the US over the border. The Title 42 rules had been in place since March 2020. The restrictions allowed border officials to quickly return asylum seekers back over the border on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. U.S. authorities have unveiled strict new measures to replace Title 42, which crack down on illegal crossings while also setting up legal pathways for migrants who apply online, seek a sponsor and undergo background checks. A motorist who was slapped with a $1000 fine for a passenger not wearing a seatbelt correctly said he will fight the charge because the traffic photo does not show the true situation. Gavin Storkey from Queensland was hit with the fine from Queensland Transport and Main Roads after he was caught by a roadside camera, with his seatbelt tucked under his arm. The business owner was in a car which was travelling along the Pacific Highway at Upper Coomera, just north of the Gold Coast. A Queensland driver who copped a $1,000 fine for a passenger not wearing a seatbelt said he disputes the charge and will fight the penalty Mr Storkey claims the image from the camera does not show his passenger committing an offence. He said he was provided with a low quality image by Queensland Transport. He claims his arm is across the seatbelt and not under the strap, but that the overexposure of the photo fails to show this. 'I could see the seatbelt disappear in the image, [it's] clear on the left side of the image, but on the right side it's impossible to see,' he said. He said he was not given an option to submit an online enquiry to appeal the fine when he was handed the penalty notice. He also said he was not provided with legal forms from Queensland Treasury. Mr Storkey said the letter which issued the fine told him to either take his matter to court or pay the fine. He told Nine News he was shocked when he received the notice and is frustrated he he faces the prospect of having to cough up the money. 'I have been a good citizen, [I've] never been in trouble with the law, I'm struggling to pay [my] mortgage and keep my small business afloat...' he said. 'Now I am being sent to trial over a seatbelt photo for a $1000 fine.' Queensland Treasury said there is an option to submit enquiries about a fine to the Queensland Government website. The Treasury says artificial intelligence technologies are also used to catch seatbelt offences. Mr Storkey however, said he was not told about the option by Queensland Treasury. Mr Storkey said the passenger had been wrongly accused of not wearing a seatbelt and the arm is across the seatbelt and not under it, which is disputed by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads The man could face a fine up to $2875. A letter sent to Mr Storkey from the Department of Transport and Main Roads said infringement notices will be sent out if a camera spots a driver or passenger in a vehicle not wearing a seatbelt 'that is both properly adjusted and fastened'. 'The image shows the seatbelt was placed under the arm,' the letter reads. 'If you wish to withdraw your court election and pay [the] infringement notice please advise this office by return email and the infringement will be released.' Mr Storkey faced Southport Magistrates court in early August and pleaded not guilty to the charge. His case was postponed and will be heard in January 2024. Was last sold for 850 pounds in 1957 A home that was last sold over six decades ago in Sydney's inner-west has sold for 160 times more than its last selling price. The three-bedroom home at 30 Cecily Street, Lilyfield, went to auction on Saturday with a $2.4million price guide, which had already increased from $2.2m based on buyer feedback. Eight bidders, a mix of developers and families, made offers on the humble 323 square-metre plot of land that was last sold for 850 pounds in 1957, which is around $16,000 today. A mix of developers and families registered to bid on the 323-square-metre block. After an initially slow bidding process, the home was finally sold for $2.64m. The local buyer intends to knock down and build their dream home. A three-bedroom home at 30 Cecily Street, in Sydney's Lilyfield, (pictured) has sold for $2.64million after having been sold for just 850 pounds (about $16,000) in 1957 The selling agent, David Carrozza of Cobden and Hayson, said the auction price was a great result for the owners of the property. 'It's a very strong result, the reserve was set well below that,' Mr Carrozza told Domain. '(The result was) based on strong competition and lack of stock, there's just not many on the market. 'I'm not getting the sense we're going to have an influx of properties (in the near future).' According to the property's listing, the 'warm and inviting home' had been owned by the same family for three generations. 'It brings ample opportunity to update the current home, or to start again and create a superb family haven that embraces both the lifestyle and location,' the listing reads. 'All the elements are here to really add some value and capitalise on such an impressive allotment in a sought-after Lilyfield neighbourhood.' The home had been owned by the same family for three generations. Pictured is the backyard The property's mind-boggling profit margin comes in direct opposition to current trends of Aussies selling homes at a loss at an average of just two years after purchase. New CoreLogic data showed the proportion of loss-making sales, two years after purchase, soared to 12 per cent in the March quarter, up from just 3.4 per cent in early 2022 when the Reserve Bank cash rate was still at 0.1 per cent. Eliza Owen, CoreLogic's head of residential research, said this showed those who bought a property shortly before the rate rises were now selling at a loss to avoid higher monthly mortgage repayments. 'One unusual trend we observed this quarter which we haven't seen in previous quarters was the rise in short term resales at a loss,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'There may be some motivation in selling because people foresee issues with mortgage serviceability they might not be there yet, because again the official data does not show a substantial uplift in arrears but it might be something they are getting ahead of.' Investigators are conducting DNA tests to identify the bodies from the plane Mercenaries have now been urged to follow the commands of Russian leaders Vladimir Putin has demanded that Wagner troops swear an oath of loyalty him just days after the plane crash that killed their leader, a report claims. Mercenaries have been urged to 'strictly' follow the commands of Russian leaders in the hopes of building 'the spiritual and moral foundations for the defence of the Russian Federation', according to The Telegraph. The new oath comes amid speculation that Yevgeny Prigozhin was assassinated by the Kremlin, as he and nine others reportedly died when a private jet crashed near Moscow on Wednesday. Ten charred bodies and flight recorders have now been recovered from the scene, with investigators conducting DNA tests to determine their identities. Mercenaries have been urged to 'strictly' follow the commands of Russian leaders 'The investigation will carefully check all possible versions of what happened,' the Russian Investigative Committee said. The Ministry of Defence said there was 'not yet definitive proof' that Prigozhin was on the private jet that crashed after an explosion on board but it was 'highly likely'. It also warned that his death would have 'a deeply destabilising effect' on his mercenary group, which operates in hotspots around the world including Ukraine, Syria and several African countries. Meanwhile, an engineer who carried out last minute repairs to the doomed plane is also under interrogation by the Russian authorities, a Telegram channel has reported. Sergey Kitrish was said to have 'constantly worked' with Prigozhin's aircraft and replaced his landing gear brake and turbo cooler before the crash. 'He was interrogated and now the fate of Kitrash is being decided,' the channel read. 'The fate of two more engineers who participated in the installation of equipment is not known.' Amid the speculation, Wagner soldiers have threatened to storm the Kremlin and exact revenge for the presumed death of their leader. Investigators are now conducting DNA tests to identify the bodies from the plane The Ministry of Defence said there was 'not yet definitive proof' that Prigozhin was on the private jet In Russia, the Kremlin announced that all paramilitary fighters would now be obliged to swear an oath to the Russian flag Russian social media channels are awash with allegations that a case of fine wine onboard may in fact have been a bomb in disguise. Moscow has denied it was behind the plane crash and said allegations that it was involved are a 'complete lie'. A British Muslim convert who gelled his hair 'to look more Syrian' before plotting to kill for ISIS has been released from prison - just a year after being deemed too dangerous to be freed. Ismael Watson, now 33, was turned down for parole in January 2022 but was automatically released 13-months later when he had served his full sentence of five years in jail. MailOnline can reveal that the terrorist, who changed his name from his birth name Jack Watson after converting to Islam, was quietly released back on the streets in February this year. Under current law, convicted terrorists such as Watson who are on a fixed determinate sentence and have behaved in prison will be released with a limited number of restrictions. For Watson, originally from Liverpool, the main restriction was an extra 12-month extended licence ordered by the judge when he was sentenced in December 2017. Ismael Watson, 33, who plotted to kill for ISIS, was released from prison In February after five years, despite being deemed too dangerous be freed one year earlier Extended licences are only imposed on two per cent of offenders - around 1,000 in 2021 - and ordered in certain cases where the court has found that the convicted person is dangerous. This means that Watson, who prosecutors at his trial said showed a determination to fight in a 'holy war against Western oppressors', will remain under supervision until the expiry of the extended period in February 2024. READ MORE: Muslim convert who gelled his hair to look like a refugee in bid to join ISIS in Syria is convicted of terrorism by jury which deliberated for just 35 minutes Advertisement At the end of this time, Watson will have limited restrictions, unlikely to be more than a police notification order, which requires those given more than 12 months for terror offences to advise the police of practices such as unauthorised travel. Chris Phillips, the UKs former Head of the National Counter Terrorism, told MailOnline that the unique threat posed by terrorists might warrant a change to the law to ensure that all terror offenders were given indeterminate sentences. This would mean that a convicted terrorist would serve a minimum term and then have to convince the Parole Board they were no longer dangerous before being released, rather than automatically being released under a determinate sentence. The then 27-year-old, who suffered from a bipolar disorder, had denied preparation of terrorist acts and had opted to represent himself but refused to attend court. His first trial was abandoned and following a two-day retrial in September 2017, he was found guilty in his absence of preparing to commit acts of terrorism between 1 January 2016 and 23 February 2017 contrary to Section 5 Terrorism Act 2006. Watson was said by prosecutors to have showed a determination to fight against 'Western oppressors' and will remain under supervision until February 2024. Here he has slicked down his hair for a more 'Syrian' look Sentencing him in December 2017, Judge Anuja Dhir QC underlined that she believed Watson was an extremist and a danger to UK society. She told him: 'The evidence in this case proved that at the time of the offences you held deep and extensive radicalised beliefs that were demonstrated by the large volume of extremist material found on your mobile phone, and your positive and stated support for Islamic State and those involved in jihad. 'You wanted to fight for Islamic State and you demonstrated a willingness to kill for them.' MailOnline can reveal that Watson had his second parole hearing in January 2022 and his application to be released was refused based on a 'paper review' of his prison files, which included reports by staff and psychiatrists. It is quite rare for parole appeals to be rejected based on an analysis of just written reports and denied Watson the chance to put his case face-to-face to the three-person panel. A spokesperson for the Parole Board said at the time: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board refused the release of Ismael Watson following a paper review. NASA and Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket has blasted off to the International Space Station, taking astronauts each from the United States, Japan, Russia, and Denmark. The Dragon spacecraft carried by a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 3.27am local time (8.27am BST) from Launch Complex 39A before dawn on Saturday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Around 10,000 people had gathered to watch the launch. They should reach the International Space Station in their SpaceX capsule by Sunday, replacing four astronauts living up there since March. It was the first U.S. launch where every spacecraft seat was occupied by a different country - until now, NASA had always included two or three of its own on its SpaceX taxi flights. A fluke in timing led to the assignments, officials said. Cheers could be heard in the mission control room soon after the Dragon craft separated from the Falcon 9 rocket with the crew in orbit. NASA and Elon Musk 's SpaceX rocket has blasted off to the International Space Station, taking astronauts each from the United States, Japan, Russia, and Denmark Crew-7 members (from left to right) Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa are pictured A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft with astronauts on a mission to the International Space Station lifts off from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Saturday 'We may have four crew members on board from four different nations... but we're a united team with a common mission,' Moghbeli said after the separation. The launch was pushed back to Saturday to give engineers an extra day to review a component of the Crew Dragon capsule's environmental control and life support system, NASA said in a blog post. It is the first space mission for both Moghbeli and Borisov. 'This is something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember,' said Moghbeli, a Naval test pilot, during a media call last month. 'One of the things I'm most excited about is looking back at our beautiful planet,' added the 40-year-old American. 'Everyone who I've talked to who has flown already has said that was a life-changing perspective - and also floating around in space, it seems really fun.' Crew-7 is set to be the seventh routine mission to the orbital platform for Elon Musk's SpaceX, with the first coming in 2020. NASA pays SpaceX for the taxi service as part of a commercial crew program that it put in place to reduce dependency on Russian rockets for astronaut transport after the space shuttle program ended in 2011. People watch as the Crew-7 on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft takes off for the International Space Station at at Cape Canaveral, Florida, before dawn Saturday Mission commander NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, one of the members of the NASA's Crew-7, says goodbye to her family as they drive towards the shuttle in a Tesla Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Satoshi Furukawa greets family members before riding to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission vents during fueling shortly before lifting off from Launch Complex 39A Crew-7 on the SpaceX Crew Dragon rocket up into space from Cape Canaveral, Florida Boeing is the other contracted private partner, but its program remains mired in delays and technical difficulties. It has not yet flown any crew. Borisov will be the third Russian to fly on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, fixed atop a Falcon 9 rocket. Space remains a rare area of cooperation between the United States and Russia despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with Americans also continuing to fly aboard Russian Soyuz rockets that launch from Kazakhstan. The crew will spend six months aboard the ISS, where they will carry out science experiments including collecting samples during a spacewalk to determine whether the station releases microorganisms through its life-support system vents. The goal is to understand if microorganisms can survive and reproduce in space. Another experiment will aim to assess the physiological differences between sleep on Earth and in space. 'I'm looking forward to coping with all the tasks. This is a very interesting profession: you are preparing for something that you haven't tried yet, and you really want to do it well,' said Borisov. Crew-7 will join the seven people already aboard the ISS, before members of Crew-6 leave for Earth a few days later. European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Andreas Mogensen gestures as he prepares to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building Crew-7 astronauts depart their crew quarters for the launch pad before their mission to the International Space Station Mission commander NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli waves as she says goodbye to her family for six months as she heads to the International Space Station The astronauts stand wearing SpaceX spacesuits, preparing to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft NASA's Moghbeli, a Marine pilot serving as commander, said her crew's international makeup demonstrates 'what we can do when we work together in harmony.' With her on the six-month mission are the European Space Agency's Andreas Mogensen, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa and Russia's Konstantin Borisov. 'To explore space, we need to do it together,' the European Space Agency's director general, Josef Aschbacher, said minutes before liftoff. 'Space is really global, and international cooperation is key.' The astronauts' paths to space couldn't be more different. Moghbeli's parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution. Born in Germany and raised on New York's Long Island, she joined the Marines and flew attack helicopters in Afghanistan. A first-time space traveler, Moghbeli hopes to show Iranian girls that they, too, can aim high. 'Belief in yourself is something really powerful,' she said before the flight. Mogensen worked on oil rigs off the West African coast after getting an engineering degree. He told people puzzled by his job choice that 'in the future we would need drillers in space' like Bruce Willis' character in the killer asteroid film 'Armageddon.' He's convinced the rig experience led to his selection as Denmark's first astronaut. Furukawa spent a decade as a surgeon before making Japan's astronaut cut. Like Mogensen, he's visited the station before. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli ays goodbye to family members from a car as she departs for liftoff Mission specialist Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov (right) and Mission specialist JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa wave goodbye Crew-7 member NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli waves to family members before riding to pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center Crew-7 mission soars on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket after lift-off with the company's Dragon spacecraft The SpaceX Crew-7 mission lifts off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida The SpaceX booster rocket returns to the Space Force station after delivering the Crew Dragon spacecraft to orbit in its mission to the International Space Station Borisov, a space rookie, turned to engineering after studying business. He runs a freediving school in Moscow and judges the sport, in which divers shun oxygen tanks and hold their breath underwater. One of the perks of an international crew, they noted, is the food. Among the delicacies soaring: Persian herbed stew, Danish chocolate and Japanese mackerel. Another NASA astronaut will launch to the station from Kazakhstan in mid-September under a barter agreement, along with two Russians. SpaceX has now launched eight crews for NASA. Boeing was hired at the same time nearly a decade ago, but has yet to fly astronauts. Its crew capsule is grounded until 2024 by parachute and other issues. The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and it has been continuously inhabited by an international crew since 2001. Its operations are set to continue until at least 2030, after which it will be decommissioned and crash into the ocean. Several private companies are working on commercial space stations to replace it. A heartbroken mother has vowed to stare down all 11 people accused of the bashing death of her teenage son by fronting up to each one's sentencing hearing. Jason Galleghan, 16, was allegedly lured to a home in Doonside, in Sydney's west on August 4, 2021 and attacked by a gang of adults and juveniles in a crime that shocked Australia. The teen had allegedly been lured to the home over the false claim he stole a woman's AirPods. Jason died in hospital four days later, surrounded by his heartbroken mother who was 'kissing him on his bruises and scratches, wishing to take his pain away'. Rachel Galleghan will now repeatedly relive the horror of her son's death in hope of seeing justice done for all of those accused of abetting to, or committing the murder of her son. The details of the alleged attack on Jason were so graphic that a distraught Ms Galleghan left the room several times while they were described in court this week. Rachel Galleghan (left) intends to be in attendence for all of the 11 adults and minors involved in the death of her son Jason (right) In a victim impact statement obtained by the Saturday Telegraph, Ms Galleghan recalled falling to her knees after seeing her critically injured son in hospital after the alleged attack. READ MORE: Mother of 16-year-old boy bashed to death breaks down in court Rachel Galleghan (pictured) sobbed as she told a court she was 'broken into a million pieces' when her 16-year-old son was attacked over a pair of headphones Advertisement 'I remember wanting to scream, yell and cry but nothing would come out of me. I was in so much shock and pain,' she said. 'Seeing all the doctors, nurses, monitors, cords and hearing the beeping sounds around Jason was 'horrifying. 'I spent four days in the hospital, each day the shock, pain and heartache grew deeper. I couldn't make any sense of it and went into denial.' 'I couldn't comprehend that my son was going to die. 'I couldn't understand how someone could do this to a person, let alone my son.' Ms Galleghan has vowed to stare down the 11 people responsible for her son's death in court in the hope of seeing every one of them face justice. On Wednesday, a 16-year-old boy, who only be referred to as 'BE' was sentenced to 15 years behind bars after pleading guilty to murder. The court heard he aided in luring Jason to the house and struck him 52 times during the prolonged attack. In footage taken of the incident that was later posted to Instagram, the teen, who was 14 at the time can be seen kicking Jason in the head and later stomping on his chest. Jason Galleghan was allegedly lured to a home in Doonside, in Sydney's west on August 4, 2021 and attacked by a gang of adults and juveniles In a victim impact statement, Rachel Galleghan said she 'couldn't understand how someone could do this to a person, let alone my son' The teen had posted on social media hours before the assault that he was 'bashing someone today, lmao'. The assault lasted for more than half an hour, however only about seven minutes was recorded and available to the court. One recording captured the teen saying: 'Oi, stop look at him'. The details of the alleged attack were so deplorable that his distraught mother had to leave the court several times. 'We are here today listening to (BE's) role in my son's murder and I am so overwhelmed with anger towards him for what he did to my son. (BE) stood with the group and held Jason against his will,' Ms Galleghan stated. 'It is now important to hold him and everyone else accountable for their actions and to seek justice. I am in complete agony knowing that my precious son could have been saved if just one person did the right thing and helped him.' Acting NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Hulme watched the footage repeatedly. 'I'm not persuaded it conveys any concern or that he was trying to persuade any of them the assault should cease,' he said. The teenager, who pleaded guilty to murder, took to social media just hours before the assault, saying that he was 'bashing someone today, lmao'. Jason Galleghan is pictured In a letter to the court, the teenager wrote: 'I took someone's life. It's the worst thing anyone could do. I feel bad about it every day, I see his face and everyone hitting him'. 'I can't believe I done that and let it go on for so long,' he wrote 'The family must be really upset, they probably hate me and they have every reason to hate me and want me to get put in jail for the rest of my life.' The teen nodded at his family and sat motionless staring at the floor as the judge handed down his sentence on Wednesday. The only time he faced Justice Hulme was when the words '15 years' were spoken. He will serve his sentence in a juvenile facility until he turns 21 and will be eligible for parole in August 2031, when he will be 24. A Met Police officer who sent his ex-girlfriend racial slur-filled WhatsApp messages about her new boyfriend has now been pictured - despite his attempts to arrive at court for sentencing yesterday with his face fully covered. Images of PC Thomas Phillips, 34 - both in and out of uniform - now reveal the identity of the disgraced cop who was sentenced to 71 days in prison Friday morning. Phillips, attached to the Met Ops team, sent five 'grossly offensive' WhatsApp messages to his ex-partner, PC Samantha Ryan, during the period 8 April and 8 May 2021. From Croydon, south London, Phillips referred to Ms Ryan's new boyfriend, also a police officer, a 'n****r pr**k' and a 'mongrel sp**e'. He originally pleaded not guilty to five counts of sending an offensive message by public communication network, but later changed his plea to guilty on 26 July this year. Images of PC Thomas Phillips, 34 - both in and out of uniform - now reveal the identity of the disgraced cop who was sentenced to 71 days in prison Friday morning Phillips (pictured), attached to the Met Ops team, sent five 'grossly offensive' WhatsApp messages to his ex-partner, PC Samantha Ryan, during the period 8 April and 8 May 2021. Metropolitan Police officer Thomas Phillips, covering his face, arrives at Westminster Magistrates' Court, London, for sentencing Friday Phillips, wearing a green shirt and beige trousers, remained emotionless Friday morning as he was sentenced to 71 days in prison, he will serve half of his sentence in prison before serving the remainder on licence. District Judge Louisa Cieciora also sentenced Phillips to a two-year restraining order restricting him from contacting both PC Samantha Ryan and PC Danny Gobin directly or indirectly. Louise Oakley, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates Court Friday morning: 'The defendant and the complainant were in a relationship from around 2017 for a number of years. 'There were clearly issues of consumption of alcohol where behaviours would change and suggestions of the defendant becoming arrogant and using behaviours that would belittle Ms Ryan. 'It was clearly incidents of aggression and arrogance that were the background to this defendant and the deterioration [of] the relationship, I think best summarised, if I may, in a cycle of aggression then normality, aggression then normality. 'During that protracted and acrimonious separation in 2020-2021the crown submits the defendant became suspicious of Ms Ryan's relationship with another man.' The court heard Ms Ryan's new partner was another serving Met Police officer PC Danny Gobin. Phillips (pictured) originally plead not guilty to five counts of sending by public communication network, an offensive message, but later changed his plea to guilty From Croydon, south London , Phillips (pictured) referred to Ms Ryan's new boyfriend, also a police officer, a 'n****r pr**k' and a 'mongrel sp**e'. Phillips, from Croydon, south London, initially denied but then admitted five counts of sending an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message contrary to the Communications Act 2003 Ms Oakley said, 'It is clear that in April and May of 2021 there was an exchange of WhatsApp messages, and a number of those messages were, the crown say, as a result of this defendant's conduct, grossly offensive, and plainly directed at her relationship with Mr Gobin.' The court heard five messages were sent to Ms Ryan by Phillips that contained deeply offensive and racist material, with messages referring to Mr Gobin as a 'n---er p---k' and a 'mongrel spe' Another message sent by Phillips on 8 April 2021 said, 'He's black, you're ginger with a nice arse, he is genetically drawn to you.' Phillips was interviewed by police in response to the content of those messages, at the time Phillips denied sending any of the messages, instead stating Ms Ryan had 'manufactured' the conversation, that she had access to his phone and pin, and that she must have sent the messages to herself from his phone. Reading a victim impact statement from court this morning Ms Ryan said 'I would like to address why I didn't report the offence initiallymostly because I was scared what would happen if I challenged Tom either in text or in person. 'I felt I couldn't [report the messages] as I was trapped by the fear of what Tom would do to me if I reported it. 'I have felt like a failure as a police officer and a good person.' Ms Ryan's partner Danny Gobin, a Met Police Officer of ten years, also read a statement in court this morning, he said 'The word 'n---er' sends a physical shock through my bodyit made me feel physically sick, I associate this word with the slave trade. 'He's not only insulting those of my background but those he took an oath to protect. 'I just question why anyone would use this term to a describe a human beingonly ignorant and small-minded people would use these words it's just vile.' The court heard five messages were sent to Ms Ryan by Phillips (pictured) that contained deeply offensive and racist material Phillips (pictured) previously denied, before admitting five charges of sending a message that was 'grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character' Passing sentence this morning Judge Cieciora told the court 'Serving police officers are expected both on and off duty to reflect the values of society to protect those who are vulnerable. 'You breached those principles and I do find your conduct brought the police force and wider criminal justice system into disrepute. 'I also note your racist comments included not only what could be termed obvious racial slurs, but they targeted appearance and stereotypes of criminality, it went far beyond lashing out in the context of a broken relationship. 'The probation officer says your language and actions demonstrate you harbour those core beliefs of racial hatred as well as misogyny.' Members of Phillips' family wept from the public gallery as he was sentenced to 71 days in prison this morning. Phillips previously denied, before admitting five charges of sending a message that was 'grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character'. He admitted the British Museum had been the victim of thefts for a long time Trustee George Osborne has vowed to 'clear up' the London museum mess The chairman of the British Museum has admitted that almost 2,000 artefacts went missing from the historic collection, with only some of those now returned. George Obsorne has now vowed to 'clear up' the London museum mess as both its director Hartwig Fischer and deputy Jonathan Williams stepped down in the wake of the scandal just yesterday. The trustee told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme that a 'silver lining to a dark cloud' is that some of the lost jewellery, gems and gold is starting to be recovered. But he also admitted that the whole ordeal is certainly 'damaging to the British Museum's reputation', with security now heightened around its storerooms. 'We believe we've been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them,' he said earlier today. Chairman George Obsorne (pictured) has now vowed to 'clear up' the British Museum mess READ MORE: How expert turned sleuth to unmask the astonishing extent of British Museum thefts by snapping up the precious items on eBay then presenting bosses with damning dossier of evidence The British Museum, pictured, said last Wednesday that a member of staff had been dismissed after an unknown number of small pieces had gone missing Advertisement 'It is a mess that we are going to clear up.' Dr Ittai Gradel, an expert in Roman antiquities, raised the alarm after spotting artefacts for sale that had appeared in a museum catalogue almost a century ago. He suggested that the culprit may have taken 'unregistered items' from the museum collection, but became so 'sloppy' that they put two on eBay. Mr Osborne also admits the museum did not have a complete catalogue of everything in its collection amassed over several hundred years. The London institution is now working with the Art Loss Register and members of the antiquarian community to help return some of these items. The former chancellor said 'groupthink' may have prevented the institution's leadership from believing that treasures had been taken. Peter John Higgs, 56, was also dismissed this summer when items were found to be 'missing, stolen or damaged'. He denies any wrongdoing. Mr Osborne continued: 'Someone with knowledge of what's not registered has a big advantage in removing some of those items. 'Obviously, a clear outcome from what has happened is that the British Museum has to accelerate the process that was already under way of getting a complete register of the items in our collection. 'It's certainly been damaging to the British Museum's reputation. I think that's sort of stating the obvious and that's why I'm apologising on behalf of the museum. Dr Ittai Gradel (pictured), an expert in Roman antiquities, raised the alarm after spotting artefacts for sale The British Museum worker sacked over missing priceless treasures named as Peter John Higgs, 56 British Museum Deputy Director Jonathan Williams has 'voluntarily' stepped back from duties, the museum confirmed on Friday The British Museum's director Dr Hartwig Fischer (pictured), who was contacted about the thefts in 2021, has now resigned READ MORE: British Museum chiefs accused of showing a 'lack of reaction' when after being alerted to treasures from the institution potentially being sold online as early as 2021 The British Museum worker sacked over missing priceless treasures named as Peter John Higgs, 56, Advertisement 'We believe we've been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them.' It's understood that an independent review will now examine how the museum missed the vital signals that could have been picked up. While he denied there had been a 'deliberate cover-up', Mr Osborne said: 'Was there some potential groupthink in the museum at the time, at the very top of the museum, that just couldn't believe that an insider was stealing things, couldn't believe that one of the members of staff were doing this? Yes, that's very possible.' Antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel also previously said that claims he had withheld information from the institution were an 'outright lie'. The Metropolitan Police confirmed on Thursday that a man had been interviewed in connection with the alleged thefts. The force said no arrests had been made and it would continue to work 'closely' with the British Museum as inquiries continue. Terrifying footage has emerged of the devastating moment a fire ripped through a school in Melbourne's east as police launch a manhunt for the alleged arsonist. Victoria Police investigators told an unknown man attended the Heatherwood School in Donvale in the city's eastern suburbs about 1.30pm on Saturday. Minutes later, the northwest corner of the building was set on fire from inside, with the man last seen exiting the school and fleeing on foot along Springvale Rd. Fire Rescue Victoria quickly dispatched 11 fire trucks manned with 44 firefighters to battle the blaze. Terrifying footage has emerged of the moment a fire ripped through a school in Melbourne's east Five classrooms and the school canteen were destroyed. Footage posted by Fire Rescue Victoria shows a school building fully engulfed in flames as black smoke billows out. A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said the fire was brought under control by firefighters within an hour, with the community warned of smoke in the area. 'Ambulance Victoria is on scene to support the firefighters, (but) there are no injuries,' a spokesperson said. 'The building has suffered a significant roof collapse. The cause of the fire is deemed suspicious. 'FRV crews will remain on scene for some time to continue extinguishing the fire.' Police have launched a manhunt for a man seen entering the school shortly before the blaze A crime scene has been established while detectives work to establish the exact circumstances and cause of the fire. Police have appealed for the public's help to locate or identify the man, who is described as being Caucasian, 180cm tall, thin build, dark hair and aged in his 30s. Police said the man was wearing a black hooded top, a black and white paisley bandana covering his face and may have been carrying a black Nike backpack. Liberal MP Keith Wolahan took to social media on Saturday to off his 'deepest sympathies' to the Heatherwood School community after the blaze. 'Thank you to the emergency service responders who are doing everything they can to control the fire. We will be here to help you heal and rebuild,' he wrote. Anyone who witnessed the blaze or with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. A woman caused a packed musical performance of Jersey Boys to be halted because she refused to stop singing along, a court was told yesterday. Elizabeth Montague, 54, is alleged to have caused a disturbance by belting out the lyrics to songs from the jukebox musical at the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre on January 28. Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard that security staff intervened after complaints from angry audience members who were sitting near Montague and her partner Scott Kirk, 53. The crowd were said to have booed as the curtain came down around 20 minutes before the end of the Jersey Boys show. Montague and Kirk, both from Hamilton, are then alleged to have attacked several security staff members by pushing and kicking them. Big Girls Don't Dry: Elizabeth Montague was told during the Jersey Boys interval that she could not be served any more alcohol and she was 'not very happy about it', a security supervisor told the court Paul Henderson (pictured), a security supervisor, told the court that during the show's interval Montague was seen to be 'staggering, stumbling and unsteady on her feet' A security manager told the court the incident was 'one of the worst things I've had to deal with' in six years of employment at the theatre. Both of the accused claim they did nothing wrong, insisting they had been assaulted by the theatre's security team after being taken to a bar area during the show. Montague claimed her trousers were pulled down and she was left exposed during the melee, while Kirk claims he was left covered in blood and had to be taken to hospital for treatment to head injuries. Montague and Kirk denied seven charges of assault and behaving in a threatening manner. Paul Henderson, a security supervisor, told the court that during the show's interval Montague was seen to be 'staggering, stumbling and unsteady on her feet'. He said staff told her she could not be served any more alcohol and she was 'not very happy about it'. Although the pair were allowed to stay for the second half of the show, audience members soon complained about Montague 'talking and singing loudly'. An announcement was made that singing along was prohibited and it was decided to eject the couple due to their 'aggressive behaviour'. Elizabeth Montague, 54, is alleged to have caused a disturbance by belting out the lyrics to songs from the jukebox musical at the Edinburgh Playhouse theatre (pictured) on January 28 Paul Henderson (pictured), a security supervisor, said staff told her she could not be served any more alcohol and she was 'not very happy about it' The crowd at the Edinburgh Playhouse in January were said to have booed as the curtain came down around 20 minutes before the end of the Jersey Boys show. Past actors in a Jersey Boys production are pictured The performance was temporarily halted and the audience began booing and shouting 'get them out, get them out'. Mr Henderson said Montague and Kirk were ushered into a bar area where security staff had to 'take them to the ground' because of their aggressive actions. Montague was said to have been in 'a state of hysteria', kicking a female security guard to the head and body while being restrained, and the police were called. Ronan Isdale, a security employee at the theatre, denied allegations that the security staff had assaulted the couple. The trial will resume in October. Donald Patience, 45, was found dead at his home at 10.30am on Tuesday Ian Gary Connell has been charged with murder and will appear at court today The dog owner who was found dead by police investigating the theft of his labradoodle had been lying there for several days, officers have confirmed. Donald 'Prentice' Patience, 45, was discovered at his home on Tuesday morning after burglars smashed into it and snatched his beloved pet, Layla. Investigators have now charged Ian Gary Connell, of Bolton, with murder and he is expected to appear at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court today. Two other men, aged 27 and 41, have been bailed pending further enquiries. While Mr Patience's cause of death is currently unknown, an investigation is now underway with Greater Manchester Police. Greater Manchester Police have now charged a man after Donald 'Prentice' Patience (pictured), 45, was found at a house in Bury earlier this week Investigators responded to the incident at 10.30am on Tuesday after a man had taken the labradoodle to a dog grooming business just 160ft from Mr Patience's home. The man was arrested and the dog was seized by officers. The labradoodle - puppies of which can sell for between 700 to 1,500 - is now being looked after by a relevant authority, Greater Manchester Police added. Just yesterday, MailOnline also revealed that the father-of-three had been the victim of a previous break-in months earlier, which saw thieves ransacking his humble end-of-terrace house in Radcliffe, Manchester. Mr Patience - who was hailed an 'incredible' father by his heartbroken family - had returned home last December to find several televisions, a child's bike and his brother's car had been taken. The details were revealed in a heartbreaking note by Mr Patience sent to his neighbours in January which read: 'I hope you had a good Christmas and New Year. 'I recently returned to my house to find all my stuff had been stolen. It included several TVs, my childs pit, bike, gaming chair, hover and my brother's car, a grey Mercedes C220 amongst other things. 'The car was used to remove items. This happened round about the start of November and the house was locked from the inside so I suspect it was a guest. 'I heard a girl and two males were seen removing items but could be misinformed. It would probably look like I was moving out and I was wondering if anyone saw anything?' Police confirmed the report, adding that 'unfortunately no suspect was identified after conducting a number of enquiries'. A spokesman told MailOnline: 'Detectives are continuing to investigate the death of Donald Patience which includes reports made to police previously.' One of the neighbours who received the note was 36-year-old Andy Ramsden. She also told MailOnline: 'The note came through in January just after New Year. 'I think Prentice [Mr Patience] had been up to Scotland and had come back to find some of his belongings stolen, including his brother's Mercedes. 'As far as I know he was renting the house, he'd been there for about three years, but from time to time he did have housemates staying there with him. 'I think most recently there may have been another man living there. 'In that note he posted through people's doors he as much as blames one of those who'd been staying in the house. 'Prentice was the only one we used to see much of, however. He'd always take the dog for a walk.' Police were called to reports of burglars trying to steal a labradoodle from the home. These labradoodle puppies were pictured on Donald's Facebook Investigators have now charged Ian Gary Connell, of Bolton, with murder Donald 'Prentice' Patience, 45, was found dead after police were called to a home in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester amid reports burglars were trying to steal his pet dog. He is pictured with his children and ex-wife, Kirsty Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Smith of GMP's Major Incident Team also believes Mr Patience's death was a 'targeted attack'. In a statement, she said: 'I would like to reassure the local public, as I understand there will be alarm when finding out about this, but we are confident it is a targeted attack.' The revelation came as Mr Patience's heartbroken family today described him as 'a much-loved son, brother and father and will be sorely missed by many, affectionately known as Prentice' - as the local community expressed shock at his 'murder'. And his ex-wife Kirsty, with whom he shared three children, also paid tribute, hailing him an 'incredible man' who 'adored his children'. 'This breaks my heart to have to write this,' she wrote on social media. 'As a lot of you may have already seen, this week we lost an extremely incredible man. 'Despite whatever happened between us, Prentice was an amazing father and adored his children. 'We are all truly heartbroken at this news and we are all struggling to come to terms with his death.' Anyone with information about the incident or Donald is asked to contact GMPs Major Incident Team on 0161 856 3635 or 101 quoting incident number 1139 of 22/08/2023 or via the independent charity - Crimestoppers - on 0800 555 111. Police probing the disappearance of a mother in 2019 are offering a reward for her body - amid fears that she was murdered for having a secret relationship with a man who was not the father of her child. Hadir Al-Enezi, 26 - previously named as Hadir Al-Anizi - has been the subject of a missing person investigation since 2019 after Greater Manchester Police (GMP) was tipped off to her disappearance. Officers received a phone call from a refugee camp in Greece suggesting that they investigate an address in Manchester where Ms Al-Enezi had lived with her daughter. While the youngster was traced shortly afterwards in London, Ms Al-Enezi has never been found - and GMP detectives are pursuing the devastating theory that the divorced mother was killed for striking up a secret relationship with another man. On Saturday, the force announced that it would offer a 50,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the discovery of Ms Al-Enezi's body, and vowed to her would-be killers: 'This investigation isn't going away.' Hadir Al-Enezi, 26, arriving in the UK with her daughter in November 2018. She has been missing since June 2019 and is presumed dead Police searching a property in Stretford, Greater Manchester, in 2019, in connection with the disappearance of Hadir Al-Enezi The Manchester Evening News reports that police are treating the theory she was killed for disgracing her community seriously, despite denials from within her own family. Detective Chief Inspector Liz Hopkinson, of the force's major incident team, told the paper: 'I would say that if Hadir has been killed it is by somebody who is known to her or by someone connected. 'If this is a murder, someone is willing to murder, without a second thought, a young woman, and mum of a little girl, for me that is someone who really does not have a concern for people or life.' Ms Al-Enezi and her daughter came to the UK in 2018 as refugees from Kuwait via Greece. Both are members of the Bidoon Arab minority, who are deemed stateless and cannot access basic services in Kuwait, and are not wanted in neighbouring Iraq. The hypothesis that she was killed for disgracing her culture has been dismissed by her parents, who are reported to have told police they would have known if their daughter had been in trouble. But police say other theories - including the idea that she abandoned her daughter and returned to Greece - simply don't hold water. An insistent DCI Hopkinson told the MEN: 'I want people to come forward and tell me where the body is.' Over the course of four years police have spoken to more than 20 members of Ms Al-Enezi's family in Greece and Sweden in a bid to piece together what happened to her. Her marriage is understood to have ended before she came to the UK. Hadir Al-Enezi. Police first launched a missing person enquiry in 2019 but are now treating her disappearance as murder Detectives believe the answer lies somewhere within either the local communities of Manchester or in her extended family. Leaflets are being written in Arabic - including in regional dialects - to be distributed among locals. In a statement issued by GMP on Saturday, DCI Hopkinson said the hypothesis remains that Ms Al-Enezi was 'murdered in a targeted attack'. She added: 'Throughout our investigation we have worked tirelessly as a team to find her, and we've still not been able to find any proof that Hadir is still alive, and we sadly continue this investigation on the hypothesis that she is not and has come to serious harm. 'We need to find answers for Hadir's little girl and it is vital that anyone with information or her whereabouts comes forward to police so that we can give her young daughter the answers she deserves. 'We need to find Hadir's body, and anyone who has any information is asked to share this with GMP as a matter of urgency, it may be key to helping us find answers for her daughter.' She vowed: 'This investigation isn't going away and we won't stop. Investigations like this don't just close and we are determined to find Hadir and investigate any crimes committed thoroughly. 'Information passed onto us will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence and you can also do this anonymously.' Information can be submitted to the police via the UK Police Major Incident Public Portal or by calling detectives on 0161 856 0110; information can also be given anonymously via the charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Man arrested in Kolkata for leaking security-related information Kolkata Police on Saturday said that its Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man attempting a honey-trapping drive to extract confidential security information and passing them to a Pakistani secret service agency. Acting on credible information from a sister agency, the STF arrested the person late Friday for his direct involvement in activities prejudicial to the safety of the country, said a top official of the city police. The arrested individual has been identified as Bhakt Banshi Jha (36), a resident of Darbhanga district of Bihar. He was summoned for questioning at the STF office at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lal Bazar, Kolkata, on Friday evening. After a long questioning session, Jha was arrested. Secret information like photographs, videographs and online chat could be found from his mobile phone during enquiry, which was shared to a suspected intelligence operative of Pakistan by the accused person, the city police official said. Jha will be presented to a lower court in Kolkata on Saturday and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody. He has been booked under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the Indian Penal Code. The intelligence operative of Pakistan, with whom Jha used to frequently chat through different social media platforms, has been identified as Aarushi Sharma. Before coming to Kolkata, Jha had been residing in Delhi for quite some time, where he is believed to have taken photographs of vital defence installations and cantonments. A young woman was tragically found dead after spending the evening with her family watching Britain's Got Talent. Dental receptionist Chloe Caton, 21, from Kidsgrove, was found at the end of her mum's bed at a home in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire. She and her mother Ami Caton had been staying with Ami's two grandchildren when she suddenly died on June 1. An inquest heard that a number of drugs were found in her system, Stoke Sentinel reported. North Staffordshire assistant coroner Kelly Dickson said: 'Chloe was 21 at the time of her death. She was of Medina Way, Kidsgrove. She died on June 1 this year at an address in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Dental receptionist CHloe Caton, 21, was found dead at the end of her mother's bed after night watching Britain's Got Talent with her family 'Identification took place by her mother. A preliminary cause of death is zopiclone toxicity with pregabalin and diazepam use. 'The hearing is now adjourned for the completion of further investigations. The final hearing is to be fixed.' Mother Ami, 41, described her daughter's death as 'heartbreaking' and said her daughter was 'very bubbly' and 'kind and caring'. Her mother said Chloe was 'belly-laughing' at Britain's Got Talent the night before she died. Her mother said Chloe was 'belly-laughing' at Britain's Got Talent the night before she died She said: 'She really wanted Viggo Venn to win. She even voted for him. She never saw that he won. 'We were staying with my grandchildren's mum and all spending some time together. 'We had a roast chicken dinner which was Chloe's favourite. We all settled down to sleep.' The next morning, she awoke to find Chloe dead at the foot her her bed. People attending Chloe's funeral on June 28 were asked to wear purple or lilac. 'It's been one tragedy after another,' her mother added. Boozy revellers have flocked to Britain's bars and beaches as yesterday marked the start of the long bank holiday weekend. Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle were among the countless cities heaving with crowds last night who will soon be relishing their extra day off on Monday. Many partygoers were dolled up in dresses and heels as they made their way across packed streets, while others showed off humorous over-sized sunglasses. Thousands will also head to Reading Festival today, with the likes of The Killers and The 1975 performing, before Billie Eilish takes the stage tomorrow. Their celebrations come despite yellow weather warnings across some parts of the country this weekend, with harsh rainfall threatening to cause huge travel delays. But Reading, Leeds and Creamfields may just be off the hook this time, as forecasts here suggest there will be some sunny spells over the next four days. LIVERPOOL: Boozy revellers have flocked to Britain's bars to enjoy the bank holiday weekend NEWCASTLE: Many partygoers were dolled up in dresses and heels as they made their way across packed streets LIVERPOOL: Their celebrations come despite yellow weather warnings across some parts of the country this weekend Some partygoers managed to dodge the rain last night, amid yellow weather warnings LEEDS: City centres were heaving last night as crowds couldn't wait to enjoy the bank holiday While some dressed up in dresses and heels, others showed off over-sized sunglasses READING: Thousands will also head to Reading Festival today, with the likes of The Killers and The 1975 performing READING: Excited fans are arriving at Reading station ahead of the big lineup today LIVERPOOL: The rain and yellow warnings didn't stop revellers in the city LIVERPOOL: Partygoers flocked the streets, excited for the extra day off on Monday Alabama approved the method in 2018 but it has never been used in the United States He is set to become the first prisoner to die by breathing pure nitrogen Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, is on death row for the 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher's wife A murderer who killed a preacher's wife in 1988 is set to become the first death row inmate in America to be executed with nitrogen. Alabama officials want to put Kenneth Eugene Smith, 58, to death by nitrogen hypoxia - forcing him to breathe only nitrogen, depriving them of oxygen and causing them to die. Several states have authorized the method, which is said to be painless, but it has still never been used. Critics have said authorities would be 'experimenting with a never before used method - but even Smith has said he would prefer death by nitrogen to a lethal injection. The Alabama attorney general's office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to set an execution date for Smith. The court filing indicated Alabama plans to put him to death by nitrogen hypoxia. This undated photo provided by Alabama Department of Corrections shows inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith, who was convicted in a 1988 murder-for-hire slaying of a preacher's wife. Smith, 57, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison on Thursday The Alabama attorney general's office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to set an execution date for Smith. The court filing indicated Alabama plans to put him to death by nitrogen hypoxia. This Oct. 7, 2002 file photo shows Alabama's lethal injection chamber at Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore Smith was one of two men paid $1,000 each to murder Elizabeth Sennett on behalf of her preacher husband, Charles Sennett Sr., who was in debt and wanted to collect life insurance money. Poll Do you support the death penalty? Yes No Do you support the death penalty? Yes 856 votes No 250 votes Now share your opinion Nitrogen makes up 78% of the air inhaled by humans and is harmless when inhaled with oxygen. Proponents of the new method have theorized it would be painless. Alabama authorized the method in 2018 amid a shortage of drugs used to carry out lethal injections, but the state has not attempted to use it until now to carry out a death sentence. Oklahoma and Mississippi have also authorized nitrogen hypoxia, but have not used it. The disclosure that Alabama is ready to use nitrogen hypoxia is expected to set off a new round of legal battles over the constitutionality of the method. Smith was one of two men paid $1,000 each to murder Elizabeth Sennett on behalf of her preacher husband, Charles Sennett Sr., who was in debt and wanted to collect life insurance money. John Forrest Parker, the other convicted in the slaying, was executed in 2010. Charles Sennett, the victim's husband and a Church of Christ pastor, killed himself when the investigation began to focus on him as a possible suspect, according to court documents. Smith, 57, had been scheduled to receive a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison in November but officials were unable to properly conduct the procedure. The Equal Justice Initiative, a legal advocacy group that has worked on death penalty issues, said Alabama has a history of 'failed and flawed executions and execution attempts' and 'experimenting with a never before used method is a terrible idea'. 'No state in the country has executed a person using nitrogen hypoxia and Alabama is in no position to experiment with a completely unproven and unused method for executing someone,' Angie Setzer, a senior attorney with the Equal Justice Initiative said. John Forrest Parker, the other man convicted in the slaying, was executed in 2010 Prosecutors said Smith and John Forrest Parker were each paid $1,000 to kill Elizabeth Sennett for husband Charles Sennett Sr., who was deeply in debt and wanted to collect on insurance Sennett's husband, who was the pastor of the Westside Church of Christ in Sheffield, killed himself one week after her death when the murder investigation started to focus on him as a suspect, according to court documents Alabama attempted to execute Smith by lethal injection last year, but called off the execution because of problems inserting an IV into his veins. It was the state's second such instance within two months of being unable to put an inmate to death and its third since 2018. The day after Smith's aborted execution, Gov. Kay Ivey announced a pause on executions to conduct an internal review of lethal injection procedures. The state resumed lethal injections last month. 'It is a travesty that Kenneth Smith has been able to avoid his death sentence for nearly 35 years after being convicted of the heinous murder-for-hire slaying of an innocent woman, Elizabeth Sennett,' Attorney General Steve Marshall said Friday in a statement. Alabama has been working for several years to develop the nitrogen hypoxia execution method, but has disclosed little about its plans. The attorney general's court filing did not describe the details of the how the execution would be carried out. Corrections Commissioner John Hamm told reporters last month that a protocol was nearly complete. A number of Alabama inmates seeking to block their executions by lethal injection, including Smith, have argued they should be allowed to die by nitrogen hypoxia. Robert Grass, an attorney representing Smith, declined to comment Friday. Sennett was found dead on March 18, 1988, in the home she shared with her husband on Coon Dog Cemetery Road in Alabama's Colbert County. The slaying, and the revelations over who was behind it, rocked the small north Alabama community. An airline crew are facing an investigation from infuriated bosses after they were caught taking selfies on the wing of an aircraft. Flight attendants for Swiss International Air Lines were caught on video by a shocked passenger watching them from the terminal posing for photos on the wing of a Boeing 777. A female flight attendant can be seen apparently dancing and gesturing for a photoshoot, having left the aircraft by an overwing emergency exit. Bewildered ground crew were seen watching on as the woman was then joined by a male crew member who posed for a joint picture. Swiss Air Lines said it was investigating what it called a potentially 'life-threatening' incident, which took place on a plane in Buenos Aires, Argentina due to return to Zurich via Sao Paulo, Brazil. A female flight attendant was caught on camera posing for a photo on the wing of a Swiss International Air Lines Boeing 777 Airline bosses were furious at the behaviour of cabin crew caught dancing and taking selfies on the wing of an aircraft She was soon joined by a male colleague who left the plane via an emergency exit door Another man, who is believed to be a senior crew member, was also caught making body building poses. A Boeing 777 wing is around five metres from the ground and can be covered with ice even after having landed in hot climates, due to negative temperatures at high altitudes. A chief of cabin crew on the flight, flabbergasted by his colleagues' actions, said: 'I thought, What the F***? Is that real?' Michael Pelzer, a spokesperson for the Swiss flag-carrier said: 'Safety is our top priority this applies not only to our passengers but also to our employees. 'What looks like fun in the video is actually life-threatening. The wings of a Boeing 777 are at a height of about five metres. 'Moreover, after landing, even in high temperatures, the wings may be covered with ice. A fall from this height onto the hard surface can be devastating.' He added: 'The behaviour of the employees in the video does not comply with our safety regulations, nor does it reflect the high professionalism of our employees. 'We cannot condone this and have been in contact with the crew members concerned. 'Stepping on the wings is not permitted for crew members except in an emergency. This is reserved for our technical staff who are trained for such purposes and do so only with the prescribed safety measures, such as securing themselves with a rope.' Swiss Air Lines bosses condemned the 'life-threatening' behaviour, fooling around on a wing five metres above the ground Martin Knuchel, vice-president and head of cabin crew at Swiss International Air Lines criticised his staff's behaviour in a video, but said the company wouldn't just jump to sack the crew members involved. He said: 'Hey guys, I'll be honest. I'm angry and disappointed. 'What if the passengers no longer trust us when they see this video? This has to stop, there must be no more videos likes this. 'The case will be dealt internally as a disciplinary matter. But to counteract the first rumours, we won't just fire someone.' This is the moment three British holidaymakers suspected of raping a UK tourist at a hotel in Magaluf cover their faces with their T-shirts as they are led into court after yesterday being arrested trying to board a flight to Manchester. The men looked down and covered up as soon as they spotted waiting photographers outside the court building in the Majorcan capital Palma this morning. They were escorted by armed cops into the courtroom following a night in police cells. They were yesterday arrested as they tried to board a flight to Manchester. A judge was due to question the men before deciding whether to remand them in custody or release them on bail pending an ongoing probe. The British woman who accused the three of sexually attacking her - and also claimed she had been drugged - was expected to be called to testify as part of the investigation. This is the moment three British holidaymakers suspected of raping a UK tourist at a hotel in Magaluf cover their faces with their T-shirts as they are led into court in the Majorcan capital Palma The trio of men looked down and covered up as soon as they spotted waiting photographers outside the court building in the Majorcan capital Palma this morning If they are remanded in prison, the suspects are likely to end up in the same jail where five Frenchmen and a Swiss national are being held on suspicion of gang-raping a British 18-year-old in a separate incident just under a fortnight ago. Police in Majorca confirmed yesterday afternoon the trio, thought to be in their early twenties like their female accuser, had been held as they tried to board a flight to Manchester. The results of tests conducted on the British woman for any traces of suspicious substances, have not yet been revealed. The hotel where the latest incident occurred has not yet been named. A spokesman for the Civil Guard, confirming the arrests at a hotel in the municipality of Calvia, which Magaluf is part of, said yesterday: 'The Civil Guard has arrested three young men as the suspected authors of a crime of sexual aggression on a woman at a hotel in Calvia. 'This morning a central response unit received an alert about a possible sexual aggression from a hotel in the municipality. 'A police patrol went to the hotel and spoke to a young tourist who told them she had been raped in the early hours of this morning by men she had met the night before. 'She also said she had suffered chemical submission, given that she felt completely unwell possibly because of the consumption of some type of drug. 'She said she didn't know the identity of the alleged aggressors, just the nickname one of them used on a social network.' The men were escorted by armed cops into the courtroom in Palma following a night in police cells. They were yesterday arrested as they tried to board a flight to Manchester Explaining she had been taken to hospital so further tests could take place, the spokesman added: 'Officers identified the alleged aggressors who had just abandoned the hotel with the intention of taking a flight back to their home country. 'They were arrested at Palma Airport minutes before they boarded a flight to Manchester.' Eight men were arrested after the alleged gang rape of a British 18-year-old at the BH Mallorca Resort in Magaluf in the early hours of August 14. Six are in custody in Mallorca and two are expected to be extradited shortly from France following their arrests on Sunday. All the suspects, aged 18 to 26, are French apart from the Swiss national. After the alleged August 14 gang rape of a British teenager, the BH Mallorca Resort said it was cooperating fully with the authorities and offered its support to the unnamed holidaymaker. A spokesman said in a statement: '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 call to police over the latest incident is understood to have been received in the early hours of yesterday morning although investigators have not yet said what time the call came in. Five people were trapped in a lift before emergency services rescued them with all of them being sent to hospital and some suffering back and neck injuries. Police rushed to the scene at around 10am this morning to reports that five people were trapped in a lift at a construction site in Mandeville Road, Northolt, west London. At around 11am, five people, who were working at the site, were brought out of the lift shaft with all of them being taken to hospitals with some suffering injuries to their back and neck. Officers are supporting the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service while they respond and a number of roads have been closed. One social media user took to 'X' formerly known as Twitter, and posted a photo of an air ambulance landing in Mandevilla Park. At around 11am, five people, who were working at the site, were brought out of the lift shaft with all of them being taken to hospitals with some suffering injuries to their back and neck They tweeted: 'Air ambulance just landed at Mandevilla Park and many more police and emergency crew out there in Northolt.' An HS2 spokesperson said: 'Our thoughts are with the individuals involved in the incident this morning, and we thank the ambulance service and the police for their assistance and support. 'We are working with our construction partner and the relevant authorities to understand the cause of the incident. 'All construction work at the site has stopped and a thorough investigation will be carried out.' A Metropolitan Police spokeperson told MailOnline: 'Police were called by the London Fire Brigade at 10:13hrs on Saturday, 26 August to reports of five people trapped in a lift shaft at a construction site in Mandeville Road, Northolt. 'Officers are supporting the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service while they respond and a number of roads have been closed. 'The five people were brought out of the lift shaft at approximately 11:00hrs. 'Two men were taken to hospital with injuries to his back and neck. We await an update on their condition. 'The others were treated at the scene for minor injuries. 'All five had been working at the site. 'The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.' Secured about 73 per cent of the two-party preferred vote Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto has declared voters in Melbourne's east have helped 'turn the tide' after a crucial by-election win. Nicole Werner, a charity manager and former youth pastor, secured a commanding early win as counting got under in Warrandyte. The Australian declared Ms Werner the winner of the closely watched ballot shortly after 8pm with about 67 per cent of the primary vote. Crucially for the state leadership, Ms Werner secured about 73 per cent of the two-party preferred vote with 39 per cent of the vote counted. Nicole Werner (pictured), a charity manager and former youth pastor, secured a commanding early win as counting got under in Warrandyte The party had been eyeing to maintain or increase its 4.2 per cent margin it secured over Labor in the seat in the 2022 state election. The Greens candidate Tomas Lightbody came in a distant second behind Ms Werner on a two-party preferred system, with 26 per cent. The Liberal Party was tipped to comfortably win the seat of Warrandyte, with Victorian Labor declining to field a candidate. Opposition Leader John Pesutto said voters had been the 'voice for all Victorians' in his address at Ringwood Bowls Club. 'The people of Warrandyte had been the voice of all Victorians tonight in saying that they are tired of the cost of living increases,' he said. 'They are tired of their jobs being taxed. They are tired of their rents being taxed. They are tired of their schools being taxed. Victorian opposition leader John Pesutto (pictured with Ms Werner) has declared voters in Melbourne's east have helped 'turn the tide' after a crucial by-election win 'They want to be heard. They want to be respected. They want to be looked after. 'The people of Warrandyte have done their fellow Victorians a great service tonight because they have helped turn the tide in this state.' Mr Pesutto hit out at Premier Dan Andrews, telling supporters were sick of the 'corruption', 'branch-stacking', and 'breach of faith'. Buoyed by chants of 'Nicole', Ms Werner promised supporters she would spend everyday in parliament giving it her all to 'make a difference'. 'Thank you to every candidate that stood out and for taking your place in democracy, and to the people of the electorate of Warrandyte,' she said. 'Thank you for entrusting me with this honour. I am humbled that you will elect me and put your confidence in me and I recognise the responsibility. 'To you I say this, I will do my best to give my all every single day to fight for you and just serve our wonderful community.' Buoyed by chants of 'Nicole', Ms Werner promised supporters she would spend everyday in parliament giving it her all to 'make a difference' Ms Werner told supporters she 'stood on the shoulders' of her popular predecessor, Ron Smith, a one-time potential party leader. The daughter of Chinese-Malaysian immigrants, Ms Werner recounted her families emigration in a touching tribute to her teary-eyed mother. 'My mom was born to an illiterate mother who due to poverty was never sent to school,' she said. 'She was able to move to Australia at 22 years of age to join my dad in 1988, who moved the year before his life savings of $800. They worked hard and did everything that they could to get ahead. 'While pregnant with me - a new migrant, full of hope and selfless ambition - my mom would say to me in her belly: I want you to be a leader, and I want you to change the world. My success is their success.' Ms Werner paid credit to her mother and father who had both emigrated from China and Malaysia, saying 'they worked hard and did everything that they could do to get ahead' The messages by Ms Werner and Mr Pesutto marked a change in tone from earlier remarks on Saturday at the Ringwood North Primary School booth. The embattled Victorian Opposition Leader said his party was 'fighting right up until 6pm tonight' and wasn't taking anything 'for granted'. 'Nicole has worked so hard,' he said at the booth. 'She's knocked on doors, she's phone canvassed, she's held listening posts, she's connected with the community she grew up in. 'We're fighting right up until 6pm tonight.' Ms Werner, a charity manager, faced off against 11 other minor party or independent candidates. The by-election was triggered in July when Liberal MP Ryan Smith resigned to take up a corporate job. Ms Werner secured about 73 per cent of the two-party preferred vote with 39 per cent of the vote counted Mr Smith retained the seat with a 4.3 per cent margin in 2022 and any substantial swings against Ms Werner could blow back on Mr Pesutto and cast doubt on his leadership. Mr Pesutto has been ensnared in controversy following his decision to boot female MP Moira Deeming from the Party room after she attended a anti-transgender rally. Ms Werner, 32, the daughter of Chinese-Malaysian migrants, said on social media she would work to 'restore integrity' to Victoria's finances in an apparent swipe at the state pulling out of hosting the Commonwealth Games. Without a Labor opponent, Greens candidate Tomas Lightbody is tipped to be her closest competitor. On the morning of the election, Ms Werner said she had spent her entire working life serving the community. 'If elected, I'll fight for the issues you care about,' she said. Thank you to the many volunteers out in support of Nicole Werner - Liberal for Warrandyte. pic.twitter.com/dt77XSWsty Keith Wolahan MP (@keithwolahan) August 25, 2023 Out on the booths for election day in Warrandyte. VOTE 1 Colleen Bolger and Victorian Socialists! pic.twitter.com/1DbVhXQr8P Victorian Socialists (@vic_socialists) August 25, 2023 Ms Werner unsuccessfully campaigned for the Box Hill seat at the November 2022 state election, a key target seat for the Liberals in their push for government. Ms Werner lost the seat to Labor's Paul Hamer. She suffered an 8.9 per cent swing against her in the primary vote and ended with 42.8 per cent of the vote after preferences. The Victorian Liberal Party has held the suburban seat in Melbourne northeast since 1988. A Tulsa, Oklahoma elementary school has been targeted twice in two days with bomb threats because of a video posted to TikTok by the school's librarian. In the video, librarian Kirby Mackenzie walks into a library holding books and approaching the camera, bouncing along to a song. Words over the video read: 'POV: teachers in your state are dropping like flies but you are still just not quite finished pushing your woke agenda at the public school.' The video initially garnered tens of thousands of views, but was amplified further when popular Twitter account 'Libs of TikTok' re-posted the video on Monday. The post has been viewed more than 2.6million times. The Twitter post was captioned: 'This is an elementary school librarian in Oklahoma,' and featured a shot of what seems to be a professional biography of Mackenzie, which lists 'teaching with an emphasis on social justice' as one of her passions. Oklahoma police are working to find the people who sent multiple bomb threats to a Tulsa elementary school last week after a video of its librarian saying she was pushing a woke agenda went viral What the Twitter post did not include was Mackenzie's original TikTok caption, which read: 'My radical liberal agenda is teaching kids to love books and be kind hbu?? I think Im going to make one of these every year until I die or end my teaching era #teachersoftiktok #schoollibrarian #liberalagenda #scandal #okpolitics.' After the video was shared on Twitter, the school received a bomb threat early in the morning that read: 'The innocence of children is sacred, that is a fact that has been known for the entirety of human history and the end of civilizations such as in ancient Rome are often marked by normalization pedophilia and child abuse.' 'Im not going to stand by as you b******s continue to indoctrinate and prey upon our children. This is why we placed a bomb in the school. You will evacuate the building so nobody dies.' The threat to Ellen Ochoa Elementary was signed by someone going by the name 'Made John.' On Tuesday, Tulsa Police Department Captain Richard Muelenberg IV told local outlet KFOR that the school had a delayed start because of the threat. 'Weve got bomb sniffing dogs, everything else. We lock it down. Were going to do everything we can to make sure that area is safe because the biggest thing is these children. 'You got to protect your kids. More often than not, you know, this is just some person looking for attention. They want to disrupt a system,' he said. The department found no credible threat. Then another threat came in on Wednesday. A sender who went just by the name 'Yessy' wrote: 'We placed a bomb at Ellen Ochoa Elementary. You will stop pushing this woke ideology or we will bomb every school in the union district.' Mackenzie was again singled out, and this time the email said a bomb had also been placed inside her home. In what appears to be a professional biography of Kirby Mackenzie, 'teaching with an emphasis on social justice,' is listed as one of her passions, driving further backlash at her video The Tulsa elementary school received two bomb threats last week after Mackenzie's video went viral Muelenberg IV said that even though the threats have, at this point 'become kind of a cry wolf situation,' the bottom line is that 'this is now allowable.' 'Its not something thats acceptable in society. You know, youre basically threatening the lives of innocent children who have nothing to do with whatever your problem is. That is not going to be okay and we are going to prosecute and we are going to find this person and will put them in jail,' he said. 'Were going to find this person and were going to come wherever, whatever little tent youre in right now, you know, sending your emails from. Were going to come and find you. Were going to arrest you.' The school was put into shelter-in-place mode Wednesday, until it was deemed safe for classes to continue, which did not take long, according to Union Public Schools Chief Communications Officer Chris Payne. Payne said the reaction to Mackenzie's video stemmed primarily from its meaning being 'misconstrued.' 'Theres no evil agenda. Theres none of that. Just very misconstrued,' he said. Despite claims from some school officials that Mackenzie's video was taken out of context, State Superintendent Ryan Walters seemed to endorse the idea that radical woke ideology needed to be stopped in public schools: 'Woke ideology is real and I am here to stop it,' he wrote Payne added that the school is standing behind its employee amid the backlash. 'She is one of our long time librarians, highly respected, has done a lot of really good work at Union. We stand behind Kirby. She is a terrific employee,' he said. Mackenzie was at school on Wednesday. State Superintendent Ryan Walters, however, did not necessarily agree that the video had been misunderstood by the masses. On Tuesday, he posted the video and wrote: 'Democrats say it doesnt exist. The liberal media denies the issue. Even some Republicans hide from it. Woke ideology is real and I am here to stop it.' Advertisement Notting Hill has been covered in graffiti as it prepares for carnival. The carnival started as an indoor celebration from 1959 to 1966 by Trinidadian communist Claudia Jones in response to the Notting Hill race riots in 1958. The murder of aspiring Antigua lawyer Kelso Cochrane spurred on Rhaune Laslett to organise a children's street fayre that ended up being the first outdoor carnival in 1966. Now, it is one of the most exciting weekends for Londoners and draws in millions of pounds as people enjoy the cultural celebrations, music, food and eccentric costumes. But graffiti artists have made the most of the plywood set up by locals and now there are tags everywhere. Businesses in the area even pay companies to board up their establishments. And the boarding up of property is not cheap, as wine bar manager Luigi Gaudio paid a whopping 1,500 to have his store protected. He added that the council gets local artists to graffiti the wooden boards after they have been erected. A Sainsbury's supermarket in Portobello road is boarded up and covered in graffiti in preparation for the Notting Hill carnival. The Notting Hill Carnival as Europe's largest street festival Shops and businesses are boarded up and covered in graffiti. Many locals and businesses board up because of the crime associated with the carnival As well as criminal acts, there was a huge crush at last year's festival that left 'helpless' police trapped alongside revellers The carnival started as an indoor celebration from 1959 to 1966 by Trinidadian communist Claudia Jones in response to the Notting Hill race riots in 1958 People sit outside of a cafe with protective boarding and temporary fencing outside. Graffiti artists have made the most of the plywood set up by locals and now there are tags everywhere Businesses in the area even pay companies to board up their establishments. Locals complain about people going to toilet on their properties And the boarding up of property is not cheap, as wine bar manager Luigi Gaudio paid a whopping 1,500 to have his store protected In advance of the carnival's commencement tomorrow, the Met Police tweeted: 'We have highly visible police presence within the area of Notting Hill with the #NottingHillCarnival23 this weekend Munian Barakat, who lives in the area and is originally from Palestine, told The Sun that the front of her building and her front door gets used as a toilet, and rubbish is thrown over her fence The event is hugely popular and has been known to attract an astonishing 2 million people in years gone by, as revellers flock to see the three-and-a-half mile parade with colourful floats and performances READ MORE: August bank holiday 2023 travel information and advice: Notting Hill Carnival revellers and more to experience major disruptions Advertisement However, some homeowners in the area have been seen to board up their properties as the joyous event can often descend into violence and disruption. Last year, police made 209 arrests at the carnival for offences including criminal damage, common assault, drug possession and possession of an offensive weapon. Drill rapper TKorStretch, real name Takayo Nembhard, 21, was also stabbed to death, while two female cops were sexually assaulted. In advance of the carnival's commencement tomorrow, the Met Police tweeted: 'We have highly visible police presence within the area of Notting Hill with the #NottingHillCarnival23 this weekend. 'Please enjoy the carnival safely but if something doesn't feel right, speak to an officer, safety steward or dial 999 in an emergency.' The event is hugely popular and has been known to attract an astonishing 2 million people in years gone by, as revellers flock to see the three-and-a-half mile parade with colourful floats and performances. Munian Barakat, who lives in the area and is originally from Palestine, told The Sun that the front of her building and her front door gets used as a toilet, and rubbish is thrown over her fence. 'That's why I asked the neighbours to put up the wooden barriers because it's really dangerous,' she said. 'I'm an old woman.' Ms Barakat is going to her daughter's house for this year's carnival but is worried she may come back to find her 'house destroyed or the windows broken'. A contractor fences off a library. The council pays local artists to graffiti the wooden boards in time for the long-running carnival Contractors install temporary toilets. Ms Barakat is going to her daughter's house for this year's carnival but is worried she may come back to find her 'house destroyed or the windows broken' The murder of aspiring Antigua lawyer Kelso Cochrane spurred on Rhaune Laslett to organise a children's street fayre that ended up being the first outdoor carnival in 1966 Last year, police made 209 arrests at the carnival for offences including criminal damage, common assault, drug possession and possession of an offensive weapon As well as criminal acts, there was a huge crush at last year's festival that left 'helpless' police trapped alongside revellers, activating their panic buttons - and leaving colleagues fearing 'another Hillsborough'. Videos shared across social media from August 29, 2022, showed an enormous crowd amassing on Ladbroke Grove that was swelling to dangerous levels. At the scene, police officers were caught up in the chaos and left helpless, while desperate revellers were seen clambering over the railings to escape the impending crush. The situation had reached such a critical point that the Territorial Support Group called in an emergency and warned they were 'getting crushed to death', the Times reports. He is also accused of attempting to groom several other girls while a priest A lawyer representing the girl's family says relatives tracked her down in Rome but claimed Crow has taken her cell phone from her Defrocked priest Alex Crow, 30, has run away to Rome, Italy, with a teenage girl who he allegedly groomed under his ministry A heartthrob Alabama priest who has ran away to Rome with an 18-year-old girl he allegedly groomed is accused of taking her phone away and blocking attempts to get her home. Alex Crow, 30, was defrocked in July after he fled to Italy with the girl, who was 17 when the alleged grooming began after she met Crow at a school where he also worked. A lawyer for her family has now claimed that relatives traveled to Rome and tracked down the girl - but that Crow, who once boasted of being exorcised, refused to cooperate with them and instead called police. The lawyer, Christine Hernandez, said that he has 'limited' the girl's communication to the outside world. She also said other parents reported disturbing instances involving Crow and their children during school and church trips, including claims he paid some students to attend his confessions, where they'd share details of their sins with him. Alex Crow, 30, was defrocked in July after he fled to Italy with the girl, who was 17 when the alleged grooming began The former priest is accused of grooming the youngster after meeting her at the school she attended, and is now said to have banned her from returning to the US with her family The claims come a week after the release of letters written by Crow to the teen he has left with for Rome. He told the girl they were married and added: 'Ive never felt any of the feelings I have for you for anyone ever in my entire life.' In another letter to an unidentified associate, he claimed Jesus told him to travel with the girl to Italy. Hernandez told NBC15: 'There were prior reports from parents that said, there's some inappropriate behavior going on. 'When you don't stay with the group and you lag behind with one particular student, and everyone knows that you're staying behind at the cabin with this one particular student. Why? And when it's reported, why was nothing done?' She said that around two dozen parents had shared worrying accounts of Crow's behavior. On one 2022 trip to Tennessee, other students reported that he spent a suspicious amount of time alone with one female student. Hernandez said Crow is also accused of giving students alcohol. Leaders in the Archdiocese of Mobile are facing questions about whether they could have acted to stop Crow from grooming the girl and fleeing with her. Police recently released letters - which include a love note sent to the 18-year-old girl in question - that make it clear he has no intention of returning home to Alabama. One is addressed to an unidentified man - who Crow wrote had been 'entrusted with [the] letter' by the woman - while the other is to the woman herself. The former Father - who has said he was exorcised as a kid - explains in the first letter why he 'abandoned' his duties as a priest at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, and indicates he believes he and the girl were told by Jesus to leave Mobile. In the second, he gushes to the girl - who he allegedly met while she was still a student - about being in love, while claiming they are 'married.' The letters were written before the pair departed. Father Alex Crow - who once claimed he was the subject of a 'minor exorcism' - is on the lam with a former student at McGill-Toolen High School in Alabama Released by the cops Mobile County, letters - which include a love note sent to the 18-year-old girl in question (not pictured) - make it clear 30-year-old Alex Crow has no intention of returning home to Alabama The first letter, which is undated, shows the then-priest's belief that Jesus contacted him and told him to leave town with the girl - whom he allegedly met when she was a student - in July. Addressed to an unidentified man named Joshua, it reads: 'Dear Joshua... [Name redacted] said that you were the one who should be entrusted with this letter. 'She said She loves you very much and that you are trustworthy. I agree with Her. What I am going to write is what She has told me to write. It will be hard for you to understand what I am doing, but do not worry. It will all make sense one day.' Crow, who was a musician before he took his post at Corpus Christi Catholic Church, continued: 'Jesus has told me that He wants me to leave, therefore I am not going to return from this trip. I do this with a heavy heart. 'It is hard to suddenly leave everything behind, but this is what He is demanding and I cannot deny Him.' He went on to insist that he was not abandoning his priesthood by going on the lam with the girl, whose family three weeks ago came forward to claim they located the couple in Italy, and the young woman left with Crow of her own accord. 'Let me be very clear: I am not leaving the priesthood,' wrote Crow, prior to being stripped of his duties to the Archdiocese of Mobile - which clergyman recently said he had already 'abandoned' by relocating. 'I will never forsake my sacred duties,' the disgraced church official continued. 'The priesthood is the greatest gift Jesus has ever given me, and I will treasure this gift forever. 'That said, it is His priesthood, and He can do with me as He pleases.' In the second, he gushes to the girl - who he allegedly met while she was still a student - about being in love, while claiming they are 'married' Sent on Valentines Day of this year, the letter was sent when the girl was still a senior at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. She was reportedly 17 at the time During an initial investigation, cops discovered a love letter between Crow and the teen from Valentine's Day when she was still in high school 'Let His Will be done.' Crow ended the letter by claiming Christ also told the girl to 'come with [him].' 'We know how this looks, but we are doing what we are told. Do not worry about defending us. This is hard for her too, but she knows she will always be safe if she does Jesus Will,' the reverend wrote. 'We will always be thinking and praying for all of you, especially our families and friends. Please pray for us, too. We need it. In Christ, Rev. Alexander Crow.' Cops from Mobile County Sheriffs Office did not specify when exactly the correspondence was sent, but it likely came shortly before the Archdiocese of Mobile reported the priest to the DA, citing 'behavior totally unbecoming of a priest.' The second letter, which was sent on Valentines Day this year, was sent when the girl was still a senior at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School. She was reportedly 17 at the time. 'Dear [redacted]', it begins. 'As I write this Im still experiencing eye dilation, so I apologize if this is hard to read. I can barely read what Im writing as I do this. Ha! 'First things first: I love you, and I thank Jesus for you every day. You have made my life both astronomically more complicated and incredibly better at the same time. You are his gift to me.' Crow went on to write about his relationship with the teen before they became romantically involved - referring to himself as a 'father' tasked with protecting her. At one point, he writes: 'You are mine - no one elses, and I will always be a father to you until I die.' An ensuing passage suggests that the pair at some point married. Police are searching for a now defrocked 'heartthrob priest' who allegedly fled to Italy with an 18-year-old woman who cops say he groomed as a high school student Crow was a priest at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church (pictured) in Mobile, Alabama The Archdiocese of Mobile defrocked Crow (pictured in October 2020) in July after they say he abandoned his post at the Corpus Christi Catholic Church It reads: 'Now, we are in love and we are married! Ive never been in love before (and Ive never been married, obviously!), and Ive never felt any of the feelings I have for you for anyone ever in my entire life. 'I promise that I will love you the absolute best I can, every single day.' The loved up statement would contradict statements by the officer who unveiled the note, Mobile County Sheriff Paul Burch, just three days ago, when he claimed Crow 'groomed another couple of young girls' in addition to the 18-year-old. Speaking on Fox Nations 'Crime Stories with Nancy Grace,' Burch said Crow had a previous association with a female who was 'best friends' with the woman who left with him, and that felony warrants could be filed against him as early as 'this week.' The letter, released by Burch that same day, continued: 'Im sorry I cannot give you a normal Valentines Day this year. I wanted to do nothing more than buy you flowers but for fear of scandal I couldnt. 'I almost stole some from the Mary statue but there were too many people around,' he admits. It concludes with a passage that makes it clear the couple had already been planning their overseas excursion at that point. 'I know you want to make out so Ill bring this to a close. When we are together, with our family in Italy (!!!), we will have so many wonderful and normal Valentines Days, but for now: Happy Valentines Day.' 'You are the prettiest girl who has ever lived, and I will always tell you that. You are perfect, and precious and, besides Jesus, the most wonderful thing Ive ever seen or held in my two hands. 'I will always love you, [redacted].' The update in the case comes almost a month after the Archdiocese of Mobile defrocked Crow, a former rock musician, after they say he abandoned his post at the Mobile congregation. Crow himself is a graduate of McGill-Toolen and later attended a seminary named St. Joseph before receiving his Master of Divinity degree in Indiana. The defrocked clergy member also attended Sant' Anselmo in Rome, Italy, where he received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and studied demons and exorcisms deeply. In lectures posted online, Crow discussed his fascination in detail with possession and other supernatural encounters. 'I grew up in a weird home, both familially, but also a lot of weird stuff happening in the house,' he said during a podcast appearance in July 2022. 'You'd hear things moving around or banging in different rooms. I'd see things from time to time as a kid, always assuming I was kind of, hyper, or just looking too much into stuff,' Crow said at the time. The defrocked clergy member also attended Sant' Anselmo in Rome, Italy where he received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and studied demons and exorcisms deeply Before joining the church, Crow (pictured) fronted a band called 'Alex Crow & The Altar Boys,' which played around the Mobile, Alabama area The former member of the church also described a time when he experienced health issues like chest pains and migraines. The cause, he said, could not be determined. Crow claimed he underwent a 'minor exorcism' and that he had a 'negative reaction' initially but that he 'felt immediately better when it was over.' The young woman's parents were slated to hold a press conference on Thursday but canceled the event out of fear for their daughter's safety. 'They're afraid something is going to happen to their daughter,' attorney Christine Hernandez told NBC 15 News. 'She is with someone who the sheriff's office considers a predator,' she said. After the couple was discovered in Italy, the young woman reportedly told a family member that 'she went with him on her own free will.' She also allegedly insisted there was no romantic relationship between them and that they were staying in separate bedrooms. Cops investigation is still ongoing. DailyMail.com has reached out to the Mobile County Sheriff's Office for comment. by Frederick Clayton Population growth and climate change are stretching Americas water supplies to the limit, and tapping new sources is becoming more difficult each yearin some cases, even impossible. New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Colorado are facing the nations most significant strains on water supplies. But across the entire American Southwest, water stress has become the norm. Every part of the Southwest experienced higher average temperatures between 2000 and 2020 than the long-term average (18952020), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some areas were more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than average. Large portions of the Southwest have experienced drought conditions since weekly Drought Monitor records began in 2000. For extended periods from 2002 to 2005 and from 2012 to 2020, nearly the entire region was abnormally dry or even drier. Filtration ponds [ Photo: Ivan Bandura/ Unsplash] The EPA paints a bleak picture of the region by referring to its sparse water supply and how the rise in temperatures due to climate change is bound to worsen a bad situation. Water is already scarce in the Southwest, so every drop is a precious resource. People in the Southwest are particularly dependent on surface water supplies like Lake Mead, which are vulnerable to evaporation, the agency says on its website. Thus, even a small increase in temperature (which drives evaporation) or a decrease in precipitation in this already arid region can seriously threaten natural systems and society. Droughts also contribute to increased pest outbreaks and wildfires, both of which damage local economies, and they reduce the amount of water available for generating electricityfor example, at the Hoover Dam. Farmers use the vast majority of water withdrawn from the Colorado River to irrigate cropsand 70 percent of that is for crops like alfalfa and hay used to feed cattle. The river also supplies drinking water to 40 million people in the Southwest, and in 2022, Lake Meadwhich the Colorado feedsshrank to its lowest levels since it was filled in the 1930s. These pressures on a precarious water supply will only intensify with continued climate change and a steadily growing population. Our existing supplies need to be managed better to ensure sustained access to water in the future. Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) There is hope. Technology, specifically potable reuse, safely turns wastewater into drinking water. One form of this technology, direct potable reuse (DPR), introduces treated wastewater directly back into the existing water supply. This approach can be cheaper, quicker, and more efficient than many other options to sustain and expand water supply. Better yet, its also completely safe. Despite this reality, U.S. states were once reluctant to introduce DPR, but this method has been gaining momentum as a legitimate, worthwhile, and potentially imperative solution to water supply problems. Everyone is feeling the drought, says Aleks Pisarenko, principal engineer at Trussell Technologies, an environmental engineering firm working in water reuse solutions. There are no new sources of water, so when traditional supplies run low, you turn to alternative ones. Bad Branding Stalls Progress Why have potable reuse projects faced an uphill battle? Just consider how the technology works. Potable reuse involves treating municipal wastewater to augment drinking water supplies and can be done in two ways. Indirect potable reuse (IPR) introduces purified water into an environmental bufferlike a groundwater aquifer, reservoir, or lakebefore introducing the blended water back into a water supply system. And DPR skips the need for an environmental buffer altogether. A National Research Council (NRC) report from 1998 labeled IPR as an option of last resort and did not even consider DPR as a possibility, stating that the use of reclaimed wastewater for human consumption, without the added protection provided by storage in the environment, is not currently a viable option for public water supplies. Its assessment reflected questions and uncertainties over potable reuse that could only be resolved with more comprehensive data from full-scale operational potable reuse systems. A 1999-2000 Geological Survey report also cast doubt over whether water reclamation could safely remove all contaminants in stream water. Misperceptions regarding the potable reuse process also spawned unpalatable toilet to tap narratives in the media, which helped to dismantle public support for these projects. Attempts by San Diego to introduce water reuse in the 1990s failed and were pulled apart by such aspersions. What toilet to tap missed was that treatment optionsi.e., membrane filtration, membrane desalination, ozone, and advanced oxidation, to name a fewcan make the purified water entirely safe to drink. However, recent advances in these technologies associated with potable water reuse have helped boost confidence in and acceptance of the practice among water professionals. Orange County Water District (OCWD) is a leading example of the successful implementation of the water reuse process. Since 2008, OCWD has provided drinking water to more than 2.5 million people in a region that receives less than 15 inches of annual rainfall with the help of its Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS) project, which has helped highlight the effectiveness of IPR, giving other providers a model to emulate and providing the full-scale data that was previously missing to evaluate the viability of the process. The NRC has changed its position on water reuse, too. In 2012, another NRC report concluded that potable reuse of highly treated reclaimed water without an environmental buffer is worthy of consideration if adequate protection is engineered within the system. It acknowledged: Historically, the practice of adding reclaimed water directly to the water supply without an environmental buffera practice referred to as direct potable reusehas been rejected by water utilities, by regulatory agencies in the United States, and by previous National Research Council committees. However, research during the past decade on the performance of several full-scale advanced water treatment operations indicates that some engineered systems can perform as well or better than some existing environmental buffers in diluting (if necessary) and attenuating contaminants. Subsequently, almost half of all the potable reuse projects built between 1962 (when the first project was introduced) and 2021 were installed in the last decade of the period. There are now IPR facilities in Arizona, Texas, and California, while more than a dozen states have developed regulations allowing the process. DPR remains outside the fray, but while IPR has slowly taken hold, DPR has not. In an essay he contributed to the 2020 book A Better Planet: Forty Big Ideas for a Sustainable Future, G. Tracy Mehan III, the executive director of government affairs at the American Water Works Association, called DPR the final frontier of water reuse. Indeed, DPR systems are legal in only three U.S. states: Texas, Arizona where it is only utilized on a case-by-case basisand Colorado, which became the first state to sign off on regulations in January 2023. This is surprising given that DPR often uses the same treatment technologies as IPR and has several advantages over IPR. DPR gives communities without a buffer the chance to implement potable reuse. It delivers water efficiently and cost-effectively using existing infrastructure, such as drinking water treatment plants, without building expensive and energy-intensive pipelines to a reservoir or groundwater basin. For this reason, DPR allows more water to be recycled than IPR, as there are no reservoir or groundwater basin limitations. DPR also avoids regulations on putting water back into the environment by eliminating the buffer. Finally, the environmental buffer used with IPR only serves as a middleman between wastewater and drinking water, which slows the process but provides a comfortable barrier for the consumer. Without this, DPR can also turn wastewater into drinking water in hours. For this reason, DPR is also a more reliable source of water than IPRespecially in an emergencybut for the same reason, it is also more controversial. The speed at which water can be recycled using DPR makes it a particularly easy target for the unflattering toilet to tap tag that still hovers over potable reuse. While toilet to tap does a huge disservice to the realitythe use of advanced technology to purify water for drinkingit shines a light on the major obstacle to the proliferation of direct potable reuse: public acceptance. And while, at first glance, drinking water that was once wastewater might seem unpalatable, the fact is that the purification process makes it not only safe to drink but also of an even higher quality than most consumers may be used to. Purifying water for reuse relies on a multi-barrier treatment process to make recycled water safe to drink, according to the San Diego County Water Authority. Purified water produced in California with state-of-the-art technologies is higher quality than most bottled water. Desperation: The Mother of Innovation As of early 2023, Big Spring, Texas, has the only functional DPR facility in the United States. The region identified DPR as the most feasible way to address an urgent need to diversify the citys water portfolio and increase its supply reliability. In 2013, the Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) in Big Spring began operating the first DPR plant in the U.S., which could treat up to 2 million gallons per day of wastewater effluent to drinking water standards. It provided a much-needed water supply amid punishing droughts. Wichita Falls in northern Texas followed Big Springs example. Anticipating a water crisis with city reservoirs at less than 20 percent capacity in 2012 and lacking a groundwater backup supply, the city determined DPR was a viable means of urgently meeting potable water demands. The system went online in July 2014 and provided nearly 5 million gallons of potable water per day to 150,000 people before it was decommissioned in 2015 due to sufficient rainfall. With populations fiercely aware of water scarcity and the need to increase supply and improve reliability, both cities were forced to act under emergency regulations. Unfortunately, recognition of the need for water reuse is sometimes only realized at a point when immediate action is needed, says Jeff Mosher, vice president and principal technologist at Carollo Engineers, a leading firm in water reuse engineering. So, how do you convince a community to adopt and accept potable reuse when the situation is not dire? Making Reuse Mainstream Thanks to the educational and outreach efforts of community practitioners who understand the ingredients necessary to bring the public on board, DPR may soon be on a similar trajectory to IPR. The first ingredient? Good old-fashioned common sense. The potential cost savings of DPR, coupled with its reliability in drought, directly serve the customers self-interest. But this is not enough to alleviate fear. It has to make cognitive sense too. You cant tell people its just about saving money, says Daniel Gerrity, an assistant professor in environmental engineering at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. It has to make more sense than that. San Diegos Water Repurification Project in the 1990s learned this the hard way when it was trying to investigate the feasibility of an IPR project. Fears of drinking sewage diminished trust in the project and fostered uncertainty about the safety of the water. The aforementioned 1998 NRC report was released shortly after, and ultimatelyafter years of significant investmentthe San Diego City Council voted to halt the water purification project in 1999. Fast-forward 12 years to 2011, a rebranded project, Pure Water San Diego, did things differently. We had to educate the community on the concept [of potable reuse], says Amy Dorman, a senior engineer on the Pure Water potable reuse project. We ran focus groups with the community, made ourselves flexible moving forward, and recognized the importance of listening to the community. In the 1990s, there was not the right amount of education. Now its comprehensive. We do tours, presentations, websites, [and] mailers, and [we] identified all stakeholders[we did] diligent and constant outreach. Dorman explained that 18,665 San Diegans had visited the demonstration facility as of 2021, while the team at Pure Water had spoken to almost 30,000 children in schools. They are given a presentation addressing concerns over limited local supplies, population growth, the rising cost of pumping, the risk of natural disasters, and recurring drought as drivers behind the requirement for potable reuse. Then, theyre told that more than 50,000 lab tests have been carried out on the water supply, each meeting every regulatory standard and producing exceptional water quality. But the key statistic is on the first slidethat 85 percent of San Diegos water is already imported. According to Dorman, because the city is downstream, its water has already been recycled 49 times by other water districts before it reaches San Diego. This usually quells fears that drinking recycled water is unsanitary since, as it turns out, residents have been doing it for years. After the presentation, the public is encouraged to check out a demonstration facility that has been in operation for 12 years. People can see the advanced treatment that wastewater is put through before tasting the water for themselves. Pure Water now also runs virtual tours of the plant. When the public is told of plans to pipe treated wastewater to a recharge basin, their response is essentially: Why bother? In other words, why not just adopt DPR and put the water straight back in? The environmental buffer/recharge basin that Pure Water was proposing served as a technical function for storage and dilutionbut was also designed to placate any potential worries about drinking wastewater. It turned out, though, such a buffer wasnt needed as the public embraced DPR. This change in attitude was demonstrative of a broader acceptance of drinking recycled water in San Diego. In 2005, just 28 percent of 735 people randomly surveyed strongly favored or somewhat favored using advanced treated recycled water to supplement the drinking water supply. That number stood at 79 percent of 1,063 people surveyed in 2019. As of 2023, the Pure Water Project, the first phase of which includes 10 different projects that will clean recycled water to produce 30 million gallons per day of high-quality purified water, has permission to add purified water to the Miramar Reservoir (using the reservoir as an environmental buffer) as part of the construction of an IPR facility, with DPR slated for phase two of the projectwhich could provide an extra 53 million gallons by 2035, ensuring that one-third of San Diegos water supply will come from reused water by that time. Education and Outreach Remain Critical It isnt only San Diego that has demonstrated that the public can accept DPR. While a Brownwood, Texas, DPR project was never fully realized, the public accepted DPR proposals thanks to extensive and integrated water education in the community. For two decades, the citys wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) offered tours to residents of Brownwood and neighboring cities, while in 2019, Brownwoods fourth-grade curriculum included learning modules about urban water reuse and a tour of the WWTP. City officials also reached out to local media before introducing the DPR project to the public. They explained the water purification process and the need to incorporate DPR into the citys water portfolio and requested the medias help in educating the public. The final step needed to start construction of the facilities was the city councils approval of a $12 million bond sale in 2012, but the sale was never approvedbecause the city received rain. (Even with public approval for potable reuse, rain can cause apathy for water supply contingency plans among those spending the money.) El Paso Water (EP Water) received a $20 million grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for its water reuse facility in Texas. With construction to begin in late 2023, the Advanced Water Purification system will be capable of producing more than 45,000 cubic meters of fresh drinking water daily by turning treated wastewater into potable water available for reuse. Again, public education and outreach played a key role in ensuring support for this project. El Paso Water Utilities (EPWU) offered tours of a pilot facility and a water reuse education program and educated the media about the need for the facility. This, coupled with a great awareness of water scarcity among residents and approval from the local government, meant the project could go ahead. In 2023, Tanya Trujillo, assistant secretary for water and science for the U.S. Department of the Interior, praised the innovative project as a critical driver toward more sustainable resource management, saying, It is one of a kind. The U.S. Depends on Water Reuseand a Change in Public Perception The impacts of climate change have been witnessed across the United Statesparticularly in the Southern and Southwestern states. And as water scarcity becomes more apparent in the face of droughts and forest fires, and as public awareness of climate change issues grows, attitudes toward potable reuse have softened. People need that change in mindset, forgetting where your water came from and focusing more on how clean it is when its in front of you, Dan McCurry, a civil and environmental engineering professor at the University of Southern California, told CNBC in 2022. But while communities who have employed DPR have seen the realities of water scarcity firsthand, individual perceptions in other areas are shaped by outreach, trust in messengers, and the reputation of water agencies and providers. Were ready to make the next step to DPR based on the experience we have, adds engineer Mosher. What we know now is that its possible to convince them. We have proven that [in] every community you go into that has concerns, you can overcome the hangups. Southwest U.S. Leads the Way in Water Reuse Every time one communitys apprehensions are effectively addressed and they pursue potable reuse, it gets easier for the next one. A 2011 San Diego study showed that citizens are 50 percent more likely to accept recycled water when they learn that other communities have already done so. And the Southwest U.S. is leading the way. Colorado became the first state to rubber-stamp their DPR regulations in 2023; others will follow. In addition to Pure Waters plans in San Diego, Los Angeles is also considering a DPR/IPR hybrid facility that will deliver 230 million gallons a day. To lessen its dependence on the Colorado River, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, announced plans in April 2023 for a multibillion-dollar facility that will use DPR to purify 60 million gallons of water per dayenough for about 200,000 households a year. El Paso, too, is in the design phase of a DPR facility that will turn up to 10 million gallons of wastewater a day into drinking water, which would make it the worlds biggest DPR facility providing treated wastewater to consumers. But DPR isnt a cure-all; its just another vital tool among many water reuse solutions that the U.S. will have to embrace as drought continues to grip the nation. We cant have whatever we want, says John Trotter, a photographer who has documented the Colorado Rivers decline since 2002. We must learn to adapt if we are going to continue to exist in these places. This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network. Frederick Clayton is an investigative journalist with the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism focusing on environmental themes, specifically water and sanitation issues worldwide. He is a contributor to the Observatory. An engineer who carried out last-minute repairs on the doomed plane belonging to Yevgeny Prigozhin is under interrogation by the Russian authorities. Prigozhin, who launched a mutiny against Putin in June, was this week listed as one of the 10 passengers onboard his Embraer Legacy 600 that crashed into a ball of flames, killing all on board. His death has sparked Western suspicions that Vladimir Putin ordered his assassination. This has been fervently denied as 'absolute lies' by the Kremlin. Engineer Sergey Kitrish, 41, has been under interrogation in the days since the crash, reported channel VChK-OGPU which has links to the Russian security services. 'He constantly worked with Prigozhin's aircraft and it was he who carried out the last repairs to replace the landing gear brake and turbo cooler,' it reported. Engineer Sergey Kitrish, 41, (pictured) has been under interrogation in the days since the crash after he carried out last-minute repairs on the plane All 10 passengers onboard Prigozhin's Embraer Legacy 600 died after it crashed into a ball of flames on Wednesday Prigozhin's death has sparked Western suspicions that Vladimir Putin ordered his assassination READ MORE HERE: Vladimir Putin orders Wagner troops to swear oath of loyalty to him as flight recorders are recovered from plane crash that killed their leader Yevgeny Prigozhin Advertisement It is during these last-minute repairs when investigators believe a bomb could have been planted. 'Shortly after the explosion, Kitrash was taken under the care of the [Russian] special services and taken to the crash site.' He was then quizzed by leading crash investigator Col. Ivan Sibul. 'He was interrogated and now the fate of Kitrash is being decided. They haven't let him go home yet. The fate of two more engineers (Artur Michenkov and Aleksey Anshukov) who participated in the installation of equipment is not known,' the reports said. It has also been reported that business executive and boss of VIP airline Rusjet Alexandra Yulina, 37, was on board the parked jet at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport a few hours before its final tragic flight. She had allegedly inspected the Embraer Legacy 600 because she was seeking to buy the plane. She was falsely registered as a passenger, and was allowed through security into the plane just hours before it took off and crashed, it was reported. Footage was shot during her inspection of the aircraft, some eight hours before it crashed. The plane's black boxes were found at the crash site in Tver region and are being examined. Alexandra Yulina (pictured), 37, was on board the parked jet at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport a few hours before its final tragic flight Investigators are now conducting DNA tests to identify the bodies from the plane DNA tests are also underway on the charred remains of the ten dead. 'The investigation will carefully check all possible versions of what happened,' the Russian Investigative Committee said. The death of Prigozhin has stunned the Russian elites, amid fears Putin might order the assassination of anyone who stands against him. Prigozhin had led a coup in June against the dictator, criticising the efforts of his top war commanders. Prigozhin's plane manager - a woman who has not been named - told VChK-OGPU insisted she accompanied Yulina and Rusjet technical director Sergey Klokotov when they visited the plane. They were seeking to buy it in a 4.29million deal, it was reported. 'I actually went with them, I followed on their heels,' she said, stressing the plane was subject to high security. 'I can say for sure that they did not leave anything in the cabin, nothing.' But she admitted there had been technical problems and these required repairs before the flight, which was delayed by more than a day. 'In addition to the turbo-cooler, the brake on the rear chassis was also changed,' she said. A turbo-cooler had been imported from the US evading sanctions, yet this was damaged when it fell on a warehouse floor. An alternative part of unknown origin was fixed into the plane before its final journey, she indicated. The investigators suspect a bomb could have been put onto the plane during the repairs. Rishi Sunak faces a brutal by-election test this autumn after Nadine Dorries resigned from her Commons seat with a blistering attack on the Prime Ministers record. In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the former Cabinet Minister accuses Mr Sunak of betraying Tory principles and behaving irresponsibly, putting her personal safety at risk by whipping up a public frenzy against her. Ms Dorries who had declared in June that she would leave her Mid-Bedfordshire seat with immediate effect, but failed to do so until this weekend revealed that the police had visited her home last week to warn her about a threat to her personal security. She says she first informed Cabinet Secretary Simon Case of her intention to resign in July 2022, but has been under sustained pressure from colleagues not to inflict a further damaging by-election on the party as it languishes in the polls. The MP, who is a long-term ally of Boris Johnson, finally announced her resignation on June 9, but then delayed her departure while she investigated whether Mr Sunak had intervened to block her nomination to the House of Lords. Nadine Dorries has resigned from her seat in the house of Commons with a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak 's record The former Cabinet Minister accuses Rishi Sunak of betraying Tory principles and behaving irresponsibly The MP, who is a long-term ally of Boris Johnson, finally announced her resignation on June 9, but then delayed her departure while she investigated whether Mr Sunak had intervened to block her nomination to the House of Lord She says she has obtained a document that sheds light on the saga, but it is officially classified as sensitive, meaning she is unable to share the contents. Her resignation means a by- election will be held in her constituency within weeks. If Labour overturns the seats 24,664 majority, it would represent the largest collapse in support for the Tories in by-election history. A recent poll showed Labour on 28 per cent, with the Conservatives trailing on 24 points down an astonishing 36 points since the last General Election. Ms Dorries's resignation letter to Mr Sunak also reveals that her research for a book she has written on the political assassination of Mr Johnson led her to conclude that she could no longer remain as an MP. She points out that there have been five Conservative Prime Ministers since 2010 and not one has been removed in a General Election. There is already talk of ousting Rishi. Something is seriously wrong with the way the party is run, she said, adding that in having removed both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and abandoned the manifesto people voted for in 2019, the party cannot expect to return to the polls and for people to support them. Its taking people for fools. Ms Dorries also accuses Mr Sunak of betraying Conservatism by raising taxes and failing to take full advantage of Brexit. She asks: What exactly has been done or have you achieved? You hold the office of Prime Minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs. You have no mandate from the people, and the Government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what? Activists from the main parties flooded Mid-Bedfordshire over the summer in anticipation of the former Cabinet Minister finally triggering the contest. Labours candidate, Alistair Strathern, has already faced controversy after it emerged that he had taken part in a zombie-themed publicity stunt for Greenpeace. Activists from the main parties flooded Mid-Bedfordshire over the summer in anticipation of the former Cabinet Minister finally triggering the contest Ms Dorries resignation means a by-election will be held in her constituency within week In her interview with this newspaper, Ms Dorries strongly denies the assertion that she had neglected her seat during the summer months. She said: It is nonsense that my constituents have been ignored... thats something the Prime Minister also knew, so I am very disappointed that [he] chose to go out and make comments that my constituents were not being represented when myself and my team of caseworkers have been working daily. It has all kind of come to a head this week. Im actually shocked that the Prime Minister himself has opened the door on free hits at me from anybody who wants to make them throughout the summer. The latest threats this week have made me realise that I have to announce that Im going today. Central to her disenchantment is her claim that a group of very powerful men including Mr Sunak and others who will be named in her book, which is due to be published next month represent a corruption at the heart of our party. Ms Dorries who writes a column for the Daily Mail added: Im a working-class Conservative and the Prime Minister doesnt like... people like me. We cannot have a Conservative government without working-class Conservatives, and I think they are the people he abandoned in 2019. You only have to look back to the days of Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson you dont win a Conservative majority unless you have working-class Conservatives on your side who believe in you and believe what you are offering is going to help them to change their lives for the better and that was on offer in 2019. Its not on offer now. Like many Tory MPs on the Right of the party, she feels that Mr Sunak has betrayed the Tory principles of low taxation and maximising the benefits of Brexit. Ms Dorries accuses Mr Sunak of betraying Conservatism by raising taxes and failing to take full advantage of Brexit. She says he immediately abandoned the manifesto that the British people in 2019 went out and voted for. Ms Dorries added: Levelling-up has been abandoned, the Mental Health Act has run out of time, the opportunities of Brexit just not delivered you saw the bonfire of the legislation just didnt happen. The BBC licence reform has been put on the back burner... so much of it has just simply been abandoned. Our tax take is the highest tax weve had since World War Two. Why would you vote Conservative when everywhere you look it seems the government is imposing measures that attacks anybody who would vote for this government? In her letter, Ms Dorries criticises Mr Sunak for a lack of meaningful regulatory reform for the tech sector, by saying: You flashed your gleaming smile in your Prada shoes and Savile Row suit from behind a camera, but you just werent listening. She also accused the PM who has a home in Santa Monica of issuing platitudes and a speech illustrating how wonderful life was in California. Despite all this, she believes the Tory by-election candidate in Mid-Beds, Festus Akinbusoye, will hold her former seat but only just. She said: When I arrived in 2005 the Conservative majority was only 8,000 after five elections I am leaving it with an almost 25,000 majority. Its a baton Im proud to hand over to the candidate who has been selected to take my place, Festus. Hes a guy who I would urge people to go out and vote for. Vote for Festus, because he has a huge heart. In her letter, Ms Dorries criticises Mr Sunak for a lack of meaningful regulatory reform for the tech sector The MoS spoke to MS Dorries as she was putting the finishing touches to her letter, which argues that Mr Sunak would be in deeper political trouble if Labour had a leader with the winning X factor qualities of a Thatcher, a Blair or a Boris Johnson. She tells him: Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral Tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods because in your impatience to become Prime Minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing. She ends her letter brutally, citing her working-class roots and warning Mr Sunak: I know personally how effective a strong and helping hand can be to lift someone out of poverty and how vision, hope and opportunity can change lives. You have abandoned the fundamental principles of Conservatism. History will not judge you kindly.; The ex-Ukrainian prosecutor fired at Joe Bidens insistence claimed the then-Vice President wanted to stop him investigating his son and even planned to haul Hunter in for questioning. Former Ukraine chief prosecutor Viktor Shokin, 70, made the shocking claims in a little-known video from around 2019. The video has recently resurfaced, along with fresh evidence supporting the theory that Joe had him fired to kill a probe into Burisma, the allegedly corrupt gas firm on whose board Hunter served. Shokin is set to rehash his claims in an interview with Fox News on Saturday evening. Joe Biden had reason to fear that all this would eventually fall on his son, the ex-prosecutor said in the 2019 video. Former Ukranian Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin is accusing Joe and Hunter Biden of 'corruption' Republicans have said Hunter's Burisma entanglement and possible influence in Shokin's firing is evidence of the Biden family's influence peddling scheme When we started to actively move forward with the aim of clarifying this crime and finding who had been guilty of violating Ukrainian laws at Burisma we ended up discovering that the administrators recruited in May-June 2014 were probably involved. These were Devon Archer, Hunter Biden and others. We planned to interrogate Hunter Biden, Devon Archer [but] we did not have time, Shokin said in another interview with Ukrainian news site Strana on May 6 that year. Burisma was accused of evading one billion Ukrainian Hryvnia (up to $63 million) of taxes during Hunters time as a board member in 2014 and 2015, opening up possible liabilities for those signing off on its accounts. The firestorm of controversy over Joes intervention in Ukraine allegedly on his sons behalf has been dubbed a debunked conspiracy theory by the left, but is now being championed by Republicans as a reason for impeaching the president. Shokins claims that he was directly investigating Hunter and was shut down as a result are set to add fuel to the flames. Hunter and his friend Devon Archer both joined the Burisma board in 2014 with a salary of $1 million per year. Devon took his role just days after meeting with Joe at the White House. Burisma owner Mykola Zlochevsky was under investigation by Ukrainian, US and UK authorities at the time for corruptly obtaining gas licenses and alleged fraud. Joe boasted publicly about threatening to withhold $1 billion in US aid to Ukraine in 2015 until Shokin was fired, and was recorded on a call with then-president Petro Poroshenko pushing for the top prosecutors dismissal. Shokin was finally booted from the General Prosecutors Office in March 2016. Stories in the New York Times and Washington Post have dismissed the connection between the events, reporting that the investigation of Burisma was dormant under Shokins 13-month stint as chief prosecutor, and that his firing was pushed by the International Monetary Fund, European Union and US policy due to his lackluster approach to prosecutions. But records obtained by DailyMail.com show Shokin opened and pursued cases against Zlochevsky, seized his assets, and even prosecuted his own staff for letting the oligarch steal away to Cyprus with $23 million temporarily frozen by a British court. Documents published this month show top White House and State Department officials were impressed with his offices work as late as January 2016, while bureaucrats deemed the Ukrainian government made sufficient progress to warrant a $1 billion loan in October 2015, shortly before Biden threatened to withhold the cash. Shokin was promoted from his deputy role to chief prosecutor in February 2015. His predecessor had botched an investigation into Burisma the previous year, failing to provide a UK court with enough evidence to uphold a freeze on Zlochevskys assets. In June 2015 Shokin launched a probe into gas licenses issued while Zlochevsky was environment minister, and another to root out alleged accomplices in the prosecutors office. He met with US ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt the next month, and his office published a press release on the Zlochevsky investigations progress in particular the intensification of cooperation with the British in this direction. Former Ukranian Prosecutor-General Viktor Shokin is accusing Joe and Hunter Biden of 'corruption' In public statements Pyatt slammed the endemic corruption in the prosecutors office, but did not call him out by name. Ukrainian news sites reported two cottages, two land plots, a household of 922 sq.m., a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a trailer belonging to Zlochevsky were seized at Shokins behest in February 2015. Shokin also publicly complained in October that year about the UK court unfreezing Zlochevskys assets, and launched a joint probe with British and European authorities, according to a report in the Kyiv Post. The depiction as dormant has nothing to do with the reality of the facts, Shokin railed in his 2019 video. We were advancing, me and my colleagues, and we were about to reach the outcome of this case. He even committed to his claims in an affidavit filed in a European court in 2020. I was forced out because I was leading a wide-ranging corruption probe into Bursima and Joe Bidens son, Hunter Biden, was a member of the Board of Directors, he wrote. In my conversations with Poroshenko at the time, he was emphatic that I should cease my investigations regarding Burisma. I refused to close this investigation. Therefore, I was forced to leave office, under direct and intense pressure from Joe Biden. On June 11 2015, top State Department official Victoria Nuland replied to a letter from Shokin on then-Secretary of State John Kerrys behalf, saying the department had been impressed with the ambitious reform and anti-corruption agenda of your government. The ongoing reform of your office, law enforcement, and the judiciary will enable you to investigate and prosecute corruption and other crimes in an effective, fair, and transparent manner, Nuland wrote. President Joe Biden addresses the Ukraine Parliament in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2015 A task force of State, Justice and Treasury officials reviewing the proposed $1 billion loan to Ukraine concluded in October 2015 that Ukraine has made sufficient progress on its reform agenda to justify a third guarantee, according to documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by website Just the News. The review did not tie the loan to the dismissal of Shokin, despite Joes later push for his firing. And National Security Council staffer Eric Ciaramella wrote in a January 21 2016 email his team were super impressed with staff from Shokins office after a two-hour meeting with them. But even if Shokins Burisma probe was vigorous, his other corruption investigations were seen to be lacking. The justice chiefs public support in Ukraine was ailing over his failure to prosecute criminals from the corrupt previous administration, and protestors were calling for his and others resignation in street demonstrations in the capital. His image took a serious hit in July 2015 when his dogged deputy David Sakvarelidze found two of Shokins allies and employees had an apartment with bags of $400,000 cash, 65 diamonds, copies of Shokins passports and a Kalashnikov rifle. Sakvarelidzes probe was shelved and he was pushed out of his job, according to a 2019 report by the Independent. From late 2015, Joe ramped up his own efforts to take down Shokin. In the eight days before his eventual sacking in March 2016, Biden phoned Poroshenko four times to hammer home the threat that aid would not be forthcoming without his resignation, his former aides told the LA Times. In a January 2018 talk for the Council on Foreign Relations, Joe boasted that he told Poroshenko at the time: Were not going to give you the billion dollars If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money, adding: Well, son of a b***h, he got fired. Despite the murky dealings of the Ukrainian prosecutors office, testimony from insiders makes it clear that Zlochevsky was concerned about the probe. In testimony to Congress earlier this month, Hunters fellow Burisma board member Devon Archer said the Burisma owner and his executive Vadym Pozharskyi placed constant pressure on Hunter to get help from Washington DC to deal with Shokins probe. Archer claimed he witnessed Hunter and the Burisma owner called DC to discuss the matter in December 2015. Shokin was considered a threat to the business, Archer said during a subsequent interview with Tucker Carlson. Shokin was taking a close look at Burisma, he said. He was a threat. He ended up seizing assets of [Zlochevsky]. Police have launched a fresh appeal for witnesses to the incident on Thursday Police have made a fresh plea for witnesses after an eight-year-old girl fell to her death from a tower block balcony in Portsmouth. Hampshire Constabulary have asked witnesses to the incident on Thursday evening at around 6:50pm to come forward. Emergency services swarmed the scene on Wingfield Street, but were unable to save the child. The 43-year-old mother of the girl was arrested on suspicion of neglect but has since been released on police bail until November 24 as inquiries continue. The child has not yet been named. A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out, and an inquest to be opened and adjourned by the Portsmouth coroner next week. A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: 'We are appealing for witnesses following the death of an eight-year-old girl in Portsmouth. Police were called to reports of a child having fallen from a balcony on Wingfield Street, Portsmouth Police were called at 6.50pm on Thursday, 24 August to reports of a child having fallen from a balcony Police at the scene in Buckland, Portsmouth, where a young girl has tragically died The eight-year-old girl fell from the balcony of a tower block on Wingfield Street in Portsmouth Officers are in the area conducting enquiries throughout the day 'We were called at 6.50pm on Thursday to reports of a child having fallen from a balcony on Wingfield Street, Portsmouth. 'We attended along with our colleagues from South Central Ambulance Service who treated the eight-year-old girl, who subsequently died. Her family have been informed. 'A 43-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of neglect of a child and has been released on initial police bail until November 24. 'Following this incident we would like to speak to anyone who saw what happened on the balcony before the girl fell. 'Anyone with information should call 101, or you can visit the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary website: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/. 'You can also call Crimestoppers to give information 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111.' SNP leader Humza Yousaf has admitted his new leadership programme will 'p*** some people off' as he insisted Scottish independence 'is closer than ever'. Mr Yousaf showed he is not afraid to ruffle a few feathers within the SNP as he called for 'bold and radical' policies which would allow Scotland to achieve the prosperity of Norway and Austria. Speaking to the SNP South Scotland Regional Assembly in Dumfries, Mr Yousaf pledged to pursue 'humane migration' and 'the climate emergency' - part of a bid to repopulate rural areas of Scotland. When asked if the Scottish Government supported the development of the Rosebank oilfield, Mr Yousaf said he wasn't convinced and the focus should be on renewables. Mr Yousaf said: 'My programme for government is probably going to p*** off some people. The SNP is best when it's radical and when it's bold. There are people with a vested interest in the status quo.' SNP leader Humza Yousaf showed he is not afraid to ruffle a few feathers within the SNP as he called for 'bold and radical' policies which would allow Scotland to achieve the prosperity of Norway and Austria He defended the appointment of new SNP chief executive Murray Foote, pictured, who stepped down from his previous comms role for misleading the press over membership figures, praising his 'transparency and openness' Scotland's first minister also said the support for independence had never been stronger despite 'some of the most difficult weeks and months' in their party's history. He defended the appointment of new SNP chief executive Murray Foote, who stepped down from his previous comms role for misleading the press over membership figures, praising his 'transparency and openness'. Mr Yousaf said: 'Independence is now closer than it ever has been. It is closer than ever.' He dismissed the prospect of dissent from rebel SNP MSPs over the Bute House Agreement and insisted he would be achieve Scottish independence. Mr Yousaf said: 'We want a legally binding referendum. 'That's my job to lead the party to independence.' Mr Yousaf admitted there were divisions within SNP but insisted independence 'is closer now than it ever has been' with nearly 75,000 SNP members. He said: 'It's so important first of all, that even in the face of let's be frank, some of the most difficult weeks and months in our party's history, support for independence remains rock solid.' This comes just weeks after Mr Yousaf admitted he was among those who wondered if a police probe into the SNP's finances influenced predecessor Nicola Sturgeon's surprise decision to quit. He said his first thought when her husband Peter Murrell - the party's former chief executive - was arrested in April was that the investigation may have been a factor. But he insisted he does not believe his predecessor 'knew what people are accusing her of' when she announced she was standing down as First Minister. Mr Yousaf admitted he was among those who wondered if a police probe into the SNP's finances influenced predecessor Nicola Sturgeon's surprise decision to quit He made the unguarded remarks in an appearance at the Edinburgh Festival. Asked by comedian Matt Forde whether the first arrests and revelations about a motorhome being seized led him to believe it was the reason for Ms Sturgeon's resignation, Mr Yousaf said: 'I think everybody had that thought. 'But I genuinely believe Nicola when she says you know, we've not talked about the police investigation but going by her public commentary that she said 'Look, I did not know what was going on'.' It came as a senior SNP MP said that Ms Sturgeon's arrest in June - later released - had upset her honeymoon. Westminster deputy leader Mhairi Black said her original honeymoon was interrupted by Boris Johnson resigning last year, and a second trip away as compensation this year was disrupted as 'the second day in there's a tent put up outside Nicola Sturgeon home'. Ms Sturgeon was arrested as part of the police investigation into using 600,000 of donations earmarked for an independence campaign, and quizzed for seven hours before being released. She has denied any wrongdoing. The 52-year-old stood down as both SNP leader and first minister in March, since when there have been several dramatic developments in the probe. Mr Murrell was arrested and there was a two-day police search of the couple's Glasgow home in April. Revelers have started to arrive for Burning Man after Hurricane Hilary passed Revelers have started to arrive for Burning Man after Hurricane Hilary failed to wash away the 80,000-strong annual festival of hedonism. Despite being threatened with delays when torrential rainfall and gusty winds blew through Nevada, the annual counter-culture juggernaut is underway. Stalwarts showed up as early as Wednesday waiting for the $575-a-ticket event to open its doors, undeterred by the water sitting on the clay bed site. The week-long festival, a magnet for an estimated 70,000 people each year, purports to celebrate 'self-expression, self-reliance and the rejection of corporatism and capitalism' with activities such as spank banks, polygasms and, of course, the chance to watch a gigantic man built of wood go up in flames. Friends or strangers often join variously-themed groups or camps, as they are known. An aerial view of the campsite getting ready to host revelers for its 2023 event The temporary city begins to take shape ahead of this year's Burning Man Sistress Mirage from Estonia moved to United States eight years ago and its getting ready for her third Burning Man The week-long festival has become a magnet for an estimated 70,000 people each year Ginaa Delehoyt from Portland prepares for Burning Man 2023 'Moonshine' from Nevada City getting ready for her eighth Burning Man Renee Hansen has been to Burning Man 13 times while her best friend, Darla Fink, has attended for the past 16 years Their art car Sparky Pony is just one of the fun vehicles at the event Twenty miles from the entrance to Burning Man at an encampment used as a storage yard for abandoned vehicles from prior Burning Mans, members of 'Root Piles' a southern themed Blue Grass camp were getting ready to enter the Playa the dry clay bed where the event is staged. Team leader Alex Esch, 37, told DailyMail.com hes been working non-stop for the past two weeks getting ready. 'I cant wait for it to begin; this is my second Burn and I plan on being here every year from here on out,' says Esch, who drove 2,400 miles from Pittsburgh. First time Burners father and son, John, 45, and Brandan Ocheske, 18, from Salem, Oregon, are helping with handyman work and construction on the camp. 'We are doing this together as father and son, its a once in a lifetime experience,' said the senior Ocheske, who has 30 years of construction business. He found the 'Root Pile' theme camp on Facebook, contacted them and was invited to join. Rootpile's mission is to bring Bluegrass music, Bluegrass musical instrument instruction and Southern food and culture to the burn. Liz Bugarti, 35, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and husband brought their son Silas, four Light Up the World store owner has attended for the past 15 years Eugemi from Ukraine an girlfriend Martina from Poland came for their first run at the event An art car destined for Burning Man waits in a Reno-area store parking lot Richard from Boston has been to Burning Man for the last ten years Burning Man town getting ready for the start of the event in Playa City Black Rock City Burning Man town getting ready for the start of the event in Playa City Black Rock City Ocheske said the price of going to Burning Man is steep, $575 for a ticket plus transportation to the area and 'camp' fees (food included) which can be anywhere from $500-$2000 depending on what amenities each camp has to offer. Some of those amenities include a toilet with running water, hot shower, three southern meals every day and a yurt to sleep in. He said both he and his son, got a break on the camp fees since they are 'working' at the camp helping repair the bathrooms and shower trailers. A blue check mark on the door means the toilet is working. DailyMail.com also spoke with the colorful Gary 'Pop Tart' Allen, a 66-year-old with dyed pink scraggly hair wearing short shorts from Great Cranberry Island, Maine. 'Pop Tart' said this was his tenth Burn and hes been staying in the area waiting for the festivities to begin for the past few weeks. 'I love Burning Man, I live a Burning-Man lifestyle,' he told DailyMail.com. 'The island where I live has only 50 people on it with no stores. We do what we have to do to survive, beg, barter and or build. Ill be out here every year until the day I die or cant make it anymore.' While you can drive into La Playa and park your motor vehicle, you are not allowed to use it within the Black Rock Desert site. Only electric bikes, regular bikes and art cars are permitted. Local Reno sisters Renee Hansen and Darla Fink, both veterans of the event with 13 and 16 Burns respectively, say they are bringing their art car they call 'My Little Sparkle Pony' to the event, poking fun at the sparkle ponys who attend the event. A 'Sparkle Pony' is a person who comes to the festival with suitcases filled with fabulous clothing, makeup but who doesnt bring the basic supplies necessary for everyday survival food, water and sunscreen. Goggles are available for attendees to purchase Barbara Cornicioiu, 46 from NY, and her friend Tom look set to celebrate The Burning Man office in the city of Gerlach 'Sistress Mirage' will be working at the Baazar where local designers sell goods Stalwarts showed up on Wednesday waiting for the event to open its doors Event-goers are tasked with leaving no trace of their stay on La Playa. No food scraps, cigarette butts, even feathers or wood chips may be left behind. All of this is Anything that is not original to the land known as MOOP, matter out of place must be taken out. But thats not always the case with young Burners according to Richard Quist, 42, who originally hails from Boston. Hes attended 10 Burns and after seeing the amount of bicycles left on the Playa, he decided to turn one Burners trash into cold hard cash. 'Thousands of bikes are abandoned at the Playa each year. We took several of the abandoned bikes from last year and repaired them and now we are selling them back to the people,' he told us. He is hoping to get $100 for each bike, he has several hundred sitting on an empty lot on the outskirts of Gerlach, the town nearest the site. 'Im hoping this week business will pick up, I've only sold ten bikes so far for $60 each, a lot less than the $100 I was hoping to get. The construction people at Burning Man dont have the money like the normal event goers so I am hoping to make a lot more money this weekend.' Buying a used bike for $60 to take into the Playa, Martina Bycznksa, 28, from Poland and her boyfriend, Eugene Shen, 31, from Ukraine are attending their first Burning Man. Martina flew in a few weeks ago and is exited to attend her first burn. 'I dont know what to expect, but Im going to have a good time,' she said. Their minivan was loaded with alcohol, food, watermelon and plenty of water. They planned on sleeping in their rented vehicle. Cars, buses, motorhomes, vans and campers, etc. are allowed on the property to camp in - but not to explore or get from one place to another on the property. Burning Man is known as much for the unusual outfits and Glen Gray, the owner of a pop-up shop called Light UP World, makes sure Burners have what they need to dress up. His shop sells custom clothing, Playa faux fur coats, dusk goggles and illuminated lights. Gray. who has attended 20 Burns and has been in business selling his goods for the past 15 years, says he loves Burning Man. 'As far as accessories I have everything you need to attend, I have custom made Tutus for Tutu Tuesday, a Burning Man tradition where all Burners where their best Tutu's all day and night, and handmade faux fur coats that light up that costs up to $750. 'During the days temperatures can reach 100 but at night in the desert it can get down to 50 degrees.' Scott Seibt of Dallas works on the Burning Man vehicle 'Janky Bus' in a Reno-area parking lot prior to departure to Black Rock City Vehicles staged up in a Reno-area parking lot waiting to depart for Burning Man Campervans make their way into Black Rock City for the week-long festival Moose Maravilla of Oakland waits for the rest of his Burning Man caravan to depart a Reno-area parking lot Burning Man is not just for adults. Liz Bogart and her partner brought their four-year-old son, Silas, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in an old school bus. 'We have been to 12 burns and Silas has been to three so far. There are a lot of kids at Burning Man, there is plenty of things for them to do. 'As far as "adult activities", thats done while he is sleeping,' she revealed. Bogart said they spent about $25,000 on this trip, including the cost of the 'several thousand dollar used school bus.' 'Conductor' works in construction, and Bogart said: 'I sell weed for a living, I work all hours of the day.' Barbara Cornicioiu, a 46-year-old attorney from New York City, will be at her third Burn. No business suit for her she was wearing large, oversized sunglass, tight black shorts and a short tank top with a multi-colored silk coat and platform metallic boots. 'I like to dress like this. I am wearing these clothes to go help build a camp. I love fashion. This is normal for me,' Cornicioiu said. 'I love going to see the art, the people, everything about Burning Man.' There have been reports that up to 80,000 will be at this years event. While the event is sold out, there are several tickets available from online marketplaces, like Facebook for as low as $150 and parking passes can be had for $50. Pakistani police are tracking a mobile phone SIM card belonging to a British father on the run after his ten-year-old daughter was found dead at home, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Urfan Sharif, 41, his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, fled the UK a day before Sara Sharif's body was found in Woking earlier this month. Surrey Police, who have launched an international manhunt for the trio, said they are wanted for questioning over the murder of Sara. Last night, detectives in Pakistan said they are confident they will track down the fugitives in the next 'day or two', after a nationwide search led them to raid ten properties and question some of Sharif's family members. Taxi-driver Sharif and Batool, as well as Malik who was living in the UK on a student visa bought one-way tickets to Pakistan worth 5,000 before fleeing. Accompanying them were five children, aged between a year and 13. Pakistani police are closing in on 'murdered' Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif (pictured) after they tracked his mobile phone's SIM card Ten-year-old Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking earlier this month Surrey Police said Sharif called them by dialling 999 from Pakistan, which led detectives to make the grim discovery at the family council house in the early hours of August 10. Their Pakistani counterparts revealed last night they are closing in on Sharif, Batool and Malik. after they identified an active Pakistani SIM card registered in Sharif's name. The SIM has recently been used by someone in the sprawling city of Jhelum, which lies about 70 miles from the capital Islamabad. Khurram Ali, a senior police official in Rawalpindi, who is leading the country-wide manhunt for the three, said: 'We have traced a mobile phone SIM card which is registered under the name of Urfan Sharif and is being actively used by someone in Jhelum.' Police searches for the three have focused on Jhelum, in the Punjab region, as Sharif's wider family live in the city. The trio secretly visited one of Sharif's brothers, Imran, on August 10, the very day police discovered Sara's body back in Surrey. Imran Sharif a shopkeeper in the city who has since been questioned by police said that his two brothers and sister-in-law told him they returned to attend the funeral of one of her relatives in Mirpur in the Kashmir area, and left shortly afterwards. Police believe Sharif, Batool and Malik may be hiding in Jhelum, possibly being aided by their relatives. Nasir Bajwa, the district police chief in Jhelum, said last night that he was confident his force would catch the three soon. Urfan Sharif, 41, his wife Beinash Batool (pictured left), 29, and his brother Faisal Malik (pictured right), 28, fled the UK a day before Sara's body was found Police forensic officers working at the house in Hammond road, Horsell, Woking, where Sara's dead body was found Flowers and tributes are laid outside the home of Sara Sharif following her death He said: 'We are very close to him [Sharif]. I can't divulge all the information, but we would catch him very soon, in a couple of days or so.' He added: 'We are coordinating operations at various places in and outside Jhelum, and will soon get him.' Surrey Police said that a post-mortem examination on Sara's body could not establish the cause of death. But it revealed the little girl had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' which were 'likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time'. As a result, the police have widened their investigation and are now appealing to the public to piece together her life in the months and days leading up to her death. Last week, the mother of a girl who was at school with Sara in nearby Byfleet, revealed that Sara stopped going to school a day after she was seen with cuts and bruises on her face. The mother, only identified as Jessica, told the BBC her daughter saw Sara at St Mary's Primary School about four months ago with injuries on her face and neck. Jessica said: 'My daughter had asked what had happened, and she said she'd fallen off a bike and then kind of walked away. 'The next day the teacher announced she had left school and she was being home-schooled.' It was also reported last week that Sara was taken out of school by her parents after she was bullied by other pupils for wearing the hijab, the Islamic head dress. Relatives of Sharif revealed that he has married three times, first to a cousin in Pakistan. But after he arrived in the UK on a student visa around 15 years ago, he divorced his first wife, and married Sara's mother, Polish national Olga Domin, 36, with whom he also had an elder son, aged 13. After divorcing Olga, he then married Beinash, who was born in Luton. They have had three children together. Additional reporting: Piriyanga Thirunimalan Three Kentucky high schoolers were arrested after they took video of themselves telling their teachers they had a bomb or gun as part of a dangerous new TikTok prank. There have been four different bomb threats at two different schools at Oldham County High School and South Oldham High School since the new school year began on August 9. Police said three of the students, whose names have not been disclosed because they are minors, are now facing charges of terroristic threats though the threats were deemed 'empty' threats designed to rack up social media views. Oldham County School Director of Student Services Eric Davis told WDRB News that 'this is what will happen - it is not an 'if' or a 'maybe' - but will happen if you make these types of threats even if it is a joke.' He added, 'it's been a huge disruption... a huge disruption. This has been a difficult start I think mainly due to this social media rage.' Oldham County Schools said that all four students have been suspended. They've also been ordered to undergo a mental health screening before returning to class. Oldham County School Director of Student Services Eric Davis told WDRB News 'that 'this is what will happen - it is not an 'if' or a 'maybe' - but will happen if you make these types of threats even if it is s a joke.' Police said three of the students, whose names have not been disclosed because they are minors, are now facing charges of terroristic threats Students started the new school year on August 9 The challenge encourages students to video themselves telling a teacher they have a bomb or a gun in their backpack. Though the threats are reportedly 'empty' ones, school officials are concerned and cracking down on the disturbing behavior. Since the frightening incidents, all of the TikTok videos have been removed at the district's request. When there is a report of a threat, school resources officers are required to check the building and search lockers and backpacks and question students. Officials are understandably tetchy and reluctant to dismiss any threat, should in case they find themselves becoming the site of the next school shooting. The district also issued a letter last week to parents and their students. 'As previously communicated in a letter to families regarding terroristic threatening, students who participate in this type of behavior face serious consequences,' the message stated. 'In addition to school-level discipline, students are prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law for making a threat to a public school.' District officials asked parents to talk to their children about the new TikTok trend and talk about the consequences they can face with making a threat. They also encouraged that their child's social media accounts are monitored more closely and to notify the authorities of anyone threatening violence. 'Whether written or spoken, all threats are taken seriously and students need to know the repercussions of these actions, both short and long term,' the statement read. 'Even if they are not credible threats, they can cause a great deal of stress or anxiety for our students, families and staff.' Davis said no one was hurt, and said the district 'is going to take every single threat seriously because our students deserve to go to a school that is safe.' Hundreds of volunteers have joined the biggest search for the elusive Loch Ness Monster in 50 years this weekend. Despite no appearance from Nessie herself yet unexplained sounds have been logged near the beasts favourite Scottish haunt. The Loch Ness Centre and the Loch Ness Exploration, an independent research team, will scour the waters for the beast using drones with infra-red cameras and underwater detectors. Volunteers will help to record any natural and unusual sights on Loch Ness from vantage points on land. It comes just days after a holidaymaker claimed to have spotted a 'black shape' in the water. On Saturday and Sunday, scientists and volunteers will scan the waters in the biggest search since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch back in 1972. Nessie hunters have been sharing pictures of themselves looking out for the famed beast this weekend Hundreds of volunteers have joined the biggest search for the elusive Loch Ness Monster in 50 years. Pictured: A shape believed to be the monster which is now thought to be a hoax Today and tomorrow, scientists and volunteers will scan the waters in the biggest search since the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau studied the loch back in 1972. Pictured: An aerial view of Loch Ness Throughout the weekend, eagle-eyed members of the public will be tasked with keeping a close watch over the loch for any breaks in the water, movements, or even a rare sighting of the famous inhabitant. Pictured: Another Nessie hunter looks out for the beast The plan is to combine new technology to scan and listen to underwater signals from Nessie while volunteers watch the surface of the water to spot any monster moves. In spite of the lack of conclusive proof, those involved in the operation recorded four tantalising unexplained sounds in an area said to be one of Nessies favourites over the years. Ian McKenna, of Loch Ness Exploration, said of the noises, which were detected in the Urquhart Bay area: They were picked up by hydrophones yesterday when we were setting up the equipment and there were four distinct sounds. We cant say it was Nessie just that they are unexplained. The Loch Ness Centre is located at the old Drumnadrochit Hotel, where it is said manageress Aldie Mackay reported seeing a 'water beast' in Loch Ness 90 years ago. Nessie hunters want to solve the age-old mystery once and for all. But, if the famed beast is not found, the Loch Ness Centre hope to at least inspire 'a new generation of monster hunters' to carry on the search. Throughout the weekend, eagle-eyed members of the public will be tasked with keeping a close watch over the loch for any breaks in the water, movements, or even a rare sighting of the famous inhabitant. The search involved 200 volunteers near the loch, with a further 300 people providing virtual assistance online while media have flown in from around the world, with camera crews on site from Japan and the US. Surveying equipment that has never been used on Loch Ness will be utilised to uncover the secrets of the mysterious waters. Drones using infrared cameras will capture thermal images from the water, and a hydrophone will detect acoustic signals - such as Nessie-like calls - from under the surface. But, for those who cannot make it to the shores of the loch, several cameras have been set up, meaning people from all over the world can take part in the quest to catch a glimpse of Nessie. Paul Nixon, general manager of the Loch Ness Centre, said: 'The interest in our weekend of activities has been fantastic, and to see how people from all around the world are still fascinated by the story of the Loch and Nessie. 'We want anyone in the world to be able to help, which is why we are looking for budding monster hunters from anywhere to log in to the live stream of the Loch over the weekend and see if they spot anything mysterious. Members of the public are seen in Drumnadrochit ahead of what is being described as the biggest search for the Loch Ness Monster Steve Valentine, 44, was left completely stunned when he saw a 'black shape' floating above the water as he and his family returned back to the dock while on a boat trip Mr Valentine was on the Deepscan vessel (pictured) which can take up to 12 people out onto the water to learn about Nessie 'We can't wait to see what we find.' There have been four sightings so far this year of the Loch Ness Monster - and a recently discovered cave system, that would be a 'perfect' lair. The last sighting was recorded by a tourist on a boat trip. Steve Valentine, 44, was visiting from Urmston in the Manchester area with his family when he saw something from the Deepscan boat as they were returning from a loch tour at around 1pm on August 17. He said: 'I just saw a black shape in the water. It was when we were returning to the dock near to Urquhart Castle. I lost sight of it when the boat turned, but managed to get a quick photo from a distance.' Charlotte Robinson's photo of the elusive beast has been branded the best picture in years. She had been staying at the Loch Ness Highland Lodges at Invermoriston nack in 2018 when something popped up in the water 50 feet from the bank. Grabbing her camera, Charlotte was able to snap a picture of a blob in the water which apparently surfaced for a minute before disappearing again, reports the Mirror. Charlotte had been on holiday with her parents Kat and Dave when the incident occurred at about 7pm one evening. Describing the moment she came face to face with 'Nessie', Charlotte explained she knew there had been 'something' there. She said: 'There was something in the water about 50 feet from the shore. I took a photo. It had a neck and head was in the shape of a hook. 'I just took what I saw. It was black - I just don't know how far it was out of the water. I'm not good at judging distances. 'But after about a minute it disappeared and then came back up again in a different place. It was up for less than a minute the second time. 'I kind of believed in Nessie, but I wanted to see the proof. I always imagined her as having a long neck and flippers. I have seen something but I'm not sure what.' The third sighting on June 15 Nessie is considered the best so far this year and was photographed by a French tourist. Pharmacist Etienne Camel from Lyon said he and his wife Eliane were baffled by what they saw. For around three minutes they witness a dark shape 15-20 metres (49 feet to 65 ft) long on the surface of the calm loch before disappearing. 'It was quite strange, I am a man of science so I never believed that the Loch Ness Monster is a prehistoric animal. But when I was taking a picture I saw this long, long shadow. I called my wife over and we saw the shadow move. There were waves,' said Mr Camel. Charlotte Robinson at Loch Ness where she took a photo of what she thinks is the Loch Ness Monster The grainy picture appears to show an object moving out of the grey water Over the years there have been thousands of 'Nessie sightings' at Loch Ness 'It was 15-20 metres long and was about 150 metres away. It was quite strange and then it disappeared.' It was logged by the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register. Nessie expert Steve Feltham, who has set a world record for the longest vigil of looking for the Loch Ness Monster - now over 30 years long from his Dores base - said: 'This sighting is quite interesting, the best so far this year, and is very tantalising. It is in an area of the loch where you get little speedboat activity. Clearly it is something quite large.' It was on April 14, 1933, hotel manageress Mrs Aldie Mackay reported seeing a 'whale-like fish' in the waters of Loch Ness. As she and her husband drove, she glanced out across the still calm waters of towards Aldourie Castle. There, in the water, she saw something. Mrs Mackay's sighting was reported in the Inverness Courier on 2 May 1933 by Alex Campbell, the water bailiff for Loch Ness and a part-time journalist. It is widely regarded as the first 'modern sighting' of a monster in the loch. In 2019, Prof Neil Gemmell, a geneticist from the University of Otago in New Zealand, trawled Loch Ness and found no evidence of plesiosaur DNA. A holidaymaker captured incredible pictures of what looks like the Loch Ness monster from the hotel he was staying in a mile away Hundreds of Nessie enthusiasts are gearing up to take part in the biggest organised hunt for the mysterious creature in 50 years However, he found lots of eel DNA, and posited that there may be giant eels in Loch Ness which might be behind the Nessie sightings. Unfortunately, DNA gives no indication of size. In 2020 startling images of a large creature inhabiting the depths of Loch Ness were captured on sonar off Invermoriston by skipper Ronald Mackenzie aboard his Spirit of Loch Ness tourist boat. They were said to be the 'most compelling' evidence of the existence of a Loch Ness Monster. It left experts astounded by the clarity of the image of an object, estimated then to be 32 feet long, hovering 62 feet above the bottom and over 500 feet down. Leading sonar expert Craig Wallace described the sonar images as 'very curious' 'large, clear and distinct contacts, all strangely near to the loch bed' and '100 percent genuine'. According to Google, there are around 200,000 searches each month for the Loch Ness Monster, and around 120,000 for information and accommodation close to Loch Ness. The monster mystery is said to be worth 30m to the region. Irish missionary St Columba is first said to have encountered a beast in the River Ness in 565AD. The official register has now logged 1159 sightings from records and other evidence stretching back through the centuries. Russian forces have struck a cafe in a key front-line area in north-eastern Ukraine, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials have said. The shelling near the city of Kupiansk could be an attempt by Russia to reclaim the area after it was captured by Kyiv in a lightning counteroffensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation. Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk, after fierce fighting prompted by fears of a Russian takeover. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post that Russian shells earlier today struck the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupiansk. Rescue teams were working at the site. UK military intelligence earlier today assessed that Russia may 'increase the intensity of its offensive efforts' around Kupiansk and nearby Lyman in an attempt to take pressure off its forces near Bakhmut and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly made gradual gains. War crime prosecutors work at the site of a shelling in the village of Podoly near Kupiansk, Kharkiv region where two people were reportedly killed and one person was wounded Tatyana Skrypnikova, 60, who sustained light shrapnel wounds, stands among debris of the house of her neighbours destroyed following a shelling in the village of Zaoskillya, near Kupiansk earlier this month Local residents walk past a destoyed building in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region on August 17 READ MORE HERE: Russia war: Ukraine launches missile strike on airfield housing Putin's supersonic bombers Advertisement Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian defence ministry, said in a regular briefing today that Moscow's forces had 'improved their position along the front line' in the Kupiansk area and repelled five Ukrainian assaults over the previous day. He did not give further details regarding any troop movements. After the Russian occupiers left Kupiansk last year, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers and mass graves in the region. Also today, a new drone attack on Moscow forced an early-morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported. Officials blamed Ukraine for what appeared to be the latest of near-daily strikes on the Russian capital and the surrounding region. Kyiv has sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia since the start of the year, saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. Russia's defence ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Red Square. Mr Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. Ukrainian servicemen ride atop of an armoured personnel carrier past a destroyed building in the town of Kupiansk, Kharkiv region on August 17 An aerial view of a church destroyed by a Russian missile strike in Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine on August 10, which killed three people Damage caused by a Russian missile strike on a civil building in Zaporizhzhia on August 10 According to Russia's state Tass agency, the Sheremetevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports all suspended flights for over an hour on Saturday. Russian Telegram channels posted videos, some of them apparently from home security cameras, of what they claimed was Russian air defence downing the drone. One video shows a car parked outside what appears to be suburban home, its alarm beginning to blare seconds after two loud blasts sound in the distance. Russia's defence ministry blamed Ukraine for the attack. As of Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities had not said whether Kyiv had any involvement. Russia and Ukraine traded multiple drone attacks earlier this week, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow and the Kremlin's forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics. Also this week, Kyiv claimed it had destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defence system in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian media also claimed that Ukrainian saboteurs co-ordinated by Kyiv's military intelligence services carried out a pair of recent drone attacks that destroyed and damaged bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky sings Ukraine's national anthem during a ceremony marking Ukraine's Independence Day, in Kyiv on August 24 Yesterday Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian military's ground forces, said that Russia is regrouping in the Moscow-controlled eastern part of Ukraine in order to resume an offensive. 'After a month of fierce fighting and significant losses in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, the enemy is regrouping its forces and means, simultaneously throwing newly formed brigades and divisions from the territory of the Russian Federation,' Syrskyi said in his Telegram channel. Syrskyi said that the main goal of these measures was to 'increase the level of combat potential and resume active offensive operations'. Syrskyi did not provide details of the Russian regrouping but said the forces continued heavy artillery and mortar shelling and air assaults. 'Under such conditions, we must promptly take all measures to strengthen our defences on the threatened lines and advance where possible,' the general said. Kupiansk, a town with a pre-war population of around 27,000, was seized by Russia in the early days of the February 2022 invasion before Ukrainian troops recaptured it in a lightning offensive last September that embarrassed Moscow. Meanwhile on Friday, three Ukrainian pilots died after two L-39 trainer aircraft collided over a region west of the capital, the country's air force said in a statement today. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is counting on swift training of Ukrainian crews to fly up to 61 F-16 fighter jets promised by his Western allies, said the three men included Andriy Pilshchykov, 'a Ukrainian officer, one of those who greatly helped our state'. The investigation is ongoing, he added in his nightly video address: 'It is too early to discuss details. Certainly, all circumstances will be clarified.' The air force said the crash occurred in Zhytomyr region in central Ukraine. Pilshchykov, who used the callsign 'Juice', had become well known after giving numerous interviews to international media, it said. 'We express our condolences to the families of the victims. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us,' the air force wrote on the Telegram app. Zelenskiy offered condolences to the pilots' families and added, 'Ukraine will never forget anyone who defended the free skies of Ukraine'. by Steve Taylor and Orin Langelle Valued for its termite-resistant wood for building purposes, pulp to create products like writing and toilet paper, and its oil, which has numerous health and household benefits, the eucalyptus tree generates big business worldwide. Native to Australia and Tasmania, the prehistoric tree has been planted in such volumes that eucalyptus plantations cover some 25 million hectares around the globelarger than the entire land area of the United Kingdom. By 2028, according to forecasts, the global eucalyptus oil market is projected to exceed $213 million, while the worldwide market for eucalyptus pulp will expand to nearly $17 billion. Eucalypt clonal forests, Veracel Company, Brazil [Photo:researchgate.net] But the eucalyptus industry has a dark side. Eucalyptus plantations growing in regions spanning South America, southern Africa, southern Europe, and Australia have significant detrimental impacts on local communities and biodiversity. Communities located near eucalyptus plantations are likely to face water shortagesas these plantations utilize huge amounts of waterand pollution from agrochemicals, including exposure to glyphosate, which has been linked to various health problems, including increased cancer risk. In addition, the presence of eucalyptus trees leaves and roots hinders the growth of other plants beneath them because they contain a biocidal oil that inhibits the survival and decomposition of most soil bacteria that come into contact with them. Brazil is the worlds largest eucalyptus producer. With an estimated 7.6 million hectares of eucalyptus plantations, Brazil maintains 30 percent of the worlds total eucalyptus trees. In eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Bahia and Espirito Santo, these plantations have replaced the diverse and endemic Atlantic Forest ecosystem, with some municipalities seeing nearly three-quarters of their land area being covered by eucalyptus plantations. Large corporations such as Suzano, Fibria, and Veracel dominate this industry, exporting eucalyptus as pulp for manufacturing products like toilet paper. New Forest Threat: Genetically Engineered Eucalyptus Genetically engineered (GE) varieties of eucalyptus trees are poised to exacerbate a new wave of ecological and social destruction. Brazil has approved seven varieties of genetically engineered trees. Current plantations rob regions of water, destroy wildlife habitat, and transform large swaths of land within the Cerradoan expansive, biodiverse tropical biome situated in eastern Brazilinto unnatural, destructive monoculture farms: rows upon rows of non-native eucalyptus trees without vegetation in their understory. Many traditional communities and Indigenous people have opposed the spread of these plantations in the country. Varieties of GE eucalyptus are pesticide-resistant and are likely to increase the use of toxic chemicals such as Roundup, the glyphosate-based weedkiller developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, which is the worlds most used herbicideand was acquired by Bayer in 2018. Other engineered traits, such as increased growth rates, could make the trees more profitable for the pulp and paper industry but significantly more harmful to the environment. International Opposition to GE Eucalyptus The Campaign to STOP GE Trees is an international alliance of organizations working to halt the introduction of genetically engineered trees into the natural environment to prevent ecological destruction and harm to local communities. It is an initiative of our U.S.-based organization, Global Justice Ecology Project (GJEP), with support from the Uruguay-based World Rainforest Movement, which advances the cause of social justice in the forests. An international delegation of the campaign, which was organized by GJEP, traveled to Brazil in July 2023 to meet with Indigenous and quilombola communities (descendants of escaped Afro-Brazilian enslaved people), members of the Landless Workers Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, or MST, in Portuguese), government ministries, and academics. The delegations goal was to learn about the history of resistance against the pulp and paper industry in the country and discuss how herbicide-resistant genetically engineered varieties of eucalyptus trees could increase the use of toxic herbicides and amplify ecological degradation, health impacts, and social injustice. FASE (Federacao de Orgaos para Assistencia Social e Educacional), a group that has been supporting communities opposing eucalyptus plantations for a decade, organized the logistics of the delegation, which included representatives from Argentina, Canada, Chile, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States. Local representatives joined the delegation as it visited several Brazilian ministries to register official demands and testimonies from quilombola and MST community members from northern Espirito Santo and southern Bahia about the devastating impacts of eucalyptus plantations as well as new threats posed by GE eucalyptus trees. The demands that we recorded were from several MST communities that we met with that are doing important agroecological work and have a whole agroecological school training people in the region about how to grow organically, said Anne Petermann, international coordinator of the Campaign to STOP GE Trees. She noted that there were also statements from members of traditional quilombola communities in that region who are suffering, very directly, the impacts of eucalyptus plantations. The delegation also officially presented petitions from Rainforest Rescue, an environmental nonprofit based in Hamburg, Germany, signed by more than 100,000 people opposing the release of GE eucalyptus in Brazil to the ministries and Brazilian National Technical Commission on Biosafety. During the delegations official meeting, Moises Savian, secretary of Brazils Ministry of Agrarian Development, identified corporate interests driving the push for GE eucalyptus. It makes no sense in my vision to have a transgenic [eucalyptus] associated with glyphosate, stated Savian. His comments highlighted the increasingly ubiquitous and dangerous as well as probable cancer-causing herbicide Roundup. It is much more linked to market interests of the corporations that want to sell herbicide, the secretary noted. The Kafkaesque Incentive of Carbon Credits Another motivation behind the push for GE eucalyptus is the Kafkaesque incentive of receiving carbon credits for planting trees. Corporations like Suzanowhich has been called the worlds largest pulp exportercan be rewarded for planting enormous industrial tree monoculturessince they are technically planting trees, they are eligible for carbon creditseven though they first clear-cut and remove the carbon-dense native forests, which release vast amounts of carbon from the forest and the soil. The pulp industry in Brazil has accelerated the growth rate of their eucalyptus trees. This is increasing the already enormous demands on water resources. So problematic is the expansion of eucalyptus monocultures on the hydrology and biodiversity of regions that they are often called green deserts. They look green from a distance but are extremely fast-growing trees planted in perfect rows and columns optimal for mechanical harvesting. The huge plantations do not harbor wildlife, and the only biodiversity you find in them is ants and termites, explained Petermann, who led the delegation that traveled to Brazil. One of the most insidious trends in false solutions to climate change is the idea that living or biological carbon can offset fossil fuel carbon. An expanding landscape of monoculture industrial tree plantations in Brazilwhich rob the forests of biodiversity, displace communities and wildlife, and deplete regions of water resourcesepitomizes the eco-swindle of carbon credits. Joao, a member of a quilombola community, told the delegation that when eucalyptus started being planted in Espirito Santo and Bahia, they removed the native plant cover and all the nutrients from the soil. People [here] used to do agroforestry, would use cover crops, [and would] let the land restbut now, with eucalyptus, there is no rest for the soil. The total eucalyptus plantation area in Bahia is estimated to be about 658,000 hectares, positioning it as the countrys third-largest contributor to industrially cultivated eucalyptus. Dr. Ricarda Steinbrecher, a biologist from the University of London who attended a forum hosted by the delegation, warned of unintended consequences of genetically engineered trees, stating that the risks of GE trees is extremely high in terms of the impact on biodiversity, the people living around it, and the global ecosystem and climate. Not only are current eucalyptus plantations destructive, but the premise that they are superior to natural forests for capturing carbon is also unsound. In 2020, experts published a letter with the Institute of Physics stating that forests are superior to, and irreplaceable by, plantations as agents of terrestrial C [carbon] sequestration. They are harvested with incredibly short growing cycles for pulp and paper production, which releases the carbon back into the atmosphere. But the scheme is profitable for Suzano and other pulp companies since they profit from the production of pulp and paper as well as carbon credits for planting trees. Belem Declaration Brazil is home to numerous biomes, the most famous of which is the Amazon forest. Known as the lungs of the Earth for the massive amounts of carbon dioxide the forest inhales and the oxygen it exhales, the Amazon is the focus of many conservation initiatives and agreements. In early August 2023, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva hosted the Amazon Summit in Belem, the capital of the Brazilian state of Para, during which another conservation agreement was launched. The eight nations party to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACT) released the Belem Declaration, a document aimed to unify the shared objectives of the signatory nations, which are focused on preserving the Amazon and the rights of Indigenous people who live in it. The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30 ) is slated to meet in Belem in 2025. In a press release, however, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) stated that the Belem Declaration fell short of commitments to end deforestation in the Amazon and failed to address the issues related to the continued use of fossil fuels. Nikki Reisch, director of CIELs Climate and Energy Program, stated: The Belem Declaration does not commit to ending deforestation by 2030, or to addressing the primary, intersecting drivers of rainforest lossindustrial agriculture and the extractive and destructive industries that expose primary forests to land conversion. Glaringly absent from the declaration is any mention of the threat that continued production and use of oil and gas poses to the Amazon and the ecosystems, communities, and climate that depend on it. Instead, exploration and development of new oil and gas projects continueeven at the mouth of the Amazon itselfdirectly undercutting leaders pledges to prevent the region from reaching the point of no return. Allowing expansion of fossil fuel extraction in the Amazon is incompatible with human rights, including Indigenous Peoples rights, biodiversity protection, and climate goals. Similar deference to industry interests plagues the Cerrado, where eucalyptus plantations and agribusiness continue to run roughshod over Indigenous and traditional communities and destroy a lesser-known but equally precarious natural ecological system regardless of ostensible ecological concerns and overtures. The Demand for Paper Pulp As the global demand for paper pulp continues to climb, Brazil is expected to be the site of the most significant expansion of these production facilities in South America. Two regions that the Campaign to STOP GE Trees delegation visited are likely to face the negative impacts of the tremendous growth of eucalyptus plantations to feed the pulp and paper industry. Quilombola communities the delegation met with stated that in Espirito Santo, most of the municipal land has been turned into plantations by Suzano. They also explained that tax incentives and infrastructure investment in the Tres Lagoas region by local and federal governments seek to attract investments by the pulp and paper industry to the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where much of the native Cerrado forest has been converted to eucalyptus plantation in the past decade. It is so lucrative that Suzano is building the worlds largest pulp and paper mill in Mato Grosso do Sul. The enormous facility is being built by 10,000 workers, most of whom are stacked in nearby man camps. The mill is expected to employ 10,000 people when completed. The Cerrado Project, as Suzano has deemed it, is in a rural town that has a population of nearly 25,000. The project threatens grave environmental damage to natural habitat and biodiversity, water and air, and a devastatingly precipitous population influx. Additionally, the Chilean corporation Arauco is planning an even larger mill in Mato Grosso do Sul after the scheduled completion of Suzanos behemoth. Robbing Land From Indigenous Communities Land sovereignty of traditional communities has been a politically charged issue in Brazil, and the encroachment on lands belonging to traditional and Indigenous communities by agribusiness was a theme that the delegation heard repeated during its travels through Brazil, including in the affected areas of Espirito Santo, southern Bahia, and Mato Grosso do Sul. Born out of Brazils colonial past and decades of military dictatorship, land distributions in the country are highly inequitable. Agribusiness interests have been incredibly aggressive in the past and continue with this trend currently. What made us lose our land, our culture, was all those persecutions by agribusiness, stated Jose De Souza, an instructor at the Indigenous Ofaie school in Mato Grosso do Sul. The Ofaie was once a large people, he said, noting that such agribusiness pressures almost made them extinct. Once having a population of tens of thousands, the Ofaie now live on a mere 45 hectares after being forcibly relocated twice. Its not an ended thing, said Souza. They destroyed our forests and water. The school where Souza teaches emphasizes Ofaie culture and language in classes often taught outside in the open. The Ofaie land is small but is an oasis of native forest hemmed in by vast stretches of industrial monoculture plantations. The Struggle for Land: The MST Eucalyptus is as central to the Ofaie land struggle as it is to the MST, one of the most significant movements in South America. The group has nearly 2 million members, with hundreds of thousands of Brazils poor living in MST camps as farmers. The MST seeks to reverse Brazils profound inequality of land distribution by occupying land for communal farms. The movement is a lightning rod of controversy in Brasilia, with lawmakers aligned with former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro trying to outlaw the movement. Still, judges have often accepted the MSTs interpretation of Brazilian law that allows unproductive land to be taken. The MST has occasionally included eucalyptus plantations as meeting the definition of unproductive and has occupied and repurposed them for communal farms. The movement has been so successful in its occupation strategy that it is estimated that 460,000 families now live in encampments started by the campaign. The MST is forward-leaning with an eye to the future with agroecology schools that teach how to grow crops and food using agroecological methods. They are now the largest exporters of organic rice in Latin America. Biden Administration Funding Eucalyptus Expansion As the MST, Indigenous people, and traditional communities in Brazil struggle against the spread of industrial eucalyptus plantations, the Biden administration is reportedly funding its expansion. According to a June 2023 article on Mongabay, Biden promised funds from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to conserve the Amazon and other critical Latin American biomes. Yet according to findings published by Mongabay, the debt investment, if approved by Congress, will primarily be funneled into mass-produced eucalyptus in Brazils Cerrado savanna. Mongabay reported that $50 million of the funding would go to Timberland Investment Groups (TIG) plan to expand its planted forest operations, which located its newest office near Suzanos Cerrado Project in Mato Grosso do Sul. PL 490: Curtailing Indigenous Land Rights During the delegations visit to Brazils capital, Brasilia, to meet with ministers and lawmakers, Indigenous peoples held a large demonstration to oppose a proposal, PL 490, a law its supporters claim would bring certainty and fairness to land disputes in Brazil. Opponents, however, argue that the proposal would actually reverse hard-fought gains by Indigenous communities to have their land rights officially recognized. Proposed by Bolsonaro-aligned lawmakers, PL 490 would reset Indigenous land claims to October 1988when the current Brazilian Constitution was adopted after the military dictatorship. Since the lands were taken during the dictatorship, this is a land-grabbing ruse by extractive industries seeking to deny claims of land rights by Indigenous groups and even to erase gains they had made in the past. The Lower House of Congress gave its approval to this bill in May 2023. The push for PL 490 underscores how land sovereignty is a fundamental issue in Brazilian politics and is inextricably linked to the countrys environment and the rights of traditional communities. Monoculture eucalyptus plantations play a central role in the contest over land rights, an issue central to Brazilian politics and ultimately connected to the rights of traditional communities and the worlds environmental health. With the specter of eucalyptus trees engineered for pesticide resistance and the Biden administrations embrace of false solutions to climate change, the balance is being further tipped in favor of the pulp and paper industry in that fight. As Brazil goes, so does the world when it comes to the use of GE-engineered eucalyptus, said Petermann. The significance of the loss of the Cerrado to GE eucalyptus plantations cannot be overstated. Credit Line: This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. Steve Taylor is the press secretary for Global Justice Ecology Project and the host of the podcast Breaking Green. Beginning his environmental work in the 1990s opposing clearcutting in Shawnee National Forest, Taylor was awarded the Leo and Kay Drey Award for Leadership from the Missouri Coalition for the Environment for his work as co-founder of the Times Beach Action Group. Orin Langelle is the director of Langelle Photography. His first assignment was photographing Vietnam War protests during the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami Beach, Florida. He formally studied with Cornell Capa, former executive director of the International Center of Photography in New York. Langelle has photographed on six continents, worked in strategic communications, and co-founded Global Justice Ecology Project. The former SEAL Team Six soldier has taken credit for firing the rounds which killed Osama Bin Laden during a raid in 2011 O'Neill, who was in Frisco to record a podcast at a cigar lounge, was released on $3,500 bond Robert J O'Neill, 47, was arrested in Texas on Wednesday on charges of assault and intoxication The Navy SEAL who shot dead Osama Bin Laden has been arrested in Texas on charges of assault and intoxication. Robert J O'Neill, 47, who has taken credit for firing the shots that killed the former Al-Qaeda leader in a 2011 raid, was detained on Wednesday in Frisco, where he had been recording a podcast at a cigar lounge. Details of the incident have not been disclosed but records show he was booked into jail in Collin County and released on $3,500 bond. Police said he faced a Class A misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury and a Class C misdemeanor charge of public intoxication, the Dallas Morning News said. The case is not O'Neill's first run-in with the law since he rose to fame for his role in Operation Neptune Spear to kill Bin Laden. In 2016, he was arrested in Montana for drink driving but prosecutors later dropped the charges. Details of the incident have not been disclosed but records show he was booked into jail in Collin County and released on $3,500 bond The case is not O'Neill's first run-in with the law since he rose to fame for his role in Operation Neptune Spear to kill Bin Laden. In 2016, he was arrested in Montana for drink driving but prosecutors later dropped the charges. Pictured: His 2016 mugshot Robert J O'Neill, 47, who has taken credit for firing the shots that killed the former Al-Qaeda leader in a 2010 raid, was detained on Wednesday in Frisco, where he had been recording a podcast at a cigar lounge. Pictured with wife Jessica in 2017 He has gone on to become a podcaster and commentator on military issues. In May, O'Neill expressed outrage at the U.S. Navy using a drag queen for a discarded recruitment program. O'Neill, who served for eight years as a member of SEAL Team Six, said on Twitter he 'can't believe [he] fought for this bulls**t.' 'Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter,' he wrote. 'I'm done. China is going to destroy us.' Osama Bin Laden was the head of Al-Qaeda and masterminded the September 11 attacks Former SEAL Team member Robert O'Neil has gone on to become a podcaster and commentator on military issues. The tweet O'Neill sent out picked up more than one million views O'Neill was referencing Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, whose stage name is Harpy Daniels, who announced on TikTok in November that she would be the Navy's first 'digital ambassador.' Kelley was tasked with highlighting her journey from performing on board beginning in 2018 and growing to become an 'advocate' for those who 'were oppressed for years in the service.' A Navy spokesman later said the digital ambassador program was a pilot that ended in March 2023. The program Kelley was part of ran from October 2022 to March 2023 and was designed to 'explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates' for military recruitment. The King is planning to axe an estimated one in five of his middle-management staff to boost the Royal Household's efficiency, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Charles and Camilla are said to be dismayed by what they believe are too many staff doing similar jobs. Nearly a year into his reign, the King is also weary of senior courtiers telling him: 'But that's how the Queen did it.' The cuts will hit Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Windsor Castle and Balmoral which employ hundreds between them and form part of the King's long-held ambition to streamline and modernise the Monarchy. Dozens of workers could be affected. For years, a leaner Monarchy with fewer working Royals potentially seven rather than 11 has been a priority. But the King realises this involves staff reductions. He is said to be acutely conscious of the financial burden a vast household places on the taxpayer. Charles and Camilla are said to be dismayed by what they believe are too many staff doing similar jobs The cuts will hit Buckingham Palace, Sandringham, Windsor Castle and Balmoral which employ hundreds between them and form part of the King's long-held ambition to streamline and modernise the Monarchy 'There is a real feeling that the staffing at all the palaces is too heavy,' said one insider. 'There are far too many assistants to assistants. The King and Queen would prefer to pay people proper wages top to bottom but have less people. 'For instance, there are chefs for them and chefs for the staff. Why, they ask, can't there be one lot of kitchen staff for everyone?' Camilla has made it clear that 'a levelling-up of Royal staff' is needed. She will have a key role in overseeing any changes. 'Her Majesty cannot abide too many people doing the same jobs. Senior housekeeper, executive housekeepers and juniors,' said a source. She has raised the matter with the Master of the Household, Vice-Admiral Sir Tony Johnstone-Burt. Last week the King was welcomed to Balmoral by a guard of honour for the first time since he came to the Throne as he took up residence there for his summer break. Although it was his mother's favourite residence, it does not find the same favour with Camilla. The Mail on Sunday has been told that she has made a conscious decision to stay at nearby Birkhall, the home she has shared with Charles for years in Scotland, because she cannot abide Balmoral's 'flummery'. A source said: 'She is dipping in and dipping out while the King is staying at Balmoral. She is staying at Birkhall where she has a limited number of loyal staff her people.' Just under 500 permanent workers were employed by the Monarchy at the end of March across the royal households, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle (pictured) and Kensington Palace Nearly a year into his reign, the King is also weary of senior courtiers telling him: 'But that's how the Queen did it' Charles has made no secret of his preference for a slimmed-down Monarchy with no 'hangers-on'. In addition to himself and Camilla, this tight-knit team would likely include the Prince and Princess of Wales, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex. But in May Princess Anne told a Canadian news channel that scaling back the Monarchy didn't sound like a good idea, suggesting the Royal Family was already streamlined enough with Harry, Meghan and Andrew no longer carrying out official duties. 'I think 'slimmed-down' was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment,' she said in a rare interview. 'It doesn't sound like a good idea from where I'm standing.' The King also wants to reduce the number of houses in the royal portfolio and has reportedly asked Andrew to leave Royal Lodge in Windsor. In March, Harry and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage as part of the plans. After the Queen's death, Charles notified up to 100 staff at Clarence House, his former official residence, that they could lose their jobs. Many had assumed they would move into the King's new household at Buckingham Palace, but Sir Clive Alderton, the King's top aide, informed staff that some roles would 'no longer be needed'. Private secretaries, the finance office, the communications team and household staff were understood to be affected. This year's annual Sovereign Grant report, which details royal spending, showed 444,000 went on 'exit packages' to 16 members of the late Queen's staff who lost their jobs. Just under 500 permanent workers were employed by the Monarchy at the end of March across the royal households, including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace. Last week the King was welcomed to Balmoral by a guard of honour for the first time since he came to the Throne as he took up residence there for his summer break. Although it was his mother's favourite residence, it does not find the same favour with Camilla In October last year, Camilla axed the centuries-old post of ladies-in-waiting as she thought having a smaller number of staff was 'more with the times'. Her existing staff instead took on the traditional duties of the Monarch's official companions in what was lightheartedly described as a 'two for the price of one' deal. The late Queen had seven devoted ladies-in-waiting when she died. Buckingham Palace declined to comment last night. Thank heavens this year's A-level and GCSE results have now been released. There's nothing as guaranteed to ruin the August holiday for both pupils and their parents than the nerve-racking wait. And this year the anxiety has been amplified by the controversy over the decision in England to make exam marking more rigorous, taking it back to pre-Covid standards. It led to many very disappointed students failing to reach the high grades they had been told to expect from their teachers' assessments. And while that has been brutal for many, the fuss about young people not reaching the grades they hoped for is entirely unrealistic. Thank heavens this year's A-level and GCSE results have now been released (stock image) There's nothing as guaranteed to ruin the August holiday for both pupils and their parents than the nerve-racking wait Not fulfilling one's own expectations and ambitions is a continuing trial throughout the years. And tests are simply a qualification of living we win some and we lose some. If everyone passes then it's a nonsense. Nobody likes to fail it's not just teenagers but tests of some kind or other are with us throughout our days, so it's probably worth getting used to the sobering fact of losing when we are younger rather than older. I'm not alone in regularly having that exam dream where I realise the day has arrived and I am utterly unprepared. When my son was at school I was appalled by the number of parents who were cramming their children with extra classes and tutors to get desirable results. Then, when they got them, those same parents were helicoptering over the university admission documents, instructing their children in putting together an appealing personal statement. Looking back now it's clear that although those parents may have succeeded in their aim of ensuring their children achieved reasonable exam results, once these youngsters were left to their own devices many of them had a terrible time adjusting to the real world one where there was no one leaning over their shoulder to check for errors and push them along. Similarly, in the job market, it is often people who have had an easy ride in their youth who find their failure to win the most difficult. And it's not only young people who can't deal with failure. I was infuriated when, during my career, I learnt that for various fashion awards some designers wouldn't take part unless they knew in advance that they were taking home a trophy. The ability to pick yourself up from rejection and try again, to learn from mistakes and to not be too downcast, are the best lessons to learn. That is far more relevant and helpful than any exam certificate will ever be. Where's the pride in our national grub? For travellers to Italy it takes only a matter of seconds to find a trattoria serving a delicious pasta Bolognese or pollo alla Milanese. In France, there's an old-fashioned bistro offering boeuf bourguignon and celeriac remoulade in every small town. And there's no shortage of tavernas to provide moussaka, stuffed vegetables and Greek salad on every Greek island. The English food that visitors search for roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, bangers and mash, toad in the hole and an apple crumble is now sneered at (STOCK IMAGE) But a restaurant serving traditional English food is now as rare as the Siberian tiger. So where, ask visitors to this country, can they find a traditional English meal? Where can they experience a meal that tallies with their fantasy of the land of Buckingham Palace and Mary Poppins rather than new-age British cuisine, which is invariably a fusion of nationalities? It's no problem to come across a roast lamb marinated in cinnamon and cumin and served with sweet potato chips, or a fruit fool made from kumquat and pomegranate but that doesn't tick the box. The English food that visitors search for roast beef with Yorkshire pudding, bangers and mash, toad in the hole and an apple crumble is now sneered at. From Michelin-starred restaurants to local pubs, these tasty, classic dishes are sadly disappearing from the menu. Vive la bacon butty, is what I say. Irish stars playing a peaky blinder Nationalities seem to each have their cultural season in the sun, and it's clearly now the turn of the Irish. Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy pictured in Oppenheimer Pictured: Charlene McKenna. Nationalities seem to each have their cultural season in the sun, and it's clearly now the turn of the Irish Actors such as Peaky Blinders' Cillian Murphy, with his star turn in Oppenheimer, and heartbreaker Paul Mescal on screen and stage; award-winning films such as The Banshees Of Inisherin and binge-worthy TV series, including Charlene McKenna in Clean Sweep alongside Derry Girls and Blue Lights. Add to that the glut of brilliant contemporary Irish novelists including Louise Kennedy with Tresspasses, the young Colin Walsh and his summer hit Kala, and Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These and the Emerald isle is undeniably leading on points. Rishi's chess grant is a winning move Rishi Sunak has granted 500,000 to promote the teaching of chess and install 100 boards in local parks. It's a fantastic idea. One of the most delightful sights in other European countries is wandering the streets and watching games such as backgammon and cards played on the pavement. Rishi Sunak has granted 500,000 to promote the teaching of chess and install 100 boards in local parks Writing as one who still doesn't know how to play chess, this may spur me on to try again so I can be like those elderly men in Parisien parks spending their afternoons engrossed across the chess board in the open air. We have weathered these storms before There's nothing reassuring about climate change, other than to realise that extraordinary weather events have always been with us. Gigantic Cinema, a brilliant weather anthology by Paul Keegan and Alice Oswald, has lots of examples of writing on the subject. This extract by Gilbert White is a particular favourite as this summer's forest fires devastate tracts of Canada and heatwaves engulf southern Europe: 'The summer of 1783 was full of horrible phenomena alarming meteors and tremendous thunderstorms. 'The country people began to look with a superstitious awe at the red, louring aspect of the sun; and indeed there was reason for the most enlightened person to be apprehensive, for all the while Calabria and part of the isle of Sicily were torn and convulsed with earthquakes, and about that juncture a volcano sprang out of the sea on the coast of Norway.' A former University of Southern California gynecologist pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting multiple women and is now free on $2 million bail. George Tyndall, 76, appeared before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler on Friday at the criminal courts building in downtown Los Angeles. He was dressed in a white button down shirt with red detail, a yellow handkerchief tucked in his blazer pocket and a mask partially concealing his face. The disgraced ex-doctor was charged with 27 felonies - 18 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and nine counts of sexual battery by fraud, against 16 of his former patients, The Los Angeles Times reported. Tyndall worked at the university's health clinic for three decades and was accused of misconduct from 400 women over a seven-year-period as the university's only full-time gynecologist. Investigators said all of his alleged crimes took place between 2009 and 2016. Many of his victims were as young as 18, 19 and 20 years old, officials said. George Tyndall, 76, appeared before a judge on Friday at the criminal courts building in downtown Los Angeles dressed in a white button down shirt with red detail, a yellow handkerchief tucked in his blazer pocket and a mask partially concealing his face Tyndall was accused of misconduct with 400 women over a seven-year period at the University of Southern California. He was charged with 27 felonies - 18 counts of sexual penetration of an unconscious person and nine counts of sexual battery by fraud, against 16 of his former patients, The Los Angeles Times reported Pictured: Many of Tyndall's victims are seen speaking out about the horrid abuse they had to endure. Former patients described Tyndall as 'unprofessional, creepy,' or someone who made them feel 'uncomfortable and violated,' a report said 'That's how he gets away with this ... In their mind, they think what's being done is correct,' said Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller. Mueller added that Tyndall's patients were 'unable to resist' because they were not aware of the nature of what Tyndall was doing.' Tyndall's attorney stated that his client has been 'adamant from Day 1 that he did not do these alleged crimes,' as per the news outlet. A 2019 photo of the digraced ex-doctor in court during a previous hearing If convicted he faces up to 64 years in prison. His next court date is September 15, Fox LA reported. Tyndall's case is the largest investigation of sexual abuse by a single perpetrator conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department. The Los Angeles Times published an article in in May 2018 investigating allegations of sexual abuse. After the story ran, hundreds of women came forward accusing Tyndall of sexual abuse and racial discrimination. He was charged a year later, in June 2019, and surrendered his medical license in September 2019, according to the records from the Medical Board of California. Many former patients described Tyndall as 'unprofessional, creepy,' or someone who made them feel 'uncomfortable and violated,' a report said. Many complaints were made by students and staff that was reported in the LA Times story accusing Tyndall of allegedly photographing patients genitals, and touching women inappropriately during pelvic exams. Some patients even requested not to see Tyndall again and attempted to change providers. Prosecutors first filed charges in 2019 relating to 21 former patients, but had to drop counts related to five women who were no longer part of the case. Lead prosecutor Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller, told the news outlet 'we were unable to make contact one of the victim and four victims advised us that they were opting out of the case.' One of Tyndall's victims spoke during a press conference at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse. 'USC put limits on what they could do to help patients and I could see that they were doing their best within those limits,' she said. 'I want to tell the the victims our day will come, justice will come. We will see Tyndall tried and accounted for.' She added: 'He will go to court and he will go to jail.' The Foreign Affairs Minister says she and colleagues want to be 'ready' Melanie Joly says Canada is watching to see if the US becomes a far-right regime A Canadian lawmaker has revealed a 'game-plan' is being devised on how to respond if the US becomes a far-right, authoritarian regime, following the presidential election. Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canada is keeping a close eye on who is going to be America's next leader, the National Post reports. 'We are certainly working on scenarios,' Joly told a Montreal radio station in French during an interview this week. 'In general, there is our game plan, precisely to be able to manage what could be a rather difficult situation. Melanie Joly says Canada is watching to see if the US becomes a far-right, authoritarian regime Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th president of the United States at the U.S. Capitol in Washington in 2017 'I will work with my colleagues and with the mayors, the provincial premiers, with the business community, with the unions, with everyone in the country, so that we are ready regardless of the election outcome.' She is believed to be alluding to the possible re-election of former President Donald Trump, who will likely be the Republican nominee and face off against Joe Biden in a tight race. During the same discussion, she said the issue of how Canada prevents the growth of the far-right is being looked at more widely. 'The other aspect of the question is more about knowing how we as a democracy are able to thwart the growth of the far-right in our country, because its happening in the United States, its happening in Europe,' she said. Joly added: 'So one cant be naive here, Patrick; its happening right now with us, there is, we know that there is certainly a radicalization of the [Canadian] Conservative Party.' University of Ottawa national-security professor Thomas Juneau said that with unpredictability experienced around the world recently, it's necessary to be prepared for any outcome. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously denounced the rise of authoritarianism around the world 'What would have been extremely far-fetched scenarios maybe 10 years ago, today are not impossible anymore,' he said. 'If an increasingly authoritarian US is increasingly unilateral and dismissive of traditional alliances like NATO or arrangements like Norad, how does that damage our security?' Joly, a 44-year-old from Montreal, previously served as minister of economic development and before that as heritage minister. She was first elected to represent the Ahuntsic-Cartierville region of Canada in the House of Commons in 2015. Since then, she has been risen to become Canadas Foreign Affairs Minister and been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. Just last year, newspaper Politico labelled Joly a 'Trudeau protege' who might 'one day have his job'. It's not he first time her statements have challenged political opposition within Canada and abroad. In February 2022, she appeared to blame American conservatives for supporting truckers protesting against vaccine mandates during the Freedom Conoy. 'My biggest concern as the foreign minister at this point is the foreign interference that is happening in the convoy we're seeing in Canada right now,' she said. 'The disinformation campaign, where it comes from. The financing of it, where it comes from.' Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has previously denounced the rise of authoritarianism around the world. 'If we dont step up, other forces will step in. As like-minded democracies, as major economies, we need to work together to meet this moment,' Trudeau said in a speech earlier this year. Life will mean life for the most depraved killers, with no chance of release under plans unveiled by Rishi Sunak today. The Prime Minister vowed to change the law to require judges to hand down mandatory whole life orders to those guilty of the most horrific murders. Officials said the change, which would be put into effect in England and Wales, will also break new ground by applying to all sexually motivated murders. That would have meant that Jordan McSweeney, who was sentenced last year to a minimum of 38 years for the murder and attempted rape of Zara Aleena in East London, would never be eligible for parole. Last night, Mr Sunak said he shared the public's horror 'at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently' and added that people rightly expected 'life will mean life'. Life will mean life for the most depraved killers, with no chance of release under plans unveiled by Rishi Sunak today That would have meant that Jordan McSweeney, who was sentenced last year to a minimum of 38 years for the murder and attempted rape of Zara Aleena in East London, would never be eligible for parole 'They expect honesty in sentencing,' he added. 'By bringing in mandatory whole life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free.' Justice Secretary Alex Chalk said: 'A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct. This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison.' The new sentencing plan is expected to form part of the Government's new programme of laws, which will be unveiled in November's King's Speech. Mr Sunak's pledge came as Ministers claimed violent crime has fallen by 46 per cent since 2010 and neighbourhood crime by 51 per cent. Five teenage girls have written to the Prime Minister urging him to keep single-sex toilets in schools to guarantee female pupils' safety and dignity. In an open letter, the students who are aged between 13 and 15 called on Rishi Sunak to tackle the issue head on when the Government issues its long-awaited transgender guidance to schools. The girls who used only their first names to sign their letter for fear of a backlash from trans activists said single-sex facilities were an 'essential safeguarding feature' of schools. But they warned that many schools had started introducing mixed toilets without consultation to appease transgender and Left-wing activists. The five pupils, who identified themselves as Cynthia, Marilyn, Sonja, Olivia and Ellie, said many female pupils found mixed-sex toilets 'intimidating, humiliating and downright dangerous'. Five teenage girls have written to the Prime Minister urging him to keep single-sex toilets in schools to guarantee female pupils' safety and dignity. (File image) They called on Mr Sunak, who is a father of two daughters, to uphold their rights. 'There is no justifiable reason to introduce dangerous and uncomfortable spaces into schools, and the Government has a duty to ensure that toilets in schools are safe and dignified,' they wrote. The letter warns that in 'many schools, girls are so uncomfortable with having to use the toilets there that they simply don't go at school, risking a urinary tract infection'. They decided to write to Mr Sunak after almost 12,000 people signed an online petition launched by one of the girls calling for single-sex spaces to be protected in schools. The letter cites a school in Southampton where there were recent protests against the introduction of 'gender-neutral' toilets amid claims that boys were photographing girls in the gaps above or below toilet cubicles. A teenage boy was arrested after police investigated reports that a number of girls were being sexually assaulted in mixed-sex toilets at another school in Essex. The girls said being forced to share toilets with boys was unpleasant for female students who were menstruating, adding: 'Girls must have private spaces where we can sort this out with dignity, away from potential shaming from boys and the humiliation of having everyone know you're on your period.' Cynthia, 15, said her secondary school had as many mixed-sex toilets as single-sex ones. She told The Mail on Sunday: 'The mixed-sex toilets are so disgusting and unhygienic. Very few people use them apart from the boys, so really they're just another set of boys' toilets. 'You get boys graffiti-ing images of male genitalia on the wall, there's always a load of pee on the floor and even on the wall sometimes. 'But if I'm in a class such as English, for instance, there are now no girls' toilets nearby, so I have to go out of the building and walk some distance to a whole other block in the school to find some.' In an open letter, the students who are aged between 13 and 15 called on Rishi Sunak to tackle the issue head on when the Government issues its long-awaited transgender guidance to schools Marilyn, 14, who attends a school of more than 1,000 pupils with just one set of facilities each for girls and boys, and one mixed one, said: 'Girls definitely feel unsafe. Being around boys from older years is generally very intimidating, so there would definitely be a fear factor being with them in the toilets.' The letter to Mr Sunak comes as increasing numbers of schools are introducing mixed-sex toilets, often on the advice of trans groups who claim it is a breach of equality laws for trans pupils to be prevented from accessing facilities of the gender they identify as. But the Government appears to be pushing back against this trend. This month it announced changes to regulations, insisting all new buildings must provide separate single-sex toilets for men and women. But with less than two weeks to go until children return to the classroom, it remains unclear whether the Government's transgender guidance for teachers will clarify the issues over gender-neutral bathrooms in schools. Last night, Labour MP Rosie Duffield urged the Government to publish the guidance, adding: 'I hear from school pupils and students who are really uncomfortable with this. They are simply asking for their right to privacy and dignity to be respected with the provision of single-sex spaces.' A Department for Education spokesperson said: We have been clear that schools must continue to meet their existing legal duties to protect single sex spaces. The Education Secretary is working closely with the Minister for Women and Equalities to publish guidance for schools at the earliest opportunity. As we eke out the last few days of summer, the verdict is now in on the pressing issue of bikini v swimsuit. And this year, the fantastic news is that finally, finally, the British swimwear-buying public seem to have wised up to the pleasures of bikini-wearing. A recent survey has shown that this year, sales of the bikini have outnumbered one-piece costumes by the astounding factor of seven to one making up 82 per cent of swimwear sales. And a large proportion of this number have been bought by the middle-aged women who were previously favouring the swimsuit. Ever since the bikini made its first appearance in 1946, womankind have been split between those happy to bare a bit more of their body and those who cherish the security of the one-piece. While the Italians, Portuguese, Greek and Spanish women of all shapes and sizes have been happy to romp around on the beach in bikinis, we Brits have traditionally been more wary of the added exposure this choice of swimwear demands. Now, its true I have skin, literally, in this particular bikini game. Back in 2017, I posted an Instagram picture of myself on holiday wearing a bikini I had bought from middle-England brand Boden, complete with a display of a slightly crepey tummy, mosquito bites and messy hair. A recent survey has shown that this year, sales of the bikini have outnumbered one-piece costumes by the astounding factor of seven to one making up 82 per cent of swimwear sales. Pictured: Marilyn Monroe in 1946 In 2017, I posted this Instagram picture of myself on holiday wearing a bikini I had bought from middle-England brand Boden, complete with a display of a slightly crepey tummy, mosquito bites and messy hair I had thought this was just another summer holiday snap and had no idea that it would trigger any kind of commentary but it did. Had I shown my mumsy body off to promote body diversity? Was I brave at 59 to post an unfiltered picture wearing a bikini? Had I lost my mind having just left my previous 25-year role as editor-in-chief of Vogue? Of course, it was none of these. I didnt for a second think this was in any way extraordinary, and considered this picture one among many, showing off the pleasures of my holiday by the sea. It hadnt occurred to me it would launch an issue over whether there is an appropriate age to wear bikinis if youre not blessed with the body and skintone of Liz Hurley. Because bikinis have been part of my holiday wardrobe ever since I was young when I watched with envy grown-up women slaked in Ambre Solaire tanning oil as they basked in the sun in their bikinis. I was condemned to my boring school-regulation Speedo, but as soon as I had a choice it was a bikini for me no question. And so it remains. Although I am far from svelte, the exposure of my tummy causes me no more angst than the many other bits and pieces of me that could do with some improvement because bikini wearing is a state of mind rather than state of body. It is no more necessary to look like Gwyneth Paltrow or Salma Hayek in a bikini than it is wearing a one-piece. It hadnt occurred to me it would launch an issue over whether there is an appropriate age to wear bikinis if youre not blessed with the body and skintone of Liz Hurley (pictured) Bikini-wearing is not a competition. Yet this hasnt prevented legions of women feeling uncomfortable when they expose their belly, despite the fact that, logically, we should be especially proud of this part of our anatomy for its childbearing capacity. Far from being ashamed that as the years pass we lose the waistline and firmness of youth, we should be prepared to acknowledge what an incredible job our bodies do for us. Those who love bikinis do so not because they show off our figures but because they feel so good. Age has no relevance to the wonderful feeling of sun and water on skin. The other day 90-year-old Joan Collins was pictured in a white bikini, joining a slew of older women flying the flag. And fashion this summer has helped the cause, providing a larger range of styles than ever before. Joining the tankini with a vest rather than bra top come the 1950s-style big pants providing more coverage for those who want the feeling of a bikini but prefer a bit more cover-up. A few years ago I was lying on a beach outside Lisbon watching what I assumed to be Portuguese grandparents with young children. The couple must have been in their 80s. He favoured skimpy briefs and the woman was in a colourful bikini. They looked so at ease, unashamed of the bodies that have carried them through the decades. It was the perfect template for holiday style, and one I intend to keep copying for years to come. Relaxing with a glass of wine at the rural French home he shares with his wife, this is the retired NHS manager who has now been accused of ignoring doctors' concerns about Lucy Letby as she embarked on her murderous spree. Ian Harvey, 65, was the 175,000-a-year medical director of the Countess of Chester Hospital where Letby murdered seven premature babies and attempted to kill six more. But amid the fallout from Letby's ten-month trial and following accusations that he 'fobbed off' parents of murdered babies Mr Harvey is now caught up in a bitter war of words between hospital executives and senior doctors over who, if anyone, should take the blame for not stopping the killer nurse sooner. For while several consultants claim he refused to listen to concerns about Letby following a spike in premature baby deaths in 2015 and 2016, Mr Harvey has questioned, via a statement to the Mail, why they took so long to pick up on blood tests which revealed two of the babies had been poisoned with insulin. With former hospital colleagues now pointing the finger at each other, the Mail has discovered unanswered questions for those on both sides of this ugly row. Former medical director of the Countess of Chester Hospital Ian Harvey is pictured enjoying his retirement at his sprawling French farmhouse with his wife Lesa The 175,000 a year medical boss was accused of fobbing off victims' parents. He is now in a bitter war of words with other hospital executives and senior doctors over who is to blame for not stopping the killer nurse Suspicions about Letby emerged in June 2015 after the death of three premature babies at the hospital and the collapse of another within a fortnight the equivalent of an average year's worth of deaths in just 14 days. While Letby, then 25, was the only employee on duty at the time, it seemed unthinkable that the well-liked nurse could have harmed the infants. By the end of October 2015, seven premature babies had died. Again it was noted that Letby had been the only staff member present at each death, but this was still deemed a coincidence by medical staff. Senior doctors asked independent expert neonatologist Dr Nimish Subhedar, from Liverpool Women's NHS Foundation Trust, to review the deaths. Noting that the babies had been stable and all had unusually failed to respond to resuscitation attempts, he also noted Letby's presence in each case. Neonatal consultant Stephen Brearey claims he sent Dr Subhedar's report to Mr Harvey in February 2016 and requested an urgent meeting something, he claims, which did not take place for another three months. Mr Harvey denies this. 'It has been alleged that the paediatricians informed me of their concerns in February 2016 but a meeting was not arranged until May 2016. I do not recall any such communication,' he said in a statement sent to this newspaper. He added: 'It is surprising, given the level of concern that some of the paediatricians professed to have had at the time, that there was no follow-up to chase a response, either with my secretary or with me.' Nor did consultants express concerns to the health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission, during their four-day visit to the hospital in February 2016. By then, Letby had killed five babies in nine months, but nothing was said about the spike in premature baby deaths. Neo-natal nurse Lucy Letby (pictured) was convicted of murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more The Countess of Chester Hospital where Letby went on a horrifying killing spree between June 2015 and 2016 The CQC say that consultants at the trust shared other concerns during the inspection. These related to staffing levels and a lack of support from senior management and 'a culture of bullying where concerns they had raised with management were ignored'. According to the CQC, this was followed up the same day with Mr Harvey so that 'action could be taken in response'. Even so, the hospital was found to be led and managed by 'an accessible and visible executive team' with staff that felt 'well supported' and 'able to raise concerns'. Mr Harvey insists he had 'an open door policy', adding: 'If I was in my office and there wasn't a meeting, my door was open and anyone was able to call, be it with a professional or personal problem as many did. At no time prior to May 2016 did a consultant paediatrician come to my office or discuss their concerns.' Mr Harvey, who qualified as a doctor in 1981, arrived at the hospital in 1994 as a consultant traumatic orthopaedic surgeon. He entered management as medical director in 2012 and was appointed deputy chief executive in May 2016. Turning the tables on his former colleagues, he questioned why doctors failed to spot that a premature twin baby boy had been poisoned with insulin all the way back in August 2015 after sending blood samples for analysis. One of the neonatal consultants noticed the abnormal results but did not suspect foul play and did not tell his colleagues. In February 2016, a second infant also had a blood test revealing abnormally high insulin levels but junior doctors failed to realise its significance. According to Mr Harvey: 'These blood tests were potentially the only concrete evidence that we could have had that accidental or malicious acts had harmed babies. Had I been told about them at or before the meeting in May 2016, I would have recommended meeting with the police immediately.' As a result, he claimed, when he and other executive colleagues met with police 'we did not have anything but limited circumstantial evidence to report'. Letby wasn't arrested for the first time until July 3, 2018. That month, four consultant paediatricians reported Mr Harvey to the General Medical Council (GMC). Just weeks later, Mr Harvey retired from the trust at the age of 60, with a pension pot worth 1.8 million after more than two decades at the trust. During his farewell speech to colleagues a month later, he said: 'I have every confidence that this hospital will cope with everything that is thrown at it and go from strength to strength because the teams here are just so good.' Ian Harvey is handed a retirement gift in July 2018 One former employee told the Mail: 'Around the time he retired, I asked Harvey whether he thought there could be a public inquiry into what had happened, and his words were, 'They would have to find me first,' which bothered me. 'He was implying he would be long gone. The paediatricians definitely forced his hand. They told him, 'If you don't go to the police, we will.' There was a lot of dragging of feet. They were frustrated.' Mr Harvey and his second wife, Lesa, 63, sold their 400,000 home in the village of Malpas in Cheshire and decamped to the Dordogne, where they care for rescue horses. Social media suggests they spend their time tending to their animals, hosting family, enjoying restaurants and taking weekend breaks at five-star hotels. But what should have been a peaceful retirement has been marred by the Letby scandal. The GMC held a four-year 'full investigation' into Mr Harvey, liaised with police and obtained an independent expert report. According to a spokesman, the GMC 'thoroughly examined all relevant information' before concluding last year that the case did not reach the threshold for referral to the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service. However, parents of a baby killed by Letby claimed they were 'totally fobbed off' by Mr Harvey when they pleaded for answers about what happened to their child. Mr Harvey said he had wanted to give 'detailed and accurate answers' to the parents but 'once the police were involved, we were advised by them not to do or say anything that might jeopardise the investigation'. But solicitor Richard Scorer, head of abuse and public inquiries at Slater and Gordon, which is acting for two families, claims the parents contacted him several months before the police were called in. Parents of a baby killed by Letby (pictured) claimed they were 'totally fobbed off' by Mr Harvey when they pleaded for answers about what happened to their child Mr Harvey sent the first of four 'very bureaucratic' letters inviting the parents to get in touch in February 2017, said Mr Scorer, but failed to return their calls and the promised meetings never materialised. Mr Harvey said: 'I do not have access to previous mail or emails and cannot comment specifically. I am willing to be subjected to proper accountability and I will attend the public inquiry in person. I will contribute fully, openly and honestly. I will do everything I can to help parents get the answers they deserve.' A public inquiry will examine the circumstances surrounding Letby's crimes. Ultimately, as a source close to the case told this newspaper: 'There's definitely a feeling that they're all getting their stories straight, taking control of the narrative before any inquiry starts.' Additional reporting: Daisy Graham-Brown The senior Tory, a knight, is one of several high-profile figures to assist fightback A Tory grandee seeking to restore Prince Andrew's 3 million-a-year armed police protection made a personal appeal to the Home Secretary at a private function. He is said to have 'sidled up' to Suella Braverman to plead the Duke of York's case after Andrew lost his taxpayer-funded, round-the-clock bodyguards when he was stripped of official duties over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The Mail on Sunday understands that the senior Tory, a knight, is one of several high-profile figures recruited by the Duke to assist his fightback. Another is said to have messaged Mrs Braverman along similar lines. All approaches were rejected politely. A concerted campaign to try to reverse the decision has been going on for several months. Last week it was revealed that Andrew had won the backing of former Home Secretary Priti Patel. A tory grandee seeking to restore Prince Andrew's 3 million-a-year armed police protection made a personal appeal to the Home Secretary at a private function He is said to have 'sidled up' to Suella Braverman to plead the Duke of York's case after Andrew lost his taxpayer-funded, round-the-clock bodyguards when he was stripped of official duties over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal She emailed the King's private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, suggesting that a review of the Duke's protection 'could be something to consider'. It is understood that although Sir Clive has no power over Royal security arrangements, he notified the King. Dame Priti apologised to Charles after her approach was leaked. The Mail on Sunday has been told that Dame Priti caused consternation by referring, by way of comparison, to the security of other Royals and former Prime Ministers. The details of these arrangements are secret. Her email was sent from a Parliamentary account. Andrew's PR guru friend Mark Gallagher, ITV's former director of corporate affairs, was copied in. Dame Priti also said that while the decision to downgrade Andrew's security was made while she was Home Secretary, there was no 'ministerial oversight' of the process. The decision was taken by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which oversees such arrangements. In January last year, Andrew was told to stop using His Royal Highness, and all military titles and royal patronages were returned to the late Queen. Andrew, who lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor, still benefits from 24-hour protection at the royal estate, but he was said to have been angered last year by the prospect of losing taxpayer-funded security away from home Months later, he settled out of court with Virginia Roberts, who accused him of sexual abuse, which he denies vehemently. Andrew, who lives at Royal Lodge in Windsor, still benefits from 24-hour protection at the royal estate, but he was said to have been angered last year by the prospect of losing taxpayer-funded security away from home. The Labour candidate in the by-election triggered by Nadine Dorries' resignation has taken 'unpaid leave' from his job at the Bank of England amid a row about his role in a Greenpeace stunt. Alistair Strathern, 33, donned dark clothing and face paint to pose by a mock gravestone during a demonstration against the Public Order Bill outside the Home Office in November. Mr Strathern, an Oxford University graduate, describes himself on business networking platform LinkedIn as the 'climate lead' for insurance at the Bank of England leading to calls by Tory MPs for an investigation by Bank Governor Andrew Bailey. Tory MP Danny Kruger, who is on the Treasury Select Committee, sent a series of questions about Mr Strathern in a letter to Mr Bailey, including whether he was allowed to leave work in the middle of the day to join the stunt. The row over Mr Strathern's links to Greenpeace comes after a group of eco-activists scaled the roof of Rishi Sunak's Yorkshire mansion and unfurled Greenpeace banners. Alistair Strathern, 33, donned dark clothing and face paint to pose by a mock gravestone during a demonstration against the Public Order Bill outside the Home Office in November The Bank declined to comment on Mr Strathern's position, although sources confirmed that he was currently on unpaid leave. In his letter to Mr Bailey, who has been criticised for presiding over a 'woke' culture at the Bank, Mr Kruger claimed that Mr Stathern 'may have committed a breach of the Bank of England's guidance on impartiality' by joining the November 2022 stunt. Pointing out that a photograph issued by Greenpeace from its protest outside the Home Office was taken at 10.30am on a Tuesday, Mr Kruger asked: 'Can you confirm that Mr Strathern received permission to leave work in the middle of the day to perform this protest attacking the Government? 'Can you confirm what the Bank of England's policy is on employees taking leave to perform stunts in the middle of the working day?' Mr Strathern, an Oxford University graduate, describes himself on business networking platform LinkedIn as the 'climate lead' for insurance at the Bank of England leading to calls by Tory MPs for an investigation by Bank Governor Andrew Bailey Mr Kruger claimed that Mr Strathern had 'failed in his duty to avoid any suggestion that the Bank is being inappropriately influenced', and urged Mr Bailey to 'investigate this case fully and provide me with an assessment of Mr Strathern's actions and whether his conduct breaches Bank of England guidelines'. Mr Strathern, who has been a borough councillor in Waltham Forest in North-East London for nearly a decade, took unpaid leave from the Bank in order to campaign for the by-election. Insiders say it was the only way to comply with the Bank's code of conduct. Labour's ties to eco-zealots came under scrutiny after Just Stop Oil backer Dale Vince donated 1.5 million to the party. Labour has confirmed that it will block all new oil and gas projects in the North Sea if it wins the General Election. Polling puts Mr Strathern on course to overturn Ms Dorries' majority of nearly 25,000, which would be the largest collapse in support for the party in by-election history. A former Co-operative Bank chairman has been charged with fraud. Paul Flowers, 73 who was the bank's non-executive chairman between 2009 and 2013 is due to appear at Manchester magistrates' court on Wednesday. A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that Flowers faced one count of fraud by abuse of position, which was allegedly committed between June 2016 and October 2017. But last night, Flowers, who is also a former Methodist minister and Labour councillor, denied this. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'I saw the police just over four years ago. Since then I have not been cautioned, arrested or charged for anything. Paul Flowers (pictured), 73 who was the bank's non-executive chairman between 2009 and 2013 is due to appear at Manchester magistrates' court on Wednesday 'As far as a court appearance is concerned, neither the police nor the CPS has been in contact about anything.' When asked to explain the contradiction, he did not respond. Flowers resigned from the bank which trades under the slogan 'ethical then, ethical now, ethical always' in June 2013. The Co-operative Bank declined to comment on the matter last night but a spokesman said that neither the bank nor any current employee is party to the proceedings. Flowers served more than 15 years as a Labour Party councillor on Rochdale and Bradford councils. During this period, in 2010, he was appointed to the party's finance advisory board by then Labour leader Ed Miliband. Flowers (pictured) resigned from the bank which trades under the slogan 'ethical then, ethical now, ethical always' in June 2013 In 2009, the Co-operative Bank merged with Britannia Building Society and it was later revealed that the merger had led to a 1.5 billion capital shortfall requiring an emergency rescue for the bank in 2013. Its owner, the Co-op Group, was wiped out and the bank is now owned by private equity groups. A report concluded there had been broken corporate governance and executive management failings at the bank. The allegation against Flowers means he joins a small group of senior bankers to face criminal charges, alongside the former Barclays boss John Varley, who was cleared of alleged fraud relating to the bank's cash-call in the 2008 financial crisis. Prim and proper Harold Bishop will surely be beside himself with pompous indignation when he meets the new inhabitants of Ramsay Street. Because when the Australian soap opera Neighbours returns to our screens next month, the famous cul-de-sac in fictional Erinsborough will be the wokest place in the entire southern hemisphere. As well as a biracial gay couple with two children, the soap will also feature a transgender character, a male gay couple and a lesbian singleton. The long-running show, which was axed last year after Channel 5 decided against renewing its contract, is famous for launching the careers of Kylie Minogue, Jason Donovan, Guy Pearce and Margot Robbie. It was also regarded as one of the most wholesome shows on TV. Viewer reactions to characters Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell (played by Donovan and Minogue) moving in together in 1987 led to a hastily scripted wedding, a ratings bonanza and a pop music spin-off for the pair. Now all that is set to change. The Mail on Sunday can reveal that when the show returns next month, new neighbours will include the very modern Varga-Murphy family, which features two mums: Cara, played by actress Sara West, and Remi, portrayed by Naomi Rukavina. Cara is white, Remi is multi-racial and they have two sons, JJ and Dex. New neighbours will include the very modern Varga-Murphy family, which features two mums: Cara, played by actress Sara West, and Remi, portrayed by Naomi Rukavina. Cara is white, Remi is multi-racial and they have two sons, JJ and Dex Neighbours; from left: Kylie Minogue, Kyle McLachlan, Anne Charleston and Ian Smith Ramsay Street will also feature female transgender character Mackenzie Hargreaves, played by Georgie Stone. When she heard Neighbours was being revived, Georgie who is transgender in real life wrote to the show's producers to pitch the character. The show's devoted fans might point out that Neighbours has always kept up with the times. Lesbian character Chloe Brennan, played by actress April Rose Pengilly, 35, is set to return in the reboot, alongside her screen brother Aaron Brennan and his partner David Tanaka, who have a daughter named Isla. Television insiders are surprised that Neighbours bosses have agreed to make it so diverse, with one suggesting that they have done so in a bid to crack the American market. The show is being screened on Amazon's Freevee channel. They said: 'Now Neighbours will be available in the States there will be a big push there. Places like Los Angeles and New York are very woke so it might very well appeal.' Sara West who plays Cara Varga-Murphy said: 'I hope the Varga-Murphys will help better reflect the beautiful LGBTQIA+ community that I'm proud to be a part of.' Neighbours centres on just six houses in suburban Ramsay Street. It will be returning on September 18 after being an ever-present feature on British screens for 37 years first on the BBC and then on Channel 5, which last year opted out after the Australian production company Fremantle tried to increase the price of UK rights With Amazon now backing the show, Fremantle has signed US star Mischa Barton to appear as a guest character named Reece. Ramsay Street stalwarts Karl and Susan Kennedy played by Alan Fletcher and Jackie Woodburne will return, along with Stefan Dennis who plays Paul Robinson. Toadie Rebecchi, portrayed by Ryan Moloney, will also be back. Donovan and Minogue returned as Scott and Charlene to bid farewell to Ramsay Street for the final episode last July. Guy Pearce also returned, while Natalie Imbruglia and Holly Valance made cameo appearances filmed in London and Margot Robbie appeared from LA. A middle-aged mother from Oxford has been exposed by the world's leading Nazi-hunting organisation as a contestant in a 'Miss Hitler' beauty pageant. Participants in the online contest, which aims to promote 'healthy Hitlerian competition', use pseudonyms to disguise their identities. But the US-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre (SWC) has unmasked the UK entrant who calls herself Miss Aryan Angel and is favourite to win as 42-year-old Sarah Mountford, a member of the far-Right group Britain First. The contest is hosted by Russia's popular VKontakte social media website, known as VK. It allows users to vote for their favourite female admirers of the Nazi leader, with this year's winner due to be announced on September 3. Ms Mountford says in her personal statement on the competition site that she is a 'straight, white, pure-blood female with a longing to return to traditional ways. In accordance with nature. Blood and soil. Ancestors and honour. Our people matter.' 42-year-old Sarah Mountford is a mother to three children and a member of far-right group Britain First The mother from Oxford was exposed by the US-based Simon Wiesenthal Centre (SWC) as a UK entrant in the pageant who calls herself Miss Aryan Angel and is favourite to win Before moving to Oxford two years ago, Ms Mountford, a mother of three, lived in flat in a trendy district of Brighton where she was born and raised. She told the MoS last night: 'It was just a bit of fun, really, a spur of the moment thing. I didn't set out to upset anyone. 'It's not like I'll get a crown its more of a poll. I'll try to get it taken down. 'My views aren't extreme, you hear the same at every bus stop.' She added: 'He [Hitler] has been dead a long time. I didn't think of the impact his name still has.' A page urging people to 'vote and support Miss Aryan Angel' features a scowling photo of Ms Mountford amid Nazi imagery, including swastikas. The SWC is a Jewish human rights organisation named after Wiesenthal, the famed death-camp survivor who helped track down more than 1,000 Nazi war criminals, including Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust. The SWC's director of global social action, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, said: 'This is part of an ongoing effort to whitewash the horrific crimes of Nazism, to rewrite history to legitimise a monster who plunged the world into the darkness and perpetrated a genocide that left six million Jews dead, including 1.5 million children. 'There should be zero tolerance for this outrageous campaign on any, and all, social media platforms.' In the past, the social media page on VK promoting previous contests has been shut down following complaints, but the SWC said it has now become impossible to engage with its administrators. He's pinning his hopes on retaking the Red Wall but for some Northern Labour voters, Sir Keir Starmer has a problem his knighthood makes him look as 'posh' as Boris Johnson. That was the verdict of the Labour leader's strategy chief Deborah Mattinson after speaking to working-class voters in Northern seats lost to the Tories in 2019. Polling expert Ms Mattinson revealed that for those people, being a 'Sir' suggested 'he comes from a different world' putting him on a similar 'off-the-scale posh' level to Eton-educated Mr Johnson. Last night, one Yorkshire Labour MP said that could be why Sir Keir was 'noticeably shy' about being addressed as a knight of the realm. The MP said: 'He is clearly a Sir who doesn't like to be called Sir and there's no doubt the knighthood is a problem for him up here, although being a London lawyer doesn't help either.' He's pinning his hopes on retaking the Red Wall but for some Northern Labour voters, Sir Keir Starmer has a problem his knighthood makes him look as 'posh' as Boris Johnson That was the verdict of the Labour leader's strategy chief Deborah Mattinson after speaking to working-class voters in Northern seats lost to the Tories in 2019 The future Labour leader's title was bestowed on him in 2014 by the then Prince Charles in recognition of his work as Director of Public Prosecutions. However, since becoming MP for Holborn and St Pancras in London in 2015, Sir Keir has given the impression of preferring not to refer to the honour. The knighthoods a problem for him here Commons sources confirmed that all MPs have a choice of how they are officially addressed and his official parliamentary web page says he should be called plain 'Keir Starmer'. At the Coronation in Westminster Abbey in May, Sir Keir did not appear to be sporting his formal knight's insignia despite the grandeur of the occasion. Talking six months before she became his director of strategy in July 2021, Ms Mattinson appeared to give Sir Keir reason to downplay his knighthood. The pollster author of a book on how Labour's Northern heartlands crumbled to the Tories in 2019 made clear that for 'a lot of the people I spoke to in the Red Wall', being a Sir was a problem for the Labour leader. Speaking to a 'Cambridge for Europe' online forum, she said those voters noted only a 'very nuanced difference' between then Premier Mr Johnson, privately-educated ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn or Keir Starmer, 'especially if he's 'Sir' Keir Starmer'. She said: 'All three of those men are off-the-scale posh. In a way, they're all from another planet compared to the people [living there]. 'Keir Starmer's dad was a manual worker but he's 'Sir' Keir Starmer, he's a lawyer you know, he comes from a different world.' Ms Mattinson who said that the voters she had consulted then were mainly male manual workers or women who worked in the care sector added that people were surprised at how Mr Johnson had managed to 'de-snobbify the Tory Party'. Sir Keir, brought up in Oxted, Surrey, has stressed he knew poverty as a child and pointed out his father was a toolmaker and his mother a nurse. Last night, his spokesman said: 'Keir has repeatedly said he is very proud of his honour both for himself and on behalf of his staff at the Crown Prosecution Service. 'Keir is completely relaxed whether people use the title or not. 'As for Boris Johnson, voters know there is a very clear difference between the former Prime Minister who had to resign in disgrace and a Labour leader who has changed his party and put it back in the service of working people.' Donald Trump remains miles ahead of his Republican counterparts, a new national poll shows - despite four arrests, a historic mugshot, and not attending this week's GOP debate where many of his rivals had a strong showing. Organized by InsiderAdvantage, the survey of likely Republican voters showed the former president, despite his controversies, has a full 27 percent lead over his closest second in Ron DeSantis, and 34 percent over South Carolina's Nikki Haley. Next was the man many thought won the noticeably Trump-less debate, biotech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently beat out DeSantis as the perceived winner in a poll organized by DailyMail.com. Here, he only scored fourth, with 7 percent. As for any other significant challengers, the poll of some 850 prospective voters found no real contenders - with debate attendees like Tim Scott, Chris Christie, and Mike Pence recording scores of 4 percent, 3 percent, and 2 percent, respectively. Conducted after the debate, it also indicated a trend of rising support for both polls' runner up in DeSantis, as well as fellow debate standout Haley. That said, both remain well behind the embattled ex-head of state. Donald Trump remains miles ahead of his Republican counterparts, a new national poll shows - despite four arrests, a historic mugshot, and not attending the this week's GOP debate where many of his rivals had a strong showing Organized by InsiderAdvantage , the survey of likely Republican voters showed the former president, despite his controversies, has a double digit-lead over the rest of the GOP InsiderAdvantage chairman Matt Towery issued the following statement about the results Thursday, mentioning how thanks to impressive performances in Wisconsin, DeSantis, Haley, and Ramaswamy should not be considered not out of the race. 'Although our survey showed that Vivek Ramaswamy won the debate by a narrow margin, Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley were the two major beneficiaries of the debate when it came to the actual horserace', Towery said, 'With a vast majority of respondents disagreeing with Trump's decision not to debate, Trump held his lead,' Towery continued, 'but now has several candidates still alive in the race for the nomination.' Citing scores of 18 percent for DeSantis and 11 percent for Haley, the expert added: 'Our InsiderAdvantageAI debate reports indicated that Ramaswamy, DeSantis, and Haley had big nights Wednesday, but only DeSantis's efforts, followed by Haley's, had an impact on the actual race.' As for Pence, Scott, and Christie, Towery said the study found they 'had debate performances that either failed to enhance or actually diminished their standings.' DailyMail's debate poll on Thursday placed the trio in third, fourth, and sixth-place, respectively - thanks to lukewarm performances that while not outright awful, failed to impress. More powerful performances from figures like DeSantis - who managed to stay above much of the fray seen Wednesday - and newcomer Ramaswamy were more successful in swaying voters. The person closest to Trump, the poll found, was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose debate performance saw him record an 8 percent increase from a previous poll, to a score of 18 percent Trump also maintained a 34 percent over ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, whose debate performance saw her double her following, but still only record 11 percent of the vote Next was the man many thought won the noticeably Trump-less debate, biotech millionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, a newcomer whose blows with opponents such as ex Vice President Mike Pence made him the focal point of the Wisconsin event The results somewhat coincide with a DailyMail.com poll conducted Friday, which placed Ramaswamy as the debate winner, with DeSantis a close runner up Political consultant Ryan Girdusky told The New York Post Saturday - a day after DailyMail's debate poll placed DeSantis, 44, barely behind the 38-year-old pharmaceutical mogul - that he believed the Florida governor was the biggest threat to Trump. 'DeSantis performed well in the debate and I think at times looked like the most presidential candidate on the stage,' Girdusky told the paper of DeSantis's showing, which focused on subjects like the economy, security at the border, and empower parents and law enforcement. 'The biggest issues Republican voters are thinking about this cycle are crime, immigration, and the economy and on all three issues, DeSantis was far better than the rest of the field,' the expert said, Wednesday was also billed as a make-or-break moment for DeSantis, a chance to reboot his campaign after weeks of dipping poll numbers and negative headlines. The results suggest that while he did not suffer a poor performance, he has yet to cement his position as the candidate most likely to overtake frontrunner Donald Trump. His campaign manager James Uthmeier said DeSantis had managed to stay above the fray of squabbling rivals. 'While other candidates attacked each other, Governor DeSantis stayed focused on the American people and fighting for their future with a clear vision to fix our economy, secure the border, empower parents, back law enforcement, and stand up to the leftist elites and the DC establishment,' he said. At times, DeSantis ended up an onlooker as the two candidates either side of him traded blows Ramaswamy also managed to use the primetime stage to introduce himself to an audience that might not have heard of him before He may have risen above the fray, but at times that meant he was relegated to onlooker while Ramaswamy was in the thick of things. 'The real choice we face in this primary is this: Do you want a Super PAC puppet?' asked Ramaswamy, as he took on his opponents. 'Or do you want a patriot who speaks the truth? Do you want incremental reform, which is what you're hearing about, or do you want revolution?' But those punches also made him a target. 'Now is not the time for on-the-job training,' said Pence, who tried to position himself as the most experienced candidate in the field. 'We don't need to bring in a rookie. We don't need to bring in people without experience.' Christie, who has centered his campaign on attacking Trump, also weighed in. He updated his famous 2016 attack on Marco Rubio, slamming Ramaswamy as 'a guy who sounds like ChatGPT.' And Haley, who was United Nations ambassador under Trump, clashed with him over his failure to back Ukraine in its war with Russia. 'You have no foreign policy experience and it shows,' she told him. But the blows only made Ramaswamy stronger, according to his allies. Ron DeSantis gets his makeup touched up during a commercial break 'You have no foreign policy experience and it shows,' said Nikki Haley, former US ambassador to the UN under Donald Trump 'Seven career politicians took a swing at Vivek and they couldn't knock him down,' said his senior adviser Chris Grant. Not only that but he managed to use the debate to introduce himself to an audience that might not have heard of him before. 'First let me address the question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight. Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name and what the heck is he doing in the middle of the debate stage?,' he said during his first answer. 'I am not a politician. You are right about that. I am an entrepreneur. My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago. I have gone on to found multibillion dollar companies.' Jason Miller, senior adviser to Trump, said the performance was enough to kill off the DeSantis campaign. 'We saw Vivek Ramaswamy leapfrog Ron DeSanctus in real time this evening,' he said in the spin room after the debate. 'I think we're gonna wake up tomorrow and Ramaswamy is comfortably in second place.' Thousands of Met Police officers' details are at risk following a major security breach which saw cyber criminals hack into the force's warrant card supplier - in a move that has been branded 'utterly outrageous' by a former top cop. All 47,000 personnel in the force were warned last night of the risk that their photos, names and ranks could have been stolen when criminals hacked the IT systems of a contractor that prints staff passes. ID numbers and vetting levels could also have been exposed in the breach employees were told. Officers' personal details - like their home addresses - have not been leaked, though. However, the National Crime Agency has since been called in amid fears terrorists and organised gangs could try and use the stolen data, it has been reported. Ex-Met commander John O'Connor slammed the latest breach as 'utterly outrageous', fiercely questioning 'why IT security of this company was so slapdash'. The Met Police has warned that cyber crooks could have seized details of tens of thousands of officers All 47,000 personnel in the force were warned last night of the risk that their photos, names and ranks could have been stolen when criminals hacked the IT systems of a contractor that prints staff passes He told the Sun on Sunday: 'Anyone using these details to produce a warrant card or pass could gain access to a police station or secure area. 'There is also a huge concern that photographs of police working on undercover units, surveillance or in sensitive areas like counter-terrorism could fall into the wrong hands. 'This data breach has put safety of police at risk and questions need to be asked about why IT security of this company was so slapdash.' Met Police Service bosses reportedly sent a message to cops urging them to 'remain vigilant'. Personal information such as addresses, phone numbers and financial details of staff, however, were not held by the company and so are not at risk. The message added that the force was 'working to understand the scale of the breach' and how much information they held about staff and officers. It remains unclear whether the hackers were trying to target officers and staff or whether they wanted a ransom from the printing company. The Met said it was aware of the 'IT system of a Met supplier' and was working with the company to discover if there had been 'any security breach' relating to the force's data. All 47,000 personnel in the force were warned of the risk that their photos, names and ranks could have been stolen It comes after details of 10,000 police personnel in Northern Ireland were mistakenly disclosed. The PSNI revealed earlier this month that a document had mistakenly been shared online, including the names of around 10,000 officers and staff. More than 660 officers who work in intelligence, counter-terrorism and surveillance, as well as those working in MI5 were also put at risk. Around 3,000 officers have since expressed concern for their safety in Northern Ireland, where police are under threat from terrorists - with the current level of threat assessed as severe, meaning an attack is highly likely. After the PSNI breach was revealed, Norfolk and Suffolk Police announced the personal data of more than 1,000 people - including crime victims - was included in another FOI response. And on Wednesday, South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the ICO after noticing 'a significant and unexplained reduction in data stored on its systems'. The force said it is now urgently working with experts to recover footage filmed by officers as they attended incidents or engaged with the public and which, in some cases, could be used as evidence in court. A spokesperson for the Met Police said tonight: 'We have been made aware of unauthorised access to the IT system of a Met supplier. 'We are working with the company to understand if there has been any security breach relating to Metropolitan Police data. 'The company had access to names, ranks, photos, vetting levels and pay numbers for officers and staff. The company did not hold personal information such as addresses, phone numbers or financial details. 'Security measures have been taken by the MPS as a result of this report. 'The MPS has reported the matter to the National Crime Agency. The Information Commissioner's Office is also aware.' More follows. The heartbroken family of two boys killed in a horrific car crash have made an impassioned plea for their loved ones to slow down on roads. The brothers, aged nine and 10, were killed when Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, allegedly lost control of his Subaru Impreza sedan and hit a tree in Monterey, in Sydney's south, on Friday night. A nine-year-old girl sitting in the passenger front seat was heard 'screaming' as she was pulled from the vehicle by witnesses. She was also taken to hospital with minor injuries. Police will allege that Brito was speeding and are investigating whether the vehicle was drag racing at the time of the accident. As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, the boys' relatives shared a message with their other family members on Saturday imploring them to drive carefully. 'Its not worth your life or anyone elses just to get from point A to B,' they said. 'Unfortunately, he (the father) lost his boys last night, 9 and 12. If anyone wants to send him a text or call in the morning. You will likely see in the news of papers, it happened four streets down from our place be safe people.' Two young boys were killed in Sydney's south on Friday night after the car they were both travelling in crashed into a tree Members of the community visited the crash site on The Grand Parade on Saturday Shocked and devastated Sydneysiders stood downcast as they reflected on the tragedy Brito was driving along The Grand Parade with the two boys and nine-year-old girl when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle and veered onto the incorrect side of the road. The boys, who were sitting in the back seat, were freed from the wreckage and rushed to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick where they died shortly afterwards. Britto, from Beverly Hills, was taken to St George Hospital under police guard, where he was spoken to by Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit officers on Saturday afternoon. He was charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death, and one count of cause bodily harm by misconduct and will face court via a hospital bedside hearing on Sunday. Meanwhile, members of the community flocked to the scene of the crash on Saturday to pay their respects to the two boys who lost their lives. A makeshift memorial has been erected at the base of the tree the car struck, with mourners leaving flowers and teddy bears. The extent of the carnage was still visible on the tree on Saturday, with a large panel of bark missing, gouge marks etched into the trunk, and shards of glass embedded into the wood. The impact of the crash was so intense that the engine from the Subaru Impreza was flung from the bonnet. Two blue teddy bears and several bouquets were left at the tree in honour of the two young boys who died The force of the collision tore the outer layer of wood of the base of the tree as the car crumpled around it Glass fragments could be seen embedded into the tree on Saturday morning Residents have recalled the 'deafening' noise of the crash that left their homes and windows shaking. Some raced outside to pull the injured occupants from the vehicle. The nine-year-old girl 'screamed' as emergency services tried to save her young cousins. 'She was screaming 'get me out,' one man told Nine News. 'We were trying to open the other doors but we couldn't open them.' Residents are still haunted by the harrowing scenes. 'We went to the right side of the car and we were able to get the little girl out,' Hadi Sawan told the Saturday Telegraph. 'On the other side we weren't able to do that, it was jammed from the impact. I don't even want to explain what I saw out of respect to the families.' Residents and other motorists rushed to the wreckage after the car crashed into the tree 'It's heartbreaking but I was also scared, if it weren't for the tree the car would have ended up in my house or my neighbours house.' Shaima Bakr added: 'It was actually very scary seeing that.' 'Seeing [it] on the news usually it's upsetting, but seeing it in real life it was traumatic. I didn't want to go close to it ... hearing the little girl crying.' The little girl remains in hospital in a stable condition and is expected to be interviewed by police in the coming days. CCTV from a neighbouring property captured the moment the car flipped and slammed side-on into a tree after it crossed the median strip. Residents are seen racing to the scene of the wreckage moments later. Police are investigating whether speed and street racing were factors that contributed to the crash. They are hunting a grey sedan they believe may have been involved in the incident. 'At this stage we will be seeking the assistance of members of the public to identify a grey sedan that was travelling in lane one around the time of the collision,' Detective Inspector Jason Hogan from the NSW Crash Investigations Unit said. 'That will be a significant line of inquiry for our crash investigators, to establish the speed of the vehicle, and that appears to be...a contributing factor.' The car hit a tree on the Grand Parade in Monterey around 9.50pm on Friday Detectives will investigate whether speeding and street racing were possible factors in the horror crash which killed two boys aged 9 and 10 'It is a particularly nasty crash where two innocent young children have lost their lives.' 'We'll be in constant contact with all members of the family to ensure their welfare and that they're kept abreast of the investigation as it unfolds.' The tragedy has prompted residents to renew concerns about 'drag racing' along Grand Parade in Monterey. The speed limit along that strip is 60km/h. Residents say they've been campaigning for speed cameras for several years. Anyone with information, dash cam or CCTV is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. A man has died after a massive fire ripped through his unit late at night with police taping off the area. Emergency services rushed to a unit at Punchbowl, in Sydney's south-west, at 10pm on Saturday after neighbours raised the alarm. Police and fire crews arrived to find the Highclere Avenue home already burning ferociously. Fire crews were told a 54-year-old man may be inside so they opted to enter the infero where a man was found unconscious, and taken outside. A man, 54, has died in a ferocious unit fire at Highclere Avenue, Punchbowl, in south-west Sydney Police have established a crime scene at the unit and called for the public to give information and security footage Despite receiving treatment from paramedics, the occupant could not be revived and died at the scene. 'A 54-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene,' NSW Police said in a statement. Fire and Rescue NSW extinguished the blaze. They are appealing for anyone who has relevant information or video, including any from a home security system, to contact Bankstown police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Pakistani police are expected to track down and arrest a British father on the run today after his 10-year-old daughter was found dead at home - as her grandfather pleads for his fugitive son to hand himself in. Urfan Sharif, 41, his wife Beinash Batool, 29, and his brother Faisal Malik, 28, fled the UK a day before Sara Sharif's body was found in Woking earlier this month. Surrey Police, who have launched an international manhunt for the trio, said they are wanted for questioning over the murder of Sara. Last night a senior officer said they were closing in on the group as they continue the hunt around the family's hometown of Jhelum. It comes as the Mail on Sunday revealed that Pakistani police are tracking a mobile phone SIM card belonging to a British father. Nasir Bajwa, the police chief leading the case, said: 'With God's will we will make the arrest by tomorrow night.' He told the Sunday Mirror that his team of officers working on the harrowing case are finding it difficult as 'a little child has met a brutal death'. Meanwhile, Sharif's father, Muhammad Sharif, 68, urged his son to cooperate with police officers. He also revealed his son did not tell him of Sara's death when he briefly visited their family home in the Punjab province. 'We want them to present themselves,' he told the Sunday Times. 'We want to resolve the matter as the privacy of our house is affected due to frequent police raids.' Pakistani police are closing in on 'murdered' Sara Sharif's father Urfan Sharif (pictured) after and are expected to catch him today Ten-year-old Sara Sharif was found dead at her home in Woking earlier this month The concerned grandfather added that two other relatives in the country had been interrogated over the whereabouts of the three adults. Taxi-driver Sharif and Batool, as well as Malik who was living in the UK on a student visa bought one-way tickets to Pakistan worth 5,000 before fleeing. Accompanying them were five children, aged between a year and 13. Surrey Police said Sharif called them by dialling 999 from Pakistan, which led detectives to make the grim discovery at the family council house in the early hours of August 10. Yesterday, their Pakistani counterparts revealed they are closing in on Sharif, Batool and Malik, after they identified an active Pakistani SIM card registered in Sharif's name. The SIM has recently been used by someone in the sprawling city of Jhelum, which lies about 70 miles from the capital Islamabad. Khurram Ali, a senior police official in Rawalpindi, who is leading the country-wide manhunt for the three, said: 'We have traced a mobile phone SIM card which is registered under the name of Urfan Sharif and is being actively used by someone in Jhelum.' Police searches for the three have focused on Jhelum, in the Punjab region, as Sharif's wider family live in the city. Urfan Sharif, 41, his wife Beinash Batool (pictured left), 29, and his brother Faisal Malik (pictured right), 28, fled the UK a day before Sara's body was found Police forensic officers working at the house in Hammond road, Horsell, Woking, where Sara's dead body was found Flowers and tributes are laid outside the home of Sara Sharif following her death The trio secretly visited one of Sharif's brothers, Imran, on August 10, the very day police discovered Sara's body back in Surrey. Imran Sharif a shopkeeper in the city who has since been questioned by police said that his two brothers and sister-in-law told him they returned to attend the funeral of one of her relatives in Mirpur in the Kashmir area, and left shortly afterwards. Police believe Sharif, Batool and Malik may be hiding in Jhelum, possibly being aided by their relatives. Nasir Bajwa, the district police chief in Jhelum, said last night that he was confident his force would catch the three soon. He said: 'We are very close to him [Sharif]. I can't divulge all the information, but we would catch him very soon, in a couple of days or so.' He added: 'We are coordinating operations at various places in and outside Jhelum, and will soon get him.' Surrey Police said that a post-mortem examination on Sara's body could not establish the cause of death. But it revealed the little girl had suffered 'multiple and extensive injuries' which were 'likely to have been caused over a sustained and extended period of time'. As a result, the police have widened their investigation and are now appealing to the public to piece together her life in the months and days leading up to her death. Last week, the mother of a girl who was at school with Sara in nearby Byfleet, revealed that Sara stopped going to school a day after she was seen with cuts and bruises on her face. The mother, only identified as Jessica, told the BBC her daughter saw Sara at St Mary's Primary School about four months ago with injuries on her face and neck. Jessica said: 'My daughter had asked what had happened, and she said she'd fallen off a bike and then kind of walked away. 'The next day the teacher announced she had left school and she was being home-schooled.' It was also reported last week that Sara was taken out of school by her parents after she was bullied by other pupils for wearing the hijab, the Islamic head dress. Relatives of Sharif revealed that he has married three times, first to a cousin in Pakistan. But after he arrived in the UK on a student visa around 15 years ago, he divorced his first wife, and married Sara's mother, Polish national Olga Domin, 36, with whom he also had an elder son, aged 13. After divorcing Olga, he then married Beinash, who was born in Luton. They have had three children together. Additional reporting: Piriyanga Thirunimalan The war in Ukraine now somewhat resembles the Spanish Civil War as a place for neutral countries to test their new military equipment. Since early 2022 Ukraine has been overwhelmed by over $50 billion worth new weapons and equipment sent by NATO nations. To further complicate matters, many types of weapons came in several different models. That meant several different varieties of anti-aircraft systems, radars, combat vehicles and combat support equipment, generally with overlapping purposes and each requiring its own unique spare parts. While much appreciated by Ukrainians, there was one major problem; not much training or instructions. NATO could not send military instructors and civilian instructors from the manufacturers were often reluctant to operate in a war zone. To add to these complications, few of the written instructions were in Ukrainian. That is changing but it is still a work in progress. Right now Ukrainian equipment maintainers work with a tablet computer in hand running Google Translate variously in Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Polish and Swedish. The most efficient way to solve the training problem is to train more trainers. That is difficult in Ukraine because since early 2022 nearly 800,000 men, and some women, have been mobilized into the military. Most of these new people had no prior military experience. This was a serious problem because experienced Ukrainian soldiers knew that sending new troops into combat with little (a week or so) training meant higher losses. Up to five times higher. That was obvious in the first months of the war. It was difficult to set up basic training operations, which provided about a month of training. There were too many (hundreds of thousands) of new soldiers and few experienced trainers. A few months into the war, troops who survived their initial weeks of combat were much more likely to continue surviving. The Ukrainian army devoted as many personnel as they could to providing basic training. This was difficult early on because recruiting often consisted of giving out weapons to volunteers and organizing the new troops into company (about a hundred troops) or battalion (three or more companies) size units. These newly created units were led by a few experienced soldiers. Many of these soldiers had peacetime training but no combat experience. That meant it was months before substantial numbers of trainers with combat experience could be assigned to training duties. These trainers were often men who had been wounded in combat and many were disabled to some degree. That often limited what the instructor could do physically. That was not a problem because it was what the instructor knew that counted. As training levels increased, loss rates declined. There was still a backlog in training on how to use more complex weapons. This was often carried out across the border in Poland where instruction was often given in simplified Russian, which was comprehensible to Ukrainian speakers. While Russian and Ukrainian were similar and used the same alphabet (with a few exceptions) and it is easier for Ukrainians to understand Russian than the other way around. Russian is more widely spoken in NATO and East European countries than Ukrainian. NATO had plenty of instructors who could do the job in Russian and made it possible to train a lot of Ukrainian troops using NATO instructors based in Poland. It was also possible to translate English, German or French user instructions into Russian initially and eventually Ukrainian. Short videos were also created, which soldiers could carry on their cellphones and refer to as needed. These videos were also posted where soldiers could view and download them. Before long there was a large number of Ukrainians who could translate How to Use guides for new military equipment into Ukrainian and then create the videos. The Ukrainian military depended on civilian volunteers to do a lot of this work. There was no shortage of qualified volunteers to translate material into Ukrainian and then produce videos for the troops to learn how to use new weapons and later refer to them as needed. NATO advisors and trainers came to expect the Ukrainians to innovate in unexpected ways. Thats because the Ukrainians want the war over as soon as possible. Despite the substantial NATO military and economic aid, Ukraine continues to suffer heavy casualties. The Russians are now deliberately attacking populated areas. So far over six thousand civilians have been killed and many more wounded. This is causing more civilians to leave the country, at least temporarily. That exodus is complicated by the government ban on military-age men from leaving the country. British Museum chairman George Osborne has pledged that the institution is 'cleaning up its mess' as it recovers some of the 2,000 items stolen from its vast collection. The former chancellor said there is 'a silver lining to a dark cloud' as he confirmed the recovery of items is under way following the thefts of valuable artefacts. However, Mr Osborne yesterday admitted that 'more could have been done to prevent' the thefts and blamed 'groupthink' for action not being taken earlier. He said the museum believes 'around 2,000' items were stolen including jewellery, gold and semi-precious gems, and acknowledged the scandal had been 'damaging' to the museum's reputation. It comes after its director Hartwig Fischer announced on Friday that he would step down with 'immediate effect', conceding that responsibility for failing to act on earlier alerts by whistleblowers rests with him. Chairman George Osborne (pictured) has now vowed to 'clear up' the British Museum mess The museum has come under scrutiny after it emerged that senior curator and expert in ancient Greek artefacts Peter Higgs (pictured) who denies any wrongdoing had allegedly stolen valuable objects over a number of years READ MORE: How expert turned sleuth to unmask the astonishing extent of British Museum thefts by snapping up the precious items on eBay then presenting bosses with damning dossier of evidence Advertisement Deputy director Jonathan Williams has stepped back until an independent review has concluded. The museum has come under scrutiny after it emerged that senior curator and expert in ancient Greek artefacts Peter Higgs who denies any wrongdoing had allegedly stolen valuable objects over a number of years. Though Mr Higgs was sacked earlier this year, the museum has been questioned for failing to act when whistleblower and Danish antiquities dealer Ittai Gradel raised the alarm in February 2021. Dr Gradel had found that items from its collections were being sold on eBay for as little as 40, yet museum heads said they had investigated it and found 'no thefts'. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Osborne said: 'On behalf of the British Museum I want to apologise for what has happened. Frankly, more could have been done to prevent the thefts. But I promise you this, it is a mess that we are going to clear up. In February 2021 Dr Gradel contacted the museum and alleged to the fact that thefts were happening... and he identified the individual. 'The museum at the time looked into it, claimed to have conducted a thorough investigation, and said there were no thefts. And that's, obviously, completely wrong.' He did not believe there had been a 'deliberate cover-up', but added: 'Was there some potential groupthink at the time at the top of the museum that just couldn't believe that an insider was stealing things? Yes, that's very possible.' The ex-partners of Vince Colosimo once discussed confronting him together about his 'secret double life' - as it's revealed the star has taken on a surprising new role talking to kids about bullying. Daily Mail Australia has previously revealed Colosimo, who is best known for his portrayal of Alphonse Gangitano in the first Underbelly TV series, and as Neville Bartos in the movie Chopper, was embroiled in an ugly spat between his long-time public partner Sabella Sugar and his secret lover of 20 years. Chelsea - not her real name - said she attempted to organise a sit down meeting with Sugar and Colosimo in the hope of confronting the actor about his double life. Vince Colosimo is comforted by a woman believed to be his his counsellor (in white) outside an event he attended as part of National Bullying Prevention Week Diana Glenn and Vince Colosimo in happier times in 2013 'At one stage I even said to her let's all meet up in the same room so we can confront him so he can't deny it anymore and can't play us against each other or play the 'he said she said games'. But she didn't want to because she knew I wasn't lying.' Colosimo has refused to address the allegations, with Sugar confirming she has since split up with him. The troubled actor was spotted in Melbourne last Friday alongside his new lawyer Kimble Stynes and a woman believed to be his psychologist at a National Bullying Prevention Week gig. The psychologist has been providing ongoing treatment to Colosimo and his daughter Lucia, who has also been moonlighting on OnlyFans. The troubled actor was a keynote speaker at the Bully Zero breakfast, which raised the eyebrows of more than a few concerned members of the public who questioned his suitability. READ MORE: Vince's daughter Lucia, 21, steps out looking very different from a year ago Vince Colosimo's rarely-seen daughter Lucia looked unrecognisable when she stepped out in Melbourne earlier this month following her dad's recent legal woes and ice addiction confession. Advertisement The organisation prides itself on delivering 'evidence-based bullying prevention workshops' to schools across Australia, raising fears the drug-addled thespian might attend at schools. Bully Zero CEO Janet Grima did not respond to Daily Mail Australia's inquiries. It was revealed last month that Colosimo claimed he had suffered from the hideous effect of methamphetamine use and addiction dating back to at least 2012. One former friend of the actor, who asked to remain anonymous, said he had been well aware of Colosimo's drug use since his rise to stardom in the late 1980s. 'Back then it was cocaine. But eventually he found his drug of choice, which was meth,' he said. Colosimo's rampant drug addiction had been used to convince a magistrate he could not repay $61,858 in unpaid fines. 'He's got every addiction there is,' Chelsea said. Lawyer Kimble Stynes and Vince Colosimo at the bullying prevention gig on Friday Vince Colosimo in a scene from the violent Australian drama series Underbelly. Colosimo's former mate claimed the actor not only couldn't afford to pay his fines, but had, at times, failed to pay his drug dealers. The former friend claimed it was Colosimo's constant womanising that eventually ended his marriage to beloved Aussie actress Jane Hall. The former couple met in 1994 on the set of A Country Practice but separated in 2007 after 11 years together. Vince Colosimo and ex-wife Jane Hallin 2002. Vince Colosimo with Sabella Sugar during visit to Paris Things turned nasty between the two after a bitter property dispute over their North Sydney home, which they shared and renovated and was eventually taken to the Supreme Court. 'He's always had girls on the go at any one time,' the former friend said. In 2017, actress Diana Glenn announced her split with Colosimo after eight years together. 'It was the best thing Diana ever did packing up and leaving Vince,' the former friend said. ' Vince Colosimo arranges a 'booty call' with Chelsea in April. He had told Sugar she was a derange stalker who was trying to extort money out of him Vince Colosimo (right) leaves the Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne in 2017 after being fined $3500 and having his licence cancelled. He had been busted driving under the influence of ice Chelsea has repeatedly asked Colosimo to repay some of the thousands of dollars she claims he loaned off her Sources have told Daily Mail Australia Colosimo continues to deny the most recent claims he continued to carry-on a relationship with Chelsea after she was branded an 'extortionist' by him in January last year. It is understood Colosimo claims the texts provided to Daily Mail Australia have been doctored. Chelsea said it was folly for the actor to continue to lie about their relationship. 'I have 20 year's worth of text messages to him that can prove everything I say and that's why it blows my mind as to how they could be so stupid to think they could say all that stuff about me and get it published in the papers and think they can get away with it,' Chelsea said. 'There would be CCTV footage of us together just a month ago at Bunnings, he helped me get some netting for my house. He even wrote it in my birthday message.' Colosimo has refused to respond to Daily Mail Australia, with Mr Stynes accusing the publication of 'bullying' his client. Meghan is reportedly getting ready to 're-launch' herself on Instagram and experts predict she could make a million dollars per post. The duchess, whose last account with husband Prince Harry, @sussexroyal, had 9.4 million followers before it was deactivated in 2020 when the couple quit being senior Royals, is said to be behind a new account named @meghan. Decorated with a picture of pink peonies, reportedly Meghan's favourite flowers, a source close to her team this week confirmed: 'Yes, that's her. Expect an announcement very soon. She's coming back.' The account is already followed by several of Meghan's friends including activist Mandana Dayani, who served as president of Archewell, the Sussexes' media and philanthropic company, until last December. A source told The Mail on Sunday: 'Everyone in Hollywood is talking about the re-launch being imminent. Meghan has never made any secret of the fact she wants to return to Instagram.' Meghan Markle is believed to be behind a new Instagram page simply called @meghan The Instagram account that is said to belong to Meghan Markle and will be the stage for her social media comeback An old Instagram post from Meghan, from a holiday in New Zealand. Sources close to the duchess have said the new account is her's, adding: 'Expect an announcement very soon' An old Instagram post from Meghan Markle's former account with friend and actress Janina Gavankar. Experts believe Meghan could commission $1million per post Harry and Meghan had 9.4 million followers on their Instagram account, @sussexroyal, before they deactivated it after stepping down from Royal duties Prior to her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry, Suits actress Meghan's personal Instagram following stood at more than three million, while tens of thousands of fans signed up for her now-defunct lifestyle blog The Tig. Meghan first announced she was planning a return to Instagram in an interview with The Cut last year, telling writer Allison P Davis: 'Do you want to know a secret? I'm getting back on Instagram.' The duchess's 'new' account already has 76,000 followers and experts say it could prove a huge boost to her finances. Eric Schiffer, a social media expert who advises the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills stars, ex-Disney actress Bella Thorne and cast members from the US version of Dragons' Den, said: 'I don't think Meghan coming back to Instagram will surprise anyone. 'She has a new talent manager and this is the next logical step. 'I would expect her to quickly become one of the most followed accounts on Instagram. You have celebrities like the Kardashians who can command $1million (790,000) and up for a single post promoting a product. 'There is no reason Meghan couldn't be earning those sorts of fees. 'She has to be careful, as a duchess, to avoid being seen to be hawking every product under the sun. She will align with quality brands and companies that are on point with her political and social beliefs.' Meghan previously ran lifestyle blog The Tig - but closed it down in 2017 Social media marketing experts believe Meghan could quickly become one of the top-paid influencers in the world with the new account Marketing expert Kent Moore, who runs OneEyedSocial and has worked with actors such as Star Trek's Sir Patrick Stewart, said: 'I think she would instantly shoot into the top ten highest-paid influencers in the world. 'Her status is unique because she is a celebrity, actress and royalty. 'Meghan could charge a million dollars per post as an absolute minimum. 'That sum would rise quickly if her partnerships achieve global coverage and traction. 'Brands could want to align with her for campaigns over a couple of years, featuring several posts and even personal appearances. 'Those type of deals could come in well over the $12million (9.5million) mark and even as much as $20million (15.9million).' According to a report in The New York Post earlier this month Meghan first set up the handle @meghan when she launched her Spotify podcast. A source told Page Six: 'Meghan was set to go live on Insta but changed her mind shortly before she launched her Archetypes podcast so it's just sitting there now.' Meghan has repeatedly shown her power as an influencer with outfits and bags she has worn selling out. NuCalm, which sells an anti-stress patch, has seen a spike in sales since the duchess was photographed wearing a patch on her wrist as she ran errands near her home in Montecito, California. Every winter, households across Britain get misty-eyed at the latest Christmas advert from John Lewis. From 2021's 'Unexpected Guest' featuring an alien crash-landing on Earth, to 2016's 'Buster the Boxer' starring a dog leaping on a trampoline, these adverts pull on our heartstrings like no other. While there's still four months to go until Christmas rolls around, some people are already so excited for the advert that they're speculating what it could be about. Leeds-based marketing agency, Boutique, tasked AI chatbot ChatGPT with predicting the plot for the 2023 John Lewis advert. Its script features a pocket watch left in a cozy coffee shop in a picturesque snowy village - but does it live up to John Lewis' reputation? The ad opens on a snowy village with a cozy coffee shop at the heart. A barista named Emily works behind the counter, serving drinks and interacting with the customers. As Emily notices an old pocket watch left on a table, she picks it up and examines it. The watch is 'worn but still ticking', ChatGPT explains As Emily investigates the pocket watch, the ad delves into a heartwarming series of flashbacks, involving different people from various time periods throughout history receiving the pocket watch as a gift. Each flashback showcases the watch's journey through time, connecting generations of people who have cherished and passed down the watch The team at Boutique asked ChatGPT to 'predict the next John Lewis Christmas advert'. It came up with a script for an advert titled 'A Timeless Gift - "Celebrating the magic of giving".' The ad opens with a picturesque snowy village, illuminated by the warm glow of streetlights. A cozy coffee shop sits at the heart of the village, its windows filled with people laughing and enjoying warm beverages. The narrator says: 'In a village where time stood still, the magic of Christmas was about to unfold.' In the next scene, a young barista named Emily can be seen as she works behind the counter, serving drinks and interacting with the customers. She has a 'warm smile and a welcoming demeanour', according to ChatGPT. As Emily notices an old pocket watch left on a table, she picks it up and examines it. The watch is 'worn but still ticking', ChatGPT explains. As Emily investigates the pocket watch, the ad delves into a heartwarming series of flashbacks, involving different people from various time periods throughout history receiving the pocket watch as a gift. Each flashback showcases the watch's journey through time, connecting generations of people who have cherished and passed down the watch. Back in the present day, Emily decides to repair and restore the pocket watch. And as she researches its history, she learns about its significance to the village. With the watch restored to its former glory, Emily places it back on the table where she found it, accompanied by a small note that reads: 'For the next chapter' AI's predictions come as John Lewis dumped the agency behind its tear-jerking Christmas ads - in favour of the marketing geniuses who propelled Margaret Thatcher into Downing Street Back in the present day, Emily decides to repair and restore the pocket watch. And as she researches its history, she learns about its significance to the village. With the watch restored to its former glory, Emily places it back on the table where she found it, accompanied by a small note that reads: 'For the next chapter.' As Christmas Eve approaches, the village is adorned with lights and decorations. People gather in the coffee shop, and Emily's act of kindness inspires them to engage in their own acts of giving. On Christmas morning, the coffee shop is bustling with activity. Emily smiles as she 'witnesses the joy and connection that has been rekindled among the villagers'. Meanwhile, the narrator says: 'For in the giving, we find the true essence of Christmas.' Finally, the advert ends with a shot of the pocket watch on the table, its hands ticking forward as the camera pans out, revealing the entire village coming together in celebration. Text on the screen reads: 'A Timeless Gift: Celebrating the Magic of Giving,' before the John Lewis logo appears and the screen fades to black. AI's predictions come as John Lewis dumped the agency behind its tear-jerking Christmas ads - in favour of the marketing geniuses who propelled Margaret Thatcher into Downing Street. Saatchi & Saatchi will take the lead on this year's Christmas TV campaign and next year's launch of a joint John Lewis and Waitrose loyalty card. Simon Bollon, managing director at Boutique, said: 'The John Lewis Christmas ad is a staple of the marketing world and with Megaforce and Saatchi & Saatchi partnering for this year's ad, we should expect something bigger and better than we've seen before. Sorry AI, but we think you're losing this one' Tommy Mallet has told how he went from being 'unable to read and write' and 'tortured' by his mind due to undiagnosed ADHD to a multi-millionaire on the Forbes 30 Under 30 rich list. The former TOWIE star, 31, also explained that his life is now 'completely different' compared to last year, following his diagnosis with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the Mallet London footwear founder - who has son Brody, two, with reality star fiancee Georgia Kousoulou, 32 - said he is on the 'right path' and finally feels stable for the first time in his life. He said: 'For me ADHD is a super power, it just needs to be understood properly. If you can understand it and work with it, it can be the best tool you'll ever get in your life as I can out perform most people in most things. 'When I was undiagnosed, I couldn't read and write, I wasn't able to express myself properly and now I can express myself really really well. I can do meetings with billionaires or sit down with a kid at school who's in a unit. Incredible journey: Tommy Mallet has told how he went from being 'unable to read and write' and 'tortured' by his mind to a multi-millionaire on the Forbes 30 Under 30 rich list Inspiring: In 2015, the former TOWIE star, 31, channelled his passion for trainers into his own footwear line, Mallet London, and the business clocked 11.8 million in sales in 2020 'I live a very uncomfortable life because I'm constantly chasing after the next thing and I don't know the feeling of what being content is. 'The money side is one part of my life but I also want to be a dad and be present as a partner. I've really got that balance in the first time in my life. 'When you're sitting there, thinking and trying to be the best all the time, it's very hard to do that but then sit at home and get up late. I have to get up in the morning, I have to train to be half stable. 'Those who are struggling with ADHD, if you can tap into it like I have and give yourself a routine, it could be so good for you.' The reality TV star, who left school with no GCSEs after struggling with dyslexia, worked as a carpenter before becoming a reality TV star on TOWIE. In 2015, Tommy then channelled his passion for trainers into his own footwear line and the business clocked 11.8 million in sales in 2020, with Mallet London shoes and apparel stocked in over 150 stores around the world. The businessman father-of-one also detailed the mental 'torture' he went through during his time on TOWIE, prior to his diagnosis. Tommy told MailOnline: 'I'm successful so nothing matters to me any more. I'm past that stage of being a reality TV star. 'I've got this thing where I'm impulsive and where it affected me the most is being so worried about people selling stories or me being involved in something at the wrong time. Now I'm at the stage at my life where I've got success the worry has gone. 'I had so much torture in my head of being thrown off the show or doing something wrong. 'I did miss out on a lot with having ADHD on TOWIE because I didn't trust myself in a lot of situations so it did make my journey a bit tougher. Last year, Tommy unveiled his ADHD diagnosis on his ITVBe series Georgia and Tommy: Baby Steps. He got emotional as he and fiancee Georgia recalled his troublesome school years living with undiagnosed ADHD. Tommy is now involved in a campaign to help young children who are in the same position as he was. The father-of-one is the face of Superdrug's new apprenticeship campaign Rise Up To Level Up and hopes to raise awareness around the support needed for young people to gain valuable life skills. He added: 'I left school with no GCSEs, which I'm quite open about, and when I left school my mum pushed me into architecture and I took an apprenticeship scheme doing it. Family: Tommy told MailOnline he is on the 'right path' and finally feels stable for the first time in his life with son Brody, two, and reality star fiancee Georgia Kousoulou, 32 (pictured) 'I always say that if it wasn't for doing those three apprenticeship schemes I wouldn't have ended up being where I am today. 'As a businessman now I try to do as much as possible and do my bit, I hire a lot of young kids and try and show them the ropes and put them in the right direction. 'I'm very passionate about helping kids who are in the same position I was in.' Tommy also detailed how he went through a difficult time in his life and was 'praying' for his ADHD diagnosis to point out what was wrong with him. He told MailOnline: 'When I went to get diagnosed I was praying that I was going to get told I actually had it, because I was going through such a hard time in my life and I didn't know what I had wrong with me. 'I always knew my mind was so erratic and so intense. Mine was left undiagnosed and it had come to a point where I nearly lost everything because I couldn't handle my own head. 'When I went to get diagnosed, I was just sitting there thinking "Please please please tell me I have something wrong with me so I can try and fix it". My life now to last year is completely different.' Campaign: Tommy is now the face of Superdrug's new apprenticeship campaign Rise Up To Level Up and hopes to help and inspire young kids Married At First Sight Australia star Jules Robinson has slammed the addition of a controversial element in the 2023 series that threw many of the couples into turmoil. The reality star, 41, appeared on the series back in 2019 when she married Cameron Merchant, and the couple are still going strong four years later. But in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Jules slammed the addition of a 'photo ranking test,' which asks the couples to rank the boys and girls in order of who they find the most attractive. In some cases, they would fail to put their spouse at the top of the list, sparking huge rows and awkward confrontations. Jules, who is launching her FIGUR shapewear range in the UK, said that such a gruelling challenge would make it 'so much harder' for the couples, noting that they should have 'emotional intelligence' to rank their partners at the top. Hitting back: Married At First Sight Australia star Jules Robinson has slammed the addition of a controversial element in the 2023 series that threw many of the couples into turmoil She said: 'I think that if you watch the Australian version, now they do the attractive test, or whatever they call it and they have to line up them up from one to ten. 'What is the positive in doing that though? I looked at when I was in that experiment, there was no one that I would be matched with other than Cam. 'There was just no one and I just think, I would have down-right said ''no I'm not doing this,'' there's no benefit to doing that in a relationship at all and then you see some of the couples who [you think] ''just put them at the top''! It's not that hard to make someone feel good. 'I don't think there's any positives doing that? I don't know why they do that to the cast now, unless the person has some emotional intelligence, and knows to put their partner at the top, I just don't think anything good can come from that.' 'Yeah, I think we're just making it a bit harder for the couples. 'But let's face it, they make match five couples that have a possible chance and five just for car crash television that's really what they do?!' Jules added that she was rooting for Jessie Burford and Claire Nomarhas, who went on a turbulent ride during the experiment, tinged by infidelity when she kissed Adam Seed. Fans hoped at the series' reunion that they may rekindle their romance, but Claire has since stated that he 'ghosted' her after the experiment wrapped. Brutal! The reality star slammed the addition of a 'photo ranking test,' which asks the couples to rank the boys and girls in order of who they find the most attractive Shocking: In some cases, they would fail to put their spouse at the top of the list, sparking huge rows and awkward confrontations She told MailOnline: 'You saw them emotionally grow as humans and actually learn from mistakes and be really honest. I was really rooting for them. 'That's a difference as a viewer, I think years ago everyone was very emotionally invested in a lot of people. 'And now obviously, It's just so generic, and yes, to them, I was really rooting for them. I would love for them to work out.' MAFS 2023 only saw two couples decide to remain together at the Final Vows, Tahnee Cook and Ollie Skelton, and Melinda Willis and Layton Mills, and both pairs are still happily coupled up. Jules and Cam were first married on MAFS' 2019 series, which became a runway hit when it aired in the UK during the 2021 Covid lockdown. She admitted that they were caught off-guard by the new army of fans that discovered the show during the Covid pandemic. Loved-up: Jules and Cam were first married on MAFS' 2019 series, which became a runway hit when it aired in the UK during the 2021 Covid lockdown Stunning: Jules, who is launching her FIGUR shapewear range in the UK , said that such a gruelling challenge would make it 'so much harder' for the couples Stunning: She launched her inclusive range back in 2020, after struggling with 'uncomfortable' shapewear for three months while filming MAFS 'We had no idea, and all of a sudden, our Instagrams were just blowing up with DMs and our following was raising rapidly day-by-day. 'It was like two years ago and I think being here now it still seems quite fresh to people but weve been married for five years now. It's quite old. 'People will message and they'll be like, ''oh I tried so hard to wait for the end of series, and I've gotta look you up and you've got a baby and I'm so happy''. 'You know that's always been, and England has been open arms have been so beautiful and so supportive and. Yeah, it's been. It's been amazing. Weve been blown away by the support.' Jules is launching her range in the UK with a pre-order discount, available at myfigur.com. EASTENDERS Not since the resurrection of Bobby Ewing in Dallas has there been such excitement about a characters return from the presumed dead. But Cindy has finally arrived back, with Ian in tow. When Cindy heads to number 45 to face the music with Kaffy, we know it wont be a pretty tune. But what does Kaffy have to be mad about? This is a woman who faked her own death to claim on insurance; Cindy at least has the excuse of being part of a witness protection programme. Talking of resurrections Peter, also back in Walford, is once again played by Thomas Law, who had had the role from 2006 to 2010 before Ben Hardy then Dayle Hudson took over. Thats not so much a resurrection as a Second Coming. This week on EastEnders Cindy Beale is back on the square, with Ian in tow George is, naturally, stunned to see Cindy and takes her to the barrel store to demand answers. An odd venue, to say the least, but will she come clean and, if she does, is George likely to forgive her? Something tells me its not going to be a barrel of laughs. And, when Cindy comes face to face with her daughters at Annas 21st, what will be their reaction? I fear more for Cindys reaction. Scarily surreal! How was it for Michelle Collins (Cindy), returning to Walford after 25 years? Surreal. Kind of terrifying at the same time. But it feels like its all still there and Ive gone full circle. Advertisement Coming face to face with Annas lipstick wont be easy; she looks to be in a permanent state of having enjoyed an eight-course supper at a vampire convention. Bobby should stay well away; if they ever get to kiss, one bit of suction from that mouth might take his head off whole. But is Bobby about to lose his crush, when Freddie, who has also been eyeing up Anna, heads to the chippy with her? Alas, its heartbreak time for poor Bobby when Anna tells him they should just stay friends. So, what happens at the chippy? Do Freddie and Anna bond over a battered sausage? My lips are sealed. Unlike Annas. I just love Bobby Brazier, who plays Freddie. Hes only 20, a sensitive and clever actor and one of the most endearing characters in the show. Good luck on Strictly Come Dancing! CORONATION STREET Theres a big difference between walls closing in and the imminent arrival of a JCB to knock them all down. Stephen had better have his hard hat on when Audrey queries a letter she has from an equity release company. At the moment, though, Jenny is blissfully unaware of Stephens past misdeeds, and after signing away the Rovers, she is vulnerable to his dubious charms. Telling her she should put herself first, he swoops in for a kiss (below), which leads to a trip upstairs. Goodness knows what they do up there, but the next thing you know, theyre loved up on the street. Jenny is blissfully unaware of Stephens past misdeeds, and after signing away the Rovers, she is vulnerable to his dubious charms The smile is soon wiped off Stephens face, though, when Tim tells him Elaine is selling the flat and wants him out. Well done, Tim; removing that smirk is no easy task, and in one fell swoop youve achieved what only jaw reconstruction surgery seemed capable of doing. And here comes the rumble of that JCB, when Carla hears from Lou about Rufuss dabbling with LSD. Comparing her own symptoms, she tells Roy of her fear that she might have been drugged. About time! If only Dr Gaddas had thought to test her blood. Keep away from the cellar, Jenny The cats got the cream. Finally, Corries Stephen has wangled his way into Jennys affections and he couldnt be happier. Hes delighted, says Todd Boyce (Stephen). Shes the apple of his eye, hes insane about her and cant believe theyve finally got together. Even when he was with Elaine he had eyes only for her. Hmmm. We know where that insanity has already taken him. Keep away from the cellar, Jenny. EMMERDALE: Now Nates aiming for Corey the gun runner Lets rename the village. How about Little Sicily? Given the surfeit of dodgy dealings, kidnappings, firearms et al, they might as well. And now theres more. With Nate newly ensconced in his position as manager of Calebs business, hes demanding that the illegal jobs stop, but Corey has other ideas. After Nate catches Corey (both below) shifting guns, he decides to take action. What could possibly go wrong? After Nate catches Corey shifting guns, he decides to take action. What could possibly go wrong? When Tracy appears, a panicked Nate has to hide the stash, but when Caleb hears and goes to retrieve them, theyre gone. How are they going to explain this to Corey? More to the point, how are they going to explain it to viewers, tired of these Mafia-style shenanigans? Come on, guys. This is getting ridiculous. At this rate, Zelensky will be dropping you a line asking if you can supply arms for Ukraine. Enough of the violent stuff. Oh, for the days when the most drama you could expect was a sheep being sheared and ending up looking like a Chihuahua. The only ammunition we need at the moment is Gabby, who is clearly a loose cannon. When she returns from her holiday, she and Billy agree to keep their kiss a secret. Tori Spelling's estranged husband Dean McDermott is reaching his boiling point with the actress, with sources revealing that the star is upset that his ex is 'making everything public' amid their alleged spilt. McDermott, 56, and Spelling, 50, tied the knot in 2006 but the troubled marriage appeared to be headed for an end on June 16 after the actor claimed on Instagram that he and the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum has split after 18 years - before the post was quickly deleted. Now insiders tell DailyMail.com that the wary actor questions what his former wife will do next after she has made a string of headlines in recent weeks. The source revealed: 'Dean is at his wits end when it comes to Tori, even when he feels bad for her, he questions what she is doing next.' Not happy: Tori Spelling's estranged husband Dean McDermott is upset that his ex is 'making everything public' amid her current struggles following their alleged spilt (pictured in 2023) Hard times: A glum Tori was recently seen leaving the hospital in a wheelchair - following a five-day stay for a mystery illness Indeed, concern for Spelling has reached new heights after the star revealed she has spent five days receiving hospital treatment for a mystery illness. It comes after the star and her five children - Liam, 16, Stella, 15, Hattie, 11, Finn, 10, and Beau, six - had to move out of their home after they discovered a massive mold infestation in May. The brood were soon pictured staying in a $100-a-night roadside motel, before they then appeared to be living in a trailer. Speaking about McDermott's feelings about the situation, the source explained that the actor is keeping his focus on the kids. 'Dean's main focus all along has been being a great father,' the insider explained. 'He loves his kids so much and wants the absolute best for them and will fight tooth and nail for them and wanted to do that with Tori, but living with Tori became a chore. The source continued: 'Now with Tori's living arrangements, health concerns, and drama-charged life, Dean is trying to navigate through it all and be there for her and the kids through the tough times and to steer clear when Tori is being Tori. 'It has been a bunch of hoops that there seems to be no end in sight.' The insider hinted that the pair have been clashing over how public Spelling has been about recent struggles, claiming that the estranged couple 'can't get on the same page' about how to handle things. Mortified: Tori has allegedly separated from Dean McDermott, 56, her husband of 18 years; pictured in 2019 Happier times: The pair share five children - Liam, 16, Stella, 15, Hattie, 11, Finn, 10, and Beau, six Announcement: Dean posted this message on Instagram telling fans that he split with Tori. The post was removed less than 24 hours later The source continued: 'Dean is really trying to figure it all out, but Tori is making that difficult, Dean wants to figure everything out behind closed doors and Tori is interested in making everything public and having people feel bad for her. 'They can't get on the same page, and it looks to Dean that she doesn't want the help which is very frustrating. There is going to be more of the same in the immediate future and Dean hates it because he doesn't want to be looked at as the bad guy.' Spelling confirmed that she had been hospitalized on Monday, 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, Spelling previously spoke about an ongoing mold infestation inside her home that had made her kids 'so sick' for 'weeks.' Mold: The actress vacated her house in May due to problems with mold, but did not say why she was being kept in the hospital; seen in June 2022 in Hollywood RV life: Tori has spent a good part of the summer living with her kids in an RV. She shared some photos from inside the motor home last week writing, 'as long as we have each other' Hospitalized: Tori revealed she had been hospitalized for four days, but did not reveal what she was being treated for in a social media post Sunday While many symptoms of mold exposure are mild, it can cause severe allergic reactions and asthma attacks that could lead to hospitalization. Exposure can result in an infection reaction right away, or it could take some time to develop. Spelling has certainly fallen on hard times recently, with the hospitalization serving as just another devastating blow that she has faced. After being forced to leave her abode due to the mold, it was also revealed that she may have split from her husband 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. Nathan Buckley's gorgeous new girlfriend Brodie Ryan is set to expand her career, after partnering with an accessories label to promote their jewellery. The business manager, 34, shared a photo to Instagram on Thursday of her posing up a storm while wearing a $55 chunky chain link necklace. The WAG looks every inch the stunner in the jaw-dropping snap as she effortlessly rocks her best angles while promoting Access Avenue's budget jewellery. 'Brodie offered to help us in getting our Access Avenue accessory label up and running,' the company wrote on next to the photo. 'She was on board from the Get Go and we've been blessed with a one of a kind connection to this extraordinary woman!' Nathan Buckley's gorgeous new girlfriend Brodie Ryan (pictured together) is set to expand her career, after partnering with an accessories label to promote their jewellery The 34-year-old shared a photo to Instagram on Thursday of her posing up a storm while wearing a $55 chunky chain link necklace. The WAG looks every inch the stunner in the jaw-dropping photo as she effortlessly rocks her best angles while promoting the jewellery The company offers a wide variety of budget jewellery to help a person get glammed up without tightening their purse strings. Meanwhile, Brodie appears to have settled well into the role of a WAG as the brunette beauty had an incredible makeover to match her new life with Nathan Buckley. The brunette, 34, went from a blonde girl-next-door look to a bronzed glamazon almost overnight after dating the 51-year-old AFL star. In resurfaced Instagram photos, the difference is uncanny as she looked completely unrecognisable in throwback photos from her late 20s. Comparing her happy snaps over the years, it's clear Brodie had a huge transformation once she became a WAG last year. The business manager went from a blonde girl-next-door look to a bronzed glamazon almost overnight after dating the AFL star. Pictured in 2014 (left) and 2023 (right) Smitten Buckley (right) moved on with Brodie (left) shortly after his split from cosmetic nurse Alex Pike last year Brodie has had quite the WAG makeover this year and now dons stylish designer ensembles at various social events With visibly fuller lips and a more natural brunette colour to her locks, the stunner has leaned into enhancing her genetically blessed features. It comes after after Brodie told the Herald Sun she and Nathan first connected over their similar upbringings. Despite their 17-year age gap, the Melbourne businesswoman said they have so much in common and often push one another to be the 'best version of themselves'. Brodie said Nathan's profile has given him the opportunity to help others through hardships and to give back, and that she is 'inspired' by the work he does. The pair started dating last year, and the AFL star is clearly as besotted with Brodie, as he often expresses his love for her on social media. Tommy Lee's wife, Brittany Furlan, flashed her breasts during one of her husband's shows that took place in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month. During the show, the 60-year-old drummer encouraged his fans to remove their tops and show off their breasts in an attempt to raise the spirits of the rest of his crowd. The Motley Crue member then brought his wife, 36, who recently spoke about her husband's past marriage to Pamela Anderson, onstage in order to showcase her upper chest for his adoring fans. Lee began by briefly pausing his performance in an effort to boost the crowd's energy in a video shared on a fan's X account. He bemoaned the fact that he had not seen 'any f***ing t***ies yet, dude, what the f***! No t***ies? This is g****** El Paso, man...I want to see some big old t***ies.' Baring it all: Tommy Lee's wife, Brittany Furlan, exposed her breasts during one of her husband's shows that took place in El Paso, Texas, earlier this month; the two are seen in 2021 After a handful of fans complied with his request, he then asked Furlan to show off her breasts to his fans. The performer said, 'I know somebody who ain't f***ing scared. I'm going to bring my wife out to show you her f***ing t***ies.' Lee's wife promptly pulled down the upper portion of her shirt to expose her breasts, and gave her husband a kiss before she showed off her breasts for a second time and left the stage. The drummer then exclaimed: 'Does that not get the party started? Let's go, come on!' The performer and his wife were initially linked when they were spotted in each other's company in June of 2017. Lee was previously married to Elaine Starchuk, and their marriage lasted from 1984 until 1985. He subsequently married Heather Locklear in 1986, and they remained together until 1994. Letting everyone see: Lee's wife promptly pulled down the upper portion of her shirt to expose her breasts, and gave her husband a kiss before she showed off her breasts for a second time and left the stage Starting off strong: The performer and his wife were initially linked when they were spotted in each other's company in June of 2017; they are seen in 2021 Making it official: The musician and the social media personality subsequently tied the knot on Valentine's Day in 2019; they are seen in January The performer moved on with Pamela Anderson, and they welcomed a pair of boys named Brandon and Dylan, 27 and 25, after they made their union official in 1995. The pair divorced three years later and reconciled twice before going their separate ways in 2008. Lee eventually met Furlan, and the happy couple became engaged after less than a year of dating. The musician and the social media personality subsequently tied the knot on Valentine's Day in 2019. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) members met in Vilnius, Lithuania on July 11th to decide how to modify NATOs peacetime military organization to deal with the possibility of more Russian aggression. One of the proposals was to create a NATO force of 400,000 troops from member nations that would be ready to move to locations near the Russian border if there was another threat of Russian aggression. Similar force mobilization plans have been made in the past but none were ever implemented. Meanwhile, Russia has demonstrated that it is a threat. During the last two decades Russia has become more aggressive about restoring the Russian Empire that dissolved in 1991. That was when half the population of the Soviet Union had an opportunity to free themselves from Russian rule and took it. This disappointed a lot of Russians because Russia has been an empire since about 1500. That was when Russians freed themselves from Mongol rule and began expanding in self-defense. For Russians, the Mongol Empire had been a surprise and very frightening. Starting in 1206, the Mongols began conquering everything in sight. The Mongols began as a collection of tribes composed of mounted warriors armed with powerful weapons, strong discipline and leaders who united the Mongol tribes into a conquering army that, by 1368, controlled most of the great plains of Eurasia. At its peak the Mongols controlled or dominated about a third of the (pre-discovery of the Americas) world population. The Mongol forces were more mobile and moved faster than any modern army. As long as their horses had access to adequate pasture, the Mongol forces were seemingly unstoppable. The Mongols were disciplined, adaptable and determined empire builders. All empires eventually fall apart and the Mongols were no exception. Russians considered the Mongols an inspiration when it came to empire building and Russia sought to create its own empire after the Mongol empire collapsed. By the 1700s Russia was on its way to creating an empire that rivaled that of the Mongols. This was the Imperial Russian Empire that was proclaimed in 1721 and lasted until 1917 when civil war destroyed it and a smaller communist empire succeeded it. The Imperial Russian Empire was the third largest in history, exceeded only by the British and Mongol empires. By the late 19th Century, a census showed that this empire contained 126 million people and covered 22,800,000 square kilometers (8,800,000 square miles). This area was about equal to that of North America (US, Canada and Mexico). In the 20th century the Russian empire was destroyed and revived as the communist Soviet Union. This empire lasted from 1922 to 1991 and had a peak population of 286 million. The communists proclaimed they had invented a more productive economic system. That was not true and economic mismanagement was the primary cause for the dissolution of the Soviet empire in 1991. Westerners often referred to the Soviet Union as the prison house of nations and that proved apt because half the Soviet population chose to become independent in 14 new nations. The remnant of the Soviet Union became the Russian Federation and remained as corrupt and economically crippled as the Soviet Union was. After less than a decade of democracy, Russia reverted to dictatorship, hostility towards NATO and revival of efforts to rebuild the Russian empire. That led to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and enormous military and financial support for Ukraine from NATO nations. While Ukraine was not yet a member of NATO, it was considering it because NATO was all about mutual defense against Russian aggression. Russia invaded Ukraine in part because the Ukrainians were seeking to join NATO. Even though Ukraine was not yet in NATO, the NATO nations supported Ukraine as if it were a NATO member. NATO sent everything except troops. NATO troops fighting Russians in Ukraine risked a nuclear war with Russia. Nearly a hundred billion dollars of military and economic aid from NATO nations to Ukraine was another matter and Russia was not willing to go nuclear over the material aid. Russia feared and respected NATO military capabilities. NATO members collectively constitute the largest economic and military organization on the planet. After 1991 Russia feared that NATO would somehow become a military threat. That was never NATOs intention and the coalition lasted so long because it stuck to its role as a defensive alliance. Some Russians, like Vladimir Putin, saw 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 after Russia invaded Ukraine. 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. Russia did not fear being invaded by NATO because NATO was a defensive coalition of independent nations. What Russia did fear was the mutual defense clause of the NATO treaty. If one NATO member was attacked, all NATO members were obliged to join in dealing with the threat. Before the 2022 invasions most Ukrainians were undecided about joining NATO because it would anger the Russians. Ukraine already had several treaties with Russia that guaranteed Ukrainian independence and Russia made it clear that Ukraine joining NATO would be considered a hostile act. Fear of Ukraine joining NATO was one of the major reasons for the Russian invasion. There was some truth to those Russian fears, because the enormous NATO material support for Ukraine has been a major reason for the failure of the Russian invasion to succeed. By 2023 the Ukrainians were attacking Russian forces inside Ukraine and pushing them out. The Russians seem unsure of how to respond to this. Ukraine and NATO have agreed that once the Russians are gone from Ukraine, joining NATO will be possible. Ukraine and NATO have already agreed to this and Russia does not like it but seems unlikely to risk nuclear war to prevent it. Russia has enough internal economic and political problems because of failures by Russian forces in Ukraine. Large scale economic sanctions were imposed on Russia because of the invasion and those sanctions hurt Russia economically and politically enough to get its attention. While voluntarily withdrawing from Ukraine was always an option, it was not considered politically acceptable until recently and not by the most senior Russian leaders, like Vladimir Putin, who seems willing to see Russians continuing to suffer rather than admit defeat. A growing number of Russians want out of Ukraine but Putin calls that treason. Few Russians want a civil war over the issue but a coup against Putin is attractive to many Russians. Most Russians are angry over Putins failures in Ukraine and the impact that is having on all Russians. Putin, like the Czars and commissars before him, has to go for Russians to survive. Losing Putin does not mean Russia would thrive because Putin continued the Russian tradition of betrayal and broken treaties. Several generations of frustrated Russian reformers have muttered what is to be done and that is one Russian tradition that always survives. She recently announced she's expecting to welcome her first child with her husband dessert king Adriano Zumbo. And on Thursday, Nelly, 32, showed off her blossoming baby bump as she hit the 27-week mark. The mother-to-be revealed her bump in a photo shared to Instagram while posing in a bikini for a mirror selfie. 'Mama #27weeks #babyboy,' she simply captioned the post. Nelly looked every inch the radiant beauty as she confidently posed and embraced her natural beauty by opting for a makeup-free look. Pregnant My Kitchen Rules star Nelly Zumbo showed off her growing baby bump in a bikini as she prepares to welcome her first child with dessert king Adriano Zumbo Nelly and Adriano shared their exciting baby news to their Instagram pages back in May on Mother's Day, alongside a photo of Nelly's growing baby bump. 'We are baking something very special Most definitely our greatest creation yet. Little baby macaron due November,' they captioned the sweet post. In the photo, Adriano, 41, wrapped his arms around his wife while holding a green macaron in front of her bump. The announcement came just one year after the pair tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland. The couple, who went public with their romance in 2017 after Nelly starred on My Kitchen Rules with then-boyfriend JP Huillet in 2016, exchanged vows at Tiffany's at Maleny with views of the stunning Glass House Mountains in May last year. Nelly and Adriano shared their exciting baby news to their Instagram pages back in May on Mother's Day, alongside a photo of Nelly's growing baby bump In May 2021, Nelly announced her engagement to the pastry chef, sharing the happy news to her Instagram page. 'He liked it so he put a ring on it,' she gushed alongside an image of the pair. 'I am so lucky to call you my fiance, you are the love of my life and I cannot wait to spend my forever with you.' Adriano and Nelly made headlines in 2016 when they began dating shortly after they started working together. Before Nelly met Adriano, she was in a long-term relationship with JP Huillet, who was her partner on My Kitchen Rules. 'We are baking something very special Most definitely our greatest creation yet. Little baby macaron due November,' they captioned the sweet post The couple were dubbed the 'lovebirds' and gushed about getting married during their time on the series. Nelly and Adriano went public with their relationship in 2017, while on holiday together in the Maldives. JP apparently found out about the romance on social media. Nelly's relationship with the celebrity chef faced its fair share of media scrutiny, with the couple being forced to defend their controversial romance in the press. JP Huillet finally found his happy ending in April 2021 when he tied the knot to dancer Lizzy Edwards in an intimate wedding ceremony in Byron Bay. Jamie Oliver has announced he will be coming to Australia to co-host a speaking engagement at the Sydney Opera House. The British restaurateur, 48, revealed he will be talking all things food and health alongside MasterChef judge Melissa Leong on Saturday, November 11. Sharing a lengthy post to Instagram on Thursday, he also revealed he would 'tell his story' about the very first BBC television series he took part in. 'Australia, I'm coming for you! Join me at the Sydney Opera House in conversation with the amazing Melissa Leong on Saturday 11th November!' he wrote. 'I'll be telling my story from the early Naked Chef days to how I continue to help all of you cook fresh and delicious food from scratch!' Jamie Oliver, 48, (pictured) announced he is coming to Australia on Saturday, November 11 to co-host a speaking engagement at the Sydney Opera House He continued: 'And I'll obviously be talking about why I will always fight to keep kids' health at the top of the agenda.' Ticket prices for the speaking event start at $49 with 'premium' seats selling for $89. It comes after Jamie starred alongside Melissa, 41, as a guest judge during this year's season of MasterChef. The British restaurateur revealed he will be talking all things food and health alongside MasterChef judge Melissa Leong, 41, (pictured) The TV star also joined judges Andy Allen and the late Jock Zonfrillo for the new season called MasterChef: Secrets and Surprises. The news was revealed on MasterChef Australia's official page in April ahead of the show's premiere on May 1. 'I'm very, very excited to be back in the MasterChef Australia kitchen, and honoured to be kicking off the new season of Secrets & Surprises alongside Jock, Andy and Mel,' Jamie said in a statement at the time. Sharing a lengthy post to Instagram on Thursday, he also revealed he would 'tell his story' about the very first BBC television series he took part in He added: 'I want to give the contestants some little nuggets of advice, some techniques and some thoughts most importantly, that might help them to navigate some of the big moments ahead.' Jamie previously appeared on the show back in 2012. He is known for his love of British and Italian cuisine, his cooking show and cook books. The chef, who hails from Essex, reportedly has a net worth of over 240million. Katie Maloney put her fashion sense and style on display while going about her day in Los Angeles on Friday. The reality star, 36, made her way through a suburban neighborhood in a black and white ensemble. Her look consisted of black capri pants, that fell down a couple of inches above her ankles, and white cropped shirt-jacket that was left unbuttoned and open to showcase her black bra undergarment. The revealing combination highlighted both her toned midriff and cleavage. She also wore a pair of silver flat shoes with pink trim, carried a small black leather purse, and accessorized with dark sunglasses, a long silver chain hanging from the left side of her pants, and a couple of matching necklaces. Strutting her stuff: Actress and reality star Katie Maloney, 36, flaunted her midriff and fashion sense while going about her day in Los Angeles on Friday Rounding out her overall look, the Vanderpump Rules star had her dark locks looking short and stylish, pushed back over her ears, slightly longer in the back, and a part just off to the left. Maloney looked as though she was meeting up with a friend or two on yet another warm and sunny Southern California day that saw temperatures top 80 degrees Fahrenheit as a high. Later in the early evening, the Park City, Utah native took to her Instagram page and shares a series of six photos to showcase the satisfaction she gets from picking out her daily fashion ensembles. 'One thing about me I will always say I have nothing to wear and I hate all my clothes but also love throwing together an outfit,' she revealed in the caption of the post that begins with a selfie snap of her leaning on one of her lifted legs. For the cover picture, she's decked out in a shiny silver miniskirt and a black, white and orange sweater over a black bra that was made to be easily seen by her 1.6 million Instagram fans and followers. She also changed into mustard yellow shorts and a black cropped t-shirt for another outfit she shared on social media. Maloney got creative when she matched a sleeveless blue jean jacket over a Dennis Rodman's black Chicago Bulls jersey with a black sheer, see-through skirt and matching knee-high boots. Obviously feeling playful, flirty and daring, the see-though skirt put the television personality's black undergarment nearly on full display. For another look, Maloney donned a skimpy black miniskirt with black Hawaiian-style shirt with a burgundy flower on the front of it with black cowboy boots. Revealing: The Vanderpump Rules cast member stepped out in black Cari pants with a white cropped shirt-jacket that she left wide open to reveal her black bra Sexy and chic: The revealing combination highlighted both her toned midriff and cleavage On the go: Maloney looked as though she was meeting up with a friend on yet another warm and sunny Southern California day that saw temperatures top 80 degrees Fahrenheit as a high When thinking of how she would style herself for a night out, the reality star found a sexy but still elegant minidress with black sheer fabric along the neckline that hugged her womanly curves in all the right ways. She again would rounded out an outfit with those cool knee-high boots. And finally, the fashionista slipped into black pinstripe slacks and a matching vest, which she wore without a shirt, allowing her to get flirty again by flaunting her cleavage with its plunging design. It appears as though Maloney put on her impromptu fashion show at her LA home earlier in the day before heading out. Ultimately, after changing no less than six times, the original Vanderpump Rules cast member settled into her black Capri pants and cropped white jacket-shirt combination. Fashion show: Later on Friday, Maloney took to her Instagram page and shares a series of six photos to showcase the satisfaction she gets from picking out her daily fashion ensembles Cute: She also changed into mustard yellow shorts and a black cropped t-shirt for another outfit she shared on social media Daring: Maloney got creative when she matched a sleeveless blue jean jacket over a Dennis Rodman's black Chicago Bulls jersey with a black sheer, see-through skirt and matching knee-high boots. Working it: For another look, Maloney donned a skimpy black miniskirt with black Hawaiian-style shirt with a burgundy flower on the front of it with black cowboy boots Elegant: When thinking of how she would style herself for a night out, the reality star found a sexy but still elegant minidress with black sheer fabric along the neckline Teaser: The fashionista slipped into black pinstripe slacks and a matching vest, which she wore without a shirt, allowing her to get flirty again by flaunting her cleavage Final look: Before heading out to that suburban LA neighborhood Maloney struck one final pose in her black and white outfit, and then posted it on her Instagram Stories Before heading out to that suburban LA neighborhood Maloney struck one final pose in the ensemble and then posted it on her Instagram Stories. Maloney is one of four people to appear on Vanderpump Rules as a main cast member for all 10 seasons that have aired on Bravo. Developed as the first spin-off to The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills, the three other stars to join her for all 10 seasons as a top cast member are Tom Sandoval, Scheana Shay and Lisa Vanderpump, herself. The success of the show has resulted in two spin-offs: Vanderpump Rules After Show and Vanderpump Rules: Jax & Brittany Take Kentucky. Brenton Kuch has broken his silence on his split from his girlfriend Sophie Holcombe after she 'blocked him off social media'. The couple, who appeared to find love on this year's season of Farmer Wants A Wife, announced they had ended their relationship earlier this month. However, Brenton revealed he was blindsided by the breakup post Sophie shared to Instagram. 'Neither of us wanted the breakup but we got to a point where we needed time apart after the experience we had just come through,' he told Yahoo Lifestyle. Brenton went on to say the pair had been 'very civil until a few weeks ago' and confessed they agreed to keep their breakup private. Brenton Kuch (left) broke his silence on his messy split from ex-girlfriend Sophie Holcombe (right) after she 'blocked him off social media' But it seemed Sophie had other plans, as Brenton alleged she contacted him to say 'she wanted to announce the spilt' which took him off guard. 'I thought it was a bit weird considering we decided not to, but I was fine with that. We still seemed to be OK, but then she blocked me off social media,' he said. Brenton also addressed rumours Sophie was now dating someone new, adding: 'If the rumours are true I felt it was a little disrespectful to happen as soon as it did.' The couple, who appeared to find love on this year's season of Farmer Wants A Wife, announced their split earlier this month Sophie announced the couple's shocking split just three weeks ago in an emotional Instagram post, and hinted it was a bitter breakup. She found love with the Victorian cattle farmer earlier this year during filming for the popular Channel Seven show, and relocated to his farm in Darriman shortly after. 'I have an update to share. With a heavy heart, I want to let everyone know Brenton and I have gone our separate ways,' she wrote in her post. Brenton revealed he was blindsided by the breakup post Sophie shared to Instagram 'Reg [her dog Reginald] and I loved our life in Darriman and have been missing the farm a lot.' Sophie alluded to an acrimonious split by calling the breakup 'disappointing' and said she is now re-evaluating 'her values'. 'It's a disappointing ending, but I've learned a lot about myself and my values. I wish Brenton all the best,' she added. The wife of late MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo has shared some treasured memories with his Instagram followers. Lauren Fried, who now runs her late husband's Instagram account, posted a new video on Friday commemorating an Italian family holiday from just one year ago. The series of posts show Jock doting on his two youngest children, smiling and laughing with his wife as they enjoyed the sights of Italy. In the caption to the video, Lauren wrote: 'One year ago today in Italy, in search of the best bowl of alla Nerano.' Followers of the celebrity chef paid their respects in the comments. The wife of the late MasterChef judge Jock Zonfrillo (pictured) has shared some treasured memories with his Instagram followers 'How generous of you to share such personal treasured memories. It seems like the whole world misses Jock,' wrote one commenter. Another remarked 'Thank you for sharing your lovely memories with us all. Thinking of you and your beautiful lil ones.' 'This hurts my heart. Sending all my love,' said another Zonfrillo fan. Lauren Fried (pictured right), who now runs her late husband's Instagram account, posted a new video on Friday commemorating an Italian family holiday from just one year ago 'Loz I still cant believe we won't see him on our screens anymore. I can't even begin to imagine what it's like for you and your little family. I pray one day you'll heal from your agonising hurt,' said another well-wisher in the comments. MasterChef judge Andy Allen also left a comment. 'Just one bowl???' he wrote, followed by a love heart emoji The series of memories show Jock doting on his two youngest children, smiling and laughing with his wife as they enjoyed the sights of Italy. Zonfrillo died in his hotel room at Zagames House on Lygon Street in Carlton, Melbourne on April 30. He was found by police at about 2am on Monday, May 1, the same day Channel 10 was meant to premiere the fifteenth season of MasterChef Australia. The premiere was subsequently postponed until May 7. Jock is survived by his wife Lauren and by his son and three daughters. Jeremy Renner continues to take huge strides - both physically and spiritually - eight months after he nearly lost his life during a horrific snowplow accident. The Hollywood leading man, 52, took to his Instagram page and offered up a 'Happy Friday' when he shared a photo of himself during another rehabilitation workout at a gym. In the selfie snap, the Mayor Of Kingstown star is seen sitting on one of the many exercise machines at his disposal. The image, which shows him looking happy and healthy, is just one of many that documents his recovery after suffering 30 broken bones when he was pulled under a snowplow outside his Lake Tahoe home on New Year's Day. In the wake of the near-death experience, Renner has sounded like a man with a new lease on life who's more than grateful to be alive. Road to recovery: Jeremy Renner, 52, wished his 21.1 million Instagram fans and follower a 'Happy Friday' with a picture of himself during another rehabilitation workout at a gym Renner doesn't show any of the physical signs of the scary accident, but by no means is he finished with his rehabilitation. For the latest of his strenuous workouts The Hurt Locker actor can be seen wearing a gray t-shirt and a matching shorts. He can also be seen donning one of his black-rim glasses, while looking straight into the camera. Just hours after ringing in the new year of 2023, Renner's chest was crushed and his upper torso collapsed when he was pulled under a seven-ton snowplow He had been trying to pull his nephew's vehicle from the snow in his driveway when the horrifying incident occurred. Screaming in agony during the 911 call, emergency services came to his rescue, and airlifted him Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno in critical condition. Renner ended up suffered nearly three dozen broken bones, not to mention also the cuts, scraps and bruising that have all healed over the course of the last eight months. Once he was stable and had some semblance of self again, the father of one started sharing updates on his health and recover on social media. Making a difference: On Thursday, the Oscar-nominated actor posted a few images of the Make-A-Wish event that was held later in the day Giving thanks: The non-profit organization, which helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of two-and-a-half and 18 since 1980, thanked Renner for his time and support Giving back: Renner confessed his 'dreams come true' when he works with Make-A-Wish Heartfelt: The Hurt Locker star could be seen giving one of the children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation a big hug Humbled and grateful for his life and those who contributed to saving him, Renner also started sharing encouraging words of wisdom. In one such case in recent weeks the Hawkeye star urged people to spend time with loved ones, which is exactly what he has been doing during most of his recovery. The one person Renner has been trying to spend as much time with as possible since his accident has been his 10-year-old daughter Ava. He has also been finding the time to give back to those in need. On Thursday, the Oscar-nominated actor posted a few images of the Make-A-Wish event that was held later in the day. along with a message to all the people who help make the non-profit prosper. 'Thank you @makeawishamerica for the morning of inspiration bravo to the super parents and kids pushing through adversity to live the best and brightest day everyday,' he gushed in the caption of a photo showing the room where event was held. Positive vibes: 'Sending love from O2 chamber,' he wrote in a recent health update this week Scary: Renner had his chest crushed and his upper torso had collapsed when he was pulled under a seven-ton snowplow at his Lake Tahoe property hours after the new year rang in 'And to our amazing local community in Reno, NV Im honored to share this room and event with you in support of Make a Wish and these amazing families @makeawishcanv,' he concluded. The organization, which helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of two-and-a-half and 18 since 1980, wasted little time in thanking Renner for his time and support. 'We are so grateful to have spent a wonderful morning with you and our Northern Nevada community to help make wishes come true. While a child makes a wish, YOU made the difference,' the message read. 'While the children we serve go through many ups and downs during their critical diagnoses, a wish serves to create joy in not just their lives, but their families, friends, and the communities around them. THANK YOU for supporting our mission!' Claudia Winkleman looked sophisticated in an all-black ensemble as she left the BBC Radio 2 studios on Saturday. The presenter, 51, cut a smart figure in an oversized black blazer which she paired with faded grey trousers and brown Chelsea boots. The radio DJ, known for her dark locks and long fringe peeked through her hair, as she headed home after her lunch time show. Clutching her mobile, the star kept all her essentials in a large leather black handbag. The snaps come after Claudia received the Outstanding Achievement Award in honour of her three decade TV career at the Edinburgh TV Festival on Thursday. Sophisticated: Claudia Winkleman, 51, was pictured wearing an oversized black blazer and brown Chelsea boots as she left the BBC studios on Saturday Stylish: The 51-year-old known for her dark locks and long fringe peeked through her hair, as she headed home after her lunch time show Speaking on stage In Conversation with Kirsty Young, Claudia was presented with her award as she discussed her career. Before the event, the TV personality said: 'I am humbled and honoured to accept this Outstanding Achievement Award,' according to Deadline. 'I am ridiculously lucky and work with extraordinary people, so this is actually for them and not for me.' The also revealed the bizarre request she received from a BBC boss after landing the job of Strictly Come Dancing co-host. The presenter was offered to host alongside Tess Daly a decade ago after veteran host Sir Bruce Forsyth stepped down from the position. But Claudia recalled the 'weird' rule she was forced to follow after being given the job by the then BBC controller. Discussing her role in Strictly, she said: 'I don't say this in a faux self-deprecating way. It is a machine. A steam engine. I'm not even a cog. 'Danny Cohen gave me the job and phoned me up and said, "Wed love you to do it." I said, "Thank you so much, that is such an honour." 'He added: "Im just going to need a phone number from you" and I was like, "Oh yeah, OK, which one?" and he said, "Your hairdressers". 'I was like, "Bit weird, controller of BBC One".' All smiles: Claudia beamed as she clutched her mobile and carried her essentials in a large leather black handbag Iconic hair: The snaps come after Claudia revealed that when she first joined Strictly producers rang her hairdresser to tell him to cut her fringe Well done: The presenter smiled proudly after receiving the Outstanding Achievement Award in honour of her three decade TV career in Edinburgh on Thursday How odd: Claudia revealed the bizarre request she received from a BBC boss after landing the job of Strictly Come Dancing co-host The TV star continued: 'Two days later, James, who does my hair, said, "This guy called Danny phoned up to complain about the length of your fringe." 'He (Danny) was like: "You can have this job but its just annoying, its down to your nose. You want to be on telly but youre invisible".' Meanwhile during the event, Claudia told how she didn't feel concerned about the show being fronted by two women when she officially started in 2014, due to the fact that the Great British Bake Off was at the time hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins. She explained: 'I felt incredibly nervous at the time but the two women thing, the biggest show on television by miles at that point, ratings-wise, in recent history was Bake Off and that was hosted by two women. 'So I was, like, Im not even pulling on that string.' Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge appreciates simply being alive after a recent cancer scare. The My Kitchen Rules judge, 50, opened up to Stellar magazine about the health scare after the loss of his friend and fellow celebrity chef Jock Zonfrillo. Colin said he began having persistent stomach pains while filming the new season of MKR in New Zealand. But when he went to see his doctor, the Kitchen Nightmares Australia host said he didn't quite get the assurance he was expecting. 'My doctor is as blunt as a brick, and he said to me, "Oh, that could be bowel cancer." I was like, "What the f*ck?"' Celebrity chef Colin Fassnidge (pictured) says he appreciates being alive after a recent cancer scare Colin received the all-clear following a stomach cancer scare, but said he is still working with his doctors to work out what has been causing his health issues The television host was candid about his medical procedures, and expressed how fearful it had made him. 'He booked me in with a surgeon for a colonoscopy and a gastroscopy. It was a scary two weeks. I didnt tell anyone, but I was absolutely petrified,' he said. Colin received the all-clear from a cancer diagnosis, but he is still working with his doctors to work out what has been causing his stomach issues. The chef claimed he has a newfound appreciation for life after getting the all clear in the aftermath of his friend Jock Zonfrillo's death. Colin posed with wife Jane and their two daughters in the latest issue of Stellar magazine 'The next day, I was putting up pictures of a sunrise [on Instagram] because I was out running going, how good is the world? I think it was because of the whole Jock thing, as well, because he was younger than me. It was a wake-up call.' Colin previously said about Jock's death: 'It's so shocking. I'm sitting on a rock right now trying to take it in, I don't know what to say. I'm floored.' He said there was no indication anything was wrong for Zonfrillo, and the news was a complete surprise. Fassnidge, who was friends with Zonfrillo for 20 years, told Daily Mail Australia earlier this year that he was struggling to process the tragic news. Meanwhile, Fassnidge will be back on screens in the new season of My Kitchen Rules in September. Coronation Street star Dolly-Rose Campbell and Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley were on fine form on Saturday as they led the stars celebrating Manchester Pride. Actress Dolly-Rose, 36, who plays Gemma Winter-Brown in the ITV soap, stood out on a colourful sequinned dress while flying the rainbow flag, which is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements. The soap star teamed her sparkly dress with white trainers adorned with rainbow laces and a grey crossbody bag. Really getting into the spirit of the event, Dolly-Rose sported colourful hair extensions and shimming glitter make-up as she beamed in front of the crowds gathered to watch the parade. Meanwhile, Tanya turned up the heat on the rainy day as she slipped into a very racy pink ensemble as she too took part in the parade. What a woman: Coronation Street star Dolly-Rose Campbell and Real Housewives Of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley were on fine form on Saturday as they led the stars celebrating Manchester Pride Pink lady: Tanya turned up the heat on the rainy day as she slipped into a very racy pink ensemble as she too took part in the parade The model, 42, showcased her figure in a pink, embellished cage dress worn over matching pink underwear as she posed for snaps. Tanya accessorised her glam look with a silver handbag, boosting her height with coordinating silver heels. The TV star was certainly enjoying the festivities as she posed for snaps alongside a busty fellow Pride attendee. Manchester Pride Festival will be held from Friday August 25 to Monday August 28. Manchester's iconic Gay Village will be a focal point of the celebrations, with Pabllo Vittar, Jake Shears, Natasha Bedingfield, Danny Beard, Jodie Harsh and Gok Wan among the notable names on the bill. Tanya's fun outing comes after she admitted she 'needed to go to rehab before I ended up in a box' as she opened up about her lifelong mental health battle in June. The former The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star, who has had three suicide attempts, reached her breaking point in 2022 after continuously 'self-medicating and abusing alcohol'. The terrifying spiral of 'drinking alcohol, feelings anxious and having suicidal thoughts' is what pushed the reality star into jetting off to Thailand to check into rehab. Fab: Actress Dolly-Rose, 36, who plays Gemma Winter-Brown in the ITV soap, stood out on a colourful sequinned dress while flying the rainbow flag, which is a symbol of LGBT pride and LGBT social movements Work it: The model, 42, showcased her figure in a pink, embellished cage dress worn over matching pink underwear as she posed for snaps Flaunt: The TV star was certainly enjoying the festivities as she posed for snaps alongside a busty fellow Pride attendee She told OK! magazine: 'I was on a hamster wheel of death. The effects of drinking on my brain were just horrific and would last for days. 'I'd drink, feel anxious and have suicidal thoughts. I'd then drink again to ease it and have more suicidal thoughts. 'I was getting deeper and deeper. That was when I told Phil I needed to go to rehab before I ended up in a box.' 'I was a ticking time bomb': It comes after Tanya admitted she 'needed to go to rehab before I ended up in a box' as she opened up about her lifelong mental health battle in June Pre-rehab: The former The Real Housewives Of Cheshire star, 42, who has had three suicide attempts, reached her breaking point in 2022 after continuously 'self-medicating and abusing alcohol' (pictured in 2022) The WAG is wed to former Manchester United star Phil Bardsley and they share three children - Rocco, 13, Renz, nine, and Ralphi, six. Tanya also has a daughter Gabriella, 21, from a previous relationship. The TV personality did not tell her kids where she was going and checked in to the facility for four weeks which she noted was 'the best decision' she's ever made. She has now been seven months sober and said going to events and not drinking alcohol has really helped 'build up her confidence' again but can only last a few hours before people become annoying. Jessie Wynter, Samie Elishi and Claudia Fogarty turned heads as they stepped out for the second day of We Are FSTVL in Upminster on Saturday. The Love Islanders appeared to be in jovial spirits as they joined a whole host of stars at the festival, where the likes of The Prodigy, Annie Mac and Example will perform. Jessie, 26, showed off her ample cleavage in a black halterneck bikini top, crochet crop top and cargo trousers from PrettyLittleThing. She was joined by her boyfriend Will Young, whom she met on the dating show. Samie, 23, put on a leggy display in black shorts, which she styled with a black bra and a silver mirrored halter-neck cover-up. Love Island reunion! Jessie Wynter and Samie Elishi turned heads as they stepped out for the second day of We Are FSTVL in Upminster on Saturday Trendy: She was joined by her best pal Claudia Fogarty and a whole host of stars at the festival, where the likes of The Prodigy, Annie Mac and Example will perform She swept a black bomber jacket over her shoulders and completed her look with black cowboy boots, while she fixed a pair of sunglasses in her brunette locks. Meanwhile, the daughter of Carl Fogarty, 29, cut a trendy figure in a zip-up black mini dress and a bomber jacket, which she styled with black boots. They were joined by the likes of Love Island's Billy Brown, Ellie Spence and Lydia Karakyriakou at the festival, which is being sponsored by PrettyLittleThing. The festival is once again being held at the Damyns Hall Aerodrome airfield for its tenth anniversary edition, and will see 150 artists play across the weekend. Those attending We Are FSTVL can expect performances from a wide range of artists, including big names such as The Prodigy, Annie Mac, Example and Nathan Dawe. Smooch: Jessie packed on the PDA with Will at the festival Busty: Jessie showed off her ample cleavage in a black halterneck bikini top, crochet crop top and cargo trousers from PrettyLittleThing Festival girl: Jessie's abs were on display in the barely-there outfit Smitten: She was joined by her farmer boyfriend Will Young Glitzy: Samie, 23, put on a leggy display in black shorts, which she styled with a black bra and a silver halter-neck mirrored cover-up Impressive: The PrettyLittleThing sponsored We Are FSTVL was once again held at the Damyns Hall Aerodrome airfield for its tenth anniversary edition, and saw 150 artists play across the weekend Talented: Those attending We Are FSTVL enjoyed performances from a wide range of artists, including big names such as The Prodigy (pictured) and Example Performance: Another massive name on the already monumental lineup was London legend Skepta, who headlined the Solid Grooves stage on Saturday They will be joined by chart-topping DJs including Joel Corry, Fisher, Andy C and Scottish duo LF System. Another massive name on the already monumental lineup is London legend Skepta, who will be headlining the Solid Grooves stage on Saturday. This year's festival has also seen the addition of camping, meaning partygoers don't have to worry about that dreaded post-festival journey home. Launched in 2013, We Are FSTVL has firmly established itself as one of the leading electronic and urban music festivals in Europe. Samie's appearance at the festival comes after she revealed that she is 'doing great' after undergoing thyroid surgery around four weeks ago. Chic: Meanwhile, the daughter of Carl Fogarty, 29, cut a trendy figure in a zip-up black mini dress and a bomber jacket, which she styled with black boots Festival ready! Also in attendance was former Love Island star Ellie Spence, who cut a stylish figure in a brown co-ord set, made up of a corset-style top and a layered frilled mini skirt Casual: Billy Brown also cut a stylish figure in a cream vest top and matching shorts, which he styled with a printed shirt All smiles: Lydia Karakyriakou, who appeared on the ninth series of Love Island, put on a daring display in a one-shouldered crocheted mini dress Cheers! Lydia posed up a storm at the festival, which is being sponsored by PrettyLittleThing, with her pals Ellie Egar and Shannon Kenyon Here come the girls: Mia Sully, Samie Elishi and Pia Smith posed for the camera Sparkly: Summer Botwe flashed her abs in a silver co-ord Party-goes: Gogglebox stars George Baggs and Joe Baggs kept cool with fans Catch up: George chatted to Love Island star Samira Mighty TOWIE: Tanyel Revan and Junaid Ahmed partied at the fun festival Smitten: Indiyah Polack and Dami Hope cuddled up to one another Cool: Indiyah rocked a khaki corset top and rara miniskirt Eye-catching: Tanyel wore a fringed minidress and silver cowboy boots She had an operation on her neck to remove a lump, and she later found out that it wasn't cancerous as she got the all-clear from doctors. The TV personality gave fans an update on her health as she admitted she 'thought she was going to be a lot worse' following the procedure. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline at Ghost Fragrances' Luna Collection launch party last week, she said that she felt fine after she woke up from the anaesthetic. Samie said: 'I'm doing great, I have a Prosecco in hand, but in all honesty I thought I was going to be a lot worse than I was. But I woke up and like 20 minutes after I was eating McDonalds! 'I was absolutely fine and I know some people have worse experiences but I was so lucky and my surgeon was amazing and that was on the NHS. So yeah I'm doing great and it's healing.' During her latest YouTube video, she decided to share the results with her fans after meeting up with one of her pals Abi. She said: 'We have just got some really good news, my surgeon has just called me and said that the lump in my neck is not cancerous and it's just a benign tumour. 'So we have Prosecco to celebrate,' to which her friend then replied: 'Cheers to that!' Later on in the video, Samie added: 'I just wanted to close off the vlog on the highest note ever. I was just so happy when my surgeon called me yesterday. Operation: It comes after Samie said she is 'doing great' after undergoing thyroid surgery four weeks ago to remove a lump in her neck, which she later found out wasn't cancerous 'It was a bit overwhelming I was in so much shock - bless him to call me directly as well, I just think that was so nice of him, he didn't have to do that. 'But yeah the worry is now over and the lump is out. Obviously it's benign which means there was nothing to worry about at the end of the day. 'But it's always good to get these things checked and taken out because you never know what it could be in the future. 'It's just a really big safety precaution. I don't regret having the surgery and I don't regret having the lump out but onwards and upwards. 'The results couldn't be any better - it's not cancerous and that was my main worry.' MBABANE Despite the confidence shown by his fellow councillors who elected him, there is an uproar regarding the integrity of Mbabane Mayor Vusi Tembe. The uproar emanates from a previous case, where he was implicated in a corruption scandal related to the theft of fuel worth E10 million, at the Central Transport Administration (CTA) some 10 years ago. Tembe, who is also a businessman, was elected as mayor of the capital city on July 31, 2023 together with Ayanda Sigudla, who is his deputy. During the elections, Tembe was nominated against Thandayena Mkhonta, where he received seven votes, while the latter accumulated five votes. Following his victory, the councillors congratulated the mayor for his election, stating that they were committed to supporting him as he executed his duties. He also gave a few remarks, where he thanked the councillors for trusting him with the mayor position and further undertook to work with all of them in making sure that they took the town forward. Despite that he has been in the hot seat for less than a month, his integrity is now being questioned. This publication has been inundated with calls from some ratepayers of the capital city, seeking to understand why he was allowed to be a councillor and further be elected as the mayor when his case was still pending. Integrity One of the concerned ratepayers said by being elected into the position of mayor, it meant that Tembe was in public office and, therefore, should be a man of integrity. However, it seems like the Urban Government Act, 1969, which provides for the election of councillors and mayors of local governments vindicates Tembe. Section 10 of the Act, which focuses on the disqualification for election or appointment as a councillor, supports the vindication of Tembe. The section stipulates that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or appointed or from continuing in office as a councillor if he or she holds any office or place of profit under or in the gift or disposal of the council, or is the spouse of a person holding any such office or place of profit or holds an office of profit under the government, unless he has the written approval of the head of the government department in which he is serving; or is the spouse of a councilor. Disqualified Also, it stipulates that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or appointed or from continuing in office as a councillor if he or she is an unrehabilitated insolvent or has been certified insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind. The clause goes on to state that a person shall be disqualified from being elected or appointed or from continuing in office as a councillor if he or she has been convicted of an offence relating to corrupt or illegal practices at an election under the provisions of this or any other law within five years immediately preceding the date of election or appointment. A questionnaire was sent to the mayor and he responded by saying, The matter is under judicial consideration and, therefore, prohibited from public discussion elsewhere. To the best of my knowledge, I am innocent. Regarding his eligibility for the mayoral role, Tembe reminded this reporter that he was elected by his fellow councillors through a democratic process. I am confident that I am fully eligible, he emphasised. Worth noting is that even for seats in the Parliament of Eswatini, candidates with pending court cases, including those related to corruption and attempted murder, have been allowed to stand for the elections. One of them is former Lobamba Member of Parliament (MP) Allen Stewart, who was elected and won in 2018, despite that he had a pending case related to an attempted murder charge. Stewart continued with his role as an MP until February 2023, when he was taken to the Sidwashini Correctional Services to begin his custodial sentence of three years. This was after High Court Judge Doris Tshabalala, who convicted him on January 31, 2023, issued the sentence. Murder The former MP committed the offence of attempted murder on October 31, 2010 at Moyeni, Siteki, in the Lubombo Region, during the funeral of his brother, John Stewart. Allen shot Sibusiso Matsenjwa in the arm shortly after John had been buried. The attendees were having refreshments at the Stewart homestead when the shooting happened. Barely a week after Stewart was sent behind bars for attempted murder, outgoing Matsanjeni South MP Wilson Bomber Mamba was arrested for a similar offence. His arrest, however, did not affect his role as an MP as immediately after being granted bail, he returned to Parliament. Meanwhile, it was in December 2013 that Tembe, together with three other civil servants were arrested in connection with the theft of petrol worth E10 million at the CTA. The four were arrested by police officers under the Hhohho Fraud and Commercial Crimes Unit. At the time, it was reported that Tembe was employed as a storeman in one of the government ministries, while the three were women who worked as assistant accountants at CTA in Mbabane. It was alleged that the fuel theft had happened for a period of over a year and was discovered after one of the senior staff noted an inconsistency when balancing their accounting books and sorting invoices. An order for fuel was allegedly placed twice for the same government depot. The supervisors suspicions led to an internal probe on why a single destination had two different orders in a single day. A few days after their arrest, the suspects were charged with fraud and the High Court admitted them to E15 000 bail each; E5 000 was to be paid in cash and E10 000 provided as surety. Noncedo Ndlangamandla from Mabila Attorneys represented the accused persons. The bail application, which was not opposed, was heard and granted by Principal Judge Justice Stanley Maphalala. Tembe filed an application under a Certificate of Urgency before court and denied committing the crime. He argued that he was employed by the Eswatini Government at the Ministry of Public Service and that his duties did not entail preparing orders for petrol or diesel and or invoices. While he was eventually suspended, the case is still pending and he has not been convicted of the alleged crime. When the E10 million alleged crime was uncovered, the CTA was not new to corruption scandals. Jailed The parastatals former General Transport Manager Polycarp Dlamini was jailed on corruption related charges. Also, in 2007 it was revealed that E3 million was used to fight corruption at the entity. In another incident, the late Elijah Silevu Dlamini, was arrested for allegedly being found in possession of various new car spares belonging to the Central Transport Administration (CTA). Other incidents included an alleged disappearance of a Toyota Quantum engine from the CTA premises. The CTA had, to for years, been responsible for a fleet of about 3 000 vehicles, ranging from motor cycles, sedans, LDVs, trucks, tractors to heavy specialised construction motorised equipment. However, in 2020, its trading account was suspended after the CTA was marred by corruption-related scandals, which included one of E10 million worth of fuel, stealing of automobile parts and failure to fix the government fleet. Advertisement The Venus superyacht is one of the most expensive and luxurious boats in the world. And on Friday, the $120million vessel owned by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs docked in Cairns, Australia. It's unclear if Laurene, 59, was on the scene, but various staffers were pictured loading Venus with supplies. The superyacht looked like the picture of perfection as it sat in the crystal green and blue waters of Queensland. At 255ft long, it dwarfed several smaller yachts that were docked nearby. The $120million vessel owned by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' widow Laurene Powell Jobs docked in Cairns, Australia on Friday The late tech CEO (left) and his wife Laurene Powell are pictured together in Hollywood in 2010 The superyacht looked like the picture of perfection as it sat in the crystal green and blue waters of Queensland The mammoth size of Venus can be seen in comparison to some nearby cars that are parked on the dock The spectacular sea vessel was last spotted in November, 2022, when Laurene enjoyed a holiday in Barbados. The glamorous socialite had spent the afternoon swanning around the luxury 5-star hotel Sandy Lane's restaurants, shops and spas. Powell was left widowed after Jobs passed away, age 56, from complications from pancreatic cancer in October 2011. They had three children together and Powell is also step-mother to Jobs' daughter, Lisa Brennan-Jobs. A number of people were pictured on board and seemed to be inspecting something down below At 255ft long, it dwarfed several smaller yachts that were docked nearby The modern and sleek design of the superyacht is much different the more old fashioned style seen on many other yachts Powell (pictured in 2019) was left widowed after Jobs passed away, age 56, from complications from pancreatic cancer in October 2011 When Jobs died, most of his assets passed on to his wife, making her one of the 50 richest people in the world. Powell married Jobs in 1991 - ten years before the release of the first iPod - and now manages a fortune estimated to be worth $12.3 billion according to Forbes. In addition to the Venus, she owns two private jets, four large real estate properties and a large stake in the Walt Disney Company. The Venus was Steve Jobs' final masterpiece, after he commissioned it in 2008 and worked painstakingly on the design with superstar French product designer Philippe Starck. He did not survive to see the ship completed and launched, dying of pancreatic cancer a year before work was finished in 2012. It's unclear if Laurene, 59, was on the scene, but various staffers were pictured loading Venus with supplies Boxes were being unpacked from several vehicles and were then brought on board the superyacht The superyacht looked far more impressive than the vessels featured on reality shows such as Below Deck In his final years, Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson: 'I know that it's possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat. But I have to keep going on it. If I don't, it's an admission that I'm about to die.' Starck helped design the sleek 256-foot long vessel, and Jobs enlisted the chief engineer of the Apple Stores to design reinforced glass for its walls, according to his biographer Walter Isaacson. Starck spoke about Venus in an interview with French Vanity Fair, explaining the yacht houses six bedrooms along with communication systems between the kids' rooms in the front and the adult quarters in the rear. The Venus was Steve Jobs' final masterpiece, after he commissioned it in 2008 and worked painstakingly on the design with superstar French product designer Philippe Starck In his final years, Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson: 'I know that it's possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat. But I have to keep going on it. If I don't, it's an admission that I'm about to die' Designer Starck spoke about Venus in an interview with French Vanity Fair, explaining the yacht houses six bedrooms along with communication systems between the kids' rooms in the front and the adult quarters in the rear It's unbelievable size seemed to stretch out for eons as it remained docked and floated on the Australian seas The 255ft yacht is made of light-weight aluminium and Jobs employed the chief engineer of his Apple stores to help design special glass that allowed the ship to be installed with ten-foot-high windows across the hull 'Steve wanted to be sure that the teenagers could be set up in the front of the boat when he was at the back and vice-versa. He was obsessed with silence,' Starck said. 'In his home, children did not make noise, nor the dog, nor his wife no one made any noise, ever.' The 255ft yacht is made of light-weight aluminium and Jobs employed the chief engineer of his Apple stores to help design special glass that allowed the ship to be installed with ten-foot-high windows across the hull. It's unclear why the Venus was docked in Cairns and where it will be headed to on its next voyage The interior also features 27-Mac computer screens, with large cabin windows along the yacht The yacht can fit 12 guests on board in six suites as well as 22 crewmembers. The interior also features 27-Mac computer screens, with large cabin windows along the yacht. Looking like a floating Apple store, the yacht bears all the hallmarks of a new Jobs-inspired creation crisp white lines, polished metal, glass. The superyacht has a long white hull with a row of circular portholes just above the water line and two glass-walled cabins on the top deck, one on top of the other. At lunchtime, the bombs began to fall. Explosions thundered and fireballs roared across the Golan Heights the Levantine region seized by Israel after it was attacked by Syria in 1967 as hundreds of Syrian MiG airplanes dropped their deadly payloads. Some 1,400 of Damascuss tanks had massed for the invasion, against just 180 for the Israeli defenders. To the south-west, across the Suez Canal, a terrifying horde of 600,000 Egyptian soldiers, supported by 550 aircraft and a further 2,000 tanks, stood ready to massacre fewer than 500 Israeli troops stationed on the Sinai Peninsula, sharing a pitiful three tanks between them. It was October 6, 1973: Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Egypts leader, Anwar Sadat, had declared that he was willing to sacrifice a million Egyptian soldiers to recover Sinai, a territory that his country, like Syria and the Golan Heights, had lost to Israel six years earlier. Egyptian troops began crossing the Canal in rubber dinghies, supported by fearsome air and artillery fire. Anticipating an assault one day from its hostile neighbour, Israel had constructed the spectacular Bar Lev Line: a 60ft sand barrier defended by 16 outposts bristling with weaponry. This had been calculated to withstand at least 24 hours of pummelling by explosives from a future invader. Golda Meir (pictured) is portrayed by Helen Mirren in the new biopic of her life But the Egyptians blasted it to nothing in fewer than five hours, after deploying high-pressure water cannon to wash away the ramparts. As Cairos troops surged across the border, Israels prime minister, like Winston Churchill some 30 years earlier, knew that her country faced an existential threat. On two fronts, the fledgling state of Israel had been caught unawares by a combined Egyptian-Syrian army lavishly funded by Soviet roubles and collectively the size of Natos entire European forces. Within 24 hours of the double invasion, 100,000 Egyptian troops and 1,000 tanks had crossed the Suez Canal into Israel-occupied Sinai, shattering forever the Middle Eastern democracys aura of American-backed invincibility. The countrys future stood in peril. This autumn marks 50 years since the 19-day Yom Kippur War. Capturing this pivotal period in world history, a feted new biopic called simply Golda is being released of Israels then-leader, Golda Meir. She is played, thanks to considerable prosthetics and make-up, by Dame Helen Mirren. (Intriguingly, Mirren has so far avoided the row faced by her fellow Hollywood star Bradley Cooper, who attracted widespread and in my view, utterly unwarranted criticism for sporting a huge fake nose to play the Jewish composer Leonard Bernstein.) When we hear the phrase Iron Lady, we Brits instinctively think of Baroness Thatcher. The label was originally pinned, however, on Meir, who at the time of the Yom Kippur War was already 75. But where Thatcher sought to prove herself by refusing to play up to female stereotypes, Meir made hay with them. She was known as the matriarch of her nation and revelled in the caricature. The plot will focus on the high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Golda Meir, also known as the 'Iron Lady of Israel, played by Helen Mirren The Jewish grandmother is a comic cliche, of course, but to many Israelis, Meir truly embodied that figure: scolding, affectionate, tough and wisely aphoristic. As the Washington Post aptly put it in its obituary for her in 1978, she possessed the stern, unyielding morality of an Old Testament judge. When Meir became Israels fourth prime minister in 1969, she enjoyed an approval rating of almost 90 per cent. That, however, crumbled like the Bar Lev Line. Politically, at least, the Yom Kippur War was a disaster. In the end Israel prevailed against what had seemed insurmountable odds, but Meir was widely blamed for an abject failure to prepare for the conflict. In 1974, the year after the war, she resigned, her reputation in tatters. Israel eventually agreed to return Sinai to Egypt in 1979 as part of a peace deal which still holds today, though it retains control of the Golan Heights. So who was this trailblazing, epoch-defining Zionist, the third woman to lead a country in the 20th Century (after Sri Lankas Sirimavo Bandaranaike and Indias Indira Gandhi) and still the only female ever to have run a Middle Eastern nation? Golda Mabovitch was born in 1898 in Kyiv, then part of the Russian Empire often a mercilessly antisemitic place. Her earliest memory, she said, was of her father hurriedly boarding up the familys front door amid rumours of an imminent pogrom. Moshe Mabovitch, a near-penniless carpenter, and his wife Bluma were often only a few meals from starvation. The couple had known appalling tragedy: five of their eight children, four boys and a girl, had perished in infancy. In 1906, when Golda was eight, the family escaped the prejudice and privations of the shtetl and emigrated to Wisconsin though Golda never lost her taste for sweetened black Russian tea. (She was also a lifelong chain-smoker.) The move proved a wise decision: many of their friends and neighbours families would go on to be murdered in the Holocaust. Possessed of a stolid, pudgy face and heavy-set eyes, Golda later wrote: Not being beautiful was the true blessing. Not being beautiful forced me to develop my inner resources. The pretty girl has a handicap to overcome. An early example of her extraordinary self-belief came when she flouted her parents command to leave school at 14, begin working and find a husband. She had graduated middle school as her class valedictorian but parents Moshe and Bluma were unimpressed. It doesnt pay to be too clever, her father warned her. Men dont like smart girls. Following a furious row, the teenage Golda took a train across the US to live with her married sister, Sheyna Korngold, nine years her senior, in Denver, Colorado. There she enrolled in high school. The Korngolds were part of Denvers intellectual class and the young Golda listened rapt to invigorating debates on Zionism, socialism, literature, womens suffrage, trade unionism and the other Left-wing topics. To the extent that my own future convictions were shaped and given form, she later candidly wrote, those talk-filled nights in Denver played a considerable role. After reconciling with her parents, she returned to Milwaukee two years later to finish her schooling. But while in Denver she had met the man who would later become her husband, Morris Meyerson, a sign painter and ardent socialist, with whom she had two children. Initially Golda worked as a teacher in Milwaukee until, in 1921 and electrified with visions of building a free Jewish state, she and Morris moved to live on a kibbutz (an agricultural Israeli settlement), in what was then known as Mandatory Palestine. A trade-union fireband, in 1934 Golda joined the executive committee of Israels equivalent of the TUC. By the time Israel signed its Declaration of Independence in 1948, establishing itself as a country in the aftermath of the Second World War, she had become a celebrated figure on the domestic stage and was one of the signatories to that declaration. Within a year, she was elected to the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, and was immediately appointed Labour Minister, then Foreign Minister some years later. Since Israels state officials were required to adopt Hebrew surnames, she abandoned her married surname, Meyerson, and took up the Hebrew Meir, which means one who shines. Yet tragedy soon struck. In 1966, Golda was diagnosed with lymphoma and was forced to resign as a minister. Yet she remained an MP and, when prime minister Levi Eshkol died in 1969, Meir, then 71, was an obvious candidate to succeed him, despite her age and health. Being a septuagenarian, she said, is no sin but its not a joke either... Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once youre aboard, theres nothing you can do. You cant stop the plane, you cant stop the storm, you cant stop time. So one might as well accept it calmly, wisely. Her first major test as leader occurred three years later, at the Munich Olympics. On September 5, 1972, eight members of the terror group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village to reach the Israeli athletes. They immediately killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team, seizing a further nine hostages. Their brutality was unrestrained: weightlifter Yossef Romano, who was using crutches after suffering an injury, was shot and then castrated. As she stood in the Knesset, Meirs voice shook with fury and indignation. She angrily denounced these lunatic acts of terrorism, abduction and blackmail, which tear asunder the web of international life and vowed to do whatever is necessary to rescue the hostages. The murderous siege lasted 20 hours and ended only when West German police attempted a botched rescue. The terrorists realised they were under attack, and although the police killed five plotters, all the hostages were slaughtered at point-blank range. The monstrous cruelty of this atrocity, along with the fact it took place in the Olympic Village intended as a sanctuary for the worlds athletes, where politics are put to one side stunned the world. But what came next enraged Meir still more. The three surviving terrorists were arrested, yet within a month, they were freed by West Germany in what she saw as a craven and immoral hostage-exchange following a hijacking. Meir was appalled by the speed with which the international community seemed to forget the murders. She authorised Mossad, Israels feared national-intelligence agency, systematically to assassinate anyone who had been involved: an operation code-named Wrath of God. The story of these assassinations eventually became the subject of Munich, Steven Spielbergs Oscar-nominated 2005 film. As prime minister she met such world leaders as President Richard Nixon and Pope Paul VI in pursuit of peace, and in 1973 she hosted a hugely symbolic meeting with the West German chancellor, Willy Brandt, in Jerusalem the first visit by a German Chancellor in office to Israel. But fate had other plans for her. That October, when Egyptian and Syrian forces attacked her country on Yom Kippur, Meir found herself an elderly war leader. Her face was beamed on news bulletins across the world as billions of people watched yet another conflict raging in the Middle East. The day before the attack, the Israeli military had informed Meir that Syrian forces were assembling on the Golan Heights. Meir believed the meaning of this was obvious: war was imminent. We now know that King Hussein of Jordan had secretly warned her that Egypt and Syria were planning to attack. Hussein had met Egypts leader Sadat and Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad two weeks earlier, then travelled to Israel to relay his suspicions. But all her military advisers, including Israels intelligence services, had believed the operations at the border were a false alarm. Surely the Arab states would not risk another war so soon after the 1967 rout? And so, against her better instincts, Meir did not immediately mobilise the army. (Since 1948, Israel has relied on a large number of on-call reservists.) It was only once Syrian troops crossed the border at Golan that Meir hurriedly demanded a full-scale mobilisation of Israels armed forces. Like so much that takes place in the Middle East, the Yom Kippur War was a proxy battle, between the eras two superpowers, America and the USSR. Both supplied arms to their respective allies, even if it took President Richard Nixon several days to promise Meir that all your aircraft and tank losses will be replaced. Thanks to Israeli military tactics, the Egyptians and Syrians large initial gains were soon reversed. Israeli troops advanced to within 20 miles of Damascus and shelled the capital city. On October 25, a UN-brokered ceasefire was agreed. Yet the price in blood was heavy. Up to 2,800 Israelis died and perhaps 8,800 were wounded a devastating loss for such a small country while the Arab nations suffered 18,500 dead and 35,000 wounded. This image released by Bleecker Street shows Camille Cottin, left, and Helen Mirren as Golda Meir in a scene from. the film "Golda." Meirs career is often said to have ended in failure. Following elections, driven in part by the publics anger over the failures in the war, her governing coalition could not muster a majority the following year. Four years later, on December 8, 1978, she died of lymphatic cancer in Jerusalem at the age of 80. But she was decidedly not a failure. She was not to blame for the war and as prime minister during the Munich massacre she was decisive, speaking for Israel on the world stage and ensuring that vengeance was swift. All I want to do is play great women and Golda was one of the greatest, said Helen Mirren in Jerusalem last month. Now a new generation will come to learn about the triumphs and disasters of this remarkable leaders extraordinary life. Stella McCartney has hit back at critics of a fashion shoot featuring model Kendall Jenner naked on a horse, telling friends the ad campaign was a tribute to her mother, Linda, who loved horses. Animal rights campaigners complained that her multi-million-pound Horse Power ads exploited the animals. But the horse's owner told The Mail on Sunday last night that Ms McCartney 'put the horses first' during the fashion shoot. A source close to the designer said she was stung by the criticism from activists. 'The collection was initially inspired by Stella's late mother, Linda, who was a lifelong horse lover and introduced Stella and her siblings to caring for these animals,' the source revealed. The horses used in the ads were Spanish pure-bloods, known as Andalusians, which bear a striking resemblance to Appaloosas, the US breed her mother loved. Their French owner, Jean-Francois Pignon, told the MoS how he supplied seven horses for the shoot at the Camargue salt flats in the south of France this summer. Ms Jenner, 27, was seen reclining on the back of Xena, 10, which Mr Pignon said had been raised 'free and wild' and had never worn a bridle or saddle or been trained. Stella McCartney has hit back at critics of a fashion shoot featuring model Kendall Jenner naked on a horse (pictured), telling friends the ad campaign was a tribute to her mother, Linda, who loved horses The horses used in the ads were Spanish pure-bloods, known as Andalusians, which bear a striking resemblance to Appaloosas, the US breed her mother loved. Pictured: Linda McCartney on an Appaloosa Mr Pignon, who worked with the late Queen Elizabeth's horses, said: 'My horses respond to love and respect. Stella put the horses first. She and Kendall were empathetic and I could tell they both felt very comfortable around them. When I asked for a break to feed or water them, Stella immediately agreed. No animal was exploited or harmed. It was a peaceful and harmonious shoot where the horses were number one.' Ms McCartney's Winter 2023 collection touted as 'exploring the healing bond between humans and horses' features items named after Appaloosas including the $1,895 (1,755) Ryder Appaloosa Print Velvet Above-the-Knee stiletto boots and a $1,225 (1,135) Falabella Appaloosa print velvet tote bag, both in the photo above. Ms McCartney, 51, says it was inspired by the 'love between mothers, daughters, sisters, nature, humans and animals'. She used vegan materials, including 'leather' made from grape waste. In other images from the ad campaign released this week, Ms Jenner, who lives on a 50-acre horse ranch near Los Angeles, wears an all-red ensemble as white horses encircle her. Ms McCartney said she chose the model 'because this season's Stella girl had to love horses as much as I do', adding: 'Kendall has been riding since she was a kid. You can see how at ease she is around these sensitive creatures.' The horse's owner told The Mail on Sunday last night that Ms McCartney 'put the horses first' during the fashion shoot In other images from the ad campaign released this week, Ms Jenner, who lives on a 50-acre horse ranch near Los Angeles, wears an all-red ensemble as white horses encircle her Kendall Jenner on a white horse. Ms McCartney wrote on Instagram: 'A celebration of the timeless healing relationships between humans and horses. It is a collection of what Stella loves, crafted from 92 per cent responsible materials' Her parents, Paul and Linda McCartney, raised Appaloosas at their farms in Sussex and Scotland. After she died at 56 in 1998, Paul revealed his final words to her were: 'You're up on your beautiful Appaloosa stallion. It's a fine spring day, we're riding through the woods. The bluebells are all out and the sky is clear blue.' He added: 'I had barely got to the end of the sentence when she closed her eyes and gently slipped away.' Malin Akerman looked stylish and bright as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Saturday. The 45-year-old Swedish actress - who is mom to son Sebastian, nine - donned a sleeveless, multipatterned burgundy dress that showed off her toned arms. The Billions star also flashed her calves in the summer frock, which she rounded out with strappy beige booties. Akerman complemented the look with a woven, basket-like handbag with brown leather straps. She wore her platinum bob haircut in an off-center part, tucking front pieces behind her ears. Peachy: Malin Akerman looked stylish and bright as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Saturday Her look: She wore a sleeveless, multipatterned burgundy dress that showed off her toned arms and calves Malin, who hails from Stockholm, added silver-toned jewelry and shielded her eyes in lightly-tinted, fine-framed sunglasses. She busied herself with her phone as the Southern California sun shined on her. The television star recently returned from a trip to Canada, where she enjoyed a lakeside retreat. Taking to Instagram, she shared outtakes from the getaway with her 522,000 followers. In one post shared a week ago, she captioned, '#happyplace #summer #lakelife #friends #family.' And in another upload shared earlier this. week, she wrote, 'A little Canadian summer wrap up,' with a Canadian flag emoji. Akerman showed off her summer style in a wide-brimmed, suede hat that she teamed with a low-cut black and cream mini dress. Her bright, wispy locks streamed out from underneath the head gear, and she added a pair of black cowboy boots. Summer fun: The television star recently returned from a trip to Canada, where she enjoyed a lakeside retreat. Social Media: In an Instagram post shared earlier this week, the beauty wrote, 'A little Canadian summer wrap up,' with a Canadian flag emoji Cute: Akerman showed off her summer style in a wide-brimmed, suede hat that she teamed with a low-cut black and cream mini dress The Couples Retreat actress was born in Sweden, but her family moved to Canada when she was two-years-old. She became a permanent resident of the country and gained her American citizenship in 2018, while remaining a Swedish citizen. Malin has shares son Sebastian with her ex-husband Roberto Zincone, whom she met in 2003 when they played together in a band called The Petalstones. The couple married in 2007, but divorced in 2014. She's now married to British actor Jack Donnelly. In 2019, she revealed her little boy wanted a brother or sister. 'We've talked about [siblings] before,' she told Us Weekly, at the time. 'He's curious about it. I don't think he actually knows what it means! I think he wants a sibling his age, which would be interesting. But we'll see.' At the time, she also stated the topic of expanding her family was 'always in the conversation' but was a 'big responsibility.' 'Its a beautiful vision, and well see what happens,' she said. Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz were spotted filming season 11 of Vanderpump Rules in Los Angeles, California on Friday. For the scene, the duo, who are co-owners of the restaurant and bar Schwartz and Sandy's, were seen arriving to a house with a 'For Sale' sign out in the front yard. As they made their way into the property, Schwartz looked relaxed as he walked with one hand in the front of his olive green pants, which he styled with a black t-shirt. His business partner and longtime pal wore a mesh black shirt, jeans and his infamous lightning bolt necklace. While it is unclear if either were house hunting, Sandoval is currently in the market for a new place to live as he is still living with ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, five months after she ended their nine-year relationship over his infidelity. Reunited: Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz were spotted filming season 11 of Vanderpump Rules in Los Angeles, California on Friday Ready to move? For the scene, the duo, who are co-owners of the restaurant and bar Schwartz and Sandy's, were seen arriving to a house with a 'For Sale' sign out in the front yard Earlier this week, Madix defended her choice to continue to live under the same roof as Sandoval ex while working with a 'lawyer and financial advisors to navigate the best path forward' without 'uprooting' herself, dog and elderly cat. In response to Bethenny Frankel criticizing her for not moving out already, Madix explained that she will not 'f**k [herself] over' by making any rash decisions. 'I have never been someone who came from money. I know how quickly that goes away,' she said on the Scheananigans With Scheana Shay podcast. 'I'm taking care of myself.' The TV personality went to on to say that she is 'not rich' and has a mortgage and other expenses. 'A lot of people on the internet seem to think I'm rolling in money right now. I have a lot of places where that money has to go before I get [it],' she continued. Despite living with Sandoval, the actress made it clear that she keeps their interactions to a minimum. 'I have a pretty decent setup,' she said. 'My room is kind of like my little apartment I stay in my own little zone.' Additionally, Madix said she keeps her door 'locked just in case' and sleeps 'easier at night not giving a f**k when he comes in that door.' Messy: Sandoval is currently still living with ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix, five months after they ended their nine-year relationship over his infidelity (pictured last year) Open book: Earlier this week, the Buying Back My Daughter star explained why she has not moved in the comment section of one of her recent Instagram posts 'Yes, we're in the same house, but I don't have to think about [him],' the former bartender told listeners. The former couple purchased a five-bedroom home together for just over $2 million together in 2019. Previously she told Andy Cohen that she 'avoid run-ins at all costs' as he sleeps in the guest room. 'It's big enough that we don't have to [see each other],' she said. 'I'm in the primary bedroom. If you go upstairs, it's to the left. And if you go upstairs, and you go all the way down to the right, that's the guest bedroom. That's where he's staying. We communicate with a third party,' she told the LA Times, earlier this year. As for why she doesn't rent an Airbnb or stay at a hotel, she said she 'cant afford to do that' and is already paying 50 percent of the mortgage every month. Kendall Jenner dropped some stunning content on her Instagram account on Friday. The model and reality TV star, 27, shared a video of herself flaunting her incredible figure in a cow print bikini set to her Instagram stories. The video, shared with her 293 million Instagram followers, saw Kendall playfully pulling one side of her high-waist bikini bottoms down. Jenner's Instagram Stories come as she was recently spotted enjoying a relaxing girls trip in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico with fellow celebrity pals Hailey Bieber, Justine Skye, and Lori Harvey. In another Instagram Story, Jenner also uploaded a mirror selfie of herself with Bieber, 26, in front of a mirror while in Cabo, as they headed out to have some fun. Stunner: Kendall Jenner dropped some stunning content on her Instagram account on Friday If you've got it! The model and reality TV star, 27, shared a video of herself flaunting her incredible figure in a cow print bikini set to her Instagram stories In the image, Jenner wore a black floor-length dress, a gold chain necklace, and a pair of black flip flops. She completed her look with a large black and white woven designer bag as she wore her hair down. As for Bieber, she showed off her stunning legs in a yellow body-con mini dress and a pair of white open-tied sandals. She had her hair tied up and slicked back. In addition to her Instagram stories, Jenner shared a set of three images on her Instagram account. She didn't write anything in the caption of her post. The first picture was a mirror selfie of Jenner showing off her fit figure in a brown and black print minuscule bikini from swimwear brand Casa Gamero. This bikini mirror selfie was taken in a mirror by her bed and a red quilted cosmetics case, which was in front of a vase filled with white flowers, could be seen on top of a black nightstand. The second picture was of the clear blue ocean waters, which was take close up as Jenner walked along the sandy beach while in Cabo. As for the third image, it was of a bottle of Tequila Blanco from her tequila company 818 Tequila, which was next to four shot glasses, all of which had loads of sea salt around its rims. All of Jenner's Instagram posts come shorty after she, Bieber, Harvey, and Skye were spotted enjoying a day out on a yacht while in Cabo on August 25. During yacht outing, the four friends showed off their incredible bodies in skimpy swimsuits. The four friends let loose as they went for a dip in the ocean. Playful: The video, shared with her 293 million Instagram followers, saw Kendall playfully pulling one side of her high-waist bikini bottoms down Mirror selfies: In another Instagram Story, Jenner also uploaded a mirror selfie of herself with pal Hailey Bieber, 26, as they enjoyed their Cabo getaway More: Jenner also shared a set of three images from her getaway, including this mirror selfie of herself wearing a brown and black print minuscule bikini Mexican beach: The second picture was of the clear blue ocean waters, which was take close up as Jenner walked along the sandy beach 8181 Tequila: In a TikTok video that Jenner posted, she, Harvey, Bieber, and Skye were seen enjoying some of Jenner's Tequila Blanco from her 818 Tequila brand The quartet were also seen enjoying a few drinks, including a few shots of Jenner's Tequila Blanco, and filming some TikToks. In one video, the four friends enjoyed some of her 818 Tequila. The sound of the clip was set to a viral soundbite taken from Jenner's family's reality show, The Kardashians, in which Scott Disick, 40, delivers a hilariously brutal one-liner to Kendall's mom Kris Jenner, 67. In the original sound bite, Scott is seen asking Kris if she wanted a drink. However, when she starts to reply, he interrupts her. As Kris says, 'You know, Im a little, I would love-' Scott cuts in and says, 'I dont need the whole life story. Just yes or no?' Vas J Morgan has come a long way since he rose to fame as part of the cast of TOWIE in 2014. The star, 34, is now a fully fledged LA socialite and often hosts exclusive Hollywood Halloween parties with a collection of celebrity pals attending. His most recent successful event took place last week, when he hosted a lavish birthday bash for Rita Ora's husband Taika Waititi in Ibiza, Spain. His guestlists usually include many A-list stars such as Paris Hilton, Rebel Wilson, Demi Lovato, Channing Tatum and Jodie Turner-Smith. Here, MailOnline takes a look inside Vas J Morgan's Hollywood lifestyle. From Essex to Hollywood: Vas J Morgan has come a long way since he rose to fame as part of the cast of TOWIE A-list: The star is now a fully fledged LA socialite and often hosts exclusive Hollywood parties, attended by best pals Rita Ora and Kate Beckinsale Where did it all begin? Vas rose to fame when he appeared on The Only Way Is Essex for two years between 2014 and 2016. He returned to the popular reality series a year later in 2017 for series 21. However, he didn't appear to have the most positive experience on the show and lashed out at ITV2 bosses for practicing 'systemic racism', by forcing him to stereotypical story arcs and failing to support him through his personal battles. He's been open about his struggle to find love and his experience of homophobia. Vas revealed he was gay on the show in 2015, after he attempted to kiss pal Jasmin Walia amid confusion about his sexuality. The TV personality, who is now sober, has also openly discussed his mental health struggles, as well as his alcohol and drug addiction. In 2018 he went on to appear on Celebs Go Dating and by 2020 he become the first British reality star to feature in Forbes magazine. After ditching reality TV, Vas focused on other projects such as launching the important initiative I Am Enough on Go Fund Me. He revealed that he has raised more than 20,000 in under 12 hours to help give members of black communities better access to mental health services. Vas set up the fundraiser after the tragic death of George Floyd, who was filmed choking to death after white police officer Derek Chauvin, pinned the 46-year old to the ground by pressing a knee into the back of his neck. Shortly after this, Vas launched the WE MATTER platform to allow a safe space for people to discuss mental health issues without judgement and stigma. Reality star: Vas rose to fame when he appeared on The Only Way Is Essex for two years between 2014 and 2016 Career: In 2018 he went on to appear on Celebs Go Dating and by 2020 he become the first British reality star to feature in Forbes magazine Rise to fame: Vas arrived on the scene as TOWIE star Lauren Pope's best friend, but was quickly pictured with huge stars like Taylor Swift Celeb pals Vas arrived on the scene as TOWIE star Lauren Pope's best friend, but was quickly pictured with huge stars like Taylor Swift. He now spends his time jetting off on lavish holidays and attending events with best pal Rita Ora, her husband Taika and sister Elena. Vas also spends a lot of time with close friends Kate Beckinsale, Jess Glynne and Emily In Paris actor Lucien Laviscount. According to Vas, his and Lucien's friendship has been going strong for more than 15 years. Posting a picture of Lucien, Vas wrote: 'Very proud of one of my lifelong friends Lucien Laviscount who has brought the cheeky, charming Brit Alfie to life in the Netflix hit show Emily In Paris!' He added: 'Lucien has worked his ass off since the day we met over 15 years ago. Non stop grafting so it's so amazing to see the world appreciating and seeing his talents!' Vas is also friends with Victorias Secret models Jasmine Stookes, Gigi Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, Shanina Shaik, as well as Kendall Jenner. It's safe to say that Vas is one incredibly well-connected man. A-list: He now spends his time jetting off on lavish holidays and attending events with pals such as Paris hilton Close: According to Vas, his and Lucien's friendship has been going strong for more than 15 years Looking good: Vas is also close with model Winnie Harlow Connections: It's safe to say that Vas is one incredibly well-connected man (pictured with Jess Glynne) A-list parties In 2021, Vas and Michael Braun brought Squid Game to life as they hosted one of the most A-list parties in Hollywood to celebrate Halloween. Guests including Hailey Bieber, Justin Bieber, Paris Jackson, Anna Kendrick, Demi Lovato and Robert Pattinson. Keeping the night alive, DJ and entrepreneur Zack Bia spun the soundtrack for the evening. The party went on into the early hours of the morning and through out the night, Rebel Wilson, Paris Hilton, and even Leo DiCaprio showed up to party with the TOWIe star. After the successful bash, the pair decided to host another Halloween party the following year. The party saw Machine Gun Kelly, Megan Fox, Doja Cat and Kristen Stewart partying on the dance floor. Most recently, he threw a lavish birthday party for Rita's husband Taika in Ibiza. Vas penned on Instagram: 'As you all know, celebrating my friends is something I thrive on. Last night I threw a very special evening surrounded by love and good people. '@taikawaititi I hope you felt the love! Happy Birthday. Thank you #klemenshallmann and @limitlessx for making it all possible! and of course special shout out to @halezero for the tunes and @diplo for jumping on the decks!!! What a night! One to remember for sure.' Amazing: In 2021, Vas and Michael Braun brought Squid Game to life as they hosted one of the most A-list parties in Hollywood to celebrate Halloween Strike a pose: Guests included Ashley Benson, Demi Lovato and Paris Hilton (pictured L-R) The candidate who lost the elections a week ago in Guatemala by more than 874,000 votes, Sandra Torres, does not accept the victory of Bernardo Arevalo de Leon. Her party, the National Unity of Hope, filed a complaint this Friday with the Prosecutor's Office in which she points out that there was "electoral fraud" because "the result was changed by changing the will of the people." For this reason, she has asked the Supreme Electoral Tribunal not to make official the results in which her rival achieved 2.4 million votes, which represents more than 20 points of advantage over Torres. This is despite the fact that this week the hearings for the review of ballots by the Electoral Boards concluded without changing the data or discovering irregularities. For this reason, it is expected that next week they will become official so that Bernardo Arevalo can assume the presidency of the country on January 14, 2024. After the intentions of the Prosecutor's Office and a judge to suspend the legal personality of the Seed Movement, Bernardo Arevalo has also denounced before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) the existence of two plans to assassinate him. The social democrat's security team revealed to this Washington-based body that, since July 4, it had information about the so-called 'Plan Colosio', concocted by state agents and private individuals to kill Bernardo Arevalo. At least three sources within state institutions would have revealed this criminal intention when the current president-elect of Guatemala was listed as a favorite in the elections. This is not the only attack designed to end the life of the future president. The same early Monday morning, when Bernardo Arevalo was celebrating his victory in a hotel in the Guatemalan capital, four prosecutors met with him to warn him that criminal gang structures were trying to kill him, for which they warned him to take security measures. that you consider relevant. At least 50 police officers will protect Bernardo Arevalo and the elected vice president, Karin Herrera. The IACHR granted precautionary measures this Thursday in favor of the presidential couple, after warning that the State of Guatemala did not take seriously the first plan to assassinate the president-elect, to the point of questioning its existence, considering that there would not be a "actual threat". However, the Extortion Prosecutor's Office is already investigating the gang assassination plan. Meanwhile, the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office continues to annul the Movimiento Semilla with which Bernardo Arevalo won the elections, based on an investigation in which this party allegedly falsified the signature of 300 members to be able to establish itself, while registering 18 people who were already deceased. This week, the Special Prosecutor's Office Against Impunity (FECI) sent Congress a copy of the official letter of Judge Seventh, Fredy Orellana, in which he ordered the suspension of this formation on July 12, despite the fact that the CC has already ruled that that was not possible until the electoral process was finished with the officialization of the results. This "political persecution" denounced by Bernardo Arevalo has provoked a petition on the change.org platform to request the resignation of the attorney general, Consuelo Porras, and the head of the FECI, Rafael Curruchiche, both included in the US Engel List of corrupt and undemocratic actors. At the moment, more than 59,000 of the 75,000 expected signatures have already been collected, although Porras filed an amparo with the CC on Thursday in which he requests the President of Guatemala, Alejandro Giammattei, the Minister of the Interior and the director of the Police to preserve their security and guarantee the independence of the Public Ministry. The attorney general goes further and includes numerous messages published on the X social network by journalists and activists in which they report on the aforementioned campaign and the demonstrations to demand his resignation and which, in Porras's opinion, are intended to " limit the exercise of criminal prosecution and, therefore, violate the autonomy and independence of the MP, through acts that lead to public disorder and violation of constitutional rights" For this reason, it requests that "public force be used if it is absolutely necessary and in exceptional cases when the meeting or demonstration is not peaceful or if there are clear indications of an imminent threat of serious violence that cannot reasonably be addressed with more proportionate measures". After accepting this initiative for processing, the CC will meet next Monday to decide whether to grant the attorney general a provisional protection. Meanwhile, hundreds of people demonstrated again this Friday in front of the Guatemalan Prosecutor's Office to demand the resignation of Porras and Curruchiche, whom they accuse of carrying out a "technical coup" against democracy by trying to outlaw the party that won the elections. . The protesters placed on the bars surrounding the building photos of judges, prosecutors and journalists who have been imprisoned or who have fled into 'exile' to avoid judicial persecution. 'The people voted, the people chose', was the most chanted motto in the protest that ended without incident. Fires in Canada's Far North are picking up steam on Saturday due to wind and high temperatures forcing the complete evacuation of the town of Hay River (Northwest Territories), including firefighters and essential workers. The state government has ordered all residents of this town of 4,000 people still there to go to the airport and await further instructions. Anyone who stays in Hay River does so at their own risk. There will be no emergency or response services available, added the government of the region, where the state of emergency has been declared. Two-thirds of the 41,000 inhabitants of this vast territory in Canada's Far North are currently being evacuated to neighboring provinces, sometimes nearly 2,000 kilometers from their homes. Kilometer-long wall of flames "Extreme southwesterly winds brought the fire closer to the city along the highway, forcing crews and aircraft to pull back and regroup at a safe distance," said Shane Thompson, Minister of the environment of this region, citing a "very serious situation". According to the authorities, the firefighters face a wall of flames of several kilometers. Canada is experiencing the worst wildfire season in its history due in part to severe drought across much of the country and high temperatures in the North. The threshold of 15 million hectares burned was crossed this week, an area larger than that of Greece. This is already more than double the previous record recorded over a full fire season although this one is not yet over. About 200,000 residents had to be evacuated, and four people died. According to experts, global warming has created much more favorable weather conditions for fires. The soldiers who took power at the end of July in Niamey decided on Friday to expel the French ambassador to Niger, giving him 48 hours to leave, a decision immediately rejected by Paris for which the "putschists have no authority" for this TO DO. The decision taken by the soldiers in Niamey is the culmination of a month of demonstrations, decisions and declarations hostile to French policy. The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that in the face of "the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to the invitation (...) for an interview" on Friday "and other actions by the French government contrary to the interests of the Niger", the authorities "decided to withdraw their approval from Mr. Sylvain Itte and to ask him to leave Nigerien territory within forty-eight hours". The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded by stating that "the putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador's approval emanating only from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities", those of President Mohamed Bazoum overthrown on July 26. A position shared by Hassoumi Massoudou, head of diplomacy for Mr. Bazoum, who on X (ex-Twitter) "recalls that the ambassador is accredited to the elected President". The decision to expel the ambassador follows a series of statements, decisions and demonstrations hostile to France since the coup against Mr. Bazoum, still detained with part of his family. The military regime in particular accused Paris of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger to put Mr. Bazoum back in place and claimed that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was an organization in the pay of France. , a former colonial power in the region. ECOWAS imposed heavy economic and financial sanctions on Niger after the coup and threatened the military regime to use armed force to restore constitutional order. France is deploying 1,500 men to Niger who were helping the regime of President Bazoum to fight against the jihadist groups which have been bloodying this country and a large part of the Sahel for years. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron once again called for the "restoration of constitutional order" in Niger and the release of President Bazoum. "This coup is a blow against democracy in Niger, against the people of Niger and against the fight against terrorism," he said. Four days after the coup, hundreds of supporters of the military who took power demonstrated in front of the French embassy in Niamey, causing damage there. The demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas and the regime accused Paris of using weapons, which the French government categorically denied. On August 3, the new masters of Niamey denounced a series of military agreements with France, a decision that Paris ignored, recognizing only Mohamed Bazoum as Niger's legitimate ruler. Organizations hostile to the French military presence indicated this week that they intended to demonstrate from September 3 in front of the French military base in Niamey to demand the departure of the soldiers. The military also accused France of having repeatedly violated its closed airspace by decision of the regime, and of having "released terrorists", which according to them constitutes "a real plan to destabilize (their) country". . Accusations again vigorously denied by Paris. Several demonstrations of support for the soldiers who took power were each time punctuated by slogans hostile to France and ECOWAS, Russia - which benefits from hostility towards Paris in the Sahel - being praised and applauded. Military Niger follows in the footsteps of Mali and Burkina Faso, where there is no longer a French ambassador. These two countries, also led since 2020 and 2022 by soldiers who have taken power by force and faced with jihadist violence, have shown solidarity with the generals of Niamey, saying they are ready to fight alongside the Nigerien army in the event of an emergency. ECOWAS intervention. 25/08/2023 23:02:58 - Niamey (Niger) (AFP) - 2023 AFP MBABANE As the race to Parliament heats up, former Senator Mkhululi Dlamini has been elbowed off the track. He is out of the race. The Supreme Court yesterday set aside the decision of High Court Judge Zonke Magagula, who ordered the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to either include his name in the voters roll or hold special nominations for Maphilingo Umphakatsi under Siphofaneni Inkhundla. The court also granted the EBCs application to stay the order of the High Court and to intervene in terms of Section 148(1) of the Constitution as a result of a miscarriage of justice committed by the High Court by issuing an order Mkhululi had not prayed for. It had been further prayed by the EBC that the Supreme Court should also intervene in terms of Section 148 (1) of the Constitution in that the EBC was ordered to pay costs of suit, which Dlamini had not prayed for in his notice of appeal. The Supreme Court went on to dismiss the points of law raised by Mkhululi, who, through his attorney, Mzwandile Dlamini of M.S. Dlamini Legal, argued that the court only had powers to review decision made or given by it. He said: In the present matter, the decision the applicant (EBC) seeks to review was given by the High Court. The above honourable court (Supreme Court) does not have review but appeal powers from matters decided by the High Court. The above honourable courts appellant power of decisions of the High Court is ousted in this particular matter by Section 19 (6) of the Voters Registration Act of 2013. This particular section specifically states that there shall be no appeal that will be against the decision of the High Court on such matters, Mzwandile argued. Objection Mkhululis name was removed from the voters roll of Othandweni Primary School Polling Station after a resident raised an objection that he was not from Maphilingo, under Siphofaneni Inkhundla. He approached the High Court for leave to appeal the decision of the EBC to remove his name from the voters roll. Judge Justice Mavuso granted Mkhululi leave to appeal. He filed a notice of appeal at the High Court and the matter was heard by Judge Magagula. Judge Magagula ruled in his favour and the EBC approached the Supreme Court with urgency to stay the order of the High Court. The matter was heard by Judge Majahenkhaba Dlamini together with Judge Judith Currie and Judge Mzwandile Fakudze on Tuesday. The EBC was represented by Sibonginkhosi Dlamini. He said there was no chance that Mkhululis name could be included among MP nominees under Maphilingo Umphakatsi. Sibonginkhosi said the order of the High Court was incapable for being implemented. The order to include his name on the voters roll cannot be implemented because his nomination was not formalised. There was a riot after he was nominated and Form II was not filled. We dont know if he had any supporters, said the government attorney. Sibonginkhosi also told the court that the prayers granted by Judge Magagula at the High Court had not been prayed for by Mkhululi. He also alleged that the High Court usurped the powers of the EBC by ordering that Mkhululis name be included on the list of nominees. Independence He pointed out that Section 90 (1) establishes the independence of the EBC. The section provides that: There shall be an independent authority styled the Elections and Boundaries Commission (the Commission) for Swaziland (Eswatini) consisting of a chairperson, deputy chairperson and three other members. Sibonginkhosi further argued that the High Court committed a gross irregularity by granting prayers that were not prayed for by the respondent (Mkhululi), which resulted in a miscarriage of justice. It is trite law in our jurisdiction that a court cannot grant a prayer that has not been prayed for by a party in court proceedings, argued Sibonginkhosi. According to the EBC, Mkhululis notice of appeal did not contain the prayers that the High Court subsequently granted on August 18, 2023. Sibongiseni said to remove any benefit of the doubt, Mkhululi, in his notice of appeal, raised four grounds of appeal; (a) The EBC removed his name from the voters roll of Othandweni Primary School Polling Station without a valid objection being lodged in terms of Section 18 (2) of the Voters Registration Act No. 4 of 2013, (b) The EBC based its decision on an alleged objection it received on July 22, 2023 when the voters roll verification was closed on July 12, 2023, with the effect that the names that appeared on the voters roll July 22 were final, (c) The EBC took a decision to remove the name of the applicant without hearing the side of the applicant and thereby committed an error of law. Insisted Mkhululi insisted that he was nominated for the position of MP and it is possible to include his in the voters roll. His attorney, Mzwandile, told the Supreme Court that it was within the capacity of the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to implement the order of the High Court. Mzwandile submitted that there was only one body that conducted elections in the country. He argued that Mkhululi was nominated. At first he said Mkhululi was partly nominated. Judge Majahenkhaba Dlamini said one was either nominated or not. You cant be partly nominated, said the judge. Mzwandile said his client was nominated. He accused the EBC of failing to complete the process after Mkhululi had been nominated. The Civil Guard, specifically its Rio Tajo patrol boat, has been involved in a highly complex situation. Despite participating in efforts to rescue immigrants in North Africa, he had to fire shots into the air to stop the 170 men who were picked up by members of the Armed Institute in Mauritanian waters three days ago. As explained to this newspaper by sources from the Armed Institute, the twenty Civil Guard agents on board the Tagus River rescued 170 men in Mauritanian waters who were traveling in a cayuco and who were at risk of drifting. These sources highlight the fact that all those rescued were men, "strong", and that there were no women or children on the boat. After the rescue, difficult since the Civil Guard vessel is not large, it was decided to travel to the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou, on the border with Western Sahara, to disembark and repatriate the rescued. Once there, after a "complicated navigation", a Mauritanian gendarme came on board to assess the situation. Despite Frontex's efforts, the Mauritanian police command refused to allow those rescued to be handed over to their country. And he did not allow them to set foot on land, so the 170 men remained in the boat while the police and political leaders discussed and made the decision. Despite the force that Frontex tried to impose in the negotiations, Mauritania did not agree to disembark. Some sources point out that those responsible for Frontex "were not very generous or the Mauritanian commanders demanded a lot" when agreeing to disembark, referring to unofficial payments. Thus, the Civil Guard was left with the contingent of rescued on board. After consultations with Madrid, it was decided that the Rio Tajo ship would travel to the Canary Islands to take the 170 migrants there. The agents tried to explain to them the change of course and that the Mauritanian authorities had not given the go-ahead for their disembarkation. The rescued, between communication difficulties and hunger, began to show signs of restlessness. The destination set by Madrid was the Canary Islands and the ship is scheduled to arrive on the 29th. But, along the way, the members of the Armed Institute have had to stop at least once an attempted mutiny by those rescued. According to these sources, the situation was delicate since there were 170 "strong men" facing the patrol boat, with about twenty agents. Thus, on at least one occasion, the Spanish agents had to fire into the air with their service weapons to "stop" the advance of those rescued who were protesting the situation in which they were travelling. The agents had even had to cook rice in a machine area to be able to keep the rescued. But that discomfort was rising in tone and the guards felt threatened, so they used their regulation weapons, with live fire to shoot into the air and stop the momentum of the 170 people on board. During the journey, those rescued travel on the upper deck of the patrol boat, while the agents have had to take shelter at times inside the boat to avoid new mutiny attempts. The Kremlin denied Friday having ordered the assassination of the leader of the Wagner group Evgueni Prigojine and summoned the paramilitaries to take an oath of "loyalty" to Russia, two months after their abortive coup. Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president's spokesman, called an "absolute lie" the insinuations of Western leaders that the Kremlin had orchestrated the crash of the plane carrying Mr Prigozhin on Wednesday. Currently, around the air disaster and the tragic deaths of passengers, in particular Yevgeny Prigojine, there is a lot of speculation and we know well in which direction we are speculating in the West, he also said. Many critics of the Russian regime or its disgraced ex-supporters have been killed or targeted in assassination attempts. The Kremlin has always denied any involvement. Investigators, for their part, said that the investigations are ongoing. They announced at the start of the evening that they had recovered the ten bodies of the victims from the scene of the crash as well as the flight recorders and indicated that "molecular genetic analyzes" were in progress to establish their identity. "The investigation will thoroughly check all possible versions of what happened," the Russian Investigative Committee insisted on Telegram. The Kremlin's closest ally, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, backed the Kremlin by saying he "cannot imagine" Vladimir Putin giving the order to assassinate Wagner's boss. "I know Putin," said Mr Lukashenko, quoted by the state news agency Belta. "He's a thoughtful man, very calm" and the crash was "too brutal and amateurish work". And Moscow did not wait very long to reframe the thousands of paramilitaries, obliged by a presidential decree since Friday to take the oath as soldiers of the regular army do. In particular, they will have to swear "fidelity" and "loyalty" to Russia, "strictly follow the orders of commanders and superiors" and "sacredly respect the Russian Constitution". For its part, Belarus said it wanted to keep "the hard core" of Wagner according to a "built" scheme with Evgueni Prigojine before the crash. "Wagner lived, Wagner is alive and Wagner will live in Belarus," he insisted, without specifying for what mission and for how long these mercenaries would serve in Belarus. Vladimir Putin had called Yevgeny Prigojine, whom he had known since the 1990s, a traitor because of his armed rebellion on June 23 and 24. He spoke Thursday evening, after 24 hours of silence, of a "talented" man who had made "mistakes", and also praised the role played by Wagner on the front in Ukraine. Yevgeny Prigojine had given up his mutiny after an agreement which provided for his exile with his men in Belarus and the abandonment of the proceedings. However, he continued to visit Russia and was received at least once in the Kremlin in June. The following month, he was in Saint Petersburg on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit, a continent on which Wagner is particularly active. Dmitri Peskov nevertheless denied Friday any recent meeting between MM. Putin and Prigozhin. On Thursday, residents of St. Petersburg, where the group was based, marched to lay flowers at a makeshift memorial, a sign of the warlord's popularity with some, who appreciated his nationalism and outspokenness willingly critical of the Russian elites. "For us he was a friend, a brother. I think for all the soldiers it's a very important moment," said Natalia, 31, who rode her bike to put her bouquet in the shade of the glass building. where Wagner established his HQ. In Washington, Paris, Berlin or kyiv, senior officials have implied that their suspicions are focused on the Kremlin. The Pentagon, for its part, said it had "no information indicating that a surface-to-air missile" had been fired against the device, while groups on Telegram close to Wagner mention this track. Wagner, who left Ukraine after his rebellion, remains active in Africa but his future is now up in the air. Wherever it has been deployed, this group is accused of abuses, extrajudicial executions and torture. 25/08/2023 19:23:03 - Moscow (AFP) - 2023 AFP The Minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmanin, convinced that the social question is essential in view of 2027, welcomed the analyzes and the vision of the deputy Francois Ruffin (La France insoumise), Friday at the microphone of RTL. "I don't agree on a lot of things with Francois Ruffin. But he is thinking, said Gerald Darmanin. "We can't not listen to Francois Ruffin. The Minister of the Interior, who sees "the same red bricks" in Tourcoing as the elected LFI in the Somme, insisted on his convergence of analysis with the left-wing deputy: "He says that the social question is the more important. I think like him," then clarified, "That doesn't mean you have to vote for Ruffin. In this tribute, Gerald Darmanin took the opportunity to try to divide La France insoumise, pointing to a supposed divergence between Francois Ruffin and Jean-Luc Melenchon in the words of the former: "Ruffin says: 'Melenchon is wrong to attack the order, to the cops and to the fatherland, to defend communitarianism [] because we have to talk to the workers. Francois Ruffin replied to him Thursday evening in a message posted on X (ex-Twitter): a possible victory for the leader of the National Rally, "thanks to whom? Ten years of Macron-Darmanin-Philippe-Le Maire. When Macron promised in 2017 that there would be "no more reason to vote for the extremes" at the end of his mandate. When the problem presents itself as the solution. Four astronauts of different nationalities took off on Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, aboard a SpaceX rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS), where they are to take over from the crew sent in March. Their arrival is scheduled for Sunday. Until now, the crews of NASA flights had always consisted of at least two Americans. Jasmin Moghbeli, NASA pilot and mission commander, is accompanied by Danish Andreas Mogensen, European Space Agency, Japanese Satoshi Furukawa and Russian Konstantin Borissov. "To explore space, we have to do it together," said Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency, minutes before liftoff. Space is truly global and international cooperation is essential. The parents of Jasmin Moghbeli, whose first space flight is, fled Iran during the 1979 Islamic revolution. Born in Germany and raised in Long Island (New York), she joined the Marines and flew attack helicopters in Afghanistan. She hopes to inspire young Iranian women. "Believing in yourself is a very powerful thing," she said before the flight. Liftoff was delayed a day due to additional checks of the capsule's life support system. Another NASA astronaut will take off from Kazakhstan bound for the ISS in mid-September, along with two Russians. SpaceX has already launched eight crews on behalf of NASA. Boeing is also one of the service providers of the American space agency, but has not yet carried out any manned flight. Pakistan has lauded Indias Chandrayaan mission and termed its success as a great scientific achievement. This congratulatory note, though belated, also said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) deserved appreciation. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her briefing on Friday was asked to comment on the successful soft-landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists deserve appreciation, she said in her brief response. Incidentally, Pakistans leading dailies praised India for achieving the feat on a lesser budget than rich nations. Pakistan had so far officially ignored the landmark success of India. The media, however, gave front-page coverage to the historic event on Wednesday. The Dawn newspaper in its editorial headlined Indias space quest called success of Chandrayaan-3 mission historic. The paper said this particular feat deserves appreciation as India achieved on a lesser budget what richer nations accomplished by spending larger sums. Perhaps the key to the success of Indias space programme, apart from sustained state support, is the quality and dedication of its engineers and scientists who helped make these difficult missions possible, it commented. Comparisons are indeed odious, but there may be plenty for Pakistan to learn from Indias space success. Pakistans space programme was launched before Indias and managed modest success, it said. The Express Tribune newspaper in its editorial titled Indias lunar laurel said Indias ambitious flight actually accomplished something that the US, Soviet-Russian, and Chinese space programmes have all failed to do land on moons southern pole. As Kerala is getting ready to celebrate Onam the national festival of the State the legend of Mahabali based on whom the festival is centred has collapsed like a pack of cards thanks to scientific temper and what is mentioned in Bhagawatam, an epic composed by Veda Vyasa. The name Mahabali finds mention only in Bhagawatam and that too as a small character, according to poet Akkitham Achyuthan Namboodiri, who was honoured with Jnanapeetham as well as Padma Shri by the President of India. This has been further substantiated by K Unnikrishnan Namboodiri, vedic scholar and revered as an authority on Keralas heritage. Rest of the country celebrate Onam as Vamana Jayanthi while in Kerala, Vamana, one of the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu is portrayed as a villain who defeated Mahabali in a war of nerves. The proponents of Onam in Kerala claim that Mahabali was a ruler par excellence and his tenure was marked as an era of honesty and strict administrative regime. But what derails this legend is the fact that there was no Kerala when Mahabali was exiled to the nether world by Vamana. According to historians, Kerala was created by Parashurama, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Parasurama was born centuries after Mahabali was despatched to the nether world, said Namboodiri while addressing the delegates of Sreemad Bhagawath Sapthaha Jnana Yagjam, a week long integrated programme in Sanskrit on science and technology being held at Thiruvananthapuram. Both Akkitham and Namboodiri quotes Bhagawatam to prove their arguments. Mahabali had been defeated and killed by Lord Indra in the battle for heaven and was brought back to life by Sage Sukacharya. Bhagawatam said Mahabali wanted to conquer heaven and he was blessed in this pursuit by Sukacharya. Since Mahabali was blessed by Sukacharya in his bid to conquer the heaven, the only person who could stop from that mission was Lord Vishnu. The Lord disguised himself as a Bramachari named Vamana and appeared before Mahabali seeking alms. Bali who was blinded with pride and arrogance told the Brahmachari that he could ask for anything under the Sun and it would be granted immediately. Vamana requested the King for just three measures of land and the latter asked him to take the required land. Vamana measured earth and heaven with the first two steps and found himself without any place to acquire the third measure, said Namboodiri. The vedic scholar quoting Bhagawatam said Bali, as an atonement for the arrogance offered the Brahmachari his own head to keep the feet for third measure of land. Vamana before placing his feet on the head Bali gave him salvation and the chapter on Bali concludes with it. Professor MG Sasibhushan, eminent historian, is of the view that Mahabali and his story are mere myths. But there are evidences in historical records that Onam was celebrated as Vamana Jayanthi. By 15th century agriculturists who belonged to the Nair and Eezhava community started to celebrate Onam as a harvest festival. There is no proof of the existence of Mahabali and the general belief is that he is a manufactured character, said Prof Sashibhushan. Onam has become the States biggest shopping festival while Mahabali is being portrayed as a comic character identifiable with his pot-belly and handle-bar moustache. Instead of reverence, what comes to mind is a kind of sympathy for Maha Bali, says Namboodiri. As many as 400 police personnel especially trained in soft skills will be deployed at 21 prominent tourist hubs including airport, railway stations and ISBTs to help delegates and other visitors during next months G20 Summit. These personnel, moving in multipurpose vehicles labelled Tourist Police, will be deployed at 21 locations such as monuments, popular markets, memorials, airport terminals, interstate bus terminals (ISBTs) and railway stations, the officials at the Lt Governors Office said. The prominent locations where the Tourist Police units will be deployed include the Paharganj and the Ajmeri Gate sides of New Delhi railway station, Hauz Khas Village, Palika Bazar, Red Fort, Janpath and Connaught Place, Rajghat, Humayuns Tomb, Jama Masjid, Akshardham, Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, India Gate and Aerocity Mahipalpur, among others. Each team comprising one Indo-Tibetan Border Police commando, a gunman and a driver will be accompanied by probationer sub-inspectors as in-charges, they said. For every member of the Tourist Police Unit, a task-oriented training program in association with Delhi Tourism and other stakeholders has been carried out. The Police personnel manning these Tourist Police vehicles have been trained in soft skill and effective communication including topography of Delhi and its Tourist Places, shopping malls, hotels, transport hubs, routes and venues of G-20 Summit, english speaking course, and firing practices, they said. According to the officials, the units have also been provided with booklets on dos and donts for tourists, physical and digital maps of Delhi and NCR, the latest fare and distance charts for taxis, list of locations of important commercial and cultural places and malls, Metro route charts, directory of emergency services and drinking water and sanitizers. In April, Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, in one of the preliminary meetings on the preparedness for the G20 Summit, directed the Delhi Police to put in place specially tasked and trained personnel for assisting visitors, tourists and delegates during the event, the officials said. A special helpline 8750871111 has been made functional to assist the tourists, the officials said. In May, the Delhi Police Tuesday released a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tourist police vans ahead of the G-20 summit in the national Capital. The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA), Bhopal Centre hosted an elegant evening witnessing design meets recognition in the 'Appreciation Award Ceremony' organised for the brightest minds in the architectural realms of the state capital on August 25, 2023, Friday. The prestigious award Ceremony marked the occasion in the special presence of many distinguished dignitaries of architecture. The ceremony was organised under the guidance of Chairman of IIA Bhopal Centre Ar. Akshay Selukar. The event was powered by Jaguar. The jury panel which consisted of highly respected architects and experts had pre-judged each of the awards nominations on their merit and impact. After a meticulous review by an influential jury of creative thought leaders, selected architects came out on top, providing a diverse picture of the talented teams helping to conceptualize, design and deliver the city's best architecture. The award presentation ceremony recognised and rewarded the success and creativity of the industry's most impressive projects or architectural works of art, leading architects and designers for innovative concepts, initiatives and design excellence. The awards were categorized into six including Lifetime Achievement award, Best Residential Design Award, Best Healthcare and Medical Building Design Award, Best Hospitality Design Award and Best Group Design Award. Also two awards for the Best Architectural Research work for Academician Award. The Best Residential Design Awards were bagged by Ar Akshay Jain, Ar Apoorv Kumar Gupta, Ar Vibha Shrivastava, AR Ishan Ahluwalia and Ar Kamalroop Singh Maan. Best Hospitality Design Award was presented to Ar SM Hussain, Ar Shailendra Sharma and AR SM Waseem. While, Ar Manoj Choubey, AR Vibha ShrivastavaShrivastava were presented Best Healthcare and Medical Design Award. And the Best Architectural Research Work Award was bagged by Ar Shikha Patidar. And the Lifetime Achievement Award was bagged by Architect BV Yadam. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate the construction of toilets in the state during the previous BJP government. Despite Chhattisgarh being declared an Open Defecation-Free (ODF) state in 2018, around 15 lakh families are yet to have access to advanced toilet facilities, he said. Baghel also demanded an incentive of Rs 30,000 for toilet construction for these families instead of Rs 12,000. In a letter, Baghel highlighted the findings of the National Family Health Survey-6 (2019-21) conducted by the Union Ministry of Health which showed that 88.2 percent of urban families and 73.5 percent of rural families in Chhattisgarh have access to advanced toilet facilities. Overall, 76.8 percent of families in the state are using advanced toilet facilities, he pointed out. These statistics were corroborated through inspection during the recent social and economic survey conducted by the state government, Baghel said. During the previous (BJP) government, 32 lakh toilets were constructed at a total cost exceeding Rs 4,000 crore and the state was declared as ODF in January 2018, he said. But around 15 lakh families still lack access to advanced toilet facilities, which is a matter of concern and should be investigated, the chief minister said in the letter. There should be an independent investigation into the issue, Baghel said. He also requested approval for the construction of toilets in Naxalite affected and inaccessible areas through gram panchayats. The BJP was in power in the state from 2003 to 2018. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the Rs 6,000 crore due to the state. An official communication on Saturday quoted Baghel as saying that the in the pending liabilities of state agencies from the Centre and the Food Corporation of India had reached Rs 6,000 crore. The Chief Minister said the state government continues to face significant losses even in the disposal of surplus paddy after depositing the rice to the Central pool due to the lack of reimbursement from the Central government. Urging swift action, the Chief Minister urged the Prime Minister him to address the serious situation and direct the officials to establish a timeline to clear the long-pending dues of the state's agencies. Furthermore, he sought steps to promptly transfer the legal claim to the state government. Visit Bahrain, a leading destination management company in the kingdom, has highlighted the crucial role being played by the firm in advancing sustainable development and safeguarding the environment, natural and cultural heritage, ecosystems and habitats. Emphasizing the significance of promoting environmentally conscious and sustainable tourism, Visit Bahrain said it serves as a foundation for striking a harmonious equilibrium between tourism progress and the preservation of the environment and natural resources. "This supports the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism and the Bahrain Tourism Authority in developing the tourism sector as a whole," remarked Visit Bahrain CEO Ali Amralla. Furthermore, Amralla stressed the importance of bolstering Bahrain's tourism offerings and future travel destinations to boost competitiveness. "This approach also aims to achieve economic, social, and environmental growth in tourist regions. He affirmed the necessity of adopting policies and strategies that focus on sustainable tourism and the integration of biodiversity into Bahrain's tourist destinations," he noted. Amralla also called for the formulation of sustainability guidelines tailored to the tourism sector and the establishment of reference standards for consultation. He highlighted the critical role of implementing sustainability criteria across diverse tourist facilities, and advocated for the adoption of a comprehensive guide for all tourism sector entities and representatives, outlining the finest practices in the field of sustainable tourism, as featured in International Tourism Planning & Development. Amralla highlighted the crucial nature of backing environmentally conscious endeavors within hotel establishments and embracing forthcoming global trends that emphasize responsible tourism and sustainability. "This process aims to ingrain these values within local tourist destinations and amenities, motivating them to heighten their dedication to sustainability benchmarks. Encouraging initiatives are being taken to amplify sustainable awareness within the sector and among tourists, along with a focus on innovation and digital transformation within the industry," stated the top official. "These actions seek to boost revenues, foster growth, and create opportunities for SMEs. These efforts align with Bahrain's Vision 2030 and the objectives of its economic agenda," he added. According to him, the transition to sustainable tourism represents a strategic move towards positioning the Kingdom of Bahrain as a premier destination for global travellers seeking high-quality sustainable experiences. This entails an advanced tourism product crafted through innovative environmentally friendly practices, which not only limit carbon emissions but also foster sustainable advancement. This aligns with the future aspirations of the tourism and travel sector, marked by its commitment to promoting sustainable, economically prosperous, and environmentally responsible tourism, added Amralla. Visit Bahrain CEO urged tourist establishments, tourist attractions and hotels to allocate resources towards the adoption of sustainable technologies, with the aim of cultivating a more ecologically viable tourism sector. Such endeavors would not only enhance the industry's sustainability but also play a pivotal role in realizing the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and reaching a state of net-zero emissions by 2050, noted Amralla. Furthermore, these efforts are instrumental in furnishing a well-defined pathway for local tourism enterprises, travel agencies, tour operators, and similar entities to align their operations with principles of sustainability, he added.-TradeArabia News Service Delhi Technical Education Minister Atishi inspected the Jija-bai Womens ITI (Industrial Training Institute). The Minister examined facilities such as the Fashion Design and Technology Lab, Textile Designing Lab, Hospitality Management Lab, and Information and Technology Lab. Additionally, she interacted with the students and discussed the range of courses available at the institute. On this occasion, the Technical Education Minister Atishi said, Students who are receiving training from the ITIs under the Kejriwal government will script a new chapter in the future. She emphasised that our country will only become developed when every youth in the country is skilled. Therefore, alongside obtaining degrees, the youth must also become skilled. The Technical Education Minister added that womens participation in technical education is a positive step towards making them economically independent and self-reliant. She expressed her delight in observing that the sector which was once considered exclusively for men is now witnessing remarkable participation of female students, showcasing their talents. The Minister directed officials to design outreach plans for the upcoming session and visit Delhi government schools to educate students about the modern courses offered by ITIs. She pointed out the lower participation of women in both technical education and technical professions compared to men. Therefore, there is a need to enhance the enrollment of girls in these institutions. During the interaction, students shared that their ITI courses have given them more confidence than their 11th-12th or graduation studies. They mentioned that when they were in 11th-12th grade, they lacked self-confidence and clarity about their future. However, since joining the ITI, they have gained a clearer vision of their future and their self-confidence has increased. According to officials, students who have completed ITI courses under the Kejriwal governments Skill University receive recognition equivalent to 11th-12th standard. This allows them to directly enroll in degree or diploma courses, dispelling their fear of the consequences of choosing ITIs immediately after 10th grade. The Delhi Police will on Sunday hold a carcade rehearsal from various points to Pragati Maidan ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled in the national Capital next month. Traffic will be regulated at several places from 9 am to 12.30 pm to facilitate the rehearsals, the police said. The summit is scheduled to be held in Delhi on September 9-10. Now, due to the rehearsals, traffic will remain impacted on certain roads. Delhi traffic police has advised people to plan accordingly. The roads where traffic will be regulated are Sardar Patel Marg-Panchsheel Marg, Teen Murti Marg, Barakhamba Road traffic signal, Janpath-Kartavya Path, Vivekanand Marg, under the Lodhi Road flyover, Shanti Van Chowk, Joseph Tito Marg-Siri Fort Road, Press Enclave Road-Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg, C-Hexagon, Mathura Road and Saleem Garh Bypass, they said. The police have asked commuters to plan their journeys accordingly. Commuters may experience congestion on these roads and junctions. Motorists are requested to have patience, observe traffic rules and road discipline and follow the directions of traffic police personnel deployed at all intersections, they added. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel met Divisional Commissioners, all Range Inspectors General of Police, District Collectors and Superintendents of Police to discuss arrangements for upcoming Chhattisgarh Assembly elections. The review meeting took place in Raipur on Friday. They also assessed the progress of the ongoing second Special Summary Revision (SSR) of the Voter List in the state. They stressed the need to prepare an error-free electoral list and instructed officials to adopt a meticulous approach for its revision. They also assessed the progress of the printing and distribution of EPIC cards. The Election Commission told the officials to curb distribution of liquor, drugs, cash, and freebies in the state to efficiently assess the election expenditure. They directed the officials to take swift action against such activities without waiting for the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct. The Commission assessed polling station logistics, including EVMs, VVPATs, personnel, vehicles and grievance redressal. nNormal flight operations at Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport are likely to take a hit due to the G20 Summit scheduled in the national Capital. With over 250 flights bound to be cancelled daily, between September 7-10. Reacting on the flight cancellation, a DIAL spokesperson said it has received requests from airlines for cancellation of 80 departing and as many arriving domestic flights during three days from September 8 in connection with the G20 Summit. The government has made it mandatory for airlines to reduce their flight frequency by 25 per cent during the G20 Summit in Delhi. This decision stems from limitations in parking space at the Delhi airport. Additionally, the government has appealed to airlines to temporarily move certain aircraft to airports in other cities to accommodate the Summit. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is expected to release official guidelines in the coming days to address these concerns and coordinate the airline operations effectively. Reacting on the flight cancellation, a DIAL spokesperson said it has received requests from airlines for cancellation of 80 departing and as many arriving domestic flights during three days from September 8 in connection with the G20 Summit. We take immense pride in Indias role as the host of the G20 Summit 2023. Current news on cancellations of flights has no linkage to the parking of aircraft. We have already provided required parking, it said in a statement. Further, it noted that the decision on cancellations of flights has been taken by airlines possibly in light of traffic restrictions due to the G20 Summit. So far, we have received requests for cancellation of approximately 80 departing and 80 arriving domestic flights over three days, which is a mere 6 per cent of the normal domestic operations at Delhi Airport. The restrictions will not cause any impact on international flights. While we recognise that approximately 80 arrivals and 80 departures may be affected due to these cancellations, we are committed to working closely with airlines to minimize any inconvenience caused to passengers, the statement said. IGIA, which is also the countrys largest airport, is estimated to have around 200 parking slots for aircraft. Some of the slots are occupied by planes that are grounded due to engine and other issues. According to sources, parking slots for up to 55 VVIP planes will be made available at the Delhi airport and four nearby airports have been identified in case there is a need for additional parking slots during the G20 summit. While these slots would cater to the aircraft parking requirement during the summit, the sources said that as a back up plan, four airports have been identified where the VVIP planes can be parked in case there is a need. In this regard, the airports at Jaipur, Indore, Lucknow and Amritsar have been identified by the authorities concerned, the sources said. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan greeted the city residents on Indore earning number one place in the country in the smart city sector in a programme organised at the airport today. The CM said that it is the result of hard work of the people in Indore city, public representatives, officers and employees along with others concerned that Indore has once again achieved a new status in the country. Indore has become an icon in the country. Indore will soon get the distinction of becoming a city with metro train. Chief Minister Chouhan said that the country is continuously moving ahead under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Chandrayaan landed on the Moon is taking India's success story to the whole world. Simultaneously, Madhya Pradesh has become the number one state in the country. We are number one in agriculture growth rate. Madhya Pradesh is number one in the country in the export of wheat. It is number one in cleanliness. It is also number one in the field of water conservation. The Chief Minister said that Indore is also number one in air quality. It is also the cleanest city. Now Indore has also become the number one smart city. He said that today Indore has become an icon with the efforts of all of you. Indore is the model of public participation. Indore is now also going to become a city with metro train. Trial run of metro will also be held soon. Indore and Madhya Pradesh will now achieve a new milestone. Amazing are the people of Indore, amazing are the public representatives of Indore. Now the whole state has become smart. Other cities including Bhopal have also done remarkable work in the field of smart cities. He said that one crore 36 lakh families have come above the poverty line in the state. This is also a great achievement. Along with the country's economy, Madhya Pradesh's economy is also strenthening. The size of Madhya Pradesh's economy has grown from Rs 71 thousand crore to Rs 15 lakh crore. The contribution of Madhya Pradesh in the country's economy has increased from 3.6 percent to 4.8 percent. Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava felicitated Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan by garlanding him on Indore becoming number one in the smart city. The Left parties in Uttarakhand have decided to extend their full support to the "secular" candidate who can defeat BJP in the Bageshwar Assembly by-election. The Left parties have not fielded any candidate in the by-election. A meeting of the senior leaders of the Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI -M), CPI Marxist Leninist (CMI -ML) was held at the office of CPI -M here on Saturday. The meeting was chaired by Samar Bhandari. In the meeting, the Leftist leaders said that the double-engine government has proved to be a failure on all fronts in the State. They said that in order to hide its failures the government is trying to ignite communal tension. A concerted effort is being made to spread communal hatred in the State and the recent events in Purola and Sahaspur are some of the examples. The speakers said that unplanned development and government's apathy are responsible for the recent rain triggered natural disaster in the State. In the meeting the leaders condemned the ongoing anti encroachment campaign in the different parts of the State. They decided to start a state-wide agitation against the anti-people and communal politics of the BJP government. The meeting was attended by leaders of various communist parties including Jagdish Kuniyal, Rajendra Singh Negi, Indresh Maikhuri, Rajendra Purohit, Kailash Pandey, Ashok Sharma, Anant Akash and others. BJP State President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi today made a big attack on the coalition government. He was addressing the people of Dumka Assembly constituency from the land of Jharkhand's sub-capital Dumka today during his Sankalp Yatra. Thousands of people were present in the public meeting amid heavy rains, who gave a grand welcome to Marandi. Marandi, while attacking JMM and Hemant government, said that JMM should stop doing petty politics in the name of Santhal Pargana Builders Private Limited Company. He said that what is the need of JMM to organize a press conference, the people of the opposition do the press conference. It is their government, police administration, they should take direct action, file an FIR and confiscate the property of the person who has acted against the law and committed the crime. Marandi said that the Hemant government is in deep corruption. And, whenever the BJP government is formed, there is discussion of development and when JMM, Congress, RJD government is formed, then there is discussion of corruption. Challenging the Chief Minister, he said that he should tell what development work he has done in the state in three and a half years. He said that the BJP government linked the land of Santhals with development. Atal ji included Santhali language in the 8th schedule, made tribal ministry, connected the village with Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojana and today Narendra Modi government has given medical college in Dumka, established AIIMS in Deoghar, made airport in Deoghar, Dumka, Godda Everyone was connected to the railway line. He said that the development seen in Jharkhand even today is the result of the BJP government. JMM even sold the separate state movement and took money from the Narasimha Rao government. He said that JMM Congress RJD is not concerned about the development of the state but about the development of its family. He said that the Hemant Soren family itself is immersed in corruption and is also giving protection to the corrupt. The family has also divided the area of corruption. Railway siding has also been distributed in the name of Sita Soren, Basant Soren in his family. He said that Soren should tell from where he acquired so much wealth. If ED is asking, then tell clearly, but they are scared, going to the Supreme Court, they are lobbying by hiring expensive lawyers. But the Prime Minister has said from the Red Fort that he will neither eat nor let him eat. He said that today criminals and corruption are rampant in the state; no work is done without money. Here, money has to be paid even to get the death certificate made. The grains sent by the Modi government to the poor are also being black marketed. The grains of the poor were looted in the Chief Minister's area. He said that development is not possible without the removal of the Hemant government from the state. He called upon the public to support the BJP for the all-round development of the state, for a fear, hunger, corruption free country and state, to make it win. He said that this Sankalp Yatra is for establishing poor welfare, good governance and development in the state. State Vice President Vinod Sharma, MP Sunil Soren, former minister Louis Marandi, District President Paritosh Soren, Niwas Mandal, Satyendra Singh etc were present in today's meeting. The Uttar Pradesh government is likely to start the process for granting recognition to madrasas again. The process has been revived after a gap of eight years. The UP Madrasa Education Board will hold a meeting next week to consider the pending applications for recognition. UP Board of Madarsa Education Chairman Iftikhar Ahmad said that the meeting would deliberate on the renewal of recognition, upgrading of madrasas, and related matters. It may be mentioned here that in the state, around 1,500 madrasas were granted recognition in the year 2015, and 100 madrasas were included in the states grant in aid list. There are approximately 16,700 recognised madrasas in the state, out of which 560 are funded. Additionally, more than 8,000 madrasas are still unrecognised. Ahmad said several complaints against madrasas would also be taken up during the meeting. He said the complaints related to madrasa teachers holding multiple positions in other Islamic religious institutions as well. The Bharatiya Janata Party national president JP Nadda will arrive in Uttarakhand on a one-day tour on Sunday. He will preside over the partys core committee meeting and other programmes in the Haridwar district. The BJP State media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan said that Nadda will start his tour by planting a sapling at the Amrit Vatika in the Rishikul Vishwavidyalaya in Haridwar after which he will participate in the Mann Ki Baat programme of Haridwar Assembly constituencys booth number 174 in the universitys auditorium. Nadda will then address a programme of the Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya. The meeting of the partys State core committee will be presided over by the BJP national president at a local hotel from 3 PM to 5 PM. The BJP State president Mahendra Bhatt, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, former chief ministers, MPs and other members of the core committee will be attending the meeting. Nadda will participate in the evening Ganga Arti at Har Ki Paidi and then depart from the Dehradun airport at 9:15 PM, said Chauhan. A shocking incident involving a school teacher in Muzaffarnagar has ignited a storm of public anger leading to political uproar after a video of her mistreating a UKG (Upper Kindergarten) Muslim student went viral. In the video footage, the child failed to correctly recite the multiplication table of 5. In an attempt to punish the child, the teacher repeatedly called upon other students in the classroom to slap him. The teacher can also be heard making derogatory remarks about the educational commitment of Muslim mothers, implying that their lack of attention to their childrens studies leads to their academic failure. What is even more concerning, the teacher made disparaging comments regarding the students religion. An individual present in the classroom recorded this incident and the video swiftly spread across social media platforms. Subsequently, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered against the female teacher. The police said that the basic shiksha adhikari (BSA) had been asked to take action against the teacher, but no arrest was made so far. The incident elicited strong reactions from political figures spanning the entire spectrum. Former Congress national president and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi condemned the incident, equating it to the Bharatiya Janata Partys alleged strategy of sowing communal discord, similar to the divisive tactics observed in different regions of India. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra emphasised that hatred was the most formidable obstacle to progress and called for unity against such divisive sentiments. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi squarely placed the blame on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his divisive ideology. BJP MP Varun Gandhi expressed his disappointment, asserting that harbouring animosity towards a child within the sanctity of a school has brought disgrace upon the education system and nation. The Samajwadi Party also weighed in on the matter, denouncing it as a result of the politics of hate practiced by the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which the SP claims has pushed the country to a point where a teacher feels empowered to instruct her students to assault a minority student based on his religion. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded the immediate dismissal of the teacher and labeled her as a blemish on the teaching community. In a social media post, Akhilesh Yadav wrote, In a viral video from Muzaffarnagar, a teacher is instigating other students to assault a fellow student. She is guilty of a double crime by not only encouraging violence but also making the students violent themselves. The BJP government should showcase this video at the G20 meeting and justify its politics of hatred. A teacher of this nature is a stain on the teaching community. Educators should unite to ensure she faces appropriate consequences, he added. The incident unfolded on Thursday at Neha Public School, a private institution in Muzaffarnagar. The individuals at the centre of the controversy are the female teacher, Trupti Tyagi. and her husband, who runs the school. Both are differently-abled. The video shows the female teacher conducting a class while seated in her chair, with a distraught 7-year-old student standing before her. The teacher claimed that she had previously taught the child the multiplication table up to 5, but he had apparently forgotten it. She then asked other students to slap him one by one. As class-mates continued to strike the child, he began to cry uncontrollably. Shockingly, the teacher instructed the other students to hit him harder. In view of the spurt in the cases of dengue in the provisional State capital and problems faced by the patients in getting admission in the hospitals, the Health department has directed all the private hospitals of Dehradun to keep 20 per cent of the beds reserved for dengue patients. The administration also fixed the upper limits of the fees charged for the diagnostic tests of dengue. The chief medical officer (CMO) of Dehradun Dr Sanjay Jain convened a meeting of representatives of all private hospitals and pathology labs on Saturday. In the meeting it was decided that NABL labs will charge not more than Rs 1,100 for the ELISA test for dengue. Similarly the non NABL labs will charge Rs 1,000 for ELISA test. The charge for rapid test of dengue has been fixed at Rs 500 while for combo ( rapid test + IgG+ ImG) has been fixed at Rs 800. All the hospitals and labs will mandatorily send daily reports about the dengue tests and the treatment to the Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme (IDSP) of the district. The CMO said that the number of beds in the dengue ward of the district hospital (Coronation) has been increased to 50. Department of Surgical Gastroenterology, AIIMS Bhopal celebrated its 2nd foundation day on Saturday. Dr Vishal Gupta, head of surgical gastroenterology, presented the annual report of department. "Our department is catering to patients with complex problems of the gastrointestinal system, pancreas, liver including cancers referred to us from parts of the state. Our clinical workload has increased significantly in last one year with around 6000 patients seen in OPD". He shared some of the difficult cases managed by the department like esophageal reconstruction surgery, biliary stricture repair, laparoscopic pancreatic surgery, portal hypertension surgery etc. 1st SGE-AIIMS Bhopal oration titled "Our Surgical Challenges, Our Indigenous Solutions" was delivered by Prof Dhananjaya Sharma on this occasion. "Innovations should address local problems by combining the Global Wisdom with Local Resources" said Dr Sharma during the oration. He emphasized on the need to develop an "Innovation Ecosystem" where specialists of different streams can cross-fertilize an idea to find a sustainable solution of a clinical problem. Dr Sharma is known internationally in the field of Global Surgery and low-cost surgical innovations with many international publications and awards to his credit. An information booklet on "Jaundice" prepared by the department was released on this occasion for the benefit of patients to clear doubts and myths surrounding this common problem. Dr Jitendra Sen (junior resident), nursing staff Vikas, Laxman, Hari Ram, office staff Amit and Pushpa were given appreciation award for their contribution towards the progress of the department. Prof Bertha, Officiating Executive Director, AIIMS, Bhopal congratulated the department for outstanding work and progress of the of the department in last one year. Program was attended in a large number by senior doctors from Bhopal, heads of the department, faculty members, residents, students, and staff besides Dr Rajesh Malik, Dean Academics and Dr Ajit Deputy Director Administration. Bhopal will become the only city in India where Shrewsbury School, an esteemed international institution of academic excellence and repute will unveil its inaugural campus in India, solidifying Shrewsbury's commitment to fostering global education and collaboration. The new campus, nestled in a picturesque location of Bhopal chosen to mirror the beauty of its UK counterpart, is set to offer an engaging educational environment to students in India and around the world. Jagran Social Welfare Society, a 25 years old educational pioneer have collaborated with Shrewsbury, UK to bring the iconic school to India. Shrewsbury School UK was founded by Edward VI in 1552 by Royal Charter and for over 470 years the school has a proud legacy as one of the great public schools in England. This campus in India is a testament to Shrewsbury's dedication to providing exceptional learning opportunities for students beyond the United Kingdom. Scheduled to welcome students starting from the academic year 2025-26, the Shrewsbury International School, India Campus, will seamlessly uphold the time-honored academic standards, values, and holistic approach that the Shrewsbury School, UK, has embodied and embraced for generations. Shrewsbury India is designed as a co-education boarding school for ages 11-18 and will have 800 students at its full strength. It will be one of the largest co-educational residential school in central India on a state of the art 150 acres campus. The students will study the English National Curriculum leading to Cambridge International IGCSE examinations undertaken in years 9 and 10 to qualify students for entry into A Level course with final examinations at the end of years 12 and 13. By merging the best practices of both the UK and Indian education systems, the curriculum promises a diverse and enriching educational journey for all students. As part of the school's launch, a meet-and-greet was conducted at the Courtyard by Marriott Bhopal on Saturday. The press conference was addressed by Tim Haynes, Governing Chair, Shrewsbury School, UK, Hari Mohan Gupta and Abhishek Mohan Gupta from the Jagran Social Welfare Society, promoters of the Shrewsbury School in India, and Dr. Maghin Tamilarasan, Director International Development from the Shrewsbury School, UK. Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited, formerly known as JUSCO, today marked two decades of exemplary service and dedication since its inception in 2004. A subsidiary of Tata Steel Ltd, Tata Steel UISL has emerged as a leader in managing a spectrum of services including EPC Construction, Power Distribution, Integrated Town Maintenance, O&M, and Construction of industrial and residential townships, town infrastructures, and Real Estate developments. The milestone anniversary was celebrated with the launch of a commemorative logo by Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel. Tata Steel UISL's remarkable journey over the past 20 years has been a testament to its unwavering commitment to excellence and innovation. The company's operations have centered around the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, and other strategically important locations. Chaudhary praised Tata Steel UISL for its remarkable achievements, highlighting the significant role it plays in the group's overall mission. He emphasized the company's consistent efforts in raising the bar for service quality and operational excellence. Under the dynamic leadership of Ritu Raj Sinha, Managing Director of Tata Steel UILSL, the company has not only maintained its reputation but has also taken bold strides towards advancement. Speaking at the press meet, Sinha outlined the company's commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Jamshedpur. He emphasized the ongoing efforts to improve power supply, civic amenities, and water resources in the city. An essential aspect of Tata Steel UILSL's journey towards excellence has been its embrace of technology. In his address, Mr. Sinha underscored the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in delivering enhanced services. The integration of AI in various operations has not only streamlined processes but has also contributed to a higher level of customer satisfaction. One of the remarkable achievements that Tata Steel UILSL celebrated during the 20-year anniversary is the city of Jamshedpur's impressive ranking of 15th in the all-India Swachh Bharat Survekshan. This achievement serves as a testament to the company's dedicated efforts towards maintaining cleanliness, hygiene, and a high quality of life for the residents. As Tata Steel UILSL enters its next phase of growth and service, the company remains committed to its core values and the mission of enriching the lives of the communities it serves. The 20-year anniversary is not only a time for reflection but also a catalyst for future endeavors that will continue to redefine standards and improve the lives of thousands, noted the managing director. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that both engineers and scientists are necessary for the progress of the country. Orders were given to shut down the engineering college established approximately eight years ago under Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya in the tribal-dominated area Jhabua, in the year 2019. After becoming the Chief Minister again in the year 2020, this matter was brought to my notice and I instructed to restart the college. Today, more than 500 students will get the benefit of the newly constructed college building in an area of about 36 acres. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing the dedication programme of the newly constructed UIT Engineering College building worth Rs 34 crore 65 lakh in Jhabua today. Member of Parliament and State BJP President V.D. Sharma, Member of Parliament GS Damor, besides MLA Nirmala Bhuria and other public representatives were present. Chief Minister Chouhan said that this college building of Jhabua is named after former President and great scientist Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He had an important contribution in the field of space science. India has recently landed Chandrayaan on the surface of the Moon. Every Indian is proud of this achievement. Prime Minister Modi has relized the dream of Dr. Kalam. The Chief Minister congratulated the nation and the Prime Minister for this special achievement. Chouhan said that along with the study of various branches of engineering, the subjects of community engagement, happiness and life values??will also be taught to the students in the Engineering College of Jhabua. Students from rural areas also have capabilities, they should get every opportunity to study. The Chief Minister said that medical and engineering education has also been started in Hindi in Madhya Pradesh. Its aim is to make education easily available to the deserving students along with respecting the national language. In many countries, including Japan, Germany and France, the medium of instruction is in the languages ??of those countries instead of English. Regional languages ??and Hindi can make students eligible for various courses. Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai said that his party would support the Samajwadi Party candidate in the Ghosi assembly constituency bypoll in Mau district. In a letter issued on Saturday, Rai appealed to the rank and file of the party in Mau district to extend their support to SP candidate Sudhakar Singh in the by-election. Constituents of the INDIA opposition grouping, the Congress and the SP are trying to put up a united face for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The bypoll to Ghosi assembly seat is an important opportunity to cement the unity. The Congress has not fielded its candidate in the Ghosi bypoll. The Bahujan Samaj party has decided to stay away from the bypoll. Sources in Congress, however, pointed out that the SP has not reciprocated the gesture as it has fielded its candidate in the Bageshwar assembly bypoll in Uttarakhand, where the Congress has fielded its candidate against Bharatiya Janata Partys candidate. This indicates that there are internal dynamics within the INDIA bloc that are yet to be worked out and that seat-sharing would be a stumbling block for the allies in going forward. The sources said that they were expecting cooperation from the SP in Bageshwar and would want the SP to reconsider its decision to field its candidate from Bageshwar before the window of withdrawal of nomination closes. The SP has, however, not withdrawn its candidate. Two months after challenging Vladimir Putins leadership in an apparent but abortive mutiny, Yevgeny Prigozhin the former owner of the mercenary private military company Wagner Group has joined a long list of prominent Russians to die in mysterious circumstances. Prigozhins private jet apparently crashed on a routine flight from Moscow to St Petersburg just after 3pm local time. Confirmation of Prigozhins likely demise came in the form of announcements by Russias authorities and a Telegram channel linked to the Wagner group. Conveniently, there was also video footage of the plane falling out of the sky and burning on the ground. With him on the aircraft was Dmitry Utkin, widely considered to be his second in command at the Wagner Group. Other passengers are reported to have included Valery Chekalov, the head of Wagner security, Yevgeny Makaryan, who has been described as Prigozhins bodyguard and other Wagner Group personnel. While it is unlikely that we will ever know for sure how, why and on whose orders Prigozhin might have been killed, it is far less difficult to imagine that he finally paid the price for his march on Moscow at the head of a column of his Wagner Group troops at the end of June 2023. The deaths of other top Wagner personnel in the crash spell the likely end of the group in its current form. At the time, Prigozhin went to great lengths to paint his mutiny as directed against the top brass in the Russian ministry of defence and not as a direct challenge to the Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Yet the brief episode exposed cracks in the regime. Unopposed by local and regional security forces, Prigozhins troops were able to take Rostov-on-Don and the headquarters of Russias southern military district and command centre of the war in Ukraine. They also marched to within 200 km (125 miles) of the Russian capital, again mostly unopposed. Following a deal brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, Prigozhin called off his rebellion, agreeing to relocate his men and himself to Belarus and Wagners overseas bases - mostly in Africa. Despite some concerns over an increasing Wagner presence closer to Nato members Poland and Lithuania, little of the agreed relocation seems to have happened. Prigozhin himself appears to have enjoyed significant freedom of movement in Russia in the weeks after his abortive mutiny, including making an appearance on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit at the end of July. Putins purges Though abrupt, his death is not unexpected. Under Putin, a former KGB operative himself, Russia has carried out several high-profile assassinations and assassination attempts, including in the UK and Germany, to go after alleged traitors and Putin critics. Many opposition figures in Russia have either died mysteriously or been assassinated. The list includes figures such as Alexei Navalny (who survived novichok poisoning), former deputy prime minister Boris Nemtsov, anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, and journalist Anna Politkovskaya. Meanwhile, some regime critics may have thought themselves to be beyond his reach in the UK or other countries, have also been disposed of. These include oligarch and former friend turned critic, Boris Berezovsky, and former spies Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, who were both poisoned (although Skripal survived) have been targeted. Putins message here has been clear for two decades: opposition will not be tolerated and will probably have fatal consequences. Prigozhins likely assassination reaffirms this message spectacularly. But it is not the only step that Putin has taken to reassert control. On the day of Prigozhins death, one of his presumptive allies in the military establishment, Sergei Surovikin a former commander of Russian forces in Ukraine was apparently dismissed as head of the Russian aerospace forces. This followed weeks of speculation following his disappearance after the Prigozhin mutiny. Other top military officials critical of Russias conduct of the war in Ukraine, including the commander of the Russia 58th Combined Arms Army, Ivan Popov, were dismissed. Other officials, considered close to Prigozhin, including the deputy head of military intelligence, Vladimir Alexeyev, are still unaccounted for. Outside the military, alleged critics of Putins war in Ukraine have not been safe either. A series of mysterious deaths struck fear into Russian oligarchs in the months after the full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine began in February 2022. Since then, criticism from the Russian business elite has been muted. The apparent assassination of Prigozhin would therefore seem to be business as usual for Putin. It was foreshadowed in the Russian presidents speech on June 24, the morning after Prigozhins mutiny began, when he vowed to punish the traitors, as he described them. Back to business as usual? Prigozhins demise also draws a line under the apparent power struggle within the Russian military. As the chief architects of the war in Ukraine, Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu and chief of general staff Valery Gerasimov are the most obvious beneficiaries of Prigozhins death and the wider purges of critics inside and outside the military. Putin, and his inner circle, clearly have prevailed on this occasion. This is not surprising, given how little direct and public support Prigozhin received over the course of his mutiny. In this sense, Putins regime is still highly effective and has demonstrated its capacity to survive domestic challenges. But the underlying problem a disastrous military campaign in Ukraine has not gone away with the death of Prigozhin. Putin may have silenced one of the most outspoken critics of the conduct of the war, and have others arrested or murdered, like prominent pro-war bloggers Igor Girkin and Vladen Tatarsky. But many who share Prigozhins misgivings without backing him publicly will have survived Putins clean-up operation. Putin can be sure that they will now be extra careful not to stand too close to high windows or accept cups of tea from anyone connected with Russias security services. But this may not be the only lesson they have learned from Prigozhins demise and that will likely worry the Kremlin and increase the paranoia of Putin and those around him. (The Conversation) The Samajwadi Party leads the INDIA coalition against the ruling NDA, vying for a dominant Opposition role. But divergent opinions reverberate on various fronts. The RLD leaders have voiced concerns that national parties frequently seek support from smaller parties before elections but tend to renege on commitments afterward. This criticism is directed at the Samajwadi Party, with RLD leaders contending that Akhilesh Yadav's leadership failed to provide sufficient opportunities to RLD candidates in the Legislative Council elections, writes BISWAJEET BANERJEE As the nation prepares for the high-stakes clash of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, all eyes are on Uttar Pradesh, where the chessboard of new political alliances is rapidly taking shape. The battleground State is not only pivotal due to the sheer number of Members of Parliament (MPs) it sends to the Lok Sabha, but also due to the intriguing dynamics that promise an electrifying showdown. At the forefront of this clash stands the Samajwadi Party, a key player in the INDIA coalition, which is meticulously positioning itself as the chief contender against the ruling NDA. Led by Akhilesh Yadav, the party is setting the stage for an enthralling face-off by seeking to establish its dominance as the leader of the Opposition alliance in the State. In a significant development, Opposition parties in India have come together to form a formidable coalition known as the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). The primary objective of this alliance is to unite India's fragmented Opposition forces in preparation for the eagerly anticipated 2024 parliamentary elections, with the ultimate goal of unseating Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The emergence of the INDIA coalition has injected a sense of hope into India's democratic landscape, as it presents a viable alternative to the incumbent ruling party. However, this alliance is not without its challenges, with one of the foremost hurdles being the creation of a cohesive platform capable of mobilising voters from diverse backgrounds, Nomita P Kumar, of Giri Institute of Development Studies (GIDS) in Lucknow, said. The success of coalition INDIA depends on its performance in Uttar Pradesh, which has always been considered the crucible of Indian politics. The importance of this vast State, home to 23 crore people, stems from the fact that it is generally said that the road to Delhi passes through Lucknow. In this background, the role of coalition partners in India assumes importance. This all depends on who will lead the alliance in Uttar Pradesh. With the Samajwadi Party being the main Opposition party, Akhilesh Yadav, the national President of SP, is the obvious choice to lead the coalition in Uttar Pradesh. Yet, Akhilesh Yadav's journey to leadership is strewn with challenges. In the absence of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) from the coalition, the Samajwadi Party finds itself as the primary Opposition force within the INDIA alliance in Uttar Pradesh. This situation not only heightens the spotlight on Yadav's leadership but also magnifies the intricacies of coalition politics in the State. With the Congress maintaining a limited presence in Uttar Pradesh, the task of forging a formidable Opposition front becomes even more demanding. The recent game-changing verdict from the Supreme Court, reinstating Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha membership, has breathed new life into the Congress party cadre. However, while this development invigorates the Congress ranks, it is clear that more than just legal victories are required to disrupt the entrenched political spectrum of the State. The Congress realised this and therefore made organisational changes in its Uttar Pradesh unit of the party. Former MLA Ajay Rai was appointed as president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC). He joined his new assignment on August 24 where he declared that Rahul Gandhi would be the next Prime Minister. He also advocated that Rahul should contest the election from Amethi because the people of that region want him to contest the next election. If not Rahul, who else? he asked in a press conference in Lucknow on Thursday. This Rais query raises further questions about the leadership issue within coalition INDIA, because Uttar Pradesh's political landscape is a complex tapestry where electoral strategies, alliances, and ground-level connect intricately blend to create a narrative that can either challenge the status quo or fortify it. All the big contenders in coalition INDIA have started moving their pawns in the political chessboard meticulously. Behind a closed-door meeting in Lucknow, the SP leadership has voiced its eagerness to play a pivotal role in seat-sharing discussions among the alliance partners in UP. Akhilesh Yadav has hinted at his party's inclination to take the lead in steering the Opposition alliance in the State and if the coalition wins, want a lions share in the government. The numerical strength of the Samajwadi Party lends credibility to its aspirations. Out of Uttar Pradesh's 80 Lok Sabha seats, the BSP holds 9, the SP has 3 (after losing two in by-elections), and the Congress possesses the sole seat of Rae Bareli. With 111 MLAs in the Vidhan Sabha, the SP leads the alliance in terms of legislative support. In the 2019 elections, the SP joined hands with the BSP and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) to forge the Mahagathbandhan. The SP contested 37 seats, while the BSP and the RLD contested 38 and three seats, respectively. The Congress was allocated two seats. Although the Samajwadi Party secured victories in just five of the 37 seats it contested, it claimed the second position in 31 seats. Akhilesh Yadav himself emerged victorious from the Azamgarh parliamentary seat but later vacated it following the 2022 Assembly elections, in which the SP faced defeat in the Azamgarh by-election. Maintaining political supremacy in Uttar Pradesh poses a daunting challenge for the Samajwadi Party due to the State's intricate political dynamics. Forming alliances may be facile, but sustaining them post-elections often proves intricate, with smaller parties inclined to shift loyalties based on their political calculations. Within the INDIA alliance in Uttar Pradesh, significant political players include the Samajwadi Party, the Congress, the Rashtriya Lok Dal, and the Apna Dal (Kamerawadi). Although they acknowledge the paramount need to present a united front to effectively counter the ruling BJP, differences exist among these constituents. Divergent opinions reverberate on various fronts. The RLD leaders have voiced concerns that national parties frequently seek support from smaller parties before elections but tend to renege on commitments afterward. This criticism is directed at the Samajwadi Party, with RLD leaders contending that Akhilesh Yadav's leadership failed to provide sufficient opportunities to RLD candidates in the Legislative Council Elections. On the flip side, Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) emphasises the significance of addressing the aspirations of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) within the INDIA coalition. Seat-sharing negotiations loom as another potentially contentious issue among the INDIA coalition partners. While formal discussions on the seat-sharing formula are pending, separate dialogues among leaders have initiated the conversation. The Congress is poised to contest 15-20 seats in UP, particularly following reports suggesting potential Muslim support in this Lok Sabha election. Indications point toward Priyanka Gandhi's potential candidacy from Sultanpur, Rahul Gandhi from Amethi, and Sonia Gandhi's pursuit of re-election from Rae Bareli. Additionally, the Congress has cast its gaze upon Pratapgarh, where Aradhan Shukla Mona, the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the Vidhan Sabha, may enter the electoral fray. Conversely, the RLD seeks to stake its claim to 12 seats in the western region of UP, leveraging caste dynamics. Public meetings for Jayant Chaudhary have been scheduled in 12 parliamentary constituencies, encompassing Mathura, Kairana, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Amroha, Fatehpur Sikri, Baghpat, Aligarh, Hathras, and Bulandshahr. These events aim to underscore RLD's influence and exert pressure on the INDIA coalition partners. As the 2024 Lok Sabha elections draw ever closer, Uttar Pradesh's political landscape remains fluid, with leadership aspirations and seat-sharing negotiations poised to sculpt the State's political trajectory. The outcomes of these deliberations will significantly influence electoral dynamics and may ultimately determine the balance of power in India's most populous State. (The writer is political editor, The Pioneer, Lucknow) CompX International Inc. manufactures and sells security products and recreational marine components primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Security Products and Marine Components. The Security Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks, and other locking mechanisms used in various applications, including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, high security medical cabinetry, integrated inventory and access control secured narcotics boxes, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, and vending and cash containment machines. This segment serves recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage, healthcare, and other industries. The Marine Components segment manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust headers, exhaust pipes, mufflers, and other exhaust components; gauges, such as GPS speedometers and tachometers; mechanical and electronic controls and throttles; wake enhancement systems, trim tabs, steering wheels, and billet aluminum accessories; dash panels, LED indicators, and wire harnesses; and grab handles, pin cleats, and related hardware and accessories primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard boats for the recreational marine and other industries. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through distributors. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Dallas, Texas. CompX International Inc. is a subsidiary of NL Industries, Inc. The following companies are subsidiares of Industria de Diseno Textil: BSKE, Bershka BH, Bershka BSK Espana, Bershka BSK Espana, Bershka Belgique, Bershka Bulgaria, Bershka Carpati, Bershka Ceska Republica, Bershka Cis, Bershka Commercial (Shanghai) Co, Bershka Commercial Beijing Co, Bershka Croatia, Bershka Deutschland B.V. & CO. KG, Bershka Diseno, Bershka France, Bershka Giyim Ithalat Ihracat Ve Tic.Ltd., Bershka Hellas, Bershka Hong Kong Limited, Bershka Ireland., Bershka Italia, Bershka Japan, Bershka Korea, Bershka Logdistica, Bershka Macau, Bershka Magyaroszag Kft., Bershka Mexico, Bershka Nederland, Bershka Osterreich Clothing GmbH, Bershka Polska Sp Z O.O., Bershka Portugal Conf. Soc. Unip. Lda., Bershka S, Bershka Serbia, Bershka Slovakia, Bershka Suisse, Bershka U.K., Bershka USA INC, Bershka Ukraine, Best Retail Kazakhstan, CDC Trading (Shangai) Co. LTD., Choolet, Comditel, Confecciones Fdios, Confecciones Goa, Corporacion de Servicios XX1, Denllo, FGI Gestion Mex, FSF New York, FSF Soho, Fashion Logistic Forwarders, Fashion Retail, Fibracolor, G. Zara Home Uruguay, G.Zara Uruguay, Glencare, Goa-Invest, Goa-Invest Deutschland GMBH, Group Zara Australia Pty. Ltd., Grupo Massimo Dutti, Gruputerque Portugal Conf. Lda, Hampton, ITX Albania SHPK, ITX Asia Pacific Enterprise Management, ITX E-commerce (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITX Fashion Ltd, ITX Fashion retail South Africa, ITX Finance Asia, ITX Financien, ITX Financien II, ITX Financien III, ITX Global Solutions LIMITED, ITX Holding, ITX Italia, ITX Korea LIMITED, ITX Merken, ITX RE, ITX Services India Private Ltd, ITX Taiwan B.V. Bershka Taiwan Branch, ITX Taiwan B.V. Massimo Dutti Taiwan Branch, ITX Taiwan B.V. Pull & Bear Taiwan Branch, ITX Taiwan B.V. Zara Home Taiwan Branch, ITX Trading, ITX USA, ITXR Macedonaia Dooel Skopje, Indipunt, Indipunt Diseno, Inditex, Inditex France, Inditex Logdistica, Inditex Montenegro, Inditex Trent Retail India Private LTD, Inditex Vastgoed Korea, Invercarpro, Italco Moda Italiana, KG Massimo Dutti Deutschland, Kiddys Class Espana, Kommanditgesellschaft ZARA Deutschland B.V. & Co., LFT RUS Ltd, Lefties Espana, Lefties Logdistica, Lelystad Platform, Limited Liability Company "BK GARMENTS BLR", Limited Liability Company "MASSIMO DUTTI BLR", Limited Liability Company "OYSHO BLR", Limited Liability Company "PULL AND BEAR BLR", Limited Liability Company "STRADIVARIUS BLR", Limited Liability Company "ZARA BLR", Limited Liability Company "ZARA HOME BLR", MD Benelux, Massimo Dutti, Massimo Dutti BH, Massimo Dutti Bulgaria, Massimo Dutti CIS, Massimo Dutti Canada, Massimo Dutti Ceska Republika, Massimo Dutti Commercial Beijing Co, Massimo Dutti Commercial Shangai CO, Massimo Dutti Croatia, Massimo Dutti Danmark A/S, Massimo Dutti Deutschland, Massimo Dutti Diseno, Massimo Dutti Finland OY, Massimo Dutti France, Massimo Dutti Giyim Ithalat Ih.Ve Tic. Ltd., Massimo Dutti Hellas, Massimo Dutti Hong Kong, Massimo Dutti Ireland., Massimo Dutti Italia, Massimo Dutti Japan, Massimo Dutti Korea, Massimo Dutti Logdistica, Massimo Dutti Macau Ltd., Massimo Dutti Magyarorxzag KFT, Massimo Dutti Mexico, Massimo Dutti Nederland, Massimo Dutti Norge, Massimo Dutti Osterreich, Massimo Dutti Polska, Massimo Dutti Ro, Massimo Dutti S, Massimo Dutti Serbia, Massimo Dutti Slovakia, Massimo Dutti Suisse, Massimo Dutti Sverige, Massimo Dutti UK, Massimo Dutti USA, Massimo Dutti Ukraine, Massimo DuttiI India Private Ltd, Master Retail Kazakhstan, Nikole, Nikole Diseno, Nueva comercializadora global XXI, Oysho Belgique, Oysho Bulgaria, Oysho CIS, Oysho Ceska Republica, Oysho Commercial & Trading (Shangai) Co., Oysho Croacia, Oysho Diseno, Oysho Espana, Oysho France, Oysho Giyim Ithalat Ihracat Ve Ticaret Ltd., Oysho Hellas, Oysho Hong Kong Ltd, Oysho Italia, Oysho Kazakhstan, Oysho Korea, Oysho Logdistica, Oysho MAGYARORSZAG, Oysho Macau, Oysho Mexico, Oysho Polska, Oysho Portugal, Oysho Ro, Oysho Serbia, Oysho Slovakia S.R.O, Oysho Suisse SARL, Oysho Sverige, Oysho Ukraine, P&B Gmbh, Plataforma Cabanillas, Plataforma Europa, Plataforma Logdistica Leon, Plataforma Logdistica Meco, Pro Retail Kazakhstan, Pull & Bear, Pull & Bear BH, Pull & Bear Belgique, Pull & Bear Bulgaria, Pull & Bear CIS, Pull & Bear Ceska Republika, Pull & Bear Commercial Beijing Co, Pull & Bear Croatia, Pull & Bear Deutschland BV& CO, Pull & Bear Diseno, Pull & Bear Espana, Pull & Bear France, Pull & Bear Giyim Ith. Ihrac.Ve Tic. Ltd., Pull & Bear Hellas, Pull & Bear Hong Kong LTD, Pull & Bear Ireland, Pull & Bear Italia, Pull & Bear Korea, Pull & Bear Logdistica, Pull & Bear Macau, Pull & Bear Magyarorszag Kft., Pull & Bear Mexico, Pull & Bear Nederland, Pull & Bear Osterreich Clothing, Pull & Bear Polska, Pull & Bear Portugal Conf. Lda., Pull & Bear Ro, Pull & Bear Serbia, Pull & Bear Slovakia, Pull & Bear Suisse, Pull & Bear Sverige, Pull & Bear Uk Limited, Pull & Bear Ukraine, Pull&Bear S, Retail Group Kazakhstan, Robustae Mexico, Robustae S.G.P.S. Unip. Lda., SCI Vastgoed Ferreol P03302, SCI Vastgoed France P03301, SCI Vastgoed General Leclerc P03303, SCI Vastgoed Nancy P03304, SNC Zara France Immobiliere, Samlor, Spanish Retail Kazakhstan, Stear, Stradivarius BH, Stradivarius Bulgaria, Stradivarius CIS, Stradivarius Ceska Republika, Stradivarius Commercial Shangai CO, Stradivarius Croatia, Stradivarius Diseno, Stradivarius Espana, Stradivarius Espana Sa, Stradivarius France, Stradivarius Giyim Ithalat Ih. Ve Tic. Ltd., Stradivarius Hellas, Stradivarius Hong Kong, Stradivarius Ireland Limited, Stradivarius Italia SRL, Stradivarius Japan Corporation, Stradivarius Korea, Stradivarius Logdistica, Stradivarius Macau, Stradivarius Magyaroszag Kft., Stradivarius Mexico, Stradivarius Nederland, Stradivarius Polska, Stradivarius Portugal, Stradivarius Ro, Stradivarius S, Stradivarius Serbia, Stradivarius Slovakia, Stradivarius UK LIMITED, Stradivarius Ukraine, Tordera Logdistica, Trisko, Uterque, Uterque Cis, Uterque Commercial & Trading (Shangai) Co., Uterque Diseno, Uterque Espana, Uterque Fashion RO S.R.L., Uterque Giyim Limited, Uterque Hellas, Uterque Kazakhstan LLP, Uterque Logdistica, Uterque Mexico S.A. de C.V., Uterque Polska SP. ZOO, Uterque Ukraine, Z-Fashion Finland Oy, ZAO Zara CIS, ZHE, Za Clothing Ireland, Za Giyim Ithalat Ihracat Ve Ticaret Ltd., Zara, Zara Argentina, Zara Asia, Zara BH, Zara Belgique, Zara Brasil, Zara Bucuresti, Zara Bulgaria LTD, Zara Canada, Zara Ceska Republika, Zara Chile, Zara Commercial (Beijing), Zara Commercial (Shanghai), Zara Croatia, Zara Denmark A/S, Zara Deutschland, Zara Diseno, Zara Espana, Zara Fashion (Shanghai) CO., Zara Financien B.V. Ireland, Zara Finland, Zara France, Zara Hellas, Zara Holding, Zara Holding II, Zara Home Australia Pty Ltd, Zara Home Belgique, Zara Home Brasil Produtos para o Lar, Zara Home CIS, Zara Home Canada, Zara Home Ceska Republica, Zara Home Chile SPA, Zara Home Commercial & Trading (Shangai) Co., Zara Home Croatia, Zara Home Danmark A/S, Zara Home Deutschland B.V. & Co. KG, Zara Home Diseno, Zara Home Espana, Zara Home Francia, Zara Home Giyim Ithalat Ihracat Ve Ticaret Ltd., Zara Home Hellas, Zara Home Hong Kong Ltd, Zara Home Italia, Zara Home Japan Corp., Zara Home Kazakhstan, Zara Home Korea LIMITED, Zara Home Logdistica, Zara Home Macao Ltd, Zara Home Magyarorszag KFT., Zara Home Mexico, Zara Home Nederland, Zara Home Osterreich Clothing GMBH, Zara Home Polska, Zara Home Portugal, Zara Home Retail South Africa (PTY) LTD., Zara Home Ro, Zara Home SRB DOO Beograd, Zara Home Suisse SARL, Zara Home Sverige AB, Zara Home U.K., Zara Home Ukraine, Zara Immobiliare Italia SRL, Zara Italia, Zara Japan Corp., Zara Logdistica, Zara Luxembourg, Zara Macau, Zara Magyarorszag, Zara Management, Zara Mexico, Zara Monaco, Zara Nederland, Zara Norge, Zara Osterreich Clothing, Zara Polska, Zara Portugal Confeccoes Lda., Zara Puerto Rico, Zara Retail Korea, Zara Retail NZ Limited, Zara S, Zara Serbia, Zara Slovakia, Zara Suisse S.A.R.L., Zara Sverige, Zara Taiwan, Zara UK, Zara USA, Zara Ukraine LLC , Zara Vastgoed, Zara Vittorio 11 Italia S.R.L., Zara Vittorio 13 Italia, and Zintura. Read More John Leland in The New York Times: Sixty years ago, in the summer of 1963, a four-story townhouse on West 130th Street in Harlem became the headquarters for what was then the largest civil rights event in American history, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. For one summer the house, a former home for delinquent colored girls, was a hive of activity so frenetic that the receptionist twice hung up on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by mistake. The march, which took place on Wednesday, Aug. 28, is now best remembered for Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech, and for the crowd of 250,000 filling the National Mall. But it would not have been possible without the organizing at 170 West 130th Street, led by Bayard Rustin, a brilliant tactician whose homosexuality and former communist ties made him a target both inside and outside the movement. Under the aegis of the marchs patriarch, the labor leader A. Philip Randolph, Mr. Rustin brought together the heads of the five big civil rights organizations the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, N.A.A.C.P., National Urban League, Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Together with Mr. Randolph, they became known as the Big Six. It was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, following Dr. Kings tumultuous campaign to force the desegregation of Birmingham and President John F. Kennedys sending the National Guard to enable Black students to attend the University of Alabama; Medgar Evers, a field secretary for the N.A.A.C.P., was assassinated in June in Mississippi. As Courtland Cox, one of the march organizers, recalled, People were sick and tired of being sick and tired, and they wanted to make a statement to the nation. More here. InfuSystem Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides infusion pumps, and related products and services in the United States and Canada. The company operates in two segments, Integrated Therapy Services (ITS) and Durable Medical Equipment Services (DME Services). It supplies electronic ambulatory infusion pumps and associated disposable supply kits to oncology, infusion, and hospital outpatient chemotherapy clinics for the treatment of various cancers, including colorectal cancer, pain management, and other disease states. The company also sells, rents, and leases new and pre-owned pole-mounted and ambulatory infusion pumps, and other durable medical equipment; sells treatment-related consumables; and provides biomedical recertification, maintenance, and repair services for oncology practices, as well as other healthcare site settings comprising hospitals, home care and home infusion providers, skilled nursing and acute care facilities, pain centers, and others. In addition, it offers local and field-based customer support, as well as operates pump service and repair centers. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan. S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world Vistra Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company operates through six segments: Retail, Texas, East, West, Sunset, and Asset Closure. It retails electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across 20 states in the United States and the District of Columbia. In addition, the company is involved in the electricity generation, wholesale energy purchases and sales, commodity risk management, fuel production, and fuel logistics management activities. It serves approximately 3.5 million customers with a generation capacity of approximately 37,000 megawatts with a portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. The company was formerly known as Vistra Energy Corp. and changed its name to Vistra Corp. in July 2020. Vistra Corp. was founded in 1882 and is based in Irving, Texas. Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. provides financial products and services for insurance, banking, asset management, and technology businesses in the People's Republic of China. Its Life and Health Insurance segment offers term, whole-life, endowment, annuity, investment-linked, universal life, and health care and medical insurance to individual and corporate customers. The company's Property and Casualty Insurance segment provides auto, non-auto, and accident and health insurance to individual and corporate customers. Its Banking segment undertakes loan and intermediary businesses with corporate and retail customers; and offers wealth management and credit card services to individual customers. The company's Trust segment provides trust services; and undertakes investing activities. Its Securities segment offers brokerage, trading, investment banking, and asset management services. The company's Other Asset Management segment provides investment management, finance lease, and other asset management services. Its Technology segment offers financial and daily-life services through internet platforms, such as financial transaction information service, and health care service platforms. The company also provides annuity insurance, IT and business process outsourcing, real estate investment and management, futures brokerage, project investment, currency brokerage, property agency, fund raising and distribution, real estate development and leasing, and insurance agency services. In addition, it provides factoring, equity investment, logistics and warehousing, management consulting, e-commerce, and credit information services; and operates an expressway, as well as produces and sells consumer chemicals. The company was incorporated in 1988 and is based in Shenzhen, China. IMAX China Holding, Inc., an investment holding company, provides digital and film-based motion picture technologies in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. It operates through three segments: IMAX Technology Network, IMAX Technology Sales and Maintenance, and All Other. The company engages in the digital re-mastering of Hollywood, Chinese language, and other films into the IMAX format through a proprietary IMAX DMR conversion process and the exhibition of these films on the IMAX theatre network. It also designs, procures, and provides digital theatre systems at its exhibitor partners' movie theatres, as well as offers related project management, maintenance, and aftermarket services. In addition, the company provides technical research and development, consulting, service, training and marketing services for theatre systems and multimedia technology; and photographic equipment, virtual reality display equipment and related software and hardware, as well as engages in the provision of after-sales services, including installation. Further, it is involved in the wholesale, import, leasing, installing, maintenance, and repairing of movie theatre machinery, equipment, systems, photographic equipment, virtual reality display equipment, and related software; and research and development of software and hardware. Additionally, the company offers gift, handicraft, stationery commodity, clothing and apparel, and electronic products; creative and conference, business consultation, and culture and art exchange and planning services; and operates ticket and publishing agency, as well as engages in the design and production of advertising; and technology development, consulting, service, and transfer solutions in the field of computer information. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China. IMAX China Holding, Inc. is a subsidiary of Imax (Barbados) Holdings, Inc. Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty markets. The company operates in two segments, U.S. Operations and International Operations. It offers primary and excess specialty casualty, general liability, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation, as well as product, environmental, and auto liability insurance products; management liability, transaction liability, and errors and omissions liability insurance; primary and excess property, inland marine, and auto physical damage insurance; and surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance products. The company also provides directors and officers liability, errors and omissions liability, and employment practices liability insurance; international casualty and motor treaties insurance; professional indemnity and medical malpractice insurance; direct and facultative excess insurance, North American and international binders, and residential collateral protection for lending institutions; and personal accident, aviation, cargo, yachts, and onshore and offshore marine insurance products. It markets its products through wholesale and retail agents, managing general agents, brokers, and third-party intermediaries. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda. WEX Inc. operates a commerce platform in the United States and internationally. The Fleet Solutions segment offers fleet vehicle payment solutions, transaction processing, and information management services. It also provides account and account retention services; authorization and billing inquiries, and account maintenance services; account management; credit and collections services; merchant services; analytics solutions; and ancillary services and tools to fleets to manage expenses and capital requirements. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to businesses and government agencies with fleets of commercial vehicles; and indirectly through co-branded and private label relationships. The Travel and Corporate Solutions segment provides payment solutions, including embedded payments; and accounts payable automation and spend management solutions. Its products include virtual cards that are used for transactions where no physical card is presented. This segment markets its products directly and indirectly to customers in travel, fintech, insurance, consumer bill pay, and media verticals, as well as businesses and financial institutions. The Health and Employee Benefit Solutions segment offers software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for consumer directed healthcare benefits and full-service benefit enrollment solutions. Its SaaS platform includes embedded payment solutions and plan administration services for consumer-directed health benefits; COBRA accounts; and benefit enrollment and administration services. This segment also provides custodial and depository services for health savings accounts; and payroll-related benefits. This segment markets its products through third-party administrators, financial institutions, payroll providers, and health plans. The company was formerly known as Wright Express Corporation and changed its name to WEX Inc. in October 2012. WEX Inc. was founded in 1983 and is based in Portland, Maine. GE is a multi-national conglomerate that was originally incorporated in 1892. The company was founded by Thomas Edison as the Edison General Electric Company and shortened its name to General Electric following a merger with two other early electric pioneers. The name was later shortened again to GE. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts but has operations on a global scale. One of the original 12 Dow stocks, the company was a component of the index for 122 years until its ousting in 2018. Originally intended to make and market Edisons incandescent lamp and following products, the company grew over the years through mergers, acquisitions, and natural expansion into newly created fields. Among the many early accomplishments is the creation of RCA and NBC which will both become forces of their own. Other major innovations include the worlds first turbine superchargers, industrial gas turbine engines, and the first jet engine. In the field of computing, General Electric Company is credited as being one of the 8 major computer companies of the 1960s and shares responsibility for todays digital world. In regard to its employees, two were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work with the company. Today GE operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through four segments including Power, Renewables, Aerospace, and Healthcare although there are plans in the works to split the company into three separate entities. The three new companies would be GE Vernova (power and renewables), GE Health, and GE Aerospace. The spin-offs are expected to be completed by 2025. The Power segment offers a variety of turbine engines for power production as well as the full range of services from plant construction to retrofit and refit. The Renewables segment is focused on solutions for renewable energy including wind and hydro and the technology to operate them. The Aviation segment manufactures aircraft engines of all varieties and the Healthcare segment offers technology for imaging, monitoring, diagnostics, and drug discovery to health and medical facilities. General Electric is committed to helping the world transition to a greener way of life and is exiting the new-build coal-fired power industry. Instead, its advancements in wind, grid efficiency, and natural gas are being deployed around the world helping to reduce emissions and generate cleaner energy for businesses, industry, and communities. The company is targeting 2030 for its own carbon neutrality and 2050 for net zero emissions. Jodi Dean in LA Review of Books: CONSERVATIVE CATHOLIC INTELLECTUALS raging against critical race theory and drag queen story hour are receiving book endorsements from prominent figures on the left. Patrick J. Deneens Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future (2023) has a cover endorsement from Cornel West (President Barack Obama praised Deneens previous book, 2018s Why Liberalism Failed). Sohrab Ahmaris new book Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Libertyand What to Do About It features a blurb by Slavoj Zizek. Whats going on? Ahmari is the founder of the magazine Compact and a former editor with the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal. Deneen is a professor of political science at Notre Dame. Deneen, Ahmari, and theologian Chad Pecknold have co-authored editorials for The New York Times. Together with Gladden Pappin, president of the Hungarian Institute for International Affairs, and Harvard law professor Adrian Vermeule, Deneen and Pecknold founded the Substack newsletter Postliberal Order. Vermeule, Deneen, and Pappin have published essays in Compact. Ahmari dedicates Tyranny, Inc. to Adrian, Chad, Gladden, and Patrick. Its a whole thing. The project of Ahmari, Deneen, and their postliberal compatriots has been variously labeled national conservatism, populism, Orbanism, and integralism (the view that political rule should be governed by the teachings of the Catholic church). It amplifiesand attempts to give theoretical expression tothe division within the conservative movement associated with Trump: a base infuriated by its declining socioeconomic status and the condescension meted out by the professional managerial class. More here. STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. The Automotive and Discrete Group segment offers automotive integrated circuits (ICs), and discrete and power transistor products. The Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group segment provides industrial application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) and application-specific standard products (ASSPs); general purpose analog products; custom analog ICs; wireless charging solutions; galvanic isolated gate drivers; low and high voltage amplifiers, comparators, and current-sense amplifiers; MasterGaN, a solution that integrates a silicon driver and GaN power transistors in a single package; wireline and wireless connectivity ICs; touch screen controllers; micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) products, including sensors or actuators; and optical sensing solutions. The Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segment offers general purpose and secure microcontrollers; radio frequency (RF) and electrically erasable programmable read-only memories; and RF, digital, and mixed-signal ASICs. It also provides assembly and other services. The company sells its products through distributors and retailers, as well as through sales representatives. It serves automotive, industrial, personal electronics and communications equipment, and computers and peripherals markets. STMicroelectronics N.V. was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Ameren Co. (NYSE:AEE) announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August, 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.12. The utilities provider had revenue of $1.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.77 billion. Ameren had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 10.50% and a net margin of 13.65%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.80 earnings per share. Read the conference call transcript. Motorola Solutions, Inc. provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Its land mobile radio communications, and video security and access control devices include two-way portable and vehicle-mounted radios, fixed and mobile video cameras, and accessories; radio network core and central processing software, base stations, consoles, and repeaters; and video analytics, network video management hardware and software, and access control solutions. The Software and Services segment provides public safety and enterprise command center, unified communications applications, mobile video equipment, and video software solutions; repair, technical support, and maintenance services; and monitoring, software updates, and cybersecurity services. The company was formerly known as Motorola, Inc. and changed its name to Motorola Solutions, Inc. in January 2011. Motorola Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. State Street Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company offers investment servicing products and services, including custody, accounting, regulatory reporting, investor, and performance and analytics; middle office products, such as IBOR, transaction management, loans, cash, derivatives and collateral, record keeping, and client reporting and investment analytics; foreign exchange, and brokerage and other trading services; securities finance and enhanced custody products; deposit and short-term investment facilities; loans and lease financing; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; performance, risk, and compliance analytics; and financial data management to support institutional investors. It also engages in the provision of portfolio management and risk analytics, as well as trading and post-trade settlement services with integrated compliance and managed data. In addition, the company offers investment management strategies and products, such as core and enhanced indexing, multi-asset strategies, active quantitative and fundamental active capabilities, and alternative investment strategies. Further, it provides services and solutions, including environmental, social, and governance investing; defined benefit and defined contribution; and global fiduciary solutions, as well as exchange-traded funds under the SPDR ETF brand. The company provides its products and services to mutual funds, collective investment funds and other investment pools, corporate and public retirement plans, insurance companies, foundations, endowments, and investment managers. State Street Corporation was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Bank of Queensland Limited, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services in Australia and New Zealand. The company operates in Retail Banking, BOQ Business, and Other segments. It offers personal banking services comprises savings and term deposits, and transactional accounts; debit and credit cards; home, personal, and car loans; and travel, home and content, landlord, and car insurance, as well as investment services comprising online share trading services, and self-managed superannuation funds. The company's business banking services include transaction accounts, and savings and investment accounts; loans and finance products, such as business loans, equipment and vehicle finance, and dealer finance; merchant and payment products; and financial market and international services. It also offers Internet and mobile banking services. The company was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Newstead, Australia. Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc primarily operates a gold mine. It also engages in the exploration and development of mineral properties for precious metals. The company holds 64% interest in the Blanket Mine, a gold mine located in Zimbabwe. It also owns 100% interest in the Maligreen project, a brownfield gold exploration project located in the Gweru mining district in the Zimbabwe Midlands; Bilboes, gold deposit located to the north of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe; and Motapa, a gold exploration property located in Southern Zimbabwe. The company was formerly known as Caledonia Mining Corporation and changed its name to Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc in March 2016. Caledonia Mining Corporation Plc was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Saint Helier, Jersey. The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries. Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet. The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range. The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines. The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers. Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles. Decibel Cannabis Company Inc., an integrated cannabis company, engages in the cannabis cultivation, processing, and sale of cannabis flower products in Canada. It is also involved in the extraction, processing, and manufacturing vape cartridges and glass tube packaging for pre-rolls. In addition, the company engages in the cannabis retail business through operating operational retail locations in Saskatchewan, as well as an e-commerce cannabis platform throughout the Province of Saskatchewan; and operational retail locations in Alberta. It offers its products under the Qwest, Prairie Records, Blendcraft, and General Admission brands. The company is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Doma Holdings Inc. originates, underwrites, and provides title, escrow, and settlement services to homeowners, lenders, title agents, and real estate professionals. It operates through two segments, Distribution and Underwriting. The company also engages in title insurance underwriting business, including policies referred through its direct agents and third-party agents' channels; and provides services in the areas of purchase and refinance transactions in the residential real estate market. It operates its third-party title insurance agency business under the North American Title Company brand. Doma Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Greggs plc operates as a food-on-the-go retailer in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of fresh and frozen bakery products, sandwiches, and drinks. The company sells products to franchise and wholesale partners for sale in their own outlets. It is also involved in the property holding, non-trading, and trustee businesses. The company also operates through its own shops. Greggs plc was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne, the United Kingdom. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman as an investment bank catering to institutions and businesses. Among the firm's first products are the revolutionary use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs which opened a new method of finance for business and industry. The original firm expanded to Goldman Sachs in 1882 with the inclusion of son-in-law Samuel Sachs and again in 1885 with a son and another son-in-law. The firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 expanding into trading of its own and in 1898 it was worth $1.6 million. The company began its work in the IPO market in 1906 with the initial public offering of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and then moved on to Ford and other prominent names of the time. The 1930s brings a change of leadership and a new direction for the firm. The company shifted toward a purer play on investment banking and embarks on a campaign of acquisition that lasted until the present day. The company doesnt go public itself until 1999 and from that point on it will change into a bank holding company that not only offers investment banking services but takes deposits too, and in 2016 the company added consumer banking to its list of services. Today, Goldman Sachs is a financial institution that provides a range of financial services for corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The company operates through four segments that include Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. According to US banking regulations, it is systemically important to the financial health of America. The company is headquartered in New York, New York, and operates 6 regional headquarters as well. Regional headquarters are located in financial hotspots such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore, and Warsaw. Among its many prominent CEOs are John Corzine and Hank Paulson who both went on to successful work in government. The company's Investment Banking segment provides a full range of financial advisory services as well as underwriting for the public markets. The financial advisory services include but are not limited to strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, restructuring, and spin-offs. This segment is also engaged in middle-market lending and transaction banking. Underwriting services include IPOs, preferred stock, debt instruments, and bridge loans. Goldman Sachs Global Markets segment facilitates market transactions for institutions, banks, brokerages, corporations, and governments. Services include execution, derivatives, financing, clearing, settlement, and custody. The Asset Management segment manages client portfolios across the investment spectrum while the Consumer & Wealth Management segment provides advisory and banking services to consumers. Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, operates in motor vehicles and related operations, property investment and development, food retailing, health and beauty, home furnishings, engineering and construction, and transportation businesses in China, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It also involved in the restaurants and hotels, financial services, heavy equipment, mining, and agribusinesses. The company offers aviation and transport services; and engineering, sourcing, and contracting services, as well as invests in, develops, and manages residential, commercial, and mixed-use properties. It also operates Pizza Hut and KFC franchise restaurants; and supplying aseptic packaging materials. In addition, the company sells and services motor vehicles; invests in, owns, develops, and manages office and retail properties; operates outlets, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, grocery retail, health and beauty stores, and home furnishings stores; and invests in and manages a portfolio of luxury hotels, resorts, and residences. Further, it engages in the motor dealerships business. Additionally, the company involved in the energy, infrastructure, logistics, and information technology businesses. Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited was founded in 1832 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Coty Inc., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells beauty products worldwide. It operates through Prestige and Consumer Beauty segments. The company provides fragrance, color cosmetics, and skin and body care products. It offers Prestige segment products primarily through prestige retailers, including perfumeries, department stores, e-retailers, direct-to-consumer websites, and duty-free shops under the Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chloe, Davidoff, Escada, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jil Sander, Joop!, Kylie Jenner, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Orveda, philosophy, SKKN BY KIM, and Tiffany & Co. brands. The company provides Consumer Beauty segment products primarily through hypermarkets, supermarkets, drug stores, pharmacies, mid-tier department stores, traditional food and drug retailers, and e-commerce retailers under the Adidas, Beckham, Biocolor, Bozzano, Bourjois, Bruno Banani, CoverGirl, Jovan, Max Factor, Mexx, Monange, Nautica, Paixao, Rimmel, Risque, and Sally Hansen brands. It also sells its products through third-party distributors. The company was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in New York, New York. Coty Inc. is a subsidiary of JAB Beauty B.V. The following companies are subsidiares of International Flavors & Fragrances: 1456111 Ontario Limited, A. Boake Roberts And Company (Holding) Limited, ASA Ventures Inc., Agtech Products Inc., Alpris Ltd., Amco SP Z.O.O, ApS Syntetic, Aroma S.A., Aromatics Holdings Limited, Aromco Ltd., Aromor, Arvin Company, Asian Investments Inc., Atelier du Parfumeur IFF Grasse SAS, BKF Vision Ltd, BSA India Food Ingr. P. Ltd., Belden Company, Branch office of DuPont Protein Technologies International Sales LLC, Bremil Industria e Comercio de Ingredientes Alimenticos Ltda. , Bremil S/A Industria De Produtos Alimenticos , Bush Boake Allen (New Zealand) Limited, Bush Boake Allen (Pension Trustees) Limited, Bush Boake Allen Australia Pty Ltd, Bush Boake Allen Benelux B.V., Bush Boake Allen Chile S.A., Bush Boake Allen Controladora S.A. de C.V., Bush Boake Allen Enterprises Limited, Bush Boake Allen Holdings (U.K.) Limited, Bush Boake Allen Inc., Bush Boake Allen Inc., Bush Boake Allen Limited, Bush Boake Allen Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, Bush Boake Allen do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC, Chemical Process Materials and Equipment S.A., CitraSource Holdings L.L.C., Columbia PhytoTechnology LLC, Columbia Phytotechnology LLC, Cometra ApS, Crestmont Investment Co., Cultor Oy, DDP Specialty Products Germany GmbH & Co. KG, DDP Specialty Products Poland Sp. z.o.o., DSP Germany N&B Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Daivd Michael Netherlands B.V., Dandy Lions Limited, Danisco (China) Co. Ltd., Danisco (China) Holding Co. Ltd., Danisco (India) Private Limited, Danisco (Zhangjiagang) Textural Ingredients Co. Ltd., Danisco Argentina S.A., Danisco Australia Pty Limited, Danisco Austria GmbH, Danisco B.V., Danisco Biosciences (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Danisco Brasil Ltda., Danisco Canada Inc., Danisco Chile S.A., Danisco Colombia Ltda., Danisco Cultor (Switzerland) AG, Danisco Cultor Sweden AB, Danisco Cultor Trading Ltda., Danisco Czech Republic a.s., Danisco Deutschland GmbH, Danisco Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Danisco Egypt Trading LLC, Danisco Flexible Brasil Ltda, Danisco France SAS, Danisco Guatemala S.A., Danisco Holding USA Inc., Danisco Holdings (UK) Ltd., Danisco Holland B.V., Danisco Ingredients Belgium N.V., Danisco Italia S.p.A., Danisco Japan Limited, Danisco Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Danisco Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Danisco Mexico S.A. de C.V., Danisco New Zealand Limited, Danisco Nutrition & Bioscience Greece Ltd., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Korea Ltd., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Malaysia SDN. BHD., Danisco Nutrition & Biosciences Taiwan Limited, Danisco Nutrition and Biosciences India Private Ltd, Danisco Peru S.A.C., Danisco Poland Sp. z.o.o, Danisco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Danisco South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Danisco Sweeteners Oy, Danisco Switzerland AG, Danisco UK Ltd., Danisco US Inc., Danisco USA Inc., Danisco Ukraine LLC, Danisco Zaandam BV, David Michael & Company (Canada) 1986 Ltd., David Michael Europe S.A.S., Du Pont de Nemours Nigeria Limited, DuPont (Shanghai) Enterprise Co. Ltd., DuPont Acquisition LLC, DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, DuPont Denmark Holding ApS, DuPont Electronics Holding LLC, DuPont LA Holding 1 BV, DuPont Lanka (Private) Limited, DuPont Nutrition (Thailand) Ltd, DuPont Nutrition Biosciences ApS, DuPont Nutrition Dis Ticaret Limited Sirketi, DuPont Nutrition Food Ingredients (Beijing) Co. Ltd., DuPont Nutrition Ingredientes BRASIL LTDA, DuPont Nutrition International, DuPont Nutrition Ireland, DuPont Nutrition Italy SRL (f/k/a FMC Chemical Italy SrL), DuPont Nutrition Manufacturing UK Limited, DuPont Nutrition Mexicana S.A de C.V., DuPont Nutrition Mexico S.A de C.V., DuPont Nutrition Norge AS, DuPont Nutrition Philippines Inc., DuPont Nutrition USA Inc, DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences Iberica S.L., DuPont Protein Technologies International Sales LLC, DuPont S&C Holding LLC, DuPont Shineway Luohe Food Company Limited , DuPont Shineway Luohe Protein Company Limited , DuPont US Holding LLC, DuPont de Nemours Kenya Limited, ERELEM, ETOL SK s.r.o., ETOL-RUS Ltd., Eden Essentials Inc., Envoltec Industria de Embalagens Ltda. , Enzymotec Australia PTY LTD, Enzymotec Singapore Pte. Ltd., Enzymotec USA Inc., Etol Aroma Ve Baharat Gida Urunleri San.Ve Tic.a.s., Etol JVE d.o.o., Etol Proizvodnja Arom D.O.O, Etol Skopje DRUSTVO ZA TRGOVIJA ETOL UVOZ-IZVOZ DOOEL, FYMSA Real Estate LLC (23), FYMSA del Caribe S.R.L , Fangchen International Trading Ltd. (6), Finnfeeds Finland Oy, Finnfeeds Oy, Finnsugar Bioproducts Inc., Flavor Systems International Inc., Flavors and Essences UK Limited, FoodBlenders Limited, Foreign Trade Representative of Danisco Singapore Pte. Ltd., Fragrance Resources, Fragrance Resources (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Fragrance Resources Asia Pacific Ltd., Frutarom (Asia Pacific) Limited, Frutarom (Marketing) S.R.L., Frutarom (UK) Holdings Limited, Frutarom (UK) Ltd., Frutarom - Etol (UK) Limited, Frutarom Belgium N.V., Frutarom Chile S.A., Frutarom Czech Republic S.r.o, Frutarom Do Brazil Industria E Comercio Ltda., Frutarom Etol RO SRL, Frutarom Etol Ukraine LLC., Frutarom F&F Trading (Shanghai) Co., Frutarom Finance EUR AG, Frutarom Flavors (Kushan) Co Ltd., Frutarom Flavors Mexico S.A. de C.V., Frutarom Flavours (India) Private Limited (14), Frutarom France S.A.R.L, Frutarom Germany GmbH, Frutarom Gida Urunleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Frutarom Global Ltd., Frutarom GmbH, Frutarom Industries Ld, Frutarom Industries Ltd., Frutarom Italy S.r.l, Frutarom Kenya Limited, Frutarom Ltd., Frutarom Netherlands B.V., Frutarom Nigeria Limited, Frutarom Nordic A/S Flachsmann Scandinavia A/S Aksel Holm-Essensfabrik A / S, Frutarom Norway A.S, Frutarom Peru S.A. (Montana Food activity), Frutarom Production GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Austria GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Germany GmbH, Frutarom Savory Solutions Switzerland AG, Frutarom Savory Solutions Ukraine, Frutarom Switzerland Finance CHF AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance GBP AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance MXN AG, Frutarom Switzerland Finance USD AG, Frutarom Switzerland Ltd., Frutarom Trade & Marketing (1990) Ltd., Frutarom UK Investments Limited, Frutarom USA Holding Inc., Frutarom USA Inc., Frutarom do Brasil GRU Industria e Comercio Ltda., Genencor (China) Bio-Products Co. Ltd., Genencor International B.V., Genencor International BVBA, Genencor International Holding BV, Genencor International Indiana Inc., Genencor International Oy, Genencor International Wisconsin Inc., Genencor Mauritius Ltd., Genentech Ventures Inc., Grow Company Inc., Hagelin Flv (UK) Ltd., Hexachem Sociedad Anonima, IB EMEA Holding 2 B.V., IFF (BVI) Limited, IFF (Korea) Inc., IFF Aroma Esans Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, IFF Augusta Holdings LLC, IFF Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, IFF Benicarlo S.L., IFF Bio-Technology (Nanjing) Co. Ltd., IFF Capital Services, IFF Chemical Holdings Inc., IFF Delaware Holdings LLC, IFF Essencias e Fragrancias Ltda., IFF Flavors & Fragrances (Hangzhou) Trading Co. Ltd., IFF Fragrance GmbH, IFF Hungary Global Kft, IFF International Inc., IFF Latin American Holdings (Espana) S.L., IFF Mexico Manufactura S.A. de C.V., IFF Murcia Natural Ingredients S.L., IFF Sabores y Fragancias de Chile Ltda., IFF Turkey Aroma Ve Esans Urunleri Satis Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, IFF West Africa Limited, IFF Worldwide LLC, Ingrediants dooel Skopje, Institut Europeen de Biologie Cellulaire, International Aroma Group, International Flavors & Fragrances (Canada) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Caribe) Inc., International Flavors & Fragrances (China) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Greater Asia) Pte. Ltd, International Flavors & Fragrances (Hangzhou) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Hong Kong) Limited, International Flavors & Fragrances (Japan) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., International Flavors & Fragrances (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Mexico) S. de R.L. de C.V., International Flavors & Fragrances (Middle East) FZ-LLC, International Flavors & Fragrances (Myanmar) Limited, International Flavors & Fragrances (Nederland) Holding B.V., International Flavors & Fragrances (Philippines) Inc., International Flavors & Fragrances (Poland) Sp. z o.o., International Flavors & Fragrances (Vietnam) Limited Liability Company, International Flavors & Fragrances (ZhangJiagang) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Zhejiang) Co. Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances (Zimbabwe) (Private) Ltd., International Flavors & Fragrances Ardenne S.a r.l., International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding I SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding II SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances France Holding III SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances Holdings LLC, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Chile) Limitada, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Espana) S.A., International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Hungary) Kft, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Nederland) B.V., International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Norden) AB, International Flavors & Fragrances I.F.F. (Rus), International Flavors & Fragrances IFF (Deutschland) GmbH, International Flavors & Fragrances IFF (France) SAS, International Flavors & Fragrances Irish Acquisition Company Limited, International Flavors and Fragrances Colombia S.A.S., International Flavors and Fragrances I.F.F. (Israel) Ltd., International Flavors and Fragrances IFF (South Africa), International Flavors and Fragrances Ingredients Ltd, International Flavors e Fragrances IFF (Italia) S.r.l., International Flavours & Fragrances (Australia) Pty Ltd, International Flavours & Fragrances (CIL) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (GB) Holdings Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Mauritius) Ltd, International Flavours & Fragrances (NZ) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Pension Trustees) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances (Thailand) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances I.F.F. (Great Britain) Limited, International Flavours & Fragrances India Private Limited (13), International Frutarom Corporation, Inventive Food Technology (ZQ) Ltd., Inventive Technology Ltd., Irish Flavours and Fragrances Limited, K-Vision Consulting and Investments Ltd, Kelp Industries Pty. Ltd, Leagel GmbH (11), Leagel S.r.l. (19), Les Ingredients Alimentaires BSA Inc., Les Laboratories Bio ForeXtra Inc., Lucas Meyer Cosmetics, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics Australia Pty Ltd, Lucas Meyer Cosmetics Canada Inc., Lucas Meyer Cosmetics S.A.S., M.P. Equity Holdings Ltd, MISR Company for Aromatic products, Manseg S.A., Mark Services Holdings Inc., N&B Chemicals Germany GmbH, N&B EMEA Holding B.V., N&B Germany Verwaltungs-GmbH, N&B International Holding B.V., N&B NL BV - Saudi Branch, N&B Real Estate Verwaltungs-GmbH, N&B Services BV, N&B Switzerland UAE Branch, N&H EMEA Holding 1 BV, N&H EMEA Holding 2 BV, N&H EMEA Holding B.V., N&H International Holding 1 B.V., N&H International Holding 3 BV, N&H Switzerland Holding Sarl, Nardi Armoas Ltda., Neptune Merger Sub I Inc., Neptune Merger Sub II LLC, New Asia Holdco B.V., Nutra-Lease Ltd. (16), Nutrition & Bioscience (Luxembourg) S.a r.l., Nutrition & Bioscience (Switzerland) GmbH, Nutrition & Bioscience (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Nutrition & Bioscience Pakistan (Private) Ltd, Nutrition & Biosciences (Finland) Oy, Nutrition & Biosciences (France) SAS, Nutrition & Biosciences (Sweden) AB, Nutrition & Biosciences (UK) Ltd, Nutrition & Biosciences Argentina S.A.U., Nutrition & Biosciences Australia Pty Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences Brasil Ingredientes Ltda., Nutrition & Biosciences Canada Company, Nutrition & Biosciences Chile SpA, Nutrition & Biosciences Colombia S.A.S, Nutrition & Biosciences Hong Kong Limited, Nutrition & Biosciences Hungary Limited Liability Company, Nutrition & Biosciences Inc., Nutrition & Biosciences Italy S.r.l., Nutrition & Biosciences Japan K.K., Nutrition & Biosciences Korea Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Nutrition & Biosciences Netherlands B.V., Nutrition & Biosciences New Zealand Limited, Nutrition & Biosciences Singapore Pte. Ltd., Nutrition & Biosciences USA 1 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences USA 2 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences USA 3 LLC, Nutrition & Biosciences Vietnam Company Limited, Nutrition Biosciences USA 4 Inc, Nutrition and Biosciences South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Nutrition and Biosciences Spain S.L., OOO WIBERG Rus, P.T. Essence Indonesia, PARMA FA, PIASA USA (24), PM Taiwan Inc., PT Blue Cube Indonesia, PTI Astana LLC, PTI CA LLC, PTI Center LLC, PTI Group of Companies LLC (GK PTI), PTI-BEL TUE, PTI-MOL LLC, PTI-NN LLC, PTI-Ukraine LLC, Platinum Absolut LLC, Pointer Specialty Chemicals LLC, Protein Technologies Do Brasil Ltda., Protein Technologies International Asia Pacific LLC, Protein Technologies International Development LLC, Protein Technologies International Europe LLC, Proveedores de Ingenieria Alimentaria S.A. de C.V. ("PIASA") (17), Prowin International Ltd., Pucheng Yongfang Fragrance Technology Co. Ltd. , Redbrook (UK) Limited, Redbrook Blentech Limited, Redbrook Ingredient Services Limited, Rene Laurent SAS, Representaciones FYMSA S.A. de C.V (FYMSA) (18), Rohm and Haas Wood Treatment LLC, SP EMEA Holding 8 BV, SP Holding IB Inc., SP Nutrition and Health (Singapore) Inc., Sabormax Industria de Alimentos e Representacao Ltda., Savoury Flavours (Holding) Limited, Savoury Flavours Ltd., Solae (UK) Limited, Solae Argentina S.A., Solae Australia Pty Limited, Solae Belgium N.V., Solae Company India Private Limited, Solae Denmark ApS, Solae Deutschland GmbH (f/k/a CSY Agri-Processing (Deutschland) GmbH), Solae Do Brasil Industria E Comercio De Alimentos Ltda., Solae Europe S.A., Solae Holdings LLC, Solae Investimentos LTDA, Solae LLC (SMLLC of Solae Holdings), Solae Overseas B.V., Solae Trading (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Solae de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (formerly PTI Mexico), Solae do Brasil Holdings Ltda., Sonarome Private Limited (15), Southern Cross Botanicals Pty Ltd, Specialty Products Balkans d.o.o., Specialty Products FZE, Specialty Products N&H Inc, Specialty Products US LLC, Speximo AB, TNI Investments NV, Tastepoint Flavors (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Tastepoint Inc., Tastepoint OOO, Tastepoint Polska Sp.z o.o, Tastepoint SA (Pty) Ltd., Tastepoint Tovarna arom in etericnih olj d.o.o., Taura Natural Ingredients (Australia) Pty Limited, Taura Natural Ingredients (North America) Inc., Taura Natural Ingredients Holdings Pty Limited, Taura Natural Ingredients Ltd., Taura Natural Ingredients NV, Tekhnomol Soya Products LLC, The Additive Advantage LLC, The Additive Advantage LLC, The Foote & Jenks Corporation, The Mighty Company Limited (21), Thorungaverksmidjan HF (12), UFC America Inc., Unique Flavors Proprietary Limited, Unique Food Solutions Proprietary Limited, Unique Ingredients Limited, VAYA PHARMA HONKG LTD, VITIVA proizvodnja in storitve d.d., Vantodio Holdings Limited, Vaya Pharma Inc., Vaya Pharma Pte Ltd. (20), Venezuela Protein Technologies Internationla -PTI C.A., W.W. Holdings Inc., WIBERG Italia S.r.l., Wiberg Baharat San.Tic.A.S, Wiberg Canada Inc., Wiberg Corporation of California, Wiberg Corporation., Yderns 1 ApS, ZAO Danisco, extrakt chemie Dr. Bruno Stellmach GmbH, iDrug Delivery Inc.(Delaware) (22), nternational Flavors & Fragrances S.R.L., van Ameringen-Haebler Inc., and world wide WIBERG GmbH. Read More Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells in the United States and internationally. The company operates through U.S. Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. The company marketed approximately 300 rigs for land-based drilling operations; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda. Nevro Corp., a medical device company, provides products for patients suffering from chronic pain in the United States and internationally. The company develops and commercializes the Senza spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, an evidence-based neuromodulation system for the treatment of chronic pain, as well as Senza II and Senza Omnia SCS systems. It also provides 10 kHz Therapy, which delivers neuromodulation solutions for treating chronic pain based on available clinical evidence. The company's Senza HFX iQ IPG system includes HFX iQ implantable pulse generator, HFX trial stimulator, and HFX iQ patient remote, as well as HFX App, a patient remote control and the wireless trialing system. In addition, it offers surpass surgical and percutaneous leads. The company sells its products through its direct sales force, and a network of sales agents and independent distributors. Nevro Corp. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Redwood City, California. 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. Toyota Industries Corporation manufactures and sells textile machinery, materials handling equipment, automobiles, and automobile parts in Japan and internationally. The company operates through Automobile, Materials Handling Equipment, and Textile Machinery segments. It provides vehicles; gasoline and diesel engines for automobiles and industrial equipment; turbochargers and foundry parts; car air-conditioning compressors; car electronics comprising DC-DC converters, rear inverters, on-board chargers, DC-AC inverters, and charging and discharging systems; batteries; and stamping dies, including automotive and lift truck stamping dies. The company also offers counterbalanced lift trucks, electric reach trucks, skid steer loaders, tow tractors, and electric tow tractors; stationary/fixed type racks, nesting pallets, mobile racks, and automated storage and retrieval systems; and automatic guided vehicle systems, high speed rail guided vehicle systems, and automatic guided lift and pallet trucks. It provides spinning machines, such as ring spinning and roving frames; weaving machinery; and cotton classing and yarn testing instruments, as well as leases materials handling systems and industrial equipment. The company also offers aerial work platforms; in-house transporters; software; and funding, loan, and other financial services. It is involved in the operation of sports facility and nursing homes; real estate leasing; trucking, warehousing, distribution consulting; building management, construction, and real estate; travel agency, renovation, sale of tube amplifiers, and organizing and running of events; personnel placement, contract office staffing, and patent investigation; management and operation of employee clubs and restaurant management; administrative processing for payroll accounting; and contract manufacturing of electronic devices, as well as sale of hardware. Toyota Industries Corporation was incorporated in 1926 and is headquartered in Kariya, Japan. 1+ days ago Is domestic travel back on track? Check out these companies The United States economy has achieved something most bears never expected: gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 4.9% during the past quarter, whereas economists only expected a 4.7% jump. Even in real growth terms, considering inflation, things have improved past any point of concern. Some analysts ask whether this growth will begin to trickle down into specific industries and consumer behavior, such as domestic travel trends. With a strong dollar, some Americans travel overseas, where budgets can significantly increase. Regarding consumer Read Article Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. provides financial products and services in South Korea and internationally. The company operates through six segments: Banking, Credit Card, Securities, Life Insurance, Credit, and Others. It offers retail banking services, including demand, savings, and fixed deposit-taking; checking accounts; mortgage and home equity, and retail lending; electronic banking and automatic teller machines (ATM); and bill paying, payroll and check-cashing, currency exchange, and wire fund transfer services. The company also provides corporate banking services, such as investment banking, real estate financing, overseas real estate and development project financing, infrastructure and structured financing, equity/venture investments, mergers and acquisitions consulting; securitization and derivatives services comprising securities and derivative products, and foreign exchange trading; and working capital loans and facilities loans. In addition, it is involved in treasury and investment activities in international capital markets consisting of foreign currency-denominated securities trading, foreign exchange trading and services, trade-related financial services, international factoring services, and foreign banking operations. Further, the company offers real estate trust, investment advisory, venture capital, non-life insurance, trust account management, securities brokerage, and asset management services, as well as leasing and equipment financing, savings banking, loan collection and credit reporting, collective investment administration, private equity investment, and financial system development services. Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. iShares Russell 1000 Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell 1000 Growth Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment returns that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of equity securities of Russell 1000 index issuers with relatively higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth. The index represents approximately 50% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 1000 Index. The Index is a subset of the Russell 1000 Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) serves as the investment adviser to the Fund. 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. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG) released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October, 26th. The restaurant operator reported $11.36 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.46 by $0.90. The restaurant operator had revenue of $2.47 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.47 billion. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.27% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 46.80%. Chipotle Mexican Grill's revenue for the quarter was up 11.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $9.51 EPS. Read the conference call transcript. Uganda People's Defence Forces said Caesar Achellam, a major general in Joseph Kony's outfit of about 200 fighters, had been captured in an ambush along the banks of the River Mbou in neighbouring Central African Republic. The family of Joseph Kony has told President Museveni that the Lord's Resistance Army(LRA) leader who is now 62 is weak . On Friday, Kony's family led by his son, Brig Ali Ssalongo Kony met President Museveni at State House in Entebbe. Ali Kony who came along with his mother, children and his father's uncle Kony Otim Thomas expressed gratitude to President Museveni for welcoming them back home to reunite with their community and said they are ready to become productive citizens. The Chief of Pageya Chiefdom, Rwot Yusuf Okwonga Adek III also thanked President Museveni for the current peace prevailing in Northern Uganda that has enabled their people to return back home. Rwot informed H.E Museveni that Joseph Kony who is now about 62 years old is weak and unable to fight back, adding that the focus should now be rehabilitating and supporting his family to engage in productive activities like farming. "Your excellency, Kony's children are now your children. The family needs help from you as their father," Rwot Yusuf Okwonga Adek said. In response, President Museveni promised to help them get land which they can utilize to carry out agriculture collectively as a family and join the money economy. He however asked them to understand the concept of a family company which he said is easier to operate than dividing everything amongst themselves. "We can help them set up a farm there so that they work together as a company and then share what comes out. All the children and the wives should be shareholders. What I'm telling you is what I have been telling other Ugandans. So, I can use you as an example and become a model for other people to see," Museveni said. He also promised to continue supporting Kony war victims across the country. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Arms and Armies Central Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. The meeting was also attended by the Presidential Coordinator for Northern Uganda, Odoch Bosco Olak, among others. In 1987, Kony launched a rebellion against the Ugandan government basing his war in Northern Uganda where thousands of civilians were killed, raped , maimed and others displaced from their homes as the war raged on for more than two decades. Following hot pursuit by the UPDF, Kony and his rebels ran towards Central African Republic and it is said that is where they are currently are and weakened. A warrant of arrest was issued against Joseph Kony in 2005 and it referred to 33 charges that he committed in Northern Uganda by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The office of the ICC prosecutor early this year noted that it is exploring the possibility of slapping more charges against Kony. The charges which are stemming from both crimes against humanity and war crime include rape, attack against civilian population, sexual enslavement murder, enslavement, rape, intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population, pillaging, and forced conscription of child soldiers, among others. The US government last year placed a shs17 billion bounty on Kony's head. Abuja A series of violent events in recent weeks has fueled a growing concern about Nigeria's internal security. In the first encounter -- in central Niger state -- local gang members ambushed troops responding to an attack in the village of Zungeru, injuring seven and killing 25 -- 22 of them soldiers. Later that day, a military helicopter deployed to evacuate injured soldiers crashed, killing every passenger on board, including injured soldiers and crew members. On Friday, the Nigerian army held mass burial for the military personnel who died. On Tuesday, Islamic militants abducted dozens of women on their way to fetch firewood in northeast Borno state. The militants are demanding about 60 dollars each to free the women. The 49 women have since been released, according to Agence France-Presse. Security analyst Mike Ejiofor said terrorists are trying to make a bold statement. And security analyst Senator Iroegbu said the new administration of President Bola Tinubu has yet to develop a coherent strategy to address security problems. "There's no new policy drive on how to deal with internal security challenges," said Iroegbu. "With this development, it's a reminder to the current administration that the prevailing insecurity before they took over power is still there." Nigeria's government spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, did not respond to calls for comment. Nigeria has battled a range of security challenges for years, including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast and gangs that kidnap people for ransom. Tinubu's recent decision to retire all service chiefs and appoint new ones was applauded and seen as a sign of progress. Nigeria is pivotal in the struggle to restore political order in Niger following last month's coup d'etat that removed democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum. Security analyst Senator Iroegbu said authorities are shifting their focus. "Prior to this development, the attention of the current administration is being occupied by the fallout of fuel subsidy removal and the issue of economic security," said Iroegbu. "It has shifted attention from the spate of insecurity to the issue of survival and economic reality, then the issue of coup in Niger." Former president Mohammadu Buhari vowed to end insecurity in Nigeria but was largely criticized for failing to do so. Families of the slain soldiers and women kidnapped by militants hope the new government addresses the problem for good. Union Home Minister Amit Shah (PTI) HYDERABAD: The Telangana BJP is banking on Union home minister Amit Shahs visit to the state and his speech at the Rythu Gosa-BJP Bharosa meeting in Khammam on Sunday to inject much-needed confidence among the party cadre and set the tone for the partys poll campaign. Shahs meeting, after two previous cancellations, follows the two large public meetings held in Khammam by the BRS and the Congress. The BJP is working hard to ensure that Shahs meeting is bigger than the earlier two. Shah is expected to launch the BJPs election campaign and speak on what the BJP has done for farmers in the state and across the country, as well as what it plans to do if it comes to power in the state. Shahs meeting is among the 10-odd planned, with the party hoping Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed a meeting in Warangal recently, will return to address at least two more public meetings, with Shah and party president J.P. Nadda addressing the rest of the meetings. The public events, if the party plans to hold, will be held in the next couple of months. On Sunday, the Union home minister will fly in from Gannavaram in Andhra Pradesh and visit the Sri Sitarama Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam before arriving in Khammam for the public meeting in late afternoon. He will also meet with the BJPs state core committee leaders at the venue for around half an hour to discuss the party's status, its preparedness and steps for ensuring its victory in the coming Assembly elections. BJP leaders said that although the party has been working at the ground level to strengthen its polling booth level committees and senior leaders touring various districts and meeting with different sections of the society, a lot is riding on Shahs address to give a new dose of enthusiasm to the party cadres. "It is true that with the changes in the party leadership, which were preceded by some infighting, and a resurgent Congress, our workers are feeling as if we have lost the edge. Shahs speech should get us out of this situation," a senior party leader and former MLA said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (PTI Photo) NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis decided to elevate Greek-Indian bilateral ties to the level of a "Strategic Partnership" while holding discussions at Athens. The leaders also committed to doubling bilateral trade by 2030. They expressed their intent to expand cooperation across various domains, including defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism, and agriculture. They also agreed "that an early finalisation of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries." During the visit, Modi was also conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour award by Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou at the Presidential Mansion and became the first foreign Head of Government to receive the honour. With an eye on the role of Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea, and China in the Indo-Pacific without naming them, both countries underscored their vision of a "free, open, and rules-based Mediterranean Sea and Indo-Pacific," emphasising adherence to international law, particularly UNCLOS, while respecting sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation. Modi offered condolences for recent forest fires in Greece and highlighted the enduring ties and shared values between the two ancient civilisations and democracies. He also expressed their joint commitment to resolving the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. The visit included a business lunch hosted by the Greek Prime Minister, attended by prominent Indian and Greek CEOs from various sectors. Modi encouraged business leaders to explore investment opportunities in India. Greek Prime Minister Mitsotakis described Greece as a "gateway to Europe" for India and extended support for a free trade pact between India and the European Union (EU). He congratulated Modi on India's successful Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission. Both leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all forms, including cross-border terrorism. Discussions during the visit encompassed trade, defence, security, technology, infrastructure, digital payments, shipping, pharma, agriculture, migration, mobility, tourism, skill development, culture, education, and regional and multilateral issues. They jointly called for respect for international law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. In a meeting with the Greek President, Modi discussed sustainable development, women-led development, India's G20 presidency, and deepening India-Greece relations. He paid tribute at the "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" in Athens, laying a wreath. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge releases the SC/ST Declaration with TPCC chief RevanthReddy and senior leaders at Chevella on Saturday. (DC Image) HYDERABAD: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday unveiled the SC/ST Declaration of the party for the upcoming Assembly elections at a public meeting in Chevella. He promised that if the Congress was elected in the elections, the party;s government would enhance reservations for the SC and ST communities, and implement `12 lakh per family Girijan Bandhu and increase Dalit Bandhu aid to `12 lakh. Speaking at the event, Kharge called on people to unseat the BRS, which, he said, was behaving like it delivered Telangana statehood on its own. He also claimed that the party must be dethroned due to "a secret understanding" with the BJP. The Congress chiefs meeting was awash with symbolism as the event started with obeisance to balladeer Gaddar, who died recently. Kharge said that Chevella was a special place for the party, citing a padayatra undertaken by Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy that previously helped the party win the polls. Continuing his attack on BRS, Kharge said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao was treating Telangana like his "personal fiefdom". "Having come all the way and thanking Sonia Gandhi, he seems to have forgotten that statehood was everyones dream and Congress played a pivotal role in delivering it," Kharge said. Expressing profound gratitude to people for attending the rally in huge numbers, he urged them to work together "to defeat KCR in the state and Modi at the Centre". He pointed out that both the BJP leaders and Chandrashekar Rao had stopped speaking against one another, claiming it as evidence of a deal between the parties. Countering the BJPs repeated questioning of what the Congress had accomplished in 53 years of its rule, Kharge said, "It was the Congress which united the 562 princely states to make one strong India. Who merged Hyderabad with India? It was Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel who united India. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi laid down their lives for safeguarding the unity and integrity of the country and they keep on asking what Congress did. It was Indira Gandhi who broke Pakistan into two parts and liberated Bangladesh." Kharge said that the Congress gave the country a Constitution, democracy, unity and integrity, to name a few accomplishments. "Dr B.R. Ambedkar drafted the Constitution, which provided reservations for the Dalits," he said, attributing his current standing to it. Taking a dig at the Telangana government, he said that "some people distribute small doles at the time of election". The AICC chief accused the BRS of tweaking Congress policies, like the Food Security Act, to hoodwink voters. He dared Chandrashekar Rao to list his accomplishments for Telangana. In the same vein, the AICC also rapped Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. Listing further accomplishments of the Congress, he said: "We set up IITs, IIMs, Isro, SAIL and HAL just to name a few; the list is too long." He also said the Congress set up a strong network of public sector undertakings across the country. "Similarly," he added, "the Congress introduced land reforms and abolished the zamindari (feudal) system and went ahead with it despite strong resistance. In this context, the land taken away by the KCR government from Dalits and tribals will again be restored to them once the Congress forms government in the state," Kharge said. Assuring voters that the Congress was delivering on promises made to the people in Karnataka, he said, "On August 30, we are launching the Gruha Lakshmi scheme in Mysore. Sonia and Rahul have always delivered on their promises." Referring to 12 announcements made by the Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, Kharge said the same was "received well by the people", promising to implement each promise. Concluding his speech, Kharge asked people to switch on the lights of their mobile handsets, turning the whole venue into a bright and sparkling spectacle amid slogans of "Jai Hind" ringing loudly. TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, addressing the gathering, also recalled the role played by Chevella in bringing the party back to power. Recalling the role of Gaddar in launching the second phase of the Telangana movement, he said, "Sonia gave Telangana in deference to the wishes and sacrifices of 1,200 people. This declaration is the fourth after the farmers, youth and welfare agenda announced in Warangal, Hyderabad and Khammam meetings. This last phase of Telangana is for freedom, proportionate representation and equal development of all areas of the state." Attacking the ruling party, Revanth said: "KCR failed to keep his promise to give three-acre plots to Dalits, double-bedrooms and share of Krishna and Godavari water to the state. KCR and Modi are two sides of the same coin." "The agenda of the Congress is to give SC/STs their due share in development. We are giving them their due through reservations in education, giving them land and share in the development through share in contracts. Having walked all the way from Adilabad to Khammam, I observed the problems plaguing the people and convinced the party on the issues faced by the people," said CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka. Among those present were AICC Telangana incharge Manikrao Thakre, Vikram, Renuka Chowdhury, Mohammad Azharuddin, Meenakshi Natarajan, Uttam Kumar Reddy, K. Raju, Damodar Raja Narsimha, V. Hanumantha Rao, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Balram Naik, Seethakka, K. Jana Reddy, D. Sridhar Babu, Mohd Shabbir Ali, Dr Sampath Kumar, Vamshi Chand Reddy and DCC president Narsimha Reddy. THE CHEVELLA DECLARATION The Congress reached out to the Dalits in the form of a 12-Point declaration at its Chevella meeting on Saturday. The declaration was released by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge The Congress said it would hold a BC Garjana tentatively scheduled between September 6 and 9, depending on the availability of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in Shadnagar. Increase SC reservations 18%, proportionate to population. Ensure implementation of categorisation of reservation. Implement Ambedkar Abhaya Hastham, financial assistance of Rs 12 lakh per SC and ST family within five years, starting from 2023-24, by providing requisite Budget allocation. Provide 18% quota for SCs, 12% for STs in government procurement and public work contracts, reservations in private educational institutions and jobs in private companies that avail government incentives. House site and Rs 6 lakhs for construction of houses, under Indiramma pucca houses scheme to cover all homeless SC and ST families in five years Land assigned to SC and ST beneficiaries but taken over by BRS government to be restored to the assignees. Assigned land will be treated on par with patta land for payment of compensation Forest Rights Act, will be strictly implemented to provide pattas for podu land to all eligible beneficiaries. Sammakka Sarakka Girijana Graminabhivrudhi Pathakam (SGGP) to provide annual grant of Rs 25 Lakh to each tanda and gudem gram panchayats. * Three new SC Corporations one each of the Mala and Madiga communities and another for most downtrodden SC sub-castes with grant of Rs 750 crore each. * Three Tribal Corporations with Rs 500 crore each annually: The Tukaram Adivasi Corporation would be for Koya, Gond, Pradhan and Andh communities; Sant Sevalal Lambada Corporation for Lambadasl Yerukula Corporation for Yerukulas and other plains tribes. * Five plains area Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) offices in Nalgonda, Mahbubabad, Khammam, Nizamabad and Mahbubnagar; superspeciality hospitals at all ITDA headquarters * Vidya Jyothulu Pathakam, to provide Rs 10,000 for SC, ST students on passing Class 10, Rs 15,000 on passing Intermediate, Rs 25,000 on graduation, and Rs 1 Lakh upon post-graduation, Rs 5 lakh on completing PhD. Establish residential schools for SCs and STs in every mandal, reintroduce fee reimbursement. Provide hostel facilities to all SC and ST UG and PG students. Financial assistance to every SC and ST student who secures admission in universities abroad. Malkajgiri MLA Mynampally Hanumantha Rao. (DC File Photo) Hyderabad: Mystery remained over Malkajgiri MLA Mynampalli Hanumantha Raos BRS candidature even four days after he wielded a threat to finish off finance minister T. Harish Rao politically and putting a condition to the party leadership that he would accept re-nomination only if his son Rohit Rao was alloted the Medak ticket. The dissident MLA is said to be pursing alternative options with the Congress and the BJP with the rider continuing to be a ticket to his son. Sources said he had offered to bear the expenses of all nine candidates of undivided Medak district of whichever party that agrees to allot tickets to the father-son duo. He has convened a meeting with party workers to discuss the future and, according to sources, a majority of them is not willing to switch loyalties, though he is still open to exploring new avenues. Doing the rounds is an audio tape in which Hanumantha Rao is purportedly boasting of his daredevilry and his care-a-damn attitude towards Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was also critical of TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy. Significantly, despite Hanumantha Raos warning to Harish Rao, and minister K.T. Rama Rao and MLC K. Kavitha rushing to condemn the MLA, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has remained neutral. He left it to the Malkajgiri MLA to abide by the partys decision. BRS leaders like Krishank Manne, who was denied a ticket from Secunderabad Cantonment, went overboard and took on Hanumantha Rao, apparently following the instructions of his boss Rama Rao. At one stage there were leaks from a section of ruling party leaders that minister Ch Malla Reddys son-in-law Rajasekhar Reddy would be made the BRS candidate in Malkajgiri. Sources said Rao spoke to BJP election management committee chairman Etala Rajendar and TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy. He sought to know why BJP cant promise tickets to the father and son when it extended the privilege to former Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his son Vijayendra. The PCC chief, according to party sources, expressed inability to promise tickets to the father-son duo in view of uncertainty over the high commands decision on two tickets for a family. More than 1,000 aspirants for Assembly poll tickets have applied to the state Congress from all 119 constituencies. (Image:DC) HYDERABAD: More than 1,000 aspirants for Assembly poll tickets have applied to the state Congress from all 119 constituencies. This is the first time the party has implemented the system. TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy has applied for his traditional Kodangal constituency and CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has sought to stick with his Madhira seat. Senior leaders such as K. Jana Reddy, V. Hanumantha Rao, Renuka Chowdhary, Nagam Janardhan Reddy, Konda Murali, and others did not apply. Among the contenders are leaders who have recently made the transition from the BJP and BRS. Party sources said the TPCC would be following the one family-one ticket rule for newcomers. It would not apply to two family members who have already contested and been elected. Anjani Kumar Yadav and his son Anil Kumar Yadav have applied for Musheerabad, Jana Reddy's sons Raghuveer Reddy and Jayaveer Reddy have sought the Nagarjunasagar and Miryalaguda seats, D. Seethakka has asked for Mulugu herself and Pinakapa for her son Suryam. Former TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy has applied for Huzurnagar and for his wife Padmavathi Reddy from Kodad, Regulapati Ramya Rao, daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Raos brother, submitted applications seeking the Karimnagar seat for herself or her son Ritesh Rao. A young leader, who participated in the TPCC programmes in the Greater Hyderabad area, said that he and another member of his family had applied. "The Congress must encourage candidates who have the winning capability and mass following. If we follow the one-family-one ticket formula, we will not be able to field winning candidates. The Congress has been in the Opposition for nine years and this is the right time to come to power," he said. The response has been nothing short of impressive, observers said, with a considerable number of aspirants vying for the opportunity to represent the Congress. The applicants included a broad spectrum of individuals ranging from influential leaders to former contenders, aspirants with industrial backgrounds, social activists, and representatives of caste associations. A festive atmosphere prevailed at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday after a number of leaders turned up along with their followers and submitted their application forms. Each applicant had to submit along with a DD amount of Rs50,000 and Rs25,000 for aspirants from the SC and ST communities. The process had started on August 18. The content you are looking for is not available. You might be interested in our latest articles below. Johnson & Johnson is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company that started in the early 1870s. Robert Wood Johnson began training as a pharmacist at 16 and founded his 1st company in 1873. That company would be disbanded by 1886 when Johnson joined his brothers to form today's entity. The companys first line of products was sterile surgical dressings which were soon followed up by household products and medical guides. Today, Johnson & Johnson is one of the worlds largest companies. It is ranked 36th on the 2021 Fortune 500 list and is a Dow Jones Industrial Average member. The company operates via 250 subsidiaries with operations in 60 countries and product sales in 175. As of 2021, annual sales were in the range of $95 billion and growing. The company is also a leader in equality and the advancement of womens rights. Johnson & Johnsons workforce was nearly 50% female by 1910, and many held significant positions of responsibility. Among the companys many advances in health care is the advancement of sterile conditions to prevent postoperative and secondary infections. Products include sterile gauze, cotton and dressings, and the development of the industrial sterilization process. However, the product that launched the company to success was the combination of a sterile dressing with tape. The company called the new products Band-Aids, which is now synonymous with small, prepackaged bandages. Another major win for the company was Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap. Today, Johnson & Johnson operates in 3 segments: Pharmaceutical, Consumer Health and MedTech. The Consumer Health segment alone covers brands like Aveeno, Listerine, Tylenol, Zyrtec, Band-Aid and Neosporin, which are among the worlds most recognizable brands. The companys purpose is to blend science and ingenuity to change the trajectory of health for humanity profoundly. The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in all segments of the healthcare spectrum and has partnerships to develop new drugs with at least 10 other major healthcare providers and dozens of smaller research facilities. Products are offered wholesale to retailers and through healthcare systems. The MedTech segment develops and manufactures various healthcare devices and diagnostic tools. Among the many recognizable products from this segment are ACUVUE contact lenses. Johnson & Johnson went public in 1944 and began paying dividends soon after. The company began increasing its dividend payment in 1962 and has increased it yearly. The company is a member of the Dividend Aristocrat Index and qualifies as a Dividend King with more than 50 years of consecutive annual increases. The company employs more than 142,000 individuals and serves more than 1 billion daily. Regarding the companys health, its track record of dividend payments is backed up by a AAA credit rating. Johnson & Johnson is one of only 2 US corporations with such a rating and is more trusted than the US government. The company announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies in 2021. The move is expected to be complete in late 2023 and will result in a Consumer Health company and a Pharmaceutical company. The following companies are subsidiares of WPP: 24/7 Real Media UK Ltd., 41?29! Media Internet, AD Venture Worldwide Inc, AKQA, AKQA Denmark A/S, AKQA GmbH, AKQA Inc., AKQA Limited, AQuest, Acceleration, Acceleration eMarketing Inc, All Global, Always (Shanghai) Marketing Services Co Ltd, Arctouch LLC, BCW LLC, BWR PR, Beijing Benpao Century Technology Development Co. Ltd., Benenson Strategy Group LLC, Black and Deen, Blast Radius, Blast Radius Inc., Bomtempo Anahory e Ralha, Bottle Rocket, Bottle Rocket LLC, Brindfors Design AB, CB Associes S.A., CMI Media, CMI Media LLC, CONEXANCE MD, CT Finances SA, Catalyst Online LLC, Cavendish Square Holding BV, Center Partners, Cerebra, Cockpit Holdings Limited, Cognifide, Commarco, Commarco GmbH 120274, Cordiant Communications Group Limited, Dawson Integrated Marketing Communications, DeepLocal Inc., Design Bridge, Design Bridge Limited, Dewey Square Group, Ecommera, EffectiveUI, Enduring Organisation, Entreprise de Communications Tank Inc., Essence, Essence Global Group Limited, Essence Global LLC, Eurosem Belgium SA/NV, F.biz, FAST - Financial Administration Solutions & Technologies Srl, Finecast Limited, Finsbury LLC, Forward Limited, GREY Dusseldorf GmbH, GTB Agency LLC, GTB Shanghai Advertising Co. 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Ltd, H-ART, HERING SCHUPPENER Consulting Strategieberatung fur Kommunikation GmbH, HeathWallace, Hill & Knowlton Limited, Hill and Knowlton Strategies LLC, Hirschen Group GmbH, Hogarth California LLC, Hogarth Worldwide Inc., Hogarth Worldwide Limited, Icon Brand Navigation Group, IntelliQuest Information Group Inc, International Meetings & Science LLC, J Walter Thompson Middle East and North Africa E.C., J Walter Thompson Publicidade Ltda, J.Walter Thompson Bridge Advertising Co. Ltd., John Street Inc., KBM Group LLC, KR Media UK Limited, KR Wavemaker SAS, Kantar TNS, Kinetic Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Kinetic Worldwide Limited, LLC GroupM, LLC Wavemaker, Landor LLC, M Media Group Pty Ltd, M2 Digital Inc., Marketeers Vietnam, Marketing Direct LLC, Marketing Perspectives Limited, Mather Direct GmbH, Maxus Communications (UK) Limited, Media Club SpA, Media Insight SNC, MediaCom - Warszawa Sp.z.o.o., MediaCom AS (Norway), MediaCom Agentur fur Media-Beratung GmbH, MediaCom Communications Pvt Ltd, MediaCom Danmark A/S, MediaCom Group Limited, MediaCom Istanbul Medya Hizmetleri A.S., MediaCom TWENTYFIVE GmbH, Mediacom AG, Mediacom Australia Pty Limited, Mediacom Canada, Mediacom Iberia SA, Mediacom Italia Srl, Mediacom LLC, Mediacom Middle East & North Africa Holding W.L.L., Mediacom North Limited, Mediacom Paris SA, Mediacom Worldwide LLC, Mediaedge:CIA Worldwide Limited, Mediaedge:cia India Pvt Ltd, Medialets, Memac Ogilvy & Mather Holding Inc, Mind Share Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., MindShare Canada, MindShare GmbH, MindShare Hong Kong Limited, MindShare Polska Sp. z.o.o., Mindshare Media UK Limited, Mindshare SA, Mindshare South Africa (Gauteng) (Proprietary) Limited, Mindshare SpA, Mindshare Spain SA, Mindshare USA LLC, Mirum LLC, Mirum S.A. de C.V., Motion Content Group Limited, OPR AGENCY PTY LIMITED, Ogilvy & Mather Brasil Comunicacao Ltda, Ogilvy & Mather Group (Holdings) Limited, Ogilvy & Mather Pvt Ltd, Ogilvy & Mather S.A.S, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Australia Pty Ltd, Ogilvy Commonhealth Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Public Relations GmbH, Ogilvy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Ootworld, OpenMindWorld LLC, P Four Consultancy, PTR Comunicacoes Ltda, Penn Schoen & Berland Associates LLC, Penn Schoen Berland, Pep LLC, Plano.Trio Comunicacao, Potato London Ltd, Premiere Group Holdings Limited, Prism Sport + Entertainment, Promotion Execution Partners LLC, Public Strategies Inc., Quasar Media Private, Quinn Gillespie & Associates, Quirk, RLM Finsbury, Rasor Holdings LLC, Ray + Keshavan Design Associates, Real Media, Red Fuse New York LLC, Regional Management Group SAS, Russell Square Holding BV, Salmon Limited, Salmon Ltd, Sandtable, Scangroup, Set Management LLC, Shanghai Easycom Advertising Co. Ltd., Shanghai Linjie Marketing Services Co. Ltd., Shanghai Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Ltd, Shire Hall Group, Spafax Airline Network Limited, Spafax Networks LLC, Stickleback Limited, Sudler & Hennessey LLC, Superunion Limited, Swift + POSSIBLE LLC, Syzygy AG, TMARC, Taxi, Taxi Inc., Team Garage LLC, The Brand Union, The Cocktail Global S.L., The Finsbury Group Limited, The Glover Park Group, The Glover Park Group LLC, The GroupM ESP Clever Company S.R.L. de C.V., The Lacek Group LLC, The Marketing & Communication Agency, The Ogilvy Group LLC, The Performers Group, The Young & Rubicam Group of Companies ULC, Triad Digital Media LLC, Twist Image, Two Circles, VML LLC, VMLY&R, WPP (Thailand) Ltd, WPP 2005 Limited, WPP AMC Holdings, WPP AUNZ, WPP Beans Limited, WPP Brands (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co. KG, WPP Finance 2013, WPP Finance 2015 Limited, WPP Finance Co. Limited, WPP Finance SA, WPP Group (UK) Ltd, WPP Group Canada Finance Inc., WPP Group U.S. Finance LLC, WPP Group USA Inc., WPP Health Limited, WPP Holdings Spain S.L., WPP Jubilee Limited, WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Turris S.a r.l., WPP Marketing Communications (Hong Kong) Limited, WPP Marketing Communications Germany GmbH, WPP Media Ltd, WPP Montagu Square LLC, WPP Mexico S.R.L. de C.V., WPP Ottawa Ltd, WPP Samson Limited, WPP Sigma Limited, WPP Sphinx Limited, WPP Square one B.V, WPP UK Germany Holdings, WPP Unicorn Limited, WPPIH 2001 Inc., Warwicks, Wavemaker A/S, Wavemaker Australia Pty Ltd, Wavemaker BV, Wavemaker Canada ULC, Wavemaker Czech s.r.o., Wavemaker Global LLC, Wavemaker Global Limited, Wavemaker GmbH, Wavemaker Hong Kong Limited, Wavemaker Hungary Kft, Wavemaker Italia S.r.l., Wavemaker Limited, Wavemaker MENA FZ LLC, Wavemaker Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Wavemaker Publicidad Spain S.L., Wavemaker Sp.z.o.o, Wavemaker Taiwan Ltd, Wavemaker Servicos Publicitarios Ltda, Who Digital, Witgoud Investments B.V., Worldwide Mediacom Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Wunderman A/S, Wunderman Thompson (UK) Limited, Wunderman Thompson LLC, XMKT Group, Xaxis LLC, Xaxis US LLC, Y&R Propaganda Ltda, Young & Rubicam, Young & Rubicam LLC, clarus digital, dBOD, groupm Germany GmbH & Co. KG, mPlatform LLC, plista GmbH, thjnk, and thjnk AG. Read More Piper Sandler Companies operates as an investment bank and institutional securities firm that serves corporations, private equity groups, public entities, non-profit entities, and institutional investors in the United States and internationally. It offers investment banking and institutional sales, trading, and research services for various equity and fixed income products. The company provides advisory services, such as mergers and acquisitions, equity private placements, and debt and restructuring advisory; raises capital through equity and debt financings; underwrites municipal issuances; and offers municipal financial advisory and loan placement services, as well as various over-the-counter derivative products. It also offers public finance investment banking services that focus on state and local governments, and cultural and social service non-profit entities, as well as the education, healthcare, hospitality, senior living, and transportation sectors. In addition, the company provides equity and fixed income advisory and trade execution services for institutional investors, corporations, and government and non-profit entities. Further, it is involved in the alternative asset management funds merchant banking and healthcare to invest firm capital and to manage capital from outside investors. The company was formerly known as Piper Jaffray Companies and changed its name to Piper Sandler Companies in January 2020. Piper Sandler Companies was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Mr. Alexander Cummings was on Wednesday, August 23, given a rousing welcome by hundreds of residents of District #14, including Vai Town, Gibralta, Clara Town, Cow Factory, Abuja and the Doe Community on Bushrod. Cummings and entourage were joined by hundreds of CPP supporters and sympathizers from the various communities on his tour of District # 14, as part of Community engagement to interact with citizens and rally their support for his Presidential bid in October. Accompanied by a large crowd, Cummings begun walking from the Clara Town Store, made brief stops at the Varnee Mosque and the Feed My Sheep Church, where he made passionate pleas to both the Muslim and Christian communities, to pray fervently for God's divine guidance to help Liberians choose good leaders on October 10. Liberians, wearing CPP t-shirts from adjacent communities in Freeport, Paco Yard, Cow Factory, and other areas, carried banners with the photos of Mr. Cummings and Vice Standard Bearer, Counsellor Charlyne Brumskine, chanted slogans of support and solidarity with the CPP. The CPP Standard Bearer also made a brief stop at District #14, where he had personal encounters with residents, shared his campaign posters and explained his vision of economic prosperity and alleviating hunger and extreme poverty in Liberia. The five-hour tour and engagement with citizens of District #14, was climaxed with a special program in Doe Community, where the CPP Standard Bearer reaffirmed his commitment to good governance and working hard to revive the ailing economy through massive job creation. Cummings promised to fix the deplorable road condition, the health and educational systems, and said Liberians will immediately begin to feel a difference in their living condition, on his election as Liberia's next President. Last, Tuesday, August 22, the CPP Standard Bearer, also accompanied by hundreds of Partisans, supporters and sympathizers and well-wishers, stormed District #10, Montserrado County, amidst massive jubilation by residents, marketers, shop owners and citizens, who hailed his visit and shouted slogans like, "Cummings is the man we want." Amidst the downpour of rain, on August 22, partisans and supporters placarded CPP posters, while residents rushed to meet and greet Cummings. The residents expressed great appreciation for the visit, while some citizens said they had long awaited the visit of the CPP Standard Bearer. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Cummings and entourage paraded the various streets of District # 10, through Oldroad, Chugbor, Smythe Road, Gaye Town, and shook hands with residents, shop owners, pedestrians and marketers, giving them hope for a better Liberia under a Cummings leadership. A Gaye Town resident, identified as Varney Hoff and a market woman in Chugbor, identified as Precious Kollie, spoke highly of Mr. Cummings and his strong desire to relieve Liberians of extreme suffering and poverty. The visit to District #10, by the CPP Standard Bearer was part of his community engagement to meet citizens and solicit their views on prevailing socio-economic conditions of families and communities in the lead up to the general elections on October 10. Cummings is the leading opposition presidential candidate, with huge popularity, especially amongst female voters and young people, who constitute about 65 percent of Liberia's estimated five million population. The CPP Standard Bearer, Cummings, with great energy and enthusiasm, has, since the start of National campaign, August 5, begun, early morning walking exercise, which has gained popularity with hundreds of his supporters joining in the activity. The tour of Communities in Montserrado County District #10, by the CPP Standard Bearer was climaxed at its National Headquarters, with a festive ceremony. Cummings expressed gratitude to the hundreds of Partisans, supporters, sympathizers, and well-wishers for the continuous show of support and solidarity and reassured them of victory on October 10. Northern Ireland must be freed from the tyranny of European Union rules, the head of the Royal Black Preceptory has said. Sovereign Grand Master Rev William Anderson made the call as he addressed those gathered in the Co Armagh village of Loughgall for the institutions annual Last Saturday demonstration. Around 17,000 members of the loyal order were involved across Northern Ireland, with major parades also taking place in Artigarvan, Dromore, Larne, Lisburn, and Moneymore. It comes as the Stormont Assembly remains effectively collapsed amid DUP protest action over post-Brexit trading arrangements. Unionists object to a trade border in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. While the UK government and the European Union re-entered negotiations to agree the Windsor Framework earlier this year, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said he wants to see legislation to ensure Northern Irelands place within the UK protected. Rev Anderson said the Royal Black Preceptorys constitutional resolution called for the removal of the continuing controls being exercised over citizens in Northern Ireland, and for the restoration of full equal citizenship of the United Kingdom to all its citizens as set out in the Act of Union. He called for Northern Ireland citizens to be freed from the tyranny of persecution being exercised by the European Union. The resolution also referenced Northern Irelands troubled past. It sets out there never was any justification for murder and violence and refers to a narrative that sets about the rewriting of such history. Rev Anderson told the gathering: Our hurt is being increased by those who are trying to rewrite their evil deeds of the past. Today, we need to remain resolute in our stand for those who are victims of violence of the past and ensure their stories are told accurately. Click the 'Next >' arrow above or 'Next Story' below to go through the gallery Minister of State at the Department of Justice James Browne TD, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council chairperson Valarie Harte, Head of local youth services Lyndsey Braniff and Senator Erin McGreehan visited the Dolmen Centre in Omeath recently, to meet young people from Omeath and Warrenpoint who were attending a weeklong cross border Summer Splash Youth Initiative. The programme aimed to help young people feel safe, have a renewed sense of belonging and to provide opportunities for them to contribute within their communities. The initiative is being run as a partnership between NM&DDC, The Education Authority (Crotlieve) and Omeath District Development CLG -Steering & Sparring Youth Programme. Lynsey Branniff, Education Authority Head of Local Youth Services, commented, the Education Authority is delighted to be involved in this cross-border partnership programme about water safety for young people in the Carlingford Lough area. "As a service, we focus our efforts on supporting young peoples learning about the dangers and risks involved. Summer Splash has been a fun-filled week of activities with a serious message about how our children and young people can stay safe. Thanks to our partners in the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, the PCSP and colleagues in Omeath District Development Association who collaborated with us on the programme, to ensure positive outcomes for young people. Cllr Valarie Harte Chairperson of NM&DDC commented I am delighted to see first-hand the delivery of the Knife & Edged Weapon Awareness Programme for young people facilitated by Mark Montgomery, and truly inspired by Aidan Walshs Mental Health outdoor training session and motivational talk and would like to thank both Mark and Adain for coming today and facilitating the session. It is not every day the young people of the area get to meet Olympic and commonwealth medallists. The programme was funded through numerous agencies including The Department of Justice Ireland Community Safety Innovation Fund, Newry, Mourne and Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), NM&DDC Community Engagement Dept and the Education authority. The persistent entanglement of controversy and government projects has raised eyebrows and fueled widespread frustration as the scandal surrounding the digitalized number plates debacle takes center stage. Amidst accusations of mafia involvement, abuse of procurement processes, and lack of coordination among government agencies, questions continue to mount regarding the factors contributing to Uganda's recurrent engagement in flawed and questionable projects. The shadowy world of alleged mafias, government brokers, and clandestine backdoor deals is once again under scrutiny, with the digitalized number plates saga igniting fresh concerns about the mechanisms steering government initiatives. In the midst of these allegations, uncertainty abounds as the public wonders who might be orchestrating these deals and to what end. The controversy surrounding the digitalized number plates project has invited speculation and intrigue, with prominent figures offering their insights. Otafiire, speaking on the issue, seemed unsure about the situation, prompting speculation about potential motives behind the project. Erias Lukwago, the Lord Mayor, suggests that government channels for proper investment guidance have been systematically exploited, allowing vested interests to manipulate project outcomes. Julius Mukunda of the civil society budget advocacy group CSBAG emphasized that established processes, like the procurement process, should be adhered to in government projects. He highlighted the abuse of these processes, revealing that the Auditor General's report disclosed a staggering loss of 2.2 trillion shillings in the previous fiscal year due to procurement irregularities. This unsettling trend is not new to Uganda, as controversies have plagued various government projects, including the Lubowa Specialized Hospital, Vinci Coffee Company, Atiak Sugar Factory, and the Kampala-Entebbe Expressway. Mukunda points to poor coordination among government agencies, highlighting a lack of collective understanding and adherence to proper protocol. The contrasting responses from senior government ministers Otafiire and Muhwezi have only deepened public skepticism. Many are now advocating for a pause in the implementation of the digitalized number plate project until all concerns are addressed. Mukunda proposes a return to the drawing board, urging a thorough reassessment and harmonization of the project's details before any further steps are taken. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda Legal Affairs ICT By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Ssebamala voices his doubts about the suitability of the Joint Stock Company responsible for the project, calling for its reevaluation or removal from the equation. As frustration mounts and questions multiply, a common theme emerges: Why does Uganda seem to repeat its mistakes, and are the alleged mafias and powerful interests truly beyond the reach of effective control? Mukunda suggests that these powerful players may be subverting collective cabinet decisions, further complicating the situation. The ongoing saga of the digitalized number plates serves as a stark reminder of the challenges Uganda faces in maintaining transparency, accountability, and effective governance in its projects. As the nation grapples with these issues, it remains to be seen whether the lessons from this controversy will prompt systemic changes that can prevent future debacles. Elbur Somali government recorded yet another victory in the fight against Al-Shabaab after capturing a key stronghold in Galmudug state. On Friday, the armed forces swept into Elbur Town, which is located in Galgaduud region after days of advances and clashes with Al-Shabaab fighters. The seizure of Elbur marks a significant milestone in the SNAs campaign against Al-Shabaab which is now in the final stages of the first phase, started in August 2022. The government and allied clan forces took control of Elbur after battle with Al-Shabaab reported it targeted the troops with car bombs outside the city. Elbur has been under Al-Shabaab control since 2017, and its falls deals a major blow to the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, according to the security experts. Somali president Hassan Sheikh has been in Dhusamareb for weeks on mission of the liberation of the remaining areas in Galmudug state from Al-Shabaab. The head of state Mobilized local community to join the fighting against Al-Shabaab. The involvement of the clans in the campaign yielded a fruit as the Somali-led war makes gains. Early this year, the government took control of Harardhere, Gal'ad and other key areas in the Galgaduud region with the support of the clan militia and US military providing airpower to SNA. Geneva Hunger, disease and displacement threaten to destroy Sudan as war spreads throughout the country, fueling "a humanitarian emergency of epic proportions," according to Martin Griffiths, U.N. emergency relief coordinator. "The longer this fighting continues, the more devastating its impact is going to be," Griffiths warned in a statement issued Friday. He said the conflict, which has ravaged the capital, Khartoum, and Darfur since April 15, has spread to Kordofan. Food stocks in South Kordofan's capital, Kadugli, he said, "have been fully depleted, and clashes and road blockages prevent aid workers from reaching the hungry." The U.N. humanitarian chief expressed concern about the safety of civilians in Al Jazirah province, the breadbasket of Sudan, as the conflict moved closer to that area. "Hundreds of thousands of children are already severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated," he said. "Millions more will have their education replaced by the devastating traumas of war, becoming a lost generation." Since violence erupted in a power grab between the Sudanese Armed Forces and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in mid-April, the U.N. refugee agency says more than 3.6 million people have been displaced inside Sudan and nearly 1 million have fled across the border as refugees. Griffiths warned that many impoverished host communities are struggling, and that "a protracted conflict in Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe." The World Health Organization has verified that 53 health facilities have been attacked during more than four months of conflict, resulting in 11 deaths and 38 injuries. It said 67% of all main hospitals are out of service, and hospitals that remain fully or partially functional risk closing for lack of medical staff, supplies, water and electricity. "Services have been discontinued in many areas, including maternal and child health, management of severe acute malnutrition and treatment of patients with noncommunicable diseases," said Tarik Jasarevic, WHO spokesperson. He said the onset of the rainy season will increase the risk of outbreaks of water-borne and vector-borne diseases. "There are reports of dengue, measles, acute watery diarrhea, but also cases of severe acute malnutrition" from different states, he said. Of the 11 million people in need of humanitarian health services, the WHO said, approximately 272,000 are currently pregnant, 30,000 of whom will deliver next month. "It is expected that 6,000 newborns and 4,500 currently pregnant women may experience some complications," said Jasarevic. "There is no access to emergency care for newborns and pregnant women, which risks losing more lives." UNICEF reported the conflict has uprooted at least 2 million children from their homes, with nearly 14 million in urgent need of humanitarian support. It said many children face multiple threats, including acute hunger, malnutrition, lack of clean water and killer diseases. James Elder, UNICEF spokesperson, said another threat is that of child recruitment. "We know of strong anecdotes coming from partners of children being compelled to become instruments of war -- to kill and, no doubt, to be killed. To be forced to be this violent expression of hatred among adults," he said. "That is happening. And, unfortunately, it is yet another sign of [the] lack of respect of children and international law in this conflict," he said. Shortly after the war broke out, the rival warlords signed a Declaration of Commitment "to abide by international humanitarian law." While the opposition forces agreed to several short-lived truces, all attempts to mediate an end to the war have failed. Diplomats say both sides assert that they can win. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Sudan Conflict Health By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Of course, pressure can be brought to bear on these parties," said Jens Laerke, deputy spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "I think the U.N. is constantly calling on member states and everybody with influence on them to try to convince them that a truce to a cease-fire would be a good idea." He said that does not take away from the day-to-day operations in the field, "where humanitarians indeed do manage to negotiate on a very localized basis with localized commanders access to people in need." While this is not at a scale where it should be, he said that it is possible. "So, of course, we do not throw our hands in the air and say we cannot do anything here, so let us go home. "We stay. We try to deliver as much as we can, whenever we can," he said. THE traumas of Irelands notorious Magdalene Laundries are a fertile area for TV drama. The infamous religious institutions form the backdrop to the new six-part gothic thriller The Woman In The Wall which starts on BBC1 tomorrow (SUNDAY AUGUST 27) at 9.05pm, Written by Bafta-nominated Joe Murtagh, it stars Ruth Wilson as Lorna, a woman left traumatised by her experiences in a Magdalene Laundry. She was forcibly moved there at the age of 15 and, like many who shared her predicament, has struggled to cope with life ever since. Now suffering from PTSD-related sleepwalking, she awakes one day to find a dead woman in her home - and has no idea whether she was responsible for her murder. To make matters worse, ambitious detective Colman Akande (Daryl McCormack), a man with dark secrets of his own, is investigating Lorna for another crime that may or may not be related to her current situation. Writer Murtagh says: My family is from Mayo, the county in which the fictional Kilkinure Magdalene Laundry in the series is set, and it deeply frustrates and saddens me that it feels so few people have heard of the laundries that existed across Ireland. I hope that by making something that has the familiarity of a genre piece, we are able to shed some light on the awful things that occurred within these kind of institutions and introduce this history to the wider public, so that nothing like it may ever happen again. Wilson says of her character: Lorna Brady is complex and fascinating and Im thrilled to help bring her to life. Joe has created both an enthralling gothic thriller and a moving examination of the legacy of the Magdalene laundries. Its a privilege to bring this story to screens. Theyre fictional characters but it digs deep into the truth of it and how the tentacles reached throughout the whole community and the whole country, explains Wilson. It asks a lot of questions. I know art can have the power to create discussion, says Peaky Blinders McCormack, and that can have movement to do something even more fundamental. Our heart was always to be sensitive and to honour the people from these events as much as we possibly could. Murtagh resolved to create the series after watching Peter Mullans The Magdalene Sisters - it was the fact that I didnt know about this, and that no-one else I spoke to outside of Ireland knew about this. Still, it took him another ten years to put pen to paper and the weight of the legacy hasnt dissipated. It was absolutely paramount that we were not being exploitative or insensitive or inauthentic. ARTIST Tom Campbell, who is exhibiting his work at Outlaw Studios at Marina Commercial Park until September 3, says there are not enough galleries in Cork. Bemoaning the dereliction in parts of the city, he says it would be amazing if estate agents allowed artists to exhibit in shops that are not being used. Anything to help artists would be good for the city, says this Scotsman who moved to Cork twenty-two years ago, having worked in various European countries. Tom also adds that pubs and cafes could have serious exhibitions alongside their normal business, instead of just seeing art as decoration for the walls". He cites the art gallery at Nash 19 restaurant on Princes Street as a good example of combining dining with the opportunity to view art by local artists. The Rising Sons Brewery on Cornmarket Street has a papier mache hippopotamus on display made by Tom. He enjoys working with this material and is probably best known for the 100 life size papier mache dogs he made some years ago that were part of a public project. Toms exhibition is his largest to date and includes affordable art. The interactive show is made up of drawings, paintings, sculpture and live performance. Throughout the exhibition, Tom will be working, giving the public an opportunity to see inside his studio and to have their portraits drawn. People can also commission a piece of their choosing. MURAL WORK Mural work is part of Toms output. He has created a mural for Electric Picnic, along with four other artists invited to take part in this commission. Toms mural has a peace theme, portrayed by doves. With peace, comes love and freedom, says Tom. As well as his anti-war stance, he is doing something about the environment. Tom is a founding member of a tree planting project called Trees Please. The group has distributed 10,000 trees in about four years across Ireland. Ive planted trees in the Glen but its quite a battle because the bracken outgrows the trees and theres a lot of fires there. Tom, who completed a foundation course in art in Leeds, dropped out of two art colleges. Ive learned a lot more than I did at college. Describing himself as very self-critical, Tom believes that for the first time in my life Ive done a really good piece of art". "Its a bronze sculpture of three dogs and a fish. I enjoyed the process of making it. "I love sculpture. The life of an artist is challenging as it can be difficult to make a living from art. My situation is not ideal. Its sometimes very stressful. Interested in clowning and performing, Tom says he has lost confidence in performing partly because I havent done much since Covid". "I get short bouts of depression. This year has been a little bit worse than other years. Ive been to a psychotherapist. Im in two minds about taking medication. Im not on any. When he is feeling depressed, Tom says is still able to work although its more difficult". However, he does his best to cheer himself up when he can by playing musical instruments in public, including the ukulele and the harmonica. I mainly play them when Im walking around and sometimes when Im riding a bike. I get lots of smiles from people. If Im in the countryside, I like to play the instruments. Some say I do it to show off but I say, nah, Im doing it because I like it'." Tom also sings and has a YouTube channel featuring his songs. They are very much improvised. Maybe Ill bring out an album at some point. All this creativity is a lifeline for Tom, who believes that art is a necessity and not a luxury. Art is something everybody can do. "If creativity was embraced by people in an open way, it could transform society. Art can bring a lot of joy. Everyone is creative and enjoys creativity whether its music or visual art or whatever. THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMOUR Humour is also important for Tom in his art. He can treat heavy subjects with wryness, often employing a provocative combination of lively colours, anthropomorphic animals with wistful expressions, always communicating the importance of respect, peace, understanding and love, according to his press release. He has done creative work for mental health charities. What brought this widely travelled artist to Cork? I was tempted to live in Amsterdam but I decided against it. At the time, my parents (who are now both dead) had moved to Kilkenny as my mother loved Irish people. My father got a job in Kilkenny. I had my stuff in storage there. I had been in Cork for a couple of weeks and knew it was a good city. So I got the bus to Cork and Ive been here since. Originally from the town of Dumfries in Scotland, Tom says that people living there are generally negative about the place, whereas Cork people like their city. People here are relaxed and very friendly. But Tom doesnt view his adopted city through rose-tinted glasses. As well as the dereliction, there is nowhere to live". "That is horrendous. The government needs to do something but I dont think they are. After the exhibition, Tom will present a new thought-provoking production at 6pm at the Marina on September 3. He then plans to go to Alba Piedmont in Italy where he will be making 100 papier mache dogs in a community project. For Tom Campbell, art is very much for the people. Cork City Council is calling for expressions of interest from Cork communities eligible to apply for funding under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme 2023. Those localities consist of Glanmire, Upper Glanmire, Killeens, Blarney, and Tower. The 2023 scheme is designed to support the rejuvenation of rural Ireland through a renewed focus on the regeneration of town centres and enhancing economic and social vibrancy in line with the Town Centre First Policy. This will be achieved through town regeneration projects, enhancing streetscapes, introducing or improving green spaces, and the installation or upgrading of recreational amenities in town or village centres. As well as the refurbishment of existing community centres, a new option to allow local authorities to acquire plots of land to enable development of town regeneration, such as town parks, plazas, etc, is also included. The scheme also aims to give vacant and derelict buildings a new lease of life by bringing them back into use as multi-purpose or community spaces, or projects to support town or village centre markets, such as farmers markets or artisan markets. Under the 2023 scheme, a minimum of one application must be submitted from eligible towns and villages that have not previously been approved for funding under the scheme in the past three years. The Town and Village Renewal Scheme, funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development, is a key part of Project Ireland 2040 and is administered by Cork City Council. The first step in making an application is to complete an expression of interest forms, which should be returned to donal_guerin@corkcity.ie by 5pm, Friday, September 29. The expression of interest form and further details of the scheme can be obtained by e-mailing donal_guerin@corkcity.ie or by phoning 021 238 98 56. ON August 24, 1993, U2 took to the Pairc Ui Chaoimh pitch in Cork while at the peak of their powers for what was their last performance here on Leeside. The concert was a great coup by the promoter and Banteer native Oliver Barry, who had begun in the business by promoting showbands in the 1960s, and then staging the first Siamsa Cois Laoi in 1977. These events are still remembered fondly all over Munster thousands used to arrive in Thurles or Cork in August for a weekend celebrating everything Irish. Oliver then stepped up a gear and brought U2 to Pairc Ui Chaoimh for their famous gig in 1987 as part of the Joshua Tree tour. Bono sang his way into the hearts of the 35,000 U2 fans who came along to Pairc Ui Chaoimh, in Cork, back in August, 1993. His friendship with U2 manager Paul McGuinness helped lure the band back to the venue in 1993, as part of their Zooropa World Tour. On the tour, Bono was experimenting with different personas including a character called MacPhisto, who would phone famous people such as Bill Clinton from the stage. In Cork, he tried to phone GAA County Board secretary, Frank Murphy, but he didnt answer as Murphy was at the concert. There was controversy at the time over the GAAs refusal to allow U2 to sell branded condoms at their merchandise stall in the ground. McGuinness distributed free condoms to the crowd, prompting a complaint from Lord Mayor of Cork Catherine Clancy, who stated there were also 13-year-olds in the audience. Fans at the U2 concert. Despite regularly playing Cork in their early days, U2 have now gone almost 30 years since their last performance here. Bono, Larry, Adam and The Edge cut their teeth in the rock world in gigs at the Arcadia on Corks Lower Glanmire Road. The band also played Cork City Hall in 1982, and the Lark By The Lee gig on the Lee Fields three years later. Fans at the U2 concert. In 2017, a petition to bring U2 back to Cork notched up more than 3,000 views in the hours after the band sold out their Croke Park concert, but again Cork was left in the lurch. The next Irish act to headline a gig at the Pairc after U2 were Westlife, in 2020. A Cork TD has called for a big turnout at a community protest to save a northside preschool next week. Socialist Party TD Mick Barry called on local people to turn out in big numbers for a rally which is planned for 1pm next Tuesday at the gates of the Before 5 Family Centre in Churchfield. Staff at the centre, some of whom had worked there for more than 20 years, had expected to return to work next week after the summer break, but received texts at 3pm on Wednesday announcing the centres immediate closure. The centre, which has provided preschool childcare for five decades, employed 14 people and had preschool spaces for up to 100 children, but local people have stressed that the centre, which also provides a homework club and adult classes, is a vital part of the community. In a letter addressed to stakeholders on Wednesday, the board of Before 5 wrote: Due to a myriad of different reasons, such as financial challenges, changes in regulations, operational challenges, and recruitment issues, we find ourselves faced with the difficult choice of closing our doors. A meeting at the preschool on Thursday was told the current board will be dissolved on September 4, and a liquidator has been appointed. SIPTU has called for Tanaiste Micheal Martin to intervene directly in the dispute. Local politicians have pledged to co-operate to resolve the problem, and have called on the Catholic diocese of Cork and Ross, which owns the Before 5 building, and Cork City Childcare, which facilitates and integrates the provision of childcare services in the city, to work together on a solution. Cork North Central TD Mick Barry said the situation called for a strong community response to support the workers, parents and pupils of Before 5. There needs to be a massive turnout in Churchfield next Tuesday lunchtime, he said. A clear message needs to go out to Micheal Martin and to all the Government TDs that the people will not accept the closure of this centre and will not accept failure by the Government to act to save this centre and that the people are going to fight. We need to fight to save this centre the way we fought to defeat the water charges - right down the line, he added. Mr Barry said that early learning and childcare services needed to be taken over and organised by the State in the same way that primary education has been down through the years with secure buildings, secure services, good pay and no charges. A Facebook page, Save Before 5s Pre School has been set up to support staff, parents and pupils at the preschool. The Tanaistes office has been asked for comment. BRICS banner lifted for the fifth BRICS Summit at the Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban. analysis While the plans to expand BRICS have caused a lot of excitement amongst African leaders, questions on how the economic bloc will manage tensions among its members persist. Analysts have described the just-announced BRICS bloc expansion as a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape. The group unveiled its Johannesburg Declaration II on Thursday, August 24, 2023, after concluding the 15th BRICS summit at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the current BRICS chairperson, told journalists at a media briefing in Johannesburg that six new countries will join the BRICS. "We have decided to invite the Argentina Republic, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become full members of BRICS. The membership will take effect from January 1, 2024." Africa welcomes new additions to BRICS Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), described Africa's new partnership with BRICS as a win-win. "We see this as a rare opportunity to address the challenges we have been talking about for a long time and on many platforms," Hichilema said. "We need to reform the global order in particular to address the inequities associated with critical ingredients to development such as capital. Africa pays a higher cost of capital than any other on the globe," the Zambian leader stated, adding that the BRICS platform should and could be used to work through and expedite the reform processes around issues inhibiting development." Africa relishes new role in the global order Including two African countries -- Egypt and Ethiopia -- in this list has generated much interest in the continent. "The partnership between BRICS and Africa goes beyond convenience," Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who chairs the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), told the BRICS-Africa dialogue meeting in Johannesburg. "It is a step that places Africa in its rightful position within the global order." Gideon Chitanga, a Research Associate at the African Centre for the Study of the United States at the Witwatersrand University, told DW that the inclusion puts Africa in a good position to have a voice on global issues. "You can see the deliberate effort to represent Africa regionally," Chitanga told DW. "South Africa being from Southern Africa, they [BRICS] have added Ethiopia from East Africa and Egypt from North Africa," Chitanga noted, adding that the decision intends to project the broader representation of African interests inclusively. Managing tensions within BRICS Amidst the euphoria, questions are being asked on whether the bloc can iron out Cairo and Addis Ababa's differences over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam built on the Blue Nile. Luanda Mpungose, an expert at the South African Institute of International Affairs, told DW that BRICS countries have always related well despite existing differences. "Even with the original five countries, there were tensions between India and China, but you have never heard that India is not going to China to attend a conference and vice versa," Mpungose said. "What makes the BRICS very unique is the set of principles that guide their cooperation. BRICS expansion adds economic clout Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the new additions to BRICS would push the block to a 46% stake in the global population. Its combined GDP now jumps to 37% of the global economy. The block has also tactfully selected Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, known for their rich oil reserves. Brett Singh, a business delegate at the summit, said the expansion means an expanded market and a better trading environment. "What I will be hoping to see is not just talking but also we can try and take action so that the ordinary citizen can also see contribution and see growth in our communities and neighborhoods and we grow as one and prosper as one," Singh told DW. Busisiwe Mabuza, a member of the BRICS Business Council, also welcomed the expansion. "We used to have a deregulations working group, which we have now refocused into a trade and investment working group that is going to track how we are performing in terms of balancing trade amongst our respective nations," Mabuza said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Business Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. BRICS new currency? A possible BRICS currency also generated much interest at the just-concluded summit. "We have noted that there is global momentum for the use of local currencies, alternative financial arrangements and alternative payment systems," South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa said. "As BRICS, we are ready to explore opportunities for improving the stability, reliability and fairness of the global financial architecture." However, he said the issue is still under consideration. BRICS ministers of finance and central bank governors have been tasked to go and deliberate on the use and strengthening of local currencies and payment systems and report back at the next BRICS summit. Experts say creating a common currency-based payment system in the BRICS currency will simplify trade transactions. Edited by: Chrispin Mwakideu Labour Party candidate for Cork City South West, today called on the government to take urgent action to address the housing crisis. Laura Harmon said: The number of people in emergency accommodation has reached a record high of 12,847, including 3,829 children. This is a disgrace. Children should not have to grow up in overcrowded or substandard housing. The Government must outline a plan to protect children this winter. Its devastating to see an increase of 64 children living in emergency accommodation in July. "As families prepare to return to schools, too many are now facing the unbelievable prospect of doing their homework on a hotel room floor, trying to wash clothes in a bathroom sink and having no where to prepare school lunches. Children face long commutes to attend their school from the emergency accommodation they are stay in, while others are now taking up places in new schools, facing the prospects of having to make new friends, get to know new teachers. Its a horrendous situation that Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have got us to. The housing crisis consistently comes up when Im knocking on doors in Ballincollig, Bishopstown, Glasheen and Togher. The Government needs to firstly implement Labours plan for an emergency eviction ban. They need to build affordable housing and provide support for families in emergency accommodation. In Cork, 532 women and men were depending on emergency accommodation in Cork in June 2023 the highest on record. There were 196 children in homeless accommodation in Cork and Kerry combined in June 2023 (a 35% increase in 12 months). These figures dont reflect the full scale of the homeless crisis. People rough sleeping, those in squats, parents and children in refuges, those in direct provision and people staying with family or friends are not counted. ''The Government must also work with local authorities and housing providers to find long-term solutions to the housing crisis and dereliction must be tackled in Cork city. Labour have repeatedly called for the reintroduction of the emergency eviction ban, we need to see this happen now to assure people that they will be kept in their homes this winter. New figures released by the RTB recently show that there were 5,735 eviction notices issued to tenants in the second quarter of this year, almost 1,000 more than the first quarter. Applications are now open for the fourth IGNITE Documentary Talent Development Programme the successful and innovative collaboration between Cork International Film Festival (CIFF) and Docs Ireland, Belfast. It is a talent development programme directed towards emerging Irish and Northern Irish documentary filmmakers. Applications for this cross-border partnership are accepted in English and as Gaeilge, with a particular interest in Irish language projects. 2023s edition follows the success of three previous iterations, in which 16 feature documentary projects from emerging filmmakers have been developed through training, workshops, and one-to-one mentoring. Participants will gain a grounding in all facets of project development, with hands-on support from both festivals. They will acquire market knowledge of the documentary industry, learning about the current trends in non-fiction film production, and an expansive understanding of the sector. The programme will include workshops, masterclasses, and in-person conversations with established industry professionals. Applications will be accepted until Friday, September 29, at 5pm. The second initiative, the newly branded Parallax Emerging Film Artist Award will headline CIFFs Parallax Strand at the 68th Festival this November. This award seeks out, supports and platforms graduate film artists from Irish tertiary fine art institutions. This call is open to fine art BA graduates who graduated in the 2022/23 academic year. The Award comprises of a 5,000 bursary, a 12-month Associate Membership and training support from Sample-Studios, studio space provision from the National Sculpture Factory and a solo exhibition, as part of the CIFF Programme in November 2024. The application deadline is Monday, September 4, at 5pm. IN the 2019 local elections, Labour Party candidate for Cork City South-East Peter Horgan received 888 first preferences, and finished on 1,034 votes, being eliminated on the seventh count. He says the intervening years have only solidified his reasons for wanting to serve on Cork City Council. He says hes running again because he feels the council has lost sight of its priorities over the past decade. I want to try and get our eye back on the ball, and back toward what a local authority should do best, which is serve the citizens of the city, Peter says. A lot of the basics that a local authority should do, the basic public realm enhancement, the basic cleaning of our public areas of our communities, and the basic running of our city, they need to be done right, and at the moment I dont think theyre being done right. He feels the most pressing issues facing his ward are transport, housing, education, and health. If you have a good public transport network, it increases the social mobility of people in that area. We saw it in Germany, where they introduced a climate ticket very similar to what the Labour Party modelled and suggested last year, but wasnt taken on board. The social mobility of people from a lower socio-economic income was increased to a significant amount, according to research by German universities. I do believe that BusConnects needs to work, but it has to work in a way that gets people out of the car a couple of days a week at the very minimum at the very start, and shows people that this is a benefit of a good public transport system, but were not there. He says he finds it frustrating that there is no passionate champion for public transport in Cork city at local, Dail or Seanad level and that is a role he sees for himself. I do want to be a champion for public transport in Cork city, but theres a view now in Cork that public transport is becoming a bit of a white elephant, a bit like the event centre, with BusConnects likely to be snarled up in legal challenges forever, potentially, and the Luas is going to be snarled up in further delays. He feels Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Cork City Council have had a hands-off approach to BusConnects and need to be front and centre in helping to deliver services in advance of sustainable transport corridors. I have yet to see any sort of public transport campaign, either through The Echo, or the radio stations locally, by City Hall, to encourage people to take the bus. We have a park and ride that is like a ghost bus most of the time, it isnt open at the right time for commuters, its in the wrong location, and weve yet to see any park and ride locations become apparent on the southside or the northside. Peter is from a trade union background, and all through secondary school in Mahon, he was interested in politics. I studied government in UCC, and it was from there I got a grounding in how institutions work, how they should work, and how they dont work. A stint as a political journalist with The Munster Express followed, and then with the Cork Independent, where he says he met a lot of people and learned a lot about politics in the city and county. Ten years ago, he began his current job, working as parliamentary assistant to Sean Sherlock TD, who was at the time minister for state for research and innovation. He mentions Aneurin Bevan, the creator of the UKs National Health Service (NHS), as a political hero. I think it might be where I am personally, as I have had to go back and forth to the UK for medical procedures with my son. I think the NHS is a model we should emulate, I think you should have access to healthcare, regardless of your social standing, and it shouldnt cripple you. He adds that while he is a member of the Labour Party, he admires people from across the political spectrum. I wouldnt be a tribal member of a political party, and I think to achieve success in politics, success for a community and for a society, you have to be able to work with people across party lines, and you have to be able to give credit where credit is due. Finally, why should people vote for Peter Horgan? I believe that I can be a different voice to whats in there already, I believe that I wont accept the excuses that are given year after year by the executive, and I believe that I can sift through the nonsense that comes from certain bureaucratic quarters and find out what is actually happening. Ill be truthful with people, Ill tell people that if it can be done, Ill work night and day to get it done, but if it cant be done, Ill tell them that too. I wont give people false hope, he says. People do need hope in Cork city, but they dont need false hope. Profile Name: Peter Horgan. Party: Labour. Ward: Cork City South-East. Age: 35. Family/background: Married to Celine, he is dad to Charlie (four) and Theo (one-and-a-bit). Where is home? A Blackrock native, he went to Nagle Community College, and then UCC, and now lives in Maryborough Hill. Day job? A former journalist, he is this year celebrating his 10th year as parliamentary assistant to Labour Party Cork East TD Sean Sherlock. When did you first become interested in politics? From a very young age, I got very interested in the budget, but that might have been because it was on instead of whatever was supposed to be on RTE2 that day, probably The Den. Chances of getting elected? Hell probably have his work cut out. Cork South-East is something of a ward of death, with a current sitting Lord Mayor, three former lord mayors, the Tanaistes parliamentary assistant, and a party leader (Lorna Bogue of Rabharta Glas) due to run what is likely to be a media-friendly European campaign. As a local area representative, he has been a very visible, likeable, and active presence and done a lot of work in the ward since 2019. Time will tell whether that proves enough next June. Early parliamentary results showed a narrow lead for the ruling ZANU-PF party. However, observers said voting delays and other issues meant the election did not live up to democratic standards. Voters in Zimbabwe braced for a close election on Friday after the first results trickled in, showing the ruling ZANU-PF with a narrow lead over the opposition in the parliamentary vote. Results announced so far by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed ZANU-PF winning 43 parliamentary constituencies out of 210 single-member seats. The main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), was reported to have won in 37 constituencies. Results for the presidential race are not expected for several more days. Election observers have pointed to delays at polling stations and a ban on political rallies as evidence that the vote did not meet democratic standards. Ruling party and opposition both claim success The election is being watched closely across the region as a test of support for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his ZANU-PF party. Mnangagwa deposed late ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017, but a moribund economy and charges of authoritarianism have marred the party's 43-year grip on power. Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper claimed that ZANU-PF took an "early poll lead" on Friday, while opposition leader Nelson Chamisa also claimed a "decisive win" on social media. The electoral authority has asked people to be patient and wait for official results. Election 'fell short' of democratic standards Observers from the Southern Africa Development Community said voting delays, the banning of rallies and biased state media coverage meant that the election fell short of democratic standards. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Zimbabwe Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "Some aspects of the harmonized election fell short of the requirements of the constitution of Zimbabwe, the electoral act and the SADC principals and guidelines governing democratic elections," said the head of the delegation, Nevers Mumba. However, the observers said the situation on the ground was nevertheless "peaceful and calm" in the lead-up to the vote. On Wednesday night, police arrested 41 election observers working for local pro-democracy NGOs and confiscated their computers and mobile phones. Police accused them of "unlawfully" tabulating results from polling stations. On Friday, police brought them to Harare in the back of an open truck to appear before a magistrate. Observers from the African Union, the Commonwealth, and the European Union also monitored the elections. "At this stage, it's all pointing towards a disputed election," said Kealeboga Maphunye, an African studies professor at the University of South Africa, in an online debate organized Friday by the South Africa-based Southern African Liaison Office. zc/jcg (Reuters, AFP, AP) Anupama Roy and Ujjwal Kumar Singh write: In March 2023, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court of India directed that the appointment of the chief election commissioner (CEC) and other election commissioners (ECs) shall be made by a three-member committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha (or the leader of the largest opposition party [LOP]), and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) (Anoop Baranwal v Union of India). This practice of the appointment of the CEC and the ECs on the advice of a committee was to remain in force till a law was enacted by Parliament. The directions came in response to a clutch of writ petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution, requesting the Court to consider the true effect of Article 324, especially Article 324(2), which provides for the appointment of the CEC and other ECs by the President subject to any law made by Parliament. Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Sunny along with a few clouds. High 37F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy. Low 24F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Tuesdays accident is believed to have occurred near this location just south of the Freezout Lake FWP office. First day of classes at Montana State University in Bozeman. (Provided by MSU for the Daily Montanan) Anthony Cordero says hes not the only one owed a refund from Montana State University for not providing an in-person education other students who attended MSU when it switched to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic are also owed money. In court documents, Cordero is asking a Lewis and Clark County District Court judge to certify his case against the flagship as a class-action lawsuit. Class certification would allow other students to join his legal fight to get some money back. Some courts in the U.S. have already certified COVID-19 college tuition lawsuits as class-action cases, and in recently filed court documents, Corderos attorneys argue that his case is not meaningfully different. Cordero, now an MSU graduate, argues in the lawsuit that he and other students paid tuition and fees for an education the university pledged to provide in-person and then failed to deliver when it switched to remote learning in response to the pandemic. In its own court documents, however, MSU said it exercised its authority to protect the health and safety of students during the emergency, and it doesnt owe Cordero any money. MSU also disagrees the court should group all students into one class and it is asking the judge to toss the case and make sure it cant be filed again. Across the country, an estimated 300 lawsuits have been filed by students alleging colleges and universities owed them some of their tuition and fees because they were deprived of a promised in-person education, according to a recent story from Stateline News. Courts have since awarded some students money as a result, Stateline News reported. For example, the story said the University of Delaware agreed in June to set up a $6.3 million fund to partially reimburse students. In the Montana case, a court document Cordero filed last month notes the Bozeman university admits more than 15,000 students who paid tuition and fees for the 2020 semester. That semester, in-person education stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cordero has asked the court to decide the question he has whether MSU breached its contract with him is the same question those other students have, even if theyd be owed different dollar amounts. In a list of expenses online, MSU said tuition and fees are $8,082 for the academic year for undergraduate residents, and $31,400 for undergraduate non-residents. Contrary to MSUs argument it doesnt have a contract with Cordero, he said the Montana Supreme Court has found a contract doesnt have to be just one single document; instead, it can be a set of materials with uniform language such as a guide MSU sends prospective students, class registration information, and course catalog. The lawsuit Cordero is bringing said a central question is common to all students: Did MSU breach its contractual obligations to students when MSU retained the full amount of tuition and fees after closing its campus and moving all educational services to an online-only format in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic? But MSU said all those students took a different mix of classes and didnt have the same extracurricular activities either. Therefore, the university argued the court should reject the class certification request, as it said a court did in a case against New York University. The court concluded that the putative class members in this case have little in common except that they were enrolled in the university in 2020 and paid some type of fee to some entity within NYU for some purpose, MSU said. MSU said Cordero inferred the school should provide in-person education. As for fees, MSU said Codero didnt take advantage of intramural activities anyway, wasnt a member of student organizations, and cant remember reading the student newspaper. MSU said Cordero returned to California and took classes from there, received a computer engineering degree, and went to work for Boeing. Cordero wants his money, or property, back, but when he paid his tuition and fees, MSU said the money was no longer his. While money is property once Cordero paid his tuition and fees for the Spring 2020 semester, those funds became public funds they were no longer his property, MSU said. The exclusive and sole right to those funds belonged to the Board of Regents, not Cordero. In October 2021, Judge Michael McMahon said Cordero could proceed with his claim MSU breached its contract with him to provide an in-person education. MSU denies it made such a pledge and said Cordero jumped to conclusions from marketing materials. The requests for summary judgment and class certification are pending before McMahon. Cordero is represented by Sullivan Miller Law of Billings and Leeds Brown Law of New York. MSU is represented by Moore, Cockrell, Goicoechea & Johnson of Kalispell. The post Plaintiff requests class action, says MSU should refund more students for remote education appeared first on Daily Montanan. New resources have been issued to help Scottish farmers manage beavers on their land following a major policy change by the government. The Farm Advisory Service (FAS), which is funded by the Scottish government, has published the resources to help farmers learn about managing land with beavers. Beavers have been reintroduced to Scotland over the last two decades after being hunted to extinction in the 16th century. In 2021, the Scottish government announced it would increase the translocation of beavers across Scotland, supporting the expansion of their population. However, farming groups in Scotland have frequently warned that farmland could be destroyed by beavers burrowing or dam building on or near productive land. While some areas are unsuitable for beavers due to their topography and agricultural value, FAS says there are ideal places throughout Scotland where their presence will not cause serious concern. The impacts from beaver activity on land varies, with the service saying there are several options available to farmers to help them live alongside beavers and effectively mitigate their activity if required. A series of case study videos have been produced featuring farmers discussing their experiences of implementing beaver management options. There are also interviews with stakeholders including NatureScot, Beaver Trust and the Cairngorm National Park which discuss their plans to translocate beavers to the National Park. Rachel Smillie from SAC Consulting, who helped produce the resources, said the videos showcased that when beavers are in suitable landscapes, minimal to no intervention is needed as their activity is contained within the riparian zone. "When producing the case study videos, we visited farmers who have beavers or have seen some beaver activity on their land," she explained. It was great to see first-hand how they are living alongside them, and the management actions they use to mitigate unwanted impacts. "However, the videos are also a good example of showing the options available to farmers when they turn up in unsuitable areas, and the value of NatureScots Beaver Mitigation Scheme in providing support. Ariana Madix suffered "super bad" anxiety towards the end of her relationship with Tom Sandoval. Ariana Madix has opened up about her experience of anxiety The 38-year-old TV star split from Tom after it was revealed that he had a months-long affair with Raquel Leviss, and Ariana has now revealed how Tom's behaviour heightened her anxiety. During an appearance on the 'Scheananigans' podcast, Ariana shared: "Just toward the end of [our relationship], while he was having the affair, him staying out late all the time was always something that made my anxiety super, super bad. "[It was the] never knowing when he would come through the door, never knowing how late he would stay out." Ariana and Tom have continued to live together since their split. But the reality star always sleeps with her bedroom door locked. She explained: "In that regard, I sleep a lot easier at night not giving a f*** about when he is coming through that door. "That is one thing I have to say about us living in the same house. I dont have to think about how he is coming into my bedroom because he is not. I sleep with my door locked. Just in case." Raquel took to social media to apologise to Ariana after news of the affair emerged. She wrote on Instagram at the time: "I want to apologize for my actions and my choices foremost to Ariana, and to my friends and the fans so invested in our relationships. There is no excuse, I am not a victim and I must own my actions and I deeply regret hurting Ariana. (sic)" Raquel also promised to reflect on her mistakes, admitting that she needed to make "healthier choices". The TV star said: "I am reflecting on my choices, speaking to a counselor and I am learning things about myself such as my patterns of codependency and addiction to being and feeling loved. I have sought emotional validation through intimate connections that are not healthy without regard for my own well-being, sometimes negatively affecting others and often prioritizing the intimate connection over my friendships. I am taking steps to understand my behavior and make healthier choices. (sic)" Bob Barker has died aged 99. Bob Barker has died aged 99 The iconic The Price Is Right host who fronted the show for 35 years passed away at his Los Angeles home on Saturday (26.08.23) morning from natural causes, according to TMZ. His representative confirmed in a statement: It is with profound sadness that we announce that the Worlds Greatest MC who ever lived, Bob Barker has left us. Bob suffered an injury in 2019 after taking a spill in his Hollywood Hills home, where he was treated by paramedics and not taken into hospital. The previous year, Bob was hospitalised in Los Angeles twice within one month because of severe back pain. The former host also went to the hospital in 2017 after hitting his head in a fall at his home. Born Robert William Barker on 12 December 1923 in Darrington, Washington, to parents Byron Barker and Matilda Tarleton Barker, he grew up in Mission, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. During his time in college, he left to become a Naval Aviation Cadet in World War Two, and in 1945 married wed his high school sweetheart, Dorothy Jo Gideon. When the war ended he returned to school where he kicked off his long showbiz career by working a local radio station, where he accidentally made his first on-screen debut. He said during a speech at the Emmys in 2000: I had never studied speech. Id never studied drama. I had never been in a school play. I had never been before an audience and I was on duty there as an announcer. Ted Tucker, bless him, didnt show up. I didnt even have time to get nervous. Im out there doing it live. In 1956, Bob became the host of the popular game show Truth or Consequences, which ran until 1975. He went on to host shows including End of the Rainbow, The Family Game, Simon Says and Thats My Line. In 1972, he became the host of The Price is Right, which he hosted until his retirement in 2007. He won 19 Daytime Emmys for his work on the series and in 1999 was honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004, Barker was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame. He has also been honoured with a star on Hollywoods Walk of Fame and a stage named after him on the CBS Television City studio complex. During his time on hit game show, Barker had several lawsuits lodged against him from multiple women claiming harassment and wrongful termination. Dian Parkinson, one of the shows models, sued him for $8 million in 1994 and, according to Time magazine, she claimed shed been forced to have sex with Barker to keep her job before she was fired. Bob released a statement at the time saying the pair had a consensual relationship for more than a year and Dian later dropped her lawsuit when she couldnt afford to pay the legal fees. Another model, Holly Hallstrom, sued Bob in 1995, claiming shed been fired for gaining weight and refusing to tell the press false stories about Dian and won a settlement. Alongside his 50-year career as a TV host, Bob appeared as himself in shows including Futurama, How I Met Your Mother and Yes, Dear. In a cameo as himself in Happy Gilmore he is seen telling Adam Sandler during a fight: The price is wrong, b****. His wife Dorothy was killed by lung cancer in 1981, and Bob and she never had children during their 36-year marriage. Iggy Azalea was forced to stop her concert in Saudi Arabia after her pants split open on stage. Iggy Azalea was forced to stop her concert in Saudi Arabia after her pants split open on stage The Problems rapper, 33, was scheduled to do a full headline slot at e-sports and gaming event Gamers8 at Boulevard Riyadh City on Friday (25.08.23), but has now taken to Instagram to explain she ended the show early due to Saudi dress codes and laws over what flesh females can show in public. She told her fans alongside a clip of the moment her pants ripped during the start of her show: Saudi Arabia Wasssssss. probably the worst possible place to have my pants split and unfortunately I wasnt permitted to end the show. BUT silver lining. The promoters were amazingly kind to me and the PEOPLE who came were the absolute most supportive. I love you guys this was not what I intended for the show but its a memory Ill have forever and ultimately showed me how kind, loving and supportive people can be while youre having such an embarrassing moment The Australian rapper also addressed the incident on X, stating she and her team all wanted to continue but were not allowed by authorities because of my pants splitting. She added when she shouted during the gig: Ladies make some noise, its a womans world! it apparently sent the authorities over the edge signing off: Lol. Iggy also concluded: Im cool I just didnt want the fans to be sad or angry at the show organizers cause it wasnt their control or mine it. It is unclear if Azalea plans to reschedule her show. According to a website for Saudi Arabia immigration, the dress code for women in the predominantly Muslim country has evolved in recent years, but female visitors should still cover as much flesh as possible to avoid drawing unwelcome attention. It said: The key to following the Saudi clothing code is modesty. You will be OK as long as you dress modestly. Fans took the comments section of her post to praise her for her bravery but others questioned why she agreed to play in Saudi Arabia at all due to the countrys horrific human rights record, especially concerning women. Kelis and Bill Murray after split after just two months of dating. Kelis and Bill Murray split after whirlwind romance The 44-year-old 'Milkshake' and the Ghostbusters actor, 72, started dating after they reportedly bonded over their shared grief over the loss of their spouses, but Kelis is now believed to have called time on the relationship. A source told The Sun newspaper's Bizarre column: "Kelis and Bill were - and still are - very fond of each other but things just ran their course. "They both have busy schedules and after a whirlwind romance decided to go their separate ways. "They hope to remain friends but also plan to get on with their lives." Kelis and Bill have been getting close after they met in America, following the 2022 death of her husband Mike Mora from stomach cancer when he was aged only 37. Bills ex-wife Jennifer Butler, from whom he split in 2008 after more than a decade together, died in 2021 and he last year mourned the passing of his brother Ed. Over the summer, Bill was spotted watching a number of Kelis shows, including from the side of the stage in London as she performed at the Mighty Hoopla festival. Bill had been filming a sequel to the Ghostbusters franchise in London, which will see him reprise his role as Peter Venkman alongside many of the original cast from the 1984 blockbuster. Off screen, his second wife Jennifer Butler accused him of domestic abuse and sex, marijuana and alcohol addictions as well as cheating during their marriage. The costume designer filed for divorce in 2008, but the pair are understood to have remained in touch before her death in 2021. Kelis accused her first husband, hip hop mogul Nas, 49, of physically and mentally abusing her throughout their five-year marriage, which he denied. She filed for divorce in 2009 while she was seven months pregnant with their son. She shared her first child, Knight, 13, with Nas, and had two younger kids Shepherd, eight, and Galilee, two with her late husband. Michael Fassbender admits fame doesn't get any "easier" but he's thankful to have the support of "powerful women" - including his actress wife Alicia Vikander. Michael Fassbender admits fame can be 'tricky' The Hollywood couple are fiercely private over their personal life and decided not to disclose their young son's name, and while it's "tricky" being out and about, Fassbender has "made [his] peace" with it. He told Candis magazine: "Fame is the tricky part for sure. "I used to be able to fly under the radar and do my own thing, but not so much these days. 'The payoff is very good, of course, but I don't know if the being famous ever gets easier. I think you just have to make your peace with it." The 46-year-old Irish-German actor credits his sister with teaching him to empower and respect women from an early age. He said: "I'm really happy I had a sister. because I learned so much from her about women when we were growing up, to see them not just as the opposite sex, but as people I can have friendships with too. My sister's a single mother. She's got two boys and she works as a neuroscientist, so she's pretty formidable, pretty amazing. There are some very powerful women in my life - my mother, my sister, my grandmas - who have hugely shaped who I am today... And my wife, of course. She's also a very powerful woman!" The 'Hope' star believes women are the superior sex. He explained: "I think women are so much more evolved and complicated than men. "I think we men are kind of stupid and straightforward and I suppose because women have had to deal with men suppressing them for thousands of years, they've had to become more evolved. Also, because they have this amazing system that allows them to carry children inside them, they also have the brain that goes with that. I just think they're more advanced than we are. You can see it in the teenage years that girls mature much quicker than guys, and thats probably true in adult years as well. Sandra Bullock is said to be taking comfort from the wave of love and support she has received online after her longtime partners death. Sandra Bullock is said to be taking comfort from the wave of love and support she has received online after her longtime partners death The Speed actress, 59, was left devastated at the start of August when her photographer boyfriend Bryan Randall passed away aged 57 following a three-year battle with fatal motor neuron disease ALS, and a source has now said she has been keeping her spirits up by viewing the messages of support shes had on the web, and in person from her close pals and Bryans family. An insider told People: (She has) seen the incredible outpouring of support toward ALS research since Bryans passing. It was very important to her that when she and his family made the initial statement of Bryans passing, those who were on this journey with her and Bryan, from the beginning, were recognised she is so grateful to all those who have donated and is happy that out of something so heartbreaking came something so positive for others. Bryans family said in their statement announcing his death: It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS. Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request. We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours. Sandra has been reportedly planning to scatter her late partners ashes at a luxury sea resort where they secretly exchanged vows. Sources have 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 remains 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. Bryans daughter Skylar Staten Randall, 29, took receipt of her fathers ashes earlier this month 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. 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. The actress had not been in a serious relationship since her bitter split from her cheating ex-husband, Jesse James, in 2010, which was the same year she adopted Louis. Sources told the Daily Mail Louis, as well as Sandras daughter Laila, 11, who she adopted in 2015, called Bryan dad. Bollywood actress Nushrratt Bharuccha recently took her co-star Tsahi Halevi on a whirlwind tour of Mumbai as part of their promotional campaign for the much-anticipated movie, "Akelli." The film, is already in the cinema and receiving all the love from the audience. Nushrratt and Tsahi also embarked on a culinary journey through Mumbai's diverse street food scene. Their Mumbai Darshan included a visit to the iconic Gateway of India, a walk along the Marine Drive Queen's Necklace, and a visit to the legendary Maratha Mandir theater. Tsahi Halevi, an Israeli actor famous for his role in webseries Fauda, is marking his Bollywood debut with the movie Akelli. Immersing himself in the culture and traditions of the country, the actor reported to have had a lot of fun while shooting for the film. Nushrratt Bharuccha said, From the time Tsahi is landed everybody have asked us in every interview weather I have taken him around, showed him bombay, have I made him eat Indian food and I just thought that I have not taken him anywhere, he should see Bombay from my point of view. So I took him to my favourite places which is Marin Drive because I went to college in Jai Hind and use to hangout there for hours and hours then I took him to NCA, I performed many shows there. He keeps singing one Hindi song that is Tuje Deka toh Jana Sanam so I took him to Maratha Mandir to show this is movie and it's the oldest theatre. And ofcourse in Bombay I cannot make him eat Vadapav's so took him to eat that with all the mirchi and masala and we went to gateway where I saw him Taj hotel and Gateway. Indeed it was a great day. Tsahi Halevi commented,"I feel very privileged to be part of team Akelli and to have worked with such a talent as Nushrratt, more so having her take me on this tour in the beautiful city of Bombay definitely opened up my appetite to discover more of the beauty, colors, tastes , history and uniqueness of India . I'm Truly looking forward on enhancing this on growing cultural relationship between Israel and India and hoping to soon host Nushrratt and the Akelli team in my beautiful country" Produced by a collaboration involving Ninad Vaidya, Nitin Vaidya, Aparna Padgaonkar, Shashant Shah, and Vicky Sidana of Dashami Studioz, and directed by Pranay Meshram, Akelli explores themes of courage, endurance, emancipation, and the will to survive is out in the cinemas now! Bigg Boss 7 Telugu FAQ 7 1. When will Bigg Boss 7 Telugu start? Bigg Boss 7 Telugu is scheduled to premiere on September 3rd, 2023. 2. Who is the host of Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? King Nagarjuna will be hosting the seventh season of Bigg Boss Telugu. 3. Who are the contestants for Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? The list of contestants for Bigg Boss 7 Telugu has not been released yet. However, there are many rumors about who might be participating. 4. How can I watch Bigg Boss 7 in Telugu? Bigg Boss 7 Telugu will be aired on Star Maa and Disney+ Hotstar. 5. How can I vote for the contestants in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? There are two ways to vote for the contestants in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu: * By sending a missed call to a specified number * By voting on the Disney+ Hotstar app 6. What are the rules of Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? The rules of Bigg Boss 7 Telugu have not been released yet. However, they are likely to be similar to the rules of previous seasons. 7. What are the prizes for Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? The prize money for Bigg Boss 7 Telugu has not been announced yet. However, it is to be around 60 lakhs, comparatively higher than the previous seasons. 8. How can I participate in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? There are no open calls for participation in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu. The contestants are selected by the makers of the show. 9. What are the challenges that the contestants face in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? The contestants in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu will face a variety of challenges, including physical challenges, mental challenges, and social challenges. 10. What are the benefits of participating in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu? The contestants in Bigg Boss 7 Telugu will have the opportunity to win the prize money, gain fame, and experience the challenges of living in a closed environment. Mirrored in Folklore, Dreaming Jiangnan COPENHAGEN, Denmark, Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From August 22 to 24, the overseas exhibition of Zhejiang folklore themed "Moment in Jiangnan, When Zhejiang Folklore Meets Andersen's Fairy Tales", hosted by Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, China Cultural Center in Copenhagen, sponsored by Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Center, was concluded successfully in Odense City Hall in Denmark, with the support of the 10th H.C Andersen Festivals. The exhibition "Moment in Jiangnan, When Zhejiang Folklore Meets Andersen's Fairy Tales" showcased "The Legend of the White Snake" and "The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers", two quintessential items of national intangible cultural heritage of Zhejiang folklore with opera, crafts display and interactive programs. The three-day exhibition attracted fervent responses from local visitors and artists, who showed great interest in the traditional handicrafts and interactive intangible cultural heritage experiences from Zhejiang. "Moment of Dream in Jiangnan" -- "Beautiful Folk Life" Online Exhibition of Zhejiang Folklore featured four representative folklores of Zhejiang, namely, "The Legend of the White Snake", "The Legend of the Butterfly Lovers", "The Legend of Goujian", "The Legend of the Horse-Headed Lady" with opera, handicrafts and skills, music, film, television and other derivations. There are currently more than 100,000 internet hits. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2194848/image_5025608_35948745.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/moment-in-jiangnan----overseas-exhibition-of-zhejiang-folklore-concludes-successfully-in-denmark-301910447.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Arconic Corp. (ARNC) said that it appointed Chris Ayers as Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of the company, effective September 11, 2023. Current Arconic CEO Tim Myers will continue to serve in an advisory capacity as Arconic's Lead Outside Director of the Board. Ayers has served on Arconic's Board of Directors for the past seven years and held several executive positions in key businesses within the Company's predecessor, Alcoa, prior to his board role. Ayers brings more than 25 years of executive experience in the metals industry to Arconic. Prior to serving on Arconic's Board of Directors, Ayers was President and Chief Executive Officer of WireCo WorldGroup, Inc., from 2013 through 2017. He joined Alcoa in February 2010 as its Chief Operating Officer of the Cast, Forged and Extruded Products businesses and served as Executive Vice President of Alcoa Inc. and President of its Global Primary Products Group from 2011 to 2013. Ayers held several executive positions at Precision Castparts Corp. from 1999 to 2008 and has served on the board of Universal Stainless and Alloy Products, Inc., among other companies. Ayers began his career at Pratt & Whitney, the aircraft division of United Technologies Corp. 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. DELAWARE CITY, DE / ACCESSWIRE / August 26, 2023 / DeXpose, a cybersecurity startup based in Delaware as part of Tryaq, Inc, has unveiled its innovative cyber security service designed to fortify enterprises and startups against the perils of cyber breaches. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence technology, DeXpose is aiming to become the ultimate safeguard against compromised credentials and dark web threats, providing accurate, near real-time information that empowers organizations to thwart attacks before they strike. DeXpose recognizes the need for a comprehensive solution that not only monitors the dark web for potential breaches but also proactively identifies compromised credentials. Ahmed Sultan, the CEO and Founder of DeXpose, shared his inspiration behind the creation of this innovative platform: "DeXpose was born out of a deep understanding of the cybersecurity challenges that modern enterprises and startups face," said Sultan. "We saw a significant gap in the market and aimed to provide an efficient and affordable service to organizations, especially startups, which often find themselves more susceptible to these kinds of attacks. Our mission is to empower businesses with timely, accurate information, enabling them to take proactive measures against cyber threats." DeXpose offers a suite of tools powered by AI that scans surface, deep and dark web sources, and monitors for potential breaches. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time, the platform can identify compromised credentials before they are exploited by attackers. This early detection provides businesses with a vital edge in thwarting cyber-attacks, protecting sensitive information, and maintaining their reputation. DeXpose is committed to delivering accurate and actionable insights. The platform's AI-driven algorithms filter out noise and false positives, ensuring that organizations receive reliable information on genuine threats. This precision equips security teams to respond effectively, minimizing potential damage. By pioneering a powerful fusion of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, the startup is redefining the way enterprises and startups defend themselves against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber-attacks. Says Ahmed Sultan: "We're not stopping here. DeXpose is dedicated to providing full brand protection for our clients. We are actively developing additional tools to strengthen our arsenal, ensuring comprehensive defense against all forms of cyber threats. Our commitment to innovation is unwavering, and we aim to stay ahead of the curve." About DeXpose: DeXpose is an innovative cybersecurity startup, dedicated to revolutionizing how enterprises and startups defend against cyber breaches. Through its cutting-edge platform driven by advanced artificial intelligence, DeXpose provides accurate, near real-time information on compromised credentials and dark web threats. The company's mission is to empower organizations to proactively counter cyber-attacks, ensuring the safety of sensitive data and preserving their reputation. DeXpose's commitment to innovation extends to its plans for introducing a range of new tools, ensuring comprehensive brand protection for its clients in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. For more information, please visit: http://www.dexpose.io Links: Website: DeXpose - https://dexpose.io Twitter: @dexpose_io - https://twitter.com/dexpose_io LinkedIn: DeXpose - https://www.linkedin.com/company/86413977 Website: Tryaq - https://tryaq.io Media Contact Organization: Tryaq, Inc Contact Person: Ahmed Sultan Website: http://www.dexpose.io Email: a.sultan@tryaq.io Contact Number: +1 702 3595531 Address: Delaware State: Delaware Country: United States SOURCE: Tryaq, Inc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/777347/DeXpose-Launches-Services-for-Dark-Web-and-Breaches-Monitoring-for-Enterprises-and-Startups THOUSAND OAKS (dpa-AFX) - Amgen (AMGN) said it presented data from the final analysis of the Phase 2 OCEAN-DOSE study of olpasiran, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) during the Late-Breaking Science Session at the European Society of Cardiology Annual Meeting being held in Amsterdam. In the off-treatment extension period, olpasiran showed a lasting effect on Lp(a) reduction nearly a year after the last dose. Results from the OCEAN(a)-DOSE Phase 2 study announced in November of 2022 showed that doses of olpasiran greater than or equal to 75 mg Q12W reduced patients' Lp(a) by more than 95% at week 36. The results from the off-treatment extension period show that patients previously dosed with greater than or equal to 75 mg of olpasiran sustained about 40-50% placebo-adjusted percent reduction in Lp(a) nearly a year after the last dose. No new safety concerns were identified during the off-treatment extension period. In addition, the study was the first to explore the effects of olpasiran on a key biomarker strongly associated with atherosclerosis, pro-atherogenic OxPL-apoB. During the treatment period, olpasiran showed a dose-dependent reduction in pro-atherogenic OxPL-apoB. For More Such Health News, visit rttnews.com 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. Ljubljana, Slovenia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 26, 2023) - ERCframe.com announces the publication of a report on applying for the Employee Retention Credit (ERC/ERTC) in 2023. The report offers essential information about the credit for 2023, access to an eligibility calculator, and advice on choosing a CPA to facilitate the application process. The report aims to alert potential claimants that there is still time to apply in 2023, but ERCframe.com encourages them to apply as soon as possible. This is because the waiting time for businesses to receive funds from the IRS will likely increase as the agency processes more applications in the coming months. More details are available at: https://ercframe.com/blog/2023-ERTC---Employee-Retention-Tax-Credit-Update-Do-Employers-Still-Have-Time-To-Apply/ 2023 ERTC Tax Credit Application: FAQs & Deadline Report Released By ERCframe.com To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/177872_18810f8e94a9f868_001full.jpg The new article comes in response to recent updates to the ERC allowing employers who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to claim the credit for qualified wages in obtaining PPP loan forgiveness. Employers may still benefit from these updates, even though the ERC ended in late 2021. Created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the ERC was a refundable payroll tax credit originally administered for qualified wages paid between March 13, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2020. The ERC was intended to help businesses retain employees, even if the effects of the pandemic forced them to stop working during the covered period. The article reminds employers that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs (IIJA) Act retroactively eliminated most employers' ability to claim the ERC for wages paid after Sept. 30, 2021. However, they can still retroactively claim credits for qualified wages of up to $7,000 per employee per quarter paid during the first three quarters of 2021. Business owners yet to claim their pandemic aid can uncover methods to fully utilize their tax credits by visiting: https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/news/ampifire/erc-2023-filing-deadline-report-rebate-eligibility-maximum-tax-credit-launch By partnering with one of the largest ERC/ERTC specialist companies in the US, ERTC Express, which operates nationwide and has office locations in New York, NY; Tampa, FL; Nashville, TN; Atlantic, GA; and Los Angeles, CA; ERCframe.com has assisted thousands of businesses in receiving refunds. The company boasts a team of tax experts who guide clients step-by- step through the intricate ERC application process, ensuring they obtain the maximum allowable rebate for their specific situation. "If you're a business owner who's been affected by the pandemic, we have a solution that can help you get your maximum IRS refund," a company representative, Primoz Pintar, explained. "All you need to do is fill out a short form, and our ERC experts will do the rest at no cost to you. If you're eligible, you'll only be charged a fee if you get the credit from the IRS." Interested parties can learn more at: https://ercframe.com/ Contact Info: Name: Primoz Pintar Email: support@ercframe.com Organization: Mor Art d.o.o. DBA ERCframe.com Address: 6 Beblerjev trg, Ljubljana, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia Website: https://ercframe.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177872 Summary: Apohair Import Export JSC celebrates two decades of setting industry standards with premium hair extensions and ethical commitments. CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan's visionary leadership drives innovation and positive change, leaving an indelible mark on the global hair extension landscape. Hanoi, Vietnam--(Newsfile Corp. - August 26, 2023) - Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company, a prominent figure in the global hair extension landscape, commemorates two decades of outstanding achievement, innovation, and a steadfast commitment to social responsibility. Led by CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan, Apohair's journey has redefined industry standards by merging premium quality with positive change. Apohair Celebrates 20 Years of Innovation and Social Responsibility in the Hair Extension Industry To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/178490_a64057cf445339a3_001full.jpg Over a decade ago, Mr. Toan embarked on a transformative path, recognizing the empowering potential of high-quality hair extensions to elevate confidence and natural beauty. Operating under the guiding principle, "Reputation is more valuable than gold," Apohair has consistently set new benchmarks for product excellence, earning trust and accolades on a global scale. Apohair has taken another significant stride toward making a positive impact. The company proudly introduces the launch of the APO Group's charity fund, with a dedicated focus on supporting the children of K Hospital. This collaboration reflects Apohair's commitment to stand beside those who face medical challenges, extending its ethos of empowerment beyond beauty into the realm of health. Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDueqGnoSs Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Toan, Apohair's reputation as a purveyor of ethically sourced, meticulously crafted hair extensions has flourished. The company's factory, housing a workforce of over 500 skilled artisans in Vietnam, stands as a testament to precision and talent cultivation. This commitment extends beyond products, with Apohair investing in the holistic growth of its workforce. Apohair's core values extend to ethics, environmental sustainability, and the well-being of its employees. Through workshops and collaborative projects, the company fosters a culture of teamwork, while its community engagement initiatives underscore its responsible corporate citizenship. Beyond its remarkable business journey, Apohair's narrative resonates with transformation and meaningful impact. By seamlessly intertwining innovation, quality, and compassion, Apohair serves as an inspirational model for businesses striving to create a positive footprint. As the company evolves, its unwavering dedication to excellence and positive change will undoubtedly shape its future and leave a profound mark on the world - strand by strand. About Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company: Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company is a trailblazer in the hair extension industry, headquartered in Vietnam. Committed to delivering unparalleled hair extension products while driving impactful social change, Apohair exemplifies excellence, innovation, and compassion. CEO Mr. Phan Van Toan's visionary leadership has steered the company's journey, redefining the potential of quality products combined with responsible corporate citizenship. Contact Detail: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/apohaircompany Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apohair/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@apohairvn/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apohaircompany/ Contact Info: Name: Tony Phan Organization: Apohair Import Export Joint Stock Company Address: No 4 Ham Nghi Street, My Dinh 2 Ward, Nam Tu Lien District, Hanoi Capital, Vietnam Phone: (+84) 902 190 509 Email: marketing@apohair.com URL Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/RFGzyRQN51LzJ2xy7 URL YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtDueqGnoSs To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/178490 Forward Slope Incorporated, a San Diego, CA-based technology services company providing software and surveillance solutions to the defense industry, acquired Soar Technology, Inc., an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based provider of advanced artificial intelligence solutions. The amount of the deal was not disclosed. The addition of SoarTech expands the Forward platforms core competencies and customer base in a strategic way to deliver more comprehensive solutions to marquee defense and national security customers. The SoarTech team invested alongside Trive Capital, the Dallas-based private equity firm which backs Forward Slope, and will continue to serve as senior leaders of the platform. Led by Mike van Lent, Chief Executive Officer, SoarTech is a provider of advanced artificial intelligence solutions to address complex Department of Defense mission requirements. By leveraging machine learning technologies built on computational cognitive designs, SoarTech creates autonomous agents to analyze large amounts of data and assist in human decision-making. Led by Carlos Persichetti, Chief Executive Officer, Forward Slope is a technology services company providing software and surveillance solutions to the defense industry. FinSMEs 26/08/2023 A few years ago, Sara Zeljkovic, a 25-year-old living in Toronto, started working to build her social media presence on TikTok and Instagram, assuming that having more followers was better. Zeljkovic, freshly single after the end of an eight-year relationship, began posting more content, typically about beauty and travel, and gained traction, ultimately resulting in about 14,000 followers on TikTok and, she said, around 5,000 followers on Instagram. Thats when things changed. While she was chatting with a man over drinks last year, the would-be date took issue with her follower count. He was like, Oh, thats such a red flag, youre such a cool girl, she recalled. When he said it was a shame that she had so many followers, she added, I almost spit my drink out. 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 per cent of young Americans said they would become an influencer if given the opportunity, and nearly 90 per cent 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 direct messages. 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. After receiving one too many snippy comments from men about having far too many Instagram followers, Zeljkovic spent about two days in July pruning her following, ultimately bringing the count down to around 1,600. She also made her profile private, explaining that she had been told it was a turnoff if a girl has an open profile. She said a culmination of factors led to her decision, including one time when she shared her Instagram handle with a man, and he was immediately scared off: He was like, Oh, like, youre too big time for me. After I got home that night, I was just so fed up of hearing this, Zeljkovic said. Like, this was already eight or nine times I gave a guy my Instagram, and he made a comment. Christina Mantas, a community outreach coordinator, said that having more than 4,000 followers on Instagram has been enough to deter men. She has kept her Instagram public for about the last five years to network and to promote events she hosts for the various nonprofit organizations she works with. She said that her social media profile had become an issue while dating. There are some guys that will take me on a really nice date, and then they want me to post about it like a public thank you of some sort and Im not comfortable to share that Im spending time with them yet, she said. And then other guys freak out completely because they dont want to be on my Instagram page. On a recent scroll through the dating app Hinge, Mantas, 36, came across a man who said he was looking for a woman with 1,000 Instagram followers or fewer. She said another man had told her that because of her frequent travels and food content, he wouldnt be able to adequately provide for someone with her standards. For Shari DuBois, a rapper and songwriter in Philadelphia, not immediately trading social media handles with dating prospects is one way she has managed to avoid the problems that can come with being a single woman with thousands of followers online. Currently, DuBois is seeing a man she met on Facebook Dating, but she has not made him privy to her Instagram or TikTok, where she has 10,000 and 12,000 followers. In her last two relationships, social media became a bit of an issue. So now, she goes out of her way to not exchange social media accounts with new men she meets so that they can first get to know her. Some people who see the number of followers she has might assume she is receiving hundreds of thirsty DMs a day, she said. Thats not the case, she added. I think people are also under the assumption that, like, everything is going to be content. However, DuBois admits that shed prefer a man who didnt have a high following on social media. For example, she celebrated the fact that her ex-boyfriend had 200 followers. I guess maybe some of the same assumptions that they might have for me, I may have for them, she said. Zeljkovic, who is in Serbia visiting family, recently started monetizing her TikTok content, which is still public. She said she sometimes felt waves of regret for going private on Instagram and for downsizing her following, adding that she might reverse course eventually. Right now, while Im still single and trying to date and traveling back in my home country and stuff, its better to keep it like this until I get someone on lock, she said. Gina Cherelus c.2023 The New York Times Company Scientists worry that the Arctic permafrosts thawing will unleash dangerous amounts of methane into the sky as global temperatures increase. But a recent study has discovered a bacteria that eats methane, keeping the gas from entering the atmosphere in large amounts. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that is released from various human activities, including energy production (natural gas and petroleum systems), business, agriculture, land usage, and waste management. Can bacteria actually reduce global warming, though? Lets take a closer look. Also read: Its Moo-derous: How a dairy farm explosion in Texas caused over 18,000 cow deaths The methane eating bacteria Using a class of bacteria called methanotrophs to naturally convert methane to carbon dioxide and biomass, a team of researchers from California University Long Beach has proposed a method for eliminating methane. All of the bacteria in this group eat methane, removing it from the air and converting part of it to cells as a source of sustainable protein, according to the studys lead researcher Mary E Lidstrom. Methylotuvimicrobium buryatense 5GB1C is a strain of bacteria discovered by Lidstroms team that is capable of efficiently removing methane even in low concentrations. According to the experts, if adopted widely, the technique could aid in reducing global warming. According to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, using this bacteria extensively could save 240 million tonnes of methane from entering the atmosphere by 2050. This particular bacterial group typically flourishes in conditions with high methane concentrations (between 5,000 and 10,000 parts per million (ppm)). Methane concentrations in our atmosphere are typically significantly lower, at only 1.9 ppm. However, some places, like oil wells, landfills, and rice fields, produce higher amounts of roughly 500 ppm. The strains high methane consumption rate, which is more than five times higher than that of other bacteria, is most likely caused by a low energy need and stronger attraction to methane, the study found. Bacteria that rapidly eat methane at the higher concentrations found around cattle herds, etc could make a huge contribution to cutting methane emissions, especially from tropical agriculture, said Euan Nisbet, professor of Earth sciences at Royal Holloway, University of London, told The Guardian while speaking about the findings of the study. The bacteria oxidise the methane to CO2 (a much less powerful greenhouse gas) and so you can even use the exhaust to pump into greenhouses and grow tomatoes, Nisbet added. Lidstrom cautions, however, that any emissions-reduction measures that boost bacterial activity in natural communities could also lead to an increase in nitrous oxide (N2O) production, which has ten times the global warming potential of methane. Importantly, this bacterial methanotrophic technique does not emit nitrous oxide. Also read: Accident or sabotage? Why are the Russia-Europe Nord Stream pipelines leaking? Challenges There will be a need for thousands of well-functioning reactors if methane-eating bacteria are to be used on a large scale. If the technology is scaled up, there can be a few difficulties. Temperature regulation, for example, is challenging. Since bacterial development is inhibited by temperatures outside of the recommended range of 25 to 30 degrees Celsius, the researchers pointed out that both extremes of temperature can be harmful. The biggest barrier to implementation now is technical: we need to increase the methane treatment unit 20-fold. If we can achieve that, then the biggest barriers become investment capital and public acceptance. We believe we could have field pilots tested within three to four years, and scale up would then depend on investment capital and commercialisation, said Lidstrom. According to Down To Earth, to test the viability of using the technique, the researchers urged for additional field investigations. To make sure the technology is economically viable and benefits the environment, it is necessary to analyse the environmental life cycle and techno-economics of the technology, the researchers added. Also read: Scientists think they know what the source of methane in Mars atmosphere could be Methane emission Due to livestock manure and gastroenteric releases, the agriculture industry is the main source of methane emissions in the atmosphere. According to The Guardian, methane is a particularly problematic greenhouse gas because it has more than 85 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide over the first 20 years after it enters the atmosphere. In the last 15 years, atmospheric methane has risen rapidly, reaching record levels, and now contributes at least 30 per cent of all global warming. At Cop26 in 2021, a number of the top economies in the world decided to cooperate to lower methane emissions immediately. They do, however, keep going up. Also read: US oil and gas industry leaks 60 percent more methane than govt estimates: Study Solutions While reducing emissions is the main goal of the majority of currently suggested methane mitigation strategies, this isnt always feasible. In order to reach climate targets, researchers emphasise the necessity of both methane removal and reduced emissions solutions. Down to Earth quoted research from the University of Washington as saying that eliminating 0.31 petagrams of methane by 2050 can limit the rise in average world temperature by 0.210.22 degrees Celsius. This magnitude of temperature drops is expected to have a considerable impact, especially when paired with other methods of reducing emissions. With inputs from agencies France will spend millions of euros to destroy excess wine. Renowned for its fine wine, the European country is now battling an overproduction problem. The European Union earlier provided 160 million (about Rs 14 billion) in funds to France to destroy its surplus wine. Adding to the fund, the French government has decided to spend a total of 200 million (about Rs 17 billion) to destroy surplus wine and support producers, reported Paris-headquartered news agency AFP. But why is France compelled to get rid of its surplus wine? Lets take a closer look. Myriad problems As per the AFP report, Frances major wine-producing regions, especially the Bordeaux area, are dealing with a number of issues, including a change in consumption habits and the cost of living crisis. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is also increasing the woes of the wine industry. As the restaurants and bars were closed worldwide, it triggered a sharp fall in sales of wine, reported AFP. European Commission data shows that this year wine consumption has plummeted 7 per cent in Italy, 10 per cent in Spain, 15 per cent in France, 22 per cent in Germany and 34 per cent in Portugal, BBC reported. However, wine production across the EU bloc rose by 4 per cent in this period. According to Statista, France has witnessed a 25 per cent fall in wine consumption between 2005 and 2021. While the demand for wine has fallen in France, consumers are spending on other beverages, such as non-alcoholic drinks and craft beer. France has one of the fastest-growing markets in non-alcoholic drinks globally, The Guardian reported last year. Susie Goldspink of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis told the UK newspaper that in 2021 about 14 per cent of consumers said they were abstainers, whereas this year it was up to 20 per cent. Abstainers in France are more likely than in other markets to be from the youngest age group, Generation Z. In June, Bloomberg reported that people in Europe are drinking less wine amid surging food and drink prices, which has created a serious loss of income, particularly for rose and red wine producers in France, Spain and Portugal. A jump in global energy prices following Russias invasion of Ukraine has led to a hike in prices of food and fuel, resulting in buyers avoiding spending on non-essential goods like wine, noted French news agency AFP. ALSO READ: Red Alert: What is making Germans buy less wine? What is the French government doing? As demand for wine decreases, it has led to overproduction and a fall in prices. Were producing too much, and the sale price is below the production price, so were losing money, Jean-Philippe Granier, from the Languedoc wine producers association, told the French news agency. Speaking to reporters, French agriculture minister, Marc Fesneau, said on Friday (25 August) that the fund was aimed at stopping prices collapsing and so that winemakers can find sources of revenue again. He emphasised that the wine industry needed to look to the future, think about consumer changes and adapt, the report added. The alcohol derived from the destroyed wine can be sold for making non-food products such as hand sanitiser, cleaning products and perfume, as per AFP. To tackle the problem of overproduction, the ministry is providing funds for grape growers to shift to other products, such as olives. ALSO READ: Please drink! Why Japan is urging its sober, young people to hit the bottle Heatwave affects winegrowers Earlier this week, France issued a red alert for the south of France. The recent spell of heatwave has sent temperatures soaring in several parts of the country. These extreme temperatures have hurt vines in southern France which could reduce the wine output, as per Reuters. However, a winemaker who has a vineyard in Valvigneres in the Ardeche region told Reuters that the soaring temperatures could produce a vintage of exceptional quality. This year we are on a late concentration which will raise the quality of the grapes, and therefore the cost of the wine, as the smoothness and aromas which will emerge will make a rather exceptional wine for the 2023 vintage, Jerome Volle, who represents Ardeche winemakers, said. With inputs from agencies Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured an influential civil society group in Manipur that proper security will be ensured along the national highway connecting the Imphal valley to ensure the uninterrupted flow of essential commodities. Shah has also assured a delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI) that a firm stand will be taken against all kinds of infiltration into Manipurs territory. A delegation of influential Meitei civil society group COCOMI met the home minister as well as top officials of the Intelligence Bureau on Friday where they had long discussions on various issues concerning the state. COCOMI was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate problem-solving and peace-building, according to a statement released by the group. The COCOMI strongly pursued that there would be no allowance for separate administrations in Manipur. The union home minister emphasised a firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipurs territory. Measures are being implemented to register immigrants using biometrics, including retina scans. Stringent action will be taken against all forms of infiltration into Manipurs territory, the statement said. To address concerns about mass infiltration, the government is expediting border fencing in the Manipur sector, it added. COCOMI strongly pursued that there will be no allowance for separate administrations in Manipur and the home minister appealed for peace in the state and requested COCOMI to convey this message to the people, the statement said. Ensuring the movement and distribution of commodities in the state can be possibly realised with the support from both sides of the communities. And necessary deployment of convoys to secure the highways shall be ensured in few days, it said. In its meeting with Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka and Security Advisor Northeast A K Mishra, COCOMI presented the complexities of issues affecting Manipur, including illegal immigration, cross-border narco-terrorism, exploitation of forest resources, and violations of the Suspension of the Operations agreement. The ethnic violence in Manipur erupted on May 3 after a Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Since then, more than 160 people have died and several hundreds were injured in ethnic clashes in Manipur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday morning directly from the Greek capital of Athens to congratulate and interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. PM Modi is slated to visit the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), where he will be briefed by top ISRO officials about the progress of the countrys third lunar venture. Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nations achievements in the space sector, the PM said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The Prime Minister returned after concluding his four-day tour of South Africa where he participated in the BRICS Summit and then Greece. In Johannesburg, PM Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22 to 24. He (Modi) reached Bengaluru directly after his visit to South Africa and Greece, an official said. On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, PM Modi had joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from South Africa. More than a thousand flights are expected to be cancelled or rescheduled during the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled to take place in Delhi from September 7 to 10. The Central government has made it mandatory for airlines to reduce their flight frequency by 25% during the G20 Summit in Delhi. This decision stems from limitations in parking space at the Delhi airport. The government has also appealed to airlines to temporarily move certain aircraft to airports in other cities to accommodate the Summit. The G20 Summit is planned for September 9th in Delhi. However, airline officials have raised concerns about the potential for disruptions in the nationwide flight network. This raises the possibility of flight cancellations, especially given that Delhi serves as Indias primary airport. Anticipating the G20 Summit, arrangements are underway for the arrival of over 50 aeroplanes at Delhi. These aircraft will transport influential personalities including US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and various other esteemed dignitaries. In the upcoming days, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is set to unveil official directives aimed at tackling these considerations and streamlining airline activities with precision. In view of a call for a Shobha yatra by a group, the Haryana government on Saturday ordered the suspension of mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in the communally-charged Nuh district till August 28. In view of the yatra call, Director-General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur presided over a meeting with senior officers of bordering states through videoconferencing and called for a coordinated effort to effectively deal with the situation. In the meeting, attended by senior police officers of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Kapur said the administration has denied permission for the yatra due to a meeting of the G20 Sherpa Group, scheduled to be held in Nuh during September 3-7, and to maintain law and order in the aftermath of the July 31 violence. The government announced the decision to suspend mobile Internet from August 26-28, apprehending the spread of rumours through social media ahead of or during Mondays rally. The Nuh authorities had recently denied permission to hold the religious procession on August 28 after an earlier one in July was disrupted following communal violence. The order to suspend mobile Internet was issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad on Saturday. The district administration has also imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people in an area, as a precautionary measure. This order will be effective from August 26-28, said officials. During this period, no person will be allowed to carry weapons such as licensed firearms, lathis, axes and others. The Haryana government had earlier suspended mobile Internet services in Nuh after communal clashes broke out. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a religious procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad was attacked by a mob on July 31. According to an official statement on Saturday, police chief Kapur said despite permission being denied for the yatra, there are inputs that certain organisations have invited people from Haryana and neighbouring states to reach Nuh on August 28. He said all necessary arrangements have been made by the Haryana Police in view of the proposed yatra. Police personnel have been deployed to maintain law and order. As a preventive measure, mobile Internet has been suspended in Nuh. While emphasising the need for sharing intelligence inputs to effectively deal with the situation, Kapur asked the senior police functionaries of bordering states to ensure regular monitoring of social media and share information about the people who try to disrupt peace through hate speeches and take action against them according to law. Inter-state barricading should also be done to prevent any kind of mobilisation of people, he asserted. Nobody will be allowed to take the law into their hands. Kapur said Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mamta Singh will be the nodal officer and stationed in Nuh. He asked the police officers of bordering states that in case any incident that can disrupt communal harmony comes to their notice, it should be shared on a real-time basis so that preventive action can be taken on time. Regarding the order suspending mobile Internet, the order by Prasad read, This order is issued to prevent disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from August 26, 1200 hours, to August 28, 2359 hours. #WATCH | Delhi: Dr Surendra Jain, Vishva Hindu Parishad speaks on the VHP yatra in Nuh, says, "Permission for religious rally is not requiredThe administration comes forward and extends support for the religious rally." pic.twitter.com/oG9GKomrqP ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 On Friday, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata wrote to Prasad, bringing to his notice that the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat had called for a Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra in the district on August 28. In the letter, he said there is an apprehension of the misuse of social media/bulk messages by anti-social elements to disturb the peace. Therefore, it is necessary to suspend all mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district to avoid any untoward situation, Khadgata wrote, requesting Prasad to issue the necessary directions. In his Saturday order, Prasad said there is a clear potential for the disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh via the spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the Internet. He ordered the temporary suspension of mobile Internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls. Additional Director General of Police (CID) Alok Mittal, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Mamta Singh and Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Sanjay Kumar were present in the meeting presided over by Kapur. Punjab Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, Rajasthan Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Anand Shrivastav, Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police (Agra) Anupam Kulshrestha, Delhi Joint Commissioner of Police Rajneesh Gupta, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Zone 1) Deepender Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, Zone 2) Sagar Preet Hooda and Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur joined the meeting via videoconferencing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighted the importance of culture and said that as Indians we attach great value to our intangible cultural heritage. His comments came as he virtually addressed the G20 Culture Working Group Meeting in Varanasi. Culture has an inherent potential to unite. It enables us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectivesWe, in India, are very proud of our eternal and diverse culture, Modi said. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi says, Culture has an inherent potential to unite. It enables us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectivesWe, in India, are very proud of our eternal and diverse culture. We also attach great value to our intangible cultural pic.twitter.com/EMNByvJPvL ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 During his address, PM Modi also emphasised the schemes that India has in place to protect its cultural heritage. Our one district one product initiative showcases the uniqueness of Indian crafts while fostering self-reliance. In the coming month, India is going to roll out PM Vishwakarma Yojana with an initial outlay of $1.8 billion, it will create an ecosystem of support for traditional artisans, he said. #WATCH | In the coming month, India is going to roll out PM Vishwakarma Yojana with an initial outlay of $1.8 billion, it will create an ecosystem of support for traditional artisans. It will enable them to flourish in their crafts and contribute to the preservation of pic.twitter.com/mSQoO3B0IO ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 The prime minister added, It will enable them to flourish in their crafts and contribute to the preservation of Indias rich cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is not just what is cast in stone, it is also the traditions, customs & festivals that are handed down the generations, he continued. #WATCH | Cultural heritage is not just what is cast in stone, it is also the traditions, customs & festivals that are handed down the generationsWe believe that heritage is a vital asset for economic growth & diversification, says PM Modi in a video message at the G20 pic.twitter.com/uk9Zg1hoTL ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 Meanwhile, with just a few days to go before the G20 Summit commences in New Delhi, the Supreme Court has announced that it will remain closed on September 8. The G20 Summit will be held in Delhi on September 9 and 10. All Central government offices in the national capital will be closed from September 8 to 10 considering the G20 summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed people at New Delhis Palam Airport after returning from Bengaluru where he met ISRO scientists and congratulated them for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission. During the address, PM Modi urged residents of the national capital to ensure the success of the upcoming G20 Summit as they have been entrusted with more responsibility during this time. I seek forgiveness from the people of Delhi in advance for the inconvenience G20 Summit arrangements may cause to them, he said. Acknowledging the problems that Delhiites might face during the week of the summit due to traffic regulations, Modi said, People may face inconvenience, but we have to ensure its success. Before the prime ministers address, BJP National President JP Nadda gave warm welcome to Modi following his arrival from Greece and Johannesburg. PM Modi returned from a 4-day visit to South Africa and Greece. Your guidance & direction have made Chandrayaan-3 a successful project. It is making the whole nation proud Your commitment and dedication show that you went to Bengaluru directly and met the ISRO scientists who set a record for India with their hard work, Nadda said. #WATCH | Delhi: On PM Modis arrival, BJP national president JP Nadda says, PM Modi returned from a 4-day visit to South Africa and Greece. Your guidance & direction have made Chandrayaan-3 a successful project. It is making the whole nation proud Your commitment and pic.twitter.com/XlCz5Gf8Jx ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 Hailing the feat achieved by India in successfully carrying out its historic moon mission, PM Modi said, I went to attend BRICS in South AfricaI got a lot of congratulatory messages during BRICS for Chandrayaan-3. The whole world has sent congratulatory messages. #WATCH | Delhi: I went to attend BRICS in South AfricaI got a lot of congratulatory messages during BRICS for Chandrayaan-3. The whole world has sent congratulatory messages, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Palam airport pic.twitter.com/o1wWQW4g5y ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 Explaining why he named the point where Chandrayaan-3 landed on the moon Shiv Shakti, Modi said, The point where Chandrayaan-3 landed, that point was named as ShivShakti. Shiv ki baat hoti hein toh Shubham hota he aur Shakti ki baat hoti hein toh mere desh ke Nari Shakti ki baat hoti hai. #WATCH | Delhi: The point where Chandrayaan-3 landed, that point was named as ShivShakti. Shiv ki baat hoti hein toh Shubham hota he aur Shakti ki baat hoti hein toh mere desh ke Nari Shakti ki baat hoti heChandrayaan-2 point was named as Tiranga..: says PM Modi pic.twitter.com/viDYWjCAaZ ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 PM Modi met with the scientists of ISRO earlier today after returning from his one-day trip in Greece. The commissioner of Delhi Police has issued social media guidelines for police personnel asking them to maintain the dignity of the uniform. As per the guidelines, police officers in the national capital will be refrained from shooting reels or videos using their mobiles and they must practice extreme caution handling confidential information related to any pending trial or suspect or arrested person and ensure there are no leaks. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora published the guidelines on Friday. The policemen should not post any statements, photos or videos related to departmental training, activities or duties on social media without written permission and also refrain from posting comments that can be derogatory towards victims, suspects or any group, it said. The guidelines, which were issued in Hindi, also stated that disclosure of the identity of a juvenile or a complainant of sexual assault through social media is illegal. The commissioner emphasised that as members of the disciplined force, police officers should not post anything on social media that might endanger the interests of national or internal security. The content being posted on social media by police personnel should not be illegal, obscene, derogatory, threatening or abusing intellectual property rights, the guidelines said. The police personnel and officers should not post anything that violates the conduct rules. Their participation in any group or forum that has been created to promote or agitate any religion, caste, creed or sub-caste is illegal, it added. The guidelines also forbid policemen from being part of any social media campaign that is for or against any political topic. To solve the problems of personnel of all ranks in the Delhi Police, there are mediums like Sampark Sabha, open house or they can also seek help of the higher officials if needed, the commissioner said in the guidelines while directing the policemen to avoid using social media on duty. With inputs from PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bengaluru early this morning and met the team of ISRO scientists behind the successful Chandrayaan-3 Moon mission. Addressing his supporters who had gathered at HAL airport to welcome him, the PM hailed the historic feat achieved by the countrys scientific community. I could not come earlier as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists on arrival in India, PM Modi said. Following the BRICS summit in South Africa and a maiden visit to Greece, PM Modi arrived at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru to greet the scientists behind the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission. He was received at ISTRAC by ISRO chief S Somanath and other scientists. Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nations achievements in the space sector. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2023 Soon after landing in the IT city, the Prime Minister addressed a gathering before departing for ISTRAC. Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan, the PM said. Not only Indians but people across the globe who believe in science are filled with enthusiasm. I decided that on my return to India, I will go to Bengaluru and pay tribute to the scientists behind Chandrayaan-3s success. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Governor Thawarchand Gehlot and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar were not present with the Prime Minister on stage. The PM said that he had requested the Karnataka leaders to not go through the trouble of waking up very early in the morning to receive him. As I did not know when I will reach Bengaluru, I requested the Chief Minister, Governor, and Deputy Chief Minister not to take the trouble so early, PM Modi said. Earlier on Saturday, the Prime Minister had called the ISRO scientists responsible for Chandrayaan-3s success exceptional and said that he was looking forward to interacting with them. Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional ISRO scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector, the PM had written on social media ahead of his visit. On Wednesday, PM Modi virtually witnessed the successful lunar landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander module from Johannesburg where he was attending the BRICS summit. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Saturday said persons above 80 years of age and those with more than 40 per cent disability will be able to cast their votes from home through postal ballots in the upcoming Assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. There are more than 2 lakh voters above the age of 80 in the state, he said. Voters above the age of 80 years will have the facility to cast their votes from home and the same facility will be available to the persons with disabilities (more than 40 per cent). For this, they have to fill form 12D within five days of notification of the election, Kumar said at a press conference here. These voters will also have a pick-drop facility at the polling stations, he said. He said an intensive drive will be carried out to enroll as voters those who had been left out in five particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) during the ongoing special summary revision (SSR)-2. Special summary revision of electoral rolls has been extended up to September 11, he added. Concerned administrative and law enforcement authorities have been directed to keep 105 check posts in the state operational with CCTV cameras installed there to prevent illegal movement of liquor, cash, freebies and drugs during polls, Kumar said. An ECI team headed by Kumar held meetings with political parties, law enforcement agencies, district collectors and superintendents of police (SPs) as well as the states chief secretary and director general of police and other officials during the last two days here. Kumar further informed Chhattisgarh has 1.97 crore voters, comprising 98.5 lakh women and 98.2 lakh men and 762 transgenders. Of the total voters, 4.43 lakh are first-timers, 2,948 are centenarians, 1.47 lakh are persons with disabilities (PwD), 2.02 lakh voters are in the 80-plus age segment and 19,854 are service votes, he said. An intensive drive will be carried out to enrol leftover electors belonging from five PVTGs- Abhujmaria, Kamar, Pahadi Korwa, Birhor, and Baiga. These PVTGs have a population of 1.80 lakh and of them 1.15 lakh are over 18 years of age but only 1.13 lakh have been enrolled as voters, he said. The total number of polling booths in the state is 24,109, of which 900 sangwari ones will be managed by women staff and security personnel, and 90 booths will be managed by PwDs, he said. All polling booths will have facilities like toilets, wheelchairs, etc, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stopped his address midway at the Palam airport after an SPG personnel fainted. He immediately asked his medical team to check up on the personnel. Watch: #WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi asks his team of doctors to check on a person who collapsed during his address. pic.twitter.com/Stw4eL97CW ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 The PM was addressing the public after his return from the BRICS Summit in South Africa and a one-day visit to Greece. I went to attend BRICS in South AfricaI got a lot of congratulatory messages during BRICS for Chandrayaan-3. The whole world has sent congratulatory messages, said Prime Minister Modi. Earlier in the morning he landed straight in Bengaluru from a foreign visit to meet the ISRO team after the successful landing of the lander module of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India, PM Modi said. Prime Minister Narendra Modis brief visit to Greece on his way back from the BRICS summit in South Africa assumes an additional significance given that the British Museum (BM) is currently red-faced about the theft of nearly 2,000 artefacts. India and Greece have reason to join forces as the BM not only holds the Elgin Marbles looted from the Acropolis in Athens but also a significant portion of the Amaravati Stupa friezes and other Indian treasures. The BMs director Hartwig Fischer announced on Friday that he would step down as soon as the board have established an interim leadership arrangement after just sacking the curator of its Greek and Roman Art earlier this year could not quell the outcry once the theft of almost 2,000 items became public. He also admitted that the BM did not respond as comprehensively as it should have in response to the warnings in 2021. His resignation was accepted. This should have happened at least a week ago when it emerged that an antiques dealer, irked by the stonewalling tactics of BM officials, informed the museums chairman, former Chancellor George Osborne about hundreds of stolen items being sold on eBay. Osbornes own queries revealed that a complaint in 2021 had been brushed off after an internal inquiry. It was evident that the BM top brass had done little to address the matter, for reasons yet unknown. Fischer had earlier tried to defend himself and the BM administration by claiming that concerns were only raised about a small number of items and that our investigation concluded those items were all accounted for, He also accused the dealer of not informing him that he had many more items in his possession as that would have aided our investigations. The dealer retorted that Fischer lied and that the BM never contacted him for information on the thefts. Mind you, this unseemly squabbling is happening at the BMBritish Museum, not Bihar Museumthat considers itself superior to India and Greece when it comes to handling treasures. Curiously, after that clean chit to itself in 2021, a BM inquiry in 2022 miraculously revealed what Fischer then disingenuously called just a bigger problemthe shocking disappearance of nearly 2,000 items including jewellery dating from 15th century BCE to 19th century CE. It has now come to light that purloined items, including ancient Roman jewellery made of gold, semi-precious stones and glass were sold on eBay for as little as $50 when they were easily worth well over $65,000. Even more astonishingly, the sellers handle was clearly connected to the BM curator who has been sacked and recently named as Peter Higgs, but he has not been charged or arrested for any crime yet. Was he challenging the antiquities world to catch him? That Higgs could spirit away so many items undetected for nearly 30 years points to alarming lapses in the museums functioning. Why did the BM ignore warning signals from as far back as 2016? How did it not get an alert about the eBay account of an employee? What is the guarantee that Higgs is the only one with sticky fingers in the BM? Can the BM maintain its lofty disdain for repatriation demands from Greece, India and other nations after this sordid saga? Before he quit, Fischer had announced that BM has tightened its security and was working alongside outside experts to complete a definitive account of what is missing, damaged and stolen. This will allow us to throw our efforts into the recovery of objects. But that assurance will hardly assuage fears about the future safety of artefacts particularly in its storerooms and will also raise concerns about what else might be revealed as missing by those outside experts. Since 1983 the BM has swatted away all demands from Greece to return the 5th century BCE treasures on the plea that they were better looked after and more secure in Britain than in their country of origin. Greece, however, has been relentless in its pursuit of the return of the marble artefacts that were carried away by Lord Elgin between 1801 and 1812, when he was serving as the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire which controlled Athens at the time. Predictably a parliamentary panel had absolved Elgin in 1816 of stealing the treasures, believing his claim that he had taken them after obtaining a firman from the Ottoman Emperor although there was no evidence of any such document. Eventually he sold the marbles to the British government and they were transferred to the British Museum by an Act of Parliament, no less. And this impressive legal procedure has been the basis for BMs intransigence. The Amaravati Stupa case is equally egregious. It was discovered in 1797 by Colin Mackenzie, then posted in Madras with the East India Companys army but on tour in Guntur district. He studied it in more detail from 1816 to 1820 as Indias first Surveyor General but the 3rd century BCE stupa was excavated only in 1845 by Sir Walter Elliot, and pieces were taken to Madras. After determining their artistic and historic value, many of them were sent to London in 1858. By then, their ownerthe East India Companywas shutting down, so instead of going to the companys planned India Museum the Amaravati sculptures went on display at Fife House in Whitehall in 1861. When that shut down in 1869, the friezes were sent off to the India Office Stores in Lambeth as part of the EICs India Museum collection. Finally, after some parliamentary debates the artefacts were transferred to the BM in 1880and displayed in the stairwell. Removed for safekeeping during World War II, they were then housed in an air-conditioned basement in 1959 until they were relocated to a special gallery funded by the Japanese Asahi Shimbun newspaper in 1992. For over a century then, the BM really did not show much love for the friezes until that generous Japanese offer. That the friezes became EIC property simply by the convenient colonial principle of finders keepers also does not bother BM. Osborne has been in talks with Greece to loan them the Parthenon marbles, presumably to get around the Act of Parliament that prevents the BM from returning anything. If the BM is amenable to these face-saving feints, India should push for a similar deal for the Amaravati friezes and other Indian treasures in the BM. And the G20 Summit in New Delhi next month is the perfect time to set up a pressure group too on this: the League of Looted Nations. The author is a freelance writer. 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. On 23 August 2023, Russian aviation officials said Yevgeny Prigozhin and nine other passengers died when a private plane flying between Moscow and St Petersburg, crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino, about halfway between Moscow and St Petersburg in the Tver region, North of Moscow. Prigozhin a wealthy businessman and convicted criminal, known as Putins chef had founded Wagner in 2014. Although mercenary forces are illegal in Russia, Wagner was registered as a Private Military Company in 2022. As per Dmitry Utkin, a former officer in Russias Special Forces, Wagners first Field Commander, the group was named after his radio call sign. It is a reference to composer Richard Wagner, who was Adolf Hitlers favourite composer. The 53-year-old veteran of Russias two wars in Chechnya in 1994-2000 has been involved in the Private Army since its early days. In recent years, Utkin is reported to have been Prigozhins right-hand man, responsible for overall command and combat training. Incidentally Utkin was also one of the passengers as per the manifest. The third prominent name amongst those who perished in the air crash is Valery Chekalov, believed to be a close Prigozhin associate with business links to the Wagner leader stretching back to the 2000s. The 47-year- was reported to have been involved in running Prigozhins non-military business interests, which Western governments say are used to finance the mercenary group. He was linked with Evro Polis, a Company associated with Prigozhin, which signed contracts for the production of gas and oil in Syria in 2017. It is said that the Company was contracted by President Bashar al-Assads government to protect Syrian oil fields in exchange for a 25 per cent share in oil and gas production from the fields. The finances raised from the deal were used to pay Wagner fighters and procure arms. Chekalov is also believed to have been in charge of Wagners business projects across Africa. He had been targeted by US and Ukrainian sanctions over his links with Prigozhin, and Evro Polis has also been sanctioned by a number of governments, including the UK. The other four Wagner members who died are Yevgeny Makaryan, Sergei Propustin, Alexander Totmin and Nikolai Matuseyev, they all appear to be Wagner fighters or could be personal bodyguards. The remaining three people identified as being among the dead by Russian authorities are the pilot Alexei Levshin,51, a co-pilot Rustam Karimov, 29, and Kristina Raspopova, 39, a flight attendant and the only woman on board. Raspopova, is said to have spoken to her family and posted photographs on social media shortly before the flight took off. Karimov had only worked for the Company for three months, according to a Russian media interview with his father, and reportedly celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary earlier this month. Levshin, was married with two children and had worked in aviation his entire adult life. Prigozhin is known to have regularly travelled by private jet, and the aircraft involved in the crash, a Brazilian-made Embraer (EBM-135BJ) is known to have been used by him previously. Wagner mercenaries Most Wagner mercenaries initially came from Russias elite Regiments and Special Forces. However, in 2022, Prigozhin recruited prisoners from Russian jails to fight for Wagner in Ukraine, in exchange for pardons. As per some reports there were 25,000 Wagner fighters. Apart from the recent conflict in Ukraine, the group has also been operating in Syria, Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan and Libya. Wagner troops were in the spotlight during the fighting for Bakhmut, in Eastern Ukraine, which they captured for Russia in May 2023.During the battle, Prigozhin repeatedly criticised the Russias Army Chief, Valery Gerasimov, and the Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, for not supplying their troops adequately especially with regards to ammunition. There were reports that a large number of them were killed and many were injured. In June 2023, some 5,000 Wagner fighters staged a mutiny. They occupied the Southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow, with the stated aim of ousting Gerasimov and Shoigu. The coup ended once the advance was halted after a deal with President Putin, which was negotiated by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko. At that stage it was said that the Wagners fighters could either join the regular Russian Army or go to Belarus with Prigozhin. The Polish government has been reported as saying there are probably between 3,500 and 5,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus. Questions that are difficult to answer More than twenty-four hours after the plane crash there remain plenty of questions that remain to be answered. Principally, as to What caused the crash? Various theories have emerged as to what brought the plane down. It has been reported that a surface-to-air missile may have struck the plane, but the Pentagon has said it has no indication that one was used. A US official told BBCs US partner network CBS that an explosion on board was a more probable cause and that it was possible a bomb went off. There is no doubt that various theories will continue to gain traction in the coming days. Then, is it sure that Prigozhin was on board? The US says its likely he was. Fingers have been pointed at the Russian leadership, though there is no proof that any of them were involved. President Putin called it a tragedy and reiterated that an investigation was underway. Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country had nothing to do with the crash. Implications of Prigozhins death Though President Putin had called Prigozhin a traitor, but a lot of people were shocked at how soft Putin was toward him after the mutiny. President Putin made his feelings more than clear. He called it treachery and a stab in the back of Russia. He promised that the perpetrators would be punished. There was a degree of incredulity in Russia when they were not. When a deal was cut between Prigozhin and the Kremlin to end the mutiny and all the charges against the Wagner founder and his fighters were dropped there were analysts who felt it made President Putin look weak. A Russian newspaper commented: This kind of compromise is normally made with political opponents. Never with criminals and terrorists. Does that mean we should view Mr Prigozhin now as a political figure? Suddenly things look rather different. Prigozhin circulated freely between Belarus and Russia. Putin met him in the Kremlin. He allowed him to live his life as if nothing had happened. There was little value that Prigozhin had to Putin after the mutiny. The only reason to tolerate Prigozhin seemed to be that he had some role to play in furthering Russian interests in Africa, Ukraine and Syria However, after the crash maybe there seems to be a method in his dealing with the situation. For those who considered Prigozhin a threat to the state, his death represents justice. The establishment, which includes the military and the close supporters of President Putin, believed that Prigozhin went too far with his march to Moscow and his removal was a matter of time. Whereas there are others who have said that Prigozhins killing is a risky move by the state. It could spark discontent and a negative reaction from Prigozhins supporters. So far there has not been any significant reaction. Those who sympathised with Prigozhin before the mutiny were disappointed when he decided to challenge the state. In fact, Prigozhins appeal had collapsed after the mutiny. Many Russians turned their backs on Prigozhin because they felt, You can fight against corruption in the Defense Ministry, you can criticise the military on your Telegram channel, but you cant rise up against the state. The possibility of upheaval against the Kremlin or something pro-Prigozhin, pro-Wagner seems remote. Its unlikely that he will be regarded as a martyr. As per Tatiana Stanovaya in Foreign Affairs, It is in fact unlikely that anyone will follow in his footsteps and try to carry on his activities. Even those who believed in Prigozhin will view what happened to him as a warning to anyone who tries to repeat what he did. People will be scared, especially those who stayed by Prigozhins side until now. Just imagine: they must think theyre next. What needs to be watched is how the Wagner group which is presently in Belarus will now be employed? Even though it really may be an accident, there is good reason to believe that President Putin was interested in such a crash. In fact, the crash seems to be an act of revenge by those in power and administered within two months of the coup. There is no doubt that the chef had cooked his own goose and that President Putin remains firmly in control. The author is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. 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. Chandrayaan-3 has successfully landed at the South Pole of the Moon as part of Indias Space Mission. This mission is the third in the series, as the first mission of Chandrayaan to outer space was launched in 2008, and the second one was in 2019. Soon after the successful landing of the Vikram part of Chandrayaan-3, at the South Pole, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, echoing the mood of the Nation, stated, Every Indian is celebrating today. Every home is celebrating. I am also connected to the people of my country at this proud moment. It is the dawn of a new era. The significance of this Chandrayaan Mission can be gauged from the fact that no other space powers -the United States, China, or Russia- have landed on the Southern Pole of the Moon. Similarly, India has joined the elite club of the United States, China, and Russia as a major space power. As has been observed, outer space is going to play a critical role in shaping the geopolitics of the future. In this context, there is a need to assess the significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission in propelling Indias image in the geopolitics of outer space. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the South Pole of the moon, along with as reported it has connected with the earlier mission of Chandrayaan-2 demonstrates the fact that advanced research on outer space is being conducted by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its scientists as well as able support being provided by the Government of India over the years to carry out research and innovation in space sciences. In this regard, it is pertinent to mention two major initiatives the Government of India has launched as part of the space mission in recent years. These are Jai Vigyan and Jai Anusandhan as the Space Sector Reform, which was carried out on 26 June 2020. To understand the significance of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and its implications for the geopolitics of outer space and Indias role, one has to highlight the location of critical minerals in outer space along with jostling among the great powers to capture these resources. Critical minerals of outer space, Moon Economy and its significance In recent years, the global community has been confronting two major challenges: limiting the adversarial effect of climate change and ensuring a sustainable energy transition. However, as studies suggest, the transition is not as smooth as expected because of the scarcity of critical minerals, which are essential components of the Renewable Energy transition. In this context, one has to envisage the significance of the Moon Economy and the potential sources of these critical minerals. Along with this, the space mission generally gives a tactical advantage to a country in the operationalization of satellite communication, as well as a host of other advantages. This includes facilitating and providing regular satellite data, which helps predict many things, including the monsoon and can help defence forces greatly to have surveillance on other countries. It can be underlined that since the Moon is an abundant source of raw material, this will be a geopolitical space where future conflict and cooperation might happen. In this context, there is a need to look holistically at the critical minerals that have assumed importance in recent years. As per a study by ISRO, a vast quantity of water is currently stored in the Moon, particularly in the South Pole. If this can be explored, a large amount of hydro-energy can be produced. Similarly, an ISRO study suggests the presence of other critical minerals, like plutonium and helium 3, which can be used for the fusion of nuclear energy, Cobalt, Lithium, Titanium, Potassium and other critical minerals, as per a report published by Popular Science Magazine titled The elements we might mine on the moon. Similarly, the Energy Information Administration (EIA), in its various reports, has suggested the future of these critical minerals that can be sourced for the RE sector. Geopolitics in outer space and critical minerals As the above studies suggested, Mars can be a potential source of future supply of raw materials, but it has also been argued that it can be a major factor for geopolitical competition. To address these concerns, numerous legislations at the international level are in place. These are Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, 10 October 1967, Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space which came into effect in September 1976, Agreement Governing the Activities of States on the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, July 1984. A new treaty governing outer space is the Artemis Treaty, which came into force in 2020. The Accord affirms that cooperative activities should be exclusively for peaceful purposes and in accordance with international law. Though all the above-mentioned treaties envisage peaceful use of outer space, including the moon, the reports suggest China has shown its belligerent posture on the moon over the years. This is actually a cause of concern. Similarly, just to showcase its prowess and to dominate the moon, Beijing has started adventurism, which results in the accumulation of waste, which actually aggravates the environmental crisis. Similarly, there is a possibility that the competition between the US and China over the deployment of Anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) missiles has also posed a risk to outer space. Thus, the militarization of outer space poses a substantial challenge to its security. Indias role in outer space Over the years, India has emerged as a major space power in the international arena. The basic objective of Indias space mission, i.e, Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface, as stated by ISRO on its website. The basic point that needs to be addressed here is how the Chandrayaan-3 Mission will address Indias energy requirement in future. As India is an energy deficit country, statistics suggest that around 80 per cent of energy is being imported from the external market. Similarly, over the years, India has emerged as a major hub for renewable energy. For instance, Indias contribution to solar and hydrogen energy is noteworthy. In this context, there is a need to look at outer space as a potential supply source for critical minerals. In this context, one has to underline here how the critical minerals from the moon can help India to augment its self-sufficiency in energy requirements. The successful launching of Chandrayaan-1, Chandrayaan 2 and 3 is a step in that direction. ISRO has already envisaged obtaining critical minerals from outer space by 2030. Similarly, if India can harness helium -3 from the moon, it can certainly augment Indias nuclear energy security. Also, by converting water into hydrogen, India can ensure an uninterrupted supply of the same. In this context, the successful landing of the Chandrayaan -3 in the South Pole of the Moon put India at the forefront of outer space research. It also demonstrated the capability of Indian scientists to carry out such a project. Similarly, as envisaged by Ernest and Young and the Indian Space Association in the Joint Report, by 2025, Indias moon economy will reach around 13 billion US Dollars. In this regard, it may be highlighted that, as suggested by reports, ISRO has planned to bring critical minerals like Helium dust to India by 2030. The success of Chandrayaan-3 is a step in that direction, and it will help India meet its energy security needs and facilitate a smoother energy transition. So also , the Chandrayaan-3 projects successful operation will greatly boost Indias ASAT capability. As studies suggest, India is the fourth country to deploy ASAT as part of Mission Shakti in outer space in 2019. The deployment of ASAT by India is a step in the right direction in checkmating the Chinese clout in outer space. It is also a fact that India signed the Artemis Accord in June 2023, which will boost India-U.S. cooperation in outer space. The joint exploration will help harness the resources of the moon for the welfare of mankind in general. In fact, this is a step in the right direction, as also envisaged in the Artemis Accord. In a nutshell, it can be stated that the landing of the Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon is a step in the right direction. It will propel India to play a major role in outer space geopolitics. At the same time, India will be able to harness the Moon economy more effectively. The author teaches at the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi. 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. According to a statement released on Saturday by the countrys air force, two L-39 training aircraft collided in midair in central Ukraine, killing three Ukrainian pilots. Losing three pilots will be a setback for Ukraine, which is preparing to make a major effort to quickly train its air crews on F-16 fighter jets given by the West; up to 61 of these aircraft have been offered to Kyiv. West of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in the Zhytomyr district, the disaster took place on Friday. According to the air force, one of the deceased pilots, who went by the callsign Juice, had gained notoriety after giving countless interviews to foreign media. We express our condolences to the families of the victims. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us, the air force wrote on the Telegram app, adding that an investigation into the circumstances of the crash was taking place. (With agency inputs) After Russia pulled out of the accord last month, a top European Union official urged Russia on Saturday to renew a grain pact to allow the secure transport of Ukrainian grain through Black Sea ports. According to Valdis Dombrovskis, executive vice president of the European Commission, Russian limitations on the shipping of grains from Ukraine across the Black Sea were problematic for several developing nations in addition to Kyiv. Dombrovskis, who is in India for a conference of the G20 trade ministers, claimed that Russia is using grain as a weapon. We support all efforts by United Nations, by Turkey on Black Sea grain initiative, he told reporters, adding the bloc was providing alternative trading routes, also called solidarity lanes, to Ukraine for grain and other exports. Since the agreements expiration last month, which was mediated by Ankara and the UN, Turkey has been attempting to persuade Moscow to renew it. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov informed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Moscow will only rejoin the agreement if the West upholds its duties to Moscow. Approximately 45 million tonnes of grain, oil seeds, and allied items have been exported through alternate routes via Poland and Romania since the Black Sea agreement expired, providing an essential lifeline to Ukraine, according to Dombrovskis. The European Union is supporting Ukraine through defence, financial and other aid, aiming to throw Russian troops beyond international borders of Ukraine, he said. According to Dombrovskis, the bloc is concerned that some nations, such as China and India, have not endorsed the Western sanctions against Russia. EU representatives brought up the subject of shipments of refined oil made from Russian crude oil processed by India during bilateral discussions between India and EU authorities, which partially negated the goal of the sanctions, he noted. He added that this was unlikely to influence existing discussions over a potential free trade agreement between the EU and India. (With agency inputs) At Chinas request, the chairman of Japans junior coalition partner Komeito party would postpone his planned trip there, the party said on Saturday. From August 28 to 30, Natsuo Yamaguchi intended to travel to China in order to meet with President Xi Jinping and deliver a personal letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. According to a statement from the party, the Chinese side advised Komeito on Saturday that the timing is not appropriate considering the current situation of Japan-China relations. An inquiry for comment was not immediately answered by the Chinese foreign ministry. Despite domestic and international opposition, Japan started discharging cleaned radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday into the Pacific Ocean. China, for one, condemned the action and banned all Japanese aquatic items. In a meeting last week, Kishida and the presidents of the United States and South Korea also denounced Chinas dangerous and aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea and pledged to strengthen their military and economic cooperation. In a statement, Komeito expressed the desire to readjust the proper timing of the visit in the future. According to the party, the Chinese side had stated that they valued Komeitos efforts to make the visit possible and acknowledged the value of their countrys long-standing good relations with Komeito. (With agency inputs India, which used to be regarded one of the Fragile Five nations, is now seen as a bright spot in the world economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday, emphasising the importance of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, which was introduced in 2016. The seminar being held by the Insolvency & Professionals Council of India, titled Rejuvenation of Economy under Insolvency Laws, was noted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PM Modi acknowledged the need to even better the insolvency regime in a letter he signed and sent to Dr. Adish C. Aggarwala, President of the International Council of Jurists, London, in preparation for the seminar that will take place in New Delhi on August 27. Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the initiative and stated, It is particularly encouraging to note that this seminar is being attended by many legal luminaries, domain experts, and other stakeholders. The seminars discussions will prove fruitful and provide a roadmap to make the insolvency regime even better, the prime minister predicted. India has pursued a human-centric approach to development, for true progress is always people-centric. Just a few years ago, India, which used to be counted among the Fragile Five economies, is now being considered a bright spot in the global economy added the Prime Minister in the message to Dr. Aggarwala, who is also the President of Supreme Court Bar Association. According to the Prime Minister, One of the important reasons for the turnaround of the Indian economy has been the advent of several reforms and their thorough implementation in a coordinated manner by several institutions. When we speak of Ease of Doing Business, ease of winding up a business is also an important facet of the cycle. Since its enactment, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has brought a paradigm shift in the insolvency regime in the country and is a crucial milestone in the economic reforms, Prime Minister Modi asserted in the message. Today, the health of our banking system is seeing new highs while the recovery of NPAs has been extremely encouraging. The sustained efforts by all stakeholders to get the process of resolving insolvency going smoothly has been an important contributor. It is the outcome of these dedicated and committed endeavours that the nation has massively improved its Ease of Doing Business, PM Modi wrote to Dr Aggarwala, who is also co-author of the Prime Ministers biographies with eminent British and American authors. He continued by saying that Amrit Kaal represents the will of more than 140 crore people to create a developed, independent country. Self-reliance in India becomes a national ethos when individual desires are linked to the nations objectives. The persistent Non-Performing Assets (NPA) issue in India, according to the seminars organiser, has gotten worse in recent years and is a factor in the nations economic slump. Although other factors, like rigorous tax enforcement, still impact the economy, resolving NPAs is pivotal for revitalising credit growth and investment, he said. Previous mechanisms for NPA resolution, primarily established by the Reserve Bank of India and limited to banks, were suboptimal. With the aim of resolving the NPA crisis and enabling a smooth flow of credit within the economy in mind, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBP) was enacted by the government in 2016, the organiser stated. (With agency inputs) The new military regime in Niger has given the Ambassador of France 48 hours ultimatum to leave the country. This comes as relations between the new regime in Niamey and several Western powers, as well as the West African bloc ECOWAS, have deteriorated since the coup on 26 July. Frances government quickly rejected the order against its ambassador, repeating that it did not recognise the military rulers authority. The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassadors approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities, the French foreign ministry told AFP. A few days back ECOWAS threatened military action to reverse last months coup, which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. Paris has repeatedly backed calls by ECOWAS for the reinstatement of Bazoum. France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years . Pressure from ECOWAS Earlier Friday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged Nigers coup leaders to reconsider their position and pushed for a return to civilian rule, with the threat of force still very much on the table. While the generals who ousted Bazoum have called for a three-year transition period, ECOWAS demands the immediate return to constitutional order. With delegations shuttling into Niamey, ECOWAS said negotiations remained its priority as defence chiefs prepared a standby mission for a possible legitimate use of force to restore democracy if needed. Even now, it is not too late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup detat, ECOWAS commission president Omar Alieu Touray told reporters in Abuja. The real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coup detats in the region. ECOWAS has already applied sanctions against Niger to pressure the new regime. Three other governments have fallen to military rebellions in the Sahel region since 2020, and jihadists control swathes of territory. ECOWAS leaders are already negotiating with military administrations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea who are all working towards transitions to democracy after their own coups. After initially balking, Nigers new rulers have said they remain open to negotiations. But they have sent mixed messages, including a threat to charge Bazoum who remains detained at his official residence with his family with treason. Aggression Nigers military leaders have also warned against any intervention, accusing ECOWAS of preparing an occupying force in league with an unnamed foreign country. The officers on Thursday said they would let troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso intervene in Niger in case of an aggression. But Touray dismissed plans for ECOWAS declaring war or an invasion of Niger, insisting the standby mission would be a legitimate force allowed under ECOWAS statutes agreed by members. The instruments include the use of force. So it is very much on the table, as are other measures we are working on, he said. If peaceful means fail, ECOWAS cannot just fold its hands. ECOWAS has intervened militarily in past crises, including in civil wars. Few details of the new standby force have emerged. But preparations for any possible use of military force in Niger are risky and already face political resistance in northern Nigeria, a key player in ECOWAS and the region. Nigers northern neighbour Algeria has also warned of disastrous consequences for the region from an intervention. Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf this week toured West African countries to try to find a solution to a crisis in which Algiers firmly opposes any military option. There is a time for everything and we are currently in the time of finding peaceful solutions, he said on a visit to Benin. Lets put all our imagination into giving every chance to a political solution. With inputs from AFP On Saturday, Nirmala Sitharaman, the Unions minister of finance, met with Valdis Dombrovskis, the executive vice-president of the European Commission, to address bilateral and financial problems of mutual concern. According to the Ministry of Finance, the two leaders met in New Delhi and discussed the ongoing consultations for the India-EU Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) and India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Along with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, the EU Trade Commissioner co-chaired the EU-India High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment on Saturday in Delhi. The resumption of negotiations for an FTA between the EU and India last year was a significant development in trade ties. Before the meeting with the Unions minister of finance, The EU Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis stated during a press conference that although the FTA negotiations have advanced, there are still significant obstacles to overcome. He said, The discussions on the Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union (EU) have made progress but a lot of work is still ahead of us, said on Saturday, adding that the ties between the two sides have a lot of untapped potential. During a news conference conducted in India, Dombrovskis highlighted the relationships unrealized potential and said, India and the EU are key partners. Fundamental beliefs and pursuits are shared by us. He also emphasised that the second-largest partner of India is the EU. Dombrovskis emphasised the growing significance of trust and credibility in international interactions by pointing out that the FTA discussions are taking place within a period of conflicting geopolitical circumstances. Dombrovskis, who is also the EU Commissioner for Trade, gave an update on the FTA negotiations and said that both parties have had lengthy meetings. He emphasised the possible advantages of an FTA, such as giving India preferential access to the EU market, which is the biggest single market in the world. Earlier in the week, Dombrovskis travelled to India and attended the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Jaipur. The resumption of negotiations for an FTA between the EU and India last year was a significant development in trade ties. The goal of an FTA is to remove trade obstacles between member nations, easing easier import and export procedures and strengthening trade ties. Initial negotiations started in 2007, but were put on hold in 2013. The decision to reopen negotiations in 2021 underscores the two major partners common desire to strengthen economic ties and advance frictionless commerce. In order to ensure that trade benefits both parties without having a negative influence on the environment or worker rights, the negotiations cover a wide range of topics, including sustainability, labour standards, and environmental considerations. (With agency inputs) Pakistan on Friday said the country has not made any formal request to join the BRICS grouping, after its recent summit concluded in Johannesburg on Thursday. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the country will examine the latest developments and make a determination about its future engagement with BRICS, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pakistan. We have followed the BRICS related developments in Johannesburg. We have also noted its openness to inclusive multilateralism. Pakistan has said several times in the past that it is an ardent supporter of inclusive multilateralism, Baloch said during a media briefing on Friday. Pakistan has not made any formal request to join BRICS. We will examine the latest developments and make a determination about our future engagement with BRICS. Pakistan is an ardent supporter of multilateralism and as a member of several multilateral organizations it has always played an important role for global peace and development, she added. She said that Pakistan is also an important developing country that has made many important contributions to promote peace, solidarity and cooperation among countries of the South. We shall continue our efforts at the international fora for fostering the spirit of international cooperation and revitalization of inclusive multilateralism, she indicated. On Indias Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO scientists deserve appreciation. BRICS group of nations on Thursday decided to include six new members Argentina, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The new membership will be effective from January 1, 2024. Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) supported the expansion of the grouping, the first such expansion since 2010 when South Africa was inducted into the group. South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa said that Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and UAE have been invited to join the BRICS as part of the first phase of expansion. With this expansion, six of the worlds nine largest oil producers are now part of BRICS. Ramaphosa made the announcement while issuing the Johannesburg Declaration of 15th BRICS Summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, India has always supported the expansion of BRICS and has always believed that adding new members will strengthen BRICS as an organisation. Concerned over the nationwide protests erupted against the massive electricity bills and relevant hashtags started trending on social media, Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul-haq Kakar called an emergency meeting on August 27 to discuss the issue. The Express Tribune reported that the caretaker premier called the meeting in Islamabad and directed the energy ministry and the electricity distribution companies to give a detailed briefing in this regard. As per the statement from Pakistans PMO office, consultations will be held regarding giving maximum relief to consumers regarding electricity bills. According to The Express Tribune, after the surge in electricity bills, the general public and traders associations staged protests in multiple cities which led the government to finally take notice to the issue. Earlier a protest in Karachi, which was also supported by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) seeks reduction in the ever-increasing electricity prices and additional taxes imposed through power bills. Addressing the protesters, JIs Karachi Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, warned that if the government continues to burden the public, the situation could further deteriorate. Our struggle is against the white-collar mafia in KE, he affirmed, underscoring the commitment to represent the peoples interests, reported The Express Tribune. The protest was also staged in Pakistans Rawalpindi where the protesters raised slogans against Islamabad Electric Supply company. The publication reported that protests were also staged in Lahore, Attock, Peshawar, Quetta, Taunsa, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rahim Yar Khan and Multan against the inflated electricity bills. A large number of people participated in the demonstrations. Earlier, a report pointed out that Pakistan is burdened with costly plants and commitments that people have been struggling to pay for, The News International reported. Pakistanis paid 41 billion for partial load adjustment charges in 2022, resulting from the underutilisation of thermal power plants (with only 46 percent utilization) and 721 billion in capacity payments, the report said. With inputs from ANI. A Pakistani doctor, who worked in the United States on an H-1B visa, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to terror organisation ISIS and conduct lone wolf terrorist attacks in the US. Muhammad Masood, 31, was sentenced on Friday to 18 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a Department of Justice statement said. He pleaded guilty in August last year and was sentenced before Senior Judge Paul A. Magnuson. According to court documents, Masood was a licensed medical doctor in Pakistan and was formerly employed as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, under an H-1B visa. Between January 2020 and March 2020, Masood used an encrypted messaging application to facilitate his travel overseas to join a terrorist organization. Masood made multiple statements about his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), and he pledged his allegiance to the designated terrorist organization and its leader. Masood also expressed his desire to conduct lone wolf terrorist attacks in the United States. In February 2020, Masood purchased a plane ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. In March that year, Masoods travel plans changed because Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood then agreed to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who, he believed, would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to an ISIS territory. He travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. Upon arrival at MSP, Masood checked in for his flight and was subsequently arrested by the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Force. Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has claimed that he gave Russian mercenary group Wagner chiefs, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, a heads up and asked them to not leave the country. Both Progozhin and Dmitry Utkin were said to have died in a recent plane crash in Russia. Many observers continue to have a sceptical view of the reports though. Especially given that back in 2019 also there were reports of Prigozhins death in a crash, but he reappeared in three days. Prigozhina had been living in Belarus since leaving Russia in June after a failed mutiny. The Wagner group claimed to mount a rebellion against the Russian defence ministry after prolonged tensions between the two. However, the mercenary group called off their march to Moscow following a deal that allowed Prigozhin a safe passage to Belarus in lieu of retreating peacefully. Lukashenko, who is close to Russias President Vladimir Putin, was the one who brokered the deal. On Friday, he claimed that during the mutiny he persuaded Putin to not wipe out Prigozhin and the Wagner group. Lukashenko said that he had warned the mercenary chiefs twice, but they dismissed his concerns. The first time, he claimed, was during the mutiny itself. He warned Prigozhin that he would die if he kept up with his march on Moscow, to which, Lukashenko claimed, Prigozhin replied, To hell with it I will die. The second time was when Prigozhin and Utkin called on him. He warned the two, saying, Lads-you watch out, Lukashenko claimed. However, it was not clear as to when the said conversation took place. Its just too rough and unprofessional a job Western countries have suggested that Prigozhin may have been killed on orders from the Kremlin. However, Lukashenko opined that the way in which Prigozhin was killed was too unprofessional for Putin to be behind it. I know Putin: He is calculating, very calm, even tardy, Lukashenko said. I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that Putin is to blame. Its just too rough and unprofessional a job. The Kremlin, on Friday, called the Western suggestions of it behind the crash which killed Prigozhin an absolute lie What is the future for Wagner after Prigozhin? Now that Prigozhin is reportedly dead, it is pertinent to ask what will be the future of his mercenary group. Lukashenko claims that the Wagner fighters will remain in Belarus. Wager lived, Wagner is living and Wagner will live in Belarus, Lukashenko said. As long as we need this unit, they will live and work with us. A militia loyal to the Somali government said Friday that it had seized a major base belonging to the army in the southern part of the breakaway region of Somaliland. The Sool region, of which the disputed city of Las Anod is the capital, has seen months of conflict between Somaliland troops and a clan militia challenging the authorities of the self-proclaimed republic, which declared independence from Somalia in 1991 but has never been recognised internationally. One of the commanders of the SSC militia, Abdiqani Mohamed, told AFP his fighters had taken control of Goojacade, the Somaliland armys largest base in the area, located near Las Anod. We have launched an organised major attack on the main base of the Somaliland army early this morning. We have taken control of all the military bases they had outside Las Anod, including the main Goojacade base, Mohamed said. There are casualties on both sides, he said, adding that his men had captured weapons and taken an unspecified number of prisoners. Hundreds of people died when fighting broke out in the area in February between the SSC and troops from the government of Somaliland. Las Anod residents contacted by telephone said they had heard the sound of heavy fighting on Friday morning. Another SSC commander, Abdullahi Muhidin, said the group had also captured several checkpoints held by the Somaliland army. Somalilands defence ministry said its troops had vacated positions to the east of the Sool region, but said its army was reorganising and preparing a counter-attack. Las Anod is claimed by both Somaliland and neighbouring Puntland, which is an autonomous region of Somalia. The fighting in February erupted after traditional clan leaders in the area pledged to support the central government of Somalia in Mogadishu and urged the breakaway Somaliland authorities to withdraw their troops. Medical charity Doctors Without Borders said on July 24 it had to stop work at Las Anods general hospital, citing recurrent attacks on medical facilities and the level of extreme violence in Las Anod (which) have reached the threshold where MSF is no longer able to provide medical care. On February 16, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimated that more than 185,000 people had fled the violence. Somaliland, a region of 4.5 million people, is a former British protectorate that prints its own currency, issues its own passports and elects its own government. But its quest for statehood has gone unrecognised, leaving it poor and isolated. The region has nonetheless been relatively stable in comparison to Somalia, which has witnessed decades of civil war and Islamist insurgency. Russias military cooperation with Iran will not succumb to geopolitical pressure, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, following reports that Washington has asked Teheran to stop selling drones to Moscow. There are no changes, and cooperation with Iran will continue, Ryabkov said, according to a report on Saturday from Russian state news agency RIA. We are independent states and do not succumb to the dictates of the United States and its satellites. The US is pressing Iran to stop selling the armed drones, which Russia is using in the war in Ukraine, the Financial Times reported earlier this month, citing an Iranian official and another person familiar with the talks. Russia began using the Iranian-made Shahed drones to attack deep inside Ukraine last year. The so-called kamikaze unmanned drones do not need a runway to launch and explode on impact. Iran has acknowledged sending drones to Russia but said in the past they were sent before Russias February 2022 invasion in Ukraine. Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. A White House official said in June that Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since August 2022. Taiwans defence ministry said on Saturday morning that over the past 24 hours, it had detected 20 Chinese Air Force planes entering the islands air defence zone, including a combat drone that flew along Taiwans Pacific east coast. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for three years of increased military pressure from Beijing. Last Saturday, China held a day of drills around Taiwan in an angry response to brief stopovers this month in the United States by Vice President William Lai. Offering further details on Fridays Chinese activity, Taiwans defence ministry said the aircraft involved included Su-30 and J-10 fighters and anti-submarine aircraft. Chinas defence ministry did not answer calls seeking comment on Saturday. Some of the fighters and drones crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, previously an unofficial barrier between the two sides but which over the past year Chinese aircraft have routinely crossed, according to a map Taiwans ministry provided. A TB-001 drone flew to Taiwans north, headed into the Pacific, broadly tracking the islands east coast, then looped back along the same flight path and returned to China, the map showed. Chinese state media has called the TB-001 the twin-tailed scorpion and shown pictures of it with missiles under its wings, saying it is capable of high-altitude, long-range missions. In April, Taiwan said the same model of drone had flown around Taiwan. The ministry this week said it could not judge whether the drills China started last Saturday had formally ended, as Beijing had made no announcement. China has continued military movements around Taiwan. This week China condemned the United States for approving further arms sales to Taiwan, and the island announced it planned to spend $3 billion next year to buy weapons including fighter jets. Taiwan has not reported any Chinese military aircraft in its territorial air space, though it has said planes have come close to the islands contiguous zone, which is within 24 nautical miles (44 km) of its coast. Japans defence ministry said on Friday it scrambled jet fighters to monitor Chinese Air Force bombers and drones flying near the countrys southwestern Okinawa Island and Taiwan. Ukraines GUR military intelligence agency said on Friday a Ukrainian drone attack had hit a Russian military base deep inside annexed Crimea, while residents reported casualties, explosions and a road closure. Early on Friday, Russia reported one of the biggest coordinated Ukrainian air raids yet over Russian-controlled territory but said air defence systems had downed all 42 drones attacking Crimea before they could hit their targets. Ukrainian intelligence officials said the attack struck Russias 126th Coastal Defence Brigade based in Perevalnoye, a town more than 200 km (120 miles) from Ukraine-controlled territory. We confirm that there was a hit, said GUR spokesman Andriy Yusov, according to Ukrainian media outlet Liga.Net. Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimea in 2014, declaring it Russian territory. The United States says it supports Ukrainian attacks on Russian military targets on the Black Sea peninsula of because it should be demilitarised. People not only on the Ukrainian mainland but also in Crimea need to remember and believe that our victory and their liberation are not far away, Ukraines military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said of Fridays strike. Perevalnoye residents, posting on the Telegram messaging app, reported hearing blasts from the military base and cited casualties. Two people died on a firing range, one was taken to a hospital in a severe condition. This is information from above, from the firing range, said a user nicknamed Abdul Has, whose profile picture shows a man in camouflaged uniform. Another user, Vlad the Local, said roughly one person was dead. Why was a gate to the military town closed? user Julia asked. Another resident with the call sign Lis asked others not to disclose information. Residents of Perevalnoye, I strongly recommend dont write here what happened and how, Lis wrote. We help them to direct fire in the future with that. Prominent American conservative media pundit and author Ann Coulter is drawing flak for making racist comments against two Indian-origin US presidential contenders Niki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. During Wednesday nights first Republican presidential debate, Coulter characterised a heated exchange between former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy as Hindu business. Coulter, 61, in her tweet on the social media platform X said: Nikki and Vivek are involved in some Hindu business, it seems. On Thursday, she started to face backlash, with Ramaswamys senior adviser and communications director, Tricia McLaughlin saying that Coulter could tweet whatever she wanted to. Ann can tweet whatever she wants to, McLaughlin said in her tweet. She further said: Vivek shares and lives by the same Judeo-Christian values that this nation was founded on and the way Vivek lives his family life offers a positive example for their own children and grandchildren. Ramaswamy, 38, is Hindu while 51-year-old Haley was born into a Sikh family and is a Christian, which she has been vocal about in her public life. The heated exchange Coulter appeared to refer to wasnt even about religion but rather US aid to Ukraine and Israel, the report said. Both conservatives and liberals have criticised Coulter for her comment. Replying to Coulters racist comment, a random person in a tweet said: Nikki Haley was born Sikh and is a practising Christian, you racist troglodyte. Sangay Mishra, the author of Desis Divided: The Political Lives of South Asian Americans, said: Completely expected that she would attack them but using a white racist trope invoking a religion is beyond disgusting. Coulter used racist comments earlier as well It isnt the first time this election cycle that Coulter has been in the news for racist comments about Haley. In February, she was criticised for telling Haley to go back to your own country as part of a larger tirade on a podcast. Whats with the worshipping of the cows? Theyre all starving over there, she said during an appearance on the The Mark Simone Show podcast. Did you know they have a rat temple, where they worship rats? Coulter has also called Haley a bimbo and a preposterous creature. Haley didnt immediately respond to requests for comment, the report said. With inputs from PTI President Joe Biden said Friday that he is planning to request more money from Congress to develop another new coronavirus vaccine, as scientists track new waves and hospitalizations rise, though not like before. Officials are already expecting updated COVID-19 vaccines that contain one version of the omicron strain, called XBB.1.5. Its an important change from todays combination shots, which mix the original coronavirus strain with last years most common omicron variants. But there will always be a need for updated vaccines as the virus continues to mutate. People should be able to start rolling up their sleeves next month for what officials hope is an annual fall COVID-19 shot. Pfizer, Moderna and smaller manufacturer Novavax all are brewing doses of the XBB update but the Food and Drug Administration will have to sign off on each, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must then issue recommendations for their use. I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works, Biden, who is vacationing in the Lake Tahoe area, told reporters on Friday. He added that its tentatively recommended that everybody get it, once the shots are ready. The White Houses $40 billion funding request to Congress on 11 August did not mention COVID-19. It included funding requests for Ukraine, to replenish US federal disaster funds at home after a deadly climate season of heat and storms, and funds to bolster the enforcement at the Southern border with Mexico, including money to curb the flow of deadly fentanyl. Last fall, the administration asked for $9.25 billion in funding to combat the virus, but Congress refused the request. For the week ending 29 July, COVID-19 hospital admissions were at 9,056. Thats an increase of about 12 per cent from the previous week. But its a far cry from past peaks, like the 44,000 weekly hospital admissions in early January, the nearly 45,000 in late July 2022, or the 150,000 admissions during the omicron surge of January 2022. Vivek Ramaswamy, a prospective candidate for the 2024 US presidential election and of Indian-American origin, has suggested the possibility of forming a joint ticket with former president Donald Trump, where Trump would be his running mate. This notion arises in case Ramaswamy is unable to secure the Republican nomination. This information has been conveyed through a recent media report. Ramaswamys statements came shortly after the 38-year-old, who has transitioned from being a multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur to a politician, expressed his exclusive interest in the role of the president and no other professional position. He firmly believes that his potential lies in being able to unify the nation through the presidential office. However, Ramaswamy has not dismissed the idea of partnering with the 77-year-old Trump as a vice-presidential candidate. This scenario would only materialize if Trump, who currently holds a prominent position in the running for the Republican nomination, secures it for a third occasion. In an interview with Britains GB News, when asked about the possibility of becoming Trumps vice president, Ramaswamy responded, This isnt a decision based on personal preferences. If the circumstances were aligned that way, then certainly. Such a role could be seen as suitable for an individual of my age. This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if Im doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement. He added that he had fresh legs and was almost half [Trumps] age, but would ask him to serve as my most valued adviser in the White House. Rumours of a joint ticket between the two men in the 2024 race were fanned by the Trump campaigns praise for Ramaswamy after the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, in which he emerged as a breakout star. A self-declared outsider who has no experience as an elected official has pledged to pardon Trump for any federal convictions on day one of his presidency and continue his legacy in the White House with an America First 2.0 agenda, The Telegraph newspaper said. In previous interviews, Ramaswamy had denied becoming the former presidents running mate, insisting that he could only change the country if he won the top job. Im not interested in a different position in the government. Frankly, Id drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming number two or three in the federal government, he told Fox News on Saturday. His popularity rating and online fundraising have surged after his impressive performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. The first poll that came out after the debate said that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said Ramaswamy performed the best. He was followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and Pence (13 per cent). Indian-American Nikki Haley received the vote of seven per cent. According to Fox News, Ramaswamy was the most Google-searched Republican candidate after the debate. He was followed by fellow Indian-American Haley. Both the Indian-Americans were standing next to each other on the debate stage. Politico, a Washington metropolitan area-based politics-focused newspaper company, said that Ramaswamy, the brash and uber-wealthy entrepreneur, got under the skin of his rivals and praised Trump, calling him the best president of the 21st century. Though Ramaswamy has repeatedly denied hes in the race just to be Trumps running mate, that hasnt quelled speculation. Many of the qualities that might make him unserious to some, seem to only burnish his bona fides to others and make him seem like a breath of fresh air, it said. Rina Shah, a conservative political consultant and delegate to the Republican National Convention during the 2016 cycle, Ramaswamy is attempting to be as Trump as Trump, which will naturally curry favour with the former president as he searches for a running mate. Another Republican strategist and former Trump White House advisor, JaRon Smith, said big possibility when asked whether Ramaswamys showing on Wednesday put him in the running for veepstakes. Ramaswamys performance in Milwaukee on Wednesday drew the admiration of Donald Trump Jr, the former presidents eldest child. I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do, he said. Trump Junior himself posted a clip of Ramaswamy arguing he was the best president of the 21st century, commenting: This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big win in the debate because of a thing called truth, he said. Despite the unprecedented legal woes of Trump, he is still the frontrunner to get the Republican Party nomination. According to a new poll, Trump leads DeSantis by nearly 40 percentage points in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Ramaswamy, if tapped as Vice President and later elected, would be the second youngest ever to serve in the role, behind John Breckinridge who served as President James Buchanans second in command when he was just 36. Breckinridge served from 1857 to 1861. Bong Go highlights role of Malasakit Centers and Super Health Centers in improving access to healthcare for the poor Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, emphasized the critical role played by the Malasakit Centers and the Super Health Centers (SHCs) in strengthening the country's healthcare sector, in an interview on Saturday, August 19, after assisting poor residents in Olongapo City, Zambales. The Malasakit Centers have significantly enhanced access to medical assistance and services for all Filipinos by consolidating various government agencies in one location. Meanwhile, the SHCs are designed to focus on primary care, consultation, and early detection, further strengthening the healthcare sector in the country especially in grassroots communities. "Ang Malasakit Center po is a one-stop shop. Nasa loob na po ng ospital ang apat na ahensya ng gobyerno - PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation), PCSO (Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office), DOH (Department of Health), DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development) na handang tumulong sa ating mga kababayan," said Go. "'Yan po ang Malasakit Center, batas 'yan na isinulong ko noon, pinirmahan ni dating Pangulong Duterte. One stop shop po 'yan, lapitan n'yo lang po, para po 'yan sa poor and indigent patients," he added. Go emphasized the continuing operations of Malasakit Centers, underscoring their pivotal role in the healthcare sector. Malasakit Centers aim to support impoverished patients in reducing their hospital costs to the least possible amount. Go is the principal author and sponsor of Republic Act No. 11463 or the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which institutionalized the program. To date, 158 operational centers have helped more than seven million Filipinos nationwide. "Ito namang Super Health Center, iba po ito. Isinulong ko noong 2021. Dahil sa kakaikot ko po sa buong Pilipinas, marami pong mga munisipyo, lugar na wala pong sariling health facility," he said. He continued, "Ang ikinaganda po nito, diyan na po magpapakonsulta. It will help decongest the hospital. Diyan na po pwedeng early detection ng diseases at makakapagbigay agad ng primary care para hindi na lumala ang sakit at hindi na kailangan dalahin sa ospital." Services offered in SHCs include database management, out-patient, birthing, isolation, diagnostic (laboratory: x-ray and ultrasound), pharmacy and ambulatory surgical unit. Other available services are eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT) service, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation center and telemedicine. "Sa mga itinayo ng Super Health Centers, nakita namin kung gaano kalaki ang maitutulong nito sa komunidad, lalo na sa rural areas," he said. "'Yun po ang layunin ng mga Super Health Centers, ang ilapit sa mamamayan ang serbisyong medikal ng gobyerno," he added. Through collective efforts, sufficient funds have been allocated for 307 SHCs in 2022 and 322 in 2023. DOH, the lead implementing agency, identifies the strategic areas where they will be constructed. With the combined efforts of Malasakit Centers and SHCs, Go hopes to significantly enhance access to medical assistance and services for all Filipinos bringing public healthcare closer to those in need especially in the grassroots. ??Ahora | El ministro @AlexContreras_M participa en ceremonia de adjudicacion de 5 proyectos de transmision electrica, organizada por @ProInversionPe. ??Sigue la transmision en vivo. https://t.co/XnyFmsya5K Russian Air Defense Forces destroyed a Ukrainian assault drone targeting facilities in the Russian capital and the Moscow Region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported to journalists on Saturday adding that the UAV was downed over the Istra district. August 26, 2023, 10:10 Russian Air Defense Forces destroy Ukrainian assault drone in Moscow Region STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 26, ARTSAKHPRESS: "On August 26 at about 03:00 a.m. Moscow time, the Kiev regimes attempted terrorist attack on facilities in Moscow and the Moscow region with the use of an airplane-type UAV was foiled. On-duty Air Defense Forces destroyed the drone over the Istra district in the Moscow Region," the ministry stated. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said earlier in the day that the Russian Air Defense Forces downed an attack drone flying in the direction of the Russian capital "Air Defense Forces destroyed a drone in the early hours of Saturday in the Istra district as it approaching Moscow. No casualties or damage were reported, according to preliminary reports," Sobyanin wrote on his Telegram channel. Australian lawyer calls for law reform after Australian parents caught up in surrogacy nightmare at Greek clinic. Picture: iStock An Australian lawyer is calling on an overhaul of prohibitive surrogacy laws after multiple families were forced to fight to take their babies home from a Greek clinic at the centre of a major scandal. The Mediterranean Fertility Institute in Crete where hundreds of families have undertaken surrogacy procedures was raided by federal police earlier this month over accusations of human trafficking and fraud, the Australian reported. It is understood at least eight newborns were taken into the care of the Greek government, with their parents unable to take them home or even hold them. Two families have since been reunited with their babies after undertaking DNA testing. Australian newborn babies have been released from a Greek surrogacy clinic after a police raid. Picture: iStock Melbourne-based surrogacy lawyer Sarah Jefford in Melbourne said the incident is a lesson for the Australian government and urged them to act quickly to make it safer for parents to undertake surrogacy at home. I think the time is now for the Australian government to really consider a shake-up of Australian surrogacy laws, she told Weekend Today on Saturday. If they want to make it safe for surrogates and babies and for the intended parents, we need to consider ways to make it easier to do here in our own country. Rather than compel intended parents to go overseas because its an easier option than doing it in their home country. Ms Jefford said it is a relief to hear some of the parents have been reunited with their children, but a number are stuck in limbo with embryos still in storage and others waiting for their children to be born. Australian lawyer Sarah Jefford says it is time for law reform to make it easier to undertake surrogacy in Australia. Picture: iStock I was very shocked when I heard that intended parents that had gone overseas hopefully to bring their baby home have now been told that may not be possible, she said. Weve also still got many intended parents that have a baby on the way or embryos in storage that they dont know what the future holds. It is very distressing to be in that holding pattern, but unfortunately thats all we can do. Finding a surrogate in Australia is incredibly difficult due to laws that prohibit women from advertising or accepting payment for carrying another persons child. Families wanting to undertake surrogacy at home are left with few options, with most surrogates being a family member or friend of the parents. There are an estimated 110 surrogacy births in Australia every year. Greater Adelaide needs another 300,000 homes to meet demand by 2050 and there is one rising demographic driving the crisis: single-person households. The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, which sketches a vision for sustainable development across South Australias population core, credits single-person households as the main reason housing demand now outstrips population growth, with the cohort increasing 78 per cent in the past 30 years. If this trend continues, we will need an extra 300,000 homes over the next 30 years, the report claims. The discussion paper identifies while there is enough land for an additional 200,000 homes, the state will run out of land within 30 years without an ongoing rezoning program. The satellite city of Murray Bridge in Greater Adelaide. Picture: Rural City of Murray Bridge Australian National University demographer Dr Bernard Baffour says young Australians are driving the shift towards single-person households. There is delayed marriage and partnership formation, he said. Changing relationship dynamics, higher divorce rates, and economic factors might be playing into that as well. Career and educational pursuits, particularly in terms of women, are driving those changes as well. Springlake Communities in Mount Barker. Picture: Supplied Dr Baffour said about 25 per cent of Australias population currently fell into the single-person household category. South Australia Housing Minister Nick Champion said the impact of changing household formations would inform government decision-making moving forward. We recognise the pressure this shift has on housing supply and want South Australians to have their say on how it can be addressed, he said. Providing diversity and choice for families is vital amid evolving societal change and the community feedback received through the discussion paper will help ensure those needs are met for future generations. Housing Minister Nick Champion (right) said more housing diversity would be vital to meet Greater Adelaides housing needs. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe Detached dwellings make up 75 per cent of housing in Greater Adelaide and the plan identifies more diverse housing options, particularly a missing middle option between detached housing on large blocks of land and multi-level apartment buildings, as a pathway to consider. Story continues Potential greenfield and satellite city growth zones identified in the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan. Picture: Supplied Census data reveals that the ongoing trend for detached dwellings, typically with three or more bedrooms, does not necessarily match the needs of increasing numbers of smaller households, the plan states. We need to encourage a broader range of dwelling types and dwelling sizes. Addressing the Missing Middle means providing more affordable housing choices in inner metro areas that is more townhouses and multi-unit dwellings that cater for first home buyers, young families and downsizers. In 2014, the government introduced a grant to encourage seniors to downsize, though Mr Champion said the uptake had been low. Our current focus is on helping those who havent been able to buy a house to take that step and get a foot on the property ladder, he said. The 2023-24 budget boasted a $474.7m package to encourage housing development and affordability, including the release of 25,000 new blocks of residential land across Adelaides northern and southern suburbs. The plan also assesses potential growth in satellite cities around Adelaide and how infill areas can expand housing supply. The public consultation period on the plan runs until November 6. Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2023. Slick conditions may have caused a fatal motorcycle crash Friday in Wayne County. New York State Police said the crash occurred on Route 89 at Montana Road in the town of Butler. A 36-year-old man was operating a 2009 Harley Davidson as part of a group traveling to Atlantic City, New Jersey. According to state police, a preliminary investigation found the driver lost control of his motorcycle on a wet, curved road. He went off the west shoulder of the road, was ejected from his motorcycle and entered a wood area. Troopers who responded to the scene attempted life-saving measures, but the man died of his injuries. The name of the man has not been released. State police said the investigation is ongoing. Google Pixel 8a With Tensor G3 Surfaces in Geekbench Listing News oi -Kabir Jain The excitement for Google's upcoming Pixel 8 series of smartphones is steadily increasing, despite the fact that the official release is still a few months away. We have already seen leaks of the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, but this time the leaks have revealed information about their more affordable variant, the Pixel 8a. Recent information, sourced from a Geekbench listing, has unveiled key hardware specifications of the Pixel 8a, providing a glimpse into what this device has to offer. "Google Akita" Referred to as the "Google Akita" within the Geekbench entry, the Pixel 8a is armed with an underclocked Tensor G3 chipset. This processor configuration has managed to achieve a single-core performance score of 1218, coupled with a multi-core performance score of 3175. But what's more intriguing are the detailed specifics of the chipset itself. Delving into the Hardware The Tensor G3 chipset within the Pixel 8a consists of a primary core clocked at 2.91GHz, four high-performance cores operating at 2.37GHz, and an additional four efficiency cores running at 1.7GHz, along with a Mali G715 GPU. Anticipating More Leaks While the unveiled details provide a fascinating insight into the Pixel 8a's core hardware, certain aspects of the device remain shrouded in mystery. Information regarding the remaining hardware components, such as the camera specifications, display features, and battery capacity, is yet to be disclosed. However, considering Google's tendency to share product details in a timely manner, it's quite likely that more leaks and insights related to the Pixel 8a's hardware will emerge as the release date draws closer. Pixel 8 Series to Ditch SIM Cards In more Pixel news, the Google Pixel 8 series is rumored to ditch the SIM card slot in favor of eSIM technology. eSIM is a digital SIM card that is embedded in the phone, eliminating the need for a physical SIM card. The Mountain View giant has already confirmed that it is working on a new Android feature that will allow users to easily transfer their eSIMs to a new phone. Via Source 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 Moto G54 5G Launch Confirmed: Design, Display, Battery, And Other Key Specs Revealed Via TENAA Listing News oi -Alap Naik Desai Motorola has confirmed the official launch date of its latest budget Android smartphone. The Motorola Moto G54 5G will have the signature Moto styling, dual cameras, and a big battery. Motorola is expected to hold two launch events early next month. While the Motorola Moto G84 5G will launch in India, the Lenovo-owned brand will launch the Moto G54 5G will launch in China, and perhaps even in India. Let's look at the latest available details on the Motorola Moto G54 5G, which could be one of the ideal budget or entry-level midrange Android smartphones. Motorola Announces Moto G54 5G Will Launch On September 5, 2023, In China Motorola will launch the Moto G54 5G on September 5, 2023, in China. As the Motorola Moto G84 5G is launching in India on September 1, 2023, it is quite likely that the brand could launch the G54 5G in other markets outside China, including in India. Motorola announced the launch date on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The poster does not reveal the smartphone. However, the Motorola smartphone has also appeared in a TENAA (Telecommunications Equipment Certification Center China MIIT) listing. The design of the device matches the recently leaked renders of the Moto G54 5G. Moto G54 5G TENAA Listing Reveals Design, Key Specifications, And Features The Moto G54 5G images in the TENAA listing confirm the smartphone will feature a dual rear camera setup accompanied by an LED flash. The volume keys and the power button are located on the right side of the smartphone. The display of the Moto G54 5G smartphone has a punch-hole cutout, which should house the front-facing selfie camera. The TENAA certification mentions the Motorola smartphone has a total of three cameras. Needless to mention, two will be located at the back and one at the front of the smartphone. The Moto G54 5G will pack a 4,850mAh battery, which should be advertised as a 5000mAh unit. The signature Moto dimple is clearly visible in the TENAA listing. However, the fingerprint scanner should be embedded in the power button. The TENAA images show the Moto G54 5G in Blue color option. However, recent leaks have indicated the Motorola smartphone will be available in Ambrosia, Ballad Blue, Coronet Blue, and Outer Space color options. Motorola Moto G54 5G Expected Specifications, Features The TENAA listing does not mention the display size, camera specifications, and the chipset. However, multiple leaks and rumors have attempted to fill the information gap. The Moto G54 5G is expected to sit below the Moto G84 5G. Although the Moto G84 5G is a successor to the Moto G82 5G, the smartphone has the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC. The Motorola Moto G54 5G may have a newer but budget or entry-level midrange chipset. Some reports suggest the upcoming Motorola smartphone could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. The SoC could be paired with up to 8GB RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. Previous leak suggests that the Moto G54 5G will feature a 6.5-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD, with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The highlight of the smartphone could be the 50MP primary rear camera with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) that would have multiple photography modes such as macro vision, night vision, portrait mode, and long exposure. 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 The Indian government has announced that it will lease 20 Audi bullet-resistant cars at the cost of 18 crore for the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled for September 9-10, 2023. The Press Information Bureaus (PIB) fact check handle on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirmed the development. The Audi armoured cars will be used for the security needs of the foreign dignitaries who will attend the G20 Summit. India will host the G20 Summit for the first time, which will have leaders from over 20 nations in attendance. The cars will be used to ferry the visiting dignitaries over the two-day period. PIB Fact Check also clarified that the provision of bullet-resistant cars is a standard protocol procedure for all Head of State (HoS) and Head of Government (HoG) visits. The Government of India has leased 20 Audi Bullet Resistant cars for 18 crores to accommodate the security needs of #G20 visiting Leaders. No cars have been purchased. Provision of BR cars is a standard protocol procedure for all HoS/HoG visits. 2/2 PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) August 25, 2023 The G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi next month and is scheduled to take place at 'Bharat Mandapam' at the ITPO Convention Centre, Pragati Maidan between September 9 and 10. Apart from the ITPO Convention Centre, foreign dignitaries will be visiting other venues including Rajghat, IARI Pusa, and NGMA (Jaipur House). The guests will also visit the new convention centre at Pragati Maidan in the national capital. Also check these Cars Find more Cars Audi Q8 Sportback e-tron 1.18 - 1.31 Cr* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Explore your Vehicle Check vehicle details Check Insurance & PUCC due date Audi Q8 98.98 Lakhs - 1.36 Cr* Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Audi RS5 1.04 Cr* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Audi e-tron 99.99 Lakhs - 1.16 Cr* Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers UPCOMING Audi New A3 39 - 45 Lakhs* *Expected Price View Details Tata Nexon 8.10 - 13 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers This years G20 Summit is open for discussion on several important issues including advancing green growth and climate finance; promoting rapid, inclusive, and adaptable economic expansion, expediting progress towards sustainable development goals; navigating technological transformations and developing digital public infrastructure, reforming multilateral institutions to suit the 21st century and fostering Development under women's leadership. The G20 Summit comprises 19 countries including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Trkiye, United Kingdom, United States and the European Union. The countries invited this year include Bangladesh, Comoros, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain, and the UAE. First Published Date: Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the 2024 budget: it's a safe budget in difficult times Republic of Poland 24.08.2023 The effects of the global pandemic and Russia's attack on Ukraine are still being felt, especially by our economy. Thanks to the successful fight against the VAT mafias, despite the global crises, we can announce a stable budget for unstable times. The Council of Ministers has provisionally adopted the draft budget act for 2024. A safe budget means solutions that will strengthen our security, including more funding for the army. It also means the continued provision of social programmes - such as "Family 800+" or the 13th and 14th pensions - which directly support millions of Polish women and men. A safe budget also means funds for health care and numerous investments that make citizens' lives more comfortable. A safe budget in difficult times Despite the global crises, state budget revenue will be double that of 2015, amounting to more than PLN 683.5 billion in 2024, while in 2015 it amounted to over PLN 289.1 billion. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki highlighted the three fundamental pillars of the budget: Physical security, i.e. security of our borders, security through the funding of our army. Financial security in the form of social programmes, support programmes and various shields that will continue. We are not leaving citizens alone in the face of crisis. Protecting the health of Poles, i.e. both new jobs in health care and salary increases, modern equipment and hospital renovations. A responsible budget also means more opportunities to further increase the potential of the Polish economy - and this despite the energy crisis caused by Russia's attack on Ukraine. Next year, GDP growth is expected to reach 3 per cent. Funding for areas most important to Poles We ensure, among other things: continuation of key social programmes (e.g. "Family 800+" or Family Care Capital), i.e. ongoing support for families. The budget also includes support for pensioners in the form of the 13th and 14th pensions. A total of PLN 137.7 billion will go to Polish families as part of the support; securing our borders and the services that keep Poland safe. We will allocate over PLN 158 billion for defence and the strengthening of national security, including the National Defence Fund. These are funds for the Police, State Fire Service and the Border Guard, among others; regular increases in health care funding. In 2024, health care will receive more than PLN 190.9 billion, i.e. around 6.2 per cent of GDP. This compares with PLN 77.2 billion (or around 4.7 per cent of GDP) in 2015; further investment programmes and the implementation of investments in areas such as health, land transport or culture and national heritage protection; increased spending in the areas of higher education and science, and agriculture. We are additionally allocating 6.6 per cent for salary increases in the state budget sector - i.e. for firefighters, police officers, teachers, university personnel, etc. - and additional funds, 5.7 per cent, to the payroll fund in order to, among other things, offset the effects of the minimum wage increase. "We want pay in state service - pay in the broadly defined public service, pay for teachers, firefighters - to be the most decent remuneration possible," explained the head of the Polish government. Effective sealing of the tax system "A safe budget for Poland, a safe budget for Poles. All this would not be possible without the recovery programme for the state's public finances," stressed Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. He also added: "Our policy is completely different and it is based on healthy public finances - on winning the war we continue to fight against the VAT mafias, against tax criminals." An efficient government entails an improved public finance situation. The fight against VAT mafias is one of the reasons why there is now more money in the budget, for example for social programmes. In 2015, the VAT gap was 24.1 per cent, compared to 4.9 per cent in 2022. At the same time, recent years have seen systematic tax reductions introduced by the government: PIT reduction from 17 per cent to 12 per cent, higher tax-free amount of up to PLN 30 000, second tax threshold raised to PLN 120 000. This will leave more money available to Poles, who will decide for themselves what they want to do with the money they have saved. Key assumptions of the budget act for 2024 According to projections for 2024: budget revenue will amount to PLN 683.6 billion; budget expenditure will amount to PLN 848.3 billion; the deficit will amount to PLN 164.8 billion. Further details are available in the communication after the Council of Ministers meeting. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address EU EOM Zimbabwe 2023: Curtailed rights and lack of level playing field compounded by intimidation; election day largely calm, but disorderly European External Action Service (EEAS) 25.08.2023 Harare EEAS Press Team "The legal framework could provide an adequate basis to conduct elections in line with international standards espoused by Zimbabwe, if implemented properly. However, the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) concludes that curtailed rights and lack of level playing field led to an environment that was not always conducive to voters making a free and informed choice in Zimbabwe's 2023 Harmonised Elections", stated EU EOM Chief Observer Fabio Massimo Castaldo today in Harare. In his presentation of the EU EOM's preliminary statement, reflecting the EU EOM's findings up to this time, while important parts of the electoral process are still ongoing - the EU EOM Chief Observer stressed: "The passing of regressive legal provisions and acts of violence and intimidation resulted in a climate of fear. The violent arrest of members of accredited citizen observer organisations ZESN and ERC, who exercised their constitutional rights, on 23 August, is of great concern. Both organisations are credible and respected human rights defenders." Andreas Schieder, head of the seven-member delegation of the European Parliament (EP) said "We also strongly condemn the raids that led to the arrest of these human rights defenders." The EP delegation endorses the EU EOM preliminary statement. Chief Observer Castaldo emphasised: "Ultimately the elections fell short of many regional and international standards, including key principles of equality, universality, transparency and accountability." "While election day was assessed by the EU EOM as largely calm, the election process overall was hampered by significant issues regarding the independence and transparency of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). The ZEC missed opportunities to increase public trust in the integrity of voting and results management", said the EU EOM Chief Observer. Mr. Castaldo added: "The failure of ZEC to provide critical electoral material such as paper ballots resulted in many polling stations opening with severe delays, leading to an increasingly tense atmosphere in some locations." "The EU EOM also noted the central role of the judiciary in the process, given the unprecedented high number of pre-election court challenges, pertaining to both: right to contest and validity of all key legal texts, some of which remain unresolved", said the Chief Observer. "The campaign presented voters with a range of viewpoints, but there was a lack of level playing field, particularly regarding the freedom of assembly", said Mr. Castaldo. "The EU EOM's media analysis revealed similar short-comings. State-controlled media allocated substantially more airtime and printspace to the ruling party, President Mnangagwa and the government. "The EU EOM experienced problems in assessing official bodies. This was despite an administrative arrangement between the Zimbabwean government and the European Union which stipulated access to all participants in the electoral process. The EU EOM also deplores an extensive and sustained disinformation and defamation campaign in some media and social platforms against the EU EOM and other international observer organisations", highlighted the Chief Observer. The EU EOM was invited by the government of Zimbabwe to observe the 2023 Harmonised Elections. Based on its methodology of long-term, independent and impartial observation, and bound by a strict code of conduct, first members of the EU EOM arrived in Zimbabwe on 8 July. In total the mission comprised 150 observers from all 27 EU member states, Canada, Norway and Switzerland. The mission adhered strictly to its principle of non-interference. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland and the United States negotiate a defence cooperation agreement Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland News, 25.8.2023 A year ago, Finland and the United States opened negotiations on a new defence cooperation agreement. So far, three rounds of negotiations have been completed. Concluding the negotiations is an objective included in Finland's new Government Programme. The Finnish Parliament needs to accept the agreement before it can be adopted. The agreement will reinforce Finland's security and promote the fulfilment of NATO membership obligations. Security and defence cooperation between Finland and the United States is based on shared needs and objectives, and on a sustained approach to long-time cooperation(Link to another website.) between the defence administrations and with other parties. In August 2022, Finland opened negotiations with the United States on a new bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA). The United States is one of Finland's most important allies, and the new Government Programme includes an objective to conclude the DCA negotiations. The DCA will be a binding international agreement and it will provide an up-to-date framework for cooperation between Finland and the United States. The provisions of the DCA will mainly be based on the NATO Status of Forces Agreement (NATO SOFA). The DCA clarifies the rules for cooperation and allows the parties to deepen it in all security situations. In this way, the DCA will reinforce Finland's security and contribute to the fulfilment of Finland's obligations as a member of NATO. The DCA deals with practical issues such as the entry of troops, prepositioning of equipment, and taxation. The DCA specifies the locations where the cooperation and collaboration between Finland and the United States would primarily focus. Going forward, the DCA will enable the United States to make use of Congress funding for possible infrastructure investments in Finland. Several other NATO countries have a similar bilateral agreement with the United States. Of the Nordic and Baltic countries, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania already have an agreement in place, and Sweden and Denmark are in the process of negotiating theirs. The change in the security environment in Finland and Europe as a result of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine further emphasises the importance of bilateral cooperation that fits a range of different security situations. Finland's membership in NATO will not diminish the importance of bilateral cooperation with the United States. Instead, it will open up new opportunities and promote Finland's contribution to NATO's collective defence. So far, the parties have concluded three rounds of the DCA negotiations, conducted by a delegation appointed by the President of the Republic(Link to another website.). The entire Government participates extensively in the delegation's work. The agreement must be signed, adopted and brought into force in accordance with Finland's Constitution. Parliament needs to accept the agreement before it can be adopted. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, India should maintain peace, tranquility in border areas before border issue is resolved: Chinese FM Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Aug 25, 2023 11:44 PM A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson reiterated on Friday that China's position on the boundary issue between China and India is clear and consistent. It is left over from history and does not represent the entirety of China-India relations, while calling on the two countries to consider the overall situation of bilateral relations, properly handle the border issue, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at Friday's regular press briefing after Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latter's request on Wednesday. Analysts said that the talk between leaders from China and India on the sidelines of the BRICS summit has laid a cornerstone for stabilizing bilateral relations. China and India are two of the largest developing countries, and cooperation between them rather than friction is in the interests of both countries, analysts noted, urging India not to focus on only differences while ignoring the larger room for cooperation. Xi talked with Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit at the latter's request on Wednesday, during which the two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday. Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region, according the ministry. Border issues should be placed in an appropriate position in bilateral relations and resolved through peaceful and friendly negotiations to find a just, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution, Wang, the spokesperson said. Before the border issue is resolved, both China and India should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, Wang said. We hope to work together with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, promote strategic mutual trust, focus on consensus and cooperation, overcome disturbance and difficulties, and push bilateral relations onto a healthy and stable track, said Wang. The leaders from both countries have played a pivotal role in strategically guiding the bilateral relations and contributed to stabilizing their ties, Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Friday. China and India have both also emphasized that the improvement of bilateral relations is in the common interests of both countries, and agreed to properly handle border issues, to create the appropriate conditions and political atmosphere for a possible formal bilateral summit between China and India in the near future, said Qian. It is also clear that both sides have a consensus to ease tensions, and will make efforts to resolve their differences through the mechanism of peaceful consultation, and push forward the bilateral relations, Qian noted. China and India had a positive, constructive and in-depth discussion on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector during the 19th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, which was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side on August 13 to 14. The two sides agreed to resolve the remaining issues in an expeditious manner and maintain the momentum of dialogue and negotiations through military and diplomatic channels. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Poland strengthens the air defence system. Offset contracts for Phase II of the WISA programme are signed Republic of Poland 25.08.2023 - The Polish Government's response to the threats posed by aggressive Russian policy is to strengthen the Polish Armed Forces by increasing the numbers of troops and modernising equipment. We are very pleased that cooperation with the United States is proceeding so smoothly, that we are able to modernise the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces, primarily on the grounds of cooperation with the United States Army, with the armed forces of the United States, as the United States Army is simply the strongest in the world. Both the experience and the equipment that is being provided to the Polish Military is the best in the world," said Mariusz Blaszczak, Minister of National Defence. On Friday 25 August, the head of the Ministry of Defence approved offset contracts for components for anti-aircraft and anti-missile medium-range missile sets in the second phase of the Wisa programme. Thanks to offset agreements with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, with a total value of around 1 billion PLN, service, repair and production facilities will be established in Poland to support the WISA system, consisting of such elements as the LTAMDS radar and PAC-3 MSE missiles. - Experience from the war in Ukraine shows that air and missile defence is very important. I am therefore very pleased that after five years we can once again finalise offset agreements which precede the next phase of our cooperation with regard to acquiring further batteries of the Patriot system for the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces. I thank the Armaments Agency. I would like to thank the presidents of both the Polish Armament Group and Raytheon and Lockheed Martin for very good cooperation, which resulted in 13 offset commitments worth one billion PLN - said Minister Baszczak during the meeting. An important part of the signed agreements is the inclusion of Polish companies as certified suppliers to US entities. This is not only an opportunity to make a technological leap in the production process, but also to create new solutions in missile technologies together with US partners. This will have a significant impact on the research, development and testing capabilities of the Polish industry. - Our objective was to acquire modern armaments, but our objective is also to ensure security when it comes to the supply of equipment and the servicing of this equipment. For that reason, the Polish arms industry will co-produce certain components for omnidirectional radars, super modern radars. So far, we have been using zone radars. Now they will be omnidirectional radars, which will be supplied together with the PATRIOT system. The Polish defence industry will be able to develop missile technology. We have already started building a laboratory in Zielonka, at the WZE Zielonka. In connection with another offset commitment, we will be able to develop the competence of the Polish arms industry precisely in this very important field. Another of the offset commitments concerns the possibility of producing fuel for HIMARS missiles. We are now negotiating another agreement on equipping the Polish Military with HIMARS missiles, which perform fantastically on the battlefield in the hands of the brave Ukrainians. The fourth offset commitment relates to the possibility of servicing, operational support when it comes to F-16 and C-130 aircraft. All this is extremely important for Poland's security. Thank you again that we were able to achieve all this. This is beneficial for the United States as well. The inclusion of the Polish potential in the chain of supply of this modern equipment, the possibility of the development of this equipment by Polish scientists, as well as the very fact of strengthening the security of our homeland through just these activities are a very important stage in our cooperation. - noted the head of the Ministry of Defence. The head of the Ministry of Defence stressed that offset is always an investment in the security and development of the Polish industry. - We seize opportunities to invest in the Polish arms industry whenever they occur. In the case of our cooperation with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, we have the opportunities to invest in the Polish arms industry, we have the opportunities to include the Polish arms industry in the supply chain of these companies. And we take advantage of these opportunities, thus investing in the security of our homeland - added the head of the Ministry of National Defence. The signing of the agreements is a continuation of the process initiated in the first phase of the WISA programme. Minister Mariusz Baszczak in March 2018 signed a contract for the delivery of two batteries of anti-aircraft and anti-missile Patriot systems as part of Phase I of WISA project. Offset negotiations are also still ongoing with another arms industry leader, Northrop Grumann, an agreement which also are to result in a significant technology transfer. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belarus receives a note of protest over violating the Lithuanian state border and destroying border guard infrastructure Republic of Lithuania - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2023.08.25 Today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania summoned the Belarusian charge d'affaires ad interim and handed him a diplomatic note, expressing a strong protest over violating the Lithuanian state border and destroying border guard infrastructure. Two persons illegally entered Lithuania from Belarus on 22 August. They possibly used cordless metal-cutting circular saws to cut off and demolish two video surveillance camera supports installed on the territory of Lithuania. They returned to Belarus afterwards. The incident took place near the village of Musteika in Varena district. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly urged Belarus to explain the incident as soon as possible and take all necessary measures to prevent such incidents from occurring again. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 26th MEU(SOC) Concludes Bi-Lateral Training in Norway US Marine Corps News 25 Aug 2023 | 1st Lt. Stephanie Downing 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit SETERMOEN, Norway -- Marines and Sailors of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit's (Special Operations Capable), embarked on the USS Mesa Verde, with attached elements of Italian Marines from the San Marco Brigade, concluded a successful bilateral training exercise with Brigade North Norwegian Soldiers, aimed at enhancing their warfighting lethality and interoperability with our ally and partners above the Arctic Circle, from Aug. 5 - 21, 2023. The bilateral training began with the USS Mesa Verde, assigned to the Bataan ARG, and 26th MEU(SOC) Bravo Command Element, arrived in Narvik, Norway on Aug. 5, to offload MEU elements and equipment necessary for the execution of the bilateral training, and concluded with the USS Mesa Verde pulling back in to retrieve the U.S. Marines on Aug.18. "The Norway bilateral training was a great opportunity to learn, integrate, and operate with our valued NATO Allies and Partners in an arctic environment," said Lt. Col. Josef Wiese, Executive Officer of the 26th MEU(SOC) and Officer in Charge of the MEU(SOC) Bravo Command Element, aboard the USS Mesa Verde. "The Marines with the 26th MEU(SOC) showcased their ability to integrate and interoperate with our Norwegian and Italian counterparts, strengthening the relationship and trust to work alongside our Allies and Partners in the USEUCOM area of responsibility," Wiese continued. Prior to the arrival of our Norwegian counterparts, the Marine Air-Ground Task Force conducted land and air-based training within Setermoen and Bardufoss, to include multiple live-fire ranges, battle drills, land navigation, patrols, and a full mission profile Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel rehearsal. During the second week of training, the 26th MEU(SOC) Battalion Landing Team 1/6 had the opportunity to integrate with Norwegians from Brigade North, Norwegian Army, sharing tactics and procedures accustomed to each respective country. "The Marines had a great opportunity to learn how to train and survive in an arctic environment from the Norwegian soldiers," said 1st. Lt. Timothy Mara, Executive Officer of Charlie Company, BLT 1/6. "They showed us how to make campfires with wet materials, set up tents, stay dry in a cold and wet environment and how to maneuver in an arctic environment. For the Marines, we had the opportunity to demonstrate how we conduct Military Operations in Urbanized Training, immediate action drills and battle drills," Mara continued. The U.S. Marines and Norwegian soldiers from Brigade North transitioned into an integrated force-on-force, strengthening the relationship with our NATO Ally and partner, as the culminating event of the bilateral training exercise. "Training with the Norwegian soldiers continues to strengthen relationships with our NATO Ally and partner at all levels of leadership," states 1st. Lt. Mara, explaining the importance of this bilateral training. "After this training, we have a better understanding how the Norwegian Soldiers train and operate, allowing us to be able to effectively plan, communicate and execute any future exercises or operations together." While the Marines and Sailors of the 26th MEU(SOC) BLT 1/6 were conducting training in Setermoen, the MV-22 Aviation Detachment from the 26th MEU(SOC) Aviation Combat Element, made up from VMM-162 (Reinforced), conducted advanced high-altitude, mountainous flight operations out of various training sites in northern Norway. VMM-162 provided critical air support during the exercise to include simulated Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel events, Confined Area Landings, Low Altitude Tactics, Mountainous Area Terrain training, and Reduced Visibility Landings within a tactical scenario to increase overall proficiency in MEU(SOC) Mission Essential Tasks and cold weather operating environments. "Norway has provided the aviators and aircrew from the MV-22B Detachment a great opportunity to conduct quality training in a unique operating environment," said Maj. Matthew "Poof" Piston, 26th MEU(SOC) MV-22B Detachment Officer in Charge. "The training and bilateral integration we have experienced here has made us a stronger and more capable force and has afforded us the opportunity to demonstrate our ability to operate effectively while distributed in locations far away from the core of the 26th MEU(SOC) ACE," Piston continued. The 26th MEU(SOC) serves as one of the United States premier crisis response forces capable of conducting amphibious operations, crisis response, and limited contingency operations, to include enabling the introduction of follow-on-forces and designated special operations, in support of theater requirements of the Geographic Combatant Commander. Coupled with the USS Bataan ARG, the 26th MEU(SOC) serves as a premier stand-in force with a full complement of all-domain capabilities to operate persistently within the littorals or weapons engagement zones of any adversary. The Bataan ARG and embarked forces of the 26th MEU(SOC), under the tactical command and control of Task Force 61/2, is on a scheduled deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S., allied, and partner interests. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa operates U.S. Naval Forces in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ethiopia's BRICS membership to further strengthen growing South-South cooperation: PM People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 15:26, August 25, 2023 ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said Ethiopia's membership in the BRICS mechanism will further strengthen the growing South-South cooperation framework. BRICS leaders agreed on Thursday to invite six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to join the group. Ahmed, in a video message following the decision by BRICS leaders, said the acceptance and influence of the BRICS in the international arena is growing. He said cognizant of the growing acceptance of the BRICS mechanism, countries across the world have shown interest in joining the group. The Ethiopian PM commended the five BRICS member countries for their support for Ethiopia's accession. Ethiopia, he said, will continue to strengthen its work to become the voice of Africa beyond itself. And Ethiopia will work to expand its role and participation in the field of multilateral diplomacy on the international stage. The six countries' membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced at a press conference during the 15th BRICS Summit. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Niger gives French ambassador 48 hours to leave over meddling Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 9:09 PM Niger has given France's ambassador to Niamey 48 hours to leave the country charging the European country with meddling in the internal affairs of its former African colony. Faced with "the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to an invitation" from Niger's foreign minister for a meeting on Friday and "other actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger," the authorities have decided to withdraw their approval of Sylvain Itte and ask him to depart within 48 hours, read a statement by the Nigerien top diplomat. Niger's Army generals overthrew the country's Paris-allied President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. Ever since they have accused France of seeking to intervene militarily in the West African country to reinstate Bazoum. On July 31, the junta took aim at Paris, saying, "In its search for ways and means to intervene militarily in Niger, France with the complicity of some Nigeriens, held a meeting with the chief of staff of the Nigerien National Guard to obtain the necessary political and military authorization." Back at the time, France responded to the accusation, with Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna denying the charges and adding that it was still "possible" to restore Bazoum to power. Despite denying any intention to invade Niger, Paris has vowed to resort to "immediate and uncompromising" action if French citizens or interests were targeted. Ever since the coup, Nigerians have, on several occasions, come out in force to display support for the coup leaders and voice rejection of the country's former 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 Niger. Protesters rallied near the army base on the outskirts of Niamey, shouting, "Down with France, down with ECOWAS," in reference to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), West Africa's main regional bloc, which they accused of being "manipulated by France." Late last month, supporters of the military in Niger marched through the streets of the capital and gathered outside the French embassy, denouncing the former colonial power before storming the diplomatic mission. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Road trips have become quite popular among Indians and thanks to modern-day technology, they've also become easier to plan. But it is not everyday that you would hear of a family taking on the road to chart a 12,000-kilometre course, traversing 16 countries, and that too in a 73-year-old vintage car. Three generations of an Ahmedabad-based family have embarked on a one-of-its-kind road trip to London in a 1950 MG vintage car. If you're an avid traveler and an automobile enthusiast, their journey will certainly strike a chord with you. The Thakore family claims to be the first Indian family to undertake such an expedition in what they affectionately call, the Lal Pari (Red Angel). The road trip, which is expected to last for about 60 days, will take them through the UAE, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, and several other countries, while finally culminating in the UK. Lal Pari calls on London Daman Thakore, along with his father and 21-year-old daughter started the trip from Gandhinagar on August 10, where they were flagged off by Shri Mulubhai Bera, Gujarat's Tourism Minister. They reached Mumbai on August 13 and two days later, they were flagged off by Maharashtra Tourism Minister, Girish Mahajan. The family has now shipped their car to Dubai and will commence their international land journey from August 26. Also check these Cars Find more Cars UPCOMING MG G10 24 - 30 Lakhs* *Expected Price View Details UPCOMING MG eHS 45 - 55 Lakhs* *Expected Price View Details MG Gloster 29.98 - 37.68 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers MG Hector 14.73 - 21.73 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers UPCOMING MG eRX5 25 Lakhs *Expected Price View Details MG Astor 9.78 - 17.38 Lakhs* *Ex-showroom price Add to compare Check latest offers Day-to-day expeditions in vintage MG A specially created caravan, called Lal Pari ki Saheli, will be accompanying them on their day-to-day expeditions. The Thakore family plans to cover approximately 200 to 250 kms per day with an average speed of about 35 km/hour in the vintage car. This is estimated to be a six to eight hour travel time each day. A specially created caravan, called Lal Pari ki Saheli, will be accompanying them on their day-to-day expeditions. Part of the caravan will have a photographer and filmmaker who will help capture golden moments of the trip to create a documentary out of it. A vintage car expert and an expedition planner are also a part of the caravan team to help the family smoothly reach their destination. Crossing Borders Are you wondering how will the vintage car cross borders legally? Just like humans have to secure visas to travel, cars need to get something called Carnet De Passages - a UN approved customs document that authorizes a vehicle of a particular country to cross borders and travel in that locality for a period of one month. This document is stamped at border entries and exits, just like visas and passports. The Thakores plan to drive from Dubai to Sharjah, where they will put the MG on a ferry to Bandar Abbas in Iran. From there, they'll drive the car all the way up to Azerbaijan, covering a couple of cities in Iran. The journey will then take them through Georgia, Turkey, and then into Europe. They'll be covering Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Monte Nigro, and then enter Croatia. From there, they plan to go to Italy, then Germany, France, Belgium and finally enter the UK. Nostalgia and Restoration work Daman Thakore and his father pose with the 1950 MG vintage car which became a part of their family back in 1979, and is one of just 900 such units ever made. When Daman looks back at his memories with the Lal Pari, he thinks of it as his family member. His father brought the vintage member into the family back in 1979 and it is one of just 900 such units ever made. The MG car has been Daman's ride ever since his childhood days and he even drove it on the day of his wedding. He vaguely recalls that one day in 2008 or 2009, he suddenly realized that his Lal Pari was getting old and that he needs to restore it back to its original glory. Soon, he started spending time in restoring the car and sourcing rare spare parts from around the globe to prepare the 73-year-old vintage beauty for this adventure. He even put the car through rigorous testing in extreme temperatures and drove it through mountains, three feet of water and other terrains to make sure that it will be able to take his family to London safely. Before embarking on this road trip, he tested the car for about 1,200 kms in and around Ahmedabad. Earlier, he has also taken the car to Baroda, Mount Abu, Bengaluru, Mysore, Bandipore and Rajasthan. Get, Set, Go! Though the destination is still more than a month away, the family has started a series of YouTube episodes to stay connected with those following their trip. They've been sharing regular updates about their journey to keep car lovers and travel freaks entertained. The ultimate aim of the trip is to spread smiles and message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - a Sanskrit phrase for The World Is One Family". First Published Date: Hamas condemns Israeli plan to increase number of settlers in occupied West Bank Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 8:38 AM The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has denounced Israel's plan to speed up the construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling on Palestinians to resist by all means. Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha said in a statement on Thursday that the plan was part of the systematic land confiscation policy adopted by the fascist Israeli administration led by prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to a plan dubbed "a million for Samaria" that was put forward on Wednesday, occupation authorities eye to have one million settlers in the West Bank region of Samaria by 2050. Taha said the only way to confront Israel's plans was through resistance, and that such schemes were bound to fail. Taha also called on the international community to take action and stop Israel's settlement expansion while also urging the Palestinian people to confront the Israeli settlement expansion plans through all available means. 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 700,000 Israelis live in over 280 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds. The international community views the settlements - hundreds of which have been built across the West Bank since Tel Aviv's occupation of the territory in 1967 - as illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions due to their construction on the occupied territories. The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, Australia recommit to joint patrols in disputed waterway The defense leaders announced their 'mutual interest' plans during a military exercise in Zambales province. By Jason Gutierrez for BenarNews 2023.08.25 -- The Philippines and Australia said Friday that they would jointly patrol areas within South China Sea waters claimed by the Southeast Asian nation, as they showcased their capabilities in fighting off a potential invasion. Coordinated patrols will be necessary for keeping vital sea lanes in the waterway open, the Philippine and Australian defense chiefs said as the troops from the two allies took part in joint maritime exercises, amid international tensions in the territorially contested sea and over Taiwan. "We recommitted to planning bilateral joint patrols in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea and other areas of mutual interest," Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, said in a joint statement. "We committed to expanding some of our bilateral activities in the future to include other countries committed to sustaining peace and security in our region." Earlier this month, the Philippines announced that it would be launching joint patrols in the sea with the United States this year. Teodoro and Marles agreed to elevate the defense relationship and for Australia to host the Philippines in an inaugural defense ministers meeting next year. "We share a firm commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous region where all countries are free to exercise their sovereignty consistent with international law," they said. Marcos observes drills Joint patrols have been on the drawing board since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year. Marcos attended amphibious exercises on Friday in San Antonio, a town in northern Zambales province that faces the South China Sea. It's the same area where U.S. and Philippine troops held joint exercises in April. This time around, the Americans were assisting in the drills between the Filipinos and Australians. Marcos said he would discuss continuation of the exercise with his Australian counterpart, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, during Albanese's expected two-day visit to the country in early September. "That's certainly going to be part of the discussion that I will be having with the prime minister when he comes ... to visit us here in the Philippines," Marcos told reporters here. Both countries, he said, would have to come up with new "strategies, ideas and agreements" in terms of boosting their security partnership, noting the training was a "very well-run exercise." Exercise Alon 2023 is the first amphibious exercise between Filipino and Australian troops. It opened in Darwin, Australia, on Aug. 14, and will end on Aug. 31. The exercise has involved 700 Filipino and 1,200 Australian troops while about 150 U.S. Marines have participated in a support role, officials said. It is part of Australia's Indo-Pacific Endeavor to strengthen engagement and partnerships in the Southeast Asian and Indian Ocean region. Friday's exercise involved Australian and Filipino troops, backed by the marines, practicing retaking an island seized by hostile forces. Marcos, joined by the two defense chiefs, watched mock beach landings, assaults and helicopter insertion of forces on a Philippine naval base. "It is an important aspect of how we prepare for any eventuality and considering that there have been so many events that attest to the volatility of the region," Marcos said. Teodoro said the drills were a testament to the hard work that the three allies had put into coordinating and planning the successful mission. "But this mission is just a manifestation of where we want our defense and bilateral relations to be and it is close to coming from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic one," he said, adding that regional security was essential to the "national securities of both our countries." Earlier this week, the Philippines successfully delivered supplies to its troops at a military outpost in the South China Sea despite attempts by the Chinese to block its ships from the disputed waters, Filipino officials said Tuesday. Manila carried out the mission two weeks after the China Coast Guard fired water cannons at a Philippine coast guard ship that was escorting a convoy of boats bringing supplies to marines stationed aboard a rusty old navy ship in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal). China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. 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 Observers question US commitment to Southeast Asia as Biden to skip regional summit The American president instead may go to Vietnam, a most useful ally to counter China in Southeast Asia. By Tria Dianti and Shailaja Neelakantan for BenarNews 2023.08.25 -- Observers are casting doubt on Washington's repeated commitments to Southeast Asia after the White House announced that President Joe Biden would skip the ASEAN summit in Jakarta next month and send his vice president instead. Biden will be traveling to Asia in early September to attend the Group of Twenty (G20) meeting in New Delhi, but his missing the the Southeast Asian summit on Sept. 5-7 may signal the U.S. doesn't believe that so-called "ASEAN centrality" helps counter China's outsized influence in the region, some analysts said. However, the American president may not be ignoring the region entirely, as the scuttlebutt in Washington is that he will very likely go to Hanoi instead to upgrade U.S. ties with Vietnam, a useful regional ally at a time of rising tensions with China. But showing up at a gathering has its own merits and must not be underestimated, analysts said. "Personal presence and relations among leaders and diplomats still matter in foreign policy," Muhammad Waffaa Kharisma, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta, told BenarNews. "The U.S. commitment to Southeast Asia has been repeatedly questioned. People are contrasting Biden's attendance at other forums or summits with close friends such as Japan and South Korea with his no-show at ASEAN." Muhammad Waffaa also noted that some countries such as the Philippines - a longtime ally of the U.S. - had received their own reassurances of Washington's support. The White House, for its part, defends Biden's Southeast Asia engagement as more than robust. The U.S. has built strong ties and alliances from Northeast Asia to the Philippines to Australia, and has partnered with India and worked with ASEAN, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Tuesday. The president had also sent Vice President Kamala Harris to Southeast Asia twice, Sullivan noted. "I would put our record of achievement and engagement in the Indo-Pacific up against any American president and any other country in the world in the past two and a half years," he told reporters in a conference call. Biden met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts last week at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, to expand security and economic ties. In a joint statement, the three leaders said they "wholeheartedly affirm ASEAN centrality and our support for the ASEAN-led regional architecture." They also noted "dangerous and aggressive behavior" by China to support its "unlawful maritime claims" in the disputed South China Sea, and said they opposed actions that go against a rules-based international order. Four of the 10 ASEAN members - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam - have overlapping claims with those of China's expansive ones in the South China Sea. Indonesia doesn't regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, but Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. Recognizing overlapping interests, Biden set out to alter predecessor Donald Trump's Southeast Asian strategy - Trump only attended one ASEAN summit, in 2017 in Manila, during his time in office (2017-2021). Biden attended the ASEAN-U.S. and East Asia summits in Phnom Penh last November, when Cambodia was the 2023 chair of the Southeast Asian bloc. He also attended the same annual summits virtually in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And in May last year, the U.S. president hosted a U.S.-ASEAN Special Summit in Washington. In addition, he unveiled the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in an effort to counter Beijing's gigantic economic influence in Southeast Asia, although the program has many detractors. 'Just plain stupid' Biden should have kept that momentum going, indicated Jeffrey D. Bean, of the Observer Research Foundation America, on the social media platform X, formerly called Twitter. "Every time you think the Biden administration has it together on Asia policy, they go and do something like this. Just plain stupid for Biden to skip [the East Asia Summit] and the U.S.-ASEAN summit," he said. Skipping an event such as the ASEAN summit and the East Summit, which are held concurrently, will make it seem that Washington is saying one thing and doing another, wrote Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, in a commentary for the Texas National Security Review. "If trends continue, foreign leaders could come to believe that public opposition to China is the litmus test for consequential U.S. engagement," Copper said. "U.S. leaders appear to have a two-tiered regional approach: ambitious engagement with countries that are openly balancing against China, but limited time for those countries that prefer to hedge. In short, Biden is investing in the balancers but not the hedgers." China is often accused of transactional relationships, and the U.S. should be careful to not appear to be doing the same, Cooper said. Side trip to Hanoi? Yet, Biden's potential Vietnam trip would show quite the opposite, said Alexander Vuving, professor at the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, in a post on X. "Biden's absence from the ASEAN meeting raises questions about U.S. commitment to ASEAN (centrality) for sure, but [it] doesn't mean the U.S. is less committed to Southeast Asia. Instead of going to Indonesia, he is planning to go to Vietnam, to raise bilateral ties to the strategic level," he said. And as Peter Mumford of the geopolitical risk firm Eurasia Group noted, "Xi Jinping rarely attends ASEAN summits either, sending [his] premier instead." Biden isn't ignoring Southeast Asia or the Asia-Pacific region, he is just not relying solely on ASEAN for his regional strategy, Vinsensio Dugis, the director of the ASEAN Studies Center at Airlangga University in Surabaya, pointed out. Biden is using mechanisms such as AUKUS, a security pact with Australia and Britain; QUAD, a grouping of four democracies with India, Japan and Australia; and APEC, a forum for 21 economies bordering the Pacific Ocean, to pursue Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy, Vinsensio said. Besides, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, a person of Asian descent, could bring a different perspective to regional issues such as climate change, trade and security, he said. "We still need to see what issues she brings and how she delivers them during the ASEAN summit," he said. Radio Free Asia (RFA) correspondent Alex Willemyns contributed to this report by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news organization. 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 The Azadi Briefing: Mysterious Death Of Popular Female YouTuber Prompts Anger By Mustafa Sarwar August 25, 2023 The Key Issue Hora Sadat, a prominent female Afghan YouTuber, mysteriously died in Kabul on August 21. Reports suggested the 25-year-old was poisoned after attending a public event. The Taliban on August 24 said that two people -- a man and a woman -- had been arrested in connection with Sadat's death. The motive for her alleged poisoning is not clear. Sadat's death has prompted anger on social media, with some activists pointing the finger at the Taliban. But others have speculated that personal enmity could have been the cause of her death. She is believed to have recently split from her fiance. When contacted by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi, Sadat's brother refused to comment on the details of her death. Why It's Important: Sadat's death has underscored the dangers faced by women under the Taliban. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban has banned women from education and most forms of employment, effectively denied them any public role in society, and imposed strict limitations on their mobility and appearance. Sadat, who had 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, produced videos on social issues for a mainly young audience. She also participated in public events organized by women in Kabul, although she was not known for publicly criticizing the Taliban. Maryam Maarouf Arwin, an Afghan women's rights activist, told Radio Azadi that she suspected Sadat had been targeted and killed. "In the past, we have witnessed the murder of active women many times," she said. There is no evidence that the Taliban was involved in Sadat's death. What's Next: The militant group has previously detained or arrested women who have played a visible role in society, a trend that is likely to continue. On August 20, the Taliban detained eight female members of the Afghan Unity and Solidarity Movement, which has publicly opposed the militant group's draconian policies. The women were reportedly released after vowing to stop their protests. In January, Mursal Nabidzadah, a former female lawmaker, was shot dead along with a bodyguard when unidentified gunmen broke into her house in Kabul. The motives for her killing still remain unclear. The Week's Best Stories 'Forced To Dress Like a Muslim': Taliban Imposes Restrictions On Afghanistan's Sikh, Hindu Minorities Members of Afghanistan's tiny Sikh and Hindu communities say the Taliban has imposed restrictions on their appearances and prevented them from marking important religious holidays in public. Many Afghan Sikhs and Hindus have fled the country in recent years following deadly attacks targeting the religious minorities. 'I Feel Suffocated': Taliban Intensifies Clampdown On Music In Afghanistan The Taliban is intensifying the enforcement of its ban on music. In the western city of Herat, residents say that members of the Taliban's morality police have searched cars and confiscated MP3 players and USBs containing music. Others in the city complain that the militants are also searching homes and seizing musical instruments, which they then burn publicly. What To Keep An Eye On The World Health Organization (WHO) warned in a report released on August 24 that 33 hospitals that provide services to around 9 million Afghans are on "the verge of stopping their services." The organization also noted an uptick in the cases of acute diarrhea and dengue fever in the country. The report came after Daniel Endres, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Afghanistan, said on August 17 that 260 fixed and mobile health centers have been closed in the country, depriving some 2 million people access to health services. Why It's Important: Afghanistan has been gripped by a public health-care crisis since the Taliban seized power, which led to Western donors abruptly cutting off assistance. Aid groups funded by international donors have continued their operations in the fields of health, education, and food assistance. But their activities have been hampered by decreasing funding by donors, the Taliban's alleged interference in the delivery of foreign aid, and the militants' ban on women working for NGOs. Declining funding by international donors is likely to worsen the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the largest in the world. Mohammad Ali, a resident of Kabul, told Radio Azadi that he is concerned about the possible closure of the 33 hospitals funded by Western donors. "Afghans are in such a bad situation. They are wondering when they will eat their next bit of bread. What should we do if the hospitals are closed?" he said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-youtuber-mysterious- death-taliban-afghanistan-health/32564719.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 Niger Military Leaders Give French Ambassador 48 Hours to Leave Country Sputnik News 20230825 Ian DeMartino French companies are the principal owner of three major uranium mines in Niger, which has the richest uranium cores in Africa. Niger is the world's seventh-largest producer of uranium in the world and the second-largest producer of Uranium for the European Union. Some 70% of electricity created in France is made using nuclear power. The Nigerien military leadership that ousted the Bazoum government of Niger in July ordered the French ambassador to Niamey to leave the country within 48 hours. The order came against French Ambassador Sylvain Itte, who reportedly declined to respond to an invitation to speak with the country's new foreign minister, according to the Niger government. Officials also cited "other actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger," in deciding to expel Itte. The decision comes after a series of protests by citizens against the continued French presence in the area and statements by the military leaders against the former colonial power. In response, the French foreign ministry said that "putschists have no authority," to demand its ambassador to leave. "The ambassador's approval comes solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities," officials said. France, which has about 1,500 soldiers stationed within Nigerien borders, has so far refused to recognize the military leadership's decision to revoke agreements between France and the former government of Niger, arguing those deals were made by the country's "legitimate authorities." Not long after reports surfaced of the order for Itte's departure, media reported that the Nigerien leadership had also issued the same 48-hour order to envoys from Germany, the US and Niger before retractions were issued, citing a false letter circulating online. Addressing reports surrounding the US order, a State Department spokesperson told Sputnik that images of a letter circulating online of Niger's foreign ministry calling for the departure of US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon is false. "The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated to the United States of America that the images of letters circulating on the internet calling for the departure of certain American diplomatic personnel were not issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," the spokesperson said on Friday. "No such request has been made to the US government." In late July, the military leadership of Niger deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, one of three similar events in the area in as many years. Burkina Faso and Mali also experienced military takeovers in 2022 and 2021, respectively. Both of those countries also expelled French troops from their borders. France has called for the restoration of the Bazoum administration. It has also supported the Economic Communist of West African States (ECOWAS) which has imposed sanctions on Niger and has threatened military action to "restore constitutional order." Niger has accused ECOWAS of being in the pocket of France and recently announced that they will allow the militaries of Burkina Faso and Mali to operate within Nigerien borders in the event of a military conflict, both have pledged to protect Niger from military intervention. "Any military intervention against Niger will simulate a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali," the two countries said in a joint statement, adding that the two countries would exit ECOWAS if the bloc took military action against Niger. " "[Burkina Faso and Mali] warn of the disastrous consequences of military intervention in Niger, which could destabilize the entire region as NATO's unilateral intervention in Libya did, which led to the spread of terrorism in the Sahel and West Africa," the statement said. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 25 August 2023 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Florencia Soto Nino, Associate Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. ** Myanmar Happy Friday everyone, good afternoon. I will start off with a statement from the Secretary-General on Myanmar. Today marks six years since the forced mass displacement of Rohingya people and other communities from Myanmar's Rakhine State. Rohingya people remain displaced domestically and abroad, including around one million Rohingya in Bangladesh. The vulnerabilities faced by people of Myanmar, including the Rohingya, have been compounded by the ongoing conflict and by the devastation caused by Cyclone Mocha. The United Nations will continue to support efforts to create conditions that would be conducive to the voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees to their places of origin in Myanmar. The Secretary-General calls on all stakeholders to redouble efforts to find comprehensive, inclusive, and durable solutions that can adequately address the root causes of systemic discrimination and violence in Myanmar and to respond to the growing protection crisis and humanitarian needs while strengthening refugee protection efforts in the region for those fleeing persecution and violence. Bangladesh has demonstrated humanitarian commitments and generosity which must be acknowledged through shared responsibility. More must be done to support the Joint Response Plan and prevent a broader humanitarian crisis. We are committed to working with all stakeholders, including regional actors, to help resolve the crisis and seek accountability and justice for victims towards a sustainable peace in Rakhine State and all of Myanmar. And the High Commissioner for Human Rights [Volker Turk] also issued a statement, you can find that online. ** Security Council Turning to the Council, this morning, the Under-Secretary-General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, briefed Security Council members, and he said that Da'esh and its affiliates continue to constitute a serious threat in conflict zones and neighbouring countries. He added that while there has been progress in targeting Da'esh finances and leadership cadres, including the death of the Da'esh leader earlier this year, these measures had a notable effect on the group's operations in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as elsewhere. For her part, the Executive Director at the Counter-Terrorism office, Natalia Gherman, said that the Secretary-General's report on the threat posed by Da'esh to international peace and security welcomes the continued efforts of Member States to repatriate its citizens from the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic. She emphasized that it is critical that our counter terrorism measures are part of a comprehensive approach to address the threat of terrorism. The measures must be evidence-based and human-rights-compliant, she said. Their statements were shared with you. And this afternoon, the Security Council will reconvene for a briefing on non-proliferation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, will be briefing. ** Democratic People's Republic of Korea And on that related note, you will have seen that yesterday evening we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General strongly condemned the attempted launch of yet another military satellite by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He said that any launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea using ballistic-missile technology is contrary to the relevant Security Council resolutions and he reiterated his call on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to cease such acts and to swiftly resume dialogue without preconditions to achieve the goal of sustainable peace and the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. ** Sudan Now turning to Sudan. The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, warned in a statement today that the hostilities have gone viral and are now spreading to Kordofan where food stocks have been fully depleted in some areas. In addition, clashes and road blockages are preventing aid workers from reaching the hungry. And just to update you on our humanitarian efforts to provide assistance in Darfur, our colleagues are telling us that on Wednesday, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) delivered 20 tons of assistance to Koulbous, in West Darfur. The cross-border shipment from Chad included 10 tons of water, sanitation and hygiene supplies to benefit 10,000 people for three months, as well as 10 tons of medical and nutrition items. This was the first time the UN has reached Koulbous since the conflict in Sudan broke out in mid-April. And the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs also tells us that an inter-agency mission including their office and several UN agencies reached Koulbous yesterday. They met internally displaced people who had fled the state capital Geneina and other locations. Further cross-border missions to West Darfur are planned in the coming days. And a reminder that more than 1.5 million people in West Darfur are in need of humanitarian assistance according to this year's Humanitarian Response Plan. ** Democratic Republic of the Congo Now turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned today that in the eastern provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri, 6.7 million people face acute food insecurity. WFP said it is scaling up its support to increase the number of people reached with food and cash assistance, but needs are already stretched an already severely underfunded operation. With current resource shortages, while prioritizing cash assistance more rapidly, WFP is already struggling to meet the needs of the 1.5 million people it has already registered. If additional funding is not received, the agency said that it will be forced to drastically reduce the number of vulnerable and food insecure people it can assist from October onwards. And they're is urgently appealing for $567 million to meet the most pressing needs in the three provinces over the next six months. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory On the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that humanitarian needs are deepening because of restrictions of movement of Palestinians inside the West Bank. This undermines their access to livelihoods and essential services such as health care and education. The Office has identified 645 obstacles that restrict movement across the West Bank which represents an 8 per cent rise from the last survey, that was done in 2020. All the mapped obstacles are inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory rather than on the Green Line. Under international law, the Israeli authorities have the obligation to facilitate the free movement of Palestinians within the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and only certain security-related exceptions are recognized. ** Pakistan In Pakistan, the UN Children's Fund today warned that one year after the historic floods that devastated the country millions of children continue to need humanitarian assistance and access to essential services. UNICEF said that recovery and rehabilitation efforts remain underfunded and that this season's monsoon rains are worsening already challenging conditions for flood-affected communities. UNICEF estimates that there are still 8 million people - around half of whom are children that continue to live without access to safe water in flood-impacted areas. And their current appeal is of $173.5 million to provide life-saving support, but it's still only just 57 per cent funded. ** Cyprus And I have one note on the Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and Americas, Miroslav Jenca, he will be in Cyprus from 27 to 29 August for separate meetings with the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, and their representatives. The discussions are expected to focus on the way forward on the Cyprus issue and recent developments on the ground. ** Guatemala And I've been asked about the latest developments in Guatemala. I can tell you that the Secretary-General notes that the second round of elections in the country took place in an orderly fashion, as underscored by the Organization of American States and European Union observers. He is, however, concerned by reports of attempts to undermine the results of the election in which Bernardo Arevalo garnered the majority of the votes, by means of prosecutorial action against members of the electoral tribunal, the electoral boards and political parties. He recalls that electoral institutions should undertake their work in an independent manner, respecting the free expression of the will of the electors. ** UN News App And finally I have a note from our colleagues from the Department of Global Communications. I am delighted to announce that the UN News App is going live now. The UN News' multimedia app across nine languages is bringing you breaking news, insightful interviews, in-depth features, photo stories and live streaming of major meetings, it has been live for about five years, but today they're launching a new iteration of it. The enhanced app includes new features. If you haven't downloaded it, you should, I encourage you to. If you already have it, you should've received the updates. But just check, just in case. And I think that is it from me. We'll start today with Dezhi. ** Questions and Answers Question : Hi, Florencia. Yesterday, you mentioned in South Africa, the Secretary-General had multiple bilaterals with the different countries world leaders. I noticed that he actually met with the Foreign Minister of Russia, Mr. [Sergey] Lavrov. Can you give us more information on their meetings? Associate Spokesperson : What I can tell you is, yes, he met with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. They discussed issues related to the Black Sea Initiative and the MoU [Memorandum of Understanding] on Russian food and fertilizers. Those were the topics that they discussed. And the other bilateral that I'm aware of is that he met with the President of Burundi and they discussed issues on the Great Lakes and Niger. Yes, Kristen. Happy Friday. Question : Yes. Hi. Thank you. Florencia, we have sources in Africa who are telling us that the MINUSMA [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali] based in there, which I believe UN forces left on [13 August] ahead of schedule because of security concerns is now taken over by Wagner Group. Do you have any confirmation of that or any comment on that? Associate Spokesperson : All we can say is that each time the mission closes a camp as part of its withdrawal process, it will conduct procedures with the Malian civilian authority to formally return the site to the Transition Government of Mali. This is according to our policy. But, once that happens, we have no way of verifying what happens after that, right, especially since we've physically left the location. Question : So, the Government could have turned that base over to Wagner Group? Associate Spokesperson : That is not for me to comment, but for you to speculate. Question : The video of Prigozhin that was put out in the last week, the last time he was seen internationally before he died reportedly was in Mali. Do you know if that's where he was or is that something that the Secretary-General has been watching or was aware of? Associate Spokesperson : I can't confirm where this happened. Dezhi, again. Yes. Question : A follow-up. Since the UN has no information about the whereabouts the video showed about Prigozhin, as well as the death or others. I just kind of want to know what is the basic general position from the UN mercenary groups operations in multiple countries? Does UN think that should be something to concern or it's up to the sovereign countries they to decide whether to hire those groups? Associate Spokesperson : Thanks, Dezhi. No, that's alright. No need to apologize. While we're not making any comments directly on any of those developments, I think we have seen the sort of the negative effects that these groups can have. There have been reports by human rights organizations about the potential negative effects that they can have on the ground. And it's different than when it happens when it's the country's own military. The accountability is not there. Right? So, that is all I would say at this point that it comes with a lot of risks. And right now, we will see what will happens in the region. As we know that mercenary groups are operating in many parts of the world. Quite frankly, we've seen a proliferation of them, more and more. Any other questions today? You're going to make it a little easier for me on Friday. Okay. If that's the case, have a good weekend, and Stephane will be back with you on Monday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Arrives in Antalya, Turkiye US Navy 25 August 2023 From Ensign Paula Niederland ANTALYA, Turkiye -- The U.S. Navy's newest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), and embarked staff from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12, arrived in Antalya, Turkiye for a scheduled port visit, Aug. 25, 2023. This port visit is the capital ship's fourth stop while deployed to the U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) area of operations, and provides an opportunity to enhance the strong partnership between the U.S. and Turkiye. Prior to arriving in Antalya, the Gerald R. Ford Strike Group (GRFCSG) 72s conducted a series of coordinated events with Turkish Navy ships (TCG) Anadolu, Goksu, Gediz, Imbat, Meltem, Burakreis, and Turkish Air Force F-16s, KC-135s, and P-72s to enhance partner interoperability and demonstrate commitment to security in the Mediterranean. "The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group operated with our partners in the Turkish Navy and Air Force executing a series of multi-domain exercises prior to our arrival in Antalya," said Rear Adm. Erik J. Eslich, Commander, Carrier Strike Group 12. "The exercises strengthened the bond we share with Turkiye and enhanced our common understanding of maritime tactics and procedures advancing interoperability objectives. Additionally, our collective efforts reinforce our shared goals of promoting peace and stability in the region." The U.S. Navy routinely operates with its Turkish Allies, and Ford's visit to Antalya comes shortly after the U.S. Sixth Fleet Command Ship, USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), visited Istanbul, and while the guided-missile cruiser, USS Normandy (CG 60), visits Aksaz. Before arriving in Antalya, Gerald R. Ford hosted key government and military leaders aboard to observe the first-in-class aircraft carrier's operations at sea. Guests experienced Gerald R. Ford's capabilities firsthand, witnessing the launch and recovery of embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 8 aircraft from the flight deck, touring the ship's aircraft maintenance repair facilities, and meeting with GRFCSG Sailors and leadership. Gerald R. Ford is anchored off the coast of Antalya and will again host local officials and military leaders for a dinner to celebrate the strong, extensive alliance between the U.S. and Turkiye. The port call also provides Gerald R. Ford Sailors the opportunity to experience Turkiye's rich history and culture. "This visit is a great opportunity for the Sailors of USS Gerald R. Ford, Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 8, and Destroyer Squadron 2 to engage with a key ally on a personal level and experience Turkish culture," said Gerald R. Ford Commanding Officer Capt. Rick Burgess. "Our crew is excited to enjoy a beautiful nation and sightsee in a city so rich in history." The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group (GRFCSG) is conducting a scheduled deployment in U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations, demonstrating the commitment and power projection capability of the Navy's globally deployed force. The GRFCSG provides an inherently flexible naval force capable of deploying across combatant commands to meet emerging missions, deter potential adversaries, reassure allies and partners, enhance security and guarantee the free flow of global commerce. In total, the GRFCSG is deployed with more than 5,000 Sailors across all platforms ready to respond globally to combatant commander tasking. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group consists of Carrier Strike Group 12, Carrier Air Wing 8, Destroyer Squadron 2, USS Normandy (CG 60), USS Ramage (DDG 61), USS McFaul (DDG 74), and USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Navy to Christen Future USNS Navajo US Navy - Press Release 25 August 2023 The Navy will christen the Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue ship, the future USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), during a 10 a.m. EDT ceremony Saturday, August 26, in Houma, Louisiana. The Honorable Arlando Teller, Assistant Secretary for Tribal Affairs, U.S. Department of Transportation, will deliver the principal address. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment; Vice Adm. Craig Clapperton, commander, U.S. 10th Fleet; Rear Adm. Jeffrey Spivey, Deputy Commander, Military Sealift Command; Mr. Justin Ahasteen, Executive Director, Navajo Nation Washington Office; and Mr. Ben Bordelon, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bollinger Shipyards. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship's sponsor, Ms. Jocelyn Billy, will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Billy is a member of the Navajo Nation, Miss Navajo Nation 2006, and is a strong advocate for Navajo Nation veterans. The future USNS Navajo is the first ship in its class and will be operated by the Navy's Military Sealift Command. The vessels will replace the existing Powhatan-class T-ATF fleet ocean tugs and Safeguard-class T-ARS rescue and salvage ships in service with the U.S. Military Sealift Command. The Navajo-class is a new series of towing, salvage and rescue ships (T-ATS) being constructed for the U.S. Navy. The Navajo-class is a multi-mission common hull platform that will be deployed to support a range of missions such as towing, rescue, salvage, humanitarian assistance, oil spill response and wide-area search and surveillance operations using unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. The ceremony will be live streamed at: https://www.dvidshub.net/webcast/32578. The link becomes active approximately ten minutes prior to the event at 10:00 a.m. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Camp David Agreement Seen Likely to Fuel China's Aggression in S. China Sea By Chetra Chap August 25, 2023 The Camp David trilateral security agreement between the United States, Japan and South Korea is likely to drive Beijing to be more aggressive in the South China Sea, analysts say. The trilateral summit, the first stand-alone gathering of leaders from the three countries, yielded security measures aimed directly at what the participants described in a joint statement as China's "dangerous and aggressive behavior," especially in the South China Sea. The agreement calls for the three allies to commit to consult with each other to coordinate their response to regional threats. It also requires them to expand joint military drills and hold annual talks. In a statement, the three countries called out China for "dangerous and aggressive behavior supporting unlawful maritime claims" in what appeared to be a rebuke of China's aggression in the South China Sea. Clint Work, a fellow and director of academic affairs at the Korea Economic Institute of America, told VOA Korean in an interview that direct mentions of China's behavior in the South China Sea and its claims had not appeared in previous U.S.-South Korea statements. "To mention all these specific Chinese behaviors and claims is a new development. And to have it in a trilateral document is notable," he said. China's protest Beijing expressed deep displeasure with the summit. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the meeting "an act of gross interference in China's internal affairs, a deliberate attempt to sow discord" between Beijing and its neighbors. The spokesperson also rejected criticism of Beijing's behavior in the South China Sea. "The U.S., together with its allies, frequently conducted military exercises and close-in reconnaissance in waters around China, including the South China Sea, to flex muscle and intensify tensions in the region," the spokesperson said at a news briefing on Monday. 'Salami-slicing approach' Analysts say the trio's military exercises and increased ballistic missile cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region will likely push China to strengthen its existing aggressive approach in the disputed waters. "China will stage its own military exercises in response, perpetuating the action-reaction cycle," said Carl Thayer, professor emeritus of politics at the University of New South Wales Canberra, in an email to VOA Khmer. Thayer added that although the trilateral partnership on ballistic missiles is mainly directed at North Korea, "the greater interoperability and proficiency in ballistic missile defense" resulting from the partnership will offset the threat posed by China's ballistic missiles. "China's response will be to improve its offensive capabilities and increase the number of ballistic missiles it can deploy," he said. John Ciorciari, professor of research and policy engagement at the University of Michigan, said in an email to VOA Khmer that in the short term, China will likely act assertively to show that closer cooperation among South Korea, Japan and the U.S. is counterproductive, but in the long term, "the stronger trilateral cooperation is likely to induce more caution in Beijing." "China is not likely to engage in dramatic military escalation, but it will probably take economic measures to punish South Korea and Japan. This could accelerate economic decoupling," Ciorciari said. "China will likely continue pursuing its salami-slicing approach in the South China Sea, building steadily without escalating to major-power armed conflict," he added. Sweeping maritime claims China has made sweeping claims to sovereignty over most of the South China Sea, a combined area estimated to hold 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The claims have angered competing claimants, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. In July 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled against China in a claim brought by the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. China, despite being a signatory to the treaty that established the tribunal, refused to accept the court's ruling. China has been increasingly aggressive in asserting its claim, using naval presence and exercises to deter opponents from inside and outside the region, and carefully conducting gray zone operations offensive tactics below the use of armed force by its coast guard, maritime militia and fishing vessels to harass and intimidate littoral states. Beijing is also constructing what appears to be an airstrip on Triton Island, a contested territory that is also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. Recently, the Philippine Coast Guard released a video showing a China Coast Guard vessel firing a water cannon at one of its ships. The United States has no territorial claim over the contested waters but has asserted that freedom of navigation and flight, as well as peacefully resolving disputes, are in its national interest. VOA's Korean Service contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UN Humanitarian Chief Warns Sudan Conflict Is Spreading By VOA News August 25, 2023 The U.N.'s humanitarian chief said Friday the conflict in Sudan and the humanitarian crisis it has spawned are threatening to consume the entire country. In a statement issued Friday, U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs chief Martin Griffiths said the intense fighting between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces that has ravaged the capital city Juba, Khartoum and Darfur since mid-April has spread southeast to Kordofan state. The top U.N. humanitarian official said that as a result of clashes and road blockages, food stocks have been fully depleted in South Kordofan's capital, Kadugli, and aid workers have been prevented from reaching the hungry. In West Kordofan's capital, El Fula, humanitarian offices have been ransacked and supplies have been looted. The U.N. aid chief said he also is extremely worried about the safety of civilians in Al Jazira State, as the conflict moves closer to Sudan's breadbasket region. "The longer the fighting continues, the more devastating its impact," said Griffiths. Some places have already run out of food. Hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated." He called on the international community to "respond with the urgency this crisis deserves." Griffiths' warning comes as Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was seen Thursday outside the army command compound in Khartoum for the first time since fighting erupted more than four months ago. In video and pictures posted to social media, Burhan also can be seen speaking to soldiers in what is said to be the city of Omdurman, across the Nile River from Khartoum, with paramilitaries. Agence France-Presse reports some of the video appears to have been filmed before dawn. One photo of Burhan has a caption indicating it was taken at the Wadi Seidna Air Base 22 kilometers (13.7 miles) north of Khartoum. None of the posts have been independently verified. The army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, for control of the capital and several major cities since April 15. All attempts to mediate have failed, and diplomats say both sides are asserting they can win. Neither side has gained an advantage during the fighting that has inflicted high civilian casualties, and the U.N. says it has displaced more than 4.5 million people. In the video at the Wadi Seidna Air Base, Burhan greeted cheering soldiers. "The work you are doing should reassure people that the army has men, and that Sudan is being protected by the army," he said. Burhan's video appearance comes on the heels of the RSF's multiday attack on the Armored Corps base in southern Khartoum, which is the army's single remaining stronghold in the capital outside its headquarters. General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, head of the RSF, has frequently mocked Burhan for what he has called hiding in a bunker, although Dagalo has only been seen in video once since the war began, speaking to soldiers last month outside a house at an unidentified location. The fighting already has generated a humanitarian crisis that has closed hospitals, and caused electricity and water outages, along with food shortages. Now, the rainy season is underway, threatening to make the situation worse, sparking disease outbreaks and hindering transport. Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and Agence France-Presse. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MONTREALDisruptive Films has released Part 1 of the four-part feature For You, I Will, a dark tale about love and obsession, starring Carter Woods. The new release is available now on ASGmax.com. Part 1 introduces Woods as Wyatt Foster who has an unhealthy obsession with his married neighbor Cory Potts (Dante Colle). When Wyatt sees Cory cheating on his wife with another man (Tristan West), something in Wyatt snaps. He feels it should be him. Everything was done very professionally. I was truly blown away, Woods said. From the story to the team and talent, it was a pleasure to be a part of something so special. His Part 1 co-star, Tristan West, agrees, Im so excited to see the movie come together. Everyone was talented and wonderful to work with. This was my first experience working on a feature, and it was a great one. On the production side, the directing team of Jessica Jasmin, Michael Vegas and Siouxsie Q put their stamp on the new feature release. ''Working alongside Jessica and Michael is a pleasure. We are a dream team, said Siouxsie Q. The script written by Taylor Saracen is one of the best we have ever worked with. The talent is just top-notch across the board. From lighting, to set design, wardrobe, and of course the amazing actors, this movie is truly something special and I'm so honored to have been a part of it. Jasmin agreed: 'I can't wait for everyone to see the full movie. Everyone who had a hand in its creation put all of their passion into it. Its a very special project. I'm beyond grateful for the crew, the cast, the design team, the editor, and every other person who touched the production. For Vegas, the synergy between cast and crew was pivotal to the production: ''I am so proud of what we created. All the elements came together in a perfect alchemy. I can't wait to see what the audience thinks. For more information, visit DistruptiveFilms.com or follow the brand, Jessica Jasmin, Michael Vegas and Siouxsie Q on Twitter, @FilmsDisruptive, @Thecarterwoods, @JessicaxJasmin, @ItsMichaelVegas and @SiouxsieQMedia, respectively. Mozambique's President Reports Killing of Militant Leader By Charles Mangwiro August 25, 2023 Mozambican President Filipande Jacinto Nyusi on Friday reported the killing of reputed terrorist leader Bonomade Machude Omar, known as Ibn Omar, in troubled Cabo Delgado province. Speaking live on state Radio Mozambique from his seaside palace, Nyusi said the terrorist leader was fatally shot Tuesday during a gunbattle against Mozambique's defense forces that was supported by the Rwandan military and troops from the Southern African Development Community. Nyusi made the announcement after a meeting with visiting Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is on a two-day visit to the country. There has been no independent confirmation of the deaths. Nyusi emphasized that the fight against terrorists would continue, even when they operate in small groups. Ibn Omar, considered the leader of the radical Islamic State group in Mozambique, was targeted by the second phase of the "Coup Duro II" operation in Cabo Delgado. On the ground in Cabo Delgado, the Mozambican defense forces have been fighting terrorism since July 2021, with support from Rwandan troops and the SADC contingent. The chief of staff of the Mozambican defense forces, General Joaquim Rivas Mangrasse, said the killing of the terrorist leader did not mean the end of the insurgency in Mozambique. He noted that continual combing through forests was needed to flush out the militants. Rivas Mangrasse said that with Ibn Omar, two more of his direct followers still unidentified were also killed. Little is known about the history and lifestyle of Bonomade Machude Omar, but it is believed that he is one of the few Mozambican terrorists who spent his childhood in Mocimboa da Praia, a district inside Cabo Delgado province with about 65,000 inhabitants. He has often been described as the brains behind jihadist attacks over the past five years, claimed by a group known as Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama. The United Nations says violence in the region has forced more than 1 million people to flee their homes. Oil giants Exxon Mobil and Total are among big international energy companies developing offshore natural gas projects near northern Mozambique, and one huge project has been put on hold because of the violence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Somali Army Captures Elbur District, a Major Al-Shabab Base By Abdulaziz Osman August 25, 2023 The Somali government said its army captured a major al-Shabab base in central Somalia, marking a significant victory in its military offensive against the al-Qaida linked group. On Friday, Somalia's army, alongside security forces from the country's central Galmudug region, entered the historic district of Elbur, about 400 kilometers (249 miles) north of the capital Mogadishu, shortly after al-Shabab militants hastily fled the district. General Ibrahim Sheikh Muhyadin, the chief of Somalia's army, told VOA that the allied forces are currently engaged in operations to secure the district and dismantle explosive devices planted by the terrorist group. "Despite their attempts to fight back, they were unable to resist us and eventually fled," Muhyadin told VOA. 'The country will find peace' Elbur, located in the central Somali region of Galgaduud, has been a stronghold for al-Shabab for nearly a decade and its capture represents a significant blow to the group. "The capture means to us that al-Shabab was defeated, and the country will find peace," Muhyadin said. Meanwhile, the Somali government said at least 32 al-Shabab militants were killed Friday in the Lower Shabelle region during two operations conducted by government forces in collaboration with international partners, according to state media. Fighters capture military base In a separate development, local fighters in the Sool region, 786 kilometers (488 miles) northeast of Mogadishu, said they have captured an important military base from Somaliland, the breakaway republic of Somalia. Fighters loyal to SSC-Khatumo said that they seized the Gojacade base on the outskirts of Las Anod town the scene of fighting between Somaliland forces and SSC fighters for several months. SSC-Khatumo spokesperson told VOA that there are casualties on both sides, claiming the fighters captured weapons and dozens of soldiers as prisoners. In a statement, Somaliland said its army withdrew from their positions in the eastern part of the Sool region for "strategic military purposes and is in the phase of reorganizing and preparing to counter the enemy." Somaliland added that some of its forces are missing after encountering difficulties in reaching their intended destinations. The fighting in Las Anod has displaced thousands of people as regional tensions have been high for several months. The town has been under Somaliland control, but currently, the Las-Anod local leaders say they want to rejoin the federal government of Somalia. Abdulkadir Abdulle and Abdikarim Olol contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ECOWAS Concerned Message on Niger Being Misinterpreted By Timothy Obiezu August 25, 2023 The West African regional bloc ECOWAS held a news conference Friday in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, hours after coup leaders in Niger announced an alliance with neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali. ECOWAS said it was worried about reports that made it sound as if the bloc is beating the drums of war toward Niger. ECOWAS President Omar Touray told journalists that Friday's press conference was convened to set the record straight. Touray said ECOWAS was worried that its announcement earlier this month that it might use military action to restore constitutional order in Niger was being misinterpreted in media reports. He said, "ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger nor is there a plan, as has been purported, to invade the country." Touray said the ECOWAS heads of state and government only activated a full-scale application of sanctions against Niger's military rulers, including the possible use of force. He said that authorities would resort to this measure only after deciding that dialogue alone is not deterring coups in the region. "The current development in the Republic of Niger adds to the list of attempted coups d'etat in the region," Touray said. "So, you can understand why the heads of state and government have decided that this is one coup too many and resolved that it was time to end the contagion. The situation in the Republic of Niger is particularly unfortunate, as it comes at a time the country is comparatively well in terms of security and economic growth." Military takeovers are increasing in West Africa, with seven coups since 2020. The ECOWAS president said the bloc was concerned about the welfare of the people of Niger and that it had noted reports of increased insecurity and human rights violations since the military took over in late July. Touray said military administrations in the region have not demonstrated capacity to deal with complex political, social and security challenges. On July 26, soldiers of the presidential guard overthrew Niger's democratically elected leader, President Mohamed Bazoum, and have since held him hostage, ignoring calls for his release. ECOWAS on August 10 said it had activated a standby force to restore constitutional order in Niger. Touray spoke to journalists Friday. "In the interim, the region is employing other elements of its instruments and engaging with the military authorities, as can be attested to by the several missions that have been fielded to the country," he said. "Nonetheless, preparations continue towards making the force ready for deployment." Last week, Niger's junta announced a three-year transition plan and, on Thursday, authorized Mali and Burkina Faso's forces to intervene in the country in the event of any military invasion by ECOWAS. Both countries had warned that invasion of Niger by ECOWAS would mean a declaration of war. Security analyst Chidi Omeje says there's too much at stake to risk military action. "I expect them not to put the issue of military intervention on the table at all," Omeje said. "It shouldn't be discussed because you have to look at the consequences of a military intervention in Niger Republic. In that region, how are you going to mitigate the influx of refugees in Nigeria?" ECOWAS is hoping that diplomatic efforts will pay off and make it unnecessary to deploy forces. But so far, the junta has resisted pressure to relinquish power. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russo-Ukraine War - 25 August 2023 - Day 548 Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos. On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace. "To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal] The UK Ministry of Defence reported that on 23 August 2023, exactly two months after the Wagner Group's mutiny, a Wagner-associated Embraer business jet crashed near Tver, between Moscow and St Petersburg. The Russian authorities claim 10 people on board died, including Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin. There is not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin was onboard and he is known to exercise exceptional security measures. However, it is highly likely that he is indeed dead. The demise of Prigozhin would almost certainly have a deeply destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor. Wagner's leadership vacuum would be compounded by the reports that founder and field commander Dimitry Utkin and logistics chief Valery Chekalov also died. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of August 25, Russian forces launched 2x missile and 39x air strikes, 72x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Following successful engagements by the forces and means of Ukrainian Air Force, 2x Kalibr cruise missiles and 1x Shahed-136/131 attack UAV have been intercepted today. Unfortunately, the Russian attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high. During the day of August 25, there were 35x combat engagements. Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: The Russian adversary fired mortars and artillery at more than 25x settlements, including Liskivshchyna, Bohdanove (Chernihiv oblast), Seredyna-Buda, Kucherivka, Khodyne, Stepne, Myropil's'ke (Sumy oblast), Hatyshche, Vovchans'k, Synel'nykove (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kyslivka and Pishchane (Kharkiv oblast), The settlements of Hryanykivka, Syn'kivka, Kup'yans'k, Orlyans'ke (Kharkiv oblast) came under artillery and mortar fire of the Russian adversary. Lyman axis: the Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Novojehorivka (Luhansk oblast). The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Chervonyi Stav (Kharkiv oblast), Tverdokhlibove, Makiivka (Luhansk oblast) and Vesele (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 30x settlements, including Nadiia, Tverdokhlibove (Luhansk oblast) and Sivers'k, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Berestove, Vesele (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 25x settlements, including Zaliznyans'ke, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Chasiv Yar, Klishchiivka, Stupochky (Donetsk oblast), suffered from Russian artillery shelling. Avdiivka axis: the Russian adversary conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery at the settlements of Novokalynove, Stepove, Avdiivka, Sjeverne, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). Mar'inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the Russian offensive in the area of Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast). The Russian adversary launched an air strike in the vicinity of Krasnohorivka (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery at the settlements of Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Kurakhove, Novomykhailivka, Kostyantynivka, Hostre (Donetsk oblast). Shakhtars'ke axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully defeated Russian attacks in the vicinity of Vuhledar (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Vuhledar, Vremivka, Blahodatne and Staromaiors'ke, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Maksymivka, Blahodatne, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), suffered from Russian artillery shelling. Zaporizhzhia axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Mala Tokmachka, Robotyne, and Novodanylivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). More than 20x settlements suffered from Russian artillery shelling, including Novoandriivka, Shcherbaky, Pavlivka, P'yatykhatky, Stepove, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Kherson axis: the settlements of Khreshchenivka, Dmytrivka, Mykil's'ke, the city of Kherson and Dniprovs'ke (Kherson oblast) suffered from Russian artillery shelling. At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation on Melitopol' axis, consolidating their positions and conducting counter-battery fire. During the day of August 25, Ukrainian Air Force launched 10x air strikes on the concentrations of troops and 1x air strike on the anti-aircraft missile systems of the Russian adversary. During the day of August 25, the Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 1x anti-aircraft missile system and 3x artillery systems of the Russian adversary at their firing positions. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the previous night, the Russian Navy has launched a strike with long-range, sea-based precision weapons against a port infrastructure facility used in the interests of the AFU. The goal of the attack has been reached. The facility has been neutralised. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, together with Ground-Attack and Army aviation, have successfully repelled three attacks by the AFU close to Zaliznyanskoye, Kleshcheevka, and Staromikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 260 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, two motor vehicles, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, and two D-20 howitzers. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces, supported by aviation and artillery, have repelled three attacks by 47th mechanised and 68th jaeger brigades of the AFU close to Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Sergeevka (Lugansk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, two tanks, three infantry fighting vehicles, two pickup trucks, and one D-20 howitzer. In Zaporozhye direction, as a result of active actions by Russian units, supported by artillery and heavy flamethrower systems, five enemy attacks have been repelled. The enemy losses were up to 110 Ukrainian servicemen, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, and two U.S.-manufactured Stryker armoured personnel carriers, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems, as well as two UK-manufactured FH-70 guns. One AFU field ammunition depot has been destroyed near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces, in cooperation with Operational-Tactical Aviation and artillery, repelled an enemy attack close to Sladkoye (Donetsk People's Republic). In addition, units of the 38th Marine Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy have been eliminated near Urozhaynoye (Donetsk People's Republic). In addition, the actions of two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the 31st Marine Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been suppressed near Priyutnoye (Zaporozhye region). The enemy losses were up to 125 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, one Polish-manufactured Krab self-propelled artillery system, two U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery systems, two Msta-B, and one D-20 howitzers, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, as well as one AN/TPQ - 36 counter-battery radar station. In Krasny Liman direction, as a result of actions of units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, Army Aviation and artillery, an attack by servicemen of the 42nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been repelled close to Kuzmino (Lugansk People's Republic). In addition, units of 63rd, 67th mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the 5th Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard have been eliminated close to Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic), Torskoye and Grigorovka (Donetsk People's Republic). The enemy losses were up to 80 Ukrainian servicemen, four armoured fighting vehicles, and two pickup trucks. In Kherson direction, the enemy losses were up to 50 Ukrainian servicemen, three motor vehicles, one U.S.-manufactured M777 artillery system, as well as Msta-B and D-30 howitzer. Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised manpower and military hardware in 147 areas. Fighter Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces have shot down one AFU Su-25 aircraft near Semyonovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Air defence facilities have shot down one Su-25 aircraft near Zolotaya Balka (Kherson region), five HIMARS MLRS and one HARM surface-to-air radar system projectiles, manufactured in the U.S., as well as one S-200 SAM system missile, modified in a strike version. In addition, 73 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been intercepted and suppressed by electronic warfare means close to Olshana (Kharkov region), Shishkovo (Lugansk People's Republic), Berestovoye, Golmovsky (Donetsk People's Republic), Vasilyevka, Sladkaya Balka, Inzhinernoye and Zhovtnyovoye (Zaporozhye region). In total, 464 airplanes, 246 helicopters, 6,085 unmanned aerial vehicles, 433 air defence missile systems, 11,492 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,144 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,042 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 12,424 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 25, 2023 Transcript Deputy Dual-Status Commander, JTF 5-0, COL Fielder Holds Off-Camera, On-the-Record Press Engagement, via Zoom from Hawaii Army Col. David Fielder, Deputy Dual Status Commander, JTF 5-0 LIEUTENANT COLONEL DEVIN ROBINSON: All right ladies and gentlemen, it is 5:01 so we'll go ahead and get started. My name is Lieutenant Colonel Devin Robinson, I'll be your moderator for our briefing today. Just to quickly run over a few of the ground rules, we're really grateful that Colonel Fielder is able to make some time for us today. He and his team are extremely busy with the important mission that they are working on. So we want to make sure that we keep this briefing as brief as possible. We've identified which reporters would like to ask questions ahead of time. So I'll call on reporters as we work through the list. Because of time constraints, I'd ask you to limit your questions to one question and potentially one short follow-up. Given the audio challenges of operating in the Zoom environment, we'd also ask you to please mute your phone until you're called upon. So police yourselves on that. And today's press conference as a reminder is on the record. Looks like we've got some live mics here, so let me just take a minute to check those real quick. Okay. I want to just restress before we get started that Colonel Fielder is here to discuss the DOD's response to the wildfires in Maui. So please limit your questions to that topic. And without further ado, I'd like to introduce the Joint Task Force 5-0 Title 10 Deputy Dual Status Commander, Colonel David Fielder. Sir, can you hear me? COLONEL DAVID FIELDER: Yeah, I have you. Thank you. Hey, good morning everybody. Again, my name is David Fielder and I am the Deputy Dual Status Commander for the Title 10 response for Task Force 5-0. I work with Brigadier General Logan daily and we provide the support to the local and state authorities here. And I'm proud to represent the men and women providing this total DOD response in support of this mission. This mission is critical. At the end of the day, these are our neighbors and our families that have been affected by this and we're proud to be part of the response. And with that, I'll open it up for any questions you might have. Thank you. LT. COL. ROBINSON: Thank you, sir. Appreciate that. We'll start with Ben Kesling, Wall Street Journal. Ben. Q: Hi, Colonel. Thank you. I wonder if you could just talk to me a little bit about the difficulties with remain recovery, both in identifying remains, identifying DNA that's in those remains and how long the timeframe is on how long it could take, weeks or months even? And then also talk to me a little bit about DOD's involvement in the forensics and anthropology that's happening. COL. FIELDER: Hey, thanks for that question, Ben. I'm not by no means a professional at DNA and being able to identify the remains and the timeframe. I will tell you that from the DOD response to it, we've got members of the Department of Defense, POW Missing in Action Accountability Agency over here assisting the local authorities. We have one in the forensic lab who's helping out and we've gotten multiple on the scene down there as they're doing the search for remains and they help with that every day. But that's about as far as I can answer on that. I don't have any timeframes. I know it's a difficult task, but I am not the subject matter expert by any means. Thank you. LT. COL. ROBINSON: Okay, thank you, sir. Our next question is Oren Liebermann, CNN. Q: Hey, how are you, sir? Thank you for doing this. I'm just wondering if you can give us a sense of as you get more into the affected area, do you have a sense of how long that will take? What sort of assets or capabilities you may need going forward that you didn't know you needed up until now? And then can you give us a sense of what's on standby and how that's evolved? COL. FIELDER: Great question. And I don't know if I can answer it all completely because they're about 85 percent, 87 percent cleared right now. But the last structures they have to clear are going to be extremely complicated. They already started mobilizing some equipment to go in there to remove some of the structures to get to the remains. The very earliest projection and we're talking weeks, it's not going to be days to get through all that. We've got a lot of assets available. We continued to dialogue with the local and the state to provide anything they need. We've got 25th Infantry Division, the Marine Corps if we need to provide that, and the Navy has got some construction capability too. If anything is needed, they'll request it and we are more than happy to provide that support to it. But at the end of the day we are at the behest of the local responders down there that are integrated completely into the Emergency Operation Center at the county level. And if the mayor needs it, he'll request that up through those appropriate channels and we'll get them over here. It takes hours, not days or weeks. Thank you. Q: Thank you, sir. Just a quick follow, what are those structures and what makes them complicated? Can you just describe that for us and, again? COL. FIELDER: Yeah. Those structures, they're just multi-dwelling high risers that they have to be very careful on descaling those to get down there. That's the most complicated piece to it. LT. COL. ROBINSON: Okay, thank you, sir. Our next question will go to Jennifer Hlad from Defense One. Q: Hi, sir. I'm not sure if you have seen this Honolulu Magazine article that the headline is, "What's with the Underwhelming Military Response in Maui?" And I know there's been a lot of discussion, I'm in O`ahu, a lot of discussion in the Islands just about the military's response. And the contrast was with Hurricane, I believe, Iniki is how you pronounce it in 1992, but also Katrina, just military passing out water and food and medical supplies. And this time I know the military is helping with, like you mentioned, the one part of the mission but not really with the relief for the survivors, I guess. They're helping find the deceased. Anyway, I was wondering if you could just talk a little bit about that and maybe a little bit about why the military so far is not doing a lot on the other side with helping the survivors get water and medical supplies and those kinds of things? Or if they are, and I'm unaware, please let me know. COL. FIELDER: Jennifer, thanks for that question. I'm not aware of the article. I have not seen that. I'll talk to my public affairs and make sure they get me that article there. But listen, I would tell you that the DOD response, just me personally, when I got word that we were going to stand up this taskforce, I was in Guam. And within the timeframe I could get over here, I left on Friday, got here on Friday, we stood up this Joint Taskforce within 72 hours. And we are ready to respond to anything that the mayor had asked for. And it's extremely complicated when you look at, it was immediate action on the ground down there. They had to assess some of that. And then we came in and provided the mayor and the governor a list of capabilities. But it's got to be programmed out to some extent. I'll tell you that the National Guard had people on site within hours to help with the response. We had helicopters on standby to help with the firefighting. And, in fact, we've stood up those assets up and just by coincidence we needed to use them on another island as the Guard was dropping water over here. And then as soon as a request has been given to us, we haven't been waiting for all of the paperwork to go as long as there's been a request that we could fulfill, we've started. And I'll go back to - we just received Navy divers. And within 24 hours of that request they were on the ground and they'll be in the water today that help look for remains and help salvage. They do some underwater surveying for salvaging and they're responding to it. There's a capacity issue. You can't send everybody at one time, it's got to be kind of layered out. But thank you for that question. And it's important. It may seem slow from the outside but it's been going very quickly - as needed, as requested by the local and state who are ultimately in-charge of the entire operation. Q: All right. Thank you, sir. And sorry to ramble so much. LT. COL. ROBINSON: Thank you ma'am. For our next question, we'll go to Mosh at NBC. Q: Thanks so much for doing this. I was wondering if you could give us a breakdown of the 725 or so DOD personnel. How are many are active duty versus not, also contractors? And then with the dive teams, the three dive teams from PAC FLEET, I'm wondering if you could just give us a bit more sense of what they're going to be doing, what's been found. If you could just talk a little bit more about their mission. And is this different from over the weekend, I guess, it was Maui Fire said that their dive mission with the Navy had concluded. So I'm wondering, if you could talk a little bit about the different mission sets there, that would be helpful just for some clarification. Thanks. COL. FIELDER: Sorry, for taking a second, I was just trying to write some of that down just make sure I answer your questions clearly. So right now we have a total of 572 personnel. And that includes both Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard, and a couple of Department of Army civilians that make up the DPAA, that Defense POW Missing in Action Accountability Agency. Out of that, we also we have some USACE contractors are over here, that total about 44. Coast Guard is providing some in the 50s range that they're providing support too. But they don't fall under DOD, they're part of the Department of Homeland Security. So it is a total force integration that the JTF here doesn't necessarily control everything but we monitor things, so there's a unity of effort. And so as for the dive team, to answer your second question, so they were requested for from the Maui Fire Department. They've linked up with them and they're in here to help coordinate. They work with the Fire Department and they work with the Coast Guard. And they provide an expeditionary and deployable diving and salvage operation for the harbor here and the waterway. Couple of things, the map out part of it with the boats that have sunk out there and also to look for remains inside the harbor and then in some of the channel. But they're in direct coordination with the Maui Fire Department and their divers and United States Coast Guard. Did I answer all your questions, Mosh? Q: So has that mission ended? Because I think there was some reporting that it had. I just wanted to kind of figure out where that stood. COL. FIELDER: No, no. Not at all. We don't have an end date for right now. And they just entered the water today. They got on the ground two days ago and they made their assessments with the Maui Fire Department and with the Coast Guard yesterday. And, in fact, they're probably diving right now. And we'll get a really good update by the end of the day on what they've done and what they look like as they move forward. And they won't end until the Maui Fire Department and the Coast Guard thinks that they no longer need the capability. Q: Okay. And then one last quick one, earlier, I think it said US Army Pacific was executing nine FEMA missions and then today at the briefing it was said that there were eight. What's the difference there? Was there one lost or can you just explain that? COL. FIELDER: Yeah. So I got to go back and look. Nothing is ended yet for the mission assignments. I think what the difference was that we have a fueling operation over here and we have modified on those mission assignments to give us a closer end date. But everything is still open and we haven't completed anything at all right now. Q: Thanks. LT. COL. ROBINSON: Okay ladies and gentlemen, thank you. Those were the questions that we had collected ahead of time. Sir, I'll turn it over to you for your closing remarks. COL. FIELDER: Hey, thank you Devin. Hey, I appreciate this opportunity to talk to everybody and get what we're doing out to the greater public and I appreciate everything you're doing to support that. At the end of the day, this is a very critical mission and there is no place I'd rather be. I know that there is no place that this Taskforce would rather be in support of this mission. And I thank you again. https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3505000/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address August 25, 2023 By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News Military Response in Hawaii Has Been Quick, as Requested by Local Officials Right now, Joint Task Force 5-0 has about 572 personnel assigned and operating in Hawaii. The task force's mission is to support and augment the efforts of county, state and federal authorities in Hawaii to ensure the people of Maui receive necessary aid and assistance. During a briefing yesterday afternoon, Army Col. David Fielder, who serves as the Joint Task Force 5-0 Title 10 deputy dual-status commander, said the military response there has been as quick as what's been called for. "It may seem slow from the outside," he said. "But ... it's been going very quickly, as needed, as requested by the local and state [officials], who are ultimately in charge of the entire operation." On the ground in Hawaii, Fielder said, there are National Guard, Reserve and active duty personnel who make up the task force. Also included in the task force are Army civilian personnel from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. "We have one in the forensic lab, who is helping out, and we've gotten multiple on the scene down there as they're doing the search for remains and they help with that every day," he said. Also, Fielder said, about 50 or more members of the U.S. Coast Guard are involved as well as more than 40 civilians from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A team of Navy divers is also getting started in Maui, and they will help with salvage operations as well as looking for remains. "They were requested [by] the Maui Fire Department, they've linked up with them," Fielder said. "They work with the fire department and they work with the Coast Guard, and they provide an expeditionary and deployable diving and salvage operation for the harbor here and the waterway." The divers will, in part, participate in mapping out where boats have sunk and also look for remains inside the harbor. Fielder said within 72 hours of his being notified about the need for the task force, the JTF stood up. He also said that the task force has, in some cases, moved faster than what the bureaucracy would typically allow. "We haven't been waiting for all of the paperwork to go -- as long as it's been a request that [we] could fulfill, we started," he said. "We just received Navy divers. Within 24 hours of that request, they were on the ground." National Guard and Reserve military personnel typically serve in the areas where they grew up. For many in the Hawaii National Guard, Hawaii is home. "At the end of the day, these are our neighbors and our families that have that have been affected by this and we're proud to be part of the response," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The UN and international coordination is key to countering terrorism: UK statement at the Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. 25 August 2023 Thank you, President. I thank Under Secretary General Voronkov and Executive Director Gherman for their briefings and for the work of the monitoring team in producing the report. I thank Ms Khalaf for her briefing today. Her harrowing account of the atrocities Daesh committed serves as a reminder of the lifelong impact of these crimes, and the poisonous ideology we are fighting. All survivors of gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual violence, including Yezidis and other communities in Iraq, deserve to see justice delivered. We support UNITAD and Iraq in pursuing accountability for Daesh perpetrators, and we look forward to renewing UNITAD's mandate next month to continue this important work. Daesh continues to suffer blows to their campaign, including the death of leader Abu Husaini al-Qurashi in April. However, the threat is becoming less predictable, harder to detect, and harder to investigate. We must therefore keep up the pressure. A resurgent Daesh core in Syria and Iraq remains a real risk. IDP [Internally Displaced People] camps provide a fertile ground for radicalisation in which Daesh can recruit and operate. In Al-Hawl camp the UK is focusing our efforts on improving the situation through humanitarian assistance, by responding to gender-based violence and providing child protection. As we heard today, ISKP [Islamic State - Khorasan Province] continues to show it has the capacity to carry out high-profile attacks on civilian and international targets inside Afghanistan and encourage attacks abroad. Earlier this year, the United Kingdom convened the inaugural ISKP Diplomatic Grouping that saw 19 countries come together and agree to intensify and coordinate our response to counter the threat from ISKP. Last month the UK published a refresh of our Counter Terrorism Strategy - CONTEST - to ensure we remain agile in the face of an evolving threat and aligned with our international allies. In Africa, Daesh is expanding fast and we urge the international community to step up our efforts. We must address the root causes that are driving conflict in the region and enabling the expansion of Violent Extremist Organisations. In the Sahel, the UK provides financial support to the UN's regional stabilisation facility for the Lake Chad basin, an initiative that will support local communities. Finally, President, the UN plays a key role in the fight against terrorism and the UK welcomed the adoption of the 8th Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. International coordination, with a meaningful role for civil society, remains essential for our work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Private Chinese rocket maker launches 8th successful flight mission, entering concentrated delivery phase Global Times By Global Times Published: Aug 25, 2023 01:45 PM Private Chinese aerospace firm Galactic Energy launched its eighth Ceres 1 rocket on Friday, the latest effort by a private Chinese firm to expand its capabilities in rocket research and development (R&D) and launches. It was the third launch within 35 days by Galactic Energy and the eighth successful flight for the rocket model. The launch successfully sent the Jilin-1 Kuanfu 02A satellite, self-developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Corp, to its preset orbit. Following the launch, it will further accelerate the networking process of the Jilin-1 satellite constellation, and expand the large-scale, high-resolution remote sensing information resources of Jilin-1, which can provide richer remote sensing data and product services for land and resources censuses, smart city, agriculture and forestry development and other fields. Jilin-1 is China's first self-developed commercial remote sensing satellite system. The satellites are operated by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Corp based in Northeast China's Jilin Province, after which the satellite is named. So far, the Ceres 1 rocket has served 15 commercial satellite clients, sending 29 satellites into orbit that offer support for Earth observation, meteorological monitoring, popular science education and others, according to a statement the company sent to the Global Times. Having kicked off its high-density delivery and launch cycle for the second half of the year, Galactic Energy aims to complete one land-based launch and one sea-based launch in the near future, a PR representative from the firm told the Global Times. A high-density launch is the path a rocket firm has to take for its products to mature from the lab to large-scale production. Prior to Friday's launch, the Beijing-based start-up had accomplished seven consecutive launches after making its debut flight in November 2020 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China. Ceres 1 is a four-stage launch vehicle independently designed by Galactic Energy. Solid engines are used in the first, second and third stages, while advanced liquid upper stage is the fourth one. The company is also conducting R&D into liquid rocket technology. In June, it announced that the Pallas 1, a larger, reusable liquid-propellant rocket model, had completed the inter-stage separation test, verifying the correctness of the separation scheme. Private firms, a rising force in propelling China's space industry, are ramping up efforts to foster capabilities to meet market demand. With consecutive successful launches, they are entering a new R&D cycle and accelerating the pace of shaping their commercialization loop, experts said. "Private Chinese firms, especially those established as the first-generation launch start-ups in 2015, are now in the ascending period," Lan Tianyi, founder of Beijing-based Ultimate Blue Nebula Co, a space industry consultancy, told the Global Times Friday. They have demonstrated robust innovation capabilities and potential over the past few years, and have become an important force in promoting China's commercial space sector, he noted. The year 2023 is also anticipated to witness more milestone launch events in the commercial space sector compared with the past few years. In July, LandSpace, another private rocket start-up, launched the world's first liquid oxygen, liquid methane carrier rocket from Jiuquan, a milestone move that has put China in the front of the global space race for methane-based rockets. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsikhanouskaya Says Independence Of Belarus 'Under Greatest Threat' By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 25, 2023 Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, marking the 32nd anniversary of Belarus's adoption of a document issued by the Supreme Soviet of Belarus to assert its independence from the Soviet Union, said her country's independence has come under its "greatest threat" ever because of the rule of authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka. In a video statement posted on YouTube on August 25, Tsikhanouskaya said that 32 years ago "the dream of many generations" of Belarusians came true as Belarusian independence arrived thanks to "the heroism of past generations." That has all changed, she added, with moves Lukashenka has taken to align the country closely with neighboring Russia, including allowing the Kremlin to stage military operations from Belarusian territory since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "Today, our country again finds itself at a crossroads: to become a part of 'the Russian world' and be absorbed within an empire or to escape its clutches and become a wealthy and free European nation. Today we again have to stand for our independence, because its is under its greatest threat ever in modern history," she said. "There are Russian soldiers on our territory now, their military bases as well. There are mercenaries, criminals who are destroying Ukrainian cities and killing civilians. [Russia's] nuclear weapons are here, turning Belarus into a target on military maps," Tsikhanouskaya said. Lukashenka has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since taking power in 1994. He claimed to have won a sixth term in office in an election in August 2020, which the opposition and many Western government say was rigged. Since then, he has cracked down hard on dissent and civil society, jailing hundreds and forcing most of the country's opposition figures, including Tsikhanouskaya, to flee in fear of their safety and freedom. The Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic was issued by the Supreme Soviet of Belarus to assert its independence from the Soviet Union. First approved on July 27, 1990, the declaration initiated the process of Belarus' eventual independence on August 25, 1991. Less than four months later, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-opposition- tsikhanouskaya-independence-threat/32564751.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 Belarus to Conduct Comprehensive Military Drills in Late September - Defense Ministry Sputnik News 20230825 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Comprehensive drills of the Belarusian armed forces will take place in late September, following a joint military exercise of countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the chief for international military cooperation at the Belarusian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "September will be a busy month of combat training. At first a joint CSTO exercise 'Combat Brotherhood' will take place, and the month will end with a comprehensive exercise of the AF [armed forces] of [an icon of the national flag of Belarus]," Valery Revenko tweeted. The military official added that Minsk had notified member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe in accordance with the Vienna Document 2011. On Thursday, the Belarusian Defense Ministry said that the CSTO's Combat Brotherhood-2023 joint operational and strategic exercise will be held on territory of Belarus from September 1-6. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Former NFL star and ESPN host Keyshawn Johnson was an honoree at the 2022 Dick Vitale Gala in Sarasota, Fla. The path has been cleared for former ESPN figure Keyshawn Johnson to join Fox Sports Undisputed. Since Johnson was caught up in the ESPN layoffs in June, theres been lots of talk about him becoming one of the many new recurring guest hosts on FS1s Undisputed, with central Undisputed figure Skip Bayless even announcing that this week. But a key hurdle there has been Johnsons ESPN contract, worth a reported $18 million over five years, which he signed in 2022. Those contracts tend to have significant non-compete provisions, which has held up post-ESPN work for many laid off in the past. And that led to pushback on Bayless comments that Johnson would join Undisputed. But, as per Andrew Marchand of The New York Post, Johnson has now reached a settlement with ESPN on the remainder of that contract, and will appear on Undisputed beginning Monday: Keyshawn Johnson will be Skip Bayless new full-time partner on FS1s Undisputed after Johnson reached agreement on a settlement of his $18 million contract with ESPN, The Post has learned. Johnson is expected to start on Monday. Earlier in the week, Bayless announced Johnson would be part of the shows new team that includes contributors Richard Sherman, Michael Irvin and Rachel Nichols. Between the buyout with ESPN and the new deal with FS1, Johnson will make the same amount and will retain his audio rights, meaning he could still do radio or a podcast elsewhere, according to sources. Its certainly interesting to see that buyout cleared out and to see Johnson landing this Undisputed deal. While that had been rumored almost since Johnsons June 30 layoff, it wasnt sure to happen even after Bayless announced the move this week. And its definitely possible there could have been some extra hurdles here given Johnsons destination, as the ESPN-FS1 relationship has often not been too cordial, from alternative to the establishment through billboards and on-air comments. But it now appears there wont be additional difficulties in this case. Well see how this move works out for Johnson and Undisputed. [The New York Post] China-Africa ties deepen with blueprint for future cooperation Global Times Three initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agriculture, talent devt By Xie Wenting in Johannesburg and Liu Xin in Beijing Published: Aug 25, 2023 09:21 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping returned to China on Friday after wrapping up his 10th visit to the African continent, during which he attended the 15th BRICS Summit and paid a state visit to South Africa. Observers said that the Chinese leader's trip to Africa not only promoted and witnessed the historic expansion of the BRICS mechanism, but also further helped built a closer China-Africa community with a shared future, contributing to true multilateralism. President Xi and other BRICS and African leaders gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week for the BRICS summit. On Thursday, President Xi co-chaired with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg, during which Xi urged China and Africa to join hands for modernization and put forward three initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development. President Xi said that China is pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, while Africa is making all-out efforts to build a new Africa that enjoys peace, unity, prosperity and strength. China and Africa should work together to build an open and inclusive world economy, advocating for the building of an open world economy, where developing countries are better involved in the international division of labor and share the fruits of economic globalization, said Xi. This is the first offline meeting between Chinese and African leaders since the COVID-19 pandemic, which will deepen China-Africa relations, analysts said, noting that Xi's participation in the BRICS Summit in Africa and the meeting with African leaders are helping to draw the blueprint for future China-Africa cooperation and will further promote the building of a closer China-Africa community with a shared future. Moreover, during the summit, Xi also had offline face-to-face meetings with BRICS and also many African leaders, which were conducive to consensus-building and to Global South cooperation, and will inject more impetus into global stability and development, they said. Blueprint for cooperation During the meeting with African leaders on Thursday, to chart the course for China-Africa practical cooperation in the next stage and assist in Africa's integration and modernization, President Xi put forward three initiatives - Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. President Xi noted that next year, China will host the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), where China and Africa may come together again and draw up new plans for development. He also expressed confidence that China and Africa will carry forward their traditional friendship, enhance solidarity and coordination, and bolster cooperation across the board. As China and Africa join hands to advance modernization, they will deliver a better future for the Chinese and African people, and set a fine example in the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. These three initiatives on industrialization, agriculturalization, and talent development reflect Africa's aspirations for modernization and are also the core for development in Africa's Agenda 2063 development blueprint, which highlights China's inherent and consistent support for Africa's development, Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times. Given Africa's relatively low manufacturing capacity, the initiative on industrialization shows that China is committed to transferring its strong production capacity to Africa to enhance its position in the global value chain, said Song. Agriculture is also a vital aspect of Africa's development. With its vast land and large population, supporting Africa's agricultural modernization also contributes to solving Africa's food security issues and making positive contributions to global food security, Song said. Agricultural cooperation between China and Africa has been going on for several decades. Dr. Sylvester Anami, a senior research fellow at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in Kenya, told the Global Times that the impressive rural transformation and agricultural modernization in China, which involves the utilization of precision agriculture and the implementation of leading digital technologies, has resulted in the lifting of millions of people out of poverty. The continuous provision of technical support and expertise in agricultural modernization by China has the potential to bring about a revolution in food and nutrition security in Africa, said Dr Anami. Under the initiative on agriculture put forward by President Xi, China will further help Africa expand grain plantation, encourage Chinese companies to increase investment, and enhance cooperation with Africa on seed and other areas of agro-technology, to support Africa in transforming and upgrading its agricultural sector, analysts said. Song also noted that talent development is the core foundation for any development plan and the initiative in cultivating talents for Africa will also help support the other two initiatives. Moreover, Africa has the youngest population in the world, and promoting talent development not only benefits African youth but also directly increases their skills for employment, thus boosting Africa's employment rate and promoting social stability. China plans to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges, and 10,000 technical personnel in both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa every year. China will invite 20,000 government officials and technicians from African countries to participate in workshops and seminars, according to the initiative on talent development. In response to some Western media hype that China's economic strength is declining and its influence in Africa will be frustrated, Song said that these narratives reflect the strong fear and unease of the West and the US toward the China-Africa community with a shared future, as China-Africa cooperation has continued to upgrade. China's influence in Africa has expanded, which has raised concerns among some countries outside the region, especially the US, which increasingly views China as a major competitor in Africa and suppresses China by fabricating accusations such as debt traps and debt diplomacy. However, African people, with a rational attitude, see through these fabrications and understand that they are baseless, said Song. The cooperation between China and Africa has brought tangible development to African countries. The "debt trap" rhetoric is more of a political narrative and propaganda pushed to discourage Africans from getting these loans from China, Dennis Munene Mwaniki, Executive Director of the Africa Policy Institute, told the Global Times. Some people attempt to discredit China but when people look deeper, they will find the "debt trap" and other narratives have no basis, said Mwaniki, noting that the desire for development pushes Africans back to its true friends, and the country that offers the opportunity for development is China. Strengthening forces for world stability, development The COVID-19 pandemic posed severe challenges to Africa and other developing countries' overall development, and the strengthened cooperation between China and Africa injects greater confidence into Africa's development and into the Global South. Moreover, growing China-Africa cooperation, as well as the continent's development, also helps boost the influence of Africa and the developing countries at international platforms, allowing the continent's voice and development demands to be heard and responded to by more countries in the international community, said Song. Also on Thursday, a series of outcomes was announced, including adopting the Johannesburg II Declaration in reaffirm the countries' commitment to the BRICS spirit and deciding to invite Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to become new members of the grouping. The joining of the six new members, representing different regions, is historic, Feng Xingke, secretary general of the World Financial Forum and director of the Center for BRICS and Global Governance, told the Global Times. The expansion of BRICS will be conducive to perfecting the management of the BRICS mechanism. Moreover, as the six countries are influential in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, BRICS will have more vitality to represent new emerging economies and developing countries, and play a bigger role in future global governance to promote a better international order, said Feng. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xi urges China, Africa to join hands for modernization Global Times By Xinhua Published: Aug 25, 2023 10:13 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping here on Thursday delivered a keynote speech at the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue and urged China and Africa to join hands for modernization. China is willing to launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, which will support Africa in growing its manufacturing sector and realizing industrialization and economic diversification, Xi said. The initiative stressed that through the nine programs under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Belt and Road cooperation and the Global Development Initiative, China will channel more resources of assistance, investment and financing toward programs for industrialization. China will launch the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, Xi said, adding that China will help Africa expand grain plantation and encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa. The plan aims at helping Africa achieve food self-sufficiency and independent sustainable development, promote food production in Africa, effectively boost Africa's ability to safeguard its food security, and help it reach related goals in agricultural modernization. China will host the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture in Hainan this November, said Xi, adding that China will provide additional emergency food assistance to some African countries in need to help Africa tackle the current food crisis. China will also launch the plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, planning to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges, and 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa every year, Xi said. In 2013, Xi announced the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for China's Africa policy. "Over the past 10 years, China has stayed committed to this principle," Xi said. The Chinese president noted that China is pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, while Africa is making all-out efforts to build a new Africa that enjoys peace, unity, prosperity and strength. Xi called on China and Africa to work together to create a sound environment for realizing their respective development visions by promoting just and equitable international order, practising true multilateralism and unequivocally opposing vestiges of colonialism and hegemonism in all forms. China is ready to work with Africa to implement the new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, advocate the resolution of differences and disputes through dialogue and cooperation, facilitate the political settlement of international and regional hotspot issues, and safeguard world peace and stability, he said. The Chinese president also said China and Africa should work together to build an open and inclusive world economy, advocating for the building of an open world economy, where developing countries are better involved in the international division of labor and share the fruits of economic globalization. "We should overcome estrangement between civilizations through exchanges, promote inclusiveness and mutual learning between civilizations," Xi said. Noting that there are various paths leading to modernization, Xi said that the African people have the most say on which path suits Africa best, and advancing modernization through integration is the independent choice made by African countries and people. Looking ahead, China will work with Africa to enhance the synergy of their development strategies, and will continue to support Africa in speaking with one voice on international affairs to keep improving its international standing, Xi said. China will also work actively at the G20 summit next month to support the African Union's full membership in the group, Xi said, adding that China supports making special arrangements on the UN Security Council reform to meet Africa's aspiration as a priority. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin's Regular Press Conference on August 25, 2023 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China The New York Times: Commerce Secretary Raimondo will be coming here on Sunday. She will be the fourth senior American official to come here in the last several months. We haven't seen any Chinese senior officials going to the US. Is there a plan for China to reciprocate by sending a senior Chinese official to the US in the next couple of months? Wang Wenbin: China and the US are in touch about bilateral engagement and exchange. I have nothing to share. CCTV: The China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue was held yesterday in Johannesburg, South Africa. What's the considerations of holding this meeting? What has been achieved through the dialogue? Wang Wenbin: Strengthening solidarity and cooperation with African countries will always be an important cornerstone of China's foreign policies. President Xi Jinping and South African President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday co-chaired the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg. African leaders attending the meeting include Comorian President Azali Assoumani who is currently the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), Senegalese President Macky Sall who is also the African Co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), presidents of Zambia, Burundi, Djibouti, the Republic of the Congo and Namibia, and leaders of Chad, Libya and Nigeria representing sub-regional organizations, and the representative of the AU Commission. The dialogue is the first in-person engagement between leaders of China and African countries since the pandemic and of unique importance to deepening China-Africa relations and building the China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech entitled "Joining Hands to Advance Modernization and Create a Great Future for China and Africa". President Xi Jinping pointed out that in 2013, he was there in Africa for his first foreign visit after becoming Chinese President and announced the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith for China's Africa policy. Over the past 10 years, China has stayed committed to this principle. Together with the African friends, China has taken China-Africa relations to a new height and entered the new stage of jointly building a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. China and Africa must work together to create a sound environment to promote a just and equitable international order, safeguard a peaceful and secure global environment, build an open and inclusive world economy, overcome estrangement between civilizations through exchanges and realize countries' respective development visions. President Xi Jinping emphasized that on the path to modernization, China has all along been a firm supporter, and walking side by side with Africa. Looking ahead, China will work with Africa to enhance the synergy of their development strategies and continue to support Africa in continuously elevating its international standing. President Xi Jinping made the three proposals on enhancing China-Africa practical cooperation in the next stage and assisting in Africa's integration and modernization. First, China will launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization. China will better harness its resources for cooperation with Africa and the initiative of businesses to support Africa in growing its manufacturing sector and realizing industrialization and economic diversification. Second, China will launch the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization. China will help Africa expand grain plantation, encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa, and enhance cooperation with Africa on seed and other areas of agro-technology, to support Africa in transforming and upgrading its agricultural sector. Third, China will launch the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. China plans to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges every year, and train 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa through training programs. China will invite 20,000 government officials and technicians of African countries to participate in workshops and seminars. President Xi Jinping highlighted that next year, China and Africa will host the FOCAC meeting in China, where the two sides may come together again and draw up new plans for development. The African leaders thanked China for supporting African integration and assisting African countries in times of need and pointed out that China is Africa's indispensable cooperation partner in its quest for modernization. The African side highly commended and welcomed the three proposals put forth by President Xi Jinping, expressed full support for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forth by President Xi Jinping, and expressed readiness to work with China to continue advancing FOCAC's institutional development. The African side is firmly committed to the one-China policy. Africa and China will firmly support each other in upholding their sovereignty, security and development interests, strengthen collaboration in international affairs and on multilateral occasions, raise the representation and voice of developing countries, and uphold the common interests of the developing world. The meeting adopted and issued the Joint Statement of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. The Chinese side released the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. The China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue drew a new blueprint for China-Africa solidarity and cooperation and injected new impetus for the growth of the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership. We are confident that China and Africa will carry forward our traditional friendship, enhance solidarity and coordination, join hands to advance modernization, create a better future for the Chinese and African people, set a fine example for building a community with a shared future for mankind and inject more positive energy for world peace and development. Reuters: The Wall Street Journal reported today that state-owned company China National Nuclear Corporation has bid to build a nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia. Can the foreign ministry confirm this or provide any comment? Wang Wenbin: China and Saudi Arabia are comprehensive strategic partners. Our mutually beneficial and friendly win-win cooperation has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. China will continue to engage in mutually beneficial cooperation with Saudi Arabia in various fields, including civil nuclear energy, while strictly abiding by international non-proliferation obligations. As for the specific project you mentioned, I would refer you to the competent authorities. Asahi Shimbun: The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) just released the test result of the water in the ocean after the discharge of the ALPS-treated water, saying that the concentration of tritium is below its limit of detection. What's your view on this test result? Wang Wenbin: We have said repeatedly that the Japanese government is acting against strong international opposition and against the rights of people in Japan and elsewhere to health, development and a healthy environment by forcibly starting the ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water and putting the world at the risk of nuclear contamination. This is extremely selfish and irresponsible. Japan has yet to prove the legitimacy and legality of its ocean discharge decision, the long-term reliability of the purification facility, and the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data. It has yet to deliver on its commitment to the IAEA and the international community, and establish an international long-term monitoring and on-site supervision arrangement led by the IAEA and with full participation of state stakeholders. We urge Japan to change course, immediately correct its wrongdoing and dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a truly responsible way. CCTV: On August 24, President Xi Jinping attended the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue and delivered important remarks. Could you share more information on this? Wang Wenbin: On August 24 local time, President Xi Jinping attended the BRICS-Africa Outreach and BRICS Plus Dialogue in Johannesburg. The event was chaired by South African President Ramaphosa, and attended by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, Indian Prime Minister Modi, Russian President Putin, more than 60 leaders and representatives of African countries and other emerging markets and developing countries, and heads of international and regional organizations such as UN Secretary-General AntAnio Guterres and President Dilma Rousseff of the New Development Bank. President Xi delivered an important speech entitled "Hand in Hand Toward a Community of Shared Development". President Xi noted that development embodies our people's aspiration for a better life. It is the top priority for developing countries and a timeless theme for humanity. The international community must pursue the larger interests of all countries, respond to people's concerns, and restore development to the center of the international agenda. The representation and voice of developing countries in global governance should be increased, and developing countries be supported in realizing better development. It is also important to uphold true multilateralism, forge a global development partnership, and create a secure and stable international environment for shared development.a President Xi pointed out that China proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI), precisely for the purpose of calling on the world to stay focused on development and lending impetus to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. We have put development first and allocated more resources. China has set up a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and will soon set up a special fund dedicated to the implementation of the GDI. We have taken results-oriented actions and deepened practical cooperation. Over 200 cooperation projects have come to fruition, and cooperation mechanisms are growing in areas such as poverty reduction, education and health.aWe have unleashed the power of innovation and built up momentum for development. We have prioritized green development, new-type industrialization, the digital economy and some other key areas, and pursued a Partnership on New Industrial Revolution to boost high-quality development.aWe have tided over difficulties together and made development more resilient. We have launched a China-FAO South-South Cooperation Trust Fund and provided food assistance to and shared agrotech with many countries. We have also initiated a Global Clean Energy Cooperation Partnership with a view to achieving energy security. President Xi stressed that China is a friend that Africa can count on. Going forward, China will carry out more cooperation with African countries to support Africa in enhancing its own capacity for development. Specific measures will be taken, such as providing satellite mapping data products, implementing a Smart Customs cooperation partnership, and launching with UNESCO a "GDI for Africa's Future" action plan, to support sustainable development in Africa. Back in 2017, President Xi Jinping put forward the concept of BRICS Plus at the BRICS summit in Xiamen. Over the past six years, the vision of BRICS Plus championed by China has become a reality and continued to gain traction, for it meets the aspiration of people across the world for peace, development and cooperation. 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 and to the fact that the BRICS spirit of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation as well as its commitment to multilateralism accords with the trend of the times. As President Xi stressed in the speech, China has invariably stood in solidarity with fellow developing countries through thick and thin. China has been and will always remain a member of developing countries. We will bring out the best in BRICS cooperation and ensure a promising future for BRICS countries. China will continue to work with all parties to build a community of shared development, and make sure that in the process of global modernization, no country is left behind. NHK: As the treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station begins to be released into the sea, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said to the press yesterday that Japan will work actively for science-based discussion between Japanese and Chinese experts. Will China consider this proposal? Will China conduct science-based testing on the treated water? Wang Wenbin: Let me say again that it is extremely selfish and irresponsible of Japan to go ahead with the ocean discharge. Japan needs to stop this wrongdoing at once and not let the water of Fukushima become the disgrace of Japan.a I also need to stress that China and other stakeholders have the right and the responsibility to take legitimate, reasonable and necessary preventative measures to protect marine environment, food safety and people's health in response to Japan's extremely selfish and irresponsible action. Competent departments in China will continue to enhance monitoring, and timely follow and assess the possible radioactive impact off China's shores resulted from the ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water. China Daily: According to foreign analysts, rather than a sizeable "bazooka", China's authorities seem determined to carry out a more targeted response that pinpoints particular areas of the economy for support. A Standard Chartered executive said that the trajectory of China's markets continuing to open is clear even as challenges mount. What's your comment? Wang Wenbin: Since the year began, global economic recovery has been sluggish, the spillover effects of contractionary policies adopted by major developed economies have become more evident, and various factors have caused more instability and uncertainty in the international market. We have withstood that pressure, steadily recovered and improved the scale and quality of the economy. Economic performance has picked up on the whole, making China one of the fastest growing major economies. New industries and new business forms and models have generated new drivers of growth. Economic vitality continues to be unleashed. According to recent IMF projections, China's economy will expand 5.2 percent this year and is expected to contribute a third of global growth. China remains a key engine to the global economy. China is committed to high-level opening up and providing a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework. In the first half of this year, China's total goods imports and exports reached a record high of RMB 20.1 trillion, of which trade in goods with countries along the Belt and Road jumped 9.8 percent year on year. Foreign-invested companies increased by 24,000, or 35.7 percent. High-tech sectors attracted 7.9 percent more investment, accounting for 39.4 percent of total new foreign investment. Recently the State Council of China issued the guidelines regarding further optimizing the foreign investment environment and intensifying efforts to attract foreign investments, announcing 24 measures in six areas. This is another proactive and solid step China has taken to advance high-level opening-up and develop an open economy of a higher standard. China enjoys several distinct advantages: a socialist market economy in systemic terms, a supersize market in terms of demand, a full-fledged industrial system in terms of supply, and abundant, high-caliber labor force and entrepreneurs in terms of human resources. The Chinese economy has strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality. The fundamentals sustaining China's long-term growth will remain unchanged. China's economy will remain a source of important support for global growth and more opportunities for the development of all countries. Shenzhen TV: The ninth Kubuqi International Desert Forum will open on August 26. Can you share with us China's achievements in desertification prevention and control? Wang Wenbin: China has achieved notable success in desertification prevention and control. We are the first country in the world to achieve zero net land degradation and reduce both desertification and sandification, making important contribution to meeting the global goal of zero net land degradation by 2030. China's forest coverage ratio and forest stock volume have both increased for over 30 consecutive years. It is No.1 in the world in terms of forest resource growth and afforestation area and has contributed one fourth of the world's newly added green area. Ecological conservation is a global task. China is ready to share its experience, explore ways of green and low-carbon development, and jointly build a clean and beautiful world with the rest of the world. AFP: Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Modi. They reportedly agreed to intensify efforts to deescalate tensions at the disputed border. Do you have more information to share with us? Wang Wenbin: President Xi Jinping talked with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latter's request on August 23. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest. President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the boundary question so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas. I would like to reiterate that China's position on the China-India boundary question is consistent and clear. The boundary question is a historical issue and does not represent the entirety of China-India relations. We should place it appropriately in our bilateral relations and seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement through peaceful and friendly consultations. Before the boundary question is settled, the two sides need to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas. We hope to work with India to act on the important common understandings between the two leaders, increase strategic mutual trust, focus on our consensus and cooperation, remove disturbances and obstacles and advance the bilateral relations along a sound and stable track. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China's XI, India's Modi hold rare meeting to discuss bilateral ties amid BRICS summit Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 10:20 AM Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. The two leaders on Thursday had a candid and in-depth exchange of views regarding improving current strained relations and other issues of shared interest between Beijing and Delhi, Chinese media cited a foreign ministry spokesperson as saying. Xi stressed the betterment of relations served the common interests of both nations and is also conducive to peace, stability, and development in the region and across the globe. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region, Xi said. Modi, for his part, highlighted the border issue along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India's Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, adding that Modi stressed "India's concerns on the unresolved issues along the LAC". He, also, "underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas, and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalization of the India-China relationship," the foreign secretary said. Modi and Xi agreed "to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation," Kwatra pointed out. Relations between the neighbors have been strained for more than three years since soldiers from both sides clashed in the Himalayan frontier in June 2020, resulting in 24 deaths. The two leaders interacted on the sidelines of the Group of 20 Nations summit in Indonesia last year, but this is the first time that Modi has brought up the issue directly with Xi. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Beijing's protests over Fukushima water release spark panic-buying of salt But Chinese tourists seem keen to visit Japan after Beijing's lifting of a group tour ban. By Gu Ting for RFA Mandarin, Siyan Cheung for RFA Cantonese 2023.08.25 -- Chinese shoppers are panic-buying salt amid concerns that the release of treated radioactive wastewater from Japan's damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant could affect future availability. Yet at the same time, tourism indicators show that Chinese look set to flock to Japan following the lifting of their government's pandemic ban on group tours to multiple countries. Japan has started the gradual release of treated radioactive wastewater from the nuclear power plant - crippled after the March 11, 2011, tsunami - into the Pacific Ocean, despite regional and local concerns. The water was used to cool melted reactor cores and stored in huge tanks before being treated. While the plan meets international safety standards, the Chinese government warned of a "secondary disaster" from the move and has banned imports of Japanese seafood and other aquatic products. "There could be a man-made secondary disaster to the local people and the whole world if Japan chooses to dump the water into the ocean just to serve Japan's selfish interests," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a regular news briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Apparently shoppers feared that the release would taint salt collected from the ocean or restrict future supplies. 'No need to hoard' "This kind of panic is unnecessary," said an article in the government-backed Economic Times newspaper, trying to calm fears. It said that China gets around 87% of its table salt from mines, and just 10% from the sea. "There is enough edible salt produced in China to meet demand, so there is no need to hoard it," the paper said in an opinion article on Friday. Photos and video uploaded to social media platforms showed shoppers fighting over bags of household salt, and empty shelves where salt was once stacked in supermarkets in Beijing, as well as in Zhejiang and Shandong provinces. "People started panic-buying salt in a lot of places yesterday afternoon," a resident of the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu who gave only the surname Zhang for fear of reprisals told RFA Mandarin. " "[The release of wastewater] isn't going to affect the average person in China, who can just avoid eating their seafood," he said. A former government official in Beijing who gave only the surname Wu added: "It's going to take 20 to 30 years for Japan to release all of that water into the sea -- are they going to spend the next 20 to 30 years fighting over salt?" Meanwhile, Fukushima topped the list of the hottest searches on the Weibo social media platform. Destination: Japan At the same time, industry indicators showed that Chinese tourists look set to flock to Japan in the coming weeks following the lifting of their government's pandemic ban on group tours to multiple countries. "Most Chinese people don't seem to care about [the Fukushima wastewater]," a Japanese journalist who declined to be named, giving only the nickname Harada, told RFA Cantonese. "Yet the Chinese government's approach is contradictory - on the one hand they ban imports of aquatic products, and on the other, they lift the group tour ban. It's very strange." Japan ranked fourth among planned destinations this year after Hong Kong, Macau and Thailand, the Japan Times newspaper quoted Chinese market research firm Dragon Trail International as saying. Keyword searches for destinations in Japan have skyrocketed since the Ministry of Culture and Tourism lifted a pandemic-era ban on group tours to the country, according to China's Ctrip travel website. Meanwhile, Trip.com bookings around the Oct. 1 National Day holiday week for regional destinations including Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea are currently around 4.5 times higher than for an average week in July, the Nikkei Keizai Shimbun reported on its Chinese-language news site. While the ban didn't apply to individual travel, it had a massive impact, and airline and railway share prices jumped on the Tokyo stock market after it was lifted. In 2019, some 9.6 million Chinese visitors visited Japan, spending around A1.77 trillion, accounting for one third of total tourist spending, according to figures from the Japan Tourism Agency. Just over half a million Chinese nationals went to Japan in the first half of 2023, compared with 4.5 million in the first half of 2019. Rebound prospects In Hong Kong, Steve Huen, whose EGLTours company specializes in packages to Japan, said his company had noticed a 20% drop in bookings for Japan on Wednesday, when the plans to release wastewater from Fukushima were announced. In an interview with government broadcaster RTHK, Huen said he expects demand to bounce back in "two to three weeks," however. "I don't think these birth pangs will last too long," Huen said. "The water is flowing out, so it's not just in Japan, and fish swim around, so people will keep signing up [for tours]." The prospect of a rebound in Chinese tour groups visiting popular attractions and beauty spots may be a boost to Japan's tourism sector, but is unlikely to result in the kind of shopping frenzies seen before the pandemic, analysts told Reuters. A weakening yen has already helped to make Japan a top-five destination for tourists from Taiwan. Yet while the weaker yen has sparked a rebound in U.S. and European tourism that is exceeding pre-pandemic levels, the exchange rate is less of a draw for Chinese tourists, whose own currency is also weakening, Reuters quoted CLSA Japan strategist Nicholas Smith as saying. Additionally, "there have been changes over the last few years to their ability to buy Japanese products in China, so they don't actually have to travel to do it," Smith added, referring to the proliferation of shops selling the same goods in China. The Japan Tourism Agency has vowed to boost inbound tourism to pre-pandemic levels by 2025, while the government will maintain its existing goal of an annual 60 million foreign visitors by 2030. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. 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 IMF: China leads as global fossil fuel subsidies hit record $7 trillion Governments spent more in trying to stabilize consumer prices, it says. By Subel Rai Bhandari for RFA 2023.08.25 -- Global fossil fuel subsidies hit a record U.S.$7 trillion, equivalent to more than 7% of global gross domestic product in 2022, the International Monetary Fund said. The subsidies are financial support from governments that make fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal cheaper to produce or buy. Subsidies for coal, oil and natural gas in 2022 represented more than world governments spent on education and two-thirds of what was spent on healthcare. According to the IMF report released Thursday, governments provided support to consumers and businesses during the surge in global energy prices, a consequence of Russia's incursion into Ukraine and the economic rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic. The IMF's report comes as the world witnesses its highest average monthly temperatures on record. When burned, fossil fuels emit harmful pollutants that contribute to global warming and intensify extreme weather events. They also contaminate the air with toxins, harming our respiratory systems and other vital organs and killing millions yearly. By fuel product, undercharging for oil products accounted for nearly half the subsidies, coal another 30%, and natural gas almost 20% (underpricing for electricity accounts for the remainder), the report said. By region, East Asia and the Pacific accounted for nearly half the global subsidy, according to the IMF. Meanwhile, by country, in absolute terms, China contributed by far the most to total subsidies ($2.2 trillion) in 2022, followed by the United States ($760 billion), Russia ($420 billion), India ($350 billion), and the European Union ($310 billion). The bulk of global subsidies accounted for in the study fall into what the IMF termed implicit subsidies, which arise when governments do not adequately charge for the environmental damage caused by the combustion of fossil fuels. Such damage encompasses air pollution and climate change, with the impact forecast to grow due to the rising consumption of fossil fuels by developing countries. The IMF said explicit subsidies, in which consumers pay less than the supply costs of fossil fuels, have tripled since 2020, from $0.5 trillion to $1.5 trillion in 2022. The figure is similar to the estimates from the Canada-based think tank, International Institute for Sustainable Development, released Wednesday, that said the world's biggest economies, the G20, provided a record $1.4 trillion in public money for fossil fuels in 2022 despite the promise to reduce spending. That includes investments by state-owned enterprises and loans from public finance institutions. The G20 nations, which cause 80% of global carbon emissions, pledged to phase out "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies in 2009. Comprehensively reforming fossil fuel prices by removing explicit fuel subsidies and imposing corrective taxes such as a carbon tax would reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by 43% below "business as usual" levels in 2030 (34% below 2019 levels) the IMF said. It added that this would be in line with keeping global warming to 'well below' 2 degrees Celsius and towards 1.5 degrees Celsius. "Underpricing fossil fuels implies that governments forgo a valuable source of much-needed revenue and undermines distributional and poverty reduction objectives since most of the benefits from undercharging accrue to wealthier households," the IMF report said. "The gap between efficient and current fuel prices is often substantial given, not least, the damages from climate change and the large number of people dying prematurely from fossil fuel air pollution exposure (4.5 million a year)." The IMF said fuel price reform would avert about 1.6 million premature deaths yearly from local air pollution by 2030. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. 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 US Commerce Secretary Heads to China Amid Trade Disputes By Lin Feng August 25, 2023 U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will start a four-day visit to China this weekend. The announcement came shortly after the Biden administration issued an executive order restricting certain U.S. investments in China. The Department of Commerce said on Tuesday that Raimondo will visit Beijing and Shanghai from August 27 to 30 and meet with senior Chinese government officials and American business leaders. The trip is intended to deepen communication between the U.S. and China on issues relating to the U.S.-China commercial relationship, challenges faced by U.S. businesses, and areas for potential cooperation, according to a press release from the Commerce Department. Analysts said that as China's economy may be in long-term trouble, Beijing hopes to use Raimondo's visit to reverse the impression that China is no longer friendly to foreign companies. But the trip may not bring any breakthrough. Gary Clyde Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told VOA that Beijing welcomes Raimondo's visit because of her influence on several economic and trade issues that China cares about. "Secretary Raimondo is a pretty big player in all transactions involving either trade in goods or services, electronic services of various kinds, technology flows and investment flows in both directions," Hufbauer said. "My guess is that the Chinese authorities will be interested and quiz her quite closely about what limits she sees on these restrictions that are being put in place, what kind of flows of goods, of technology, of investment are still permitted by the U.S., and what are basically either prohibited or very closely scrutinized." Move seen as goodwill gesture Earlier this month, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order banning U.S. investments in sensitive technologies in China, aiming to restrict China's ability to develop next-generation military and surveillance technologies. However, right after Raimondo's trip was announced, the U.S. government unexpectedly removed 27 Chinese companies and institutions from the "Unverified List" of sanctioned commercial entities, which was widely seen as a goodwill gesture from Washington to Beijing. The 27 Chinese entities include lithium battery material maker Guangdong Guanghua Technology and sensor maker Nanjing Gaohua Technology. China's Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday that the move is beneficial to the resumption of normal trade between companies of the two countries and is in line with the common interests of both sides. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry also visited China this year. These meetings could pave the way for Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend the APEC summit in the U.S. and meet with Biden this fall. 'Intense competition requires intense diplomacy' National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Raimondo's trip is "an encapsulation of the approach that the Biden administration is taking, where we are engaged in an intense competition with the PRC, but intense competition requires intense diplomacy to manage that competition so that it doesn't tip over into conflict. "Secretary Raimondo will carry with her the message that the United States is not seeking to decouple from China, but rather to de-risk, and that means protecting our national security and ensuring resilient supply chains alongside our allies and partners while we continue our economic relationship and our trade relationship," Sullivan said in a press briefing this week. Raimondo is expected to meet Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, among other economic policymakers. Clark Packard, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, told VOA he expects Raimondo to bring up U.S. concerns about recent Chinese restrictions on the export of some critical minerals, seen as retaliation for the American measures. "I don't know if that falls on deaf ears because China would argue, 'We weren't going to move forward with this, but this is in response to your export controls on semiconductors and advanced computing,'" said Packard. "I don't know how well that will be received, but again, I think it's positive that the two sides talk. My hope is it's not just an airing of the grievances on both sides because, while I think it's important to engage, you do want to see some movements." Packard said he doesn't expect Raimondo's trip to make any substantive breakthroughs on key issues, partly because the Biden administration is "getting a lot of pressure from Congress to continue to ratchet up tensions." "I think that there's so much political pressure on the Biden administration to not appear weak on China, which is going to prevent any sort of massive thawing in the relationship even if both sides want that to happen economically," he said. Sullivan said, "We are not sending Cabinet officials to China to change China, nor do we expect these conversations to change the United States; rather, we each have the opportunity through this high-level engagement to ensure that there is a basic, stable foundation in the relationship, even as we compete intensively in a number of domains." Likely start of a working group According to Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the planning, one likely deliverable from the trip is a working group between the commerce agencies of the two sides to discuss U.S. export controls aimed at preventing cutting-edge American technology from being used by China's military. In a letter to Raimondo and Blinken last week, four U.S. Republican lawmakers said, "U.S. export control policy towards the [People's Republic of China] should not be up for negotiation, period. Decisions on the nature and scope of U.S. export controls should be taken in Washington, not Beijing ... "It is time for U.S. officials to accept that China has no intention of abandoning its policies that led to expanded U.S. export controls in the first place," said the letter. "In this vein, we urge you, prior to your trip, to publicly clarify that U.S. export controls are non-negotiable and that the PRC should expect more, not less, U.S. export controls moving forward." The letter was signed by Senator Bill Hagerty and Representatives Mike Gallagher, Michael McCaul and Young Kim. The trip also comes as the Chinese economy is grappling with stagnant growth, a real estate crisis, sluggish exports, high youth unemployment, and weak consumer confidence. Analysts believe the downturn in China's economy gives Beijing more reasons to ease tensions with the U.S. "With Secretary Raimondo, one thing they might do is try to lay out how friendly China still is to foreign business, to foreign firms that want to invest in China in a lot of sectors, including household products, but also including things like technology products, Qualcomm, whatever Apple products in China and so on," said Hufbauer. "Chinese authorities want to try to combat the notion that they are very unfriendly to business and, in general, private business and foreign firms in particular," he said. "And that would be a subject they would discuss with Raimondo, and they might come out with some kind of statement saying that China is open to business, and once firms have come, it's going to reduce regulatory oversight." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Blinken's Call with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Park and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi US Department of State Readout Office of the Spokesperson August 24, 2023 The following is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken held a trilateral call yesterday with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Park Jin and Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa to discuss the DPRK's August 24 (KST) attempted space launch, which used ballistic missile technology. The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers strongly condemned the launch as a violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and for its destabilizing effect on the region. The Secretary and the Foreign Ministers affirmed that they will continue close trilateral consultation, in the spirit of the Camp David Summit, in response to the DPRK's brazen and reckless actions. They stressed the need for the international community to come together to prevent the DPRK's procurement activities and stem the flow of revenue supporting its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs. The Secretary also reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The DPRK's failed launch of a military reconnaissance satellite on 24 August is yet another grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions: UK statement at the Security Council Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on North Korea. 25 August 2023 I thank Assistant Secretary-General Khiari for his briefing. I welcome the participation of the representatives of the Republic of Korea, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, at this meeting. The DPRK made yet another failed launch of a military reconnaissance satellite. It triggered Japan's local alert system in Okinawa. This was yet another grave violation of UN Security Council resolutions, and a brazen effort to further expand the DPRK's military programme. The DPRK have said they will try again. Claims that so-called 'provocations', or rather, legitimate and transparently-declared military exercises, caused these launches, are baseless. The DPRK is not reacting: this is part of a long-established, clearly-defined plan that has required extensive scientific and technological investment. Kim Jong Un said it himself in January this year: the National Aerospace Development Administration will launch the first military satellite at the earliest date possible by pushing ahead with the full preparation for a reconnaissance satellite and its vehicle, a major task to boost the political, ideological, military and technical strength of his army. Colleagues, the Council must take action. All of us here have signed, ratified and support the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. All of us should be committed to the full implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. We have a responsibility to uphold these obligations. Our words and deeds matter. They are the message we convey to the world about our commitment to preventing nuclear non-proliferation globally. We noted the presence of permanent members, including the defence minister, at a DPRK weapons exhibition, with intercontinental ballistic missiles on display. Interactions such as these signal support for UN-sanctioned WMD programmes. The United Kingdom urges the DPRK to cease these launches, to return to dialogue and to take credible steps towards denuclearisation and peace on the Korean Peninsula. We hope their presence at this meeting is a step forward in this regard. The biggest victims of the DPRK's military programme are the North Korean people, as resources are diverted away from their basic economic needs. DPRK should reopen its borders and engage the UN. I also remind all UN Member States of their obligation to fully implement UN Security Council resolutions, including sanctions on the DPRK. I call on all members of this Council to reiterate their condemnation of the DPRK's illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, in line with their responsibilities as UN Member States and signatories to the NPT. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister's meeting with the President of Greece India - Ministry of External Affairs August 25, 2023 Prime Minister met H.E. Ms. Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou, President of Greece, in Athens on 25 August 2023. 2. Prime Minister expressed his condolences for the loss of life and property in the tragic incidents of forest fires in Greece. 3. President Sakellaropoulou congratulated Prime Minister on the success of the Chandrayaan mission. 4. The two Leaders recalled the shared values of democracy, freedom and rule of law. They also discussed matters related to sustainable development, women-led development, India's G20 presidency and the deepening of India - Greece relations. Athens August 25, 2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Release August 26, 2023 Koko to Ombudsman: Examine contractor's role in overpriced laptop deal, recover taxpayer's money Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Saturday called on the Ombudsman to go after the contractors involved in the multi-billion-peso laptop procurement deals, marred by allegations of irregularities. The senator likewise urged the anti-corruption body to undertake vigorous efforts in reclaiming public funds used in the anomalous deals. "The Ombudsman's decision to impose preventive suspension sends a strong signal that any alleged wrongdoing will be treated seriously. It is equally vital to thoroughly examine the role of the contractor in this anomalous transaction, from its background to how it secured the contract," Pimentel said. Pimentel issued the statement in response to the recent decision of the Ombudsman to impose a preventive suspension on officials from the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) over the contentious procurement of "outdated and overpriced" laptops for teachers. "It is imperative for the Ombudsman to regain taxpayers' money, expended on items that did not align with the government's actual needs," Pimentel stressed. The contract was awarded by PS-DBM to Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading Inc., and VST ECS Philippines Inc. Pimentel is the author of Senate Resolution No. 120, which called for a comprehensive investigation into the laptop procurement carried out by DepEd through PS-DBM. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee found out that the joint-venture companies failed to meet the technical specifications required for the laptops, rendering them unsuitable for the teachers' needs. Additionally, the companies were unable to complete the delivery within the agreed target dates outlined in the procurement contract "Our citizens deserve to know the exact circumstances that led to the selection of the joint venture comprising Sunwest Construction and Development Corp., LDLA Marketing and Trading Inc., and VST ECS Philippines Inc. for this significant procurement," Pimentel stressed. "We must delve into the specifics of how these companies managed to secure the contract. Were there any irregularities in the bidding process? We must uncover the truth behind this contentious procurement to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future," he said. Meanwhile, Pimentel castigated PS-DBM over its failure to promptly blacklist the suppliers involved in the anomalous laptop deals in accordance with the recommendation of the Commission on Audit (COA). "Where's the hesitation coming from? We cannot help but question whether PS-DBM is in collusion with these suppliers, leading to such reluctance," he added. BEACON UU SUNDAY SERVICE: "Spiritual Lessons from Whitewater Rafting Aug 27 Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon - Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. Sometimes our journey on the River of LIfe can be smooth sailing and sometimes we hit rough waters that can be exhilarating but also scary. How can we navigate those challenging times and who can help us? Come and enjoy some hair-raising tales and the lessons they taught to rafting adventurer, Char Tarashanti. With Worship Associate Lise Breakey and music by Simon Cunningham and Mary Walker. Rev. Char Tarashanti was ordained through the One Spirit Interspiritual Ministry program in New York, NY, in 2010. She has served as a Hospice Chaplain and End of Life Educator, co-founding the SE MN Threshold Network in 2014. Char loves to share her adventures on three US rivers and how the lessons they provided have enhanced her spiritual life and understanding. She is co-leading the upcoming END OF LIFE CHOICES: A Proactive Approach to Death and Dying series. For more information, contact Char at ctarashanti@gmail.com. https://go.evvnt.com/1907729-0. The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Aug 27 The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff. 978-774-2911. 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Come join in prayer, fellowship, friendship, come and see! www.epiphanyaz.org, or 978-774-2911 for more info. https://go.evvnt.com/1834280-0. PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Aug 27 3430 N. Fourth St., 3430 N. Fourth St., Flagstaff. 928-526-9578. 10-11 a.m., We invite you to join the family of Peace Lutheran Church (LCMS) on Sunday at 10:00am for in person blended service (Combined Liturgical, hymnal based and Praise Worship) with Holy Communion. Pastor William Weiss Jr. (Pastor Bill) will be presiding. The subject of this weeks service is: The rock from which you were hewn. The Old Testament reading is from Isaiah 56:1-6, Look to the rock from which you were hewn. The Epistle reading is from Romans 11:33 12:8, Do not be conformed, be transformed. The Gospel lesson is from Matthew 16: 13-20 On this rock I will build My church. The service will be live streamed on our website (peacelutheranflagstaff.org) and on YouTube. Fellowship and refreshments are available before the worship service beginning 9:15am. The August 26th Hikers Church will be at The Tunnel Springs Trail. This is a 1.9 (3.8 mile round trip) moderate climb through Ponderosa pine forest on the south face of Observatory Mesa. Hikes begin at 8:00 am at the designated trailhead and usually end around noon. https://go.evvnt.com/1907030-0. LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Aug 27 500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., Join Rev. Kurt Fangmeier for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost! In Isaiah the people are advised to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peters bold confession of faith. Gods word of reconciliation and Gods mercy are keys to the churchs mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed. We will learn more with our First Reading of Isaiah 51:1-6 (The enduring foundation of Gods salvation), Psalm 138 (O Lord, your steadfast love endures forever) and the Second Reading of Romans 12:1-8 (One body in Christ, with gifts that differ) together with the Gospel Matthew 16:13-20 (The profession of Peters faith). Amen. https://go.evvnt.com/1903234-0. Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center Aug 27 Unity of Flagstaff, 1800 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff. 10:30-11:30 a.m., Consider, when was the last time you listened to your Life? Typically we ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Perhaps the question we should ask not only of the young, but of those with more life experience is, "What did you come here to be?" "Are you Living the life your life chooses?" And WHY would it ever be too late to investigate that? Join Rev. Penni this Sunday. Let's take a listen to what our Life is saying. Music with the ever-popular Andy Stanford and Trina Goetz. Unity of Flagstaff: Tools NOT Rules! ALL Are Welcome! Sunday Celebration 10:30 AM Meditation at 9:45 AM In-person and Live-stream (YouTube.UnityofFlagstaff.org). https://go.evvnt.com/1916051-0. Flagstaff Federated Community Church Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715. Leupp Nazarene Church The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Christian Science Society of Flagstaff 619 W. Birch Ave. Bible Lesson services every Sunday 10-11am (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/369812794). Testimony Meetings every Wednesday: 5:30-6:30pm (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/971672834). Zoom password: CSS. Prime Minister's meeting with Prime Minister of Greece India - Ministry of External Affairs August 25, 2023 Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece in Athens on 25 August 2023. 2. The two leaders held discussions in one-on-one and delegation-level formats. Prime Minister expressed his condolences for the loss of life and property lives in the tragic incidents of forest fires in Greece. 3. Prime Minister Mitsotakis congratulated Prime Minister on the success of the Chandrayaan mission, terming it as a success for humanity. 4. The discussions covered various dimensions of the bilateral partnership, including trade and investment, defense and security, technology, infrastructure, digital payments, shipping, pharma, agriculture, migration and mobility, tourism, skill development, culture, education and people to people ties. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues, including the EU, Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean. 5. Both sides agreed to elevate their relationship to a 'Strategic Partnership'. Athens August 25, 2023 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address India-Greece Joint Statement India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 25 AUG 2023 11:39PM by PIB Delhi At the invitation of Prime Minister H.E. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi paid an official visit to the Hellenic Republic on 25th August 2023. Prime Minister Mitsotakis and Prime Minister Modi acknowledged that both India and Greece share historical linkages and agreed that at a time when the global order is undergoing unprecedented changes, a reenergised approach to enhancing our bilateral relationship is required. Both leaders held high level talks in a warm and friendly atmosphere. They noted the ongoing cooperation between the two sides and exchanged views on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. As leaders of two ancient sea faring nations with a long-standing maritime outlook, they shared their vision of a free, open and rules-based Mediterranean Sea and Indo-Pacific, in accordance with the law of the sea, in particular the provisions of the UNCLOS, and with full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation to the benefit of international peace, stability and security. Both Leaders noted that the EU and India have largest democratic and free market space in the world, and agreed that deepening EU-India relations would be mutually beneficial and have a positive regional and global impact. The Prime Ministers noted with satisfaction that both Greece and India have shown extraordinary economic resilience, despite the challenges in their respective regions, and have restored domestic economic growth. The two Prime Ministers expressed their strong support for the ongoing India-EU trade and investment negotiations and the early implementation of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership. Building on the foundation of the long-standing warm and close relationship between their countries and peoples, the two leaders decided to upgrade Greek-Indian bilateral ties to the level of a "Strategic Partnership" and agreed to work to further expand bilateral cooperation in political, security and economic spheres. The two Prime Ministers also decided to take steps to further strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries. Appreciating the increase in bilateral trade and economic engagement in recent years, the leaders also directed that both sides shall work to double bilateral trade by 2030. Both leaders reiterated the need for further broadening and deepening bilateral engagements, in the field of defence, shipping, science and technology, cyber space, education, culture, tourism and agriculture. They took note of the signing of the MOU on Cooperation in the field of Agriculture, including the establishment of a Hellenic-Indian Joint Sub-committee on Agriculture for facilitating sectoral cooperation for mutual benefit. Both leaders directed their senior officials to ensure regular dialogue in the areas including political, economic, defence, security and public diplomacy. They also agreed to encourage direct flights between Greece and India. Taking into account the long-standing cultural exchanges between India and Greece, both leaders welcomed efforts to promote exchanges in all forms of art. They also agreed to encourage joint efforts in preserving and protecting ancient sites, and strengthen cooperation within UNESCO. Both leaders agreed that an early finalization of a Mobility and Migration Partnership Agreement (MMPA) would be mutually beneficial, facilitating in particular the free movement of workforce between the two countries. The two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whenever, wherever, and by whom-so-ever committed and the use of terrorist proxies for cross-border terrorism. Prime Minister Modi welcomed Greece into the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and looked forward to Greece's membership of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Welcoming India's Presidency of the G20 Forum, Prime Minister Mitsotakis expressed confidence that under India's leadership, the G20 will successfully advance its goals. Prime Minister Modi thanked Prime Minister Mitsotakis for the gracious hospitality extended by the Government and the people of Greece during the visit. Prime Minister Modi extended an invitation to Prime Minister Mitsotakis to visit India. *** DS (Release ID: 1952336) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence Secretary lays keel of four Fast Patrol vessels for Indian Coast Guard at Goa Shipyard Limited India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Urges GSL to be more efficient in the current competitive market to retain its edge Posted On: 25 AUG 2023 6:18PM by PIB Delhi Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane laid the keel of four Coast Guard Fast Patrol vessels (FPVs) on 25th August, 2023 at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). Speaking on the occasion, the Defence Secretary applauded the efforts of Goa Shipyard in achieving this milestone, especially the scale of indigenization in collaboration with the Indian industry. He emphasized on the importance to nurture and develop the shipbuilding industry of the country which has had a rich legacy. While highlighting the major achievements of the Goa Shipyard, he emphasized that the industry is increasingly becoming competitive and urged the GSL to gear up in terms of efficiency and competitiveness in order to retain the cutting edge. The FPV designed by GSL is a medium range weapon fitted surface vessel with length of 51.43 mtrs, and breadth 8 mtrs.The ship is propelled with twin engine and has maximum speed of 27 Knots. Displacement of the vessel is approx. 320 Tons, and it is capable of operating in rough sea conditions. These vessels for the Indian Coast Guard are based on in-house design of GSL and will be fitted with most modern and technologically advanced machinery and computerized controls systems, making these the state of the art Fast Patrol Vessels of the Indian Coast Guard. DGCG Rakesh Pal congratulated the Chairman and Managing Director, officers and workers of Goa Shipyard Limited for their dedicated efforts. DGCG said GSL will continue to strive for perfection and achieve higher goals in the years ahead. Defence Secreatry also inaugurated GSL Integrated Stores Complex. Director General, Indian Coast Guard, Shri Prakash Pal, Chairman and Managing Director, GSL, Shri Brajesh Kumar Upadhyay, and other officials of ICG were present on the occasion. ****** ABB/GC (Release ID: 1952203) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Big boost to 'Aatmanirbharta' in defence: MoD inks Rs 19,000 crore contract with HSL for five Fleet Support Ships for Indian Navy India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 25 AUG 2023 3:53PM by PIB Delhi Ministry of Defence, on August 25, 2023, signed a contract with Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL), Visakhapatnam for acquisition of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy at an overall cost of approx. Rs 19,000 crore. It would be a major boost towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing as these ships will be indigenously designed and constructed by HSL, Visakhapatnam. The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the acquisition of these ships during its meeting on August 16, 2023. The FSS will be employed for replenishing ships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and stores, enabling the Indian Naval Fleet to operate for prolonged periods without returning to harbour. These ships would enhance the strategic reach and mobility of the Fleet. The induction of these ships will significantly enhance the blue water capability of the Indian Navy. The ships can also be deployed for evacuation of people and human assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations. The Fleet Support Ships of 44,000 Tons will be the first-of-its kind to be built in India by an Indian Shipyard. This project will generate employment of nearly 168.8 lakh mandays over a period of eight years. The construction of these ships will provide a new dimension to the Indian shipbuilding Industry and encourage active participation of associated industries, including MSMEs. With majority of the equipment and systems being sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these vessels will be a proud flag bearer of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' in consonance with the 'Make in India' initiatives of the Government. ***** ABB/Savvy (Release ID: 1952073) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran Army launches massive drill to boost electronic warfare capabilities Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 11:18 AM A massive joint electronic warfare drill of various Army units started early on Friday as domestically designed and manufactured equipment has boosted the country's prowess in electronic warfare. Codenamed Separ-e Hafezan-e Velayat 1402 (Shield of Velayat's Guardians 1402), the drill aims to assess the performance and effectiveness of various fixed, mobile, ground-based and airborne electronic warfare systems. Units of the Army's Ground Force, Air Force, Navy and Air Defense are participating in the war game that is held in the central areas of the country. According to Friday's statement by the Army, various tactics and operations have been successfully carried out during the drill, including identifying radio and data link communications, execution of group attack operations by micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) against defined targets, electronic operations to protect radars, and ground-based electronic operations to disrupt and deceive enemy radar systems. Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, the Deputy Chief of Iran's Army for Coordination, said on Thursday that the drill featured different types of indigenous electronic warfare systems, such as radars, drones, cyber and aerospace systems, manned and unmanned fighter jets, micro aerial vehicles, and fixed, mobile, land- and air-based systems. He said that electronic warfare is a vital aspect of modern and future wars and that the Iranian Army has focused on developing and training its human and technological resources in this field over the past years. He said that the Iranian Army has achieved significant progress and achievements in designing and manufacturing its own electronic warfare equipment, using its specialized knowledge, technical know-how and internal capabilities. Iran has made remarkable strides in creating a diverse range of domestic equipment thanks to the expertise and engineering skills of its experts. As a result, the armed forces are now self-sufficient in this area. Iran's officials have made it clear that they shall not waver in their efforts to enhance their defense capabilities, including their missile power, noting that these measures are solely intended for defense and that the country's defense capabilities will never be up for negotiation. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address BRICS membership enhances Iran's political power, Raeisi says Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 9:23 AM President Ebrahim Raeisi says Iran's accession to the BRICS group of leading developing countries will boost the country's political clout and economy. Speaking upon his return from a visit to South Africa, where he participated in BRICS 15th annual summit, Raeisi hailed as "significant" Iran's accession to the organization. The Iranian president said BRICS and similar organizations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are against unilateralism and work to promote convergence among nations to boost their level of prosperity. "One of the advantages of membership in BRICS is that it enhances the country's political power because increased interaction with global and regional organizations will contribute to bolstering both the political and economic power of our nation," he said. The president said BRICS plays a big role in global economic and trade cooperation, and contacts with its members can help Iran grow economically. "Although imperialism seeks to hamper our economic growth, this growth lies in linking with independent economies in the region that can help realize resistance economy in the country," he said, referring to a set of principles set by Iran's Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei to make Iran's economy sanction-proof. Raeisi said Iran's accession to BRICS didn't happen by chance. Rather, it was the result of a policy chosen by his administration and months-long quiet efforts by the cabinet. Iran was invited to join BRICS on Thursday, along with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Ethiopia, Argentina and Egypt. Iran applied for full membership in the bloc in June 2022, days after Raeisi was invited to address the BRICS Plus summit. BRICS is a geopolitical bloc with five member states - Russia, China, Brazil, India, and South Africa - which account for 42% of the world population. Experts see BRICS as a viable counterweight to the G-7, a powerful US-led political forum that also includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran strives for bilateral ties rooted in mutual respect with African nations: Raeisi Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 7:10 AM Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi says Tehran seeks to have relations with African countries based on mutual respect and benefit, despite Western states that only want to plunder Africa's natural resources and wealth. Raeisi made the remarks in a Thursday meeting with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall on the sidelines of the 15th meeting of the BRICS group of emerging economies in South Africa's largest city of Johannesburg. "Unlike Western countries, which are only looking to loot the resources and wealth of African countries, Iran is looking for a relationship based on respect and mutual benefits," Raeisi said. He also voiced Iran's readiness to share its knowledge, expertise, achievements and capabilities in technology, engineering, science and industry with Senegal. For his part, Sall lauded BRICS's invitation of Iran to join the grouping, stating that the country's presence in the bloc will help balance the international system and form a multipolar world. "Western countries, as the main violators of human rights, seek to put pressure on independent countries under the guise of defending human rights," the Senegalese president said. The countries that have for centuries practiced slavery on a large scale and have dark colonial records, and even nowadays continue such policies in other forms have no right to claim to be advocates of human rights, Sall highlighted. Conveying his eagerness for greater involvement of Iranian companies and entrepreneurs in Senegal, he emphasized that the West African nation seeks to leverage Iran's expertise and foster expanded collaboration in the fields of energy and science. 'Iran ready to provide technical, engineering services to Tanzania' Separately, President Raeisi announced the Islamic Republic of Iran's readiness to cooperate with Tanzania in the fields of technology, engineering, construction of dams and power plants, agriculture and industry. During a meeting with his Tanzanian counterpart Samia Suluhu Hassan, the Iranian president welcomed the expansion of bilateral ties between Tehran and Dodoma, and stressed the need for activation of the joint economic cooperation between the two countries as well as plans to improve the level of economic and cultural relations. Hassan, for her part, welcomed the activation of the joint economic commission, stating that Iran and Tanzania have amicable political and diplomatic relations, and their trade ties should grow in proportion to such relations. President Raeisi also held separate talks with his counterparts from India, Bangladesh, and Brazil during his stay in South Africa before leaving for Tehran early on Friday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iranian Bar Associations Protest Government Moves They Say Will Erode Their Power By RFE/RL's Radio Farda August 25, 2023 Lawyers in several Iranian provinces have staged demonstrations against recent decisions made by the Islamic Consultative Assembly that they say go against the country's judicial foundation. At a gathering outside their respective bar association buildings on August 24, the lawyers said a parliamentary resolution obliging them to adhere to the directives of the Economic Ministry's Regulatory Board without being able to challenge the changes via the Administrative Justice Court is "inconsistent with the nation's fundamental rights and an infringement on the Bar Association's autonomy." The resolution "breaches the principle of separation of powers and is at odds with the overarching judicial policies of the nation," the bar associations said, adding an appeal has been launched with the Guardians Council to overturn the decision. According to official statements from the Iranian Bar Association, the lawyers also have urged senior figures from the three branches of government and the Supreme Supervisory Board of the Expediency Discernment Council to address the "unconstitutional and unlawful elements of the resolution." A petition supporting the bar associations has gathered more than 19,000 signatures in under 48 hours. Ali Pezeshki, the Zanjan Bar Association's leader, pointed out that the parliamentary assembly's reconciliation commission has shifted the power to issue, renew, and revoke advocacy licenses from the associations to the Economic Ministry. The Bar Association, Iran's oldest legal body, has faced persistent pressure from both governmental agencies and the judiciary over the past four decades. Its autonomy and powers have been steadily eroded by a series of legislative measures. Since the unrest following Mahsa Amini's death last September, at least 129 lawyers have faced "judicial encounters," according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA). This includes both arrests and summonses for a variety of reasons, ranging from practicing their profession to expressing views on social media. The HRA said that 55 lawyers have been arrested, 70 have been summoned, and numerous others have faced judicial and security confrontations since the protests began. However, the recent wave of summoning lawyers to sign a "commitment" and express regret for the protests suggests an escalation in the crackdown on the legal profession. The Islamic republic's judiciary has been restricting access to protester cases, often only accepting representation from lawyers approved by the head of the judiciary. However, independent lawyers have sometimes managed to overturn heavy sentences, such as the death penalty, during the appeal stage. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-lawyers-bar- associations-protest/32565060.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 The Sixth Anniversary of Genocide Against Rohingya US Department of State Press Statement Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State August 24, 2023 On August 25, the sixth anniversary of genocide against Rohingya, the United States stands with the victims and survivors and reaffirms our commitment to pursue justice and accountability for the atrocities committed by the Burma military. We are deeply grateful to the Government and the people of Bangladesh for giving shelter and refuge to nearly one million Rohingya, as well as other countries in the region hosting Rohingya refugees. The United States has provided over $2.1 billion to assist those affected by the crisis in Burma, Bangladesh, and elsewhere in the region since 2017, remaining the leading single largest donor of life-saving humanitarian assistance to those whose lives have been upended by the violence. The escalation of violence throughout the country has exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation, particularly for members of ethnic and religious minority communities, including Rohingya. Since December 2017, the United States has imposed sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals and entities most responsible for the ongoing violence. The United States remains committed to advancing justice and accountability for all the people of Burma and will continue to stand in solidarity with the people of Burma in their aspirations for a democratic, inclusive, and peaceful future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Sixth Anniversary of the Myanmar Military's Attack against Rohingya Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 25 August 2023 Today marks six years since the violence against Rohingya communities in Rakhine which resulted in mass displacement. Rohingya communities in Myanmar have been further affected by the widespread devastation recently caused by Tropical Cyclone Mocha. We continue to urge the military regime to grant safe and unimpeded access to affected areas so that lifesaving humanitarian assistance can reach those in need. Australia's desire to see a resolution to the crisis remains steadfast. We continue to stand with Bangladesh as it hosts nearly one million displaced Rohingya, and remain committed to working with the Bangladesh Government and humanitarian community to support Rohingya and the communities hosting them in Cox's Bazar. We strongly support international efforts to pursue accountability for atrocities committed in Myanmar. We call on the military regime to create the conditions necessary for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya to Myanmar. We continue to support the people of Myanmar in their pursuit of peace, human rights and a return to the path of democracy. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) exists to bring health and healing to northern Arizona residents. As one of the newest employees here, I am so excited to be part of an amazing, caring team working toward this mission. I joined NAH in June and immediately took part in the vibrant community discussions about our health care future. Im listening to these conversations and I value the dialogue. I also want to bring insight to some of the misinformation being shared about the planned hospital campus north of Fort Tuthill. Were often asked why we must move instead of renovating Flagstaff Medical Centers current facility on hospital hill. NAHs goal is to provide exceptional care to every person who needs it in our region. Every year, thousands of patients must fly or drive to another city (usually Phoenix or Las Vegas or Albuquerque) because we simply dont have the capacity at FMC. Our studies proved its not possible to serve our growing regional population and meet modern medical standards for health care space and facilities by renovating the existing hospital, given the size and state of the building and its infrastructure. Further, renovating our hospital to get as close as we could to the advanced care and larger size this community needs is not good for Flagstaff. Ive been involved in construction projects with other hospitals. Ive seen years of constant renovation and construction cause disruption to the healing, stable environment we need in order to fulfill our highest calling of saving lives. This would be particularly true of any effort to renovate FMCs aging and inefficient building, which has already been renovated and expanded as much as possible in the past several decades. More renovations would take over a decade of constant construction. We would constantly be closing patient care sections of the hospital, sometimes for years at a time, leaving our community without critical services and patient beds. Most importantly, after renovations, FMC will still be too small to meet the needs of our growing population in the future. So instead, we plan to plan to build a new hospital, funded entirely by NAH. It will reduce wait times in the Emergency Department, because we will be able to triage, treat, admit and release patients efficiently. It will also meet current medical standards of larger, private rooms to create a healing environment. If youve ever had a hospital stay (or visited a loved one) in a shared room like we have now at FMC, with only a thin curtain dividing beds, you know how difficult it is to not have privacy when getting a procedure done in your room, or when having deeply personal conversations about your care. Recovering from surgery should not include the stress of your neighbors recovery, too. We also want to repurpose the current FMC campus in a way that serves this community. When I talk with Flagstaff residents, I hear a consistent demand for more affordable housing, senior living facilities and workforce development opportunities. All of those options would be a perfect fit for hospital hill after we move out. NAH has committed to the Flagstaff City Council that the redevelopment of FMCs current campus will be shaped by a community engagement process. We will hold public meetings this year to start the conversation about how to repurpose FMC, including our own goals of using the site to address affordable housing, senior living and workforce shortages. We want to continue to bring the health care that every person and every family deserves to our community and region, and we need new infrastructure to do so. I hope we can all come together to support this project and continue to make northern Arizona a wonderful place to live for ourselves and future generations. Please vote Yes on Proposition 480 on Nov. 7. More than 6,000 people flee junta raids in Myanmar's Sagaing region Troops have been shelling villages and occupying others in the same township. By RFA Burmese 2023.08.25 -- More than 6,000 people in Myanmar's Sagaing region have fled their homes because of heavy shelling and junta raids on their villages, locals told RFA Friday. They said an infantry battalion of around 100 troops entered Khin-U township's Pin Din village, prompting around 2,500 residents of nearby villages to abandon their homes. At the same time, around 3,500 people abandoned villages in the southwest of the township because another battalion was shelling their homes with heavy artillery. "Junta troops are raiding Khin-U township every day," said a local who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals. "The raids only stopped for one day." One man died as he ran from his home during heavy shelling, the man said. On Friday, RFA phoned the junta spokesperson for Sagaing region Tin Than Win to seek comment on the raids but he didn't answer. Four days earlier he denied any knowledge of current military operations in the region. There have been repeated raids on Khin-U township this year. Residents and local defense groups said troops destroyed 6,000 houses there, leaving 30,000 villagers homeless. Sagaing has the highest number of internally displaced people of all the states and regions in Myanmar. More than 800,000 people in the region have been forced to abandon their homes since the February 2021 coup due to intense fighting between junta troops and People's Defense Forces, according to the U.N. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn and Taejun Kang. 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 US jet fuel sanctions welcomed as tool to curb junta air strikes Move will reduce attacks that have killed thousands of civilians, Myanmar's shadow government says. By RFA Burmese 2023.08.25 -- Myanmar's shadow government, armed resistance and activists have welcomed the U.S. Treasury Department's expansion of sanctions targeting those who procure jet fuel the military regime uses in air strikes against civilians at a rate of nearly once every two days. More than 3,900 civilians have been killed by the regime since it seized power in February 2021, the Treasury Department said in announcing the move Wednesday, with the junta increasingly reliant on "violent air strikes" against civilians, including "women and schoolchildren," to maintain its hold on power. Myanmar's shadow National Unity Government, or NUG, Presidential Office Spokesman Kyaw Zaw welcomed the sanctions, saying they will help prevent the loss of lives to junta airstrikes. "These jets are used by the military to kill innocent civilians and destroy hospitals, clinics, religious buildings and houses," he told RFA Burmese. "Many lives have been lost due to the junta's air strikes. We welcome the U.S. sanctions aimed at preventing such losses." Accompanying Wednesday's announcement was the designation of two Burmese individuals - Khin Phyu Win and Zaw Min Tun - and a company - Shoon Energy Pte. Ltd - that the Treasury Department said were involved in procuring jet fuel for use by Myanmar's military. The sanctions mean that American citizens and firms, including banks, cannot have any business relationship with those targeted. The announcement singled out two recent air strikes on civilians in the Sagaing region - one in April and one in June - as the impetus for the expansion of the sanctions, saying the sanctions will "further deprive the regime of the resources that enable it to oppress its citizens." Sagaing has been a hotbed of clashes between the military and anti-junta People's Defense Force, or PDF, paramilitaries since the February 2021 coup. Almost 800,000 residents of the region have been forced to flee due to the conflict since the junta seized power, the United Nations says. Frequent airstrikes According to a report released in May by the Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, the junta has conducted at least 1,427 air strikes, at a rate of nearly once every two days, since the military seized power. Kayin state, home to the Karen National Union ethnic army, saw the highest number of strikes in the 27 months of junta rule ending in May, followed by Sagaing. A member of the PDF in Kayin, who declined to be named for security reasons, said that the U.S. sanctions will bolster the resistance and protect civilians. "Our revolutionary forces gladly welcome and support such sanctions," he said. "The junta's attacks using airplanes have affected not only our revolutionary forces, but also innocent civilians. Many people are injured and killed by such attacks." Since March 1, rights groups including Amnesty International, Global Witness and Burma Campaign (UK) have issued reports urging the international community to sanction large energy companies that sell jet fuel to the junta, as well as the transportation and insurance companies that help the regime procure it. Burma Campaign (UK) Director Mark Farmaner praised Washington's response this week, calling it "one of the best things the U.S. government can do to prevent the human rights abuses and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar." 'Sanctions will not change our country' But Thein Tun Oo, the executive director of the Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies, a group of former military officers, suggested that the sanctions will have little impact on Myanmar as a whole, but an outsized negative effect on its people. "Western countries always assume that such sanctions could change the course of a country, but when you look back at the history of the world, it has only been successful with almost entirely isolated and helpless countries," he said. "What is certain is that sanctions will not change our country in the direction they want it to go, although it will affect the grass-root level." Attempts by RFA to contact junta Deputy Information Minister Major Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the sanctions went unanswered Thursday. Ko Mike, a spokesman for the Blood Money Campaign, a collective of Myanmar activists campaigning to stop revenues reaching the junta, argued that the jet fuel sanctions will have a meaningful impact if implemented correctly. "The military [in prior regimes] has experienced such sanctions and found ways to maneuver its path to continue its course," he noted. "If the U.S. government cooperates properly with the governments of [Association of Southeast Asian Nation] countries like Singapore, I believe they will be able to put a more effective jet fuel embargo into place against the junta." The U.S. has been gradually ramping up economic sanctions against the junta since the coup. In June, Washington sanctioned two of Myanmar's state-owned banks - Myanmar Foreign Trade Bank and Myanmar Investment and Commercial Bank - in a bid to cut off funds to the regime, citing its purchase of arms from foreign sellers. Junta Central Bank Chairwoman Than Than Swe told businessmen over the weekend that the sanctions and their impact have made the regime "furious," while junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing accused "some countries" of using the U.S. dollar "as a weapon" in a video address to the 11th Moscow Conference on International Security on Aug. 15. Other banks have also taken steps. Since the sanctions were put in place, United Overseas Bank, one of Singapore's largest banks, announced earlier this month that it would suspend all bank-to-bank operations with Myanmar starting Sept. 1. Sonali Bank, owned by the Bangladesh government, also announced last week that it had frozen accounts for the two banks with a total value of more than US$1.1 million. Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. 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 Security Agreement Could Prompt Chinese Retaliation Against S. Korea By Christy Lee August 25, 2023 China's discontent over security and economic agreements that Seoul forged with Washington and Tokyo at a Camp David summit leaves open a possibility it could respond with coercive economic and military measures against South Korea, experts say. During last week's summit at the U.S. presidential retreat of Camp David, South Korea agreed with the U.S. and Japan to hold regular meetings to put into practice security and economic measures, bringing trilateral ties closer than ever before. In a statement, the three leaders reaffirmed the "importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Beijing has often warned Seoul and Japan not to be drawn into the Taiwan issue. "It was natural that we would discuss some of the concerns and issues related to actions carried out by the PRC that are of significant concern to our three countries and to many others around the region and around the world," said Daniel Kritenbrink, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, at a news briefing on Tuesday. Also at the briefing, Kurt Campbell, U.S. national security coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, said the security environment in Asia has "caused anxiety" for Japan and South Korea. He highlighted Russian and Chinese warships operating in waters near Japan, China's "massive" military buildup, which he described as "provocative," and North Korea's missile launches. Daniel Russel, who served as the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs in the Obama administration, said, "China is more likely to inflict economic punishment against [South] Korea if it believes the government in Seoul can be bullied into making concessions." He continued, "Nothing in the Yoon administration's first year in office suggests that such a strategy would work. However, if Beijing believes it can exploit the kind of domestic differences on policy that are normal in democracies, we might see an uptick in disinformation and manipulation efforts." Military aggression Some believe the potential for military aggression by Beijing cannot be discounted. As the trilateral agreements are put into practice, China could "start sending submarines and other warships into the South Korean exclusive economic zone in regular transits, trying to establish its right to be in that area," said Bruce Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the RAND Corporation research group. Chinese and Russian aircraft have frequently entered South Korea's air defense zone, including in June when Seoul sent fighter jets to ward them off. David Maxwell, vice president of the Center for Asia Pacific Strategy, said, "China has really driven South Korea and Japan together, just as North Korea has" moved the countries toward each other, and has led them, along with the U.S., into closer trilateral economic and security ties. He continued, "The more China does, either security- or economic-wise, the closer the three countries will be, because [Beijing] is not going to be able to break the relationship with its action, its coercion. Chinese coercion is just going to make the relationship stronger." When the U.S. THAAD missile defense system was deployed to South Korea in 2017, Beijing retaliated by banning South Korean Lotte Group supermarkets in China and suspending Chinese tourism to South Korea. This time, however, experts think even if China were to retaliate economically, it would be different. "China's own economy is in trouble," Maxwell said. "Like-minded democracies and free-market economies are likely to work together to prevent China from conducting any kind of successful economic warfare." During the trilateral summit, Washington, Seoul and Tokyo agreed to set up an early-warning system to prevent disruptions in global supply chains. Also, at a Hiroshima summit in May, the G7 leading industrial nations agreed to cooperate in supporting countries that become victims of China's economic practices. Beijing unleashed harsh criticism of the latest trilateral agreements, even as it acknowledged that Seoul had explained the summit results. "Following the U.S.-Japan-ROK summit at Camp David, the ROK briefed China on the meeting and explained it through diplomatic channels," said Chinese Foreign Ministry Wang Wenbin at Tuesday's briefing. "We urge relevant countries to be prudent with words and actions, stop smearing China's image and harming China's interests," continued Wang. "We hope that the ROK will join China and other countries in the region in rejecting the outdated pattern of division." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kremlin Claims It Wasn't Involved In Plane Crash Believed To Have Killed Wagner Boss By RFE/RL August 25, 2023 The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the plane crash near Moscow that is believed to have killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner mercenary group that ran afoul of President Vladimir Putin by launching a short-lived mutiny against Russia's top army brass over how the war against Ukraine was being conducted. Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told a news conference on August 25 that tests to identify the 10 victims and an investigation were still being carried out into the crash, a day after Putin broke his silence on the August 23 accident, referring to Prigozhin in the past tense while sending his condolences to the families of those who perished. Russia's Investigative Committee on August 25 said the plane's flight recorder and all 10 bodies had been recovered, with DNA testing now under way. Prigozhin's name was on the plane's manifest but it has not yet been officially confirmed that he was on the plane, which mysteriously crashed north of Moscow. Britain's Defense Ministry said on August 25 that while there is not yet "definitive proof" that Prigozhin was onboard and he is known to exercise "exceptional" security measures, "it is highly likely that he is indeed dead." Putin called Prigozhin "a talented man," who made "serious mistakes," though he didn't elaborate on the miscues made by the man who just two months earlier led a short-lived mutiny against the Russian military and presented the most serious challenge to the Russian leader in his more than two decades in power. Prigozhin, for years a close ally of Putin, was not arrested or detained at the time of the mutiny, but the president denounced the insurrection as a "stab in the back" and vowed to punish all "traitors" involved. "There is now a great deal of speculation surrounding this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the plane's passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, in the West, all this speculation is presented from a well-known angle," Peskov said. "All of this is an absolute lie, and here, when covering this issue, it is necessary to base yourself on facts. There are not many facts yet. They need to be established in the course of investigative actions," he said. Wagner commander and co-founder Dmitry Utkin was also listed among the seven passengers on the Wagner jet, Russia's aviation authority said, quoting the airline. Two pilots and a flight attendant also were onboard the plane, the aviation authority said, adding an investigation into the incident has been launched. While there has been no official confirmation from the Kremlin or the Defense Ministry that Prigozhin and Utkin died, a Telegram channel linked to Wagner has pronounced him dead. The channel, Grey Zone, declared Prigozhin a hero and a patriot who it said had died at the hands of unidentified people it called "traitors to Russia." Grey Zone also reported that another private jet owned by Prigozhin landed safely in the Moscow region. The information could not be independently verified immediately. However, Reuters on August 25 quoted the CEO of the aircraft operator of that plane as saying it does not have any connection to the mercenary group. "Neither the plane itself nor its passengers are related to Wagner and never have been," Jetica's CEO Sergey Trifonov told Reuters. The ownership of the second plane could not immediately be independently verified. The deaths of Prigozhin and Utkin, if proven true, would be a severe blow to the Wagner group, which was key in Russia's battle to take the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut earlier this year. Wagner soldiers have also been deployed to Syria, where Russia supports President Bashar Assad's government in a civil war and in Libya, where they fought alongside forces of commander Khalifa Hifter. The group has also operated in the Central African Republic and Mali. "The demise of Prigozhin would almost certainly have a deeply destabilizing effect on the Wagner Group," the British Defense Ministry said. "His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor.... Wagner's leadership vacuum would be compounded by the reports that founder and field commander Dimitry Utkin and logistics chief Valery Chekalov also died." The Wagner chief's whereabouts have been largely a mystery since the mutiny. He appeared in his first video since the mutiny earlier this week. In footage possibly shot in Africa and published on August 21 on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group, Prigozhin is seen standing in a desert area in camouflage and with a rifle in his hands. Earlier he was believed to be moving between Russia and Belarus, where Wagner troops have been setting up camps to train Belarusian armed forces as part of a deal negotiated that helped end the mutiny. The Wagner insurrection came on the heels of months of intense public infighting with Russia's military leadership over the war strategy in Ukraine and ammunition supplies. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/british-intelligence- highly-likely-prigozhin-dead-russia/32564572.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 'Message Sent': Russian Elite, Nationalists On Notice After Prigozhin's Presumed Death By Todd Prince August 25, 2023 After the Wagner mercenary group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led an abortive rebellion this summer that posed the greatest challenge to President Vladimir Putin's 24-year grip on power, many experts said the billionaire Kremlin insider now had a target on his back. As Prigozhin's troops marched toward Moscow on June 24, demanding a change in the military leadership amid heavy losses and serious setbacks in the war against Ukraine, Putin called their act "treason" and compared it to momentous events in World War I that led to the collapse of the Russian Empire. Putin has said in the past that the one thing he cannot forgive is betrayal, and he repeated that during the mutiny, warning that "those who consciously chose the path of betrayal...will suffer an inevitable punishment." So, when a private jet with Prigozhin on the manifest crashed in a field northwest of Moscow on August 23 -- killing all 10 people aboard, according to Russian aviation authorities -- the only surprise to some experts was how soon it happened, exactly two months after the short-lived insurrection. "It is pretty straightforward," Maria Snegovaya, a Russia analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told RFE/RL. "He did something that was taboo. He was going to be eliminated sooner or later, and this time it came quite fast." An Embraer Legacy 600 affiliated with Wagner was flying from Moscow to Prigozhin's hometown of St. Petersburg when it fell from the sky shortly after 6 p.m., bursting into flames upon impact in a field and sending a black cloud of smoke high into the air. A day later, there was no official confirmation that Prigozhin, 62, was among the dead. The cause of the crash was not immediately known, and an investigation has been opened. There was no information on whether rescuers had found the plane's black box, which could provide insight into whether pilot error, technical malfunction, a bomb, or a missile had brought down the plane. Putin, who was awarding soldiers medals at the time of the August 23 crash, has yet to comment on it. A missile strike would be highly symbolic as Prigozhin's forces had shot down aircraft during their rebellion, reportedly killing more than 10 Russian servicemen. But the truth may never be known. Critics say that under Putin, Russian authorities have frequently shied away from conducting thorough investigations of events that cut too close to the Kremlin or covering up the results of such probes. Nonetheless, Russians will connect the dots, experts said. "I think a lot of people are going to assume that this is not an accident, that this is yet another example of Putin getting rid of people who are inconvenient," Mark Katz, a political science professor at George Mason University in Virginia, told RFE/RL. In late June, following the Wagner mutiny, Katz told RFE/RL he believed it was highly likely that Prigozhin would be assassinated within a few months. While the Kremlin will deny any involvement, the crash will send a clear message to those dissatisfied with Putin's management of the war effort in Ukraine, Katz said on August 23. "The message Putin is trying to send is, 'Don't even think of trying to rebel. Prigozhin ultimately did not get away with anything. So your fate will be his fate if you try anything stupid like this,'" he said. At first, it did appear that Prigozhin might just get away with what many observers said -- even though its stated targets were military leaders -- amounted to the most brazen attack on Putin's authority since the former KGB officer rose to power in 1999. The mercenary leader appeared to move freely around Russia and Belarus in the days after the mutiny and even showed up on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit that Putin hosted in St. Petersburg in late July, giving the impression that the two had settled their differences. To many, including some in Russia's elite, the seeming leniency appeared to be a sign of Putin's weakness. High-profile critics of Putin have in several cases suffered terrible fates, killed by bullets or exotic poisons. However, others said Putin was biding his time, waiting for the mutiny to fade from the front pages before getting his revenge. The seeming reconciliation between the two men also offers the Kremlin a veneer of deniability in the crash. Prigozhin rose to prominence and fabulous wealth in the 2010s thanks to his proximity to Putin, though the exact nature of their personal relationship remains cloudy. In 2022, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine struggled, Prigozhin deployed his Wagner forces to the front and appeared to achieve greater success than the regular armed forces, capturing the Donbas city of Bakhmut in May after months of extremely deadly fighting. Over the course of several months, Prigozhin allowed himself to harshly criticize Russia's military leadership and won the minds of many pro-war propogandists, bloggers, and nationalists in the process -- people who back the invasion but believe Moscow is botching it badly. He even showed political ambitions. When he launched his mutiny on June 23, after numerous calls for the ouster of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the chief of the Armed Forces General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, his troops faced little resistance as they approached within 200 kilometers of Moscow, raising questions about loyalties and levels of support for the Kremlin among members of the military and security services who are dissatisfied with the progress of the war. Days before the plane crash, Bloomberg News reported that hawks in the security services have been pushing the same demands as Prigozhin, calling for new military leadership and an escalation of fighting. Putin initially allowed pro-war bloggers and nationalists to criticize his military leadership even as he jailed anti-war activists. Prigozhin's mutiny seemed to show clearly that he had let it go too far. "The nationalists were useful at one point and now they are not so funny anymore and he has to deal with them," Katz said. Igor Girkin, a rabid nationalist and pro-war commentator who called Putin a "useless coward" in a Telegram post to his 800,000 followers, was arrested last month in a move widely seen as a warning to his ilk. Prigozhin's death, if confirmed -- or even his disappearance, if he does not resurface -- will do the same. "It is about reasserting control in a very demonstrative way. If you dare to challenge the boss, this is what happens to you. It is very much a godfather-type of situation. That is how the system works," Snegovaya said. Experts also said that Prigozhin's death opens up an opportunity for Putin to dismantle the near-monopoly Wagner held as Russia's go-to mercenary group and bring parts of it under greater Kremlin control to prevent it from threatening him again. Prigozhin concentrated a lot of power in his hands as he deployed Wagner forces to numerous states in Africa and the Middle East. "This is the first big step toward Putin reimagining how he can use the operational infrastructure that Wagner has built up in a way that continues to advance Russian goals while also being more reliably loyal to him," said Catrina Doxsee, an expert at the CSIS, who analyzes transnational threats, including mercenary groups. However, she said it remains to be seen how the Wagner's rank-and-file would react to a change in control, noting that Prigozhin had enjoyed "a lot of loyalty." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/prigozhin-message-sent-putin- russia-elites/32562932.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 Lukashenko Says Prigozhin Never Asked Him for Security Guarantees Sputnik News 20230825 MINSK (Sputnik) - Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that Wagner Group private military company (PMC) leader Yevgeny Prigozhin had never asked him for security guarantees. On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said that the Embraer Legacy private plane en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed in the Tver Region, killing all 10 people aboard. Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsia said that Prigozhin was on the plane. An investigation into the accident is underway. "To answer this question directly, I do not have to provide security for Prigozhin. That is the first point. Secondly, we never talked about it in that way," Lukashenko was quoted as saying by a Belarusian news agency. The president added that he and Prigozhin discussed the issue of security twice in their conversations. "The first time, when I called him while negotiations were underway, when they were marching to Moscow, I said to him, 'Zhenya, do you realize, you're going to kill people and you're going to die yourself?' In the heat of the moment, this man, having just returned from the front, said: 'To hell with it, I'll die.' I replied to him: 'Zhenya, I'll send you a rope and a bar of soap.' 'No, no, no. I don't want that. I'll die a hero.' That was the first conversation. The second time he came to see me with Dima Utkin. I warned them both bluntly: 'Guys, look,'" Lukashenko clarified. Regarding who is responsible for the plane crash, the president noted that he could not say who it is, but could not imagine that Russian head of state Vladimir Putin was to blame. "I can't say who did it. I wouldn't become a lawyer even for my older brother. But I know Putin. He is a far-sighted, very calm and even slow man, in terms of making decisions on other, less complicated issues. Therefore, I can't imagine that Putin did it, that Putin is to blame. It's a too blunt, unprofessional work, if anything," Sputnik Belarus quoted Lukashenko as saying. Lukashenko notes that many people are trying to "pin" the responsibility for the tragedy on the Russian president. However, according to the Belarusian head of state, the Russian leader has absolutely nothing to do with it. Lukashenko Stated Wagner Group Fighters Remain in Belarus Soldiers of the Wagner group are not leaving Belarus, they will continue to live and work in the country, the president emphasized. "Wagner lived, Wagner lives, and Wagner will live in Belarus, regardless of anyone who does not want it. Together with Prigozhin, we have built a system for how Wagner will be situated here," Sputnik Belarus quoted Lukashenko as saying. According to the president, "the core" remains in the country, with up to 10,000 people based there. At the same time, Lukashenko noted, that there is no need to keep all the fighters in Belarus. "Therefore, they are not running anywhere. As much as we and this unit need, they will live and work with us," the politician stressed. In August, Lukashenko said that the Wagner fighters who are located in Belarus are passing down their experience to the Belarusian Army and special forces free of charge. In particular, in July, they acted as instructors at the training of the country's territorial defense units near the town of Osipovichi, Mogilev Region. In August, the Wagner Group company was registered in Belarus, with its activities labeled as educational services. Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov did not answer a question whether its state funding would continue, redirecting it to Minsk. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. denies reports claiming it considered canceling F-16 sale to Taiwan ROC Central News Agency 08/25/2023 02:04 PM Washington, Aug. 24 (CNA) The U.S. State Department on Thursday denied reports claiming Washington had considered canceling its sale of F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan. The denial came following a claim by US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) President Rupert Hammond-Chambers that the Biden Administration "took a hard look" last year at cancelling Taiwan's F-16V sale package announced in 2019 because it was not compatible with the U.S.' "so-called 'asymmetric approach'" regarding Taiwan's defense. According to the USTBC president, the sale was allowed to proceed because the legal barriers to canceling it were too great. He added that, aside from the F-16vs, the Biden administration's security assistance has focused "on munitions and sustainment of legacy systems." In a statement emailed to CNA, however, a U.S. State Department spokesperson said the reports claiming the U.S. government had considered canceling the sale to Taiwan of F-16 Block 70 fighter jets were "false," and reiterated its strong support for Taiwan updating its aging F-16 fleet and acquiring new aircraft, "in line with our longstanding policy to help Taiwan maintain a sufficient self-defense capability." "This policy has remained consistent across eight different U.S. administrations and contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," the spokesperson added. In August 2019, the U.S. government announced the program to sell 66 F-16 C/D Block 70 fighter jets, known as the F-16V, to Taiwan in a potential US$8 billion package, a move that shows "better than ever" bilateral ties despite the two ending official diplomatic relations 40 years ago. According to the estimate made at the time of announcement of the fighter jet sale to Taiwan, the first two F-16Vs under the program would be delivered to Taipei in 2023, and the completion of the delivery of the 66 F-16Vs was scheduled for the end of 2026. But, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement in May that the delivery of the first two F-16 fighter jets has been delayed as "complex developmental challenges" had been encountered. It added the U.S. Air Force said the American government, Taiwan and Lockheed Martine Corp. "are actively working to mitigate these delays." Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense said the delays of the first two F-16s were down to U.S. efforts to improve the software used in the fighter jets, and that the delivery of the first batch was now scheduled for the third quarter of next year. However, all of the 66 F-16s were still set to be delivered by the end of 2026, as originally scheduled, the ministry said. On Wednesday, the United States government approved a proposed US$500 million sale of infrared search and track (IRST) systems and other related equipment for the F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan, marking the 11th U.S. arms sale to the country since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. The last time the U.S. sold Taiwan fighter jets was in 1992, when then-President George H.W. Bush announced the sale of 150 F-16 A/B jets. Since then, the jets have served as the backbone of the nation's air force. (By Chiang Chin-yeh, Christie Chen, Joseph Yen and Frances Huang) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chinese aircraft cross Taiwan Strait median line after U.S. arms sale announcement ROC Central News Agency 08/25/2023 07:24 PM Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) A total of 22 Chinese military aircraft and five naval ships were detected around Taiwan on Friday, of which 13 warplanes and drones either breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) or crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, according to the Ministry of National Defense (MND). Of the aircraft, MND data showed sorties comprised of Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-16 and Sukhoi SU-30 fighter jets, as well as H-6 strategic bombers, KJ-500 third-generation airborne early warning and control planes and an undisclosed number of unmanned aerial vehicles. The MND added that 13 of the 22 crafts detected since 7 a.m. Friday either flew into Taiwan's ADIZ or crossed the Taiwan Strait median line, without giving more details. The ministry said it scrambled combat air and naval patrols and deployed defense missile systems to track the Chinese military aircraft. Taiwan's Defense Ministry has been posting information about Chinese planes entering Taiwan's ADIZ since Sept. 17, 2020, amid a growing frequency of incursions by Chinese military aircraft. China stepped up military maneuvers in early August last year, holding live-fire drills in six locations around the country, after U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan. A large number of Chinese warplanes have since crossed the median line, the unofficial border between Taiwan and China, following Pelosi's visit, which is generally considered far more provocative than incursions into the ADIZ. The intrusions Friday came following the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency's (DSCA) announcement on Wednesday that the United States government had greenlit a proposed US$500 million sale of infrared search and track (IRST) systems for F-16 fighter jets, and related equipment, to Taiwan. The proposed sale will improve Taiwan's ability to meet current and future threats by contributing to its abilities to "defend its airspace, provide regional security, and increase interoperability with the United States through its F-16 program," DSCA said. Additionally, Taiwan military experts also said the IRST systems could help Taiwan's radars detect the infrared heat source generated by enemy stealth fighters, which could potentially serve as a counter measure against China's Chengdu J-20 (a.k.a. Mighty Dragon) twinjet all-weather stealth fighter aircraft. The package is the 11th U.S. arms sale to Taiwan since President Joe Biden took office in 2021. (By Matt Yu and James Lo) Enditem/kb NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cross-strait peace red line for international community, Taiwan: VP Lai ROC Central News Agency 08/25/2023 06:22 PM Taipei, Aug. 25 (CNA) The international community considers peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait a "red line" that must not be crossed and the same holds true for Taiwan, Vice President Lai Ching-te () said in a TV interview on Thursday. The relationship between Taiwan and China has evolved into issues of international concern, Lai, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) candidate for the 2024 presidential election in January, told the program broadcast on Era News. In order to preserve peace and stability, the international community sees the issue as a "red line," said Lai, citing statements issued at the Trilateral Leaders' Summit of the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea at Camp David near Washington on Aug. 18. The red line outlined internationally should naturally align with that of Taiwan, Lai said, adding that the issue is not a challenge that Taiwan can resolve independently. U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described cross-strait peace and stability as "indispensable" for security and prosperity in the international community, according to the statements. Those statements were the latest issued by world leaders in recent years since growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait have increased fears of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. During the interview, Lai called on Beijing to respect the Taiwanese people's freedom to elect their own president based on their own will and refrain from trying to intimidate Taiwan by flexing military muscle or aggressive behavior. China will feel the repercussions on its economy if it continues to use such tactics because they will lead to Taiwanese investors gradually moving out of China, he added. The current three-way election involves Lai, Hou Yu-ih () of the Kuomintang (KMT) and Ko Wen-je () of the Taiwan People's Party, with possible contender Terry Gou (), founder of Hon Hai Technology group, and has been framed by some opposition politicians as a choice between war and peace. The opposition has cast doubt on the Lai's ability to maintain peaceful cross-strait relations and labeled him as being too close to pro-independence activists. Lai in 2017 described himself as a "pragmatic worker for Taiwan independence." In recent interviews, Lai said he had no plans to pursue formal independence because Taiwan is a sovereign, independent country called the Republic of China (ROC). Lai also noted that the ROC and the People's Republic of China (PRC) should not be subordinate to each other. Asked to comment, Lai said this characterization of the election shows that the opposition is dancing to Beijing's tune and seeking to use the threat of war to sway voters. The acceptance of the "one China principle" by the opposition parties in their proposed cross-strait policies is akin to relinquishing the nation's sovereignty and that will never bring genuine peace, Lai said, adding that peace only comes through strength. Lai did not elaborate on the "one China principle." As defined by Beijing it means there is only one China in the world, with Taiwan being an inalienable part of China and the PRC being the only legitimate sovereign government of that China. For their part, the opposition candidates have never recognized or expressed support for Beijing's "one China principle." In July, Hou said he supported a version of the "1992 consensus" that conforms with the ROC Constitution, which says Taiwan and China are part of the same country. According to the KMT, the "1992 consensus" allows both sides to have their respective interpretation of what China means, despite recognizing that there is only one China, known as "one China, different interpretations." The TPP's Ko has neither openly rejected nor endorsed the "1992 consensus," which underpinned warmer ties between Taiwan and China during the previous KMT administration from 2008-2016, and has urged Beijing not to see it as a prerequisite for cross-strait exchange. In an op-ed in the Washington Post in July, Gou, who has hinted that he could run as an independent but has not yet declared his candidacy, proposed a "one China framework" based on the so-called "1992 consensus" to ease cross-strait tensions and preserve Taiwan's democracy. Lai said he will bring sustainable peace through a four-pillar plan, including building Taiwan's defense capabilities, strengthening economic security, deepening democratic partnerships, and maintaining steady and principled cross-strait leadership, which is based on the policies adopted by President Tsai Ing-wen (). (By Chen Chun-hwa and Shih Hsiu-chuan) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPP's plan to 'resume' cross-Straits exchanges is 'pie in the sky' Global Times By Global Times Published: Aug 25, 2023 09:12 PM The island of Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" recently released a "plan" to "resume" cross-Straits tourism and exchanges, but such a plan is a "pie in the sky" as it actually imposes stricter restrictions for exchanges, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on Friday. Taiwan's "mainland affairs council" announced on Thursday that it will "loosen restrictions" on business travelers from the Chinese mainland. Tour groups from the mainland are allowed to visit the island but with a maximum of 2,000 people per day. The resumption of group tours will begin in a month but no specific date was given, according to media on the island. Zhu depicted the "plan" to "resume" cross-Straits exchanges as "a pie in the sky" created by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, as it claims to "resume" but actually refuses to lift the ban, and claims to "relax" but actually imposes stricter restrictions on cross-Strait exchanges. The spokesperson noted that the DPP's so-called plan has set three ignominious records in the history of cross-Strait exchanges, as it imposes unprecedented restrictions on people from the island of Taiwan traveling to the mainland in group tours, unprecedented regulation of Taiwan's tourism industry, and unprecedented restrictions on companies on the island to invite mainland personnel to Taiwan for exhibitions and business exchanges. Zhu said that the Chinese mainland has always opened its doors and warmly welcomed compatriots from the island of Taiwan to travel to the mainland without any limits on the number of people. It is absurd that the DPP now wants to control the number of cross-Straits tourists based on the so-called "principle of reciprocity" and require Taiwan's tourism associations to establish a mechanism to regulate the number of tourists to the mainland. "People can't help but ask, since the lifting of martial law in Taiwan in 1987, people on the island have never encountered any obstacles when traveling to the mainland. Why are the DPP authorities so afraid of people coming to the mainland? Do they want to bring Taiwan back to the state of martial law?" said Zhu, noting that the DPP authorities are trying in vain to use the so-called "principle of reciprocity" as an excuse to shift blame and responsibility. The DPP's "plan" precisely regulates the exhibition booth area for companies on the island of Taiwan, and restricts the length of stay for mainland personnel in the island to one day. It also sets different quotas for invitation restrictions. The strictness and meticulousness of the restrictions on companies in the island and mainland personnel going to the island Taiwan are astonishing, said Zhu. The so-called plan is clearly a barrier disguised as "relaxation," said Zhu, noting that the DPP authorities have spared no effort to come up with absurd and unpopular measures to obstruct and restrict normal cross-Straits exchanges. The desire for communication, cooperation, peace, and development is the common aspiration of the people on the island of Taiwan. The DPP authorities are trying to deceive and cover up their true intentions of obstructing exchanges and interactions between the island and the mainland with their so-called "plan," said Zhu. We believe that compatriots in the island can see through their intentions and will not be deceived. We hope that compatriots on both sides can work together to promote the return of cross-Straits relations to the correct track of peaceful development and truly achieve the normalization and regularity of cross-Strait tourism and two-way exchanges, said Zhu. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Xem them (Construction) - On October 3, 2023, in Tokyo - Capital of Japan, Construction Newspaper of Vietnam, represented by Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung - Editor-in-Chief continued to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with The Daily Engineering and Construction News of Japan (DECN) with the witness of the MLIT and many businesses in Japan. ... Tin bai cuoi cung Khong con du lieu e load Republican Debate Highlights Uncertain Future of US Aid to Ukraine By Rob Garver August 24, 2023 The future of U.S. aid to Ukraine under a potential Republican White House remains very much in doubt, one day after eight candidates for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination clashed over the subject in the party's first presidential primary debate. On stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday, the candidates displayed a range of attitudes toward U.S. support for Ukraine's effort to fend off the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Some called for the elimination or reduction of U.S. support, while others spoke forcefully in favor of extending it. The dispute highlights a sharp divergence of opinion within the broader Republican Party over the war in Ukraine, one that has been reflected in public opinion polls since last year. Recent polling by CNN has indicated that a large segment of the Republican electorate wants to cut or eliminate U.S. funding, with 71% saying that Congress should not authorize new funding, and 59% saying they believe the U.S. has already done enough to support Kyiv. The Republicans on the debate stage did not include former President Donald Trump, who is currently leading the field by a wide margin in public polling. Trump, instead, recorded an interview that aired at the same time as the debate. DeSantis critical of Europe Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who early in his campaign stumbled over his position on Ukraine, was first among the candidates to address the issue on Wednesday, saying immediately that he would make additional U.S. aid "contingent" on an increase in aid from European countries. "Europe needs to step up," DeSantis said. "I'm going to have Europe step up and do their job." Statistical data on aid to Ukraine show that while the U.S. has sent the most to Ukraine in total dollars, European countries have given the most on a GDP basis. The candidate most adamant about restricting U.S. aid to Ukraine was Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech businessman who has no experience in public office. Asked if he would support increased funding to Ukraine, Ramaswamy said, "I would not, and I think that this is disastrous, that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody else's border, when we should use those same military resources to prevent ... the invasion of our own southern border here in the United States of America." He went on to contend that U.S. support for Ukraine is "driving Russia further into China's hands," and he accused politicians in favor of maintaining support for Ukraine a including some on stage with him a of placing that country's concerns above the needs of the U.S. He also appeared to ridicule their support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "I find it offensive that we have professional politicians on the stage that will make a pilgrimage to Kyiv a to their pope, Zelenskyy a without doing the same thing for people in Maui or the South Side of Chicago." Spirited defense Several other contenders a former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie a sharply criticized Ramaswamy's position, defending continued U.S. support for Kyiv and arguing that U.S. interests are at stake in Ukraine. Christie, who recently traveled to Ukraine, reminded the audience of the atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine, and of the many thousands of Ukrainian children who have been taken from Ukraine and resettled in Russia. "If we don't stand up against this type of autocratic killing in the world, we will be next," Christie said. Pence rebutted Ramaswamy's claim that U.S. aid to Ukraine is detracting from the country's ability to address its own problems, saying, "Anybody that thinks that we can't solve the problems here in the United States and be the leader of the free world has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on Earth. We can do both." Haley invokes experience Haley, who also served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, noted that aid to Ukraine has totaled only about 3.5% of the overall U.S. military budget. She also attacked Ramaswamy for a number of his stated positions on foreign policy, including his public statement that he would not object to China's hostile takeover of Taiwan after 2028. "He wants to hand Ukraine to Russia," Haley said. "He wants to let China eat Taiwan. He wants to go and stop funding Israel. You don't do that to friends. What you do instead is, you have the backs of your friends. Ukraine is the front line of defense." Ramaswamy retorted by suggesting that Haley is hoping to join the boards of U.S. military contractors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, who manufacture much of the equipment the U.S. has sent to Ukraine. Haley pointed out that she has no affiliation with either company and added, "You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows." Trump comments In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that was released on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Trump only briefly addressed the conflict in Ukraine. While criticizing President Joe Biden for going on vacation, he said, "He's supposed to be working. He's supposed to be getting us out of that horrible, horrible war that we're very much involved in with Russia and Ukraine." Trump went on to call for an end to the war. He also claimed that he could stop it "easily," and that Russia never would have invaded Ukraine if he had been president. He offered no evidence for either claim. US aid seen as vital Politics aside, experts told VOA that continued U.S. aid to Ukraine is essential to the country's struggle against Russia, and that cutting it off would have major consequences. In an email exchange, Nicholas Lokker, a research associate in the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, told VOA that U.S. support is "critical" to Ukraine's continued defense. "Washington has so far provided the most military aid of any country by a wide margin. And without this aid, it is quite likely that Ukrainian forces would be in much worse shape than they are now," he said. "The United States has also had a very important role in coordinating aid deliveries from more than 40 countries through its leadership of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, without which Kyiv would be less likely to receive the type of support that it needs most," he added. Gian Gentile, a retired U.S. Army colonel who now serves as associate director of the RAND Corporation's Army Research Division, told VOA that a withdrawal of U.S. support would be "a disaster" for Ukraine. He said it could entail cutting off not just money and materiel, but training for Ukrainian forces. "The whole Ukrainian offensive would stop," he said. "They would have to try to consolidate what they have and move into a defensive standpoint across the board." But the damage might not stop there, he said. "If Russia knows that there's no U.S. support, that might be enough for them to begin their own major counteroffensive or offensive operations to retake what they've lost," Gentile said. "And without U.S. support [for Ukraine], [Russia] could be pretty damned successful." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland to deliver more defence materiel to Ukraine Finnish Ministry of Defence 25.08.2023 Finland will send more defence materiel to assist Ukraine. The President of the Republic decided on the matter on 25 August 2023 on the proposal of the Government. This will be the 18th package of defence materiel to Ukraine. Replacing the defence materiel capabilities contained in this package will cost Finland an estimated EUR 94 million. The combined replacement value of all defence materiel packages delivered so far is about EUR 1.3 billion. - The support of Finland and our allies to Ukraine remains unwavering. The core issue in terms of the future security order in Europe and in Finland is to be able to curb Russia's aggression against Ukraine, says Minister of Defence Antti HAkkAnen. For operational reasons and to ensure that the assistance will reach its destination safely, further details on the content of the package, the way it is to be delivered or the schedule will not be given. Both Ukraine's needs and the resources of the Defence Forces have been taken into account when deciding on Finland's additional assistance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia says thwarted 73 Ukrainian drone attacks in 24 hours Iran Press TV Friday, 25 August 2023 6:43 PM Russia says its air defense has thwarted 73 drone attacks by the Ukrainian side in several regions in a space of 24 hours. In 24 hours, Ukraine lost 73 drones, five HIMARS projectiles, two Su-25 planes and a stock of ammunition, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. The air defense systems also intercepted a HARM anti-radar missile and a modified S-200 missile. The Defense Ministry's spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the navy struck a port infrastructure used by the Ukrainian armed forces with high-precision weapons, using sea-based long-range weapons. In the Zaporozhye frontline, two US Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, two Stryker armored personnel carriers, four vehicles, three US M777 artillery systems and two British FH-70 howitzers were targeted. One tank, two armored personnel carriers, two other vehicles, two D-20 howitzers and a Polish Krab self-propelled gun were destroyed along the Donetsk axis. In Kherson, Ukraine's losses amounted to three vehicles, and a US M777 system, among others. In total, Russian troops repelled more than a dozen attacks. Ukraine kicked off its counteroffensive in early June. The forces have suffered heavy material and human losses in the process. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Reinforcing Troops Ahead Of Renewed Offensive In 'Tense' East, Ukrainian General Says By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 25, 2023 KYIV -- Russian forces are regrouping and sending in reinforcements in preparation of resuming their offensive in the east of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskiy, commander of Ukraine's ground forces, said on August 25. "After a month of fierce fighting and significant losses in the Kupyansk and Lyman directions, the enemy is regrouping its forces and capabilities, while transferring newly formed brigades and divisions from the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskiy wrote on Telegram. Even while conducting its preparations, Russian troops "continue to exert a powerful fire influence from artillery and mortars" and are "actively using aviation" in their attacks, Syrskiy said, adding that Ukrainian forces are "taking all measures to strengthen our defense in threatened areas and move forward where possible." "The operational situation in the eastern direction remains tense," he added. Syrskiy's comments come after Russia said it had thwarted a massive wave of drone attacks on occupied Crimea and a missile strike on Kaluga as Ukraine's military reported deadly air and drone strikes on its regions. Russia's Defense Ministry said on August 25 in a statement that its air defenses neutralized a total of 73 drones over the past 24 hours, 42 of them over Crimea. "Seventy-three Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been either shot down or jammed by electronic means over the past day," the ministry said. The Moscow-appointed head of Sevastopol region in Crimea, Mikhail Razvozhayev, said several drones had been destroyed over the sea off Crimea's Cape Khersones. The Russian ministry also said a Ukrainian missile was downed in Kaluga, a region just southwest of Moscow, while Russian Telegram channels reported blasts in the sky above the Kaluga, Tula, and Moscow regions, likely caused by antiaircraft fire. Telegram channel Baza reported that the missile was shot down near the Shaikovka military airfield in Kaluga region, some 300 kilometers southwest of Moscow. Two major Moscow airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, temporarily ceased operations, Russian TASS news agency reported. There we no immediate reports of casualties or damages. Moscow and its surrounding have been targeted frequently by drone attacks in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military reported Russian air and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight, adding that there were casualties among civilians. "During the past 24 hours, the enemy launched seven missile and 47 air strikes...on the positions of our troops and on populated areas," the military said in its daily report, adding, "Unfortunately, there are dead and wounded among the civilian population." The military did not provide further details about the targets of the Russian strikes or the victims, saying that incoming information is "currently being clarified." Ukraine's air defense separately reported that it had shot down four Russian cruise missiles above the Odesa region that had been launched from the Sea of Azov. On the battlefields in eastern Ukraine, heavy fighting continued amid a seesaw of offensive and defensive actions by both sides. Ukrainian forces are conducting offensive operations in the direction of the strategic southern city of Melitopol and in the area of Bakhmut in Donetsk, the General Staff said on August 25. In the Kupyansk sector of the eastern Kharkiv region and in Avdiyivka in Donetsk, Kyiv's troops have been repelling successive Russian attempts to break the front line and advance to the west. At least one civilian was wounded on August 25 in the Russian shelling of the village of Podoli in Kharkiv, Ukrainian authorities said. The General Staff said its troops achieved some successes over the past 24 hours on the Orichiv-Tokmak axis toward Melitopol -- the same sector where it had liberated the village of Robotyne earlier in the week. Around Bakhmut, the scene of some of the longest and fiercest battles this year, Ukrainian forces are on the offensive south of the city, it said. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said late on August 24 that the situation along the whole eastern front is "tense and very dynamic." The claims could not immediately be verified. Finland on August 25 announced the 18th package of military aid for Ukraine worth 94 million euros ($102 million), bringing the total Finnish aid for Kyiv to about 1.3 billion euros ($1.41 billion). "The support of Finland and our allies to Ukraine remains unwavering," the Finnish government said in a statement. "The core issue in terms of the future security order in Europe and in Finland is to be able to curb Russia's aggression against Ukraine," the statement quoted Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen as saying. Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in his nightly video address on August 25 urged the country's allies to speed up delivery of promised F-16 fighter jets to Kyiv's forces. "Our goal is to get closer to the time when F-16s will help us keep Russian terrorists away. As fast as possible," he said. Reports out of the Netherlands, Denmark, and Norway indicate that those NATO nations will be sending an undisclosed number of F-16 jets to Ukraine, although the date of arrival remains uncertain. On August 24, the United States said it would begin training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 warplanes in October, joining a Western coalition that is helping to prepare Kyiv's fliers on the sophisticated combat aircraft to join the fight against the Russian invasion. With reporting by Reuters, dpa, and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-ukraine- air-drone-strikes-eastern-front/32564271.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 Turkish Foreign Minister Says 'No Alternative' To Ukraine-Russia Grain Deal During Kyiv Visit By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service August 25, 2023 KYIV -- Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said during a visit to Kyiv that there is "no alternative" to the original Ukraine-Russia grain deal that was brokered by his country and the United Nations but which collapsed after Moscow pulled out of the agreement last month. "We know alternative routes are being sought [for grain shipments], but we see no alternative to the original initiative because they carry risks," Fidan told reporters on August 25 after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in the Ukrainian capital. "Revitalizing this initiative is a priority for Turkey," Fidan added. The comments follow remarks by some Western allies suggesting the possibility of establishing alternative ways of ensuring the export of Ukrainian grain, including the "possibilities of railway transportation and the capacities of the ports of individual NATO member states." The deal initially allowed Ukraine to ship grain through blockaded ports on the Black Sea. However, Russia withdrew from the agreement last month and began attacking Ukrainian port and grain facilities. Many world leaders expressed concerns that interruption of the grain deal would raise prices and cause further food insecurity, especially in poorer nations, including some in Africa and others such as Haiti. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on August 3 took aim at Russia in a speech to the UN Security Council, accusing Moscow of "blackmail" over its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Shmyhal earlier said he and Fidan had discussed the crucial grain deal, along with overall trade and economic issues between the two nations, during the Kyiv talks. Shmyhal wrote on Telegram that the two sides also discussed plans for future restoration of Ukrainian infrastructure after the ongoing Russian invasion is over, as well as "other joint projects." "We are looking forward to a brisk finalization of all the procedures regarding the acquisition of the [previously agreed] free-trade agreement. We discussed in detail the issue of global food security. In that regard, we have a fruitful dialogue with Turkey, and we count on further cooperation," Shmyhal wrote. Ukraine and Turkey agreed to the free-trade deal when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Kyiv in early February 2022, three weeks before Russia launched its full-scale aggression against Ukraine. Shmyhal also expressed thanks to Ankara for its support of Zelenskiy's efforts to end Russia's unprovoked war while reasserting Kyiv's position that Ukrainian-Russian peace talks are only possible after the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Ankara has attempted to maintain relations with both Kyiv and Moscow following Russia's invasion, both on political and economic issues. Fidan reiterated Ankara's support for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity and stressed the importance of the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports and the restoration of Ukraine's infrastructure. Zelenskiy expressed gratitude to Turkey for its role last month in returning to Ukraine five commanders of the Azov Battalion taken prisoner by Russia during the brutal struggle for the city of Mariupol early in the war that culminated with a long, bloody holdout at the Azovstal steel plant. The commanders had been handed over to Turkey by Russia, and their released angered the Kremlin, which said the return violated an agreement "on the exchange of prisoners." Kyiv and Moscow had previously agreed that the five commanders, who were taken prisoner when Russia captured the port city of Mariupol, would remain in Turkey until the end of the war. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-turkey-foreign- minister-meeting-grain/32565054.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 Foreign Ministry Warns Moldova Against Carrying Ukraine Support Too Far Sputnik News 20230825 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Moldova should beware of overplaying its support for Ukraine to the point of becoming an accomplice to the crimes committed by the Ukrainian military, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Friday. "I would like to warn Kishinev against a deeper involvement in 'support' for Ukraine, which will not only threaten stability and security in the region, but also will turn Moldova into an accomplice to war crimes by the Kiev regime," Zakharova stressed. The West continues its efforts to drag Moldova, whose permanent neutrality is enshrined in its constitution, into the Ukrainian conflict, the diplomat added. As regards recent tensions in diplomatic ties between Moscow and Kishinev, Russia will make every effort to provide consular services in Moldova, both to its own and Moldovan citizens, Zakharova emphasized. "Despite a radical cut of employees of Russia's diplomatic missions upon request of the Moldovan government, the consular department of the Russian embassy in Kishinev resumed its operation on August 17 after a forced pause. Obviously, maintaining old pace would be a challenge. Nevertheless, despite the obstacles created for us, we will do our best to continue to provide necessary consular services to the citizens of Russia and Moldova," the spokeswoman said. On July 26, Kishinev ordered that 45 employees of the Russian embassy, including 22 diplomats and 23 technical workers, leave Moldova by August 15 over espionage allegations. Moscow responded by summoning Moldovan Ambassador Lilian Darii to lodge a formal a protest and banned a number of Moldovan officials from entering Russia. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Obliterate Ukrainian Assault Units in Rabotino Sputnik News 20230825 SIMFEROPOL (Sputnik) - Assault units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that managed to reach the first line of defense in the village of Rabotino in the Zaporozhye region were completely annihilated by Russian forces, Yevgeny Balitsky, the acting governor of the Zaporozhye region, wrote on his Telegram channel on Friday. "Yesterday, at the cost of colossal losses, they managed to break through the first defensive line of technical barriers, but they are advancing primarily without artillery support. As a result, the enemy assault groups that reached the first line yesterday were completely destroyed overnight," Balitsky wrote. According to him, for several days Rabotino has remained one of the most intense sectors on the front lines in the Zaporozhye direction, where the commanders of the Ukrainian Armed Forces spare no effort to risk the lives of their soldiers. "The situation is undoubtedly tense. The enemy is trying to wear down our defenses with constant acts of self-destruction, but our guys are putting up such fierce resistance that the enemy's command can't keep up with the replacement of its soldiers and Western equipment, which burns as well as any other," Balitsky stressed. Ukrainian forces have been shelling and attacking Rabotino for over two months. There is not a single intact house left in the village. As one soldier of the Russian Army's "Osman" special forces unit with the call sign "Gorets" explained to Sputnik, the Ukrainian Army is fighting fiercely for this settlement in order to secure a path to Tokmak. Russian units are successfully countering these plans. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Finland Approves 18th Aid Package to Ukraine Worth $101Mln Sputnik News 20230825 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Finnish President Sauli Niinisto approved on Friday its 18th aid package to Ukraine worth about 94 million euros ($101.5 million), bringing the total amount of Finland's aid to the country to nearly 1.3 billion euros, the Finnish Defense Ministry said. "This will be the 18th package of defense materiel to Ukraine. Replacing the defense materiel capabilities contained in this package will cost Finland an estimated EUR 94 million. The combined replacement value of all defense materiel packages delivered so far is about EUR 1.3 billion," a statement by the ministry read. The ministry, "for operational reasons," did not provide further details on the package's content or on when and how it is going to be delivered. On Wednesday, during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Niinisto announced the package, saying that it would include heavy weaponry and munitions. The Finnish government said, commenting on the announcement, that Ukraine is Finland's largest partner country in development cooperation. Finland is also preparing to help with Ukraine's reconstruction, the authorities added. Western allies began delivering weapons to Ukraine after Russia launched its military operation there in February 2022. Their support has evolved from light artillery munitions and training to heavier weapons. Russia has consistently warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses About 310 Soldiers in Donetsk, Kupyansk Directions - MoD Sputnik News 20230825 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has lost about 310 soldiers in the Donetsk and Kupyansk directions in the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday. "Enemy losses in the Donetsk direction amounted to up to 260 Ukrainian soldiers killed and wounded, one tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, two cars, a Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery unit and two D-20 howitzers," the ministry said, adding that Russia also successfully repelled three attacks in this direction. In addition, Russia repelled three Ukrainian attacks and Kiev lost up to 50 military in the Kupyansk direction, in the South Donetsk and Krasny Liman directions Russia repelled two attacks and Kiev lost a total of 205 soldiers, while in the Zaporozhye direction Ukraine lost 110 military with Russia repelling five enemy attacks, the ministry said. As many as 73 Ukrainian drones have been shot down and suppressed by means of electronic warfare during the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said. "In addition, 73 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down and suppressed by means of electronic warfare during the past day," the ministry said in a statement. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The task is to speed up the moment when F-16s will help us keep Russian terrorists away - address by the President of Ukraine President of Ukraine 25 August 2023 - 20:38 Good health to you, fellow Ukrainians! A brief report on this day. All the agreements we brought home from our partners are being implemented already. First of all, F-16 jets. The tasks are obvious. For the international team, it is to maximize the expansion of training missions. For the military, it is to accelerate the preparation of the infrastructure as much as possible, to send pilots and engineers to ensure Ukraine's full readiness. And all together, it is about bringing closer the moment when F-16s will help us keep Russian terrorists away. Today I held a meeting on the results of the visits. It was a long meeting. The issue of coordination was specifically about the jets. Preparation of new defense packages - with exactly the content that our warriors need and that they told me about when I visited the front. We are also preparing our new international events for the autumn, new steps in relations with partners that should strengthen Ukraine. The autumn will be eventful in terms of our diplomacy. By the way, late yesterday evening I had a conversation with U.S. President Biden. It was a good conversation. I thanked him for his Independence Day greetings. We discussed how to further strengthen freedom. And we have a new important agreement: America will join the training of F-16 pilots and engineers. There will be more news in this and other areas. Thank you! Today I met with the Turkish Foreign Minister in Kyiv. It was an important meeting. We discussed the security component, our joint diplomatic work, and the fundamental humanitarian things we are doing together. In particular, this is the release of our people from Russian captivity. We talked about the Peace Formula and the preparation of the Global Peace Summit. We also talked about the situation that has arisen due to Russia's dastardly attacks on grain exports in the Black Sea region. Obviously, these are attacks on global security. They are calculated. They are aimed at provoking crises in different regions of the world. And together with TArkiye, we can restore security step by step, as we have repeatedly proved. I believe we will do even more together. We are already preparing for next week. There will be some special internal political meetings. They are already scheduled. Regarding legislative decisions... Something that will definitely protect our state from all those who are trying to weaken it, who, unfortunately, do not think about Ukraine, even though they hold positions in the state system. The strength of Ukraine has no alternatives. And, of course, our warriors. The paratroopers of the "Eightieth", who are fighting hard in the Bakhmut sector. The 68th separate hunting brigade, which is destroying the occupiers in the Lyman sector. The 12th operational brigade of the National Guard, which is delivering the results Ukraine needs in the Kreminna sector - thank you! The 46th separate airmobile brigade of the Air Assault Forces - thank you for your strength in the Orikhiv sector. The 59th separate motorized infantry brigade in the Donetsk sector - they are very, very effective. Thank you! And our rocket crewmen: the 27th Otaman Kalnyshevsky rocket artillery brigade and the 107th Kremenchuk rocket artillery brigade - thank you, warriors, for your exceptional accuracy in the Zaporizhzhia sector! Glory to all who are fighting and working for Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address When searching for computer system fixing Atlanta GA people as well as companies require dependable, truthful aid to fix network as well as computer problems. Computer system systems are intricate in their software and hardware setups, as well as when individuals attempt to take issues right into their very own hands, it can take a poor computer system issue as well as make it even worse. Discovering experienced aid amongst the many firms marketing computer system fixing Alpharetta solutions can be a difficulty so right here are a couple of pointers to assist you stay clear of inept or suspicious technology solutions. Ahead-of-time costs Computer system fixing Atlanta GA advertisements located in papers as well as weeklies typically consist of lots of firms that give computer system troubleshooting as well as diagnostics. Customers wish to stay clear of paying large costs in advance prior to the computer system is in fact assessed or fixed. A trusted computer system solution firm will generally supply a totally free analysis and afterward offer a created recap of products requiring fixing or interest. Extra software application installment Some computer system fixing service technicians will certainly try to initially set up system optimization software applications to eliminate unneeded data from computer systems. Various other computer system fixing Alpharetta service technicians may attempt to add added safety or infection software applications. A lot of times this remains in an initiative to enhance the total payment as well as may not in fact be required to the computer systems required fixing. Keep an eye out for added service charges as well as software application attachments that are actually an optional solution to enhance the total expense quantity. Understand Computer System Fixing Service Charge Make certain to invest time reviewing just how computer system fixing Atlanta GA experts bill for solutions. Generally, most firms that give computer system solutions as well as fix computer problems will generally bill a per-hour charge. Numerous computer system fixing Alpharetta companies are likewise providing a regular monthly service charge under an agreement that supplies all computer system fixing as well as upkeep for one reduced month-to-month cost all year long. This is particularly useful for companies that depend on their computer system systems to keep up as well as running so they can service their very own clients. Effectively looking into firms in the computer system fixing Atlanta GA location will certainly assist people as well as firms have a far better understanding of what to anticipate when a computer fixing specialist appears to identify as well as deal with computer system software applications as well as equipment problems. A trusted supplier will certainly have a collection charge for every solution given as well as generally will supply that charge routine in creating to ensure that customers will certainly comprehend what computer system fixing Alpharetta solution will certainly set you back in advance. . Oleksiy Kuleba met with the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Ukraine President of Ukraine 25 August 2023 - 20:22 Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Oleksiy Kuleba met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Azerbaijan to Ukraine Seymur Mardaliyev. The parties discussed promising areas of cooperation in the regions of our country, in particular in the social and infrastructure sectors, medical and psychological rehabilitation for Ukrainian children affected by Russia's invasion, and assistance in the energy sector. Oleksiy Kuleba thanked the Azerbaijani Ambassador for the continued support for Ukraine. "In the context of a full-scale war, it is very valuable for us to cooperate. Azerbaijan's support manifested in concrete actions and projects is extremely important to us. An example is the restoration of educational institutions in Kyiv region by the partner country," emphasized Oleksiy Kuleba. The Deputy Head of the Presidential Office also noted that the reconstruction of housing and social infrastructure is one of the most urgent and important issues for our country. For his part, the Azerbaijani Ambassador expressed hope for the restoration and development of trade and economic relations and emphasized interregional cooperation between the countries, as well as support for Ukraine during the autumn and winter period. "We have already announced the provision of humanitarian aid to Ukraine for the purchase of energy equipment before the heating season. We have also implemented a program for recreation and rehabilitation of children of servicemen in our country," said Seymur Mardaliyev. The interlocutors noted the constructive dialogue between Ukraine and Azerbaijan and agreed to continue to coordinate joint actions. Oleksiy Kuleba invited the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to participate in the meeting of the Presidium of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities under the President of Ukraine. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of TArkiye President of Ukraine 25 August 2023 - 17:03 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of TArkiye Hakan Fidan, who is on a visit to Ukraine. The Head of State noted TArkiye's continued and consistent support for Ukraine, as well as diplomatic efforts of its leadership, primarily President Recep Tayyip ErdoAYan, aimed at ending the war and restoring stability and security in the Black Sea region. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked TArkiye for its humanitarian support and assistance in the release of Ukrainian captives. The Head of State emphasized the importance of the Turkish President's address to the participants of the 3rd Summit of the International Crimea Platform. "We heard very important signals of support for our territorial integrity and sovereignty. It is important that President ErdoAYan addressed us with the words that Crimea is Ukraine," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The parties discussed the risks posed by Russia's blockade of the Black Sea grain corridor. The parties paid special attention to the state of implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and preparations for the global summit on its implementation. "TArkiye has become one of the first leaders of the Peace Formula. We count on the further active role of the Republic of TArkiye in its implementation," the Head of State said. For his part, the Turkish Foreign Minister emphasized his country's unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as the importance of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Preparing for New Push in Eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian General Says By VOA News August 25, 2023 Russia is getting ready to go on the offensive again in the Moscow-controlled eastern part of Ukraine, said Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian military's ground forces. "After a month of fierce fighting and significant losses in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, the enemy is regrouping its forces and means, simultaneously throwing newly formed brigades and divisions from the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskyi said Friday on his Telegram channel. Syrskyi said Russian forces were trying to "increase the level of combat potential and resume active offensive operations." He did not provide details but said the Russians continued heavy artillery and mortar shelling as well as air assaults. "Under such conditions, we must promptly take all measures to strengthen our defenses on the threatened lines and advance where possible," the general said. Russia seized Kupiansk, a town with a pre-war population around 27,000, early after the February 2022 invasion, but Ukrainian troops recaptured it in a lightning offensive in September that embarrassed Moscow. Prigozhin's death The Kremlin on Friday labeled as "an absolute lie" the Western conjecture that Russian President Vladimir Putin masterminded Yevgeny Prigozhin's death. The chief of the mercenary Wagner Group reportedly was on a jet that crashed Wednesday evening just outside Moscow. Putin cited "preliminary information" saying that Prigozhin and his top Wagner associates had all been killed. Earlier Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov scolded U.S. President Joe Biden for suggesting that the Russian president had orchestrated Prigozhin's death. "It is not for the U.S. president, in my opinion, to talk about certain tragic events of this nature," Ryabkov said. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Biden said he was not surprised by Prigozhin's reported death. "There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin's not behind," he said. On Friday, Biden said the U.S. was trying to determine on its own what brought the plane down. Asked what caused the plane to crash, he said: "I'm not at liberty to speak to that precisely. ... We're trying to nail [that] down precisely, but I don't have anything to say." Asked by The Associated Press whether the Kremlin had received an official confirmation of Prigozhin's death, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov referenced Putin's remarks from a day earlier. "He said that right now, all the necessary forensic analyses, including genetic testing, will be carried out. Once some kind of official conclusions are ready to be released, they will be released," Peskov said. According to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, the plane was downed by an intentional explosion. One of the U.S. and Western officials who described the assessment said it had been determined that Prigozhin was "very likely" targeted, and that the explosion had fallen in line with Putin's "long history of trying to silence his critics." The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, did not offer any details about what had caused the explosion. It was believed by some to have been carried out in retaliation for the Prigozhin-led mutiny in June that posed the biggest challenge to Putin's 23-year rule. Assassination attempts against foes of Putin have been common during his nearly quarter-century in power. Whether it was by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent or getting shot at close range, relatives of the victims and the few survivors of such attacks have blamed Russian authorities. The Kremlin has routinely denied any involvement in such incidents, as it did on Friday. Grain deal Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks Friday in Kyiv with Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the Black Sea grain deal and other related topics. Turkey is trying to persuade Russia to return to the negotiating table regarding the U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative that was guaranteeing the safety of cargo vessels passing through the Black Sea corridor. "We know alternative routes are being sought [for grain shipments] but we see no alternative to the original initiative because they carry risks," Fidan told reporters during a rare visit to Kyiv. Russia has threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of the U.N.-backed safe-passage deal. According to U.S. officials, since Russia's exit from the grain deal, Ukraine, a major grain exporter, has resorted to overland and Danube River routes as effective ways to transport its grain. "I think we see there are viable routes through Ukraine's territorial waters and overland, and we are aiming ... over the next couple of months to return to exporting at kind of prewar averages from Ukraine," James O'Brien, head of the U.S. State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination, told Reuters in an interview. Ukraine has begun exporting through a "humanitarian corridor" along the sea's western coastline near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion began was the first vessel to travel that route last week without being fired upon by Russia. 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 Norway Donates F-16 Fighter Jets to Ukraine By VOA News August 25, 2023 Norway is donating F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said on a visit to Kyiv on Thursday. The exact number of the donated jets was not immediately clear, but Gahr Stoere said that it would probably be fewer than 10. Norway is the third European country, after the Netherlands and Denmark, to announce donations of fighter jets to Ukraine for use in Ukraine's fight against Russia. Also Thursday, the U.S. announced sanctions on 11 individuals and two entities involved with the deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the sanctions were imposed "for their roles in the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukraine's children to camps promoting indoctrination in Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea and who have imposed Russian indoctrination curriculums in those regions of Ukraine." Speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Thursday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: "The United States will not stand by as Russia carries out these war crimes and crimes against humanity." Ukraine believes more than 19,500 children have been deported since Russia's invasion. Thursday also marked Ukraine's Independence Day. "Today we are all celebrating the 32nd anniversary of Ukraine's independence. Thirty-two years of uninterrupted independence, which will endure. Which we will not allow to be torn apart. And which Ukrainians will not lose grip on," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Support for Ukraine May Be Waning as Presidential Election Nears By VOA News August 25, 2023 The handling of the war in Ukraine isn't as significant to American voters as the economy, health care, immigration, abortion and some other issues. Polling suggests that concerns about the costs of the war resonate with working-class Republican primary voters, says Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Pennsylvania. An AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2023 shows that almost a year after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, support by Democrats had dropped from 71% to 63% while Republican support had dropped more, from 53% to 39%. The United States has committed more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. That includes more than $43 billion in military aid. Dozens of Republicans in the House, and some GOP senators, have expressed reservations about a and even voted against a spending more federal dollars on the war in Ukraine. Many of those Republicans are aligning with former President Donald Trump's objections to U.S. involvement overseas. This week's first GOP presidential debate a and recent comments on Ukraine by Trump, who leads in polling for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination a shows that previous bipartisan backing of Ukraine will face a stress test as the campaign intensifies and the leading Republican contenders show antipathy toward American backing of Ukraine. Borick said U.S. President Joe Biden is not likely to win votes solely on his handling of Ukraine. But how the war plays out in the months ahead could help or diminish the president's broader argument about his administration's competency and success at restoring U.S. leadership on the international stage after four years of Trump's "American first" foreign policy approach. "Right now, Ukraine isn't as prominent an issue for voters, but we're seeing conservative presidential contenders such as Trump, [Vivek] Ramaswamy and [Florida Governor Ron] DeSantis setting the stage questioning how much U.S. treasure we're spending over there that we could be spending at home," he said. Prigozhin's reported death On Friday, the Kremlin labeled as "an absolute lie" the Western conjecture that Russian President Vladimir Putin masterminded Yevgeny Prigozhin's death. The chief of the mercenary Wagner group reportedly was on the jet that crashed Wednesday evening just outside of Moscow. Prigozhin's name was on the passenger manifest, and he reportedly was among the 10 people aboard who died in the crash. Putin cited "preliminary information" saying that Prigozhin and his top associates in the Wagner mercenary group had all been killed. Earlier on Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov scolded Biden for suggesting that the Russian president had orchestrated Prigozhin's death. "It is not for the U.S. president, in my opinion, to talk about certain tragic events of this nature," Ryabkov said Friday. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Biden said he was not surprised by Prigozhin's reported death. "There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin's not behind," he said. Asked by The Associated Press whether the Kremlin had received an official confirmation of Prigozhin's death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referenced Putin's remarks from a day earlier. "He said that right now, all the necessary forensic analyses, including genetic testing, will be carried out. Once some kind of official conclusions are ready to be released, they will be released," Peskov said. According to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, the plane was downed by an intentional explosion. One of the U.S. and Western officials who described the assessment said it determined that Prigozhin was "very likely" targeted and that the explosion falls in line with Putin's "long history of trying to silence his critics." The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, did not offer any details about what caused the explosion. It is believed to be in retaliation for the mutiny in June that posed the biggest challenge to Putin's 23-year rule. Assassination attempts against foes of Putin's have been common during his nearly quarter century in power. Whether it was by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent or getting shot at close range, relatives of the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities. The Kremlin has routinely denied any involvement as it did on Friday by saying it was "a complete lie" it had anything to do with the jet crash. Ukrainian, Turkish leaders confer Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks Friday in Kyiv with Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan regarding the Black Sea grain deal and other related topics. "Many important issues were discussed. [Ukraine's] Peace Formula. Preparations for the Global Peace Summit. Risks posed by the Russian blockade of the Black Sea grain corridor," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Turkey is trying to persuade Russia to return to the negotiating table regarding the U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative that was guaranteeing the safety of cargo vessels passing through the Black Sea corridor. Russia has threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of the U.N.-backed safe passage deal. According to U.S. officials, since Russia's exit from the grain deal, Ukraine, a major grain exporter, has resorted to overland and Danube River routes as effective ways to transport its grain. "I think we see there are viable routes through Ukraine's territorial waters and overland, and we are aiming ... over the next couple of months to return to exporting at kind of prewar averages from Ukraine," James O'Brien, head of the U.S. State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination, told Reuters in an interview. Ukraine has begun exporting through a "humanitarian corridor" along the sea's western coastline near Romania and Bulgaria. A Hong Kong-flagged container ship stuck in Odesa port since the invasion began was the first vessel to travel that route last week without being fired upon by Russia. Russia regrouping Russia is regrouping in the Moscow-controlled eastern part of Ukraine to resume an offensive, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of the Ukrainian military's ground forces, said Friday. "After a month of fierce fighting and significant losses in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions, the enemy is regrouping its forces and means, simultaneously throwing newly formed brigades and divisions from the territory of the Russian Federation," Syrskyi said on his Telegram channel. Syrskyi said the main goal of these measures was to "increase the level of combat potential and resume active offensive operations." Syrskyi did not provide details of the Russian regrouping but said the forces continued heavy artillery and mortar shelling as well as air assaults. "Under such conditions, we must promptly take all measures to strengthen our defenses on the threatened lines and advance where possible," the general said. Kupiansk, a town with a pre-war population around 27,000, was seized by Russia in the early days of the February 2022 invasion before Ukrainian troops recaptured it in a lightning offensive last September that embarrassed Moscow. 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 NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Party City Holdco (Party City or the Company) (OTCMKTS: PRTYQ). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Party City 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 January 17, 2023, Party City abruptly filed for bankruptcy, with the Companys bankruptcy filings citing its ongoing liquidity shortfall, its need for additional loans beyond the credit lines available to it, and its inability to locate lenders willing to provide additional loansissues previously undisclosed to investors. On this news, Party Citys stock price fell $0.253 per share, or 67.72%, over the following two trading sessions, closing at $0.121 per share on January 19, 2023. Then, on June 9, 2023, Party City revealed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that Ernst & Young LPP had resigned as its auditor due to a disagreement over the Companys decision not to include a going concern warning in its quarterly report for the third quarter of 2022, which would have alerted investors that there was substantial doubt about the Companys ability to continue as a going concern for the next twelve months. On this news, Party Citys stock price fell $0.01 per share, or 21.52%, over the following three trading sessions, to close at $0.036 per share on June 14, 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 numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . CONTACT: /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, DISSEMINATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES/ VANCOUVER, Aug. 25, 2023 - Kainantu Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KRL) (FSE: 6J0) ("KRL" or the "Company"), the Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company, announces an extension to close the third and final tranche of its private placement financing of C$1.8 million (the "Offering"), originally announced on May 30, 2023. In the first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 6,289,551 senior convertible debentures (the "First Tranche Debentures") at a price of C$0.08 per First Tranche Debenture to raise gross proceeds of C$503,164.06 originally announced on June 22, 2023. In the second tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued an aggregate of 3,710,449 senior convertible debentures (the "Second Tranche Debentures") at a price of C$0.08 per Second Tranche Debenture to raise gross proceeds of C$296,835.94 originally announced on July 18, 2023. A final tranche of the Offering of up to an additional approximately C$1.0 million remains open and is expected to close on or before September 8, 2023. Closing of the third tranche of the Offering remains subject to approval from the TSX Venture Exchange. The debentures issuable pursuant to thew third tranche of the Offering, the First Trance Debentures and the Second Tranche Debentures (collectively the "Debentures") and the common shares and warrants of the Company issuable upon conversion of the Debentures, and the common shares issuable upon exercise of the warrants, are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day ending on four months and a day after the date of issuance thereof, in accordance with applicable securities law. Use of Proceeds The net proceeds from the Offering are intended to be used, but are not limited to, the potential completion of the acquisition of the Kili Teke Project (which requires a further payment to Harmony Gold (PNG) Exploration Limited of US$400,000 as a condition of closing). In addition, proceeds will be used to advance exploration programmes focusing on specific high-grade potential drilling targets at KRL North (adjacent to K92), KRL South (focusing on the Ontenu target) and May River (primarily at the Mountain Gate prospect). Proceeds will also be used for general working capital purposes. Use of Proceeds Amount Weighting Completion of Kili Teke Acquisition C$530,000 38 % Exploration activities C$420,000 30 % General Working Capital & Investor Relations C$450,000 32 % TOTAL C$ 1,400,000 100 % Finder's Fees No finders' fees are payable on funds raised in in any tranches of the Offering. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About Kainantu Resources (KRL) Kainantu Resources 'KRL' is an Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company with four highly prospective gold-copper projects, the Kili Teke Project, KRL South, KRL North and the May River Project. All projects are located in premier mining regions in PNG. Both KRL North and KRL South show potential to host high-grade epithermal and porphyry mineralisation, as seen elsewhere in the high-grade Kainantu Gold District. The May River project is in close proximity to the world-renowned Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, with historical drilling indicating the potential for significant copper-gold projects. KRL has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record of working together in the region; and an established in-country partner. Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information This release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the expected closing of a third tranche of the Offering and use of proceeds from the closing of the first, second and third tranches of the Offering the Conversion Price and the potential Consolidation. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. SOURCE Kainantu Resources Ltd. Vancouver, August 25, 2023 - CopAur Minerals Inc. (TSXV: CPAU) (the "Company") announces that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement") consisting of a total of 1,000,000 units of the Company's securities ("Units") at a price of $0.50 per Unit for gross proceeds of $500,000, which was fully subscribed by Jeremy Yaseniuk, the Company's Chief Executive Officer and Conrad Swanson, the Company's Chairman. See the Company's news release disseminated August 21, 2023. Each Unit consists of one common share and one-half of one share purchase warrant, with each whole warrant entitling the holder to acquire one additional common share at an exercise price of $0.75 for a period of 24 months following the date of issuance. The proceeds from this Private Placement will be used to continue to advance the exploration at the Company's flagship Kinsley Mountain Gold Property in Nevada. Jeremy Yaseniuk, the Chief Executive Officer and Conrad Swanson, the Chairman of the Company sold an aggregate of 1,200,000 common shares of the Company from their personal holdings through the facilities of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") and invested $500,000 of the proceeds from the share sale in the Private Placement. All securities issued in connection with the Private Placement are subject to a regulatory hold period of four months and one day from the closing of the Private Placement. The participation of insiders in the Private Placement was in excess of 25% of the Private Placement. The issuance of securities to insiders pursuant to the Private Placement is considered to be a "related party transaction" subject to the requirements of TSXV Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101"). The Company has relied on exemptions from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that amount invested in the private placement by the insiders will not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization. About CopAur Minerals Inc. CPAU is an exploration company focused on developing projects within the emerging, mineral rich mining regions of Nevada and British Columbia. The Company is backed by a dynamic and experienced team of resource professionals advancing multiple holdings across both regions; the Kinsley Mountain Gold Property, the Bolo property, and Troy Canyon property, all located in Nevada, and the Williams gold-copper property located in British Columbia. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeremy Yaseniuk Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Jeremy Yaseniuk CopAur Minerals Inc. Telephone: 604-773-1467 Email: jeremyy@copaur.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains forward looking information under Canadian securities laws (referred to as forward-looking statements). These statements relate to future events or the Company's future performance. Forward looking statements in this news release include references to the Company's plans for using the proceeds from the Private Placement, as well as expected exploration results. Forward- looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to vary from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results and they will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether or not such results will be achieved. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Although the forward- looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions on the date of this news release, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revised any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/178593 Omaha police arrested a man Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Adrrell Taylor earlier this month. Kye Moss, 33, was arrested in Minneapolis with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department and the North Star Fugitive Task Force and will be extradited to Omaha, according to a press release from the Omaha Police Department. Moss is from Omaha, according to OPD spokesman Officer Michael Pecha. At 2:44 a.m. on Aug. 3, police responded to a shooting near 17th and S streets where they found Taylor. Taylor was taken by paramedics to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Taylor left behind 5-year-old daughter, Ava. Based on the outpouring on his Facebook page, he touched a lot of other lives, too, his mother told the Omaha World-Herald after his death. He was an amazing son, an amazing brother, an amazing uncle and an absolutely amazing father, said his mother, Tammy Taylor. He was just a big supporter of anyone he came in contact with. I have so many people calling me, its unreal. Taylor was a graduate of Millard North High School, where he played offense and defense for the Mustangs. It took years for California to finally meet a federal court order to make space in its chronically overcrowded prisons. The state tried shifting more prisoners to local jails and reducing prison time for those who commit only minor parole violations. But those changes didn't reduce prison populations enough to meet the judges order.In the end, it was a ballot measure passed by California voters last year that eased crowding below the threshold set by federal courts in 2009.The voter-approved initiative, called Proposition 47, led to nine straight months of decreases in the state's prison population and 7,700 fewer inmates in the system than before the public approved the changes last year, according to the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).It's the most visible effect of the initiative to date, but criminal justice experts in California say the state is only just beginning to feel the impact of the measure.Prop. 47 lowered the penalties for many crimes. For example, possessing small amounts of illegal drugs, shoplifting, receiving stolen property, writing bad checks, forging checks and stealing automobiles, firearms or farm animals, in most cases, were classified as felonies but are now misdemeanors as long as the amount involved is $950 or less.In January, Californias prisons dropped below 137.5 percent of the prisoners they were designed to hold -- the threshold set by federal courts -- for the first time in recent memory. Californias total prison population declined by 45 percent since its peak in 2006.County jail populations also went down. They held 10,000 fewer prisoners in the month after the proposition passed compared to the month before -- though its unclear whether that trend continued.We expected a pretty immediate effect from Proposition 47 on both the prison and jail populations," said Magnus Lofstrom, a criminal justice expert with PPIC, who added that "they are bigger than we expected, especially with the jail population."Nearly 60 percent of voters supported the measure in last Novembers election, but many law enforcement groups opposed it.Cory Salzillo, the legislative director for the California State Sheriffs Association, said sheriffs worry that the lower punishments could encourage criminals.The impact of Prop. 47, he said, is youre going to have people committing crimes and escaping accountability.He predicted that the dip in the number of inmates in local jails would only be temporary. As more bed space becomes available, Salzillo said, sheriffs will likely stop releasing inmates early. So prisoners may serve more of their sentences, but the jails may not become less crowded.The sheriffs also worry that drug offenders will now be less likely to opt for drug courts,which let offenders have their drug charges dismissed if they go to treatment.Those people are by and large not participating anymore, now that they no longer face a felony charge if they dont get treatment, Salzillo said. Were seeing people say its not worth it to go to drug court because its only a misdemeanor.Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell recently said the ballot measure contributed to an increase in crime. Rather than being incarcerated or in treatment, [drug offenders] are on the street reoffending and thus, crime is going up, he told reportersViolent crime increased 5.9 percent and property crimes increased 7.6 percent this year in the area McDonnell's agency serves, according to the sheriff's office. Cities outside of California, though, have also seen violent crimes increase in the last year. Baltimore, Milwaukee, New Orleans, St. Louis and Washington, D.C., for example, all are grappling with higher numbers of murders this year.Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnellDaniel Zingale, a senior vice president for the California Endowment, a private foundation that backed Prop. 47, said there was no reliable evidence that the crime rate was going up throughout California. The San Diego County sheriff's office, for example, has seen crime rates drop so far this year, although reported crimes ticked up in recent months. The sheriff's office there cautioned it was too soon to tell whether the recent increase is a long-term trend or a brief spike.It sounds to me like the folks who were always opposed to Prop. 47 are trying to justify their position, Zingale said.He said the measure is already having a positive effect. Some 160,000 people who have already served sentences for offenses that are no longer considered felonies are having their criminal records revised, so they will be eligible for more jobs. Prisoners sentenced to long sentences under the old law served less time after the measure took effect. And Zingale said both the state and counties are saving millions of dollars in prison costs that they can use on programs like drug treatment to prevent crime.People who should have been released a long time ago are being released, and states and counties are saving money, he said.Prop. 47 was the latest of several steps that California has taken to loosen sentencing laws for nonviolent offenders and try to reduce overcrowding in its prisons. Voters weakened the states three-strikes law three years ago. Previously, Gov. Jerry Brown pushed a realignment plan -- in response to federal court orders -- to send more inmates to local jails instead of state prisons.California is under immense legal pressure to reduce prison overcrowding. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that overcrowding in Californias penitentiaries violated the Eight Amendments protections against cruel and unusual punishment (in part because of prisoners problems accessing health care). The high court ordered California to reduce its prison population, which at the time stood at 140,000 inmates, to 137.5 percent of the system's designed capacity (or roughly 114,000 inmates). Lower courts set a deadline for California to meet that threshold by February 2016.But the impetus for Prop. 47 came from outside of Sacramento, with backing from billionaires George Soros and B. Wayne Hughes, the founder of Public Storage.Prop. 47 also specifies how the state must spend any money that it saves from lowering the prison population. It will be directed toward mental health and drug abuse treatment, anti-truancy efforts and victim services. But the money wont come until next year, when the state can determine how much money, if any, the measure is saving California. Lots of big American cities have a skid row, an impoverished part of town where the homeless and drug addicted often gather. San Franciscos Tenderloin and the original Skid Row in Los Angeles are two of the best-known examples, but Philadelphias Kensington neighborhood is just as bad -- and its getting worse.Kensington, which is just north along the El train from the gentrified Fishtown neighborhood, has long been a rough part of town. It began, writescolumnist Alfred Lubrano, as an industrial neighborhood full of factories making Stetson hats and Disston saws. Since the 1960s, when the factories shut down and the jobs left, the area has become known as a place to score heroin.Things have gotten worse there as the opioid epidemic has morphed into a broader crisis. In the past year, Kensingtons homeless population, which has been linked to the epidemic, has more than doubled, from 271 to 700 people. In 2017, the area saw a 23 percent spike in homicides -- a trend that appeared to continue last year.To address the growing problem, the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) has been targeting the dealers, especially the middle managers who drive into the area with large drug quantities and distribute them to so-called corner boys. PPD has recently conducted several large-scale drug ring busts, arresting dozens of people at a time and seizing millions in cash or drug quantities. In a 12-month period, there were over 700 arrests in a four-block radius within Kensington.Yet it doesnt seem to be enough. With the homeless population and homicide rate rising, residents have complained that drug dealing and prostitution in the neighborhood seem to go unchecked by the police. On a recent visit to Kensington, I saw cop cars parked on side streets, even as dealers whispered out to passersby on the sidewalks. Similar complaints have been made about other skid rows -- that they function like contained areas where the police tolerate crime.Ray Convery, a PPD inspector who has spent years on the Kensington beat, takes issue with that characterization. He argues that its difficult for officers to bust dealers, since they sell drugs out of sight. Convery adds that PPD frequently goes undercover and makes lots of arrests, but that the department still struggles to tackle the problem. Theres an endless supply of people willing to sell, says Convery. I can lock you up, taking two police officers off the street to go process the paperwork, and before they hit the building here, theres someone else on that corner dealing.Convery says policing alone wont clean up skid rows. There needs to be an understanding that the users themselves are addicts -- often mentally ill -- rather than hardcore criminals. Locking them up en masse, he says, is neither humane nor effective. They instead need help from beyond the PPDs domain, such as drug counseling.Whether or not thats true, the problems associated with skid rows are starting to affect cities at large. Worsening conditions in San Francisco, for instance, have led to an increase in complaints from tourists, according to S.F. Travel, the citys visitors bureau, and the Hotel Council of San Francisco, which represents 110 hotels. The streets are filthy, Joe DAlessandro, president of S.F. Travel, told. Ive never seen any other city like this -- the homelessness, dirty streets, drug use on the streets, smash-and-grabs.Police and city officials need to find some way to clean up skid rows before their problems are no longer largely contained to a single neighborhood. Small businesses are the backbone of urban economies: They play a critical role in creating jobs for local residents. Yet too often city leaders and economic developers are not prioritizing small businesses when allocating resources to drive growth, focusing their strategies instead on the attraction and retention of large businesses. A new report by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City may make public officials consider shifting these priorities. The report provides compelling evidence that small businesses rival, and often exceed, the impact of large businesses when it comes to job creation.The research, conducted with the support of JPMorgan Chase, was released on the heels of the bank's announcement that it was committing an additional $75 million to its Small Business Forward initiative, recognizing the contribution of small businesses to economic opportunity and reducing unemployment, especially for women, minorities and veterans.ICIC's report measures the current state of small business jobs in five cities: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., and identifies key findings regarding small businesses and urban job growth.In all five cities, the distribution of small businesses and large businesses is similar, with small businesses -- those with 250 employees or fewer -- representing at least 99 percent of all businesses in the city. Despite this parallel, small-business job creation varies across the cities ICIC studied, ranging from 48 percent in Dallas to 74 percent in Los Angeles.58 percent in Chicago, 53 percent in Detroit, 74 percent in Los Angeles and 62 percent in D.C. In Dallas, small businesses provide slightly less than half of all jobs. Although "micro" businesses (those with one to five employees) make up the largest share of businesses in the cities ICIC studied, medium-sized businesses (those with five to 249 employees) are driving job creation.In four of the five cities, small businesses create a greater share of jobs in distressed inner-city neighborhoods than in the city overall: 70 percent in Chicago, 64 percent in Detroit, 77 percent in Los Angeles and 74 percent in D.C. Dallas is distinct in that large businesses employ more inner-city residents than small businesses, which only account for 38 percent of jobs.In these five cities, a modest increase in small-business jobs could create enough employment opportunities forunemployed inner-city residents. In four of the five cities, this growth translates to only about one additional employee per small business. Of course, this is not to suggest this growth will come easily for these small businesses, many of which have fewer than five employees. With relatively higher unemployment, Detroit would also require more aggressive small-business growth, just over three jobs per small business.Despite the big impact small businesses can have on job creation, small-business support in most cities is an uncoordinated set of programs that focus only on the business owner's education rather than on the larger business environment. City leaders will need to leverage new tools to maximize small-business job creation in their cities. ICIC offers five critical strategies: Create a comprehensive small business plan connected to regional and city economic assets. Expand contracting opportunities for small businesses so that they can compete on procurement contracts with government and anchor institutions. Design workforce programs for small businesses, since many do not have the resources or capacity to recruit and train new employees (especially those with barriers to employment). Coordinate resources and ease burdensome regulations by mapping and making more accessible the resources that already exist. Upgrade the inner-city business environment by improving infrastructure and neighborhood amenities to support small-business growth.Big tax-revenue gains and economy of scale continue to shape how many economic-development professionals think about job creation. Yet ICIC's report makes a strong case for city leaders to support the growth of small businesses with the same resources and intentionality as they do with their efforts to attract and retain large businesses. Dutch GP every two years a possibility? It is possible Zandvoort will have to settle for hosting a Dutch GP once every two years. Max Verstappen, Dutch GP 2022 Red Bull The highly popular event has an annual contract only until 2025 - and circuit director Robert van Overdijk admits that talks with Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali may not be straightforward. Whether we still prefer to be on the calendar every year after 2025 is still the question, he told de Telegraaf newspaper. He says the contract talks will hit a high gear only in 2024. It will be about what FOM wants after 2025, said the Dutchman. "How many races do they want in Europe and what would a rotation schedule look like. "They have already indicated that they want to spread the races even further all over the world. And that can only be at the expense of one continent - Europe. Only when we have clarity about this can we think properly about it. It seems that, if Zandvoort does have to alternate each year, it would be with Spa-Francorchamps. Some, however, find it hard to believe that F1 would forgo an annual Dutch GP when the dominant world champion is Max Verstappen. It's not so simple for us that you can say that because Verstappen is here until 2028, so too will Zandvoort be, said van Overdijk. No Red Bull return for de Vries says Horner Nyck de Vries will not re-fire his Formula 1 career with Red Bull. Nyck de Vries, Momacp GP 2023 Red Bull That is the clear message from Christian Horner, who admits he was never supportive of Dr Helmut Marko's decision to sign de Vries to Alpha Tauri for 2023. The 28-year-old Dutchman has now been ousted for poor performance and replaced by Daniel Ricciardo, with de Vries reportedly set to commence a leadership course at Harvard later this year. But when Ricciardo broke his hand at Zandvoort on Friday, de Vries' manager Guillaume Le Goff immediately told the Dutch publication Formule 1: Nyck is available to fill in. However, Red Bull opted instead to promote reserve driver Liam Lawson. Nyck is a good driver with experience, Red Bull boss Horner told NOS when asked about de Vries on Friday. "But if you look at him as a 28-year-old prospect, as a junior driver, I didn't see that. The goal is to train drivers. I am hopeful that a good driver like him can have a great career, Horner said. He's a Formula E champion, so I'm sure he will have opportunities in other categories. As for whether de Vries has a shot at returning to Formula 1, however, Horner has bad news. Never say never, said the Briton, "but not at Red Bull. Ricciardo may need surgery after crash says Tost Daniel Ricciardo may need to undergo surgery for a broken bone in his left hand. Daniel Ricciardo, Hungarian GP 2023 Red Bull The Australian, who was only a few races into his return to Formula 1 and linked with a sensational promotion back to Red Bull Racing in 2024, crashed during practice at Zandvoort. There was little he could do about it - he could no longer brake and he could no longer avoid Piastri, said Alpha Tauri team boss Franz Tost. He was laughing, but not much, the Austrian smiled. "He's in a lot of pain because it's a serious injury. I hope he can sleep tonight and he will probably see another doctor tomorrow. They will decide how to proceed. Ricciardo, 33, had a cast put on in a nearby hospital and will be replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson for the rest of the Dutch GP weekend - who was already on-site. It is not clear how long Australian Ricciardo will be out of action. We'll see how it goes next week in Monza, Tost told Viaplay. "Maybe he needs surgery. The doctors will decide on that in the coming days. The recovery for a normal person is six weeks, but he is an F1 driver and hopefully it will go a bit faster for him. We'd like him back in the car, but it's done now. New Zealander Lawson, 21, is a regular in Japan's Super Formula series this year and Tost said he is being put under no pressure. You always have to be prepared - that's part of it, Tost said. "Liam drove the Abu Dhabi test for us last year and he's pretty fast. "It won't be easy, because the field is very competitive. We are preparing him now but there is no pressure on him and he has to enjoy himself. HIPLIFE duo, DopeNation, is out with their much anticipated EP titled GhanaPiano which dropped on Friday, August 18. Songs on the EP recorded by different sound engineers are Clap, Odeshe, Gboza, We, Check My Zingo, Knees and Toes and Ali Baba The EP showcases the duos exceptional songwriting and production prowess, fusing the vibrant rhythms of GhanaHighlife with elements of Afrobeat and Amapiano resulting in a harmonious fusion theyve aptly coined GhanaPiano. Already Gboza and Check My Zingo are getting attention on the airwaves and the duo is confident the other tracks on the EP will also do well. On Check My Zingo, the duo appreciates Ghanaians for their warm welcome since they came into the music industry. Dope Nation reveals each song on the EP carries its own distinctive flavour, offering a rich canvas of emotions and stories that reflect the intricacies of life and the vibrant culture of Ghana. GhanaPiano promises to take listeners on an unforgettable musical journey that transcends borders. DopeNation made up of identical twin brothers Micheal Boafo popularly known as B2, and Tony Boafo aka Twist won Best Group of the Year and Afrobeats Song of the Year at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards in 2020 . DopeNation was introduced to music production in 2012 by musician and producer E.L and some of the songs they have worked on are Kpuu Kpaa by Shatta Wale, Wow by Joey B ft EL, Sebgefia by Joey B and EL, Poison by Ebony Reigns, Forever by Eazzy ft Mr Eazi among others. Summit Carbon Solutions is hoping for a quick fix to the obstacles it faces with North Dakota regulators concerning its planned 2,000-mile interstate carbon dioxide storage pipeline. But intervenors in its permit application say the company needs to start over. The state Public Service Commission on Aug. 4 rejected Summit's proposed 320-mile route in North Dakota, citing reasons including that Summit had not adequately addressed how the project would impact sensitive areas including cultural sites, some wildlife areas and unstable geological areas. The PSC in its order also said that Summit has not taken the steps to address outstanding legitimate impacts expressed by landowners during the public comment or demonstrated why a reroute is not feasible. Summit filed a petition for reconsideration with the PSC last week in an attempt to address the issues. It requests a one-day hearing limited to the issues brought up in its petition. North Dakota law says the PSC has 30 days to consider a petition. If 30 days passes without the three commissioners making a decision, the petition will be considered denied. The PSC declined to comment to the Tribune given this is a pending case. Outside parties involved in the case have 10 days to file a response to Summits petition, which was delivered Aug. 18. Some intervenors say they intend to challenge it. The siting application has faced considerable opposition from landowners and stakeholders across North Dakota, with many voicing concerns regarding the pipeline's potential impacts on safety and property values. Summit says many in the state support the project, citing the voluntary easements it has secured with around 80% of landowners across the pipeline's original route. Challenges continue The Midwest Carbon Express pipeline will move CO2 emissions from dozens of ethanol plants in Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas and Minnesota to western North Dakota's Oliver County for permanent storage underground. Summit submitted its siting application to the PSC in October 2022. The process entailed filing numerous forms, addressing the concerns of intervenors and attending five PSC public hearings held across the state, a process that will have to begin again if the petition gets rejected and Summit has to reapply. Summit's petition contains reroutes, pushing the pipeline farther north of Bismarck and off certain landowners properties across the route. The company said it recognizes that in certain situations reroutes may make additional notice and opportunity for hearing needed, though it does not specify what situations these would be. The petition also addresses the numerous concerns the PSC took up with its application, providing updates on the status of some, declaring others moot due to reroutes and giving a rationale as to why one cannot yet be fully addressed. Generally because there were a number of areas that were satisfied, we felt it was most prudent to respond to their concerns and not submit an entire new application, Summit spokeswoman Sabrina Zenor told the Tribune. Steven Leibel, David Knoll and Brian Jorde, attorneys for landowners on Summits originally proposed route, said they intend to challenge the petition. They argue that it contains too many changes, and that the company should go through a new application process. Their reconsideration, its a fallacy, Knoll said. You dont reconsider something that was never put forth previously, so thats dead on arrival procedurally. Summits petition anticipates similar arguments, but says a new application process would be unreasonable given that the commission's order was not a wholesale rejection of Summits application. It says that to "relitigate" the whole application would deprive the company of a just, speedy, and inexpensive determination process provided under the states Administrative Code. Intervenors say Summits petition denies due process to landowners and other stakeholders. They already had (several) months to put on their case, they were accommodated with a number of hearings; they had every opportunity to put on as many people as they wanted and their best case wasnt good enough, Leibel said. Representatives for other intervenors said they are not yet sure whether they will challenge Summits petition, but they share similar concerns with Leibel, Knoll and Jorde. These intervenors include Derrick Braaten, representing Emmons County; Randall Bakke and Brad Wiederholt, who represent two Bismarck-area developers and a former mayor; and Kevin Pranis, marketing manager for the Laborers District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota, a union. What Summits asking the commission for is pretty extraordinary, Pranis said. He said the union supports CO2 pipelines and wants to see Summits project built, but it takes issue with what he said is Summits lack of transparency around the construction firms involved. Is this your A-team thats going to be doing this? he asked. The PSC in its Aug. 4 order said the union's assertions in relation to SCSs plans for the construction of the project are not applicable to the commissions jurisdiction. Pranis recognizes the PSCs limits but said understanding the capabilities of who is constructing the project is part of the broader lack of clarity around citizen welfare that the PSC took issue with. Along with pushing the route farther north of Bismarck, Summit proposes pipeline reroutes around parcels of land on properties owned by four specific landowners outside of Burleigh County that the PSC requested Summit address in the past. The new route avoids all but one of these parcels, but moves the pipeline off another part of the same landowner property, according to the petition. Summit says it is in continuous talks with the owner of that parcel to secure an easement. Zenor said Summit is continuing to work through the voluntary easement process with landowners. Leibel said rerouting the pipeline away from certain parcels is not necessarily satisfying for the landowners he represents. We have had a number of our clients who you know have expressed they want the pipeline off their land but at the same time I think a lot of those people have said, You know, this not how we handle things where Im happy to get it off my land, but I dont know if my neighbor wants it and thats hard for me to accept, he said. Technical questions Summit's petition also addresses other issues the PSC had with the application including avoidance areas such as wildlife management areas and locations with potential geological instability; a cultural resource survey; and the proposed route's proximity to BNI coal mining operations. Summit said what the PSC's order refers to as game management areas are instead wetland sites where the federal government holds conservation easements with private landowners, and do not fall into the category of an avoidance area. Summit said it will still avoid impacting these by adjusting the route around the wetlands or using horizontal directional drilling, which is believed to cause less environmental disturbances than other construction methods. The PSC order also raised concerns that Summit had not fully addressed how it would account for areas of potential geologic instability highlighted in a letter by the state Geological Survey. Summit's petition says that following a meeting with that agency, it contracted engineering consultants at Geosyntec who concluded the likelihood of landslides affecting the pipeline "generally appears to be low." State Geologist Ed Murphy said the role of the Geological Survey is to highlight the issue, but the PSC will determine the validity of the Geosyntec report. An incomplete cultural resources report was at issue for Summit as well. The State Historic Preservation Office will not issue Summit a concurrence letter until assessments for the complete route are provided. The PSC order said "concurrence is commonly required." Summit's petition said it cannot complete its cultural report because it is blocked from accessing land on around 9% of tracts on the route. Summit has filed over 50 lawsuits against landowners to grant the company survey access, and many of the cases are headed to the state Supreme Court. Summit requests that the PSC ignore SHPO concurrence for the time being granted that Summit completes the cultural report once it receives survey access, citing precedent with a ONEOK natural gas liquids transmission pipeline in 2019. The PSC also sought more information on a segment of Summit's pipeline that would cross through land that is part of a BNI Coal mining permit area on property owned by Minnkota Power Cooperative. BNI sent the PSC a letter stating that the pipeline would not interfere with its mining operations. Summit also references an email from Guy Welch of the PSC's reclamation office that says the responsibility of avoiding adverse impacts to pipelines rests on the mining company. Summit signed an agreement in 2022 to co-develop carbon storage facilities in and around Oliver County with Minnkota. Summit maintains issues such as a potential reroute south of Bismarck and questions over property value are now moot given its claim that it has fully addressed concerns by moving the route farther north. Summit's petition also said it will provide witnesses to testify to every one of the issues the PSC addressed in its order. Prior to Summits petition, PSC Director of Public Utilities Victor Schock told the Tribune one of the biggest issues with the previously denied application was a lack of witness testimony from Summit regarding some of the commission's concerns. When asked whether Summit would file a reapplication if its petition for reconsideration is denied, Zenor told the Tribune that Summits focus right now is to work on the petition. Eno Barony set to rock at 6th Ghana Outstanding Women Awards GraphicOnline Showbiz News Aug - 25 - 2023 , 13:25 Renowned female rap icon, Eno Barony, is poised to make a lasting impression at the upcoming 6th Ghana Outstanding Women Awards (GOWA). The highly anticipated event is scheduled for September 10 at the prestigious Accra International Conference Center (AICC). Its primary objective is to commend and acknowledge the remarkable achievements of women who have excelled in their respective domains during the preceding year. Fondly referred to as the 'Rap Goddess', Eno Barony is reportedly gearing up to deliver an electrifying performance at this esteemed occasion. Her management has affirmed their commitment to ensuring a flawless presentation, emphasizing her dedication to extensive rehearsals in order to provide the audience with an impeccably polished show. The rapper is expected to captivate attendees with an array of her hit songs including "Heavy Load," "Ay3ka," "Only Jah," "Don't Judge Me Waring," among others. The event will commence with a captivating poetry recital by Princes Xornam, the third runner-up of Miss Kidi III. This engaging performance is anticipated to set the tone for the afternoon's festivities. Afua Asantewaa O Aduonum, the CEO of ASKOF Productions Limited, expressed her enthusiasm for the occasion, stating, "It's that time of the year again, and as usual, Team ASKOF is ready to celebrate our hardworking women. The recognition bestowed upon deserving winners serves as a significant incentive for more women to engage in charitable initiatives, contributing to the betterment of society." Participants at the event will compete for the coveted GOWA plaque and a distinguished citation. Twellium Industrial Limited, Flora Tissues, Top Choco, Care Front, Lux Light, and Gas Now are proudly sponsoring this year's event, demonstrating their commitment to supporting and uplifting exceptional women. The Crown producers promise to handle Princess Dianas death delicately BBC Showbiz News Aug - 25 - 2023 , 14:22 The makers of The Crown have said the death of Princess Diana is recreated delicately and with sensitivity in the dramas forthcoming final season. Executive producer Suzanne Mackie told the Edinburgh TV Festival: The show might be big and noisy, but were not. Were thoughtful people and were sensitive people. The Netflix hit has previously faced criticism for its approach to historical accuracy. Season six is expected to arrive later this year. The show will conclude with its sixth season after taking the story of the Royal Family to the years after the death of Diana, who lost her life in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36. There was a very, very careful, long, long, long conversation about how we do it and I hope, you know, the audience will judge it in the end, but I think its been delicately, thoughtfully recreated, Mackie said. Diana is played in the final two seasons by Elizabeth Debicki, who is an extraordinary actress, Mackie said. She was so thoughtful, considerate and loved Diana. So there was a huge amount of respect from us all. I hope thats evident when you see it, she told the festival on Thursday. Andy Harries, another executive producer on the Crown, was asked if the passing of the late Queen has impacted the show in any way. I think that the passing of Her Majesty undoubtedly impacted on us all and [writer Peter Morgan] in particular, he responded. It didnt change fundamentally, but it did change in a sense and when you see it I think youll know what I mean. Mackie said Morgan told her the show is a love-letter to the Queen. The Crown launched in 2016 and will conclude when the sixth season is released on Netflix later this year. The role of Princess Diana was previously played by Emma Corrin. 19 Standards developed for commodities to boost export Emmanuel Bonney Aug - 26 - 2023 , 08:14 The Global Quality and Standards Programme (GQSP) has developed 19 standards for three commodities to boost their export. The 1.3 million initiative, which ended on Thursday, focused on strengthening the value chain of the three export commodities to enable the actors to meet international standards and promote their market access. The four-year programme is also promoting 30 other standards that sharpened the compliance of 650 actors within the oil palm, cashew and cocoa value chains. The GQSP also built resilient infrastructure, while promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation. The Swiss Confederation, through the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), funded the project which was implemented in collaboration with the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Support At an event to mark the end of the project in Accra last Thursday, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Patrick Nimo, said the Ghana National Accreditation Service had also received valuable technical support under the programme. He said this had moved the work of the service from affiliate to an associate member of regional accreditation bodies, preparing it for peer review status. Mr Nimo said the availability of accreditation services in the country would reduce the cost of obtaining such services internationally to enhance the competitiveness of local commodities. Through these and other GQSP activities, the tangible effects would continue to be visible in the national economy, he added. Partnership The Head of Mission of the Swiss Embassy in Ghana, Dr Simone Haeberli, said through SECO, Switzerland partnered UNIDO for the past 15 years to strengthen the countrys quality infrastructure system to support sustainable integration into global markets. Our partnership with UNIDO and various government bodies involved have significantly supported the improvement of quality standards, particularly in the cocoa, cashew and palm oil value chain. The overall goal was to bolster the countrys export capability in a world that increasingly demands for adherence to sanitary and phytosanitary standards, traceability and ultimately, consumer safety, she added. The UNIDO Representative for Ghana and Liberia, Stavros Papastavrou, also said the partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Industry had yielded remarkable achievements. He said this had contributed to the establishment of a national quality policy; inauguration of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority Market Hub; operationalisation of a public management system certification body, and national inspection bodies securing international accreditation, among others. Mr Papastavrou said the GQSP had also expanded its ambit by enlarging test scopes and bolstered the certification of SMEs, adding that it has played pivotal role in guiding the National Accreditation body towards international acknowledgement. Significance The ISO Secretary-General, Sergio Mujica, said standards were an essential component for economic and social development. With standards, he said one could achieve competitiveness, among other benefits. Some beneficiary partners of the GQSP spoke of how supportive the initiative had been to their respective organisations. One of such organisations is the Ghana Standards Authority. The Director-General of the authority, Prof. Alex Dodoo, said the partnership had been one of patience, persistence and perseverance. MP calls for Afram plains roads to be fixed Daniel Kenu Aug - 26 - 2023 , 09:02 The Member of Parliament for Kwahu Afram Plains North Constituency, Betty Nana Efua Krosby Mensah, has petitioned the Minister of Roads and Highway, Kwasi Amoako-Atta, to facilitate the release of $98 million meant for the construction of the Afram Plains Kwahu Tafo roads to boost agriculture in the area. The money was re-allocated to the Ejisu-Konongo road because the second tranche of the loan meant for the construction of the Afram bridge to make the entire project complete was not ready. But the MP said if the minister had engaged stakeholders, he would have realised that the main concern of the people was the road and not the bridge. Mrs Krosby Mensah said before the House rose, she filed an urgent question on the floor making a case for her constituents who appear to have been cut off from the rest of the country. Parliament approved a total of 350 million commercial contract agreements for financing the construction of two major roads and a bridge to bolster agricultural productivity in the Afram Plains area in the Eastern Region. The first agreement was between the government and Contracta Construction UK Limited for 150 million to construct the Bunso-Adawso road and specified approach roads to the Adawso Bridge project. The 104-kilometre project comprises the Takorowatwen-Ekyi Amanfrom road (22 km), the Adawso-Kwahu Tafo Road (20 km), the Kwahu Tafo-Miaso road (29 km), the Miaso-Begoro road (26 km) and the Begoro-Obuoho road (7 km). The second agreement is between the government and BNIP-Janson-Adowso Consortium of The Netherlands for 200 million to construct a bridge over the Afram River at Adawso-Ekyi Amanfrom. Tour Taking journalists on a tour within the constituency to assess the bad nature of the road, Mrs Krosby Mensah said a further delay would derail all the gains made in its food production to the country. Afram plains and especially Donkorkrom remains arguably Ghana's largest food basket, producing all kinds of produce to feed the citizens. Unfortunately, the roads from the "port" (Pontoon) station to Donkorkrom is in a bad shape, making connection to smaller communities very difficult. A journey that hitherto took just about an hour now takes between two-and-a- half to three hours. Robbery Miscreants have taken advantage of the poor nature of the roads to rob residents of their belongings and even farm produce. Subsequent to that, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) has stationed armed security personnel at vantage points to curb the incidence. Mrs Krosby Mensah appealed to the road minister to put away politics and consider the economic importance of the area towards the country's food security. "As you can see, a lot of farm produce is stuck in the bushes due to the bad nature of the roads. "It is important for us as a country to do something significant to salvage the situation," she told the media. Intervention In her small way, however, the minister with the support of some prominent members of the constituency has embarked on fixing some internal roads to connect smaller communities. Excavators are already on site and work has commenced in earnest to bring some respite to the people. Ali Zakaria, Alan's campaign coordinator in Nalerigu East who was assaulted during elections Mohammed Fugu Politics Aug - 26 - 2023 , 13:16 Ali Zakaria, a campaign Coordinator for Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, one of the leading contestants in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer race was allegedly assaulted at Nalerigu in the North East Region on Saturday morning during the special delegates voting session to select five candidates for the November voting. Graphic Online's Mohammed Fugu reports that Zakaria was assaulted by some unknown persons at the polling centre. Ali Zakaria is said to have been attacked when he reportedly protested after some delegates displayed their cast ballots. He has since been taken to the Baptist Medical Centre in Nalerigu for medical care. Meanwhile, voting continued smoothly after the incident. In Tamale in the Northern Region and Damango in the Savannah Region, Mohammed Fugu reported that voting went on smoothly. We have a democratic right to march to BoG, it is not a security zone - Ayariga Getrude Ankah Nyavi Politics Aug - 25 - 2023 , 17:49 The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga says he disagrees with the position of the police that the frontage of the Bank of Ghana premises was a security zone and therefore the Minority in Parliament should not organise the planned protest march at the premises. According to him, there has to be a law that defines the building as a security installation, adding that there is no law to that effect. First and foremost, it is a big lie that the central bank building is a security installation. There has to be a law that defines it as a security installation. There is no such law. I do not recall any single law that defines the central bank building as a security installation. It is a big lie. Anyone who tells you it is a security installation is lying to you, he said in a radio interview with Accra-based Citi FM on Thursday, August 24, 2023. The Minority has planned to end a street protest at the frontage of the Bank of Ghana head office and hand over a petition to the Governor, but the police say they are are ready to offer protection for the protesters but has proposed that they should rather end the march at Independence Square since the BoG premises was a security zone. The police in a statement on Thursday, August 24, 2023, explained that the routes selected by the minority may endanger public safety adding that the Bank of Ghana office is a security zone. But Mr. Ayariga in his interview with Citi FM insisted that the BoG building is not a security installation. We are not asking to go into the central bank, not even the premises of the central bank. Our letter is specific. We are marching to the frontage of the central bank. We expect the Governor and his deputies to come out and receive our petition. So, once the central bank is not a security installation, we can march there because we have a democratic right to march there. He also rejected calls by the police to accept alternative routes for the protest. He said they would follow the earlier communicated route for the march because it is their democratic right. He also advised the police to ensure the protection and safety of protestors on the day of the march. We are going to the central bank to hold the Governor accountable. The police should also be held accountable, in terms of the standard of responsibilities of the police service. They are to make sure that when citizens have the right to exercise their democratic rights, they are there to police them to exercise that democratic right. Not to adopt a lazy approach and say that the central bank is a security installation, so you cannot go there. Where else can we go? The police have absolutely no power to give us directives in this regard. They cannot deny us the right to protest along the routes we have. If they do, it has to be a higher authority. It is just an attempt to frustrate the organization, but they will not succeed, because the demonstration will be along that route, and we will get to BoGs frontage. he added. Publications on Mahama's worth is false - Aide clarifies Zadok Kwame Gyesi Politics Aug - 26 - 2023 , 11:32 The Office of the former President John Dramani Mahama has denied claims circulating that the former President is the fourth richest person in Ghana and worth around $900 million. In a statement dated August 26, 2023, and signed by the Special Aide to the former President, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, said the said publications are meant "to discredit his reputation, cause disaffection for him, and undermine his leadership of selfless service." The statement further added, "These malicious false publications from obvious political opponents will be expected as Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections, an election John Mahama will win." Below is the statement OFFICIAL STATEMENT President Mahama denounces false publication of his wealth. The Office of HE John Dramani Mahama has been made aware of false publications claiming that the former President is the fourth richest person in Ghana and worth around $900 million. We wish to state categorically that the publications are entirely false and baseless. Mr. Mahama vehemently denies the claims, which he considers yet another attempt to discredit his reputation, cause disaffection for him, and undermine his leadership of selfless service. These malicious false publications from obvious political opponents will be expected as Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections, an election John Mahama will win. It is obvious that this publication is part of a deliberate and discredited strategy by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to spread lies and seek to generate public disaffection for the leader and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) a man in whom many Ghanaians have expressed their confidence and are looking forward to his visionary leadership from January 07, 2025. We urge Ghanaians to disregard this false claim and any similar future publications. Instead, we encourage the public to focus on holding the nonperforming NPP government accountable for its gross mismanagement of the economy and dissipation of state resources. President Mahama remains committed to an issue-based campaign that seeks to salvage our country from the incompetent, inept and terrible administration of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia. SIGNED: Joyce Bawah Mogtari Special Aide to HE John Dramani Mahama Saturday, August 26, 2023. Reshape education curriculum to improve learning outcomes - Anim urges govt Diana Mensah Politics Aug - 26 - 2023 , 08:44 Reshape existing education curriculum to improve learning outcomes and skills development of students, the General Manager of Prymage Consultancy Limited, a private firm, Samuel Anim, has urged the government. That, he said, would equip students with the requisite skills and knowledge for the job market. Mr Anim was speaking at a two-day capacity building workshop organised by the Ghana Communication Technical University Business School (GCTUBS) in Accra. Christened: Accounting education challenges in millennium era, it was intended to add value and advance the profession of lecturers and students in their respective departments. Participants were trained in software such as QuickBooks and Tally to equip them with the necessary skills to cope with current trend of work. The event was organised in collaboration with the Department of Accounting, Banking and Finance of the technical university and Prymage. Relevance Mr Anim further said learning about softwares would imbibe in both students and lecturers knowledge of how to keep track of financial transactions, among other activities. He charged students to challenge themselves by acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge to compete favourably in the job market. Inasmuch as it is good that you go to study for your four-year degree programmes, HND, diploma and other courses, I would advice you to also study at least a minimum of two or three accounting software programmes in addition to whatever you are studying. It is important that we add computer system to whatever we study because these softwares can help you work more efficiently, Mr Anim said. He commended the university for the initiative and said those who had knowledge of softwares had the competitive advantage over those who did not and added that most of these softwares are requirements for job placements. Skill building The Dean of the GCTUBS, Prof. George Oppong Ampong, said the workshop was a holistic skill building programme of the faculty. He said the institution decided to organise the roundtable that brought together industry key players and government officials and other stakeholders to discuss how best to position the university in the development agenda of the country. We would continue to have such discussions and seminars around technology, business, entrepreneurship and digitalisation to prepare students and the youth in this country for tech-based entrepreneurship in line with global job market trends, Prof. Ampong said. He said the university was coming out with cutting-edge programmes on financial technology, forensic auditing and accounting that would make the institution a place of choice for students and industry players. See how Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia responded to if he was winning the NPP Super Delegates conference Kweku Zurek Politics Aug - 26 - 2023 , 11:48 Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, a leading contender in today's New Patriotic super delegates conference has cast his ballot at the party's head office in Accra. The Vice President was accompanied by his wife to the party's head office shortly after 10.30am. When quizzed by pressmen if he was winning the poll to elect five out of the 10 flagbearer aspirants for the November 4, 2023, national conference of the party, the Vice President responded with a hand gesture indicating that he was unsure and hopeful of a favourable outcome. After voting the Vice President went into some offices to engage with some senior members of the party before departing. "Show me love on Saturday" - Afriyie Akotos final appeal to the 961 super delegates of NPP GraphicOnline Politics Aug - 25 - 2023 , 12:41 Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, a prospective flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has made an earnest appeal to the party's 961 super delegates to demonstrate their trust in him by casting their votes overwhelmingly in his favour. These votes will determine the five candidates shortlisted for the final contest on November 4, 2023. In his address to the super delegates ahead of the upcoming polls on Saturday, Dr. Akoto emphasized that now is the opportune time for the key decision-makers within the party to extend their support to him. He underlined his significant contributions to the party's advancement and implored the super delegates to recognize his dedication. Reminding them of his comprehensive vision for both the party and the nation, Dr. Akoto conveyed his commitment to revitalizing the UP (United Party) tradition. He expressed his aspiration to eliminate the challenges faced by party activists, promoting a more prosperous future for them. Dr. Akoto, a former two-term Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, asserted that his proposal to establish commercial enterprises for generating party funds while creating job opportunities for the unemployed is both feasible and sustainable. He believes that this strategy sets him apart among the ten flagbearer candidates vying for the party's leadership. He emphasized the need to reconnect with the party's grassroots and address the concerns of party members, particularly in light of recent election outcomes that saw a narrowing margin between the NPP and its opponents. He implored the super delegates to cast their votes in his favor, promising to reform the party to ensure its vibrancy and success. Dr. Akoto reiterated his commitment to inclusivity in governance, pledging prominent roles for both women and youth in his administration if he secures the NPP flagbearer position and subsequently becomes President of Ghana. I am appealing to you, the super delegates, to vote for me. When you vote for me, I have envisioned two things to do; one for the party and the other for the country. All of us are aware of what happened in the 2016 general elections. In the Presidential, our then candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo beat the then incumbent President John Mahama with over 900,000 votes. But when we went to the 2020 general elections when everyone was expecting a wider margin between these two presidential candidates, the over 900,000 votes was cut down to a little over 500,000. We nearly lost the parliamentary majority seats. We are now pegged at 137 with the Independent Parliamentary candidate, Amoako Asiamah, declaring to do business with the NPP for us to become the Majority Group, Dr. Akoto noted. He added These happenings tell us that all was not well largely because our grassroots were abandoned. When you talk to them, almost everyone is complaining. This makes breaking the eight-year governance cycle very difficult, hence, my decision to contest for the flagbearer position to turn things around. So, I am appealing to you once again to show me some love and vote massively for me. I will ensure to work hard to reform the party for all to enjoy. The NPP's flagbearer race boasts a roster of 10 aspirants, including former ministers, seasoned politicians, and accomplished professionals. The contenders are Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Mr. Joe Ghartey, Mr. Kwadwo Opoku, and Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong. An upcoming Special Delegates Congress scheduled for August 26, 2023, will determine the selection of the five presidential aspirants to proceed to the next phase. The top five candidates will subsequently compete for the flagbearer role on November 4, 2023, marking a pivotal step toward leadership for the 2024 general election. The closure of eight northeastern North Dakota newspapers earlier this month was widely covered and even made national wires. In all, 10 North Dakota newspapers have closed this year and there is about to be one more. Its a newspaper I own. What the heck is happening? What does it mean for our state? And do enough people care about the consequences to forestall more of these closures? The best number we have on North Dakota newspaper readership is 305,354. That means the loss of the Ness Press a family-run business that served a total circulation of just over 2,500, represents about 1% of the states total. Dig a little deeper and youll see it really comes down to people people willing to own a newspaper, people willing to report for newspapers, and people supporting local newspapers. Theres a lot of talk about news deserts, but in North Dakotas case so far, none have been created. Instead, neighboring papers with more robust operations are picking up the legal notice publications and making plans to or already providing those towns with news coverage. Every community deserves to have a newspaper dedicated to covering its city, county and school district boards, but thats not sustainable. The reasons range from cost of production, loss of advertising, to a lack of labor. While those first two factors have gotten most of the press, the issue of people to report and print newspapers for consumption has been almost ignored. Case in point: The Tioga Tribune. Ive tried for five months to hire a reporter. Weve offered to train citizen journalists for paid positions with no response. I came close to a hire for more pay than ever and still couldnt close the deal. This is why a newspaper frequently honored with national accolades will close Sept. 6. While our sister publication in Crosby is adequately staffed and under no threat of closure, our reporters have done double duty all summer, trying to cover communities separated by an hours drive. Thats not sustainable. If you talk to your local newspaper publisher thats the guy or gal who hasnt had more than five days off at a time in the past 15 years youll hear a similar story. Newspaper folk work hard to serve their communities for pay far less than most of the people they cover. They do it because they care about their community, believe in the publics right to be informed and feel a duty to record their towns history. At the same time, these public advocates are frequently attacked for reporting hard truths, accused of having an agenda or dismissed as irrelevant. Is it any wonder people are shying away from this work? While the national story about newspaper closures has been more focused on finances, North Dakotas newspaper closures are more often coming down to people. A guy like Truman Ness, 88, finally retires. A gal like me, 60, cant hire anyone to take her place as a reporter or publisher. Hanging in the balance for any community with a newspaper closure looming is whats going to replace it? Social media companies are not compiling a history of your town, but your local newspaper is. A newspaper closure hits every other business in town, making it that much harder for everyone else to do business. So if you have a local newspaper, argue with it, contribute opinions and news tips. Because once its gone its likely to be replaced by lower voter turnout and less community cohesion. On the industry side, newspapers have to build better financial models so the public service of journalism is sustained. We need to pass on the reporting craft by engaging with programs training young reporters Report for America and the University of North Dakotas soon-to-launch journalism degree program to name just two. We need to plan for succession if were thinking of retiring, even if that means financing a new generation to transfer ownership. North Dakota newspapers are making reading fun by reaching future subscribers, delivering 30,000 issues of Kid Scoop News monthly to students K-6 in western North Dakota and hoping to expand statewide soon. And we must continue to lobby for the publication of legal notices in newspapers because a government website is never going to attract the audience we still have. If you have a newspaper in your town, love it or hate it, but subscribe to it, because the alternative may well be a news desert. We arent there yet in North Dakota, but what people do in the next few years will make all the difference. Today's NPP super delegates conference: Who scales through? Samuel Duodu Politics Aug - 26 - 2023 , 08:04 The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to the polls today to elect five out of the 10 flagbearer aspirants for the November 4, 2023, national conference of the party. The five successful candidates will go for the final round of the presidential primary to elect a flag bearer for the 2024 general election. The Special Electoral College system was introduced by the party after the 2007 primary in which 17 aspirants contested the flagbearership for the 2008 general election. The party subsequently amended its constitution to accommodate not more than five persons for the flagbearership contest, with the new format being applied in the processes towards the 2016 general election. According to Article 13(9) of the NPP constitution, "Where there are more than five contestants for nomination as the party's presidential candidate, a Special Electoral College shall cast their votes by secret ballot for the first five contestants to be shortlisted". A total of 956 delegates, all senior members of the party, are expected to vote in todays election to shortlist the five. The delegates comprise the National Council, National Executive Committee (NEC), regional executive committees, members of the National Council of Elders, Members of Parliament, three representatives of each of the special organs of the party, past national officers, three representatives each from every external branch (27 branches in all), and founder members at the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC). The election will take place in all the 16 regional capitals across the country, and at the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra, with the final collation slated to take place at the EC headquarters in Accra. The polls will start at 9:00 a.m. and close at 1:00 p.m. at all centres. Elections Committee The Secretary to the NPP Presidential Elections Committee, William Yamoah, told the Daily Graphic that there would be no congregation at the voting centres, and voting would be strictly a walk-in affair as pertains in national election. The committee has urged the EC and the police to enforce and prevent delegates from taking their phones and other photographic gadgets to the voting scene. Additionally, the EC will use complex serial numbers to avoid ballots being traced to voters at a later date. Mr Yamoah said there would be no provision for any party executive or aspirants or their representative to address delegates or the public at the voting centres. Results will be collated at the EC head office in Accra, with the participation of aspirants and/or their representatives. The EC will officially declare the results at the NPP headquarters, Asylum Down, he added. Candidates The 10 candidates Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; a former Trade and Industry Minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen; the MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, who is also a former Minister of Railways Development and Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; an energy consultant, Kwadwo Poku; a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; a former General Secretary of the NPP and Press Secretary to President J.A. Kufuor, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; a former MP for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Francis Addai-Nimoh; a former Commissioner of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku; a former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko; and the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia appear on the ballot sheet in that order. Campaign The candidates have been lobbying the delegates with their capabilities, not only to transform the Ghanaian economy and superintend over the countrys development, but also to lead the NPP to break the eight-year cycle of governance between the party and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The have also trumpeted their competence and sense of nationalism to mobilise all Ghanaians to buy into their respective visions. But crucially, the delegates might look beyond the campaign messages of the aspirants, as the party looks towards the 2024 general election. The nationwide polls follows months of intensive campaigning by the aspirants across the length and breadth of the country. AMD has announced its much anticipated mid-range offerings in the Radeon RX 7000 series of graphics cards. The RX 7800 XT and RX 7700 XT were unveiled today at Gamescom 2023 and will be available starting September 6. The 7800 XT and 7700 XT are based on the same RDNA3 architecture as other RX 7000 series graphics card. Both cards are based on a new Navi 32 GPU, which uses a chiplet design similar to the Navi 31 on the RX 7900 XT and 7900 XTX but different to the monolithic design of the Navi 33 on the RX 7600. Radeon RX 7800 XT The 7800 XT features 60 compute units and ray accelerators, which is a 29% reduction compared to the 7900 XT. The ROPs (render output units) see a much more significant 50% drop to 96. Game clock has seen an increase from 2000MHz to 2124MHz. Memory also sees some reductions, with the 20GB 20Gbps GDDR6 on the 7900 XT reduced to 16GB 19.5Gbps on the 7800 XT. Memory bus sees a reduction from 320-bit to 256-bit, with bandwidth dropping from 800GB/s to 624GB/s. The Infinity Cache capacity also drops from 80MB to 64MB. The 7800 XT has a typical board power of 263W. The card will feature HDMI 2.1 48Gbps and DisplayPort 2.1 54Gbps connectors with support for AV1 decoding and encoding. The 7800 XT is priced at $499 and will compete against the $599 Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070. AMD claims the 7800 XT is on average 4% faster at 1440p. The 7800 XT also has 33% more memory than the 4070 with a wider memory bus but the 4070 is also a 186W graphics card, making it significantly more efficient than the 7800 XT. Radeon RX 7700 XT The 7700 XT is a surprisingly small step down from the 7800 XT, at least as far as the GPU is concerned. It packs 54 compute units and ray accelerators and the same 96 ROPs. Game clock is a slightly higher 2171MHz. The 7700 XT has 12GB of GDDR6 memory with 18Gbps memory speed, 192-bit bus, and 432GB/s bandwidth. Infinity cache is 48MB. Considering the specs, the 245W board power is also not too far off the 7800 XT's. The 7700 XT is only $50 cheaper at $449 and will only be available from board partners. It will compete against the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB, which is priced at $499. AMD claims a far more substantial 12% performance advantage over the Nvidia card for the 7700 XT but since it's only $50 cheaper you may as well get the 7800 XT. AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 AMD also revealed additional details of its upcoming FSR3 technology, which is AMD's version of Nvidia's DLSS3. FSR3 includes frame generation technology, which AMD calls Fluid Motion Frames and can nearly double your frame rate. This, combined with super resolution upscaling, can provide near tripling of frame rates in titles such as Forspoken. AMD will also be introducing Anti-Lag+, which is a driver based feature to reduce latency. FSR3 will be compatible with Radeon 5000, 6000, and 7000 series graphics cards, although AMD recommends using on 6000 and 7000 series cards for the best results. The technology will also work with Nvidia cards, with AMD claiming support for 20-series, 30-series, and 40-series cards although the last two will provide best results. No word on compatibility with older cards or cards from Intel. There is still no word from AMD on when this feature will actually be available to users. The company has stated that Immortals of Aveum and Forspoken will be the first two titles to support the feature with confirmed support for ten additional titles, including Cyberpunk 2077, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, and Black Myth: Wukong. Oddly enough, Starfield is not one of the supported titles. Source Android 14 was supposed to have 4 betas. Then Google decided 5 was the appropriate number. Then it issued a last minute bug fix to that fifth beta release. And today we get an even more last-minute bug fix, if we could call it that. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Android 14 Beta 5.2. It's going out today to all device enrolled into the Android Beta Program. Like Beta 5.1, which was released exactly one week ago, it's all about fixing bugs left and right. Here's the changelog straight from Google itself: Fixed various issues that sometimes caused devices to stall when rebooting. Fixed issues that could interrupt cellular connectivity for devices that utilize E-UTRAN New Radio Dual Connectivity (ENDC) when those devices were connected through 5G NR low-band frequencies. Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet devices that caused the fingerprint sensor to be unresponsive in some cases. Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that caused Perfetto trace data to be incomplete. Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices with stuttering animations when viewing or tapping the notification for an ongoing call. Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that sometimes caused the system UI to crash after using the fingerprint sensor. Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that sometimes caused the screen to briefly flicker when unfolding the device. Fixed an issue on Pixel Tablet devices that sometimes caused a colored bar to display or flicker after unlocking the device. Fixed an issue on Pixel Tablet devices that caused the system to play incorrect sounds when docking or undocking the device. As always, the rollout might take a few days to reach all eligible devices (meaning Pixel 4a 5G or later). If you have one of those and want to add it to the beta program in order to test this release, then go here. Afterwards, you will receive this build as an over-the-air update. Next stop? Well it's either Beta 5.3, Beta 6, or the stable release. Hopefully the latter, but we'll see. Source The continuous debate regarding the government of Guams plan for a fully self-insured group health insurance has received heavy statements from the Office of the Governor, Guam senators and medical providers not just due to possible costs, but also due to the access of care. Dr. Hoa Nguyen, co-founder of American Medical Center, stressed that the main liability of the proposal is the access to care for thousands of GovGuam employees, family members and retirees who might be displaced from their main medical provider. The government has possibly over five thousand people who currently use TakeCare as their insurance and use FHP as their primary care clinic. FHP does not have a contract with SelectCare, so where are those patients going to go? questioned Nguyen. If those people dont have access to care, theyre going to end up in the emergency room and costs will skyrocket. Bigger clinics are drowning with patients already, and some small clinics are shutting their doors due to retiring doctors. Nguyen further noted the need for GovGuam to have a proper meeting with the Guam Medical Association, the Guam Medical Society and other medical providers on Guam. Im surprised the government plans to adopt a health plan with open questions that no one knows the answers to, said Nguyen. The providers want to get involved and try to help the government make the best decision. Sen. Joanne Brown, vice-chair of the legislative committee on health, echoed Nguyens sentiment as she questioned the access to healthcare services after the plans implementation. The real issue is ultimately finding out what the plan will cost and what services will be provided, stated Brown. What impact will this have on the healthcare companies? More importantly, what will the impact be on the retirees and their beneficiaries? Sen. Frank Blas Jr., vice-chair of the legislative committee on human resources, further added that this plan should have already publicized rates for GovGuam employees, family members and retirees. When were this close to something thats about to be rolled out, the people that are going to be affected by this would like to know what its going to cost them. Share it with the people, said Blas. Lower premiums According to a news release from the Office of the Governor of Guam, the self-insured GovGuam health insurance plan will result in lower premiums than it would if a contract was not self-insured. The governors office noted that a third-party actuarial report provided by Milliman indicated that total insurance premiums were predicted to go up by 15 percent this year. By self-insuring the health insurance coverage, employee and retiree premiums for those who currently have SelectCare will actually go down, and premiums for those who currently have TakeCare will only increase by five to eight percent compared to 15 percent, shared the governors office. They noted that since GovGuam does not have to make a profit from the insurance, premiums paid by GovGuam employees and the governments contribution towards those premiums will be set aside in an account to build up a reserve that can be used to further drive down premiums in subsequent years rather than belonging to private shareholders. Shieh weighs in Dr. Thomas Shieh, owner of Dr. Shiehs Clinic and Assocates, Inc., shared his thoughts on how the potential savings by self-insuring can still be a risk. Shieh noted that despite the government trying to save employees seven percent of costs from insurance premiums, GovGuam already admitted they have no idea what the cost of healthcare claims will be for self-insurance. Its not a better choice to self-insure, its a risk, said Shieh. I would think knowing a fixed cost would be the way to go. A 15 percent increase is not bad when compared to testimony from the Guam Memorial Hospital. The cost for healthcare has gone way over 15 percent in cost of supplies and labor to the point that GMH cant even pay their vendors. The governors office then noted that GovGuam would be entering into a stop-loss insurance contract to cover catastrophic claims above a specified level The news release further noted that claims by Sen. Blas. that dental and pharmaceutical claims were higher than the premiums GovGuam collected were unsubstantiated. If the claims cost more than the premiums, there is no way private companies would be able to afford to insure GovGuam without significant premium increases, noted the governors office in the release. No private carriers would ever bid competitively on GovGuam health insurance. According to Blas, his claims were based on an aging report provided to both him and GovGuam, which indicated that the year to date prescription drug claims for fiscal year 2022 to 2023 amassed over $27 million dollars while the premiums collected were just a little over $19.4 million dollars. This produced a claims ratio of 139.45 percent. With the dental claims, the YTD for FY 22 to 23 indicated claims nearly $300,000 more than the premiums collected, which has so far led to a claims ratio of 106.94 percent. Bill 154-37 The Office of the Governor further addressed Blas introduction of Bill 154-37, which would roll over the current GovGuam health insurance contract for another year. This bill would violate the Constitution and expose the government of Guam to lawsuits as it would impair the obligations of previously negotiated contracts. The current contract does allow for a 90-day extension, but anything beyond 90 days requires a renegotiation, noted the governors office. It does not allow for an extension of an entire year at the same rate, which means these private insurers cannot be forced to extend the same premiums for an entire year. In fact, as mentioned previously, private insurers were expected to raise premiums this year by about fifteen percent. The Government of Guam would not be able to force these private insurers to provide health insurance coverage at the same rate for another year. According to the Office of Tina Muna Barnes, the committee report regarding Blas bill with committee findings would be publicized by early next week at the latest. The governors office further noted that Blas owns an insurance brokerage firm called Frank Blas & Associates, Inc. This alone should cause a question of motive, and it could also potentially require his recusal from this entire process, noted the governors office in the news release. Blas then clarified that he is not in the business of health insurance. It is undeniable that I own an insurance brokerage firm, but more importantly, I dont sell nor do I market any health insurance, clarified Blas. Its not my line of business. I do want to thank them for advertising my firm. Shieh further addressed the office of the governors criticism of Sen. Blas. The criticism of Sen. Blas regarding his family with insurance business was uncalled for because they did not bid nor did they have anything to do with benefiting, added Shieh. In fact, to me, we should appreciate Sen. Blass background for his expertise. For nearly a decade, hikers in Germany's Harz National Park have reported sightings of a mysterious "wolf man" who made the forest his home. Now, we have photographic evidence of the curious creature! Two park visitors captured images of the wolf man hanging out on Tuesday. "We saw the 'wolf man' when we reached the sandstone caves," Gina Weiss told German news outlet Bild. "He was standing on top of one of the caves, holding a long wooden stick like a spear in his arm. He didn't take his eyes off us and didn't say a word He looked dirty and behaved like a stone age man from a history book." From MSN: According to Bild, there have been intermittent sightings of the man since 2015, with local authorities claiming to have found evidence that someone was starting fires and building rudimentary dwellings in the forest. However, one volunteer with the local fire service told The Telegraph that they had not noticed anything unusual in the forest, describing the story as "nonsense" and speculating that the photos were "a prank". (via Coast to Coast) featured illustrative image:leolintang/Shutterstock Haiti - FLASH : Results of 9th AF exams for 6 departments The Ministry of National Education has published the results of the 9th Fundamental Year (AF) 2022/2023 exams for 6 departments, Nippes, North-East, Grande-Anse, Center, North-West and North. According to the figures provided by the National Bureau of State Examinations (BUNEXE), the success rates (listed in descending order) are: Results by department 9th A.F. 2022/2023: (in descending order) Grande-Anse: out of 6,493 participants, 6,169 candidates were admitted, i.e. a success rate of 95% (sharp increase) the previous year 79% North: out of 18,849 participants, 17,399 candidates were admitted, i.e. a success rate of 92% (sharp increase) the previous year 80.95%% North-West: out of 10,669 participants, 9,241 candidates were admitted, i.e. a success rate of 87% (up) the previous year 77.31% North-East: out of 7,504 participants, 6,499 candidates were admitted, i.e. a success rate of 87% (up) the previous year 78.33% Centre: out of 13,105 participants, 10,002 candidates were admitted, i.e. a success rate of 76% (slight increase) the previous year 75.29% Nippes: out of 7,115 participants, 5,129 candidates were admitted, a success rate of 72% (up) the previous year 65.54% The Ministry informs that the results of the other departments will be available shortly and will be communicated gradually. Directors of schools are invited to withdraw their school's results list from the Departmental Directorate of Education (DDE) concerned. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40331-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-for-5-departments.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40273-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-for-4-departments.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40265-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-for-3-departments.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40219-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-for-2-departments.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40213-haiti-flash-results-of-9th-af-exams-for-the-northeast-laureates.html HL/ HaitiLibre More and more Haitians are leaving the country... - February 7, 2024 is not a deadline for Milrlande Manigat - 3 medals at the Pan American Games - Congratulations from the PM - Nearly 108,500 civil servants - 2 DINEPA vehicles riddled with bullets... Haiti - News : Zapping... A Divisional Inspector killed Friday evening August 25, 2023 at Delmas 33, Divisional Inspector Colas Gerald who worked at the Central Directorate of Judicial Police (DCPJ) was killed in an alley, not far from Parc Midore, as he was returning home by armed individuals on motorcycles. He was rushed to hospital and succumbed to his injuries. Opont released by his captors Friday August 25, 2023, the former president of the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP 2015) and co-owner of Tele Pluriel Pierre-Louis Opont, kidnapped on June 20 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39831-haiti-news-zapping.html , was released by his kidnappers for ransom after more than 2 months in confinement. Survey : 75% of respondents in favor of FAdH intervention In the second survey that the Alliance for Risk Management and Business Continuity (AGERCA), commissioned from the consulting firm "Diagnosis & Development Group" (DDG), it appears that 75% of respondents believe that for restore security in the country and deter armed gangs, the PNH would need the support of the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H) Download the complete survey (PDF in French 26 pages ): https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/AGERCA-Rapport-2-sur-linsecurite.pdf Do Kenya done a U-turn ? "Intelligence, Infiltration, Combat (experience with the requested training) are the fundamental notions of my security plan. Whatever the assistance, it takes the participation of a local law enforcement to dismantle the gangs. Kenya's volte-face is proof of this," says former Senator Youri Latortue. Note that Kenya has not flip-flopped as Latortue suggests. In its announcement on July 29, 2023, Kenya was clear that its possible intervention was aimed "to help train and support the Haitian police in restoring normality in the country and protecting strategic installations" See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40134-haiti-flash-kenya-agrees-to-deploy-1-000-police-officers-in-haiti.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40333-haiti-pnh-pm-back-on-the-working-day-with-the-kenyan-delegation.html Dominican arrested with 9 Haitian passports Thursday, August 24, 2023, John Morelis Alcantara Montero, of Dominican nationality, was arrested at the Sabana Cruz checkpoint, in the province of Elias Pina by agents of the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT). On board a Honda, he was in possession of 9 Haitian passports, several of which had expired and belonged to: Maranatha Pierre, Renald Exantus, Barthelemy Deshommes, Gertha Claircidor, Jacques Taphena, Andremene Payen, Ricardo Fleurvil Cundumi, Bety Gaston and Michelle Agla Baptiste. Victory of the Grenadieres U-17 [4-0] against the All Leogane Open Thursday August 23, 2023, our Grenadieres won the training match victory [4-0] against the All Leogane Open team. Lourdjina. Etienne scored twice, and the other two goals were scored by Pierreline Nazon who opened the scoring and Murat Yverna who closed it. HL/ HaitiLibre Published on 2023/08/25 | Source New stills added for the upcoming Korean movie "Coming Home Again" (2023) Advertisement Directed by Wayne Wang With Justin Chon, Jackie Chung, John Lie, Christina July Kim,... Synopsis Based on a personal essay by Chang-rae Lee published in The New Yorker, Coming Home Again is an intimate family drama about a mother, a son, and the burden of family expectations. Chang-rae, a first-generation Korean American, has returned to his family home in San Francisco to care for his ailing mother. He wants only to fulfill his role as the supportive son, but must also come to terms with his conflicted emotions towards his mother. The film takes place over the course of one full day. During this day, he attempts to prepare a traditional Korean dinner for New Year's Eve. The one she always cooked for the family. The care and precision that goes into preparing this meal gives him time to reflect on the intense relationship between them. Memories about it become a doorway into a woman who was so much more than the mother he thought he knew. 24th Busan International Film Festival Release date in Korea : 2023/09 I am perplexed and fascinated by these bizarre extraterrestrial-like beings depicted in these 19th century gynecological diagrams. Although the diagrams look more like an instruction manual for a naked alien gymnastics course, I guess extraterrestrial beings need regular checkups down there, too! These diagrams depict outdated gynecological exercises devised by the Swedish obstetrician and gynecologist, Thure Brandt (1819-1895). The drawings were most likely created in this style as an attempt to desexualize the artwork. Nonetheless, I love the weirdness of these drawings and would totally buy a zine of them if that were a thing that existed! From the Public Domain Review: The renowned museum, a prominent tourist attraction in London, had been alerted to the potential theft or disappearance of valuable artifacts over two years ago when an art historian raised concerns about items being offered for sale online. Hartwig Fischer , the director of the British Museum in London, has stepped down from his position following revelations of stolen artifacts from the museum's storeroom, as reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday. According to the publication, the museum confirmed last week that a staff member had been dismissed after a collection of items, including gold jewelry and gems dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD, were discovered missing from a storeroom. The German art historian and museum director, who had been leading the institution since 2016, acknowledged that there could have been a more effective response to the indications of potential theft by an employee. He took responsibility for the shortcomings, stating, "It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have." He emphasized that the ultimate responsibility for the lapse lies with the director. Al Jazeera reported that police had interviewed an individual in connection with the case, although no charges had been filed against the unnamed man. Initially, the British Museum announced that Fischer's resignation would be effective "immediately." However, those words were later removed, and it was clarified that Fischer would resign once an interim leader had been appointed. Fischer retracted previous statements he made about an art dealer, Ittai Gradel, who initially alerted the museum about the stolen items. Fischer had claimed earlier in the week that Gradel had not fully disclosed the extent of the stolen items when notifying the museum. Fischer expressed "sincere regret" for the remarks, acknowledging their misjudgment. The museum has also faced controversies related to its refusal to return items of historical significance to communities around the world. Many of these items were acquired or taken during the British Empire's era and colonial rule. Notable disputes include the marble carvings from Greece's Parthenon and the Benin bronzes from West Africa. HT Hong Kong: Choi Yuk-lin to visit SZ, GZ Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin will depart for Shenzhen and Guangzhou on Monday to learn more about Mainland study tours to those cities. She will attend a thanksgiving session and launch ceremony ahead of the start of the new school year. Organised jointly by the Department of Education of Guangdong Province and the Education Bureau, the session and ceremony relate to Mainland study tours in connection with the senior secondary school subject Citizenship & Social Development (CS). Dr Choi will tour an enterprise that is a receiving unit for participants on CS study tours, to learn about the planning, operation and management of the tours. She will also visit the Guangzhou University City. She will return to Hong Kong on Tuesday afternoon. During her absence, Under Secretary Sze Chun-fai will be Acting Secretary. This story has been published on: 2023-08-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. People gather to protest the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) decision on releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the headquarters of the TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. Despite public concerns and raging opposition from both home and abroad, Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yang Guang) TOKYO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. The Japanese government and certain organizations claim that the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied and the wastewater disposal will take decades to complete. FLIP-FLOPPING During a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan's National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (JF Zengyoren) on Monday lodged a serious protest to the government's decision and action to release Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. Masanobu Sakamoto, head of JF Zengyoren, said the group strongly opposes the ocean release project, which would ruin the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated powerful tsunami waves that caused the meltdowns of three of its nuclear reactors -- one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Japan's fisheries industry, hit with years of reputational damage from radiation fears, has long opposed the plan. People fear it would lead to a sharp drop in sales, including export restrictions to major markets. In 2015, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Japanese government swore in writing to organizations such as JF Zengyoren that they would not discharge the nuclear effluent into the ocean until they had the understanding of local fishermen and other stake-holders. However, six years later, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to discharge millions of tons of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in 2023 after "treatment and dilution," and the discharge process may last 30 to 40 years. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence, and transparency of related information, the irresponsible discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater will inevitably lead to serious consequences, said experts. BROAD CONDEMNATION "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We have made serious demarches to Japan and asked it to stop this wrongdoing," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. Noting that the disposal of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is a major issue about nuclear safety, the spokesperson said its impact goes beyond Japan's borders, and the issue is by no means a private matter for Japan. China also suspended imports of all seafood products from Japan on Thursday due to concerns over the risk of radiation contamination. Shortly after TEPCO began discharging the contaminated water into the sea, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a nationally televised address that the South Korean government will strictly maintain import restrictions on Japan's fishery products. Protesters broke into the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Thursday, after unfurling banners to protest Tokyo's release of wastewater. "The sea is not Japan's trash bin," read one of the banners. "Stop releasing contaminated water at once." The Japanese government's reckless move to release the radioactive wastewater also sparked waves of anger among local people, especially Japanese fishermen and business owners. Despite the scorching heat, hundreds of Japanese from across the country gathered in front of the TEPCO headquarters in central Tokyo on Thursday morning, demanding the Japanese government and TEPCO stop the release. Haruo Ono, a 71-year-old fisherman in Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, told Xinhua on Tuesday that "for us, the ocean discharge is a matter of survival." "Does Fumio Kishida, as the prime minister of Japan, have the right to pollute our workplaces?" the man asked. LONG-LASTING HARM Critics say a lack of long-term data means that it is impossible to justify the tritium left in the contaminated water after processing poses no threat to human health or the marine environment. Although about 200 tonnes of treated wastewater were released on the first day, noted experts Thursday, however starting Friday, the pour volume will increase to 7,800 tonnes over 17 days. More than 1.3 million tonnes of wastewater -- enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools -- currently contained in numerous water storage tanks at the TEPCO facility, are set to be poured into the ocean, which could take up to 40 years to complete. By dumping the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, Japan is spreading huge risks to the rest of the world, and openly passing long-term harm onto future generations of humanity. A recent public opinion poll showed that the disapproval rate of the Japanese government headed by Kishida has reached 50 percent for the first time since last December, with 88.1 percent of surveyed expressing concerns and objection over dumping radioactive wastewater into the sea. Rite Aid brought in $24 billion in 2021 from its 2600 or so locations, but the company is planning to declare bankruptcy. Why? To avoid opioid lawsuits seeking to hold it liable for selling addictive, lethal drugs to patients for years. The chapter 11 filing would cover Rite Aid's more than $3.3 billion debt load and pending legal allegations that it oversupplied prescription painkillers, the people said. Philadelphia-based Rite Aid hasn't agreed on a settlement with federal, state government and private opioid plaintiffs to resolve those opioid liabilities in a potential chapter 11 and is currently planning to treat them as general unsecured claims, they said. A representative for Rite Aid didn't respond to a request for comment. Its restructuring counsel at law firm Kirkland & Ellis also didn't respond. You will get a penny, contrary to the old line, but that's all you'll get, and only as part of a structured settlement. Johnson & Johnson did a similar trick to evade liability for selling asbestos-laced talc for decades, splitting off a worthless subsidiary to hold the bag while the real company marches on, legally free of its victims. By R C Ganjoo In May 2023, Manipur was engulfed in a deadly conflict between two major communities, the Kukis and the Meiteis. The conflict was compounded by inadequate guarding of the India-Myanmar border. There have been several ways of cross-border migration from the border areas of Myanmar, like Chin State, into the border areas of India, particularly Manipur and Mizoram. These migrations are mostly done by people who were impacted by the recent military takeover, or those seeking a better life, and people who did so for political reasons. But it is difficult to differentiate between them since they enter the country without proper documents. According to a paper published by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), a number of insurgent groups such as the United National Liberation Front (UNLF), Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), and small groups of Kukis and Zomis have built camps in Sagaing Division, Kachin State and Chin State in Myanmar. These insurgents, after taking shelter in Myanmar, have procured arms, trained cadres, and most importantly, are involved in smuggling of drugs and selling weapons to raise funds. This is possible because of the porous borders and frequent misuse of FMR (Free Movement Regime). Therefore, managing the border areas efficiently could help in reducing drug trafficking and illegal border crossing on unfenced borders. It is a big challenge before India. When the crisis in Myanmar escalated subsequently the influx of refugees increased, and India suspended the FMR in September 2022. When Manipur was engulfed in violence, about 718 Myanmar nationals, including 301 children and 208 women, entered Manipurs Chandel district on 24 July due to the ongoing clashes between the Army and the civil forces in Myanmar, as stated officially. The state government asked the Assam Rifles to push back the Myanmar nationals, Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi said in a statement, adding that the government sought a detailed report from the Assam Rifles to clarify on the facts and reasons, as to why and how these 718 Myanmar nationals were allowed to enter into India in Chandel district without proper travel documents. Myanmar nationals have been staying in seven locations of the Chandel district Lajang, Bonse, New Samtal, New Lajang, Yangnomphai, Yangnomphai Saw Mill, and Aivo Jang, all villages along the Myanmar border. It is pertinent to mention here that after the military takeover in Myanmar in February 2021, thousands of Myanmar nationals crossed borders and entered Mizoram with around 35,000 men, women, and children from that country now staying in the mountainous state. Around 5,000 Myanmarese had earlier taken shelter in Manipur. Manipur has around 400 km and Mizoram has 510 km of unfenced border with Myanmar. India is sandwiched between Golden Crescent and Golden Triangle. Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran are Golden Crescent countries. Burma, Thailand, and Laos are Golden Triangle countries. Golden Crescent and Golden Triangles are opium, Cannabis Sativa producing centers. The United States of America took action to break the French-Turkey drug smuggling connection in 1970s. Thereafter, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, and Malaysia enforced strict drug prohibition laws effectively and contained drug abuse and illicit trafficking. During the late 1970s and early 80s, the Iran-Iraq war, the civil war in Afghanistan, and the fluid situation in the Middle East, along with public execution of drug peddlers in the Middle East caused a sea change in drug trafficking from Golden Crescent countries. Theereafter, illicit production of opium steadily increased in Golden Triangle countries. Opium production remained static in Thailand. Whereas, in Laos and Burma it trebled. The morphine and heroin produced in Golden Triangle countries are being smuggled to India through Myanmar. The opium from the Golden Triangle countries is being smuggled to India through Nepal. By virtue of its geographical location India has become a transit country in the global illicit trafficking of drugs. Opium and Ganja derivatives produced in Golden Triangle countries are being smuggled into India from Mandalay- Timu Champaya- Izol- Singathpur- Morah- Calcutta route. India has a 5700 km long porous border with Pakistan, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. The illicit smuggling of Ganja and opium is on the increase from the Golden Triangle and Golden Crescent countries. Since old drug routes and drug syndicates have become inoperative, drugs are smuggled to India from these centres and further on to the West. As a result of breaking away from old drug syndicates and drug routes, the emergence of new drug syndicates have come to the notice of the authorities. In recent years, Nigerians, Pakistanis, South Africans Srilankans, and Myanmarese are engaged in the illicit trafficking of drugs from India to the West. Illicit opium cultivation has come to the notice of enforcement authorities in Dehradoon and Chakrathadu in Uttarakhand, Izol, Champi and Siaha districts in Mizoram, Chaunglez and Thirab districts in Arunachal Pradesh. Due to these drug networks, eastern states of India like Assam, Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura are affected by extremist/secessionist activities. As a result, the law and order situation is not at its best in these states. What we have been seeing in the North East is also a proof of Narco-Terrorism. (R C Ganjoo is a senior journalist and columnist having more than 30 years experience of covering issues concerning national security, particularly Kashmir. He has worked with several prominent media groups and his articles have been published in many national and international publications.) Source: OneIndia Renowned real estate developers of Ahmedabad, Gujarat - Saanvi Nirman - has taken an excitingly creative route with the launch of its new brand campaign reassuring the dependable DNA of the company that resonates in their consumers minds as well. The campaign aptly named Yeh Ghar Ki Baat Hai embodies the companys dedication to customer-centricity, R&D, ethics & trust towards elevating lifestyle. Yeh Ghar Ki Baat Hai is a phrase used most widely in any Indian household and it stands for oneness, affinity & familial bond. This is the bond that Saanvi Nirman shares with its customers & communicates via its various residential projects, ancillary services and most importantly in the trustworthy deals with home buyers. Talking more on the campaign Mr. Ankur Desai, the companys founder stated Yeh Ghar ki Baat Hai, is an emotion which gives a sense of assurance and mutual understanding, and that is what family and home is all about. Moreover, Mr. Shaival Patel, the companys Co-founder stated that A home is something which is very aspirational and as a real estate developer we aim to connect with the people who aspire to have a home to call their own. The epicenter of the campaign Yeh Ghar Ki Baat Hai is a monologue narrated by the famous actor Sharad Kelkar. The monologue revolves around the values associated with GHAR and how people of all age groups are emotionally & sentimentally attached with it during various stages and situations of life. This audio-visual monologue can be seen on the official YouTube channel of Saanvi Nirman. The communication then reached out to the radio listeners via poetic narrations on the same topic in the same voice (Sharad Kelkar) integrated with listeners interaction carried out by the radio presenters. To reach its audience effectively, Saanvi Nirman has designed a comprehensive multichannel marketing campaign. Leveraging traditional media, digital platforms & social media influencers, the campaign aims to engage potential buyers and generate buzz around the brands familial vision. The brand campaign reiterates the companys commitment to build not just properties but also thriving communities where dreams can thrive. As the real estate landscape evolves, Saanvi Nirman stands poised to lead the way by embracing change, delivering value, creating a better and brighter tomorrow for all. 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 content(s) of the article/advertisement and/or view(s) expressed herein. 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 view(s), opinion(s), announcement(s), declaration(s), affirmation(s) etc., stated/featured in the same. 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! Normal life was affected in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal on Saturday due to a 24-hour bandh called by several parties to protest the murder of a school-going girl in Siliguri. The girl was a class 11 student of a Nepali-medium school. She was returning home from school, when the accused intercepted her, police said.(PTI/ Representative) Shops were shut and most of the vehicles remained off the roads in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, Mirik and other areas in response to the bandh called jointly by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Hamro Party and CPRM. However, essential services were kept out of the purview of the bandh, which began at 6 am. This was the first major bandh in the hills of northern West Bengal after six years since the 105-day shutdown in 2017 for Gorkhaland statehood. Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) chief Anit Thapa has said that he neither supported nor opposed the bandh. "Those who called the bandh will have to understand that the matter is sub-judice," he said. The body of the girl was found in a dilapidated house in Matigara area on Monday evening. Police said they have already arrested the accused, who tried to sexually assault her but as she resisted, he bludgeoned her to death. The stone with which the girl was attacked was also recovered, they said. The girl was a class 11 student of a Nepali-medium school. She was returning home from school, when the accused intercepted her, police said. On Thursday, a 12-hour shutdown in Siliguri called by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) over the issue affected daily lives. 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 day after five inspector-rank officers of Amritsar city police were transferred over videos purportedly showing them at a party where a gangster was also present, another picture has emerged, ostensibly clicked at the same party and featuring an additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) posted in Amritsar commissionerate. (From left) Gangster Kamal Kumar alias Bori , ADCP (detective) Harjit Singh Dhaliwal and inspector Neeraj Kumar during the birthday party in Amritsar. (HT Photo) In the picture, ADCP (detective) Harjit Singh Dhaliwal is seen sitting at a table next to the gangster Kamal Kumar alias Bori, who faces 18 criminal cases, including that of murder and attempt-to-murder. Kumar Darshan, the chairman of Pawan Valmiki Tirth Action Committee, who was the host of the party, was also spotted at the table. Besides the ADCP, deputy commissioner of police (DCP, law & order) Parminder Singh Bhandal is also under the scanner. A police official, not willing to be named, said, Besides Dhaliwal, DCP Bhandal had also attended the party. He is close to Kumar Darshan and other members of his group. His role is being investigated. Dhaliwal didnt respond to repeated calls and a text message for his version. Bhandal said, I didnt attend the party. If I had attended, it should be checked from the videos. Commissioner of police (CP) Naunihal Singh said the allegations against the DCP are being probed. The officer claims he was invited by Darshan but had left the spot after Bori reached there. He didnt participate in the festivities. On the viral picture of ADCP Dhaliwal, the CP said, The matter is being looked into. Two DSPs also shifted While the five inspector-rank officers spotted at the party were transferred out of the district on Friday, the two deputy superintendents of police (DSPs), Sanjeev Kumar and Parvesh Chopra, who were also purportedly seen in the videos featuring the gangster, were transferred in Mansa and Bathinda respectively. Just 2 days after party, gangster assaulted a man Following the controversy, the city police arrested gangster Bori, who faces at least 18 criminal cases. However, the case that he has been arrested in, is a fresh one, pertaining to an assault on one Vinodh Kumar Samra, that took place on August 9, just two days after the party. The complainant had alleged that the gangster had grabbed his house in the cantonment area, over which he had filed a case. On August 9, Bori and his associates had attacked him and threatened him on gunpoint to take back the case. As per information, no action had been taken against the gangster on Samras complaint and he had to approach the CP for a fair investigation. The gangster, along with eight others, has now been booked under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act at Cantonment police station. ADCP-City 3, Abhimanyu Rana said the case was registered after investigation. We have arrested Bori and raids are on to nab the other accused. There was no pressure and the arrest was made after investigation, he added. Bori is a Category-A gangster in police records. In 2014, a case was registered against him, in which notorious gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria is also a co-accused, at state special operation cell (SSOC)s Amritsar police station. Police are yet to disclose if Bori was on bail in all these cases. There is also no information on whether Bori was awarded a sentence in any of his criminal cases. 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! Assets and deposits worth more than 6 crore have been seized in searches against former Punjab minister and Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu and some others as part of a money laundering case probe linked to an alleged tender scam, the ED said on Saturday. The premises of former Punjab minister and Congress leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu were raided by ED sleuths on August 24. (HT File) The raids were launched on August 24 in 25 locations in Punjab. Besides the premises of the former minister, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also conducted searches at those of Raman Balasubramanium, a former chairman of the Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), and some others under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Ashu, a former minister of food and civil supplies in the Punjab government, is currently a working president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. In a statement, the federal agency said 4.81 crore kept in multiple bank accounts of the searched persons, prima facie identified as proceeds of crime, were freezed apart from five immovable properties worth about 1.54 crore along with four bank lockers. Incriminating documents, digital devices and Indian currency of around 30 lakh were also seized from various premises, it said. The money laundering investigation stems from a Punjab Vigilance Bureau FIR in connection with two cases including 2,000 crore foodgrain transportation scam and illegal sale of plots under Ludhiana Improvement Trust (LIT), the ED said. It was alleged that the tenders were allotted to contractors who approached the minister (Ashu) through Rakesh Kumar Singla, chairman of CVC, food and civil supplies, the ED said Through this favouritism, the contractors got undue advantages causing loss to the government exchequer, it alleged. 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 yet another snatching case in the city, an auto-rickshaw driver snatched a Nepalese nationals mobile phone after offering him a ride in Manimajra on Thursday night. The auto driver had asked the victim for water and offered to give him a ride. (iStock) The victim, Jiben Kumar, works at a restaurant and bar near Kalagram light point. He told the police that he was walking towards his rented accommodation in Manimajra around 11.30 pm and talking to someone over the phone. As he reached near the Manimajra fire station, an auto-rickshaw, with two passengers and driver, stopped near him. Kumar said the auto driver asked him for water, following which he handed him his water bottle. The auto driver then offered to drop him at his destination. But when he refused, the driver stepped out, snatched his mobile phone and sped away. The phones cover also contained his Nepalese citizenship card. Manimajra police have registered a snatching case. In another case, police on Friday arrested a 23-year-old man for snatching a mobile phone near Indira Colony IT Park. The accused was identified as Ankit of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. The victim, Dalbir of Maloya, told police that he drove a canter for a living and had gone to the motor market to get its diesel pump repaired. After getting the repairs done, he went towards Indira Colony for a test drive. But the canter stopped due to a snag. As soon as he took out his mobile phone to call the mechanic, a man snatched his mobile phone and fled on foot. The accused was nabbed by policemen deployed at a nearby naka. He was booked under Sections 379-A (snatching) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of Indian Penal Code at the IT Park police station. 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 fire broke out at a scrap warehouse in Daria village on Saturday afternoon due to a suspected short-circuit. Firefighters dousing the flames at the scrap warehouse in Daria village, Chandigarh. (Sant Arora/HT) According to fire officials, the fire was reported around 1.45 pm, following which eight fire tenders were rushed to the warehouse. It took them two hours to douse the flames. Scrap material inside the tin structure was gutted, but no one was injured. A short-circuit occurred in a pressing machine, used to mould iron scrap. The machine had around 500 litres of oil inside. The fire spread after coming in contact with the oil, ravaging the scrap material lying around. We immediately reached the spot after being informed by the police and initiated the fire control operation, a fire official said. Daria police post in-charge ASI Sudesh Kumar, along with Jaspal Singh Bhullar, station house officer, Industrial Area police station, also reached the spot and got the passage cleared for fire tenders movements. The exact loss is yet to be ascertained. The warehouse is run by scrap dealer Manish Kumar. According to him, his four employees were working inside when the fire broke out, but they managed to escape to safety, said ASI Kumar. 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 They made for a matchless pair: a dazzling little kingfisher with wings of calm-sea blue and a self-taught wildlife photographer possessed with a pair of keen blue eyes. Wildlife photographer Sophie Luby with a kingfisher. (Photo: Sophie Luby Instagram) Just two years into her pursuit of weekend wildlife photography, Sophie Luby, 29, had snuggled into a kingfisher hide at Kirkcudbright in Scotland when the bird landed on her camouflaged head. Luby was floored. The next day, she put another camera focused on her in the hope that the bird would alight again. The bird obliged, brought a fish and beat it on her head to stun it before gobbling it. The video caught the kingfishers jaunty actions along with the soft pitter-patter of its small feet on Lubys concealed head. All this while, Luby was laughing, her face melting into all manner of indulgent smiles, like a mother mooning over her newborn. She was also trying very hard not to quiver at the surreal avian odyssey taking place just above her. Luby did not want to frighten the unsuspecting kingfisher. The bird graced Luby with lady luck and she was instantly crowned the Princess of Good Times. Lubys reel of the kingfisher prancing on her head secured viral success with more than a million views since she posted it on Instagram on August 3, 2023, fetched her 1,33,872 likes and accounted for the overnight growth of her followers to 30,400. Apart from the kingfisher inveigled so artfully by the hide, it was Lubys personal charm radiating from the smiles gracing her salmon-pink lips and eyes of clear skies that exerted a magical draw on viewers. Would a kingfisher draw such attraction were it to alight on the worlds best wildlife photographer but one saddled with sagging white-grey moustaches, weather-beaten skin, a paunch arising from long, sedentary hours in hides, squinty eyes and a dour seen it all expression? Never! Leopard and gazelle kill, Masai Mara. (PHOTO: TARUN KAKAR) Unwanted, whiffs of Chanel Could a male leopard find himself imprisoned in a tree situated in the sprawling openness of the Maasai Mara (Kenya) with noxious fumes of expensive perfumes drifting up the big cats nostrils? Well, Chandigarh-based wealth management consultant and passionate photographer, Tarun Kakar, has quite a tale to narrate. His startling picture of the leopard on a thorn tree with his kill, a Thomsons gazelle, impaled on the branches was on display at the recent TPAS Drishti Photo Exhibition at Punjab Kala Bhawan. At first glance, Kakars frame captures the essence of leopard behaviour: to fetch the kill up a tree and safeguard it from lions, hyenas, wild dogs and other scavengers. But not humans, theres much more to that supposedly natural exposition of behaviour. I was on a game drive when I saw a jam of tourist vehicles around a tree in the far distance. Just as flocking, circling vultures send a visual signal of a carcass to other creatures, I also made for the tree. I had to wait an hour in the queue as there were so many vehicles. Tourists were clicking and ogling at the leopard with its kill. Some were sporting perfumes and the wild air was thick with artificial scents. Perfumes disrupt the receptive and sensory abilities of wild creatures. When our turn came, I spent about 2.5 hours taking pictures. I was myself a culprit, of tourist invasion of habitat and disruption of wild animals behaviour, Kakar told this writer. Kakars frames captured the bamboozled expression in the eyes of the leopard. It was restlessly traversing the branches from one end to another in a vain effort to spot an opening in the tourist vehicle cordon and flee the tree. The cat had been reduced to a prisoner pacing the cell, albeit, in the vast openness of his Masai Mara home. The leopard had killed the gazelle at night and must have been thirsty by now. But its movement from the tree to the waterhole was blocked, Kakar added. 1. 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 municipal corporation, with help from public and private sector banks, provided loans, at least once, to as many as 4,652 street vendors in the city under the PM Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM-SVANidhi) scheme, Union minister of state for finance Bhagwat Karad said on Friday. Union minister of state for finance Bhagwat Karad held a review meeting in Chandigarh. (Ravi Kumar/HT) The minister made the announcement after conducting a detailed review of the PMSVANidhi scheme during the North Zonal Convention being hosted by the UT civic body at Hotel Mountview on Friday. The zone includes Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh. While addressing the media, the minister said as per the target set by the Union government, Chandigarh was supposed to provide loans to at least 6,300 street vendors and the city has already achieved 74% of their target. Of the total beneficiaries, 3,424 have repaid their loans, as of now. Karad also asked MCC commissioner-cum-mission director Anindita Mitra to ensure completion of the target in a month. A special microcredit facility launched by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs in June 2020, the scheme aims to provide affordable loans to street vendors. It facilitates beneficiaries with collateral-free working capital loans of up to 10,000 for one-year tenure. On timely repayment of the first loan, the vendors get eligible for higher loans of 20,000 and 50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively. As per information available on the official website, Chandigarh has sanctioned 7,229 loans and made disbursement to 6,795 people. This disbursement includes first-time, second-time and third-time loans as well. As of now, the sanctioned amount is 10.29 crore and the disbursement amount is 9.95 crore. Chandigarhs performance was judged good in comparison to other North India states, with Punjab only providing loans to only 51% of their targeted vendors. The target achieved by Haryana was 35%, 77% in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir each and 83% in Ladakh. MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra emphasised the transformative impact of the PM SVANidhi scheme on the lives of street vendors, saying, The comprehensive support provided by the scheme, including access to affordable working capital loans, skills training, and institutional mechanisms for their holistic development. MCC is committed to continue working towards the complete fulfilment of the schemes targets, ensuring the welfare and prosperity of street vendors in the city. 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! While Panchkula began transporting garbage to Patvi, Ambala, earlier this year, the absence of the garbage processing facility remains a cause of concern for the municipal corporation as it hopes for a good performance in the Swachh Survekshan 2023. Work is underway to clear legacy waste from the Jhuriwala dumping site in Panchkula. (Sant Arora/HT) Panchkula bagged the 86th spot from among 382 cities in 2022, showing a slight improvement from the 99th finish in 2021. Panchkula graph has been up-and-down with the city being ranked 56 in 2020, 71 in 2019, 142 in 2018 and 211 in 2017. The slight jump can be attributed to the success of door-to-door collection of segregated waste, cleanliness of market and residential areas, drains, water bodies and daily sweeping in residential areas. Hoping to break into the top-50, municipal commissioner Sachin Gupta said, We have taken initiatives to improve in areas in which we were found wanting. Standing out from among the areas that can do with improvement are the need for a garbage processing facility, a grievance redressal and cleanliness of roads and public toilets. Garbage transported to Patvi, hunt on to set plant Panchkula generates 200 tonnes of waste on a daily basis from about 70,000 households, of which 60% is dry while the rest is wet waste. The MC came up with a stop-gap arrangement to transport garbage all the way to Ambalas Patvi for processing. The decision was taken as residents of the nine sectors in the trans-ghaggar area, Moginand, Bana and Madanpur villages had been protesting and seeking removal of the waste from Jhuriwala dumping ground. The commissioner had also set a December 31 deadline to eliminate the 2.5 lakh tonnes of legacy waste from Sector 23, which had the dumping site until July 2021 and Jhuriwala. Two machines are currently being set up for bio-mining of legacy waste in Sector 23, with the project set to be completed by March 2024. The initiative aims to dispose of 3 lakh metric tons (MT) of waste at a rate of 60,000 MT each month. A biomining machine has already been installed at Jhuriwala and the treatment of waste is expected to conclude by December. The site will manage the disposal of approximately 90,000 MT of waste. The civic body has also set the ball rolling for a plant that would cover processed wet waste into compressed natural gas (CNG). Segregation, grievance redressal a work in progress Door-to-door collection of segregated waste was a big step in improving management, but the segregation remains a herculean task. After the staff highlighted residents failure to segregate the waste, a ward-wise committee was announced to check disposal. To streamline door-to-door garbage collection, the municipal corporation has also uploaded the contact information for sector supervisors and drivers on its website. The move is to ensure timely collection of garbage from each sector. Speaking of the same, Gupta said, We have put out numbers to facilitate residents to call if garbage is not picked up. The residents can also get the garbage picked up by lodging a complaint on the corporations number: 9696120120. 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 Shailee Dogra A senior reporter based in Chandigarh, Shailee Dogra covers SAS Nagar (Mohali) district. ...view detail The Panjab University (PU) syndicate in its meeting on Saturday approved the framing of a template and parameters for assessment and evaluation of temporary/guest faculty for granting extension beyond one semester. The selection procedure for appointing guest faculty in Panjab University, Chandigarh, will be the same as that for regular teachers, as per UGC instructions. (HT File) The vice-chancellor had constituted a committee in this regard, with dean of university instruction (DUI) Rumina Sethi as the chairperson. The committee discussed that since the University Grants Commission (UGC) has increased the maximum limit of honorarium for guest faculty to 50,000, with 1,500 to be paid per lecture, they should contribute more in the working of a department, including research work and participating in other departmental activities. The selection procedure for appointing guest faculty will be the same as that for regular teachers, as per UGC instructions. The joint academic and administrative committees (JAAC) of the departments will evaluate their performance. While temporary faculty will have to submit an affidavit that they are not employed anywhere else, guest and part time faculty will be exempted from this. The recommendations made by the Punjab University Youth Welfare Committee were also approved. Budget provisions for participation in inter-university, state, north zone and national events have been increased from 4 lakh to 8 lakh, travelling allowance from 1 lakh to 1.5 lakh and budget for dresses of inter-varsity contingents from 2 lakh to 3 lakh. The syndicate approved the recommendation of the Admission Facilitation Committee regarding reservation of one seat for transgender students. A committee will be formed to decide the modalities. The syndicate also approved the discontinuation of MEd course at Guru Gobind Singh College of Education, Giddarbaha, Muktsar, from academic session 2023-2024. It also gave nod to appointment of a returning officer for the election of ordinary fellows 2024 and the minutes of various selection/screening-cum-evaluation committees. The syndicate also cleared names of Badri Narayan Tiwari, director and professor, GP Pant Social Science Institute Jhusi, Allahabad, for Dr Ambedkar Chair, and Sachidananda Mohanty, former vice-chancellor of Central University of Odisha, for Sri Aurobindo Chair. The agenda to confer the designation of honorary professor to former vice-chancellor Arun Kumar Grover in the department of physics, however, wasnt among the agendas approved. 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 Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections will be held on September 6, as confirmed from multiple sources. The official announcement is likely on Saturday, when the detailed schedule for elections will be shared by the varsity. ABVP supporters during a campaign rally ahead of the student council elections at the Student Centre, Panjab University/ (Ravi Kumar/HT) A proposal with a set of proposed dates was sent by Panjab University to the UT administration recently for its confirmation. As confirmed by various sources in the UT administration as well as PU, the former has approved September 6 as the PUCSC election date. Around 15,000 students are expected to participate in the elections this year. As PU has a number of students from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the campus poll results also gauge the public sentiment about political parties, most of whom enter the contest through their student wings. Last year, Aayush Khatkar of Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), the student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party, was elected the council president by a margin of 660 votes. The elections were held after a two-year gap owing to the Covid pandemic and this was the first time that the CYSS had contested in the PU polls. 48.91 cr for new hostels at PU Two weeks ahead of the Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) elections, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann announced a 48.91 crore grant for construction of more hostels on the campus. As per a communication shared by the Punjab government, 25.91 and 23 crore have been released for the construction of a boys and girls hostel, respectively. The same comes after Manns July 25 campus visit. Students had at the time raised the demand for more accommodation on the campus. Notably, the Punjab government had earlier not complied with the annual 6% hike in the grant to be paid to the university annually, which resulted in a shortfall of 4.25 crore. The state also owes 20.95 crore to the varsity under post-matric scholarship scheme. CYSS spots opportunity The student wing of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), had during last years election campaign promised that they would bring a grant for construction of new hostels from the Punjab government. Understandably ecstatic over the CMs announcement, the party leaders used the grant to bolster their election campaign at an event organised by the party at University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET) on Friday afternoon. CYSS state president Sanjeev Chaudhary said their efforts bore fruit, adding, Other student parties had brought up this issue that there are only talks for hostel funds and they remain on paper but we have answered them with our actions. Speaking at UIET, they also talked about how the party had contributed in getting the tuck shop and medical centre set up on the South campus. The move has surprised other student parties. A student leader who did not wish to be named remarked that even the student parties associated with other political parties wont be able to contribute as many funds towards the student welfare as CYSS has done through the AAP government, while the non-politically aligned student parties will also take a hit. 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 Providing relief to Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and allied services officers appointed in 2016, the Punjab and Haryana has set aside the November 2021 show-cause notices served by the state government conveying the decision to dispense with their services. Providing relief to Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and allied services officers appointed in 2016, the Punjab and Haryana has set aside the November 2021 show-cause notices served by the state government conveying the decision to dispense with their services. (Representational photo) The notices were issued on the grounds that the entire process of selecting them in 2004 was vitiated. The November 27, 2021, notices to officers said the matter has been considered by the government and it has concluded that the selection process of 102 candidates by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) suffered from irregularities. Therefore, it would be discriminatory to bifurcate the selection of some candidates as untainted, it said. Show-cause notices in conflict with judgment Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi of the high court, in his August 16 order, said that once the decision taken by the government to appoint the petitioners after declaring them untainted candidates was accepted by the court and made part of the court order, the order along with the government decision to treat the petitioners as untainted candidates becomes binding upon the parties to the litigation. As the order passed by the letters patent appeal (LPA) bench is binding upon the state government, no contrary decision can be taken to violate the court judgment, the HC said. The court said that show-cause notices issued after taking a decision to term the petitioners as tainted candidates is in direct conflict with the governments February 26, 2016, decision to appoint them and the court judgment. It cannot be allowed to be sustained, it said. The judgment of the division bench is binding upon the parties as it has attained finality and has been implemented by the government. Taking a decision contrary to the court judgment will amount to overriding it and cannot be allowed to be done, the HC said. It said that according to the settled principle of law, the successor in office cannot overturn a valid decision taken and already implemented. DSPs affidavit cant override two VB reports Answering the governments contention that it needs to take action in view of a fresh report of the vigilance bureau (VB) deputy superintendent of police (DSP), the high court said that no such fresh report by VB officers has been brought on record. Only an affidavit given by a DSP is being relied upon to hold that as per a fresh view of the VB not only 64 candidates are tainted but even a majority of the untainted candidates who were appointed are also now tainted. The question which arises for consideration is whether an affidavit of an officer of a DSP rank officer will override two VB reports - one given by the director in 2011 and other given by a committee formed by the government in 2016, the court said. It said that it may be noticed that once a report on the basis of the same record has been given by an officer of the highest rank in the VB, the report cannot be overridden by an officer who is subordinate by taking a contradictory view, particularly when the record remains the same on the basis of which the reports have been given by the vigilance department and an affidavit has been filed by a DSP-rank officer in (CWP number 7888 of 2017). Framing charges doesnt mean accused is guilty: HC The court rejected the governments argument that since the selection process is a subject matter of criminal proceedings with charges having been framed against the petitioners, the fact is good enough to take a decision contrary to the initial decision of terming the petitioners as untainted. On being told that charges in the criminal proceedings have been framed only against three persons and not all, the court said mere framing of the charges in a criminal proceeding, according to the settled principle of law, does not mean that the accused is guilty. The court said its order will not preclude the government to seek review of the order passed by the division bench (in letters patent appeal 1168 of 2015 of February 27, 2016) in case they intend to reopen the issue as to whether petitioners are tainted or not. CASE TIMELINE *The HPSC recommended the appointment of the candidates in 2004 during the INLD rule. *They were not offered appointment by the Congress government as these selections came under cloud and the matter was investigated by the vigilance bureau. *Following two vigilance investigations that segregated untainted candidates, 38 HCS and allied services officers were appointed by the state government in 2016. *Show-cause notice served by the government to officers in 2021 to dispense with their services in the wake of petitions filed by candidates who were not given appointments. 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 Hamburg man found guilty of second-degree murder in bar attack An Erie County jury on Friday found a Hamburg man guilty of robbing and killing a 67-year-old man outside a Blasdell bar in 2021. Jurors rendered their decision against William J. Giambelluca, 34, after three hours of deliberation, convicting him on charges of second-degree murder and first-degree robbery. The trial was five days. Giambelluca attacked his victim, John E. Rados Jr., in the parking lot of a Blasdell tavern shortly before midnight on Nov. 22, 2021, as Rados was leaving the bar on Lake Shore Road. Giambelluca struck Rados on the head with an object while robbing the victim of an unknown amount of cash and fleeing the scene. Rados drove himself home after the assault. Rados was found unconscious inside his home by a family member the following morning and taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center where he later died on Nov. 24, 2021. The Erie County Medical Examiners Office determined that he died from blunt force trauma to the head. Giambelluca, who remains held without bail, faces a maximum of 25 years to life in prison when he is sentence before Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case on Oct. 13. - Harold McNeil A Punjab-origin man and his accomplice have been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle banned drugs into Britain after an investigation led by the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA). A Punjab-origin man and his accomplice have been sentenced to 12 years imprisonment each after pleading guilty to conspiracy to smuggle banned drugs into Britain after an investigation led by the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA). (HT File) Sundeep Singh Rai, 37, and accomplice Billy Hayre, 43, belonged to an organised crime group (OCG) responsible for 30 kilos of cocaine and 30 kilos of amphetamine being smuggled to the UK on a cargo plane from Mexico. The duo initially denied charges of conspiracy to supply class A banned drugs, but changed their pleas to guilty just before a trial was due to start at Wolverhampton Crown Court earlier this year and were sentenced for the crimes at the same court on Friday. Rai and Hayre were behind a sophisticated attempt to smuggle class A drugs from Mexico onto the streets of the UK, said NCA Operations Manager Chris Duplock. I have no doubt that had we not stopped them, they would have used this route repeatedly to bring in more drugs. Working with partners at home and abroad, we will do all we can to disrupt the supply of class A drugs which are inextricably linked to gang violence and real suffering across UK communities, he said. NCA investigators were tracking Rai and Hayres smuggling plans and provided intelligence to partners in the Border Force, who found the drugs after the flight landed at Heathrow Airport in May last year.The haul of class A was removed and seized and the investigators allowed the empty consignment to run and monitored it. They watched as more than a week later, in June 2022, it was collected from a cargo holding area by a white Mercedes van and driven to the Greet Green Industrial Estate in West Bromwich in the West Midlands region of England. The NCA watched as Rai and Hayre met the Mercedes van and unloaded the shipment into an industrial unit. The day after, the pair who both worked as housing officers at Sandwell Council took delivery of another drugs shipment. The men met a heavy goods vehicle back at the industrial estate carrying a cover-load of bananas. As the pair began unloading it, NCA officers supported by West Midlands Police officers, arrested them. More than nine kilos of cocaine hidden in a cardboard box was also found in Rais car. Around two kilos of methylmethcathinone also known by the street name of Meow Meow was found in the garage of Rais home, the NCA said. A property he rented in Balfour Crescent, Wolverhampton, was also searched where officers found 250 grams of heroin, 700 ecstasy tablets, a cash counting machine and a dealing list. 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! Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday announced that his party would contest the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGMC) elections. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal addressed a press conference in Chandigarh on Saturday. (HT File) He appealed to the Sikh sangat to support them to free the gurdwaras from the clutches of modern day mahants who had seized control over the gurdwara body, in connivance with the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a press conference here, the SAD president said the party would contest the elections on its symbol. Our focus is on giving Sikhs in Haryana the right to have their own gurdwara committee, besides freeing them from the present committee which is indulging in free-for-all fights and abuses during official meetings, which is against all principles and norms. He also appealed to Sikhs in Haryana to enroll themselves as voters in large numbers so as to restore the pride of the Panth. On Punjab floods Speaking on the recent floods in the state, Sukhbir said, The SAD is of firm belief that the recent floods in Punjab are a man-made tragedy and that chief minister (CM) Bhagwant Mann is responsible for the same. He said the CM failed to take any flood prevention meeting before the onset of the monsoons. He also failed to regulate the release of flood waters from the Bhakra and Pong dams, resulting in large parts of Punjab being inundated. He fled to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to participate in election programmes of Aam Aadmi Party along with his boss Arvind Kejriwal. This resulted in a loss of around 10,000 crore and paddy crop on seven lakh acres was destroyed. 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 teacher of a government school has been arrested for allegedly giving corporal punishment to a class 10 student for writing a religious slogan on a classroom board in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said on Saturday. On August 25, police said a complaint was made by Kuldeep Singh alleging that his son was beaten up by teacher Farooq Ahmad and school principal Mohd Hafiz. (iStock) According to police, the principal of the Government Higher Secondary School, Bani, is also accused of physically assaulting the teenager and is absconding.They said the victim student is undergoing treatment at a hospital.Kathua deputy commissioner Rakesh Minhas has constituted a three-member committee to probe the incident which sparked protests by students and parents on Saturday. On August 25, police said a complaint was made by Kuldeep Singh alleging that his son was beaten up by teacher Farooq Ahmad and school principal Mohd Hafiz.A case was registered at Bani police stattin under the relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and a team headed by the local station house officer visited the school premises and apprehended the teacher, they said. The principal is absconding and a search is going on to arrest him, while further investigation is underway, a senior police officer said.The committee constituted by the deputy commissioner will have Bani sub divisional magistrate, Kathua deputy chief education officer and principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Kharote, as its members. The committee members are directed to inquire into the matter and submit the fact finding report along with specific comments and recommendations to this office within two days positively in order to proceed further in the matter. Moreover, the committee is also directed to fix the responsibility against the culprit regarding the incident, Minhas said in an order.The protesters alleged that the student was thrashed by the teacher and the principal for writing a religious slogan on the classroom board. 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 Security forces have busted a terror module in Jammu and Kashmirs Bandipora district with the arrest of two people, including the wife of a slain terrorist, police said on Saturday. The accused in police custody with the recovered arms and ammunition. (Sourced) A police spokesperson said that based on specific input about the movement of a hybrid terrorist, a checkpoint was set up in Dardgund area of the north Kashmir district on Friday. He said a person tried to flee on seeing security personnel at the checkpoint and was subsequently arrested. A pistol, a pistol magazine, eight rounds and other incriminating material were recovered from him, the spokesperson said and identified the accused as Shafayat Zubair Rishi, a resident of Nesbal Sumbal. During questioning, the accused said that he was on his way to collect a cache of arms and ammunition from a woman identified as Munira Begum, the wife of slain terrorist commander Yousuf Choupan. Begum was also arrested, he said. The accused was in touch with Pakistan-based terror handler Mushtaq Ahmad Mir who exfiltrated to the neighbouring country in 1999 and was working for the revival of terrorists in the district. Rishi was involved in a blast in Kothibagh in 2000 in which 14 people, including 12 police personnel, were killed and had remained associated with the proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen and later with Al-Badr. Rishi was also involved in the burning of an Army vehicle in Sumbal in 2009 and is out on bail in the case. On the disclosure of Begum, security forces recovered a cache of arms and ammunition, including a Krinkov AK-47 rifle, three magazines, 90 rounds and a pen pistol that were to be delivered to Rishi from a nearby forested area, the spokesperson said. During questioning, it was known that Begum had gone to Pakistan twice, the spokesman added. Rishi admitted that he was about to get 47 lakh for the revival of terrorism in the district. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. Three LeT operatives arrested in Kupwara In a joint operation, Jammu and Kashmir Police and 28 Rashtriya Rifles apprehended two terrorist associates of Laskar-e-Taiba in Kupwara. They also recovered five hand grenades, of Pakistan and China origin, and three mobile phones from the suspects. Police spokesperson said that acting on credible information, an operation was launched to intercept two terrorist associates who had procured a consignment from an unidentified individual in Kupwara. The individuals were traced to be moving towards Shatmuqam village with instructions received from LeT commander Ghulam Rasool alias Rafia Rasool, originally a resident of Chandigam Lolab and now based in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. The apprehended individuals were identified as Zubair Ahmad Shah Peerzada and Peerzada Mubashir Yousf, residents of Shatmuqam, Lolab, Kupwara. Initial investigations suggest that the duo had assigned to select local targets involved in disseminating government schemes. They had also shared photographs of potential targets to their handlers, the spokesman said. Police have registered a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. In a separate incident, police and 47 RR arrested Zahoor Ahmad Khan at a checkpoint in the general area of Dragmullah Shalpora after recovering a hand grenade from his vehicle bearing registration number JK05E-0335. 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! Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Saturday issued a notice to city police in connection with two separate incidents of alleged sexual assault with two minor girls in Jagatpuri area of Shahdara. In both these cases, FIRs have been registered at PS Jagatpuri, it said.(Representational image) The panel said it has been informed that two persons in two separate incidents sexually assaulted two 15-year-old girls several times in a hotel. In both these cases, FIRs have been registered at PS Jagatpuri, it said. The panel through its letter asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) to provide details of action taken against the hotel where the incidents took place. It has sought to know whether the accused as well as the owner/manager of the hotel have been arrested. It has asked the police to provide a list of all FIRs registered in the district since January 2018 till date in which minors and women were sexually assaulted in hotels. "Please inform the status of each of these cases. Please inform the details of steps taken by Delhi Police against hotels wherein cases of sexual assault against minors are registered, (sic)," it said. The DCW has also asked for a copy of rules and guidelines issued by the Delhi Police regarding booking or stay of minors in hotels and guest houses along with details of steps taken by it to ensure safety of women and minors staying at such places in the city. The panel has given the police time till August 30 to provide the information. 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 system that does not take complaints of sexual harassment seriously becomes party to the crimes against women, Delhi women and child development minister Atishi wrote to the Delhi chief secretary on Saturday a day after HT reported that at least four women had filed complaints of sexual harassment between 2018 and 2022 against Premoday Khakha, the suspended senior Delhi government official who has been accused of raping a minor girl for over three months at his home. Suspended rape-accused Delhi government official and his wife. (ANI) In a letter to chief secretary Naresh Kumar, Atishi also sought a detailed report on the complaints against Khakha and the delay in action on them. HT has seen a copy of the letter. Khakha, who was assistant director in Delhi governments women and child development (WCD) department, was arrested on Monday for allegedly raping a minor girl in his care multiple times at his home between November 2020 and January 2021. HT reported on Friday that the WCD department received four complaints of sexual harassment by Khakha between 2018 and 2022 from four women working at a mental health unit in Sewa Kutir complex in Kingsway Camp, where he was posted as superintendent. The complainants, employed by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), were then working at the mental health unit on a contractual basis. Also Read | Why ignored previous complaints against rape accused official: Atishi Not taking action in time, encourages wrongdoers. A system that does not take complaints of sexual harassment seriously becomes party to the crimes against women. Perpetrators begin to feel that there are no repercussions to their behaviour and become emboldened. It puts the women and girls around them at a higher risk, Atishi said in the letter. The chief secretary said that stern action will be taken against the officers concerned, if found guilty. Atishi said that if senior government officials were aware of the complaints against Khakha, then it raises serious questions as to how complaints are handled, inquiries done and disciplinary action taken. How can senior officers turn a blind eye to such complaints? What makes this incident especially alarming is that the officer in question was working in the women and child department. How could someone accused of sexual harassment of women be allowed to work in a department responsible for the protection and welfare of women and children, Atish wrote. She added that the indifference shown by the government machinery in handling such serious complaints and delay in disciplinary action is truly shocking. In the letter, the minister also directed the chief secretary to provide a detailed report on the timeline of the complaints, the officers who handled them, the nature of inquiry, the senior most officer aware of these complaints and whether any disciplinary action was taken against him (Khakha) or not. When contacted, Kumar said that he is looking into the matter. Stern action will be taken against all those officers, who will be found guilty of protecting Khakha. No dilly-dally approach can be tolerated in handling such sensitive issues, he said. HT reported that in two of the complaints, the internal committee (IC) of WCD which has four members and a presiding officer (an official of the WCD department) concluded that the harassment could not be proved: The IC observed that the allegation against the respondent has not been proved, it is the recommendation of the IC that no action is required to be taken in this matter, the committee said in a note. HT has seen a copy of the note. In both cases, the complainants challenged the ICs report in the Delhi high court. The department filed an affidavit in the first case on February 5, 2022 and the next date of hearing is on September 26, 2023. In the second one, the affidavit was filed on June 30 this year and the next date of hearing has been fixed for November 30, 2023, said a senior WCD official, asking not to be named. According to the official, the third complainant also approached the high court in June 2021, where she was asked to approach the appropriate authority, whereas in in the complaint by the anonymous victim, the vigilance wing of the department noted that it should not be considered due to lack of merit. Khakha, who joined the department of social welfare as probationary welfare officer in 1998 of which WCD department was a part at the time rose to one of the most powerful positions in the department in last 25-odd years, even serving as an officer on social duty (OSD) for the WCD minister for one year between March 2022 and March 2023. According to the statement by the minor victim, she went to Khakhas house in Burari from her parents residence in Usmanpur to overcome depression due to her fathers death. She told the police that Khakha first raped her on October 31, 2020. He then raped her several times till January 21 when she got pregnant. She said when she told Khakhas wife about it, she fed her abortion pills. Both Khakha and his wife are in judicial custody. Khakha allegedly molested the minor girl at the independent Amazing Grace church in Burari a small cult of sorts of 30-odd families that is not affiliated to any official diocese whenever he saw her there after February 2021, police said, citing the statement of the 17-year-old rape survivor. 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 Sanjeev K Jha In his reporting career of over 20 years, Sanjeev K Jha has covered bureaucracy, politics, ISI activities in border areas, music and Bollywood. Presently, he covers crime in the national Capital. ...view detail The Delhi Police will on Sunday hold a 'carcade' rehearsal from various points to Pragati Maidan ahead of the G20 Summit scheduled in the national capital next month. Delhi Police along with traffic police officials conducts Carcade rehearsals for the G20 Delegates.(HT Photo) Traffic will be regulated at several places from 9 am to 12.30 pm to facilitate the rehearsals, the police said. READ | Carcade rehearsal ahead of G20 Summit triggers traffic congestion in Delhi The roads where traffic will be regulated are Sardar Patel Marg-Panchsheel Marg, Teen Murti Marg, Barakhamba Road traffic signal, Janpath-Kartavya Path, Vivekanand Marg, under the Lodhi Road flyover, Shanti Van Chowk, Joseph Tito Marg-Siri Fort Road, Press Enclave Road-Lal Bahadur Shashtri Marg, C-Hexagon, Mathura Road and Saleem Garh Bypass, they said. The police have asked commuters to plan their journeys accordingly. Commuters may experience congestion on these roads and junctions. Motorists are requested to have patience, observe traffic rules and road discipline and follow the directions of traffic police personnel deployed at all intersections, they added. 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 Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) reiterated on Saturday that it will carry out a procession in Nuh, where a similar event on July 31 was at the heart of communal clashes that left six people dead over three days of religious clashes that spilled over to nearby districts, appearing to defy police restrictions that ban large gatherings. The Hindutva outfit leaders said only Hindus from Nuh, Gurugram and Palwal will participate in yatra on Monday in view of the upcoming G20 summit. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo) In a press conference on Saturday, the right-wing Hindu group said the Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek yatra in Nuh was abandoned midway on July 31 and will be completed on Monday. We dont need permission for the yatra as it is a religious procession. The Hindus in Mewat and across the country were worried that the yatra on July 31 has remained incomplete and now we have decided to complete it. We appeal to the Muslims to uphold the values of peaceful coexistence as large numbers among them have offered support to the yatra, said Surendra Kumar Jain, central joint secretary, VHP, adding that the district administration had been informed. Also Read | Jal Abhishek yatra in Nuh: Nobody will be allowed to take law into their hands: DGP But, the outfit leader added, only Hindus from Nuh, Gurugram and Palwal will participate in view of the upcoming G20 Summit. They said the yatra will be taken out under the aegis of Sarva Hindu Samaj, and include prominent members of the Hindu community, including pals (community grouping). Narendra Bijarniya, the superintendent of police (SP), Nuh, said no person from outside the district will be allowed for any procession. We have made it clear that no one from outside the district will be allowed to take out any procession or participate in it. We have no problems if the local residents of Nuh participate in rituals (but not in groups) and carry out Jalabhishek as they have been carrying out. Strict measures have been put in place to maintain law-and-order, he said. No procession will be allowed in Nuh since the situation is sensitive, said a senior police officer, adding that no rally or religious yatra will be allowed, as it could lead to another communal flare-up in the region. The Mewat area includes a number of districts spanning Haryana and Rajasthan, including Nuh, eastern part of Alwar district and western part of Bharatpur district. Nuh deputy commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata on Saturday imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) from August 25-28 with a view to maintain law and order. According to the order, possession and carrying of lethal and offensive weapons, excluding kirpan (ceremonial knife carried by Sikhs), are prohibited in public places where five or more individuals gather. A narrative is being created that Hindu activists were involved in this violence but it has been set aside by police. We demand that those involved in the violence on July 31 be punished, said Jain. Arun Zaildar, who heads the 52 pals (community grouping) said the yatra will be conducted peacefully. We had a discussion with the Muslims as well and they have decided to support the yatra, he said. Khadgata also issued orders under section 3(1) of the Punjab Village and Small Town Patrol Act, 1918, to set up thikri pehras (to safeguard or secure villages from robberies, thefts, or similar situations) in all villages and towns of Nuh district from August 26 to 28. The Gurugram Police on Saturday said since no permission has been granted to the yatra, residents should refrain from participating in it. No permission has been granted to the yatra in Nuh on August 28, and as such we appeal to residents not to participate in it, police said in a statement. Members of the Muslim community in Nuh said taking out a religious procession was within the rights of any community but the organisers must also keep in view the prevalent volatile situation. Every community has the right to take out processions, but it is important to keep in mind that tension still prevails and tempers could flare again. It is better to postpone it for the time being, said Ramzan Choudhary, advocate and former president of Mewat Vikas Manch. Salamudin, a prominent social activist from Nuh, said the yatra was being used as a tool to push a communal agenda to polarise Hindus and Muslims. This is not a historic yatra but a religious procession, which is now being misused to incite the Muslim community. At this time, the yatra should not be allowed, he said. The locals of Nuh held a meeting on Saturday and have asked the men to remain indoor on Monday so that their name is not involved in violence, if any, during the yatra. We have spread the message that parents should not allow their children to go out. All the men have been directed to remain indoors. We are already suffering so we want to remain safe, said Mohammad Irsad, a member of the panchayat of Singar village. 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 Danish Akhlaq, the son of former BSP Lok Sabha MP from Uttar Pradeshs Meerut Shahid Akhlaq, was arrested on charge of rape, police here said on Saturday. Circle officer, Brahmpuri circle, Suchita Singh said a case under section 376 (rape) of the Indian Pena Code was registered against Danish Akhlaq with Partapur police station. Shahid Akhlaq, who was the MP from 2004 to 2009, alleged his son was honey trapped with the intention of maligning his image. (For Representation) Inspector, Partapur police station, Shubham Agarwal said the accused was arrested on Saturday and further investigation into the case was under way. As per the complaint, a female BA student, 22, in Delhi got friendly with Danish Akhlaq on a social media platform and started talking to him on phone. Danish went to meet her in Delhi on August 20 and they spent time together in a restaurant there, the complaint said. Danish told her about his family and invited her to Meerut. She came to Meerut on August 22 and Danish asked her to meet the manager of a hotel and wait for him, the complaint said. As per the complaint, the former MPs son arrived there soon and started consuming alcohol and forced her to make physical relations with him. The survivor meet Meerut SSP Rohit Kumar Sajwan on August 23 and gave a complaint against Danish. Terming it a conspiracy, Shahid Akhlaq, who was the MP from 2004 to 2009, alleged his son was honey trapped with the intention of maligning his image. He demanded a thorough probe into the allegations and said his family will cooperate in investigation. 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 woman medical practitioner, who runs a private hospital and maternity center, was arrested and sent to jail for creating an inciteful post to attack a Hindu minor boy, in Bareilly, on Friday. The boy had exchanged communal remarks with a Muslim boy on social media in Bareilly, senior police officials said on Saturday. For representation only (HT File Photo) Police officials said legal action has been taken against 33 people including five minors in the past one week in connection with the series of brawls that happened over the social media posts. They said 28 adults have been arrested and sent to jail while five minors were sent to a juvenile home. Additional superintendent of police (ASP), rural, Raj Kumar Agarwal, said that the accused doctor, Nargis Siddiqui, was arrested from her house in Narsua Bhairpura locality of Bareilly. He said the woman runs a private medical and maternity home and claimed to be a gynaecologist, but failed to present proper documents to certify her being a medical practitioner. He said the police have written to the medical and district administration authorities to verify the womans credentials and the legality of the maternity centre. He said further action will be decided according to the findings. He said that for now, the woman has been booked for inciting communal violence and the misuse of social media platforms. The ASP stated it all started on August 18 when two minor boys of Hindu and Muslim communities indulged in an exchange on Facebook. He said that the woman created inciteful posts to attack the house of Hindu boy. He said several other similar inciteful posts surfaced on different social platforms after which a Muslim group surrounded the boys house in Sheeshgarh police station limits and pelted it with stones. He said as many as seven different cases have been registered against the minor boys and other people at Sheeshgarh and Shahi police station since August 19. Agarwal said the police have so far arrested 33 people including the two minor boys through whom it all started. He said the two boys have been sent to a juvenile home while 28 other adults were sent to jail including the woman practitioner. He said two more communal inciteful posts surfaced on Friday and the police have been making efforts to trace people behind it and take action against the creator. 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 service dog who bit a neighbor will be removed from his owners home and sent to live at an animal sanctuary, a Lancaster town judge ruled Thursday. Justice David Stabler decided last week that Bandit, a 4-year-old male Alaskan Malamute, is a dangerous dog who caused serious physical injuries to Lancaster village resident Jillian Durkin. Bandit is owned by village of Lancaster resident Joshua Gilley, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a car crash more than 10 years ago. The dog serves as a companion and helps Gilley get through related seizures. Lancaster judge rules service dog that bit neighbor a threat to public; to decide malamute's fate next week A Lancaster town judge ruled late Thursday that a service dog who bit a neighbor is considered a dangerous dog and will remain in the town animal shelter until the justice decides whether the animal should be euthanized or rehabilitated. Stabler could have decided to euthanize Bandit, but ruled he believes the dog can be rehabilitated but not by his owner. I just have absolutely no assurance or confidence that (Bandit) can be trained or properly handled by Mr. Gilley, Stabler said. Gilley appeared distraught as he walked away from the Lancaster Town Court building Thursday afternoon, following the brief hearing. We believe Josh has the capability, certainly, to be an excellent dog owner, Gilleys attorney, Matthew Albert, said of his client. Hes just not being given that opportunity and that is a shame. Bandit got out of his Wren Avenue home on June 28 and made his way a street over to East Drullard Avenue, where he bit Durkin outside her home. Durkin testified last week in court that she started to panic when she saw Bandit approach her home that day because he had previously bitten her husband. She said she grabbed the dog by the collar after Bandit approached her 8-year-old son and a neighborhood girl in a yard and pushed his head into their midsections. Durkin said she grabbed the dog by the collar to protect the children and Bandit bit her in an arm and didnt let go, eventually pushing Durkin through her glass storm door. He continued biting her on both arms until neighbors came to help, she said. Durkin testified she required treatment for her injuries at Erie County Medical Center. Nearly two months after the attack, Durkin said, she still has pain in her arms. In addition to sending Bandit to live at a sanctuary, Stabler ruled he must be listed as a dangerous dog in perpetuity and be neutered and microchipped if he is not already. Lancaster man, advocacy group hope to save service dog from being euthanized Joshua Gilley of Lancaster is desperate to get his service dog, Bandit, returned to him. Bandit was taken away after the dog was inadvertently let loose and bit a neighbor who may have tried to to grab him by the collar, and now he could be euthanized. Gilley must pay a $1,000 fine and reimburse Durkin for any out-of-pocket medical expenses, lost earnings and other damages incurred. The court does recognize the importance of Bandit to the defendant, but the defendants wants cannot outweigh the risk to the community, Stabler said. Albert said he plans to appeal the judges decision. We dont necessarily believe its the best ruling, the most just ruling, said Albert, who owns an animal rescue and sanctuary called Against All Oddz Animal Alliance and hopes to take in Bandit. Bandits life is spared, he said, and Gilleys supporters plan to get the dog out of the Lancaster animal control kennel and get him into a much better environment. Navi Mumbai: The body of a superintendent of customs, Mayank P Singh, 38, was fished out from a pond near the Taloja jail on Friday, police officials said. HT Image The police found his car parked nearby the pond, assistant commissioner of police (Kharghar division) Ashok Rajput said. There was a mobile phone in the car, which had some missed calls. We called back the numbers, which helped us identify the victim. The body has been handed over to the relatives for the last rites. According to the police, there was a suicide note inside the car wherein Singh blamed some of his colleagues and a few others for harassment. The Kharghar police have registered a case of accidental death report. Singh used to stay alone at Valley Ship Society in sector 36, Kharghar, while his family stayed in Delhi, a police officer said, adding, Singh has accused some of the persons of forcing him to release import consignments in the customs bond warehouse without levying any penalty. Meanwhile, for this act, he was booked by the CBI in the graft case. Singh was posted at Jawaharlal Nehru Customs House (JNCH) at Nhava Sheva. Singh, the then superintendent of customs, was accused of accepting payments from two firms Shree Marketing, Thane and Shree Sai Snehal Import and Export Pvt Ltd, Goregaon to deliver their goods, which were kept on hold due to non-payment of redemption penalties worth 14.5 lakh. Redemption fines refer to the option given by the adjudicating authority to the person whose goods are confiscated to pay a fine instead of confiscation. After a surprise check by the CBI at JNCH, it was found that there were no documents supporting the release of the goods in which the fine had to be paid, following which an FIR was registered on August 21, and on August 23, a house search was done. We are going through Singhs mobile phone and other documents found in the car, Rajput added. 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! Thane: After two months of investigation, a Thane crime branch team on Friday arrested four persons in Shirdi in connection with a double murder where the bodies were disposed of at two different locations in Kasara Ghat. One of the two men was allegedly murdered for harassing a woman whom the accused claimed they considered a sister, while the other was killed after he witnessed the murder. HT Image The arrested accused were identified as Manoj Shivappa Nashi (24), Kunal Prakash Mudaliar (23), Prashant Ambadas Khulule (25) and Feroz Dildar Pathan (19), all residents of Ramnagar in Shirdi. The two murdered youngsters were identified as Sufiyan Ghone (33) from Loni and Sahil Pathan (21) from Songaon, both in Ahmednagar. The sister of the accused who faced harassment lived in Loni. On June 19, the Kasara police had received information from villagers that two bodies had been thrown into a pit along the Mumbai-Nashik highway. One of the victims had been attacked with a sharp weapon while the other was strangulated, said Ramesh Tadvi, senior police inspector. We started investigating but it was tough since there were no CCTVs covering that part of the highway. So we began looking at missing persons records at all the police stations around. Meanwhile, the police found the key of a Mahindra Bolero in one of the deceaseds pockets. We contacted the Mahindra Bolero factory to check whether the key could help us get the car registration details, said Tadvi. Within a few days, the car manufacturer sent us those, and we learned that the car was from Loni. The police then spent almost two weeks in Loni and finally reached Sahil Pathan, who, they discovered, had been missing along with his friend Sufiyan Ghone for almost a month and a half. The search for the accused then began. Through several technical details, including call records and the social media accounts of the deceased, the police identified Nashi, Mudaliar and Feroz Pathan. They were picked up and after interrogation, confessed to the murder. Sahil Pathan allegedly used to message and call the sister of the accused, said Tadvi. Angered by this, they decided to teach him a lesson and summoned him to an unknown place in Ahmednagar on the evening of June 17. Pathan went there accompanied by Ghone. The accused and their sister beat up Pathan and later attacked him with a hammer till he vomited blood and fell unconscious. Ghone, who witnessed the murder, said he was going to the police, whereupon the accused strangled him with a hood that one of them was wearing. On June 18, the group packed the bodies in double blankets and shawls and transported them to Kasara Ghat, where they were dumped at two different locations on June 18. While the woman continues to be on the run, the four accused were arrested on Friday and produced before a local court today. The court remanded them to police custody for five days. 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! Within 48 hours of a five-year-old girl from Vile Parles Nehru Nagar was kidnapped by a friend of her father on Wednesday, police arrested the accused and united the child with her family. Ragpicker kidnaps friends daughter over a petty dispute with her mother According to police, the accused, who was identified as Ajay Pawar, had been living with the family of the complainant Marisagai Shirle in Sri Lanka Chawl for the last one year. Pawar was a friend of her husband Santosh, and both used to work as ragpickers and manual scavengers in Dharavi. On Wednesday, after Santosh left for work, Pawar stayed back claiming he was feeling unwell, police officers said. At home, he had an argument with Marisagai over a petty issue. Around 11 am, when her five-year-old daughter Gayatri started crying for a lollipop, he volunteered to take her out and get her the candy, an officer from Juhu police station said. When Santosh returned home for lunch, Pawar was still away with Gayatri, he added. After looking for their daughter in the neighborhood, the Shirle couple approached the police later in the day and a kidnapping case against Pawar was registered. On the instructions of additional commissioner of police (west) Paramjeet Singh Dahiya and deputy commissioner of police (zone 9) Krishnakant Upadhyay, six teams were formed to track down the accused. One team accompanied Santosh to the places where he and Pawar worked while another team along with Merisagai went to the house of Pawars relative. One team each checked the CCTV footage and traced the location of his phone. One team was in touch with the railway police and another team independently searched for the accused at places where he could be hiding. None of the people we spoke to had any knowledge of his whereabouts. His phone was also switched off. Finally, a team spotted Pawar at Jogeshwari railway station on Friday afternoon, the police officer said. Bandra Government Railway Police was alerted, and the accused was nabbed and handed over to the Juhu police. During interrogation, Pawar allegedly told the police that he was upset about the way the girls mother had spoken to him. It was with the intention of teaching her a lesson that Pawar took Gayatri away. We also had medical tests of the child done. She was not harmed, the officer added. Pawar, the police said, assimilated with the destitute people sitting outside the railway station and stayed put for two days. It was when he had come inside the station premises to fetch water that a police team spotted him, officers 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 MUMBAI: After recording a high of 58.29 percent in 2020, the conviction rate in Maharashtra has seen a shocking drop in the last two years. From 54.36 percent in 2021, the rate plunged to 46.36 percent in 2022 and then to 41.36 percent in the first six months of 2023. The state government has taken the fall very seriously and has sought a report from the state director-general of police (DGP). Once the report is submitted, the home department is expected to tweak rules to fix responsibility on public prosecutors (PPs) and investigating officers. HT Image Devendra Fadnavis, after taking over as chief minister and home minister in 2014, took some major steps in 2015 to improve the conviction rate. The home department issued as many as 14 government resolutions to bring about changes in the policies related to crime investigation and court battles. To avoid delays in the appointment of PPs, powers of appointment were delegated to district-level heads of police and officers from the directorate of prosecution. New rules were framed by the home department for PPs appointments and responsibilities, and their jobs were linked to how they performed in court. The home departments decisions were taken against the backdrop of the drastic fall in the conviction rate. According to information provided by the state CID to Hindustan Times under a Right To Information application, the crime rate was 13.3 percent in 2013 and 19.32 percent in 2014. It ranged between 32.45 percent and 32.99 percent between 2015 and 2017 before improving significantly in 2018 at 41.41 percent. In 2019, it was 48.95 percent. Some districts have fared consistently poorly in the conviction rate. For instance, in 2021, when the overall state conviction rate was 54.23 percent, Beed and Parbhani in central Maharashtra were below 25 percent, while eight districts in Vidarbha and central Maharashtra ranged between 25 and 35 percent. Mumbai city reported 48.21 percent, while in Thane city it was 54.31 percent. Districts and cities with high political interference and those that are extremely backward report a low conviction rate, said an official from the home department. Anup Kumar Singh, principal secretary, home department, told HT that the drop in the conviction rate was discussed in a crime conference held last month. The home minister has taken it seriously, he said. The director-general of police (DGP) has been asked to submit a report on the steps needed to improve it. Once the report is submitted, we will make necessary changes in our policy. Like the 14 government resolutions we issued in 2015, making key changes in the policy to improve the conviction rate, we will further tweak the policy again. An official from the DGPs office said that apart from police investigation, there were two other major factors that hit the conviction rate. In many cases, witnesses turn hostile, resulting in defeat in court, he said. Secondly, the public prosecutors appointed to represent the police and the government fail to fight the case effectively. In such cases, even the effective investigation by police becomes futile. The officer said that the police department sensitised investigating officers by holding workshops and training sessions. In many cases, the appointment of public prosecutors is influenced by political interference, he said. It compromises the competence and integrity of the prosecutors representing the government. Such appointees are not able to fight cases effectively, resulting in the acquittal of the accused. In some cases, the prosecutors come under pressure or join hands with the accused. The policy related to their appointment and responsibility needs to be further amended. 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 an ongoing case in an Agra court, Hindu petitioners have taken a step forward by filing an application to involve the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in the proceedings. On Friday, the counsel for the Intezamia (management) committee of Chhoti Masjid made an appearance in the case. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 21 to deliberate on this application. Representational photo (HT Photo) Previously, the Hindu petitioners had filed an application requesting a technical survey of Chhoti Masjid (also known as Jahanara Begum Masjid) near Diwan-e-Khas on the premises of Agra Fort. The purpose of the survey was to locate the alleged buried idols of Lord Krishna. This request was intended to be carried out by the ASI. However, a decision regarding this application is still pending. According to the claim, the idols of Lord Krishna were brought to Agra by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who is alleged to have demolished the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura in 1670. The Agra Fort, designated as a UNESCO world heritage site, was constructed in 1565 and is under the protection of the ASI. Vinod Shukla, the counsel for the Hindu petitioners, stated, During the proceedings on Friday, the petitioners submitted an application under Order 6 Rule 17 of the Civil Procedure Code to include the Archaeological Survey of India as a party to the suit. The application has been officially recorded and will be addressed at a future date. Upon approval from the court, the Office of the Director General of the ASI and the ASIs office at Mall Road in Agra, alongside the Union of India, will become involved in the case as per the application made by the Hindu petitioners on Friday. During the recent session, the counsel representing the Intezamia (Management) Committee of Shahi Masjid at Agra Fort, a party involved in the original suit, requested a copy of the petition to prepare their response. Vinod Shukla further informed, The court has designated September 21 as the upcoming date for the case proceedings. The initiation of the petition came from Hindu preacher (Katha Vachak) Devki Nandan Thakur, who established the Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi Sanrakshit Sewa Trust. It is important to note that the Trust had submitted a petition on May 11 in the court of the civil judge (senior division) in Agra, seeking permission to excavate the staircase of a mosque situated within the Agra Fort premises. Their argument was that there are buried idols of Lord Krishna beneath the structure that need to be retrieved. This petition is currently under consideration in the court of the judge (small causes) in Agra. Vinod Shukla added, The initial case was filed to seek a mandatory injunction and a permanent prohibitory injunction against the defendants, with the aim of recovering the Vigrah (idols) of Lord Keshav Dev (another name for Lord Krishna), which are believed to be buried in the stairs of Chhoti Masjid, now referred to as Shahi Masjid Idgah. This mosque is located near Diwan-e-Khas on the premises of Agra Fort. Vinod Shukla, the counsel for the petitioner, noted, The Intezamia (management) committee of Shahi Masjid at Agra Fort, Chhoti Masjid Diwan-e-Khas Jahanara Begum Masjid at Agra Fort, UP Sunni Central Waqf Board, and Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan have all been included as parties in the suit, but they are yet to respond to the case. A similar lawsuit was also filed in a Mathura court by local lawyer Mahendra Pratap Singh. This case, along with 15 others, was transferred to the Allahabad High Court in compliance with a May 2023 order issued by the high court. 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 Prof Amarnath Kakkar Memorial Inter-Institutional Debate Competition brought together minds from various educational institutes at Tagore Public School auditorium on Saturday. The event saw student participants from nine institutions including Delhi Public School, YMCA Centenary School, St Marys Convent, Ghoorpur, MPVM Ganga Gurukulam, MPVM Teliyarganj, Bethany Convent, Seth Anandram Jaipuria School and College, Pandit Ram Chandra Mishra Memorial Public School and Tagore Public School vie for top honours. Awards being distributed to winners (HT Photo) The event started with lighting of the lamp by special guest, Prof Ranjana Kakkar and other guests. The topic of the debate was, The age of AI will bring spectacular improvements. The judges panel comprised Sonali Agarwal, associate professor, department of information technology, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad (IIIT-A), Prayagraj, Prof Mayank Pandey, department of computer science, Motilal Institute of Technology, Prayagraj and K Rashi Badalia Kumar, an academician, radio broadcaster, author, poet and also a faculty member for Radio Journalism at University of Allahabad. The chairperson of the event was Jyoti Baijal, assistant professor, department of education, SS Khanna Girls Degree College. In all, 18 participants from nine institutions across Prayagraj participated in the competition. The competiton saw Best Speaker (For) award being bagged by Divyashu Srivastava of MPVM, Teliyarganj while Best Speaker (Against) award went to Priyasha Datt of YMCA, Centenary School Palak Behani of Tagore Public School. Vatsala Mishra of Delhi Public School was adjudged first runners-up, Gun Jaiswal of Tagore Public School was adjudged second runners-up even as the consolation prize was bagged by Devika Kakkar of Delhi Public School. For Best Interjection (question), the award went to Gun Jaiswal of Tagore Public School and the award for Best Interjection (answer) went to Divyashu Srivastava of MPVM, Teliyarganj. Overall, Delhi Public School was adjudged Second Runner-Up, MPVM, Teliyarganj was adjudged First Runner-Up while Tagore Public School emerged as the winner. Archana Tewari, principal of Tagore Public School, proposed the vote of thanks. 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-Bangladesh bordering areas adjacent to Sonamura in Tripuras Sepahijala district will remain sealed from September 3 to September 5 in the wake of upcoming by-polls in Boxanagar and Dhanpur constituencies on September 5, officials said. None except the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, government officials, and security personnel would be allowed to cross the on either during bypolls (File Photo) Adhering to the guidelines given by the Election Commission of India, the Sepahijala district magistrate and district election officer issued an official order. According to the order, the border would remain sealed from 7am on September 3, till polling concludes. During the period, none except the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, government officials, and security personnel would be allowed to cross the border from both sides, said officials. The bypolls became necessary due to the death of Samsul Haque, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) legislator from the Boxanagar constituency. In Dhanpur, bypolls will be held following the resignation of the Union minister of state for social justice and empowerment, who won on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. A total of 93,234 voters, including 43,087 from Boxanagar and 50,147 from Dhanpur seats would exercise their franchise on September 3. A total of 51 polling stations would be set up at Boxanagar and another 59 polling stations would be set up at Dhanpur, said officials mentioned above. The counting of votes will take place on September 8. 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 VARANASI Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that the world has embraced Prime Minister Narendra Modis message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) with admiration. This profound sentiment has now resonated across every corner of the globe. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath (HT Photo) CM Yogi delivered this perspective at the Sur Vasudha event in Varanasi. Following the conclusion of the fourth and final gathering of the G20 culture working groups and G20 Culture Ministers in Varanasi, an international cultural program titled Sur Vasudha was held at the Deendayal Trade Facilitation Centre, Varanasi, under Indias presidency. Global artists contributed to the mesmerising Global Orchestra, in which the captivating Sur Vasudha performance led by Mahesh Babu and his team took centre stage, bearing testament to its impact. Participation in the Sur Vasudha program extended to artists from G20 nations, along with eight specially invited countriesBangladesh, Mauritius, Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, Spain, Nigeria, and the UAE. This event also featured the engagement of six international organisations. Notably, India assumed the role of presidency for the first time, having previously been hosted in Saudi Arabia, Italy, and Indonesia. In the presence of Union Ministers of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal and Meenakshi Lekhi, CM Yogi transferred the chairmanship of the upcoming G20 meeting to the representative of Brazils Cultural Minister. Encompassing the theme of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the event showcased cultural programs that embodied Indias ancient tradition. A program promoting sustainable development and environmental protection was organised under the theme One Earth, One Family, One Future. Upon the successful culmination of the cultural showcases, CM Yogi also participated in a dinner organised in honour of the esteemed guests. The event witnessed the participation of Union Minister of State for Culture and Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal, U.P. Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh Durga Shankar Mishra, and representatives from G20 countries. 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 Bihar governments department of education late Friday evening released a Rs.251.56 crore grant for the salary of teachers, professors and employees for June and July in the state universities, constituent colleges and minority/aided institutions, said officials aware of the matter. (Representative Photo) The letter from higher education director Rekha Kumari categorically mentioned that a grant of Rs.1132.05 crore has been approved for salary to those appointed as per norms on the sanctioned posts. With the entire years budget for varsities approved, payment could smoothen in the coming months. Pataliputra University has got the maximum allocation of Rs.38.64 crore for two months, followed by Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University (Muzaffarpur) Rs.31.17 crore, LN Mithila University (Darbhanga) Rs.29.98 crore and Magadh University (Bodh Gaya) Rs.28.90-crore. Bihars college and varsity teachers and employees have remained without salary and the retired ones without pension since June. Delayed salary payment is a chronic problem in the states universities/colleges and schools and a mechanism to ensure monthly disbursal of salary is yet to be made. Even the pension payment and retirement benefits get stuck in universities for months and lead to court cases. The government had on Wednesday released a Rs.281.91 crore grant for pension payment. Moreover, the state government has approved the annual budget of Rs.1230.22 crore for the 2023-24 fiscal which will also include benefits and pensions for retired teachers and employees. Federation of University Teachers Association of Bihar (FUTAB) working president KB Sinha said that delay in payment of retirement benefits and pension was a big problem. After retirement, teachers have to wait for months for their legitimate dues. They should not be made to run around and forced to take recourse to courts, he said. The former additional chief secretary (education) had told the Patna high court that a mechanism will be worked out to ensure regular payment of pension and retirement benefits. The governor had also asked the universities to streamline it. Sooner it is done, better it will be, Sinha added. 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 Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail PUNE According to officials, a series of activities will be held until September 8 to raise public awareness about the importance of eye donation and to encourage people to pledge their eyes for donation after death. (HT PHOTO) Over two million Indians suffer from corneal blindness; yet, due to a lack of awareness, as well as myths and fears surrounding eye donation, cornea collection in India can only cover the needs of one-fourth of the patients. The Aundh District Hospital (ADH) and the District Blindness Control Society launched an eye donation awareness campaign on Friday to mark the start of the 38th National Eye Donation Fortnight (NEDF). For the past 38 years, NEDF has been observed yearly between August 25 and September 8 across the country to raise awareness about the importance of eye donation and dispel stereotypes about it. The district authorities during the campaign will conduct activities to reach out to common people, especially the youth, to disseminate awareness and to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of cornea. Dr Anjali Kulkarni, district Ophthalmic surgeon, said, the awareness programmes on eye donation would be held in the rural and urban areas of the district till September 8. We will conduct awareness talks; distribute pamphlets and conduct events at primary health centres, hospitals, schools, colleges and public places. Today (Saturday) Badminton competition was organized as part of the eye donation programme, she said. According to officials, a series of activities will be held until September 8 to raise public awareness about the importance of eye donation and to encourage people to pledge their eyes for donation after death. Myths about eye donation, such as those with poor eyesight being unable to donate eyes, eventual blindness, and eye donation disfiguring their face, will be busted during the activity. According to Dr Nagnath Yempalay, district civil surgeon, eye donation can occur only after a persons death, and consent from their family members is required. It is also critical that those pledging to donate their eyes inform their family members and ask them to honour their wish. Vision is essential for carrying out daily activities. However, many are not fortunate enough to experience that due to chronic diseases, visual impairments, or injuries. An eye donation from a donor can only help such people to get vision, he explained. 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 nonprofit human services agency with a 43-year history of aiding children and families in Buffalo and Erie County is branching into Niagara and Cattaraugus counties. EPIC, or Every Person Influences Children, opened a new center in Lockport on Monday that will provide literacy programs, parenting workshops and a variety of other services that focus on preventing child abuse and neglect. EPIC in April received a $1.8 million grant over three years from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to open the new center at 175 Walnut St., as well as a location in Salamanca, Cattaraugus County. Our Family Opportunity Center is really a safe haven for families to come and learn, grow and play together, said Ashley Greene, director of Niagara County Programs for EPIC. Greene said the centers programs are free of charge. They provide learning opportunities and emphasize the importance of play in early child development, she said. EPIC uses evidence-based curriculums, such as the Triple P parenting program and the Incredible Years parent intervention and training program, Greene said. Other offerings include the Families in Transition program and Ready, Set, Read, which emphasizes the importance of literacy in early childhood development. The programs aim to strengthen families and improve the safety and well-being of children, Greene said. The center in Lockport will work in partnership with the Niagara County Department of Social Services, community organizations and school districts in the county. In addition, the center offers in-kind and financial assistance to families it serves. It could be something as simple as a utility bill that might need to be paid, or a parent might need a pair of cleats for their child. We do offer that as part of an incentive for them to participate in our program, Greene said. Through the centers partners, the needs of families are assessed to link them to a variety of community services, she added. If it sounds too good to be true, its not, Greene said. We serve all families in Niagara County. There are no income barriers or restrictions, she said. There really is no catch. All the people have to do is register and be a resident of Niagara County. Its as simple as that. EPIC started in Buffalo in 1980 and had revenues of about $1.5 million in 2021, according to its most recent federal tax returns. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is organising Study Australia fair 2023 next month. The fair, which starts on September 4 in Chandigarh, will travel through five other Indian cities, and to the capitals of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Monica Kennedy, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Austrade. In an email interview with Hindustan Times digital, Monica Kennedy, Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner, Austrade shares details around the upcoming fair and gives answers to various other important questions which are on mind of students who want to go to Australia for higher studies. The Study Australia Fair 2023 is scheduled for September. Can you please share some details regarding the fair? Monica Kennedy: The Study Australia Showcase 2023, organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade), stands as our flagship event. This year's edition will travel across eight cities in South Asia including six cities in India and one each in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (schedule provided at the end). This strategy highlights our dedication to fostering global knowledge connections. This unique Showcase, orchestrated by the Australian Government, aims to gather esteemed Australian Universities and representatives from government agencies under one roof. It is an opportunity for students, parents, and educational institutions' representatives to meet world-class Australian universities, gain insights from state and territory government representatives, explore education prospects in Australia, understand options, intakes, fees, scholarships, and embrace a deeper understanding of the country. Additionally, students can learn from government officials of the Department of Home Affairs and Department of Education about their journey to study in Australia. Open to all, this premier event offers students the chance to visit and shape their future in Australia. Schedule: September 4, 2023 - Chandigarh, September 5 - New Delhi, September 7 - Ahmedabad, September 9 - Hyderabad, - September 11 - Bengaluru, September 12 - Chennai, September 14 Colombo, September 16, 2023 Dhaka. Have there been notable increases in students enrolling in Australian universities in recent yeas? If so, what factors do you think contribute to this trend? Monica Kennedy: An evident upward trajectory is observed in Indian students seeking education in Australia. The number of Indian students in Australia rose from 75,109 in 2022 to 95,791 in 2023 (January-April). The Department of Home Affairs granted nearly 382,000 student visas between July 1, 2022, and February 28, 2023 a remarkable 41.3% increase compared to the same period in 2019-20. During this time, Indian nationals received more than 71,100 student visas, marking the highest number of visas granted across all nationalities. This positive trend can be attributed to the rising awareness among Indian students about the high-quality Australian education. Australia is a multi-cultural country with welcoming and safe environment. This was also reflected in the Study Australia International Student Sentiment Survey, 2022 - with 78% of current students rating Australia as 7 or higher out of 10, an increase of 21% since the previous year. Improved perceptions of safety, security, and educational quality have played a pivotal role. Over 85% of students believe that choosing Australia as their study destination was a sound decision. The shift towards undergraduate studies abroad has also underscored this surge. 'In the past, Indian students used to travel abroad primarily for master's degrees after completing their first degree in India. Over the last 15 years, we've seen Indian students increasingly focused on undergraduate studies to foster a seamless learning and work experience. A significant number of Indian students are now gravitating towards countries with world-class universities, and Australia ranks among the best in this category. Australian universities have also been proactive in supporting undergraduate students to access world-class education, which enhances their global employability post-graduation.' Can you highlight some sought after courses among Indian students heading to Australia? If possible, could you mention universities that attract a substantial number of Indian students? Monica Kennedy: A discernible trend among Indian students is their preference for courses in management, IT, engineering, hospitality, and health when studying in Australia. The allure of high-quality education, an emphasis on world-class research, and opportunities for a global career makes almost every Australian university equally appealing to international students. Could you shed light on the annual expenses an average Indian student should budget for when studying at a reputable Australian university? Additionally could you discuss available scholarships for Indian students? Monica Kennedy: The annual expenses for an Indian student aspiring to study at a prestigious Australian university range from 12 lakhs to 30 lakhs, contingent upon the educational level, chosen university, and city of study. Scholarships encompass a diverse array, available through governmental bodies and universities alike. The Study Australia official website, the governments official resource, will help aspiring students with all the above details to make an informed choice - like the Cost of Living calculator, scholarship search tool, and course search tool, empowering students to navigate these considerations effectively. Is it possible for Indian students to contribute to their expenses through part-time jobs while studying in Australia? If so could you elaborate on the specifics, including potential weekly earnings? Monica Kennedy: Australia's focus on holistic growth and wellbeing for international students is evident through various approaches. Commencing July 1, 2023, student visa holders are accorded the privilege of working up to 48 hours fortnightly while pursuing their studies. These work allowances are unrestricted when courses are not in session, fostering a balanced focus on education and practical experience. Essential, however, is the students' familiarity with their specific visa conditions, subject to variation based on course level and initial visa application. Understanding visa conditions, including work rights, is crucial. These rights might vary depending on the course level and the visa held during the student visa application process. The Department of Home Affairs website provides comprehensive details for students. Beyond obtaining foreign degree and better employment opportunities , could you outline additional benefits for students opting to study in Australia? Monica Kennedy: Beyond acquiring a foreign degree and enriching job prospects, studying in Australia fosters a profound preparedness for the global workforce. The comprehensive focus on personal and professional development bestowed by Australian qualifications renders graduates immensely appealing to employers globally. Australia's commitment to the well-being, inclusivity, and safety of international students, coupled with an outstanding education system, furnishes an enriching experience. Australia provides robust protection for international students through the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act) and related legislation, safeguarding and enhancing Australia's reputation for top-quality education. This includes tuition protection and upholding the integrity of the student visa program. Australia's position as one of the world's most economically and politically stable democracies creates an environment that is safe, welcoming, inclusive, and supportive for international students. It's a place known to inspire and encourage learning. Australian universities' top-tier global rankings (QS ranking 2024) underscore their commitment to industry-academia connections, top-notch faculty, high employability rates, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and cutting-edge digital platforms for online and hybrid learning, all supported by a curriculum endorsed by industries. Could you discuss the direction Australian higher education is taking ? Do you believe that this is an opportune time for higher education pursuits in Australia? Monica Kennedy: The current landscape presents an unparalleled opportunity for the Australian education sector and for strengthening India-Australia partnerships in this domain. The increasing trust exhibited by Indian students towards Australian educational institutions reflects a valid trend. While maintaining consistently high academic standards, Australian education providers distinguish themselves through their dedicated focus on holistic student development, both professionally and personally. This approach equips students to excel in their careers. Australia's continuous recognition in global rankings for research excellence, learner satisfaction, liveability, and employment outcomes stand as a testament to its educational prowess. The recent QS World University Rankings 2024 reaffirm this recognition: *Three Australian universities ranked in the global top 20: The University of Melbourne (14), University of New South Wales (19), The University of Sydney (19). The University of Melbourne surpassed institutions like Yale, Peking, and Princeton to secure an all-time high ranking at #14 globally. *Nine Australian universities rank within the top 100, with a 95% global ranking coverage. Australia has also introduced some of the world's best post-study work rights for students. An extension announced by the Australian Government as of July 1, 2023, allows eligible international higher education graduates to extend their stay and work period: - Four years for bachelor's degree graduates (up from two years). - Five years for master's degree graduates (up from three years). - Six years for doctoral graduates (up from four years). These extensions supplement existing additional one to two years of work rights for students studying, living, and working in regional areas. Could you elaborate on the growing collaboration between India and Australia in the realm of education? Monica Kennedy: The relationship between Australia and India has never been stronger, presenting a range of exciting opportunities for both nations. One significant development is the recent enactment of the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), which provides a strong foundation for further deepening our economic ties and offering new opportunities for businesses in both countries. This landmark agreement opens avenues for fruitful collaborations between educational institutions in India and Australia. It also extends special privileges to Indian students aspiring to study in Australia, focusing on skill development and enhanced employability. The ECTA pact between the two countries promises to empower Indian students to harness the benefits of a world-renowned education system while fostering innovative and advanced models of engagement between Indian and Australian Universities. Furthermore, the agreement accentuates the importance of intensifying research efforts, fostering cross-innovation, and facilitating deeper collaboration between universities in both nations. Another crucial component of the strong and enduring relationship between India and Australia are the Transnational education pathways - bringing together the best of both countries' academic capabilities and opportunities. These pathways connect students in India with the world-class education and industry-focused curriculum offered by Australian institutions, preparing them for successful international careers. Recent developments have set the stage for promising future collaborations in transnational education. During his recent visit, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Deakin University would become the first foreign university to establish a branch campus in India. This historic move marks a significant milestone in the Australia-India relationship and is a testament to the close collaboration and support of the Austrade team. Deakin University's new branch campus in Gujarat International Finance Tech-city (GIFT) will initially offer postgraduate courses in cyber security and business analytics, with plans to expand the campus and the number of programs offered over time. By partnering with major Indian companies such as TCS, Infosys, HDFC, HCL, and Xebia, Deakin aims to deliver curriculum that is relevant to the needs of the industry. Another Australian University - University of Wollongong is also approved and planning for establishment in GIFT City. University of Wollongong plans to commence at GIFT City later this year with a Graduate Certificate in Computing and a Master of Computing in the Finance domain. The University also plans to add a Master of Applied Finance and Master of Financial Technology (FinTech) in 2024). There also plans for the university to establish a Global Capital Markets Research Centre in its GIFT city location focussed on training PhD students and delivery of research with a focus on Indian capital markets. Another key development this year was a major announcement by University of Melbourne during Prime Minister Albaneses visit to India. University of Melbourne announced a major expansion of its dual Bachelor of Science degree program with the University of Madras, GITAM and Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU). Launching in March 2023, the Bachelor of Science Dual Degree is part of the new generation of dual degrees designed to build breadth, curiosity and solid career foundations for any role in future. Indian students who enrol in the new dual degree will be able to complete their degree at home and abroad, spending the first two years studying in India, followed by two years on campus in Melbourne or elsewhere in the world. Once they successfully complete their studies, Indian students will be awarded a Bachelor of Science from the University of Melbourne, and they have the option for their local institution to award the degree. These new partnerships are a testament to the strength and potential of transnational education pathways between India and Australia. It offers exciting opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and research that will benefit students, academics, and industries in both countries. We are confident that this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship between Australian Universities and India, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact of this collaboration on both nations. 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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Nilesh Mathur Nilesh Mathur is online news editor with Hindustan Times. He has worked on the online news desk for the last 21 years. Presently, he covers education and career related news. ...view detail Odisha's Anup Paikarey, a student of the Odisha University of Technology and Research, bagged the winner title in the grand finale of the SmartIDEAthon 2023 an annual pitch-fest organized by GITAM (Deemed to be University). Anup received cash prize of 2 lakh and a fully sponsored trip to Boston. GITAM SmartIDEAthon 2023: Odisha's Anup Paikarey is the winner The finalists, were chosen from over 1,000 entries from across India. The finale took place in person at GITAMs Hyderabad campus on August 25, 2023. As per a press release issued by the GITAM, Anup has made a winning pitch for his startup Newrup Tech Solutions, which develops heat-powered air blowers to harness excess heat from Chulas or Tandoors, converting it into rotational energy for an internal fan, at just 500. It thereby seeks to impact the lives of over two billion women still cooking on traditional chulhas/mud stoves worldwide. As runners-up, Vineet Kumar and Manish Bibhu, students of Sershah Engineering College in Bihar won 1 lakh for POLYFUELER, which is working on revolutionizing waste management by transforming diverse plastic waste into fuel, powered by a proprietary catalyst. Under the Best Woman-led Entrepreneurship Idea, K Ushasri Devi and P Sushma Devi from GITAM School of Business in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh bagged a 50,000 cash prize for their venture, COACT, which strives to empower visually challenged women aged 15-55 by addressing their menstrual cycle-tracking challenges, liberating them from suboptimal methods, and ensuring their self-sufficiency in meeting their essential needs, as per the press statement. Speaking at the occasion, Krish Nangegadda, Chief Innovation Officer, GITAM (Deemed to be University) said, Entrepreneurship education gives you skills that you can use anywhere. We want to embrace entrepreneurship to build an ecosystem to transfer skills for life rather than merely being measured in the number of startups. SmartIDEAthon endeavours to promote this years themes through collaboration and networking among young minds. Sribharat Mathukumilli, President of GITAM (Deemed to be) University, said, Students should start thinking critically and asking questions. Look at all of the problems around you and see if you can solve them. If you can find solutions to problems and are willing to, able to find customers who pay for your services, that is a startup. Thats our takeaway from SmartIDEAthon 2023. Pawan Kumar Chandana Skyroot Aerospace co-founder and ex-ISRO scientist was the Chief Guest at the occassion. 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 Exam and College Guide Top Engineering Colleges in India Click here Click here Top Medical Colleges in India Click here Click here Popular BBA colleges in India Click here Click here Explore Scholarships Click here Click here Top LLB Colleges in India Click here This article is part of our Summer reads series. Visit the full collection for book lists, guest essays and more seasonal distractions. PREMIUM Students in a jubilant mood after receiving their degrees at DMCHs convocation in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Manish/HT)(HT_PRINT) Is university worth it? That question once seemed a no-brainer. For decades young adults in rich countries have flocked to higher education. Governments have touted college as a boon for social mobility and economic growth. Yet as fees rise and graduate earnings stagnate, disillusionment is growing. A poll published by the Wall Street Journal on March 31st suggests a crisis of confidence has worsened: 56% of Americans now believe a degree is no longer worth the time and money spent on it. For an average undergraduate, at least, this is not consistent with the facts. In most places, for most learners, the financial returns to higher education remain extremely healthy. Yet undertaking a degree has become riskier. The rewards for the best performers are increasing, but a troublingly high share of students see negative returns from their studies. New data sets, such as tax records, are illuminating this dispersion like never before. They can track how much students taking specific courses, at specific institutions, earn in later life. In time that detail will help students avoid the worst pay-offs and seize the best. Choice of subject and timely graduation matter hugely; choice of institution somewhat less so. It could also be useful to governments tempted to crack down on low-value degrees. A boom in graduate earnings began in the 1980s in the rich world. Back then the difference between the salaries of people who gain at least a bachelors degree and those who do notcommonly called the college-wage premiumbegan to soar. In the 1970s an American with a university education was earning on average 35% more than a high-school graduate. By 2021 that advantage had risen to 66%. Recently the wage premium in many countries has either stagnated or begun to fall. And in places that actually charge students for their degrees, costs have gone up. Tuition in England has soared from nothing in the late 1990s to 9,250 ($11,000) a year, the highest in the rich world. In America, the out-of-pocket fee paid by an average bachelors-degree student increased from $2,300 a year in the 1970s to some $8,000 in 2018, in real terms, according to Jaison Abel and Richard Deitz at the New York Federal Reserve. (Students at public universities often pay much less; those at private non-profits can pay a lot more.) Yet the average degree remains valuable. In 2019 Mr Abel and Mr Deitz roughly estimated the annual financial return on the money that a typical American invests in a bachelors degree. They conclude that the typical rate of return for a bachelors degree is around 14%. That has dropped from a peak of 16% in the early 2000s. But it is still a princely sum. And it is well above the 8-9% that American graduates were recouping in the 1970s, before graduate wages, and tuition fees, began to soar. These calculations include not only fees but also the money individuals might expect to earn if they were working full-time instead. The average hides a very wide range of outcomes, however. Until recently economists seeking to identify the winners and losers were mostly limited to surveys. The trend now is for governments, such as those of Britain and Norway, to proffer hefty, anonymised databases showing actual earnings for millions of university-goers. That makes it much easier to compare people like-for-like. The disaggregated data reveal that a high share of students graduate with degrees that are not worth their cost. In England 25% of male graduates and 15% of female ones will take home less money over their careers than peers who do not get a degree, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), a research outfit. America has less comprehensive data but has begun publishing the share of students at thousands of institutions who do not manage to earn more than the average high-school graduate early on. Six years after enrolment, 27% of students at a typical four-year university fail to do so, calculate researchers at Georgetown University in Washington, dc. In the long tail, comprising the worst 30% of Americas two- and four-year institutions, more than half of people who enroll lag this benchmark. Dropping out without any qualification is an obvious way to make a big loss. Taking longer than usual to graduate also destroys value (because it eats up years that might otherwise have been spent earning full-time). Both these outcomes are common. Across the rich world less than 40% of people studying for undergraduate degrees complete their courses in the expected number of years. About one-quarter still have no qualifications three years after that. Choosing the right subject is crucial to boosting earning power. Negative returns are likeliest for Britons who study creative arts (less than 10% of men make a positive return), social care and agriculture. By far the best-earning degrees in America are in engineering, computer science and business. Negative returns seem especially likely for music and the visual arts. Using Americas available data to guess lifetime earnings by programme is a stretch. But Preston Cooper at freopp, a think-tank, ventures that more than a quarter of bachelors-degree programmes in America will lead to negative returns for most enrolled students. Explore more Summer reads: What you study generally matters more than where you do it. That comes with caveats: the worst colleges and universities provide students with little value, whatever they teach. But on average people who enroll in Americas public universities get a better return over their lifetimes than students who go to its more prestigious private non-profit ones, reckon the Georgetown researchers. High fees at the non-profits is one of the reasons why. Earnings data in Britain call into question the assumption that bright youngsters will necessarily benefit from being pushed towards very selective institutions, says Jack Britton of the ifs. In order to beat fierce competition for places, some youngsters apply for whatever subject seems easiest, even if it is not one that usually brings a high return. Parents fixated on getting their offspring into Oxford or Cambridge, regardless of subject, should take note. But there is also evidence that tackling a high-earning course for the sake of it can backfire. Norwegian research finds that students whose true desire is to study humanities, but who end up studying science, earn less after ten years than they probably otherwise would have. Men have more reason than women to worry that their investments in higher education will be a bust. That is because they have a higher chance of earning well without a degree. University is a risk for those with mediocre school grades as they often earn less after graduation than better-prepared peers who hold the same degrees. In Britain the return from a degree is generally higher for South Asian students than for white ones, as they tend to study subjects such as business, and generally lower for black students (compared with what people of the same race typically earn if they do not go to university). In America, Asian students seem to have the least trouble paying off their student debts, compared with white and black students. Marks and markets What are the implications of all this analysis? Already there are signs that the higher-education market is evolving. People are already searching out better returns of their own accord at different educational stages. In America the number of degrees conferred annually in English and in history fell by around one-third between 2011 and 2021. The number of degrees in computer science more than doubled in that time. Others are skipping college altogether. The number of people enrolling has fallen every year since 2011. Institutions are also shifting by culling humanities. In February the trustees of Marymount University in Virginia voted to abolish majors in nine subjects including English, history, philosophy and theology. Calvin University in Michigan and Howard University in Washington, dc are among those which have abandoned classics. And archaeologys future at the University of Sheffield in Britain looks precarious. Employers are adapting, too. Firms are becoming a bit less likely to demand that job applicants have degrees, according to analysis by Joseph Fuller of Harvard Business School, and others. Tight labour markets and a desire for more diverse workers help explain why. A few years ago some 80% of the jobs that ibm, a tech giant, advertised in America required a degree, says Kelli Jordan, one of its vice-presidents. Now it is about half. A degree does not have to be the only indicator of skills that someone may have, explains Ms Jordan. Should governments amplify these trends? In Estonia one-fifth of an institutions funding depends on meeting a variety of targets; one relates to the share of students graduating on time. Similar systems exist in Finland, Israel, Lithuania and Sweden. Australias government is trying to encourage learners to make socially useful choices. In 2021 it doubled what undergraduates pay to study social sciences, political science or communications and halved the fee for nursing and teaching. Students do not appear much moved yet, possibly because of the generosity of Australias student-debt repayment terms. Britains government reckons it can alter behaviour by giving everyone in England an online account listing a maximum cash sum that they are entitled to borrow from the state for studies over their lifetime. The idea is to make school-leavers more parsimonious. Others still splurge. President Joe Biden hopes that the Supreme Court will soon approve a plan, announced last year, to write off a big chunk of Americas student loans. He also wants a more lenient repayment system. The associated costs could mount to hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. Mr Biden also promises an official list of low-financial value courses. More compelling is talk of preventing feeble programmes from benefitting from federal student loans. But without an act of Congress this would mainly affect for-profit colleges (which enroll only a fraction of Americas learners). To many, a growing focus on the financial returns to higher education is crude. Graduates in public service are bound to earn less than those on Wall Street. Many disciplines are worth studying for their own sake. Yet students frequently tell pollsters that improving their earning power is a priority. Good returns are vital to the poorest learners, for whom the financial burden of degrees is highest. Today bad degrees are surprisingly common. A combination of better information, market forces and smarter policy can reduce their prevalence. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Adah Sharma of The Kerala Story fame has reportedly bought the Mumbai flat in which late actor Sushant Singh Rajput used to stay before his death in 2020. After a paparazzo posted that Adah is buying the flat in Mont Blanc Apartments, in which Sushant used to live, TellyChakkar said in a new report that it had contacted Adahs team and got a confirmation that the news is true. It is not known yet, if and when the actor will move into the apartment. Also read: The Kerala Story's Adah Sharma hospitalised Adah Sharma bought the house, where late Sushant Singh Rajput lived, as per a new report. The portal added that after Sushant Singh Rajputs death, the apartment had been in the news after it was reported that the rent of the house was increased, and many people were interested in buying the house. The portal also shared the report about Adah buying the flat on Instagram. Reacting to it, a person wrote, "Because only a hard-working outsider from the film Industry will not be scared to live there..." Another one said, "Omg (Oh My God) thats brave (clapping emoji)..." Sushant Singh Rajput's home Sushant Singh Rajput died on June 14, 2020. In 2021, it was reported that his sea-facing Mumbai home was up for rent. The actor was reportedly paying 4.5 lakh per month for the two-storey property. The case related to Sushant's death was subsequently handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, with the Enforcement Directorate and the Narcotics Control Bureau probing the financial and drugs-related angles in the case. The CBI hasnt been able to finalise its investigation into his death even after three years. Adah Sharma's health issues Adah was last seen in the much-talked-about film The Kerala Story. Earlier this month, Adah had shared a health update on social media after she was hospitalised post being diagnosed with severe diarrhoea and food allergy. She had posted a bunch of photos of herself showing the rashes all over her body. A part of her caption read, "I've been sick since few days. I had hives, which is a horrible rash. I was hiding it by wearing full sleeves, but it started showing on my face due to stress! So then I took medicine and turns out I am allergic to the medicine so it made me nauseous. So now I'm taking another medicine and injection. I will be doing promotions today but my with full sleeves. Adah's web series Commando dropped earlier this month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Did you know once Shah Rukh Khan revealed that he had a collection of 150 awards? The actor made the revelation at an award show. But things didn't go as planned after Vidya Balan asked him how many of his awards were purchased by him. A video from the event has resurfaced on the internet as the 69th National Awards were announced recently. Also read: Here's what Vidya Balan would ask Shah Rukh Khan if she were a detective Shah Rukh Khan and Vidya Balan from IFFA Awards. Old video of Shah Rukh Khan and Vidya The video is from the IIFA Awards in 2013. It all began when Shah Rukh, the host of the show picked Vidya from the audience and asked her, "How many awards do you have?" To this, Vidya answered that she had 47, with a laugh. Shahid Kapoor, who was also hosting the show, went on to ask Shah Rukh how many awards he had. The Baazigar actor replied, I don't count my awards. I have 155 awards. His answer leaves everyone clapping for him. Amid this, Vidya asked Shah Rukh, How many of those were purchased? After a brief silence, he admitted, A little bit, 150. His answer left Shahid shocked. Vidya on Shah Rukh Khan Vidya was last seen in Neeyat, which marked her comeback to the big screen. It was her first theatrical release after four years. During the promotion of the film, Vidya was asked what she would try to investigate as a detective if given a chance. She came up with some hilarious responses and told GoodTimes that she would like to ask Shah Rukh Khan who his favourite actress is. She added that although she knows the answers, but, still wants to know. I forced it upon him now, she also said. Shah Rukh and Vidya have never starred in a film together so far. Shah Rukh was last seen in his blockbuster Pathaan. He is currently gearing up for his upcoming action flick, Jawan. Directed by Atlee, the film will present him in several avatars. Besides him, it also has Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi. Deepika Padukone is also a part of the film. He will also be starring with Taapsee Pannu for the first time in Rajkumar Hirani's next, Dunki. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Drew Barrymore's alleged stalker Chad Michael Busto has been arrested. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chad delivered an unsettling message to Drew Barrymore from the crowd at a 92nd Street Y event in New York earlier this week. (Also Read | Drew Barrymore whisked off stage at NYC event as alleged stalker with criminal history approached her) Drew Barrymore at the Clooney Foundation for Justice Albie Awards in New York. He was arrested on Thursday by the Southampton Town Police and is facing a misdemeanour charge of stalking in the fourth degree, according to a press release sent by Lt. Todd Spencer, a spokesperson for the department. Chad is being held overnight and is set to appear in Southampton Town Justice Court at morning arraignment. The arrest comes just a day after the Southampton PD detained Chad following a 911 call regarding a suspicious person in the Village of Sagaponack, Town of Southampton. Chad allegedly rode a bicycle into private driveways, where he told area residents he was looking for Drews residence on Wednesday. Officers detained him briefly the same day for questioning, and was released. On Monday night, Drew was escorted off the stage during a 92nd Street Y event tied to the release of new music from fellow actor Renee Rapp, held as part of the Recanati-Kaplan Talks series. Only a few minutes after Drew and Renee had settled into their seats on the stage at the Upper East Side event space, Chad shouted the talk show hosts name before briskly walking down the aisle toward the front of the theatre. After Drew, whose vision was obstructed, gave a quick hello while looking out into the crowd, Chad responded, You know who I am. I need to see you at some point while Im in New York. Renee quickly stood and walked in front of Drew before putting her arm around the actor and escorting her off the stage. A member of the venues security team then removed Chad, then in the front row of the auditorium, from the theatre, as per The Hollywood Reporter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Actor Sandra Bullock is 'grateful' for getting support from people following the death of her partner Bryan Randall. As per People, Sandra witnessed the incredible outpouring of support toward ALS research since Bryans passing. Bryan died, earlier this month, after a three-year private battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He was 57. (Also Read | Who was Bryan Randall? Sandra Bullocks late partner was a photographer and model) Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall were in a relationship since 2015. Sandra's reaction to those who made donations Quoting a source, The People reported, "It was very important to her that when she and his family made the initial statement of Bryans passing, those who were on this journey with her and Bryan, from the beginning, were recognized with the Healey Center at Mass General leading the way. She is so grateful to all those who have donated and is happy that out of something so heartbreaking came something so positive for others." Increase in donations to ALS Association As per the report, his family had asked for donations, instead of flowers, to be made to the ALS Association and the Massachusetts General Hospital. A spokesperson for the ALS Association told PEOPLE that 'an additional $50,000' was raised from donors in honour of Bryan. About Bryan Randall's death He died on August 5 after a three-year battle with ALS, his family previously said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE. ALS is a rare disease that attacks and kills the nerve cells that control voluntary muscles. In a statement, his family had said, "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honour his request. We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours." How Sandra and Bryan met According to People, Sandra met Bryan when he was hired to capture her son Louis' birthday party in 2015. They went public with their relationship later that year by making an appearance at Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's wedding. Sandra, who is mother to two adopted children -- Louis, 13, and daughter Laila, 10, had talked about her relationship with Bryan during a 2021 appearance on Facebook Watchs Red Table Talk opposite Jada Pinkett Smith. "I found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children three children, (Bryan's) older daughter. Its the best thing ever. I dont wanna say do it like I do it, but I dont need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother. I dont need to be told to be ever present in the hardest of times. I dont need to be told to weather a storm with a good man," she had said. 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 On shooting for Devara Janhvi opened up about working in the south industry for the first time in the interview with Galatta Plus and said, "I have shot for three days for the film. It was so comfortable. They were so loving. Its everything I have been dying to do for such a long time. When I went on set and they gave me the brief and when I just had fun in front of the camera, it was just the most liberating thing. They welcomed me with open arms, even the people over there. It felt like homecoming. When further asked about how she dealt with the language, Janhvi revealed that the three days she has filmed for, so far, were all reaction shots so there was no language involved. She would be starting the shoot in September. Janhvi on working with Jr NTR Janhvi had shared the first poster of the upcoming Telugu film on her birthday. Directed by Koratala Shiva, the film also stars another Bollywood actor, Saif Ali Khan as the antagonist. Earlier at the India Today Conclave 2023, Janhvi had said Literally counting down the days. I message the director every day. Working with Jr NTR has been a dream. I recently re-watched RRR. The magnitude of charisma that he has. To be able to share screen space with him will be one of the biggest joys of my life. I manifested it. I prayed every day for it. In every interview, I used to say that I want to work with NTR sir. This film might be the first time this (approach) worked for me. I do believe that what you put in the universe is what you attract. I have learnt to be always positive and do your work." Janhvi was last seen in Nitesh Tiwari's Bawaal, which created controversy for comparing marital discord to Auschwitz and greedy people to Hitler. Both the Jewish organisation The Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Israeli embassy condemned the film. 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 Around 400 police personnel specially trained in soft skills will be deployed at prominent tourist hubs, airport, railway stations and ISBTs to help delegates and other visitors during next month's G20 Summit, officials said on Saturday. Rehearsals for the delegates ahead of G20 summit at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan.(HT Photo) These personnel, moving in multipurpose vehicles labelled 'Tourist Police', will be deployed at 21 locations such as monuments, popular markets, memorials, airport terminals, interstate bus terminals (ISBTs) and railway stations, the officials at the Lt Governor's Office said. Each team comprising one Indo-Tibetan Border Police commando, a gunman and a driver will be accompanied by probationer sub-inspectors as in-charges, they said. READ | G20 Summit in Delhi: What's open, what's closed from September 8-10 Every Tourist Police unit member underwent a task-oriented training progamme in association with Delhi Tourism and other agencies during which they were trained in soft skills; effective communication, including speaking in English; topography and city landmarks; and firing practice, they said. According to the officials, the units have also been provided with booklets on do's and don'ts for tourists, physical and digital maps of Delhi and NCR, the latest fare and distance charts for taxis, list of locations of important commercial and cultural places and malls, Metro route charts and directory of emergency services. READ | G20 Summit: Ample parking space available for planes at Delhi airport, says DIAL as airlines plan to cancel flights In April, Lt Governor VK Saxena, in one of the preliminary meetings on the preparedness for the G20 Summit, directed the Delhi Police to put in place specially tasked and trained personnel for assisting visitors, tourists and delegates during the event, the officials said. A special helpline -- 8750871111 -- has been made functional to assist the tourists, the officials said. The prominent locations where the Tourist Police units will be deployed include the Paharganj and the Ajmeri Gate sides of New Delhi railway station, Hauz Khas Village, Palika Bazar, Red Fort, Janpath and Connaught Place, Rajghat, Humayun's Tomb, Jama Masjid, Akshardham, Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, India Gate and Aerocity Mahipalpur, among others. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Lucknow: A 35-year-old woman, who runs a private medical clinic and maternity centre, was arrested for allegedly putting up an inciting social media post attacking a Hindu boy in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh, making it the 33rd arrest in connection with a series of interconnected cases, police said on Saturday. A 35-year-old woman, who runs a private medical clinic and maternity centre, was arrested for allegedly putting up an inciting social media post attacking a Hindu boy in Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. (HT Archives) The woman, Nargis Siddiqui (35), was arrested from her house in Narsua Bhairpura for on Friday. She was produced before a court, which sent her in judicial custody, a senior officer said. The woman runs a private clinic and maternity home. She claimed to be a gynaecologist, but failed to produce required documents to prove she was a certified medical practitioner, additional superintendent of police (ASP), Bareilly rural, Raj Kumar Agarwal said. It all started on August 18, when two boys a Hindu and a Muslim exchanged derogatory remarks against each others communities, the officer said. Subsequently, others including Siddiqui also made similar inciting posts on social media platforms. A day later, the Hindu boys house in Sheeshgarh police station limits was pelted with stones, Agarwal added. With the arrest of the woman, Bareilly police have arrested 28 people and detained five minors including both boys in the last one week over a series of communally charged social media posts. While adults have been sent to jail, the minors are lodged at a juvenile home, he said At least seven cases have been registered under Section 153A (promoting enmity on the grounds of religion, race, etc) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of the IT Act at Sheeshgarh and Shahi police stations since August 19. The police have written to medical and district authorities to enquire about the legality of the maternity centre. Further action will be taken based on their report, the ASP said. Meanwhile, two more communally inciting posts surfaced on Friday. We are making efforts to trace those behind the posts, the officer added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Sometimes things happen in politics that have even veteran observers scratching their heads. Now there is one more such occurrence, courtesy of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, that we can add to the list. Recently, the liberal icon who presides over Americas largest state and the fifth-largest economy in the world, based on GDP, sat down for an in depth interview with Fox News. Not only was it with Fox News but it was with Sean Hannity, Foxs most visible and best-known personality following the departure of Tucker Carlson. Given the conservative bent not just of Fox but also clearly a huge majority of its viewing audience as well, the obvious question must be: Why is Gavin Newsom there? First, it must be noted, a civilized dialogue between political opposites on national television is a good thing for America. Newsom and Hannity both deserve credit. Newsom has repeatedly sworn off any interest in the 2024 presidential race. He has pledged his total support to President Bidens re-election. As if to prove his fealty to Biden, Newsom greeted the presidents recent visit to the Bay Area with enthusiasm and served as Bidens leading cheerleader. And yet, an objective person looks at Bidens 40% approval rating in a recent USA Today poll. In aggregate, Bidens political, physical and mental condition leads to the question: Is this guy really going to skate through the process to the Democratic nomination? Smart Democrats are hedging their bets and preparing for a rambunctious sprint of a nomination fight in which Biden is not a candidate. Neither Biden, nor anyone else, is the Democratic nominee for president until the convention meets and the delegates vote regardless of how many primaries a candidate has won. Trading point counterpoint with Sean Hannity gives Newsom the ability to tell other liberals, I have proven I can take on the right wing and can uphold our progressive values even in the den of of our political enemies. I am the guy who can go toe to toe with MAGA and win. To bolster that claim, Newsom recently challenged Florida Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis to a debate on Fox moderated by Hannity. DeSantis has accepted thus setting the stage for both participants to promote their new generation of leadership theme. Additionally, by going on Fox, Newsom talks to that slice of the Republican electorate that deserted Trump in 2020 and is unlikely to support Trump in 2024. As Trumps legal problems continue to mount, with additional indictments and trials likely in the future the anyone-but-Trump segment of the electorate may grow. Newsom can also speak of preparing for the Presidency by governing Americas largest state which also happens to be home to hordes of left wing millionaires who will be happy to write big checks to one of their own.As the Roman philosopher Seneca said: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Gavin Newsom is preparing to get lucky. Kevin Igoe, a graduate of Canisius High School and Canisius College, is the former deputy chief of staff of the Republican National Committee. Chandigarh Do not try to test the patience and emotions of 35 million people of Punjab, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday, lashing out at governor Banwarilal Purohit for threatening to impose Presidents Rule in the state. Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann accused governor Banwarilal Purohit of deliberately threatening 35 million Punjabis and trying to make fun of peoples mandate. (PTI) The latest salvo in the long-running tussle between the chief minister and Raj Bhavan came a day after the governor warned the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government that he could recommend Presidents Rule under Article 356 in the state, and launch criminal proceedings, if his letters were not answered. Purohit has been accusing Mann of defying his authority by not responding to the letters sent to him and not furnishing details asked for by the Raj Bhavan. Governor Sahab, dont try to test the patience and emotions of the Punjabis. We are not afraid of Article 356. Punjab has suffered the most in the past due to [Article] 356. So, dont rub salts on our wounds, Mann said while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh. Mann accused the governor of deliberately threatening 3.5 crore (35 million) Punjabis and trying to make fun of peoples mandate. The selected governor does not have any moral authority to threaten elected representatives of the people and make a malicious attempt to topple a democratically elected government, Mann said, adding that he is not going to bow down. He said Purohit has demeaned the Constitution and insulted its chief architect, Dr BR Ambedkar, by such tantrums. In a strongly worded letter on Friday, Purohit threatened to initiate criminal proceedings against the AAP leader if he did not reply to his letters. He also alleged that there was a reason to believe constitutional machinery in the state had failed. Before I am going to take a final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and decide about initiating criminal proceedings under Section 124 (assaulting the governor with intent to compel or restrain the exercise of any lawful power) of IPC [Indian Penal Code], I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for in my letters, the letter read. It is unprecedented for a governor to tell a chief minister to respond to his letters or face the prospect of Presidents rule being imposed in the state. Mann and Purohit have been at odds over several issues for almost a year, including the appointment of vice chancellors, the convening of special assembly sessions, and the CMs absence from official functions. The governor has repeatedly accused Mann of not replying to his letters seeking information on administrative matters. The CM has previously referred to the missives as love letters. Mann said on Saturday that the governor wrote 16 letters, of which he has replied to nine while the rest are being followed up. He said replies for the remaining letters are being readied and will be given in the coming week as in some cases detailed information has to be gathered which takes time. However, he expressed concern that Purohit was exerting pressure on an elected government in an unconstitutional manner. The governor needs answers to his letters immediately but what about the six bills that had been passed in the Vidhan Sabha? He is sitting on them for the past year and a half, the chief minister alleged, adding that the letters from the governor reek of hunger for power. Though he lost election there (in his home state, Rajasthan), he is still not able to leave his habit of giving orders If he has so much passion to give orders, why doesnt he become the Bharatiya Janata Partys CM face in Rajasthan and contest the assembly elections there, the chief minister alleged. Mann also alleged that the governors are acting as puppets of the Union government to create unwarranted hindrances in the functioning of non-BJP governments in states like Delhi, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Such things dont augur well for the countrys federal structure, he added. To be sure, several non-BJP ruled states, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Jharkhand, have been witnessing acrimonious relationship between the centrally appointed governors and the elected governments. Mann alleged that the Union government has withheld allocations to the state under the Rural Development Fund (RDF), goods and services tax (GST), and questioned the governors silence on these issues. The Centre has not paid attention to the concerns of Punjabs farmers and it is alarming that the governor has not written a single letter to the central government addressing the real issues of Punjab, Mann said. He also claimed that Punjab is one of the best states in terms of law and order and has attracted investments worth 50,871 crore. HT contacted the governors office for a comment over Manns remarks, but did not get one immediately. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When Amit Shah asks for report card tomorrow, tell him we made Isro: Kharge Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Telangana asked why Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao did not attend any meeting of the opposition alliance INDIA (Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance). Read More Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge(ANI) ISRO now BJP's 2024 campaign tool: TMC leader Mahua Moitra attacks PM Modi Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Mahua Moitra on Saturday, speaking on Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) moon mission Chandrayaan-3, took a jibe at the Bhakt and troll army of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that the saffron party will make ISRO their campaign tool for the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Read More British Museum Director resigns after around 2000 antiques stolen from storeroom Around 2,000 artefacts including gold jewellery and gems had been stolen from the British Museum over a long period of time, but recovery efforts were already under way, the museum's chair George Osborne said on Saturday. Read More Don't overuse your contact lenses; follow these tips to prevent eye infections and complications Contact lenses are thin lenses that rest directly on the surface of the eye. They are the preferred choice for many over glasses due to a range of reasons. Contact lenses not only provide all-round vision compared to conventional glasses, but they are also easy to use, and convenient when it comes to playing sports. Read More 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 The European Union (EU) on Saturday expressed concern at a rapid increase in refined petroleum products made from Russian crude in countries such as India entering European markets, as this defeats sanctions aimed at curbing Russias ability to finance its war in Ukraine. EU executive vice-president and commissioner for trade Valdis Dombrovskis with Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Saturday. (Twitter/Piyush Goyal) Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU executive vice-president and commissioner for trade who is visiting India for a meeting of G20 trade ministers, said the 27-member bloc is assessing how to deal with the entry of products processed from Russian crude into European markets in large quantities. Dombrovskis also pointed to Russias withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative and accused Moscow of using energy supplies and food as weapons of war and manipulation. Against such a backdrop, the EU-India strategic partnership based on trust and friendship is crucial for addressing big challenges, he told a small group of reporters. This is indeed a new development that [petroleum] products which are processed from Russian oil are arriving in the EU market in large quantities, so we are going to see how exactly to deal with this, he said in response to questions. The issue is in the early stages of reflection, but the EU has concerns as this defeats the purpose of restrictions we put in place against Russia, he said. Dombrovskis noted that India and China havent joined sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU or the price cap on Russian oil put in place by G7 countries since exports of oil and petroleum products are Moscows biggest revenue source. We are also aware that Russia is actively seeking alternative markets following the loss of the European market...There are also some issues which are linked to developments which we are currently assessing. For example, what we see is now a rapid increase of refined oil products imported into the EU from India. But if they are made with Russian oil, in a sense, it defies the purpose which we are putting as the EU, as the Western democratic world to reduce Russias ability to wage this aggressive war, he added. India hasnt publicly censured Russias invasion of Ukraine, though it has called for respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. India has also ramped up the purchase of discounted Russian crude, making Moscow one of the largest energy suppliers over the past year. Dombrovskis declined to say how the differences among the G20 member states over text to refer to the Ukraine crisis in outcome documents could impact the leaders declaration to be adopted at the upcoming summit next month. On Russias aggression against Ukraine, I see the difficulty at the end of the day to have agreement on this, with Russia sitting at the table and its obviously not taking a constructive approach in this regard, he said. The EU position is clear we condemn the Russian aggression against Ukraine, call for ceasing this aggression and pulling Russian troops beyond the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine, he added. Russia should immediately resume its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative which was brokered by the UN to facilitate exports of Ukrainian grain and Russian fertilisers since Moscows withdrawal from this arrangement and the blocking of grain exports has created problems for many developing countries, Dombrovskis said. Developing countries are paying the price for Russia using food as a weapon of war, he said. The EU is supporting efforts by the UN and Turkiye to resume the Black Sea Grain Initiative and has provided alternative export routes via Poland and Romania to export 45 million tonnes of food from Ukraine. The EU will do everything possible to support Ukraine economically, financially and militarily to defend itself and eventually to win this war, Dombrovskis said. We need to continue to put all pressure on aggressor Russia...and we are also following the principle nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Its not that someone should be negotiating something behind Ukraines back about Ukraines future, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Gujarat Congress has hit out at the state government for not complying with the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) norms and conditions and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Gujarat government via Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) paid crores of rupees to Gautam Adanis Adani Power Mundra Limited. Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Shaktisinh Gohil (Twitter Photo) Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee chief Shaktisinh Gohil said Adani Power Mundra Limited procured coal but did not furnish the evidence (invoice, documents, etc.) of price bidding and was paid in excess without checks and balances. Gohil said that a letter was written on behalf of GUVNL to Adani Power Mundra Limited, according to which Adani Power has not handed over the documents despite being paid Rs.13,802 crores over the period of five years. The letter mentioned that the GUVNL paid an additional Rs.3,900 crore as it was only supposed to pay Rs.9,902 crore and demanded that it should be returned. According to the PPA signed between the GUVNL and Adani Power, for the coal coming from Indonesia, energy charges would be paid to Adani Power based on its fixed price, said Gohil. It was written in the PPA that whatever coal Adani buys, it will give its competitive bid and bill papers to the government, which the government will compare with the international price-fixing circuit, Gohil alleged. He added, But Adani Power did not submit any documents for five years and the government kept paying crores of rupees in the name of energy charges. Referring to the Hindenburg report, Gohil said that the Supreme Court committee to revive this and multiple RTIs (right to information) were also filed following which the Gujarat government wrote to Adani Power Limited. Had this not happened, Rs.3,900 crore of the Gujarat government would have gone to Adani. This money belonged to the Power Purchase Agreement, so its burden would fall on the citizens of Gujarat, the Congress spokesperson added. Hindenburg report, published in January 2023, alleged accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and improper use of tax havens by Gautam Adani. Congress Chairman media and publicity department, who was also present at the press conference, said, After the Hindenburg report came and after the kind of pressure, the Congress party and other oppositions raised it in the Parliament and questioned Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) on his association with Adani. After that pressure, the GUVNL has written a letter to Gautam Adani asking him to repay that excess amount paid to him. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nagaland has dominated national news headlines over the last two years like never before, and for all the right reasons. From making a noticeable impact in the fields of sports, music, film and more, young Naga women and men are notching up their game with innovative and bold strides. Sunshine Orchestra of Nagaland One is floored when listening to a young cab driver rap like a pro, reading about actor Andrea Kevichusa winning a Filmfare Award, and hearing the news about the two gold medals the Nagaland Chamber Choir won at the World Choir games in South Korea. The list goes on. Nagaland is truly earning many golden buzzers due to the achievements of its young people. If you are wondering, why this sudden onslaught of success stories from Nagaland, make no mistake, it is, in fact, not sudden. It has a lot to do with the governance and the discipline and focus of the people of the state. Collective Social Goodness When you go up to the capital city Kohima after landing at Dimapur, you are welcomed to a different world. It has the similar structure of any typical hill station like Shimla, Dalhousie, Ooty, where I have visited. But Kohima is different. For starters, there is no honking. Yes, no honking. People drive patiently and will not cut queues and traffic lines. People are polite and humble. The locals are proud of their tribal heritage and culture and are not ashamed to boldly wear that on their arm while listening to English rock music on their car systems. There is a collective social goodness that I see in the people of Nagaland. These social values translate into strengths and convert into wins in the long run. Smells Like Entrepreneurship Spirit There has been significant thrust in the areas of sports, music and arts. I have also noticed a lot of young entrepreneurs coming out and setting up ventures; from coffee, food, furniture to traditional fashion, young Nagas are stepping up. It is important to harness this talent, this soft power and channelize this energy to open up doors of opportunities and build success stories. The Government of Nagaland has taken initiatives in this direction for well over a decade, built capabilities and the right teams to drive these initiatives. Thank You for The Music In the field of music, I have been fortunate to be associated with TaFMA (Task Force for Music & Arts), a unique body in this country working in the field of music, arts and fashion. It creates platforms, physical infrastructure and facilities and builds associations to create and offer better opportunities to young talent and to help the established ones find success. The current Government of Nagaland is in its second term. Half way into its first term, they appointed Mr Theja Meru as the Advisor to TaFMA and, after a lot of initial planning, the efforts are now bearing fruit. While My Guitar Gently Rocks The TaFMA Music Mentorship Program, which was rolled out a few years ago, has slowly started showing signs of fructification. Thanks also in equal measure to names like Alobo Naga and Tetseo Sisters, who took the first few steps into the music market beyond the hills of Nagaland. The recent find for the country from Nagaland, ace girl guitarist Imnainla Jamir, is a product of the same program. She ignited the imagination of people across the country when she played the national anthem on her electric guitar. Today, she is easily finding opportunities to perform in corporate shows and festivals around the country. She even performed with the rock band Parikrama recently. Music Mentorship Among the 40-odd musicians who are part of the program, the Bright Lights Children's Choir is a flagship project of TaFMA directed and mentored by accomplished pianist & musician Bethel Tsuzu. In November 2019, I saw the members of the Bright Lights Childrens Choir perform under the baton of renowned Latvian conductors. It was an unforgettable experience. Another project, Sunshine Orchestra Nagaland Chapter, began under the aegis of the A R Rahman Foundation and is mentored by Vilhouvotuo Kezo, an accomplished violin player. A R Rahman himself was the Chief Guest for the closing ceremony of the Hornbill Festival in 2019. Hornbill Grows! In 2015, I had created an Intellectual Property (IP) for the Government of Nagaland called Hornbill on Tour. During the concerts held in some major metros, many artists and friends in the audience would approach me and ask, How does one get to Nagaland? To most, it seemed to be a mystical land, hidden in the fog of the hills. By 2019, when I was doing Ticket to Hornbill on the same lines, I didnt get a single question asking me how to get to Nagaland. Instead, I got a lot of queries around when to visit, when does Hornbill Festival take place, etc. etc. With the connectivity of air, rail, cell phone and e-commerce growing, the world had shrunk and, by 2022, we had record footfalls at the Hornbill Festival. Beehive of Performances & Art The Regional Centre of Excellence for Music & Performing Arts at Jotsoma has become a beehive of activity and performances. The once forlorn centre is now vibrant in not only colour but also as the rallying point of all activities as Theja and team work out of the building. In September 2019, TaFMA inaugurated the GOCA (Gallery of Contemporary Art) at the RCEMPA to display and exhibit works of local artists. In 2021, the Latvian ambassador inaugurated a studio space, Musify, for artists to practice, record, or shoot their music performances. Brands on the Bandwagon We have also made a lot of partnerships and associations come to life in the last few years. Dolby India and The Parx brand from the Raymond Group supported another project of TaFMA, The Nagland Collective, which comprises select musicians and artists. They released their single Now or Never which got some rave reviews. TaFMA has just begun work on Nagaland Collective 2.0. All these programs give platforms to artists to get on board and pave a path to success and betterment. Toyota, Raymond, Parx, Dolby, Shure, Casio, OkListen, Gaana etc. are some brands who have come on board for various activities of TaFMA and also at Hornbill. Edge of Glory All these efforts definitely seem to be creating a positive push and a vibrant industry for artists. It is difficult to believe all artists under the mentorship program will achieve success quickly and at the same time, but the number of success stories is surely and steadily growing. The Government of Nagaland itself has put forward a model where they are treating musicians and artists like any other industry body which requires hand-holding, skilling, support and private investments. This model, if adopted by other states, will also bear results and a positive outcome. TaFMA has also put in more energies at the district level and started open-house nights with greater involvement and push. Each district has to manage its own social media channel and scout talent, nurture talent and use TaFMA's resources to take talent to the next level. It is important to get more support from mainstream brands as well to do things at the grassroots level and invest over time to yield results in the short and long run. Abu Metha, Advisor to Chief Minister along with TaFMA officials and Parx representatives As of now, the excitement of brands willing to invest in activities in the North East is limited. While one sees brands provide huge sponsorship in urban centres for festivals, which are only growing in numbers but hardly growing in distinction, it is difficult to get brands to invest in the North East or with artists from the region. To be fair, there are logistical issues and its a small market, so sometimes the effort to rewards is a point of consideration for brands. However, they recognize that its a growing market and one can do innovative IPs which are not geographically bound to the region but transports the talent pool of the region to a national level. However, I believe the volume of sheer talent, the well-known North East love for music and our collective work at TaFMA will move Nagaland and other states in the North East region from the edge of glory to the centre-stage spotlight, soonest. Mumbai-based Arpito Gope, TaFMA Chief Consultant and Partner at The Better Earth Coalition by NYUCT Design Labs (Venture Design & Innovation), has been promoting the new creators economy in Nagaland for over 10 years. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The father of a seven-year-old child who was repeatedly slapped by classmates on the instruction of their school teacher called for legal action but denied any communal angle to the incident. Father of the child who was beaten by classmates (L) and the teacher who instructed them. My son is seven years old. This incident happened on August 24. The teacher made the students beat my child again and again. My nephew who had gone to school for some work made the video, he told news agency ANI. This is not a Hindu-Muslim matter. We want the law should take its own course. A video of some students slapping their classmate from a minority community on the instruction of their teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi, who is also the school principal, surfaced on social media on Friday, sparking widespread outrage. In the 39-second clip, Tyagi could be seen sitting on her chair and encouraging students in her class to slap another boy for not learning multiplication tables. Tyagi, however, claimed that the video was edited to misrepresent the incident as communal and said she had no such intentions. The teacher admitted to having made other students beat the seven-year-old but insisted that it was only because of the pressure from the kid's parents to be strict with him and her physical disability to punish on her own. The video that was made viral was edited and cut, I had no such intentionsin our place, Hindus and Muslims stay with unity and we have more Muslim students in our schoolThere was pressure from the parents of the child to be strict with him. I am handicapped I cant get uphe was not doing homework for the last 2 monthsso I made 2-3 students beat him up so that he would start doing his work, she told ANI. The father said that he had indeed asked the teacher to be strict with his child but objected to making other students beat him. My seven-year-old child was tortured for an hour or two. He is scared, the father said. On the purported objectionable remarks she was heard making in the viral video, Tyagi said, What I said was 'Mohammedan mothers' must not take their kids to their material uncles homes as the exam is approaching. But they cut this video and took the 'Mohammedan' wordI had no such intentions. When asked about whether it was a mistake making other students hit the child, she said, Yes, I have made a mistake and I seek apology with folded hands. 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 New Delhi The Mumbai meeting of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will set up the groupings 11-member coordination committee, and is likely to discuss the broader approach for state-specific seat-sharing arrangements, which will eventually be handled at the state level, two leaders involved in the preparatory consultations said on Saturday. The second meeting saw the number of constituents rise to 26 parties. (ANI) Also Read | Opposition alliance is strong: Akhilesh The meeting to be held on August 31 and September 1 may also decide on a formula to create at least five other panels to handle specific tasks of the alliance in the run-up to the 2024 general elections, a third Opposition leader aware of the matter said. A draft joint statement, to be issued after the Mumbai meeting, is under preparation, the leaders indicated. They said that talks have also started on how the various parties in the INDIA alliance can share each others social media content for greater impact in the digital space. The INDIA alliance held its first meeting in Patna on June 23, and second meeting in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18. After the Mumbai meeting,anOpposition leader said that at least two more meetings, possibly in Kolkata and Chennai, will be held in the coming weeks. According to the plans so far, on August 31, the alliance leaders will meet informally over dinner at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. The formal meeting, which will last at least 4 hours, is scheduled from 11am on September 1 at the same venue. Also Read | Congress gave India Constitution, saved it for Modi to become PM, says Kharge From Patna, we have taken a step forward in Bengaluru, said one of the two leaders cited in the first instance. In the second meeting, we named our alliance INDIA and identified specific issues. The Mumbai meeting can address specific issues, especially on mutual accommodation as strategy of seat sharing would depend on mutual trust and accommodation. The specifics, however, will be worked out only at the state level, this leader said. The Mumbai meeting will set the structure of how the alliance will work on specific issues. The 11-member coordination committee will be formed at the Mumbai meeting. It will serve as the backbone of the alliance. In Mumbai, we will also finalize the formula to create at least 5 other committees to look at other issues such as campaign, publicity, logistics, etc. These committees too, will have members of the constituent parties, said the second leader. He added that the INDIA alliance partners will also set up a mechanism to share the social media space either by creating joint content or simply tagging each other or sharing posts. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Congress leader Ashok Chavan said a common logo for the Opposition bloc might be released at the upcoming meeting. We are deciding to make a common logo and it may get unveiled on August 31, he said. The parties may also come out with a policy statement on EVMs in a fresh push for paper ballots, the leaders quoted earlier suggested. To be sure, the Election Commission has steadfastly refused all allegations of any malpractice or problems in EVMs, and even organized an event in 2017 challenging political parties to hack the voting machines. The first meeting of the INDIA alliance was attended by 15 parties. The second meeting saw the number of constituents rise to 26 parties. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, a key member of the alliance, has said that the alliance will grow further as 2024 elections draw closer. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Bhopal: A 20-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death and his 49-year-old mother was stripped after they refused to withdraw a sexual harassment complaint lodged by the victims sister, in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Saturday, adding that all nine of the accused have been arrested. According to the police, key accused Vikram Singh (28) and eight members of his family members have been forcing the victim and his family to withdraw a sexual harassment case his sister lodged against Singh in 2019. (File photo) The incident took place late on Thursday in Barodia Naunagir village of Sagar district. Also Read | Sarpanch, one other gets 3.5-yr jail for blackening Dalit mans face According to the police, key accused Vikram Singh (28) and eight members of his family members have been forcing the victim and his family to withdraw a sexual harassment case his sister lodged against Singh in 2019. Vikram Singh was booked for sexually harassing the victims sister in 2019, and has since been pressuring them to withdraw the case. On Thursday, Singh had an altercation with the victim at his home, which soon escalated. The prime accused later called his family members who joined him in assaulting the victim and his mother, additional superintendent of police (Sagar), Lokesh Sinha, said. Also Read | Dalit man assaulted after rejecting demand for free chicken The accused also stripped the victims mother, said Nitin Pal, in charge of the Khurai police station. The victims brother rushed the two to Bundelkhand Medical College where the doctors the victim dead on arrival, while his mother is undergoing treatment, Pal added. Bundelkhand Medical College superintendent RC Pandey said, The woman had a fracture in one of his hand and minor injuries. Her condition is stated to be stable. Based on the complaint lodged by the victims family, the police have booked all nine accused under sections 302 (murder), 353 (sexual harassment) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code and under sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989. All accused have been arrested, he added. Meanwhile, the victims family have refused to cremate his body, demanding action against the accused. They are also demanding authorities to demolish the house of the accused. Sagar district collector Deepak Arya later met the family members and assured them of strict action. The family cremated the body in the evening. Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Saturday said that the logo of newly formed Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) would likely be unveiled on August, during the third joint meeting of the alliance in Mumbai, news agency ANI reported. Congress leader Ashok Chavan(Image via X) Read here: My one tweet made Congress remember..: Himanta Sarma's dig at opposition over INDIA name While addressing a press conference, Chavan said, Around 26 to 27 parties will participate in the meeting. An informal gathering will be held on the evening of August 31 in Mumbai and a formal meeting on September 1. So far, two meetings have been organised so in this third meeting the next agenda will be discussed. We are deciding to make a common logo and it may get unveiled on August 31. Former Maharashtra chief minister also said that around 26-27 opposition parties are expected to to participate in the third joint meeting of the bloc in Mumbai on August 31. The first meeting was held in Patna in Bihar, ruled by the INDIA front parties, while the second one was held in Bengaluru in Karnataka, where the Congress has recently returned to power. Earlier, party leader PL Punia had cleared that the names for the post of the prime minister for the alliance would be revealed after it registers a thumping victory in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. "INDIA alliance has decided that the prime minister will be decided after coming to power. The elected MPs will choose the PM,' the Congress had leader said. Read here: Complaint filed against 26 Opposition parties for 'improper use' of term INDIA 26 opposition parties last month formed a coalition 'INDIA' (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) to take on the ruling BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asserting that the fight will be "between INDIA and prime minister Narendra Modi". The newly formed alliance also released a declaration, Samuhik Sankalp which mentions about various issues ranging from caste census, Manipur violence to role of Governors and LGs, and demonetisation. The 26 opposition parties 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). (With inputs from agencies) The India Club in London, with its early roots in the Indian independence movement as a hub for nationalists including Krishna Menon, will shut down next month after losing a protracted battle against its closure. A view of the India Club in London.(India Club website) The historic meeting venue and eatery, which had won its battle to prevent the building in the heart of Londons 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 now announced its impending closure. Also Read| Iconic slogans by freedom fighters that are still etched in our memory 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 UKs 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 first-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 (SOAS), when she worked on the exhibition A Home Away from Away: The India Club in 2019, curated by the UKs 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 India Club, which for decades has served popular Indian dishes like butter chicken and masala dosas has long played an important role in serving the Asian community in London. 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. Tharoor laments closure Senior Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took to social media to lament the closure announcement, given his journalist father Chandran Tharoors 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. At a local race a few years back. A speaker asked the veterans to come up to the stage. I stayed put. My daughter-in-law was puzzled about why I did not move. I may be wrong to some people on this issue. At different events, people ask veterans in the crowd to stand. To me, the real veterans are the ones who saw the tragedy of war firsthand. Something none of us can ever understand. Young men putting their lives on the line. Some never come back. Some come with injuries for the rest of their lives. They did their duty without kudos. Some pilots getting onto a plane which might be his coffin. Little seemed out of place to the staff of a small hotel in Adarsh Nagar in north Delhi, when a man and his wife, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, checked in on Friday afternoon. The suspect is at large, police said. (FILE) Satish Kumar Kushwaha (32) and his wife, they believed, would spend their time as most other guests in hotels do. They ordered room service for lunch, soon after they got their room on Saturday. Also Read | 23-year-old man stabs 2 teen boys in Delhi, thrashed badly But then, a few hours later, the hotel staff heard the woman shrieking. Some of them rushed to the door, but their persistent knocks were ignored. Eventually, they rammed the door down, and walked in to see the woman, now nearly passed out in a pool of blood on the floor, her left hand chopped off, and a knife a few inches away. Her husband had cut off her hand and fled the room, Delhi Police said on Saturday, detailing a gruesome crime. Kushwaha, who travelled to Delhi with his wife from Kanpur, is at large and police have not been able to question the woman, who was taken to hospital. Investigators, however, said they believe the couples relationship was strained. Police did not identify the woman, who was admitted in Safdarjung Hospital, where her hand was reattached after an hours-long surgery late on Saturday night. A case under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered and several teams are working to nab the accused, said deputy commissioner of police (north west) Jitendra Kumar Meena. Later, it emerged that Kushwaha had also assaulted the woman in Uttar Pradesh earlier, after which her brother had filed an FIR against him. A senior officer aware of the details of the investigation said the police control room (PCR) call received information about the attack from the hotel on Friday evening. There was a pool of blood. Her hand had been cut from just above the wrist. We immediately rushed her to hospital and preserved her hand as well, the officer said, asking not to be named. They shared their identity documents and have been found to be residents of Kanpur. They ordered lunch which was delivered to them. A few hours later, the staff said that they could hear the womans cries but no one opened the door when they knocked. The staffers had to then break open the door to find the woman bleeding and her hand cut, after which they immediately called police, the officer added. The couple, this person added, was in Delhi because the victim was set to take an examination to qualify for a senior position. They had a strained relationship, but the motive will become clearer once the woman gives her statement or the accused is arrested. Investigators have found that the suspects family in Kanpur is at large as well, the official added. Delhi Police have shared details of the incident with Kanpur police and are poring over CCTV footage in and around the hotel to determine when the husband left the room or the hotel. The officer quoted above added that the woman was likely sedated before the attack because she was found only partially conscious. 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! Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modis decision to name the landing spot of Chandrayaan-3s lander Shiv Shakti is a message for inclusivity and gender equality. Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with women scientists of the Isro team involved in Chandrayaan-3 mission, in Bengaluru. (ANI/ PIB) Welcoming his presence at Isros Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, the scientists responsible for the success of the countrys third lunar mission said that the PMs speech will encourage them to do better in the future. We were very excited to have him here. He was actually emotional that India had achieved such a historic milestone by being the first country to soft land on the lunar south pole region. His presence and his speech have encouraged our team to do better in all our future missions, Isro chief S Somanath said after the PMs address earlier in the day. During his address, the PM said that the spot where the lander, Vikram, made a soft landing on August 23 will be known as Shiv Shakti, and the spot where Chandrayaan-2s lander crash landed in 2019 will be known as Tiranga Point. The PMs move, scientists said, has recognised the contribution of women across the country. Today is a celebration of nari shakti and the women scientists of Isro today, as our honourable Prime Minister has named the site as Shiv Shakti, which has recognised and encouraged women across the country, Brinda V, a senior scientist from Isro, said. Muthu Selvi, a senior scientist from the propulsion team of the space agency, said that Shiv the masculine energy and Shakti the feminine energy both need to come together for the universe to function in a balance. Modi ji has inspired us today. We are empowered but we want that other women in the country should also be empowered and chase their dreams, she said. A team of nearly 1,000 scientists were present at the Isro command centre on Saturday, as the PM returned from his two-nation tour to congratulate them on the success of Chandrayaan-3. The scientists said that being part of the historic mission was a matter of pride. Nidhi Porwal, a senior scientist from the UR Rao Satellite Centre, who was also present in the Bengaluru, said that while scientists worked tirelessly to ensure the missions success, the moment when the lander touched the lunar surface felt like magic. The team has worked day and night for the last four years to ensure the success of Chandrayaan-3, and it feels really good to be recognised for that effort, Porwal said. Reema Ghosh, a senior scientist and a team member of the Pragyan module, said, It was wonderful. PM Modi visited us. He supported us and told us that the sky is not the limit. Our Prime Minister took so much time to appreciate our efforts and sacrifices, said Ghosh. On future plans of Isro, Ghosh said, We will come up with something even better. We are very excited as the Aditya-L1 (Isros solar mission) will be launched soon. We will embrace more challenging missions. Chandrayaan-3s lander, Vikram, made a successful soft landing on near the south pole of the moon at 6.03pm on August 23. Over the next fortnight, the lander and rover, Pragyan, will conduct a series of experiments on the lunar surface. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON An NRI woman from Australia died by suicide on Sunday in Karnataka's Belagavi district after allegedly losing her children to the custody of Australian authorities, a suicide note recovered by the police officials read. The deceased woman had arrived in Bengaluru from Australia and took a bus to Belagavi. (Trigger warning: This article contains sensitive and potentially distressing content related to the topic of suicide. Reader discretion is advised.) In the note, the deceased 40-year-old mother accused the Australian authorities and some residents of a Sydney locality of harassing her and her family. In distress, she took her own life near Saundatti in Belagavi district, news agency IANS reported. The woman's family was engaged in a legal dispute with Australian authorities over the custody of her children. Her son was facing health problems, the report claimed. The dispute arose after the Australian hospital authorities accused the woman of negligence towards her children. Following the events, the woman requested the Australian government to withdraw her citizenship so that she could take her children back to India for treatment. However, her requests were ignored, the report claimed. Her family blamed her sufferings on the Australian government and alleged that her deteriorating health issues pushed her to take such an extreme step. 'Residents have harassed us' As per the recovered suicide note, she alleged, Our lives are threatened. I am compelled to end my life for the survival of my children and husband Lingaraj. I am accepting my death for the good of my family. From 2021 to the present day DCJ (Australia's Department of Communities and Justice) has ruined my family. The residents of Verlie Street in Sydney have harassed us. She alleged in the note that the family of a police officer had been troubling her and the water supply to her house was poisoned. Patil had arrived in Bengaluru from Australia and took a bus to Belagavi. The police are investigating the matter. The copy will be updated if there is a response from the Ministry of External Affairs on the matter. (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290) 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 Pushpaben, 50, takes care of an elderly woman in Ahmedabad. She is a member of the Home Care Cooperative developed by the Self-Employed Womens Association, SEWA, in Ahmedabad. Her voice breaks as she remembers the challenges she faced. "Before I joined this cooperative, I had no work. And no food. My sons and I survived on water. Then I heard about this group and began taking care of an elderly woman. Once I earned, I opened a bank account and took loans five times from SEWA Bank, also a cooperative. I bought an auto rickshaw for my son and he now earns 400 or 500 per day. Then I bought this house, in my name." PREMIUM Rural women from self help groups in Chhattisgarh engaged in making of vermicompost from cow dung. (HT Photo) Sangitaben, 37, is a small farmer. She grows okra and sugar cane in the Adivasi Tapi district of South Gujarat. She now is a board member of the Megha Mandli, a cooperative of 1,000 Adivasi women farmers like herself. They have a licence to supply seeds from the governments seed corporation which reduces input costs. They also sell low-cost farm tools and are encouraging women to earn from poultry as well. Their cooperative has now decided to promote organic farming and sell the jaggery they make in the local market, and online too. Sangitaben says, I am saving up to buy a tractor. I will drive it myself and reduce the costs of farming. I feel so good when I drive my neighbours tractor. My husband says I can do anything! Women like Pushpaben and Sangitaben are quietly and steadily transforming the lives of their families and their communities. There are millions like them across the length and breadth of our country. What began as self-help initiatives emerging from the autonomous womens movement in India and also through the tireless efforts of our civil society organisations, has now been mainstreamed through state and Central government programmes and globally by the World Bank and others. Such self-help groups (SHG) have been part and parcel of our history, culture and landscape. It is not a new invention. What is relatively new is the focus on womens SHGs as a force for economic empowerment, self-reliance and social change. In his Red Fort speech this August 15, the prime minister said that the Centre was working with SHGs with the aim of creating 20 million "Lakhpati didis", and announced the Union government's plan to train members of 15,000 women's SHGs to repair and operate drones. The headline number was that 100 million women are already part of such SHGs. Perhaps the biggest impetus came in the 1970s with the growth of the womens movement and other peoples movements. SEWA itself was born in those heady times, in 1972, when the late Elaben Bhatt first began organising informal women workers into a trade union, and later into village-based SHGs and their district-level associations, as well as cooperatives and their state-level federation, SEWA Cooperative Federation. When women like Pushpaben said they could not come out of poverty without regular work and income, Elaben helped them to organise their groups and later registered these as a cooperative. Karimaben and Rahimaben led a strike of khol or quilt-cover makers in the 1970s for fair wages. They were exploited by local merchants and contractors who paid them a pittance for their long hours of sewing. When this strategy did not work, these courageous women found another tactic: They formed their own group and unit to sew for themselves. Later the group morphed into Sabina, the second cooperative promoted by SEWA after SEWA Bank. What we learned was that such membership-based, democratic and inclusive collectives, based on self-help principles, can lead to economic empowerment and self-reliance for individual informal women workers, their families and their collective enterprises. The road to self-reliance is full of obstacles and challenges, but adhering to values and some basic principles, women have shown time and again, whether at SEWA, PRADAN, Mission Shakti, Kudumbashree and other state and central government-promoted SHGs, that they can successfully chart their own course to empowerment and self-reliance. Of foremost significance is the organising, or the process of uniting women as economic actors across caste, ethnic, religious and other lines. It is the process of building horizontal solidarity and sisterhood through membership-based organisations. These organisations elect their own boards or executive committees, building leadership and ownership from below. This is absolutely critical. Next, each woman must contribute a share --- her time and money to build the group. The group itself is built around an economic activity --- farming, animal husbandry, craft, services, savings and credit, providing ones labour like in a cleaning or construction cooperative, among others. This builds ownership, accountability and a stake in the growth and well-being of the collective enterprise. In fact, SHGs are groups where women are the users, managers and owners. The group may choose a formal organisational form a cooperative, Farmer Producer Company or any other collective form that works for them and also where there is ease of registration. This, to date, remains one of the greatest challenges, i.e., the procedures for registration and the host of compliance requirements. Formalising the informal is widely discussed these days, but womens SHGs in India still struggle with formalising their group no ease of doing business for them in sight, as yet. Governance is another key issue. We have seen many groups falter and collapse due to poor governance either accounts are not kept properly, leadership is found to be lacking or the regulatory environment was a barrier or not there to support the group. These are but a few of the challenges that SHGs face. We have seen relatively few instances of fraud or embezzlement compared to other organisations. The women in the group usually 100-500 is the preferred size generally know each other, live in the same village or mohalla and are a check and balance on each other. It is more acts of omission than commission that pose the governance problem. SHGs also serve to develop womens leadership. In a society where they are barely seen or heard, when women run their own collective businesses, and work hard to make them financially viable and profitable, there is no turning back. Handling money, regulations, officials and the outside world, including markets online and offline, changes them forever. Bringing income into their families and communities also changes the power dynamics and initiates the process of social change. They have more elbow room in their families and win the respect of their village elders and mohalla leaders. They build their own assets and community assets like ponds. Their foodgrains are bought for their states public distribution system and many of their products and services also find local, national and even international markets. This is bottom-up, decentralised growth and development, as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi and others who led our freedom movement. These women understood that this was the path to true swaraj. The key to strengthening this women-led movement for change through SHGs is to let them decide to join hands, pool their resources and build their own democratic, membership-based organisations based on their needs, which they know best. These will then be authentic and self-sustaining. Of course, an enabling environment including access to financial services like working capital, loans, insurance, pension and more, capacity-building, digitization, digital literacy and enterprise support systems that help them create their own business plans, are urgently needed. When women lead through their SHGs, in their own way and at their own speed, it is transformational for them, their societies and our economy. Mirai Chatterjee is Chairperson of the SEWA Cooperative Federation of 110 primary women's cooperatives in Gujarat. She also leads SEWA's Social Security team BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya on Saturday claimed that there was no communal angle in the Muzaffarnagar incident where a school teacher asked her students to slap a classmate. Quoting the police statement, Malviya said the teacher was asking students to hit the boy as punishment for not having learnt multiplication tables. BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya. It is no doubt a terrible idea to ask fellow students to beat another but there is no communal angle here, as is being alleged by usual suspects, the BJP functionary claimed. A video of the incident which police said occurred in a school run from a private home in Khubbapur village showed a school teacher asking her students to slap a boy from a minority community and also passing objectionable remarks against the community, sparking widespread outrage. In the 39-second clip, the teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi, could be seen sitting on her chair and encouraging students in her class to slap another boy for not learning multiplication tables. "When we... spoke to the school principal, it emerged that the teacher had declared that mothers of Mohammedan children who do not pay attention to their education, those childrens education is ruined. In this connection, action will be taken, said Satyanarayan Prajapat, the SP of Muzaffarnagar. While the teacher was heard linking the child's education with his religion, as confirmed by the police, Malviya claimed the members of professional outrage brigade were not interested in the well-being of the student as much as they are in his religious identity. Shame on them for not even sparing children, if it helps them spread their hate agenda. Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on X, "Sowing the poison of discrimination in the minds of innocent children, turning a holy place like a school into a market place of hatred - there is nothing worse a teacher can do for the country." "This is the same kerosene spread by the BJP which has set every corner of India on fire. Children are the future of India - do not hate them, we all have to together teach love," he added. 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday got emotional while addressing ISRO scientists involved in the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I wanted to meet you as soon as possible and salute yousalute your efforts, PM Modi said at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. Prime Minister Modi flew down to Bengaluru directly from the Greek capital of Athens to congratulate and interact with ISRO scientists. "Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector," the prime minister said in a post on 'X'. ISRO chairman S Somanath received PM Modi, who patted his back and hugged him for the successful culmination of the lunar landing mission. He also posed for a group photo with the team of scientists behind the project. S Somanath briefed PM Modi on the ISRO's 40-day journey to the lunar South Pole and the efforts that went into the project. The Lander Module of the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed on the south pole of the Moon, making India the first country to achieve this feat. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced August 23 as the National Space Day. Chandrayaan-3 made a successful soft landing on the south pole of the Moon on August 23. PM Modi in Bengaluru met and congratulated ISRO scientists as he lauded Chandryaan-3 heroes involved with the successful lunar landing (Twitter Photo) The prime minister was addressing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists at the ISRO command centre in Bengaluru. Modi met and congratulated ISRO scientists on Saturday as he lauded Chandryaan-3 heroes involved with the successful lunar landing. In Bengaluru, the PM interacted with ISRO scientists at the Isro Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex (ISTRAC). Hailing the efforts of the woman scientists for the successful space mission and the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon, PM Modi further announced that the point on the moon where Chandrayaan-3 landed will be called Shivshakti. Women scientists played a key role in Chandrayaan 3...this Shivkshakti point will inspire the upcoming generations to use science for the welfare of people. The welfare of people is our supreme commitment.., PM Modi said. He also announced that the point where its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2 hit, will be known as the Tiranga point. In todays era, the country which paces ahead in the field of science and technology will be charting history...To encourage our younger generation to get involved in the field of science and technology and space, we have decided that August 23, the day when our Chandrayaan-3 lander touched the moon, will be celebrated as National Space Day, PM Modi said. We have our national pride placed on the Moon. This feat is unprecedented! This is todays India, the BOLD AND BRAVE India!, Modi said in his address. He said the scientists had taken the Make In India initiative to the Moon, referring to the boost to indigenous productions due to Chandrayaan 3s success. The PM early Saturday landed in Bengaluru. While Modi could not physically be present for the Chandrayaan-3 landing, he attended the landing event virtually and congratulated ISRO chairman S Somanath and his team for successfully landing on the lunar south pole region, making India the first country to achieve this feat. A follow-up mission to the 2019 Chandrayaan-2, the latest moon programme aims to achieve three objectives to demonstrate a safe and soft landing on the moon surface, which could not be achieved during Chandrayaan-2, to demonstrate rover roving abilities on the moon surface, and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments. On Wednesday (August 23) at 6.04pm, ISROs Chandrayaan-3 made a successful landing and for the next fortnight, a series of experiments will be undertaken on the lunar surface by the crafts lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan). On Friday, the Pragyan rover rolled out over the surface of the Moon and covered a distance of 8 metres, according to ISRO. In the second lunar mission, the soft-landing attempt by the Indian space agency might have failed, but ISRO managed to successfully place its orbiter in the path, which continues to provide key information. The historic achievement by ISRO placed India among the top four nations to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface, and the first nation to reach the Moons unexplored south pole. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Kuber Group director Vikas Malu was among three people injured in the incident in which a Rolls-Royce rammed into an oil tanker on the Delhi-Mumbai-Baroda Expressway in Nuh, killing two. Kuber Group director Vikas Malu Earlier, it was reported that the oil tanker was being driven on the wrong side and it collided with the luxury car near Umri village under Nagina police station limits on Tuesday afternoon. However, according to the FIR registered on August 22 at the Nagina police station, it was the luxury vehicle that came from behind and hit the front tyre of the oil tanker. As a result, the tanker lost its balance and overturned, according to the FIR. Police identified the industrialist as Malu, who was among three people in a Rolls-Royce that was estimated to be travelling at a speed of 200kmph when it crashed into the tanker at a spot on the expressway. We have registered the case against the driver of the luxury car but yet to confirm who was behind the wheels since all the occupants are undergoing treatment and have been declared unfit to record the statements, said Narender Bijarniya, superintendent of police, Nuh. The Kuber Group management did not respond to HTs queries for a comment. Who is Kuber Group director Vikas Malu? 1. Vikas Malu is the director and owner of Kuber Group, which initially dealt with tobacco products. 2. Malu's business empire spans 45 ventures across 50 countries. He reportedly oversees the operations of 12 companies within the group. 3. Malu recently assumed the position of director at Vardhman International Private Limited. 4. Kuber Group was founded by Vikas Malu's father Mul Chand Malu in 1985. 5. Malu is quite active on social media as interactions extend to celebrity circles, as captured in snapshots alongside figures like Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh. 6. His lawyer, RK Thakur, told India Today that Malu was not in a condition to drive the car and that his driver Tasbir was driving. Thakur said driving slowly on an expressway is "more dangerous". However, he also said the driver was not instructed by Malu to drive fast or slow. 7. Thakur claimed that the industrialist was not in the driving seat when the incident happened. 8. Malu had recently hit the headlines after Saanvi Malu, the second wife of the businessman, wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner, accusing her husband of murdering actor Satish Kaushik. 9. Kaushik, who died on March 9 at the age of 66, was at Malus farmhouse in Delhi when he complained of uneasiness and was rushed to the hospital. He died on the way. 10. In her letter, Saanvi alleged that the actor had loaned her husband 15 crore and met him abroad once to get his money back. However, the two had a heated argument over it and Malu promised to return the money to Kaushik, she claimed. Saanvi said since the actor took ill at her husband's farmhouse, she suspected that Malu could have poisoned him to get out of returning the money. The police, however, ruled out foul play in Kaushiks death and his autopsy report said the actor died of a heart attack. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON New Delhi The ultimate goal of imprisonment, even in the most serious crime, is reformation, the Supreme Court has held, adding a stereotypical approach in denying the benefit of premature release to reformed prisoners, based solely on a trial judges opinion, could defeat the purpose of the remission policy. The ultimate goal of imprisonment, even in the most serious crime, is reformation (File photo) Also Read | Supreme Court rejects Kejriwal's plea in PM Modi degree defamation case Sounding a word of caution against overdrawing on crime, with little or no attention to the criminal, a bench led by justice S Ravindra Bhat highlighted the need to balance societal interests with the rights of the convict, as it called for considering a wide range of factors that must be considered while deciding on remission. According to the bench, which also include justice Prashant Kumar Mishra, overemphasis on the trial judges opinion and complete disregard of comments of other authorities would render the appropriate governments decision on a remission plea unsustainable. The discretion that the executive is empowered with in executing a sentence, would be denuded of its content, if the presiding judges view which is formed in all likelihood, largely (if not solely) on the basis of the judicial record is mechanically followed by the concerned authority. Such an approach has the potential to strike at the heart and subvert the concept of remission as a reward and incentive encouraging actions and behaviour geared towards reformation in a modern legal system, said the courts judgment, delivered on Friday. Also Read | Supreme Court extends interim bail of AAP's Satyendar Jain on medical grounds till September 1 The Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) requires a state government to obtain the views of the trial court that convicted the prisoner, and that of probation officer and jail officials before a decision on the remission plea is taken. A life term convict becomes entitled to remission only after serving at least 14 years in jail. The bench said that if the trial judges report is only reflective of the facts and circumstances that led to the conviction of a prisoner, and is merely a reiteration of the circumstances available to the judge at least 14 years earlier, then such a report cannot carry predominance because it focusses on the crime and not on the criminal. The probation officer and the jail authorities are usually in a far better position to comment on a convicts post-conviction reformation, noted the court, as it dealt with a petition by a life term convict from Bihar whose remission plea was rejected by the state government despite his having served over 24 years in jail in a murder case. The plea was turned down twice between 2021 and April 2023 after the trial judge gave an adverse opinion against prematurely releasing him while referring to the gravity of the crime. The top court, however, underscored that an extensive consideration of factors at the sentencing stage tends to erase the reformative journey the convicts may have undertaken as a result of their long incarceration. It has been repeatedly emphasised that the aim, and ultimate goal of imprisonment, even in the most serious crime, is reformative, after the offender undergoes a sufficiently long spell of punishment through imprisonment...The appropriate government should take a holistic view of all the opinions received (in terms of the relevant rules), including the judicial view of the presiding judge of the concerned court, keeping in mind the purpose and objective of remission, it said. The bench enumerated some of the relevant factors to be taken into account for the government at the time of considering remission, which included possibility of the convict to commit crimes in the future, socioeconomic conditions, convicts age, state of heath, familial relationships and possibility of reintegration, extent of earned remission, educational qualification whilst in custody, volunteer services offered, work done, jail conduct and the overall development as a human being. The [Remission] Board thus should not entirely rely either on the presiding judge, or the report prepared by the police. In this courts considered view, it would also serve the ends of justice if the appropriate government had the benefit of a report contemporaneously prepared by a qualified psychologist after interacting/interviewing the convict that has applied for premature release, it added. The court said: If a stereotypical approach in denying the benefit of remission, which ultimately results in premature release, is repeatedly adopted, the entire idea of limiting incarceration for long periods (sometimes spanning a third or more of a convicts lifetime and in others, result in an indefinite sentence), would be defeated. This could result in a sense of despair and frustration among inmates, who might consider themselves reformed but continue to be condemned in prison. In the present case, the bench asked the state government to initiate the process afresh and seek the opinion of all the authorities, including the trial judge, yet again. The Remission Board, the court directed, shall decide the plea within preferably within three months. The court, in its judgment, also recorded its appreciation for the valuable assistance provided by advocates Randhir Kumar Ojha, appearing for the convict, and Azmat Hayat Amanullah, who represented the Bihar government in the matter. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Supreme Court on Friday said that in granting remissions, state governments should not rely predominantly on the opinion of the presiding judge if it focusses on the crime than on the criminal, as a mechanical approach to rely on the convicting courts opinion alone to deny pre-mature release of prisoners will subvert the concept of remission and result in despair and frustration among inmates. The Supreme Court said an overemphasis on the presiding judges opinion and complete disregard of comments of other authorities, while arriving at its conclusion, would render the appropriate governments decision on a remission application, unsustainable. (File Photo) Dealing with a petition filed by Rajendra Mandal, a murder convict in Bihar sentenced to life for causing death of three persons of whom two were policemen, the bench of justices S Ravindra Bhat and PK Mishra said, In this courts considered view, overemphasis on the presiding judges opinion and complete disregard of comments of other authorities, while arriving at its conclusion, would render the appropriate governments decision on a remission application, unsustainable. This decision comes at a crucial time when the remission granted by the Gujarat government to 11 convicts in the Bilkis Bano gangrape case is under challenge before another bench of the Supreme Court, which is hearing separate petitions filed by Bano and a host of public-spirited persons. One of the grounds to challenge the decision stemmed from the states failure to take the opinion of the convicting court in Mumbai, where the convicts were tried. The state relied on the Gujarat courts opinion saying it is more material as the convicts belong to the state and the Mumbai court cannot be expected to know anything after so many years. The convict in the present case had undergone 24 years of actual imprisonment and was twice refused remission by the state remission board that relied on the opinion of the presiding judge of the trial court which shot down the remission request twice in 2021 and 2023. Directing the presiding judge and the remission board to reconsider the remission plea of the convict, the top court said, The discretion that the executive is empowered with executing a sentence, would be denuded of its content, if the presiding judges view which is formed in all likelihood, largely (if not solely) on the basis of the judicial record is mechanically followed by the authority concerned. Such an approach has the potential to strikes at the heart and subvert the concept of remission as a reward and incentive encouraging actions and behaviour geared towards reformation in a modern legal system. Under Section 432(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the opinion of the presiding judge of the court, which convicted the prisoner, is to be taken by the appropriate government granting remission to a life convict. This requirement was held to be a mandatory one by the Supreme Court in a Constitution bench decision in Union of India v V. Sriharan (2015) to keep a check on arbitrary exercise of remission powers by state governments. In the present case, the court clarified that this order is not to suggest that the presiding judges opinion will not carry weight. Writing the judgment for the bench, justice Bhat said, If the presiding judges report is only reflective of the facts and circumstances that led to the conclusion of the convicts guilt, and is merely a reiteration of those circumstances available to the judge at the time of sentencing (some 14 or more years earlier, as the case may be), then the appropriate government should attach weight to this finding, accordingly. Such report cannot be relied on as carrying predominance if it focusses on the crime, with little or no attention to the criminal, the court added. The first remission plea was filed after the convict completed 14 years of actual imprisonment. He got favourable reports from the police and probation officer with the judge being the only authority to deny release. The remission board, relying on the adverse opinion by the judge dismissed the release of the convict in May 2021. The opinion of the trial judge reflected the gravity of the crime and the fact being that two of the deceased were police officers. The remission plea was taken up a second time in April this year. This time, two adverse opinions were given, one by the presiding judge who reiterated the earlier view and another by the Superintendent of Police of Purnea district who stated that the release of the prisoner will create unrest in society. The board, while rejecting the remission, also cited the amended 2002 remission policy contained in the Bihar Jail Manual, which barred prisoners convicted for organising murders in a systematic manner to be ineligible for remission. The top court found both the reports of the presiding judges to be casual and which failed to consider the progress made by the convict during the course of his long incarceration in prison. The bench said, If a stereotypical approach in denying the benefit of remission, which ultimately results in premature release, is repeatedly adopted, the entire idea of limiting incarceration for long periods would be defeated. This could result in a sense of despair and frustration among inmates, who might consider themselves reformed but continue to be condemned in prison. The court noted that the second rejection was wrong in law as successive judgments of the top court have held that the remission policy applicable is the one prevailing at the time of conviction of the prisoner or any policy which is more liberal in favour of the prisoner. In the present case, Rajendra Mandal was convicted by the trial court in May 2001 and clearly the 2002 pre-mature release policy will be inapplicable to him. Also, the old pre-2002 policy did not mention of any criteria to deprive him of remission. The court directed the presiding judge to provide a fresh opinion giving reasons within a month after examining the judicial record. Based on the new opinion, the remission board was directed to consider afresh petitioners application for remission in a positive manner taking into account the reports of the police and other authorities, the post-prison record of the convict, the remissions earned (even for good conduct), his age, health condition, family circumstances, and his potential for social engagement. The convict had crossed the age of 60 and was tried with two other accused for indiscriminately firing at the three persons at a village fair. The Patna high court had affirmed their conviction and punishment in September 2005. Owing to lack of means and awareness, Mandal could not approach the Supreme Court and hence the high court order against him attained finality. The court said, Given the long period of incarceration already suffered by the petitioner and his age, the remission board should endeavour to consider the application at the earliest and render its decision, preferably within three months. News / Local by Staff reporter RESULTS of this year's harmonised elections started trickling in yesterday with Zanu-PF taking an early lead in National Assembly polls.The results that were announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) are still only but for a few constituencies. However, where the ruling party is winning, the margins are wide.The elections were held in the majority of constituencies on Wednesday while some were completed yesterday due to logistical challenges in the delivery of voting materials.In Masvingo, Zanu-PF won 17 out of the 19 constituencies in the province.According to results released by ZEC Masvingo provincial elections officer, Mr Zex Pudurai, Zanu-PF retained Chiredzi North seat with its candidate Roy Bhila garnering 18 696 votes against 2 584 votes attained by CCC candidate, Mrs Fungai Chamisa.In Chiredzi South, Joel Sithole of Zanu-PF amassed 11 552 votes to defeat Mr Douglas Gumbo of CCC party who got 7 528.Zanu-PF also won resoundingly in Chiredzi West constituency where its candidate Darlington Chiwa garnered 15 054 votes against the 6 554 attained by CCC's Nhamoinesu Machigere.In Chiredzi East, Siyaki Mundungehama of Zanu-PF romped to victory with 14 265 votes against 3 922 votes received by Mr Godfrey Maluleke of CCC.Mr Mahlupeko Vhurande of NCA came third with 262 votes.The ruling party however, lost in Chiredzi Central after its candidate Francis Moyo managed 7 832 votes against the 12 342 received by Mr Ropafadzo Makumire of CCC.An independent candidate, Mr Gibson Hwende got 676 votes.In Hwange Central, the Constituency Elections Officer, Mr Innocent Ncube, declared CCC candidate Mr Daniel Molokele duly elected after he garnered 9 167 votes against Reeds Dube of Zanu-PF who got 5 157 votes.In Mashonaland West, ZEC announced results for two constituencies, Magunje and Chinhoyi with the provincial elections officer, Mr Austin Ndlovu, saying the announcement of the remaining 20 constituencies will be done once verification has been completed.Zanu-PF's Super Madiro won the Magunje seat in Hurungwe district while CCC's Leslie Mhangwa won the Chinhoyi seat.In Bikita South Constituency, Zanu-PF's Energy Mutodi got 11 396 votes to beat CCC's Mr Barney Nyika who got 6 622 votes.In Gweru Urban constituency, CCC's Josiah Makombe won after getting 12 450 votes to beat former MP Brian Dube of MDC-T who received 672 votes while Zanu-PF's Alex Mukwembi polled 5 422 votes.In Chitungwiza South, CCC's Maxwell Mavhunga won after polling 10 145 votes.In Gwanda-Tshitaudze constituency, Zanu-PF's Fisani Moyo got 8 671 votes against the CCC's Jastone Mazhale who received 5 889 votes while Luckson Ncube received 271 votes.The ruling Zanu-PF was also officially declared winner in 90 local authority wards across the country after no other parties or individuals successfully filed their nomination papers when the Nomination Court sat in June this year.According to election results, Zanu-PF had 80 males and 10 females that won unopposed in 90 wards.Midlands Province topped the list with 27 candidates from the revolutionary party duly declared as winners followed by Mashonsland Central province that had 24 wards.Mashonaland West won 12 wards, while Mashonaland East garnered 13 wards unopposed.Masvingo province had four wards while Matabeleland North and South had three and six wards respectively with Manicaland province getting one ward.Meanwhile, ZEC's deputy chairperson and spokesperson, Ambassador Rodney Kiwa, said the electoral body was doing all it can to ensure timely release of results."We as ZEC, our intention is to release results at the earliest opportunity that is after having satisfied ourselves that what we have at the national results centre is collated and verified."The key thing is we receive everything from every corner of the country and ensure it's verified and that we are satisfied that it's a true reflection of what took place and we want to do that at the earliest opportunity. Of course, the law allows us to announce the results, particularly the Presidential result, within five days of polling day and you know the end of polling day was not yesterday (Wednesday) but today (yesterday) as extended by the special Statutory Instrument," he said.Amb Kiwa added that ZEC was happy that Zimbabweans have been peaceful before and during the elections and urged them to remain peaceful as results are being announced. Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot over a red diary which, he alleged, contained details of corruption and black deeds of the state government. Addressing a farmers meet in Gangpur city in poll-bound Rajasthan, Union home minister Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi government raised the agriculture budget by six times in nine years to 125,000 crore. (HT Photo) The home minister was addressing a Sahakar Kisan Sammelan (a meet of farmers under co-operatives) in Gangpur city in poll-bound Rajasthan. At the beginning of Shahs address, some people started raising slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre, following which, Shah said, I want to tell Gehlot saab that you will achieve nothing by sending some people to shout slogans. If there is any shame left in him, he should resign over the red diary issue and enter the election fray... In August, sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Guha claimed that he had retrieved the red diary on Gehlots insistence from Congress leader Dharmendra Rathores house during income tax raids in July 2020, which has details of the chief ministers financial transactions. Gehlot has, however, dismissed the allegations, saying no such red diary existed. Nowadays Gehlot saab is very afraid of the colour red. The colour of the diary is red, but black deeds are hidden in it. The red diary has details of multi-crore corruption, the union minister said. During the event, Shah also talked about the schemes launched by the Centre for the benefit of farmers. During the Congress regime, the agriculture budget was 22,000 crore and the Narendra Modi government raised it by six times in nine years to 125,000 crore, he said. Shah, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, said the BJP government fulfilled the long-pending demand of farmers and constituted a separate ministry for cooperative societies. Ever since Modiji became the prime minister, he is doing work that has not been done before, the union minister added. On the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, Shah said, A few days ago, our Chandrayaan reached the south pole of the Moon waving the tricolour. In a way, new energy, new faith has been infused in the entire country. The south pole of the Moon remained a mystery. India has become the first country to reach the south pole. It is a matter of pride for the entire country. Reacting to Shahs statements, Rajasthan Congress spokesperson RC Chouhdary said that the BJP government at the Centre has failed to deliver the promises made to the public. He said, While campaigning in 2018, the prime minister (Narendra Modi) had promised to give national status to the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project and doubling farmers income, but unfortunately, instead of that the NDA government has increased the production cost... Talking about the three contentious agriculture laws Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020; and Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 which were repealed by the Centre in 2021, Choudhary said, Around 750 farmers lost their lives because of agitation over the three farm laws. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi took a boat ride in Nigeen Lake after reaching Srinagar on Saturday. She will join Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who reached Srinagar on Friday on a three-day personal visit. Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. (HT File Photo) Jammu and Kashmir is his home...he loves people here and this land, so he wants to spend two days here in peace. This is not a political visit, it is completely personal and private visit, Vikar Rasool Wani, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee, told reporters. "Rahul ji arrived in Srinagar on Friday evening from his week-long tour of Ladakh," a senior Congress leader told news agency PTI. He said the Wayanad MP will be joined by his mother on Saturday. Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with her husband Robert Vadra, is also likely to join the duo, the party leader said. Rahul is staying at a houseboat in Nigeen Lake and the family is likely to stay at a hotel in Rainawari area on Saturday. The senior party leader added that the Gandhi family has old memories of the hotel. After two nights, they are likely to visit Gulmarg, he added. The leader, however, said no political engagements are scheduled for the family during the visit. "It is a completely personal, family visit and no political engagement or meeting with any party leaders will happen," he added. Rahul has been in the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh the past one week and reached Srinagar after addressing a public rally in Kargil Friday morning. Rahul reached Ladakh on August 17, his first visit to the region since it was granted UT status after being carved out from Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019. The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir was also turned into a Union Territory with its special status under Article 370 revoked. Over the past week, Rahul has gone around almost all famous places in the region, including Pangong lake, Nubra valley, Khardungla top, Lamayuru and Zanskar, on his motorcycle before reaching Kargil on Thursday. Another Congress leader earlier said Rahul would be reaching Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district from Kargil in the afternoon before moving to Srinagar where he will be staying for two nights at a houseboat and a hotel. (With inputs from PTI) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Telangana asked why Bharat Rashtra Samithi chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao did not attend any meeting of the opposition alliance INDIA (Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance). "BJP and BRS have now become friends. When there are some inside deal, they can't speak against each other. I have heard that KCR has stopped talking against the BJP..." Kharge said in Hyderabad. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Hyderabad on Saturday. 26 parties are together to fight Modi at the centre. But your KCR did not attend any meeting. He did not even ask whether all secular parties are coming together to defeat Modi. BRS calls themselves a secular party but secretly have joined hands with the BJP. But we are bringing all opposition together. We had meetings in Patna, then at my house and more such meetings will take place. And what is our aim? To remove the BJP from the centre and those who support the BJP, like KCR, from the state, Kharge said. "Shah (Amit) is coming tomorrow and he will ask what the Congress did in the last 53 years, give us the report card. Earlier, he used to say 70 years but now he has reduced it to 53 years probably after deducting the time of the BJP governments. Tell Shah what the Congress did after Independence. Who united Hyderabad with the country? Congress did," Mallikarjun Kharge said. "Patel and Nehru united the fragmented country after 1947. Who gave the Constitution? Who gave IIT, IIM, AIIMS,Isro, DRDO, SAIL, HAL, BEL, ONGC? Congress gave all these and a strong, united country. One needle was not manufactured in the country. We set up big factories in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Kanpur. What big factory did the BJP set up but today they think they did everything?" Kharge said. The mention of Isro comes as India is basking in the glory of successfully soft-landing on the south pole of the moon becoming the first ever country to do so. There has been a credit-war going on between the BJP and the Congress as the Congress leaders said the achievement does not belong to any political party. On Telangana, Kharge said the Congress supported the demand for the new state Telangana. "Did KCR have any strength then? Sonia Gandhi gave him the strength," Kharge said, SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Your kitchen should not only be functional but also a reflection of your personal style and needs hence, when planning a makeover, it is important to determine what aspects of your culinary space need improvement - whether it is the layout or the appliances, storage or aesthetics. Take the time to plan and design a space that suits your cooking habits, lifestyle and aesthetic preferences because revamping your culinary space can be an exciting and rewarding project that can enhance the functionality, aesthetics and overall enjoyment of your kitchen. Elevate your kitchen to an oasis: 7 inspiring ways to revamp your culinary space (Photo by Sidekix Media on Unsplash) To help sort your revamp woes, we put together 7 expert tips and inspiring ways to revamp your culinary space that promise to elevate your kitchen to an oasis: 1. Embrace sustainable practices in your kitchen design - In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Atreyee Choudhury, Founder and Principal Interior Architect at De Panache, shared, Sustainability is a significant trend in the interior design industry, with many designers focusing on eco-friendly practices. To elevate your kitchen, consider incorporating green design elements. This could involve using energy-efficient appliances, installing countertops made from recycled or locally sourced materials, or designing a layout that maximizes natural light and ventilation. These practices not only reduce your environmental footprint but also create a serene, nature-inspired ambience in your kitchen. According to the Indian Green Building Council, buildings that follow green design principles can reduce energy consumption by 30-40%, highlighting the practical benefits of a sustainably designed kitchen. 2. Tailoring your kitchen to your taste and lifestyle - Asserting that it is another crucial point to consider, Atreyee Choudhury said, One size does not fit all when it comes to interior design, as evident in the diverse styles of kitchens, from classical and neo-classical to contemporary, each tailored to suit individual tastes, cooking habits, and lifestyle needs. An experienced interior designer can help you identify and articulate your unique design vision, creating a personalized space that is not only functional but also deeply resonant with your individual tastes and preferences. Whether you're an avid cook needing a professional-style setup or a busy parent seeking a kid-friendly design, a personalised kitchen will truly feel like your own culinary oasis. 3. Green elements are the clean elements - According to Aashish Khandelwal, Founder and Principal Architect at Hanumant Design & Developers, Today, elevating your culinary space is not just about pleasing countertops and aesthetic designing of the cabinets; it is more about inducing sustainable interior designs and incorporating the concept of green elements. Granite counter tops can be one of the great choices for an aesthetically pleasing kitchen and it can increase the shelf life of your kitchen as well. Using handcrafted materials and encouraging local businesses can both elevate your kitchen, reduce emissions and encourage sustainable choices. Adding small plant setups in your kitchen can give your kitchen a soothing, natural character. 4. Individualism is what leads to creativity - Aashish Khandelwal advised, Incorporating your personal style can also help uplift your home as well as your kitchen. The minute choices of the interior designer or the client itself can make or break the design. Choices of faucets, decorative rugs, type of polishing, colour of the appliances, lighting choices and other little details can help make your culinary space truly your own. Nevertheless, you dont have to settle for a unified finish in your kitchen, and that is where interior designers can assist you. Combining different finishes according to your own preferences can really uplift your kitchen and make it look designer. 5. Ingenious ventilation: Spaces where kitchen breathes - Aashish Khandelwal highlighted, Ventilation resurrects kitchen enchantment! From historic hush to modern brilliance, a culinary renaissance unfolds. Contemporary kitchens unleash ventilation mastery, breathing life into gastronomic realms. Behold the elegance of modern chimneys and exquisite exhausts, whisking culinary aromas away. As sunlit windows embrace the earthly kiss, the kitchen awakens with nature's bliss. Where flavours dance and whiffs rejoice, tradition meets innovation, a melody of choice. Unlock the secrets to a kitchen's heart, a breathable tapestry of culinary art! 6. Exploring the tranquillity of calming hues - Bringing her expertise to the same, Nishi Jain, Founder and Principal Architect at House of J, pointed out delicate pastels, soft greys and gentle beiges and said, The seamless continuity of these light neutrals, complemented by the unifying allure of a consistent quartz countertop and backsplash, crafts an expansive oasis of peace and serenity. Beware of overly bright or intense colours, for they may disrupt the exclusive sanctuary, hindering the seamless flow and visual harmony of this enchanting culinary haven. Embrace the timeless elegance of subdued shades and indulge in the luxury of a truly exclusive culinary retreat. 7. Elevate ambiance to unparalleled heights by embracing an exclusive lighting upgrade - Nishi Jain suggested, Immerse yourself in the enchanting interplay of adjustable fixtures, gracefully tailored to customise the mood according to your desires. Embrace the celestial touch of abundant natural light, artfully harmonized with the warmth of ambient illumination. Envisage the indulgence of panel lights, meticulously selected with utmost care - 6k or 4k, a luminary dance to illuminate your culinary canvas. Delight in the subtlety of under-cabinet lighting, casting a captivating glow for moments of intimate splendour. Introduce the pinnacle of flexibility with dimmable switches, granting you the power to orchestrate a symphony of radiance, uniquely yours. 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! For decades, internet browsers looked largely the same: an address bar at the top, large buttons for back and home, a row of bookmarks, and tabs. PREMIUM The Browser Companys Arc has moved the address bar and tabs to the left of the screen, making more room for the vertical scroll. Zohos Ulaa puts privacy first, generating a randomised browser ID each time the app is used. Vivaldi takes a clutter-free approach, to create browsers with an optimal interface for smaller and smaller devices. (Adobe stock) Todays most popular browsers still look much the same. But they are quietly making room for AI chatbots, online gaming, built-in VPNs (or virtual private networks), virtual desktops and tab stacks. Then, there are the newer alternatives that dont follow this template at all. They are moving things around to make more room for content (since most people are scrolling on a phone), and to help the user minimise clutter and maximise efficiency (since, lets admit it, most of us have so many tabs open at this point, it is possible they will outlive us). Before we look at the most dramatic changes in this space, heres how the most dominant browsers currently stack up. Googles Chrome has a market share of about 63.5%, according to the web analytics research firm StatCounter. It is still leading, but by a bit less than in 2020, when this figure stood at over 66%. Apples Safari is a distant second, at 19.95%, but is seeing this number rise. Microsofts Edge has 5.14%. And Opera, at 2.99%, is still ahead of Firefoxs 2.77%. What makes up the remaining 6% or so? These are the smaller, newer companies that are doing things differently. There is a lot at stake for those that can recast the mould successfully. The global web browser market is expected to be worth nearly $1 trillion by 2032, up from $201 billion in 2022. Much of this growth is expected to be driven by the expanding internet-of-things (IoT) segment, and growing demand for artificial intelligence and virtual-reality functionality. Some of the new browsers are already focusing on these needs of the future. Norwegian software company Vivaldi has been sweeping clutter off the page since its launch in 2016, with a view to creating an optimal interface for smaller and smaller devices. A simple change in layout tabs organised in groups and moved to one side; a main screen of widgets featuring the most-visited websites, and a range of customisable options for layouts and shortcuts has already helped make it the go-to platform for smart cars. Carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bentley, Volkswagen, Audi, Skoda and EV-maker Polestar, now use Vivaldi as their foundational software. Elsewhere, The Browser Companys Arc, released last year, has moved the address bar and tabs to the left of the screen, making more room for the vertical scroll. Indian software-as-a-service (SAAS) company Zoho launched Ulaa in May, and is pitching it as a privacy-first web browser. It has a feature that generates a randomised browser ID each time the app is used, breaking a chain trackers and advertisers may have created to keep tabs on or respond to browsing habits and history. SigmaOS, meanwhile, launched its Airis browser last year, pitching it as the platform for the ultra-productive. Airis offers in-built ChatGPT AI functionality, a host of notes and productivity features, and app-hosting options that let Spotify sit within it too. Reloading If Chrome and Safari seem relatively staid, part of the reason is that it is trickier for the Big Two to make dramatic changes. Any major layout modifications tend to provoke outrage (as happened when Safari first moved its search bar to the bottom of the screen). Microsofts Edge would appear to have a bit of a double-edged advantage here. The company retained its brand recall amid the demise of Internet Explorer, and yet acquired a blank slate when it launched Edge in 2015, allowing it to redesign and rework the interface over the year, in relative peace. It is already proving to be a trendsetter. Currently, the Microsoft Bing chatbot sits in a sidebar and responds to search requests and general questions, can summarise a webpage, and can compose drafts based on notes, in a move that is expected to redefine how we conduct internet searches. Googles Chrome is already planning a similar feature, with its AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) due to be rolled out from August onward. Operas new Aria browser AI offers similar features too. Across platforms, AI capability and privacy protection are likely to be key factors. Mozillas Firefox is focusing on the latter, with an email extension called Relay that lets users generate random aliases to use in online forms (with communication redirected to their actual email ID), as a way to have less of their activity tracked and cross-referenced. Opera is expected to add more third-party app integrations, including built-in VPNs in its sidebar. Which of these browsers will get it just right and dominate the market? What will constitute domination, in a market spread across cars, fridges, TVs, computers and more? Refresh the page a year from now, and who can say what it will look like when it loads. It is imperative for individuals of all age groups, especially the younger generation, to exercise extreme caution regarding their well-being and promptly abandon any form of tobacco consumption as health experts highlight that tobacco consumption can raise the chances of head and neck cancers given that with more than 2 to 3 lakh patients being diagnosed per year, the incidence of head and neck cancers has increased to 50 to 60 per cent in tobacco chewers. In India, there is great worry that young adults are hooked to tobacco use in the form of cigarettes and chewables and are strongly addicted to them moreover, there are also other products such as waterpipe tobacco, cigars, cigarillos, roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, bidis and khenis and smokeless tobacco products which are widely used across the country. Tobacco consumption increases the risk of head and neck cancers in youngsters (File Photo) Everything you need to know about head and neck cancers: In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Deepak Khanna, Consultant Head Neck Cancer Surgery at Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, shared, Head and neck cancer includes several types of cancer that usually begin in the cells lining the mouth, throat (pharynx), or voice box (larynx). This type of cancer leads to higher mortality and morbidity rates. In the oral cavity, this cancer can result in the presence of a non-healing sore that appears either white or red on the gums, tongue, or mouth lining. Additionally, swelling in the jaw, abnormal bleeding or pain in the mouth, and a lump or thickening can indicate potential issues. He revealed, Denture-related problems may also arise. When it impacts the pharynx, one may face respiratory and vocal challenges, the formation of a lump or thickened area, impaired ability to chew or swallow food, a persistent feeling of an obstruction in the throat, enduring throat pain that doesn't subside, as well as discomfort in the ears such as pain, ringing or difficulty in hearing. Cancer in the larynx can lead to discomfort while swallowing and ear pain. If cancer in the sinuses and nasal cavity causes persistent sinus blockage, unresponsive sinus infections, nosebleeds, headaches, eye swelling and pain, toothaches, and difficulties with dentures. Tobacco consumption is known to be the culprit behind this cancer. Understanding the correlation between tobacco consumption and head and neck cancers: Dr Deepak Khanna explained, Tobacco products contain cancer-causing substances known as carcinogens. The use of any form of tobacco can elevate the chances of developing head and neck cancer, a prevalent malignancy leading to fatalities. Surprisingly, even exposure to second-hand smoke can put individuals at risk for this type of cancer. The introduction of harmful chemicals into the body through tobacco usage can inflict damage on the DNA within cells, eventually resulting in the formation of cancerous cells. Moreover, the throat, mouth and airways are particularly susceptible to these detrimental effects as they are directly exposed to smoke or tobacco during usage. Consequently, all varieties of tobacco consumption pose an increased risk for head and neck cancer. He concluded, People should leave this deathful wish of consuming tobacco to save themselves and their families. Quit smoking and opt for smoking cessation therapy to avoid this cancer. Passive smoking is not recommended, so dont be around people who smoke too often. Head-neck cancers in case one gets them start as a lump or bump in the neck or a non-healing ulcer in the mouth or throat. Such lesions should be immediately addressed by a head-neck cancer surgeon who is the best surgeon to diagnose and treat them. So please show it to the head-neck oncologist without any delay to avoid causing harm. The government of India should ban tobacco in chewable and all other forms to save lives. 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 Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is to halve the $200 daily fee it charges tourists in an effort to boost a sector still struggling to recover a year after the end of COVID-19 restrictions. Bhutan raised its "Sustainable Development Fee" to $200 per visitor per night, from $65, when it ended two years of COVID restrictions in September last year saying the money would go to off-set the carbon generated by visitors. The tourist fee has limited arrivals to bigger spenders who make up a fraction of the numbers that visit nearby Nepal.(Unsplash/Raimond Klavins) The new rate of $100 per night would come into effect from September and last for four years, the government said in a statement late on Friday. "This is in view of the important role of the tourism sector in generating employment, earning foreign exchange and in boosting overall economic growth," it said. Isolated for generations, Bhutan opened to tourists in 1974 when it received 300 visitors. The number soared to 315,600 in 2019, up 15.1% from a year earlier, official data showed. Bhutan has always been wary of the impact of mass tourism and it bans mountain climbing to preserve the sanctity of its peaks. The tourist fee has limited arrivals to bigger spenders who make up a fraction of the numbers that visit nearby Nepal. Nevertheless, Bhutan hopes to raise the contribution of tourism to its $3 billion economy 20%, from about 5%. Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism, said the halving of the fee could boost arrivals in the September-December peak tourist period, which includes many religious and cultural events in the mainly Buddhist country. In June, the government eased rules on length of stay and fees for tourists but numbers have not picked up as expected. Dhradhul said more than 56,000 tourists had visited Bhutan since January but about 42,000 were Indian nationals, who only have to pay a fee of 1,200 Indian rupees ($14.5) a day. About 50,000 Bhutanese are employed in tourism which earned about $84 million a year in the three years before the pandemic in foreign exchange. (Reporting by Gopal Sharma; editig by Robert Birsel) 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 After the Chandrayaan 3 mission's success, the Indian Space Research Organisation is preparing for the launch of the country's first Sun mission Aditya L1 within the next 14 days. On its possible launch date, Nilesh M Desai, director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, said on Saturday it could be done on September 2. A graphic representation of ISRO's Aditya L1 mission. The satellite released at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Bengaluru, has arrived at SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh and is positioned on the launch pad. To study the Sun, we have planned an Aditya-L1 mission. It is ready and positioned on the launch pad...there is a possibility that it will be launched on September 2, Desai told news agency ANI. What is Aditya L1 mission? The ISRO said upon its launch, the spacecraft shall be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. The chosen site is important for giving an advantage to continuously view the star without any occultation/eclipses, the ISRO explained. One of the mission's key objectives is to monitor the impact of solar activities on space weather in real-time. Through the mission, ISRO hopes to understand the problems of coronal heating, coronal mass ejection, pre-flare and flare activities and their characteristics, dynamics of space weather, propagation of particles and fields, etc, it said. Aditya L1 will contain seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun, the ISRO said. The module will have electromagnetic particle and magnetic field detectors to carry out the studies. Among the seven payloads, four will be engaged in directly viewing the Sun from the special vantage point L1; while the other three will carry out studies of particles and fields at that point to deduce the effects of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium. 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 video of a man rescuing a snake hiding behind a photo frame was posted on Instagram. The image shows a rescuer named Dan Rumsey patiently removing the snake. The image shows a man rescuing a snake hiding behind a photo frame. (Instagram/@zookeeper_dan) The video is posted on the Instagram page of Australia-based rescue organisation, Sunshine Coast Snake Catcher. The clip is posted with a caption that reads, What would your reaction be? The video opens to show Rumsey pulling up the photo frame hanging on a wall. He then carefully brings it down with the snake coiled around the frame cord. As the video progresses, Rumsey is seen carefully guiding the snake onto a sofa. The video ends with him holding the snake after successfully rescuing it. Take a look at this video of the snake and the rescuer: The video was shared four days ago. Since being posted, it has accumulated close to 1.6 lakh views and the numbers are only increasing. The post has also received more than 4,700 views. People shared varied comments while reacting to the video. What did Instagram users say about this snake rescue video? How strong is that picture hook! joked an Instagram user. More beautiful than the painting, shared another. A picture perfect rescue mate, praised a third. What a beautiful creature, added a fourth. Id be so excited! I love snakes! wrote a fifth. How would you react to such a situation? 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! Two people were killed and another wounded on Saturday when Russian shelling hit a cafe in the village of Podoly in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, local governor Oleh Synehubov said. A destroyed apartment in a heavily damaged residential building following Russian strikes in Kharkiv(AFP) "The enemy hit a civilian object - a cafe where local residents were during the day," Synehubov wrote on Telegram. Podoly was occupied shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the village was retaken by Kyiv in a counteroffensive last September. Russian forces have been attempting to push forward on the Kharkiv region frontline in recent weeks. The Ukrainian army has acknowledged fighting there has become more difficult but says it is holding the line. (Reporting by Max Hunder; editing by Jason Neely) News / Local by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has stated its intention to release the results of the Presidential election by Sunday evening, August 27, 2023. The voting process in Zimbabwe took place on August 23 but was extended to August 24 due to delays.Previously, ZEC had announced that presidential election results would be made available within five days of the voting day. However, recent updates suggest that ZEC may not need the full five days and will announce the results once the verification process is complete.Both the ruling Zanu-PF party and the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) claim that their respective candidates, President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Nelson Chamisa, may have emerged as winners. They say they base these claims on the data received thus far.There are instances where President Mnangagwa received fewer votes than his own party's councillors and Members of Parliament. For example, in the Cowdry Park Constituency, Finance Minister and Zanu-PF candidate Professor Mthuli Ncube received 6,530 votes, while President Mnangagwa obtained only 3,317 votes.This discrepancy suggests that there were voters who supported Zanu-PF's Mthuli Ncube but did not vote for President Mnangagwa. In the same constituency, Nelson Chamisa garnered 11,205 votes, while CCC's National Assembly candidate, Pashor Sibanda, received 8,411 votes. If similar patterns emerge in other urban areas, President Mnangagwa will need strong support from rural areas to counter Nelson Chamisa's momentum.Furthermore, it is anticipated that the opposition will have a diminished presence in parliament as Zanu-PF secures the majority of seats. The allocation of proportional representatives is currently underway at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC).This situation could potentially grant Zanu-PF a two-thirds majority, enabling them to amend the constitution without significant obstacles. Insurgents in northwest Syria attacked an army position Saturday killing and wounding more than 30 troops, opposition activists said. This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The attack came days after Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out several airstrikes on the last major rebel stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib and parts of Aleppo killing several insurgents. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the Ansar al-Tawhid group, which is allied with al-Qaida, carried out the attack with its members first detonating a massive bomb and then storming the position manned by government troops. The Observatory said the attack killed 11 soldiers and wounded 20 others. Other activist collectives, including Amjad News, also reported the attack saying it killed and wounded dozens of soldiers without giving a breakdown. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or state media. A truce reached between Russia and Turkey in March 2020 that ended a Russian-backed government offensive on Idlib province has been repeatedly violated resulting in scores of people getting killed and wounded. Russia has been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and joined the war in September 2015 helping tip the balance of power in his favor. Turkey is a main backer of the armed opposition. Syrias 12-year conflict that started with anti-government protests then morphed into a civil war killed half a million people and displaced half the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. More than 5 million Syrians are now refugees, most in neighboring countries. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Russia hopes to increase its marine product exports to China in the wake of China's ban on Japanese seafood imports after the release of treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. A vendor serves customers at a seafood market in Beijing, China, on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (Bloomberg) Russia is one of the biggest marine product suppliers to China, with 894 Russian companies allowed to export seafood, Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian food safety watchdog, said in July. In a statement late on Friday, Rosselkhoznadzor said it was seeking to increase the number of exporters. "The Chinese market in general is promising for Russian fish products. We hope to increase the number of certified Russian companies and ships, the volume of products and its range," the Rosselkhoznadzor statement said. To aid that effort, Rosselkhoznadzor plans to continue dialogue with China on seafood safety issues and finish negotiations with China on regulations for Russian marine products supply to the country, the statement said. 'Risk of radioactive contamination' China has already banned some food imports from Japan but Thursday's total ban was prompted by concerns about the "risk of radioactive contamination" after it started releasing the treated water. China was the destination for over a half of Russian aquatic products exports between January and August, the statement said without providing figures, dominated by pollock, herring, flounder, sardine, cod and crab. Russia exported 2.3 million metric tons of marine products last year worth about $6.1 billion, around a half of its overall catch, with China, South Korea and Japan being biggest importers, according to Russia's fisheries agency. Japan said criticism from Russia and China was unsupported by scientific evidence and pollution levels in the water will be below those considered safe for drinking under World Health Organization standards. Still, Rosselkhoznadzor said it has tightened the screening of Japan seafood imports though the volumes are insignificant. The regulator also said the direction of currents in the Russian Far East, where about 70% of Russia's seafood is caught, "would prevent contamination" of marine products caught by Russian ships. It has also tightened the radiological control of seafood caught in Russian waters which are relatively close to Fukushima and would test selected samples for radiation levels, Interfax reported on Thursday, citing Rosselkhoznadzor's Pacific office. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At least 13 people, including seven children, were killed Friday in a crowd stampede at a stadium in the Madagascar capital of Antananarivo, according to the Red Cross and a local member of parliament. The cause of the tragedy was not immediately known but the Red Cross said the toll could climb. "So far 13 people have been killed and 107 injured," said opposition MP Hanitra Razafimanantsoa on a local radio station. The Red Cross, who were on the scene, added: "We don't yet have the final list. Seven minors died." The prime minister of the Indian Ocean nation Christian Ntsay had initially put the toll at "12 dead and some 80 injured". The stampede occurred at the entrance to the Barea stadium where a crowd of around 50,000 spectators had arrived to attend the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games. The cause of the tragedy was not immediately known but the Red Cross said the toll could climb. "There were a lot of people at the entrance, which triggered a stampede," Antsa Mirado, a communications manager with the Red Cross, told AFP. Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina, who was present at the opening ceremony, called for a minute's silence. "A tragic event occurred because there was pushing. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance," he said in a televised speech. TV images broadcast images of dazed and shocked people trying to locate their shoes piled amongst objects lost in the deadly crush. Other images from inside the stadium, shared on social media, showed the stands packed with spectators. The Indian Ocean Island Games are a multi-disciplinary competition being held in Madagascar until September 3. They have been staged every four years in different islands in the south-west Indian Ocean for around 40 years. The previous edition took place in Mauritius. Madagascar is no stranger to stadium deaths. The Barea stadium, the largest on the island of around 28 million inhabitants, suffered a similar disaster in 2019. At least 16 people were killed and dozens more injured during a concert organised on the occasion of the country's national holiday. Three children were among the victims. In 2016, the explosion of a homemade bomb on Independence Day left three dead and a hundred injured, in the same Barea stadium. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Ohio Ballot Board approved language Thursday for a fall measure seeking to establish abortion access as a fundamental right, but one Democratic member blasted it as rife with misleading and defective language. Ohio voters celebrate rejecting Issue 1, which aimed to complicate constitutional changes, impacting the upcoming abortion rights vote. Pic source: AP news Key among opponents objections were several aspects of language developed by Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, an abortion opponent, which they warned could prompt a legal challenge. Among the revisions, the word fetus in the amendment was changed to unborn child in the ballot description. The original language seeks to assure access to abortion through what is called viability, when the fetus is able to survive outside the womb. It states, abortion may be prohibited after fetal viability, but not in cases where a treating physician deems the procedure necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant person. LaRose's summary turned that section on its head. It now says the amendment would always allow an unborn child to be aborted at any stage of pregnancy, regardless of viability if, in the treating physician's determination the life and health exception applies. The entire summary is propaganda, said Lauren Blauvelt, co-chair of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, the statewide coalition of organizations supporting abortion rights and related causes that has proposed the amendment. She noted that the states Republican attorney general, Dave Yost, certified the groups original wording as fair and accurate and that 700,000 Ohioans read it when they signed petitions to get the measure on the fall ballot. The amendment that is put forward is clear about reproductive freedom and reproductive health care decisions that Ohioans should be able to make for themselves, and that is ultimately what the vote in November will be about, she said. The measure, as initially envisioned, seeks to establish a fundamental right to reproductive freedom with reasonable limits. In language similar to a constitutional amendment that Michigan voters approved last November, it would require restrictions imposed past a fetus viability outside the womb which is typically around the 24th week of pregnancy and long the standard under Roe v. Wade the landmark case that assured nationwide abortion access until it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022. LaRose stood by the summary at the meeting, emphasizing that the full text of the amendment would be available at polling locations and published in newspapers statewide. Ohio Right to Life President Mike Gonidakis, leader of the state's oldest and largest anti-abortion group, complimented the language. He said it does a better job than the original at conveying the sweep of the abortion amendment's reach. LaRose has labeled the abortion question Issue 1, the same as an August ballot measure to limit citizens' ability to amend the Ohio Constitution that turned out to be wildly unpopular with voters. The amendment was defeated 57% to 43%. This fall's Issue 2 will be a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, whose ballot language cleared the committee Thursday without discussion. Gonidakis, a key champion of the August amendment to raise the threshold for constitutional changes to 60%, said educating voters on the transposition of the ballot labels will be a challenge. The most unique thing that we have going now is that I just spent 90 days telling everyone to vote yes on Issue 1, now we're going to be telling everyone to vote no on Issue 1, he said. So, we have our work cut out for us, but we know at the end of the day this is a bridge too far even for pro-choice Ohioans. Blauvelt said she's not worried. We're excited to continue talking to all Ohio voters about voting yes in November, she said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON IN 1872 ULYSSES GRANT was reportedly arrested for speeding. One day, as the 18th American president charged along 13th Street in Washington, DC, a policeman waved down his horse-drawn carriage. In the arresting officers own telling, Grant made a vain attempt to plead his caseHang it, officer, these animals of mine are thoroughbreds, and there is no holding themthen drove to the station. There, at least, the president avoided the indignity of a mugshot, which would not be widely used until about a decade later. PREMIUM A combination picture shows police booking mugshots of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the 18 people indicted with him, including Rudy Giuliani, Ray Smith, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Kenneth Chesebro, David Shafer, John Eastman, Scott Hall, Harrison Floyd, Mark Meadows, Trevian Kutti, Shawn Still, Jeffrey Clark, Michael Roman, Misty Hampton, Stephen Cliffgard Lee and Robert Cheeley. Fulton County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY(via REUTERS) Despite four indictments in the past five months, the 45th president has so far evaded it, too. But on August 24th Donald Trump will probably have his picture taken by police when he surrenders to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, charged in connection with his effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results there. (He denies wrongdoing.) The image will join the ranks of celebrity mugshots: famous faces in turns defiant, dejected, drunk, smirking or sulking. The modern mugshota diptych of one front-facing photo and one in profile, accompanied by identifying informationis a French invention. In the 1880s Alphonse Bertillon, a policeman and anthropologist, created the system to catch serial offenders. Upon arrest, a suspect was photographed and measured with a variety of instruments. The method was painstakingly prescriptive: the correct way to measure the length of the head was outlined in 18 steps. If police suspected they had a repeat offender on their hands, they could use his measurements to find his filed mugshot, should it exist. It was called the portrait parle, or speaking image, because of the many things it communicated to police. Bertillons measurements have been replaced by fingerprinting, but the mugshot has survived. Some, like great portraits, seem to get at the subjects core. David Bowie, booked on marijuana charges in 1976, is sharply-dressed and self-possessed. In 2022 the original Kodak (saved by the officer who photographed him in Rochester, New York) fetched nearly 5,000 ($5,950) at auction. Jane Fonda (pictured above) has an unkempt fringe and holds up a fist in protest. She was arrested for possessing drugs, which turned out to be vitamins. Frank Sinatra is boyish and serene, booked for seduction, or luring a single female of good repute to bed. Others document an inevitable moment in a longer struggle. The late John Lewis (pictured below), a congressman and civil-rights activist, repeatedly tweeted his mugshot to mark the anniversary of his release after being arrested in 1961, for using a toilet reserved for white people. The famous mugshot of Rosa Parks is indelibly associated with her act of defiance on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955 but was actually taken after a later arrest for protesting during the bus boycott that followed. Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin were both arrested and exiled (several times, in Stalins case) to Siberia for revolutionary activities; they look young and determined in their surviving mugshots. Fidel Castros hangs in the former Cuban prison where he served part of a 15-year sentence for organising an attack on a barracks. Still others are simply bleak: Hugh Grant is hunched and humbled after soliciting a sex worker in 1995; Tiger Woods is zombie-like after being arrested for driving under the influence in 2017. What will Mr Trumps picture say? He would certainly like to present himself as righteous and persecuted, waging a noble political fight. His indictments have so far galvanised, rather than alienated, his supporters. His campaign team is already selling merchandise branded with a photoshopped mugshot. But the fabricated image has no power: the whole point of the mugshot is authenticity. The purpose, wrote a fan of Bertillons, is to give each human being an identity, an individuality, certain, durable, invariable, always recognisable. That, at least, Mr Trump can already claim to have achieved. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com Former President Donald Trump faced a humiliating ordeal on Thursday when he had to pose for a mugshot in Georgia, where he is accused of trying to illegally interfere with the states 2020 election results. This handout image released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on August 24, 2023 shows the booking photo of former US President Donald Trump. Former US president Donald Trump was photographed for a police mug shot after his arrest on August 24 at the Fulton County Jail in Georgia, multiple US media outlets reported citing local officials. The picture, which has yet to be released, is set to become a world-famous image as Trump fights multiple criminal cases at the same time as running to regain the White House in next year's election. (Photo by FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE " - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS(AFP) Trump, 77, looked angry and unhappy in the photo that was released to the public around 9 p.m. The former president said he had never heard of the term mugshot before and called the experience terrible in an interview with Newsmax. He also denounced the charges against him as a very sad day for our country and an absolute horrible thing that theyre doing. Trump is the first president in US history to have his mugshot taken as part of a criminal case. He was indicted on Aug. 14 on 13 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, false statements, and asking a public official to violate their oath of office. He allegedly pressured Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and other officials to overturn the election results that favored Joe Biden. The 77-year-old spent 20 minutes at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening, where he was fingerprinted and photographed, as required by state law for felony suspects. He was released on $200,000 bond and agreed to an order that limits what he can say about the case, including on social media, to avoid influencing witnesses and co-defendants. A combination picture shows police booking mugshots of former U.S. President Donald Trump and the 18 people indicted with him, including Rudy Giuliani, Ray Smith, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell, Cathy Latham, Kenneth Chesebro, David Shafer, John Eastman, Scott Hall, Harrison Floyd, Mark Meadows, Trevian Kutti, Shawn Still, Jeffrey Clark, Michael Roman, Misty Hampton, Stephen Cliffgard Lee and Robert Cheeley. Fulton County Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY(via REUTERS) Legal experts said that Trumps mugshot was not a sign of vindictiveness or targeting by the prosecutors, but rather a normal procedure in Georgia. They also said that Trump and his 18 co-defendants, who include former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, were treated better than most defendants by being allowed to arrange their bond in advance, show up for booking at a convenient time, and wear their own clothes. This is very unusual, said a former Fulton County prosecutor and veteran lawyer, Darryl Cohen. Its treating them quite well, much better than most people go through. This is as nice and professional as the DAs office could be. William Head, a long-time criminal defense attorney in the county, said, In 47 years of doing criminal work, I have had many famous and rich clients, and every one of them had their mugshot taken. The 45th U.S. President did not have to have his mugshot taken in three other criminal cases that he faces in New York and Washington DC. ALSO READ| #TrumpMugShot - Trump's surrender day sparks memes on X, here are the best ones Michael Bachner, a former Manhattan prosecutor, said that in New York, mugshots are done at the discretion of the NYPD and are not necessary for someone like Trump whose face is well-known. Trump has maintained his innocence in all four cases and has claimed that they are politically motivated attacks on him. He is also facing several civil lawsuits and investigations related to his business dealings, taxes, and sexual misconduct allegations. Donald Trump's advisor Chris LaCivita has threatened against the use of ex-president's mugshot for monetary benfits. Recently, Trump was arrested in Atlanta over his alleged role in trying to reverse the 2020 election results in Georgia. In the Fulton County prison, Trump's mugshot was taken which he later shared on social media platform "X"(formerly Twitter). Donald Trump's 'mugshot', merchandise related to it(File/ Reuters) LaCivita took to "X" on Friday(IST) and posted, "If you are a campaign, PAC , scammer and you try raising money off the mugshot of @realDonaldTrump and you have not received prior permission WE ARE COMING AFTER YOU. you will NOT SCAM DONORS". However, netizens slammed LaCivita for his threats and reiterated that "no one owns the rights to a mugshot. Mugshots are in the public domain and can be used freely". Internet users brutally trolled LaCivita for his post. "About that. Mug shots are Public Domain for a reason," tweeted one user. "You got community noted maroon! Read it if you can," read the comment from another account. "Thanks for the dare, I think Ill wrap my car with it," commented a third user. "You think Trump owns his mug shot? HAHAHAHAHA," laughed a fourth person. "It's a public photo," read a fifth comment. "Prior permission from? DonDon doesn't own the rights to the mugshot. You don't own the rights to the mugshot. The Fat Don is already raising money off it," trolled a sixth user. ALSO READ| Meghan Markle eyes Oscars on acting return, in talks with famous directors and producers On Thursday, Trump became the first US president to have his mugshot taken in a prison. While sharing his mugshot on "X", Trump wrote, "ELECTION INTERFERENCE! NEVER SURRENDER!". Trump has been charged for 13 felony counts in the Georgia case. Trump is currently the most popular candidate in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Greek fire department officials arrested two men on Saturday for allegedly deliberately starting wildfires as hundreds of firefighters battle blazes that have been blamed for 21 deaths. The view of a burned car after a wildfire in the Fyli suburb, northwest Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25.(AP) One man was arrested on Evia for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried grass in the island's Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. A second man was arrested in the Larissa area in central Greece, also for allegedly deliberately setting fire to dried vegetation. Judicial authorities were informed in both cases. Officials have said arson has been to blame for several fires in Greece over the past week, although it is still unclear what sparked the country's largest blazes, including one in the northeastern region of Evros and Alexandroupolis where nearly all the fire-attributed deaths have occurred, and another on the fringes of Athens. Some ... arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Thursday. What is happening is not just unacceptable but despicable and criminal. The minister said nine fires had been set in the space of four hours Thursday morning in the Avlona area in the northern foothills of Mount Parnitha, a mountain on the northwestern fringes of Athens that is one of the capital's last green areas. A major fire was already burning on the southern side of the mountain at the time, and continued burning Saturday. You are committing a crime against the country, Kikilias said. We will find you. You will be held accountable to justice. Later that day, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting at least three fires in the Avlona area. A search of his home revealed kindling, a fire torch gun and pine needles, police said. Greece has been plagued by the daily outbreak of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combine to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts. On Friday, firefighters were tackling 111 blazes, including 59 that had broken out in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evening, the fire department said. Most are tackled in the early stages, but some have grown to massive blazes that have consumed homes and vast tracts of forest. Storms were forecast for some areas of Greece Saturday, and there were reports of lightning causing several fires near the Greek capital that were being tackled by firefighters. Greece's largest current blaze, blamed for 20 deaths, was burning for an eighth day Saturday in the country's northeast. Firefighters found 18 bodies in woodland on Tuesday, one on Monday and another Thursday. With nobody reported missing in the area, authorities believe they could be migrants who recently crossed the border from Turkey. Greeces Disaster Victim Identification Team has been activated to identify the remains, and a telephone hotline set up for potential relatives of the victims to call. One more victim a man reportedly trying to save his livestock from advancing flames in central Greece died on Monday. More than 290 firefighters, backed by five planes and two helicopters, were battling the Evros blaze. By Thursday, the fire had scorched more than 75,000 hectares (185,000 acres, 750 square kilometers) of land, according to the European Unions Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Copernicus is the EU space programs Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data. A further 260 firefighters, four planes and three helicopters were tackling another fire that has been burning for days on Mount Parnitha, on the northwestern fringes of the Greek capital. With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece called on other European countries for help. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian and Slovak firefighters helped on the ground. Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues. Since the start of this years fire season, fire department officials have arrested 163 people on fire-related charges, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Friday, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police made a further 18 arrests, he added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US President Joe Biden on Friday said Donald Trump looked like a handsome guy in the mug shot taken of his predecessor, who was booked and briefly arrested for felony charges in connection to his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after taking a Pilates class in South Lake Tahoe in California. (REUTERS) An unsmiling Trump was captured glaring at the camera in the mug shot, which was released late on Thursday. Handsome guy, wonderful guy, Biden chuckled at reporters after exiting an exercise class in Lake Tahoe. Biden, however, largely avoided commenting on Trumps legal troubles, with White House officials saying they want to preserve judicial and prosecutorial independence. In addition to his case in Georgia, Trump is facing federal felony charges related both to election interference and his handling of classified documents. As Trump was being booked at the Fulton County jail on Thursday night, Biden sent a fundraising email to supporters saying that apropos of nothing he believed todays a great day to give to my campaign. Independent reported that Biden was booed by bystanders as he approached the press. He said he watched at least 1.20 hours of the first Republican debate, which didnt feature Trump. Biden said he didnt learn much from the Milwaukee showdown. I dont remember them speaking to any of the issues, he said. I dont quite get where they are going, he added. I didnt learn much. Earlier, New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman shared his gleeful reaction to the photo after the US former president surrendered for the arrest. Like Mr Trump, Mr Bowman used the mug shot to fundraise for the Democratic effort to take back the House. In a lengthy statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Mr Bowman wrote, In a normal world, Donald Trumps mugshot would be the end of his political career. But in this world, his poll numbers are actually going up. He added, This mugshot is not what you think it is. Its a jackpot for Trump who will use this image to raise MILLIONS of dollars from his cult and the worst part is they are going to use it to win even more elections so they can change our laws to make it easier to steal our Democracy. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Maui County is suing Hawaii's electricity company over the deadly fire that leveled Lahaina, alleging the destruction could have been avoided if power lines had been shut off. Maui County sues Hawaiian Electric Company for wildfires causing 115 deaths on Maui island. Pic Source: X/@krassenstein The lawsuit is the latest step in a growing critical focus on the power provider in the wake of the blaze, which killed at least 115 people, with videos apparently showing downed cables setting light to vegetation in the hours before tragedy struck. The lawsuit says there was plenty of warning of strong winds from a nearby hurricane, but Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries negligently kept power lines live. "These power lines foreseeably ignited the fast-moving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which completely destroyed residences, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites," the lawsuit, filed Thursday, says. "Defendants knew that the high winds the (National Weather Service) predicted would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation. "Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate." The county -- which is itself under pressure over what critics say was a lack of preparation ahead of the fire and a lackluster response in its aftermath -- is demanding unspecified damages and compensation for the destruction. "Maui County stands alongside the people and communities of Lahaina and Kula to recover public resource damages and rebuild after these devastating utility-caused fires," the county said in a statement. Power companies in California routinely shut down large stretches of above-ground power lines in strong winds, a strategy credited with helping to avoid some blazes. On August 14, Hawaiian Electric boss Shelee Kimura defended the decision to keep the network live, saying electricity was necessary to keep water pumping in Lahaina. The August 8 fire was the deadliest wildfire the United States has seen for more than a century. It burned through around 2,000 acres (800 hectares) and laid waste to the historic town of Lahaina, a former Hawaiian royal seat and a thriving tourist hub. Flames, fanned by powerful winds, moved so quickly that many residents were caught unaware, only learning there was a fire when they saw it for themselves. Some abandoned their cars as they tried to flee the town and sought refuge in the ocean, where they cowered for hours as their homes were incinerated. The official toll is expected to rise as a grim search of the ashen remains of Lahaina is completed. Thousands of people have been made homeless, with recovery expected to take years. Federal estimates suggest the fire caused $5.5 billion of damage. The lawsuit, which also includes a demand for a jury trial, comes a week after the head of Maui's emergency management agency resigned amid criticism for not sounding the island's network of warning sirens. Also on Thursday, Maui county officials released a list of 388 names of people who remain unaccounted for. Police said the aim was to encourage anyone who knew the whereabouts of people on the list to come forward, so they could be removed. The practice is common in the wake of a disaster, and the figure of 388 does not indicate that this number of people are likely to be dead, only that they have been reported to authorities as not having been seen. News / National by Staff reporter GOVERNMENT has dismissed preliminary reports by some observer missions alleging that Zimbabwe's elections this week were compromised.This comes after the Sadc and European Union observer missions yesterday released preliminary reports that were strikingly similar, prompting the Government to believe they were sentiments of some of the candidates in the poll.Addressing a press briefing yesterday, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said observer missions should stick to their mandate and not seek to tarnish the country's image."When observers come to our country to observe elections, they have not come here to rewrite our laws," he said. "We have a constitution that dictates what we are supposed to do, observers are there to follow whether our processes are within the confines of our laws."It is important to note that when observers come to the country, their mandate is limited to fact finding related to the specific poll and not to a collection of grievances as witnessed in the report by Sadc and EU. So, when we request our friends and other countries to come and observe our elections, they must be objective and pinpoint things that will enrich our democracy rather than becoming a tool to attack our sovereignty."Minister Ziyambi said the Government always welcomed progressive comments that were aimed at strengthening the country's systems, institutions and processes as this was in line with Vision 2030.He said it was scandalous that the observer missions were concerned that the country did not have homosexual candidates when no one had been asked to reveal their sexual orientation on submission of nomination papers.Minister Ziyambi said the Government strongly objected to statements that deviated from the defined mandate and code of conduct of observers."Since independence, we have religiously held elections when they are due and we believe that some of those who want to teach us about democracy can actually get lessons from us. Zimbabwe is a peaceful nation, which is an essential ingredient for holding a credible election," he added.Minister Ziyambi said comments by the observer missions on the delimitation process, participation of women in the election and the extension of elections for polling stations where ballot papers were not received on time, was evidence that they had not done any research to determine the country's true position.He dismissed the comments that there was no freedom of expression in the country and mention of "the so-called Patriotic Act.""There is no such thing that was enacted in Zimbabwe, we amended the Criminal Code to criminalise conduct whereby if you are a Zimbabwean and engage foreign government with the intention of injuring the sovereignty of Zimbabwe or trade restrictions are imposed on the country, that is what was criminalised," he saidMinister Ziyambi said it was unfair for observers to attack state media for their coverage of the pre-election period as it was not the media's mandate to seek interviews from political parties."It is my grave concern that the EU has heavily relied on what appears to be the position of the CCC in attacking our democracy, our laws and our sovereignty," he said. "When we state that we are an enemy of none, it does not mean we are blind to the machinations of some elements that have imposed sanctions on us. And it is our sincere belief that we are moving forward towards re-engagement in earnest." A court in Tehran has ordered the US government to pay $330 million in damages for "planning a coup" against the newly established Islamic republic in 1980, the judiciary said Saturday. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since the aftermath of the 1979 revolution.(File Photo / REUTERS) A year after the 1979 Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed shah, a group of mostly army officers tried to overthrow the new government. State news agency IRNA said the "insurgents" were led by Saeed Mahdiyoun, a former Iranian air force commander, and had their headquarters in Nojeh, an air base in the western Hamedan province. Several people were killed in clashes between the coup plotters and government forces, and scores of others were arrested. "Their objective was to seize control of military bases across the country and target strategic centres and residences of the revolution's leaders. However, their efforts were thwarted," IRNA said. Last year, relatives of those killed in the coup filed a legal petition with Iran's International Court demanding damages, the judiciary's Mizan Online website said. They specifically accused the United States of "planning and executing" the coup, Mizan said. The court ruled in their favour, ordering "the American government to pay the plaintiffs 30 million dollars in material and moral damages, and 300 million dollars in punitive damages," it added. Tehran and Washington have had no diplomatic relations since the aftermath of the 1979 revolution. In 1953, the British and US intelligence services orchestrated the overthrow of prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh who had nationalised Iran's lucrative oil industry. In 2016, the US Supreme Court ordered that Iranian assets frozen in the United States should be paid to victims of attacks Washington has blamed on Tehran, including the 1983 bombing of a US Marine barracks in Beirut and a 1996 blast in Saudi Arabia. In March this year, the International Court of Justice ruled that Washington's freezing of funds belonging to several Iranian individuals and companies was "manifestly unreasonable". But it ruled it had no jurisdiction to unblock nearly $2 billion in Iranian central bank assets frozen by the United States. Tehran, which denies all responsibility for the attacks blamed on it by the United States, says that a series of US court judgments have awarded victims a total of $56 billion in damages. According to the court papers, Princeton Mayor Mark Freda tried to help chase down a fleeing car thief before the vehicle crashed and ended up killing two people. While the Mayor or his attorney have not issued any statement on the matter, they call Jodi's death an act of God in the response they have filed in court. While the exact details of the event are still under investigation, it is known that a 15-year-old car thief, Damajia Jenay Horner, drove into oncoming traffic and crashed into another car on Princeton-Kingston Road. The car was driven by Jodi Marcou, 61, South Brunswick mother of two. Both Damajia and Jodi were pronounced dead at the scene. In July, Jodi's husband David filed a lawsuit in Middlesex County Court over his wife's death where he added Mayor Mark as a defendant. Other defendants being sued also include Damajia's family, the municipality of Princeton, Princeton First Aid & Rescue Squad and others. Freda activated the blue warning light on his vehicle and knew or reasonably should have known that by doing so, it would initiate, engage, cause and/or result in a dangerous result . . . a palpably unreasonable risk of serious or life-threatening injuries to the public and motorists, stated the plaintiff in the complaint. He had no formal authority in activating his blue lights and in conducting any form of pursuit or at speed chase of the vehicle Horner was operating, added David. While the Mayor or his attorney have not issued any statement on the matter, they call Jodi's death an act of God in the response they have filed in court. As reported by NewJersey.com, Damajia and another teen had been hired by a man named Elhajjmalik Diallo to steal the Jeep. He was arrested in May 2022 and is also being sued by David. When Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva won Brazil s election last year, climate activists the world over breathed a sigh of relief. His right-wing predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, had gutted the environmental agency, turned a blind eye to illegal gold-mining and undermined indigenous rights. Lula, by contrast, promised to end illegal deforestation in the Amazon and lead international efforts to halt climate change. On June 5th the left-winger outlined an ambitious plan to stop illegal deforestation in the Amazon by the end of the decade. There should be no contradiction between economic growth and environmental protection, he said. Yet Lulas green agenda is suffering setbacks. PREMIUM (FILES) Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gives a statement to the press during the Amazon Summit at the Hangar Convention Centre in Belem, Para State, Brazil, on August 9, 2023. The timing spoke volumes: just as Ecuador announced on August 21, 2023, its historic decision to halt oil drilling in a sensitive Amazon rainforest reserve, Brazil trumpeted its massive fossil-fuel investment plans, which include oil exploration near the mouth of the Amazon river. Oil is an increasingly uncomfortable subject for Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who casts himself as a climate crusader but also faces criticism for his plans to grow Latin America's biggest economy with fossil fuels. (Photo by Evaristo SA / AFP)(AFP) Curbing deforestation promises rich rewards. The World Bank estimates that the value of the Amazon rainforest, mainly as a carbon store, is $317bn a year, nearly all the benefits of which accrue to the rest of the world. This is three to seven times more than the estimated value which could be made from farming, mining or logging in the area. A Senate committee is working on creating a carbon market, which would allow Brazil to make money by selling carbon credits. And in April the EU, with which Brazil may soon sign a trade agreement, passed a law that will ban imports of products that contribute to deforestation. All this provides incentives to prevent more tree-felling. In theory, Brazil is well placed to lead efforts against climate change. In 2019 fully 82% of its electricity was generated from renewable sources, compared with a global average of 29%. Its carbon emissions mainly come from deforestation and agriculture, rather than energy. Several problems are getting in Lulas way. For a start, he is far less popular than under his first two terms, between 2003 and 2010. Back then, he could sway Congress more easily. But he only won last years election by a slim margin. Whats more, Congress has veered to the right. Lula leads a rowdy coalition that has frequently failed to vote with him. He has had to resort to pork-barrel tactics, but that has not entirely worked. On June 1st Congress passed a law that removed the rural-land registry and management of waste and water from the environment ministry. It also took away the power of the newly created indigenous ministry to demarcate territories. The day before, the lower house passed a bill which, if approved by the Senate, would not recognise claims to land by indigenous groups arising after 1988. Both bills were coups for the agri-business lobby, which is the second problem for the president. Agriculture is increasingly important in the country. First-quarter GDP figures released this month show the agricultural sector is 18% larger than the same period last year, a performance strong enough to prompt analysts to raise their full-year forecasts for the whole economy. This was partly because of a spell of good weather compared with last year, and because the price of agricultural commodities has risen. By contrast industrial output declined and the service sector grew slightly. According to the World Bank, the value added of agriculture, forestry and fishing as a share of GDP has risen from 4% in 2010 to 7% in 2021. The agri-business lobby now commands 347 out of 594 seats across both houses of Congress, up from 280 in 2018. There is no Brazil without agri-business, says Pedro Lupion, the leader of the lobby. Part of the agriculture sectors expansion happened under Lulas first two administrations, when trade with China accelerated. Yet Lula has struggled to win back the support of the lobby, which has rallied behind Mr Bolsonaro. In April Lulas agriculture minister had his invitation to the countrys biggest agricultural fair rescinded, after Mr Bolsonaro announced that he would attend. Later, Lula called the organisers of the event fascists. Mr Lupion complains that the left has made the green agenda an ideological issue. A third problem for Lula is the importance of the state oil firm, Petrobras. In his first two administrations, Lula celebrated Petrobras as a national champion after the company made one of the largest offshore oil discoveries ever in 2006, in what are known as the pre-salt fields off the south-eastern coast. The discovery allowed Brazil to become the worlds eighth-biggest oil-producer. Much more of that potential oil will be developed this decade, which the government hopes could make Brazil the fourth-biggest oil-producer. Adtiya Ravi, an analyst at Rystad Energy, a consultancy, estimates that oil from the pre-salt fields alone could account for nearly 4% of global supply by the end of the decade. Petrobras expects to increase output from 3m barrels per day today to over 5m by 2030. Along with developing existing projects, Petrobras is trying to win a licence to drill for offshore oil near the Amazon basin, in an area known as the equatorial margin (see map). This area could hold as much as 30bn barrels of oil and its equivalents, of which a quarter are thought to be extractable. Recent discoveries of oil in Guyana and Suriname are encouraging Petrobras, which is ready to invest roughly half of its $6bn exploration budget over the next five years in the area. On May 18th Brazils regulator denied the company an exploration licence, though Petrobras has appealed the decision. Alexandre Silveira, the energy and mining minister, described oil exploration in the region as a passport to the future, and called the regulators demands incoherent and absurd. Lula said he finds it difficult to believe that oil exploration would cause environmental damage in the region. Meanwhile, Petrobrass five-year business strategy barely mentions investments in renewable energies. It says $4.4bn, or 6% of its capital expenditure over the period, will go towards strengthening [the companys] low-carbon position and most of that will be directed towards decarbonising oil production, rather than fostering renewable energy. By comparison, BP invested $5bn in renewable energy, hydrogen, biofuels and electric-vehicle charging stations in 2022, or 30% of its capital expenditure that year. Mauricio Tolmasquim, recently appointed the chief energy-transition officer at Petrobas, admits that the company is lagging behind other major energy companies in its plans to go green. In March its new CEO, Jean Paul Prates, boasted that Brazil could be the last oil producer in the world. According to Rystad Energy, Brazil has approved or is set to approve the highest number of oil and gas projects in 2022 and 2023 after Saudi Arabia and Qatar (see chart). Whereas oil production in Europe, Africa and Asia is set to decline over the next decade, South Americas share of global output is expected to rise from 7.2% today to nearly 10% by 2030, mostly thanks to Brazil, Guyana and Suriname. To fulfil his green pledges, Lula needs to drop his loyalty to oil nationalism, says Natalie Unterstell, the head of Talanoa Institute, a think-tank in Rio de Janeiro. But the government can smell the money. Even without the development of the equatorial margin, Petrobras expects to provide over $200bn of revenue to state coffers over the next five years, or about 5% of total government revenues. The final obstacle is a desire to develop the Amazon and the states near the equatorial margin. Brazils northern and northeastern states contain three-quarters of the countrys poor (as defined by estimates from the statistical agency), though they contain just over a third of its population. Northern governors want more investment. Last June, before being elected, Lula said he was in favour of a highway being built through the Amazon that would connect the soya-growing interior to ports on the coast. Lulas transport minister has also listed a huge railway that would link the interior to the coast among his priorities. Yet one study from 2021 reckoned that if the railway were constructed, 230,000 hectares of trees on indigenous lands would be chopped down by 2035. Already, Lulas desire to boost the economy has clashed with his environmental agenda. Days before announcing the plan to end deforestation, his administration lowered taxes on cars and lorries to stimulate consumption. To go green, Lula will need to adapt many of his plans for enriching Brazil. For more coverage of climate change, sign up for The Climate Issue, our fortnightly subscriber-only newsletter, or visit our climate-change hub. Meghan Markle believes she can the prestigious Oscar Awards on her return to acting. According to a report by Life & Style magazine, Meghan is in talks with famous directors and exploring projects to mark her return to acting. Meghan Markle(REUTERS) Meghan is greatly inspired by the success of TV series "Suits" in which she played the character of Rachel Zane. "Suits" has been a tremendous hit on its rerun on Netflix. Suits is such a hit in reruns that Meghans being told theres a demand from fans to see her act again, a source told Life & Style Magazine. Shes excited. While shed love to land a new TV part, Meghan really wants to sink her teeth into a dramatic film role. She thinks an Oscar would be in her future, said the source. The insider further highlighted that Meghan had been receiving acting offers but she has started gaining interest in the field, only recently. Shed gotten a bunch of offers over the last five years, but turned them down because she really was trying to embrace royal life and, later, forge a new path behind the scenes in Hollywood with Harry, an insider told the outlet. But now thats all changed. With other opportunities drying up, shes actively looking for roles and talking to some big-name directors and producers. Harry is 100 percent supportive of all of it. Acting is what Meghan knows and what shes always loved, said the insider. The source also weighed in on the prospect of Harry's debut in acting or Meghan and Harry starring together in some project. She says he would be a good actor. But Harry believes hed be ridiculed for it, so its unlikely hed co-star in something with Meghan. You never know what the future holds though. He might do it one day, said the source. ALSO READ| Producers of The Crown reveal how Princess Diana's death in car crash will be depicted in sixth and final season Notably, in April, Meghan signed with WME CEO Ari Emanuel and his team. WME is one of the topmost agencies in the world whose clients include top writers, filmmakers, actors, producers, stylists and fashion designers. The talent agency is currently working on expanding Meghan's business ventures across various platforms, including film and television production, brand partnerships, and overall business development. Meghan and Prince Harry have been living in California in the United States since they shunned their royal responsibilities and left the United Kingdom. The Mayor of New York City Eric Adams visited Israel Thursday morning, together with the Commissioner of Police Kobi Shabtai, the Operations Division of the Israel Police at the National Police College in Beit Shemesh. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Kobi Shabtai visited Israel Police's Operations Division in Beit Shemesh. (image source: X/ Dank945) The visit was led by the head of the police operations division, Superintendent Sigal Bar Zvi, during which the mayor was exposed to the capabilities and means of the Israel Police and received a comprehensive overview of the divisions units, including the air formation, the bomb squad, the negotiation unit and the operational formations deployed throughout the country. During the visit, the mayor talked to police officers and heard from them about the sense of mission, the challenges, and the pride of service in the Israel Police. It was great to see and learn more about all the ways technology can be used in a safe and effective way to keep our public safe and yours, said Mayor Adams. One of the things that stood out today is Israels commitment, just like New Yorks to make sure that public safety and justice are intertwined and that the police are committed To balance democratic principles and maintaining public order. The city of New York looks forward to fruitful cooperation with our great friends in Israel with regard to the promotion and improvement of public safety and security issues. Eight suspected terrorists of banned organisations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda in Pakistan's Punjab province have been arrested by the country's law enforcement agencies, police said on Saturday. The terrorists belonged to banned organisations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda. (File) The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police said on Saturday that it has foiled a "major terror plot" during operations in different areas of Punjab. According to the CTD, it conducted 74 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province arresting eight alleged terrorists with weapons, explosives and other prohibited materials. The terrorists belonged to banned organisations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda. The arrested terrorists are Liaqat Khan, Muhammad Hasan, Shan Faraz, Gul Karim, Ayub Khan, Muhammad Umeer, Ameer Muawiya and Rizwan Siddiq. It said they belong to Daesh, Al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The CTD said the suspects have been arrested in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala. Explosives (1200 grams), two hand Granade, one IED bomb, nine detonators, protective fuse wire 29 feet, banned literature and a flag of ISIS have been recovered from the suspects. "The arrested terrorists planned to sabotage across the province and wanted to target important installations and religious places," the CTD said and added the police have registered seven cases against them and shifted them to an undisclosed location for interrogation. Last week, the CTD arrested 13 suspected terrorists including three commanders of ISIS. The CTD officials said that during this week, 700 combing operations were conducted, and 135 suspects were taken into custody. During the operations, more than 16,784 people were questioned, the officials added. The sixth and final season of hit Netflix series "The Crown" will soon be available for the viewers. Fans of the show have been curious over how Princess Diana's death in a horrible car crash in Paris, will be depicted. Princess Diana(File Photo) Producers of the show have shared how they meticulously planned and brainstormed before depicting Diana's death in the TV series. Executive producers Andy Harries and Suzanne Mackie weighed in on the matter, at the Edinburgh TV Festival. "The show might be big and noisy, but we're not. We're thoughtful people, and we're sensitive people. There were very careful, long conversations about how we were going to do it," said Mackie, according to Deadline. The audience will judge it in the end, but I think its been delicately, thoughtfully recreated," Mackie continued, adding that Diana actress Elizabeth Debicki "was so thoughtful and considerate. She loved Diana. There's a huge amount of respect from us all, I hope thats evident." Diana, Dodi Al Fayed(her boyfriend) and their driver had died in the car crash which happened on August 31, 1997 in a tunnel in Paris. Reportedly, their car was being chased by paparazzi and the vehicle collided with a support column in the tunnel and flipped, causing grievous injuries to them. ALSO READ| Las Vegas' beloved peacock named Pete gets killed, neighbours mourn According to The Sun, the exact moment of the car crash will not be depicted in "The Crown". "The exact moment of the crash impact will not be shown," Netflix had said in a statement to The Sun. Meanwhile, Mackie also highlighted her feelings as the TV series is coming to an end in its sixth season. "It's a huge part of my career and my life, and I'm deeply proud of it. So suddenly it's ending, and one feels untethered by that," said Mackie. Russian forces struck a cafe in a key front-line area in northeastern Ukraine Saturday, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials said. Shelling kills civilians in Ukraine's northeast as fears grow of a second Russian takeover @alexandergerit2 The shelling near the city of Kupiansk came as U.K. officials said that Russia may try to retake the area, which was captured by Kyiv in a lightning counteroffensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation. Fierce fighting there earlier this month prompted mandatory evacuations and fears of a second Russian takeover.takeover. Russian shells on Saturday morning struck the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupiansk, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post. He added that rescue teams were working at the site. U.K. military intelligence on Saturday assessed that Russia may increase the intensity of its offensive efforts around Kupiansk and nearby Lyman in an attempt to take pressure off its forces near Bakhmut and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly made gradual gains. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry, said in a regular briefing Saturday that Moscows forces had improved their position along the front line in the Kupiansk area and repelled five Ukrainian assaults over the previous day. He did not give further details regarding any troop movements. Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk, citing a concerted effort by Russian troops to punch through the front line. After the Russian occupiers left Kupiansk last year, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers and mass graves in the region. Ukrainian officials have so far reported limited advances in Kyiv's large-scale counteroffensive launched in early June, including in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and on the outskirts of Bakhmut, the eastern city that became the site of the war's longest and bloodiest battle before falling to Moscow in May. A Washington-based think tank said late Friday that Ukrainian forces were pushing forward in Zaporizhzhia after advancing into the village of Robotyne earlier this week. The Institute for the Study of War in its latest assessment cited pro-Kremlin military bloggers expressing concern over a lack of reinforcements and troop locations in the area, while the Ukrainian General Staff that same day claimed unspecified further successes south and southeast of Robotyne. Also on Saturday, a new drone attack on Moscow forced an early morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported. Officials blamed Ukraine for what appeared to be the latest of near-daily strikes on the Russian capital and the surrounding region. Kyiv has since early this year sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia, also saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. Russias defense ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Red Square. Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. According to Russias state Tass agency, the Sheremetevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports all suspended flights for over an hour early Saturday. Russian Telegram channels on Saturday posted videos, some of them apparently from home security cameras, of what they claimed was Russian air defense downing the drone. One video shows a car parked outside what appears to be a suburban home, its alarm beginning to blare seconds after two loud blasts sound in the distance. Russias defense ministry that same day blamed Ukraine for the attack. As of Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities had not said whether Kyiv had any involvement. Russia and Ukraine traded multiple drone attacks earlier this week, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow and the Kremlins forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics. Also this week, Kyiv claimed it had destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian media also claimed that Ukrainian saboteurs coordinated by Kyivs military intelligence services carried out a pair of recent drone attacks that destroyed and damaged bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia. Later on Saturday, Russias defense ministry said in a separate statement that another drone was brought down as it approached the Russian city of Belgorod, some 45 kilometers (27 miles) from the Ukrainian border. It did not mention any casualties or damage. Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukrainian forces of shelling a border village using cluster munitions, wounding six civilians. Gladkov did not provide visual evidence for the use of the controversial and widely banned weapons, which contain dozens of small bomblets that scatter shrapnel over a wide area. Kyiv last month began receiving cluster bombs from the U.S., but has pledged to use them only to dislodge groups of enemy soldiers. Ukrainian officials have regularly accused Moscow of firing cluster munitions at residential areas, while Russian regional authorities have reported Ukrainian cross-border attacks in which civilians were hurt. Ukraines air force, meanwhile, reported early on Saturday that two Iranian-made Shahed drones fired by Russian troops were shot down during the night over the countrys northeast. In Ukraines front-line Kherson region in the south, local Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin reported that an 83-year-old woman died in a hospital after suffering burn wounds as Russian forces overnight shelled the riverside village of Olhivka. Also on Saturday, the Kherson regional administration reported that Russian shelling damaged a hospital in the provinces namesake capital, blowing out doors and windows but causing no casualties. LIKE THE iPod and MySpace, the BRICS bloc is a product of the benign optimism of the 2000s. In 2001 Goldman Sachs coined the acronym BRIC in a paper about the economic potential of Brazil , Russia, India and China. The quartet ran with the idea, holding its first summit in 2009. A year later South Africa was invited to join. Some analysts feared the BRICS might soon start to rival the G7, but the grouping quickly lost momentum. The non-Asian BRICS economies stagnated in the 2010s. At summits the bloc would issue garbled communiques about the perfidious Westwhich the perfidious West would promptly ignore. The BRICS looked dead. PREMIUM PM Modi poses with BRICS nations' leaders(via REUTERS) What, then, holds the BRICS together? Like the G7, the group has no charter or formal membership criteria. Nor is its mortar the product of personal chemistry. In June at a meeting of foreign ministers in Cape Town, a kind of warm-up for the main event, your correspondent snuck into the restaurant hosting the dignitaries lunch. The pasta salad was not the shindigs only sad sight. The delegations were scattered: the Chinese were too busy in meetings, the South Africans too disorganised, the Brazilians too late. Outside, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Indias foreign minister, held court with his officials. Inside, Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, silently nursed a glass of white wine. A Big BRICS would be a challenge for the West. But it is not a mortal threat. Chinas efforts to enlarge the bloc are revealing its tensions and contradictions. A weakened Russia is going along with it, but Brazil, India and South Africa are sceptical. The BRICS are far more heterogeneous than the G7. Members differ politically, economically and militarily; expansion would make a motley crew even motlier. It would mean that although the BRICS could criticise the Western-led international order with a louder voice, they would struggle even more to articulate an alternative. The meeting will underline how the bloc has been rejuvenated by Russias invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions between the West and China. BRICS members, led by Beijing, are considering whether to expand and deepen the bloc. Some middle powers see the group as a possible vehicle for their interests. The bloc says that more than 40 countries have either applied to join it or have expressed an interest in doing so. And yet the bloc lives. On August 22nd the 15th BRICS summit will open in Johannesburg, a major South African citya party for many of the biggest swing voters in geopolitics. Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africas president, will be joined by leaders including Narendra Modi of India, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil (known universally as Lula) and Chinas Xi Jinping. Vladimir Putin will not be there in person. Were he to attend, then South Africa, as a member of the International Criminal Court, would be obliged to act on the arrest warrant the court issued for Russias president in March. And that might spoil the fun. Working the room The BRICS endure because the club serves several functions. One is to provide a platform for members to criticise, often with justification, the way institutions such as the World Bank, IMF and UN Security Council sideline the global south, a modish term for developing countries. In Cape Town Mr Jaishankar talked of the concentration of global economic power that was leaving too many nations at the mercy of too few. Oddly, such views have become more pointed as the BRICS share of world GDP has increased, from 8% in 2001 to 26% today. Over the same period the G7s share has fallen from 65% to 43% (see chart 1). The clubbiness of the BRICS is also a source of prestige, especially for struggling members. On average the GDP of Brazil, Russia and South Africa has grown by less than 1% annually since 2013 (versus around 6% for China and India). Any investment analyst who picked them among the most promising emerging markets today would be laughed off her Zoom call. But being the only Latin American country and the only African country in the group respectively allows Brazil and South Africa to project continental influence: Mr Ramaphosa has invited an enormous number of African leaders to the Johannesburg summit. The bloc offers support in isolated times, too. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils former president, turned to the BRICS after his ally, Donald Trump, left the White House. These days Russia needs the BRICS more than ever. At the meeting of foreign ministers your correspondent tried to ask Russias ambassador to South Africa what the blocs purpose was for his country. To make more friends, he grunted. He will have them, if China gets its way. Beijing wants to admit more countries from the global south. The reasoning is almost Newtonian: Americas rallying of Western allies is prompting China into seeking an equal and opposite reaction via the BRICS. Viewed from China, there is no other bloc that could be a counterweight to the G7. The Shanghai Co-operation Organisation is too Eurasian. The G20 is too dominated by its Western members. The BRICS represent the best party going. A Chinese official contrasts Beijings desire for a big family of the BRICS countries with the Wests small circle. Supersize Xi It is not the first time that Beijing has sought a bigger crowd. It championed South Africas admission. Since then it has repeatedly raised the idea of adding more members, especially after Russias invasion of Ukraine. Though the BRICS say their decisions are based on consensus, China is hard to ignore. Its share of the BRICS output was 47% in 2001; today it is 70%. In 2022 it accounted for 69% of all trade by the group (the sum of members imports and exports), up from 55% in 2001. The bloc has not released an official list of applicants. But, as part of a thought experiment, The Economist counted 18 countries that are possible candidates, based on their meeting at least one of three criteria as of the end of July (see map). First, the country is on record as saying it has applied. Second, South African officials have named the country as an applicant. Third, the countrys foreign minister attended the Cape Town meeting as a friend of the bloc, either in person or virtually. The guest list includes some increasingly assertive geopolitical swingers. For Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), joining the BRICS would fit with their efforts to recalibrate their relationship with America, their long-time ally, and to draw closer to China. Bangladesh and Indonesia, like India, are populous Asian democracies that claim to be non-alignedand that might also like some protection from Western criticism of their human-rights records. Argentina, Ethiopia, Mexico and Nigeria are all among the largest countries on their continents. In the unlikely event that all 18 were admitted it would challenge the worlds best Scrabble player to come up with a new acronym. It would also increase the population of the BRICS countries from 3.2bn (41% as a share of the worlds) to 4.6bn (58%), versus 10% for the G7 members. The Big BRICS share of world GDP would rise to 34%, still behind the G7s but twice the share of the EU. It would raise the blocs share of world trade from 18% to 27%. China would still be the life, soul and wallet of the party, however. It would account for 55% of the 23 countries output (for reference, America has 58% of the G7). Chinas share of the Big BRICS global trade would still be about half (46%). Even as the bloc debates expansion, it is deepening its existing relationships. On top of the annual summit of bigwigs, there is an increasingly long list of meetings involving academics, firms, ministers, ruling parties and think tanks from BRICS members and countries friendly to them. Some of these might look like excuses for per-diems. Last month a meeting of the BRICS youth summit was hosted by South Africas 74-year-old youth minister. Russia says it will host a BRICS Games before the Paris Olympics next year. But the importance of the connections to officials should not be overlooked, argues Oliver Stuenkel of the Getulio Vargas Foundation, a Brazilian think-tank. These meetings are often dull but they allow bureaucrats to globalise their network. The BRICS bloc also has more serious endeavours. It has established two financial institutions, which the Russian finance minister once reportedly described as a mini-IMF and a mini-World Bank. The former is the Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA), which was agreed to at the BRICS summit in 2014. It is an as yet untested series of swap lines for central banks to get hard currency if they have balance-of-payments problems. The mini-World Bank is the New Development Bank (NDB). Since its establishment in 2015, it has lent $33bn for almost 100 projects. Three new members have joined in the past three years: Bangladesh, Egypt and the UAE. Uruguay is set to be admitted soon. (A state does not need to be a member of the BRICS to join the bank.) The possibility of expanding and deepening the grouping is seen by members as proof of its strength. Yet these efforts also highlight divisions among the gang. Economically and politically the BRICS are a messadding more members or functions would only emphasise that fact. Start with the economic differences. The GDP per person of the poorest member, India, is roughly a fifth of that of China and Russia. The latter pair run current-account surpluses, the others deficits. Russia, an important member of the OPEC+ cartel, and Brazil are net oil exporters; the other three depend on imports. China actively manages the exchange rate of its currency; the other four intervene less often. And so on. All of this complicates the blocs attempt to change the global economic order. A common BRICS reserve currencysomething Mr Putin claimed the bloc was working on a year agowould collapse on first contact with reality; no member would give up the power held by their central bank. Members regularly guard their own power at economic institutions. South Africas efforts to have more African representation on the IMF board have been rejected. China has around 40% of the voting rights at the CRA, in line with its capital contribution, and insisted on a limit to what any country can receive in the absence of an IMF programme. The NDB has had a slow start. Its total lending since 2015 is a third of what the World Bank Group committed in 2021 alone. The World Bank is more transparent and accountable than the NDB, notes Daniel Bradlow of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. That the NDB mostly issues loans in US dollars or euros somewhat undermines its members claim to be trying to reduce the power of the greenback. A rule ensures that the five original members retain 55% of voting rights, belying their criticisms of uneven decision-making power at the World Bank and the IMF. That does not suggest a truly progressive global-south bank, says Mr Bradlow. Politically, too, they are an eclectic bunch. Russia and China are autocracies that disdain liberal freedoms. Brazil, India and South Africa are by contrast raucous, if flawed, democracies. The trio have more reason to be wary of public opinion as a result. A poll published on July 27th by the Pew Research Centre, a think-tank based in Washington, DC, found that negative views towards China have become more common since 2019and not just in the West. In South Africa, 40% of respondents had an unfavourable view of China, up from 35% four years ago. In Brazil and India, unfavourable sentiment reached the highest levels since polling began in 2010 and 2013 respectively. In Brazil the share rose from 27% to 48%; in India from 46% to 67% (see chart 2). The democracies are also keener than the autocracies on genuinely non-aligned foreign policiesthey want to stay swingers. Take South Africa. It has angered the West by, among other things, hosting a naval exercise with China and Russia on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. It has government ministers who get dewy-eyed at the very mention of the Soviet Union. But Mr Ramaphosa is wary of pushing the West too far. Several of South Africas main sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) are Western powers, and it hosts drills with NATO countries, too. He wants to keep South Africas preferential trade terms with America, which some in Congress have said should be rescinded in light of his governments drift towards Russia. Lula also has a more subtle approach than his peers in Beijing and Moscow. He would like to reduce what he sees as Americas hegemonic role in the world; hence his enthusiasm for the BRICS, which he helped establish during his first period in office in the 2000s. At the same time, he understands the need for good relations with the West, which is its main source of FDI and arms. Although India continues to buy arms from Russia, it is diversifying its military ties and buying more from America and France. Russias invasion of Ukraine has entrenched diplomatic faultlines in other ways. The blocs strong emphasis on sovereigntyoriginally a way to draw an implicit contrast with an interventionist Westlooks hollow when Russia invades its neighbour. Neither China nor Russia supports the others proposed reforms of the UN Security Council, of which they are both permanent members. Another political division relates to the value of keeping the BRICS an exclusive affair. Though Lula is more sympathetic to the idea of welcoming like-minded Latin American leaders to the club, such as Argentinas Alberto Fernandez (with whom he is personally close), diplomatic types are more sceptical. Mauro Vieira, Brazils foreign minister and a career diplomat, has spoken of the need to protect the BRICS brand. South Africa likes being the only African representative in the bloc. China would be emboldened by a bigger BRICS; others would feel enfeebled. All these differences are coming to the fore because of expansion talk. We do not want to dilute control of the BRICS from the original five, says a South African official. South Africa instead hopes for a compromise whereby joiners are given second-class status, mere B-listers at the party. The details need to be worked outsomething which may happen at the summit. Warring parties The critical dissenting voice is likely to be Indias, given its growing economic and geopolitical importance. In the early days of the bloc India thought that with the help of Russia, it could manage China better, says Harsh Pant of the Observer Research Foundation, a think-tank in Delhi. That is harder now Russia is beholden to China. And India frets about some of the wannabes, such as Cuba and Belarus. India fears these would be mini-Russias, repeating Chinas talking points. India sees itself as a rival to China for leadership of the global south. It has used its presidency of the G20 this year to amplify the concerns of developing countries regarding climate finance and international institutions. It would not want to play second fiddle to a Chinese effort to woo this same group. The tricky thing for India is that it doesnt want to be a party pooper either. Nor is it keen to attract the blame for blocking other emerging countries aspirations. And it aims to preserve decent relations with China, with which it has deep economic links and a long border. So India is proceeding with caution. It wants to discuss joining criteria for new members in the coming weeks, rather than simply handing out welcome drinks. The Johannesburg summit will be a defining moment for the BRICS. Enlargement would indicate the scale of Chinas sway on the scene. But if China is blocked it would underline the groups deep divisions. Either way, the global south is showing that it is as transactional as the Western countries it claims moral superiority over. And much more fractured. 2023, The Economist Newspaper Limited. All rights reserved. From The Economist, published under licence. The original content can be found on www.economist.com UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will not attend the United Nation General Assembly in New York next month, a Downing Street spokesperson said in an emailed statement. Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (AFP) The UK delegation will be led by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, according to the statement sent to Bloomberg. While hell skip the annual gathering, Sunak plans to meet with a number of world leaders in the coming weeks, according to the spokesperson. That includes talks to be held at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi in September, and at the COP28 summit in the United Arab Emirates that starts in late November. Sunak and his ministers will continue to use all their engagements with their international counterparts to drive forward the governments priorities, the spokesperson said. The General Assembly is scheduled to include a summit Sept. 18-19 to review progress on 17 key sustainable development goals from ending hunger to providing clean energy that overlaps with the start of the annual general debate. The Financial Times earlier reported Sunaks decision to bypass the meeting. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On August 24, 2023, the Chinese Embassy in Sierra Leone held the Farewell Reception for the Awardees of Chinese scholarship. H.E. Wang Qing, Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to the Republic of Sierra Leone, Haja Ramatulai Wurie, Minister of Technical and Higher Education of Sierra Leone, and Amb. Victoria M. Sulimani, Director-General of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs and International Cooperation of Sierra Leone, along with over 150 awardees, attended the Reception. Ambassador Wang Qing firstly congratulated all the awardees of the Chinese scholarship. It fully reflected the fruitful achievements in educational cooperation and people-to-people exchanges between China and Sierra Leone. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Sierra Leone 52 years ago, China has provided more than 1,000 scholarships to Sierra Leone and trained thousands of Sierra Leonean personnel. The Chinese side will align with the development agenda of the new Sierra Leonean government and continue to promote bilateral exchanges and cooperation including the education sector. I hope all the students will study hard and act as the ambassadors of China-Sierra Leone traditional friendship and cultural exchanges. Minister Wurie and Director-General Sulimani thanked China for its long-term strong support and assistance for the development of education and human resources of Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leonean side stands ready to work with the Chinese side to continue to promote exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields. News / National by Staff reporter Zanu-PF is poised for a landslide Parliamentary election victory after it secured 109 legislative seats out of the 171 constituency results that were announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's provincial and constituency command centres across the country yesterday.The opposition Citizen Coalition for Change led by Mr Nelson Chamisa is a distant second with 62 seats after the revolutionary party regained most Parliamentary seats that had been held by the opposition.There were a total of 209 constituencies that were contested after the ZEC deferred the Gutu West constituency poll following the death of independent candidate, Mr Christopher Mutonhori Rwodzi in a road accident.This means that the revolutionary party will constitute the bulk of Senators and legislators that will come through the women and youth quotas in the National Assembly as that will be determined by the number of votes in the 210 constituencies.Of the 38 outstanding constituencies, Zanu-PF requires just 31 seats for it to land a two-third majority.Notable areas where Zanu-PF regained lost ground include Mbare constituency in Harare where Martin Matinyanya beat Mr Starman Chamisa to land the seat.Some of the results that are still pending in Harare Metropolitan province include Churu and Harare South constituencies.Tongai Mnangagwa also won in Hunyani, which was formed from Harare South where he was an MP.Zanu-PF registered its greatest election victory in Masvingo province where it garnered 23 seats while CCC got two with the third one Gutu West yet to be contested. In Mashonaland East province, Zanu-PF won 19 constituencies while CCC got a paltry four while in Mashonaland Central province, the revolutionary party won 13 of the 18 seats while CCC was yet to get a seat leaving five seats still pending.In Manicaland province, Zanu-PF garnered 19 seats with CCC getting 7, leaving 1 constituency, Buhera South, outstanding.It is interesting to note that Zanu-PF won in three constituencies in Buhera while one is yet to be finalised.Renowned journalist and Zanu-PF director of information and publicity, Tafadzwa Mugwadi, carried the day in Buhera West while in Buhera Central, Samson Matema won with Philip Guyo romping to victory in Buhera North.In Matabeleland South province, Zanu-PF won in 8 constituencies out of the 12 while CCC got 4 while in Matabeleland North province Zanu-PF won in 3 constituencies with CCC getting 7 leaving another 3 constituencies yet to be concluded.In the Midlands province, the bulk of constituencies were yet to be concluded as Zanu-PF had won in five constituencies with CCC winning three seats.In Harare province, Zanu-PF had won 3 seats, which was a significant improvement with CCC garnering 23 constituencies leaving 4 seats still outstanding.In Bulawayo province, CCC had won six seats while Zanu-PF was yet to register a win leaving six seats yet to be concluded by yesterday.It is worth noting that where Zanu-PF won, it would do so with a huge margin unlike a win by CCC where in most cases it would just scrap through.One example is Zanu-PF candidate in Sanyati constituency in Mashonaland West province, Polite Kambamura, who beat CCC candidate Mr Lahliwe Mafa with an unassailable margin of 17 474 against 4 843 votes.In Mberengwa Central constituency, Zanu-PF candidate, Tinashe Shumba got 17 689 votes against Mr Tafanana Zhou of CCC who polled 3 867 votes.In Mutoko East, Zanu-PF candidate Richard Musiiwa got 19 073 votes against Mr Yeukai Kaseke of CCC who got 3 613 votes. Workers at Detroit's three auto giants overwhelmingly voted to authorize union leaders to call a strike if there is no contract by next month's deadline, the union announced Friday. Detroit's auto workers overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike against Big Three automakers if there is no contract by next month's deadline. Pic Source: X/@ApsRadioNews The United Auto Workers announced that it won at least 95 percent support for a possible strike at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis if negotiations fail to produce a contract by the September 14 deadline, with an average of 97 percent across the three companies. The vote, which was expected, does not mean there will be a stoppage, but it gives newly-installed UAW President Shawn Fain an additional point of leverage in talks. Fain has criticized the companies for dragging their feet during the negotiations thus far. "Our union's membership is clearly fed up with living paycheck-to-paycheck while the corporate elite and billionaire class continue to make out like bandits," said UAW President Shawn Fain. "The Big Three have been breaking the bank while we have been breaking our backs." The UAW's push comes in a period dubbed #HotLaborSummer as unions flex muscles in a still-tight employment market. Hollywood has been virtually shut down by writer and actor strikes, while UPS avoided a stoppage following difficult negotiations. A strike at all three companies would involve about 150,000 workers, with a potentially wide-ranging economic impact on suppliers and industry-adjacent services. The talks are on the radar of President Joe Biden, who recently called for a "fair" contract that ensures workers' rights are strengthened during the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Fain has signaled a willingness to strike at all three companies, although labor experts think if there is a strike, a stoppage at just one company is more likely. Fain has argued workers should get the same 40 percent salary boost given to auto executives. Other demands include a restoration of cost of living adjustments (COLA), guaranteed pensions for all workers and elimination of a multitiered compensation system. The pandemic helped "create a sense among the American workforce that they don't have to tolerate bad working conditions anymore," said Michelle Kaminski, a professor at Michigan State University who specializes in labor relations. "These are the most favorable conditions for unions in decades," she said. - Reform candidate - Fain, 54, who worked as an electrician at a Stellantis factory in Indiana, narrowly won the first UAW presidential election with direct voting by rank-and-file members. The voting was overseen by a court-appointed monitor after a corruption scandal led to prison terms for two former UAW presidents. In the campaign, Fain ran as a reformer, criticizing other UAW leaders for an overly cozy approach with management and a legacy of plant closures and lower pay for junior employees. He has maintained an aggressive posture since taking office, shunning a ceremonial handshake with auto CEOs when the talks kicked off. In a streamed bargaining update earlier this month Fain plunked Stellantis' proposal in the trash, a gesture the company criticized as "theatrics and personal insults." Stellantis said it was committed to reaching an agreement "based on economic realism" that reflects the pressures of competing with nonunionized automakers. "Agreeing to Mr. Fain's demands could endanger our ability to make decisions in the future that provide job security for our employees," Stellantis said in a letter to employees. GM said it has "been working hard with the UAW every day to ensure we get this agreement right for all our stakeholders," while Ford said it looks "forward to working with the UAW on creative solutions ... when our dramatically changing industry needs a skilled and competitive workforce more than ever." - Compromise? - Fain's strategy with the Detroit Three has taken a page from that of Teamsters President Sean O'Brien, who also presented regular livestream updates and organized "practice pickets" at UPS. UPS workers overwhelmingly approved a contract that included hefty wage increases and an elimination of a two-tier wage system. Labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, who noted the UAW's long history of striking, said Fain could "claim victory" with hefty wage hikes and elimination of the tiered system. Harry Katz, a professor at Cornell's School of Industrial & Labor Relations, said a compromise could include a cost-of-living adjustment and a narrowing of pay gaps in tiers. Fain "will definitely deliver a favorable contract," Katz said. "It's all a question of how favorable." But Katz said there is also a decent chance of a strike if either side misreads the situation. While the UAW has some leverage over the carmakers, it has less compared with the Teamsters in the UPS case, given the heavy number of US vehicles built by nonunion automakers. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON US journalist Evan Gershkovich has appealed against the latest extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow on spying charges that he denies, Russian state media said on Saturday. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow.(AP) TASS news agency quoted a Moscow court as saying it had received the appeal from the defence team of the Wall Street Journal reporter. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on spying charges that carry up to 20 years in prison. No date has been set for his trial, and on Thursday his detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison was extended by three months to Nov. 30. He has failed in two previous appeals, in April and June. The United States says Russia is using Gershkovich to conduct "hostage diplomacy", at a time when Moscow's war in Ukraine has plunged relations with Washington to their lowest point in more than 60 years. Washington says the case against him is bogus and has demanded the release of both Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen convicted of espionage in 2020 and serving 16 years in a Russian penal colony on spying charges that he too denies. Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American 2024 US presidential aspirant, has hinted that he may run on a joint ticket with former president Donald Trump as his running mate if he does not win the Republican nomination, according to a media report. Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at the Polk County Summer Sizzle fundraising event in Clive, Iowa, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. (Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Des Moines Register via AP)(AP) The remarks by Ramaswamy came days after the 38-year-old multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur-turned-politician said he was not interested in any job other than president. Ramaswamy said he believed he could only reunite this country as president, but did not rule out running with 77-year-old Trump as vice president if the former president and frontrunner wins the nomination for a third time. Asked on Britain's GB News whether he would be happy to be (Trumps) VP, Ramaswamy replied: See, this isnt about me. If this were about me, sure. Thats a fine position for someone to have at my age. This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if Im doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement. He added that he had fresh legs and was almost half [Trumps] age, but would ask him to serve as my most valued adviser in the White House. Rumours of a joint ticket between the two men in the 2024 race were fanned by the Trump campaigns praise for Ramaswamy after the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, in which he emerged as a breakout star. A self-declared outsider who has no experience as an elected official has pledged to pardon Trump for any federal convictions on day one of his presidency and continue his legacy in the White House with an America First 2.0 agenda, The Telegraph newspaper said. In previous interviews, Ramaswamy had denied becoming the former presidents running mate, insisting that he could only change the country if he won the top job. Im not interested in a different position in the government. Frankly, Id drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming number two or three in the federal government," he told Fox News on Saturday. His popularity rating and online fundraising have surged after his impressive performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. The first poll that came out after the debate said that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said Ramaswamy performed the best. He was followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and Pence (13 per cent). Indian-American Nikki Haley received the vote of seven per cent. According to Fox News, Ramaswamy was the most Google-searched Republican candidate after the debate. He was followed by fellow Indian-American Haley. Both the Indian-Americans were standing next to each other on the debate stage. Politico, a Washington metropolitan area-based politics-focused newspaper company, said that Ramaswamy, the brash and uber-wealthy entrepreneur, got under the skin of his rivals and praised Trump, calling him the best president of the 21st century. Though Ramaswamy has repeatedly denied hes in the race just to be Trumps running mate, that hasnt quelled speculation. Many of the qualities that might make him unserious to some, seem to only burnish his bona fides to others and make him seem like a breath of fresh air, it said. Rina Shah, a conservative political consultant and delegate to the Republican National Convention during the 2016 cycle, Ramaswamy is attempting to be as Trump as Trump, which will naturally curry favour with the former president as he searches for a running mate. Another Republican strategist and former Trump White House advisor, JaRon Smith, said big possibility when asked whether Ramaswamys showing on Wednesday put him in the running for veepstakes. Ramaswamys performance in Milwaukee on Wednesday drew the admiration of Donald Trump Jr, the former president's eldest child. I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do," he said. Trump Junior himself posted a clip of Ramaswamy arguing he was the best president of the 21st century, commenting: This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big win in the debate because of a thing called truth," he said. Despite the unprecedented legal woes of Trump, he is still the frontrunner to get the Republican Party nomination. According to a new poll, Trump leads DeSantis by nearly 40 percentage points in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Ramaswamy, if tapped as Vice President and later elected, would be the second youngest ever to serve in the role, behind John Breckinridge who served as President James Buchanans second in command when he was just 36. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON 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. Opinion / Columnist Simbarashe Jingo, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. For decades, SADC countries have been playing their usual big brother role to successive Zanu-PF governments, shielding them from international condemnation for oppressive rule and corruption and always rubber-stamping Zimbabwean shoddy general elections. Even when this came at a cost to their economies, thus the aftermath of an influx of economic migrants and political refugees. The only voice heard crying in the wilderness was that of Ian Khama of Botswana while the rest, in typical "brotherhood" fashion, turned a blind eye to Zimbabwe's horrific culture of intimidation, torture, corruption, and heavy-handedness on its citizens.But now, the plot thickens. Enter Hichilema of Zambia. The SADC Observer Mission has for the first time in decades, made a stern assessment of Zimbabwe's management of general elections. But why now? The reason is in plain sight. All the neighbouring countries to Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique just to mention a few, are teeming with Zimbabwean economic migrants and political refugees. The neighbouring countries are bursting at the seams with Zimbabwean migrants and their local people are not amused. Even countries as far afield as Lebanon, Qatar, United Kingdom, Australia, they are dealing with Zimbabwean migrants fleeing their country. On the contrary, successive Zanu-PF governments see this as "business as usual" and want to forge ahead with their grim culture of intolerance, intimidation, suppression, corruption, mismanagement, and nepotism. SADC countries are finally awakening to reality, that Zanu-PF has a grisly culture of oppression, suppression, and misrule in Zimbabwe. Zanu-PF's incompetence cannot be hidden anymore.Zimbabwe once an economic gem in the region and a hub of prosperity, has descended into an unrecognisable economic abyss since the leadership Zanu-PF. Zanu-PF has not only failed to maintain the civilisations left by white governments, but they have even wiped out any iota of civilisation in Zimbabwe. The long queues, delays, blurred photocopies, intimidation, violence, death, chaotic organisation, time mismanagement and inefficiency, all characterising the current general election is reflective of how Zanu-PF have been running the country for the past four decades. This is the rotten culture of impunity, oppression, mismanagement, corruption, inefficiency, and recklessness which SADC now wants to stop. Well done SADC, for an objective peer review. Subscribers to Register-Star or The Daily Mail are eligible to receive full access to HudsonValley360. If you have an existing print subscription, please make sure your email address on file matches your HudsonValley360 account email. Third Round of Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Program Open BOSTON The Executive Office of Economic Development announced the opening of the third round of the Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program, which will provide a total of $15 million in grant funds to develop, strengthen, and invest in community-led efforts to bring positive outcomes to communities that face historically disproportionate challenges to economic growth. "The Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program provides important resources to organizations to advance projects that help their neighborhoods and residents thrive, said Secretary of Economic Development Yvonne Hao. We are pleased to open this grant round and look forward to investing in the economic empowerment of communities across the state." This year, the grant program will shift to a multi-year procurement cycle and will accept applications for projects that run from early 2024 through June 2026. Initial contracts will extend through June 2024 and, subject to annual state budget appropriations and renewal eligibility, grantees will have the opportunity to receive up to two additional one-year contracts. This competitive grant program was developed to support communities with high rates of criminal justice system involvement, widespread poverty, and large groups of disadvantaged and underrepresented populations. Project categories include community-based workforce development, small business development, housing stabilization, community health improvement, high school dropout prevention, and community organizing and leadership development. First passed into law in December 2020, the Community Empowerment and Reinvestment Grant Program involved the establishment of a Community Empowerment Board to inform application processes and criteria. As prescribed by law, the seven-member Community Empowerment Board consists of individuals who belong to demographic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented and have historically been at social and economic disadvantages. iciHaiti - Culture : Reform of ENARTS for the progress of Haitian art With the support of the Ministry of Culture, many changes and reforms are announced at the level of the National School of Arts (ENARTS). These achievements are carried out at the level of the administration and the development of the spaces of the building of the establishment. The development of this institution of artistic education serving hundreds of young Haitians, remains and remains the primary objective of Yves Pene the new Director General https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39433-icihaiti-enarts-the-new-dg-in-action.html , which also defined other short, medium and long-term objectives. Penel announced some perspectives focused on the reform of ENARTS that his administration, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, wishes to undertake. Establish some annexes of ENARTS in some cities of the country, offer a para-academic study program to all those who have not completed their secondary studies and who want to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the field artistic, are among other reforms that he wants to undertake. Many rehabilitation and renovation works have already been carried out in the building and in the courtyard of this public institution which was in a pitiful state. The National School of Arts was founded on July 3, 1983. For some forty years, this institution has worked to promote art in Haiti and supports several cohorts of students. Note, moreover, that the Department of Studies of the institution has decided to extend the registration period until Friday, September 22, 2023 for the new academic year https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40320-haiti-news-zapping.html See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39645-icihaiti-culture-the-enarts-gets-a-makeover.html https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-39433-icihaiti-enarts-the-new-dg-in-action.html IH/ iciHaiti An F-16 Fighting Falcon. US Air Force Denmark and the Netherlands are sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with US approval. The jets aren't likely to arrive until next year as Ukrainian pilots need to be trained first. A military expert warned that there could be issues with maintaining the aircraft. The US last week gave its blessing for F-16 fighter jets to be transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine once pilots have been trained to fly them. Ukraine has long coveted the US-made jet as it seeks to bolster its air capabilities in its war with Russia, which has a more advanced air force. President Joe Biden had resisted providing F-16s or training, but the White House's 180 means F-16s could be available to Ukrainian forces by early next year. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen in a F-16 jet in Denmark on August 20. Mads Claus Rasmussen/AFP/Getty Images Specifications The F-16 is a multi-role fighter built by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force. It was conceived in the early 1970s as an alternative to fighter jets that had grown increasingly heavy and less nimble, and more than 4,500 aircraft have been produced for 26 nations, per Lockheed Martin. "Its smooth blended-wing body provided extra lift and control; its critical fly-by-wire system kept the design stable and increased its agility; and its slightly tilted back ejection seat, side-mounted control stick, head-up display and bubble canopy improved pilot survivability as well as visibility and control," the company says on its website. The jet, which costs about $63 million, can hit speeds of up to 1,500 mph. A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. US Air Force Its payload usually consists of two 2,000-pound bombs, two AIM-9 sidewinder missiles, two AIM-120 medium-range air-to-air missiles, and two 2,400-pound external fuel tanks. It's also armed with one M-61A1 20mm multibarrel cannon, which holds 500 rounds. But while the F-16 will boost Ukraine's air force, many issues remain, said Justin Bronk, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, in a thread on X. He said the F-16 was "a complex aircraft" and that it would "take years to train journeyman or master-level maintainers" to service the jets. Story continues This meant Ukraine would have to rely heavily "on civilian contractors to supervise and provide on-the-job training to Ukrainian maintainers in-country, even after months of initial training." "This is an issue because any F-16 bases set up inside Ukraine will be priority targets for Russian cruise and ballistic missile strikes. Therefore, more ground support equipment and contractors are needed to enable dispersed basing, and they'll still be actively targeted," he added. An F-16C Fighting Falcon flies by during a U.S. Air Force firepower demonstration at the Nevada Test and Training Range September 14, 2007 near Indian Springs, Nevada. Ethan Miller/Getty Images Training Another issue is the time needed to train Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16. Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said last week that training had begun with "young pilots that barely have any hours at all" who were receiving English language tuition in the UK. "That all is going to take time ... so that's why it's going to be at least until next year until you see F-16s in Ukraine. It's not going to be the silver bullet." An Israeli Air Force pilot sits in the cockpit of an F-16. Stringer/Getty Images In late July, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing that Ukrainian F-16 pilots would be trained in Denmark and Romania, and possibly other countries too. The Greek air force will take part in training Ukrainian pilots, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Athens Monday during a press briefing with his Greek counterpart, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Al Jazeera reported. Greece's air force is largely comprised of F-16s and it is regarded as an experienced and capable user of the jets. Meanwhile, the Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren met with her Ukrainian counterpart, Oleksii Reznikov, in Kyiv Tuesday and presented him with a model F-16. The US will also begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly and maintain F-16s in Arizona in October, the Pentagon said Thursday. The training is "in support of the international effort to develop and strengthen Ukraine's long-term defenses," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said. Read the original article on Business Insider ePLDT, the ICT subsidiary of the PLDT Group, is now in pole position to strengthen the Philippines status as the next hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific. In the past few years, data centers have emerged as a crucial foundation to the countrys emergent digital economy; with hyperscalers now turning their attention to the country for increasing requirements and growing operations that connect individuals, businesses, and the global community. ePLDT is a pioneering force in the Philippines burgeoning data center industry. In addition to customized multi-cloud and cybersecurity solutions, the company has been building state-of-the-art data centers known as VITRO. It has the largest data center network in the country to date. The next economic driver But VITRO data centers represent more than just meeting space demands. They reflect ePLDTs longstanding commitment to help the government bring in more economic opportunities, support the countrys digitalization efforts, and create a positive impact on the communities it operates in. Much like how BPOs became a catalyst for economic prosperity in the 90s, the local data center industry is expected to be the countrys latest growth driver. As our VITRO network attracts more investments into the country, expect it to generate more jobs, develop new business opportunities and help position the Philippines as the regional destination of choice for hyperscalers inevitably contributing to inclusive economic growth, says Gary F. Ignacio, Chief Data Center Officer of ePLDT. Far-reaching effects Building digital infrastructure has ripple effects on job creation, far beyond its mere construction, management, and operations. In the case of Google as reported by consulting firm AlphaBeta in October 2021, unlocking new revenue streams and expanding their business led to the tech giant indirectly supporting over 110,000 jobs in the Philippines. And this number will likely only grow as more digital firms expand their reach here. For ePLDT, VITRO will attract global cloud and content providers, encourage them to expand their local footprint, and create a halo effect of more job creation. After over two decades of launching VITRO Pasig in 2000 the countrys first data center ePLDT has grown into the market leader with 10 data center facilities nationwide, says Ignacio. We have an 11th currently under construction, he added. And as hyperscalers set up shop in these VITRO sites, the everyday Filipino ultimately benefits. Bigger, faster, safer, and more sustainable Touted as its biggest and most ambitious data center to date, VITRO Sta. Rosa is rising at a five-hectare property in the booming industrial city of Sta. Rosa, Laguna. Designed with LEED standards in mind, the facility will also champion sustainability practices in design, supply, and building operations; including rainwater collection, wastewater reuse, renewable energy use, and lowest realistic power usage effectiveness (PUE) for the Philippines, among others. VITRO Sta. Rosa will be constructed with the highest level of diversity and reliability. It will be equipped with at least three domestic fiber routes from PLDT and other telco providers and will serve as the most ideal location for Availability Zones and Points-of-Presence of hyperscalers, as cwell as for critical systems of enterprises, explains Ignacio. The facility will be connected to the PLDT Groups widest domestic and international fiber network, which has connectivity to the countrys richest IP ecosystem through the VITRO Internet. VITRO Sta. Rosa is also designed to be Tier-3 Certified and Tier-4 Ready, with the highest reliability uptime as it includes the construction of an on-site Meralco power substation. Interconnection to several other substations further minimizes the risk of power failure, further ensuring business continuity for hyperscalers so they can provide the best end-user experience to their customers. Logistically accessible via three major highways, VITRO Sta. Rosa will also serve as a physical fortress for data centers. Due to its geographical location, it is relatively safe from flooding, liquefaction, earthquake damage, and other natural disaster risks. Building on an opportunity More revealing is that a 12th data center is also in the pipeline a hyperscale facility with a power capacity of no less than 100MW. With the data center market projected to have a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 13% between 2020 to 2025, the Philippines should enjoy far greater interest from hyperscalers and global enterprises versus its ASEAN neighbors, according to a recent Vanguard Report by S&P Global. A report from research firm Arizton that was cited by KMC Savills last June 2022 said the Philippines logged one of the highest growth rates in emerging data centers in Southeast Asia, alongside Malaysia and Thailand. This report factored in the growth of the online gaming industry, outsourcing, BPO, and the adoption of cloud, big data, and IoT as contributors to its rising trajectory. "To seize such opportunities, we strive to create value for our customers by simplifying the complexities of their digital transformation journey. This begins with a thorough understanding of their needs, fostering collaborative partnerships, and proposing solutions that prioritize outcomes over technology-driven approaches," highlights Ignacio. With a reputation built strong, ePLDT is committed to optimizing and managing its clientele's tech investments, enabling partners to leverage their resources, concentrate on core business operations, and pursue sustainable growth. Even as a market leader, we listen carefully to our customers pain points and partner with the biggest global names in the business in designing our facilities. Our role as the countrys premiere data center operator is to harmonize these insights; and implement and concretize them through our data center builds. Together with PLDT, we continue to build infrastructure that will allow both private and public sectors to be globally competitive, said Ignacio. After all, we look today at our data centers as the countrys engines of growth, he closed. PLDT Enterprise, the corporate arm of the countrys leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc.(PLDT), will continue to spend heavily on connectivity to transform the Philippines into Asia-Pacifics next digital hub and sustain the growth of the contact center and business process industry, a strong driver of economic activity and job creation. PLDT Global Corporation President and CEO Albert Villa-Real (second from left) tells the recent Contact Island 2023 in Mactan City that as a digital transformation ally of the contact center industry, the PLDT Group continues to upgrade its network to help the industry realize its business goals. In a panel discussion entitled New Horizons: Expanding into the Countryside at the Contact Island 2023 conference held recently in Cebu City, PLDT Global Corporation President and CEO, Albert Villa-Real, noted that last year the PLDT Group invested significantly to upgrade and extend an already expansive domestic fiber optic backbone and join more international cable consortia. PLDT Global is the international business unit of PLDT. Just last year, PLDT tripled its international capacity and improved traffic re-route capability with the activation of the US-Transpacific Jupiter Cable System, helping position the Philippines as the next data center hub for hyperscalers. The PLDT Group has further expanded its total fiber footprint to over 1.1 million kilometers, consisting of international and domestic fiber, as of end-June 2023. PLDT's fiber infrastructure supports Smarts mobile network, which covers around 97% of the population with 3G, 4G/LTE, and 5G. The mobility restrictions put in place by the government to stem the spread of COVID-19 starting mid-March 2020 only complicated an already difficult task of digitalizing an archipelago of over 7,000 islands. But PLDT, Villa-Real said, was up to the task. During the pandemic, we had to deliver wireless products at a moments notice whether via land, air, or sea. It was a difficult process especially during the lockdowns, but going beyond the call of duty is what PLDT is all about, particularly during hard times when connectivity is needed by the country and the customers we serve, he said. PLDT Enterprise provides both wireless and fixed connectivity to service multi-industry demand for high-capacity data and next-generation services. The fixed business segment offers next-level solutions that are centered on management services and Software-defined Wide Area Network to help banks, financial services companies, insurance, retail, and fast-moving consumer goods operations. It is also Cisco-Gold certified, highlighting PLDT Enterprises commitment to innovation. The wireless business of PLDT Enterprise also has the "Internet of Possibilities" platform, the sole IoT connectivity management platform in the Philippines, which enables it to support services such as asset management, vehicle tracking, telemetry, point-of-sale management, smart elevators, and other applications. Villa-Real also told the Contact Islands 2023 forum that beyond network expansion and upgrades, telcos should also be mindful of building redundancies to ensure minimal disruptions during calamities caused by typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. I think it is incumbent upon telcos, including us at PLDT, to put in investments of resiliency. Of course, it will add to budgets. But at the end of the day, I think the crux of the matter is customer experience, he added. PLDT has secured several international certifications for its resilient network facilities, underscoring the group's capability to deliver services amid disruption. PLDT has also received several certifications, ISO 22301:2019, for its Business Continuity Management System that covers disaster preparedness and response, risk and impact mitigation, and service recovery and restoration plans. PLDT and Smart First Vice President and Head of Enterprise and International Business Groups Mitch Locsin -- who was also at the Contact Islands 2023 forum -- said separately that as president of Contact Center Association of the Philippines, his goal is to continue programs which would support the initiatives under the 2028 Industry Roadmap, particularly on government partnerships, talent development, infrastructure for the last mile of Work-From-Home arrangements, and new country/industry marketing program. Locsin said the initiatives undertaken recently by PLDT Enterprise, including network investments, were meant to establish itself to be the go-to digital ally of the contact center and business process industry. Our north star in all that we do in PLDT Enterprise is customer satisfaction. PLDT Enterprise firmly believes that by working closely with our customers, we can go further together, Locsin said. PLDT Enterprise, through Innovation Laboratory (Innolab), is partnering with Swedish Information and Communications Technology leader, Ericsson, to co-innovate on artificial intelligence-enabled solutions for various industries including the public sector. PLDT Enterprise, through Innolab, and Ericsson sign an agreement for the development of artificial intelligence-enabled solutions to accelerate the digital transformation of Philippine industries. From left to right: Niko Lorenzo Peralta, Head of Business and Innovations Strategy and Special Projects at PLDT Enterprise; Melvin Jeffrey Chan, Vice President and Head of Innovations, Business Development, Consulting, and Presales at PLDT Enterprise; Johan Kvist, Head of PLDT and Smart Key Account Management at Ericsson; and Andrew Thuan, Head of Cloud Software Services and ICT Innovation Ericsson Singapore, Brunei & Philippines The partnership with Ericsson will explore the possibility of ideating and co-developing innovative solutions for different industries using Ericssons AI Exchange Platform, says Melvin Jeffrey Chan, PLDT Enterprise Vice President and Head of Innovations, Business Development, Consulting, and Presales. The Ericsson AI Exchange is an enterprise-grade solution that leverages on an ecosystem of developers and partners. It is a full technology stack based on a distributed architecture deployed in a hybrid-cloud. PLDT Innolab was designed to provide local industries and start-ups with world-class facilities that focus on research and co-development of new generation products and innovations. Niko Peralta, PLDT Enterprise Head of Business and Innovations Strategy and Special Projects, is confident that the collaboration of Ericsson and PLDT Innolab will yield results similar to those achieved by the groups partnerships with Packetworx and ThingsPH, which also dealt with artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. PLDT Enterprise is always on the lookout for innovative solutions that drive the digital transformation of our customers. We are fully committed to supporting local startups and other industries through the provision of cutting-edge solutions developed by our innovation units, says Peralta. We are certain that the Innolab and Ericsson collaboration will deliver digital solutions, including improved machine vision, that will benefit different industries, he adds. Ericssons AI Exchange has also been used for a joint Ericsson-Smart sustainability project in Sasmuan, Pampanga, which involves the protection of mangrove forests and the detection and species classification of birds. For this project with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Ericsson embedded AI models within camera systems so they could transmit images when they detect people in protected areas or birds in sanctuaries to avoid using expensive bandwidth. According to local government unit partners, this AI system and the support of Ericsson and PLDTs wireless unit, Smart, helped grant the sites status as the Philippines 8th Ramsar site, or a wetland of international importance. These initiatives align with PLDT Enterprises continuous drive to incorporate the Sustainable Development Goals into its core business. Through the Ericsson AI Exchange, not only can PLDT Enterprise explore queuing and traffic analysis for more efficient business operations, but machine vision and AI-driven insights can also help enhance food production, improve occupational health, safety, and security, and strengthen environmental protection for biodiversity. Andrew Thuan, Ericsson Head of Cloud Software Services and ICT Innovation Ericsson Singapore, Brunei & Philippines says companies can maximize AI adoption and digital transformation using Ericssons AI Exchange Platform, reducing the cost of the transition to digital service delivery, and reducing the time to market in many new areas. He adds that Ericssons AI Exchange with PLDT Innolab is a turnkey computer vision platform that is production-ready and could easily be used by companies. It is an agnostic, enterprise-grade platform that can seamlessly integrate with any ecosystem either via application programmable interfaces or as an app, he says. AI allows machines to learn, reason, predict outcomes, and even make decisions that mimic human behavior. It can be used across all sorts of industries from health care and cybersecurity to agriculture and construction to streamline processes, improve accuracy, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Nadine White Sign up to our free fortnightly newsletter The Race Report 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 Race Report email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} I guess I have two heads, Tippa Irie says, of his personas in private and the public eye. When Im on stage, I transform into Tippa Irie who is courageous and confident, if you like. Whereas Anthony Henry is a bit more reserved and shy. When Im not performing, thats who I am. Tippa is the man who helped to popularise the fast chat style of emceeing in the UK dancehall scene. His was an original sound: cheeky, conversational lyrics about everything from love to social justice, delivered with astute, contemplative flair over pulsing rhythms. Armed with charisma and imagination, not to mention a formidable stage presence that puts him in a league of his own, Tippa has been hailed by music legends including Yellowman and Peter Metro. In reggae scenes around the world, he is revered as a pioneer. Throughout his illustrious career, Tippa has collaborated with a number of global artists. You might have heard him on Hey Mama by US group the Black Eyed Peas in 2004, for which he earned a Grammy nomination. Maybe youve heard his collaborations with Jurassic 5, soul icon Alexander ONeal, the Far East Band and Congo Natty, aka Rebel MC. Its not surprising, then, that the 58-year-old is inundated by fans as he sits down for an interview in Brixton, the south-London district that welcomed his Jamaican parents after they migrated to England in the Sixties. Tippa, I just have to shake your hand. Legend, one nervous fan tells him. Tippa, big up yourself! says another. Long time, Tippa, one old pal says, greeting him. How are you? Brixton is where Tippa created his first track, aged 17, before joining Saxon Studio International, an iconic south London sound system responsible for launching the careers of Maxi Priest and Smiley Culture, to name a few. At its peak, this collective was The Beatles of UK dancehall. Tippa enjoyed an explosion in success during the Eighties, as he and his Saxon peers were courted by labels including Island Records, Greensleeves, and Virgin Records. After signing a recording contract with Greensleeves in 1984, Tippa released a string of hits including Good To Have That Feeling, Youre The Best, Complain Neighbour and Hello Darling, which hit No 1 on the UK reggae chart and crossed over to Number 22 on the UK Top 40 Chart. He has gone on to tour across all seven continents around the world and in between, captivating crowds and releasing numerous tracks over the years including more recent offeringsIm An African, Flat Foot Hustle and Hot Like Fire. Yet, for all his success, Tippa comes across as unassuming and laid back, as we chat over chicken wings, fried plantain and orange juice in a Jamaican restaurant on the ends. Soul music plays softly in the background, while the glare of J Wray & Nephew rum bottles bounces off Tippas brown skin and against the reflection of a mirror on the wall. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Dressed in a black Adidas tracksuit, he is frank and down-to-earth, regaling me with tales of his busy day, which has included shooting an interview for a forthcoming documentary, and a swimming session at a David Lloyd fitness centre. Good to have that feeling: Dancehall legend Tippa Irie (Tippa Irie) Foundation When Celeste and Stephen Henry stepped off of the plane in 1963 for a new life in Britain, neither knew that their only son would go on to become one of the countrys most renowned music artists. Perhaps it should have come as less of a surprise; after all, the Henry family is a musical one. Tippa started his musical career as a teenager on his fathers sound system, Musical Messiah in the 1970s. The senior Mr Henry ran a greengrocers shop just off Brixtons Coldharbour Lane by day and hosted shubeen parties by night. Meanwhile, Tippas older sister Jacqui would perform at gigs at legendary jazz venue Ronnie Scotts, as a member of the band Metropolis, while his late younger sister Avril, who went by the name Miss Irie, was also an MC who regularly performed with her older brother. She died in 1999. Tippas own music career was sparked by rave reviews from his schoolmates after he performed chatting lyrics in a school assembly when he was 15. Word of the sleepy-eyed teens talent spread, and he began to enter competitions around Brixton. Many of the local sound systems in the area also recognised his talent and invited him to perform on their platform. The rest, as they say, is history. (Tippa Irie (3)) Not everyone immediately envisioned the heights to which Tippas talent would propel him. After his father retired to Jamaica in 1981, when his son was 16, he was amazed to see Tippa performing onstage six years later at Reggae Sunsplash, a leading festival or stage show in the country at the time. My mum was always supportive of my career, Tippa says. Shed ask, Why are you always sitting down writing lyrics? I replied, Mum, you will see. When Hello Darling came out, then mum saw me on Top of The Pops. She said, I get it now. Following the success of Hello Darling, Tippa bought his mother a house. I was always confident that Id make it in the business, he says. I believed in myself. Longevity The pioneering Windrush migrants brought with them an effervescent energy and the unique sounds of the Caribbean. This didnt just influence the UK music scene...it transformed the sector altogether. New arrivals like Tippas parents carried with them Jamaicas sound system culture and a fusion of creative influences that eventually birthed quintessential Black British genres, from UK lovers rock to homegrown iterations of Jamaican dancehall. Newer genres such as grime music would follow decades later. Faced with chronic discrimination, alienation from wider British society and a lack of access to mainstream broadcast platforms, the Windrush migrants and their children had the fortitude to develop a sense of community and preserve their culture through music. And, for those who were present to witness Black Britain in the Seventies and Eighties, it seemed that a reggae industry was beginning to thrive through the production of music, formation of labels, launching of record shops, importing of records from Jamaica and staging of events for Black Britons by Britons. In 2023, such an industry does not exist. Few venues consistently host Black events, and even fewer are Black-owned; reggae and dancehall music is marginalised in commercial spaces. Many of the great artists of yesteryear, who came up with Tippa, have long been forced to either give up music or perform on evenings and weekends, alongside their 9-5 jobs. Where many of them should be millionaires and household names, not many people outside of Black communities know who they are. So what happened? Racism, Tippa says, without hesitation. Thats the reason. As Black British artists of my generation, its difficult for us because were here and our tunes are not being played on the radio stations that pay money. Even Silly Games by Janet Kay or Hopelessly in Love by Carroll Thompson dont get played on Smooth or Magic, but you may hear a Bob Marley. He continues: The people at the helm of these stations dont respect our music. You cant tell me that if they play Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye, they cant play a smooth Don Campbell, Lloyd Brown, Peter Hunnigale or Bitty McLean track. (AFP via Getty Images) If we got played on these stations, wed have more money and power. Evidently, this isnt what gatekeepers want. Even when there was a reggae industry, the mainstream didnt support us. Our music is just as good as any other genreso why isnt it getting played on the radio? He quotes an old saying: If you get airplay, you get a lot of say. The reason why a lot of artists are broke is because of this lack of support, he says. We need to have a fair playing field, so that listeners can judge for themselves, the kind of music they want to hear. A lot of time, if you dont get played on these stations, its harder to tour. Its sad, and depressing that institutional racism thats what it is has brought about this situation. The people in England dont really support their own; this is not our country, really, as Black people. Then when we go to Jamaica or the US, theyre not paying us no mind there either. Im one of the lucky ones and Im grateful because Im still managed to survive. Four decades down the line and over a dozen studio albums later, Tippa is still able to live off of music on a full-time basis, collecting publishing cheques, operating a recording studio, voicing dubplates, touring and releasing new music. He also runs his own production company, Lockdown. Home As the UK celebrates the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush shop on Britain shores in 1948, many people of Black Caribbean heritage describe the occasion as bittersweet, while victims of the Windrush scandal are still waiting for compensation. Tippa agrees. Its a shame because theres so much money being wasted in this country the PPE scandal, billions on Brexit but the government cant give some of those billions of pounds to the people that came here to help build it, he says. Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks (Getty) Thats just another reason why Id never accept an MBE. I cant relate to this country when it comes to our people, Black people, because were always getting the rough end of the stick because its not our country. Were the minority here and maybe if we had a bit more unity amongst ourselves too, we might be a bit further along. Still, when it comes to Windrush Day, we have to big up our mums, dads, grandparents; they put up with a lot when they came here, so that we can be here doing what were doing. The Windrush scandal brought into sharp focus a dilemma that many Black Britons feel: where to truly regard as home. Is it the land in which you were born, and can evidently be expelled from under certain circumstances, or the land of your parents birth? Us Black Brits, because were not accepted in England and then when we go to our parents birth countries, we are still regarded as foreigners, Tippa summarises. I really love Jamaica. I love the food, the tropics, the weather...but as much as it is like home, its still not because I am not from there. Its difficult. (Tippa Irie) Tippa describes his new biography, Stick To My Roots, out in August 2023, as a history lesson that breaks down his life and times to date in intricate detail, from soaring to the top of the industry to dodging bullets as villains stuck up his performances in gritty, New York-based dances. Its certainly been quite the journey. Focusing on my craft, investing in myself and putting my energies into what I do has enabled me to survive in the music industry for 40 years, the artist says. Ive managed to be disciplined when it comes to writing songs, who I work with, how I treat people - you treat people how you want to be treated yourself. A lot of people get sidetracked, whether it be by drugs, alcohol, women or whatever. Sometimes these things present themselves and, if or when that happens, you have to be disciplined and know thats gonna mess up what youre doing. We all make mistakes, he points out, and weve all done things that we regret. But its important to be disciplined, he says, because it will carry you a long way. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This 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 Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Dozens of fans appeared to leave All Points East festival halfway through the headline set from US rock band The Strokes, as many more took to social media to complain about the sound. The voice of frontman Julian Casablancas was difficult to make out, as he sang and spoke to the crowds gathered in Victoria Park late on Friday evening (25 August). Casablancas, 45, was wearing sunglasses and a waistcoat at the opening of the show as he appeared to suffer with vocal issues. Songs were at various points difficult to make out but Juicebox, Reptilia, Under Control, Red Light and Last Nite were heard as a light display cast geometric shapes and a radar pattern onto the stage. The band could be heard playing their instruments, but large groups of fans appeared to leave the festival early shortly after the set began and before The Strokes had finished. Chants of turn it up rang out across the park, according to the Press Association, while many attendees voiced their disappointment on social media. The Strokes at All Points East was a genuine shambles, one fan complained on Twitter/X. Disappointing from All Points East this year, crap acoustics during The Strokes set and a truly awful audience, wrote another. Im not gonna lie, The Strokes at All Points East was one of the worst gigs Ive ever been to, a third added. You could hardly hear it plus the audience was just aggressive lads?? The Strokes at All Points East is so quiet that I've... got my phone out tweeting about it, said a fourth. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Julian Casablancas of The Strokes (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) The Independent has contacted the festivals organisers for comment. Other headliners at the multi-day, annual festival include Stormzy and Haim the bands only European performance this year. Other acts playing the 40,000-capacity festival include Joesef, Lizzy McAlpine, Snail Mail, Romy (The xx), Tove Lo, Avalon Emerson, Avalon Emerson & The Charm, Tamino, Nieve Ella, Mae Stephens, Nell Mescal and Gigi. The lineup is inclusive of many female and LGBTQ+ acts a welcome change following recent controversy surrounding the lack of industry diversity. This isnt the first time that All Points East, which is held in the midst of heavily residential areas, has received complaints about its audio. In 2021, fans who gathered for Foals headline set complained it was the worst sound quality they had ever heard. UFC Fight Night 225 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 5 a.m. ET (2 a.m. PT). UFC Fight Night 225 takes place at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore, which is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time. The event streams on ESPN+. In the main event, former featherweight champion Max Holloway (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC) takes on The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Jung (17-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC). In the co-feature, former light heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith (36-18 MMA, 11-8 UFC) meets Ryan Spann (21-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) in a rematch. Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 5 a.m. ET for the prelims and 8 a.m. ET for the main card on ESPN+. Enjoy the fights, everyone. Seungwoo Choi vs. Jarno Errens Round 1 Choi opens a leg kick and Errens responds with some kicks of his own. The pair are peppering each other low. Errens lands a stepping overhand but Choi takes it well. He moves into the pocket and lands some more shots. Choi counters the aggression of Errens and lands a tight hook that staggers him and is the biggest shot of the fight so far. Choi presses Errens against the cage. Errens lands an elbow off the fence break and they meet in the middle and trade more shots. Errens lands a pair of crisp punches but Choi looks unfazed. Choi counters with a tight combination and the moment swings in his favor with less than a minute left in the round. Errens shoots a late takedown but its stuffed and Choi spends the final seconds sprawled out. MMA Junkie scores a very close round 10-9 for Errens. Round 2 Choi opens the round with some precise punches and is very active with the kicks and forward pressure. Errens responds with a huge uppercut that lands clean and drops Choi to his back. Errens pounces on top and is in side control. Choi managed to roll over and stand up, but Errens had his back in the clinch. Choi lands a nice judo toss and lands in top control. Hes in the guard and is able to posture up and land some elbows with just under two minutes remaining. Choi continues to land the ground-and-pound and maintains control from top for the remainder of the round. Story continues MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Errens due to the knockdown, and hes up 20-18 on our scorecard. Round 3 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Seungwoo Choi (10-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC), Jarno Errens (13-4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Division: Featherweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Thomas Fann Judging: JJ Aldrich vs. Liang Na Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: JJ Aldrich (11-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC), Liang Na (19-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) Division: Womens flyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Billy Goff vs. Yusaku Kinoshita Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Billy Goff (8-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Yusaku Kinoshita (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Division: Welterweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Rolando Bedoya vs. Song Kenan Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Rolando Bedoya (14-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Song Kenan (19-7 MMA, 4-3 UFC) Division: Welterweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Chidi Njokuani vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Chidi Njokuani (22-9 MMA, 2-2 UFC), Michal Oleksiejczuk (18-6 MMA, 6-4 UFC) Division: Middleweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Garrett Armfield vs. Toshiomi Kazama Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Garrett Armfield (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Toshiomi Kazama (10-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Division: Bantamweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Lukasz Brzeski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Lukasz Brzeski (8-3-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC), Waldo Cortes-Acosta (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) Division: Heavyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Parker Porter vs. Junior Tafa Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Parker Porter (14-8 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Junior Tafa (4-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) Division: Heavyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Erin Blanchfield vs. Taila Santos Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Erin Blanchfield (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Taila Santos (19-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) Division: Womens flyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Fernie Garcia vs. Rinya Nakamura Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Fernie Garcia (10-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), Rinya Nakamura (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) Division: Bantamweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Alex Caceres vs. Giga Chikadze Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Alex Caceres (21-13 MMA, 16-11 UFC), Giga Chikadze (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) Division: Featherweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Anthony Smith (36-18 MMA, 11-8 UFC), Ryan Spann (21-8 MMA, 7-3 UFC) Division: Light heavyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung Round 1 Result: Recap: Photos: Records: Max Holloway (24-7 MMA, 20-7 UFC), Chan Sung Jung (17-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC) Division: Featherweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Judging: Story originally appeared on MMA Junkie 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 }} No radioactive anomalies have been found in fishes tested in waters around the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japans fisheries agency said on Saturday. The tested waters did not contain any detectable levels of the radioactive isotope tritium, the Japanese Kyodo news service said as the country faced fierce criticism for discharging treated radioactive water from the nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. On Friday, the seawater near the nuclear facility contained less than 10 becquerels of tritium per litre, below its self-imposed limit of 700 becquerels and far below the World Health Organizations limit of 10,000 becquerels for drinking water. Japan has said it needs to discharge the highly reactive water in a key step of its critical process of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant, including the removal of molten fuel. The Fumio Kishida administration on Tuesday cleared the release of 1.3 million tons of treated water from the plant destroyed in the 2011 tsunami as the countrys top power company was running out of storage space. While the utility filters most radioactive elements out of the water, it dilutes tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, which is difficult to separate from water. The contentious project began on Thursday, amid fresh and fierce criticism as neighbouring nation China slammed the move as selfish and irresponsible. China has already banned seafood imports from Japan, with Hong Kong expected to follow suit. Fishermen, activists and consumers in Japan have expressed anger at the move which can cause a health crisis amid a ban on Japanese aquatic products. Food lovers in the region have also expressed concerns over the quality and safety of the fish from the country. The decades-long project was approved two years ago by the Japanese government and given the greenlight by the UN nuclear watchdog last month. However, authorities on Thursday set up nets when plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) began releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific. Tepco agency has said it will announce test results daily. Hundreds have gathered in South Korea in a protest led by the countrys main opposition party and civil groups in downtown Seoul against the discharge of radioactive water. The protest, on Saturday 26 August, is against Japans discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The import ban from Hong Kong, that was slated to come into effect from Thursday, covers 10 Japanese prefectures. These include Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama. The ban on seafood imports in China has triggered a sense of unease among seafood aficionados, who now face the dilemma of finding credible seafood sources, several reports said. Japanese fisheries groups worry the release will cause further damage to the reputation of their seafood. Fukushima prefectures current catch is only about one-fifth its pre-disaster level due to a decline in the fishing population and smaller catch sizes. Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our Now Hear This 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 IndyEats email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The next time you eat something with your hands, take a moment to notice how it feels on your fingertips before taking a bite. If its a burger, are the buns smooth or covered in a smattering of sesame seeds? When you put pressure on them with your fingers, does the bread squish down or is it more of a crumby affair? Then, when you finally take a bite, notice how satisfying it is to sink your teeth through its layers; soft bun giving way to crunchy lettuce or onion, to oozy cheese to, finally, juicy patty. Now think about how different it would be if you had used a knife and fork. Eating with ones hands is an immensely pleasurable experience. While in the West, the act is usually confined to foods encased in bread or pastry, Indian, African and some other Asian cultures are more adept at using their fingers for dishes that might seem too messy or sticky on this side of the world. One of my favourite dishes is banana leaf rice, which at its core comprises of rice, vegetables and curry. I mix each element of the dish and use a pinching motion with all five fingers to construct the perfect bite, before sweeping it up in a quick motion and delivering the food to my mouth. I find that it forces me to really consider each bite, from what flavours and textures I want it to contain, to how large a portion I can manage. Up until a few months ago, I never really thought about how often I eat with my hands. Like many people, I associated it closely with Indian meals and always thought that Western culture was too obsessed with polite society to really dig their fingers in. This is still true, to an extent many South Asians who grew up eating with their hands report being looked at with horror when they attempted to do the same in public here. But, after witnessing my very white British husband happily dig into banana leaf rice when we began dating, and having conversations with friends about the topic, Ive come to realise that eating with our hands is a much more universal act than I thought. For example, burgers, pizzas, hot dogs and chips are all eaten by hand unless youre eating one of those beastly burgers that tower too high and need to be deconstructed. Then theres things like fried chicken or shellfish, which are simply easier to pick up, pull apart and pry open using your fingers. Foods like Mexican burritos and tacos or Japanese sushi are commonly picked up by hand and devoured. Some people enjoy eating salads by hand, finding it easier to use pieces of lettuce filled with dressing and other ingredients like edible spoons. A surprising proponent of this was Sylvia Plath, who wrote in the third chapter of her 1963 novel The Bell Jar that she observed a poet eating a salad with his fingers, leaf by leaf, making it seem to be the only natural and sensible thing to do. The more I think about it, the more I realise that my hands are my favourite utensil. No one is delicately picking up crisps with chopsticks or forking a French fry. All manner of flat breads from parathas and naans to injeras beg to be torn apart by hands and used to mop up dhal and curry. I would never think of eating a sandwich with a fork and knife, any more than I would for a Taiwanese bao. It just seems wrong. On this side of the world, cutlery has reigned supreme until very recently. Primitive humans have been carving knife and spoon-like implements for centuries, while the fork is a surprisingly modern invention. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, a Byzantine princess debuted a golden fork at her wedding feast in Venice 1006, which disgusted locals who ate using their fingers and knives. One Venetian apparently condemned such a tool and said: God in his wisdom has provided man with natural forks his fingers. Therefore it is an insult to him to substitute artificial metal forks for them when eating. Theres perhaps also an aspect of self-consciousness being thrown out the window when we eat with our hands. It banishes the concept of formality and Anglocentric table manners Surekha Ragavan Despite the initial rejection, forks became a mainstay across Europe after 1533 when Catherine De Medici, wife of Henry II, hauled a collection of silver forks from Italy to France in 1533. Three hundred years later, the full set of silverware as we know it had integrated itself into everyday life in Europe. Manners-obsessed Victorians then made up all sorts of etiquette rules, from how to hold a fork, to the myriad of different-sized cutleries with very specific purposes like fish knives and dessert spoons. These became class markers, separating the upper echelons of society with their dinky utensils from the lower classes, who worked too much to care about which spoon went where. But one thing could be agreed upon eating with ones hands was considered impolite and vulgar in almost all culinary situations. That is, until about a decade ago when DeBretts, the British authority on etiquette and behaviour, declared in their 2012 guide that table manners are no longer about adhering to a rigid, and outdated, code of conduct. The experts named foods like pizza and calzone as acceptable foods to be eaten using your hands. It also advised such adventurous eaters to create as little mess as possible, sit up straight and ensure you never put your elbows on the table, proving that some old habits die hard. Bristol-based restaurateur Rashintha Rodrigo, one of the five founders of Sri Lankan restaurant group The Coconut Tree, says he eats almost anything with his hands even a roast dinner. I start with a fork and knife but always find myself picking pieces of chicken or potato off my plate with my fingers towards the end of the meal, he laughs. He also grew up eating rice and curry with his hands in Sri Lanka, and felt self-conscious about doing the same when he moved to Britain. But these days, he finds it liberating. Its become more accepted in the past five or six years and more people are curious about it, Rodrigo says. Surekha Ragavan, founder of Periuk, a digital archive of heritage Malaysian recipes, also finds freedom in the act. Theres perhaps also an aspect of self-consciousness being thrown out the window when we eat with our hands. It banishes the concept of formality and Anglocentric table manners, she says, reminding me of another observation by Plath in The Bell Jar. The authors liberation is slightly different, though, as she wrote: Id discovered, after a lot of extreme apprehension about what spoons to use, that if you do something incorrect at a table with a certain arrogance nobody will think you are bad-mannered or poorly brought up. They will think you are original and very witty. A person eats with their hands in India (iStock) Those who advocate eating with hands often also say it makes the food taste better, but no one seems to be able to pinpoint why. Jose Pizzaro, the acclaimed Spanish owner and founder of the Pizarro group of restaurants, describes it as the best way to eat. Its a visceral pleasure thats really hard to beat, he says. It creates a sort of magical connection between you and the food. If youve never eaten a big, fat, juicy prawn covered with garlic and lemon with your hands, and then go through the ritual of pulling off the legs and the shell and then sucking the brains out you havent lived! But why is the tactile sensation of touching food so delightful? Some opine that touching your food is beneficial because you can gauge food temperature better with your fingers, and so run a lower risk of burning your tongue. Others claim that your fingers have healthy bacteria on them that get transferred into your digestive system when you eat with your hands, but these are difficult to quantify. However, Charles Spence, professor of experimental psychology at the University of Oxford, believes the pleasure lies in our perception of food, as opposed to any other physical benefits. In his review of how the experience of eating changes when people eat with their hands instead of cutlery, Spence found that having more direct, tactile contact with food appears to enhance the experience of eating and drinking. Theres a lot of sensory input that happens even before we put the food in our mouth, he says. Just by using our sensitive finger pads, we almost anticipate how tasty something is going to be before it reaches our tongue. Theres practicality in using our hands to eat, too. We can determine how ripe a fruit is by squeezing it gently, or figure out if something is going to be soft or crunchy before biting into it. Of course, there are some dishes that are simply not hand-friendly. Noodles, pasta and soups obviously require cutlery to eat, but theres nothing to stop us from taking more joy in the foods we can eat with our hands. If youve never tried handling anything beyond a sandwich or a pasty, I fully encourage you to try something new. Take a leaf out of Plaths book with your next salad, perhaps, or take the plunge into some rice and curry. It will require practice to develop the skill of eating without dropping rice absolutely everywhere, but I promise you, its worth it. 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 }} Young adults who snore at night have a significantly higher risk of having a stroke and developing heart disease when they get older, a study has warned. Doctors have said that snoring should be treated as a red flag among adults below the age of 50. The study found that young adults who snore are 60 per cent more likely to develop a stroke when they reach middle age, and five times more likely to develop a heart rhythm disorder. The researchers presented their findings at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Amsterdam. They examined data from 766,000 US adults aged 20 to 50. These included 7,500 adults with obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition that causes interruptions to normal breathing during sleep. This can lead to loud snoring and interrupted sleep as sufferers wake up while struggling to breathe. The study found that, over the 10-year follow-up period, patients with sleep apnoea were 60 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke compared to those who did not snore as frequently. They were also five times more likely to develop atrial fibrillation, a heart condition that causes irregular and often abnormally fast heart rate. Symptoms of atrial fibrillation include heart palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath. Lead author Professor Sanjiv Narayan, of Stanford University, said: Sleep apnoea is really common but we sort of ignore it because we think its trivial or just a little bit of a nuisance. Until now no ones really shown the magnitude of the size of the risk for heart diseases. Thats what really surprised us. He added that the study looked at relatively young people who may not know they are at risk. A CPAP machine is often used for treating sleep apnoea (Getty Images/iStockphoto) If they had a stroke, it would devastate young families. It could take them away from their workplace. It would destroy their lives for the next 40 years. The researchers suggest that GPs should ask patients regularly if they snore and highlight if as a heart health red flag that could show they need more tests or medication. Obstructive sleep apnoea is fairly common and is estimated to affect 1.5m adults in the UK. However, according to the British Lung Foundation, up to 85 per cent of sufferers are undiagnosed and go untreated. Men who are elderly and overweight are particularly prone to sleep apnoea. Interruptions to normal breathing can cause a dip in blood oxygen and cause the heart and blood vessels to strain. Prof Narayan explained: When you are unable to breathe it raises the pressure in the lungs until you ultimately wake up gasping for breath. That puts a pressure load on the heart, which causes stretch in the heart chambers, and that could cause the atrial fibrillation. Another theory could be that the oxygen levels in the blood fall for tens of seconds and that could put stress on the heart. Sleep apnoea can be treated using a CPAP machine, a device that pumps air into a mask that the patient wears over their mouth or nose while they sleep. The NHS also recommends making lifestyle changes such as losing weight if the patient is overweight and exercising regularly, which can improve symptoms. Sleeping on your side may also help relieve sleep apnoea. 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 }} Oti Mabuse has announced that she is expecting her first chid with her husband, Marius Iepure. The formerStrictly Come Dancing star, 33, revealed the happy news live on her ITV Breakfast Show on Saturday morning (26 August). Mabuse and Iepure, both professional dancers, announced the pregnancy towards the end of the show, much to their guests and viewers surprise. The TV star said: Speaking of things you didnt know at home, we have a little something for all of you, weve been holding some good news. Were having a baby! The couple then hugged, appearing ecstatic about the prospect of welcoming a new addition to their family, as the crew and audience cheered. Following the episode, Mabuse shared a series of photographs on Instagram, showing her cradling her growing baby bump as she and Iepure beamed happily at one another. She wrote in the caption: Our yes year is getting better and better and so is our little family This is new for us scarier than swimming with sharks, jumping off cliffs or even swinging from bridges but the best news we could have ever ask for. We love our little bundle of joy so much already... and cant wait to see what our future will now look like as family of three plus Leo. Its been a beautiful journey so far with close friends and family and nearly over but we have learnt a lot a long the way She did not specify when the baby is due, but added: Christmas is about to get even louder. The couple were quickly congratulated by friends and fans, who were both shocked and delighted by the news. In a comment, Rylan Clark wrote: WHAT OMG WHAT [red heart emojis], while Laura Whitmore added: Congrats you two! So exciting xxx. Kym Marsh described the post as beautiful. Australian dancer Dianne Buswell left a series of heart-eyed emojis and said:Congratulations babe. Mabuse and Iepure met in Germany as dance partners when she left Pretoria, South Africa, in 2012 and moved to Nuremberg, Germany. Together, they competed for Germany in show dance Latin. He proposed to her in 2014 on her birthday, and they married later that same year. In 2017, the Dancing On Ice judge revealed how her partner was annoying the life out of me by behaving nervously on the day he proposed to her. She wrote on Instagram: Three years ago today this wonderful CRAZY man was annoying the life out of me because he was acting nervous (and yes I let him know I was annoyed) but it was only because he was nervous as he was GOING TO PROPOSE. Mabuse went on the win Strictly in 2019 and 2020 with Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher and comedian Bill Bailey respectively. In 2021, she replaced John Barrowman as a judge on Dancing on Ice. Her sister Motsi Mabuse was a judge on the German version of Strictly, before joining the BBC series in 2019 to replace Dame Darcey Bussell. 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 Palestinian news agency reported Saturday that a 20-year-old died of wounds a month after being shot during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. The WAFA news agency said Ezzedin Kanan, from the town of Jaba near Jenin, was shot in the head on July 3 during one of the most intense Israeli military operations in the West Bank since an armed Palestinian uprising against Israels open-ended occupation ended two decades ago. Kanan's death brings the total to 14 killed in the raid, which lasted two days and included airstrikes, hundreds of ground troops and bulldozers that were used to raze roads and buildings. The army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp and that it had confiscated thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials and caches of money during the raid. The ongoing violence in the West Bank has surged to levels unseen in nearly two decades, with more than 170 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Since early 2022, Israel has been carrying out near daily raids in the West Bank in response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks. It says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and said they are necessary because the Palestinian Authority is too weak. The Palestinians say such violence is the inevitable result of 56 years of occupation and the absence of any political process with Israel. They also point to increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. The United Nations Mideast envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the upswing in violence is being fueled by growing despair about the future, with the Palestinians still seeking an independent state. The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addressed the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides, Tor Wennesland said. 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 50,000 reward has been offered by police trying to find the body of a missing mother believed to have been murdered. Hadir Al-Enezi and her daughter arrived in the UK on November 7, 2018, as refugees and were taken in by family members living in Rusholme, Manchester. Detectives from Greater Manchester Polices Major Incident Team launched an investigation in 2019 and are working with the hypothesis she was killed in a targeted attack. Four years on, and police have yet to find a body or any evidence she is still alive. Ms Al-Enezi and her daughter are members of the Bidoon, a stateless Arab minority. Have you been affected by this story? If so email holly.evans@independent.co.uk Detective Chief Inspector Liz Hopkinson of GMPs Major Incident Team, said: We are renewing our appeal to find Hadir Al-Enezi we need to know what has happened to her. Throughout our investigation we have worked tirelessly as a team to find her, and weve still not been able to find any proof that Hadir is still alive, and we sadly continue this investigation on the hypothesis that she is not and has come to serious harm, she added. We need to find answers for Hadirs little girl and it is vital that anyone with information or her whereabouts comes forward to police so that we can give her young daughter the answers she deserves. We need to find Hadirs body, and anyone who has any information is asked to share this with GMP as a matter of urgency, it may be key to helping us find answers for her daughter. We now have a 50,000 reward available for anyone who has key information that will lead detectives to the body of Hadir. A Major Public Portal has been set up, where members of the public can submit information, images, or video footage that may be able to assist the investigation. Detectives can be contacted directly on 0161 856 0110 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. 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 }} When drink-driver Alexander McKellar hit a father-of-two as he battled through an overnight stretch of a 100-mile charity bike ride in the Scottish Highlands, he could have stopped to help. Instead, he left Tony Parsons to die. Later, McKellar and his twin brother Robert - who had been in the passenger seat returned to stage an elaborate cover-up. The pair buried the former Naval petty officer with an excavator in a remote peat bog where animal carcasses were disposed of - where he lay undiscovered for more than three years. For Mr Parson's heartbroken family, every hour after his disappearance on 29 September 2017 must have been agony. But they finally learned his fate thanks to the brave actions of McKellars partner Caroline Muirhead, who turned in her fiance after he made a drunken confession in late 2020, after just five weeks of dating. Caroline Muirhead, the former partner of Alexander McKellar leaves the High Court, Glasgow, following the sentence hearing (PA) The quick-thinking forensic pathologist even managed to drop a Red Bull can on the ground when McKellar led her to the burial site, ensuring detectives would eventually be able to find Mr Parson's remains. McKellar was sentenced on Friday to 12 years in prison at the High Court in Glasgow for killing the 63-year-old, after hitting him in his pick-up truck on the A82 near Bridge of Orchy, Argyll and Bute. Originally charged with murdering Mr Parsons, the 31 year-old pleaded guilty last month to an amended charge of culpable homicide. His brother Robert was jailed for five years and three months, having admitted to attempting to defeat the ends of justice. Mr Parsons, a cancer survivor who loved nothing more than playing with his grandchildren, had planned to ride through the night to complete a 100-mile journey from Fort William back to his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire. Victim Tony Parsons died after being hit by a car in 2017 (Family handout/PA) (PA Media) He travelled north by train on the morning of September 29 2017 to start the journey and was last seen having a drink in the Bridge of Orchy hotel at 11pm. The McKellar brothers had been drinking in the same bar before they crashed into him on the A82 on their way back home to the 9,000-acre Auch Estate in Argyll. McKellar admitted driving on the A82 at "excess speed and when unfit through alcohol". He left Mr Parsons by the side of the road "in a remote location during the hours of darkness and in inclement weather", causing his death. The court heard in a narrative last month how some time between September 29 2017 and January 3 2021, the McKellar brothers returned to the A82 and moved Mr Parsons's body to the Auch Estate and buried him. McKellar met Ms Muirhead on Tinder just five weeks before he admitted what he had done. Before that horrifying revelation, the pair had experienced a whirlwind romance, with the deerstalker telling her he wanted to marry her only a few weeks into their relationship. Ms Muirhead said she was newly single having come out of an abusive relationship, and that meeting him was like an escape. Looking back, it was so embarrassing but I wanted to have that affection and someone who cared about me, she told the Sunday Mail. An aerial view of the Auch estate, where the body of charity cyclist Mr Parsons was moved (PA) His confession to Ms Muirhead came after she spotted him appear visibly tense when a police car drove past them. I asked him, What is it? What is going on? What is it youre not telling me?, she told the newspaper. 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. 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. Ms Muirhead, from Glasgow, added: I was in shock, frozen almost. I didn't 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 didn't know what to do. In court, advocate depute Alex Prentice KC said that McKellar had told his girlfriend that he had been "distracted" by headlights and struck something on the side of the A82, which turned out to be Mr Parsons. The brothers also hid Mr Parsons's bicycle behind a waterfall on the Auch Estate but this has never been recovered, the court heard. The two men were arrested on December 20, 2020 and Mr Parsons's body was recovered for forensic investigation in January 2021. The killers brother Robert McKellar, pleaded guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice (PA) Members of Mr Parsons's family, including his widow Margaret and children Mike and Victoria, were in court for the sentencing on Friday. In a statement following the brothers guilty pleas last month, they spoke of the devastating toll his disappearance had taken on the family, adding that justice had been done at last. "As you can imagine, not knowing what has happened to someone and then the devastating news that we were provided has taken its toll on all of us as a family, they said. "At last justice has been done and we would like to thank not only the court officials and officers from Police Scotland's major investigation team, Forth Valley Division; and other Police Scotland departments who worked on this case, but all the volunteers and mountain rescue teams who tirelessly searched for him in the earlier stages of the inquiry." Following the court case, Ms Muirhead said she fears for her safety when McKellar is released from prison, telling Sky News on Friday: Youre telling me that man is not going to come knock on my door when he gets out? She is reported to be considering legal action against Police Scotland over claims she felt pressured 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). PIRC confirmed the Crown Office had instructed them to look at the case. A spokesperson said: "Pirc has been instructed to investigate allegations of criminality in relation to this matter by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). "As this is a live investigation, we are unable to provide further comment." A spokesperson for Police Scotland 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." 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. 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 Metropolitan Police is probing a potential security breach of the details of tens of thousands of officers. The force said it has been made aware of unauthorised access to the IT system of a Met supplier. Scotland Yard is now working with the company to understand if there has been any security breach relating to its data. The company in question had access to names, ranks, photos, vetting levels and pay numbers for officers and staff, but did not hold personal information such as addresses, phone numbers or financial details, the force said. All 47,000 personnel have reportedly been warned of the risk that their photos, names and ranks have been stolen, according to The Sun. Bosses at the force sent a message to staff urging them to remain vigilant. A spokesman for the force was unable to say when the breach occurred. The Met has taken security measures as a result. The matter has been reported to the National Crime Agency and the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) is also aware, the Met said. It follows an admission by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) that personal data on all its serving members was mistakenly published in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Details of around 10,000 PSNI officers and staff included the surname and first initial of every employee, their rank or grade, where they are based and the unit they work in. After the PSNI breach was revealed, Norfolk and Suffolk Police announced the personal data of more than 1,000 people including crime victims was included in another FOI response. On Wednesday, South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the ICO after noticing a significant and unexplained reduction in data stored on its systems. The force said it is now urgently working with experts to recover footage filmed by officers as they attended incidents or engaged with the public and which, in some cases, could be used as evidence in court. 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 }} Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has sent a resignation letter to the Prime Minister launching a scathing attack on him. In her letter, 78 days after first announcing she was stepping down with immediate effect, the Mid Bedfordshire MP accused Rishi Sunak of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against her. Ms Dorries, who has been an MP since 2005, first announced her decision to quit in June after she was omitted from Boris Johnsons resignation honours. Five days after her initial announcement, Ms Dorries said she would delay her departure while she investigated the reason why she was not given a seat in the Lords. In her resignation letter on Saturday afternoon, Ms Dorries accused Mr Sunak of abandoning the fundamental principles of Conservatism and said history will not judge you kindly. Ms Dorries had not spoken in the Commons since June 2022, and last voted in April. In her letter to the Prime Minister, the former minister continued: Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods, because in your impatience to become Prime Minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing. Ms Dorries was born in 1957 in Liverpool and grew up on a council estate, which she writes about on her official website, saying: I learnt to communicate with people from all walks of life. She started her working life as a nurse before pursuing a career in business, opening a child daycare business before becoming a director at Bupa. Her career as a writer has seen her author more than 10 books, among them The Four Streets Quartet novels, as well as The Angels series about the nurses of Lovely Lane. Before her election to Parliament as MP for Mid Bedfordshire in 2005, she worked for three years as an adviser to the former shadow home secretary and shadow chancellor Oliver Letwin. Ms Dorries was thrust into the limelight in 2012 when she was suspended from the Conservative Party for appearing on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! without informing the chief whip first. However, she was readmitted to the party in May 2013. Her first ministerial appointment was as minister of state for patient safety, suicide prevention and mental health, during which she garnered criticism for rejecting cross-party talks to discuss a package of mental health support for frontline workers during the pandemic. A staunch loyalist to then-prime minister Mr Johnson, Ms Dorries was promoted to secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport in September 2021. In her time in the role she was a frequent advocate for BBC reform, and led the now-ditched plan to privatise Channel 4. Despite backing Liz Truss in the race for leadership following Mr Johnsons resignation, Ms Dorries decided not to continue as culture secretary when Ms Truss took over as prime minister. Ms Dorries has been embroiled in a string of controversies throughout her tenure as an MP. In 2009, when MPs expenses claims were revealed by the Daily Telegraph, she admitted she had got taxpayers to foot the bill for a lost 2,190 deposit on a rented flat. And in 2010, she was rebuked by parliamentary standards commissioner John Lyon for misleading her constituents on her blog about how much time she spent in mid-Bedfordshire, admitting that it was 70% fiction. The mother to three daughters has also frequently been at odds with what she thought of as her partys image, memorably referring to David Cameron and George Osborne as arrogant posh boys, while describing herself as a normal mother who comes from a poor background and who didnt go to a posh school. Earlier this year, Ms Dorries appeared to be positioning herself for a life after politics, launching a Friday night show in on TalkTV in February and became a columnist for the Daily Mail in April. In February, Ms Dorries announced she would stand down as MP for Mid Bedfordshire at the next general election, criticising the lack of cohesion and the sheer stupidity of MPs who got rid of Boris Johnson. Having sold more than 2.5 million copies of her books, the 65-year-olds departure from politics is expected to enable her to return to writing. She has been a vocal critic of Mr Sunaks government since he entered Number 10 and is set to release a book on the downfall of Mr Johnson in September. They are listed, in the opening paragraphs of Landmarks of Old Cheshire, as one of what you might call the founding families of the small farming community that would eventually grow into the Town of Cheshire. One local school is adorned with the family name, while at the Cheshire Historical Society, a large portrait of a family war hero hangs prominently as part of a special collection. And American history cannot be told without the help of one Doolittles skill and artistry. The Doolittles are as much a part of Cheshire history as anyone, spanning the decades, indeed the centuries of the towns early existence. Yet, while each family member had a hand in turning Cheshire into a vibrant and growing community, three seem to stand out. In modern day, the one most familiar to local residents would be Frederick Doolittle, though many may not know that he is, in fact, the inspiration behind Doolittle Elementary School. Frederick was born in 1849, one of four boys. He lived through the tumult of the mid-19th Century in America, as the country careened towards war. When conflict did break out, the then-12 year old was likely eager to help in some manner. Yet, while the war saw many young men enter, despite barely being out of their teens, Frederick was spared serving. With his older brothers heading to the front lines, he had to stay behind and help with the farm, as an article from The Cheshire Herald, on the occasion of Doolittle Schools dedication in January of 1963, explained. After the war his brothers went their own ways, and he stayed on to help with and later to run the farm, and to take care of his aging parents, the article explained. Even with all the work, he managed to get in a term or two at the Cheshire Academy, but his formal education ended there. However, he never stopped studying. It would be that lifelong dedication to learning that would ultimately earn Doolittle the honor of having a school named after him. School-teaching in those days was strictly a strong mans job, and when there was a shortage of competent males he took over and taught in various district schools for several years, the article continued. He later was elected to the School Board in 1889 and served for thirty years, twenty-seven as Secretary, and became an official school visitor. He introduced some innovations (including) small non-textbook libraries of donated books, and the practice of taking Cheshire classes to see the State Capitol, and some museums. When the first phonographs came to Cheshire, he said he didnt care much for the contraption as a musical instrument, but he thought it could be a Godsend to a history teacher, if she could play the lesson over for an hour or two. It is believed an attempt was actually made to cut some old cylindrical records of important dates. It appears that even Mrs. Doolittle got in on the action, to the consternation of some. Mrs. Doolittle was criticized by some men for urging the women to take advantage of the privilege (of gaining an education). She replied that every woman in the Town of Cheshire wanted her children to marry better than she did, and a good school system was a step in that direction. Doolittle died in 1922, more than 40 years before he was to be honored. Well before that, another Doolittle was receiving praise - perhaps the most famous of all in the family tree, Amos Doolittle. Born to Ambrose and Martha Doolittle, he was one of 15 children who grew up in the two-story saltbox home that once stood near where the current Masonic Temple Lodge is on Route 10. Amos apprenticed as a youth with New Haven silversmith Eliakim Hitchcock, mastering a craft that would eventually cement him in the annals of early American history. And much like the country itself, Amos journey into the history books began at Lexington and Concord. As a 20 year old, Doolittle was, like many of his friends and family, full of fervor for independence, and when conflict broke out between British troops and patriots, Doolittle, under the command of Captain Benedict Arnold, responded to the Lexington Alarm in April of 1775. However, by the time Doolittle, accompanied by his friend and artist Ralph Earl, arrived, the hostilities had ended. The two decided to visit the battlefields, interviewed those who had witnessed the conflict, and Earl began to compose sketches of what the skirmishes had looked like. Upon returning to New Haven, Amos put his own skills to work, making four unique engravings out of the Earl sketches. Twelve by 18 inches in size, the set sold for 6 shillings plain or 8 shillings colored. As the book Landmarks of Old Cheshire explains, Amos work has taken its place beside another notable Revolutionary War figure as some of the most important of the time. These engravings stand second only to Paul Reveres engravings of the landing of British troops in Boston (1768) and the Boston Massacre (1770) as the earliest historical prints of the Revolutionary Warone of the finest complete sets may be seen at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. In 1994, at the time of Landmarks reprinting, a set of the engravings had just been sold at auction, for $84,000. Yet, while Doolittles most important contribution was made through his skill as an artist, he eventually found the action he had been seeking on that day in Lexington and Concord, as William Dunlap explained in his History of the Rise and Progress of the Arts of Design in the United States, published in 1834. When the British invaded New Haven in July, 1779, Amos Doolittle was involved in the defense of the bridge across the Mill River at Hotchkissville (Westville). As the British were soon able to ford the stream lower down, the patriots fell back toward New Haven. Doolittle headed for home where his wife lay ill. Fortunately the Doolittles had a house guest, an Englishwoman, who demanded that the entering British troops post a guard at the Doolittle home. Although Doolittles musket was discovered, the Englishwoman convinced the guard that Doolittle only had the gun because it was required by law and that he indeed was a friend to George III. Quick thinking on the part of this overseas visitor is all the saved Doolittle from the prison ships of New York. Amos Doolittle died in 1832. Thirty years later, it would be another Doolittle making a name for himself as a proud defender of freedom and union. Edward Doolittle was born in 1838, six years after Amos passing. His father, Warren Doolittle, and mother, Anna, lived on Depot Street, which is now West Main. Warren, along with his neighbor, Arad Welton, was a director of the nearby Cheshire Manufacturing Company, which would later become the Ball & Socket Factory. Edward, like many boys of his age in Cheshire, would be schooled at the Episcopal Academy, now Cheshire Academy. He enrolled when he was 10. Four years later, as a student at the Academy, Edward would pen a short essay on what it meant to be a good man. The original document exists to this day and is part of the Cheshire Historical Society collection. He must (show) obedience both towards his parents and teachers, Doolittle wrote, but the first he has to obey is his parents (and) the parents ought to take good care of him so that when he grows up he will be a good and useful member of society. He must always be diligent (at) whatever occupation he may follow, Doolittle continued, and must be honest in his doings with his fellow man. Just a teen, Edwards words would ring true later in life when, in 1862 at the age of 24, he would enlist as a member of the 20th Regiment Company A. He would attain the rank of lieutenant and, according to his superiors and subordinates alike, establish himself as a brave soldier and trusted leader. Both would be on display during two of the wars most important and bloodiest battles, which Col. Samuel Ross, Commander of the 5th Reg. CT, alluded to in discussing Edward some time later. His personal gallantry at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg forms a proud memoir in our history, said Ross. Chancellorsville, fought in April and May of 1863, is remembered for several reasons. First, it was considered by many military historians to be Confederate General Robert E. Lees perfect battle, in which, by making the bold move to divide his forces, took the more timid Union generals by surprise and won the engagement. It was also the battle in which famous Confederate Lt. General Thomas Stonewall Jackson was killed, a victim of friendly fire. And perhaps most noteworthy, Chancellorsville was one of the most costly engagements of the war. Gettysburg followed a few months later, in early July of 1863, and would cost even more soldiers their lives. But unlike Chancellorsville, which was a Confederate victory, Gettysburg would be won by the Union, turning away Lees desperate attempt to invade the north over a three-day conflict. Edward survived both. Yet in the end, he could not survive the wars deadliest foe: disease. In the late fall of 1863, Edward contracted typhoid fever while serving as a guard for the lines of communication. He suffered a few weeks but eventually succumbed to the disease in December of that year. After the war, a group, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was created by veterans with departments and posts established in each state of the Union. The G.A.R. Post 5 in Cheshire was named after Doolittle. In 1866, during the dedication of the Soldiers Monument in Cheshire, Col. W.B. Wooster eulogized Edward. He was a gentleman of education, refinement, and purity, a patriot soldier.A man who never shrank from duty, true to himself, true to his comrades, his country and his Godhe died lamented by all. 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 government has been urged not to let down the Afghan war hero who is now facing homelessness in the UK after serving alongside British forces against the Taliban. The former Afghan air force pilot was finally granted asylum this week after a long-running campaign by The Independent but has just 28 days to find somewhere to live before he is evicted from a hotel and all Home Office support is removed. Top military brass, politicians and campaigners said it would be tragic to allow the veteran to fall into destitution calling it an abrogation of our obligation to Afghan allies who were promised a new life in Britain. The Afghan pilot is facing homelessness unless he can secure a job and private rental soon (Getty/The Independent) They are calling for the 28-day cut-off deadline to be extended so refugees have more time to find a home, and demanding Mr Sunaks ministers come up with a coherent accommodation plan for the thousands of Afghans now facing homelessness. Falklands war hero Simon Weston said: Its wonderful news that he is getting to stay but it would be tragic if he faces homelessness. We cant let him down. He deserves as much support as possible. The campaigner for veterans added: Hes obviously resourceful, so with a bit of help he will flourish and use his skills here. We have a debt of honour, so he deserves our backing. Lets do the right thing. Sir Richard Barrons, a former commander of the UK Joint Forces Command, said: Asking him and other Afghans in hotels to sort themselves out is an abrogation of our obligation. Saying, youve got 28 days to sort yourself out how are they meant to do that? Central government cannot just pass the buck to local authorities, said Sir Richard. Its not good enough to have people here without support. We cant abandon people and leave them to end up on the streets. Now that he has been given refugee status, the Afghan pilot has been told he will have 28 days before the hotel accommodation, food and 9 a week payment provided to him as an asylum seeker is pulled. The veteran now has the right to seek work and can apply for universal credit, although getting the benefit will take at least five weeks. Once he has an eviction notice from the Home Office, he can approach the local council for help with emergency housing. The Independent led a five-month-long campaign to get the pilot asylum in the UK (The Independent) I have a serious problem, which is an economic problem, the war veteran told The Independent. Of course, I have lots of problems because I am new here, and it will be a little bit difficult for me, but step by step everything will become easier. General Sir John McColl, the armys former deputy supreme allied commander for Europe, said the Afghan pilot should be given time to find somewhere because we cant have people facing homelessness. He added: We cant give people a deadline without adequate support. We wouldnt do that to veterans of our own so it shouldnt be the case for those who fought alongside us. The government was criticised for giving eviction notices to all 8,000 Afghans brought here under resettlement schemes after the chaotic evacuation of Kabul who remain living in the so-called bridging hotels. Refugees from Afghanistan in a Leeds hotel, preparing for a visit by Prince William (Getty Images) The Home Office is hoping to clear them out of hotels and get them into housing by the end of August, but local authorities have called the process a kick in the teeth. One in five Afghan refugees had already declared themselves homeless by the start of August, according to the Local Government Association. Peter Marland, the Labour leader of Milton Keynes Council, criticised the shambles from central government after a group of 55 Afghan refugees were evicted from hotels in the area in recent months. He told The Independent that around 30 had declared themselves homeless, with some moved to areas such as Watford and Milton Keynes where they were then placed in hotels again. Councillor Marland said: Some have had to move children from one school, so the disruption has all been a bit sad. Its been chaotic, and weve had no rhyme or reason from the Home Office on what they want to do. The money from government might allow us to get hold of only a few extra properties. General Sir Richard Barrons says government cant abandon Afghans stuck in hotels (PA) Sir John called on Tory ministers to work with councils on the crisis in accommodation for Afghans. I would like to see a coherent plan from the government, to work out where the local authorities and private sector have accommodation, he said. Calling for greater financial support for Afghans welcomed to the UK, the former allied commander added: The Afghans also need a proper get you in package these are people who want to work and will pay tax and contribute if we can help them with a leg up at first. Charities said some newly recognised refugees are now being given just seven days to vacate hotels and other temporary accommodation in their notice to quit letter. Jonathan Featonby, advocacy manager at the Refugee Council, called for the usual 28-day period for new refugees to be extended to 56 days to give people more time to go to local authorities or seek other help. We shouldnt have [the pilot] or anyone else facing homelessness, said Mr Featonby. Unfortunately, when it should be a period of relief and celebration, we have a lot of new refugees who suddenly face this destitution gap. It can be an impossible situation 28 days is never going to be long enough to get support. The Afghan pilot hero fighting to stay in the UK Charlotte Khan from Care4Calais added: Refugees have to set themselves up with a brand-new life within 28 days, which is really, really hard for anyone to manage. Its not an easy thing but there are charities out there who help them, and we will help the pilot in any way we can. Hell need payslips and everything before you can start renting [privately]. Lord Alf Dubs a child refugee who fled the Nazis before the Second World War added: Accommodation is a problem for the whole country. But we owe him as much time and support as possible to build a life here, given the promises we made to people who worked with us against the Taliban. A Home Office spokesperson said: We also offer support to newly recognised refugees during the 28-day move on period, through Migrant Help or their partner organisations. This includes providing advice on accessing the labour market through the Department for Work and Pensions, providing advice on applying for Universal Credit, and signposting to local authorities for assistance with housing. This will ensure that people can move on following a decision on their claim. 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 }} Only two migrants who arrived in the UK by crossing the English Channel have been deported to Europe under the post-Brexit agreement, figures from the Home Office reveal. The post-Brexit returns policy, introduced in 2021, allows officials to deem migrants inadmissible if they travelled through a safe third country to reach Britain. But zero migrants were considered inadmissible in the past year and just two were deported, according to Home Office figures reported in The Times. Since the start of the scheme, 83 inadmissibility decisions have been made and 23 migrants been deported in total. Earlier this month there were talks of a new returns deal between the UK and the EU following the removal of the Dublin regulation, which allowed irregular migrants to be returned to the nation of first arrival after Brexit. The regulation was seen as ineffective, with only 105 UK requests to return migrants to the EU accepted in the year before Brexit. Overall, a total of 175,457 people were waiting for an initial decision on an asylum application in the UK at the end of June, up 44 per cent on the same period a year earlier the highest figure since current records began in 2010. Of these, 139,961 had been waiting longer than six months for an initial decision, up 57 per cent year on year from 89,231 and another record high. Labour said the asylum backlog amounts to a disastrous record for Rishi Sunak and home secretary Suella Braverman, while campaigners called for claims to be processed more efficiently. The prime minister warned the asylum system was under unsustainable pressure after the bill for the taxpayer almost doubled in a year to nearly 4bn. Prime minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to stop the boats ahead of the next general election (PA Wire) Facing questions from broadcasters on Friday, Mr Sunak insisted that while fixing the issue would take time, his plan to end small boat crossings is working. He said: When I became prime minister, before I outlined my plan, the number of illegal migrants coming to the UK had quadrupled in just the last couple of years. But for the first time this year, crossings are down. They are down about 15 per cent versus last year. Thats the first time that has happened since the small boats crisis emerged. That shows that the plan is working. 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 }} The former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has finally resigned as an MP more than 10 weeks after announcing her intention to quit with a scathing attack on Rishi Sunak. In her resignation letter, the staunch Boris Johnson ally accused the prime minister of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against her. The Conservative MP has faced intense pressure to formally resign, having previously insisted she would stay on until Mr Sunaks government revealed documents on the decision to deny her a peerage in Mr Johnsons honours list. Her resignation will give Mr Sunak another headache, triggering a by-election in Mid Bedfordshire which could be held as soon as September, hot on the heels of painful losses for the Tories in Yorkshire and Somerset, despite managing to cling to Mr Johnsons former seat in Uxbridge. Her resignation letter, published in the Daily Mail and running to more than 1,750 words, comes a day after the Liberal Democrats vowed to table a Dosser Dorries bill as soon as parliament returned to suspend her as an MP. In a blistering attack, sent 78 days after she first vowed to resign, she wrote to the PM: Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a zombie Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened. What exactly has been done or have you achieved? Taking aim at the circumstances of Mr Sunaks hurried entry to No 10 following the collapse of Liz Trusss brief premiership, months after losing to her in the Tory leadership contest, Ms Dorries said: You hold the office of Prime Minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs. You have no mandate from the people and the government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation, for what? Nadine Dorries accused Rishi Sunak of abandoning the fundamental principles of Conservatism (Getty Images) She added: I know personally how effective a strong and helping hand can be to lift someone out of poverty and how vision, hope and opportunity can change lives. You have abandoned the fundamental principles of Conservatism. History will not judge you kindly. Ms Dorries, who was first elected in 2005, insisted this week that she was still working daily for her constituents, despite having not spoken in the Commons for over a year or voting since April after senior Tory MP Caroline Nokes accused her of making a mockery of her seat by refusing to resign. Ms Dorries has been presenting a show on TalkTV since February, writes a column for the Daily Mail, and recently declared a 20,500 advance from publisher HarperCollins for an upcoming book about Mr Johnsons political assassination. Rishi Sunak suggests Nadine Dorries to quit parliament By remaining as an MP over the summer, Ms Dorries will have earned at least two months worth of her 86,000 salary, amounting to more than 14,000 before tax. In her letter, Ms Dorries accused Mr Sunak of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against her. She said that the police have contacted her in recent weeks about threats made to her. She also accused Mr Sunak of ignoring tech CEOs when he was chancellor, saying: You flashed your gleaming smile in your Prada shoes and Saville Row suit from behind a camera, but you werent listening. In another personal jibe, Ms Dorries said that Mr Sunak had put his personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. She continued: Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing. The outgoing MP claimed to have first advised cabinet secretary Simon Case of her intention to resign in July 2022, but that close allies of Mr Sunaks have continued to this day to implore me to wait until the next general election rather than inflict yet another damaging by-election on the party. At the same time, Ms Dorries claims to have realised during investigations for her disturbing new book that remaining as a back bencher was incompatible with publishing a book which exposes how the democratic process at the heart of our party has been corrupted. As I uncovered this alarming situation I knew, such were the forces ranged against me, that I was grateful to retain my parliamentary privilege until today, Ms Dorries wrote. Listing all of the ways in which she believes Mr Sunak has failed in No 10, Ms Dorries accused him of abandoning policies such as levelling up, having completely failed in reducing cross-Channel immigration and delivering Brexit benefits, and being responsible for the Citys loss in status as a financial hub, among many other accusations. 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 }} Offenders who commit the most heinous murders will face life behind bars with no chance of being released under new plans announced by Rishi Sunak. The government aims to change the law so that judges are required to impose whole-life orders on the most depraved killers, except in extremely limited circumstances. Whole-life orders are the most severe penalty available in the countrys criminal justice system. It comes after the penalty was given to child serial killer Lucy Letby for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murder of six more. The law change will also for the first time make this sentence the default for any sexually-motivated murders, with Downing Street saying it could have applied to the recent cases of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa. Sex attacker Jordan McSweeney was jailed for life with a minimum term of 38 years for murdering law graduate Ms Aleena as she walked home in east London. Lucy Letby will spend the rest of life behind bars for her crimes (PA Media) Sexual predator Koci Selamaj was jailed for at least 36 years for murdering primary school teacher Ms Nessa in southeast London. The prime minister said: I have shared the publics horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently. People rightly expect that in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing. By bringing in mandatory whole-life orders for the heinous criminals who commit the most horrific types of murder, we will make sure they never walk free. Justice secretary Alex Chalk said: A whole life order will now be the expectation for murderers where the killing involves sexual or sadistic conduct. This important law change will ensure that the worst of the worst can now expect to spend the rest of their lives in prison. No 10 said the government will legislate for the changes in due course. But Labour, which is pitching itself as the tough on crime party ahead of a likely general election next year, accused Mr Sunaks Conservative government of falling short. Shadow justice secretary Steve Reed said: No-one will take any lessons from this soft on crime Tory government. Under their watch, nine out of 10 crimes go unsolved and tens of thousands of dangerous criminals including gunmen, child abductors, and sex offenders have avoided jail sentences. To make matters worse, our prisons are now full because they failed to build the prison cells we need, forcing judges to hand out softer sentences. Labour is the party of law and order. In government, we will implement tougher sentences for dangerous criminals and build the prison places to put them behind bars. Zara Aleena's killer Jordan McSweeney jailed for life Lucy Letby was sentenced to a whole-life term on Monday for the murder of seven babies and the attempted murders of six more. The nurse 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 whom are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. 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 allow 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. 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 }} One of the men accused of plotting the 9/11 terror attacks isnt mentally competent to stand trial or assist lawyers in his defence in a capital proceeding at the Guantanamo Bay military prison, a government medical board found. Ramzi bin al-Shibhs case has been running since 2008. Hes accused of organising the terror plots Hamburg, Germany, cell, researching US flight schools, wiring money to some of the 19 primary 9/11 hijackers, and reporting information to Al Qaedas leaders in Afghanistan. In April, a military judge in the case ordered three mental health experts to investigate the mans condition, as US officials prosecute him alongside 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and three others. A military medical board filed a report under seal on Friday, which suggested that Mr bin al-Shibh has post-traumatic stress disorder with psychotic features, three individuals who saw the report told The New York Times. The findings could convince Col Matthew N McCall, the judge overseeing the case, to sever bin al-Shibh from the proceedings and try him separately from the other four alleged plotters. Mr bin al-Shibhs lawyers have alleged the man was harassed with noises, vibrations, and other de-stabilising techniques while in US custody. The control tower of Camp VI detention facility is seen on April 17, 2019, in Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba (Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) During his capital prosecution, he disrupted pre-trial hearings with outbursts. Mr bin al-Shibh was captured in Karachi in September 2002 and claims he was tortured in custody in captivity in US-affiliated facilities in Afghanistan, Jordan, Poland, and Romania, according to The Rendition Project. He entered Guantanamo in 2006 The complications in his prosecution are the latest to take place at the controversial island prison. Last week, a military judge threw out the confession of a man who admitted to plotting the USS Cole bombing, finding the admission was tained by CIA torture. Close Family reacts to death of Andrea Vazquez 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 }} The suspect in Andrea Vazquezs kidnapping and murder is reportedly scared after being hit with multiple felonies. Gabriel Sean Esparza, 20, has been charged with murder, kidnapping and attempted rape in connection with the death of 19-year-old Andrea Vazquez. Mr Esparza entered a not-guilty plea when he made his first court appearance for the brutal slaying on Wednesday. Vazquez was randomly kidnapped while on a date with her boyfriend at Penn Park in Whittier. While Vazquez and her boyfriend were sitting in the parked car, an armed man approached them and began shooting. Vazquezs boyfriend fled the scene and when he returned, he discovered blood near it and Vazquez was gone. Vazquezs body was found the following day in Moreno Valley. Mr Esparzas attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez told FOX11 that the 20-year-old was scared. Everyone in this case is in shock, and everyone who knows him cant believe that he has been charged with this crime, Mr Rodriguez told the network in a statement, adding that Mr Esparza is just beginning to understand what is going on. Close Cook's Corner mass shooting: At least 4 dead 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 }} At least four people have been killed and others are being treated for gunshot wounds after a mass shooting at a popular bikers bar in Californias Orange County. The Orange County sheriff said those killed included the suspected gunman, identified by The Orange County Sheriffs Department as John Snowling, 59. Three people died and six others were injured before Snowling was killed by law enforcement. The fatal victims have been identified as John Leehey, 67, Tonya Clark, 49, and Glen Sprowl, 53. The incident began with a domestic dispute between the gunman and his wife. Snowling, a retired law enforcement officer with the Ventura Police Department, opened fire on his wife Marie Snowling and her dining companion. Sheriff Don Barnes said on Thursday that Snowling then continued shooting indiscriminately. A man who approached Snwoling as the gunman retrieved more weapons from his vehicle was fatally shot. Ms Snowling had filed for divorce in December 2022, according to The Los Angeles Times. A neighbour of the couple told the outlet she had moved in with her ailing mother while Snowling was spending most of his time in Ohio, where he owned a property. 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 white male gunman wearing tactical gear killed three people at a Florida Dollar General store in a racially motivated attack using an AR-15-style assault rifle and Glock handgun covered in Nazi swastikas say police. The shocking incident in Jacksonville on Saturday is now being investigated as a racially motivated hate crime by the FBI and local law enforcement. The gunman, who has not been identified, hated Black people, Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters told a press conference. The suspect was described by Waters as a white male in his early 20s and the sheriff said that all three victims - two men and a woman - were Black. He targeted a certain group of people, and thats Black people, Sheriff Waters said. Sheriff Waters said that the gunman acted alone and had published several manifestos detailing his hatred for Black people. The suspected shooter, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was initially seen near the library on the campus of the citys Edward Waters University but security guards tried to take him into custody and he escaped. The sheriff said that at 1.18 pm EST, the shooter told his father to check his computer, and by 1.53 pm his family called the Clay County Sheriffs Office, Waters said. Edward Waters University is a historically Black private Christian university in the city, which was founded in 1866 by members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. FOX30 reported that the gunman was wearing a mask, tactical vest and gloves. DeSantis offers condolences to the victims of todays Jacksonville mass shooting, condemns the racist scumbag killer who committed suicide (Video via governors office) pic.twitter.com/XdXC5IO4J7 Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) August 26, 2023 Law enforcement, including a SWAT team, were called to the scene in the northwest part of the city at around 1pm. This is unacceptable. One shooting is too much but these mass shootings are really hard to take, Mayor Donna Deegan told WJXT. Authorities investigate the scene of a mass shooting, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP) And she added: Its a heartbreaking thing for our community. Its awful and it has happened in this community way too many times. she later told reporters that she was heartbroken by the incident and it was a community that had suffered time and time again. This type of hate, you see the swastikas on the gun, we must do everything we can to dissuade this type of hate. Jacksonville police officers block the perimeter of the scene of a mass shooting, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP) State Representative Angie Nixon, who represents the District 13 neighbourhood called the incident tragic. These are things that we want to try to avoid by making sure that our communities are fully resourced, making sure were creating a climate of love and not tension, Ms Nixon told WJXT. Police investigate the scene of a mass shooting, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP) Councilwoman JuCoby Pittman said she was devastated to see yet more violence unleashed. Im tired of seeing all the shootings. The people in this community are hurting, she said. EWU CAMPUS SAFETY ALERT Stay Informed. Sign-up for Tiger Alerts at: https://t.co/qwxNPDu5II pic.twitter.com/OTgB29UaNA Edward Waters University (@ewctigers) August 26, 2023 The shooting took place near the citys Edward Waters University campus, which issued a campus-wide stay-in-place order. JSO Sheriff TK Waters called the incident an outlier saying that it doesnt represent who we are as a city or who we are as a people. And he added: We live together as a community and we fight together as a community. The FBI says it will investigate the incident as a hate crime and has opened a civil rights investigation. 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 man armed with an AR-15-style rifle and handgun killed three people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida on 26 August in what authorities are calling a racially motivated mass shooting. Shortly after 1pm on Saturday, 26 August, a gunman entered the store armed and outfitted in a tactical vest, gloves, hat and face covering, Jacksonville sheriff TK Waters said in a press conference. In 11 minutes, the gunman shot and killed three Black people identified as Angela Michelle Carr, 52, Anolt Joseph AJ Laguerre Jr, 19, and Jarrald DeShaun Gallion, 29. After shooting the three people, the gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, turned the gun on himself and died by suicide, authorities said. In a note addressed to his parents and writings addressed to law enforcement officials, the gunman indicated he held white supremacist ideology and hated Black people, Mr Waters said. This is a dark day in Jacksonvilles history. There is no place for hate in this community, the sheriff said. I am sickened by this cowardly shooters personal ideology. Here is everything we know about the tragic shooting. Timeline of the shooting The gunman left his parents house in Clay County, Florida and headed to Jacksonville around 11.40am on the same day as the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington and Dr Martin Luther King Jrs I Have a Dream speech. At around 12.23pm, the shooter drove to a Family Dollar discount store, about a mile and a half from the Dollar General where the shooting occurred. He entered the store, seemingly unarmed, and even held the door for some customers before returning to his vehicle six minutes later. At around 12.30pm he left the Family Dollar. Mr Waters said from security cameras, it appears the gunman was first targetting the Family Dollar but chose to leave after a security vehicle pulled into the parking lot. The gunman (center) is captured on security cameras walking into a Family Dollar, just a mile and a half away from the Dollar General where he carried out a shooting (Jacksonville Sheriffs Office) He then went to the campus of Edward Waters University, a historically Black college, where he was captured putting on a tactical vest in the parking lot. Students who observed the gunman reported him to a campus security guard, Lieutenant Antonio Bailey, who confronted the gunman before he left the campus. The individual returned to their car and left campus without incident. The encounter was reported to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office by EWU security, Edward Waters University said in a press release. Zachary Faison, the president of Edward Waters University called Mr Bailey our hero for acting immediately. At around 1.08pm, the gunman went to Dollar General where he shot and killed Carr in the parking lot. He then entered the store and killed Laguerre and Gallion. The gunman then texted his father telling him to check his computer. His parents discovered several written manifestoes intended for his parents, law enforcement and the media. The sheriff called the writing, the diary of a madman. Just before 2pm, his father called the Clay County Sheriffs office, according to Mr Waters, but by that time, [the shooter] had begun his shooting spree inside the Dollar General. What weapons were used? The shooter used an AR-15-style rifle as well as a Glock handgun. One photo, shared on the sheriffs office Facebook page, showed a close-up of the gun with at least two swastikas and illegible writing in white paint or marker on one side. The weapon had Palmetto State Armory and PA-15 engraved. Palmetto State Armorys website describes PA-15 rifles as our interpretation of the legendary AR-15 rifle that you have grown to love. Those were not his parents guns, Mr Waters clarified at the press conference. I cant say that he owned them but I know his parents didnt his parents didnt want them in their house. The victims of the Jacksonvile shooting from left to right. Anolt Joseph A.J. Laguerre Jr, Angela Michelle Carr and Jerrald DeShaun Gallion (Family handouts) The shooter was previously involved in a 2016 domestic incident but was not arrested, the sheriff added. In 2017, the gunman was committed under Floridas Baker Act, a statute that allows for people who could be considered a harm to themselves or others to be involuntarily detained and examined for up to 72 hours. If there is a Baker Act situation, theyre prohibited from getting guns, Mr Waters later told CNN. We dont know if that Baker Act was recorded properly, whether it was considered a full Baker Act. Racially-motivated attack Law enforcement are examining the writings of the shooter. According to the sheriff, the gunman used racial slurs and conveyed his disgusting ideology of hate. The suspect did not know the victims. Mr Waters said there is absolutely no evidence the shooter is part of any larger group. The FBI has launched a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting and will pursue this incident as a hate crime, said Sherri Onks, special agent in charge of the FBIs Jacksonville office. President Biden condemned the shooting saying white supremacy has no place in America. We must refuse to live in a country where Black families going to the store of Black students going to school live in fear of being gunned down because of the color of their skin. Dark day in Jacksonvilles history The shooting coincided with the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr delivered his famous I Have A Dream speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Speakers at the event discussed the growing threat of hate crimes. Jonathan Greenblatt, director of the Anti-Defamation League, spoke about hate and racism in his speech. In 1963, we came here to this place alongside Dr. King and so many other leaders, to demand equal rights, justice and fair treatment to all, he began. Now today, weve come here once again to demand equal rights, justice and fair treatment to all. Because we know that hate still exists. And the work of fighting hate together continues. Reactions to the tragedy Both sides of the political aisle have reacted to the massacre. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote: We will never bend the knee to violent extremists who worship at the altar of white supremacy. South Carolina Senator, and GOP presidential candidate, Tim Scott wrote that he was devastated. There is nothing more hateful than murdering someone because of the color of their skin; violence of any kind has no place in our country, he wrote. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan also shared her thoughts. We must do everything that we can to dissuade this type of hate. I cant even be able to tell you how frustrating this is for all of us because weve seen it too much. New Jersey Democrat, Rep Bill Pascrell, underscored the need for tighter gun laws. Last year 99% of House republicans voted no to banning war weapons like the one used yesterday in Jacksonville by a racist terrorist, he wrote. Shannon Watts, founder of gun control advocacy group Moms Demand Action, echoed this sentiment, pointing to recent gun legislation that went into effect in the state: Floridas lax gun laws - like permitless carry - make it easy for criminals and white supremacists to access guns. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed this measure into law in April, which went into effect on 1 July. It allows anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry a concealed gun without a permit, and does not require training or a background check. On Saturday, Mr DeSantis condemned the shooting, tweeting a video of him saying that the shooting, based on the manifesto that they discovered from the scumbag who did this, was racially motivated. He was targeting people based on their race. That is totally unacceptable. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at a prayer vigil in Jacksonville (REUTERS) Florida Democratic Rep Maxwell Frost, also denounced the shootingbut he pointed the finger at the governor. A racist bigot walked into a store to murder Black people. A racist bigot felt comfortable enough to walk into a store to murder Black people. The far-right fascist movement, embraced by Gov @RonDeSantis, is murdering people, he tweeted. The NRA took the opportunity to promote AR-style weapons hours after the shooting, claiming that Millions of law-abiding citizens own and use AR-15s to defend themselves and their families. Covid-19 vaccines that have been tweaked to teach the body how to fend off the current crop of circulating variants are now expected to land in drugstores and clinics in mid-September, senior administration officials say. The officials spoke Thursday about the US governments preparations for the fall and winter respiratory virus season on the condition that they not be named. The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to give its nod to the updated vaccines in a few weeks. Then the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a group of independent experts that advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its vaccination decisions, will weigh the safety and effectiveness of the new shots and make recommendations for their use. After the CDC director signs off on those recommendations, the vaccines can be administered. Officials said ACIP will meet quickly after the FDA decision in order to expedite the regulatory steps and get the vaccines to market. The advisory group is scheduled to meet to discuss Covid-19 vaccines on September 12, meaning the vaccines could become available soon after. The announcement comes amid a late summer uptick in Covid-19. The CDC tracks the disease through hospitalizations and emergency room visits, as well as wastewater monitoring and testing of travelers at some airports. More than 12,600 Americans are hospitalized with Covid-19, and that number is rising, jumping 22% in the most recent week. Still, the officials said, those are levels that are about one-third of where they were a year ago, largely thanks to immunity from vaccinations and prior infections. But antibodies against Covid-19 wane over time, and many Americans are due for a tuneup. Only about 17% of those eligible got the bivalent vaccines last fall, the last time the immunizations were updated. Three vaccines are expected to be available this year. Two are mRNA vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, and a third protein subunit vaccine from Novavax. The Novavax vaccine uses an older type of technology that contains the spike protein of the virus that causes Covid-19, plus an ingredient that revs up the immune system to crank out antibodies against it. Both vaccine technologies are well-understood and safe, and they have been proven in the real world and in clinical studies to reduce the risk of hospitalization and deaths from Covid-19, the officials said. The FDA plans to grant full licensure for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people 12 and older. Vaccines for children 11 and under, as well as the Novavax vaccine, will be available under an emergency use authorization, the officials said. The vaccines have been updated to teach the body to fight the XBB.1.5 coronavirus subvariant. They are also expected to retain potency against closely related strains. All three vaccine manufacturers say clinical studies show that their vaccines are effective against EG.5, the currently dominant strain in the US. While vaccines were previously provided for free by the government, this is the first time vaccines will be provided through the commercial market. Under the Affordable Care Act, most insurance plans are required to cover the full cost of vaccines, without co-pays. People who dont have insurance, or who dont have enough insurance, can still get vaccines for free through a government bridge program. That bridge program will exist through a few channels, CDC Director Mandy Cohen said in an interview with CNN last week. Folks can go to a federally qualified health center or they can go to their public health department. And then the third option is, we are working with pharmacy partners such as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart and others to have it available in the pharmacies as well. The details of the pharmacy program are still being worked out, and there may be a slight lag in getting free vaccines at some stores. But health departments and federally qualified health centers should have them right away, Cohen said. People will only need to tell their vaccine provider that they dont have insurance to qualify for the benefit, she said. In addition, there are still a significant number of Covid-19 tests in the Strategic National Stockpile. The government has been sending those free tests to nursing homes and assisted living facilities, federally qualified health centers, school, libraries and a number of other places that serve the public. That program will continue, officials said. Theres also the option to bring back Covidtest.gov, the website where people can order free tests. Photos: The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic 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 }} Maryland police say they have few new clues about the identity of who killed Rachel Morin, a mother of five from Bel Air, after announcing last week they found a DNA sample matching the unidentified man they believe to be the murderer. He still poses a threat wherever hes laying his head and we need to get him off the street, Harford County sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told NewsNation on Friday. The public will not be safe until we get him in custody. On 17 August, the sheriffs office announced it used DNA evidence collected at the scene of Morins 5 August homicide to identify a potential suspect. The genetic material matched a sample found at the scene of a March home invasion in Los Angeles where a young girl was attacked. Unfortunately that suspect has not been positively identified, but he did leave behind his DNA, Harford County police colonel William Davis said during a press conference announcing the discovery. Based on the DNA evidence, we consider the individual in the video we received from the Los Angeles Police Department to be the person that murdered Rachel Morin on August 5. The sheriffs office believes that a man filmed exiting the LA home invasion is the same person who killed Rachel Morin. Maryland police believe Rachel Morin was killed by a man seen exiting a home invasion in Los Angeles earlier this year, based on DNA evidence (Harford County Sheriffs Office, Maryland Police) Since then, police have not made any major developments in identifying the individual seen on surveillance footage, who was described by police as a Hispanic man in his 20s. The majority of tips that come in arent going to really advance the investigation. Were still looking for that one, Sheriff Gahler told NewsNation. Someone out there knows who this individual is in the pictureThey need to come forward and share that information. Otherwise, the law enforcement official warned, the killer is not going to stop. Other than the match to the LA crime scene, police are still puzzled about the suspects whereabouts, with Sheriff Gahler saying the individual could no longer be in the US for all police know. The Harford County Sheriffs Office has said it is working with DNA specialists at the FBI to continue probing the evidence. Morin, a mother of five living in Bel Air, Maryland, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail around 6pm on 5 August. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reporter her missing later that evening. Morins body was found the following day, and her death is being investigated as a homicide. Police have previously said a group of five witnesses were on the trail at the same time Morin was killed. We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community, Morins mother wrote in a social media post this month. 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 United States and its allies clashed Friday with North Korea, Russia, and China over Pyongyangs failed attempts to launch a spy satellite and who is responsible for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The open Security Council meeting called by the US, Albania, Ecuador, France, Japan and Malta to condemn the attempted launch, which used banned ballistic missile technology, was attended by North Koreas United Nations ambassador for just the second time since 2017. Ambassador Kim Song, who also addressed the council in July, told members the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea the countrys official name has an independent and legitimate right as a sovereign country to launch a satellite for self-defense to deter the ever-increasing hostile military acts of the United States and its followers. The Norths space agency said Thursday its reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, failed for a second time to go into orbit, blaming an error in its third-stage flight. Pyongyang said it will make a third attempt in October to achieve a key military goal of its leader, Kim Jong-un. US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the DPRK had again defied Security Council resolutions by pursuing its unlawful ballistic missile programme. She said 13 of the 15 Security Council members oppose the DPRKs unlawful actions and have called for an end to the countrys pursuit of nuclear weapons and its tests and for unity of the council. Mr Song said the DPRK has never recognized Security Council resolutions, which he claimed infringe on the rights of a sovereign state and will never be bound by them in the future. He accused the United States and South Koreas military gangsters of turning the Korean Peninsula into a potential area of an immense thermal nuclear war while clamoring for regime change in the DPRK and waging large-scale joint military exercises that he said feature nuclear preemptive strikes on our state as a fait accompli. Russias UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the council meeting a cynical, hypocritical attempt by the US and its allies to step up pressure on Pyongyang and to detract attention from the reckless escalatory actions of Washington and its allies in the region, who represent the real sources of threats to international peace and security. He called the expansion of US-led military exercises blatantly provocative, saying they further complicate prospects for starting a dialogue, which is necessary to strengthen regional security. Chinas deputy UN ambassador Geng Shuang accused the United States of a long-standing hostile policy towards the DPRK, telling the council that Washington's continuous pressure, including sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the peninsula in July, makes the North feel increasingly insecure. He said the Security Council should not intensify tension but take practical actions to respond to the DPRKs legitimate concerns and create conditions to relaunch talks. Ms Thomas-Greenfield rejected the disingenuous claims by Russia and China that the US is acting in a hostile manner, calling the military exercises routine, lawful and defensive. And unlike the DPRKs ballistic missile launches, they are not prohibited by UN Security Council resolutions, she said. Ms Thomas-Greenfield also reiterated the US commitment to diplomacy, saying that the Biden administration publicly and privately has repeatedly urged the DPRK to engage in dialogue without preconditions. But the DPRK has still not responded to our offers, she said. Chinas Geng retorted that the military exercises are at a record level, pointing to U.S. bombers and Marines taking part, and noting more U.S. sanctions on the DPRK. I would like to ask in this context, how can the dialogue be really resumed? he said. The council meeting also saw a heated exchange between Japan and the DPRK and China over Tokyos release of treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Mr Song first raised the issue, saying the Security Council should denounce Japans heinous crime against humanity, which he said is jeopardizing the safety and security of all people and the marine ecological environment. Japans UN ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane rejected the baseless allegations, saying that scientific evidence has said the discharges are safe. But Chinas Geng, whose country has banned seafood from Japan, reiterated Beijings strong opposition, saying the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is transferring the nuclear threat to the whole world. 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 }} Scientists have urged people not to speculate about why Iberian orcas have been ramming into vessels, warning that demonising them could put the already endangered animal at risk. Orcas coming into contact with vessels n the Mediterranean are most likely being playful and are not attacking the boats as previously speculated, after more than 250 boats have been damaged by the species since 2020. Experts have warned the idea that the orcas intend to do harm could lead to the creatures being harmed by humans, after footage showing a sailor opening fire on a pod earlier this month. An orca moves along a rudder of boat taking part in The Ocean Race in June, as it approached the Strait of Gibraltar One theory proposed by marine scientists is that the orcas behaviour is a cultural fad and will likely go away as attention over the animals decreases. There are 15 orcas believed to be responsible for the recent rammings, with damage varying from teeth marks to the sinking of five boats entirely. In an open letter, the scientists said: We urge the media and public to avoid projecting narratives onto these animals. In the absence of further evidence, people should not assume they understand the animals motivations. We are concerned that factual errors related to these interactions are being repeated in the media we believe this narrative inappropriately projects human motivations onto these whales and we are concerned that perpetuating it will lead to punitive responses by mariners or managers. A yacht attacked by killer whales in the Strait of Gibraltar in May (AFP via Getty) Scientists remain baffled over the behaviour of the orcas off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts, but agree they are likely being playful and socialising with each other instead of acting aggressively, the letter says. The whales have shown a wide range of behaviours during the interactions, many of them consistent with playful social behaviour, the letter continues. There is no evidence of an identifiable leader of these interactions. Despite the damage to vessels, we believe characterising the interactions as attacks is misleading. Orcas (and other dolphin species) elsewhere have been known to develop cultural fads (novel behaviour that briefly persists and expands within a populationan analogy might be fashion trends in people), such as carrying dead fish on their heads. While these vessel interactions may be a similar phenomenon, they are persisting longer than typical fad behaviour, expanding within the population and escalating in impact. Nevertheless, it is possible the behaviour, as previous fads have, will disappear as suddenly as it appeared. Of the fifteen orcas believed to be responsible for the rammings, 11 are calves and four are adult females. Orcas could simply be displaying playful behaviour, the scientists say (Getty) Iberian orcas are considered critically endangered, with possibly less than 40 in their population. Earlier in June a sailor told how his yacht was thrown around like a rag doll by orcas near Gibraltar , as the mammals tore off its rudders. I noticed a fin then noticed a light bump and then a very big bump and looked round and there was a very large whale pushing along the back and trying to bite the rudder, he told BBC Radio 4. Then we lost the second rudder so we had no mechanism of steering the boat and the whales were in charge of the boat and they pushed us around like a rag doll, he added. 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 }} Boris Johnson has said that Vladimir Putins mask is now fully off, as world leaders and commentators continue to question his role in the death of Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin. The former prime minister has described the downing of the Wagner chiefs plane as violent liquidation and claimed that Putin was being transformed before our eyes into an Asiatic despot. I cannot think of another example of such ostentatious and uninhibited savagery by a world leader not in our lifetimes, he said. Putin and Yevgeny Prigozhin (left) had been former allies until their relationship soured in June (AP) Describing the Russian president as a gangster in his latest column for the Daily Mail, Mr Johnson added: The whole world knows full well and is intended to know that the man behind the killing of Prigozhin and the Wagner group leadership, not the mention the deaths of the crew, is the very same man who authorised, for instance, the poisonings in the UK of Alexander Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal. Prigozhin is believed to have been killed when his Embraer jet crashed northwest of Moscow on Wednesday evening. Dramatic footage showed the plane falling to the ground, with Russian investigators confirming that they had recovered 10 bodies from the plane crash with DNA identification currently underway. While Prigozhins death has not been confirmed by officials, he was listed as a passenger on a flight manifest published by the Russian aviation agency. A former key ally of Putin, their relationship soured after Prigozhin ordered his troops to march on Moscow in a day-long rebellion against the Kremlins military leaders in June. Russian investigators confirmed 10 bodies had been onboard the plane (AP) He had refused to submit his mercenaries to direct state control, despite a direct request from Putin and later travelled to Belarus after his march of justice was halted. Western intelligence officials have briefed media that Prigozhin, who founded the Wagner Group in 2014, was most likely to have been killed by an explosion onboard the plane on Putins orders. In a daily intelligence update on Friday, the UK Ministry of Defence said: There is not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin was onboard and he is known to exercise exceptional security measures. However, it is highly likely that he is indeed dead. Boris Johnson said gangster Vladimir Putin had displayed uninhibited savagery (Getty) A Kremlin spokesperson denied Prigozhin had been assassinated and called western intelligence assessments of the presidents involvement an absolute lie. Recommended In his column, Mr Johnson stated it would be completely and utterly fatuous to place any trust in a deal with Putin, and renewed his call for a clear victory for Ukraine. Prigozhin thought he had guarantees, he said. Prigozhin thought he had sorted it out. Look at that deal now. Look what happened to him. There is only one way forward - defeat for Putin, and victory for Ukraine, as fast as possible. 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 }} This is the bizarre moment Vladimir Putins voice appeared to be altered as he addressed a summit this week. The pre-recorded video of his opening speech raised eyebrows when it was shown to delegates at the BRICS Business Forum in South Africa. Russian journalists posted a 30-second clip of the video on Telegram, with the caption: Putin addressed the BRICS Business Council via video link, but not with his own voice. Russias President Vladimir Putin addresses the participants of the BRICS Business Forum (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The original clip, which features his regular speaking voice, was posted on the Russian governments website. It is unclear whether the altered video was a technical fault or had been changed on purpose. Mr Putin was forced to join the summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa remotely after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March. The ICC accused Mr Putin of conducting war crimes by unlawfully deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. All other members of BRICS attended the summit in South Africa, with President Putin dialling in on a video call. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping made a rare trip overseas to be at the blocs first in-person summit since before the Covid pandemic. South Africa and Russia share strong ties and have a historically close relationship, but South Africa is also a signatory to the international courts treaty. That means it would be obliged to arrest Mr Putin on the ICC warrant if he set foot on South African soil. Mr Putin was forced to join the summit of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa remotely (POOL/AFP via Getty Images) South Africa lobbied for months ahead of the summit to persuade Putin to stay at home so it could avoid the problem, South African officials say. Deputy President Paul Mashatile said last month that Mr Putin was determined to come before an agreement for him to participate virtually was finally announced. Its almost like you invite your friend to your house, and then arrest them, Mashatile said at the time. Thats why for us his not coming is the best solution. The Russians are not happy, though. They want him to come. South Africa, the current chair of BRICS, has denied allegations that the bloc is taking an anti-West turn under the influence of China and Russia amid increased West-East geopolitical tensions. Theres an unfortunate narrative being developed that BRICS is anti-West, that BRICS was created as competition to the G-7 or the Global North, and that is incorrect, said Anil Sooklal, South Africas ambassador to BRICS. What we do seek is to advance the agenda of the Global South. 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 }} Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine have been supported on the battlefield by tens of thousands of mercenaries from a shadowy group led by a businessman and longtime ally of president Vladimir Putin. The Wagner Group is a private military company that was under the control of Yevgeny Prigozhin until his reported death in a plane crash on Wednesday 23 August. The unit cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea illegally annexed by Russia in 2014 and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in the aftermath of that act and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War. In Russias invasion of Ukraine, Wagner has been a key part of Moscows fighting force, but a power struggle between the Kremlin and the outspoken Prigozhin threatened for 24 hours at least to drag Russia towards a civil war of its own. On Friday 23 June, Prigozhin accused his countrys defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, of destroying his fighters and concocting lies to justify the invasion of Ukraine. Prigozhin called for an armed mutiny in an explosive rant on Telegram in which he vowed to stop the evil of the Kremlins top brass. The Wagner Groups leader did not go after Mr Putin personaly in his tirade, instead alleging that for more than a year and after more than 350,000 casualties, a large portion of which Prigozhins men are responsible for the Russian president had been deceived by Mr Shoigu. The war was needed... so that Shoigu could become a marshal, so that he could get a second Hero Star The war wasnt for demilitarising or de-Nazifying Ukraine. It was needed for an extra star, Prigozhin declared on Telegram. This outrage resulted in Prigozhin and his men leaving their posts in southern Ukraine and briefly occupying the city of Rostov-on-Don a major logistics hub for the invasion of Ukraine on Saturday 24 June. They then marched on Moscow along the M4 highway, shooting down a number of helicopters in the process. Prigozhin then halted his advance approximately 125 miles from the Russian capital. Following some intension negotiations with the Kremlin mediated by Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko, a deal was struck under which the mercenaries would move to Belarus in return for charges against them relating to the uprising being dropped. Mr Putin said at that point that the fighters could either leave for exile, come under the command of the defence ministry or go back to their families. Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin on a food factory tour in 2010 (AP) Before embarking for Belarus, Wagner handed over its weapons to the Russian military, part of efforts by Russian authorities to defuse the threat posed by the mercenaries and avoid bloodshed on its own soil. Prigozhin a 62-year-old ex-convict sometimes known as Putins chef because his catering business has hosted dinners for the Russian president had denied all links with the group until September last year when he announced he was proud to be its founder. He said he founded Wagner to support Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas conflict. I cleaned the old weapons myself, sorted out the bulletproof vests myself and found specialists who could help me with this, Prigozhin said. From that moment, on 1 May 2014, a group of patriots was born, which later came to be called the Wagner Battalion. Dmitry Utkin, a former Russian intelligence officer, alleged to be its co-founder, was also reportedly killed in the plane crash that took out Prigozhin. Armoured vehicles the streets of Rostov-on-Don on 24 June (Reuters) Since its formation, Wagner has been accused of committing human rights abuses in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali, Mozambique and most recently Ukraine. Prior to admitting his involvement, Prigozhin had a history of suing Russian and Western news outlets that alleged his ties to the group. His secretive stance was to protect the Wagner soldiers, he claimed. Prigozhin was finally forced to confess his links with the outfit as the group rose to prominence in the Ukraine conflict. British intelligence puts the number of Wagner troops active in Ukraine at 50,000, comprising a quarter of Russias total strength. War contractors are nothing new but military analysts say the Kremlin has been heavily reliant on Wagner due to the heavy losses incurred by official Russian forces during the war, along with difficulties in recruitment. Britains Ministry of Defence (MoD) first reported that Wagner had been deployed in Ukraine on 28 March 2022, a little over a month into the conflict, after Russian losses had already begun to hamper the pace of the initial assault. Wagner has since then played significant roles in capturing towns such as Soledar, Popasna and Lysychansk offering relative operational competence while the Kremlin has been forced to repeatedly switch around command of its own forces in the face of heavy losses. Wagner fighters in a Soledar salt mine after Prigozhin claimed to have taken the town (Telegram) Prigozhin had been at pains to claim victories for Wagner in Ukraine before his death, sometimes putting him at odds with the Kremlin line. He has even accused Russias defence ministry of taking credit for Wagner successes. In the battle for Soledar, a small town subject to an intense assault as part of Russias still-ongoing campaign to take over the city of Bakhmut, Prigozhin said his mercenaries had triumphed over Ukrainian forces days before the Kremlin said its own troops had done the same. Bakhmut is prized by Moscow as its capture would put Russian forces in a stronger position in the goal of capturing all of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that make up the Donbas. On 12 February, Prigozhin said Wagner had taken the village of Krasna Hora near Bakhmut, making no mention of Russian forces as Moscow began to launch a major offensive targeting the Donetsk town along with several other frontline settlements. Wagner fighters posing outside the village of Krasna Hora (Reuters) Speculation had raged over Prigozhins ambitions in Russian politics and there were signs that Mr Putin was sensitive to any potential challenges from his former cook before the plane crash rendered such concerns null and void. Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser who maintains contacts in political circles, said the Russian government had extracted a promise from Prigozhin that he would not create his own political movement or join a parliamentary party unless asked to do so by officials. They are a little afraid of him and find him an inconvenient person, Mr Markov said in July. The group, formally Wagner PMC (Private Military Company), recently moved its headquarters to an imposing glass high-rise in St Petersburg, which also acts as a technology centre and holds exhibits of advanced weaponry along grey corridors filled with camouflaged personnel. The Wagner Groups headquarters in St Petersburg (EPA) Unsettling accounts of life in the mercenary group surfaced recently from former members including Andrei Medvedev, who sought asylum in Norway in January after deserting a Wagner regiment in Ukraine. The 26-year-old said sergeants were ruthless in their attempts to recruit new fighters. They would round up those who did not want to fight and shoot them in front of newcomers, he alleged in an interview with CNN. They brought two prisoners who refused to go fight and they shot them in front of everyone and buried them right in the trenches that were dug by the trainees. Andrei Medvedev in Oslo after fleeing Wagner command (Reuters) The MoD said last July that Wagner was lowering recruitment standards to include formerly blacklisted individuals. Mr Medvedev claimed he joined Wagner as a volunteer after serving in the Russian military. He said he and his fellow fighters were often sent into battle with little direction. Two former Wagner fighters captured by Ukraine told CNN of devastating losses in assaults reminiscent of First World War infantry charges. Recalling his first assault near the village of Bilohorivka in Luhansk, one said: There were 90 of us. Sixty died in that first assault, killed by mortar fire. A handful remained wounded. The other fighter said he was involved in a push for Lysychansk on the Luhansk-Donetsk border. The first steps into the forest were difficult because of all the landmines spread out. Out of 10 guys, seven were killed immediately, he said. The fight went on for five days, he said. There is no feeling attached to it. Just wave after wave. Four hundred [Wagner fighters] were brought there, and then more and more, all the time. Further evidence of brutality emerged on 14 February, as footage appeared to show a Russian convict who fought for Wagner being beaten to death with a sledgehammer after being accused of fleeing the war. The UKs opposition Labour Party is just the latest political organisation to demand the Wagner Group be classified as a terrorist organisation in response to its barbarous conduct in Ukraine and beyond. Following Prigozhins failed mutiny and subsequent death exactly two months later, the future of the group and its role in the Ukraine war are now uncertain. Mercenaries have started to train Belarusian special forces at a military range just a few miles from the border with Nato-member Poland. Prigozhin was shown in a video on welcoming his fighters to Belarus after the rebellion, telling them they would take no further part in the Ukraine war for now but ordering them to gather their strength for Africa while they trained the Belarusian army. "The armed forces of Belarus continue joint training with the fighters of the Wagner PMC," the Belarusian defence ministry said. Graves of Wagner fighters in a cemetery near the village of Bakinskaya (Reuters) During the week, special operations forces units together with representatives of the company will work out combat training tasks at the Brest military range. The range is just three miles east of the Polish border. On Thursday 20 July, the UK announced a wave of sanctions against individuals and businesses involved with the Wagner Group in Mali, Central African Republic and Sudan. These sanctions will limit financial freedoms by preventing UK citizens, companies and banks from dealing with them, alongside freezing any assets held in the UK and travel bans, the government website has said. The UK government has accused the Wagner Group of operating in Mali, CAR and Sudan for several years and aggressively pursuing Russian foreign policy interests in the region and providing military support to counter-terrorism operations which have seen hundreds of civilians killed. Prior to his death, Prigozhin was also sanctioned by the UK, as were several of his key commanders who participated in Russias illegal invasion of Ukraine. 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 }} Once a businessman with a catering empire friendly with Vladimir Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin manoeuvred himself into a position so powerful that, as Russias war in Ukraine progressed, he could openly question his paymasters strategy. The owner of the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, the mercenary force that has fought some of the Russian militarys toughest battles in Ukraine most notably the drawn-out pursuit of Bakhmut the 62-year-old stepped into his most dangerous role yet this summer: preaching open rebellion against his countrys military leadership. Now, two months after his mens attempted uprising ended in uneasy peace talks, Prigozhin is dead in a plane crash just outside of Moscow. Yevgeny Prigozhin has now been confirmed dead by Russian investigators (Razgruzka_Vagnera telegram channel) On 23 August, a private plane he was on board came down in the Tver region after taking off from the capital en route to St Petersburg, killing 10 people on board. Four days later, Russias Investigative Committee has confirmed that after genetic tests he was one of the victims. His deputies Dmitry Utkin and Valery Chekalov were also on the passenger list for the flight. There have been claims - denied by the Kremlin - that the crash was retribution for the events of 23 June, when the Wagner chief finally escalated what had been months of scathing criticism of Russias conduct of the war by calling for an armed uprising to oust Russias defence chiefs Valery Gerasimov and Sergei Shoigu. His men occupied Rostov-on-Don and marched on Moscow, shooting down a number of military helicopters, killing their pilots as they advanced. Russian security services reacted immediately, opening a criminal investigation and demanding Prigozhins arrest. In a sign of how seriously the Kremlin took the threat posed, riot police and the National Guard scrambled to tighten security at key facilities in the Russian capital, including government agencies and transport infrastructure, Tass reported. Putin branded the rebellion an act of treachery. Prigozhin urged Russian civilians to join his march to justice and the situation remained extremely volatile throughout the following Saturday before peace talks, seemingly mediated by Belarussian president Alexander Lukashenko, brought the standoff to a peaceful conclusion. Prigozhin repeatedly condemned Russias regular army leaders (AP) The Kremlin said that to avert bloodshed, Prigozhin and some of his fighters would leave for Belarus and a criminal case against him for armed mutiny would be dropped. Putins spokesman Dmitry Peskov revealed that a three-hour meeting had taken place five days after the mutiny, on 29 June with 35 people in attendance, including Wagner unit commanders, who reiterated their loyalty to their leader. But confusion subsequently surrounded the implementation of that deal and it was not clear whether the mercenary leader ever made it to Minsk. Before long, he was seen back in his homeland, appearing at the Trezzini Palace Hotel in St Petersburg, apparently on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Summit. On 5 July, state television said an investigation against him was still being pursued and broadcast footage showing cash, passports, weapons and other items it said were seized in a raid on one of his properties. In August, he appeared in a video that he suggested was shot in Africa, where Wagner has operations in several countries. Putins chef The relationship between Prigozhin and Putin went way back, both having been born in Leningrad, now St Petersburg, the former born on 1 June 1961. During the final years of the Soviet Union, while the president was then a lowly KGB agent, Prigozhin served nine years in prison for crimes including robbery and fraud. After his release in 1990, he launched a career as a caterer in his home town, owning a hot dog stand and then a string of upmarket restaurants that attracted Mr Putins interest. In his first term in office, the Russian leader took then-French president Jacques Chirac to dine at one of them. Vladimir Putin saw how I built a business out of a kiosk, he saw that I dont mind serving to the esteemed guests because they were my guests, Prigozhin recalled in an interview in 2011. Prigozhin showing Vladimir Putin his school lunch factory outside St Petersburg in 2010 (Sputnik/AFP/Getty) His businesses expanded significantly into catering. Leveraging political connections, Prigozhin was awarded major state contracts and, in 2010, Mr Putin helped him open his own factory, built on generous loans from a state bank. In Moscow alone, school meals contracts for his company Concord were worth millions. He also organised catering for Kremlin events for several years earning him the nickname Putins chef, although more recently he joked that Putins butcher would be more appropriate. Concord has also provided catering and utility services to the Russian military. In 2017, opposition figure and corruption fighter Alexei Navalny accused Prigozhins companies of breaking antitrust laws by bidding for around 300m in defence ministry contracts. Prigozhin reportedly had a net worth of $1 billion at the time of his death. Military connection In 2014, he founded Wagner, a Kremlin-allied private military company whose mercenary fighters have come to play a central role in Mr Putins projection of Russian influence in trouble spots around the world, including Syria, Libya and the Central African Republic. The United States has sanctioned it and accused it of atrocities, which Prigozhin denied. Wagner fighters allegedly provide security for national leaders or warlords in exchange for lucrative payments, often including a share of gold or other natural resources. US officials say Russia may also be using Wagners work in Africa to support its war in Ukraine. Prigozhins mercenaries have become a major force in that conflict, fighting as counterparts to the Russian army in battles against Ukrainian forces. A poster of a Russian soldier with a slogan reading Glory to the heroes of Russia opposite the PMC Wagner Centre in St Petersburg (AFP/Getty) That includes Wagner fighters battling for Bakhmut, where the bloodiest and longest battles have taken place. By May this year, Wagner forces and Russian soldiers appeared to have largely won the city, a victory with strategically slight importance for the invader, despite the cost in lives. The US estimates that nearly half of the 20,000 Russian troops killed in Ukraine since December were Wagner fighters in Bakhmut. Prigozhins soldiers-for-hire include thousands of inmates recruited from Russian prisons. Raging against Russias generals As his forces fought and died en masse in Ukraine, Prigozhin increasingly raged against the Russian militarys top brass. He used social media to trumpet Wagners successes and accuse the army of incompetence and even treason. In a video released by his team in May, Prigozhin stood next to rows of bodies he said were those of Wagner fighters. He accused Russias regular military of incompetence and of starving his troops of the weapons and ammunition they needed to fight. These are someones fathers and someones sons, Prigozhin declared bitterly. The scum that doesnt give us ammunition will eat their guts in hell. US election meddling The former convict and Kremlin caterer has acknowledged that he founded and financed the Internet Research Agency, a company that Washington says is a troll farm that meddled in the 2016 US presidential election. In November 2022, Prigozhin said he had interfered in US elections and would do so again. He and a dozen other Russian nationals and three Russian companies were all charged with operating a covert social media campaign aimed at fomenting discord ahead of Donald Trumps victory. They were indicted as part of special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian election interference. The US Treasury Department subsequently sanctioned Prigozhin and associates repeatedly in connection with both the alleged election interference and his leadership of Wagner. Masks showing the faces of Putin, Prigozhin and Chechnya's regional leader Ramzan Kadyrov at a souvenir shop in St Petersburg (AP) After the 2018 indictment, the RIA Novosti news agency quoted Prigozhin as saying, in a clearly sarcastic remark: Americans are very impressionable people; they see what they want to see. I treat them with great respect. Im not at all upset that Im on this list. If they want to see the devil, let them see him. The Biden White House called him a known bad actor prior to his death and State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Prigozhins bold confession, if anything, appears to be just a manifestation of the impunity that crooks and cronies enjoy under President Putin and the Kremlin. Avoiding challenges to Putin As Prigozhin grew more outspoken against the way Russias conventional military had conducted the fighting in Ukraine, he continued to play a seemingly indispensable role for the Russian offensive and appeared to suffer no retaliation from Mr Putin for his criticism of Moscows generals. Media reports at times suggested Prigozhins influence over the president was growing and that he was hoping to be rewarded with a prominent political post, although some analysts felt this assessment of his ambitions was overstated. Hes not one of Putins close figures or a confidant, said Mark Galeotti of University College, London, who specialises in Russian security affairs, speaking on his podcast, In Moscows Shadows. Prigozhin does what the Kremlin wants and does very well for himself in the process. But thats the thing he is part of the staff rather than part of the family, he said. Prigozhin had become a thorn in Putins side - but the Kremlin denies involvement in his death (Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation) A dramatic end Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash just two months after his abortive mutiny on Russias top military chiefs, which culminated in a march on Moscow. His private jet came down north-west of Moscow on 23 August, killing all those on board. His death was confirmed on Sunday, four days after the crash. His right-hand man Dmitry Utkin was also on board the Embraer Legacy 600 jet, as well as five other passengers and three crew members, according to the passenger list. The Kremlin has denied speculation it was to blame for the crash. During a conference call with journalists on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the BBC there was lots of speculation around the tragic deaths. In the West, of course, this speculation comes from a certain angle. Its all a complete lie, Mr Peskov went on. A man who has travelled more than 4,000 miles from San Antonio in the search for the Loch Ness Monster says he is optimistic. Ken Gerhard, 55, has been fascinated by the mystery since he was 15. This weekend he is joining the largest ever hunt for Nessie, taking place in Inverness. He said: I am optimistic of new evidence and I am here to show support for the renewed effort. He says new toys and gadgets will make the search easier. Mr Gerhard said: Tonight we are launching drones with thermal imagery. I believe Nessie is a warm-blooded species and nocturnal. Weddings, funerals and ukulele nights how rural publicans are fighting to keep the lights on As the sector continues to be hit by closures, many have realised you have to diversify if you want to stay in business Margaret and Padraig Power run Bradshaws in Castleconnell, Co Limerick, which has hosted weddings since the pandemic. Were lucky that we have the venue we have, says Margaret. Photo: Don Moloney Caoimhe Gordon Sat 26 Aug 2023 at 03:30 Reports this week confirmed that the numbers of Irish pubs are dwindling. Almost 2,000 pubs across the country have shut since 2005, The Drinks Industry Group of Ireland reported, describing the findings as alarming. McDonell Area Catholic Schools and the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District have been working to address heat in school facilities during unseasonably warm weather. Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District has come up with a temporary fix for cooling two local schools after parents and students at elementary schools in the district expressed concern over a lack of air conditioning at Hillcrest and Jim Falls elementary schools at the June and July school board meetings. The district has purchased window units and installed spot coolers to help keep classrooms from getting too warm. The school board has been working to resolve the concerns throughout the summer. Options were limited due to infrastructure limitations in the aging buildings. Both Hillcrest and Jim Falls lack the physical infrastructure for centralized cooling. Thats made addressing the issue more complicated and expensive. Chippewa Falls school district executive director of business services and finance Chad Trowbridge said at Jim Falls Elementary, relocation of electrical outlets is underway to power 10 new window air conditioners purchased from Amundson Appliance for $4,000. At Hillcrest Elementary, electricians are identifying outlets that can be used for spot coolers without overloading circuits that are shared between spaces. Trowbridge said this will require most non-educational items be unplugged to make sure the spot coolers, which have been rented from United Rentals, dont cause shorts in the electrical system. The big thing I think were going to wind up struggling with is getting staff to know that non-educational items arent running so that we dont pop fuses, Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District Superintendent Jeffrey Holmes said Tuesday. The spot coolers, which were installed earlier in the week, require temporary ducting from the area where the outlets are located. The cost of the rented spot coolers is $14,800 per month, according to Trowbridge. Hats off to our maintenance crew, having our window plates ready, ready to cut holes, plug the ductwork, just making sure everything was ready, Trowbridge said. We had all the units running today over at Hillcrest. We didnt have any issues. So it made a difference fairly quickly. Theyre not going to be a perfect solution, but its something that will certainly help and I was surprised at how quickly they cooled down. Theres nobody there right now, so its not a full blown test here. But you know, well know more here in the next few days. Holmes said he appreciates the work Trowbridge has done in overseeing the project throughout the summer. He looked at it from multiple angles, Holmes said. The work that he did with the electricians in making sure that Jim Falls is now able to support those window units and that Hillcrest is able to have spot coolers was great. McDonnell schools McDonell Area Catholic Schools has had similar heat issues since its buildings were erected in 1965, just a year after Hillcrest Elementary. We do not have central air in any of our buildings. We do have mini-splits and window units in some areas. So we utilize those, as well as fans, for indoor climate control as best we can, said McDonell Area Catholic Schools System President Molly Bushman. Any rooms that get consistently used over the summer have a window or floor unit for cooling, Bushman said. But that doesnt completely solve the problem. Our biggest challenge is actually large communal areas like the commons, the auditorium and the gymnasium, which obviously cant be served by window units, she said. We do have plans and funding in place to add AC to our auditorium. So that is just a matter of time, and then were hoping to extend that to our other common areas. Bushman said the school has 90% of the funding necessary to install air conditioning in the auditorium and is working with contractors to make necessary plans for the upgrade. A donation from BA Mason Trust funded a large portion of the costs for the air conditioning in the auditorium, Bushman said. She said ideally the renovation will happen before the summer of 2024. Bushman said the school monitors the weather for excessive heat warnings. The school has a heat safety plan should a heat warning be issued before the renovations are in place. Since students return to class for the 2023-2024 school year on Tuesday, there is some concern about heat impacting students and staff, especially considering temperatures in Chippewa Falls hit the triple-digits this week. It looks like its not supposed to be as hot next week. Well be monitoring that. If we do have an excessive heat warning next week we may choose to either have virtual instruction or a rescheduled school day out of caution of course for student safety, she said. We encourage everyone to dress for the weather to stay hydrated, to limit outdoor activity and just use common sense. A new horror movie highlights the persistent tropes of an industry that has been slow to come to terms with racism First black film star: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night (1967) Adverts for The Blackening, a new horror film in cinemas this week, use the ingenious tagline: We cant all die first. It refers to the infamous Hollywood horror trope whereby, if a Black character is introduced, you know theyre going to get it in the neck before anyone else. But in The Blackening, all the central characters are Black, a group of old college friends who have rented a cabin in the woods to celebrate Juneteenth, a federal holiday marking the end of slavery. The first sign that something is amiss comes when Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and her boyfriend Shawn (Jay Pharoah) are exploring the cabin and come across a grotesque segregationist Jim Crow-style board game. They soon find themselves in the clutches of a killer, who tells the group that the only way theyll survive the night is by sacrificing the blackest among them. This vexed question opens up a can of worms: one of them has a white father, another is married to a white woman; and worse still, one man admits he voted for Donald Trump twice. Their intimate knowledge of African-American culture will be closely scrutinised in a fiendish quiz boasting such challenges as name five Black actors who appeared in Friends. The Blackening is more broadly comedic than Jordan Peeles films, but all the same has something to say about the essential intractability of American racism. When one of the group, in a moment of weakness, suggests calling the cops, they all burst out laughing. Hollywood has reliably mirrored a nations most stubborn prejudices, and The Blackenings premise points to the marginal position Black people have been forced until very recently to occupy in American cinema. In fact, in the earliest Hollywood films, Black characters often werent played by Black actors at all. The odious tradition of blackface was carried into cinema from the popular theatres and music halls, and reached its shameful apotheosis in DW Griffiths 1915 epic Birth of a Nation. In its most notorious scenes, Griffiths film used white actors in blackface to portray African-Americans as barefoot savages and crazed rapists. From the very start, Hollywoods racism was deep-rooted. Probably the first Black actor to be cast in a leading role in a mainstream film was Sam Lucas, who starred in a 1914 silent adaptation of Uncle Toms Cabin. He was a remarkable talent, an actor, singer, comedian and songwriter who composed spirituals and worked in legitimate theatre. But at various points in his career he was forced to resort to blackface shows that crudely caricatured his own people. And although Uncle Toms Cabin represented a career highlight, the character Lucas played was a passive and compliant slave who would inspire a popular insult. This was the lot of even the finest Black actors, who when they did appear in mainstream Hollywood films invariably played either servants or savants who conformed to popular stereotypes. Black artists with loftier ambitions were obliged to operate in a parallel universe, making so-called race films intended exclusively for a Black audience. Their target was the poor southern Black people who were migrating in huge numbers to the industrial cities of the north, and many future luminaries, from Paul Robeson to Hattie McDaniel, learned their trade on the race films. One of the most significant directors of race films was Spencer Williams, a Louisiana-born performer who had considerable success with his 1941 film The Blood of Jesus, an imaginative fantasy about the battle for a dying womans soul. But Williams ended up in the TV show Amos n Andy, a controversial comedy accused of playing to the worst white prejudices. For all the success of actors like Dorothy Dandridge or McDaniel, the first African-American to win an Oscar (for Gone with the Wind), Black performers and film-makers existed on the periphery of the industry until the breakthrough of Sidney Poitier in the 1950s. By then, of course, the times were changing, and in Georgia a young Baptist preacher called Martin Luther King was leading the call for equal civil rights. But Poitier might have made it anyway: the child of Bahamian farmers, he learnt his trade in New York City, and studied the voices of white radio announcers to hone his elegant speaking voice. Tall, poised and strikingly handsome, Poitier made his breakthrough playing a rebellious high school student in the 1955 social drama Blackboard Jungle, and most of his best-known films would confront the thorny issue of racism. In Guess Whos Coming to Dinner (1967), he was the fiance of a young white woman whose liberal parents (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn) are secretly horrified by the idea of an interracial marriage. And the same year, in In the Heat of the Night, he played a Philadelphia cop confronting Jim Crow racism in Mississippi. First black film star: Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger in In the Heat of the Night (1967) Poitier was the first Black film star, but by the late 1960s had become deeply unfashionable. He was too polite about it all, and some unkind critics accused him of being an Uncle Tom. Something much more earthy was on the way Blaxploitation. The legacy of the Blaxploitation movies is vexed, because though they starred and were sometimes directed by Black people, white producers ran the show and hoovered up most of the profits. They also pandered to weary Black stereotypes in an effort to produce movies that would sell in African-American communities. For all that, some of these movies caught the authentic flavour of life in the American inner cities the white middle classes had so recently fled. Blaxploitation facilitated the rise of talented Black directors like Melvin van Peebles, Gordon Parks and Bill Gunn, whose films told stories from the point of view of Black protagonists. Meanwhile, in the Hollywood mainstream, life was as hard as ever for Black performers, writers and film-makers. Comedian Richard Pryor did make a breakthrough of sorts in the late 1970s, starring opposite Gene Wilder in the hit comedy Stir Crazy (1980), and paving the way for the arrival of Eddie Murphy. Murphys 1980s films have not stood the test of time too well, but he was the biggest Black star since Poitier, and arguably a more authentic one, prone to castigating fellow African-Americans for diluting their authenticity by trying to be white. In 1989, Spike Lee exploded on to the scene with Do the Right Thing, a comic drama about a sexually liberated young Black woman. Lee called his production company 40 Acres and a Mule, a blunt reference to the failed promises of the post-slavery Reconstruction era, and his best films, like Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X, would address head-on the issue of endemic racism. Hes still at it: his 2018 movie BlacKkKlansman is one of the best films Ive seen on the subject. Progress, meanwhile, was being made, and in the 1990s a Black star emerged who was big enough to transcend issues of race altogether. A New York actor who cut his teeth on TV dramas, Denzel Washington first came to prominence playing Black heroes, like South African activist Steve Biko, in Cry Freedom (1987), and a union soldier in Glory (1989). But as his career grew, he began to be cast in dramas that had nothing to do with race politics, and by the mid-2000s was fronting up action films and choosing parts that had nothing to do with ethnicity. Fences, starring and directed by Denzel Washington, with Viola Davis, received Oscar recognition Washington is an accomplished director, and in his 2016 adaptation of August Wilsons play Fences, he cast Viola Davis as his characters long-suffering wife. Davis, too, has overcome tired barriers, mixing heavyweight race roles like Ma Raineys Black Bottom with appearances in comedies and superhero films. She won an Oscar for Fences; Washington was nominated for two. The genesis of a fertile age for African-American writers and directors might be traced to the 1980s, when members of the Los Angeles School of Black Filmmakers, or the UCLA Rebellion, began making Black arthouse films that offered a corrective to Hollywoods glib shorthand. In 1991, Julie Dashs Daughters of the Dust was the first feature directed by an African-American woman to be distributed theatrically in the US. A decade later, Ava DuVernay emerged from southern California with a perceptive short film called Saturday Night Life, based on her mothers experiences as a single parent. It was the beginning of a stellar career which saw DuVernay become the first African-American woman to be nominated as a director for a Golden Globe, and a Best Picture Oscar both for her powerful 2014 drama Selma. Even better, arguably, is her 2016 documentary 13th, an examination of the disturbing connections between slavery and the US prison system. Barry Jenkins, one of the most talented contemporary American film-makers, channelled his childhood experiences into Moonlight (2016), an Oscar-winning account of a gay Black mans coming-of-age in a Miami project. And then theres Jordan Peele, whose 2017 film Get Out showed how genre pictures could be used to address deeper societal issues. Daniel Kaluuya played Chris Washington, a Brooklyn photographer who becomes uneasy when he goes to visit his white girlfriends rural estate. For a start, it looks a bit like a plantation, and while the parents seem liberal, and insist they would have voted for Obama three times if it was possible, every single one of their servants is Black. Sometimes, making all the right noises isnt enough. The Blackening is in cinemas now Results are in and one student has aced big exam to highlight failings in disability service provision Ava Priestley, Grace ODonovan and Darcie Nolan were delighted with their Leaving Cert Results at St Mac Daras Community College, Tempelogue. Photo: Steve Humphreys At 12 years old, Cara Darmody is the youngest person in Ireland to pass Leaving Cert maths. That statement probably does her a disservice because, in reality, she has done much more than pass it. Cara is using her incredible score of 97pc to highlight the plight of Irelands disabled children. The disability rights campaigner had her first day at Loreto Secondary School in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, yesterday. Last year, aged 11, Cara achieved a 97pc score in Junior Cert maths paper two. Now, she has Paper 1 of Leaving Cert maths under her belt too. The schoolgirl, from Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary, has been lobbying government ministers for months to improve the services for intellectually disabled children and their families. Her brothers Neil (10) and John (6) are autistic and have significant intellectual disabilities. Cara has watched as her parents, Mark and Noelle Darmody, have fought for help for Neil and John. I did the exam for children with special needs and autism, Cara said. Theyre treated disgracefully. Its wrong that 20,000 children are left on a waiting list. Ive told politicians in the Dail they need to do something about it. Theyve not listened. Im telling them what change needs to happen. Ill keep annoying them until change takes place. Caras father who tutored her for Leaving Cert maths said the Government has indicated it would fund the private assessments of children with special needs waiting to be seen. But Mr Darmody added: However, theyve not given a start date, and that needs to happen next. Yesterday was a day for celebration, with plans for dinner at the schoolgirls favourite Chinese restaurant. Meanwhile, there were scenes of joy in schools around the country, as the long wait for results finally came to an end. There were 61,736 candidates for the exams, including 3,730 who sat the Leaving Cert Applied. There were tears of happiness and relief at St Mac Daras Community College in Templeogue, Dublin, as the students opened their Leaving Cert results, with a number bagging the top 625 points. Years of anticipation being suddenly released led to some tearful students falling into their friends and parents arms, as the magnitude of results day took its toll. Ava Priestley (18), crying tears of happiness, was enveloped by her mother Audreys arms. Both mother and daughter wept together in a touching moment. Im still processing, Ava said. Mum came down with me. Its a really surreal feeling, knowing all the hard work paid off. The mocks were a bit hard, so seeing the blood, sweat and tears has paid off, has made today so important. And it was really amazing getting to hug Mum, knowing Id done well. Ava is now hoping to study psychology at UCD. But while her schoolwork has finally been completed, Avas mother has to now watch her son, Jack, whos recently sat the Junior Cert, go through the same process of academia. Still wiping away tears, Ms Priestley said: You ramp yourself up, thinking its coming at you. You think you can handle it, as a parent, but youre travailing that emotion every day with your children. Ive seen my children working so hard but I said to Ava, shes not validated by the points. I dont feel children should ever be defined by points. They work so hard, theyre under so much pressure on their shoulders when theyre only 17 and 18. Im so proud of Ava but all I ever want for my children is for them to be happy. If kids try their best, its enough in my view. Grace ODonovan (17), from Walkinstown, also wants to study psychology and is hoping for a place at Trinity College. I think the exams werent as bad as I thought theyd be, Grace said. Im nervous for whats to come but Im looking forward to college. Dublin Children's Court heard claims the teen recently followed detectives to get a chase and nearly ran over a child doing a wheelie A DUBLIN youth accused of ramming a patrol vehicle with two gardai in Ballyfermot had bail revoked and was held in custody today after goading detectives on a fast electric motorbike. Dublin Childrens Court heard claims the teen recently followed detectives to get a chase and nearly ran over a child doing a wheelie. Judge Michele Finan accepted he had breached a road ban, which was one of his bail terms, and remanded him to the Oberstown Children Detention Campus. The boy, 16, is awaiting trial over an incident at Cherry Orchard Avenue in Ballyfermot, Dublin, on the evening of September 19, 2022. Clips of the scenes went viral on social media last year. A stolen silver Toyota Aqua collided head-on twice with the garda car, which was also side-swiped once by another Toyota Aqua, allegedly driven by the boy. He had been given bail with several strict conditions conditions. A preliminary hearing was scheduled in September to consider if his case should remain in the Childrens Court or go to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. The schoolboy is charged with unlawful use of a stolen car at Cedarbrook Avenue, dangerous driving in a manner including speed at Cherry Orchard Avenue, criminal damage to a garda car and endangering the lives of the two officers. Psychological assessments had commenced at the behest of the defence in preparation for the trial venue decision. Detective Garda Chris Jones obtained an arrest warrant to bring the boy back before the court to apply for bail revocation. In evidence, he said the teen had broken a 10pm 8am curfew and an order not to use any motor vehicle. He alleged that on a date in July, the teenager was on an electric motorbike capable of up to 80km/h, which followed a garda vehicle for 10 to 15 minutes in south Dublin. Detective Jones said he took a photo of the boy to detract him from goading us to chase him. On another date last month, the teenager was found in a house of extended family members several hours beyond his curfew. Another curfew breach happened when the teen was part of a crowd verbally abusing gardai, but he complied with a caution to leave the vicinity. The court heard that earlier this week, the teenager was spotted doing an estimated 6070km/h on the same electric motorbike in a crowded area. Detective Jones said the teen went on footpaths and almost collided with a young child while performing a wheelie. Defence solicitor Lorraine Stephens told Judge Finan her client accepted that he broke the terms and pleaded for a final chance for the boy, who has no prior convictions and had never been in custody. She said the teens assessment needed to be completed, and in future his visibly upset mother would agree to custody if he kept breaking the bail terms. Ms Stephens also said there is a loophole in the law about electric scooters, often sold to young people as not being considered mechanically propelled vehicles. The teens family clubbed together to buy the one referred to in the evidence because the boy had been good. However, his mother, who was present for the hearing with two other relatives, has confiscated it, and it will be sold. Judge Finan said there had to be 100pc compliance with bail terms, and he knew he was off the road and had to obey a curfew. She remanded him in custody to appear again next Friday but a fresh bail application could be brought at a later stage. Another 16-year-old boy, accused of twice ramming the garda car during the incident, remains on bail and is due back in court in September. He is to be served with a book of evidence and sent forward to the higher court on a not guilty plea. A 15-year-old boy who admitted to being a passenger in one of the stolen cars is awaiting sentence at the Childrens Court; his case resumes later. Floral tributes left along the quayside in Youghal, Co Cork, in memory of the two Triathalon participants who died on Sunday. Photo: Michael Mac Sweeney/Provision As Storm Betty swept over Youghal Bay, few could have foreseen that it would leave heartache in its wake. The deaths of two triathlon competitors, Meath man Brendan Wall (45) and Canadian Ivan Chittenden (65), during the Ironman Cork event on Sunday morning, has sparked controversy over not just the future of the east Cork towns showcase sports event but the risks posed by such ultra-endurance competitions and how they are supervised and regulated. Being faced with the dilemma of dramatically decreasing numbers of priests will not be something that has come as a surprise to Bishop of Ferns Ger Nash. In fact, upon his appointment, he spoke of his work in this area in his former Diocese of Killaloe in Co Clare, one which saw 18 parishes with no priest whatsoever and required some outside the box thinking. While noting that the decline was not quite as dramatic in Ferns, in his very first interview Bishop Nash spoke of the need to plan for the future amid an obvious decline in vocations. Just last year, while announcing personnel changes across the diocese, the Bishop conceded that it was no longer possible to provide a priest for each parish or curacy. The solution, Bishop Nash revealed in his most recent pastoral letter, lies with seeking greater involvement in the church from lay people and assigning them roles which were traditionally reserved for ordained ministers. "In the autumn of this year, I will be inviting people to participate in developing the faith life of the families, parishes and pastoral areas of the diocese, he said. We will be encouraging a renewal of mission from committed lay people to prepare for and take up specific roles which in the past were undertaken by ordained ministers. "After a series of consultations with people and priests on the kinds of training that will be needed to facilitate the future flourishing of faith in the diocese, it has been agreed that we need several different strands of training. These will suit different people with different interest areas and with different amounts of time to participate. After consultation, Bishop Nash says that the Diocese will be be seeking both men and women for the following roles: Catechists, whose job it will be to work with families and children in the parish who are preparing for the three great sacraments of welcome Baptism, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Pastoral Care Workers who will be tasked to work with the sick and housebound and to assist families in the time around funerals and bereavements. Leaders of Parish Prayer, with scripture, to build up their capacity to lead communities in prayer and Liturgy. Parish Administrators and Leaders, who will ensure the continuation and viability of the individual parish communities of the diocese when they dont have a resident priest. Finally, Facilitators with Accord will be sought to help couples to prepare well for the sacrament of marriage and their lives together. Bishop Nash says that further information will be sent out to each parish in September and that this will be followed by information evenings to provide further details on courses. Those interested are urged to keep an eye on their parish newsletters or contact the Diocesan Office directly after September 1 to get details on information evenings. The Kremlin said that Western suggestions Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders were an absolute lie while declining to definitively confirm his death, citing the need to wait for test results. Image Courtesy: akitada31 via Pixabay Bhubaneswar: The first ever green hydrogen project on the east coast of India will be set up at an estimated cost of Rs 27,000 crores at the Gopalpur Industrial Park in Odisha. The Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited (TSSEZL) and diversified renewable energy company ACME Group on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here to establish the project. This will be the largest single location of green hydrogen and its derivatives manufacturing facility in the country. Under the definitive agreement, ACME Clean Energy Private Limited (ACME Group) will acquire 343 acres of land in TSSEZLs Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP), located in Odishas Ganjam district to set up a green hydrogen and its derivatives unit. The total investment in this project by ACME Group is estimated to be Rs 27,000 crore, which will be invested in phases. The MoU was signed between Manikanta Naik, Managing Director, TSSEZL, and Sandeep Kashyap, Chief Operating Officer, ACME Group, in the presence of Principal Secretary, Industries Department Hemant Sharma and IPICOL Executive Director Kalyan Mohanty The ACME Group plans to set up a nearly 1.3 MTPA green ammonia production facility at GIP. This green ammonia will be produced from green hydrogen, and the production facilities will be powered by renewable power. The green ammonia produced at this facility will be exported to markets in the west and east from the existing Gopalpur Port facility, which is near the project site. The utility corridor between Gopalpur Industrial Park and Gopalpur Port provides a dedicated corridor for smooth logistics and pipeline connectivity. Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited Managing Director Manikanta Naik, said We are glad that with plug- and-play infrastructure, multi-modal logistics connectivity, ready environmental clearance, and a clear land title. Gopalpur Industrial Park, in a very short span since its inception, is fast emerging as the preferred investment destination of India, he said. TSSEZL, a 100 percent subsidiary of Tata Steel, is developing its flagship industrial park in Gopalpur Industrial Park (GIP), in Odishas Ganjam district. The company aims to develop the GIP as an emerging manufacturing hub for both domestic and export-oriented industries. Founder and Chairman, ACME Group Manoj K. Upadhyay expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and other stakeholders for their support of ACME Groups Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia project in the state. He said the company has signed a MoU with Tata Steel Special Economic Zone Limited (TSSEZL) to set up the facilities. The Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia project will make India a global hub for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives. This project will enable us to offer Make in India Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia to domestic and international markets at a competitive price, Upadhyay added. Mahendar Pal Singh, a name that has become synonymous with Indias space odyssey, is not just another scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). He represents the dreams, aspirations, and pride of an entire nation. As a key figure behind the historic lunar soft landing of Indias Chandrayaan-3 mission, Singh has etched his name in the annals of Indias space exploration history. Hailing from the Sikh community, a demographic underrepresented in the realm of Indian science, Singhs rise to prominence at ISRO stands as a testament to his unparalleled dedication, brilliance, and tenacity. His journey to such esteemed ranks, culminating in the monumental success of Chandrayaan-3, shines a light on the indomitable spirit and vast contributions of the Sikh community to the tapestry of Indian innovation. The Sikh community, known for its rich history, enduring valor, and commitment to service, has time and again shown that its members can excel in diverse fields. Mahendar Pal Singhs success is a glorious addition to this legacy, illuminating a path for many young Sikhs who aspire to contribute to the world of science. Indias Chandrayaan-3 moon landing wasnt just about reaching a celestial body; it was about showcasing the nations prowess, determination, and collective efforts on an international platform. In this colossal undertaking, Singhs contributions were paramount. Its evident that individuals like Singh play a crucial role in propelling India onto the global stage, standing shoulder to shoulder with other spacefaring nations. For generations to come, Mahendar Pal Singh will be celebrated not only as a stalwart scientist of ISRO but also as an inspiration for countless aspiring space enthusiasts, especially those from communities that are less represented in the field. His story is a clarion call for young minds to believe in their dreams, irrespective of their backgrounds. Singhs legacy will serve as a poignant reminder that with perseverance, passion, and a sense of purpose, every individual can contribute in making their nation proud. (Image and text credit: Khalsavox.com) Years before becoming the executive director of New Horizons Shelter and Outreach Centers in La Crosse, Ann Kappauf was one of many women living in an abusive relationship without even realizing it. While married to her high school sweetheart in the 1980s, Kappauf says she was hit, strangled, called names and more. But she said, at the time, I just thought I was in a crappy marriage. Kappauf is one of many domestic abuse survivor advocates at facilities across the region, such as the Advocacy Center of Winona and Family Support Center in Chippewa Falls, that seek to offer help for women in situations like the one in which she found herself. Kappauf said she wrote off the actions of her then husband as the result of his alcohol abuse. Missed signs Kappauf wasnt educated at the time about domestic abuse or resources available to help her get out of her harmful situation, and the dangers of her husbands actions were not discussed with friends who may have witnessed them. I just didnt see the signs back then, she said. Instead of being aware of the abuse, she felt personal shame and guilt about what was going on. She said she only realized it was time to get out of the situation when it seemed the abuse was about to be turned on her children. 24-hour domestic abuse crisis lines New Horizons, La Crosse: 1-888-231-0066 Advocacy Center of Winona: 507-452-4453 Family Support Center, Chippewa Falls: 1-800-400-7020 The moment she realized her children were in danger, she decided to get out of the situation even though her husband threatened to seek full custody of their children. Ultimately, that did not happen and she ended up getting a divorce that included her having full physical custody. It wasnt automatic happiness leaving the relationship, as she explained that she felt grief about her marriage ending and was faced with the challenge of being solely responsible for many aspects of her and her childrens lives. Eventually, though, she felt a weight off her shoulders as she was able to reconnect with loved ones that she felt previously isolated from in her marriage. I felt like I had been living out of state and finally came home, Kappauf said. Moment of realization The recognition that her first marriage was abusive came years later after the situation ended, when she entered into a happy marriage and applied to be an outreach supervisor at New Horizons as she sought to try out a new job field. As she answered interview questions for the position about why someone might remain in an abusive relationship, Kappauf realized she had been in one herself. It was then that it dawned on me. I had been in an abusive situation," she said. "It wasn't just a crappy marriage. My ex was abusive. Looking back, Kappauf couldnt understand how she landed in a relationship like that, as she was taught from a young age that being independent was important. She said abusive relationships have the power to knock down a person's self-esteem and make them feel on edge at all times. Escaping danger It's not always easy for people to get out of abusive relationships once they realize they are in danger. Jeni Haddad, the domestic violence program director at Family Support Center in Chippewa Falls, said threats can sometimes turn into action. "The lethality rate for someone who is attempting to leave an abusive situation is incredibly high," she said. "In the state of Wisconsin, about 70% of people who are killed in domestic relationships are killed when they're trying to leave or shortly after they've left. Haddad said situations escalate when the power paradigm shifts. "Part of the reason for that is violence is really about power and control dynamics, and when someone's leaving, that abusive person is losing all power, all control, she said. Developing a plan Kappauf said some victims may still have hope that the relationship can improve and go back to the way that it was at the start. Kappauf said that other reasons for staying in a relationship include, but are not limited to, guilt, shame, relationship beliefs, financial limitations and fears of threats. Some threats might not have anything to support them, but she said, "Your abuser puts those fears into your head and you believe them. Crystal Hegge, executive director of the Advocacy Center of Winona, said her organization and others like it can develop plans to help victims escape abusive relationships. "We do a safety plan so people can work through the things they need to work through to leave," she said. "Sometimes that can take years and sometimes it can be a little quicker than that. But it really is a matter of setting up a really important safety plan." Haddad said her organization utilizes survivor centered advocacy that aims to put the victim in charge and allows them to make decisions. "A lot of people make the assumption that if there's violence in a relationship, you have to leave. And that's not our assumption," she said. "We are going to let you decide what you need from us. We're never going to tell you what to do. Haddad said the Family Support Center's role is to believe in the survivors of domestic abuse and support them. Red flags Sometimes it can also be hard to recognize that a relationship is abusive, as every situation looks different. Haddad said some red flags in a relationship can include a constant cycle of the need to improve the relationship, a relationship moving too quickly, physical harm, lack of any financial control, sexual and reproduction coercion, stalking, name calling, limitations on being allowed to have a job, control over a partner's everyday actions, putting accounts under a partner's name and then not paying for them, and more. Hegge said it's important to recognize that domestic abuse is usually a reoccurring cycle, not just a one-time argument that included a heated moment. "When we're talking about domestic violence, it's a pattern of abuse," Hegge said. If an outsider sees red flags within someone else's relationship, Kappauf said it's important for them to show their support for the victim and be a person they can talk to. "Do not ever say, 'You need to leave,' or, 'I wouldn't take that,' because that all you're doing is building that wall between you and them," Kappauf said. "And you're making them turn more toward their abuser, because they're gonna feel like that's all they have in life." Bystanders can offer information to loved ones about resources in the area for domestic abuse victims. "Let them know that you're concerned for their safety and that what is happening is really not a healthy relationship," Kappauf said. La Crosse options New Horizons is one of several options in La Crosse. New Horizons offers a 24/7 helpline that is open to both victims and those around them who may have questions about how they can help their loved ones. The group also operates a shelter for those in immediate need of a safe place to live and that have no other options. The shelter, which is at an undisclosed location, has five bedrooms and 18 beds, along with communal spaces. Children and adults are able to live there together. The shelter is always staffed, and advocates are available at all times to speak with those in need of help. New Horizons' outreach centers in La Crosse and Whitehall also offer support groups, trauma counseling services, help with navigating legal needs, assistance with safety planning, housing help and more. New Horizons also has a focus on educating people of all ages about domestic abuse so that they can recognize red flags in their own relationships and help others who may face abusive situations. Winona options Veronica Carbajal Martinez, a bilingual advocate at the Advocacy Center of Winona, said the Winona organization has a similar focus on community education. She said it lets people know there are organizations out there available to help when they are ready to receive it. "You may see a person 10 times, 100 times before they asked for help," Carbajal Martinez said. "Not everybody is willing or ready to deal with their situation right away." The organization also offers a 24-hour crisis line, support with finding emergency and long-term shelter, safety planning, support groups, legal advocacy and other services for Winona County residents. The organization's staff will also accompany domestic abuse survivors to get help from others, like medical professionals, landlords, law enforcement and more. Carbajal Martinez said the group helps connect people with culturally-appropriate resources that best fit their needs. Chippewa Falls options The Family Support Center in Chippewa Falls offers to Chippewa and Eau Claire county residents counseling and advocacy for all ages, legal advocacy, safety planning, 24-hour crisis hotline, community education and help with finding emergency shelter while assisting to find permanent housing. All of the organizations offer confidential services to anybody, no matter who they are or what their backgrounds are like. "We really want people to know that, regardless of what their identity is, that if they're a survivor of violence, that we are a place that they can come in and get some assistance and get some help," Haddad said. Representative image not related to the incident/ courtesy: Pixabay Durgapur/IBNS/UNI: The decomposed body of a third-year computer science and design student was found in his college hostel of Durgapur Engineering College, three days after he went missing, official sources said on Friday. The corpse was found on Thursday afternoon when the sweeper went to check the rooms following a foul smell emanating from the vicinity. The 22-year-old student was found hanging in a hostel room which was not alloted to anyone, the sources said. The victim, identified as Saurav Kumar, who hailed from Bihar's Bhagalpur, had been missing since Tuesday. The college authorities informed the victim's father, who rushed here on Friday morning. Rajdeep Ray, the dean of students' welfare of Dr BC Roy Engineering College (Durgapur), said the student had been missing since August 22. The bereaved father has lodged an FIR with the local police station and claimed his son did not commit suicide as there was no such note. The body was sent for post-mortem. Police said the matter is under investigation. This comes days after the death of a first-year undergraduate student of Jadavpur University on the campus from alleged ragging in the hostel. Police have arrested six students so far in connection with the death of the first-year student. In image PM Narendra Modi/ courtesy: PIB New Delhi/IBNS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bengaluru on Saturday to meet and interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. He will also be briefed about the findings and progress in the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. PM Modi will visit the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at around 7.15 a.m. in Delhi and reach Bengaluru immediately after returning from his visit to South Africa and Greece. "Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru on 26th August at around 7:15 AM. He will reach Bengaluru immediately after returning from his visit to South Africa and Greece," the PMO said in a press release. "Prime Minister will meet and interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. He will also be briefed about the findings and progress in the Chandrayaan-3 Mission," it said. Meanwhile, Karnataka Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot Friday congratulated the ISRO for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and said that the lunar mission is the first light of success in the dawn of Amrit Kaal. "India's pursuit of space exploration reaches a remarkable milestone with the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. Chandrayan-3 is the first light of success in the dawn of the Amrit Kaal," Gehlot said in a congratulatory letter. "From the dawn of humankind, we have gazed at the moon and let it work its magic on our minds. The moon turned us into dreamers. Chandrayan-3 is a testament to India's growing technological prowess and our commitment to space exploration," he said. "I am proud of you and your team of scientists and engineers for your hard work and dedication to making this milestone in India's stellar space journey, which makes every Indian Proud," the Governor said. "The soft landing of Chandrayana-3 is a monumental moment that not only fuels curiosity but also sparks a passion for exploration within the minds of our Youth. It generates a profound sense of pride and unity as we collectively celebrate the prowess of Indian Science and Technology," he said. "The magic and science merge and having the moon in our grasp will spark new dreams in the minds of 1.4 billion Indians. Once again I congratulate you and all your team members for their dedication and accomplishment in making India proud," the letter said. [With UNI inputs] Photo Courtesy: Viral Video X grab Muzaffarnagar: A teacher of a public school was booked by the police on Saturday on charges of asking her students to slap a 'Muslim' classmate allegedly for not remembering the maths table in Mansoorpur area of Muzaffarnagar district in Uttar Pradesh, police sources said here. Sources said that a video of teacher Tripta Tyagi of Neha Public School in Khabbupur village went viral on social media on Friday in which she could be seen asking the students to slap their classmate of a minority community for not remembering the table. "On the complaint of the student's father, a Non-Cognizable Report has been filed against the teacher at Mansoorpur police station," they said. Police sources said that in the complaint it has been alleged that the teacher made derogatory remarks against the women of a particular community on August 24. Image Credit: wallpaper cave Kolkata: A 36-year-old man suspected of working as a spy for Pakistan has been arrested in Kolkata, and several sensitive documents have been recovered from his possession, media reported on Saturday citing police sources. Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police officials arrested the individual from his residence in Howrah on Friday night and took him into custody after hours of questioning at the Special Task Force's office in Kolkata. The arrested man is originally from Darbhanga district in Bihar. "The detained individual was found to be directly involved in activities that pose a threat to the safety of the country," the officer stated. Evidence in the form of photographs, videos, and online chats containing sensitive information was discovered on his mobile phone. These materials were allegedly sent by him to a suspected intelligence operative in Pakistan. His mobile device has been seized as well. Preliminary investigations indicated that the man had been working with a courier service company in Kolkata and had previously resided in Delhi. He had been residing in the Howrah area for the last three months after moving from Delhi. He was apprehended on Friday from that location and was interrogated at our office, police said. A local court has remanded him in police custody until September 6. The accused has been arrested under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Official Secrets Act. Royal Mail releases 10 special stamps to celebrate 65th anniversary of Paddington Bear. Photo Courtesy: Royal Mail Twitter page British postal service and courier company Royal Mail recently revealed images of 10 Special Stamps being issued to celebrate 65 years of the most beloved marmalade-loving bear Paddington. Six stamps in the main set are taken from Ivor Woods strip cartoons of Paddington, originally published in the London Evening News newspaper in the late 1970s. In 1975, illustrator, animator, and writer Ivor Wood was instrumental in transforming Paddington from a beloved literary character into a star of the small screen. Working with animation company, FilmFair, Wood designed and directed the first Paddington television series for the BBC. Four stamps presented in a Miniature Sheet capture moments from this TV series. David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy, Royal Mail, said: Paddington continues to bring cheer to generations of children worldwide. These delightful stamps will brighten up the day of anyone receiving mail with a touch of Paddingtons charm. Rachel Clarke, SVP Licensing and Retail UK at The Copyrights Group, said: Paddington is a real heritage brand with a modern hero and we are delighted to be partnering with Royal Mail to celebrate 65 years since Michael Bond first introduced us to the beloved bear. How to get it? The stamps are available to pre-order from today (24 August) at www.royalmail.com/paddington and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is priced at 17.70. The stamps go on general sale on September 5. In light of recent threats faced by the Sikh community in Pakistan, the plight of this minority group has once again come into the spotlight. Former jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, in a recent statement, articulated the longstanding persecution faced by Sikhs in Pakistan, emphasizing that this is not a recent phenomenon but a persistent pattern of victimization. Following a chilling threat letter that ordered the Sikh community to convert to Islam or face deadly consequences, Singh underscored the urgent need for the Pakistani government to intervene and shield its vulnerable minority communities. Sadly, the Sikhs of Pakistan have perennially lived under the looming shadows of fear, subjected to recurrent persecution and targeting. Below, we delve into a series of recent atrocities, that show the persecution of Sikhs is not an isolated incident, but an emerging pattern, casting light on the grim realities they face. On 27th October 2018, in Nankana Sahib, Harinder Kaur became a victim of rape, a heinous act aimed to intimidate and suppress the Sikh community. 5th January 2020 marked a grim day for Sikhs in Peshawar when Ravinder Singh was ruthlessly shot dead. Just a month later, on 14th February 2020, another Sikh man in Punjab faced torture, a clear testament to the brutalities the community encounters. The persecution took a different form on 18th June 2020 in Sindh, where Reshma Kaur was forcibly converted, stripping her of her faith and identity. Further, on 26th July 2020, the sacred resting places of Sikhs in Lahore were desecrated when their graveyard was vandalized, a deeply distressing act for any community. 17th August 2021 witnessed the desecration of the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore, a blatant display of disrespect for Sikh history and heritage. Violence returned to the streets of Peshawar on 15th February 2022 when Papinder Singh sustained gunshot injuries, and a few months later, on 19th April 2022, Mastaan Singh faced a similar fate in Nankana Sahib. Peshawar continued to be a hotspot for anti-Sikh violence, with Kuljeet Singh and Ranjeet Singh being brutally murdered on 15th May 2022. In KPK, on 20th August 2022, Deena Kaur was forcibly converted, highlighting the continued oppression faced by Sikh women in particular. The list of atrocities extended with the rape of Sajil Singh on 10th October 2022 in Jacobabad, Sindh, and the harassment of Harish Singh in the same region on 30th January 2023. The bloodshed persisted in Peshawar, with Dayal Singh being murdered on 31st March 2023, followed closely by the killing of Manmohan Singh on 25th June 2023. A day prior to Manmohan Singhs murder, Tarlok Singh suffered a gunshot wound in Peshawar. Adding to the catalogue of abuses, Sikh women in a Gurudwara in Sukkur, Sindh, were harassed on 29th June 2023. Lastly, on 2nd July 2023, Amish Singh in Kandhkot, Sindh, faced harassment, marking yet another dark day for the community. These incidents, while deeply troubling, are only a snapshot of the broader challenges faced by Sikhs in Pakistan. It is vital for the global community to recognize these infringements on human rights and pressurize the Pakistani government to instate robust protective measures, ensuring the safety and dignity of its Sikh citizens. (Image and text credit: Khalsavox.com) Photo Courtesy: Pixabay Police recovered a Chinese citizen's body from Bhairab River in Khulna region of Bangladesh on Saturday, media reports said. The national had earlier gone missing. The deceased was King Jong alias Workboz, an electrical engineer for the under-construction Rupsa 800MW power plant project in Khulna, reports Dhaka Tribune. He has been working in the Khalishpur Power Plant House for the past six months. He did not return after going out to cut his hair on Thursday. Later a general diary was filed in this connection, police told Dhaka Tribune. Police said locals spotted his body in the ghat No 7 area of the Bhairab River. River Police recovered the body and sent it to Khulna Medical College Hospital. Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Commissioner Mozammel Haque told Dhaka Tribune that the police are investigating the Chinese mans mysterious death. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska has announced its sponsorship of 20 statewide health agencies under the Combined Health Agencies Drives (CHAD) umbrella. This sponsorship supports nonprofit organizations throughout the state to serve Nebraskans dealing with a broad spectrum of health issues. CHAD is a local, donor designation-driven organization that has been the fundraising arm for Nebraskas premier health agencies since 1972. Through its Health of Nebraska sponsorship, BCBSNE supports programs that address social determinants of health and a variety of health diagnoses. BCBSNEs 2023-2024 sponsorship will support the following CHAD member agencies: the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Nebraska; ALS Association; American Lung Association; Arthritis Foundation; Autism Action Partnership; Brain Injury Alliance Nebraska; Crohns and Colitis Foundation; Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska; Heart Heroes; National Hemophilia Foundation Nebraska Chapter; JDRF Nebraska; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; National Multiple Sclerosis Society; Nebraska AIDS Project; Nebraska Health Care Foundation; Nebraska Hospice & Palliative Care Association; Nebraska Kidney Association; Susan G. Komen; Team Jack Foundation; and United Cerebral Palsy of Nebraska. BCBSNEs Health of Nebraska sponsorship was first awarded to CHAD in 2020. Nearly 10,000 Nebraskans were directly impacted through BCBSNEs 2022-2023 CHAD sponsorship. The annual funding helped create or expand programming for seven agencies; supported signature events for 11 agencies, which raised a combined $1.4 million for critical programming, resources and medical research; and awarded funding to four agencies respective missions and general expenses. For more information about CHAD and the work of its member agencies or to donate, visit CHADNebraska.org. The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has reportedly lost no fewer than 13 students in less than a month due to a mysterious illness. The unfortunate incident, which has already caused tension among students and staff of the university, has reportedly been downplayed by the university management. A university staff member, Godwin Onah, who spoke to The Punch, described the situation as alarming and called on the government for intervention. He said, There are massive mysterious deaths at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, yet the Enugu State Government and school management are non-challant about it. The Enugu State Government or Federal Government should close the school immediately to avert further deaths. On Friday, the team led by the state Commissioner of Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi, visited the universitys Agbani campus to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the alleged development. READ ALSO: Enugu Youths Storm Streets In Support Of End To Sit-At-Home However, the National Association of Nigerian Students South-East Zone has called for the immediate shutdown of the university till further notice to allow for proper investigation into the cause of the outbreak of the strange illness. In a statement titled: Call to shut down Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) immediately, NANS Zonal Coordinator, Chidi Nzekwe, warned that it would not watch the lives and welfare of its students endangered. Nzekwe stated that the leadership of the NANS Zone F-Southeast expresses their deepest concern and utmost dismay over the frequent and tragic deaths in ESUT. The statement reads, Our investigations have shown a high level of negligence on the part of the school administration, ranging from non-functional student clinic, which is a major factor for the unfortunate death of our students. In the light of these disturbing findings, the leadership of NANS Zone F has decided to order the immediate shutdown of the institution from tomorrow, August 24, 2023, till further notice. This action is necessary to allow us to engage in extensive meetings with relevant stakeholders including the university management, medical experts, security agencies, and student representatives. Failure to shut down the institution with immediate effect, we will be compelled to escalate our actions and the university management should get ready to contend with the armless battalion of Nigerian students in the zone. The leadership of NANS Zone F is committed to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian students. We will not stand idly while the lives and welfare of our students are endangered. As we seek a quick intervention to this crisis, we urge all our students in ESUT to return to their respective homes where they will be safe till further notice. May the souls of our dear departed students Rest in peace. However, the Public Relations Officer of the University, Ikechukwu Ezianioma, in an interview, described the rumours and reports as fake, insisting that there was no strange Illness in ESUT. He said, The Commissioners of Health, Education and Secretary to the State Government, with a whole lot of other government officials came to the university today and after check, they discovered that the reports circulating were false. So, I would advise you to contact the commissioner of health and he will be in a better position to tell you whether there is such or not. All I can tell you now is that there is no strange Illness killing students in ESUT. The Julius Abure-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of being responsible for the internal crisis in the opposition party. It was gathered that the LP National Secretary, Malam Umar Farouk, led this out on Friday at a press conference held at the partys National Secretariat, Abuja. Farouk alleged that APC has been sponsoring the Lamidi Apapa-led faction and other members to destabilise the party, which has changed the political landscape in the country. He added that the ruling party has deployed all manner of strategies to stifle the LP in order to ensure a subjugation of its chances in the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal. READ MORE: Appeal Court Sacks Abure, Confirms Apapa As LP National Chairman He said: As you already know, the party surprised many Nigerians with the huge success it achieved during the last general election. The party became a household name, all to the envy of the older political parties. You also know how the ruling party, forced itself into power at the expense of the Labour Party and the entire Nigerians. We are still in the tribunal challenging both the process and outcome of the presidential election. In order to ensure a subjugation of the Labour Party, the ruling party has deployed all manner of strategies to stifle the party, part of which was to sponsor insurrection amongst some suspended former members of the party, Lamidi Apapa and a few others. Their assignment was to ensure that no progress is achieved in the party. The heavily funded dissidents have tried to mislead the courts and some sections of the media to harass the party leadership, but all have failed. Only recently, the Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City affirmed Julius Abure as the National Chairman of Labour Party (LP). A fake doctor identified as Abawulor Omenka has been caught by the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners while trying to apply as a medical officer at the Covenant University Medical Centre, Ota, in the Sango area of Ogun State. According to The Punch, Omenka had applied for the position of a Medical Officer and reportedly presented fake credentials, which included a photocopy of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria registration certificate issued in 2015. The 35-year-old suspect also presented a certificate from the Benue State University where he claimed to have obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery, and graduated with a Second Class Upper Division. It was gathered that the suspect, who works as an auxiliary nurse at some private hospitals, was caught while being scrutinised by three doctors about his credentials. READ ALSO: Fake Doctor Arrested After Stitching Pregnant Womans Womb To Urinary Tract In Ondo Omenkas cover was blown after he failed to justify why his MDCN registration number was the same as those who got the certificate four decades ago. A source told The Punch that the suspect during interrogation confessed to having obtained the fake certificates from racketeers at Oluwole in Lagos State. The source said, The man first went to Covenant University Health Centre last week to apply for the post of Medical Officer. The MD of the centre, Dr. Ademola Adebanjo, suspected foul play and scheduled him for an interview this week. He then reached out to Dr. Kayode Oyelade, the Chairman of ANPMP, Ogun State chapter about his suspicions. So Dr. Oyelade and Dr. Akin Oyejoko, an executive of the association sat in the interview panel yesterday to be able to get to the root of the matter. That was how he was nabbed. The Chairman, Association of Private Medical Practitioners in Ogun State, Dr. Kayode Oyelade confirmed to The Punch that Omenka was caught after doctors who conducted the interview discovered he did not have full knowledge of the profession. He said the doctors that drilled the suspect during the job interview, discovered many discrepancies in the credentials presented. Oyelade revealed that when some of the hospitals where the suspect claimed to have worked were contacted, Omenka was identified as a health assistant by his former employees. He said, The man actually applied to work as a medical officer at Covenant University Medical Centre where students, staff and some residents of the community go for medical treatment. Immediately they got his application, and the medical director discovered that the CV and certificates presented were questionable, being a medical doctor himself, he contacted me. I told him to invite the guy for an interview. The interview was scheduled and it was conducted on Wednesday at the office of the MD. We made the guy very comfortable and we started asking him a series of questions. He gave us a background history of himself and all the places he had worked. We now asked him if he attended a university, and he said he went to Benue State University. We asked him about the courses he did in the university, and he was just saying things he knew nothing about. We discovered in the course of our interview that he has an idea because he has worked in some hospitals as an auxiliary nurse. In fact, he had worked at the hospital owned by some of our colleagues that we know. We put a call across to them and two of them actually confirmed that they knew him very well. I told them he was trying to apply as a medical officer, and they told me he worked with them as an auxiliary nurse or better put, as a hospital assistant. On how he was caught, Oyelade explained, What gave him up were the certificates he presented. Omenka presented a photocopied certificate he claimed to have obtained from the university with a Second Upper Division in Medicine and Surgery. If you are conversant with a medical certificate, you will know there is nothing like grade. When you are given a certificate as a doctor, it will just be specified that you have passed when you certify the examiner. There is nothing like first class or second class. Our certificate is not graded. Immediately, he presented that, and we knew it was fake. He also presented a certificate he claimed to have got from MDCN, we saw that one and we just laughed. The registration number is 11,641. I graduated 32 years ago from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and my number is 20, 815. And someone who claimed to have graduated in 2015 is 11,000, which means he graduated before me. I am sure that some of the people with that number are dead now. We called one of the doctors again and he told us that this is not the first time he would be involved in such a thing. Oyelade further revealed that the suspect had been handed over to the police at Onipanu Police Station, Ota in Ogun State. He added that the association would ensure the suspect is charged to court and made to face the full wrath of the law to serve as a deterrent to others. Reacting, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association, Ogun State Chapter, Dr. Azim Kunle Ashimi advised heads of hospitals, both private and public to be very vigilant when employing doctors, adding that proper background checks should be carried out. He also reiterated the commitment of the ANPMP and Nigerian Medical Association in Ogun State to collaborate with the state ministry of health to stamp out quackery in the state. See photos below: The Federal Government has blasted the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki for criticising the economic policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Recall that Obaseki, while addressing journalists in Benin on Thursday, said the removal of fuel subsidy and foreign exchange reforms of Tinubus administration led to increased hardship for Nigerians. Now subsidy is gone, the exchange rate is being aligned. The consequence is that the weakest and most vulnerable in the country will carry a huge part of the burden of these policies. Im shocked that people who campaigned around the country, saying that they would remove subsidies, had no clear plans on what to do after subsidy removal. They dont know what to do and how to support those who will be victims of subsidy removal. The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in response, stated that Obasekis comments regarding the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Governments decisions on fuel subsidy and foreign exchange market reforms overlooked the broader economic picture. While it is common for leaders to have divergent views, its crucial to align criticism with reality and to premise discourse on tangible results. READ ALSO: APC Has Murdered Sleep For Most Nigerians Charly Boy Its well documented that Nigerians, State Governors across party lines, and global institutions, including the World Bank and IMF along with various economic experts, have consistently advocated for the removal of fuel subsidy because of the fiscal distortions and burden it has placed on the economy. This burden includes many months of zero accretion to the Federation account by the NNPC, which left states and local governments with less money from FAAC, as a result of payment for fuel subsidy, which the national oil company regularly charged to the Federation account. For perspective, Edo State, under Governor Obasekis leadership, has notably benefited from the subsidy removal, which is evident in the more than doubling of the FAAC allocation between June and July 2023 to Edo State more than it had ever received pre-fuel subsidy removal. Our advice? Rather than delving into narratives that do not provide the complete picture, the focus should be on how Governor Obaseki will be using available resources to drive impactful projects that genuinely uplift the people of Edo State. We are still at a loss on what could be the trigger for Governor Obaseki to issue such blatantly false accusations against the Federal Government, Idris stated. Prophet Godwin Ikuru of Jehovah Eye Salvation Ministry has revealed that Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a divine leader sent by God to guide Nigeria towards prosperity and unity. The cleric made this declaration during a special session on the state of the nation and led prayers for the country in Abuja on Friday. I have strong faith in my country and its leadership, particularly our President, whom I believe has been sent by God to lead us, Prophet Ikuru said. The clergyman believes that Nigeria will experience prosperity under President Tinubus guidance. He urged Nigerians to remain calm amidst current fuel crisis, emphasizing that the removal of fuel subsidy is a strategic measure taken by the President. The President removed the subsidy to address the issues surrounding the palliatives. I urge the people to have faith in our wise and knowledgeable leader, he stated. READ MORE: Nigerians Will Experience New Things Under President Tinubu Kumuyi Prophet Ikuru highlighted the Presidents past achievements as the governor of Lagos State, which he transformed into a global attraction. He successfully made Lagos State a beacon of hope for Nigeria. People genuinely love Lagos State, and foreigners are drawn to its allure, he said. The Prophet also took the opportunity to advocate for unity across different political parties, emphasizing that the elevation of Nigeria to global prominence requires collective efforts. Gunmen suspected to be bandits who abducted National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), members have made a demand that must be met before the captives can regain their freedom. Recall that eight prospective corp members were abducted by the bandits along a highway within Zamfara State last Friday. The young people were said to be travelling with an Akwa Ibom Transport Company (AKTC) bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital to Sokoto State, to take part in the mandatory National Service when the bandits struck. The bandits are demanding for the sum of N4 million as ransom to release the abducted persons. Emmanuel Etteh, father of one of the kidnapped victims, Glory Thomas, revealed that he received a call from the bandits using their own phone number. They notified him about his daughters abduction and demanded a payment of N4 million to ensure her safe release. READ ALSO: Ill Be Back Stronger Tobi Amusan Vows After 100m World Title Defeat In Budapest They called me with her number, demanding the sum of N4 million. They allowed me to speak with my daughter because I asked how they wanted us to pay and my daughter said we should contact the AKTC. Since that time, they have not called and I have not spoken with my daughter. I dont know if they have released them but my daughter has not called me, the man said. However, according to Leadership, a military source who preferred anonymity confirmed the kidnap, pointing out that a rescue team was currently combing the forest to rescue the victims unhurt. Operatives of the Yobe State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), have intercepted 133 blocks of Cannabis Sativa concealed in two sacks containing groundnuts. The Command through its Principal Staff Officer, Media and Advocacy, Ramatu SB disclosed this in a brief statement issued to newsmen in Damaturu, on Friday. According to the command, the 133 blocks of compressed Cannabis Sativa weighing 62.0kg which originated from Taraba State, were intercepted along Potiskum-Gombe highway in Potiskum Local Government Area of Yobe State. In the process, three suspects were apprehended in connection with the illegal trafficking. READ ALSO: Nigerian National Bags 10-year Jail Term In Brazil For Trafficking Cocaine To Ghana On the 23rd August, 2023, a team of Operatives Strike Force of NDLEA, Yobe State Command led by CSN Jibril Odiba trailed and intercepted one ash coloured Sharon galaxy vehicle with Registration No. AKK 484XA from Ba-isa Local Government in Taraba State. Three suspects in the vehicle namely: Yau Yahuza M 30yrs, Yahaya Muhd M 29yrs and Tanimu Salisu M 20yrs all indigenes of Gombe State were arrested with 133 blocks weighed to be 62.0kg of compressed weeds, it said. Meanwhile, NDLEA Yobe State command said it has taken its sensitization campaign on War Against Drugs Abuse, (WADA) to NYSC Orientation Camp holding in Dazigau, Nangere Local Government Area, Yobe State. Led by the Area Commander, Potiskum Area Command, ACN Aliyu Yaro about 1,700 corp members were sensitised on the causes and effects of drug abuse. The campaign featured extensive discussion on the subject matter as well as question and answer sessions. An internal memo at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has warned that a new and more dangerous variant of COVID-19 has emerged. Recall that the United Kingdom (UK) detected its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86, on Aug. 18, and said the strain had also been identified in Israel, Denmark and the United States. 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 UK Health Security Agency had said. However, the August 22 memo, signed by Dr. Yakubu E. N., advised against hugging and recommends wearing double face masks. Yakubu said the new variant, known as BA.4 and BA.5 COVID delta, presents with different symptoms like a lot of joint pain, headache, neck and upper back pain, general weakness, loss of appetite, and pneumonia. The variant, he said, is more virulent and with a higher mortality rate, and takes less time to go to extremes. Sometimes without symptoms. The memo also warns that nasal swab tests for the new variant are often false negatives, making it more challenging to diagnose. READ ALSO: Hardship: Govt. That Wants Nigerians To Run Vehicles On CNG Still Using Petrol For Theirs SDPs Adebayo This strain does not live in the nasopharyngeal region. Now it directly affects the lungs, which means that the windows periods are shorter. There have been several patients without fever, without pain, but who report mild chest pneumonia on their X-rays. Nasal swab tests are very often negative for COVID-19, and there are more and more false negative results from nasopharyngeal tests. This means that the virus spreads and spreads directly to the lungs, causing acute respiratory stress caused by viral pneumonia. This explains why it has become sharp, more virulent, and deadly. Please, be extremely careful. Avoid crowded places, keep 1.5 distance even in open places, double face masks, and wash your hands often (and when you cough or sneeze). Please no hugs, it is very dangerous at the moment, as almost everyone is asymptomatic. This wave is much more deadly than the first, so we have to be VERY careful and take every kind of precaution. Do not keep this information to yourself; share it as much as you can, especially with your friends, the memo cautioned. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, has vowed that the Nigerian Military will avenge the killing of its personnel who were ambushed at Zungeru-Tegina road in Niger State on August 14. Recall that soldiers engaging terrorists were shot dead while an aircraft on rescue mission subsequently crashed. The military had last week disclosed that a total of 36 personnel of the military paid the supreme price during the ambush which occurred on Zungeru-Tegina road and the crash in Chukuba area of Shiroro, all in the Northern part of the country. Musa led this out on Friday after laying wreaths on the graves of 20 deceased soldiers and presenting the national flags to their next of kin at the Military Cemetery, Abuja. The Defence Chief said the Nigerian Military will avenge the killing of its soldiers, stating that none of those involved in the massacre will go scot-free. READ MORE: NAF Helicopter On Evacuation Mission Crashes In Niger State Musa also joined the family members in their grief, adding that the deaths of their loved ones would not be in vain. He said: Those that did this, and those that have continued our men, wherever they are, we will get them out, we will smoke them out and we will ensure that they never have any other opportunity to kill any other person, that I assure you. The military junta in Niger Republic, on Friday, ordered Sylvain Itte, the French ambassador, to leave the country within 48 hours. According to reports, the countrys foreign ministry made the decision to expel the ambassador owing to his refusal to honour an invitation with Nigers minister of foreign affairs. The ministry disclosed that other actions by the French government contrary to the interests of Niger led to the ambassadors withdrawal. Although the foreign ministry did not provide details, the junta had accused French forces of freeing captured terrorists and breaching a ban on the air space in an attempt to destabilise the country. We are witnessing a real plan of destabilisation of our country, orchestrated by French forces, they added. The countrys military had also accused the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) of aligning its troops with a foreign entity whom it did not mention. READ ALSO: Culture Minister, Hannatu Musawa Is Still A Corper HURIWA Alleges France, the former colonial power in Niger, had condemned the coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and called for an immediate return to constitutional order. Meanwhile, in reaction, the French government said that the Niger junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani has no authority to order its Ambassador, Itte to leave Niger. Writing about Tchiani order, the French Government told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that France has taken note of the putschists request, but that Tchiani has no right to ask its ambassador to leave Niger. The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassadors approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities. We are constantly evaluating the security and operating conditions of our embassy, the French government said. The military junta ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and they have since held him under house arrest. Binance Discontinues Peer-to-Peer Service with Sanctioned Russian Banks Heres the Latest Source: ShutterStock Binance has ended its relationship with five Russian banks under sanctions on the exchanges peer-to-peer service for ruble fund transfers. Binance received criticism from The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 22 for offering sanctioned Russian banks like Tinkoff and Rosbank as transfer options. This raised concerns about potential sanctions violations, as Binance seemed to endorse these banks as payment methods. The report highlighted Binances operational connections in Russia, potentially violating sanctions after the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The US Justice Department was investigating Binance for possible sanctions breaches, alleging unauthorized access for Russian citizens. The report also noted external data suggesting significant ruble trade volumes on Binance. The WSJ emphasized Binances involvement in peer-to-peer ruble-to-digital asset transactions, especially with banks under Western sanctions, referring to user screenshots and chat messages. However, Binance disagreed, saying it had no affiliation with any Russian bank, as stated by a spokesperson. Binance follows the global sanctions rules and enforces sanctions on people, organizations, entities, and countries that have been blacklisted by the international community, denying such actors access to the Binance platform, the company said. Several local news sources reported on August 23 that Binance had removed these banks from its payment methods. However, they had resurfaced using coded terms yellow stood for the sanctioned bank Tinkoff, while green symbolized the sanctioned bank Rosbank. The Wall Street Journals report on August 25 stated that the sanctioned banks had been taken off the list. According to a Binance spokesperson in the report, the removal was a response to the exchange discovering that account holders were utilizing the service to bypass sanctions. When gaps are pointed out to us, we seek to address and remediate them as soon as possible. In line with our ongoing commitments, payment methods on the Binance P2P platform that do not fit our compliance policies are unavailable on our platform, said a Binance spokesperson. Binances Legal Challenges Amidst International Sanctions and Russian Cryptocurrency Circumvention Throughout this year, Binance has encountered multiple legal hurdles. The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against the exchange. The suit alleges Binances failure to adhere to federal securities laws. Among the issues raised is Binances involvement in aiding Russians in transferring funds overseas, which places the exchange in a complex legal predicament. As of February, the European Council imposed sanctions on Russian banks such as Tinkoff and Rosbank as a component of its 10th set of sanctions related to Russias actions in the Ukraine conflict. Similarly, in May, the United States also placed sanctions on Tinkoff. Alongside Tinkoff, the US added Loko Bank, Solidarnost Bank, St. Petersburg Social Commercial Bank (PSKB), and Unistream Bankthe entity operating the payment system of the same nameto the SDN list. The sanctions levied against Russia prohibit any form of ruble transfer from Russian entities, whether sanctioned or not, to foreign bank accounts or for currency conversion. In response to these economic and financial sanctions imposed by the West, Russia turned to using cryptocurrencies. To circumvent the sanctions, Russian citizens have turned to a method involving the exchange of rubles for stablecoins, which are then further converted into fiat currencies. The WSJ highlighted that Binance, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, has remained a preferred choice for such transactions in the region. According to the WSJs report, Binances peer-to-peer services enabled Russians to engage in trades totaling $428 million per month between October 2022 and March 2023. Nigeria is yet to apply to join BRICS, an economic bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, Vice-President Kashim Shettima has clarified. Information Nigeria reports that Shettima represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at this weeks 15th BRICS summit which held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. BRICS, which considers itself a counterweight to western powers, disclosed at the end of the summit that new members would be joining its fold from January 1 next year. The new members are Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Reacting to why Nigeria did not make the list of new members, Shettima said the country never applied for BRICS membership in the first place. So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat that believes in consensus building. There are so many variables that need to be taken into cognisance. READ ALSO: Chicago University To Release Tinubus Academic Records If Court Grants Atikus Request We have to evaluate so many tendencies and issues that require engagements with the economic advisory council, the federal executive council, and even the national assembly, before an informed decision towards joining the BRICS would be taken, Channels Television quoted Shettima as saying on the sidelines of the summit. More than 40 countries expressed interest in joining BRICS, with 23 formally applying to be part of the club. Some 50 other heads of state and leaders attended the summit in South Africa. The expansion of BRICS which has been in formal existence for 15 years is considered part of a plan to forge dominance and reshape global governance, with voices of the south at the centre of this new world order. Shettima said he was asked to attend the summit by his principal because the Tinubu administration which began less than three months ago, is examining the variables and evaluating the scope and level of regional and global cooperation to pursue in order to establish Nigeria as the desired friend and partner. Gunmen have shot dead a yet to be identified Police Inspector in front of a popular hotel in the D/Line axis of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the horrible incident happened around the Oroworukwo-Olu Obasanjo area of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Friday night. It was gathered that the culprits reportedly carted away the AK-47 rifle of the operative after he was shot in the head. A source in the area, who preferred anonymity, disclosed to Vanguard that the said killers were driving in a grey colour 2005 Toyota Corolla and had stopped when they sighted the armed policemen attacking him. The source said the killers had shot their target, picked his AK-47 rifle and cap, and immediately drove off the scene to an unknown destination. READ MORE: Policeman Shoots Father Of Three Dead In Rivers, Command Begins Probe Confirming the development, the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the officer is serving in Bayelsa State and had accompanied a big man to Rivers State before the gunmen struck. Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, who regretted the development noted that investigation has begun to unmask and arrest the devil-minded killers. She said: At about 2030hrs information was received that one inspector M attached to Department of Operations, Yenegoa Bayelsa State was fatally shot on the head while escorting his principal around Landmark Hotel at Oroworukwo-Olu Obasanjo Port Harcourt. His rifle and beret were carted away. Patrol teams were immediately mobilized to the scene. Effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing hoodlums and recover the rifle. The corpse of the victim has been deposited at Military Hospital Port Harcourt for autopsy. Further development will be communicated. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has disclosed that his administration will review the remuneration of judicial officers as part of efforts to fight corruption in the judiciary. Tinubu who revealed this on Friday, when he received the leadership of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) led by its President, Yakubu Maikyau, said the battle against corruption in the judiciary requires a comprehensive review of the salaries and allowances of judicial officers. He furthered that his administration will address current vacancies in the Supreme Court in line with the recommendations of the National Judicial Council (NJC). We must deal with the review of remuneration if we truly want to fight corruption in the judiciary. We will look at the cost as well as the consequences. READ ALSO: Pure Blackmail From MURIC Christian Group Knocks Lagos Assembly For Rejecting Commissioner Nominees On Religious Grounds Majority of them are on holiday now and when they return, we will take a look at what they have and we will fill the vacancies. Its a fulfilment of an obligation, Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson. While appreciating Maikyau, for the invitation to open the associations 63rd annual general conference this weekend in Abuja, he acknowledged the privilege of having lawyers as close aides, including Femi Gbajabiamila, his chief of staff; Victor Adeleke, state chief of protocol, and Damilotun Aderemi, presidents principal private secretary. Maikyau on his part commended Tinubu for appointing members of the bar into his cabinet, including Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice. An ex-spokesperson to former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Laolu Akande, on Friday, asked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to clarify which minister is in charge of innovation. Information Nigeria reports that while Tinubu appointed Bosun Tijani as the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, he assigned Science, Technology and Innovation to Uche Nnaji. Featuring on Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily, Akande who said there is a need for the President to make the clarification to avoid duplication of roles, added that under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, the officials in both the ministries of science and technology and communications assumed that innovation was under their purview. An important thing we may have to look at is, if you look at the list of the ministries, there are two important questions the federal government has to answer, I think the president has to answer this. READ ALSO: Niger Ambush: Well Avenge Killing Of Our Troops Defence Chief Number one, where is innovation? We have the minister of science, technology and innovation and we also have the minister of communication, innovation and digital economy, which has to be sorted out. I think it is important for the president to clarify where innovation is, he said. According to him, there is also ambiguity around the roles of the coordinating Minister of Economy and Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare. Is social welfare what we used to have under social development which was in humanitarian affairs but no longer there? So, that has been changed from humanitarian affairs, social welfare and disaster management to humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, but social welfare is now taken to health. Now, is social welfare the same thing as social development? Akande queried. Board member Joan Cullen speaks at a board meeting in 2022. Cullen does not support the new curriculum. Read more As school starts Monday, some teachers in the Pennridge School District have warned they arent prepared to teach a new social studies curriculum, revamped this summer with the help of a consultant tied to a conservative Christian college. The curriculum, written in part by consultant Jordan Adams, lists Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum as a required resource for teachers spurring outrage from community members who have accused the Republican-led school board of seeking to whitewash history and steer children into a conservative worldview. Meanwhile, teachers told the board this week that they didnt have enough time to prepare to teach brand-new units like Colonial America, the American Revolution and the Constitution added to the elementary school curriculum at Adams direction. (To make room for the new material, the district is scaling back on lessons about Native Americans and Pennsylvania.) To be honest, I can feel a little panic setting in, Melinda McCormick, a fifth-grade teacher, told the board at a meeting last Monday. McCormick said shed never taught some of the topics in the new course which includes a focus on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln and had she known of the changes earlier, I would have spent many hours over the summer building my own background knowledge. Advertisement The board, which is slated to vote on the new courses Monday night, has been embroiled in controversy over its moves to reshape curriculum. After voting in December to reduce social studies requirements at the high school, the board moved to incorporate the Hillsdale curriculum. The 3,200-page curriculum, available for free online, has been pushed by the college amid conservative opposition to equity efforts and the New York Times 1619 Project. But historians have criticized it as ideologically driven; Princeton historian Sean Wilentz told The Inquirer the Hillsdale curriculum fundamentally distorts modern American history into a crusade of righteous conservative patriots against heretical big-government liberals. The Pennridge board hired Adams, a Hillsdale graduate and former employee of the college, over the objection of the districts superintendent, who has since gone on leave and will retire in October. The district was the first in the country to tap Adams nascent Vermilion Education company, agreeing in April to pay him $125 an hour to review and develop curricula. He issued his first recommendations in June, drawing pushback from the districts curriculum supervisors. For instance, Adams who isnt certified to write curriculum in Pennsylvania, dissenting board members pointed out had proposed teaching the Ancient Near East to first graders, spurring questions about where the district would find materials to teach that topic to children that young. That topic doesnt appear to be part of the curriculum before the board for approval Monday, which the supervisors and Adams collaborated on. But Jenna Vitale, the social studies supervisor, told the board last week she disagreed with some other changes Adams had made, as well as the push to remake the curriculum as the new school year neared. Teachers deserve more than a week to turn this around Vitale said, adding. Im honestly very nervous about that. She said the third- and fourth-grade courses were a big change, and that time was needed to ensure its the right thing for our students. Vitale said, Ive had concerns about this all along. Well, I havent heard any of them, said board member Megan Banis-Clemens. I spoke with Jordan Adams about them. Because thats who I was working with, Vitale said. Adams who addressed attendees at the Moms for Liberty conference in Philadelphia earlier this summer and described himself as the fox inside the henhouse of school districts didnt appear at the meeting last Monday. More than 1,600 people have signed a petition online calling for an end to his contract. Banis-Clemens accused Vitale and the other curriculum supervisors of dragging their feet, while Jordan Blomgren, a board member who teaches in a different district, said it was common practice, where things are rolled out before the school year. The board has been divided on the Vermilion contract and curriculum changes splitting 5-4, with Republicans on both sides of the issue. Joan Cullen, one of the dissenting board members, said it made sense for Vitale to speak out during a school board meeting, given that her and other supervisors jobs had been threatened by the board earlier this year. Theyre safer here in telling us what is really going on, Cullen said, as Banis-Clemens argued that the board hadnt been trying to punish the supervisors. Vitale and Adams worked through three units of the new ninth-grade civics, government and economics curriculum, but it got difficult on the last two units, said Kathy Scheid, an assistant superintendent. Administrators wanted to incorporate history, but Adams told me there was to be no history put in this course, according to Vitale. Scheid said that ninth-grade teachers could start the year teaching the first three units while the district worked to finish the course. Underlying the conflict was disagreement over the Hillsdale curriculum, and to what extent teachers would have to use it. As she presented the social studies courses, Vitale said that while the 1776 Curriculum was listed as a required teacher resource, teachers would still have discretion as to how they used it. If thats the case, asked Jonathan Russell, a board member opposed to Vermilion, why was the curriculum described as required? Youre using it as a framework, Blomgren said, adding that if it wasnt listed as required, then no teacher is even going to look at it. Almost all of the community members who addressed the board opposed the curriculum changes. Some said they were troubled by what they had read in the Hillsdale curriculum. Hillsdales curriculum for third to fifth graders refers to Jamestowns original experiment with a form of communism, which helped produce a disastrous first year and a half for the fledgling settlement, noted Stephanie Regina, reading from the curriculum. Besides the fact that most children that age dont know what communism is, Regina said, It wasnt communism. (The idea that pilgrims embraced capitalism after failing at socialism has been spread by conservatives, but historians dispute it.) You can tell the kids, this was a wonderful spirit. Or you can tell them this was evil capitalism, Regina said. Or you can just tell them what happened, and they can decide for themselves. Speedy Ortiz at Retro City Studios, where the band mixed the new album, "Rabbit Rabbit." From left: Joey Doubek, Sadie Dupuis, Audrey Zee Whitesides, and Andy Molholt. Read more Sadie Dupuis isnt particularly superstitious but when the Philadelphia songwriter, guitarist, and poet first started work on the songs for her fourth Speedy Ortiz album back in 2021, she noticed the date. It happened to be the first of the month. So for good luck following a custom that might date back as far as Lewis Carrolls 1865 novel Alices Adventures in Wonderland she wrote the words Rabbit Rabbit on top of the page. And when Dupuis and her bandmates guitarist Andy Molholt, bassist Audrey Zee Whitesides, and drummer Joey Doubek started preproduction later that year, they made sure to start work on Dec. 1. Since then, Dupuis says, we oversynchronized the numerical Rabbit Rabbit-ness of it all for max luck. Advertisement Recording began at Sonic Ranch Studios in West Texas on April 1, 2022. The album Speedy Ortizs first in five years was announced on June 1. Its second single, Ghostwriter, came out Aug. 1. And yes, Rabbit Rabbit will be released on Dupuis own Wax Nine label on Sept. 1, with a tour kickoff. An album release celebration will follow at Johnny Brendas in Fishtown on Sept. 5. I wouldnt say its that serious-minded, says Dupuis, 35, speaking of the first-of-the-month fixation while sitting at a sidewalk table at Hermans Coffee in South Philly, where the band held outdoor meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic. A copy of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Annie Ernauxs The Young Man is on the table. Its the 98th book Dupuis has finished this year. Her prodigious reading is one reason she was depicted in a drawing by her friend, Nicole Rifkin, on the cover of the New Yorkers fiction issue last August. Along with pictures of her beloved pit bull, Lavender, Dupuis posts photos of the stack of books she devours monthly on Instagram. Its usually 10 or more. Her most recent poetry collection, Cry Perfume, was published by Black Ocean in 2022. Poet and critic Hanif Abdurraqib called the book, which grabs attention with poems titled Fake Blood On a Fake Fur Coat and Come Over Make Mac and Cheese :), a bouquet of delights. Stephen Malkmus of Pavement blurbed it enthusiastically, saying Sadies poems have all day sustain. Its a mutual admiration society: Dupuis once fronted a Pavement tribute band called Babement. A lot of people say Rabbit Rabbit the first thing when they wake up every month, Dupuis says. I started doing it when I was little. The double bunny title a childs ploy to seek protection made more sense once Dupuis realized where the album was going thematically, as she explored her relationship with music and history of childhood abuse. Much of her recent work has been shot through with grief, impacted by the death of her father, and insurance salesman and former music executive William Kornreich, in 2015, as well as the loss of friends and musicians she admired such as songwriter David Berman, who died in 2019. That was felt in Cry Perfume and on Haunted Painting, the 2020 album by Sad13, her solo project, on which she played 18 instruments. Both works concerned losing friends to overdose, and Dupuis becoming engaged with harm reduction. Her mother, teacher, and artist, Diane Dupuis, drew the portrait of her on the Haunted Painting cover. On Rabbit Rabbit, Dupuis pro-union songs (like the albums energetic and catchy first single Scabs) reflect her progressive political activism. Shes a founding organizer of United Musicians and Allied Workers, an advocacy group that fights for higher payouts from streaming services like Spotify. But the perky, guitar-driven songs on the album, which Dupuis coproduced with Sarah Tudzin of the Illuminati Hotties, also reflect on Dupuis childhood through the prism of adulthood. That starts with album opener Kim Cattrall, a song not actually about the Sex and the City actress, but about, as she says, poor coping mechanism I picked up as a kid and carried through my 20s. And feeling grateful that I have now gotten a little bit better at treating myself with respect and making healthy choices. Before Rabbit Rabbit which was mainly recorded at Rancho de Luna in Joshua Tree, Calif. the ever busy Dupuis worked on some freelance projects, including cowriting songs with Carl Newman of the New Pornographers. For those songs, Dupuis says she found herself writing about child abuse I experienced many decades ago, but had never wanted to write about or thought I needed to write about. It turned on this light bulb that maybe I should do this with some intentionality. What I landed on was this feeling that I wasnt protected as a kid. It seemed like the direction I needed to take was to think about my emotional responses as they exist today and how theyre informed by and connected to my childhood. Dupuis grew up in New York and studied poetry and math at MIT before transferring to Barnard College and later getting her MFA from Universirt of Massachusetts Amherst. She founded Speedy Ortiz while living in Massachusetts. An indie comics enthusiast, she released an EP entirely inspired by Philadelphia cartoonist Charles Burns Black Hole with her starter band Quilty. Speedy Ortiz is named after a character in the Love & Rockets comic series creator Jaime Hernandez had killed off. I thought it would be funny to have the first album by a band called Speedy Ortiz be called The Death of Speedy Ortiz, which is the name of the groups 2011 debut. She conceived of it as a joke between me and my 12 friends. But then it caught on. Luckily, Jaime likes the band. Coming home after Speedy tours, she realized she couldnt live in New York. I found it pretty exhausting and unsustainable to be a musician when I was living there in 2011, and its certainly a lot worse now, she says. Dupuis moved to Philadelphia in 2016. In 2018, when opening for Liz Phair at Union Transfer, she called her song No Below a love letter to Gritty, the Flyers orange mascot. She lives in West Philly with Lavender and her partner, Dylan Baldi, leader of indie band Cloud Nothings. The neighborhood is also where the first Speedy EP was recorded, at the now defunct studio called the Sex Dungeon. When asked by music site Consequence to cite her favorite Philly music, she named 1970s Black punk band Pure Hell, Stiffed, Santigolds band from the mid-00s, Allentown hard-core band Pissed Jeans, the Enon record they made when they lived in Philly (that would be the indie bands Grass Geysers Carbon Clouds, which came out in 2007), and Alex Gs DSU. Theres an activist spirit in West Philly thats existed for decades. When I was coming to visit, a lot of my friends lived in that neighborhood, and that stuff has been thriving for a long time. I always have had a great time here. Severe injuries or illnesses after childbirth in Pennsylvania rose 40% between 2016 and 2022, according to a new report from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council. Read more Pennsylvania is facing a worsening crisis of severe health problems after childbirth, according to a new state report that found a 40% rise in the rate of poor outcomes between 2016 and 2022. The data released this week offers a chilling snapshot of a national maternal health crisis that disproportionately affects people of color and low-income families, even as more health resources were devoted to improving prenatal and postpartum care. Both in Pennsylvania and nationally, Black people are more likely than white people to die during pregnancy or after childbirth, and to report higher rates of poor prenatal and postpartum care, according to recent reports from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Across Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County had the fourth-highest rate of so-called maternal morbidity long- and short-term health problems such as sepsis, blood clots and kidney failure that may arise after giving birth, the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council found in an analysis of the hospital billing data that it tracks. Advertisement Only Pike, Carbon and Lehigh Counties in the northeast part of the state experienced higher rates of such illnesses, according to the PHC4 report released Thursday. Better understanding the health problems that people experience after giving birth and the circumstances that contributed to them could help clinicians and policymakers to keep patients safer, said Aasta Mehta, the medical officer of womens health at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. Childbirth complications should also serve as a warning of systemic problems that, if unaddressed, could contribute to rising maternal deaths, she noted. You had a bad complication this time. Maybe next time you dont survive, said Mehta, a physician who oversees the citys new surveillance system to track postpartum health problems, as well as a committee that reviews deaths in Philadelphia related to childbirth. READ MORE: New moms keep dying in the weeks after birth, and the risk remains highest among Black women Maternal deaths and illnesses persist The states findings come as the CDC this month released a survey that found 1 in 5 mothers felt mistreated during their prenatal care. Black, Hispanic and multiracial parents reported higher rates of verbal abuse, lack of respect for personal privacy and racial discrimination. The number of Americans who die during pregnancy, childbirth or in the months following has been rising steadily. Most recently, the CDC reported a 38% jump in maternal mortality between 2020 and 2021, with 32.9 deaths reported per 100,000 live births. (The CDC defines maternal mortality as any death during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy.) Among Black people, the rates were 2.6 times higher than among white people. PHC4 similarly found higher rates of birth-related health problems among Black Pennsylvanians, as well as those in the state who receive health care through Medicaid, the publicly funded coverage for low-income individuals, or those living in low-income neighborhoods. People who were at least 40 years old when they gave birth were also more likely to experience serious unexpected health problems, according to the state report. Overall, Philadelphia County saw 171.9 cases involving severe maternal health problems per 10,000 live births, compared to a statewide rate of 105.2 cases per 10,000 live births. How to improve maternal health care in Philadelphia Philadelphia has launched a mandatory reporting program for hospitals that is intended to capture more detail about the health problems that occur after childbirth. Beginning in January, hospitals will report information about ICU admissions, blood transfusions, prolonged hospitalizations and readmissions among patients who recently gave birth. Analyzing individual cases, and in some instances interviewing patients and doctors, will help the health department determine what exactly happened, whether the problems could have been prevented and identify systemic problems that need attention, Mehta said. The new reporting system is one of several recent policy initiatives aimed at addressing a crisis of poor health outcomes after childbirth. Last year, Pennsylvania extended Medicaid coverage to a full year after birth, up from 60 days postpartum, in an effort to bolster medical care during a vulnerable time. About half of the pregnancy-associated deaths in Philadelphia between 2013 and 2018 occurred between six weeks and a year after birth and in most cases after Medicaid coverage had ended, according to the most recent report from Philadelphias maternal mortality review committee. Philadelphia was among the first municipalities in the country to create such a committee to track and review maternal deaths in 2010. The latest state reports findings show that we have not done enough to protect womens health in Pennsylvania, said Rep. Morgan Cephas, a Philadelphia Democrat who has advocated for more reporting of severe maternal health problems, in a statement. Reversing trends decades in the making will take time, Mehta said. Just talking about it is an inflection point, she said, but changing systems takes much longer than a couple of years. At a Pennridge School Board meeting last year, the board voted to pause the district's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Now the board is looking to a curriculum from Hillsdale College. Read more As it reshapes its social studies curriculum, the Pennridge School District is turning to a small Michigan college whose president led a Donald Trump-directed commission to create a patriotic education. The Bucks County district has been reviewing Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum, which the college says demonstrates how Americas founding principles make the United States an exceptionally good country. How exactly Pennridge is using the curriculum which has been criticized by historians as ideologically driven isnt clear. A spokesperson said it was being considered for use as one among a number of resources, but wouldnt answer what had prompted the evaluation. The introduction has angered some Pennridge parents, who view the school board which abandoned its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative last year as trying to inject its politics into the curriculum. Advertisement Theyre setting this framework where youre pulling out the reality of our history, said Laura Foster. This is going to perpetuate this place of white privilege that lives in Upper Bucks County. Even if Pennridge doesnt adopt the curriculum, interest in Hillsdale is growing locally and across the country. Heres some background on its controversial take on history and its influence on schools: What is the Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum? A 3,000-page document available to download for free off the colleges website, the 1776 Curriculum traces American history back to its colonization by the British and includes lesson plans with guiding questions, primary sources, and suggested approaches. It was first released in 2021, following conservative backlash to the 1619 Project the New York Times initiative that centered slavery in the countrys origin story. Criticizing one-sided and divisive accounts that ignored our countrys valiant and successful effort to shake off the curse of slavery, Trump created a 1776 Commission to promote patriotic education. That commission was led by Larry Arnn, Hillsdales president. Hillsdale, which receives funding from conservative donors, says its effort isnt a product of the 1776 Commission or in response to the 1619 Project though it referred to the latter in announcing the curriculums release. It comes from years of studying America, its history, and its founding principles, not some slap-dash journalistic scheme to achieve a partisan political end through students, Dr. Kathleen OToole, assistant provost for K-12 education at Hillsdale College, said at the time. It is a truly American education. What do critics say? The 1776 curriculum has been accused of rewriting civil rights history, with statements including that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didnt favor using the force of law to bring about change. (That passage, among others, appears to have since been revised; now, it says King appealed to the individual conscience and not merely the force of law.) An FAQ on Hillsdales website includes questions like: Does the Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum glorify the founders or downplay Americas role in slavery? (Hillsdale says it does not.) Some historians told The Inquirer the curriculum pushes a conservative worldview on students. Theyre trying to inculcate a certain notion of what it means to be an American, said James Grossman, executive director of the American Historical Association. He pointed, for instance, to the curriculums treatment of progressives and President Franklin D. Roosevelts New Deal with very little on what the programs actually bring to people, other than a sense of entitlement and dependence on the state and connections it draws between the founding fathers and modern conservative policies, like securing borders. Its a tell, in terms of what theyre trying to do, Grossman said in an interview, calling the curriculum a bunch of nonsense. Sean Wilentz, a history professor at Princeton University who has also criticized the 1619 Project, was blunt in his criticism of the Hillsdale curriculum. The Hillsdale 1776 Curriculum fundamentally distorts modern American history into a crusade of righteous conservative patriots against heretical big-government liberals, said Wilentz. It has no place in any school system that values education over indoctrination. Whos using the curriculum? Hillsdale said that about a dozen school districts from several different states have formally inquired about using the 1776 Curriculum, while representatives from many more have downloaded the curriculum for free online. The materials appeared to influence the development of new social studies standards in South Dakota, one of several states with Republican governors that have embraced the curriculum, the Associated Press reported last year. The college also has been expanding its reach through charter schools, which are publicly funded. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee invited Hillsdale to start 50 charters; however, the network backing the schools withdrew some of its applications following controversy around remarks by Arnn, Hillsdales president, describing teachers as trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country. In Chester County, supporters say theyre hoping to open a K-12 charter with Hillsdale-licensed curriculum for all subjects; local school directors would need to approve the application, which hasnt yet been submitted. I think a lot of parents are looking for alternatives to the traditional public school system, said Jenifer MacFarland, who plans to apply for the Valley Forge Classical Academy Charter School promoted on Facebook with the message: Want an education for your kids without indoctrination? The page also features comments and posts accusing public schools of teaching critical race theory. Whats happening in Pennridge? The district declined to answer what prompted its consideration of Hillsdale. But it has been reviewing its high school social studies courses following a contentious December school board vote to reduce the required number of credits in the subject. During a presentation before the boards curriculum committee in January about how the district would adapt courses to accommodate the change and another board request to add civics instruction board president Megan Banis-Clemens asked administrators to share what youre pulling in for the curriculum. Administrators told the board they reviewed the Hillsdale lesson plans side by side with their curriculum and found the content matched. Some of the questions in the Hillsdale version were maybe a little bit more thought-provoking, said Kathy Scheid, an assistant superintendent, during the Jan. 18 meeting. We did think it enhanced the content that was being taught. Asked specifically what from Hillsdale had been added to Pennridges curriculum, district spokesperson Dave Thomas said, Nothing at this time. The curriculum hasnt been finalized, and no decisions have been made on the additional curriculum resources. Banis-Clemens didnt respond to emailed questions. Social studies isnt a new battleground for Pennridge. Last January, an administrator instructed social studies teachers that they should not discuss the anniversary of the insurrection with students, but should simply state that the investigation is ongoing and as historians we must wait until there is some distance from the event for us to accurately interpret it, WHYY reported. Board members last year also criticized elements of the districts history curriculum as not reflecting the greatness of America with one asking whether the district could use Hillsdales curriculum. That the district would consider material from Hillsdale has drawn outrage from parents such as Ed Lawson, who point to statements from the colleges president referring to minority students as dark ones, and a professors comments decrying Black privilege. These racist overtones, I cannot tolerate, Lawson said. Ashley McLean-Gaylor, 27, of Glenolden, died in a hit-and-run accident in Southwest Philadelphia on Saturday morning. She is pictured with fiance Brandon and her two daughters, Aubrie and Charlie. Read more The 27-year-old daughter of a Delaware County police officer was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Southwest Philadelphia early Saturday morning, police said. Ashley McLean-Gaylor, of Glenolden, was crossing Lindbergh Boulevard westbound on foot about 2:30 a.m. when she was struck by a Honda Accord traveling southbound on 84th Street, Philadelphia police said. The driver, whose vehicle had New York plates, fled the scene. Late Saturday night, police said that the Accord had been found and towed by police and that the driver remained unknown. Police did not say where the vehicle was found. Advertisement McLean-Gaylor was pronounced dead at the scene by medics, police said. Her mother, Leslie McLean, is a longtime police officer with Folcroft Borough, according to a GoFundMe post by the Delaware County Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 27, which is seeking donations on the officers behalf. The FOP was originally offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to the drivers arrest, but increased that to $15,000 Sunday after the Philadelphia FOP Lodge 5 and an anonymous contributor each donated $5,000. Tips should be made to 215-686-TIPS. According to the post, McLean-Gaylor is survived by two young daughters and a fiance, along with her parents and other relatives. The Pennridge school board, pictured in this March 2022 file photo, is facing backlash over its hiring of a consultant with ties to the conservative Hillsdale College to review the district's curriculum. Read more A series of Pennridge school board meetings this week featured hours of tense debate over a proposed curriculum remake presented by a consultant connected to the conservative education movement. At a contentious meeting Tuesday, teachers and parents listened to a first presentation by Jordan Adams, the board-hired consultant with ties to Hillsdale College, a Christian college in Hillsdale, Mich., that has become a campaign stop and education model for conservative politicians including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Some expressed confusion over why the board believed that a newly minted consultant promising an ideology-free curriculum was better equipped to assess the districts offerings than its own curriculum supervisors, who pointed out issues with the proposals. Others at Tuesdays meeting and another held Wednesday said they worried about the direction of the Bucks County district, where close to 7,000 students attend school. Advertisement Heres how the meetings played out and what it means for Pennridge: Whats happening with the Pennridge curriculum? The curriculum controversy began late last year, when the board voted to cut the number of required social studies credits at the high school from four to three. The board then moved to incorporate Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum which was first released in 2021 following conservative backlash to the 1619 Project, the New York Times initiative that centered slavery in the countrys origin story. The college whose president, Larry Arnn, led Donald Trumps 1776 Commission says the history curriculum shows how Americas founding principles make the United States an exceptionally good country. But historians have criticized it as ideologically driven. By April, the board had hired Adams, a former Hillsdale employee based in Michigan, to review its curriculum. Our end goal is that every single kid who leaves Pennridge loves this country and understands our Constitution, board member Ricki Chaikin said at the time. Right now, thats not happening. READ MORE: The Pennridge school district is considering Hillsdales controversial 1776 Curriculum. What is it? Who is Jordan Adams, and what is he recommending? A 2013 Hillsdale graduate, Adams has taught at a Hillsdale-affiliated charter school and a classical Catholic school, and worked for the colleges initiative growing a network of charters. His consulting company, Vermilion, got off the ground in March, he told the board Tuesday, appearing by Zoom. Pennridge is the first school district in the country to hire him at a rate of $125 an hour, with no limit on how long his services will last. Adams is set to speak at the Moms for Liberty summit in Philadelphia next week. He made his first set of recommendations Tuesday after reviewing proposed seventh- and eighth-grade reading courses and social studies courses. Among his suggestions for the reading courses: adding more books, reducing the number of books focused on traumatic events, and ensuring that books are free from sexualized content. At one point, Adams read passages from War and Watermelon, a young-adult novel by Rich Wallace that is included as an option in the curriculum, noting references to attempting to touch a girls breasts. My concern here is whether or not this is a model of behavior that boys reading the book should emulate, Adams said. He also proposed numerous shifts in social studies for when world and American history are taught. What was the response to the recommendations in Pennridge? Adams presentation faced pushback from the districts curriculum supervisors. Social studies supervisor Jenna Vitale questioned why Adams had suggested that first graders currently slated to learn about rules and responsibilities, geography, and people and places be taught World History: Ancient Near East and American History: 1492-1787. Adams responded that history is, at its heart, a story, and could be a vehicle for first graders to learn the same concepts. But Vitale said finding resources to teach about the ancient Near East to children that age would be very difficult. Although Adams suggested additional books for seventh and eighth grade reading courses, a lot of those texts appear elsewhere in the districts curriculum, said Sarah Raber, the districts reading, English and language arts supervisor. She also noted that books included in the curriculum were all chosen for specific reasons. The district needs to ensure that students are interested in reading books, especially when were talking about reluctant readers, Raber said. (Another teacher, Ken Ehrmann, noted that Adams had tripled the readings in a course meant for struggling readers, showing a complete lack of connection to what our courses are and who theyre for.) The backlash continued at a meeting Wednesday, where community members repeatedly panned Adams as uninformed. My jaw dropped when his first recommendation was, More books, said Robin Reid, a recent Pennridge High School graduate. Groundbreaking. Jynx Smalls, an incoming Pennridge freshman, said Vermilion would sugarcoat everything and that students need to learn about the real world, not some utopia you want to pretend that we live in. Noting that Vermilions website features a quote from abolitionist Frederick Douglass: Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave, Smalls, who is biracial, said: Do you know anything about slaves? Were any of your ancestors slaves? How tone deaf can you be? What happens now in Pennridge? The board halted plans to terminate the jobs of its four curriculum supervisors a proposal that had spurred intense backlash Tuesday. At Wednesdays meeting, Megan Banis-Clemens, the boards vice president, said the supervisors would work with Adams on updating the districts curriculum. Community members, who wore Stop Vermilion stickers Wednesday, are still pushing to fire Adams, with an online petition calling for his termination garnering more than 1,400 signatures. But that is not a sure shot by any stretch. While the largely Republican board includes members who are staunchly opposed to Vermilion, a motion to terminate his contract failed Wednesday, with four in favor and five against. Meanwhile, the districts superintendent, David Bolton, is on medical leave and plans to retire Oct. 31, the district announced Wednesday. I love the Pennridge community and am incredibly proud of the work we have accomplished, Bolton said Thursday, calling it a privilege to serve as your superintendent for the past five years. Bolton had objected to Adams hiring, according to an email obtained by community members. In the email, the superintendent said he was concerned that one board member negotiated a contract with a curriculum consultant without conversation with anyone responsible for the development of curriculum. You have indicated multiple times that Hillsdale resources (or the full curriculum) are desired, Bolton said in the April 25 email to school board member Jordan Blomgren. This is likely to be seen by some as a move to make that a reality regardless of what the staff thinks is best. Adams said he had no authority to change curriculum; its up to the district to decide how to respond to his recommendations. But people continued to express deep frustration Wednesday. My kids education is on the line, one father told the board. Erika Henry, a kindergarten teacher, asked the board to rethink its position after a very mediocre presentation by Adams. With teachers standing up for their curriculum, she said, why arent you listening? Dubai Crypto Exchange BitOasis Secures Investment from Jump Capital and Wamda Heres the Latest Image Source: BitOasis Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange BitOasis has secured a round of funding from a group of investors, including Indian digital-asset platform CoinDCX. According to a Friday report from Bloomberg, the specific terms of the deal and the valuation of the exchange have not been disclosed. The report revealed that the recent funding round saw participation from existing investors Wamda Capital and Jump Capital. BitOasis, which was launched in 2016, offers services in several countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The Middle East and North Africa region has experienced significant growth in the cryptocurrency market, with Chainalysis research revealing that it was the fastest-growing market between mid-2021 and mid-2022. This latest investment follows BitOasis successful fundraising efforts back in 2021, during which it raised $30 million. The company has been making significant strides in the industry, having received one of Dubais minimum viable product operational licenses earlier this year, which allows BitOasis to offer broker-dealer services for digital assets to qualified investors. However, the company faced a setback in July when it was reprimanded by Dubai authorities for not meeting the required conditions set by the local regulator. At the time, the market alert informed investors and customers of BitOasis regarding ongoing supervisory controls and enforcement actions against the exchange. BitOasis is under review for not meeting mandated conditions, required to be satisfied within 30-60 day timeframes prior to being permitted to undertake any VARA regulated market activity. CoinDCX, on the other hand, recently achieved the status of Indias first cryptocurrency unicorn after raising approximately $90 million from investors led by B Capital Group, co-founded by Meta Platforms Inc.s Eduardo Saverin. The funding round valued CoinDCX at $1.1 billion. Dubai Ramps Up Regulatory Oversight of Crypto Companies Dubai has been one of the biggest crypto hubs in the world, attracting major players in the crypto space. For one, Binance, the worlds largest crypto exchange, opened three offices in Dubai last year after securing the necessary licenses to operate. However, the country has also been cracking down on crypto players that operate in the jurisdiction without the necessary licensing despite ambitions to establish itself as a global hub for the industry. Back in April, Duabi authorities sent an unrelated reprimand to the OPNX crypto exchange, accusing the platform of operating as an unlicensed and unregulated entity. Dubais Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) issued a cease-and-desist order against the exchange at the time. Meanwhile, the countrys crypto regulator has issued MVP licenses to companies including Bybit, Crypto.com, Binance, and OKX. These crypto firms are currently permitted to operate in the region. Stephen Flemming comes from a family of teachers, all teaching in the Philadelphia School District. From left, Stephen, Leslie, Michael, and Camille in Southwest Philadelphia on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020. Read more For most of us, New Years resolutions happen at the end of December. Since Im a high school teacher, I make my resolutions at the end of August. Every year, around this time, I try to develop one or two goals for the new school year based on areas Ive identified for personal or professional growth. In the past, my New Years resolutions have included basic things like keeping my workspace organized and not bringing students work home. These may sound easy and obvious, but when youre an overworked teacher in the Philadelphia School District, sometimes doing something as simple as leaving school on time not hours after the dismissal bell rings is hard. But its the best way for me to be at my best the next day. Advertisement But I also try to go beyond the basic with my resolutions. Last year, one of my goals was to help my students studying communications to elevate their opinions and voices beyond the walls of our classroom, to help the larger community better understand young peoples thinking and inform policymaking decisions affecting our youth. We established specific days to record class conversations and publish those episodes on my class podcast, Twitter/X, and Instagram accounts. And we got good feedback, both from educators outside the district and from policymakers; former City Councilmember Helen Gym encouraged her followers on Twitter/X to listen to our podcast, noting we cover topics big and small with insight and so much heart. Now, in 2023, Im entering my 17th year as a teacher in Philadelphias public schools. And this year, my basic resolution sounds easy and obvious but isnt to many teachers I know: eat lunch at least three days a week. Although the district is currently facing severe teaching shortages, our schools have always felt short-staffed, and Ive often given up the nonclassroom time I use for preps also called planning periods to cover other classes. As a result, I chose to work through lunch and get by on potato chips until dinner. This isnt good for me, and it doesnt set a good example for my students. This year, my more involved resolution is designed to address the new normal for my students: loss. Loss is not a new thing for Philly students, especially to those who lost loved ones from COVID-19. This year, many are processing the untimely deaths of classmates, friends, and family members due to gun violence. I cant take that loss away. But I can create a comfortable classroom they enjoy being in, to offer a respite from the stress and despair they feel in their lives outside of school. I started focusing on making adjustments in my classroom last year, adding soft jazz music in the background, lamps for filtered lighting, a combination of real and artificial plants, flexible seating, a faux vintage bookshelf, and exposed brick decorative wallpaper. I framed and displayed some of my students artwork, to their surprise and delight. This school year, I plan to include their input from the very beginning, so they feel like the space belongs to them, too. I will start organizing our classroom as it was arranged when we left for the summer in June, then ask them for their input. The goal is to create a classroom they love to enter. Its easier to learn in a space that is relaxing. As I embark on my 17th year of teaching and learning, I enter it with a great deal of anticipation and hope. The goal of my 2023-24 resolutions is to provide my students with a space that is safe and productive, and a teacher who is able to meet their needs. Stephen Flemming is an English and communications teacher at Martin Luther King High School in Germantown. I flew to central Europe during the week. "And what took you to central Europe?" you might ask, and you struggling perhaps to get to Macroom of a Tuesday. Well, if you must know, I went to central Europe to fight for the small farmer, who is hanging on there at the edge of Europe, on that stoney outcrop better known as Ireland. I gave a speech about my life on the land and my struggles to remain there. And to be honest with you, when I finished there wasn't a dry eye in the house. "Action will soon be taken," I was promised. And you can't ask for more than that. Anyhow, with cost a priority, I took one of those no-frills flights to my destination and, boy golly, was it no frills. T'was so cheap, the airline practically paid me to come aboard. But before I boarded, as is my want, first I drew a few kicks on the tyres. "God above!" shouts the captain out the side window of the cockpit, "don't be drawing kicks on my poor tyres, they're in bad enough shape as it is." FREE Irish Examiner gilet with an annual digital subscription Subscribe for 1.54/week Billed as 80 for first year. Ts&Cs apply And sure enough one of them blew out there and then. "Ladies and gentlemen," the captain then announced, "We will have a slight delay due to one of our important tyres having lost wind." "Does anyone have a jack?" He then cried aloud. As I said, t'was a no-frills job, the kind of flight where having enough fuel was considered a luxury. A jack was eventually found. A rusty old yoke that had been obsolete with years. T'was like something I'd find back home. But being a West Cork farmer, well used to hardship, I got it to work, after giving it a few clouts off the side of the plane. Against all the odds, the old bird was jacked up, with all 250 people still on board and mesmerised by my actions. The nuts were the next problem. They were as rusted as the old jack and so I called on the captain to find a length of bar to give me some leverage. Luckily, he located a spare piece of metal tubing on the side of the plane and, before long, the flat tyre was off and the spare (which wasn't much of an improvement) was on. The crowd up above in the plane burst into spontaneous applause when the job was complete, for once again, I had saved the day. "Lord above," the captain exclaimed shaking my hand, "but did you ever think of becoming a pilot? "With skill like that you could be driving a Jumbo in no time." "Don't you mean flying?" I asked. "Yerra, I do, I suppose," says he "the jargon sometimes confuses me." "Anyhow, come on," he roared "we haven't a moment to lose, let's get this bird airborne." He wasn't too worried about the tyres at all you see, for it was a bit of flying he was aiming to do. So long as the tyres lasted the length of the runway, the flight could progress. Anyhow we took off. We rose like an albatross and blew out more black smoke than a thousand turf fires. The environment shook her green fist at us as we disappeared into one of them dark clouds that have plagued Irish farmers all summer long. Against all odds, we stayed afloat for ages and when eventually we touched down in central Europe, I gave a speech to an assembled mass that will be remembered for generations. It moved all who had ears. T'was the mighty successful trip for this no-frills high-flying farmer. Bathing a brand-new baby is an intimate ritual. Bathing them after death is perhaps the most sacred act of all. Yet this was the heart-breaking reality for parents of some of the babies deliberately killed by neonatal nurse, Lucy Letby. As these mothers and fathers look back at how 33-year-old Letby had helped them wash their childrens lifeless bodies, or create tiny footprints theyd forever hold dear, it seemed even more heinous that shed sabotaged this last private moment between parent and child. Lucy Letby cried alongside the parents after their babies died. She sent a sympathy card to the grieving parents of a baby she murdered on her fourth attempt. One baby wasnt even two hours old when she deliberately ended its life. Described as cruel and relentless, the Countess of Chester hospital nurse was handed down a whole-life sentence. She's deemed to be most persistent child killer in modern British history. Now the question everyone is asking, is why. Unlike other serial killers, there is nothing to suggest that Letby had a difficult upbringing. During the trial, her childhood was described as idyllic. Raised in Hereford, she was the only child of parents, John and Susan. Letby lived alone with her cats, Tigger and Smudge in Chester in Northwest England. According to testimony, she worked long hours, nights at first and then graduated to day shifts. The nurse had told jurors she had quite an active social life. She attended salsa classes and went out with friends. She was even chosen as the face of a hospital fundraising project. Perhaps it was her blandness that makes this tragedy resonate. Orla Lynch is a senior criminologist and Dean of doctoral studies at University College Cork. She says that in this specific case, as in other cases of highly mediated serial killers such as Ted Bundy the perpetrator is not a social "other", in that she "doesn't match the identity of some imagined supervillain, or folk devil she represents the direct opposite". In these cases, where people can identify with the perpetrator seeking out motive or understanding her state of mind becomes even more compelling. We are often quick to look for a reason, explains Ms Lynch. Whether that is some mental health diagnosis, a past trauma, or when all else fails, signs of evil. However, in most cases we will never know why but we can know how she managed to get away with her crimes for over a year. "And that is a fascinating issue in the case of serious crime. Most of the time, someone knows, someone has seen something, and someone has often said something. In this particular case, from the court records, we know colleagues reported her behaviour and were dismissed; we know that there was an investigation and not all the appropriate information was shared with investigators, and we know that there are now serious questions being raised around the governance of the unit where she worked. Artist sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Lucy Letby appearing in the dock at Manchester Crown Court during her murder trial. During the trial, Letby cut a pathetic figure, clutching a purple blanket, glancing up at her own parents now and then. Prosecutor Nick Johnston was keen to remind jurors how horrifyingly calculating her actions had been. He described how Letbys attempts to kill one baby infant, called Baby I were extremeeven by the standards of this overall case. Baby I was born very early and very small but she survived the first two months of her life and was doing well by the time Lucy Letby got her hands on her. It was persistent, it was calculated, it was cold-blooded... The reporting of this case has centered around the why of Letby's actions. Ms Lynch points out that a case like this plays into our fascination with crime and violence in society, as well as our desire to understand how it could happen. This manifests in the popularity of police dramas, crime novels and horror movies", she points out. Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the morbid curiosity that exists around serial killers. There are a lot of reasons that serial killers attract our attention, but it is part of a more general tendency we have to focus on dangerous situations, both to understand them but also due to the way we think about harm and risk. In other words, it relates to our desire to dice with fear. Whether that is via horror movies or the likes of the DahmerNetflix series, it serves a purpose in that it allows us to court terror in a safe detached way says Lynch. "More evolutionary explanations link our fascination to predator avoidance, and explain that seeking to understand the state of mind of serial killers can somehow be linked to an effort to be prepared to be safe from predators. But does how we in the media choose to report these cases have any bearing on how our audience processes this type of horrific news? Ms Lynch explains that people react to these types of stories differently, and often it is related to how much individuals can relate to the victims. There is a longstanding criminological framework that looks at what we call the ideal victim and amongst other characteristics the ideal victim is someone who is innocent of any involvement in their victimhood, is weak (often associated with being young/old/or female), and has public sympathy. In this regard, there is perhaps no more ideal a victim than premature infants. However, when a nurse is the perpetrator the situation is difficult to comprehend as it presents so many challenges to our preconceived expectations around roles and behaviour. "Our response to situations such as this is often to seek to understand the violent behaviour as an inherent characteristic of the individual so for example mental health issues or a history of abuse etc, thus identifying this nurse as the exception to the norm. This allows us to reconcile the violence as the actions of an evil/damaged exceptional person, and so continue fundamentally believe in a just world. However, for those families who are the victims of this individual, their world view will have been irreparably shattered. Often these babies in the neonatal unit are described as fighters. Their tiny bodies struggle to survive in this world. Lucy Letby was supposed to be the one that nurtured them back to health. She was supposed to save them. Instead, she killed them. And against whatever drove her, they never stood a chance. 1. Scattery Island, Co Clare As you approach Scattery Island from the ferry which departs Kilrush, Co Clare, a manmade pillar scrapes the sky. What could it be? A round tower and one of only three on Irish islands after Holy Island, Lough Derg and Devenish, on Lough Erne. The round tower is part of an early church complex of seven churches dating over several hundred years. The island was the centre of St Senans sphere of influence as he established churches around the country. And where you had monasteries you usually had Viking raids. Scattery Island was subject to a succession of their attacks with the churches plundered and the monks massacred. But Scattery is not all about ecclesiastical history. There is a gorgeous lighthouse, now automated sadly, which evokes a time when the lighthouse keepers would light the wick of the burner to guide seafarers safely home. There is a lovely walk which can be made on the full circumference of the island taking in beaches, the lighthouse, a marsh frequented by heron, and some old boreens fragrant with the scent of wildflower. There is even a small street on the island where some of the residents included the famous Shannon Estuary pilots who guided large ships towards Limerick City. Puffins on Great Saltee island, Co Wexford. Picture: Dan MacCarthy 2. Great Saltee, Co Wexford While it is too late this year to see the vanguard of the puffins on Great Saltee, make a note in your diary for next year. This Co Wexford island, which is 5km off the coast, is one of the preferred habitats of this dynamic multicoloured bird which whirr through the air like drones while emitting a gurgling sound. April and May are the best months to watch these fascinating animals. Its not too late to see the magnificent gannets though, which are readily identifiable through their muscular white bodies and yellow-tipped wings. It is one of the great sights in nature to watch these birds diving into the sea from a great height travelling at speeds of almost 100kph. The birds arrive in spring and depart in the autumn when the chicks are fledged to avoid the cold winter. Great Saltee is a special protection area and it is vital for any visitors to approach the nesting area of the gannets with great care. Great Saltee has a companion island in Little Saltee and their name derives from the Norse words for salt and ey or ee meaning island. Like Tory Island, Great Saltee has also had a king, one of the Neale family (who own the island) chose the self-styled title. salteeferry.com at Kilmore Quay, Co Wexford Tory Island, Co Donegal. Picture: Dan MacCarthy 3. Tory, Co Donegal Tory Island is almost 15km off the Co Donegal coast and for anyone in the south of the country it is a long journey. But isnt that the pleasure of going to distant places, savouring the experience? In this era of instant travel, relish the drive to catch the ferry at Magheroarty and if there are high rolling seas when you set out from the pier, which is much more usual than not, marvel at the efforts of the former islanders in crossing a massive distance by currach and their endurance on the island when storms lashed it unmercifully. There is a relatively sizeable population on Tory and almost no trees. It has a fascinating volcanic rock formation at its eastern end which looks like congealed layers of melted chocolate. There are a couple of lively pubs in the village and though the king, Patsy Dan Rodgers, is not there to greet new arrivals anymore, the spirit of the late artist lives on. Walk to the western end of the island where you can see the former studio of the artist Derek Hill whose work was created at the very edge of Europe. Aerial shot of Holy Island, Lough Derg. 4. Holy Island, Co Clare This is a grassy island in a lough along the course of the River Shannon and has no beaches unlike the other islands in this list. However, it is still a beautiful island and one of our most important historically. There are dozens of islands on Lough Derg and Holy Island Inis Cealtra is one of the largest. It is a companion island for Scattery in the sense that they both have a round tower. The tower was pre-dated by a church established by St Colum in the sixth century. Over the following centuries more churches were added to the complex: St Caimins Church, St Michaels Oratory, St Brigids Church, St Marys Church and The Church of the Wounded Men. And while it has fewer churches than Scattery, it is nonetheless impressive. Brian Borus brother, Marcan, was abbot there in the 11th century and both were born locally at Killaloe. And in another, unfortunate, comparison with Scattery, Holy Island too was plundered by the Vikings. This Holy Island is not to be confused with Station Island (known as Lough Derg Island) on the Co Donegal Lough Derg, which is a major pilgrimage site. A swimmer awaits the sunrise on Portmarnock Beach looking across towards Ireland's Eye. Picture Credit: Martin Treacy, Malahide, Dublin 5. Irelands Eye, Co Dublin The name of this island has nothing to do with the ability to see, though its position off Dublin City halfway up the coast may give the impression it had. Actually, it is derived from the Norse word for island, ey, like Lambay, Orkney, Dursey, and many others. The island is bookended by varied attractions. The western end has a Martello tower which dates from the early 19th century. They were built by the British as watchtowers to watch out for an invasion by Napoleons army at the start of the 19th century. On the eastern end where there are steep craggy cliffs, there are guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes, and cormorants to be seen, and occasionally puffins. For any budding birdwatchers, this is a perfect place to start. Irelands Eye has even had a real-life murder mystery of its own after an artist was found guilty of murdering his wife while on a trip to the island in 1852. It was a celebrated court case with strenuous claim that the poor woman had been drowned and not murdered. There are the ruins of an ancient church which, surprise surprise, was also attacked by the Vikings. Heir Island. Pic: Pat Maguire 6. Heir Island, Co Cork Situated about halfway between Baltimore and Schull in West Cork, Heir Island is near divine in the summer. Some places just have a certain feel to them and Heir Island has it in spades (and buckets, if youre of a very young age). There are three lovely sheltered beaches just near the pier on the eastern shore and to idle away an afternoon or more here is to enter into heaven. Heir Island even has its own Olympics which takes place for children on the beach every August. The island was ruled by the O Drisceoil clan in the 15th and 16th centuries. The island has no visible remnant of these times but people still live there, fishing and farming, mainly. Walk to the far side of the island, where the Fastnet Rock blinks further out to the western seas, and where there are much fewer people. There is a lovely grassy path where you can sink your feet in the soft grass and clover. And if you are missing the attractions of town or city life there is even a mini-pizzeria and an art gallery near the pier. heirisland.ie for Cunnamore pier about 10km west of Skibbereen. Bantry-based commercial fishing boat 'Muirean' fishes for mussels on mussel farms in Bantry Bay this morning, with Whiddy Island in the background. The mussels caught are exported to countries in Europe, including France and Spain. Photo: Andy Gibson. 7. Whiddy Island, Co Cork Whiddy Island is the largest island in the inner part of Bantry Bay but is dwarfed by the vast Bere Island further along the coast. It is best known for being home to Irelands reserve oil storage but these huge tanks are on the far side of the island and well out of view if you are on a day out. The island has had a fascinating history with the British using it as a naval base in the 18th and 19th centuries. For the enthusiast of military history, several gun batteries from that period can be found along the southern shore where they initially guarded the entrance to Bantry against the failed French invasion of 1796. And in World War One, the Americans used the island as a seaplane base from which they patrolled the seas for U-boats around the Fastnet. Whiddy is part of a lovely blueway kayaking trail which starts from Abbey Strand outside Bantry and which connects Whiddy with the islands of Rabbit, Chapel, Hog and Horse islands. An extension of the Sheeps Head Way can also be undertaken on Whiddy. The old schoolhouse was recently converted to accommodation and there is a fine pub on the pier. The weather-beaten remains of the school near the shore of Inishkea South. Taken from Deserted Schoolhouses of Ireland by Enda O'Flaherty, published by The Collins Press 2018 8. Inishkea South, Co Mayo Inishkea South, and its extremely close neighbour Inishkea North, are two large islands off the Mullet Peninsula in Co Mayo in the extreme northwest of the county. To see the ruins of old houses on this island half submerged in sand which has accumulated over the decades, seeing as there is no one there to clear it away, is literally to observe the sands of time in action. Prior to the Famine, 62 people lived here while farming the land and fishing the seas. There was even a whaling station set up by the Norwegians in the early 20th century. Now, the screech of the oystercatcher is the dominant sound. The name is derived from the Irish Inis Ge (Goose Island) after the skeins of barnacle geese that visit from Greenland between April and October. And for any birdwatchers out there, these islands are a dreamland with several vagrants sometimes seeking landfall, including snowy owls and surf scoters. Apart from the lovely walks around the island, there is a sheltered beach with silver sand for a swim. The Inishkeas are a nationally important breeding site for Atlantic grey seals. A simply magnificent day out. 9. Inishmaan, Co Galway Once home to the writer of The Playboy of the Western World, JM Synge, this Co Galway island is a home away from home and though entirely modern too, it does evoke a 19th-century feeling. Synges former home, Teach Synge, is now a museum complete with a thatched roof where artefacts of the playwrights life can be seen. He is also commemorated at Synges Seat, a small enclosure on a high ridge overlooking the sea. Not a bad place to meditate and take it all in. It is the middle of the Aran Islands, flanked to the northwest by Inishmore and the southeast by Inisheer. Both of these are also magnificent though of different character. Inishmaans essence is in its limestone rock with huge sheets of the glistening light grey rock forming much of the island. The Burren and the Aran islands are famous for their flowering plants especially the gentians and a variety of orchids. All three islands are a continuation of the Burren whose extensive limestone rocks were formed at the bottom of the sea about 340 million years ago in the Carboniferous period. There are lovely sinuous walks around the island following the high field walls. 10. Inchagoill, Lough Corrib, Co Galway Inchagoill is an entirely wooded island in the middle of Lough Corrib, the enormous lake which is mainly in Co Galway and partly in Co Mayo. Its attractions are twofold. First, the wonderful walks through its tracks which lead off in a myriad of directions under the canopy of native woodland. Second, the island has some very important early Christian monuments which place it high on the level of importance of such sites. Not so high as Clonmacnoise, Skellig Michael, or Scattery Island, but pretty high nonetheless. The monuments are all the more surprising for being found in the middle of a wood on an island. The tiny St Patricks Church dates from the sixth century and is dedicated to our patron saint. Beside the church is Lugnads stone which bears the earliest known inscription in Latin in Ireland: Lia Lugnaedon Macc Limenuehor The stone of Luguaedon [Lugnad], son of Limenuich, the nephew of St Patrick. A second church is the 12th-century Romanesque Church of the Saints with very unusual carved heads. The islands name translates as The Island of the Devout Foreigner relating to a certain holy person who there lived of old, according to a historical note. corribcruises.com from Oughterard, Co Galway and Cong, Co Galway/Co Mayo A Dublin musician has made a video appeal to help find his friend who went missing in Cork City. John Keaveney, 43, was last seen shortly after midnight on Monday morning in the McCurtain Street area of the city. Dublin busker Mick McLoughlin - known as Mick the Busker - posted a video on his Facebook page saying that his family are very worried and are asking for any information that might help find him. Some of you have seen the post I posted about John being missing, hes still missing, said Mr McLoughlin. "Hes been missing from McCurtain Street in Cork and his family are very worried. "Help us find him. John had been seen in the Wilton area earlier on Sunday. It is understood the man is from Dublin and was on holiday in Cork. He is described as being 5'9" in height and has a slim build. He has brown eyes and is bald. When last seen, John was wearing a pair of navy trousers, a grey Umbro hoodie with the Irish soccer logo and white runners. Gardai and Johns family are concerned for his welfare. Anyone with information on Johns whereabouts is asked to contact Mayfield garda station on 021 455 8510, the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station. Q. So, what is the story with armed gardai being stationed on every corner in Dublin city centre to crack down on feral teenage gangs? A. Sorry to disappoint you, there is no such story. Q. What do you mean, it's all over the news and social media? A. That may be, but it isnt true. Q. I read it online and there were politicians and groups getting all hot and bothered over it? A. People jumped the gun and misread it. Q. But how can that happen? A. The gardai sent out a press release announcing measures responding to the spate of serious assaults on people, including tourists in the city centre, in many cases carried out by juveniles. Q. Okay, but did that statement not say something about armed guards roaming around the inner city just waiting for young thugs to look at someone sideways and pull their guns on them? A. No, it did not. Nothing like it. Q. Ok, can you just tell me what it did say about the armed guards? A. It said that the Regional Armed Response Units would be deployed along with a range of other specialist units to "enhance" police visibility in the city. Q. Well, isn't that it armed units on the street? A. The Armed Response Units are regularly seen in Dublin, not just the city, patrolling in their jeeps. But they do not do patrols on foot, with their guns on display. As the title of the units states, they are response units. They are not the frontline. Q. I think Im getting it. So, there will be armed gardai but they are going to be inside vehicles, not standing on corners and strolling down streets looking scary? A. Bingo. Q. And thats all theyll do cruise around? A. They drive around areas in case there is a shooting, armed incident, hostage taking, knife attack and the like. They only respond to serious incidents, but they do give local people, and indeed gardai on the beat, a sense of security seeing them driving around. And, it might deter criminals. Q. And are these armed units a new thing? A. Not only are they not new they have been a common sight in the city centre and many parts of Dublin for years. In fact, they were a regular presence up until recently in the north and south inner cities during the Kinahan-Hutch feud and most people welcomed them. Q. Is that all there is in the Garda plan? A. No. What we in the Irish Examiner led on was an actual new development: the deployment of members of the Garda Public Order Unit on the beat, doing regular foot patrols. They rarely do normal foot patrols and do look more formidable. They are dressed in what is called soft cap mode the police attire that is between the common garda uniform and the full-on riot gear the public order unit wears in dealing with serious disorder. Q. Is that it? A. These public order guards on the beat are backed up by mobile units carrying gardai that can scramble into riot gear. Q. Surely, more is needed? A. Yes, and it should never have got to this stage; community groups and research reports have highlighted the plight of certain communities for well over a decade. Q. What else then? A. There are many good things happening involving the State and communities, but real partnership needs to be restored. We need more gardai, more youth projects, more social workers, better mental health services, more drug projects. In short, more safety, more supports, more hope. During the week we had a perfect example of policing by public relations. Following three incidents in Dublin city centre over the last month resources were scrambled to present an alleged appropriate response. The Garda national public order unit, the armed support unit, and the mounted unit are all to be deployed to the places where tourists wander and congregate. Details designed to bamboozle proper analysis were presented. The public order unit will be deployed every day of the week to the city centre on a rota of 12-hour shifts into the early hours of the morning. The armed support and mounted units will be deployed to enhance garda visibility, according to Garda headquarters, and patrols on transport networks at peak times will continue. There were further briefings on the 10m announced for extra policing a few weeks ago, with the news that 2m of that will go towards the public order unit. The armed support unit will be held in reserve, ready to spring into action when required. After the initial announcement it was revealed that the new dispensation will not mean gardai brandishing weapons at every corner in the centre of Dublin. However, if you were a tourist flying into the country and you happened upon this announcement, surely youd be inclined to ask the pilot to turn back. The policing picture suggests a society on the brink of collapse in which gardai are being sent in to hold things together through guns, horses, and riot gear and as much overtime as it takes to ensure that the elected members of parliament will be able to make it safely through the streets to the seat of government. Such a scenario would not be unheard of in countries mismanaged by kleptocratic regimes to the point where economies no longer functioned properly. Another announcement this week stated that employment has never been as high in the country. There are problems, including the problems of success and a failure to keep public services in line with a growing population, but this is no failed state. Why then was it necessary to make an announcement that suggested the capital city had gone to pot? The three incidents that were highlighted were serious. A number of tourists sustained vicious violent attacks. The most serious of these was perpetrated on US national Stephen Termini who was kicked and beaten on Store St in the city centre on July 19. But it remains the case that Dublin is one of the safest capital cities in Europe. The response of calling in the cavalry, complete with horses, dogs, and riot shields, is primarily a reaction to media coverage during the so-called silly season. For instance, on the same day Mr Termini was assaulted there was another violent incident in the city centre, again involving a foreign national. This one was actually a stabbing that occurred at 1am that day in the Temple Bar area. The victim was a delivery driver from Bolivia who is in the country to work and contribute to the economy. The attack on him was barely noticed or commented on. At the time, a media query to the gardai received the response, inquiries are ongoing. A few weeks ago I checked back in with An Garda Siochana as to how the investigation into that was progressing. I was told: There are no updates at this time. Investigations are ongoing. By contrast, the suspects in the tourist attacks have all been either identified or charged. Is it a coincidence that An Garda Siochana sprung into action to pursue the perpetrators in the tourist attacks but has been unable to properly advance the case of the stabbed delivery driver? None of this is to take away from the reality that people do not feel as safe in some parts of the States cities as was formerly the case. Since the pandemic, in particular, there is an edgier, or rougher, feel around the centres of places such as Dublin and Cork at particular times. For the greater part this is an expression of the social problems that were not as visible in the bigger commercial areas heretofore. Last June, a man sustained a fatal stab wound on Grand Parade in Cork at 7.30pm in the evening. Court reports suggest that both the victim and the suspect lived on the margins of society for one reason or another. Such an incident at that time of day in the city centre would have been virtually unheard of until recent years. The fall-out from deep social problems, some of which are interminable but many due to sustained neglect by successive governments, are now becoming more visible to the public at large. Addressing the policing aspect of these changes, and reassuring the public, should not be beyond a modern police force. But An Garda Siochana is currently experiencing a resources deficit and a linked morale problem. As RTEs Prime Time showed this week, 71 members have left the force so far this year. Last year, it was 108, up nearly threefold from 41 in 2017. The number of available gardai right now is 13,668, down 600 since 2020. The Governments target, which is a conservative estimate of what is required, is 15,000 members. Quite obviously the job is not as attractive as it once was at a time when the labour market is going through the roof. Young people are not willing to put up with substandard working conditions in one form or another for the sake of the secure, pensionable job. Three gardai who left the force in recent years told Prime Time of the frustration and stress that the deficit of proper resources had prevented them from doing the work as well as they had wanted. Attempting to deal with these issues is Commissioner Drew Harris, who was brought in to clean up An Garda Siochana after a series of scandals. He has been making progress in some areas, but not others. He has a blueprint to work from, the report delivered by the Commission on the Future of Policing. However, it appears that imposing the aspirations and intentions of that document onto the members of An Garda Siochana is running into various difficulties. Currently, the Garda Representative Association is balloting a vote of confidence in the commissioner, an unprecedented move in a disciplined force. Whatever the outcome of that, the problems now bedevilling An Garda Siochana are far greater than anything to do with Harris. If the Government is serious about beefing up policing, it would be much better off to find out why it is becoming difficult to recruit and retain gardai and address the core of the problem rather than indulging in PR exercises dressed up as a show of strength. The ward clinical nurse manager (formerly sister) looked aggrieved when I suggested we should send a blood test for c-peptide which, if low, can be a marker of externally given insulin, when I came across a patient with unexplained low blood glucose on our ward a number of years ago. This was shortly after I had come back having completed my training in Leeds. The senior nurse seemed offended at any inference that the patient might have been given insulin by a member of staff accidently. Prof Ronan Collins, now a consultant geriatrician at Tallaght University Hospital, was among clinicians at Leeds General Infirmary who raised concerns about deaths on the wards concerns which ultimately led to the conviction of nurse Colin Norris. File picture I diplomatically explained that it was and should be a routine part of the clinical investigations of low blood glucose; that insulin could have been given by accident on a ward where some patients were diabetic; that a patient could have given it to themselves as a suicide attempt; that, in any case, it was a busy ward with lots of comings and goings, and that, in an era of staff shortages, things were often more rushed with more opportunity for error and that we did not know all our doctors and nurses well any more, with many temporary staff on 'bank' or locum shifts. I kept the possibility of a premeditated and deliberate act of harm to myself. The Colin Norris case Some three years prior as a medical registrar at Leeds General Infirmary, I was called one night to the orthopaedic ward to assess a woman in her 80s who was unwell and drowsier than normal following hip surgery. The nursing staff and I quickly deduced she was hypoglycaemic (low blood sugar) and, having assessed for infection, blood loss, clot to lungs, and stroke, we were satisfied that a long day fasting and post-surgery was the likely cause of the low blood sugar. Two doses of intravenous replacement seemed to solve the matter. Ethel Hall, one of the four women murdered by nurse Colin Norris. File picture: West Yorkshire Police/PA About a week later, I was called again to the orthopaedic ward to assess an unresponsive older lady post-hip surgery with quite a low blood sugar. On this occasion, it took some effort and repeated administrations of glucose over some hours to try restore normal levels. The situation puzzled and interested me and I gave a steroid in case of an undiagnosed deficiency and broad-spectrum antibiotics in case of infection, and I sent a number of blood tests, including one for endogenous (naturally produced by the body) pro-insulin levels in case the lady had a rare insulin-producing tumour called an insulinoma. I was at the top of my top of my game, I thought. How naive I was. An obviously thoughtful and more distanced biochemistry laboratory scientist received my request and obviously thought: Insulinoma! Not a chance. Instead, and more appropriately, they performed a test for a protein called c-peptide. This protein is elevated in insulinoma and naturally induced states of hypoglycaemia. More pertinently in the situation perhaps, low sugar states can also be produced by surreptitiously-given insulin. Alarm bells rang... The next morning, I brought the case to the attention of my supervising consultant who exclaimed, in some surprise, that shed had a similar case on that ward a few weeks back. The lab scientist called me later that day to tell me the c-peptide was low evidence that insulin had been given to the patient. He asked me to check was the lady diabetic or could there have been an error? Were there other patients in adjacent beds on insulin? There were not. There had also been rumblings of concern about unexpected deaths across city in our more famous sister hospital St Jimmys. Alarm bells rang as the pennies dropped. What followed was an extensive police investigation with a meticulous cross-city examination of all staff rotas with everyone interviewed. There was a review of unexplained deaths and exhumations of bodies for forensics. There was a pervasive atmosphere of suspicion and fear on our wards. 'Angel of death' convicted The rest is matter of the Newcastle Crown Court record and, in 2008 a nurse, Colin Norris subsequently dubbed the angel of death in the tabloid press was convicted on four counts of murder and one attempted murder. There were six other suspicious deaths uncovered that could not be investigated sufficiently due to the bodies having been cremated. The case shocked me and opened my eyes to the fact that I was working in a very large and busy hospital, with lots of patient and staff movements, with lots of potential for miscommunication and error and an opportunity, if someone was so inclined, for malevolence. I asked the detective at the court case what had prompted such actions. He felt the psychopathology could have potentially originated by witnessing a loved one dying badly and the subsequent actions, in the detectives opinion, were motivated by a belief that this was a version of involuntary euthanasia and a humane and morally correct course of action for these frail, suffering and vulnerable older people. An alternative body of testimony at the court case suggested Norris was a cruel individual and disliked older people. When sentencing him to life imprisonment with a minimum of 30 years to be served, the judge remarked: I have absolutely no doubt, you are a thoroughly evil and dangerous man. Norris has always maintained his innocence and an episode of the BBC's Panorama series, The Innocent Serial Killer?, raised concerns about the safety of the conviction. The foreman of the jury that convicted Norris even spoke out on his belief years later that there had been a miscarriage of justice. A case review in 2013 upheld the conviction but it remains under appeal still. If the appeal is successful, this would be the greatest miscarriage of justice since the Birmingham Six. What was not disputed, however, was that Ethel Hall was murdered by an injection of insulin at Leeds General Infirmary. The recent case of Lucy Letby, found guilty of the murder of seven babies and attempted murder of six more at the Countess of Cheshire Hospital, again brings into the spotlight a potential for malevolence from healthcare staff. Although a highly unusual occurrence, one must reluctantly accept that evil people with complex psychopathology do exist in healthcare, though perhaps much less so than in other walks of life or at least we would hope so. Harold Shipman arriving at Ashton-Under-Lyne police station in Greater Manchester on September 7 1998 when he was arrested in connection with the death of 81-year-old Kathleen Grundy. In January 2000, the GP was found guilty of murdering 15 patients under his care. Picture: PA/EDI Rare cases like those of Norris, Lucy Letby, and the notorious GP Harold Shipman evoke, at one level, the almost Victorian curio quality of a Sweeney Todd (himself believed to have been in the surgical trade) and, on another level, a revulsion of those breaking a most sacred trust, the trust between protector and vulnerable, healer and sick. Beneficence and sanctuary in health settings is an expected value in our society, exemplified by a public presumption of Hippocratic oath taking but maybe at times taken for granted, lazily so and even negligently so. The reported actions of hospital management in the Letby case are self-preserving at best, possible criminally negligent at worst. Calls by Dr Stephen Brearey, the lead consultant at the neonatology unit in which Letby was allowed to continue practice murder, despite raising his concerns early with management, are not likely to lead to anything meaningful in terms of any serious culture change in the NHS management and in their relationship with clinicians. A few insignificant dragoons will be sent to face the cannons, and the NHS management machine, its reputation, and any potential for making the honours list will be defended. Nurse Lucy Letby was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill six others between June 2015 and June 2016 despite concerns being raised by clinicians as early as 2015. File picture: Cheshire Constabulary/PA A dangerous component of the problem here is the antipathy if not adversity between management and clinicians in Britain currently. This was something I witnessed first-hand in Leeds, when no less than the professor of medicine raised concerns about a serious patient safety episode during the four-hour trolley wait campaign, only to be brushed aside with the nonchalance of Lord Raglan on the hill at Balaclava. What then do we learn from such rare and shocking cases? Well they happen and in the first instance there must be both curiosity and rigour in our scientific understanding of unexplained deaths. The past organ retention cases have much damaged societys and our clinically important relationship with the science of pathology. Forensic pathology such as CSI may be popular on TV, but a scientifically curious post-mortem is now a rarity. Many of us in medicine wonder what half the people who died of Covid actually died of. In September 2001, an inquiry examining the deaths of at least 466 people issued adverts seeking to trace the relatives of more than 80 former patients of Harold Shipman. File picture: PA We also need action to accompany our increased understanding that we all now work in more diverse and busy clinical settings, where there are frequent changes in personnel, where mistakes can and will happen and where rarely and unfortunately staff can be inadvertently abusive of patients and, more rarely, malevolent towards them. Clinical settings must have a governance structure that accounts for this, that encourages more team working and peer support, that is adequately resourced to minimise error and its work practices designed to reduce stress and empathy burnout among staff. Most importantly perhaps is a need to affirm by design that our healthcare settings exist to serve the health of our patients and not government policy, the reputation of the institution, the needs of its individual staff or managers. The culture of a health service must reflect this in every facet of its operations. It is the most sacred of trusts. The former Republican congressman and self-identified alcoholic who will likely represent Virginias 56th District in the House of Delegates after November appears to believe his wife is leaking incriminating and incendiary documents to the press. In an ongoing custody battle between Tom Garrett and Flanna Sheridan amid the pairs divorce, Sheridans counsel has requested Garretts medical records, including clinical notes from Garretts former therapist. But Garretts counsel said it worries those records will ultimately end up in the hands of the media specifically The Daily Progress. His counsel, Christopher Smith, argued at a Wednesday hearing in Louisa County that efforts should be taken to keep portions of the highly contentious case out of public view, noting that a reporter with The Daily Progress was in the courtroom. Smith pointed to two recent stories written by The Daily Progress which highlighted allegations that Garrett abused his wife. Smith said in court he did not want Sheridan to be given a copy or be permitted to read Garretts medical records. I dont want an iota of possibility of Ms. Sheridan taking medical records and handing them to the wonderful Daily Progress reporter, Smith said. Judge Melvin Hughes asked Smith if any of The Daily Progress stories included information that was not already in the court record. Sheridans counsel, Jason Seiden, shook his head. Garretts counsel responded to the question by noting that the most recent Daily Progress story cited unnamed sources. The court filings cited in previous reporting are public record, viewed by The Daily Progress in the clerks office of the Louisa County Circuit Court. Multiple sources familiar with the allegations came forward after excerpts from those court filings were published in The Daily Progress. Those sources were vetted, and their identities were withheld to protect them from retaliation. Sheridan has not spoken with The Daily Progress, nor has she provided The Daily Progress with any documents. Seiden told the judge that Sheridan unequivocally denies ever disclosing confidential information. I am 100% sure that there is nothing in those articles that isnt in the court record, Seiden said. Smith acknowledged that the medical records are relevant to the custody case, but expressed concern that if the records were produced, Sheridan would be able to view them. I dont want records from my client to end up in the next Daily Progress story, he said. Thats not in the best interest of the child. Smith expressed concern that the childs friends may one day find information about her father online. He pointed to the Virginia Political Newsletter, which recently published a photo Garrett took of himself with a gun to his forehead. The newsletter also included links to court filings that Smith said included private information, such as addresses. Wednesday was not Garretts first attempt to keep records out of public view. On Aug. 16, his counsel filed a motion for sequestration of record. In it, Smiths team wrote that The Daily Progress had recently published two extensive front page stories that referenced various allegations against husband and referred to various court documents. Garretts counsel wrote that although he had filed a motion for a gag order and that the court imposed restrictions on the parties not to discuss the case, those restrictions do not prevent third parties from viewing and accessing court files. To prevent third-party access, Garretts counsel asked that the court sequester and seal the entire Circuit Court file. His counsel mentioned this motion near the end of Wednesdays hearing, but the judge responded that the motion had not yet matured and would have to be discussed at a later hearing. As for Garretts medical records, Hughes ordered that they only be released to Sheridans counsel. Anything her attorneys find in the records that they find relevant to the case must be presented to the court first, which will make a determination whether it can be entered into the public record. Neither Garrett nor Sheridans counsel could be reached for comment. Greek fire department officials arrested two men on Saturday for allegedly starting wildfires deliberately as hundreds of firefighters battle blazes that have been blamed for 21 deaths. One man was arrested on Evia for allegedly setting fire to dried grass in the islands Karystos area deliberately. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. Fire trucks on a road in a burned forest near the Fyli suburb of north-west Athens (Michael Varaklas/AP) A second man was arrested in the Larissa area in central Greece, also for allegedly setting fire to dried vegetation deliberately. Judicial authorities were informed in both cases. Officials have said arson has been to blame for several fires in Greece over the past week, although it is still unclear what sparked the countrys largest blazes, including one in the north-east region of Evros and Alexandroupolis where nearly all the fire-attributed deaths have occurred, and another on the fringes of Athens. Climate crisis and civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said: Some arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives. What is happening is not just unacceptable but despicable and criminal. The minister said nine fires had been set in the space of four hours on Thursday morning in the Avlona area in the northern foothills of Mount Parnitha, a mountain on the north-west fringes of Athens that is one of the capitals last green areas. A major fire was already burning on the southern side of the mountain at the time, and continued burning Saturday. You are committing a crime against the country, Mr Kikilias added. We will find you. You will be held accountable to justice. A car burned by the wildfire in the Fyli suburb, north-west of Athens (Michael Varaklas/AP) Later that day, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting at least three fires in the Avlona area. A search of his home revealed kindling, a fire torch gun and pine needles, police said. Greece has been plagued by the daily outbreak of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combine to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts. On Friday, firefighters were tackling 111 blazes, including 59 that had broken out in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evening, the fire department said. Most are tackled in the early stages, but some have grown to massive blazes that have consumed homes and vast tracts of forest. Storms were forecast for some areas of Greece on Saturday and there were reports of lightning causing several fires near the Greek capital that were being tackled by firefighters. Greeces largest current blaze, blamed for 20 deaths, is burning for an eighth day in the countrys northeast. Firefighters found 18 bodies in woodland on Tuesday, one on Monday and another Thursday. With nobody reported missing in the area, authorities believe they could be migrants who recently crossed the border from Turkey. Firefighters from Greece and six other European Union nations have been battling the fires (Thanassis Stavrakis/AP) Greeces disaster victim identification team has been activated to identify the remains, and a telephone hotline set up for potential relatives of the victims to call. One more victim a man reportedly trying to save his livestock from advancing flames in central Greece died on Monday. More than 290 firefighters, backed by five planes and two helicopters, were battling the Evros blaze. By Thursday, the fire had scorched more than 185,000 acres (750 square kilometres) of land, according to the European Unions Copernicus Emergency Management Service. Copernicus is the EU space programs Earth observation component and uses satellite imagery to provide mapping data. A further 260 firefighters, four planes and three helicopters were tackling another fire that has been burning for days on Mount Parnitha, on the north-west fringes of the Greek capital. Fire officials have arrested 163 for fire-related charges, including 11 negligence and 24 for deliberate arson (Achilleas Chiras/AP) With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece called on other European countries for help. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian and Slovak firefighters helped on the ground. Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues. Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said that since the start of this years fire season, officials have arrested 163 people on fire-related charges, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police made a further 18 arrests, he added. Four astronauts from four different countries have blasted off for the International Space Station. They should reach the orbiting lab in their SpaceX capsule on Sunday, replacing four astronauts who have been living up there since March. A US Nasa astronaut was joined on the pre-dawn lift-off from the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida by colleagues from Denmark, Japan and Russia. After second stage separation, @SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft with the four members of #Crew7 aboard is in orbit and set to arrive at the @Space_Station on Sun., Aug. 27. Commander @AstroJaws thanked all those who prepared the crew and spacecraft for flight: pic.twitter.com/pHgZD0GA6T NASA (@NASA) August 26, 2023 It is the first US launch where every spacecraft seat was occupied by a different country until now, Nasa had always included two or three of its own on its SpaceX taxi flights. A fluke in timing led to the assignments, officials said. Nasas Jasmin Moghbeli, a Marine pilot serving as commander, said her crews make-up demonstrates what we can do when we work together in harmony. With her on the six-month mission are the European Space Agencys Andreas Mogensen, Japans Satoshi Furukawa and Russias Konstantin Borisov. The crew is expected to reach the International Space Station by Sunday (AP) To explore space, we need to do it together, the European Space Agencys director general, Josef Aschbacher, said minutes before lift-off. Space is really global, and international co-operation is key. The astronauts paths to space could not be more different. Ms Moghbelis parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution. Born in Germany and raised on New Yorks Long Island, she joined the Marines and flew attack helicopters in Afghanistan. The first-time space traveller hopes to show Iranian girls that they, too, can aim high. Belief in yourself is something really powerful, she said before the flight. Mr Mogensen worked on oil rigs off the West African coast after getting an engineering degree. He told people puzzled by his job choice that in the future we would need drillers in space, like Bruce Willis character in the asteroid film Armageddon. He is convinced the rig experience led to his selection as Denmarks first astronaut. Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa is one of four astronauts from four different countries making the journey (Nasa/AP) Mr Furukawa spent a decade as a surgeon before making Japans astronaut cut. Like Mogensen, he has visited the station before. Mr Borisov, a space rookie, turned to engineering after studying business. He runs a freediving school in Moscow and judges the sport, in which divers shun oxygen tanks and hold their breath underwater. One of the perks of an international crew, they noted, is the food. Among the delicacies soaring into space with them are Persian herbed stew, Danish chocolate and Japanese mackerel. The crew hail from Denmark, Japan, Russia and the US (Nasa/AP) Lift-off was delayed a day because of extra data reviews for the capsules life-support system. Another Nasa astronaut will launch to the station from Kazakhstan in mid-September under a barter agreement, along with two Russians. SpaceX has now launched eight crews for Nasa. Boeing was hired at the same time nearly a decade ago, but has yet to fly astronauts. Its crew capsule is grounded until 2024 by parachute and other issues. Nadine Dorries has resigned her parliamentary seat with a scathing attack on Rishi Sunak, accusing him of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against her. The Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire on Saturday said she had submitted her resignation letter to the Prime Minister, publishing the blistering text on social media. Thousands converged on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Reverend Martin Luther King Jrs March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfil his dream. We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr King led the March on Washington, said Alphonso David, president and chief executive of the Global Black Economic Forum. Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot. The event was convened by the Kings Drum Major Institute and the Reverend Al Sharpton s National Action Network. People attend the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) A host of black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in US history. Inevitably, Saturdays event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. I was eight years old at the original March and only one woman was allowed to speak, she was from Arkansas where Im from, now look at how many women are on the podium today, she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now, said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today. The Reverend Al Sharpton speaks at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington (Andrew Harnik/AP) As speakers delivered messages, they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were under way along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial while joggers and bikers went about their routines. Yolanda King, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr, roused marchers with remarks delivered from the same spot her grandfather gave the I Have A Dream speech 60 years ago. If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say Im sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realising your dream, she said. Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools and our shopping centres. Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc pose for a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) From the podium, Mr Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. Sixty years ago Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later were the dreamers. The problem is were facing the schemers, Mr Sharpton said. The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for womens right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks. Yolanda King speaks as her father Martin Luther King III, the son of Martin Luther King Jr., listens (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial. Several leaders from groups organising the march met on Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining (discriminatory commercial activities). Saturdays gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the August 28 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organisers of the 1963 gathering. All of Dr Kings children have been invited to meet with Mr Biden, White House officials said. Martin Luther King Jrs Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. Tiffany Collins holds an image of the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later in 1963, four black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as Bloody Sunday, forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speakers warned that Dr Kings unfinished dream was in danger of being further whittled away. Im very concerned about the direction our country is going in, Martin Luther King III said. People arrive to attend the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) And it is because instead of moving forward, it feels as if were moving back. The question is, what are we going to do? Rosetta Manns-Baugh knew the answer: Keep fighting. I think we have accomplished a lot, but I also think we lost, said Ms Manns-Baugh, who was a Trailways bus counter worker in 1963 when she left her seven children and husband at home in Virginia to come to DC. Now she is so disillusioned shes stopped singing We Shall Overcome, the anthem of the civil rights movement. But even at age 92, she returned to Washington for the 60th anniversary, bringing three generations of her family, all the way down to her 18-month-old grandchild. I think thats why we all are here because we do expect the world to get better, Ms Manns-Baugh said. We cant stop working at it thats for sure. Myanmars 78-year-old military has deteriorated rapidly since it staged a coup in February 2021, suffering daily losses in nationwide attacks by Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs) and powerful ethnic armed organizations. The junta never reveals casualty figures, while revolutionary groups release claims of the number of junta and resistance troops killed in specific clashes. The latter cannot be verified and have been frequently labeled exaggerated. However, a recent leaked military report dated August 1, 2023, may provide more insight. It was sent by Military Light Infantry Battalion 114based in Shan Stateto the top level of the military. It said only 132 troops were left in the battalion, despite a requirement that it have at least 857 troops to meet the requirement to be classified as a battalion according to the militarys structure. In another leaked documentan instruction letter from the junta-run Shan State government to its district general administration departments in the statethe states security and border affairs minister Colonel Sein Win instructed the departments to provide lists of all civil servants except police. The colonel said in the letter that all government staff would be formed as militia or reserve forces to handle urgent situations for the military regime. To shed light on what is happening inside Myanmars notoriously opaque military, The Irrawaddy spoke with a former army captain who joined the civil disobedience movement in June 2021. Htet Myat, who is also helping others soldiers and officers defect, also spoke about the status of the revolution, its forces, the emergence of more pro-junta militias, what the resistance can expect, and what it should do. Is the leaked military report real? It must be real. In the military, every battalion must report lists of soldiers to the upper levels monthly. According to the military structure, there must be 800 troops or above in each battalion. But that was a tale from the past. No military battalion has had that number [of troops] for years. When I joined the military as an officer in 2009 after graduating from the Defense Service Academy, I saw only around 200 troops in each of the most powerful battalions. So, we have to compare it with that 200 troops [figure] when we consider the depletion of the military. In the leaked report, there were a total of 132 troops in the military battalion, of which 70 were on the front line. Only 62 were left at the base of the battalion. According to regulations, only about 40 troops must be left at the base. There must be reasons, including security issues, for the battalion to keep 62 troops at their base while sending only 70 troops to the front line. Can you explain more about the changes in the military before and after the coup? When I joined the military, there were many battalions that could send at least 120 to 150 troops to the front line. According to the procedure, a battalion must send at least 120 troops to the front line. Around 60 to 80 were left at the base [if the battalion has 200 troops]. Now, this military battalion has only around 132 troops in total. So, we can see the depletion of forces between 2009 and 2023. Now, some battalions that sent 120 troops to the frontline in the past, can send only around 100 to the front line. Some can send only 60 troops. Some battalions have around 100 troops in total. How has the military coup effected the militarys composition? The major causes of the militarys depletion are due to the revolution. The depletion rates are rising at the military after the coup because of deaths, injuries, and defections. One of the main reasons is defection. The defection rate has been very high since the military staged a coup. Many people in the military have realized the real attitude and behavior of the regime after the coup. So, those who have foresight are trying to defect. Another reason causing depletion in the military, is the growing military pressure from revolutionary groups. Over the past years, the military has recruited anyone they could to be soldiers. A lot of people who didnt want to be soldiers became soldiers. The military has persuaded and recruited a lot of people who had no food and no place to stay, as well as many repeat criminals evading arrest. Many other recruits were threatened and forced by the recruiters to be soldiers. These soldiers are defecting when they face the danger of death. What effect has the coup and the juntas atrocities had on recruitment at defense services academies and military training schools? There were about 6,000 to 7,000 students at the three academies: Defense Service Academy (DSA), Defense Services Medical Academy and Defense Service Technology Academy. There were other military training schools for other ranks who wanted to be army officers. There were 3,100 students at Intake 52 of the DSA when I joined it in 2006. Only 2,557 students became officers in 2009 after three years at the DSA. Because there was a large number of DSA students, there were three battalions comprising up to 14 squadrons each. I learned recently that there are only three squadrons in each battalion because there are not many youths who want to join the military. There are only a few hundred students attending military service academies now. So, the military junta has to repeatedly extend the deadline of their invitation for the defense service academies because they havent received the targeted numbers of students. This also proves that only a few youths want to join the military. Can you estimate the actual numbers of troops in the military? To be honest, even coup leaders Min Aung Hlaing and Soe Win cannot know the real numbers of soldiers in the military. We can only get estimates. But what I can say with certainty is that the army is definitely weak. But it is not easy to know [exactly how weak]. We also need to count militia members as army forces. We only look at the decreasing numbers of soldiers in the military, but the junta is recruiting more militia forces. Why does the junta plan to organize civil servants as reserve or militia forces for the military? We can see how broken the military is because the junta is attempting to recruit more forces by arming government staff. Whenever they arm a soldier with a weapon, they have to supervise that soldier. So, if they train and arm government staff, they will also have more duties to supervise and control them. This will be difficult. I am interested in how the junta will assign armed civil servants. They are using militias as reserve forces of the military. The junta is now organizing more militia forces after permitting civilians to carry arms. One of their ambitions is to have more militia forces outside the military battalions. The military will have an advantage if they can create these militias by using its civil servants. Another reason for organizing reserve militias is to control the movement of resistance groups who are spread out not only in rural areas and forests but also in urban areas. Currently, the resistance groups just need to target the military base and headquarters as most soldiers are there. But, the resistance groups will need to be alert to military supporters and reserve militias in their surroundings after the junta organizes its civil servants as reserve armed forces. The junta will escalate its arrests and attacks on resistance forces with these armed forces. What is your assessment of the ongoing revolution in the country? Our less than three-year-old resistance movement has confronted a massive institution [the military] built up over more than 70 years, but what we have done so far shows how much our revolution has achieved. Our revolutionary side has many weaknesses, including not enough weapons. However, despite this, our revolutionary groups have made a lot of anti-regime progress. Junta personnel used to attempt to demoralize revolutionary forces by challenging us to attack them and seize a town from their hands and taunting us with the question how many towns have your revolution forces occupied? However, the real question the military should consider is why their more than 70-year-old institution cannot defeat a less than three-year-old armed resistance. It would be shameful for the military regime [to ask this question]. There are many weaknesses on our resistance side. Our revolution has reached a certain point. But it is not because our revolution is very smart, but because the military is systematically deteriorating itself and is so stupid. As we go ahead with our revolution, we need better plans and financial systems. We need good backup systems. The armed revolution is burning money. We will have to calculate which groups can spend more money. We should think carefully about what will come next, and then make plans. If we can prepare for what might happen, the revolution will only get stronger. Currently, every revolution groups still need enough ammunition and weapons while the guys from the military are going to the frontline with a full backpack of ammunition. It could be long time to victory since our revolutionary groups do not have enough ammunition to fight a military with plenty of rounds. But mentally, our revolutionary forces are in better shape than junta troops who are deteriorating a lot mentally. The success or failure of our revolution depends a lot on how good our next steps are. So far, a more than 70-year-old military institution has been unable to beat a less than three-year-old armed rebellion. A column of junta troops conducted a mass arrest of people in the eastern part of Kachin States Hpakant Township on Friday evening for use as human shields before continuing its advance to Hpakant Town, multiple sources said. A resident of the township said at least 30 people were arrested by the about 70-member column in Nant Yar Village before it departed the village on Saturday morning. The column had arrived in the village on Thursday, sources said. A news report from Kachin States 7Stars media said the junta troops first arrested residents of Nant Yar Village, before arresting more residents of Kat Hmaw and Saing Hpara villages. It said the total number of civilians arrested was over 100. Kachin Human Rights Watch also put the number at more than 100. In a statement, it said the civilians would be used as human shields. Kachin Independence Army (KIA) spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu said he had not yet received a report on the arrests, but added that junta troops habitually arrest civilians for use as human shields and for land-mine clearance. Dr Tu Hkaung, the National Unity Governments minister for natural resources and environmental conservation, said in a social media post that Light Infantry Division 33 had arrested about 100 peopleincluding travelers, internally displaced persons, and villagersfor use as human shields. The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the number of people arrested by the junta troops in the township. Residents of the township said they had yet to hear that any of those arrested in Nant Yar and nearby villages had been released. The junta column left the jade-mining town of Kamaing on Tuesday and was ambushed by the KIA before it arrived in Nant Yar Village on Thursday, sources said. The column comprises troops from Light Infantry Battalion 12 under Light Infantry Division 33, the statement from Kachin Human Rights Watch group. Colonel Naw Bu said there had been no clashes between the KIA and the juntas military in Hpakant Township yesterday and today. Township residents also said the column had not been attacked by the KIA on Friday and Saturday, but it was firing indiscriminately as it advanced through the township, forcing village residents to flee into forests nearby. The column arrived in Kat Hmaw Village on Saturday afternoon, where it is resting, local media reports said. Tension between the juntas military and the KIA has risen over the past week along the road linking Hpakant Town with the states capital, Myitkyina. Both the KIA and junta troops have blocked sections of the road, suspending travel between the town and the capital. Greenback woes When the US imposed sanctions against Myanma Foreign Trade Bank (MFTB) and Myanma Investment and Commercial Bank (MICB) in June, junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun downplayed the move, claiming they were unlikely to have much impact on the regime. But in a press conference on Aug. 22, junta deputy planning and finance minister Maung Maung Win admitted the sanctions had taken a toll on the regimes foreign currency expenditure, import and export trade, health, education, and infrastructure investment. Functioning as foreign currency exchange businesses, the two banks are crucial for the regime to purchase the weapons it needs to fight the resistance movement. Singapores United Overseas Bank has told banks in Myanmar it will cut ties with them from next month, restricting all payments to and from Myanmar accounts. Meanwhile the regimes dollar crisis has deepened after Bangladeshs state-owned Sonali Bank froze the accounts of MFTB and MICB, which together had at least US$ 1.1 million deposited at the bank. This is why junta boss Min Aung Hlaing bemoaned the weaponization of dollars recently in his video message to the Moscow Conference on International Security hosted by Russia. Naypyitaw in resistance crosshairs Junta boss Min Aung Hlaing regularly threatens Peoples Defense Forces (PDFs), and the ethnic armed organizations supporting them, with decisive action. But at its Aug. 22 press conference, the regime admitted suffering resistance attacks near Naypyitaw, the juntas nerve center. Bombings and surprise attacks on police stations and security checkpoints are not rare in the administrative capital, which is under direct control of the regime. But last week, the regime had to bring in air support to retake control of its mountain base in Naypyitaws Pyinmana Township, after resistance forces seized the outpost, which is about 70km from the center of the capital. Junta troops also lost their weapons in a resistance attack on another junta base in Pyinmana last month. Generals in Naypyitaw may now be feeling a direct threat from PDFs. In a spin over UAVs Unmanned aerial vehicles have become a challenge for the future, new junta home affairs minister Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae told the 17th ASEAN ministerial meeting on transnational crimes held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia from August 20-23. In fact, what he should have said was that drones pose a challenge to the military regime. In central Myanmar and ethnic states, drone attacks have inflicted serious damage on junta troops and equipment. Defectors from junta military units have reported they were afraid of drone attacks. While the shadow National Unity Government (NUG) supplies some drones, resistance groups also produce combat drones by modifying models that are widely available on the market. On August 23, the NUGs Defence Ministry said it had supplied over 400 combat drones to Peoples Defense Force groups across the country. Junta spokesman incites hatred between Bamar, Kachin Responding to a prepared question from friendly media, he said members of Myanmars ethnic majority group were killing each other with weapons supplied by the KIA. Read more: Generals target cause of currency crisis disloyal banks Economist Sean Turnell describes move as perverse, says junta created Myanmars economic catastrophe. Read more: Regime forming task force to tackle soaring exchange rates, gold prices The regimes central bank says exporters and traders are hoarding dollars and gold, but local businesspeople say it is just shifting blame for its own economic missteps. Read more: Junta ramps up ASEAN engagement as chair handover looms New home affairs minister Lieutenant-General Yar Pyae attends second meeting this month as Laos prepares to take helm from Indonesia. Read more: Saturday, Aug 26th, 2023 (12:01 am) - Score 3,960 The CEO of alternative broadband network builder Freedom Fibre, Neil McArthur, has today as part of an exclusive interview with ISPreview spoken about some of the challenges the operator has faced in building a new full fibre (FTTP) network and called on the government to be more overtly supportive of such efforts. At present the operators gigabit-capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network available to UK ISPs via wholesale already covers over 100,000 premises (up from 40,000 in Nov 2022) and they have an initial goal of expanding to over 150,000 properties through 2023. After that the operator, supported by over 111m in investments from Equitix and UK ISP TalkTalk, aims to eventually cover approximately 1.3 million premises. NOTE: Freedom Fibres network is mostly working to cover parts of England (Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Shropshire) and North Wales. Neil himself is an industry veteran that joined telecoms in the mid 90s when deregulation happened, setting up a business ISP called Opal Telecoms. That business ultimately merged with Carphone Warehouse in 2002 and helped to form the foundations for a much more familiar consumer and business provider TalkTalk. Neil then ran the technology side of TalkTalk for 8 years and was a non-exec for quite a few years before returning to run Fibre Nation, a direct trenching FTTP venture based in York that was also linked to TalkTalk. In case anybody has forgotten, the Fibre Nation project was sold to CityFibre for 200m in 2020 (here) and at that point Neil decided to stay in the business of building digital infrastructure by establishing Freedom Fibre. Freedom Fibre initially began life with only a few smaller deployments focused upon bringing full-fibre broadband to rural and hard to reach areas instead of larger towns and cities. But theyve recently been ramping-up their roll out and have also won one of the Governments first Project Gigabit contracts for Shropshire (here), which is worth 24m (state aid) and will see them cover around 12,000 hard-to-reach homes and businesses. Suffice to say that this makes Neil one of the best people to ask about the current state of the sector and its future challenges, many of which have become quite well known over the past few months (e.g. job losses, investment constraints, rising costs, competition and consolidation etc.). The Freedom Fibre Interview 1. Firstly, can you share with us a quick general update on the status of your network coverage (premises passed so far and areas of deployment etc.), your future targets / plans and how much total investment Freedom Fibre has managed to attract thus far? Neils Answer: Freedom Fibre just recently celebrated its second birthday in late 2022, and weve been celebrating a busy two years! Were based in the North West of the UK, so the areas we cover are principally around the Mersey Valley in Manchester through to Liverpool. More specifically our build areas are North Manchester to North Cheshire, North of Shropshire towards the Welsh Borders, including areas of Warrington, Greater Manchester and South Wirral. Were currently sitting at approximately 100k premises passed with an additional 70k contracted for North Shropshire through the Project Gigabit Scheme. With regards to capital we have secured over 111m of funding so far from TalkTalk and Equitix and were already in conversations to increase this capital to expand our build footprint with plans to bring our network to approximately 1.3m premises. ISPR EDITORS NOTE: The above coverage data is from the end of May 2023. 2. As the founder of Opal Telecom and former MD of TalkTalk Technology, youve certainly come a long way in the process of establishing your own network operator. Can you tell us a bit about how that transition happened and what made you go down this route? Neils Answer: Initially, Opal was a fairly small B2B player in the days of voice and pre-dated broadband in what was a very capital-intensive industry. We were a very technically-driven organisation and joining Carphone Warehouse gave Opal access to more capital as well as their tremendous ability to market to consumers. This led to quite large growth for the business and in 2006 we decided to enter the broadband market and built what we termed the next-gen network which made use of metallic path facilities (MPF) which allowed us an offering of voice and data over a converged network that we rolled across the UK to just over 4m customers. Seeing this level of growth and the advancement of technology meant that when fibre finally matured and we were able to start building full-fibre networks we could hit the ground running. Initially, the project was finding out how we could effectively and economically build full-fibre networks and over a period of about three years we made our way to sophisticated models using passive infrastructure access to avoid the disruption caused by new network build. 3. Naturally you have a lot of familiarity with TalkTalk, which has long been a key backer for Freedom Fibre and is your main partner in the retail ISP space. Did that history make it easier for Freedom Fibre to get started and establish the relationship, or would you have proceeded to setup the operator even without their support? Neils Answer: Would we have set up Freedom Fibre without the support of TalkTalk? The short answer is probably not. As an engineer, my main focus has always been the effective deployment of capital within telecoms markets. I know from my 20 years at TalkTalk its incredibly difficult to run an engineering focused organisation in conjunction with an ISP, which is a retail and customer focused organisation. Trying to establish a new telecoms company, especially in something as capital intensive and engineering intensive as fibre and achieve excellence in both areas is immensely difficult. So, the obvious thing for us was to focus on what we know best, which was the engineering. Therefore, Freedom Fibre was set up to always be wholesale. TalkTalk is our anchor ISP with great experience in delivering a retail and consumer product, so it made sense for us to establish this partnership from the get-go and partner with TalkTalk on both a consumer and B2B wholesale offering. 4. Securing the support of a major ISP is a pretty significant feat for a smaller AltNet in this market, which we assume may have included some sort of exclusivity agreement for access. But does Freedom Fibre plan to onboard more ISPs and, if so, how will you work around any exclusivity clauses? Neils Answer: Obviously the partnership is great for Freedom Fibre, as it means we can focus on what were good at and not worry about having to build a retail ISP which as Ive already mentioned is a big challenge. Regarding the point on exclusivity, we are able to onboard small ISPs, and the work were doing under the North Shropshire Gigabit project is an open access project which, by definition, is going to allow us to embrace more ISPs many of which we are already in discussions with. 5. One of the biggest challenges for alternative network (AltNet) providers, including Freedom Fibre, is the need to generate a sufficient level of take-up in order to satisfy investors and your own internal business models for future payback. But some AltNets may struggle with this and a great deal of consolidation is often predicted to be on the near horizon. What sort of challenges have you run into when trying to generate take-up for the new network and, if I may be so bold, do you feel as if your own efforts are currently generating the desired level of adoption? Neils Answer: A significant challenge for us regarding take-up is that as a wholesale only player were totally dependent on our ISP partners. Our arrangement with TalkTalk is greatly beneficial to Freedom Fibre as TalkTalk as well as the whole industry is transiting from the world of copper to the world of Fibre. This transition isnt going to happen overnight as it takes time to migrate all these services onto a new network. And without going into details regarding our contractual agreement with TalkTalk, I will say its sufficiently favourable to us to be able to focus on our engineering and build rather than having to worry about penetration at all times. With that being said, most AltNets will say that the take-up has been slower than anticipated, and theres been a lot of unhelpful things going on that have caused this lack of take-up, least of which being the confusion of calling FTTC fibre which has been a nightmare for all AltNets and is something that should have been avoided many years ago. But at last, we have an outbreak of common sense in the sector where people are starting to understand what full-fibre means, so it shows that our education efforts havent been In vain. Its this educational angle that the industry really needs to keep up, particularly around highlighting the reliability benefits of full-fibre instead of just the speed increases. Even super-fast copper is not without its faults, which to those in the industry is obvious but needs to be highlighted in marketing efforts. Once youve gone onto full-fibre the speed, availability and reliability of optical fibre networks will definitely dominate, so we just have to be patient. That being said were very comfortable with the arrangements we have for the size of the business were hoping to build. 6. The government has made a bunch of recent law changes, such as to help spread gigabit-capable broadband into new build homes (updates to the Building Regulations 2010), and to make it easier to install in large residential blocks of flats/apartments when landlords fail to respond (Telecommunications Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Act). On top of that the new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act (PSTI) hopes to make it easier for full fibre broadband and mobile network operators to upgrade, share and deploy new infrastructure (masts, poles etc.). Are you expecting to see much of a benefit from these changes with your own rollout and, if so, in what areas do you expect them to have the most impact on your specific deployment? Neils Answer: The government is making these changes for very good reason and all these changes are helpful to the industry. At the end of the day telecoms is now a utility so anything that gets in the way of a consumer or business customer being able to use advanced fibre services is going to be detrimental for the UK economy. So, its obvious that the government is trying to reduce these issues. Touching on things such as wayleaves which are absolutely important, particularly in multi dwelling units (MDUs) and the B2B market, and anything that eases the requirements to go seeking permission to obtain a fibre service is helpful. Prior to that, the regulatory changes in passive infrastructure access were absolutely instrumental in the acceleration of fibre roll-out for AltNets. Interestingly, where it perhaps goes slightly awry is when we moved over to FTTC where I think the lack of access to passive infrastructure meant that there was minimal to no investment by third parties in super-fast copper and I think the regulators corrected that as we moved to full-fibre. I think its unfortunate that the UK had the roll-out of FTTC at all, and its even more unfortunate trying to call it fibre which was blatantly an error in many ways because its confused the heck out of consumers, and its delayed the roll-out of full-fibre. But we are where we are, and full-fibre will dominate so were getting on with it. 7. Following on from the prior question, are there any areas of legislation or regulation that you feel the government could still tweak or improve in order to support the work youre doing to expand full fibre? Neils Answer: I think the best thing the government could do right now is to get behind the industry and make it absolutely clear that we are migrating to full-fibre, because they are spectacularly silent on it. There are some real challenges here, for example retaining legacy network is massively costly to industry and ultimately for the consumer. For other industries once you reach an inflection point in the deployment of new technology theres nothing worse than hanging on to the old technology for as long as you can, and were running a lot of legacy services on copper, some of which are not very sensible to try and emulate on full-fibre. We really just need the government to say, look were just not providing these services anymore, we are exiting legacy services, switching off copper and moving to full-fibre networks. Its very tempting particularly for the regulators to look after minority interests in this point. But they have to balance that with the costs to industry, and ultimately these costs are picked up by the consumer. 8. Speaking of the government. During the latter stages of 2022 we saw some of the first full fibre rollout contracts being awarded under the Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy (GIS) scheme, which forms part of the Governments wider 5bn Project Gigabit programme. The project aims to help extend 1Gbps capable broadband networks (they currently cover 73% of the UK) to reach at least 85% of UK premises by the end of 2025 and then nationwide by around 2030. What are your thoughts on the Project Gigabit scheme thus far and do you think it will be enough, alongside existing commercial investment, to achieve the targets and tackle the remotest of rural communities? In addition, do you have any plans to bid on the GIS contracts? Neils Answer: The Government, treasury and regulators must be absolutely delighted with the amount of capital thats flowed into full-fibre, its been fantastic. And its testament to the industrys growth that the Treasury and DCMS only feel the need for 5b to subsidise the hardest to reach areas out of a total investment of over 30b, especially when you think of the economic advantages that fibre delivers. So, in the scheme of things this is a very small bill for the government to pay to have such a valuable utility available. When it comes to delivery, I think the gigabit program has been a massive improvement from the voucher scheme which was incredibly administratively difficult, very frustrating, and though it had its places in addressing smaller projects it wasnt scalable. So, the gigabit program has been really welcomed by the AltNet sector. We bid for the North Shropshire Gigabit Project and Im pleased to say we won that bid. Will we bid for more? Yes, we will, but how many we bid for will depend on the timeframe in which the bids come out, how the projects go along, and the availability of capital and resources to deliver them. Ultimately, we want to focus on bidding for projects in our area, as it makes sense for us to networks. Now flick over to page 2 to see the remaining questions. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Reddit Email 130 Shares Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association Christopher Eisgruber President, Princeton University fax: 609-258-1615 Professor Gene Jarrett Dean of the Faculty, Princeton University gjarrett@princeton.edu Professor Jill Dolan Dean of the College, Princeton University jsdolan@princeton.edu Professor Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi Chair, Department of Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University behroozg@princeton.edu Dear President Eisgruber and colleagues: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our concern about the attacks to which Assistant Professor Satyel Larson has been subjected because she chose to include a particular book on the reading list of a course she plans to offer in fall 2023. These politically motivated attacks seek to prevent a member of Princetons faculty from exposing her students to certain perspectives by, in effect, banning a scholarly work. They thereby threaten the principles of academic freedom which your university is committed to uphold. MESA was founded in 1966 to promote scholarship and teaching on the Middle East and North Africa. The preeminent organization in the field, the Association publishes the prestigious International Journal of Middle East Studies and has nearly 2,800 members worldwide. MESA is committed to ensuring academic freedom and freedom of expression, both within the region and in connection with the study of the region in North America and outside of North America. Professor Larsons reading list for her course The Healing Humanities: Decolonizing Trauma Studies from the Global South (Near Eastern Studies 301) includes The Right to Maim: Debility, Capacity, Disability, by Professor Jasbir Puar of Rutgers University, published in 2017 by Duke University Press. The book received many positive reviews and in 2018 won the National Womens Studies Associations Alison Piepmeier Book Prize, awarded each year to a groundbreaking monograph in women, gender, and sexuality studies that makes significant contributions to feminist disability studies scholarship. Nonetheless, because The Right to Maim includes critical analysis of Israeli state violence toward the Palestinians under its rule, the executive director of Princetons Center for Jewish Life, several American Jewish organizations, a number of media outlets and a minister in the Israeli government have, according to media reports, alleged that the book is antisemitic and demanded that it be removed from Professor Larsons reading list. We regard this campaign as yet another distressing instance in which self-described supporters of Israel have tendentiously weaponized false allegations of antisemitism and anti-Israel bias in order to silence criticism of that state and of its policies and practices toward the Palestinians. This weaponization is rooted in a dangerous conflation of criticism of Israel, of Zionism as a political ideology and of Israeli state policies, on the one hand, and antisemitism on the other. The current effort to intimidate a member of Princetons faculty into denying her students access to an important scholarly work simply because some people based outside academia do not like what the book has to say constitutes, like other recent efforts by state and local authorities in this country to ban certain books, an egregious assault on the constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression. It is also a grave threat to the academic freedom of Professor Larson and every other member of Princetons faculty. As the American Association of University Professors put it in 1940, academic freedom in its teaching aspect is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the teacher in teaching and of the student to freedom in learning. We therefore call on you, as leaders of Princeton University, to publicly and vigorously express your full support for Professor Larson and for her right as a member of your faculty to decide what and how to teach her students. We further call on you to reaffirm Princetons continuing commitment to freedom of expression and to academic freedom, and to develop, in collaboration with your faculty, policies to ensure an effective response to the kind of harassment to which Professor Larson has been subjected. We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Eve Troutt Powell MESA President Professor, University of Pennsylvania Laurie Brand Chair, Committee on Academic Freedom Professor Emerita, University of Southern California Reddit Email 208 Shares Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) Imagine a bunch of people who are kidnapped and tortured by being put in a hot room, and their tormentors keep turning up the thermostat. So the prisoners stage a revolt and grab control of the thermostat. But they turn it up on themselves, making the room even hotter, and black out from heat stroke. It isnt a very satisfying thriller because the prisoners act in a bewildering way, joining in to torture themselves. It is, however, the thriller we are living, however bizarre the characters actions. The International Monetary Fund reports that the nations of the globe indirectly subsidized fossil fuels, the sources of dangerous greenhouse gases causing global heating, to the tune of $7 trillion in 2022. In other words, were acting like we are brain dead. So report Simon Black, Ian Parry, Nate Vernon at the IMF. They note that scientists are reporting that this July was the hottest on record. The implication is that we might not want to spend quite so much money propping up coal, fossil gas and petroleum. The IMF also points out that $7 trillion is 7.1 percent of the worlds gross national product and is nearly twice as much as governments spend on education, and is two-thirds of all spending on health care. But education and health care are good things, whereas fossil fuels are evil and destructive. In 2020, the indirect subsidy figure was only $5 trillion. So in just two years the countries of the world have actually increased fossil fuel subsidies by $2 trillion. Brain dead. Tim Wallace at the Telegraph points out that some $5.7 trillion a year worth of indirect subsidies derive from governments giving tax breaks to fossil fuels. Then direct subsidies on top of that come to $1.3 trillion. Direct subsidies have doubled over two years. Wallace says that some of the increase in subsidies, both direct and indirect, is owing to the spike in energy prices attendant on the Ukraine War and the international embargo on Russia. Governments have sometimes subsidized fossil gas purchases for consumers because of these painfully high prices and the danger of families freezing in the winter. Depending on how you figure the damage fossil fuels do in provoking extreme weather events, they cost us between $5 trillion and $10 trillion a year. And were putting in similar amounts to make sure we go on causing all that destruction. The particulate matter from burning coal and gasoline gets into our lungs and can cause lung cancer and heart attacks, not to mention that these fuels are boiling the planet. So we should not only not be subsidizing them, we should be putting extra taxes on them to discourage their use. Such steps could prevent 1.6 million premature deaths a year and save governments $4.4 trillion annually. And those figures dont even take account of the massive destruction wrought by climate change, which is caused by burning fossil fuels. We should be replacing fossil fuels with solar, wind and battery, like yesterday. ( Globalvoices.org ) The sources of Recep Tayyip Erdogans power are vast. In his over twenty years of rule, he has consolidated power to build himself a loyal bureaucratic system (including the military and law enforcement), a compliant mainstream media landscape, and a government system that positions his dictates above any notion of oversight. Added to this is the lack of a credible political opposition field that could offer voters a credible alternative to Erdogan. This much is known and well-documented. Therefore, when curious observers ask, Why did Erdogan win the 2023 presidential elections? The answer is usually conveyed in a mixture of the reasons cited above. Meanwhile, the elephant in the room namely, the countrys opposition intelligentsia is left unaddressed. Image by Arzu Geybullayeva What the intelligentsia failed to do Turkeys intelligentsia is broad and diverse. But the most recent general elections also showed its demoralizing effect on public opinion. Ahead of and during the general elections held in Turkey in May 2023, many of the influential opposition media outlets, with their commentators and journalists, were in a state of euphoria. Many respected analysts abandoned their objective analytical toolkits and lenses to cheer for the main opposition candidate who ran against Erdogan: Kemal Klcdaroglu. Klcdaroglus candidacy was essentially forced upon the public by Klcdaroglu himself and his narrow group of political operators, with little debate, public input, let alone any analysis to determine whether he was indeed the best candidate to defeat Erdogan in what many described as the countrys most crucial election. Instead, the opposition intelligentsia helped to cement a widespread view that Klcdaroglu was the man to defeat Erdogan. Meanwhile, those who questioned this decision were cast out as pariahs who could not read the writing on the wall. Seasoned analysts would engage in targeted campaigns that declared that the Erdogan era was finished and he had no chance of surviving reelection. This certainty was based on what Rusen Cakir, the editor of Medyascope, constantly referred to as a governance crisis by Erdogan. This governance crisis was based on the premise that Erdogan failed to deliver meaningful solutions to the most pressing economic and political problems the country and voters were facing. Cakir was not alone in this message. Other veteran analysts and observers would join his weekly broadcasts, assuming that their conversations with ordinary voters and attendance at his Republican Peoples Party (CHP) campaign rallies were clear signs the Erdogan era was at its near end. One veteran journalist and Klcdaroglu advocate, Kadri Gursel, went as far as to say that those who could not see the coming tidal wave were not only uninformed but might not really want Erdogan out of office! Similar commentaries paid scant attention to alternative analyses: namely that Erdogans image may be tarnished, but he had significant structural advantages arising from incumbency (outlined in the first paragraph) that may help him stay in power. In the end, the skeptics got it right. What is troubling is that, while the predictions of journalists, pollsters, and analysts can be wrong, it was the marginalizing tone and the refusal to take critical analyses that presented credible alternative scenarios to the public into account. Almost three months since the election, these pundits, rather than acknowledging that they misled the public, have only accepted that they were wrong and that it was time to move on and remain optimistic. The impact The wider failure of public intellectuals is twofold: first, raising the expectations of people who looked up to their analysis and were utterly demoralized by the election outcomes. Second is their hand-wringing they have shrugged off any responsibility for how their analysis was short-sighted. Analysts have a duty to the Turkish public they influence by providing all the information they are entitled to. Of course, their analyses can be proven wrong, in part or in whole. What would have been valuable in this election cycle was for respected and popular independent outlets to focus on a variety of electoral outcome scenarios, a critical look at why the Klcdaroglu campaign and candidacy were lackluster, and a keener focus on the existing strengths of Erdogans state apparatus that prevented a genuinely competitive election. Instead, we got a misinformation behemoth wherein the vast majority of Turkeys pro-Erdogan media spread misinformation, seemingly joined by opposition media outlets that willfully misrepresented the range of possible outcomes that could come to bear. Both helped serve Erdogans interests. However, only the latter is responsible for the sense of demoralization, apathy, and public anger that has since ensued. The Turkish public deserves better from those who claim to speak truth to power. Viewers can't get over the romantic scenes between Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung in "Moving," as they portray a couple with a teenage son. The Disney+ series continues to create huge online buzz as the webtoon-based K-drama airs once a week. Interestingly, fans were drawn to the chemistry of Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung, who took on the roles of former secret agents and fell in love during the mission. Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung's Character Highlights In Moving," Han Hyo Joo plays Lee Mi Hyun, a skilled secret agent who was given a special task that involves getting close to Kim Doo Shik, played by Jo In Sung. He is a top-tier black-ops agent who has the ability to fly. In the middle of Mi Hyun's mission, she sees his genuine heart and falls in love with Doo Shik. Unfortunately, things got caught up after Doo Shik got embroiled in a chaotic incident. 'Moving' Director Says He Only Films Han Hyo Joo and Jo In Sung's Romantic Scenes on Holiday Because of One Reason In an interview with Harper's Bazaar Korea, Han Hyo Joo shared that filming "Moving" took them almost a year. "It's a long series. It has twenty episodes, so the shooting began in the summer and finished in the next summer," she said, referring to the 20-episode K-drama. Moreover, the actress revealed that they had to shoot scenes even on holiday. This means that they spent Christmas and New Year's Eve on the set. "On Christmas, December 31st and January 1st, we were on the set. By the way, I wonder if it was the director's plan or not," Han Hyo Joo asked, to which Jo In Sung replied, "Yeah, it was his plan." Meanwhile, the actress wondered why the "Moving" director wanted them to film the romantic scene only on holidays like Christmas and New Year." Interestingly, director Park In Je was able to answer this when he visited the shoot. The filmaker made everyone laugh when he told them the real reason behind Han Hyo Joo's question. "Because you guys are both single," he said. Jo In Sung, on the other hand, thanked the director despite making them work on special days and had a lot of fun because of it. "We often had dinner together and drank soju on the set. It was pretty nice to spend Christmas and New Year's Eve together," the actor said. 'Moving' Episodes 12 and 13 Release Date Airing once a week, Disney+ releases two new episodes of the series simultaneously. For "Moving" episodes 12 and 13 are scheduled to air on August 30 at 4 p.m. KST. Viewers will get to watch the two episodes via 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 SEARCHING for ANSWERS: The ashes were still hot when Canada Task Force 1 entered fire-hit neighbourhoods, looking to answer the top question on every evacuees mind: Is my house still standing? 1 of 1 , ' ' khaskhabar.com : , 26 2023 1:43 PM A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia led by Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of General Authority of Foreign Trade took part in the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers' meeting held in Jaipur, India from August 24 to 25. This year's G20 meetings are being hosted in India under the theme "One Earth, One Family, One Future" to build a strong and developed global economy. During yesterday's session on "Trade for Growth and Prosperity, and WTO Reforms," he reviewed the impact of reforms on the Saudi economy in light of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which launched significant initiatives to increase the integration of the Saudi economy regionally and globally, reported SPA. He pointed out that the growth of the kingdom's foreign trade in a year amounted to $172 billion and the volume of non-oil exports grew by 40% between 2018-2022, amounting to $28.7 billion, while the value of loans provided by the Saudi Export-Import Bank stood at $4.6 billion. The minister pointed out that the total number of small and medium enterprises in the kingdom had reached 1.2 million, providing 80% of the jobs, and the annual growth of e-commerce reached 33% between 2016-2022. Dr Al Qasabi stressed that the kingdom achieved great gains as a result of the reforms it has undertaken during the past years and reflected in enhancing its competitiveness, as it ranked second among the G20 countries in digital competitiveness, per the Digital Riser 2021 report and ranked sixth among 50 emerging countries in the "Agility" index for emerging markets for the year 2022, stated the SPA report. The minister also highlighted that the Kingdom ranked 17th among 64 countries in the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD) report for 2023 and 38th out of 138 per the Logistics Performance Index for 2023, it added. More than 157 million Americans dedicate their time and effort to the United States workforce. Whether theyre working at a desk, assembly line or checkout counter, theyre a part of a community that adds to this countrys strength, prosperity and well-being. In honor of Labor Day, the Eufaula Tribune will highlight a positive aspect of our business community in our Sept. 2 Salute to Labor edition. Well showcase specific businesses and leaders in the region. Please join us in celebrating the social and economic achievements of American workers. Submit a letter to the editor thanking a person, entity or industry in our communitys workforce. Email it to editorial@eufaulatribune.com. The Eufaula Tribune welcomes letters from readers and reserves the right to publish those deemed appropriate. Letters must be signed and include writers address and phone number. Letters should be no more than 300 words. All letters are subject to editing for length and clarity. Letters must include telephone numbers for verification. Letters that cannot be verified will not be considered for publication. Unsigned letters will not be published. Thanks in advance for your submission. The identities of the four young people who died in the tragic road collision in Clonmel yesterday (August 25) have been confirmed. The three girls have been named as Zoey Coffey (from Kilsheelan), Grace McSweeney and Nicole Murphy, all eighteen years of age. The 24-year-old man who died has been named as Luke MacSweeney, brother of Grace. In a statement to the media today (August 26), Superintendent Kieran Ruane of Clonmel Garda Station said the following: "I want to express my condolences and sympathies and the sympathies of every member of An Garda Siochana to the families of the 4 young people who lost their lives yesterday evening in this single vehicle road traffic collision at Hillview, Mountain Road, Clonmel. "Luke McSweeney, 24 years, his sister Grace McSweeney accompanied by Nicole Murphy and Zoey Coffey, all aged 18 years were travelling in a car, at approximately 7.30pm, which struck a wall and tragically all 4 occupants lost their lives at the scene. "An Garda Siochana supported by other emergency services including Clonmel Fire Brigade, HSE Paramedics, Tipperary University Hospital and Tipperary County Council initiated a major incident response. "The scene at Hillview remains closed today and a technical and forensic examination is being carried out by An Garda Siochana Forensic Collision investigators. "The remains of all 4 deceased were removed from the scene last night to Tipperary University Hospital. An Garda Siochana have notified the local Coroner and Post mortems will be carried out over the coming days at Waterford University Hospital. "An incident room has been established at Clonmel Garda Station and an investigation has commenced under a Senior Investigating Officer. An Garda Siochana's focus is the preparation of an investigation file for the Coroner. "Family Liaison Officers have been appointed to each of the families to provide support and the families will be kept updated as to the course of the investigation." He continued: "I want to acknowledge and express my gratitude to my colleagues in An Garda Siochana and the other emergency services who attended the scene last night. The scene was very difficult, in very adverse weather conditions and the professionalism shown by all first responders and the care and respect shown to the 4 deceased was exemplary. "Our local communities in particular Clonmel, Kilsheelan and Ballypatrick are shocked and deeply saddened by these events. I want to assure our local communities that An Garda Siochana is here over the coming days, weeks and months to support our communities as we all come to terms with this tragedy. I have been in contact with the principals of the local secondary schools that the girls attended and supports are being put in place for the friends of all four deceased today and over the next few days. "We want to take the opportunity to appeal to any person with any information on this road traffic collision to contact the investigation team at Clonmel Garda Station. "We want to speak with any person who may have any camera footage or images from the R678, Mountain Road and specifically the Hillview area between 7pm and 7.30pm to give that footage or images to the investigation team at Clonmel Garda Station. "The investigation team can be contacted at Clonmel Garda station on 052 617 7640, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. "Finally, I once again want to express my sympathies to the families of Luke, Grace, Nicole and Zoey. "The families have appealed for privacy at this time. "May they rest in Peace." Newly listed Cascadia Minerals (TSX-V: CAM) has hit the ground running with the release of a high-grade copper-gold sample from its flagship Catch property in central Yukon. Catch is one of four copper-gold projects transferred to Cascadia Minerals when it was spun out from Hecla Minings acquisition of ATAC Resources. VP, Corporate Development Andrew Carne spoke to Kitco in mid-July at Invest Yukons Mining Property Tours & Investment Conference 2023. The outcrop sample from the new Diorite Zone returned 3.88% copper with 30 grams per tonne gold. According to Carne, the company has discovered high-grade outcrops over two kilometres, within a broader five-kilometre-long copper in soil anomaly. Theres mineralization absolutely everywhere at this project, and it's in a part of Yukon thats never seen exploration before, Carne said. It's a true grassroots discovery that has never been diamond-drilled. And I think that's what's so exciting about this new listing. Thanks to a $2 million investment from Hecla, Cascadia is planning a 2,500-metre drill program at Catch this summer. Three to four holes at the Diorite Zone will test coincident surface mineralization and geophysical response at depth under the outcrop which returned 3.88% copper with 30 g/t gold. At the Main Zone, three holes will test geophysical response at depth under a 500-metre-long area with extensive surface mineralization. Weve got this coincident good mineralization in rock and chargeability at depth. Its just all the right signs pointing us towards a target, said Carne. Rackla Metals (TSX-V: RAK) in July started drilling its flagship Astro project located on the border between the Canadian Yukon and Northwest Territories. CEO Simon Ridgway spoke to Kitco in mid-July at Invest Yukons Mining Property Tours & Investment Conference 2023. Ridgway said when he saw Snowline Golds success on the eastern side of the Tombstone Gold Belt, he was able to pick up a few prospects. The prospects were previously explored for base metals but had not been tested for gold, apart from a 2017 geophysical survey by Newmont that identified a strong gold anomaly. The data that they generated indicated this is an intrusive-hosting gold prospect. Using that data, weve developed several very attractive targets on the Astro intrusive, which were drilling, Ridgway said. The anomaly is estimated to be 1.2 kilometres across and around 700 metres deep. According to Ridgway, Newmont stopped sampling right on the edge of the intrusive. Were drilling that anomaly and basically hitting the intrusive thats a metre or two below the sediments. We're cutting some very attractive-looking sheeted veins, said Ridgway, clarifying that it is not yet know whether they hold any gold. Up to three more drill targets have been identified outside of the main intrusive body. Ridgway said the areas mountainous geography makes exploration high risk, high reward. With helicopter-supported drilling the cost is way up there. So youve got to be looking for big targets. These arent half a million, 2 million-ounce targets. These are multi-million-ounce deposits if you find them. President: China, Africa should work together to realize development visions President Xi Jinping has called for China and Africa to join hands for modernization, and work together to create a favorable environment for realizing their respective development visions. Xi made the remarks late on Thursday while co-chairing the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit. Xi returned to China on Friday, wrapping up his five-day tour to South Africa. Addressing the meeting, Xi proposed concrete steps to promote China-Africa cooperation and contribute to Africa's integration and modernization. He said that China is willing to launch the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization and implement the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, adding that Beijing will help Africa expand grain plantation and encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa. China will host the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture in Hainan province this November, said Xi, adding that China will provide additional emergency food assistance to some African countries in need to help the continent tackle the current food crisis. China will also launch the plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, which aims to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges every year, and 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa, Xi said. He noted that China will host the meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation next year to discuss future development plans to enable both sides to further enhance their traditional friendship, deepen unity and cooperation, and promote vibrant cooperation in various fields. In 2013, during Xi's first foreign visit as president, he announced that China's Africa policy was based on the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith. "Over the past 10 years, China has stayed committed to this principle," Xi said. He said that China is comprehensively promoting national rejuvenation through a Chinese path to modernization, while Africa is making every effort to build a new Africa that is peaceful, united, prosperous and self-reliant. He emphasized the importance of joint efforts between China and Africa to achieve their respective development goals, and urged efforts to promote the building of a fair and reasonable international order, maintain a peaceful and secure global environment, build an open and inclusive world economy, and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. He urged efforts to firmly oppose the vestiges of colonialism and hegemony in all forms, and to support each other in safeguarding core interests and upholding the legitimate demands of developing countries. Both sides should advocate dialogue to bridge differences and cooperation to resolve disputes, promote the political settlement of international and regional issues, and safeguard world peace and stability, he added. Xi emphasized that there are various paths leading to modernization, and it is up to the people of Africa to determine the most suitable development path for themselves. China firmly supports and is willing to be a partner of Africa in its modernization path, particularly in promoting integration of the continent, he said. Looking to the future, Xi said that China will work with Africa to enhance the synergy of their development strategies, and will continue to support Africa in speaking with one voice on international affairs to keep improving its international standing. Noting that China will actively promote the African Union's membership of the G20, the president said that China supports making special arrangements on UN Security Council reform to meet Africa's aspiration as a priority. China also calls for multilateral financial institutions to increase the voice and representation of African countries, he added. Comorian President Azali Assoumani, who serves as the rotating chairperson of the African Union, Senegalese President Macky Sall, who is the co-chair of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation from the African side, representatives from subregional organizations of Africa, the presidents of Zambia, Burundi, Djibouti and the Republic of Congo, and representatives from the African Union Commission attended the meeting. They expressed gratitude for China's support in Africa's integration efforts and assistance during times of difficulty, saying that China-Africa relations are built on unity, friendship and mutual respect. China's investment and cooperation with African countries have played a crucial role in Africa's development, making China an indispensable and important partner in Africa's modernization process, they said. The African leaders appreciated and welcomed Xi's initiatives supporting African industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development, saying that these initiatives once again demonstrate China is a true friend and partner that addresses Africa's urgent needs. The African side reaffirmed its firm commitment to the one-China policy and both sides reaffirmed their staunch support for each other in upholding territorial integrity, sovereignty, security and development interests. A joint statement of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue was issued after the meeting. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM CDT THIS MORNING... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 27. * WHERE...Portions of south central, southwest, and west central Illinois. Portions of central, east central, northeast, and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...Until 10 AM CDT this 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. && President Xi Jinping's South Africa trip enhances the traditional friendship between China and Africa, builds new consensus on South-South cooperation and adds positive energy to peace and development, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and foreign minister, said on Friday. Xi attended the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa and paid a state visit to South Africa from Monday to Thursday. While in the country, Xi co-chaired with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. This is Xi's fourth state visit to South Africa as Chinese president, Wang said, adding that the Chinese president had long and in-depth talks with Ramaphosa. During their talks, Xi called on both sides to remain strategic partners with high-level mutual trust, development partners for common progress, friendly partners with deep mutual understanding and goodwill, global partners safeguarding justice, and to jointly build a high-level community with a shared future for the two countries. Wang said that Xi's visit yielded fruitful results, as the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as the Belt and Road cooperation, new energy and electricity, agricultural products, special economic zones and industrial parks, blue economy, scientific and technological innovation, and higher education. The visit demonstrates the important consensus and shared interests of the two countries on major international issues, Wang said. During the visit, Xi pointed out that BRICS should not become a closed and inward-looking group, instead it should be an open and inclusive platform to attract new members and pool new forces, which meets the practical development needs of BRICS and serves the common interests of BRICS countries, according to Wang. The BRICS summit made a political decision to invite Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran and Ethiopia to join BRICS, and extended welcome to other interested and eligible developing countries to join the group, Wang pointed out, saying that this is a major historic moment in the development process of BRICS. Noting that there are various paths leading to modernization, Xi said during the visit that the African people have the most say on which path suits Africa best, and advancing modernization through integration is the independent choice made by African countries and people. On this path to modernization, the Chinese president added, China has all along been a firm supporter, and walking side by side with Africa. Xi reaffirmed China's support for the African Union to join the Group of 20, announcing that China will host the ninth conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation next year, Wang said. African leaders said the African side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi, and will continue to push for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Wang added, highlighting Xi's remarks that China has been and will always remain a member of developing countries. The following companies are subsidiares of Trane Technologies: 200 PARK INC., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ACQUISITION S.A R.L, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES CANADA INC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES S.A R.L, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ARCTIC COOL CHILLERS LIMITED, ARO DE VENEZUELA C.A., Airtec Limited, Amair Limited, Best Matic International Limited, Best Matic Vermogensverwaltungs Gmbh, CALMAC Corp, CLIMATE ETC TECHNOLOGY SERVICES PRIVATE LIMITED, CLUB CAR LLC, Calmac Corp., Cameron International Corporation - Centrifugal Compression Business, Club Car Limited, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Compagnie Ingersoll-Rand Sas, Cool Energy Limited, DOSATRON INTERNATIONAL S.A.S., Diasorin International B.V., Dradnats Inc., Ebb Holdings Limited, EcoFactor, FRIGOBLOCK, FRIGOBLOCK GMBH, Filairco Inc., Flowcool Limited, Frigoblock Uk Limited, GPS INDUSTRIES LLC, GPSI HOLDINGS LLC, GPSI LEASING II - ACCORD LLC, GPSI LEASING LLC, Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, Golf Academies Limited, Gpsi Telematics Llc, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL FRANCE S.A.S., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, HASKEL SISTEMAS DE FLUIDOS ESPANA S.R.L., Hermann Trane Harrisburg Inc., Hibon Inc., ICS Cool Energy, ICS Cool Energy Limited, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL RAND MAROC S.A R.L, INGERSOLL RAND S.A. DE C.V., INGERSOLL RAND-TRANE ENERGY-SAVING SERVICES (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (SHANGHAI) TRADING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE MEXICO SOCIEDAD DE RESPONSABILIDAD LIMITADA DE CAPITAL VARIABLE, INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIA COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE AR CONDICIONADO AR COMPRIMIDO E REFRIGERACAO LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND LATIN AMERICA S. DE R.L. DE C.V., INGERSOLL-RAND LUX INVESTMENTS S.A R.L., INGERSOLL-RAND LUXEMBOURG INDUSTRIAL COMPANY S.A R.L., INGERSOLL-RAND MANUFACTURA S. DE R.L DE C.V., INGERSOLL-RAND NY INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PORTUGAL - SOCIEDADE UNIPESSOAL LDA., INGERSOLL-RAND SALES COMPANY LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., Ics Cool Energy (Sas), Ics Cool Energy Ag, Ics Cool Energy B.V., Ics Cool Energy Gmbh, Ics Cool Energy Investments Limited, Ics Group Holdings Limited, Ics Heat Pumps Limited, Ics Renewable Energy Limited, Ics Servicing Limited, Industrial Chill Servicing Private Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Service Do Brasil Ltda., 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 Best-Matic Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Buford Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Charitable Foundation, Ingersoll-Rand Climate Solutions Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Club Car S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company, Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company Of Peru S.A.C., Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Costa Rica S.A., Ingersoll-Rand Croatia D.O.O. Za Trgovinu, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand European Holding Company B.V., Ingersoll-Rand Financial Services Corporation, Ingersoll-Rand Financing Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Finland Oy, Ingersoll-Rand Funding Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Global Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Holdings B.V., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Finance Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand International Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Irish Holdings Unlimited Company, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana S.P.A., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Latin America B.V., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Euro Iii Financing S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Holdings Ii Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Lux International Holding Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Finance S.A., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg United S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand Manufacturing S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand Netherlands B.V., Ingersoll-Rand Nexia Intelligence Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Polska Sp. Z.O.O., Ingersoll-Rand Rus Llc, Ingersoll-Rand S.A., 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 Svenska Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technologies S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Uk Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ukraine Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Worldwide Capital S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, 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., Mb Air Systems Limited, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, PERFECT PITCH L.P., Plurifilter D.O.O., Precision Flow Systems, Prime Air Limited, Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Pt Trane Indonesia, R&O Immobilien Gmbh, REFTRANS S.A., STANDARD CENTENNIAL PROPERTY LLC, Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Societe Trane Sas, Spanashview Unlimited Company, Standard Compressors Inc., Standard Trane Insurance Company, Standard Trane Insurance Ireland Designated Activity Company, Standard Trane Warranty Company, T.I. Solutions (Israel) Ltd., THE TRANE COMPANY, THERMO KING (HONG KONG) COMPANY LIMITED, THERMO KING (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., THERMO KING DE PUERTO RICO INC., THERMO KING PUERTO RICO MANUFACTURA INC., THERMO KING RODAMIENTOS S.L., THERMO KING SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD., THERMO KING SVC INC., TK PUERTO RICO AIRE INC., TK PUERTO RICO COMERCIAL INC., TK PUERTO RICO ENSAMBLAJE INC., TK PUERTO RICO FABRICACION INC., TK PUERTO RICO LOGISTICA INC., TK PUERTO RICO OPERACIONES INDUSTRIALES INC., TK PUERTO RICO PRODUCCION INC., TK PUERTO RICO SOLUCIONES CLIMATICAS INC., TK PUERTO RICO TECNOLOGIAS INC., TRANE (EUROPE) LIMITED, TRANE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS AND SERVICE CO. LIMITED, TRANE BRANDS INC., TRANE CENTRAL AMERICA INC., TRANE DOMINICANA S.R.L., TRANE ENERGY CHOICE LLC, TRANE ENERGY SERVICES LLC, TRANE HOLDING LIMITED, TRANE JAPAN LTD., TRANE KOREA INC., TRANE S.A. DE C.V., TRANE SERVICEFIRST C.A., TRANE SERVICES LIMITED, TRANE SINGAPORE ENTERPRISES PTE. LTD., TRANE SISTEMAS INTEGRALES S. DE R.L. DE C.V., TRANE SYSTEMS SOLUTIONS OF PANAMA INC., TRANE THERMO KING (SHANGHAI) ENTERPRISE MANAGEMENT CO. LTD., TRANE THERMO KING PTY LTD, TWENTYTHREEC LLC, Thermo King Container Temperature Control (Suzhou) Corporation Ltd., Thermo King Container-Denmark A/S, Thermo King Corporation, Thermo King European Manufacturing Limited, Thermo King India Private Limited, Thermo King Ireland Limited, Thermo King Services Limited, Thermo King Trading Company, Thermo King Transportkoeling B.V., Tm Air Conditioning Sdn. Bhd., Trane (Ireland) Limited, Trane (Schweiz) Gmbh / Trane (Suisse) S.A.R.L., Trane (Thailand) Limited, Trane Air Conditioning Products Limited, Trane Air Conditioning Systems (China) Co. Ltd., Trane Airconditioning Pte. Ltd., Trane Aire Acondicionado S.L., Trane Bermuda Ltd., Trane Bvba, Trane Canada Lp, Trane Canada Ulc, Trane China Holdings Limited, Trane Climate Manufacturing S.R.L., Trane Cr Spol Sro., Trane De Argentina S.A., Trane De Chile S.A., Trane De Colombia S.A., Trane Deutschland Gmbh, Trane Distribution Pte Ltd, Trane Do Brasil Industria E Comercio De Productos Para Condicionamento De Ar Ltda., Trane Egypt Llc, Trane Europe Holdings B.V., Trane Export Llc, Trane Finance Sprl, Trane Foundation Of New York, Trane France Sas, Trane Gmbh, Trane Gp Inc., Trane Grid Services Llc, Trane Hellas S.A., Trane Holding Co., Trane Holdings Company Yk, Trane Hungary Kft, Trane Inc., Trane Inc. Of Delaware, Trane India Ltd., Trane International Inc., Trane Ip Inc., Trane Italia S.R.L, Trane Klima Ticaret As, Trane Malaysia Sales & Services Sdn. Bhd., Trane Puerto Rico Llc, Trane Romania S.R.L., Trane S.A., Trane S.A.E., Trane Support Sas, Trane Sweden Ab, Trane Taiwan Distribution Ltd., Trane U.S. Inc., Trane Vidalia Llc, Trane Vietnam Services Company Limited, Tricool Thermal Limited, Tsi Anstalt Ltd., World Standard Ltd., and Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc. Read More Chevron Corporation, through a network of subsidiaries, engages in integrated energy and chemicals operations worldwide. The company is the 7th largest integrated oil company worldwide, the 2nd largest in the US, and has been in operation since 1879. Chevron was part of the original Standard Oil Company and is one of the 34 successor companies that were formed when it was broken up. Today, the company brings in roughly $160 billion in annual revenues and is the last remaining oil and gas component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Originally called Standard Oil Of California the company grew quickly via mergers and acquisitions. It was hailed as one of the Seven Sisters to dominate the US and global production throughout the mid-20th century and became even bigger in 1985 when it merged with Gulf Oil. The merger with Gulf Oil resulted in the rebranding from Standard Oil Of California to Chevron (a brand used by the company outside its California jurisdiction) and then ChevronTexaco Corporation in 2005 when that merger took place. The company rebranded again in 2005 to what we know today as Chevron Corporation. Chevron Corporation is now based in San Ramone, California, and has operations in 180 countries. The company employs more than 42,500 people who operate 5 refineries and 8,000+ Texaco, Chevron, and Standard Oil service stations in the US alone. The company's Exploration and Drilling operations produced a record 3.1 million barrels per day and its US refineries process more than 1 million barrels per day. At the end of 2021, the company has more than 11.3 billion barrels of proven oil and liquid-equivalent reserves and boasted a 112% reserve replacement rate. The company operates in two segments, Upstream and Downstream. The Upstream segment explores new reserves, develops known reserves, produces petroleum and gas products as needed, transports, processes, pipes, stores, and markets petroleum worldwide. The Downstream segment refines and markets the full line of petroleum-based products including but not limited to fuels such as gas, diesel, and aviation fuel, as well as lubricants, petrochemicals, and plastics. The company transports products via pipeline, rail, marine vessels, and truck. Chevron recognizes the need to lower the worlds carbon output and is working toward that end. The companys strategy is two-pronged and includes reducing its own carbon output while investing in green and lower-carbon technologies. The companys goal is to invest $10 billion or more into lower carbon energy sources and technologies by 2028. Chevron is a Dividend Aristocrat. The company has been paying a dividend since 1989 and it has raised it every year since its inception. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Value ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares Russell Midcap Value Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the Russell Midcap Value Index (the Value Index). The Value Index measures the performance of the mid-capitalization value sector of the United States equity market. The Value Index is a subset of the Russell Midcap Index and measures the performance of equity securities issued by those Russell Midcap Index companies with relatively lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth. Component companies are adjusted for available float and must meet objective criteria for inclusion to the Index. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Value Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Value Index. The Fund's investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors. American Bank Incorporated operates as the bank holding company for American Bank that provides various banking products and services to consumer, business, institutional, and governmental customers. It accepts a range of interest-bearing checking and money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers commercial, industrial, and other loans; commercial mortgage loans; commercial construction loans; residential mortgage loans; and consumer loans, including personal term loans, personal credit lines, automobile loans, home equity loans, and home equity lines of credit and loans. In addition, it provides online or mobile banking, automated teller machine, safe deposit box rental, and wire transfer services, as well as sells checks and checkbooks, and purchases investment securities. The company operates an office located in Allentown, Pennsylvania; and a loan production office in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Bath & Body Works, Inc. operates a specialty retailer of home fragrance, body care, and soaps and sanitizer products. It sells its products under the Bath & Body Works, White Barn, and other brand names through retail stores and e-commerce sites located in the United States and Canada, as well as through international stores operated by partners under franchise, license, and wholesale arrangements. The company was formerly known as L Brands, Inc. and changed its name to Bath & Body Works, Inc. in August 2021. Bath & Body Works, Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Agricultural products are Vietnam's main export products to China. (Photo: congthuong.vn) China remained Vietnam's largest trading partner, but bilateral turnover fell sharply compared to the same period last year. In the past 7 months, Vietnam's exports to China reached USD30,502 billion, up 1.8% over the same period last year, accounting for 15.6% of the country's total export turnover. Currently, China is Vietnam's second largest export market, after the United States. The result of an increase of 1.8% was not high compared to recent years, but a positive figure in the context of export difficulties. Currently, China is an important market for many key export groups such as phones and components; computers, electronic products and components; machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts. Notably, in the first 7 months of the year, fruit and vegetable exports to China reached USD1.99 billion, up 30.8% over the same period last year and accounting for 65% of the country's total vegetable and fruit export turnover. In particular, durian products accounted for half of Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to China. Mr. Dang Phuc Nguyen, Secretary General of the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetables Association, said that the increase in vegetable and fruit exports in the Chinese market is partly due to the increase in hours of operation at many border gates between Vietnam and China. This showed that the demand from the Chinese market is huge after a long period of decline due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, Vietnam has officially exported sweet potatoes to the Chinese market, creating momentum for the growth of this industry. In April 2023, the General Administration of Customs of China approved and granted codes for 70 growing areas and 13 sweet potato packing establishments, making them eligible for official export. In the opposite direction, in the past 7 months, Vietnam imported USD58,656 billion from China. China maintained its position as the largest import market of Vietnam, accounting for 32.8% of the total import turnover of the country./. Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that develops and manufactures device-based medical therapies to improve patient outcomes. Founded in 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Medtronic has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with over 90,000 employees in more than 150 countries. Medtronic's portfolio of medical technologies includes products for diagnosing, treating and managing cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease, spinal and biologics, diabetes management and neuromodulation. The company's cardiac and vascular group is the oldest and largest business unit, which develops pacemakers, defibrillators and heart valves. Medtronic's spinal and biologics business is the second-largest business unit and produces a range of implants, instruments and services to treat spinal disorders. The diabetes group develops insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and consumables. At the same time, the neuromodulation business focuses on therapies to treat chronic pain, movement disorders and other neurological conditions. In 2015, Medtronic acquired Covidien PLC, an Irish-based medical technology company, and moved its legal headquarters to Ireland. This transaction was the most significant U.S. corporate tax inversion in history and allowed the company to take advantage of lower corporate taxes in Ireland. The company also achieved a 100% gender and ethnically diverse pay equity in the U.S. and 99% gender pay equity globally, as reported in its Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity 2022 annual report. Medtronic joined the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) in 2023, becoming one of the 483 companies listed in the index. Medtronic's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol MDT and is a member of the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The company has had several recent recalls, including the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device in February 2021 and the controller ports in June 2021. Medtronic has continued to focus on developing its medical technology portfolio and announced several acquisitions and partnerships in 2021. In January, the company announced its intention to acquire Affera, Inc., Stimgenics LLC and Medicrea. In May, Medtronic announced a strategic partnership with CathWorks, and in March 2022, a contract with Vizient. The company is also working with GE Healthcare to support the needs and care demands at Ambulatory Surgery Centers in April 2022. In October 2022, Medtronic announced its intention to pursue a separation of the company's combined patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses. Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. With its portfolio of medical technologies and recent acquisitions and partnerships, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growth of the medical device industry. The company's commitment to gender and ethnic pay equity and inclusion and its strategic partnerships and acquisitions make Medtronic PLC an attractive option for investors looking for a long-term growth opportunity. PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad, an investment holding company, engages in production and delivery of energy and solutions business. The company operates through Olefins and Derivatives, Fertilisers and Methanol, Specialties, and Other segments. It offers polymers comprising HDPE blown films, blow moulding, and pipes; linear low density polyethylene; and homopolymer, copolymer, and terpolymer polypropylene. In addition, the company offers ethylene, propylene, ethylene glycols, butyl carbitol and cellosolve, butanol, butyl acetate, polyethylene glycols, tergitol, nonylphenol ethoxylates, ethanolamines, and gas treating solvents; methanol, paraxylene, benzene, methyl tertiary butyl ether, and butadiene; ammonia; PETRONAS Aireblue, a diesel exhaust fluid; oxo-alcohols; and water-based mud additives. Further, it engages in processing feedstock into syngas, carbon monoxide, ethylene oxide derivatives, propylene derivatives, and related chemical products. Additionally, the company owns, operates, and manages Kertih marine facilities; processing natural gas into urea and ammonia; reselling, formulating, and manufacturing silicones, lube oil additives, and chemicals; and real estate business. The company was founded in 1985 and is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad operates as a subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad. Founded in 1971, Southwest Airlines Co. is one of the world's most respected and awarded airlines. The company is known for offering customers great value and excellent service. Currently, Southwest Airlines Co. services 121 airports in 11 countries. The year 2021 marked the company's 51st anniversary, and it continues to work toward democratizing the sky by providing a reliable, low-cost air travel experience. More air travelers flying nonstop in the U.S. fly Southwest Airlines Co. than any other major airline. Southwest Airlines operates a large fleet of 771 Boeing 737 aircraft, making it the largest owner and operator of 737s in the world. It has traditionally only flown Boeing 737s, though it has leased other Boeing models for profitability and route testing. Southwest Airlines Co.'s fleet serves 121 destinations in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as well as in 10 other countries, including Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Southwest Airlines Co. is based in Dallas and is famous for its employee-first corporate culture. The company has maintained an unprecedented record of no involuntary furloughs or layoffs in its 51-year history, providing employees stability and pride in their employer. Southwest Airlines Co. has led the industry with 47 consecutive years of profitability and growth. Southwest Airlines Co. uses humor in its marketing, with slogans like "Love Is Still Our Field," "The Somebody Else Up There Who Loves You," "Just Plane Smart" and "You're Now Free to Move About the Country." To increase customer loyalty, the company launched a rewards program in 2011 that awards points for flights, hotel stays, car rentals and purchases at partner retailers, which consumers can redeem for free flights. Southwest Airlines Co. has significantly influenced other low-cost carriers and the aviation industry as a whole. Its competitive strategy is to increase aircraft and employee productivity to reduce turnaround time at the gate. Ryanair and EasyJet have mirrored this rolling hub or point-to-point network strategy. Southwest has also had a lot of industry influence through its lobbying efforts, primarily to lobby against the development of high-speed rail systems in favor of providing more point-to-point flights between major cities. However, in recent years, Southwest Airlines Co. has been affected by customer lawsuits, flight delays and cancelations and system disruptions due to not investing in newer technologies. Southwest Airlines Co. has provided value to its shareholders for many years, having returned more than $12.9 billion through stock repurchases and dividends as of March 2020. However, in the first quarter of 2020, the company had to suspend its dividend payments due to the uncertain market and COVID-19. On December 6, 2022, the board of directors decided to reinstate its quarterly cash dividend at 18 cents per share. This reinstated dividend equaled the expected dividend when it disappeared in 2020. Southwest Airlines Co. is a leader in the aviation industry, providing great customer service, hospitality, employee stability and value to its shareholders. Cherie Baxter, state regent of the Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution, is seated in the front row. She attended the northeast Indiana district meeting in Kendallville. With her are Galloway-Prentice chapter members Ardean Ebert, Sande Rooser-Campbell, and Jean Moore, from left in the second row. Anne Davis, Kathy Davies and Jill Jollief, from left, are standing in the back row. 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. Import and export of goods in 7 months of 2023 between Vietnam and Asia reached USD242 billion. (Photo: baodautu.vn) The import and export of goods to Americas followed with USD76.47 billion, accounting for 20.4%, down 18.7%; to Europe, USD42.06 billion, accounting for 11.2%, down 7.4%; to Oceania, USD8.97 billion, accounting for 2.4%, down 15.2%; to Africa, USD5.02 billion, accounting for 1.3%, up 4.8% over the same period last year. Trade in goods declined in line with the general situation of global trade. Vietnams export of goods to large markets such as the EU and the US also witnessed a deep decline. In 7 months, exports to the US reached USD53.096 billion, down 20.8%; to the EU 27 reached USD25,261 billion, down 8.8%; and to Oceania, including Australia and New Zealand, reached USD3.439 billion, down 11%. Last year, Vietnam's goods trade with Asia reached USD475.29 billion. Among the 5 continents, Vietnam only had trade deficit from Asia. Major partners in this continent included China, the Republic of Korea, Japan and ASEAN. Last year, import and export with ASEAN reached USD81.14 billion, with a trade deficit of USD13.42 billion. Two-way trade with China reached USD175.65 billion, with trade deficit of USD60.25 billion./. SHREVEPORT, La. - On Saturday around 1:25 p.m., Shreveport Fire Department responded to another fire on the 200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. Thi SHREVEPORT, La. -- A Shreveport man accused of killing a woman during an attempted carjacking is one of three people indicted Wednesday by a C Dozens of dead, wounded invaders of 126th brigade of Russian Black Sea Fleet due to SBU, AFU special operation attack by drones On Friday, the military counterintelligence of the SBU and the AFU attacked the 126th brigade of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation with a group of drones, several dozen dead and wounded occupiers are known, a source in the SBU told Interfax-Ukraine. In addition, as a result of the special operation, ammunition storage sites were hit and enemy military equipment was seriously damaged. The source does not specify the exact number of drones used, however, it is known that the attack was carried out by a group of drones that bypassed all Russian protection systems. SPECIAL TO THE TIMES In 1988, The Price Is Right game-show model Janice Pennington was knocked off the stage into contestants row by a wayward camera and rendered unconscious. After a 45-minute delay during which Pennington was transferred by stretcher to an ambulance, the show continued without her. Two surgeries later, the stately Barkers Beauty was left with one shoulder an inch shorter than the other. Ugly scars from the operations prevented her from ever again wearing her trademark swimsuits. Then this past October, Pennington received a hit of another sort. After 29 years of handing off the microphone to host Bob Barker at the start of more than 6,000 shows since its 1971 premiere, Pennington was dismissed immediately following the Oct. 19 taping (which will air on Wednesday), without so much as a handshake from Barker. He never said a word, says Pennington, whose final appearance Wednesday will have no mention of her departure. My manager called Barker the next day and left a message, but he never returned our call. Advertisement Barker, who today celebrates his 77th birthday, says he did return the call--but only after Pennington signed a settlement, forbidding her from discussing details of her dismissal by Pearson Television, the production company that had assumed ownership of the show that Oct. 19. [Pearson] did not want me to become involved in any way, explains Barker, saying that he left the studio prior to the firing of his longtime girl Friday. But on the very day Janice signed the agreement I left a message on her answering machine and told her that I wanted to explain why I had not called even sooner. And she has not returned my call. The amicable relationship between Barker and Pennington on the show, as it turns out, was just another Hollywood illusion. Pennington says the two had barely spoken since this past summer, and fellow on-air assistant Kathleen Bradley, who was dismissed the same day as Pennington, blames Barker for their firings. While all parties involved have conflicting stories to tell, whichever way you look at it, all the behind-the-scenes bickering and ugliness boils down to one real-life contest no one can win: aging and physical change, coupled with the institutionalized insecurity of show business. Walking into the dining room of the Regent Beverly Wilshire, dressed in silver hoop earrings, a form-hugging black turtleneck and tight black leather pants (which no doubt would drive animal rights crusader Barker nuts), Pennington looks years younger than 58. And with good reason. To maintain her all-important youth, Pennington has undergone several cosmetic touch-ups through the years. Ive never gone in and had a head-to-toe sort of thing, says the model, explaining that the shows year-round taping schedule--with only a six-week summertime hiatus, prevented any radical overhauls. What Ive done is gone in and had, like, the bags taken care of under my eyes. Ive had little sections done--a little brow lift or a little something lipoed from under my chin. When I had a real hard time losing weight, I had some lipo on my body. Ill go in every week for facials. And I go to the dermatologist and get light peels. Its been about maintaining myself, but its not as easy to maintain your weight as your body gets older and goes through changes. For Pennington, who also exercises daily and watches what she eats, her commitment to maintaining her youth was an act of self-preservation. Bradley believes she and Pennington were fired because of depositions the women gave (countering Barkers statements) while under oath in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former colleague Holly Hallstrom, who claimed she was fired in 1995 because of weight gain. Though Hallstroms original lawsuit was thrown out of court, her lawyers are planning an appeal. Advertisement Bottom line, its retaliation, says Bradley, 49, who calls Barker a lonely soul. He was upset because my truth and his truth were different. If I [hadnt] had to testify, I would still be a Barkers Beauty. That is totally unfounded, counters Barker, who also serves as executive producer and will celebrate his 30th anniversary with the show in September. This was not my decision. Both Pennington and Bradley say they were given no specific reason for their dismissals. Syd Vinnedge, the Pearson senior vice president who informed the women they were no longer needed, would only characterize the changes as part of a long-term plan the company has to revitalize the show. Pennington says Barker basically stopped talking to me after the deposition that I gave in July. After that it was never the same. We spoke on the air, but that was basically it. I certainly didnt stop speaking with [Janice], says Barker. Any time I saw her I told her hello or told her how good she looked. Barker even objects to the term fired in reference to the womens departures. Janice was not fired; she was never hired, he says. In literal terminology, he is correct. Throughout their runs, Barkers Beauties were never given contracts but were rehired on a week-to-week basis at salaries well below that of other long-running TV personalities. At the time of her exit, Bradley, a 10-year veteran of the show, was being paid $2,000 to tape a weeks worth of hourlong episodes. We were so underpaid for what we did on that show, says Bradley. People think we have so much money. No On-Air Chance to Say Goodbye Although Pennington and Bradley have handed out thousands of cars, campers and grandfather clocks through the years, there will be no fabulous parting gifts for either of them. Barker says business and legalities prevented any on-air goodbyes. At the time that they left, explains Barker, we were not able to say what they were going to do because the Pearson company made what they have described to me as very generous offers to them to join Pearson and participate in an international models special [referred to by different parties as Models Inc. or Model of the Year] that they were planning. Pennington, believing no such special would ever materialize, rejected the contract, insisting instead on a settlement. Bradley, more confident in the offers legitimacy, was considering accepting the offer, though she remains skeptical. Barker says the models abrupt exits were unfortunate--especially for longtime fans, and says he would consider inviting Pennington and perhaps Bradley to join him on next years anniversary special. Now that [Pearson] has [worked out a settlement] with Janice, Im sure wed be happy to blow up the balloons. Vinnedge adds that as soon as everybodys happy, the show will get Janice and Kathleen and do a real nice send-off: goodbye, we love you and good luck. Neither woman expects this will ever happen. The fact that all four of the classic Barkers Beauties--Pennington, Hallstrom, Bradley and Dian Parkinson (who quit in 1993 after 18 years on the show, waging an unsuccessful sexual harassment suit against Barker, with whom she was having an affair) were marked by bitter scandal does not faze Barker. It had nothing to do with the show or with me, he says. It was all in the minds of the women. In May, Barker may be gone as well if Pearson opts not to renew his contract for a 31st year. It happens to all of us, says Vinnedge, who himself was reduced from executive to consultant status soon after he dismissed the models. Bob feels that at the right point we will make that transition. Asked how he would feel if he were dismissed in the same manner as Pennington and Bradley--without a chance to say goodbye to fans, Barker says, It would not concern me in the slightest. I would be grateful for the many years that Ive had on The Price Is Right and walk away a completely happy man. And what sort of man is Barker? Hes the best host, Pennington says, diplomatically pointing to her former boss popular on-screen persona. He excels at what he does. As for the Barker none of us gets to see--the man away from Showcase Showdowns and Plinko chips, the model gracefully steps behind her nondisclosure agreement, whispering, Thats not for me to comment. * The Price Is Right can be seen weekdays at 10 a.m. on CBS. The network has rated it TV-G (suitable for all ages). A recent Maui wildfire update shows that recovery efforts are persisting on the island as the aftermath of the devastating event continues to unfold, particularly affecting the Historic Lahaina Town in West Maui. The destructive fires have left a trail of devastation spanning approximately 3.5 square miles, Maui Now reports. Multiple sources ignited these wildfires on August 8, exacerbated by strong winds and arid conditions as a hurricane passed well south of the islands. This wildfire has been the deadliest in the nation over the past century. As part of the ongoing response, county officials have recently disclosed a list containing the names of 388 individuals who have been reported as missing or unaccounted for in the wake of the Lahaina wildfire disaster on August 8. An additional FEMA Disaster Recovery Center is set to fully open at the Hannibal Tavares Community Center at 91 Pukalani St to further aid the recovery efforts. To date, over 10,000 registrations for FEMA assistance have been submitted, providing nearly $13.2 million in federal housing and individual aid. READ NEXT: Maui Wildfire Update: Joe Biden's Insensitive Jokes Maui Wildfire Update: 46 Fatalities Publicly Identified The wildfires have tragically earned the distinction of being the deadliest in U.S. history, and officials are bracing for the possibility that the death toll could still climb higher, BBC noted. The authorities in Maui have publicly identified 46 individuals who lost their lives in the fire. The latest names, disclosed on Thursday, include a family of four whose remains were discovered in a burned vehicle near their residence. The family members have been identified as 7-year-old Tony Takafua, his mother, Salote Tone (39), and his grandparents, Faaoso Tone (70) and Maluifonua Tone (73). Tony was the first confirmed child victim of the devastating wildfire. Earlier in the week, it was reported that over 1,000 people remained unaccounted for. However, as of Thursday, Chief Pelletier has shared that 1,732 individuals previously thought to be missing have been located safely. Authorities were able to refine the list of missing persons by cross-referencing it with the names of individuals sheltering in designated areas. Chief Pelletier conveyed, "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 ensure that we are doing everything we can to make this investigation as complete and thorough as possible." Maui County Sues Hawaiian Electric Company Maui County has taken legal action by filing a lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Co., alleging that the company's failure to shut off power despite repeated warnings of potential fire hazards played a role in sparking the destructive wildfires that ravaged Lahaina. The lawsuit, filed in the state's Second Circuit Court, seeks damages and "just compensation" from Hawaiian Electric and three associated companies, claiming negligence, according to NBC News. This legal action adds to the challenges for Hawaiian Electric, which is already facing at least 11 other lawsuits about the wildfires. Some of these lawsuits come from Lahaina residents, while others involve investors who accuse the utility of fraud in a federal lawsuit. These investors claim that the company did not disclose that its wildfire prevention and safety measures were substandard. Hawaiian Electric responded to the lawsuit by expressing disappointment in the county's decision to pursue legal action while investigations are ongoing, per the recent Maui wildfire update. The company stated that its focus has been on supporting the people of Maui and Maui County in the aftermath of the fires. The Environmental Protection Agency also revealed that it does not have a specific timeline for starting "hazardous waste removal efforts" in Lahaina. The EPA spokesperson explained that this process will commence once urban search and rescue crews permit access to the area. READ MORE: Maui Wildfire Update: Joe Biden Heads to Hawaii This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Maui releases names of 388 people still missing after deadly wildfire - From ABC 7 Chicago Deputy Head of the Presidents of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva has held the first round of negotiations with Canada on the conclusion of a bilateral agreement on the provision of security guarantees for Ukraine provided for by the G7 Joint Declaration, head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak said on Telegram on Friday evening. "On behalf of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I am coordinating negotiations. The first round of negotiations was conducted by my deputy Ihor Zhovkva," he wrote. Yermak recalled that Canada became the third country of the G7 after the United States and Great Britain, "with which Ukraine began relevant negotiations, and continued the positive dynamics of the implementation of the security agreements reached by our state with key international partners." All 19 suspects in the Donald Trump Georgia election meddling case have given themselves up and have been booked at the Fulton County Jail. All of them, including the former president himself, have had their mugshots taken, were fingerprinted, and released after posting bail, per Georgia law. According to PBS, only co-defendant and Black Voices for Trump leader Harrison William Prescott Floyd remained in jail after he failed to negotiate a bond ahead of time. He turned himself in last Thursday and is accused of harassing a Fulton County election worker whom Trump accused of cheating in the election but was later proven innocent. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is now expected to set arraignments for each of the 19 defendants in the coming weeks. This means that they would have to appear in court and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. As Latin Post previously reported, the co-defendants include former President Donald Trump, former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, and Trump Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark. Also charged are Trump attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Kenneth Chesebro. Former Georgia Republican Party chairman David Shafer, state Senator Shawn Still, and former Coffee County Republican Party chief Cathy Latham have also been charged, along with former Kanye West publicist Trevian Kutti and Harrison William Prescott Floyd. The latter two led the efforts to intimidate poll worker Ruby Freeman and coerced her into falsely admitting that she helped cheat in the elections. READ NEXT: Donald Trump Attacks Federal Judge Overseeing Election Interference Case Despite Warning Donald Trump Arrest Turns Republican Rivals Into a Sideshow A Republican debate just happened but that has since been drowned out by Donald Trump's most recent arrest, with his mugshot now going viral. While accomplished politicians in their own right, the other Republican candidates, including Trump's former VP Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have become mere sideshows as Trump basks in the limelight of his arrest. The Guardian pointed out that the news channels in the US were not doing post-debate analysis, as they normally would. Instead, they were talking about Trump's arrest and getting his mugshot taken for the first time, becoming the first former president to get a mugshot taken. The Trump arrest in Georgia received wall-to-wall coverage, which the first Republican debate did not enjoy. It was described as "yet another example of the former president's unique ability to suck up all available media oxygen, making it nearly impossible for his opponents' message to break through to voters." Green Day Is Selling 'Nimrod' Shirts Inspired by Donald Trump Mugshot Rock band Green Day is poking fun at Donald Trump's arrest and is now selling limited merchandise inspired by his mugshot as a tie-in to their hit song, "Nimrod." According to Billboard, the "Nimrod" shirt featured the "Nimrod" album art replaced by the Trump mugshot and captioned with "Good Riddance." The shirt, which sells for $35 and is available for 72 hours, has been called by the bad as the "Ultimate Nimrod Shirt." Proceeds will go to helping bring food to the victims of the Maui wildfires. 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 mugshot released - FOX 11 Los Angeles A disturbing incident unfolded in Tampa, Florida, where a chemistry student is accused of injecting an opioid "chemical agent" under a neighbor's front door, which subsequently led to the family, including their newborn baby, falling ill. The incident began when Umar Abdullah and his pregnant wife moved into their new condo in June 2022 and initially received a warm welcome from their neighbors, according to the NY Post. However, their downstairs neighbor, the Florida student, Xuming Li, began sending Abdullah complaints about sleep disturbances and noises from their unit. The situation escalated over several months, with tensions rising between the parties. Eventually, Abdullah and his family started experiencing symptoms like dizziness and vomiting. One particularly distressing moment was when Abdullah noticed his daughter's eyes filled with tears despite her not actually crying. READ NEXT: Florida: Mass Shooting Suspect Killed by Police Family Notices Odd 'Chemical Odor' Through Their Home Umar Abdullah shared his disturbing experience and recounted the chilling events in his Tampa, Florida, home. Things turned sinister when a strange chemical odor permeated their living space in May. Despite their efforts to locate the source of the odor, they were unsuccessful, per the WSVN-TV. The following month, Abdullah and his daughter began experiencing health issues. Abdullah's eyes started to burn, and his daughter suffered from coughing and vomiting. Concerned for their well-being, Abdullah decided to take matters into his own hands. He installed a concealed camera outside their home to investigate the source of their troubles. To their shock and disbelief, the camera footage revealed their neighbor, Xuming Li, injecting an unidentified substance through their front door on June 27. The gravity of the situation became apparent to Abdullah, who realized that had they not discovered the incident through the camera footage, the consequences could have been even more severe. Florida Student Arrested Xuming Li, the Florida student responsible for injecting an opioid "chemical agent" into Umar Abdullah's home, has been arrested by Tampa police and is facing multiple felony charges, including possession of a controlled dangerous substance and burglary. A hazardous materials test on the liquid chemical agent revealed that it contained a combination of methadone and hydrocodone, both opioid pain medications. The arrest affidavit also mentioned that fire rescue respondents who initially visited the scene experienced skin irritation. However, USA TODAY noted that they were unaware of the cause at that time. Xuming Li had been a former Ph.D. student in the Chemistry Department at the University of South Florida, as revealed by records. However, a spokesperson from USF confirmed that he was no longer enrolled there as of the summer. Li's attorney stated that Li has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is currently out on bond, and his next hearing is scheduled for December 5, NewsNation reports. In addition to the legal charges, the Florida student is facing lawsuits from Umar Abdullah for domestic violence and from the condo association for breach of contract. The attorney emphasized that all the facts of the case will be presented in due course. READ MORE: Orange County Bar Shooting: 6 Injured, 4 Dead, Including Gunman This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Florida chemistry student caught on camera injecting opioid 'chemical agent' under neighbor's door - From New York Post UPDATE: Coroner identifies man who died in motorcycle crash in Bethlehem Twp. A motorcyclist was pronounced dead Friday evening after crashing in Bethlehem Township, police said. The 42-year-old man was riding a sport bike south on Farmersville Road, south of Freemansburg Avenue, when the crash occurred about 5:30 p.m. just past Vintage Drive, township police Sgt. Daryl LaPpointe said Saturday. Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek pronounced the rider dead at the scene, police said. Authorities did not immediately release the mans identity, or the cause and manner of death. Farmersville Road reopened shortly after 8 p.m., police said. Investigators were still looking into the cause of the crash and asked anyone witnesses or who may have information on the crash to call Sgt. LaPointe at 610-814-6481. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. On Saturday morning, the bulk carrier Primus, under the flag of Liberia, left the port of Odesa, where it arrived on February 20 from the Greek port of Perama under the name Polarstar, and is moving in the direction of the Bulgarian port of Varna, the MarineTraffic resource said. MP Oleksiy Honcharenko posted a photo of the cargo ship that left Odesa on his Telegram channel. The bulk carrier Primus became the second vessel, after the container ship Josef Schulte under the flag of Hong Kong, to leave the port of Odesa after the start of a full-scale Russian invasion outside the grain corridor. Joseph Schulte, as the he Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development (Ministry of Restoration) said, on August 16 used the temporary corridor established by the Ukrainian Navy for civilian vessels to/from the Black Sea ports, and on August 18 arrived in Turkey with more than 30,000 tonnes of cargo (2,114 containers). It was noted that the corridor, first of all, will be used for the evacuation of ships that are in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa and Pivdenny at the time of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. According to the navigation instruction of the Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine No. 6, temporary routes for the movement of civilian vessels to/from the Black Sea ports of Ukraine began to operate from August 8, 2023. According to the Administration of Seaports of Ukraine, as of August 23, six vessels with 262,000 tonnes of cargo remained blocked in the ports of Velyka Odesa. The bulk carrier Primus with a deadweight of 32,600 tonnes and a gross tonnage of 19,900 tonnes, according to the editor-in-chief of BlackSeaNews and the head of the Monitoring Group on Sanctions and Freedom of Navigation, changed ownership on July 12 this year during its stay in Odesa: instead of the Greek Erma Marine SA, it became Nova Polar from Singapore. Also, instead of the Greek operator Seastar Chartering, it became Blumenthal Asia, also from Singapore. Steeples and Steel tours, a long-running series of minibus excursions following in the footsteps of turn-of-the-20th-century immigrants, are returning for their eighth year to Southside Bethlehem starting Labor Day weekend. The tours reflect the lives of European immigrants who became steelworkers at the flagship Bethlehem Steel plant. They left their homelands in search of a better life in America, and their cultures and faiths enriched the town where they worked, according to the flyer from the Steelworkers Archives, which is running the eighth year of tours in partnership with the National Museum of Industrial History and Northampton County. The tour bus leaves from the industrial history museum and takes visitors through the historic neighborhoods to see the churches, cemeteries and Steel site. Tours run twice a day on Sept. 2, Sept. 16 and Nov. 4. Reservations are required. Tickets are $30 per person and include lunch. The 2023 schedule: Sept. 2 9:30 a.m.: Fritz United Methodist Church 1 p.m.: Packer Memorial Church Sept. 16 9:30 a.m.: Holy Infancy Roman Catholic Church 1 p.m.: Cathedral Church of the Nativity Nov. 4 9:30 a.m.: St. John AME Zion Church 1 p.m.: TBA Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. 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. The destructive power of wildfire has been a defining feature of a summer of climate extremes. Dozens of people on multiple continents have died. Blazes have reduced homes and businesses to rubble. Thick smoke has darkened skies and carried fine-particle pollution thousands of miles from its source. Its a ghastly pattern that climate scientists around the world say has been worsened and fueled by human-caused global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions have greatly increased the chances of hot, dry weather that makes severe fires more likely. And while proper management can help for instance, controlled burns and clearing out overgrown forests its not always enough to beat the odds as climate change drives fire seasons to start earlier and last longer. The toll on humans will be great. Beyond the immediate aftermath, experts say that exposure to wildfire smoke can cause long-term issues for human health, with respiratory effects like asthma and COPD as well as impacts on the function of the heart, brain and kidneys. The psychological damage, too, can be lifelong. People in the direct path of wildfires may experience post-traumatic stress or struggle with their mental health after losing their loved ones, homes or livelihoods. Fire is just one face of climate change, which also drives broiling heat, catastrophic storms and floods and other wacky weather. But the dramatic images of this summers infernos, from flames to ash, are a stark reminder of just how much things have changed, and how much we still stand to lose. WINDS WHIP UP FLAMES IN GREECE AND TURKEY A blaze rampaging through northeastern Greece on Tuesday killed 18 people, believed to be migrants crossing the border from Turkey, where, in that country too, villages of a northwestern province have been evacuated to protect people from wildfires. In the Greek city of Alexandroupolis, health authorities partially evacuated a hospital, and other flames near the capital traveled into Parnitha national park, a green area to the northwest of Athens. Firefighters in Greece have confronted more than 350 fires over five days. Gale-force winds have made the task more challenging, and the hot and dry summer conditions have been some of the worst since meteorological records have been kept, authorities said. Across Europe, many areas have experienced a brutally hot summer as global heat records sweltered to all-time record highs in July. The Greek government is planning tougher penalties for arson in the wake of the damage, but the extra heat from climate change is also to blame. And the fires only add to the cycle of warming: Greece saw its highest wildfire-related emissions on record this July, according to data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, part of the European Unions Earth observation program. PANIC AND SORROW ON A RAVAGED MAUI It started with a brush fire overnight in Kula. Then a grass fire across the island near Lahaina started in the early morning and jumped a containment line by the afternoon. Without any warning, residents say they were unable to save many of their neighbors, including children. People tried to rush out of Lahaina even as closed roads hindered evacuation efforts. Some, trapped in their cars, jumped over a seawall into rough waves to escape. Eventually the wreckage became clear: historic Lahaina had become the site of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in over 100 years. Researchers say that climate change and land use changes amplified the cost of human error in this catastrophe, as wildfire, storms, floods and other disasters have been on the rise in Hawaii. Flash droughts, which happened this summer and are more likely as a result of global warming, can create an abundance of dry grass on the islands in a short amount of time. And as some plantation agriculture has shifted to ranching, more areas now act as kindling, fueling the problem even further. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden took an aerial tour of the devastation in Hawaii on Monday. In his remarks in Lahaina, Biden made reference to the burned but surviving banyan tree considered beloved and sacred by many in the island community. The damage is overwhelming and the cleanup will be hard and long, Biden said. But he noted that one resident had called the tree a diamond in the rough of hope. CONFLAGRATION IN THE CANARY ISLANDS Like much of mainland Spain, the popular tourist destination Tenerife has been in drought for the past several years due to climate changes impacts on regional weather patterns. Those changes created the perfect kindling for what police said was an arson wildfire that raged out of control over several days. Firefighters managed to limit the damage, with no injuries reported and no houses burned as of Monday, but access remains difficult, especially in steep and craggy mountainous areas. In the meantime, thousands of people on the island were evacuated or ordered to stay indoors. In addition, Spain continues to sweat under another summer heat wave, with temperatures soaring as high as 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) in some parts of the country. OVER A THOUSAND FIRES ACROSS CANADA This summer marks Canadas worst wildfire season on record, and dozens of cities across North America have woken up to see and smell the massive plumes of smoke stretching out well beyond the forests where they first sparked. Areas closer to the poles are seeing accelerated changes due to global warming, and Canada is no different. Summers are more intense and winters are warmer. Ice doesnt form as early and melts faster in spring. Indigenous communities were disproportionately evacuated by Canadian wildfires this summer, even in far northern regions where wildfires are normally never an issue. Their homes can be in more isolated and fire-prone areas, including the boreal forest, a vital natural resource that stores carbon, purifies the air and water and regulates climate. Some evacuees piled kids and pets into travel centers. Parents held children as they waited to go home, a prospect that may be coming sooner as better weather arrives in some regions. Others watched from tents at a free campsite as the aurora borealis flickered over their temporary refuge. Like the banyan in Hawaii, it was a source of beauty despite what had been lost. Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. The Electric Picnic Stradbally can sometimes be a place where fact meets fiction so its the perfect town to learn how to master the craft of fiction writing. Following on from the overwhelming success of writer Eileen Caseys recent memoir workshop, the Arts Office, Laois County Council has invited Eileen back to conduct four short story workshops at Laois Arthouse, Stradbally. The Arts Office says the workshops will cover the various fictional elements employed when writing a short story. "The short story, mainly because of its brevity, is generally regarded as being one of the most challenging forms. Yet, completing a fully-fledged narrative gives tremendous satisfaction. "Fleshing out the bones of an idea, working through plot lines, creating memorable characters, building towards a satisfying ending; results in creative treasure," says the Arts Office. Ms Casey is from the Midlands but lives in Dublin. Her poetry, prose and short fiction are published in anthologies by Dedalus, Crannog, New Island, Arlen House, Faber & Faber, The Nordic Irish Studies Journal, Ireland of the Welcomes, among others. A Hennessy Award Winner for Emerging Fiction and a Patrick and Katherine Kavanagh Poetry Fellowship recipient, her short stories have received numerous awards including The Maria Edgeworth, The South Tipperary and The Cecil Day Lewis. Memoir pieces are anthologised in A Fascination with Fabric (Arlen House), The Irish Times, Portrait of a County (New Island) and broadcast on Sunday Miscellany (RTE). She received a number of Arts Council bursaries together with commissions from County Offaly Arts and South Dublin County Arts. She holds an MA in Creative Writing from The Oscar Wilde Centre, The School of English, Trinity College, Dublin. The course deatils are as follows: Monday, September 11 - Sourcing ideas and nurturing the flow is an integral part of creative experience. Where and how to discover narrative sources. What are the benefits of writing Flash Fiction? Monday, October 2 - Characters and viewpoint. Who will tell your story? How will it be told? Portraiture - colourful, memorable characters. The telling detail. Beginning, Middle (avoiding the Muddle) and End. Shaping a storyline. Monday, November 6 - Anecdote or gritty storyline? Developing layers so that they speak to physical and emotional spaces. How to write dialogue. Monday, December 4 -Writing Style. Language. Figurative, lyrical, or simple, sharp, clean lines. A discussion focused on participants unique approach to voice. Taking a line for a walk. Outlets for short story publication. For further information: Email: artsoff@laoiscoco.ie The Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise is to look at a Hospital Watch initiative underway in Tullamore. Laois Offaly Gardai recently met with hospital staff based in Tullamore in a bid to prevent crime with the Hospital Watch initiative, which is similar in operation to Neighbourhood Watch. Gardai held a meeting with staff at the Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore to discuss crime prevention within the hospital setting. Tullamore Gardai with staff and management of Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore met this morning to engage about keeping staff, patients and those that use the hospital campus safe, Garda said. Similar to the residential Neighbourhood Watch scheme, Hospital Watch operates as a partnership between An Garda Siochana, the HSE, and Tullamore Hospital staff, patients and visitors with the aim of preventing crime within the hospital setting, gardai explained. A spokesperson for the HSE didnt rule out introducing the 'Hospital Watch' system in Portlaoise. Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise currently provides contracted security services on the hospital campus and liaise with An Garda Siochana as appropriate. The Hospital Watch initiative is due to be revisited as part of the Hospitals future planning, the spokesperson said. 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. On Friday, August 25, the soldiers behind the coup d'etat in Niger demanded the departure of the French ambassador to the country, which Paris is refusing to do at this stage. The decision taken by the ruling junta in Niamey follows a series of demonstrations, declarations and decisions hostile to France since the July 26 putsch. Almost a month after the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum, the military ordered Sylvain Itte to "leave Niger territory within 48 hours" and announced their decision to "withdraw [his] accreditation." In a letter from the Nigerien Foreign Ministry sent to its French counterpart, the coup leaders justified this request by referring to "the ambassador's refusal to respond to the ministry's invitation" for an interview and to "other actions by the French government, contrary to Niger's interests." Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Niger: Anatomy of a coup Immediately after the announcement, French authorities rejected the request: "The putschists have no authority to make this demand, as the ambassador's accreditation emanates from the legitimately elected authorities of Niger alone," said the French Foreign Ministry. This position is shared by Hassoumi Massoudou, Bazoum's head of diplomacy, who on X (formerly Twitter) pointed out that "the ambassador is accredited to the elected president." Call for 'restoration of constitutional order' This is not the first diplomatic standoff between the de facto Nigerien government and France, which continues to demand the withdrawal of the coup plotters, arguing that President Bazoum detained with his family has not resigned since the takeover. On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron once again called for the "restoration of constitutional order" in Niger and for Bazoum's release. "This coup d'etat is a blow against democracy in Niger, against the people of Niger and against the fight against terrorism," he declared. No doubt Macron will repeat this line at the annual conference of French ambassadors in Paris, where he is due to speak on August 28. The junta suspects France of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger to allow the return of the elected president. It considers the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to be an organization "in the pay" of France, the former colonial power in the region. ECOWAS imposed heavy economic and financial sanctions on Niger after the coup and is threatening the junta, with France's open support, to use armed force to restore constitutional order. Four days after the coup, hundreds of supporters of the newly installed military power demonstrated outside the French embassy in Niamey, causing damage. The demonstrators were dispersed with tear gas by the embassy's security services. The regime accused Paris of having used weapons, which the French government denied. You have 45% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Election officials carry ballot boxes as people wait for the opening of a polling office during the presidential election in Libreville, Gabon August 26, 2023. STRINGER / REUTERS Internet access was cut and a nightly curfew was announced in Gabon Saturday, August 26, as polling stations closed in triple election, in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that has ruled for 55 years, sought victory over a newly united opposition. Bongo and his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa lead a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the small oil-rich central African state, in an election the opposition claimed was hit by organisational "chaos". The 64-year-old incumbent Bongo took office in 2009, succeeding his father Omar, who died after more than 41 years in power. Onda Ossa a 69-year-old economics professor who served as a minister under Bongo from 2006 to 2009 was chosen by the main opposition grouping, Alternance 2023, as its joint candidate just eight days before the election. After polls closed, the government announced that internet would be suspended until further notice, and said it was imposing a nightly 7:00 pm-6:00 am curfew from Sunday August 27. Communications Minister Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou said on public television that the move was necessary to "counter the spread of calls for violence...and false information". After polls closed, the Bongo government of deliberately creating a disorganised election. Onda Ossa's team said he was only able to cast his vote after his polling station opened eight hours behind schedule. Earlier Saturday, the polling station in the centre of Libreville was apparently due to an absence of voting equipment. Francois Ndong Obiang, president of Alternance 2023, told AFP many others had experienced similar delays. He also claimed that ballots listing Ondo Ossa's name were missing in some polling stations, and criticised authorities for creating "chaos". Ondo Ossa said in a live video on the Facebook page of Alternance 2023 that Bongo had increased the "elements of fraud". Francois Ndong Obiang, president of Alternance 2023, told AFP many others had experienced similar delays. He also claimed that ballots listing Ondo Ossa's name were missing in some polling stations, and criticized authorities did not comment when contacted by AFP, but a special advisor to the president said on X, formerly Twitter, that the "fake news machines" were running at "full speed". Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, Libreville, March 2, 2023. LUDOVIC MARIN / AFP A closed election, without international observers or foreign journalists, is to be held in Gabon on Saturday, August 26. "It's a very bad omen for the credibility of this election," worried Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, vice-president of the opposition Union Nationale. "The fact that journalists are not getting accreditation and that requests from various embassies are going unanswered proves that conditions are not ripe for a possible changeover." Ondimba, 64, has been in power for 14 years and is seeking a third term at the helm of this oil-rich country, considered to be one of Africa's richest. The name of his main opponent was unveiled just eight days before the vote. Albert Ondo Ossa, 69, was nominated on Friday, August 18, by candidates who had joined the Alternance 2023 (A23) platform, set up to unite the opposition and avoid splitting the vote. The day after his nomination, Ossa launched his campaign at full speed across his country, which is half the geographical size of France and has a population of around two million. "The train of change is moving, our numbers will be our strength. I'm not afraid, don't be afraid," he stressed at his meetings. The former Minister of Education and Higher Education (2006) under Omar Bongo Ondimba, father of the outgoing president, was chosen after tough negotiations involving several opposition leaders, including Alexandre Barro Chambrier (Rally for the Fatherland and Modernity party) and Paulette Missambo (National Union party). All the candidates on the A23 platform have pledged to withdraw their candidacy for the single-round ballot, for which there will be 13 candidates. "Albert Ondo Ossa is not the heavyweight we were expecting," admitted Jean Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi. "We shouldn't see him as a candidate by default, but rather as the consensus candidate. A man of principle and values, he's the one who unites us the most and divides us the least." But a change in the voting system is being debated. In July, the opposition criticized the government for introducing a single ballot for the presidential and legislative elections. In practice, a voter casting a ballot in the legislative elections for a party's candidate in their constituency will be obliged to vote for that party's presidential candidate, and vice versa. Appeals were lodged with the Constitutional Court to denounce the "non-separation of powers," but were unsuccessful. "This amendment violates voters' freedom of choice," complained Francois Ndong Obiang, a member of the A23 platform, as it "conceals a cunning way of enabling Ali Bongo to benefit from the votes of his party's candidates in the legislative elections." 5,500 votes ahead in 2016 As an independent, Ossa is not backed by any recognized political body and therefore has no legislative candidate on his ballot. His constituents will therefore not be giving their votes to any MP. The opposition candidate has already pledged to take legal action and dissolve the National Assembly if elected. Today, the powerful Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) and its allies rule almost unchallenged in parliament. First elected in 2009 following the death of his father, who ruled the country for more than four decades, Ali Bongo Ondimba was narrowly re-elected in 2016 with a relatively low turnout (59%), after a hotly contested election against Jean Ping. In particular, his result in Haut-Ogooue, the rural stronghold of his Teke community, raised serious doubts: turnout there was 99.93% and he won with 95% of the vote. Ondimba finally won by 5,500 votes over Ping, after a fringe of the opposition rallied behind Ping just two weeks before the vote. The announcement of the results sparked off violence, with at least five people killed, according to the government, and around 30 according to the opposition. The National Assembly was set on fire. With substantial financial resources, Ondimba, who suffered a stroke in October 2018 that left him physically hindered, has already been crisscrossing the country for several weeks as part of his campaign. "The record of his second term is one of failure," complained Mays Mouissi, economic analyst and author of a report on the action of the Gabonese government entitled "105 promises, 13 achievements." "Poverty and youth unemployment have risen, and living conditions have deteriorated. Compared to the last election, this time voters can accuse him of many mistakes, and the opposition can take advantage of this. But the conditions prevailing before the vote raise serious doubts about the transparency of the ballot." Expansion or deepening? This dilemma, well known to international organizations, has long been on the minds of European Union strategists. Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, from August 22 to 24 for their 15th summit, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have resolutely opted for expansion, inviting six countries to join them by 2024. This is undoubtedly the easiest option. The BRICS are not an international organization, have no permanent structures and have so far created only one common institution, a development bank. The heterogeneity of their members, who have different political systems and share neither a single market nor the production of common standards, makes further deepening complicated. This undoubtedly explains the dampening of ambitions for de-dollarization at the Johannesburg summit. Expansion offers the BRICS the best opportunity to make their presence felt on the world stage. Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes China wants BRICS group to rival G7 With the addition of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and Argentina from five to 11 members the group will represent 46% of the planet's population and just over a third of the world's gross domestic product. It will be enriched by the addition of countries from the Middle East and oil producers, significantly strengthen its African presence and include the two largest countries in Latin America. For a group that already relies on the world's two most populous Asian countries, this represents a considerable change in scale. The question of objectives The real question, of course, is that of the objectives sought by this expansion. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasized the potential economic benefits. We can assume that economic and financial cooperation between the 11 countries will increase, thanks in particular to the powerful investment capabilities of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates. It should also enable the BRICS to better collectively defend the concerns of the Global South if Russia is even part of the Global South in the field of sustainable development and to carry more weight in the reform of a global multilateral system still dominated by the West. The political objectives underpinning this coalition are, however, less realistic. The decision to expand is a victory for Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was its most ardent supporter. If, however, he intends to make the 11-member BRICS an instrument in his rivalry with the United States, he will come up against India and Brazil, who are not in the same frame of mind. Similarly, if his idea, supported by Vladimir Putin, is to create a group of countries capable of opposing the G7, or the network of alliances formed by Western countries around or alongside the US, he will have a hard time finding the same coherence between political regimes as different as those of Iran, South Africa, Brazil or China. Opinion Article reserve a nos abonnes BRICS Summit: 'Once the anti-Western grievances have been voiced, each country is pursuing its own agenda' "The larger the membership, the smaller the least common political denominator," warned Indian analyst Raja Mohan. And Johannesburg is not Bandung (Indonesia), the birthplace of the non-aligned movement in 1955, whose aim was to keep out of the way of the two great rival blocs, the American and Soviet, not to throw themselves into the competition between great powers. Stacking up the BRICS is not enough to create a common home. MFA considers it categorically unacceptable to extend ban on import of Ukrainian grain until 2023 end in some EU countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine declares that the intention of Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Hungary to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain until the end of this year is "categorically unacceptable." "We drew attention to the statement of the Minister of Agriculture of Poland that his country, as well as Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary support the extension of the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain until the end of 2023. We consider it categorically unacceptable to continue trade restrictions on the import of agricultural products of Ukraine after the ban of the European Commission expires on September 15," the text of the statement published on Saturday says. In addition, the ministry "causes complete misunderstanding and intentions to add other categories of Ukrainian products to the list of goods prohibited for import." "Such unilateral restrictions do not correspond to the spirit and letter of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU and the principles and norms of the EU Single Market," the statement stresses. The Foreign Ministry calls on the leadership of the European Union and the countries, some of which have received additional funding for the relevant sectors from the European budget, to find a balanced solution based on EU legislation and the Association Agreement. "Only in the spirit of solidarity can we counter the challenges caused by the Russian aggression against Ukraine and strengthen the EU Single Market," the ministry stressed. COUNTRIES as far away as Japan were contacted by the Limerick/Clare Amateur Radio Club over the weekend. 500 lighthouses and lightships throughout the world were contacted by the club in Loop Head Lighthouse, as part of the 26th annual International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend (ILLW). The amateur ham radio enthusiasts from across the Mid-West made contact with 40 countries. During the 48-hour weekend broadcast, visitors to the lighthouse were able to listen in to communications with amateur radio stations across the world. Contact was made with all continents, with operators in Japan and Australia particularly keen to get in touch. Contact was also made with an operator in Alaska, and this was the highlight of the weekend as that location is one of the most sought-after locations worldwide. Dermot Gleeson, Chairman of the Limerick/Clare Amateur Radio Club, commented, The Club has always enjoyed its visits to Loop Head and this year was no different, despite the challenging weather! The Club operated two stations, one of which was located at the entrance to the Lighthouse so members of the public could listen to some of the transmissions, and this proved to be popular. We are very grateful to all of the staff of Clare County Council and the Commissioners of Irish Lights for their help in planning this event and for allowing us to use the grounds as part of the International Lighthouse and Lightships Weekend. Located at the mouth of the Shannon Estuary with its origins dating back to the 1670s, the lighthouse was first opened to visitors in 2011. It is approximately a one hour 15 minutes car journey from Limerick in neighbouring county, Clare. A MULTI-sensory exhibition invites the public to walk in the shoes of a person with visual impairment. Seeing Without Sight: A Sensory Exploration presents a selection of objects chosen by four persons with visual impairment. In collaboration with the Hunt Museum, they deliver all the content in the exhibition as well as accessibility design solutions which increase access for people with disability while enriching the experience for everybody. The exhibition was developed over one year through a collaborative project with the visually-impaired co-creators, museum docent volunteers and Hunt Museum staff. At the launch, Liam McLoughlin, one of the exhibitions visually-impaired co-creators explained: Engaging with objects in museums requires you to use the pathway of sight but as I am a person with visual impairment, I cannot easily do this. "Seeing Without Sight is a game changer because it allows you to use your other senses to touch object reproductions and to listen to audio descriptions which bring the objects alive. We have developed an excellent accessibility model for exhibitions which I hope other museum and galleries will use in the future. Maria Cagney, Curator of Education and Outreach led the project and delivery of the exhibition. Speaking at the launch of the initiative, she said: During workshops we assisted our visually-impaired co-creators to investigate 35 objects in total. To do this, the docents wrote vivid descriptions for these objects which give physical details and some contextual information allowing them to paint pictures in their mind. Our co-creators then selected two objects each. These were digitised in 3D and printed by the Rapid Innovation Unit and form the touch component in this exhibition. From an inclusion point of view, this component is very important because it allows their voices to be heard and represented in the Museum. The exhibition ran until Sunday. However, a second phase is planned but dates are still being confirmed. Bayer is facing a need for significant transformations, which involve the "de-merging" of two out of its three main business divisions, according to statements made by investor Artisan Partners to Reuters on Friday. As per the report, this call for change joins a growing chorus of demands for transformation from various other investors. Earlier this year, activist shareholder Bluebell Capital Partners had also advocated for a breakup of the company. Furthermore, prominent investors such as mutual funds group Deka had strongly criticized the previous leadership of the company. Certain investors have suggested that a straightforward solution would be to split the healthcare and agricultural segments into separate entities. The appeal from Artisan Partners will increase the demands on Bill Anderson, who was recruited from Swiss competitor Roche to assume the CEO position in June. Anderson has been assigned the responsibility of rejuvenating Bayer's stock value, which has lagged behind its competitors due to the ongoing financial burdens stemming from legal issues related to US weed killer litigation. Also Read: Roche Pharma CEO Bill Anderson to leave company Reuters reported that Artisan wants the drugs-to-pesticides company to find new owners for its over-the-counter and pharmaceutical units, it said. "Recently we wrote a letter to the conglomerate Bayer -- and it is a conglomerate," David Samra, founding portfolio manager of Artisan's International Value team, said in an interview. Bayer has a "whole host of problems" including "too much debt," Samra said. Anderson said this month he was not ruling out any options as part of his review of the diversified company's strategy and structure, "leaving no stone unturned". He will provide an initial update in the coming months and detailed plans in early 2024", he added. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, Anderson had expressed a willingness to consider various options, including the possibility of splitting up the company. However, certain other investors have voiced their opposition to this course of action. According to Refinitiv data, Artisan Partners holds the 16th largest stake in Bayer. The exact size of its investment has not been disclosed. Artisan suggested "that they cut the dividend to zero because they need the capital to effectively operate and reinvest back in their business," Samra said, adding that the letter was sent prior to Bayer's earnings results announcement on August 8. "Then in their earnings release, the company specifically came out and said they're committed to their dividend which is the exact opposite of what they should be doing in the long-term best interest of their business." Bayer declined to comment. Anderson has inherited several challenges from his predecessor Werner Baumann, including US lawsuits claiming Bayer's weed-killer Roundup causes cancer. In an unexpected announcement last month, the company conveyed that it anticipates a more significant decline in earnings, no available free cash flow, and the need for asset write-downs within the current year. Certain analysts speculated that this move by Anderson might have been aimed at promptly disclosing unfavorable news, possibly to facilitate a new beginning for the company. Samra said the chairman of Bayer's supervisory board, Norbert Winkeljohann, has not directly written a letter back to Artisan, but said Artisan had "been in contact" with the company. Samra said Artisan "has not suggested specifically how (Bayer) should restructure their business" in the letter. He said in the interview that only Bayer's Crop Science unit was "properly scaled" with "long-term advantages", while he called its over-the-counter health products and pharmaceuticals units "sub-scale", low-margin and "probably more valuable in the hands of somebody else". The Crop Science division, responsible for agricultural seeds and pesticides, holds a prominent position within Bayer, constituting approximately fifty percent of the company's total sales. It stands as the second-largest global contributor in this sector, trailing behind China's Syngenta. In the past year, significant pharmaceutical companies have opted to divest their non-prescription drug segments. Johnson & Johnson, for example, listed Kenvue, while GSK listed Haleon in 2022. (With inputs from Reuters) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Ahead of Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections that are due this year, former Chief Minister Kamal Nath hit out at the BJP-led state government and called it a scam state or corruption state', according to a report published by the news agency ANI. Today Madhya Pradesh has become a Scam state, Corruption state. You (people) have heard about the 50 percent commission. Give money and take work, such a system of corruption has been made," Nath said. "If you (people) are not victims of corruption then you are witnesses to corruption," said the Congress leader while addressing a party-organized jan akrosh rally in Morena district. He also claimed that there is no employment opportunity for the unemployed people in the state and no facility for the farmers, ANI reported. The PCC chief added, Madhya Pradesh has become number one in unemployment, one crore youth are unemployed in the state. No industrialist from other states in the country is ready to set up industries in Madhya Pradesh and Morena district. It is the 50 percent commission government. Give money and get work in this government. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan does corruption with one hand and atrocities with the other," Kamal Nath said as quoted by ANI. He said that the previous Congress-led Madhya Pradesh government gathered votes from the public, but the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government with notes (referring to money). Four months are left for the state assembly elections, now the people will bid adieu to CM Chouhan's government with love. The picture of the state during the BJP rule is in front of everyone. During their 18 and a half years tenure, every section is troubled, including farmers, small businessmen, and unemployed youth," Nath said. He also alleged that CM Chouhan made false announcements that he would give employment to 1 lakh youths. First, he should fill the vacant posts. Recruitment scams come to light every day. The policy of give money and take a job" is going on in the state. (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! Himachal Pradesh has been battered by heavy rainfall for the past several weeks and the state has suffered great loss of life as well as property in various rain-related incidents, such as landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, etc. Till now, at least 367 people have died in the hilly state in rain-related incidents this year since the onset of monsoon, the State Disaster Management Authority has said. Promila, a local resident, recently lost everything when a room in a building she stayed in crumbled in a landslide, PTI has reported. Death would have better than going through this nightmare with nowhere to go and no shoulder to cry on, she said. On 23 August, a landslide damaged a building near Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (IGMCH) where she use to stay with her ailing mother. While narrating her plight to PTI, she said, I live with my 75-year-old mother who is suffering from ovarian cancer and has been undergoing treatment since 2016. I also lost my job as a sales girl in a shop in Ram Nagar in the city market last week due to the recession as there were no customers." Further adding, she said, I slept at IGMCH on Thursday night as there is no place to go." Promila said he does not have siblings or a father and is also separated from her husband. I am desperately looking for a job and am willing to even clean and sweep as I am in dire need of money for my mother's treatment," she says before adding, "My mother is all I have." Another victim whose room was adjacent to Promila told PTI, We could not salvage our belongings and the only thing left is the clothes we were wearing while running out of the collapsed house." Suman who works as a domestic help said that she lost everything in the landslide and have no money to even pay her son's school fees. Furthermore, she said they have no shelter, no clothes and that even the books of her son studying in Class 5 were damaged in the landslide. "Our plight is miserable but it did not attract the attention of the authorities as no casualty was reported in this landslide. What is the use of getting so many donations, if the state government cannot help the disaster victims," she told PTI. "We had food at a gurdwara and are shuttling between our relatives' houses, but we have not received any help or immediate relief," she said. Shimla has witnessed several landslides in the past weeks with the toll in rain-related incidents in the city in the past 10 days rising to 27, which include 20 deaths in Summer Hill landslide, five in Fagli and two in Krishna Nagar. Himachal Pradesh saw three major spells of heavy rains this monsoon. The first on July 9 and 10 led to large-scale destruction in Mandi and Kullu districts. Shimla and Solan districts were hit during the second spell on August 14 and 15 and Shimla city suffered heavy damage in the third spell on Tuesday night. On Friday, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu paid a visit to Anni, in Kullu district, where as many as eight multi-storeyed buildings, housing commercial establishments besides other residential buildings collapsed, causing huge loss to the private property. It was reported that 27 buildings were fully damaged whereas 87 buildings suffered a partial loss in the Anni sub-division on Thursday morning While interacting with the affected families, he said that the State Government stands with them during this hour of distress. He also directed the administration to provide all basic amenities including food to the people sheltered in the Government Senior Secondary School, Anni, adding that it was due to the timely action of the district administration that there was no loss of life as the district administration got the buildings vacated well in time. (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! Ahead of G20 Summit in the national capital Delhi, more than thousands of flights may either get cancelled or rescheduled, a report by Economic Times has claimed. The Central government has instructed airlines to curtail frequency by a fourth throughout the G20 Summit scheduled to take place in September in the city. As per the English daily, the order has come due to the parking constraints at the Delhi airport. Additionally, the government has asked the airlines to reposition some of their aircraft to other cities' airports in view of the Summit. The G20 summit will be held in Delhi from 9 September. Meanwhile, the airline executives have warned of countrywide network repercussions, leading to flight cancellations as Delhi is India's primary airport. For the G20 Summit, more than 50 aircraft will fly into Delhi for the Summit, carrying the likes of US President Joe Biden, UK PM Rishi Sunak, Chinese President Xi Jinping, etc. Also read: Public holiday in Delhi from September 8-10 in view of G20 Summit: Govt notification G20 Summit: Delhi airport parking India's largest airport has around 220 parking stands and due to a surge in air traffic, all are occupied. The situation has worsened recently due to the issues with engines and the bankruptcy of GoFirst. According to ET's report, flights will have to be reduced at Delhi airport from 12 pm to 12 am on 8 September, and from 6 pm on 10 September until 12 pm the next day (9 Sept.) as most of the G20 delegates will fly in and out during these hours. Also read: G20 summit: Traffic restrictions to be imposed in Delhi from 7 September, several roads to remain closed. Details here G20 Summit: Delhi Traffic advisory The Delhi Traffic Police has already issued a travel advisory in view of the G20 Summit rehearsals to be held on August 26 and 27. Also read: Delhi Traffic Police issues travel advisory on 26-17 August for G20 Summit rehearsals, check details Besides, Lutyens' Delhi will be out of bounds for unauthorised persons for three days during the G20 summit. An array of restrictions on movement of vehicular traffic will be implemented between 12 midnight on September 8 and 11.59 pm on September 10 in New Delhi district, areas around Rajghat. Also read: G20 Summit in Delhi: Offices to opt WFH from Sept 8-10; Check latest traffic advisory for metro, bus services Delhi Traffic Police has listed restrictions on the movements of goods vehicles, buses, autorickshaws, and taxis in its traffic advisory, and has urged people to make maximum use of metro services in view of the regulated movement of traffic. According to the advisory, the entire area of the New Delhi district will be considered as Controlled Zone-I" from 5 am on September 8 till 11.59 pm on September 10. The traffic police has designated the entire area inside Ring Road (Mahatma Gandhi Marg) as a Regulated Zone" from 5 am on September 8 to 11:59 pm on September 10. G20 Summit: Delhi Metro advisory The metro rail services will available for commuters at all stations except Supreme Court Metro Station, where boarding/deboarding will not be permitted from 5 am on September 9 to 11 pm on September 10. The advisory said that autorickshaws and taxis will not be allowed to enter the New Delhi district on September 9 and September 10. The G20 summit's main event will be held in New Delhi on September 9-10. It is likely to be attended by 29 heads of state as well as top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations.D "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 Neha Public School Class 2 student who was slapped by his classmates on the direction of principal Tripta Tyagi has said that he was hit for an hour because he did not study his multiplication tables. The video of the incident that went viral on social media has drawn flak from Samajwadi Party, Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, Bollywood actor and activist Swara Bhasker among others. The video shows a small boy standing in tears while the Neha Public Schools' principal Tripta Tyagi urges students to beat up the child citing his Muslim identity. A day after the video became viral the child has said, I was beaten up because I had made a mistake. I didn't learn multiplication tables, that's why I was slapped by my classmates. She told the children to come and hit me hard. They kept hitting me for an hour", according to a report by India Today. The seven year old's father also talked to news media agency ANI and said, My son is seven years old. This incident happened on 24th August. The teacher made the students beat my child again & again. My nephew made the video and had gone to school for some work...My seven-year-old child was tortured for an hour or two. He is scared...This is not a Hindu-Muslim matter. We want the law should take its own course". Haryana's Nuh district administration imposed Section 144 in view of a Shobha Yatra that has been called by Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The Haryana Government also ordered the suspension of mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in the communally-charged Nuh district till 28 August. Notably, the call for the Shobha Yatra comes despite Nuh authorities denying permission in the aftermath of the violent clashes that broke out on 31 July. Here are top updates to Nuh Violence -Haryana Director-General of Police Shatrujeet Kapur presided over a meeting with senior officers of bordering states and called for a coordinated effort to effectively deal with the religious rally -In the meeting, attended by senior police officers of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh, Kapur said the administration has denied permission for the Shobha Yatra due to a meeting of the G20 Sherpa Group, scheduled to be held in Nuh during 3-7 September -The Nuh authorities had recently denied permission to hold the religious procession on August 28 after an earlier one in July was disrupted following communal violence -On Saturday VHP leader Dr Surendra Jain said that no permission is required for religious rally on the party's call for Shobha Yatra in communally afflicted Nuh district in Haryana. Permission for religious rally is not required...The administration comes forward and extends support for the religious rally." Jain said. -The Haryana government announced the decision to suspend mobile Internet from 26-28 August, apprehending the spread of rumours through social media ahead of or during Monday's rally -No person will be allowed to carry weapons such as licensed firearms, lathis, axes and others during the rally, officials noted -Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a religious procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad was attacked by a mob on 31 July -On Friday, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata wrote to Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad, bringing to his notice that the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat had called for a Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra in the district on August 28 -In his Saturday order, Prasad said there is a clear potential for the disruption and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh via the spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the Internet. He ordered the temporary suspension of mobile Internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls. -Police chief Kapur informed that despite permission being denied for the yatra, there are inputs that certain organisations have invited people from Haryana and neighbouring states to reach Nuh on August 28. (With agency 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! Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the residents of Delhi ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit scheduled to be held in September in the national capital. PM Modi urged all Delhi residents to to help make the upcoming G20 Summit a success despite the inconvenience they might have to face. 'Delhi citizens have got more responsibility for G20...there will be so many guests coming...From 5-15th September, there will be a lot of inconvenience, I apologise for that in advance." the PM said at the meet. "These are our guests...traffic rules will be changed, we will be stopped from going to several places but some things are necessary...", PM Modi added on upcoming G20 summit in Delhi. Watch the video here The summit will be held in the national capital from September 9 to 10. It is likely to be attended by more than 30 heads of states and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries, and 14 heads of international organisations. Addressing a public reception at the airport here on his return from a two-nation visit, Modi also sought forgiveness from people in advance for the inconvenience they might have to face due to the arrangements for the G20 Summit. "The entire country is the host of the G20 Summit, but guests are coming to Delhi. The residents of Delhi have a special responsibility to make the G20 Summit a success. They have to ensure that the reputation of the nation is not affected one bit," said Modi, who returned from a visit to South Africa and Greece after a brief stopover in Bengaluru where he visited ISRO to congratulate scientists on the success of Chandrayaan-3. He acknowledged that the residents of Delhi might face inconvenience as traffic rules will be changed. "From September 5 to September 15, there will be a lot of inconvenience, and I apologise for that in advance. These are our guests, traffic rules will be changed, you will be stopped from going to several places but some things are necessary," the prime minister said. "The residents of Delhi have got a greater responsibility for the G20. You have the responsibility to ensure that the national tricolour continues to fly high with pride," he 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! A bus, carrying Ukrainian tourists, collided with a Polish truck on Friday evening on a motorway in the direction of Trieste in Italy, injuring 14 people, the ANSA news agency reports. "Four people were seriously injured, ten more are in serious, but not lifethreatening condition as a result of a terrible collision that occurred at 19:30 [on Friday] on a three-lane section of the A4 motorway between San Giorgio di Nogaro and Latisana (Udine) in the direction of Trieste. In the bus that collided with a Polish refrigerator truck carrying vegetables and fruits, there were Ukrainian tourists returning to their country," the agency said on its website. It is noted that about 30 passengers were able to get out of the bus on their own, but the driver and six people, including a child, were trapped in the damaged metal sheets of the vehicle. Rescuers first of all released the four most seriously injured, they were transferred to two medical teams that arrived by helicopter. The victims were urgently transported to hospitals, the condition of several of them is assessed as critical. Several dozen more people were injured, but their lives are not in danger. PM Modi in Bengaluru today: After returning from Greece, PM Modi is set to meet ISRO scientists in Bengaluru on Saturday. To congratulate the ISRO team for the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3, PM Modi is set to arrive at the HAL Airport on Saturday morning. PM Modi ISRO Visit LIVE Updates To avoid any inconvenience to daily commuters, Bengaluru Police has issued an advisory and released the list of diverted routes. To avoid any further confusion and problem in morning, avoid these routes till 9:00 am. -Old Airport Road -Old Madras Road -MG Road -Cubbon Road -Rajbhavan Road -Bellary Road -CV Raman Road -Yashwanthapura Fly over -Tumkur Road -Magadi Road -Outer Ring Road -Gubbi Thotadhappa Rad -Jalahalli Cross road These roads will remain diverted till 9:30 am. However, the entry of all types of heavy goods vehicles will be restricted till 10 am today. In his visit, the Prime Minister raised the slogan of Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan outside HAL airport. "I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India," PM Modi said outside HAL airport in Bengaluru. After landing in Bengaluru, PM also greeted people gathered outside HAL airport. After his arrival, PM Modi is scheduled to meet the team of ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. He will meet the scientists at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex on Saturday. As India's lunar space mission was unfolding, PM Modi watched the session live from Johannesburg on Wednesday, while he was attending the 15th BRICS Summit. CHandrayaan-3 landed on moon after a 40-day journey into space. The Vikram lander successfully touched down on the unexplored lunar South Pole on Wednesday evening, making India the first country to do so.ndra "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned from attending the BRICS Summit, followed by a Greece visit, will be addressing the B20 Summit India in national capital Delhi on Sunday, 27 August. The Prime Minister's Office informed that the Summit has brought policy makers, business leaders and experts from across the world to deliberate and discuss the B20 India Communique. At 12 noon tomorrow, 27th August, I will be addressing the B20 Summit India 2023. This platform is bringing together a wide range of stakeholders working in the business world. It is among the most important G20 Groups, with a clear focus on boosting economic growth." Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to microblogging site X (Formerly Twitter) to inform of his attendance. The B20 India Communique includes 54 recommendations and 172 policy actions for submission to G20, it said. The Business 20 (B20) is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community. Established in 2010, B20 is among the most prominent engagement groups in G20 with companies and business organisations as participants. The B20 works to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations to spur economic growth and development, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said. The B20 Summit 2023 witnessed a discussion on 'Financing the Climate Transition' during its plenary session held at the Taj Palace on Saturday. Mark Carney, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance, Co-Chair of Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and Chair and Head of Transition Investing at Brookfield Asset Management, addressed the need for a shift in the operational orientation of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) towards mobilizing capital to catalyse the climate transition. The three-day summit started on August 25 and its theme is R.A.I.S.E Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable and Equitable businesses. It is being attended by over 1,500 delegates from about 55 countries. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Friday, attended the three-day long B20 Summit in Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also join the summit. Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan joined the summit on Saturday. The discussions at the B20 Summit shed light on the pressing need for innovative financial mechanisms, international collaboration, and government support to finance the ambitious climate transition required to combat climate change effectively. Prime Mini ALLIANCE 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! NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged the people of Delhi to help make the upcoming G20 Summit a success despite the inconvenience they might have to face due to the presence of several world leaders in the national capital next month. The summit will be held in Delhi on September 9-10 concluding the year-long deliberations on various issues of global concern. It is likely to be attended by more than 30 heads of state and top officials from the European Union and invited guest countries and 14 heads of international organisations. PM Modi said that the city will be hosting the mega G20 event and people may face certain inconveniences due to it, adding that "we have to ensure its success". The Prime Minister also sought forgiveness for the trouble that G20 Summit arrangements may cause to residents of Delhi. "The entire country is the host of the G20 Summit, but guests are coming to Delhi. The residents of Delhi have a special responsibility to make the G20 Summit a success. They have to ensure that the reputation of the nation is not affected one bit," PM Modi said while addressing a gathering outside Palam airport where he landed after meeting ISRO scientists in Bengaluru earlier today. The prime minister acknowledged that the residents of Delhi might face inconvenience as traffic rules will be changed. ''From September 5 to September 15, there will be a lot of inconvenience, and I apologise for that in advance. These are our guests, traffic rules will be changed, you will be stopped from going to several places but some things are necessary," PM Modi said. ''The residents of Delhi have got a greater responsibility for the G20. You have the responsibility to ensure that the national tricolour continues to fly high with pride,'' he 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! The upcoming festive occasion of Raksha Bandhan, commonly known as Rakhi, is drawing near. Raksha Bandhan falls on the Poornima Tithi of Shravan Maas and is a celebration of the strong bonds shared among siblings. Traditionally, sisters knot Rakhis around their brothers' wrists, seeking their well-being and longevity. However, in contemporary times, it is common for both brothers and sisters to exchange Rakhis. They also exchange gifts, promising each other protection and affection. As siblings across the nation prepare to commemorate this festival, there is uncertainty regarding the auspicious timing, or shubh muhurat, to tie Rakhis, as Hindus can observe Raksha Bandhan on either August 30 or 31 this year. Take a look to find all the particulars. What is the Shubh Muhurat for Rakhi 2023? As per Drik Panchang, Raksha Bandhan, also known as Rakhi, is scheduled for Wednesday, August 30. However, due to the presence of Bhadra Kaal, it's also acceptable to tie Rakhi on August 31. This year, the period of Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Poonch will extend from 5:30 pm to 6:31 pm on August 30. Subsequently, the Raksha Bandhan Bhadra Mukha will commence at 6:31 pm and conclude at 8:11 pm on the same day. Also Read: Bank Holidays August 2023: Banks to remain closed on these days. Full list here Consequently, the conclusion of Raksha Bandhan Bhadra is set for 9:01 pm. The auspicious timing to initiate Raksha Bandhan rituals and engage in the ceremonies with your siblings will commence after the conclusion of Bhadra Kaal at 9:01 pm. Furthermore, the Poornima Tithi or Full Moon phase begins on August 30 at 10:58 am and concludes on August 31 at 7:05 am. Raksha Bandhan rituals The Raksha Bandhan celebration encompasses numerous customs. During this occasion, the sister conducts her brother's aarti and offers prayers for his well-being. Subsequently, she ties a Rakhi around his wrist, applies a tilak on his forehead, and shares sweets with him. Brothers reciprocate their love by presenting their sisters with gifts or money. Also Read: Raksha Bandhan 2023 gift ideas: Smartwatches, wireless earbuds and other gadgets you can buy Meanwhile, Various state governments have introduced initiatives to enable women to enjoy Raksha Bandhan festivities. Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, recently shared plans to host a unique event. He aims to engage in conversations with women and distribute gifts to them on August 27, as part of the Raksha Bandhan celebration. "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Two prisoners were injured on Saturday after miscreants opened fire at Bihar's Samastipur court. The incident took place while a hearing was underway at the court. Following the attack, the prisoners were admitted to the hospital while the accused managed to escape. "A few days ago in Samastipur Court campus, a mafia Prabhat Chowdhary was arrested and sent to jail after six months of consistent efforts and surveillance and with the help of a technical team. The hearing of his case was going on and he was present when four miscreants came and shot him in his leg. He is stable and didn't sustain any major injury. Another person was also shot in the incident...We are looking for those miscreants and the security in the court campus has been increased..."Samastipur SP Vinay Tiwari said. The injured prisoners have been identified as Prabhat Chowdhary and Prabhat Tiwari. Officials said that further investigation into the matter is underway. The incident sparked outrage in the Opposition ranks with the BJP lashing out at the Nitish Kumar-led coalition. Nitish Kumar, alleged former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi, has left Bihar to God in his quest to become Prime Minister. "In this state, witnesses are not safe. A few days ago a journalist was killed in Araria, he was a witness in a murder case. If witnesses are not safe then the criminals won't get punishment. Frequently coal mafia and sand mafia are attacking police. These frequent attacks show that Nitish Kumar's USP of law and order is over," Sushil Modi told ANI. The incident came less than a day after a journalist was shot dead by unidentified people in Araria district of Bihar. Vimal Kumar Yadav died on the spot, where the district police chief and the SHO of Raniganj, the police station concerned, rushed upon hearing the news. (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! Weather update: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in several parts of the country. As per IMD, heavy rains in northeast India and Sikkim is likely to receive isolated heavy rainfall for subsequent 2-3 days. Moreover, the weather department also predicted heavy rains in Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar till 27th August. In Sikkim, One person was killed on Friday as heavy rains triggered landslides in various parts. The heavy rains also affected the daily lives in Soreng, Namchi district, where landslides damaged several roads, houses, crops were damaged, supply of water and electricity, officials said as reported by PTI. Himachal Pradesh which has been battered by heavy rainfall for the past several weeks, the state has suffered great loss of life as well as property in various rain-related incidents, such as landslides, cloudbursts, flash floods, etc. As per the State Disaster Management Authority, at least 367 people have died in Himachal Pradesh in rain-related incidents this year since the onset of monsoon. Apart from casualties, the disaster management said that the monetary loss is expected to reach nearly 12,000 crore. In Odisha, IMD has forecast more downpour till today i.e. till 26 August. Thunderstorm with lightning is also likely in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Khurda, Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal, Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Nabarangpur, Malkangiri and Koraput districts till 8.30 am on Saturday. Check full IMD weather forecast here East India: -Isolated heavy rainfall activity very likely over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during 25th-27th August; over Bihar and Odisha on 25th & 26th August. Northeast India: -The weather department has predicted isolated heavy rainfall activity over the North east region during next four days. -Isolated very heavy rainfall also likely over Assam & Meghalaya during 25th -27th August. Apart from this, the weather department has said that subdued rainfall activity likely over rest parts of the country during next one week. Meanwhile, IMD has also warned fishermen to avoid any fishing activity in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal during the next four day. As per IMD, The weather forecast warns of squally wind speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. Fishing activities are advised to be avoided in these areas for the next four days." The Statue of Unity, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, is a popular tourist attraction in Gujarat, India. Indian entrepreneur Ashneer Grover, who is also an avid traveller has shared a suggestion for those planning to visit the world's tallest statue-The Statue of Unity located near Kevadia, Gujarat. Grover posted a picture of himself in front of the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and captioned it, "At Statue of Unity. Its magnificent both in scale and how the area has been developed around it". The author of the book Doglapan added, "Must visit - especially for every taxpayer", with a wink emoticon. A user responded to Grover's tweet asking, "Why does for every tax prayer, feel the loudest from all the rest of the words". Another user wrote, "Deep down we all know its sarcasm". Another X platform's user wrote, especially for every taxpayer...Love this line!" "We know what you meant by the last line," a user replied to Grover's tweet. One more user replied, "Ashneer speaks the truth and doesn't fall for any agenda calling it (Statue of Unity) a waste of money". Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover often post their holiday posts on social media platforms like Instagram, X, and others. Recently, the couple visited Budapest and Barcelona as per Madhuri's Instagram post. About the Statue of Unity The Statue of Unity is a 182-metre (600 feet approx.) statue dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India.. The colossal monument towers over River Narmada and overlooks the vast surrounds of the river basin of the river and the sprawling Sardar Sarovar dam. It stands on the Sadhu Bet hillock, connected by a 300-metre bridge, which offers access from the mainland to the statue. "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 United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in a recent report noted that Afghanistan is presently hosting a6.55 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), positioning it as the second country with the highest count of displaced individuals, following Syria, reported TOLO News. The report noted that as of December 31, 2022, the ongoing conflicts and violence within the country have led to an internal displacement of more than 4.39 million individuals. Additionally, around 2.16 million people have been displaced due to various disasters occurring in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the report also sounded an alert about the potential escalation of global displacement within the next three decades. Also Read: After two years of Taliban rule, uncertainty clouds women's education in Afghanistan Malik Khan, who moved to Kabul from Laghman province a few years ago due to conflict said, "Our main issue is that there is no assistance for internally displaced people, and in the last two years, the only assistance we have received has been 50 kg of oil and 5 kg of peas." However, certain other displaced individuals have appealed to both the Taliban and humanitarian organizations for assistance. Another displaced person, Maryam, said, "We ask the Islamic Emirate to give us shelter and help us. We accept it if it gives us the same place and we don't have a clinic." Also Read: Mint Explainer: Why India continues to aid Afghanistan despite Taliban rule "We came here to do something and provide shelter to our children. We have a water problem, we have an electricity problem, and our children do not attend school. We moved here from Mazar, where there was no job," said Hayatullah, displaced from Balkh province. In addition, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) previously documented a significant increase in the count of individuals who have been displaced within Afghanistan. This entity approximated that the total number of people within the country who have been internally displaced is approximately six million. Also Read: US envoys for Afghanistan stress urgency of inclusive governance in Kabul Earlier on July 30, US envoys for Afghanistan Thomas West and Rina Amri have once again called for an inclusive government in Kabul which, at present is under Taliban rule, TOLO news reported. Since the Taliban seized power, it has curtailed women's rights in the nation. Thomas West, a US special envoy, and Rina Amiri, a US special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights, met with representatives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in Astana two days prior to the Doha summit to discuss Afghanistan. (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! Vladimir Putin and Kremlin's vehement critics have empirically faced early death, nerve agents, poison or fall from window. While those close to the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities for the assassination attempts, Kremlin has denied any involvement in the ill-fate of their foes. Sounds familiar? This is sounds similar to the fate meted out to mercenary group Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, when he lost his life ina plane crash, just two months after he led a rebellion towards Moscow, aiming to overthrow the Russian military leadership. There also have been reports of prominent Russian executives dying under mysterious circumstances, including falling from windows, although whether they were deliberate killings or suicides is sometimes difficult to determine. The attacks range from the exotic poisoned by drinking polonium-laced tea or touching a deadly nerve agent to the more mundane of getting shot at close range. Some take a fatal plunge from an open window. Kremlin political critics, turncoat spies and investigative journalists have been killed or assaulted in a variety of ways. Here are a list of people who faced the sharper end of dagger after criticising Kremlin Alexei Navalny Alexei Navalny, was vocal critic of Vladimir Putin. In August 2020, the opposition leader Navalny fell ill on a flight from Siberia to Moscow. The plane landed in the city of Omsk, where Navalny was hospitalized in a coma. Two days later, he was airlifted to Berlin, where he recovered. When Germany, France and Sweden tested samples, they confirmed that Navalny had been poisoned by a potent Soviet-era nerve agent known as Novichok Boris Nemtsov The highest profile killing of a political opponent was that of Boris Nemtsov. Once deputy prime minister under Boris Yeltsin, Nemtsov was a popular politician and harsh critic of Vladimir Putin. On a cold February night in 2015, he was gunned down by assailants on a bridge adjacent to the Kremlin as he walked with his girlfriend in a death that shocked the country. Vladimir Kara-Murza Prominent opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza survived what he believes were attempts to poison him in 2015 and 2017. He nearly died from kidney failure in the first instance and suspects poisoning but no cause was determined. He was hospitalized with a similar illness in 2017 and put into a medically induced coma. His wife said doctors confirmed he was poisoned. Kara-Murza survived, and his lawyer says police have refused to investigate. This year, he was convicted of treason and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Alexander Litvinenko In 2006, Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko, a former agent for the KGB and its post-Soviet successor agency, the FSB, felt violently ill in London after drinking tea laced with radioactive polonium-210, dying three weeks later. He had been investigating the shooting death of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya as well as the Russian intelligence service's alleged links to organized crime. Before dying, Litvinenko told journalists the FSB was still operating a poisons laboratory dating from the Soviet era. Anna Politkovskaya Anna Politkovskaya, the journalist for the newspaper Novaya Gazeta whose death Litvinenko was investigating, was shot and killed in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building on Oct. 7, 2006 Putin's birthday. She had won international acclaim for her reporting on human rights abuses in Chechnya. Yuri Shchekochikhin Yuri Shchekochikhin, another Novaya Gazeta reporter, died of a sudden and violent illness in 2003. Shchekochikhin was investigating corrupt business deals and the possible role of Russian security services in the 1999 apartment house bombings blamed on Chechen insurgents. (With inputs from AP) "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! During the G20 Summit days, access to the national capital will undergo significant limitations, particularly within the New Delhi district, often referred to as the Lutyens' Zone. According to a traffic plan released by the Delhi Police, entry will be restricted exclusively to residents and essential service workers who can verify their identities. These measures will be in effect from September 8 to 10, with the most stringent regulations enforced during the last two days. Anticipated and verified participants include Joe Biden, the President of the United States; Xi Jinping, the Premier of China; Emmanuel Macron, the President of France; and Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. Additionally, thousands of individuals have received invitations to attend as delegates, government representatives, and other esteemed figures. Also Read: Supreme Court will remain closed on September 8 in view of G20 Summit: CJI The imposed limitations have been categorized into two types: controlled and regulated zones. The initial district of New Delhi has been designated as Controlled Zone 1. Specific areas like Vikas Marg leading to ITO, roads in proximity to the Red Fort, and the vicinity surrounding the city's primary train stations have been grouped into Controlled Zone 2, due to their proximity to the event venue. The area covered by the Ring Road will be considered the Regulated Zone, as stated by Surender Singh Yadav, the special commissioner of police (traffic). He further mentioned that a dedicated helpdesk will be introduced on the Delhi Police website. This helpdesk will provide information about accessible transportation options and medical facilities during the event. Also Read: Delhi Traffic Police issues travel advisory on 26-17 August for G20 Summit rehearsals, check details There will be no impact of these restrictions on ambulance movement or essential services. Since no buses will be allowed to move on the city roads between the midnights of September 7 and September 10, people are advised to use the Metro for commuting to their destination," he said. Police officials, however, have separately written to the Delhi Metro asking them to shut services at some stations. During the summit, in Controlled Zone 1, taxis and auto-rickshaws will not be allowed unless they are carrying residents or tourists who have confirmed hotel bookings within that zone. Across the city, bus services will face limitations on September 8, 9, and 10. On the final day of the summit, September 10, between 5 am and 1 pm, similar restrictions will be implemented in Controlled Zone 2. This will result in restricted access to certain areas: New Delhi Railway Station from Ajmeri Gate, Old Delhi Railway Station from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Shanti Van Chowk from Geeta Colony, ITO from Vikas Marg, Rajghat Chowk from Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Marg side, and Guru Nanak Chowk from Minto Road. Also Read: G20 summit: Traffic restrictions to be imposed in Delhi from 7 September, several roads to remain closed. Details here Within the regulated zones, roads leading towards the New Delhi district will have checkpoints at different points. Only residents, authorized vehicles, emergency vehicles, and vehicles transporting passengers to the airport or train stations will be granted access from 5 am on September 9 until 11.59 pm on September 10. In the recent weeks, the government has issued directives to close markets, offices, schools, and other businesses from September 8 to 10. This time frame coincides with the movement of important individuals from India and other countries who will be commuting between the convention center at Pragati Maidan and various hotels in the city. The majority of prominent hotels are situated within Controlled Zone 1. Just to confirm, September 9-10 falls on a weekend. Yadav clarified that individuals residing in the New Delhi region or tourists with hotel reservations in that specific zone will have the privilege to utilize auto-rickshaws and taxis for transportation. However, overseeing this situation might pose difficulties. People coming from Delhi airport will only be allowed to enter the New Delhi area after showing their bonafide identity documents. Road travel to IGI Airport is also likely to be affected during that period. For passengers going to the airport by their own vehicles, we have made some special arrangements. They are advised to make travel plans with sufficient time in hand," he said. According to officials, over 10,000 police personnel will be on the ground to ensure smooth and safe traffic movement in the national capital. Also Read: G20: Justin Trudeau disappointed over President Zelensky's exclusion from summit, will do everything possible In addition to buses, the blanket bans also include all types of goods vehicles that will be banned from Delhi unless they are carrying daily-use commodities like milk, fruits, and vegetables or critical supplies like medical equipment. Medical emergency vehicles will be assured hassle-free movement throughout Delhi. Movement of the general public will also be facilitated via alternate routes and modes of transport," Yadav said. The Special CP also said,"Intestate buses will be allowed to enter Delhi but not allowed to terminate at the inter-state bus terminals (ISBT), including Kashmere Gate, Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar. They will be stationed at temporary terminals. For ambulance service, the helpline number is 6828400604, which will come in operation from the night of September 7." The Delhi Traffic Police, in its advisory, said commuters travelling via road from Gurgaon to Terminal-3 of IGI Airport can take NH-48 Rao Gajraj Singh Marg Old Delhi Gurugram Road UER II Service Road NH-48 T3 Terminal Road. From Dwarka to Terminal 3, commuters can use Dwarka Sector-22 Road UER II Service Road NH-48 T3 Terminal Road. For Terminal 1, they can travel via Dwarka Sector-22 Road - UER II - Service Road NH-48 - T3 Terminal Road - Service Road NH-48 - Sanjay T-Point - Ullan Batar Marg," the advisory stated. The advisory also said that the commuters travelling from New Delhi and south Delhi to T-3 and T-1 can use AIIMS Chowk Moti Bagh Chowk RTR Marg Sanjay T-Point T3 Terminal Road and from Sanjay T-Point to Ullan Batar Marg and Terminal T1. For the commuters going to airport from west Delhi, it is advisable to take Punjabi Bagh Chowk - Najafgarh Road - Pankha Road - Dabri-Dwarka Road - UER-II - Service Road NH-48 - T3 Terminal Road," the advisory said. (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! Saudi Water Regulator (WR) recently submitted a whitepaper that covers effective regulations and laws pertaining to water security in bid to boost economic and social development in the region alongside public health, at the GCC Independent Water Regulatory Forum held in Salalah, Oman. The WR delegation was led by Director General of the General Regulations Administration and the Committees Secretariat Fahd bin Saif Al Qahtani, representing Dr Fahd bin Saad Abu-Mouti, Deputy Minister for Regulatory Affairs at the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, according to SPA. Al Qahtani attended a session titled Water Regulatory Experiences in GCC countries. In the whitepaper submitted on the sidelines of the event, WR stated that water was among the crucial foundations of economic and social development. The whitepaper covers effective regulations and laws pertaining to water security to boost economic and social development, alongside public health, in our region. Additionally, the whitepaper responds to critical problems such as water scarcity and shortage with a view to raise the economic and social value of water and its efficient use overall. The whitepaper presented by Fahd bin Saif Al Qahtani showcased measures adopted by Saudi Arabia based on the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and its Water Law, which was issued as a reference for Saudi Arabia's water sector. This law targets developing water resources and regulating water services, while providing a model and playing a leading role in the private sector, thus delivering the best services in the production, transportation, distribution, treatment, and reuse sectors. The law supports raising the efficiency of service offered, attaining water security, promoting the localization of water technologies, and advancing a positive contribution to the national economy. Dr Abu-Mouti emphasized that KSA had worked on various measures that bolster and develop the water sector. He highlighted the kingdom's pioneering expertise in water regulation, which led to a surge in private sector engagement to leverage the potential of investing in providing water services, reported SPA. This was accomplished through Water Regulators role in issuing licenses for providing water services, monitoring the commitment of service providers, and raising awareness on beneficiaries' rights and duties, thus developing infrastructure, and raising the quality and efficiency of services offered to beneficiaries, he added. SBI investigating collision of two L-39 aircraft in Zhytomyr region, resulting in death of three pilots Employees of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) are investigating the circumstances of the crash of L-39 combat training aircraft in Zhytomyr region on August 25, as a result of which three pilots of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed. "The incident occurred on August 25, 2023. During a combat mission, two L-39 combat training aircraft collided in the sky near Zhytomyr. Three pilots of the Air Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed," the press service of the SBI reported. Preliminary qualification of the offense: violation of flight rules or preparation for them (Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 15 years. In turn, the AFU Air Forces reported on the Telegram channel that among the dead was a well-known pilot of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade with the call sign JUICE. The SBI assured that special attention will be paid to the study of the technical condition of the aircraft, compliance with the rules of preparation for flights. Specialized specialists will conduct a thorough diagnosis of "black boxes." Procedural management is carried out by Zhytomyr Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Central Region. The SBI and the AFU Air Forces expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims. "We express our condolences to the relatives of the victims. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us. We also ask you to be careful and sympathetic to the timing of the disclosure of sensitive information in accordance with established procedures and ethical standards," reads the telegram channel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Prosecutor Generals Office reported that under the procedural leadership of Zhytomyr Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the field of defense of the Central Region, criminal proceedings have been initiated on the preliminary legal qualification of violations of flight rules or preparation for them (Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). "Currently, priority investigative actions are being carried out, an inspection of the scene is being carried out, witnesses are being interrogated, a complex of examinations has been appointed to be carried out in criminal proceedings," the Prosecutor General's Office said. After fighting for months from Australian authorities to regain the custody of their two kids, an NRI lady reportedly ended her life by suicide in her native Belagavi district of Karnataka. 45-year-old Priyadarshini Patil and her techie husband Lingaraj Patil were fighting for the custody of their two children, Amartya (17) and Aparajita (13), according to Times of India report. The two lost the case after their teenage son's health, who was suffering from a serious illness, worsened because of an alleged medical lapse. Also Read: Does an NRI have to pay inheritance tax? On filing a complaint against the hospital because of medical negligence, Priyadarshini was the one who became the main culprit. The Australian authority found the couple guilty of mishandling their children and took custody of both teens. Australian authorities took the custody of the two teens citing local child protection laws. Since, then Amartya and Aparajita are living away from their parents, reported Times of India. Also Read: NRIs: Heres what you need to know when writing a will In a state of despair, Priyadarshini Patil decided to end her life and jumped into the Malaprabha river on Sunday. She had booked a ticket to return back to her hometown, but didn't took the vehicle. Instead of boarding to the bus, she boarded on a bus to Hubbali. Before taking the extreme step, she sent couriered a parcel containing cash and jewellery to her father, reported TOI citing sources. It is worth noting that struggle of Indian couples for their own children is not rare, and there have been multiple cases of NRI couples waitinh for years to regain the custody of their kids from official authorities. A similar case was highlighted years ago, when Sagrika Chakraborty's two babies was taken by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services on the pretext of improper parenting. Notably, the the parenting practices that were considered as improper were common in Indian culture. The decision was taken by the Norweigan authorities by mentioning that the couple were kept under observation and they were found unfit for parenting, according to another TOI 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! In a bid to bring the mercenary group Wagner under its tight control, Russia's President Vladimir Putin ordered its fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian state. The move comes after it was reported that the chief of the Wagner group Yevgeny Prighozhin had been killed in a deadly plane crash exactly after two months he led a mutiny against Moscow. The Kremlin has still not confirmed Yevgeny Prighozhin's death and has cited the need to wait for test results. As per the news agency Reuters, the decree which was published on the website of Kremlin calls for the formal oath of allegiance to Russia for anyone working on behalf of the Russian government in its "special military operation" in Ukraine. On Thursday, President Vladimir Putin offered his condolences to all those who died in the plane crash and spoke about Yevgeny Prighozhin in the past tense. While praising the Wagner chief, President Vladimir Putin mentioned that he made some "serious mistakes." Russia's role in plane crash? Kremlin has also rubbished the Western reports which claimed that Yevgeny Prigozhin had been killed on its orders and called it an "absolute lie." "There is now a great deal of speculation surrounding this plane crash and the tragic deaths of the plane's passengers, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. Of course, in the West, all this speculation is presented from a well-known angle," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "All of this is an absolute lie, and here, when covering this issue, it is necessary to base yourself on facts. There are not many facts yet. They need to be established in the course of investigative actions," he said. As per the "preliminary information" all the top executives of the Wagner group were killed in the crash along with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Russian officials said. When asked about the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin in the crash, Peskov said "If you listened carefully to the Russian president's statement, he said that all the necessary tests, including genetic tests, will now be carried out. The official results - as soon as they are ready to be published, will be published." "Exciting news! Mint is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest financial insights!" Click here! Women's Equality Day 2023: The historic day marks the victory of women, who constitute half of the population, to get voting rights in the USA in 1920. On this day, the 19th Ammendment to the US Constitution was officially certified in 1920. The amendment provided women the right to vote. After the amendment no US state and the federal government were allowed to deny the right to vote to any American citizens on the basis of gender. Every year, the day is observed on August 26 each year. History of Women's Equality Day 2023 During the early 19th century, women were not allowed to inherit property. At that time, they earned half a man's wages in any available job. The wide inequality between men and women, forced Ameircan women to demand and protest for their political rights and representation. In the early 19th century, countries like Finland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom had legalised voting for women as this movement swept across the world. It was after that time, the US passed the 19th Ammendment to the constitution in 1878. At that time it failed to gain traction. It was only after World War 1, when women gave their contribution in the war to bring fore their participation in the economy. "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 funds will be used to repair and maintain critical electricity infrastructure. The Norwegian government is allocating 1.5bn Norwegian kroner to secure gas and electricity imports to Ukraine through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Har Stre has said at a meeting with Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the government portal reports. The delegation visited one of Ukraine's energy facilities, which has been repeatedly subjected to Russian attacks. Norway's assistance will be used to repair and maintain critical electricity infrastructure and emergency power supply in areas affected by the fighting, as well as to purchase gas for emergency storage. If you do not have a current print subscription to the Lodi News-Sentinel, but want to view unlimited articles for the month, please choose this option. LACHIN, Azerbaijan, August 26. On the occasion of the first celebration of the Lachin City Day, a grandiose fireworks were organized, Trend reports. With the organization of the Ministry of Culture, the special representation of the President of Azerbaijan for the Lachin region and the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, a rich program has been prepared for August 26 and 27 in Lachin liberated from Armenian occupation. The events, which will last two days, will cover the entire city center, including Flag Square, the Hakari river embankment, and the picturesque terrace of the new Boulevard. By the order of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated July 31, 2023, city days were established in the territories liberated from occupation in order to perpetuate the historic victory won in the 44-day Patriotic War. UPDATE: Several arrests made in connection with shooting at Boston Caribbean Carnival Seven people were hospitalized after being shot in Boston early Saturday during the Caribbean Carnival celebration, according to police. Boston police officers responded around 7:44 a.m. to the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue in Dorchester for a report of multiple people shot, Officer Michael Torigian, a Boston Police Department spokesperson, told MassLive. The shooting was reported near where a parade was passing through as part of the Caribbean Carnival. Authorities found seven people who had been shot. They were taken to local hospitals. None of their injuries are life-threatening, according to Torigian. Read more: Fatal motorcycle crash in Everett under investigation Firearms have been recovered, and arrests have been made, Torigian said. No further information was immediately released to the public by Boston police. The annual Caribbean Carnival was scheduled to take place Saturday with two separate parades. The first, the Jouvert parade, began at 6:30 a.m. on Talbot Avenue and proceeded up Blue Hill Avenue to the Circuit Drive entrance of Franklin Park. The second and main parade, the Caribbean Carnival, was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Warren Street at Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed up Warren Street to Blue Hill Avenue and end again at the Circuit Drive entrance of Franklin Park. The festivities are expected to continue despite the shooting. UPDATE: Several arrests made in connection with shooting at Boston Caribbean Carnival Calling Bostons Caribbean Carnival joyful and necessary, Mayor Michelle Wu said the annual celebrations 50th anniversary would persist Saturday after a shooting earlier in the day left seven people hospitalized. Today, the rest of the day is going to be a really wonderful celebration. You see not only our officers and partners out in full force, but community members, organizers, people from every generation coming out to celebrate, Wu said at a press conference Saturday. This is the 50th anniversary of the carnival, and thats thanks to the incredible dedication and leadership of people like Ms. Shirley Shillingford and so many organizers. Speaking alongside Wu and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox at the press conference, Shillingford, the president of the Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston, which organizes the event, thanked both city officials for reiterating the shooting earlier in the day had nothing to do with the Caribbean community. She urged people to not attach acts of violence to the carnival. Read more: Boston shooting leaves 7 people hospitalized We have no interest in having anything but peace among the universe, and so, it was very, very difficult for me this morning to know that something occurred when we worked so hard, so incredibly hard, to put on something that is a more family-oriented event and peaceful, Shillingford said. Thank you for embracing all of us as Caribbean people, and thanks to everyone for understanding that we do not support any kind of violence. So, have a great, fabulous 50th celebration this afternoon, Shillingford added, noting the festivities would continue from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. The shooting was reported shortly before 7:45 a.m. in the area of Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue in Dorchester, close to where one of the carnivals two parades was passing through. Seven people were found wounded and taken to the hospital, where they are being treated for injuries that are not life-threatening, according to Officer Michael Torigian, a Boston Police Department spokesperson. Read more: Fatal motorcycle crash in Everett under investigation Guns were found at the scene of the shooting, and arrests were made, Torigian told MassLive. There may be another victim who might have been grazed by a bullet and is not reporting their injury, Cox said at the press conference. Noting she has been to different carnivals all over, Shillingford said, For me, Boston police is the finest that we have. I give kudos to my Boston police, especially [District] B-3, because theyre right there in our backyard when we are planning this event, Shillingford said. Two separate parades were scheduled as part of the carnival. The first, the Jouvert parade, started at 6:30 a.m. on Talbot Avenue and proceeded up Blue Hill Avenue to the Circuit Drive entrance of Franklin Park. The second and main parade, the Caribbean Carnival, was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. on Warren Street at Martin Luther King Boulevard, proceed up Warren Street to Blue Hill Avenue and end again at the Circuit Drive entrance of Franklin Park. Wu, Cox and Shillingford all noted the festivities would continue despite the shooting in the morning. In a Facebook post, the Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston noted, Boston Carnival is still on. Vendors are cooking and ready to sell. Masquerades are lining to play Mas, music playing. Boston Carnival is still on. Vendors are cooking and ready to sell. Masquerades are lining to play Mas, music playing. Parade route below!!!!! Posted by Caribbean American Carnival Association of Boston on Saturday, August 26, 2023 During the press conference, Wu noted it is a huge benefit for the city of Boston to have this event, which has a positive economic impact on the community every year, with visitors traveling to the city from all over the world. She added associating Saturday mornings shooting with the carnival can reinforce harmful perceptions. I have been at Carnival every single year that I have possibly been able. We have walked in all sorts of weather together. We have danced down the street. And it is joyful. It is necessary for the city. And its really a critical part of our social infrastructure here and community-building, Wu said. We have one of the largest celebrations, one of the longest-running celebrations, and to associate any individual event with acts that might have happened that were nearby or unaffiliated with it I think can reinforce some harmful perceptions in our community, the mayor later added. While national school bus driver shortages have created headlines with reports of children stranded and districts scrambling, school busing companies in the region have ramped up hiring and recruitment efforts before the first day. A lack of drivers has previously caused widespread delays in pickup and drop-off times in Springfield, in addition to changes to students bus numbers and much longer routes for drivers. Jen Biddinger, communications manager at First Student, which is contracted to provide school buses for Springfield, said the company expects to have enough drivers to cover routes when school begins on Aug. 28, but the company is still encouraging drivers to apply. In recent years, Massachusetts districts like Springfield have had their fair share of bus driver shortages in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, First Student Inc. announced that the company had been facing unexpected driver shortages, but the transportation problems had been mostly resolved before returning to in-person learning. But in January 2023, representatives for the company were forced to face the Springfield School Committee again over driver attendance. Mike Danielle, general manager of First Student at the time, said poor driver attendance was due to 15 to 20 drivers who called out sick per-day, per-site. According to Danielle, there were not enough spare drivers to cover, which caused erratic school bus arrivals. Superintendent of Schools Daniel J. Warwick explained national trends showed employees nationwide were voluntarily resigning from their jobs in masses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Warwick previously said, employers such as First Student were experiencing difficulties finding and retaining employees. While national bus driver shortages have plagued headlines with reports of children stranded and districts scrambling, school busing companies in the region ramp up hiring and recruitment efforts before the first day. (Don Treeger/The Republican) 1/17/2023 This year, officials at First Student have ramped up their recruitment efforts. Because it is important for us to ensure we remain fully staffed to provide the best possible service for families, we continue to recruit, hire and train drivers to serve the district, Biddinger said. Biddinger said First Student has competitive wages that start at $30.70 an hour and is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $2,000. We encourage those who are interested in making a difference in the community to apply online, Biddinger said. In Chicopee, the public school district reports consistent services throughout the post-pandemic driver shortages but that has not stopped recruitment efforts. Chicopee has been extremely fortunate with regards to transportation. Five Star Inc. has provided Chicopee Public Schools with excellent service pre-COVID, during COVID and after, said Ann E. Kos, the transportation director. Five Star Bus said it has added several new employees over the summer and aims to continue to prioritize recruitment and retention efforts. With some additional routes recently added, the bus company is looking to grow its team, said Vice President of Massachusetts Operations Nathan Lecrenski. Five Star Transportation offers paid training, flexible schedules and a competitive wage for the area, he said. Although the first few days of school often come with some expected delays as students get to know bus processes and drivers acclimate to routes, Five Star Bus looks forward to welcoming Chicopee students, Lecrenski said. We are working closely with the district to manage route assignments and hope to fully optimize our transportation services to support students as they head back this fall, he said. SPRINGFIELD A temporary exhibit at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site will highlight stories workers who helped manufacture weapons for the U.S. military from decades past. Three recordings were chosen out of 100 that were recorded in the late 1980s and early 1990s, according to Jessica Scott, a doctoral student at the history department of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is working with the Friends of the Armory to put together the event called Voices of the Armory. The Springfield Armory is currently digitizing the recordings. Scott said she specifically looked for stories from Black workers, women ordnance workers and children who grew up on armory grounds. Scott said she plans to play the recordings of the armory workers in an open-air atmosphere through a speaker while guests look at some of the machinery and other contextualized exhibits. The recordings will only be available for one day. One of the workers whose recordings will be featured in the exhibit is Curtis A. Fudge, a Black man who worked for the Springfield Armory from 1948 to 1967. He worked at the Springfield Armory for most of his career, according to his obituary. He started in the mail and records department and later became a personnel specialist during the Korean War. He said in a 1993 interview that very few African Americans worked in office spaces and felt the records of Black employees were hidden on purpose. Scott said this event will focus on the working class, specifically the workers of the armory who are a part of this massive legacy of present-day Springfield. Scott added that the armory was a large employer of women and Black workers. She said the armory played a significant role in getting Black Americans to migrate north to take the skilled jobs. She said at the height of its operations during World War II, the armory employed about 14,000 people. When we talk about the present-day demographics of this area of Springfield, the Springfield Armory played a pretty big role in establishing those demographics as an employer, Scott said. The event will also include National Park Service ranger-led programs about local labor history, information on how to search ones own genealogy and a panel discussion with local historians and descendants of former workers. Started during the Revolutionary War, the Springfield Armory was the official armory for the United States until 1968. In 1978, the site opened as the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, which contains the original 1840s arsenal houses and the largest collection of historic American military firearms. Area residents dont regularly visit the national historic site because many assume it only has exhibits detailing the history of firearms, according to Scott. Its got the largest collection of government produced guns in the United States but theres also such a massive labor history that I think we would like to feature more, Scott said. The event is intended to build off the momentum of Labor Day, Scott said. Amy Glowacki, program manager at the Springfield Armory, said the event is a way to connect the voices of the past to the present, allowing, for instance, families in the community to connect with family members who worked at the armory. Our goal is to make this an annual event by working with the Friends of Springfield Armory, Glowacki said. The event, which runs from 1-4 p.m. on Sept. 9, is free and will take place at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, One Armory Square, Suite 2. A Massachusetts man shot a black bear after it attacked his goat and appeared like it was going to strike him as well Friday afternoon, according to authorities. Police received a report of the bear attacking the residents livestock, the goat, on Hawthorne Road in Kingston around 3 p.m. Friday, the Kingston Police Department said in a Facebook post. PUBLIC INTEREST INCIDENT Shortly before 3pm this afternoon KPD responded to Hawthorne Road for a report of a black bear... Posted by Kingston Massachusetts Police Department on Friday, August 25, 2023 The man tried to scare the bear away upon it attacking his goat, at which point the animal postured up towards the resident, according to the post. [T]he resident reported he was in fear of being attacked. The resident then shot the bear with his lawfully owned firearm, the post read. The bear then fled into the woods, according to the post. When police arrived, they we were unable to locate the bear. The department contacted Massachusetts Environmental Police, who are investigating and also have been unable to find the animal as of Friday evening. A motorcycle crash in Everett that killed someone remains under investigation, according to police. Everett Chief of Police Steve Mazzie and the Everett Police Department both posted to social media about the fatal crash Friday, urging people to avoid the intersection of Broadway and Beacham Street. Several businesses operate near the intersection, including a Honda dealership, McDonalds, The Home Depot and more. Please avoid Broadway at Beacham St as the Everett Police are on scene investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash, Mazzie and the department said in their social media posts. Read more: Human remains discovered on Rawson Island in Greenfield by group of kids No further information, including how many people died in the crash and other details surrounding the collision, were immediately released by police to the public. This article will be updated as more information becomes available. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. The Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation has prepared a video greeting for the occasion of First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, President of the Gymnastics Federation Mehriban Aliyeva's birthday, Trend reports. "Dear Mehriban Aliyeva, on behalf of the entire gymnastic family, we cordially congratulate you on your birthday and wish you new successes in your responsible activities!", the Federation's message reads. A woman accused of fatally shooting 54-year-old Lisa Rocheleau in New Hampshire in May was indicted on a murder charge earlier this month, authorities announced Friday. Haydee Rivera-Nadeau, 65, was indicted by a Strafford County grand jury on Aug. 18 on multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in connection with the fatal shooting of Rocheleau in Rochester, New Hampshire on May 1, according to a statement from state Attorney General John Formellas office. The grand jury returned indictments charging Rivera-Nadeau with one count of second-degree murder for knowingly causing Rocheleaus death by shooting her and an alternative count of second-degree murder for recklessly causing the womans death under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life by shooting her, the statement detailed. Read more: Fatal motorcycle crash in Everett under investigation The indictments also charge Rivera-Nadeau with falsifying physical evidence. Prosecutors allege Rivera-Nadeau, believing that an investigation was pending or about to be instituted, altered, destroyed, concealed, or removed any thing, to wit, by moving and concealing the firearm, with a purpose to impair its verity or availability in such investigation. Before Rochelau died following the shooting on May 1, Rivera-Nadeau was arrested in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 3 in connection with a then-pending charge of attempted murder. She was extradited to New Hampshire, arraigned and later charged with second-degree murder following Rocheleaus death at Portsmouth Regional Hospital on May 11, according to another statement from the attorney generals office. She is expected to be arraigned in Strafford County Superior Court at 11 a.m. on Sept. 6, according to the attorney generals office. New legislation has been announced to further clampdown on the illegal practice of the cropping of dogs ears. Minister Charlie McConalogue today announced he has signed into law a new statutory instrument (SI 412/2023) to strengthen restrictions in relation to the practice of cropping the ears of dogs. Those who breach the regulations could face a fine of up to 250,000 on top of up to five years in prison. Minor infractions could result in a penalty of 5,000 or up to six months in jail. Cropping of dogs ears is an unnecessary, cruel practice that has no place in Ireland. This procedure causes severe pain and lifelong problems for dogs. Cropping of dogs ears has been illegal in Ireland since 2013. These new regulations will extend existing prohibitions on ear cropping, to protect dogs across Ireland from this unjustifiable and needless mutilation, Minister McConalogue said. From the 1st of September 2023, it will be illegal for a person to be in possession, or have control, of a dog that has had all, or part, of its ears removed after this date (1st September), unless the person has in their possession the necessary documentation. Depending on the circumstances, the required documentation may be an import licence, a veterinary certificate or a record issued by an animal welfare charity. It will be illegal to import into Ireland a dog with cropped ears unless an import licence is granted in advance. The sale or supply of dogs with cropped ears (other than by listed animal welfare charities) will also be prohibited. The new regulations also address availability of so-called DIY dog ear cropping kits, which can be used to carry out this mutilation. Possession, sale or supply of such equipment will be restricted to veterinary practitioners or their suppliers. These regulations also prohibit owners or occupiers of land or premises in which shows, competitions, sporting or cultural events are held from having dogs with cropped ears present at such events. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, August 26, 2023 Two tech associations are urging a federal appellate court to reconsider a recent ruling that allows a sex-trafficking victim to sue Salesforce for providing software and support to the defunct classifieds site Backpage.com. The ruling invites lawsuits against upstream software providers and threatens the continued publication of third-party content online, NetChoice and Chamber of Progress write in a friend-of-the-court brief filed Thursday with the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. The organizations are weighing in on a lawsuit brought by a victim, identified only as G.G., and her mother. They alleged that in 2016, when G.G. was 13, she was trafficked by someone who advertised on Backpage. The complaint claimed Salesforce violated anti-trafficking laws by providing Backpage with customer-relationship management software and support. U.S. District Court Judge Andrea Wood in the Northern District of Illinois dismissed the lawsuit last year, ruling that Salesforce was protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which immunizes companies that provide interactive services from lawsuits over illegal material posted by users. advertisement advertisement Wood wrote that the lawsuit presented a quintessential claim covered by Section 230, because the victim and her mother sought to impose liability on an interactive computer service for third-party content that was published on an online platform. Put simply, plaintiffs seek to hold Salesforce liable for the fact that Backpage used Salesforce software to cultivate sex traffickers as customers and grow the websites reach among sex traffickers, ultimately resulting in the posting of the advertisement featuring G.G., Wood wrote. G.G. and her mother then appealed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which reversed Wood and reinstated the lawsuit in a 2-1 decision. The majority found that Salesforce wasn't entitled to immunity under Section 230 because Salesforce didn't itself host third-party content. Salesforce was simply not involved in any publishing, Circuit Judge David Hamilton wrote in an opinion joined by Judge Doris Pryor. Salesforces job was, in part, to help Backpage reach more customers, both in the form of sex traffickers and purchasers of commercial sex, the judges wrote. In a sense, Salesforce helped Backpage find more sex-trafficking contractors. Plaintiffs allegations therefore do not treat Salesforce as a publisher or speaker even if Backpages publishing played a critical role in causing G.G.s ultimate injury at the hands of her trafficker. The judges also found that the allegations, if proven true, could support a claim that Salesforce participated in a sex-trafficking venture run by Backpage. Based on the repeated and allegedly lucrative contracts between Salesforce and Backpage, we draw the reasonable inference in plaintiffs favor that Salesforce participated with Backpage in the venture of Backpages sex-trafficking business by helping it grow, they wrote. Salesforce is currently seeking a new hearing in front of the entire 7th Circuit, arguing both that the allegations didn't support a sex-trafficking claim, and that Section 230 should have protected the company from lawsuits. G.G. was injured because third parties posted content on Backpage that allegedly led to her trafficking, the company wrote in papers filed earlier this month with the 7th Circuit. A claim of that kind triggers section 230s protections. NetChoice and Chamber of Progress are backing Salesforce's request. Those groups argue that Section 230 protects publishers of third-party content as well as interactive companies that assist those publishers. Failing to apply Section 230s protections here would open the floodgates to lawsuits against services that provide inputs into online speech, the groups write. Salesforce provides software to hundreds of thousands of clients, including content-based platforms like Spotify, NBCUniversal, and the Financial Times.... Exposing Salesforce to liability in lawsuits like this one would require the company to vet every entity they contract with, and may lead it to stop doing business with websites whose content could lead to liability -- even where the websites would be protected by Section 230 immunity. Before Backpage went out of business, the company had been sued numerous times for allegedly facilitating sex trafficking. Most of the time -- but not always -- Backpage defeated the lawsuits on the grounds that it was protected from liability by Section 230. In 2018, the federal government shut down Backpage and CEO Carl Ferrer pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy to facilitate prostitution. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva have attended the Lachin City Day festivities, supported by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and organized by the Ministry of Culture and Special Representative Office of the President of Azerbaijan in the Lachin district, on the bank of the River of Hakari in the city of Lachin. The head of state addressed the event. Speech of President Ilham Aliyev - Dear residents of Lachin, dear friends. First of all, I sincerely congratulate the people of Lachin on the City Day. This is the first time that the City Day has been held in Lachin with great solemnity and enthusiasm. As you may know, I recently decreed that city days be held in the liberated territories, so city days were established. City days are the days where our cities were liberated. The city of Lachin was completely liberated on August 26. As a result of the Second Karabakh War, the Lachin district was liberated from occupation on December 1, but the city of Lachin and two villages, Zabukh and Sus, were not under our control. Because the former Lachin corridor passed through this city and these villages. We built a new road in a short time and returned both to Lachin and to the villages of Zabukh and Sus. I had a meeting with the people of Zabukh today. Last night, after a long break, after 31 years, they returned to their native village and have already settled there. The residents of Lachin have been here since May 28. On May 28, on Independence Day, I presented the first group of Lachin residents with keys to their homes, so thus the revival of Lachin began. Since then, about 1,000 residents of Lachin have settled in the city. Houses for 900 families will be ready by the end of the year. So by the end of this year, several thousand city and rural residents will move to Lachin. This is tremendous happiness. It is our victorious Armed Forces that gave us this happiness. Taking this opportunity, we honor the memory of all our martyrs and pray for God's mercy on them. At the cost of their blood and lives, thanks to courage of our heroic children, we are here today. Today we are celebrating holidays in our native land. There can be no greater happiness than this. The occupation of Lachin was a great tragedy both for the people of Lachin and for the entire nation. The occupation of every village and city was a great tragedy, but the occupation of Lachin was a huge test from a strategic point of view, a great disaster. Because a geographical connection was created between Armenia and the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Province. Our subsequent losses were preconditioned precisely by the loss of Shusha and Lachin. The month of May was associated with these two tragic days in the history of independent Azerbaijan. May was a tragic month in our independent life Shusha was occupied on May 8 and Lachin was occupied on May 18. This occupation shook us from within. This occupation marked the beginning of the occupation of other lands. Because Shusha was the first to be occupied, followed by Lachin. Today, we are celebrating holidays in Shusha and Lachin. The people have returned here, life is reviving. This morning, I attended several events together with the children. I asked them both in Zabukh and the city of Lachin: you have come here from Baku, Sumgayit and other places, don't you miss your previous homes? They said no. We live proudly in our native land. Every native of Lachin, every former IDP is proud today. Every Azerbaijani, all Azerbaijani citizens throughout Azerbaijan, Azerbaijanis of the world live with a sense of tremendous pride because we have shown the strength and determination of the Azerbaijani people to the whole world, we shed blood, won a historic Victory and returned to our native land. This couldnt have been done through negotiations, war was the only option out. We fought a just war. We fought on our land. We have no interest in the land of other countries, but we are not giving our land to anyone either. I expressed the position of the Azerbaijani state on this issue even during the years of occupation. I have repeatedly said that the people of Azerbaijan will never come to terms with the occupation and will return to their native lands at any cost, and this is exactly what happened. We are building Lachin now. When I arrived in Lachin in September last year, the appearance of the city was very sad. The city was almost destroyed. There were a few clumsy buildings left over from the pre-occupation period. As you may know, the Armenian state committed a war crime and carried out illegal settlement here. They specifically brought Armenians from foreign countries, from the Middle East, and settled them in the houses of Azerbaijanis. I want to repeat that this is a war crime. Unfortunately, international organizations and Armenias patrons turned a blind eye to that. This was acceptable to them. Because, just like the Armenian state, Armenia's patrons abroad also believed that these lands should remain under occupation forever, but our determination, our strength, our fist hit them too. Because the creation of a second Armenia and a second Armenian state in our land was not only a product of the Armenian leadership. Today, we have proved to the whole world that no-one can influence our determination. We showed this during the war, we showed it by going forward for 44 days, by crushing the enemy and raising our flag. We are having to prove it again in the three years that have passed since the war. Because the campaign against us, the ugly propaganda cannot affect our determination, cannot make us turn back. Justice is on our side, international law is on our side, we are not afraid of anyone and we have shown it both on the battlefield and on the political plane. The sooner Armenias patrons understand this, the better it will be for Armenia and for the region. Because we are a nation of builders. Building and creating the city of Lachin in just eight months shows both the talent and resolve of our people. At the same time, it shows that we are the true owners of these lands. Armenia occupied our lands for 30 years. Anyone coming to the liberated lands can see with their own eyes the manifestations of Armenian atrocities. If this land really belonged to them, why were cities and villages destroyed? Why were all historical monuments destroyed? They also knew perfectly well that sooner or later we would come back. We also knew that sooner or later we would come. In numerous meetings with the former IDPs during the years of occupation, I told them that the day would come when we would raise our flag in Lachin, Shusha and other cities that were occupied at that time. I remember the day when I turned 50 years old. I met the people of Lachin in Karabakh, in Aghjabadi district of Karabakh, in Takhtakorpu settlement, and I told them that, as a new settlement was being inaugurated, that the state was providing you with good conditions, but after the liberation of our lands, we would create better conditions for you in Lachin, and this is exactly what happened. I celebrated my 50th birthday together with the people of Lachin in Aghjabadi, I celebrated my 60th birthday in Shusha, and today I am participating in these festive events together with you on the Lachin City Day. This is a great happiness for me, for you, for each of us. We are living happy days, and I am sure that our people will live in peace and tranquility from now on, will build and create in our own land. In the example of the Lachin district, we see reviving Azerbaijani realities. We see the reviving lands. I would also like to touch upon another issue. As you know, on April 23 of this year, a border checkpoint was established in the Lachin district, on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border. We did it again by showing determination, courage and confidence. So much pressure, so many threats were made to us. It continues to this day, within various international organizations, as Armenia and those who stand behind it are putting forward various conspiracies against us. Nothing can turn us from our path. April 23 means complete restoration of our territorial integrity. The construction of the border checkpoint means complete restoration of our territorial integrity, and we did it within the framework of international law. We are safeguarding our territory, we are protecting our borders and we will continue to protect them. That is why many historic events have taken place in the Lachin district. Today, look how beautiful the city of Lachin has become in just eight to nine months, in less than a year. We started the restoration work in October of last year, and today we are receiving guests in Lachin. Guests have come from different parts of Azerbaijan, diplomats representing foreign countries have arrived. This shows again that our nation is a nation that builds and creates in its native land. Dear residents of Lachin, I sincerely greet you again and congratulate you on the City Day. I am sure you will live comfortably and happily in your ancestral lands. You deserve it. For 30 years, you have suffered both physically and mentally. Today, the reviving Lachin, the reviving Karabakh, and the reviving Eastern Zangezur show our strength, show that we always achieve what we want. I congratulate you again. Long live Lachin! Long live Azerbaijan! BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. The occupation of Lachin was a great tragedy both for the people of Lachin and for the entire nation. The occupation of every village and city was a great tragedy, but the occupation of Lachin was a huge test from a strategic point of view, a great disaster, said President Ilham Aliyev as he addressed the Lachin City Day festivities, Trend reports. Because a geographical connection was created between Armenia and the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Province. Our subsequent losses were preconditioned precisely by the loss of Shusha and Lachin. The month of May was associated with these two tragic days in the history of independent Azerbaijan. May was a tragic month in our independent life Shusha was occupied on May 8 and Lachin was occupied on May 18. This occupation shook us from within. This occupation marked the beginning of the occupation of other lands. Because Shusha was the first to be occupied, followed by Lachin, added the head of state. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The United States and its allies clashed Friday with North Korea, Russia and China over Pyongyangs failed attempts to launch a spy satellite and who is responsible for escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula. The open Security Council meeting called by the U.S., Albania, Ecuador, France, Japan and Malta to condemn the attempted launch, which used banned ballistic missile technology, was attended by North Koreas United Nations ambassador for just the second time since 2017. Ambassador Kim Song, who also addressed the council in July, told members the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea the countrys official name has an independent and legitimate right as a sovereign country to launch a satellite for self-defense to deter the ever-increasing hostile military acts of the United States and its followers. The Norths space agency said Thursday its reconnaissance satellite, Malligyong-1, failed for a second time to go into orbit, blaming an error in its third-stage flight. Pyongyang said it will make a third attempt in October to achieve a key military goal of its leader, Kim Jong Un. U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the DPRK had again defied Security Council resolutions by pursuing its unlawful ballistic missile program. She said 13 of the 15 Security Council members oppose the DPRKs unlawful actions and have called for an end to the countrys pursuit of nuclear weapons and its tests and for unity of the council. Song said the DPRK has never recognized Security Council resolutions, which he claimed infringe on the rights of a sovereign state and will never be bound by them in the future. He accused the United States and South Koreas military gangsters of turning the Korean Peninsula into a potential area of an immense thermal nuclear war while clamoring for regime change in the DPRK and waging large-scale joint military exercises that he said feature nuclear preemptive strikes on our state as a fait accompli. Russias U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the council meeting a cynical, hypocritical attempt by the U.S. and its allies to step up pressure on Pyongyang and to detract attention from the reckless escalatory actions of Washington and its allies in the region, who represent the real sources of threats to international peace and security. He called the expansion of U.S.-led military exercises blatantly provocative, saying they further complicate prospects for starting a dialogue, which is necessary to strengthen regional security. Chinas deputy U.N. ambassador Geng Shuang accused the United States of a long-standing hostile policy towards the DPRK, telling the council that Washington's continuous pressure, including sending a nuclear-armed submarine to the peninsula in July, makes the North feel increasingly insecure. He said the Security Council should not intensify tension but take practical actions to respond to the DPRKs legitimate concerns and create conditions to relaunch talks. Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador, rejected the disingenuous claims by Russia and China that the U.S. is acting in a hostile manner, calling the military exercises routine, lawful and defensive. And unlike the DPRKs ballistic missile launches, they are not prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions, she said. Thomas-Greenfield also reiterated the U.S. commitment to diplomacy, saying that the Biden administration publicly and privately has repeatedly urged the DPRK to engage in dialogue without preconditions. But the DPRK has still not responded to our offers, she said. Chinas Geng retorted that the military exercises are at a record level, pointing to U.S. bombers and Marines taking part, and noting more U.S. sanctions on the DPRK. I would like to ask in this context, how can the dialogue be really resumed? he said. The council meeting also saw a heated exchange between Japan and the DPRK and China over Tokyos release of treated radioactive water from the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. North Koreas Song first raised the issue, saying the Security Council should denounce Japans heinous crime against humanity, which he said is jeopardizing the safety and security of all people and the marine ecological environment. Japans U.N. Ambassador Kimihiro Ishikane rejected the baseless allegations, saying that scientific evidence has said the discharges are safe. But Chinas Geng, whose country has banned seafood from Japan, reiterated Beijings strong opposition, saying the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean is transferring the nuclear threat to the whole world. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. Today, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan visited Lachin to take part in festive events organized in connection with the "Lachin City Day". According to information received from diplomatic sources by Trend, France made significant efforts to block the participation of EU member states in this event and tried to prevent diplomats from attending the festivities. Despite the provocative actions of the French side, the attempts proved unsuccessful. Diplomats from EU member countries have also participated in this visit. The Royals have been without reliever Jake Brentz for the entire season. The southpaw underwent Tommy John surgery last July and has been on the 60-day injured list since Opening Day. Brentz started a minor league rehab assignment last week, but the club announced this afternoon they were pulling him off that stint. Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports that Brentz recently sustained a lat strain (Twitter link). Hes expected to miss the rest of the year. Itll go down as a complete lost season, as he threw all of 2 2/3 minor league innings. Brentz, 29 next month, pitched 5 1/3 frames before last seasons elbow injury. Hed had a decent rookie campaign two years ago, tossing 64 innings of 3.66 ERA ball. He fanned an above-average 27.3% of batters faced while averaging 97 MPH on his heater. Brentzs control was wobbly he walked over 13% of opponents but he boasted one of the better power arsenals among left-handed relievers. The Royals non-tendered him last offseason but circled back in Spring Training on a guaranteed two-year contract. Kansas City is paying him $850K this season and will owe him $1.05MM next year. Locking in a salary a few hundred thousand dollars north of the league minimum could give him a leg up on a roster spot, but Brentz wont have any 2023 work to carry into the offseason. Kansas City will have to reinstate him back onto the 40-man roster once the offseason begins. MENOMINEE, MI -- Marijuana turf wars have moved from street corners to city hall. The kingpins are now mostly law-abiding investors. They prefer lawsuits to bullets, but the multi-million-dollar battles remain fierce. An example is playing out Menominee, a city of about 8,300 located along the northwestern shores of Lake Michigan in the Upper Peninsula, where claims of questionable ethics, backroom dealings, and conflicts of interest abound. At least eight business are competing for a place in the Menominee marijuana market that, on the surface, doesnt seem lucrative, but is worth tens of millions, according to a federal lawsuit filed Monday, Aug. 21. Thats not because residents consume inordinate amounts of cannabis. This is so because Menominee is located on the Wisconsin border and Wisconsin does not permit the retail sale of adult-use recreational marihuana and is unlikely to permit retail sales for several years, the lawsuit said. Over-the-border business is booming. The turf war begins Michigan regulators dont limit the number of cannabis businesses allowed to operate in a community. Instead, licensing allotments are determined by local government or voter initiatives. Many Michigan cities, townships and villages have passed ordinances banning marijuana business altogether. Menominee was among them, until the city council passed its own marijuana licensing ordinance in October 2020, establishing a scoring system for applicants and a plan to allow two recreational marijuana shops. First Property Holdings, which operates retail stores under name Rize, and the Fire Station won the two licenses in September 2021. Fourteen businesses applied. Some of the losers claimed the selection process was flawed and sued Menominee. The companies that sued include: Lume, a large chain operated by Attitude Wellness; Higher Love, owned by OI Holdings and Higher Love Corp.; Nu Group, operating seven retail licenses under the name Nirvana Center Provisioning; Highwire Farms with stores in Adrian and Coldwater; and Rocky North, the company that operates Green Pharm stores. Rize and the Fire Station werent allowed to open until the lawsuits worked their way through the courts over the next two years. On May 17, Judge Mary Barglind dismissed the lawsuits. The Fire Station opened in July and Rize in August. The cannabis companies lost in court, but the fight was far from over. Settlement agreement Prior to lawsuit dismissal, the cannabis companies submitted a settlement offer to the city council. In exchange for withdrawing the lawsuits, the city would agree to issue business licenses to the businesses, the settlement proposed. I was against even acknowledging the settlement agreement, Menominee City Councilwoman Donna Marineau told MLive. Along with Marineau, Mayor Jean Stegeman and Councilman Michael DeDamos opposed the settlement. We wanted to patiently wait for Judge Barglinds ruling, Marineau said. When it did come down, we just wanted to stop this whole process. Nobody would listen. The settlement called for City Council to alter its marijuana ordinance and uncap the number of retail marijuana licenses available, with the first six going to the Lume, Nu Group, Highwire Farms, Higher Love, Green Pharm and Agri-Med. It didnt mention any guaranteed licenses for Rize or the Fire Station. The Menominee City Council approved the settlement agreement, 6-3, at a meeting on May 25, a week after the lawsuit dismissal. This settlement is now at the center of a lawsuit attorneys for Rize and the Fire Station filed in federal court on Aug. 21, claiming actions of Menominee politicians and the benefiting marijuana companies amount to civil conspiracy. We obviously do not believe that there is merit to their federal claims, said attorney Denise Policella, who represents Nu Group, one of the defendants. The plaintiffs are alleging a lot of things that we disagree with, but we are not going to make anymore comments at this time. There are many, many attorneys on both sides involved in this matter. Councilwoman Marineau isnt sure why some of her colleagues were so adamant about issuing more marijuana licenses, especially to companies that had sued and lost in court. I dont know the backdoor stuff, Marineau said. The three of us that were voting no, that we didnt want to move forward on this, were kind of left out of the loop. Backdoor stuff The lawsuit claims attorneys for the competing cannabis companies, especially OI Holdings, for months were communicating directly with some councilmembers who later voted in favor of their settlement. The lawsuit said it is a violation of the attorney code of ethics for a lawyer to speak directly to an opposing party when they have their own legal representation. One of the attorneys hired by OI Holdings, Joe Jones, is the brother of Councilman Josh Jones, the lawsuit said. Marineau said that information was disclosed, but the council -- before she joined it in 2022 -- determined the relationship didnt present a conflict of interest. According to the Michigan Municipal League handbook, a conflict of interest is any interest competing with or adverse to our primary duty of loyalty to the public interest. A competing interest may be a personal interest, or it may be a duty or loyalty we owe to a third party. The lawsuit claims attorney Joe Jones repeatedly spoke to his brother in private about the feelings of other council members and a strategy of settling the litigation in manner that was favorable to (OI Holdings). Councilman Jones later voted for the settlement agreement that benefits his brothers client. In addition to licensing changes, the settlement ordinance that Jones and five other councilmembers supported amended ethics language that the lawsuit said paved the way for a majority of City Council to agree to the settlement agreement and release. The previous ethics language said no council member shall have an interest, directly or indirectly, in a marihuana establishment. The revised version only excluded elected officials from owning or operating a marijuana business. Neither Jones brother responded to MLive requests for comment. The lawsuit claims an attorney with OI Holdings met with Councilwoman Jacqueline Nutter at a local bar to discuss the lawsuit. When contacted by MLive, the attorney denied that happened. Nutter didnt respond to requests for comment. Councilwoman William Plemel, whos also accused of communicating with OI Holdings representatives prior to the settlement, is one of two councilmembers who spoke with MLive. He said his vote in favor of the settlement was a matter of political philosophy and an effort to avoid more lawsuits. Im kind of a believer in free markets, he said. Free enterprise is what tells you how many care dealers youre going to have or how many grocery stores youre going to have, and I feel the same way about marijuana. Plemel also voted in favor of the original 2020 ordinance that limited the number of marijuana shops in Menominee, but said that was based largely on the recommendation of the city attorney. Another councilmember, Joe Dulak, works in real estate. When contacted by MLive by phone, he declined comment. The lawsuit alleges Dulak stands to gain, or has already received funds, financially through commissions or referrals, whether directly or indirectly, from the sale of properties involving the interested cannabis companies. Mr. Dulak has stated at public meetings that his status as a real estate broker (who could or would presumably make money off property sales to new marihuana applicants) does not preclude him from voting on marihuana matters, the lawsuit said. A voter referendum After City Council passed the settlement, Menominee resident Adam Michaud and others created the Committee to Stop Unlimited Marijuana Shops and began a petition drive aimed at getting the issue before voters as a ballot initiative. According to Michauds attorney, Eric Doster, Councilwoman Nutter seemed aggravated by the effort. He shared with MLive a letter he wrote to the elected official about an incident that occurred during an outdoor concert at the marina in Menominee. It is my understanding you forcibly grabbed at least one petition directly from the hand of one of my female petition circulators while a voter was preparing to sign the petition, separated the petition from the ordinance, crumbled up the petition and threw it in the face of one of the circulators, the letter said. The committee collected the required signatures by July 25, which meant City Council had the option to repeal the new marijuana ordinance or allow voters to make that decision at the next election. The lawsuit claims the council majority found a loophole. Working with OI, Highwire, Nu Group, and Rocky North, certain members of the City Council decided not to put the settlement ordinance to the test of the voters of Menominee in November because defendants knew they would lose at the ballot box, the lawsuit said. Instead, the council called a special meeting on July 27 that the lawsuit claims only stated that it would include a closed session to discuss possible actions for marijuana. When the council emerged, the majority voted to repeal the contested ordinance. They then voted to approve a virtually identical ordinance that included a $15,000 appropriation for the police department. Under the Menominee City Charter, ordinances that include appropriations are referendum-proof and cant be contested by voters, the federal lawsuit said. According to the federal lawsuit, during public comment and prior to the closed session or passage of a new marijuana ordinance, a political ally to Plemel, Jones and Nutter publicly praised the City Council for its decision to grant $15,000 to the police department. This statement by a non-council member that a new marihuana ordinance would be introduced surprised Mayor Stegeman, City Manager (Brett Botbyl), and City Attorney (Michael Celello), as none of them knew anything about a new ordinance being proposed that night. The special meeting outcome spurred yet another lawsuit filed on Aug. 17 in Menominee Circuit Court by the ballot committee, Rize and the Fire Station. It alleges a violation of the Open Meetings Act and asks the court to negate the councils actions. To upend this status quo, the Menominee City Council held a rushed special meeting ... did not disclose in the meeting agenda what it intended to discuss, went into a closed session without any valid purpose and failed to deliberate in public before deciding on actions to moot the referendum petition, the lawsuit said. Plaintiffs seek to remediate the secrecy and improper conduct the Council and shine a light on its future hearings for as in the words of Justice Brandeis, sunshine is the best disinfectant. Former University of Michigan ethics professor John Chamberlain said his classes often discussed some of the ethical issues raised by the lawsuits filed against Menominee. Wow, Chamberlain said, regarding the councils move to bypass the voter initiative. If I were on the other side of this Id start my recall petition right now and really complicate things. This has a smell to it, but if every step in this process is legal, then I guess youre stuck with it. More on MLive: Confident that we can compete: New marijuana dispensary pitched just outside Ann Arbor Michigan marijuana sales likely to surpass $3 billion, helped by record-breaking July You cant sue, marijuana is illegal, federal judge tells Michigan cannabis business Are Michigan marijuana customers being ripped off by inflated THC potency claims? ANN ARBOR, MI - Africa Schaumann never would have guessed a visit to the Dawn Treader Book Shop with her father would someday lead her to own the store The Dawn Treader Book Shop, 514 E. Liberty St., began in Ann Arbor in 1976 and was run by previous owner Bill Gillmore. The longstanding business became an iconic book store during the decades, selling used and rare books. In need of a job and seeing a help wanted sign in the stores window, Schaumann began working at Dawn Treader Book Shop in early 2018. She took over ownership in June 2022 and has continued what Dawn Treader has always been known for. We try to cultivate and foster what it already was for so many people and just make sure that we continue to stay open so new generations of people can be introduced to the store and it can mean something special to them, too, she said. Using her experience from working at other book shops in the past and her knowledge on book preservation and conservation, Schaumann took over as the stores manager in October 2018, after the death of Corby Gillmore, Bills son and the store manager up to that point. That was a hard time, but someone needed to step into that position, she said. The Dawn Treader Book Shop at 514 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor. However, it wasnt until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that Schaumann really felt responsible for Dawn Treader and its future. A GoFundMe page was needed to help the store financially during the pandemic. Read more: Ann Arbor resale bookstores seek community support to survive coronavirus pandemic closure I went to the public and I asked for their support, and were still here. I feel a great responsibility to make sure it continues, she said. I know theres a lot of love for the store, but seeing the support that people were willing to give during what was a hard time for everyone showed me how special and important and how much of a fixture and an institution this is. When Bill moved to Mississippi in 2019, Schaumann saw her opportunity to take over ownership and ensure Dawn Treader would continue for generations to come. She makes it a point to carry on the stores legacy, but also make decisions in Corbys memory. I very much run the store with the memory of Corby and also carrying forward the stuff that he and I talked about and were enthusiastic to maybe do one day, she said. Thats really special and a part of the love I have for the store. The Dawn Treader Book Shop at 514 E. Liberty St. in Ann Arbor. Chloe Alberta is one employee who notices Schaumanns work. She originally worked for Dawn Treader from August 2022 through May 2023 and is now back to continue working at a job she loves. Africa creates a really wonderful kind of atmosphere among th employees where we all just kind of feel really cared for. She really cares about us and our well being and is always willing to help people out, Alberta said. Despite the new ownership, Schaumann said she doesnt anticipate any huge changes coming to Dawn Treader anytime soon. Instead, she said she just wants the store to continue being a space where people can find comfort. I hear the word love in the store all the time, she said. You have people with positive intentions, goodwill and love for the books. I think that is probably the greatest reason why the Dawn Treader has stuck around for as long as it has is because theres just this constant flow of that. I know theres something that draws people here and I think its special to each person. My job is just to make sure its here to continue being that place for people. 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. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Marathon Ann Arbor School Board meeting ends without decision on superintendents future Developers exploring 160-acre project outside Northfield Township growth area Figuring things out on my own: 7K University of Michigan students moving into dorms FLINT, MI Dozens of kids and their families ran, walked, frog-jumped and crawled during the Teddy Bear Trot for the 2023 HAP Crim Festival of Races in downtown Flint on Saturday, Aug. 26. The families started at Flint City Hall, where face paint, bounce houses, food and games were offered before the race. The children eventually made their way down to Saginaw Street toward the finish line in a variety of fun ways. Taylor Evans ran with her son Theo Houle. We had a bunch of fun, it was his first time doing the Crim, Evans said. The citys annual event draws thousands of spectators and athletes from around the world. The family-focused kids Teddy Bear Trot was held in the afternoon, following the morning 10-mile and 5-mile events. Related: It gives me hope: Blind, retired veteran finishes his first 10-mile Crim race Houles favorite parts of the 46th annual event was getting an event medal and then getting pizza. Siblings Margo and Freddy Dimmick, who ran in the race, were also loving their medals. We ran really hard, said Meredith Dimmick, mother of Margo and Freddy. Everybody was having a good time, a lot of support. Community members and other runners gathered along the the rails of the quarter mile course, cheering on the children as they went. Want more Flint-area news? Bookmark the local Flint news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Flint daily newsletter. Read more at The Flint Journal: Sydney Devore gets three-peat at 2023 HAP Crim Festival of Races High school coach wins Crim Festival of Races 10-mile run West Michigan man wins Crim wheeler and hand cyclists race This Special Olympics team won softball gold and ran the Lois Craig Invitational in same day Grand Rapids man wins Michigan Mile with 4:19 time in Crim Festival of Races UPDATE 11:51 a.m.: The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office said the standoff is over and additional information will be released. Read more: Suspect dead, hostage safe after 12-hour standoff in Ottawa County ALLENDALE TOWNSHIP, MI - The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office is negotiating with a man who is holding a woman hostage inside an Allendale Township house. Police responded around 8:40 p.m. Friday, Aug. 25 to 5000 block of Vail Avenue on a report of an armed man making homicidal comments, according to a news release. Deputies remain on scene as of 6:30 a.m. Saturday. People are asked to avoid the area or shelter in place. Officials say a 37-year-old man believed to be armed with a gun is inside the house. A 56-year-old woman who knows the suspect is also being held inside the home against her will, police said. There are no known injuries at this time. The Ottawa County Sheriffs Office Critical Response Team and Crisis Negotiators are communicating with the suspect. Nine homes in the area have been evacuated. Police say this is an active situation and updates will be provided. More on MLive: Michigans strongest tornado in Thursdays storm was EF-2, bringing total to 5 Recap of Thursdays deadly tornadoes, severe wind gusts Outlaws, MS-13 and meth: The strange saga of a womans execution in Bay County After eight months of sweeping policy changes and record spending, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer will deliver a Whats Next address Wednesday, calling for paid family leave, a transition to 100% clean energy and additional election legislation. Traditionally Michigans governors have used the annual State of the State address as the singular venue to lay out their agenda for the legislative branch. This will be the first time Whitmer has scheduled a second public speech in the same year to lay out additional goals. In each of the areas, Whitmer has stakeholders lined up with no shortage of ideas and support. After signing bills earlier this year to implement Proposal 2, the voting rights ballot measure supported by voters in 2022, Whitmer is planning to call on the legislature to shore up the electoral process against attempts to subvert the popular vote, according to documents reviewed by MLive. Michigans Senate Elections Committee Chair Jeremy Moss, D-Southfield, said he wants to pass legislation requiring the Board of State Canvassers, which certifies statewide elections, to certify the victory of the top vote-getter. We need to make sure that any sort of attempt to subvert the will of Michigan voters is just not an option at any part of the process, Moss told MLive. Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, D-East Lansing, Moss counterpart in the House, said she wants to ensure penalties for harassment of election workers are increased, as introduced in a bill earlier this year. Sharon Dolente, of advocacy organization Promote The Vote Michigan, has a long list of policy objectives too, but in particular she hopes to tighten procedures around election audits. The voters of the state of Michigan should never fear that their votes, their ballots, the materials, the applications to vote, all the materials that go into voting would be in the unsecure hands of some third-party organization that has partisan or political or personal motivations, she said. Whitmer also intends to cast a proposed requirement for employers to offer paid family and medical leave as a means of attracting workers to the state to grow its population. Democrats in the legislature have already introduced legislation that would establish at least some of these policies, and it isnt clear whether Whitmer will endorse the details of those bills or push for changes. One bill package in the Michigan Senate would require employers with more than 50 employees to offer workers up to 15 weeks of paid leave per year for medical or family issues. Similarly, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist recently expressed his support for legislation that would mandate Michigan utilities to transition to 100% carbon-free electricity sources by the year 2035. Whitmer is expected to call for a 100% clean energy standard, but it isnt clear what deadline she has in mind. She had previously told MLive she didnt anticipate that legislation would reach her desk unaltered. Whitmer will also call for improving energy efficiency programs, reducing permitting times for clean energy projects, and giving energy regulators more authority. Whitmer press secretary Stacey LaRouche characterized the speech as a need for the governor to queue up more goals, saying this legislative term has been one of the most productive in state history. LaRouche said the address will outline policy priorities for this falls legislative agenda and build on work to lower costs, make Michigan more competitive, improve energy efficiency, expand opportunity, and protect peoples fundamental rights. Whitmers speech will be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube, LaRouche said. Read more on MLive: Challenges remain for women, Black innovators in EV industry led by white men Michigan farms demolished by tornado: There wasnt enough time to get to the basement Republicans sue to make temporary Michigan tax cut permanent On the eastside of Detroit sits the Dunamis Charge electric vehicle charger manufacturing plant, the first of its type in the nation to be owned by a Black woman. CEO and founder Natalie King said the journey to opening the plant last year is like the experience of every woman creating a space in the EV industry. You have the later phases of what entrepreneurs experienced as a whole... the late nights, the hard work, people to buy into the vision, King said. On top of that, were having to kind of jump through hurdles when youre in industries that have been historically dominated by men. King is one of a handful of diverse voices who have emerged as leaders in this rapidly growing EV space. Theres no comprehensive data available with industry demographics, but Amy Rogghe, executive director of the Michigan Electric Vehicle Alliance, said it has begun to include more women and people of color, although its still more male driven. Take Tesla, the nations leading electric vehicle manufacturer, for example. The companys first DEI report from 2020 shows the companys U.S. workforce was 59% white and 83% male. Last year, the company reported its employees were 33% white and 77% male employees. Mostly white men, however, make up the executive and managerial staff, showcasing that it can still be difficult for minorities to reach high-level positions in the industry. Black workers played a key role in making Michigan a leader in the automotive industry. Throughout the 20th century, more than six million Black Americans traveled from southern states to the Midwest in hopes of finding jobs in the booming automotive industry, during whats known as The Great Migration. Now, as the next step in the auto-revolution takes shape, King sees an opportunity for Black Michiganders to take on more authoritative roles rather than line workers. We need to be able, as a black and brown community, to make sure that we carve our part of this industry, King said. Not just through workforce, although workforce is extremely important, but also through innovation and entrepreneurship. After transitioning from her job as a lawyer, King co-founded a solar-integration company in 2007 before forming Dunamis Clean Energy Partners, LLC., a technology, manufacturing and engineering firm, in 2012. The planning for Dunamis Charge began in 2019. For King, with over a decade of experience working in the clean energy sector, it is important diverse voices are involved when in policy affecting the industry and business procurement opportunities. She sees women of color, in particular, have difficulty accessing capital investments that can help launch or sustain their businesses. Theyre considered to be a risk by banks, she said. There are biases that exist in this industry, obviously, King said. Everyone that I know that has experienced it, its nothing that I believe to be pie in the sky or just conjecture. Its real. Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told MLive these issues are why the state launched the Michigan Economic Opportunity Fund in March. The fund provides financial assistance to socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who dont qualify for loans through traditional financial institutions. We wanted to build this gap to the capital stack, and so I think its going to open a lot of opportunity for people that are interested, Gilchrist said. Electric vehicles are critical to the present and the future of Michigans economy, he said, adding that the state wants to ensure people in Michigan see a place for themselves in it... that includes that entrepreneurs of color actually have a pathway. Creating a pathway for Black businesses to thrive is why King helped co-found a coalition of named Blacks in Electric Vehicle Infrastructure, or BEVI. The group, made up of predominately Michigan-based businesses, came together to create a resource that provides exposure for minority-owned EV companies. Thats how they plan to create equitable inclusion and representation in the industry, King said. Many times, you have supplier diversity initiatives or DEI initiatives for specific industries, but EV is so new, and its especially new to the entrepreneurs that are in this space, she said. Its only over a handful of companies that are really making specific and established strides in this industry and none of them look like ours. Rogghe believes space still needs to be made for Native American and low-income individuals in the EV change, as well. They are often underrepresented in climate discussions, and yet are impacted the most. Melody Harvey, who works alongside Rogghe as communications director of the Michigan Electric Vehicle Alliance, said it would also help introduce additional women and people of color by simply bringing more awareness of EVs and the change they make positively to our communities among everyday people. She said she would like to see the Woodward Dream Cruise, an annual event for car enthusiasts, feature electric cars next year. In the past, too, the organization has traveled to different local communities for events to spread the word about what EVs are, the impact they have on the climate and the false perception that theyre only for the rich. Partner organizations sometimes question the choice, Rogghe said. People are like, Well, why are you going there? Nobody in that neighborhood can afford it, she said. And Im like, Yeah, thats the exact reason I want to go. Read more from MLive: Gotion reaches agreement with Michigan township on $2.4B battery plant GOP presidential hopefuls talk China, EVs as Michigan candidate fights from sideline Expect delays when crossing Mackinac Bridge this fall Atik Mohammed, former General Secretary of the People's National Convention (PNC) has criticized the Minority's decision to go ahead with its picketing at the Bank of Ghana (BoG) premises despite clarifications provided by the Governor, Dr. Ernest Addison, regarding the Central Bank's reported 60.8 billion Ghana cedis loss in the previous year. The Minority has been resolute in its demand for the Governor and his deputies to resign over alleged mismanagement of the central bank. In reaction to this, Dr. Addison offered explanations for the financial situation. He said, "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. He continued, 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." In light of these clarifications, Atik Mohammed questioned the rationale behind the Minority's decision to continue their picketing at the Bank of Ghana. Speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, he quizzes, "What is the basis of the picketing? Even though I'm an advocate of free expression, when the picketing ends, what happens? Will the picketing give you the answers you are looking for?" Mohammed also cast doubt on the Minority's call for the resignation of the Governor and his deputies. He pointed out that the 1992 Constitution specifies the circumstances under which Governors can be dismissed. He noted that the conditions applicable to the Governors of the Bank of Ghana are akin to those applicable to Justices of a superior court. He elaborated, "What are the conditions under which a Judge of a superior court can be dismissed?" The person should have either stolen or is not of a sound mind or done something that contravenes the law. In all of these, which applies to the Governor, he said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. The Minister of National Defense of Turkiye has arrived in Baku, Trend reports. The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, and the leadership of the ministry have met a delegation led by the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Turkiye, Yashar Guler, at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport. During the visit, various aspects of military cooperation between the two countries, regional security, and other matters of mutual interest are planned to be discussed. Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a lecturer at Central University has expressed confidence in Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, as a strong candidate for the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) presidential bid. Dr. Otchere-Ankrah believes that Agyapong possesses the leadership qualities necessary to steer Ghana towards a more disciplined future. With Agyapong actively seeking the NPP's presidential candidacy, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah has become a prominent voice in support of his campaign. The lecturer commended Agyapong's resolve in tackling indiscipline and his noteworthy philanthropic endeavours, noting that such qualities were essential for the nation's advancement. In an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Dr. Otchere-Ankrah stated, "I have a strong belief that when he becomes President, he will be an asset to this country. There is a rampant lack of discipline in our nation, and we are in dire need of a leader who can fearlessly address our shortcomings and guide us towards progress. The endorsement resonated further as Dr. Otchere-Ankrah expressed optimism that Kennedy Agyapong would emerge as the victor in the NPP presidential elections. The New Patriotic Party has scheduled a Special Delegates Congress for Saturday, August 26, during which the ten presidential aspirants will be whittled down to five. These finalists will then compete for the party's coveted flagbearer position in the upcoming November elections. Anticipation runs high, with more than 900 delegates expected to participate in the Special Delegates Congress. Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has voiced his opinion on the ongoing criticisms of the Dr. Ernest Addison-led Bank of Ghana (BoG) saying the current Governor and his deputies deserve commendations despite the bank's reported GHS60.0 billion loss. The Minority in Parliament has called for the resignation of the Governor and his deputies, accusing them of mishandling the bank's affairs. The Minority stated that, "The Bank of Ghana recorded a staggering loss of GHS60.8 billion, which is equivalent to $6 billion. This is twice the amount we are to receive from our recent IMF bailout." In reaction to this, Governor Ernest Addison clarified the issues. He explained that the loss was a result of the bank's efforts to provide essential support to Ghana during the challenging period of the pandemic. "The Bank of Ghana was able to step in with the support to the economy. 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," Governor Addison stated. Reacting to this on Peace FMs Kokrokoo morning show, Kwamena Duncan asserted that the Governor and his deputies should be rewarded for their actions rather than the bashings. Mr Duncan commented, "If you want people to award, let's award them." He applauded the BoG leadership for their prudent decision-making that ultimately contributed to safeguarding Ghana's economy from total collapse. Mr Duncan further slammed persons demanding the Governors' resignation. "It is only an unappreciative citizenry; it is only an opposition that wants power at all costs. An opposition, unfortunately we have known them, their period in office we have seen, the person they have selected, we know him but they want power at all costs," Mr Duncan stated. West Africa's mediation efforts in the ongoing Niger crisis are progressing steadily, with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) mediator the former Nigerian military leader, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar leading the charge. Gen. Abubakar, in a recent interview, revealed to the BBC that negotiations are underway with Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, the leader of the military junta that seized power in Niger. The ECOWAS delegation, led by Gen. Abubakar, has embarked on discussions with Gen Tchiani in an effort to find a peaceful and amicable resolution to the crisis. This follows Gen. Tchiani's recent announcement of a three-year transition plan, which ECOWAS promptly rejected. The junta leader's defiance despite ECOWAS threatening military intervention has put the entire West African region on alert. While ECOWAS maintains that all options remain open, Gen. Tchiani's proposed transition plan to civilian rule in the next three years has put regional leaders in a dilemma. Gen Abubakar's recent mission to Niger, however, has laid the groundwork for diplomatic negotiations. During the interview, he said, My recent mission to Niger has opened a room for discussion and diplomacy. In regard to the potential use of force, Gen Abubakar clarified that all necessary measures would be implemented to reinstate constitutional authority in Niger. All measures will be put in place to ensure that Niger comes back to constitutional authority. It doesn't necessarily mean going to war, however, nobody is planning or hoping to go to war because when you start a war, you don't know the outcome," he stated. During his visit to Niger, Gen Abubakar also had audience with the ousted President, Mohamed Bazoum. Gen. Abubakar revealed, The president [Mohamed Bazoum] made a lot of complaints about the way he has been treated. We have confirmed that they have cut off light (electricity) to him and they are keeping him in custody." "He was naturally very bitter about the way he has been treated and he claims he is being kept a prisoner for no reason at all," he expressed. Gen Abubakar also shed light on the significant impact of ECOWAS sanctions on Niger. These sanctions have unintentionally led to growing resentment and hostility towards the regional organization within the country. The Chief Executive Officer of Breast Care International and Peace and Love Hospital in the Ashanti Regional Capital, Kumasi, Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai has asked all religious leaders who treat breast cancer as demonic and detain victims at their prayer camps without allowing them to seek medical attention ought to refrain from such act. She made this statement when she paid a courtesy call on the paramount Chief of Goaso Traditional Council, Nana Kwasi Bosomprah I, who is celebrating the year anniversary of his enstoolment as the president and paramount Chief of Goaso Traditional Area in the Ahafo Region. She added that she's not against prayers and the divine power of healing however, breast cancer patients need more medical treatment. "Therefore, patients must visit hospitals rather than stay at prayer camps and make their situation worse. "The myth and misconception about breast cancer in various societies should not be encouraged at all because this disease is curable. I can confidently say without any iota of doubt that early detection and seeking of medical attention can help victims overcome this deadly cancer," Dr Beatrice Wiafe Addai. According to her, regular check-ups and early reporting are key in fighting against breast cancer. Dr. Mrs. Addai emphasized that Breast Care International and Peace and Love Hospital are poised to work assiduously to make breast cancer a thing of the past. "Therefore, every Tom, dick, and Harry must contribute their quota towards this fight to help humanity particularly, women," she stated. Nana Kwasi Bosomprah also expressed his gratitude to Dr. Mrs. Beatrice Wiafe Addai and her entourage for their special visit to his land and the free breast cancer screening of the people of Goaso and Ahafo in general. Dr. Gideon Boako, the spokesperson for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has expressed unwavering confidence in his candidate's triumph in the upcoming New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Special Delegates Conference scheduled this Saturday. Boako's assertion came during an exclusive interview with Bernard Avle on Citi TVs "Cituation Room monitored by ModernGhana News, dismissing the notion that former Minister of Trade, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, would emerge victorious in the closely-watched election. "Theres a tacit admission that Alan Kyerematen will not be number one on Saturday. We are very confident that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will get the highest number of votes on Saturday," Boako emphasised. Highlighting the significance of the upcoming elections, Boako asserted that the outcome of the Special Delegates Conference would carry substantial weight in determining the direction of the NPP's future. "You cant downplay it, a journey of a thousand kilometres begins with a step. The results of Saturday will give us an indication of what November 4 will be like," he stated. Anticipating a resounding victory for Bawumia, Boako projected that the Vice President would secure more than 70% of the votes cast, thereby refuting earlier polls that suggested he would score around 70%. The percentage of the polls we disagree, but we think that Dr Bawumia will get more than 70% votes. There have been several polls that have come up with different indications. We have not conducted such polls, but we have our own internal polls, which we have not communicated. The Vice President will not get less than 72%, he will get more, theres no doubt about it, he confidently said. The Special Delegates Conference is set to commence at 9am and conclude at 1pm involving the participation of approximately 900 NPP delegates. Their mandate on Saturday, August 26, 2023 will be to narrow down the field of ten presidential aspirants to a final selection of five. This electoral process follows extensive campaigning efforts by the candidates nationwide to secure the allegiance of the delegates who hold their political destinies. Nana Obiri Boahen, a former Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said the NPP party's best chance of winning the 2024 General elections is by presenting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the flagbearer. According to Mr. Boahen, the NPP party has already caused enough harm to the economy. In an interview with Peace FM, he said that Bawumia is the only way to improve the party's good standing. I am saying without any prejudice to the other candidates, that if NPP doesnt take Bawumia into the election, the way things are hard and frustration and despondency is high Plus, the fact that expectations of Ghanaians that they had in the NPP, in all honesty, we havent been able to meet it. Having said that, there is no need to compare NDC to the NPP in terms of governance. Doing so, is a mistake, Nana Obiri Boahen stated. The Presidential Election Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued guidelines for the special delegates conference which will take place on Saturday, August 26. The party said that it has entrusted the entirety of the electoral procedure to the Electoral Commission, with the paramount responsibility of ensuring a transparent, fair, and unfettered election. 26.08.2023 LISTEN Majority leader of parliament Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has expressed confidence in Dr. Mahamudu Bawumias victory in the upcoming August 26 New Patriotic Party (NPP) elections. According to the Majority leader, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will receive 70% overwhelming endorsement in the Special Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Suame Constituency. He said Bawumias campaign message resonates with the grassroots of the party. However, a member of the Mr. Alan Kyerematen Communication Team, Richard Nyamah has said that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) guidelines for the Special Delegates Congress must put a stop to the ongoing machinations and fear against delegates. Speaking on Starr Today, Mr. Nyamah stated that its unfortunate the Presidential primaries Committee is being dribbled by unseen hands or by the powers that be. Information we have is that they have used simple serial numbers to virtually hunt down people for who they voted for if he doesnt vote the way they want it. We are questioning the Electoral Commission because I think they were involved in the processes leading to this. The Electoral Commission actually gave us their word that they ensure that such complex serial numbers are used in the ballot, Mr. Nyamah stated. He continued: The Ghanaian people especially the NPP delegates are too smart to be bamboozled with all these things. So we believe at the end victory will be ours. We will want to draw the Presidents attention that if he really means to be neutral he should call his people to order and that will serve all of us well. Dr. Afriyie Akoto, a presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on party delegates to support him in the August 26 special delegate election. According to Mr. Akoto, he is the ideal candidate to lead the party to a historic triumph in the general elections in 2024. He said I am appealing to you, the super delegates, to vote for me. When you vote for me, I have envisioned two things to do; one for the party and the other for the country. All of us are aware of what happened in the 2016 general elections. In the Presidential, our then-candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo beat the then incumbent President John Mahama with over 900,000 votes. But when we went to the 2020 general elections when everyone was expecting a wider margin between these two presidential candidates, the over 900,000 votes was cut down to a little over 500,000. We nearly lost the parliamentary majority seats. We are now pegged at 137 with the Independent Parliamentary candidate, Amoako Asiamah, declaring to do business with the NPP for us to become the Majority Group," Dr. Afriyie Akoto stated. He continued These happenings tell us that all was not well largely because our grassroots were abandoned. When you talk to them, almost everyone is complaining. This makes breaking the eight-year governance cycle very difficult, hence, my decision to contest for the flagbearer position to turn things around. So, I am appealing to you once again to show me some love and vote massively for me. I will ensure to work hard to reform the party for all to enjoy." 26.08.2023 LISTEN Abraham Amaliba, the National Democratic Congress's (NDC) newly appointed Director of Conflict Resolution, expressed satisfaction with the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) flagbearer candidates Kwabena Agyei Agyepong and Boakye Agyarko's campaign messages. According to Mr. Amaliba, the two candidates' campaign statements are compelling and provide remedies to the nation's current, worsening economic crisis. In an interview with TV3, he said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates will regrettably vote for Bawumia. Abraham Amaliba continued by asserting that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been in power, and has offered nothing in return. There are some candidates like Kwabena Agyepong and Boakye Agyarko who are striking the right notes but these are people who the delegates wont vote for, Abraham Amaliba stated. Meanwhile, the NPP has warned all delegates who will be voting in the special delegates conference on Saturday, August 26 that publicly displaying cast ballots constitutes a criminal offense. The party served notice that those who violate this provision shall be subjected to legal repercussions in accordance with the law. Delegates are hereby informed that any cast ballots publicly displayed will be rejected, a statement issued by the Presidential Election Committee on Thursday, August 24 said. It added We wish to further emphasize that there will be no congress on the day of voting, and voting will be strictly walk-in. 25.08.2023 LISTEN The political landscape in Ghana is rapidly evolving as parties gear up for the upcoming 2024 general elections. The National Democratic Congress (NDC), one of the major political parties in the country, has recently made a notable appointment by naming Dr. Omane Boamah, a medical doctor, as its Director of Election and ICT. While diversity in leadership can bring fresh perspectives, this particular appointment has raised concerns among both supporters and critics due to Dr. Omane Boamah's background and his suitability for a role so vital to the democratic process. The Appointment and Its Controversy Dr. Omane Boamah's appointment comes as a surprise to many due to his medical background. While he has been involved in politics as a former Minister of Communications, his expertise and experience in medical matters might not align directly with the intricacies of election management and information technology. Potential Dangers 1. Lack of Expertise in Election Management: The role of Director of Election requires a deep understanding of electoral laws, procedures, and strategic planning. Dr. Omane Boamah's medical background may not equip him adequately to handle the multifaceted challenges associated with election management, including voter registration, candidate nominations, and poll monitoring. 2. Risk to Electoral Credibility: A robust and transparent electoral process is crucial for maintaining public trust and preventing post-election disputes. Appointing someone without substantial experience in election management could undermine the credibility of the electoral process, leading to doubts about fairness and transparency. 3. Impact on Party Unity: Internal dynamics within political parties can be fragile, and the appointment of an individual with limited experience in election matters might result in internal conflicts. Effective coordination is necessary for party unity, and any perceived incompetence could lead to divisions within the NDC's ranks. 4. Vulnerability to Manipulation: In the era of technology-driven elections, the role of ICT Director is pivotal in securing data, safeguarding the voter registry, and protecting against potential hacking attempts. Appointing someone without a solid background in ICT could expose the party's digital infrastructure to vulnerabilities and potential manipulation. 5. Ineffective Communication: Election campaigns require effective communication to convey the party's policies and vision to voters. Dr. Omane Boamah's primary experience lies in communication related to healthcare, and there might be challenges in effectively communicating complex political messages to the electorate. 6. Public Perception: The appointment could lead to public perceptions that the NDC is not taking the election process seriously. Such perceptions can impact the party's reputation and affect its ability to attract a diverse range of supporters. While Dr. Omane Boamah's appointment as NDC Director of Election and ICT might reflect the party's intent to diversify its leadership, it raises genuine concerns about his ability to effectively manage the intricacies of election management and information technology. The upcoming 2024 election is crucial for Ghana's democratic progress, and any mismanagement or inadequacy in the electoral process could have far-reaching consequences. The NDC must carefully consider the implications of this appointment on the party's credibility, unity, and the overall democratic process in Ghana. Delanyo Agbe NDC Social Activist 0248481758 [email protected] BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. 20 families (88 people), relocated to Zabukh village of Lachin district as part of next stage of the Great Return program, have been presented with house keys, Trend reports. The ceremony was attended by officials of the Special Representative Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Lachin district, which is a part of the Eastern Zangezur economic region, the Committee, as well as MP Mahir Abbaszade. The families relocated to the village expressed their deep gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the care and attention shown to them. 26.08.2023 LISTEN Richard Nyamah, a prominent member of Mr. Alan Kyerematen's Communication Team, has raised an alarming concern about what he perceives as efforts to manipulate the delegate voting process. Scheduled for Saturday, August 26, 2023, the Special Delegates Congress holds paramount significance as it aims to choose five candidates out of the ten presidential aspirants. The selected five will subsequently engage in the party's presidential primaries scheduled for November, a pivotal step towards identifying the presidential candidate for the upcoming 2024 general elections. Speaking candidly on the 'Starr Today' program hosted by Joshua Kodjo Mensah, Mr. Nyamah expressed deep apprehension over the perceived manipulation of the selection process. He pointedly accused the Presidential Primaries Committee of being trapped by undisclosed forces, undermining the fairness and transparency of the procedure. Elaborating on his concerns, he said, Information we have is that they have used simple serial numbers to virtually hunt down people for who they voted for. If he doesnt vote the way they want it. We are questioning the Electoral Commission because I think they were involved in the processes leading to this. The Electoral Commission actually gave us their word that they ensure that such complex serial numbers are used in the ballot, Mr. Nyamah expressed. Further on, Nyamah reiterated saying, The Ghanaian people especially the NPP delegates are too smart to be bamboozled with all these things. So we believe at the end victory will be ours. We will want to draw the Presidents attention that if he really means to be neutral he should call his people to order and that will serve all of us well, he said. With the race for the NPP's flagbearership intensifying, the contenders seeking to lead the party include notable figures such as Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Mr. Boakye Agyarko, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Mr. Francis Addai-Nimoh, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Mr. Joe Ghartey, Mr. Kwadwo Opoku, and Mr. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong. A total of 222 pregnant girls and 81 nursing mothers across various districts were among the candidates who wrote the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Central Region. Majority of the cases were recorded in Kasoa, which presented 60 per cent of the total candidates in the region. The region also recorded 318 absentees for varied reasons including giving birth, sickness, and death while some had no reason at all. Mr Emmanuel Essuman, the Regional Education Director, who presented the report at the Central Regional Coordinating Council meeting Thursday, noted that four inmates from the Ankaful Prisons also wrote the BECE as private candidates at the WAEC Hall. On the brighter side however, 55 students with special needs comprising 25 males and 30 females with conditions such as low vision, total blindness, autism, cerebral palsy, dysgraphia, and hearing impairment sat for the exam. He said a total of 68,049 candidates comprising 34,113 males and 33,936 females from 2,381 public and private Junior High Schools (JHSs) were presented to write the exams across 221 centres. However, 67,731 sat for the papers due to absenteeism. Touching on some successes of the examination, the director indicated that there were sign language interpreters for the deaf, large print for those with low vision while extra time was given to those with autism, cerebral palsy and learning difficulties. We were able to through Girls Education Officers bring back some teen mothers to write the exams, he said. Mr Essuman intimated that the region also recorded a few incidents of examination malpractices one of which involved two private teachers in Upper Denkyira East who were apprehended by the police. Two final year students in Gomoa East did not write the examination because the Buduatta headteacher failed to register them, he revealed. The Director expressed disquiet over the truancy on the part of some pupils after registration, some with the expectation of being assisted during the exams. He also bemoaned the lack of adequate funds to monitor the 221 centres, adding that the Regional Directorate's two vehicle for monitoring were in poor conditions. Going forward, Mr Essuman said the Regional Directorate would ensure that a district-based anti-examination malpractices campaign was organised to reduce the incidence of malpractices. In addition to that, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and other stakeholders would intensify sensitisation for parents and students on the need to conform to school rules and regulations after registration. He also appealed to the RCC for support in the monitoring of both BECE and WASSCE in the region. GNA 26.08.2023 LISTEN Madam Akolpoka Akolbila, a 49-year-old woman from Tindonsobligo, a suburb of Bolgatanga in the Upper East Region, is in dire need of GHC45, 000.00 to undergo knee surgery. Madam Akolbila is suffering from a swollen and painful knee condition because of arthritis which has made it difficult for her to walk for the past one year. According to the World Health Organisation, Arthritis is the swelling and tenderness of one or more joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain and stiffness, which typically worsen with age. When Madam Akolbila visited the Ultima Platz Hospital at Zuarungu in the Bolgatanga East District in May 2022, she was informed that there was fluid in the knee joint and the issue required surgery to enable her walk without pain and difficulty. A letter dated October 19, 2022, and signed by Dr Abel Benjamin Tunni, the Medical Director and Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon of the hospital said Madam Akolbila will require a total knee arthroplasty with prosthesis so that she can walk without pain. The cost of the implant is GHC45,000.00 which is not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme, it said. Madam Akolbila told the Ghana News Agency that, due to her inability to afford the cost of the treatment, she had been battling with the condition for over a year now and it was killing her silently. She said the disease was spreading within the knee and there was the need to have surgery done as soon as possible but she was handicapped. She said the condition had confined her to the house and she could not undertake any work to support her family. Madam Akolbila has four children and used to engage in subsistence farming during the rainy season and weave straw baskets during the dry season to support her family while her husband is a security guard (watchman). I am appealing to everyone around the world who can help to have mercy upon me and come to my aid, she appealed. GNA UN experts have painted a grim picture of the situation in Mali, alleging that sexual violence and other rights abuses are being used to spread terror, as the retreat of UN peacekeepers has raised fears of intensified civilian suffering. "Violence against women and girls and conflict-related sexual violence remains prevalent in Mali," the experts, named by the UN Security Council to monitor the application of sanctions, said in a report released Friday. While the experts put the blame on most of the parties to the long-simmering conflict in the west African nation, Mali's armed forces and their "foreign security partners" -- presumed to be Wagner group mercenaries -- come in for particular scrutiny. "The persistence of the perpetration of these acts may indicate that violence against women allegedly committed by the Malian Armed Forces and their foreign and local allies is systematic and organized," the report says. "The panel believes that violence against women, and other forms of grave abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law are being used, specifically by the foreign security partners, to spread terror among populations." The experts have expressed general concern about the deterioration of the situation in the troubled Sahel state, which underwent a military takeover in August 2020, followed by a second in May 2021. A peace deal signed in 2015 -- the so-called Algiers agreement between the government and the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA), an alliance of Tuareg-dominated independence and autonomist groups -- is hanging by a thread. UN experts say that should the deal collapse, terror groups could "re-enact (the) 2012 scenario," referring to the outbreak of jihadist and separatist insurgencies in the north that claimed thousands of lives. "There are also signatory armed groups that have simply forfeited their obligations by publicly declaring that they are no longer able to protect their communities," the experts said in their report. They say other groups including CMA have "abandoned certain positions to focus on key strategic geographical areas with their limited numbers of remaining loyal combatants." 'Final blow' With signatories to the peace deal weakened, the UN experts believe, terror groups are seeking to capitalize. "In less than a year, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has almost doubled its areas of control in Mali," the report says. Under pressure from Mali's ruling junta, the UN Security Council has moved to end a decade-long peacekeeping mission in the country by year's end, but experts say that move could "further undermine" the precarious peace accord. With armed groups preparing to face perceived threats from Mali's military, the experts warn, more serious incidents could occur that would "deal a final blow to the agreement." In a letter sent to the Security Council, seen by AFP this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced his concerns about the safety of civilians in Mali, the protection of human rights and the delivery of humanitarian aid given the withdrawal of peacekeepers. "While we will ensure that all is done to safeguard a smooth transfer of tasks, the capacities of the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid and support the protection of civilians or human rights will inevitably be severely impacted," he wrote. Niger's military rulers, who seized control of the government in July, gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country, Niamey's foreign ministry said in a statement Friday. Relations between the new regime in Niamey and several Western powers, as well as the West African bloc ECOWAS, have deteriorated since the coup on July 26. France's government quickly rejected the order against its ambassador, repeating that it did not recognise the military rulers' authority. The French foreign ministry told AFP on Friday evening: "The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador's approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities." The ultimatum against the French envoy comes days after ECOWAS threatened military action to reverse last month's coup, which overthrew president Mohamed Bazoum. Paris has repeatedly backed calls by ECOWAS for the reinstatement of Bazoum. France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years. Pressure from ECOWAS Earlier Friday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) urged Niger's coup leaders to reconsider their position and pushed for a return to civilian rule, with the threat of force still "very much on the table". While the generals who ousted Bazoum have called for a three-year transition period, ECOWAS demands the immediate return to constitutional order. With delegations shuttling into Niamey, ECOWAS said negotiations remained its priority as defence chiefs prepared a standby mission for a possible "legitimate use of force" to restore democracy if needed. The generals who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a July 26 rebellion have called for a three-year transition period. By - (AFP) "Even now, it is not too late for the military to reconsider its action and listen to the voice of reason as the regional leaders will not condone a coup d'etat," ECOWAS commission president Omar Alieu Touray told reporters in Abuja. "The real issue is the determination of the community to halt the spiral of coup d'etats in the region." ECOWAS has already applied sanctions against Niger to pressure the new regime. Three other governments have fallen to military rebellions in the Sahel region since 2020, and jihadists control swathes of territory. ECOWAS leaders are already negotiating with military administrations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea who are all working towards transitions to democracy after their own coups. After initially balking, Niger's new rulers have said they remain open to negotiations. But they have sent mixed messages, including a threat to charge Bazoum -- who remains detained at his official residence with his family -- with treason. Aggression Niger's military leaders have also warned against any intervention, accusing ECOWAS of preparing an occupying force in league with an unnamed foreign country. The officers on Thursday said they would let troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso intervene in Niger in case of an aggression. But Touray dismissed plans for ECOWAS "declaring war" or an "invasion" of Niger, insisting the standby mission would be a legitimate force allowed under ECOWAS statutes agreed by members. Map of Niger locating its capital Niamey.. By Valentin RAKOVSKY (AFP) "The instruments include the use of force. So it is very much on the table, as are other measures we are working on," he said. "If peaceful means fail, ECOWAS cannot just fold its hands." ECOWAS has intervened militarily in past crises, including in civil wars. Few details of the new standby force have emerged. But preparations for any possible use of military force in Niger are risky and already face political resistance in northern Nigeria, a key player in ECOWAS and the region. Niger's northern neighbour Algeria has also warned of disastrous consequences for the region from an intervention. Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf this week toured West African countries to try to find a solution to a crisis in which Algiers firmly opposes any military option. "There is a time for everything and we are currently in the time of finding peaceful solutions," he said on a visit to Benin. "Let's put all our imagination into giving every chance to a political solution." An aspirant who fought fiercely and won power for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 and 2020 is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who gallantly defends the NPP both in opposition and government is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is a nightmare to the opposition NDC is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is dedicated, committed and loyal to the NPP unconditionally is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who has travelled the length and breadth of the country for the sake of the NPP is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10.* An aspirant who has sacrificed his lucrative job and family for the NPP is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is loved and admired by the masses is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10.* An aspirant who proudly associates himself with the government and NPP is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who knows that NPP have messages for Ghanaians but not just a message is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who trumpets the achievements of NPP'S government to the general public is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who has the development of Ghana at heart is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is unblemished with no corruption tag is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is worth supporting and sacrificing for is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant whose majority of the general delegates have settled on is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant whose majority of the special delegates have overwhelmingly and widely endorsed is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant whose majority of NPP members believe he is the right person to lead NPP to break the eight is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is a unifier and is ready to unite all NPP members to break the eight is? *Dr Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is well known for his digitalization drive is? *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* An aspirant who is most experienced at the highest level is *Dr. Bawumia, The Number 10* The delegates' choice, the party members' choice, the party bigwigs' choice, the grassroots' choice, the government appointees' choice and above all, the Ghanaian people's choice is *H. E. Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, The Number 10* . It is indeed possible. In Shaa Allah *Dear Special Delegates, Go for Dr. Bawumia, Go for the masses' choice, Go for the Number 10* Alhaji Salifu Hadara A Patriot Nalerigu/ Gambaga Constituency North East Region Turkey's largest city faces one of its worst droughts with record high temperatures, blamed on climate change. With many of the city's water reservoirs nearly empty, experts warn Istanbul could face water shortages in just weeks if rain doesn't come. Grass now grows in many reservoirs that were once filled with water in Istanbul. A dry winter followed by a summer with record-high temperatures have nearly emptied many of the city's dams. The city authorities regularly update the falling dam levels and warn of the need for conservation. As a result, the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (ISKI) on Wednesday announced emergency efforts and longterm plans to deal with the growing water crisis the city is facing. "The biggest threat to the world is the climate crisis," declared Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, speaking at a conference this week. "The struggle against the climate crisis will grow. In this respect, we should be able to look at this fundamental issue of the world in the name of humanity and recognise that this is beyond an individual state issue, and we should be prepared," the mayor added. Be prepared Water is now being pumped nearly from the Melen River, 200 kilometres away, to meet the needs of Istanbul's 16 million inhabitants. The city's unique geography is complicating those efforts. The Bosphorus waterway divides Istanbul between Europe and Asia, making it increasingly tricky to juggle water supplies across two continents. "We've got an integrated water management and are doing the most optimisation studies," explains Tugba Olmez-Hanci, head of Strategy Development Istanbul's Water and Sewerage Administration. "In the Asian part, the population is 35 percent, while in the European part of Istanbul, the population is 65 percent. Water sources are higher in the Asian part and are lower by approximately 30 percent in the European part," Hanci explains. Water authorities have produced videos calling on consumers to reduce their consumption while high users receive text messages warning of their consumption. Special valves are offered to reduce water pressure. Waiting for rain But with record temperatures increasing evaporation from the remaining water in Istanbul's dams, Dursun Yildiz, head of Turkey's Hydropolitics Association, warns time could be running out for the city if rain doesn't come soon. If there isn't sufficient precipitation in the coming months, the city's administration will have to put special measures in place, he says. "All these things depend on weather conditions in September and October. Waters users and water administrators need to change their attitude to use water as efficiently as possible," added Yildiz. "I cannot say it's not a problem," said Hanci of Istanbul's Water and Sewerage Administration, "We are trying to do our best until the rains come." Rain cannot come soon enough for Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu, whose reelection next year may depend on how he manages the delicate issue of water cuts. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already declared he's determined that his party will regain control of Turkey's largest city. Niger's military rulers, who seized control of the government in July, have given the French ambassador 48 hours to leave the country, an ultimatum that has been rejected by France's foreign ministry. Relations between the new regime in Niamey and several Western powers, including the West African bloc Ecowas, have deteriorated since the coup on 26 July. France's government was quick to reject the order against Ambassador Sylvain Itte by Friday evening, repeating that it did not recognise the military rulers' authority. According to the French foreign ministry, "The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador's approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities." The ultimatum against the French envoy comes days after the Economic Community of West African States threatened military action to reverse last month's coup, which overthrew president Mohamed Bazoum. Paris has repeatedly backed calls by the West African bloc for the reinstatement of Bazoum. France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years. Pressure from regional neighbours Earlier on Friday, the Ecowas urged Niger's coup leaders to reconsider their position and pushed for a return to civilian rule, with the threat of force still "very much on the table". While the generals who ousted Bazoum have called for a three-year transition period, Ecowas demands the immediate return to constitutional order. With delegations shuttling into Niamey, Ecowas said negotiations remained its priority as defence chiefs prepared a standby mission for a possible "legitimate use of force" to restore democracy if needed. The regional bloc has already applied sanctions against Niger to pressure the new regime. This comes as three other governments have fallen to military rebellions in the Sahel region since 2020, and jihadists control swathes of territory. Ecowas are already negotiating with military administrations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea who are all working towards transitions to democracy after their own coups. After initially balking, Niger's new rulers have said they are open to negotiations, but have sent mixed messages, including a threat to charge Bazoum who remains detained at his official residence with his family with treason. Aggression Niger's military leaders have also warned against any intervention, accusing Ecowas of preparing an occupying force in league with an unnamed foreign country. On Thursday the junta said they would let troops from neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso intervene in Niger in case of any aggression. However, Ecowas commission president Omar Alieu Touray has dismissed plans for the bloc "declaring war" or an "invasion" of Niger, insisting that a standby mission would be a legitimate force allowed under Ecowas statutes agreed by members. "The instruments include the use of force. So it is very much on the table, as are other measures we are working on," he said. "If peaceful means fail, Ecowas cannot just fold its hands." Ecowas has intervened militarily in past crises including in civil wars but few details of the new standby force have emerged. However, preparations for any possible use of military force in Niger are risky and already face political resistance in northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, Niger's northern neighbour Algeria has also warned of disastrous consequences for the region from a military intervention. This week, Algeria's foreign minister Ahmed Attaf toured West African countries to try to find a solution to a crisis in which Algiers firmly opposes any military option. New York, August 25, 2023The Committee to Protect Journalists on Friday joined at least 79 journalists and press organizations in calling on Nigers military authorities to protect the rights and safety of journalists. Journalists in Niger must be able to work safely and free of intimidation, especially as the country and region grapple with political tension, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, in Durban, South Africa. Authorities in Niger must urgently address the harassment, threats, and restrictions on the media who are trying to inform Nigeriens and the rest of the world about what is happening in the country. On July 26, soldiers overthrew Nigers democratically elected president and set up a military government known as the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP). Read the full letter to Nigers CNSP below and click here to see the full list of signatories. August 25, 2023 We, journalists, directors of media outlets and press freedom advocacy organisations, established and working in Africa, have received reports of numerous attacks on press freedom since the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) seized power in Niger on 26 July 2023. 1. Two days after the coup, unidentified individuals attacked crews from Nigerien radio-TV broadcaster Anfani and damaged a camera from private TV channel Bonferey. They were covering a press conference by women from the political party of deposed president Mohamed Bazoum. 2. Journalist Soufiane Maman Hassan, publisher of the newspaper Le Temoin de lHistoire, reported being stopped in the street by masked men. They threatened to come to his house very soon, to take him away. They told him to watch out for what he published in his newspaper and on his social media. 3. On 29 July, a member of the CNSP support committee called publicly for the indefinite suspension of western media. On 3 August, the TV channel France 24 and radio broadcaster RFI were shut down until further notice. 4. While covering demonstrations, international media correspondents have been threatened on multiple occasions by people hostile to their presence. On 19 August three of them were attacked physically, with two of them injured. They had been covering a recruitment ceremony for Volunteers of the Homeland (VDP). 5. On 4 August, journalist and blogger Samira Sabou received an intimidating phone call by a member of the military close to the junta after she had shared on social media, as a news item, a post by deposed president Bazoum. She condemns a denial of the right to practice the profession ethically. Amid multiple calls to the CNSP to respect press freedom by the Maison de la presse of Niger, by those who stand in solidarity with Nigerien journalists and international correspondents, we reiterate the need, in this moment of crisis, for diverse and reliable coverage of events, based on respect for the ethical standards of the profession. We demand that the junta respect the right to information, and to media pluralism and independence. Specifically, we call on the CNSP to: 1. Safeguard the safety of local and international journalists: End verbal attacks and threats against journalists, including by CNSP members, and to publicly condemn such attacks when they occur. Remove all obstacles, of whatever kind, to criminal investigation of threats and attacks on journalists, which must be undertaken in order to identify and prosecute those responsible, whoever they may be. 2. Respect media-protection legal provisions: The 2010 ruling on press freedom ends prison sentences for press crimes. Since 2022, the cyber-crime law no longer includes imprisonment for crimes committed by electronic media outlets, including slander or defamation by journalists. However, provisions of this law against crimes of treason, terrorism and threat to state security pose the risk of unwarranted repression of journalists. We call on the CNSP to commit publicly to not invoke against journalists, because of their journalistic work, laws on treason, terrorism and state security. 3. Respect citizens right to be informed: Preserve and respect citizens right to be informed. Lift the suspension of media outlets such as RFI and France 24. Maintain internet platforms and social media open, protected, inclusive and accessible. 4. Respect media pluralism, diversity and independence The CNSP must treat information as a public good and respect the pluralism and independence of independent media. Media access to adequate and stable financing must not encounter obstacles. Our appeal is also directed to other States in the Sahel controlled by the military. We remind them of their duty to respect the rights of journalists, especially the right of access to information, in the interest of inhabitants of the Sahel. Senator Iroegu 26.08.2023 LISTEN The Geopolitics Series 2.0, a forum organised by the Media Centre for Development (MCD) and facilitated by Global Sentinel, Security Intel Africa and Ayanda Media Network, convened experts from around the world to dissect Africa's challenges in utilizing its resources for development. As global attention turns to Africa's potential, the series dissected resource mismanagement and global power dynamics in Africa. The panel of experts, participants and conveners also explored factors contributing to underdevelopment: resource mismanagement, historical exploitation, and leadership gaps. Discussions highlighted the paradox of resource-rich yet struggling nations and stressed effective leadership, equitable trade, educational reform, and collaboration. The series calls for collective action to drive Africa towards prosperity, stability, and a stronger global presence. Unlocking Africa's Potential: Insights from Geopolitics Series 2.0 The complex underdevelopment challenges plaguing Africa find their roots in a delicate interplay of factors: mismanagement of resources within African nations and the historical dominance of global powers shaping the continent's economic and political landscape. The second Geopolitics Series webinar, delved into these pressing issues. Titled "Africa Fragility: Resource Curse or Resource Mismanagement?", the webinar brought together distinguished experts and participants to dissect Africa's struggle to harness its resources for sustainable growth. Speakers included Paul Turner, President and Executive Director of The Fund for Peace in Washington DC; Prof. PLO Lumumba, President of the PLO Lumumba Foundation and Director of the Kenya School of Law in Nairobi; Prof. Adriano Nuvunga, Director of CDD and Chairperson of the Mozambique Human Rights Defenders Network in Maputo; and David Endeley Otto, International Terrorism Consultant at Stepp In Stepp Out UK Ltd in London. paradox is palpable: Africa holds vast natural and human resourcesoil, gas, minerals, and a young educated populaceyet remains among the world's poorest. A legacy of colonialism, resource mismanagement, global power dynamics, and governance deficits emerged as key culprits. The webinar's insights underscored the need for transparent governance, accountable leadership, educational reform, technology investment, and international collaboration to steer Africa toward a future of prosperity and global prominence. Decoding Africa's Underdevelopment In the quest to address Africa's enduring underdevelopment amid global growth and shifting power dynamics, the Geopolitics Series emerged as a beacon. Coordinated by the MCD in collaboration with Global Sentinel, Public Intel Security Africa, and Ayanda Media Network, this series aims to dissect global issues impacting Africa's peace, security, economy, governance, and development, with a focus on Nigeria and the continent at large. The inaugural edition celebrated the African Union's 60th Anniversary, delving into conflict management in the 21st century. Building on this success, the second edition explored economic security and Africa's struggle to harness its resources effectively. The series dissected Africa's limited global influence, economic contribution, and the "resource curse," wherein mismanaged natural resources exacerbate challenges. This effort serves as a platform for thought leaders to decipher the complexities stifling Africa's progress and to pave the way for transformative change. Through critical analysis, it strives to redefine Africa's trajectory by combining its resources, youth potential, visionary leadership, and robust governance for a future of prosperity and sustainable development. Africa's complex journey towards development was scrutinized in the Geopolitics Series, where experts dissected the intricate web of factors driving underdevelopment. Internal challenges like governance flaws and corruption were unveiled as fundamental culprits. Governance deficits perpetuate inefficiencies and embezzlement, diverting resources from critical sectors. The shadow of colonialism looms large, with its arbitrary borders and ethnic divisions still sowing discord. Global dynamics also play a role, with unequal trade and neocolonialism hampering progress. However, the series emphasized that the responsibility for change rests not solely on history and external pressures. Africa's internal drive and pragmatic leadership are crucial. The series called for transparent governance, fair trade, and a harmonious fusion of cultural identity and modern practices. Ultimately, the series underscored the necessity of a concerted effort between Africa and the global community to mend the fractures of underdevelopment, transforming aspirations into realities. Addressing Resource Mismanagement in Africa Mr. David Otto, a security and counterterrorism expert, delved into Africa's fragility, spotlighting indicators such as corruption and economic instability. He noted that despite abundant resources, outdated healthcare and education systems hinder growth. Otto highlighted, "During COVID, Africa's health system struggled due to lack of infrastructure. Educational systems are outdated, still echoing colonial curriculum despite resource wealth." He contended that the relationship between growth and resources isn't straightforward and emphasized the need for governance and diversification. Otto stressed the mismanagement of Africa's resources and urged a focus on human resource development. He cited successful resource-poor countries like Rwanda as examples. Otto underscored Africa's potential but lamented its underrepresentation in global geopolitics. He stressed governance, mindset shifts, unity, and workforce utilization as key to addressing Africa's multifaceted fragility. In the same vein, Paul Turner, President and Executive Director of the Fund for Peace Washington DC, beamed searchlight on Africa's role in global power dynamics. He analyzed Africa's recent challenges, linking rising food prices to global disruptions and events like the Russian invasion in Ukraine. He noted leaders' varied responses, leading to protests and fragility. Turner underscored global power shifts and their implications for international relations, urging African leaders to leverage major powers' competition for economic gain. He stressed the importance of effective resource management, acknowledging technology's transformative potential. Turner highlighted, "The Cold War is behind us... If skillfully navigated by African leaders, these impacts could work to their advantage." He noted the context-dependent nature of resources as blessings or curses and looked forward to case studies shedding light on economic challenges and opportunities in African countries. On his part, Prof. PLO Lumumba, Chairman and Founder of the PLO Foundation, made a call for change in resource management in Africa in order to drive progress and become a major player in global arena. He highlighted equitable agreements in dealings with global powers like the Western world, China, and Russia, emphasizing resource extraction like cobalt or gold. He noted poor contracts enabled foreign corporations in sectors like oil and agriculture to exploit African countries. Lumumba challenged the notion of a "resource curse," attributing it to mismanagement within African nations. He cited Total Energies, Shell, and ExxonMobil exploiting Nigeria and Ghana in oil, and foreign entities benefiting from African agricultural products. He emphasized, "Africa's perceived resource curse isn't due to curses, but mismanagement. Political class's unfavourable contracts led to foreign exploitation. In agriculture, Togo, Cote D'Ivoire, and Ghana's minimal value addition benefits foreigners. It's a failure to maximize opportunities." Lumumba attributed this to Africa's political vulnerability and advocated for industrialization, energy infrastructure, and value addition to move away from raw material trade. He urged unity in negotiations to counter manipulation, stressing Africa's human resources. He concluded, "Time to move beyond lamentation. We possess ample human resources. Fragility only emerges when one chooses to be fragile. The time for change is now." Harnessing Africa's Youth Potential Prof. Adriano Nuvunga, Director of CDD, highlighted the opportunities and challenges presented by Africa's youthful population. He emphasized inadequate democratic spaces hindering youth participation and declining voter turnout despite population growth. Nuvunga linked this to deteriorating education quality. "Africa's unprecedented youth population holds immense potential, but insufficient democratic avenues obstruct their engagement. Voter turnout declines despite population growth, intertwined with declining education quality, " he said. He highlighted debt distress, exemplified by Mozambique's struggle due to debt servicing and limited development revenue. Nuvunga criticized ineffective leadership, corruption, and resource mismanagement, advocating for visionary leaders. The rights activist discussed global governance systems enabling exploitation, citing unequal investment flows and tax havens. He urged reshaping global governance to benefit Africa's resources and noted internal and external factors contributing to African countries' fragility. Nuvunga's insights stress addressing education, governance, and international cooperation to unlock Africa's youth and resources. Senator Iroegbu, Geopolitics Series Convener, acknowledged Africa's wealth and challenges, questioning how to harness resources for global leadership. Iroegbu weaved prior speakers' points, exploring leadership's role in resource exploitation and economic growth. The Editor-In-Chief of Global Sentinel, probed why resource-rich nations struggle as resource-poor flourish, delving into resources, leadership, and development. Amidst Africa's mineral and agricultural wealth, Nigeria's example revealed progress hindered by poor leadership. He quoted a Nigerian adage, "We have everything we need, but our progress is hindered by bad leadership," encapsulating citizens' frustration with untapped potential. Co-Conveners Ms. Dakore Ekpendu, CEO of Security Intel Africa, echoed this sentiment, linking resources to inadequate leadership's impact, and Ms. Ayanda Ngwane, Founder of Ayanda Media Network, stressed leadership's role in Africa's hurdles. The event's Q&A sought solutions for Africa's growth and stability by addressing its leadership deficit. Key Takeaways and Recommendations The Geopolitics Series 2.0 produced key takeaways and recommendations: Resource Mismanagement and Fragility: It was observed that Africa's resource wealth hasn't translated into economic growth due to mismanagement and corruption. Also, fragility is evident in struggling resource utilization. To this end, it was recommended to prioritize transparent governance and effective regulations as well as foster accountable leadership to prevent resource exploitation for personal gains. Leadership and Development: Effective leadership determines whether resource abundance leads to prosperity, therefore, bad leadership, often corrupt and short-term focused, hinders progress. Against this backdrop, there is a need to develop visionary, accountable leadership. Plan for citizen welfare and sustainable development, converting resource wealth into tangible progress. Youth Population and Democratic Spaces: Inadequate democratic spaces hinder youth participation, and the declining voter turnout requires better education and civic engagement. To forestall this further decline is to invest in quality education and civic education, and also, encourage youth participation for informed and active citizenship. Global Power Dynamics and Exploitation: Historical exploitation by global powers has led to unequal trade relationships. External factors like investment flows diminish revenue potential. There is therefore, a need to seek fair trade, economic diversification, and global economic system restructuring for equitable exchanges and reduced exploitation. Industrialisation and Value Addition: Exporting raw materials without value addition limits growth and job creation. Industrialisation enhances stability and resilience. To counter this, African countries must prioritize industrialisation and value addition. Encourage local processing, manufacturing, and reduced dependency on raw material exports. Human Capital and Collaboration: Abundant human resources remain underutilised. Collaboration is essential for solving common challenges. It therefore, recommended to invest in education, skills, and capacity-building. Collaborate for knowledge sharing, technology transfer, and collective problem-solving. Conclusion Geopolitics Series 2.0 highlighted Africa's challenges and opportunities. Effective leadership, resource management, education, fair trade, and collaboration are crucial. By prioritising these, Africa can harness its potential, achieving sustainable growth and stability. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. Baku will host the forum "Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2023: Corridors, Cargo, and Infrastructure,, organized with the cooperation of Azerbaijan Maritime Engineering and Construction LLC (AMEC) and with the organization of the Association of International Road Carriers of Azerbaijan (ABADA), from September 20 through September 21, the ABADA told Trend. The forum will discuss modern realities, the active use by logistics companies and shippers of transport corridors passing through the territory of the countries around the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, as well as the development of new services, routes, and infrastructure. In addition, during the forum, discussions will be held with professionals of the logistics industry of the Black Sea and Caspian regions on current market issues. The founder and leader of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Reverend Owusu Bempah has dispelled rumours of his death and clarify his current status. The claims of his demise in the United Kingdom, along with assertions that he travelled there for medical treatment, were denounced by the clergy. Addressing the swirling rumors, Reverend Owusu Bempah stated in a phone interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese of Okay FM, I've also heard it. Yesterday I received a lot of calls from my pastors back in Ghana, my elders and family were all calling that I had come for medical attention and that I had died but that is not true. I didn't come for medical attention. I came to hold church service and I will be starting today, through tomorrow and Sunday. Reverend Owusu Bempah further clarified his plans, outlining his intention to continue with church services during his time in the UK. He expressed his firm belief that these claims were unfounded and called upon Ghanaians to disregard the rumors. The rumors initially stemmed from a video where Patricia Asieduaa, also known as Nana Agradaa, alleged that Reverend Owusu Bempah had passed away in the UK. In response, Glorious Word Power Ministry International has also issued a statement strongly refuting these claims. The church urged the public to treat the rumor with contempt and affirmed that Reverend Owusu Bempah is alive, strong, and healthy by the grace of God. This incident is not the first time Reverend Owusu Bempah and Patricia Asieduaa have found themselves entangled. In late July, the pastor disclosed his intent to take legal action against Nana Agradaa, involving his family and church in the case. The specifics of the impending legal action were not outlined at the time. We are taking her (Agradaa) to court. It isn't me but the family is part, the church elders are also involved and some pastors too. If we get to the court then we would see what would transpire, Reverend Owusu Bempah had previously announced to his congregation. 3news.com 26.08.2023 LISTEN Former President John Mahama's office has vehemently refuted recent claims that he holds the position of the fourth wealthiest individual in Ghana, with an estimated net worth of approximately $900 million. These allegations have been declared as entirely false and lacking any factual basis. In an official statement, Mr. Mahama's office unequivocally rejects these assertions and views them as yet another orchestrated effort to tarnish his reputation, foster negative sentiments towards him, and undermine his track record of dedicated and selfless service. The statement goes on to assert that these unfounded claims appear to be part of a deliberate campaign orchestrated by the New Patriotic Party (NPP), aimed at tarnishing the image of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer. The statement issued by Mr. Mahama's office urges the people of Ghana to dismiss these baseless allegations and any potential similar reports that may emerge in the future. It appeals to the public to see through the intention behind such rumors and maintain focus on the substantive political issues and matters that truly impact the nation. Classfmonline.com The New Patriotic Party is holding its special delegates conference today, Saturday, 26 August 2023. It is to whittle down the 10 flagbearer aspirants to five. They are Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, former Trade Minister Alan Kyerematen, former Attorney General Joe Ghartey, former Minister of Food and Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto; and former General Secretary of the NPP Kwabena Agyei Agyapong. The others are Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, former Offinso North MP Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, former Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh and a former presidential staffer Kojo Opoku. Ahead of the polls, the presidential election committee of the party, said it is "committed to conducting free, fair and transparent elections without any bias, fear or favour". In its protocol measures update to the delegates ahead of today's internal poll, the committee also warned the delegates against capturing and publicly displaying their preference, warning it is a criminal offence to do so. Classfmonline Psychologist John Egbeazien Oshodi 26.08.2023 LISTEN A Comprehensive Psychologist's Guide to Equipping Against Diverse Types of Faculty Sexual Misconduct, Including Establishing Boundaries for Social Interactions on and off Campus. Recent distressing incidents involving inappropriate behavior by male faculty members in Nigeria have ignited deep concerns, both nationally and internationally, for the empowerment, safety, and resilience of female students within the realm of education. In response to these distressing occurrences, in my capacity as sex offender evaluation and treatment psychologist I am compelled to take a stand and present a comprehensive approach aimed at not only acknowledging the gravity of these challenges but also equipping you, the students, with a robust toolkit of strategies, resources, and unwavering support to effectively navigate these turbulent waters. Instances of misconduct perpetrated by certain male faculty members, as distressing as they are, have served to expose unsettling and disheartening realities within the educational landscape. The emotional toll and vulnerability that such incidents inflict upon you, the female students, are deeply acknowledged and recognized as pivotal aspects of our collective mission to uphold your rights, ensure your security, and safeguard the sanctity of your education. In the face of these challenges, one of the most potent instruments you possess is knowledge. Acquiring an in-depth understanding of your rights as students and developing the ability to discern the nuances of misconduct provide you with the armor you need to confidently address any inappropriate behavior. By fully grasping your entitlement to a secure educational environment, you inherently empower yourselves to stand firm against any form of transgression. Your collective voice, when amplified with unity and determination, has the power to induce transformative changes within your educational landscape. It is imperative that you demand a higher level of transparency and accountability from your respective institutions. By insisting on thorough and impartial investigations for any allegations of misconduct, you not only champion justice but also contribute to creating an environment in which every student can learn and grow without fear. The strategic integration of modern DNA laboratories within healthcare and counseling services units at universities and other educational institutions brings forth a plethora of significant advantages. These advantages contribute to fostering a safer and more supportive environment for all members of the academic community. Moreover, the presence of modern DNA laboratories acts as a powerful deterrent against potential perpetrators. The knowledge that advanced evidence collection capabilities exist within the university setting sends a clear message that misconduct will not go unnoticed or unaddressed. This deterrent effect is an essential component of establishing a culture of accountability and respect within the institution. As a result, this proactive measure contributes to preventing instances of misconduct and creating an environment where all individuals can feel secure. Beyond the realm of evidence collection, the presence of trained personnel within these units plays a crucial role in providing survivors with comprehensive support. Trained professionals, equipped with a deep understanding of trauma and its effects, offer not only practical assistance but also emotional guidance. This holistic support system ensures that survivors are not navigating the legal process alone. Emotional well-being is given due consideration, alongside the legal aspects, fostering an environment of care and empathy. In essence, the integration of modern DNA laboratories within healthcare and counseling services units at universities and educational institutions embodies a multifaceted approach. It contributes to a more effective pursuit of justice, serves as a deterrent against future misconduct, and provides survivors with a robust support network. By combining cutting-edge technology, trained professionals, and a commitment to comprehensive well-being, these institutions create an environment that champions safety, equity, and respect for all. In light of this, our primary objective is to create an environment in which you can focus on your academic endeavors without being burdened by concerns for your personal safety. To this end, I have developed a multi-pronged approach that encompasses various strategies, ranging from education and community services to legislative changes and self-improvement initiatives. Recognizing the pervasive nature of issues such as sexual assault, harassment, and trauma, I am committed to providing you with the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively combat these challenges. Decent and concerned people wholeheartedly value your well-being and your right to pursue your academic goals free from worry. By equipping you with strategies to stand up against abusive behavior and cope with traumatic experiences, Reasonable and concerned persons aim to foster a brighter and more secure future for each one of you. A cornerstone of our approach lies in education. Reasonable people firmly believe that comprehensive sexuality education programs are a powerful way to instill critical values such as consent, personal boundaries, and respect from an early age. By nurturing a culture that promotes healthy attitudes and relationships, we can significantly reduce the instances of misconduct and abuse that plague educational environments. In tandem with educational efforts, awareness campaigns play a pivotal role in challenging harmful norms, stereotypes, and power dynamics that perpetuate a culture of violence. These campaigns serve as a collective assertion against the practices and attitudes that enable misconduct, creating a space in which the dignity and safety of every student are upheld. Furthermore, I urge the implementation of stringent anti-abuse and anti-harassment regulations within educational institutions. By establishing a clear framework that unequivocally condemns such behavior, institutions send a strong message that they are committed to fostering a safe environment for all. This proactive approach requires the collective will of students, faculty, and administrators to ensure that policies are not just words on paper but actively enforced principles that safeguard the well-being of every member of the academic community. Your safety is paramount. To establish a strong support system, communicate your whereabouts and plans with individuals you trust. This could be a friend, family member, or roommate. When meeting with professors, especially in one-on-one situations, consider having a reliable third-party present as an observer. This observer can help ensure that interactions remain professional and respectful. Embracing these precautionary measures enhances your overall sense of safety and confidence in your academic environment. It is crucial for female students to establish and uphold clear boundaries when interacting with faculty members. While fostering positive relationships with educators is important, it's equally essential to recognize the distinction between professional and personal realms. To this end, female students are advised to refrain from engaging in activities that blur the lines of professionalism and could potentially lead to compromising situations. One key aspect of this delineation involves refraining from engaging in unofficial errands for faculty members without the knowledge and approval of relevant departments. Activities such as running private errands for faculty members, socializing outside of academic contexts, visiting their homes, participating in domestic tasks such as cooking and cleaning, attending parties, consuming alcoholic beverages, dining together, and engaging in any other forms of social interactions with faculty members are strongly discouraged. It is strongly advised for female students to avoid engaging in any form of physical intimacy, including holding hands and light kissing, with faculty members. By setting and maintaining these boundaries, female students can ensure that their relationships with faculty members remain respectful, professional, and free from any hint of impropriety. These guidelines serve as a protective measure, contributing to a safer academic environment where everyone's rights and well-being are upheld. It's important to understand that these precautions are not meant to hinder positive interactions, but rather to establish a foundation of respect, professionalism, and appropriate conduct for both students and faculty members alike. When faced with a situation where a faculty member employs direct or indirect tactics to create difficulty in your academic journey, particularly during class sessions, exam periods, or mentorship interactions, it is of utmost importance to take swift action and report such behavior without delay. Your education and well-being are paramount, and any form of misconduct that impedes your progress or creates a hostile environment must be addressed promptly. By reporting such incidents to the appropriate authorities within your educational institution, you contribute not only to your own protection but also to the maintenance of a safe and equitable learning environment for all. Remember that your voice matters, and taking steps to address such issues reinforces the principles of fairness, professionalism, and respect that should define your academic experience. The strength of unity cannot be underestimated. Connecting with fellow students who share similar academic and emotional challenges offers a sense of belonging and understanding. Consider forming anonymous support groups where individuals with similar experiences, spanning different years of schooling, can come together. Traumatic feelings and thoughts may persist, but having a safe space to share and seek advice can provide enduring comfort and resilience. Your well-being is a priority. Trauma doesn't have to be endured alone. Seeking professional treatment or counseling empowers you to address trauma's impact on your mental and emotional health. Therapists can guide you in managing anxiety and taking back control over your life. Practicing self-care through activities like exercise, mindfulness, and connecting with others can foster a holistic sense of well-being, nurturing your mind and body. Overcoming isolation is achievable through collective efforts. Forming bonds, whether in person or via social media platforms, counteracts the isolation that often accompanies challenges. These connections can cultivate a profound sense of unity and strength, leading to a feeling of shared purpose and inner fortitude. Establishing supportive networks within academic circles is transformative. These networks provide spaces for female students to openly discuss their experiences, share insights, and offer emotional support. This process fosters trust, unity, and a shared understanding, creating an environment where everyone can thrive. Prioritizing your security is essential. Informing trusted individuals about your plans and schedules creates a safety net. Additionally, when engaging with professors and lecturers, consider inviting a trusted friend or colleague to accompany you. This practice promotes transparency and professionalism while enhancing your overall sense of security and self-confidence. Strengthening professionalism and respect in academic interactions is paramount. A constructive step forward is for male professors to consider having a female colleague present as an observer during meetings with female students. This approach ensures transparency and safeguards against potential discomfort or misunderstandings. By voluntarily adopting this practice, male professors showcase their dedication to ethical behavior and foster an environment of trust. This proactive measure underscores their commitment to professionalism and mutual respect, creating a safe and inclusive academic environment for all. In light of the pervasive challenges faced by female students, reasonable persons understand the necessity of providing tangible tools that enhance personal safety. These tools have been carefully selected to offer discreet yet effective means of protection in situations that might compromise your security. Let's delve into the details of these tools: Defender Ring's Concealed Self-Defense Rings. These rings are not merely ornamental; they are designed with concealed blades that can be deployed swiftly for immediate self-defense. Wearing one of these rings, you carry with you a discreet yet powerful tool that can serve as a potent deterrent against potential threats. Cat Ear Keychains. These keychains are not only stylish accessories but also functional tools that serve a dual purpose. Shaped with pointed ears resembling a cat's face, they can be used as potential deterrents against unwanted attention or aggression. Their innocuous appearance masks their utility as tools that can create discomfort and discourage potential aggressors. Introducing Kubatons which are discreet, versatile self-defense tools with secure grip and striking support from ridges and points. Effective in various situations, training is crucial for optimal use. Kubatons are held between fingers with the ridged end pointing outwards. Techniques include striking sensitive areas for self-protection. Mastering techniques and responsible deployment empower confident self-defense. Flashlights, while primarily associated with illumination, can be valuable tools in enhancing personal security. They serve a dual purpose of temporarily disorienting an assailant by shining light directly into their eyes, creating a window of opportunity for escape or seeking help. Additionally, they can serve as signaling devices in potentially dangerous situations. While these tools provide an additional layer of security, it's imperative to use them ethically and responsibly, adhering to legal regulations and ensuring that their usage aligns with the principles of self-defense and personal safety per the law of the land. In conclusion, your safety, well-being, and empowerment are paramount in our collective efforts to address and overcome the challenges posed by misconduct and abuse. By adopting a multi-faceted approach that encompasses education, awareness, policy changes, and practical tools, we aim to create an environment in which you can flourish academically and personally. Challenges of this magnitude demand a comprehensive response, and we are committed to standing with you every step of the way as you navigate and conquer these challenges. Remember, your strength, resilience, and pursuit of justice make a difference, not only in your lives but in shaping the landscape of education for generations to come. Best wishes and stay safe. Professor John Egbeazien Oshodi, who was born in Uromi, Edo State, Nigeria, to a father who served in the Nigeria police for 37 years, is an American-based police and prison scientist and forensic, clinical, and legal psychologist. A sex offender evaluation and treatment Psychologist. A government consultant on matters of forensic-clinical psychological services in the USA; and a former interim associate dean and assistant professor at Broward College, Florida. The Founder of the Dr. John Egbeazien Oshodi Foundation, Center for Psychological Health and Behavioral Change in African Settings. A former Secretary-General of the Nigeria Psychological Association. In 2011, he introduced state-of-the-art forensic psychology into Nigeria through N.U.C. and Nasarawa State University, where he served in the Department of Psychology as an Associate Professor. He has taught at various universities and colleges including Florida memorial University, Florida International University, Broward college, Lynn University, and a contributing faculty member at the Weldios university in Benin Republic, Nexus International University, Uganda, Nova Southeastern University and Walden University in USA. [email protected] The office of former president John Dramani Mahama has issued a press release on the reports that the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the fourth richest person in the country. In a release by Mahamas Special Aide Madam Joyce Bawah Mogtari, she vehemently denied the reportage. According to him, it is just propaganda by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). We wish to state categorically that the publications are entirely false and baseless. Mr. Mahama vehemently denies the claims, which he considers yet another attempt to discredit his reputation, cause disaffection for him, and undermine his leadership of selfless service, the release issued on Saturday, August 26, said. The release added, These malicious false publications from obvious political opponents will be expected as Ghana approaches the 2024 general elections, an election John Mahama will win. It is obvious that this publication is part of a deliberate and discredited strategy by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to spread lies and seek to generate public disaffection for the leader and flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) a man in whom many Ghanaians have expressed their confidence and are looking forward to his visionary leadership from January 07, 2025. The release further encouraged the public to focus on holding the non-performing NPP government accountable for its gross mismanagement of the economy and dissipation of state resources. It also said John Dramani Mahama remains committed to an issue-based campaign that seeks to salvage the country from the incompetent, inept, and terrible administration of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia. The Director of Capacity Development and Outreach for the National Peace Council (NPC), Janet Samey-Kuma has urged the students of St. Mary's Senior High School to be peace ambassadors both at school and in the communities they live in. Peace is possible. We must teach these young people to embrace peace among themselves as they are young. The only way forward is peace, not conflict or violence, Janet Samey-Kuma said. Mrs. Janet Samey-Kuma disclosed this on Friday, August 25, during a peace sensitization outreach at the school premises. Janet Samey-Kuma About 500 students who gathered at the School's Assembly Hall were taken through the basics of conflict management, conflict resolution, violence, and tolerance in order to build sustainable peace among themselves and in the country at large. "We came here to teach you about peaceful co-existence. We realized that it's very important that peace goes down to everybody," she said. So far, the National Peace Council outreach team has visited 7 SHS namely; Osu Presbyterian Sernior High, La Presbyterian Sernior High, Accra Academy Sernior High, Achimota Sernior High, Nungua Senior High, St. Mary' Sernior High School. Mrs. Janet Samey-Kuma is hopeful that the education outreaches will help to reach every child in every school. "It is something we hope to continue. We have so many schools in Ghana we would like to visit and we must catch people young and teach them the basis of conflict management and how to manage offers and disputes among themselves," she indicated. She noted that the NCP is putting measures in place to have peace education in all the districts in the country to maintain peace before, during, and after the election. Awini Anaba Hillary, the head girls perfect of St Mary's Senior High School speaking in an interview with the media, commended the National Peace Council for choosing the school among others for this important education. Awini Anaba Hillary She said peace sensitization is an eye-opener that will go a long way to enable them to live in harmony. She emphasized that, as the head girl's prefect, she will use her position to preach peace to her colleagues both at school and at home. France's biggest issue in recent years has likely been the military takeover situation in Niger since the country has already lost Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso through military coups. France's system of economic exploitation, military intervention, and semi-feudal links with African governments is steadily dissolving. Sadly, France was unable to accept the breakup and developed such exploitative methods to preserve control over its former colonies and its global influence. An article by this writer titled "Would France Be Free From Terrorism Without Colonizing Many Islamic Countries?," was published on April 24, 2018, by ModernGhana. The Republic of Benin, Upper Volta, now Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Chad, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, and the Republic of Togo, were among the nations that France controlled in Sub-Saharan Africa, while Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia were in North Africa. France is a terrorist state, a placard proclaims in a demonstration against France in Bamako, Mali. Yet, little has changed today, since France is still exploitative and its leaders continue to have enslaving policies and contracts that require their colonies in Africa to deposit 85% of their cash reserves with the National Bank of France. How is it conceivable that these African nations would profit from such colossal greed? According to Jacques Chirac, France's 22nd president, "Without Africa, France would have fallen to the level of third-world countries." He is right, but we must also consider what advantages the former colonists received from their colonial rulers. African nations receive nothing from their colonial masters other than constant exploitation, yet France can't stand it when those nations that have had enough are now determined to free themselves from the colonial yokes that are still a burden to them. Since the majority of the nations France conquered were Islamic nations, Islam overtook Catholicism as the second most popular religion in France, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of the country's population. Therefore, we need to comprehend why terrorism has affected France so frequently. It is no secret that France looted its colonies in Africa relentlessly from the 17th century until the end of the 1960s, leaving the people of the continent to suffer from famine and poverty.The same world leaders who complain about the abuse and violation of human rights themselves do such acts. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, recently denounced Russia's actions in Ukraine, although his nation is acting the worst toward its colonial subjects in Africa. However, I hold African leaders accountable for how France mistreats them. They would be less vulnerable to exploitation from their old colonial ruler if they could find solutions to their issues without depending on France. Even though many European nations lost their colonies after the African continent attained independence, France continues to use legal and administrative ploys to steal the unaccounted wealth of Africans, pushing their citizens into poverty, while their president, Emmanuel Macron, accuses Vladimir Putin of Russia of being barbaric and violating human rights. France and the USA are where we need to seek the true human rights violators and abusers. France sought to destroy its former colonies with greed and poor policies that only benefited them, just as Belgium, which couldn't bear the agony of losing Congo and started a brutal destruction of the nation, both physically and medically, while causing extreme poverty in Africa. Imagine that France emptied the coffers and took everything from the Republic of Guinea's statehouse, including the furniture, and left Ahmed Sekou Toure, the newly elected president, empty-handed and penniless. The reality is that France's continued rule over its former colonies is not benefiting the people; rather, it has had a negative influence on them so badly that they no longer have any power to modify laws or regulations in their nations. The ongoing toppling of democracy in Africa is only the start of the problem. More coups would occur for the French-colonized African nations to liberate themselves from this physical and mental servitude because they wanted their freedom. Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kennedy Agyapong is unhappy with alleged machinations against his polling agents in the Super Delegates Congress of the party today. In a video that has gone viral, the Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) is seen furiously making a phone call and vowing to give President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia a showdown. This happened after one of the persons he delegated to coordinate his polling agents at voting centres in the North East Region was attacked by persons believed to be supporters of Dr. Bawumia and forced to run away. You have chased my polling agents to run and go into hiding in a room. I swear to God I will give the President and the Vice President a showdown, You will see what will happen. I swear to God I will challenge President Akufo-Addo anytime, Ken Agyapong vowed. The 10 aspirants contesting the flagbearer election of the NPP this year include Kennedy Agyapong, Alan Kyerematen, Joe Gartey, Kwadwo Poku, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, and Francis Addai Nimoh. The rest are Dr. Kofi Kunadu Apraku, Boakye Agyarko and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. The top five candidates from the Super Delegates Congress will go head to head in the main flagbearer election on November 4. Voting has commenced at the YMCA Technical Training Centre, where the Greater Accra Regional branch of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is holding its Special Electoral College polls. Some 958 delegates nationwide are expected to decide the fate of the ten NPP presidential aspirants by selecting five for the Party's presidential primary slated for November 4, 2023. Voting at the YMCA Centre commenced at 0900 hours and expected to close at 1300 hours. Some 72 delegates (including 1 proxy) will cast their ballot in the Greater Accra Regional polls. They comprise Constituency Chairmen, 32; Regional Representatives on National Council, three; Founding Members, four; Regional Executive 17, and Members of Parliament (including Regional Minister), 14. As of 0700 hours, the Electoral Commission had already set up the voting booth in readiness for the announced time for voting to commence. The agents of the various presidential aspirants were also present at the Centre to follow the process. There is heavy police presence at the voting Centre, with police officers positioned at vantage points to maintain law and order. Persons without accreditation are not allowed to enter the voting Centre. The ten presidential aspirants, in the order in which they will appear on the ballot paper are: Mr Kennedy Agyapong, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, Mr Joe Ghartey, Mr Kwadwo Poku, and Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto. The rest are: Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, Francis Addai Nimoh, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, and Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia. GNA 26.08.2023 LISTEN On 27 July 2023, the Parliament of Ghana passed a law criminalising the declaration, accusation and naming or labelling of another person as a witch. Less than a month later (on 24 August 2023, to be exact) Joy News reported that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, had been taken to task by the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAG), for not yet signing the bill into law by giving it his assent. I marvelled when I saw the report criticising the President for being tardy with his assent. I told myself: Yieee! What a strange country we live in!" What had astounded me was that for over ten years, I had been conducting a campaign to get the Ghana Police Service and the Attorney-Generals office to explain to the Ghanaian public, why the prosecution of a group of individuals for burning alive, a 72-year-old woman, had been stopped. CHRAG had not uttered a word on the issue, as far as I knew! The old woman, Madam Ama Hemma, had been accused of witchcraft after being found on a bed, in a house where no-one knew her. Obviously, she suffered from DEMENTIA, and had lost her way (something common with dementia patients). She had gone into the wrong house, while looking for her son! And for that, kerosine was poured on her and she was set alight. She died 24 hours later. Madam Ama Hemma's death occurred on 20 November 2010. The details of the story were so horrific that the Daily Graphic led its front page with the story. The report was illustrated with a terrifying, picture of her half-naked body, (with her burns showing.) The details can be retrieved from www.wikipedia.com, where a whole page is devoted to the awful story). The Ghana Police Service were admirably prompt in arresting those who took part in the murder and giving the public information about what had emerged from their investigation into the incident. But after taking the suspects to court thrice or so, the public heard ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MORE about the case. Never, in the almost six decades that Ive practised journalism, have I seen a more blatant disregard for public opinion, as I have seen with the cessation of prosecution on this matter. Outraged, I have, since 2010, written a host of articles, both in the local and the overseas media, deploring the police silence on the issue. My reason is that a great opportunity has been missed for educting the public on alleged witchcraft, as well as dementia. Not only that: the matter ticks all the boxes that signify contempt for public opinion by officialdom. The police and the prosecution service do exercise their prosecutorial powers in a manner that seems to them to be proper, yes. But they also have a clear DUTY to inform the public about why they have acted in a particular way. Otherwise they PUZZLE the public. You see, when the public has no inkling of the thought processes of the prosecutors, they INVENT untrue stories about their motives! Is that in the public interest? I have kept asking the police and the AGs Department to, at the very least, state their side of the matter. The public might not agree with them, but in a democracy, we cannot all think alike, can we? I have been hoping that there would be a public outcry, calling out the Minister of the Interior, the Attorney-General, and the Inspector-General of Police, over their silence on the issue. But most of the otherwise vociferous "leaders of public opinion", have ignored my campaign. What about my journastic colleagues?Nothing doing, I am afraid! But it was CHRAG whose silence shocked me the most. About the ``Commission I said this to CHRAG: If no public explanation of the cessation of the prosecution is forthcoming, then, in committing similar crimes, the criminals can assure themselves that they are doing something that an amorphous group of higher authorities in the society would approve of! In other words, a climate of tacit connivance would come to exist between members of society and potential criminals. Vigilantism against so-called witchcraft could threaten public order. "Thus, the possibility of thereby encouraging imitative or mimic crimes, cannot be dismissed. "That is why I've written and written and written about the dangers of not prosecuting Madam Hemma's alleged murderers and bringing them to justice". l described as "bizarre", the fact that although Madam Hemma's case had been well publicised, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) which was created in 1993 as an independent institution designed to protect fundamental human rights and freedoms in Ghana, had anot, to my knowledge, asked the police anything about Madam Hemma's case! If CHRAJ really exists to build on and improve on governance, democracy, integrity, peace and social development across the nation, does it think that looking on unconcerned when acts of murder are not adequately prosecuted, can guarantee the human rights of Ghanaians? Isn't the right to life the most important of all human rights?" I asked. CHRAJ and the other organisations that often go to the aid of educated members of the society whose rights are trampled upon, should make their work also relevant to the disadvantaged sections of our society, I maintain. It appears,thank God, that Parliament has realised that the maltreatment of alleged witches is losing Ghana the respect of the international community. Government Thats why a Bill has been passed making it an offence to label people as witches and maltreat them. Hooray! The Bill was, as I have stated above, passed by Parliament on 27 July 2023. However, in less than a month, CHRAJ was already criticising the President for not giving his assent to it! If in 13 years, CHRAJ did not find the voice to even ask the Ghana prosecution authorities to explain why they had stopped prosecuting the alleged murderers of Madam Ama Hemma, but in one month, it has felt concerned enough to criticise the President for not assenting to the Bill, whom is CHRAG kidding? Should we commend CHRAG? Only the Ga language can adequately give expression to what I think of that notion: Anokwale mpo! [Oh yeah?] Borouge, a joint venture between the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Austrian chemical giant Borealis, said its fifth polypropylene unit (PP5) played a significant role in H1, contributing $209 million in polypropylene material sales, This represented 22% of the company's propylene sales and 10% of its overall turnover, it stated. Located at the Borouge 3 facility in the Al Ruwais Industrial City, PP5 represents a critical milestone in the Borouge 2030 Strategy, positioning it among the top five polyolefin producers in the Asia Pacific and Middle East region. "Our core markets in Asia accounted for 68% of the total sales, with the Middle East and Africa accounting for the remaining 32% of sales," Borouge's Chief Operating Officer Dr Hasan Karam told Wam. "Beyond expanding our product portfolio with polypropylene solutions, the unit supports our In-Country Value programme, which aims to enhance the resilience of our local value chain by maximising the use of local goods and services, encouraging local manufacturing, and creating job opportunities for UAE nationals," he emphasised. Asked on PP5's role in Borouge's growth in H1, Dr. Karam said: "PP5 boosted our polypropylene production capacity by over 25%, helping us further expand our product portfolio. Borouge commenced production in 2001 with an annual capacity of 480,000 tonnes." "The start-up of PP5 grew our annual production volumes to reach a milestone of five million tonnes in 2022 an exponential tenfold increase in capacity over two decades," he stated. Regarding the sectors that Borouge cater for its needs of polypropylene manufactured at the PP5, he said that demand for products made from polypropylene is set to rise in the coming decades thanks to its versatility and recyclability. The PP5 unit significantly enhances the Company's sustainable, innovative and differentiated products to meet this demand. "Polypropylene is a crucial raw material for making recyclable advanced packaging solutions, as well as for producing strong, durable and lightweight pipes used in the infrastructure sector," he stated. Since the commencement of operations 18 months ago, Borouge's PP5 unit has contributed $484 million in sales and boosted the company's polyolefin production capacity by 10% year-on-year, he added. According to him, Borouge remains a key enabler of the UAE's industrial growth. "Over the past 25 years, we have supported the UAE's economy through our world-scale manufacturing facilities in Abu Dhabi, producing differentiated raw materials that enable the development of local supply chains. Today, our products are exported to 86 countries worldwide," he added. On Borouge's global outlook for the polypropylene sector, Dr Karam said the market for Asia, Africa and the Middle East is valued at $10 billion and is predicted to grow by 5.5% annually. "We are capitalising on this demand and projected growth by introducing a wider range of differentiated product grades into the production mix, supporting our customers and building on our track record," he stated. On the company's role in the sustainability and the energy transformation domain, he said Borouge had invested significantly in integrating sustainability into the operations and developing innovative polyolefin solutions that enhance sustainability across the industries. "In doing so, we have embedded sustainability across our value chain, from production to end-use," he added. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. Work is underway to support the self-employment of residents who have returned to the Lachin district under the Great Return program, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan told Trend. During the meetings of representatives of the State Employment Agency of Azerbaijan with families resettled in Lachin, their possibility of participating in the self-employment program is assessed. At the initial stage, 35 people registered to participate in the self-employment program. Business trainings will be organized for them, and they will be informed about business activities and relevant support mechanisms. At the next stage, the program participants will be provided with assets for running small businesses in the fields of agriculture, manufacturing, and services. 26.08.2023 LISTEN The cocoa boycott from 1934-38 when UK-based company Cadbury formed a cartel against the cocoa-producing countries Ghana and Ivory Coast to determine the price of cocoa but they refused to supply the buyers (it took the intervention of the UK government to end the boycott) was a powerful demonstration that Africa is not weak when taking the right steps. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah built silos in Tema to store cocoa when prices were low to wait for a change. In 1965 with the help of a German (Hamburg) expert Joachim Burmeister constructed CPC Ltd. in Tema. The company is bankrupt but kept alive by annual subsidies from the taxpayers due to mismanagement. Around 70-80% of the world's cocoa comes from Ivory Coast and Ghana. Profit is made in this industry from trading and manufacturing, not farming. Raw cocoa is subject to price speculation on the international stock exchanges. When both main exporters of cocoa decide only to allow finished products to be exported the quality of chocolates would increase and the prices affordable for Africans and lower in the rest of the world while cocoa farmers have a good income no mercy needed. Since independence, it has been the full responsibility of African leaders and citizens to protect their interests and refuse any unwanted interference. If they still see themselves as victims of the white man they will be treated accordingly. If they know what power Africa has been given and face the world with a changed mindset of self-esteem and confidence the fortune of Africa will be seen in each other citizen's life. When white leaders kill good African leaders like Thomas Sankara they know that they can only kill a certain number of them and not in a row in one country or across the African continent. This means especially since independence Africa itself has to produce more heroes like Sankara or Nkrumah which is their original mandate not the mandate of outside forces that want to exploit Africa and keep it down to avoid having to deal with it as an equal partner on the international stage. The best time is now. European countries realized that the boomerang once sent out hit them badly. Illegal migrants from Africa in more numbers coming to them start to harm their political system and finances. The UK has paid in the last twelve months 4 Billion for refugees in their country. What is Africa waiting for? The new colonialism masters through the backdoor China and Russia are not the solution but the tombstone of African independence. Unlike the UK, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Denmark France still behaves like a colonial powerhouse visible in the coups of Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, and Niger as much as by the simple fact that all mobile calls from francophone countries in Africa first arrive in France before the local numbers in e.g. Togo and Guinea ring. Whether or not the military coups as an interim stage will bring about the freedom of Africa to the people must be seen. Military leaders are not political experts or visionary people. The people of the African continent must fundamentally change their mindset and liberate themselves from a slave trade mentality rather than stand tall. No one else will do it for them! #Ghana #Ivorycoast #Cocoa #Cocoadreams #Cocoafarmers #Niger #DrKwameNkrumah #Africa #AfricanIndependence #Chocolate #Thomassankara #Slavetrade #CPCltd Tens of thousands of people rallied in Niamey Saturday in support of last month's coup, a day after the country's new military rulers gave France's ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the country. The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out, AFP journalists noted. The flags of Niger, Algeria, and Russia dotted the stands, while acrobats painted in Niger's national colours put on a show in the centre of the pitch. "We have the right to choose the partners we want," said Ramatou Ibrahim Boubacar, wearing Nigerien flags from head to toe. "France must respect this choice. "For sixty years, we have never been independent, only since the day of the coup d'etat," she said. Boubacar added that the country fully supported the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), which seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum's government on July 26. The CNSP is led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, who has made former colonial power France its new target. "The fight will not stop until the day there are no longer any French soldiers in Niger," CNSP member Colonel Obro Amadou told the stadium crowd on Saturday. "It's you who are going to drive them out," he said. 'Ready to fight' On Friday, Niger's foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were "contrary to the interests of Niger". Paris has since rejected the demand, saying that "the putschists do not have the authority to make this request." Saturday's rally in support of the coup leaders was the latest in a series. By - (AFP) "The French ambassador, instead of leaving, thinks this is the land of his parents," said Idrissa Halidou, a healthcare worker and CNSP member who was attending Saturday's rally. "We are people of war, we are ready to fight against" the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), he added. The West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum. Efforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials. They met in Nigeria's capital Abuja, which holds the ECOWAS presidency. The US State Department said Phee was also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo -- fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc. The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France's pocket. France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years. There has been a relief for onion sellers as all Ghanaian trucks in troubled Niger have made safe travel back home after being stranded on the Benin border for weeks. Stranded traders at the Benin border on August 9 issued an appeal to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo , urging his intervention for the prompt release of approximately 70 trucks carrying onions from Niger to Ghana via Benin. The spokesperson for the onion sellers, Yakubu Apendiba on Eyewitness News on Citi FM, disclosed that the remaining stranded trucks numbering about 55 made it through the border after the Ghanaian ambassador intervened. The Ghana ambassador to Benin went there and spoke to the patrol, and they opened it for just two hours and closed it again and this is affecting our business because the onions are rotten. About 55 cars have come within the last three days all being forty-footer trucks and all went bad, and so we are now doing the local ones and getting it from Nigeria, but that one doesnt last. He also disclosed that the price of a bag of onion has reduced following the arrival of the trucks. As we started going to Nigeria to bring the Nigeria one, the price has gone down a little bit. We were selling a bag last week for between GH1,600 and GH1,500, but now we are selling a bag between GH1,300 and GH1,200. Sourcing from Niger is expensive compared to the one that we buy from Nigeria because if you go to buy in Niger, you will not get any place to pass and come to Ghana. All our cars in Niger have all come back to Ghana and nobody is there, and the onions have all rotten. -citinewsroom Former President John Dramani Mahama says electoral brutalities remain a stain on the legacy of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. This follows pockets of agitations and attacks seen in the just-ended special delegates conference by the New Patriotic Party across the country. The NDC flagbearer referenced the electoral violence that took place in Ayawaso West Wuogon in 2019 and the murder of eight innocent citizens. In a tweet, the former president said Brutalizing opponents in an election has no place in modern society, especially among members of the same party. Ayawaso West Wuogon in 2019 and the murder of 8 innocent citizens in 2020 remain a stain on the legacy of @NAkufoAddo and @MBawumia. Mr Mahama added Violence has become the new normal for the NPP. Acts of violence during what should be a peaceful civic exercise must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians. More so, in an internal contest involving persons who belong to the same party. His tweet comes after the North East regional coordinator for NPP's flagbearer aspirant, Alan Kyerematen, was brutally attacked leaving him hospitalised. Ali Zakaria was reportedly assaulted by unidentified individuals after he questioned some voters who were publicly displaying their ballot papers to other delegates. According to him, he was outnumbered and caught off guard and found himself on the receiving end of the macho men's aggression. Citi News' regional correspondent who confirmed the incident said Zakaria was rushed to the Regional hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment. The agent of Kennedy Agyapong was also allegedly chased out of the voting centre prompting the presidential aspirant to threaten President Akufo-Addo and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. -citinewsroom S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world S&P 500 4,117.37 DOW 32,417.59 QQQ 345.31 Stock market today: Asian shares mixed after S&P 500 slips ahead of Fed interest rate decision New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Trade tops the agenda as Germany's Scholz meets Nigerian leader on West Africa trip Off-duty deputy shoots man in Omaha, Nebraska, leading to hospitalization All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to this (Ad) Takeaways from the AP's investigation into aging oil ships China Evergrande winding-up hearing adjourned to Dec. 4 by Hong Kong court New CBOE special perk helps traders target income every weekend (Ad) Some striking UAW members carry family legacies, Black middle-class future along with picket signs Deadly explosion off Nigeria points to threat posed by aging oil ships around the world Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., more commonly known by the name Petrobras, is a multinational integrated and diversified energy company headquartered in Brazil. The company was founded in 1953 by the government of Brazil and was a government-run entity for the first portion of its life. The companys motto at inception was The Oil Is Ours, it is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro and is listed on the Forbes Global 500. Petrobras operated with a legal monopoly in Brazil until 1997. During that time the companys production ramped from 2,700 barrels per day to about 2.6 million barrels per day in 2022. Along the way the company entered the refining market in 1961, it opened the Cenpes Research Center in 1963 (one of the worlds largest and leading petroleum research centers), it entered the petrochem market in 1968, and then, in 1994, it launched what was the worlds largest offshore drilling and production facility only to have it sink after less than 20 years in service. Since 1997, when the government granted monopoly was revoked, the company has expanded its operations into other countries and is now functional in 16 nations. Today, Petrobras explores for, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas, and derivative products worldwide. The companys operations are worldwide but the bulk of business is in Brazil. At the end of 2021, the company had 8.435 billion barrels of proven reserves of which less than 0.50% were located outside of Brazil. The government of Brazil retains 64% of the voting rights in Petrobras. The remaining shares are listed on the B3 exchange and are part of the Bovespa index. The stock is also listed on the NYSE as a depository receipt shares and in Madrid. The company operates in 4 primary business segments that are Exploration and Production: Refining, Transportation and Marketing; Gas and Power; and Corporate and Other Businesses. The Exploration and Production segment explores and develops oil fields, processes, delivers, and trades in crude oil, crude oil products, natural gas, and oil-bearing shale feedstock. The Refining, Transportation, and Marketing segments are the mid and downstream operations including refining, pipelines, and wholesale/retail operations. This segment is also engaged in petrochemical and ethanol production. The Gas and Power segment markets natural gas and electricity. This segment also has interests in petrochemicals. The Corporate and Other Businesses segment is engaged in the production of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and their co-products. Petrobras environmental record includes aiding a rebound of Humpback whales, supporting and rebuilding forest ecosystems, and advances in green and renewable technology. Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops targeted radiotherapies to deliver cancer-killing radiation to treat patients with high unmet medical needs. Its lead product candidate, I-131 apamistamab (Iomab-B) that is in a pivotal Phase III clinical trial for elderly relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia trial for bone marrow transplant conditioning; and a Phase I study with a CD19- targeted CAR T-cell therapy with memorial sloan kettering cancer center. The company also offers clinical and preclinical development programs that utilize multiple isotopes, including Actinium-225, Iodine-131, and Lutetium-177 directed at multiple targets in oncology and hematology, including CD45, CD33, HER3, and other. It has collaboration with Astellas Pharma, Inc. to develop theranostics for solid tumor indications; EpicentRx, Inc that focuses on a novel CD47 immunotherapy targeted radiotherapy; and AVEO Oncology that focuses on developing a HER3 targeting ARC for solid tumors. The company is based in New York, New York. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. provides banking products and services to personal, business, and private customers in Spain and internationally. The company offers retail banking products, such as current and savings accounts, personal loans, cards, and mortgages. It also provides financial products and services to large and medium enterprises, SMEs, shops and self-employed workers, private individuals, and professionals; and consumer finance, asset management, and bancassurance services. In addition, the company offers corporate banking services, including financing services, transactional banking services, and other complex custom solutions in finance, treasury, and import/export, among others. Further, it provides insurance and pension products. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. was founded in 1881 and is based in Alicante, Spain. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 26. Azerbaijani entrepreneurs donated a mine clearing vehicle to the Karabakh Revival Fund, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov said, Trend reports. "The Day of Lachin City also embodies the special day connected with care, compassion, and kindness in our country. Presenting a mine clearing vehicle of Azerbaijani production on this remarkable date as a donation by private entrepreneurs to the Karabakh Revival Fund for clearing the liberated territories is a source of pride and joy. We express gratitude to everyone involved," said Jabbarov on the X (Twitter). The Karabakh Revival Fund was established based on the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev dated January 4, 2021 to provide financial support for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. Bangkok Bank Public Company Limited provides various commercial banking products and services in Thailand and internationally. The company operates through Domestic Banking, International Banking, Investment Banking, and Others segments. It offers various personal banking products and services, including savings, current, fixed deposit, foreign currency, and other accounts; home and personal loans, as well as loans for pensioners; mutual funds; investments products and services, such as bonds and debentures, as well as agency services; life and non-life bancassurance products; payment, funds transfer, currency exchange and foreign instrument, and SMS services; debit, credit, and prepaid cards; and phone and Internet banking, mobile banking, ATMs, and other services. The company also provides business banking products and services comprising operating accounts; loans for SMEs, international trade, investment banking, and e-guarantee services; securities services, such as custodian, mutual fund supervisor, provident fund registrar, securities registrar, and debenture holders' representative services; personal loans for small businesses; payment, collection, and merchant services; digital banking services; and commercial cards. In addition, it offers trade finance, remittances, export and import, project, corporate finance, electronic services, and financial advisory services, as well as liquidity, fund, and asset management services. The company was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence. Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since. Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank. Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022. As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users. Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services. Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Wealth Management, and Global Banking and Markets. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small, medium, and large businesses, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides online, mobile, and telephone banking services. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada. The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company is a leading global biopharmaceutical company with a long and impressive history of innovating and developing medicines that improve the lives of patients around the world. Founded in 1887 when William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers purchased the Clinton Pharmaceutical Company, the company was initially named Bristol, Myers and Company. Its first nationally recognized product, Sal Hepatica, was released in the 1890s. Bristol Myers-Squibb offers chemically synthesized drugs and biologics administered through injections or infusions to patients. The company's pharmaceutical portfolio includes a large number of well-known products. BMS's primary research and development sites are in New Jersey, California, Spain, Massachusetts, New York, Belgium, Japan, India and Massachusetts. The company's products sell to wholesalers and distributors around the world. Bristol Myers-Squibb has a robust pipeline of investigational medicines in its pipeline. In addition, the company has established strategic collaborations and partnerships with various companies, successfully launching new products. These partnerships and investments generate portions of the company's revenue. Bristol Myers-Squibb has acquired several companies over the years, including Medarex in 2009, ZymoGenetics in 2010, Inhibitex Inc. in 2012, Amylin Pharmaceuticals in 2012, iPierian in 2014, Flexus Biosciences in 2015, Cardioxyl in 2015, Padlock Therapeutics in 2016, Cormorant Pharmaceuticals in 2017, IFM Therapeutics in 2017, Celgene in 2019, Otezla in 2019, Forbius in 2020, MyoKardia in 2020 and Turning Point Therapeutics in 2022. In 2005, the company divested individual consumer products and its subsequent consumer products businesses. In December 2014, the company received FDA approval for its cancer drug, Opdivo, used to treat skin cancers that do not respond to drug therapies. In 2019, the company divested its consumer health business, UPSA, to Taisho. The company has also faced several scandals, lawsuits and investigations over the years, the biggest of which is the ongoing $1 billion lawsuit from Guatemala for the company's role in a 1940s experiment that infected hundreds with syphilis. In 2001 BMS faced an accounting scandal that resulted in a restatement of revenues from 1999 to 2001. In 2002, BMS faced a lawsuit based on illegally maintaining a monopoly on Taxol, a chemotherapy medication. The former head of the pharma group and the ex-CFO were indicted for federal securities violations in 2005. In July of 2006, an FBI raid on the company's corporate offices revealed that the company took steps to delay the release of a generic version of one of its drugs. BMS began a significant restructuring in 2009, focusing on the pharmaceutical business and biologic products, productivity initiatives and cost-cutting. The U.S. attorney forced the company into oversight and appointed a monitor as part of a deferred prosecution agreement. Lou Schmukler joined Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2010 as global product development and design president. In 2013, Forbes magazine ranked the company as the drug company of the year. Dr. Giovanni Caforio took the reigns as CEO in 2015. In 2017, reports began to surface that activist investor Carl Icahn took a stake in the company, widely seen as a signal for a potential future takeover. As Bristol-Myers Squibb continues to experience success and growth, the company is committed to delivering innovative treatments to patients and staying ahead of the curve in the biopharmaceutical industry. With its focus on research and development and a long and rich history of delivering innovative medicines, BMS offers an excellent long-term investment opportunity. Halliburton Company is a multinational corporation that provides various services and products to the energy industry. Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, the company operates in over 80 countries, with its primary business lines including drilling and evaluation, completion and production, hydraulic fracturing and other services. The company's customers include major oil and gas companies and independent operators in the energy industry. Halliburton has achieved several key milestones over the years, including being the first company to log a well in the Gulf of Mexico and the first to perform hydraulic fracturing in the Permian Basin. Halliburton's current CEO and Chairman of the Board is Jeff Miller, who has been with the company for over 30 years, having served as the president and chief operating officer. In 2020, Halliburton announced that it was changing its executive leadership team, adding several new members, including Mark Richard, the President of the Western Hemisphere. In recent years, Halliburton's financial performance has been impacted by the oil and gas industry downturn, which has resulted in lower demand for its services and products. Halliburton's profit margins have also been affected by the downturn. However, despite this downturn, Halliburton has been beating earnings-per-share and revenue expectations in most quarters. Halliburton's valuation metrics suggest the company might be slightly undervalued compared to its peers. Halliburton's stock performance has been impacted by the downturn in the energy industry, with the company's share price declining by 46% in 2020. However, the company's stock price has rebounded, with the share price increasing from 2020 - 2022. Halliburton's trading volume has also decreased in recent months, averaging a daily trading volume of 8 million shares. The energy industry has faced several challenges recently, including declining oil prices, increased regulatory scrutiny and growing concerns over climate change. These challenges have impacted the industry's profitability and have led to increased competition among industry players. Halliburton's primary competitors in the energy services industry include Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and National Oilwell Varco. The company has been focused on improving its competitive position by investing in new technologies and expanding its global footprint. Despite the challenges facing the energy industry, Halliburton has several growth opportunities that it is pursuing. One of the company's key growth drivers is the development of new technologies that can improve the efficiency and productivity of the energy industry. Halliburton has invested heavily in digitalization, automation and artificial intelligence to improve its services and products. The company is also focused on expanding its global footprint, particularly in emerging markets such as China and India. Halliburton faces several risks and challenges in the current business environment. One of the most significant challenges facing the company is the volatility of oil prices, which can substantially impact the demand for its services and products. In addition, the industry is facing increasing regulatory scrutiny, particularly around issues such as climate change and environmental impact. This could result in increased costs and regulatory compliance requirements for the company. Another challenge for Halliburton is the increasing competition in the industry. The company's primary competitors are investing heavily in research and development and expanding their global footprint, which could impact Halliburton's market share and profitability. Furthermore, the ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes could also impact the company's operations, particularly in emerging markets. Workspace is London's leading owner and operator of flexible workspace, managing five million sq. ft. of sustainable space with 76 core locations in London and the South East. We are home to some 4,000 of London's fastest growing and established brands from a diverse range of sectors. Our purpose, to give businesses the freedom to grow, is based on the belief that in the right space, teams can achieve more. That in environments they tailor themselves, free from constraint and compromise, teams are best able to collaborate, build their culture and realise their potential. We have a unique combination of a highly effective and scalable operating platform, a portfolio of distinctive properties, and an ownership model that allows us to offer true flexibility. We provide customers with blank canvas space to create a home for their business, alongside leases that give them the freedom to easily scale up and down within our well-connected, extensive portfolio. We are inherently sustainable we invest across the capital, breathing new life into old buildings and creating hubs of economic activity that help flatten London's working map. We work closely with our local communities to ensure we make a positive and lasting environmental and social impact, creating value over the long term. Workspace was established in 1987, has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since 1993, is a FTSE 250 listed Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and a member of the European Public Real Estate Association (EPRA). Workspace is a registered trademark of Workspace Group PLC, London, UK. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a multi-channel retailer of plush animals and related products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Direct-to-Consumer, Commercial, and International Franchising. Its merchandise comprises various styles of plush products to be stuffed, pre-stuffed plush products, and sounds and scents that can be added to the stuffed animals, as well as range of clothing, shoes and accessories, and other toy and novelty items, including family sleepwear. The company operates its stores under the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand name; and sells its products through its e-commerce sites and third-party marketplace sites. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. 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. Camden Property Trust (NYSE:CPT) pays an annual dividend of $4.00 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.76%. CPT has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The company has been increasing its dividend for 2 consecutive year(s), indicating that it does not yet have a strong track record of dividend growth. The dividend payout ratio is 191.39%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, CPT will have a dividend payout ratio of 55.94% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend. Read our dividend analysis for CPT. Commerzbank AG provides banking and capital market products and services to private and small business customers, corporate groups, financial service providers, and institutional clients in Germany and internationally. It operates through two segments, Private and Small-Business Customers, and Corporate Clients. The company offers cash services, including accounts, commercial payments, payment enabling, clearing and custody, and other services; trade services comprising documentary collection, letters of credit, guarantees, trade facilitation, supply chain financing, buyer's credit, and forfaiting services; and banking products comprising bilateral loans, club deals, Schuldschein instruments, syndicated loans, bonds, private placements and other debt instruments, and Islamic financing services. It also provides money market, and commodities risk management and precious metals services; interest, currency, and liquidity management services, as well as wealth management services. Commerzbank AG was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme designs and builds military aircraft, business jets, and space systems in France, the Americas, and internationally. It offers Rafale, a multirole fighter aircraft; nEUROn, an unmanned combat air vehicle; and Falcon aircraft for maritime surveillance, intelligence, and medical evacuation missions. The company operates a fleet of 2,100 Falcon jets and 1,000 military aircraft. In addition, it provides aviation maintenance and training services; repairs and maintains landing gears and flight controls; overhauls and repairs civil aviation equipment; leases and manages Falcon aircraft as part of public passenger transport activity; and designs, produces, and distributes simulation tools. The company was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Paris, France. Dassault Aviation Societe anonyme operates as a subsidiary of Groupe Industriel Marcel Dassault S.A. Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of oral, controlled-release products, and generic pharmaceuticals. The company operates in two segments, Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Generic Pharmaceuticals and New Drug Applications for Branded Pharmaceuticals. It owns, licenses, manufactures, and sells various generic and oral dose pharmaceuticals products, such as Phentermine HCl 37.5mg tablets, and 15mg and 30mg capsules for the treatment of bariatrics under Adipex-P brand; Phendimetrazine Tartrate 35mg tablets for bariatrics under the Bontril brand; Naltrexone HCl 50mg tablets for the treatment of pains under the Revia brand; and Isradipine 2.5mg and 5mg capsules for cardiovascular diseases. The company also provides Trimipramine Maleate Immediate Release antidepressant capsules under the Surmontil brand; Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate, and Amphetamine Sulfate Immediate Release tablets under the Adderall brand, as well as Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate, Amphetamine Sulfate Extended Release capsules under the Adderall XR brand for central nervous system diseases; Dantrolene Sodium capsules for muscle relaxant under the Dantrium brand; SequestOX, an immediate release Oxycodone with Naltrexone; Loxapine Succinate capsules for treating antipsychotic under the Loxapine brand; Acetaminophen and Codeine Phosphate for the management of mild to moderate pain; and antibiotic products. In addition, it manufactures controlled-release products on a contract basis for third parties in the areas of pain, allergy, bariatric, attention deficit, and infection. Further, the company is developing a range of abuse deterrent opioid products. Elite Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Northvale, New Jersey. 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 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. Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States. It primarily explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. The company was formerly known as Trek Mining Inc. and changed its name to Equinox Gold Corp. in December 2017. Equinox Gold Corp. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 27. Iran's non-oil exports to Kyrgyzstan increased by 37 percent in value and 4.47 percent in volume during the first four months of the current Iranian year (March 21 through July 22, 2023), compared to the same period last year, Trend reports. According to the report of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA), Iran exported nearly 16,000 tons of non-oil products worth $17.6 million to Kyrgyzstan in four months. Meanwhile, in the same period last Iranian year, Iran's non-oil exports to Kyrgyzstan stood at 15,300 tons, worth approximately $12.9 million. Over the course of four months, Iran mainly exported petrochemical products, agricultural and industrial products, etc., to Kyrgyzstan. In the 4th month alone (June 22 through July 22, 2023), Iran exported about 4,070 tons of non-oil products worth approximately $3.98 million to Kyrgyzstan. Overall, Iran exported about 45.8 million tons of non-oil products worth $15.9 billion within the first 4 months of the current Iranian year. This is a decrease of 7.97 percent in value and an increase of 28.6 percent in volume compared to the same period last year. --- Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur The Coca-Cola Company is one of the worlds most recognized brands. Founded in 1886, the company today is vastly different from its creator's original intent. The original formula was invented by John Stith Pemberton as a health drink, energy boost, and patent medicine following his time in the Civil War. The name is derived from two of the original ingredients coca leaves and kola nuts, although those ingredients are not used today, and was intended to be sold in pharmacies. Pemberton sold his formula and brand in 1889 to Asa Griggs Candler who then embarked on a nationwide advertising campaign. By 1895 Coca-Cola was being sold in every state in the union and it wouldnt be long before the beverage was being enjoyed worldwide. By 1889 the company was operating under a franchised distribution system that is still in effect today. Today, the Coca-Cola Company primarily makes syrups that are shipped to bottler/distributors who command exclusive territories. The Coca-Cola Company retains ownership of the largest US bottler, Coca-Cola Refreshments but there are many others around the world. Coca-Cola Femsa, of which The Coca-Cola Company owns 28%, is located in Mexico and is the worlds largest bottler of Coca-Cola The Coca-Cola Company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and operates as a beverage company worldwide with sales in over 200 countries. The company manufactures, markets, and sells various nonalcoholic beverages and has expanded well beyond soda and pop. After years of expansion and acquisitions, The Coca-Cola Company is represented in verticals from sparkling soft drinks to flavored water, enhanced water, sports beverages, juice, dairy, tea, and coffee. Brands under the Coca-Cola umbrella include Fanta, Fresca, Schweppes, Sprite, Dasani, Gold Peak, Minute Maid, Simply, BODYARMOR, FUZE TEA, and Powerade brands. The Coca-Cola Company first went public in 1919 and it began paying a dividend in 1920. The company has raised its dividend every year since 1962 making it a Dividend King. To put the companys growth and scale into perspective, one share of KO purchased at the IPO price of $40 was worth nearly $10 million in 2012 and the stock price has nearly doubled since then. Underwriters of the original IPO received $100,000 worth of shares in compensation for the deal and were able to sell it for $2 billion at that time. The Coca-Cola Company is also a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average holding its position from 1932 to 1935 and from 1987 to the present. The following companies are subsidiares of Shell: 10084751 Canada Limited, 1745844 Alberta Ltd., 7026609 Canada Inc., 7645929 Canada Limited, A/S Dansk Shell, A/S Norske Shell, Accurasea, Actis Solenergi Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Aera Energy Services Company, Airefsol Energies, Airefsol Energies 2, Airefsol Energies 8, Airefsol Energies 9, Al Jomaih and Shell Lubricating Oil Co.Ltd., Alle S.R.L., Alliance Automation Pty Ltd, Alliance Holding LLC, Amilcar Petroleum Operations S.A., Angkor Shell Limited, Anhui Shell Energy Company Limited, Aquila S.p.A., Arizona A1 LLC, Arizona B1 LLC, Arrow Energy Holdings Pty Ltd, Asiatic Petroleum Company (Dublin) Limited, Asset Management and Power Services LLC, Atlantic 2/3 Holdings LLC, Atlantic 4 Holdings LLC, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, Attiki Gas B.V., Au Energy LLC, Austen & Butta Pty Ltd, Autogas Limited, Aviation Fuelling Services Norway AS, Avitair SAS, B-Snug Limited, B.R.E. B.V., B.V. Dordtsche Petroleum Maatschappij, B.V. Petroleum Assurantie Maatschappij, BEB Erdgas und Erdoel GmbH & Co. KG, BEB Holding GmbH, BG (Uruguay) S.A., BG 2/3 Investments Limited, BG Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Limited, BG Asia Pacific Services Pte. Ltd., BG Atlantic 1 Holdings Limited, BG Atlantic 2/3 Holdings Limited, BG Atlantic 4 Holdings Limited, BG Brasilia LLC, BG CPS Pty Limited, BG Central Holdings Limited, BG Central Holdings Ltd., BG Comercio e Importacao Ltda., BG Cyprus Limited, BG Delta Limited, BG Egypt S.A., BG Employee Shares Trustees Limited, BG Energy Capital Plc, BG Energy Finance Inc., BG Energy Holdings Limited, BG Energy Iberian Holdings S.L., BG Energy Marketing Limited, BG Energy Merchants LLC, BG Equatorial Guinea Limited, BG Exploration & Production Myanmar Pte. Ltd., BG Exploration and Production India Limited, BG Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, BG Gas Brazil E&P 12 B.V., BG Gas Brazil Holdings B.V., BG Gas International B.V., BG Gas International Holdings B.V., BG Gas Netherlands Holdings B.V., BG Gas Sao Paulo Investments B.V., BG Gas Services Limited, BG Gas Supply (UK) Limited, BG General Holdings Limited, BG General Partner Limited, BG Great Britain Limited, BG Group, BG Group Employee Shares Trustees Limited, BG Group Limited, BG Group Pension Trustees Limited, BG Group Trustees Limited, BG Gulf Coast LNG LLC, BG India Energy Private Limited, BG India Energy Services Private Limited, BG India Energy Solutions Private Limited, BG Insurance Company (Singapore) Pte Ltd, BG Intellectual Property Limited, BG International Limited, BG International Services AB, BG Italia Power S.r.l, BG Karachaganak Limited, BG Kenya L10A Limited, BG Kenya L10B Limited, BG LNG Investments Limited, BG LNG Regas India Private Limited, BG LNG Services LLC, BG LNG Trading LLC, BG Mauritius LNG Holdings Ltd, BG Mongolia Holdings Limited, BG Mumbai Holdings Limited, BG Myanmar Pte. Ltd., BG Netherlands, BG Netherlands Financing Unlimited, BG Norge Limited, BG North America LLC, BG North Sea Holdings Limited, BG OKLNG Limited, BG Overseas Holdings Limited, BG Overseas Investments Limited, BG Overseas Limited, BG Pension Funding Scottish Limited Partnership, BG Petroleo & Gas Brasil Ltda., BG Rosetta Limited, BG South East Asia Limited, BG Subsea Well Project Limited, BG Tanzania Holdings Limited, BG Trinidad LNG Limited, BG UK Holdings Limited, BG US Services Inc., BG Upstream A Nigeria Limited, BG West Indies No. 2 Limited, BJS Oil Operations B.V., BJSA Exploration and Production B.V., BNG (Surat) Pty Ltd, Badr Petroleum Company, Bandurria Sur Investments S.A., Belgian Shell S.A., Beryl North Sea Limited, Bogstone Holding B.V., Braemar 3 Holdings Pty Ltd, Branstone (International) Limited, Brazil Crude Services LLC, Brazil Shipping I Limited, Brazos Wind Ventures LLC, Brindisi LNG S.r.l., British Pipeline Agency Limited, Brunei Shell Marketing Company Sendirian Berhad, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sendirian Berhad, CCM Energy Solutions Pty Ltd, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited, CPC Shell Lubricants Co. Ltd, CRI Catalyst Company Europe Limited, CRI Deutschland GmbH, CRI Sales and Services Inc., CRI Zeolites Inc., Cansolv Technologies (Beijing) Company Limited, Cansolv Technologies Inc., Carissa Einzelhandel- und Tankstellenservice GmbH & Co. KG, Carissa Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Centrale Photovoltaique Bouches-du-Rhone 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Haute-Vienne 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Landes 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Var 1, Chongqing Shell Energy Company Limited, Chosun Shell B.V., Cicerone Holding B.V., Colbea Enterprises LLC, Comercial Importadora S.A. De C.V., Concha Chemical Pipeline LLC, Concilia Asesores y Servicios S.A. de C.V., Condamine 1 Pty Ltd, Condamine 2 Pty Ltd, Condamine 3 Pty Ltd, Condamine 4 Pty Ltd, Condamine Power Station Pty Ltd, Connected Freight Pte. Ltd., Connected Freight Solutions Philippines Inc., Coral Cibola Canada Inc., CrossWind Beheer B.V., Crosswind C.V., Deer Park Refining Limited Partnership, Delta Business Development Limited, Derivatives Trading Atlantic Limited, Deutsche Infineum GmbH & Co. KG, Deutsche Shell GmbH, Deutsche Shell Holding GmbH, Development S.R.L., Dinarel S.A., Dragon LNG Group Limited, E.R.M. Oakey Power Pty Ltd, ELLBA B.V., ELLBA C.V., EPP LLC, ERM Braemar 3 Power Pty Ltd, ERM Braemar 3 Pty Ltd, ERM Employee Share Plan Administrator Pty Ltd, ERM Energy Solutions Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Financial Services Pty Ltd, ERM Gas Pty Ltd, ERM Gas WA01 Pty Ltd, ERM Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Innovation Labs Pty Ltd, ERM Land Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Neerabup Power Pty Ltd, ERM Neerabup Pty Ltd, ERM Oakey Power Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Power Developments Pty Ltd, ERM Power Engineering Pty Ltd, ERM Power Generation Pty Ltd, ERM Power International Pty Ltd, ERM Power Investments Pty Ltd, ERM Power Limited, ERM Power Projects Pty Ltd, ERM Power Retail Pty Ltd, ERM Power Services Pty Ltd, ERM Power Utility Systems Pty Ltd, ERM Wellington 1 Holdings Pty Ltd, East Resources, Eastham Refinery Limited, Elentec Malaysia, Ellba Eastern (Pte) Ltd, Ellwood Land Holdings LLC, Energeticum Energiesysteme GmbH, Energiepark Pottendijk B.V., Energy Finance NZ Limited, Energy Holdings Offshore Limited, Enersol GmbH, Enterprise Oil Limited, Enterprise Oil Middle East Limited, Enterprise Oil Norge Limited, Enterprise Oil North America Inc., Enterprise Oil U.K. Limited, Eolfi SAS, Eolfi Scotland Limited, Eoliennes du Gentilhomme, Equilon Enterprises, Equilon Enterprises LLC, Erdoel-Raffinerie Deurag-Nerag GmbH, Euroshell Cards B.V., Fahari Gas Marketing Company Limited, Ferme Eolienne Flottante Stenella Rhone, First Telecommunications Limited, First Utility, First Utility Limited, Fuelng Pte. Ltd, Fulmart Limited, GI Energy Storage LLC, GOGB Limited, Gainrace Limited, Gas Del Litoral S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Investments & Services Company Limited, Gas Resources Limited, Gasnor AS, Gazpromneft-Aero Bryansk LLC, Glossop Limited, Greenlots, Greenlots Technology India LLP, Greensense Pty Ltd, HKN LP 1 B.V., HKN LP 2 B.V., HKN LP 3 B.V., HKN LP 4 B.V., HKN LP 5 B.V., HKN LP 6 B.V., Hankook Shell Oil Company, Hazira Port Private Limited, Hkz Lp 18 B.V., Hkz Lp 19 B.V., Hkz Lp 20 B.V., Hkz Lp 21 B.V., Hkz Lp 22 B.V., Hubei Shell Energy Company Limited, Hunan Shell Energy Company Limited, Impello Limited, Infineum (China) Co. Ltd., Infineum France, Infineum Holdings B.V., Infineum Italia S.R.L., Infineum Singapore LLP, Infineum USA Inc., Infineum USA L.P., Inspire Energy Holdings LLC, Integral Investments B.V., Invest Region LLC, Irish Shell Trust Designated Activity Company, J & J Lubrication LLC, Jiangsu Shell Energy Company Limited, Jiffy Lube International Inc., Jordan Oil Shale Company B.V., K.K. Red and Yellow, K.K. SVC Tokyo, KE Namibia Company, KE STP Company, KE Suriname Company, Khanty-Mansiysk Petroleum Alliance Closed Joint Stock Company, Khmer Shell Limited, LLC Shell NefteGaz Development, LNG Shipping Operation Services Netherlands B.V., Lazlyng Real Estate Company LLC, Limejump, Limejump Energy Limited, Limejump Intermediate 1 Limited, Limejump Ltd, Limejump Virtual 1 Limited, Limejump Virtual 10 Limited, Limejump Virtual 11 Limited, Limejump Virtual 12 Limited, Limejump Virtual 13 Limited, Limejump Virtual 14 Limited, Limejump Virtual 15 Limited, Limejump Virtual 2 Limited, Limejump Virtual 3 Limited, Limejump Virtual 4 Limited, Limejump Virtual 5 Limited, Limejump Virtual 6 Limited, Limejump Virtual 7 Limited, Limejump Virtual 8 Limited, Limejump Virtual 9 Limited, Limited Liability Company "Shell Neft", Limited Liability Company "Shell Neftegaz Development (V)", Lumaled Pty Ltd, MP2 Energy LLC, MP2 Energy NE LLC, MP2 Energy NY LLC, MP2 Energy Retail Holdings LLC, MP2 Energy Texas LLC, MP2 Generation LLC, MP2 Mesquite Creek Wind LLC, MSTS Payments LLC, Maple Power Holdings LLC, Marco Polo Solar S.R.L., Marine LNG Solutions LLC, Mattox Pipeline Company LLC, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC, Mega Gasolineras SA de CV, Methane Services Limited, Mpower2 LLC, Murphy Schiehallion Limited, Mzalendo Gas Processing Company Limited, N.V. Rotterdam-Rijn Pijpleiding Maatschappij, Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V., Netherlands Alng Holding Company B.V., New Market Belgium S.A., New South Oil Pty Ltd, NewGen Neerabup Pty Ltd, NewGen Power Neerabup Pty Ltd, NewMotion, Noble Assurance Company, Noordzeewind B.V., Noordzeewind C.V., North Alam El-Shawish Petroleum Company, North Um Baraka Petroleum Company, North West Shelf LNG Pty Ltd, OLF Deutschland GmbH, OME Resources Australia Pty Ltd, Oakey Power Holdings Pty Ltd, Obaiyed Petroleum Company, Ocean Century Tf Limited, Oryx Caspian Pipeline L.L.C., Out Performers Trading Pty Ltd, P S Pipeline Sendirian Berhad, PR Microgrids LLC, PT Shell LNG Indonesia, PT. Shell Indonesia, PT. Shell Manufacturing Indonesia, Pacwest Energy LLC., Paqell B.V., Parc Eolien Aisne 1, Parc Eolien Correze 1, Parc Eolien Cotes Armor 1, Parc Eolien De Mervent, Parc Eolien HM1, Parc Eolien Haute-Saone 1, Parc Eolien Jura 1, Parc Eolien Marne 1, Parc Eolien Oise 1, Parc Eolien Oise 2, Parc Eolien Somme 1, Parc Eolien Somme 2, Parc Eolien Yonne 1, Parc Eolien de la Vrine, Pecten Arabian Company, Pecten Brazil Exploration Company, Pecten Midstream LLC, Pecten Orient Company, Pecten Orient Company LLC, Pecten Producing Company, Pecten Somalia Company Limited, Pecten Trading Company, Pecten Victoria Company, Pecten Yemen Masila Company, Pecten do Brasil Servicos de Petroleo Ltda., Pennzoil Products International Company, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, Pennzoil-Quaker State International Corporation, Pennzoil-Quaker State Nominee Company, Pertini Vista Sdn. Bhd., Petroleum Resources (Thailand) Pty. Limited, Petrolon Europe Limited, Petrolon International Limited, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Point Fortin LNG Exports Limited, Portfolio Holdings, Positive Energies LLC, Pottendijk Energie B.V., Pottendijk Wind B.V., Pottendijk Zon B.V., Power Limited Partnership, Powermetric Metering Pty Ltd, Powershop Australia, Premium Velocity Auto LLC, Private Oil Holdings Oman Limited, Provista Ventures Sdn. Bhd., Pure Energy Resources Pty Limited, QCLNG Operating Company Pty Ltd, QCLNG Pty Ltd, QGC (B7) Pty Ltd, QGC (Exploration) Pty Ltd, QGC (Infrastructure) Pty Ltd, QGC Common Facilities Company Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 2 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 3 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 4 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 5 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 6 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 7 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 8 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 9 Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Holdings Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Investments Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Land Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Limited Partnership, QGC Midstream Services Pty Ltd, QGC Northern Forestry Pty Ltd, QGC Pty Limited, QGC Sales Qld Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 Tolling Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 UJV Manager Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Tolling No.2 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Tolling Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 UJV Manager Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Finance Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Holdings Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Investments Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Limited Partnership, QPI and Shell Petrochemicals (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Qatar Shell GTL Limited, Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre QSTP-LLC, Qatar Shell Service Company W.L.L., Quaker State Investment Corporation, Queensland Electricity Investors Pty Ltd, Queensland Gas Company Pty Ltd, RDK Ventures LLC, RESCO B.V., RK Caspian Shipping Company LLC, Raffinaderij Shell Mersin N.V., Raizen Combustiveis S.A., Ramacca Solar S.R.L, Rashid Petroleum Company S.A.E., Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft mbH, Rheinland Kraftstoff GmbH, Richmond Valley Solar Thermal Pty Ltd, Roma Petroleum Pty Limited, Rotterdam Hydrogen Company B.V., Ruvuma Pipeline Company Limited, S T Exchange Inc., SASF Pty Ltd, SCL Pipeline Inc., SCOGI GP, SELAP Limited, SFJ Inc., SGA (Queensland) Pty Ltd, SHELL Slovakia s.r.o., SOI Finance Inc., SOPC Holdings East LLC, SOPC Holdings West LLC, SOPC Southeast Inc., SPNV Deutschland Beteiligungsges. mbH, STISA (Pty) Limited, STT (Das Beneficiary) Limited, SWEPI LP, Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Limited, Sakhalin LNG Services Company Ltd., Salym Petroleum Development N.V., Salym Petroleum Services B.V., Sand Dollar Pipeline LLC, Sarawak Shell Berhad, Savion LLC, Saxon Oil Limited, Saxon Oil Miller Limited, Schiehallion Oil & Gas Limited, Seapos Ltda., Select Carbon, Select Carbon Pty Ltd, Sgai Pty Limited, Shell & AMG Recycling B.V, Shell & Disa Aviation Espana S.L., Shell & MOH Aviation Fuels A.E., Shell & Turcas Petrol A.S., Shell (Beijing) Real Estate Consulting Ltd., Shell (China) Limited, Shell (China) Projects & Technology Limited, Shell (Petroleum Mining) Company Limited, Shell (Shanghai) Petroleum Company Limited, Shell (Shanghai) Technology Limited, Shell (Sudan) Petroleum Development Company Limited, Shell (Switzerland) AG, Shell (Tianjin) Lubricants Company Limited, Shell (Tianjin) Oil and Petrochemical Company Limited, Shell (US) Gas & Power M&T Holdings Inc., Shell (Zhejiang) Petroleum Trading Limited, Shell (Zhuhai) Lubricants Company Limited, Shell Abu Dhabi B.V., Shell Additives Holdings (I) B.V., Shell Additives Holdings (II) B.V., Shell Adria d.o.o., Shell Aircraft Limited, Shell Albania Block 4 B.V., Shell Americas Funding (Canada) Limited, Shell Argentina S.A., Shell Australia FLNG Pty Ltd, Shell Australia Natural Gas Shipping Limited, Shell Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Australia Services Company Pty Ltd, Shell Austria Gesellschaft mbH, Shell Aviation Finland Oy, Shell Aviation Limited, Shell Aviation Sweden AB, Shell Bahamas Power Company Inc., Shell Bermuda (Overseas) Limited, Shell Bolivia Corporation, Shell Borneo Sendirian Berhad, Shell Brands International AG, Shell Brasil Petroleo Ltda., Shell Brazil Holding B.V., Shell Brazil Holding GmbH, Shell Bulgaria Ead, Shell Business Development Central Asia B.V., Shell Business Development Middle East Limited, Shell Business Service Centre Sdn. Bhd., Shell California Pipeline Company LLC, Shell Canada BROS Inc., Shell Canada Energy, Shell Canada Limited, Shell Canada OP Inc., Shell Canada Products, Shell Canada Resources, Shell Canada Services Limited, Shell Caribbean Investments Limited, Shell Caspian B.V., Shell Caspian Pipeline Holdings B.V., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Americas LP, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Belgium N.V., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Canada Inc., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Company, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Holdings Inc., Shell Catalysts & Technologies LP, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Leuna GmbH, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Limited, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Pte. 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Ltd., Shell Chemicals U.K. Limited, Shell Chile S.A., Shell China B.V., Shell China Exploration and Production Company Limited, Shell China Holding GmbH, Shell China Holdings B.V., Shell Clair UK Limited, Shell Club Corringham Limited, Shell Colombia S.A., Shell Communications Inc., Shell Company (Hellas) Limited, Shell Company (Pacific Islands) Limited, Shell Corporate Director Limited, Shell Corporate Secretary Limited, Shell Corporate Services Switzerland AG, Shell Czech Republic A.S., Shell Deepwater Borneo Limited, Shell Deepwater Royalties Inc., Shell Deepwater Tanzania B.V., Shell Deutschland Additive GmbH, Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH, Shell Development (PSC19) Pty Ltd, Shell Development (PSC20) Pty Ltd, Shell Development Iran B.V., Shell Development Oman LLC, Shell Developments (HK) Limited, Shell Distributor (Holdings) Limited, Shell Downstream Inc., Shell Downstream Services International B.V., Shell Downstream South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Shell E and P Offshore Services B.V., Shell EP Holdings (EE&ME) B.V., Shell EP Holdings Inc., Shell EP Holdingselskab Danmark ApS, Shell EP International Limited, Shell EP Middle East Holdings B.V., Shell EP Offshore Ventures Limited, Shell EP Oman B.V., Shell EP Russia Investments (III) B.V., Shell EP Russia Investments (V) B.V., Shell EP Somalia B.V., Shell EP Wells Equipment Services B.V., Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd, Shell Eastern Trading (Pte) Ltd, Shell Egypt N.V., Shell Egypt Trading, Shell Employee Benefits Trustee Limited, Shell Energy (China) Limited, Shell Energy Asia Limited, Shell Energy Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Energy Company, Shell Energy Deutschland GmbH, Shell Energy Europe B.V., Shell Energy Europe Limited, Shell Energy Ghana Limited, Shell Energy Holding GP LLC, Shell Energy Holdings Australia Limited, Shell Energy India Private Limited, Shell Energy Investments Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Energy Investments Limited, Shell Energy Italia S.R.L., Shell Energy Marketing and Trading India Private Limited, Shell Energy Merchants Canada Inc., Shell Energy Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell Energy North America (Canada) Inc., Shell Energy North America (US) L.P., Shell Energy Pakistan (smc-private) Limited, Shell Energy Philippines Inc, Shell Energy Resources Company, Shell Energy Retail GmbH, Shell Energy Retail Limited, Shell Energy Retail Poland Sp. z o.o., Shell Energy Supply UK LTD., Shell Energy UK Limited, Shell Energy do Brasil Gas Ltda., Shell Energy do Brasil Ltda., Shell Enerji A.S., Shell Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Shell Erdgas Marketing GmbH & Co. KG, Shell Erdoel und Erdgas Exploration GmbH, Shell Espana S.A., Shell Expatriate Employment US Inc., Shell Exploracion y Extraccion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell Exploration & Production Company, Shell Exploration B.V., Shell Exploration Company (RF) B.V., Shell Exploration Company (West) B.V., Shell Exploration Company B.V., Shell Exploration Company Inc., Shell Exploration New Ventures One GmbH, Shell Exploration Venture Services B.V., Shell Exploration and Development Libya GmbH I, Shell Exploration and Production (100) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (101) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (102) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (103) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (105) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (106) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (107) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (82) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (84) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (89) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (90) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (91) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (92) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (93) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (94) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (96) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (99) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LVIII) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXII) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXV) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXVI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXXI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXXV) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (XL) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Africa Limited, Shell Exploration and Production Brunei B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Colombia GmbH, Shell Exploration and Production Holdings B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Investments B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Libya GmbH, Shell Exploration and Production Mauritania (C10) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Mauritania (C19) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Services (RF) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production South Africa B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine I B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine Investments (I) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine Investments (II) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production West-Siberia B.V., Shell Exploration et Production du Maroc GmbH, Shell Exploration und Produktion Deutschland GmbH, Shell Finance (Netherlands) B.V., Shell Finance GB Limited, Shell Finance Luxembourg Sarl, Shell Finance Switzerland AG, Shell Fleet Solutions Consorzio, Shell Frontier Oil & Gas Inc., Shell GNL Peru S.A.C., Shell GOM Pipeline Company LLC, Shell Gas & Power Developments B.V., Shell Gas (LPG) Holdings B.V., Shell Gas B.V., Shell Gas Gathering Corp. #2, Shell Gas Holdings (Malaysia) Limited, Shell Gas Iraq B.V., Shell Gas Marketing Pte. Ltd., Shell Gas Marketing U.K Limited, Shell Gas Nigeria B.V., Shell Gas Supply Trinidad Limited, Shell Gas Trading (Asia Pacific) Inc., Shell Gas Venezuela B.V., Shell Gas and Energy Philippines Corporation, Shell Generating (Holding) B.V., Shell Geothermal B.V., Shell Global LNG Limited, Shell Global Solutions (Deutschland) GmbH, Shell Global Solutions (Eastern Europe) B.V., Shell Global Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Shell Global Solutions (Thailand) Limited, Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc., Shell Global Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Global Solutions Canada Inc., Shell Global Solutions Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Shell Global Solutions Service (Thailand) Company Limited, Shell Global Solutions Services B.V., Shell Greenland A/S, Shell Guam Inc., Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc., Shell Hasdrubal Limited, Shell Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Shell Holdings (U.K.) Limited, Shell Holdings Switzerland AG, Shell Hong Kong Limited, Shell Hungary Trading close Company Limited by shares, Shell Hydrogen Deutschland GmbH, Shell Hydrogen Operations & Production BV, Shell India Markets Private Limited, Shell Information Technology International B.V., Shell Information Technology International Inc., Shell Information Technology International Limited, Shell Integrated Gas Oman B.V., Shell Integrated Gas Thailand Pte.Limited, Shell International B.V., Shell International Exploration and Development Italia S.p.A., Shell International Exploration and Production B.V., Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., Shell International Finance B.V., Shell International Gas Limited, Shell International Limited, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited, Shell International Trading Middle East Limited, Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited, Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V., Shell Internet Ventures B.V., Shell Investments NZ Limited, Shell Iraq Petroleum Development B.V., Shell Iraq Services B.V., Shell Italia E&P S.p.A., Shell Italia Holding S.p.A., Shell Italia Oil Products S.R.L., Shell Japan Limited, Shell Kazakhstan B.V., Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V., Shell Korea Limited, Shell Kuwait Exploration and Production B.V., Shell LNG Bunkering B.V., Shell LNG Gibraltar Limited, Shell LNG Port Spain B.V., Shell LNG T&T Ltd, Shell Lake Charles Operations LLC, Shell Leasing Company, Shell Lubricants Egypt, Shell Lubricants Japan K.K., Shell Lubricants Supply Company B.V., Shell Lubricants Switzerland AG, Shell Luxembourgeoise Sarl, Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Shell MRPL Aviation Fuels and Services Limited, Shell MSPO 2 Holding B.V., Shell Macau Limited, Shell Macau Petroleum Company Limited, Shell Malaysia Limited, Shell Malaysia Trading Sendirian Berhad, Shell Management and Consulting Company Limited, Shell Manatee Limited, Shell Manufacturing Services B.V., Shell Marine Personnel (I.O.M.) Limited, Shell Marine Products (US) Company, Shell Marine Products Limited, Shell Markets (Middle East) Limited, Shell Midstream LP Holdings LLC, Shell Midstream Operating LLC, Shell Midstream Partners GP LLC, Shell Midstream Partners L.P., Shell Mobility Polska Sp. z o.o., Shell Mozambique B.V., Shell Myanmar Energy Pte. Ltd., Shell Mexico Gas Natural S. de R.L. de C.V., Shell Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell NA Gas & Power Holding Company, Shell NA LNG LLC, Shell Namibia Upstream B.V., Shell Nanhai B.V., Shell Nederland B.V., Shell Nederland Chemie B.V., Shell Nederland Raffinaderij B.V., Shell Nederland Verkoopmaatschappij B.V., Shell Netherlands Canada Financing B.V., Shell New Energies Australia Pty Ltd, Shell New Energies Holding Europe B.V., Shell New Energies NL B.V., Shell New Energies Norway AS, Shell New Energies UK Ltd, Shell New Energies US LLC, Shell New Ventures Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Shell New Zealand Pensions Limited, Shell Nigeria Business Operations Limited, Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator Ltd, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Alpha Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Beta Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Charlie Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Echo Limited, Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd (SNG), Shell Nigeria Infrastructure Development Limited, Shell Nigeria Offshore Prospecting Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Shell Nigeria Upstream Ventures Limited, Shell North America Gas & Power Services Company, Shell North Sea Holdings Limited, Shell OKLNG Holdings B.V., Shell Offshore (Personnel) Services B.V., Shell Offshore Inc., Shell Offshore Response Company LLC, Shell Offshore Services B.V., Shell Offshore Upstream South Africa B.V., Shell Offshore and Chemical Investments Inc., Shell Oil & Gas (Malaysia) LLC, Shell Oil Company, Shell Oil Company Investments Inc., Shell Oil Products Company LLC, Shell Olie OG Gas Holding B.V., Shell Oman Exploration and Production B.V., Shell Oman Trading Limited, Shell Onshore Ventures Inc., Shell Operaciones Peru S.A.C., Shell Overseas Holdings (Oman) B.V., Shell Overseas Holdings Limited, Shell Overseas Investments B.V., Shell Overseas Services Limited, Shell Pakistan Limited, Shell Pensioenbureau Nederland B.V., Shell Pension Reserve Company (SIPF) Limited, Shell Pension Reserve Company (SOCPF) Limited, Shell Pension Reserve Company (UK) Limited, Shell Pensions Trust Limited, Shell People Services Asia Sdn. Bhd., Shell Petrol A.S., Shell Petroleum (Malaysia) Ltd, Shell Petroleum Inc., Shell Petroleum N.V., Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., Shell Pipeline Company LP, Shell Pipeline GP LLC, Shell Polska Sp. z o.o., Shell Project Development (VIII) B.V., Shell Property Company Limited, Shell Pulau Moa Pte Ltd, Shell QGC Holdings Limited, Shell QGC Midstream 1 Limited, Shell QGC Midstream 2 Limited, Shell QGC Pty Ltd, Shell QGC Upstream 1 Limited, Shell QGC Upstream 2 Limited, Shell Quebec Limitee, Shell RDS Holding B.V., Shell RSC Company, Shell Rail Operations Company, Shell Research Limited, Shell Response Limited, Shell Retail and Convenience Operations LLC, Shell Retraites SAS, Shell Road Solutions (Zhenjiang) Co. Ltd, Shell Road Solutions Xinyue (Foshan) Co. Ltd., Shell Sabah Selatan Sendirian Berhad, Shell Sakhalin Holdings B.V., Shell Sakhalin Services B.V., Shell Salym Development B.V., Shell Sao Tome and Principe B.V., Shell Saudi Arabia (Refining) Limited, Shell Seraya Pioneer (Pte) Ltd, Shell Service Station Properties Limited, Shell Services Oman B.V., Shell Servicios Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell Shared Services (Asia) B.V., Shell Ship Management Limited, Shell Solar Philippines Corporation, Shell Solutions Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell South Africa Energy (Pty) Ltd, Shell South Africa Exploration (Pty) Limited, Shell South Africa Holdings (Pty) Ltd, Shell South Asia LNG Limited, Shell South Syria Exploration B.V., Shell Spain LNG S.A.U., Shell Supplementary Pension Plan Trustees Limited, Shell Taiwan Limited, Shell Tankers (Singapore) Private Limited, Shell Tankers (U.K.) Limited, Shell Tankers Australia Pty Ltd, Shell TapUp B.V., Shell Technology Ventures Fund 1 B.V., Shell Thailand E&P Inc., Shell Thrift & Loan Fund Trustees Nig Ltd, Shell Timur Sdn. Bhd., Shell Trademark Management B.V., Shell Trademark Management Inc., Shell Trading (M.E.) Private Limited, Shell Trading (US), Shell Trading Canada, Shell Trading International Limited, Shell Trading Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Shell Trading North America Company, Shell Trading Risk Management LLC, Shell Trading Rotterdam B.V., Shell Trading Russia B.V., Shell Trading Services Company, Shell Trading Switzerland AG, Shell Transportation Holdings LLC, Shell Treasury Center (West) Inc., Shell Treasury Centre East (Pte) Ltd, Shell Treasury Centre Limited, Shell Treasury Company Switzerland AG, Shell Treasury Dollar Company Limited, Shell Treasury Euro Company Limited, Shell Treasury Luxembourg Sarl, Shell Treasury Malaysia (L) Limited, Shell Treasury UK Limited, Shell Trinidad 5(A) Limited, Shell Trinidad Block E Limited, Shell Trinidad Central Block Limited, Shell Trinidad Ltd, Shell Trinidad North Coast Limited, Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited, Shell Trinidad and Tobago Resources SRL, Shell Trust (Bermuda) Limited, Shell Trustee Solutions Limited, Shell Tunisia LPG S.A., Shell Tunisia Offshore GmbH, Shell Tunisia Upstream Limited, Shell U.K. Limited, Shell U.K. North Atlantic Limited, Shell U.K. Oil Products Limited, Shell US E&P Investments LLC, Shell US Gas & Power LLC, Shell US Hosting Company, Shell Ukraine Exploration and Production I LLC, Shell Upstream Albania B.V., Shell Upstream Development B.V., Shell Upstream Indonesia Services B.V., Shell Upstream Overseas Services (I) Limited, Shell Upstream Turkey B.V., Shell Venezuela Productos C.A., Shell Venezuela S.A., Shell Ventures B.V., Shell Ventures Company Limited, Shell Ventures Investments B.V., Shell Ventures LLC, Shell Ventures New Zealand Limited, Shell Ventures U.K. Limited, Shell Verwaltungsgesellschaft fur Erdgasbeteiligungen mbH, Shell Vietnam Ltd, Shell Western LNG B.V., Shell Western Supply and Trading Limited, Shell WindEnergy Inc., Shell WindEnergy Services Inc., Shell Windenergy NZW I B.V., Shell Windenergy Netherlands B.V., Shell and Topaz Aviation Ireland Limited, Shell and Vivo Lubricants B.V., Shell-Mex and B.P. Limited, Sirius Well Manufacturing Services Pte. Ltd., Sitra Petroleum Company, Snijders Olie B.V., Societe de Gestion Mobiliere et Immobiliere SAS, Societe des Petroles Shell SAS, Sohar Solar Qabas (FZC) LLC, Solar-EW II B.V., Solen Life Insurance Limited, Solen Versicherungen AG, Sonnen, Sonnen Australia Pty Limited, Sonnen GmbH, Sonnen Holding GmbH, Sonnen Inc., Sonnen Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Sonnen S.R.L., Sonnen eServices Deutschland GmbH, Sonnen eServices GmbH, Sonnen eServices Italia S.R.L., Southern Petroleum No Liability, Sprng Energy, Starzap Pty Ltd, Station Managers of Puerto Rico Inc., Stazioni Autostradali Bellinzona SA, Studio X LLC, Sunshine 685 Pty Limited, Suzhou Liyuan Retail Site Management Co. Ltd., Synthetic Chemicals (Northern) Limited, Syria Shell Petroleum Development B.V., Syriaga Neftegaz Development LLC, TBG Tanklager Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., TMR Company LLC, TRINLING Limited, Tamba B.V., Tankstation Exploitatie Maatschappij Holding B.V., Tanzania LNG Limited, Tejas Coral GP LLC, Tejas Coral Holding LLC, Tejas Power Generation LLC, Telegraph Service Stations Limited, TetraSpar Demonstrator ApS, Texas Petroleum Group LLC, Texas-New Mexico Pipe Line Company, Thai Energy Company Limited, The Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Limited, The Asiatic Petroleum Company Limited, The Consolidated Petroleum Company Limited, The Green Near Future 5 B.V., The Mexican Eagle Oil Company Limited, The New Motion B.V., The New Motion Belgium BV, The New Motion Deutschland GmbH, The New Motion EVSE Limited, The New Motion France SAS, The Shell Company (W.I.) Limited, The Shell Company of Hong Kong Limited, The Shell Company of India Limited, The Shell Company of Nigeria Limited, The Shell Company of Thailand Limited, The Shell Company of The Philippines Limited, The Shell Company of Turkey Limited, The Shell Marketing Company of Borneo Limited, The Shell Petroleum Company Limited, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, The Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited, The Valley Camp Coal Company, Thermocomfort Limited, Three Wind Holdings LLC, Tiki Tar and Shell India Private Limited, Trident LNG Shipping Services Pty Ltd, Triton Diagnostics Inc., Triton Terminaling LLC, Triton West LLC, True North Energy LLC, Tunisian Processing S.A., UK Shell Pension Plan Trust Limited, Waalbrug Exploitatie Maatschappij B.V., Walloons Coal Seam Gas Company Pty Limited, Walton-Gatwick Pipeline Company Limited, West Sitra Petroleum Company, Wonderbill Limited, Zeco Holdings Inc., Zeco Systems (Canada) Inc., Zeco Systems Inc., Zeco Systems Pte. Ltd., Zeolyst C.V., Zeolyst International, Zhejiang Shell Oil and Petrochemical Company Limited, Zydeco Pipeline Company LLC, euroShell Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, and euroShell Deutschland Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. Read More Laurentian Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial services to personal, business, and institutional customers in Canada and the United States. It operates through three segments: Personal Banking, Commercial Banking, and Capital Markets. The Personal Banking segment offers financial services, such as financial advisory services to financial intermediaries; and operates digital direct-to-customer platform to retail clients. The Commercial Banking segment provides financial services, including commercial banking, real estate financing, and equipment and inventory financing to business clients. The Capital Markets segment offers a range of services, such as research, market analysis, and advisory services; corporate underwriting services for debt and equity; and administrative services. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. ConocoPhillips is a US-based muti-national energy company. ConocoPhillips is a diversified and integrated energy company with operations in all energy industry segments. In 2021, it was ranked the 8th largest petroleum company by market cap and was #156 on the Forbes Fortune 500 list. Regarding the global economy, it is the worlds 574th largest business, with operations in 13 countries. It is one of 5 remaining companies from Standard Oils split up and is the result of decades of mergers and acquisitions. The companys earliest origins are in 1875 with the birth of Continental Oil and Transportation Company, Conoco. The company grew quickly with the industrial revolution and the widening usage of Kerosene, among other petroleum products, for heating and lighting. By 1885 it had become part of the Standard Oil family of companies, a time in which it also saw explosive growth. Assets related to the original Conoco were sold to oil exploration leader E.W. Marland and were later remerged following Standards demise. By 1929, the company was an independent and fully integrated energy company specializing in crude and derivative products. Phillips Petroleum Company was founded in 1917 as an oil exploration company that quickly expanded into diversified operations. The company hit the big times upon the discovery of natural gas in the Texas panhandle and it saw explosive growth in the war and post-war periods of the early and mid-20th century. Today, ConocoPhillips explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and bitumen across a diversified portfolio of assets. The company also transports and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids and their derivative products through a global network of distributors. The companys operations span the conventional and tight oil markets, including shale gas, heavy oil, oil sands and other petroleum-related businesses. As of late 2022, the company had more than 6.1 billion barrels of proven oil and oil-equivalent reserves and was producing 1.731 million barrels of crude and equivalents per day. Roughly 50% of operations are centered in the crude oil market while less than 40% are natural gas, with the remainder made up of LNG and bitumen (asphalt). The company's portfolio includes conventional, unconventional plays in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Assets are primarily located in Alaska (about 33% of US production), Eagle Ford, the Permian Basin, the Bakken, the Gulf of Mexico and the Anadarko Basin. Revenue topped $45.8 billion in 2021 and the company employs about 9,900 worldwide. Exploratory operations are underway in Columbia and Chile where the opportunity for both scale and flexibility is present. ConocoPhillips was the first major oil company to adopt the Paris Climate Accord and pledge to achieve net-zero scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2050. Areas of focus include increasing operational efficiencies, supporting the reduction of end-use pollutants and advancing low-carbon alternatives, including hydrogen production and fuel cells. 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. Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Nuveen Investments, Inc. The fund is managed by Nuveen Asset Management, LLC. It invests in the fixed income markets of Arizona. The fund invests in municipal securities and other related investments the income, exempt from regular federal and Arizona income taxes that are rated Baa or BBB or better and having an average maturity of 18.66 years. It employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up stock picking approach to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Standard & Poor's (S&P) Arizona Municipal Bond Index and Standard & Poor's (S&P) National Municipal Bond Index. The fund was formerly known as Nuveen Arizona Premium Income Municipal Fund. Nuveen Arizona Quality Municipal Income Fund was formed on November 19, 1992 and is domiciled in the United States. Prudential Financial, Inc. is a global financial services company headquartered in Newark, New Jersey. Founded in 1875, the company has become one of the world's largest insurance and investment management companies, with operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Prudential Financial provides insurance, retirement, and investment products to individuals, businesses, and institutional clients. The company has diverse products and services, including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, retirement planning, asset management, and real estate services. Its offerings cater to a wide range of customers, from individuals to large corporations. Prudential Financial's management team is led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Charles F. Lowrey, who assumed the position in 2018. Lowrey has been with the company for over 25 years and has held various leadership positions, including President and Chief Operating Officer. He has a strong track record of driving growth and profitability, having led the company's international business and overseen its merger with Prudential plc's Asian business. Other key management team members include Vice Chairman Robert Falzon and Chief Financial Officer Ken Tanji. Over the past few years, Prudential Financial has delivered consistent financial results. The company reported revenue and net income up for the past several years. The company keeps an average profit margin of around 4%. The company has maintained a solid balance sheet with an average debt-to-capital ratio of approximately 20%. Prudential Financial's valuation metrics compare favorably to industry peers. The company's price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratio are slightly lower than the industry average. These metrics suggest that the company's stock is undervalued relative to its peers. Prudential Financial's stock has performed well over the past few years. Prudential Financial operates in the insurance and investment management industry, which is highly competitive and subject to regulatory and political risks. The industry is also subject to cyclical and secular trends that can impact its profitability. For instance, low-interest rates can reduce the profitability of insurers and investment managers by reducing investment income. Prudential Financial's main competitors include MetLife, AIG, and Manulife Financial. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political risks, such as changes in tax laws or regulatory requirements. In addition, consumer preferences and behavior can also impact the industry, as changes in consumer preferences for financial products and services can affect the demand for insurance and investment management products. Prudential Financial has several growth opportunities. The company has a strong presence in Asia, particularly in Japan and China, where it has established partnerships with local financial institutions to distribute its products. The company also recently acquired Assurance IQ, a technology-enabled insurance brokerage, to expand its reach in the United States. Prudential Financial is also focused on developing new products and services to meet evolving customer needs, such as its Prudential LINK platform, which provides customers with a personalized approach to financial wellness. Additionally, the company has invested in digital and data capabilities to improve customer experience and streamline operations. Prudential Financial also has opportunities for expansion into new markets. The company has been expanding its footprint in emerging markets, such as Brazil and Mexico, where it has seen strong growth potential. Furthermore, the company has been exploring opportunities in the growing retirement and financial planning market, particularly in the United States. The aging population has increased the demand for retirement and wealth management services. Prudential Financial also faces several risks and challenges. The company is exposed to market risks, such as fluctuations in interest rates and equity markets, which can impact the value of its investment portfolio and earnings. In addition, the company's success depends on its ability to effectively manage risks associated with its insurance business, such as mortality, morbidity, and longevity risks. Prudential Financial is also exposed to regulatory and political risks. Changes in regulatory requirements or tax laws can impact the company's operations and profitability. Furthermore, the company operates in multiple jurisdictions with different regulatory environments, which can create additional complexity and costs. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, August 26. Ministers of Energy from Uzbekistan, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov; Kyrgyzstan, Talaibek Ibraev; and Kazakhstan, Almasadam Satkaliyev, are discussing the implementation of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant project, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Energy of Kyrgyzstan, these discussions are taking place at a ministerial meeting currently underway in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan. The aim of this meeting is to foster cooperation in the water and energy sectors within the region. During the meeting, topics related to the execution of cross-border hydroelectric projects with neighboring countries were discussed. Additionally, alongside the Kambarata-1 HPP project, the sides are addressing efforts to strengthen connections in the fields of water and energy resources. Joint initiatives for the autumn-winter season, mutual electricity, and resource supply are also on the agenda. Currently, these three countries are continuing negotiations regarding the terms of joint implementation of the Kambarata-1 HPP construction project in the Jalal-Abad region of Kyrgyzstan. In the establishment of a joint venture among these countries, it is proposed that Kyrgyzstan will hold 34 percent of the shares, while Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will collectively own 66 percent, with 33 percent each. The project entails the construction of a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of 1,860 MW and a reservoir volume of 5.4 billion cubic meters. The hydropower plant is projected to generate an average of 5.6 billion kWh of electricity annually. An amount of 1.8 billion soms ($20.4 million) from the national budget of Kyrgyzstan has been allocated to the preliminary work on this project. PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services in Indonesia, New York, Europe, and Asia. It operates through, Corporate & International Banking, Institutional Banking, Enterprise & commercial Banking, Consumer Banking, Treasury, Head Offices, and Subsidiaries segments The company offers current, savings, and money market accounts, and time deposit products. It also provides cash management; insurance; investment banking; remittance; refinancing; and pension funds. In addition, the company offers debit and credit cards; SMS, Internet, and phone banking services, as well as automated teller machines; treasury services; transactional banking products, such as payment, collection, and liquidity management services; working capital, investment credit, bank guarantee, local letter of credit, and letter of credit; and customer analysis and portfolio management services. Further, it provides facilities for foreign exchange services; investment products, such as government, retail, and company bonds; transaction derivatives; BNIFX, a web-based digital platform to conduct non-physical forex transactions directly with BNI treasury dealers; local currency settlement; and trade finance services, which include export and import LC and non-LC, standby letter of credit, bill collection financing, open account financing, and BNI Trade Online, a digital service to submit requests for trade transactions online. The company serves agriculture, telecommunication, food and beverage, oil and gas, mining, chemicals, construction, electricity, and wholesale and retail. PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Jakarta Pusat, Indonesia. Radiant Logistics, Inc., a third-party logistics company, provides technology-enabled global transportation and value-added logistics solutions primarily in the United States and Canada. It offers domestic, international air, and ocean freight forwarding services; and freight brokerage services, including truckload and intermodal services. The company provides logistics and supply chain services, including MM&D, CHB, and GTM services, as well as heavyweight and small package air services. It serves aviation and automotive, electronics and high tech, furniture and home furnishings, hospitality and gaming, humanitarian/NGO, industrial farming, and manufacturing and consumer goods; medical, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals; military and government; oil, gas, and energy; residential and white glove; retail, textile, apparel, and accessories; and trade shows, events, and advertising, as well as sporting goods industries. Radiant Logistics, Inc. was incorporated in 2001 and is headquartered in Renton, Washington. Serengeti Resources Inc. acquires and explores for mineral properties in Canada. It company explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. The company's flagship property is the Kwanika project that covers an area of 25,928 hectares located in the northern Quesnel Trough, British Columbia. It also has an option to acquire 100% interest in Top Cat project covering an area of approximately 21,600 hectares situated in central British Columbia. The company was formerly known as Serengeti Minerals Ltd. and changed its name to Serengeti Resources Inc. in 2001. Serengeti Resources Inc. was incorporated in 1973 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells construction machineries worldwide. The company operates through two segments, Construction Machinery Business and Solution Business. It offers excavators and wheel loaders, compaction equipment, hydraulic excavators, and rigid dump trucks. The company also provides ICT construction solutions; ConSite that monitors machines' operational status and alarms by sending monthly operational reports, as well as notifies emergency alarms; Fleet management system, which offers real-time monitoring of dump truck for optimizing vehicle operations; and autonomous haulage system for autonomous operation of mining dump trucks. In addition, it provides parts and services; used equipment under the PREMIUM USED brand; machinery rental services under the PREMIUM RENTAL and REC brand names; and parts remanufacturing services. The company was incorporated in 1951 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. Telia Company AB (publ) provides communication services to businesses, individuals, families, and communities in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia. It offers mobile, broadband, television, and fixed-line services; and networking, cloud and security, mobility, enterprise mobile network, contact center, managed mobility services, collaboration solutions, enterprise telephony, Internet of Things (IoT), carrier ethernet, dedicated internet access, wavelengths, IP Transit, dark fiber, and colocation solutions. The company also provides IoT connectivity, building monitoring, smart public transport, and smart utilities, as well as transport and logistics solutions comprising connected vehicle, asset tracking, and fleet management services. It markets its products and services under the Telia, TV4, C More, Halebop, Fello, MTV, Phonero, Onecall, MyCall, CallMe, MIT Tele, Ezys, Diil, Super, and Imt brand names for transport and logistics, public transport, manufacturing, retail, utilities, buildings and real estate, and public sector industries. The company was formerly known as TeliaSonera AB (publ) and changed its name to Telia Company AB (publ) in April 2016. Telia Company AB (publ) was founded in 1853 and is based in Solna, Sweden. 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. Wolters Kluwer N.V. provides professional information, software solutions, and services in the Netherlands, rest of Europe, the United States, Canada, the Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates through four segments: Health; Tax & Accounting; Governance, Risk & Compliance; and Legal & Regulatory. The Health segment offers clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that drive effective decision-making and improved outcomes across healthcare. It provides solutions for hospitals, clinics, other healthcare providers, individual clinicians and students, nursing and medical schools and libraries, retail pharmacies, payers, and life sciences organizations. The Tax & Accounting segment offers solutions that help tax, accounting, and audit professionals to drive productivity, navigate change, and deliver better outcomes. It provides solutions for accounting firms, corporate finance, tax and auditing departments, government agencies, libraries, and universities. The Governance, Risk & Compliance segment offers technology-enabled services and solutions for legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and regulatory reporting. It serves legal, compliance, and risk professionals in corporations, small businesses, law firms, insurers, banks, non-bank lenders, credit unions, leasing companies, and securities firms. The Legal & Regulatory segment provides evidence-based information, actionable insights, and integrated workflow solutions that help customers to make the right decisions and streamline compliance. It enables legal and compliance professionals, and operational risk managers, as well as environmental, health, and safety managers to improve productivity and performance, mitigate risk, and solve complex problems with confidence in law firms, corporations, universities, and government agencies. Wolters Kluwer N.V. was founded in 1836 and is based in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Harsh Kumar is Correspondent at Moneycontrol based in Delhi. Harsh covers BFSI sector. You can reach him at Harsh.kumar@nw18.com Meghna Mittal MEGHNA MITTAL is Deputy News Editor at Moneycontrol. Meghna has experience across television, print, online and wire media. She has been covering the Indian economy, monetary and fiscal policies, Finance and Trade ministries. She tweets at @Meghnamittal23 Contact: meghna.mittal@nw18.com you are here: DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, August 26. Tajikistan plans to use Kazakhstan's expertise in establishing online government service provision, Trend reports. According to the press service of the Tajikistan President, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan. This memorandum focuses on cooperation in transferring government electronic platform systems. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, who is currently on a two-day working visit to Kazakhstans Astana, visited the electronic government office and observed its operations alongside Kazakhstan's President, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. During his visit to the center, Rahmon said that introducing an "electronic government" is a contemporary requirement. The government of Tajikistan is paying attention to this process, considering the needs of society. Earlier, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation, and Aerospace Industry, Bagdat Mussin, said that Kazakhstan is prepared to conduct seminars and training courses to educate Tajikistans specialists in the field of e-government. Invite your friends and family to sign up for MC Tech 3, our daily newsletter that breaks down the biggest tech and startup stories of the day BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 27. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense announced the successful conduct of close air support exercises with the participation of Turkish and US combat aircraft, Trend reports. A statement from the Ministry of National Defense posted on X (Twitter) said that "close air support exercises were successfully conducted with the participation of Turkish Air Force Command F-16s, US Navy F-18s and forward air traffic controllers". Shinie Antony is a writer and editor based in Bangalore. Her books include The Girl Who Couldn't Love, Barefoot and Pregnant, Planet Polygamous, and the anthologies Why We Dont Talk, An Unsuitable Woman, Boo. Winner of the Commonwealth Short Story Asia Prize for her story A Dogs Death in 2002, she is the co-founder of the Bangalore Literature Festival and director of the Bengaluru Poetry Festival. The stylist of the First Lady of Ukraine Natalia Kamenska spoke about an informal meeting at the house of President Volodymyr Zelensky. The founder of the Gunia Project brand was invited to a dinner two years ago. She was impressed by the simplicity and openness of the couple. ADVERTISIMENT Natalia Kamenska had just been interviewed for the position of the First Lady's stylist, so Olena decided to get acquainted with the fashion expert. She shared the details of the dinner in the company of the President and his wife in an interview with Elle (scroll to the end of the page to see the photo). "I remember our first informal meeting. After I went through interviews and presentations, it became clear that we would cooperate, as Olena invited me to dinner to get to know each other better. I went to the residence with the thoughts that I was about to be met by the butlers," the stylist recalled. ADVERTISIMENT According to her, the door was opened by the mistress of the house wearing a casual look, which, by the way, she still chooses herself. Natalia said that Olena Zelenska likes to wear oversized and comfortable clothes in her spare time. "She wore a hoodie, sneakers and jeans. She showed me the house and the pets: two dogs, a parrot and a guinea pig. The first lady brought me appetizers herself and invited me to the table. At about 9:30 p.m., the president came home, went to the kitchen himself, got his food from the refrigerator and sat down with us. It was so nice that a man who worked until late in the evening joined us for dinner quite simply and openly," she told the publication. ADVERTISIMENT She added that she noted the humanity of the couple immediately. The cooperation continued since then. The war made adjustments to the closet of Olena Zelenska. For example, the wife of the Ukrainian leader never adds new things to her closet but uses what is already there. Exceptions are made only during important business trips and on invitations to attend festive events abroad. Earlier OBOZREVATEL wrote that the first lady chose an exclusive Gunia Project embroidery for the Independence Day of Ukraine. It is not on sale yet. Only verified information from us on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The second cargo vessel has already left the water area of the Odesa port. A temporary corridor for the export of goods is working after Russia's withdrawal from the "grain deal" and its threats to perceive merchant ships as a military threat, ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the head of the "Institute of Black Sea Strategic Studies" project Andriy Klymenko on Facebook. The port of destination is specified as BG VAR VARNA. The expected time of arrival is August 27 at 13.00. It is known that the PRIMUS ship (ex. POLARSTAR) arrived in Odesa on August 20. The first grain carrier JOSEPH SCHULTE left on August 16 and managed to reach its destination after the disruption of the grain deal within the framework of the temporary corridor in the Black Sea. Ukraine has declared temporary corridors in the Black Sea for merchant ships traveling to and from Ukrainian ports. Russia unilaterally withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal on July 17 and repeatedly attacked the port grain infrastructure afterwards. ADVERTISIMENT Ukrainian farmers have faced serious problems after Russia withdrew from the grain agreement and launched massive attacks on Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. Alternative export routes have proved too expensive for many businesses, and now farmers don't know how to sell their produce. This could leave the grain harvest from such farms to rot in warehouses or even in the fields. This situation is already causing Ukrainian farmers to reduce their crops, analysts say. This year, the amount of corn and wheat in the fields has fallen by almost 40% compared to pre-war levels. The lives of people in starving countries depend on Ukrainian food. As reported by OBOZREVATEL, Turkey urged to resume the grain agreement. They are sure that the Danube ports will not be able to replace the Black Sea in terms of food exports, because of which China and Africa will not get enough grain. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information from us on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., chair of the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources, speaks as other members of a congressional delegation join him for a press conference Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023, at the Hagatna office of Guam Del. James Moylan. No DeSantis debate bounce, but some Republicans more open to him -Reuters/Ipsos Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company (BCFC) has announced that it has achieved a key milestone by securing the Mastercard Digital First Programme certificate. This distinguished recognition serves as a testament to the companys steadfast commitment to spearheading innovation and offering unparalleled convenience through pioneering solutions. The Mastercard Digital First Programme is designed to help financial institutions deliver a seamless and secure digital experience to their customers and increase their ability to meet the highest standards of digital lending solutions. In addition, it facilitates instant digital card issuance, allows users to view digital card information, and offers many other benefits. It also enables consumers to have control over their finances, and creates direct connection between the company and its customers around the world. Obtaining this certificate is yet another milestone among the leading companys achievements and will enhance its position as a trusted partner for digital payments and secure payment solutions in Bahrain, it added. Bahrain Commercial Facilities Company CEO Abdulla Bukhowa said: "We are thrilled to receive this world-class recognition from Mastercard to enhance client experience. This reflects our commitment to providing innovative and secure digital payment solutions to our clients, and our continued efforts to enhance our lending services to best suit our clients demands." "At BCFC, we work to create a comprehensive and innovative environment that is interactive and able to meet our clients expectations through multiple channels. We will continue to provide innovative and outstanding services in the digital payment space and enhance digital lending products for our individual and corporate clients," he stated. "We continuously invest in technology, innovation, leadership, and digitalization in order to improve our capabilities and expertise in this field to be able to enhance our clients experience and provide secure solutions to help them achieve their goals and grow their businesses," he added. Maria Medvedeva, Country Manager, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain at Mastercard, said: "Todays connected consumers expect speed and convenience from their financial services. Mastercard Digital First offers them a unique value-added experience with immediate, responsive payments and spend management capabilities at their fingertips." "We are delighted to welcome BCFC to the fold of companies holding our Digital First program certificate as a clear proof of their abilities to create a streamlined digital customer journey," he added. BCFC said this certificate will greatly contribute to BCFC's position as a leading player in the digital payments sector, not only at the local and regional levels but also in the global digital lending landscape. It solidifies the company's continuous success and achievements in this field, establishing BCFC as an innovative and trustworthy provider of digital payment and lending solutions, it added.-TradeArabia News Service A commercial plane from North Korea has arrived in the aggressor country Russia for the first time in three years. North Korea's state-owned airline Air Koryo resumed flights to Vladivostok after more than three years of COVID-19-related restrictions. ADVERTISIMENT Notably, there was not a single passenger on board the airplane. This is reported by Yonhap News Agency (to see the photo, scroll to the end of the page). The plane, which departed from the DPRK capital Pyongyang on August 25, arrived at Vladivostok International Airport at 11:14. An electronic board at the airport showed that Air Koryo flight JS-272, which was originally scheduled to depart for Pyongyang at 1:15 p.m., had been delayed until 1:45 p.m. The flight was delayed until 1:45. Kremlin propaganda media said that passengers were allegedly preparing to board the flight despite the lack of advance notice by the time the plane arrived in Vladivostok. By 3:10 p.m., the JS-272 was believed to have departed for Pyongyang because the flight schedule had disappeared from the scoreboard. Airport workers declined to comment on the flight, but one person said North Korea had brought home its citizens who had stayed in Russia because of the border closure after the pandemic began. ADVERTISIMENT Air Koryo North Korean airline is also known to have resumed direct commercial flights with China the day before in a sign of the opening of the border with Pyongyang. The defense minister of the terrorist state of Russia Sergei Shoigu visited an exhibition of military equipment in the North Korean capital Pyongyang in July. Together with the head of North Korea Kim Jong-un, the Russian war criminal inspected nuclear ballistic missiles, which were banned by UN Security Council resolutions. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that a few days after the meeting between Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and North Korean leader Kim Jong-in, a Russian military plane flew to Pyongyang. Analysts speculated that Kim and Shoigu agreed on armed cooperation. As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the Russian and North Korean dictators exchanged letters on the 78th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule in 1910-1945. War criminal Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un agreed to develop strategic relations. An American Airlines worker is seen at the Los Angeles international airport in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 31, 2021. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with the crew of the Alyosha T-80 tank, which destroyed a Ukrainian armoured convoy on the Zaporizhzhia direction in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia August 24, 2023. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo The head of the Defence Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, has once again hinted at the existence of Russian President Vladimir Putin's lookalikes. According to him, the Kremlin dictator, who is familiar to the viewer, was last seen in public last year, around 26 June. ADVERTISIMENT The head of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine made the statement in an interview with Radio Liberty. We would like to emphasise that Budanov refused to directly confirm or deny that the Russian leader has doubles (to watch the video, scroll to the end). "Let's leave it to everyone to live in their own flight of fantasy," the Ukrainian intelligence chief said. When asked directly whether the "original" Putin was alive, Budanov said: "I don't know what to answer you." The journalist clarified that Budanov himself had previously said that he distinguished the Putins from each other. "Yes. The one that was there and that everyone was used to seeing was last seen around 26 June 2022," the DIU chief said. He did not answer why this happened, saying that there could be many reasons. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL previously wrote, on 22 August, the Kremlin dictator suddenly forgot which hand he was wearing at a meeting of the Russian Council for Strategic Development and National Projects. The curious moment was caught on video. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Ukrainian motorists are always interested in purchasing a reliable vehicle. It is important that a used car rarely breaks down and is inexpensive. Especially with a budget of up to 4000 dollars. ADVERTISIMENT OBOZREVATEL as always knows what inexpensive car is worth buying on the secondary market. Pay attention to these models, they will not disappoint. The best used cars for $4,000 dollars: Mazda 2; Volkswagen Polo; Seat Altea. Mazda 2 The Mazda 2 city hatchback seemed like a pretty expensive car when it was new. Now, the model has become noticeably cheaper on the secondary market. The strong point of the model is a bright design. The Japanese car will not let you down, as it is noted for high reliability all over the world. Volkswagen Polo The German Volkswagen Polo is a well-known car almost all over the world. The car has a good reputation thanks to reliability. And, of course, the famous brand is liked by buyers. It is worth noting that we are talking about a hatchback, not a sedan. ADVERTISIMENT Seat Altea An unusual minivan, which has already been taken out of production. Cool design allows the car to look very bold and still modern. At the same time, the model turned out to be practical and very reliable thanks to Volkswagen technologies. OBOZREVATEL has already reported on an affordable compact crossover from Italy from a new brand. Police have blocked some major roads around Harares central business district as tension continues to build over the just ended elections. The roads that were blocked are those leading to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) in downtown Harare and the Harare International Conference Centre, which is the command centre for the polls. Armed riot police have mounted roadblocks in the area and water canons have been deployed near the command centre. Driving schools that operate around the area have also been told to move away. Zec is announcing results of parliamentary and local government elections from the constituency level while the presidential election result will be announced from the command centre in Harare. Preliminary results started trickling in on Thursday with both the ruling Zanu PF and Citizens Coalition for Change claiming victory. NewsDay Breaking News via Email President Emmerson Mnangagwas spokesman has been banned by Twitter for a second time for allegedly issuing threats against the head of the SADC election observer mission. George Charamba raged on Twitter after the observers said Wednesdays polls fell below the regional and international standards for democratic elections. Twitter users appeared to have reported the account, @tinoedzazwimwe1, after Charamba appeared to threaten Nevers Mumba, a former Zambian vice president and head of the observer mission. Charamba claimed Mumba was a sellout, the type that would be killed during the liberation war. We suspended @tinoedzazwimwe1s account for breaking our hateful conduct rule. We found they broke our hateful conduct rule through different reports we received about their behaviour, Twitter said in response to one user who had reported the account. Charamba isnt allowed to create new accounts, Twitter added. It is not the first time Charamba has been kicked off the platform for bullying or hateful language. He was probably banned while using the username @jamwanda2 for cyberbullying and sexist remarks targeting a female South African TV journalist. He defied the ban by simply opening a new account as @tinoedzazwimwe1. ZimLive Breaking News via Email The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Saturday announced that President Emmerson Mnangagwa had been re-elected with 52.6 percent of the vote in an election condemned as a sham by critics and denounced by foreign observer missions. ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said Mnangagwas main rival, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa, trailed with 44 percent of the vote. His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa has won the vote with 2 350 711votes, consisting 52.7% of the vote. Chamisa scored 1 906 734, which is 44% of the vote pic.twitter.com/KB8m8EMUI0 Nick Mangwana (@nickmangwana) August 26, 2023 Zanu PF also won 136 seats in the National Assembly while the CCC took 73, denying Mnangagwas party a two thirds majority with which he could amend the constitution. The election for Gutu West was cancelled following the death of a candidate. Mnangagwa was due to address a news conference following the announcement, but officials said he was too tired and the event was cancelled. The election had been expected to end a legitimacy crisis in Zimbabwe sparked by Mnangagwas controversial win in 2018. Instead, it has left Zimbabweans fearful of the future. In an unprecedented preliminary report, observers of the regional bloc SADC said the election was not credible. They cited the late opening of polling stations in opposition strongholds, a biased judiciary, disruption of opposition rallies, lack of coverage of opposition rallies in state media and ZECs lack of independence in a scorching report which riled the Zimbabwe government. Some aspects of the harmonised election fell short of the requirements of the constitution of Zimbabwe, the electoral act and the SADC principals and guidelines governing democratic elections, said head of the delegation Nevers Mumba. Observers from the Carter Center, the Commonwealth, the African Union and the European Union, while noting that the vote was held in generally peaceful conditions, also offered searing criticism. An influential United States senator, Jim Risch, on Friday said the international community should re-look into their relationship with Mnangagwas regime, raising the prospect of fresh sanctions. We must reevaluate all facets of our relationship with a Zimbabwean government that ignores its peoples will and flouts its laws through acts of violence, looting, and impunity, Fisch said in a statement, describing the election as a sham. Mnangagwa had hoped to secure an uncontested victory and end Zimbabwes decades of international isolation which has spawned an economic collapse. The disputed election has put paid to those hopes, setting the stage for a choppy new five-year term. A new constitution adopted in 2013 for the first time imposed a two-term limit for the president, meaning this would be Mnangagwas second and final term. Political analysts say this could render him a lame-duck, with his internal Zanu PF rivals coalescing around his deputy and likely successor, vice president Constantino Chiwenga. The poll was watched across southern Africa as a test of support for 80-year-old Mnangagwas Zanu PF party, whose 43-year rule has been battered by a moribund economy and charges of authoritarianism. The election was forced to stretch into an unprecedented second day over delays in printing of ballot papers in some key districts including in the opposition strongholds Harare and Bulawayo. The CCC had more than 100 of its campaign meetings banned, and has lashed the electoral process as fundamentally flawed. SADC added that it was the contention of a number of stakeholders that the state-owned media houses remain biased against the opposition. Less than a quarter of polling stations in Harare an opposition stronghold opened on time on Wednesday, the first day of voting. The problems forced Mnangagwa to issue a late-night directive extending the vote by another day. Chamisa, 45, slammed the delays as a clear case of voter suppression, a classic case of Stone Age rigging. ZimLive Breaking News via Email Yves here. Even though Alexander Mercouris discussed these two pieces major stories separately, theres merit in looking at them together, particularly since Korybkos recap covers some tidbits that got left on the Mercouris cutting room floor. These articles also confirm things he and others have been describing for some time: increased finger-pointing and acrimony between Kiev and Washington has been coming out more and more into the open as the much ballyhooed counteroffensive has come a cropper. Its underperformed even the expectations of Russia-friendly experts like Mark Sleboda, how believed the operation would at least get to and possibly puncture the first Russian fortified lines. Mercouris has emphasized the second point in Kobybkos recap below, the US/NATO indifference to the horrific human costs Ukraine is incurring, and then demanding Ukraine sacrifice even more men for what is obviously a lost cause. By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website With the vicious blame game between the US and Ukraine now reaching the level of their military officials telling the press that there are fundamental strategic differences between them, the trust and unity of purpose that were forged over the past 18 months seem to be a thing of the past. The New York Times (NYT) and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) each published very critical articles about Kievs counteroffensive just several days apart. Respectively titled Ukraines Forces and Firepower Are Misallocated, U.S. Officials Say and U.S., Ukraine Clash Over Counteroffensive Strategy, they take the vicious blame gamethats recently exploded between the two to the next level. The highlights from each will now be shared prior to analyzing the new narrative about this conflict. Here are the NYTs takeaways: - * Kievs dual focus on the eastern and southern fronts led to it failing along both Ukrainian commanders have divided troops and firepower roughly equally between the east and the south, the U.S. officials said. As a result, more Ukrainian forces are near Bakhmut and other cities in the east than are near Melitopol and Berdiansk in the south, both far more strategically significant fronts, officials say. * The US prefers for Ukraine to advance towards the sea even at the cost of massive losses American planners have advised Ukraine to concentrate on the front driving toward Melitopol, Kyivs top priority, and on punching through Russian minefields and other defenses, even if the Ukrainians lose more soldiers and equipment in the process. * Washington is bracing for the counteroffensives full failure if Kiev doesnt obey its demands Only with a change of tactics and a dramatic move can the tempo of the counteroffensive change, said one U.S. official, who like the other half a dozen Western officials interviewed for this article spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. * 18 months of combat have decimated the ranks of Kievs most experienced forces American officials say there are indications that Ukraine has started to shift some of its more seasoned combat forces from the east to the south. But even the most experienced units have been reconstituted a number of times after taking heavy casualties. * The counteroffensives full failure might already be a fait accompli Some analysts say the progress may be too little too late. The fighting is taking place on mostly flat, unforgiving terrain, which favors the defenders. The Russians are battling from concealed positions that Ukrainian soldiers often see only when they are feet away. Hours after Ukrainians clear a field of mines, the Russians sometimes fire another rocket that disperses more of them at the same location. * Kiev clings to Soviet war doctrine in order to control rivalries within its armed forces Ukraine and Russia fight under old Soviet Communist doctrine, which seeks to minimize rivalries among factions of the army by providing equal amounts of manpower and equipment across commands. Both armies have failed to prioritize their most important objectives, officials say. * Zelenskys political obsession with reconquering Artyomovsk crippled the counteroffensive Ukraines continued focus on Bakhmut, the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the war, has perplexed U.S. intelligence and military officials. Ukraine has invested huge amounts of resources in defending the surrounding Donbas region, and Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, does not want to appear as though he is giving up on trying to retake lost territory. But U.S. officials say politics must, at least temporarily, take a back seat to sound military strategy. * This disastrous decision was due to him capitulating to pressure from competing military factions Ukrainian leaders have defended their strategy and distribution of forces, saying they are fighting effectively in both the east and the south. The large number of troops is necessary to pressure Bakhmut and to defend against concerted Russian attacks in the countrys northeast, they say. Ukrainian commanders are competing for resources and have their own ideas of where they can succeed. * The counteroffensive could end sooner than expected due to poor weather American officials said Ukraine has another month to six weeks before rainy conditions force a pause in the counteroffensive. Already in August, Ukraine has postponed at least one offensive drive because of rain. * Fatigue among its fighters might also prematurely end the counteroffensive More important than the weather, some analysts say, is that Ukraines main assault forces may run out of steam by mid- to late September. About a month ago, Ukraine rotated in a second wave of troops to replace an initial force that failed to break through Russian defenses. - And here are the highlights from the WSJs complementary article: * The US and Ukraine fell out with one another shortly after the counteroffensive began U.S. and Ukrainian officials have been engaged in an intense behind-the-scenes debate for weeks over the strategy and tactics for reviving Kyivs slow-moving counteroffensive. American military officials have been urging the Ukrainians to return to the combined arms training they received at allied bases in Europe by concentrating their forces to try to bust through Russia defenses and push to the Sea of Azov. * Fundamental differences over strategy are at the core of their growing disagreements You dont understand the nature of this conflict, Gen. Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, the Ukrainian commander, responded in one interaction with the Americans, a U.S. official recounted. This is not counterinsurgency. This is Kursk, the commander added, referring to the major World War II battle between Germany and the Soviet Union. * The counteroffensive is likely Kievs last hurrah since the US cant sustain its military aid The American advice is based on the calculation that the surge of equipment the U.S. has funneled to Ukrainemore than $43 billion in weaponry has been committed over the yearsis enough for this offensive and is unlikely to be repeated at anywhere near the same level in 2024. We built up this mountain of steel for the counteroffensive. We cant do that again, one former U.S. official said. It doesnt exist. * Zelenskys prioritization of political goals over military ones seriously frustrates the US While there are differing views within the U.S. government, one official said that Washington has conveyed serious frustration with Ukraines strategy, particularly President Volodymyr Zelenskys focus on Bakhmut, which some Ukrainian officers see as useful to build morale and create a buffer zone in the east. * Kievs allegedly newfound aversion to casualties impedes progress towards the sea Holding casualties to a minimum is needed to preserve their longer-term fighting potential, the Ukrainians say. But U.S. officials say the Ukrainians small-unit attacks on narrow fronts slow the offensive and give the Russians more opportunity to respond, including with mines that are dispensed through artillery strikes and units armed with rocket-propelled grenades. * Only 8,000 troops were supposed to smash through around 100 miles of Russian defenses At the heart of the debate between Washington and Kyiv is the U.S.-provided combined arms training the Ukrainians have received in recent months that was intended to prepare them for their offensive in the south. The U.S. and its partners have trained more than 70,000 Ukrainian soldiers at more than 40 training areas. But the crux of the U.S. combined arms training in Germany was on 14 motorized-infantry, mechanized and national-guard battalionssome 8,000 troopswho were to push through Russias lines or secure terrain. * The lack of proper air power might have doomed the counteroffensive from the get-go The training is intended to enable Ukrainian forces to break through their foes defenses and maneuver in the Russians rear area, but without the advantages the U.S. military has long enjoyed, especially air power. Ukraine has only a small air force, and the delivery of American-made F-16s isnt expected until mid to late 2024. While U.S. officials say that simulations indicated that the Ukrainians could succeed anyway, some in the Pentagon acknowledge the challenge. * Irresponsible resource allocation and poor training made everything even worse Some Ukrainian soldiers who have been fighting from the beginning of the war expressed frustration that the tanks and armored vehicles had been given to newly formed units that include soldiers with little or no combat experience Others say the reality of fighting on first contact with the enemy shocked them. - Reflecting on the insight shared by the NYT and WSJ per their unnamed US sources, three primary reasons explain everything that went wrong with the counteroffensive and inevitably resulted in its failure. First and foremost, the lack of air support cant be overemphasized in this respect, but its attributable to Ukraine lacking these capabilities prior to the start of Russias special operation and the West wisely refusing to send its own pilots into the combat zone. To go through with the counteroffensive in spite of this, however, proves that the US and Ukraine were driven by ulterior motives. Although the US werent touched upon in either of those articles, the argument can be made that its powerful military-industrial complex wanted to obtain invaluable battlefield data from the weapons that were already sent there. As for Ukraines, its authorities feared for their political futures if they failed to make a major effort to reconquer their lost lands. The preceding observation leads to the next primary reason why the counteroffensive failed, which is that Zelensky then capitulated to pressure from competing military factions to equally divide this campaigns focus along the eastern and southern fronts instead of concentrating on the latter. The existence of these aforesaid factions in its armed forces was hitherto smeared as a conspiracy theory until the NYT and WSJ confirmed it, and it explains a lot about everything that unfolded this summer. It was precisely due to their existence and powerful influence that Zelensky clung to Soviet war doctrine in order to control them instead of taking the risk that some might mutiny if they didnt get roughly equal access to the treasure trove of weapons sent by the West. He also couldnt let highly armed factions sit around doing nothing, however, which partially accounts for why he ordered around half of his forces to attempt to reconquer Artyomovsk. And finally, the last reason why the counteroffensive failed is that Russia won the race of logistics/war of attrition with NATO and was therefore able to adequately defend its southern positions in parallel with keeping up pressure on Kiev in the east, particularly the Kupyansk direction along which its recently advanced. In such a situation, Zelensky would have still been forced to retain a significant number of his forces in the east even if he didnt have any competing military factions to worry about. Accordingly, the counteroffensives focus would have likely remained divided in order to prevent Russia from going on its own offensive in the east that could have risked enveloping Kievs forces in the south. This assessment suggests that the present stalemate was inevitable even in the event that Ukraine wielded proper air power and its armed forces operated as one. Considering this, the counteroffensive never had a real chance at success, thus making the US and Ukraines differences over strategy moot. Each had ulterior motives for going ahead with it anyhow, but responsible American policymakers could have forced Kiev to recommence peace talks against its will while their responsible Ukrainian counterparts could have done so unilaterally even if the US was against this. After all, President Putin made it clear that he was still interested in a political resolution to the conflict several weeks after the counteroffensive began, but he might have since changed his mind if he decides to exploit its fallout. With the vicious blame game between the US and Ukraine now reaching the level of their military officials telling the press that there are fundamental strategic differences between them, the trust and unity of purpose that were forged over the past 18 months seem to be a thing of the past. These supposed allies are actively looking for a face-saving way out of this imbroglio that lays the blame for the counteroffensives failure squarely on the others lap, which is a totally new dynamic in this conflict. Donald Trump surrenders in Georgia over election case, gets historic mugshot taken Former President Donald Trump surrendered to authorities in Fulton County , Georgia on Thursday, Aug. 24, and became the first president in U.S. history to ever have a mugshot taken Trump surrendered at the Fulton County jail on 13 counts of racketeering, conspiracy and other charges related to his alleged attempt to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. What made this surrender different from his previous surrenders in New York City, Miami and Washington, D.C. is that Trump was fingerprinted, had his mugshot taken and his weight recorded as 215 pounds before he was released after posting a $200,000 bond. (Related: Trump and former officials indicted for asking for phone numbers, encouraging people to watch TV, reserving rooms and other "petty" offenses.) The entire process took approximately 20 minutes. After he was released, he quickly disappeared into a motorcade waiting outside the jail and went to the airport in Atlanta, where he issued a brief statement denying any and all wrongdoing and reiterating his sincere belief that he had the right to challenge the questionable results of the 2020 election. "We have every right every single right to challenge an election that we think is dishonest," said Trump, who then accused prosecutors and Fulton County officials of election meddling by trying to derail his ongoing campaign for the 2024 presidential election. "What they're doing is election interference," he said. "They're trying to interfere with an election." Trump later shared his mugshot on X, formerly Twitter, his first post on the social media site since Jan. 8, 2021. He posted the mugshot with a caption reading: "ELECTION INTERFERENCE" and "NEVER SURRENDER." Trump indicted with 18 other co-defendants in Fulton County case Trump was booked along with 18 co-defendants in a trial that will start on Oct. 23. Trump's co-defendants include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who turned himself in for booking a day earlier after his bond was set at $150,000. He was charged with most of the same counts as Trump. The former president's statements note that he feels sympathy for his co-defendants, whose lives he said "are destroyed" by the criminal charges. "Those people that have been so unfairly dragged into this, these are high-quality people who don't even know why they were brought in," said Trump in one interview. "Those people have to be released. They have to be released from this horrible thing that they're going through." Trump added that many of his co-defendants "don't have a lot of money, and some of them have almost nothing" and are not fit to deal with a potentially lengthy legal battle. They will be up against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat. Trump's legal team is currently arguing with Willis over when the trial should begin. Willis herself previously suggested beginning the trial in March 2024 before she changed her mind and filed a request with a Georgia judge for the current Oct. 23 start date, which the judge granted. Trump's legal team countered with its own motion to sever his case from that of one of Trump's co-defendants, lawyer Ken Chesebro, which leads to the possibility of multiple trials taking place at separate times. Learn the latest news involving Trump's indictments at Trump.news. Watch this episode of "Recharge Freedom" discussing how Trump's arrest and the release of his mugshot is destroying America and what it stands for. This video is from the Recharge Freedom channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Georgia Trump indictments are desperate effort to destroy Biden's "most dangerous opponent" Gingrich. Before Trump was indicted for challenging stolen election, Democrats denied election results more than 150 times. Trump 100% confident HE WILL WIN against Biden in the 2024 presidential elections. Trump to disprove "WITCH HUNT" Georgia indictments with irrefutable election fraud report. Wayne Root: Now it's official. I know it, you know it. Everyone knows it. Trump's Georgia indictment is the final proof the 2020 election was stolen. Sources include: NYPost.com CNBC.com AlJazeera.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com Modern dangers: EMFs linked to miscarriage and fertility issues Wireless devices and gadgets are growing in popularity because they are convenient to use. However, research suggests that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) commonly linked to these devices are associated with various health issues in men and women. EMFs and reproductive health The constant use of modern gadgets means you are frequently exposed to EMFs, which could lead to worries about infertility and miscarriages. Many young adults who want to have children are now struggling with infertility. Data suggests that almost one in five couples have trouble getting pregnant, and the number of miscarriages is going up by one percent annually. Signals from your wireless devices and electronics can cause stress inside sensitive cells, potentially harming important organs involved in reproduction. Additionally, EMFs from these devices can hurt the parts of the body responsible for having babies, with findings from animal studies supporting this idea. How EMFs affect female organs Findings from an animal study showed that when female rats were exposed to EMFs all over their bodies, their ovaries were damaged. While the same hasn't been proven in humans, there is still a risk that continuous EMF exposure could, over time, cause infertility. EMFs can stop eggs from being released and cause harm to eggs stored in the ovaries. Experts said some types of EMFs can also affect the growth of egg-containing structures called follicles, which can make it harder for women to get pregnant. Studies have also found that EMF exposure can make animals take longer to have babies. (Related: Radiofrequency radiation linked to brain damage and Alzheimers, experts warn.) How EMFs affect male organs Male animal subjects exposed to radiation from mobile phones also experienced damage to their testicles. A 2021 study found that male mice exposed to 4G phone signals grew irregular layers of cells in their reproductive organs. Researchers reported that 4G radiation might hurt rat kidneys and testes. A review in Electronic Physician suggested that EMFs can reduce and kill sperm-producing cells in mice. Studies analyzed in the review showed that EMFs can break the DNA in cells that grow into embryos. EMFs and hormonal disruptions EMFs can directly impact the pineal gland, which controls hormones. In turn, this lowers melatonin, a hormone that affects sleep, sperm production and reproduction. Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet, a preventive medicine specialist, said experts haven't had enough time to study the effects of the recent increase in radiofrequency EMFs on human reproductive organs, particularly because iPhones were only invented in 2007. Vliet suggests taking antioxidants like vitamins C, D, E and melatonin to protect against the potential dangers of EMFs. Antioxidants can protect cells and tissues from EMF-induced oxidative stress. Data shows EMFs can damage sperm Research involving human participants has found that EMF exposure can harm sperm cells. According to Professor Geoffry De Iuliis, who specializes in reproductive medicine at the University of Newcastle, sperm cells are "uniquely susceptible to oxidation." Sperm cells are built for one goal: to quickly swim and fertilize eggs. To make this possible, sperm cells have limited space for their the cytosol, a part of their inner structure. This makes it hard for antioxidants to protect them from EMF-induced oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes issues like DNA damage and problems with sperm health and movement. Additionally, the protective elements that typically guard sperm DNA are limited. To ensure that they move smoothly upon fertilization, sperm cells have more easily oxidized polyunsaturated fats than stable saturated fats in their membranes. Research suggests that frequent use of mobile phones -- a constant source of EMF radiation -- is linked to a higher chance of male infertility. Research by Dr. Ashok Agrawal, a urologist, revealed that men who used their phones less often had healthier semen with more sperm, better movement, viability and normal structure than men who spent hours on their phones. To maintain healthy sperm cells, experts recommend males actively avoid wireless EMF sources like radio towers and use their cell phones less frequently. Additionally, it is better to avoid keeping phones in pockets close to the testes. EMF exposures, women's health and miscarriages Kjell Hansson Mild, a radiation consultant at Umea University in Sweden, explained that EMF exposure while pregnant is closely tied to miscarriages. According to studies on pregnant women working in offices, constant exposure to EMF from computer monitors can harm human reproduction and cause birth defects and miscarriages. One such study was conducted by Kaiser Permanente in California. Researchers tracked more than 900 pregnant women to find any links between non-ionizing EMF exposure and the risk of miscarriage. Data revealed that women who had more exposure to strong magnetic fields were at least three times more likely to have a miscarriage compared to women with less exposure. Dr. De-Kun Li, the lead author and a reproductive and perinatal epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente, explained that because of the current lack of research on this subject, experts still "dont know the biological threshold beyond which problems may develop." Continued study is also needed to fully understand the possible mechanisms for increased risks. In a 2021 study in Iran, researchers reported that EMFs with a frequency higher than 50 Hz can raise the risk of a miscarriage. This link between EMF exposure and miscarriage leads to more questions about the safety of ultrasound exposure during pregnancy. After all, ultrasound machines also generate EMFs. Studies also suggest that ultrasound might increase oxidation and the risks associated with EMF exposure might not stop even after childbirth. In 2018, a study followed about 3,000 pregnant women and found that the women who used their phones regularly were more likely to have children with lower average cognitive scores. Another study from Spain also connected mobile phone use to a higher chance of behavioral problems in children. Visit EMF.news for more information about EMFs and how they can harm human health. Watch the video below to learn more about EMF frequency dangers. This video is from the In4mation channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Apple warns users with medical devices to keep iPhones away from body because they emit EMF. 5G is a weapons system designed to KILL people, says weapons expert Mark Steele. Biden admin earmarks $1.5B for 5G rollout despite public pushback and newfound health risks. Sources include: GreatGameIndia.com NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov ScienceDirect.com Nature.com Brighteon.com Former House Speaker Gingrich says Trumps Georgia INDICTMENT was a HIT ordered by D.C. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA) has received an information that former President Donald Trump's indictment in Georgia was done at the behest of the federal government He shared this information during a recent interview with Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Citing a "reliable source," Gingrich said the charges brought by Fulton County District Attorney (DA) Fani Willis stemmed from a request by the District of Columbia. According to Gingrich's source, the White House needed a distraction from the "screw-up" involving Special Counsel David Weiss. "I am told that somebody from Washington called the DA in Atlanta and said, 'You have to indict. We have to cover up all of the mistakes we just made with Weiss," Gingrich said. In spite of Willis' hesitation regarding the move, the federal official whose identity remains unknown said "it doesn't matter." (Related: GA Trump indictments are desperate effort to destroy Biden's "most dangerous opponent" Gingrich.) Kirk thinks the source of the former Georgia congressman is telling the truth. "I totally believe it though, because that would explain why they leaked [the charges] and they messed up on the clerk document. Why [Willis] was exhausted, and why they had the 11 p.m. press conference," Kirk said. The Fulton County DA announced a grand jury's indictment of Trump and 18 others including his attorneys Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The 19 were indicted on multiple charges, including violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act; solicitation of oath violation; and various conspiracy and false statement offenses. The charges had been suspiciously leaked online before the grand jury's decision. According to PJ Media, the timing of Willis' indictment "raises the question as to whether Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's indictment of Trump was ordered by Washington for similar reasons." Back in April, Bragg charged Trump with 34 felony counts over hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. The former president pleaded not guilty to the charges, the BBC reported. On the same day as Bragg's indictment of Trump, Kathy Chung testified before the House Oversight Committee. According to Chung, a former aide to President Joe Biden, the documents kept by the former president were not stored in a secured closet at the University of Pennsylvania's Penn Biden Center. Her testimony contradicted the White House's account of how the incumbent president handled classified documents. Timing of Trump indictments rather "coincidental" Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Weiss to continue the government's years-long investigation of Hunter Biden on tax and gun charges. Incidentally, Weiss was the U.S. attorney involved in offering the presidential son a sweetheart deal of pleas to a couple of misdemeanors and a diversion program to get rid of a long list of felonies. This sweetheart deal inked by Weiss fell apart after U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika shot it down. The federal magistrate appointed by Trump questioned what appeared to be a blanket immunity promise for the younger Biden. Garland's appointment of Weiss did not sit well with critics. They pointed out that under the special counsel law, a person appointed to the post must be from outside the government. Weiss' appointment was questionable as he is working with the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor. "Each of Trump's prior federal indictments immediately followed bad news days for Biden," PJ Media wrote. "While Gingrich was adamant in pointing out the story is merely hearsay it not only fits with the circumstances surrounding the indictment but with the past indictments as well." One cannot help but wonder if the timing of Trump's indictments following legal action against the Biden crime family is "coincidental." The Republican-controlled House of Representatives is investigating the Bidens for what apparently was a years-long influence-peddling operation. It involved tens of millions of dollars being delivered to the family's shell corporations; a document from the Federal Bureau of Investigation even referenced $5 million bribes to the father-and-son tandem of Joe and Hunter. Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president's indictments. Watch this clip from "Dick Morris Democracy" on Newsmax where Dick Morris touches on the targeting of former President Donald Trump. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Evidence mounts that DA Bragg's indictment of Trump is pure political persecution. Former federal prosecutor finds numerous problems with indictment documents against Trump. Matrixxx Grooove: Federal indictment against Trump shows absolute TREASON and TYRANNY Brighteon.TV. Right Now with Ann Vandersteel: Trump hit with 34 (politically motivated) felony counts of business fraud Brighteon.TV. RIGGED: Trump's charges appeared briefly on Fulton County website way before grand jury officially announced indictment. Sources include: WND.com PJMedia.com BBC.com Brighteon.com Judge blocks university ban on church elder who called out transgender student for joining sorority A federal judge recently blocked a yearlong ban on a church elder who called out a transgender student in the University of Wyoming (UW) Student Union. The said Christian activist openly called a female-identifying transgender student "male." On Dec. 2, 2022, Todd Schmidt, an elder at Laramie Faith Community Church, set up a table in the UW student union with a sign that read, "God created male and female and Artemis Langford is a male." Langford is a transgender student who joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority earlier that year. This move prompted members to sue the national Greek organization for accepting a biological male into the all-female group. Students crowded around his table blocking his message from sight until Dean Ryan O'Neil, a UW administrator, asked Schmidt to remove the student's name from his sign. He initially refused but complied after they threatened to call the police on him. Schmidt continued to debate with students passing by for the remainder of that day. Photo credits: Preston Harrison "I'm just trying to tell the truth and bring people to God. That's all there is. There are not any more genders than that. Biology teaches everybody about that," Schmidt said, according to a report on the student newspaper Branding Iron, where the transgender concerned is a reporter. The incident ultimately led to the university placing a one-year sanction on Schmidt. While he is still allowed in other areas of the campus, he can no longer reserve a table in the UW student union until the spring of 2024. (Related: Transgender training is coming to your schools.) In a campus-wide message sent on Dec. 5, UW officials said Schmidt "violated the university policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment," noting that "a line was crossed when a student was harassed by name." The religious advocate argued that the area serves as a public forum and that his message was not harassment but First Amendment-protected speech. On Aug. 18, a federal judge ruled that UW "appears to be favoring one viewpoint over another." In a preliminary injunction, the U.S. District Court in Wyoming sided with Schmidt, ordering the university to not ban him from tabling on campus while the case proceeds. According to U.S. Senior District Judge Nancy Freudenthal, the inclusion of the student's name was necessary for the Christian activist to fully express his opinion. "Schmidt's speech was expressive, with the intent to convey a particular message," the judge wrote. "Schmidt mentions Artemis Langford by name, but that is unavoidable, as the debate revolves around the propriety of a particular biological male participating in an activity joining a sorority traditionally reserved for biological females." "Schmidt does not misgender Langford to denigrate her, but to debate a public issue," the ruling further included. "This is particularly true on college campuses because they are the 'marketplace of ideas.' While elementary and public schools prioritize the inculcation of social values, universities seek to encourage inquiry and the challenging of a priori assumptions," Freudenthal added. "Therefore, this Court finds that Schmidt's speech is protected free expression and not harassment or discriminatory conduct." UW said in a statement that although it is disappointed, it will comply with the terms of the preliminary injunction while weighing on whether to keep defending its policy in court. Sorority sisters sue Kappa Kappa Gamma for admitting biological male into the group Schmidt's message that he posted on his UW student union table triggered seven sorority sisters from the UW chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma to file a lawsuit, pointing out that the organization violated its own rules by admitting male-born Langford in September 2022. The suit was seeking damages from the national sorority. It also asked for the revocation of Langford's membership. Langford may not live in the Kappa house, but he spends time there frequently in areas reserved for women, watching the female members as they walk into the bathroom with only a towel on or spending hours sitting on a couch "staring at them without talking," the complaint explained. "Some plaintiffs sought to live in Kappa's single-sex environment because of religious or moral beliefs that young, unmarried women should not live with young, unmarried men," the lawsuit stated, adding that one of the plaintiffs is "a victim of sexual assault who wanted a safe place to interact with other college students without the presence of men." Meanwhile, back in June, the national sorority filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, denouncing it as a "frivolous" attempt to remove Langford from the organization for "political purposes." "Kappa defines its membership in its position statement adopted in 2015 as individuals who identify as women," the motion read. "Plaintiffs cannot identify any bylaw, standing rule, or policy that prohibits Kappa from taking this position, and the term is unquestionably open to multiple interpretations." Bookmark Transhumanism.news to read more stories related to transgenderism and grooming. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com UWBrandingIron.com Although most people living on planet Earth think of it as a slow-moving space ball that circles the Sun, the actual movement of all the planets in the Milky Way Galaxy is a bit more complicated. So the planet where dinosaurs once lived was located in a completely different part of our galaxy. ADVERTISIMENT An animation of this fact was published by NASA researcher Jesse Christiansen (to watch the video, scroll to the end). As the scientist explained, our Sun revolves around the centre of the galaxy, completing its rotation approximately every 250 million years. Of course, the entire system with its planets, including the Earth, rotates along with the Sun. Christiansen's video shows that the last time our solar system was at its current position in the galaxy, the Triassic period was in full swing on Earth and dinosaurs had just been born, dominating our planet for millions of years. Since the dinosaur era lasted 165 million years, the Earth was in a completely different part of the Milky Way during this time. Christiansen told Business Insider that the idea to create such an animation came about when she hosted a stargazing party at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. She shared with the audience that our solar system was on the other side of the galaxy when dinosaurs roamed, and everyone was very impressed. ADVERTISIMENT "That was the first time I realised that these timelines - the archaeological, fossil and astronomical timelines - really do coincide," said Christiansen. She noted that she then realised that she could draw "a map of dinosaur evolution through the rotation of the galaxy". It took Christiansen about 4 hours to create the video. She also said that upon completion, she realised that she had made several mistakes in the text. In particular, it was stated that plesiosaurs are dinosaurs, but this is not the case. It also mistakenly states that the Earth completes its galactic orbit every 200 million years, when in fact it takes about 250 million years. At the same time, as the scientist explains, the galactic motion in the video is somewhat simplified. The fact is that not only our solar system, but also other stars and systems move in their orbit. They all have not only different orbits, but also different rotation speeds. In addition, the inner regions of the galaxy rotate faster than the outer regions. ADVERTISIMENT If we move to a larger scale, it turns out that the Milky Way is also moving through space, slowly approaching the neighbouring Andromeda galaxy. OBOZREVATEL told about what might happen when they collide here. "The animation gives the impression that we are back in the same place, but in fact the whole galaxy has moved a very long way. It looks more like we are moving in a spiral in space. Because the whole galaxy is moving and we're rotating around the centre, it kind of creates this spiral," Christiansen explained. Thus, as the solar system rotates around the galactic centre, the Earth does not return to a fixed point, as the surroundings are different from where we were last time. The planet itself, however, remains the same. This is partly due to the trajectory of our Sun's galactic orbit. ADVERTISIMENT "Our solar system does not travel to the centre of the galaxy and then return. We always stay at about the same distance," said Christiansen. According to her, it is this feature that allows the Earth to remain habitable, because if its path went through the centre of the galaxy, everything would be much worse, as there are many stars and unstable systems in the centre of the galaxy, as well as a lot of radiation. Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told about the fragments of the very first stars of the Universe that astronomers managed to see. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram, Viber and Threads channels to keep up with the latest developments. Maui coverup: where in the world are all the children? The situation in Maui is a mystery. Something about it just doesnt sit right. From the mysterious circumstances surrounding how the fires started, to the peculiar reactions from officials both before and after the fires, theres an unsettling feeling about the whole matter. Now, it seems that officials are not only hiding the true death toll but are also being hush-hush about all the missing children. Why? (Article republished from Revolver.news) After ten days of devastating fire in Maui the mayor, Richard Bissen couldnt give an answer how many kids are missing. Honestly what is going on in Maui? Why is there no answers or accountability? pic.twitter.com/R0xjxVukMc I Meme Therefore I Am ?? (@ImMeme0) August 20, 2023 Children are returning back to school and there are reports of a lot of missing kids. A lot Why are so many kids missing in Maui? The Redheaded libertarian (@TRHLofficial) August 22, 2023 These numbers are indeed alarming and should concern everyone. Is there a logical explanation for this situation, or are these children truly missing? only about 400 students from the burn area have enrolled in other public schools, while about 200 signed up for distance learning, according to the state. The four schools in Lahaina served more than 3,000. How many Maui kids are missing!? pic.twitter.com/kcBw4Fez2t Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 22, 2023 Heres a closeup of the image Mike shared: And theres more Fox Weather: Classrooms on Maui will have empty seats as students begin returning to school nearly two weeks after deadly brush fires broke out, consuming entire communities on the Hawaiian island. The brush fires broke out on Aug. 8 during the day, tearing apart families. The fires destroyed about 2,200 homes, displacing an estimated 4,500 people. President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrived in Maui on Monday to meet with families and see the destruction in Lahaina firsthand. Its one thing to know, but its quite another thing to have to wait to wonder whether your family member is going to be OK, Biden said. Imagine being a parent wondering whether your child is. The exact number of people missing after the fires is still changing. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green told reporters over the weekend its possible that there will be many children among the unaccounted for. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen said in a video that 850 names are on a list of missing persons. Bissen said the number of missing people dropped from 1,000 people after lists from the FBI, Red Cross and Maui police were combined. Why arent the death numbers and the missing children being discussed on every news network around the clock? The media screamed endlessly about kids being caged at the border. The media is completely silent about hundreds of missing children in Maui. Do not stop asking about the children Maui!! Spitfire (@DogRightGirl) August 23, 2023 Could it be that this glaring omission is due to the mishandling of the crisis from the very beginning? Could the failure from local officials actually made the situation worse? #BREAKING: Local #Maui resident says a police blockade prevented people from leaving Front Street in Lahaina as the #wildfire came in pic.twitter.com/zdsOPJZPcR Inter Breaking (@Philipcong31) August 16, 2023 But unfortunately, the situation becomes even graver. Harmeet K. Dhillon, the founder of the Center for American Liberty, wrote a scathing condemnation of Hawaii state officials in a recent post on X. Heres what Harmeet said regarding the incompetence and malfeasance from government officials: Aloha When arguing in federal court in HI in 2020, I had to get permission from the governor to enter his precious state to argue that his silly COVID lockdowns violated the Constitution. I lost. This same state, in real life, has shown how little respect for life its leaders really have. My perfectly healthy clients were not allowed to travel from one island to another to visit their own property. American citizens were turned away at the airport because they got the wrong COVID test on the mainland. The hotel gave me parole from the one way card key rule only to do my legal business and leave. I could not call an Uber or take a taxi at the airport. The National Guard met me at the gate to escort me to Hawaii COVID immigration to provide my information, which they verified with the hotel. I was to keep my phone on at all times so that they could track my location. This same police state didnt turn the water on in Lahaina, didnt have sirens, cant begin to tell you how many children died from their incompetence. Or begin to explain it. Remember all this the next time you are asked to comply with farcical, unjust laws made by dictators. They are lying when their lips are moving about how much they care about you and your little life and your paper constitutional rights. Americans are beginning to realize how much we are on our own. Such a betrayal. Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) August 22, 2023 Shes right. We really are on our own, but even worse, were actually at war with those globalist leaders who are determined to reset this world, regardless of the cost. This situation becomes even more complex and puzzling when you consider the likelihood that the government or their cronies in corporate America may seize all that prime land. Land that had been safely and securely held by local Hawaiians for generations. Read more at: Revolver.news MYSTERY: Reports of headless bodies recovered from Wagner plane crash fuel speculation that Prigozhin was already dead prior to flight An investigator present at the crash site of the plane allegedly carrying Wagner Group founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin claimed that the bodies they retrieved were missing heads, fueling speculation that Prigozhin had been assassinated before he even boarded the plane Russian sources said Prigozhin was one of seven passengers on board a plane that crashed around 200 miles northwest of Moscow on Wednesday evening, Aug. 23, around two months after Prigozhin led an aborted mutiny attempt against the Russian Armed Forces. (Related: Wagner Group founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin presumed dead as Russia claims he was passenger in plane crash.) One source, who spoke with British media outlet the Daily Express on condition of anonymity, claimed that "several" of the bodies recovered from the wreckage of the flight were without heads. This information has yet to be confirmed, either through official statements or from videos of the aftermath of the crash spreading on social media. But if these details are confirmed, it would prove that Prigozhin's death was a deliberate act rather than a disastrous accident. "The simple fact is that, at this moment in time, all we have are pictures of an airplane in flames, of apparently unidentifiable bodies, a list of 10 names including Prigozhin's and a message from a Russian official that Prigozhin's plane went down," said Yuri Felshtinsky, a historian and professor at Boston University. "They may well all be connected. But who knows," he continued. "When dealing with the Russian government, often things are not as they seem at first. After the march on Moscow, the Kremlin won't want more egg on their face, however. It does seem clear that Prigozhin himself is not going to come back to tell the tale." Prigozhin's body allegedly identified due to missing finger Prigozhin's death was confirmed both by Russian media outlets as well as by Wagner sources who discussed the matter on pro-Wagner Group Telegram channels, hailing him a hero and a patriot who died at the hands of "traitors to Russia." Russian sources even claim to have recovered Prigozhin's body from the wreckage. "The body of Yevgeny Prigozhin was officially identified in the morgue, he was identified by one of the commanders of the PMC [private military company] Wagner. The main sign was the absence of a finger," reads a message posted on the Russian Telegram channel VChK-OGPU. Prigozhin reportedly lost the tip of his left ring finger when he suffered an injury sometime in the 1980s while he was serving a sentence in a Soviet penal colony. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself acknowledged Prigozhin's death, sending his "condolences" to his family and calling him a "talented businessman" involved in "oil, gas, precious metals and stones" in Russia and Africa and a "man of difficult fate" who had "made serious mistakes in life." "As with all FSB [Russian Federal Security Service] operations, there is an enormous amount of confusion and misinformation. But a few things stand out," said Felshtinsky. "Taking down a plane in the heart of Russia smacks of desperation rather than authority." "If Putin and the Kremlin were truly in charge, Prigozhin would have vanished into thin air," he continued. "It is unlikely that Prigozhin is still alive, but, equally it is unlikely that any of the disinformation coming from Russia is reliable." For the latest news coming out of Russia, visit RussiaReport.news. Watch this episode of "Brighteon Broadcast News" as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses in detail Prigozhin's presumed death in the plane crash. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Top Russian astronomer mysteriously ends up in hospital after FAILED moon mission. Putin is setting up private armies for protection against Wagner-style rebellion. European security officials claim Putin appeared indecisive in first hours of Wagner Group rebellion. Was Prigozhin's mutiny a Western intelligence op derailed by Russian spies? Russian energy oligarch found dead in his detention cell the 40th high-profile Russian death since February 2022. Sources include: Express.co.uk APNews.com Reuters.com Mirror.co.uk Brighteon.com Rigged 2020 election machines and software EXPOSED in a must-watch documentary coming soon Former professor David Clements has just released an extended trailer for his upcoming documentary titled, "Let My People Go," a film that could prove to be the most definitive breakdown of not only how the rigged 2020 election was pulled off , but also the human costs associated with the January 6 Capitol "riot" prisoners and investigators that dared challenge the government-approved narrative. The film should be released in early October 2023. During political activist Mike Lindell's Election Crime Bureau event, the ex-academic presented on the topic of "Election Night Reporting." He also tackled the undeniable proof that a proportional-integral-derivative-controlled algorithm not only exists in all 50 states but also shaped the outcome in swing states like Georgia. Clements pointed out that the motion picture aims to solve the mystery connected to the rigged machines and software, from input to output. He said that the film centers on many controversial election vendors, the corrupt Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Even the trailer is already facing massive censorship on X, formerly called Twitter, YouTube and other big tech platforms. According to Joe Hoft, author and contributor at independent news outlet The Gateway Pundit, the film features the most qualified experts investigating the 2020 election theft. Appearing in the documentary are Hoft, certified public accountant, auditor and author of "The Steal" trilogy; Jeffrey Lenberg, a former Sandia National Labs nation-state vulnerability expert; Dr. Walter Daugherity, renowned computer scientist; Draza Smith, former Sandia National Labs Cyber/Grid security expert; and Harry Haury, Cyber Security Systems Expert and co-author of the Help America Vote Act; Joe Oltmann, System Architecture Expert and Tech CEO. Col. Shawn Smith, U.S. Air Force (ret.) former Senior Military Evaluator for Space, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Systems; and Clay Parihk, election systems testing expert and whistleblower are also in the film. Of course, David and his wife, professional engineer Erin Clements, who has co-authored one of the most definitive vulnerability assessments of the U.S. election system from numerous audits conducted in New Mexico and their research in other jurisdictions, also appear in the movie. There are also many other prominent experts included. America-wide cell network allowed big government access to election systems, down to the precinct level Meanwhile, Clements also guested on "The Joe Hoft Show" on August 24 where he discussed the bombshell story that he and his wife revealed about FirstNet, a nationwide cellular network that connects election equipment, and gives the federal government access to election systems at the precinct level. In a separate article on JoeHoft.com, he said that there has been an incestuous collaboration between the DHS, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), leftist/globalist funding, foreign companies and their private partners, which allowed for the real-time monitoring of all election data, and more importantly, the ability to change the results. The idea of a national cellular network dedicated to public safety was hatched in the wake of 9/11 and in 2012, Congress created the First Responder Network Authority under the Department of Commerce to oversee the build-out of "FirstNet." The original goal was for the network to serve police, fire and emergency medical technician (EMT) services but the scope soon expanded to include all "critical infrastructure." It then included water, energy and transportation infrastructure. According to the professor, days before former President Barack Obama left office, DHS used the specter of "Russian interference" in the 2016 election as an excuse to declare election systems to be a part of that critical infrastructure. As a result, the stage was set to roll election systems into FirstNet, which was built with the AT&T telecommunications network. "While experts could understand the functional capabilities of how these programs manipulate elections at the county and state levels, one area of mystery remained. They could not fully explain how systems within individual precincts which are supposedly 'air-gapped' were adding votes in real-time such as KnowInk poll pads in Texas that added hundreds of votes to the 2022 midterm election after the polls had closed," Clements wrote. "To accomplish election fraud at individual polling places, it is necessary to have an air interface with the supposedly 'air-gapped' equipment networked at the polling place." He added that a year-long research project by an election integrity investigator from Utah, Sophie Anderson, and communications engineer, Dr. Charles Bernardin, has uncovered what is the mechanism that connected election equipment at polling places across the nation. "After submitting a countless number of public document requests from multiple federal, state, and local governments, and working with other grassroots researchers, the team realized that the federal government has indeed created a nationwide network that is capable of collecting and changing real-time voting data at polling places across the country from a central location. That private network tool was FirstNet, and like so many things that have proven detrimental to American liberty, it was sold as a tool to ensure public safety," he revealed. (Related: BOMBSHELL: The 2020 election took place under a Trump-declared "National Emergency" that set an Election Day trap for the "unauthorized accessing of election and campaign infrastructure.") Bookmark Rigged.news to read updates on the fake results of the past two elections. Sources for this article include: TheGatewayPundit.com JoeHoft.com 1 TNTRadio.live JoeHoft.com 2 REPORT: Ukraine abducts wounded Russian soldiers using giant drones with pincers Ukraine has been abducting wounded Russian troops from the battlefield using giant drones equipped with pincers, according to Chechen fighters under the command of Ramzan Kadyrov. Russian media quoted a member of the Akhmat battalion labeling the drones as "Baba Yaga" an ogress or witch from Slavic folklore who snatches and eats children. He said "Baba Yaga" has massive claws capable of carrying troops off into the sky. "Such large drones, only slightly more modernized, have previously been used by the enemy in order to steal our wounded. The drone is equipped with special devices that look like claws, with which it captures a person who is not able to run away, hide or fight [the drone] off," the soldier was quoted as saying. He said these drones hunt for prey at night and can only be destroyed by a flame thrower or grenade launcher. The report could not be independently confirmed. Ukraine has been using drones to evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield. The Economist reported that Ukraine has deployed large drones that can carry 397-pound weights for up to 43 miles -- the first country to do so. It is not clear how many times Ukraine has used drones to transport injured troops, or in what parts of the country it has done so. The use of drones to transport injured soldiers is one example of how Ukraine is using new technologies that could ultimately benefit other armies, according to the report. Drones have become an important tool in modern warfare Drones are equipped with advanced cameras and sensors that provide real-time, high-resolution aerial imagery. They are mostly used for surveillance in areas and terrains where troops are unable to safely go. The images produced by drones can be used to find survivors and identify the deceased and see if the target of an offensive campaign was achieved. Drones are also be used to identify enemy positions, mark a location to be bombed, or even change its position in case an attack fails. They can also be used to launch missiles against fixed targets. Drones can act as decoys in combat and be used to drop leaflets for psychological operations. They can be used to carry supplies and equipment to troops in the field and search for and locate missing or injured soldiers. And finally, drones can be used as weapons. They can carry aircraft ordnance such as missiles, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and/or bombs in hardpoints for drone strikes. They are usually under real-time human control, with varying levels of autonomy. Drones can also be missiles. Known as suicide or killer drones, they are designed to fly into a target and explode on impact. (Related: Japan to use KAMIKAZE drones to defend remote territories.) The U.S. military has a great deal of knowledge of the architecture, design and application of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, thanks to a decade of intensive operational work with drones. The U.S. conducted the first drone strike in Afghanistan in 2001. Many other countries, including Russia, China, the U.K., Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, India and the U.A.E., maintain armed drones in their arsenals. Visit WWIII.news for more news about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Watch this video showing the aftermath of Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Drones aren't just for killing people: Inventor envisions drones that deliver packages and people across town. Russian authorities threaten NUCLEAR REVENGE after drones explode over Putin's residence. Iran finally admits it is supplying Russia with combat drones. Ukrainian drones conduct explosive attacks on Russian power stations. DOUBLE AGENT? China supplies drones to both Ukraine and Russia. Sources include: TheDailyBeast.com NewAmerica.org Brighteon.com WWIII looms: Biden administration working on another PROXY WAR involving Taiwan and China Another proxy war is in the works for the Biden administration, this time featuring Taiwan an island nation considered by China as its own. On Wednesday, Aug. 23, the Department of State approved a potential $500 million arms sale to Taiwan for infrared search and track systems of the island's F-16 fighter jets. The principal contractor for the deal is Lockheed Martin. According to the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the sale is to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office, Taiwan's de facto embassy in the United States. Washington and Taipei don't have formal diplomatic relations. Congress could block the potential deal, but there is widespread bipartisan support for arming Taiwan and virtually no opposition. In fact, U.S. lawmakers have been pressuring the Pentagon and the White House to send weapons to Taiwan. They think that providing Taipei enough weaponry would deter Beijing from attacking the island. Unprecedented: America provides Taiwan with $345 million in military aid Just last month, the Biden administration provided Taiwan with $345 million in military aid using the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). The PDA allows the American government to send weapons straight from Pentagon stockpiles, which is also the primary way the U.S. has been arming Ukraine. The package includes defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles. Taiwan's representative office in the U.S. said the Biden administration's decision to pull arms and other materiel from its stores provided "an important tool to support Taiwan's self-defense." It pledged to work with the U.S. to maintain "peace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait." Using the PDA to arm Taiwan is unprecedented as the U.S. has been selling weapons to the island nation since Washington severed diplomatic relations with Taipei in 1979. This did not sit well with China, which immediately issued stern rebukes to the new form of U.S. support for Taiwan. In 1982, the U.S. and China issued a third joint communique on their freshly normalized ties regarding U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. The communique said that the U.S. government intended "gradually to reduce its sale of arms to Taiwan, leading, over a period of time, to a final resolution." But U.S. officials at the time made clear they were leaving the commitment open to their own interpretation. In an internal memo released on the same day the communique was issued, then-U.S. President Ronald Reagan said: "The U.S. willingness to reduce its arms sales to Taiwan is conditioned absolutely upon the continued commitment of China to the peaceful solution of the Taiwan-PRC [Peoples Republic of China] differences. It should be clearly understood that the linkage between these two matters is a permanent imperative of U.S. foreign policy." China has increased military pressure on Taiwan in recent years, but the activity has primarily been a response to the U.S. increasing its diplomatic and military support for Taiwan. (Related: China carries out military drills around Taiwan in "serious warning" after US House Speaker visit.) Visit WWIII.news for more news about global conflicts. Watch this video about the U.S. sending weapons to Taiwan for free. This video is from The Prepared Homestead channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Biden approves $345 million weapons package to Taiwan to support the island against Chinese invasion. China slaps sanctions on Raytheon, Boeing Defense CEOs over $1.1 billion sale of military equipment to Taiwan. Taiwan pushes back, wont let US destroy semiconductor factories to prevent them from falling into Chinese hands. Dems allow CCP to build a factory in Michigan amid rising tension between US and China over Taiwan. Sources include: ZeroHedge.com Time.com Brighteon.com An ancient cauldron discovered in the Caucasus region revealed what our human ancestors ate 5,000 years ago. This is according to a new study by an international team of scientists, including from Switzerland, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The researchers analyzed food residues left behind from ancient cooking cauldrons unearthed from burial sites in the region, which lies between the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea. While archaeological and anthropological evidence suggests that ancient human civilizations can eat not only raw food but also cooked meat, the exact meals our ancestors ate have been unknown for a long time. Now, a recent study confirms that the Bronze Age food consumed by Homo sapiens include primary and secondary animal products, potentially prepared in a form of a stew, according to the authors. Ancient Cauldron In the study published in the journal iScience on Thursday, August 24, researchers discovered 5000-year-old cooking cauldrons in the Caucasus region, containing blood, milk, and muscle likely from a cooked soup. The said blood and milk from ruminant animals. The copper-alloy material of the vessels provided an extended preservation of the organic residues. Prior to the findings, the research team acknowledged that large metal and metal-alloy cauldrons were first recorded in the western parts of the Caucasus during the Maykop period between 3700 and 2900 BCE. However, the specific type of foods and beverages cooked from the cauldrons during this ancient time remained a mystery. Also Read: Ancient Foxes Relied On Human Leftover Foods for 42 Millennia Bronze Age Food The Bronze Age food discovered by the researchers were identified through proteomic analysis from nine residues inside copper-alloy cauldrons hidden in Maykop burial contexts. The said blood, muscle, and milk proteins collected came from domesticated and potentially wild ruminants, according to the iScience study. Some of the earliest evidence of Bronze Age food dates back to prehistoric Britain, about 4000 BC, where domestic animals and plants arrived in the country as part of a widespread agriculture across Europe at that time, according to the website of the English Heritage organization. The Bronze Age was a period in human history when we first started to use metals, including bronze-based tools and weapons. The period replaced the primitive use of stones as part of the day-to-day- lives of our ancestors. According to experts, the ancient Sumerians in the Middle East could be the first people to enter the Bronze Age. The utilization of metals came as humans started to smelt copper as early as 6000 BC in an area known as the Fertile Crescent, often called the "cradle of civilization." However, this relatively technological advancement was also recorded in other regions worldwide. For instance, different civilizations, including the ancient Greeks, worked with the said metal prior to 3000 BC. This is evident based on the weapons used by Greek warriors, including the popular metal shields used by Spartans during their war with the Persians. Related Article: Tooth Decay in Ancient Humans Linked with Starchy Food In the realm of cinematic history, few franchises have left as profound an impact as Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. These films, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novels, not only captured the hearts of millions worldwide but also showcased the stunning landscapes of New Zealand, which played an integral role in bringing the magical world of Middle-earth to life. It is also not unheard of that superfans visit New Zealand with one quest in mind: see the LOTR filming locations. Go on an adventure with Frodo, Pippin and the gang at the iconic filming locations that served as the backdrop for this cinematic masterpiece, and delve into the allure of these breathtaking landscapes that transported audiences to a realm of imagination and wonder. The Shire Nestled in the heart of New Zealand's North Island lies Matamata, a place where reality effortlessly merges with fantasy. This picturesque town served as the filming location for the idyllic Shire, home to hobbits and heartwarming moments. The verdant hills, cozy hobbit holes, and the famous Party Tree come together to recreate the essence of Tolkien's vision. Visitors can explore Hobbiton, the film set that remains preserved to this day, and relive iconic scenes from the trilogy. As you wander the cobblestone paths and bask in the tranquility of the lush surroundings, it's impossible not to feel the enchantment of the Shire seep into your soul. The Misty Mountains For those who yearn to stand in awe before the grandeur of the Misty Mountains, Fiordland is the embodiment of Tolkien's vision. The towering peaks, cascading waterfalls, and mist-laden landscapes bring an air of mystique and majesty to the cinematic world. Fiordland National Park, with its dramatic fjords and untamed wilderness, served as the backdrop for scenes like the breathtaking journey through Dimrill Dale and the perilous ascent of Caradhras. As you stand amidst the rugged beauty of Fiordland, it's easy to understand why the Misty Mountains hold such an important place in the hearts of fans and characters alike. Rivendell Kaitoke Regional Park on the outskirts of Wellington was chosen to portray the serene and otherworldly Rivendell, where the elves dwelled in harmony with nature. The park's towering native trees, tranquil rivers, and lush undergrowth effortlessly create the ambiance of an Elven sanctuary. Walking along the pathways that once hosted characters like Frodo, Aragorn, and Gandalf, one can almost hear the whisper of the wind carrying Elrond's wisdom. Kaitoke's ethereal beauty makes it a place of pilgrimage for fans seeking to reconnect with the magic of Rivendell. Edoras The sweeping landscapes of Canterbury in New Zealand's South Island were chosen to depict Edoras, the capital of Rohan. The imposing mountain ranges, vast plains, and golden grasslands embody the proud and martial spirit of the Riders of Rohan. The towering peak of Mount Sunday served as the foundation for the city of Edoras, a place where kings were crowned and alliances were forged. The windswept grandeur of this location transports visitors to the heart of Rohan, where they can almost hear the thundering hooves of the horse lords charging into battle. Mordor Tongariro National Park's volcanic landscapes formed the backdrop for the sinister realm of Mordor, the domain of Sauron and his malevolent forces. The stark and desolate terrain, punctuated by the fiery peak of Mount Doom, captures the very essence of evil's stronghold. The park's rugged beauty takes on an eerie quality, transporting visitors to a place where the One Ring's power threatens to consume all. Standing in the shadow of Mount Doom, one can almost feel the weight of Frodo and Sam's burden as they embarked on their harrowing journey. The Paths of the Dead In The Return of the King, the Paths of the Dead marked a treacherous passage that Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and the Army of the Dead traversed. The real-world counterpart to this haunting path is the Putangirua Pinnacles on the North Island. These towering rock formations create an otherworldly labyrinth that captures the eerie atmosphere of the film. As visitors wind their way through the maze-like formations, they can almost hear the whispers of the dead and the echoes of Aragorn's call for aid. New Zealand's landscapes are more than just settings for a film; they are living embodiments of the magic and wonder that J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth brought to the world. From the rolling hills of the Shire to the towering peaks of Mordor, each location carries with it the legacy of the characters and stories that unfolded against their backdrop, drawing fans into the magical world of Middle Earth. So, whether you're embarking on a solo adventure or sharing the experience with fellow fans, the journey to Middle-earth's cinematic treasures promises an unforgettable and enchanting experience that transcends time and space. Not everyone is lucky in love: some people are in eternal search, while others meet a partner for life at a very early age. ADVERTISIMENT It turns out that astrology can be blamed for love failures. Experts in the field have cited interesting statistics: there are two signs that are real favourites in love, but there are also outsiders. According to astrologers, Aquarius is the least likely to find happiness in love. There is only a 40% chance that representatives of this sign will be lucky enough to meet the perfect partner. The reason is that Aquarians are psychologically mature people even at a young age. "Aquarius love is not for the faint of heart. These people are wise beyond their years. They start a relationship as if it were a 30-year marriage, so they often skip the initial stage of admiration and passion," said psychic Inbaal Honigman. However, it's not all bad. Astrologers say that the ideal partners for Aquarius will be practical and rational Virgos who share their values. ADVERTISIMENT And on the other side of the rating is the sign that is most lucky in love. This is Taurus. Representatives of this sign are ruled by Venus. Taurus very rarely remain alone. Being naturally calm and patient, Taurus treat their partner with respect and care. They don't like to argue, resolve conflicts quickly, and are not at all annoyed by their partner's little whims. In second place is another sign ruled by the planet of love: Libra. These are sincere, kind, positive and friendly people. They hate conflicts, so they try to avoid sharp corners in every possible way. Libras are real diplomats. They value harmony and peace, and always strive to achieve balance. Libras pay a lot of attention to their appearance, so they are looking for a partner who matches. Astrologers note: Taurus and Libra are not only the most lucky signs in love. Together, they make an ideal couple, showing a high level of compatibility. Libra is looking for stability, and Taurus is the most stable and reliable partner. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZREVATEL told which zodiac signs will be the luckiest in September. Subscribe to OBOZREVATEL's Telegram, Viber and Threads channels to keep up with the latest developments. By PTI Patna: The Patna High Court has set aside divorce granted by a lower court to a person who lived at the local "office of RSS", abandoning his wife whom he accused of "cruelty". A Division Bench comprising Justice P B Bajanthri and Justice Jitendra Kumar, in the judgement passed earlier this month which was uploaded on Friday, allowed the petition of Nisha Gupta, who had challenged the order dated 07.10.2017 passed by the family court at Nalanda district. The Bench was of the view that the divorce granted to her husband Uday Chand Gupta, to whom she got married in 1987 and bore two sons, was "not sustainable in the eye of the law" since the latter "failed to prove the ground of cruelty". "There may have been ordinary wear and tear in the matrimonial life of the parties, but certainly no cruelty is found to have been committed by the appellant/wife towards the respondent/husband. In fact, cruelty appears to have been committed the other way round", the court remarked in a judgement that runs into 47 pages. The court noted that the wife was "still living in her matrimonial house along with her children and it is her husband, who left the house and is living in the office of RSS". The court said there was "no cogent evidence" to prove the husband's charge that the wife used to issue threats of filing false criminal cases against him but "as per evidence" the respondent used to beat his wife when she opposed his illicit relationship and that their son, who had deposed as one of the witnesses, had confirmed that "his father used to beat his mother" and even gave her electric shocks. Nonetheless, the court pointed out, "the wife has all along maintained that she wants to live with her husband and she has always welcomed him whenever he comes home and she has never refused cohabitation". "It is the husband who had stopped taking interest in her and he is not making efforts for cohabitation because he has been living separately from her", added the court. The court also underscored that as per the husband their marriage "started running into rough weather since 1999 but divorce petition was filed in 2008" and "it is not explained why the husband for nine years to file the divorce petition on the ground of cruelty". Setting aside the judgement passed on the divorce petition, the court said "both parties shall bear their own costs" and directed the Registrar General to "circulate a copy of this judgement among all Presiding Officers of Family Courts and send a copy to the Director of Bihar Judicial Academy". Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Patna: The Patna High Court has set aside divorce granted by a lower court to a person who lived at the local "office of RSS", abandoning his wife whom he accused of "cruelty". A Division Bench comprising Justice P B Bajanthri and Justice Jitendra Kumar, in the judgement passed earlier this month which was uploaded on Friday, allowed the petition of Nisha Gupta, who had challenged the order dated 07.10.2017 passed by the family court at Nalanda district. The Bench was of the view that the divorce granted to her husband Uday Chand Gupta, to whom she got married in 1987 and bore two sons, was "not sustainable in the eye of the law" since the latter "failed to prove the ground of cruelty".googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "There may have been ordinary wear and tear in the matrimonial life of the parties, but certainly no cruelty is found to have been committed by the appellant/wife towards the respondent/husband. In fact, cruelty appears to have been committed the other way round", the court remarked in a judgement that runs into 47 pages. The court noted that the wife was "still living in her matrimonial house along with her children and it is her husband, who left the house and is living in the office of RSS". The court said there was "no cogent evidence" to prove the husband's charge that the wife used to issue threats of filing false criminal cases against him but "as per evidence" the respondent used to beat his wife when she opposed his illicit relationship and that their son, who had deposed as one of the witnesses, had confirmed that "his father used to beat his mother" and even gave her electric shocks. Nonetheless, the court pointed out, "the wife has all along maintained that she wants to live with her husband and she has always welcomed him whenever he comes home and she has never refused cohabitation". "It is the husband who had stopped taking interest in her and he is not making efforts for cohabitation because he has been living separately from her", added the court. The court also underscored that as per the husband their marriage "started running into rough weather since 1999 but divorce petition was filed in 2008" and "it is not explained why the husband for nine years to file the divorce petition on the ground of cruelty". Setting aside the judgement passed on the divorce petition, the court said "both parties shall bear their own costs" and directed the Registrar General to "circulate a copy of this judgement among all Presiding Officers of Family Courts and send a copy to the Director of Bihar Judicial Academy". Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that the thrashing of a child in a school in Uttar Pradesh was the result of the BJP's hate-filled politics. He said such incidents tarnish the country's image and call for strict punishment to the guilty so that no one dares to repeat them. A video showing a school teacher in Muzaffarnagar asking her students to slap a Muslim boy and making objectionable remarks against his community has gone viral on social media eliciting strong words from several political parties. "The manner in which a teacher made other children thrash a child in a school in UP due to religious discrimination is a disturbing result of the hate-filled politics of the BJP-RSS. Such incidents tarnish our global image. This is against the constitution," Kharge said on X in a post in Hindi. He termed the incident a result of the "divisive thinking of the ruling party" and cited another incident where an RPF jawan gunned down four people "in the name of religion." A Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan had on July 31 shot dead four people on board a train near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra. The jawan had fired from his automatic weapon, killing another RPF jawan and three passengers of the train, which was on its way to Mumbai from Jaipur. Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that a place like a school is being turned into a "marketplace of hatred." "This is the same kerosene spread by the BJP which has set every corner of India on fire. Children are the future of India - do not hate them, we all have to together teach love," he had said on X. The video that surfaced online on Friday showed the teacher, identified as Trapti Tyagi, asking the students of Class 2 of a private school in Khubbapur village to hit the child. Muzaffarnagar Police on Saturday booked Tyagi in an FIR, but is yet to reveal the charges. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday alleged that the thrashing of a child in a school in Uttar Pradesh was the result of the BJP's hate-filled politics. He said such incidents tarnish the country's image and call for strict punishment to the guilty so that no one dares to repeat them. A video showing a school teacher in Muzaffarnagar asking her students to slap a Muslim boy and making objectionable remarks against his community has gone viral on social media eliciting strong words from several political parties. "The manner in which a teacher made other children thrash a child in a school in UP due to religious discrimination is a disturbing result of the hate-filled politics of the BJP-RSS. Such incidents tarnish our global image. This is against the constitution," Kharge said on X in a post in Hindi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He termed the incident a result of the "divisive thinking of the ruling party" and cited another incident where an RPF jawan gunned down four people "in the name of religion." A Railway Protection Force (RPF) jawan had on July 31 shot dead four people on board a train near Palghar railway station in Maharashtra. The jawan had fired from his automatic weapon, killing another RPF jawan and three passengers of the train, which was on its way to Mumbai from Jaipur. Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that a place like a school is being turned into a "marketplace of hatred." "This is the same kerosene spread by the BJP which has set every corner of India on fire. Children are the future of India - do not hate them, we all have to together teach love," he had said on X. The video that surfaced online on Friday showed the teacher, identified as Trapti Tyagi, asking the students of Class 2 of a private school in Khubbapur village to hit the child. Muzaffarnagar Police on Saturday booked Tyagi in an FIR, but is yet to reveal the charges. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI PORT BLAIR: A murder accused absconding for 11 years was re-arrested by a Haryana Police team from a remote island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the charge of killing his wife in the northern state in 2007, an officer said on Saturday. The accused has been identified as AP Selvan, 54, a cook by profession. In 2007, his wife was found hanging from a ceiling fan and Selvan was picked up from his rented house in Ambala in Haryana. Later, he was released on bail due to a lack of evidence against him. However, during the investigation, the sleuths suspected his involvement in the killing of his wife. In 2012, the Ambala Court issued a fresh re-arrest warrant against him after the investigation officers placed adequate evidence against Selvan before the court. ALSO READ | Internet suspended, Section 144 imposed in communally-charged Nuh ahead of 'Shobha yatra' Since then, he has been absconding for 11 years before he was located at a remote village Vijay Nagar at Campbell Bay in Nicobar district in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Campbell Bay is famous for 'Indira Point' which is the southernmost point of India. Speaking to PTI, Devesh Chandra Srivastava, Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said, "He was arrested from Campbell Bay. We are in touch with our counterpart in Haryana and further investigation is on." On August 23, a team from Haryana reached Port Blair and then went to Campbell Bay. They took the help of the local police and in a well-coordinated joint operation by the Andaman and Haryana police, the accused was arrested. On August 25, Selvan was brought to Port Blair and kept at the lockup of Chatham police station. On Sunday, the accused will be taken to Delhi and from there to Haryana. Perhaps, this is the first time that a man was arrested from such a remote place in Andaman on the charge of murder by a police team from the mainland. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp PORT BLAIR: A murder accused absconding for 11 years was re-arrested by a Haryana Police team from a remote island in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the charge of killing his wife in the northern state in 2007, an officer said on Saturday. The accused has been identified as AP Selvan, 54, a cook by profession. In 2007, his wife was found hanging from a ceiling fan and Selvan was picked up from his rented house in Ambala in Haryana.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Later, he was released on bail due to a lack of evidence against him. However, during the investigation, the sleuths suspected his involvement in the killing of his wife. In 2012, the Ambala Court issued a fresh re-arrest warrant against him after the investigation officers placed adequate evidence against Selvan before the court. ALSO READ | Internet suspended, Section 144 imposed in communally-charged Nuh ahead of 'Shobha yatra' Since then, he has been absconding for 11 years before he was located at a remote village Vijay Nagar at Campbell Bay in Nicobar district in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Campbell Bay is famous for 'Indira Point' which is the southernmost point of India. Speaking to PTI, Devesh Chandra Srivastava, Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said, "He was arrested from Campbell Bay. We are in touch with our counterpart in Haryana and further investigation is on." On August 23, a team from Haryana reached Port Blair and then went to Campbell Bay. They took the help of the local police and in a well-coordinated joint operation by the Andaman and Haryana police, the accused was arrested. On August 25, Selvan was brought to Port Blair and kept at the lockup of Chatham police station. On Sunday, the accused will be taken to Delhi and from there to Haryana. Perhaps, this is the first time that a man was arrested from such a remote place in Andaman on the charge of murder by a police team from the mainland. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Parvez Sultan By Express News Service VARANASI: Referring restitution of cultural properties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the tangible heritage is not only of material value but it is also the history and identity of a nation. Modi further said that everyone has the right to access and enjoy their cultural heritage. "Cultural heritage is not just what is cast in stone, it is also the traditions, customs and festivals that are handed down the generations," said Modi while addressing the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting, being held in Varanasi, through a video message. Restitution and protection of cultural properties is one of the major four issues on which consensus is being reached in the G20 culture group meetings. According to the culture ministry officials, till 2014 after the independence, only 13 artefacts, which were stolen and smuggled out of the country, were brought back. However, in the last nine years, the Centre had managed to retrieve nearly 230 articles from different countries including the United States, Germany and Australia. The officials added that the process is further underway to fetch about more 200 artefacts including idols and other cultural objects from abroad In his address, Modi also said that he is delighted because the G20 meeting is taking place in Varanasi or Kashi, which is his parliamentary constituency. "Kashi is known to be a treasure chest of knowledge, duty and truth and it is indeed the cultural and spiritual capital of India," the PM remarked and suggested the guests witness the Ganga Aarti program, pay a visit to Sarnath and try out the lip-smacking delicacies of Kashi. Highlighting the inherent potential of culture to unite and enable us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Modi said that the work of the G20 Culture Ministers Group holds immense significance for entire humanity. "We in India are very proud of our eternal and diverse culture. We also attach great value to our intangible cultural heritage," he said as he underlined that India has been working hard to preserve and revitalize its heritage sites. Modi also underlined that heritage is a vital asset for economic growth and diversification, and it is echoed in Indias mantra of Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi which means development along with heritage. Concluding the address, the PM said that the G20 Culture Ministers' working group has launched the 'Culture Unites All' campaign which encapsulates the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - "One Earth, One Family, One Future." "Your work reflects the importance of the four Cs - Culture, Creativity, Commerce and Collaboration. It will enable us to harness the power of culture to build a compassionate, inclusive and peaceful future," he said. The discussions on the draft declaration at the fourth G20 CWG meeting concluded in Varanasi on Friday. A joint declaration will be also after the ministerial-level meeting on Saturday. Briefing about the development, Govind Mohan, secretary of the Ministry of Culture had said that issues raised by the members in the last three meetings of the culture working group (CWG) of G20 countries under India's presidency had been ironed out. A joint declaration acceptable to all members is likely to be issued on Saturday after the cultural ministers meeting in Varanasi, he said while addressing a press conference held on the eve of culture ministerial-level meeting in Varanasi. "Except for geo-political issues related to the Russia-Ukraine war, all cultural issues would be passed unanimously tomorrow," added Mohan. A postal stamp, on the theme of Cultural unity will also be issued to mark the culmination of the G20 culture track meeting on Saturday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp VARANASI: Referring restitution of cultural properties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the tangible heritage is not only of material value but it is also the history and identity of a nation. Modi further said that everyone has the right to access and enjoy their cultural heritage. "Cultural heritage is not just what is cast in stone, it is also the traditions, customs and festivals that are handed down the generations," said Modi while addressing the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting, being held in Varanasi, through a video message. Restitution and protection of cultural properties is one of the major four issues on which consensus is being reached in the G20 culture group meetings. According to the culture ministry officials, till 2014 after the independence, only 13 artefacts, which were stolen and smuggled out of the country, were brought back.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, in the last nine years, the Centre had managed to retrieve nearly 230 articles from different countries including the United States, Germany and Australia. The officials added that the process is further underway to fetch about more 200 artefacts including idols and other cultural objects from abroad In his address, Modi also said that he is delighted because the G20 meeting is taking place in Varanasi or Kashi, which is his parliamentary constituency. "Kashi is known to be a treasure chest of knowledge, duty and truth and it is indeed the cultural and spiritual capital of India," the PM remarked and suggested the guests witness the Ganga Aarti program, pay a visit to Sarnath and try out the lip-smacking delicacies of Kashi. Highlighting the inherent potential of culture to unite and enable us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectives, Modi said that the work of the G20 Culture Ministers Group holds immense significance for entire humanity. "We in India are very proud of our eternal and diverse culture. We also attach great value to our intangible cultural heritage," he said as he underlined that India has been working hard to preserve and revitalize its heritage sites. Modi also underlined that heritage is a vital asset for economic growth and diversification, and it is echoed in Indias mantra of Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi which means development along with heritage. Concluding the address, the PM said that the G20 Culture Ministers' working group has launched the 'Culture Unites All' campaign which encapsulates the spirit of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' - "One Earth, One Family, One Future." "Your work reflects the importance of the four Cs - Culture, Creativity, Commerce and Collaboration. It will enable us to harness the power of culture to build a compassionate, inclusive and peaceful future," he said. The discussions on the draft declaration at the fourth G20 CWG meeting concluded in Varanasi on Friday. A joint declaration will be also after the ministerial-level meeting on Saturday. Briefing about the development, Govind Mohan, secretary of the Ministry of Culture had said that issues raised by the members in the last three meetings of the culture working group (CWG) of G20 countries under India's presidency had been ironed out. A joint declaration acceptable to all members is likely to be issued on Saturday after the cultural ministers meeting in Varanasi, he said while addressing a press conference held on the eve of culture ministerial-level meeting in Varanasi. "Except for geo-political issues related to the Russia-Ukraine war, all cultural issues would be passed unanimously tomorrow," added Mohan. A postal stamp, on the theme of Cultural unity will also be issued to mark the culmination of the G20 culture track meeting on Saturday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service GUWAHATI: All the 10 Manipur MLAs from the Kuki-Zo community on Friday categorically refuted the claim of Chief Minister N Biren Singh of being in touch with them. The legislators asserted that since the outbreak of communal violence on May 3, neither there was communication with the chief minister nor do they intend to. His [Singh] claim of communicating may be a ploy to sow seeds of mistrust and disunity between the Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs and the people, they said in a joint statement. The MLAs recalled the attack on their colleague Vungzagin Valte by extremists on May 4 when he was returning after attending a meeting with the CM at the latters residence in Imphal. Valte, who was grievously injured, is recuperating. They claimed that neither any inquiry nor arrest has been made in the case till this date and alleged that Imphal has become a valley of death for the Kuki-Zo people. Even paramilitary personnel are not spared. They are checked and verified by the so-called Meira Paibis (Meitei women torchbearers). Our official quarters and private residences are either looted, attacked, or burned by mobs, the MLAs alleged. They also reiterated the legitimate demand for the creation of a separate administration within the purview of the Indian Constitution in order to restore permanent peace and settlement. Kuki-Zo minister to skip Assembly session BJP's Nemcha Kipgen, a minister from the Kuki-Zo community, has written to the Speaker, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, expressing her inability to attend the session of the Assembly on August 29 and requesting leave. Since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, it has not been possible for me and my family members to stay at Imphal on grounds of safety and security. Due to the ongoing violent crisis and keeping in mind the law and order situation in Imphal, I would not be able to attend the upcoming one-day session...., Kipgen wrote to the Speaker. Other Kuki-Zo legislators are also unlikely to attend the session. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: All the 10 Manipur MLAs from the Kuki-Zo community on Friday categorically refuted the claim of Chief Minister N Biren Singh of being in touch with them. The legislators asserted that since the outbreak of communal violence on May 3, neither there was communication with the chief minister nor do they intend to. His [Singh] claim of communicating may be a ploy to sow seeds of mistrust and disunity between the Kuki-Zo-Hmar MLAs and the people, they said in a joint statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The MLAs recalled the attack on their colleague Vungzagin Valte by extremists on May 4 when he was returning after attending a meeting with the CM at the latters residence in Imphal. Valte, who was grievously injured, is recuperating. They claimed that neither any inquiry nor arrest has been made in the case till this date and alleged that Imphal has become a valley of death for the Kuki-Zo people. Even paramilitary personnel are not spared. They are checked and verified by the so-called Meira Paibis (Meitei women torchbearers). Our official quarters and private residences are either looted, attacked, or burned by mobs, the MLAs alleged. They also reiterated the legitimate demand for the creation of a separate administration within the purview of the Indian Constitution in order to restore permanent peace and settlement. Kuki-Zo minister to skip Assembly session BJP's Nemcha Kipgen, a minister from the Kuki-Zo community, has written to the Speaker, Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, expressing her inability to attend the session of the Assembly on August 29 and requesting leave. Since the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur on May 3, it has not been possible for me and my family members to stay at Imphal on grounds of safety and security. Due to the ongoing violent crisis and keeping in mind the law and order situation in Imphal, I would not be able to attend the upcoming one-day session...., Kipgen wrote to the Speaker. Other Kuki-Zo legislators are also unlikely to attend the session. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Insurance companies have informed charterers of ships operating in Russian Black Sea ports that they will have to pay "war risk premiums". ADVERTISIMENT This is reported by Reuters, citing information from four traders. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, a war risk premium was added to the total cost of tanker insurance. The risks rose again after the Ukrainian attacks on a ship in the port of Novorossiysk and the SIG oil tanker, causing insurance to increase prices. The increase means that each voyage will cost $200,000 more. That is, the total premium cost has now surpassed the psychological $1 million mark. This amount further increases Russia's total oil export costs, which have risen sharply since February 2022 due to sanctions. "The volumes coming from Russia are associated with higher risks, and the current situation gives insurers reasons to raise prices for those operating in Russian Black Sea ports," one trader said. Grain traders have expressed concern about the security of grain supplies, while the increase in the war risk premium for oil tankers indicates that concern has spread to wider markets. ADVERTISIMENT Ukraine attacked the Olenegorsk Miner ship in Russia's largest commercial port in Novorossiysk. Later it also became known about Ukraine's strike on the SIG tanker that delivered fuel to Russian groups in Ukraine and Syria. Ukraine officially announced that the 6 largest ports of the Russian Federation, which are Anapa, Novorossiysk, Gelendzhik, Tuapse, Sochi and Taman, are not safe for navigation. Experts specified that Ukraine has deployed a "maritime front" and gave Russia an ultimatum: either the Black Sea will be unblocked for the export of all goods, or no one will be allowed to sail. General Serhiy Kryvonos said that Ukraine's deployment of a seafront is a powerful move that keeps Russian ships in suspense. Now our task is to make sure that their ships do not leave the ports at all, as well as to hold talks with partners on convoying Ukrainian ships by NATO forces. By PTI CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Saturday ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in the communally charged Nuh district till August 28 in view of a call for a 'Shobha yatra'. The government announced the decision, apprehending the spread of rumours through social media before or during Monday's rally. The Nuh authorities had recently denied permission to hold a religious procession in the district on August 28 after an earlier one in July was disrupted following communal violence. The order to suspend mobile internet was issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad on Saturday. ALSO READ | Never seen such mayhem since '92, claim Nuh residents The district administration has also imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people in an area, as a precautionary measure. This order will be effective from August 26-28, said officials. During this period, no person will be allowed to carry weapons such as licensed firearms, lathis, axes and others. The Haryana government had earlier suspended mobile internet services in Nuh after communal clashes broke out. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a mob attacked a religious procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad on July 31. "This order is issued to prevent disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from August 26, 1200 hours, to August 28, 2359 hours," the order issued by Prasad read. On Friday, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata wrote to Prasad, bringing to his notice that the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat had called for a Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra in the district on August 28. There is an apprehension about the misuse of social media/bulk messages by anti-social elements to disturb the peace, he had written. ALSO READ | While bulldozers raze shanties in Haryana's Muslim-dominated Nuh, no action against Bajrang Dal men "Therefore, it is necessary to suspend all mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district to avoid any untoward situation," Khadgata wrote, requesting Prasad to issue the necessary directions. In his Saturday order, Prasad said there is a clear potential for the disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh via the spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the Internet. He temporarily suspended mobile Internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government on Saturday ordered the suspension of mobile internet and bulk SMS services in the communally charged Nuh district till August 28 in view of a call for a 'Shobha yatra'. The government announced the decision, apprehending the spread of rumours through social media before or during Monday's rally. The Nuh authorities had recently denied permission to hold a religious procession in the district on August 28 after an earlier one in July was disrupted following communal violence.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The order to suspend mobile internet was issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) TVSN Prasad on Saturday. ALSO READ | Never seen such mayhem since '92, claim Nuh residents The district administration has also imposed Section 144 of the CrPC, prohibiting the assembly of four or more people in an area, as a precautionary measure. This order will be effective from August 26-28, said officials. During this period, no person will be allowed to carry weapons such as licensed firearms, lathis, axes and others. The Haryana government had earlier suspended mobile internet services in Nuh after communal clashes broke out. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a mob attacked a religious procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad on July 31. "This order is issued to prevent disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from August 26, 1200 hours, to August 28, 2359 hours," the order issued by Prasad read. On Friday, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata wrote to Prasad, bringing to his notice that the Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat had called for a Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra in the district on August 28. There is an apprehension about the misuse of social media/bulk messages by anti-social elements to disturb the peace, he had written. ALSO READ | While bulldozers raze shanties in Haryana's Muslim-dominated Nuh, no action against Bajrang Dal men "Therefore, it is necessary to suspend all mobile Internet and bulk SMS services in Nuh district to avoid any untoward situation," Khadgata wrote, requesting Prasad to issue the necessary directions. In his Saturday order, Prasad said there is a clear potential for the disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh via the spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the Internet. He temporarily suspended mobile Internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge), and all dongle services provided on mobile networks, except voice calls. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Mukesh Ranjan By Express News Service RANCHI: A special Court in Jharkhands Simdega district on Friday sentenced an imam (Cleric) of a local Madarsa to life imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old girl, who used to go to him regularly to take Urdu tuitions along with other children. According to the Special Public Prosecutor (PP) (POCSO), the imam was convicted by the Special POCSO Court of Asha Devi Bhatt on August 22 and the sentence was pronounced on Friday. The court has pronounced life imprisonment for the imam Aminuddin Ansari under Sections 4, 6, 8, 12 and 376 (A) (B) of POCSO Act along with section 506 of IPC under which he has been sentenced to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the imam, said the Special PP Amit Kumar Srivastav. A total of 16 witnesses were produced during the trial, he added. The PP informed that the FIR was lodged on December 12 after the girls family members approached Kolebira Police Station to lodge an FIR in the matter. The charge sheet was filed on December 13, 2022 while the court framed the charge against the accused on February 4, 2023, he said. ALSO READ: Imam of Jharkhand madrasa arrested for raping 8-year-old girl According to the FIR, the girl had gone to take Urdu tuitions as usual on Sunday. After the class was over, the 43-year old Imaam, Aminuddin Ansari, asked other children, except the girl, to go home and raped her after taking her to his room, said the PP Amit Kumar Srivastav. Not only this, the Imaam also threatened the girl that if she told anybody about the incident, he will ask the Genie, which he has kept in a bottle, to kill her parent, he added, further saying that the girl, however, told her parents about the incident after returning home. The girls parents, however, alleged that the local Muslim body tried to settle the matter after it came to their notice, but they were adamant and the FIR was filed. According to the girl, similar incident had happened two months back, but due to fear she did not tell anything to her parents, it added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp RANCHI: A special Court in Jharkhands Simdega district on Friday sentenced an imam (Cleric) of a local Madarsa to life imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old girl, who used to go to him regularly to take Urdu tuitions along with other children. According to the Special Public Prosecutor (PP) (POCSO), the imam was convicted by the Special POCSO Court of Asha Devi Bhatt on August 22 and the sentence was pronounced on Friday. The court has pronounced life imprisonment for the imam Aminuddin Ansari under Sections 4, 6, 8, 12 and 376 (A) (B) of POCSO Act along with section 506 of IPC under which he has been sentenced to 5 years of rigorous imprisonment. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the imam, said the Special PP Amit Kumar Srivastav. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A total of 16 witnesses were produced during the trial, he added. The PP informed that the FIR was lodged on December 12 after the girls family members approached Kolebira Police Station to lodge an FIR in the matter. The charge sheet was filed on December 13, 2022 while the court framed the charge against the accused on February 4, 2023, he said. ALSO READ: Imam of Jharkhand madrasa arrested for raping 8-year-old girl According to the FIR, the girl had gone to take Urdu tuitions as usual on Sunday. After the class was over, the 43-year old Imaam, Aminuddin Ansari, asked other children, except the girl, to go home and raped her after taking her to his room, said the PP Amit Kumar Srivastav. Not only this, the Imaam also threatened the girl that if she told anybody about the incident, he will ask the Genie, which he has kept in a bottle, to kill her parent, he added, further saying that the girl, however, told her parents about the incident after returning home. The girls parents, however, alleged that the local Muslim body tried to settle the matter after it came to their notice, but they were adamant and the FIR was filed. According to the girl, similar incident had happened two months back, but due to fear she did not tell anything to her parents, it added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expanded his cabinet by inducting three BJP MLAs as ministers, a move coming just a few months ahead of the state assembly polls and apparently aimed at balancing caste and regional equations in the council. While one of the three new ministers, Rajendra Shukla is a Brahmin, two others, Gaurishankar Bisen and Rahul Lodhi belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. With their induction, there are now 34 members in the Chouhan-led cabinet. As per the constitutional provisions, the number could go up to 35. State Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath of office as ministers to Shukla, Bisen, and Lodhi at the Raj Bhavan here around 9 a.m. Shukla, a Brahmin leader and four-time MLA from Rewa in the Vindh region was a former minister. Bisen, a seven-time legislator from Balaghat in the Mahakoshal region, is also the chairman of the MP Backward Class Commission, while Lodhi is a first-time MLA from Kharagpur in Tikamgarh district of the Bundelkhand region. While Shukla (59) and Bisen (71) took oath as cabinet ministers, Lodhi (46) was sworn in as a minister of state. They are yet to be allotted portfolios, a Raj Bhavan official told PTI. Lodhi is a nephew of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Uma Bharti, who has been opposing the liquor policy of the Chouhan-led government and earlier took to the streets over the issue. Bisen and Lodhi belong to the OBC community which makes up more than 45 percent of the population of Madhya Pradesh. The inclusion of Shukla into the cabinet takes the number of ministers from the state's Vindh region to four, while Bisen's induction takes this count from the Mahakoshal region to two. With Lodhi's swearing-in, the number of ministers from the impoverished Bundelkhand region has increased to five. BJP sources said the cabinet expansion was carried out on the recommendation of the party's central leadership to beat anti-incumbency, balance caste equations, and address regional aspirations. The last expansion of the Chouhan cabinet took place in January 2021, months after he returned as the state chief minister for the fourth term. Even after the expansion carried out on Saturday, there is still room for one more minister in the cabinet going by the convention that the strength of the council of ministers should be 15 percent of the House. The Madhya Pradesh assembly has 230 members. Political observers said the inclusion of Shukla in the cabinet will benefit the BJP in consolidating its position in the Vindh region, where Vindh Janata Party (VJP), a new political outfit backed by BJP MLA and a strong Brahmin leader Narayan Tripathi, will contest the upcoming assembly elections for the first time, during which it plans to fight all 30 seats in the Vindh region. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP won 24 seats in the Vindh area, while the Congress could bag only six. This time, it has to beat anti-incumbency in the region where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to make inroads, they said. Likewise, the induction of Bisen is likely to mollify the people who feel that they were neglected by the BJP. Before Bisen, there was just one minister from the area where the BJP's showing in the last assembly elections was poor, they added. In the last elections, the Congress won 24 seats, while the BJP managed to get 13 seats out of 38 assembly segments in the Mahakoshal region. An independent candidate won one seat. Lodhi's inclusion may also benefit the BJP in the Bundelkhand region bordering Uttar Pradesh. The saffron party had put up a good show in the last election in the Bundelkhand region with 29 seats. It won 15 while Congress had to be content with nine. One seat each went to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Lodhis account for a considerable chunk of OBC and yield power in rural MP. The BJP had wrested power from the Congress in MP in 2003. Since then, it has been at the helm of affairs in the state, barring the 15-month period between December 2018 and March 2020 when Congress was in power with Kamal Nath as the chief minister. In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress won 114 out of the 230 seats, while the BJP finished second with 109 seats. The Congress went on to form a coalition government with the support of independents, BSP, and SP under Kamal Nath. However, that government collapsed after 15 months when a number of Congress MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP, paving the way for the return of BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday expanded his cabinet by inducting three BJP MLAs as ministers, a move coming just a few months ahead of the state assembly polls and apparently aimed at balancing caste and regional equations in the council. While one of the three new ministers, Rajendra Shukla is a Brahmin, two others, Gaurishankar Bisen and Rahul Lodhi belong to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community. With their induction, there are now 34 members in the Chouhan-led cabinet. As per the constitutional provisions, the number could go up to 35. State Governor Mangubhai Patel administered the oath of office as ministers to Shukla, Bisen, and Lodhi at the Raj Bhavan here around 9 a.m.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shukla, a Brahmin leader and four-time MLA from Rewa in the Vindh region was a former minister. Bisen, a seven-time legislator from Balaghat in the Mahakoshal region, is also the chairman of the MP Backward Class Commission, while Lodhi is a first-time MLA from Kharagpur in Tikamgarh district of the Bundelkhand region. While Shukla (59) and Bisen (71) took oath as cabinet ministers, Lodhi (46) was sworn in as a minister of state. They are yet to be allotted portfolios, a Raj Bhavan official told PTI. Lodhi is a nephew of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh minister Uma Bharti, who has been opposing the liquor policy of the Chouhan-led government and earlier took to the streets over the issue. Bisen and Lodhi belong to the OBC community which makes up more than 45 percent of the population of Madhya Pradesh. The inclusion of Shukla into the cabinet takes the number of ministers from the state's Vindh region to four, while Bisen's induction takes this count from the Mahakoshal region to two. With Lodhi's swearing-in, the number of ministers from the impoverished Bundelkhand region has increased to five. BJP sources said the cabinet expansion was carried out on the recommendation of the party's central leadership to beat anti-incumbency, balance caste equations, and address regional aspirations. The last expansion of the Chouhan cabinet took place in January 2021, months after he returned as the state chief minister for the fourth term. Even after the expansion carried out on Saturday, there is still room for one more minister in the cabinet going by the convention that the strength of the council of ministers should be 15 percent of the House. The Madhya Pradesh assembly has 230 members. Political observers said the inclusion of Shukla in the cabinet will benefit the BJP in consolidating its position in the Vindh region, where Vindh Janata Party (VJP), a new political outfit backed by BJP MLA and a strong Brahmin leader Narayan Tripathi, will contest the upcoming assembly elections for the first time, during which it plans to fight all 30 seats in the Vindh region. In the 2018 assembly elections, the BJP won 24 seats in the Vindh area, while the Congress could bag only six. This time, it has to beat anti-incumbency in the region where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to make inroads, they said. Likewise, the induction of Bisen is likely to mollify the people who feel that they were neglected by the BJP. Before Bisen, there was just one minister from the area where the BJP's showing in the last assembly elections was poor, they added. In the last elections, the Congress won 24 seats, while the BJP managed to get 13 seats out of 38 assembly segments in the Mahakoshal region. An independent candidate won one seat. Lodhi's inclusion may also benefit the BJP in the Bundelkhand region bordering Uttar Pradesh. The saffron party had put up a good show in the last election in the Bundelkhand region with 29 seats. It won 15 while Congress had to be content with nine. One seat each went to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Lodhis account for a considerable chunk of OBC and yield power in rural MP. The BJP had wrested power from the Congress in MP in 2003. Since then, it has been at the helm of affairs in the state, barring the 15-month period between December 2018 and March 2020 when Congress was in power with Kamal Nath as the chief minister. In the 2018 assembly polls, the Congress won 114 out of the 230 seats, while the BJP finished second with 109 seats. The Congress went on to form a coalition government with the support of independents, BSP, and SP under Kamal Nath. However, that government collapsed after 15 months when a number of Congress MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia joined the BJP, paving the way for the return of BJP's Shivraj Singh Chouhan as chief minister. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday said it was Nehru's vision of making India self-reliant in the space domain, and his decision to not align with the great powers despite criticism, which has now yielded such rich dividends in space exploration. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there has been a lot of commentary in Pakistan's media on the outstanding achievements of ISRO with a lament that the agency made such big strides even though Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO was set up in late 1961, a few months before India's INCOSPAR in February 1962. "What is not recognised is that from day 1 Nehru stressed SELF-RELIANCE, even as there were some voices in Delhi advocating greater American involvement and some others pleading for closer cooperation with the Soviets," Ramesh said on X. ALSO READ | Pakistan terms Chandrayaan-3's success as 'great scientific achievement' He said first Nehru, and then Indira Gandhi after him, were clear that the space programme had to be designed, controlled, and executed by Indian professionals in the civil domain. In this, they were of course guided and influenced by Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, P N Haksar and many others, the Congress leader said. "The foundation and vast infrastructure for science and technology created in the Nehruvian era, was done in the face of trenchant criticism, that being an extremely poor country India could ill-afford such investments. "Yet it is the vision of a self-reliant and scientifically advanced nation that yielded such rich dividends," Ramesh asserted. There has been much comment in Pakistan's media on ISRO's outstanding achievements while bomoaning the fact that Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO was set up in late 1961, a few months before India's INCOSPAR in Feb 1962. What is not recognised is that from day 1 Nehru stressed Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 26, 2023 Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday said it was Nehru's vision of making India self-reliant in the space domain, and his decision to not align with the great powers despite criticism, which has now yielded such rich dividends in space exploration. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there has been a lot of commentary in Pakistan's media on the outstanding achievements of ISRO with a lament that the agency made such big strides even though Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO was set up in late 1961, a few months before India's INCOSPAR in February 1962. "What is not recognised is that from day 1 Nehru stressed SELF-RELIANCE, even as there were some voices in Delhi advocating greater American involvement and some others pleading for closer cooperation with the Soviets," Ramesh said on X.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | Pakistan terms Chandrayaan-3's success as 'great scientific achievement' He said first Nehru, and then Indira Gandhi after him, were clear that the space programme had to be designed, controlled, and executed by Indian professionals in the civil domain. In this, they were of course guided and influenced by Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, P N Haksar and many others, the Congress leader said. "The foundation and vast infrastructure for science and technology created in the Nehruvian era, was done in the face of trenchant criticism, that being an extremely poor country India could ill-afford such investments. "Yet it is the vision of a self-reliant and scientifically advanced nation that yielded such rich dividends," Ramesh asserted. There has been much comment in Pakistan's media on ISRO's outstanding achievements while bomoaning the fact that Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO was set up in late 1961, a few months before India's INCOSPAR in Feb 1962. What is not recognised is that from day 1 Nehru stressed Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 26, 2023 Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists involved in the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission on Saturday morning. The PM said that the spot where Chandrayaan-3s Vikram lander made a soft landing will be called "ShivShakti". Terming the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as an 'extraordinary moment' in the history of India's India's space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as "Tiranga Point". The day, the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as "National Space Day", said the Prime Minister. The PM was speaking at ISROs Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network Centre (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru city. He visited the space centre after returning from his visit to South Africa and Greece. Addressing the scientists the PM said, Despite being in different countries my mind was also here with you. I wanted to come and congratulate you on this success. I want to salute you for your determination. Commending the scientists for their persistence and hard work PM stated, "India is on the moon. We have our national pride placed on the moon. We have reached where nobody had. We did something that nobody did. This is New India. Interacting with our @isro scientists in Bengaluru. The success of Chandrayaan-3 mission is an extraordinary moment in the history of India's space programme. https://t.co/PHUY3DQuzb Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2023 After reaching the ISRO office, S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO gave PM Modi a run-through of the demonstration of how the entire landing process took place. Somanath also presented PM Modi with the first picture recorded by Vikram Landers camera. He also gifted the PM photographs of the Chandrayaan3 captured by the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and a model of the lander. India has lit up the dark side of the moon. Every Indian felt the win was theirs, like we passed an important exam, PM said to the Chandrayaan-3 team. He added, Some visuals cannot be forgotten from August 23 when India landed on the moon." Somanath welcomed PM Modi at ISTRAC and said, "You promised to come meet us and you are here today" A demonstration of the Chandrayaan-3's landing on the lunar surface was also shown- the landing of Vikram, the rover's deployment and movement of the rover. Encouraging students to explore space tech PM said that ISRO should collaborate at organising a hackathon at the national and state levels to promote space tech in India and help the country explore modern solutions for crucial problems. Modi also said that my.gov.in will conduct a quiz competition on Chandrayaan-3 for all youngsters in the country. Before reaching ISTRAC, PM Modi made two quick stops; he addressed a large gathering outside the HAL airport, and raised the slogan Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan. Modi then stopped at the Jalahalli signal where scores of people gathered to greet the PM. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists involved in the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission on Saturday morning. The PM said that the spot where Chandrayaan-3s Vikram lander made a soft landing will be called "ShivShakti". Terming the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as an 'extraordinary moment' in the history of India's India's space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as "Tiranga Point". The day, the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as "National Space Day", said the Prime Minister.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The PM was speaking at ISROs Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network Centre (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru city. He visited the space centre after returning from his visit to South Africa and Greece. Addressing the scientists the PM said, Despite being in different countries my mind was also here with you. I wanted to come and congratulate you on this success. I want to salute you for your determination. Commending the scientists for their persistence and hard work PM stated, "India is on the moon. We have our national pride placed on the moon. We have reached where nobody had. We did something that nobody did. This is New India. Interacting with our @isro scientists in Bengaluru. The success of Chandrayaan-3 mission is an extraordinary moment in the history of India's space programme. https://t.co/PHUY3DQuzb Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2023 After reaching the ISRO office, S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO gave PM Modi a run-through of the demonstration of how the entire landing process took place. Somanath also presented PM Modi with the first picture recorded by Vikram Landers camera. He also gifted the PM photographs of the Chandrayaan3 captured by the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and a model of the lander. India has lit up the dark side of the moon. Every Indian felt the win was theirs, like we passed an important exam, PM said to the Chandrayaan-3 team. He added, Some visuals cannot be forgotten from August 23 when India landed on the moon." Somanath welcomed PM Modi at ISTRAC and said, "You promised to come meet us and you are here today" A demonstration of the Chandrayaan-3's landing on the lunar surface was also shown- the landing of Vikram, the rover's deployment and movement of the rover. Encouraging students to explore space tech PM said that ISRO should collaborate at organising a hackathon at the national and state levels to promote space tech in India and help the country explore modern solutions for crucial problems. Modi also said that my.gov.in will conduct a quiz competition on Chandrayaan-3 for all youngsters in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves at crowd near Jalahalli before reaching ISRO to greet Chandrayaan-3 mission team @XpressBengaluru @NewIndianXpress @Cloudnirad @ramupatil_TNIE @AshwiniMS_TNIE pic.twitter.com/jNsUlNGs3I Shashidhar Byrappa (@ShashidharNIE) August 26, 2023 Before reaching ISTRAC, PM Modi made two quick stops; he addressed a large gathering outside the HAL airport, and raised the slogan Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan. Modi then stopped at the Jalahalli signal where scores of people gathered to greet the PM. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Dilip Singh Kshatriya By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: Murmurs of discontent refuse to abate in Gujarat BJP. At a time when some party leaders claimed that the dust over the Jamnagar episode tied to the mayor, MP, and MLA has settled, another controversy has erupted involving Vipul Patel, the chairman of Amul and former president of the Kheda district BJP. Then, there is a viral verse from Rajkot that targets the partys working system. The preface to the latest episode began on Thursday with a new hi-tech machine being installed in a cancer hospital in Karamsad, Gujarats Anand district, in the presence of social and political officials. In his speech, Amul Dairy chairman Vipul Patel said: Not all are well-wishers; some want our good, some dont, and there are those who pull our leg. When I became chairman of Kheda Madhyasth Bank, leaders, my friends, and my BJP people got scared. Patel then spoke about the efforts being made to bring him down in his party and quoted a poem. Na mai gira na meri ummido ki minare giri lakin kuch log mujhe girane ke chhakar mein baar-baar gire (neither did I fall nor my hopes fell, but some people fell again and again in trying to make me fall). When this newspaper asked him more about it, he turned around to say: I said this about my family, not for the party. As Patel took a dig at the leg-pulling going on in the party, a poem went viral in Rajkot. It is claimed that a BJP worker wrote it. The poem takes a swipe at the BJP, stating that There is a policy of my people, your people in the distribution of posts. The unworthy have got positions while the deserving have been marginalized. Party stalwarts like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya are also referenced in the poem, and it is implied that there must have been some flaw in the constitution of the party they founded that resulted in these circumstances. After Patels poem went viral, Rajkot BJP chief Mukesh Doshi said, It appears that the feelings of some party workers are hurt. There are lakhs of BJP party workers in the state, not everyone gets benefits in the process of allocation of posts. All dont wish well In a dig at BJP, Vipul Patel, the chairman of Amul and former president of the Kheda district BJP said, Not all are well-wishers; some want our good, some dont, and there are those who pull our leg. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp AHMEDABAD: Murmurs of discontent refuse to abate in Gujarat BJP. At a time when some party leaders claimed that the dust over the Jamnagar episode tied to the mayor, MP, and MLA has settled, another controversy has erupted involving Vipul Patel, the chairman of Amul and former president of the Kheda district BJP. Then, there is a viral verse from Rajkot that targets the partys working system. The preface to the latest episode began on Thursday with a new hi-tech machine being installed in a cancer hospital in Karamsad, Gujarats Anand district, in the presence of social and political officials. In his speech, Amul Dairy chairman Vipul Patel said: Not all are well-wishers; some want our good, some dont, and there are those who pull our leg. When I became chairman of Kheda Madhyasth Bank, leaders, my friends, and my BJP people got scared.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Patel then spoke about the efforts being made to bring him down in his party and quoted a poem. Na mai gira na meri ummido ki minare giri lakin kuch log mujhe girane ke chhakar mein baar-baar gire (neither did I fall nor my hopes fell, but some people fell again and again in trying to make me fall). When this newspaper asked him more about it, he turned around to say: I said this about my family, not for the party. As Patel took a dig at the leg-pulling going on in the party, a poem went viral in Rajkot. It is claimed that a BJP worker wrote it. The poem takes a swipe at the BJP, stating that There is a policy of my people, your people in the distribution of posts. The unworthy have got positions while the deserving have been marginalized. Party stalwarts like Syama Prasad Mukherjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya are also referenced in the poem, and it is implied that there must have been some flaw in the constitution of the party they founded that resulted in these circumstances. After Patels poem went viral, Rajkot BJP chief Mukesh Doshi said, It appears that the feelings of some party workers are hurt. There are lakhs of BJP party workers in the state, not everyone gets benefits in the process of allocation of posts. All dont wish well In a dig at BJP, Vipul Patel, the chairman of Amul and former president of the Kheda district BJP said, Not all are well-wishers; some want our good, some dont, and there are those who pull our leg. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Rajesh Asnani By JAIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah encountered a peculiar situation on Saturday during a farmer's meeting in Gangapur City in Rajasthan, as protesters voiced their discontent against the central government's handling of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). The project, aimed at providing drinking water to 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan, has faced delays in implementation, sparking anger among the people in the region. The uproar prompted Shah to address the crowd, although his response took an unexpected turn. Rather than addressing the concerns regarding the ERCP, Shah alleged that the entire opposition within the meeting was orchestrated by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Expressing his displeasure from the podium, Shah stated, "CM Gehlot has dispatched a group of individuals to raise slogans here." Despite the interruption, Shah resumed his speech, interjecting chants of "Bharat Mata" (Mother India), and called upon the protesters to disregard the slogans. During his address, Shah attempted to shift the spotlight to CM Gehlot, citing the Red Diary controversy. He challenged Gehlot by stating, "I've come here to tell Gehlot Sahab that deploying a handful of slogan raisers won't achieve anything. If you keep any sense of honour, resign over the Red Diary matter, step onto the electoral battlefield, and face the consequences." Shah asserted, "Nowadays, Mr. Gehlot is very much afraid of red color and red diary. But why is he afraid?... Dark deeds are hidden inside the red diary. There are the details of corruption worth crores of rupees in the red diary. The black book of black business is in the red diary." "I didn't intend to engage in politics over this matter, but circumstances forced my hand," Amit Shah added. Shah further criticised the Congress government's track record on farmer support, highlighting the BJP's initiatives aimed at their welfare. He highlighted the direct financial help of six thousand rupees provided to each farmer by the central government and the substantial increase in the agricultural budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In reference to local issues, Shah touched upon electricity access and alleged irregularities in power procurement. "As I was on my way here, a farmer lamented the lack of electricity. Paradoxically, power procurement appears to be marred by manipulations. CM Gehlot seems more inclined towards purchasing electricity than addressing such crucial issues," Shah asserted. Amidst the fervour of the meeting, Shah strongly endorsed Narendra Modi for another term as Prime Minister in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, urging Rajasthan's electorate to ensure a clean sweep for the BJP. Prior to the meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla unveiled a book centered on cooperative societies during the conference, highlighting the government's efforts to bolster collaborative initiatives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp JAIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah encountered a peculiar situation on Saturday during a farmer's meeting in Gangapur City in Rajasthan, as protesters voiced their discontent against the central government's handling of the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). The project, aimed at providing drinking water to 13 districts in eastern Rajasthan, has faced delays in implementation, sparking anger among the people in the region. The uproar prompted Shah to address the crowd, although his response took an unexpected turn. Rather than addressing the concerns regarding the ERCP, Shah alleged that the entire opposition within the meeting was orchestrated by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Expressing his displeasure from the podium, Shah stated, "CM Gehlot has dispatched a group of individuals to raise slogans here." Despite the interruption, Shah resumed his speech, interjecting chants of "Bharat Mata" (Mother India), and called upon the protesters to disregard the slogans. During his address, Shah attempted to shift the spotlight to CM Gehlot, citing the Red Diary controversy. He challenged Gehlot by stating, "I've come here to tell Gehlot Sahab that deploying a handful of slogan raisers won't achieve anything. If you keep any sense of honour, resign over the Red Diary matter, step onto the electoral battlefield, and face the consequences." Shah asserted, "Nowadays, Mr. Gehlot is very much afraid of red color and red diary. But why is he afraid?... Dark deeds are hidden inside the red diary. There are the details of corruption worth crores of rupees in the red diary. The black book of black business is in the red diary." "I didn't intend to engage in politics over this matter, but circumstances forced my hand," Amit Shah added. Shah further criticised the Congress government's track record on farmer support, highlighting the BJP's initiatives aimed at their welfare. He highlighted the direct financial help of six thousand rupees provided to each farmer by the central government and the substantial increase in the agricultural budget under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In reference to local issues, Shah touched upon electricity access and alleged irregularities in power procurement. "As I was on my way here, a farmer lamented the lack of electricity. Paradoxically, power procurement appears to be marred by manipulations. CM Gehlot seems more inclined towards purchasing electricity than addressing such crucial issues," Shah asserted. Amidst the fervour of the meeting, Shah strongly endorsed Narendra Modi for another term as Prime Minister in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, urging Rajasthan's electorate to ensure a clean sweep for the BJP. Prior to the meeting, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla unveiled a book centered on cooperative societies during the conference, highlighting the government's efforts to bolster collaborative initiatives. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Sudhir Suryawanshi By Express News Service MUMBAI: Maharashtras political scene heated up on Friday as Sharad Pawar took a U-turn saying he never said Ajit Pawar was the NCP leader and that the party had split. He also indicated his inclination to close the door to Ajit Pawar for his re-entry into the NCP. The Opposition in Maharashtra and the ruling BJP decoded Sharad Pawars statement in their own convenient way. The BJP said Sharad Pawar will soon join the NDA, therefore he made the statement, while the Opposition argued that the senior Pawar was confusing the BJP. State Congress chief Nana Patole said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar could have wanted to return to the party after meeting his uncle. Sharad Pawar appears to have succeeded in changing Ajit Pawars mind. There is no confusion in Congress and the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena about Sharad Pawar. We firmly stand behind Sharad Pawar. It is for them to decide what is going on in the NCP and what steps they should take, Nana said. However, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Sharad Pawar believes in development politics and soon he would join the NDA. He said the BJP will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, so everyone, including Sharad Pawar, wants to be part of it. Earlier in the day, Pawar recalled the 2019 early morning oath-taking ceremony of Ajit along with BJPs Devendra Fadnavis, saying his nephew got an opportunity to return to the NCP. The same opportunity cannot be given to him again and again and it should not be sought as well, said Pawar. When asked about his statements earlier in the day calling Ajit the party leader, Pawar said he never called his nephew the party leader. Earlier in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said there was no split in his party. Some people took different decisions which cannot be called a split and separation in the party. The split will happen when a majority within the party gets separated at the national level. Here, there is no such split at the national level. Some people have taken a different stand that cannot be called the split. In a democracy, they have a right to make such decisions, Pawar said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp MUMBAI: Maharashtras political scene heated up on Friday as Sharad Pawar took a U-turn saying he never said Ajit Pawar was the NCP leader and that the party had split. He also indicated his inclination to close the door to Ajit Pawar for his re-entry into the NCP. The Opposition in Maharashtra and the ruling BJP decoded Sharad Pawars statement in their own convenient way. The BJP said Sharad Pawar will soon join the NDA, therefore he made the statement, while the Opposition argued that the senior Pawar was confusing the BJP. State Congress chief Nana Patole said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar could have wanted to return to the party after meeting his uncle. Sharad Pawar appears to have succeeded in changing Ajit Pawars mind. There is no confusion in Congress and the Uddhav-led Shiv Sena about Sharad Pawar. We firmly stand behind Sharad Pawar. It is for them to decide what is going on in the NCP and what steps they should take, Nana said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); However, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said Sharad Pawar believes in development politics and soon he would join the NDA. He said the BJP will win the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, so everyone, including Sharad Pawar, wants to be part of it. Earlier in the day, Pawar recalled the 2019 early morning oath-taking ceremony of Ajit along with BJPs Devendra Fadnavis, saying his nephew got an opportunity to return to the NCP. The same opportunity cannot be given to him again and again and it should not be sought as well, said Pawar. When asked about his statements earlier in the day calling Ajit the party leader, Pawar said he never called his nephew the party leader. Earlier in Baramati, Sharad Pawar said there was no split in his party. Some people took different decisions which cannot be called a split and separation in the party. The split will happen when a majority within the party gets separated at the national level. Here, there is no such split at the national level. Some people have taken a different stand that cannot be called the split. In a democracy, they have a right to make such decisions, Pawar said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Narendra Sethi By Express News Service DEHRADUN: Researchers at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University have found a new way to detect pollution levels in the Ganga River in Uttarakhand. They claim that microplastics, thermocol and clothing fibres have been found in stomachs of the marine population, which shows that the Ganga is getting polluted unhindered, besides consuming such fish can have a very adverse effect on human health. The Department of Himalayan Aquatic Biodiversity of the University has conducted a study on the fishes of the Ganges river from Devprayag to Haridwar. Dr Jaspal Singh Chauhan, head of the Department of Himalayan Aquatic Biodiversity, and Neha Badola, a research scholar, divided the entire region into two zones (Devprayag to Rishikesh and Rishikesh to Haridwar). The total length of Ganga is about 2525 km, our study focuses on a specific stretch of river extending 120 km from Devprayag to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, said Dr Chauhan. Speaking to TNIE, Dr Chauhan said, After a comparative study of the two zones in the research, it has become clear that this problem has been found more in the fish of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Describing the pollution levels in the Ganga as extremely worrisome, Dr Chouhan emphasized that a very specific policy is needed for plastic control. Ganga serves as an important source of fresh water for millions of people living in the Gangetic plains of India. Unfortunately, nowadays, the river is facing an increasing environmental challenge in the form of microplastic pollution, Dr Chauhan told this newspaper. Researcher Neha Badola told this newspaper, The research has revealed shocking facts. Samples taken from Devprayag to Haridwar have found plastic in the stomachs of fish, including cloth fibres and plastics like thermocol. Lack of proper garbage disposal system, discharge of garbage into Ganga and its tributaries and uncontrolled activities along the banks of rivers in the name of tourism are the reasons, Badola added. Sharing a gist of the year-long research to measure pollution in the Ganga through fish, Badola said, A positive relationship was observed between the number of microplastics in fish and their body length, weight and visceral weight, while no association was found between food habit and microplastics accumulation...The side effects of eating these fish by humans will be revealed in the second phase of research. R K Jain, General Manager (Ganga river), of the Central governments Namami Gange project, told this newspaper that out of the total 32 Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the state, two are set up in Devprayag and five in Rishikesh, which are continuously operational and in progress to control pollution. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp DEHRADUN: Researchers at Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University have found a new way to detect pollution levels in the Ganga River in Uttarakhand. They claim that microplastics, thermocol and clothing fibres have been found in stomachs of the marine population, which shows that the Ganga is getting polluted unhindered, besides consuming such fish can have a very adverse effect on human health. The Department of Himalayan Aquatic Biodiversity of the University has conducted a study on the fishes of the Ganges river from Devprayag to Haridwar. Dr Jaspal Singh Chauhan, head of the Department of Himalayan Aquatic Biodiversity, and Neha Badola, a research scholar, divided the entire region into two zones (Devprayag to Rishikesh and Rishikesh to Haridwar).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The total length of Ganga is about 2525 km, our study focuses on a specific stretch of river extending 120 km from Devprayag to Haridwar in Uttarakhand, said Dr Chauhan. Speaking to TNIE, Dr Chauhan said, After a comparative study of the two zones in the research, it has become clear that this problem has been found more in the fish of Haridwar and Rishikesh. Describing the pollution levels in the Ganga as extremely worrisome, Dr Chouhan emphasized that a very specific policy is needed for plastic control. Ganga serves as an important source of fresh water for millions of people living in the Gangetic plains of India. Unfortunately, nowadays, the river is facing an increasing environmental challenge in the form of microplastic pollution, Dr Chauhan told this newspaper. Researcher Neha Badola told this newspaper, The research has revealed shocking facts. Samples taken from Devprayag to Haridwar have found plastic in the stomachs of fish, including cloth fibres and plastics like thermocol. Lack of proper garbage disposal system, discharge of garbage into Ganga and its tributaries and uncontrolled activities along the banks of rivers in the name of tourism are the reasons, Badola added. Sharing a gist of the year-long research to measure pollution in the Ganga through fish, Badola said, A positive relationship was observed between the number of microplastics in fish and their body length, weight and visceral weight, while no association was found between food habit and microplastics accumulation...The side effects of eating these fish by humans will be revealed in the second phase of research. R K Jain, General Manager (Ganga river), of the Central governments Namami Gange project, told this newspaper that out of the total 32 Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) in the state, two are set up in Devprayag and five in Rishikesh, which are continuously operational and in progress to control pollution. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Pronab Mondal By Express News Service KOLKATAL: In a unique request, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday urged the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath to develop a technology to contain the menace of ragging in college campuses. They are trying to develop an appropriate technology solution using multiple sources such as video analysis, image matching, automatic target recognition and remote sensing. The JU VC has been authorised to take the matter forward, a note by Raj Bhavan said. On August 9, a 17-year-old first-year undergraduate student at Jadavpur University died after falling from the main hostel building. The students family has been alleging that their son was being ragged by his seniors. The students death has triggered a political slugfest between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ruling party is asking the Governor to take responsibility for the incident as he is the Chancellor of the university. The TMC is also attacking the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as the latters youth wing has been ruling the university. On the other hand, the saffron camp is accusing the state government of not being vigilant over the activities on the university campuses. A total of 13 people, comprising both former and present students of the university, have been arrested over the victims complaint. The University Grants Commission (UGC) expressed its unhappiness after the JU authorities replied to the inquiry made by the statutory body. The BJPs youth wing and students arm took out processions on Friday in Jadavpur demanding a bar on outsiders entry into the campus of the university. VC to take up the matter A note by Raj Bhavan said ISRO is trying to develop technology solution using multiple sources such. The JU VC has been authorised to take the matter forward. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOLKATAL: In a unique request, West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose on Friday urged the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman S Somanath to develop a technology to contain the menace of ragging in college campuses. They are trying to develop an appropriate technology solution using multiple sources such as video analysis, image matching, automatic target recognition and remote sensing. The JU VC has been authorised to take the matter forward, a note by Raj Bhavan said. On August 9, a 17-year-old first-year undergraduate student at Jadavpur University died after falling from the main hostel building. The students family has been alleging that their son was being ragged by his seniors.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The students death has triggered a political slugfest between the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the principal opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The ruling party is asking the Governor to take responsibility for the incident as he is the Chancellor of the university. The TMC is also attacking the Communist Party of India (Marxist) as the latters youth wing has been ruling the university. On the other hand, the saffron camp is accusing the state government of not being vigilant over the activities on the university campuses. A total of 13 people, comprising both former and present students of the university, have been arrested over the victims complaint. The University Grants Commission (UGC) expressed its unhappiness after the JU authorities replied to the inquiry made by the statutory body. The BJPs youth wing and students arm took out processions on Friday in Jadavpur demanding a bar on outsiders entry into the campus of the university. VC to take up the matter A note by Raj Bhavan said ISRO is trying to develop technology solution using multiple sources such. The JU VC has been authorised to take the matter forward. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, addressed aviation personnel on their professional holiday. He emphasised their role in achieving a common victory over the enemy and called on them to remember and honour the memory of the pilots who fell on the battlefield defending the Ukrainian sky. ADVERTISIMENT The commander posted his words on Telegram. He noted that this year's best gift for our pilots is the delivery of fourth-generation F-16 fighters. "I believe that aviation rearmament is just around the corner. And I have no doubt that the motivation of Ukrainian pilots and all aviation industry employees will make the air muscle building even more effective!" - Zaluzhnyi wrote. He added that the employees of the national aviation industry are an example of courage and professionalism. They also demonstrate an incredible example of self-sacrifice. "Honour and respect to the Ukrainian aviators! Eternal glory to the fallen heroes," Zaluzhnyi concluded. As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, on 29 July, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine solemnly addressed the soldiers of the Special Operations Forces. He congratulated the defenders of Ukraine and posted a video with footage of the soldiers' combat work. ADVERTISIMENT "I congratulate my comrades-in-arms from the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the holiday! Thank you for your dedicated fight for Ukraine! Together - to Victory," Zaluzhnyi wrote. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Yeshi Seli By Express News Service NEW DELHI: India on Friday countered Chinas claim that the conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Johannesburg took place at New Delhis request. There was a pending request from the Chinese side for a bilateral meeting. The two leaders, however, had an informal conversation in the leaders lounge during the BRICS Summit, said a source. The Indian version came after the Chinese foreign ministry issued a readout of the conversation, stating they met on Indias request, adding the talks were in-depth and candid. President Xi Jinping spoke with PM Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at Indias request. An in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest took place. President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interest of the two countries and peoples and is conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region, stated the Chinese statement. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border region, the statement noted. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had said, On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi in a conversation with President Xi Jinping, highlighted his concerns on the unresolved issues on the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border. PM Modi underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the Indo-China relationship. In this regard the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation, Kwatara said. Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held the conversation on Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Johannesburg. The conversation was not a structured bilateral meeting and was an informal one. The two leaders were also seen shaking hands and exchanging courtesies after the joint conference of the BRICS leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp NEW DELHI: India on Friday countered Chinas claim that the conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Johannesburg took place at New Delhis request. There was a pending request from the Chinese side for a bilateral meeting. The two leaders, however, had an informal conversation in the leaders lounge during the BRICS Summit, said a source. The Indian version came after the Chinese foreign ministry issued a readout of the conversation, stating they met on Indias request, adding the talks were in-depth and candid.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); President Xi Jinping spoke with PM Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at Indias request. An in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest took place. President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interest of the two countries and peoples and is conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region, stated the Chinese statement. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border region, the statement noted. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had said, On the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi in a conversation with President Xi Jinping, highlighted his concerns on the unresolved issues on the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China border. PM Modi underlined that the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the Indo-China relationship. In this regard the two leaders agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation, Kwatara said. Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held the conversation on Wednesday on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Johannesburg. The conversation was not a structured bilateral meeting and was an informal one. The two leaders were also seen shaking hands and exchanging courtesies after the joint conference of the BRICS leaders. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp Dilip Singh Kshatriya By Express News Service AHMEDABAD: The Central government had launched Swadhar Greh Scheme, an integrated relief and rehabilitation scheme for women in distress situations and difficult circumstances. Under the scheme, women are provided with shelter, food, clothing, counseling, primary health facilities, vocational training, other daily requirements, etc. However, not a single rupee has been allocated to Gujarat in the past two years under Swadhar Greh Scheme. In response to a question from MP Sanjay Raut in the Rajya Sabha on August 2, the Women and Child Development Department stated, Swadhar Greh - for women in difficult circumstances - and Ujjawala Home - for trafficking prevention - have been merged and renamed Shakti Sadan. The reply also contained information on how much money has been given under the scheme to different states in the last three years. Rs 15.26 lakh was allocated to Gujarat under the Swadhar Greh scheme in 2020-21, but no fund was allocated in 2021-22, the year the name of the scheme was changed to Shakti Sadan.In 2022-23, Gujarat received zero funding. Womens rights groups have accused the government of being insensitive by failing to allocate funds under Swadhar Greh Scheme. ALSO READ | Raging battle within BJP takes verse form in Rajkot First and foremost, we dont know whether the scheme has been merged or a new name has been given, the government may now feel that Gujarat is a very developed state, so the women here do not deserve any such scheme, so it may be possible that no funds will be sought, said All-India Mahila Sanskrutik Organisations Gujarat Convenor Meenakshi Joshi. As social workers, we feel that the government should establish special shelter homes for women because when women leave their families their mental health suffers, and if the wrong company is found, they can fall into the trap of trafficking. The government should make suggestions to the centre for funds under Swadhar Greh Scheme, she added. When The New Indian Express contacted, Gujarats women and child development officials declined to comment. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp AHMEDABAD: The Central government had launched Swadhar Greh Scheme, an integrated relief and rehabilitation scheme for women in distress situations and difficult circumstances. Under the scheme, women are provided with shelter, food, clothing, counseling, primary health facilities, vocational training, other daily requirements, etc. However, not a single rupee has been allocated to Gujarat in the past two years under Swadhar Greh Scheme. In response to a question from MP Sanjay Raut in the Rajya Sabha on August 2, the Women and Child Development Department stated, Swadhar Greh - for women in difficult circumstances - and Ujjawala Home - for trafficking prevention - have been merged and renamed Shakti Sadan. The reply also contained information on how much money has been given under the scheme to different states in the last three years. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Rs 15.26 lakh was allocated to Gujarat under the Swadhar Greh scheme in 2020-21, but no fund was allocated in 2021-22, the year the name of the scheme was changed to Shakti Sadan.In 2022-23, Gujarat received zero funding. Womens rights groups have accused the government of being insensitive by failing to allocate funds under Swadhar Greh Scheme. ALSO READ | Raging battle within BJP takes verse form in Rajkot First and foremost, we dont know whether the scheme has been merged or a new name has been given, the government may now feel that Gujarat is a very developed state, so the women here do not deserve any such scheme, so it may be possible that no funds will be sought, said All-India Mahila Sanskrutik Organisations Gujarat Convenor Meenakshi Joshi. As social workers, we feel that the government should establish special shelter homes for women because when women leave their families their mental health suffers, and if the wrong company is found, they can fall into the trap of trafficking. The government should make suggestions to the centre for funds under Swadhar Greh Scheme, she added. When The New Indian Express contacted, Gujarats women and child development officials declined to comment. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from the residence of Assam's Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy on Saturday. The minor's neck was found wrapped with a piece of cloth, the police said. His mother has been working at the BJP MP's residence as a domestic help for two and half years. The woman hails from Dholai and was living at Roy's house along with her children. The police said they sent the body to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem and were conducting an investigation. Roy, a Lok Sabha member, refused to comment, saying the police were probing the case. Recently, a man was found dead under mysterious circumstances at the BJP's Cachar district office in Silchar. The body of the deceased (43) was recovered from inside the VIP room of the office. ALSO READ | Assam CM Himanta Sarma asks DGP to study HCs verdict acquitting 2004 blast convicts Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp GUWAHATI: The body of a 10-year-old boy was recovered from the residence of Assam's Silchar MP Rajdeep Roy on Saturday. The minor's neck was found wrapped with a piece of cloth, the police said. His mother has been working at the BJP MP's residence as a domestic help for two and half years. The woman hails from Dholai and was living at Roy's house along with her children. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The police said they sent the body to Silchar Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem and were conducting an investigation. Roy, a Lok Sabha member, refused to comment, saying the police were probing the case. Recently, a man was found dead under mysterious circumstances at the BJP's Cachar district office in Silchar. The body of the deceased (43) was recovered from inside the VIP room of the office. ALSO READ | Assam CM Himanta Sarma asks DGP to study HCs verdict acquitting 2004 blast convicts Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By Express News Service BENGALURU: The state government is likely to declare more than 100 taluks as drought-hit in view of a severe shortage of rainfall. Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy told reporters on Friday that a crop survey is being conducted across the state and officials have been instructed to submit a report by August 30. By September, the government is expected to announce a list of drought-hit taluks as per the guidelines of the Centre. Around 130 taluks are facing a drought-like situation. We cannot declare them drought-hit without conducting the crop survey. Officials are conducting the survey across the state and once it is done, we will send a report to the Centre. We will get a clear picture in the first week of September, he said. On whether the government will go for cloud seeding, the minister said the earlier initiatives in this regard have not given positive results. The minister, who held a review meeting with officials, said sowing has been completed on 79% of the targeted land with good rains initially. 35,000 farmers to get crop compensation of Rs 35.9 crore Though there is no shortage of seeds or fertilizers, farmers might face crop loss for want of rain now. Wherever there are irrigation facilities such as reservoirs, borewells and farm ponds, farmers may not face problems. Only those depending on the rain are in distress. If we get good rains in the next week, at least 50% of the standing crops can be saved. But, we see no such signs, he said. The minister said that compared to previous years, ragi sowing has been completed only on 3.5 lakh hectares of land, tur dal on 2.5 lakh hectares, green gram on 2.27 lakh hectares, groundnut on 92,000 hectares and sunflower on 71,000 hectares. ALSO READ | Start drought relief works to help farmers, say former Karnataka CMs Crops have been affected in many taluks for want of rain. Under the crop insurance scheme, over 35,000 farmers from 194 gram panchayats in Bagalkot, Gadag, Belagavi and Tumakuru will get a compensation of Rs 35.9 crore, he said. The minister said nodal officers have been appointed to visit all districts to get first-hand information on the drought situation. I will start a district-wise tour to interact with farmers on August 29 from Chitradurga. Karnataka in the right direction When asked about Tamil Nadus petition in the Supreme Court for the release of Cauvery water, Cheluvarayaswamy said the states technical and legal team is very strong. We are moving in the right direction on the issue. We are committed to farmers welfare and pursuing the case seriously. At the recent all-party meeting, leaders of opposition parties were happy with the governments action. But they oppose the governments move just because they are in the opposition. We will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon with an all-party delegation, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp BENGALURU: The state government is likely to declare more than 100 taluks as drought-hit in view of a severe shortage of rainfall. Agriculture Minister N Cheluvarayaswamy told reporters on Friday that a crop survey is being conducted across the state and officials have been instructed to submit a report by August 30. By September, the government is expected to announce a list of drought-hit taluks as per the guidelines of the Centre. Around 130 taluks are facing a drought-like situation. We cannot declare them drought-hit without conducting the crop survey. Officials are conducting the survey across the state and once it is done, we will send a report to the Centre. We will get a clear picture in the first week of September, he said. On whether the government will go for cloud seeding, the minister said the earlier initiatives in this regard have not given positive results. The minister, who held a review meeting with officials, said sowing has been completed on 79% of the targeted land with good rains initially. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); 35,000 farmers to get crop compensation of Rs 35.9 crore Though there is no shortage of seeds or fertilizers, farmers might face crop loss for want of rain now. Wherever there are irrigation facilities such as reservoirs, borewells and farm ponds, farmers may not face problems. Only those depending on the rain are in distress. If we get good rains in the next week, at least 50% of the standing crops can be saved. But, we see no such signs, he said. The minister said that compared to previous years, ragi sowing has been completed only on 3.5 lakh hectares of land, tur dal on 2.5 lakh hectares, green gram on 2.27 lakh hectares, groundnut on 92,000 hectares and sunflower on 71,000 hectares. ALSO READ | Start drought relief works to help farmers, say former Karnataka CMs Crops have been affected in many taluks for want of rain. Under the crop insurance scheme, over 35,000 farmers from 194 gram panchayats in Bagalkot, Gadag, Belagavi and Tumakuru will get a compensation of Rs 35.9 crore, he said. The minister said nodal officers have been appointed to visit all districts to get first-hand information on the drought situation. I will start a district-wise tour to interact with farmers on August 29 from Chitradurga. Karnataka in the right direction When asked about Tamil Nadus petition in the Supreme Court for the release of Cauvery water, Cheluvarayaswamy said the states technical and legal team is very strong. We are moving in the right direction on the issue. We are committed to farmers welfare and pursuing the case seriously. At the recent all-party meeting, leaders of opposition parties were happy with the governments action. But they oppose the governments move just because they are in the opposition. We will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon with an all-party delegation, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI KOTTAYAM: Kerala police on Saturday registered a forgery and impersonation case against a woman who recently claimed to have lost her job after praising former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Allegations levelled by P O Sathi Amma, a native of by-poll-bound Puthuppally, triggered a political row early this week as opposition Congress used her removal from the temporary job as a campaign tool against the ruling CPI(M) in the constituency. According to police, Sathi Amma, a member of the women empowerment network Kudumbashree, gained her job as a temporary sweeper at a state-run veterinary centre, through forgery. "She was booked under various sections of IPC including 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document)," a police officer told PTI. The cases were registered based on a complaint filed by Lijimol, a former office-bearer of the women's network, they said. As per the complaint lodged with the district police chief, she alleged that the 52-year-old Sathi Amma was working in her name by forging documents. The woman, in the complaint, also accused some present office-bearers of the network of providing assistance to the accused for the alleged forgery and impersonation. She also said that though she was a former office-bearer of the all-woman network, she had neither applied for the job at the veterinary centre in the last few years nor received any salary. Meanwhile, Sathi Amma said she was not afraid of the case and she would face it legally. "I have not done anything wrong...I discharged my duties with all sincerity," she told reporters here. Rejecting the charges levelled by the complainant, she also said she was recruited by the Kudumbashree and she was given the salary through the network's account. Sathi Amma said she has the support of all the Congress workers and leaders in fighting the case. Some office-bearers of the local Kudumbashree unit, which recruited Sathi Amma for the job, were also booked under various sections of IPC, police sources said. As the much-awaited Puthuppally bypoll is just days away, the removal of the woman sweeper from the state-run veterinary centre in the constituency here triggered a controversy. When the opposition Congress came out in support of the woman, who claimed that she lost her job because she had praised former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a television programme, the CPI(M)-led LDF government denied the charges, saying there was no politics behind her removal. Sathi Amma, who had been working as a temporary sweeper for some time at the veterinary centre, said that a reporter of a TV channel had recently taken a soundbite from her for its programme, in which she spoke about the support and assistance that her family had received from Chandy during their time of distress. The woman also said during the programme that Chandy Oommen, the son of the late Congress stalwart, would win the Puthuppally bypoll. Animal Husbandry Department sources had said that the woman was recruited through the all-women network Kudumbashree and was removed as her tenure ended. Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchu Rani also dismissed allegations of political interference in the removal of Sathi Amma from the temporary job and gave an elaborate explanation claiming that the lady had impersonated another person to get the job. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp KOTTAYAM: Kerala police on Saturday registered a forgery and impersonation case against a woman who recently claimed to have lost her job after praising former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Allegations levelled by P O Sathi Amma, a native of by-poll-bound Puthuppally, triggered a political row early this week as opposition Congress used her removal from the temporary job as a campaign tool against the ruling CPI(M) in the constituency. According to police, Sathi Amma, a member of the women empowerment network Kudumbashree, gained her job as a temporary sweeper at a state-run veterinary centre, through forgery.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "She was booked under various sections of IPC including 419 (cheating by personation), 420 (cheating), 468 (forgery) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document)," a police officer told PTI. The cases were registered based on a complaint filed by Lijimol, a former office-bearer of the women's network, they said. As per the complaint lodged with the district police chief, she alleged that the 52-year-old Sathi Amma was working in her name by forging documents. The woman, in the complaint, also accused some present office-bearers of the network of providing assistance to the accused for the alleged forgery and impersonation. She also said that though she was a former office-bearer of the all-woman network, she had neither applied for the job at the veterinary centre in the last few years nor received any salary. Meanwhile, Sathi Amma said she was not afraid of the case and she would face it legally. "I have not done anything wrong...I discharged my duties with all sincerity," she told reporters here. Rejecting the charges levelled by the complainant, she also said she was recruited by the Kudumbashree and she was given the salary through the network's account. Sathi Amma said she has the support of all the Congress workers and leaders in fighting the case. Some office-bearers of the local Kudumbashree unit, which recruited Sathi Amma for the job, were also booked under various sections of IPC, police sources said. As the much-awaited Puthuppally bypoll is just days away, the removal of the woman sweeper from the state-run veterinary centre in the constituency here triggered a controversy. When the opposition Congress came out in support of the woman, who claimed that she lost her job because she had praised former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a television programme, the CPI(M)-led LDF government denied the charges, saying there was no politics behind her removal. Sathi Amma, who had been working as a temporary sweeper for some time at the veterinary centre, said that a reporter of a TV channel had recently taken a soundbite from her for its programme, in which she spoke about the support and assistance that her family had received from Chandy during their time of distress. The woman also said during the programme that Chandy Oommen, the son of the late Congress stalwart, would win the Puthuppally bypoll. Animal Husbandry Department sources had said that the woman was recruited through the all-women network Kudumbashree and was removed as her tenure ended. Animal Husbandry Minister J Chinchu Rani also dismissed allegations of political interference in the removal of Sathi Amma from the temporary job and gave an elaborate explanation claiming that the lady had impersonated another person to get the job. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in a belated response, has termed the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as a 'great scientific achievement' for which ISRO scientists deserved appreciation while the country's leading dailies heaped praises on India for achieving the feat on a lesser budget than rich nations. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her briefing on Friday was asked to comment on the successful soft-landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. "I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists deserve appreciation," she said in her brief response. Pakistan had so far officially ignored the landmark success of India. The media, however, gave front-page coverage to the historic event on Wednesday. The Dawn newspaper in its editorial headlined 'India's space quest' called the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission historic. The paper said this particular feat deserves appreciation as India achieved on a lesser budget what richer nations accomplished by spending larger sums. Perhaps the key to the success of India's space programme, apart from sustained state support, is the quality and dedication of its engineers and scientists who helped make these difficult missions possible, it commented. "Comparisons are indeed odious, but there may be plenty for Pakistan to learn from India's space success. Pakistan's space programme was launched before India's and managed modest success," it said. The Express Tribune newspaper in its editorial titled 'India's lunar laurel' said India's ambitious flight actually accomplished something that the US, Soviet-Russian, and Chinese space programmes have all failed to do, land on the moon's southern pole. Chandrayaan-3 is also the most cost-effective moon mission ever, estimated to cost between USD 75-90 million, compared to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which cost USD 117 million. It is also much less than most summer movies, Avatar 2 cost USD 350 million, RRR cost about USD 80 million, and the new Indiana Jones movie is expected to lose over USD 100 billion, it said. The voices that heaped praise on India included former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry who appreciated the country for the achievement. Many Pakistanis on social media also congratulated India for the feat, while other users criticised the lacklustre performance of Pakistan in space exploration, and even some cracking jokes about its space agency called Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), set up in 1961. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in a belated response, has termed the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as a 'great scientific achievement' for which ISRO scientists deserved appreciation while the country's leading dailies heaped praises on India for achieving the feat on a lesser budget than rich nations. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her briefing on Friday was asked to comment on the successful soft-landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. "I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists deserve appreciation," she said in her brief response.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Pakistan had so far officially ignored the landmark success of India. The media, however, gave front-page coverage to the historic event on Wednesday. The Dawn newspaper in its editorial headlined 'India's space quest' called the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission historic. The paper said this particular feat deserves appreciation as India achieved on a lesser budget what richer nations accomplished by spending larger sums. Perhaps the key to the success of India's space programme, apart from sustained state support, is the quality and dedication of its engineers and scientists who helped make these difficult missions possible, it commented. "Comparisons are indeed odious, but there may be plenty for Pakistan to learn from India's space success. Pakistan's space programme was launched before India's and managed modest success," it said. The Express Tribune newspaper in its editorial titled 'India's lunar laurel' said India's ambitious flight actually accomplished something that the US, Soviet-Russian, and Chinese space programmes have all failed to do, land on the moon's southern pole. Chandrayaan-3 is also the most cost-effective moon mission ever, estimated to cost between USD 75-90 million, compared to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which cost USD 117 million. It is also much less than most summer movies, Avatar 2 cost USD 350 million, RRR cost about USD 80 million, and the new Indiana Jones movie is expected to lose over USD 100 billion, it said. The voices that heaped praise on India included former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry who appreciated the country for the achievement. Many Pakistanis on social media also congratulated India for the feat, while other users criticised the lacklustre performance of Pakistan in space exploration, and even some cracking jokes about its space agency called Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), set up in 1961. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI WASHINGTON/LONDON: Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American 2024 US presidential aspirant, has hinted that he may run on a joint ticket with former president Donald Trump as his running mate if he does not win the Republican nomination, according to a media report. The remarks by Ramaswamy came days after the 38-year-old multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur-turned-politician said he was not interested in any job other than president. Ramaswamy said he believed he could only reunite this country as president, but did not rule out running with 77-year-old Trump as vice president if the former president and frontrunner wins the nomination for a third time. Asked on Britain's GB News whether he would be happy to be (Trump's) VP, Ramaswamy replied: "See, this isn't about me. If this were about me, sure. That's a fine position for someone to have at my age. This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if I'm doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement." He added that he had fresh legs and was almost half [Trump's] age, but would ask him to serve as my most valued adviser in the White House. ALSO READ | Palakkad roots that helped shape a US presidential hopeful Rumours of a joint ticket between the two men in the 2024 race were fanned by the Trump campaign's praise for Ramaswamy after the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, in which he emerged as a breakout star. A self-declared outsider who has no experience as an elected official has pledged to pardon Trump for any federal convictions on day one of his presidency and continue his legacy in the White House with an America First agenda, The Telegraph newspaper said. In previous interviews, Ramaswamy had denied becoming the former president's running mate, insisting that he could only change the country if he won the top job. I'm not interested in a different position in the government. Frankly, I'd drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming number two or three in the federal government," he told Fox News on Saturday. ALSO READ | How Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing to win over Trump loyalists for 2024 US elections His popularity rating and online fundraising have surged after his impressive performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. The first poll that came out after the debate said that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said Ramaswamy performed the best. He was followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and Pence (13 per cent). Indian-American Nikki Haley received the vote of seven per cent. According to Fox News, Ramaswamy was the most Google-searched Republican candidate after the debate. He was followed by fellow Indian-American Haley. Both the Indian-Americans were standing next to each other on the debate stage. Politico, a Washington metropolitan area-based politics-focused newspaper company, said that Ramaswamy, the brash and uber-wealthy entrepreneur, got under the skin of his rivals and praised Trump, calling him the best president of the 21st century. Though Ramaswamy has repeatedly denied he's in the race just to be Trump's running mate, that hasn't quelled speculation. Many of the qualities that might make him unserious to some, seem to only burnish his bona fides to others and make him seem like a breath of fresh air, it said. Rina Shah, a conservative political consultant and delegate to the Republican National Convention during the 2016 cycle, Ramaswamy is attempting to be as Trump as Trump, which will naturally curry favour with the former president as he searches for a running mate. Another Republican strategist and former Trump White House advisor, Ja'Ron Smith, said big possibility when asked whether Ramaswamy's showing on Wednesday put him in the running for veepstakes. Ramaswamy's performance in Milwaukee on Wednesday drew the admiration of Donald Trump Jr, the former president's eldest child. "I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do," he said. Trump Junior himself posted a clip of Ramaswamy arguing he was the best president of the 21st century, commenting: "This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big win in the debate because of a thing called truth," he said. Despite the unprecedented legal woes of Trump, he is still the frontrunner to get the Republican Party nomination. According to a new poll, Trump leads DeSantis by nearly 40 percentage points in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Ramaswamy, if tapped as Vice President and later elected, would be the second youngest ever to serve in the role, behind John Breckinridge who served as President James Buchanan's second in command when he was just 36. Breckinridge served from 1857 to 1861. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp WASHINGTON/LONDON: Vivek Ramaswamy, an Indian-American 2024 US presidential aspirant, has hinted that he may run on a joint ticket with former president Donald Trump as his running mate if he does not win the Republican nomination, according to a media report. The remarks by Ramaswamy came days after the 38-year-old multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur-turned-politician said he was not interested in any job other than president. Ramaswamy said he believed he could only reunite this country as president, but did not rule out running with 77-year-old Trump as vice president if the former president and frontrunner wins the nomination for a third time.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Asked on Britain's GB News whether he would be happy to be (Trump's) VP, Ramaswamy replied: "See, this isn't about me. If this were about me, sure. That's a fine position for someone to have at my age. This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if I'm doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement." He added that he had fresh legs and was almost half [Trump's] age, but would ask him to serve as my most valued adviser in the White House. ALSO READ | Palakkad roots that helped shape a US presidential hopeful Rumours of a joint ticket between the two men in the 2024 race were fanned by the Trump campaign's praise for Ramaswamy after the first Republican primary debate on Wednesday, in which he emerged as a breakout star. A self-declared outsider who has no experience as an elected official has pledged to pardon Trump for any federal convictions on day one of his presidency and continue his legacy in the White House with an America First agenda, The Telegraph newspaper said. In previous interviews, Ramaswamy had denied becoming the former president's running mate, insisting that he could only change the country if he won the top job. I'm not interested in a different position in the government. Frankly, I'd drive change through the private sector sooner than becoming number two or three in the federal government," he told Fox News on Saturday. ALSO READ | How Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy is pushing to win over Trump loyalists for 2024 US elections His popularity rating and online fundraising have surged after his impressive performance at the first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday. The first poll that came out after the debate said that 28 per cent of the 504 respondents said Ramaswamy performed the best. He was followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 27 per cent, and Pence (13 per cent). Indian-American Nikki Haley received the vote of seven per cent. According to Fox News, Ramaswamy was the most Google-searched Republican candidate after the debate. He was followed by fellow Indian-American Haley. Both the Indian-Americans were standing next to each other on the debate stage. Politico, a Washington metropolitan area-based politics-focused newspaper company, said that Ramaswamy, the brash and uber-wealthy entrepreneur, got under the skin of his rivals and praised Trump, calling him the best president of the 21st century. Though Ramaswamy has repeatedly denied he's in the race just to be Trump's running mate, that hasn't quelled speculation. Many of the qualities that might make him unserious to some, seem to only burnish his bona fides to others and make him seem like a breath of fresh air, it said. Rina Shah, a conservative political consultant and delegate to the Republican National Convention during the 2016 cycle, Ramaswamy is attempting to be as Trump as Trump, which will naturally curry favour with the former president as he searches for a running mate. Another Republican strategist and former Trump White House advisor, Ja'Ron Smith, said big possibility when asked whether Ramaswamy's showing on Wednesday put him in the running for veepstakes. Ramaswamy's performance in Milwaukee on Wednesday drew the admiration of Donald Trump Jr, the former president's eldest child. "I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do," he said. Trump Junior himself posted a clip of Ramaswamy arguing he was the best president of the 21st century, commenting: "This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big win in the debate because of a thing called truth," he said. Despite the unprecedented legal woes of Trump, he is still the frontrunner to get the Republican Party nomination. According to a new poll, Trump leads DeSantis by nearly 40 percentage points in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. Ramaswamy, if tapped as Vice President and later elected, would be the second youngest ever to serve in the role, behind John Breckinridge who served as President James Buchanan's second in command when he was just 36. Breckinridge served from 1857 to 1861. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp By PTI SINGAPORE: Singapore is ready for a non-Chinese prime minister at any time, presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said ahead of the September 1 election, calling it a marker of the society's progress in the country dominated by Chinese-origin population. Race is a factor in politics everywhere, he said on Friday, citing former US president Barack Obama, who has spoken and written about it. However, Singaporeans today, unlike 40 or 50 years ago, look at all factors and not just race, said 66-year-old Tharman, a Singaporean of Indian origin. "They look at people in totality...Singapore is ready at any time. If someone comes up who is a superior candidate for prime minister, the person can be made the prime minister. I believe they can," he said during an election meeting to share his vision for the presidency. It is a marker of Singapore's progress as a society, added the former senior minister, who resigned from the ruling People's Action Party in July to contest for the presidency. "Singapore is ready any time for a non-Chinese prime minister," The Straits Times quoted Tharman, who goes by his popular first name, as saying. Singaporeans are to vote for the 9th President on September 1. Tharman, an economist, also said that as important as they are, only government policies cannot make Singapore a fairer and better place. Instead, things must go much deeper, and the next phase of Singapore's development is to pay attention to things that cannot be measured, he said. Noting that there are many people who are doing meaningful jobs that are not visible, he said, "Every skill and every job deserves respect. Better pay for the low-paid, but (also) respect and dignity." Chinese-origin Singaporeans Tan Kin Lian and Ng Kok Song, are also contesting the presidential election. Tan, 75, is a former trade union-related insurance group NTUC Income's chief executive while NG, also 75, is the former chief investment officer at the state-owned GIC. Chinese people account for about 75 per cent of Singapore's multi-racial population. An estimated 13.5 per cent are Malays and about nine per cent are Indians, with others making up the remainder. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp SINGAPORE: Singapore is ready for a non-Chinese prime minister at any time, presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said ahead of the September 1 election, calling it a marker of the society's progress in the country dominated by Chinese-origin population. Race is a factor in politics everywhere, he said on Friday, citing former US president Barack Obama, who has spoken and written about it. However, Singaporeans today, unlike 40 or 50 years ago, look at all factors and not just race, said 66-year-old Tharman, a Singaporean of Indian origin. "They look at people in totality...Singapore is ready at any time. If someone comes up who is a superior candidate for prime minister, the person can be made the prime minister. I believe they can," he said during an election meeting to share his vision for the presidency.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); It is a marker of Singapore's progress as a society, added the former senior minister, who resigned from the ruling People's Action Party in July to contest for the presidency. "Singapore is ready any time for a non-Chinese prime minister," The Straits Times quoted Tharman, who goes by his popular first name, as saying. Singaporeans are to vote for the 9th President on September 1. Tharman, an economist, also said that as important as they are, only government policies cannot make Singapore a fairer and better place. Instead, things must go much deeper, and the next phase of Singapore's development is to pay attention to things that cannot be measured, he said. Noting that there are many people who are doing meaningful jobs that are not visible, he said, "Every skill and every job deserves respect. Better pay for the low-paid, but (also) respect and dignity." Chinese-origin Singaporeans Tan Kin Lian and Ng Kok Song, are also contesting the presidential election. Tan, 75, is a former trade union-related insurance group NTUC Income's chief executive while NG, also 75, is the former chief investment officer at the state-owned GIC. Chinese people account for about 75 per cent of Singapore's multi-racial population. An estimated 13.5 per cent are Malays and about nine per cent are Indians, with others making up the remainder. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp On the eve of the Day of Ukrainian Aviation, a tragedy struck: a well-known Ukrainian pilot, Andriy Pilshchikov, with the call sign "Juice", died in a crash. It happened during a collision between L-39 combat trainer aircraft over Zhytomyr region, and two other pilots died along with Juice. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the press service of the Ukrainian Air Force. The agency urged not to manipulate information about the tragedy and to wait only for official sources. "We regret to inform you that a terrible plane crash occurred in the Zhytomyr region on 25 August 2023. The crews of two L-39 combat trainer aircraft collided in the sky while performing a combat mission. Unfortunately, all three pilots were killed," the ministry wrote. The State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the circumstances of the death of the three Ukrainian pilots. The preliminary classification of the offence is violation of flight rules or preparation for them (Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), which provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. "Particular attention will be paid to the technical condition of the aircraft and compliance with flight preparation rules. Specialised experts will conduct a thorough diagnosis of the black boxes," the investigators said. ADVERTISIMENT "Our acquaintance was not long, but I am grateful to you for your important life lessons and drive, which will definitely remain in the Air Force and will become a driving force for a new generation of pilots. You dreamed of an F-16 and waited for the news of its delivery. You loved your bird and literally lived in the sky. RIP!" - wrote Pavlo Potseluev, a friend of Juice, in his obituary on Facebook. Juice was a MiG-29 fighter pilot. With the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, he defended Ukraine's skies. He participated in the air defence of Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT He has been interviewed by leading Western media outlets, including The Washington Post, Financial Times CNN, Fox News and BBC News. In them, he urged the allies to start delivering American F-16 fighter jets, and explained in detail how they would affect the advantage of Ukrainian troops over the enemy. As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, 21-year-old soldier Roman "Voron" (Raven) Kuzhel from the city of Rivne was killed in the fighting for Ukraine. The guy stood up to defend his country from the first days of the full-scale Russian invasion, and planned to get married after the war. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Athens, August 25 P rime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday met his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis and held a bilateral meeting during his long-day visit to the country. In the meeting, other than the two leaders, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Greek counterpart George Gerapetritis was also present. Prime Minister Modi had previously met the Greek Prime Minister in New York in September 2019 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. Earlier, PM Modi called on Greece President Katerina Sakellaropoulou. The Greek president congratulated PM Modi on the success of India's moon mission Chandrayaan-3. In response to her congratulatory message, PM Modi said, "The success of Chandrayaan-3 is not only of India alone but it is a success for the whole of humankind... The results of the data collected by the Chandrayaan-3 mission will help the entire scientific fraternity and humankind." PM Modi today commenced his visit to Greece by paying tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens. Later on, he received a ceremonial guard of honour. PM Modi arrived in Athens this morning, after attending the 15th BRICs summit in Johannesburg, for his maiden visit to Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At the Athens International Airport, PM Modi was received by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai,' and 'Modi, Modi.' PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years to visit Greece. The last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983. Greece Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had visited New Delhi in 2019. 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. PM Modi holds bilateral meeting with his Greek counterpart Mitsotakis Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Gothenburg, August 25 R esearchers from the University of Gothenburg have demonstrated that paper cups, that are left in the environment, can also harm the planet because they contain harmful substances. Reports that plastic pollution is infecting every area of the planet and every living creature hassped up the transition to alternate materials. The coffee latte you buy at the corner kiosk and take with you now arrives in paper cups, occasionally even with paper lids. However, if that cup is left in the wild, it might also cause harm to living things. In a study examining the impact of disposable cups made of various materials on the larvae of the butterfly mosquito, researchers at the University of Gothenburg provide evidence for this. "We left paper cups and plastic cups in wet sediment and water for a few weeks and followed how the leached chemicals affected the larvae. All of the mugs negatively affected the growth of mosquito larvae," said Bethanie Carney Almroth, Professor of Environmental Science at the Department of Biology and Environmental Science at the University of Gothenburg. Paper is neither fat nor water-resistant, so paper that is used in food packaging material needs to be treated with a surface coating. This plastic protects the paper from the coffee in your hand. Nowadays, plastic film is often made of polylactide, PLA, a type of bioplastic. PLA is often regarded as biodegradable, meaning that it can break down faster than oil-based plastics under the right conditions, but the researchers' study shows that it can still be toxic. "Bioplastics do not break down effectively when they end up in the environment, in water. There may be a risk that the plastic remains in nature and resulting microplastics can be ingested by animals and humans, just as other plastics do. Bioplastics contain at least as many chemicals as conventional plastic," said Bethanie Carney Almroth. "Some chemicals in plastics are known to be toxic, others we lack knowledge about. Paper packaging also presents a potential health hazard compared to other materials, and it's becoming more common. We are exposed to the plastics and the associated chemicals via contact with food." Bethanie Carney Almroth and her research colleagues report their results in a scientific article in Environmental Pollution. In the article, they reason about the major shifts that are required to mitigate the continuing damage to the environment and threat to our health caused by the plastics pollution crisis. "When disposable products arrived on the market after the Second World War, large campaigns were conducted to teach people to throw the products away, it was unnatural to us! Now we need to shift back and move away from disposable lifestyles. It is better if you bring your own mug when buying takeaway coffee. Or by all means, take a few minutes, sit down and drink your coffee from a porcelain mug," said Bethanie Carney Almroth. Replacing single-use plastic cups with paper ones is problematic: Study Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! RBI Governor underlines need for strengthening of governance standards New Delhi, Aug 25 R eserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das on Friday emphasised on strengthening governance standards. Addressing a meeting of managing directors and chiefs of select non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) and housing finance companies (HFCs), Das said that governance standards and assurance mechanisms such as compliance, risk management and internal audit should be made stronger, reads a statement issued by the RBI. In the meeting, which was held in Mumbai, ways to contain the increasing reliance on bank borrowings, risks associated with high credit growth in the retail segment, prioritising the upgrade of IT systems and cyber security were also discussed, the statement said. Das also discussed ways to strengthen balance sheets with improved provisioning cover and monitoring of stressed exposures and slippages. It was also ensured that robust liquidity and asset-liability management should be ensured. In addition to this, adherence to the fair practices code, including robust grievance redress mechanism, were also discussed, the statement said. RBI Governor underlines need for strengthening of governance standards Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Athens, August 25 G reek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and welcomed his invitation to visit India. Addressing the joint presser with PM Modi, the Greek PM said, "Dear PM, it is my pleasure to welcome your invitation to India. I am certain that we will witness the relationship and its multiplying effect. When two friends sit together an Indian proverb says, one plus one is not 2 but 11." He also congratulated India on the Chandrayaan-3 mission that made history by becoming the first mission to soft-land on the lunar South Pole, a region that has never been explored before. "Congratulations on conquering the South Pole of the Moon," said the Greek PM. Kyriakos while speaking on PM Modi's visit to Greece, added, "The most populous democracy of the planet is being hosted by the first democracy on earth, So signs are favourable." He also called for side-by-side cooperation between the two countries in the period of upheaval. "We are ready to proceed side by side in dealing with the challenges of our times, especially in the period of upheaval and war in Ukraine - facts which make it even more necessary to respect the UN Charter," said the Greek PM. PM Modi arrived in Athens this morning, after attending the 15th BRICs summit in Johannesburg, for his maiden visit to Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At the Athens International Airport, PM Modi was received by Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis. He received a rousing welcome upon his arrival at the hotel in Athens with members of the diaspora who had gathered outside the hotel chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai,' and 'Modi, Modi.' PM Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister in the last 40 years to visit Greece. The last Prime Ministerial visit from India to Greece was in 1983 by Indira Gandhi. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had visited New Delhi in 2019. 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. Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis accepts PM Modi's invitation to visit India Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Kargil is not just a place, it is a saga of valour: Rahul Gandhi Kargil, Aug 25 C ongress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on visit to Ladakh region, on Friday visited the Kargil War Memorial in Drass and paid tributes to the Indian Army personnel, who laid down their lives during the 1999 war with Pakistan. In a Facebook post, Rahul Gandhi said, "Kargil is not just a place, it is a saga of valour. It is the land many of our soldiers served in and resonates with their courage and sacrifice. This is the pride of India and all Indians realise their sense of responsibility towards the country. I bow down to all the brave fighters and martyrs of the Kargil war." He also attached several pictures at the memorial built in Drass town to commemorate the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan. The visit to Kargil War memorial was the last programme of Rahul Gandhi in Ladakh region, where he has been attending several programmes in his nine-day tour. Earlier in the day, he also addressed a public meeting in Kargil before offering his tribute at the war memorial en route to Srinagar. He had toured several areas of Ladakh on his Duke KTM 390 bike and also attended several programmes in the last nine days. On August 20, he had also paid tributes to his late father and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi near Pangong Tso lake on his 79th birth anniversary. He has also toured the areas of Leh to Pangong Lake, Nubra, Khardungla top, Lamayuru, Zanskar and Kargil. The Kargil War memorial is over 400 km from Srinagar and located near the Tiger Hill. Before leaving for Srinagar from Kargil, the former Congress chief left his bike and took a car. On Saturday, the Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi will also be joining him in Srinagar. Kargil is not just a place, it is a saga of valour: Rahul Gandhi Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Hyderabad, Aug 25 A fter months of a cold war between the Telangana government and the governor, a bonhomie has emerged during the last couple of days with back to back meetings between Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan. An indication that ice is melting between Pragati Bhavan and Raj Bhavan came on Thursday when the Chief Minister had a 20-minute long meeting with the Governor at Raj Bhavan on the occasion of swearing-in of Patnam Mahender Reddy as the state minister. KCR is understood have discussed various issues with Tamilisai, including the issue of pending Bills, which had generated lot of heat in recent weeks. This meeting appeared to have created a bonhomie, unseen between the two for more than two years. The Chief Minister and the Governor met for a second time in as many days when the latter visited newly inaugurated Secretariat complex on Friday. At KCR's invitation, Tamilisai attended the inauguration of a temple, a mosque and a church in Secretariat premises and also went around the building. It may be recalled that the Governor had expressed her unhappiness over not being invited to the inauguration of the Secretariat, unveiling of the 125-feet statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and other key events by the state government. She was also unhappy over the Chief Minister and his ministers skipping programmes at Raj Bhavan despite her invitations. She had also publicly complained about the state government not respecting the office of Governor by following the protocol during her visits to various parts of the state. On the other hand, the BRS leaders had been targeting her for acting like a BJP leader and for creating hurdles for the state government by stalling the Bills passed by the state Legislature. During the visit to the Secretariat, Tamilisai actively participated in the inauguration of three places of worship and various rituals and later went around the complex. The CM explained to the Governor about the new secretariat building and the facilities provided for hassle free administration in each floor. After that, CM KCR invited the Governor in a traditional way in CM chambers and felicitated her with a shawl and presented a bouquet of flowers. Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari also honored the Governor. Later, the CM hosted the Governor a high tea. According to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Governor enquired from the CM about the construction cost of the new Secretariat and the details of the modern infrastructure. The Governor praised CM KCR for constructing such a wonderful secretariat in a pleasant atmosphere. CM and Governor also had a friendly conversation for a while. Later, the CM gave a send off to Governor at the main gate of the Secretariat. During his meetings, the Chief Minister is reported to have discussed with the Governor the issue of pending Bills and also the Cabinet's recommendation to approve nominations of BRS leaders Sravan Dasoju and K. Satyanarayana as members of Legislative Council under the Governor's quota. Some key bills including the one for absorbing over 43,000 employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) into government service are pending with the Raj Bhavan. The Governor's press secretary had last week issued a statement saying she has sought legal opinion on Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (Absorption of Employees into Government Service) Bill-2023 and four other bills passed by the state Assembly early this month. All Bills were referred to the Law Secretary for opinion. The Governor had earlier granted approval for the introduction of the bill after uncertainty for four days. She, however, had made certain recommendations. During the brief monsoon session, the state Assembly had once again passed four Bills which were earlier returned by the Governor. The Cabinet at its meeting on July 31 had observed that the office of the Governor is being misused by the Centre. The issue of Bills had created a rift between the government and the Raj Bhavan. The state government had approached the Supreme Court in April seeking direction to the Governor to take a decision on the pending bills. Melting of Ice: KCR, Governor display unusual bonhomie Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! PM Modi highlights initiatives to push business at meeting with corporates in Athens New Delhi, Aug 25 P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday highlighted India's progress in areas such as renewables, startups, pharma, IT, digital payments and infrastructure and the various initiatives undertaken to foster business, during his interaction with industry representatives in Athens at a business lunch hosted by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. PM Modi acknowledged the role played by industry leaders in strengthening bilateral relations and promoting economic cooperation between India and Greece. The event saw participation from leading Indian and Greek CEOs from diverse sectors including shipping, infrastructure, energy, among others. The Prime Minister encouraged the business leaders to utilise the investment opportunities in India and be a part of India's growth story. PM Modi highlights initiatives to push business at meeting with corporates in Athens Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, Aug 25 B esides undertaking enforcement action against unregistered finfluencers who breach SEBI regulations, the regulator proposes to disrupt the revenue model for such finfluencers, so that the perverse incentives in the ecosystem reduce. SEBI has come across instances where SEBI registered intermediaries/regulated entities may be relying on such unregistered/unregulated finfluencers to promote their products and services. As per a new paper, no SEBI registered intermediaries/regulated entities or their agents/representatives shall, directly or indirectly, have any association/relationship in any form, whether monetary or non-monetary, for any promotion or advertisement of their services/products, with any unregistered entities (including finfluencers) Entities registered/regulated by SEBI or stock exchanges or AMFI shall not share any confidential information of their clients with any unregistered entities. Financial influencers, commonly called 'finfluencers', are persons who provide information and/or advice on various financial topics such as investing in securities, personal finance, banking products, insurance, real estate investment, etc. through social/digital media platforms/channels, and have the ability to influence the financial decisions of their followers. Thus, the activities of finfluencers may deal in areas regulated by financial sector regulators such as SEBI, RBI, PFRDA, and IRDA. Finfluencers often attract investors/prospective investors through their engaging stories, messages, reels and videos on various social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. However, finfluencers not registered with the relevant financial sector regulator may not have the requisite qualifications or expertise on the subject. Worse, not being formally subject to a financial sector regulator's code of conduct, they may not disclose any potential conflict of interest such as their association with or interest in the products, services or securities that they promote. Many unregistered/unregulated finfluencers directly or indirectly promote products, services or securities. They may induce clients to avail these products or services in return for referral fee for usage of the product, channel, platform, or services that they advertise such referral fee may be variable (per use or per user), or fixed (retainer model), or a combination of both. The commission may be in an upfront or trail manner, non-cash benefits such as free usage of products or services, compensation received directly from the social media or other platform where they share their content; and profit sharing with the underlying product, channel, platform, or services. Other unregistered entities/finfluencers may be effectively enticing their followers to purchase products, services, or securities in return for undisclosed compensation from platforms or producers. This paper seeks to restrict the association of SEBI registered intermediaries/regulated entities with such unregistered finfluencers, to curb the flow of such compensation. (Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in) SEBI proposes to enforcement action, disrupt revenue model for finfluencers Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! F-16 fighters alone are not enough for the Ukrainian army to gain an advantage over the Russian occupiers in the sky. In addition to the aircraft, the Ukrainian Air Force needs powerful radars and weapons. ADVERTISIMENT However, it is currently impossible to say exactly how many missiles Ukraine will receive along with the F-16s. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Force Command, said this during the telethon. According to Ihnat, the main missile in service with the F-16 is the AIM-120 AMRAAM. By the way, the same munition is used in the NASAMS air defence system. At the same time, the spokesperson for the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stressed that air strike weapons are very expensive, so this should also be kept in mind. "The F-16 has different air strike capabilities - ground, surface and air targets. There are different types of air-to-air missiles, and the main missile in service with NATO is the AIM-120 AMRAAM. This missile has various modifications, and our NASAMS are operating with such missiles today. Different modifications of missiles have different strike ranges and, accordingly, their cost is different, and this is also worth talking about. Air defence systems are very expensive. One NASAMS missile costs half a million dollars," Ihnat said. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Ihnat added that some modifications of the AIM-120 AMRAAM can hit enemy targets at a distance of 180 kilometres. This gives them an advantage over the Russian Su-35. However, in addition to missiles, Ukrainian aviation also needs powerful radars. "There are modifications of the AIM-120 AMRAAM missile that can hit targets up to 180 kilometres away. This is more than enough to threaten Russian Su-35s. Therefore, our aviation must have powerful radars and powerful missiles. We must not be inferior in terms of technical characteristics to the same Su-35. This way we will be able to gain air superiority," Ihnat explained. As a reminder, a Ukrainian pilot with the call sign Moonfish, who is currently undergoing training on an F-16 fighter jet, said that the allies had taken Ukraine's wishes into account when drawing up the training plan. According to him, more attention will be paid to missions that meet the realities of the Russian-Ukrainian war. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier it was reported that the Netherlands and Denmark are committed to provide Ukraine with F-16 fighter jets, but the delivery will take place after certain conditions are met. These conditions include trained Ukrainian personnel and the necessary permits, infrastructure and logistics. As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Ukraine traditionally celebrates Aviation Day on the last Saturday of August, not only civilian but also military aviation. It plays an extremely important role in wartime, as it resists Russian missiles, drones, and bombs, which, when they hit, cause a lot of damage to Ukrainian cities. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Washington, Aug 26 I ndian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has hinted at running on a joint ticket with Republican rival and former US President Donald Trump if he fails to secure the party's nomination for the 2024 race to the White House, a media report said. Ramaswamy, the political outsider, addressed his first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday where rivals -- former New Jersey Governor Chris Christies, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley -- gave him a tough fight The Telegraph reported. Post debate, a confident Ramaswamy told reporters that only two candidates would be left in the race, which would be him and Trump. When asked on GB News whether he would be "happy to be (Trump's) VP", Ramaswamy said "See, this isn't about me. If this were about me, sure. That's a fine position for someone to have at my age. "This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if I'm doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement." Ramaswamy added that he had "fresh legs" and was "almost half (Trump's] age", but would ask him to serve as "my most valued adviser" in the White House. The 38-year-old entrepreneur did not rule out the possibility of teaming with Trump if the latter secured nomination for a third time, which stood in stark contrast to his earlier stance on being interested only in the presidency. According to the Telegraph report, rumours of a joint ticket between the two rivals for the 2024 race emerged after Trump campaign's praise for Ramaswamy in the Republican primary debate where he came up as a breakout star. Speaking of Ramaswamy's Milwaukee performance, Donald Trump Jr told reporters "I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do." After launching his campaign in February this year, Ramaswamy vowed to "promptly" pardon the indicted former President if elected to the White House in 2024. Heaping praises on the former President, Ramaswamy told The New York Post that Trump "sets a high bar". "He's a friend. I know him. I genuinely believe he cares about national unity," Ramaswamy had said. With a worth of more than $950 million, Ramaswamy raised more than $450,000, with an average donation of $38, in the first hour after the debate. In addition, he was the most Google-searched Republican candidate, followed by rival Nikki Haley, according to Fox News. Indian-American Ramaswamy may run on joint ticket with Trump: Report Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! New Delhi, August 26 H eritage is a vital asset for economic growth and diversification, and it is echoed in India's mantra of 'Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi', Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday in his virtual address to the G20 culture ministers' meeting in Varanasi. Kashi, he said, is known to be a treasure chest of knowledge, duty and truth and it is indeed the cultural and spiritual capital of India. "We in India are very proud of our eternal and diverse culture. We also attach great value to our intangible cultural heritage," he said. While highlighting the "inherent potential of culture to unite and enable us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectives", the Prime Minister said that the work of the G20 Culture Ministers' group holds immense significance for entire humanity. He mentioned mapping the country's cultural assets and artists at the national level as well as village level. Modi further said that building several centres to celebrate India's culture and gave the example of the tribal museums located in different parts of the country which showcase the vibrant culture of India's tribal communities. Referring to the Prime Ministers' Museum in New Delhi, Modi said that it is a one-of-a-kind effort to showcase India's democratic heritage. He also mentioned developing the 'Yuge Yugeen Bharat' National Museum, which upon completion will stand as the world's largest museum showcasing India's history and culture spanning over 5,000 years. Speaking about the important issue of restitution of cultural property, the Prime Minister welcomed the efforts of the working group and said that tangible heritage is not only of material value but it is also the history and identity of a nation. "Everyone has the right to access and enjoy their cultural heritage." Modi informed that since 2014, India has brought back hundreds of such artefacts that showcase the glory of its ancient civilisation. Heritage a vital asset for economic growth: PM Modi Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! On the night of August 26, Russian troops shelled residential houses in the Olhivka settlement in Kherson Region. As a result of the shelling, an 83-year-old woman suffered multiple burns. ADVERTISIMENT The victim was hospitalized, but the injuries were too severe: the woman died in hospital. This was reported by the head of the Kherson RMA Oleksandr Prokudin. The Russians shelled the Olhivka village in the Beryslav district of the Kherson region in the middle of the night. As usual, they aimed at residential houses, killing an elderly woman. "The occupants shelled Olhivka at night. Residential houses were hit. An 83-year-old woman received numerous burns. She was taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, the injuries were too severe. She died in the hospital," Prokudin noted. Earlier it became known that the occupiers attacked Ukraine with Iranian kamikaze drones again on the evening of August 25. ADVERTISIMENT Two drones were spotted in the sky. Both were destroyed by Air Defense Forces over the Kharkiv region. Download Now The News-Gazette mobile app brings you the latest local breaking news, updates, and more. Read the News-Gazette on your mobile device just as it appears in print. Whether its legal to grow a plot of corn in your front yard How weather is affecting the local apple crop Altgeld Halls new, brighter color what happens to the sunflowers at Clearview Farm once the blooms have faded and reasons why some out-of-district students may be attending classes in Unit 4. All that and more. The rate of forced intercourse in early adulthood rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a potential increase in unintended pregnancies and many other sexual, reproductive and mental health problems, according to a University of Michigan study. The prevalence of forced sexual intercourse among women in the United States was already high, with more than 25% of women reporting forced intercourse in their lifetimes. The study, published in BMC Public Health, uses measures from the National Survey of Family Growth, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Transition into Adulthood Supplement, and the American Family Health Study to establish time trends in the rates of forced sexual intercourse among the American population. It addresses shortcomings in data from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, which did not measure forced intercourse during the pandemic, according to lead author William Axinn, a research professor at the Survey Research Center and Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research. Forced intercourse represents about half of all sexual assaults, but its a very severe form of sexual assault. The government of the United States monitors the rates of both women and men reporting forced intercourse, because it has a lot of other health consequences. One reason we wanted to update those data is because the COVID-19 pandemic changed the potential risk of the experience of forced intercourse. William Axinn, Research Professor, Survey Research Center and Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research The study found that reports of forced intercourse remained high during the pandemic, but rose among females aged 24-28. The reported rates of forced intercourse were higher among women who did not complete college. National data was beginning to show a decline in forced intercourse before the pandemicnot a big decline, but a decline, Axinn said. And then during the pandemic, rates rose, and in some specific age groups of women, the rise was a statistically significant increase. While it doesnt directly address the underlying causes for the increase among certain populations, Axinn hypothesized that women who were in abusive relationships may have had additional difficulties leaving them during the pandemic, which may have contributed to the increase. Whatever the cause, he said policymakers should take note of the increase due to the far-reaching impact of forced sexual intercourse on many different public health fronts. Rates of forced intercourse in the general U.S. population are exceptionally relevant to government policies about abortion and related reproductive health matters, especially because a common consequence of forced intercourse is unintended pregnancy, Axinn said. The possibility of negotiations with the current Russian government is a "very specific issue" because the Kremlin is not fulfilling its promises and commitments. The recent agreements between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the owner of the Russian Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin reached after the armed rebellion of the mercenaries are a vivid confirmation of this. ADVERTISIMENT Exactly two months after the Wagner PMC's unsuccessful march on Moscow, Prigozhin is highly likely to have died after crashing in his airplane. Such an example was given by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba during a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, commenting on the possibility of talks between Kyiv and Moscow. Discussing the possibility of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, Kuleba called it "a very specific issue". The minister explained his point of view using a parallel with the relationship between Putin and Prigozhin and its end for the latter. "We recently saw Mr. Prigozhin, a very longtime friend of Putin, trying to negotiate a 'truce' with Putin. They sat down at a table, it was shown on television. Then all of a sudden Prigozhin seems to have ceased to exist," he added. ADVERTISIMENT Kuleba emphasized that Prigozhin's experience shows "the price of negotiations with Putin." "This applies, of course, to antagonistic cases. We appreciate those countries that can talk to the Russian Federation with full respect for Ukraine's principled position on territorial integrity as they may make them understand that there is no positive end for their country," the foreign minister specified. Kuleba also called Turkey one of the countries making efforts to put an end to Russian aggression as soon as possible and to establish a "just and lasting peace". The Ukrainian Foreign Minister thanked the Turkish counterpart for these efforts. A private business jet associated with Wagner PMC fell in the Bologovsky district of Tver region 15 kilometers from the Hotilovo airbase on the evening of August 23. As Rosaviatsia noted, the owner of the company Prigozhin and representatives of the top management were on board. ADVERTISIMENT All seven passengers, as well as three crew members, died. It has not been known whether Prigozhin was actually on the plane for some time, but later reports of his death began to appear. U.S. intelligence later confirmed that Prigozhin had died. Top Russian propagandists, having recovered from the initial shock, began to issue versions of the "Ukrainian trace" and share how the country allegedly planted explosives on board. They are trying hard to convince Russians that Putin, who is suspected of a showy massacre of Prigozhin, did not "benefit" from his death "at all". The Institute for the Study of War believes that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin almost certainly ordered to shoot he plane belonging to the Wagner group down. Analysts believe that this is how the Russian dictator avenged his humiliation after the armed mutiny of the Wagner PMC on June 23-24. That is why the elimination of Prigozhin and Wagner commanders was as demonstrative as possible. ADVERTISIMENT Meanwhile, British and Ukrainian Intelligence agencies suggested that Prigozhin could have been killed by a Russian GRU general involved in the poisoning of the Skripal family. The self-proclaimed president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, who two months ago boasted of his alleged role in ending Prigozhin's mutiny, suddenly "forgot" that he had given security guarantees to the founder of Wagner before his death. Only verified information from us on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The largest study of patients with peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) utilizing a subcutaneous anchoring securement system (SASS) ever conducted shows that using subcutaneous anchors to secure catheters is more effective than using adhesive securement devices (ASD). The retrospective study was conducted at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in England and published in the Journal of Vascular Access on August 1, 2023. It compared the outcomes of using different securement systems in more than 9,200 oncology patients, covering more than a million catheter days, from 2009 to 2020. A significant outcome of the study found that adhesives devices, such as Stat-Lock or Grip-Lock, put patients at 36 times greater risk of partial or complete dislodgement of their PICC compared to a subcutaneous anchor, such as SecurAcath. The results were clear and impressive, say co-authors Carol McCormick, RN, MSc, BSc (Hons), Clinical Interventions Lead Nurse at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre UK, and Michelle Hawes, DNP, CRNI, VA-BC, ACRP-CP President of the Association for Vascular Access Foundation. Twelve percent of patients with catheters held in place with adhesives required unplanned catheter replacements, compared to only 0.4% of patients with SecurAcath. Prior to the implementation of SASS only 77% of the oncology patients made it to the end of need for their PICC without a replacement required. By 2020, 99% of the patients with a SecurAcath holding their PICC finished their course of need with one catheter. "Based on the evidence, the best instrument for securing a catheter throughout a patient's therapeutic need is the subcutaneous anchoring securement device," says Hawes. The study suggests that switching to SecurAcath can both improve patient outcomes and reduce overall healthcare costs. Thousands of central venous access devices (CVADs), including central venous catheters (CVCs) and PICCs, are inserted into patients every month. In cancer patients, for example, catheters are used to deliver treatments or nutrition, or to retrieve blood samples. Failing to properly secure these catheters can delay vital chemotherapy, testing, or increase the chances of complications such as catheter-related bloodstream infections, thrombus, dislodgement and catheter occlusion. Historically, the standard medical practice has been to secure most central venous catheters with sutures and most PICCs with an ASD. While a SASS, commercially available as SecurAcath in 38 countries, developed and patented by Interrad Medical and supplied through Eloquest Healthcare, Inc., in the US, has been available for nearly two decades, many health professionals are not familiar with its use. When McCormick first introduced SecurAcath to Clatterbridge, "the majority of nurses were fearful of the device," she recalls. Since then, its use has grown. As the only subcutaneous anchor securement system that is designed to secure both central venous catheters and peripherally inserted central catheters, SecurAcath is now used in more than 100 National Health Services facilities across England. However, until this new retrospective study, there has been little conclusive evidence on which securement methods actually prevent partial or complete dislodgement. Both McCormick and Hawes hope that the evidence from the new study will accelerate the adoption of SecurAcath, currently the only subcutaneous anchor securement system, reducing unplanned catheter removals, complications, and improving patient outcomes. They also expect that the increased use of the devices will bring significant cost savings, despite higher upfront costs, because only one device is required until the catheter is removed unlike all other engineered securement devices, including ASDs. Additionally, a secure catheter will lower hospital readmissions and reduce the need for multiple lines to complete therapy. Indeed, a review by an advisory committee of the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates annual savings at more than 4.2 million. The new retrospective study adds to a growing body of research showing benefits of subcutaneous anchor devices, including a 2020 study that showed reduced risk of bloodstream infections and a 2022 study that evaluated safety and efficacy outcomes for CVAD securement options. Hawes will present the new data at the October 14-17 Association for Vascular Access 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting, which will be held in Portland, Oregon. Her presentation, "Keep it Simple Specialist: One Securement Device, One PICC, Until the End of Need," will take place on Sunday, October 15 at 1 p.m. PDT. Potentially modifiable comorbid conditions and complications have a major impact on the risks of total hip arthroplasty (THA) for people in their nineties, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer. Patients 90 years old have higher complication and mortality rates following THA, as compared with younger patients. But while age is a significant factor, the risks associated with THA in nonagenarians are largely related to the patient's overall health and fitness for surgery, according to the new research by Dr Vincent J. Leopold, MD, and colleagues of the Charite-University Hospital Berlin. New data on safety of THA at age 90 or older With the aging of the population, there is ongoing debate regarding the safety of THA in the oldest age groups. While some studies have found no increase in complications following THA for nonagenarians, others have reported that the risk of complications increases with age. Dr. Leopold and colleagues analyzed the characteristics and outcomes of 263,967 patients 60 years old who underwent THA between 2012 and 2021. Of these, 1,859 patients 0.7% of the total were in their nineties. The analysis focused on how patient age and health status affected the risks of complications and death associated with THA. Overall, nonagenarians had higher complication and mortality rates compared with younger age groups. Major complications occurred in 19.9% of patients in their nineties, compared with 10.7% for patients in their eighties, 6.2% in their seventies, and 3.7% in their sixties. Common major complications included acute kidney failure, delirium, and blood clotting abnormalities. Rate of minor complications also increased with age up to 62.7% for nonagenarians. Patients in their nineties also had the highest mortality rate: 26.5%, compared to 11.8% for patients in their eighties, 6.0% in their seventies, and 2.8% in their sixties. Comorbidity has major impact on THA risks While age itself was an independent risk factor, the increased risks in nonagenarians were strongly associated with the presence of comorbid diseases. For example, the risk of major complications following THA was about 17 times greater for patients with clotting abnormalities, nine times greater for those with paralysis, and nearly eight times greater for those with pulmonary circulation disorders. For mortality, the strongest risk factors were metastatic cancer, pulmonary circulation disorders, alcohol abuse, paralysis, or congestive heart failure. For major and minor complications as well as mortality, risk increased with each additional year of age, with the greatest increase among nonagenarians. Complications had a major impact on mortality rate. One year after THA, survival rate was 94.4% for nonagenarians without any major complications versus 79.8% for those with major complications. Even for patients with complications, mortality rates for nonagenarians undergoing THA were lower than in the general population of people in their nineties. "We believe that this was most likely because elderly patients who become candidates for elective THA are healthier and biologically younger than the reference group of the general population; the resulting selection bias would be expected to lower the mortality of the nonagenarians in the study cohort," the researchers write. The findings lend new insights into the safety of elective THA for nonagenarians. While complication and mortality rates are higher than in younger age groups, those risks may be minimized by "careful patient selection and adequate preparation." Dr. Leopold and colleagues conclude: "[E]lective THA can be appropriately considered by surgeons and patients when symptoms of hip osteoarthritis are present." Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will depart tomorrow for Vietnam and Singapore. He will return to Hong Kong on the evening of August 31. In Hanoi, Mr Tang will pay a visit to Vietnams Ministry of Public Security (MPS) during which Hong Kong and Vietnams immigration departments will sign a Memorandum of Understanding on enhanced co-operation and share experiences in respect of immigration matters. Mr Tang will also meet representatives of Vietnams Department of External Security, its Department of Homeland Security and its Department of Foreign Relations under the MPS. While in Singapore, the security chief will call on the city-states Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), its Ministry of Manpower and various agencies under the MHA, including the Singapore Police Force, the Internal Security Department, and the Prison Service. In addition, he will visit the National Security Coordination Secretariat and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, as well as Interpol in Singapore. He will also meet Hong Kong communities in both Hanoi and Singapore. During Mr Tangs absence, Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk will be Acting Secretary. The Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) is gearing up to release the Stenographer Result 2023 soon. The EPFO successfully conducted the Stenographer examination on August 1, 2023, with the goal of filling 185 Stenographer vacancies within the organisation. EPFO Stenographer aspirants can check their results on the official EPFO website, epfindia.gov.in. Those who clear the EPFO Stenographer Written Test will have to appear for the skill test. The EPFO Stenographer Result 2023 will be presented in a PDF format. The result will contain information like the names and roll numbers of candidates who have qualified for the upcoming stage of selection. To be eligible for the next EPFO Stenographer Exam round, candidates must achieve the cut-off scores. The cut-off list will be made public post the announcement of the EPFO Stenographer Result 2023. EPFO Stenographer Result 2023: Steps to Check Step 1:First navigate to the EPFOs official website at epfindia.gov.in or recruitment.nta.nic.in. Step 2:On the homepage look for the Recruitment Examinations of Employees Provident Fund Organization option and click it. Step 3:A fresh page will open showing Result of EPFO-2023 Recruitment Exam. Step 4:To access the link, click on EPFO Stenographer Result 2023 PDF page. Step 5:Check and download the EPFO Stenographer Result 2023 for further reference. Soon, the EPFO Stenographer Result 2023 will be made public. Therefore, candidates must provide certain necessary information to obtain their EPFO Steno Result 2023 including their name, registration number, and date of birth (DOB). Candidates must confirm some information before downloading their EPFO Stenographer Result 2023. Below is a list of some of the details. Students Name Registration Number Date of Birth Roll Number Marks secured To evaluate their performance, candidates can also access the Steno Cut-Off and Merit List. For candidates who took the exam, this result represents a significant turning point and provides information about their accomplishments. For the latest updates and information, candidates are advised to keep checking the official website. The fact that financial obstacles cannot stop one from achieving their dreams has been proven by Sana Ali who is an assistant technical engineer in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Sana Ali hails from the heart of Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh and this achievement has brought profound significance for her family. Her success story narrates dedication and resilience also comes with her parents constant support. Sana Alis father, a bus driver, took loans while her mother mortgaged her gold jewellery to provide for her daughters education. According to various reports, they did face struggles and countless obstacles but Sana Ali has now become a Technical Assistant in ISRO. Also Read: Meet Bharat Kumar, Son of Security Guard Who Aided In ISROs Project Chandrayaan 3 Sana Ali used to take tuition classes to meet her expenses. Her fathers limited financial means and insufficient resources did not prevent her from continuing her education. She completed her B.Tech and M.Tech from Vidishas Samrat Ashok Technical Institute (SATI). Even her relatives tried to convince her parents to not educate Sana Ali and encouraged them to marry her off at an early age, but her parents ignored the comments. After completing her education, she got married to Akram, an engineer from Gwalior in 2022. According to MP Tak, Sanas in-laws also contributed to strengthening her path to success. Even Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on January 13, congratulated her for the achievement and wished her a successful and bright future. Hearty congratulations to Vidishas daughter, Sana Ali on being selected as Technical Assistant in ISRO, Satish Dhawan Space Center! Women like you are making Madhya Pradesh proud and revealing the potential of daughters. I wish you all the best for a happy, successful and bright future ahead, he wrote in Hindi. (sic) Speaking with the media, Sana said that she belongs to a middle-class family and wants to give a message to women that they get an education at any cost. Make all efforts to achieve the goal which you have set in your life. Even failures will come your way, move ahead with hard work, she added. Sana has been selected for Satish Dhawan Space Center ISRO which is located in Sriharikota, Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh. Air India prepared false reports when it was asked to carry out safety spot checks in various areas of operations such as cabin surveillance, cargo, ramp and load. The lapses in internal safety audits was found by a two-member inspection team of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which is now probing the matter. News agency PTI accessed the inspection report submitted to the DGCA. According to the report, the airline was supposed to carry out regular safety spot checks in various areas of operations such as cabin surveillance, cargo, ramp and load but during a random inspection of 13 safety points, the team found that the airline prepared false reports in all 13 cases. The team visited Air Indias office in Gurugram in Haryana on July 25 and 26, and after inspection, they mentioned the lapses in the DRF. When contacted, DGCA Director General Vikram Dev Dutt said the matter is being investigated by the regulator. List of Lapses by Air India In the Deficiency Reporting Form (DRF), the two-member team was quoted by PTI as saying, Moreover, when cross-verified with CCTV, recordings, auditee statements, shift register documents, GD (General Declaration) list, passenger manifest etc, it is understood that all the aforesaid 13 spot checks shown to be carried out in stations Mumbai, Goa and Delhi were verified and were established to have not been actually performed. The inspection found that these reports were subsequently prepared/falsified when demanded by the DGCA team. Further, the inspection report noted that these forged spot check reports were not signed by the Chief of Flight Safety (CFS) who has the authority to do it. According to the inspection report, the checklists were physically signed by an auditor from the Quality Management System (QMS) Department which does not fall under the approval and inspection scope of the DGCA and has different eligibility criteria/qualification industry standards. The inspection report said the team did not find any written communication for the delegation of authority to the auditor. Also other than verbal confirmation by CFS, there were no email correspondences and authorisation by the CFS for the aforementioned sport checks, it said. As per the inspection report, regarding the Pre-Flight Medical Examination (alcohol consumption test of pilots), Air India claimed that it carried out the spot check but the team found that the airlines internal auditor had not physically visited the facility which is mandatory to satisfy many items of the checklist. Also, the equipment details and test readings have not been noted on the checklist. Merely, all the points have been marked as satisfactory without actually performing the spot check, it said. With respect to ramp services, the inspection team found that the airlines spot check list mentioned the name of a person as the duty officer but there was no such person in the said shift. It has also been confirmed by the auditee department that there were no spot checks carried out on the subject date in the said area. Merely, all the points have been marked as satisfactory without actually performing the spot check, it said. As far as spot check in cabin surveillance was concerned, the inspection team found that the airline claimed to have done it on July 16, 2023, but it was not done and the claimed auditor was merely travelling in the said flight as a passenger with family members. Further, the inspection team said the airline was unable to provide the flight safety auditors list on time. Subsequently, the list was only provided at the end of the inspection which included the auditors of QMS as well whose qualification/eligibility is different from that stipulated in the FSM (Flight Safety Manual). As the QMS does not come under the ambit of DGCA, the CAR (Civil Aviation Requirements) doesnt specify the qualifications of the QMS auditors, the team said. Further, the operator was unable to provide the actual flight safety auditors list and their authorisations when sought by the inspection team to differentiate the flight safety from the QMS auditors, it added. Air Indias Statement When PTI contacted the airline, an Air India spokesperson said that all airlines are subject to regular safety audits by regulators and other bodies. Air India actively engages in such audits to continually assess and strengthen our processes, the spokesperson said in a statement and added that the airline directly addresses any matters raised with the authority concerned. All aviation companies, including Air India, are subject to regular safety audits by regulators and other bodies both in India and overseas. Former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani are not the only one to be released before the completion of their jail terms. As many as 691 prisoners serving life sentence were set free this year till August 15 from various jails of UP. The Tripathi couple was serving life sentences in the poet Madhumita Shukla murder case. The Uttar Pradesh prisons department on Thursday issued an order for their premature release, citing the states 2018 policy on remission, since they have completed 16 years of their sentences. Their son, Amanmani Tripathi, was quoted by PTI as saying on Friday: Both of them are bedridden. I was the person who took the custody of my parents from the jailor after they were freed. As they got the news of being freed, they cried. The couple is currently admitted to the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. Like the gangster-turned-politician duo, several other convicts have been released this year. A report in Times of India, quoted director general of prisons administration and reform services, SN Sabat, as saying that 779 lifers serving sentences in different jails of the state were released in 2022. The report stated at present, there are approximately 12,000 life convicts in UP jails. What is the 2018 Remission Policy According to TOI report, the 2018 remission policy of Uttar Pradesh holds that lifers who have served 16 years imprisonment and shown good conduct during their stay in jail are eligible for the remission of their remaining sentence. An amendment in 2021 added the clause that a prisoner must be of 60 years or above to be eligible for the remission. However, this was done away with when the Supreme Court termed this clause unsustainable, the report stated. Dreaded Criminals Freed from Uttar Pradesh Jails in 2023 Among the top convicts is Lalla Giri, who was serving sentence for life for killing 27-year-old IIM Lucknow graduate Manjunath. He was released in January. Manjunath, a sales manager of the Indian Oil Corporation, was shot on November 19, 2005 when he threatened to seal a petrol pump in Lakhimpur Kheri after he detected anomalies. According to TOI report, Giri, along with seven others were handed life terms in the high-profile murder case. Prime accused Pawan Mittal alias Monu Mittal and other accused Devesh Agnihotri, Rakesh Anand and Rajesh Verma are in Bareilly jail. The report quoted senior officials as saying that Vivek had also sought premature release, but his plea is pending with the government. Second top criminal to be released is Najju alias Rajju. He is a former dacoit, who walked out of the Bareilly Central jail after 23 years. According to TOI, Najju had unleashed a reign of terror for close to 12 years in Shahjahanpur and adjoining areas. Are There Specific Days When Life Sentence Convicts are Released? The report stated that earlier, the prison department used to release convicts under special remission category (those who have completed 16 years in jail) on Womens Day (March 8), Republic Day (January 26), Labour Day (May 1), Yoga Day (June 21), Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) and Independence Day (August 15). In 2022, some additional days were added Teachers Day (September 5), International Day For Tolerance (November 16), National Human Rights Day (December 10). A 38-year-old Customs superintendent allegedly committed suicide by jumping into a pond near Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, police said on Saturday. His body was found floating in the water on Friday. A senior Navi Mumbai Police officer said the deceased Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, identified as Mayank Singh, left behind a one-page suicide note in which he blamed six persons, including three Customs officials, for harassing him. He said police have registered a case of accidental death and investigating the case from different angles. Nobody is booked for abetment to suicide yet. The police officer said the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a case against Singh last week for allegedly clearing an import consignment without appropriate customs levies. Two days back, the CBI had searched the premises of Singh and others after registering a case of corruption. After registration of the case, Singh was feeling low due to which he might have taken the extreme step, the officer claimed. The allegation against Singh is he had received bribes from two firms for releasing their goods without allowing the Customs department to collect a Rs 14.5 lakh fine. The goods were held up by the Customs Intelligence Unit at the bond warehouse of JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust) in Raigad. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Saturday issued a notice to city police in connection with two separate incidents of alleged sexual assault with two minor girls in Jagatpuri area of Shahdara. The panel said it has been informed that two persons in two separate incidents sexually assaulted two 15-year-old girls several times in a hotel. In both these cases, FIRs have been registered at PS Jagatpuri, it said. The panel through its letter asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) to provide details of action taken against the hotel where the incidents took place. It has sought to know whether the accused as well as the owner/manager of the hotel have been arrested. It has asked the police to provide a list of all FIRs registered in the district since January 2018 till date in which minors and women were sexually assaulted in hotels. Please inform the status of each of these cases. Please inform the details of steps taken by Delhi Police against hotels wherein cases of sexual assault against minors are registered, (sic), it said. The DCW has also asked for a copy of rules and guidelines issued by the Delhi Police regarding booking or stay of minors in hotels and guest houses along with details of steps taken by it to ensure safety of women and minors staying at such places in the city. The panel has given the police time till August 30 to provide the information. Central police forces have asked their staff to not indulge in online friendships, upload photos or send requests to suggestions as it can increase the risk of honey trap and sensitive information being leaked. After a detailed analysis, it was found that several personnel were uploading their videos in uniform from sensitive locations and sending chat messages and friendship requests to multiple users. A letter has been sent to forces regarding the same. Various paramilitary and police forces, after getting a letter from a central Intelligence agency, have alerted their troops and warned them of action in case of violation. According to one such social media alert, CRPF has asked its force to not to post/upload photo/videos in uniform and indulge in friendship with strangers on social media platforms. It has been observed that CRPF personnel are posting/uploading their photo/videos in uniform and indulging in friendship with strangers on social media platforms. Therefore the competent authority has desired that all units/offices should ensure that the personnel under their command do not post their photos/videos in uniform on their social media profile. Ensure strict compliance to social media guidelines and dont make friends on social media without verification of the person. All personnel may also be informed that violation of these instructions will lead to strict disciplinary action against the concerned, an official note said. Similarly, Delhi Police commissioner Sanjay Arora wrote a letter to his force, asking them to not comment, post, transmit, or disseminate any confidential information related to the guilt/innocence/ pending trial of any suspect or arrested person. Police should not post comments that are inflammatory/derogatory towards victims, suspects or any other individual or group. Police cant record videos of high-security areas or protected persons, a missive said. Arora also said the police staff must not use social media during duty hours and avoid uploading sensitive information on social media. Other paramilitary forces have also released or reiterated their social media policy in the past few days and asked all troops especially those deployed in border areas to avoid making reels or use social media during sensitive deployments. Forces like BSF and ITBP have also asked their troops to not upload photos from forward areas and avoid accepting friend requests from unknown persons. This month, a honey trap case was noticed in CISF where a constable deployed at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was found to be in touch with a woman Intelligence officer in Pakistan and may have shared a few details. Pakistan Intelligence officers have also tried to call the control rooms of various forces by introducing themselves as senior officers. In the war in Ukraine, Wagner's "Bieber" was killed, as Prigozhin left him to "guard" the city in May when Wagner left Bakhmut. The militant died about three weeks ago. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported in Russian Telegram channels. Thus, following the leader of the PIK, Prigozhin's henchmen are also dying among the occupiers. "Bieber, a well-known "musician" from Bakhmut, died three weeks ago in a battle with superior enemy forces," one of the pro-Russian Telegram channels wrote. In this regard, Ukrainian journalist Denis Kazansky ironically noted that now there is practically no one to keep Bakhmut under occupation. "Prigozhin was blown up, Bieber was killed. There is practically no one to hold Bakhmut," the journalist wrote. ADVERTISIMENT It should be noted that in his address of 25 May, Prigozhin showed two militants - "Bieber" and "Dolik" - who allegedly led the seizure of the city. As Prigozhin ironically stated, after the withdrawal of the Wagner militants, these two were supposed to help the Russian military. He also emphasised that Bieber and Dolik led the entire Wagner campaign in Bakhmut. To recap, the Russian Federation reported the death of the owner of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin. The Wagner leader crashed a plane in the Tver region. US intelligence has also confirmed that the head of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin, died in a plane crash. It is believed to have been caused by a bomb explosion on board the aircraft. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Acknowledging the potential inconveniences that the residents of Delhi might encounter due to the upcoming G20 summit taking place in the city next month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday appealed to the people to actively contribute towards the success of the event. Scheduled for September 9 to 10, the summit is set to take place in the national capital and is anticipated to draw attendance from over 30 heads of state, senior officials representing the European Union, invited guest countries and 14 leaders of international organizations. Speaking at a public reception upon his return from a two-nation tour, Modi also preemptively asked for forgiveness from the public regarding any inconvenience they could encounter as a result of the preparations for the G20 Summit. The entire country is the host of the G20 Summit, but guests are coming to Delhi. The residents of Delhi have a special responsibility to make the G20 Summit a success. They have to ensure that the reputation of the nation is not affected one bit, said Modi. He recognized that the citizens of Delhi could experience inconvenience due to changes in traffic regulations. From September 5 to September 15, there will be a lot of inconvenience, and I apologise for that in advance. These are our guests, traffic rules will be changed, you will be stopped from going to several places but some things are necessary, the prime minister said. The residents of Delhi have got a greater responsibility for the G20. You have the responsibility to ensure that the national tricolour continues to fly high with pride, he said. Earlier today, the Prime Minister came back to Delhi from trips to South Africa and Greece, making a short stop in Bengaluru to visit ISRO and congratulate scientists on Chandrayaan-3s success. Traffic Restrictions During the G20 summit next month, Lutyens Delhi will be off-limits for unauthorized individuals for a span of three days, according to police authorities on Friday. Stringent traffic rules will be imposed, encompassing New Delhi district, Rajghat environs, and the Ring Road demarcated regulated zone, effective from 12 midnight on September 8 to 11.59 pm on September 10. Ambulance movement and authorized locals with proper identification will be exceptions. Enhanced border surveillance and a ban on non-essential goods vehicles will be enforced, as stated by senior Delhi Police officers. Delhi Traffic Police have advised using metro services due to these traffic regulations. (With inputs from PTI) The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will send a humanoid robot Vyommitra into space as part of its human space mission programme Gaganyaan, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday following the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Initially scheduled for September, the first phase of Gaganyaan, an unmanned trial mission, has been rescheduled to October. The second phase of the mission will involve the presence of Vyommitra, a humanoid robot in female attire designed for space travel, said Union Minister of State for Science and Technology during the NDTV G20 Conclave. Explaining that the Gaganyaan project faced delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Union Minister said, we are planning the first trial mission in October first or second week. Bringing back the astronauts is as important as sending them. In the second mission, there will be a female robot and she will mimic all human activities. If everything goes perfect, then we can have a go-ahead, Singh added. The robot Vyommitra was unveiled by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Bengaluru in 2020. In 2022, Singh had revealed plans for the Gaganyaan human space mission, setting its launch for 2024. To undertake this mission, the Indian Air Force had identified four fighter pilots as prospective crew members. These pilots underwent initial training in Russia. Following two orbital test flights and a thorough assessment of their outcomes, the ISRO was reported to have scheduled to dispatch a minimum of two astronauts into a low earth orbit (LEO) in 2024. Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing Singh also shared the sense of relief they experienced when the Chandrayaan-3 lander successfully touched down near the Moons south pole on Wednesday. Those closely connected with the ISRO team were filled with nervousness, he said, adding the initial anxious moment was when the Chandrayaan-3 craft transitioned from Earths orbit to the Moons orbit. The landing proceeded exceptionally smoothly, Singh said. He further said that the Moon landing represented a remarkable leap in the journey of ISRO and the entire nation. He attributed the achievement to the decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to open up the space sector. Unlike the situation until around 2019 when access to Sriharikota was restricted, this time the media and schoolchildren were welcomed. This event was truly embraced by the public, the Union Minister highlighted said. He also added that there has been an increase in funding for the space programme. India created history as ISROs ambitious third lunar mission, with the Chandrayaan-3s Lander Module (LM) achieving a successful landing on the lunar surface. This achievement positions India as the first country in the world to land near the Moons south pole, and the fourth nation to execute a successful lunar lander mission, following the former USSR, the US, and China. Heavy rains have been battering the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand causing landslides, floods, waterlogging and other damages. At least 240 people have lost their lives to rain-related incidents. The 14th Battalion of the National Disaster Response Force rescued over 51 stranded people from cloudburst-hit sites in Kullus Mandi District. The Indian Meteorological Department had issued yellow alert for Himachal Pradesh till Friday, however, an IMD scientist said that from August 26 the weather might change in the state, leading to light or moderate rains. LATEST UPDATES Himachal to Receive Light to Moderate Rains From Today, Says IMD Scientist IMD Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma said that the weather will change from August 26, adding that, districts of plains and middle areas will receive light to moderate rains. He said that from June till August, Himachal has received 41 per cent more rainfall than usual. The recorded rainfall is 804mm, normal is 571 mm. Only Lahaul Spiti has received less rainfall than usual. August saw 10 per cent more rainfall than usual and the most was in Mandi and Bilaspur, Sharma said. Death Better Than This Nightmare, Say Landslide Victims After Wrath of Rain in Himachal Death would have been better than going through this nightmare with nowhere to go and no shoulder to cry on, said Promila who lost everything when a room in a building she stayed in crumbled in a landslide in Shimla. A landslide in the morning of August 23 damaged a building near Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (IGMCH) where Promila stayed with her ailing mother. Himachal Pradesh saw three major spells of heavy rains this monsoon. The first on July 9 and 10 led to large-scale destruction in Mandi and Kullu districts. Shimla and Solan districts were hit during the second spell on August 14 and 15 and Shimla city suffered heavy damage in the third spell on Tuesday night. Global Warming Behind Intense Rains, Suggest Scientists At least 166 people have died in Himachal Pradesh and 74 in Uttarakhand this year since June as the states have been enduring landslides, flash-floods, and other rain-related incidents. Head of IMDs regional centre in New Delhi, Kuldeep Srivastava said, Think of it as a collision of two forceful systems, adding that, it causes significant rain or even cloudbursts.. we are noticing in the last few years, intense spells of rain lasting short durations. According to an AFP report, Srivastava said that this was due to climate change driven by global increase in temperatures. Data from the weather office suggests that the number of very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall days per decade in the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Uttarakhand increased to 118 between 2011 and 2020 from 74 in the preceding decade. Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology said that in the recent decades monsoon rainfall patterns across India have seen a climatic shift. The most significant change is that instead of having moderate rains spread out through the monsoon season, we have long dry periods intermittent with short spells of heavy rains, Koll added. NDRF Rescues 51 Stranded People in Mandi District The 14th Battalion of NDRF rescued 51 people from cloudburst incident sites in Shehnu Gouni and Kholanala village in Himachals Mandi district on Thursday. #WATCH | 14th Bn NDRF rescued 51 stranded people from cloud burst incident sites yesterday in Shehnu Gouni & Kholanala village in Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/ngNn1OHpJO ANI (@ANI) August 25, 2023 Former CM Jairam Thakur Visits Landslide-Hit Areas on Thursday Former CM Jairam Thakur visited landslide-affected areas of the Kuklah area on Thursday. He said, Keeping in view the huge loss due to heavy rainfall in the state, I have visited my constituency. A two-storeyed school building collapsed today and almost all houses have become unsafe as they have developed cracks. #WATCH | Mandi, Himachal Pradesh | Former CM Jairam Thakur visited landslide-affected areas of Kuklah, yesterday. pic.twitter.com/HwKvsw807x ANI (@ANI) August 24, 2023 Over Eight Buildings Collapsed in Himachals Kullu Over eight vacant buildings collapsed in Kullus Anni town on Thursday. The buildings, fortunately, were already vacated as they were declared unsafe by authorities due to the cracks on its walls. No casualties were reported from the scene. A magistrate court cited that it is the fundamental right of an accused to maintain silence and denied the permission to carry out narco analysis, polygraph test, and brain mapping on the dismissed RPF constable Chetan Singh. In an order passed on August 11, the metropolitan magistrate SM Patil said, There is no room for compelling the accused to go for the test without his consent. Since the accused is not ready to face such tests, to protect his fundamental rights, the application deserves to be rejected. According to a Times of India report, this order rejecting the plea of Government Railway Police was made available on Friday. The magistrate further stated that the Supreme Court judgement related to conducting such clearly tells us that only in exceptional situations along with the accused consent can such tests be conducted. Forcing the accused to undergo any tests is a violation of their fundamental rights, the magistrate noted. The consent of a patient or a suspect is compulsory before a narco analysis is conducted on them. The prosecution reportedly sought permission to carry out these tests stating that in case of such a serious offence, these tests were important to complete the investigation. Their submission also stated that such tests were also necessary for smooth investigations. The GRPs application said that they had obtained Singhs signature which indicates his consent, however, Singhs advocate opposed the application. In contradiction to the report submitted by the police stating that Singh had given his consent when the magistrate personally asked him about the consent, Singh outright denied the claim and filed a separate say, stating that he does not have consent for such tests as his health is not in a good condition. ALSO READ | Mumbai-Jaipur Train Firing: RPF Constable Who Killed 4 On Moving Train Dismissed From Service Singh who was dismissed from his service, was accused of allegedly killing his supervisor and three passengers on a moving train in Maharashtra on July 31. Hello readers, News18 afternoon digest brings you the latest updates from the Tamil Nadu train fire that killed 10 people. We are also covering PM Modis meeting with ISRO scientists after the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission among other top stories. 10 Dead After Fire Breaks Out in Tourist Train Near Madurai; Rs 10L Ex Gratia Announced Ten people were killed while 20 others were injured after a fire broke out in the Bharat Gaurav tourist train near Madurai on Saturday. The train was en route from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh to Rameswaram. READ MORE Shivshakti, Tiranga Point: Vikram Landing Zone Named; Footprints of Chandrayaan-2 Also Christened After the success of Indias Chandrayaan-3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation at the space agencys headquarters in Bengaluru named the landing point of the Vikram Lander as Shivshakti. READ MORE Dont Add Friends, Upload Photos in Uniform or Make Reels: Amid Honey Trap Fear, Warning Issued to Forces Central police forces have asked their staff to not indulge in online friendships, upload photos or send requests to suggestions as it can increase the risk of honey trap and sensitive information being leaked. READ MORE Malaika Arora Shares Cryptic Post Amid Breakup Rumours With Arjun Kapoor, Change Is The Law Amid her breakup rumours with Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora took to her Instagram stories on Saturday morning and shared a cryptic message. The note talked about change and not longing for the past. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future, the quote shared by Malaika read. READ MORE Kriti Sanon Reveals Calling Up Alia Bhatt After National Award Win: Both of Us | Exclusive Both Kriti Sanon and Alia Bhatt won the National Award for Best Actress for Mimi (2021) and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), respectively, this year. The actors exchanged a note of appreciation on social media and expressed their joy on sharing the top acting honour. And now, Kriti, in an exclusive chat with News18, reveals that she picked up the phone on Alia after the award was announced and had a hearty chat. READ MORE 2023 Hero Karizma 210 Website Goes Live, Reveals Overall Design Ahead of Official Launch Heros one of the much-awaited motorcycles named Karizma, which had ruled in the 90s, is all set to make a grand comeback on August 29, 2023. Ahead of the official launch, the official webiste of 210 cc bike has gone live, giving a clear idea about its overall looks, front fascia, and design elements. READ MORE Read more PM Modi was also shown latest images being sent by the lander on lunar surface. Hum wahan pahuche jahan koi nahi pahuncha. Humne woh kiya jo pehle kisi ne bhi nahi kiya, said PM Modi as he got emotional while addressing ISRO scientists. Speaking on Vikram Lander, the prime minister said, ek taraf Vikram ka Vishwas hai, toh doosri taraf Pragyan ka Parakram hai. PM Modi reached Bengaluru early on Saturday, August 26, after concluding his two-nation visit to South Africa and Greece. BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel was present outside HAL airport to welcome the PM. Soon after reaching Karnatakas capital, the prime minister tweeted that hes looking forward to interacting with our exceptional ISRO scientists, who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3. Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nations achievements in the space sector, he added. PM Modi was also greeted by Bengaluru residents outside the HAL airport. While addressing the people, he raised the slogan of Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan, and told the audience how elate he was to meet the scientists. I could not control myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India, he said. Modi will shortly reach the Indian Space Research Organization headquarters in Bengaluru to meet the scientists involved in the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. He will interact with scientists at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network where he will also be briefed about the findings and progress in the mission. Beside HAL airport, BJP workers will also welcome him at Jalahalli Cross, which is close to ISTRAC. On Wednesday as the Lander Module of the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched the moons surface, PM joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex at ISTRAC virtually from Johannesburg, where he was attending the 15th BRICS summit. The Rolls-Royce, that rammed into an oil tanker on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Haryanas Nuh on Tuesday, was part of a 14-car convoy. In a CCTV footage, 14 luxurious vehicles, including the Rolls-Royce, crossed the he Hilalpur toll plaza on the expressway around 11:15 AM, and none of the cars stopped to pay the toll tax. These 14 cars included a Rolls-Royce Phantom, a Mercedes GL SUV, a BMW 6 Series, a BMW 5 Series, two Toyota Fortuner, two ISUZU V Cross, two Mercedes GLs, a Hyundai Creta, a Ford Endeavour, and a Toyota Hilux, according to NDTV. As the convoy was travelling together, the Rolls Royce accelerated and overtook the vehicle in front of it, eventually crashing into the tanker. Nuh Superintendent of Police Narendra Bijarniya said that the authorities have obtained CCTV footage of the entire expressway, and that they are identifying all the 14 vehicles involved. An ongoing inquiry is on, and notices are being issued to the owners of these cars, Bijarniya added, according to India Today. The Rolls Royce was travelling at the speed of 200 kmph, while the limit of the expressway is 120 kmph. In another development, the director of Kuber group, Vikas Malu was amongst the occupants of the Rolls Royce that caught fire after ramming into a petrol tanker. Malu is currently undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram. In oil tanker, which was being driven on the wrong side, crashed into a speeding Rolls Royce on the Delhi-Mumbai-Baroda Expressway in Nuh district, leaving the driver and the helper of the heavy vehicle dead, police said Wednesday. The accident took place near Umri village under Nagina police station limits. According to police, the car immediately caught fire after colliding with the tanker, but all its five occupants were rescued just in time by their relatives who were close behind in another car. Those killed in the crash were identified as tanker driver Rampreet and his helper Kuldeep, both residents of Uttar Pradesh, they said. The three injured, occupants of the luxury car, were identified as Divya and Tasbir, residents of Chandigarh, and Vikas, a resident of Delhi, police said, adding they are being treated at Gurugrams Medanta Hospital. A school student was forced to write a term examination by sitting on the floor at a private school in Kerala for not remitting monthly fees, his family claimed on Friday. The Class 7 student, the family said, suffered harassment by the principal at the school, located in Vellayambalam, in the heart of Thiruvananthapuram. The school management agreed with the familys allegation as it admitted that the principal was wrong in making the boy sit on the floor for the delay in paying tuition fees. According to the boy's family, the principal, who walked into the examination hall during the test, asked those students who were yet to remit the fees to stand up. "When sir (principal) told me I didn't remit the fees, I requested him to ask my father. But he was not ready to listen to me. He asked me to come out and sit on the floor," the boy told a news channel. As he felt insulted in front of his friends, the student was reluctant to go to school the following day to take the test. His father alleged that he was also humiliated by the principal when he called him to enquire about the harassment incident. "When I called him over the phone, the principal mocked me and told me that my son was made to sit on a good floor," he said. Meanwhile, the school management admitted that the incident was a mistake on the part of the principal. "It was a mistake on the part of the principal. We will talk to the student's father personally and try to solve the issue," Prasad, the administrator of the school, said. He also indicated taking action against the principal for harassing the student. However, the student's father said he was not ready for any settlement and would transfer the boy to another school. He also said no other child should go through similar harassment anymore. The principal was unavailable for comment regarding the issue. A toy manufacturer in Uttar Pradeshs Budaun was allegedly killed by his wife to prevent him from sexually abusing their 19-year-old daughter-in-law. Police said that the 40-year-old woman was arrested for slitting her husbands throat. A report in Times of India quoted police as saying that the incident took place on August 14 when the man, Tejendra Singh (43), was murdered under suspicious circumstances while he was sleeping in the courtyard of his house in Bilsi town. Singhs family claimed that he was murdered by an unidentified person. The officers began doubting Tejendras wife, Mithlesh Devi, when she repeatedly kept changing her statements during investigation. The report quoted SHO Bilsi Brajesh Singh as saying that after she was taken into custody for questioning, she confessed to the crime. According to the report, Mithlesh, a mother of four, told police that her husband often used to thrash her and was forcing her to convince their daughter-in-law to sleep with him. I have been looking for an opportunity to get rid of my husband. On that fateful night, he returned in an inebriated condition and was sleeping outside the house. I used a sickle to slit his throat. I did it to save my daughter-in-law, she was quoted as saying. SSP Budaun OP Singh was quoted: Based on the forensic report of the murder weapon, the woman has been charged under IPC section 302 (murder) and sent to jail. Telugu superstar Allu Arjun recently won the Best Actor award at the 69th National Film Awards for his performance in the 2021 film Pushpa: The Rise. He made cinematic history by becoming the first Telugu actor to be given this prestigious honour. As the industry is celebrating this achievement, Allu Arjuns cousin and superstar Ram Charan and sister-in-law Upasana Konidela also congratulated him by sending him flowers and a special gift accompanied by a note. Dearest Bunny Congratulations. Were soo happy for you. Heres to many more such awards. Lots of Love, the note read. Moved by this gesture, Allu Arjun took to his Instagram story to thank Ram Charan and Upasana. Thank you sooo much. Touched, he wrote. For the unversed, Ram Charan and Allu Arjun are first cousins. Allu Arjuns father, veteran producer Allu Aravind is the sibling of Surekha Konidela, Ram Charans mother. Surekha is married to megastar Chiranjeevi. Meanwhile, the National Award-winning actor took to X (formerly, Twitter) on Friday to congratulate other awardees and expressed gratitude for his victory. A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable & I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling honored and humbled by it all. Thank you for the love. Humbled, he wrote. A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable . & I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling Allu Arjun (@alluarjun) August 25, 2023 Allu Arjun is already shooting the hit films highly-anticipated sequel, titled Pushpa 2: The Rule. The film will be directed by Sukumar and will have Allu Arjun reprise his role as Pushpa Raj. He will later be seen in a Trivikram Srinivas-directed family drama. The film is tentatively titled AA 22, marking Allu Arjuns 22nd film as an actor. It will also mark the actor and the filmmakers reunion after collaborating on the mega-hit Ala Vaikunthapurramloo. Allu Arjun will also play the lead in Sandeep Reddy Vangas upcoming untitled action thriller. After his captivity, stay in Turkey and return to Ukraine, the commander of the Azov National Guard regiment, Denys Prokopenko, call sign Redis, returned to the army. His main task now is to organise the return of Ukrainian soldiers from captivity. ADVERTISIMENT The chief of staff of the Azov special forces brigade, Bogdan "Tavr" Krotevych, said this in an interview on the Razgovor YouTube channel. He also noted that the military were very happy to see Redis back. The regiment commander's return to the army has greatly strengthened the morale of the soldiers. "Every soldier is ready to lay down his life for Redis, because he, in turn, is ready to do the same for every Azov soldier," Tavr said. He also noted that the main focus of Redis' activities is the return of captured soldiers from Russian captivity. In particular, Prokopenko has a certain influence on the exchange of prisoners. "He has more opportunities to do this - I think so. In fact, you need to understand that some Russian representatives are from the military, they respect him," Krotevych said. ADVERTISIMENT It should be noted that Azov's commanders, including Redis, spent approximately 10 months in Turkey after being captured by Russia. The defenders of Mariupol returned to Ukraine in July 2023. We would like to remind you that due to the failures at the front, Russian propagandists spread the "news" online that the occupiers had allegedly captured the commander of the Azov Brigade, Denys Prokopenko (Redis). This information is fake. Earlier it was reported that in early August, Redis personally took part in tactical exercises for the first time since his return from captivity and imprisonment in Turkey. The main purpose of such training is to work out practical issues of planning and organising combat in offence and defence. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Soon after Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani hit theatres Dharmendra and Shabana Azmis lip-kiss grabbed everyones attention and became the talk of the town. Now, in a new interview, Dharmendras wife Hema Malini has said that she is also ready to do such a scene onscreen if given a chance. Asked if she would be comfortable kissing onscreen, Hema Malini told India.com, Kyun nahi karenge, bilkul karenge. (Why not, Why wont I) If it is nice, if it is relatable and gels with the film, maybe I can. The OG Dream Girl also revealed that she hasnt watched Karan Johars directorial yet. This comes days after Hema Malini shared that she is ready to make a comeback in films if given a chance. Somebody should come and sign me up with a good role. It should be appropriate for my age. It can be glamorous but befitting my age, Hema Malini told Times Now. I do not want to do a negative role. I am not a negative person at all. I cannot think of myself like that. I do not think bad for anybody so how can I do a negative role. I mean, role toh kar sakte hai kuch bhi, but wesa role nahin karna (I can do any kind of role, but I do not like doing those kinds of roles). The role has to be positive and should have a positive message, the actress added. In the same interview, Hema also reacted to Dharmendras onscreen kiss with Shabana when she said, I am sure people have loved the film. I am so happy for Dharam ji, because he loves to be in front of the camera all the time. He loves it. Prior to this, Dharmendra also opened up about kissing Shabana Azmi during a press conference in Mumbai when he said, Unfortunately, I couldnt attend the premiere, but Ive received a lot of messages from people. Maine bola, Yaar, yeh toh mere daaye haath ka kaam hai (Its no big deal for me). As everyone laughed at the comment, Dharmendra added, Baaye haath se karwana hai, woh bhi karwa lo (I can do it effortlessly). Kim Kardashian is making most of her time in Japan. The social media personality recently jetted off to the Asian country with her daughter North, whom she shares with her former husband Kanya West. They are also accompanied by Norths friend Everleigh and her mother Ashley Yano. Apart from delving into fun activities and enjoying scrumptious cuisines on the trip, Kim has also embarked on an expensive shopping spree from big brands. In fact, the Kardashian star purchased a vintage Chanel spring-summer 1995 choker necklace, worn by Margot Robbie in the blockbuster film Barbie, which is worth millions. Kim also added a super-rare Himalayan Hermes Birkin bag to her cart during her shopping outing. Kim Kardashian dropped a picture of herself, flaunting her latest purchases from her pitstop at Vintage Ecoland, in her now-disappeared Instagram stories. She was also joined by a man who appeared to work at the store. An array of Chanel bags were displayed behind her, in a wide range of designs and hues. Kim donned a simple black shirt and flashed her signature pout lips in the photograph, flaunting her chiselled jawline. Meanwhile, the other person simply made a victory sign gesture to the camera. Pictured is @KimKardashian shopping in Tokyo, Japan recently with a vintage @Chanel bag! pic.twitter.com/BkOQL7M1TT KIM K FORMATION (@KIMKFORMATION) August 25, 2023 Kim Kardashian held the Barbie-jewellery and Chanel bag up close, for her fans to see. The necklace which was wrapped around the bags handle, featured multi-coloured gemstones, with gold-plated, crisscrossed, double-C charms, and teardrop-shaped pearls dangling from beneath. The Himalayan Hermes Birkin handbag was bubblegum-pink in colour and had a quilted pattern with a gold, interlocking C clasp. Kims all-pink Chanel haul seemed to exhibit the perfect Barbie vibes. OMG, the best shopping in Japan. Im in my Barbie bag at Vintage Ecoland, captioned the SKIMs founder in her post. The vintage Chanel 1995 spring ready-to-wear collection, choker was first worn by Canadian model Shalom Harlow on the runaway. German model, Claudia Schiffer also adorned the vintage piece, back in 1995. In Greta Gerwigs Barbie, Margot Robbie can be seen wearing the iconic necklace when she visits Kens (Ryan Gosling) Kens mojo dojo casa house. The only addition to the Chanel necklace was the huge, pink heartstone in the middle. Kim Kardashians love for Barbie and everything Barbie-related is quite evident from her social media posts. On July 3, the internet mogul shared a streak of pictures on Instagram, featuring her daughter Chicago and nieces True, Stormi, and Dream from the time they went to the Barbie exhibit in Los Angeles. Barbie girls in a Barbie world, she captioned the photos. Both Kriti Sanon and Alia Bhatt won the National Award for Best Actress for Mimi (2021) and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), respectively, this year. The actors exchanged a note of appreciation on social media and expressed their joy on sharing the top acting honour. And now, Kriti, in an exclusive chat with News18, reveals that she picked up the phone on Alia after the award was announced and had a hearty chat. Lauding Alia, she tells us, Ive always admired Alia as an actor and she was phenomenal in Gangubai Kathiawadi. Weve both played the title role in our respective films and its a proud moment to be sharing this prestigious award with her! I called her up and both of us were just too excited. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) Pankaj Tripathi, who played a pivotal role in Mimi, also won the National Award in the Best Supporting Actor category for his performance in the film. Talking about the same, Kriti remarks, My excitement was doubled when I saw Pankaj ji has won for Mimi too. I called him up and we spoke. Hes visiting his hometown right now. Ive great regard for him. Hes one of my most favourite co-stars and I truly always wish and pray for the best for him. Im so happy that hes getting all the love and validation he truly deserves. When Kriti received the news of her win, she was at home, caught up in a meeting. Recalling the moment, she says, I was actually in a meeting which was happening at my house itself when the awards were being announced, and my phone just started buzzing. I had to excuse myself from the meeting and thats when I got to know that I had won. I was just extremely overwhelmed and requested them to just hold the meeting and I ran down to hug my parents. Quiz her about their reactions and the Adipurush and Shehzada actor tells us, It was just so overwhelming for us all. Everyone got emotional. It is a huge deal. This will always be an extremely special moment in my life. As for celebrations, the Sanons along with their close friends indulged in a cosy house party on Thursday night. Prod her further and Kriti states, I was just at home with my family and some close friends. We ordered pizzas. The plan was to just take in the moment properly with the biggest of my support systems around me. But shes quick to add that winning the National Award hasnt really sunk in yet. Im just processing the win still. It, honestly, feels surreal and I just cannot express the feeling even now, points out the 33-year-old. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) For most artists, the National Awards is the ultimate form of validation. Does she think the same? Its definitely an achievement that one can only dream of. When youre on the set, you only think about giving your best, for every film, for every character. Ive a diary where I write my dreams and goals and yes this was definitely in there, she says candidly. The actor, who will next be seen in Ganapath: Part One, Do Patti and The Crew, further adds, I didnt know it would get fulfilled so soon in my career. Im extremely grateful to the jury and audience who believed in me. This motivates me to dream bigger and take risks and work even harder. Kriti Sanon visited the Siddhivinayak temple in Mumbai on Saturday morning, days after winning the Best Actress National Award for her performance in the 2021 movie Mimi. In a video that surfaced online, Kriti was seen dressed in a yellow suit. She also sported a teeka and distributed prasad to the people around. Kriti Sanon was also accompanied by her parents and sister Nupur Sanon as she sought blessings at the holy place. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Varinder Chawla (@varindertchawla) Meanwhile, in a recent interview with News18 Showsha, Kriti revealed that when she received the news of her win, she was at home, caught up in a meeting. I was actually in a meeting which was happening at my house itself when the awards were being announced, and my phone just started buzzing. I had to excuse myself from the meeting and thats when I got to know that I had won. I was just extremely overwhelmed and requested them to just hold the meeting and I ran down to hug my parents, she said. Its definitely an achievement that one can only dream of. When youre on the set, you only think about giving your best, for every film, for every character. Ive a diary where I write my dreams and goals and yes this was definitely in there, the actress added. Kriti Sanon also celebrated her big win with her family and close friends. She also shared pictures from the house party on social media and told us, I was just at home with my family and some close friends. We ordered pizzas. The plan was to just take in the moment properly with the biggest of my support systems around me. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kriti (@kritisanon) Kriti Sanon shares her Best Actress National Award with Alia Bhatt, who received it for her performance in Sanjay Leela Bhansali directorial Gangubai Kathiawadi. Meanwhile, Pankaj Tripathi, who played a key role in Mimi, also won the National Award in the Best Supporting Actor category. Nawazuddin Siddiqui has left Shah Rukh Khan fans upset, angry and disappointed. A video of Nawaz has surfaced on social media in which he can be seen indirectly taking a dig at the Jawan actor. Nawaz was talking about being typecast in the film industry when he said, I am so adamant, I will not let myself be typecast. Heros are often typecast. They do the same things for 35 years. Though the Tiku Weds Sheru actor did not name Shah Rukh Khan, he then copied SRKs iconic pose and stretched his arms, seemingly taking a dig. This has left Shah Rukh Khan fans disappointed. One of the SRK fans reminded Nawazuddin that he has already been typecast and wrote, Nawaz has been heavily typecasted too, almost every movie except Housefull 4, he plays struggling lower middle-class guy or criminal. Another user commented, SRK gave Nawaz so much respect every single time and SRK has done Swadesh, Chak de, Kabhi Haa kabhi naa, Darr, Maya memsahab, chamatkar, Dil se. He has one of the best range. One of the fans shared that Nawazuddin Siddiqui should not have done this. SRK used to praise him so much, shouldnt have done that hand pose. Also, he himself is getting typecasted in either small-town comedies or gangster roles (although he does fewer villain ones now), another SRK fan wrote. Shah Rukh Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqi worked together in the 2017 movie, Raees. Prior to this, Nawaz was also a part of SRKs 2000 drama, Hey Ram. Meanwhile, Shah Rukh Khan is currently gearing up for the release of his Atlee directorial Jawan which also stars Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi and Deepika Padukone in key roles. The film is slated to hit theatres on September 7 this year. Besides Jawan, Shah Rukh Khan will also be seen in Dunki in which he will be sharing the screen space with Taapsee Pannu. He will also be making a special appearance in Salman Khans Tiger 3. It was recently reported that the two superstars shot a rescue scene for Tiger 3. Reportedly, in the scene, Shah Rukh Khans Pathan breaks out Salmans Tiger from a Pakistani jail and they try to escape authorities in a bike chase sequence. Parineeti Chopra was spotted offering prayers at the Mahakal Temple in Ujjain with fiance and Aam Aadmi Party leader Raghav Chadha on Saturday. While Parineeti looked royal in a pink saree with gold detailing, Raghav wore a yellow dhoti with green lining. The visit comes ahead of their wedding, which will reportedly be held next month on September 25 in Rajasthan. According to reports, the wedding preps have begun in full force. Bombay Times quoted a source as saying, It will be a grand wedding. Parineeti is extremely tight-lipped about the festivities that will be held by the families. Her team has already started working out the details and her dates. She will plunge into her wedding prep in the first week of September. #WATCH | MP: AAP MP Raghav Chadha and his fiancee, actor Parineeti Chopra offer prayers at Mahakal temple in Ujjain pic.twitter.com/cn6ZuJzAPp ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 The report claimed that while Parineeti and Raghav will get married in Rajasthan, they will also hold a reception in Gurgaon. Hindustan Times had earlier reported that the couples parents have already begun taste-testing menus at several hotels in Gurgaon. Parineeti recently spoke to Bridal Asia Magazine and shared what love meant to her. Calling herself a practical romantic, she said that her idea of love is inspired by the relationship that her mother Reena Chopra and father Pawan Chopra share. She said, My idea of love came from my parents; thats the only love I know and understand. To me, love means undying loyalty, standing by each other in tough times, and most importantly, the absolute freedom to be yourself. For me, real feelings are what matter, not crazy gestures. I always wanted a person who would be downright real with me, she added. Parineeti and Raghav got engaged in May this year in an intimate ceremony held in Delhi. The ceremony was also attended by Parineetis cousin and global superstar Priyanka Chopra. The 69th National Film Awards were held on Thursday, August 24 to honor the cinematic brilliance of the year 2021. However, many are left disappointed after Suriyas Jai Bhim did not win in any category. Fans had anticipated that the film would win in the Best Tamil Film category with Suriya bagging the Best Actor award. However, the film did not grab any National Film Award. Telugu star Nani also took to his Instagram stories recently to express disappointment. The actor shared that he even he is heartbroken by Jai Bhim not winning any award at the prestigious event. He wrote, #JaiBhim on his story with a red, broken heart emoji. Directed by TJ Gnanavel, Jai Bhim was a courtroom drama based on a real-life case in the career of Justice Chandru. Then an advocate, Chandru fought for the rights of a tribal woman in 1990 and the film recreates this landmark hearing. Suriya plays Justice Chandru in the blockbuster film. Jai Bhim also stars Lijomol Jose, Manikandan, Rajisha Vijayan and Prakash Raj in pivotal roles. Meanwhile, Manikandans Kadaisi Vivasayi won the National Award in the Best Tamil Film category. The Best Actor award went to Allu Arjun for Pushpa: The Rise. Allu Arjun created history by becoming the first Telugu actor to be bestowed with this honour. Allu Arjun on Friday hosted a Pushpa-themed party for his family and close friends to celebrate the big win. The actor also took to Instagram to post photos from the moment his name was announced as the winner. He captioned the post, A huge congratulations to all the national award winners across various categories and languages throughout the nation. Your accomplishments are truly commendable. & I would like to express my gratitude for the love and wishes pouring in from all corners of the country. Feeling honored and humbled by it all. Thank you for the love. Humbled. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Allu Arjun (@alluarjunonline) Allu Arjun could be seen hugging his wife, son and director Sukumar with a beaming smile. His father, prolific producer Allu Aravind also joined in the cheer. Kerala actress Adah Sharma is reportedly purchasing the flat in the Mont Blanc Apartments in Mumbai, where late actor Sushant Singh Rajput used to live. This news has sparked curiosity and interest among fans and the public alike. Sushant Singh Rajputs unfortunate demise in 2020 sent shockwaves across the nation. His body was discovered in that apartment on June 14, 2020. Since that tragic day, the flat has reportedly remained vacant. Nevertheless, there is finally a potential buyer for Sushants former residence. According to TellyChakkar exclusive, The Kerala Story actress Adah Sharma has purchased SSRs flat. View this post on Instagram A post shared by yogen shah (@yogenshah_s) Media reports from earlier this year indicated that many potential tenants were hesitant to take the flat due to its grim association with Sushants death. Prospective renters would turn away from visiting the flat upon learning about its history. Many preferred to explore other flats in the same area, away from the controversy that clings to this particular one. However, as time passed, more people started to consider renting it. The apartments real estate agent, Rafique Merchant, had also posted an online advertisement in hopes of finding new tenants or owners for the flat in December 2022. The spacious duplex 4BHK flat at Mont Blanc Apartments boasts a breathtaking sea view and spans 2,500 square feet, complete with a terrace. Located on Carter Road in Mumbais Bandra West, this flat is on the sixth floor. Sea Facing Duplex 4BHK with a Terrace Mont Blanc5 lakhs RentCarter Road, Bandra West. RAFIQUE MERCHANT 9892232060, 8928364794 pic.twitter.com/YTcjIRiSrw Rafique Merchant (@RafiqueMerchant) December 9, 2022 The late actor had reportedly moved into this residence in December 2019, agreeing to a monthly rent of 4.51 lakh. He shared this abode with his roommates and then-girlfriend, actress Rhea Chakraborty. On Saturday, Adah Sharma was papped outside Sushant Singh Rajputs house. In the video shared by Viral Bhayani on Instagram, Adah Sharma can be seen dodging questions about buying the house. However, the actress assured that shell be telling the good news very soon. Take a look at the video: Taking about the new owner of this house Adah Sharma, this year has been a milestone in her career so far. Her performance in the blockbuster film, The Kerala Story, received praise. She is also set to showcase her versatility in an upcoming web series named Commando, where she will take on an action-packed role. Adah Sharma was also set to work on an international film project. While talking to Bollywood Hungama about this project, she said she loves exploring various genres and diverse roles. She expressed gratitude that she was being considered for different characters. She also added that she only likes discussing an upcoming project after its trailer release as she is a little superstitious about it. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) paid a visit to Ashoka University a couple of days back. It was reported that they wanted to meet with Sabyasachi Das, the author of the controversial and as yet unpublished paper Democratic Backsliding in the Worlds Largest Democracy. Das, whose resignation was accepted by the university, is now in Pune, at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. The IB also visited a second time to interact with some members of the Economics faculty at Ashoka. Ashokas Foreign Contributions Regulations Act (FCRA) approval, which would allow them to receive foreign funds, is also up for renewal next month. The government is thus sending a clear signal to the university fall in line or face the music. Or, as the colloquial idiom goes in Hindi, Nadi mein rahna hain to magarmachh se bair nahi kar sakte. Clearly, no ruling regime would like a prestigious university such as Ashoka to turn into a political platform against it. In light of these developments, let us examine the faculty demand to reinstate Das, which I spoke of in my last column. First of all, it is crucial to recognize that it exemplifies a non sequitur. If the university had fired Das, the agitating faculty might have demanded his retention by the university. But Das has resigned. Therefore, surely, they should first ask Das to withdraw his resignation. Incidentally, when the IB visited asking for Das, the authorities said that he was on leave. So what is the truth has he resigned, is he on leave, or was he fired? Let us go so far as to assume that Das was pressured into leaving. Even so, the onus of proving that is on those demanding his unconditional reinstation by the university authorities. The rub of the matter is what kind of contract Das had and what the exact circumstances of his resignation were. The faculty demanding his return have conveniently elided all such matters. Instead, they have brazenly targeted the university in open letters, splashed all over the media. This casts aspersions and suspicions on their intentions. Instead of quieter, off-the-record, negotiations to get a valued colleague back, they have chosen to embarrass, even attack their university, pressurising it and threatening it instead. What this means is that we are witnessing an open war between the university administration and one section of the faculty. The demand to bring Das back is thus a political and ideological one and must be dealt as such by the university. In my book, JNU: Nationalism and Indias Uncivil War (2022), I showed how a university can, over time, be completely taken over by a politically motivated group of faculty and students. Instead of furthering the primary aims of teaching and research, it can turn into a political hotbed, serving as a breeding ground for cadres of political parties. It can even be turned into a platform against an elected government, as happened in JNU in 2016, with classes coming to a standstill and the university shut down indefinitely. Luckily, Ashoka Universitys situation is not that bad. Not yet. But at the root of their present difficulties is a foundational, if not fundamental, problem. Its founders are not academics, but businessmen and philanthropists. In order to build a world-class university quickly, they relied on who they considered industry leaders in this case, a certain class of Western-trained academics. These, in turn, especially in the humanities and social studies or Liberal Arts brought in what we would today call woke faculty. Indeed, you would have to look far and wide to find a single right-of-centre voice at Ashoka. The university was infiltrated, one might even say captured, discipline after discipline, by such LeLi faculty members. They exercised their familiar command and control tactics to keep out anyone who did not conform to their ideological or academic leanings. All in the name of supposedly international standards of excellence. Faculty fixing is a well-known racket worldwide there are a hundred ways to keep out undesirables. In Ashokas case, being a private university, open advertisements, shortlisting of candidates according to established criteria, statutory reservations, selection committees with nominees from the UGC or the government, and similar other safeguards did not have to be followed. Not to say that the latter are foolproof when it comes to selecting the best. The state-run system is also susceptible to fixing. Things are so bad nowadays that candidates to be selected are sometimes dictated to university Vice-chancellors or members of the selection committee. The truth is that no system, whether state-run or private, is perfect or entirely safe from manipulation. But what is common to both is that faculty selections are probably the single most important factor in a universitys credibility and future. If faculty selection is vitiated by ideological preferences, one can be sure that it is only a matter of time before an academic discipline or department resembles an echo chamber with similar views and voices ricocheting off the walls. Soon the students also began to parrot if not the party line, at least the faculty line. The scope for differing points of view, let alone dissent, is severely cramped, even policed. The opposite of what a Liberal Arts education is all about. This is the fate that Ashoka suffered from. It came to be criticised as an illiberal rather than Liberal Arts institution. In addition to the one-sided recruitment, there was also the usual virtue signalling and genuflecting to Western intellectual patrons, so essential to our post-colonial academic ecosystem. Soon, most disciplines were populated by almost no other faculty except anti-government, anti-BJP, and anti-Modi ones. Here is where the comparison with Jawaharlal Nehru University comes in handy. Ashoka was founded with much hope and hype in 2004. But in less than a decade of its existence, it has come to be identified with, or typecast as, being critical of the ruling dispensation. A chorus of voices, perhaps orchestrated, has even started calling it anti-national. Certainly not a useful tag for a young and growing university, with declared ambitions of producing future Nobel laureates. When a university allows itself to be hijacked by a small group of vocal opponents of the government, no good comes from it this has been JNUs experience. The founders and members of the governing body have, in the last couple of years, woken up to the deleterious, if not disastrous, consequences of such a negative branding. One way forward would be to let some people go the ring leaders, so to speak and bring in new faces and voices. If so, the present crisis could actually turn into an opportunity. 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. The Modi government has pursued the electrification of the railway network at a record speed. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently informed the Lok Sabha that as of June 30, 2023, a total of 59,096 route kilometres (RKM) on the Broad Gauge network has been electrified. Out of this, the lions share of 37,011 route kilometres (RKM) have been electrified during the last nine years (unstarred question no. 940 dtd July 26, 2023). The figures imply that close to 90 per cent of the Broad Gauge network has been electrified. The network, in turn, constitutes 95 per cent of the entire railway network. This is indeed an exemplary achievement, surpassing those of all previous governments, despite Indian Railways battling the lowest manpower. The overall personnel strength has declined to 12.13 lakh by the end of FY 2021-22 as against 13.26 lakh by the end of FY 2014-15. The imprint of complete electrification is evident in the composition of the locomotives. In FY 2020-21, the number of diesel locomotives was 5,108 and electric locomotives was 7,587, whereas, in FY 2021-22, the numbers changed to 4,747 and 8,429 respectively. There is a trend to retire diesel locomotives, which until a few years ago, were far more numerous than electric locomotives. The Indian Railways admitted to the economic non-viability of converting the diesel locomotives into electric locomotives (Fourteenth Report of the Standing Committee on Railways 2022-23, Demand for Grants 2023-24, P.40). Though the figures were not shared, dual-use engines are also being manufactured by the Railways. Diesel locomotives actually work by converting the oil into electricity, and not by combustion, unlike roadway vehicles. This makes the energy efficiency of diesel locomotives quite high. The objective of electrification, according to Indian Railways, is to reduce the nations dependence on imported petroleum-based energy and enhance the energy security of the country, in addition to making the railway system eco-friendly and modern. In its press release dated September 12, 2018, the CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) while approving the proposals for electrification of the remaining non-electrified portion of the railway network, covering 13,675 route kilometres (16,540 track kilometres), stated that the switchover would lead to saving of 2.83 billion litres of high-speed diesel oil per annum and reduction in environmental impact of Railways. While electrification is likely to economise the Railways fuel bill to a great extent (Rs 13,510 crore saving as per 2018 figures), its other advantages require dispassionate examination. At present, nearly 74 per cent of the electricity in India is generated from fossil fuels like coal. In FY 2020-21, out of 1382 billion units appx generated in India, 1032 billion units was from fossil fuel source, and only 349 billion units appx were from non-fossil fuel source like hydro, air and solar power. Though the situation has slightly improved since 2005-06 when fossil fuel contributed 79 per cent of the energy basket, it is still high enough. (Ministry of Power Annual Report 2021-22, P.27). It is easy to notice the distortion that has crept in since the 1970s when the proportion of non-fossil to fossil fuel was quite healthy. Thus, the Railways shift from diesel to coal is not likely to contribute to rectifying the environmental situation to a great extent. While the Indian Railways might show a favourable carbon balance situation, in reality, the coal burnt in thermal plants to supply electricity to the railway power grid will still leave a carbon imprint on nature. We would be burning the coal in thermal plants, unlike in the furnace of the locomotive once upon a time. Electric traction was introduced in Indian Railways way back in 1925 when a segment of 16 km on the Central Railway from Bombay to Kurla was electrified on a 1500 Volt DC system to provide fast suburban service. Until the time of independence, merely 388 route kilometres had been electrified, out of almost 53,000 km route kilometres then in existence. Until the mid-1980s, steam remained the predominant mode of traction in Indian Railways. During FY 1980-81, the Indian Railways had an aggregate of 10,908 locomotives, of which 7,469 were steam-powered; 2,403 were diesel-powered; and only 1,036 ran on electricity. This was because coal was in abundant supply in India, whereas, there was competing claim on electricity from different parts/sectors in the country. Rural electrification was thought more necessary from a sociological point of view than railway electrification. Electrification also requires high capital expenditure. Until 1986, when the Parliamentary Railway Convention Committee (1985) presented its fifth report on railway electrification, only 10.4 per cent of total route kilometres, which constituted 21.8 per cent of Broad Gauge route kilometres had been electrified. The report (1986) claims that it was only lately that a high priority was accorded to electrification. A perusal of the locomotive composition in subsequent years bears out that diesel was in tough competition with electricity as a substitute for steam traction. By FY 2010-11, the number of steam engines had declined to a mere 43, whereas diesel engines numbering 5,137 were far ahead of electric engines numbering 4,033 (Indian Railways Year Book 2021-22, P.85). In January 2015, the Railway Board set up an Environment Directorate to coordinate all environment management initiatives across the Indian Railways. The goal was to cut carbon emissions by 33 per cent by 2030. Though the Indian Railways has used a mix of renewable energy resources for its auxiliary energy needs like the use of lights and fans in offices, railway stations, and even inside the train, the real game is in traction which is still dependent on the main source of energy, predominantly coal. Though the coal reserve is aplenty in India, it is concentrated in certain parts of the country. The coal reserves are mostly located in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra belt. Uttar Pradesh, for instance, has an installed thermal output capacity of 21417.26 MW, far greater than the 4989.85 MW of Odisha, though the former is nowhere in comparison to the latter as far as coal reserves are concerned, as a Ministry of Power publication shows (Growth of Electricity Sector in India 1947-2023, P.75 map). Similarly, Maharashtras installed capacity (thermal) is 28766 MW though coal reserves are not in proportion. It is easy to see that bigger thermal power plants are more likely to be located in larger states rather than coal-rich states. Thus, Karnatakas thermal installed capacity is higher than that of West Bengal despite the fact the former has negligible coal reserves and the latter substantial. This implies the coals have to be moved from collieries to thermal plant sites. This is done mostly by the Railways. During FY 2021-22, approx 66.20 per cent of coal produced or imported was moved by the Indian Railways (Indian Railways Year Book 2021-22, P.17). A total of 652.80 million tonnes of coal, inclusive of 271.12 million tonnes for thermal powerhouses, was carried by the Indian Railways during FY 2021-22 (ibid P.38). Coal formed 46.11 per cent of all freight moved by the Indian Railways in the corresponding period (ibid, P.39). The other main items moved by the Railways like food grains, iron and steel, iron ore, cement, fertilizers, stone, salt do not remotely come in any comparison with coal when it comes to bulk freight. A hundred per cent railway electrification will mean the national carrier would lean further on coal for its energy requirements. This will involve increased carrying of coal from collieries to thermal power plants, thus burdening the railway tracks all the more. Unlike diesel, which is carried through pipelines, coal is moved in open rakes. It is also vulnerable to theft as there is an organized crime syndicate that specializes in coal. If the Indian Railways completely switches to electric traction, which is dependent on grid supply, there is an aspect of vulnerability as far as national security is concerned, that should not be overlooked. With greater computerization and centralization, it might be possible to hack the electricity supply, thus bringing all track movement to a standstill. This is a threat the Indian Railways should not overlook in the 21st century. The writer is author of the book The Microphone Men: How Orators Created a Modern India (2019) and an independent researcher based in New Delhi. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Ukraine's Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces' counter-offensive is going according to plan. According to him, unlike the terrorist state of Russia, our country values its soldiers and does not send them to their deaths without a result. ADVERTISIMENT Reznikov added that Ukraine had previously discussed the plan to liberate the territories with its partners. He spoke about this in an interview with the German newspaper Bild. The head of the defence ministry stressed that the Russian occupiers had densely mined the territories and prepared for defence. Ukraine's partners are aware of the situation at the front and understand that the counter-offensive is proceeding as planned. "Everything is really going according to our plan. This plan was also discussed with our partners in advance. And everyone who is really involved in this process is aware of it. They know what the enemy's defences are, what the security zones are, where the minefields are, where the tanks are surrounded, where the fortifications are," Reznikov said. In addition, the minister added that Ukraine has had serious discussions with US officials on the issue of a counter-offensive. However, he assured that there was no criticism of the Ukrainian military by our partners. ADVERTISIMENT Reznikov also said that Ukraine is making slower progress than expected because, unlike Russia, our country wants to protect the lives of its soldiers and preserve military equipment. "We are not going to send our soldiers to die in battle without any result. Besides, the Russians now have air superiority. The counter-offensive is not a film. It is not a Hollywood blockbuster," said the Defence Minister. As a reminder, Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, stressed that the counter-offensive by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which began in June, is going according to plan. He explained that it was a complex operation because the Russian occupiers were well prepared. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov admitted that the Defence Forces had "fallen behind schedule" in the liberation of the occupied territories and Crimea in particular. Events are developing more slowly than expected, but Ukraine continues to move towards its goal. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! On July 26, 2023, a coup detat occurred in Niger when the countrys presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum, and presidential guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the leader of a new military junta, shortly after confirming the coup a success. This was the fifth military coup detat since the country gained independence from France in 1960, and the first since 2010. The coup was widely condemned by the United States and the countrys former colonialist France, and by the West African regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the latter of which threatened military intervention against the junta. This led to the 2023 Nigerien crisis after the coup. The West African bloc ECOWAS stands ready to intervene militarily in Niger, should diplomatic efforts to reverse a coup there fail, a senior official told army chiefs who were meeting in Ghana on Thursday to discuss the details of a standby force. It is in this context certain questions need to be answered including a general understanding of the Sahel region of which Nigeria is a part, the repercussions of a coup under international law, the link of countries like France to the dispute, and the possible way forward. In simple terms, the Sahel region comprising countries like Nigeria, Burkino Faso, Chad, Mali, Sudan, and Cameroon etc. has been the epicentre of African conflicts dominated by coups, jihadist insurgencies, and local armed conflicts. All this is accompanied by low human development, inadequate health facilities, poor education, and unemployment. Coming back to Nigeria, which has faced Boko Harams terrorism in the past is, at present, seized under a military coup which is a danger to a democratic structure. Though democracy is not a perfect system to reflect human aspirations, out of all the available governance mechanisms, democracy is way ahead of others. The countries that are under autocratic rule can understand the value of democracy. Primarily after World War II, when the decolonisation movement had started, many Asian and African countries were made independent. Initially, most of these countries adopted democracy as a mode of governance. However, within a few years, the democratic system fell and an autocratic system was placed instead, especially in Nigeria. Though there is a cardinal rule that international law should not interfere with municipal law, in urgent cases, due to violations of preliminary values of civilization, the international community and law takes positive step to solve the problem. The United Nations Charter had adopted Article 2(7) as a principle of non-intervention as the customary principle of international law but the exceptions are laid down in Chapter VII and Article 51 of the same charter that deals with the right of self-defence. International Court of Justice in a series of cases, from Corfu Channel to Nicaragua, has been reaffirming these principles. Many times, when a military coup occurs in different countries, the new government suspends all basic human rights of the common people. International law still looks at military coups from the point of that countrys Constitution. However, if human rights are violated by the military regime (which is very often), it attracts the international community for rapid action. International law vests this rapid action rights with the United Nations Security Council. This council has the power either by itself or can authorise countries to take action against any suffering of the people. The second option for stopping arbitrary military action is by humanitarian interventions. Several times, these steps are highly criticized for their misuse by powerful nations, which brings the discussion to the role of countries like France in this dispute. The primary interest of France in the Sahel region is the presence of huge deposits of mineral resources. At the same time, several French nationals and companies have set up their places of business in these regions. Thus, any sort of economic upheaval brought through the coup directly affects their interests in the region. At a larger level, efforts need to be made to counter violent extremist programs, enhancing the rule of law and access to essential public goods, given the grim economic condition of Nigeria, and creating mechanisms to address legitimate grievances and governance issues in the region which requires focusing on the need for poverty alleviation through employment, education, and healthcare provisions. To achieve the above-said aims, the emphasis must be on a human needs perspective to conflict resolution. Such an approach focuses on the needs for identity, security, recognition, participation, dignity and justice. Abhinav Mehrotra is Assistant Professor and Dr Biswanath Gupta is Associate Professor at OP Jindal Global University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. 13 types of taxes have been imposed on an electricity bill in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). However, the most controversial is the fuel (tax) charges added to the electricity bill. In PoJK, we do not produce electricity using any kind of fossil fuel. Our powerhouses are based on hydropower. Pakistan is forcing our people to pay for the fossil fuel that is used in its Punjab province to produce electricity. Not only that, Pakistan is selling us per unit of electricity at an astonishingly higher price than they sell it to their own consumers. Allow me to explain. On October 22, 1947, 69 days after the partition of India, Pakistan attacked our sovereign state of Jammu and Kashmir with the intention of forcefully annexing this Muslim-majority territory. On October 26, 1947, our king, Maharaja Hari Singh signed an instrument of accession with the last governor-general of India, Lord Mountbatten. This was totally legal as the 1947 India Independence Act gave the kings and the rulers of more than 560 princely states across British India the right to choose which of the two dominions they were willing to join. Once the accession of the state of Jammu and Kashmir with India was in place, Indian troops were gathered and flown into Srinagar, the then capital of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. On October 27, 1947, the Pakistan Army was beaten and forced to retreat. On August 13, 1948, the terms of a cease-fire were laid out in a United Nations resolution and were later adopted on January 5, 1949. The western parts of Jammu province and the northern parts of the Gilgit agency thus remained under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and remain so, till this day. The August 13, 1948, UN resolution required Pakistan to withdraw its armed forces and any non-resident militias they had brought along to fight Maharaja Hari Singh and capture our state. To this day, our lands remain in the custody of the Pakistan Army. The subsequent civil governments that come into power in Pakistan are reliant on the military due to the latters deep roots and encroachment in all sections of political, economic and social strata. Two Pakistani prime ministers, who stepped out of line, were hanged and killed by the military regimes while a third, Imran Khan, languishes in a prison cell and more than 200 cases have been trumped up against him. Pakistan has looted our riches and plundered our natural resources including rivers, minerals and forest wood. It is estimated that PoJK has Rs 78.59 trillion worth of minerals including precious stones, gold, lithium, gypsum, lime and much more. Yet, out of a total population of four million, more than two million of our people are working in low-paid jobs across the Middle East, Europe and West Asia. 700,000 of our youth are unemployed. All rivers that stream into Pakistan flow from PoJK and Occupied Gilgit-Baltistan. During the 1960s, our most fertile land which was world famous for its rice paddies was requisitioned by Pakistan to make way for the construction of a dam and a hydropower plant. Hundreds of centuries-old villages were submerged including my ancestral village of Ladaran. Thousands were displaced. At the time, the military dictator General Ayub Khan promised us that our requirement of 300 megawatts would be delivered to us free of charge before any electricity is sent to the national grid of Pakistan. However, once it was complete and was producing 1400 megawatts of electricity, Pakistan stole it all. Not only that, Pakistan charged us even more per unit of electricity than its own people. On August 10 this year, the federal minister for water resources Khurshid Shah inaugurated the Neelum-Jhelum hydropower project in PoJK. At the ceremony, the minister announced that the project will produce a total of 969 megawatts and that it will all be added to the national grid of Pakistan. This has infuriated the oppressed people of PoJK. Pakistan pays us five rupees per unit for each unit it buys from us and then sells it back to us at up to a whopping Rs 53 per unit. Now on top of that, Pakistan has imposed fuel added charges and all the rest, which have skyrocketed the monthly electricity bills. On August 22, a PoJK-wide civil disobedience movement kicked off. In every village, town and city, consumers held their electricity bills and burned them. Rs 40 million worth of electricity bills were burned in the town of Harjira alone. There are two unique points about the current wave of protests that have engulfed PoJK. Firstly, it is being led by work-based and civil society organisations such as Jammu Kashmir pensioners associations, the traders associations, Awami (peoples) Action Committees composed of civil society, human and social rights activists and so on. Secondly, the current protest movement is totally devoid of a political agenda. Its demand is based purely on one point: cancellation of recently added taxes on electricity bills. Political parties have been caught unprepared and by surprise by the public outburst. They have never been able to lead a mass movement in PoJK since the stranglehold of the Pakistan military is such that any dissident is made to disappear from the scene. However, unless the current or any future social unrest, which stems from economic injustice, is linked with the political agenda of gaining independence from Pakistan, all civil unrest would only lead us into an abyss of frustration and hopelessness. Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on Saturday, took a subtle dig at the threats made by Governor Banwarilal Purohit on the imposition of Presidents rule in the state. Replying to the letter sent by Purohit, the CM said that 3.5 crore Punjabis knew how to fight back when suppressed. Mann claimed that he had already replied to nine out of 16 questions raised by the Governor and the remaining questions were being followed up. Purohit had threatened action under section 365 of the constitution against Mann alleging a breaking down of law and order situation in Punjab and asked him to immediately send a report concerning the action taken by the CM on the rampant drug trade issue. The chief minister presented the data at a conference and said that the state had taken big action on the fronts of catching the drug trades and also in maintaining the law and order situation in the state. Mann said he was not replying as a CM but as a common Punjabi and on behalf of the 3.5 crore Punjabis. We fought for our freedom. We defended the borders of our country and fed the country with the Green Revolution. We stand with our country on all issues of national interest however I want to say that we know how to fight when suppressed and history has shown it, said Mann. The Governor alleged that he had received reports from various agencies concerning the pervasive availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab. It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops. A new trend is observed that they are being sold in government-run liquor shops. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Chandigarh Police recently sealed 66 liquor shops in Ludhiana which were selling drugs, the Governor said. Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa also posted on X that deaths due to drug overdose in Punjab have become the new normal under the Aam Aadmi Party government. He said that the people of Punjab are fed up with the blatant lies of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann about ending the drug menace. Drug overdose deaths have become a new normal in Punjab under the @AAPPunjab govt.The people of Punjab have been fed up with the blatant lies of Punjab CM @BhagwantMann about ending the drug menace.The reality is that the Punjab government has no roadmap to keep a check on Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) August 25, 2023 A recent report from the Parliamentary Standing Committee said that one in five persons is exposed to or addicted to drugs, the governor noted. These facts point out the breaking down of the law and order system in Punjab so much so that now villagers have started protesting on the streets in large numbers and have decided to set up their own village defence committees to protect themselves from drugs, he added. The two have been at loggerheads over various issues. The governor has been shooting off letters to the CM and in return, Mann has been accusing the BJP-ruled centre of misusing the Governors office. Former President Donald Trump made his debut on X, previously known as Twitter, for the first time following the restoration of his account by the social media company. His post featured the mug shot released earlier by the Fulton County Sheriffs Office, a result of his arrest linked to the Georgia election subversion case. In a unique (yet disappointing) turn of events, Trump became the first sitting or former US president to undergo the process of having his mug shot captured while being booked in an Atlanta jail. The charge stemmed from his efforts to overturn the 2020 election outcomes in Georgia. As expected, the online realm was abuzz with activity as netizens seized the opportunity to create and share memes and jokes on X, all aimed at poking fun at the snapshot. Within the frame of the photo, a stern-faced 77-year-old Trump peers intently into the camera, his forehead creased, jaw firmly set, and crimson tie knotted tightly. This snapshot triggered an outpouring of internet memes, with some drawing parallels between Trumps seemingly intense gaze and characters from movies or historical dictators. One user amusingly commented, The mugshot sealed the deal Trump 2024, while another shared with a laughing emoji, Some are calling it the Mona Lisa of mugshots. And so, the flood of memes that followed on X was inevitable. Capitalising swiftly on the situation, Trump used the mugshot to his advantage by posting it on his very own social media platform, Truth Social. Accompanied by a link to his campaign website, the photograph held a prominent spot along with a call for donations. This marked Trumps return to X after a hiatus since January 2021, with his post boldly proclaiming, Election Interference. Never Surrender! Traditionally, mug shots are symbols of public embarrassment, yet Trump defied convention by embracing this image and reposting it on his social media platform, along with a link to his campaign website. Even merchandise emerged from this event, as the Trump campaigns official website started offering t-shirts for $34, featuring the mugshot and the words Never Surrender displayed beneath it. Also Read: Need Mugshot: Donald Trumps Arrest Has Twitter Police Arriving With Memes Formally arrested at Fulton County Jail on Thursday on charges of racketeering and conspiracy, Trump was subsequently released on a $200,000 bond. The allegations revolve around claims that he colluded with 18 co-defendants in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 Georgia election. Like every other police force in the country, Mumbai Police is working round the clock to ensure the safety of the general masses. This was once again proven when a team of officers managed to retrieve a valuable item merely one hour after it was lost in a private cab. Thanks to the effort, a girl got back her Apple iPad, estimated to cost around Rs 25,000. She paid gratitude to the police personnel through Instagram Stories, where she could be seen clicking a picture with the retrieved device alongside the officers at the Govandi police station. The owner of the Apple iPad was reportedly travelling in an Ola cab. She seemed to be in a hurry as she mistakenly left the device inside the car. When she realised her mistake, it was quite late as the cab driver was already out of her reach. She said she tried to contact the person several times but he was not answering the calls. The girl immediately lodged a complaint with the Govandi police station following which the police reacted promptly and began an investigation. Within one hour, they could track down the driver and get the iPad back. Tagging the Govandi police station in her Instagram post, the girl wrote, We are deeply humbled and profoundly grateful for the exemplary work that you do in service of our community. Helped us find our Apple iPad within one hour. The Ola driver took it with him and he has not been answering our calls since evening. One of her friends, Dushyant Hatti, broke the news on X, formerly known as Twitter, by sharing a screenshot of the Stories. This was with my friend. Mumbai Police are always in service. Thank you, the post read. Mumbai Police also reshared the post later from their official handle. Soon after the post surfaced on the microblogging platform, users reacted to it with numerous appreciatory remarks, referring to Mumbai Police. One of them congratulated the department and simply wrote, You rock. My heartiest congratulations to Mumbai Police.you rock ketan chande (@ketanc1) August 25, 2023 Another user saluted the officers behind this exceptional work. SALUTE TO THESE OFFICERS OF THE MUMBAI POLICE Lancy (@Lancy90207282) August 26, 2023 A lady named Manisha Jain revealed a similar incident where officers of the Dindoshi police station helped her son get back his smartphone within 24 hours. Police sub-inspector Ajit Deja of Dindoshi police station and police constable Rode, Mangde, Kamble, Pote Tamkar helped me find my sons phone yesterday at two oclock. He left his phone in a rickshaw. I thank them for finding his phone within 24 hours, she wrote on X. Police sub-inspector Ajit Deja of Dindoshi police station and police constable Rode, Mangde, Kamble, Pote Tamkar helped me find my sons phone yesterday at two o'clock when he left his phone in a rickshaw I thank them for finding his phone within 24 hours.@MumbaiPolice pic.twitter.com/g7tfFku51B Manisha Jain (@fit_with_mani) August 26, 2023 These incidents certainly highlight how Mumbai Police is doing justice to its motto- To protect the Good and to destroy the Evil. Imagine that youre dining at a popular and sophisticated eatery. Youve enjoyed a delightful meal, and now its time for dessert. But instead of a typical dessert presentation, your server arrives at your table wielding a familiar white-porcelain dish. Yes, you read that right a toilet-themed vessel. But it gets better (or worse, depending on your perspective). The server then lifts the lid of this porcelain commode, revealing what can only be described as a splattering of chocolate ice cream, resembling the aftermath of a gastrointestinal adventure gone awry. Now, is dessert still tempting for you? Well, at least it was for the diners at Gordos, a quaint restaurant located in Holon, just south of Tel Aviv, Israel. After being served the last course of their meal in a white commode-like dish, the group awaiting the dessert didnt flinch. Instead, they enthusiastically grab their spoons and dive headfirst into this rather unusual dessert presentation, sharing laughter as they licked the toilet bowl clean. Its a scene thats equal parts bizarre and entertaining, and its taken the internet by storm. However, many people are not very pleased with the restaurants creativity. Watch the video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Welcome to the show (@gordos_restaurant) After the culinary twist that caught the internets attention, this Israeli restaurant has found itself in the middle of controversy and backlash. Social media erupted with a mix of amusement and revulsion. One commenter, clearly taken aback, asked, And people eat this? Another, who claimed to be a regular patron of Gordos, expressed their shock. New York Times reported that controversy also brewed over the desserts name, Third House of S t. Some believed it might be a reference to the Third Temple in Jewish tradition, a sacred concept for many. This perceived link led to heated discussions online, with critics arguing that using such a name for a dessert could be interpreted as a lack of respect for the religious beliefs held by a significant portion of the countrys population. However, Gordos is not the first restaurant to present their food in this way for an unusual dining experience. Across the globe, restaurants have embraced eccentricity as part of their charm. For instance, the famous Modern Toilet cafe chain in Taiwan, which serves delicacies like Golden Poop, which is a brown curry to Constipation noodles with soybean paste. All these food items are presented in you guessed it toilet-themed containers. As the debate over dining in toilets rages on, one thing is for sure: when it comes to the world of gastronomy, expect the unexpected, and be prepared to both laugh and cringe in equal measure. Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to Xinjiang on Saturday, state media reported, calling on officials to conserve hard-won social stability in a troubled region where Beijing is accused of severe human rights abuses. The Chinese government has pursued a years-long campaign against what it describes as terrorism and Islamic extremism in the northwestern region, detaining large numbers of Uyghurs and other Muslims. A United Nations report last year found Chinas actions in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity, and the United States and legislatures in other countries have labelled the policies a genocide claims Beijing denies. State broadcaster CCTV said Xi travelled to regional capital Urumqi on Saturday, listened to a government work report and delivered a speech affirming the achievements made in various tasks in Xinjiang. It was his first publicly known visit to Xinjiang since last July, when he made his maiden trip since the crackdown in the region was escalated. Xi stressed that top priority must always be given to maintaining social stability and we must use stability to guarantee development, CCTV reported. He said it was necessary to combine the development of the anti-terrorism and anti-separatism struggle with the push for normalising social stability work and rule of law, according to the broadcaster. It said Xi also urged officials to more deeply promote the Sinicisation of Islam and effectively control illegal religious activities. We must enhance our awareness of adversities and consolidate our hard-won social stability, he said, according to CCTV. In the process of Chinese-style modernisation, we will better build a beautiful Xinjiang that is united and harmonious, wealthy and prosperous. Rights campaigners, overseas researchers and members of the Uyghur diaspora accuse China of committing a litany of abuses in Xinjiang. They include detaining over a million Muslims in a network of extralegal facilities, exposing them to forced labour, compulsory sterilisation and political indoctrination, and destroying their cultural and religious sites. Beijing vehemently rejects the allegations, saying the facilities were vocational and voluntary training centres from which people have graduated. It has said the claims are part of a US-led plot to smear China and contain its rise, and has attempted to push back on what it views as negative Western press coverage in Xinjiang. In Saturdays speech, Xi said officials must strengthen positive publicity and show Xinjiangs new atmosphere of openness and self-confidence (while) refuting all forms of false public opinion and negative or harmful speech, CCTV reported. The region should also open up further to domestic and foreign tourism, Xi said, according to the broadcaster. An Indian-origin Sikh man was arrested in California in the US for allegedly shooting and killing a woman in a parking garage at a mall. The 29-year-old was dating the woman, according to a report by California-based news outlet KCRA3.com. The incident happened in Californias Roseville. The police said Simranjit Singh arrived at the mall with his girlfriend on Saturday morning (local time) and then shot the woman on the third floor of the parking garage. After committing the crime, Simranjit ran away from the scene and left the gun in the garage. Lt. Chris Ciampa of the Roseville police department said that the cops apprehended Singh near a store across the street from the mall. The police said Singh went shopping and bought a shirt with cash. He changed into his new shirt, put the shirt in his bag and wanted to leave the store. The store was in lockdown due to the active shooter situation. Ciampa said that based on eyewitness accounts and descriptions and his last known direction of travel a lot of officers were dispatched in the area looking for him. Police also interviewed eyewitnesses and checked the Gallerias surveillance video. They have an extensive security system, and we are working with them. There are cameras in the garage, Ciampa was quoted as saying by the news outlet. Singh has been arrested and will be booked in Placer County Jail for homicide. In a separate, another Indian-origin man, in the UK, was charged in connection with the stabbing of two people during a community event in Southall, west London. Videos circulating on social media showing a clash involving some pro-Khalistani extremists and police officers chasing suspects. Gurpreet Singh, 25, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates Court, London and was remanded to custody and asked to appear at Isleworth Crown Court in London on September 14. Pakistan human rights commission suspects that the rioters in Jaranwala were not a spontaneous or random crowd but part of a larger campaign of hatred against local Christians, the Dawn said in a report. Muslim religious groups have raised issues that have created communal tension in the near past. The mission has also learnt that several videos made during the attacks in different localities of Jaranwala are in circulation, showing members of a particular religious political party inciting the crowd to violence, the report accessed by the Dawn said. Other factors reported above indicate that there could be larger political and social motives behind the attack, the report compiled by Pakistan human rights chairperson Hina Jilani, Centre for Social Justice executive director Peter Jacob, senior Womens Action Forum member Neelam Hussain, and historian and rights activist Dr Yaqoob Bangash said. The report citing witnesses said that the attacks were premeditated and the attackers came from nearby villages and cities on bikes. It said that the police officers in the area as well as the Pakistan Rangers could not assess the gravity of the situation and were too late to respond. The 10-hour delay by the Pakistan Rangers gave the mobs enough time to rampage and attack residents in the region. A violent mob on August 16 ransacked and burned down almost 24 churches and attacked residences of Christian community in Jaranwala, claiming that members of the community desecrated the Quran. They said they found several desecrated pages of the religious text near a house at Cinema Chowk in Jaranwala, where two Christian brothers resided. The mobs created a rampage and caused damages worth PKR 68 million and almost 91 houses were burnt down. The Punjab provinces caretaker chief minister Moshin Naqvi said both main accused in the case were arrested and the Counter Terrorism Department had put them in custody. One person attested that a tractor trolley full of people as well as several persons on motorbikes had arrived from a village, transporting men who then burnt down a church and houses, the report said. The human rights body also said that the damage by fire shows signs of planned arson and deliberate desecration of religious symbols. The body also highlighted that members of the Shia community helped residents from the enraged mob. Pakistani doctor Muhammad Masood who was working on an H-1B visa was sentenced to 18 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and carry out lone wolf terrorist attacks in the United States, news agency PTI reported. The US Department of Justice said that even after spending 18 years in prison he will still remain under five years of supervised release. Masood pleaded guilty in August 2022 and senior judge Paul A. Magnuson presided over his case. Masood was a licensed medical doctor from Pakistan and also served as a research coordinator at a medical clinic in Rochester, Minnesota under an H-1B visa. He took help of an encrypted messaging application between January 2020 and March 2020 to facilitate a trip overseas to join the terrorist group. He expressed his desire to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) and made multiple statements expressing his wish to travel outside the US. Masood also pledged allegiance to the designated terrorist organisation and its leader. Masood, according to a report by the New York Times, said he belonged to the frontline and wanted to be a combat medic. He then expressed his wish to conduct lone wolf terrorist attacks in the United States. He purchased a flight ticket from Chicago, Illinois, to Amman, Jordan, and from there planned to travel to Syria. However, his plans changed because of the Covid-19 pandemic due to which Jordan closed its borders to incoming travel. He then decided to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet up with an individual who, he believed, would assist him with travel via cargo ship to deliver him to ISIS territory. He travelled from Rochester to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) to board a flight bound for Los Angeles, California. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested him upon arrival at MSP once he checked in for his flight. The people whom he had contacted were government informants. The Russian Federation complained that Ukraine was trying to take away their partners from the Global South. In particular, Russia accused Kyiv of creating a so-called "anti-Russian coalition". ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. She also said that the Ukrainian peace formula, which has already been supported by more than 60 countries, is just a "set of unacceptable ultimatums" for Russia. "We are now seeing the Westerners and their Kyiv-based proxies using a new technique. They are actively promoting Zelenskyy's so-called 'peace formula', which in fact has nothing to do with peace and contains only a set of unacceptable ultimatums for Russia. In fact, they are trying to bring down the anti-Russian coalition, in which they are trying to involve our partners from the Global South," the Russian official said. Zakharova also attacked the United States for continuing to provide military assistance to Ukraine and complained about Ukraine's strikes on allegedly "civilian" targets in Russia. In particular, earlier Zakharova called the illegally built Kerch bridge in Crimea, through which the occupiers transport military equipment to the southern frontline, a "purely civilian" object. ADVERTISIMENT We would like to remind you that the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, made another rude statement against Moldova. After the deportation of 45 Russian diplomats suspected of espionage from Chisinau, Zakharova called Moldova a "logistical appendage of the Kyiv regime", a statement posted on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. However, the rudeness of the Russian representative did not go unanswered. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! A special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) which is probing the May 9 riots in Pakistan grilled Imran Khan inside his jail cell in Khyber Pakhtunkhwas Attock jail. The former prime minister is being subjected to questioning after an anti-terrorism court (ATC) allowed investigators to probe the role he allegedly played in instigating his partys, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), cadres against the army and the government. The police will interrogate him in six more cases. The JIT, consisting of five high-ranking officials, visited Attock this week to question Imran Khan. Imran Khan is serving a three-year sentence after being convicted in the Toshakhana case. He has also been booked under sedition and anti-terror laws. Imran Khan has been booked on charges of waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against Pakistan and abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty and rioting. He remains booked under sections 120, 120-A, 120-B, 121-A, 505, 153, 153-A, 153-B and 107 of PPC for his alleged involvement in attacks on Askari Tower, Shadman police station, and burning down of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawazs (PML-N) offices in Lahores Model Town and Jinnah House, which also serves residence of the corps commander. The JIT team was led by the Lahore Deputy Inspector General. He sought permission earlier to interrogate and arrest the PTI chief in an FIR registered by the police regarding the attack on Jinnah House. The riots on May 9 triggered massive unrest across Pakistan after the Pakistan National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested the former prime minister in the 190 million settlement case. Hundreds of PTI workers and senior leaders remain behind bars for their alleged involvement in violence and attacks on military installations. Party cadres allegedly attacked civil and military installations including Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The Army called May 9 Black Day and are trying the protesters under the Army Act. Ukraine said Saturday that three of its air force pilots including a renowned fighter jet pilot with the call-sign Juice were killed in a mid-air collision on Friday. The crash marks a major upset for Kyiv, which has been looking to secure advanced F-16 jets to strengthen its Soviet-era air force and push ahead with its counteroffensive. We express our condolences to the families of the victims. This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us, Ukraines air force said, calling the crash terrible. The crash took place in Ukraines northern Zhytomyr region and involved two L-39 combat training aircraft, it said, adding an investigation was underway. Air force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat said one of the pilots killed Andrii Pilshchykov who went by the call-sign Juice, was a young officer with mega knowledge and mega talent. Major Andrii Pilshchykov devoted his short but very bright life to combat aviation, he dreamed of F-16s in the Ukrainian sky, he said in a tribute shared on social media. You were more than a friend. Rest in peace, you have done so much for us, he added. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to keep an eye out for threats to his life. Speaking to Belta, Belarus-owned news agency, Lukashenko said that the first time he warned was soon after the Wagners forces foiled a bid to march on Moscow to mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin. The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow, Lukashenko said. Lukashenko told Belta that he told Putins former caterer: Yevgeny, do you understand that you will doom your people and will perish yourself? Prigozhin reportedly said: I will die then, damn it! Lukashenko said the second time he warned Prigozhin during a meeting between him, Prigozhin and Dmitriy Utkin, a long-term lieutenant of Prigozhin. Russian state media outlets this week showed footage of a private plane crashing into a field northwest of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg. The plane was purportedly carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose private army has been instrumental in the ongoing 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war. Lukashenko also said that told Prigozhin that he would talk with Putin and ensure the private mercenary group chiefs full security in Belarus. He, however, accepted that Prigozhin never asked him to pay attention to his security. Both Utkin and Prigozhin were on the plane on Wednesday and the Kremlin said examinations including genetic testing were underway to determine if they were killed. Russian authorities have not yet confirmed whether Prigozhin died in the plane crash. American and western intelligence officials believe the crash was deliberate but said it cannot be determined what downed the plane. Lukashenko, the Belarus strongman who is the closest to Putin as the western nations continue to isolate him, said he cannot imagine his Russian counterpart was behind Prigozhins death. I cant say who did it. I wont even become a lawyer for my older brother. But I know Putin he is a prudent, very calm and slow-paced person when making decisions on other less complex issues, Lukashenko told Belta. I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that he is to blame. It was too rough, unprofessional work, for that matter, he further added. (with inputs from CNN) Sherri Papini, the California woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prisonmore than double what prosecutors were seeking. The 40-year-old pleaded guilty earlier this year to mail fraud and lying to a federal agent. Prosecutors had asked for her to serve eight months in prison, while defense lawyers sought a sentence of one month in prison and seven months of home detention, CNN reports. She could have gotten 25 years. In 2016, Papini disappeared after going for a jog near her home in northern California. She resurfaced three weeks later, claiming that she had been kidnapped and tortured by two Hispanic women. A California woman who staged her abduction, inflicting injuries on herself as part of the hoax, is out of federal prison. Sherri Papini, 41, was released to a halfway house in Sacramento, KTXL reports. Her case will be overseen by a Federal Bureau of Prisons field office charged with ensuring inmates receive community services to help them return to society, per the Hill . Her full release date is Oct. 29. In 2020, investigators connected DNA on clothing that Papini had been wearing to an ex-boyfriend in southern California, who admitted she had spent the three weeks with him and said her injuries were self-inflicted. US District Judge William Shubb said he opted for a longer sentence than prosecutors had recommended because of the "sheer number of people who were impacted," including the law enforcement officers who searched for Papini and people in the Latino community who were unfairly viewed with suspicion, the AP reports. "If she had not been caught, she'd still be living the lie," said Shubb. He said the sentence should serve to deter others. story continues below After the guilty plea, Papini's husband filed for divorce and sought custody of their two children. "I am so sorry to the many people who have suffered because of me," Papini told the judge Monday, saying she was ready to "repent and concede. In a sentencing memo filed last month, her attorney said she had been "twisted" by her "painful early years" and argued that she had already suffered the loss of her reputation. It is "hard to imagine a more brutal public revelation of a person's broken inner self," William Portanova said. People reports that Papini was also ordered to pay around $310,000 in restitution to the California Victim Compensation Board, the Social Security Administration, and law enforcement agencies. (Read more Sherri Papini stories.) Russian forces responded to the Ukrainian Defense Forces' pressure near Bakhmut and in the south with "small-scale attacks" in the east, particularly in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction. Now the Russian command is trying to retake the initiative and considers Kupiansk a promising area for this. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by the British Ministry of Defense. British intelligence warns that Russia may increase its offensive efforts in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction over the next two months to create a "buffer zone" around the Luhansk region. Offensive operations by Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine and near Bakhmut have created tangible pressure on Russian units in these sections of the front. However, the Russian Western Group is conducting small-scale attacks in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction and resorting to limited localized offensives. "As Ukraine continues to gradually gain ground in the south, Russian doctrine suggests that it will try to renew the initiative by returning to an offensive at the operational level. Kupiansk-Lyman is one potential direction for this," the British Defense Intelligence explained the occupiers' intentions. ADVERTISIMENT The situation in the east, particularly in the Kupiansk direction, could escalate over the next two months. "There is a realistic possibility that Russia will increase the intensity of its offensive efforts in the direction of Kupyinsk-Lyman over the next two months, probably to move west to the Oskil River and create a buffer zone around the Luhansk region," the report said. Earlier British Intelligence explained how Prigozhin's death would influence Wagner PMC. The personality of the founder of this private army was a "foundation" of the group. While there are no potential candidates who could replace Prigozhin, his elimination will be a very destructive event. ADVERTISIMENT The PMC management's "void" is also strengthened by the death of top Wagner commanders, including Dmitry Utkin and Prigozhin himself. The latest coronavirus variant has only caused about a dozen illnesses globally and has surfaced in just three US states, but experts have seen reasons it should be watched closely. The BA.2.86 variant could be better equipped than other strains to evade antibodies, even in people who have recently been vaccinated or infected, the Washington Post reports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week that existing tests and antiviral treatments should be effective on this strain. And other assessments have said the updated vaccine due out in September should still work, per CBS News . But there are reasons the experts are trying to learn about the new variant quickly. BA.2.86 already has more than 30 mutations on its spike protein, the part of the virus that vaccines lead the body to fight off. Antibodies successful against other variants could have trouble recognizing this one. "This is a radical change of the virus like what happened with omicron, which caught a lot of people defenseless," said Eric Topol of the Scripps Research Translational Institute. "Even if they had a vaccine or prior infection, it could still get into them and infect them again or for the first time. We are facing that again." It's too soon to know whether this rapidly changing variant will spread as widely as omicron, or if the symptoms will be different or worse. Scientific tests could provide answers as soon as next week, per CBS. President Biden said Friday he wants Congress to authorize funding for a new vaccine, per the AP. Experts say they're going through the same frustrations as everyone else. "My level of concern changes every hour," said Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and author of a newsletter on COVID-19 developments. She compared the arrival of a new strain to spotting a storm forming in the distance. "We don't know if it's going to fizzle away or become a Category 5 or somewhere in between." (Read more COVID variants stories.) Four astronauts from four countries rocketed toward the International Space Station on Saturday. They should reach the orbiting lab in their SpaceX capsule Sunday, replacing four astronauts who have been living up there since March. A NASA astronaut was joined on the predawn liftoff from Kennedy Space Center by fliers from Denmark, Japan, and Russia. They clasped one another's gloved hands upon reaching orbit. It was the first US launch where every spacecraft seat was occupied by a different country, the AP reports. Until now, NASA had always included two or three of its own on its SpaceX taxi flights. A fluke in timing led to the assignments, officials said. "We're a united team with a common mission," NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli radioed from orbit. Added NASA's Ken Bowersox, space operations mission chief: "Boy, what a beautiful launch ... and with four international crew members, really an exciting thing to see." Moghbeli, a Marine pilot serving as commander, is joined on the six-month mission by the European Space Agency's Andreas Mogensen, Japan's Satoshi Furukawa, and Russia's Konstantin Borisov. "To explore space, we need to do it together," the European Space Agency's director general, Josef Aschbacher, said minutes before liftoff. "Space is really global, and international cooperation is key." The astronauts' paths to space couldn't be more different: Moghbeli's parents fled Iran during the 1979 revolution. Born in Germany and raised on New York's Long Island, she joined the Marines and flew attack helicopters in Afghanistan. The first-time space traveler hopes to show Iranian girls that they, too, can aim high. "Belief in yourself is something really powerful," she said before the flight. Mogensen worked on oil rigs off the West African coast after getting an engineering degree. He told people puzzled by his job choice that "in the future we would need drillers in space" like Bruce Willis' character in the killer asteroid film Armageddon. He's convinced the rig experience led to his selection as Denmark's first astronaut. Furukawa spent a decade as a surgeon before making Japan's astronaut cut. Like Mogensen, he's visited the station before. Borisov, a space rookie, turned to engineering after studying business. He runs a freediving school in Moscow and judges the sport, in which divers shun oxygen tanks and hold their breath underwater. (Read more International Space Station stories.) All private military contractors working for Russia, including Wagner Group mercenaries, now must swear allegiance to the government under a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin. The decree, issued two days after the Wagner hierarchy apparently was killed in a plane crash, applies to anyone involved in military activities in Ukraine, assisting the Russian army, or working in territorial defense units, the BBC reports. Petro Burkovskyi, of the Democratic Initiatives Foundation think tank based in Ukraine, said the order is a clear message to Wagner fighters: "Either take the oath and keep your arms or disarm yourself. You obey or you go to prison." Putin also is telling military intelligence to "find and prosecute Wagner fighters," Burkovskyi said. The decree includes wording for the oath that requires promising to follow the orders of military commanders and senior leaders, per NBC News, which it describes as needed to forge the spiritual and moral foundations of the nation's defense. Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner boss killed in the crash, had led a brief rebellion in Russia in June. "Putin wants to have tighter control on Wagner to make sure he won't be facing another crisis in the future," said Natia Seskuria of the London think tank Royal United Services Institute. But there may be Wagner troops who were aligned with Prigozhin who won't take the new oath. "This can potentially create problems for Putin in a longer-term perspective," Seskuria said. (Read more Vladimir Putin stories.) The head of trustees at the British Museum said Saturday that the museum has recovered some of the 2,000 items believed to have been stolen by an insider, but he admitted that the 264-year-old institution does not have records of everything in its vast collection. Chairman of Trustees George Osborne acknowledged that the museum's reputation has been damaged by its mishandling of the thefts, which has sparked the resignation of its director and raised questions about security and leadership, the AP reports. Osborne told the BBC on Saturday that 2,000 stolen items was a "very provisional figure" and that staff members were working to identify everything missing. The items include gold jewelry, gemstones, and antiquities as much as 3,500 years old. He said the museum was working with the antiquarian community and art recovery experts to get the items back, none of which had been on public display recently. "We believe we've been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them," he said. "But I promise you this: It is a mess that we are going to clear up." Museum Director Hartwig Fischer announced his resignation on Friday, apologizing for failing to take seriously enough a warning from an art historian that artifacts from its collection were being sold on eBay. Deputy Director Jonathan Williams also said he would step aside during a review. In early 2021, British-Danish art historian and dealer Ittai Gradel contacted museum bosses with his suspicions, but they assured him nothing was amiss. However, at the start of this year, the museum called in London's Metropolitan Police. The museum has fired a member of staff and launched legal action against them, but no arrests have been made. Gradel told the AP on Friday he became suspicious after buying one of three objects a seller had listed on eBay. Gradel traced the two items he didn't buy to the museum. The object he bought wasn't listed in the museum's catalog, but he discovered it had belonged to a man who turned over his entire collection to the museum in 1814. The historian said he found the identity of the seller through PayPal; he turned out to be the museum staff member who has since been fired. (Read more British Museum stories.) Popular game show host Bob Barker, a household name for a half-century as host of television's Truth or Consequences and The Price Is Right, has died. His publicist said Barker, a longtime animal rights activist who made a plea to viewers to have their pets spayed or neutered part of his signoff, died Saturday at his home in Los Angeles at age 99, the AP reports. In addition to game shows, Barker hosted major events such as the Miss USA Pageant, the Miss Universe Pageant, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Pillsbury Bake-Off, and the Rose Parade. When he retired in June 2007, Barker told his studio audience: "I thank you, thank you, thank you for inviting me into your home for more than 50 years." Barker was working in radio in 1956 when producer Ralph Edwards invited him to audition to be the new host of Truth or Consequences, a job he won and held for 18 years. Meanwhile, he began hosting a resurrected version of The Price Is Right in 1972. It would become TV's longest-running game show, known for his invitation to audience members to "Come on down," and the last on a broadcast network of a genre that in TV's early days had numbered in the dozens. "I have grown old in your service," the silver-haired, perennially tanned Barker joked on a prime-time television retrospective in the mid-'90s. In all, he taped more than 5,000 shows in his career. His career longevity, he said, was the result of being content. Barker was back with his successor, Drew Carey, for one show broadcast in April 2009. He was there to promote the publication of his memoir, Priceless Memories, in which he summed up his joy from hosting the show as the opportunity "to watch people reveal themselves and to watch the excitement and humor unfold." As a TV personality, Barker retained a touch of the old schoolfor instance, no wireless microphone for him. Like the mic itself, the mic cord served as a prop, insouciantly flicked and finessed. Barker was among the few hosts who succeeded without relying on cue cards, per the Washington Post. story continues below In 1994, the widowed Barker was sued for sexual harassment by Dian Parkinson, a Price Is Right model for 18 years. Barker said she initiated their relationship. Parkinson dropped the lawsuit in 1995, saying it was hurting her health. His animal rights advocacy was part of his TV career. Barker successfully lobbied to ban fur coats as prizes on The Price Is Right, and quit the Miss USA Pageant in 1987 in protest over the presentation of fur coats to the winners. Barker was given a lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmy Awards in 1999. He closed his acceptance remarks with: "Have your pets spayed or neutered." (Read more obituary stories.) Thousands of people on Saturday retraced the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, declaring his dream unrealized 60 years later and calling out new threats it faces. Speakers detailed the national changes since as many as 250,000 gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 heard King deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech, the Hill reports. Alphonso David, head of the Global Black Economic Forum, acknowledged the progress but said: "Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot." Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries was loudly cheered when he talked about unfinished work, per the Washington Post, listing voting rights, reproductive rights, workers rights, and rights for LGBTQ+ people, for starters. Jeffries attacked Republican efforts against teaching Black history. "America is at a crossroads, an existential struggle between enlightened people and extreme people," the House minority leader said. One participant saw progress in the march itself. "I was 8 years old at the original march and only one woman was allowed to speak," said Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia, per the AP, adding, "now look at how many women are on the podium today." Avril Trancoso, who traveled from Brooklyn, said she's always tried to prepare her three children and nine grandchildren for a better world. "We still have a long way to go," Trancoso said, adding: "Some people take things too lackadaisically. But I think the younger generation is waking up." One of the speakers was 15-year-old Yolanda Renee King, the only granddaughter of Martin Luther King. "If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say I am sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your hidden dream," she told the assembly. (Read more March on Washington stories.) The Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office's Mid-Range Capability Project Office, in conjunction with Soldiers from 1st Multi-Domain Task Force, and the U.S. Navy Program Executive Office Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, successfully demonstrated the launch of a Tomahawk missile from the Army's prototype Mid-Range Capability system on June 27, 2023. (Photo by Jenn DeHaan) Following months of planning, HRC partnered with Fort Knox emergency services to conduct an active shooter training exercise at the Maude Complex at Fort Knox June 22, 2023. Emergency responders were met with a variety of unknown crises including locating the shooter, numerous casualties, difficulty accessing areas and communication issues all to help improve processes in the event of a real incident. 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. Russian troops in the Zaporizhzhia sector continue to suffer huge losses during the counter-offensive of the Defence Forces. As a result, the invaders decided to change their tactics and put psychological pressure on the civilian population of the region. ADVERTISIMENT According to OBOZREVATEL, the enemy army, retreating, is scattering leaflets with propaganda content. They call on Ukrainians to learn Russian, as they allegedly have no other choice. "Ukrainians, learn Russian. We are already here. Those who do not learn it will regret it," the leaflets read. As a means of intimidation, the war criminals do not hesitate to show footage from places of detention where they torture and torture prisoners. The footage shows hands tied, traces of beatings, and the horrific environment of Gestapo cells. "Due to significant losses at the front and the inability to resist Ukrainian troops, all the terrorist country can do is continue to blackmail and threaten the civilian population with reprisals," the Armed Forces rightly noted, revealing the place where the occupiers had scattered their leaflets. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL reported, back in the spring, in Melitopol, temporarily uncontrolled by Ukraine, the invaders distributed leaflets calling for people to join the aggressor's army and fight against their native country. They promise to pay for this in rubles, with separate payments allegedly for each kilometre of advance as part of assault units, destroyed military equipment and captured Leopard, Abrams, Challenger and HIMARS. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Indian Ambassador-Designate to Bahrain Vinod K. Jacob affirmed the depth of the solid long-standing friendship relations between the two countries and their peoples, hailing the steady growth of bilateral cooperation at all levels. Social Development Minister Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al Asfoor received Ambassador Jacob. He expressed the Social Development Ministrys readiness to provide all kinds of support to further bolster joint cooperation, wishing the envoy every success in carrying out his diplomatic duties. The Ambassador commended the care and interest enjoyed by the Indian expatriate community in Bahrain, adding that he is looking forward to enhancing bilateral relations to achieve the common aspirations of the two countries. AFP | Copenhagen The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Denmark on Friday said it plans to ban Quran burnings after a string of desecrations of Islam's holy book in the Scandinavian nation sparked anger in Muslim countries. Denmark stepped up security earlier this month following the backlash, as did neighbouring Sweden which has also seen a spate of Quran burnings in recent months. The Danish government intends to "criminalise the improper treatment of objects of significant religious importance to a religious community," Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told reporters. He said the proposed legislation was aimed especially at burnings and desecrations in public places. Hummelgaard said Quran burnings were a "fundamentally contemptuous and unsympathetic act" that "harm Denmark and its interests". The new legislation would be included in chapter 12 of Denmark's penal code, which covers national security. Hummelgaard said that national security was the main "motivation" for the ban. Nearly a thousand protesters attempted to march to the Danish embassy in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone in late July, following a call by firebrand cleric Moqtada Sadr. "We can't continue to stand by with our arms crossed while several individuals do everything they can to provoke violent reactions," Hummelgaard said. Sweden and Denmark beefed up border controls in early August as a result of the reactions. Denmark ended the measure on August 22, though they remain in place in Sweden. The proposed Danish legislation would also apply to desecrations of the Bible, the Torah or, for example, a crucifix. Those who break the law risk a fine or up to two years in prison. The law will however not encompass "verbal or written expressions" offensive to religious communities, including caricatures, the justice minister said. He stressed Denmark remained firmly committed to its freedom of expression laws, amid criticism from several opposition parties who fear a ban would infringe on those. - 'Enormous anger' - The ban, due to be presented to parliament on September 1, comes six years after Denmark abolished its 334-year-old blasphemy law. The bill is expected to pass through parliament, where the left-right government holds a majority. Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said Friday the Quran burnings had sparked "enormous anger in the entire world." "We have made great efforts to contain this anger. At the moment the situation is fairly calm, but it's also uncertain and unpredictable," he told reporters. He said that in the "short term, we'll probably see more Quran burnings rather than less" before the new law goes into force. In 2006, a wave of anti-Danish anger and violence erupted in the Muslim world following the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. Sweden last week heightened its terror alert level to grade four on a scale of five after the Quran burnings made the country a "prioritised target", security services said. The Swedish government has condemned the desecrations of the Quran while upholding the country's constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly laws. It has vowed to explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances. The situation in southern Ukraine remains tense. The enemy keeps its ships in the Black and Azov Seas and uses tactical aircraft and artillery to strike the government-controlled part of Kherson region, primarily civilian infrastructure and residential buildings. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, the invaders are suffering losses: the day before, Ukrainian soldiers eliminated more than 40 occupants and up to 20 pieces of enemy equipment and weapons, including an electronic warfare station, the Southern Defence Forces reported. Despite the fact that no drastic changes in the state, composition and nature of the Russian occupiers' actions have been recorded, and there are no signs that the enemy is forming offensive groups, the operational situation in the area of responsibility of the Southern Defence Forces remains tense. Thus, the enemy keeps 12 warships in the Black Sea (10 units) and the Sea of Azov (two units). In particular, a missile carrier armed with six Kalibr cruise missiles is on combat duty in the Azov Sea. "In addition, the enemy occasionally demonstrates its air presence over the Black Sea: the night before, it activated tactical aircraft, sending them to the area of Zmiinyi Island. In the Beryslav district of Kherson region, enemy tactical aircraft struck civilian infrastructure with three SAMs. Fortunately, no people were injured," the Southern Defence Forces added. ADVERTISIMENT Enemy artillery shelling continues in Kherson region. The day before, the invaders carried out more than 70 artillery attacks, launching over 360 shells. In particular, 12 settlements of Kherson region came under Russian fire: 2 multi-storey buildings and 9 private houses, a gym, a private farm and a poultry farm were damaged. There was one civilian casualty. Ukrainian soldiers are not killing civilians, but Russian occupiers. Yes, it was destroyed the day before: 42 occupants 5 guns 8 units of armoured vehicles 1 boat a set of antenna system for the Pole-21 electronic warfare station small-sized electronic warfare station "We are moving forward, together to Victory!" - assured the Defence Forces of Southern Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT This morning, Russia's irrecoverable losses in manpower during the full-scale war in Ukraine exceeded 260,000 people. The day before, on 25 August, 640 Russian occupants were eliminated. The defenders also destroyed 90 pieces of enemy equipment and weapons over the day. In particular, the Russians lost 18 artillery systems and armoured personnel carriers, as well as 12 tanks. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! Get ready for millions of Starlink dishes built and sold every month. SpaceX is completing a 521,000 square foot Starlink Ground equipment/dish factory. The factory has the area of three Costcos which average about 180,000 square feet. SpaceX is currently making 150,000 Starlink dishes each month. Starlink has over 4000 Starlink satellites in space and they can support twenty million customers around the world with those satellites. Currently, most of the nearly 2 million SpaceX Starlink customers are in the USA which only has 4% of the satellites overhead at any moment. SpaceX is starting to sell Starlink dishes in Costco Japan. This is key to SpaceX growth, they must make millions of dishes and sell them around the world. 96% of the satellites are underused. IF SpaceX made and sold one million dishes per month starting in November, 2023 then they would double the Starlink customers from 2 million to 4 million at the end 2023 and then have 16 million customers at the end of 2024. NEWS: Starlink Hardware Now Available at Costco Japan. https://t.co/A2SSEOJsbB Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) August 24, 2023 Here is a SHORT video version of the SpaceX Starlink site I recently visited in Bastrop, Texas! This is a new construction project nearing completion and is both a 521,000 Sq Ft (~48,400 Sq m) warehouse and Starlink Ground equipment/dish factory. Full 4K narrated video pic.twitter.com/6HPNsCMNWQ Joe Tegtmeyer (@JoeTegtmeyer) August 15, 2023 Gunmen suspected to be bandits who abducted over eight National Youth Service Corps, NYSC members have demanded the sum of four million Naira as ransom to secure their freedom. The terrorists were reported to have kidnapped the eight Corps members along a highway within Zamfara State last Friday. The young people were said to be travelling with an Akwa Ibom Transport Company, AKTC bus from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital to Sokoto State, to take part in the mandatory National Service when the bandits attacked their vehicle and abducted them. The father of one of the kidnapped victims, Emmanuel Eket said through a telephone interview that his daughter, Glory Thomas had been giving them updates on the latest development in the bandits camps. He said the bandits phoned with her number to inform him about the abduction of his daughter and asked him to pay N4 million ransom for the release of his daughter. They called me with her number, demanding the sum of N4 million. They allowed me to speak with my daughter because I asked how they wanted us to pay and my daughter said we should contact the AKTC, the man added. Since that time, they have not called and I have not spoken with my daughter. I dont know if they have released them but my daughter has not called me. It was reported that the Zamfara State Police Command has remained silent over the abduction. However, a military source who preferred anonymity confirmed the kidnap, pointing out that a rescue team was currently combing the forest to rescue the victims unhurt. In Italy, late in the evening, a bus carrying Ukrainian tourists collided with a truck transporting vegetables and fruit on the Latisana-San Giorgio di Nogaro highway. Four people are in extremely serious condition as a result of the collision. ADVERTISIMENT According to the Italian newspaper Today, they were rushed to nearby hospitals. Ten other passengers were bruised, but their lives are not in danger. Seven of the injured are children and teenagers. Rescuers were working at the scene of the accident until the morning, pulling people, including the driver, out of the vehicle. The section of the road was cordoned off. In addition to rescuers, police and doctors from all the nearest hospitals arrived at the scene. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, a minibus with Ukrainians fell off a bridge in Austria because the driver fell asleep. Four people died, including children. And in April, a bus carrying Ukrainian citizens drove off the road and overturned into a ditch on a Polish road. Several people were injured in the accident. Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel, Threads and Viber. Don't fall for fakes! An organisation known as the Civil Society Coalition on Audit in Nigeria has asked President Bola Tinubu to appoint a substantive auditor-general of the federation (AGF). Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Friday, Olusegun Elemo, executive director at Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI) who spoke on behalf of the coalition, decried the absence of an auditor-general for almost a year. Adolphus Aghughu, immediate past auditor-general, retired in September 2022. What is currently happening at the office of the auditor-general for the federation is a clear breach of constitutional provisions, Elemo said. Section 86(3) of the constitution is explicit on how the senate should authorize an individual to act in the office of the auditor-general, for not more than six months. Unfortunately, the public official leading the office at the moment is not doing so in an acting capacity but as director overseeing a designation not recognized by the Nigerian constitution. Also speaking, Gabriel Okeowo, country director at BudgIT Foundation, expressed dismay at the failure of the national assembly to transmit the federal audit service bill to the president for assent. Okeowo blamed politics for why the bill was not transmitted to the president. Political interests overrode the nations quest for a more potent and effective supreme audit institution, he said. The office of the auditor-general for the federation is not one to be politicised and the more time it takes us to get an adequate legal framework for the audit office, the longer our hope for a renewed Nigeria is deferred. Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers governor, says the robbery attack on the state universitys female hostel was carried out by students. A student had narrated how the robbers entered one of the hostels through the laundry room on Thursday and attacked them. They entered through our laundry room, broke the wall then attacked the first room which was the room close to the laundry room and a girl fought with one of them, she wrote. The robbers were said to have carted away mobile phones, laptops and other valuables. The incident caused female students to stage a protest over the spate of robbery attacks on campus. Armed with placards bearing various inscriptions in now-viral footage, the disgruntled students called on the varsity authorities to improve security on campus to forestall a recurrence. Speaking to journalists during a visit to the university, the state governor condemned the robbery incident and said the culprits would be fished out, according to Punch. Honestly, I was really bitter that such a thing would be happening in this jet age. Somebody breaking into a female hostel to go and molest girls, Fubara said. I said I wont just send my aides and the police, I will come and see things myself and assess the situation. Let me assure you that we must get the culprits. And Im sure they are not people outside. They are also students here. The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma has expressed his administrations commitment to the continuous improvement of the Imo State Civil Service Commission and his dedication to the welfare of civil servants. In his reflection towards good Governance, the Governor highlighted numerous achievements of his Government in the State Civil Service, ranging from the renovation of the State Secretariat; free mass transit to and fro; free Medicare; and more. According to the Governor, I want you to know that I value your contribution and dedication. Your hard work and commitment are crucial in driving the progress of our government and state. I assure you that no civil servant will be victimized for exercising their right to vote. Let us continue to work together to build a stronger and more prosperous Imo state. He reassured them of his dedication to addressing the security issues in the State which is politically motivated. He, therefore, ensured the safety and well-being of all residents of the state. The civil servants who were overwhelmed with joy over the implementation of their promotion amongst other things, made presentations to the Governor in appreciation of the numerous achievements both in the Secretariat and the State. The Head of Service, Barr. Raymond Ucheoma commended the Governor for so much done for the Civil Servants that is yet to be compared with other past administrations. In addition, several Permanent secretaries expressed their gratitude to the Governor for his generosity in creating an enabling environment for Imo workers to better serve the Government and the people. These commendations highlight the impact of the Shared Prosperity administration on the workforce and the overall environment in Imo state. The National Legal Adviser to the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, has assured stakeholders and teeming supporters of the party that they are not losing sleep over the nullification of the lawmaker representing Ojo Federal Constituency in Lagos State at the House of Representatives, Seyi Sowunmi. Edun, who disclosed the partys position on the issue in a chat with our correspondent on Friday, said they have officially appealed the judgment. Sowunmi was sacked on Thursday by the National Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Lagos. In the judgment ruled by a three-man panel led by Justice Abdullahi Ozegya, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Lanre Ogunyemi, was declared as the duly elected candidate of the election that was conducted on February 25. The other members of the panel included Justice Ashu Ewah and Justice Muhammad Sambo. The development is coming after Ogunyemi, a two-term state lawmaker and former secretary of the APC in Lagos, challenged the declaration of Sowunmi by the Independent National Electoral Commission as the winner of the election on the grounds that he was not duly sponsored and qualified to contest the poll for Ojo Federal Constituency on the platform of Labour Party. In its judgment on the petition, the tribunal also agreed with the petitioner that the LP candidate was not qualified to contest the elections. The panel, therefore, declared his votes wasted and held that Ogunyemi, who was the second runner-up, ought to have been declared winner. However, the national legal adviser of the LP told our correspondent that the nullification does not connote that Sowunmi should immediately vacate the office. He said, When someone wins an election in the law of Nigeria, he remains in office till the final determination of the matter at the Supreme Court. The tribunal has given a decision and we have appealed. The matter is before the Court of Appeal and whoever loses at this point still has the option of going to Supreme Court. Sowunmi is still a member of the House of Reps, not sacked. The legal practitioner also used the opportunity to chide the Lamidi Apapa-led faction of the party for attempting to mislead on Thursdays judgment of the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja. While stating that no court in the country gave Apapa the mandate to act on behalf of the national chairman, Edun stressed that the restraining order on Julius Abures faction referred to was an interim injunction. First of all, Lamidi Apapa was never the deputy national chairman of Labour Party. Even in the absence of the national chairman, Apapa has no authority to act. The LP constitution provides for three deputy chairmen. He was only one of these chairmen. And by the constitution of the party, it is only the National Working Constitution that can fill vacancies when it occurs. As to the restraining order on Abure, it was only an interim order. An interim order is supposed to last for a maximum of 14 days. Now, this order has been appealed before the Court of Appeal in Abuja. He continued,It is therefore the height of judicial rascality and insubordination for anyone to say anything that will prejudge the matter before the Court of Appeal. No court has pronounced Apapa as acting national chairman, neither as any organ of the party. Apapa is only illegally and unlawfully parading himself as acting national chairman. LP is not a jungle but a democratic platform by the rule of law. Thats why I said earlier that the matter of the restraining order is only an interim one that is the subject of appeal. Apapa is just misleading the public. The military rulers who seized control in Niamey on July 26 have given the French ambassador 48 hours to leave Niger, the countrys minister of foreign affairs said in a statement Friday, AFP reports. Faced with the refusal of the French ambassador in Niamey to respond to an invitation from the minister for a meeting Friday and other actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger, the authorities have decided to withdraw their approval of Sylvain Itte and ask him to depart within 48 hours, the statement said. This decision follows a series of statements and demonstrations hostile toward France since the Nigerien army overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, who has since been detained with his family. The military leaders accuse Paris of wanting to intervene militarily in Niger in order to reinstate Bazoum and claim that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is an organisation in the pocket of former regional colonial power France. ECOWAS has imposed heavy economic sanctions on Niger following the coup and has threatened the use of armed force to restore constitutional order. France has some 1,500 troops stationed in Niger to aid in fighting jihadist groups that have plagued the country along with the wider Sahel region for years. Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria did not apply to join BRICS, an economic bloc made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS summit which held this week at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa. BRICS, which considers itself a counterweight to western powers, disclosed at the end of the summit that new members would be joining its fold from January 1 next year. The new members are Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With many still wondering why Nigeria did not make the cut of new members, Shettima said the country never applied for BRICS membership in the first instance. So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS, Channels Television quoted Shettima as saying on the sidelines of the summit. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat that believes in consensus building. There are so many variables that need to be taken into cognisance. We have to evaluate so many tendencies and issues that require engagements with the economic advisory council, the federal executive council, and even the national assembly, before an informed decision towards joining the BRICS would be taken. More than 40 countries expressed interest in joining BRICS, with 23 formally applying to be part of the club. Some 50 other heads of state and leaders attended the summit in South Africa. BRICS has been in formal existence for 15 years. Its expansion is considered part of a plan to forge dominance and reshape global governance, with voices of the south at the centre of this new world order. Shettima said he was asked to attend the summit by his principal because the Tinubu administration which began less than three months ago, is examining the variables and evaluating the scope and level of regional and global cooperation to pursue in order to establish Nigeria as the desired friend and partner. The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has said the purported errors discovered in the certificate of President Bola Tinubu validate his discovery. Recall that Tinubus lawyers had on Wednesday, in response to the petition of Atiku in a federal court in Chicago, Illinois, United States, agreed that there are errors in the academic certificate presented to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the President, and blamed those errors on the clerk of the Chicago State University (CSU). In a statement issued on Saturday, the former vice president said documents submitted by his lawyers in the United States and Nigeria showed disturbing discrepancies and circumstantial fallacies in Tinubus academic records from the university. One of the documents, for instance, is the certified true copy of the certificate submitted by Tinubu to INEC on 17th June 2022, and according to Atikus lawyers, this, purportedly, is the certificate issued to him by Chicago State University (CSU) showing that he attended the school, and evidencing the degree he was awarded. In another document is a copy of a letter dated September 22, 2022 from Mr. Caleb Westberg, the Registrar of CSU attaching a copy of the certificate issued to Bola Tinubu in recognition of the degree he was awarded by the university. There is another document, which is a copy of the certificate forwarded by Mr. Westberg, as mentioned above, in response to a subpoena that was issued to CSU in respect of Bola Tinubus academic qualifications and achievements. There is also a copy of the bio of Dr. Niva Lubin-Johnson. Dr. Lubin-Johnson was the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of CSU from January 2001 to December 2002. Also is a copy of the bio of Dr. Elnora D. Daniel. Dr. Daniel was the President of CSU from 1998 to 2008. However, the interesting thing upon further examination of these documents is that while they all speak to the same subject, Tinubus academic qualifications from the Chicago State University, they all bear different details. The self-acclaimed Biafra Republic Government in Exile says it has opened an administrative office in Maryland Baltimore, USA. The self-appointed Prime Minister of BRGIE and Finland Lawyer, Simon Ekpa, disclosed this on Saturday on his official X handle. He said the office would boost the quest for Biafra liberation and referendum. Ekpa said the office will serve Biafrans worldwide. He wrote: The Biafra Republic Government In Exile Administrative office in the United States is ready to serve Biafrans worldwide. Earlier, he announced that the BRGIE convention would commence in October 2023. President Bola Tinubu says a clerical error is responsible for discrepancies on the certificate issued to him by the Chicago State University. According to filings by Oluwole Afolabi and Christopher Carmichael, Tinubus lawyers, an unidentified clerk of the university made the error about the date the school stated on his recently-issued certificate, thereby creating the appearance of differences. The claim is in their response to a suit filed by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar seeking the disclosure of Tinubus academic records from the university. A US court had given Tinubu up until August 23 to make a formal filing on why his records should not be released to the former vice-president. The president claimed that he holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from the Chicago State University. But Abubakar, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February presidential election, alleged that Tinubus academic records were forged. Unfortunately, in responding to the illegal and invalid subpoena, CSU made several errors, the presidents lawyers said. CSU issued a new diploma for Bola A. Tinubu, but incorrectly wrote the date of graduation as June 27, 1979. The correct date was June 22, 1979, but that scriveners error along with a change in the CSU logo, the font on the diploma, and leadership at CSU who signed the diploma created the appearance of differences between an earlier issued diploma and the one issued in response to the 2022 subpoena. The former vice-president is also seeking the credentials Tinubu submitted to CSU before he was admitted into the university. As the Kano Gubernatorial Elections Tribunal moves to announce its judgement in the Petition of the All Progressives Congress against the NNPP elected Abba Kabir Yusuf, supporters of Kwankwasiyya led by Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has gone spiritual, conducting special prayers against seizing their mandates. The Special prayers conducted at Filing Mahaha, was well attended by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the National Leader of NNPP, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam, State Secretary to the Government, Dr Baffa Bichi, and other top Ranking officers of the Government. During the special prayers, Imam Sani Hashir said, We prayed here today to express our thanks to Allah for granting us victory in the 2023 general elections and for keeping our communities safe, for keeping our state secured and for keeping our country safe. In Kano State today, we are blessed with leaders that have started changing the landscape of the state with Pipe borne water starting gushing in all parts of the state, Street lights have been restored and Hospitals are being renovated and equipped. He noted that Kano State is paying the registration fees of over seven thousand indigent students of Bayero University while roads are being rehabilitated and refuse dumps are disappearing. However, despite all these efforts before the current governments hundred days in office, enemies of the people are scheming and planning to undermine our leaders. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas does not intend to resign from her post after the scandal related to her husband's "business in Russia". She also called the selling of unsanctioned goods in Russia a question of moral compass. ADVERTISIMENT Kallas said this in an interview with ERR Estonian broadcaster. It should be noted that the recent scandal came amid the fact that the prime minister's husband had an ownership stake in a firm that handled transportation for a client in Russia. "I have no plans to resign. As prime minister, I have stood and will continue to stand for the freedom of Ukraine and Estonia," Kaja Kallas replied. She also stated that companies violating the sanctions should be held accountable. At the same time, the interaction with Russian customers concerning unsanctioned goods is a matter of moral compass. "Subsanctioned goods should be penalized, the rest of the business is a matter of moral compass," Kallas said. Kallas has previously clarified that Stark Logistics, where her husband Arvo Hallik has an ownership stake, conducted the transportation not for a Russian partner, but for an Estonian company with business in Russia. She also claims that she was not aware of these particular aspects of her husband's business activities before this scandal emerged. ADVERTISIMENT It was previously reported that Stark Logistics, a company that supplies raw materials to Russia for the production of aerosol cans, has reduced transportation but has not stopped receiving profits from the aggressor state since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Estonian President Alar Karis demands an explanation from the prime minister. It should be noted that Kaja Kallas is also one of the most active supporters of Ukraine's European integration. She is convinced that our country should become part of NATO, as it will provide security not only to the Ukrainian people but also to all countries within the Alliance. Only verified information from us on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Famous Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has warned that some policies of the present administration led by President Bola Tinubu are capable of destroying the nation if not revised. In a 22-second video clip posted on his official Facebook page, Gumi stated that if those tough policies are not reversed, it may destroy even the government. He urged the president to consult experts before implementing certain policies, saying he should not depend on sycophants. He said, President Tinubu, you have to revise your policies; if not they are going to destroy the nation and they are also going to destroy your government. Your political and economic policies, you have to review them. You have to ask people who know better and dont depend on these sycophants. An IT coordinator for the Pemberton Township School District was arrested Friday after he allegedly attempted to meet a student for sex, authorities said. Christopher J. Perry, 34, of Browns Mills, allegedly contacted the 15-year-old female student in July through Snapchat, according to a joint release from the Burlington County Prosecutors Office and the Pemberton Township Police Department. The students parents notified school officials, who contacted police, the agencies said. From there, an investigator from the office continued the text exchange with Perry, who believed he was still communicating with the girl, officials said. During the text exchange, Perry described in detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform on the student and made arrangements to pick her up in his car Friday afternoon at a park in Browns Mills, the office said. But when he arrived, instead of meeting the student, he was taken into custody, police said. A short time earlier, Perry was seen stopping at a drug store to purchase condoms on his way to the park. Perry was charged with attempted sexual assault, enticing a minor, endangering the welfare of a child and attempted criminal sexual contact, authorities said. He was held in the Burlington County Jail pending his first court appearance. I commend the parents of this young girl for reporting this interaction, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw said in a statement. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is for parents to be aware of what their children are doing online. This case strongly demonstrates how easy it is for the predators who prowl around cyberspace to quickly materialize in person as very real, very dangerous threats to those that we love and are supposed to protect. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Legendary game show host Bob Barker posing for a picture during filming of a special prime-time episode of "The Price Is Right," in Los Angeles Tuesday, April 17, 2007. This episode of the popular game show,"A Tribute Special", celebrates Barker's extraordinary career and upcoming retirement from "The Price Is Right". (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)ASSOCIATED PRESS The New Jersey Symphony announced Friday it was making the painful decision to consolidate its classical series concert weekends for the upcoming 2023-24 season and reduce its administrative staff by 15.4% in an effort to reduce costs. Additionally, current administrative employees will be required to take furloughs and senior leadership will take salary reductions. Musicians, who recently signed a collective bargaining agreement, will not be impacted, the orchestra said. Our colleagues across the arts sector have all been feeling pain as we emerge from the pandemic, President and CEO Gabriel van Aalst said in a press release. The New Jersey Symphony is, unfortunately, not immune from the impact of both recent cost increases of almost 30% and audience numbers that are only 75% of our pre-pandemic seasons. Aalst said donations and an increase in state funding cannot fully cover the deficits. With an already fragile business model, we are compelled to adapt to a new, more sustainable future, Aalst said. Although special concerts, including film concerts, have performed well, the orchestras announcement said audiences for the Symphonys classical concert series have been slow to return. As a result, the number of classical series concert weekends for the upcoming 2023-24 season will be consolidated from 14 to 11, the Symphony said. The number of performances on some of the remaining 11 classical weekends will increase to allow the organization to be amortize the cost of rehearsals and other operating expenses. Additional concert dates will be added for Beethovens Eroica, Leonard Bernsteins Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, and Respect: A Tribute to Aretha Franklin, the orchestra said. A concert featuring New Jersey native Danny DeVito narrating the movie Matilda with the New Jersey Symphony performing the score live was previously postponed due to the ongoing Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Arts strike and is expected to be rescheduled. The consolidation is estimated to result in $650,000 savings, the New Jersey Symphony said. Patrons impacted by the announcement will be contacted by Sept. 12, the orchestra said. The orchestra, which made its debut in Montclair in 1922, celebrated its 100th birthday last year with a gala performance that included world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com. Hundreds of people from New Jersey Saturday joined thousands of marchers from across the nation to commemorate the historic March on Washingtons 60th anniversary. This years focus is the fight for democracy, social justice, and civil rights. The Drum Major Institute, which is led by the Rev. Martin Luther Kings family, convened the event with the Rev. Al Sharptons National Action Network. Civil Rights leader Andrew Young, who served as an advisor to King, a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and Atlanta mayor, was expected to be in attendance. More than 50,000 people from across the country, gathered in front of the Lincoln Monument before marching from Lincoln Circle to the Martin Luther King Memorial. Before the march, speakers drew attention to civil rights legislation, reproductive rights, Black Maternal Health, the student debt crisis, generational wealth, and more. Kings eldest son, Martin Luther King III, focused on the failure to get a new Voting Rights Act. We understand what happened to voting rights, King said from the podium. We dont like it. But we must change it. Other speakers Saturday included Sister Song, CNN Journalist Van Jones, the Rev. Jamal Byrant and actors Nick Cannon and Sasha Baron Cohen. Marchers from New Jersey, including members of the Newark-based, Peoples Organization for Progress (POP), at the 60th Anniversary March on Washington on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. The Newark-based, Peoples Organization for Progress (POP) brought more than 40 New Jersey residents to the event. The marchers boarded before dawn, hydrated along the way with fruit and water and snacked on chicken. Members chatted and sang songs while other attendees slept. Constance Cherry, of Nutley, said her father attended the original march in 1963. This years march is important, she said, because history is repeating itself. I definitely want to be here to be a part of history again. I am hoping that we recognize the things that need to be done, and we just gotta stick together on some things, Cherry said. During the march, members of the New Jersey group sported bright yellow T-shirts and brought along their signature black-and-white POP signs End Racism, End Poverty, Stop Police Brutality. Marcher Nello Ramsey, a Newark resident and POP member since the 1970s, said, Its my duty as a Black man to attend this years march. In 1963, Ramsey was 14, too young to attend that first march where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his I Have a Dream speech. So this time I want to be there, Ramsey said. Civil rights activist Andrew Young speaks at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)AP Valerie Kelly of Newark attended the March on Washingtons 50th anniversary in 2013, the year that President Barack Obama proclaimed the 1963 march as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation. Kellys mother wanted desperately to attend that event. She said, I wont make any more. So I need to go now. So I said, You know what, while you can go lets go, Kelly said. This is such a part of our history, our culture, who we are very true and to be able to be a part of it is an honor. Sharptons National Action Network also took New Jerseyans to the march. At the most recent count, the organizations northeast regional team had 18 buses that left from across New Jersey. Sixty years ago, Washington D.C. vibrated with the energy of over 250,000 people from across the globe. Speakers highlighted the pressing social issues at that time, which included unemployment, discrimination, and civil rights abuses. Larry Hamm, the chairman of POP, said the date of the original March on Washington in 1963 Aug. 28 was significant because it was the day Emmett Till, 14, was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955. The march was also held on the year of the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Its particularly important this year because the very things that people marched for in 1963 are being taken away. Right before our very eyes, Hamm said. OTHER RELATED STORIES: Hundreds of New Jerseyans are expected to March on Washington this weekend Before MLK told us he had a dream, a Newark rabbi advised us not to remain silent | Opinion Joachim Prinz: America must not remain silent New Jerseyans revisit March on Washington 50 years later The Associated Press contributed to this report. Mosaic staff writer Vashti Harris can be reached at vharris@njadvancemedia.com. Welcome to Mosaic. Follow us on Instagram at @MosaicNJcom and on Facebook at MosaicNJcom. Sign up for the Black Joy by Reckon newsletter 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. WASHINGTON (AP) Thousands converged on the National Mall on Saturday for the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfill his dream. We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington, said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot. The event is convened by the Kings Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Al Sharpton s National Action Network. A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies will rally attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history. Inevitably, Saturdays event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. I was 8 years old at the original March and only one woman was allowed to speak she was from Arkansas where Im from now look at how many women are on the podium today, she said. For some, the contrasts were bittersweet. I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now, said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today. As speakers delivered messages they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were underway along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln while joggers and bikers went about their routines. On Friday, Martin Luther King III, who is the late civil rights icons eldest son, and his sister, Bernice King, visited their fathers monument in Washington. I see a man still standing in authority and saying, Weve still got to get this right, Bernice said as she looked up at the granite statue. Featured speakers include Ambassador Andrew Young, the close King adviser who helped organize the original march and who went on to serve as a congressman, U.N. ambassador and mayor of Atlanta. Leaders from the NAACP and the National Urban League are also expected to give remarks. Several leaders from groups organizing the march met Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining. The gathering Saturday was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering. All of Kings children have been invited to meet with Biden, White House officials said. For the Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, continuing to observe March on Washington anniversaries fulfills a promise he made to the late King family matriarch Coretta Scott King. Twenty-three years ago, she introduced Sharpton and Martin Luther King III at a 37th anniversary march and urged them to carry on the legacy. I never thought that 23 years later, Martin and I, with Arndrea, would be doing a march and wed have less (civil rights protections) than we had in 2000, Sharpton said, referring to Martin Luther King IIIs wife, Arndrea Waters King. Martin Luther King Jr.s Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later in 1963, four Black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as Bloody Sunday, forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Unfortunately, were living in a time when theres a younger generation who believes that my daddys generation, and those of us who came after, didnt get enough done, Bernice King said. And I want them to understand, you are benefiting and this is the way youre benefiting. She added: We cant give up, because theres a moment in time when change comes. We have to celebrate the small victories. If youre not grateful, you will undermine your progress, too. Saturdays gathering gave Denorver Garrett, 31, hope. He walked around the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, carrying a cross with names of victims of police brutality and gun violence. Ive lost a lot of friends to gun violence and God put it on my heart to carry this cross and turn my pain into something, Garrett said. This fight though, has gotten very hard over time and hearing people who are united for the betterment of our people and communitiesits recharged me to continue and Im glad I came. Associated Press journalists Ayanna Alexander, Gary Fields, Jacquelyn Martin, and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report. 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. While growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex Shabos family often ate the food of her fathers native Israel. After moving to New Orleans several years ago and getting involved in the culinary scene, she launched Lulus Mediterranean pop-up. She mixes traditional and creative dishes at events at local bars and breweries, including Miel Brewery & Taproom, where she previously worked as the taproom manager. The next pop-up is at Miel Brewery on Sept. 6. For more information, visit @lulus.nola on Instagram. Gambit: How did you get interested in cooking? Alex Shabo: I started off as a home cook. My father is from Israel. My mother is from California. I was raised in California and food was always a huge part of life growing up. My mother is an amazing cook. My father has this rich heritage full of delicious food. He cooked some, but my mom was the cook. We ate a lot of the food his mother made for him growing up. One of the most common ones was kibbeh. Its like a dumpling. Its usually ground beef, cilantro, onion, cumin very spice-forward. That was one he loved to make and to eat. When I was young, his mother came from Israel and stayed with us. She didnt speak English, but I remember making them with her and we connected through food. Thats been a driving force for what I am doing and connecting me with my heritage. Moving to New Orleans, I had no intentions of falling into the food scene, but it just kind of happened. My first real job in a restaurant was at Paladar 511. They were so amazing and welcoming, hiring me knowing I had no experience as a cook. I was doing front of the house work at first, and they saw me working hard and knew I had an interest, so they threw me on the line. Its a pretty high-volume, fast-paced place. It was intense. I started working the garde manger, a cold station, making salads. Then eventually I moved to pizza. That was my main station. I learned so much. I learned how to be a real line cook. My coworkers were like a family. Theyre still some of my closest friends. G: How did you start the pop-up? S: I was the taproom manager at Miel Brewery. I left that to pursue Lulus. Working there was great because I saw so many pop-ups come through, and that made it a tangible idea. I took a risk. For months I had been saying, I am gonna do this. I am gonna do this. Then I finally did it, and its been nothing but progression and community support. I have been doing Lulus for a little over a year now. Miel was the first place I popped up. I popped up there a lot because I was familiar with the lay of the land and everyone that works there. I already knew the clientele I was feeding. For the first one, I had falafel. It was always my idea that it would be a falafel pop-up. In Israel, thats their street food. On every corner, youre going to see a falafel shop. I hadnt really seen anyone here doing that. I had falafel and shawarma on my first menu, along with a hummus plate and whipped feta. I made my own bread and did everything on my own. It was a lot. I have grown, and it gets easier each time. Its been a huge growth for me. The falafel is pretty traditional. I go pretty heavy on the parsley and cilantro, so its super vibrant, green and fresh tasting. I think people think its more brown and dry. With mine, if you take a bite, you see green. A lot of fresh herbs go into it. Everything else I build my sandwiches with is pretty traditional. I use purple cabbage salad. Ill do an Israeli salad with tomatoes and cucumbers, especially now while those things are in season. I like to go heavy on salads. You have all the different salads and pickles, and you pick what you want. I am going to try to focus more on letting people build their own, maybe have two options like falafel and chicken for sandwiches but have a variety of sides and dips. I think thatll be fun. I also like to pickle things like cauliflower. Theres also a pickled turnip that goes with falafel as well. I am going to play around with that one. G: Are some of your dishes more creative than traditional? S: Lamb merguez wontons was a weird brainchild. I cook a lot at home and play around. If I feel like its good enough to serve, Ill try it at the pop-up. I shop at the farmers market and try to use local things. Aside from the falafel, I like to change up my menu. I love Thai and Asian food. I love going to Hong Kong Market. I wanted to make something Thai inspired. I had made merguez sausage at Paladar. So I bought myself the food processor attachment and started making my own sausage. I was trying to think of ways to do something with it, so I put it on wontons and then was like, why not stick with Asian? So what if I had a (harissa coconut) curry sauce and Asian fusion? It felt fun and kind of weird. I dont do a lot of meat. I typically have a vegetarian-focused menu, but that was one way to add a meat thing. I did it like an appetizer as a sharable dish. Thats how Israeli food is. You eat with your hands and you share. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has made another scathing statement against Moldova. Zakharova called Moldova "a logistical appendage of the Kyiv regime" after Moldova deported 45 Russian diplomats suspected of spying activities. A statement was posted on the official website of the Russian Foreign Ministry. ADVERTISIMENT The rudeness of the Russian representative did not go unanswered. The Moldovan Foreign Ministry assured that they will continue to support Ukraine and condemned the "false statements" of the representative of the state-aggressors, NewsMaker writes. A boorish statement against the Moldovan authorities appeared on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on August 25. After the recent deportation of 45 Russian diplomats from Chisinau as a result of the scandal with the installation of suspicious communication equipment on the roof of the Russian Embassy, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry "diplomatically" called Moldova (Russians continue to call the country "Moldavia" because of their imperial worldview) a "logistical appendage of the Kyiv regime." ADVERTISIMENT "We notice the consistent transformation of Moldavia into a logistical appendage of the Kyiv regime. Immediately after the start of the special military operation, Chisinau began large-scale deliveries to Ukraine of various goods, including fuel, lubricants, medicines and food," Zakharova issued. She also mentioned Moldova's "provocative pumping" of Western weapons, including "equipment for demining, small arms, sniper rifles and machine guns, various types of grenades, as well as technical means of reconnaissance." According to Zakharova, "the issue" of placing "American warehouses with weapons in Moldova, which, according to Moldovan analysts, can later be sent for the needs of the AFU," is now being "developed". "I would like to warn official Chisinau against deeper involvement in the process of 'support' for Ukraine, which will not only jeopardize stability and security in the region but will also turn Moldova into an accomplice of the Kyiv regime's war crimes," Zakharova issued a portion of poorly disguised threats against Chisinau. ADVERTISIMENT It didn't took long for the Moldovan Foreign Ministry to respond. They rebuked Zakharova's lying and reiterated their unwavering support for Ukraine. "We condemn the false statements made by a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Our country's neutrality does not mean isolation. The government develops partnerships with organizations and states to preserve the country's peace and security. In this sense, Moldova cooperates with those who promote democratic values. We have strongly condemned Russia's aggression against Ukraine since the first day of the war. We will continue to provide our Ukrainian friends with all possible assistance both bilaterally and within international organizations," the Foreign Ministry said. Earlier, the Moldovan Foreign Minister thanked Ukrainians for their heroic resistance to the Russian Federation. Nicu Popescu said that the titanic efforts of the Ukrainian army and all the people to fight the aggressor "allow other countries to achieve the intended goal without hostilities on their territory". According to him, Moldova, which is also protected by the AFU from possible aggression of the Russian Federation, has managed to fulfill three recommendations of the European Union out of nine, the fulfillment of which is necessary for membership in the EU. ADVERTISIMENT Moldovan President Maia Sandu recently said that Ukraine's victory would help resolve the conflict in Transnistria. Edna Karr High School students lock arms during a moment of silence at the school in New Orleans on Jan. 11. Students participated in a walk out and the moment of silence commemorating students who have recently lost their lives to gun violence. A three-alarm fire erupted Friday afternoon at a house near the New Orleans Fair Grounds and damaged five nearby buildings as well. Twenty-two Fire Department vehicles rolled to 2821-23 O'Reilly St., where smoke was pouring from a double residence. A man told firefighters he fled the residence after noticing flames. As many as 62 firefighters worked to pull water from several hydrants and climbed portable ladders to douse the flames as bystanders wearing masks gathered to watch. The fire was reported at 1:48 p.m., and prompted additional alarms at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., according to the Fire Department. Extra alarms summon more firefighting equipment and personnel. An Air Force reserve unit plane flew into Tropical Storm Franklin on Thursday, amid lightning and dark clouds that left its pilots with little to no visibility. The flight left Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, to gather data from the storm. The Air Force said it sends the data to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, to improve forecasts. As of Friday afternoon, Tropical Storm Franklin was in the west Atlantic Ocean, about 250 miles east of Grand Turk Island, producing winds as fast as 50 mph and moving northeast at 6 mph. The National Hurricane Center was tracking three other disturbances in the Atlantic, although none had developed into tropical depressions or tropical storms. This fascinating opportunity which could be a game changer for Northern Devon, being the development of an offshore wind industry in the Celtic Sea/ Bristol Channel, is something we are all aware of, but we also need to understand the implications of this, in respect of what happens to the wind power when it is collected and how it gets into the national grid network. The latest estimates are that if the UK is to reach its goal of decarbonising the power sector by 2035, then we will need to treble the amount of power plants connected to our national grid. In addition to the growth of offshore wind, it is anticipated that new turbines, up to possibly six times those anticipated in the first phase of the Celtic sea, will need to be accommodated. In parallel with this, we also need to allow for the growth of solar power generation where, again, the current capacity needs to be expanded by at least five times. All of this is great but nothing in this world is simple. If this is to be achieved, then radical reforms will need to be made to the timescales for implementing these projects and achieving the new power grid networks which will be required to make the connection between the energy and the users. This scale of growth would be challenging under any circumstances. The current target just from offshore wind farms is to generate 50GW by 2030, which would be an increase from only 14GW today. The result of this would be that wind power would be generating enough energy to serve at least 2/3rds of our homes. The UK already has a legally binding target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. This is forecast to result in power demand at least doubling, as petrol cars are replaced by electric vehicles and gas boilers are replaced by electric powered heat pumps. To install the new network, we would need to construct many 100s of miles of new high-voltage power lines at a cost of tens of billions of pounds. National Grid estimate that the UK will need to build 5 x more transmission lines than it has built in the last 30 years. The current system for achieving authorisation is currently too slow and long overdue for a complete reform. It currently takes between 12-14 years from identifying the need for a new power transmission cable to it coming into service. It is officially admitted nationally, that there is no current strategic plan and that national government policy statements are 'badly out of date' with no guidance as to when cables should be onshore or offshore, underground or overground or how local impacts should be managed. Against this background, it is understandable as to why many communities are concerned about the unintended consequences of these programmes. The government have set up a task force, which is charged with halving the time it takes to complete schemes 5-6 years from start to finish. In this case, failure is not an option. The political consequences of Britian managing to generate 50GW of offshore wind, only to waste this because we cannot get the power to homes or businesses, would be unthinkable. It could also lead to serious consequences, such as, increasing demands for energy use reduction. Supressing demand is already in place in some high energy demand areas. If, however, we have insufficient cabling capacity then we, the users, will be paying the bill to compensate users (including farmers) to switch off their supplies. It is already estimated that compensation payments for this could reach as much as 4 billion per year by 2030. It is totally unfair on our hard-working Local Planning Authorities to impose upon them yet more paperwork. It is essential that new planning guidance should be introduced. This needs to include both a framework for a strategic plan and a new set of design ideas to help choose between the various transmission groups (overhead or overground etc.). This might help to start streamlining the planning process. It is also essential that individuals and communities who are affected by this new infrastructure should become part of the solution. Compensation only achieves a limited result. There is currently some thinking about the proposed payment package being linked to outcomes and to include 'generous' benefits. If we are to impose these new facilities on our communities, many of whom are in sensitive rural areas, then these financial payments should help communities to spend on further investment, both in energy efficiency and energy generation reduction. The long-term cost savings could be very considerable to already hard stretched householders. Community engagement might also be easier if community funds are a realistic outcome. This might make a discussion about whether to have overhead power cables or underground cables much easier. The cost of underground cables is around 9 million more per kilometre than the overground solution. In parallel with this, it would be highly desirable to ensure that, wherever possible, as much of this work can be delivered through a network of local companies. We already know that there is a shortage of skilled workers. Training up a workforce that is ready for these challenges and encouraging them to participate in delivering the projects could be huge win, win for us. As we look ahead to try and plan for these exciting challenges, there is no doubt that the government have got to step up to make sure that the system is reformed for the benefit of local communities. Currently, it is too easy for the monopoly of network transmission companies just to rely upon increasing bills. The industry regulator Ofgem has too often proved toothless in preventing eyewatering increases in the cost of energy. It may still be the case, that in the short term, there will need to be incentives provided to consumers and businesses to reduce need and thereby limit the extent of new cabling required. There may be other sensible interventions, such as, installing batteries at home, to increase the flexibility of individuals energy demands. Whatever solutions however are forthcoming, it is essential that Northern Devon gets ahead of this debate. This is a critical part of our future. Planning ahead for this is vital to ensure we secure its full benefits. I have heard how much the people of North Devon care about animal welfare, from the high standards of our farmers to everyones love of their pets. Since this summers parliamentary recess began I have received over 90 emails from constituents calling on the Government to bring forward the ban on electronic shock collars. I have been working with a number of organisations such as the Dogs Trust to bring in the ban on these devices. Whilst some owners use these collars to control unwanted behaviour evidence shows that not only does it have negative effects on the dogs wellbeing, but the use of shock collars can increase their fear and in the case of aggressive dogs this leads to more aggressive behaviours. I am delighted that as part of the Governments commitment in the Action Plan for Animal Welfare the ban on shock collars will be brought in as soon as parliamentary time allows, and I look forward to voting for it. I was delighted to be asked to judge the Instow Dog Show earlier this month, although a little nervous as I know Instow is blessed with a huge number of fabulous pooches! They were some of the hardest decisions I have had to make in long time. As a dog lover myself I would have given everyone a rosette and happily taken everyone home to meet Henry. The whole Instow show was back in full force after a few years off and a massive thank you and congratulations to everyone who made it such a great afternoon. My apologies to everyone who didnt get the place they thought they deserved in the dog show, but everyone was a winner. I particularly enjoyed the dog who looked most like their owner and everyone that dressed up to match their dog! And the young handlers were fabulous. Dog ownership is an utter joy, but being able to control your dog is a real skill and it was great to see so many youngsters mastering it. Henry is getting ready for the Westminster Dog of the Year show in September. Hes keen to beat his third place he achieved in 2021, and you can vote for him in the Sir David Amess 'pawblic' vote at https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/wdoty. This recess I have joined the campaign for a Buy British Button, I am one of over 100 MPs calling for supermarkets to bring in a section on their online store fronts so that shoppers can easily find British produce. Shoppers want to know where their food is coming from and how it is produced. When they buy British produce they have the guarantee that not only will it be of the best quality but that it has been produced to some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world. Farmers have faced an expensive harvest following the driest February in 30 years, the hottest June ever recorded and a notably wet July. Alongside the continued effects of Putins illegal war in Ukraine on prices for energy, fuel and fertiliser. With one small change on their website supermarkets could direct even more shoppers to buy British produce. I am certainly looking forward to using the buy British button in my online shop! PLYMOUTH Gov. Eric Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security announced the first phase of a plan to expand physical firefighting training through the construction of four new training sites around the state, according to a statement released Friday. Holcomb said the state will invest $7.7 million into the sites they plan to build in Rensselaer, Linton, Corydon and Wabash as part of his agenda. The new sites join more than a dozen around the state. Indiana will always support its public safety personnel, who selflessly risk their lives to protect the communities in which they live, Holcomb said. This plan will ensure that Hoosier firefighters have the skills and the equipment necessary to do their job safely and effectively. The updated training model includes a live burn training structure on the sites by IDHS, home to the Indiana State Fire Marshal. The sites will be locally owned and maintained, although the state will construct the training facility and help with site preparation where necessary. Each site is within 30 miles or 45 minutes of all local career and volunteer departments. The centers are expected to be up and running by the first quarter of next year. When you look at the gaps we have in fire training, its primarily in rural areas, Indiana State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said. Volunteers do not have the flexibility to travel for hours to attend trainings. We selected these first sites to address some of these training deserts, and there was significant local buy-in for the need for these sites. In addition to the $7.7 million provided by the General Assembly in the most recent two-year budget, the IDHS was also granted an additional $10 million to provide new personal protective equipment for volunteer firefighters across the state, Holcomb said. Indiana has over 600 volunteer fire departments out of 875 total. Approximately 900 volunteer firefighters will receive essential sets of PPE. Volunteer fire departments interested in acquiring new PPE through this program should sign up here. This morning's top headlines: Republican presidential debate; surrender day for Trump; gunfire at biker bar Republican presidential debate; surrender day for Trump; gunfire at biker bar; and more top news this morning: CROWN POINT After Hector Delgado broke into the Hammond home Alyssa Flores shared with her father, he strangled, beat and shot the 18-year-old woman in her bed during the early morning hours of Oct. 18, 2021. Delgado, 21, was charged Aug. 4 with murder, burglary, domestic battery and strangulation and arrested Aug. 11 by the United States Marshals Great Lakes Task Force and Hammond police. He was extradited to Indiana Monday. Newly unsealed court documents chronicle the volatile relationship between Delgado and Flores over a period of four years before the killing. Delgado and Flores met in high school and dated on and off until a few months before her death, charging documents state. Loved ones detailed arguments between the two that ended with Delgado physically injuring Flores. On one occasion, Delgado pulled Flores by her hair from inside a vehicle and struck her multiple times, which was documented in a May 2021 police report. In November 2019, he broke a window to get inside Flores home when she wouldnt answer the door. Hammond police arrived at her apartment around noon on the 4000 block of Towle Avenue to find broken glass on the floor and blood on the door frame of her bedroom. Police found a single shell casing from a bullet underneath Flores bed. She appeared to be sleeping when the slaying occurred. The Lake County coroners office ruled her death a homicide caused by a massive head injury, gunshot wound, strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. Concerns for Flores safety arose when she failed to respond to her parents texts and didnt show up for work. Her father rushed home from work and said he found her bedroom door locked. When he called her name and received no answer, he broke open the door and discovered her body. Video surveillance footage allegedly shows a car with the same description as Delgados vehicle driving east on 140th Street and turning south onto Towle avenue toward Flores residence around 7:24 a.m. on the day she died. Footage from Delgados workplace in Glenwood shows him arriving for his shift around 8:06 a.m. The trip between the two locations takes approximately 20 minutes, which leaves 20 additional minutes for Delgado to break into Flores bedroom and kill her, detectives allege. Delgados DNA was found on the sweatshirt Flores was wearing at the time of her death. He told police after the killing that he hadnt seen Flores in months. The two of them had lived with her mother and mothers boyfriend before they moved into an apartment together in Chicago. They moved out of the apartment after it was burglarized in July 2021. He acknowledged that they were toxic and argued a lot in their relationship, according to court documents. Delgado is being held at the Lake County Jail without bail. He is set to appear in court Tuesday. If you or someone you love is a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788. LAKE STATION The Lake Station Police Department has removed its public page from Facebook in the wake of pressure from the public and nonprofit organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for an independent investigation into the deaths of eight K-9s on July 27. Police Chief James Richardson said they the page was removed because the department was getting death threats. The decision was made to suspend the page at this time for the safety of our police officers, Richardson said in a text message Friday. The page disappeared Wednesday night after PETA held a rally outside Lake Station City Hall. Supporters waved signs reading, Police Denied Dying Dogs Emergency Care and Independent Investigation Now after police refused to let the Humane Society of Hobart take custody of the dogs, who were trapped in the back of a box truck after an air conditioning unit stopped working on a trip from Chicago to Michigan. Many of the dogs suffered from heat exhaustion. The Lake Station PD is placing itself above the law, and instead of facing its critics and taking responsibility for its role in these dogs suffering, it decided to get out of Dodge, PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said. The department can try to hide from the public, but PETA wont stop the pressure until it agrees to an independent investigation and guilty parties and conspirators are charged with a crime. PETA has been pressuring the department since early August when they sent a letter to the city attorney and mayor requesting an independent investigation because of a purported existing relationship between the owner of the dogs and Richardson. Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll issued a statement following the rally and expressed his sadness over the situation, but urged the community to acknowledge what he alleged was an accident. Police Chief James Richardson has not replied to multiple requests for comment. Carroll said the investigation is no longer in our hands and all documents related to the investigation are with the Lake County prosecutors office. The prosecutors office did not respond to a request for information on the case. The four candidates vying for two at-large Valparaiso City Council seats discussed everything from affordable housing to the merits of an elec A doctor from Pakistan who said he wanted to fight on the frontline for the Islamic State group was sentenced on Friday to 18 years in a U.S. prison, federal prosecutors said. The doctor, Muhammad Masood, 31, of Rochester, Minn., pleaded guilty last year in U.S. District Court in St. Paul to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization. Prosecutors said that Mr. Masood had expressed a desire to government informants to conduct lone wolf attacks in the United States or fight and work as a combat medic for ISIS in the Middle East. Mr. Masoods prison term will be followed by five years of supervised release under the sentence handed down by Judge Paul A. Magnuson of U.S. District Court. The News A district judge in Texas moved on Friday to temporarily block enforcement of a law banning transgender minors in the state from receiving gender transition care, including puberty blockers and hormone treatments. But almost immediately after the judge entered that ruling, the state attorney generals office announced that it had appealed to the Texas Supreme Court, a step that would prevent the lower courts injunction from taking effect, at least for now. Background: The legislation, known as Senate Bill 14, is set to go into effect next week, and was among the most volatile measures of the Texas legislative session, drawing protests from transgender Texans and their supporters. In a ruling on Friday, Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel of the State District Court in Travis County said plaintiffs who challenged the new law on state constitutional grounds had shown they would be likely to succeed at trial. The Acts prohibitions on providing evidence-based treatment for adolescents with gender dysphoria stands directly at odds with parents fundamental right to make decisions concerning the care of their children, the judge wrote. But the attorney generals office defended the law when it appealed to the State Supreme Court. In a statement, officials in that office said they will continue to enforce the laws duly enacted by the Texas Legislature and uphold the values of the people of Texas by doing everything in its power to protect children from damaging gender transition interventions. The lawsuit in Texas is one of several that transgender rights supporters have filed in state and federal courts. Though opponents of the laws have succeeded in blocking enforcement of some bans, judges have recently allowed restrictions to remain in place in Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Tennessee. Even before the Texas legislation passed, officials in that state had taken steps to try to prevent transgender children from accessing medical transition care. Last year, Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, directed the states child protective agency to investigate parents for child abuse if their children received such treatment. The Creative Administration Research program pairs choreographers with what it calls thought partners, collaborators who might be business-minded arts administrators, funders or presenters, but who are also often working artists. The composer and educator Byron Au Yong, who has been a thought partner for the choreographers Raja Feather Kelly and Takahiro Yamamoto, said the breadth of that adviser pool sets the initiative apart. There are business and marketing consultants out there, but unless you have an embodied, lived experience of working in the arts in the United States, how can you advise a dance artist? Au Yong said. There will always be a disconnect. During a series of online retreats, each team reflects on how the choreographer makes work and what kind of structure might best support their process. The program has also hosted two summits, bringing several dozen artists and leaders to the centers University of Akron home to share their insights into creative administration. (And to dance together or to physicalize their administrative thinking and dreaming, as a news release said.) For some participating choreographers, the initiative has prompted dramatic change. Banning Bouldin formerly ran her Nashville organization, New Dialect, as a conventional dance company, though her goal was to create a dance hub for the city. A thought partner, John Michael Schert, helped Bouldin recognize that the company model only fit maybe 40 percent of what we were doing, Bouldin said, and that it was hampering the organizations community organizing and engagement efforts. Now, rather than employing a small roster of full-time dancers, New Dialect dedicates more resources to professional development workshops, residencies and performance production. Philosophically, we made a really meaningful shift, Bouldin said. Were serving more artists and more of the community in a way thats financially sustainable. Rosie Herrera, the director of Rosie Herrera Dance Theater, found that Creative Administration Research affirmed many of her existing ways of working. Through conversations with thought partners and other artists in the program, she said, she realized that as a Latina in Miami, who started out just making work with her friends, she had intuitively avoided many best practice traps. David LaFlamme, who infused the psychedelic rock of the 1960s with the plaintive sounds of an electric violin as a founder of Its a Beautiful Day, the ethereal San Francisco band whose breakout hit, White Bird, encapsulated the hippie-era longing for freedom, died on Aug. 6 in Santa Rosa, Calif. He was 82. His daughter Kira LaFlamme said the cause of his death, at a health care facility, was complications of Parkinsons disease. Mr. LaFlamme had seemed an unlikely fit for the role of flower-power troubadour. He was a classically trained violinist who had performed with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. He was an Army veteran. When I was a young man, I carried my M-1 very proudly and was ready to do my duty to defend my country, he said in a 2007 video interview. But the times were the times, and in 1967, the year of the Summer of Love, he and his wife, Linda, a keyboardist, formed Its a Beautiful Day. The band bubbled up from the acid-rock cauldron of the Haight-Ashbury district, which also produced the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane and other groups. Gina Raimondo, the secretary of commerce, is heading to China on Saturday with two seemingly contradictory responsibilities: a mandate to strengthen U.S. business relations with Beijing while also imposing some of the toughest Chinese trade restrictions in years. The head of the Commerce Department is traditionally the governments biggest champion for the business community both at home and abroad, promoting the kind of extensive ties U.S. firms have with China, the worlds second-largest economy. But U.S.-China relations have turned chillier as China has become more aggressive in flexing its economic and military might. While China remains an important economic partner, American officials have increasingly viewed the country as a security threat and have imposed a raft of new restrictions aimed at crippling Beijings access to technology that could be used to strengthen the Chinese military or security services. The bulk of those restrictions which have stoked anger and irritation from the Chinese government have been imposed by Ms. Raimondos agency. A lot of those have gone away for the most part. Now, its really, You used to take this designer, you wont anymore. Why wont you? In a perfect world, wed say, OK, we will take everything. But theres an economic reality, right? Ill give you an example. Certain brands of jeans we used to be able to sell for over $100. Now you just cant get the same return for them. So instead of upsetting you by us taking them and selling them for way less than you want, were just telling you now we dont take them. Whats the plan for the RealReal to use artificial intelligence? The first was authenticating the merchandise. The second was pricing the merchandise. Where were spending more time now is where can we, at intake, start with a picture of a good and right there we can say, Have we seen this good before? I already recognize that pattern, so now I dont have to write all the copy. I dont have to take all the measurements unless we perceive that its been altered. It still needs to go through authentication, but we can send it down a different lane where instead of each piece that we receive being a one-off, now all of a sudden were starting to batch things together. We can do those kinds of things and reduce operational costs. Dupes have become a bigger conversation in the industry this year. Before your time at the company, there was reporting about the RealReal selling inauthentic items on its platform. How you are currently guarding against that? You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah proves, as other movies and shows have before it, that when a bar or bat mitzvah is depicted onscreen, it can often be a savvy vessel for exploring the funny, strange or even traumatic transition from childhood to teenagedom. Figuring out, who am I, who I want to be such a Jewish experience, Cohen, who uses they/them pronouns, told me in an interview, adding that its also just a human experience. We dont all have a bat mitzvah, they continued, but we all feel awkward when we have to step out in front of our friends and family and try not to make a mistake. At the same time, Hollywood can get too caught up in the lavish spectacle of these affairs, with depictions that sap them of their cultural or emotional significance in favor of gags about the superficiality of the post-service party. The spoiled bar or bat mitzvah boy or girl is a trope that comes up repeatedly. In a 2000 Sex and the City episode, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) faces off against a rich brat (Kat Dennings) who is hiring a publicist for her bat mitzvah party. I want it all, I want it now, and I want you to get it for me, the girl says. Sixty years ago, in the summer of 1963, a four-story townhouse on West 130th Street in Harlem became the headquarters for what was then the largest civil rights event in American history, the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. For one summer the house, a former home for delinquent colored girls, was a hive of activity so frenetic that the receptionist twice hung up on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by mistake. The march, which took place on Wednesday, Aug. 28, is now best remembered for Dr. Kings I Have a Dream speech, and for the crowd of 250,000 filling the National Mall. But it would not have been possible without the organizing at 170 West 130th Street, led by Bayard Rustin, a brilliant tactician whose homosexuality and former communist ties made him a target both inside and outside the movement. Under the aegis of the marchs patriarch, the labor leader A. Philip Randolph, Mr. Rustin brought together the heads of the five big civil rights organizations the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, N.A.A.C.P., National Urban League, Congress of Racial Equality and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Together with Mr. Randolph, they became known as the Big Six. It was a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement, following Dr. Kings tumultuous campaign to force the desegregation of Birmingham and President John F. Kennedys sending the National Guard to enable Black students to attend the University of Alabama; Medgar Evers, a field secretary for the N.A.A.C.P., was assassinated in June in Mississippi. As Courtland Cox, one of the march organizers, recalled, People were sick and tired of being sick and tired, and they wanted to make a statement to the nation. The Upper East Side is one of the citys wealthiest and healthiest neighborhoods. It has one of the highest life expectancies, and among the lowest rates of diabetes and obesity in New York City. Now the neighborhoods residents are getting even thinner. Last year, about 2.3 percent of people living along a stretch of Manhattan that extended from the Upper East Side down to Gramercy Park were taking Ozempic, Wegovy or Mounjaro injectable medications belonging to a breakthrough new class of weight loss and diabetes drugs, according to an analysis by Trilliant Health, a health care analytics firm. That was the highest rate in New York City. In some parts of Brooklyn, by contrast, where diabetes and obesity are far more prevalent, the usage rate of these medications was just over half of what it was in affluent parts of Manhattan, according to that analysis. The running game show of the 10021 ZIP code is guessing who is on Vitamin O that is, Ozempic, said the writer, actress and Upper East Side native, Jill Kargman, referring to what has long been the citys toniest ZIP code, covering much of the East 70s. Americans have been living as subjects in a large-scale experiment in letting big companies do as they please, and the consequences are increasingly apparent in daily life. Compare the United States with Europe, where authorities have more successfully resisted the consolidation of major industries. Airfares in the United States are now significantly more expensive; North American airlines pocketed more than twice as much in profits from each passenger in 2022 as their European counterparts did. The internet costs more, too: Americans pay more than twice as much for broadband, and the cost of cellular service is also, on average, more than twice as high in the United States as the average in other developed nations. The economist Thomas Philippon wrote in a 2019 book about the decline of competition in the United States that the American economy would be roughly $1 trillion larger than it is today if the United States had simply maintained the level of competition that prevailed in 2000. The turn toward stringency reflects some of what has been learned in recent years about the effects of corporate concentration, for example, in a new emphasis on protecting workers. Economic circumstances also have changed. The rise of online business models in particular has created challenges not fully anticipated by earlier generations of policymakers, such as the ways that user data can be used to limit competition. In December, Amazon settled an antitrust complaint brought by European Union regulators by agreeing to stop using data gathered from third-party sellers on its site to calibrate its own retail business decisions. The most important change, however, is a reconsideration of the role of economics in making policy. The guidelines treat the economic analysis of corporate concentration as a valuable source of information, rather than the measuring stick by which decisions are made. Antitrust authorities have failed in their responsibility to the American people by assigning to themselves the burden of trying to figure out which mergers may be harmful, rather than taking seriously their marching orders from Congress to prevent concentration. Some harms are difficult to quantify. Some are difficult to anticipate. And sometimes the damage is cumulative. In separate interviews, Jonathan Kanter, the assistant attorney general who heads the Justice Departments antitrust division, and Lina Khan, the chairwoman of the Federal Trade Commission, argued that the changes should be seen as a restoration of the plain meaning of the nations antitrust laws, which place limits on corporate concentration even when it isnt possible to show negative economic effects in advance. Mr. Kanter said his department is focused on protecting competition because that is the goal that Congress enshrined in law and he is in the law enforcement business. Were going back to enforcing the law to its fullest extent, he said. To achieve this goal, the administration will need to overcome the skepticism of federal judges, many of whom are steeped in the minimalist approach to antitrust enforcement. The regulatory agencies have lost several cases in which they sought to enforce antitrust laws more stringently, including decisions allowing the tech giant Meta to buy Within, a maker of virtual reality apps, and to let Microsoft proceed with its acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which makes video games. Donald Trump keeps the country in suspended animation from time to time trying to get through the current situation, waiting for the next one, without an ending, indefinitely. People are waiting to see how the Republican primaries turn out. People are waiting for another election. And four times this spring and summer, people have waited for indictments, bookings, the reactions to the indictments and bookings and, surreally, the mug shot of Mr. Trump, framed in the same box as his fellow defendants, framed in a phone screen on iMessage or Instagram. In Fulton County, Ga., District Attorney Fani T. Williss indictment is the biggest yet, charging 19 people in a document aiming for the historical record and bringing them to Atlanta the conclusion to months of indictments. One of the paradoxes of urban America is that millions of people speak reverently about wilderness but are much less eager to venture into it and risk real bites from actual mosquitoes. Ive been musing about this while backpacking with family on the Pacific Northwest Trail, sometimes known as Americas wildest trail, on the Canada-U.S. border in Washington State. Its stunning, mountainous country, right at timberline in the Pasayten Wilderness yet we have it pretty much to ourselves (along with the bears, lynxes and mountain goats). Perhaps Im running away from home, for this is a dispiriting time in America: A former president has not only been indicted four times but may actually also be re-elected, our life expectancy is among the worst in the rich world, and large majorities of adults polled say our country is on the wrong track. Yet theres something still spectacularly right about the United States: our wild spaces. Some 40 percent of America is public land a credit to our forebears and we havent screwed that up yet (although climate-change-related fires endanger it). Yet just a few years later, Cold War liberalism emerged as a rejection of the optimism that flourished before the mid-20th centurys crises. Having witnessed the agonizing destruction of Germanys brief interwar experiment with democracy, liberals saw their Communist ally in that battle against fascism converted into a fearful enemy. They responded by reconceptualizing liberalism. Philosophers like the Oxford don Isaiah Berlin emphasized the concept of individual liberty, which was defined as the absence of interference, especially from the state. Gone was the belief that freedom is guaranteed by institutions that empower humanity. Instead of committing to make freedom more credible to more people for example, by promising a bright future of their own these liberals prioritized a fight against mortal enemies who might crash the system. This was a liberalism of fear, as another Cold War liberal intellectual, the Harvard professor Judith Shklar, said. In a way, fear was understandable: Liberalism had enemies. In the late 1940s, the Communists took over China, while Eastern Europe fell behind an Iron Curtain. But reorienting liberalism toward the preservation of liberty incurred its own risks. Anyone hostage to fear is likely to exaggerate how dangerous his foes actually are, to overreact to the looming threat they pose and to forsake better choices than fighting. (Ask Robert Oppenheimer, who signed up to beat the Nazis only to see paranoia spoil the country he volunteered to save.) During the Cold War, concern for liberty from tyranny and self-defense against enemies sometimes led not just to the loss of the very freedom liberals were supposed to care about at home; it also prompted violent reigns of terror abroad as liberals backed authoritarians or went to war in the name of fighting Communism. Millions died in the killing fields of this brutal global conflict, many of them at the hands of America and its proxies fighting in the name of freedom. Frustratingly, the Soviet Union was making the kinds of promises about freedom and progress that liberals once thought belonged to them. After all, in the 19th century liberals had overthrown aristocrats and kings and promised a world of freedom and equality in their stead. Liberals like the French politician and traveler Alexis de Tocqueville, though concerned about possible excesses of government, imagined democracy as a form of politics that offered startling new opportunities for equal citizenship. And while such liberals placed too much faith in markets both to emancipate and to equalize, they eventually struggled to correct this mistake. Liberals like the English philosopher John Stuart Mill helped invent socialism, too. The Cold War changed all that. It wasnt just that socialism became a liberal swear word for decades (at least before Senator Bernie Sanders helped revive it). Liberals concluded that the ideological passions that led millions around the world to Communism meant that they should refrain from promising emancipation themselves. We must be aware of the dangers which lie in our most generous wishes, the Columbia professor and Cold War liberal Lionel Trilling explained. Very few were taken aback by Yevgeny Prigozhins presumed death, even if the means plunging from the sky in a plane crash were undeniably dramatic. Such an eventuality had been widely discussed in both Russian and Western circles ever since the mercenary leaders short-lived mutiny in June. No matter that Mr. Prigozhin subsequently met with the Kremlin and seemed to come and go where he pleased. To many, it was only a matter of time until he got his comeuppance. Wednesdays events remain shrouded in mystery. Was Mr. Prigozhins jet shot down, or was there an explosion onboard? To what extent were the Russian authorities and, more pointedly, President Vladimir Putin himself involved in the incident? If Mr. Prigozhin was assassinated, was it a snap decision or a well thought-out plan conceived after the rebellion? The Kremlin, for its part, denies any involvement in the crash. Whatever the truth, its clear that Mr. Putin had ample reason to wish for Mr. Prigozhins demise, and not just as a matter of rehabilitating his reputation. Mr. Putin believes fervently in a powerful state. Western audiences often downplay this fundamental conviction, emphasizing instead Mr. Putins personal interests and individual priorities. Its true, of course, that theres a large dose of self-interest in the presidents conduct. But one of Mr. Putins gravest nightmares is the state becoming vulnerable, unable to address domestic challenges and on the brink of disintegration. Thats precisely what Mr. Prigozhin threatened. For that transgression, he may have paid with his life. Its a popular notion that Wagners ventures were all directed by the Kremlin, but in fact Mr. Prigozhin was consistently the driving force. He proactively identified areas where Russia was faltering or ineffective and offered his services as a stopgap, always in a way that could be construed as serving the national interest. Though Mr. Prigozhin collaborated closely with the Kremlin, he pursued his own private priorities. Yet while Mr. Putin undoubtedly sanctioned and funded these endeavors, for him the primacy of the state always took precedence. Nothing could be allowed to undermine it. Mr. Prigozhin would be permitted his ventures as long as he remained subservient to the state apparatus. The Second Murderer is the first Philip Marlowe book written by a woman. Me. Marlowe is, of course, the most famous creation of Raymond Chandler, perhaps the most famous of American crime novelists. Reading Chandler was always a guilty pleasure of mine, his vision of 1930s Los Angeles unfolding vividly for me all the way in cold and rainy Glasgow. On the one hand, there is his glorious writing, his blue-collar heroes and the occasional profound observations about the human experience. But theres also his liberal use of racial slurs, his portrayal of people of color and homosexuals as grotesque caricatures and the fact that his work is suffused with misogyny. It takes a strong stomach to read a story in which a woman needs a slap to calm her down. Crime fiction was, and is, anti-feminist. Thats why I chose to write it in the first place. Traditionally, women never had agency in crime fiction, and when I started out I wanted to try to shift the dial, casting in with a movement that already counted such lights as Sara Paretsky, Marcia Talley, Mary Wings and Val McDermid. The way I saw it, crime fiction was the new social novel, wrapped in a genre that already seemed to be reaching a wide audience of largely female readers. The knock on commercial fiction is that its often written so quickly that it tends to simply mirror, for good or ill, the social mores of the time that produced it. Chandler may have been a misogynist, but he definitely lived in misogynist times, and his fiction reflects that. When values change or views become more enlightened, these kind of books tend to age poorly. Sometimes this aging-out happens quite suddenly: How tired the endless copaganda procedurals seem now; how tone-deaf the books that end with the police justifiably shooting a suspect to death. The tsunami of books featuring women with faulty memories cannot be read in the same way since the #MeToo movement or in the context of changing attitudes about sexual violence and child abuse. Overnight, yesterdays resilient trope seems hopelessly offensive, even dangerous. Yet this same ability to mirror a moment, which potentially imperils a books longevity, also confers a great advantage to a commercial writer: the chance to change the way we speak collectively about a moment and become a powerful driver of social change. Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe may not be read much now, but through the 19th century it was outsold only by the Bible. What Is to Be Done?, a 1863 novel by Nikolai Chernyshevsky, arguably had a bigger impact on the worldview of Vladimir Lenin than did Marxs Capital. Imagined realities can be just as revolutionary as any written manifesto and much more accessible and fun to read. For a writer, thats an incredible opportunity. Like far too many of you, I watched the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday night, during which all of the most popular contenders in the field tried to stand out and establish themselves as a serious alternative for the Republican presidential nomination. An alternative to whom? Donald Trump, who wasnt onstage for the debate. And yet, despite his absence, there was no way that any of the candidates could escape his presence. The former president loomed over the proceedings, not the least because he is, so far, the uncontested leader in the race for the nomination. His nearest competitor, the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, still trails him by nearly 40 points. Theres also the fact that the candidates had no choice but to answer questions about Trump, who has been indicted on state and federal charges related to the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections and the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The pretense of the debate was that the candidates could talk about themselves and the future of the Republican Party without the former president, but that was simply impossible. But the issue wasnt just that Trump was unavoidable; it was that none of the other candidates had much to say for themselves. Even the most dynamic of the contenders, Vivek Ramaswamy, was doing little more than his own spin on Trumps persona. As I argued in our post-debate recap, none of the candidates had any of the charisma or presence or vision that might mark them as something more than just another governor or legislator. In the world of birding, Peter Kaestner stands alone. No one has seen and identified more birds than Mr. Kaestner, a retired U.S. diplomat who aspires to become the first birder to spot 10,000 of the planets roughly 11,000 avian species. With 9,697 on his eBird list so far, he is getting close. Yet for all the birds he has looked for and found, there remain a few that he has looked for and not found. He doesnt forget them. There was the Congo peacock a rare multicolored pheasant of the Central African rainforest that he missed in 1978, when his traveling party was stymied by a crash on the remote airstrip that they planned to search. There was a black-browed albatross he pursued off the German coast in 2015, some 300 miles and a four-hour ferry ride from Mr. Kaestners home in Frankfurt at the time. I made four 10-hour trips to twitch it, to no avail, Mr. Kaester wrote in an email. Once, I missed it by 20 minutes! I was 15 the first time it happened. I was staring at the empty apartment and wondering what would happen if the police figured out what my dad had done. For years, my family had been living in a commercial building illegal for residential use above my fathers Pilates studio. He had opened it in 1998 at Scheffel Hall, a New York City landmark on Third Avenue dating to 1895. Modeled after a 17th-century castle in Heidelberg, Germany, the building has an intricate terra-cotta facade. The interior is a little spooky, with intricately carved dark wood, gargoyles perched near the ceiling, trap doors and dumbwaiters. A golden statue of the Roman goddess Flora watches over the front hall. Scheffel Hall served as the beer-soaked setting for one of O. Henrys stories and once housed a jazz club, Fat Tuesdays. Within one of the walls, my father discovered a trove of framed photographs from a New York that had long ago passed of existence. My favorite was the portrait of Daisy and Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who worked the vaudeville circuit. An Arizona woman who was kidnapped last week was rescued after passing a note asking for help to a bystander, the local authorities said. The woman, who has not been named by the police, got into a blue Honda van that she believed to be her Uber last Monday morning at a Phoenix-area car dealership, according to the Yavapai County Sheriffs Office. But the van was driven by Jacob Wilhoit, 41, of Arizona, who is suspected of posing as an Uber driver, wearing a wig, to kidnap the woman. The two were acquainted, the police said, but she did not immediately recognize him. She had a restraining order against him after he had started visiting her home unannounced, according to a probable cause statement. Mr. Wilhoit has never been an Uber driver, according to a spokesman for Uber. According to the police, Mr. Wilhoit restrained the woman using duct tape and zip ties and then drove about 300 miles northwest to Las Vegas and spent the night at a park near Lake Mead, about 20 miles east of the city. On Tuesday, the police said, Mr. Wilhoit drove the woman another 150 miles east to a gas station in Seligman, Ariz., where she was able to pass a note asking for help to a customer. The note included a description of the van and a phone number and said that they were headed to Kingman, Ariz., and Las Vegas. A white gunman wearing a tactical vest barged into a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday and fatally shot three Black people in an attack that the authorities said they were investigating as a hate crime. The gunman died after shooting himself, Sheriff T.K. Waters of Jacksonville said at a news conference on Saturday evening. This shooting was racially motivated, and he hated Black people, Sheriff Waters said. On Sunday, Sheriff Waters identified the victims as Angela Michelle Carr, 52; Anolt Joseph Laguerre Jr., known as A.J., 29; and Jerrald DeShaun Gallion, 19. He identified the gunman as Ryan Christopher Palmeter, a 21-year-old from neighboring Clay County. He was armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a Glock handgun, both of which he purchased legally in Florida, officials said. The question from Mr. Masters was a rare chance for the governor to make his single best argument in one place. DeSantiss Answer Well, I think a few things. One is, I think Im much more likely to actually get elected, which is very important. I could serve two terms. Hed be a lame duck on Day 1 even if he could get elected. I have a track record of appointing really good people to office. I think he appointed a lot of duds to office, and it really hurt his ability to get his agenda done. I also think Im more likely to follow through on doing what I said I would do. You look in Florida, everything I promised, I did. I never made a promise that I didnt follow through on, and thats just how I am. I am not going to sit there and tell you something that you want to hear to try to get your vote, and then get in and just forget that it ever happened. The Subtext That was only the first 45 seconds of Mr. DeSantiss answer, in which he listed not just one of his selling points but many, contrasting his record of success in Florida with Mr. Trumps failure to build the border wall or drain the swamp. But his argument felt more like a series of bullet points than a comprehensive political vision. He went on for much longer, mentioning Mr. Trumps unrealized promise to lock up Hillary Clinton and accusing him of handing over his congressional agenda to Paul Ryan, the former Republican speaker of the House who is now seen by some in the G.O.P. as insufficiently conservative. True to his debate performance and campaign trail events, Mr. DeSantis never delivered a real punch. Why It Matters The governors path to victory is based on a slow-and-steady approach. While Mr. DeSantis may not have had a breakout moment at the debate on Wednesday, Republican voters thought he performed best of all the candidates, according to a snap poll by the Washington Post, FiveThirtyEight and Ipsos. And his campaign said he raised more than $1 million the following day, the most it has raised in 24 hours, apart from the day Mr. DeSantis announced he was running. The Kremlin is considering options on bringing the private military group Wagner under its direct control after the presumed death of its leader, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, according to U.S. and Western officials. Among those possibilities, officials say, are absorbing Wagner into the Defense Ministry or its military intelligence arm. The Kremlin could also install a Russian general or other government ally as its new chief, according to people briefed on the preliminary intelligence. Officials stressed that the future of Wagner, which Russia depended on as a parallel fighting force in Ukraine until it fell out of the Kremlins favor after a short-lived mutiny in June, was not at all clear. Still, U.S. officials said the Kremlin believes the organizations military prowess, experienced operators and ties to African governments are too valuable to give up or allow to wither away. A plane believed to be carrying Mr. Prigozhin crashed on Wednesday, Russian, U.S. and European officials have said. U.S. officials said the plane appeared to have been downed on the orders of President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, as revenge for Mr. Prigozhins aborted mutiny. He had sent a column of mercenaries toward Moscow in an attempt to oust the leadership of the Defense Ministry. U.S. officials believe an explosion aboard the plane, possibly a bomb, brought down the plane. Vivek Ramaswamy, rising in the polls and buoyed by the first Republican primary debate this week, was barnstorming through central Iowa on Friday with a trademark smile and a remarkably bleak generational diagnosis of what ails younger America. Millennials like himself, the entrepreneur and political newcomer explained to an overflowing audience in Pella, Iowa, are starved for purpose, meaning and identity; robbed of those anchors that made America great faith, patriotism, hard work, family; and stumbling from one cult to another race, gender, sexuality and climate activism. The government systematically lies to us, he said. He told another gathering in Indianola, We face a nonzero risk that the United States of America could cease to exist, obliterated by the blossoming alliance of Russia and China. Young Americans, he concluded, have a black hole in our hearts. It is hardly Ronald Reagans shining city on the hill, Bill Clintons bridge to the 21st century or the countless evocations of American exceptionalism that have buoyed politics for decades now, including those offered by some of his 2024 rivals. And yet somehow his evocation of a generational malaise seems to resonate, at least with the crowds that are packing the restaurants, cafes and even larger venues in the state that will cast the first ballots this January for the Republican presidential nomination. Noticeably, however, those crowds dont seem to include many young voters. And many of his views are out of step with those of his generation as well as with the one below it, particularly his positions on climate change he loudly rejects prescriptions for combating it, like eliminating, or even reducing, the burning of fossil fuels and the voting age, which he wants to raise, unless young voters can pass a civics test. In late 2006, in an effort to turn the page on a legacy of state-sponsored torture, prosecutors for the George W. Bush administration began an experiment at Guantanamo Bay. They set up teams of law enforcement officers to try to obtain voluntary confessions from men who had spent years in brutal conditions in isolated C.I.A. prisons. A military judge declared that experiment a failure, at least in one case. In a wide-ranging ruling, Col. Lanny J. Acosta Jr. threw out a confession that federal agents at Guantanamo Bay obtained in 2007 from a Saudi prisoner who is accused of plotting the suicide bombing of the U.S.S. Cole on Oct. 12, 2000. The attack, in the port of Aden, Yemen, killed 17 U.S. sailors. The agents testified that they were courteous and friendly to the prisoner, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, and made clear to him that his participation in interrogations in January and February of 2007 was voluntary. But Mr. Nashiri, who was arrested in 2002, had spent four years in secret C.I.A. prisons, where interrogators used violence, threats and punishment to get him to talk. The judge wrote on Aug. 18 that any resistance the accused might have been inclined to put up when asked to incriminate himself was intentionally and literally beaten out of him years before. First, Mr. Manuel is not an Obama appointee but rather participated in a leadership development program run by the Obama Foundation in 2019. Mr. Ramaswamy and other conservative personalities have derided comments Mr. Manuel made last year when he said that native Hawaiians like himself used to consider water something to revere and something that gives us life. On Aug. 8, the day wildfire engulfed a historic town in Hawaii, Mr. Manuel was contacted by the West Maui Land Company, a real estate developer that supplies water to areas southeast of the town of Lahaina on Maui island, The New York Times has reported. Noting high winds and drought, the company requested permission to fill a private reservoir for fire control, though the reservoir was not connected to fire hydrants. No fire was blazing in the area at the time. The water agency asked the company whether the fire department had made the request, received no answer and said that it needed the approval of a farmer who relied on the water for his crops. The company said that it could not reach the farmer, but that the agency approved the request hours later. Asked for evidence of Mr. Ramaswamys claim that filling the reservoir when initially requested would have prevented deaths from the fire, a spokeswoman said it was common sense if you can put out a fire faster using water, you can save lives. But state officials have said it is unlikely that the delay would have changed the course of the fire that swallowed Lahaina, as high winds would have prevented firefighters from gaining access to the reservoir. In an Aug. 10 letter to the water agency, an executive at the West Maui Land Company acknowledged that there was no way to know whether filling our reservoirs when initially requested would have changed the outcome, but asked the agency to temporarily suspend existing water regulations. The executive, in another letter, also wrote that we would never imply responsibility on Mr. Manuels part. Even as former President Donald J. Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case turned themselves in one by one at an Atlanta jail this week, their lawyers began working to change how the case will play out. They are already at odds over when they will have their day in court, but also, crucially, where. Should enough of them succeed, the case could split into several smaller cases, perhaps overseen by different judges in different courtrooms, running on different timelines. Five defendants have already sought to move the state case to federal court, citing their ties to the federal government. The first one to file Mark Meadows, Mr. Trumps chief of staff during the 2020 election will make the argument for removal on Monday, in a hearing before a federal judge in Atlanta. Federal officials charged with state crimes can move their cases to federal court if they can convince a judge that they are being charged for actions connected to their official duties, among other things. As a lawyer in China, Lu Siwei belonged to a rare and increasingly besieged group willing to take on sensitive cases to defend rights activists and political pariahs. To stop him, the authorities put him under surveillance and barred him from practice, depriving him of his livelihood. Mr. Lus wife and young daughter fled first, moving to the United States. Nearly two years later, it was Mr. Lus turn. He left China last month, crossing over into Laos. A few days later, as he was preparing to board a train to Thailand, he was arrested by local authorities. Accused of using fraudulent travel documents, he was in Laotian custody as of late August and facing the threat of deportation. Under Xi Jinping, Chinas most iron-fisted leader in decades, Chinese authorities have aggressively expanded their net outside the country. They have opened police outposts in foreign countries, offered bounties for critics who have fled overseas, pressured members of the Chinese diaspora to become informants, and secured the detention or deportation of exiles abroad. China previously had not been too concerned with dissidents overseas, confident that they would sink into relative oblivion, said Eva Pils, a law professor at Kings College London who studies human rights in China. That approach changed, she said, as some exiles emerged as high-profile critics of Beijings rights record, with several testifying repeatedly in front of a U.S. congressional committee. In Britain, which has a population of about 67 million people, there are an estimated 11 million pet dogs, according to a report this year by the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, a veterinary charity. Pet ownership surged during the pandemic, and now that workers are being encouraged to return to the office, some pets and their owners are struggling with the transition. A lot of people got dogs during the pandemic, and they want to come and see a film with their dog, said Jake Garriock, the head of publicity at Curzon. He said the new screenings were part of a larger program designed to let customers watch films in ways that best suit them, such as screenings for infants that feature reduced volume and increased lighting. For now, Curzon is allowing dogs of any breed at only one screening a week, at only one of the chains London locations, said Mr. Garriock. (And no, separate tickets are not required for dogs.) Theyre not allowed on the seats, and their owners must clean up any accidents. Curzon is not alone in welcoming dogs. Picturehouse Cinemas, another British chain, has offered pup-friendly screenings since 2015, and there are numerous independent movie theaters in Britain that do so. (Most cinemas, however, allow only service dogs.) But, he acknowledged, the biggest challenge lies with the farmers. For Ms. Breunissen, who is 48 and works as a veterinarian in addition to her duties on the farm, none of the government-proposed options seem feasible. She is too young to quit and too old to uproot her life, she said, and the authorities have not provided enough support and information on how to change what she now does. There are so many questions, she said. The trust in the government is completely gone. A New Political Force The disappointment of farmers with establishment parties is feeding new political movements and in some places has made rural communities a ripe new constituency for far-right nationalist parties and others. Although only nine million out of almost 400 million voters in Europe work in agriculture, they are a vocal and influential bloc that attracts the sympathy of many on a continent where a nations identity is often tied to the food it produces. A host of new groups are vying to displace traditional parties. They include the Farmer Citizen Movement, known by its Dutch acronym BBB, which was established four years ago. The party has just one seat in the 150-member Dutch House of Representatives, but it swept regional elections in March, and polls predict it will do well in national elections in November. As the Russian military reeled on the battlefield in Ukraine last autumn, a foul-mouthed ex-convict with a personal connection to President Vladimir V. Putin stepped out of the shadows to help. Yevgeny V. Prigozhin for years had denied any connection to the Wagner mercenary group and operated discreetly on the margins of Russian power, trading in political skulduggery, cafeteria meals and lethal force. Now, he was front and center, touting the Wagner brand known for its savagery and personally recruiting an army of convicts to aid a flailing Russian war operation starved for personnel. The efforts that Mr. Prigozhin and a top Russian general seen as close to him, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, would undertake in the subsequent months would alter the course of the war. As Kyiv and Washington debate where Ukraine should commit troops along the wars front line, Ukraines top general in the east has called for more reinforcements in a patch of territory where Russia is threatening to make additional gains. Russian forces have managed to push forward around the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kupiansk in recent weeks as Kyivs forces have made slow headway in their continuing counteroffensive in the south and the east. Russias gains, while not significant, have led Ukrainian forces to dedicate some troops to defend parts of the sprawling front line, which stretches for several hundred miles, despite their need elsewhere. Enemy units continue to inflict damage with artillery, mortars and aircraft, Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, the commander of Ukraines eastern forces, said on the Telegram messaging app on Friday. Under such conditions, we must promptly take all measures to strengthen our defenses on the threatened lines and advance where possible. The debate over Ukraines strategy has spilled into public view in recent days amid a flurry of news media reports, including from The New York Times, in which U.S. officials have blamed Ukraines slow progress in large part on its strategy. Mykola Honchar lives in a crumbling stone house in what is left of a tiny hamlet of eastern Ukraine. The town was attacked by Russian forces in June of last year, as the Wagner mercenary forces were spearheading a renewed offensive. Even before the Kremlin set Wagner loose to wreak havoc in Ukraine, the Russian campaign was notable for its brutality. But from the moment Wagner forces entered the war in April 2022, they earned a special reputation for bloodlust from civilians and soldiers alike. To Mr. Honchar, the death this week of Wagners leader, Yevgeny V. Prigozhin, responsible for so much carnage in the war, would be fitting a violent end to a violent life. Last fall, American diplomats received grim news that border guards in Saudi Arabia, a close U.S. partner in the Middle East, were using lethal force against African migrants who were trying to enter the kingdom from Yemen. The diplomats got more detail in December, when United Nations officials presented them with information about Saudi security forces shooting, shelling and abusing migrants, leaving many dead and wounded, according to U.S. officials and a person who attended the meetings, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity since they were not authorized to speak to journalists. In the months since, American officials have not publicly criticized the Saudis conduct, although State Department officials said this past week, following a published report of the killings, that U.S. diplomats have raised the issue with their Saudi counterparts and asked them to investigate. It remains unclear whether those discussions have affected Saudi actions. The Saudi security forces violence along the border came to the fore in a report by Human Rights Watch on Monday that accused them of shooting and firing explosive projectiles at Ethiopian migrants, killing hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of them during the 15-month period that ended in June. Gruha Lakshmi Scheme Application WhatsApp Number: How To Submit The Link Using Chatbot? WhatsApp Introduces Screen Lock Feature for Desktop Users: How To Use It? Here Is The New Version Of WhatsApp User Interface Design Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah Becomes First CM In India To Launch WhatsApp Channel Android Users Beware Of WhatsApp Pink Scam India oi-Sushmita Halder A severe warning has been issued by the governments and police departments of several states across the country against a new scam 'WhatsApp Pink Scam'. Reportedly, the 'WhatsApp Pink' scam has duped several persons. A tweet from the North Region Cyber Police Crime Wing has issued a warning "WHATSAPP PINK - A Red Alert For Android Users." Even the Government's Cybersecurity agencies have also issued several warnings against rising cases of WhatsApp Pink Scam. Now what is WhatsApp Pink Scam? And how will you safeguard yourself from this scam? WhatsApp Pink is a fake version of the basic Android app that claims to offer enhanced features. Scammers send messages asking users to download 'New Pink Look WhatsApp with extra features'. Scamsters will get easy access to your phone's data if you download WhatsApp Pink. Later they can misuse your bank details, contact numbers, photos, and more. You can also receive messages from your friends who are hacked to download the app. Android Users have to be careful as Apple does not allow users to download apps from third-party app stores or APK files. By downloading WhatsApp Pink, users risk losing control of their mobile devices completely. Fraudsters may get complete access to the user's mobile including calls and messages. Cyber security agencies as well as police have warned users that hackers may access personal photos to blackmail them or for the wrong purpose. To stay safe from the WhatsApp Pink scam, make sure that you download the WhatsApp app or any update from the Google Play Store only. Do not download any version of WhatsApp from a third-party app store or an APK file how many extra features they may promise. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Sunday, August 27, 2023, 2:21 [IST] From sorries to hugs to kisses: Things this little boy did to get ma'am's apology! (Watch viral video) 'Should Shock The Conscience Of The State': SC Slams UP Govt On Muzaffarnagar School Slap Case Caught On Camera: UP Teacher Makes Students Beat Fellow Classmate; Probe On India oi-Madhuri Adnal In a distressing incident unfolded within a classroom where a school teacher encouraged students to physically assault a Muslim student in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The incident occurred in Khabbarpur village, and a video capturing the incident has gone viral on various social media platforms, prompting a police investigation. In the 39-second clip, the teacher, identified as Tripta Tyagi by officers familiar with the matter, can be heard saying, "I have declared jitne bhi Mohammedan bachhe hai..." as she directed the remaining students, one by one, to slap the Muslim student. In the viral video, students took turns slapping their classmate under the teacher's encouragement to "hit him harder." At one point, she even instructed a student to target the Muslim student's waist after he had already been slapped. The student's father informed India Today that he withdrew his son from the school and reached an understanding with the school authorities. As per their agreement, he refrained from filing a police complaint, and the school committed to refunding his son's admission fees. However, with the video gaining widespread attention, the police initiated an investigation into the matter. The Superintendent of Mansurpur Police, SP Satyanarayan Prajapat, stated that they spoke with the school's principal and are actively looking into the video's contents. UP Teacher Makes Students Thrash Classmate; Disturbing Clip Goes Viral The SP explained, "Police were alerted to the video through social media. In the footage, a female teacher instructed other students to physically harm their fellow classmate because he had not memorized a mathematical table. Disturbing remarks are audible in the video as well. The police conducted an inquiry into the video and engaged with the school's principal." He went on to clarify, "It has come to light that the female teacher commented that mothers of Muslim students who do not pay attention to their children's studies inadvertently lead them astray." The senior police officer informed that the education department has been informed, and appropriate actions will be taken against the teacher. Shubham Shukla, a representative of the Department of Basic Education, reported that a team has been assembled to conduct a comprehensive investigation into both the teacher's actions and the school's management. US supermodel Bella Hadid has clashed with Israel's national security minister over his remarks about Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Israels far-right national security minister lashed out at supermodel Bella Hadid on Friday for criticizing his recent fiery televised remarks about Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The 26-year-old star condemned Itamar Ben-Gvir's on Instagram after he expressed that the right to life and movement for Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank trumped the right to movement for Palestinians. In an interview with Israels Channel 12, Itamar Ben-Gvir argued that his right to freedom of movement as a Jewish settler outweighs the same right for Palestinians. My right, the right of my wife and my children, to move around Judea and Samaria is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs, Ben-Gvir said Wednesday, using the Israeli name for the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian population has persistently opposed travel restrictions, including checkpoints, imposed by Israel in the West Bank - a region where they exercise partial self-governance under Israeli occupation. Ben-Gvir, who resides in the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba close to the West Bank city of Hebron, the largest Palestinian city, claimed that these restrictions were crucial for safeguarding his family's security. Hadid, a supermodel and social media influencer whose father is Palestinian, shared an excerpt from Ben-Gvirs interview with her 59.5 million followers on Instagram on Thursday, writing: In no place, no time, especially in 2023 should one life be more valuable than anothers. Especially simply because of their ethnicity, culture or pure hatred. She also posted a video from leading Israeli rights group BTselem showing Israeli soldiers in the southern West Bank city of Hebron telling a resident that Palestinians are not permitted to walk on a certain street because it is reserved for Jews. Does this remind anyone of anything? she wrote. In response, Ben-Gvir issued a statement on Friday labelling Hadid as an "Israel hater". Ben-Gvir statement on television has drawn widespread criticism as commentators seized on it as proof of allegations that Israel is turning into an apartheid system that seeks to maintain Israel hegemony from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Protesters thronged outside Ben-Gvirs home in a West Bank settlement Friday to condemn his remarks. The catchphrase Sorry, Mohammad became meme fodder for social media as critics posted it alongside videos of Israeli violence against Palestinians. There are at least 645 checkpoints and roadblocks restricting Palestinian movement in the West Bank, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which closely tracks movement and access in the West Bank and Gaza, said Friday. Over half the barriers severely hamper Palestinians in their efforts to go about their daily lives, the agency said Search Keywords: Short link: India To Observe August 23 As National Space Day To Celebrate Chandrayaan-3's Success India oi-Madhuri Adnal India will observe August 23 as National Space Day to commemorate the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 lander on the lunar South Pole on that day in 2023. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during his visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. The Prime Minister arrived in Bengaluru to extend his congratulations to the scientists of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO). Now onwards, every year, 23rd August will be celebrated as the National Space Day. pic.twitter.com/R2sR56bvst PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 26, 2023 Upon his arrival at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) airport, Modi addressed the gathered multitude, expressing that not only individuals within India but also people worldwide who believe in science are part of this celebration. Furthermore, PM Modi announced that the site where Chandrayaan-3's lunar lander touched down would now be named 'Shiv Shakti'. PM Modi Names Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site 'Shiv Shakti' And Chandrayaan-2 Crash Site 'Tiranga As India joins the global festivities in acknowledging its historic achievement of lunar landing, queries arise about the rationale behind ISRO's selection of the Vikram lander for the moon's South Pole. ISRO Chief S Somanath elucidated the rationale behind choosing the moon's South Pole for Chandrayaan-3's landing. He stated, "We have approached the South Pole, which is at nearly 70 degrees. The South Pole offers an advantage due to its reduced exposure to sunlight. This characteristic presents the potential for greater scientific exploration... Scientists dedicated to lunar research have exhibited significant interest in the South Pole. Ultimately, as humans aspire to establish colonies and venture beyond, we are seeking the most optimal location, and the South Pole holds the promise for that aspiration..." Mobile Internet Services Suspended In Haryana's Nuh district India oi-PTI The Haryana government on Saturday ordered suspension of mobile internet and the bulk SMS services in the communally charged Nuh till August 28 in view of the call for a 'Shobha Yatra'. The government announced the decision apprehending spread of rumours through social media by anti-social elements ahead or during the rally called to be held on Monday. The suspension order was issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) T V S N Prasad on Saturday. The Haryana government had earlier too suspended the mobile internet services in Nuh after the breaking out of communal clashes. Haryana: Another Nuh Violence Accused Held After Gunfight With Police Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, had died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a religious procession of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) was attacked by a mob on July 31. ''... This order is issued to prevent disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of district Nuh and shall be in force with effect from August 26, 1200 hrs, to August 28, 2359 hrs..,'' the order issued by Prasad read. Earlier on Friday, Nuh Deputy Commissioner had written to the ACS (Home) bringing to his notice that there is a call from 'Sarv Jatiya Hindu Mahapanchayat' for a 'Brij Mandal Shoba Yatra' on August 28 in the district and there is an apprehension of misuse of social media/bulk messages by anti-social elements to disturb the peace. ''Therefore, it is necessary to suspend all the mobile internet and bulk SMS service in Nuh district to avoid any untoward situation,'' the DC wrote, requesting the ACS (Home) to issue necessary directions. In his Saturday order, Prasad said there is a clear potential of disruption of public utilities, damage to public assets and amenities and disturbance of public law and order in Nuh through spread of rumours and inflammatory content through the internet. Nuh Violence: Cops Catch Accused Bittu Bajrangi Near His Faridabad House He ordered the temporary suspension of the mobile internet services (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, CDMA, GPRS), bulk SMS (excluding banking and mobile recharge) and all dongle services provided on mobile networks except voice calls. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 12:48 [IST] Tejasvi Surya Says People Will Respond Sharply to Opposition's Posture Against Sanatan Dharma MP Elections: Congress Banks On Muslim Votes In At Least 22 Seats Shivraj Singh Chouhan Begins Poll Campaign from Budhni, Urges People to Consider Themselves as Shivraj MP: 4 People Lose Lives In Shivpuri After A Pickup Van Falls Into A Ditch India oi-Sushmita Halder At least four persons were killed on Saturday after a pick-up van carrying buffaloes fell into a ditch in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district. The incident took place on the Narwar-Bhitarwar road near Kerua village 50 km from the district headquarters. According to the PTI reports, the deceased have been identified as Nasir Qureshi, Sannu Qureshi, Sameer Qureshi, and Farman Qureshi. According to Sumit Sharma, Narwar Outpost In Charge, the deceased belonged to Rajasthan's Dholpur. He further informed that the four persons purchased buffaloes from Shivpuri and were returning to their home in Rajasthan. Narwar Outpost In Charge, Sharma added that the driver lost control of the vehicle and the pickup van rolled down a ditch. The trolley carrying buffaloes then rammed into the pickup van and the four persons succumbed to injuries. The bodies of the deceased have been sent for post-mortem for the police investigations. A similar incident took place in Kerala's Wayanad district that killed at least nine people including women. Reportedly, the deceased died after a jeep carrying tea plantation workers fell into a deep gorge in Wayanad district. The police informed that the driver lost control and plunged the vehicle into a gorge which led to the death of 12 people travelling in the jeep. The mishap took place at around 3.30 PM on the Valad-Mananthavady road, the police said. However, the victims were rushed to a hospital at Mananthavady where nine of them were declared dead and the remaining were in serious condition according to the police. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 22:24 [IST] Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav React After School Teacher Abusing Muslim Classmate Goes Viral India oi-Sushmita Halder The Muzaffarnagar Police on Saturday booked an F.I.R. against a teacher for making a class 2 student slap her Muslim classmate in Khubbapur village. The teacher has been identified as Tripti Tyagi. According to the video that went viral on social media, Tyagi is accused of asking her class 2 students to slap the boy in the classroom. However, Tyagi denied the allegations by saying that the video had been tampered with. She further stated that she was forced to take such an action as she was handicapped. As per a media report, Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat was quoted saying that the person who filmed the video claimed that the accused teacher abused the parents of the Muslim students for not paying attention to their studies. 'Was Under Pressure, Made Students Beat Up Classmate As I'm Handicapped,' Says UP Teacher Reportedly the the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) has been directed for departmental action against the accused teacher. As per the viral video, Tyagi is seen saying "Abki baar kamar pe maaro... chalo... muh pe na maaro, ab muh laal ho raha hai... kamar pe maaro saare (Hit him on the waist... his face is turning red... hit him on the waist instead)." Meanwhile, leaders from different political parties have commented on the incident which spread like fire on social media. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of the incident. Gandhi in his post on X, formerly Twitter, said, "Sowing the poison of discrimination in the minds of innocent children, turning a holy place like school into a marketplace of hatred - nothing worse a teacher can do for the country. This is the same kerosene spread by the BJP which has set every corner of India on fire. Children are the future of India - we all have to teach them love not hatred." Caught On Camera: UP Teacher Makes Students Beat Fellow Classmate; Probe On On the other hand, Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded the termination of the accused teacher. G20 pic.twitter.com/GrlpQSjp3L Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) August 26, 2023 However, taking a dig at Yadav, BJP spokesperson Harishchandra Srivastava tagged Yadav's post as a "political agenda". "The tweet made by Akhilesh Yadav regarding the Muzaffarnagar school incident is superficial politics and a disgusting political agenda to create disharmony in the society. We all in our student life have been punished by the teacher in school for not remembering tables, not correcting Maths questions or not having good writing, and this is a natural process of improving discipline and talent in students," he said. If Ramanagara District Is Renamed As Bangalore South, Property Prices May Soar In The Area PM Modi Meets Chandrayaan-3 Team At ISRO Mission Control Complex In Bengaluru | Watch India oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with ISRO Chief S. Somanath and other scientists of the ISRO team involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission at the ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru on Saturday morning. He congratulated them for the successful landing of the Vikram lander on the lunar South Pole on August 23. ISRO Chairman S. Somanath briefed PM Modi on the developments of Chandrayaan-3 on his arrival in Bengaluru on Saturday. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi at ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/IO3YxuV4JE ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 Modi also held a road show in Bengaluru ahead of his visit to the ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex to meet with the ISRO team. Upon his arrival at the complex, Modi hugged ISRO Chairman S. Somanath and met with other scientists. He also clicked pictures with the team. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets ISRO chief S Somanath and other scientists of the ISRO team involved in #Chandrayaan3 Mission at ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru and congratulates them for the successful landing of pic.twitter.com/D4icGMVAkP ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 PM Modi had flown down to Bengaluru directly from Athens, Greece, where he had been attending a summit. He said that he was "overjoyed" by the success of the mission and that it was a "historic moment" for India. Modi also said that he was "proud" of the scientists and engineers who had made the mission possible. He said that their dedication and passion were "truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector." The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a major milestone for India's space program. It is the first time that India has successfully landed a lander on the lunar South Pole. This achievement puts India in an elite group of countries that have successfully landed on the moon. The mission is also a major boost for India's scientific and technological capabilities. It demonstrates India's ability to undertake complex and challenging space missions. The success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission is a source of great pride for India. It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the scientists and engineers who made it possible. It is also a sign of India's growing capabilities in the space sector. PM Modi Names Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site 'Shiv Shakti' And Chandrayaan-2 Crash Site 'Tiranga India oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday named the landing site of Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar South Pole as "Shiv Shakti Point" and the crash site of Chandrayaan-2 as "Tiranga Point." He made the announcement during his visit to the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru. Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an 'extraordinary moment' in the history of India's India's space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as ''Tiranga Point''. August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as ''National Space Day'', said the Prime Minister, who turned emotional while addressing the team ISRO at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, as he lavishly praised them for their dedication and passion. The point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed will now be known as 'Shiv Shakti'. pic.twitter.com/C4KAxLDk22 PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 26, 2023 While addressing the scientists, PM Modi said,''Today, I am feeling a different level of happiness...such occasions are very rare...this time, I was so restless...I was in South Africa but my mind was with you.'' #WATCH | "Today, I am feeling a different level of happiness...such occasions are very rare...this time, I was so restless...I was in South Africa but my mind was with you: PM Modi at ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/j1qmx7jGTp ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 PM Modi also lavished praise on the scientists and expressed his gratitude to them for placing the Indian flag on the Moon. "India is on the Moon. We have our national pride placed on the Moon. We have reached a place where no one has reached before. We have achieved a feat which no one has achieved before. This is today's India. Bold and Brave," PM Modi said. It must be noted that the name "Shiv Shakti" is a reference to the Hindu deity Shiva, who is associated with power and strength. The name "Tiranga" refers to the Indian flag, which is a symbol of national pride. ISRO Chairman Briefs PM Modi On Rover Pragyaan And Lander Vikram | Watch Video Modi's decision to name the landing sites was welcomed by scientists and politicians alike. They said that it was a fitting tribute to India's space exploration achievements and would inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. #WATCH | The spot where Chandrayaan-3s moon lander landed, that point will be known as Shivshakti, announces Prime Minister Narendra Modi at ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/1zCeP9du8I ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 ISRO Chairman S Somanath briefed him about the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A large number of people, many of them holding aloft national flags, gathered outside the HAL Airport and Jalahalli Cross, which is close to ISTRAC, to greet the Prime Minister. On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi had joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from Johannesburg, where he was attending the 15th BRICS summit. PM Modi had also flown down to Bengaluru on the night of September 6, 2019 to watch the planned touch down of Chandrayaan-2 mission's 'Vikram' lander. But in the early hours of September seven, barely minutes before it was slated to land, ISRO lost contact with the craft, just 2.1 kms above the lunar surface. The Chandrayaan-3 mission is the third lunar mission undertaken by India. The mission successfully landed the Vikram lander on the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023. The lander is carrying the Pragyan rover, which is scheduled to roll out of the lander on September 6. The Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched in July 2019. The mission's orbiter and lander successfully made it to the moon, but the lander crashed during its descent. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 is a major milestone for India's space program. It is the first time that India has landed a spacecraft on the lunar South Pole. The mission is expected to provide valuable insights into the lunar surface and its evolution. Earlier in the day, PM Modi flew down to Bengaluru around 6 am directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. Addressing a large number of people gathered outside the HAL airport, the PM said since he was coming from a far-off place (Athens) he did not know what time he would reach here, and he requested Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar not to take the trouble of coming to receive him as he would return soon after paying tributes to ISRO scientists. If Ramanagara District Is Renamed As Bangalore South, Property Prices May Soar In The Area PM Modi Hails ISRO Scientists With 'Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan' Slogan In Bengaluru | Watch India oi-Madhuri Adnal Prime Minister Narendra Modi, upon his arrival at HAL airport in Bengaluru, raised the slogan "Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan" to express his pride in India's successful landing of the Vikram lander on the lunar South Pole. He expressed his excitement at the successful landing of the Vikram lander on the lunar South Pole. He said that he had been eager to return to India and meet the scientists who had made this achievement possible. #WATCH | Karnataka | Prime Minister Narendra Modi raises the slogan 'Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan' outside HAL airport in Bengaluru. PM Modi will shortly meet scientists of the ISRO team involved in Chandrayaan-3 Mission. pic.twitter.com/1FHiz9or4h ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 "Being away from the country, my excitement was uncontrollable. Hence, my immediate priority was to visit Bengaluru and meet our esteemed scientists, right after my return to India," he said. #WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka | PM Narendra Modi says "I could not control myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India." pic.twitter.com/xFWnvoMANU ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 PM Modi Conferred With Second-Highest Civilian Honour By Greek President Sakellaropoulou Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to Bengaluru on Saturday morning directly from the Greek capital of Athens to congratulate and interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. Modi is slated to visit ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, where he would be briefed by top ISRO officials about the progress of the country's third Lunar venture. "Landed in Bengaluru. Looking forward to interacting with our exceptional @isro scientists who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3! Their dedication and passion are truly the driving forces behind our nation's achievements in the space sector," the PM said in a post on 'X'. The Prime Minister returned after concluding his four-day tour of South Africa and Greece. In Johannesburg, Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22 to 24. "He (Modi) reached Bengaluru directly after his visit to South Africa and Greece", an official said. On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi had joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from South Africa. Requested Karnataka Guv, CM, Dy CM Not To Take Trouble Of Coming Early To Receive Me, Says PM Modi India oi-PTI Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday he had requested the Karnataka Governor, Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister not to come to the airport to receive him as he did not want them to take the trouble of coming early in the morning as he was not sure of his arrival time after a long flight. PM Modi flew down to Bengaluru around 6 am directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. Addressing a large number of people gathered outside the HAL airport, the PM said since he was coming from a far-off place (Athens) he did not know what time he would reach here, and he requested Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar not to take the trouble of coming to receive him as he would return soon after paying tributes to ISRO scientists. PM Modi Names Chandrayaan-3 Landing Site 'Shiv Shakti' And Chandrayaan-2 Crash Site 'Tiranga ''So, I had requested them that when I pay a formal visit, they definitely follow protocol'', Modi said. ''They cooperated and I am thankful and grateful to them,'' he said. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bengaluru visit to meet ISRO scientists, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday alleged that he purportedly barred Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar from receiving him at the HAL Airport. Ramesh alleged that the PM was irritated with Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for felicitating the ISRO scientists before him, and termed Modi barring the Chief Minister and his deputy as ''petulant petty politics''. Siddaramaiah on Thursday visited the Missions Operations Complex at ISTRAC) and felicitated ISRO chief S Somanath and his team on the successful touch down of Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander on the Lunar surface. ISRO Chairman Briefs PM Modi On Rover Pragyaan And Lander Vikram | Watch Video ''The government will officially honour them by organising a special programme at the Banquet hall at Vidhana Soudha. About 500 scientists from Karnataka were part of it. ISRO Chairman (S) Somanath and his team will be honoured,'' Siddaramaiah had said. India on Wednesday scripted history as ISRO's ambitious third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) touched down on the lunar surface, making it only the fourth country to accomplish the feat, and first to reach the uncharted south pole of Earth's only natural satellite. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2023, 9:25 [IST] 'Was Under Pressure, Made Students Beat Up Classmate As I'm Handicapped,' Says UP Teacher India oi-Madhuri Adnal The school teacher who was seen in a viral video, allegedly encouraging students to assault a fellow classmate in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, spoke out on Saturday. She said that the circulated video was edited and truncated, and she had no intention of promoting such actions. Additionally, she emphasized the unity between Hindus and Muslims in the local community. "The video that was made viral was edited and cut, I had no such intentions...in our place, Hindus and Muslims stay with unity and we have more Muslim students in our school...there was pressure from the parents of the child to be strict with him. I am handicapped I can't get up...he was not doing homework for last 2 months...so I made 2-3 students beat him up so that he would start doing his work...,'' said Tripta Tyagi, Principal of Neha Public School seen in viral video instigating students to beat their classmate. #WATCH | "The video that was made viral was edited and cut, I had no such intentionsin our place, Hindus and Muslims stay with unity and we have more Muslim students in our schoolthere was pressure from the parents of the child to be strict with him. I am handicapped I cant pic.twitter.com/WYpbFGetik ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 "What I said was 'Muhamdan mothers' must not take their kids to their uncles' homes as the exam is approaching. But they cut this video and took the 'Muhamdan' word...I had no such intentions...I have made a mistake and I seek apology with folded hands," she added. Caught On Camera: UP Teacher Makes Students Beat Fellow Classmate; Probe On The father of the child featured in the video, where his classmates are seen assaulting him, has revealed that his nephew recorded the video and the teacher compelled the students to repeatedly subject the child to the beatings. He asserted that the child underwent hours of torment and emphasized that this issue transcends religious boundaries, urging the legal system to follow its course. #WATCH | UP: "My son is seven years old. This incident happened on 24th August. The teacher made the students beat my child again & again. My nephew made the video and had gone to school for some work...My seven-year-old child was tortured for an hour or two. He is scared...This https://t.co/qQ7FaiPbza pic.twitter.com/zEelhTdK6G ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 "My son, aged seven, was subjected to this incident on August 24. The teacher coerced the students to repeatedly beat my child. The video was recorded by my nephew, who had visited the school for a different purpose... My child, just seven years old, endured hours of torture. He is traumatized... This isn't about Hindu or Muslim; we expect the legal system to take appropriate action," expressed the father, quoted by ANI. Muzaffarnagar Police confirmed the registration of a complaint in the case, ensuring necessary measures will be taken. Muzaffarnagar DM Arvind Mallappa shared that the child shown in the viral video is receiving counseling sessions from the Child Welfare Committee. #WATCH | UP: "The video has been circulating since yesterday evening & an inquiry was conducted. On inquiry, it was found that the video was filmed by the boy's uncle...This morning their complaint was registered. The Child Welfare Committee is giving counselling sessions to the pic.twitter.com/ReOEw7lzi5 ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 "With the video circulating since yesterday evening, an investigation was conducted. It was discovered that the video was captured by the boy's uncle... A formal complaint was lodged this morning. The Child Welfare Committee is currently providing counseling sessions to the child. As the complaint has been registered, appropriate actions will be taken," stated Muzaffarnagar DM Arvind Mallappa, quoted by ANI. One bar has renamed its White Russian cocktail a Dead Russian and donates all proceeds from purchases of it to the.. Brisbane Times 27 Aug 2023 New Delhi: Italy will reduce the processing time of Schengen visa which enables travel to Europe - for Indian citizens, said the Italian ambassador to India, Vincenzo De Luca, recently. Italy is keen to cut the waiting period for visas by Indians, he added. Currently, the processing time for business and tourist visas is 48 hours, said the Italian emissary. Referring to the efforts in reducing the delay, De Luca said that during the first seven months of 2023, Italy had issued 38 per cent more visas to Indians than last year. In another significant announcement, the ambassador said that Italy would increase the number of work permits for Indian professionals. In 2022, this number was raised to 15,000 and this year, the figure will be increased further, he explained. Meanwhile, Italy has issued 5,000 student visas to Indians so far this year. India and Italy are also engaged in discussions to sign a mobility agreement, which would create more opportunities for health professionals such as doctors and nurses, said the ambassador. "This feels like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." - LACOE Board Member Theresa Montano, Ed.D. While Jerry Brown's lobbying efforts last week may have delayed the closure of the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI), he does not appear to have changed the rogue charter school's trajectory. He was able to get the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) Board to cancel its scheduled vote to revoke the charter at its August 15, 2023 meeting. However, this motion was replaced by consideration of yet another Notice of Violation. The postponement will only harm the students as it allows the charter school to leave them in a state of limbo instead of helping them to transition to new schools in an orderly manner. Digging in against NVMI's politically connected supporters, the staff at LACOE presented to their board a detailed case of how the charter school continues to be plagued by systematic structural failures. The evidence was so overwhelming that it resulted at times in audible gasps from the audience. Swayed by the evidence, the LACOE Board voted unanimously to issue a Notice of Violation giving the school until August 30, 2023, to fix the multitude of violations or face charter revocation. While NVMI's charter is still technically active, the charter school was specifically told that it cannot lawfully open. With LAUSD schools having already started the new school year, NVMI's students are falling further behind every day that the charter school pretends that it will open again. LACOE's Superintendent, Debra Duardo, implored NVMI to inform parents that they should immediately enroll their children in new schools. Before the meeting, I sent the members of the LACOE Board a letter detailing the reasons why they should have skipped giving NVMI another opportunity to fix their long-standing issues and, instead, shut the school down immediately: What harm is inflicted upon a child when he is given a diploma that is not worth the paper it is printed on? While the North Valley Military Institute (NVMI) boasts of a 94% graduation rate, the report submitted for Tuesday's meeting states that only 1% of the charter school's 11th-grade students met or exceeded math standards on the CAASPP. For English Language Arts, 26% of students met or exceeded standards, an improvement over the 14% who did so the previous year. With these results, how can future employers have confidence that any of these graduates have the basic knowledge to do their jobs? Last year, NVMI's lawyer told the LAUSD that 100% of its Seniors are accepted into four-year colleges. Did this include the 6% who did not even graduate? Was the school just pushing to drive applications without providing any support for actually receiving a college education? This seems to be the case as only 39.5% of its students go to any two- or four-year college. As stated in your staff's report: "it is evident that NVMI is failing to serve its students." This is a failure shared by LACOE. A previous iteration of this board ignored both the LAUSD and its staff to extend this charter despite the warning signs that it was failing to meet the needs of its students five years ago. The CAASPP test results declined precipitously in the 2018-19 school year, but no real action was taken by the LACOE board at that time. How many students were harmed in the years the school was allowed to continue operating despite its obvious incompetence? While NVMI was supposed to start its new school year yesterday, it still does not have an approved site even though its Memorandum of Understanding with the County required this to be in place by July 3. The site the charter school proposed has yet to be inspected by your staff, lacks the proper Certificate of Occupancy (COO) needed to operate a high school, and is not specified in the charter. This puts LACOE in a position of allowing the school to operate illegally or ignoring the fact that its students are not in school when they should be. This makes the proposed August 30, 2023, deadline untenable. If the school does not have an approved campus, it needs to be shut down immediately. It should also be noted that NVMI's request for a Material Revision is incomplete as it does not include any comparison data for the schools in the neighborhood it is moving into. Under AB-1505 the charter school's authorizer is obliged to determine how a proposed charter school will affect other publicly financed schools, both public and charter, in the area. These comparisons are impossible without this type of data. The failure to provide it will extend the time needed to evaluate the request and further delay the ability of the school to legally operate. By your staff's admission, NVMI has still not cured the Notice of Violation issued on July 7, 2023. Why would there be any expectation that another two weeks will result in anything different? Giving the charter school a new deadline only delays the inevitable result and allows continued harm to children. According to the paperwork submitted by the staff of LACOE, this board can immediately revoke NVMI's charter if it "determines, in writing, that the violation constitutes a severe and imminent threat to the health or safety of the pupils." Not having an approved location means NVMI's students will not be in school, and will, therefore, possibly be unsupervised during school hours. Furthermore, an extended closure of the school will leave students, many of whom are already considered "at-risk" vulnerable to dropping out of school altogether. Additionally, 20.8% of students who have disabilities will not be receiving services required by their IEP. With students' health and safety jeopardized, LACOE must act immediately to revoke NVMI's charter and help students begin the transition process into other schools. Any delay threatens the well-being of these children. Carl Petersen is a parent advocate for public education, particularly for students with special education needs, who serves as the Education Chair for the Northridge East Neighborhood Council. As a Green Party candidate in LAUSD's District 2 School Board race, he was endorsed by Network for Public Education (NPE) Action. Dr. Diane Ravitch has called him "a valiant fighter for public schools in Los Angeles." For links to his blogs, please visit www.ChangeTheLAUSD.com. Opinions are his own. President Arif Alvi has snubbed Pakistan's all-powerful army by refusing to sign two pivotal bills, the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill 2023. On Saturday, it was reported in media that President Arif Alvi has signed the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Pakistan Army Act (Amendment) Bill, 2023. However, in a dramatic turn of events, Pakistan's President Arif Alvi denied signing the two bills. In a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account, President Alvi said to have instructed his staff to return the bills unsigned within the stipulated time to render them ineffective. "As God is my witness, I did not sign Official Secrets Amendment Bill, 2023 and 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 and command. As Allah knows all, He will forgive Insha'Allah. But I ask forgiveness from those who will be affected." It may be pointed out that amendments to Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act were rushed in the parliament to try the people who are accused of participating in the May 9, 2023, attacks on military installations. Since there is no proof against the accused to try them in normal civil courts, therefore the government announced on May 10 that the accused will be tried under Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act. However, it was not apparently possible to convict the accused of May 9 attacks through present Official Secrets Act and Pakistan Army Act, therefore, some amendments were necessary to convict them. Rioters and their backers who attacked Pakistan's state assets and military installations during protests that erupted after the arrest of former Prime Minister Imran Khan will be tried under army laws, the country's civilian and military leaders have said. On August 10, the outgoing Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif announced: the cabinet endorsed to bring the miscreants, the planners who incited for violence and their facilitators to dock by trying them under constitutional provisions of concerned laws, including Pakistan Army Act and Official Secrets Act. The decision amounted to an endorsement of the military, which said on August 9 that the rioters and their handlers had been identified and would be tried under army laws. Trying civilians in military courts is contrary to international law, according to Amnesty International's Dinushika Dissanayake, who called the military's intention of trying the rioters under army laws "alarming". "It is alarming to note that the Pakistani Army has stated its intention to try civilians under military laws, possibly in military courts," Reuters quoted Dissanayake, Amnesty's deputy regional director for South Asia as saying. "This is purely an intimidation tactic, designed to crack down on dissent by exercising fear of an institution that has never been held to account for its overreach." Tellingly Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has accused intelligence agencies of being responsible for the shootings and arson during the violence. "We have ample amount of evidence to present to any inquiry that the arson and, in some places, shootings were done by [intelligence] agencies men who wanted to cause mayhem and blame it on PTI so the current crackdown would be justified," the PTI said in a statement. "PTI believes that identification of elements involved in this unusual incident of violence and chaos through a credible investigation is inevitable," the statement said. Imran Khan arrested On August 5, after a controversial trial by Humayun Dilawar, a Judge in Islamabad, Imran Khan was sentenced to three years in jail and disqualified from politics for "corrupt practices" involving the sale of state gifts. Senior attorney Latif Khosa said Judge Dilawar announced the verdict in haste without hearing the case on merit. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Dear Liz: I have been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer which has metastasized into at least two areas. Surgery, chemo, perhaps a stay in rehab and possibly radiation therapy will be prescribed by my oncologist. In order not to deplete my retirement savings (the oncologist estimates that I will live longer years if the treatment goes well), what resources can be identified to help financially with co-pay, medical and prescription costs? I already know about hospital benevolence programs. I am going to revert to my monthly austerity budget, watching every penny of my expenditures and trying to avoid or reduce them. I will be unable to work part time, as I have been doing, for at least this year. I am 70. I have Medicare and a Medicare supplement plan as well as a Part D prescription plan. Thank you for any suggestions. Answer: Youve just received a shocking diagnosis and its understandable that youre worried about the costs youll face. Your Medicare supplement plan also known as a Medigap plan is designed to cover some or all of the costs not paid by traditional Medicare, including co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles. The plans with lower premiums typically have skimpier coverage. Youll want to carefully review your plan to see what coverage you have. You probably will have questions, so consider connecting with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program. This program can refer you to a government-funded counselor who can provide free Medicare counseling. You can find your regional SHIP using the online locator or by calling (877) 839-2675 and say Medicare when prompted. Ask your oncologist about lower-cost treatment options and any charitable programs they have or are aware of. Benefits.gov can show you what government programs might be available to help with costs, while 211.org can help you check if there are any local programs. You may be able to seek out cheaper prescriptions through online pharmacies, GoodRx, NeedyMeds, manufacturer discount programs or Medicares Extra Help program, which helps Medicare recipients with limited means to afford their medications. Another option for people with catastrophic medical bills is to file for bankruptcy. Your retirement accounts would be protected, but youd want to discuss your options with a bankruptcy attorney long before you file. While youre researching, keep in mind that the U.S. medical system is set up to push treatment, often regardless of the cost, efficacy or toll on quality of life. Physician and certified financial planner Carolyn McClanahan warns that people can find themselves on a medical treadmill that continues pushing painful, debilitating and costly treatments with little or no real benefit to the patient. Consider having a frank talk with your oncologist about how much more time each treatment will likely get you not just in a best-case scenario, but in an average-case scenario and how you are likely to feel during the treatment. A second opinion may also be a good idea. These discussions can help you decide if you want to pour all your available resources into paying for treatment or if there are other options that would allow you to better enjoy whatever time remains. McClanahan recommends picking up a copy of Katy Butlers excellent book, The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life. Despite its title, the book doesnt just focus on the very end of life, but also provides essential information about how to best navigate the healthcare system as an older person. Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions may be sent to her at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the Contact form at asklizweston.com. After fielding hundreds of messages from fans who cant get into his award-winning Haitian restaurant in Southeast Portland, chef Gregory Gourdet plans to test out a novel plan to put reservations directly into the hands of locals Saturday. And all it requires is for fans to line up and buy some tea. The trial run, spurred in part after Gourdet and his team spotted reservations for The Oregonians 2022 Restaurant of the Year being swapped for cash online, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 at Barnes & Morgan, the Chinatown tea shop and atelier from their friend Amir Morgan. This for us is a way to answer what weve been hearing from the community in terms of people not being able to get into Kann, and wanting to do something simple and thoughtful to give people access to our reservations, Gourdet told The Oregonian last week Starting at noon and running until 4 p.m. (or whenever reservations are gone), anyone 18 or older who buys a tea, snack or item of clothing from the cafe, 131 N.W. Second Ave., will be given a number on a first come, first served basis that will allow them to select the October reservation time of their choosing. [Related: Portlands Kann to give away hundreds of reservations in person Saturday] Guests must have an active account with the reservations website Resy.com connected to a credit card. Reservations can be made for any size party at any time between 4 and 10 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday for any date in October. Limit one reservation per household. No photo or video is allowed at the event. Tia Vanich, Gourdets business partner, suggests coming up with two or three selections in case your specific time has already been snagged. (We would suggest arriving early, in case the event sells out quickly.) If you cant make the event, Kann will release the rest of its October reservations on Resy starting at noon on Sept. 1 (reservations were previously released on the 2nd of each month). For alternative ways to try Gourdets food, consult our experts guide to getting into Kann, with or without a reservation. If Saturdays trial run goes well, Kann could decide to hold additional events in the future. Read more Kann is unlike any restaurant Portland has seen before (review) Kann is Portlands 2022 Restaurant of the Year Kann may already be the most acclaimed restaurant in Portland history (podcast) An experts guide to getting into Kann, with or without a reservation Portlands Kann to give away hundreds of reservations in person Saturday Michael Russell; mrussell@oregonian.com Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Mike Donahue, who for more than 40 years was a constant, reassuring presence at Portlands KOIN-TV as a reporter and news anchor, has died at age 77. According to a post on the KOIN website, Donahue died of pancreatic cancer. In the days before viewers attention was splintered among a variety of sources, Donahue was a local example of the kind of familiar face who viewers knew they could trust to deliver the days news in a straightforward, even-handed manner. For generations of Portlanders, Donahue was almost like a member of the family. He spent 44 years at one station, KOIN-TV in Portland, until his retirement in 2012. During his years at KOIN, Donahue covered everything from the formation of the Department of Environmental Quality in 1968, to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. As The Oregonian/OregonLive wrote in a story about Donahues retirement from KOIN in 2012, for local viewers, It feels as if Donahue has always been with us, from his days as a baby-faced reporter through anchoring the most popular newscasts in the city to his most recent role as noon anchor and reporter. Donahue grew up in Albany, and studied journalism at the University of Oregon. After graduation, he joined KOIN as a reporter in 1968, at the age of 22. When he retired from KOIN, Donahue told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he planned to spend more time being active in his church. His faith, he said, was about my relationship with God. Prayer is a great help and release for me when Im dealing with the stresses of this job, with all the deadlines and challenges. After retiring from KOIN, Donahue worked for Providence Health & Services, according to his LinkedIn page. News of Donahues death has prompted many messages on social media remembering the legendary newsman. On Friday, members of his family posted a message on Facebook that reads, It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our beloved father. He lived a wonderful life and meant so much to so many. He will always be our Dad. Wed like to thank the countless people who sent us their love and prayers. While we are grieving this enormous loss, we are also thankful he is now at peace and once again with the love of his life, our Mom. Mike Donahue, shown at home in 2012, shortly before he retired from KOIN.TV. Donahue died on Friday, according to KOIN. LC- The Oregonian Mark Nelsen, chief meteorologist for KPTV and KPDX Television in Portland, wrote on Facebook, I watched Mike Donahue on TV when I was a little kid, then worked with him during the first 7 years of my TV career at KOIN. He came over and planted a rose (he loved them!) for my wife and I after our wedding as a gift. He was a truly good man that lived his Christian faith. He sure wouldnt want to be put on a pedestal, so humble, but know that a wonderful Portland broadcasting icon has passed today. Pete Ferryman, an anchor at KPTV, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, Mike Donahue was the best of the best. Wayne Garcia, who recently retired from KPTV, also wrote on X, posting, So sorry to hear this sad news about a Portland legend. Mike was always there for all of us. A piece of Portland that I so much admired and respected has left us tonight. But his memory lives on in those of us wholl remember his honesty and love of this city. Jenny Hansson, an anchor at KOIN, wrote of Donahue on X, Honestly, he was the most kind and genuine person I have ever worked with. Thinking of Mikes family tonight. Helen Raptis, host of KATUs AM Northwest, wrote on Facebook, Mike Donahue, a Portland TV legend and an incredible man has passed. My heart goes out to all his family and friends! He was the nicest guy you could ever meet! Kristi Turnquist 503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Nearly two dozen counties in Washington state are suing the state Department of Social and Health Services, which they claim is refusing to provide essential behavioral health treatment to hundreds of patients who are considered unfit for trial. The Washington State Association of Counties, along with 22 counties, including King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane, filed the lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court on Wednesday. It alleges that the departments decision to stop providing initial evaluation and treatment for a rising number of patients who exit the criminal legal system after they are determined unfit for trial is harmful to the patients and to public safety. Its their duty, David Hackett, general counsel to King County Executive Dow Constantine, told reporters Wednesday. Its their legal obligation to figure out how to get this done. The lawsuit asks the court to immediately order the department to comply with these requirements. The motion for preliminary injunction in the case likely wont be heard until at least Sept. 8. The lawsuit focuses on civil conversion patients, those who face criminal charges but are found unfit to stand trial and are transferred to DSHS to then determine if the patient should be civilly committed. But the lawsuit alleges that the department continued to selectively deny admission to civil conversion patients through July 13. Since then, the department has denied all civil conversion patients, according to court documents. In recent months, the department has faced bed shortages and an influx of patients due to the 2015 Trueblood settlement, which set guidelines and timelines that the state must follow for giving people competency evaluations. A federal judge last month fined the state $100 million for breaching the Trueblood settlement and ordered the state to stop admitting civil conversion patients to Eastern and Western state hospitals so it could focus on other patients. The department has since used the order to deny evaluation and treatment for all conversion patients, not just those who might be admitted for long-term stays, according to the lawsuit. Mike Faulk, spokesman for Gov. Jay Inslee, wrote in an email that the governors legal counsel was still reviewing the filing but pointed to the federal order as substantially impairing the states ability to treat and care for these patients. Faulk said the counties brought forth this complaint as if no such court order exists. These are challenging issues, but we reject any notion that the state is not committed to meeting its obligations under the Trueblood order, Faulk wrote. A statement from the Department of Social and Health Services pointed to similar issues with caring for these patients under the federal court order. The challenge of tackling this multi-tiered problem does not become easier when counties demand the state and the superior court ignore a federal court order, according to the department statement. The complaint from the counties says there is nothing in the federal order that preempts the department from evaluating these patients at state psychiatric hospitals. After evaluation, patients who need long term stays could then be contracted out to a private facility, Hackett said. A failure to take on these patients at all violates clear statutory and court ordered legal requirements. Oregon has also faced lawsuits alleging a failure to provide adequate care for people with mentally illness. Last September, three of the states largest hospital systems sued Oregon Health Authority alleging the state psychiatric hospital was not accepting civil commitment patients, which in Oregon refers to those who have not been charged with a crime but are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Providence Health & Services, Legacy Health and PeaceHealth alleged that their general medicine hospitals were being forced to provide long-term care that they werent equipped to provide for patients who should instead be in psychiatric institutions like the Oregon State Hospital. Oregon has also been the subject of another a decades-long lawsuit over its backlog to admit patients who have been found unable to aid in their own defense, and are waiting to get into the state hospital for rehabilitation. Under an agreement in that lawsuit earlier this year, the state hospital has expanded its criteria for admitting civilly committed patients, in part at the urging of a handful of Oregon counties and district attorneys. Harmful cycle of recidivism Its rare that this many counties come together on one case, said Eric Johnson, executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties, but the problem is affecting every corner of the state. Failure to help these patients puts them at risk, while also jeopardizing the safety of the counties, he said. The counties argue that not completing these evaluations and treatments has left hundreds of individuals across the state without mental health treatment, which has led to a harmful cycle where these individuals are left to re-offend. What DSHS is doing is essentially washing its hands of the problem and putting them on already stressed county mental health systems, which dont have tools to do this, Hackett said. The lawsuit alleges that the department has also begun releasing civil conversion patients in treatment into communities without proper notice to local officials and enforcement. When you have a good release plan, it ensures the patients success and community safety. Those things go hand in hand, Hackett said. As for the lack of bed space at the states hospitals, the complaint argues that it is a problem of DSHSs own creation. Hackett blamed a recent decision from the state to close six hospital wards, which eliminates 179 beds, while they build a new hospital. But that hospital wont be ready for another six years. Faulk, with the governors office, pointed to a number of new investments in the states behavioral health system. He said the state has invested more than $2 billion into expanding competency services since 2015 and recently added 278 beds with more on the way. Hackett praised the states investments in behavioral health and the recent purchase of the Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital in Tukwila. But he said more deliberate action is needed sooner rather than later to expand capacity at facilities. County officials say the state needs to make more investments at all levels, including the workforce, outpatient services and overnight stays. Every government faces limited finances and workforce shortages, Constantine said in a statement. Counties cannot now be asked to also shoulder the states long-time responsibility. Washington State Standard and Oregon Capital Chronicle are part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Washington State Standard maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Bill Lucia for questions: info@washingtonstatestandard.com. Follow Washington State Standard on Facebook and X. Portlands tap water remains safe to drink despite a 35-acre wildfire burning near a reservoir in the Bull Run Watershed in Clackamas County, officials say. Whats been dubbed the Camp Creek fire is burning south of Reservoir 1 near the junction of forest roads 1210 and 12 in the Zigzag Ranger District, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Heather Ibsen. Thats about three miles from the citys Headwaters treatment facility. People might see some smoke from around there. But its small and firefighters are aggressively responding to put it out, Ibsen said. The Bull Run Watershed long has been closed to visitors to protect the water source, which has been called Portlands enduring jewel. Ibsen said the wildfire, which was sparked by lightning overnight, was first reported before dawn on Friday. With the fire-fighting effort still in its initial phase, the blaze is considered 0% contained, she said. Clackamas Fire crews are battling the blaze on the ground, while a helicopter and two fixed-wing aircraft have been deployed to drop water from the air. A trail camera pointed northwest of Mt. Hood captured a plume of smoke coming from the Camp Creek Fire on Fri., Aug. 25, 2023.Courtesy Photo: ALERTWildfire More than 200 miles away, the lightning strikes in Oregon overnight sparked at least six fires in the Willamette National Forest, according to the Eugene Interagency Coordination Center. The largest is the Horse Creek fire burning four acres of a tree-lined slope near Horse Creek Campground and Old Foley Road. Crews battling the preexisting Lookout fire thats burned 15,000 acres since it was ignited Aug. 5 will also tackle the new blaze. Meanwhile, evacuations have been upgraded for residents threatened by the Smith River Complex fire burning on the Oregon-California border. About 50 people are now under mandatory Level 3 Go Now orders in areas south of the town of OBrien. Where are wildfires happening? Keep tabs with our live wildfire tracker map Your emergency go bag needs to have these essentials in case of wildfires Best-rated air purifiers with HEPA filters to buy online, or pick up locally, to improve indoor air quality in your home The latest news on wildfires and wildfire smoke dangers in Portland and around Oregon Zane Sparling; zsparling@oregonian.com; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act following a lightning storm that lit 19 wildfires in Douglas County. The fires, dubbed the Tyee Ridge complex, sparked Thursday, officials said. Officials said they confirmed 65 lightning strikes across Douglas County during the storm. Kotek has requested additional resources for the Cougar Creek fire, also known as the Rattlesnake Ridge fire, which totaled around 1,000 acres as of Saturday morning. WILDFIRE MAP: The Oregonian/OregonLives wildfire map helps you track fire activity through the state and the Northwest. The Oregonian/OregonLives wildfire map helps you track fire activity through the state and the Northwest. Find it here The Douglas County Sheriffs office issued Level 3 (go now) evacuation orders for homes in the 10000 block of Hubbard Creek Road and the intersection of Millwood Drive. Level 2 (be set) evacuation notices are in effect for all residences on Lighthouse Road in Tyee. Residents in the area can see the Douglas County evacuation map for updated information. The Red Cross has set up a shelter at Oakland Elementary School. Firefighters still battling Camp Creek fire In Clackamas County, firefighters are still battling the 225-acre Camp Creek fire, which is burning near the Bull Run Watershed. The fire is burning south of Reservoir 1 near the junction of forest roads 1210 and 12 in the Zigzag Ranger District. The fire is burning just three miles from the citys Headwaters treatment facility, but Portlands tap water remains safe to drink, according to the citys water bureau. Firefighters are confident they can defend the treatment plant, officials said. Thursdays lightning storms sparked the blaze, and quickly grew due to hot, dry weather. Officials reported over 2,000 lightning strikes across Oregon and Washington on Thursday evening through Friday morning. Fire crews diverted to address the Horse Creek fire The Horse Creek fire in the Willamette National Forest, also sparked by lightning, has burned around 25 acres. Crews from the nearly 19,000-acre Lookout fire were diverted to address the Horse Creek blaze. Firefighters have managed to get that smaller fire under control, officials said. The Lookout fire is now 16% contained as of Saturday morning. Firefighters are focusing on protecting homes and structures nearby. Residents can check Lane Countys website for information on evacuations. New fires in Smith River Complex Thunderstorms also caused several new fire starts near the Smith River Complex, which jumped the California border into southern Oregon on Thursday. The fire is now burning over 66,000 acres, although a small portion of that is on the Oregon side. Level 2 (be set) and Level 1 (be ready) evacuation orders have been announced in areas near OBrien, a rural burg of about 500 in neighboring Josephine County. The latest news on wildfires and wildfire smoke dangers in Portland and around Oregon Best-rated air purifiers with HEPA filters to buy online, or pick up locally, to improve indoor air quality in your home Austin De Dios; adedios@oregonian.com; @austindedios; 503-319-9744 Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe Photo: (Photo : Matt Ragland on Unsplash) The cost of higher education is a significant burden for many students and their families. Scholarships can play a vital role in easing this financial strain by providing an avenue for students to focus on their studies rather than their debts. While some scholarships are widely known, there are numerous others that are often overlooked. Below is a list of 20 scholarships that every college student should be aware of. Academic Scholarships National Merit Scholarship: Awarded based on PSAT scores, this is one of the most prestigious academic scholarships in the U.S. Horatio Alger Scholarship: For students who have demonstrated integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity. Coca-Cola Scholars Program: This scholarship awards high-achieving students with a strong commitment to community service. Gates Millennium Scholars Program: Aimed at minority students with financial need, this program covers full tuition and other expenses. STEM Scholarships SMART Scholarship: Provides full tuition for students majoring in STEM fields in exchange for service in the Department of Defense. Siemens Math, Science, and Technology Award Scholarships: For high school students who have excelled in math and science competitions. Google Scholarships: Various scholarships are available for students majoring in computer science or engineering. Scholarships for Women AAUW Scholarships: The American Association of University Women provides scholarships for women pursuing higher education. Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships: For women pursuing careers in engineering, engineering technology, and computer science. Scholarships for Minority Students United Negro College Fund (UNCF): Provides numerous scholarship opportunities for African American students. Hispanic Scholarship Fund: For students of Hispanic heritage, offering a range of scholarships based on merit and need. Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund: Supports Asian and Pacific Islander American students with financial need. Scholarships for Community Service Bonner Scholars Program: Offers financial assistance in exchange for community service commitments. DoSomething.org Scholarships: Encourages social change through various community service projects, rewarding participants with scholarships. Unconventional Scholarships Duck Tape's Stuck at Prom Scholarship: Awards scholarships to students who create the best prom attire made entirely from duct tape. Zolp Scholarships: Oddly specific, this scholarship is open to Catholic students with the last name Zolp. Scholarships for Unique Talents and Hobbies John Lennon Scholarships: For talented songwriters and composers. Tall Clubs International Scholarship: If you're a woman over 5'10" or a man over 6'2", this unique scholarship might be for you. Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships: Awarded to students who promote vegetarianism in their schools or communities. The Freethinker Essay Contest: For students who identify as agnostic, atheist, or secular, and who can express their views eloquently in an essay. Read Also: Inflation Affects College Education as Students Face Steep Costs to Pursue Higher Education Research for Other Scholarships While this list provides a good starting point, it's crucial to do your own research to find scholarships that fit your specific needs and talents. Many organizations and companies offer scholarships related to specific fields, hobbies, or community service activities. Your school's financial aid office is also a valuable resource for scholarship opportunities. In the quest for a debt-free college education, every little bit helps. Scholarships may require an investment of time in the application process, but the potential payoff is worth it. So start early, apply widely, and don't overlook smaller scholarships; they can add up to a significant amount. The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of reducing the financial burden of your education. Related Article: Should Parents Choose a College Instead of Their Kids? 5 Reasons Why They Should Not Photo: (Photo : Brad Vest / Getty Images) In an Ohio grocery store parking lot, a pregnant woman was tragically and fatally shot by law enforcement officers in what is now revealed to be a heart-wrenching case of mistaken identity during an alleged shoplifting episode. The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community and beyond, raising questions about police use of force and the tragic consequences that can arise from such misunderstandings. The Alleged Shoplifting Encounter Takes a Tragic Turn The tranquil setting of a grocery store parking lot in Ohio turned into a scene of heartbreak when a pregnant woman was shot and killed by police officers. The woman, caught in a case of mistaken identity, had been suspected of shoplifting by store employees. The unfolding tragedy sheds light on the complex nature of law enforcement decisions in high-pressure situations and the irrevocable consequences that follow. Amidst the commotion, Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford expressed his condolences, acknowledging the tragic nature of the incident. The pregnant woman's identity was later revealed to be Ta'kiya Young, a 21-year-old expecting mother, making the loss even more devastating. A Shoplifting Incident Turns Deadly The chain of events began when store employees reported a shoplifting incident involving multiple individuals who had reportedly stolen items and fled in vehicles. As officers responded to the report, they encountered a vehicle parked in front of the store, with the pregnant woman inside. Unbeknownst to the officers, this would lead to a grievous misunderstanding that ended in a fatal shooting. According to accounts, officers approached the woman's vehicle and issued commands for her to exit. However, due to what appears to be a tragic mix-up, the woman failed to comply, and the situation escalated. The pregnant woman, seemingly caught in a state of confusion, allegedly accelerated her vehicle toward an officer, resulting in the fatal shot. Nadine Young, aged 61, from Columbus, Ohio, revealed on Friday that her granddaughter, a mother of two boys (ages 3 and 6), was anticipating a daughter in November. Tragically, the unborn child didn't survive. According to Young, her granddaughter locked the car doors out of fear upon seeing approaching police with guns. She criticized the fatal outcome, stating it wasn't warranted for both her granddaughter and the baby to lose their lives. She stressed certain undeniable aspects of the incident: an unarmed Black woman had been killed, leaving two children without their mother. Young's family anticipates that body camera footage will counter the police account. She described her granddaughter as a caring and positive person dedicated to her children. Read Also: Kentucky's Lee County School District Shifts to Remote Learning as COVID-19, Flu Spread Among Students Community Outcry and the Quest for Answers News of the tragic incident quickly spread, sparking an outpouring of grief and demands for transparency within the community. Friends, family, and concerned citizens gathered to remember the young woman, emphasizing her pregnancy and the life that was lost due to the unfortunate turn of events. Social media platforms brimmed with posts lamenting the incident and calling for justice. The Blendon Township Police Chief assured the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the facts surrounding the case. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been called upon to lead the inquiry, adding an independent layer of oversight. The tragedy has also ignited conversations about the potential for de-escalation training and improved protocols in police encounters. As debates about police use of force gain momentum, the pregnant woman's death serves as a somber reminder of the gravity of such situations and the need for comprehensive reform. Blendon Township Police will examine the officers' actions, with Chief Belford confirming a review of adherence to protocols after the Bureau of Criminal Investigations' work. Chief Belford underlined the importance of accountability, emphasizing that employees are held responsible in every case. Related Article: ACLU Sounds Alarm Over Alleged Discriminatory Dress Code in Idaho's Nampa School District Electronics makers are launching smaller household appliances targeting thrifty and often single consumers in lean economic times. Air fryers, coffee machines and other cooking gadgets are getting small enough to be put on a kitchen counter and are priced accordingly. LG recently launched a small dishwasher for tiny kitchens in its premium Objet line. An LG staffer said, "We are targeting small households and people whose kitchens are too small for bigger dishwashers." Samsung has sold 140,000 multi-functional ovens on its premium Bespoke brand, which hit stores in July last year. It costs W500,000, but customers who subscribe to delivery apps like Fresh Easy, Chungjungone and Ottogi can get huge discounts (US$1=W1,339). "It is popular among young customers since it is the size of just a microwave but is versatile enough for multiple purposes like reheating, baking and defrosting," a staffer said. Photo: (Photo : NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / Getty Images) A shocking incident has emerged in a quiet Florida community, involving a chemistry student named Xuming Li, who stands accused of injecting opioids underneath a neighbor's front door amid an escalating feud. The gravity of the situation deepens as reports reveal that Li utilized a university laboratory to concoct the toxic mixture. The incident has sent shockwaves through the neighborhood and raised concerns about the potential misuse of academic facilities. Feud Takes a Disturbing Turn In a turn of events that has left residents of Oxford Place at Tampa Palms stunned, a dispute between neighbors took a dark and unexpected twist. The focal point of this unsettling affair is Xuming Li, a 36-year-old chemistry student residing in Florida. Li is now facing accusations of injecting opioids beneath a neighbor's front door in what appears to be a bizarre retaliation. The neighbor, Umar Abdullah, finds himself entangled in a disturbing series of events that have thrust their community into the spotlight. University Lab as a Hazardous Hub Details have emerged, shedding light on the shocking depths of this incident. It has come to light that Xuming Li reportedly used a laboratory within the University of South Florida to prepare the hazardous mixture. The substances in question, known to be opioids, were mixed in liquid syringes, creating a concoction of potential danger. According to the breach of contract filing from the building's owners association, Li utilized a laboratory located on the campus of the University of South Florida to combine and fill liquid syringes on several occasions, with the purpose of causing harm to the condominium's residents. The University of South Florida verified that Li was enrolled as a Ph.D. chemistry student until the summer of 2023. This revelation has sparked discussions about the security measures in place within academic environments and the implications of misusing scientific resources. Read Also: South Carolina Supreme Court Upholds Controversial Abortion Ban, Sparking Outrage, Legal Debates Unraveling the Motives and Consequences The seemingly trivial origin of the feud escalated to a distressing level that caught both residents and authorities off guard. Umar Abdullah initially found himself at odds with Li over a dispute related to a noisy toilet seat. However, the situation took an alarming turn as Abdullah's family began experiencing health issues, including bouts of nausea and dizziness. This prompted suspicion, and the discovery of a chemical odor further fueled concerns. In a bid to uncover the truth, Abdullah took matters into his own hands, installing a hidden camera outside his door. The recorded footage revealed the shocking act of Xuming Li injecting a clear liquid beneath the door frame. A subsequent hazmat test confirmed the presence of methadone and hydrocodone, potent opioid pain medications, within the substance. The revelation added a chilling layer to the already unsettling situation, substantiating Abdullah's claims and prompting swift legal action. Li was arrested on June 27 and now faces a series of serious charges, including possession of a controlled substance and aggravated stalking. The condominium community remains shaken by the realization that a fellow neighbor, particularly a chemistry student, could be involved in such a dangerous affair. As this perplexing case continues to unfold, it serves as a stark reminder of how seemingly ordinary disputes can escalate to unprecedented levels. It highlights the importance of maintaining security not only within residential communities but also within academic institutions. The aftermath of this troubling event will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on the individuals involved and the community as a whole. Related Article: ACLU Sounds Alarm Over Alleged Discriminatory Dress Code in Idaho's Nampa School District A Mystery to the World: A New Proposal for Isaiah 22:20-25, written by Spencer Kraus Abstract: Isaiahs oracle in Isaiah 22 regarding a man named Eliakim employs significant and unique language regarding a nail in a sure place. This language is accompanied by clear connections to the ancient temple, including the bestowal of sacred clothing and authority, offering additional significant context through which to understand this phrase. Additionally, according to early leaders of the Church, this oracle may not be translated correctly into English, which has caused some confusion regarding the true meaning of the oracles conclusion. As such, I offer a new translation of this oracle based on intertextual clues that resolves some of the apparent issues regarding this text and further highlights the temple themes employed by Isaiah. Interpreting Interpreter: Striking Him a Nail, written by Kyler Rasmussen This post is a summary of the article A Mystery to the World: A New Proposal for Isaiah 22:20-25 by Spencer Kraus in Volume 58 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Kraus examines the temple themes associated with a messianic prophecy in Isaiah 22, which references a nail in a sure place. He notes that the nail could be interpreted as striking Christ rather than Christ himself being the nail, and that the verse apparently referencing Christs fall could be a conditional curse rather a reference to future events. You may or may not already be aware, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has evidently been working for some time to improve its presence or visibility on Google Maps. One of the items that was chosen to improve the findability of Latter-day Saint chapels and services was to join the broader Google Maps category of Christian Churches instead of being in a category all by ourselves. Why did the Church make this Google Map pin move? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is interested in findability, and always has been. We want people to find us (whether online or in-person, and to worship and serve with us). We discovered that Google had assigned Latter-day Saint chapels a custom Google maps pin that featured Moroni as the icon, while all other Christian denominations are visually identified by a cross. This visual and categorical distinction was limiting our findability for those looking for a Christian church. We are, after all. a Christian Church. By making this distinction in Google maps, all meetinghouse map pins were changed or will be changed to a cross. The hope is that those searching for Christian churches will have the opportunity to find the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All Google Map locations are assigned a primary category. This category determines which icon is used on the marker that appears on the map. Google creates these icons and there is no process by which a request can be made to change it. Many years ago, Google assigned a Moroni-themed marker to the category Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This icon was neither requested nor approved by the Church. Of the fifty-plus Christian denomination categories, ours was the only one that was not assigned a cross-themed marker. After a thorough analysis of search data, it was determined that this visual and categorical separation was limiting the visibility of Church meetinghouses in search results for terms like churches near me and Christian churches near me. With the approval of the Church Communication Executive Committee, meetinghouses are now assigned the primary category Christian church to increase their findability, with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Religious organization as additional categories. As a result, the Google-assigned icon changed from Moroni to the cross. This change is specific to meetinghouses only. Other Church-owned properties may continue to display the Moroni marker, including temples or administrative offices. I checked off another of my regular traditions in this area by going with my wife and a friend for an early dinner to the Crystal Cove Shake Shack along the southbound Pacific Coast Highway not too far below Newport Beach and Corona Del Mar. They ate and drank whatever they ate and drank, while I had a burger and (the whole purpose of going there) a date milkshake. Ive been stopping there for date shakes since I can remember, when we would drive between our home near Los Angeles and the homes of two paternal aunts and a paternal uncle down in the San Diego area. Theyre all long gone now, but the Crystal Cove Shake Shack remains, complete with its marvelous cliff-edge view of the Pacific Ocean. And Im pleased to report that the date milkshake seemed improved today. During several recent visits, tradition kept me coming but the quality seemed to have fallen just a bit. Not today, though! The world is looking up! (In some respects, anyway.) After finishing our feast, we took in a showing of Golda, a new film in which Dame Helen Mirren portrays the former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir. The story told in the movie is focused tightly on the days immediately prior to what is variously called (depending upon ones perspective) the Yom Kippur War, the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 ArabIsraeli War, or the Fourth ArabIsraeli War. I first arrived in the Middle East at the beginning of 1978, when memories of the 1973 war were still relatively fresh. I lived in Israel for the first half of 1978, returned home to marry, and then brought my new wife with me to Egypt, where we lived from the fall of 1978, with some lengthy visits back to the States, until mid-1982. I knew people who fought on the Israeli side and people who fought on the Egyptian side. One of our closest friends during our time in Egypt, still a friend today, was among the Egyptian soldiers who crossed the Suez Canal in the initial hours of the war. The experience transformed him. (I need to tell his story someday, with his permission. Or to help him tell it.) Posted from Newport Beach, California 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 Ghana's leading real estate company, SuCasa Properties, is making it easier than ever for people to own homes. The company offers a variety of flexible payment plans and customization options, making it possible for buyers to find a home that fits their needs and budget. Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer of SuCasa, Isaac Preko Boateng in an interview with KC on the Citi Breakfast Show, cited one of the most popular SuCasa Properties offerings as the O'Granston No. 3 development. This community of affordable ultra-modern townhouses is located in Legon City Estate, a prime residential area in Accra. O'Granston No. 3 offers a variety of two, three, and four-bedroom units, all of which feature modern amenities and finishes, he stated. He disclosed that buyers who make early payments (off-plan) on O'Granston No. 3 which has already began selling can enjoy competitive discounts, and also customize homes to suit their taste; with options such as changing the floor plan, adding additional features, or selecting different finishes. For homeowners making outright payments on homes, they will enjoy a 2percent discount. SuCasa Properties also offers flexible payment plans for O'Granston No. 3. Buyers can choose to pay in full, make a down payment and then pay the balance over time, spreading payment over 4, 6, 12 and 24 months period. Buyers can alternatively finance their purchase through a mortgage. Our prices range from $45,000 to $195,000.00 but we also accept the cedi equivalent of the amount. Our 2 bedroom units cost $45,000.00, 3 bedroom units-$96,500.00, 3 bedroom extended-$147,000.00 and the 4 bedroom units cost $195,000.00. We also have a payment plan of 4 months, 6 months, 1year and 2 year periods. But homeowners who make outright payments for their homes enjoy discounts, Isaac Preko Boateng noted. In less than a decade, SuCasa Properties has positioned itself as a real estate brand providing a solution to the housing infrastructure deficit through the delivery of affording housing units. Equipped in all aspects of the real estate industry, SuCasa Properties works in several verticals of the industry including residential and commercial construction, renovations or facelifts, property sale and rental, and property management. To learn more about SuCasa Properties and its offerings, visit their website; www.sucasa.com.gh or call their office on; +233 (0) 553697886 or +233 (0) 302960865 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 Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah has appealed to the Ministry of Education and National Labour Commission (NLC) to release the salaries of the members of Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG). His admonition comes on the back of an announcement by government that members of CETAG will not be paid their August salaries due to no work done. There is a protracted dispute between government and (CETAG) and in a release signed by the Director of Administration for the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), Saaka Sayuti, the Commission noted that the freeze of remuneration will affect all the 46 Colleges of Education. We write at the instance of the Honourable Minister of Education, requesting you NOT to pay monthly salary and allowances for the month of August 2023 to the Teaching Staff of all 46 Colleges of Education, portions of the statement dated August 21 said. Dr. Otchere-Ankrah bemoaned this directive stressing "there's an action before a reaction". He narrated that the teachers didn't embark on a strike for no reason but because the government failed to honor its promise to pay its debt to them. He, therefore, wondered why this drastic decision against the teachers stating "if you had given them their money, they wouldn't have the moral right to go on strike". Further discussing the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, he questioned the authorities if after freezing the teachers' salaries, "will you give them interest on the money that you failed to pay to them six months ago?" He also noted that "it is not possible for the government to dismiss all tutors in the colleges today and replace them tomorrow. It is not possible!" The Governance lecturer at the Central University admonished the Education Ministry and NLC to immediately intervene on behalf of the teachers. "Give them their money. Pay the debt you owe them and also release their salaries to them," he exclaimed. Watch video below 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 The lack of adequate skills and resources for judges to handle cybercrime cases is of great concern, the Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkornoo has observed. Justice Torkornoo, has, therefore called for the adoption of relevant digital laws to assist in building the capacity of the Judiciary in this regard. She said this when a delegation from the Joint Cyber Security Committee (JCC) and the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), paid a courtesy call on her. The delegation, led by the Director-General of the CSA, Dr. Albert Antwi-Boasiako, was to discuss with the new Chief Justice pertinent issues affecting the Judicial Service as a member of the Joint Cybersecurity Committee (JCC). The visit was part of the plan of the JCC to touch base with its members as well as other institutions to explain its activities. The JCC, established pursuant to Section 13 of the Cyber Security Act, 2020 (Act 1038), comprises eighteen (18) institutions mandated to collaborate with the CSA and the private sector for the implementation of relevant cyber security measures in Ghana. The Judiciary is represented on the JCC by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal. Welcoming the delegation, Justice Torkornoo commended the Judiciary for the role they play in interpreting and enforcing the laws governing the cyberspace, despite the challenges they face with regards to the ever-changing cybersecurity industry. Touching on the state of the IT infrastructure of the Judicial Service, Justice Torkornoo expressed concerns about the lack of standardization and interoperability of IT systems and potential cyber-attacks that could undermine the integrity and availability of the Judicial Services infrastructure. Source: graphic.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 country imports an average of $4 million worth of sunflower oil every year. As a result, a sunflower project to bolster farmers capacity to go into large-scale cultivation of the crop has been launched in Accra. Given the huge potential of one of the most sought-after oilseed crops globally, it would help to improve the countrys socio-economic development. The crop can be used to produce edible oil, biodiesel for energy generation and also improve food and nutritional needs of citizens. Fish processing companies in the country export fish flakes in sunflower oil to the tune of $147 million each year. Besides, the project would help to mitigate environmental pollution and degradation by using sunflower to reclaim degraded lands. The initiative is being implemented by Tropical Agriculture and Marketing Consultancy Services (TRAGRIMACS), in partnership with the Crop Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, and the Chemistry Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi. Capacity The Chief Executive of TRAGRIMACS, Issah Sulemana, said the country had the scientific and technological capacity to cultivate and process sunflower seeds into edible oil, biodiesel and other useful products such as animal feed. The use of biodiesel to generate power and for public transport can earn the country millions of dollars in carbon credit, he added. Mr Sulemana explained that the purpose for the reintroduction of the project, which he said ran successfully from 2006 until 2012, was due to the global decline in the production of the crop. He said the war between Russia and Ukraine, two countries that produced 59 per cent of global sunflower oil, offered an opportunity for us to come up again to implement the Ghana Sunflower project again. The chief executive expressed optimism that farmers who cultivated the drought-resistant crop could make an average net profit of GH461 per acre. On how the project could be sustained, Mr Sulemana said his outfit would partner the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre to add it to its investment portfolio as one of the viable projects in the country to attract entities to come and invest in large-scale sunflower production. Funding A lecturer at the KNUST Department of Chemistry, Dr Michael Baah Mensah, said with enough funding for research into sunflower, the two partnering universities would be able to clarify which seed variety was suitable for cultivation in the country. Source: graphic.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 Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) has sacked 11 top executives for allegedly causing financial loss to the company, the DAILY GUIDE has uncovered. These top executives included Treasury Executives, Senior IT Assistant, Assistant Accounting Officer, Artisans and Customer Service Officers, among other senior staff. A reliable source in the ECG, who demanded anonymity, said the affected top executives indulged in various illegal activities that adversely affected the coffers of the ECG. Their offences included tampering/falsification of records, tampering of payment data, unauthorised payments and transfers and others, which caused financial loss to the ECG. Some of the sacked officials were also found culpable of vacating their post without permission from their superiors or management of the ECG. The affected staff were stationed in the various regions of the country until they were given their sack letters, which indicated that their services were no longer needed. As at August 2023, 11 top executives of the ECG from the various regions have been sacked by management for causing financial loss to the company, the source said. The source did not mention the names of the sacked executives but stated categorically that their dismissal letters have been delivered to them already by management. The DAILY GUIDEs checks revealed that the ECG management gave the 11 sacked staff ample time to defend themselves but they failed, hence their dismissal. Meanwhile, the paper also learnt that the current ECG management is determined to protect the coffers of the company so it has put in place policies to prevent thievery and other illegal activities. 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 With the current spillover of terrorism from the Sahel regions, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu has disclosed that the countrys maritime borders have not recorded any terrorist attacks and threats in the past two years. Addressing journalists at a press launch of the 3rd International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC) in Accra, Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu indicated that the Naval Command over the years has implemented pragmatic measures that seek to address issues surrounding maritime security and sustaining a safe and secure maritime domain, focused on consolidating the gains made in the Gulf of Guinea. However, he said the country in 2020 recorded six attacks from its vulnerable tuna vessels, with not less than 11 sailors kidnapped and released upon ransom payment. Since these attacks, we have not recorded any threats or attacks in 2021 to 2022, be it kidnapping or other forms of attacks. And this can be attributed to the strategies implemented by the Naval Command together with its supporting partners, he added. The Navy Chief said the command has recorded some insurgencies this year in some neighbouring countries, with a few being terrorism-related in their border areas. In an effort to combat the incessant terrorist attacks within Africas maritime borders, the Navy Chief announced that this years IDEC conference, scheduled to take place between August 29-30 at the Burma Hall, will assemble African maritime industry players to deliberate on possible measures to secure the borders from future and current threats. Themed, Consolidating the gains made in the Gulf of Guinea: The role of stakeholders in sustaining safe and secure maritime domain, the two-day conference will gather Regional and International Chiefs of Naval Staff to address the critical issues surrounding maritime security on the continent. Expressing the importance of cyber security measures in African navies, Rear Admiral Yakubu stated that Advancement in onboard systems and rapid digital transformation require African navies to implement measures to safeguard their systems and operations. However, there is a need for African countries to enhance their efforts in the area of cyber security. He pointed out that the Ghana Navy recognises the potential of Africas blue economy and its ability to address economic challenges on the continent. The blue economy offers solutions to numerous economic challenges in Africa if properly harnessed. To realise its potential, we must ensure that our maritime space is safe and secure for business and shipping, he stressed. The Chairman of Planning Committee, IDEC, Commodore Prosper Mensah Kwame Modey, indicated that the two-day conference and exhibition would showcase cutting-edge technologies in maritime security and foster strong resolutions and recommendations to overcome the daunting challenges facing Africas blue economy. The event brings the worlds leading defence suppliers to Accra for communication technologies, radars, satellite imagery solutions, and vessels among other key solutions vital for further strengthening the maritime defence capabilities of African navies. 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 Vladimir Putin has broken his silence over Yevgeny Prigozhin's reported death - some 24 hours after the Wagner chief's private jet crashed. Russia's president said the head of the mercenary group was a "talented person" who "made serious mistakes in life". Mr Putin also sent condolences to the families of all 10 people said to be on board the plane that went down north-west of Moscow on Wednesday evening. However, he stopped short of explicitly confirming Prigozhin's death. From the moment the plane came down, there has been frenzied speculation about what caused the deadly crash and whether Prigozhin was indeed on board, as stated on the passenger list. At a briefing on Thursday, a Pentagon spokesperson said the US believed the Wagner chief was likely killed in the crash. Villagers near the crash site in the Tver region say they heard a loud bang before seeing a plane falling out of the sky. One of the theories being investigated is whether a bomb was smuggled on board, reports in Russian media suggest. A US official told CBS News, the BBC's US partner, that the most likely cause appeared to be an explosion aboard the aircraft. What caused the explosion was not known, although a bomb was one possibility, the official added. Another theory, raised by a Prigozhin-linked Telegram channel, suggested that the jet had been shot down by Russian anti-aircraft forces. This has not been confirmed, and on Thursday the Pentagon said there was no information to indicate this. Ground staff in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport - where the plane took off heading for St Petersburg - are being questioned, and CCTV footage is being checked. Read Full Story .... HERE >>> : Source: BBC Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Salt shelves were emptied in supermarkets and sold out in online sales platforms in some places, including Beijing and Shanghai. The state-run National Salt Industry Group, the world's biggest common salt producer, said in a statement issued hours later that it was ramping up supplies as people in some parts of China had rushed to stock up. China's biggest salt producer urged people against panic buying after Japan began discharging treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on Thursday, despite firm opposition from Beijing. China has opposed Japan's action, saying the Japanese government had not proved that the water discharged would be safe and has banned the import of all aquatic products from Japan. "We are working overtime to produce, distribute and making all efforts to guarantee market supply," the National Salt Industry Group said in its statement. "Please purchase rationally and do not panic buy blindly," it said. The national salt group said sea salt only accounts for 10 percent of the salt people consume, the rest are well and late salt, which are safe from contamination. The group said its salt supply is ample and the stock shortfall would be temporary. Japan has criticized China for spreading "scientifically unfounded claims" and maintains the water release is safe, noting that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also concluded that the impact it would have on people and the environment was "negligible." The World Bank has commended Ghanas National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for being one of the best in Africa, especially with regard to population coverage. Ghana, with its 55 per cent coverage in 2022, came next after Rwanda, 79 per cent, whose coverage is compulsory. Senegal has 19 per cent, Kenya 16 per cent and Nigeria three per cent. A Health Economist with the World Bank, Enoch Oti Agyekum, stated this when he addressed the opening of a training in expected claims generation and submission for the Tier-Three providers in Accra yesterday. He said the NHIS was performing very well and if we look across the region, the NHIS comes next to Rwanda, as the best performing scheme in terms of population coverage. But I will even say that the NHIS is the best because the context of Rwanda is different from that of Ghana and so in terms of population coverage, if you want to clap you can do it better for Ghana, he added. Mr Agyekum said what was now required was how to make the reach effective by ensuring that when people went to the facilities, they got the services they needed. They should also not be asked to pay for the services covered under the NHIS. Blame Mr Agyekum explained that in several meetings, where NHIS had been blamed for not paying on time, some of the reasons had been that the providers also delayed in submitting their claims. The service providers often did not submit them in a quality manner that would lead to efficient delivery, he added. The Health Economist said the World Bank recognised the numerous initiatives the NHIS had initiated, including the use of information technology (IT) to facilitate claims generation and processing. Mr Agyekum, however, pointed out that facilities such as community-based health planning services (CHPS), health centres and maternity homes were the ones that might not benefit very much due to poor network and the lack of other amenities. The World Bank Health Economist indicated that the training was, therefore, a proactive measure to help the participants to generate claims manually as was expected. The Deputy Executive Director of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG), Dr James Duah, touching on claims payment by the NHIS, said compared to previous years, the recent payment had been more forward-looking. If you do data analytics, you need three points to establish a point and so far we have had those three points; the trend looks good and we are hopeful that this training would also contribute to enhance the processes and early payment, he added. Dr Duah expressed the hope that the training would lead to early submission of claims. He said in 2018, CHAG commenced the digitalisation of processes with three member facilities, but currently, 331 CHAG facilities were submitting claims electronically. The deputy executive director of CHAG commended the World Bank and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for the collaboration in training members for the facilitation in the submission of claims which would lead to satisfaction on both sides. The President of the Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP) Ghana, Dr Andre Kwasi-Kumah, said the society also appreciated the regular and timeous payments the NHIA had been making recently and expressed the hope that it would continue. Source: graphic.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 Nana Obiri Boahen, a former deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has shared his thoughts on the Cecilia Dapaah theft case involving her house helps. The former Sanitation Minister, Cecilia Dapaah, resigned after causing the arrest and prosecution of her house helps who she accused of stealing her 1 million dollars from her bedroom. Madam Cecilia Dapaah received public backlash for stashing such huge sum of money in her residence, thereby compelling her to vacate her office. Commenting on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show regarding who wins the NPP flagbearer election, Nana Obiri Boahen, who vouched for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the best candidate and strongly believed he would make a good President of Ghana, blasted those who justified Cecilia Dapaah's action to keep a million dollars in her room. Some NPP members and broadcaster Paul Adom-Otchere defended the former Minister, claiming the money didn't belong to her but rather it was money donated to her family at a funeral rite and she was safely keeping it on behalf of her family. Nana Obiri Boahen registered his utter disgust over such statements saying "without prejudice to what is happening, if you find 1 million dollars in a political character's room, look politics in Africa, it will affect you". "You don't underrate the intelligence of the average Ghanaian", he warned. 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 The fierce race to decide who leads the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 presidential election enters the home stretch as the ruling party holds its Super Delegates Conference on Saturday to reduce the 10 aspirants to five. The suspense-filled Special Electoral College will be a prelude to the crucial national conference on November 4, 2023, where the partys flag bearer for the 2024 general election will be selected. The nationwide poll follows months of intensive campaigning by the aspirants across the length and breadth of the country to win the hearts and minds of the delegates in whose hands their destiny lies. The candidates have been rallying the delegates with their capabilities not only to transform the Ghanaian economy and superintend over the countrys development, but also to lead the NPP to break the eight-year cycle of governance between the party and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). They also trumpeted their competence and sense of nationalism to mobilise all Ghanaians to buy into their vision. Candidates The thoroughbreds in the hot contest comprise the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former Trades and Industry Minister, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong; the MP for Essikado-Ketan, Joe Ghartey, who is also a former Minister of Railways Development and Attorney-General and Minister of Justice; a former Minister of Energy, Boakye Agyarko; and a former General Secretary of the NPP and Press Secretary to President J.A.Kufuor, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong. Delegates Apart from the messages the aspirants have given, the 956 delegates expected to vote would also look at the competence and general appeal of each aspirant, as well as the ability to win the 2024 general election. Also, the ethnic and religious background will play a key role in selecting the five aspirants for the national congress, coupled with the wherewithal to prosecute the 2024 electioneering campaign since next years general election is regarded as a crucial one, especially when Ghanaians have tasted the eight-year rule of both the NPP and the opposition NDC. Those expected to cast their votes on Saturday include members of the National Council, and National and Regional Executive Committees, Members of Parliament and three representatives from each of the special organs of the party (Youth, Women and Nasara). The rest are past national officers, three representatives from every branch, founder members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC) and all card-bearing ministers. "Every delegate shall be entitled to one vote", according to Article 13 (2) 2 of the partys constitution. Ballot The ballot paper for the election has Mr Agyapong as number one; Mr Kyerematen, number two; Mr Ghartey, number three; Mr Poku, number four and Dr Akoto, number five. The rest are Mr Agyepong, number six; Mr Addai-Nimoh, number seven; Dr Apraku, number eight; Mr Agyarko, number nine; and Dr Bawumia, number 10. Elections Committee To ensure a free, fair and transparent polls, the party has constituted a Presidential Elections Committee chaired by the former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, to supervise and conduct the elections with the assistance of the EC and the Ghana Police Service. The committee, in its operational guidelines to regulate the conduct of the election, stated that the election would be held in all the 16 regional capitals in the country and the party headquarters in Accra, with the EC headquarters as the final collation centre. It urged all the stakeholders in the electoral process to abide by the rules and regulations governing the polls. Some of the key guidelines are that no aspirant will appoint government officials and any delegate listed to vote in the election as agents (whether the Special Electoral College or the Main Election). The government officials include metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives, ministers of state and chief executive officers of state-owned enterprises, regional executives and constituency executives. The guidelines further indicate that the EC and the police should enforce and prevent delegates from taking their phones and other photographic gadgets to the voting screen. Additionally, the EC will use complex serial numbers to avoid ballots being traced to voters at a later date, and that the Electoral Management body should deny influencers and heavily built men access to the voting centres. The guidelines stipulated further that in the event of two, three or four of the aspirants sharing the total results, with the remaining contestants not obtaining any votes, there will be a run-off for those who obtained zero votes to add up to make up the five, while in the event of a tie between two or more candidates for the fifth position, a run-off election will be conducted for those who will tie on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The poll will start at 9 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. at all centres. Ballots will be counted and declared immediately after the close of poll at each voting centre, and each aspirant will have two accredited agents but at all times he would be represented by one polling agent at each polling station The guidelines also indicate that the presiding officer at the voting centre will announce the voting centre results. The party further stressed that failure of an agent to sign the results would not invalidate the announcement by the presiding officer. The regional director will then send through WhatsApp the declared voting centre result sheet to a platform created by the EC and also email the results to [email protected] for collation at the EC head office. It gave the venues for the election in the regions as follows: In the Ashanti, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Law Faculty, Kumasi; Ahafo, Pastoral Centre, Goaso; Bono, Pastoral Centre, Sunyani; Bono East, Kokroko Social Centre, Techiman; Central, Quadrangle, UCC, Cape Coast; Eastern, Koforidua Senior High Technical School; Greater Accra, YMCA, Adabraka, Accra; Northern, Tamale College of Education, Tamale; North East, Nalerigu Senior High School and Savannah, Damongo Youth Centre. The others are Upper East, Bolgatanga Technical University Library Complex; Upper West, Old UDS Campus, Wa; Oti, Dambai College of Education; Volta, Catholic Secretariat (Bishop Koning Centre); Western, Great Hall, Takoradi Technical University; Western North, Pastoral Centre, Sefwi Wiawso; and NPP headquarters, Asylum Down, Accra. Source: graphic.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 A flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has appealed to the 961 super delegates of the party to have faith in him by voting massively for him to be among the five candidates that will be shortlisted for the November 4 showdown. In his message to the super delegates ahead of Saturday, August 26, 2023, polls, Dr. Akoto said now is the time for the kingmakers of the party to show him some love after having done so much to the progress of the party. He reminded them of his vision for the party and the country and noted that he has the wherewithal to revive the UP tradition and ensure its growth, where the sufferings of its activists will be no more. According to the former two-term Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, his vision of establishing commercial businesses to generate revenue to finance activities of the party at all levels while creating job opportunities for the unemployed stands tall among the ten candidates vying for the flagbearer position of the party since it is sustainable and attainable. I am appealing to you, the super delegates, to vote for me. When you vote for me, I have envisioned two things to do; one for the party and the other for the country. All of us are aware of what happened in the 2016 general elections. In the Presidential, our then candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo beat the then incumbent President John Mahama with over 900,000 votes. But when we went to the 2020 general elections when everyone was expecting a wider margin between these two presidential candidates, the over 900,000 votes were cut down to a little over 500,000. We nearly lost the parliamentary majority seats. We are now pegged at 137 with the Independent Parliamentary candidate, Amoako Asiamah, declaring to do business with the NPP for us to become the Majority Group, he noted. He added these happenings tell us that all was not well largely because our grassroots were abandoned. When you talk to them, almost everyone is complaining. This makes breaking the eight-year governance cycle very difficult, hence, my decision to contest for the flagbearer position to turn things around. So, I am appealing to you once again to show me some love and vote massively for me. I will ensure to work hard to reform the party for all to enjoy, he underscored. He said both women and the youth will play leading roles in his government when elected to lead the NPP and subsequently as President of the Republic of Ghana. A total of 10 aspirants are contesting for the flagbearer race of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP). They are a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko; former NPP General Secretary and presidential spokesperson, Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong; former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong, Mr Francis Addai-Nimoh; former Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku. The rest are Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen; former Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mr Joe Ghartey; energy expert, Mr Kwadwo Opoku and Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong. A Special Delegates Congress will be held on August 26, 2023, to select five of the presidential aspirants. The top five aspirants will then contest for the flagbearer slot on November 4, 2023, to elect one to lead the party in the 2024 general election. 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 NPP Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie- Amanfro, Sylvester Tetteh has rubbished claims that the party's constituency Chairmen in Ashanti Region are all rooting for Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to lead the New Patriotic Party into the 2024 elections. A statement released by some Chairmen of the Region yesterday indicated Dr. Bawumia is clearly the choice of the grassroots" and in view of this, all the Chairmen are in favor of the Vice President. "As Constituency Chairmen, we have met on this particular issue, and have arrived at a firm resolution that, our grassroots and polling station executives are right. We are therefore seizing this moment to unanimously express our agreement to this call. "We will also urge and entreat all the Constituency Chairmen to heed the call from the grassroots and polling station executives and vote for Dr Bawumia in their numbers. Because this is the shining moment for us as the Ashanti Region to make history and settle the score in the minds of Ghanaians that, the Ashanti NPP delegate does not vote on tribal lines", portions of the statement further said. But Hon. Sylvester Tetteh, who is in the camp of presidential aspirant Alan Kyerematen, says the statement is falsehood. According to him, this is the doing of some Chairmen whose numbers do not count as compared to the delegates who will be voting on Saturday, August 26, during the NPP Special Delegates Congress aimed at cutting the number of aspirants from ten to five to compete in the main presidential race on November 4th. "Some two people have hidden in a room and written a statement that Ashanti Chairmen, meanwhile reading the story, they are now urging their colleagues to vote for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. What a disgrace!", he exclaimed. He challenged those Chairmen behind the statement to publicly reveal themselves if they truly believe it. "They should be careful. People should be careful", he warned them. Hon. Sylvester Tetteh made these assertions during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme Friday morning. 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 Mayacamas Vineyards announced in early August the release of its 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and the re-release of its acclaimed 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery, with two locations in Napa, California, is known for its simultaneous release of new vintage wines alongside corresponding wines that are 10 years older to offer a unique side-by-side tasting opportunity. 2019 was an exceptional vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon at Mayacamas, said Braiden Albrecht, the winemaker at Mayacamas. Healthy winter rains, followed by a warm but consistent summer and mild weather at harvest, yielded fruit with great freshness and integrity. The 2019 Cabernet has a balanced tannin structure with a beautiful red fruit profile and savoriness that aligns well with the 2009 vintages elegant fruit concentration. The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested by hand from mid-September through mid-October. Fermentation occurred in concrete (65%) and stainless steel (35%) tanks. Fermented dry, the wine was racked into large format foudre for 20 months, then neutral French oak barrique for 14 months before bottling. The 2019 opens with lilac, dried sage, and graphite. Wild mountain blueberry, maraschino cherry, and blackberry round out the fruit profile. As for the 2009 vintage, that is driven by focused red berry fruit: vibrant raspberry tones complemented by wonderfully concentrated cranberry and anise, according to the winerys marketing materials. Primal tones of pine, cedar, and thyme broaden the palate offering savory delicacy with a laser like focus and verve with considerable length on the back palate. Both wines will be available to wine club members and online at Mayacamas.com. They will also be available in limited national distribution. SRPs are $185 for a 750 mL bottle of the 2019 release and $300 for a 750 mL bottle of the 2009 vintage. Mayacamas Vineyards, located high on the slopes of Mt. Veeder, was founded in 1889. It was purchased in July 2013 by the Jay Schottenstein family, marking the beginning of a new era there. While the winery has since undergone a meticulous restoration, there has been a renewed focus on the details of great viticulture and winemaking, according to the marketing materials. Visitors can taste Mayacamas wines and shop luxury retail items at the downtown Napa tasting room (1256 First Street; open Wednesday through Sunday; tastings start at $35 per person; 707.294.1433) or do a tour and tasting at the estate (1155 Lokoya Road; open daily; tastings are $125 per person; 707.224.4030). Albrecht grew up in Sonoma and then went on to UC Berkeley, where he studied agriculture and resource economics. According to this 2020 profile in the Sonoma Index-Tribune, he spent summers in the Himalaya where another Sonoma graduate (Elyse Gonzales Sahota) had started an adventuring company that Albrecht helped out with, called Himalayan Explorers. In addition, he spent a few harvests in the Southern Hemisphere in New Zealand and Australia. He was hired at Mayacamas in 2013 and took charge of wine production with consulting winemaker Andy Ericksen a couple of years later when Nathan Littlejohn left to start Monkshood Cellars in Colorado. Here are responses from Albrecht to several questions sent by PennLive: Braiden Albrecht joined the team at Mayacamas Vineyards in Napa, California, in 2013. Q, Whats the history of the co-releases as you are doing with the Cab Sauvignons and how different are the two wines usually when they are compared? A, We have a long tradition of offering our current vintage Cabernet Sauvignon alongside a Cabernet Sauvignon from out library. We are proud of our wines ability to age and like to showcase that. Its a great opportunity to put the wines into context, especially if you enjoy both side by side. It can illuminate how our wine style evolves over time in bottle and also show how vintage variation impacts the wines profile. Given that goal, weve always held back significant production, especially on Cabernet Sauvignon, to be released at the right intervals in the future. The typical cadence is to offer a wine that is 10 years older than the current release. Our 2023 release included the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. If you visit the winery you may also be able to add some 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon from 1.5L. Its a pretty cool opportunity to experience a vertical tasting. Q, Im always blown away, writing mostly about East Coast wines and wineries, by the history of places like Mayacamas. What has it been like working there and carrying on such a long tradition? A, The history of Mayacamas is quite remarkable. The opportunity to work on a project with 135 years of grape growing and winemaking tradition is unique in the new world. We certainly take the responsibility of continuing that legacy seriously. Its an honor to carry on the traditions and keep alive the legacy. We often talk about being stewards of the land and the legacy at Mayacamas. We are just one chapter in a long history, and we hope to leave the place better than we found it. Q, I saw a story written on your in the Sonoma Index-Tribune. In 2020 .. Im really excited about the next chapter here, he said. We have the redevelopment of 20 new acres that will be coming online in the next three years, which are replanted in different ways; new places, new varietals, different orientations, spacings and clonal material. Theres a lot of new flavors for us to incorporate, seek out, and tame. So, theres a lot to learn. Have those acres been developed, what are a couple of highlights of the redevelopment, and how much will it help to evolve the winery? A, We basically re-planted all 50 acres of vineyard over the last 10 years. That has been a really fun project to be a part of. There is so much to think about on a property like this 485 acres and 50 acres of vineyard scattered across that. There a great deal of variation up here, from elevation, soil, wind, aspect, etc. every block has its own identity. I really love how the Cabernet Sauvignon plantings are coming along. We have some ridge top blocks like Sunset and Top that grow on very thin, rocky soils with extreme exposure. These blocks ripen early and have great intensity. Golden Hill and West Meadow on the other hand sit in a more protected valley, ripen a touch later with vibrant acidity. Overall there is an exciting array of flavor and structure to work with. The view from the deck at Mayacamas Vineyards in Napa, California. Q. How big of a team do you have out there and how long have they been together? A, Our team, including winemaking, vineyard operations and sales is 20 people. Its a great team across the board. We are fortunate to have a group thats been together for a little while now. There was a good amount of the team that started in 2013. As new people have joined the team, theres been a quick integration and overall the team has a big family type vibe. Q, I see you are using more concrete than stainless steel. Are there advantages or improvements you have seen fermenting in concrete? A, Concrete fermentation has been a part of Mayacamas winemaking for a very long time. The first concrete tanks were added to the winery in 1950 or so. They are concrete vats that we use for open top fermentation. Its great to have both concrete and stainless steel (and occasionally oak 500L) as tools. I think the concrete is great for wines that need more oxygen during fermentation especially red wines with a tendency toward reduction or sluggish fermentation. Q, Whats the most enjoyment you have doing what you are doing for a living? And when you manage to get away .. what other interests do you have? A, There are a lot of great things about making wine. There is nothing quite like the excitement of harvest. There is an energy in the air that time of year that never gets old. One of the things that I love about winemaking and farming is that work ebbs and flows with seasons to some extent. When the vines are dormant post-harvest through the spring, thats really where a good chunk of downtime can come in. I love to ski and spend time in the mountains, and that usually lines up with our quite season at the winery. I have a 3-year-old son and Im pretty excited to get him back on skis this winter. More: Celebrate National Red Wine Day with these national, regional standouts Considering some winery visits this fall? Here are a bakers dozen to consider California winery pays stiff price for illegally fermenting 2,000 bottles on ocean floor Century-old Italian winery combines innovation, creativity to embrace its future How far along has East Coast winemaking come? Seventh summit offers a glimpse Bob Barker was known around the world for his decades hosting some of the most popular television game shows. Some may recall his sign off on The Price is Right, reminding viewers to spay and neuter your pets. Off screen Barker was a passionate advocate for animals, including in Pennsylvania. Barker, who died Saturday at 99, put his money where his mouth was, spending millions on animal causes, supporting PETA and its efforts to end captive mammals at Sea World and sanctuaries for rescued lab chimpanzees, to those trying to protect the lowly pigeon from slaughter in Pennsylvania. In 2010 Barker donated $1 million to an animal rights group fighting to end live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania, the last state where the shoots were still legal. Barker worked for several years trying to convince governors, attorneys general and the Pennsylvania General Assembly to ban shoots. He even showed up in the state Capitol to press lawmakers to pass legislation to end the more than century-old practice. He and his animal allies got close, but ultimately Barker was unable to convince legislative leaders to take action to stop the contests where pigeons are launched from spring-loaded boxes at close range. Prizes are awarded to shooters who kill the most birds. Hundreds of injured birds are chased, stomped on or have their necks broken, often by children. Wounded birds that escape suffer and die from their gunshot injuries. In a 2010 letter to Gov. Ed Rendell and Attorney General Tom Corbett, Barker wrote: Thousands of innocent pigeons, unaware of where they were or what was to be their fate, were stuffed into small wooden boxes, then launched into the merciless fire of shooters. The fact that Pennsylvania is the only state in the union where this inhumane carnage is allowed to take place, should be of concern to every citizen in the state. Heidi Prescott, senior vice president of companion animals for the Humane Society of the United States, is among the many animal advocates mourning Barkers death. Sadly we lost a powerful advocate for animals today and are so grateful for his efforts here in Pennsylvania to pass legislations to end cruel pigeon shoot contests which shamefully he did not get to see pass before he died, Prescott said. Call it Lady Libertys spa day. Volunteers took boats to the middle of the Susquehanna River on Saturday for a periodic clean up of the iconic replica of the Statue of Liberty, which has stood atop an old bridge abutment for decades. Workers were tasked with spiffing her up with a fresh coat of white paint and stripping away poison ivy and grape vines enveloping the statue. The statue was also inspected for cracks. Its an ordeal for workers to reach Lady Liberty; first navigating through the rocky and fast-moving river, then using ladders to reach the top of the 32-foot high bridge pier it sits on, before climbing more ladders to reach the crown of the 25-foot statue. Gene Stilp, the builder of the two statues that have stood on the site, said Lady Liberty got a new accessory with the latest clean up. Since Breast Cancer Awareness Month starts soon we will be adding the pink sash to Lady Liberty to make folks aware that the fight to make all folks free from breast cancer is an ongoing effort, he said. The first Lady Liberty was erected for July 4, 1986 to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor. It was supposed to be taken down by Labor Day 1986 but was so popular, Stilp said, he decided to leave it in place. The Harrisburg area has embraced the quirky landmark, visible to those traveling on Rt. 322 north of the Capital City every since. The current statue was placed atop the pier by helicopter in 1997. READ MORE: Harrisburgs iconic Lady Liberty arrive here 35 years ago thanks to a bunch of knuckleheads Take a different look at the Lady Liberty on the Susquehanna River: drone video By Jill Sunday Bartoli My state senator admits in his newsletter, Many students are trapped in failing public schools. My state representative would agree. What they do not admit is that their partys refusal to level up the playing field in our poorest public schools has created those failing schools. And their refusal to respect the PA Supreme Court ruling to equitably fund schools in poor communities is unconstitutional, inequitable, undemocratic, racist and a blatant act of child neglect and abuse. Their alternative-- $100 million for the re-named Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Program, which would pull out a fraction of students to go to better funded schoolsdoes nothing for the hundreds of thousands of students left behind in the schools they refuse to equitably fund. Its like the story of two legislators walking along the Susquehanna River and seeing a baby floating in the water. They jump in to save the baby, just as two more babies come floating down. After they save those, three more come along, then four. Finally, one legislator gets out of the river, much to the horror of the other, and says, Im going upstream to see who is throwing these babies into the river. Our job as citizens who care about a fair and equal democracy, is to look past the diversions, deceptions and outright lies in policies proposed by legislators, and find the truth. Who is throwing our babies into the river? The current legislative effort to refuse level up funding for PA schools seems like a ploy to further cripple our poorest children and their schools. Follow the money to see who is behind this. The next step will be demanding more tests to prove the children are failing. Couple this with senseless reading materialwhat Frank Smith calls Unspeakable Acts, Unnatural Practices, and we have the perfect recipe for failure. Reading and learning are natural for human beings. From infancy to childhood to adulthood we are constantly, sometimes annoyingly, making sense of our world. All children need is supportive, observant guides (teachers, caregivers, mentors) to match them with good books and meaning filled opportunities to learn. Initially they need their guides to read to and with them, talk with them as they make sense of what they are reading, and encourage their continual learning. Then, we need to get out of there and let them soar, while we protect them from meaningless diversions and outside mandates. Problems arise when learners encounter nonsense, like unspeakable phonetic drills and the unnatural practices of focusing on parts or pieces of words instead of sense making. Billions are made by commercial textbook and testing corporations to teach the art of being stupid. Fortunately, many classrooms are filled with meaning making through excellent childrens books, personal relationships with observant and supportive teachers, and many opportunities to be creative and explore individual interests. Teachers should give us all hope for a better tomorrow. But teachers need our help in defending children and youth against powerful, politically endorsed and supported corporations whose goal is control of teaching and continued profiteering , making schools into senseless commercial marketplaces. Mandated standardized testing alone yields billions of dollars on the backs of our children, who are increasingly anxious, frustrated and disinterested in learning. Are there good alternatives to this gross waste of time and money? You bet! Let our teachers be the professionals they arewell qualified to create meaningful learning opportunities for our children and youth. Teachers are also well qualified to evaluate the learning and growth of their students through observation, teacher made tests, student projects and portfolios, and student presentations of their work. The billions saved should be put into smaller class sizes, better teacher pay, and excellent books and learning materials that kids want and need. Commercialization and privatization of education was never the intent of the founders of our great American experiment in equal education for all citizens. But legislators, controlled by their profiteering donors, are cutting the heart and soul out of childrens learning. As informed citizens who can see through the lies and deceptions, we need to ban together with our teachers to provide meaning filled, non-threatening opportunities for all of our children to learn and growjoyfully! Lets call out the lies and stand up for meaningful teaching and learning. Tell your legislators to support Level Up funding desperately needed in our poorest PA schools, and tell them to stop taking money from their big-dollar, profiteering donors. Jill Sunday Bartoli is Professor Emerita at Elizabethtown College and a resident of Carlisle. By Mark S. Singel It took Florida Governor Ron DeSantis all of fifteen seconds to toss out the opening snarkiness in the GOP Presidential debate. Lets send Biden back to his basement. The line was received well by an excitable audience that reacted noisily to similar canned lines throughout the evening. For the most part, the debate seemed more like a MAGA pep rally than a serious discussion about the issues. One clear shortcoming of the debate format was the disruptive nature of the studio audience. They hooted their approval of extreme positions on climate change, education, and immigration, and they made sure that the candidates knuckled under to their preferred front runner. Playing to that audience and the far-right wing of their party, six of the contenders failed the test of leadership when they meekly acknowledged that they would support Trump even if he was convicted of the felonies that he now faces in four jurisdictions. Governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas and Governor Chris Christie had the temerity to call out the former President and their own party. Hutchinson said that he would not support a felon for President; Christie said that Trumps behavior was beneath the dignity of the Presidency. Both were loudly booed for their statements. At the outset of the 2024 campaign, the Republican Party is careening toward nominating a man who may contend for the Presidency from a jail cell. At the very least, Trump will be dividing his time between the campaign trail and four different court proceedings next year. The federal and Fulton County indictments paint a damning picture of a desperate man who appears to have willfully violated the Constitution and broken countless laws just to hold onto power. Yet, given the choice between supporting our fundamental belief in the rule of law or groveling to a dangerously flawed megalomaniac, the party faithful continue to grovel. Whats worse is that they do so with rage. Watching the audience at the debate jump to their feet to cheer on a candidate who didnt even bother to show up was telling. There was no way for any other contender to score debate points when all the audience wanted was their red meat. Border walls, book bans, election fraud all of the far-right grievances crowded out any real chance to actually address issues. Vivek Ramaswamy, the upstart entrepreneur from Ohio added gasoline to the fire by providing a long list of ideas attached to no reality except the roar of the crowd. He called climate change a hoax in the midst of a summer of unprecedented natural disasters. He would curtail election rights and womens rights because that is what the beast demands. Ramaswamy may have stepped too far when it came to foreign policy. When he opposed further aid to Ukraine, it was former Gov. Nikki Haley who reacted with her own rage. Haley, who served as Ambassador to the United Nations, pointed out the existential crisis for democracy in Ukraine and the global implications of the conflict. She showed her credentials as a thoughtful leader and demolished the vapid position of Ramaswamy. You have no foreign policy experience, she said, and it shows. Haley also broke out of the morass of Trumpism when she took on deficit spending by both parties. She challenged GOP assertions of fiscal restraint when she noted the $8 trillion deficit incurred in the Trump administration. She also searched for consensus on what may be the thorniest issue facing Republican candidates throughout the country abortion rights. While the other candidates locked themselves into untenable positions that were guaranteed to alienate women voters, Haley broke through with a proposal to reach across ideological lines to find common ground. A rare glimmer of statesmanship in the darkness that hung over the debate for most of the evening. Other pundits have weighed in on the numbers and other questions. Who won? Who lost? Who will have the courage to rise up against the tide of anger that blinds some voters to the reality of the moment? With the possible exception of Nikki Haleys clarity and Chris Christies direct challenge to the front runner, little has changed. The party faithful continues to snub any candidacy that presents a real challenge to Donald Trump. The mug shot has become a rallying cry for defiance. It makes his base even more angry. There is hope, however. Yes, a majority of Republicans continue to toe the line behind their flawed candidate. But the general election calculus remains the same. Democrats, moderate Republicans, Independents, women, minorities, and rational Americans know that the politics of division is unsustainable. Even if Trump survives his legal challenges, he will face a more thoughtful electorate in the fall. Americans have proven that they are good stewards of the Republic notwithstanding the occasional flare up of misguided rage. Mark S. Singel is a former lieutenant governor and Acting governor of Pennsylvania The Kremlin labeled as "an absolute lie" on Friday the Western conjecture that Russian President Vladimir Putin masterminded Yevgeny Prigozhin's reported death. The chief of the mercenary Wagner Group reportedly was on the jet that crashed Wednesday evening just outside of Moscow. Prigozhin's name was on the passenger manifest, and he reportedly was among the 10 people aboard who died in the crash. Putin cited "preliminary information" saying that Prigozhin and his top associates in the Wagner mercenary group all had been killed. Earlier on Friday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov scolded U.S. President Joe Biden for suggesting that the Russian president had orchestrated Prigozhin's death. "It is not for the U.S. president, in my opinion, to talk about certain tragic events of this nature," Ryabkov said Friday. Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Biden said he was not surprised by Prigozhin's reported death. "There's not much that happens in Russia that Putin's not behind," he said. Asked by The Associated Press whether the Kremlin has received an official confirmation of Prigozhin's death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referenced Putin's remarks from a day earlier. "He said that right now, all the necessary forensic analyses, including genetic testing, will be carried out. Once some kind of official conclusions are ready to be released, they will be released," Peskov said. According to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, the plane was downed by an intentional explosion. One of the U.S. and Western officials who described the assessment said it determined that Prigozhin was "very likely" targeted and that the explosion falls in line with Putin's "long history of trying to silence his critics." The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment, did not offer any details about what caused the explosion. It is believed to be in retaliation for the mutiny in June that posed the biggest challenge to Putin's 23-year rule. Members of Canada Task Force 1, a heavy urban search and rescue unit, look over maps inside a command centre set up this week in connection with the wildfires burning in the Central Okanagan. Dennie Fornwald, an early childhood educator, embraces her 10-year-old child, Kike Dueck, in Regina on Aug. 24, 2023. Fornwald says she's upset with the Saskatchewan Party government's decision to require parental consent when children under 16 years old want to change their names or pronouns at school, as it would affect children, such as Dueck, who is nonbinary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeremy Simes People without vehicles lineup to register for a flight to Calgary, Alberta, in Yellowknife on Thursday, August 17, 2023. The premiers of Alberta and the Northwest Territories are scheduled to tour a Calgary reception centre for wildfire evacuees from the territory this afternoon. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Braden 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 So far this year, 2,407 foreigners visited the center or around 10 a day, and the number increased to 20 to 30 a day once lockdown restrictions ended. The aim is to boost accessibility of hiking trails for foreign visitors. The STO opened a hiking tourism center in June near Mt. Bukhan, the national park in the capital popular for its hiking courses. The center rents climbing boots and apparel at affordable prices and offers guided hiking programs. Seoul Tourism Organization CEO Gil Ki-yeon said, "Due to the popularity of K-pop, tourists have grown more interested in Korean food, fashion and nature, and a new trend is mountain climbing." The Seoul Metropolitan Government is turning mountain trails in the city into must-see attractions for tourists besides shopping and visiting royal palaces and K-pop locations. Most foreign visitors to the mountain used to be expats, but now growing numbers are tourists. Out of 809 foreigners who used the center's hiking programs this year, 13.8 percent were Americans, 13.3 percent Singaporeans, 9.1 percent Chinese and 7.9 percent French. Some 85 percent were in their 20s and 30s, while 71 percent were women. Lee Joon-ho at the center said, "Many young women visit us after finding out about the center on social media. Recently, a group of American university students climbed Mt. Bukhan on a graduation trip." Some scouts attending the disastrous recent World Scout Jamboree also scaled the mountain. A tourist from the U.S. said, "In America you often have to drive for hours outside the city to go hiking, but it only takes half a day in Seoul and the courses are doable for the average tourist." And a Canadian tourist who hiked up Mt. Bukhan said, "I traveled to many countries around the world, but Korea is the first one that rents out climbing shoes." The STO wants to set up more hiking centers. A second one will open near Cheong Wa Dae, the former presidential office, in September, offering assistance to tourists wanting to climb nearby Mt. Bukak and Mt. Inwang. A third will open at the foot of Mt. Gwanak in southern Seoul next year. Starting in the second half of this year, ridge climbing tours are going to be offered on a trial basis as well as trekking courses taking tourists around Gyeongbok Palace. "We want to bring more tourists to mountains in Seoul, including group visitors from China, who are expected to arrive in greater numbers" now China is permitting them again, an STO staffer said. Felipe Ketzer was on his way to win a second 25,000 tournament of this 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) at Casino Barcelona. Its been a close call, as he finished third (126,500). On his way, he found David Yan who claimed the victory in the 25,000 No-Limit Holdem II. Yan beat a field of 34 players and, thanks to his first place, won a top prize of 260,899* out of a total prize pool of 816,340, after a deal was made heads-up with Pablo Brito (204,441*). The Brazilian player fought until the end to try to take the trophy, but he couldnt close the gap to win. Earlier on during the final table, Hyun Kim (4th, 93,900), Jean-Noel Thorel (5th, 73,500), and Biao Ding (6th, 57,100) also reached one of the six places in the money. $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em II Final Results RANK PLAYER COUNTRY PRIZE 1 David Yan New Zealand 260,899 2 Pablo Brito Brazil 204,441 3 Felipe Ketzer Brazil 126,500 4 Hyun Kim South Korea 93,900 5 Jean-Noel Thorel France 73,500 6 Biao Ding China 57,100 "I just feel grateful and fortunate I was so lucky to run good in the right situations", recognized Yan a few minutes after his victory. "I won the all-ins that I needed to. It was fun." Even though he "played a little bit later", he said he had "a smooth run pretty quickly". "I won some hands from the beginning, but at one point, I lost a pretty big pot, actually to Pablo, when there were two tables left", he added. "Then I just ran good, so its mostly because of luck." Now that he has the trophy, maybe hell try to take another EPT event, a third one, as he already won a 25,000 tournament during EPT Malta 2016. "Im not too sure yet", he answered. "Ill definitely play the Main Event. But tomorrow Ill think about it and see. I want to play a bit and try to enjoy the city." David Yan The Highlights The 25,000 No-Limit Holdem II started a little bit late, waiting for players to buy in. And it was only after the dinner break and the first 10 levels that the tournament reached its peak with 18 players seated on three tables out of 34 entrants. But the number of remaining players quickly decreased after the eliminations of Hassan Nashar, Nacho Barbero, Steve O'Dwyer, and Thomas Eychenne. Kayhan Mokri was the next player on the list. He finished in 10th place and left the nine remaining players for the final table. Sergio Aguero and Nacho Barbero With only five blinds at the beginning of the final table, Sergio Aguero (9th) was quickly eliminated by Yan. He was followed by Ren Lin (8th), who couldnt win the flip he needed to survive against Ketzer. Following Lins elimination, there were seven players left for six places in the money. And for the second time in three days, it was Timothy Adams who became the bubble-boy of the 25,000 No-Limit Holdem event. He ran into the trips of Hyun Kim, who took the chiplead at this point. But Yan doubled through him, came back, and was the first player with over one million chips after he eliminated Biao Ding (6th, 57,100). Moments later, Jean-Noel Thorel also went to the cashier to claim his fifth-place prize of 73,500. Kim (4th, 93,900) was the next victim of the final table, as he couldnt find any ace against Yans sevens to stay in the tournament. The board didnt help Ketzer either, and he finished third for 126,500. Felipe Ketzer During heads-up play, Yan had almost four times Pablo Britos stack. They agreed on a deal but kept fighting for the trophy. "I dont have one", said Brito. Unfortunately for him, the last duel was quick. He ended the tournament in second place (204,441*) and let Yan claim the victory for 260,899*. Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for coverage of your favorite events at EPT Barcelona. Late registration has ended in the final flight of the tournament and the totals are in! There were a total of 1,020 entrants of five flights of action. When the dust settles in this last flight, a total of 128 runners will move on to Day 2 and battle it out for their share of the $479,400 prize pool. The final payout will come in a later post. Stay tuned! Q. Halloween brings forth some menacing creatures. The scariest to me is Dracula when he is a blood-sucking bat turning people into vampires. It got me wondering: Are vampire bats real? If so, have they been found in the United States? Have you ever seen one? Read moreECOVIEWS: Are vampire bats real? It would take 50 years before the now-historic buildings were constructed and completed in 1916, according to the Historic Charleston Foundation. The structures reflect the late-Gothic revival-style of the early 20th century, according to Charleston historian Robert Stockton. The church and sailors' home operated for nearly 50 years but fell out of use when seamen's time in port changed from several days to less than 12 hours and docks were relocated farther from the worship site. The church was deconsecrated in 1964, and the religious symbols were removed from the stained glass shortly afterward. In 1967, Wilbur Burbage, who previously worked as the front dining room manager at longtime lower peninsula restaurant Perdita's (which became Carolina's until it closed in 2014), opened The Market Place restaurant. "He wanted to venture out on his own," his son, Bryon, said. By 1974, Wilbur Burbage had scraped together enough money to purchase the former church and seamen's home. His son doesn't remember what the elder Burbage paid for it, but it undoubtedly was a fraction of the current asking price. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! The chapel served as the main dining room. Wilbur Burbage later added a second restaurant on the corner called Captain Anson's Seafood Galley, but it was short-lived. "It became too much to operate two restaurants," Bryon Burbage said. "He preferred quality over quantity." The Market Place specialized in French cuisine with menu prices between $4.25 and $8.95, although the menu only hinted of the French influence, according to a 1974 story in Sandlapper Magazine. "We prefer to prepare our foods in the French manner but consider it unnecessary to confuse American diners with French vocabulary," Wilbur Burbage said at the time. For several years after it opened, Esquire magazine annually placed The Market Place among the 40 restaurants in the nation with "extraordinary dedication to haute cuisine." FORT MOTTE The view is what everyone talks about. "Spectacular." "Gorgeous." Flat-out "crazy." From the top of the bluffs, miles of green stretch out toward the horizon. That land to the north across the river is Congaree National Park, points out Tim Evans, director of land conservation for Audubon South Carolina. Nearly 200 feet straight down, the Congaree River gleams through gaps in oak and pine. But Evans is most interested in what lies to the south, beyond the bluffs. Behind him, hundreds of acres of forest sprawl, comprising Audubon South Carolina's new project: Restoring this piece of land, donated to the group in July, to its former glory. The Arant Tract, as it's called, is just part of the plan. Audubon is working to conserve hundreds more acres on the south side of the Congaree River, just under an hour's drive from Columbia. Other conservation groups see it as a sign of more work in the Midlands in general, which often falls behind other regions of the state when it comes to protecting land. One day, the land could open to the public. For the time being, Audubon is working to cultivate a habitat for the birds, butterflies, trees and plants that populate the area, while ensuring development can never make its mark. The Arant Tract A glimpse of that former glory remains along the bluffs. The difference is subtle but stark. On one side, trees grow from red soil in wide rows, sun shining through gaps in the canopy. On the other, toward the bluffs, shortleaf and longleaf pines sprout alongside white oaks, the forest floor dark with shade and shrubs. "All we can do as people is screw this up," Evans said as he gestured around the old, untouched forest. The distinction comes from how the land was once used, Evans said. Nearly a century ago, much of the property would have been covered in agricultural fields, growing cotton and corn, Audubon researchers determined by examining archival photographs and land records as well as analyzing how the plants are growing. COLUMBIA A University of South Carolina student was fatally shot early Aug. 26 when police believe he mistakenly tried to enter a home, thinking it was his own. Nicholas Donofrio, a 20-year-old sophomore from Connecticut, was found dead on the porch of a Rosewood neighborhood home. He had a gunshot wound to his upper body. Columbia police had been responding to a report of burglary at the 500 block of South Holly Street shortly before 2 a.m. While en route, they received a call that shots were fired. Donofrio lived on South Holly Street and attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot, according to preliminary information in the police investigation. Police did not say how much time passed between the initial call for help and the second call that shots had been fired. They also did not give further detail on the type of weapon or the number of people in the home. Nor did they give further information about the circumstances of the shooting, such as whether the door or a window of the home was open when Donofrio was shot. Located roughly a mile and a half southeast of USC's historic Horseshoe, or campus center, homes on South Holly Street and the surrounding blocks are popular with both families as well as college students, many of whom rent the older, craftsman-style homes with classmates. The Gamecocks logo flies from porch flags along quiet neighborhood streets and graces many a vehicle's license plate or window sticker. People were filing into the backyard of Philly Johnson's South Holly Street home the afternoon of Aug. 26 to celebrate a family birthday. He stood on the front lawn talking to a neighbor about what had happened in the pre-dawn hours. Having lived on the street for seven years, Johnson said it is not uncommon to see students walking home or being dropped off by friends after a night out in the nearby Five Points entertainment district. He did not hear the gun shots. While Johnson and other neighbors said they understand being fearful of a person trying to get into a home, several also wondered about the choice to resort to gunfire with police on the way. The researchers started in an alligator pond and ended up at a fertility clinic. They were looking at bodily fluids first in large reptiles, then humans searching for a group of environmental contaminants that even the U.S. government didnt have a handle on, clueless still about their ubiquity and potential harm. The South Carolina scientists, a small group interested in harms to reproduction, detected these chemicals known as PFAS floating in the ovaries of women struggling to get pregnant a first-of-its-kind discovery. Then, suddenly, the lead scientist died. A graduate student took charge, eventually publishing their findings in a scientific journal. But without their leader, famed researcher Louis Guillette, the research program dissolved. No press release went out. No one told the women at the clinic that their ovaries held toxic contaminants. No one mentioned that the source of their infertility could be hiding in the cosmetics they wore or the water they drank. Did they have a right to know? Truly eye-opening, said Jessica McCoy, remembering what it was like being that graduate student and measuring PFAS concentrations in the donors blood and ovarian fluid. McCoy graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina soon after publishing the groups results. She wanted to lead a patient education program at the clinic about PFAS, but Guillettes sudden death at the age of 61 made it hard: We just didnt make it that far. Guillette died in 2015, eight years before the makers of PFAS settled billion-dollar lawsuits for contaminating public water. His death came three years before Mark Ruffalo made a blockbuster film based on the true story of the very first PFAS lawsuit the one that uncovered DuPonts decades-long knowledge of human birth defects linked to PFAS. DuPont said nothing, too. The company stayed silent after discovering in 1981 that two babies, born to workers exposed to a PFAS chemical now known as PFOA, had eye and facial defects. Another baby, similarly exposed, had PFAS in his cord blood. Not only did DuPont not communicate these discoveries to other employees, it outright denied the adverse pregnancy outcomes to employees in an internal memo. DuPont failed to notify federal agencies about PFOA's harmful effects for decades. BEAUFORT A fighter pilot killed the night of Aug. 24 in a jet crash in California was assigned to a unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort. The pilot, Maj. Andrew Mettler, was part of Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224. I am deeply saddened to share the loss of Maj. Andrew Simple Jack Mettler, a fellow Marine aviator who was honing his craft as a Hornet pilot and leader in his squadron, the Fighting Bengals," 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) Commanding General Maj. Gen. Scott Benedict said in a statement released Aug. 26. "I had the great honor of flying in an F/A-18D with Simple Jack and will always remember his skill piloting the Hornet and his wry smile." Mettler was only person aboard the F/A-18D, which is a two-seat variant of the Hornet, according to a press release issued by the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. A search-and-rescue effort initiated after the crash recovered the pilot's body at the crash site. The crash occurred just before midnight Aug. 24 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, which is located north of San Diego. The jet reportedly went down on government property east of the air station. There were no injuries on the ground and no other property damage reported. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. Last March, an F/A-18D assigned to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 533, also based in Beaufort, crashed near Halfmoon Island on property owned by former Gov. Mark Sanford. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft and parachuted to safety. Two of Sanford's siblings aided the pilot and co-pilot. An investigation revealed that a bird strike caused the engines to catch fire and fail, leading to the crash. The F/A-18 is an twin-engine, all-weather fighter and attack aircraft. Several variants of the Hornet are flown by Marine Corps fighter attack squadrons, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Reserve squadrons and the Blue Angels. The Hornet first entered service with the Marines in 1983. The F-35 Lightning II is expected to replace the Hornet by the end of the decade. A former Army soldier was acquitted of a slew of kidnapping and assault charges Aug. 25 following a four-day trial in Charleston County. James Isaiah Joseph Fye was arrested by North Charleston police in 2019 on allegations he held his ex-girlfriend hostage inside a Quality Inn hotel room, put a gun to a 2-year-olds head and coerced the woman into sex. The 33-year-old man was charged with first-degree assault and battery, two counts of kidnapping, domestic violence of a high and aggravated nature and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Jurors, after four hours of deliberations, ultimately acquitted him of any criminal conduct. The 9th Circuit Solicitors Office had sought life without the possibility of parole due to the defendants criminal history, according to court records. He pleaded guilty in 2009 in the U.S. Armys First Judicial Circuit to robbing a pizza delivery man at gunpoint at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he served as a private in the 101st Airborne Division. Fye, who was diagnosed with a personality disorder in 2008 during a tour in Afghanistan, was dishonorably discharged following his conviction. The prosecution in Charleston cast the defendant as a controlling and emotionally unstable boyfriend, who sought vengeance after his 23-year-old girlfriend had the courage to leave an abusive relationship. But he testified in his own defense that he was a devoted father who was determined to see his daughter after her mother took the child and left the state. The trial forced jurors to grapple with the bounds of a parents love for their child. A mothers love transforms a woman into a warrior, assistant solicitor Jordan Norvell said. Charleston County public defender Rodney Davis countered that the same could be said about his client. When the dads a warrior, they call him a criminal," Davis said. "When the dads a warrior, they vilify him. Jurors heard from the young woman, who recounted how she fled a relationship nearly five years ago in Charlotte that she said had become physically abusive. She changed her phone number and left the state. Arendt is an exceptionally liberating figure in 20th-century intellectual history. A disciple and lover of Heidegger, she studied phenomenology with Edmund Husserl in Freiburg and under the direction of Karl Jaspers in Heidelberg wrote a thesis on the idea of love in the writings of Saint Augustine. Over the course of her life, she mapped the ills of the 20th century. With the rise of Nazism, she went to work for German Zionist organizations, before fleeing to France. After countless hardships, she emigrated to the United States, where she taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City and lectured at the most prestigious universities in the country. Discredited in Germany, she remains a fundamental reference for moral and political philosophy. Her thinking retains a disconcerting relevance in light of the new totalitarianisms that appear in the age of technological dependence. Although her analysis of the sources of totalitarianism focuses on communism and Nazism, her interpretation is easily adapted to the current context of a society dominated by technology. Arendt had a firm idea of freedom as a living political reality, exercised by the individual. Freedom is not something that can be given: freedom must be taken. Its something that she practiced in her own life on numerous occasions. Freedom, she thought, was like breathing room: it requires space between people. Totalitarianism is the attempt by the state or any other power to compress that space. Total terror destroys the space between people and doesnt let them breathe, functioning as a compression of the mental space via the standardization of thought. The singular individual becomes a uniform mass. Totalitarianisms do not manage to tear the love of freedom from the hearts, she wrote, but they destroy the only essential prerequisite of all freedoms, which is the ability to move, which cannot exist without that mental space. The forces of nature and history are accelerated by totalitarianism and can only be stopped through the exercise of freedom. Freedom isnt a right granted by another freedom is something that everyone exercises, as its at the root of the human condition. And alienating the human condition is the goal of totalitarian terror. A fundamental notion of Arendts is that each new beginning is an obstacle in a totalitarian regimes process of indoctrination. Terror executes the death sentences that nature is supposed to have pronounced on races or individuals who are not fit for life. [These regimes impose a notion] about the dying classes, without waiting for the slower and less efficient process of nature or history. Totalitarianisms are similar to laboratories. They create the conditions of pressure and temperature that make the acceleration of natural processes possible. [They blind themselves] to the fact that this scientific work when it innovates is gestated thanks to a new beginning. According to Arendt, when science claims to have a monopoly over the real, its engaging in propaganda and going astray. Any theory of everything is a form of totalitarianism. Its part of a scientific rhetoric the result of the imperialism of a particular science. Physics, for instance, tried to extend its domains over chemistry, biology, or psychology. As if a single science a single perspective could account for all of what is real. In her writings, Arendt notes the obsession with science that has characterized the modern world since the 17th century. She quotes Eric Voegelin: Totalitarianism seems to be the last phase of a process during which science has become an idol that will magically cure all the ills of existence and that will transform the nature of man. Scientism like totalitarian propaganda tries to eliminate the impossibility of predicting individual behavior, by offering certainties to the masses. It assumes that human nature is always the same: that history is the story of changing objective circumstances. The human being only has to suffer, or fit into the immutable laws of the historical or natural process. But facts depend on the power that can manufacture them. A world under totalitarian control can make its lies come true, it can make all of its prophecies come true. Arendt never explicitly discussed the history of science, but her vision of totalitarianism fits into it: In a perfect totalitarian government, all men have become One Man. Every particular science requires a certain standardization of thought. Physicists all think in a similar way, as do psychologists or biologists. But its an abuse when a particular model is considered to be the only valid one. Hence the purpose of totalitarian propaganda, which isnt so much meant to instill convictions, but rather aims to destroy the formation of any new ones. Arendt didnt speak about the theory of everything. Instead, she discussed ideologies and isms that attempt to explain everything. For free and creative thought, an ideology is an impermissible simplification. It can function at the most elementary and tender levels of thought, constituting a single horizon but its immediately apparent that its a prison for thought. Reducing everything to a single premise has catastrophic political consequences, but is very useful for totalitarian domination. Despite lacking scientific training, Arendts instinct warned of the danger in this. Ideologies are known for their scientific character: they combine the scientific approach with results of philosophical relevance and claim to be scientific philosophy. The word ideology seems to imply that an idea can become the object of a [branch of] science, in the same way that animals are the object of zoology. Hannah Arendt, while giving a class at the New School in New York, in 1969. Neal Boenzi (New York Times Co. / Getty Images) The writer and thinker personally suffered the results of this fetishization of ideology. Ideology treats the course of events as following the same law as the logical exposition of its idea. Ideologies claim to know the mysteries of the entire historical process the secrets of the past, the complexities of the present, the uncertainties of the future thanks to the inherent logic of their ideas. Whoever is governed by ideology claims to be the smartest and ends up being the most naive. Ideology also masks reality: everything is too clear, theres no interest in the mystery of things. This matches the totalitarian vocation. [Ideology] is the purely negative coercion of logic that is, the prohibition of contradictions. It cannot be interrupted or upset by a new idea or a new experience. [Restricting] the inherent ability to think with the straitjacket of logic is as violent as if we were forced [to stop thinking] by an external power. The main totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century were Nazism and Stalinism. In the 21st century, they have changed their masks. They are now biotechnology the idea that the human being is just a biological algorithm and technolatry, or digitization of the world the idea that what is real is, basically, information. Totalitarianism is consolidated when the most elemental form of human creativity is destroyed. This creativity always arises at the origin, in the new beginning, where the creative person continually returns. As long as there are creative people who add something of their own to the common world the totalitarian threat and its systematic preparation of perpetrators and victims can be avoided. The creative person as Marcus Aurelius said is neither master nor slave. Or, in this context, neither executor nor victim. In her writings, Arendt made sure to distinguish loneliness from solitude. What makes loneliness so unbearable is the loss of self, which can be realized in solitary life. When you lose confidence in yourself as a partner in thought and confidence in the world necessary to have experiences. the capacity for thought and experience are also lost. She seems to have had a similar line of thought as the Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, when she stated that, if the mind doesnt feel like it requires itself, the world, thought, or experience, it is only left with logic. But the truth of logic is an empty truth, which reveals nothing. Defining consciousness as truth as some modern logicians do means denying the existence of truth, she wrote. The denial of contradictions is the ultimate constraint: it rejects the essence of what it means to be alive. While totalitarianism intends to convert the citizen into an automaton, in our present moment, it intends to convert the citizen into a biological algorithm: programmable, hackable, expendable. Totalitarian domination carries the seeds of its own destruction, Arendt noted. Fear and powerlessness are anti-political principles that throw people into a situation contrary to political action. Still, she was careful to shed any trace of fatalism. Each ending in history heralds a new beginning and that beginning is identified with human freedom. A 20th century life Hannah Arendt denied being a philosopher. And its true: she wrote numerous essays that cannot be categorized as being entirely philosophical, historical or journalistic. Rather, they navigate freely between genres. Although she contributed to left-wing American magazines and journals, its difficult to say if she was conservative or progressive. She was born Hanover, Germany, in 1906, to a prosperous, educated and liberal Jewish family. She barely knew her father, who died of syphilis when she was just a child. She grew up in Konigsberg the home of Kant, whose philosophy would become a constant reference in her life. Philosophically, Arendt was schooled by Martin Heidegger. Arendts grandfather Jacob Cohn was a Lithuanian who had made his fortune by importing Russian tea. Hannah inherited her mothers character: brave, independent and proud. Not knowing how to lie, she seemed not to fear anything or anyone. Martha her mother would record the evolution of her daughter in a diary. At the age of three, the family moved to Konigsberg, so that Hannahs father could be treated for his illness. Martha and her husband were educated and committed to socialism (illegal in Germany during that period). In the family library, there were Greek and Latin classics, which Hannah read at an early age. She would pray for her father and forbid her mother from speaking harshly to him. While her parents didnt practice Judaism, they allowed Hannahs grandparents to take her to the synagogue. Her paternal grandfather, Max, had worked to integrate Jews into the German state, never having given in to either Zionism or full assimilation. Judaism more than a faith evoked a kind of history and culture for Hannah, who couldnt remember her readings from the Talmud, but enjoyed Sabbath sweets, fish dumplings and singing in the synagogue. The death of her father strengthened the bond between mother and daughter. She would always seek refuge in Martha some friends recalled that, even after turning 40, Hannah would snuggle up next to her mother, curled up in a ball, to spend entire evenings with her. In Konigsberg, Martha attended clandestine meetings of German socialists with her daughter in tow. In 1918, the German Communist Party would be born. World War I had ruined Germany but all was not lost. From the trenches, German philosopher Franz Rozenzweig had written The Star of Redemption a tract on the relationship between God, humanity and the world which left a mark on Hannah. The rigor of logic was drowned in its virtue. Given her upbringing, Arendt would always be skeptical about the possibility of societies undergoing change. Rosa Luxemburg a German revolutionary socialist and a friend of her mothers was murdered in 1919, her body thrown into a canal in Berlin. In Konigsberg, Martha took her daughter to a silent rally in memory of the victims of the January Uprising, which saw rioting communists crushed by the government. Hannah was only 13. By 14, she had already read Kant by 17, she had written her first poems. As an exceptionally talented young woman, she approached philosophy. World War II had matured the thinkers she was discovering, such as Walter Benjamin, Hans Jonas and Gershom Scholem they were seeking to understand the torments that plagued their lives and times, analyzing the failure of revolutions, the horror of war, as well as the thin line that separates good from evil. In Berlin, Kierkegaard distanced him from Hegel he thought that reducing philosophy to a purely conceptual science was a mistake. It meant denying the value of the individual in favor of abstract wholes, such as the people or the state. Hannah went to study under Martin Heidegger a German philosopher who would go on to support the Nazi Party. He quickly recognized his students intellectual strength. One night, in his office, as she stood up to say goodbye, something unusual occurred. Suddenly, he knelt down in front of me. I leaned over and he, from his position, raised his arms up towards me and I took his head in my hands: he kissed me and I returned it. The professor was 35; she was 19. The meetings would continue between the two until shortly before Hannahs death. She would be a privileged interlocutor as he wrote Being and Time, his magnum opus. Heidegger admired her free and persistent nature, as well as her ability to comfortably sit in silence with him. Their meetings were secret: she accommodated herself to the professors busy schedule. Poems were exchanged. Hans Jonas a fellow student also fell in love with Hannah. She rejected him, but they became close friends and confidants. Both shared a taste for theology. Jonas described her as shy and reserved, with striking beauty and lonely eyes. He admired her intellectual poise, her independence and her great vulnerability. Hannah also met the psychiatrist Karl Jaspers around this same period, in 1926. He was drawn to her deep goodness and moral steadfastness. They forged a lifelong friendship. He would supervise her thesis on the concept of love in the writings of Saint Augustine. At university, Hannah would meet Gunther Stern her first husband who would bring order to her tormented student life. While they would continue to write to each other for the rest of their lives, she never publicly acknowledged the work they did together. Both Arendt and Stern were unassimilated Jews. They shared the same love for philosophy, the same origins, the same friends and an apartment in Berlin (which they could only occupy at night). During the day, it was rented to a dance school. They were married in a simple ceremony in 1929. Arendt came into contact with Zionism through Kurt Blumenfeld, who had been her mentor since she was a child. She went to work for a Zionist organization, collecting anti-semitic texts and sending them abroad, to detail what was occurring in the 1930s. She was arrested by the German authorities with compromising documents. She spent eight days in a cell, undergoing interrogations behind closed doors. Through cunning and by telling absurd stories to the interrogating officer she managed to be released from detainment, pending trial. After a farewell party with friends, she fled Nazi Germany with her mother. In the middle of the night, with the help of a Zionist organization, they crossed the border into Czechoslovakia through the Erzgebirge forest. From Prague, they went to Geneva, before finally ending up in Paris, where Hannah was reunited with her husband. However, they found France to be hostile with high unemployment rates, locals were displeased with German immigrants. Only a few intellectuals such as Raymon Aron helped Hannah and her family, as they couldnt find work and were living in miserable conditions. During this French exile, Jewish-French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas published a forceful article against Hitlerism, which discussed the new criminality in Germany that had been installed by legal means. It fascinated Hannah she would make use of this piece while later writing her best-known work, Eichmann in Jerusalem. Hannah eventually found a job as a secretary in a Zionist organization. To improve her French, she recited Baudelaire; to overcome her despair, she read Kafka. In the cafes, she met Heinrich Blucher a self-taught German poet and Marxist, who spent his nights playing chess with Walter Benjamin. However, Heinrich preferred avant-garde cinema to socialist realism. He and Hannah philosophized until dawn. Heinrich who was married declared his love for her. Together, they experienced the rise of Nazim with anguish, feeling guilty about the distance from their comrades back in Germany. In the bedroom, they introduced Marxism and Zionism to each other (love means mutual respect). This would begin a conversation that would last until the end of their lives. Meanwhile, they looked after Benji (Walter Benjamin) who, in France, was penniless and living like a homeless man. Intellectually exhausted and plagued by depression, Benjamin worked on his Arcades Project an enormous collection of writings on the city life of Paris in the 19th century. It would never be completed he died by suicide in 1940, on the French-Spanish border, while trying to escape the invading Wehrmacht. In France, Hitlers enemies of German origin were interned in camps. Heinrich was sent to the Villemard camp, on the sole pretext of his German nationality. On June 23, 1940, Hannah entered the Gurs camp, where she lived in despicable conditions with another 9,300 inmates. French soldiers guarded the wire fences; showering was only allowed every fortnight. Amid the mud, dirt and hunger, Arendt thought that France had locked them up to die. By September, the census of the Jews in the occupied zone began to be taken. The Vichy regime prohibited foreigners from traveling. Hannah, however, managed to escape on foot from Gurs, taking only a toothbrush with her. She found refuge in the city of Montauban, whose socialist mayor welcomed escapees from the camps. Hannah was on the verge of despair when, suddenly, she met Heinrich on the street. Hannah Arendt with her second husband, Heinrich Blucher. Fred Stein Archive / GETTY IMAGES By this point, Europe had become a huge battlefield, filled with concentration camps. Arendt travelled to Marseilles in search of a visa that would allow her to immigrate to the United States. There, exiles were being arrested every day. She moved cautiously, to avoid being caught up in a raid. She would spend entire days at the American consulate. Benjamin had also entrusted her with his manuscript he wanted her to take it out of the country for him. Finally, Hannah and Heinrich managed to catch a train to Lisbon, where boats to America were more numerous and visa procedures less draconian. They managed to board a ship Heinrich travelled in the engine room, while Hannah bunked with the women. In three weeks, they could see Ellis Island. Upon their arrival in New York, neither of them spoke English. Heinrich who had by then lost faith in the Soviets still hadnt renounced his revolutionary ideals. Hannah, 36, didnt know what to do with her life. Following his suicide, Benjamins body of work was rescued by his friends: Bertold Brecht, Gershom Scholem and Arendt herself. His writings were translated and published in America. Hannah learned English and got a job taking care of an elderly couple. Eventually, she found work as a professor at a college in Brooklyn. She began to publish articles, in which she scolded the American public for its silence regarding the fate of European Jews. While the ghettos in Europe were burning, she pointed out, a Manhattan synagogue was throwing a party in honor of an actor. In June of 1942, the Wannsee Conference launched the Final Solution. At this point, Hannah began her musings on totalitarianism. She rejected both Hegel and Marx and their ideas about a brighter future. Benjamin inspired her: justice and freedom were a matter of the present, a daily invention, which must constantly be reconquered. She also opposed the concept of Jews being the chosen people she declared herself to be a Zionist, but attacked official Zionism and condemned the behavior of Jewish extremists in Palestine, whom she referred to as fascists. Being a Jew is not a singularity or a burden, she noted, but a moral duty a commitment to dignity and freedom. By 1944, Hannah began to more ardently criticize the failed record of Zionism and oppose its policies more strongly. She argued in favor of an agreement with the Arabs and a binational state in the Middle East. She denounced Nazi pacts with the Zionists and blamed them for having done business with Hitler in 1933. The Nazis wanted the Jews out of Germany, while the Zionists wanted them to settle in Palestine. The Haavara Agreement signed by Nazi Germany and Zionist German Jews allowed German Jews who emigrated to Palestine to be allowed to take 1,000 pounds with them. This was the sum that the British authorities demanded, in order to settle these emigrants on Palestinian land. Jewish and German insurance companies handled the transfers. The system was operational until the middle of the war at least 20,000 German Jews took advantage of it. In 1945, Arendt published Zionism Reconsidered, which angered Zionist circles. In the essay, she expressed her discomfort with the mentality of certain Jews, who had avoided confronting anti-Semitism in Europe. She referenced how many assimilated and comfortable German Jews didnt come to the defense of the Jews of Eastern Europe during various pogroms throughout history. Arendt thoroughly researched the responsibility of Jews in the extermination process. Anti-semitism, she argued, wasnt a race or class issue, but a political issue. For her, Jews were just people like everyone else the existence of the concentration camps was a warning that this genocidal experiment could be repeated. However, Primo Levi felt that she spoke too lightly about the lack of resistance in the death camps what right did she have to judge the victims? Despite this, Arendt would never give up her provocative texts, nor lose her ability to put her finger on open wounds. She disapproved of Ben Gurions policy in Palestine against the Palestinians, considering him to be a terrorist who expanded the Israeli territories through warfare. The sources of totalitarianism In 1951 barely five years after the end of World War II Arendt published her seminal work: The Origins of Totalitarianism. A work that, for various reasons, is electrifying today. She analyzed Nazi and Stalinist totalitarianism, but today, her epilogue could be applied to technological totalitarianism. Despite the fact that the philosophical credentials of Nazism and Stalinism arent comparable, Arendt established a parallel between the genocide of the Jewish people and the murder of the Russian peasants at the hands of the Bolsheviks, the persecution and systematic destruction of all democratic movements, the internal purges within political parties, the disappearance of intellectuals, artists and dissidents, as well as the suppression of an autonomous civil society Arendts great intuition was that, within totalitarianism, she saw the culmination of the modern idea of the world. This began to take shape as far back as the 17th century, facilitated by the rise of applied science and spurred on by the notion of unlimited economic growth. These closely-related impulses culminated in the industrial production of death, the obsession with control and the management of fear. Today, unbridled science and technology can lead to the denial of human dignity and freedom. For Arendt, the main characteristic of modern people is that they dont necessarily trust the reality of their own experiences. They dont trust their eyes or ears, only their imaginations[which can be configured by the media]. The masses are predisposed to all ideologies, because they explain facts as mere examples of laws and eliminate coincidences, inventing an all-encompassing omnipotence. Totalitarian propaganda thrives on that flight from reality to fiction, from coincidence to constancy. Today, theres a widespread desire to escape from reality. Arendt went into exile in the United States, but regularly returned to Germany following World War II. Fred Stein Archive / GETTY IMAGES Total domination aspires to organize the infinite plurality and differentiation of human beings, as if they were a single individual. [This is] something that is only possible if each particular individual is reduced to a never-changing complex of reactions, Arendt wrote. Its about eliminating through scientifically-controlled conditions spontaneity as an expression of human behavior and transforming people into simple Pavlovian dogs, governed by the unique law of conditioned reflex. This is the first step to making all people redundant (i.e., expendable, hackable, programmable). Ideologies set the groundwork for totalitarianism. And they do it thanks to the force of logic and the claim of total validity. In logical systems, Arendt warns, like paranoid systems, everything follows understandably and even compulsorily once the first premise has been accepted. The folly of such systems lies not only in their premise, but in the logic with which they have been built. The curious logical quality of all isms their simplistic confidence in the saving grace of stubborn devotion, without attention to specific and variable factors already harbors the first germs of totalitarian contempt for reality and facts. Such contempt hides a proud ambition to dominate the world. An ambition that requires the creation of a prefabricated individual (an automaton) and a strong devaluation of reality. The only thing that matters is being consistent. Arendt associates this impulse with the aims of the bourgeoisie and the empire. With these new structures, built on the force of supersense and driven by the engine of logic, we stand at the end of the bourgeois age of incentive and power, as much as at the end of imperialism and expansion. Imperialism, like logic, is a force of coercion, be it of the people or of nature. For Arendt the equation is simple: the idea of a logic of history leads to Stalinist totalitarianism, just as the idea of universal natural laws leads to Nazism. No ideology that claims to explain all historical events of the past or the delimitation of all future events can withstand the unpredictability that comes from the fact that men are creative; that they can produce something that no one has ever foreseen. A logical system like an ideological system cannot be creative. Its nature is tautological. To impose it on the individual is to curtail the most sacred of the human condition: freedom and creativity. And thats what totalitarian propaganda does, which, today in the millennium of technological prodigies takes the form of dataism, or the cult of data. Whats at stake is human nature. Under this new global manipulation, the totalitarian monster claims to obey positive laws, from which it obtains its legitimacy. It makes natural law absolute it has ceased to be a human construct, instead becoming an irrevocable law. The Nazis spoke of the law of nature, the Bolsheviks of the law of history, while the technocrats speak of the law of information, which the algorithm makes effective after the digitization of reality. Farewell Arendt who had been a Zionist was against the Israeli states policies that reproduce the perversities of racist logic. In a letter to her friend Scholem the great scholar of Hebrew mysticism she wrote the following: I have always considered my Jewishness as one of the real and indisputable facts of my life and I have never wanted to change or deny it. She is not ashamed of being Jewish but not particularly proud, either. And, regarding her lack of love for Israel, she leaves written a sentence that any lover of freedom would subscribe to: I am not moved by any love of this sort, and for two reasons: I have never in my life loved any people or collective neither the German people, nor the French, nor the American, nor the working class or anything of that sort. I indeed love only my friends and the only kind of love I know of and believe in is the love of persons. When Hannah turned 60, Heidegger sent her a congratulatory poem by Holderlin (1770-1843). She replied that his letter was the greatest joy imaginable. The philosopher upon turning 80 would recover his university honors. She would oversee the translation of his works in the United States. In 1970, Heinrich died of a heart attack. Heidegger with whom she maintained a constant correspondence would give her the drive and energy to continue living. She would also find solace by reading Eckhart and Iris Murdoch. In 1975, she had her last meeting with the author of Being and Time in Freiburg, Germany. He was old, deaf, distant and inaccessible. She however, continued to be a deep, humane, loyal woman, with a sharp sense of humor. Hannah Arendt mocked those who would dare predict the future a custom rooted in the prophetic history of Marxists and Jews. She always believed that the logic of history is a superstition. We are all afraid of freedom, but we dont say it, she lamented. Each person, upon arriving in the world, has the possibility of conquering freedom. Until she died, she continued to smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. After a coughing fit, Arendt collapsed in her chair. She died as she had lived together with her friends, for whom she had prepared dinner, in her New York apartment, orderly and bright, facing the Hudson River. Each death is a new beginning, an open window to freedom. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition In that first decision, Justice Few provided a clear roadmap for legislators to flip his vote, and they followed it making specific if controversial findings about when women can know theyre pregnant, reframing the notion of choice as one that starts with a womans choice about using contraceptives and stripping out language that declared lawmakers' intent to help women make an informed choice about their pregnancies, while making it impossible for many to do so. The all-male court Whether you think Justice Fews argument holds up or not and few will argue with his acknowledgement that many will find my analysis unsatisfying the fact is that the Legislature made enough changes to satisfy him. So even if Kaye Hearn were still on the court, the court would have upheld the law. Which means that the absence of a woman on the court did not change the outcome. Now, that doesnt mean its fine to have no female justices, any more than it would be fine to have no black justices or no justices from the Upstate or the Lowcountry or none who had served on a trial court or as a prosecutor or as a defense attorney. Our court needs diversity in all of its diversities, because the value of a court panel over an individual judge is its ability to draw on different life experiences and viewpoints. And the most likely way to get diversity in the traditional sense female and male, black and white is by letting the governor appoint the justices. As we've seen with Cabinet appointments, a governor feels obliged to appoint women as well as men, black people as well as white. The Legislature feels no such obligation, because each legislator acts as an individual, considering a single appointment at a time. (If you want liberal justices, you might want to move, because thats not going to happen here unless or until our entire political culture shifts.) But the point of this column isnt about judicial selection reform. Its once again about the man whos becoming the most fascinating member of the court. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Cloudy early, becoming mostly sunny this afternoon. Areas of patchy fog. High 82F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable. This summer, Hafaloha expanded overseas into Boracay, Philippines its first international location. The doors of the Guam-born lifestyle brand, which is known for its apparel, frozen desserts, drinks, and other appetizers, opened June 30 at the beachfront of Station 1 Boracay Island Malay, Aklan, attracting both tourists and locals. Leonard Kaae Jr. and Tara Kaae, founders of Hafaloha, had planned to spread the spirit of aloha and the welcome of hafa adai and offer more to their customers with the widespread support of the community, according to a news release. Starting from humble roots as a small business in Guam to going international is something that means the world to us. But the growth and hard work won't stop there, Tara Kaae said. The new location is the first of many new initiatives Hafaloha is working on. The goal is to offer more to their customers, and with the widespread support of the community the growth in order to do so has been phenomenal, Tara Kaae said. Weve all seen the clip a thousand times. Speaking to a group of foreign policy experts at a 2018 Council on Foreign Relations event, President Joe Biden boasted that he threatened to hold back $1 billion of U.S. aid unless then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko fired Prosecutor General Viktor Shokin, who was investigating corruption inside energy company Burisma Holdings. Shokins office was also looking into the activities of Ukrainian oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, the companys founder and then-owner. At the time, Hunter Biden was earning a cool million dollars per year to sit on Burismas board of directors. Zlochevsky, according to allegations made in June 2020 by a highly-credible FBI confidential human source in an unclassified FD-1023 document, was said to have offered $5 million each to Joe Biden and Hunter Biden to get Shokin fired. Fox News Brian Kilmeade sat down for an interview with Shokin this week which is set to air on Saturday night at 8 p.m. Shokin told Kilmeade it is his firm personal conviction that he was fired because then-Vice President Biden and Hunter were bribed. He also claimed hed been poisoned twice and Kilmeade reported his team had been able to track down the medical records to prove it. Fox published several excerpts from Shokins remarks on Friday: I have said repeatedly in my previous interviews that Poroshenko fired me at the insistence of the then-Vice President Biden because I was investigating Burisma. [Poroshenko] understood and so did Vice President Biden, that had I continued to oversee the Burisma investigation, we would have found the facts about the corrupt activities that they were engaging in. That included both Hunter Biden and Devon Archer and others. I do not want to deal in unproven facts, but my firm personal conviction is that, yes, this was the case. They were being bribed. And the fact that Joe Biden gave away $1 billion in U.S. money in exchange for my dismissal, my firing isnt that alone a case of corruption? White House spokesman Ian Sams responded to Fox News request for a comment: For years, these false claims have been debunked, and no matter how much air time Fox gives them, they will remain false. Fox is giving a platform for these lies to a former Ukrainian prosecutor general whose office his own deputy called a hotbed of corruption, drawing demands for reform not only from then-Vice President Biden but also from U.S. diplomats, international partners, and Republican senators like Ron Johnson. Frankly, the claims have not been debunked. In fact, the evidence revealed by House GOP investigators is slowly being corroborated by both eye witnesses and bank records. Shokins credibility is bolstered by reports this week from Just the News John Solomon who obtained documents (via Freedom of Information Act lawsuits and congressional inquiries) that showed Obama administration officials giving the green light to the $1 billion in aid to Ukraine because of Shokins efforts to investigate corruption inside of Burisma. Solomon wrote: A task force of State, Treasury and Justice Department officials declared that Ukraine had made adequate progress on anti-corruption reforms and deserved a new $1 billion U.S. loan guarantee, according to government memos that conflict with the narrative Democrats have sustained since the 2019 impeachment scandal. Ukraine has made sufficient progress on its reform agenda to justify a third guarantee, reads an Oct. 1, 2015, memo summarizing the recommendation of the Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) a task force created to advise the Obama White House on whether Ukraine was cleaning up its endemic corruption and deserved more Western foreign aid. Shokins claims are also corroborated by remarks made by Hunter Bidens former business partner and longtime friend Devon Archer during his July 31 transcribed interview before members of the House Oversight Committee. Fox reported Archers claim that Hunter Biden and top executives of Burisma Holdings called D.C. in 2015 to ask the Obama administration to help fire Shokin. The truth is slowly being revealed thanks to the relentless efforts of House Republicans such as Rep. James Comer (R-KY). He and his colleagues will not stop until the Biden family influence peddling business has been exposed. This is bad news for Hunter. For Joe, its even worse. PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-26 00:45:11 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 926 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2023 / Stonecutter Media is ramping up for the September 22, 2023, premiere of Condition of Return in North American theaters and on Cable VOD and Vudu. The drama, directed by Tommy Stovall from a script by John Spare, stars AnnaLynne McCord (68 Kill, 90210), Dean Cain (Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, God's Not Dead), Natasha Henstridge (Species, Diggstown), and James Russo (Django Unchained, Not a Stranger). The film has also announced it has entered into an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, allowing talent to promote the independent film and attend events for it.AnnaLynne McCord as Eve Sullivan, who tries to reclaim her life after committing a heinous crimeMcCord, who plays Eve Sullivan, a churchgoing schoolteacher arrested for committing a mass shooting, says, "While I continue to stand in solidarity with my fellow SAG members, this film has been such a passion project of mine from the start, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be able to promote such a timely and important message." At the heart of Condition of Return is a question: what happens if you get what you wished for? As Eve explores the answer, she encounters supernatural elements that are grounded in realism. The Devil, with whom Eve makes a deal to reclaim her life, is disguised as an actual person, as is God. The supernatural is implied, allowing viewers to find their own meaning and answers to the film's questions.Much of the enthusiastic reception to Condition of Return at the 2023 Sedona International Film Festival centered on the work of McCord and Cain, who plays psychoanalyst Dr. Donald Thomas. In a police station breakroom, Dr. Thomas interviews Eve, trying to determine her fitness to stand trial. Each manipulates the other into revealing their secrets, scenes that were praised for their tension and subtlety. McCord was honored as Outstanding Lead Actress at the festival for her performance.Dr. Donald Thomas (Dean Cain), who must delve into the mind and actions of Eve"When we were casting Condition of Return, everything depended on finding the right actress to play Eve,'" Stovall says. "We admired AnnaLynne and her performance in Excision, so much so that I gave her manager the script and extended an offer. Only one day later, we learned that she wanted to do it. We were very fortunate to have an actress who could not only play a very complicated character but also make the audience empathize with her and care about her. She was excellent at hitting the right emotion at the right time." Stovall is equally complimentary of Cain, who "knocked it out of the park with bringing out the subtle emotions of Dr. Thomas," and co-star Natasha Henstridge, who plays Liza, a pivotal character. "Natasha was phenomenal, especially since all of her scenes had to be shot in one day," Stovall reveals. "It was so exciting to see her bring her character to life. Really, all three actors brought so much more to Condition of Return than we ever expected and were a joy to have on set." The script's focus on authentic characters and realism meant that despite the supernatural theme, the production crew did not have to contend with many special effects. Instead, the suspense is largely psychological, which fit in with the independent film's limited budget and resources. Sound was also used to build tension, including the incorporation of the subtle hum of a Coke machine throughout the movie to signify a spiritual presence."We also tapped composer Ceiri Torjussen to create our musical score," Stovall states. "His unique style and intuitiveness helps give Condition of Return its overall aesthetic." Stovall and the film's production team invite everyone interested in deep questions to turn out for the September 22, 2023, release of Condition of Return. "What if after you sold your soul, you decided you wanted it back?" he asks. "While we want audiences to be entertained, first and foremost, we hope that people talk about the bigger meaning of Condition of Return. Remember: be careful what you wish for because there's always a cost when you get what you want." Condition of Return, starring Dean Cain, AnnaLynne McCord, and Natasha HenstridgeAbout Condition of ReturnCondition of Return, a supernatural thriller, was directed by Tommy Stovall, produced by Marc Sterling, and written by John Spare. Opening in North American theaters on September 22, 2023, the film stars AnnaLynne McCord as a churchgoing schoolteacher who makes a deal with the devil in order to escape a life out of control. The all-star cast includes Dean Cain, Natasha Henstridge, and James Russo.Condition of Return will open for weeklong runs nationwide on September 22, 2023, including in Los Angeles at the Lumiere Music Hall and in Phoenix, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. Movie lovers will be able to rent or own the film on Vudu and cable services the same day. Condition of Return will also bow on iTunes, Prime Video, and other TVOD digital platforms on October 23, 2023.For more information on Condition of Return, including interviews, release information, press photos, and streaming links, please visit its website or contact:Wade Scottwade@ pasidg.com Pasidg Productions, Inc.(928) 239-4070Watch the official trailer for Condition of ReturnFollow Condition of Return on social media:Download Video FileDownload Key Art and StillsDownload Press KitSOURCE: Condition of Return At the beginning of the 21st century, American television was dominated by a bunch of incorrigible alpha males, as described by television analyst Joy Press. If that was the case in the early-2000s, imagine what things were like in the same universe back in 1970 the year that The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered on CBS. It starred Mary Tyler Moore herself: one of the pioneering comedians on TV, who was also considered to be feminist icon. The series had a massive impact on the television industry, on pop culture and, above all, on the portrayal of women on screen. HBO recently released a documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore about the story of the actress, who marked entire generations of women with her fresh presence. She was a self-confident protagonist who didnt stay at home and was contemporary, without fear or resentment, as noted in the documentary. Many years after her television triumph, the other defining role of her career would come from Robert Redford, who directed her as the mother in Ordinary People (1980) an overwhelming film that won four Academy Awards. She was nominated for Best Actress, which was ultimately won by Sissy Spacek for her performance in Coal Miners Daughter. But Moore did take home the Golden Globe. The HBO documentary focuses on the important and painful moments in her life. Its also strung together with clips from her interviews, TV episodes and movies. The narration also touches on the misogyny she had to endure throughout her career, the inappropriate questions she was asked, as well as the ups and downs of her life. Her seven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes and Oscar nomination are only the surface of her story. Why was Moore so disruptive? Well, she was the first woman on TV to have her own program. On top of that, she played a single, divorced woman, who had no intention of looking for a husband. Her show was revolutionary and highly celebrated. Moore born in 1936, in New York was the first woman to wear pants on television (her famous Capri) when she was part of The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran from 1961 until 1966, for which she won an Emmy. She along with Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan was an activist at the height of the feminist movement. On talk shows, she cited works by her fellow feminists. Today, she continues to be cited as an inspiration by directors, screenwriters and actresses across Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon, for instance the star and producer of dominant series such as Big Little Lies and The Morning Show has noted that women like Mary Tyler Moore marked the path that Im following today. Many women remember how they grew up in the 1970s devouring The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Back then, I wouldnt have been able to explain why, but I saw the impudence and ambition that her character had, says Press, who recalls that the protagonists were young women who challenged their limits. Sometimes, it seemed as if they were winking at me as if acknowledging the absurdity of their situation. Mary Tyler Moore was born into an impoverished family with storied roots in the Confederate Army. She always sought the approval of her father, while her alcoholic mother was more comfortable partying than supporting her daughter. She was the best to have a good time with, but not the most attentive mother. She would [start drinking in the mornings] I didnt know anything about alcoholism and I believed that, if she really loved me, she would have stopped, Moore once confessed. Mary Tyler was married three times. The first marriage happened in 1954, just after getting out of high school. I think it was because of the pressure they put on us [girls] in the 50s, she sighed. Her son, Richard, was born just a year later. Subsequently, she landed the first role she applied for: in a commercial for an appliance store, in which she played a pixie. After that, she was rejected from several jobs, until she was cast in her first major television appearance on The Dick Van Dyke Show. She played Laura Petrie the protagonists spouse a housewife who was given an original incarnation by Moore. When Laura was shown doing housework, she would be wearing Capri pants, because as Moore noted women dont vacuum while dressed in long skirts. Before Moore, there was Lucille Ball, from I Love Lucy, which aired from 1951 until 1956. In this family-friendly comedy, the post-war atmosphere was conveyed for viewers. Moore who was a huge fan of Lucille managed to slip through one of the doors that I Love Lucy opened for her. Shortly after Moore achieved success with her own series, Ball came to visit a rehearsal and told the younger actress: Youre very good. It was the best gift Ive ever received, Moore laughed. A few months later after she had won an Emmy Ball invited her to an interview on her talk show, Lets Talk to Lucy. She told all her viewers that Moore was one of the best talents that she had seen on television in recent years. Two great comedians were united as comrades. In Being Mary Tyler Moore, the viewers get to see a fascinating version of the actress: extremely stylish, brilliant and forceful in her answers (without being rude, even if the questions were). In one clip, from 1966 just before she hit ultimate stardom she is seen on The David Susskind Show, being asked how she can manage two marriages and a career without neglecting domestic matters. Without losing her wonderful smile, Moore advised all women to work and be financially independent. We are human beings women first, and then wives and mothers. She also added that she spends time with her son and doesnt waste a single moment. Then, she cited Betty Friedan and her book, The Feminist Mystique. In her famous dictum, Steinen wrote about what aliens would think of American women, if they suddenly arrived and watched 20 years worth of movies and television: 1. Women sleep with makeup on they wear it at all times 2. Many of us seem to be maids 3. A whole lot of us seem to be sex addicts 4. The rest of us seem to be total prudes 5. The majority of us depend on men we seem to need a man to have a personality 6. If we live alone, its likely because were widowed But this, she added at the end, is changing. By 1975, The Mary Tyler Moore show had been on the air for five years: it had established a Mary who was, simply, living her life. Every self-respecting American wanted to be like her. All this had been possible because she took hold of the reins. Following The Dick Van Dyke Show, she had faced setbacks in everything she took on, including the musical version of Breakfast at Tiffanys on Broadway. In just four years, she went from total success to becoming a has-been. But then, with her second husband, Grant Tinker along with James L. Brooks and Allan Burns they created and sold a series about her to CBS. Brooks who would go on to direct films such as Spanglish and As Good as it Gets remembers the process they went through: We took the idea and presented it to 22 executives [they didnt want to do it], but we made it happen. We had Mary, who was very mentally adept nobody understood humor like she did. Treva Silverman was hired to write the series. She would become the first female writer to win an Emmy. After some painful early tests, they built a perfect pilot. The show which opens with Moore throwing her hat in the air would be on the air for seven years. There were other series where there were single women but they were all going to get married. In the documentary, Brooks notes that this set Mary apart. They were broadcasting us in a bad time slot, because the person in charge at CBS didnt like the series but then they put us in a different time slot and we were able to break through, he continues. The audience was with them almost from the beginning. Accompanying her in the series was Ed Asner, in the role of Lou Grant, as well as the great Betty White, who would later star in The Golden Girls. Together, they executed scripts written by more women than ever, where Moore was the basis of everything. As the show hired more female writers than any other TV series to date, the language of television changed. It also touched on issues that were unusual for television during those years, including the loneliness of single women, prostitution, unequal wages, marriage and infidelity. Or birth control pills, which are taken by Mary Richards, who is played by Moore. Following the success of the show, Moore could have continued churning out massively successful TV series. But shortly after filming ended and after losing her 21-year-old sister to suicide she divorced Grant after 18 years of marriage and moved back to New York. She decided to move away from the overwhelming success of television to embark on a career in theatre. In one play Whose Life is it Anyway? she defended the right to die with dignity. Moore won a Tony Award for her stunning performance. In New York, the actress later confessed, she lived alone for the first time, at the age of 45. It was very difficult for me. It was like a kind of adolescence [I was] single for the first time. I had dates, I went out, I stayed in. I had new friends. It was like playing house. She felt freer than ever. Her friends, meanwhile, pointed out that her sense of humor fit in better in New York than in Los Angeles. She didnt know it then, but four years before her Tony Award, Robert Redford had read Judith Guests debut novel, Ordinary People. Before he even bought the rights to the book, he thought of Moore for the role of the mother. He wanted to see the dark side of [Mary Tyler]. And he gave her the most important and most timely role in her career: that of Beth, an emotionless, traumatized mother, deeply wounded after losing one of her children. Just a few months after the production was complete, Moore would experience the same thing as the character she had played, when her son, Richard, lost his life at the age of 24. This was due to an accident with a weapon, which has never been fully clarified. Mary Tyler Moore with Betty White another icon of feminism in 1975. CBS Photo Archive (Getty Images) Viewers also adored her for that work. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role as a mother unwilling to give up her beliefs about the meaning of life and love. The film which would turn out to cruelly imitate her life changed her a lot. In the HBO documentary, the personal turn is very noticeable in the interviews before and after Richards death. She is pensive, confused, hurt. Im still angry I havent reconciled with what happened, Tyler says, without the sparkle in her eyes that up until that point she had displayed throughout her entire life. The actress fell in love again, in 1982, with a doctor from New York. He was younger than her something that she often joked about and she would spend the rest of her days with him, until her death in 2017. The voice of her husband who came into her life when she was 47-years-old can be heard in the documentary. With him, Moore notes, I was ready to be myself, without a mask, showing my flaws. It was with his support as she herself explains in an interview that she managed to enter the Betty Ford Center (co-founded by former First Lady Betty Ford, President Gerald Fords wife) to combat her problems with alcoholism. Liza Minnelli or Liz Taylor had been there so I said, why not? she humorously pointed out. After checking herself out in 1984, the woman who could make the world better with her smile and her beloved husband moved into a quiet house in the countryside. She continued to work in film and television and continued to give interviews. One of them was with Oprah Winfrey, who told her: You dont know what you mean to me some of us only had television as inspiration and you were one of those women who showed us the light. Countless other voices in the documentary share a similar sentiment. Actress and producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus who achieved fame by playing Elaine in Seinfeld points out that there will never be a series like that (The Mary Tyler Moore Show) again. Her character, the transition she made from the previous one, was a total feminist statement. It hit me, because I was also surrounded by great female characters. With all her appearances, an American designer points out, Mary Tyler Moore managed to enhance the taste of Americans, just like Jackie Kennedy did. [And] she inspired as many women as Eleanor Roosevelt. When asked how much of her was present in the series, Tyler responded: A lot. My good intentions. My formality. And my belief in happy endings. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-26 01:31:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 426 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2023 / Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC, a nationally recognized law firm, notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Shift4 Payments, Inc. ("Shift4" or the "Company") (NYSE:FOUR) and certain of its officers.Class Definition:This lawsuit seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws on behalf of all persons and entities that purchased or otherwise acquired Shift4 securities between November 10, 2021 and April 18, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/four Case Details:The complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Shift4 had inadequate disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; (2) as a result, Shift4 failed to properly account for customer acquisition costs, thereby artificially inflating its net cash provided by operating activities; (3) accordingly, Shift4 would likely be forced to restate one or more of its previously issued financial statements; (4) 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, inter alia, the Company's performance, its underlying business quality, and its earnings power; (5) all the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Shift4's reputation and business; and (6) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.What's Next?A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint, you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/four or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Law Clerk and Client Relations Manager, Yael Nathanson of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 332-239-2660. If you suffered a loss in Shift4 you have until Ocotber 19, 2023, to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.Why Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a nationally recognized firm that represents investors in securities fraud class actions and shareholder derivative suits. Our firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors nationwide.Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.Contact:Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLCPeretz Bronstein or Yael Nathanson332-239-2660 | info@ bgandg.com SOURCE: Bronstein, Gewirtz and Grossman, LLC PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-26 12:02:04 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 527 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DELAWARE CITY, DE / ACCESSWIRE / August 26, 2023 / DeXpose, a cybersecurity startup based in Delaware as part of Tryaq, Inc, has unveiled its innovative cyber security service designed to fortify enterprises and startups against the perils of cyber breaches. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence technology, DeXpose is aiming to become the ultimate safeguard against compromised credentials and dark web threats, providing accurate, near real-time information that empowers organizations to thwart attacks before they strike.DeXpose recognizes the need for a comprehensive solution that not only monitors the dark web for potential breaches but also proactively identifies compromised credentials. Ahmed Sultan, the CEO and Founder of DeXpose, shared his inspiration behind the creation of this innovative platform:"DeXpose was born out of a deep understanding of the cybersecurity challenges that modern enterprises and startups face," said Sultan. "We saw a significant gap in the market and aimed to provide an efficient and affordable service to organizations, especially startups, which often find themselves more susceptible to these kinds of attacks. Our mission is to empower businesses with timely, accurate information, enabling them to take proactive measures against cyber threats." DeXpose offers a suite of tools powered by AI that scans surface, deep and dark web sources, and monitors for potential breaches. By analyzing vast amounts of data in real-time, the platform can identify compromised credentials before they are exploited by attackers. This early detection provides businesses with a vital edge in thwarting cyber-attacks, protecting sensitive information, and maintaining their reputation.DeXpose is committed to delivering accurate and actionable insights. The platform's AI-driven algorithms filter out noise and false positives, ensuring that organizations receive reliable information on genuine threats. This precision equips security teams to respond effectively, minimizing potential damage. By pioneering a powerful fusion of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, the startup is redefining the way enterprises and startups defend themselves against the ever-evolving landscape of cyber-attacks.Says Ahmed Sultan: "We're not stopping here. DeXpose is dedicated to providing full brand protection for our clients. We are actively developing additional tools to strengthen our arsenal, ensuring comprehensive defense against all forms of cyber threats. Our commitment to innovation is unwavering, and we aim to stay ahead of the curve." About DeXpose:DeXpose is an innovative cybersecurity startup, dedicated to revolutionizing how enterprises and startups defend against cyber breaches. Through its cutting-edge platform driven by advanced artificial intelligence, DeXpose provides accurate, near real-time information on compromised credentials and dark web threats. The company's mission is to empower organizations to proactively counter cyber-attacks, ensuring the safety of sensitive data and preserving their reputation. DeXpose's commitment to innovation extends to its plans for introducing a range of new tools, ensuring comprehensive brand protection for its clients in the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.For more information, please visit: http://www.dexpose.io Links:Website: DeXpose - https://dexpose.io Twitter: @dexpose_io - https://twitter.com/dexpose_io LinkedIn: DeXpose - https://www.linkedin.com/company/86413977 Website: Tryaq - https://tryaq.io Media ContactOrganization: Tryaq, IncContact Person: Ahmed SultanWebsite: http://www.dexpose.io Email: a.sultan@ tryaq.io Contact Number: +1 702 3595531Address: DelawareState: DelawareCountry: United StatesSOURCE: Tryaq, Inc PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-26 14:18:48 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/ # 735 Words +91 7580990088Parmeet Singh7580990088 The global double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine market report is a comprehensive report that provides a detailed analysis of the current status and future trends of the double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine market. This includes the increasing demand for double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 Double Chamber Syringes (DCS) Filling Machine market are as follows: Dara Pharma, HM Pharmaceutical Engineering and Projects, M and O Perry Industries, Medefil, Optima Machinery Corporation, Prosys Innovative Packaging Equipment, Robert Bosch, Shanghai Packaging Machinery, Vetter Pharma, WincklersBy 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: Manual, Semi-automatic, AutomaticApplication: Pharmaceutical Sector, Hospital Pharmacy, OtherIdentifying growth opportunities is crucial for companies operating in the double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine 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 double chamber syringes (dcs) filling machine market. PR-Inside.com: 2023-08-26 02:10:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 370 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 PARIS / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2023 / Following the acquisition of the popular Hoop app 12 weeks ago, the new management has quickly taken transformative steps to ensure the app's journey towards fulfilling its investment potential is rooted in user safety.Major Shake-up:The entire team at Hoop app was replaced post-acquisition, bringing in a fresh perspective and renewed commitment to user safety and experience. Central to the new management's roadmap is the core principle of "safety first," ensuring that every user interaction on the app is rooted in trust and confidence.Unique Double-Layered Moderation system:The app has introduced a comprehensive matching moderation system that includes:Photo-Age Verification: To ensure the authenticity of user profiles by matching photos with declared ages.24/7 Reporting Hotline: A dedicated team stands by to promptly address user concerns. This hotline allows users to report suspicious profiles, which are then manually reviewed and, if necessary, banned from the platform.The Anti-Bot Antidot: A state-of-the-art system, developed with an investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars, is now in place to auto-block bots and malicious users. Since its implementation, the system has successfully blocked 87% of such entities. This initiative has dramatically boosted the app's reputation, with ratings soaring from an average of 4.1 to an impressive 4.6. Furthermore, complaints related to bots and malicious users have plummeted by a whopping 93%.Redefining Communication:The Hoop app has pivoted to function as a bridge between users. Rather than facilitating direct communication within the app, Hoop allows users to share Snapchat and TikTok accounts. This decision leverages the advanced moderation systems of these established platforms to ensure user safety during direct communications.With safety as its cornerstone, the new management is ambitious about Hoop's future. The vision includes continual improvements in safety measures, investments in world-class moderation systems, and the enhancement of the unique user experience the app offers.About Hoop App:Hoop app has emerged as a popular platform for users to connect and meet new friends. With its new direction towards prioritizing safety and user experience, the app aims to set new industry standards and attain unprecedented heights in the social media landscape.Media DetailsWebsite URL: https://hoop.photo/ Company Name: Hoop AppEmail address: hello@ hoop.photo SOURCE: Hoop App The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said it is monitoring the new EG.5 and BA.2.86 subvariants of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The NCDC in a statement issued on Saturday also said the subvariants have not yet been identified in the country. It confirmed that the new variants have already been reported in 51 countries including China, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and Spain. New variant The United Kingdom (UK) had on Friday announced the detection of its first case of the new COVID-19 variant, BA.2.86. It said the case was confirmed in an individual with no recent travel history, which suggests a degree of community transmission within the UK. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US health authorities had, on Thursday, said they were closely monitoring a new variant of COVID-19, although the potential impact of BA.2.86 is currently unknown. WHO designated the COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 as a variant under monitoring due to the large number of mutations it carries. Nigeria and the UK record a high volume of travellers who shuttle between both countries regularly. However, the Port Health Services (PHS) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, said it has taken proactive measures to prevent importation of the new COVID-19 variant into the country. As of 26 August, Nigeria has recorded a total of 266,675 cases and 3,155 deaths across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Symptoms similar to other variants The NCDC explained that the EG.5 variant has not been associated with any change in symptoms or clinical manifestation. It said the variant has not produced an increase in severity of illness and hospitalisation or difference in death rates in reporting countries. EG.5 causes symptoms like those seen with other COVID-19 variants, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, and sore throat, it said. For the BA.2.86, NCDC said it does not have enough information to make conclusive assessments of virulence, transmission, and severity since there are few cases identified so far. NCDC monitoring The disease control centre noted that its COVID-19 Technical Working Group is monitoring COVID-19 epidemiology local, regional, continental, and global including emerging variants. It said the NCDC influenza sentinel surveillance sites continue to provide information on COVID-19 prevalence in patients with influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory illness. The NCDC said We have not observed any increase in the trend of COVID-19 in this patient group. We continue to carry out genomics surveillance even with the low testing levels and encourage testing locations in states to ensure their positive samples are sent on to the NCDC for sequencing. Unrelated to the news of these emerging variants, the NCDC and partners are working on implementing an enhanced COVID-19 testing exercise in four states to obtain complementary and more detailed information about circulating variants in the country. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print In those days without computers and the internet, Nyaknno was the search engine that powered search, quality content and the award-winning journalism Newswatch came to be known for. How he did it so well can only be summed up in the inspiration he drew from a meeting and handshake with Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon: Lasting legacies are built by doing what no one else has done before! Libraries store the energies that fuel imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better. Sydney Sheldon When I chose Mass Communications over Medicine, it was because I had been so impacted by the Nigerian Chronicle published by the Cross River State Newspaper Corporation, Calabar, that hanging a stethoscope around my neck lost its appeal. My father loved it and through him, I got familiar with names like Nelson Etukudo, Ray Ekpu, Martins Usenekong, Antigha Bassey, Clement Ebri, Etim Amin and Signor Tofu (the pen name for Elder Onofiok Ufot, the multi-talented father of advertising great, Udeme Ufot, who at the time was registrar of the University of Calabar) all great writers of the time. If that newspaper was great, it owed a lot to its library and the work of the man who started and ran it, NyaknnoAbasi Osso, Nigerias leading documentation specialist, whose birthday we celebrate today. Nyaknno is the founder of Biographical Legacy and Research Foundation (BLERF). He served previously as Special Assistant on Library, Research and Documentation to President Olusegun Obasanjo and as the Chief Librarian at Newswatch, where he published the ground-breaking Newswatch Whos Who, a definitive biographical documentation of distinguished Nigerian achievers in all walks of life. He has been a friend and mentor for most of my life. Through the years, Nyaknno has invested his entire life and resources in collecting, assembling and managing millions of books, journals, newspapers, magazine and documents, in a way no other Nigerian has. His home and offices in Abuja are filled with rare historical resources and reference materials fit for national archives. BLERF has grown out of his passion to document our past through the lives and biographies of millions of Nigerian achievers, so that we can take lessons into our future. In a country where only little value is given to proper record keeping and the preservation of historical documents, and where public and private libraries have been closed and entire stocks of reference materials sold to paper recyclers, Nyaknnos passion challenges us to rethink and take action to save what remains. The celebrated Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta is his brain child. Twenty five years of his life and work are expressed in the beauty, content and rich treasures of that Centre. It was his major preoccupation from 1988 to 2013. BLERFs website has close to 35,000 names, the largest collection of Nigerian achievers, worldwide. The target is to grow the list to one million within the next five years. Such an enormous documentation project will require partnership and CSR investments to bring to life. Without strong financial partnership, this will only remain a dream. His current project, BLERF, is a world-class news media research centre that he funds from his personal resources. It boasts of a rich collection of more than two million books, journals, bound volumes of newspapers, magazines, clippings, rare photographs, CDs, flashes, hard-drives collected since 1971. His dream for the centre is bigger than his purse, which slows his speed at converting the idea to reality. BLERFs website has close to 35,000 names, the largest collection of Nigerian achievers, worldwide. The target is to grow the list to one million within the next five years. Such an enormous documentation project will require partnership and CSR investments to bring to life. Without strong financial partnership, this will only remain a dream. I must have met Nyaknno around 1982 and was immediately struck by his love for everything in print! I spent what seemed like eternity in his office, receiving scant attention as he read and marked pages after pages of various local, national and foreign publications heaped in front of him. He would throw a question at me with his trademark laughter, while his head lay buried in his work. The traffic in and out of his office was heavy. I soon found out it was production time and many reporters, writers and editors needed his input for the next days paper. I quickly figured it wasnt a glamorous job in the newspaper publishing ecosystem and wondered why this smart and intelligent young man chose such a career path. Nyaknnos story is one of discovering his passion early and pursuing it with resolute devotion. Its been a life of big dreams, lots of intellectual adventures, and an uncanny ability to strike the right connection at the right time. Call it, seizing the moment. As an only child of parents who had buried seven children before him, childhood meant extreme protection. But when he saw other children playing in the school field across his home, he dressed up, joined them and earned himself a place in primary school. While the Bible and the Catholic Digest introduced him to serious reading in secondary school where his love for history once made him to write out 72 pages at a school history examination it was his first day at a gap job, while awaiting admission to study Medicine at the University of Ibadan that got him hooked on books. When he left his village of Ete in Ikot Abasi local government area of present day Akwa Ibom State to join his uncle, the late Professor Jumbo Udo at the University of Ibadan, the plan was to enroll at the University of Ibadan College of Medicine. He wrote the exams and the gap job at the University Library was only to keep him busy. On his first day at work, he was chased home at midnight by the University Librarian. He had found his passion and nothing was going to stand in his way. That was in 1971. Out went Medicine to the protestation of his uncle and family. Throughout his life, providence has always positioned him in the path of opportunity. Media librarianship wasnt something he imagined when he left Ibadan to join the newly established University of Nigeria, Calabar Campus. A chance meeting with Ray Ekpu at the Cross River State Library, Calabar did it for him. An introduction and candid opinion that Rays writings could benefit from in-depth research earned Nyaknno the job of setting up and running the library at the Nigerian Chronicle. Ray would later introduce Nyaknno to Dele Giwa in 1980. At Newswatch, Nyaknno built a rich library that powered the intense editorial requirement of the news weekly. If you ever read and loved any editorial work in the magazine, his fingerprints were all over. When reporters and editors needed information on anything under the sun, they went to Nyaknno. He would deliver within minutes. Theres an interesting story about how Nyaknno joined Newswatch. Giwa, in the company of the late Chief Ime Umanah, had arrived his home at lunchtime one Sunday in July 1984. No pleasantries, just a simple instruction from the man he so admired. Get dressed immediately. We are going to Lagos to start a magazine called Newswatch. A few hours later, the trio were on board a Nigerian Airways flight to Lagos. Newswatch found its engine room. Nyaknno got himself a playing field that came to define his career trajectory. At Newswatch, Nyaknno built a rich library that powered the intense editorial requirement of the news weekly. If you ever read and loved any editorial work in the magazine, his fingerprints were all over. When reporters and editors needed information on anything under the sun, they went to Nyaknno. He would deliver within minutes. In those days without computers and the internet, Nyaknno was the search engine that powered search, quality content and the award-winning journalism Newswatch came to be known for. How he did it so well can only be summed up in the inspiration he drew from a meeting and handshake with Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon: Lasting legacies are built by doing what no one else has done before! I visited him at work and at home, a short walk from Newswatch, after my NYSC. I couldnt spot the difference. Every space at home was taken up by books, just like the office. It has remained that way till today, no matter where hes lived. Sometime I imagine that family is the only intrusion he has permitted to share his affection for everything in print in the 52 years since he said yes to the book! Nyaknno has interned in or visited hundreds of major libraries across the world. So you can understand the pains he feels when he speaks about the dearth of public libraries in Nigeria. He wants Nigeria to return to building public libraries to speed up the development of our young people. As Bill Gates puts it, investing in public libraries is an investment in the nations future. It would be a fitting tribute to Nyaknno for governments, individuals and corporations to commit to funding public libraries and supporting laudable private initiatives like BLERF so they in turn can, like Sydney Sheldon said, inspire us to explore and achieve and improve the quality of our national life. Utibe Ukim is a journalist, writer and media entrepreneur. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Gunmen suspected to be smugglers on Thursday killed two officers of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Kabiru Shehu and Abdullahi Muhammad in Kebbi State. The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. at the Bunza- Dakin Gari Koko road when the suspects were stopped to be searched following intelligence reports received by the NCS. Twenty-four hours after the Kebbi incident, another officer of the service, Haruna A., was wounded by suspected smugglers in Katsina State. The service in Kebbi State said the two officers were gunned down during a heavy gunfire fight with the suspected terrorists who were in an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla. The smugglers also stole an AK 47 rifle belonging to one of the deceased. In the melee that ensued, two personnel of the Command, named Alhaji Kabiru Shehu, an Inspector of Customs and Abdullahi Muhammad, a Customs Assistant II, paid the supreme price. The officers have since been laid to rest according to Islamic rites. While praying for the repose of the deceased, the Command has launched a manhunt for the suspects with the view to arrest and prosecute them, Mubarak Mustapha, the customs spokesperson in Kebbi State said in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Friday. Katsina smugglers wound officer The Zone B command of the Federal Operations Unit of the service said one of its officers, whose name was only given as Haruna A, was attacked by smugglers and hoodlums while he was conducting his official duties on Friday. Mr Haruna was attacked in Dankama, a border community in Katsina State. While carrying out their statutory duties of anti-smuggling, some hoodlums suspected to be smugglers launched a brutal attack on the Officers with dangerous weapons, thereby inflicting several injuries to Inspector of Customs (IC) Haruna A. The wounded Officer was immediately rushed to the hospital for proper medical attention and is responding to treatment. It is pertinent to state that the Nigeria Customs Service is an agency that is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing government fiscal policies for collective societal good. The Units Officers would not fold their arms and allow smugglers who have no regard for the laws of the land to perpetrate their nefarious activities to the detriment of our security and economic well-being, Isa Sulaiman, the FOU spokesperson in Katsina State, said in a statement. He stated that any further attacks on any Officer of the Unit would not be tolerated and would be treated with utmost resistance from our Operatives. Disturbing trend The two separate attacks are not new to the customs men and residents of the two states. Both states share borders with the Niger Republic. In July this year, a customs officer, Aminu Abdullahi, was killed by a smuggler in the Yauri area of the state during a stop and search operation. In 2022, then customs area commander in Katsina State, Dalha Chedi, lamented how terrorists collaborated with smugglers to attack checkpoints. In May 2022, two patrol vehicles of the service were burnt by gunmen suspected to be terrorists in Katsina. A customs officer was also killed by the terrorists in September that year. Its a disturbing trend that should be tackled immediately, a security affairs analyst in Katsina, Musa Buhari said. This is not new. Customs officers are being attacked by smugglers but weve also noted that residents help the smugglers sometimes to evade arrest, and with the current security situation in the north, I dont think this should be allowed to continue because itll worsen the situation. He said the customs headquarters needs to try new initiatives to ensure its staff are safe. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Defence Headquarters says the troops of the armed forces have within nine weeks, killed 23 terrorists, arrested 109 criminals, and five kidnappers. It also said that one informant and 22 suspected oil thieves were arrested within the period across the country. The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, in a statement on Friday, added that the troops also rescued 41 kidnapped hostages. Mr Buba, a major general, said that 23 terrorists and their families comprising 25 adult males, 63 adult females and 143 children surrendered to troops in the North-east. He added that the troops recovered 41 weapons and 300 weapons comprising 14 AK47 rifles, one AK49 rifle, two AK47 rifles loaded with 7.62mm special ammo and one PKT gun. Others according to him, included one LMG, two pump action guns, two locally fabricated pistols, three locally fabricated rifles, two dane guns, one pistol, and two locally made long barrel guns. Additionally, troops recovered one AK47 rifle loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm special, 1 AK47 magazine, one magazine loaded with 30 rounds of 7.62mm special, 239 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, five rounds of 7.62 NATO, 44 rounds of PKT, 5 rounds of 9mm ammo and six cartridges. Furthermore, troops recovered 13 motorcycle, 22 mobile phones, one bicycle, 10 machete, a pair of camouflage. He added that the operations in South-south geopolitical zone resulted in the recovery of 682,400 litres of stolen crude oil, 70,950 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 23,250 litres of DPK. All amounting to an estimated sum of N414.3 million denied to the oil thieves, the defence spokesperson said. Mr Buba said the military would continue to relentlessly pursue the violent groups instigating insecurity and instability in the country. He assured that troops would continue to make improvements towards ensuring safety of citizens and restoring security nationwide. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Bauchi State government has announced that a total of 26 deaths were recorded from confirmed cases of diphtheria. The state government announced the outbreak of diphtheria, a highly contagious fever-like disease that mostly affects children earlier this year. Outbreaks of the disease were reported across northern Nigeria. An official of the State Ministry of Health told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that the situation had reached an alarming stage and all efforts to curb the menace had been put in place. Similarly, the executive chairman of Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (BASPHCDA), Rilwanu Mohammed, said the state government is doing everything possible to put an end to the disease. Mr Mohammed stated this at the USAID Integrated Health Programme (USAID-IHP) one-day media engagement on the 2023 Bauchi state budget performance held on Thursday in Bauchi. Out of the number of deaths, four were confirmed diphtheria cases while the remaining 22 were signs, symptoms and complications of diphtheria following the results of the tests conducted, he added. He further explained that so far, 180 suspected cases had been recorded across the state. The cases are being investigated further. A total of 180 suspected cases were reported in local government areas of the state, seven of which are from Bauchi, Dambam 32, Darazo 2, Itas Gadau 5, Jamaare 104, Katagum 17, Misau 9, Ganjuwa 1, Giade 1, and Ningi 1 respectively. Of the 180 suspected cases reported, seven (3.9%) were lab confirmed and 166 were clinically compatible, 26 deaths were recorded among suspected and confirmed cases. 10 local government areas reported at least a case totalling 180 suspected cases in Bauchi State, Jamaare local government area accounted for 57 of the diphtheria cases, Mr Mohammed said. Mr Muhammed said the ages of the suspected and confirmed cases were between one and 55 years, while two deaths were recorded among the seven confirmed cases. PREMIUM TIMES findings revealed that the current crisis epicentre in the state is Jamaare Local Government. An official said the state governor, Bala Mohammed, had instructed the ministry and the agency concerned to take necessary actions to stop the disease from spreading. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Aderemi Adeoye, has rewarded a female officer with N250,000 for rejecting a bribe offered by a suspected armoured cable thief in the state. The female officer, Charity Oyor, an inspector, serves at Onitsha Main Market Police Division in Onitsha North Local Government Area of the state. The police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Friday which was forwarded to PREMIUM TIMES. How the officer rejected the bribe Mr Ikenga, a deputy superintendent of police, said Ms Oyor was on traffic duty in the market on Wednesday when she saw a moving shuttle bus carrying six heavy bundles of armoured cables suspected to have been stolen. The police spokesperson said the female officer flagged down the vehicle and enquired about the consignment from the driver. He said the driver, rather than explain how he came about the cables, immediately offered the female officer a bribe which she rejected. The police did not mention the amount offered to the female officer. The police inspector put a call across to her Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Superintendent Joy Chidinma Ikpeama who led police personnel to the scene and arrested the suspect, Mr Ikenga said. The cable was impounded and taken to the (police) station for investigation, he stated. The police spokesperson said, at the police station, the suspect subsequently offered N500,000 as bribe to be allowed to go, but the officers at the facility rejected the bribe. ALSO READ: Police to sanction officer caught in video collecting bribe from motorists He said the DPO, consequently, briefed the police commissioner on the arrest and recovery of the cables. The commissioner of police then ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department Awka to take over the case for investigation with a view to unravelling where the used cables came from, he said. Award At the presentation of the cash award on Friday, the commissioner commended the DPO for providing good leadership and also praised the female officer for her uprightness, Mr Ikenga said. Mr Adeoye urged all police personnel in the state to always uphold the ethics of the profession by refusing to be compromised in the discharge of their duties. Responding, Ms Ikpeama, the DPO, thanked the commissioner for leading by example, saying the female officer was inspired by his leadership style. On her part, Ms Oyor, the female officer, promised to rededicate herself to the job just as she thanked the commissioner for his generosity. The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of administration, Peter Umoru, was also present during the award ceremony. Edited: Cletus Ukpong Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The trees of Kenya have recently become a battleground for the countrys executive and judicial branches of government. President William Ruto recently lifted a six-year logging ban, saying it was foolish to have mature trees rotting in forests while local industries lacked timber. This is why we have decided to open up the forest and harvest timber so that we can create jobs for our youth, he said. Kenyas Environment and Land Court responded by swiftly issuing a temporary suspension of the presidents order. On either ends of the seesaw are the lumber industry and the environmentalists. In February 2018, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta imposed a ban on logging on public land. The aim was to combat illegal logging, which had ravaged 173,000 acres (70,000 hectares) of forest annually, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program. The ban also aimed to increase the countrys tree coverage to 10%. According to Kenyas 2020 National Economic Survey, the countrys forested area expanded from 350,000 acres (141,600 hectares) to 363,000 acres (147,600 hectares) in the first year of the ban. Given President Rutos supposed commitment to tackling climate change, his decision to lift the ban came as a surprise to Kenyan conservationists. The Environment and Land Courts suspension of the presidents order followed a petition by the Law Society of Kenya, which argued that lifting the ban was not based on scientific evidence or environmental impact studies. Greenpeace and other environmental protection organizations warned of the devastating consequences for climate change that lifting the ban could have. Some claim that Kenya has not reached the goals set in 2018 when the ban went into effect. According to Marion Kamau, former president of the Green Belt Movement, Kenyas tree coverage stands at only 8%. The Green Belt Movement was established by Kenyan Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai in 1977, and has successfully planted over 51 million trees nationwide. Were worried about cutting down trees again before weve reached the goal of 10% tree coverage, said Kamau. The government is trying to placate everyone by pledging to achieve 12% tree coverage by 2030, surpassing the initial target by 2%. One of President Rutos main campaign promises was to plant a staggering 15 billion trees in the coming decade. During the ongoing dispute, environmental activists have raised concerns about illegal logging and its impact on native plants and trees like the baobab. According to government regulations, only non-Indigenous trees older than 30 years, such as pine, eucalyptus and cypress, could be cut down. A truckload of Euphorbia Candelabrum, an Indigenous tree commonly used in construction, is being sold for just $5 dollars (4.60) in certain parts of the country. Colin Jackson, director of A Rocha, a Kenyan conservation organization, strongly hopes that the ban will not be lifted again. We dont trust that [if the Court allows logging again] the government will be able to ensure that only specific types of trees are being cut, he said. Marion Kamau agrees. Africans recognize the medicinal properties and high value of our native trees, unlike in other parts of the world. Unfortunately, these trees are specifically targeted [for logging] more than any other type. Meanwhile, the logging industry eagerly anticipates the ban being lifted. The forestry sector contributes 3.6% to Kenyas gross domestic product (GDP) and provides direct employment to 18,000-50,000 people, along with indirect employment to 300,000-600,000 people. Since the 2018 logging ban, Kenya has lost 44,000 jobs, and lumber sales have plummeted from 144,200 cubic meters to 10,700, an alarming 92.5% decrease, according to the Forestry Society of Kenya. Caught in the middle are individuals who have spent their entire lives in Kenyas forests and make a living from logging. Francis Kinuthia Ndegwa has always lived in Ruaka, on the outskirts of the Karura Forest (an urban forest in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya) that Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai saved from property developers in 1999. An independent woodcutter for over 20 years, he said, Im really glad theyve allowed logging now, but we should keep in mind that it wont be allowed forever. Theyll temporarily lift the ban, well cut down some trees, and then theyll reinstate it. Ndegwa also admitted that logging has continued over the years despite the ban. We still cut down trees in secret, he said, claiming to have received orders for timber from a Kenyan politician. Concerned about the destruction in his community, Ndegwa encourages replanting trees but said its difficult to find other ways of making a living in the logging-dependent regions of Kenya. The Kenya Forest Service says that they have implemented an automated system to issue logging permits and a detailed control plan to ensure compliance by loggers. According to spokesperson Annie Kaare, there have been no reports of illegal deforestation on public land. Each permit allows an annual maximum of 12,355 acres (5,000 hectares) to be logged and the government benefits from the resulting tax revenue. The Kenya Forest Service stated that all logged areas are replanted. Since the ban was lifted, Kaare said that approximately 7,400 acres (3,000 hectares) have been logged, starting with the most mature trees. Robert Gacheru, a farmer and self-proclaimed environmental activist, argues that logging is an essential economic activity that must be balanced with environmental considerations. In Kenya, were actually importing lumber and, on top of that, the trucks that transport it are using fossil fuels, which means theyre polluting the environment. So, you see, simply banning logging isnt really a solution. If we can find a balance between cutting trees, planting new ones, and meeting the demand, then count me in favor of that. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The Nigerian Navy says assets acquired by NIMASA under the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, otherwise known as the Deep Blue project, have been fully deployed. This is contained in a statement by the Acting Fleet Commander, Western Naval Command and Commander Deep Blue Project, Victor Choji, in Lagos on Friday. He said the deployment was across the South West, Central and Eastern Zonal operations to enhance patrol of the Nigerian maritime domain. Mr Choji made the declaration during a working visit by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Mohammed Abdullahi to the Management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). He added that the Nigerian Navy under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ogalla was fully committed to the success of the Deep Blue Project. The assets have already been well deployed; as we speak five armored vehicles are deployed in Port Harcourt and three in Bonny. The project team deployed 10 more vehicles there, in addition to a drone unit in Bonny and some personnel, the commander added. According to him, the mere presence of the deep blue assets in those locations during the last general election provided the needed inference required. Mr Choji also said that in the Central Zone Command, the Navy had deployed three units of special mission elements in Brass and two of the interceptor boats, and a special intervention force to the central command. In Lagos, just last week, we got a directive that there is a requirement and we are about to deploy two interceptor boats to support the operations that are ongoing in Lagos Inland waters. I can state categorically that we have the full backing of the Nigerian Navy for the success of the Deep Blue Project, Choji said. On his part, the Director General of NIMASA, Bashir Jamoh, said that the assets acquired by the agency under the Deep Blue Project were being managed by a project team headed by a Commodore of the Nigerian Navy. He restated the agencys commitment to a robust relationship with the Nigerian Navy towards the economic development of the country. I believe that the agency and the Nigerian Navy have a lot in common to ensure safety and security in the nations waters. While the Nigerian Navy takes care of the kinetic operations, NIMASA concentrates on non-kinetic operations, and the two will have to go hand in hand if we must succeed. If you look at the Armed Forces Act, the Nigerian Navy has a role to play in ensuring the implementation and enforcement of the NIMASA and Customs and Excise Acts, he said. Mr Jamoh expressed the desire of NIMASA to earn full value for funds invested and invest more in the operations of the Deep Blue Project. He said that the agency was in constant liaison with the National Assembly to update the nations maritime laws with particular reference to the Merchant Shipping Act. This, he said, was to guarantee adequate punitive measures to deter criminalities on Nigerian waters. While commending the Nigerian Navy for their efforts in tracking erring vessels that switched off their Automatic Identification System, AIS, Mr Jamoh called for improved synergy among all organs of government in the maritime sector. Particularly, the Nigerian Navy and the marine arm of the Nigerian Police to quickly tackle head-on, pockets of recent criminalities in the Lagos anchorage and inland waters, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Shops and markets were on Friday shut across Akure, the Ondo State capital, as business owners obeyed the traditional authorities instead of the state government on the celebration of an event in the citys cultural calendar. The Deji of Akure, Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, who is the traditional ruler of the city, had ordered the closure of markets and shops throughout Akure on Friday in line with the kingdoms tradition for marking the annual Aheregbe festival. The order was announced on Thursday by the spokesperson of the traditional ruler, Adeyeye Michael, stating that only pharmacies and patent medicine stores would be allowed to open on the day. But the order is contrary to an August 2022 directive by the state government which forbids the traditional ruler from closing markets or shops for the festival without express permission from the state governor. The state Commissioner for Information, Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, had stated on Thursday evening that the state government had not received any letter from the palace seeking permission for the closure of markets. She said that even if such permission was granted, it would only affect the Oba (kings) market in the city/. She insisted that the directive issued last year regarding the festival remained unchanged. READ ALSO: However, despite the wide publicity given to the state governments counter order, shops and markets across the city were closed throughout until midday. Many shop owners along Arakale Road, which is home to most of the commercial activities in Akure, did not open their shops for business. Those who were around kept their shops locked but attended to customers discretely. Some traders who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES said past experiences taught them that it was better to adhere to the orders from the palace than risk their goods being destroyed. Hoodlums often attacked traders who ignored orders from the palace, carting away or destroying wares. Another trader who identifies himself as Okwudili, said those who opened shops must have received assurances from the palace that they would not be harassed. Even with such assurance, he said, many still feared to open for business. However, there was vehicular movement, as business was completely paralysed due to the closure of the markets. An Akure-based lawyer, Femi Emodamori, had earlier on Thursday drawn the attention of the state government to the order from the palace, saying it was a violation of the directive of the state executive council given in August last year in respective of the festival. Mr Emodamori urged the state government to stand by its directive as the closure of markets and shops was further punishment for people already suffering economic hardship. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A family in Anambra State has forcefully taken two underage children belonging to a widow, Sharon Nwosu, after accusing her of killing her husband. Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, a media aide to the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Ify Obinabo, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday. Ms Ikeanyionwu said the incident happened in Ndiowu, a community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state. She did not, however, mention when it happened. She said two women who allegedly seized the widows children have been arrested. The two suspects have been identified as Felicia Nwosu, the widows mother-in-law and Chinenye Nwosu, her sister-in-law, according to the statement. The arrest of the two suspects was in response to a complaint lodged at the ministry by the distraught widow, Ms Ikeanyionwu said. A video clip attached to the statement showed the widow at the ministrys office, in tears, narrating how she was constantly being maltreated by the family after her husbands death. The couple lived in Ikorodu in Lagos State, South-west Nigeria, but the widow relocated to the Ndiowu Community after her husbands death. She said the family began to fight her after she declined to hand over her late husbands laptop and mobile phone to her husbands younger brother, Ifeanyi, who demanded them. The family had warned her not to tell anyone about their request, she said. Mrs Sharon expressed shock that the family would make such a request a few days after her husbands death, adding that she insisted that such a request should wait until her husband had been buried. The widow said the family instructed her to hand over the properties to the younger brother so that he would be able to take over the contract of her late husband who was an architect. While she battled her husbands death, she was informed that her ailing mother also died the same day. The widow said before the family forcefully took her children, she was deeply pained that they consistently told the children that she was responsible for their fathers death. She alleged that the family later broke into her apartment after her husbands burial and carted away all the money given to her by some sympathisers. Assurance of help The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare in the state, Mrs Obinabo, has expressed her displeasure over the incident, Ms Ikeanyionwu said. Mrs Obinabo assured the widow that she would assist her to get back her children from the family. In the video clip, the commissioner lamented that women were always the people behind their fellow womens ordeal in several families. Women will always be where a fellow woman is being dealt with and they wouldnt talk, but support the act. It can be you tomorrow. When will women start loving their fellow women? she said. Meanwhile, the two arrested suspects have been taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department where they were served a letter mandating them to appear before the commissioner on Tuesday, the statement said. The suspects were to appear before the commissioner with all parties involved in the matter for investigation. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Nigerian Army has said that no money was carted away when its vehicle was attacked by armed robbers on Wednesday in Benin, Edo State. A soldier was killed when the robbers attacked the army Toyota pickup truck at Akpakpava Road in Benin. Yemi Sokoya, a spokesperson for the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, said in a statement on Friday that media reports suggesting that the robbers made away with Ghana-Must-Go bags containing money were inaccurate. Contrary to several reports, a clerk from 4 Brigade Finance office and a driver went to town to fix the office printer and also stopped at WEMA bank to process and collect a bank statement. The armed gang in a red Toyota Camry car, who must have trailed and noticed that the soldiers were not armed, opened fire on the vehicle at a traffic light junction probably thinking the soldiers were carrying money. But when they discovered that the vehicle was empty, they zoomed off. Unfortunately, some of the bullets hit the driver on the chest and he died. A lot of reports have insinuated that the armed robbers made away with huge cash in a Ghana-Must-Go bag. That is entirely false, as no cash was involved, said Mr Sokoya, a captain. The spokesperson said the army, alongside other security agencies, were making efforts to arrest the suspects and bring them to book. The armys statement contradicts what the police in Edo said about the incident. A good Nigerian reported the incident at the police station covering that neighbourhood. The hoodlums carted away Ghana-Must-Go bags believed to have been loaded with cash from the van, the police spokesperson in Edo, Chidi Nwabuzor, told reporters. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Muhammadu Ibrahim, a resident of a border community in Jigawa, never envisaged a diplomatic row between Niger and Niger Republic. Mr Ibrahim, who is the chairman of Maigatari International Market, told PREMIUM TIMES that the situation has brought untold hardship to traders in the market and their clients from Niger. Painting a grim picture of the effects of the sanctions on Niger by the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) on business activities in the market which is near Nigerias border with Niger, Mr Ibrahim said the sanctions have crippled businesses in the market. Thmie ECOWAS imposed sanctions on the Niger Republic as part of measures to restore constitutional democracy after Abdourahamane Tchiani, the commander of Nigers presidential guards, ousted the countrys constitutionally-elected government on 26 July. The countrys democratically elected president, Mohammed Bazoum, is still being held by the junta. The sanctions include the closure of land and air borders between ECOWAS countries and Niger; the suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between ECOWAS Member States and Niger. Nigeria also cut electricity supply to the country. The sanctions were meant to mount pressure on the junta to return power to Mr Bazoum. The volume of trade between the two countries cannot be quantified, this situation requires several years to rectify. I cannot even contemplate Nigeria going to war with the Niger Republic because of the age-long ties between us, especially on the path of this area, (Maigatari). Going to war with the Niger Republic is something we cannot even think about and pray for because we are one people. Some of our wives and children live in Niger while some of theirs (people from Niger Republic) own wives and children also live and earn their living in Nigeria (Maigatari). All we can say is to appeal to our leaders, especially our President (Bola Tinubu) to consider resolving this crisis immediately so that business activities can return to their normal routines, the market leader said. Maigatari hosts a weekly cattle market that attracts traders from across Nigeria, Niger Republic, Central Africa Republic, Mali, and other West and Central African countries. When PREMIUM TIMES visited it was almost deserted. At the border crossing in Maigatari all the gates remained closed. Adverse effect on businesses Muhammadu Danduwa, a cattle dealer, at Maigatari market who spoke on behalf of the cattle dealers, said the effect of the sanctions on cattle trading is so enormous because it is the primary business that thrives between the two countries with Maigatari local government playing the host for Nigeria. Mr Danduwa said the border community was yet to recover from the economic hardship following the fuel subsidy removal by the Nigerian government when ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger Republic. Look at this place, if not for the sanction, you cannot come on a day like this (Friday) a day after the official market day and there will be space to pass through because you would have seen traders from different parts of Nigeria and beyond, who have come here to buy cattle. Before now, I would not be able to count the number of the heads of cattle that I would get from the market. But today there is nobody to even talk to because theyve been stopped from coming to this town. Apart from cattle trading the people who farm for us come from the Niger Republic and that has stopped; as a result, if you go anywhere near our farms you will discover how the crops have been taken over by weeds. We at the border community have been faced with two sanctions over the past three months. First was the sanction of fuel subsidy removal and now the sanctions. Since the removal of the fuel subsidy weve been coping with hardship, Mr Danduwa said. The businessman also appealed to ECOWAS and the Nigerian government to reconsider the planned use of force to remove the junta. If war starts now, we are at the receiving end, we are at the border town. Where do we run to? Well be the first victims because our farmlands are in the same place with them and in some cases, our graveyards. So the best thing is for the government to find a way of resolving this conflict before it degenerates into open hostility, Mr Danduwa said. Lawali Muhammadu, who also sells cattle, said his liberty as a businessman had been restricted since the sanctions were imposed because he cannot travel to Niger. Mr Muhammadu pleaded with the federal government to prevail on ECOWAS to reconsider the sanctions and use of force on the Niger Republic. As you can see, the economy is at its standstill, no cows and/or other commodities are being brought into and leaving this country, and I can tell you, this is a major source for concern to all well-meaning people because we depend on this kind of trade between the two countries to survive. This is moreso, as the common people of the two countries have nothing to do with this conflict. We do not have problems with the common people of the people of Niger, nor do they have with us, we have been coexisting peacefully with them for decades and we want to continue to live peacefully with them, Mr Muhammadu said. Jigawa State is one of the seven Nigerian states that share land borders with the Niger Republic. Were committed to peaceful resolution, not war Presidency Meanwhile, Nigerias President, Mr Tinubu, who is the chairman of the ECOWAS said he is committed to a peaceful restoration of constitutional democracy in the Niger Republic rather than using force. One of the presidents media aides, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said the president is mindful of the long-existing bond between Niger and Nigeria in his commitment as ECOWAS chairman to mediate in the crisis. Using Nigerian military force in Niger is just propaganda and fake news being pushed by some people, but the truth of the matter is that the issue in Niger is being mediated through diplomacy, he said. Edited: Nicholas Ibekwe, Tosin Omoniyi Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday in Abuja, expressed sadness that many Nigerian youth are unable to afford tertiary education. She said this when 43 tertiary institution scholarships were awarded through her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). The first lady at the maiden ceremony of the initiative, said each beneficiary would get N4 million for four academic sessions and a new laptop. The first lady further said the RHI scholarship was a transformative scheme that had the promise of changing lives and shaping the destiny of youths across the nation. She said it was a collective responsibility of the populace to provide every child with quality education and give the opportunity of helping the youth to reach their highest potentials, regardless of their background. It is disheartening to know that numerous youths across our nation are unable to afford the cost of tertiary education due to financial limitation, Mrs Tinubu said. She, however, acknowledged that quality education was not just a fundamental right of every child but a key to unlock doors to a promising future and help to empower individual families and the entire communities. What we are witnessing today is being done to support and complement President Bola Tinubus administrations drive at making tertiary education accessible, especially with the introduction of students loan scheme. The RHI scholarship programme is a commitment and a promise that we make today to identify with the youths, to say to them that their dreams and aspiration matter. Through this programme, we seek not only to provide financial assistance but also foster an environment where talents are nurtured and where potential is recognised, she stated. The first lady said the organisation, through the scholarship scheme, envisioned a country where every child, regardless of their circumstances, could access the best education. This scholarship is about igniting curiosity, sparkling innovations and fostering the love for learning that will transcend generation; therefore, I urge all beneficiaries to study hard, work hard and make the best use of the opportunity offered to them today, she said. She also acknowledged the stakeholders and called on well-meaning Nigerians to support the RHI in all its goals, to be able to reach many Nigerians and make life easy for people. This initiative is not an isolated effort, it is a collective endeavor that requires the involvement of all stakeholders; I appreciate Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) for the donation of 50 laptops in support of Renewed Hope Initiative, she said. Mrs Tinubu further commended all the coordinators, including governors wives, the wives of service chiefs and other organisations for their support in ensuring that the programme became a reality. Some of the awadees, included Adijat Ayodele from Kwara, Daniel Sunmonu from Ekiti, Eze Ijeoma from Anambra and Usman Sanni, a Chemistry student of Federal Univercity of Dutsimma, Katsina. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that beneficiaries were drawn from the 36 states of the Federation, including the FCT, with criteria for each awardee to be a nominee of their respective state governors. Other criteria include someone with a proof of admission with any of the Nigeria tertiary institutions of learning, a citizen with good academic grades and one who maintains a GPA of 3:0 and above. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The tragic death of a 500 level student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) has been blamed on the poor condition of facilities at the universitys health centre. Ayomide Akeredolu was taken to the health clinic on Thursday night by his colleagues after he slumped in his room. While the universitys authorities said he was already dead when he arrived at the health centre, students insisted that he was in coma but could not be revived due to the poor condition of the health facility. The students on Friday staged a peaceful protest to express their anger over the reported poor condition of health facilities in the school and what they considered Mr Akeredolus avoidable death. The protest led to a gridlock of vehicles on the Akure-Ilesa expressway for several hours. One of the protesters recounted their efforts to save the life of Mr Akeredolu at the hospital. The student slumped in his hostel (Akindeko Hall of Residence) and was rushed to the University Health Centre, the protester who declined to give his name said. Due to the lack of basic amenities, he lost his life at the university clinic. We rushed the guy to the health centre around 8:30 p.m. When we got there, there was power outage, and throughout the process of giving him oxygen, CPR and injections the light wasnt restored. We had to use our flashlights. Hard to believe that theres no back up power supply in the clinic. He said the health centre had refused to attend to another sick student on Thursday who is the Voice President of the FUTA Student Union because he was not with his identity card. The health officials, he said, refused to attend to him even though the said student was in a critical condition. The students are expressing their displeasure with a peaceful demonstration and calls on the government to come to their aid as there has been series of similar incidents in the past and demonstrations ended with unfulfilled promises, the protesting students said. Reacting to the development, the universitys management admitted that its health centres face challenges and promised to fix them. From reports pieced together, Ayomide Akeredolu slumped in his hostel and all attempts and medical intervention at resuscitation even at the Health Centre failed with the doctors recording that he was brought in dead, a statement by the institutions spokesperson, Adegbenro Adebanjo, said. The student was rushed to the Health Centre at about 8:50 p.m. on Thursday 24th August, 2023. He was brought in dead. Efforts to resuscitate him through cardiopulmonary resuscitation and oxygen therapy proved abortive. He was subsequently taken to the UNIMED Teaching Hospital, Akure by the medical personnel on duty inside the University ambulance. He said it was understandable that Mr Akeredolus friends and colleagues were devastated by the sad development. The management joins them to mourn at this very difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with our students and the bereaved family, he said. May the Good Lord grant his soul eternal repose and give the family and friends the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. However due to some perceived misgivings about services at the University Health Centre, students embarked on a protest on Friday August 25, 2023. It is important to point out that the protest was not directly related to the death of the student. The representatives of the students, at a meeting with management called at the behest of the Vice Chancellor, pointed out some lacuna in the process of accessing services at the health centre . The management in the course of the meeting directed that immediate remedial measures be taken to address the lacuna and other issues raised by the students. The corrective measures will be reviewed from time to time to ensure that they are being implemented to the letter and satisfaction of the students . Again we commiserate with the family of our beloved student and pray for comfort from the Lord. Mr Akeredolu was in the department of quantity surveying and was to commence his final exams next Monday. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Suspected kidnappers have abducted the Kaduna State Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kawu Yakassai. Mr Yakassai was reportedly abducted at his country home in the Soba Local Government Area on Friday. The governor, Uba Sani, confirmed the incident and directed the security agents to rescue the party chieftain. The governors media aide, Mohammed Shehu, said his principal directed security agencies to go after the kidnappers and ensure the safe return of the abductee. The governor restated his administrations commitment to the safety of lives and property of all residents in the state. Part of the steps taken to achieve security in Kaduna was to employ 7,000 vigilantes to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies, the official statement said. Kaduna is one of five states in Nigerias north-west being terrorised by terrorists commonly called bandits. Killings and Kidnapping for ransom are common across the state. The terrorists target peasants in vulnerable communities in the state, and many have fallen prey to the kidnappers. Some of them have been killed in captivity, while others were freed after ransom payment. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print American senator Jim Risch has called on the US to reevaluate its relationship with the Zimbabwean government. The 2023 elections in Zimbabwe were a sham. The government weaponized the judiciary, silenced the opposition, manipulated the accreditation of observers, and created an unfair pre-election environment, said Mr Risch who is the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee a US institution which helps shape American foreign policy. In a statement released by the Senate Committee on Friday, Mr Risch expressed his assessment of Zimbabwes performance on the administration of its elections this week. On August 23 and 24, it further sabotaged the electoral process by delaying polling station openings, intimidating voters, and unlawfully detaining accredited observers. What occurred was not an exercise in democracy, Mr Risch said. It is not unusual for the senior US senators to express their opinions on issues around the world which they deem important in their oversight and legislative role. Often referred to as Jim, Mr Risch often puts his views on public record, and he does this sometimes through resolutions in the Senate. The people of Zimbabwe should continue to advocate for their constitutional right to choose their leaders freely without fear and use peaceful means to voice their discontent with the electoral process. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should complete the vote count transparently and honestly. Zimbabwean authorities must also immediately release all election observers and other stakeholders detained for legally carrying out their duties to support the electoral process, said Mr Risch, known in Congress as a pragmatic decisionmaker. He called on the international community to continue supporting the people of Zimbabwe, saying, The U.S. government and the international community must remain alert, continue to shine a light on the severe violations of Zimbabwes electoral law, and act to prevent further state violence against Zimbabweans. Mr Risch called for a review of all aspects of the existing US-Zimbabwe relationship. Finally, we must reevaluate all facets of our relationship with a Zimbabwean government that ignores its peoples will and flouts its laws through acts of violence, looting, and impunity, he urged. Zimbabweans went to the polls on Wednesday, 23 August, in general, parliamentary, and local elections which are proving to be a litmus test on the state of the countrys democracy. This years election is the second since former President Robert Mugabe left office in November 2017. There were 11 presidential candidates on the ballot although President Emmerson Mnangagwas ZANU-PF party was widely expected to maintain its 43-year grip on power. Election observers said the vote did not meet international standards and was conducted in a climate of fear. Mr Rischs statement is not the first time he would criticize the Zimbabwean government. On 1 March, in his opening statement at the full Senate Foreign Relations Committee nomination hearing for the nominee to be ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Risch said, On to the nomination of US ambassador to Zimbabwe I am appalled by the continued abuses of power, excessive corruption, and horrific human rights record by the countrys leadership. These not only inhibit the US-Zimbabwe relationship, but also deprive the region of benefitting from a prosperous Zimbabwe adding that he hopes the ambassador upholds US principles. Our ambassador must hold firm in support for the people of Zimbabwe, while committing to uphold US values on human rights and democracy in engaging the Zimbabwean government, he said. On 2 June 2022, President Biden nominated Pamela Tremont as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Zimbabwe. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee monitors, gathers, and evaluates information it considers essential to the formulation of Americas foreign policy. Under its authority are foreign affairs matters such as foreign assistance programmes and economic assistance to US allies and partners around the world. Pearl Matibe is a Washington, DC-based White House Correspondent, and media commentator with expertise on U.S. foreign policy, and international security. You may follow her on Twitter: @PearlMatibe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The junta in Niger on Friday asked the French ambassador in the country to leave. In a letter by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation addressed to the French foreign ministry, the junta said the envoy, Sylvain Itte, had 48 hours to depart Niger for refusing to respond to an interview invitation from the junta. It also cited other actions of the French Government, contrary to the interests of Niger as one of the reasons for expelling Mr Itte. Anti-French sentiments have grown in Niger since the 26 July coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum. Coup apologists attacked the French embassy in Niamey while waving Russias flag. The expulsion of the French ambassador is an indication of the deteriorating relationship between Niger and its former colonial overlord, France. In response to the juntas letter, Frances foreign ministry told AFP that France has taken note of the putschists request, however, The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassadors approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities. It added that it is constantly evaluating the security and operating conditions of its embassy in Niamey. France joined other world leaders to condemn the coup and has consistently called for the reinstatement of Mr Bazoum. It has also made public its support for ECOWAS and its resolutions. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni talks with journalists at the end of a meeting with the opposition, at Palazzo Chigi in Rome, Italy, on August 11, 2023. When Giorgia Meloni was running to become Italys first far-right head of government of the post-war era, she steeped her winning campaign in the sharply ideological rhetoric of national sovereignty, traditional families and fear of migrants. Since taking office in September, Premier Meloni has toned down the bombast reflected in the slogans she shouted last year at a rally in Spain for a far-right ally Yes to natural families! No to LGBT lobbies! But her government and her partys lawmakers are still pursuing multiple far-right policies, including refusing to allow the names of some same-sex parents to be on their childrens birth records, broadening restrictions on surrogate pregnancies and even seeking to ban foreign words from government documents. Her administrations fervor now finds expression in policies promoted by ministries and in legislation pushed by lawmakers from her Brothers of Italy party, the political group with neo-fascist roots that she co-founded a decade ago. Meanwhile, Meloni has largely stayed above the ideological fray, as she did earlier this month during a bitter flap over the role of neo-fascist militants in Italys deadliest-ever terror attack the 1980 bombing of Bolognas train station. The names of the 85 dead are enshrined on a plaque in the station that calls them victims of fascist terrorism. In a commemorative speech, Italian President Sergio Mattarella noted that the attacks neo-fascist matrix has been established by trial convictions. But to the anger of Italys left, Melonis anniversary statement omitted any mention of the neo-fascist origins behind the bombing. Opposition leaders pointed out that while she was still a lawmaker, Meloni pushed for efforts to determine the masterminds of the attack, seemingly raising questions about the judicial verdicts. Then a few days after the anniversary, the communications director for the Rome areas right-wing governor, who won election with Melonis support, cast more doubt on whether the bombing was the work of convicted neo-fascist terrorists. Lazio Gov. Francesco Rocca told reporters that Meloni wasnt happy about the revisionist comments by his communications aide, who has a record of showing sympathy for far-right extremists. But the premier herself avoided making any public comment, and the aide kept his job. During the campaign, Meloni kept her distance from Benito Mussolinis dictatorship, declaring that the Italian right has handed fascism over to history for decades now. But she proudly defends a potent party symbol a flame in the red, white and green colors of the Italian flag. The flame has its roots in the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement, which was founded by Mussolini nostalgists right after World War II. Brothers of Italy embedded the symbol into its own emblem. Amid the bombing anniversary furor, a front-page cartoon in the Corriere della Sera newspaper depicted an alarmed-looking Meloni as the tricolor flame threatened to scorch her. In real life, the premier appears politically unscathed by ideological squabbles. Opinion surveys indicate that Brothers of Italy is the most popular party among eligible voters, with polls showing it has close to 30% support. Thats 4 percentage points higher than what the group got in the 2022 election. Staying above the fray is part of Melonis strategy and style, said Columbia University political theory professor Nadia Urbinati. In contrast to her right-wing coalition partner, League party leader Matteo Salvini, who daily churns out photos of himself on social media, Meloni is not everywhere. She doesnt want to have this kind of populist aura, Urbinati said in a telephone interview. But she wants to shape the state according to her ideology. Urbinati noted that one of the first moves by Melonis government was a crackdown on rave parties and similar gatherings, based on what they define as anarchy. Building on Melonis campaign pledge to defend what she called traditional families, the premiers administration moved to limit recognition of parental rights to only the biological parent in families with same-sex parents. Local offices of the Interior Ministry ordered city halls to stop automatically recording both parents when same-sex couples have children. That left non-biological parents unable to carry out everyday family tasks such as picking up children from school or dealing with pediatricians without written permission from their partners. Last month, Parliaments lower chamber also approved widening restrictions on surrogate pregnancy. The bill essentially reintroduced legislation that Meloni, in the previous legislature, had unsuccessfully proposed while an opposition lawmaker. Under the bill now working its way through Parliament, it would be a crime for any Italian in same-sex or heterosexual relationships to use surrogate maternity abroad. For years, it has been a crime only in Italy, and so far never prosecuted. Raising Italys birthrate, one of the worlds lowest, is a key Meloni political plan. Her minister of agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, who is also her brother-in-law, inflamed political debate last spring when he warned in a speech against ethnic substitution by migrants. Italians are having fewer children and the reasoning goes lets substitute them with someone else, Lollobrigida said, dismissing any idea that immigrants would be a way to boost the population. The government plans to spend millions of euros in European Union money to build more day care centers to ease burdens on working parents, but that goal has fallen behind schedule. Also awaiting action in Parliament is proposed legislation to ban the use of foreign words in government documents and forbid state universities from offering English-only courses. If the bill in defense of identity passes, violators would risk fines as high as 100,000 euros ($110,000). It is an idea reminiscent of Mussolini, whose first moves in power included purging the Italian language of foreign words, even on restaurant menus, and establishing stiff fines for violations. Critics of the proposed ban quickly pointed out that passage would erase part of a title held by a Brothers of Italy senator. Sen. Adolfo Urso, who serves in Melonis Cabinet, is minister of enterprises and made in Italy. The last three words of the official title are in English. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The political masters of Nigeria appear to have perfected the art of state capture, as seen in the list of ministerial nominees of President Tinubu And nothing qualifies these individuals that should disqualify El-Rufai, as it is essentially a compensation list for those who contributed to the victory of President Tinubu at the polls. This is why many are wont to think that President Tinubu may have drawn El-Rufai, his former foe-turned-friend, closer in order to give him the kiss of death. Ordinarily, a controversial and divisive political figure like Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai should not have been nominated for the position of a minister by the president of an ethno-religiously plural country such as Nigeria under normal circumstances. But when such a nomination is made, it is as sure as death that it would be rejected by the legislative arm of government. This is not due to incompetence or ineptitude, as El-Rufai is one of Nigerias most accomplished public servants, with a reputation for academic brilliance, serious organisational skills and a result-oriented administrative acumen. As Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprise, El-Rufai, a neo-liberal economic conservative, drove with uncommon passion and zeal the process of transferring the means of production from public to private entities, through the mass privatisation of public enterprises between 1999 and 2003 under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. As Minister of the Federal Capital Territory between 2003 and 2007, El-Rufai, who was assigned the task of restoring the Abuja city master plan after many years of violation by President Obasanjo, took a plunge into this ocean of responsibility and swam ashore to safety after navigating through its thorny labyrinths. After four years as Minister of FCT, El-Rufai was adjudged by friends and foes as having performed superlatively, as the Abuja master plan was not only restored, the city was equally cleaned up, expanded, and secured, to the extent that by 2006 (three years later), Nigeria celebrated the 30th anniversary of the creation of its new capital with pride, pomp and pageantry, as one of the most beautiful and secured capital cities in Africa. El-Rufais impressive performance as a public officer distinguished him as one the emerging leaders of Nigeria, in general, and northern Nigeria, in particular. However, that phenomenal success was without its downsides, as El-Rufai was accused of high-handedness, impunity and conflict of personal and public interests in his administration of the FCT, especially in matters of land revocation and allocation, to the extent that his tenure was a subject of probe by the National Assembly. He subsequently went into self-imposed exile under the Umar Musa YarAdua administration, which he considered as hostile and vindictive to him for reasons that remain unclear many years after. But El-Rufai fought back from his base in exile by exposing the corrupt underbelly of the YarAdua administration, while labelling some members of the presidents inner cycle as a cabal that was feasting on the common patrimony of Nigerians. And with no subsequent minister of the FCT recording his level of achievements, El-Rufai increasingly became a good example of what a minister of the FCT should be. With southern Kaduna being a strong hold of the then ruling but now opposition Peoples Democratic Party, El-Rufai deployed his brilliance into mastery of the art of ethnic and religious identity politics, through the elevation of his Muslim Hausa/Fulani section of the state in the scheme of things, while marginalising the predominantly Christian peoples of southern Kaduna. El-Rufai aggravated the religious situation in Kaduna El-Rufais reputation as a competent and high performing public official in a country that earnest yearns for good and effective leadership added to his solid political reputation, making him one of the most sought after politicians in Nigeria on the eve of the 2015 general elections. As a then leading member of the newly formed opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), from Muhammadu Buharis CPC faction, El-Rufai was the gubernatorial candidate of the party for Kaduna State, going into the 2015 elections. While Buhari emerged victorious as president, El-Rufai was similarly elected as governor. And a new El-Rufai began to unravel; one that was either unknown or which simply escaped public notice under the pan-Nigerian nationalist leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo. While he retained his famous developmental streak and administrative acumen as governor, a new El-Rufai gradually emerged and he came across as an ethno-religious sectionalist, who championed the political and economic domination of Kaduna State by his Hausa/Fulani ethnic and Muslim religious stock. He once made an open declaration to the effect that the murderous activities of killer Fulani herdsmen in predominantly non-Hausa/Fulani communities in the southern parts of Kaduna State were reprisal attacks, and that he has reached out to his kinsmen to stop the killing, since one of them was now in charge in the state. This pandering to the base ethnic sentiments of the killers of his people sent shock waves across the country and set the people of southern Kaduna on the edge, in terms of what was to come. With southern Kaduna being a strong hold of the then ruling but now opposition Peoples Democratic Party, El-Rufai deployed his brilliance into mastery of the art of ethnic and religious identity politics, through the elevation of his Muslim Hausa/Fulani section of the state in the scheme of things, while marginalising the predominantly Christian peoples of southern Kaduna. El-Rufai aggravated the religious situation in Kaduna, when going into the 2019 gubernatorial he picked a Muslim running mate from southern Kaduna, in clear violation of the anticipated balancing of power between the Muslim and Christian sections of the state, which has sustained the fragile peace there since 1999, but yet won. In addition to the having a Muslim/Muslim leadership in Kaduna, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, the Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff and two minister nominees from the state in the cabinet of President Buhari, where all Muslims. This total Muslim domination of Kaduna, a state with an important minority population of Christians, alienated many Nigerians, even though this endeared El-Rufai to the people and leadership of the conservative Muslim North and cemented his place in Nigerias largest democratic demography as the heir apparent to and most influential political leader in northern Nigeria after President Buhari. The very reasons that El-Rufai is being rejected by the national parliament are the same reasons that lead to his victorous support on Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, as the former of Kaduna State deployed his armada of identity politics to squeeze out votes in the Muslim north for Tinubu against Atiku Abubakar, a fellow Hausa-Fulani northern Muslim, in the last presidential election. El-Rufai was to use this influence, both within and outside the ruling APC, to mobilise support for the emergence of Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from the South, as president of Nigeria, and Kashim Shettima, a Muslim from northern Nigeria, as his vice. While El-Rufai was commended, in spite of himself, for supporting a shift of presidential power to the South from the North, after eight years of the Buhari presidency, it soon emerged that he may have only prioritised a Muslim domination of Nigeria, as he did in Kaduna through his own admission. It is against this background that El-Rufai was believed to have been rejected by the National Assembly, relying on a security report from Directorate of State Services (DSS). But Nigeria is neither a normal country nor are the times ordinary in the largest democracy in Africa. The political masters of Nigeria appear to have perfected the art of state capture, as seen in the list of ministerial nominees of President Tinubu. The list includes members of the ruling establishment in Nigeria, some of who have been indicted by anti-corruption agencies for gross mismanagement and diversion of public funds under their watch. And nothing qualifies these individuals that should disqualify El-Rufai, as it is essentially a compensation list for those who contributed to the victory of President Tinubu at the polls. This is why many are wont to think that President Tinubu may have drawn El-Rufai, his former foe-turned-friend, closer in order to give him the kiss of death. While El-Rufai may have been a divisive and controversial political figure, who appears to harbour animosity towards Nigerias Christians, who constitute half of the population, President Tinubu will have to manage his foe-turned-friend in order to prevent him from turning into a foe once again. The very reasons that El-Rufai is being rejected by the national parliament are the same reasons that lead to his victorous support on Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election, as the former of Kaduna State deployed his armada of identity politics to squeeze out votes in the Muslim north for Tinubu against Atiku Abubakar, a fellow Hausa-Fulani northern Muslim, in the last presidential election. An El-Rufai is a friend to keep and an enemy to avoid. And an idle El-Rufai may become an opposition workshop, going into the 2027 presidential election. Majeed Dahiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja and can be reached through dahirumajeed@gmail.com. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print her appointment as a police magistrate came as a surprise to many because several years earlier in March 1934, she had brazenly confronted Dame Margery Perham at a public lecture on the subject of indirect rule. In the audience was the architect of indirect rule and military adventurist himself: Lord Frederick Lugard We can only imagine his thoughts as he listened to criticisms from a woman lawyer about the system he had proudly constructed. Stella Jane Thomas was the first woman barrister in West Africa and her legal career spanned across Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gold Coast (Ghana). She attended Annie Walsh Memorial School in Sierra Leone and Portway Girls College in Reading, from where she gained admission into the Middle Temple Inn, in December 1929. However, there has been some inaccuracy about her educational background. A website wrongly promotes the claim that Stella attended University of Oxford, and this information has been replicated on many other websites in their writings about her life. However, in its register from 1900 to 1995, the University of Oxford has no record of her being in the institution. The Honourable Society Middle Temple Inn confirmed to this independent researcher that Stella, having passed the Cambridge School Certificate in July 1929, was admitted directly into its institution in December of the same year, from Portway Girls College, Reading. On her admission form, Stella stated that she was 23 years old, resided at May Cottage, Green Street, Farnborough, Kent, and her Lagos address was 1, Williams Street. Her father was the merchant prince, PJC Thomas, owner of the S. Thomas and Co. Ltd. Her presence in what was a traditionally male territory attracted much attention in the press. For instance, as she progressed as a law student, in 1930 the Nigerian Pioneer wrote: It is noteworthy to read of the success of Miss Stella Thomas who has passed Roman Law and enjoys the distinction of being the first West African woman law student. Stella was called to the bar at the Inn on 10 May 1933, the same day as her brother, Stephen Thomas (later on a magistrate who sat over the Abeokuta Womens Union court cases). She received accolades from WASU, the journal published by the West African Students Union, which stated that: Miss Thomas is to be the first lady barrister-at-law in the whole of West Africa. In the spirit of the W.A.S.U.s doctrine of unity and co-operation, Miss Thomas hails from Nigeria, Gold Coast and Sierra Leone. In relation to that historic moment, the Nigerian Pioneer raised an issue: A quandary will also arise when Miss Thomas, barrister-at-law, the first Nigerian woman to attain that position, indeed the first West African or native of Nigeria, will perforce address her brother as my learned brother, but the brother will have to address his sister, as my learned brother. This comment spoke to the prevailing he/she issues that beset a profession that historically revelled in maleness and masculinity. On the announcement of her appointment, the Crown Colonist despatched a reporter to track her down. When he found her, his reward was a lengthy interview in which the barrister and nationalist debater explained her views on several issues, which included the colonial administrations penchant for employing under-qualified Europeans, instead of qualified Africans; industrialisation and why the post-war period should prioritise social investment in colonies In 1943, Stella became the first woman stipendiary police magistrate in West Africa. She was well-prepared for a career on the bench as she had practised her profession from her chambers at 27, Kakawa Street, Lagos, and thus met the pre-requisites to sit on the bench. Her court cases ranged from absconding husbands and fraud to traffic offences and murder. In 1938, she represented Daniel Bebetebe, who was accused of murdering his wife. The West African Pilot wrote this of her appearance in court: Lady Barrister, Stella Thomas was the outstanding figure in a criminal appeal which was heard on Wednesday by the West African Court of Appeal. Miss Stella Thomas appeared for the appellant and upon her submissions Their Honours granted the appellant application for leave to appeal against his conviction. In a very graceful demeanour, Miss Stella Thomas rose and outlined her case which she argued on three chief grounds Still, her appointment as a police magistrate came as a surprise to many because several years earlier in March 1934, she had brazenly confronted Dame Margery Perham at a public lecture on the subject of indirect rule. In the audience was the architect of indirect rule and military adventurist himself: Lord Frederick Lugard, the former governor-general and commander-in-chief of Nigeria. We can only imagine his thoughts as he listened to criticisms from a woman lawyer about the system he had proudly constructed. Indeed, Stellas comments could easily have been taken as an affront to colonial rule. On the announcement of her appointment, the Crown Colonist despatched a reporter to track her down. When he found her, his reward was a lengthy interview in which the barrister and nationalist debater explained her views on several issues, which included the colonial administrations penchant for employing under-qualified Europeans, instead of qualified Africans; industrialisation and why the post-war period should prioritise social investment in colonies, especially in the health and education sectors, etc. The published interview caught the eye of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, while he was on a trip to London, and he reproduced it in two consecutive editions of one of his newspapers, the Southern Nigeria Defender. When Stella took her place on the bench, some of her cases were published in the local newspapers. For example, she granted bail to a military driver charged with manslaughter and assault because she did not think it proper to keep him in remand. But it was pointed out to her that he was an employee of the Military Transport Unit and may be reassigned at any time. Still, she posited that it was excessive to detain a person in custody on that ground and ruled that if a redeployment came up, his employers should be informed of the charges against him to forestall any transfer. After her husbands death in 1968, she returned to live in Nigeria, where she spent the rest of her life. When the news of her death at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, broke in May 1974, Justice Joseph Adefarasin of the Lagos Judiciary, summed up her life: She started a lonely road and long may she be remembered for the sacrifices and challenges of her life and career. It was however not all a smooth ride for her on the bench. In May 1943, she received a threat to her life. A calm Stella read the letter in court, in which the mysterious writer accused her of being unsympathetic and severe in her sentences. He also said he would take her life and made a reference to the attempted assassination of the Awujale of Ijebu-Ode, Oba Daniel Adesanya in 1934. At her desk in the packed court, she sent a message to the author: called him a coward and added for effect that she too had her own Baba Alawo called God who would surely avenge her death. But this incident did not deter her from her work. The following month, a news headline in the West African Pilot stated: Magistrate issues general warning to money grabbers. Stella took a stern view of the guilty acts of a public servant who was before her court on four charges of fraud. In November 1943, she got married to a Sierra Leonean barrister, Richard B. Marke. This too caused a stir in the press and all the details, from the notice of her intended marriage to the actual ceremony and the thank-you notice, were publicised. The wedding, which took place at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Lagos, was conducted by Reverend L Gordon Vining, SC Phillips, Reverend FW Mellor, and was attended by top-ranking colonial officials such as the Officer Administering the Government, Mr AWG Grantham, Dr Henry Carr, Mr T Hoskyns Abrahall, Chief Secretary to the Government. Others were Ernest Ikoli, Dr Kofo Abayomi, Dr Isaac Oluwole, Irene Thomas, Margaret Thomas and Mrs Adeniyi-Jones etc. The reception was held at the Glover Memorial Hall with the Police band offering the best from its repertoire. After her husbands death in 1968, she returned to live in Nigeria, where she spent the rest of her life. When the news of her death at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, broke in May 1974, Justice Joseph Adefarasin of the Lagos Judiciary, summed up her life: She started a lonely road and long may she be remembered for the sacrifices and challenges of her life and career. During the burial service at Ikoyi Cemetery, lawyers gave an oratory to express their appreciation for her courage in paving the way for women into the legal profession in West Africa. Tayo Agunbiade is the author of Emerging From the Margins: Womens Experiences in Colonial and Contemporary Nigerian History. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A group, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change, has asked President Bola Tinubu to renew the pipelines surveillance contract of a former militant leader in the region, Government Ekpemupolo. Background The Nigerian government under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had, in August 2022, awarded a pipeline surveillance contract reportedly worth N48 billion per year (N4 billion per month) to Mr Ekpemupolo, who is popularly known as Tompolo, to check massive oil theft in the region. However, some groups, mainly from the Niger Delta region, recently called on Mr Tinubu not to renew the contract to the former militant leader. Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State, earlier on Saturday, also criticised the federal government for awarding the pipeline surveillance contract to one man Mr Fubara spoke when a federal government delegation on the security of oil and gas assets visited him at the Government House Port Harcourt. The delegation was led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Security of pipeline should not be given to one man or one person. How can someone from Kalabari be controlling the pipeline in Ogoni? Mr Fubara said, without mentioning names. There is no way it will work. We must look at all the key people in the various communities, the governor added. Enemies of our country But in a statement jointly signed by its President, Nelly Emma, Secretary, John Sailor and spokesperson, Stanley Mukoro, the Niger Delta Indigenous Movement for Radical Change asked Mr Tinubu to ignore the calls to ditch Mr Ekpemupolo. The group claimed that those behind the calls were unhappy because Tompolo has stopped them from engaging in crude oil theft in the region, stressing that the former militant leader has helped Nigeria greatly in securing its pipelines. We want to commend President Tinubu for the good things he is doing for the nation, but we want to appeal to him not to listen to mischief makers and enemies of our country who are waging unnecessary war against a patriotic Nigerian, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo who has been able to put those stealing our oil under check, the group said. These mischief makers and enemies of the nation have done everything possible to ensure that the pipeline Surveillance contract to Tompolo is never renewed. We want to let the President and the whole world to know that Tompolo means well for our nation and those kicking against the renewal of his pipeline surveillance contract are out to frustrate the efforts of a selfless man who is opposed to the selfish interests of a few as against the general interests of the nation and the people, they stated. The group argued that, because of Mr Tompolos surveillance, oil production has gone up, resulting in increased revenue for the federal government. Let it be known, Mr President, that some of these agitators and faceless stakeholders are being sponsored by the oil bunkerers and hiding under the cover of the APC. Our president should not give these so-called agitators and their co-traveIlers that room to do whatever they want to do because they and their sponsors do not mean well for the nation, they appealed. The group urged Mr Tinubu to encourage the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the National Security Adviser, Mr Ribadu, to reveal the names of those behind oil bunkering in the Niger Delta region. READ ALSO: Senate endorses N48 billion pipeline surveillance contract to Tompolo They said they expect Mr Ribadu to support the NNPCL in fighting corruption in the oil sector given that he did well during his time as chairperson of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Some of these agitators being sponsored by those stealing our crude oil are working directly with the NNPCL to guide our pipelines and we are using this medium to call on NNPCL that these agitators being used by oil bunkerers and have been paid heavily by their sponsors should be shown the way out because they and their sponsors are saboteurs who are doing everything possible to frustrate the process already put in place by Government Ekpemupolo, they added. They claimed, without providing proof, that Tompolos pipeline surveillance helped to increase the nations oil production from 700 barrels per day to over 1.6 million barrels per day. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ( Read 4727 Times) The Gold Bar Challenge in captivated gold enthusiasts as they competed to remove a 5.7kg gold bar from a glass enclosure, showcasing their skills and aiming for the coveted prize. Twelve winners were rewarded with MMTC-PAMPs prestigious Banyan Tree 10 gm silver bar. Bengaluru, 26 Aug 2023: MMTC-PAMP, India's only London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Good Delivery gold & silver refinery, hosted the exciting Gold Bar Challenge at their exclusive store, a.k.a PVC (Purity Verification Centre), in Bengaluru. The event took place on Wednesday, Aug 23rd, at Ambedkar Veedhi, Bengaluru, Karnataka. MMTC-PAMP hosted the Gold Bar Challenge, an open event at their exclusive outlet, offering participants the chance to retrieve a 5.7-kilogram gold bar from a glass enclosure within the designated time limit. The event aimed to provide gold enthusiasts with an exciting opportunity to demonstrate their skills and win a coveted prize. Twelve winners, who completed the activity, received MMTC-PAMP's Banyan Tree 999.9 purity 10 gm silver bar, symbolizing longevity and fulfilment, featuring India's national tree. Safety and fairness were ensured by following rules and regulations throughout the event. Speaking about the event, Mr Vikas Singh, Managing Director and CEO of MMTC-PAMP said, "MMTC-PAMP stores are destination stores which serve unique and distinctively crafted products in purest gold and silver. Weve now taken this a step further by adding fun and excitement for our customers by providing them with a new distinctive and engaging experience, with our Gold Bar Challenge event. It is a testament to our commitment to add moments of joy for our customers who have always trusted us for their Gold & Silver needs. Our focus on offering cutting-edge products and unique experiences underscore our commitment to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction in a unique and fun manner. By fostering a healthy spirit of competition, we aim to build stronger connection with our customers and create a truly memorable experience for them." The success of the Gold Bar Challenge in Ghaziabad, Noida, Chennai, Hyderabad and now Bengaluru has paved the way for MMTC-PAMP to expand this unique event to other cities. Mr Vikas Singh added, "The gold bar challenge is a unique event that has rarely been witnessed in the Indian market and we are happy to announce that we will be bringing this event to the cities of Pune and Chandigarh as well in future" MMTC-PAMP, known for its commitment to providing high-quality, culturally diverse products to consumers, hosted this event at its one-stop-shop for any gold & silver needs. To ensure the products authenticity, each MMTC-PAMP product carries a unique number and comes packaged in a certified signed by an Assayer. Each gold and silver product bought from MMTC-PAMP offers a positive weight & purity balance, which guarantees that every coin or bar you buy weighs more than the listed weight, ensuring customers get the highest value for their investment. All products come with MMTC-PAMPs stamp of authenticity and deliver on the promise of 999.9+ purity and are crafted to the highest standards using the latest Swiss technology. There is a wide variety of purest gold and silver products to choose from this season and one can purchase them from MMTC-PAMPs exclusive stores, leading jeweller partners, online marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart or directly from MMTC-PAMPs website, shop.mmtcpamp.com. Source : NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until September 26, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), if they purchased the Company's securities between November 2, 2018 and July 26, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). These actions are pending in the United States District Courts for the District of New Jersey and Southern District of New York. Get Help AT&T investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-t-2/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options. About the Lawsuit AT&T and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) the Company owns lead-wrapped cables nationwide that are highly toxic and harmful to Company employees and non-employees alike; (ii) the hazards caused by the lead cables pose not only health risks to employees and the public, but also potentially significant risks to the Company from litigation, regulatory measures, and reputational harm; and (iii) as a result, AT&T's statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. The case is Brazinsky v. AT&T Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-04064. A subsequent case was filed, General Retirement System of the City of Detroit v. AT&T Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-07351. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com. SOURCE ClaimsFiler WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- An international crew of four representing four countries is in orbit following a successful launch to the International Space Station at 3:27 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The agency's SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh commercial crew rotation mission for NASA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASAs SpaceX Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov onboard, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, for a science expedition aboard the orbital laboratory. "Crew-7 is a shining example of the power of both American ingenuity and what we can accomplish when we work together," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Aboard station, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity on Earth. By partnering with countries around the world, NASA is engaging the best scientific minds to enable our bold missions, and it's clear that we can do more and we can learn more when we work together." During Dragon's flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California, and NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Named Endurance, the Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 8:39 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27. NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency's website will provide live coverage of docking and hatch opening. NASA also will cover the welcome remarks by crew aboard the orbital outpost at 11:30 a.m. Crew-7 will join the space station's Expedition 69 crew of NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen, Woody Hoburg, and Frank Rubio, as well as UAE (United Arab Emirates) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin, and Andrey Fedyaev. For a short time, the number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 until Crew-6 members Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev return to Earth a few days later. Crew-7 will conduct new scientific research to benefit humanity on Earth and prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Experiments include the collection of microbial samples from the exterior of the space station, the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an investigation of the physiological aspects of astronauts' sleep. These are just some of the science experiments and technology demonstrations that will take place during their mission. "The International Space Station is an incredible science and technology platform that requires people from all around the world to maintain and maximize its benefits to people on Earth," said Ken Bowersox, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "It's great seeing Crew-7 launch with four crew members representing four countries who will live and work on humanity's home in space as we continue the nearly 23 years of a continuous human presence aboard the microgravity laboratory." The Crew-7 mission enables NASA to maximize use of the space station, where astronauts testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted aboard the space station provides benefits for people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration trips to the Moon through NASA's Artemis missions. Meet Crew-7 This is Moghbeli's first trip into space since her selection as a NASA astronaut in 2017. The New York native earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering with information technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California. Moghbeli, a helicopter and Marine Corps test pilot, has more than 150 combat missions and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft. She also is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland. As mission commander, she is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. She will serve as an Expedition 69/70 flight engineer aboard the station. Follow @astrojaws on X. Mogensen was selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 and became the first Danish citizen in space after launching aboard a Soyuz for a 10-day mission to the space station in 2015. Mogensen is from Copenhagen, Denmark. He completed undergraduate studies and received a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London in England before gaining his doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Mogensen has since served as a crew member for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations undersea missions 17 and 19. Mogensen was the European astronaut liaison officer at NASA Johnson from 2016 to 2022, working as a capsule communicator for astronauts aboard the station and as ground support for spacewalks. As the pilot on Crew-7, he is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance aboard the station, he will serve as an Expedition 69 flight engineer and Expedition 70 commander. Follow @astro_andreas on X. Furukawa is making his second trip to space, having spent 165 days aboard the space station as part of Expeditions 28 and 29 in 2011. Furukawa is from Kanagawa, Japan, and was selected as a JAXA astronaut in 1999. He is a physician and received his medical degree from the University of Tokyo, and later a doctorate in medical science from the same university. Furukawa served as a crew member on the 13th NEEMO mission, and later, was appointed head of JAXA's Space Biomedical Research Group. Aboard the station, he will become a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70. Follow @astro_satoshi on X. Borisov is making his first trip to space and will serve as a mission specialist, working to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and entry phases of flight. He entered the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps as a test cosmonaut candidate in 2018 and will serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70. Learn more about NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission and Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew SOURCE NASA NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio's latest market research report estimates, the North America Last Mile Delivery Market is expected to grow by USD 62.71 million between 2022 and 2027 and index a CAGR of 14.85%. The market for North America last mile delivery is driven by the booming B2C e-commerce industry in the US, which is boosted by increasing internet penetration and changing consumer preferences towards online shopping. Additionally, technological advancements enabling real-time tracking, transparency, and efficient management of deliveries are increasing market growth by enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Other factors such as the premiumization of goods and merchandise delivery will drive the growth. Technavio provides a comprehensive overview of the present global market situation and the general market environment. View free sample report. Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled North America Last Mile Delivery Market 2023-2027 Technavio's market report is segmented as follows: Service B2B B2C Vehicle Type Large OEMs Custom vehicle OEMs The growth of North America last mile delivery market is driven by two key drivers. Firstly, the surge in demand for efficient delivery services is increased by the rapid rise of B2C e-commerce, driven by consumer preference for online shopping and convenience. Moreover, the emphasis on premiumized delivery experiences and the adaptation to changing consumer habits, accelerated by the pandemic, are further bolstering market expansion. Secondly, technological advancements, particularly real-time tracking and delivery management tools, are gaining traction, enhancing transparency and control for customers while addressing operational challenges, thus contributing to the market's robust growth. Technavio's market research report also offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends, and challenges. Write to us if you want a customized market research report. The research report also provides information on major companies and in-depth analysis of the market's competitive landscape. Averitt Express Inc. AxleHire C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. CMA CGM Group CRST The Transportation Solution Inc. DDC Logistics Inc. Deutsche Bahn AG Deutsche Post AG DSV AS FedEx Corp. GEODIS SA J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. Ryder System Inc. SEKO Logistics SF Express Co. Ltd. United States Postal Service Washington Express LLC Werner Enterprises Inc XPO Logistics Inc. Key regions contributing to the growth of North America Last Mile Delivery Market: The growth of the last mile delivery market is notably influenced by key regions, particularly North America, which serves as a significant driver. With the thriving B2C e-commerce industry, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences, North America plays a pivotal role in the market's expansion. Within North America, the United States leads the way due to its extensive e-commerce landscape, urbanization, and tech innovation. The integration of real-time tracking solutions and delivery management tools is further enhancing the market's growth. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for efficient last mile delivery, as remote work arrangements and shifting consumer behavior have intensified the reliance on prompt and reliable delivery services. Download the free sample report now to access the detailed analysis of the North America Last Mile Delivery Market. The report also provides historical data. Buy the report now! Related reports: Last Mile Delivery Market in Brazil: The last mile delivery market share in Brazil is expected to increase by USD 1.76 billion from 2020 to 2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 10.32%. The report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (e-commerce, food and groceries delivery, pharmaceuticals, and others) and service (B2C and B2B). Last Mile Delivery Market for E-commerce Sector in China: Our market analysts estimate that the market will grow steadily at a CAGR of close to 18% by 2022. Based on application, the houseware segment will dominate the shares of the e-commerce logistics market in China till the end of the forecast period. About Technavio Technavio is a reputable market research and advisory company that provides in-depth insights and analysis across various industries. Known for its comprehensive reports, Technavio offers valuable information on market trends, growth drivers, challenges, and opportunities. Their research aids businesses in making informed decisions, understanding market dynamics, and strategizing for future success. SOURCE Technavio NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of KeyCorp (NYSE: KEY) between February 27, 2020 and June 19, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important October 3, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Key securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Key class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18199 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 3, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Key downplayed concerns with its liquidity while overstating the effectiveness of its long-term liquidity strategy; (2) Key overstated its projected net interest income ("NII") for the second quarter ("Q2") and full year ("FY") of 2023, as well as related positive NII drivers, while downplaying negative NII drivers; (3) as a result, Key was likely to negatively revise its previously issued NII guidance; (4) all of the foregoing, once revealed, was likely to negatively impact Key's business, financial results, and reputation; and (5) as a result, defendants' public statements were materially false and/or misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the Key class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18199 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. In December of 2021, when more and more voices warned of the imminence of an attack on Ukraine, the members of Fulcro a small independent Russian theater company wondered (half-jokingly and half-seriously) about where to emigrate in the face of the war they saw looming. We already felt that there would be a big conflict, but we didnt know if it [would be] with the Baltic countries, with Moldova or with Ukraine, says Fulcros director, Dasha Shamina. Laughter turned into suitcases two months later, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine and the theater company felt that it was no longer tied to Saint Petersburg. Shamina opted for Israel, knowing that she and more than half of the members would automatically receive citizenship, as they each have at least one Jewish grandparent. The director, two producers and seven actors quickly made the move, followed by some of the non-Jewish members of the troupe. Since October, all of them now live in the country. Fulcro now has a second opportunity, thanks to hundreds of thousands of Russian-speaking Israelis. In the 1990s, more than a million citizens of the recently-collapsed USSR immigrated to Israel, bringing with them a taste for ballet, classical music and theater. From that wave the largest population absorption in the countrys history institutions such as the Gesher, the Russian-speaking theater in Jaffa, were born. Another theater in Tel Aviv Habima also has Russian roots, from prior to the creation of the Israeli state in 1948. Dasha Shamina, director of the Fulcro theater group, last month in Jaffa. Alejandro Ernesto Today, the members of Fulcro perform with subtitles in Hebrew, to reach a wider audience. Theyre preparing their first play in that language for September. On stage, they all receive the same applause but when the curtain falls, their realities are different. Those with Jewish ancestry already have an identity document, while the rest survive waiting for the light at the end of a bureaucratic maze to receive permanent residence and a work permit. Shamina the director defines the war in Ukraine as the straw that broke a camels back. In Russia, we were a very independent company that never worked with the state. Thats why we were aware that our time there was limited. When the dictatorship became more present, starting in 2020, we understood that we would have to leave the country at some point. Wed been thinking about emigrating for years. For identity, for politics... for many reasons. But, in the end, we never did it, because we had the [theater] company, she says, while sitting in a cafe in Jaffa. The actors from the Fulcro theater group perform a play titled 'The Third Cabaret Burning Bush.' Anton Sverdlov The decision to leave was guided by two reasons. One, she points out, was ethical: It was impossible to stay in the country that started an aggression against another. Before that, we didnt have much hope [for change], but at least there was some. When the war began, that also ended. The second reason was related to security. Shamina, 33, admits that her family has an influential friend in the FSB the Russian security service that is the heir to the KGB. She always felt this connection was a kind of armor that protected her theater group it allowed them to criticize the countrys atmosphere or put together iconclastic montages that would have caused problems for other colleagues. I dont know if this was true or not, but at least it was the feeling I had it made me feel protected. We talked openly about politics in nightclubs on the other hand, we were careful not to spread any of this on social media. Three actors from the Fulcro theater company. Alejandro Ernesto The outbreak of the war unleashed warmongering rhetoric and the persecution of dissent. The two houses of Russias State Duma approved punishing disinformation about Russias actions in Ukraine with up to 15 years in prison, penalizing anti-war protests and blocking its citizens access to various Western media outlets. Shamina felt that even her trump card was no longer a guarantee in the new context. It was no longer safe to stay in the country, she sums up. The company named after the fulcrum in a lever did a couple of performances to say goodbye to its audience and announced that it would refund the money for a pending show. It was the end of Fulcros first life. The group was born in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic without state subsidies, out of gatherings between students from the theater school in Saint Petersburg. In Fulcros second life, the acting troupe is presenting creations from both its Russian era and its new one. This summer, the group has combined its play titled The Chorus is Perishing about World War I with Die Blumen, a cabaret inspired by Bertolt Brecht, along with The Third Cabaret Burning Bush, a piece about Holocaust survivors, with songs in six languages (Russian, German, Yiddish, Polish, Ukrainian and Hebrew). This repertoire as Fulcros producer Sonya Gromova says has always addressed the dangers of war from the belief in the transformative potential of the performing arts. So, when Ukraine happened, we felt a little ridiculous continuing [to perform] in Russia, since it was clear that we hadnt managed to change anything, she admits. The costumes and notebooks were brought by the members in suitcases. The large sets, meanwhile, are stored in a country house. Gromova, 22, explains that theyre trying to find a way to transport them from Russia. February 24th One of the actresses Alya Goldman began to imagine the new journey on February 24, 2022, when the invasion of Ukraine began. The first thing [that my] husband and I did was to go on YouTube to watch Hebrew language [lessons], she recalls. In the weeks that followed, they sold clothes and all their books in order to pay for the trip. In Russia, some people from the artistic world demonstrated against the war. I chose to shut up and come to Israel. For me, the best way to say something is on stage. She was the second to land, in May of 2022, at the age of 24. We didnt know what would happen to us. We thought that we would just as well end up cleaning houses or spending the first night on the beach. This was not the case. As she is Jewish, she receives help from the authorities and the City Council of Acre, the northern town where he lives. She and her husband were hired to sing at events in hotels. Goldman is also very happy, because she has just worked as an extra for the first time in the Tel Aviv opera, in Il trovatore, by Giuseppe Verdi. Anton Varaksin a year younger than Goldman is the other side of the coin. As he isnt Jewish, he still doesnt have a residency card or a work permit. He arrived in October of 2022, one month after Putin ordered a partial mobilization of reservists to face the counter-offensive in Ukraine. More than because of the [draft], I came because there were already a lot of people here who are my [colleagues], he explains. I know I need this theater. Now, its more important to me than ever before. And this is where it is based now. Anton Varaksin, in a park in Yaffa. Alejandro Ernesto Varaksin is Ukrainian, from Donetsk. Hes known war since 2014, when he moved to Russia during the previous conflict with Ukraine. Today, he clarifies, his fear wasnt to stay in Russia because hes Ukrainian, but because hes an independent actor who has been following a creative path. I wanted, he summarizes, to continue talking about what seemed important to me. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Aug. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In anticipation of International Dog Day on August 26, The Brady Hunter Foundation is excited to announce its collaborative effort with Global Strays to bolster a crucial Spay & Neuter Program in Bogota, Colombia. This partnership signifies The Brady Hunter Foundation's dedication to animal welfare and its commitment to addressing the pressing issue of stray animal overpopulation. In a display of unwavering support, The Brady Hunter Foundation has made a generous donation to cover the expenses of conducting 1,250 spay and neuter procedures over a 12-month period within Global Strays' program. This donation aims to expedite the program's revival, ensuring a direct impact in reducing the stray animal population in Bogota. "Our spay and neuter program was on pause due to a lack of funding, until we crossed paths with The Brady Hunter Foundation. Due to this partnership, we are able to restart our clinics in the poorest regions of Bogota, Colombia where the need for dogs and cats is immeasurable. Our gratitude is best expressed in the happy faces of pet owners, and the wagging tails of dogs that will no longer be burdened by litters of puppies, the majority who end up on the streets as suffering strays," stated Liz Shafiroff, Founder and President of Global Strays. "On the brink of International Dog Day, we take immense pride in our collaboration with Global Strays and their Spay & Neuter Program. This initiative holds the potential to address the dire challenge of stray dog and cat overpopulation in a city where millions of strays roam," stated Josh Fox, founder of The Brady Hunter Foundation. "Through this partnership, we are translating our dedication into tangible actions, striving for a better future for both animals and communities in Bogota." Global Strays' mission to combat stray animal overpopulation aligns with The Brady Hunter Foundation's values, whose grant is being used to revitalize clinics in Bogota and provide co-branded collars to owned pets. This collaboration underscores the pivotal role both organizations play in fostering a more humane world. By addressing the root causes of stray animal overpopulation, The Brady Hunter Foundation and Global Strays are working together to create lasting change in the lives of animals and communities in Bogota. About The Brady Hunter Foundation The Brady Hunter Foundation is a leading 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operated by a group of philanthropists, humanitarians and animal lovers committed to ending animal cruelty, protecting wildlife, and making a positive impact in the lives of children. The Brady Hunter Charitable Fund was established in 2022, with The Brady Hunter Foundation formally launched shortly thereafter in early 2023. BHF is dedicated to creating sanctuaries all over the world to save animals from endangerment, abuse and neglect, while also recognizing the importance of uplifting children and providing them with opportunities for a better future. For more information about The Brady Hunter Foundation, please visit www.bradyhunter.org. About Global Strays Global Strays, an international animal welfare organization, reduces the suffering of dogs, cats, and horses, in some of the most neglected, forgotten, and impoverished regions around the world. Global Strays brings desperately needed veterinary care services directly into communities, including free spay and neutering for pet owners. Their educational program teaches youth how to compassionately care for animals. To create long term solutions, Global Strays tackles animal mistreatment and stray overpopulation at its root. To learn more, visit www.globalstrays.org. For Media: Andrew Jennings [email protected] SOURCE The Brady Hunter Foundation FAYETTEVILLE, Ark., Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Authorities are racing to determine the source of an E. coli outbreak in which nearly 100 University of Arkansas students and staff may have contracted E. coli. Four people have been hospitalized. At least one of those hospitalized has acute kidney failure. E. coli infections can cause a type of acute kidney failure called Hemolytic uremic syndrome or "HUS". HUS is a severe, life-threatening condition that results in an abnormal destruction of red blood cells and can lead to kidney failure. It occurs in about 10% of those who become infected with O157: H7 or any other Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The University of Arkansas and the Arkansas Department of Health are trying to identify the source of the University of Arkansas Ecoli outbreak, which they believe started more than a week ago. Students at the University of Arkansas moved into dorms just last week and returned to class Monday. "The scary thing about this outbreak is there's nothing you can do to tell whether the food that you are served is safe. You can't taste, smell, or see E. coli. Food that is contaminated with E. coli may look, smell, and taste just like any other food. This is why it's critical that restaurants and cafeterias who make and sell our food, ensure the food is safe before they sell it," said E. coli food poisoning lawyer Jory Lange. Record-Breaking Food Poisoning Lawyer Jory Lange is one of the nation's leading food poisoning lawyers. Jory recently won a $10 million settlement on behalf of a family who suffered life-long medical complications after getting food poisoning from a restaurant. The $10 million settlement is believed to be the largest settlement in US history on behalf of a person who developed Reactive Arthritis from food poisoning. How The Lange Law Firm Can Help Our mission is to help families who have been harmed by contaminated food products. When cafeterias or restaurants harm their customers in E. coli outbreaks, we use the law to hold them accountable. If you suspect that you have been infected with E. coli by food you ate and are interested in making a legal claim for compensation, we can help. Call us for a free no obligation legal consultation at (833) 330-3663 or send us an e-mail here. About the legal team: Jory Lange with MakeFoodSafe.com is one of the United States' leading E. coli Lawyers, successfully representing clients across the United States in food poisoning cases from E. coli, Shigella, and Salmonella food poisoning. Contacts The Lange Law Firm, PLLC Jory D. Lange Jr. www.MakeFoodSafe.com Candess Zona-Mendola 833.330.3663 [email protected] SOURCE The Lange Law Firm 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 Ramallah/Gaza, Aug 26 : Palestine has strongly condemned Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's "racist statements". The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Friday in a press statement that it condemned in the strongest terms "the racist statements and stances of Ben-Gvir". In an interview with Israel's N12 News on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir said the right to life and movement for him and his family trumped the right to movement for Palestinian Arabs in the occupied West Bank. "Such statements are considered as an incitement to perpetuate the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, deepen settlements, and impose more forms of injustice against the Palestinians," the Ministry statement added. "Ben-Gvir's remarks summarise the current situation and the daily life of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the unjust siege on our people in the Gaza Strip," it noted, adding "the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank have turned the life of the Palestinians into a continuous daily journey of torment". Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and various other Palestinian factions have condemned Ben-Gvir's remarks, Xinhua news agency reported. The Palestinian factions called on the international community to "translate its condemnations into practical measures to hold the occupation leaders and settlers accountable for their crimes". Niamey, Aug 26 : Niger's junta has ordered the French ambassador to Niger to leave the country within 48 hours, according to a press statement issued by Niger's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. The junta decided to revoke the accreditation of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, following several actions contrary to Niger's national interests, said the press statement on Friday. The actions included the French ambassador's refusal to respond to an invitation by Niger's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the press statement added as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday night that they will not accept the request of Niger's junta, saying "the military government does not have the authority to order France to withdraw its envoys," AFP reported. Niger's soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, hours after the President was allegedly held hostage. Beirut, Aug 26 : Two people accused of spying for Israel have been arrested in Lebanon, a Lebanese intelligence official announced. Elias Al-Baysari, Director General of General Security, said on Friday that the two suspects were assigned to carry out operations inside Lebanon and were arrested as they attempted to leave the country through the Rafic Hariri International Airport in capital Beirut, Elnashra news website reported. The two people have been referred to Lebanon's military judiciary, Elnashra quoted Al-Baysari as saying quoted by Xinhua news agency report. According to the official, Lebanese authorities have conducted investigations and will reveal more details later. Ramallah/Gaza, Aug 26 : A 20-year-old Palestinian has succumbed to wounds he sustained during an Israeli military offensive in the northern West Bank city of Jenin in early July, the Palestinian Health Ministry said in a statement. Izz Aldin Kan'aan died in the hospital due to a severe head injury he sustained from Israeli soldiers' gunfire, it added on Friday. On Friday, dozens of Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the West Bank and near the border area between Israel and the eastern Gaza Strip during protests, Palestinian sources said. In a statement, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said that at least 25 Palestinians suffered suffocation after inhaling teargas fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes in the village of Kafr Qaddum near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilya, Xinhua news agency reported. Murad Ishteiwi, coordinator of the popular resistance committee in the village, told Xinhua that Israeli soldiers stormed the village and used teargas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters who condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The PRCS statement also said that 13 Palestinians suffered suffocation after inhaling teargas fired by Israeli soldiers during clashes that broke out in the village of Beit Dajan near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. In Gaza, three Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers stationed at the border between the eastern Gaza Strip and Israel. There was no immediate Israeli comment on the clashes. For several years, the Palestinians have been organising weekly demonstrations in villages and towns in the West Bank to denounce Israeli settlement expansion and land confiscation. Since January, 33 people, most of them Israelis, have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, and more than 200 Palestinians, including children and women, were killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers, according to official figures. Damascus, Aug 26 : Seven members of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group were killed by the Syrian Army in the northern province of Aleppo, a war monitor reported. The Army hit two vehicles of the HTS in the western countryside of Aleppo, killing seven militants and injuring several others, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Friday. The UK-based watchdog group said the death toll will likely rise as some militants are critically wounded, Xinhua news agency reported. Tension has been brewing between the HTS, which is previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, and the Syrian Army with both sides exchanging fire in northern Syria. On Monday, Syrian forces intercepted and shot down three weaponised drones dispatched by the HTS in the northwestern provinces of Idlib and Hama, according to the state news agency SANA. Earlier on Monday, Russian airstrikes conducted in the Idlib region killed eight HTS militants, according to the Observatory. HTS, a former al-Qaida affiliate, has established control over a large swathe of Idlib. Bengaluru, Aug 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Bengaluru on Saturday to meet and congratulate the scientists of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO). After arriving at the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) airport, Modi while addressing thousands of people gathered to welcome him, said that not only in India, but every individual in the world who believes in science and the future is celebrating the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission with the same spirit. "It is good to see the environment in Bengaluru at the dawn to celebrate the success of the science and achievement of the country. I witnessed similar kinds of pictures in Greece and Johannesburg. Every corner of the world not only Indians, people who believe in science, future of the humanity are celebrating the event with the same spirit," the Prime Minister added. Pointing at the huge gathering of people, Modi said: "You came so early, I couldn't stop myself as I was away when Chandrayaan-3 mission turned successful. I had resolved, that when I come to India, I will first visit Bengaluru and congratulate the scientists." "This is not the time for the speech. I am eager to meet the scientists. I thank Bengaluru and its people for celebrating the success of the mission even at this moment. Children have also come for the celebration. This is the future of India," he added. Modi also thanked Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar for making the requisite arrangements. After raising the slogan of "Bharat Mata ki Jai", the Prime Minister also raised the slogans of "Jai Vigyaan' Jai Anusandhan". Thousands of people gathered on either side of the road to welcome Prime Minister Modi. All of them held Indian tricolour and cheered for the Prime Minister. Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water draws broad condemnation Xinhua) 09:13, August 26, 2023 People gather to protest the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) decision on releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the headquarters of the TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. Despite public concerns and raging opposition from both home and abroad, Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. (Xinhua/Yang Guang) TOKYO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. The Japanese government and certain organizations claim that the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied and the wastewater disposal will take decades to complete. FLIP-FLOPPING During a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan's National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (JF Zengyoren) on Monday lodged a serious protest to the government's decision and action to release Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. Masanobu Sakamoto, head of JF Zengyoren, said the group strongly opposes the ocean release project, which would ruin the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated powerful tsunami waves that caused the meltdowns of three of its nuclear reactors -- one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Japan's fisheries industry, hit with years of reputational damage from radiation fears, has long opposed the plan. People fear it would lead to a sharp drop in sales, including export restrictions to major markets. In 2015, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Japanese government swore in writing to organizations such as JF Zengyoren that they would not discharge the nuclear effluent into the ocean until they had the understanding of local fishermen and other stake-holders. However, six years later, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to discharge millions of tons of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in 2023 after "treatment and dilution," and the discharge process may last 30 to 40 years. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence, and transparency of related information, the irresponsible discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater will inevitably lead to serious consequences, said experts. BROAD CONDEMNATION "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We have made serious demarches to Japan and asked it to stop this wrongdoing," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. Noting that the disposal of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is a major issue about nuclear safety, the spokesperson said its impact goes beyond Japan's borders, and the issue is by no means a private matter for Japan. China also suspended imports of all seafood products from Japan on Thursday due to concerns over the risk of radiation contamination. Shortly after TEPCO began discharging the contaminated water into the sea, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a nationally televised address that the South Korean government will strictly maintain import restrictions on Japan's fishery products. Protesters broke into the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Thursday, after unfurling banners to protest Tokyo's release of wastewater. "The sea is not Japan's trash bin," read one of the banners. "Stop releasing contaminated water at once." The Japanese government's reckless move to release the radioactive wastewater also sparked waves of anger among local people, especially Japanese fishermen and business owners. Despite the scorching heat, hundreds of Japanese from across the country gathered in front of the TEPCO headquarters in central Tokyo on Thursday morning, demanding the Japanese government and TEPCO stop the release. Haruo Ono, a 71-year-old fisherman in Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, told Xinhua on Tuesday that "for us, the ocean discharge is a matter of survival." "Does Fumio Kishida, as the prime minister of Japan, have the right to pollute our workplaces?" the man asked. LONG-LASTING HARM Critics say a lack of long-term data means that it is impossible to justify the tritium left in the contaminated water after processing poses no threat to human health or the marine environment. Although about 200 tonnes of treated wastewater were released on the first day, noted experts Thursday, however starting Friday, the pour volume will increase to 7,800 tonnes over 17 days. More than 1.3 million tonnes of wastewater -- enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools -- currently contained in numerous water storage tanks at the TEPCO facility, are set to be poured into the ocean, which could take up to 40 years to complete. By dumping the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, Japan is spreading huge risks to the rest of the world, and openly passing long-term harm onto future generations of humanity. A recent public opinion poll showed that the disapproval rate of the Japanese government headed by Kishida has reached 50 percent for the first time since last December, with 88.1 percent of surveyed expressing concerns and objection over dumping radioactive wastewater into the sea. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun) [Photo 1] Researcher Cesar de la Fuente, in an image from the University of Pennsylvania. We will be dying from antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections in the next 10 to 20 years, says geneticist Edith Heard. The World Health Organization (WHO) has long warned of the threat posed by microorganisms impervious to existing drug treatments, which by the year 2050 will kill an estimated 10 million people every year surpassing the lethality of cancer. One of the people on the front lines of the battle against antibiotic resistance is Cesar de la Fuente, winner of the Princess of Girona Award for scientific research and a professor of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania. De la Fuente combines artificial intelligence and the expertise and experience of his research team, the Machine Biology Group, to discover and analyze thousands of molecules with antibacterial potential. The team looks for life-saving specimens in natural compounds, like wasp venom, or in the human bodys own protein map. And now, in the ancient DNA of our Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestors, resurrecting molecules lost by Homo sapiens over the course of our evolution. There are more bacterial cells in the body than human cells. Among the most relevant attributes of bacteria the most abundant organisms on the planet, responsible for everything from generating dental plaque to maintaining the fertility of the earth is their ability to develop resistance to antibiotics. This impressive feat, however, threatens the lives of millions of people. De la Fuentes team is searching for compounds to respond to this challenge. Analyzing the proteome the complete set of proteins in the body these researchers have discovered 2,603 peptides (molecules made up of amino acids) with biological functions unrelated to the immune system, yet possessing anti-infective traits. De la Fuente, 37 years old and from the Spanish port city of A Coruna, is included on the Forbes Top 50 Awarded Spaniards List and has been recognized as a distinguished researcher by the American Chemical Society and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His team, he explains, works with a process known as de-extinction, or the recovery of compounds from the past that no longer exist. We developed an algorithm to explore the human proteome as a source of antibiotics and have found many such sequences, which we call encrypted peptides, he says. This led us to posit that these sequences had been produced throughout evolution and played a role in the immune system to defend us from invading or infectious agents, such as bacteria. So we decided to investigate the proteome of our closest ancestors, which are the Neanderthals and Denisovans. Historical recreation of a group of Neanderthals living in a cave. Elisabeth Daynes (Science Photo Library) The base proteome was made public thanks to Svante Paabos research on ancestral DNA that won last years Nobel Prize for identifying the genetics of extinct humans. What we did, says De la Fuente, was develop an algorithm to explore these data these human proteomes to see if we could find antibiotics encoded in the proteins. De la Fuente says the concept was inspired by the movie Jurassic Park. The idea of the movie was to bring entire organisms dinosaurs back to life. But that poses a lot of ethical, ecological and technical problems. Today, we dont have enough genomic information to resurrect a dinosaur. Instead, we came up with the idea of molecular de-extinction: rather than resurrect a whole organism, were trying to revive molecules from the past to help us solve present-day problems, such as antibiotic resistance. The teams research, published in the journal Cell Host & Microbe and reviewed by Nature, uses genomic and proteomic information from mitochondrial DNA, with the help of an algorithm designed by the team and the use of artificial intelligence, to find molecules that could be used as potential antibiotics. The most fascinating moment was when we resurrected the molecules using a method known as solid-phase chemical synthesis, De la Fuente says. We use the code the computer provides us about amino acids with antibiotic capacity to make the machines synthesize the molecules chemically. The results were verified experimentally by exposing the resurrected molecules (four peptides from Homo sapiens, one from Homo neanderthalensis and one from Denisova hominins) in Petri dishes, and in mice affected by the bacterium Acinetobacter baumannii, a common cause of hospital infections. All six experiments showed positive effects, to varying degrees, some with an efficacy similar to that of current conventional antibiotics. The doses used were extremely high, but the idea is interesting, Nathanael Gray, a chemical biologist at Stanford University uninvolved in the research, told Nature. Gray doubts there will be any immediate development of drugs based on the discovery of extinct compounds. But De la Fuente says that the goal of the research is not only to find new antibiotics, but new ways of thinking about how to discover new molecules using information from extinct organisms. Molecular de-extinction, he says, can help us open up new spaces that we had not explored before and this means that, perhaps, we can use the biology of our ancestors to learn more about ourselves, and about the potential of some molecules. Euan Ashley, an expert in precision genomics and health at Stanford University, agrees, Diving into the archaic human genome is an interesting and potentially useful approach, he says. Eumenes micado specimen. De la Fuente and his fellow researchers have spent half a decade searching wherever they think they might find a new weapon in the fight for human health: in the past and the present, in humans and in other lifeforms. One potentially beneficial discovery has come from the biological material found in the venom of the wasp Eumenes micado, according to a study published in Cell Reports Physical Science. Venom is a largely unexplored source of potential medicine, or of molecules with interesting functionalities, says De la Fuente. Weve been looking at different poisons for a few years now to reprogram them and remove or eliminate the toxicity to take advantage of their antibiotic capacity. The key, he says, is in the combining of artificial intelligence tools, biotech robotics, and the experience and expertise of the Machine Biology Group. Five years ago, the average time to discover an antibiotic was three to six years. Now we can discover thousands in the matter of a few hours or days, he says. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Washington, Aug 26 : Indian-American presidential aspirant Vivek Ramaswamy has hinted at running on a joint ticket with Republican rival and former US President Donald Trump if he fails to secure the party's nomination for the 2024 race to the White House, a media report said. Ramaswamy, the political outsider, addressed his first Republican presidential primary debate on Wednesday where rivals -- former New Jersey Governor Chris Christies, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley -- gave him a tough fight The Telegraph reported. Post debate, a confident Ramaswamy told reporters that only two candidates would be left in the race, which would be him and Trump. When asked on GB News whether he would be "happy to be (Trump's) VP", Ramaswamy said: "See, this isn't about me. If this were about me, sure. That's a fine position for someone to have at my age. "This is about reviving our country and I can only reunite this country if I'm doing it from the White House as the leader and the face of our movement." Ramaswamy added that he had "fresh legs" and was "almost half (Trump's] age", but would ask him to serve as "my most valued adviser" in the White House. The 38-year-old entrepreneur did not rule out the possibility of teaming with Trump if the latter secured nomination for a third time, which stood in stark contrast to his earlier stance on being interested only in the presidency. According to the Telegraph report, rumours of a joint ticket between the two rivals for the 2024 race emerged after Trump campaign's praise for Ramaswamy in the Republican primary debate where he came up as a breakout star. Speaking of Ramaswamy's Milwaukee performance, Donald Trump Jr told reporters: "I thought he had a standout performance. I mean, I think that did what Ron DeSantis needed to do." After launching his campaign in February this year, Ramaswamy vowed to "promptly" pardon the indicted former President if elected to the White House in 2024. Heaping praises on the former President, Ramaswamy told The New York Post that Trump "sets a high bar". "He's a friend. I know him. I genuinely believe he cares about national unity," Ramaswamy had said. With a worth of more than $950 million, Ramaswamy raised more than $450,000, with an average donation of $38, in the first hour after the debate. In addition, he was the most Google-searched Republican candidate, followed by rival Nikki Haley, according to Fox News. --IANS mi/ksk New Delhi, Aug 26 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday condemned the incident of a class teacher making other children thrash a student on the basis of religious discrimination in Uttar Pradesh as a "disturbing result of the hate-filled politics of the BJP-RSS" . Such incidents tarnish the country's global image and are against the constitution, he added. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Kharge said, "The manner in which a teacher made a child thrashed by other children on the basis of religious discrimination in a school in UP is a disturbing result of the hate-filled politics of the BJP-RSS. Such incidents tarnish our global image. This is against the constitution." He said, "The poison of the divisive thinking of the ruling party has spread so much in the society that on the one hand an education teacher, Tripta Tyagi, is teaching the lesson of religious hatred since childhood and on the other hand, the RPF jawan, Chetan Kumar, who gives security, is killing innocent people in the name of religion. Gets bent on taking life." "Any kind of religious fanaticism and violence is against the country. To spare the guilty is a crime against the country. It is less to be condemned. In this case, immediate strict action should be taken and punishment should be given, so that someone else thinks a hundred times before mixing such poison," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said. His remarks followed a viral video showing a school teacher in Muzaffarnagar asking Hindu students to slap a minority child inside a classroom. The police have started an investigation into the matter after taking suo motu cognizance of the video. Later, the child's father told media persons that they have reached a compromise in the matter and don't want to pursue any case. "We have decided not to take up the case. The school has returned our fees. Our child will not go to school we have decided," he told the media. Muzaffarnagar police also claimed the video was from a school of village Khubbapur in Muzaffarnagar. Guwahati, Aug 26 : A day after the Gauhati High Court acquitted all accused in the 2004 Dhemaji bomb blast case which claimed 18 lives, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked the Assam DGP G. P. Singh to study the verdict. "I have asked the DGP to study the Gauhati High Court's ruling, and the state will take decision to appeal against the order only after thorough study of the verdict," Sarma told media persons on Friday evening. "Let's understand the judges' reasoning for coming to this verdict. It wasn't until yesterday that a copy of the ruling became accessible," he said. The Gauhati High Court on Thursday overturned the 2019 verdict of the Dhemaji District and Sessions Court by acquitting all six accused in the 2004 Dhemaji bomb blast of all charges. Six persons were found guilty by the lower court in July 2019 and four received life sentences, while two got four years of rigorous imprisonment. The High court reversed the 2019 verdict of the lower court after observing that sufficient evidence against the accused had not been produced. On August 15, 2004, a bomb exploded in Dhemaji town during the Independence Day celebrations, killing 18 people, including 14 schoolchildren, and critically injuring at least 40 others. According to a top Assam police official, the explosion at Dhemaji College Playground at 8.55 a.m. and claimed the lives of children who were participating in celebrations for Independence Day. Later, the banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) claimed responsibility for the attack, and within a short period of time, police arrested at least 14 people. Police filed cases against them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), section 120 B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with criminal conspiracy, section 302 of the IPC, and other sections. --IANS tdr/svn San Francisco, Aug 26 : Several top new publications like The New York Times, CNN and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) have blocked Microsoft-backed OpenAI to access their content to train its AI models. The NYT blocked OpenAI's web crawler, meaning that the Sam Altman-run company can't use content from the publication to train its AI models, reports The verge. OpenAI's web crawler called GPTBot may scan web pages to help improve its AI models. "Allowing GPTBot to access your site can help AI models become more accurate and improve their general capabilities and safety," according to OpenAI. The NYT updated its terms of service at the beginning of this month to prohibit the use of its content to train AI models. CNN confirmed to Guardian Australia that it blocked GPTBot across its digital assets. Some other news publications like the Chicago Tribune and Australian Community Media (ACM) brands have also reportedly blocked OpenAI's web crawler. The NYT is also exploring legal options whether to sue Microsoft-backed OpenAI and protect the intellectual property rights associated with its reporting. The publication and OpenAI are in tense negotiations over reaching a licensing deal in which OpenAI would pay NYT for incorporating its stories in its artificial intelligence (AI) tools, NPR reported. However, the discussions "have become so contentious that the paper is now considering legal action". A lawsuit against OpenAI would set up the most high-profile legal battle yet over copyright protection in the generative AI era. Pakistan Taliban stay firm on demand for separate tribal area at Kabul meeting held to broker peace.(PHOTO:IN). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, August 26 : When Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, there were concerns that some of Afghanistan's tiny non-Muslim minorities could vanish. Two years on, those fears are becoming realised a media report said. While Afghanistan's last-known Jew fled the country shortly after the Taliban takeover, the Sikh and Hindu communities are believed to have shrunk to just a handful of families, RFE/RL reported. Under the Taliban, Sikhs and Hindus have faced severe restrictions, including on their appearances, and have been banned from marking their religious holidays in public, leaving many with no choice but to escape their homeland, RFE/RL reported. "I cannot go anywhere freely," Fari Kaur, one of the last remaining Sikhs in the capital, Kabul said. "When I go out, I'm forced to dress like a Muslim so that I can't be identified as a Sikh," she said, in reference to the Taliban's order that all women must wear the all-encompassing burqa or niqab. Kaur's father was killed in a suicide attack targeting Sikhs and Hindus in the eastern city of Jalalabad in 2018. The attack reportedly led as many as 1,500 Sikhs to leave the country, including Kaur's mother and sisters. But Kaur refused to leave and stayed in Kabul to fulfil her father's dream that she finish school, the RFE/RL report said. In March 2020, 25 worshipers were killed when Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militantsstormed a Sikh templein Kabul. Following the attack, most of the remaining members of the minority left Afghanistan. Again, Kaur refused to leave. But now, more than two years after the Taliban seized power, she said the lack of religious freedom under the militants has left her no choice but to seek refuge abroad. "We have not celebrated our key festivals since the Taliban returned to power," she said. "We have very few community members left behind in Afghanistan. We cannot even look after our temples." There were up to 100,000 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan in the 1980s. But the war that broke out in 1979 and the onset of growing persecution pushed many out. During the civil war of the 1990s, the Taliban and rival Islamist groups pledged to protect minorities. But many Sikhs and Hindus lost their homes and businesses and fled to India, the report said. When the Taliban regained power in August 2021, it attempted to assuage the fears of non-Muslim Afghans. The militants visited Sikh and Hindu temples to try and assure the remaining members of the communities of their commitment to their safety and well-being. But the Taliban's draconian restrictions on Sikhs and Hindus have forced many to seek a way out of their homeland, RFE/RL reported. Niala Mohammad, the director of policy and strategy at the nonprofit Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington, said the situation for religious minorities in Afghanistan -- including Hindus, Sikhs, Bahai's, Christians, Ahmadis, and Shia Muslims -- has deteriorated sharply under Taliban rule. "The situation continues to deteriorate as political extremist factions that claim to represent Islam, such as the Taliban, ascend to power in the region," said Mohammad, who was previously the South Asia analyst for the US Commission on International Religious Freedom. "This exodus of diverse religious groups has left a void in the country's social fabric." Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 26 : Celebrations galore in Kerala. Thanks to Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor who shared with the world that the key scientists who formed a part of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission team have graduated from two engineering colleges of the state. While the ISRO chairman S. Somanath is a product of TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, his other colleagues graduated from the College of Engineering, ( CET) Thiruvananthapuram, Tharoor posted on X, formerly Twitter. Incidentally Somnathas alma mater is the first Government-aided engineering college whose foundation stone was laid in the year 1956 by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India. The college was formally inaugurated by Prof. Humayun Kabir, the then Minister for Scientific and Cultural Affairs, on July 3, 1958. While CET -- the first engineering college in the state -- has churned out an array of engineers and continues to do the same, it has always been the first choice of any prospective engineering student. And thatas what made Tharoor write that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath is also a product of a Kerala engineering college. "Worth applauding: @ISRO chief Dr Somanath is a product of the TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala and many of his colleagues graduated from the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET). At least seven more engineers from CET were involved in the #Chandrayaan-3 Success: Mohana Kumar (mission director / mechanical), Athula (electronics), Satheesh (mechanical), Narayanan (associate mission director / mechanical), Mohan (mechanical) and Shora (electronics)," said Tharoor. Tharoor also said Chandrayaan-3 success is a good occasion to "salute the alumni of unsung engineering colleges". "Indians are rightly obsessed with the IITs, but let's salute the alumni of unsung engineering colleges who serve the public sector with dedication & who are the backbone of national enterprises like @ISRO. IITians went to Silicon Valley; CETians took us to the moon!" Tharoor added in his post. New Delhi, Aug 26 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has expressed grief over the fire incident in a train at Madurai railway station which claimed eight lives in the wee hours of Saturday. "I'm deeply saddened to hear about the train accident with a fire. My condolences go out to the families of the deceased. I pray that all the injured recover swiftly and reunite with their families," Kejriwal posted on X. The Madurai District Collector has stated that the fire which originated in a stationary tourist train has tragically resulted in eight fatalities. Furthermore, twenty individuals who sustained injuries have been admitted to Madurai's Government Rajaji Hospital. Rescue operation is in progress at the accident site. Chandigarh, Aug 26 : A day after Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit warned that he would recommend President's rule for not responding to his queries, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said he has already replied to nine of the 16 questions. Mann clarified that the state had taken enough action on the drugs and law and order, the issues raised by the Governor. "On Friday, the Governor threatened the peace-loving people of Punjab that he would impose President's rule. The governor has raised questions on law and order. Ever since our government came, a lot of work has been done," the Chief Minister told the media here. "In August alone, 41 kg of heroin was seized. Till now 753 gangsters have been arrested, 786 weapons and vehicles have been seized. Law and order is under complete control. "I am replying not as a Chief Minister but as a common man on behalf of 3.5 crore Punjabis," Mann said. "We fought for our freedom. We defended the borders of our country and fed the country with the Green Revolution. We stand with our country on all issues of national interest. However, I want to say that we know how to fight back when suppressed, and history has shown it," he added. The Governor on Friday issued a stern warning to the Chief Minister, hinting at invoking Article 356 and legal action if unanswered letters persist. In his latest letter to the Chief Minister, the second this month, Purohit also hit out at Mann for the "breakdown of law and order situation in Punjab" and asked him to send a report concerning action taken by him in the matter of rampant illicit drug trade immediately. In his letter, Purohit said he had received reports from various agencies regarding rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab. "It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops, a new trend is observed that they are being sold in the government-controlled liquor vends. Recent action by the Narcotics Control Bureau and Chandigarh Police has led to sealing of 66 liquor vends in Ludhiana selling drugs," he said. He pointed to a recent report of the parliamentary standing committee that one in five persons was exposed or addicted to drugs in Punjab. Kolkata, Aug 26 : Kolkata Police on Saturday said that its Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a man attempting a honey-trapping drive to extract confidential security information and passing them to a Pakistani secret service agency. "Acting on credible information from a sister agency, the STF arrested the person late Friday for his direct involvement in activities prejudicial to the safety of the country," said a top official of the city police. The arrested individual has been identified as Bhakt Banshi Jha (36), a resident of Darbhanga district of Bihar. He was summoned for questioning at the STF office at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lal Bazar, Kolkata, on Friday evening. After a long questioning session, Jha was arrested. "Secret information like photographs, videographs and online chat could be found from his mobile phone during enquiry, which was shared to a suspected intelligence operative of Pakistan by the accused person," the city police official said. Jha will be presented to a lower court in Kolkata on Saturday and the public prosecutor will seek his police custody. "He has been booked under relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and the Indian Penal Code. The intelligence operative of Pakistan, with whom Jha used to frequently chat through different social media platforms, has been identified as Aarushi Sharma. Before coming to Kolkata, Jha had been residing in Delhi for quite some time, where he is believed to have taken photographs of vital defence installations and cantonments. London, Aug 26 : The landmark India Club in London, founded in 1951 as a way of furthering Indo-British relations, following Independence, will shut down next month after losing a protracted battle against its closure. Situated directly opposite the Indian High Commission and the BBC's studios at Bush House, the club will shut its doors on September 17 after it was served a notice by the landlords to make way for putting up a luxury hotel, The Telegraph newspaper reported. The restaurant, with independent India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as its founding member, attracted a cosmopolitan clientele of employees from India House, journalists, lawyers from the nearby Royal Courts of Justice and lecturers and students from King's College. Founded by Krishna Menon, India's first High Commissioner, the place has been a hotspot for the Asian community in London, and has served Indian taste buds with popular dishes like butter chicken and masala dosa. According to the Telegraph report, the lease was held by Yadgar Marker and his daughter Phiroza for the past 26 years, who described the eviction of the club as "heartbreaking". In 2018, an application by the premises freeholder Marston Properties to turn the place into "modern tourist accommodation" was rejected by Westminster Council, following a "Save India Club" petition signed by 26,000 people. However, it was only a temporary reprieve. Sharing a photograph with his sister at the club, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, whose father Chandran Tharoor was one of the founding members of the club, wrote on X: "I am sorry to hear that the India Club, London, is to close permanently in September. 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." "It is very sad news indeed. India Club was a part of British Indian history hidden away on The Strand. Everyone's a loser when such places close. London has changed so much demographically, sad when you see legacy fade with the advance of a new rationale," the HinduCouncilUK, an advocacy group, said in a tweet. --IANS mi/ksk Protesters rally for the International Transgender Day of Visibility in Tucson, Arizona, on March 31, 2023. Courts nationwide are delivering a mixed verdict on the future of state laws restricting gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth, as legal battles ramp up over the historic wave of bans enacted this year. Alabama was allowed to enforce its ban on providing care to young people, a day after Georgias ban was partially blocked. New rulings may be imminent on bans in at least three more states in the coming week. Heres a look at recent developments in the cases and where laws on transgender health care stand: The latest rulings The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Monday that Alabama can enforce its ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, vacating a lower court ruling against the 2022 law. The earlier ruling is still keeping Alabamas ban on hold until the appeals decision formally takes effect, which could take several days. This was the second federal appeals panel to allow a state ban to move forward, after a three-judge panel said last month that Tennessee and Kentucky can enforce their bans for now. In Georgia, a federal judge on Sunday blocked a ban on doctors starting hormone therapy for transgender people under the age of 18. Since Georgia is part of the circuit that allowed Alabamas ban to be enforced, the state has asked the judge to reinstate the prohibition. Where bans stand nationally At least 22 states have enacted laws banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, and most of the bans are being challenged in court. The most recent state to enact a ban was North Carolina, where Republican lawmakers overrode Democratic Gov. Roy Coopers veto of a measure banning medical professionals from providing hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs and surgical gender-transition procedures to anyone under 18, with limited exceptions. North Carolinas law took effect immediately. But minors who had begun treatment before Aug. 1 may continue receiving that care if their doctors deem it medically necessary and their parents consent. Opponents of the law have vowed to file a lawsuit challenging it. A federal judge in June struck down Arkansas ' first-in-the-nation ban, and the state has appealed that decision. The judge in that case ruled the prohibition violated the constitutional rights of transgender youth and families, as well as medical providers. He also rejected proponents claims that the treatments were experimental. A federal judge has blocked Indianas ban, and Oklahoma has agreed to not enforce its ban while opponents seek a temporary court order blocking it. A Nebraska judge rejected an effort to block that states ban before it takes effect Oct. 1. The same federal appeals court panel that allowed Tennessees ban to take effect also ruled that Kentuckys ban could be enforced. People opposed to such treatments for children argue they are too young to make such decisions about their futures. Every major medical organization, including the American Medical Association, has opposed the bans on gender-affirming care for minors and supported the medical care for youth when administered appropriately. The American Academy of Pediatrics earlier this month reaffirmed its support for the treatments, and voted to conduct an external review of research regarding the care. What cases are next? A ruling is expected as soon as Friday from a state judge on whether to temporarily block Missouris ban on gender-affirming care for minors before it takes effect Monday. The law would stop Missouri health care providers from providing puberty blockers, hormones and gender-affirming surgeries to minors. Minors prescribed puberty blockers or hormones before Aug. 28 would be able to continue to receive those treatments. The law would also make it easier for patients to sue providers of such care. A Texas judge is considering whether to block that states ban on gender-affirming care for minors before it takes effect on Sept. 1. If Texas is allowed to enforce the ban, it would become the most populous state to restrict the care for minors. The cases go beyond restrictions on transgender youth. A federal judge in Florida is expected to hold a hearing Tuesday on whether to block a law that has made it difficult, and impossible in some cases, for many transgender adults in that state to get gender-affirming care. The same judge has already narrowly blocked the portion of the law banning care for transgender youth, prohibiting the state from banning the care for the three children who are challenging it. Opponents are also seeking to expand that ruling to other youth who may be affected by the ban. In Montana, a state judge is expected to hear arguments in a Sept. 18 hearing on whether to block that states ban before it takes effect Oct. 1. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New Delhi, August 26 : In order to enhance taxpayer experience and keep pace with new technology, the Income Tax Department has revamped its national website (www.incometaxindia.gov.in) with a user-friendly interface, value-added features and new modules. The newly revamped website was launched by Nitin Gupta, chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Nitin Gupta, at the aChintan Shivira, organised by Directorate of Income Tax (Systems) at Udaipur recently. This website serves as a comprehensive repository of tax and other related information. It provides access to direct tax laws, several other allied Acts, rules, income tax circulars and notifications, all cross-referenced and hyperlinked. The site also offers a 'Taxpayer Services Module' featuring various tax tools to assist taxpayers in filing their income tax returns. It also has a aMega Menua for content, with new features, and functionalities. For the convenience of the visitors to the website, all these new additions are explained through a guided virtual tour and new button indicators. The new functionalities, allow users to compare different Acts, sections, rules, and tax treaties. All relevant content on the site is now tagged with Income Tax sections for easy navigation. Further, dynamic due date alerts functionality provides reverse countdowns, tooltips, and links to relevant portals to help taxpayers to comply easily. The revamped website is another initiative in providing enhanced taxpayer services and will continue to educate taxpayers and facilitate tax compliance. --IANS ans/ksk Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 26 : Hitting back at Pinarayi Vijayan over his repeated "BJP-Congress secret pact" remark, AICC general secretary (Organization) K.C. Venugopal on Saturday said had the Kerala Chief Minister campaigned against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he would not have been the CM. Recently, while addressing an election rally at Puthuppally, Vijayan once again accused the Congress of having a tacit understanding with the BJP. "Time and again, numerous CPI(M) leaders repeat the same, be it at public meetings or in TV debates. Vijayan's repeated statement on this is a joke. One fails to understand the logic behind this when it's crystal clear that all over India, it's the Congress which is staunchly opposing the BJP. Wish to know where is the CPI(M) opposing the BJP as the party exists only in Kerala," said Venugopal. The Congress has been alleging that the real secret pact is between Modi and Vijayan and the shining example of it is the deferment of Lavalin case hearing (the CBI has approached the apex court to include Vijayan as an accused after he was acquitted by a CBI court and later upheld by the Kerala High Court ) for the 34th time last month in the Supreme Court. New Delhi, Aug 26 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday met visiting European Commission Executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis and UK Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch during separate meetings here. During the meeting Dombrovskis, the two leaders discussed bilateral economic and financial issues of mutual interests. In their interactions, Sitharaman and Dombrovskis exchanged views on ongoing consultations for India-EU investment protection agreement and India-EU free trade agreement. With Badenoch, Sitharaman discussed bilateral investment and trade issues of mutual interests. They also briefly exchanged views and also reaffirmed the commitment by both sides for taking the ongoing negotiations on India-UK free trade agreement (FTA) to an early conclusion. While speaking at the B20 Summit on Friday, Sitharaman had said that the India-UK FTA is likely to be announced soon. India and the UK have been negotiating on the FTA since 2022. Earlier this week, Badenoch had said that the negotiations are now in the final stages. --IANS ans/ksk New Delhi, Aug 26 : On August 22, the Supreme Court agreed to constitute a bench to hear the age-old inter-state dispute over sharing the water of the river Cauvery after Tamil Nadu approached it to direct Karnataka to release 24,000 cusecs from the river every day for its crops. The genesis of this dispute between the two southern states may be traced back to decades before Independence, as far back as the two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the then Madras Presidency and the Kingdom of Mysore. In contemporary times, Karnataka demands its share of the water based on the riveras inflow, invalidating the pre-Independence agreements on the grounds that it is significantly in favour of Madras Presidency, which is most of Tamil Nadu today. Hence, Karnataka demands a settlement based on equitable sharing of water. Tamil Nadu is adamant on its stand that since it has developed close to 12,000 sq km and depends on this pattern of usage to the extent that any alteration in the pattern will adversely affect thousands of farmers in the state. The archaic agreement had in view the areas that came under Kingdom of Mysuru and the sprawling Madras Presidency. However, the regions not considered for the purpose of sharing the waters of river Cauvery were South Canara, which fell in Madras Presidency, and Coorg province, which now is a part of Karnataka. As a matter of fact, river Cauvery originates in Coorg, but the erstwhile province was excluded from the agreement, thus questioning the validity of the agreement. Negotiations over the dispute were of no lasting effect for decades together. Post Independence, an impactful decision came when the Union government stepped in and constituted a tribunal to look into the matter on June 2, 1990. Over the next 16 years, the tribunal heard all sides involved and gave its verdict on February 5, 2007. However, the dispute was not resolved with this verdict. All the four states went on to file review petitions seeking to renegotiate the order. Cauvery originates in Karnataka and passes through Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry before draining into the Bay of Bengal. The total watershed area of this river basin is 81,155 sq km which combines the catchment area of about 34,273 sq km in Karnataka, 2,866 sq km in Kerala and nearly 44,016 sq km in Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. The Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) adjudicated the water dispute between the three states and the Union Territory. On June 25, 1991, CWDT passed an interim order directing Karnataka to release 192 TMC of water from its reservoir to Tamil Nadu in a normal year from June to May. The order clarified that water must be released in four equal installments over four weeks with reference to a particular month. In case this does not happen, the deficit quantity of water must be released in the subsequent week. It was also ordered that 6 TMC of water was to be given by Tamil Nadu in a regulated manner to the Karaikal region of Pondicherry. On May 14, 1992, the Government of Tamil Nadu moved the Supreme Court seeking to give effect to the decisions of CWDT. On April 9, 1997, the Supreme Court directed the Central government to prepare a plan. In 1998, the Central government notified a Cauvery Water (Implementation of Interim Orders of 1991 and all subsequent Tribunal Orders) Scheme. This scheme is inclusive of Cauvery Water Authority and Monitoring Committee. The Cauvery River Authority is headed by the Prime Minister and the Chief Ministers of the basin states are the members. The Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources officiates as the Secretary of this body. As matters stand, the Karnataka Chief Minister convened an all-party meeting to discuss the inter-state river disputes like Cauvery and Mhadei. The dispute over sharing waters of river Mhadei is a similar one between the governments of Karnataka and Goa. Although the Central government issued a gazette notification in 2020 permitting Karnataka to draw 13.42 tmcft of water from the Mahadayi river out of which 8 tmcft is for power generation, the situation remains largely in limbo and this dispute too continues. (Kavya Dubey may be reached at kavya.d@ians.in) Bengaluru, Aug 26 : The Cauvery river water dispute has been a flashpoint between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu from the days of British rule in the country. The regions of south Karnataka came under the Madras Presidency. Experts opine that due to its proximity to power, Tamil Nadu always benefitted but the interests of Karnataka were sidelined. The dispute resulted in the 1991 anti-Tamil violence in Karnataka in which the state capital Bengaluru and Mysuru were the worst-hit. The violence broke out during demonstrations following the order of the Cauvery Water Tribunal to release water to Tamil Nadu. As a result, Tamilians were forced to flee from Bengaluru and other cities. As per the official statistics, 16 persons were killed in the police firing. After the disaster, there have been many incidents of farmers committing suicide in protest against the release of water to Tamil Nadu. Authorities have reined in the situation and controlled the law and order situation in the state, especially in Bengaluru following the orders to release water to Tamil Nadu. Sources explain that the situation cannot be predicted when it comes to the Cauvery issue. Since Bengaluru is known as a global IT hub, the challenge is paramount to ensure the peace is not disturbed. As per the records, the dispute between the two states started in 1890 when Tamil Nadu objected to the building of lakes and removing of silt from the lakes in Karnataka. Tamil Nadu enjoyed all the water from ther Cauvery in the absence of dams. The Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal ordered the release of 205 TMC of water in its interim order in 1990 resulting in the bloodshed. The final verdict came in 2007 which directed Karnataka to release 192 TMC of water. After Karnataka appealed before the Supreme Court, the amount was reduced to 177.25 TMC in February 2018. Experts opine that since Karnataka's claims were judicious, the amount of water to be released was reduced every time. Captain S. Rajaram, retired Secretary of Minor Irrigation and Environment Department and expert in water resource and environment, told IANS that the role of the judiciary and the delay in connection with orders were questionable regarding the Cauvery dispute. "On June 2, 1990, the Cauvery tribunal was formed. The tribunal took 17 years to give the verdict. The order was given on February 5, 2007. Challenging the order, the matter was taken to the Supreme Court in May 2007. The final order came on February 16, 2018, after 11 years. Why is the issue that pertains to crores of farmers taking so long? Is this issue not important? Is the issue of farmers so negligible? If petitions related to elections, raids on cinema actors, or politicians are attended immediate attention. The farmers are not seen by the courts," Captain Raja Ram explains. The national policy of the country makes drinking water the top priority. The government of India enacted the Inter-State Water Disputes Act in 1956 for river water distribution. Before that the disputes were handled as civil suits. Then Chief Justice of India Ranganath Mishra in his judgment in 1990 while forming a tribunal underlines that the issue is regarding farmers' grievances. Thousands of farmers in four states (including union territory Pondicherry) are suffering and a solution needs to be found. "Despite the direction the tribunal took 17 years. The political parties want to keep this issue alive," Captain Raja Ram says. As per the statistics, 740 TMC is the available water from the Cauvery in a normal year in all three states and a union territory. Karnataka has been allowed to use 284.75 TMC, Tamil Nadu is given 404.25 TMC, Kerala 30 TMC, Pondicherry 7 TMC of water. In addition, 10 TMC of water is allotted for environmental protection which has to flow in the river throughout. Four TMC of water is considered as an escape to sea during heavy rainfall and cyclones. Karnataka as the capacity to store 119 TMC of water in four reservoirs -- KRS, Kabini, Harangi and Hemavathy. Tamil Nadu in its two dams, namely Mettur and Lower Bhavani, can store 129 TMC of water. The reservoirs are not sufficient to store the available water and the Mekedatu project in which a balance reservoir will be built with a storage capacity of 67.14 TMC of water can be the possible solution as during dry season, the water could be easily provided to Tamil Nadu. However, Tamil Nadu is opposing the project. The experts also state that water distribution is not purely a legal matter. It's a techno-legal matter in nature and legal luminaries will have to consult hydrological experts to resolve the dispute. The dispute has come to the fore yet again due to the shortage of rainfall in the state. Karnataka is arguing that it requires water for drinking water purposes as dams are dry and Tamil Nadu is pressing for the release. The ball is now with the Supreme Court. New Delhi: A view of the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 26 : Even as the legal battle between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu hots up, the fundamental principle that water of an inter-state river is a national asset and no single state can claim exclusive ownership over it has been conspicuously recognised by the Supreme Court. Though water distribution has remained an epicentre of the dispute between the two neighbouring states, the present inning commenced after Tamil Nadu approached the apex court seeking directions to Karnataka for release of 24,000 cusecs for the remaining month commencing from August 14 to meet its "pressing demands of the standing crops." The application sought implementation of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) decision of 2007 (later modified by the Supreme Court in 2018) in its true letter and spirit. Tamil Nadu also sought directions from the Supreme Court that Karnataka release water giving full effect to the stipulations made by the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA). The plea was mentioned before a bench headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud seeking urgent listing and hearing of the matter. Acceding to the request, the Supreme Court notified that it will hear the application on August 25. In the meantime, the Karnataka government filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that Tamil Nadu's application is "wholly misconceived" as it is based on an erroneous assumption that this water year is a normal one, and not a distressed water year. It said that Karnataka is not obliged to ensure water prescribed for a normal year, because a distress condition has arisen in the Cauvery basin due to the failure of southwest monsoon. The counter-reply filed by the state's Water Resources Department said that Tamil Nadu's demand for release of 24,000 cusecs from the reservoirs in Karnataka is based on an assumption that this water year is a normal water year. "Tamil Nadu says it has started sowing Samba rice crop from July 15 onwards. If so, it is still at the transplantation stage," it contended. Further, its reply document said that Karnataka's reasonable needs are at serious risk because the entire current storage plus likely inflow is not sufficient for the crops in Karnataka and for meeting the drinking water requirements of towns and villages, including Bengaluru. When the matter was called for hearing on August 25, at the very outset, a bench comprising Justices B. R. Gavai, P. S. Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra asked: "Why don't you approach the CWMA? We do not have any expertise." On Tamil Nadu's claim of non-implementation of CWMA directions, the Supreme Court ordered the water management authority to submit a report before the court by September 1. "We do not possess any expertise in the matter... It will be appropriate that CWMA submit its report as to whether the directions issued for discharge of water have been complied or not," it ordered. Also, the top court declined to pass any interim direction relating to release of Cauvery water from Karnataka dams. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing Karnataka, submitted before the top court that it has already released water pursuant to the directions passed by the CWMA and it takes three days time for water to travel to Tamil Nadu. He also apprised the top court that Karnataka has filed a plea before CWMA to review its earlier directions. On the contrary, senior advocate Mukul Rohtagi, appearing for the Tamil Nadu government, said that Karnataka should immediately release water as there exists a huge water deficit in Tamil Nadu. The matter might gain momentum after the top court has sought a report from CWMA and asked it to decide claims made by the two states, which is due to meet on August 26 to decide distribution of water for next fortnight between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The Supreme Court has posted the matter for hearing on September 1. As a matter of fact, Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) on August 10 directed the State of Karnataka to release from its reservoirs 15,000 cusecs from August 11 for the next 15 days. Later, this quantity of water was reduced to 10,000 cusecs by the CWMA in its 22nd meeting held on August 11. The decision irked both governments. Karnataka said that it will request reconsideration of the order directing it to release water from Cauvery river to Tamil Nadu for 15 days. Farmers in Tamil Nadu resorted to staging protests on the streets. Tamil Nadu said that around 4 million farmers and 10 million labourers will be affected as they depend on Mettur water for their livelihood, adding that agricultural operations, including amba cultivation, in the Cauvery delta are suffering for want of adequate water. The CWMA and CWRC were established under the Cauvery Water Management Scheme, 2018, framed by the Central Government Under the Inter State River Water Disputes Act, 1956. These panels were formed for implementation of the final order passed by the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in 2007 as modified by the Supreme Court in 2018. Karnataka offers a solution to the water scarcity saying that had the Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir-cum-Drinking Water project been constructed, the surplus water could have been used during the months of June and July to mitigate the distress in Tamil Nadu. It has been aggressively mooting the construction of a dam at Mekedatu across the Cauvery river which has led to concerns in Tamil Nadu. But, the DMK government in Tamil Nadu has openly stated that it would not allow the Karnataka government to construct a dam across Mekedatu flouting the Cauvery water agreement and had already taken the matter to the Supreme Court. Shreya Dhanwanthary on chemistry with Dulquer: 'It adds an extra layer of depth to our characters'. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Aug 26 : Actress Shreya Dhanwanthary has spoken about her on-screen chemistry with actor Dulquer Salmaan in the latest release 'Guns & Gulaabs'. Shreyaas portrayal of Yamini alongside Dulquer stands as a shining example of extraordinary chemistry. Talking about the same, she said: "Reuniting with Dulquer has been an absolute delight. Our on-screen chemistry is something that unfolded naturally, and I believe it adds an extra layer of depth to our characters." "We bounce off each other's energy effortlessly, which translates beautifully on screen. I would like to extend my gratitude to the fans for the outpouring of appreciation and love." 'Guns & Gulaabs' is a comedy crime thriller created and directed by Raj and DK. Set against the backdrop of the gritty 90s underworld, it features Rajkummar Rao, Dulquer Salmaan, Adarsh Gourav, Vipin Sharma and TJ Bhanu in lead roles. It 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. The genre-blending series intertwines romance, comedy, action, pulp, thrill, and twists, with young adult themes. Created by the ingenious duo Raj & DK, 'Guns & Gulaabs' bears their original comedy signature throughout. Against the backdrop of comedic power struggles and revenge plots, the series blends genres as it follows a lovestruck mechanic, a reluctant heir to a ruling gang and an honest officer-turned-agent-of-chaos. 'Guns & Gulaabs' is streaming onNetflix. New Delhi: A view of the Supreme Court in New Delhi on Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. (Photo: Wasim Sarvar/IANS). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 26 : In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court set aside the order passed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to provide Hindi translation of charge sheet filed in VYAPAM scam. A bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka AND Rajesh Bindal allowed the special leave petition filed by CBI saying that when an advocate, representing an accused, fully understands the language of the charge sheet, there will not be any requirement of furnishing translations to the accused as the advocate can explain the contents of the charge sheet to the accused. The Supreme Court said that if both the accused and his advocate are not conversant with the language in which the charge sheet has been filed, then the question of providing translation may arise. The accused placed reliance on a notification issued by the Government of Madhya Pradesh under Section 272 of CrPC declaring Hindi to be the language of each Court in the State except the High Court. The Supreme Court said that there is no such requirement under Section 173 of CrPC requiring the investigating agency/officer to file a report or charge sheet in the language of the Court determined in accordance with Section 272 of CrPC. "There are central agencies like the National Investigation Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, etc. These agencies investigate serious offences or offences having wide ramifications. Obviously, such central agencies, in every case will not be in a position to file the final report in the language of the concerned Court as determined by Section 272 of CrPC," it held. Th Central Bureau of Investigation, in relation to offences arising out of the VYAPAM Scam in the State of Madhya Pradesh, had filed charge sheet under Sections 419, 420, 468, 467 and 471 of IPC and under Sections 3 and 4 of the Madhya Pradesh Examinations Act, 1937. The application seeking a direction to supply a Hindi translation of the charge sheet filed by the probe agency in English language was rejected by the Judicial Magistrate. Later, the decision was overturned by the Gwalior bench of the MP High Court. The Magistrate had held that the accused was an educated person, having knowledge of English and the offence related to fraud in the examination. In the VYAPAM scam, it was alleged that after the accused received admit card, some other person took the examination by impersonating him. Ahmedabad, Aug 26 : Amid concerns over structural integrity of Hatkeswar bridge situated in the Khokhra locality of the city, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has announced to dismantle and rebuild the controversial bridge. To kick-start this project, the civic body is set to invite tenders from construction companies for the reconstruction of the bridge while ensuring the complete demolition of the existing structure. The tender process is anticipated to commence shortly. Inaugurated for public use back in 2017, the bridge's journey has been marred by recurring structural concerns. The forthcoming process is designed to engage various companies in proposing innovative designs for the comprehensive deconstruction of the existing bridge and the subsequent construction of a new one in its place. The selected company will evaluate the feasibility of retaining any of the current bridge's pillars or whether an entire demolition is warranted. This decision will naturally shape the project's design and its corresponding cost. Municipal Commissioner M. Thennarasan revealed this development to the public. The decision to overhaul the Hatkeswar Bridge stems from the findings of an inquiry committee and the assessment conducted by the prestigious IIT-Roorkee. These examinations led to the bridge being deemed structurally unfit for public use, eventually prompting its closure in June 2022. Comprising a total of eight spans, with the main span measuring 42 meters and the remaining spans measuring 33 meters each, the bridge has faced multiple instances of significant gaps and cracks since April 2021. The concrete surface of the bridge exhibited detachment issues in multiple locations, necessitating immediate intervention. The course of action ahead involves a comprehensive approach. As advised by several expert committees, the entire superstructure of the bridge will undergo complete demolition and subsequent reconstruction. These crucial tasks will be carried out simultaneously, ensuring efficiency and minimising disruption. The expenses incurred for the rebuilding endeavour will be borne by the company undertaking the construction process. --IANS janvi svn Kolkata, Aug 26 : Leading rights body, the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) on Saturday filed a complaint at the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) against Leader of the Opposition in state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari for his comments demanding encounter of the rapists. "On August 24, while speaking to mediapersons the Leader of the Opposition strongly advocated for the encounter of the rapists. He also said that the people committing crimes like rape does not have to right to survive and hence should be killed. This means that he advocated for the killing of any accused without going through the trial process. So we have filed a complaint against him at the state human rights commission today," APDR general secretary Ranjit Sur said. In its complaint to the WBHRC, the rights body said that such public vouching in favour of "encounter without trial, is not only detrimental for the undertrial prisoners but the entire democracy-loving population of the state". "His comments can have a negative impact on society. Hence, we have requested the state human rights commission to take action against the leader of the opposition," Sur said. The complaint further said that such comments favouring "encounter without trial" is especially not acceptable when it comes from an "elected lawmaker" like the Leader of the Opposition. "Indirectly he has insulted the state assembly where he is himself a member. He deserves a bigger punishment since as a law-maker he is favouring breach of law. Such comments will terrorise the undertrial prisoner in the state," Sur pointed out in his letter to the commission. --IANS src/ksk Former president Donald Trump and the 18 people indicted along with him in Georgia on charges that they participated in a wide-ranging illegal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election have all turned themselves in to a jail in Atlanta before the deadline at noon Friday. After Trump was booked Thursday evening scowling at the camera for the first-ever mug shot of a former president seven co-defendants who had not yet surrendered did so Friday morning. All but one of those charged had agreed to a bond amount and conditions with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis ahead of time, and they were free to go after booking. Harrison William Prescott Floyd, who is accused of harassing a Fulton County election worker, did not negotiate a bond ahead of time and remained in the jail after turning himself on Thursday. Federal court records from Maryland show Floyd, identified as a former U.S. Marine whos active with the group Black Voices for Trump, was also arrested three months ago on a federal warrant that accuses him of aggressively confronting two FBI agents sent to serve him with a grand jury subpoena. Next, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to set arraignments for each of the defendants in the coming weeks. Thats when they would appear in court for the first time and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty, though it is not uncommon for defendants in Georgia to waive arraignment. The case filed under Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act is sprawling, and the logistics of bringing it to trial are likely to be complicated. Legal maneuvering by several of those charged has already begun. Three of them former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, former U.S. Department of Justice official Jeffrey Clark and former Georgia Republican Party chair David Shafer are trying to move their cases to federal court. A judge is to hear arguments on Meadows request Monday and on Clarks on Sept. 18. There has been speculation that Trump will also try to move to federal court. One defendant, lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors say 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, has filed a demand for a speedy trial. That requires his trial start by the end of the next court term, in this case by early November. The day after he filed that request, Willis who has said she wants to try all 19 defendants together proposed starting the trial for everyone on Oct. 23. Trump attorney Steve Sadow on Thursday filed an objection to the proposed October trial date and a March date that Willis had previously suggested. He asked that Trumps case be separated from Chesebro and any other codefendant who files a speedy trial demand. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Shefali Shah on 'Delhi Crime': It's one of those projects that happen once in a while. Image Source: IANS News Mumbai, Aug 26 : As 'Delhi Crime 2' clocks a year since its release, acclaimed actress Shefali Shah, who played the character of DCP Vartika Chaturvedi series, says the show is one of those projects that happen once in a while. 'Delhi Crime 2' revolves around a violent quadruple murder, which stokes public fear and escalates New Delhias class divide, DCP Vartika and her team race to find the killers before they attack the cityas vulnerable senior citizens again. On the first anniversary of Delhi Crime 2, Shefali gave a perfect recall to her character and said: "DC is very very dear and special to me and will always be. Itas one of those projects that happens once in a while, where the show and the character affected and left a lasting impact on the audience as much as it did for us." She added: "The USP being the show, the characters, the treatment is so real. Thereas no paraphernalia of what cops are normally depicted as in films. DC is as real as it gets. When I did DC 1, I had no idea where the show or the character Vartika would go." "All I knew was this one was special and I loved creating it. But after it was released not only was the show loved but Vartika became unprecedented. And Iam lucky and humbled with the love and respect that Vartika and I have Received." The show also stars Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Adil Hussain, Anurag Arora, Yashaswini Dayama, Sidharth Bhardwaj, Gopal Dutt, Denzil Smith, Tillotama Shome, Jatin Goswami, Vyom Yadav and Ankit Sharma. New Delhi, Aug 26 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, while congratulating the scientists of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO) on the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, said that they have imprinted an indelible mark on the sands of time. In a tweet, Shah said "With the historic success of India's lunar mission, our scientists have imprinted an indelible mark on the sands of time. To commemorate this achievement, PM @narendramodi Ji named the landing spot of Chandrayaan-3 'Shivshakti,' and the location where Chandrayaan-2 fell 'Tiranga', to remind us that 'No failure is permanent'." Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while describing the efforts that were channelled towards the success of the Chandrayaan-3 Mission, on Saturday stated that the scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had built an artificial Moon at the worksite for experimentation. Addressing a gathering of scientists at a programme organised to compliment them for the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the South Pole of the Moon, the Prime Minister stated that he wanted people to know the efforts the scientists have put in to achieve success. "People should know it. The scientists have created an artificial Moon and Vikram the lander was tested," he stated. The achievement has given spirit to the whole generation. The launch of satellites has paved the way for innovations. Space science has contributed to ease of life, governance and transparency. It is helpful in ensuring distant health services. Without space technology, we can't imagine telemedicine and tele-education, PM Modi said. New Delhi, Aug 26 : Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V. K Saxena on Saturday approved 17 welfare schemes of the Delhi Building & Other Construction Workers' Welfare Board (DBOCWWB), with specific directions for constant supervision and monitoring of the disbursement process under these schemes. The schemes approved under Section 7 of the Aadhar Act, 2016, would ensure that all financial benefits like grant of disability pension, ex-gratia payment, medical assistance, maternity benefit, death benefit etc. to the genuine beneficiaries are given only through DBT after their Aadhar-based authentication. "The objective is to minimise leakages and promote targeted delivery of benefits while simultaneously improving the working conditions, quality of life and ensuring welfare of the construction workers," the L-G office said. L-G has directed strict supervision and monitoring of the disbursement process in the aforesaid schemes. The L-G has underlined the need for making the "registration of construction workers fully transparent, fool-proof, tamper-free and genuine." L-G said that this will ensure that only genuine construction workers are registered and consequently benefited from the funds of DBOCWWB. "For this purpose, the Deputy Labour Commissioners of the concerned Districts may be made responsible for a transparent and efficient implementation of the benefit transfer to the entitled and genuine beneficiaries only and a stringent exercise for establishing the veracity of the registration process and the registered beneficiaries be undertaken concurrently," the L-G said. The development comes in wake of the instances of financial irregularities in the functioning of the DBOCWWB and leakages in the distribution of benefits under its various schemes by way of providing benefits to "ghost construction workers" (who are not construction workers). Investigation into the alleged unauthorised and illegal registration of fake construction workers and financial irregularities therein is already being conducted by the anti-corruption branch. Bengaluru, Aug 26 : "As lawyers we must ensure to stand up against discrimination and injustice," stated Chief Justice Dr D.Y. Chandrachud on Saturday. Addressing the 31st annual convocation of the prestigious National Law School of India (NSILU) University in Bengaluru, the CJI explained that he was told that a young law student who went to intern at a law office was asked what his caste was and when he told, he was asked not to come back. "This filled me with despair. As lawyers, we must ensure to stand up against discrimination and injustice. We have to ensure constitutional values are adhered to and this shows that some lawyers are violating the law let alone upholding the constitutional values," he underlined. "The Supreme Court at present is engaged in seminal constitutional issues. We have released a handbook on gender stereotypes. On why we should not call a woman a housewife, or call a woman who is raped or "ravished" we have said how these words cannot be used in Modern India. The graduating class are the ones who will drive the change and technology in your hands is what fish is to water. For us it is a learning process," CJI Chandrachud stated. India's first female advocate Cornelia Sorabjee was not allowed to make submissions in court unless accompanied by a male lawyer. These stories are not the ones we can leave behind in our history books. Much needs to be done, he pointed out. CJI Chandrachud explained that, "Last year out of five, 4 law clerks were women. It is common for them to call me up and say that, sir, I have menstrual cramps. I tell them please work from home and take care of your health. We also informed you of sanitary napkin dispensers in the female washrooms in the Supreme Court." "If being a good person and good lawyer comes at a juncture I urge you to be a good person, " he underlined. The profession of advocacy is slowly becoming an opening point for the entry of more and more women lawyers," he said. The CJI stressed, "Do not ever kick the ladder that took you up in this journey of life." Chennai, Aug 26 : Former Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister and expelled AIADMK leader, O. Panneerselvam seems to have lost out totally to his opponent in AIADMK politics, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS). The Madras High Court division bench had on Friday disposed of the petition by OPS against the expulsion of himself and three of his associates. With the petition being disposed of, the legal battle for OPS is almost over. Sources in the OPS camp told IANS that his joining as deputy chief minister in the Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) government had led to the downfall and loss of trust by the cadres and sympathisers. The beleaguered leader will now have to play his cards close to his chest if there is a comeback and for that he would have to use his caste credentials. OPS is a Thevar and his community is powerful in South Tamil Nadu and the community can effectively torpedo the prospects of the AIADMK in many South Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha constituencies during the 2024 polls. According to a senior leader associated with the OPS camp, he will have to play the Thevar card as a last resort to bring his glory back in the party fold. However after EPS conducting a massive rally of the party at Madurai, that camp is confident that they have made inroads into the Thevar camp. It may be noted that in Tamil Nadu there is bitter caste rivalry and Thevar community will not support EPS, a Gounder. With the 2024 Lok Sabha polls round the corner, OPS will have to reshape his programmes and policies to wriggle back into consideration and to gain the lost ground in the party. Jaipur, Aug 26 : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to resign on issue of "Laal diary". Shah, who was in Gangapur, to participate in the Kisan Sammelan said, "Nowadays, Mr Gehlot is very much afraid of red color and red diary, because black deeds are hidden inside the red diary, the black book record of crores of rupees black business is in the red diary." As some people raised anti-union government slogans, Shah, targetting Gehlot, said, "Mr. Gehlot, nothing can be done by sending these few people who are raising such slogans. If you have even an iota of shame left, resign and contest polls." Shah, who also hold portfolio of Cooperation Minister, reached Jaipur airport at 1.45 p.m. and then arrived in Gangapur, where he and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla released a book written on cooperative societies. Earlier, Shah referred to the work done by the Modi government, saying, "The Congress government did nothing for the farmers. BJP launched many schemes for the farmers. Today, the central government is giving Rs 6,000 to every farmer. Modi ji has increased the agriculture budget six times." Shah shared that when he was coming, a farmer told him there is no electricity here. He asked the electorate to put all seats of the state in BJP's kitty in Lok Sabha polls. Chandigarh, Aug 26 : Saying that a 'selected' Governor does not have any moral right to threaten elected representatives, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Saturday that Governor Banwarilal Purohit's 'threat' to recommend the imposition of President's Rule is an insult to 3.5 crore Punjabis, who made unprecedented sacrifices for preserving the unity and integrity of the country, besides making the nation surplus in food grain production. The Chief Minister categorically said that he is not going to bow down to such threats and will not compromise with the interests of the state and its people. Speaking to the media here, the Chief Minister said the Governor knows under whose pressure he wrote this letter, which has humiliated Punjabis who had elected their own government more than a year ago with a thumping mandate. He said the 'selected' Governor does not have any moral right to threaten elected representatives of the people or make malicious attempts to topple a democratically-elected government. Mann also said the Governor has demeaned the Constitution and insulted its chief architect B.R. Ambedkar with such tantrums. According to the Constitution, the Chief Minister said, people have full right to elect a government of their choice, but the Governors are acting as the puppets of the Union government to create unwanted hindrances in the functioning of non-BJP governments in states like Delhi, West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Mann said he wants to make it clear to the Governor that the latter has threatened to impose President's Rule in Punjab under Article 356, but "we are not afraid of it". He also said that Punjab has suffered the most due to the misuse of Article 356 in the country. The Chief Minister expressed disappointment that Punjab has endured the heavy toll of arbitrary actions and mistreatment by previous Union governments, and once again, the current government at the Centre is attempting to undermine the state's democratic values through the Governor. He said, in fact, the Governor is conspiring to seize power and that is why he is issuing threats to oust an elected government. Mann also dared the Governor to try his luck in the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan, rather than trying to capture power through the back door. The Chief Minister said he has been consistently responding to the Governor's correspondence, having already replied to nine out of 16 letters. "The responses to the remaining letters will be dispatched shortly," Mann said. However, he expressed concern that the Governor is attempting to exert undue pressure on the elected government in an unconstitutional manner. Mann said his government has passed six Bills in the Vidhan Sabha over the past year-and-a-half, but the Governor is yet to endorse them, leaving the Bills pending. Questioning the Governor's silence on the unresolved issues, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Union government has withheld crores of rupees of Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) allocations, yet the Governor has remained silent on these important matters. He claimed that the Union government has not paid any attention to the concerns of Punjab's farmers and it is further alarming that the Governor has not written a single letter to the Centre highlighting the real issues of Punjab. Regarding a meeting concerning Panjab University, the Chief Minister said the Governor consistently favoured Haryana, indicating a lack of loyalty to Punjabis. In the same way, as the administrator of Chandigarh, the Governor removed the Senior Superintendent of Police of Punjab cadre posted in the UT overnight besides depriving Punjab of this post for six months. He also said that the Governor of the neighbouring state of Haryana remained silent about the significant loss of life and property caused by communal violence in Nuh district. Mann said even in the highly-sensitive Manipur, the Governor of the state hardly paid any attention. But, on the other hand, the Governor of Punjab is repeatedly poking his nose in day-to-day affairs of the state government and is now shamelessly threatening to topple the government, which is continuously making efforts to safeguard the interests of the people, Mann said. "It is astonishing that while the state government is working round-the-clock to provide free electricity, quality education, state-of-the-art healthcare service and employment to the youth, the Governor of that state is trying to destabilise it," the Chief Minister said. Flagging the issue of compensating the flood-affected people of the state, the Chief Minister said his government has repeatedly urged the Centre to relax the norms for releasing Rs 9,660 crore from the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to provide much-needed relief to the people of Punjab. But, regrettably, the Union government has not yet responded positively, he said, adding that the Governor should also talk with the Centre on this pressing matter. Bengaluru: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu addresses at the golden jubilee celebrations of Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning (SSSIHL), in Bengaluru on June 9, 2019. (Photo: IANS/PIB). Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 26 : The National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) celebrated its 25th Silver Jubilee Foundation Day in Hyderabad on Saturday, gathering prominent figures, policymakers, industry leaders and real estate experts. During the event, a collaborative report titled 'Vision 2047' was unveiled by NAREDCO and Knight Frank. This report provided insightful inputs concerning the real estate industry. Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, addressing the audience, emphasised the importance of prioritising the creation of affordable, healthy, and joyful housing, incorporating excellent architectural elements. He inaugurated the event and called upon real estate and infrastructure developers to ensure adequate provision of air, sunlight, and water in housing projects. This, he believed, would lead to content and satisfied residents. Naidu underlined the pivotal role of happy, affordable, and healthy housing as the foundation for the growth of the country's real estate and infrastructure sectors. He stressed that neglecting these essential housing aspects would hinder the intended progress of these sectors. Naidu urged real estate investors to choose projects that provide modern amenities and vital elements like clean air, sunlight, and water, preventing any future regrets. He also advised meticulous planning to avoid encroachments during project development and cautioned against disturbing nature, citing the significant threats posed by the current global climate situation. He highlighted that tampering with nature during such projects could lead to disastrous consequences, especially considering the serious threats that the current natural climate poses to mankind both in India and around the world. The Vision 2047 report has projected that India's real estate industry could reach a value of USD 5.8 trillion by 2047. 'Do not vote if not voting for BJP': Minority Commission seeks MP govt's response on ex-Bhopal Mayor's controversial remarks. Image Source: IANS News Bhopal, Aug 26 : The National Minority Commission has issued a notice to Madhya Pradesh government over former Bhopal Mayor and state BJP Vice President Alok Sharma's controversial remark on Muslim voters. The commission has recommended the state government to conduct an inquiry into alleged controversial remarks and has sought a detailed reply within the next three weeks. Last week, Sharma while addressing a gathering of BJP workers in Jaora Assembly constituency was heard telling the people of the minority community that "if you are not voting for BJP, do not vote at all". A purported video of Sharma's speech also surfaced on social media, which triggered a political controversy in the poll-bound state. "I want to appeal to our Muslim brothers of Jaora that if you don't want to vote for the BJP, then don't. But, I request you not to go for voting at all in that case. You must know and whole-heartedly accept the fact that the house you are living in has been granted to you under the Prime Minister's housing scheme. (Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan even built a Haj House in MP," Sharma could be heard saying in the video. Abbas Hafeez, a spokesperson and Vice President of Madhya Pradesh Congress media cell had raised objection to Sharma's remark terming it as an attempt to "threaten" the people of minority community. Subsequently, Hafeez had written to the commission claiming that Sharma's remark clearly indicates that the BJP is "attempting to create fear among the people from the minority community. Therefore, the Minority Commission should initiate action against him". Taking cognisance of the matter, the commission has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government on this matter. "The National Minority Commission has received a complaint from Abbas Hafeez. It is requested to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit the report in the next 21 days," reads the notice, a copy of which is available with IANS. The BJP has declared Alok Sharma a candidate from Bhopal North assembly seat, where 55 per cent population is from the minority community and the Congress' Arif Aqeel had won the election in 2018. Sharma, who is considered close to Chief Minister Chouhan, had contested the election from the same seat in 2008, however, he had lost against Aqeel with a huge margin of votes. Mumbai, Aug 26 : Ahead of the festival season starting next month, the Mumbai Milk Producers Association (MMPA) has announced a wholesale price hike of Rs 2 per litre for buffalo milk in the city from September 1, an official said here on Saturday. The decision was unanimously taken at a meeting of the MMPA presided over by its vice-chairman Ramesh Dube, and the move is likely to trigger a price rise in all milk-related foodstuffs during the festivals of Ganeshotsav, Navratri, Diwali etc. over the next few months. MMPA committee member C.K. Singh said the price of buffalo milk - which is sold by over 3,000 retailers in the country's commercial capital - will be increased from Rs 85 per litre to Rs 87 per litre, and will remain in force for six months, after which it will be reviewed. "With the price hike by Rs 2/litre or from Rs 85/litre to Rs 87/litre - from September 1, the retail rates are expected to shoot up to Rs 90/litre or even up to Rs 95/litre depending on the localities and local demand," Singh told IANS. This will be the second hike coming after March 1 when wholesale buffalo milk price was hiked from Rs 80/litre to Rs 85/litre, hitting the domestic budgets of the poor and middle-class families hard. The latest price hike will also adversely hit the demand for milk which increase by 20-25 per cent during the festival season when large quantities of sweetmeats are prepared. All the MMPA members felt that since the price of milch animals as well their food items like dana, tuvar, chuni, chana-chuni etc. have gone up by an average 20-25 per cent, besides steep hike in the rates of grass, hay, pinda etc., the rate of milk should also be increased. Mumbai consumes over 50 lakh litres of buffalo milk daily, of which more than 700,000 litres are supplied by the MMPA through its chain of dairies and neighbourhood retailers, and farms spread in and around the country's commercial capital. Incidentally, in February this year, all the major cow milk producers' associations in Maharashtra, along with other major branded producers, had hiked the price of cow milk by at least Rs 2 per litre. They are expected to follow suit with the MMPA's latest price hike putting further pressure on domestic finances from next month. It took just minutes for Fulton County, Georgia, to release the mugshot taken of Donald Trump as he was booked on Thursday for his role in attempting to interfere in that state in the 2020 presidential election. And after that, it took seconds for the image of the former U.S. president staring into the camera - with a defiant expression, according to his supporters; frowning, according to his detractors - to go viral. And it took even less time for the current Republican candidate for the White House to start exploiting it economically. The picture, taken from an elevated angle, shows the former president with his forehead tilted slightly forward and his eyes staring intensely. It is the pose that some movie buffs describe as the Kubrick stare, after British film director Stanley Kubrick, who used it in films such as A Clockwork Orange and The Shining for Malcolm McDowell and Jack Nicholson to provoke an unsettling sensation in the viewer. According to CNN, there had been an intense debate among Trumps advisors earlier about the expression with which the former president should pose. It has already become meme fodder and an instant classic, one of those that will truly go down in history. It is the first of an American president, active or out of office, as an inmate. Any other politician with Trumps judicial troubles -he faces 91 charges in four separate indictments- would be finished. But the leading Republican candidate has chosen to turn the situation around and present himself as a victim of a politicized justice system that wants to take him down by any means necessary, because it fears he will return to the White House and defend ordinary citizens. The photograph of him as a man under arrest, with the watermark of the Fulton sheriffs office included, thus becomes a badge of honor and a source of pride. Ultimate proof that he is being unjustly persecuted. At least, this is the narrative he sells and which his supporters buy. Literally. As soon as the image was published, the former president posted on X, known until recently as Twitter, his first message in two and a half years, with that photo and two slogans - Election interference and Never Surrender - and a link to a website. On that web page, a message from the former president led to a menu to donate various amounts of money to his electoral campaign. An employee at a printing company in Los Angeles, California, prints T-shirts with Trump's mugshot. MARIO ANZUONI (REUTERS) At the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME., Trump declares in the message, in which he insists that his four indictments are nothing more than a futile attempt to sabotage his return to the White House. He also calls for the defeat of President Joe Biden in next years elections to turn the page on a dark chapter in national history. Never surrender The photo has prompted the presidents campaign, managed by the Save America Joint Fund Committee, to offer a whole range of products with that image and the slogan repeated by Trump in his message: Never Surrender. For 12 dollars you can buy a sticker for your car. For 15 dollars, a flask for drinks. For 25, a coffee mug. A T-shirt with the candidates face printed on the chest costs 34. You can choose whether you want long or short sleeves, black or white. In an email to his supporters, Trump continues in the same vein. He presents his appearance at Fulton County jail to be fingerprinted and photographed - and to secure his release on bail with the payment of $200,000 and a promise not to make statements that might harass witnesses or other participants in the case - as an act of defiance in the face of the established powers. I walked into the lions den with one simple message on behalf of our entire movement: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA. Hes not the only one trying to cash in on the photo. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, has also used the former Twitter to drive traffic to his website and sell products with his fathers face in jail. He says he will donate the proceeds to a legal aid fund set up by the Republicans advisors to help witnesses testifying in cases. Among the former presidents detractors, the image of him in prison has caused enormous glee. It is proof that the man who recommended drinking bleach as a remedy against covid, who withdrew the United States from the Paris agreement against climate change and who allegedly went so far as to commit crimes to avoid leaving the White House, will finally be brought to justice for his actions. On this side, there are also those who have moved quickly to capitalize on the situation. The Lincoln Project, a group founded by Republicans opposed to Trump, sells shot glasses with the mug shot printed on them for $55 a half-dozen. The specialized crafts and design website Etsy also offers dozens of satirical products with the image, including a T-shirt that parodies a Taylor Swift concert, at $26 a piece. U.S. President Joe Biden, who was returning to Washington on Friday after a few days of vacation at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, laughed when asked about Trumps picture in prison. I did see it on television, he said ironically. Handsome guy, wonderful guy, he added. In Georgia, Trump faces 13 charges, including violating the states organized crime law by allegedly leading a mob-like group that sought to fraudulently keep him in the White House. In New York, the first of his indictments, U.S. Attorney Alvin Bragg charged him with accounting fraud in the payment to a porn actress to buy her silence about an alleged sexual relationship. In Miami, special federal prosecutor Jack Smith is charging him with unlawfully retaining classified documents relating to his tenure in office after he left the White House. Smith also accuses him in Washington of trying to alter the outcome of the 2020 elections, in which the current president Joe Biden won, in events that ended up causing a horde of Trump supporters to storm the Capitol. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New Delhi, Aug 26 : In a recent judgment, the Supreme Court has said that if there is any suspicion over the veracity of the dying declaration or the evidence on record shows that it is not true, then it will only be considered as a piece of evidence and cannot be the sole basis for conviction. While considering a criminal appeal, a bench of Justices BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala and Prashant Kumar Mishra said that courts are required to satisfy themselves that the dying declaration is reliable and truthful before placing any reliance upon it. "There is no hard and fast rule for determining when a dying declaration should be accepted; the duty of the Court is to decide this question in the facts and surrounding circumstances of the case and be fully convinced of the truthfulness of the same," it said. The Supreme Court said that factors like whether the person making the statement was in expectation of death, whether the dying declaration was made at the earliest opportunity, etc, should be weighed in by the courts. It said that it is true that dying declaration is a substantive piece of evidence to be relied on if it is proved that the same was voluntary and truthful and the victim was in a fit state of mind. "It is just not enough for the court to say that the dying declaration is reliable as the accused is named in the dying declaration as the assailant," held the top court. New Delhi, Aug 26 : As nationwide protests erupted in Pakistan and hashtags against massive electricity bills started trending on social media, interim Pakistan Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar finally called an "emergency meeting" to discuss electricity rates on Sunday, a media outlet reported. The caretaker premier called the meeting in Islamabad on electricity rates and consumers' bills with directions to the Energy Ministry and the electricity distribution companies to give a detailed briefing in this regard, The Express Tribune reported. The general public and tradersa associations have initiated large-scale protests against soaring electricity bills and heavy taxes, with demonstrations being held in different cities pushing the government to finally take notice of the issue, it added. Earlier a protest in Karachi, which was also supported by Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), demanded a reduction in the ever-increasing electricity prices and additional taxes imposed through power bills. Speaking on the occasion, trade leaders and representatives of Jamaat-e-Islami expressed their concerns. "We reject the excessive charges being collected by K-Electric in our electricity bills," stated a trade leader, saying that JI always takes a stand on the problems of the masses. In Rawalpindi, a demonstration took place against additional electricity charges, with citizens chanting slogans against Islamabad Electric Supply Company, the media outlet reported. Moreover, protests were also staged in Lahore, Attock, Peshawar, Quetta, Taunsa, Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rahim Yar Khan and Multan against the inflated electricity bills. A large number of people participated in the demonstrations. Ramaswamy, Haley clash and star in Republican presidential debate (Column: Out of Turn). Image Source: IANS News New York, Aug 26 : Two Indian Americans seeking the Republican Party's presidential nomination as outsiders in their own ways created high drama, arms stretched and fingers wagging angrily at each other, trading personal insults. Both flamboyantly presented themselves as outsiders, but in different ways. The 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy revelled in his status as "not a politician", but "an entrepreneur", and as the youngest on the stage on Wednesday in Milwaukee, firmly making him an outsider amid the veteran politicians older than him. Modelling himself on former President Donald Trump, Ramaswamy hurled insults at the political veterans joining him on a seemingly impossible mission to wrest the lead for the party's nomination from Trump. He insulted them as puppets of interest groups who were parroting memorised lines fed to them and beholden to SuperPACs (Political Action Committees) that help fund their campaigns. (Unlike them, the multi-millionaire doesn't need SuperPAC money) And smilingly he declared that the debate was going to be a fun ride a departure from Trump's sour demeanour. He garnered the second-most talking time on the debate after former Vice President Mike Pence, according to a New York Times tally, boosting his visibility, Nikki Haley, 51, a former South Carolina Governor, the first Indian-American to serve on the US cabinet when she was the UN permanent representative -- and the only woman on the stage -- pitched herself as the outsider to both the Republican Party establishment and the mainstream driven by former President Trump. She dared condemn Trump as "the most disliked politician in all of America" and denounced fellow Republicans as profligates who added $8 trillion to the national deficit. In contrast to Ramaswamy, she presented herself as a candidate of maturity and moderation and mostly calmness, except in the confrontation with him. In a high-tension moment, the man from a Tamil family from Palakkad in Kerala and the woman from a Sikh family from Punjab shouted down each other with angry gestures after Ramaswamy's controversial statements about cutting aid to Ukraine and Israel. "You have no foreign policy experience and it shows," Haley shouted at him. He, in turn, accused her of seeking a directorship on the boards of defence manufacturers like Lockheed Martin. "You want to go and defund Israel," she said, and he retorted, "Nikki, you have been pushing this lie all week long." When former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Ramaswamy were locked in a dispute over climate change, Haley interjected, "This is exactly why Margaret Thatcher said, 'If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman'." One of the two debate moderators, Fox News host Martha MacCallum, needled Haley pointing out that Ramaswamy outperformed her in polls. But she didn't take the bait. (According to polls aggregation by RealClear Politics, on the eve of the debate, Ramaswamy at 7.2 per cent had nearly more than double of Haley's support of 3.2 per cent) Ann Coulter, a right-wing extremist media flame-thrower, tweeted ignorantly about their face-off: "Nikki and Vivek are involved in some Hindu business, it seems. Not our fight." Haley was never a Hindu; born a Sikh, she converted to her husband's Methodist Christian sect. Ramaswamy follows a Hinduism based on pluralism and respect for all religions like that enunciated by his illustrious namesake, Swami Vivekanananda. At the end of the day, Ramaswamy, who has been following Trump's 2016 playbook of insults and bravado, emerged as his staunchest supporter, gaining his praise in a social media tweet as the debate's winner and the cheers of his supporters at the debate venue. And Hailey was declared the "adult in the room" by moderates for her measured stands on controversial issues like abortion and her denouncement of Trump amid the raucous snipings. The Wall Street Journal's conservative columnist Kimberly Stassel declared her and former Vice President Pence as "Adults on the GOP debate stage". The early polls after the debate were mixed: Insider Advantage poll had Haley having her best showing so far at 11 per cent and Ramaswamy at 7 per cent, while Morning Consult had him moving up to 11 per cent, with Haley at 3 per cent. The only time India figured in the two-hour debate was when Haley rebutted Ramaswamy's claim that climate change was a "hoax", but said that to protect the environment, "we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions" (even though an Indian's greenhouse gas emissions are about an eighth of an American's). Without mentioning his parent's motherland, Ramaswamy said, "My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago." Nevertheless, it was a significant moment for Indian-Americans seeing two of their own on the debate stage, and never mind that 70 per cent of them support the Democratic Party, according to a 2022 survey by the Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and two other groups. (According to a 2020 study by two Indian-American academics, 58.8 Indian-Americans said they would vote for a fellow ethnic regardless of party affiliation) While it's a longshot for either of the two Republican Indian-Americans to make it to the ballot, as things stand now, Kamala Harris of partial Indian descent is slated to be the Democrat's Vice President candidate again. Even their snipings at each other only showed Haley's and Ramaswamy's independent way of thinking and their different perspectives beyond their mutual ethnicities, the identity politics that they disdain. And for the Republican Party often called racist or broad-brushed as anti-immigrant (although it is only against illegal immigration), the party had two Indian-Americans elected as Governors, Haley in South Carolina and Bobby Jindal in Louisiana, both southern states parodied as racist. Even though there is no Indian-American Republican in the Congress now, Jindal was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004, ending a 41-year gap since Dalip Singh Saund, a Democrat, had served there. While a two-term Governor, Jindal made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination in 2016 without even making to the main debate platform. Trump imperiously boycotted the debate, but Ramaswamy was his stand-in and, therefore, the punching bag. But unlike Trump, Ramaswamy took it in his stride, smiling and sometimes sniggering, taunting his elders, "We're just going to have some fun." Christie said Ramaswamy sounded like "Chat-GPT", the artificial intelligence generator of texts. Borrowing from former Democrat President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign line, Ramaswamy began introducing himself joking, "Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name ...?" Christie pounced on him for that, saying "I'm afraid we're dealing with the same type of amateur." Ramaswamy taunted him, asking him for a "hug" like he had given Obama that could help his election. (During his visit to New Jersey with promises of aid after a 2012 storm and before the election, Obama had put his arm on Christie's shoulder and the Governor's detractors claimed it to be a "hug" that helped the President's re-election) Pence called Ramaswamy "a rookie" and turning on his outsider status, said, "Now, it's not the time for on-the-job training... we don't need to bring in people without experience." (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis) New Delhi, Aug 26 : Congress leader Manish Tewari on Saturday said that the Chinese read out issued by the China's government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jingping's meeting makes no mention of "disengagement". He also asked on whose terms if any disengagement is happening. Tewari, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Punjab's Anandpur Sahib parliamentary seat took to X and said, "It is interesting that the Chinese read out of the PMO & President Xi Jingpingas meeting makes no mention of disengagement. Instead it says -- meeting was held at Indiaas request, the two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region." "Indian position: Modi and Xi agreed 'to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation'," he said. Tewari, who is also a former Union Minister Information and Broadcasting firing salvos at the government said, "Given two read outs are as different as chalk and cheese disengagement if any is happening on whose terms? Is India now willing to accept 1959 Chinese claim line? What happened to Indiaas position restore status quo ante to pre April 2020 for normalisation of relations. What will happen to 2,000 square Kilometres of Indian Territory under Chinese occupation since April 2020?" He made the remarks attaching the link of the read out issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, briefing the media on the BRICS summit in Johannesburg on August 24, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra when asked about the interaction between Modi and Xi, said that both the leaders agreed to direct relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation. Kwatra said that the Prime Minister underlined that maintenance of peace, tranquillity in border areas and respecting LAC are essential for normalisation of India-China ties. During his conversation with the Chinese president Xi Jinping, the Prime Minister highlighted India's concerns on unresolved issues along LAC, the Foreign Secretary informed further. "It was a conversation on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit where PM Modi talked about the LAC tensions. It was not a formal bilateral," Kwatra told reporters. 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. There is a standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers at certain places in eastern Ladakh. For the last three years, there has been 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. Kolhapur, Aug 26 : A day after the political row over his statements, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that he remains NCP's national President while Jayant Patil is the state President, reiterating that the party "has not split". He reiterated that though some MLAs have quit the party, they don't constitute a political unit and the party has not split -- referring to the breakaway faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar. "Why give them importance by taking their names? People are upset with those who have gone with the BJP. I can see a change coming in Maharashtra and the people will show the BJP its real place," declared Pawar. Touching on the upcoming third meeting of the grand opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A., Pawar said that it would review the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and chart out programmes for joint electioneering in different parts of the country. Launching a strong attack on the BJP, he said they have unleashed central probe agencies against the Opposition parties and their leaders. "I shall continue to fight against such fascist forces There has been misuse of central investigating agencies (CBI, ED and I-T). Those who couldn't face them have gone with them," he said. Pawar also revealed how NCP leaders like Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, and Shiv Sena (UBT)'s MP Sanjay Raut were threatened with the ED-CBI and asked to join the BJP. "They displayed courage and opposed them So they ended up in jail. They (Malik, Deshmukh, Raut) deserve to be saluted," said Pawar. Without taking names, he rued how several of his former associates - who had no guts to face the probe agencies - jumped ship to the ruling side and freed themselves from all the problems. Patna, Aug 26 : Two undertrial inmates were shot at during court appearance in Bihar's Samastipur district on Saturday. The inmates are identified as Prabhat Kumar Tiwari, a native of Dudhpura village, and Prabhat Kumar Chaudhary, a native of Neemchak village. Chaudhary has been booked under arms act and for liquor smuggling while Tiwari has been booked for robbery at a petrol pump. The incident occurred at around 12 noon when a number of people including lawyers, officials and others were present in the court complex. Suddenly, two people opened fire on them, leading to chaos in the complex. When firing stopped, the two were lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The assailants flee from the spot amid the chaos. One of them sustained a gunshot injury on the thigh while the other one at his hand. They are out of danger. The inmates were shifted to the prison ward in Sadar hospital and are undergoing treatment there. District SP Vinay Tiwari reached the hospital and recorded the statement of inmates. "Two persons were involved in the firing in Samastipur court. After the firing, they fled from the spot. We are scanning the CCTV cameras to find clues," said Amit Kumar, DSP headquarter of Samastipur. On February 15, 2022, a firing took place inside a court premises in Nalanda while in the same year in August, shooting took place in a sub-divisional court in Motihari. In a similar shooting incident, an inmate was killed in Saharsa court on March 28 this year. Chandigarh, Aug 26 : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Saturday announced the party would contest the Haryana gurdwara management elections and appealed to the Sikh 'sangat' to free the gurdwaras from the clutches of the modern day 'mahants' who had taken over their control with the connivance of the Congress and the BJP. Addressing the media here, the SAD President said the party would contest the elections on its symbol. "Our focus is on giving Sikhs in Haryana the right to have their own gurdwara committee, besides freeing them from the present committee that is indulging in free for all fights and abuses in official meetings which is against all principles and norms." He also appealed to the Sikhs in Haryana to enroll themselves as voters in large numbers so as to restore the pride of the 'panth' in their state in the forthcoming gurdwara polls. Badal, who was briefing the media after the party's core committee, said "the SAD is of the firm belief that the recent floods in Punjab are a man-made tragedy and that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is responsible for it". He said the Chief Minister failed to take any flood control prevention meeting before the onset of the monsoons. "He also failed to regulate the release of floodwaters from the Bhakra and Pong dams and later when large parts of Punjab were inundated he fled to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to participate in election programmes of the AAP along with his boss Arvind Kejriwal. This resulted in a loss of Rs 10,000 crore with paddy crop being destroyed in seven lakh acres of land." Badal also demanded a fair compensation for flood-hit farmers and labourers asserting the Rs 186 crore compensation released by the government was akin to sprinkling salt on the wounds of the farming community. He said the AAP had promised to give interim relief for crop damage before the conduct of 'girdwari' but had failed to do so for three failed crops already. "Following flooding in Punjab, the Chief Minister promised to release compensation till August 15 but indulged in a publicity gimmick by distributing a few cheques which had Rs 40,000 printed on their envelopes but were actually for Rs 4,000 only." He said the core committee had resolved to demand a compensation of Rs 50,000 per acre for farmers whose crop was destroyed, Rs 10 lakh for house damage, Rs 25 lakh compensation to those who lost their lives, Rs 20,000 to all farm labourers, Rs one lakh for loss of each milch animal and Rs 50,000 for loss of each goat. Besides these, all those whose tubewells had been clogged should be awarded Rs 2 lakh each. "Compensation should be given to those who have leased land on rent as well as to those who were cultivating government land along rivers and riverine tracts." He said since farmers had plugged all 60 breaches which occurred in rivers and rivulets in the state, the farmers responsible for this voluntarily act should be compensated for the cost incurred by way of machinery, diesel and sand bags. "Farmers should also be allowed to collect and dispose of silt which has accumulated in their fields," he added. New Delhi, Aug 26 : The European Union on Saturday expressed concern on rising refined petroleum products made from Russian crude in India finding their way into European markets, noting that it defeated the purpose of sanctions imposed on Russia. The EU executive vice president Valdis Dombrovskis said that oil products processed from Russian crude oil are reaching European markets in huge quantities, with which it is trying to deal with. Dombrovskis, who is currently in India and had participated in the G20 trade ministers meeting in Jaipur, also accused Russia of training its resources like food and energy supplies as tools of war and manipulation to attack Ukraine. Dombrovskis gave the example of Russia withdrawing from the Black Sea grain initiative and blocking Ukraine's export of food grain to the world market. He said that EU has been noticing new trade pattens emerging, like sharp rise in refined oil products, or in other words, imports in the EU from India. "But if they are made with Russian oil, in a sense it defies the purpose which we are putting in front of us as the EU, as a Western democratic world, to reduce Russia's ability to wage the civil war," Dombrovskis said, adding that the EU will have to ponder over it. Kolkata, Aug 26 : Dissatisfied with the report submitted by Jadavpur University on the death of a fresher on August 10, the West Bengal Child Rights Commission (WBCRC) has sent a fresh notice to the university seeking clarification on the action taken by the authorities to prevent ragging on the campus. The first year student of Bengali honours died on August 10 after falling from the balcony of a studentsa hostel. It is suspected that he became a victim of ragging. This is the third notice sent by the commission to the university authorities. Although the JU authorities had replied to the previous two notices, the commission was not satisfied with the reply. Sources in the WBCRC said that from the previous replies sent by the JU authorities, it is clear that the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for prevention of ragging within educational institutions were not strictly adhered to. Meanwhile, a lower court in Kolkata on Saturday extended the police custody for two second year students of JU -- Deepsekhar Dutta and Manotosh Ghosh -- till August 30. Dutta, a student of economics, and Ghosh, a student of international relations, were arrested on August 13 for their alleged role behind the 'mishap'. In another development, the interim Vice Chancellor of JU, Buddhadeb Sau, informed mediapersons on Saturday that a team from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be visiting the university next week to suggest ways to use technology to prevent the menace of ragging within the campus. The initiative to involve ISRO was taken by West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who by virtue of his chair is also the Chancellor of JU. The Governor also had a telephonic conversation with top ISRO officials in this matter. Sau also assured that the work for installation of CCTV cameras within the campus will commence soon. Besides the main gate and the hostel gates, there are also plans to install CCTV cameras at other points within the campus, he said. New Delhi, Aug 26 : A man chopped off his wife's hand at a hotel in the national capital following a quarrel, a Delhi Police official said on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday evening in northwest Delhias Adarsh Nagar area. Police said that they have launched a manhunt to nab the accused husband, who is on the run. The accused lacks a stable occupation, and the couple have a child. Sharing the details, the official said that the information about the incident was received on late Friday evening from the hotel after which a police team rushed to the spot. Upon arrival at the scene, the police discovered that the woman had suffered an amputation of her hand at the wrist. "The woman had significant blood loss, prompting urgent transportation to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital. From there, she was transferred to Safdarjung Hospital, where she is currently undergoing treatment," the official added. As per the initial probe, the couple from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh had checked into the hotel at around 3 p.m. on Friday. Initially, in a semi-conscious condition, the woman communicated to the police that a dispute had arisen between her and her husband. However, due to her semi-conscious state and the pain she was in, she could not provide substantial details about the altercation. "There are suspicions that the perpetrator possibly administered a substance to his wife, rendering her unconscious before proceeding to sever her hand. After regaining consciousness, the woman alerted the hotel staff, who subsequently notified the police," said the official. However, the accuracy of these details is presently under scrutiny as part of the ongoing investigation. "A case has been filed under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC. The precise sequence of events, underlying motives, and specific triggers leading to the incident will be established following his apprehension," he added. Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman on his arrival in the US in 2017. Reuters El Chapo Guzman is alone. The Sinaloa Cartel leader has been locked up in the maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, for four years. This week he asked Judge Brian Cogan for permission to be visited in prison by Emma Coronel and his two minor daughters. In a handwritten letter, the 66-year-old drug trafficker asked the judge to consider the request once his wife is released on parole on September 13. The influencer and former beauty queen, Guzmans third wife, was granted house arrest last June and has been in a Los Angeles residence since then, preparing for her return to freedom. She will be able to travel anywhere in the country. From that date forward she will be on probation, says El Chapo. Guzman claims in his letter that prosecutors in the case had objected to the drug boss meeting with Coronel during his trial in New York a few years ago. The prosecutions argument was that the wife of the leader of the criminal organization could help him intimidate the witnesses who testified against him during the historic trial. This is ridiculous since all conversations during the visits are recorded. There are also cameras, the cartel boss writes in the letter in which he refers to himself in the third person. The fear of intimidation, he argues, is no longer real as Guzman has been sentenced and there arent even any hearings. Nevertheless, El Chapo still has another drug trafficking trial pending in Chicago. El Chapo not only asks Cogan for Coronels presence, but also for the daughters he has with her, Emali Guadalupe and Maria Joaquina. The children are in school in Mexico and can only travel to visit their father during the vacation period, 2 times a year [or] 3 times at most. The children are 12 years old and have U.S. citizenship, as they were born in Los Angeles. Guzman claims that his mother and siblings cannot visit him in Colorado because they do not have a visa to enter the United States. Cogans office received the document on Wednesday and made it public this Friday. It is not the first communication the judge has received from one of his most famous sentenced inmates. A few weeks ago, Guzman wrote to him to complain about the prison authorities, who keep him and the other 320 inmates under strict surveillance in their cells and with only one hour a day in the open air. The drug lord also claims that the warden does not allow him to receive defense documents. He says they use the excuse of him having escaped prison in Mexico, which he considers ridiculous. Guzman, however, did not just escape from one prison in his home country. He embarrassed prison authorities and two different governments in the process by fleeing Mexicos two strictest detention centers. The first time was in 2001 under President Vicente Fox and the second in 2015 under Enrique Pena Nieto, after carrying out a movie-like escape. U.S. authorities do not rule out that Guzmans communication with his lawyers is aimed at plotting a new attempt. No one has escaped from the Colorado Supermax since it began operations in 1994. The facility is known as the Alcatraz of the Rocky Mountains. Since 2021, the criminal had reported being the victim of cruel and unjust treatment since his extradition to the United States in 2017. The capo noted that the imprisonment was affecting him physically and mentally, causing him headaches, memory loss, cramps and depression. I have suffered a lot, said the kingpin, who is serving a life sentence with an added 30 years in prison. In addition, Cogan has ordered him to pay $12 billion for the damages his company has done. In another letter made public in March, Guzman again complained about the harsh conditions of his solitary confinement. In three pages, in addition to requesting some benefits in his trial, the criminal stated that the authorities have only allowed him nine phone calls with his lawyer over the course of a year. He considered it highly discriminatory. On that occasion, El Chapo apologized to the judge for not sending his communication earlier. It took more than a month to get a postage stamp for the letter to leave the inmates cell 89914053 and go to the outside world. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Patna, Aug 26 : Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said that his father, Lalu Prasad Yadav, playing few shots of badminton does not mean that 'he is healthy'. He said that his father was playing badminton on the advice of the doctors. "BJP leaders are alleging that my father is healthy and is playing badminton while out on bail. He was playing badminton on the suggestion of the doctors. If anyone is playing badminton, he is doing exercise and it does not mean he is healthy, put him in jail and make him ill. BJP leaders have the intention that no one should meet or talk to anyone. Whatever, my father is doing, he is doing it on advice of doctors," the Deputy Chief Minister said. The Deputy Chief Minister inspected the land allotted by Bihar Vidhan Sabha for the extension of RJD office located on Veerchand Patel Path. He was accompanied by RJD State President Jagadanand Singh, Spokesperson Shakti Singh, Mritunjay Tiwari, MLC Sunil Singh and others. He also said that Bihar is the first state which brought 1.70 lakh government jobs through teacher recruitment scheme. "We have promised 10 lakh jobs and we are heading towards achieving this figure. BJP promised 2 crore jobs every year, what happened to that promise? How many jobs have they given?" he asked. Mumbai, Aug 26 : The vote-out in 'MTV Roadies' is about to begin and even as tensions rise and passions run high, there is a sense of fun and joy among the Gang members, with the Leaders also encouraging them to let go just for a moment. Gang Leaders Rhea Chakraborty and Prince Narula have some playful moments with their respective gang members, and Gautam Gulati, seeing the fun, joins the laughter, before the start of the countdown for the vote-out. The joking side of the contestants and the Leaders shows that even in the throes of great stress and nervousness, no one abandons their sense of humour and are more than willing to just horse around for a moment. Meanwhile, the situation on the ground is expected to really heat up as Pihu and Bhoomika once again fiercely argue with one another. And this time Pihu shows her aggressor the middle finger and yells at her. Fortunately, it does not escalate into a physical confrontation. But aside from Pihu and Bhoomika's little spat, Digvijay and Vishu too enter into an argument, though it turns out to be one-sided, as Digvijay manages to retain his cool all the while and Vishu keeps on yelling. Digvijay then goes on to ignore Vishu, which annoys the latter, who seems ready for physical violence. Fortunately, Prince steps in to stop all the commotion and asks Vishu to apologise to Digvijay, calmly telling him that his attitude isn't right and he must not escalate matter further, though Vishu won't listen. Likewise, Prince asks Bhoomika and Priyanka to apologise to Pihu for ganging up on her again after the debacle last week. They do not budge, but Pihu simply could not care less. 'MTV Roadies: Karm Ya Kaand' is being aired on MTV and JioCinema. New Delhi, Aug 26 : The Lieutenant Governor (L-G) office on Saturday said that Delhi Police and Delhi Tourism Department working in tandem have succeeded in setting up a trained and fully-equipped workforce for G-20 Summit. "In April this year in one of the preliminary meetings with regards to preparedness for G-20 Summit, L-G had directed Delhi Police, to put in place a specially tasked and trained police personnel for assisting visitors, tourists and delegates to the city during the G-20 Summit. He has been consistently following it up and his guidance led to the Delhi Police and Delhi Tourism Department working in tandem to set up a trained and fully-equipped workforce for the same," said the L-G office. The Delhi Police has deployed Tourist Police at several locations to make the visitoras experience safe, secure and hassle-free. The city will be witnessing these vehicles branded with a label of Tourist Police to make their presence visible and accessible to the tourists needing assistance. About 400 police personnel, specifically trained for the purpose, will be deployed in newly acquired Bolero Multipurpose Vehicles at 21 locations in the city, that include Railway Stations, Airport Terminals, ISBT, Samadhis, popular markets and monuments like Red Fort, Akshardham, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple, Humayun Tomb, etc. While 40 Probationer Sub-Inspectors have been deployed as in-charges in these vehicles, they will be manned by one Commando from the ITBP, one Gunman and one Driver apart from other trained police personnel. In addition to this, the Police and the Delhi Tourism Department have undertaken a massive IEC campaign that involves, placing into these vehicles, Doas & Donats for tourists, physical and digital map of NCTD and NCR, latest fare and distance chart for taxi/TSR and cloud based services like Uber and Ola, list of locations of important business centres, commercial and cultural places and malls, Delhi Metro and DTC Route Charts, Directory of Emergency Services and drinking water and sanitizers. A special Helpline Number --8750871111-- has been made functional to render assistance to the tourists and wide publicity of the Tourist Police and the Helpline Number is being done through social media, print & electronic media, posters, banners and hoardings, etc. For every member of the Tourist Police Unit, a task-oriented training programme in association with Delhi Tourism and other stakeholders has been carried out. The police personnel manning these Tourist Police vehicles have been trained in to do soft Skills and Effective Communication. Imphal, Aug 26 : A vital one day session of the Manipur assembly, which is expected to discuss the prevailing ethnic situation in the state, will be held on Tuesday. The ethnic conflicts between the non-tribals Meitei and tribal Kuki and their sub-tribes since May 3 have devastated the state. Manipur Assembly Speaker Thokchom Satyabrata Singh on Saturday said that the 4th session of the 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly would be one day on August 29 and the present state situation would be discussed. Ruling BJP sources said that few resolutions on the ongoing ethnic crisis are likely to be adopted in the session. Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on the recommendations of the state cabinet summoned the monsoon session of the state assembly on August 29 after the main opposition Congress and various other organisations have been demanding to convene the assembly session to discuss the present ethnic turmoil in the state. The previous assembly session was held in March. As per the norms, at least one assembly session must be held every six months. The Congress legislature party led by former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh earlier met the Governor and demanded to convene a special session of the Assembly under Article 174 (1) of the Constitution. The Congress leaders, who are demanding imposition of President's rule in Manipur, have been saying that the state Assembly is the most appropriate forum to discuss and debate the ongoing turmoil for which suggestions of measures to restore normalcy can be moved and discussed. Meanwhile, 10 tribal MLAs, including seven ruling BJP legislators, along with many other tribal organisations, since May 12 have been demanding a separate administration for the tribals. The 10 tribal MLAs include two ministers -- Letpao Haokip and Nemcha Kipgen. The tribal legislators also said that they would not be able to attend the assembly session in Imphal due to "security reasons". Five MLAs of the Naga People's Front (NPF) are likely to attend the session, though they are yet to declare their decision officially. The NPF has two ministers in the 12-member council of ministry headed by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh. Over 160 people have been killed and more than 600 injured since ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3, when a 'Tribal Solidarity March' was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. In view of the ethnic strife in Manipur, approximately 70,000 men, women and children belonging to different communities have been displaced and are now sheltered in 350 camps set up in schools, government buildings and auditoriums in Manipur and several thousand sought refuge in the neighbouring states including Mizoram. Jaipur, Aug 26 : Rajasthan Police have launched a probe to find a pair of shoes of a judge's son, which was stolen from outside a temple in Jaipur. Jagendra Kumar Aggarwal, a judge in the Alwar POCSO Court No. 1, had sent a missing complaint for a pair of shoes through post which was received at the Manak Chowk police station on Friday. The police are now scanning the CCTV footage from the area where the incident took place. On August 20, Aggarwalas relatives had organised a programme at the Brij Nidhi temple located in the Chandni Chowk area of Jaipur. Aggarwal had come to attend the programme with his wife and son -- Krishna -- in the evening. Krishna, who wore a pair of Reebok shoes that cost about Rs 10,000, had kept it near the temple steps. However, the footwear was missing when they came out of the temple after the event. Further investigation is underway. Washington, Aug 26 : Former US President Donald Trump has mocked the Republican Presidential primary debate, hosted by Fox TV, saying that the debate was one of the "lowest rated ever" and showed that many of those participating are "second tier" and merely "pretenders to the throne". This indicates that none of them feature in his list to ride on his ticket for vice president, even though Indian entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said he would love to ride on his ticket and successfully raised $450,000 from his supporters soon after the debate. If Trump were to win the nomination, there is speculation that Marjorie Green Taylor, representative, could be his running mate, as she is a staunch loyalist. Trump lashed out against Fox News on Friday, criticizing the network's first GOP primary debate on Wednesday night, which he chose to skip with the remarks: "The Debate on FoxNews had a hard time with the proverbial RATINGS. It was one of the lowest rated EVER, if not THE LOWEST. It showed that many of those participating are 'second tier' and merely 'pretenders to the throne'." The former President posted the remarks on his social media platform, Truth Social. "Some of the answers were so bad, with delivery even worse. The numbers were less than half what I had in 2016, not a good way to start the fight against Crooked Joe Biden, and his Lunatic Thugs. We will not let this happen. MAGA!," Trump said. However, Fox TV claimed the debate was televisionas best performing non-sports programme of the year. The first of the Republican sponsored GOP debate hosted by FOX TV at Milwaukee live on Wednesday in Wisconsin state saw eight of the nine presidential hopefuls sparring each other. But with Trump's absence, the programme drew lower ratings than previous GOP debates, media reports led by the HILL said. Abortion, crime, law and order, border issue and Ukraine funding dominated the agenda for discussion. Only two of the candidates former New Jersy Governor Chris Christie, the best performer and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison literally declined to endorse Trump, claiming the legal authorities could take recourse under the 14th amendment to debar him from contesting as the provision does not permit any citizen indicted or convicted of conspiracy or criminal conspiracy to contest the presidential elections. About 13 million people watched the show, compared to about 20 million who tuned in for the first Republican presidential debate in 2015, at the beginning of Trumpas first White House bid. This is the 3rd bid by Trump for the White House in 2024. Though it's a dramatic fall from the 2015 ratings, the Milwaukee debate is however considered a success, by a section of the US media as it says as millions of Americans cut cords, and Fox News managed to capture the most eyeballs for the show in recent times, reports said. Trump had chosen to skip the debate as he considered it futile because he was already well ahead of the opponents in ratings at 53 per cent, a commanding lead over of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 16 per cent and Indian American entrepreneur a close third with 11 per cent. Trump outdid the debaters by releasing an 46 minute taped sit down interview with the fired former host Tucker Carlson of Fox TV, in which he continued to maintain that the 2020 elections were stolen and that the prosecuting democrats were "really sick and savage animals" drawing angry remonstrances from the democratic party. The second 2024 GOP primary debate, to be held on September 27 and air on Fox Business, Trump has indicated he does not plan to attend any GOP debates leading up to the primaries of the Republican party to pick a candidate among the nine hopefuls. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu however believes Trump will not be the GOP's 2024 nominee. He told NPR news network but did not elaborate on the reasons. He did not subscribe to the theory that the Trump 2020 elections were stolen. Trump , who arrived from his Bedminister residence in New Jersey by his private plane, surrendered to the Fulton County Jail authorities on Thursday to be fingerprinted and mugshot, the first President in American politics to do so, and releasing it on the social media to press home what he claimed to be his political advantage. He said with every indictment his electoral prospects only went up. He had also said I will never surrender. Releasing his mugshot on social media however drew mixed responses from his supporters, democrats and independent voters, who hold the swing vote in many states. Slightly more than half of the respondents to a Politico-IPSO poll felt that Trump had brought down the dignity of the presidential race to abysmal depths by being fingerprinted and mugshot like an ordinary criminal and releasing it on the social media was the worst act as he was supposed to be role model to all Americans. Trump has maintained throughout that he has done nothing wrong in any of the cases in which he has been arraigned indicted from the hush money paid to adult porn star Stormy Daniels to election subversion by preventing officials from certifying his defeat leading upto the attack on the Capitol and election meddling in Georgia asking a state official to find votes for him to defeat Joe Biden, besides the tax fraud case against him in lower manhattan courts by DA Letitia James. Trump has a series of cases being lined up in court to stand trial which extends beyond May 2024 starting from September 2023. All 18 co-defendants with Trump standing trial in September, as anticipated by prosecutor DA Fan Willis, have been released on personal bonds ranging from $200,000 of Trump with the former President paying only 10 per cent and rest coughed up by a Fulton Bailbondsman co, to $100,000 and $75,000 for his counsels Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman respectively. Floyd is the only alleged conspirator who is in jail as he could not negotiate his bond in time. New Delhi, Aug 26 : Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday said that in two separate cases, they have recovered 644 bottles of Phensedyl valued at over one lakh rupees and also arrested a smuggler from International border of India-Bangladesh. BSF said that the smugglers were trying to cross with goods from India to Bangladesh. BSF said that, on August 25, the officials of Border Outpost Hakimpur saw a suspicious car coming from Bithari Bazar which was stopped and searched. Around 196 bottles of Phensedyl were recovered from under the rear seat of the car leading to arrest of the driver who was then taken to the border post for questioning. The accused has been identified as Sabeer Shaikh. The accused revealed that the Phensedyl bottles were given to him by Rasool Ghazi, a resident of village Hakimpur. He was to get Rs 2000 in return. BSF said that in other incidents, the troops of Border Outposts Kalanchi, seized 448 bottles from their area of aaresponsibility. Imphal, Aug 26 : Manipur State Film Development Society (MSFDS), a state government undertaking, on Saturday said that when the state has been facing the challenge ethnic strife, two Manipuri film got 69th National Film Awards brought jubilant and cheers in the moody skies of the northeastern state. MSFDS Secretary Sunzu Bachaspatimayum said that the two awards for the films 'Eikhoigi Yum' (Our Home) and 'Beyond Blast' made jovial not only the film makers but also the entire Manipuri community in this hour of crisis. He said that expected, Romi Meitei's critically acclaimed "Eikhoigee Yum" bagged the prestigious best Manipuri Film Awards in the feature film category and Saikhom Ratan's Indian Panorama film, "Beyond Blast" was adjudged the Best Biographical film in the non-feature category. Both the films got Rajat Kamal awards, which was announced in Delhi on Thursday. Bachaspatimayum said that 'Eikhoigi Yum' is a narrative on the impact of globalisation on a tiny remote village on Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in northeast India. The fishing community who lives on the lake faces eviction, turning their lives upside down. "Beyond Blast" is a 52-minute-long biographical documentary on the life of Konthoujam Maikel Meitei, an artist who lost both his legs in a bomb blast in Imphal. MSFDS congratulates both these award-winning filmmakers and applauds their magnificent contribution for the glory of Manipuri Cinema. New Delhi, Aug 26 : National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) celebrated its 25th Silver Jubilee Foundation Day in Hyderabad on Saturday, gathering prominent figures, policymakers, industry leaders and real estate experts. During the event, a collaborative report titled 'Vision 2047' was unveiled by NAREDCO and Knight Frank. This report provided insightful inputs concerning the real estate industry. Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, addressing the audience, emphasised the importance of prioritising the creation of affordable, healthy, and joyful housing, incorporating excellent architectural elements. He inaugurated the event and called upon real estate and infrastructure developers to ensure adequate provision of air, sunlight, and water in housing projects. This, he believed, would lead to content and satisfied residents. Naidu underlined the pivotal role of happy, affordable, and healthy housing as the foundation for the growth of the country's real estate and infrastructure sectors. He stressed that neglecting these essential housing aspects would hinder the intended progress of these sectors. Naidu urged real estate investors to choose projects that provide modern amenities and vital elements like clean air, sunlight, and water, preventing any future regrets. He also advised meticulous planning to avoid encroachments during project development and cautioned against disturbing nature, citing the significant threats posed by the current global climate situation. He highlighted that tampering with nature during such projects could lead to disastrous consequences, especially considering the serious threats that the current natural climate poses to mankind both in India and around the world. Vemula Prashanth Reddy, the Minister of Roads, Building, Legislative Affairs & Housing for the Telangana Government, encouraged investors not only to put their resources into real estate and infrastructure within Hyderabad and Telangana but also into areas like irrigation and agriculture. He assured that the government would grant all necessary approvals for such projects within a 21-day timeframe. During his presidential address, Rajan Bandelkar, President of NAREDCO, expressed confidence that the real estate and infrastructure sector's contribution to the national GDP would substantially rise beyond the current 7 per cent over the next years, given its potential. Bandelkar also conveyed optimism that governmental policies, including those from the central government, would actively bolster the growth of these sectors. NAREDCO's Vice Chairman, Niranjan Hiranandani, who also addressed the gathering, stressed on the pivotal role of real estate and infrastructure in driving the country's progress and lowering unemployment. He urged all stakeholders, encompassing government, private, and public sectors, to collaborate towards achieving zero unemployment and fostering exponential growth in real estate and housing. Among other esteemed guests present at the event were Hari Babu, the current President-elect of NAREDCO, and M Prem Kumar, Vice President of South NAREDCO, both expressing their positive outlook for the remarkable expansion of real estate and housing sectors in the forthcoming years. The Vision 2047 report has projected that India's real estate industry could reach a value of USD 5.8 trillion by 2047. PM Modi to address B20 summit on Sunday. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Aug 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the B20 Summit India 2023 in New Delhi on August 27. The address is scheduled at 12 noon. B20 Summit India brings policymakers, business leaders and experts from across the world to deliberate and discuss the B20 India Communique. The B20 India Communique includes 54 recommendations and 172 policy actions for submission to G20. It is the official G20 dialogue forum with the global business community. Established in 2010, B20 is among the most prominent Engagement Groups in G20, with companies and business organisations as participants. The B20 works to deliver concrete actionable policy recommendations to spur economic growth and development. The three day summit had begun on August 25 with the theme R.A.I.S.E -- Responsible, Accelerated, Innovative, Sustainable and Equitable Businesses. It is being attended by over 1,500 delegates from about 55 countries. The U.S. State Department has released on Friday two documents, corresponding to the daily reports received by President Richard Nixon (1969-1974) on September 8 and 11, 1973, analyzing the Chilean situation prior to the coup detat that overthrew the government of Socialist President Salvador Allende (1970-1973). The declassified files show Washingtons view of events in Santiago de Chile in the hours leading up to the democratic breakdown that gave way to the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). The historic intelligence reports were released by U.S. Ambassador to Chile Bernardette Meehan and accompanied by an official statement from the Joe Biden Administration, which notes that the disclosure of these records demonstrates our enduring commitment to the U.S.-Chile partnership and is consistent with our joint efforts to promote democracy and human rights in our own countries and around the world. The State Department adds: The declassification of documents is a complex interagency process, during which the government considers many factors, including national security, protecting sources and methods, and other risks and benefits of releasing specific information. Taking these factors into account, the U.S. Government completed this declassification review in response to a request from the Government of Chile and to allow for a deeper understanding of our shared history. The undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of Gabriel Borics government, Gloria de la Fuente, thanked President Bidens administration for its willingness to accept the request to declassify files related to our country. Fifty years after the coup detat, the declassification of archives of this documentation promotes the search for truth and reinforces the commitment of our countries to our democratic values, added the diplomatic authority. The reports are divided into two files, from September 8 and September 11, 1973. In them, Nixon is informed about the situation of several nations that were being closely followed by the U.S. authorities, among them Chile. The texts, which have several passages blacked out, deal with the movements of the Chilean Navy, the resistance of the political groups that made up the Popular Unity (UP) and the real possibility of a military coup. In recent years, several documents have been declassified that address Washingtons role in the crisis that led to the breakdown of democracy. Some of these reports have been published by Peter Kornbluh, an analyst at the U.S. National Security Archive, who detailed meetings, conversations and files in the book Pinochet, declassified. On August 9, Chiles Congress approved a bill to request the Foreign Ministry to arrange for the release of U.S. reports related to the coup detat. The request was reinforced by the visit of Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who presented a proposal before the House of Representatives to declassify more documents. The declassified reports September 8th, 1973 A number of reports have been received from Chile indicating the possibility of an early military coup attempt [...] unrest centers in the navy, whose personnel have been on edge about the imminent naming of a new service chief. Navy men plotting to overthrow the government now claim army and air force support. There is no evidence of a coordinated tri-service coup plan. Army generals, in fact, lately have been talking [...] of ways of building interservice unity with a view of increasing the militarys influence on the government. Should hotheads in the navy act in the belief they will automatically receive support from the other services, they could find themselves isolated. There are also indications that naval officers could be planning joint anti-government actions with militant civilian opponents of the regime. The far-rightist Fatherland and Freedom Movement has been blocking roads and provoking clashes with the national police, adding to the tension caused by continuing strikes and opposition political moves. Augusto Pinochet, left, with Salvador Allende, on August 23, 1973. AFP President Allende [...] earlier this week [...] said he believed the armed forces will ask for his resignation if he does not change his economic and political policies. He raised the prospect of an armed confrontation between his followers and the military. Allende said his supporters do not have enough weapons to prevail in such an event and that it would do no good to try to distribute more arms now, since the military would not permit it. He concluded that the only solution is a political one. Allende seemed to be trying to convince [...] that the situation is serious and requires cautious handling, and that some tactical political retreats may be in order. He is worried about the sustained opposition pressures against him and, especially, about the intentions of the military. September 11th, 1973 Plans by navy officers to trigger military action against the Allende government [...] are supported by some key army units, [...]. The navy is also counting on help from the air force and the national police. Although military officers are increasingly determined to restore political and economic order, they may still lack an effectively coordinated plan that would capitalize on the widespread civilian opposition. Socialists, leftist extremists, and Communists are equally determined not to compromise. They are gambling that the military and political opposition cannot carry out moves to oust the government or even to impose restraints on it. President Allende, for his part, still hopes that temporizing will fend off a showdown. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Patna, Aug 26 : The police in Bihar's Bagaha have exhumed the body of a woman who was buried a week ago. The victim's brother held the woman's brother-in-law responsible for her death, alleging that he wanted to establish physical relationship with her. Bagaha police have launched a probe after registering an FIR against the accused persons. According to sources, the woman used to speak to her brother over phone regularly from her in-law's place, but there was no communication from her side for the past one week. Getting suspicious, he inquired about her and came to know from her neighbours that she had died a week back and her body was duly buried. The deceased's brother then moved an application with the SDM who appointed circle officer Vinod Kumar Mishra to look into the case. Under Mishra's supervision, the police on Saturday dug the burial place and exhumed her body. "We have registered an FIR against her in-laws after exhuming the body. The actual cause of death will be ascertained after the pos-tmortem," said Nand Ji Prasad, DSP of Ramnagar zone in West Champaran district. "My sister got married in 2012. Her husband worked in another state as a migrant labourer. Her brother-in-law was applying pressure on her to establish physical relationship which she was denying. That is why he killed my sister and buried her without informing us," the deceased's brother alleged. Imphal, Aug 26 : Security forces, which continued their search operation to recover the looted arms since May, on Saturday found 16 sophisticated weapons, 70 ammunition and 16 explosives in Manipur's Imphal-East, Imphal-West and Kangpokpi districts, police said. A police official said that besides search operations for the looted arms in both valley and hill areas, checking of vehicles continued across the violence hit state. A total of 127 checkpoints were set up in different districts of Manipur to check the movement of vehicles and inimical elements while 2257 persons were detained in connection with violations of various laws and government instructions in different districts of the state. New Delhi, Aug 26 : The Delhi High Court has granted divorce decree to a man, ruling that pressuring a person to abandon his parents and live with his in-laws as "ghar jamai" amounts to cruelty. The decision came after the man's divorce petition was initially dismissed by a family court. The high court's bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Neena Bansal Krishna set aside the family court's order and granted divorce to the couple based on the grounds of cruelty and desertion by the wife. In his plea, the man had stated that he got married in May 2001, and within a year, his wife left their matrimonial home in Gujarat and returned to her parents' place in Delhi while she was pregnant. The man stated that he made sincere efforts to reconcile, but his wife and her family members insisted that he move from Gujarat to Delhi and live with them as "ghar jamai". However, he refused to do so as he had aging parents to take care of. The woman, on the other hand, claimed harassment for dowry and alleged that the man was a drunkard who subjected her to physical abuse and cruelty. She left the matrimonial home in March 2002. The high court referred to a Supreme Court judgement that stated asking a son to separate from his family amounts to cruelty. The judgement had noted that for a Hindu son in India, separating from his family after marriage is not common or desirable, and he has a moral and legal obligation to care for his parents when they age. The high court held that the insistence of the wife's family for the husband to abandon his parents and become a "ghar jamai" amounts to cruelty. It said that the foundation of any matrimonial relationship is cohabitation and conjugal harmony, and the core of a marriage is the comfort and peace derived from each other's company. The high court also noted that the parties had lived together for a few months, suggesting an inability to sustain their marital relationship. It concluded that the deprivation of conjugal relationship is an act of extreme cruelty. The court highlighted that the man had been acquitted in a criminal case filed by his wife, in which she accused him of cruelty and breach of trust. The woman's allegations were not substantiated, and the court noted that false complaints constitute an act of cruelty. Regarding allegations of extramarital relationships, the court observed that long separation had led both the man and woman to seek companionship outside their marriage. The court ultimately concluded that the evidence showed the woman had withdrawn from her husband's company without a reasonable cause, leading to desertion. Aden : , Aug 27 (IANS) At least three Yemeni people, including two children, were killed in an artillery attack carried out by Houthi militia in the country's southwestern province of Taiz, a government official told media. "The Houthis randomly fired shells and targeted the residential village of Ghousha situated to the west of Taiz province, killing three people, including two children," the local government official said on Saturday on condition of anonymity. He clarified that the Houthi shelling attack left 15 other people injured, predominantly women and children, Xinhua news agency reported. The Houthi group, which controlled large swathes of northern Yemen, has not commented on the incident. The province of Taiz has long been a battleground between military units loyal to Yemen's government and the Houthi rebels. The recent shelling incident in Taiz adds to the ongoing sporadic fighting between the Yemeni government forces and Houthis across various regions of the war-torn Arab country. The Yemeni government and Houthi group have engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations, but a comprehensive resolution to the years-long conflict remains elusive. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognised Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. Damascus, Aug 27 : Eleven Syrian military personnel were killed, and 20 others were injured in a rebel attack in the country's northwestern province of Idlib, a war monitor reported. The attackers carried out an assault and detonated explosive devices concealed in tunnels beneath Syrian Army positions in the southern countryside of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Saturday. The observatory added that the attackers are from factions, including the Ansar al-Tawhid group and the Turkestan Islamic Movement, both affiliates of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group, Xinhua news agency reported. Tension has been brewing between the HTS and the Syrian Army, with both sides exchanging fire in northern Syria. On Friday, seven HTS members were killed by the army forces in the western countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria, according to the observatory. On Monday, Syrian forces intercepted and shot down three weaponised drones dispatched by the HTS in the northwestern provinces of Idlib and Hama, according to the state news agency SANA. On the same day, Russian airstrikes conducted in the Idlib region killed eight HTS militants, according to the observatory. HTS, previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, has established control over a large swathe of Idlib. Kiev, Aug 27 : Three pilots were killed after two L-39 military trainer jets collided in the sky over Ukraine's northern Zhytomyr region, the country's Air Force said in a statement on Telegram. The crash took place on Friday, when two aircraft were performing a combat task, the statement said on Saturday as quoted by Xinhua news agency report. The regional prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings into the crash on charges of violation of flight rules, said the Prosecutor General's Office. An investigation into the collision is underway. Tehran, Aug 27 : Iranian Justice Minister Amin-Hossein Rahimi said Iran has exchanged 1,531 prisoners with a number of countries since March 2022, the media reported. Rahimi made the remarks in an interview with the official news agency IRNA while elaborating on the government's efforts to expand legal and judicial cooperation with other countries, Xinhua news agency reported. He said that, during the period, 298 Iranians imprisoned in other states have been released, and 1,233 foreigners held in Iran have been repatriated under agreements between Iran and their countries. The Minister assured that the government is pursuing with seriousness the strategy of promoting judicial diplomacy by increasing judicial interactions and cooperation with other countries. Rahimi noted that Iran has ongoing interactions with Russia, Tajikistan, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Syria to improve judicial cooperation with them. Tehran, Aug 27 : Iranian photojournalist Mohammad-Hossein Velayati, who was detained last week in Afghanistan, has been released, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which Velayati works for, reported. The journalist was handed over to the Iranian embassy in Kabul on Friday night, the report said on Saturday, adding that the release was confirmed by Bilal Karimi, a spokesman of the Taliban administration, but the reporter has yet to be transferred to Iran. Tasnim on Tuesday reported that "Taliban forces" arrested Velayati at the end of his 10-day personal trip to Afghanistan on August 19 without any explanation, as he was returning to Iran, stressing that he had entered Afghanistan legally through the air border, Xinhua news agency reported. In a post on X, previously known as Twitter, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Friday night that intensive diplomatic efforts were being made to return Velayati to Iran. KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 16:10 | All, Japan Concerns are growing among the organizers of the 2025 World Exposition in Osaka that the event may flop due to the slower-than-anticipated construction of pavilions by overseas participants. The event, to be held from April 13 to Oct. 13 in 2025 on the man-made Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay, western Japan, is set to showcase technological and cultural exhibitions from around 150 countries and is expected to attract 28.2 million visitors. Its economic impact is estimated to reach about 2 trillion yen ($14 billion). But with less than two years to go, only South Korea and the Czech Republic have so far drawn up specific plans for their pavilions, a core attraction of the event, stoking fear among the organizers that many of the exhibitions will not complete before the start of the event. The construction of the South Korean pavilion, which will be the earliest among the overseas participants, is expected to finish around November 2024, four months later than initially expected. The delays come as a shortage of construction workers in Japan intensifies and material costs keep rising. Some of the construction companies are also reluctant to sign contracts due to the technological difficulties of building pavilions and the fear of running a deficit. "Some people point out that (the construction of pavilions) has not gone as planned," Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura said. "We have to say it's true." Concerns have also spread to the central government, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in early August instructing the relevant ministers to hasten preparations for the event. Amid a heightened sense of crisis, the organizers, the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition, held an online meeting in July to match participating countries and builders to make up for the delay. But only a handful of the 56 countries that plan to build "self-build" pavilions have selected their builders so far. Some countries have not had their budgets approved internally and cannot go forward with their plans, people familiar with the situation said. A representative at one of the countries that have not decided on their builders said that it has approached over 15 companies only to be unsuccessful. "They were not interested because they know it will not be profitable," the representative said. A lack of construction workers is also preventing builders from accepting orders. The problem is expected to exacerbate in April next year when a new regulation to limit the amount of overtime for construction and other workers is introduced. The organizers have demanded the government exclude workers engaged in the expo's construction from the new regulation but this was met with vehement opposition from labor unions in the industry, which said that the organizers are "ignoring workers' rights." "Construction would be much smoother if the event were pushed back by six months to one year," an official at a general contractor told Kyodo News. The guidelines made by the organizers state that all the self-built pavilions need to be finished by July 2024, less than one year from now. However, in the face of mounting challenges, the organizers have toned down their ambition, with a senior official at the organizing association saying the deadline is not an absolute requirement. "It is a non-binding target set so that we would have time to spare for the scheduled opening," the official said. Some past expos were also hampered by a delay in preparations. In some cases, some pavilions were still being built as the event started. Amid the deadlock, the organizers have proposed a plan for cuboid-shaped pavilions with more unified specifications to be used among the countries that plan to make self-built pavilions. Under the new plan, the organizers will places orders in place of the participating countries for the sake of quicker construction, with the costs borne, in principle, by the countries. The interior design will be up to the countries. The organizers are aiming to start construction in the spring of 2024 and plan to hand over the completed pavilions to the countries by the end of the year. While it will expedite the process, it may make it harder for the participants to build creatively designed pavilions, experts say. In online posts, some people also voiced concerns about the "reduced satisfaction" for visitors. Aside from self-building pavilions or accepting the organizers' latest proposal, participants also have the option of renting pavilions made by the organizers or sharing an area inside an organizer-made pavilion with others. Related coverage: 2025 World Expo in Osaka tickets to be sold from Nov. 30 Japan offers default insurance to construction firms for 2025 Expo South Korea first country to submit plan for pavilion at 2025 Osaka Expo KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 19:45 | All, Japan Japan's first new tram system in 75 years began operating north of Tokyo on Saturday, with features designed to make it easy to access for the elderly and wheelchair users as Japan's society grays. The so-called next-generation tram system in Tochigi Prefecture runs between the east side of JR Utsunomiya Station and the nearby town of Haga, covering the 14.6-kilometer route in 48 minutes. The train, with yellow stripes, has been dubbed the "Lightline" after the frequent lightening observed in Utsunomiya that has earned the capital of Tochigi the nickname "thunder capital." Running on renewable energy, the train cars are designed with low floors and reduced vibration for ease of access. Utsunomiya Mayor Eiichi Sato said at an opening ceremony that he hopes the new transit network will contribute to "exchanges among people and bring energy to the local area." A special train commemorating the start of the service left the Utsunomiya Station East stop, carrying children and others, while many people cheered and watched the departure. The Haga Utsunomiya Light Rail Transit, which has cost 68.4 billion yen ($467 million), was initially planned to open in March 2022, but the schedule was postponed twice due to a delay in construction work. During a trial operation in November, a derailing accident occurred. The Utsunomiya municipal government is also planning a 5-kilometer extension of the tramway from the west side of Utsunomiya Station by 2035. The last time a new tram opened in Japan was in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture, in central Japan. Related coverage: FEATURE: Rise in Japan's unmanned rail stations creating concerns Shinkansen metal transformed into baseball bats to hit market in Oct. Hitachi driverless passenger railway opens in Honolulu, first in U.S. The protagonist of Eskor David Johnsons debut novel, Pay as You Go (McSweeneys, Oct.), is a barber seeking a suitable place to live in the sprawling city of Polis, an off-kilter version of New York City whose unruly denizens have other plans for the young man. Why did you choose to set the novel in a fictionalized version of the Big Apple? The novel was originally going to be in New York, but when youre writing about a real place, there are so many constraints, and I felt the obligation to keep within the realm of normalcy or realismwhich isnt to say that insane things dont happen in New York. But I realized that I could really flex my muscles if there was no one around to tell me what the rules were, and people could be as crazy and insane and freewheeling as my instincts would allow. Making the city Polis took the reins off, and I made my own playground in order to play as I saw fit. The novel is a rollicking picaresque with a teeming cast of characters. What appealed to you about this style? One of my favorite writing teachers would always say more is moreas opposed to less is moreand that really struck a chord. Each year of living in a city can feel like a different era of your life, and there are so many happenings that get compressed into such a small space. So that picaresque mode of storytelling felt like the perfect match. What appealed to you about Slide as the novels ingenuous, resilient, and slightly hapless young protagonist? In an early version of the novel, Slide was a little bit wiser and more world weary, and I found it wasnt enjoyable to spend time with such a know-it-all. Ive encountered versions of that type of jaded character in other big-city literature, and I didnt want that. I wanted that sense of wonder and that sense of wanting. So, I made him slightly stupider, but braver as well. The novel presents Polis as a land of dreams and disillusionment. Can you talk about these contrasting views of metropolitan living? There is this constant wanting in places like New York, and I think when you first arrive, you assume that wanting is solely based on fundamental needs. But then, time passes and you realize there are nicer apartments and restaurants that youve never heard of and cant afford. For the young person navigating the city, there is this sense that you can surrender yourself to all of these wants. Years can pass and then one day, it can spit you out, and all youve done is just want a bunch of things without ever feeling as if youve gotten there. Return to the main feature. When Paul Yoon calls Florida an alien planet, its an earnest expression of bewilderment, not an attempt at political comedy. You wake up and realize that everything is flat, he says, nearly shuddering, about mornings in the Sunshine State. There are no mountains, there are no hills. There are palm trees. There are lizards. During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, Yoon decamped from Massachusetts to Florida with his wife, fellow writer Laura van den Berg, so they could be closer to her family. It was fine for a while. Then, Yoon got an itch. I realized I was stuck in a place that didnt feel like home to me, he says, and it started making me think about home: the idea of home, where my home was, the root of that. Yoon was born in Bayside, Queenshis father was a doctor who worked in various New York Cityarea hospitalsand throughout his childhood, his family edged farther and farther from the city until they settled in a quiet section of the Hudson Valley. As Covid restrictions began to lift, Yoon, 43, found himself longing to return there; hes speaking via Zoom from his and van den Bergs new home in Hudson, N.Y., taking refuge from the total chaos of their half-unpacked boxes to chat in the light-soaked laundry room. Home is a major theme in The Hive and the Honey (S&S/Rucci, Oct.), Yoons latest collection of elliptical short stories, which he began writing during those upside down Florida mornings. In keeping with his past worksthe collections Once the Shore and The Mountain and the novels Snow Hunters and Run Me to Earththe seven stories comprising The Hive and the Honey meditate on lineage and render small-scale personal dramas against backdrops of international conflict. This time, though, the brushstrokes are bolder, and theyre applied to a larger canvas: Yoon moves from contemporary New York to Edo-period Japan, from 1990s London to 19th-century Russia, giving life to shop owners and samurai and itinerant workers and felons, each belonging to or somehow touched by the Korean diaspora. A lot of it was just a leap of faith, Yoon says. I just trusted that no matter how far I went, it would all belong to one tree. Its a trust he developed over time. Yoons grandfather was a North Korean defector and, as a result, most of Yoons family narratives rupture abruptly at the Korean War. Growing up, Yoon would sometimes express curiosity about his ancestry, and all hed get in response was conjecture. I would be like, Oh yeah, I have a great-uncle, dont I? What ever happened to that person? And my dad would shrug and say, Well, he probably ended up in Japan after crossing the border to try to make money, or maybe he got on a fishing boat and worked in the Canary Islands for the rest of his life, Yoon recalls. In part, he says, The Hive and the Honey imagines the sporadic spread of the family hes never known. The protagonists of Cromer are a man and a woman, both children of refugees, who marry and operate a corner store in London, occasionally wondering after the details of their dead parents pasts; Komarov concerns a North Korean defector who agrees to spy on a Soviet boxer who may or may not be the son she left behind during the war. Yoon stresses, however, that hes not on a quest to piece together some sort of comprehensive family mosaic. Its not like Im seeking answers to something, he says. Im propelled by mystery. I want to live in the mystery for as long as I can. For him, the act of writing is itself steeped in mystery. One of his favorite phenomena, he says, is when he sets out to write one story and another reveals itself, something bigger than whats been on the page. Thats what happened with Valley of the Moon, The Hive and the Honeys final story, which was first published in the New Yorker earlier this year. For 14 pages, readers follow a man named Tongsu who returns to his bombed-out childhood farmhouse, restores it, and takes in a pair of orphans named Unsik and Eunhae from a nearby church. (Yoons grandfather opened an orphanage after settling in South Korea, and these are not the only orphans in The Hive and the Honey, nor in Yoons other fiction.) Then, without warning, the focus shifts to Eunhae as she decides to leave the farmhouse and establish herself in the small city of Daegu. This perspective switch was a total surprise, Yoon says, but it allowed him to wrap up the storys questions about family and destiny in ways hed never intended. At the end, when Eunhae returns to Tongsus home and finds herself repeating a grim process that he carried out decades ago, she reflects on how a decision could reveal all the different layers of life, which felt to her as unreachable as the inside of a flower. By some standards, Yoon came to writing late. During his senior year at Phillips Exeter Academy, he had a really formative English teacher who clocked his love of reading and fed him extracurricular fiction on the sly, much of it contemporary. While Yoon was used to syllabi full of old, dead writers like Dickens and Faulknerboth of whom he lovedthe new books alerted him to the fact that literature was an ongoing conversation. I know it sounds simple, but it never occurred to me that this was an active art form, Yoon says. I started devouring contemporary fiction, and I fell in love, and I think, as with love, I wanted to respond to it. While Yoon studied English at Wesleyan University in the early aughts, he spent most nights at his typewriter, writing horrible shit that nonetheless instilled in him the discipline he needed to hack it as a professional. That wide-eyed, visionary student was at the wheel, he says, while he wrote the stories that became The Hive and the Honey. In contrast to his past books, the process for this book was joyful, he recalls: I just felt so damn lucky that I was able to do this for the fifth time. Yoon is acutely aware that his success could dry up at any moment, and thats part of what nudged him to engage fictionally with his imagined family tree in ways hed never done before. Those twinned feelings of anxiety and gratitude tumble around The Hive and the Honeys prismatic title story. Its narrated by a Russian officer whos been assigned to monitor a nascent Korean settlement on Russias far southeastern edge in 1881. The officer bonds with a young orphan girl, whom he leads away from an impending uprising by carrying a teacup of honey into the woods. He offers its contents up to a bee, which dips itself into the honey and then flies away, presumably returning to its hive. The Russian man and Korean girl follow the bee until they cant see it anymore, then wait for it to reappear. The process repeats. Eventually, the girl leaves her protector behind, wandering ever deeper into the woods. Its easy to read her as an author stand-in, reaching for some distant, finite museYoons estranged family, perhaps. She is in the distance now. All sunlight. Only a sliver, Yoon writes. The bee comes back from its hidden kingdom, and then it doesnt. With his new story collection, the Korean American author takes his explorations of home and family into new territory Every fall season, enthusiasm builds for certain subjects, and novelsnotably high-stakes historical fiction and immersive work in translationare extra hot for 2023. While memoirs are also generating buzz, booksellers are diving into literary fiction as well as fan-favorite genre titles in the transition from summer toward the holidays. Several booksellers contacted by PW singled out The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut (Penguin Press, Oct.) as their handselling favorite, with value added due to its appeal to fans of the film Oppenheimer. Alex George, owner of the Skylark Bookshop in Columbia, Mo., declared The Maniacbased on the life of physicist John von Neumannone of the most unusual and brilliant novels Ive read in years. Javier Ramirez, co-owner of Exile in Bookville in Chicago, calls it a great follow-up to Labatuts When We Cease to Understand the World, originally published in Spanish and shortlisted for the 2021 Booker Prize in its English translation. The Dutch-born Chilean author wrote The Maniac in English, which is pretty incredible, Ramirez adds. Skylark manager Carrie Koepke has high hopes for What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts (Hanover Square, Sept.). I plan on selling a flat full of this novel, which is about the connections forged around book recommendations, Koepke says. I expect a slow build and constant interest similar to Toshikazu Kawaguchi's Before the Coffee Gets Cold. Booksellers also see a top holiday handsell in Emily Wilsons translation of Homers The Iliad (Norton, Sept.). Its 848 pages and unrhymed iambic pentameter make it an unlikely chart-topper, but booksellers sense a winner. I didnt think Id be so excited about a 3,000-year-old poem, admits David Enyeart, manager at Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, Minn. Shes aiming for a looser, more intimate translation of the epic, akin to her critically acclaimed 2018 translation of The Odyssey. Allyson Howard, owner of Invitation Bookshop in Gig Harbor, Wash., agrees that were excited to see The Iliad get a fresh, and refreshing, new translation. Among Howards additional picks are forthcoming novels by Pulitzer Prize finalists. Daniel Masons North Woods (Random House, Sept.) is wholly unique, gorgeously written, Howard says, while the story collection This Is Salvaged by Vauhini Vara (Norton, Sept.) is a profound look at girlhood and motherhood, according to our bookseller Josie Williams. For readers who like an experiment, Invitation staffers recommend One Woman Show by Christine Coulson (Avid Reader, Oct.), structured as a series of museum wall captions. They also cant wait to share The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff (Riverhead, Sept.), the tale of an adolescent servant on the run in the colonial American wilderness, with one employee calling it beautiful in spite of its brutality. Cassie Clemans, owner of Roundabout Books in Bend, Ore., found The Vaster Wilds breathtaking, she says. Even when youre not reading it, your mind is still there, running with this young woman fleeing Jamestown during the starving winter of 1609. Clemans notes that Roundabout booksellers are looking forward to new fiction from J.M. Coetzee, Tan Twan Eng, and Jonathan Evison, as well as Sy Montgomerys nonfiction title In Search of Turtle Time (Mariner, Sept.). In what might seem a surprise pick, Invitations Howard recommends cozy fantasy Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (Tor, Nov.). We really do read more than literary fiction, she jokes, and this lives up to everything readers loved about Legends & Lattes, to which Bookshops & Bonedust is a prequel. Genre readers also will want to get Out There Screaming: An Anthology of Black Horror (Random House, Oct. 3), edited by Nope filmmaker Jordan Peele and including stories by Tanarive Due, N. K. Jemisin, Nnedi Okorafor, and Rebecca Roanhorse: Its the collection weve wanted our whole lives but didnt know we needed, says Isis Asare, founder of the online shop Sistah Scifi. Linda Kass, owner of Gramercy Books in Bexley, Ohio, says, it seems like this fall belongs to science fiction and fantasy, with demand exceeding supply for Rebecca Yarross Fourth Wing sequel, Iron Flame (Entangled, Nov.). V.E. Schwabs The Fragile Threads of Power (Tor, Sept.) also will be big, judging by an off-site event with Schwab that Gramercy Books has scheduled for October 6. As of late July, 400 people had already registered for Schwabs appearance, indicating sustained interest in magicians and the gateways between an ordinary and enchanted London. Memoirs moment Some celebrity books and memoirs are sure to resonate, according to booksellers. Trevor Noahs adult graphic narrative Into the Uncut Grass (One World, Oct.), illustrated by Christopher Myers, is going to be huge, Kass predicts, as will My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand (Viking, Nov.) and Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe (Harper, Sept.). Charles Hannah, co-owner of Third Eye Books in Portland, Ore., is anticipating The Upcycled Self (One World, Sept.), a memoir by Tariq Trotter of hip-hop collective the Roots. Jhoanna Belfer, owner and manager of Bel Canto Books in Long Beach, Calif., looks forward to End Credits: How I Broke Up with Hollywood by Patty Lin (Zibby, Sept.), who wrote for TV series including Friends and Breaking Bad. This debut memoir by a former TV writer and producer is a spill-the-tea page-turner about Hollywood and the toll it exacts, especially on women of color, Belfer says. Belfers other picks are in the fiction category. She calls Happiness Falls by Angie Kim (Hogarth, Aug.) an un-put-downable literary mystery about the ripple effects of a stay-at-home dads disappearance, and Flores and Miss Paula by Melissa Rivero (Ecco, Dec.) a gorgeously written novel about a Peruvian mother and her millennial daughter struggling to connect. Another Bel Canto favorite is Susan Lees humorous rom-com The Name Drop (Inkyard, Sept.), a case of mistaken identity among summer interns, and a delicious peek at the international elite. Kris Kleindienst, owner of Left Bank Books in St. Louis, Mo., is excited about The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay (Algonquin, Sept.), explaining, I love his essays, their exuberance, the controlled meander in and out of unexpected observations, the way he can find delight in otherwise dark places. Bel Cantos Belfer echoed Kleindiensts sentiment: Ross Gay is the ultimate #autobuyauthor for us, and we cant wait for everyone to be further delighted by these sweet, funny, and tender musings. Next Chapters Enyeart similarly feels excited for Gays latest, as well as Viet Thanh Nguyens memoir A Man of Two Faces (Grove, Oct.). Nguyens a fascinating person who has a slight outsiders perspective, his family having fled from Vietnam to the U.S. when he was a child, Enyeart says. Gay made the rounds at last years regionals, and Nguyen will appear at CALIBAs gathering this year, building connections and contributing to everyones TBR lists. An error concerning the identity of the author of Before the Coffee Gets Cold has been corrected. Return to the main feature. Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Tradeshow Portland, Ore., September 1921 For the third year, PNBA has front-loaded its shows schedule with a day-one Big Pitch session with sales reps, followed by a social opening of the exhibition hall to let attendees mingle and catch up. The second day focuses on exhibitsincluding a Galley Gallery where booksellers can browseand the third day centers on bookseller education on such topics as social media strategies and how to support staff. Highlights: Opening-day Authors on the Map brunch featuring debut and second-time regional authors including Lisa Brideau, Lydia Kiesling, Susan Lieu, Deke Moulton, Cassandra Newbould, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, and Mary Rechner, among others. Dinner at the Kids Table, with authors including Rosanne Parry, Nisi Shawl, Suma Subramaniam, and Ali Terese. Nightcapper Autographing Party with more than a dozen authors from independent publishers. Two Authors over Easy breakfasts, one with a panel featuring Maeve DuVally, Laurie Frankel, Rachel Khong, Garth Stein, and Don Winslow, and the next with Northwest authors E.J. Koh, Sasha LaPointe, and Seanan McGuire. The Signature Dish dinner event, with a dozen authors visiting tables to chat about their latest books. Evening Sweet & Greet gathering with more than a dozen authors signing their works. California Independent Booksellers Alliance Fall Fest San Francisco, September 2728 CALIBAs Fall Fest, held this year in a hotel near San Francisco International Airport, is a tightly packed two days of presentations, book signings, and practical knowhow. In addition to meeting top authors, plus a California-specific author panel, booksellers can join in roundtable discussions on such topics as handselling, book clubs, used books and remainders, Ingram, and Edelweiss. Highlights: Indie All-Star opening breakfast with Melissa Broder, R.O. Kwon, Stephanie Land, Alex Michaelides, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, moderated by the Book Catapults Seth Marco. YA authors panel with Carolina Ixta, Ava Reid, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Dale Walls, and Jasmine Walls. Author Buzz luncheon with Matthew Blake, Yangsze Choo, Tea Obreht, Claire Oshetsky, and Rebecca Serle, moderated by mimi tempestt. Concurrent book speed-dating sessions featuring lineups of adults and kids titles. Small press rep picks bingo and pizza party. Scholastic lunch with authors Mason Deaver, Joanna Ho, Ali Terese, and Booki Trivat. Whats Past Is Prologue, a California-focused panel with Jason de Leon, Obi Kaufmann, David Kipen, and Jose Vadi. New England Independent Booksellers Association Providence, R.I., October 35 For NEIBAs 50th anniversary (see NEIBA at 50, p. 54), booksellers can anticipate a celebratory shindig and buzz around the New England Book Awards and the New England Childrens Book Advisory Councils annual Windows and Mirrors selections. Education sessions will address bookstore business plans and day-to-day concerns, and attendees can register for rep picks, an editor buzz panel, and the awards luncheon. Highlights: Opening keynote by Charles Duhigg (Supercommunicators), in conversation with Random House executive v-p and publisher Andy Ward. Author reception with more than 18 authors, including Jean Kwok, Meghan Riordan Jarvis, Sophia Romero, and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. Childrens author and illustrator breakfast with Kylie Lee Baker, Raj Haldar, Donna Barba Higuera, and cocreators Michael Datcher and Frank Morrison. Author breakfast with Antonia Hylton, Lisa Ko, Maggie Thrash, and coauthors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey. Education sessions focused on the bottom line and personal growth, with advice from goals (So You Want to Own a Store Someday) to budgeting (Are You a Pants-er or a Plotter?). NEIBAs annual meeting, with the announcement of its Windows and Mirrors list of 20 diverse books for young readers, as well as educational programming on Childrens Bookselling: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Awards Luncheon, hosted by memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald (Dirtbag, Massachusetts), honoring the finalists and winners of the New England Book Awards and other NEIBA prizes. Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association FallCon Denver, October 47 Booksellers can expect a few tweaks to MPIBAs usual programming, such as an Edelweiss/Above the Treeline education intensive on Wednesday, just ahead of the party at a local brewpub that traditionally kicks off the conference; education roundtables for bookstore owners and managers not attending the Picks of the Lists presentations, scheduled throughout the day on Thursday; and the return of the indie-to-indie luncheon that was discontinued a number of years ago. Highlights: Childrens Author and Illustrator Breakfast, with presentations by W. Bruce Cameron, Carl Hiaasen, Kizu Kibuishi, Violet Lemay, and Andrea Wang. Debutiful Author Lunch with a dozen debut fiction authors, hosted by Adam Vitcavage, creator of the Debutiful podcast. Bestsellers for Breakfast, with presentations by Betsy Gaines Quammen, Stephanie Land, Navied Mahdavian, Tim OBrien, Nita Prose, and Scarlett St. Clair. Author Smorgasbord Lunch with more than a dozen authors. The Great Picture Book Pitch speed-dating event, featuring more than a dozen fast-talking childrens authors. Indie to Indie Lunch, with presentations by members of the Independent Publishers Caucus. Exhibit Hall guided tours and introductions on Friday morning for first-time MPIBA attendees. The Expert Is In table in the exhibit hall, staffed during trade show hours with veteran booksellers answering questions in their areas of expertise. Midwest Independent Booksellers and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Associations Heartland Fall Forum Detroit, October 1820 After an exuberant gathering last fall in St. Louis, Heartland Fall Forumthe trade show cosponsored by MIBA and GLIBA for more than a decadeis moving northeast, to Detroit. Its the first time Heartland will be held in the Motor City, and GLIBA executive director Larry Law promises some big things beyond the usual panels, roundtables, receptions, and trade show. Highlights: Heartland Booksellers Awards and Voice of the Heartland Award ceremony, hosted by Isaac Fitzgerald (Dirtbag, Massachusetts). Opening-night reception featuring a conversation between musician Jack White and author and music critic Hanif Abdurraqib, featuring Ben Blackwell, an executive at Whites Third Man Records. Opening night dance party with a DJ at Third Man Records. Percival Everett in conversation with Phillip B. Williams. Eight-bookstore bus tour around the Detroit metro area: 27th Letter Books, the Book Beat, Book Suey, John K. King Used & Rare Books, Pages Bookshop, Schuler Books West Bloomfield, Sidetrack Bookstore, and Source Booksellers. Education panels on the art of in-conversation author events, banned books, and more, plus an interactive zine workshop. Return to the main feature. The New England Independent Booksellers Association will mark its 50th year with an anniversary gala during its Fall Conference. NEIBA currently counts 221 bookstores and 113 publishers, vendors, and commission groups among its ranks. The landmark anniversary comes at an opportune time to throw a party. Every in-person event we have feels like a miracle, NEIBA executive director Beth Ineson says, recalling the virtual meetings of 2020 and 2021. Incoming NEIBA board president Emily Russo of Print: A Bookstore in Portland, Maine, concurs. Were looking at [the fall gathering] as a huge celebration, she notes. Not only did we survive the pandemic, were thriving. Outgoing NEIBA board president Beth Wagner of White Birch Books in North Conway, N.H., whose extended term began in 2019 and spanned the Covid years, applauds NEIBA members willingness to rethink accessibility and adopt technologies. I dont want to be bright side about the pandemic, because it was terrible, but the board functioned really well, and booksellers weathered hard times, Wagner says. Were tough like the landscape isrugged but with a soft center. Were lucky to live in a geographically advantaged region, where all the stores are a five- or six-hour drive from one another. NEIBA includes bookstores in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, plus about a dozen in northeastern New York. Ineson also mentioned the regions manageable size. I held state-by-state shop talks this spring and listened to stores concerns in real time, she says. For booksellers who need to connect virtually, NEIBA maintains a private Facebook forum and Ineson holds weekly Zoom office hours. Moving from one era to another Founded in 1973 as NEBA, NEIBA has connected the bookselling community for five decades with mainstays like the Fall Conference and Spring Forum. NEIBA committees nominate and select winners of the annual New England Book Awards, recognize sales reps with the Saul Gilman Award, and, in cooperation with the Book Publishers Representatives of New England, crown the regions indie store of the year with the Independent Spirit Award. The volunteer-led New England Childrens Booksellers Advisory Council, a vibrant division of NEIBA since 1987, addresses topics relating to young readers. Since 2015, NECBA has advanced a mission of diversity by highlighting 20 books for young readers on its Windows and Mirrors list. According to Kinsey Forman of High Five Books in Florence, Mass., who cochairs NECBA with Read Davidson of Harvard Book Store, NECBA develops timely book industry programming. Recent presentations included a talk with Massachusetts clinical psychologist Joseph Moldover on writing about school shootings in his YA novel Every Moment After, and a chat with indie publisher Nosy Crow, which opened a Boston office in 2022. Another popular NEIBA program that combines author presentations and bookseller education, All About the Books, took shape when Steve Fischer became executive director in 2006. I had a strategic plan that had been hammered out by a consultant and the board, and I was mandated to implement it, Fischer says. That plan was my road map, in terms of budget and programming, to instituting a shop-local program and a peer-review program that got everybody out into other stores, sharing ideas. The strategic plan moved NEIBA from one era into another, Fischer recalls. I was blessed with incredible board presidents, board members, and advisory councils. I felt like we were in the same boat rowing in the same direction and going to the same place. Although during his tenure Amazon was killing us, and we got in way late on e-books, we saw this enormous growth of childrens bookselling and made it through a painful recession, he says. Fischer, who handed the NEIBA reins to Ineson upon his retirement in 2017, remains optimistic about bookselling. In the mid-2000s, he says, Id have that conversation with the Boston Globe about the death of the independent bookstore, and I felt like Pollyanna. But at the end of my 10 years, I was getting phone calls about new stores and the success story. Bookstores are not going to go away, Fischer insists. Theyre a very nimble lot run by very smart people. Return to the main feature. KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 08:55 | World, All, 3/11 Fukushima Fish dealers at a Beijing market appear shocked after China banned all seafood imports from Japan in response to its release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. With Chinese state media reports and social media posts filled with information emphasizing negative effects of the Fukushima water release on the marine environment and human body, the local food industry also expressed wariness about the outlook for businesses related to "washoku" traditional Japanese cuisine. A fish dealer at the Beijing market said Friday the company had mainly procured cultured tuna from southwestern Japan's Nagasaki Prefecture due partly to the neighboring country's advanced farming technology and stable supply, but now has to explore different sources such as Australia, New Zealand and Spain. However, the taste and texture of tuna from other countries are "totally different" from those of Japanese imports and it is "impossible to replace them," the dealer said. A female worker of a retailer selling Japanese sake and seasoning said she is worried that nobody would be willing to consume Japanese food in China. Tadashi Sasaki, who heads the Shanghai office of Nagasaki, regretted China's total import ban, saying seafood is the prefecture's mainstay export item. There are about 80,000 Japanese restaurants in China, according to Chinese media. In 2022, China topped the list of Japan's agricultural, fishery and forestry product export destinations, with such shipments to the country hitting 278.2 billion yen, ($1.9 billion), up more than five-fold compared with 2013. Seafood exports accounted for some 30 percent of the total, according to Japanese government data. ==Kyodo It has been more than three years since the launch of online retailer Bookshop.org, which rolled out just before the Covid-19 pandemic shuttered bookstores across the U.S. in 2020. Today, Bookshop.org has 1,890 bookstores selling on the site, and an additional 60,000 affiliate members, of which approximately 9,000 are conducting consistent business there. When stores closed, Bookshop.org got off to a fast start, with $60 million in revenue in 2020, but that dropped to $54 million in 2021 and $45 million in 2022. The company, which offers a profit share, has returned nearly $28 million to independent bookstore partners. CEO and founder Andy Hunter attributes the sites shifting sales fortunes to a change in shopping habits. When we started, we had a huge amount of influx because of the pandemic, he says. In 2020, 60% of our sales were bookstores selling directly to customers. Then customers returned to stores and we lost sales. We stabilized at the end of 2022 and early 2023 and are growing again. Hunter says the company expects sales to bounce back up to $50 million this year. Now, the platform is looking to expand its customer base. For now, I think weve attracted the type of socially conscious consumer who would naturally seek us out as a channel to buy books, Hunter says. Our bestsellers list is different from Amazons, which is something we are psyched about. But there are many readers we havent reached yet, namely the ones who shop solely on Amazon due to convenience and price. We want those mainstream book buyers. Hunter estimates that, despite its success, Bookshop.org still accounts for only 1% of active online book buyers. Amazon has two advantages over us: shipping times and predatory pricing. But those only apply to physical books. He sees a level playing field when selling e-books. E-books are the same price on Amazon as they are on Bookshop.org, and they will arrive in the same amount of time, which is instantly. Bookshop.org will begin beta testing e-book sales in November, with the hope of starting public sales in early 2024. The e-books will be available on Apple, Android, and on web-based platforms, and Hunter is in discussions about producing an ink e-reader. Hunter hopes to gain an edge over Amazon by making content from e-books more sharable and social, as well. E-books have been too walled off from the rest of the internet and need to be more a part of the online conversation, he says. They are filled with interesting ideas and should be out there and given an opportunity to go viral. In addition to launching e-books, Bookshop.org is looking into ways to fill the void left by Amazon Smilethe online retailers program to share affiliate revenue with charities and nonprofits, which ended in January. Other projects this fall include the publication of Book-shop.orgs first book, Lydia Daviss Our Strangers, which was announced at Winter Institute in January. Our Strangers arrives in bookstores October 3, with a first printing of 10,000. What we want to do is prove that an author can have a successful book in the market without selling through Amazon, Hunter says. Asked if the company plans to publish more books, Hunter hedged, saying if it does, it will likely be with a publishing partner rather than as a solo venture. Hunter and members of his team will appear at numerous regional events this fall, offering seminars and one-on-one consultations. Our priority is serving booksellers, he says. Well be working with them directly to help them sell more books on our site and to share some best practices. Return to the main feature. Recently, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported the progress of Afghanistans Qosh Tepa Irrigation Canal, $670 million, 285-kilometer canal to irrigate 550,000 hectares of land by diverting 25% of the flow of the Amu Darya River. Irrigating northern Afghanistan has been a priority for Kabul since Afghanistans first president, Mohammad Daud Khan, planned the canal in the 1970s. The Amu Darya, which is Afghanistans border with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, originates in the Hindu Kush and Wakhan in the Pamir Highlands of Afghanistan, and flows 2,540 kilometers to the Aral Sea, between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. In 2018, the U.S. Agency for International Development announced a feasibility study for the canal, but NATO evacuated the country before the study was complete. The Taliban resumed the project in March 2022 and has completed about 100 kilometers of the canal. The Taliban claim the canal will help ensure food security and will benefit farmers, many of them their Pashtun supporters who will migrate to the area, which is mostly inhabited by ethnic Uzbeks and Tajiks. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, which could lose 15% of irrigation water from the Amu Darya, addressed their concerns to the Taliban, and havent commented on the negotiations. But the Taliban claimed Tashkents envoy said Uzbekistan was ready to work with the Islamic emirate (the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan) through technical teams in order to maximize the benefits of the Qosh Tepa canal project. Uzbekistans concern is the health of the cotton industry, and the impact on water-stressed Karakalpakstan, an autonomous republic of Uzbekistan that was the scene of disturbances in July 2022 when the government announced a constitutional amendment to eliminate Karakalpakstans autonomy. The change was withdrawn after unrest that saw 18 killed and hundreds wounded. The existing agreement on sharing Amu Darya water is the 1996 Almaty Agreement signed by the Central Asian republics, but not Afghanistan. The Agreement retains the water allocation quotas established by the Soviets, and Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan consume more than 80% of the rivers water. The republics have established modalities to manage the Amu Darya, but Afghanistan is not included. The Taliban say they will responsibly use the water to the benefit of all, though they probably privately feel that the other states got the advantage of 100% of the water for several decades and now it is Afghanistans turn to take what it feels it is due. What can the Central Asian republics do? Not much; Afghanistan is the head of the watercourse, and it is not a signatory to the UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes (adopted in 1992). But offering Kabul formal participation in a water sharing arrangement will give the Taliban what it craves - legitimacy. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, Central Asia has a high level of water stress and the World Bank reports, many as 22 million people in Central Asia nearly one-third of the regions population lack access to safe water. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan can make solo deals, but why not use the Interstate Commission for Water Coordination of Central Asia (ICWC) to negotiate an arrangement with the Taliban? The Commission was formed in 1992 by the newly independent Central Asian republics with the mission of the adoption of principles of collective decision making on common water-related issues and it recognizes that water is a limiting factor in development. The Commission operates on the basis of equity, equality and consensus and its decisions are binding. It has decades of water management experience that it can share with Afghanistan. Engaging with the Commission, perhaps as an observer, will start to introduce the Taliban to the governing structures of the region, and is an opportunity to make its case to the neighbors an audition on the most important issue, access to water. If the Taliban negotiates in bad faith, some options are to stop (or renegotiate) selling electricity to Afghanistan which imports 80% of its power from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Iran; route surface freight traffic via Iran and the International North-South Transport Corridor which will allow connections to Russia, the Caspian region, the markets of the southern Persian Gulf, and India; attach additional conditions to the TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia (TAPI) natural gas pipeline; and increase counter-narcotics activity and cooperation among the republics and with Europe, Russia, the U.S., Iran, China, and Pakistan. The Taliban is reportedly financing the canal with sales of coal to Pakistan, but coal prices are expected to decline by 42% in 2023 according to the World Bank. In August, Afghanistans Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced a significant reduction in the royalties and customs duty for coal, so falling revenue may slow the project. And, after the canal is complete, comes the Dasht-i-Jun hydroelectric complex . The filling volume of the dam will take most of the summer flow of the Pyanj River, a tributary of the Amu Darya River, harming agriculture in Tajikistan which, ironically, just joined a sustainable cotton initiative. Thus, the Talban will control the lions share of Central Asias transboundary waters. How will the U.S. react to increased Taliban engagement with the Central Asian republics? Though Washington will sympathize with the republics, Central Asia is not a priority as it is busy with a war in Ukraine and preparing for conflict with China. That said, America needs to make good on its declared policy of supporting the security, development, and prosperity of the republics. Property details: LAND FOR SALE KERN COUNTY, CA Would you like to own land in Kern County? Does panoramic desert view land interest you? Here is your opportunity to purchase 2 connecting lots for a fraction of market value. The property itself measures approximately 5,980 square feet. Located with easy dirt road access just off of Hwy 14, the lots are situated in an area of many similar sized parcels. Please feel free to drive out and explore the land for yourself prior to bidding. Great investment opportunity! B... Price: $ 830 Seller State of Residence: Wisconsin State/Province: California Location: 935**, Mojave, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California Property details: Nice Residential Lot in Nice Neighborhooe walkability to lots of handy spots in Meridian! We have received confirmation that the House has been torn down. This Auction is for the Lot only located at 3706 Paulding St. Meridian MS 39307. Parcel # 076134383000501300. You pay the total price of the property. $500 Processing fee Due at close of Auction for a quitclaim to be prepared and sent to you. $Winning Bid Amount to be paid within 3 days. We can accept most forms of payment including epayments ... Price: $ 238 Seller State of Residence: California Type: Homesite, Lot Property Address: 3706 Paulding St. Zip/Postal Code: 39307 Zoning: Residential City: meridian State/Province: Mississippi Location: 920**, Encinitas, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Mississippi Property details: LAND FOR SALELAKE ELSINORE, CA Would you like to own land in Riverside County? Does mountain view land in the Lake Elsinore area interest you? Here is your opportunity to purchase a nice, well-positioned property for a fraction of market value. Located with easy paved road access along E. 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Price: $ 1,100 Seller State of Residence: Wisconsin Zip/Postal Code: 92530 City: Lake Elsinore State/Province: California Location: 925**, Lake Elsinore, California You will be redirected to eBay Nearby California ABC/Craig Sjodin By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/25/2023 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. winner Dotun Olubeko has revealed if he had any hesitation or reservations about proposing marriage to Charity Lawson after only a handful of dates with her.Charity rejected Joey Graziadei in second place and selected Dotun as her winner at the end of 's twentieth season, which aired Monday night on ABC.Dotun proposed marriage to Charity at the Final Rose Ceremony, but there was apparently a lot that went through his mind before popping the question."Did you think, 'Should I get down on one knee?' Or were you 100 percent?" Joe Amabile asked Dotun on the August 22 episode of the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast."At the end of the show," Joe continued, "I think it's normal to think, 'I want to be with this person, but an engagement is actually a really big thing. Am I really ready for this?'"Dotun -- who conducted the interview with 20 star by his side -- acknowledged there are "so many layers" to that question."I knew I was ready, right? Like, I wouldn't have been a part of this journey if I wasn't ready. But my person, that was going to be the hard thing to do -- to find my person," Dotun explained."But once I met this special lady here, it all started to make sense, and then by Week 4 or whatever -- around that time -- our connection really took off and I was like, 'I can really see her being my person.' It was stuff I was seeing on-camera but off-camera, too, the little things. I was like, 'That's The One right there!'"Dotun insisted while he "really was ready" for an engagement, he noted, "But of course there is always doubt."The 30-year-old integrative medicine specialist from Fresno, CA, reasoned, "I'm not a psychopath," which made Charity laugh out loud."So of course you're like, 'This is f-cking weird,' and, 'This is not how I ever imagined it,'" he noted. "And also, you probably understand that, like, it's hard to be successful leaving this."Dotun therefore admitted he had thought to himself, "Is this really worth everything that's going to come with it?"Dotun also had no idea and The Bachelor is intended to end in an engagement. Prior to appearing on the show, Dotun hadn't watched the franchise, and he certainly wasn't a big fan. (He was also extremely close to backing out of the opportunity).But Dotun concluded in Fiji that Charity was worth it all, and so the answer to his question was "actually pretty easy."And "especially in those last couple days," Dotun shared, "I was so sure. It's all I wanted... Yeah, 100 percent."Dotun got emotional just thinking about that Final Rose Ceremony in Fiji, when he had popped the question and Charity replied, "A million times yes!"For Charity's part, she recalled being "dead set on an engagement" when process began."I was like, 'I want this to end in an engagement.' And it kind of sounds irrational... but the engagement was my focus at a point. But then I was like, 'I don't know, let me take some steps back and really, like, consider all factors here," Charity explained.Charity said it was around hometowns when things got really serious for her and she had developed multiple strong connections.Because of her confused heart, Charity said she started to "waver" and be "on the fence" about an engagement."I thought, 'I could just leave in a relationship. An engagement is so serious.' I was like, 'How will I know that... I'm going to be so sure?'" Charity recalled."But obviously you see me and Dotun's love story from start to finish, and there was never a doubt that I knew this man was also going to choose me... I felt so reassured in that sense."Charity told Joe and Serena that while she and Dotun could've left the show just dating and happy, "it felt to right" with Dotun and she felt "so sure" about their relationship."I can't even put into words what that feeling was like," Charity gushed."It's just, you know. That saying is so cliche, but you truly just know... That helped me get to the decision of, 'Yes, I can follow through with this and be okay and confident in my decision.'"Dotun and star's speeches at the Final Rose Ceremony have been compared to wedding vows. They expressed how much they valued, respected and admired each other, and they were both deeply in love."With Dotun, it boils down to a feeling you can't really place and you can't really pinpoint; you just have it and it's there, and when it comes together, you feel alive," Charity gushed on the finale of her season."I love Dotun, and I see, so clearly, a future with him -- a future that is going to bring me the most happiness."Charity and Dotun said on 's live Season 20 finale that they are in no rush to wed; however, they can imagine planning a wedding fairly soon -- and maybe even getting married in Nigeria, according to Good Morning America.couple said they're just looking forward to being engaged, going on dates in public, and growing in love.To help them on that journey, ABC gifted Charity and Dotun a romantic trip to Greece. Charity will also be staying in California for a while as she competes on Dancing with the Stars' upcoming 32nd season.Joey, meanwhile, was officially announced as The Bachelor star for the show's 28th season, which is expected to premiere in January 2024.And before The Bachelor returns, ABC is premiering Bachelor in Paradise's ninth season as well as The Golden Bachelor starring Gerry Turner on Thursday, September 28 beginning at 8PM ET/PT.Interested in more The Bachelor news? Follow our Bachelor Nation News Page on Facebook or join our The Bachelor Facebook Group KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 10:12 | All, World A Buddhist priest from Japan based in Lahaina on Hawaii's Maui island cherishes a photograph of his place of worship before it was engulfed in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. Ai Hironaka, 46, resident minister at the Lahaina Hongwanji temple, now lives as an evacuee with his family at a friend's house in the island's northern region of Kahului. During a recent interview with Kyodo News, he clutched in his hands the Aug. 9 paper edition of The Maui News. On the front page was his temple up in flames. "The day after the fire, I realized my temple was burned down because this paper told me." "Ganbare (Hang in there), ganbare, ganbare," Hironaka said in Japanese while looking at the photo of the 90-year-old temple with tears in his eyes. "It's as if I can hear the temple's final voice." The Maui News printed the photo with the credit line Matthew Thayer and it has since circulated in many U.S. news publications. "I have a feeling of gratitude for the person that captured my temple's last moments," Hironaka said. Hironaka moved to Lahaina from Honolulu in 2010 to be resident minister. He lived on the temple grounds with his wife, son and three daughters. On the morning of Aug. 8, strong winds crashed open the temple's windows. Hironaka said he knew it would be a "tough" day when a large tree fell over in the wind. Community members were preparing for the upcoming annual Bon Odori dancing festival -- a Japanese tradition to honor ancestors in mid-August. "At first I ignored the wildfires," he said. "They were common to see from afar but I never thought they would come to town." Hironaka and his family evacuated by car later in the day as a precaution against winds that were then gusting at nearly 100 kilometers per hour, generated by Hurricane Dora as it passed southwest of the Hawaiian island chain. He packed only two days of clothes believing he would be able to return soon after the storm passed. But as he evacuated, he saw houses on fire. "I should go back, I didn't bring anything related to the Buddha," he thought. But it was too late. "I saw the social hall of the church next to my temple ablaze." The local police said the death toll from the wildfire rose to 115 as of Thursday and the Maui county office the same day released the names of 388 people who are still unaccounted for. Meanwhile, the county filed a civil damages lawsuit Thursday against Hawaiian Electric Co. and its affiliates, alleging they did not turn off electrical equipment when the National Weather Service issued a warning Aug. 7 and that the fires were caused by the company's downed power lines igniting dry fuel such as grass and brush. Related coverage: Maui businesses face mixed messages on tourism after wildfires FEATURE: Lahaina not the only place affected by wildfires on Maui Leader in Maui relief efforts sees model in post-tsunami Japan Over 600 students gathered Saturday at the Tate Student Center Grand Hall for the annual Dawg Day of Service event. This year marked the 10th year the Engagement, Leadership and Service Department has provided this volunteering service for students. With 689 students signing up this year, there was the largest number of volunteers since before the COVID-19 pandemic. A majority of the people have questions about Alpha Xis recruitment process. Indeed, its been mostly kept under wraps until Bid Day, of course. I decided the best way to answer all of these questions was to outline my own personal experience going through Alpha Xi Deltas establishment recruitment as a Potential New Member. The sons learned that they had been completely disinherited and that Surinder Kanwar's new wife would inherit everything. Issues have surfaced in the family-held businesses of entrepreneur Raunaq Singh's younger son, Surinder Paul Kanwar, over a family settlement dispute. For over a decade, Surinder Kanwar and his sons, Sameer Kanwar and Sachit Kanwar, have been managing and operating the listed companies Bharat Gears and Raunaq EPC International. Last week, Bharat Gears issued a notification to the exchanges, stating that the company had received a memorandum of family settlement from Sameer Kanwar. However, this memorandum is being disputed by his father (Surinder Kanwar). The matter is sub judice, and the next hearing is scheduled for December 13, 2023. '...this is to inform you that the company has received from Sameer Kanwar a photocopy of the purported memorandum of family settlement dated April 13, 2012, entered into among family members of Surinder Paul Kanwar, comprising Sameer Kanwar, his brother Sachit Kanwar, his father Surinder Paul Kanwar, and various other unlisted entities as confirming parties,' the notification stated. Surinder Kanwar, chairman and MD of Bharat Gears, has contested the family settlement, as mentioned in the notification. However, it also clarified that Bharat Gears is not a party to the case. Sameer Kanwar serves as the joint MD of Bharat Gears. Bharat Gears' response is in reference to a case filed by Sachit Kanwar at the Delhi high court. The case seeks the court's intervention for the effective enforcement of the family settlement that was established in 2012. The matter is currently undergoing fast-track mediation with a mediator. A source revealed that the family settlement was forged in 2012 between Surinder Kanwar and his sons. Based on this settlement, which is disputed by the senior Kanwar, the sons have been actively involved in managing their respective businesses. This involvement was under the understanding that ownership of the businesses and certain related properties would eventually be transferred at an appropriate time. "The terms of these transfers are clearly laid out in the family settlement. Some transactions that the sons claim are part of the family settlement have already been carried out," said a source familiar with the situation. According to sources, trouble began when Surinder Kanwar, who was in his sixties at the time, married British and Canadian citizen Pawania Handa in 2014. Issues arose between Handa and the sons at a personal level. Allegedly, Handa's interventions in the different businesses and household establishments deviated from the terms clearly outlined in the settlement. Over time, the sons discovered that their father had revised the distribution of the family's assets through a new will. Although the sons were unaware of this new will, they learned that they had been completely disinherited and that Surinder Kanwar's new wife would inherit everything. With the belief that, under the Indian legal system, a formal family settlement cannot be overridden by a subsequent will, the sons moved court. They are hopeful that the mediation process will conclude in accordance with the terms outlined in the family settlement. Sachit Kanwar and Sameer Kanwar declined to comment on the story, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. Surinder Kanwar did not respond to text messages seeking his comment. This family had experienced a similar dispute in the past when Omkar Singh Kanwar of Apollo Tyres challenged his father Raunaq Singh. During that time, son Kanwar was the prevailing party. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Even as the scientists and staff at Mission Operations Complex broke into applause, the core team members thanked all those who had worked on the mission. Quietly and without jingoistic boasting of their stupendous achievement. And that is the most remarkable aspect of ISRO -- they let their work do the talking, notes Minnie Vaid, author of Those Magnificent Women And Their Flying Machines, ISRO's Mission to Mars. IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah congratulates ISRO scientists in Bengaluru on August 24, 2023 on Chandrayaan-3's successful soft landing on the moon's lunar south pole. Photograph: ANI Photo It happens only at ISRO. A response that is inclusive and dignified, restrained yet underlining immense satisfaction over a job well done. Seconds after the path-breaking landing of the Vikram lander on 'the dark side of the moon', ISRO Chairman S Somanath walked up to the podium to confirm the news of the success of Chandrayaan-3 and immediately thanked the entire team who worked on this, the third moon mission in Indian history. IMAGE: ISRO Chairman S Somanath (third from left) with other scientists at ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru, August 23, 2023, after the Chandrayaan-3 Lander Vikram landed on the Moon. Photograph: ANI Photo Even as the scientists and staff at Mission Operations Complex or MOX, at ISTRAAC (ISRO Telemetry and Command network) where the lander's descent was monitored, broke into spontaneous applause, the core team members in turn thanked all those who had worked on the mission. Quietly and without jingoistic boasting of their stupendous achievement. And that is the most remarkable aspect of ISRO -- they let their work do the talking. And they share all the credit, knowing better than anyone that only teamwork along with patient, sustained efforts over lengthy timeframes (in this case four years after Chandrayaan- 2's aborted landing in 2019) culminates into this moment of triumph. A public acknowledgement of all the hard work done behind the scenes. So while the rest of us -- the millions of viewers glued to the television screen -- clapped and cheered at the highest possible decibel, ISRO scientists on the Chandrayaan-3 podium, outlined the next goalpost, Aditya L1, a mission to study the sun, in the first week of September. I watched the last 17 minutes of the lander's descent, finding them as terrifying as they had been dubbed -- perhaps more so since I do not possess the 'nerves of steel' that is an essential pre-requisite for a space scientist! IMAGE: ISRO Scientist Ritu Karidhal, review team member Chandrayaan-3. Photograph: Courtesy ISRO Anxiously scanning the television screen for a glimpse of Nandini Harinath and Ritu Karidhal, the two main women scientists featured in my 2019 book Those Magnificent Women And Their Flying Machines, ISRO's Mission to Mars, I can't help recalling a similar feeling during the same lander's fine braking phase during Chandrayaan-2 on September 7, 2019. Ritu Karidhal, one of the main protagonists of my book and someone I spent considerable time with during the primary research interviews in 2017, was mission director, while Vanitha M was the project director. It was women's power of the highest degree. Despite the heartbreak of the aborted landing at that time, the image that stayed with me for the next four years was of a calm and composed Ritu quietly giving commands over the microphone. On August 23 this year that image was replaced with an abundance of joyous smiles after Vikram's flawless landing on the moon. I felt as if I too had passed an exam! When Kalpana K, deputy project director, Chandrayaan-3 walked up to share the dais and the world's attention I did feel a pang for Ritu -- this could have been her moment four years ago. But space science while being extremely precise with specific outcomes, can also throw up unexpected challenges. In any case, ISRO was and is all about teamwork as had been repeatedly dinned into me during all the months of interviews with Ritu, Nandini, T K Anuradha, Seetha Somasundaram, N Valarmathi and 16 other women scientists at Isro centers in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. For over a year I entered the work and home spaces of these women, awestruck by the high pressure, 'no-room-for-error' and demanding lives they all led, with such seeming ease and confidence. The juggling of their multiple roles, the 'adjustments' and regular 'balancing acts', the high standards they set for themselves were an eye-opener. As was the fervent declaration almost all of them made to me in our sessions, 'Don't call us women scientists, we are all scientists!' IMAGE: Kalpana K, deputy project director, Chandrayaan-3. Photograph: Kind courtesy karnatakastateopenuniversity.in Inter-planetary missions come with the most exacting expectations and Isro adds economy, low-key profiles, and impossible timelines to the mix. This was true of the Mangalyaan mission as shared by Ritu, Nandini and others who worked in various departments and cities and it was true of Chandrayaan 2 and 3. Isro notched up several firsts this Wednesday also but for me the acknowledgement and limelight shone on a hundred women scientists in the mission remains Chandrayaan 3's crowning glory. And even though I have once again highlighted their success as 'women scientists' I still feel that all these women are exemplary role models for young girls; visible, shining icons for future mission/project directors who will conquer unknown galaxies in the universe. And as such they merit their own special place under the sun and the moon! Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com 'Family, friends, far off relatives, almost everyone has been impacted by nature's fury.' IMAGE: A row of buildings in Kullu district collapsed on August 24 and hundreds of travellers were stranded in relief camps after landslides blocked the road to Mandi in rain-battered Himachal Pradesh. Photograph: ANI Photo Rubina Dilaik is a popular face on television thanks to dramas like Chotti Bahu, Shakti -- Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki and Punar Vivah -- Ek Nayi Umeed, along with reality shows like Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 12, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 10 and Bigg Boss 14 which she won. The actress who made it to the British weekly Eastern Eye's 2022 list of 'Top 50 Asian Stars', ranking 31st, was born in Shimla, went to school and college there, and won two local beauty pageants, crowned Miss Shimla in 2006. Understandably then, Rubina is disturbed by the natural disasters plaguing her home state since the onset of the monsoon this year. Speaking to Rediff.com Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya from Los Angeles, Rubina says, "Each one of us is contributing to these natural calamities. We ourselves are responsible for incurring nature's wrath." 'Family, friends, far off relatives, almost everyone has been impacted' The news reports coming in from Shimla and other parts of Himachal Pradesh of devastating landslides leading to roads and even houses cracking are terrifying and heart-wrenching. Family, friends, far off relatives, almost everyone has been impacted by nature's fury. There's been loss of crops, but by the grace of God, I've not heard of any loss of human life or even houses within our circle. Of course, property has been damaged, fields too, and business have been majorly impacted. But I believe that if a person is safe in the midst of all the death and destruction, then that's a blessing to be counted. I am currently in Los Angeles on a leisure trip. Once I am back, I will definitely visit my parents in Shimla. They were in Mumbai with me before I left for LA. IMAGE: Police personnel and local residents gather at the site where a house collapsed due to heavy rainfall at Kotgarh village in Shimla. Photograph: ANI Photo 'Our doors are open to anyone needing help' In a personal capacity my family is extending help to neighbours and those in the surrounding village to the best of their capacity while the government debates on compensation which is a process in itself. As public figures, both Abhinav (actor-husband Abhinav Shukla) and I have always reached out. Our doors are open to anyone needing help. We have also gone through a pandemic worldwide and it has taught us how to face a disaster situation. Life itself teaches you how to deal with a crisis. I'm deeply rooted to my birth place and culture. The last time I visited Himachal Pradesh was in the first week of July. Shimla is my home town and there are a lot of memories. Even the Summer Hill, where a house went down the hill recently, brings back a wave of nostalgia because while in school, we were taken there for picnics. I haven't visited the Shiv temple which was also completely destroyed in a landslide, burying some devotees. The news broke my heart. The videos coming out of Mandi which has also been ravaged by flash floods and landslides are equally heart-wrenching. My prayers and sympathies are with all those going through difficult times. IMAGE: A bridge near the flooded Chaba power house in Shimla. Photograph: ANI Photo 'It's important to have a balanced view about both the economy and ecology' Abhinav is a keen mountaineer and has successfully climbed the highest mountain peak in Ladakh, Stok Kangri, with his brother in 2017. Whenever he has come back from climbs, he has spoken about how governments in every state are taking good care of these mountains. They do not give permission for any climbs if they feel the mountain will not support them. Mountaineers, like my husband, too are very responsible, environmentally conscious and planet friendly. There have rarely been reports of irresponsible climbs. We are living in tricky times and it's important to have a balanced view about both the economy and ecology. A state like Himachal Pradesh needs tourism to flourish, but at the same time it should ensure that tourism does not have an adverse impact. Yes, what is happening there right now will create some fear, both among locals and tourists. In a way fear is good because you realise nature's wrath and based on this knowledge, can make wise decisions to build a better tomorrow. But living in fear and not wanting any kind of development can also be counter-productive. IMAGE: Collapsed houses after a landslide in Krishna Nagar, Shimla, on August 15, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo 'Each one of us is contributing to these natural calamities' Experts have been blaming the present crisis on unplanned development and increased tourism, particularly in Shimla. I agree, partially. If we had been more systematic in developing our infrastructure, maybe this might not have happened. But that is an idealistic thought. The town of Shimla was built by the British before Independence, so it's too late to ponder on this. What we can discuss is global warning which is affecting almost every part of the world. It's just unfortunate that it has affected my state more severely. Each one of us is contributing to these natural calamities. We ourselves are responsible for incurring nature's wrath. Our ego makes us believe that we are in control, but it's high time we let go of our ego and realise that nature knows how to take care of itself. Nothing, and no one, is above nature. And till we realise this, we will continue to incur nature's wrath. Watch: Massive landslide in Himachal's Kullu, several houses collapse Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Pakistan has tried to downplay the snub from the BRICS, saying it has not yet made a formal request to join it after the bloc ignored Islamabad when it announced its major expansion in years. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China's President Xi Jinping, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photograph: ANI Photo On August 24, The leaders of the BRICS nations decided to admit Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as the new members of the grouping, sealing a long-drawn process. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch issued the details of her weekly briefing on Friday night, a day after the bloc of developing countries added new countries. "We will examine the latest developments and make a determination about our future engagement with BRICS," Baloch said. To a query, if Pakistan was ignored by the bloc, she said Pakistan followed BRICS' developments in its latest summit in South Africa and also noted its openness to inclusive multilateralism. "Pakistan is an ardent supporter of multilateralism and as a member of several multilateral organisations it has always played an important role in global peace and development," she said. The spokesperson termed Pakistan as an important developing country that has made important contributions to promote peace, solidarity and cooperation among countries of the South." "We shall continue our efforts at the international fora for fostering the spirit of international cooperation and revitalisation of inclusive multilateralism," she said. BRICS initially composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa has undertaken major expansion taking its members to eleven, making it more representative of the Global South. Reportedly several countries are queuing up to join the group but Pakistan may face a challenge due to the presence of India which enjoys veto power to reject its request. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Periods of rain. High 52F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 34F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 10:36 | All, Japan, 3/11 Fukushima Japan has begun considering a rescue plan for its domestic fisheries after China reacted to the discharge of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power by imposing a blanket import ban on Japanese fishery products, officials said Friday. The government seeks to mitigate the Chinese move's negative impact on the fishery industry while continuing to urge China to lift the measure it deems "not based on science." Japan's seafood exports to China stood at around 160 billion yen ($1 billion) in 2022, some 40 percent of total outbound shipments in value terms, according to government data. China further tightened the screw on Friday by banning food production operators from purchasing or using seafood originating in Japan to process it for sale. "The potential impact felt by those who have been exporting (to China) will be severe. We must seriously consider what we can do to rescue them," Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said at a press conference. Relevant ministries in charge of fisheries and trade are expected to work out details, including the most suitable forms of assistance. China's outright ban on Japanese seafood comes amid expectations for a thaw in bilateral ties that have been cooled in recent years. The two nations are at odds over the sovereignty of uninhabited islets controlled by Japan and claimed by China, among other contentious issues. Japan on Thursday began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, a critical step toward decommissioning of the facility wrecked by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Most radionuclides, except for tritium, are removed from the water before it is discharged. The water release plan has met strong opposition from Japan's neighbors. A day after the first discharge, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. said it had found no traceable tritium in seawater samples near the complex. Nonetheless, worries persist about the added reputational harm to local fishermen and the seafood industry. Japan has allocated 80 billion yen to cope with such damage and help fishermen to carry on with their business. However, the funds are not destined for those in the seafood processing industry. TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa said in a meeting Friday with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura that his company is ready to provide appropriate support to businesses affected by China's response. Research firm Teikoku Databank estimates that 727 Japanese firms in the food industry that export seafood products to China either directly or indirectly will be impacted by the latest ban. On average, more than half of total sales came from China-bound exports for the surveyed companies, and 164 are mainly engaged in seafood processing or sales. Tritium is known to be less harmful to human health than other radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium as it emits very weak radiation and does not accumulate in the body, experts say. Nuclear power plants worldwide routinely release treated water containing low concentrations of tritium and other radionuclides into the environment as part of normal operations, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. Related coverage: Beijing seafood dealers shocked by total Japan import ban Tritium not detected in samples from waters off Fukushima plant Japan fisheries industry raps Fukushima water release as high-handed KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 15:24 | All, World North Korea defended its latest launch of a satellite-carrying rocket in a U.N. Security Council session Friday, saying the country had exercised its sovereign right and caused "no harm" to the security of its neighbors. Kim Song, the North Korean ambassador to the world body, told the session that Pyongyang "will never" be bound by past Security Council resolutions that ban the country from using ballistic missile-related technologies and have resulted in sanctions imposed against it. North Korean state media said the country launched a Chollima-1 rocket carrying a Malligyong-1 military reconnaissance satellite early Thursday but that the mission ended in failure. Kim said the launch was "an exercise of the legitimate right to self-defense to deter ever-increasing hostile military acts of the United States and its followers." The emergency meeting of the council was convened at the request of the United States, the panel's rotating chair this month, and six other countries, including Japan. During Friday's session, most participants condemned the launch as violating Security Council resolutions. Kimihiro Ishikane, Japan's U.N. ambassador, condemned the launch as a "flagrant" violation of the resolutions, saying it "severely threatened the peace and security of Japan, the region and the entire international community." "We have made clear that we have no preconditions for engagement and are prepared to discuss any topic of concern to your government," U.S. ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. "But (North Korea) still has not responded to our offers," she said. As with North Korea's ballistic missile launches, veto-wielding China and Russia continued to defend North Korea's attempted satellite launches, leaving the body unable to adopt a unified response. Geng Shuang, the deputy U.N. ambassador of China, said that the decision of North Korea to launch the satellite was "closely related" to the annual joint large-scale exercise being conducted by South Korea and the United States. Related coverage: North Korea fails in military satellite launch,vows to try again in October KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2023 - 20:57 | All, World A team of four astronauts from Japan, Denmark, Russia and the United States lifted off early Saturday aboard a SpaceX craft bound for the International Space Station and successfully entered orbit. The Crew-7 mission comprises NASA's Jasmin Moghbeli, Satoshi Furukawa of Japan, Andreas Mogensen of Denmark and Konstantin Borisov of Russia. It is expected to dock at the ISS on Sunday. They will engage in a six-month microgravity research program. The SpaceX Dragon space capsule, called Endurance, was launched atop its Falcon 9 rocket at 3:27 a.m. from Kennedy Space Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in Florida, a day after its initial schedule. Crew-7 marks SpaceX's seventh crew rotation mission since 2020, when it first carried NASA astronauts to the space station. For Furukawa, it will be his second time on the ISS following his 2011 flight aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. "Everyone in Japan, I will make another trip to the ISS and diligently carry out my job," Furukawa said from the spacecraft after reaching orbit. At 59, Furukawa ties with Koichi Wakata's record for being the oldest Japanese astronaut to go to space. Wakata, now 60, achieved the feat in 2022. Furukawa, also a medical doctor, has said he wants to contribute to the development of new drugs by working on experiments to create high-quality protein crystals. He is also expected to be the subject of a study to look into the effects of an extended stay in space on various organs. At least one person was killed and 152 were injured by a fresh 6.3-magnitude earthquake in western Afghanistan on early October 11, days after a series of quakes at the weekend that reportedly killed at least 2,000 people. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the latest magnitude 6.3-earthquake occurred some 28 kilometers outside Herat, the capital of the province by the same name. Nisar Ahmad, spokesman for the governor of the province, said a number of villages had been destroyed and there was an unspecified number of injured people. He did not say anything about the number of deaths, but the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar news agency reported that one person died and 152 others were injured, citing local health officials. Ahmadullah Muttaqi, director of information and culture for the Taliban-led government for Herat Province and the head of the earthquake relief commission, confirmed in an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that 120 people has been injured, but said this was a preliminary figure. Muttaqi also said that the number of victims in the latest earthquake was low because many people have not returned to their homes since the previous earthquake. The aid group Doctors Without Borders said the Herat regional hospital received nearly 120 injured from the latest temblor. The group, also known by its French acronym MSF, said it sent additional medical supplies to the hospital and was setting up four more medical tents at the facility. Our teams are assisting in triaging emergency cases and managing stabilized patients admitted in the medical tents, MSF said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The AFP news agency reported that patients were being treated in an outdoor courtyard at Herat Regional Hospital. WATCH: Another strong earthquake shook western Afghanistan on October 11, just four days after a major temblor that claimed nearly 3,000 lives, according to Taliban officials. Ambulances were being sent to Herat's Rabat Sangi district, which reportedly bore the brunt of the latest earthquake. According to the AP news agency, the new quake destroyed some 700 homes in Chahak village, which had not been affected by the tremors of previous days. No deaths have been reported so far in Chahak as people have taken shelter in tents this week, fearing for their lives as tremors continue to rock Herat, the AP also reported. No further details were immediately available. The epicenter of the first earthquake on October 7 was some 40 kilometers northwest of Herat, which has 700,000 people in the city and the surrounding area. It was followed by at least three major aftershocks. The USGS recorded the largest of the temblors at a magnitude of 6.3, with the latest aftershock coming about 30 kilometers northeast of the city of Zindah Jan, which has a population of about 70,000 people. Taliban officials said at least 2,000 people were killed in the weekend earthquakes, but did not come up with a final official figure. On October 11, the Taliban Public Health Minister Qalandar Ebad lowered the toll to around 1,000. "We have over 1,000 people martyred from the first incident," Ebad told reporters in Kabul. The World Health Organization has put the total number of people affected at more than 11,000. Earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, where there are a number of fault lines and frequent movement among three nearby tectonic plates. Afghans are still reeling from recent quakes, including the magnitude 6.5-earthquake in March that struck much of western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, and an earthquake that hit eastern Afghanistan in June 2022, flattening stone and mud-brick homes and killing at least 1,000 people. Afghanistan is already suffering a dire humanitarian crisis, with the widespread withdrawal of foreign aid following the Talibans ousting the Western-backed Afghan government and taking over the country in August 2021. Herat Province, on the border with Iran, is home to around 1.9 million people, and its rural communities have been suffering from a yearslong drought. With reporting by AP, AFP, and Reuters 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 MAHMUD-E-RAQI, Afghanistan, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A traveler has been confirmed dead and two others were injured in a road crash in east Afghanistan's Kapisa province on Friday, said a statement of the provincial police headquarters on Saturday. The accident occurred in the Nijrab District of Kapisa province on Friday afternoon, killing one on the spot and injuring two others, the statement added. The preliminary investigation found over-speeding to be the primary cause of the fatal crash, the statement said, noting the injured were receiving treatment at a local hospital. On Thursday, two road accidents also killed five commuters and injured nine others in Samangan province. Dilapidated roads, old vehicles, lack of safety measures during travel and reckless driving on congested highways, according to Afghans, are the main reasons for road crashes in the mountainous country. More than 20 people were injured -- two critically -- when 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. Daghestans Health Ministry said on October 30 that 10 of those injured needed hospital attention, while the Baza Telegram channel said six police officers were among the casualties. Riot police were called to the scene after disturbances broke out when the aircraft arrived, prompting the Interior Ministry office in Makhachkala to send for reinforcements, including National Guard units, to ensure the safety of arriving passengers, according to the Baza Telegram channel. The RIA Novosti news agency reported on October 30 that 60 people have been detained at the airport. 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 to apprehend anyone threatening them. "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/RLs Caucasus.Realities indicated that protesters had stormed onto the Makhachkala runway, attempting 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 attempting to check the identities of arriving passengers, seeking to prevent Jews from leaving the airport, including searching police vehicles. A protester was seen in one unconfirmed video carried 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 news website. 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, leading to the deaths of some 8,000 people and the destruction of 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 and RIA Novosti Four days after an Embraer 600 passenger jet linked to Yevgeny Prigozhin broke up and slammed into the ground north of Moscow, Russian authorities gave final confirmation that the Wagner Group mercenary chief was indeed dead. Even before the Investigative Committees August 27 announcement, President Vladimir Putin had suggested Prigozhin was dead.* In comments on August 24, the Russian president spoke about him in the past tense, recalling their earliest acquaintance in early 1990s St. Petersburg and complimenting him on his business acumen -- but saying he made serious mistakes in life. While the confirmation all but gives final certainty, the consequences of Prigozhins death remain uncertain -- for Russia and for Putin, for Moscows military commanders and the war on Ukraine, or, for that matter, for Wagner and the bellicose hawks calling for an even more aggressive invasion. Here are five things to watch for in the coming days and weeks. Putin: Stronger Or Weaker? The mutiny that Prigozhin launched exactly two months prior to the crash of his business jet was the greatest challenge that Putin has faced as Russias preeminent political figure -- the most direct assault on the Russian state in Vladimir Putin's 23 years in power, as the director of the CIA put it. Yet, even after branding the mutineers traitors and calling the rebellion a stab in the back, Putin did little or nothing -- publicly anyway -- to exact retribution or mete out punishment. Days after, he met with Prigozhin and some of the insurrectionists at the Kremlin. And Prigozhin remained free, coming and going from Russia and Belarus and showing up in Africa, where he has had a growing business empire. Add to that the open mockery that Prigozhin had made of Putins war commanders for months. To many longtime Kremlin watchers, the Russian president -- who in the past has shown no mercy for people he deemed to be traitors, Aleksandr Litvinenko and Sergei Skripal, among others -- appeared weak. The absence of clear signs of the punishment of Prigozhin[was] increasingly interpreted as a sign of the helplessness and flabbiness of the system, Aleksandr Baunov, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, wrote in an analysis on August 24 Now, Prigozhin is dead -- taken out not with a powerful poison, a drone strike, a bullet, or a car bomb, but in the spectacular midair destruction of a business jet. Though the Kremlin has denied involvement, the crash -- which authorities say killed all 10 people on board -- is being likened to something from a mafia movie. Like in the mafia movies: Warring factions and their bosses get together so that they can then shoot the others from out of a cake, or, like in The Godfather, make up before destroying them, Baunov wrote. Threats remain for Putin. Among Russias elites, there are growing doubts about his decision to invade Ukraine and the way he is waging the war. Russias economy, now buoyed by war spending, is showing signs of strain. Putin is expected to win a new six-year term in an election in March, but setbacks in the war and uncertainty about the future could make the campaign trickier than he had hoped. Still, the untimely death of the man who openly challenged Putin is an unmistakable signal to those who might consider crossing him, a form of coup-proofing of his rule, at least for now. But that may come at a substantial cost for him in the long run. In killing Prigozhin, Putin achieved a short-term victory of consolidating his power at home, Michael McFaul, a former U.S. ambassador to Russia, wrote. In the long term, however, the negative consequences for Putins ability to achieve his foreign policy objectives abroad, especially in Ukraine, may outweigh the short-term gains. Watch this space. From the point of view of Putin, and also of many in the security services and the military, Prigozhin's death should be a lesson to any potential followers, Tatyana Stanovaya, a longtime expert on Russian politics, said in a post to Telegram. Prigozhin's death is a direct threat to everyone who stayed with him to the end or openly supported him. This is more likely to frighten them than to inspire them to protest, she wrote. Therefore, nothing special in terms of a reaction should be expected. There will be resentment and discontent, but no political consequences. War Is Hell. What About The Special Military Operation? Prigozhins Wagner troops played a highly visible, and pivotal battlefield role in several locations in Ukraine over the past 18 months. Wagner forces were involved in the siege of the Donbas port city of Mariupol in the spring of 2022, and were at the vanguard of the 10-month assault on Bakhmut, which fell to Russian forces in May. Prigozhin made sure Russians knew of their presence and sacrifices -- not only of his battletested soldiers but also the thousands of prison convicts he recruited and threw into the fight as well. But Wagner forces were just a small fraction of the hundreds of thousands of Russian deployed troops, who now face a slow but relentless Ukrainian counteroffensive that Kyiv hopes will decisively turn the tide of the war. On the battlefield, Russias performance is unlikely to be significantly affected by the uncertainty within Wagner, analysts say. The Kremlin was already moving to try and bring its troops under more formal commandof the Defense Ministry, and that process is likely to quicken. After all, the Russian leader has been able to fight that war for 18 months and to stall the Ukrainian effort to liberate more of its territory -- not because of Wagners much-vaunted performance on the battlefield, Aleksandr Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin, wrote in the Financial Times, but because of the sheer volume of resources the government can mobilize, the skill of people helping to keep the embattled Russian economy afloat, and Putins unchallenged position at home. At the top levels of command, meanwhile, Prigozhins removal will strengthen the grip of his two bugbears: Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the General Staff. One thing that could come back to haunt Putin and the top brass: The criticism with which Prigozhin and his allies frequently shellacked Shoigu and Gerasimov was over their command, conduct, and war-fighting decisions in Ukraine and outside observers said it was objectively justified. Will It Bring The Hawks And Nationalists To Heel? Experts have speculated that one of the several reasons for Prigozhins staying power was his criticism of Shoigu and Gerasimov; the mercenary boss gave voice to genuine complaints of rank-and-file troops who suffered because of institutional problems in Russian military structures. Prigozhins diatribes were all the more notable given how the Kremlin has otherwise criminalized all public criticism of the Ukraine war effort, under the rubric of discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation. Dozens of Russians who have criticized or even opposed the war have been jailed -- but not Prigozhin. Removing the Wagner Group leader eliminates the loudest public criticism, but underlying doubts about Shoigu and Gerasimov will remain -- doubts that will be amplified if Ukraine achieves a major breakthrough in its counteroffensive. Prigozhin wasnt the only one complaining. Igor Girkin, a former intelligence officer who was convicted by a Dutch court for his role in the downing of Malaysia Airlines MH17 over Ukraine in 2014, was also known for his blunt public criticism. Like Prigozhin, Girkin wanted commanders, and ultimately Putin, to declare a general mobilization and use even more force against Ukraine, seeking to raze it to rubble. In July, Girkin called Putin a useless coward. Like Prigozhin, however, Girkin has been all but silenced. He was arrested on extremism charges in July -- a few days after making that remark -- and remains in Moscows notorious Lefortovo prison awaiting further investigation and trial. Its unclear if hes been fully muzzled though. A cryptic message appeared on his Telegram channel on August 24, in which he called Prigozhin an enemy of Russia and warned of political turmoil. I cannot say that I am upset, since Prigozhin was not only my enemy personally, but also, by and large, an enemy of Russia, the post read. At the same time, what happened cannot prompt a positive reaction from me, as it is yet more evidence of further deepening of unrest in Russia. Whither Wagner Wither Wagner? Private military companies are officially illegal under Russia law. That hasnt stopped enterprising entrepreneurs from setting them up-- with the backing, funding, or oversight of various intelligence agencies or state-controlled corporations. Wagner was the most famous and most notorious, with its fighters planting their flags and leaving trails of mayhem behind in places like Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya, and Syria -- not to mention Ukraine, in the years after Moscow fomented and helped fight the war that began in the Donbas in 2014. Its growth was largely seen as a function of its unique structure. It generated lucrative revenues from business ventures such as mining and trafficking gold in the Central African Republic. And it generated revenues from providing security for sympathetic allies, such as protecting regime-owned oil and gas facilities in Syria. And this latter function served as an extension of Russian foreign policy, influencing domestic politics in and expanding Moscows reach, particularly in places where it could be in competition with the United States or France. Consider it a form of hard-soft power that provided a veneer of deniability for Moscow. For that reason, few experts believe that Wagner will be going away entirely; its fighters have gained a reputation for ruthlessness and battlefield skill. Just as its outright military structures in Ukraine may come under direct control of the Defense Ministry, its business ventures will probably also take on new oversight -- possibly by Russian intelligence agencies or other state-controlled entities. Still, Wagner may be a less potent force without Prigozhin. That may also give an opening for other ostensibly private military companies that have been set up in recent years -- and in some cases are closely tied to the state. What About 'General Armageddon'? One other leading figure in this Shakespearean drama is the Russian commander who was briefly put in charge of the Ukraine war for a couple months last year: General Sergei Surovikin. As his nickname suggests, Surovikin, who was also in charge of the Aerospace Forces, was seen as a more ruthless commander, which is one of the reasons his leadership was championed by Prigozhin, Girkin, and others. Shortly after taking command of the Ukraine operation in October, he ordered Russian forces to start bombarding Ukraines electricity grid and other civilian infrastructure in a bid to terrorize the population and cow the Kyiv government into submission. Prigozhin is believed to have gotten close to Surovikin in the mid-2010s, when Surovikin served as the top commander of Russian forces in Syria. Wagner soldiers were in Syria at the time, guarding Syrian oil and gas facilities. Surovikin only lasted around two months though, and he was shuffled out of his command by Putin, replaced by the man Prigozhin mocked: Gerasimov. Surovikin had allies in the Russian defense structures whom Prigozhin relied on to make sure his troops fighting near Bakhmut were supplied properly. But Prigozhin also complained in the spring that he wasnt getting adequate ammunition. When Prigozhin launched his mutiny on June 23, Surovikin appeared in an unusual video appealing for Wagner troops to stand down and not go through with the rebellion. Some observers questioned the authenticity of his appeal, saying it appeared coerced. Anonymous U.S. officials said Surovikin may have known of the mutiny in advance. After the mutiny ended, Surovikin dropped out of sight, and rumors abounded that he had been detained, and was under house arrest or in prison, or worse. Suspicions also abound that there may be others within the military brass or intelligence structures who knew of, or were sympathetic to, Prigozhins mutiny. On August 22, Russian news media reported that Surovikin had been relieved of command of the Aerospace Forces, but left at the disposal of the Defense Ministry -- possibly shuffled to some other post within the military. But notably the reports, which have yet to be confirmed, did not indicate that he had been arrested, discharged from the military, or even demoted in rank. A day after the reports of Surovikins new responsibilities, Prigozhins plane crashed. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect confirmation of Prigozhin's death, which occurred after publication. Three Ukrainian Air Force pilots were killed as two L-39 planes collided in the air during a training flight on August 25, Ukrainian authorities have announced. On August 26, RFE/RL filmed Ukrainian military personnel removing the aircraft debris and interviewed locals who had witnessed the crash in the village of Sinhury, in Ukraine's Zhytomyr region. Giampaolo Di Paola boasts a distinguished military career, including having served from 2011 to 2013 as Italy's defense minister and as the chairman of NATO's military committee, the alliance's top military authority between 2008 and 2011. In a recent interview with RFE/RL's Georgian Service, Di Paola said Ukraine has seized the initiative from invading Russian forces, but as its counteroffensive slowly grinds on the risk of war fatigue in the West grows. RFE/RL: Where are we now in the Ukraine war? The summer phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive is almost over: What has been achieved, what hasnt? Giampaolo Di Paola: Nobody really knows. It is not moving as fast as maybe some NATO allies expected. Were now in a critical phase because whatever is gained will be gained during the short summer period, before the rains start and the terrain becomes muddy. The Tavberidze Interviews Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Vazha Tavberidze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service has been interviewing diplomats, military experts, and academics who hold a wide spectrum of opinions about the war's course, causes, and effects. To read all of his interviews, click here. The pace is slow. The Ukrainians keep saying it's going as planned. I dont know whether it's true or not. What has been achieved is that Ukraine has retaken the initiative from the enemy. We saw the long-awaited counteroffensive finally happening. But what has not been achieved yet is a significant regaining of the territory from Russians, a significant breakthrough, a weak point in Russian defense lines that the Ukrainians could exploit. But were still very much in the realm of uncertainty; we will probably need another month or two to determine where we are, what has been gained or lost. But its a very critical phase, because the longer that combat drags on, the more possible it becomes that we will see war fatigue in some of the countries supporting Ukraine. So, the whatever it takes, as long as it takes might be questioned if this as long it takes proves to be very long. RFE/RL: Could one of the reasons for this slow progress be insufficient Western support when it comes to what the Ukrainians were asking for before the counteroffensive? Di Paola: The support has been very extensive, and certainly helpful. For the Ukrainians, enough will be never enough; and it is also fair to say that blaming someone else is an easy game to play, whoever does it. The biggest difficulty in this regard is that the Ukrainians have to conduct offensive operations without air superiority. That, I think, is the most significant missing element. (Recently the Netherlands and Demark said they will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once certain conditions are met.) RFE/RL: Let me ask you about the blockade of the Black Sea: Whom does the Black Sea belong to now realistically, from a realpolitik perspective? Di Paola: The Black Sea at present belongs to the nations which are facing the Black Sea -- so Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Georgia. It is a fact. Presently, Russia tries to blockade Ukrainian ports, but weve seen Ukrainians fighting back and attacking Russias maritime forces, trying to close the gap between the two. So, at present, I would say nobody is the owner of the Black Sea. RFE/RL: What about Turkey? In a recent interview you dubbed Turkey as the Mistress of the Black Sea. Has the queen abdicated? Di Paola: No, Turkey is still the strongest player in the Black Sea because at the end of the day it controls the Dardanelles [Strait], the only entry point into it. It gets a say on whos allowed to come in and out and who is not. So, if you really want to exercise control, you need the key of the Bosphorus, and this key belongs to Turkey. Right now, Turkey is bargaining; its a reluctant player trying to make a deal happen and establish its status as the mediator, a judge of debates in the Black Sea. RFE/RL: How do you see the grain crisis playing out? What events do you see unfolding? Di Paola: Well, if the Russians are not willing to make a deal, we have to find an alternative way out. Because the point is that even if you could theoretically navigate the western part of the Black Sea, if you are bold enough, then that means that you are in the territorial waters of the NATO countries. And therefore, it is unlikely that Russia will attack merchant ships there, because an attack on territorial waters could mean that Article 5 gets invoked. RFE/RL: What happens if Russia attacks, in Ukrainian territorial waters, a ship that belongs to a NATO member country? Di Paola: Well, thats a very complex scenario which, youll have to judge the situation then and there. There is no established [protocol] that says this and this will be happen after this. If a vessel with a flag of a NATO member nation is attacked, said NATO member nation can decide to invoke Article 5, saying, I am under attack from Russia, or they may decide not to do that over an attack on a single merchant ship. It would be a political decision that said nation would have to make, because even the NATO member countries are not so willing to go to war against Russia. But it works both ways: For Russia, its also a great risk to attack a NATO member countrys ship and risk invoking Article 5 against Russia; that wouldnt be a rational thing to do. So these are the kinds of situations where you cannot predict what will happen; therefore that uncertainty sometimes works as a deterrent. RFE/RL: This month marks the 15th anniversary of the war between Russia and Georgia in 2008, when you held the post of the chairman of the NATO Military Committee. So let me ask you this: What is its legacy and impact when it comes to interpreting todays events? Di Paola: It is clear that what happened in Georgia was a result of the famous Bucharest [2008 NATO] Summit which said that Georgia and Ukraine would become NATO members. But it was just a declaration, and Russia used it as an excuse to invade Georgia. NATO wasnt in a position to do anything militarily at that time. So, we said that what [then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir] Putin did was illegal, but we were unable to actually do anything against him, to stop him from doing that. So in the end it was an easy bite for him. Georgia, in the end, had to bow to reality. I remember thinking at Bucharest -- saying even -- this is a mistake, you dont do this. And then it happened exactly as I was afraid it would -- it gave Putin the right timing to invade Georgia. Some say, and I think there is an element of truth in this, too, that had we given a clear road to Ukraine back then [into NATO], Russia would have invaded Ukraine, too, and at that time, Ukraine was in no position to put up the resistance that they did in 2022. So, I think the best thing we could have done at Bucharest in 2008 was to say nothing, nothing at all -- that would be the right thing to do. To keep our mouths shut. If you dont have to say something sensible, its better not to say anything at all. RFE/RL: Did the West do enough during and after the war, do you think? Di Paola: They did enough -- or rather, they did what they could do. As I said earlier, the West wasnt in a position to do much about Georgia back in 2008. Thats the reality, sad as it is. RFE/RL: No leverage. Can the same be said about the mediation efforts from French President [Nicolas] Sarkozy, and the cease-fire plan that still remains unfulfilled? How effective was that plan, objectively? Di Paola: Taking into account that part of Georgia was already occupied by Russia and Russians were still advancing and Georgia was in no position to put up any resistance anymore, I think, at the end of the day, that was the best possible outcome from what was available to us. We pretty much had to settle for the status quo. So, in the end, it was the best we could do. And, in a sense, it proved to be somewhat effective, because the status quo still remains, and there havent been renewed hostilities between Russia and Georgia. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) URUMQI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged firmly grasping the strategic positioning of Xinjiang in the overall national situation and better building a beautiful Xinjiang in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when he was briefed in Urumqi about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. He demanded thorough, meticulous, concrete and sustained efforts to develop a beautiful Xinjiang that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment, in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization. Xi was in Xinjiang after returning to China from the 15th BRICS Summit and a state visit to South Africa. Recognizing Xinjiang's achievements in various aspects, Xi said the work related to Xinjiang is of special importance in the work of the Party and the country, and concerns the overall task of building China into a strong modern socialist country in all respects and promoting the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Efforts should be made not only to address prominent problems currently constraining Xinjiang's development and stability, but to make long-term arrangements to promote fundamental, basic and long-term work for enduring prosperity and stability in the region, he said. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Governor Banwari Lal Purohit and CM Bhagwant Mann 'If the craving for power is so intense, perhaps the Governor should consider leading BJP in the polls'- CM Mann CHANDIGARH: In a swift response to a series of letter from Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohit, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann made his stance abundantly clear. Declining any engagement with the Governor, the Chief Minister said, "The question is, has the Governor ever truly stood by the side of Punjab's citizens?" CM Mann said, "Indirect questions have always been their approach, while the pursuit of Punjab's interests with the central government has been absent. It's as if 'UT' signifies 'BJP' - they seem to follow the Central's lead." Advertisement "The Governor's desire for issuing orders or employing language that denigrates Punjabis is nothing new," asserted Mann, reflecting on a past marked by similar instances. "It's easy to perceive that these mandates are handed down from above. It's not only Punjab; other states are grappling with similar issues. Just yesterday, the Honorable Governor issued a veiled threat of imposing President's Rule upon our peace-loving land. This, I believe, is uncalled for." In a taunting jest, Mann speculated on the Governor's hunger for authority, drawing a link between his prolific letter-writing and a yearning for power. "If the craving for power is so intense, perhaps the Governor should consider leading BJP in the elections as a Chief Ministerial face. That's where true power emanates, enabling one to issue commands." "Let us nurture the spirit of freedom that fueled the nation's independence struggle. Let us shoulder the responsibility of nourishing the nation. Instead of threatening us with President's Rule, let us unite to prosper," Mann appealed, firmly urging the Governor not to exacerbate their wounds. Advertisement The Chief Minister's address wasn't without a touch of diplomacy. While assuring that all of the Governor's letters would receive a response, he emphasized the importance of addressing the pending bills that have been languishing for over a year. "There are six bills awaiting the Governor's signature, some dating back to the time of the Captain's government. Before further discussions, let's attend to these crucial matters." Highlighting statistical data, Mann contested the Governor's assertion of Punjab's lower law and order ranking. "Gujarat tops the charts at 90.5 out of 140, with Punjab a close second at 85.1. Notably, Haryana ranks 19th at 37 points, and Rajasthan stands 16th at 46 points. It's not fitting to assert that law and order prevails more favorably in the state securing the second rank." Chief Minister Mann went on to question the Governor's silence on incidents in other states. "Has there been any statement on the Manipur incident? Does the constitution cease to apply there? What's the situation in UP? Strangely, there are no letters from the Governor of UP." Student's Rally in Chandigarh Authorities are Currently Working to Identify the Individuals Seen Participating in the Rally CHANDIGARH: A Recent Video depicting students associated with the Student Organization of India (SOI) creating tumultuous scenes during a rally in Chandigarh has stirred controversy. The police have taken swift action by issuing e-challans for 11 vehicles identified in the video, with plans to revoke the driving licenses of the identified drivers. Authorities are currently working to identify the individuals seen participating in the rally. The student organization had organized a rally that commenced from PGI Chowk and traversed to Sector 16 Hospital Chowk on August 21. During the course of the rally, student leaders were spotted sitting atop vehicle bonnets and roofs, with some even hanging out of windows. The act was captured by surveillance cameras installed as part of the Smart City initiative. Upon discovering the incident, law enforcement responded promptly. Advertisement Chandigarh Traffic Police has issued a stern warning in light of the upcoming student union elections. Officials have emphasized that any actions undertaken by student unions or their leaders that violate traffic regulations will be met with stringent repercussions. Notably, the students have received e-challans for a range of violations, including sitting on vehicle bonnets, sitting on roofs, and driving-related offenses. Sources indicate that during the rally, student leaders attempted to enter Sector-11 college. A security guard stationed there intervened to halt their entry, leading to a confrontation. However, SOI leaders argue that the guard was simply checking students' identification to ensure their affiliation with the college. They assert that the students were granted entry upon displaying their I-cards. Spy Arrested Accused will be produced before a city court for further legal proceedings KOLKATA: In a significant development, Kolkata Police has successfully arrested an individual on allegations of spy for Pakistan, accompanied by the recovery of sensitive documents. The arrest was carried out by the police force in collaboration with intelligence inputs, as revealed by a senior police officer on Saturday. The accused hails from Bihar. Acting upon actionable intelligence, the Kolkata Police swiftly apprehended the suspect from his residence located in the Howrah district on Friday. The senior police official stated, "The individual was found to be directly involved in activities of grave concern to the nation's security." Advertisement After several hours of intense interrogation, the arrest of the suspect took place late on Friday night. The official further elaborated, "A trove of intelligence-related information, consisting of images, videos, and online conversations, was extracted from the suspect's mobile phone. This information was allegedly being relayed by the suspect to a suspected intelligence operative associated with Pakistan." The accused, who is employed by a courier service company in Kolkata, had previously resided in Delhi. Presently, he will be produced before a city court for legal proceedings, marking the next step in this ongoing investigation. PM Modi Addresses NRIs in Athens Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, during his 'Udasis', journeyed the world with the intent of connecting humanity: PM Modi ATHENS: During his visit to Greece, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) community residing in Athens on Friday. In his address, he underscored India's historical role in uniting the world and commended the pivotal contributions of the Sikh Gurus towards this end. Highlighting India's recent achievements on the global stage, Prime Minister Modi lauded the nation's display of scientific prowess by successfully landing tricolor on the lunar surface. He emphasized that India's advancements in science, technology, and innovation have gained international recognition, marking a dynamic presence on the global landscape. Advertisement Referencing the deep-rooted historical connections between Greece and India dating back to the Mauryan Empire in the fourth century BC, Modi urged the Indian diaspora in Greece to actively contribute to enhancing the bilateral relations between the two countries. He called upon them to participate wholeheartedly in India's journey of development, while encouraging Greece to be an integral part of this progress. Prime Minister Modi shared, "Each civilization and culture bears a distinct identity. India's identity has been centered around fostering global connections, a spirit that was notably exemplified by our Gurus. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, during his 'Udasis', journeyed the world with the intent of connecting humanity and doing good for it. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings of 'Nanak Naam Chardi Kala' - well-being for all, resonates today just as it did then." Praising the resilience and dedication of the Indian diaspora during the COVID-19 pandemic, PM Modi acknowledged their integral role in maintaining the supply chain of essential medicines worldwide. He proudly noted that the 'Made in India' COVID-19 vaccines have significantly contributed to saving countless lives globally. He commended the exemplary efforts of Sikh youths in particular, highlighting their humanitarian contributions during challenging times. Advertisement Prime Minister Modi expressed his optimism that the collaboration between the two nations would lead to smoother travel, trade, and commerce. As he outlined India's achievements in various sectors over the past nine years, he emphasized that India is striving to strengthen all areas of development, ranging from infrastructure to technology. With a focus on fostering unity and global harmony, Modi conveyed India's commitment as the host of the upcoming G-20 summit, which will be themed around 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam', signifying the interconnectedness of the world. The Prime Minister assured NRIs that India consistently prioritizes the safety and well-being of its citizens, even during international conflicts or crises. He reiterated the Indian government's commitment to ensuring the security and welfare of every individual with ties to the nation. Cooperation among BRICS countries and with other countries is crucial for "a better outcome in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals agenda by 2030," said Carlos Watson, the Food and Agriculture Organization Representative in China, in an interview with Xinhua. Produced by Xinhua Global Service San Diego County Dog Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of San Diego County Every August, pet shelters participate in a nationwide Clear the Shelters event, a month-long initiative that cuts down on nearly all pet adoption fees to encourage animal lovers to help clear the shelters.Adoption fees typically range from $50-$200 and can include spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, and de-worming. With a week left to find your new fur baby, we put together a list of shelters offering waived or discounted fees and specials. San Diego Animal Services Dog Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of San Diego Animal Services County of San Diego Department of Animal Services Bonita, Carlsbad County of San Diego Department of Animal Services offers complimentary spaying or neutering and all pets come with full vaccinations and a microchip. Along with cats and dogs, they are home to other animals such as turtles and guinea pigs. The shelter is open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.2481 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad, CA 920115821 Sweetwater Road, Bonita, CA 91902 ARE Animal Rescue Inc. Oceanside ARE Animal Rescue is a private, no-kill shelter and rescue service. To browse their current pets, check their website and then once youve found your perfect match, fill out an application to meet your new soulmate. Located inside the North Oceanside PetSmart, ARE is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.4712 College Blvd, Oceanside, CA 92057 Rancho Coastal Humane Society Dog Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of Rancho Coastal Humane Society Rancho Coastal Humane Society (RCHS) Encinitas RCHS was founded in 1960 by animal lover Maria K. Lloyd in Encinitas and still operates out of the small yellow house it originally started in. Browse their pets online and fill out an adoption survey to ensure your pet is the right one for your lifestyle. In-person, would-be owners can browse cats through a Cattery window, head outside to kennel areas to play with dogs and puppies, or walk through their Rabbitat to view the rabbits. RCHS is open for adoptions every Friday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.389 Requeza Street, Encinitas, CA 92024 Woofs and Wags Dog Rescue San Diego Point Loma With the help of volunteers and veterinarians on both sides of the border, Woofs and Wags Dog Rescue provides care to animals from San Diego to Baja California. Their goal is to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs. Woofs and Wags Dog Rescue is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.3610 Rosecrans Street, San Diego, CA 92110 The Cat Lounge Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of The Cat Lounge Rescue and Adoption Center The Cat Lounge Rescue and Adoption Center La JollaThis women-owned-and-operated center creates living room environments for cats, offering them a chance to roam around freely and interact with visitors. The Cat Lounge Rescue and Adoption Center is currently not taking any new cats due to being at capacity. But guests can spend a day in their cat lounge to help them choose a new housemate which will allow the shelter to open up their doors to more cats in need.1006 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 San Diego Humane Society Various Locations San Diego Humane Society is doing 50 percent off adoption fees for all dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens. The Humane Society is currently at record capacity with more than 750 dogs in their care at all their campuses combined. Check online to see which of their shelters home which types of pets (some are dogs only while others offer cats and small animals).Various locations San Diego Animal Services Dog Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of San Diego Animal Services Chula Vista Animal Services Chula Vista All animals housed at Chula Vista Animal Services receive personalized care and comprehensive medical treatment. Visit their site to look at pets that are up for adoption, go in to find a new animal friend. Chula Vista Animal Services is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed daily from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. and interactions and adoptions end one hour before closing.130 Beyer Way, Chula Vista, CA 91911 Friends of Cats, INC El Cajon This no-kill cat shelter is dedicated to providing shelter and medical care to abandoned cats. Their goal is to help healthy cats find loving homes and provide a sanctuary for those that cannot be adopted due to medical or behavioral conditions. Housing more than 270 cats, Friends of Cats is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.15587 Olde Hwy 80, El Cajon, CA 92021 Rescate Fenix aka Rescue Fenix Escondido Rescate Fenix is a rescue shelter that is completely volunteer-based, relying solely on donations. Rescate Fenix works to provide animal welfare to endangered, sick, abused or neglected pets. The shelter is open Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.10131 Sage Hill Way, Escondido, CA 92026 Humane Society of Imperial County Clear the Shelters San Diego 2023 Courtesy of the Humane Society of Imperial County Humane Society of Imperial County Imperial County The Humane Society of Imperial County is a no-kill shelter along the US/Mexico border that is trying to place as many animals into their forever home. They also provide education and classes to the community to help enhance the relationship between animals and people. For the month of August, although adoption fees arent waived, they will be lowered to only $5.1575 W. Pico Ave, El Centro, CA 92243 Hundreds of Fijian protesters, led by the Fiji Non-government organization Coalition on Human Rights, called for international actions to halt Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater to protect the ocean and the future generations. by Guo Xinhui SUVA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- "Japan, I am angry!" "Keep our Pacific nuclear-free!" On Friday, hundreds of Fijian people marched on the streets of Suva, raising their voices strongly against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The protesters, led by the Fiji Non-government organization Coalition on Human Rights, called for international actions to halt Tokyo's move to protect the ocean and the future generations. People attend a rally against Japan's dumping of nuke wastewater in Suva, Fiji, Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua) Despite widespread denunciation at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. "This is a horrendous and horrible move by Japan," said Lusia Lagilevo, a protester from Citizens' Constitutional Forum. "It's a disrespect to our rights as human beings." "Although we are from small island countries, we still deserve to have our rights, our dignity and our freedoms respected," Lagilevo told Xinhua. People attend a rally against Japan's dumping of nuke wastewater in Suva, Fiji, Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua) Lavetanalagi Seru, co-founder of Alliance for Future Generations, said the Pacific has had a history of nuclear testing, and the people in the Marshall Islands are still grappling with the enduring aftermath of nuclear contamination. The Marshall Islands' history bears the indelible scars of 67 nuclear bomb tests conducted by the United States from 1946 to 1958. "We can't allow history to repeat itself, as we depend on the ocean for our livelihoods. It's source of economic opportunities for many of us," Seru said, adding that the impact and the scientific evidence is not yet clear and strong enough to convince them that it's safe. People attend a rally against Japan's dumping of nuke wastewater in Suva, Fiji, Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo by Sang Qinlong/Xinhua) Noelene Nabulivou, co-organizer of the event, was leading the chants of "Japan! Take your money! Take your aids! Take your waste! We don't need it," attracting more and more people to join the chorus of outrage. "We are oceanic people. So we have to protect ourselves, we have to protect our food security, and we have to make sure that as we move from here to the future every generation of us can have the same things that we enjoy," said Nabulivou, who is also the founder of Diverse Voices and Action for Equality. Nabulivou told Xinhua she hopes the Pacific leaders and every country in the world can hear their voices and plea. Presidentielle au Gabon: Bongo accuse de "haute trahison" son rival Le president du Gabon Ali Bongo Ondimba a accuse vendredi son principal rival a l'election presidentielle, Albert Ondo Ossa, de "crime de haute trahison", ce dernier lui promettant en retour une alternance pacifique et sans "chasse aux sorcieres" a la veille du scrutin. Les Gabonais votent samedi pour decider s'ils confient ou non un troisieme mandat au chef de l'Etat, au pouvoir depuis 14 ans, face a 13 autres candidats. Son plus serieux rival, Albert Ondo Ossa, choisi tres tardivement par les principaux partis d'opposition, etait jusqu'alors peu connu du grand public et n'a eu que six jours pour battre la campagne mais ses meetings rassemblent d'importantes foules. Se basant sur une conversation presumee, enregistree a leur insu, entre M. Ondo Ossa et Alexandre Barro Chambrier, un tenor de l'opposition, Ali Bongo a accuse son principal rival d'avoir tenu des propos pouvant etre assimiles a un "crime de haute trahison". Et il promet des poursuites: les deux opposants appellent, selon lui, a des violences pour s'emparer du pouvoir et au soutien d'"armees etrangeres", a-t-il declare vendredi dans le quotidien gouvernemental L'Union. Le chef de l'Etat a reuni plusieurs milliers de ses partisans non loin du quartier administratif, pour un meeting a la logistique colossale. Entoure de ses proches, depuis une scene imposante cernee de deux ecrans geants, il s'est adresse a une foule agitant des casquettes blanches ou bleues, ou des pancartes sur lesquelles on pouvait lire "Je vote Ali". M. Ondo Ossa clame vouloir mettre fin a la "dynastie Bongo" que l'opposition accuse de mauvaise gouvernance et de diriger un pouvoir mine par la "corruption", dans ce petit Etat d'Afrique centrale tres riche de son petrole mais ou un habitant sur trois vit sous le seuil de pauvrete. Ali Bongo a ete elu en 2009 a la mort de son pere Omar Bongo Ondimba qui dirigeait le pays sans partage depuis plus de 41 ans deja. "Ces intrigants", "qui me donnent des lecons et qui, depuis plus de 30 ans, sont nourris par notre pays et par l'Etat (...), maintenant voudraient (...) detruire ce pays ? Non, non, non, c'est non, c'est non, c'est non ! Nous ne laisserons pas faire !" a tonne M. Bongo, les visant sans les nommer, en invoquant l'enregistrement qui fait l'objet d'une enquete judiciaire. - Moyens du bord - Avec de faibles moyens en comparaison, M. Ondo Ossa, 69 ans, s'est lance dans un veritable contre-la-montre a travers le pays, avalant des centaines de kilometres depuis six jours, apres que la coalition qui l'a choisi a annonce mardi avoir ete "empechee de voyager" en "avion", faute "d'autorisation". De ville en ville l'affluence ne se dement pas, et les videos diffusees en direct par Alternance 2023, tres suivies sur Facebook, donnent a voir une campagne bricolee avec les moyens du bord, mais qui tient son pari d'occuper le terrain en cette derniere semaine. L'economiste a conclu sa campagne vendredi soir dans le quartier populaire de Nzeng Ayong de Libreville, devant plusieurs milliers de personnes aussi, et aux cotes des chefs de file de la coalition. "Je ne suis pas un homme de desordre", a lance M. Ondo Ossa en repetant que "60 ans de pouvoir pour une meme famille c'est trop !", pour le cas ou M. Bongo serait reelu. Il "sera traite comme un ancien chef d'Etat (...) Il peut partir en paix" et il n'y aura pas de "chasse aux sorcieres" a-t-il ajoute, promettant un "changement avec zero morts". Pres de 850.000 electeurs inscrits sont appeles a voter pour trois elections le meme jour: presidentielle, legislatives et municipales. L'organisation internationale Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) a denonce l'"interdiction" faite aux medias etrangers par les autorites, qui ont refuse "toutes les accreditations", de couvrir les elections, qui se derouleront egalement sans observateurs internationaux. Et le departement d'Etat americain a souligne vendredi soir "l'importance de l'observation electorale" au Gabon et appele "tous les acteurs a s'engager en faveur de la tenue d'elections libres, justes et pacifiques". ABUJA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Friday said it is working toward an amicable solution to restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger. Omar Alieu Touray, president of the ECOWAS Commission, said during a press conference in the Nigerian capital of Abuja that the regional bloc would maintain its interest in the economic prosperity and social welfare of the citizens of the landlocked West African country. Touray said the aspirations of the Nigerien people "can only be met through democratic means and participatory governance." The 15-member intergovernmental organization, through its special envoys on Niger's political impasse, has been engaging the Niger's junta in dialogue following a coup that removed and detained President Mohamed Bazoum in late July. ECOWAS has called for unconditional release of Bazoum and his family members, saying the bloc's standby force was ready to go to Niger for a possible military intervention. In response to "any form of aggression against Niger," Burkina Faso and Mali have deployed fighter jets and helicopters in the country to show solidarity with the junta. On Tuesday, ECOWAS' special envoy Abdulsalami Abubakar told reporters that a diplomatic solution to the crisis was within reach as discussions with the junta has shown positive signs. People walk near the venue of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 20, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Yudong) "BRICS countries enjoy very high productivity, large GDP, advanced technological boom and enormous manpower, in addition to their huge volume of trade exchanges across the world," said the Egyptian expert. CAIRO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The BRICS group has the ability to lead a broad global development process, improve the current global economic system and address its problems and crises, an Egyptian business expert has said. "BRICS, with its economic, financial and technological capabilities and clear future vision, has the power and ability to lead the world towards a broad development process and make the global economic system more just and equitable," said Abdel-Sattar Eshrah, secretary-general of the Cairo-based Egyptian-Chinese Business Council, in a recent interview with Xinhua. Eshrah made the remarks while BRICS, a group of major emerging economies comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa then, was holding its 15th summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. "The global economic system, with its crises and challenges, has negatively affected the lives of people worldwide, which highlights the importance of BRICS to restore a great deal of global economic stability," the expert said. Eshrah, also a counselor of the Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce, stressed that BRICS can help many emerging economies achieve higher rates of growth and development. 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. "BRICS countries enjoy very high productivity, large GDP, advanced technological boom and enormous manpower, in addition to their huge volume of trade exchanges across the world," Eshrah said. The economic bloc, he said, is achieving "great and continuous success" in a short time, which motivates other countries to seek membership in the hope of sharing the success and benefit from cooperation with BRICS members. At the just-concluded BRICS summit, six countries, namely Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were officially invited to join the BRICS. Their membership will take effect on Jan. 1, 2024. Eshrah attributed the aspiration of many countries to join BRICS to the principles of its members' foreign policies that are based on win-win cooperation and mutual respect with other countries. "Many countries find the gathering peaceful and fair, which is why it's very welcomed by many peoples of the world," he told Xinhua. This aerial photo taken on Sept. 28, 2021 shows the headquarters building of New Development Bank in east China's Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) Egypt has also joined the Shanghai-based New Development Bank established by BRICS, a move considered by Eshrah as "a very good indicator." Eshrah expressed his belief that the expansion of BRICS membership in a well-studied manner "would increase its strength and effectiveness and enhance its regional and international role, in a way that contributes to achieving greater and faster development rates." "It would create many opportunities for joint cooperation among BRICS members in various fields," Eshrah said. The expansion of BRICS membership is likely to boost the abilities of its members to face economic, financial and political crises and challenges, according to the expert. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. While accused Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann has been meeting with a clergyman in jail, reports reveal claims from two sex workers of violent encounters with the defendant, according to reports. The women have claimed that Heuermann was violent and aggressive, authorities said this week. The Suffolk Countys anti-human trafficking unit interviewed the women, Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. told Newsday. Neither woman was injured during the encounters, though Toulon Jr. presumed in his statements that a person of that size being a little aggressive was probably frightening. Heuermann has been housed at the Suffolk County jail facility in Riverhead, where he is meeting with a clergyman once a week. I have not seen any emotion from him, (he is) very emotionless, the sheriff said. Heuermann spends 18 to 20 hours a day in his 60-square-foot cell, where he has access to books, television, newspaper and mail, the sheriff said. He also goes for walks alone in a small recreation area. New Yorkers can save $100 on their next water bill by enrolling in a new Autopay plan offered by the city Department of Environmental Protection. Autopay allows customers to pay bills through automatic deductions to their credit card or checking account on a specific date each month. In order to receive the $100 credit on their next water bill, customers must sign up before the offer expires on Nov. 15, according to an announcement on the DEP website. To get the $100, customers must enroll in e-billing by signing up for autopay through their My DEP account. Customers still receive monthly notices that payments are scheduled and paid. To enroll: Log in to your My DEP account Select Enroll in AutoPay Choose your payment method and monthly payment date Click Submit Those enrolled are required to stay current on bills and be enrolled in autopay, e-billing, and monthly billing for six months after the $100 credit is applied to the account. If any of these qualifying actions are altered, the $100 credit will be revoked. If a customer has multiple accounts, all accounts can be eligible for the non-refundable $100 one-time credit. Those with questions should call DEP during business hours, Monday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at (718) 595-7000. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A massive estate sale will take place at the infamous Todt Hill animal house this weekend and at least two of the manses iconic statues are being advertised as part of the purchasable goods. They will probably sell for about $6,000 each, but they are worth $12,000, estate liquidator Nanette Pettersen said of a life-size bronze gorilla and buffalo, which she calls the sales most intriguing finds. These are the items that many Staten Island residents have seen and admired for decades. Billed The Most Infamous Sale of the Year, Part I, by Pettersens firm, the event will take place on both Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 26 and 27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 724 Todt Hill Road the iconic borough estate that is well known for being studded with statuary. Hundreds of items, including a cache of designer clothes and shoes, luxury furniture and appraised artwork are all up for purchase this weekend. A second sale featuring additional goods will be hosted next weekend. There are so many intriguing finds here, Pettersen said, naming paintings by Russian artist Chemiakin and rooms full of furniture from Italian luxury furniture brand Formitalia. There is also a lot of Versace. This sale will feature items from the first and second floors, as well as the backyard. Next weekend the basement will be the focus as well as any items left from the first sale. 20 1 / 20 Major estate sale to be hosted at infamous Todt Hill animal house this weekend The iconic home first hit the market at $3.99 million in July of 2022 and, according to Zillow, dropped in price twice over the past eight months first to $3.49 million on Nov. 18 and to $3.35 million on Jan. 18. Located directly across the street from Staten Island Academy, the house was built in 1960 and is situated on 0.98 acres of land. It features seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms and was marked as in acceptance on both the Connie Profaci and Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) websites this past April. Upon entering the gated circular driveway, you are transported to a European villa in this prestigious neighborhood with a high-tech security system and three-car garage, the listing boasted. Walking through the custom wrought iron double doors, you are captivated by the two-story entry foyer adorned with birdseye maple wood floors, a floating staircase, Schonbeck crystal chandeliers and hand-painted moldings. According to Pettersen, the house was recently sold and the new owner is keeping those chandeliers and most of the statuary. There are many things that are not for sale, she said. But you can get lost in this house, it took us hours to retrieve the paintings and organize the decor and valuables. Pettersen says womens clothing sizes range from six to 12 and designer shoes are 7 to 10. A wide range of Halloween and Christmas decor will be a part of this weekends sale. Please be patient and courteous, Pettersen warns those who will be attending. Only a few people will be allowed in at a time. Please bring bags, boxes and wrappings for your purchases. Parking will be a challenge. There is only room for 20 cars on the property. Please park in an orderly way so people can get in and out and respect the neighbors driveways. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Facing both federal and state lawsuits over an alleged role in the sale of opioids, Rite Aid is preparing to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. After the report was published Friday, Rite Aid stock fell more than 50%, according to published reports. A source familiar with the matter told Yahoo Finance the bankruptcy plan is already underway, and as many as 400 stores will likely be shuttered. In a statement to Yahoo Finance, Rite Aid said: We have closed 239 stores since 2021. Like all retail businesses, we regularly review each of our locations to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers, communities and the overall business. Rite Aid operates two stores on Staten Island at 43-68 Amboy Rd., Eltingville, and 2271 Richmond Ave., New Springville. The fate of those stores is unknown at this time. Rite Aid is a full-service pharmacy that touts its stores as those which meet customers needs with a wide range of vehicles that offer convenience, including retail and delivery pharmacy, as well as services offered through wholly owned subsidiaries, Elixir, Bartell Drugs and Health Dialog. For more information, visit www.riteaid.com. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER We all know that the lives of families from across the globe have been upended by war, poverty and violent conflict. They have now completed the latest leg of their journey, and have arrived here in New York City. Many, with children in tow, left their homes with whatever they could carry on their backs and traveled through jungles, mountains, and dangerous swamps in search of a better life and a small chance at the American dream. We are reminded of another migrant family who once escaped a violent dictator and travelled many miles to reach safety in a new country (Matthew 2:13-15). In this story, the mother was pregnant, and they had to take up residence in a stable, where she gave birth to a baby who changed the course of human history. That boy would grow up and tell another story of a traveler who was beaten up and left on the side of the road for dead. Several folks walked by the beaten man, and each kept walking on their way. They may have thought this man is not my problem or simply tried to look away and keep moving toward their own destinations. But at one point another man who was a Samaritan was struck with compassion and knelt down next to the man. He bandaged up his wounds and took him to a nearby hotel, where he paid for the mans stay until he could heal and get better. In the story we are asked, Who was this mans neighbor? By now, most of us know the answer here, and that the person telling the story is Jesus, who says, Now, go and do likewise (Luke 10:30-37). As faith leaders, we believe that we are called by God to show mercy and hospitality to all people in need, including asylum seekers. Our scriptures are filled with teachings on how we are supposed to treat each other especially those who have been less fortunate than us. Do not mistreat or oppress an immigrant, because you were once immigrants in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21). Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2). Do to others as you would have them do to you. - Jesus, (Luke 6:31). Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land (Deuteronomy 15:11). Then the King will say to those at his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. - Jesus (Matthew 25:34-35). We have been presented with a choice on how we will respond to the asylum seekers looking for room in the inn on Staten Island. Will we choose to embrace them, like the good Samaritan, or to turn them away? So yes, we should advocate for more resources from the federal government. And yes, Governor Hochul should also increase the amount of assistance sent from the state. But also yes - and most importantly - we are called to have compassion and mercy, and to treat our new neighbors just as we would hope to be treated if, God forbid, we would ever have to leave our homes and travel to a new land, scared, and with only what we could carry on our backs. In the days ahead, as we see images of our neighbors sleeping on the sidewalk, and mothers holding onto their children hoping for a better life, let us all be reminded of our proud American history as a nation of immigrants, and of our ancient calling to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8). The following faith leaders have added their names to this statement: Most Reverend John OHara, auxiliary bishop of New York Rabbi Michael Howald, Temple Israel Reform Congregation Rev. Karen Pershing, co-chair, Staten Island Inter-Religious Leadership Rabbi Judah Newberger and Naomi Newberger Regina D. Cassidy, Doctor of Ministry Rev. Antoinnette R. Donegan, associate minister, First Central Baptist Church Rev. Terry Troia, Reformed Church of Huguenot Park Rev. Richard F. Michael, Pastor Emeritus, Trinity Lutheran Church Rev. Dr. Katie Cumiskey, West Brighton resident and Professor at CSI-CUNY Rev. Leslianne Adkins Braunstein, Olivet Presbyterian Church Rev. Janet Jones, Shrewbury Ave. AME Zion Church Rev. Ben Bortin Rev. Mark Brown Rev. Melodee Bottari Rev. Deacon Geraldine A. Swanson STATEN ISLANDS HISTORY: Staten Island has had, over the years, several prominent faith leaders whose main concern was for those most in need: Father John Christopher Drumgoole (1816 1888) was a Roman Catholic priest who devoted his life to the care of orphans and abandoned children in New York City. In 1883, he built Mount Loretto, also known as the Mission of the Immaculate Virgin, in Pleasant Plains, originally to take care of homeless boys, and then, over the years, expanded to house and educate thousands of boys as well as girls. By 2015, a portion of the land is still used to benefit children in need, as well as senior citizens and the community-at-large, with its feeding ministry, St. Edwards Food Pantry. Msgr. John P. Doc Monaghan (1890-1961), served as pastor at St. Margaret Marys Parish in Midland Beach. In 1939, he described his parish as poor, but he pledged to make it a haven for the community. He became a labor rights leader and created a credit union. With the unemployment rate at about 60%, Msgr. Monaghan, known affectionately by his nickname Doc, was led by his dedication and commitment to social ministry. Dorothy Day (1897-1980) is undoubtedly the most famous, and is well on her way to being canonized a saint. As a young woman, she led a troubled life and struggled to find her way. She was baptized a Catholic in Our Lady Help of Christians Church in Tottenville, had her daughter Tamar on Staten Island, and is buried here, in Resurrection Cemetery. She devoted her life to taking care of the homeless, hungry, and poor of New York City, creating Hospitality Houses as well as the Catholic Worker movement. Today, we are blessed currently on Staten Island with our own Dorothy Day, who helped to develop Project Hospitality. In her own quiet, yet forceful way, the Rev. Terry Troia does not let anyone interfere with the call from God in the Bible, to love one another and take care of each other as our own brothers and sisters. In addition, Staten Island abounds with organizations such as the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Dr. Theodore A. Atlas Foundation. Their founders perceived a need in our borough and decided to take their call to serve seriously. 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! Principals at Sydneys Anglican schools will no longer be forced to sign a document affirming they believe marriage should only be between a man and a woman under a new proposal by the church that is set to abolish the controversial requirement. In a draft policy statement, the Anglican Diocese of Sydney says incoming school heads must instead show they are of Christian faith and character, be actively involved in a Bible-based church and sign a personal commitment to organisational faithfulness. The Anglican Diocese of Sydney oversees more than 30 schools in NSW including Shore, Trinity Grammar, St Catherines and Kings. Credit: SMH The plan to scrap the clause opposing gay marriage which was inserted into a general statement of faith in 2019 comes after the matter sparked an outpouring of anger and frustration among Anglican school leaders and provoked intense backlash from parents. The review of the rule forms part of a major governance overhaul of all Sydney Anglican diocese-run organisations, including more than 30 schools across the state. An absence of policy For the past 13 years, NSW has been without any formal drug policy or plan. The previous NSW Health drug and alcohol plan, developed during the 1999 drug summit which led to the development of a youth drug court and the Kings Cross supervised injecting clinic, expired in 2010. NSW is also the only jurisdiction in Australia without an official diversion or cautioning program, where drug users are referred to health services instead of the justice system for illicit drugs other than cannabis. Decriminalisation was a key recommendation of the $11 million inquiry, which handed down its 109 recommendations in 2020, but it was one of the proposals rejected by the previous government. Decriminalisation involves removing all criminal penalties for drug use and possession for small amounts from the law, although fines or other penalties can still be issued. De facto decriminalisation allows police and courts to use discretion whether they charge someone with a criminal offence, issue a fine or caution, or refer them to a diversion scheme. Decriminalisation does not mean drugs are legal, and trafficking or manufacturing offences can still be prosecuted. Legalisation involves removing all penalties for possession and personal use of a drug, with regulations established to manage how it can be produced, sold and consumed, like alcohol or nicotine. Chair of the ice inquiry Professor Dan Howard warned that the NSW governments inaction on drug reform was fuelling the drug trade. By not [introducing decriminalisation] were assisting the suppliers. If weve got proper treatment programs in place, that will lessen demand, he said. With no formal policy theyre asleep at the wheel. Howard said not introducing decriminalisation was clogging up the courts, with about 20,000 cases in the NSW local court system for the personal use of all types of illicit substances. Its a huge amount of police time, paperwork and court time. All the risks are much better spent on programs for people. Loading NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said he recognised there was a need for a comprehensive drug policy in NSW. Labor has promised to hold a drug summit within its first term to guide drug reform, although details have yet to be released. The drug summit will be an opportunity to gather advice from legal professionals, health experts, police, academics, support services, families and other stakeholders, to inform a pragmatic and evidence-based approach to drug policy, Daley said. University of NSW drug policy specialist Professor Alison Ritter said NSW needed to catch up with the rest of Australia and the world. NSW is a long way behind other jurisdictions. There are [scores of] countries that have decriminalised the personal use of drugs. This is not radical. Its not new, Ritter said. Portugal was a leader in the drug reform space, introducing decriminalisation in 2001. Recently, Oregon in the US followed suit. But issues have emerged in these jurisdictions, fuelled by increased demand for social services amid the cost-of-living crisis. In Portugal there has been a recent uptick in drug use (although use still remains below European averages), a spike in crime and a decrease in the number of users in drug treatment. Oregon in the US, which decriminalised drugs in 2020 and offers those caught with small amounts of illicit drugs the opportunity to attend drug screening and assessment, or a fine, has faced an increase in overdoses and public use because users have been attracted from interstate. Loading Ritter said criticisms misunderstood the purpose of decriminalisation. Its not directed towards reducing drug use and it doesnt increase drug use. Its all about removing the criminal justice consequences and reducing the economic burden on the state in terms of the police, courts and the criminal justice system and its very effective at doing that. The ACT plans to fully decriminalise possession of less than 1.5 grams of commonly used illicit drugs including cocaine, ecstasy, ice, heroin, LSD and amphetamines, by removing all criminal penalties in October. NSW Greens MLC Cate Faehrmann has proposed fully legalising illicit drugs to address the cocaine gangs, while earlier this month Legalise Cannabis Party MP Jeremy Buckingham called for a cautioning scheme for illicit drugs including cocaine. Drug diversion When rejecting decriminalisation, the previous government instead put forward suggestions for de-penalisation and pre-court diversion schemes, where people could be cautioned and sent to health intervention programs when caught with small amounts of illicit substances, and only charged following repeat incidents. Advice for whether health services were adequately equipped for this scheme to be implemented was supposed to be provided in June, but this advice has yet to be publicly released. NSW still has no official policy on drug diversion. Instead, the Drug Court of NSW can hold new offenders accountable to rehabilitation schemes, with $141 million in extra funding for expanded justice initiatives announced following the ice inquiry. Loading But these court diversions are seldom used: In 2022, fewer than 500 offenders charged with non-cannabis-related illicit drug offences were referred to a diversion scheme. Just 64 of those were for cocaine. A major issue with diversion is cocaines user demographic. As the UNs Global Report on Cocaine 2023 notes, Australian cocaine users are occasional users who may not require health and social-service intervention like intensive users who smoke or inject cocaine derivatives. National Drug Research Institute Adjunct Professor Nicole Lee said diversion models risked wasting treatment resources, with infrequent users taking up key treatment spaces. One study estimated that, as of 2017, up to half of the estimated 755,000 people likely to seek alcohol and drug treatment in Australia were unable to get it. These are people who probably dont need treatment but are taking up treatment space. The diversion model has drawbacks, Lee said. Police can also issue $400 on-the-spot fines for small-quantity drug possession instead of charging people, though Lee warned these schemes can be fraught with bias. [Fines] depend on how hard-line the police officer is or whether theyve had a bad day. They dont actually deter people from using, she said. Indigenous adults are significantly less likely to receive cannabis cautions compared with non-Indigenous offenders, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. A spokesperson for NSW Police said officers were encouraged to exercise discretion and issue a caution to those eligible, though to receive a caution a person must admit to the offence. All cases are treated independently, and decisions regarding charges and cautions are made by the officers in charge of those incidents, the spokesperson said. Loading Law and order Cocaine seizures have reached record highs, with the Australian Federal Police taking 8.9 tonnes in 2022. This year they intercepted a haul of 850 kilograms, worth an estimated $320 million in street deals. Cocaine use and possession offences have also hit 10-year highs in NSW, with 2630 incidents in the year to March 2023 336 more compared with the previous year, with a notable increase in Sydney-based offences. Police have also been given new powers to search the homes, cars and persons of those under drug supply prohibition orders in select LGAs as part of a two-year trial commencing in 2022. In response to the spike in offences in specific LGAs, a spokesperson for NSW Police said it focuses on organised crime activities throughout the entire state. The success of large-scale police operations come in large part from the cooperation of multiple commands and agencies, the spokesperson said. Results are reflective of the efforts of law enforcement working with partners to better understand and address drug issues caused by organised crime in rural and regional NSW. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb declined to be interviewed. When asked whether decriminalisation would affect police drug investigations, with users not sharing information with police when charged, the spokesperson said intelligence played a pivotal part when tackling drug supply chains. Loading Lee said large-scale police operations did little to address demand. Large seizures, crackdowns and campaigns make a tiny dent in use, and then everything just goes back to normal. Even arresting big-time drug dealers and big drug syndicates make a blip on the availability of drugs and the number of people using, she said. When you spend $1 on drug treatment, you get $7 returned to the community on savings on people using healthcare and not being part of the community. But every dollar we spend on policing drugs costs us $1.30. There is a poignant scene early in the movie Still Alice (2014) in which Julianne Moore plays a 50-year-old linguistics professor. Speaking to a university hall full of language students she suddenly dries up mid-sentence. The word she was searching for escapes her. She gets a polite laugh from the audience when she jokes: I knew I shouldnt have had that champagne. Shortly afterwards we see her jogging around her own university campus. She stops at some steps and looks this way and that. She struggles to contain her emotions as she realises she doesnt know where she is. Julianne Moore in a scene from Still Alice - a film that captures the complexities of Alzheimers. Credit: Publicity Alice is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimers. The film captures the complexities of a disease that will be affecting an increasing number of Australians.One of the comments on the YouTube trailer for the movie says this: I read Alzheimers is expected to skyrocket in the next two decades. I dont think there are any of us who dont know at least one individual afflicted by this terminal illness ... a disease that is horribly underfunded and due to such straits, under-researched. It is not discriminatory. Every one of us is susceptible. Praying every day for a miracle. The comment has 100 likes. As our story today relates, the advocacy group Dementia Australia estimates that the number of those with the disease will double to 800,000 in the next 35 years. Between a fifth and a quarter of the population will be over 65 in 2041. It is estimated that two-thirds of those 800,000 will be living, not in care homes, but supported by loved ones within the community. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The fighting in Sudan should put the suffering Sudanese people above the pursuit of power or resources and the conflict should end, the UN relief chief said on Friday. "Humanity must prevail," said Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths in an unusual statement. The fighting beginning in mid-April, ravaging the capital Khartoum and the western Darfur region, has spread to Kordofan state. Hunger, disease and displacement spawned by the intense fighting threaten to consume the whole country, said the UN emergency relief coordinator. He said that in South Kordofan's capital of Kadugli, food stocks were fully depleted. Clashes and road blockages prevent aid workers from reaching the hungry. "In West Kordofan's capital, El Fula, humanitarian offices have been ransacked and supplies looted," Griffiths said. "I am also extremely worried about the safety of civilians in Al Jazira State, as the conflict moves closer to Sudan's breadbasket." He said hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated. "Vector-borne diseases are spreading, posing a lethal risk, especially to those already weakened by malnutrition," the UN relief coordinator said. "Cases of measles, malaria, whooping cough, dengue fever, and acute watery diarrhea are reported nationwide. Most people have no access to medical treatment." He said the conflict has decimated the healthcare sector, with most hospitals out of service. Griffiths said that millions of people were forced from their homes but remained in the country while another million fled across borders into struggling host communities. A protracted conflict in Sudan could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe. "A long conflict will almost certainly lead to a lost generation of children as millions miss out on education, endure trauma, and bear the physical and psychological scars of war," he said. "Reports that some children in Sudan are being used in the fighting are deeply disturbing." The UN relief chief said civilians need life-saving assistance now; humanitarians need access and funding to deliver it. "The international community needs to respond with the urgency this crisis deserves," said Griffiths. I dont use Facebook much these days and Twitter, now known as X, has well-documented problems. But the community effort to find Ravi reminded me of social medias good side. Loading It was heartwarming to have so many strangers message to say they were out looking for Ravi, calling his name. Someone named Chris searched for two hours through West Footscray up to the Melbourne Container Park, using a spotlight to peer into industrial blocks. Mel, another person I hadnt met, was driving up and down Sunshine Road. Another stranger, Tuan, had looked through three suburbs up to Braybrook. Later on Wednesday evening, Ravi was spotted on the wrong side of another busy road near Tottenham Railway Station.I couldnt help because the dog was very scared, reported Jeanette. But by the time my parents got to the station, he was nowhere to be seen. The trail went cold until Thursday morning, when we got a fresh report of a loose whippet in Sydenham on the outskirts of Melbourne. If it was Ravi, he was now about 18 kilometres away. But the pieces fitted: photos showed resemblance and he was last seen heading in that direction. Perhaps he was heading home to Adelaide? My parents and husband spent the day scouring Sydenham. A dozen residents joined in, having heard about the search. We started to feel as if everyone living near Rose Hedge Reserve knew about Ravi, my mum recalled. The whippet that was on the loose in Sydenham, captured on CCTV. Credit: Facebook People were stopping as they drove past. A man called Scott and his fiance searched for hours. It gave me a lot of heart. We thought it was only a matter of time before Ravi was found. A dog fitting his description was captured multiple times on someones CCTV. Then came a devastating development. Mum caught sight of the dog we were tracking. It was not Ravi but another, much younger whippet that was also on the loose. If it wasnt Ravi, then where was he? His collar listed my mums mobile number and he was microchipped.The Lost Dogs Home knew he was missing. So did the local vets and councils. His bed lay empty on the porch for another night. We feared it would remain that way. But thanks to the help of yet another stranger, this story has a happy ending. At about 1pm on Friday afternoon, a man named Sam was walking his two-year-old border collie along a dirt track next to Kororoit Creek in Sunshine when he heard barking. Following the noise, he spotted a little dog shaking, marooned on the other bank. The side of the creek that he was on is all industrial parks and dilapidated buildings people dont walk on that side, so I dont even know how he got there, Sam explained. Sam had a choice to make if he wanted to help. He could go the long way, walking hundreds of metres, crossing some stepping stones and pushing his way through long grass. Ravi and owner Alastair Dow (left) pictured with Sam and his dog Albort after Sam rescued Ravi in Sunshine. Credit: Rose Dow Otherwise, he would have to wade into the polluted waterway. I tied my dog to the tree and felt out the water. I thought, its only knee-deep, Ill just suck it up, he said. I was hoping Ravi wouldnt run or get scared, but clearly he just wanted to be helped. He was straight into my arms. Sam told me later that he had never been gripped so tight as he had by my dad when the pair posed for a photo in the park soon after. When that photo landed in the family WhatsApp group captioned found, it felt like a miracle. I shed a little tear in The Age office. In the end, we think Ravi travelled about seven kilometres, crossing at least four major roads and countless other small ones. Loading Other than being exhausted and hungry, the geriatric whippet is in remarkably good health. He is happy to be back with his family and loving being the centre of attention. Sydney will host an inaugural global nature summit in October 2024 that will bring together environment minsters and business representatives from across the world, after the harbour city beat rival bids from Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who will on Sunday announce Sydney as the host city, said the Global Nature Positive Summit was convened out of an agreement by countries at the 2022 United Nations biodiversity conference to seek private investment to help secure billions of dollars in funding annually for nature repair by 2030. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has confirmed Sydney will host the inaugural Global Nature Positive Summit in 2024. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Turning the tide like this, from nature destruction to nature repair, will require a mighty global effort. We need government leading way, but we also need the private sector, environmentalists and First Nations groups all pulling in the same direction, Plibersek, the MP for Sydney, said. Thats why were convening the Global Nature Positive Summit here in Sydney. Were bringing the best environmental and financial minds to Australia, to share our expertise, and discuss how we work together to protect this planet for our kids and grandkids. NSW recorded a significant rise in greyhound track deaths and injuries in the past year as the surging popularity of online gambling in international markets has led to hundreds more races being held. But the industry and the states racing minister maintain the proportion of races that have incidents is decreasing, a metric that welfare advocates argue hides the problem. Greyhound racing is returning record profits and increasing race meets. Credit: Anthony Johnson Sixty-five greyhounds died on NSW tracks in 2022-23 compared with 51 the previous year, according to the industry regulator, the Greyhound Welfare Integrity Commission (GWIC). No dogs have been euthanised trackside since July 1, which Greyhound Racing NSW (GRNSW) attributes to a new on-site veterinary program. But severe injuries are still higher than last year: from August 1 to 22, there were 62 Category D injuries, incapacitating a dog for between 28 and 90 days, compared with 29 in 2022. A property does not have to be advertised with a price guide, but if it is, the guide must be based on factors such as recent comparable sales and market conditions, and be updated based on buyer feedback if needed. Sydney home buyers have become accustomed to adding sizeable sums onto advertised price guides for homes going to auction. Credit: Peter Rae Slater, a long-term northern beaches resident who temporarily relocated to Adelaide, spent thousands of dollars on flights, car hire, solicitors fees and pest and building reports, for a property for which he was never in the running. When I went to Fair Trading, they said this is not underquoting because the property didnt sell; it was almost like, computer says no, he said. The property he missed out on never sold, and was withdrawn from the market. Underquoting is illegal and the laws were strengthened in 2016, but still contain loopholes. Agents face fines of up to $22,000 if successfully prosecuted and may also lose commission, but neither penalty has ever been imposed. Instead, agents have been issued penalty notices of $2200. The commission that agents stand to make varies, but an agent charging 2 per cent commission would earn $20,000 for selling a $1 million home. NSW Fair Trading has received 596 complaints about underquoting from 2019 to date, and has issued 348 fines off the back of complaints and compliance operations. Since January, 51 complaints and 43 penalty notices, totalling $94,600, have been issued. Dozens of Sydney buyers told this masthead they had no faith in price guides and were accustomed to adding sizable sums on top, some at the advice of agents who admitted a property should sell above their guide. Some buyers questioned how they could tell when a price guide was way off the mark, but experienced agents, with access to data, purportedly could not. Very few had lodged an official complaint, lacking faith in the process. A NSW Fair Trading spokesman said underquoting was monitored during general real estate checks and targeted operations, including inspections of sale records and undercover monitoring of campaigns. More than 180 inspections have been conducted since January. Reducing misleading representations by agents was a priority for Fair Trading, he added. All complaints were assessed carefully, and recorded to monitor future conduct, but could be finalised with no action if they could not be substantiated. Agents caught underquoting could be given educational advice, a warning, penalty notice or face prosecution. Loading Fair Trading and Better Regulation Minister Anoulack Chanthivong was unavailable for an interview, but provided a statement saying it was a priority for Fair Trading, which had cracked down on misleading conduct and would continue to look at ways to improve. He declined to answer detailed questions but urged those who believe they had been misled to make a complaint. It marks the agent for closer scrutiny in the future and along with spot checks its a critical part of helping to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour, he said. Industry stalwart Henny Stier, principal buyers agent at OH Property Group, has made multiple complaints to Fair Trading about underquoting, but said they went nowhere. There has not been a single investigation into anything that was complained about. It was such a futile exercise, Stier said. OH Property Groups Henny Stier has made multiple complaints about underquoting to Fair Trading to no avail. Credit: Dion Georgopoulos Agents who do the right thing are then left behind, she said, as they risk losing buyers to competitors who underquote. Because of this, its become quite systemic, she said. Stier said loopholes include agents not accepting offers before auction so they are not legally required to revise their price guides, using outdated comparable sales, or communicating verbally with buyers to avoid a paper trail. She was among more than two dozen buyers agents this masthead spoke to, most of whom felt underquoting was common. Few had complained, concerned it would sour a relationship with an agent, or result in nothing more than a slap on the wrist. Those who did were disappointed by Fair Tradings response, some adding it was under-resourced. Buyers agent Lauren Goudy has previously complained about underquoting, but was disappointed by the outcome. Credit: Peter Braig When buyers agent Lauren Goudy, of Rose & Jones, presented a cut-and-dried case of underquoting to Fair Trading a number of years ago, she was disappointed. An agent had formally knocked back a clients offer, but continued to advise buyers of a lower price guide. Sydney buyers agent Paul Mulligan believes underquoting is rampant. Credit: Peter Braig [Fair Trading] said they just gave the agent a warning. There was no fine, there was nothing. Buyers agent Paul Mulligan, founder of Mulligan Property Acquisitions has also made complaints, but to the best of his knowledge none resulted in a penalty. They tell you they cant say anything [about the outcome] because its an ongoing investigation and it could compromise their processes, Mulligan said. How to actually lodge a complaint [isnt clear on] their website I went to, and was like, How the f--- do you do this? If I cant do this, what hope has the consumer got? Mulligan believes underquoting is rampant, and the practice disadvantaged those agents who did quote honestly. On the selling side, Smyth Estate Agents director James Smyth has complained more than a couple of times about underquoting, which he said undermined the work of agents who tried to quote accurately. I do see a lot of very cheeky guides that are quite misrepresentative, he said. When Smyth has lodged complaints, he has been disappointed by the result. He said few buyers complained as they were busy or worried about getting an agent offside. Sydney first home buyer Carolien Waterman, who has been searching for some months, has not complained about inaccurate guides and questions how doing so would make a difference for a buyer who has missed out on the property and is looking for the next. First home buyer Carolien Waterman is sick of seeing agents underquote property prices. Credit: Ben Symons Waterman missed out on a one-bedroom apartment that was guided at $575,000 and sold for $721,000. I would have rather ... spent my time in a productive way than going to an auction where you are already losing before it starts, she said. Good Deeds Property Buyers founder Veronica Morgan decided against lodging a complaint, after she called Fair Trading about a blatant case of underquoting. Her clients made a pre-auction offer about $500,000 above the price guide for an Ashbury home, but were unsuccessful. Rather than knocking the bid back, and revising the guide, the agent said they could not accept pre-auction offers. Good Deeds Property Buyers founder Veronica Morgan called Fair Trading about a blatant case of underquoting, but got the strong impression it wouldnt go anywhere. Credit: Louise Kennerley [I called Fair Trading and] they talked me through the process and I decided not to complain. I got the strong impression it was going to go nowhere, she said. Real Estate Institute of NSW chief executive Tim McKibbin said it was disappointing that some agents engaged in the illegal practice, but it was not as widespread as consumers believed. [But] the current response to the problem clearly isnt working. I think there needs to be a rethink of how we take this problem on, both from a compliance and perceptions perspective. McKibbin said REINSW wanted to work with Fair Trading to lift industry standards and consumer confidence, but he said buyers should dedicate time and resources to do their own due diligence. How to make a complaint about underquoting Collect as much evidence as possible. Written records of price representations or any potential offers made on a property are ideal. Head to the Make a Complaint section on the Fair Trading website. Select the Real estate, property management and strata option, and click through to the real estate and strata complaint form. Fill out the form, provide any relevant documentation or correspondence as evidence, and submit. You can also make your complaint by mail or you can call 13 32 20 to discuss how to make a complaint. NSW Property Services Commissioner John Minns, tasked with raising industry standards and improving Fair Tradings regulatory powers, was not convinced underquoting was widespread. From 51 complaints [this year], the likelihood is theres probably only a handful of actual [cases] ... thats not evidence of a rampant issue with underquoting, he said. However, it was still an issue he took seriously, regularly meeting Fair Tradings investigations and enforcement team. London: The director of the British Museum has quit with immediate effect amid a growing scandal surrounding the theft of artefacts from its collection, admitting the institution was facing a situation of the utmost seriousness. Hartwig Fischer, a German-born art historian, said the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have after warnings in 2021 that objects had been stolen. The situation has developed into a full-blown crisis for the 270-year-old institution, leaving it open to claims that it is not a reliable custodian of treasures, such as the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone, which were brought to London from other countries during the British Empire. Ten days ago, the institution admitted that treasures, thought to have been kept in a storeroom, were missing, stolen or damaged. About 1500 items are thought to be unaccounted for, including gold jewellery and gems of semi-precious stones and glass dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD. On the Silk Road to China Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes in Shanshan County of Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. ( Xinhua) (Xinhua) -- A conference on the inheritance and development of Turfan studies has attracted over 100 domestic and foreign scholars to the city of Turpan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The sixth International Conference on Turfan Studies was held from Monday to Wednesday, during which experts shared their latest findings and visited archaeological sites. Among the relics they visited was the Xipang Jingjiao monastery relics site in Turpan, also known as Turfan. Texts including Buddhist and Taoist manuscripts in Chinese and Nestorian manuscripts in Syriac had been unearthed there. Liu Wensuo, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University, said the site is a rare early Nestorian site in China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Liu's team cooperated with cultural relics institutions in Xinjiang to excavate the site in 2021 and 2023. He said the site is of high academic value, as it reflects cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road. "When you walk into the site, history comes to life to you," said Erica Hunter, a University of Cambridge scholar. She shared her research on the Syriac manuscripts discovered at the site, and explained the site's religious and economic functions. "I learned so much from the Chinese scholars. The richness of cultures in Turpan means a lot to China and the world." Turfan studies are interdisciplinary studies of Turpan's cultural heritage, and have attracted significant attention in the international academic community. Over the past century, experts and scholars of classic philology, archaeology, history, linguistics, paleontology and other fields from around the world have contributed to Turfan studies. Scholars attending the conference also visited the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes in Turpan's Shanshan County, which can be traced back to the fifth century. The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Academia Turfanica conducted new excavations earlier this year. Xia Lidong, a researcher at CASS who was involved in the excavations, said that artifacts such as Buddha statues, Buddhist scriptures, Chinese ink brushes, inkstones and textiles were unearthed from the site. He said the murals in the grottoes had many features seen in grottoes found in Gansu Province and other parts of Xinjiang. "The interactions, exchanges and integration of multiple cultures are reflected in the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes," Xia said. Zhang Liangren, a professor at Nanjing University's School of History, said that thanks to Turpan's dry natural conditions, ancient clothing, food, utensils and other artifacts have been well preserved, offering clues for studies of the ancient Silk Road. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Friday that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue relies on strong relations among major nations and a stable regional environment. "The final resolution of the Peninsula issue depends on sound interactions among the major countries and a good regional environment," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the United Nations Security Council. "Looking back at the history of the Peninsula issue, it is not difficult to realize that diplomatic efforts on the Peninsula issue can be effective only if the major regional countries keep generally stable and cooperative relations," said the ambassador. Geng said that in recent years, certain countries have used the Peninsula issue as a pretext to deliberately create tensions, incorporate the Peninsula into the Indo-Pacific strategy, strengthen alliances and partnerships, and significantly increase their military presence in the region, gravely jeopardizing the strategic security interests of the Peninsula and the neighboring countries. "Such practices, fraught with a Cold War mentality, only work to provoke bloc confrontation and undermine mutual trust among parties, serve their own geopolitical interests, and go against the goal of maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and advancing its denuclearization," said the envoy. The ambassador said that dialogue and negotiation are the only right way to help the Peninsula out of its security conundrum. What's more, the Security Council should play a constructive role in easing tensions and promoting a political settlement. "Regrettably, irrelevant countries have chosen to ignore the reasonable proposals of China, Russia and other countries, and are obsessed with the magical power of sanctions and pressurization," he said. Geng said that last month, American strategic nuclear submarines, after a long hiatus for 40 years, showed up again on the Peninsula. And last week, the United States, as president of the Council, insisted on scheduling a meeting to consider the DPRK's human rights situation. "In fact, as we speak, the U.S. and its allies' Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise is in full swing," he said. Regarding China's position, Geng said that the country is ready to play a constructive role in finding a political solution to the Peninsula issue and in realizing enduring peace and stability in Northeast Asia. "We are committed to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, to the denuclearization of the Peninsula, and to finding solutions through dialogue and consultation," he said. BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator said it had approved the registration of caustic soda and xylene futures and options at the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange. The China Securities Regulatory Commission will urge the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange to get well prepared across the board, ensuring the smooth launch and sound operation of caustic soda and xylene futures and options, the regulator said in a statement on Friday. It is going to be through growing our way there. And thats why the policies that weve set out are all about how we can encourage businesses, big and small, to invest in Britain. People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of South Korean fishermen, activists and politicians held a protest rally in central Seoul on Saturday, condemning Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. The participants shouted "Immediately stop dumping radioactive wastewater into the ocean" and "Japan must store nuclear-contaminated wastewater on its soil," urging the South Korean government to file a lawsuit with the International Tribunal against the Japanese government. The rally came after Japan started discharging the first batch of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday. "Even if fishermen catch blue crabs, merchants do not take them even after their price plunged by more than half. Wholesale marine products markets (in Seoul, Busan and other cities) are seeing business slack," Kim Young-bok, a 63-year-old fisherman from the southwest coastal county of Yeonggwang, said during the rally. Kim said Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was committing crimes against humanity, should immediately stop the wastewater discharge that would bring catastrophe to all humankind around the world. Standing beside his mother, an eight-year-old boy said he could not understand why Japan dumped the wastewater into the ocean shared by other countries, while a 10-year-old girl said she could not go for a swim in the sea due to the marine dumping. "I feel very sorry for South Korean people because Japan, where I was born, dumped radioactive wastewater into the ocean," said Yuji Hosaka, a professor at Sejong University in Seoul. Hosaka urged Tokyo to opt for other approaches, such as storing the wastewater in large water tanks for more than 100 years, which was proposed in 2017 but ignored by the Japanese government. "If it's safe and unproblematic, why would Japan not store (the wastewater) on its land but dump it into the Pacific Ocean, the well of the world, to worry everyone and damage everyone's health?" said Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party. Lee called the wastewater dumping a "provocation against humanity" and a "declaration of war" against all countries around the Pacific Ocean, urging Tokyo to immediately stop the discharge threatening the safety of people around the world. Following the one-and-a-half-hour rally, the protesters marched about 5 km in downtown Seoul to the presidential office, holding leaflets printed with "Retract the dumping of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater." Struck by a massive earthquake and an ensuing tsunami in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear power plant suffered core meltdowns. It generated a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel. People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) People attend a rally protesting against Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean in Busan, South Korea, Aug. 26, 2023. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. (Xinhua/Lu Rui) Stephanie Davies-Arai, founder of the group Transgender Trend, which campaigns against the spread of trans ideology, told the paper: Global Butterflies are another version of Stonewall. What they teach is ideology. A childrens hospital should not be talked to by ideologues it should be based only on research, evidence and hard facts. A Department for Transport spokesperson said: It is for the Mayor to justify the ULEZ expansion, and at a time when the Government is doing everything it can to support people with the cost of living, the Mayor is responsible for explaining whether it is fair to charge those with non-compliant vehicles 12.50 every time they drive in London. A No 10 spokesperson pointed to the Prime Ministers busy schedule for the autumn, noting that he will meet counterparts at the G20 leaders summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 and the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai in November. When it returned to the streets after Covid last year, Ms Hall said: Of course police officers dread it, there is always violence and they put themselves in danger at every Notting Hill carnival. The cost of policing it is eye-watering. How long will it be allowed to continue in this way? Crazy. A total of 70 criminals are serving a whole-life order, four of whom are being held in secure hospitals. They will never be considered for release unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds to warrant it. While he denied there had been a deliberate cover-up, Mr Osborne said: Was there some potential groupthink in the museum at the time, at the very top of the museum, that just couldnt believe that an insider was stealing things, couldnt believe that one of the members of staff were doing this? Yes, thats very possible. In relation to this years pay negotiations for the SJC (Scottish Joint Council) workforce, we discussed options for concluding these negotiations as soon as the outcome of current ballots are known, and to this end, there was agreement to hold a special meeting of leaders as soon as we possibly can. Early on Friday, Russia reported one of the biggest coordinated Ukrainian air raids yet over Russian-controlled territory but said air defence systems had downed all 42 drones attacking Crimea before they could hit their targets. MI6 boss Sir John Sawers today said it appeared that the Russian leader had ordered the strike, adding: All the indications point to the fact that Putin has taken him out he is making clear to everyone both inside Russia and outside that hes not going to brook any challenge. This is new for us scarier than swimming with sharks, jumping off cliffs or even swinging from bridges but the best news we could have ever ask for. People gather to protest the Japanese government's irresponsible decision to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Wuyong) The release of wastewater into the ocean would be a disaster for maritime security, the blue economy, oceanography, biodiversity and climate change, and will increase the risk of radiation in the region and beyond, said a Pakistani expert. ISLAMABAD, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan's self-centric and irresponsible approach to dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater in the sea will take a serious toll on human health and the global ecosystem, a Pakistani expert said. The release of wastewater into the ocean would be a disaster for maritime security, the blue economy, oceanography, biodiversity, and climate change, and will increase the risk of radiation in the region and beyond, Mehmood Ul Hassan Khan, the executive director of the Islamabad-based Center for South Asia & International Studies, said in a recent interview with Xinhua. Despite widespread denunciation at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. "It is feared that such willful behavior of Japan would create a regional security risk for all the regional countries, so it is their right to be properly consulted, cooperated, and coordinated before nuclear-contaminated wastewater's disposal in the sea," the executive director of the Islamabad-based think-tank said. It clearly shows that the water will still have radioactive elements and could significantly impact the environment and have health-related consequences, so the Japanese method of releasing nuclear-contaminated water is full of risks, he added. People gather to protest the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) decision on releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the headquarters of the TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Yang Guang) Talking about criticism from inside Japan, and the concerns shown by the fishing industry of the country regarding the discharge of radioactive wastewater, Khan said that it makes the decision of the leadership of the country far more controversial and shows that the locals are concerned about the devastation this action can cause to the Japanese public image. Ironically, looking at the public opinion, clearly Japan is not considering the interests of their own fishermen and citizens and the Pacific ecological system, he said, adding that in order to save money Japan is putting many at risk. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement that "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We have made serious demarches to Japan and asked it to stop this wrongdoing." On Thursday, China suspended imports of all seafood products from Japan, with the Chinese customs authorities saying they are greatly concerned about the risk of radiation contamination following the water's release and have strengthened restrictions on food imports from Japan to "protect the lives and health of the people." It is a good omen that China has been critical of this plan to dump nuclear wastewater and rightly so, as this project threatens the safety, goodness, and overall health of the entire global community, threatens the livelihood of locals, and puts the global marine ecosystem in severe danger, the Pakistani expert said. The National Meteorological Administration has issued a Code Orange warning of heat wave and severe thermal discomfort, targeting Banat, most of Crisana, southern Oltenia and Muntenia, where temperatures will rise to 38 degrees throughout Saturday, Agerpres reports. The temperature-humidity index will exceed the critical threshold of 80 units. The counties marked with an orange code are Ialomita, Calarasi, Ilfov, Giurgiu, Teleorman, Olt, Dolj, Mehedinti, Caras-Severin, Timis, Arad and Bihor. In the rest of the country, there is a Code Yellow for heat and thermal discomfort throughout the day.The Orange heat wave code will be extended on Sunday to 19 counties and Bucharest, where temperatures will reach 39 degrees. At the same time, the Yellow Heat Code is maintained for the rest of the country.On Monday, 28 August, the heat wave will persist in all regions, and from Tuesday, 29 August, it will retreat to the eastern half, meteorologists add. Crevedia Explosion/PM Ciolacu expected at crisis cell at Home Affairs venue Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu will go to the crisis cell of the Ministry Internal Affairs following the explosions that took place on Saturday evening at the LPG station in Crevedia, Dambovita County, north of Bucharest. The people who were injured were transferred to the Floreasca, Universitar and Bagdasar-Arseni Hospitals in Bucharest, announced the Ministry of Health. "The explosion that took place today at an LPG station in Crevedia, Dambovita County, injured several people. Crews from the Bucharest Ilfov and Dambovita Ambulance Services and SMURD intervened, providing emergency medical assistance and transporting the victims to emergency hospitals in the Capital: Floreasca, Universitar and Bagdasar Arseni. From the information we have so far, there have been 7 injuries (4 of them are intubated) and one death," the ministry stated in a press release, noting that the figures are provisional. The head of the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), Raed Arafat, said that 26 firefighters were also injured, one of them being in serious condition. TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian photojournalist Mohammad-Hossein Velayati, who was detained last week in Afghanistan, has been released, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, which Velayati works for, reported Saturday. The journalist was handed over to the Iranian embassy in Kabul on Friday night, the report said, adding that the release was confirmed by Bilal Karimi, a spokesman of the Taliban administration, but the reporter has yet to be transferred to Iran. Tasnim on Tuesday reported that "Taliban forces" arrested Velayati at the end of his 10-day personal trip to Afghanistan on Aug. 19 without any explanation, as he was returning to Iran, stressing that he had entered Afghanistan legally through the air border. In a post on X, previously known as Twitter, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Friday night that intensive diplomatic efforts were being made to return Velayati to Iran. NEW YORK The eight Republican presidential candidates on the debate stage were asked to raise their hands if they believed human behavior is causing climate change. Not a single hand went up. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shut down the question and attacked the "corporate media." Echoing the words of former President Donald Trump, Vivek Ramaswamy called climate change "a hoax" and a "wet blanket on our economy." Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., insisted that more serious environmental threats are coming from China, India and Africa. Just one Republican, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, said during Wednesday night's debate in Milwaukee that climate change "is real." A day later, frustrated leaders in the GOP's small but growing movement of environmental activists said their party must do better. In fact, some young conservatives confronted Ramaswamy at a gathering after the debate and told him his answer was particularly unhelpful. "We're getting to a point where Republicans are losing winnable elections because they're alienating people that care about climate change," Christopher Barnard, the Republican president of the American Conservation Coalition, the largest conservative environmental group in the nation, said Thursday. As the 2024 presidential contest begins in earnest, the Republican Party is struggling to reconcile rising concerns about climate change especially young people with the GOP's older base, which largely rejects climate science as a liberal conspiracy theory. Scientists overwhelmingly agree that heat-trapping gases released from the combustion of fossil fuels are pushing up global temperatures, upending weather patterns and endangering animal species. Some Republican leaders have acknowledged they cannot ignore climate change altogether. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has called for planting 1 trillion trees to help protect the environment. But the solutions long promoted by Democrats and environmental advocates government action to force emissions reductions remains a nonstarter with the GOP's presidential candidates. "The climate change agenda is a hoax," Ramaswamy said during the debate, repeating the line for emphasis, even as some younger people in the audience booed. "The reality is more people are dying of climate change policies than they actually are of climate change." None of Ramaswamy's competitors, eager to attack him on other issues during the two-hour debate, challenged him directly on climate, even after the debate moderators highlighted new evidence that climate change is causing major problems. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who was silent on climate change during the debate, suggested Thursday that it is largely a matter of messaging for the GOP. "Look the climate is changing, but I believe the issue is what we do about it," Pence said, condemning Democratic-backed policies such as the so-called Green New Deal. "It's all just about communicating a different vision." Meanwhile, conditions across the country and the world are creating new urgency for the GOP to take climate change seriously. Heavy rains poured on Cleveland during the debate and Detroit flooded overnight. Wildfires in Canada have led to smoky, polluted air in much of the United States, while a catastrophic wildfire in Hawaii was the deadliest in more than a century. Southern California was hit with a tropical storm for the first time in decades. But the biggest climate effect has been the heat. July saw global daily and monthly temperatures hotter than modern equipment had ever recorded. Some scientists said it was the hottest in about 120,000 years, based on tree rings and other proxy records. The world's oceans have set records for heat, both on the surface and deeper, every month since spring. Florida saw 100-degree water and unprecedented coral bleaching. The presidential debate "underscored the fact that one of the two parties (the GOP) not only refuses to act on the climate crisis, but refuses to even acknowledge it exists," University of Pennsylvania climate scientist Michael Mann said in an email. "It is a disqualifying position on the defining challenge of our time." "The party will lose a huge chunk of voters, especially women and younger voters if it adopts this stance," he said. Most people in the United States (62%) say the federal government is doing too little to reduce climate change, according to a September 2022 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Even as U.S. adults don't think the government is doing enough, there's a clear division among Republicans. Half of Republicans under age 45 say the government isn't addressing climate change enough, compared with just 32% of older Republicans. Younger Republicans also say they feel anxious when discussing climate change at a higher rate than older Republicans. Barnard, of the American Conservation Coalition, said it was a win for conservative environmentalists that the climate question was even asked. But he said that his party must do better and he offered advice to the GOP's presidential class. "You don't have to be the biggest climate champion," Barnard said. "If you just say, 'Climate change is real, and we're going to have some sort of solution,' that's enough for most voters." What do you do with a once-imposing home built in 1909 that in 2014 had been abandoned for 10 years? What if it had a sizeable hole in the roof that had allowed rain and snow inside for a decade, rotting the wood and decaying the walls? Would a sign reading This building to be demolished. Please do not enter deter you from envisioning it as your permanent residence, even though every window was covered with plywood and the lot was overgrown with weeds? For Guy Slay, long a proponent of saving St. Louis irreplaceable architecture, and his partner, Robert Puricelli, it was an opportunity to rescue a once-impressive home in an area they loved. Importantly for Slay, the Visitation Park neighborhood was composed of a resilient core of long-term residents who had steadfastly maintained their properties for decades, even as several homes nearby had fallen into disrepair. Plus, community betterment organizations, made up of individuals committed to the values of the neighborhood, were already in place. With neighborhood support, Slay and Puricelli were up to the challenge to turn the vacant property into their home. After a year of work by the restoration artisans Slay employs in his Mangrove Redevelopment Co., the residence emerged as a shining example of how one mans vision can become reality. In 2015 they moved in. Slay gives credit to the Landmarks Association of St. Louis and the Cultural Resources Office of the City of St. Louis that the home was still standing when he purchased it. It was through their efforts to save it, the residence had not been demolished, he remembers. Not surprisingly Slay says every inch of the 4,000 square foot neglected building needed attention. Throughout the process he retained the original footprint both inside and out. Instead of taking down walls and creating large open spaces popular in todays homes, all but one wall remained in their original locations. So, the home is characterized by several smaller rooms on the first and second floors just as it was when originally completed. The one new wall is at the end of the living room and was added when Slay discovered a false floor on top of what was once a recessed floor. The new wall features two French doors at either end, leading down one step from the living room into what is now a southwest-facing, bright sunroom. A new white and gray patterned mosaic tile floor appropriate to the period when the home was built makes the floor look as though it is original. We perfectly matched all our woodwork and doors to bits and pieces we were able to recover, Slay says. Somehow, the central staircase located directly under where the hole in the roof had been, escaped serious damage. What may have saved it were 16 coats of lead-based paint. Slay had them stripped off before the stairway was restored to a natural dark wood finish. The unfinished third-floor attic accessed through an arched doorway on the second-floor landing was converted into home office space. A custom wood staircase replaced what Slay described as something less than a suspension bridge. A stucco finish on the outside walls, an attention-getting red tile roof and a rounded bay with an outside patio on top are all highlighted by tasteful landscaping. Furnished with antiques Slay and Puricelli found in St. Louis shops, Oriental rugs and vintage art in antique frames, the residence could double as a museum showcasing how people were living in the early 1900s. A collection of antique crystal chandeliers hanging from the 12-foot ceilings are a focal point of many of the rooms. Slay describes himself as being very sentimental. Some of his favorite pieces are a small table that belonged to his mother and two 1950 vintage electric Budweiser beer signs that had been in his parents rathskeller. According to Puricelli, the home was built in 1909 for Dwight Blossom, and at that time it was adjacent to Dwights grandfathers home, which had been built in 1851. The grandfathers home was on what is now the Soldan High School playing fields, Slay says looking out on the perfectly manicured six acres of grass playing surface that joins his back property line. That home was demolished in 1942. If it was not for the many legacy property owners in the Visitation Park neighborhood who have lived there for decades and have a vested interest in seeing it prosper, Slay doubts he would have undertaken the project. They are the glue that has held this area together and made it inviting to undertake the project, he says. Because of them it was an easy decision to save this house and live in it. Guy Slay and Robert Puricelli Ages Slay is 64, and Puricelli is 59. Home Visitation Park Occupations Slay founded Mangrove Redevelopment Co. in 2000. The firm is a pioneer in restoring historic buildings in the city of St. Louis for both residential and commercial use. Puricelli is the executive director of Gene Slay's Girls and Boys Club Of St. Louis, providing after school and summer programs for under-resourced youth ages 6-16. Gene Slay was Guy's father. Family Together 17 years, the men cater to Brody, an 8-year-old beagle mix whose reign extends to every chair, couch and bed in the residence. Photos: At Home on Enright Avenue with Guy Slay and Robert Puricelli Police were called at around 9:15 p.m. Friday to the 4000 block of Iowa, where they found 30-year-old Courtney Austin in an alley, shot multiple times. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. ST. LOUIS COUNTY County police Chief Kenneth Gregory says an increasing number of drivers are refusing to pull over when flagged by officers for traffic violations and other non-violent offenses, knowing they wont be chased down under department policy. Thats happened 1,883 times from January through July, Gregory told a county board Thursday. Thats quite a few people who are not respecting what were doing, he said at a meeting of the countys Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. In such cases, Gregory said, an officer will turn on his vehicles overhead lights to make a traffic stop but they take off, knowing that were not going to chase them. Of the 1,883 incidents, he said, the most, 536, were in the departments Jennings precinct, followed by 519 and 302, respectively, in the North County and South County precincts. County policy allows road pursuits only when related to dangerous felonies and other serious crimes. The chief said there had been 52 pursuits initiated through July, up by almost 58% from the same period in 2022. Fifteen of this years chases were called off by supervisors or officers because of the circumstances involved, Gregory said. Gregory also told the justice council that homicides and most other violent crimes are down so far this year. He said county police investigated 24 murders, a reduction of about 23% from the same period last year. The homicide total includes those in unincorporated areas, municipalities patrolled by the department by contract and cases in which other municipalities ask for the county departments help. Other statistics released by the department included: forcible sex offenses are down by about 24%, robberies have dropped by about 4% and burglaries by 14%. Among the biggest increases was in cases of driving under the influence, which went up nearly 48%, to 394, through July. With the legalization of recreational marijuana, Gregory noted, there has been a 27% drop in drug and narcotics violations. Temporary license tags Gregory said he had put a new emphasis on dealing with vehicles with expired temporary license plates. That includes having the seven officers in the departments highway safety unit spend two days each month working in precincts on expired plate issues. They also are concentrating those days on local-level speeding charges, he said. Sgt. Tracy Panus, a county police spokeswoman, said those efforts have been going on for the past few months. ST. LOUIS A searing week concluded with a vengeance on Friday, with temperatures hitting a daily record of 104 degrees, and the heat index tying a record six-day run. The effects throughout the week were widespread: Schools sent kids home. Construction crews postponed work. Firefighting teams rotated frequently when battling a blaze. The heat was so severe, it even sent more patients to the emergency room: Barnes-Jewish Hospital in the Central West End was full Friday, and reported a 10% bump in ER visits this week. The heat is definitely impacting our health care system ... straining the system a little bit, said Dr. Robert Poirier, Washington University clinical chief of emergency medicine at Barnes. But a cold front entering the St. Louis area was set to end the almost week-old excessive heat warning late Friday night, and drop temperatures on Saturday to a high near 89, although some humidity will remain, according to the National Weather Service. At long last, some cooler weather is finally coming soon! the local forecast office wrote in an online post Friday. Conditions will cool off even more by Sunday, with an expected high around 83 degrees. The weeks heat was remarkably rare. Since the beginning of local records in 1946, there have only been eight years in which the heat index has ever reached 115 degrees. And that threshold was met or exceeded in four of the last six days. Friday tied the areas longest streak of days with a heat index of 110 degrees or higher matching a six-day run in 1980. And St. Louis set two records this week for its hottest daily low temperatures, with Wednesday and Thursday never dropping below 82 degrees. That was really the thing that was going to make this particularly dangerous. ... Its not just the daytime heat, but its those overnight lows not dropping far enough, said Melissa Mainhart, a meteorologist for the local forecast office of the NWS. When we are starting from that gosh, thats already pretty warm. Medical experts warned that the week likely carried a steep public health toll. Heat stroke is only the tip of the iceberg, said Dr. Pope Moseley, a thermoregulatory physiologist and biomedical researcher at Arizona State University who focuses on heat risks. Most of the death occurring in a heat wave is occurring because heat is the force multiplier of illness. ... Many, many, many diseases are made worse by heat. Some of that appeared to hold true this week at Barnes-Jewish, at least. Officials said about 230 to 270 emergency patients had been coming in each day during the heat wave, compared with the 210 to 240 daily patients that its emergency department typically sees. Only a sliver of those cases about 16 to 20, all week were for ailments like heat stroke or heat exhaustion. The rest were likely underlying health conditions exacerbated by the extreme heat and dehydration, experts said. Poirier, the Barnes clinical chief, said that, fortunately, the hospitals mortality percentage has stayed stable throughout the week. They are more sick, but were not seeing a lot of deaths from the heat, at least at Barnes-Jewish, Poirier said. Thats not always how it goes, though. More than 60,000 excess deaths occurred during a recent heat wave in Europe, Moseley said, compared to normal rates of mortality. Even suicide rates and drug overdose deaths in the U.S. go up during heat waves, he said. And at least one study showed that, for each day of a heat wave, theres a corresponding 8% to 12% rise in mortality, Moseley said. This weeks heat shows that climate change is having a measurable impact on conditions in St. Louis, said Climate Central, a nonprofit that focuses on climate science and data. Area officials on Friday reiterated the dangers of exertion and exposure to the heat, as they did all week. Of course, not everyone can avoid prolonged exposure to the heat. Friday, some St. Louis firefighters were responding to their third fire of the day, at the site of an auto repair shop in the Kingsway East neighborhood, where cars were burning inside a roofless building. Firefighters exiting the building on Martin Luther King Drive immediately tried to cool down with cold towels around their heads and necks, by hydrating, and by dousing their heads in water spouting from a hose line. Its brutal for the guys, Battalion Chief Paul Weil said at the scene. We just try to rotate crews in and out as fast as we can. Photos: Brutal heat wave roasts the St. Louis region KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Afghan police arrested 23 people for their role in criminal activities in seven of Afghanistan's 34 provinces on Friday, the country's Ministry of Interior Affairs said in a statement on Saturday. The suspects were involved in illegal activities such as murder, robbery, mobile snatching, forgery, theft, drug smuggling, and other offenses in the country, the ministry said, adding that further investigations are underway. The Afghan caretaker government has vowed to crack down on criminal elements elsewhere in Afghanistan to ensure law and order in the war-torn country. PHOENIX Autumn Nelson said she was seeking help for alcohol addiction last spring when fellow members of the Blackfeet Nation in Montana suggested a rehabilitation center in Phoenix, far to the south. The 38-year-old said the center even bought her a one-way airline ticket to make the 1,300-mile journey. But Nelson said after a month, she was kicked out after questioning why there was one therapist for 30 people and no Native American staff despite a focus on Native clients. All of a sudden I was out in the 108-degree heat in Phoenix, Arizona, said Nelson. I was scared, and didnt know where to go. Now back on the Blackfeet reservation, Nelson is among hundreds of Native Americans who have been targeted by Phoenix-area scammers. The billing schemes often left clients homeless and in some cases financed lavish lifestyles for the fraudulent providers, authorities have said. Arizona has been defrauded in recent years out of hundreds of millions of dollars through such scams, state officials estimated. The fraudulent charges were submitted mostly through the American Indian Health Program, a Medicaid health plan that allows providers to bill directly for reimbursement of services rendered to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Federal law lets Native Americans enrolled in federally recognized tribes choose the fee-for-service plan or a managed care plan. The state Medicaid program known as AHCCCS Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System contracts with managed care organizations to provide health services to most Medicaid members in Arizona, while the fee-for-service plan allows Native Americans to use any provider registered with AHCCCS. The scams far-reaching consequences are now becoming known as warnings are sounded by state and tribal governments outside Arizona, as well as Montanas U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, a Democrat, and Gov. Greg Gianfonte, a Republican. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes who has said authorities believe a Nevada-based criminal syndicate launched the first scams in May announced they were stepping up an investigation on fraudulent Medicaid billing begun before they took office in January. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney Generals Office have joined Arizona prosecutors in the probe. And Tester has called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to investigate as well. Non-medical transport companies that reportedly have taken Native Americans from their reservations to phony programs should also be investigated, said Arizona State Sen. Theresa Hatathlie, a Democrat and Navajo who lives on the reservation. The New Mexico attorney general announced a Dont be taken for a Ride campaign, warning people not to accept transportation from strangers to go to Arizona rehab centers. The Navajo Nation and the Blackfeet Nation declared public health emergencies to free up resources to help affected members. The Navajo Nation also launched a program called Operation Rainbow Bridge to help members get into legitimate programs or back to the reservation. Blackfeet members who recruit on the reservation for fake programs face thousands of dollars in fines and even expulsion, the tribal leadership decided. Arizona has since suspended Medicaid payments to the center where Nelson stayed a phone number on the providers LinkedIn account no longer works along with more than 300 other providers based on credible allegations of fraud as of Aug. 18. Some providers closed and some have appealed to stay open. AHCCCS instituted tighter controls, including a six-month moratorium for enrolling new behavioral health clinics for Medicaid billing. Site visits and background checks with fingerprinting are now required for high-risk behavioral health providers when they enroll or revalidate. The scams exploded during COVID-19 lockdowns. There were a lot of rules relaxed that allowed those scammers to get in, said Dr. John Molina, health service director for the federally funded Native Health, a health center serving Native Americans in Phoenix. He said addiction among Native Americans is rooted in generations of trauma. This takes us back to the early years of colonization and how Natives were taken advantage of for economic gain, said Molina, of Pascua Yaqui and San Carlos Apache ancestry. Last year, Johnwick Nathan, 29, was indicted on multiple counts of fraud, money laundering and forgery. Authorities allege Nathan illegally billed Medicaid on behalf of Native American clients, a charge he denies. He is scheduled to be tried Sept. 18. The scams can be highly lucrative. In a federal case, a woman who operated a fake recovery program in Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty in July to wire fraud and money laundering after raking in over $22 million in Medicaid money between 2020 and 2021 for services never provided. Court records dont say whether patients were Native Americans, only that they were brought to the facility just once and billings were subsequently made in their names up to 90 days. Billings were also made for dead people and prisoners. Diana Marie Moore, 42, will be sentenced Dec. 18 after an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service. A federal court required her to forfeit property obtained through the fraud, including four homes, seven high-end vehicles and luxury items including Rolex watches, diamond rings and a rainbow of Louis Vuitton handbags. The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them The biggest scams today and how you can protect yourself from them #27. Charity (tie) #27. Tax collection (tie) #26. Yellow Pages/directories #24. COVID-19 (tie) #24. Health care (including Medicaid and Medicare) (tie) #23. Moving #21. Family/friend emergency (tie) #21. Utility (tie) #20. Foreign money exchange #19. Credit card #18. Debt collection #17. Identity theft #16. Sweepstakes, lottery, and prizes #15. Counterfeit product #14. Romance #13. Rental #12. Credit repair/debt relief #11. Phishing #10. Travel and vacation #9. Tech support #8. Government grant #7. Advance fee loan #6. Fake check/money order #5. Investment #4. Home improvement #3. Employment #2. Cryptocurrency #1. Online purchase JEFFERSON CITY The stand-in parents of Missouri's 14,000 foster children can legally keep marijuana in their homes beginning Monday. But, under an emergency rule filed this week by the Missouri Department of Social Services, pot smoking is still banned inside houses where wards of the state reside or if they are in a vehicle. The decision means cannabis usage by foster moms and dads must occur outside the dwelling and not inside a car where children are passengers, an agency spokeswoman said. Foster parents attempting to grow pot for their own consumption also must keep the operation under lock and key, the rule says. The new weed regulations are in response to the legalization of adult recreational marijuana sales in Missouri in the November 2022 election, where voters gave a thumbs up to a regulated and taxed sales blueprint that has made the product available to the masses at statesanctioned dispensaries. Like other states where cannabis has become legal, officials have had to adjust state laws and regulations to accommodate the voterapproved change to the Missouri Constitution. Most of the directives have fallen on the Department of Health and Senior Services to implement. In the rule change filed by Republican Gov. Mike Parson's administration, officials said the 2022 vote amended the constitution to provide that "Missouri residents over the age of 21 have a constitutional right to use or possess marijuana in specified quantities." In explaining the decision to ease the rules, the administration said, "A regulation that conflicts with the Missouri Constitution is invalid." According to Social Services spokeswoman Caitlin Whaley, foster parents can have pot on their premises, but it can't be fired up inside the foster home when a child in division custody is placed in the home. Also prohibited is cannabis use inside a vehicle when transporting a child in division custody. In short, foster parents cannot smoke pot in the presence of a child in division custody. "This is to protect the foster child from the hazards of second-hand smoke. Foster parents may smoke marijuana and tobacco outside the premises but not in a vehicle while transporting a foster child and not in the presence of a foster child," Whaley said, citing state statute. The new regulations do not ban foster parents from using marijuana products that don't emit smoke or vapor inside the home, such as gummies and tablets containing THC. But, foster parents are under strict orders to rein in substance abuse. Any use of alcohol, prescription and non-prescription medication, marijuana, or marijuana-infused products that would leave a foster parent in an impaired physical or mental state and prevent them from parenting the child would violate state law. "Foster parents are not permitted to use marijuana or marijuanainfused products, or other legal substances (including alcohol or prescription or non-prescription drugs) if such use creates an unsafe environment for the child, as determined by the division," state statute says. Significant reduction in cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality for CCTA coupled with FFRCT versus CCTA alone MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Two-year results from FISH&CHIPS, a real world, multi-center, retrospective clinical study with 90,553 patients conducted by the National Health Service (NHS) England were presented at the 2023 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress meeting in Amsterdam by Principal Investigator, Dr. Tim Fairbairn, Consultant Cardiologist, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. FFRCT (CCTA-derived Fractional Flow Reserve) is part of a clinical pathway for evaluation and diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) that provides clear insight into a patients condition with a patient-specific visual model of the hearts blood flow, helping physicians make more accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions. The FISH&CHIPS study was designed to assess at a national level the incremental impact of adding HeartFlow FFRCT to a CCTA-first (Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography) diagnostic pathway to evaluate and manage CAD. FISH&CHIPS two-year key outcomes associated with availability of FFRCT include: A significant 14% relative reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a significant 8% relative reduction in all-cause mortality. An increase in cath lab efficiency, driven by a 5% relative reduction in invasive cardiac angiography (ICA) and an 8% relative increase in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). A 14% relative reduction in additional non-invasive heart testing following CCTA. High prognostic value for FFRCT whereby patients with severely abnormal FFRCT values (0.50) had a 2x risk of all-cause death and a 3x risk of non-fatal MI compared to patients with normal FFRCT values. The foresight and continued leadership of NHS England in challenging the status quo and implementing new approaches like the CCTA+FFRCT pathway has a widespread impact on the industry globally, said Campbell Rogers, Chief Medical Officer, HeartFlow. The nationwide CCTA-first approach for evaluating patients with possible cardiovascular disease has become the model of both clinical efficacy and efficiency, which is why clinical guidelines across the globe have adopted it. FISH&CHIPS demonstrates that NHS England's decision to incorporate the HeartFlow FFRCT Analysis into that pathway extended the lives of many English patients and ensured efficient and effective use of noninvasive and invasive testing and treatment. At NIHR Clinical Research Network North West Coast (CRN NWC), we are delighted to see these impressive results from the FISH&CHIPS study, which shows that the introduction of a new health technology, FFRCT, at a national level was associated with a reduction in cardiovascular death and invasive angiography, said Professor Enitan Carrol, Clinical Director, Clinical Research Network: North West Coast. The study was funded by the MRC, which followed on from CRN NWC capacity building support for Dr. Fairbairn as a Research Scholar between 2017 and 2019. Building on results seen in the recent Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization (PRECISE) Trial, which compared a non-invasive Precision Pathway to Traditional Testing, proved the CCTA+FFRCT pathway to be a more effective path in guiding and informing treatment. FISH&CHIPS confirms and extends these results at a population level, delivering marked improvements in the hard clinical endpoints of all-cause and CV mortality, extending patients lives without adversely impacting other clinical events. Additionally, the data reinforce observations from 3-year follow-up of the ADVANCE-DK registry, including the value of attaining FFRCT information early to assess patient risk effectively, and the relationship between lower FFRCT values and increased patient risk. About FISH&CHIPS FISH&CHIPS is a real world, multi-center, retrospective clinical study designed to assess at a national level the incremental impact of adding FFRCT to a CCTA-first diagnostic paradigm for coronary artery disease. The two-year study analyzed data from twenty-five hospital sites in England including 90,553 patients. The primary objective is to determine whether a CCTA and FFRCT diagnostic pathway reduces health-related events, time to diagnosis, and overall healthcare costs compared to a standard of care CCTA diagnostic chest pain pathway. The study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council (MRC). About HeartFlow HeartFlow is transforming precision coronary care with the only non-invasive integrated heart care solution across the CCTA pathway. As the pioneer of FFRCT, which is now supported by the ACC/AHA Chest Pain Guidelines, HeartFlow continues to advance the diagnosis and management of CAD. Our suite of non-invasive technologies helps clinicians identify stenoses in the coronary arteries (RoadMapAnalysis), assess coronary blood flow (FFRCT Analysis), and characterize and quantify coronary atherosclerosis (Plaque Analysis). To date, more than 500 peer-reviewed publications have validated our approach and, more importantly, our technologies have helped clinicians diagnose and manage over 200,000 patients. For more information, visit www.heartflow.com and connect on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230826333258/en/ Linly Ku HeartFlow [email protected] Source: HeartFlow Round Rock, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - August 26, 2023) - DivVerse LLC, a fast-growing offshore outsourcing augmentation platform, announces the expansion of its AI-powered talent management solution, Loubby AI. The strategic move aims to integrate African tech professionals into the international tech sector, further narrowing the gap between African developers and global opportunities. Despite the significant unemployment rate in Africa, with over 42 million people jobless, the global IT outsourcing market, which was predicted to be valued at 92.5 billion USD in 2020, has created considerable opportunities. Moreover, the demand for software developers in the United States is expected to rise by 22% from 2020 to 2030. In response to these trends, DivVerse's platform has been instrumental in providing African tech talents access to international job opportunities. Through rigorous evaluation processes, the company ensures talents align with high standards before matching them with potential employers. Loubby AI, DivVerse's flagship AI-powered solution, has been a crucial factor in this process. Having already worked successfully with over 100 organizations worldwide, Loubby AI has managed the construction and oversight of remote software development teams. With the expansion of Loubby AI's reach to African tech talents and employers globally, DivVerse anticipates a larger integration of African tech professionals into the global stage. Loubby AI's holistic platform provides self-serve hiring tools and fully managed talent services, simplifying the process for companies to discover, recruit, and manage top African tech talents, regardless of their location. This strategic move by DivVerse extends its impact beyond merely connecting African tech talents and employers. By empowering African tech professionals and cultivating the local tech community, the company aids in the progression and development of Africa's tech ecosystem. This inclusive approach stands to benefit both Africa and the international tech industry. About DivVerse LLC: DivVerse LLC is a respected offshore technology outsourcing augmentation platform, focused on Africa's top 1% tech talent. The company excels in providing recruitment services to meet the software development and IT requirements of tech-enabled organizations, corporations, and small businesses globally, with an aim to build affordable and highly efficient offshore teams. For media inquiries, please contact: DivVerse LLC Email: [email protected] Phone Number: +1 512-998-2347 Country: United States Website: www.divverse.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/177891 Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation. Blushwood Health, the Stockholm-based health and wellness company, is at the forefront of harnessing the ancient wisdom of the Australian Aboriginals while utilizing the latest technological advancements. The company proudly announces its revolutionary approach to cultivating the rare and potent Blushwood berry, which is now being grown in controlled indoor environments both in Southeast Asia and soon in Europe. Blushwood berries, or Hylandia Dockrillii/Fontainea Picrosperma, traditionally used by Australian Aboriginals for generations, have seen a surge in popularity due to their numerous potential health benefits. Extracted primarily from the seed of the berry, compounds like EBC-46 and WH-1 have shown promise in early studies for the treatment of cancer and have shown unique antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, skin-healing and immune-supporting properties. "Our commitment at Blushwood Health is not only to provide high-quality Blushwood berry products but also to innovate and refine our processes continuously. By marrying ancient wisdom with the latest technology, we ensure that our products deliver the maximum potential benefits," stated Adam Larsson, CEO, during the recent launch of the company's new warehouses in Australia and the United States. The demand for Blushwood berry products is growing rapidly worldwide. Recognizing this burgeoning demand and the importance of sustainable sourcing, Blushwood Health has implemented a cultivation model that ensures a steady supply without disturbing wild habitats. By using controlled indoor environments, the company is able to mimic the berry's natural growing conditions, leading to a product that's as close to nature as possible. Furthermore, with their base in Stockholm and a global perspective, Blushwood Health has been a bridge between traditional practices and modern science, ensuring that products maintain the essence of their origin while meeting the stringent quality and purity standards that European markets demand. "This is the first time in a long time I feel back to my old self after getting an experimental drug pumped into me, so I am truly grateful for these supplements. I dont feel like I have a blood infection every two weeks anymore, and Im not needing antibiotics. These healthy supplements are a life saver," said Laura Jameson, Australia. Blushwood Health's commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation shines through in every step of their process: Sustainable Cultivation: The controlled indoor cultivation ensures that wild habitats remain undisturbed and the berries are grown in conditions that replicate their natural environment. The controlled indoor cultivation ensures that wild habitats remain undisturbed and the berries are grown in conditions that replicate their natural environment. Quality Control: With roots in Stockholm, known for its high standards in quality and innovation, Blushwood Health ensures that every product undergoes rigorous testing and quality checks. With roots in Stockholm, known for its high standards in quality and innovation, Blushwood Health ensures that every product undergoes rigorous testing and quality checks. Global Perspective: With warehouses in Australia, the USA, and the EU, the company is strategically positioned to cater to the growing global demand, ensuring timely deliveries and fresh products to consumers worldwide. For more information about Blushwood Health and its range of Blushwood berry products, visit www.blushwood.health. About Blushwood Health: Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Blushwood Health specializes in harnessing the power of the Blushwood berry. With a commitment to quality, sustainability, and innovation, they offer a range of products designed to promote health and well-being. Contact Info: Name: Adam Larsson Email: Send Email Organization: Blushwood Health Website: https://www.blushwood.health/ Release ID: 89105664 In case of identifying any errors, concerns, or inconsistencies within the content shared in this press release that necessitate action or if you require assistance with a press release takedown, we strongly urge you to notify us promptly by contacting [email protected]. Our expert team is committed to addressing your concerns within 8 hours by taking necessary actions diligently to rectify any identified issues or supporting you with the removal process. Delivering accurate and reliable information remains our top priority. In the news release issued Wednesday by The University of Tulsa over PR Newswire, we have been advised that the third sentence should read: "According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the global cost of cybercrime is set to grow from $3 trillion in 2015 to $10.5 trillion by 2025 in order to add attribution for the source of the figures." University of Tulsa launches cyber research, commercialization institute with projected $75M investment TULSA, Okla. , Aug. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Tulsa announced the formation of the new Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute to undertake groundbreaking cyber research and identify, test and commercially deploy new cyber solutions. The institute builds on the university's educational foundation in cybersecurity to address cyber workforce development issues. UTulsa's Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute advances state's future as cyber research, development and educational hub According to Cybersecurity Ventures, "the global cost of cybercrime is set to grow from $3 trillion in 2015 to $10.5 trillion by 2025. Last year, more than 700,000 jobs in this field went unfilled," said TU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Rose Gamble. "The Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute will capitalize on decades of academic excellence at TU and expand research opportunities to include the expertise needed to put the findings into market." The growing significance of cybercrime and the deficit of cybersecurity workforce fuel the launch of the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 33% of home computers are infected with malicious software, 47% of American adults have had their personal information exposed by cyber criminals and 44% of millennials fall victim to cybercrime. Cybersecurity Ventures reported growth in cybersecurity job vacancies from 1 million openings in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2023. TU establishes the Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute with an initial $24 million investment to attract top-notch cyber talent; implement workforce development pipelines involving constituencies from across the state; construct and/or renovate key facilities; launch innovative research and commercialization programs; and scale up the necessary intellectual property development, tech transfer and commercialization infrastructure in Oklahoma . Seed funding includes $12 million from the American Rescue Plan Act with matching funds from the George Kaiser Family Foundation. OCII anticipates more than $50 million in additional funding over five years from public and private sources to support the critical challenges addressed through their faculty, staff and student researchers solving real-world issues. "We are looking for corporate and public sector partners who want access to the best minds in the business," said TU President Brad R. Carson . "Opportunities for sponsored cyber research, talent pipeline partnerships, facility development and/or entrepreneurial ecosystem support are all crucial." TU was recently ranked in the top 25 schools for cybersecurity by U.S. News and World report, tied with institutions like Harvard University. The institute will attract world-class scientists and engineers to work alongside TU's renowned cyber faculty in the areas of digital transformation, critical infrastructure protection, autonomous systems and organizational security. Full release at https://utulsa.edu/tu-launches-cyber-research-commercialization-institute/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-tulsa-launches-cyber-research-commercialization-institute-with-projected-75m-investment-301907580.html SOURCE The University of Tulsa BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management organized a video conference on Saturday, calling for precautions against flooding and Typhoon Saola in relevant areas. From Saturday to Monday, heavy rain will lash parts of Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan, and Guangxi, according to China's meteorological department. The rainstorms may bring a risk of mountain torrents, geological disasters, and floods in some small and medium-sized rivers in the affected areas, said the conference, adding that there are uncertainties in the moving direction of Saola, the ninth typhoon of this year. It urged eastern and southern coastal regions to monitor Typhoon Saola closely and carry out evacuations as needed. Gansu, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia should actively fight against drought and ensure drinking water security for residents. WASHINGTON , Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- An international crew of four representing four countries is in orbit following a successful launch to the International Space Station at 3:27 a.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 26 , from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida . The agency's SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh commercial crew rotation mission for NASA. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli , ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen , JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa , and Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov , for a science expedition aboard the orbital laboratory. "Crew-7 is a shining example of the power of both American ingenuity and what we can accomplish when we work together," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson . "Aboard station, the crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations to prepare for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, all while benefitting humanity on Earth. By partnering with countries around the world, NASA is engaging the best scientific minds to enable our bold missions, and it's clear that we can do more and we can learn more when we work together." During Dragon's flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California , and NASA teams will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston . Named Endurance, the Dragon spacecraft will dock autonomously to the space-facing port of the station's Harmony module at 8:39 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27 . NASA Television, the NASA app , and the agency's website will provide live coverage of docking and hatch opening. NASA also will cover the welcome remarks by crew aboard the orbital outpost at 11:30 a.m. Crew-7 will join the space station's Expedition 69 crew of NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen , Woody Hoburg , and Frank Rubio , as well as UAE ( United Arab Emirates ) astronaut Sultan Alneyadi , and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitri Petelin , and Andrey Fedyaev. For a short time, the number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 until Crew-6 members Bowen, Hoburg, Alneyadi, and Fedyaev return to Earth a few days later. Crew-7 will conduct new scientific research to benefit humanity on Earth and prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. Experiments include the collection of microbial samples from the exterior of the space station, the first study of human response to different spaceflight durations, and an investigation of the physiological aspects of astronauts' sleep. These are just some of the science experiments and technology demonstrations that will take place during their mission. " The International Space Station is an incredible science and technology platform that requires people from all around the world to maintain and maximize its benefits to people on Earth," said Ken Bowersox , associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington . "It's great seeing Crew-7 launch with four crew members representing four countries who will live and work on humanity's home in space as we continue the nearly 23 years of a continuous human presence aboard the microgravity laboratory." The Crew-7 mission enables NASA to maximize use of the space station, where astronauts testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from Earth. Research conducted aboard the space station provides benefits for people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration trips to the Moon through NASA's Artemis missions. Meet Crew-7 This is Moghbeli's first trip into space since her selection as a NASA astronaut in 2017. The New York native earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering with information technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge , and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California . Moghbeli, a helicopter and Marine Corps test pilot, has more than 150 combat missions and 2,000 hours of flight time in over 25 different aircraft. She also is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland . As mission commander, she is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. She will serve as an Expedition 69/70 flight engineer aboard the station. Follow @astrojaws on X. Mogensen was selected as an ESA astronaut in 2009 and became the first Danish citizen in space after launching aboard a Soyuz for a 10-day mission to the space station in 2015. Mogensen is from Copenhagen, Denmark . He completed undergraduate studies and received a master's degree in aeronautical engineering from Imperial College London in England before gaining his doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Mogensen has since served as a crew member for NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations undersea missions 17 and 19. Mogensen was the European astronaut liaison officer at NASA Johnson from 2016 to 2022, working as a capsule communicator for astronauts aboard the station and as ground support for spacewalks. As the pilot on Crew-7, he is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance aboard the station, he will serve as an Expedition 69 flight engineer and Expedition 70 commander. Follow @astro_andreas on X. Furukawa is making his second trip to space, having spent 165 days aboard the space station as part of Expeditions 28 and 29 in 2011. Furukawa is from Kanagawa, Japan , and was selected as a JAXA astronaut in 1999. He is a physician and received his medical degree from the University of Tokyo, and later a doctorate in medical science from the same university. Furukawa served as a crew member on the 13th NEEMO mission, and later, was appointed head of JAXA's Space Biomedical Research Group. Aboard the station, he will become a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70. Follow @astro_satoshi on X. Borisov is making his first trip to space and will serve as a mission specialist, working to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and entry phases of flight. He entered the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Corps as a test cosmonaut candidate in 2018 and will serve as a flight engineer for Expedition 69/70. Learn more about NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 mission and Commercial Crew Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nasas-spacex-crew-7-launches-to-international-space-station-301910588.html SOURCE NASA (Reuters) - AFP said on Friday it had deleted an earlier post that said Niger's military rulers had given the German ambassador 48 hours to leave, as the statements it was based on had been declared "unauthentic by authorities". A similar post relating to the U.S. ambassador was also deleted, it said. The U.S. State Department said Niger's foreign ministry has told the U.S. government that images of letters circulating online calling for the departure of certain American diplomatic personnel were not issued by the ministry. Earlier on Friday, Niger's junta ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country. (Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Chris Reese and Rosalba O'Brien) FILE PHOTO: Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo/File Photo By Gerauds Wilfried Obangome LIBREVILLE (Reuters) -Gabon's government blocked internet access and imposed a curfew on Saturday after an election marked by major voting delays, as the opposition cried foul over a poll they hoped would halt President Ali Bongo's bid to extend his family's 56-year grip on power. The Central African nation was holding presidential, legislative, and local polls simultaneously for the first time, with tensions running high amid fears electoral system changes could sow doubt about the legitimacy of the result and provoke unrest. Bongo, 64, who succeeded his father Omar in 2009, is seeking a third term against 18 challengers, six of whom backed a joint nominee in an effort to narrow the race. Bongo's team rejected allegations of fraud. Voting was due to start at 0700 GMT, but at least five polling stations in the capital Libreville saw voters waiting hours for polls to open, a Reuters reporter said. "This election is very tense because I don't think a vote in our country has ever started so late," said voter Jeff Mbou at a polling station in Libreville's Martine Oulabou school, where voting started nearly four hours late. It was not immediately clear how many areas were affected by the delays or if all voters were able to cast their votes. The election commission did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Any irregularities will add to concerns about the post-electoral period, which in Gabon has previously seen violent protests linked to the opposition disputing the result. There is no fixed deadline for the announcement of results, but joint opposition candidate Albert Ondo Ossa, 69, and his alliance on Saturday were already questioning the legitimacy of the outcome. Citing the threat of online disinformation, the Gabonese government cut the internet until further notice and imposed a night-time curfew from Sunday "in order to prevent any misbehaviour and to preserve the security of the entire population", according to a statement read on national television on Saturday evening. The Netblocks internet observatory confirmed that a nation-scale internet shutdown was in effect across Gabon - a move it said was "likely to severely limit the public's ability to communicate during the election period". Gabon shut down internet access for several days in 2016 when violent street protests erupted against Bongos contested re-election for his second term that saw the parliament building torched. FRAUD ALLEGATION The vote is a much-anticipated test of support for Bongo, whose detractors say has done too little to funnel Gabon's oil wealth towards the third of its 2.3 million population living in poverty and question his fitness to govern after a stroke in 2018. Bongo has sought to disprove this image on a wide-ranging campaign trail. He has promised to create more jobs, boost micro-loan programmes and cut public school fees. "We are voting and we are winning," he said in an online post on Saturday, sharing a video of his supporters wearing T-shirts with his campaign slogan "Ali for Everyone". The run-up to the election has been smooth, but many fear the post-election period could see turmoil like the 2016 protests. The opposition has disputed both his previous election wins, saying he won fraudulently. "I am perfectly informed about the fraud orchestrated by Ali Bongo and his supporters," Ondo Ossa told reporters at the polling station at Ba Oumar High School, in Libreville, without detailing the exact allegations. "Ali Bongo still has time to negotiate. The only negotiation that is necessary is his departure; 60 years in power is too much," he said. In online posts, his opposition alliance Alternance 2023 and Bongo's spokesperson said some polling stations had not received ballot slips for their respective candidates. Reuters could not independently verify the comments. "The vote hasn't even finished yet, and already the opposition is losing its nerve and its composure. This attempt to sow discord, because defeat is near, will not work," Bongo's campaign spokesperson Freddhy Koula said in an online post. Recent changes to the voting system could further complicate the aftermath, said Remadji Hoinathy, a researcher at the Africa-focused Institute for Security Studies. These include the introduction of a ballot that requires voters to pick a presidential candidate and lawmaker from the same party. The opposition has also voiced concern about a recent constitutional change to abolish two rounds of voting for the president. Bongo's camp has positioned him as the firm favourite to win the race, although there has been no reliable polling. His main threat comes from Ondo Ossa, an economics and management professor who has campaigned on the need for change and better economic opportunities. The pitch could resonate in a country where one in three young people are unemployed and the vast majority of the population has only known Bongo's rule. (Additional reporting and writing by Alessandra Prentice; Editing by David Gregorio, David Holmes and Mike Harrison) TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan's defence ministry said on Saturday morning that over the past 24 hours it had detected 20 Chinese air force planes entering the island's air defence zone, including a combat drone the flew along Taiwan's Pacific east coast. Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for three years of increased military pressure from Beijing. Last Saturday, China held a day of drills around Taiwan in an angry response to brief stop-overs this month in the United States by Vice President William Lai. Offering further details on Friday's Chinese activity, Taiwan's defence ministry said the aircraft involved included of Su-30 and J-10 fighters and anti-submarine aircraft. China's defence ministry did not answer calls seeking comment on Saturday. Some of the fighters and drones crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait, previously an unofficial barrier between the two sides but which over the past year Chinese aircraft have routinely crossed, according to a map Taiwan's ministry provided. A TB-001 drone flew to Taiwan's north, headed into the Pacific, broadly tracking the island's east coast, then looped back along the same flight path and returned to China, the map showed. Chinese state media has called the TB-001 the "twin-tailed scorpion" and shown pictures of it with missiles under its wings, saying it is capable of high altitude, long-range missions. In April, Taiwan said the same model of drone had flown around Taiwan. The ministry this week said it could not judge whether the drills China started last Saturday had formally ended, as Beijing had made no announcement. China has continued military movements around Taiwan. This week China condemned the United States for approving further arms sales to the Taiwan, and the island announced it planned to spend $3 billion next year to buy weapons including fighter jets. Taiwan has not reported any Chinese military aircraft in its territorial air space, though it has said planes have come close to island's contiguous zone, which is within 24 nautical miles (44 km) of its coast. Japan's defence ministry said on Friday it scrambled jet fighters to monitor Chinese air force bombers and drones flying near the country's southwestern Okinawa island and Taiwan. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by William Mallard) Loch Ness with Urquhart Castle in the foreground as seen on May 7, 2005. (Sam Fentress/WikiMedia Commons) INVERNESS, SCOTLAND - Hundreds of monster hunters equipped with drones and infrared cameras have gathered here in the Scottish Highlands with a singular goal: to be the ones to finally find the Loch Ness monster. But it won't be easy. On Saturday, the rain was lashing and the skies were gray, hampering visibility in the search for the folkloric creature, affectionately known as "Nessie." The mythical monster, which legend says lives in a freshwater lake in Scotland, has eluded capture, or any definitive proof of existence, since its first recorded sighting in the 6th century. But trying to find Nessie is an age-old tradition, and the volunteer hunters who showed up Saturday are dedicated - and better equipped than those who came before. The search for the monster, organized over two days by the local Loch Ness Center in Inverness, is the biggest in a half-century, and certainly the most high-tech. Some people drove hours to be here, while others flew in from overseas. "I believe," Isabelle Rambaud, who was on vacation here from the south of France, said of the monster as she stood in the local Loch Ness gift shop. Rambaud and her husband spent part of their Saturday searching for Nessie. "We did not see Nessie," she said, holding five packets of traditional Scottish shortbread. If she did, Rambaud added, it would "change her life." The Loch Ness Center launched the event - which they called "The Quest" - in partnership with Loch Ness Exploration, a research group that studies the lake and other unexplained phenomena. They put out a call for volunteer hunters "fascinated by the legendary tales of Nessie" and with "a passion for unraveling mysteries and exploring the extraordinary." The center was later forced to close online registrations for volunteers "due to an overwhelming surge in demand," according to the website. The global fascination with Nessie and Inverness brings more than 1 million visitors to the area each year, according to Alan Rawlinson, business development manager at Visit Inverness Loch Ness. "I'd love to get some answers this weekend," said Paul Nixon, who leads the Loch Ness Center, adding that the tale of the monster is "one of the greatest unsolved mysteries that exists." These are not just people "with binoculars and a tub of sandwiches," he said. "If we did find it," he added, it would be "a global sensation." Indeed, some hunters with drones are equipping them with infrared cameras to seek out heat spots in the lake - as well as sending them underwater. They've also come armed with a hydrophone to pick up acoustic signals 60 feet below the loch's surface - although nobody really knows what the monster would sound like. Other participants can join several surface-watch locations staged by organizers or cruise the 23-mile-long lake by boat. They have been asked to document everything they see - from surface movements to weather changes - and are getting lessons on how to capture potential sightings on their phones. For those who aren't here in person, a live stream of the hunt is available online. Nixon said he hopes that the weekend's events inspire a new, younger generation of Nessie hunters. The center will also conduct a "sentiment test" to gauge whether skeptics have turned into believers or if people's opinions on the monster's existence have changed. Interest in cryptids, which are animals whose existence is unproven, such as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, has persisted for so long because "people's imaginations are fired up," said Michael A. Little, an anthropology professor at Binghamton University in New York. The frequent portrayals of fantastical creatures such as Nessie in movies and on television also perpetuate the myths, he added. "People really believe it and spend enormous amounts of time and energy searching," he said. "But there's no evidence." The myth originates with a recorded sighting in 565 A.D., when an Irish saint was "said to have driven a beast back into the water," according to the Inverness website. More incidents were reported in the intervening years - and in 1993, fascination with Loch Ness skyrocketed after a local hotel worker reported seeing a "whale-like fish" in the water. The Inverness Courier published the hotel worker's story under the headline "Strange Spectacle on Loch Ness," and referred to the creature as "a monster," which was picked up by domestic and international media. A year later, a photo published in the London Daily Mail - and attributed to a local doctor - showed a long-necked creature poking out of the loch. The grainy image is to this day the one most commonly associated with Nessie, but it was later revealed as a hoax. In the 1970s, a group called the Loch Ness Phenomena Investigation Bureau set up "camera watches" and conducted the last major surface watch. In 1987, another team swept the loch with sonar. "The Quest" in Scotland this weekend is therefore "long overdue," said Gary Campbell, who, along with his wife, runs an online register of all reported Nessie sightings. His interest was sparked in 1996 when, as he sat in his car next to the lake, he said he spotted a "big black hump" emerging from the water before it dipped back below the surface. "It was about 10- to 12-feet long," Campbell said, adding that it then reappeared for a few moments before vanishing from view. He soon realized there was no comprehensive list of sightings - and created the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, which includes more than 1,000 alleged incidents. "Whether they're a skeptic or a cynic, if they visit Loch Ness they will look for the Loch Ness monster," Nixon said of visitors to the lake. "Everyone looks at the water and there is some voice in their head saying: You might spot something here." Since Mark Thewlis was a child in Australia, he has had a lifelong obsession with Nessie. He now works as a store manager at the Nessieland souvenir shop near the lake. "There's something strange going on in that loch," Thewlis said. "There's some theories that it's not even a flesh and blood creature. It could be supernatural." For Rawlinson of Visit Inverness Loch Ness, the hunt is an opportunity to raise awareness of the area - a region steeped in history and known for its picturesque landscapes, trails, castles and whiskey distilleries. But does he believe? "Why not?" he said, adding that the likelihood of spotting Nessie is closely linked to how much whiskey one might drink. "Nessie is smarter than those people," one Facebook user wrote on the platform before the hunt. "She won't be caught." Justine McDaniel contributed to this report. Thousands gather to celebrate the departure of French anti-terrorist operation Barkhane in Bamako, Mali, on Feb. 19, 2022. (Paul Lorgerie/The Washington Post) RIGA, Latvia With Wagner boss Yevgeniy Priogzhin and two of the groups other key leaders presumed dead, a power vacuum has opened, leaving the Kremlin, internal Wagner factions and outside paramilitary forces to jockey for control of a lucrative but opaque global empire. Prigozhin styled himself as the groups irreplaceable leader, at the center of an intricate web of mercenaries, mining companies, political consultants and disinformation operatives. He also built ties with African governments, allowing Wagner to serve Moscows interests across the continent, often at gunpoint. There are some competent people who would love to go in and graft his budgets, but there is no figure similar to Prigozhin, one that has an enormous stream of money, or similar working efficiency and enthusiasm, said Denis Korotkov, a veteran Russian journalist who has reported on Wagner for the last decade. Yet one high-ranking Wagner insider, Andrei Troshev, has emerged as a potential contender to step in and run whats left of the group. A former lieutenant colonel in Russias ministry of internal affairs, Troshev is believed to have been the main liaison between Prigozhin and the Defense Ministry during the war in Ukraine. And he is one of the few public figures within Wagner who was not listed on the passenger manifest of the plane that went down northwest of Moscow on Wednesday. Wagner-linked Telegram channels and military bloggers said in recent weeks that Troshev had been ousted from the group, alleging that he betrayed Prigozhin after the June rebellion and was eager to strike a deal with the Defense Ministry. Sergei Shoigu, Russias defense minister, has long fought to take control of the paramilitary force, and his feud with Prigozhin helped precipitate Wagners short-lived march on Moscow. Troshev may be one of the future leaders of the updated Wagner, since the old Wagner is no longer and will not be, said Anton Mardasov, a Moscow-based military affairs expert at the Russian International Affairs Council. Several commanders have accused him of treason, saying he was luring people into the Redut private military company, said Lilia Yapparova, a reporter with the Meduza outlet, which has spent years investigating Wagner and other private military companies. Redut is a private force controlled by the Defense Ministry and is believed to be funded by Gennady Timchenko, a billionaire and longtime Putin associate. Putin had previously hinted that he would be happy to see Troshev take over. On June 29, five days after the rebellion, Putin gathered dozens of Wagner leaders and top commanders, including Prigozhin, at the Kremlin to discuss their future combat application. According to a Kommersant reporter, Putin offered Wagner members the chance to sign contracts with the regular army and continue fighting under a commander called Sedoi, which is Troshevs call sign. They could all gather in one place and continue to serve, Putin said. And nothing would have changed for them. They would be led by the same person who had been their real commander all along. When Prigozhin rejected his offer, Putin accused him of contradicting the wishes of his fighters, who he claimed were nodding in agreement during the meeting. It appears Putin attempted to reach an agreement with Wagner without entering into a direct conflict with Prigozhin, said Tatiana Stanovaya, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. Putin still needed the Wagner leader to ensure that there was a smooth transition for Troshev, that Wagner surrendered its heavy equipment to the Defense Ministry and that the army of mercenaries relocated to Belarus without any incidents. After the mutiny, Prigozhin traveled to Russia, to the new Wagner base in Belarus and even to Africa, a shock to many of Moscows elites, who saw it as a sign of Putins weakness. But it bought time for the Kremlin to regroup and map out which of Prigozhins assets would be most useful. The Kremlin was able to gauge the amenability of individual Wagner commanders to compromise; it turned out there was no longer any need for Prigozhin, Stanovaya said. Wagner is Russias most well-known private military company, but it is hardly the only one. Similar companies have sprouted with the backing of Russian oligarchs, giving Putin an array of proxy forces to do his bidding while affording him plausible deniability. For at least five years, these companies have been recruiting from veterans associations, security teams at state enterprises, fight clubs and local gyms. In the days leading up to Wednesdays mysterious plane crash, at least two paramilitary groups - both controlled by, or linked to, the Defense Ministry and Putin loyalists - had begun hiring people for operations in Africa, a sign that the Kremlin was planning to absorb Prigozhins security contracts in the region. Konvoi, a relatively new group that emerged last year as another vehicle to recruit soldiers for Ukraine, posted an ad Monday looking for pilots to undergo drone training and be deployed to Ukraine and Africa. Its leader, Konstantin Pikalov, once worked for Wagner in Africa and told Russian investigative outlet Important Stories, Unprecedented measures have been developed to liberate African countries from colonial dependence . . . We will give African soldiers new weapons and teach them how to use them. Redut, which has fought in Syria, was also looking to expand its operations into Africa, with recruitment ads appearing recently on the VKontakte social network. Redut and Konvoi have not achieved any significant wins in Ukraine, are considered less professional outfits than Wagner and are not well-regarded by experienced Russian mercenaries, Korotkov said. But a fresh recruitment plan combining fighters from Wagner and other private military companies was possible, said Mardasov, the analyst. It is clear that the backbone of Wagner will not be happy with the decision to mix the ranks, but they have no choice, he said. Prigozhin spent his last days touring African countries, an apparent effort to prevent Russias top brass from co-opting that part of his business. Prigozhin, of course, knew about these plans and allegedly tried to interfere with them, which was the purpose of his last business trip to Mali, Yapparova said. But his personal pitch to African leaders appears to have fallen short. In Mali and the Central African Republic, where Wagner is most prominent, officials have stressed continuity. Fidele Gouandjika, a top adviser to CAR President Faustin-Archange Touadera, said the government signed a contract with the Russian Federation, and it was Russia that subcontracted with Wagner, sending troops to the country in 2018. So the death of Prigozhin is a great loss for us because he helped save democracy in the CAR, Gouandjika said in an interview Friday. But nothing will change. Russia can decide on another leader for Wagner. Gouandjika predicted that Wagner, rather than another force, would continue its work, noting the extent of the groups operations in CAR and adding that a new rotation of Wagner troops had arrived this summer. But ultimately, he said, it would be for Moscow to decide. We have an agreement with the Russian government, and it is Russia that chooses who to send. Touadera did not meet personally with Prigozhin during the Russia-Africa summit last month in St. Petersburg - instead meeting with Putin, an apparent effort by CAR leaders to distance themselves from the renegade warlord. In Mali, the government has long refused to discuss the presence of Wagner forces, consistently referring to them as Russian instructors. Adama Ben Diarra, a prominent pundit in Bamako and a member of the Malian juntas transition council, said Friday that Mali works with Russia state-to-state, and that cooperation will continue. Prigozhin had also been struggling to maintain his foothold in Libya, where Wagner served as guns-for-hire for Khalifa Hifters Libyan National Army. Even before the mutiny, Hifter was growing disillusioned with Prigozhin, according to Anas El Gomati, director of the Sadeq Institute, a Tripoli-based think tank. The relationship between the two men had broken down significantly over the past year, he said, in part because Hifter withheld payments from Wagner in an effort to secure military equipment. Prigozhin was supposed to deliver on those things, and he failed to deliver, El Gomati said. A day before the plane crash, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov, whom Prigozhin briefly took hostage in a southern military headquarters during the mutiny, visited Libya to offer reassurances that Wagner fighters would remain in the east of the country - but under Kremlin control. Mardasov said the visit by Yevkurov, who has extensive ties to Russias foreign intelligence agency, the GRU, was direct evidence of Moscows decision to formalize its future relations with Hifter. Libya is the nerve center of Russias operations in Africa, serving as a logistics hub that connects Russian fighters and equipment in Syria to countries in the Sahel. Moscow cannot close operations in Libya and continue operations with Africa, El Gomati said. As it continues its grinding war in Ukraine, Russia will probably seek to maintain a strategic foothold along NATOs southern flank. David Lewis, a professor at the University of Exeter who has researched Wagners illicit business networks, said Moscow had already demonstrated that it would maintain Wagners global footprint. Lewis pointed out that the groups presence in Africa was relatively modest - a few thousand men - and could be easily replaced. It is obviously a cost in terms of manpower and defense spending, but its likely seen as a relatively low cost for how Russia is benefiting geopolitically, he said. Ebel reported from London, Chason from Dakar, Senegal, and Parker from Cairo. Robyn Dixon in Riga contributed to this report. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan attends a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2022. Sullivan on Aug. 21, 2023, said a prisoner swap deal between the United States and Iran is on track. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) A potential prisoner swap deal between the United States and Iran - which "remains on track," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters this week - has renewed attention on the plight of other prisoners in Iran with Western passports who advocates say are detained as bargaining chips. As an initial step in the emerging deal, a rare bright spot in U.S.-Iran relations, four Americans were moved from the harsh conditions of Iran's Evin Prison to house arrest. The final exchange, which remains in process, is set to include the release of five Iranian prisoners in the United States and the freeing of $6 billion in oil revenue held in South Korea under U.S. sanctions, to be used for humanitarian purposes, those familiar with the talks said earlier this month. As the deal takes shape, the families and supporters of other foreigners detained in Iran, many on charges that advocates and activists describe as spurious and ploys for diplomatic leverage, have urged that their cases remain in the public eye. "The Islamic regime is targeting a certain group of people, individuals with foreign citizenship, in a systematic way," said Gazelle Sharmahd, whose father, Jamshid Sharmahd, an Iranian-German citizen and U.S. permanent resident who ran a radio show that aired criticism of Iran's government, is on death row in Iran, facing terrorism charges. "My father thinks only the U.S. government can get him out." Sharmahd held a sit-in this week in front of the State Department to protest her father's apparent exclusion from the forthcoming deal. She was joined by the family of Shahab Dalili, an Iranian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, imprisoned in Iran since 2016. "We demand that they are also treated fair, that they are also safe," Sharmahd said Wednesday at the vigil for Jamshid Sharmahd and Dalili outside the State Department. There are around two dozen known instances of Iranian citizens who are also Western passport holders jailed in Iran, though many more remain unpublicized, according to Carole Chedid, a board member of Hostage Aid, a D.C.-based advocacy group started by former detainees. Rights groups say Iran has a pattern of jailing Western passport holders and dual citizens for potential swaps, a practice that amounts to state-sponsored hostage-taking. In May, Belgium freed a former Iranian diplomat jailed on terrorism charges in exchange for a Belgian aid worker arrested in Iran last year. The Washington Post's former correspondent in Iran, Jason Rezaian, was imprisoned for 544 days, until his release in 2016. Iran's mission to the United Nations said that five Iranian citizens in U.S. custody are to be released in the forthcoming deal. Tehran has not named the individuals. There are several Iranian nationals jailed in the United States for violating U.S. sanctions. Among the Americans expected to be released is Siamak Namazi, an Iranian American, who has been held for nearly eight years on charges of cooperation with a hostile government, the longest duration the Islamic Republic is known to have imprisoned any American. Sharmahd said she is happy for the Namazi family - Siamak's father, Baquer, was released last October after seven years in Iranian prison - but that it felt "like a slap in the face" when she heard her father was not part of the deal. "Our family has four generations of Americans living in California," she said. "His case is also about the safety and security of Americans around the world." Sharmahd said Iran abducted her father in 2020 while he was visiting Dubai. He has been held in solitary confinement in Iran ever since, she said. He could be executed any day after Iran's Supreme Court upheld his sentence in late April. The daughter said both Germany and the United States have shirked responsibility for securing his release. "My dad's life is not a bargaining chip," she said. Sharmahd and Dalili are classified as U.S. nationals because of their permanent residency. Gazelle Sharmahd said her father should be treated as any U.S. citizen in a hostage-taking case. The State Department declined to comment on Sharmahd's case. "The Department works to ensure that any U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident - regardless of whether they have been determined to be wrongfully detained - receives appropriate assistance," a State Department official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue. German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said at a news conference last month that Germany was "putting pressure" on Iran however possible. "Carrying out such a death sentence would also have serious consequences for German-Iranian relations," he said. Hebestreit said that Iran does not recognize dual-nationalities and prison authorities denied German officials access to Sharmahd. Tehran's brutal prison system is a pillar of the regime's authoritarian rule. Just over the last year, more than 20,000 Iranians have passed through prison as part of a crackdown on anti-government protests that challenged clerical rule. Many protesters received long prison sentences on spurious charges. Most of the foreign and dual nationals detained are from European countries, including France, Austria, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands, according to Hostage Aid's tally. Among them is Swedish academic Ahmadreza Jalali, who was arrested in 2016 in Iran after attending a conference. Tehran accused Jalali of spying for Israel, among other charges that his family denied, and sentenced him to death. A panel of U.N. experts said he has been subject to "severe physical and psychological ill-treatment" that amounted to torture. Last spring, Iran signaled Jalali's execution was imminent but backed off after a major international campaign. Jalali was a Swedish resident at the time of his arrest, but Sweden granted him full citizenship in 2018 as part of an effort to secure his release. The Swedish Foreign Ministry's press office said in an email Thursday that "a handful of Swedes are being detained in Iran." Another one of them is a Swedish national in his thirties who was arrested in April 2022, according to Sweden's Foreign Ministry. At the time, Sweden was concluding the landmark trial of Hamid Nouri, an Iranian official charged in connection with his role in the mass execution of dissidents in Iran in 1988. Nouri was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. He is awaiting his appeal. Suzy Haidamous contributed to this report. URUMQI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 scholars from China and abroad gathered in Turpan, a city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to attend a conference on the inheritance and development of Turfan studies from Monday to Wednesday. Turfan studies is a very important branch of Silk Road studies. It is also a window to understand the diversity and integration of different civilizations in Turpan, also known as Turfan. Experts shared their latest findings and visited archaeological sites. Among the relics they visited was the Xipang Jingjiao monastery relics site. Texts including Buddhist and Taoist manuscripts in Chinese and Nestorian manuscripts in Syriac had been unearthed there. Scholars also visited the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes, a site that can be traced back to the fifth century. A group of Chinese archaeologists conducted new excavations here earlier this year. Xia Lidong was among them. Turfan studies are interdisciplinary studies of Turpan's cultural heritage, and have attracted significant global attention. Over the past century, experts and scholars of various fields from across the world have contributed to Turfan studies. Produced by Xinhua Global Service During an interactive session with the Students of University of Harvard in Islamabad, he said if any nation or society has to remain connected with the global unfolding particularly in the realm of technology and research and development, how it could divorce itself from North America. Acknowledging the strides made by America in the field of knowledge and skills over the last two hundred years, he said the rest of the world needs to benefit and learn from it. He said Pakistan is very positive towards its relationship with the US and there is a history of it. He said there are convergences and divergences in this relationship. He said one area where we are commonality of views is climate change which is becoming an existential threat to every state. The Prime Minister said Pakistan sees the US as a big power but at the same time wants to see it to turn itself into a great power. We want to partner that journey of greatness along with the US. Tracing the history of Pak-US relationship, Anwaar ul Haq regretted that we failed to articulate Pakistan's contributions towards global peace, security as well as economic and financial institutions. Responding to a student's question, the Prime Minister pointed out that the country has witnessed three successive completion of the parliament's terms over the last fifteen years. He said the members of the parliament have the inherent right to replace a government. He said we are committed to and understand that the performance and participatory idea of democracy is needed, and we will encourage it. Pakistan has welcomed the reported decision by Denmark government to propose a bill outlawing the burning of the Holy Quran and other divine books. In a statement on Saturday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said this is a step in the right direction. She hoped the step taken by Denmark would culminate in effective legislation to curb the desecration of the Holy Quran and other divine books. In his interaction with the Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, while appreciating the Danish Government's proposed legislation, expressed the hope that the bill, when passed, would create interfaith harmony and bring an end to an environment of hatred amongst people of different religious faiths. The spokesperson hoped that other countries will emulate and undertake similar steps to outlaw such hateful acts. The spokesperson said Pakistan has always maintained that desecration and burning of holy scriptures constitute a serious act of religious hatred, which must not be permitted under the guise of freedom of expression, opinion and protest. She said as stipulated by international human rights law and called for by the UN Human Rights Council, such provocative acts must be prevented and prohibited through legal means. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said the recurrent incidents of the Holy Quran's desecration during the last few months hurt the sentiments of over 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. Such abhorrent acts intend to create friction among communities and harm inter-faith harmony and mutual respect. The spokesperson said it is the responsibility of national governments to take all measures necessary to prevent these acts of religious hatred, xenophobia and Islamophobia. Sadistic Liam Taylor, 37, stabbed Ailish Walsh 40 times at her home This is the cowardly thug who murdered his girlfriend and their unborn baby girl in a frenzied attack with a pair of scissors Sadistic Liam Taylor, 37, stabbed Ailish Walsh 40 times at her home in Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, north London, on December 15 last year. Earlier this week, Taylor was jailed for 27 years. However, evil Taylor did not have the courage to face his victims family in court and instead attended the sentence hearing via video link. The court had heard how he slashed the mother-of-four a dozen times to her face, including her eye. Ailish Walsh Some of the stab wounds were directed at the 22 week old foetus and his partner's genitals because Taylor had two daughters and wanted a son, the Old Bailey heard. He also battered her around the head with a 15kg dumbell. Prosecutor Jane Osborne said: Ailish had told more than one person that the defendant was upset about the pregnancy because he wanted a a boy. "Some of the injuries were deliberately aimed at the unborn child. Ms Walsh, 28 originally from Dublin - had been trying to break up with Taylor because she thought he was seeing another woman and had found him taking cocaine. She was 22 weeks pregnant with Taylor's child at the time of her death. Taylor, who went out to buy rum, coke and cigarettes after the killing slaying, told police that wont bring her back though will it when he was arrested. He added: Its crazy how one moment of madness can change your whole life. Ms Walsh had four children aged between six and 10 from a previous marriage in Ireland. Ailish Walsh Taylor was jailed for a year in 2020 for beating his mother in the head and face with a metal pole. Passing sentence Judge Nigel Lickley told Taylor over the video link: You assaulted Ailish with a ferocious, brutal and savage attack. You used a weapon and targeted parts of her face, abdomen and genitals with the intention to disfigure her. The attack had elements, which I find sadistic in nature'. The judge added: I have to distinguish between genuine remorse and feeling sorry for yourself. Attending in person might have indicated real remorse. Members of the victim's family hurled abuse at Taylor as they left court. Ms Walshs father Laurence Goulding said in a victim impact statement summarised to court how difficult it was to have to bury his daughter, and that he is angry she is gone. He said he felt isolated as he has a terminal illness and Ailish had been his carer before her death. Matthew Perry, the father of Ms Walsh's young children called Taylor 'a f**king scumbag' in an impact statement he gave from the witness box. 'You have subjected innocent children to a lifetime of asking questions,' he said. "No person deserves to be subjected to that torture. You are worse than a monster. Untold devastation has been inflicted by you on our family. My children are terrified that one day you will be given the opportunity to leave prison.' Mr Perry added that Ms Walsh was kind smart, caring and willing to give anyone a chance including you, you f*cking scumbag. The prosecution argued Taylor intended to kill the unborn baby but did not bring a charge of child destruction as the baby was within the legal limit for abortion and would not have survived outside the womb. Taylor, previously of Rectory Road, Stoke Newington, admitted murder. His barrister said Taylor he had not attended court because he was not feeling 'extremely well' but he was listening to 'every word' on the court video link. BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's foreign trade of agricultural products rose 4 percent year on year in the first seven months of this year, official data showed. The country's imports and exports of these products totaled 198.62 billion U.S. dollars during the period, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Specifically, China's imports of such products went up 5.4 percent year on year to 142.78 billion dollars, while its exports edged up 0.6 percent year on year to 55.84 billion dollars, the data revealed. China's trade deficit for agricultural products stood at 86.94 billion dollars in the same period, up 8.7 percent from the same period last year. Blanchardstown District Court heard gardai on duty in the Newcastle area in the early hours of May 4 last year, found a car parked offside and checked the registration. A man found sleeping in a parked car with an axe in his possession has been fined for having it as a weapon. Sergejs Volkovs (44) had the implement on him when he was searched after gardai had found him in a car that he was living in by the side of the road in west Dublin. Judge Gerard Jones convicted and fined him 200. Volkovs, with an address at Esker Meadows Grove, Lucan, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon. Blanchardstown District Court heard gardai on duty in the Newcastle area in the early hours of May 4 last year, found a car parked offside and checked the registration. The gardai noticed the accused asleep in the car. They arrested him and brought him to Lucan garda station. When searched, an axe was found in his possession. Volkovs made no reply when charged and cautioned. He had previous convictions. The accused was not in court and the judge agreed to hear the case in his absence. Volkovs who had been living in Ireland for a number of years told the gardai that he required the implement for work purposes, his solicitor, Valerie Buckley, said. Ms Buckley asked the judge to take this into account. It doesnt matter, the judge said, fining Volkovs. The pair were made the subject of a three-year probation order after they admitted a charge of wilfully exposing their child to harm. The parents of a child who was hospitalised after eating a bar of chocolate laced with cannabis have both been placed on probation. The 28-year-old man and 23-year-old woman, who can't be named to protect the identity of their son, were made the subject of a three-year probation order after they admitted a charge of wilfully exposing their child to harm. Also handed a three-year probation order was the child's 31-year-old uncle, who pleaded guilty to a charge of causing or allowing a child to suffer harm. At the time of the offence, the two-and-a-half-year-old boy was living in a house in west Belfast with his parents, uncle and grandmother. Now aged four, he spent a period in intensive care and is now being cared for by foster parents with no lasting physical harm noted. He was rushed to the Royal Victoria Hospital on the evening of June 21, 2021 after eating a cannabis-infused Wonka chocolate bar located in his uncle's bedroom. Belfast Crown Court heard that upon arrival at the hospital, the youngster was extremely drowsy, was having trouble breathing - and his condition was deemed as 'life-threatening.' His urine was tested and was found to contain traces of cannabis and after being treated in the recuss unit for critically ill children, he was later transferred to a paediatric intensive care unit. The child's mother and father were spoken to by medics and made the case they had spent that day at the beach in Bangor with their son. They said that after returning home, they put him down for a nap around 3pm and had trouble rousing him at around 10pm. The couple also denied the presence of drugs in the family home and the possibility their son could have consumed cannabis. It emerged that after the mobile phones of all three defendants were seized and examined, messages were located which indicated the couple became aware their child was ill at around 4pm on June 21. The messages also revealed the couple had not been in Bangor that day, but had instead been in the family home, and that at around 10pm there were suspicions their son had ingested something. Judge Philip Gilpin said: "Despite this, the parents did not volunteer this information to the medical staff and in fact, denied it when asked." All three were arrested, the family home was searched and during interview, the couple admitted previous social service involvement due to the child's uncle's prior drug-taking. Despite their initial denials, the man and woman have since each admitted a charge of child cruelty. Judge Gilpin noted their failure to seek medical attention for their son at an earlier stage than they did - especially given the suspicions he had consumed the cannabis-laced chocolate. The child's uncle tried to flee when he was approached and arrested by police, and when searched he was caught in possession of a small amount of cannabis. He told police he raised the alarm with his family after believing his nephew had eaten one of his Wonka bars and subsequently pleaded guilty to a drugs charge and to causing or allowing a child to suffer serious harm. Saying it was "serious offending to have brought drugs into a house where a child is present", Judge Gilpin said the chocolate bar was "easily accessible" in the uncle's room and was "attractive" to a child as it was "in the form of a chocolate bar". Defence barristers for all three told Judge Gilpin each defendant had expressed remorse and shame for their actions. The court also heard that the child's parents now have limited supervised contact with their son via social services and are hoping he will be returned to them permanently in the future. As he passed sentence, Judge Gilpin said: "Having a child in your care is a significant responsibility and in this case all three defendants on this particular occasion failed in that significant responsibility and sadly caused harm to this child." Jonathan Gibbons (41) had been hurling abuse at a bus driver after losing his phone when he turned his aggression on the garda who tried to calm him down. Jonathan Gibbons (41) was ordered to carry out 60 hours of community service. A passer-by had to come to the aid of a garda when a drunken man started swinging his fists at the officer in a struggle on a Dublin city centre street. Jonathan Gibbons (41) had been hurling abuse at a bus driver after losing his phone when he turned his aggression on the garda who tried to calm him down. Gibbons, a former charity worker with an address at Leinster Road, Rathmines, pleaded guilty to obstruction, threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour and public intoxication. He also admitted criminal damage to a garda station cell by urinating in it, and possession of cannabis after his arrest. Judge Bryan Smyth ordered him to carry out 60 hours of community service instead of a three-month prison sentence. Dublin District Court heard gardai found Gibbons verbally abusing the driver of a number 16 bus on OConnell Street at 8.40pm on July 11. The incident stemmed from the loss of his phone earlier. The accused turned his aggression on the garda when he tried to de-escalate the situation, the court was told. Gibbons began swinging his fists at the garda but made no contact. A struggle ensued and an unknown bystander came to the assistance of the garda. Gibbons was brought to the ground and taken to Store Street garda station, where he urinated on the cell door. Cannabis worth 25 was found on him in a search. Gibbons, a charity worker, had lost his job and fell off the wagon, his barrister Luke OHiggins said. He was extremely apologetic, embarrassed and ashamed of his actions on the night. He had attended alcohol treatment previously and studied addiction studies in college. Suspected cocaine worth 47,000 was seized in addition to 39,490 in cash and ten designer watches of the Rolex and Hublot brands Some of the haul seized by gardai One man who was arrested after gardai seized cocaine, cash and cars during searches in Galway City and County yesterday has been released without charge. Another man who was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into the seizure is still being quizzed at a Garda station in Galway. Both men, who are aged in their 30s, were arrested when nearly 50,000 worth of cocaine and cash, cars and 10 designer watches were discovered during raids aimed at a crime gang in Co Galway. Some of the haul seized by gardai Two men were arrested following the searches of seven different locations as part of Operation Tara. Suspected cocaine worth 47,000 was seized in addition to 39,490 in cash and ten designer watches of the Rolex and Hublot brands. Two cars and one van (all 2022 registered) were also seized. Gardai said the operation was targeting drugs and organised crime in Galway and was conducted by the Galway Divisional Drugs Unit with support from the Galway District Drug Unit, the Armed Support Unit and the Garda Dog Unit. "The seized drugs will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis, gardai said in a statement. One of the men (aged in his 30s) who was arrested in connection with the seizure of a number of items including cocaine, cash, cars, and designer watches during the course of searches at seven locations in Galway city and county on Friday 25th August 2023 as part of Operation Tara, has been released without charge, gardai added. A file will now be prepared for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. The other man arrested as part of the investigation into this seizure (also in his 30s) is still being detained under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at a Garda station in Galway. Investigations are ongoing. If the Irish navy has half or quarter the assets they used to have, from a law enforcement perspective they are only a quarter or half as effective, said Mr Martin This week, Spain saw its largest ever cocaine seizure of 9.5 tonnes that were found in the port of Algeciras Gardai examine some of the estimated 4m worth of cocaine washed up in Donegal last month Tanaiste and Defence Minister Micheal Martin has admitted he is "extremely worried" that crew shortages and a reduction in services had left just two Naval ships in operation. While Mr Martin said the naval service was "clearly" not "optimally effective he disputed suggestions that the lack of vessels could lead to South American drug cartels exploiting gaps. This week, Spain saw its largest ever cocaine seizure of 9.5 tonnes that were found in the port of Algeciras in a refrigerated container among a cargo shipment from Ecuador disguised as bananas. Michael OSullivan, ex garda assistant commissioner and former head of the EU frontline agency tasked with combating the Atlantic cocaine trade expressed concern over the front-line service. If the Irish navy has half or quarter the assets they used to have, from a law enforcement perspective they are only a quarter or half as effective, he told the Irish Examiner this week. While Mr Martin admitted that the naval service is not at the level we would want it to be, he said we need to be careful of those assessments. This week, Spain saw its largest ever cocaine seizure of 9.5 tonnes that were found in the port of Algeciras There are various forms of surveillance and intelligence and cooperation between member states across Europe and indeed like-minded countries all over the world, he said. So it's not a simple matter, he said. We're all inter-dependent. It's not that we depend on other countries. We work with other countries, and we provide intelligence to other countries just as much as they will provide intelligence to us in terms of drug trafficking or criminal operations." Mr Martin was speaking this week after a senior Garda vowed that the substantially degraded Kinahan crime cartel will be subjected to continued investigation until it is completely destroyed. Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, head of organised and serious crime, said the Dublin crime gang is no longer the dominant force it once was, after the leaders brought a huge amount of this attention on themselves. He said recent investigations had resulted in a seismic change in the level of co-operation between various agencies in other countries and Ireland. Assistant Commissioner Kelly was referring to successive operations and investigations by Irish, British and Spanish authorities and the massive 15m bounty put on the heads of the three cartel leaders by American agencies in April 2022. This has been greatly boosted by the expansion of garda liaison officers to Colombia and Dubai while Asia is next on the cards. Tanaiste Micheal Martin Its definitely strengthened our international partnerships, we have relationships that we never had before, he told the Irish Examiner. We can now pick up the phone to them anytime day or night. A decade ago that would nearly be unthinkable. He added that while there are still elements of the cartel structure in Ireland, as there is in Dubai, and that it would be naive to think theyre out of business, he is confident that people at the top of that group will see justice. Referring to the a large number of Kinahan gangsters in jail due to be released in the coming years, he doubted that they would return to the cartel and restart the murderous Kinahan-Hutch feud. He pointed out that assassinations require significant logistics and a huge amount of money to fund them. Meanwhile, gardai have made it difficult for the Kinahan leaders to fund or organise any such hit teams again. In April of this year, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris revealed how gardai had made significant advances in their efforts to smash the Kinahans. Speaking at the 45th annual conference for the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Galway, the Garda Commissioner said: The whole purpose of this is to bring the leaders of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group to justice. Significant advances have been made, particularly in Europe but also then with our US federal law enforcement partners. And so there is action in this and it keeps on moving forward. Every month Im updated on progress between ourselves and our partners. Were still working very closely together and its a very good example between many nations directed towards what is a transnational crime group. Work carries on - we always knew this would be a difficult target but much diminished from what it was a year ago. Exactly a year before saw the staging of a game-changing press conference in Dublin City Hall where senior members of the gardai as well as American government representatives announced a series of sanctions against the international crime gang. At the conference it was revealed how United States government had imposed sanctions on seven key members of the Kinahan organised crime group following a major international policing operation. Christopher Snr and his two sons, Daniel and Christopher Jnr, were all placed on an Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list, a list of the US Treasury Department. US Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin told the media briefing in Dublins City Hall that there was a $5 million reward for key information leading to the Kinahan gang being dismantled. She said the crime gang are accused of a wide range of heinous crimes around that world and that countering transnational criminal gangs is an urgent priority for US President Joe Biden and the US government. The case was initiated on Thursday, with Ms Delaney being represented by Padraig ODonovan & Company Solicitors. A lawyer charged with murder is now also facing a civil action from the partner of his alleged victim. The High Court case was filed against barrister Diarmuid Rossa Phelan by Jeannette Delaney, partner of Keith Bono Conlon, also known as Keith Greene, who was shot dead on farmland in Co Dublin last year. According to court records, the lawsuit is a personal injuries action. The case was initiated on Thursday, with Ms Delaney being represented by Padraig ODonovan & Company Solicitors. Mr Conlon (36) was a father of four from Kiltalown Park in Tallaght. He and two other men were out hunting with a dog when he and the dog were shot on Mr Phelans property, Hazelgrove Farm, Kiltalown Lane, Tallaght, on February 22 last year. He died two days later in hospital. Mr Phelan (54), a senior counsel and associate professor of law at Trinity College Dublin, was later charged with murder. Further details of Ms Delaneys lawsuit are not publicly available at present. Her solicitors were contacted for comment. The case is unlikely to progress to a hearing before Mr Phelans trial takes place. His trial has been scheduled to begin at the Central Criminal Court in May next year and is expected to last three weeks. At a hearing last year, the Central Criminal Court heard that French and German interpreters will be required by the prosecution. The barrister is currently on bail. An initial application for bail was rejected by the High Court. However, this decision was overturned by the Court of Appeal and Mr Phelan was granted bail on condition that he enter his own bond of 50,000 with an independent surety of 50,000. A number of further conditions were also imposed including a curfew, a daily sign-on and an order to stay out of Tallaght and Mr Phelans properties in Co Wexford. During his bail hearing, the High Court heard Mr Phelan told gardai during an interview that he accepted he shot Mr Conlon with a licensed firearm but said he was under threat and was terrified at the time. His counsel, Michael OHiggins SC, said the tenor of Mr Phelans statement to gardai was that the shooting was an accident. Despite her familys terrifying ordeal, the young student has adapted to life in Ireland and managed to sit a successful Leaving Cert after a year of secondary school. Lana Moroz (17), who fled the fighting in her home city of Kherson, passed all of her Leaving Cert exams. Photo: Domnick Walsh A Ukrainian student who passed all her Leaving Cert subjects after just a year in an Irish school has said she feels so relieved and happy. Lana Moroz (17) fled her home city in May last year and moved to Tralee, Co Kerry, with her family. Kherson was the first major city to fall following the Russian invasion on February 24, last year. Every day there was bombing in our city and it was so scary, Ms Moroz said. After nearly three months in occupied territory, they managed to escape. Despite her familys terrifying ordeal, the young student has adapted to life in Ireland and managed to sit a successful Leaving Cert after a year of secondary school. Ms Moroz had very little English when she arrived and said she found it difficult to pick up the language at first, but she still managed to pass her exams. She attended Colaiste Gleann Li in Tralee, where she studied art, maths, English, PE, construction, the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) and Russian. At times I had to use the dictionary to help me write, but overall I found the exams OK, she said. I was worried that I did not write properly in some of the exams, but it turned out OK in the end. I found some of the exams easier than my exams in Ukraine. She received the highest grade possible in her Russian ordinary level exam. Ms Moroz applied for courses in both art and music performance at Kerry College and is hopeful she will now get to further her studies in Ireland. Art was my favourite Leaving Cert subject and I did higher level in this and got a H4 grade, she said. Ms Moroz plans to celebrate with her family and friends this weekend by going out for a nice dinner. I was really nervous, but now I feel really happy, she said. However, it is also a bitter-sweet moment for the young Ukrainian woman. All my family is here, except my grandparents, who are still in Kherson. I wish they would move here and be safe, she said. Of 5,484 Ukrainian pupils in post-primary schools in this year, there were 146 in sixth year. Most, if not all, sat the Leaving Cert. Many teenagers approaching the end of their schooling when they arrived in Ireland chose to sit their domestic school-leaving exams remotely. Arrangements were made this year for about 650 to do that. With 1,117 Ukrainian pupils in fifth year in 2022/23, the numbers sitting the Leaving Cert next year are expected to be far higher than this year. Fionn Laffan said his secret was quality rather than quantity A student from Bray has gone and done the unthinkable by receiving 625 points in the Leaving Cert. Fionn Laffan, who attends Colaiste Raithin, amassed the staggering tally after getting the 25 bonus points awarded for the top grade in Higher Level Mathematics, together with H1s in his five other subjects, but the results, he said, haven't hit him yet. To put that in perspective, the average Leaving Cert points tally in Ireland is between 400 and 419 as of 2022, so for someone to achieve 625 seems almost uncanny. Some 58,056 students sat the Leaving Cert exams last year but only 5.5 per cent of those students scored above 600 points, and an even smaller number 1.9 per cent got the maximum score of 625 points. Fionn said that while he did work hard for the exams, his secret was quality rather than quantity when it came to approaching his studies. I worked for a couple of hours per day, which may not sound a lot, but it adds up over time, he said. Then leading up to it, I began putting in more hours. He did say he was a little shocked at his result in French, as he wasnt particularly confident about his linguistic abilities. Chemistry and Physics are more to his liking, and with his passion for those subjects he hopes to go to UCD to study Science. Regarding the pressure that falls on the shoulders of those taking the Leaving Cert exams each year, Fionn admitted he did feel it, although he brought quite a lot of it on himself and it didnt tend to come from others. Naturally, this intensified as the big day approached but his words of reassurance for those about to head into it all next year are that once the first exam was out of the way, the pressure lifted. It wasnt all plain sailing for Fionn, despite his acumen, as the teacher shortage which has hit schools up and down the country didnt spare his school, and it found itself down one chemistry teacher, the area that he had hoped to excel in. A teacher from Presentation College Bray provided some cover, and the school was able to get assistance from a third year university Physics student, who turned out to be brilliant at teaching chemistry. But Fionn said he still had to do the extra work on his own, something he also recommends next years Leaving Cert students to take on board. I had to take it in my own stride," he said. And it [teacher shortage] will probably be a problem this year, so you should try and branch out and go a bit further to a get a few steps ahead yourself, he advised. McCabe who was convicted of murder in 1990 was on day release when he disappeared A convicted murderer has gone on the run in Northern Ireland, police have said. The PSNI is on the hunt for Thomas McCabe, who is unlawfully at large. McCabe, who was sentenced to life for murder in 1990, was on day release from prison. He was due to return on August 23 but has failed to so do. Detective Inspector Bell said: He is described as around 5' 8" tall, of medium build with short grey coloured hair. He was last seen wearing a grey top, blue jeans and grey trainers. We believe he has connections to Dublin, Newry and Newtownabbey. "I would appeal to anyone who has seen Thomas McCabe, or who knows of his whereabouts, to contact us on 101. "I would also appeal directly to him directly to hand himself in. "Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous. BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's National Meteorological Center on Saturday issued a yellow alert for rainstorms as heavy downpours are expected to lash multiple regions of the country. From 8 a.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, heavy downpours and rainstorms are forecast to hit regions including Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hubei, Hunan, Henan, Hebei, Anhui and Shandong, according to the center. Some parts of these regions are forecast to experience heavy rainfall, with maximum hourly precipitation of over 60 millimeters, accompanied by thunderstorms and gales, the center said. Local governments have been urged to make appropriate preparations and fulfill their responsibilities accordingly. The center has also suggested the disconnection of dangerous outdoor power supply and the suspension of outdoor operations in open areas. China has a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. One of the owners of Whakaari / White Island says in an audio interview played in court that whether their company owed a duty to the victims of the eruption in 2019 was a "hard question to answer". Andrew, Peter and James Buttle along with their company Whakaari Management Limited (WML) are on trial for allegedly breaching health and safety rules in the lead-up to the eruption on December 9 2019 that killed 22 people. In an interview with WorkSafe from 2020 played in the Auckland District Court on Friday, WorkSafe inspector Christian Bell asked the brothers whether WML believed they owed a duty to the victims. Peter Buttle says that was difficult to answer. "It's an incredibly hard question to answer, because the scale of it was so horrific and it's had such a wide impact on the ... people who died and survivors and their families. "That it's, it's just, just unimaginable, and to know how to respond to that is just, it's just ... I don't know how to put it into words," he said. Peter added, "there is no way you can respond sensibly to the scale of that disaster". Andrew Buttle also says it was hard to answer. "I mean it's difficult with investigations, coroner investigation, WorkSafe investigation, and ... we're incredibly mindful of the tragedy and its effects. It's impacted us a lot in that regard," he said. In a statement from Peter Buttle read out by one of the prosecution's lawyers in court, he says they relied on GNS and other groups to monitor the risks. "We're not volcanic experts, and we have no ability to monitor the islands on a daily basis. That's why it really has to devolve to the operators and GNS and specialists, and the other people that have the responsibility for managing that risk in terms of working out what is safe and what isn't." He says what happened was a shock to everybody, but it was hard to foresee. "It's easy to look in hindsight, and I wish we knew, and I wish we had the ability to have a bit of foresight, because what happened was a terrible disaster," the statement read. In the statement, Peter Buttle says they believed they had put in place everything that they "could possibly put in place" to ensure the operators operated safely, and that they had confidence in the operators. Earlier in the trial, the court had heard that WML was earning about $1 million a year from charging tour operators an annual licensing fee, as well as a fee for each individual visiting the island. WorkSafe's prosecutor had argued that the Buttles and WML had failed to exercise due diligence and to invest some of their profits in addressing health and safety concerns - such as repairing the jetty, the only means of evacuation from the island. She also says WML was aware they could hire GNS Science to perform an assessment, but were unwilling to pay the fee. Meanwhile, WorkSafe called its last witness for the trial on Friday - the second person in charge of the Whakaari eruption investigation, investigations manager Casey Broad. Broad oversaw 23 WorkSafe inspectors who worked on the Whakaari investigation, and reported to WorkSafe national manager of investigations Hayden Mander. Under cross-examination, Broad was quizzed about an emergency response plan developed by Emergency Management Bay of Plenty (EMBOP) relating to Whakaari. Peter Buttle had said in his statement read out that the plan came out of a meeting they had in 2018 with GNS, police, and Bay of Plenty Tourism and EMBOP to discuss how to make it a safe tourism operation. The plan's latest version had been shared in September 2019, and had also been sent to two WorkSafe inspectors. When asked by defence lawyer James Cairney whether WorkSafe had considered turning the lens on itself when it comes to its role in risk management on Whakaari with respect to the response plan, Broad says no. However, Broad says he had considered an investigation of WorkSafe itself around its role in overseeing adventure tourism activities happening on the island. Broad saiys he had raised it with Mander, but did not know where Mander had taken it. "I had suggested to the officer in charge early in the investigation, once we started collating documents, that I believe that would've been a good idea to have an independent investigation running at the same time," he says. Broad says WorkSafe authorised a third-party to audit adventure tourism operators, and that once they passed the audit, operators would go on WorkSafe's register of PCBUs. Lucy Xia/RNZ Over half of NZ parents wont allow children to use AI for schoolwork. Over half or 51 per cent of New Zealand parents with school-aged children between 4 and 17 say they would not allow or trust their children to use AI to complete schoolwork. However, nearly 2 in 3 respondents (59 per cent) with children under 18 years of age say their children go online independently, for either fun or education. This could make it challenging for parents to monitor how their children are using the internet. Only 46 per cent trust school technology policies and online security measures. Nearly two-thirds of Kiwi parents worry children post things on social media that could impact them later in life. Furthermore, only 46 per cent of all respondents with children 17 years or under trust school technology policies and online security measures, while 36 per cent of parents with school-aged children believe schools are not doing enough to educate and protect children from online threats. Large language models like ChatGPT have captured the worlds attention in the past months for their impressive ability to craft short stories, write poems, and provide human-like answers to questions in seconds, have been presenting a new technology-related dilemma for parents in New Zealand. I wouldnt want my children to use AI tools to do their homework, because answers can come too easily, and I worry they wont learn to become independent thinkers,' says says Nerida Jantti, who is a digital content creator and professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. "But its almost impossible to prohibit them from taking the easy way out because to be fair, who wants to spend hours putting in the grind when a pretty good response is produced within seconds from the glut of AI tools? I think schools need to give both students and parents more guidance about how genAI should or shouldnt be used for school, and they also need to do more to teach kids about how to protect themselves from online threats. Apart from worries about how AI may be misused by children, parents are also concerned about other online risks, including: 50 per cent are worried their children are exposed to inappropriate content 44 per cent are worried they are being befriended by someone online who is trying to scam/manipulate their children (e.g., grooming) 43 per cent are worried about cyberbullying 31 per cent are worried about their children getting addicted to the internet/ social media Even though parents are concerned about online risks for their children, 69 per cent of respondents are confident they know enough about online safety to keep their families safe. This confidence is perhaps reflected in how Kiwi parents place a premium on privacy even whilst they share their childrens lives on social media. Of the 30 per cent of respondents with school-aged children who post photos of their kids, 58 per cent are careful about features in the picture that identify the school, and 70 per cent are careful about things in the picture that identify their children's home. 87 per cent of respondents who post photos of their children online use privacy settings, and 85 per cent of respondents who share photos of their children online have strict privacy settings on their social media accounts to ensure they share only within their network. Of the parents who have posted photos of their children online, 80 per cent of them do so on Facebook, 42 per cent on Instagram, and 13 per cent utilise Snapchat for that purpose. Its encouraging to see that Kiwi parents in general seem vigilant about what they post online about their children," says Norton APAC Managing Director Mark Gorrie. "Photos of kids online can attract the attention of predators who might use the information for malicious purposes, as they inadvertently reveal information about a child's location, routines, and daily activities. "Furthermore, once photos are posted online, parents lose control over how those images might be used, shared, or manipulated by others." Mark says parents nowadays also need to juggle the fine line between allowing children to explore the internet while protecting them from online threats. "For instance, 61 per cent of Kiwi parents worry that their children might share personal information that could lead to identity theft. Fortunately, Norton offers Norton Family, which provides parents with the insights they need to help keep their children safer and focused when online. Parents can see their childs search terms and viewed videos, monitor for age-appropriate content, set screen limits, and more. "This tool has become even more relevant as generative AI tools soar in popularity and children are being tempted to use them for school. To help parents keep their kids safe and from inappropriately relying on generative AI, Norton recommends parents to: Understand: Ask children about how they use their devices. Get involved and invested in their online activities to understand the unique risks they may be exposed to. An open dialogue about safe internet practices can help get kids into a better rhythm of sharing their online experiences openly, allowing parents to address challenges early on. Educate: Talk to your children about the most ubiquitous online threats such as cyberbullying, screen addiction, and grooming, and arm them with the ability to spot these risks. Help children understand the pros and cons of using AI tools for education or fun and have a go at some of these tools together. Curate: Curate a variety of AI tools that are suitable for your childrens age. Set boundaries about when they are encouraged or allowed to use those tools. Take charge: Install safeguards such as cybersecurity software on digital devices at home. Cyber safety plans such as Norton Family and Norton 360 Premium offer a range of features to help parents monitor their childrens Internet usage and help keep everyones data and devices safe. About the 2023 Norton Cyber Safety omnibus survey The research was conducted online in New Zealand by Dynata on behalf of Gen among 1,020 adults aged 18+, of which 345 are parents of children under 18. The survey was conducted from July 4 2023 to July 15 2023. Data are weighted where necessary by age, gender, and region to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. Norton is a leader in Cyber Safety, and part of Gen (NASDAQ: GEN), a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom with a family of trusted consumer brands. Norton empowers millions of individuals and families with award-winning protection for their devices, online privacy, and identity. Norton products and services are certified by independent testing organisations including AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs. Norton is a founding member of the Coalition Against Stalkerware. Learn more at www.norton.coma Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. 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. MANILA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Filipino protesters on Saturday gathered outside the Japanese embassy in capital Manila to condemn Japan's release of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. The protest came a few days after Japan started dumping the nuke wastewater on Thursday. The protesters, some clad in toxic gas masks, carried placards with English and Japanese slogans opposing Japan's action. "We can't allow other countries to treat our seas and abundant marine biodiversity as their sewer," said the small fishers national federation PAMALAKAYA and a few environment groups in a joint statement. "It is simply unacceptable to dump wastewater into the ocean without the consent of people in countries affected by the discharge," the protesters said. "As far as the Filipino fishers and champions of the environment are concerned, we are opposed to this move," they said, condemning the discharge as an "ill-conceived action." Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA national vice chair, vowed to continue to reach out to the international community and garner support to pressure Japan to suspend its wastewater discharge and seek alternative ways. Dear reader, The rollout of the legal cannabis market in New York State has been frustratingly slow for both consumers and stakeholders in the industry. A lawsuit filed earlier this month delivered the latest blow to the business, leaving everyone from farmers to license holders in limbo. Its a complex situation with many implications, so I asked Brad Racino, editor of Advance Media New Yorks Cannabis Insider publication, to break it down for our readers. Trish: What is the current lawsuit about? Brad: The current lawsuit challenges how New York State cannabis regulators are implementing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) the law Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed in 2021 that legalized adult-use cannabis. The MRTA prioritized restorative justice, minority- and women-owned businesses, distressed farmers, and service-disabled veterans in its licensing plan. And it mandated that applications for retail dispensary licenses be open to everyone at the same time. However, the Office of Cannabis Management the state agency created under the act last year opened up the first cannabis retail dispensary licenses only to justice-involved individuals. That meant people with marijuana convictions (or people who had immediate family members with marijuana convictions) who could also prove theyve run a profitable business for at least two years. This special license is called a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license, and to date, the OCM has issued 463 CAURD licenses, and there are now 17 brick-and-mortar dispensaries open for business under this program. The group of veterans who sued say the MRTA promised theyd be prioritized and that the CAURD program flies in the face of the states 2021 law (opening retail applications to everyone at the same time). A judge recently decided in the veterans favor by issuing an injunction that shut down the licensing program while the case moves forward. Trish: What does this injunction mean for the industry? Brad: Its not good. For the millions of cannabis consumers in the state, it means their options to buy legal, regulated marijuana will remain limited. Theyre much more likely to find and purchase products from unlicensed dispensaries which the state is trying desperately (and unsuccessfully) to eradicate, citing public safety and health concerns as well as lost tax revenues. For state regulators, the injunction is yet another misstep in a long line of missteps. Their last black eye came just a few months ago after they settled a separate lawsuit that sparked a similar injunction over the same licensing program. For the more than 700 state-licensed people and businesses in the industry, or those who have invested time, effort, and money toward this promised marketplace, the news is soul-crushing. There are hundreds of licensed cultivators who last fall were awarded a head start under Gov. Kathy Hochul to grow and harvest hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cannabis in anticipation of a thriving retail ecosystem. Today, the majority of their weed is now withering away, mostly because there are only 23 licensed stores though Hochul had promised more than 160 would be open by this point. There are 40 licensed processors. Many have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions, into the equipment and space necessary to process cannabis into consumable products like edibles, beverages and concentrates. With no retail, they also suffer. There are 15 licensed laboratories set up to test legal cannabis products for consumers. The slow roll-out has them fighting over customers never a good thing when it comes to how they incentivize. However, the biggest losers under this injunction are the more than 400 CAURD license holders whove managed to hang on during the states rocky rollout over the past year to only now see that their perseverance may, in the end, be rendered meaningless. These people have already endured so much, and now they feel helpless, lost and beyond stressed. Trish: Could the state begin approving general licenses and would help open up the market? Brad: It was always the plan to open general licensing next, but no one knew exactly when that would happen until this case, when the OCM disclosed that they plan to open up applications in October. But this injunction has so many ripple effects that were not yet sure whether that October date will be pushed back. Either way, it would definitely open up the market. But how the state then continues to prioritize social and economic equity applicants is a looming concern. Trish: What has been Gov. Hochuls response to this situation? Brad: Radio silence. Her office hasnt said a word about this rapidly deteriorating marketplace, and all the stakeholder calls for her office to step in have gone unanswered. Trish: In a letter from the CAURD Coalition, Jayson Tantalo says if this lawsuit is not resolved quickly, the entire cannabis industry in the state could collapse. Do you think thats an exaggeration? What are the real implications of this dragging out? Brad: To be honest, I think the industry has already collapsed. Thats not to say it cant somehow be built back up again, but the reality is that investors are fleeing New York State due to how poorly this rollout is going, farmers are growing desperate and considering leaving the industry, ancillary businesses such as law firms, consultancy groups, real estate agencies, etc. are struggling and taking on secondary clients, and medical cannabis companies are cutting staff and hours of operation. All the while, the states unlicensed/illicit retail industry is not only thriving but growing day by day, and each new unlicensed store that opens is yet another competitor for the licensed operators. The longer this rollout drags on, and the more delays that occur, the more small New York State businesses will suffer. And remember, these businesses are already at a severe disadvantage due to the inherent difficulties operating in the legal cannabis industry. It also means another failed promise by New York politicians, who not too long ago also promised a thriving hemp industry, only to watch that industry collapse and see farmers go broke. Trish: Anything else you think readers/consumers would be interested to know? Brad: This is a legal industry that is supposed to stand up thousands of businesses and employ tens of thousands of people. The OCM has a $62 million annual budget, funded by taxpayers, and there are potentially billions of dollars in tax revenue at stake here. So, Id urge everyone whether youre interested in the cannabis industry or not to pay attention and hold the government agencies and politicians involved accountable to their promises and their failures. If you have any tips or questions for Brad, you can reach him at: bracino@syracuse.com Oswego, N.Y. A 21-year-old man was killed when a motorcycle hit a tree in Oswego on Friday, deputies said. Zachary Moot, 23, of Mexico, was driving a 2007 Yamaha motorcycle at 11:17 p.m. on Chapel Road between State Route 104A and Hall Road, deputies said. The motorcycle left the road and hit a tree, deputies said. Join NY Cannabis Insider for our next full-day conference on Sept. 21 at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo. Tickets will sell out. Happy Saturday! Lets take a look at our weeks coverage. Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter Enter your email address to get exclusive reporting on NY's cannabis market delivered to your inbox: On Thursday, we released more information for our industry summit at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo on Sept. 21. Details and tickets are available here. The conference will host industry professionals for a day of learning, venting and problem-solving. The focus will be on the state of the industry from several key stakeholder perspectives, such as cultivators, processors, retailers, politicians, attorneys, and medical operators. On Friday, reporter Sean Teehan wrote about the latest hearing where Supreme Court Judge Kevin Bryant exempted at least 23 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary businesses from the injunction currently barring hundreds of conditionally licensed cannabis shops to open. Teehan continued reporting on the injunction with a story on the Finger Lakes, where the pause has been particularly difficult for business owners. Of the 17 CAURD licenses issued so far to businesses based in the Finger Lakes, only one made the list of dispensaries exempt from the injunction. Due to the uncertainty and fear across all sectors of the states cannabis industry, NY Cannabis Insider conducted an informal survey for a mental health check. The results from nearly 70 respondents show a notable decline in mental health. Amid this turmoil, reporter Wes Parnell wrote a story about whats going to happen to the Chicago Atlantic social equity fund. Chicago Atlantic confirmed to NY Cannabis Insider that they plan to continue investing in the states Social Equity Investment Fund. But, if the lawsuit drags on, Chicago Atlantic will be forced to slow down its investment or completely divest from the fund. If New Yorks cannabis industry continues to face these obstacles, marginalized communities will be among those most affected. Parnell also had a Q&A session with Dr. Torian Easterling, former chief equity officer at New York Citys Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, about the lack of access to medical cannabis in Black and brown communities and ways to address this healthcare disparity. The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association also published a guest column about alleged falsehoods made by the Cannabis Association of New York. The NYMCIA urges the Office of Cannabis Management to properly implement the MRTA to ensure a fair and balanced industry for all stakeholders by preventing any single entity from dominating the cannabis market. Wee also published two guest columns about how far these current challenges trickle throughout the industry. Jenny Argie, a licensed Adult-Use Cannabis Processor and co-founder of the Association of New York Cannabis Processors wrote, in her article: If these issues are not addressed, thousands of New Yorkers will lose their jobs, billions that would have been available to the state in tax revenue will dissipate, and untested cannabis will flow into illicit shops in every city, town, and village across our state. A legacy grower looking to go legal also shared his concerns about the states Cannabis Compliance Training and Mentorship program and how the slow rollout is affecting his plans to enter the market. He said during the interview and application process, participants were asked to completely unveil their identity and experience with illegal cultivation. But with a promise of becoming the next round of licensed cultivators and processors in the great state of NY, he said it seemed necessary. The program ended in late April, and the legacy grower said he still hasnt received a certificate of completion or any guidance as to what the next step is. Jeffrey Hoffman hosted another Ask me anything segment where he addressed the industrys most pressing questions, such as: Where are we with all the lawsuits in New York? Why is the veterans case in Ulster County? Can growers showcases happen while theres a lawsuit? On a much lighter note, we highlighted Markel Bababekov, owner of The Herbal Care THC, LLC, and Kellie Rivera, senior counsel at Columbia Care, in our People to Know and Women in Cannabis series. Thats all for this week! Stay dry, and well be back ready for more on Monday. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Justice Minister Amin-Hossein Rahimi said Iran has exchanged 1,531 prisoners with a number of countries since March 2022, the official news agency IRNA reported Saturday. Rahimi made the remarks in an interview with IRNA while elaborating on the government's efforts to expand legal and judicial cooperation with other countries. He said that, during the period, 298 Iranians imprisoned in other states have been released, and 1,233 foreigners held in Iran have been repatriated under agreements between Iran and their countries. The minister assured that the government is pursuing with seriousness the strategy of promoting judicial diplomacy by increasing judicial interactions and cooperation with other countries. Rahimi noted that Iran has ongoing interactions with Russia, Tajikistan, Iraq, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Syria to improve judicial cooperation with them. RahulNagaraj Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,742 Thanked: 17,491 Times Germany: New 4-cylinder electrified Mercedes-AMG C63 registers "close to zero" sales However, the carmaker seems to have missed the mark. Based on observations in its domestic market of Germany, the information provided by dealers shows that sales of the electrified AMG C63 are hovering "Close to Zero". Dealers though state that the reduced cylinder count isn't the only contributing factor to the low demand, it is also the noticeable difference in pricing between its competitors. The Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance starts with a price tag of $126,000. It directly rivals the BMW M3 Competition xDrive, which is a little over $16,000 cheaper, while featuring an in-line 6-cylinder unit. Also, while the M3 Competition is a full 168 BHP down on power compared to the electrified C63, the BMW is still said to offer superior value in terms of powertrain, pricing and quality. The new-gen C63 S E Performance with its PHEV setup is a lot heavier, tipping the scale at well over 2 tonnes, compared to the 1,690 kg of its predecessor. However, reports do suggest that part of the appeal of the old C63 was its V8's undeniably appealing sound. However, despite the low sales of the new AMG C63 S E Performance, Mercedes-Benz has rubbished Source: Link to Team-BHP news The new-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance created quite a buzz during its global unveil when the carmaker replaced its twin-turbo V8 engine with a 4-cylinder PHEV powertrain. The German car brand expected the higher power output and the advanced tech on offer would be sufficient for its potential buyers to look past the engine downsizing.However, the carmaker seems to have missed the mark. Based on observations in its domestic market of Germany, the information provided by dealers shows that sales of the electrified AMG C63 are hovering "Close to Zero". Dealers though state that the reduced cylinder count isn't the only contributing factor to the low demand, it is also the noticeable difference in pricing between its competitors.The Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance starts with a price tag of $126,000. It directly rivals the BMW M3 Competition xDrive, which is a little over $16,000 cheaper, while featuring an in-line 6-cylinder unit. Also, while the M3 Competition is a full 168 BHP down on power compared to the electrified C63, the BMW is still said to offer superior value in terms of powertrain, pricing and quality.The new-gen C63 S E Performance with its PHEV setup is a lot heavier, tipping the scale at well over 2 tonnes, compared to the 1,690 kg of its predecessor. However, reports do suggest that part of the appeal of the old C63 was its V8's undeniably appealing sound.However, despite the low sales of the new AMG C63 S E Performance, Mercedes-Benz has rubbished previous rumours of bringing back the V8s, stating it will stick to the 4-cylinder PHEV powertrain.Source: CarScoops Last edited by RahulNagaraj : 25th August 2023 at 16:33 . RAMALLAH/GAZA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Friday strongly condemned Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's "racist statements." The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a press statement that it condemned in the strongest terms "the racist statements and stances of Ben-Gvir." In an interview with Israel's N12 News on Wednesday, Ben-Gvir said the right to life and movement for him and his family trumped the right to movement for Palestinian Arabs in the occupied West Bank. "Such statements are considered as an incitement to perpetuate the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, deepen settlements, and impose more forms of injustice against the Palestinians," the ministry statement added. "Ben-Gvir's remarks summarize the current situation and the daily life of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as the unjust siege on our people in the Gaza Strip," it noted, adding "the Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank have turned the life of the Palestinians into a continuous daily journey of torment." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and various other Palestinian factions have condemned Ben-Gvir's remarks. The Palestinian factions called on the international community to "translate its condemnations into practical measures to hold the occupation leaders and settlers accountable for their crimes." Contact lenses have played a pivotal role in rectifying vision impairments for years. Fortunately, researchers from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore have ingeniously crafted an ultra-thin battery for smart contact lenses that can be charged with tears. It measures just a micrometer in thickness or as thin as a human cornea. (Photo : Nanyang Technological University Singapore) The batterys development was led by Associate Professor Lee Seok Woo from NTUs School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE). Tear-Powered Smart Contact Lenses in Singapore As technology continues to advance, several companies are underway to craft enhanced iterations that can seamlessly interface with devices such as smartphones and offer wearers the luxury of receiving information in close proximity to their eyes. However, these ambitious applications require the lenses to have an internal battery. In a groundbreaking feat, NTU scientists in Singapore have pioneered a micrometer-thin battery with extraordinary capability to charge smart contact lenses with tears, according to Interesting Engineering. Made of biocompatible materials and without any wires or toxic heavy metals, the battery also has a glucose-based coating. This innovative coating possesses the remarkable ability to interact with sodium and chloride ions present in the water enclosed within the battery. This interaction functions as an intricate circuitry system, facilitating electricity generation. With a thickness smaller than a millimeter, the battery's ultra-slim design raises questions about its energy storage capacity and lifespan. To put their invention to the test, the research team headed by Lee Seok Woo, an assistant professor at NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), worked with a simulated eye model. The outcomes of their experiments unveiled the battery's remarkable potential, generating a current of 45 microamperes and delivering a maximum power output of 201 microwatts. This power level is sufficient to sustain the device's operation for most of the day. Adding to the innovative aspect of the technology, the concept of utilizing tears for recharging comes into play. Immersed within a simulated tear solution, the battery exhibits an extended rate of an additional hour for every 12 hours of use. While not using it, the battery can be submerged in a concentrated saline solution enriched with elevated levels of glucose, potassium, and sodium ions. This unique preservation method transforms the solution into a potent charging reservoir, ensuring the battery remains primed for action. A conventional external power supply can also charge the battery, which can undergo around 200 charge-discharge cycles. Read Also: First Soft Smart Contact Lens to Arrive! InWith Claims it Helps Farsighted People How Safe Is It? New Atlas reported that what makes it more intriguing is that the tears, which inherently contain sodium and chloride ions, could practically serve as a natural charging mechanism for the lenses while the user wears them. In a statement, Woo said: "Previous techniques for lens batteries were not perfect as one side of the battery electrode was charged and the other was not. Our approach can charge both electrodes of a battery through a unique combination of enzymatic reaction and self-reduction reaction." "Besides the charging mechanism, it relies on just glucose and water to generate electricity, both of which are safe to humans and would be less harmful to the environment when disposed, compared to conventional batteries," he added. Related Article: Scientists Create Smart Contact Lens With 3D Printer 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. One of Apple's earliest personal computers, the Apple-1, which was signed by the company's co-founder Steve Wozniak, has successfully fetched over $223,000 at an auction. According to the Associated Press, Boston-based RR Auction conducted the auction, and the Apple-1 was presented in a fully operational state, complete with a custom case featuring a built-in keyboard. The sale marked the closure of the auction on Thursday. Apple-1 Computer Created in Steve Jobs' Garage Originally crafted in the confines of Steve Jobs' garage in Los Altos, California, between 1976 and 1977, approximately 200 units of the Apple-1 were manufactured. This innovative creation played a pivotal role in the company's inception. And Apple, having recently attained a remarkable market valuation of $3 trillion in June, stands as the first publicly traded entity to achieve such a financial milestone. Initially offered for sale at $666, the Apple-1 was projected to fetch around $200,000, as estimated by RR Auction. This particular Apple-1 unit bore the signature "Woz," a testament to its connection with Steve Wozniak. Wozniak himself affixed the signature during an event hosted by Bryant University in 2017. The computer changed hands in 1980 when it was sold at a computer enthusiast gathering in Framingham, Massachusetts. Throughout the 1980s, it remained in active use. Earlier this year, Apple expert Corey Cohen undertook the task of restoring it to a functional state. According to RR Auction, the proud new owner of this piece of technological history wishes to remain anonymous. Read Also: Apple Vision Pro Developer Interest Falls Below Company Expectations with Underfilled VisionOS Labs Sessions Handwritten Ad for Apple-1 Computer The auction also witnessed the sale of an original handwritten advertisement for the Apple-1 computer, authored by Steve Jobs. This piece fetched a noteworthy price of almost $176,000. Additionally, Apple enthusiasts acquired Apple company check No. 2, dated March 19, 1976, and signed by both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak for more than $135,000. In related news, Apple recently issued a cautionary advisory, urging iPhone users to avoid sleeping while their devices are charging. The warning stems from the potential heat generated during the charging process, raising the risk of discomfort or even harm if prolonged contact occurs between the device, charging cables, chargers, and the user's skin. Apple's latest iPhone user manual underscores the importance of exercising prudence and steering clear of scenarios where the charging device or power adapter remains in continuous contact with the skin. The caution extends to situations such as placing iPhones under pillows, blankets, or even beneath the user's body while charging. "Use common sense to avoid situations where your skin is in contact with a device or power adapter while it is running or connected to a power outlet for a long time," Apple's manual advises. Given the composition of iPhones incorporating metal, glass, and plastic alongside delicate electronic components, the company underscores the significance of responsible handling to avert potential damage, overheating, or injuries resulting from misuse or accidents. Related Article: Apple Q3 Report: Tim Cook Reveals Generative AI Projects Under Development for Years-Is It Coming? 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has released a comprehensive report shedding light on the potential implications of incorporating generative AI systems within the financial sector. According to BTC Peers, the study, which acknowledges the advantages of this technology, underlines the necessity for financial institutions to exercise prudence and conduct thorough risk assessments prior to widespread implementation. International Monetary Fund on Generative AI in the Financial Sector Generative AI encompasses systems such as ChatGPT that can create new content in various forms, including text, images, and audio. The IMF report highlights the possible efficiency gains and enhanced customer experience that generative AI could bring to financial services. However, the report cautions against overlooking the significant risks associated with data privacy, bias, accuracy, cybersecurity, and financial stability. The prominence of ChatGPT has propelled interest in employing generative AI across sectors. Prominent financial institutions such as Capital One, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs are involved in using these technologies. The IMF's analysis anticipates the rapid adoption of generative AI in finance for tasks such as automated document processing, analytics, customer chatbots, and product development. Nevertheless, it emphasizes the evolving nature of the technology and the need for careful consideration. The report outlines several critical financial sector risks that demand attention, such as data privacy, embedded bias, accuracy, explainability, and cybersecurity. "GenAI will accelerate AI adoption in the financial sector. Competitive pressures have fueled rapid adoption of AI/ML in the financial sector in recent years by facilitating gains in efficiency and cost savings, reshaping client interfaces, enhancing forecasting accuracy, and improving risk management and compliance," the report reads. "GenAI could also deliver to cybersecurity benefits ranging from implementing predictive models for faster threat detection to improved incident response," it added. The IMF study also discusses the potential emergence of systemic risks within the financial sector due to the widespread adoption of generative AI. These risks include overreliance on AI-generated reports during market fluctuations, the rapid spread of inaccurate content throughout the system, and the amplification of market maneuvers by AI. Read Also: Germany Ramps Up AI Research Funding to Match China, US IMF Offers Recommendations In light of these insights, the report offers recommendations to financial institutions: 1. Conduct thorough pilot testing and risk assessment before rolling out generative AI systems. 2. Ensure human oversight and accountability for all AI-informed decisions. 3. Engage with regulatory guidance to ensure compliance with use cases. 4. Enforce the limitations on the deployment of generative AI to non-sensitive areas until risks are better understood. The IMF predicts the evolution of regulatory standards over time to guide the use of generative AI. Regulators are also encouraged to enhance their oversight capabilities and foster cautious industry adoption. The report offers a well-rounded perspective on the possible advantages and drawbacks of incorporating generative AI into the financial sector. While the potential of the technology is promising, the report of the International Monetary Fund underscores the essential requirement for a vigilant and controlled strategy to prevent potential adverse outcomes. The recommendation for financial institutions is to work closely with regulatory bodies, ensuring that the implementation of generative AI aligns with industry stability and equity. Related Article: How AI Helped a Paralyzed Woman Speak Again 18 Years After a Stroke 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. On August 24, Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean - in a pivotal decision fraught with global implications. The release has raised concerns among neighboring nations, particularly China, which immediately imposed a sweeping ban on all aquatic products from Japan. However, amidst the unease, recent tests in waters near the plant have shown encouraging results, easing some apprehensions. What Happened to Japan's Fukushima Plant? The Fukushima Daiichi plant's catastrophic destruction in 2011 following an earthquake and tsunami triggered reactor meltdowns, leaving behind a colossal challenge: managing the accumulation of contaminated water. Over 350 million gallons of this radioactive water are currently stored in tanks on-site, a capacity that is nearing its limit. To address this issue, Japan decided to gradually release the treated water, a decision that garnered international attention and triggered mixed reactions. Read Also: Singapore Scientists Develop Ultra-Thin Battery for Smart Contact Lenses That Can Be Charged With Human Tears Radiation Concerns Central to the concern is the presence of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that is notoriously difficult to separate from water molecules. While Japan's Advanced Liquid Processing System (ALPS) effectively removes many other radioactive contaminants, tritium remains a unique challenge. Despite its weak radioactivity and relatively quick decay, concerns arise due to the compound's ubiquity in water. The Japanese government, backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), insists that the release poses minimal risk. They plan to dilute the tritium-laden water with seawater, significantly reducing tritium concentrations. Further, the water will be funneled through a tunnel beneath the seafloor to a point off the Fukushima coast, ensuring further dispersion. This slow and cautious approach is estimated to take decades to fully implement. Rigorous Testing The scientific community's stance on the safety of the release is varied. Experts argue that the tritium levels are far below thresholds that would trigger health effects. On the other hand, concerns have been raised by activists that non-tritium contaminants, missed by ALPS, could accumulate over time, potentially impacting marine life and fisheries near the shore. The economic stakes are high, as China and Hong Kong were major importers of Japanese seafood. The ban on aquatic products from Japan has raised concerns about the livelihoods of fishing communities already grappling with reputational damage from radiation fears. However, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida defends the decision, emphasizing its scientific basis and the thorough review it underwent. The IAEA's endorsement has provided further validation. In this landscape of competing concerns, the waters around the Fukushima plant have been subject to rigorous testing. The Straits Times reported that the Japanese fisheries agency noted that fish tested in these waters did not exhibit detectable levels of tritium. Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), the plant's operator, has indicated that seawater near the plant contains less tritium than self-imposed and international safety limits. These results are a promising development, potentially assuaging concerns about immediate environmental impact. The agency intends to announce test results daily. The release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima continues to be a polarizing topic, igniting debates on the intersection of science, safety, economics, and environmental preservation. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Japan Will Release Fukushima Cooling Water This Thursday, China Complaining 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. JINAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- An underwater archaeological investigation project has recently been launched at the site of the sunken warship Laiyuan, which fought in the First Sino-Japanese War as an armored cruiser of the Beiyang Fleet of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), according to the provincial underwater archaeological research center of Shandong. This investigation, using sand-extraction excavation techniques, aims to provide initial insights into the preservation condition of the warship, thus offering archaeological materials for the study of the history of the First Sino-Japanese War, commonly known in China as the Jiawu War, as well as for global naval history. The war started on July 25, 1894, when Japanese warships attacked two Chinese vessels off the Korean port of Asan. Its ending was marked by the signing of The Shimonoseki Treaty, which ceded the Liaodong Peninsula in northeast China, Taiwan, and the nearby Penghu Islands to Japan in April 1895. Laiyuan was completed in 1887 and joined the Beiyang Fleet in December of the same year. In February 1895, the ship was ambushed by Japanese torpedo boats in Weihai Bay, causing it to capsize and sink in the waters south of the Liu Gong Island stone pier. All 30 people on board perished in the incident. According to Gao Mingkui, director of the research center, about 300 square meters of seabed will be cleared to confirm the existence of the warship's body and assess its preservation condition within the sediment. Representative artifacts will be collected to identify the ship, and the researchers will comprehensively evaluate its historical significance. The project will last 60 days. It is a collaborative effort involving several archaeological research centers, historical museums, underwater archaeologists from Shandong and Guangdong provinces, and personnel from the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau. 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 We test the Dyson Gen5 Detect: it vacuums up to what you can't see "Everything Happens Without Our Participation": Russian Scientists Come Closer to Unraveling the Processes of the Origin of Life on Earth How to meet the "thirst for knowledge" of the new silver-haired people in the university for the elderly? Obesity: everything you need to know about Mounjaro, Lilly's star drug Why is it so difficult to return ten minutes between classes to the child? Murder of a doctor in a house Audio playback of the whole case in court Treasures of Haimao return to their homeland in Longquan, Zhejiang Province to open a cross-time and space "dialogue" with porcelain as a medium Famous artists and troupes take turns to appear in Shanghai, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the charm of diverse arts The Metropolitano is already roaring and winning like the Calderon, 14 wins in a row and Simeone's record: "The scenario scared us" The forging of King Jude and Mark and Denise's "seriousness": "Their success is that of the Bellingham family" The second round of the group stage of the Olympic preliminaries: the prospects for the Chinese women's football team to qualify are mixed Sumo Kyushu Location New Entry Minoumi "I want to do my best as a sumo wrestler" The 2023 FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and China Rally Championship came to an end, and Xu Jun won the double championship Marseille-Lyon: a look back at another nightmarish evening for the image of French football Professional Baseball Sawamura Award Orix Yoshinobu Yamamoto for the third consecutive year is the first in the Pacific League Eriksen's incident is repeated in the Eredivisie. Striker Dost falls unconscious and the referee cancels the match Growth: why the French economy will slow down in the third quarter Economic downturn: It's not just inflation and higher interest rates that are weighing on the economy Ping An's performance in the first three quarters showed resilience, and the new life insurance business grew rapidly Food inflation in France is approaching 10%: is this the reality in supermarkets? The official opening of Huilong Expressway promotes the deep integration of northern Huizhou into the Greater Bay Area COMAC's first batch of two ARJ2 passenger-to-freighter aircraft was delivered and will soon be put into air cargo In the first three quarters, the operating income of China's cultural enterprises above designated size exceeded 9 trillion yuan COMAC's first batch of 2 ARJ21 passenger-to-freighter aircraft will be delivered to users and will soon be put into air cargo Pashinyan: signing of agreement with Baku is possible on the basis of agreed principles The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China introduced the facilitation of personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries: it will continue to optimize the visa policy The procuratorial organs decided to arrest Song Shucai, Lai Zehua, He Kaichang, and Jiang Hongge respectively in accordance with the law Halloween candy prices in the United States continue to rise, and people complain: the price is ridiculously high! The trial of seven people for involvement in the Emporia murder has now begun Israel: Students at Tel Aviv's Franco-Israeli high school adapt their schooling to the rhythm of the conflict What are the scenarios of the prisoner exchange deal between the resistance and Israel? Two Chinese scholars were selected as the United Nations' "High-level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence" The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded Inclusive writing: what are the issues at stake in the bill that aims to ban it? "Contribution to saving lives": what will be the new means of armor protection for NWO fighters 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 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. DAMASCUS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Eleven Syrian military personnel were killed, and 20 others were injured on Saturday in a rebel attack in the country's northwestern province of Idlib, a war monitor reported. The attackers carried out an assault and detonated explosive devices concealed in tunnels beneath Syrian army positions in the southern countryside of Idlib, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The observatory said the attackers are from factions including the Ansar al-Tawhid group and the Turkestan Islamic Movement, both affiliates of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group. Tension has been brewing between the HTS and the Syrian army, with both sides exchanging fire in northern Syria. A day earlier, seven HTS members were killed by the army forces in the western countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria, according to the observatory. On Monday, Syrian forces intercepted and shot down three weaponized drones dispatched by the HTS in the northwestern provinces of Idlib and Hama, according to the state news agency SANA. On the same day, Russian airstrikes conducted in the Idlib region killed eight HTS militants, according to the observatory. HTS, previously known as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, has established control over a large swathe of Idlib. ADEN, Yemen, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least three Yemeni people, including two children, were killed in an artillery attack carried out by Houthi militia in the country's southwestern province of Taiz on Saturday, a government official told Xinhua. "The Houthis randomly fired shells and targeted the residential village of Ghousha situated to the west of Taiz province, killing three people, including two children," the local government official said on condition of anonymity. He clarified that the Houthi shelling attack left 15 other people injured, predominantly women and children. The Houthi group, which controlled large swathes of northern Yemen, has not commented on the incident. The province of Taiz has long been a battleground between military units loyal to Yemen's government and the Houthi rebels. The recent shelling incident in Taiz adds to the ongoing sporadic fighting between the Yemeni government forces and Houthis across various regions of the war-torn Arab country. The Yemeni government and Houthi group have engaged in multiple rounds of negotiations, but a comprehensive resolution to the years-long conflict remains elusive. Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. There are two unavoidably dodgy assumptions in every Intergenerational Report, regardless of the policy ambition of the treasurer of the day, or the party they serve. The first is that the tax system will remain unchanged for the next 40 years. The second is that the world we are living in will suddenly be free of shocks. The Treasury Department understands that both assumptions defy logic. Every government fiddles with the revenue side of the budget, even the risk-averse ones. And shocks are an inevitable part of the economic cycle in both directions. History tells us that we get a big one at least once a decade, and recent experience suggests we should start preparing for rolling shocks from the three Cs of climate change, coronaviruses and China. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: Obviously Treasury, and the Albanese government, are thinking about these very things. But the Intergenerational Report was not designed to predict the direction of tax reform, or forecast the next recession, or resources boom, or global financial crisis, or pandemic, or war. The document would lose its credibility if it attempted that degree of future-gazing. But assumptions of a static tax policy and a benign regional and global order have affected the way the political class has received each IGR since Peter Costello launched his noble venture in 2002. The message that we should prepare for the future has been easily lost without a plausible catastrophic scenario or even a coming opportunity to galvanise the debate. Chen Mingjian, Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, speaks at an international symposium to mark the 10th anniversary of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua) DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has provided a solid platform for international cooperation, said speakers at an international symposium held in Tanzania's commercial hub of Dar es Salaam. The symposium, with the theme of "China-Africa Vision: Towards a Sustainable Future," was held Friday to mark the 10th anniversary of the BRI, proposed by China in 2013 with a view to promoting policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration, and people-to-people bonds among all countries in the world. Mussa Azzan Zungu, the deputy speaker of Tanzania's National Assembly, said the BRI has been another milestone in the China-Africa partnership that complements the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). "This initiative has attracted many African members of the FOCAC, where they have joined the Belt and Road Initiative family. This has indeed injected strong motivation into the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership," Zungu told the symposium, which was organized by the Chinese embassy in Tanzania in collaboration with China Global Television Network (CGTN) and the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation. He said the BRI presents an opportunity for East African nations to acquire financing and material support for infrastructure projects. "It is clear that, while many infrastructure projects have been implemented, the region still has inadequate railways, roads and energy pipelines, to name just a few," said Zungu. Deng Li, vice minister of foreign affairs of China, said in a video address to the symposium that during the last 10 years, the BRI has grown in influence, scale and participation. "It has become a popular global public good and a platform for international cooperation involving more than three-quarters of countries in the world and over 30 international organizations," Deng said, adding that China has signed BRI cooperation documents with 52 African countries and the African Union Commission in active support of the African Continental Free Trade Area. Deng said China and Africa will work together to promote the peaceful development of Africa, move toward modernization and press ahead hand-in-hand in building a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era. Chen Mingjian, the Chinese ambassador to Tanzania, said that over the past decade, the BRI has evolved from idea to practice, from blueprint to reality, and provided a solid platform for international cooperation. She stressed that the BRI has brought important development opportunities to African countries and built a new bridge for the China-Tanzania friendship. "In the past 10 years, Belt and Road cooperation has mobilized nearly 1 trillion U.S. dollars of investment worldwide, established more than 3,000 cooperation projects, and created 420,000 jobs for participating countries, lifting nearly 40 million people out of poverty," Chen said. Joseph Butiku, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, said China and Africa share a common vision and a common destiny. "In the course of implementing the BRI, China and Africa have to move together, using the available resources for the development of humankind," Butiku said, calling for the promotion of peace, unity and people-centered development. Mussa Azzan Zungu, deputy speaker of Tanzania's National Assembly, speaks at an international symposium to mark the 10th anniversary of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Aug. 25, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua) She doesnt give up tonight, Nicole Werner is the comeback kid. My friends, I know a thing or two about comebacks, Pesutto said. The Liberal leader said Victorians were sick of cost-of-living pressures, taxes, incompetence, and integrity scandals. The people of Warrandyte have been the voice of all Victorians tonight, he said. They have said loudly, enough is enough. After consecutive poor showings at state and federal polls and rumblings within the state parliamentary team, deputy Liberal leader David Southwick declared a new dawn has risen for the Victorian Liberal Party. Party faithful were enjoying party pies, prawns, sushi and egg salad sandwiches at the Ringwood Bowls Club as they awaited Werner and Pesuttos arrival. Scrutineers from booths were also reporting primary votes above 50 per cent early in the count, with Liberals viewing the early resounding results as better than expected. State Liberals Georgie Crozier, David Southwick, Brad Rowswell, Matt Bach, Ann-Marie Hermans, Wendy Lovell and Renee Heath were in attendance at the party event in Ringwood after a long campaign. Senators James Paterson and Jane Hume, federal MP for Menzies Keith Wolahan, as well as Senate hopeful and outgoing state president Greg Mirabella, joined in the festivities. Phil Davis, a possible contender to replace Mirabella, was also in attendance. Pesutto said earlier in the day that the Liberal Party had fought for every vote in its aim of retaining the seat of Warrandyte. The byelection had been framed as a test for Pesutto, but Labors decision not to field a candidate cleared the path for Werner. Werner succeeds former Liberal member Ryan Smith. Werner succeeds Liberal MP Ryan Smith, who announced his resignation six months after he was re-elected at the November general election with a 4.3 per cent margin. Smith, who spent 16 years in parliament, attracted a strong 47.3 per cent primary vote. At Ringwood North Primary School voting centre on Saturday morning, Pesutto said the campaign had been tough, with 12 candidates in the running. Nicole has worked so hard. Shes knocked on doors, shes phone-canvassed, shes held listening posts, shes connected with the community she grew up in, Pesutto said. The electorate, which has been held by the Liberals since 1988, takes in the suburbs of Warrandyte, North Warrandyte, Wonga Park, Warranwood, Warrandyte South, Parkwood, Ringwood North, Donvale and parts of Doncaster East and Chirnside Park. Voters arrive at a polling booth for the Warrandyte byelection. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Werner, 32, grew up in the nearby suburb of Blackburn North. No seat is safe in politics these days. I think weve learnt that in recent federal and state elections, you have to fight for every single vote, Pesutto said. Weve taken nothing for granted in this byelection. Lightbody contested the seat for the Greens and was the major challenger to the Liberals in the absence of a Labor candidate. Greens candidate for Warrandyte Tomas Lightbody seen with the partys Victorian leader Samantha Ratnam at East Doncaster Secondary College. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui Lightbody, 25 years old and a City of Manningham councillor, nominated the cost of living as the key issue governments must address, as the minor party pushes nationally for the introduction of a rent freeze. Pesutto also identified the cost of living and state taxes as key community concerns. Werner will become the first female MP from an Asian background to represent the Liberal Party in state parliament. Loading The former youth pastor, charity worker and Liberal staffer won preselection in a hard-fought race in June against eight rivals. Paterson, the Victorian senator, said on Saturday that Werner and her family represented a great Australian story. Nicole represents generational change and renewal in the Victorian state parliamentary party, a process that was well underway at the last state election, which continues, and represents a very bright future here in Victoria for our party. Frustrated by COVID-19 lockdowns, Werner joined the Liberal Party in 2020. She says she is not aligned to a faction, but has been linked to the religious right given she spent time as a youth pastor with Christian Pentecostal megachurch Planetshakers. She previously contested the seat of Box Hill at the November state election, but suffered an 8.9 per cent drop in the primary vote and failed to take the seat. Pesutto with Werner in June. Credit: AAP Smith announced in May he would quit state parliament, citing a growing negative tone of politics. The byelection was triggered when he formally stood down in July. Almost 20,000 people about 40 per cent of the nearly 51,000 enrolled voters cast early ballots. When John and Margaret Joughin sold their Macedon Ranges home last year, they made an unusual choice. The couple decided to advertise the reserve price for 370 Lancefield-Tooborac Road, Lancefield, so buyers knew what they would need to pay before they turned up to the auction. John and Margaret Joughin advertised the reserve of their Lancefield home to make the sale fairer for buyers. Credit: Simon Schluter More transparent reserve pricing is a possible solution for the problem of underquoting across Victorian real estate, that has long been an issue for buyers and vendors. We owned that property for 11 years, but about 12 or 13 years ago we were looking for properties in the country and I got sick of going to auctions that gave the impression they would sell for $1 million, when they actually sold for $2 million, John Joughin said. It was such a waste of time and a long way to travel for nothing. JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China-Africa ties have been reinvigorated with a milestone dialogue event co-chaired on Thursday by the BRICS member countries of China and South Africa, which were also attending the 15th BRICS Summit here this week. At the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue on Thursday, China unveiled a host of new initiatives and plans to help the continent with economic integration and modernization, rolling out a heartening picture for the future of the Global South. Such measures as the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, the Plan for China Supporting Africa's Agricultural Modernization, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development are on track to assist Africa in transforming the manufacturing sector, delivering food self-sufficiency and training high-caliber talents. The latest pledge from China reaffirms the country's long-term commitment to promoting stability, development and prosperity of the continent and the wellbeing of the African people. The industrial initiative stressed that through the nine programs under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, as well as cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, China will channel more resources of assistance, investment and financing amid a push for industrialization. The agricultural plan indicated that China will help Africa expand grain plantation and encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa. It aims to help Africa achieve food self-sufficiency and independent sustainable development, promote food production in Africa, effectively boost Africa's ability to safeguard its food security, and help it reach related goals in agricultural modernization. And the talent plan seeks to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges every year, and 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa. All these efforts speak volumes for China's Africa policy with the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, of which China has remained a practitioner over the past 10 years. Booming bilateral economic and trade cooperation also underpins the enduring China-Africa relations that have weathered the vicissitudes of time. China has remained Africa's largest trading partner over the past decade and the largest export destination for Africa. Official data show that bilateral trade grew 11 percent to 282 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. The bilateral trade ties continue to enjoy steady growth despite an unbalanced world economic recovery and a sluggish global business environment. Latest data from China's customs authority showed that trade between China and Africa rose 7.4 percent year-on-year to 1.14 trillion yuan (about 158.36 billion dollars) in the first seven months of this year. Looking ahead, China will work with Africa to enhance the synergy of their development strategies, and will continue to support Africa in speaking with one voice on international affairs to keep improving its international standing. As was pledged, China will also work actively at the G20 summit next month to support the African Union to gain full membership in the group, and supports making special arrangements on UN Security Council reform to meet Africa's aspiration as a priority. The two sides also share a keen aspiration for self-strengthening. China is pursuing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, while Africa is making all-out efforts to build a new Africa that enjoys peace, unity, prosperity and strength. Notably, this 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg was themed on "BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development and Inclusive Multilateralism." China and this year's host country South Africa, both key members of the group, are expected to play pioneering roles to help amplify the voice of the Global South for more balanced development. ANTANANARIVO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed and 80 others injured on Friday afternoon in a stampede at the entrance to the Barea stadium in the Madagascan capital Antananarivo, prior to the opening ceremony of the 11th Indian Ocean Games, the government said. HARARE, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Two foreign observer missions on Friday released their preliminary statements on Zimbabwe's recently-held election, both describing it as generally calm yet flawed. "Election Day proceeded in an atmosphere of relative peace and calm, and we observed that the turnout of many voters, especially women and youth, is testimony to the desire of all Zimbabweans to make their voices heard and contribute to the country's ongoing democratic consolidation," said Chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group Amina Mohamed, a 14-member election observer mission of the Commonwealth of Nations that arrived in Zimbabwe on Aug. 18. "We sensed a strong feeling of excitement among all the people we interacted with," she said. Still, she raised concerns about the challenges of preparedness by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the significant increase in nomination fees for candidates, and the limited number of female candidates in the election. Meanwhile, Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission Fabio Massimo Castaldo said, "on election day, despite the overall calm environment, voter frustration was evident in some places due to long waits caused by extensive delays in the opening of numerous polling stations." "While the election day was peaceful, the electoral process fell short of many regional and international standards, including equality, universality, and transparency," said Castaldo, whose mission, including some 150 observers, arrived in Zimbabwe on July 8. Earlier on Friday, the African Union and other regional bodies also issued separate preliminary statements, calling the election "peaceful." Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday to choose a president, new members of parliament and representatives of local governments. Voting was extended to Thursday in some parts of the country due to logistical challenges. BRICS PLUS THE move of BRICS grouping -- comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa -- expanding its membership and admitting six countries namely Argentina, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates is a significant development. Not only does it mark the consolidation of the global south but also offers a pointer of how the world order is getting reshaped with such consolidation. For Russia, whose President Mr. Vladimir Putin did not attend the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in South Africa, such an expansion offers an opportunity to fight the Western sanctions. For China, inclusion of Iran is consolidation of its anti-US stand. However, in case of Russia and China, support for respective stand is more important than global good. In contrast, for India, such an expansion is a step in right direction towards highlighting the multipolarity of the world. India has been championing the cause of global south, with an understanding of emerging multipolar world, and firm faith in principles of representation to all for co-operation in global interest. The impact of BRICS Plus on the global order will take some time to become visible. But, as of now, a good beginning has been made. MASTER ARRIVES THE loss does not count much. It is only for the sake of academics. The story of R Praggnanandhaa jumps way above the statistics that came out of the FIDE Chess World Cup final. He emerged second-best to eventual champion Magnus Carlsen but in the runners-up finish, the young Indian Grandmaster has marked his run-up for future glory. It will be just a matter of time when the prodigy takes his coveted place in the world of 64 squares where many Indians are also marking their move. For Pragg, the great achievement of taking some big scalps before holding Carlsen in a thinking space might take some time to sink in but the world has already noticed the emergence of a new champion in the making. With Pragg, Indian chess, too, has sounded its arrival on the biggest stage. From Viswanathan Anand to R Praggnanandhaa, the game of wits has completed a brilliant spectrum from which many more colourful champions will soon emerge. India must back the prodigy now with its full might, like it did during Anands time. The kid needs his own space and the chess fraternity should take care of the talent by allowing it to blossom. Let him make the biggest moves. Centre refutes Chinas claim of Modi-Xi meeting taking place at Indias initiative NEW DELHI : THE Centre on Friday refuted Chinas claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg happened at New Delhis request, saying that there was a pending request from Chinas side for a bilateral meeting. A pending request for a bilateral meeting was there from the Chinese side, Government sources said. They further added that both the leaders, however, had an informal conversation at the Leaders Lounge during the BRICS Summit at Johannesburg. A Chinese Foreign Ministry press statement issued earlier in the day said, President Xi Jinping talked with Indian PM Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latters request on August 23, 2023. The two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest. President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves the common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region. The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region, it added further. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra while addressing the media in Johannesburg on Thursday had said that both Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Jinping agreed to direct relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation. The PM underlined that maintenance of peace, tranquillity in the border areas and respecting LAC are essential for normalisation of India-China ties, Kwatra had said. During his conversation with the Chinese President Xi Jinping, the PM highlighted Indias concerns on unresolved issues along the LAC. City Police call off search for Sana Khans body Staff Reporter : Police team engaged in the operation returns empty-handed to city After an exhaustive search operation spanning over three weeks, the city police have called off their search to locate the body of Sana Khan in Madhya Pradesh. The operation came to an end on Thursday. The city police team returned to Nagpur without any success in its search for clues about Sanas body, which was believed to be in the vicinity of Narmada river. Sana Khans disappearance and subsequent murder on August 2 sparked an intense investigation by the city police. She had reportedly visited the residence of her estranged husband, Pappu alias Amit Sahu, in Jabalpur, where a violent confrontation led to her murder. The police launched the search operation on August 5 after a missing complaint was filed and subsequently registered a murder case. Pappu and his accomplice Ramesh Singh were taken into custody in connection with the murder of Sana, a 34-year-old functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Minority Cell from Awasthi Nagar. The police launched an extensive search operation in the areas around Hindan and Narmada rivers, acting on the information provided by the arrested accused. The accused had reportedly told the police that the body was tossed in the river and her bag was kept near a bridge. The police were unable to locate Sanas body, although they recovered her bag. During the search operation, the police even got the water flow from the Narmada river's dam stopped for a while, but this approach did not yield any results. The city police collaborated with State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) of Madhya Pradesh during the search operation, but this alliance also failed to provide any breakthrough. The situation took a new turn when the body of a woman was discovered in a well roughly 300 kilometres away from Jabalpur. However, Sanas family members denied that the body was hers. The recovery of Sana Khans body is a vital factor in building the murder case agianst the accused. Without the discovery of her body, according to legal experts, the case may not hold in court. A retired police official emphasised the importance of this aspect, underscoring the significance of evidence in criminal proceedings. Presently, the prime accused Pappu Sahu, Ramesh Singh, Dharmendra Yadav, Rabbu Chacha alias Ravinshankar Yadav, and Kamlesh Patel, remain in police custody as the investigation continues. The unsuccessful conclusion of the search operation marks a setback to the investigation. Foundation Day of IIA Nagpur Centre today Business Bureau : The Nagpur Centre of The Indian Institute of Architects (IIA) is all set to celebrate culmination of its Golden Jubilee Suvarna Siddhi on August 26. To commemorate this memorable day, the institute has organised an audio visual presentation by a renowned Conservation Architect, Author, Academician, Landscape Photographer and mountaineer Ar. J Ramanan on the topic Conservation: An Architects Social Responsibility. The event will be held at Banyan Hall, Chitnavis Centre, Civil Lines, Nagpur from 7.00 pm. Ar Parag Yelne, Chairman of the Nagpur Centre, said that IIA Nagpur will be completing 50 glorious years on the 51st Foundation Day on August 26. The 50th year being celebrated as Swarnim Samvatsar, will culminate on this day, and will be celebrated as Suvarna Siddhi: Accomplishing the Golden Era started with Prarambh on 50th Foundation Day, he said. Ar. Parikshit Choudhari, Secretary of Nagpur Centre, said IIA Nagpur Centre believes in Individual commitment to a group effort, sharing common visions, associating the strengths, complementing the weaknesses and encouraging the ideas. IIA is a national body of architects in the country. Established in 1917, the Institute today has more than 25,000 members and plays a major role in promoting the profession of architecture and architectural education through its City Centres and State Chapters. The Nagpur Centre - second City Centre of IIA, was established in 1973 by the then President of IIA Late Ar. Jamshed Burjor Aga. Late Ar. Shyam Mavlankar the driving force behind formation of Nagpur Centre was the Founder Chairman. Prof. A.L Chattre and Prof. S A Deshpande was also instrumental in envisioning the goals and aspirations for the Centre and was part of the first executive committee. Govt inks Rs 19,000 crore contract with HSL for 5 fleet support ships Officials during the signing of on MoU on Friday. (PTI) NEW DELHI : THE Defence Ministry on Friday sealed a Rs 19,000 crore deal with Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) for acquisition of five fleet support ships for the Indian Navy. The ships of 44,000 tons category will be the first of its kind to be built in India by an Indian shipyard, officials said. The Ministry said the project would be a major boost towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing as the ships will be indigenously designed and constructed by HSL, Visakhapatnam. The Ministry of Defence on August 25 signed a contract with HSL, Visakhapatnam for acquisition of five fleet support ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy at an overall cost of approximately Rs 19,000 crore, it said. The Cabinet Committee on Security had approved the acquisition of the ships in its meeting on August 16. The fleet support ships will be deployed for replenishing ships at sea with fuel, water, ammunition and stores, enabling the Indian Naval fleet to operate for prolonged periods without returning to harbour. These ships would enhance the strategic reach and mobility of the fleet. The induction of these ships will significantly enhance the blue water capability of the Indian Navy, the Ministry said in a statement. Ketan Hyundai delivers Hyundai Exter Business Bureau : The all New Hyundai Exter was delivered to Roopshree Sanjay Tambe on August 22, 2023. Gautam Kale, Managing Director, Ketan Motors Private Limited expressed his gratitude for choosing Ketan Hyundai. He extended his well wishes to the customer and her family for being proud owner of Hyundai Exter. The customer was excited and delighted to take the delivery on the same day when historic soft landing of the Chandrayaan 3 took place on the moon. With extravagant interiors and superior comfort, Hyundai Exter has been engineered to deliver enthralling experiences of smart mobility to customers. For test drive and bookings, interested may call (Mobile number: 8758757717) or visit Ketan Hyundai situated at the 7th Mile Stone on Amravati Road, Nagpur. No colony in MP will remain illegal: CM Staff Reporter : Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday declared that no colony in Madhya Pradesh will remain unauthorised. All unauthorised colonies will now be legalised in the State. He stated that every poor should have their own house, as it is our fundamental right. Chouhan said under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, houses are being constructed for poor in villages and similarly under Shahri Awas Yojana, houses are being provided to poor in cities as well. The Chief Minister was addressing a State-level programme in the city for legalisation of unauthorised colonies, launch of Su-Raj Colony Scheme along with various welfare initiatives. After declaring regularisation for unauthorised colonies, CM Chouhan also discussed plans for infrastructure development and providing building approvals in those areas. He said the State has initiated Su-Raj Colony Scheme to free 23,000 acres of land from land mafias and encroachers and make it available for constructing colonies for the poor. Similarly, process to regularise 6000 unauthorised colonies is also underway. Chouhan said inauguration and bhoomipujan of 70 development projects worth Rs 130.15 crore took place in Jabalpur. Declaration of regularisation for all unauthorised colonies across the entire State is also made. He mentioned that land mafias, criminals and encroachers will not be spared, the land recovered from them will be used to build homes for the poor. Bulldozing actions against criminals and encroachers are continuously ongoing. More than 900 houses are being constructed in Jabalpur. Work of providing houses to poor displaced from Madan Mahal Hill in Jabalpur is also in progress. No poor person in the State will be left homeless on the streets, he added. Chouhan assured that all basic amenities will be provided in Su-Raj Colonies. A total of 2,792 colonies in the State are being validated, including 39 colonies in Jabalpur. This move will benefit 35 lakh citizens in the State. He also announced Kayakalp campaign, allocating funds to all 413 urban bodies in the state to make cities more beautiful and attractive. During the programme, Chouhan inaugurated various development projects, including Andhumukh Chowk to Medical College via LIC Office road worth Rs 11.76 crore, a multi-level parking facility in Bhawartal costs Rs 8.43 crore, a 5 MLD sewage treatment plant near Ranital pond at Rs 8.08 crore, a 18.88 crore sewage project in Bheraghat, establishment of Bio-CNG plant at Rs 18 crore, construction of garbage transfer station with Rs 9.63 crore and inauguration and bhoomipujan of various other development works. KHARTOUM, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Foreign Ministry on Saturday called on the U.S. government to correct its position towards the current Sudanese crisis and not to equate the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) with the "terrorist militia." In a statement, the ministry criticized a social media post from the U.S. Ambassador in Khartoum John Godfrey, in which he called the two warring parties, namely the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), "the belligerents" in Sudan, and that neither of them was fit to rule. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expects the U.S. ambassador and the government of his country to correct this unbalanced and faulty position," the statement said. The ministry further said that the U.S. ambassador should refrain from such statements that contradict diplomatic norms and do not help in bringing Sudan out of its crisis. On Friday, Godfrey called on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, "the belligerents" in Sudan to transfer power to a civilian transitional government. "A future built by the Sudanese people can only happen when civilians' security is restored. The belligerents, who have demonstrated they are not fit to govern, must end the conflict and transfer power to a civilian transitional government," the U.S. diplomat said in his post. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, which left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. The UN estimates that more than 4 million people have been displaced from their homes so far, with 3.2 million facing internal displacement and close to 900,000 seeking refuge across borders in countries including Chad, Egypt, and South Sudan. Presidents Rule can be imposed in Punjab, Governor warns Mann CHANDIGARH : Governor Purohit in his latest letter, also claimed that he had received reports from various agencies regarding rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab, and sought a report in this regard IN A major escalation of the tussle between the Punjab Governor and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Banwarilal Purohit on Friday warned that he could recommend Presidents Rule in the State and also initiate criminal proceedings if his letters are not answered. In his latest communication to Mann, the Governor indicated he was upset over not getting any reply from him on his previous letters and warned him that he could send a report to the President on failure of constitutional mechanism. Purohit advised Mann to act before he takes this final decision under Article 356 of the Constitution and section 124 of the Indian Penal Code. A State is brought under direct rule of the Centre with the invocation of Article 356, usually after a report is sent by the Governor. The IPC section relates to assaulting or wrongfully restraining the President or a Governor from exercising their lawful powers. Before I am going to take final decision regarding sending a report to the President of India under Article 356 about the failure of the constitutional mechanism and take a decision about initiating criminal proceedings under section 124 of the IPC, I ask you to send me the requisite information sought for under my letters referred to above, as also in the matter of the steps taken by you concerning the problem of drugs in the State, failing which I would have no choice but to take action according to law and the Constitution, the Governor wrote in his letter released to the media on Friday. In his letter to the Chief Minister, Purohit mentioned his August 1 communication and said Mann had still not given the information sought by him. It appears that you are deliberately refusing to give the information asked by me, he said. The Governor in his latest letter claimed he had received reports from various agencies regarding rampant availability and abuse of drugs in Punjab, and also sought a report in this regard. It is common knowledge that they are available in chemist shops, a new trend is observed that they are being sold in the Government controlled liquor vends, wrote Purohit. Rover pragyan gets down to business BENGALURU : CHANDRAYAAN-3 missions rover Pragyan has traversed a distance of about eight metres on the lunar surface, and its payloads have been turned on, ISRO said on Friday. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said in an update on Friday evening. All planned rover movements have been verified. The rover has successfully traversed a distance of about 8 metres. Rover payloads LIBS and APXS are turned ON, it said in a post on X The Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) is aiming at deriving the chemical composition and inferring the mineralogical composition of the lunar surface. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) is attempting to determine the elemental composition (Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Fe) of lunar soil and the rocks around the lunar landing site. Earlier on Friday, ISRO released a breathtaking video of the rover, Pragyan, rolling down the ramp from the lander, Vikram, to the lunar surface, as observed by the lander imager camera. ... And here is how the Chandrayaan-3 Rover ramped (rolled) down from the lander to the lunar surface, ISRO said in an update. The space agency also released the image of Vikram taken by Chandrayaan-2s Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC) after the lander module soft landed on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 Mission update: I spy you! Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter photoshoots Chandrayaan-3 Lander! Chandrayaan-2s Orbiter High-Resolution Camera (OHRC) -- the camera with the best resolution anyone currently has around the Moon -- spots Chandrayaan-3 Lander after the landing on 23/2/23, ISRO said in the post, using its well-received informal social media approach. Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter, launched in 2019, continues to orbit the Moon. The Vikram lander with Pragyan rover in its belly touched down on the Moons surface well within the area identified for the purpose on Wednesday. A few hours after the landing, the 26-kg six-wheeled rover rolled out from the landers belly. ISRO said on Thursday evening: All activities are on schedule. All systems are normal. Lander Module payloads ILSA, RAMBHA and ChaSTE are turned ON today. Rover mobility operations have commenced. SHAPE payload on the Propulsion Module was turned ON. ILSA is meant to measure seismic activity around the landing site, while RAMBHA will study the plasma environment around the Moon. Chandras Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) will measure surface thermal properties of the Moon. India on Wednesday scripted history as its third unmanned Moon missions Lander Module made a flawless soft-landing, making it only the fourth country to achieve this feat, and first to reach the uncharted south pole of Earths only natural satellite. SC transfers Manipur violence cases probed by CBI to Assam NEW DELHI : IN A significant development, the Supreme Court on Friday transferred to neighbouring Assam 17 Manipur violence cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), including the sexual assault case of two women seen in a viral video being paraded naked, and asked the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to nominate one or more judicial officers to deal with them. The top court passed a slew of directions on judicial procedures, including the virtual examination of victims and witnesses by courts, saying they have been issued at the present stage, bearing in mind the overall environment in Manipur and the need for ensuring a fair process of criminal justice administration. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra rejected the submissions of many lawyers, who were opposed to transfer of CBI cases to Assam, and accepted the submissions of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Manipur Government, that the suggestion has been made keeping in mind the better Internet connectivity there. We chose it for the connectivity and the maximum (Internet) connectivity is in Assam, the law officer said. Both sides (Kuki and Meiteis) have been hurt ...There have been victims in Valleys, and in Hills. It would be difficult for people who suffered in Valleys to travel to Hills, and the other way round. We are not on who suffered more, just the practical difficulty, the CJI said, adding the top court will pass orders which will be fair to both sides. Issuing directions, the bench said, We request the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court to nominate one or more officers above the rank of Judicial Magistrate First Class/sessions judge In Guwahati in Assam to deal with such trial cases. The Chief Justice to preferably select judges who are conversant in one or more languages of Manipur. All applications for the production of the accused, remand, judicial custody, extension of custody, and other proceedings in connection with the investigations are allowed to be conducted on the online mode, bearing in mind both distance and security issues at designated courts, it directed. The Judicial custody of the accused if and when granted shall be permitted in Manipur in order to obviate transit, the apex court said. Shah holds meeting with Manipur delegation: HOME Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with the delegation of the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a conglomerate of several civil society organisation of Manipur, here on Friday. During their meeting at the official residence of the Home Minister, Shah discussed a wide range of issues pertaining to the strife-torn state. Shah emphasised a firm stance against all forms of infiltration into Manipurs territory, as per the communique issued by the COCOMI. He appealed for peace in the state and urged COCOMI to convey this message to the people. Among others, COCOMI was encouraged to initiate dialogues with responsible Kuki leaders and groups to facilitate problem-solving and peace-building. The 13-member delegation also submitted a representation suggesting various measures to be taken for restoring peace in the State. SEBI tells SC: 22 out of 24 probe reports in Adani-Hindenburg case final NEW DELHI : IN A fresh status report filed before the Supreme Court, the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) said on Friday that it will take appropriate action based on the outcome of the investigations into the Adani-Hindenburg matter. The market regulator said that as on August 25, it has examined 24 matters in compliance with the orders of the top court. Out of the said 24 investigations, 22 are final in nature and two are interim in nature. As on date, the said 22 final investigation reports and one interim investigation report have been approved by the competent authority in accordance with SEBIs extant practice and procedures, said the status report filed by SEBI Executive Director, V S Sundaresan. Further, it said that in respect of one remaining matter, interim findings have been approved by the competent authority, and SEBI has sought information from external agencies or entities. Upon receipt of such information, SEBI will evaluate the same vis-a-vis the interim investigation report to determine further course of action, if any, in the said matters, it said. On August 14, the SEBI had sought an extension of 15 days to conclude the investigation process and file a status report in the matter. The market regulator had then said that out of the said 24 investigations/examinations, 17 are final and complete and approved by the competent authority in accordance with SEBIs extant practice and procedures. Earlier, SEBI had filed its views before the Supreme Court on the various recommendations made by the court-appointed expert committee in connection with the Adani-Hindenburg case. The SEBI had opposed the suggestion of prescribing timelines for initiation of investigation and proceedings and said that prescribing specific timelines to complete the investigation may compromise the quality of investigation. The apex court had on March 2 formed an expert committee headed by Justice A.M. Sapre, former judge of the Supreme Court, with an objective to review and strengthen the existing financial regulatory mechanisms. It had directed SEBI to expeditiously conclude the investigation within two months and file a status report. Later in May, the Supreme Court had granted an extension of time till August 14 to the market regulator to submit its report. The controversial Hindenburg Researchs report, inter alia, alleged that the Adani Group of companies manipulated its share prices; failed to disclose transactions with related parties and other relevant information concerning related parties in contravention of the regulations framed by SEBI; and violated other provisions of securities laws. The report about billionaire Gautam Adani had led to a stock rout, erasing over $100 billion from his empire and pushing him down on the global rich list. Sharad Pawar says, no split in NCP, Ajit is leader; denies later PUNE : HOURS after asserting that there was no split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is its leader, party chief Sharad Pawar on Friday claimed that he did not make any such statement. Talking to reporters at his hometown Baramati in Pune district in the morning before leaving for Kolhapur to address a rally, Pawar said some leaders have left the NCP by taking a different political stand, but it cannot be termed as a split. Ajit Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in the State on July 2, which created a split in the Sharad Pawar-founded party. When asked about his daughter and NCP working president Supriya Sules remark that there is no split in the party and that Ajit Pawar is its leader, Sharad Pawar said, Yes... There is no dispute about it. As his remarks made in Baramati created a flutter, the former Union Minister clarified in Satara a few hours later that he did not say so. I am not saying that he is our leader. It is okay for Supriya (Sule) to say that. She is his (Ajit Pawars) younger sister. There is no need to draw political meaning out of it, he said. To a question on whether he endorsed Sules views, Pawar said, Me? You are wrong. Those who have taken a different line cannot be our leader. Recalling Ajit Pawars early morning swearing-in with Devendra Fadnavis after the 2019 Assembly polls, Pawar apparently referred to his nephew becoming Deputy Chief Minister in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government and said, Opportunity to correct oneself is given once. Opportunity cannot be given again or one shouldnt ask for it again. A day earlier, Sule called Ajit Pawar a senior leader and MLA of the party. Now, he (Ajit Pawar) has taken a stand that is against the party, and we have given a complaint to the Assembly Speaker and are awaiting his response, Sule, who is NCPs Baramati MP, said. The Road Ahead: Rs 18,000 cr steel plant, scaling up of iron ore mining By Kartik Lokhande : In case of Gadchiroli district, it seems that the present-day iron ore mining operations have unlocked its potential for investment. In addition to the current operations, the Government is set to allot some more iron ore blocks to bidders. Besides, a massive steel plant with proposed investment of Rs 18,000 crore is taking shape at Konsari. All these steps are likely to generate not only employment and economic activity but also some concerns vis-a-vis the Left Wing Extremism (LWE). Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli district, had not long ago (in October 2022) told mediapersons that investment of Rs 18,000 crore was proposed in a steel plant proposed at Konsari. The work is in progress. A sponge iron plant, captive power plant at the site take the investment size higher. Besides, there are indications of additional investment, taking the total projected investment in Gadchiroli district to Rs 35,000 crore, which is massive, especially considering the fact that so far the district had assumed the identity of no industry or Naxal-affected and industrially backward area. While such a push is being given by the Government, there are proposals for allotment of new iron ore blocks in Surjagarh hills, in addition to the one currently in operation. The Union Ministry of Mines has identified Surjagad 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 blocks for iron ore mining. Earlier this year, in May, JSW Steel was declared a preferred bidder for Surjagad-4 iron ore block, and Sunflag Iron and Steel Company Limited as preferred bidder for Surjagad-6 iron ore block. As per the summary of the (Contd from page 1) mineral block, Surjagad-4 block near Edasgunj Meta has eight iron ore zones, while Surjagad-6 block is closer to Ramunkal. Surjagad-1 has nine iron ore zones near villages Angudra, Ramunkal Meta, Puske Meta, and Negal Meta. Surjagad-2 block has six iron ore zones at Gandhmaka Meta and two zones at Edasgunj Meta. Surjagad-3 block has three iron ore zones at Morgal Meta and one zone at Warshan Koti. Apart from iron ore, limestone mine also is proposed at Devalmari and big businesses like Adani and Birla groups have evinced a keen interest in it. While the district of Gadchiroli is poised to take a big leap in mining and industrialisation, some concerns have emerged vis-a-vis LWE menace. In the recent past, reports emerged of the Maoists stopping the local tribals from going to work in the currently operational Surjagarh iron ore mine. The protests against the proposed new mines in the region are running at Todgatta for more than 150 days now. However, there is skepticism about these protests too. For, the police believe that these protests are Naxal-sponsored. Some time ago, CPI (Maoist) Bhamragarh Area Committee had issued a letter to people of Pursalgondi using a threatening language. While alleging that roads, bridges, police camps, mobile phone towers were being put in place as a precursor to starting mines at Damkondwahi, the Maoists had earlier asked the villagers to participate in the ongoing protests at Todgatta. However, as people did not heed to them, in this letter they accused the people of receiving money from the enemy schemes. The Red terrorists threatened the people that if they did not participate in the protests at Todgatta, people would have to part with life, house, land, farm and that they would be tried in peoples court (kangaroo court of Maoists). Neelotpal, Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli district, told The Hitavada that the protests against new mines were Naxal-sponsored. He said that there were evidences connecting a protester from Silger in Chhattisgarh to the protests at Todgatta in Gadchiroli district. This particular man was arrested in Chhattisgarh with Rs 6 lakh in denomination of Rs 2,000/- notes, and 11 passbooks of different banks, pamphlet of banned CPI (Maoist). Of the two persons arrested by Bijapur Police in Chhattisgarh towards the end of May 2023, one Gajendra Manglu Mandavi (23), a resident of Narsapur, was involved in Silger protests. The police claim that he was carrying cash for the protests going on for a long time at Todgatta. For such a long-running protest, there has to be funding, Neelotpal said. What could be reason behind the Maoists sponsoring the protests against the proposed mines? According to Neelotpal, the Maoists were trying to play with sentiments of local villagers in and around Damkondwahi hills by giving a false narrative that Damkondwahi mines were coming up even when there was no proposal of mining there at this stage. The Maoists are anti-development and did not want roads, mobile towers to come up. Hence, they have come up with this narrative that the Gatta-Mendhari road being built in the area is part of mining corridor for transportation of iron ore to Chhattisgarh, which is actually not the case, he said. Dharmarobaba Atram, FDA Minister and carrier of the legacy of Atram royal family of Aheri, told The Hitavada that mining was getting a boost in the district. It will generate employment and increase economic activity, he said. Asked about the protests, he said that people should not get misled by those opposing the projects. Though police station has been opened at sensitive locations like Gatta, observers said that security needed to be stepped up on Chhattisgarh side especially in bordering areas of Narayanpur district adjacent to Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, to create an atmosphere conducive to mining operations and subsequent boost to industrialisation and development. According to some observers, who did not wish to be quoted, boost to mining activity might be a game-changer as far as reducing the influence of Maoists on both sides of Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border is concerned. A concerted strategy with well co-ordinated positive and constructive action is needed on both sides, they felt. For mining and development of Gadchiroli district to go hand-in-hand, railway line connectivity project needs to be expedited to extend railway connectivity from 18 km patch in Wadsa-Desaiganj in North Gadchiroli to mining belt in southern part. As far as telecommunication connectivity is concerned, boost is being provided to deepening it with Jio and Airtel setting up network in remotest parts. The administration expects entire Gadchiroli district to have 4G connectivity in next six months or so. (Concludes) Road repairs and construction, and proposal for mine corridor Since there are concerns over accidents in various villages due to increase in transport of iron ore extracted from Surjagarh mines to stockyard, LMEL has drawn up a plan for road repairs and construction. Besides, the State Government is mulling over a proposal for dedicated mine corridor. Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Gadchiroli district, had announced to mediapersons in October 2022 that a dedicated mine corridor would be created for transport of iron ore extracted from mine, and to tackle traffic congestion and to reduce resultant accidents due to transport activity involving trucks. How long will be the mine corridor and details regarding points of its start and end are yet to be out in public domain. But, Fadnavis had asked the administration to prepare a proposal regarding the mine corridor. As far as LMEL is concerned, it has been working on repairs and construction of roads, said an official of the company without wishing to be named. The 93.3 km long road works worth Rs 135.83 crore are at various stages of completion. These works include Surjagarh mines main gate to Hedari zero-point road, Hedari village to Aldandi road repair, Aldandi-Etapalli Naka road, Etapalli-Allapalli road work, Allapalli Chowk to Nagepalli road work, Nagepalli to Lagam Naka road, and Ashti-Lagam road. Of these, the company official said, Allapalli Chowk to Nagepalli road work was completed. As far as proposed works are concerned, four works covering 47.5 km length are proposed at the cost of Rs 84.02 crore. These include 26 km long Yelchil-Muktapur bypass road involving cost of Rs 6.21 crore. According to company official, 10 km road has been made motorable so far. The other three works include 3 km long Velgur Tola to Botlacheru section of Allapalli-Mulchera road involving cost of Rs 4.50 crore, 8.5 km long Botlacheru-Tanbodi-Khamancheru involving cost of Rs 15 crore, and 10 km long Bande Gate-Todsa road involving cost of Rs 4.31 crore. YC members planning to show black flags held Police arresting Youth Congress workers who were planning to show black flags to Chief Minister Chouhan during Jandarshan. Staff Reporter : In Katangi, where Congress workers led by former MLA tried to stage protest taking into account Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhans visit to the city, police arrested them even before they could reach the Chief Ministers event venue on Friday. Similarly, the Youth Congress workers who were staging protest and planning to show black flags to the Chief Minister were also taken into custody by police from Omti Police Station area. In addition, Congress members were also detained in Belbagh, Ghamapur and other different areas of the city. Following recent incident of lathi charge on NSUI activists during a protest, police administration actively worked to prevent any disruptive activities by NSUI and Youth Congress during Chief Minister Chouhans visit. Over 100 NSUI and Youth Congress activists were issued restraining orders from the Tehsildar Court, on Thursday night. The orders stated that any disturbances during the Chief Ministers programme will result in action against everyone involved. Responsibility for any unrest in the city for next six months lies with the leaders. Congress leaders, particularly youth leaders, are angry, claiming that the Government and administration are issuing intimidating notices in the middle of the night to suppress the voice of people. Student leaders have also received notices from the Tehsildar, stating that they will be held accountable and face financial penalties if any unrest occurs in the city for next six months. Penalties from Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000. Action of the authorities have caused dissatisfaction among Congress leaders and youth activists, who perceive it as an attempt to instill fear and silence dissent. FAIZABAD, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Afghan security forces have found a child dead after he was kidnaped by unknown armed men in the Shuhada district of east Afghanistan's Badakhshan Province, Mahzuddin Ahmadi, director of provincial information and culture department, said on Saturday. The 12-year-old child was "brutally killed". The official said that local authorities have already started an investigation and arrested six people related to this case. The Afghan caretaker government claims to ensure security across the country and fight against a clutch of criminals who disturb the well-being of the people in the region. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP Free Report) by 8.6% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 3,621 shares of the energy producers stock after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Pin Oak Investment Advisors Inc.s holdings in ConocoPhillips were worth $359,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of COP. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 17,256,640 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $2,036,284,000 after purchasing an additional 1,566,894 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 26.6% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 16,647,723 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $1,964,432,000 after purchasing an additional 3,497,750 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 13,127,640 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $1,548,899,000 after purchasing an additional 54,807 shares during the period. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in ConocoPhillips by 98,832.5% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 8,584,373 shares of the energy producers stock valued at $1,012,956,000 after purchasing an additional 8,575,696 shares during the period. Finally, Fisher Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of ConocoPhillips by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 7,022,759 shares of the energy producers stock worth $696,728,000 after buying an additional 122,216 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.20% of the companys stock. Get ConocoPhillips alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have commented on COP shares. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of ConocoPhillips from $127.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $127.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, August 16th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of ConocoPhillips from $134.00 to $138.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips from $145.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 12th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an overweight rating and issued a $124.00 price objective on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $133.70. ConocoPhillips Price Performance NYSE COP traded up $1.72 on Friday, reaching $116.52. The companys stock had a trading volume of 3,710,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,929,238. The firm has a market cap of $139.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.14, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.31. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $110.36 and a 200 day moving average price of $105.81. ConocoPhillips has a 52 week low of $91.53 and a 52 week high of $138.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.41, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 3rd. The energy producer reported $1.84 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.94 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $12.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $14.64 billion. ConocoPhillips had a net margin of 18.66% and a return on equity of 27.27%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.91 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that ConocoPhillips will post 8.72 EPS for the current year. ConocoPhillips Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 16th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 27th. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.75%. ConocoPhillipss payout ratio is 19.65%. ConocoPhillips Company Profile (Free Report) ConocoPhillips explores for, produces, transports, and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and natural gas liquids in the United States and internationally. The company's portfolio includes unconventional plays in North America; conventional assets in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia; various LNG developments; oil sands assets in Canada; and an inventory of global exploration prospects. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for ConocoPhillips Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ConocoPhillips and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Balentine LLC lowered its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 10.9% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 25,305 shares of the companys stock after selling 3,106 shares during the period. Balentine LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $8,690,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Y.D. More Investments Ltd acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Silicon Valley Capital Partners acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its holdings in Eli Lilly and Company by 193.3% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 88 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Laffer Tengler Investments acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Tanglewood Legacy Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Eli Lilly and Company during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.25% of the companys stock. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Insider Activity at Eli Lilly and Company In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total transaction of $726,286.83. Following the sale, the insider now owns 100,397,503 shares in the company, valued at $55,789,888,442.07. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 1,307 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $555.69, for a total transaction of $726,286.83. Following the sale, the insider now owns 100,397,503 shares in the company, valued at $55,789,888,442.07. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Patrik Jonsson sold 6,000 shares of Eli Lilly and Company stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $429.46, for a total transaction of $2,576,760.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 36,941 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,864,681.86. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 726,748 shares of company stock worth $361,411,612. Company insiders own 0.13% of the companys stock. Eli Lilly and Company Trading Up 1.0 % NYSE LLY traded up $5.65 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $553.65. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,767,170 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,039,980. Eli Lilly and Company has a 52-week low of $296.32 and a 52-week high of $557.40. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $476.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $411.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.63, a current ratio of 1.13 and a quick ratio of 0.87. The firm has a market capitalization of $525.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 76.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.35. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 8th. The company reported $2.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 firm had revenue of $8.31 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.58 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.25 earnings per share. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue for the quarter was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 9.83 EPS for the current year. Eli Lilly and Company Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 14th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.82%. Eli Lilly and Companys payout ratio is 62.87%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several brokerages have recently issued reports on LLY. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $408.00 to $615.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 8th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $525.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $590.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Bank of America upped their price target on shares of Eli Lilly and Company from $500.00 to $600.00 in a research report on Wednesday, August 9th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Eli Lilly and Company in a research report on Thursday, August 17th. They set a buy rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has issued a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $520.48. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Eli Lilly and Company 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. See Also 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. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Free Report) by 1,370.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,369 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 7,800 shares during the quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.s holdings in iShares National Muni Bond ETF were worth $902,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Providence Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tri Star Advisors Inc. bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $29,000. First Manhattan Co. bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Finally, EPG Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in iShares National Muni Bond ETF in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Get iShares National Muni Bond ETF alerts: iShares National Muni Bond ETF Stock Down 0.1 % MUB stock opened at $105.04 on Friday. iShares National Muni Bond ETF has a 12-month low of $101.35 and a 12-month high of $108.66. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $106.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $106.55. iShares National Muni Bond ETF Profile iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index). Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MUB? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares National Muni Bond ETF (NYSEARCA:MUB Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares National Muni Bond ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. NEW DELHI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said it is set to launch its first solar orbiter mission Aditya L1 satellite most likely on Sept. 2. According to Nilesh M Desai, director of the Space Applications Center (SAC), Ahmedabad, the Aditya L1 satellite is ready on the launchpad. Aditya L1 satellite will carry seven instruments to study the solar atmosphere, solar magnetic storms and its impact on the environment around Earth. The satellite will be placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, which is about 1.5 million km from the Earth. On Wednesday, the ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft landed on the moon's surface. Cellnex Telecom, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CLLNY Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of Hold from the seven analysts that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $49.00. Separately, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Cellnex Telecom in a report on Wednesday, May 24th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Get Cellnex Telecom alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on CLLNY Cellnex Telecom Stock Up 0.5 % About Cellnex Telecom Shares of OTCMKTS CLLNY opened at $18.55 on Friday. Cellnex Telecom has a twelve month low of $13.56 and a twelve month high of $22.00. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $19.89. (Get Free Report Cellnex Telecom SA engages in the operation of wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructures. Its business activities include rental of sites for telecom operators, broadcast infrastructure activity, and other network services. It operates through the following segments: Telecom Infrastructure Services, Broadcasting Infrastructure and Other Network Services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cellnex Telecom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cellnex Telecom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Shenhua Energy Company Limited (OTCMKTS:CSUAY Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 4,600 shares, a decline of 83.5% from the July 31st total of 27,900 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. China Shenhua Energy Stock Performance Shares of China Shenhua Energy stock traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $11.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 12,170 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,722. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $11.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $12.52. China Shenhua Energy has a one year low of $10.45 and a one year high of $14.47. Get China Shenhua Energy alerts: China Shenhua Energy Cuts Dividend The firm also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 23rd will be issued a $1.2628 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 9.39%. China Shenhua Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.59%. About China Shenhua Energy China Shenhua Energy Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and sale of coal and power; railway, port, and shipping transportation; and coal-to-olefins businesses in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through six segments: Coal, Power Generation, Railway, Port, Shipping, and Coal Chemical. See Also Receive News & Ratings for China Shenhua Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Shenhua Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Diageo plc (OTCMKTS:DGEAF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 113,900 shares, a decline of 71.0% from the July 31st total of 392,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 5.1 days. Diageo Stock Up 0.6 % DGEAF traded up $0.23 on Friday, hitting $41.65. The company had a trading volume of 241 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,785. The companys fifty day moving average price is $42.62 and its 200 day moving average price is $43.36. Diageo has a 1-year low of $39.25 and a 1-year high of $47.47. Get Diageo alerts: Diageo Company Profile (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Diageo plc, together with its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and sells alcoholic beverages. The company offers scotch, whisky, gin, vodka, rum, ready to drink products, raki, liqueur, wine, tequila, Canadian whisky, American whiskey, cachaca, and brandy, as well as beer, including cider and non-alcoholic products. Receive News & Ratings for Diageo Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Diageo and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (LON:ERM Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 1,460 ($18.63) and traded as high as GBX 1,460 ($18.63). Euromoney Institutional Investor shares last traded at GBX 1,460 ($18.63), with a volume of 4,978,005 shares traded. Euromoney Institutional Investor Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 11.74, a current ratio of 0.48 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of 1.60 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio of 14,600.00. The company has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 1,460 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 1,460. Euromoney Institutional Investor Company Profile (Get Free Report) Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides business-to-business information services in the United Kingdom, North America, and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Fast Markets, Financial & Professional Services, and Asset Management. The Fast Market segment provides commodity price benchmarks and analysis to its clients' business processes and workflows in the metals, mining, forest products, and agriculture industries. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Euromoney Institutional Investor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Euromoney Institutional Investor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:ERE.UN Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Moderate Buy from the six research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and four have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is C$3.78. A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on ERE.UN. Royal Bank of Canada lowered European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and lowered their target price for the company from C$4.25 to C$3.50 in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Raymond James lowered their target price on European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust from C$4.00 to C$3.75 in a research note on Monday, July 17th. National Bankshares boosted their target price on European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust from C$2.90 to C$3.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Finally, TD Securities cut their target price on European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust from C$4.00 to C$3.75 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Get European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on ERE.UN European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust Stock Performance About European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust stock opened at C$2.54 on Friday. European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust has a 52-week low of C$2.48 and a 52-week high of C$3.88. The firm has a market capitalization of C$229.90 million, a P/E ratio of 9.77 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 288.44, a current ratio of 0.25 and a quick ratio of 0.20. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$2.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$3.11. (Get Free Report European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust ERES is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust. ERESs REIT units are listed on the TSX under the symbol ERE.UN. ERES is Canadas only European-focused multi-residential REIT, with a current initial focus on investing in high-quality multi-residential real estate properties in the Netherlands. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for European Residential Real Estate Investment Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. FIL Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Genpact Limited (NYSE:G Free Report) by 12.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,850,267 shares of the business services providers stock after purchasing an additional 423,605 shares during the period. FIL Ltd owned approximately 2.10% of Genpact worth $177,959,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Genpact by 57.2% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 18,403 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $801,000 after acquiring an additional 6,699 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can lifted its holdings in shares of Genpact by 16.8% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 23,398 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,031,000 after purchasing an additional 3,364 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Genpact by 0.3% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,683,950 shares of the business services providers stock worth $73,273,000 after buying an additional 5,331 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Genpact by 6.2% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 104,775 shares of the business services providers stock worth $4,560,000 after acquiring an additional 6,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC purchased a new position in Genpact during the 1st quarter valued at about $2,219,000. 96.46% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Genpact alerts: Genpact Stock Up 1.3 % Shares of G stock opened at $36.63 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $6.64 billion, a PE ratio of 16.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $37.31 and a 200-day moving average of $41.08. The company has a quick ratio of 1.88, a current ratio of 1.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Genpact Limited has a 12 month low of $35.31 and a 12 month high of $48.85. Genpact Announces Dividend Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 26th. Investors of record on Friday, September 8th will be issued a $0.1375 dividend. This represents a $0.55 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 7th. Genpacts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 25.11%. A number of research analysts recently commented on G shares. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on shares of Genpact from $56.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, August 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of Genpact from $47.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Monday, May 15th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Genpact from $46.00 to $41.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of Genpact from $42.00 to $39.00 in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. Finally, TheStreet cut shares of Genpact from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Friday, June 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Genpact has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $42.13. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Genpact Insider Activity at Genpact In other Genpact news, SVP Piyush Mehta sold 22,082 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.13, for a total transaction of $819,904.66. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 186,958 shares in the company, valued at $6,941,750.54. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CEO N. V. Tyagarajan sold 1,700 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.89, for a total transaction of $61,013.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 8,300 shares in the company, valued at $297,887. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Piyush Mehta sold 22,082 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.13, for a total transaction of $819,904.66. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 186,958 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,941,750.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 64,844 shares of company stock valued at $2,401,033. 2.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Genpact Company Profile (Free Report) Genpact Limited provides business process outsourcing and information technology (IT) services in India, rest of Asia, North and Latin America, and Europe. It operates through three segments: Financial services; Consumer and Healthcare; and High Tech and Manufacturing. The company offers CFO advisory services; and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) services, such as data management, carbon accounting, human rights assessment, sustainability diligence, and ESG reporting. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Genpact Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Genpact and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (NYSE:GBX Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $33.81 and traded as high as $43.17. Greenbrier Companies shares last traded at $42.26, with a volume of 131,608 shares trading hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades GBX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of Greenbrier Companies from $37.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, June 30th. TheStreet cut shares of Greenbrier Companies from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Monday, May 1st. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Greenbrier Companies in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a hold rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Greenbrier Companies has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.00. Get Greenbrier Companies alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on GBX Greenbrier Companies Stock Down 0.4 % The firm has a market capitalization of $1.30 billion, a PE ratio of 24.74, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 1.66. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $42.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $33.89. The company has a current ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. Greenbrier Companies (NYSE:GBX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, June 29th. The transportation company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.42. Greenbrier Companies had a net margin of 1.49% and a return on equity of 6.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $904.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.09 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 30.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Greenbrier Companies, Inc. will post 3.04 earnings per share for the current year. Greenbrier Companies Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, August 8th. Investors of record on Tuesday, July 18th were issued a dividend of $0.30 per share. This is a positive change from Greenbrier Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.27. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 17th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.85%. Greenbrier Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 70.59%. Insider Activity In other news, SVP Laurie R. Dornan sold 3,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.29, for a total value of $150,442.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 22,331 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,033,701.99. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, SVP Laurie R. Dornan sold 3,250 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.29, for a total value of $150,442.50. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 22,331 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,033,701.99. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Charles J. Swindells sold 1,470 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.20, for a total transaction of $66,444.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 36,573 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,653,099.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.32% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of GBX. Arizona State Retirement System grew its position in Greenbrier Companies by 3.8% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 9,195 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $308,000 after purchasing an additional 339 shares during the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio boosted its holdings in shares of Greenbrier Companies by 6.1% in the 3rd quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 6,127 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $149,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its holdings in shares of Greenbrier Companies by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,363 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $415,000 after acquiring an additional 468 shares during the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its holdings in shares of Greenbrier Companies by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 12,152 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $295,000 after acquiring an additional 518 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its stake in shares of Greenbrier Companies by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 18,290 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $588,000 after purchasing an additional 550 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.45% of the companys stock. Greenbrier Companies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Greenbrier Cos., Inc engages in the design, manufacture and marketing of railroad freight car equipment. It operates through the following segments: Manufacturing, Maintenance Services, Leasing & Management Services, and Corporate. The Manufacturing segment includes double-stack intermodal railcars, tank cars, and marine vessels. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Greenbrier Companies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Greenbrier Companies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CLS Holdings plc (LON:CLI Get Free Report) insider Anna L. K. Seeley bought 2,000,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 23rd. The shares were acquired at an average cost of GBX 126 ($1.61) per share, for a total transaction of 2,520,000 ($3,215,105.89). CLS Stock Down 1.0 % Shares of LON CLI opened at GBX 123 ($1.57) on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 101.31, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of 488.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -241.18 and a beta of 0.83. CLS Holdings plc has a 1 year low of GBX 119.20 ($1.52) and a 1 year high of GBX 193.60 ($2.47). The stocks 50-day simple moving average is GBX 135.46 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 137.19. Get CLS alerts: CLS Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, October 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, September 7th will be issued a GBX 2.60 ($0.03) dividend. This represents a yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 7th. CLSs dividend payout ratio is currently -1,568.63%. About CLS CLS Holdings plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the investment, development, and management of commercial properties in the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. It operates in two segments, Investment Properties and Other Investments. The company also invests in a hotel; and other corporate investments, as well as rents office buildings. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for CLS Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CLS and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLC raised its position in shares of FedEx Co. (NYSE:FDX Free Report) by 19.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,136 shares of the shipping service providers stock after buying an additional 343 shares during the quarter. Jaffetilchin Investment Partners LLCs holdings in FedEx were worth $488,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in FDX. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in FedEx by 0.9% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 5,236 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $1,196,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in FedEx by 1.1% in the 1st quarter. Ferguson Wellman Capital Management Inc. now owns 4,098 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $936,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. lifted its position in shares of FedEx by 4.3% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,105 shares of the shipping service providers stock valued at $252,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of FedEx by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Salem Investment Counselors Inc. now owns 16,651 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $2,903,000 after acquiring an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Laraway Financial Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of FedEx by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. Laraway Financial Advisors Inc now owns 2,490 shares of the shipping service providers stock worth $575,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.39% of the companys stock. Get FedEx alerts: FedEx Stock Down 0.0 % NYSE FDX traded down $0.05 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $258.73. The company had a trading volume of 1,415,213 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,542,374. FedEx Co. has a fifty-two week low of $141.92 and a fifty-two week high of $270.95. The company has a market capitalization of $65.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.69, a P/E/G ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.78, a current ratio of 1.37 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The firms 50 day moving average is $256.36 and its 200 day moving average is $232.76. FedEx Announces Dividend FedEx ( NYSE:FDX Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, June 20th. The shipping service provider reported $4.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.85 by $0.09. FedEx had a return on equity of 15.32% and a net margin of 4.41%. The firm had revenue of $21.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $22.55 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $6.87 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that FedEx Co. will post 17.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 11th will be paid a dividend of $1.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 8th. This represents a $5.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.95%. FedExs dividend payout ratio is presently 32.52%. Insider Activity In other news, VP Jennifer L. Johnson sold 10,801 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.61, for a total transaction of $2,577,226.61. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,196 shares in the company, valued at $762,597.56. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other FedEx news, EVP Michael C. Lenz sold 5,745 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $261.88, for a total value of $1,504,500.60. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 22,478 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,886,538.64. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, VP Jennifer L. Johnson sold 10,801 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.61, for a total transaction of $2,577,226.61. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 3,196 shares in the company, valued at approximately $762,597.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 35,816 shares of company stock worth $8,822,147 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 8.73% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In FDX has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Raymond James decreased their price target on FedEx from $285.00 to $280.00 in a research note on Friday, June 16th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on FedEx from $273.00 to $265.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on FedEx from $228.00 to $251.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. Bank of America reduced their target price on FedEx from $295.00 to $290.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on FedEx from $260.00 to $272.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 21st. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, FedEx has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $246.14. Read Our Latest Analysis on FedEx FedEx Profile (Free Report) FedEx Corporation provides transportation, e-commerce, and business services in the United States and internationally. It operates through FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight, and FedEx Services segments. The FedEx Express segment offers express transportation, small-package ground delivery, and freight transportation services; and time-critical transportation services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for FedEx Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for FedEx and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mmbg Investment Advisors CO. lowered its position in Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report) by 8.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 241,080 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock after selling 23,190 shares during the quarter. Uber Technologies comprises 1.0% of Mmbg Investment Advisors CO.s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th largest holding. Mmbg Investment Advisors CO.s holdings in Uber Technologies were worth $7,642,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in Uber Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC boosted its stake in Uber Technologies by 89.3% in the 1st quarter. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC now owns 848 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares during the period. Sandy Spring Bank boosted its stake in Uber Technologies by 36.4% in the 4th quarter. Sandy Spring Bank now owns 1,240 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 331 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC bought a new position in Uber Technologies in the 1st quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Uber Technologies by 114.0% in the 4th quarter. TCI Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,425 shares of the ride-sharing companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 759 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.90% of the companys stock. Get Uber Technologies alerts: Uber Technologies Trading Down 1.6 % Shares of NYSE UBER traded down $0.72 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $43.96. The companys stock had a trading volume of 19,132,486 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,995,604. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. The businesss 50 day moving average is $44.82 and its two-hundred day moving average is $38.34. Uber Technologies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.94 and a 12-month high of $49.49. The firm has a market cap of $89.83 billion, a P/E ratio of -199.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.23. Analysts Set New Price Targets Uber Technologies ( NYSE:UBER Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, August 1st. The ride-sharing company reported $0.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.01) by $0.19. The firm had revenue of $9.23 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.34 billion. Uber Technologies had a negative return on equity of 4.57% and a negative net margin of 1.07%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($1.33) earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Uber Technologies, Inc. will post 0.41 EPS for the current year. A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Susquehanna lifted their price target on Uber Technologies from $48.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Uber Technologies from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Uber Technologies from $46.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Uber Technologies from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Finally, JMP Securities raised their price objective on Uber Technologies from $55.00 to $57.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Thirty-one research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $56.00. View Our Latest Research Report on UBER Insiders Place Their Bets In other Uber Technologies news, insider Tony West sold 8,334 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.75, for a total transaction of $347,944.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 181,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,571,654.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, insider Tony West sold 8,334 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction on Tuesday, June 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.75, for a total value of $347,944.50. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 181,357 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,571,654.75. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Jill Hazelbaker sold 644 shares of Uber Technologies stock in a transaction on Friday, June 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.00, for a total value of $26,404.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 128,916 shares in the company, valued at $5,285,556. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 325,642 shares of company stock worth $14,830,237 in the last ninety days. 3.84% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Uber Technologies Profile (Free Report) Uber Technologies, Inc develops and operates proprietary technology applications in the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia excluding China and Southeast Asia. It operates through three segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. The Mobility segment connects consumers with a range of transportation modalities, such as ridesharing, carsharing, micromobility, rentals, public transit, taxis, and other modalities; and offers riders in a variety of vehicle types, as well as financial partnerships products and advertising services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding UBER? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Uber Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Uber Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. People walk in a village threatened by unexploded ordnance left by U.S. forces in Farah Province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2023. (Photo by Marshal/Xinhua) FARAH ROD, Afghanistan, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Khudai Rahim, a 54-year-old Afghan, lost two sons in blasts of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in 2021, and his third son was severely injured in a mine blast in 2022 just around their village. "He (The third son) found a mine. It might be a mortar mine, and he played with it. He was a child and didn't know what that was, but the object exploded and badly injured his belly," said Rahim, a resident of Rigretion village in Farah Rod district, Farah Province. The last soldier of the U.S.-led forces left Afghanistan in late August 2021 after 20 years of military occupation, but the UXO left over from the U.S. troops have been and are about to be claiming the lives of Afghans for years or even decades. Sitting beside his dejected son and comforting him, Rahim told Xinhua that he had spent 375,000 afghanis (about 4,500 U.S. dollars) in a hospital for his injured son to recover. According to the aged Rahim, the U.S. forces bombarded Rigretion village four years ago. "The warplanes bombarded the village, they targeted here from the ground and air, and they used any kind of shells," the bereaved man recalled. He could clearly point out the potential spots of the UXO buried around his home. Echoing similar concerns, Samiullah, another 17-year-old Rigretion villager, said that the UXO left by the U.S. forces would continue to threaten the lives of Afghans. "My 15-year-old brother was killed here about one and half months ago," Samiullah muttered with grief. "The Americans bombarded here in the past, but the remaining bombs still claim the lives of children and youngsters...If someone steps on them, he or she would be killed," Samiullah said. Expressing similar fear, Mohammad Ibrahim, 33, a victim of the UXO, said that the bombs had maimed him forever. "About four or five years ago, our village was bombarded, and the bombs exploded. But seven days later, another blast (of the UXO) maimed me, and after 20 days, I recovered consciousness in a hospital in Karachi and saw my hand was cut off," Ibrahim, who lives in Todanak village, said with sorrow. He said he has not received any forms of compensation so far. Afghan land is contaminated with unexploded ordnances, which killed and injured tens of thousands of Afghans, especially children, as they travel and go about their daily chores, according to a report from the "Costs of War" project under Brown University. The International Committee of the Red Cross pointed out that children are the most vulnerable victims of the UXO, noting in its report that 640 children were killed or injured in 541 incidents involving landmine explosions and explosive remnants between January 2022 and June 2023, nearly 60 percent of the total number of civilian casualties of UXO-related explosions. Children can easily regard these unexploded bombs as toys, which would explode while they take them home. In the past, the mines were used to ensure security in areas around the U.S. military bases, where there are are still many residential dwellings in present days. Despite the withdrawal of the U.S. forces, the left-over mines have been killing people nearly every day, said Sadiq Shinwari, an Afghan military expert. A boy is pictured in a village threatened by unexploded ordnance left by U.S. forces in Farah Province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2023. (Photo by Marshal/Xinhua) Children are pictured in a village threatened by unexploded ordnance left by U.S. forces in Farah Province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2023. (Photo by Marshal/Xinhua) A boy shows his belly hurt by a blast of unexploded ordnance left by U.S. forces in Farah Province, Afghanistan, July 26, 2023. (Photo by Marshal/Xinhua) Darktrace (OTC:DRKTF Get Free Report) and TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk and dividends. Profitability This table compares Darktrace and TELUS International (Cda)s net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Darktrace alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Darktrace N/A N/A N/A TELUS International (Cda) 3.85% 14.93% 6.65% Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Darktrace and TELUS International (Cda), as provided by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Darktrace 0 1 6 0 2.86 TELUS International (Cda) 0 7 8 0 2.53 Institutional & Insider Ownership Darktrace presently has a consensus price target of $385.00, suggesting a potential upside of 8,528.42%. TELUS International (Cda) has a consensus price target of $18.60, suggesting a potential upside of 109.93%. Given Darktraces stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts clearly believe Darktrace is more favorable than TELUS International (Cda). 61.3% of TELUS International (Cda) shares are held by institutional investors. 4.8% of TELUS International (Cda) shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Valuation and Earnings This table compares Darktrace and TELUS International (Cda)s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Darktrace N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A TELUS International (Cda) $2.47 billion 0.26 $183.00 million $0.37 23.95 TELUS International (Cda) has higher revenue and earnings than Darktrace. Summary TELUS International (Cda) beats Darktrace on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Darktrace (Get Free Report) Darktrace plc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the development and sale of cyber-threat defense technology solutions in the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, and internationally. Its products include Darktrace PREVENT, an attack surface management that continuously monitors attack surface for risks, high-impact vulnerabilities and external threats; and Darktrace DETECT, which analyzes thousands of metrics to reveal subtle deviations that may signal an evolving threat, including unknown techniques and novel malware, as well as installs in minutes, identifies threats, and avoids disruption. The company's products also include Darktrace RESPOND that works autonomously to disarm attacks whenever they occur and reacts to threats in seconds, as well as works 24/7 as it frees up security teams and resources; and Darktrace HEAL, which enables organizations to restore assets and systems affected by cyber-attacks to trusted operational states through AI assistance, as well as security teams to make quick and confident decisions to keep the business up and running. It serves various areas of public sectors, global enterprises and small-to-midsize businesses, critical infrastructure, and industrial organizations, including technology, governments, global retailers, financial and insurance, healthcare, and telecommunications. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom. About TELUS International (Cda) (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. It also offers IT lifecycle services comprising cloud platform solutions, managed IT services, application development and management, quality assurance and testing, system operations, IT service desk, internet of things, engineering solutions, and enterprise platform services; advisory services consists of digital strategy, CX process consulting, data and customer analytics, workforce management, learning excellence solutions, and business and process transformation; back office and automation solutions, such as robotic process automation, talent acquisition, finance and accounting, and supply chain management; and trust, safety, and security services, including content moderation and social media community management, and fraud prevention and detection. In addition, the company provides AI data solutions comprising data collection and creation, data annotation, data validation and relevance, and linguistic annotation for video, audio, text, image, and geographical data, as well as 3D sensor fusion. It serves technology and gaming, communications and media, ecommerce, financial services and financial technology, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and automotive industries. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. is a subsidiary of TELUS Communications Inc. Receive News & Ratings for Darktrace Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Darktrace and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Rogers Communications Inc. (TSE:RCI.A Get Free Report)s share price passed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$59.96 and traded as low as C$54.41. Rogers Communications shares last traded at C$54.41, with a volume of 210 shares. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Rogers Communications from C$64.00 to C$65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Get Rogers Communications alerts: View Our Latest Report on Rogers Communications Rogers Communications Stock Down 0.9 % About Rogers Communications The firm has a market cap of C$6.05 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 399.46. The business has a fifty day moving average of C$59.73 and a 200 day moving average of C$62.81. (Get Free Report) Rogers Communications Inc operates as a communications and media company in Canada. It operates through three segments: Wireless, Cable, and Media. The Wireless segment offers wireless voice and data communication services to individual consumers, businesses, governments, and other telecommunications service providers; postpaid and prepaid wireless services under the Rogers, Fido, and chatr brands; and wireless devices, services, and applications to consumers and businesses. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Rogers Communications Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Rogers Communications and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. China Construction Bank Co. (OTCMKTS:CICHY Get Free Report) was the target of a large increase in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 47,700 shares, an increase of 751.8% from the July 31st total of 5,600 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 335,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of China Construction Bank from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, August 17th. Get China Construction Bank alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on China Construction Bank China Construction Bank Trading Up 0.3 % China Construction Bank Increases Dividend CICHY traded up $0.03 during trading on Friday, reaching $10.39. 65,879 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 205,038. China Construction Bank has a one year low of $10.01 and a one year high of $14.29. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $11.41 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $12.45. The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 7th were issued a dividend of $0.9255 per share. This is a positive change from China Construction Banks previous dividend of $0.92. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. About China Construction Bank (Get Free Report) China Construction Bank Corporation provides various banking and related financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the People's Republic of China and internationally. It operates through Corporate Finance Business, Personal Finance Business, Treasury and Asset Management Business, and Others segments. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for China Construction Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for China Construction Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Dunelm Group plc (OTCMKTS:DNLMY Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 3,000 shares, an increase of 500.0% from the July 31st total of 500 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.9 days. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth DNLMY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Berenberg Bank raised their price objective on shares of Dunelm Group from GBX 1,330 ($16.97) to GBX 1,340 ($17.10) in a report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of Dunelm Group from GBX 1,313 ($16.75) to GBX 1,310 ($16.71) in a research report on Friday, July 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Dunelm Group from GBX 1,150 ($14.67) to GBX 1,190 ($15.18) in a research report on Wednesday, June 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Dunelm Group from a sector perform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 4th. Get Dunelm Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on DNLMY Dunelm Group Trading Down 2.0 % Dunelm Group Company Profile Shares of DNLMY traded down $0.28 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $14.07. 2,953 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 907. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.18, a quick ratio of 0.26 and a current ratio of 1.06. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $14.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $14.16. Dunelm Group has a 52-week low of $8.00 and a 52-week high of $15.55. (Get Free Report) Dunelm Group plc retails homewares in the United Kingdom. The company offers furniture and beds products, which include bedroom, living room, dining room, and other furniture, as well as bed and mattresses, and sofas and chairs; bedding products comprising bed linen, dorma, baby and kid's bedding, and duvets, pillows and protectors; curtains and rugs; and venetian, roller, roman, vertical, and made to measure blinds. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Dunelm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dunelm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk (OTCMKTS:UNLRY Get Free Report) saw a significant increase in short interest in the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 300 shares, an increase of 200.0% from the July 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.0 days. PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk Stock Performance UNLRY stock remained flat at $4.90 during trading on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $5.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $5.74. PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk has a 12-month low of $4.90 and a 12-month high of $6.66. Get PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk alerts: PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 4th. Investors of record on Friday, July 7th were issued a $0.0664 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, July 6th. This is an increase from PT Unilever Indonesia Tbks previous dividend of $0.06. PT Unilever Indonesia Tbks dividend payout ratio is presently 73.15%. About PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk manufactures, markets, and distributes consumer goods in Indonesia. It offers soaps, detergents, dairy based foods, ice creams, savories, soy sauce, cosmetic products, tea-based beverages, and fruit juices. The company provides its products under the Axe, Bango, Buavita, Cif, Citra, Clear, Clear Men, Close Up, Cornetto, Dove, Feast, Feast, Glow & Lovely, Hellmann's, Jawara, Knorr, Lifebuoy, Lipton, Love Beauty & Planet, Lux, Magnum, Molto, Paddle Pop, Pepsodent, Pond's, Pond's Men, Populaire, Rexona, Rinso, Royco, SariWangi, Seru, Simple, St. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc. trimmed its position in Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Free Report) by 43.0% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,284 shares of the industrial products companys stock after selling 6,239 shares during the quarter. Summit Wealth & Retirement Planning Inc.s holdings in Ingersoll Rand were worth $482,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in IR. FMR LLC increased its holdings in Ingersoll Rand by 71.6% in the 1st quarter. FMR LLC now owns 16,935,257 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $985,293,000 after acquiring an additional 7,066,175 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand in the 4th quarter worth approximately $187,291,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 65.4% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,701,832 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $245,671,000 after purchasing an additional 1,858,698 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 30,462,884 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,591,686,000 after purchasing an additional 1,651,634 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Ingersoll Rand by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,054,298 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,218,134,000 after purchasing an additional 823,749 shares during the period. 94.73% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have weighed in on IR shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $65.00 to $71.00 in a research note on Monday, July 10th. Barclays upped their price target on Ingersoll Rand from $70.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $70.00 to $73.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Ingersoll Rand from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $69.36. Ingersoll Rand Trading Up 1.0 % IR traded up $0.66 during trading on Friday, reaching $68.90. The company had a trading volume of 2,648,248 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,357,444. The stock has a market cap of $27.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 40.06, a PEG ratio of 2.09 and a beta of 1.44. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $65.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $60.49. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 52 week low of $42.20 and a 52 week high of $69.31. The company has a quick ratio of 1.62, a current ratio of 2.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28. Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 2nd. The industrial products company reported $0.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.54 by $0.11. Ingersoll Rand had a return on equity of 11.20% and a net margin of 10.89%. The company had revenue of $1.69 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.58 billion. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ingersoll Rand Inc. will post 2.63 EPS for the current fiscal year. Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 23rd will be paid a $0.02 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, August 22nd. This represents a $0.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.12%. Ingersoll Rands payout ratio is 4.65%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Ingersoll Rand news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 27,169 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total value of $1,765,985.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 73,877 shares in the company, valued at $4,802,005. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, insider Vicente Reynal sold 27,169 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, June 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total transaction of $1,765,985.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 73,877 shares in the company, valued at $4,802,005. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Kathleen M. Keene sold 4,003 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.50, for a total value of $250,187.50. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 1,879 shares in the company, valued at approximately $117,437.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 58,659 shares of company stock worth $3,685,458 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.83% of the companys stock. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Free Report) Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, fluid, energy, specialty vehicle, and medical technologies in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Taylor Wimpey plc (OTCMKTS:TWODY Get Free Report) was the target of a large growth in short interest during the month of August. As of August 15th, there was short interest totalling 1,300 shares, a growth of 1,200.0% from the July 31st total of 100 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 900 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.4 days. Taylor Wimpey Stock Performance TWODY stock remained flat at $14.05 during mid-day trading on Friday. The companys stock had a trading volume of 237 shares, compared to its average volume of 454. Taylor Wimpey has a fifty-two week low of $9.17 and a fifty-two week high of $16.91. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $14.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $14.55. Get Taylor Wimpey alerts: About Taylor Wimpey (Get Free Report) Featured Stories Taylor Wimpey plc operates a residential developer in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities. Taylor Wimpey plc was incorporated in 1935 and is based in High Wycombe, the United Kingdom. Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Wimpey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Wimpey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. XPS Pensions Group plc (LON:XPS Get Free Report)s stock price passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 184.86 ($2.36) and traded as high as GBX 189.50 ($2.42). XPS Pensions Group shares last traded at GBX 183.50 ($2.34), with a volume of 1,075,692 shares traded. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research note on Monday, July 3rd. Numis Securities raised their price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group from GBX 205 ($2.62) to GBX 210 ($2.68) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a buy rating and set a GBX 216 ($2.76) price objective on shares of XPS Pensions Group in a research report on Thursday, May 25th. Get XPS Pensions Group alerts: View Our Latest Stock Report on XPS XPS Pensions Group Trading Up 1.9 % XPS Pensions Group Increases Dividend The businesss 50-day simple moving average is GBX 185.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 170.35. The company has a quick ratio of 1.51, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 51.74. The firm has a market capitalization of 387.91 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2,671.43 and a beta of 0.46. The company also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 21st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, August 24th will be paid a dividend of GBX 5.70 ($0.07) per share. This represents a yield of 3.34%. This is a boost from XPS Pensions Groups previous dividend of $2.70. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 24th. XPS Pensions Groups dividend payout ratio is 11,428.57%. Insider Transactions at XPS Pensions Group In other news, insider Ben Bramhall sold 1,000,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 186 ($2.37), for a total transaction of 1,860,000 ($2,373,054.35). Company insiders own 14.55% of the companys stock. About XPS Pensions Group (Get Free Report) XPS Pensions Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides employee benefit consultancy and related business services in the United Kingdom. The company offers advisory services to pension schemes and corporate sponsors; independent investment advisory services; DB and DC master trust schemes; and self-invested personal pension (SIPP) and SSAS pension services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for XPS Pensions Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for XPS Pensions Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ST. PETERSBURG, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia's quarantine agency has tightened quality control on seafood imported from Japan after the start of discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. In a news release issued on Thursday, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision said that Russia shares the concerns of many countries regarding the impact of nuclear-contaminated wastewater discharge on food safety, thus the agency introduces a regime of enhanced control on radiological parameters of fish and seafood imported from Japan. "If an excess of radioactive material is detected, restrictive measures will be taken in relation to the supply of such goods from Japan," the agency said. Despite widespread denunciation at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. My Lady says: It comes with the territory. Well, we just completed our Bar Exam at the Gambia Law School. I must confess the past three weeks were like hellfire. The learning philia was on the high in the first week and diminished in the second week. Even before that, the Bar course became so intense that man got exhausted at a point. It got to a point where I had to ask myself what it profits a man to go through all this. The exam period was like a sprint. Daily exam and man had no option but to sleep for just 2 hours. Every subject matters! But for the Ghanaian students, we had to deal with the course pressure and the economic situation in Ghana. It is suicidal to think that the foreign students are all coming from rich homes. One told me that he came with the faith that Abraham had in the Bible. Many such students came with Abrahamic faith. They had to battle with their school fees of 8,000 dollars; the bad economic situation in Ghana, and the Gambia living expenses. A well-furnished accommodation with an internet facility in the Gambia has to cost you about 250 dollars per month for the duration of the program. You will also have to take your transportation, feeding, and many other things into consideration. As you go through this financial crisis, there is also the course pressure to deal with. In my case, I paid 450 dollars per month for ten months(4,500$). I also budgeted (4,000 $ ) for feeding, cash power(482$), and transportation (576 $) for nine months. Hence, the total cost is 17,558 $. This is minus the flight fares. Legal education is an expensive venture that needs proper planning. The mental aspect coupled with stress is not childs play. Do we need a counseling unit at the Law School? I think so. Though, let me borrow the words of our advocacy facilitator: It comes with the territory. This means you should expect all the nitty-gritty in the legal profession. Though it comes with the territory as My Lady will say, I believe that our mental health matters. It was pathetic and sad when one of my colleagues had to collapse after one of the papers. I feel it makes sense to examine the mental health toll on law students. Unfortunately, law student mental health statistics paint a somber picture after I conducted a scooping review in this area. Statistically, many law students are at risk of suffering from mental health, especially during the Bar exam. I realized that due to mental health issues, students are always happy when a lecturer decides for some reason to cancel or postpone lectures. Besides, so much to consume to become a lawyer in a short month. So in this article, I examine law student mental health statistics that highlight the extent of the problem. As with lawyers, law students can better manage their mental health with the right strategies and support. Depression in the legal profession. One study by the Dave Nee Foundation, reports that the rates of depression among law students increase progressively throughout law school. In this article, I highlight some of the statistics: The first is that before entering law school, depression rates among law students are 8-9%. Those rates increase to 27% after one semester, 34% after two semesters, and 40% after three years. Why is this so? Mike Robinson, (2022) explained this trend. According to him, it has to do with class rankings and examination as the only yardstick to be called to the Bar. He posits that this creates a Darwinian environment of constant competition. In addition, many elements of law school differ from the typical undergraduate experience, such as public speaking, the Socratic teaching method, and a unique style of writing and analysis. All of this adds up to psychological distress, which often includes depression. This tendency toward depression appears to follow many graduates into their practice years. Lawyers are the most frequently depressed occupational group in the U.S., and they are 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression than non-attorneys. To solve this problem, the legal industry needs to start with the initial training grounds of legal education. An initial step for law students is to recognize the signs of depression, which share much in common with the signs of lawyer depression. These include both emotional symptoms, such as a lack of joy and a sense of emptiness, and physical symptoms, such as insomnia and chronic fatigue. They can also look to mental health resources such as those provided by the American Bar Association (ABA) for Law Students. The second study revealed that 96% of law students suffer from significant stress, compared to 70% of medical students and 43% of graduate students overall. This study is ridiculous at the Bar training level. This justifies my stance that mental health should be taken seriously in African law schools. Specifically, 96% of law students suffer from significant stress, compared to only 70% of medical students and 43% of graduate students in all fields. Even worse, stress and anxiety continue to affect attorneys throughout their working years. A study by Krill and Anker(2020) found that roughly half of practicing lawyers are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Both law students and lawyers require methods of managing stress. While lawyers may be able to save time and minimize stress with the use of technology, students will likely need other strategies. The study further notes that over half of the lawyers screened positive for risky drinking, and 30% screened for high-risk hazardous drinking (which is interpreted as alcohol abuse or possible dependence). Also, women are experiencing meaningfully worse mental health than men and are drinking more hazardously. Considering the higher rates of mental health distress experienced by female lawyers, an expected but troubling result is that 1 in 4 women is contemplating leaving the legal profession due to mental health problems, burnout, or stress. 17% of male attorneys report the same thoughts. Wow! The third statistic for discussion also reported that 42% of law students in a 2016 study conducted by LawyerWellBeing.net, felt they needed mental health counseling, but only half sought it out. Also, nearly 25% of students exhibited behaviors of a drinking problem, but only 4% of those students sought treatment. Additionally, in a previous study, the ABA (2015) virtually screened approximately 4,000 students at 84 law schools across the country in the US to examine their mental health. The findings revealed: 76% of the screened students demonstrated symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder; 71% of the students showed signs of depression; 43% exhibited symptoms connected to bipolar disorder; and 23% demonstrated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Also, the Harvard Law School gained substantial publicity as student leaders pushed the administration to take a closer look at student mental health. A survey of 886 students revealed: 25% of respondents reported suffering from depression; 24% of students suffered from anxiety; 20% of students reported a heightened risk of suicide; 66% of students said their mental health ailments started as a result of law school; and Only 8% of students said they would feel comfortable discussing their mental health with a faculty member. Harvards student body heavily promoted the results of their study and offered a call to action among Harvard Laws administration and the legal community nationwide. In addition to urging Harvard to reveal the full report of the study and hire full-time therapists, the students draw attention to the questionable practice of the National Council of Bar Examiners (NCBE). The NCBE allows states to require a character and health assessment that could reveal whether or not a student has had a mental health diagnosis. Though the US Justice Department restricted detailed mental health reports in 2013, some states are believed to consider mental health assessments before administering law licenses. This means mental health programs should be addressed in our law schools in Africa. Also, 6% of law students reported suicidal thoughts in the prior year. This is interesting. However, some of these issues could also be plugged into family issues. I noticed some of the students at the law school were facing some of them when you engaged them. Suicidal ideation is one of the most dangerous aspects of poor mental health. The American Bar Associations same study on law students well-being in 2014 found that 21% of students reported serious thoughts of suicide in their lifetimes, with 6% reporting suicidal thoughts in the previous year. As with other mental health issues, this tendency toward suicidal ideation spills into the legal profession as a whole. Among the occupations with the highest rates of suicide, attorneys rank 5th. The trend toward suicidal ideation needs to be addressed at the law school level. Finally, 20-40% of law students have a psychological dysfunction after law school. So how do we deal with these mental health issues in law students at the Bar school? Let us debate and propose a call to action to be addressed to improve the quality of life of law students. Professor Raphael Nyarkotey Obu is a full Professor of Holistic Medicine. President, Nyarkotey University College of Holistic Medicine & Technology, Ghana. He recently took the Bar Exams at the Gambia Law School, Banjul. This article's aim is to create mental health awareness in Bar students and to make a call to Action. Womens affairs ministers from Commonwealth countries, including representatives from Nigeria, have committed to a roadmap yesterday, designed to scale up efforts to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls, especially in climate action. The roadmap was the result of three-day deliberations among ministers at their triennial Commonwealth meeting in The Bahamas this week. It was also shaped by input from a range of stakeholders, including domestic violence survivors, civil society representatives and women with disabilities. As part of this roadmap, womens affairs ministers pledged to enhance efforts to address inequality in several Commonwealth priority areas over the coming years. Specific provisions include an enhanced role of women in climate finance, increased support for women with disabilities, more economic opportunities for women, better representation in decision-making and greater protections from gender-based violence. The roadmap encapsulates the outcome statement issued by ministers, representing 2.5 billion Commonwealth people, at the conclusion of their meeting on 23 August 2023. Next year, this roadmap will be considered by leaders at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa. Speaking after the meeting, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said the roadmap was incredibly important because millions of women and girls are disproportionately impacted by injustice, climate change, violence and discrimination. She continued: The outcomes of the meeting send a clear message that the Commonwealth is determined to lead by example towards ensuring women and girls are not left behind in our efforts to achieve sustainable development and climate justice. What we achieved here will enable us all to deliver today and it will help to shape a better tomorrow for the benefit of the 2.5 billion people living in our Commonwealth. To support the roadmaps implementation, ministers endorsed a framework for reporting on Commonwealth priorities for gender equality. The Commonwealth Secretariat will use this framework to regularly assess progress based on set indicators and coordinate necessary measures through a ministerial action group, aimed at tackling challenges disrupting the positive momentum. Acknowledging that climate change disproportionately affects women and girls, ministers shared good practices that supported women and girls in overcoming the impacts in their respective countries. Ministers and senior officials also called on the Commonwealth to advocate for an inclusive Loss and Damage Fund that supports the needs of women and girls equitably. The meeting was chaired by Hon Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Social Services and Urban Development of The Bahamas. Reflecting on the meeting in a press conference, Minster Wilchcombe expressed his appreciation for the substantive outcomes. He said: We have a roadmap coming out of this meeting which we [The Bahamas] and other countries will follow. Because it would not make too much sense three years from now to return saying the same old thing. What we want to do is to make a real difference. We are pleased that this meeting sets us up on a higher plane and at a faster pace to follow this roadmap. Recognising the significance of engaging men and boys in preventing and combating gender-based violence, ministers welcomed the launch of Secretary-General Patricia Scotlands For the Women in my Life campaign. To be rolled out across the Commonwealth, the campaign will take a culturally sensitive approach towards involving men and boys in addressing violence against women and girls as active allies. In their statement, ministers also highlighted the need for collecting and analysing sex-disaggregated data in order to develop evidence-based solutions and target them more accurately. The Commonwealth Womens Affairs Ministers Meeting was hosted by the Government of The Bahamas from 21 to 23 August 2023 in the capital, Nassau. Read: Commonwealth Womens Affairs Ministers Meeting Outcome Statement The Organised Private Sector is worried over possible jobs losses as the countrys economy slows in the second quarter of 2023. According to the Nigerias Gross Domestic Product data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday, the economy slowed to 2.51 per cent (year-on-year) in real terms in Q2 2023, compared to 3.54 per cent growth rate recorded in the corresponding period of last year. NBS noted that the performance of the GDP in the second quarter of 2023 was driven mainly by the services sector, which recorded a growth of 4.42 per cent and contributed 58.42 per cent to the aggregate GDP. It said, The growth of the industry sector was -1.94 per cent relative to -2.30 per cent recorded in the second quarter of 2022. In terms of share to the GDP, agriculture, and the industry sectors contributed less to the aggregate GDP in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the second quarter of 2022." Noting the quarter under review, aggregate GDP stood at N52.1tn in nominal terms, higher when compared to the second quarter of 2022, recording aggregate GDP of N45tn, which indicated a year-on-year nominal growth of 15.77 per cent. The GDP growth in the second quarter expressed a slight improvement from Q1, which recorded a growth of 2.31 per cent. Earlier this week, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, in its Manufacturers CEOs Confidence Index, disclosed that the manufacturers were forced to cut jobs due to the current harsh economic environment. During an exclusive interview with a correspondent, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Francis Meshioye, expressed worry that manufacturers were beginning to downsize, while others were divesting away from Nigeria. The National Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialists, Segun Kuti-George, also expressed the decline in economic growth could trigger job losses due to the decrease in productivity. "If the GDP decreases, it can trigger job losses. It means that our output is on the decline. It means there is reduced productivity," he said. While speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, Musa Yusuf, also noted that the recent economic reforms in the country set off shocks that impacted the GDP growth negatively. According to Yusuf, It is going to be difficult because nobody foresaw that the economic reforms will hit the economy so badly. It turned out to be a major shock, which has affected practically all sectors of the economy. The economy is still struggling to recover from the shock of the reforms. There is no denying the fact that the fight against corruption has from one political dispensation to another remained a topic of relevance for Nigerians, the government and its anti-corruption agencies and security personnel, as intolerance and aversion for it have continued to be deep-rooted. Without a doubt, corruption has remained a major hindrance to Nigerias development, despite efforts made by successive regimes to combat it. In the absence of institutionalized anti-corruption agencies during military rule, military decrees were used in the fight against corruption. However, the return to civil rule in Nigeria in 1999 has ushered in a new chapter as the National Assembly constitutionally and legally backed the establishment of anti-corruption agencies. For instance, upon assumption of office in 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo moved to combat corruption in line with international standards as his administration established the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in 2000 and subsequently the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2004. Despite progress been recorded collectively by both agencies, it is germane to opine in this context that the anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria is plagued with a number of obstacles which undermines the effectiveness and efficacy of the agencies. Given the foregoing actuality, not a few Nigerians are brooding over the trajectory which President Bola Ahmed Tinubus fight against corruption is following. The reason for their rumination cannot be farfetched as people are whispering in hush-hush tones amidst the allegation that the arrests of Emefiele and Bawa were politically stirred, particularly in the case of Emefiele who is widely known to been victimized as a result of his pragmatic move phase out the old naira notes with new notes ostensibly to prevent Tinubu from bribing the electorates during the immediate past presidential election in which he participated in. The reason for the foregoing seeming conspiracy theory cannot be farfetched as Tinubu few days after assuming office on Monday, May 29, 2023, went after the now suspended Mr. Godwin Ifeanyi Emefiele, and in a similar vein suspended Abdulrasheed Bawa as chairman of the EFCC over some hazy allegations. In fact, since the duo were respectively suspended and detained, not a few Nigerians are alleging that Tinubus fight against corruption is taking a new dimension, particularly as a school of thought has it that they were been politically victimized. Without resorting to campaign of calumny, not a few Nigerians are worried that the fight against corruption embarked on by President Tinubu can best be said to be selectively implemented. Particularly as some of the politicians in his government, and considered to be close friends are not been prosecuted even as some of them were cleared and ostensibly exonerated for political appointments. Given the foregoing perceived injustice and unfairness, there is the widely-held opinion that the ongoing that couldnt have been happening under Tinubus watchful eyes as he is reputed to be averse to such oppressive and undemocratic conducts. Worrisome enough is the fight against corruption in this context is not been fought with modicum of objectivity and driven by clear evidence that can pass muster in court. To this end, it expedient to urge the President to ensure that those facing corruption-related charges under his administration, particularly Emefiele and Bawa, are givenfair trials and, if found guilty, should be convicted within the prism of extant laws. In fact, President Bola Tinubu should strive as much as possible to ensure that the issue of the fight against corruption is not personalized. The reason for the foregoing advice cannot be farfetched as not a few people are conjecturing that Tinubu should not personalize and weaponize the war on corruption against his political opponents and the people he does not like, as by refraining from such act, he would be protecting the corrupt who are his political allies. Rather, he is being encouraged to revitalize the fight against corruption by operationalizing institution involved in the fight against graft, and ensuring autonomy when it comes to funding. Not only that, the barometer of public opinion is of the view that the president should ensure that the judiciary is clearly separated from the executive. The people are unarguably unanimous in their views that the closeness between the judiciary and the executive in his administration is too close for comfort. Happenings that characterize the recent screening of ministers clearly buttresses the fact. Given the foregoing, it is expedient to remind Mr. President that he has for the umpteenth time assured Nigerians who are directly bearing the brunt of corruption and the international communities who may be willing to invest in the country that he will kill corruption. In fact, Tinubu has promised to kill corruption, particularly as he described it as one of the main goals of his administration, and on that note rightly solicited for the cooperation of all Nigerians to achieve this lofty ideal. According to him, My own is not identity politics. Its not hunger or poverty politics. I have followed a man who has integrity, character and courage to say Nigerians we need to change and change we have to. Change our mindset, kill corruption in our society. While applauding the President for his resolve to kill corruption, it is expedient to remind him that he has at different times pledged to kill the menace, especially at different electioneering events that preceded the last presidential election in which he participated in. Again, it is equally expedient to urge him not to toe the footsteps of his predecessor, former president Muhammadu Buhari who made the same pledge in 2015 before he was elected. Not only that, their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) made a singsong of their capacity to kill corruption. One of them said: If Nigeria doesnt kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria, even as Buhari was touted to be a man of integrity, and Nigerians were promised that under his watch, corruption would become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, corruption has not being killed. Despite promises made by the immediate past president that corruption would be killed, it is literarily expedient to say that it has not being killed, and that it now walks in and out of virtually all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) under the management of the Federal and State governments so much that it would be okay if Tinubu can kill it as promised. Indonesian trawlers seized off Phuket PHUKET: The 29 crew members on board two Indonesian trawlers have been detained after their fishing boats were seized by the Royal Thai Navy early yesterday morning (Aug 25). militarymarinenatural-resources By The Phuket News Saturday 26 August 2023 04:04 PM The Phuket Fishing Vessel Notification Center first received a report of the two vessels at about 1:40pm on Wednesday (Aug 23), reported the THAI-MECC 3 (Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Center Region 3) unit stationed at the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command base at Cape Panwa. The two fishing boats were reported seen just over 100km southwest of the southern tip of Phuket. A Navy helicopter was dispatched to confirm the sighting, with Navy boats Tor 111 and Tor 272 sent to patrol the area. After the Navy helicopter confirmed the location of the two fishing boats at about 2pm on Thursday, Navy boats Tor 111 and Tor 272 moved to intercept. The two Indonesian fishing vessels were finally seized at about 6am yesterday (Aug 25), THAI-MECC 3 reported. The two boats and their 29 crewmen were brought back to the main pier in Ratsada. The 29 crewmen were first questioned, then taken to Chalong Police Station to face charges, THAI-MECC 3 confirmed. Phuket Peranakan Festival earns Creative Excellence Award PHUKET: Organisers of the inaugural Phuket Peranakan Festival have been honored with the Creative Excellence Award from the Creative Economy Agency (CEA) of Thailand. Held in June this year, the festival became the first tourist-oriented event aimed at introducing Phukets rich Chinese heritage to a broad audience of Thai and international visitors. cultureChinesetourism By The Phuket News Saturday 26 August 2023 09:00 AM Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: Phuket Peranakan Festival / Facebook Held in June, the first Phuket Peranakan Festival put the islands unique heritage on show. Photo: PPAO Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew, President of the Phuket Administrative Organization (PPAO) Rewat Areerob, and representatives of the Peranakan Association of Thailand participated in a ceremony at Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok on Thursday (Aug 24) to receive the Creative Excellence Award from Supattanapong Punmeechaow, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy of Thailand. The achievement stems from the success of the Phuket Peranakan Festival 2023 held in June. The festival drew over 1,000 participants who joined the vibrant Extravaganza Carnival, a street parade held in the historic area of Phuket Old Town as the Phuket Peranakan Festivals main event. The Phuket Peranakan Festival garnered significant attention in online media and brought pride to the people of Phuket, as stated in a report published yesterday (Aug 25) by the PPAO. This festival played a significant role in promoting sustainable tourism, focusing on engaging local Phuket residents, Thai and foreign tourists alike in a colorful event that included wearing traditional attire. This approach expanded the festivals influence and aimed to establish it as an annual international arts and culture event, as stated by the PPAO. Mr Rewat expressed gratitude to Phukets residents, the Governor of Phuket, the Thai Womens Association (represented by Anchalee Wanichthepbutr), and the Peranakan Association (led by Dr. Kosol Taeng-Uthai). Their strong support greatly contributed to the events impressive success, Mr Rewat stressed. The evaluation process for the prestigious Creative Excellence Awards involved the use of the Mandala AI tool, a powerful resource for collecting, analyzing, and processing insights from extensive online data. KIEV, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Three pilots were killed after two L-39 military trainer jets collided in the sky over Ukraine's northern Zhytomyr region, the country's Air Force said Saturday in a statement on Telegram. The crash took place on Friday, when two aircraft were performing a combat task, the statement said. The regional prosecutor's office launched criminal proceedings into the crash on charges of violation of flight rules, said the Prosecutor General's Office. An investigation into the collision is underway. An adolescent girl died of dengue on Friday at the staterun R G Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata. Family members of the deceased and local residents accused the local Habra Municipality for its failure to take adequate measures to prevent dengue caused by mosquito bites in the municipal area after her death. They also alleged that the government hospital does not have infrastructure and enough staff to treat critically ill dengue-infected patients. The deceased Debjani Das was a student of Class-VI at Habra Girls High School. She had fever on and from 11 August and was taken to a local physician, who advised her for dengue confirmatory serological test. The test report showed her dengue positive and she was admitted to the Habra State General Hospital. She was recovering gradually but her temperature shot up suddenly with vomiting. According to her family sources, one doctor attending to her administered two injections on her considering her deteriorating condition with high fever and vomiting. Advertisement But her condition deteriorated fast and the doctor advised her family to take her to a hospital in Kolkata. On the way to Kolkata the patient was taken to the government Barasat Medical College Hospital on 18 August for emergency treatment for several hours because of her deteriorating condition. But she was denied admission there because of non-availability of bed and shifted to another state government hospital RG Kar Medical College where she died on Sunday. Ill-equipped Habra State General Hospital could not save my daughter. The doctors could not take proper treatment for her. Most of the residents in our area are suffering from dengue-like symptoms of fever, pain on joints, vomiting but the municipal authorities have failed to take preventive measures like cleaning of blocked sewerage system, garbage, stagnant water and spraying mosquito repellents, one member of the deceaseds family alleged. On Wednesday, a 13-yearold boy from New Alipores Sahapur Colony died of dengue in the city. Srijan Bose was first admitted to a hospital near Minto Park and shifted to a premier private hospital along EM Bypass on Tuesday. More than 700 dengue cases have been reported in the city since January this year. A number of people, including children, have died of the mosquito-borne disease The state government will hold a meeting at Nabanna Sabhaghar to discuss the Foundation Day of West Bengal. Never in the past the states Foundation Day was celebrated during the Congress regime from 1947 to 1977 including 1965 and 1969. Even during the Left Front regime from 1977 to 2011, the Foundation Day was never celebrated. The Centre had decided to celebrate the Foundation Day on 20 June and despite objection from chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the saffron party observed it at Raj Bhavan. No history book mentions the Foundation Day of West Bengal. On 20 June, 1947, 81 members of the Legislative Council met to decide whether a united Bengal should be a separate country, a proposal floated by Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sarat Chandra Bose. Of the 81 legislators, 58 Congress councillors voted against the proposal and one Congress legislator abstained. Two independent legislators also abstained from voting. Two Communist legislators Jyoti Basu and Ratanlal Bramhin voted against the proposal along with three legislators from Jan Sangh. After the meeting, Syamaprasad Mookerjee went to Gandhiji at Sodepur and requested him not to support the united Bengal proposal, as a double assurance. Later, Nehru and Patel also rejected it. BJP is trying to highlight the event and wants to celebrate the day as the Foundation Day of Bengal. Advertisement In yet another trouble for Broker Network (operated by 4B Networks) founder Rahul Yadav, co-working company Innov8 has reportedly gone into arbitration with him over unpaid dues amounting to Rs 1.08 crore, a media outlet reported on Friday. 4B Networks rented out an Innov8 office space in Mumbai, but did not pay rent amounting to Rs 1.08 crore, reports Money Control, citing sources. 4B Networks reportedly did not give notice to Innov8 and packed up the office and left one day. Advertisement The case has been filed by Innov8 under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act after its attempts to resolve the issue failed, the report mentioned. The two companies are in arbitration under the aegis of Delhi High Court. Earlier, a vendor of Broker Network filed an FIR against him for alleged fraud and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has issued a lookout circular for Yadav, and his bank accounts have also reportedly been frozen. The charges are under Sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR was lodged by one of the aggrieved parties, Vikas Omprakash Nowal, co-founder of advertising agency Interspace Communication Pvt. Ltd., naming the accused Rahul Yadav and Sanjay Sukhdeo Saini and their company 4B Networks Pvt Ltd. According to the FIR, Interspace put up a total of 83 advertisement hoardings at different places in Pune for a 4B Networks campaign. Interspace also generated 14 invoices for the work and sent them to the company but the full payment was not made. Yadav, who founded Housing.com. has denied all allegations related to any wrongdoing at the company. He is also currently in arbitration with the backer of his startup, Info Edge. Allcheckdeals India Private Limited (AIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Info Edge, invested Rs 276 crore in Yadavs 4B Networks and provided debt financing of Rs 12 crore. After Info Edge wrote down its entire investment of Rs 288 crore in the Yadav-led startup, it initiated a forensic audit into the prop-tech startup in which it holds a stake, as Yadav repeatedly failed to provide the information. New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS) In yet another trouble for Broker Network (operated by 4B Networks) founder Rahul Yadav, co-working company Innov8 has reportedly gone into arbitration with him over unpaid dues amounting to Rs 1.08 crore, a media outlet reported on Friday. 4B Networks rented out an Innov8 office space in Mumbai, but did not pay rent amounting to Rs 1.08 crore, reports Money Control, citing sources. 4B Networks reportedly did not give notice to Innov8 and packed up the office and left one day. The case has been filed by Innov8 under Section 11 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act after its attempts to resolve the issue failed, the report mentioned. The two companies are in arbitration under the aegis of Delhi High Court. Earlier, a vendor of Broker Network filed an FIR against him for alleged fraud and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai Police has issued a lookout circular for Yadav, and his bank accounts have also reportedly been frozen. The charges are under Sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 409 (Criminal breach of trust), 420 (Cheating) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR was lodged by one of the aggrieved parties, Vikas Omprakash Nowal, co-founder of advertising agency Interspace Communication Pvt. Ltd., naming the accused Rahul Yadav and Sanjay Sukhdeo Saini and their company 4B Networks Pvt Ltd. According to the FIR, Interspace put up a total of 83 advertisement hoardings at different places in Pune for a 4B Networks campaign. Interspace also generated 14 invoices for the work and sent them to the company but the full payment was not made. Yadav, who founded Housing.com. has denied all allegations related to any wrongdoing at the company. He is also currently in arbitration with the backer of his startup, Info Edge. Allcheckdeals India Private Limited (AIPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Info Edge, invested Rs 276 crore in Yadavs 4B Networks and provided debt financing of Rs 12 crore. After Info Edge wrote down its entire investment of Rs 288 crore in the Yadav-led startup, it initiated a forensic audit into the prop-tech startup in which it holds a stake, as Yadav repeatedly failed to provide the information. Today, the two-day Korean Festival concluded, graced by Korean diplomats and actress Anushka Sen, who also serves as the brand ambassador for Korean tourism, at Ambience Mall, Gurugram. The event was organized by the Korean Tourism Organization and saw the presence of Korean delegates, along with their families. Collectively, we have woven memories that surpass borders and time, nurturing a shared admiration for the beauty and diversity inherent in our two nations, expressed Mr. Myongkil Yun, Regional Director-India & SAARC at the Korea Tourism Organization. He noted that the echoes of this festival would strengthen the bonds of friendship between India and Korea. Ambassador Chang Jae-bok of the Republic of Korea in India expressed gratitude to the Indian government and celebrated the 50-year milestone of diplomatic relations. Jae-bok highlighted Koreans fondness for Indian culture, mentioning Shah Rukh Khan and the enchanting melody of Naatu Naatu. Advertisement As the brand ambassador, Anushka shared captivating travel stories. She offered insights into her exploration of Korean culture and attractions. This further deepened the cultural connections between India and Korea. The event provided a glimpse of Korean culture through stalls featuring tourism, beauty products, and food. The esteemed Taewoncre group showcased Taekwondo, a Korean martial art. The Korean festival kicked off with captivating K Performances, including breathtaking displays of B-Boying by ONEWAY CREW. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday released the two-volume book Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas compiled from motivational speeches and addresses of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his second term from June 2020 to May 2021 and June 2021 to May 2022. The book was released at the Kushabhav Thakre International Convention Centre in Bhopal. The two-volume book has been compiled by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In his address, Mr Thakur said that the Prime Ministers addresses have consistently served as a source of inspiration. Each one of his motivational speeches contains valuable lessons to be learned. It has been challenging to select speeches to compile the book due to the abundance of insightful content, he said. Advertisement The Minister said that 86 inspirational speeches have been included in one section of this book and 80 inspirational speeches in the other section. Selected speeches of Mr Modi have been compiled on many important topics. The motivational speeches included the Prime Ministers addresses to common citizens on topics like Start-up India, Good Governance, Women Empowerment, Nation Power, Self-reliant India, and Jai Vigyan, Jai Kisan. The Minister urged youth and researchers that they must read this book. There is a lot to gather and learn from them. Mr Thakur commended the remarkable achievement of the successful landing of the Vikram Lander on the Moons South Pole for the first time, marking Indias endeavor in this significant feat. Referring to apps like UPI and BHIM app, the Union Minister said that in the world of digital payments, now 46 per cent, the maximum, transactions take place in India. He noted that compared to earlier, over 45 crore bank accounts have been opened, with amounts now efficiently reaching beneficiaries through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Highlighting the pivotal role of youth, Mr Thakur said that the youth of India have now become job givers. India has more than one lakh start-ups in comparison to the world. Mr Thakur said that the cheapest data in the world is now available in India. The nation has made its own 5G technology and is going to make 6G technology in future. In the 75th year of Amrit Mahotsav, India has become the fifth largest economy in the world. Lauding the progress made by Madhya Pradesh, Mr Thakur expressed that earlier Madhya Pradesh was called Bimaru, but after the formation of the new government, the state has emerged as one of the leading and progressive states in the country. He said that education in mother tongue has progressed a lot and Madhya Pradesh has its syllabus for medical studies in Hindi. The Minister said that the Seekho Kamao Yojana is a unique scheme and more than 86,000 registrations have been done so far. Madhya Pradesh had successfully organized the Khelo India Youth Games. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appealed to the youth to read the book. This is a priceless treasure and pearls of wisdom will be found in it, he said. He noted that the Prime Ministers Mann Ki Baat is a voice of common citizens offering a platform to address pressing social issues. It is a wonderful initiative carrying within it the very essence of inspiration from the Prime Minister. Mr Thakur inaugurated a multi-media exhibition organized by the Central Bureau of Communication on Naya Bharat: Sashakta Bharat along with 9 Years: Seva, Sushasan aur Garib Kalyan. I&B Joint Secretary Vikram Sahay, Khajuraho MP V D Sharma and Director General, Publications Division Ms Anupama Bhatnagar were present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday commended the G20 Culture Ministers efforts to launch the Culture Unites All campaign and said their work will enable harnessing the power of culture to build a compassionate, inclusive and peaceful future. He was addressing the G20 Culture Ministers Meeting in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, via video link. The Prime Minister said culture has an inherent potential to unite. It enables us to understand diverse backgrounds and perspectives. And therefore, your work holds immense significance for the entire humanity, he said. Advertisement Mr Modi said the G20 campaign on culture encapsulates the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam One Earth, One Family, One Future. He said Culture Ministers are playing a pivotal role to shape a G20 Action Plan with tangible outcomes. Your work reflects the importance of the four Cs Culture, Creativity, Commerce and Collaboration, he said. The Prime Minister said Kashi (Varanasi), the venue of the G20 Ministers meeting, is not just the worlds oldest living city. It is indeed the cultural and spiritual capital of India. India is very proud of our eternal and diverse culture. We also attach great value to our Intangible Cultural Heritage, and have been working hard to preserve and revitalize our heritage sites. We have mapped our cultural assets and artists, not just at the national level, but also at the level of all villages in India, he said. India is building several centers to celebrate its culture, he said. Prime among them are the tribal museums in different parts of the country. These museums will showcase the vibrant culture of Indias tribal communities. New Delhi has the Prime Ministers Museum. This is a one of its kind effort which showcases Indias democratic heritage. We are also building the Yuge Yugeen Bharat National Museum. Once completed, it will stand as the worlds largest museum. It will showcase Indias history and culture spanning over 5000 years, he said. Mr Modi lauded the Ministers efforts on restitution of cultural property. After all, tangible heritage is not only of material value. It is also the history and identity of a nation. Everyone has the right to access and enjoy their cultural heritage, he said. Since 2014, India has brought back hundreds of such artefacts that showcase the glory of its ancient civilization. Mr Modi praised the G20 efforts towards living heritage as well as contributions to Culture for LiFE. After all, cultural heritage is not just what is cast in stone. It is also the traditions, customs and festivals that are handed down the generations. I am confident that your efforts will foster sustainable practices and lifestyles, he said. We believe that heritage is a vital asset for economic growth and diversification. This is echoed in our mantra, Vikas Bhi Virasat Bhi- Development as well as Heritage, he said. The Prime Minister said India takes pride in its 2,000 years old craft heritage, with nearly 3,000 unique arts and crafts. The One District, One Product initiative showcases the uniqueness of Indian crafts, while fostering self-reliance. He said G20 Culture Ministers efforts towards promoting Cultural and Creative Industries hold profound significance. These will facilitate inclusive economic development, and support creativity and innovation. In the coming month, India is going to roll out the PM Vishwakarma Yojana. With an initial outlay of 1.80 billion dollars, this scheme will create an eco-system of support for traditional artisans and enable them to flourish in their crafts, contributing to preservation of Indias rich cultural heritage. Technology is an important ally in celebrating culture, he said. In India, we have a National Digital District Repository. It is helping to re-discover the stories of our freedom struggle. We are using technology to ensure better preservation of our cultural landmarks. We are also using technology to make our cultural places more tourist-friendly, he said. Terming Punjab Governor Banwari Lal Purohits threat to recommend the imposition of Presidents Rule in the state as an insult to 3.5 crore Punjabis, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday said that Governors action show hunger for power resulting from the Bharatiya Janata Partys desperation to capture power in the state. Addressing a press conference, the CM said the Governor better knows that he wrote this letter under whose pressure, but this letter has humiliated the Punjabis who had elected their own government more than an year ago with a thumping mandate. He said the selected Governor does not have any moral right to threaten elected representatives of people and make malicious attempts to topple this democratically elected government. Advertisement Mann said he has been consistently responding to the Governors correspondence, having already replied to nine out of total 16 letters. He said responses to the remaining letters will be dispatched shortly. However, he expressed concern the Governor is attempting to exert undue pressure on the elected government in an unconstitutional manner. I will reply to the Governors letters but to threaten the state government with imposition of the Presidents rule is unconstitutional. This is happening all over the country in non-BJP ruled states like Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana, Mann said. Wherever the BJP doesnt come to power, they first try to buy legislators, if they are not in a position to buy, then they seize powers of state by bringing an Ordinance (Delhi). If they dont succeed with this in states, then they make the Governor write letters, he added. The CM alleged non-BJP ruled states are being targeted by the Centre government appointed Governors. Has the Haryana Governor written such a letter to the CM of the state (Haryana) where communal clashes took place recently ? Has the Governor of Manipur written such a letter? What happened in Uttar Pradesh when people were killed in front of cameras and judges? Nobody (Governors) writes such a letter there (as the BJP is ruling these states), he said. The CM said Governors are acting as puppets of the Union Government to create unwanted hindrances in the functioning of non-BJP governments. Mann said the current Union government is attempting to undermine the states democratic values through the Governor. Mann said that his government has passed six bills in the Assembly over the past year and a half, but the Governor has yet to endorse these bills, leaving them pending. Questioning the Governors silence on unresolved issues, the CM said Purohit has not written a single letter to the central government addressing the real issues of Punjab. Mann said the Governor has been questioning the appointments of officers and blocking the recommendations for appointments. Even the permission for the Budget Session of the Assembly was withdrawn. It shows the hunger of power. You better contest elections in your home state Rajasthan to get power, he added. The CM said the law and order situation is intact in the state under his regime. Citing an example of the congenial atmosphere in the state, he said since March 2022, an investment of Rs 50,871 Crore has been recorded in the state and 3,420 projects were approved. Rejecting the calumnious attacks by the Punjab Governor on the drug situation in the state, Mann said his government has launched a crusade against drugs. He said over 23518 drug smugglers were arrested after registering 17623 FIRs and seizing 1627 kilogram heroin while Rs 13.29 Crore has been recovered from smugglers and properties of 66 drug smugglers have been seized and action is underway to confiscate the rest to make the state drug free. Referring to the action taken against gangsterism in the state, Mann said so far 753 dreaded gangsters have been arrested and a large quantity of arms and vehicles have been seized. Underlining that the 21st century is technology driven, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country has to move on the path of science and technology more firmly in order to become a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047. In order to instill scientific temper among the new generation, the fervor generated by the Chandrayaan success needs to be channelled into Shakti. For this, a quiz competition will be organised on MyGov from 1 September, he said and pointed out that the New National Education Policy also has ample provisions for science and technology. The PM arrived to a grand welcome in New Delhi today after his brief visit to Bengaluru where he interacted with the ISRO team in the aftermath of the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon. He reached Bengaluru directly after his four-day tour of South Africa and Greece. BJP President J P Nadda welcomed the PM and felicitated him on the success of his visit and the momentous achievement of the Indian scientists. Advertisement Modi expressed his gratitude for the enthusiasm of the people for the success of the Chandrayaan-3. He talked about his interaction with the ISRO team and informed that the point where the moon lander of Chandrayaan-3 landed will now be known as Shiv Shakti. He elaborated that Shiv denotes Shubh and Shakti exemplifies Nari Shakti. Shiv Shakti also stands for the connection of Himalaya and Kanyakymari. Similarly, the PM informed that the point where Chandrayaan 2 left its footprints in 2019 will now be called Tiranga. He said: Tiranga gives strength to deal with every Challenge. He also announced the decision to celebrate 23 August as National Space Day. The PM conveyed the greetings and congratulatory messages that the global community showered to India during his visit. India, he said, is creating a new impact on the basis of its achievement and successes and the world is taking note. Mentioning his visit to Greece, first in the last 40 years by an Indian PM, Modi highlighted love and regard for India in Greece and said that in a way Greece will become Indias gateway to Europe and will be a strong medium for robust India EU relations. The PM stressed the need to take the youths involvement in Science further. Therefore, he said there is a need to see how space science can be leveraged for good governance and ease of living for the common citizen. He reiterated his decisions to deploy government departments in finding out ways of leveraging space science and technology in service delivery, transparency and perfection. For this Hackathons will be organized in the coming days. The upcoming G20 Summit, the PM said, is an occasion where the entire nation is a host but the maximum responsibility falls on Delhi. Delhi has the good fortune to get an opportunity of keeping the flag of nations prestige flying high. He emphasised that Delhi needs to follow the tradition of Atithi Devo Bhava as this is a critical occasion to show the hospitality of India. There will be a lot of activities between 5-15 September. I apologise in advance for the inconvenience that may be caused to the people of Delhi. As a family, all the dignitaries are our guests and we have to make our G20 Summit grand with collective efforts. Normal life was hit as a near complete shutdown was observed here on Saturday to press for removal of the toll plaza at Sarore on Jammu-Pathankot highway, halting installation of pre-paid smart electric meters and release of activists of Yuva Rajput Sabha arrested on the charges of ransacking the toll plaza. The Jammu Chamber of Commerce & Industry and several political and social organisations had called for the shutdown. Congress, National Conference, PDP and J&K Apni Party were among those organisations that supported the one day shutdown call and staged protests. The Jammu Bar Association also supported the shutdown call and lawyers suspended their work. Main shopping centres wore a deserted look as shops and other business establishments remained shut. Public transport remained off the road. Protestors raised slogans against Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and BJP and demanded unconditional release of Yuva Rajput Sabha activists who were arrested on Monday. Advertisement Para-military forces and police were deployed in strength to prevent any untoward incident. Demonstrations against the stiff-necked attitude of the union territory administration on these demands were held at many other places, including Kathua, Samba, Ranbirsinghpura, Vijaypur, Sunderbani town of Rajouri, Udhampur, Reasi, Katra and other towns. Demand for suspending toll collection on the highway has been growing as passenger buses, truckers and motorists are forced to take a lengthier route as a bridge was washed away due to floods several days ago. The authorities have so far not accepted the demand. Entire Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing angry protests by electricity consumers against the digital meters being replaced with smart electric meters. Consumers were not satisfied with the assurances of proper metering being given by the administration. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and union minister Dr Jitendra Singh reportedly took up the issue of toll plaza with NHAI, but nothing positive has so far come. Chamber of Commerce & Industry chief Arun Gupta urged the Lt. Governor to resolve the issues against which the people were agitating. He stressed that the government should initiate a dialogue process with the stakeholders instead of adopting an adamant approach. Congress chief spokesman Ravinder Sharma said that the shutdown was complete as the LG administration is not ready to listen to any genuine voice and tries to crush every voice of dissent against the anti poor and anti people decisions of the administration. National Conference provincial president, Rattan Lal Gupta, who led a protest outside the party headquarters, said the shutdown is the result of the brewing anger of the people against the anti-people policies of the administration. J&K Apni Party leader Manjit Singh led a protest in Ramgarh area of Samba, while the Congress held protests at Sunderbani and other places. The Nuh Administration has denied permission for resumption of Vishwa Hindu Parishads Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra in the communally charged district. Mobile internet and the bulk SMS services have also been suspended in Nuh till 28 August as a preventive measure following calls given by some organisations inviting people from Haryana and other neighboring states to reach Nuh on 28 August. In view of the call given by certain organizations to resume Jal Abhishek Yatra in Nuh on 28 August, Haryana Director General of Police (DGP), Shatrujeet Kapur, on Saturday presided over a meeting with senior police officers of bordering states through video conferencing and called for a coordinated effort to effectively deal with the situation. Advertisement In the meeting, which was attended by the senior police officers of states of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Union Territory of Chandigarh, Kapur said Nuh administration has denied permission to the organizers of Yatra in wake of meeting of G20 Sherpa group scheduled to be held in Nuh from 3 September to 7 September and to maintain law and order situation in the aftermath of violence that took place on 31 July. Six people, including two home guards and a cleric, had died in the communal clashes that erupted in Nuh when a religious procession of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was attacked by a mob on 31 July. The clash started after Vishwa Hindu Parishads Brij Mandal Jalabhishek Yatra was stopped by a group of young men near Khedla Mod in Nuh, and stones were pelted at the procession. The DGP said though permission has been denied to hold Jal Abhishek Yatra, there are inputs that certain organisations have invited people from Haryana and other neighboring states to reach Nuh on 28 August. He said all necessary arrangements have been made by Haryana Police in view of the proposed Jalabhishek Yatra. Adequate police force has been deployed to maintain law and order situation. As a preventive measure, internet services have been suspended in Nuh from 12 noon on 26 August upto 11:59 pm on 28 August. While emphasizing the need for sharing intelligence inputs to effectively deal with the situation, Kapur asked the senior police functionaries of bordering states to ensure regular monitoring of social media platforms and share information about the people who try to disrupt peace through hate speeches and take action against them as per the law. He said interstate barricading should be done to prevent any kind of mobilization of people and nobody would be allowed to take the law in their hands. The DGP said that ADGP, Law and Order, Mamta Singh will be the Nodal Officer and she would be stationed in Nuh. He asked the police officers of bordering states that in case any incident came into their notice that could disrupt communal harmony, it should be shared on a real time basis so that preventive action could be taken on time Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met Indian Space Research Organisation scientists at ISROs Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru to congratulate them on Chandrayaan 3s successful landing on the Moon. The prime minister hailed ISRO scientists historic achievement and declared August 23 as National Space Day. On 23rd August, India hoisted the national flag on the Moon. From now onwards, that day will be known as National Space Day in India, the prime minister said. The prime minister also hailed the contribution of women scientists who were part of the Moon mission and said that the spot where Chandrayaan-3s Lander Vikram landed will be known as Shivshakti. Advertisement Women scientists played a key role in Chandrayaan 3. This Shivkshakti point will inspire the upcoming generations to use science for the welfare of people. The welfare of people is our supreme commitment, PM Modi said. Ecstatic ISRO Scientists thanks PM Modi for the motivation The ISRO scientists appeared ecstatic after meeting the prime minister and said that his move to declare August 23 when Chandrayaan 3 landed on the lunar surface as National Space Day was highly motivating for space scientists like them. He declared August 23rd as National Space Day, which is a big thing for space scientists like us. the point where Chandrayaan-3 lander landed, was declared as Shivshakti point. These announcements motivated all of us to rededicate ourselves to work for the country in the space domain, said Nilesh M. Desai, the Director of Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad and one of the key architects of Chandrayaan 3. PMs encouragement of Nari Shakti inspiring ISROs UR Rao Satellite Centre scientist Priyanka Mishra, who worked for all three propulsion modules, lander Vikram and rover Pragyaan, said that she was super excited to meet PM Modi. We felt that our achievements were being recognized, she said, adding PM is recognising and encouraging Nari Shakti. It is an inspiration for us. Sowjanya, Project Manager EMIMC Chandrayan-3, said that she was over the top of the moon- literally and figuratively both after meeting the prime minister. We are very happy that PM Modi has addressed us. It is a historic eventWe just want to thank the Prime Minister for coming and appreciating us personally, she added. Need a leader like him FB Singh, Deputy General Manager from the navigation system area and part of the organising committee for Chandrayaan-3 said that ISRO needed a leader who can inspire and PM Modi is doing that. He has given a lot of motivation to ISRO scientists. We require a leader like him. He has given vision. ISRO does not have any shortage of talent and what we require is a leader who can inspire. The current PM is doing it and he is giving us good guidance, Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. China has requested permission for its scientific research vessel, the Shi Yan 6, to dock in Sri Lanka. This comes after concerns were raised by India regarding the presence of a Chinese research vessel, Yuan Wang 5, in Sri Lanka last year. The Shi Yan 6 is described as a vessel that conducts oceanography, marine geology, and marine ecology tests. Chinas request for its research vessel to dock in Sri Lanka is likely viewed through the lens of its broader maritime interests. China has been investing heavily in maritime infrastructure, including ports and shipping lanes, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The Hambantota port, which is run by China under a long-term lease, is one such example. These ports serve Chinas trade interests and offer strategic advantages by providing access and influence along critical shipping routes. Indias concerns about the presence of Chinese vessels in the region, especially those with potential dual-use capabilities like the Yuan Wang 5 that specialises in spacecraft tracking, stem from its own security interests. The proximity of Sri Lanka to Indias southern coast makes it a crucial factor in Indias maritime security calculations. India has been wary of any activities that it perceives as potentially compromising its security or giving China a strategic advantage in the Indian Ocean. India is certain to view Shi Yan 6 as capable of potential military activities. Of concern to New Delhi would be Sri Lankas financial restructuring efforts which are significantly dependent on Chinas support. China holds around 52 per cent of Sri Lankas external debt. This level of indebtedness has made China a crucial partner for Sri Lanka in managing its financial challenges. Chinas financial assistance and investments have been important for Sri Lankas infrastructure development and economic growth. However, this dependence on Chinese funding and loans has also raised concerns about Sri Lankas ability to maintain its sovereignty and make independent decisions. Given this economic reliance on China, Sri Lankas decision on Chinas request to dock the Shi Yan 6 research vessel could potentially be influenced by their financial situation. Sri Lanka may consider factors such as the continuation of Chinese support, potential investments and economic aid in its decision-making process. There might be concerns that refusing Chinas request could strain their economic relationship, potentially impacting future financial assistance and investments. Advertisement It is clear that Sri Lanka will have to embark on a delicate balancing act. Colombo would also consider its relationships with other regional powers, especially India, and the broader geopolitical implications of allowing Chinese vessels to dock in their ports. Its possible that Sri Lanka will weigh its economic dependence on China against its need to maintain good relations with other countries and ensure its own security and strategic interests. But a critical question must be asked and answered ~ just how much of the ocean does China want to study Vikas Malu, the Chief Executive and proprietor of Kuber Group sustained injuries following a collision involving a Rolls-Royce in which he was travelling. The incident occurred on the Delhi-Mumbai-Baroda Expressway this Tuesday, as a Rolls-Royce collided with a petrol tanker. According to his legal representative, R K Thakur, Malu was not in a condition to operate the vehicle at the time; rather, it was his driver, Tasbir, who was behind the wheel. Thakur contended that driving at a reduced speed on an expressway carries greater risks. Nonetheless, he also clarified that Malu had not given specific instructions to the driver regarding speed. Advertisement Vikas Malus physical state is such that driving is beyond his capability. His mobility is compromised, raising questions about his ability to drive. With a fleet of 7-8 drivers at his service, it was Tasbir who was driving the Rolls Royce, Thakur stated. How is Vikas Malu right now? Following the accident, Malu was admitted to a medical facility in Gurugram. His attorney asserted that the entrepreneur was not occupying the drivers seat at the time of the mishap. Regarding Malus health condition, Thakur remarked, Vikas is presently hospitalized due to an injured elbow and a spinal ailment that requires medical attention. His ability to stand unaided is severely hindered. In response to queries about images depicting Malu standing upright, Thakur clarified that these visuals were from an earlier time. Providing information about the incident, Thakur stated, Vikas Malu, a woman known to him and the driver were in the car. Vikas left home at 10 am and the accident happened at 11 am. The Rolls-Royce car that met with an accident belongs to Vikas Malu. How did the accident happen? Thakur mentioned that Malu had been conducting a test drive of the car. The petrol tanker unexpectedly appeared from the incorrect direction and executed a turn in such a manner that the collision occurred before the driver could react. Regrettably, both the driver of the oil tanker and their assistant lost their lives in the tragic incident. Allegedly, the Rolls-Royce was being operated at a velocity of 230 km per hour. According to senior law enforcement officials, the preliminary inquiry indicates that responsibility rests with the Rolls Royce driver, who was part of a procession involving 14 vehicles. During their journey on the expressway, the Rolls-Royce rapidly surged forward. It surpassed the preceding vehicle and ultimately collided with the tanker. The tanker was about to make a U-turn, as stated by the police earlier. Occupying the Rolls-Royce were Vikas Malu, an individual named Divya, and the driver. While they were successfully rescued from the situation, the luxury automobile succumbed to flames shortly after. India on Friday refuted Chinas claim that the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg happened at New Delhis request. In an official statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that President Xi Jinping spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit at the latters request on August 23, 2023. Indian government sources said that there was a pending request from the Chinese side for a bilateral meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi. The sources confirmed the two leaders had an informal conversation at the Leaders Lounge during the BRICS Summit at Johannesburg. Giving details about the discussions that happened during PM Modi and President Jinpings meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that the two leaders had a candid and in-depth exchange of views and stressed the need to improve bilateral relations for the peace and stability of the world and region. After the conclusion of the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South America, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that PM Modi had a brief conversation with President Jinping. Advertisement During the conversation, PM Modi highlighted Indias concerns about the unresolved issues along the LAC in the western sector of the India-China border. Mr Modi told the Chinese President that respecting the Line of Actual Control was essential for normalisation of India-China bilateral relations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour by Greek President Katerina N. Sakellaropoulou in Athens.The award is conferred on Prime Ministers and eminent personalities who by reason of their distinguished position, have contributed to enhancing the stature of Greece. The Order of Honour was established in 1975. The head of goddess Athena is depicted on the front side of the Star with the inscription ONLY THE RIGHTEOUS SHOULD BE HONOURED. The citation says- In the person of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, an honour is bestowed upon the friendly people of India. It also says: On the occasion of this visit, the Greek State Honours the Prime Minister of India, a statesman who has tirelessly promoted the global reach of his country and who works systematically for Indias economic progress and prosperity, bringing about bold reforms. Advertisement A statesman who has brought environmental protection and climate change among the top priorities of international activity. Dmytro and Vita Sukhovtsev of Framingham, who are both deaf, will be attending the first Boston-area American Sign Language convention of Jehovahs Witnesses in Natick. The annual shareholder meetings of Reliance Industries are much to look forward too, with the company's chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani using the occasion to make big ticket announcements be it the launch of Jio 4G telecom service back in 2016 to the launch of Jio GigaFiber in 2019, new renewable energy ambitions in 2020 or detailing a formal succession plan last year. At this year's AGM, which will be held on Monday, August 28, shareholders as well as market analysts will be keenly looking forward to what's next on the billionaire Ambani's agenda across the various businesses. One area they will want to hear more on the company's ambitions in the financial services business. RIL recently demerged Jio Financial Services and listed it separately. Financial services is the newest business of the oil to telecom conglomerate, but the company has big plans to become a large non-banking finance company with interests from payments to insurance, asset management and loans. The company took its first steps in that journey in July, when it announced plans for an equal share joint venture with US-based investment manager BlackRock to enter the asset management space in July. "Today's India is young and entrepreneurial, adopting digital finance at an unprecedented pace. The digital revolution has penetrated every corner of the nation through Jandhan accounts, digital payments, usage of smartphones and low cost data. The growth opportunities presented by financial services are remarkable and provide a strong directional support to the economy," Ambani said in the letter to shareholders in this year's annual report. He said that Jio Financial Services with its subsidiaries will leverage the technological capabilities of Reliance and deliver financial services, aiming to provide simple, affordable and innovative digital first solutions. Talking of technological capabilities, Jio announced earlier this month that it has achieved 5G rollout obligations in all circles. In the AGM last year, it announced a 5G hotspot device called AirFiber, which would deliver high speed wireless 5G data to homes and offices. But, its yet to be launched in the market. The company could well use the AGM stage to launch the device. After all, we have seen Jio Phones and Jio GigaFiber launched in previous AGMs. The company has also recently introduced the Jio Bharat 4G feature phone, targeting the close to 250 million people who are still using basic 2G feature phones. The company also recently launched the JioBook laptop. RIL could announce more plans and updates on both these fronts. Launch of affordable 5G smartphone along with attractive 5G tariff plans, are among key expectations, said Dayanand Mittal research analyst at JM Financial Institutional Securities. Over the last couple of years, RIL has also charted out ambitious plans to transform its energy business from petroleum to renewable energy, with a strong focus on green hydrogen and solar. In 2021, it had announced plans to invest Rs 75,000 crore over three years to build the new energy business. According to RIL, the company is now ready to double its investments here. "The investment of Rs 75,000 crore with a readiness to double investment will further the companys goals related to energy transition, enhance renewable energy usage and operational eco-efficiency, and broaden focused research for the new energy business," the company said in the annual report. Probal Sen, research analyst at ICICI Securities, noted that multiple investments in the various new energy segments are starting to play out gradually, with the others segment (housing new energy and other small segments) having grown in revenue by 10 times over financial years 2018-2023, even as profitability from this segment remains some time away. "The upcoming AGM of RIL should provide some more meaningful update on the pace and direction of investments in this segment over the next few years," said Sen. Just like new energy, RIL has charted ambitious plans in fast moving consumer goods. In the AGM in 2022, Isha Ambani had announced the company would enter FMCG business aiming to deliver high-quality products at affordable prices. Since the announcement, the company has launched its own FMCG brand called Independence, which is slowly being expanded across geographies. At the same time, it has made several acquisitions in this space to scale up rapidly. Investors would be keen to hear on the progress of the FMCG business and how it plans to grow that over the next year. Reliance's retail business, be it its own physical stores or the JioMart platform through which it connects neighbourhood grocery stores, will be key to the expansion and success of the FMCG business. Reliance Retail has 18,040 outlets, with over 3,300 stores opening in the last financial year, making it the largest retailer in the country by a wide margin. It also entered into the beauty business with the launch of brand Tira this year. Separately, over 3 million merchants have partnered on its new commerce platform. Reliance Retail Ventures had raised Rs 47,265 crore from a clutch of global investors back in 2020. With the intent to scale up the business further, the company may have begun a fresh round of fund raising. On Wednesday, it announced that Qatar Investment Authority would invest Rs 8,278 crore into Reliance Retail Ventures. In the backdrop of this fresh fund raising, investors would be keen to know the updated roadmap for this business. In the past, Ambani had said that the retail business would be separately listed on the stock markets at some point. With RIL demerging and listing the financial services business, whether Ambani updates shareholders on any IPO plans for retail or digital businesses in the AGM needs to be seen. Any potential strategic stake sale in the O2C (oil to chemicals) business and update on progress of various projects in the clean energy business is also among key expectations, according to JM Financial's Mittal. Reliance AGMs once used to be grand affairs, with founder Dhirubhai Ambani taking the podium at the centre of a large stadium. Over the years, the AGM moved to a closed auditorium in south Mumbai and since the pandemic, the company has been holding AGMs virtually. This year's AGM will also be virtual, but just like the past, it will be packed with information and updates, which millions of its passionate shareholders will view and cheer on. The Gujarat Congress has demanded an inquiry by market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) into "excess" payment made by a Gujarat Government company to Adani Power Mundra Limited in a power purchase agreement made between the two. Congress Rajya Sabha member and state party president Shaktisinh Gohil on Saturday alleged in Ahmedabad that an excess amount of Rs 3,900 crore has been paid to APMuL towards the energy charges in the purchase of coal during five years that ended on March 31, 2023. The government paid around Rs 13,800 during the said period. Quoting from the letter dated May 15, 2023 written by GUVNL to APMuL, Gohil said that GUVNL requested the company owned by Gautam Adani Group to refund the excess amount. The MP said that as per the power purchase agreement between the two parties, APMuL was supposed to maintain transparency and submit the bills. The amount was to be based on Argus index (deciding the coal prices) or the procurement price of the coal, whichever is less. State government spokesperson and minister Rushikesh Patel dismissed the allegations and said these have been made to misguide the people of Gujarat. Giving point by point clarification of the allegations, Patel said that the payment will be adjusted with the base rates fixed by the state government and the payment done is interim. The minister also said the letter was quoted out of context. Gohil, however, said the letter was written to the Adani Group company after the Hindenburg expose. Gohil termed it as a case of money laundering as "excess" amount has been paid and said the burden will have to be borne by the people of Gujarat. He sought to know as to under whose instructions more money was paid to the Adani Group company. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has attracted the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the fact that about 15 lakh families in the state are devoid of improved toilet facilities, despite the state being declared open defecation free (ODF) in January 2018, during the regime of BJP government, and demanded extension of facilities to these families. Baghel has also demanded a probe into the missing toilets for the 15 lakh families despite allocation of a budget of Rs 4,000 crore for the same by the central government. In his letter to the PM, Baghel has also sought an enhancement in the financial assistance provided for the construction of toilet facilities, suggesting an increase from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000 per family. He has also requested approval for the construction of toilets in Maoist-affected and remote areas through gram panchayats. Baghel, referring the National Family Health Survey 2019-21 (NFHS-5) data of the union ministry of health and family welfare, revealed that 88.2 per cent of families in urban areas of Chhattisgarh and 73.5 per cent in rural areas have improved toilet facilities. This indicates that 76.8 per cent of total families in the state are using upgraded toilet facilities, while 23.2 per cent are still deprived of this basic amenity. Additionally, the physical inspection of toilets during the recent socio-economic survey conducted by the state government aligns with the data released by the National Family Health Survey-5. Baghel elaborated that under the previous government's tenure, over 32 lakh toilets were constructed in the state, and in January 2018, the entire state was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF). An expenditure exceeding Rs 4,000 crore was allocated for these toilet constructions. Despite this substantial investment, around 15 lakh families in the state are currently devoid of access to improved toilet facilities and this is a matter of concern and investigation, the CM said. Baghel urged PM Modi that the Centre should initiate an independent third-party probe into the situation. Seeks pending dues of Rs 6,000 crores Chief Minister Baghel has written another letter to the PM, seeking his intervention in the release of pending dues to state agencies to the tune of Rs 6,000 crore. In this letter, Baghel has mentioned that the dues are with the government of India and the Food Corporation of India. He said that the state government continues to face significant losses in the disposal of surplus paddy after depositing the rice to the central pool, owing to the lack of reimbursement from the Government of India. This puts an added burden on the state government. Urging swift action, Baghel called upon the PM to direct the officials concerned to establish a definite timeline for clearing the long-pending dues of the state agencies. Furthermore, he requested the PM to take necessary steps for the prompt transfer of the legal claim amount to the state government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew directly down to Bengaluru early on Saturday, after concluding his two-nation visit to South Africa and Greece, to congratulate and meet the ISRO scientists involved in the Chandrayaan-3 mission to the Moon. Modi will visit the ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), where he would be briefed about Chandrayaan-3's progress. ALSO READ: Chandrayaan-3: What happens to Vikram lander and Pragyan rover after 14-day planned mission life Addressing the people gathered outside the HAL airport in Bengaluru, he said, I could not stop myself as I was not in the country, but I decided to visit Bengaluru first and meet our scientists right after visiting India. He also raised the slogan Jai Vigyan Jai Anusandhan. ALSO READ: Chandrayaan-3's Tamil connect: The soil from Nammakal and the three scientists BJP Karnataka president Nalin Kumar Kateel was present to welcome PM Modi. But the prime minister, in his address, said that he requested Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to not come and receive him at this early hour. Soon after reaching Karnatakas capital, the prime minister tweeted that hes looking forward to interacting with our exceptional ISRO scientists, who have made India proud with the success of Chandrayaan-3. The prime minister returned after concluding his four-day tour of South Africa and Greece. In Johannesburg, Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit from August 22 to 24. On August 23, the Vikram Lander of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the Moon's surface. Modi had then joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from South Africa. Eleven months after its launch the chief ministers morning breakfast scheme in Tamil Nadu has been extended to all primary school children studying in 31,000 government schools across TN. With an outlay of Rs 404 crores, the expansion of the scheme has ensured the purpose of the century-old programme of providing meals in schools is fulfilled. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday launched the scheme expansion at a middle school in Thirukkuvalai, the birth place of his father and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The scheme which was first launched on September 15, 2022 to provide nutritious breakfast to 1,14,095 students of classes 1 to 5 studying in 1,545 government schools has yielded good results. A total of Rs 33.56 crore was allocated. Now, the scheme has been extended to 31,000 government schools across the state which will benefit 17 lakh students in the primary schools. As Stalin inaugurated the expansion scheme in Thirukkuvalai, all his MPs and MLAs went to their respective constituencies to participate and had breakfast with the school children. I dont consider this as a fund allotment, but as an investment in the future of our children, Stalin said as he launched the scheme recalling how the noon meal programme was introduced in TN. The morning breakfast scheme which has proved to be a huge success has resulted not just in the improvement of attendance but also helps in preventing malnutrition, improving their health condition - achieve average height, prevent underweight and anaemia in children. The government apparently devised a long-term plan to implement the scheme during its launch. Special and hygienic kitchens were set up in schools to provide morning breakfast. The government has also deployed IOT and Automation from the start ups in the state, to ensure that the food cooked is 100 percent hygienic. In urban areas, community kitchens have been identified to cook breakfast and then send it to various schools, involving Self Help Groups (SHGs). The government also ensured that the food cooked everyday is served to the children, only after the school management committee tastes it. State, District and School level monitoring committees were also formed to monitor the implementation of the scheme. The menu includes - rava upma, pongal, semiya upma and kesari - from Monday to Friday. The ingredients being 50 grams of cereals like rava, wheat, rice, millets, 15 grams of dhal, vegetables. Spending Rs 12.75 per child it is ensured that 150 to 200 grams of cooked food and 60 grams of sambar with vegetables are being served everyday for each and every child. While the success of the scheme had paved way its expansion, it has ensured that the purpose of the 100-year-old noon meal programme launched by former Chief Minister Kamaraj in 1957 has evolved to fulfil its purpose. TN, in fact, has a long history of providing food to students in government schools- the mid day meal scheme- was first conceived by the Justice Party in TN. The scheme was later expanded during the MGR regime for children between two to nine years old, while Karunanidhi added eggs and bananas to the menu, and Jayalalithaa introduced variety rice. And now Stalins idea of adding morning breakfast, says Bharathi Shanmugam, a teacher in one of the primary schools, has ensured that there is an increase in attendance and will help in bringing down the school dropouts. There was a huge gap after the pandemic. Children never came back to school and most of them went to work. In my school there are 102 children. At least 97 turn up everyday because there is morning breakfast and afternoon lunch, Bharathi adds. In Kerala folklore, there is a figure known as Vayilakunnelappan, who was born without the ability to open his mouth. This term is a colloquial expression in Kerala to describe someone who remains silent for far too long. It was on February 9, while introducing a new fuel cess, that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan last held a press meeting or took any questions from the media. He is, currently, grappling with allegations of a significant corruption scandal, in which his family, too, is allegedly involved. Nevertheless, much like the folklore character, he continues to remain mum, while CPI(M) leaders are struggling to defend the allegations against the CM and his daughter. The controversy started when Malayala Manorama reported on August 8 that Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL)a controversial company working in the domain of converting ilmenite into synthetic rutile and ferric chloridemade a payment of Rs 1.72 crore under bogus claims to the CMs daughter Veena Thaikandiyil. The report was based on the verdict of the New Delhi bench of the income tax interim settlement board on June 12. An engineering graduate and former employee of Oracle, Veena's career path first raised eyebrows when she assumed the role of CEO at RP Techsoft International in Thiruvananthapuram in 2012. This IT venture was affiliated with the Middle East-based RP Group, owned by Malayali billionaire Ravi Pillai. In 2014, after resigning from RP Techsoft, she founded her one-person company, Exalogic. This is not the first time Veena has come under the scanner. Last year, Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, alleged that Veena was the "mastermind" behind the Sprinklr scandal - the Kerala government was accused of breaching the privacy of 1.75 lakh people under quarantine by sharing their data with the American firm Sprinklr without their consent. Veena's name was also linked by the opposition to allegations that the state government granted the consultancy for its e-mobility project to PricewaterhouseCoopers in a corrupt manner. The current controversy is centred around the findings of the I-T interim settlement board, which revealed that Veena, wife of Kerala Tourism Minister Muhammad Riyas, received Rs 1.72 crore from CMRL between 2017 and 2020, despite not providing any services to CMRL. The events that led to this verdict began in January 2019 when the I-T department conducted a major raid to verify CMRL's documents. This raid was prompted by an examination of CMRL's tax payments between 2013-14 and 2019-2020, which uncovered numerous discrepancies and noted inflated expenses in the company's account books. Interestingly, in November 2020, the company's MD S.N. Sasidharan Kartha and CMRL initiated a request for settlement. During the proceedings, a major revelation that emerged was that CMRL had made substantial cash payments, amounting to crores, to several politicians, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, former chief minister and late Congress leader Oommen Chandy and Muslim League leader P.K. Kunhalikutty. The company's general manager of finance explained the purpose of these payments, to the I-T officers as follows: These payments were being made to functionaries/ members of various political parties, media houses, police etc. for smooth functioning of our business, especially in view of the fact that we obtain Ilmenite which is mined by PSUs as our raw material. This in-turn is having environmental impact, due to that we receive large number of threats to obstruct our business or to hinder smooth functioning of our day-to-day activities. In order to overcome these threats and to obtain co-operation we make number of payments to members/ functionaries of various political parties, state police, media houses so as to ensure smooth functioning of our day-to-day activities. These payments are made as demanded by them. Purushan Eloor, an environmental activist and research coordinator with Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi (PMVS), alleges that CMRL is one of the major polluters of the Periyar River, which is the lifeline of central Kerala. He points out a contradiction: "This same firm has won the Excellence Award from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board consecutively for 11 years. This raises questions about the influence that the owners of this company exert over politicians, the pollution control board, trade unions, and the media." Eloor, who has been protesting against the pollution of Periyar since 1996, further notes that those who oppose the company's "smooth operation" often face legal cases or are labelled as 'Maoists'. He recalls an incident from 2011 when the Pollution Control Board (PCB) released a study report on the discolouration of the Periyar River. The study, led by environmental engineer D. Chithra Kumari, the PCB surveillance head in Eloor, found that the discharge of ferrous chloride into the Periyar River, originating from CMRL and other firms in the industrial area, was responsible for the river's red colouration. Eloor obtained this study report through the Right To Information Act. In 2012, during a meeting with trade unions, PCB officials, and environmental activists, Eloor presented this document. However, in 2017, CMRL filed a complaint against him, accusing him of forging the document. Non-bailable charges were brought against him, and it took two months to secure anticipatory bail. Fortunately, I had preserved the same document, along with its covering letter from the Pollution Control Board's district and state offices. This crucial evidence prevented my incarceration in the forgery case, he says. THE WEEK contacted the senior leadership of CMRL for a comment, but is yet to get a response. During the search at CMRL's corporate office, I-T officers recovered a service agreement dated March 2, 2017, between CMRL and Veena's company, Exalogic Solutions Private Limited. According to the agreement, Veena's one-person company was tasked with developing, maintaining, and managing IT services for CMRL's corporate office. The agreement stipulated that Exalogic was entitled to a monthly payment of Rs 3 lakh. Interestingly, during the I-T team's search, it became evident that the only software in use at CMRL was Outlook, MS Office, Tally, and Power Builder, all of which were managed by the company's internal IT team. Furthermore, investigators discovered another significant letter dated December 2016, which indicated that CMRL had engaged Veena as its "marketing and IT consultant on a retainership basis" starting from January 1, 2017. The letter bore Veena's signature, signifying her acceptance of the arrangement. However, during the raid, when the company's top officials, including managing director Kartha, were questioned about the services provided by Veena, they said that they were not aware of any IT services being delivered by Veena to the company. Later, they filed a retraction affidavit in an attempt to clarify that Veena had indeed provided genuine services, and legitimate payments had been made through banking channels after deducting TDS (tax deducted at source). However, the company officials' retraction was not accepted, as they could not prove that their earlier statements were untrue or had been given under coercion. Incidentally, the quasi-judicial body concluded that CMRL had indeed made payments through banking channels to "individuals associated with a prominent person, claiming it as a deductible expense and asserting compensation for a service that had not been rendered or received". Social observer Joseph C. Mathew, who has over 25 years of experience in IT, expresses suspicion regarding CMRL's claim that Veena's consultancy was on retainership. "If you are a salaried employee, you are essentially on retainership. Conversely, when you are a consultant, you are compensated solely for the services you provide. You receive payment for your services and not a fixed salary. What, then, does a consultant on retainership even mean? Pinarayi Vijayan claims to have abolished the system of 'nokkukkoli' (gawking wages) for headload workers. What Veena received appears to be 'nokkukooli.'" Joseph emphasises that attention should be directed toward three crucial aspects in the verdict: "Pinarayi Vijayan received cash payments; Veena received Rs 1.15 crore as a consultant; her one-person company, Exalogic, received Rs 57 lakh. All these payments seem to be intended for a single individual, Pinarayi Vijayan. If Veena Vijayan or Exalogic received money without providing any services, what constitutes their capital? Their capital seems to be the political power of Pinarayi Vijayan. Importantly, these facts are not mere allegations; they are part of the interim settlement order. Such an order has been issued, yet the chief minister has not responded. Even if he believes that right-wing media is targeting him, he should come forward and address these concerns." Although the CM did not provide an answer, the CPI(M) state secretariat defended the transactions between Veena and CMRL on August 10. Ignoring the findings, the party's state leadership declared the contract between CMRL and Exalogic as "transparent" and labelled it a conspiracy in light of the assembly polls declared in the Puthupally constituent assembly. "The children of political activists have the same rights as all other citizens to pursue any legitimate occupation. Based on this premise, Veena established a consulting company. All of its operations are conducted transparently. The company that provided the funds has affirmed that no wrongdoing occurred in this matter. It is also evident that the chief minister is not connected to this. Black sand mining, which leads to shoreline changes, biodiversity loss, disappearance of villages and forced migration, has been a serious issue in the coastal areas of Kollam and Alappuzha districts in Kerala for many decades, according to Jackson Pollayil, the state president of the Kerala Swathanthra Malsya Thozhilali Federation. Public-sector undertakings such as the Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited and Indian Rare Earths Limited are major companies engaged in mining along the Kerala coasts. The official stance of the Pinarayi Vijayan government is that no private companies will be allowed to conduct black sand mining, although there are allegations that during the first Pinarayi Vijayan government, there were efforts to consider direct mining requests from Kerala Rare Earths and Minerals Limited, a company promoted by CMRL. However, activists like Pollayil point out that although the mining is carried out by PSUs, it is done on behalf of private players like CMRL. "Large volumes of sand have been mined from locations such as Thottappally Harbour and Valiyeezhikkal Harbour. This mining activity contributes to coastal erosion and is carried out to benefit 'sand feeding' companies. At Thottapally, black sand companies are experimenting with a new technique that involves creating large craters in the estuary using heavy dredgers and excavators and then transferring the sand from the nearby shore to the estuary. Over the past eight years, 456 families have lost their homes and land in areas such as Arattupuzha, Thrikunnapuzha, Purakkad, Ambalapuzha, and Punnapra panchayats. These losses should be compensated by the sand-feeding companies, including CMRL. Approximately 4,500 families are currently at risk of eviction." Interestingly, in August 2020, the late Congress leader P.T. Thomas had raised allegations that mining firm CMRL had provided approximately Rs 50 lakh to Veena's company. However, the response from the Congress leadership and the UDF was tepid then. Despite the current report on the 'bogus payment' received by the CM's daughter emerging during an ongoing assembly session, the UDF refrained from raising it as an adjournment motion on the floor, citing technicalities. Nevertheless, during the discussion of the Kerala Government Land Assignment (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan attempted to address the issue. However, the speaker and the treasury bench thwarted his efforts. Last year, during the assembly's deliberation on the gold smuggling scandal, Kuzhalnadan had contended that Veena's close ties to a PwC director had granted the global brand undue influence over the top leadership of the LDF government. Interestingly, the CM had vehemently denounced Kuzhalnadan's statements as a "blatant falsehood" in the assembly. Since he attempted to present the current scandal in the assembly, Kuzhalnadan has held a series of press conferences, challenging the CPI(M) and Pinarayi Vijayan to initiate a probe into the corruption allegations levelled against his daughter, Veena, and to release her account and income tax details. He has also questioned the CPI(M)'s stance, which asserts that the money Veena received was in exchange for services rendered. He dared the party to provide evidence of IGST (the reasoning being that, even though her company is based in Bengaluru, a portion of the GST she pays for services delivered to a Kerala-based company will be credited to Kerala). The Congress leader has also submitted a complaint to Finance Minister K. Balagopal, asserting that Veena has not fulfilled her tax obligations regarding the Rs 1.72 crore she received from CMRL. Interestingly, CPI(M) Central Committee member and former finance minister Thomas Issac interpreted this as an admission by the Congress MLA that the money received by Veena was, in fact, a service charge. "When he asserts that GST has not been charged, he is essentially acknowledging that it was indeed a service charge. If there is tax evasion or if there is an additional amount involved, let the government investigate the matter. If Kuzhalnadan claims there is more to it, he should provide evidence," he told THE WEEK. However, Kuzhalnadan told THE WEEK that he raised the issue of GST knowing that Veena did not pay IGST. "She has not paid IGST for this specific amount of Rs 1.72 crore because it is evident that the amount was not received in exchange for any services rendered. The reason I raised this issue is that the CPI(M) state secretary has taken up the defence for the CM's daughter, asserting that the amount received was payment for some service. However, there were no services provided, and no IGST was paid. This indicates that it was a bribe, illegal money received as a kickback by the CM's daughter." Kuzhalnadan alleges that Veena's company, which is currently dormant with closed GST accounts, was used as a shell company. He asserts that she received funds similar to those she received from CMRL from multiple firms. He has also alleged that the CMs daughter received foreign money, but has not shown anything under the export service section while filing the IT returns. A plain reading of auditing documents and IT returns of Veenas accounts show that foreign money was received by the company without providing any service, he says. Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has levelled serious allegations against Kuzhalnadan. The Congress leader is now facing investigations by multiple state government agencies over allegations of amassing illegal wealth, tax evasion, and engaging in illegal landfilling. CPI(M) leaders claim that Kuzhalnadan is continuing his attacks against the CM and his daughter to divert attention from the allegations against him. However, Kuzhalnadan told THE WEEK that he expected such a backlash. "Whenever we challenge those at the top, like when we confront the CM, we should be prepared to face all such consequences. This was anticipated, but I will fight it out, no problem." Joseph, however, points out that the principal opposition in Kerala including Congress has failed to mount a significant protest against the corruption allegations. "This silence is deafening." He adds that in Kerala, a nexus exists between politicians from both ruling and opposition parties, along with traders and a strong presence of interests from the Middle East. "They ensure that only surface-level attacks are tolerated against this system. If anyone dares to go against it, they will be isolated." The Kerala CPI(M) is currently navigating a phase in which its leadership is facing numerous allegations simultaneously. In recent days, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a 22-hour raid at the residence of former minister and CPI(M) MLA A.C. Moideen in connection with his alleged links to the Rs 125.83 crore scam at Thrissur's Karuvannur Cooperative Bank. The party's leadership is handling the challenging task of responding to all these allegations while also protecting the CM. When THE WEEK contacted the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the response was that the CM may address all these issues during an election campaign in Puthupally on August 24. Issac also informed THE WEEK that the chief minister would respond at the "appropriate time". A lecturer at a government school in Srinagar was suspended from service after appearing before the Supreme Court during the hearing of the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370. Zahoor Ahmed Bhat, who teaches political science, appeared in SC on Wednesday and argued against the abrogation of Article 370. The government has ordered the suspension of Bhat, citing provisions from the J&K Civil Service Regulations, J&K Government Employees Conduct Rules, and J&K Leave Rules, with immediate effect. During the period of suspension, the delinquent shall remain attached to the office of the Director of School Education, Jammu, stated the order. "Pending enquiry into his conduct, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, senior lecturer, political science, presently posted at Government Higher Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, Srinagar, is hereby placed under suspension with immediate effect for violation of provisions of J&K, CSR, Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (conduct) Rules, 1971," stated the order. Bhat holds a law degree and was representing himself in the SC. The apex court is currently hearing a series of petitions against the abrogation of Article 370 by the BJP on August 5, 2019. The lawyers representing different petitioners have completed their arguments before the court. The court is now hearing the arguments of the Solicitor General of India, who is defending the BJP's decision against Article 370. The decision to revoke Article 370 was challenged by several political parties in J&K, as well as by private individuals, soon after Article 370 was abrogated and the state of J&K was divided into two union territories: Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Centre imposed a security and communication lockdown in J&K after the revocation of Article 370, detaining dozens of political leaders, political activists, and separatists. J&K has been under Central rule for the last five years following the collapse of the PDP-BJP government. The shortage of manpower in Maharashtra police has become so acute that the home department headed by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis recently approved recruitment of over 2000 police personnel on contract, through outsourcing. However, now it has emerged that while home department has approved the proposal, the finance department headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar is yet to give its stamp of approval to the same. The recruitment of policemen on contract is proposed to be done through Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC). MSSC is the body which provides security force for government and semi government establishments and offices. There is a shortage of over 10,000 police men in Mumbai police alone. The strength of constabulary in Mumbai is over 40,000 of which 10,000 posts are vacant. After the recent recruitment drive over 7000 posts will be filled. These include 994 police drivers and the rest will be constables. Still there would be a shortage of over 3,000 policemen. Now, it is this shortage that will be filled by recruiting policemen on contract through MSSC. This contract will be for 11 month period and their main duties will be Bandobast (to maintain law and order) and security during the festive season. The policemen recruited on contract will not be given crime investigation duty, it is learnt. The opposition parties have already opposed the proposal to recruit policemen on contract as they feel it would start a wrong practice. Allaying the fears of opposition, deputy chief minister Fadnavis had stated in the recent monsoon session of the state legislature that this recruitment would be only for a short period as police force recruited in the recruitment drive will have to undergo 11 months training in the police training schools of the state. According to a local Marathi newspaper, the proposal had been cleared by the home department on July 24. However, it is been more than a month but finance department is yet to give its accord and make necessary provisions of the fund. Ahead of the assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, security agencies are gearing up to thwart threats from the CPI(Maoist) which has strategically reduced their encounters with the police in traditional stronghold areas, so that they have time to move into newer areas. In a recent classification of 25 most affected naxal districts done by the Union Home Ministry, Madhya Pradeshs Balaghat made a new entry while Mandla has been flagged as a district of concern and Dindori was also brought under the ambit of the security related expenditure scheme, which shows that Maoists activity has witnessed a considerable increase in these areas in recent years. Balaghat alone has had more than 82 naxal related violence incidents in the last five years. In the same period, Madhya Pradesh police had 26 exchanges of fire in which 13 Maoists were killed and three arrested. Interrogation of the arrested cadres has revealed their strategy of deliberately reducing violent incidents to expand the well oiled extortion machinery to newer areas. Intelligence reports suggested that Maoists are using the funds available to them to recruit new members into their organisation and procure arms and ammunition. But the bigger concern in the naxal infested areas of Chhattisgarh like Bijapur, Dantewada , Sukma and Narayanpur and the new naxal affected districts of Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori and Anuppur in Madhya Pradesh is the extortion economy. Similar threats are there in Telangana where the state police has been grappling with them in last few years . Security officials said more than the threat from the violence perpetrated by the banned outfit, it is the continuing activity of extortion in the form of levies from tendu patta and bamboo contractors as source of funds for the outfit that raises concerns. These threats are likely to increase in the run up to the polls, said an official . Although there is no official estimate of the extent of the tendu pata extortion economy in Balaghat, security forces assess that Maoists had been collecting money running into crores of rupees from tendu patta contractors in the district in any given season. An internal report says that Balaghat produces around 85,000 bags of tendu patta per season. Maoists often demanded levy ranging from Rs 500 to 900 per bag from the contractors. Security agencies are now trying to choke access to tendu patta levy funds to the Maoists. Strict monitoring, technological interventions for storage transportation and choking the fund flow have created a model in Balaghat, which other districts are also following now. The idea is to slow down the vistaar plan (expansion) of the banned outfit and break this flow of funds in election-bound left wing extremism affected states. A fund of 200 million euros was set aside by the French government recently to destroy surplus wine production in the country due to mounting challenges including fall in sales. The decision was taken by the government to support the struggling wine producers in France due to rising marketing fluctuations. Various issues including changes in consumption habits, the cost of living crisis and post Covid pandemic phase has affected the wine production in the country. Major wine producing regions including Bordeaux and Languedoc is struggling to meet the expenses due to the fall in demand. Reportedly, even the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, rise in prices of fuel and food has affected the production. The fall in demand has led to over-production of wine increasing the financial difficulties for winemakers in the region. According to Agriculture Minister, Marc Fesneau, an initial EU fund of 160 million euros was increased to 200 million euros, reported The Guardian. Most of the allocated fund will be used for buying excess stock from the wine sellers. The money was aimed at stopping prices collapsing and so that winemakers can find sources of revenue again, said Fesneau. He also added that the industry will need to adapt to the changing consumer patterns in the future. Many consumers are preferring beers and other drinks nowadays forcing the winesellers to cut down their production. Meanwhile, the alcohol from destroyed wine can be sold to companies for use in non-food products including cleansing products, hand sanitiser and so on. Were producing too much, and the sale price is below the production price, so were losing money, Jean-Philippe Granier, from the Languedoc wine producers association, was quoted by The Guardian. Earlier, the agriculture ministry has announced 57 million euros to fund the pulling up of about 9,500 hectares of vines in Bordeaux region. Farmers are encouraged to invest in other products including olives as well. European Commission data this year till June reveals that the wine consumption has fallen 7 per cent in Italy, 10 per cent in Spain, 15 per cent in France, 22 per cent in Germany and 34 per cent in Portugal. Srinagar, Aug 25 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta on Friday called for finding ways to reduce travel time on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for heavy motor vehicles ahead of the fruit season this year. The chief secretary held detailed deliberations with all stakeholders, including highway authorities, in this regard, an official spokesperson said. During the meeting, the traffic authorities presented empirical data on the actual movement of Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) on the highway and their driving patterns. The traffic on the 70-km stretch of Navyug and Chenani-Nashri Tunnels for 15 days was considered, the spokesperson said. Mehta asked officials to keep an eye on slow-moving vehicles and enquire from each of them about the reasons. He also advised penalising erratic drivers who cause inconvenience to others. Mehta asked highway authorities and deputy commissioners to designate no-halt zones. He asked them to take steps to improve the roads near the slide-prone stretches at Dalwas, Mehad, Cafeteria Morh and Sher-Bibi. He insisted on better coordination between the traffic and district police. Regarding movement of fruit trucks from the Valley, the chief secretary stressed on taking fruit associations onboard while devising the traffic plan. Mehta asked for marking fruit-laden trucks with specially-designed stickers for their identification and giving unhindered access to reach the Mandis. He also directed deputy commissioners of the Valley to establish district control rooms in their offices for giving real-time updates to fruit growers about the roads and other issues. Kolkata, Aug 26 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Saturday received a gold award from the ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions for the Suvidha Vehicles Facilitation System, an official said. The award was handed over by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh at the valedictory session of the 26th National e-Governance Conference in Indore. "The award was given by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh and I was there to receive it," Petrapole land port manager Kamlesh Saini told PTI. Officials from the state IT department were also present at the event. The award also carries a cash award of Rs 10 lakh for the department. The system significantly reduces time it takes for cargo trucks to cross border and save on demurrage. The portal was created by West Bengal government in coordination with the Land Ports Authority of India, Indian Customs (CBIC), and Border Security Force (BSF) for quick clearance and smooth movement of vehicles at various Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) in the state. The system allows exporters to book slots for truck clearance online to pass through ICP Petrapole. Exporters must have an e-Suvidha pass and upload driver and vehicle information on the portal digitally. This reduces the amount of time it takes for trucks to cross the border. The online booking facility helps exporters to check the availability of parking slots and reserve their preferred slot in advance, ensuring that trucks arrive at the check post on the scheduled day. At each stage, the exporter receives a text message with real-time updates. Previously, drivers had to wait for 30 to 40 days for their turn to enter the ICP. The award is a recognition of the state government's efforts to improve trade facilitation and reduce the time and cost of doing business in West Bengal. New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Delhi airport operator DIAL on Saturday said it has received requests from airlines for cancellation of 80 departing and as many arriving domestic flights during three days from September 8 in connection with the G20 Summit. The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), a consortium led by the GMR Group, also stressed that the airport is fully equipped with ample parking space for aircraft during the summit period. "We take immense pride in India's role as the host of the G20 Summit 2023. Current news on cancellations of flights has no linkage to the parking of aircraft. We have already provided required parking," it said in a statement. Further, it noted that the decision on cancellations of flights has been taken by airlines possibly in light of traffic restrictions due to the G20 Summit. "So far, we have received requests for cancellation of approximately 80 departing and 80 arriving domestic flights over three days, which is a mere 6 per cent of the normal domestic operations at Delhi Airport. The restrictions will not cause any impact on international flights. "While we recognise that approximately 80 arrivals and 80 departures may be affected due to these cancellations, we are committed to working closely with airlines to minimize any inconvenience caused to passengers," the statement said. The G20 Summit will be held in the national capital on September 9 and 10. Delhi Airport, also known as the Indira Gandhi International Airport, is the country's largest airport and handles around two lakh passengers daily. In this article, we are going to discuss the 17 countries with the highest percentage of non-drinkers. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global alcohol industry, and the opportunities for non-alcoholic beverages in countries with a low prevalence of alcohol, and go directly to 5 Countries with the Highest Percentage of Non-Drinkers. Globally, an estimated 35% of men are non-drinkers, while the rate for women is 55%. Alcohol has been outlawed in several countries today, in part or as a whole. All of these countries have a majority Muslim population and have governments that adhere to some form of Islamic law, known as Sharia. In the Islamic religion, two of the most significant prohibitions are eating pork and drinking alcohol. There are about 14 countries that have outlawed alcohol to some degree. The Global Alcohol Industry: In 2019, the global alcohol consumption, measured in liters of pure alcohol per person of 15 years of age or older, was 5.5 liters, which is a 4.7% relative decrease from 5.7 liters in 2010. As we mentioned in our article Top 20 Alcohol Drinking Countries in the World the global alcoholic beverages market size was valued at $1.62 trillion in 2021, and the market is projected to reach $2 trillion by 2031, with a CAGR of 2.2% in the forecast period concluding in 2031. Opportunities for Non-Alcoholic Beverages: The low prevalence of alcohol in several Muslim-majority countries leads people to look elsewhere to quench their thirst, presenting opportunities to other non-alcoholic drinks. While the low- and no-alcohol trend is taking off in the Western world, another region which holds opportunities for this sector is the Middle East, where alcohol is banned in many countries. In 2019, Saudi Arabia was recorded to have the sixth-largest global market for alcohol-free beer consumption. Several booze companies have hopped on the zero-alcohol bandwagon, and are now offering products with all of the taste and none of the booze. Budweiser Zero was launched in 2020 by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) as the companys first non-alcoholic beer, setting itself up as the industry standard. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) also reportedly bought the rights to supply the FIFA World Cup for $75 million exclusively last year. Story continues As the sale of alcohol is strictly controlled in Qatar, Bud Zero ended up being the only brew available at the stadiums during the whole event. Last month, Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) announced plans to invest $34 million in its Belgian breweries to help expand its portfolio of non-alcoholic beers, improve bottling capacity, and optimize a new non-alcoholic system used to make Corona Cero. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) is the Largest Beer Producer in the World but the company is facing some headwinds in the American market after the recent controversy regarding its best-selling brand Bud Light, which resulted in the iconic brand losing its crown as the Top-Selling Beer in America. Although, as we mentioned in our article 20 Countries that Drink the Most Beer per Capita billionaire Bill Gates portfolio managers decided to initiate a $96 million position in the firm during the second quarter. Broyhill Asset Management said the following about Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD) in its second quarter 2023 investor letter: The largest detractors to performance over the quarter were First Horizon Corp (FHN), Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD), and Bayer (BAYRY). Problems at Anheuser Busch InBev began on April 1 with Dylan Mulvaneys social media post, which ignited a fiery backlash amongst Bud Light customers across Merica. With volumes down sharply, and competitors gaining share at BUDs expense, operational deleveraging is set to weigh heavily on US margins amid peak demand pressure in the second quarter. Despite severe US headwinds (second-quarter operating profit maybe half of last years levels), we still expect BUD to grow consolidated operating profit at a mid-single-digit rate for the full year. With current issues well understood and investor sentiment in the gutters, we see significant upside in a stock, which is approaching a double-digit FCF yield. With FX headwinds and rising input costs reversing course, increasing margins are likely to drive positive surprises into FY24 as continued deleveraging accrues more value to shareholders. Saudi Arabia also leads the Middle Eastern market in terms of its consumption of drinks from the The Coca Cola Company (NYSE:KO), with Palestine not far behind. The Coca Cola Company (NYSE:KO)'s dominance in the Saudi Market is also due, in part, to the company's focus on product innovation and customer-oriented marketing. Over the past few years, the company has been investing heavily in new packaging that allows customers to customize their drinks to their taste preferences. The Coca Cola Company (NYSE:KO) now represents nearly 40% of all carbonated soft drink sales in the Middle East. Sales of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) have traditionally been stronger in the Middle East, due, in part, to an Arab league-imposed boycott on Coca-Cola, which began when the firm decided in 1968 to open a bottling plant in Israel. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) has been focusing on innovation and sustainability in its operations in the region the company introduced the 'Dawah' bottle in the Middle East to recycle 88% of the water used in its production process. PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) also introduced a new beverage package in the Saudi market that is easier to use, recyclable, and doesn't require any water to consume. Similarly, the energy drinks market in the Middle East is one of the most promising in the coming years. It is true that during the pandemic, sales volumes dropped considerably due to restrictions. However, a slight recovery can be observed from 2021 onwards, reaching 859 million liters in sales during the year, and expected to increase to 100 million liters by 2026. Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) is a popular name in the Middle East, with the company boasting a 6.5% share in the regional market. Following the health-conscious approach of many countries including in the Middle East to reduce obesity, Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST) announced the launch of Monster Energy Zero Sugar earlier this year. According to the company, Monster Beverage Corporation (NASDAQ:MNST)s team of scientists have concocted what is 100% Monster and 0% sugar. Primed with 160 mg of caffeine like its predecessor Monster Energy Zero Sugar helps fight fatigue, and improve mental performance and focus. With that said, here are the Countries with the Highest Proportion of Non-Drinkers. 17 Countries with the Highest Percentage of Non-Drinkers Pixabay/Public Domain Methodology: To collect data for this article, we have referred to the Global Health Observatory of the World Health Organization, looking for Countries with the Highest Percentage of Lifetime Alcohol Abstainers. Lifetime abstinence is defined as the proportion of adults (15+ years) in a given population who have not consumed any alcohol during their lifetime. If you also wish to read about countries with the highest rate of alcohol-use disorder, here are the 20 Countries with Highest Rates of Alcoholism. 17. Comoros Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 93.3% The Comoros is a volcanic archipelago off Africas east coast, in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique channel. Although alcoholic beverages are available in certain parts of the country (notably the large Volo-Volo market in the national capital Moroni), the public consumption of alcohol is generally frowned upon in the islands, as over 95% of the countrys population are devout Sunni Muslims. Alcohol is also served in a few bars and restaurants though they tend to be expensive. 16. Saudi Arabia Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 93.4% It should come as no surprise that alcohol is not exactly the most popular drink in the birthplace of Islam. Alcohol consumption, import, brewing, and selling is completely banned in Saudi Arabia. However, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits are gaining traction in the Middle Eastern country, in part due to an increasingly well-traveled consumer base. Saudi Champagne a mix of fruit and soda water that can easily be made at home is a popular drink in the country. 15. Algeria Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 93.5% Due to strong conservative Islamic beliefs, alcoholic consumption is frowned upon throughout most of North Africa. Nevertheless, large exceptions are made for visiting tourists. If you wish to drink alcohol in Algeria, there are some options to drink in restaurants, bars, hotels, and private homes. However, its still illegal to drink publicly in the country. Beer is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Algeria, accounting for 57% of the recorded alcohol consumption. Algeria ranks among the countries with the highest rate of alcohol abstinence. 14. Iraq Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 93.8% Iraqi attitudes towards alcohol have certainly had their ups and downs, from the relative ease of availability and acceptance in society in the mid-20th century to the Iraqi Parliaments decision to outright ban the bottle in 2016. In February, the Iraqi government published the long-proposed legislation banning the import of alcoholic beverages into the country, no doubt including Saddams beloved Johnny Walker Black Label. 13. Jordan Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 93.9% Although public displays of drunkenness are frowned upon, drinking alcohol in Jordan is accepted as long as it is done in moderation. Some restaurants will serve alcoholic beverages and there are a number of bars in Amman. Amstel owned by Heineken N.V. remains the most consumed beer in the country with a 90% Muslim population. 12. Egypt Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 94.3% As Egypt is a majority Muslim country, many locals abstain from alcohol completely. However, it is possible to find liquor stores and bars in some upmarket neighborhoods, and many hotels and resorts serve alcohol. Beer is the most popular beverage in the North African country, accounting for 54% of all alcohol consumption. Stella Lager owned by Heineken N.V. since 2002 is the most popular beer brand in Egypt. Egypt ranks 12th among countries with the highest percentage of non-drinkers. 11. Morocco Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 94.6% The general act of consuming alcohol is not illegal in Morocco and you can find all sorts of alcoholic beverages all over the country. They even produce their own beers, wines, and liquors. However, where and how you consume alcohol is what lawmakers and their enforcers care about. According to the 2021 Financial Law Implementation report, Morocco had collected a total of $86 million from import taxes on alcohol and wine, while the import taxes on beer accumulated $106 million for the national kitty. 10. Sudan Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 95.2% For several decades, locally made alcoholic beverages and locally cultivated cannabis have been the two main substances of use among certain groups in Sudan. Alcohol, although it has been prohibited by Sharia laws since 1983, is still illicitly used in many parts of the country. However, in 2020, Sudan legalized the consumption of alcohol by non-Muslims, which make up 3% of the north African countrys total population. Sudan ranks among the top 10 countries with the highest percentage of people who dont drink alcohol. 9. Iran Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 96% Alcohol has been illegal for Muslim Iranian citizens since the establishment of the Islamic Republic government in 1979. Most consumers drink homemade alcoholic beverages in the country. However, the strong public demand benefits the illegal multibillion-dollar business of importing alcoholic beverages and facilitating their production inside Iran. 8. Pakistan Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 96.5% Alcohol is largely prohibited for Muslims in Pakistan, but this doesnt stop a black market from ensuring the supply of illicit liquor. Murree Brewery Company Limited Pakistans largest and oldest producer of alcoholic products is one of the most successful companies on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. Due to the social stigma it faces in the country, the brewery does not advertise and keeps a low profile. However, during the height of the pandemic, the company was able to somewhat improve its public image by producing 10,000 gallons of ethanol-based hand sanitizer. Pakistan ranks 8th in our list of countries with the highest percentage of non-drinkers. 7. Solomon Islands Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 97.1% In the Solomon Islands, illegal liquor known as Kwaso is distilled and widely consumed. It is often of low quality and is thought to have caused death, blindness, and several health problems. 6. Syria Percentage of Non-Drinkers: 97.7% Alcohol is not banned in Syria as it is in some Muslim countries. Nor is it reserved for the upper class elite or religious minorities. Syrias constitution uses Islamic jurisprudence as a primary source of law, but the Baathist regime has kept alcohol legal, available, and cheap. The Middle Eastern country has long produced its own alcoholic beverages, from beer to wine to the anise-based Arak. The leading brands in the Syrian beer market are Almaza, Heineken, and Al-Rayess. Syria ranks 6th among countries with the highest percentage of alcohol abstainers. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Countries with the Highest Percentage of Non-Drinkers. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 17 Countries with the Highest Percentage of Non-Drinkers is originally published on Insider Monkey. New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Saturday discussed ways to promote trade and investments between the two countries. In a message on social media network X (formerly known as Twitter), Goyal said he held a bilateral meeting with the US counterpart Tai. "Discussed key bilateral issues of mutual interest and explored ways to give further impetus to the growing India-US partnership through enhanced trade and investments," he said. An official has recently said that both countries are looking at ending their last trade dispute related to poultry in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Besides they are also looking at enhancing the partnership by permitting companies in both countries to participate in each others' government procurement. In July, India and the US mutually resolved six trade disputes pending at the WTO, in line with the commitment made by the two countries during the US visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June. During Modi's US visit in June, a joint statement said that the prime minister had expressed India's interest towards being recognized as a Trade Agreements Act-designated country by the US to further enhance the integration of both economies and promote bilateral trade and investment. In this regard, the two sides have welcomed the initiation of discussions at an official level on issues related to bilateral government procurement. The poultry case was filed by the US against India in the WTO in 2012. India has lost the dispute both at the panel as well as the appellate body levels. It was ruled against India that New Delhi's ban on imports of poultry products from the US was inconsistent with global norms. As India was not able to implement the decision within the stipulated time frame, the US demanded compensation. After that, both countries are discussing ways to resolve the case mutually. The US is the largest trading partner of India. In 2022-23, the bilateral goods trade increased to USD 128.8 billion as against USD 119.5 billion in 2021-22. Further, Goyal also held a bilateral meeting with UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch on the proposed free trade agreement between the two countries. Discussed ways to add further momentum to the India-UK free trade agreement negotiations for a mutually beneficial deal, he added. Negotiations for the agreement, which aims to boost trade and investment, have reached the last stage. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also met Badenoch and discussed bilateral investment and FTA. Earlier in the day, Sitharaman met European Commission Executive Vice-President V Dombrovskis and discussed bilateral economic and financial issues of mutual interests. Goyal also co-chaired the third High Level Dialogue (HLD) along with Valdis Dombrovskis here. During the meeting, both sides took stock of ongoing three negotiations on India-EU Free Trade Agreement; Investment Protection Agreement; and a Geographical Indications Agreement. They also discussed the market access issue of both sides and reviewed the progress made so far under the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC). In a separate statement, Valdis Dombrovskis said that the EU is India's second-largest trading partner but there is still a lot of untapped potential. He said that India would gain from tapping into the "world's biggest" single market. There is a clear political willingness on both sides to make faster progress, he said adding the two sides must now use this momentum to bridge major gaps. "We need to see good progress in terms of investment protection - important to attract further European investment to India," he added. India and the 27-nation bloc resumed negotiations on June 17 last year after a gap of over eight years on the proposed agreements on trade, investments and Geographical Indications (GI). India had started negotiations for a trade pact with the EU in 2007, but the talks stalled in 2013 as both sides failed to reach an agreement on key issues, including customs duties on automobiles and spirits and the movement of professionals. India's merchandise exports to EU member countries have increased to USD 74.5 billion in 2022-23 from USD about USD 65 billion in 2021-22. Imports also rose to USD 60 billion in 2022-23 from USD 51.4 billion in 2021-22. The EU accounts for about 17 per cent of India's total exports and about 8.5 per cent of the country's total imports. Besides greater market access for its products like textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, the Indian industry is looking for easy access for skilled professionals in the EU markets. On the other hand, the EU side has an interest in areas like auto, digital trade, sustainability and financial services sectors like banking and insurance. Shimla, Aug 26 (PTI) Tax on tourist buses registered outside Himachal and absence of way-side amenities at parking places are discouraging Gujarat tour operators and travel agents from promoting Himachal, tourism stakeholders said on Saturday. In a release, Shimla Tourism Stakeholders Association President M K Seth said that members of the association held a meeting with the Gujarat travel agents at Gandhi Nagar during the Tourism Trade Fare. During the meeting, the President of Travel Agents Association of Pan India (TAAPI) Vineesh Shah said that travel agents of Gujarat are willing to promote Himachal but there are some major issues due to which tour operators hesitate to bring tourist groups to Himachal, he added. Shah said that there is no tax on tourist buses having registration number of other states in Jammu & Kashmir and Uttrakhand but Himachal is charging high taxes and proposed to charge an increased rate of Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 per day from the tourist buses, registered outside the state due to which tour to Himachal has become unviable. He also pointed out that tourist buses are not allowed to enter Shimla city and the cost of tour operators increases as they have to hire taxis to send tourists to Shimla and sightseeing, the association said. Moreover, the buses are parked 7-8 km before Shimla and there is a lack of wayside amenities like public toilets, washing arrangements for buses, prepaid taxi service, canteen and rest rooms for drivers.. The association assured Gujarat operators that the matter would be taken up with the state government to resolve these issues. Shah said that Himachal is a favourite destination of tour operators and assured that in case these problems are solved the travel agents and tour operators of Gujarat will definitely promote Himachal in a big way. The tourist inflow from Gujarat would help in making the hotel industry of Shimla viable and increase the revenue of the government as Gujarat tour operators and Travel Agents play a significant role in contributing to high occupancy to the hotels in Himachal as maximum Tourists from Gujarat come in groups, said Seth. Lahore, Aug 26 (PTI) Pakistan's Punjab provincial government has sealed at least 10 mega commercial theatres here on the charges of 'promoting obscenity through women dancers', a top official said on Saturday. The action by the caretaker government in the province came days after it slapped a ban on 25 female stage dancers/actresses and lodged an FIR against two of them for 'vulgar dances'. These dancers are facing bans of up to 10 years. "More than 10 mega commercial theatres of Lahore have been sealed for promoting obscenity through women dancers," Punjab government Spokesperson and Information Minister Amir Mir said on Saturday. He said that drama producers had given written assurances that they would not promote obscenity through women dancers. However, indecency continued, forcing the government to seal the theatres. Mir said that monitoring of theatres in other parts of Punjab is underway, and similar action will be initiated on 'vulgar dance performances.' Mir, who is the brother of known anchor Hamid Mir, said the Punjab government has also decided to amend the Drama Act to 'permanently ban dances' in theatres. The minister further said the stage dancers involved in obscenity will likely be banned for five to 10 years. Talking to PTI on Saturday, a theatre owner termed the caretaker government's action against the stage dancers/actresses and mega commercial theatres "very harsh." "The government is acting like moral police. People do not come to theatres unless at least five dance performances are part of one show," he said, adding that theatre owners had asked the government not to ban dance performances. He urged the government to review its policy and not commit economic murder of the people associated with the industry. Washington, Aug 25 (AP) For President Joe Biden, strong backing for Ukraine's effort to repel Russia's invasion has been a rare issue where he's mustered bipartisan support. But this week's first GOP presidential debate and recent comments on Ukraine by the 2024 GOP polling leader and former president, Donald Trump show that unusual unity will face a stress test as the 2024 presidential campaign intensifies and the leading Republican contenders show antipathy toward the American backing of Ukraine. There long has been an isolationist strain in the United States, particularly in the Republican Party, but rarely has it been shared by so many candidates for president. On the debate stage in Milwaukee, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would make additional U.S. aid contingent on European allies increasing contributions. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy called it disastrous that the U.S. government was protecting against an invasion across somebody else's border and argued Ukraine funding would be better spent on the invasion of our own southern border. Meanwhile, Trump, who did not participate in the first debate, has said he will end Russia's invasion in one day if he wins back the White House. Even some of his Republican allies, like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, said that assertion was folly. Trump also has called on Congress to withhold additional Ukraine funding until the FBI, IRS and Justice Department hand over every scrap of evidence" on the Biden family's business dealings. Daniel Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland and distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, said that Republican Congressional leadership and Biden remain on the same page on providing Ukraine the assistance it needs. Still, he said the prominent voices in the Republican field calling for the U.S. to slow or wind down support for Kyiv sends a troubling signal to allies about what the U.S. commitment could look like following the 2024 election and harkens back to the years when isolationists who pressured the U.S. to remain neutral during the first two years of World War II. The majority of elected Republicans in the committee chairs and the people with power in Congress are still solid," Fried said. When they attack the administration, it's usually for not doing enough. But Trump and the Trump wannabes represent this other tradition in our history. And the last time this isolationist tradition was powerful in America, it led to catastrophic results. Biden campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz in a statement criticized MAGA Republicans on the debate stage for siding with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukrainian people and alluded to Ramaswamy mocking U.S. politicians who have made the trip to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people. At one point during Wednesday's debate, Ramaswamy took a dig at former Vice President Mike Pence and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, both of whom visited Kyiv this summer, for making a pilgrimage to their Pope Zelenskyy" without doing the same for Americans impacted by Hawaii's wildfires and crime and violence in U.S. cities. Former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley on the debate stage slammed Ramaswamy, saying he was effectively standing with Putin and was being short-sighted about U.S. interests. This guy is a murderer. And you are choosing a murderer over a pro-American country, said Haley, who also previously served as the former South Carolina governor. Publicly, the White House has stressed that key Republican lawmakers, notably the Senator Republican Leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, are largely in agreement on the need to continue robust assistance to Ukraine. The Biden administration earlier this month called on Congress to provide more than $13 billion in emergency defense aid to Ukraine and an additional $8 billion for humanitarian support through the end of the year. The United States has committed more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion. That includes more than $43 billion in military aid. We believe that the support will be there and will be sustained even if there are some dissident voices on the other side of the aisle, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters earlier this week. We believe that at the core there is still a strong bipartisan foundation of support for our Ukraine policy and for supporting and defending Ukraine. Support among the American public for providing Ukraine weaponry and direct economic assistance has softened with time. An AP-NORC poll conducted in January 2023 around the one-year mark of the conflict, found that 48% favored the U.S. providing weapons to Ukraine, down from the 60% of U.S. adults who were in favor of sending Ukraine weapons in May 2022. While Democrats have generally been more supportive than Republicans of offering weaponry, their support dropped slightly from 71% to 63% in the same period. Republican support dropped more, from 53% to 39%. Dozens of Republicans in the House, and some GOP senators, have expressed reservations about and even voted against spending more federal dollars for the war effort. Many of those Republicans are aligning with Trump's objections to the U.S. involvement overseas. It's very easy to say I'd rather spend money on a bridge in West Virginia than a bridge on Ukraine.' That on a superficial level makes sense, said Bradley Bowman, senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a conservative Washington think tank. We're witnessing a struggle for the heart and soul of the Republican Party right now and the Ukraine debate is a proxy of that. Christopher Borick, director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Pennsylvania, said the handling of the Ukraine war isn't as salient to the electorate writ large as the economy, health care, immigration, abortion and some other issues. But polling suggests that concerns about the costs of the war resonate with working-class Republican primary voters. On the flip side, Borick said Biden is not likely to win votes solely on his handling of Ukraine. But how the war plays out in the months ahead could help or diminish the president's broader argument about his administration's competency and success at restoring U.S. leadership back on the international stage after four years of Trump's "American first" foreign policy approach. Right now, Ukraine isn't as prominent an issue for voters, but we're seeing Trump, Ramaswamy and DeSantis setting the table to raise the question later in the campaign of how much U.S. treasure we're spending over there that we could be spending at home, he said. (AP) MRJ MRJ Lahore, Aug 26 (PTI) The recent mob attack on churches and Christian localities in Pakistan's Punjab province was a part of a larger hate campaign against the minority community, an independent human rights body has said, highlighting the involvement of radical Islamists and complicity of the police in the incident. On August 16, an enraged mob attacked scores of churches and Christian localities over blasphemy allegations against a Christian man in Jaranwala town of Faisalabad district, 130 km from Punjab's provincial capital Lahore. They also attacked a Christian cemetery and vandalised the office of the local assistant commissioner. Till now, police have arrested over 200 people including the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists in connection with the mob attack "The attack on the minority community cannot be entirely deemed as random or spontaneous, with a suspicion that it was orchestrated as part of a larger hate campaign against the local Christians while the role of police and its ability to effectively mitigate and control the situation is questionable," the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan's (HRCP) fact-finding mission said in the report released on Friday. At least 24 churches and several dozen smaller chapels as well as scores of houses were torched and looted in a series of brutal mob-led attacks against the local Christian community, the report said. According to Punjab police, 20 churches and 86 Christian houses were burnt down by the mob. The findings by the non-profit organisation state that it was not a spontaneous or random Muslim crowd that attacked the churches and homes but they were part of a larger campaign of hatred against local Christians. The mission found that of the 500 Christian families living in Jaranwala, most of them are from impoverished backgrounds and work either in municipal services in the local government structure or in private factories. The HRCP said the incident that sparked the mobs and subsequent violence was an alleged blasphemous material plastered on the gas metre of two Christian brothers living in the locality which was found by a woman on the morning of August 16. By 6:30 am allegations of blasphemy against the two Christian brothers, one of whom was a local pastor, had spread throughout the locality, and leaders of a religious party accompanied by several people had approached the police to file a case. The FIR was lodged against the two brothers by 7 am. As police were engaged in negotiating with the Muslim religious leaders including the TLP activists, reports started pouring in of growing tensions in different areas apart from Christian residents fleeing their homes fearing imminent violence. The report said the attacks were not just limited to Jaranwala city but also engulfed nearby villages where a systematic attack was perpetrated on Christian places of worship and households of Christians. "One person attested that a tractor trolley full of people, as well as several persons on motorbikes, had arrived from a village, transporting men who then burnt down a church and houses, thus giving more credibility to the notion that the attack was premeditated," it said The mission has also recommended a review of the country's controversial blasphemy laws to prevent their misuse against individuals or any religious minority. "There is a need to develop policies and strategies to deal with organised extremist groups (like TLP) so that no individual or group can undermine the writ of the state," the report said. The HRCP said the government should take measures to implement recommendations of the judicial inquiry that was held into the communal riots of Gojra, Punjab (attacks on Christians) in 2009 so that there is no impunity for organised Muslim religious groups that openly declare their intentions of violent action against religious minorities. Dubai, Aug 26 (PTI) Kickstarting the Onam celebrations, healthcare workers in the UAE came together to spread the message of sustainability and cultural diversity through a stunning and unique floral carpet, mirroring the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the UN. Laying out a 250-square-metre Pookalam, the frontliners offered a floral tribute to the UAEs Year of Sustainability and the COP28 Climate Change Conference the country will be hosting this year. The sprawling floral carpet had been meticulously designed to mirror the 17 Sustainable Development Goals outlined by the United Nations. It featured an array of colourful flowers arranged to showcase the essence of the goals no poverty, zero hunger, and climate action along with others. It took 1,000 people around 15 hours to prepare the breathtaking creation. The Pookalam served as a visual reminder of the pressing global challenges and the collective responsibility to address them. Cultural performances took centre stage as the healthcare workers showcased their heritage through song, dance, and other activities. Sunjay Sudhir, India's Ambassador to UAE, encouraged the attendees to promote a greener and more sustainable future. Amid the vibrant colours of Onam, I feel inspired to see the harmony of tradition and sustainability coming together. This celebration pays homage to the rich heritage of India, while also aligning with the UAEs commitment to sustainability in the year it is hosting COP28. The unique Pookalam is a reminder that our actions today will shape the world for future generations, Ambassador Sudhir said. Adding to the events significance was the participation of healthcare workers from around 30 different nationalities, symbolising unity and collaboration on an international level. Shuq Almemari, an Emirati national who works at the Administration Department at Burjeel Medical City, was thrilled to participate in the celebrations. "This is my first time being a part of Onam celebrations. I was happy to help arrange the beautiful floral carpet and was fascinated by the required artistic skills. I also enjoyed learning more about Indian culture by watching the performances put up by my colleagues, said Shuq. Staff members from different Emirates, their family members, patients, and the senior leadership team at Burjeel Holdings also took part in the event. John Sunil, Group CEO of Burjeel Holdings, emphasised the groups dedication to aligning business practices with environmental responsibility. Athens, Aug 26 (AP) Fire department officials in Greece arrested two men Saturday for allegedly deliberately setting fires, while hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires that have killed at least 21 people in the past week. One man was arrested on the island of Evia for allegedly setting fire to dried grass in the Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. A second man arrested in the Larissa area of central Greece also was accused of intentionally setting fire to dried vegetation. Officials have blamed arson for several fires in Greece over the past week. It remains unclear what sparked the country's largest blazes, including one in the northeastern region of Evros, where nearly all the fire-attributed deaths occurred, and another on the fringes of Athens. Some ... arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Thursday. What is happening is not just unacceptable, but despicable and criminal. The minister said nine fires were set in the space of four hours Thursday morning in the Avlona area in the northern foothills of Mount Parnitha on the northwestern fringes of Athens that is one of the capital's last green areas. A major fire was already burning on the southern side of the mountain at the time, and it continued to burn Saturday. You are committing a crime against the country, Kikilias said. We will find you. You will be held accountable to justice. Later Thursday, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting at least three fires in the Avlona area. A search of his home revealed kindling, a fire torch gun and pine needles, police said. Greece has been plagued by daily outbreaks of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combined to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts. Firefighters tackled 111 blazes Friday, including 59 that broke out in the 24 hours between Thursday and Friday evenings, the fire department said. Although most new fires were controlled in their early stages, some grew to massive blazes that have consumed homes and vast tracts of forest. Storms were forecast Saturday for some areas of Greece, and lightning strikes ignited several fires near the Greek capital. The fire department said 100 firefighters, including contingents from France and Cyprus, backed up by four helicopter, brought fires in four outlying areas near the Greek capital under partial control within hours. The fire department called on the public to be particularly careful and to follow directions by authorities given that intense thunderstorm activity is occurring in various parts of the country. The Evros fire, Greece's largest current blaze, was burning for an eighth day Saturday near the city of Alexandroupolis, causing at least 20 deaths. Authorities issued evacuation orders Saturday afternoon for three villages in the area. Firefighters found 18 bodies in a forest on Tuesday, one on Monday and another Thursday. The 18 included two boys aged between 10 and 15. With nobody reported missing in the area, authorities believe the victims might have been migrants who recently crossed the border from Turkiye. Greece's Disaster Victim Identification Team was activated to identify the remains, and a telephone hotline set up for potential relatives of the victims to call. A man reportedly trying to save his livestock from advancing flames in central Greece also died on Monday. More than 290 firefighters, backed by five planes and two helicopters, were battling the Evros blaze. Another 260 firefighters, four planes and three helicopters were tackling the Mount Parnitha fire. Another blaze broke out on the Cycladic island of Andros Saturday, where an evacuation order for a village was also issued. A lightning strike was reportedly suspected as the cause. With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called on other European countries for help. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovak and Serb firefighters helped on the ground. Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues. Since the start of this year's fire season, fire department officials have arrested 163 people on fire-related charges, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Friday, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police made a further 18 arrests, he said. (AP) GRS GRS Washington, Aug 26 (AP) Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has appealed a Moscow court's decision to extend his pretrial detention in Russia until the end of November, according to documents on the court's website. The American journalist was arrested in March during a work trip to the city of Yekaterinburg, almost 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow. He is the first US journalist since the Soviet era to be held on espionage charges in Russia. An order that authorized keeping Gershkovich in jail before trial was set to expire on August 30. The Moscow City Court extended the custody order on Thursday by three months, drawing objections from US government officials and the Journal. The court's website on Saturday showed that Gershkovich's defense team had filed an appeal. The court in June rejected his appeal of the earlier ruling to keep him behind bars until the end of August. Journalists gathered outside the court Thursday were not allowed to witness the proceedings. Russian state agency Tass said the hearing hearing was held behind closed doors because details of the criminal case are classified. Russia's main internal security agency, the Federal Security Service, has alleged that Gershkovich, 31, acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex. Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the US government in April declared him to be wrongfully detained. Russian authorities haven't detailed what, if any, evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. The Wall Street Journal released a statement Thursday referencing Gershkovich's improper" detention for doing his job as a journalist. The baseless accusations against him are categorically false, and we continue to push for his immediate release. Journalism is not a crime, the statement said. Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy made her third visit to the jailed Gershkovich and reported that he appeared to be in good health despite his challenging circumstances. He is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when the KGB arrested Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for US News and World Report. Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after US-Russian tensions soared over the Kremlin's military operation in Ukraine. At least two US citizens arrested in Russia in recent years including WNBA star Brittney Griner were exchanged for Russians jailed in the US. The Russian Foreign Ministry has previously said it would consider a swap for Gershkovich only in the event of a verdict in his trial. In Russia, espionage trials can last for more than a year.(AP) RUP RUP Abuja, Aug 25 (AP) Niger's military junta has asked the French ambassador to leave the country, the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday. The move further escalates the international crisis in the West African nation stemming from a coup that ousted the West African nation's democratically elected president. French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the ministry. The letter dated Friday, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, also cited actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger as among the reasons for Itte's expulsion. Niger, a former French colony, was France's partner before last month's coup in the fight against jihadi violence. (AP) MRJ MRJ Abuja, Aug 25 (AP) Niger's junta authorized troops from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso to come to its defense and asked the French ambassador to leave the country Friday, raising the stakes in a standoff with other West African nations who are threatening force to reinstate Niger's democratically elected president. The junta leader, Brig. Gen. Abdrahmane Tchiani, signed two executive orders authorizing the "security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression, senior junta official Oumarou Ibrahim Sidi said late Thursday, after hosting a delegation from the two countries in the Nigerien capital, Niamey. Sidi did not provide further details about the military support from the two countries whose military regimes have said any use of force by the West African bloc ECOWAS against Niger's junta would be treated as an act of war against their own nations. The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs said French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the ministry. The letter dated Friday, a copy of which was seen by The Associated Press, also cited actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger. Before last month's ouster of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum, Niger, a former French colony, had was seen as the West's last major partner against jihadi violence in the Sahel region below the Sahara Desert, which is rife with anti-French sentiment. The French Embassy in Niger's capital, Niamey, was attacked in the early days of the July 26 coup. The military leaders of the coup have requested help from private Russian military company Wagner to stem extremist attacks. The status of the request following the death of Wagner founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash this week is unknown. ECOWAS said on Friday that along with the African Union, it stands against the use of private military contractors. The junta's agreement with Mali and Burkina Faso was the latest of several actions taken by Niger's mutinous soldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a junta they have said would rule for up to three years, further escalating the crisis after last month's coup in the country of more than 25 million people. The ECOWAS Commission president, Omar Alieu Touray, said Friday that the bloc's threat to use force to reinstate Bazoum was "still on the table, rejecting the junta's three-year transition plan. Eleven of the bloc's 15 countries, not including the military-ruled countries of Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and Niger itself, have expressed commitments to deploy troops to restore democracy in Niger once a decision is made to intervene. The bloc would in the meantime continue to explore diplomatic options to reverse the coup, Touray told reporters in Nigeria's capital city of Abuja. The latest of such diplomatic efforts came Thursday when Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is the chairman of the regional bloc, sent a delegation of Islamic leaders to speak with the junta. Touray said the West African heads of state would decide on when to use force whenever it feels like all diplomatic means have failed. ECOWAS cannot just fold its hands, he asserted. Details of what has been called the ECOWAS standby force have not be released. Regional officials have suggested any military intervention would be like the force deployed in Gambia in 2017 to force Yahya Jammeh out of power as president after he refused to concede an election loss. The junta has been exploiting grievances among the population toward Niger's former colonial ruler, France. It also has accused Bazoum's government of failing to do enough to protect the country from Islamic extremists, and has asked the Russian mercenary group Wagner for help. On Friday, Niger also faced new sanctions when the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation which has signed USD 750 million in grant programs with the country since 2008 suspended operations that focused on improving agriculture, women's literacy and roads in Niger. The coup was contrary to the principles of democratic governance, the U.S. agency said. ECOWAS already has joined Western and European countries in imposing sanctions against Niger, including cutting the supply of its electricity from Nigeria and the closure of borders with the countries' neighbors. Touray acknowledged Friday that those sanctions have resulted in serious socio-economic crises in Niger, but said the sanctions were for the interest of the people of Niger. (AP) MRJ MRJ The Caribbean is beautiful, but sometimes, you want to find beauty and adventure in a more unique cruise destination. A cruise is the ultimate vacation: After all, it turns the actual journey into yet another destination. The most popular cruises in the United States take travelers to gorgeous spots for both sightseeing and adventure, all while letting them enjoy a luxe experience on board the boat. But while we love the trips around Europe or to the Caribbean, there are many unusual cruises that bring visitors to destinations off the beaten path or simply provide a completely different experience compared to the average cruise. Whether youre heading to the top of the world or sailing along an iconic African river, these unique cruise destinations allow you to have a vacation you wont ever forget. The North Pole Theres nowhere on Earth quite like the Arctic! A cruise to the top of the world will allow you to drift through ice blocks, see polar bears, experience snowy adventures, and admire one of the most beautiful natural phenomena in the world: the northern lights. Sure, its frightfully cold no lounging by the pool on this kind of cruise but its also, quite literally, the adventure of the lifetime. Ponant is one of several companies that offers cruises to the Arctic, departing from Alaska (itself an incredible cruise destination) and Iceland. Be aware, this isn't a cheap last-minute vacation; Ponant North Pole trips start from $37,790 for 15 nights on board. Galapagos Islands An iguana sits on a rock in the Galapagos with the sea and a cruise ship in the distance. Love animals? Then a trip to the Galapagos Islands is a must for you. The Galapagos Islands are famed for their diverse flora and fauna, which you wont see anywhere else in the world the giant tortoises in particular are a must-see. And what better way to experience it all than on a cruise? Jacada Travel , for example, offers a luxury cruise that allows you to get up close to these unique animals, experience incredible diving, see a volcano, and get the most out of this beautiful, remote destination few people ever travel to. An eight-day trip starts from $8,986. Story continues Amazon River Easily one of the most famous rivers in the world, a trip down the Amazon River will take you into one of the most unique and biodiverse areas on the globe. The Amazon is incredibly beautiful but dangerous and difficult to explore, which is why a cruise is such a good option if youd like to see it: You can experience all the remarkable sights of the worlds largest rainforest without fearing, oh, you know a massive, venomous snake attacking you. Along the way, youll learn about the regions fascinating history, unusual flora and fauna, and more. There are multiple countries where you can start your Amazon River cruise, including Peru. When you start in Peru, you can also visit the famed Andes mountains and the city of Lima, all sure to contrast greatly with your Amazon River trip. Fiji Fiji is essentially the definition of paradise, which makes it such a great cruise destination. The water is an unreal shade of blue, the beaches boast the finest white sand and beautiful foliage, its warm and sunny you really get the finest tropical island experience when you visit Fiji. Several luxury cruise lines offer trips to Fiji, allowing you to navigate the many islands, go snorkeling and diving to see the unique marine life, and do stops at several rainforests and beaches. Youll also get a taste of Polynesian culture as you explore this area of the world. An 11-night Royal Caribbean cruise that stops in the Fiji Islands starts at $1,416 although you'll have to get to Sydney, Australia, to start the trip. Egypt The temple of Philae in Aswan, Egypt, seen from the Nile River. When most people imagine visiting Egypt, they picture ancient history and camels. And while exploring historic tombs and riding camels is on the agenda with a boat ride down the Nile River, you also get to enjoy the experience of exploring the longest river in the world. A luxury cruise in Egypt is the best, most comfortable way to experience the African countrys history, culture, and nature. On a Jacada cruise, for example, youll visit the famed cities of Alexandria and Cairo, see world-class museums, explore archeological digs, traverse the Sahara, and taste incredible Egyptian dishes, retiring to the luxury boat during the journey. Faroe Islands Theres a reason the Faroe Islands have become the hot new destination among avid travelers: The series of 18 Danish islands, located near Norway, have all the beauty and thrill of Iceland with significantly less foot traffic. On the Faroe Islands, you can see sweeping cliffs and volcanoes, beautiful beaches, picturesque towns and even adorable puffins. There are several cruises that will take you around the many small islands, letting you off for hikes to dramatic cliffside vistas and waterfalls, thrilling kayaking trips and shopping in the small Nordic towns. These cruises will often take you to Iceland and Scandinavian highlights, too. A Norwegian Cruise Line 14-day cruise that includes stops in Iceland, Greenland, Norway and the Faroe Islands starts at $2,099, according to a current deal. Vietnam, Halong Bay A landscape view of Halong Bay, Vietnam, with several small cruise ships and towering cliffs. Halong Bay is one of the crown jewels of Vietnam in fact, its even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Thats because of its staggering natural beauty, which is unlike anywhere else in the world. On a cruise through Halong Bay, youll get to explore the many mountains, caves, grottos and islands that dot the shockingly emerald green waters of this Vietnamese bay. There are many cruise ships that will let you sail along this waterway to soak in the astonishing natural beauty as you relax onboard. Itll be difficult to find a better backdrop for a hot tub soak than Halong Bay! Thane, Aug 26 (PTI) Police have registered a case against a woman teacher of a private school in Thane city of Maharashtra for allegedly hitting a six-year-old Class 1 student on his head in which he suffered an injury, an official said on Saturday. The incident occurred on Monday and the case was registered on Friday against the teacher of New English School Vitawa in Kalwa, he said. "On August 21, the mother of the child went to the school to bring her son back home. At that time, his class teacher told her that the boy was not studying properly and parents need to pay attention to ensure that his homework is completed," the official of Kalwa police station said. After dinner, the boy's mother noticed some swelling on his head and some dried blood. When asked, he told her that the teacher hit him on his head due to which there was an injury. His mother immediately asked his teacher about it, but the latter could not give a proper answer, he said, quoting the complaint. "The next day, the boy's parents lodged a police complaint against the teacher. They told the police that in the recent past also, the same teacher had pushed down their son. They told the police that since they do not want a recurrence of any such incident in future, they are filing the complaint," he said. The police sent the boy to a civic-run hospital in Kalwa, where he was given primary treatment, the police official said. Based on the complaint, an offence under section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 against the teacher, police said. The accused has not been arrested and a probe into the case was on, they said. Patna, Aug 26 (PTI) RJD president Lalu Prasad on Saturday charged the Narendra Modi government at the Centre with having a hostile attitude towards the caste survey conducted in Bihar. Addressing a book release function here, Prasad claimed oppression of backward classes, SCs and STs continued since "feudal traits do not go away so easily". "The prime minister of this country seems distressed with castes. He keeps mentioning 'Jati' in his speeches, perhaps he thinks this social reality will not let him enjoy peace. He is right if he thinks so," remarked Prasad with a hint of sarcasm, without mentioning Modi or the BJP by name. He, however, alleged that the BJP government at the Centre betrayed its "hatred" towards the caste survey ordered by his ally, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, when the Solicitor General of India made a submission before the Supreme Court which was hearing petitions challenging the exercise. "Why must there not be a caste survey? Without having the actual data, we are remaining content with affirmative action based on presumptions, and allocations for weaker sections doled out as if it were a great favour when it was a matter of right," said the former chief minister of Bihar, arguably the tallest leader to emerge out of the 1990s Mandal wave. Kumar had on Friday said the caste-based survey in the state has been completed and the state government would soon make the data public. Prasad, who takes pride in having been at the helm in Bihar when recommendations of Mandal Commission were implemented and BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani was arrested, cutting short the "Ram Rath Yatra", also reaffirmed his commitment to "social justice and communal harmony". "I have fought for these two ideals and will continue to fight", said the RJD supremo, who is a key member of the opposition coalition INDIA. The doughty leader who has been pulled down by old age and ill health, spoke for barely 10 minutes, seated in his chair, but offered a few glimpses of his legendary sense of humour to those present at the venue. Turning towards journalist Manoj Mitta, whose book "Caste Pride: Battles for Equality in Hindu India" he released here, Prasad told the audience: "When I received the invitation for this function, I first felt a sense of fear, looking at the thickness of the tome". "I would love to read this book. But that would require me to streamline my routine so that I can take some time off," said the RJD supremo, evoking peals of laughter. He added, amid guffaws, "I can also take the help of my party colleague Shivanand Tiwary who is present here. He is a scholar. He can do the hard work of going through the book and I shall benefit from the knowledge he gains". Hailakandi (Assam), Aug 26 (PTI) Atin Das, the former editor of a leading Bengali daily in Assam's Barak Valley, was arrested for making derogatory remarks against Mahatma Gandhi, police said. He was, however, later released on bail, a police officer said. Das was arrested from his residence in Silchar in Cachar district on Friday on the basis of an FIR lodged by Congress leader Samsuddin Barlaskar at Hailakandi Sadar Police Station, Sub-inspector Faruk Hussain said. The veteran journalist had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Gandhi at a programme organised to mark 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Divas' (Partition Horror Remembrance Day) on August 14. He had allegedly questioned Mahatma Gandhi's contribution towards Independence and accused him of appeasing a section of the population. "An FIR was registered against Das at Hailakandi Sadar Police Station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code on August 18. On the basis of it, he was arrested from his Silchar residence," Hussain, the investigating officer of the case, said. He was later released on a personal recognisance bond, he added. Patna, Aug 26 (PTI) The Bihar government has advised private secretaries of state ministers, other than those picked up from the administrative services, not to meddle in the functioning of the departments concerned. In a missive on Friday, Bihar Chief Secretary Amir Subhani asked all the additional chief secretaries of the departments to ensure that such private secretaries refrain from correspondence or oral communication with department officials and confine themselves to "non-government" functions of the minister. "In the absence of any clear-cut guidelines pertaining to the work allocation/distribution among private secretaries (administrative services) and private secretaries (private) of ministers, it is becoming difficult to define their roles in the day to day functioning. "Therefore, after a detailed deliberation, it has been decided that private secretaries (administrative services) will do all inter-departmental communications on behalf of the concerned minister/ department on the direction of the minister since the PS (administrative service), a government employee, will also be held responsible for handling departmental files pertaining to the department on the direction of the minister concerned," the letter read. Explaining the duties of the private secretary (private), it said, "Since he/she is a private person, he/she will be responsible for a minister's tours and outdoor political programmes. He/she will also look into non-department appointments of the minister. He/she must refrain from correspondence or oral communication with department officials and confine themselves to 'non-government' functions of the minister. He/she will not engage in any sort of written communication with the departmental officials." The directive comes days after the Education Department debarred the then private secretary (private) of Education Minister Chandra Shekhar from entering the department's office. The PS (private) had on July 5 written a letter to Additional Chief Secretary K K Pathak, stating, "The minister has expressed his displeasure over the recent developments in which it has been noticed that lots of negative news related to the department are coming in the media. Even official letters or departmental communications are leaked to the media before they reach the minister's cell. This is against the rules about public servants' functioning; the department must identify such officials and take appropriate disciplinary action. A lot of negative press have angered the minister and now wants 'Robinhoods' and 'actors' among officers to be punished." Taking strong objection to PS's letter, the department, in its reply, said, "You (the PS) are requested to learn about the process before sending letters to government officials. You had already been told in the past that you are not entitled to communicate directly with the government officials. By writing such 'useless letters' (written without applying mind), you are wasting the time of government officials. It appears that you have no work to do in the minister's cell." Varanasi, Aug 26 (PTI) A recorded video message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the G20 Culture Ministers' Meeting will be played during the event being hosted in Varanasi on Saturday. Varanasi is the parliamentary constituency of Modi. Sources said in the 9-minute-long video the prime minister will extend his greetings to the ministers and other delegates who have gathered in the temple town for the mega G20 event. Varanasi hosted the fourth and final meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group (CWG) during August 24-25. The delegates had started arriving in the holy city from August 23 and streets and ghats had been spruced up for the occasion. The CWG culminates with the Culture Ministers' Meeting on August 26. The opening session of the meeting is scheduled to begin shortly. After the lighting of a lamp, the video message from Prime Minister Modi will be played, followed by remarks from the Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy. Reddy on Friday said it was fitting that the last meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group and the Culture Ministers' Meeting was being held in Varanasi, the cultural capital of India. "It is a matter of great fortune for the government of India that this important event is being held in Varanasi, the ancient city that reflects the cultural soul and ethos of India," he told reporters here. The CWG aims to arrive at "actionable outcomes" keeping culture at the heart of policymaking, officials have said. The CWG's first meeting was held in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, followed by two more in Odisha's Bhubaneswar and Hampi in Karnataka. Deliberations on the draft of the G20 culture ministerial declaration being held here are moving towards a "full consensus", Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan had said here on Friday. A performance by the G20 Global Orchestra, titled 'Sur Vasudha', celebrating the rich musical knowledge and heritage of the member nations of the bloc and invitee countries will be presented in the temple town on Saturday evening. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is slated to attend the evening cultural performance to be held at Rudraksh convention centre here. A recorded message from Modi was also played at the inaugural session of the G20 Tourism Ministerial Meeting in Goa held in June. Asserting the ethos of 'Atithi Devo Bhava', Modi via the video had invited G20 delegates to visit India during the 2024 general elections and witness the "festival of democracy" in all its diversity. New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday said it was Nehru's vision of making India self-reliant in the space domain, and his decision to not align with the great powers despite criticism, which has now yielded such rich dividends in space exploration. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said there has been a lot of commentary in Pakistan's media on the outstanding achievements of ISRO with a lament that the agency made such big strides even though Pakistan's space agency SUPARCO was set up in late 1961, a few months before India's INCOSPAR in February 1962. "What is not recognised is that from day 1 Nehru stressed SELF-RELIANCE, even as there were some voices in Delhi advocating greater American involvement and some others pleading for closer cooperation with the Soviets," Ramesh said on X. He said first Nehru, and then Indira Gandhi after him, were clear the space programme had to be designed, controlled, and executed by Indian professionals in the civil domain. In this, they were of course guided and influenced by Homi Bhabha, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan, P N Haksar and many others, the Congress leader said. "The foundation and vast infrastructure for science and technology created in the Nehruvian era, was done in the face of trenchant criticism, that being an extremely poor country India could ill-afford such investments. "Yet it is the vision of a self-reliant and a scientifically advanced nation that yielded such rich dividends," Ramesh asserted. Saharanpur (UP), Aug 26 (PTI) A fire broke out in a firecracker factory here, killing a man who worked there, police said on Saturday. Fire tenders were rushed to the site late Friday night to douse the flames, they said. The deceased has been identified as factory worker Prem Prakash (40) but police is yet to ascertain the cause of the fire, they added. Meanwhile the owner of the factory, who allegedly did not have a license to operate a firecracker factory, is absconding since the incident, police said. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Sagar Jain told PTI that fire broke out abruptly in the godown of Jai Bhavani firecracker factory at Chhajjupur village of Kailashpur under Gagalheri police station at 11 pm on Friday. Jain said police and fire department personnel rushed to the spot after villagers informed the Gagalhedi police station about the fire. They extinguished the fire with the help of villagers, he said, adding that police was probing the cause of the fire. About 10 labourers were working in the factory, who ran outside as soon as the fire started but one labourer Prem Prakash (40) could not escape and was killed in the fire, Jain said. Police have sent the body for post-mortem, he said. The SP also said that Anil Lamba, the owner of the factory, has been absconding since the fire. He said that as per information received by the police, the factory owner does not have a license to operate the firecracker factory. A search has been initiated for the factory owner and every aspect of the case is being investigated by the police, Jain added. Amethi (UP), Aug 26 (PTI) Police have booked two district-level BJP leaders and eight other unidentified people for allegedly assaulting a Youth Congress office bearer in this Uttar Pradesh district, an officer said on Saturday. Superintendent of Police (Amethi) Elamaran said an FIR was registered and an investigation taken up in the case. He asserted that strict action will be taken against those found guilty. Shubham Singh, the district chief of the Youth Congress, alleged in his police complaint that he was attacked by the BJP Kisan Morcha's district president Satyendra Pratap Singh alias Raju Singh, Vishu Mishra -- the district unit chief of the BJP Yuva Morcha -- and eight others. The alleged assault occurred outside the International Hotel on Munshiganj Road late on Friday. Singh claimed that the alleged assailants arrived in an SUV and attacked him with sticks, causing him serious injuries. A large number of Congress workers reached the Amethi police station on Saturday regarding the case. Senior leaders, including the Congress' district unit chief Pradeep Singhal and former minister Ashish Shukla, also reached the police station. The police said an FIR was registered under sections 147 (guilty of causing nuisance), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (insulting with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against Satyendra Pratap Singh, Vishu Mishra and eight unknown accused. Durgesh Tripathi, the BJP's district unit chief, however, termed the allegations baseless and politically motivated. He said Congress leaders are desperate and disappointed, they have nothing left except such petty politics. Value-focused investors are always on the hunt for stocks that are priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that merits attention is Alkaline Water Co Inc (NASDAQ:WTER). The stock, which is currently priced at $0.89, recorded a loss of 15.59% in a day and a 3-month decrease of 57.8%. The stock's fair valuation is $11.77, as indicated by its GF Value. Understanding 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 historical multiples, GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future estimates of the business performance. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. Is Alkaline Water Co (WTER) Too Good to Be True? A Comprehensive Analysis of a Potential Value Trap Unmasking Potential Risks 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 Alkaline Water Co should not be ignored. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Altman Z-score of -11.73. These indicators suggest that Alkaline Water Co, despite its apparent undervaluation, might be a potential value trap. Decoding the Altman Z-score Before delving into the details, let's understand what the Altman Z-score entails. The Z-Score is a financial model that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within a two-year time frame. A score below 1.8 suggests a high likelihood of financial distress, while a score above 3 indicates a low risk. Company Introduction Alkaline Water Co Inc is engaged in the business of distributing and marketing bottled alkaline water for retail consumers of different sizes. The firm sells its product in 500ml, 700ml, 1-liter, 1.5-liter 3-liter, and 1-gallon sizes. Its only operating geographical segment being the United States of America. Story continues Is Alkaline Water Co (WTER) Too Good to Be True? A Comprehensive Analysis of a Potential Value Trap Alkaline Water Co's Low Altman Z-Score: A Breakdown of Key Drivers A dissection of Alkaline Water Co's Altman Z-score reveals Alkaline Water Co's financial health may be weak, suggesting possible financial distress. The first factor we need to consider is a measure of short-term liquidity. This is calculated as the working capital divided by total assets. When we evaluate the data provided: 2021: 0.03; 2022: -0.06; 2023: -0.08, it's clear that Alkaline Water Co has experienced a recent decline following an initial increase in its Working Capital to Total Assets ratio over the past few years. The Retained Earnings to Total Assets ratio provides insights into a company's capability to reinvest its profits or manage debt. Evaluating Alkaline Water Co's historical data, 2021: -2.85; 2022: -4.87; 2023: -7.60, we observe a declining trend in this ratio. This downward movement indicates Alkaline Water Co's diminishing ability to reinvest in its business or effectively manage its debt. Conclusion Considering the above factors, despite its seemingly attractive valuation, Alkaline Water Co may be a potential value trap. The company's declining financial health, reflected in its low Altman Z-score, suggests possible financial distress. Investors need to consider these risk factors before making an investment decision. GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Altman Z-Score using the following Screener: Walter Schloss Screen . This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Westerly, RI (02891) Today A steady light rain early...then remaining cloudy with a few showers. High 61F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low near 40F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. My husband and I recently went on a five-day trip to Paris, where we spent a fair amount on eating and drinking and also on gifts for both ourselves, and our immediate family, alongside tickets to a variety of tourist spots including Disneyland. It's been a while since I've been on a European trip like this and when we arrived at Gare du Nord station in Paris to get the Eurostar train back to London, I noticed terminals offering tax back to citizens of certain countries. To my surprise, I saw the UK flag on the terminal and then started to think I'd perhaps made a mistake not keeping all receipts and attempting to get the tax back. Tax-free shopping in EU: Should I have kept receipts for all my purchases in Paris and is there a way to claim any tax refunds now we're home? A few shop assistants had mentioned something about tax refunds, but we didn't think it was applicable to us. We were rushing a bit to catch the train, so I didn't investigate the terminals further but could we have ended up with a big refund if we'd kept all receipts? Or have I got the wrong end of the stick? And is there a way to claim any tax refunds now we're home? SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK HEATHER YOUR TAX QUESTION Heather Rogers replies: When you travel to EU countries you may be eligible for tax-free shopping. One of the consequences of the UK leaving the EU is that now when you make purchases in Europe and take them either back to the UK or to another non-EU country, your purchase can qualify for a VAT rebate. Who qualifies for tax-free shopping? Anyone who permanently or usually lives outside the EU. Your passport or other national identity document will be your proof of your permanent residence. In France you need to be over 16 and in many other countries it is 18. You must make the purchase in person. What is the VAT rate, and how much do you need to spend? The VAT rate will vary from country to country and also may vary on type of product. Not all products will have VAT. You usually have to spend over a certain amount on a purchase to be able to claim, but this varies from country to country so you will need to check. What should you do when making a purchase? Even if you are eligible for ta- free shopping, you still have to pay the full price on the goods including the tax in the shop. Before you purchase, ask the shop in advance whether they provide the tax refund service. They usually have a sticker or sign if they do. Ask the shop staff what spending threshold applies in order to be eligible for a refund. For example in France, you must spend at least 100 euros each time. Try to have as many purchases if possible on one receipt from the same shop. You can't amalgamate purchases from different shops. When you pay, the staff member will ask you to provide proof that you are a visitor to the EU, so make sure you take your passport with you as you will need to show it (or another identity document) proving your residence outside the EU. The staff member will ask you to fill in a form with the necessary details to prepare your claim. You may be asked to show your departure ticket as well, as proof you are leaving the EU within the time limits (which are explained below) so it's worth bringing that along too. The shop will fill in their part of the form. You will also receive an invoice for the goods. When you receive your reclaim form, make sure you fully understand exactly what you need to do to make your claim and how you will receive the refund. In some cases, the shop itself may refund you, but in many cases the shop will use a third party to organise the refunds on its behalf. What are the time limits? You must leave the EU three months following the month in which you made the purchase, so for example a purchase made on 12 March requires you to leave the EU by 30 June. You may travel on within the EU to other countries after making a qualifying purchase, but you must leave the EU by the specified timeframe, and you must take the goods with you. Will you get all your VAT back? No, as there is often an administrative fee for this service which will be deducted from your refund. Always ask this at the time and how much the fee is. What must you do at Customs when you leave the EU? You must show the invoice for the goods, the refund form the shop has given you, and the goods - which must be unopened - and any other necessary documents such as a passport and ticket to the customs officers of the last EU country you leave. This could involve getting off a train, if you have been travelling by train through several counties. If you don't get the form stamped at the EU border before onward travel to the UK, then you can't claim. The customs officer must stamp the form the shop has given you as proof of export. Without the stamp, you will not obtain the refund. You should not use any items that you have bought prior to leaving the EU that you want to claim a VAT refund on. They must not have been consumed as mentioned above, they must be unopened and in their original packaging. Any goods consumed whilst in the EU, such as food and drink, do not qualify as they haven't been exported. Bear in mind that you may have to pay UK duty and/or VAT on any goods for personal use or intended as gifts worth above 390, and you should declare these at UK Customs on arrival. The rules are different for alcohol and tobacco, and you can find a full rundown on bringing goods into the UK here. Can YOU claim on holiday purchases? Terminals offering tax back to citizens of certain countries How do you actually get your refund? You must then follow the steps explained on your refund document or as explained to you by the shop. You can claim your VAT refund in bigger airports immediately, or you will have to send the refund form to the address given by the shop. Always keep a copy in case there is a problem. If you don't get your refund, refer back to the shop first, or if they use an intermediary then complain to them. What if you didn't get a stamp at Customs? In principle, the stamped VAT refund document is obligatory for any refund. You could try contacting the shop from which you bought qualifying goods for the information you need to see what documents they might accept as a proof that the goods were exported within the time limits to enable you to obtain a refund. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Mrs H.B. writes: In 2021, the annual review by our financial adviser Tier One Capital Wealth Management informed us that its advice charges were to increase from 0.50 per cent to 0.60 per cent. In order to offset this increase, Tier One recommended switching from Prudential Growth & Cautious funds to Vanguard Lifestyle Equity as Vanguard's fees were lower. This has reduced the stability and predictability of our pension fund from which we draw an income, and we want Tier One to put things back to where they would have been if they had not recommended a switch. Tony Hetherington replies: All i nvestments linked to the stock market carry risks. There are no guarantees. And while the two funds you mention are not identical, they are not so dramatically different that the recommendation to make a switch stands out as completely unsuitable. Fee rise: Jess Swindells from Newcastle-based adviser Tier One Capital Wealth Management I did contact Newcastle-based Tier One, and managing director Jess Swindells gave me a statement from the company, saying: 'At the time the advice was given to the client, fund diversification offered the most suitable and cost-effective recommendation, in line with the client's aims, objectives and risk attitude.' Fair enough. But what disturbs me is that the motivation for the switch appears to have been the increase in Tier One's own fees. The investment switch was presented to you as a way round this increase, rather than because one fund was better than the other. The review by Tier One told you that its fees were to rise, and then added: 'This is not a decision we have taken lightly and as maintaining and developing a high-quality advice service is our primary consideration, we have researched the marketplace on your behalf, to reduce where possible, the product and fund management costs associated with your portfolio, with a view to offsetting some of the above fees increase.' In short, make this switch because our fees are going up and you can reduce the impact by investing in Vanguard and its lower charges. However, this seems to go completely against rules laid down by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which regulates Tier One. The FCA rule book says an advice firm must not suggest that an ordinary client should switch from one investment product to another 'if it knows, or ought to know, that the product's charges... are presented in a way that offsets or may appear to offset any adviser charges'. This appears to mean that investment recommendations should be made simply on their own merits, so I asked Jess Swindells whether she accepted that her firm's review broke the rules. She refused to comment. You have asked the Financial Ombudsman Service to look into this, and Tier One has told me it will cooperate. The wording of Tier One's review seems to me to go completely against FCA rules, and I can't see any other interpretation, so it is a shame that Jess Swindells can offer none. Why is our 16k Isa stuck in limbo? Mrs J.H. writes: My husband and I transferred one Isa each to Nationwide, both holding over 16,000. Nationwide opened my ISA but three months on my husband's has not been opened. We found that Nationwide had returned his cash to the previous Isa provider, the Skipton Building Society. No-one from either society contacted us until we made a complaint to Nationwide, whose staff said they were trying to recover the money from Skipton. In limbo: Nationwide opened Mrs J.H.'s ISA but three months on her husband's has not been opened Tony Hetherington replies: I asked both societies to investigate. Skipton was quick off the mark, telling me it had sent your husband's 16,099 to Nationwide, but it was returned the following day without explanation. Two days later, Skipton transferred it to Nationwide again. Nationwide confirmed it did receive the funds after both transfers, but told me Skipton had not provided your husband's details so the money had ended up in a Nationwide suspense account. Nationwide added: 'While this was not Nationwide's mistake we could have been more proactive in locating the funds.' Your husband's Isa has been opened, backdated to avoid loss of interest, and Nationwide has offered 350 by way of an apology. 500 holiday payout delayed Mrs L.T. writes: After my husband was taken ill on holiday in May, I submitted a claim to insurer Coverwise, whose policies are underwritten by Axa. They asked for details, which I supplied four times, and a few weeks ago I managed to speak to Axa and was told around 500 would be in my bank account in the following few days. Nothing has arrived. Delay: Mrs L.T. submitted a claim to insurer Coverwise, whose policies are underwritten by Axa Tony Hetherington replies: I contacted Axa Partners, which backed your policy, and staff there agreed that after they received the information they needed, there was a delay in dealing with it. ]The insurer has apologised, telling me: 'We have reviewed Mrs T's claim and we acknowledge on this occasion the service we provided did not meet the usual high standards we set at Axa Partners.' Your claim has now been paid, plus an extra 125 as an apology. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. Thousands of holiday let owners have been left waiting weeks for money they are owed due to a payments glitch at hotel reservations website Booking.com. Small businesses and retirees relying on income from properties have been left struggling while they wait for Booking.com to pass on payments from their holiday let guests. Booking.com says the problems are due to an update to its systems, which has led to a longer delay to payments than it had expected. 'I switched to interest-only mortgage to pay the bills' Becky Nicholls, 50, relies on the income from her holiday lets in the picturesque seaside town of St Ives in Cornwall. She lists the three properties on Booking.com, which is the world's largest accommodation booking website. Holiday home operators can list their properties on Booking.com without paying an upfront charge. The website takes care of reservations and passes on money from bookings minus a commission of about 15 per cent. Wish your payments were here: St Ives is popular with many families seeking rental properties over the summer 'The reservations through Booking.com were looking really good this year,' says Becky, who lives with her husband Alex. 'But weeks after the guests have been and gone, we still haven't received payment for their stays.' At the start of August, Becky was still owed 5,000 by Booking.com, and was worried that she would not be able to pay her bills. So she switched the mortgages on the holiday lets and even her own home from repayment to interest-only deals to make them more affordable. 'I had to do this because of the lack of payments,' she says. 'I would never have taken this step had I been paid.' Booking.com emailed holiday home owners in June to inform them that it would be conducting maintenance on its finance system between July 1 and 11. Drastic move: Becky Nicholls had to change her loan deal It said that payments from June 28 onwards would be processed by July 24 in one consolidated payment. It added that the regular payout schedule was expected to resume by July 27. But many holiday let owners are still waiting, despite messages from Booking.com claiming that the remainder of the payments would be sent by mid-August. There are almost 2,000 members of one Facebook group where Booking.com users from around the world complain about being owed money. 'Each time we have guests it costs us money, but we have no income to cover the costs,' says Becky. She was sent a payment of 996 last week, but was still owed the rest of the money at the time of going to press. 'We rely on savings to put food on the table' Clare Parkinson, 31, and her husband Jake boost their income each summer by moving into a caravan with their two-year-old daughter Senara while renting out their two-bedroom flat in Hayle, on St Ives Bay, on Cornwall's northern coast. Clare is six months pregnant and she and Jake have been saving to upsize their family home. But they are owed 5,000 by Booking.com from holiday lets since July and have had to use dip into savings to cover bills instead. 'We have had to use the money just to put food on the table,' she says. 'That is our money we had set aside to move, as well as to see relatives this summer. 'I have tried calling Booking.com's customer service line every day and staff keep saying that the financial team will get back to me. I've heard nothing. Demoralised: Clare Parkinson stays in a caravan during lets 'Meanwhile I'm still hosting guests, paying the bills, cleaning up after each stay, residing in a tiny caravan and seeing no financial return for all my efforts. 'It's demoralising.' 'I need this money for my retirement' Chris Wiseman, 59, has rented out two static caravans in Suffolk for the past four years. He cashed in one of his pensions to fund the purchase as he calculated that the income worth about 20,000 a year is more than he could have got from investing his retirement pot. Chris and his wife Tanya rely on the income to fund their living costs. But Chris has been owed 5,000 since July and is now worried about paying 10,000 of pitch fees that are due in September. 'We are not on the breadline, but it is money we rely on to pay for food and fuel. It makes it harder to enjoy our retirement,' he says. Chris says that he and Tanya have had to cut back on simple pleasures, such as going to the pub and having a summer holiday this year as a result. Some users have given up waiting for Booking.com and have taken legal action. Neal Aga, a paralegal at Tweedie and Prideaux Law Services in London, issued a statutory demand on behalf of the Bosworth House Hotel and Arnies Hotel in Blackpool earlier this month to recoup 11,000. 'It's my pension': Chris and Tanya Wiseman rely on rent Bosworth House has received its payments but Aga says 4,700 is still owed to Arnies Hotel. Aga is offering to help other Booking.com users on a pro bono basis, and says he has been contacted by affected operators from around the UK as well as Albania, Brazil, Germany, Iceland and Romania. He says some are owed as much as 70,000. The Mail on Sunday has also seen posts from users in Hungary and Norway who are owed money. Booking.com said: 'We are sorry for the delay to payments that some of our accommodation partners have recently experienced and are pleased to say that the vast majority of our partners have now received what is owed to them. 'While accommodation partners were notified of our system update ahead of time and that a delay to payments was expected, we fully acknowledge that for some this has taken longer than it should have and we continue to work urgently to resolve the last of the cases. 'We are, and continue to be, in proactive discussions with affected accommodation partners to understand the impact of the payment delays and ways that we can offer support.' The performance of investment trust Abrdn Asian Income like all funds investing in this part of the world is intrinsically linked to events in China. When China faces challenges, as it does now in the shape of a faltering property sector and a slowdown in economic growth, all Asian stock markets get the jitters. Yet the managers of this 330 million stock market-listed fund are doing all they can to mitigate its impact. They have limited the fund's exposure to Chinese stocks while seeking a big chunk of investment return for shareholders in the form of dividends from its 65 holdings. Though the trust has recorded an overall loss in the past year of 5 per cent, the hunt for income is proving successful. In the current financial year, the trust's board is expecting to pay out dividends to shareholders totalling 10.6 pence a share. If that expectation is met, it will mean a 15th year of consecutive annual dividend increases and an improvement of 6 per cent on last year. The income is equivalent to an annual dividend of 5.1 per cent. 'Things are looking good on the income front,' says Yoojeong Oh, co-manager of the trust. 'The dividend payments to shareholders this year will be fully covered by the income we get in from our holdings. As a result, we will not have to dip into the income we have in the trust's reserves, which we did in 2021 and 2022.' The fund currently has the equivalent of more than half a year's income tucked away in reserve which can be drawn upon when necessary. Oh, based in Singapore, says the dividend outlook across Asia is healthy with many of the region's listed companies supported by strong balance sheets and low levels of debt. On China, Oh says the trust has just over 10 per cent of its assets in the country markedly less than the 28 per cent that its benchmark index has. 'It is difficult for us to predict how the Chinese government will encourage growth while helping the property sector,' she says. 'It's a challenge.' Yet, Oh says there are glimpses of good news for example, many Chinese consumers are still willing to spend, especially on travel. With regards to geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan and China and the US, Oh is reticent. 'Yes, they concern us,' she says. 'But foreign money is still flowing into Taiwan. There are many ways these tensions can play out and they are not all negative.' She says countries such as Vietnam and Malaysia are benefiting from inward investment as western countries look to reduce their dependency on China as a source of goods. She also believes the world's appetite for artificial intelligence is a big boost for chip manufacturers such as TSMC in Taiwan (the fund's biggest holding) and South Korea- based Samsung. One of the trust's best performing stocks in the past year has been Taiwanese-based Sunonwealth Electric, which builds the fans which cool down computers and data storage units. Its share price is up by more than 240 per cent, primarily a result of the enthusiasm for artificial intelligence-related stocks. Taiwan and Singapore are the trust's biggest country holdings it also has a number of key positions in Australia. The Abrdn trust is one of five that strive to generate a mix of income and capital return from Asian stock markets the rival funds are managed by Invesco, JP Morgan, Janus Henderson, and Schroders. The fund's total annual charges are just over 1 per cent, its market identification code B0P6J83 and ticker AAIF. The Confederation of British Industry has issued new rules around drinking and joking at its events as the crisis-hit business lobby group tries to recover from sexual misconduct allegations. It faced an existential threat after details emerged about a toxic workplace culture that led to the sacking of Tony Danker, its director-general. His successor, Rain Newton-Smith, has vowed to reform the organisation, which claimed to speak for 190,000 businesses until it was hit by mass member defections in the wake of the scandal. Now the CBI has introduced strict codes of conduct for staff to observe in the office and at networking events it hosts. These include 'principles' around alcohol consumption and drug use which is banned and creating a 'safe and secure working environment'. Reformer: Confederation of British Industry's current director-general Rain Newton-Smith One section reads: 'We have a policy that sets out expectations for the consumption and misuse of drugs and alcohol, and we do not tolerate actions that will have a detrimental effect on our reputation, violate the law, impact the safety of others or cause inappropriate conduct.' It includes 'inappropriate physical contact, sexual attention or innuendo' within its definition of harassment. Another section outlines how the group 'will not tolerate bullying, harassment or sexist, racist, or exclusionary comments or jokes'. The CBI has also introduced clear ways to report a complaint if the 'principles' are breached. A source close to the CBI told The Mail on Sunday: 'Clearly lessons have been learnt and steps are being put in place to set behavioural expectations. 'The code will make for awkward reading for many attendees. 'Others will wonder why it is necessary to state the basics.' The new rules have been drawn up in time for the CBI's first series of in-person events since the scandal erupted. On Wednesday it hosts a round table discussion in Glasgow. More are planned for next month across London and Wales. Danker was sacked in April after a junior colleague complained about 'unwanted contact' from him, which she regarded as sexual harassment. He denies the allegations. It came amid a series of unrelated misconduct claims against other CBI staff including two allegations of rape that prompted members such as NatWest, John Lewis and Aviva to cut ties or suspend involvement with the group. Newton-Smith has pledged to 'rebuild' the group. In June she received majority backing from members. The CBI declined to comment. Hanging in the balance: Many Wilko stores are due to close The third-generation owner of Wilko should have stuck to her knitting and kept prices low, a former boss of the stricken discount retailer has claimed. Lisa Wilkinson, granddaughter of founder James Kempsey Wilkinson, was chair of the chain until earlier this year as it fought to stave off collapse. But it fell into administration this month, putting 12,000 jobs at risk. The fate of workers hangs in the balance after administrator PwC said it had been unable to secure a deal for all 400 Wilko stores. Instead the budget retailer is likely to be broken up and sold piecemeal to rivals including B&M and Poundland. Gordon Brown, who was managing director from 1992 to 2007, told The Mail on Sunday: 'Wilko was a convenience store where you went to buy bits and pieces for your house for a low price.' But he said the management team under Lisa Wilkinson 'got into a situation where they were not following their successful model of low price, low cost'. 'They paid consultants who helped them bring about a new format for stores,' he added. 'But they were less aggressive on pricing and their approach on the shop floor.' The firm has also been criticised for paying millions of pounds in dividends to the controlling Wilkinson family including in years when Wilko made a loss. There is a 16 million hole in the pension fund, which threatens the future retirement payouts of hundreds of workers. Nadine Houghton, of the GMB union that represents 3,500 Wilko staff, called on the company's former chair to dip into her own pocket and 'use some of her millions to help prop up workers' pension pots'. She added: 'Lisa Wilkinson hasn't even had the decency to speak to workers.' Answering the door at their 3 million home in Cambridge, Wilkinson's husband Chris Phillips said: 'I'm sorry, I don't want to be rude, but we don't want to talk about it.' He then closed the door without saying another word. Wilkinson bought her majority stake in Wilko from cousin Karin Swann, also a granddaughter of the founder, in 2014. AHWL, the management company for the remaining family owners after the split, said family members had not received dividends since 2017. AHWL owned 99.7 per cent of Wilko up until its collapse. Corebridge Financial, Inc. provides retirement solutions and insurance products in the United States. It operates through Individual Retirement, Group Retirement, Life Insurance, and Institutional Markets segments. The Individual Retirement segment provides fixed annuities, fixed index annuities, variable annuities and retail mutual funds. The Group Retirement segment offers record-keeping services, plan administration and compliance services, and financial planning and advisory solutions to employer-defined contribution plans and their participants, as well as proprietary and non-proprietary annuities, advisory services, and brokerage products. The Life Insurance segment offers term life and universal life insurance in the United States, as well as issues individual life, whole life, and group life insurance in the United Kingdom; and distributes medical insurance in Ireland. The Institutional Markets segment provides stable value wraps, structured settlement and pension risk transfer annuities, corporate and bank owned life insurance, private placement variable universal life and annuities products, and guaranteed investment contracts. The company was formerly known as SAFG Retirement Services, Inc. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Corebridge Financial, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of American International Group, Inc. DTE Energy Company engages in the utility operations. The company's Electric segment generates, purchases, distributes, and sells electricity to approximately 2.3 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southeastern Michigan. It generates electricity through fossil-fuel, hydroelectric pumped storage, and nuclear plants, as well as wind and solar assets. This segment owns and operates approximately 697 distribution substations and approximately 451,900 line transformers. The company's Gas segment purchases, stores, transports, distributes, and sells natural gas to approximately 1.3 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout Michigan; and sells storage and transportation capacity. This segment has approximately 21,000 miles of distribution mains; 1,352,000 service pipelines; and 1,316,000 active meters, as well as owns approximately 2,000 miles of transmission pipelines. Its DTE Vantage segment offers metallurgical and petroleum coke to steel and other industries; and power, steam and chilled water production, and wastewater treatment services, as well as supplies compressed air to industrial customers. Its Energy Trading segment engages in power, natural gas, and environmental marketing and trading; structured transactions; and the optimization of contracted natural gas pipeline transportation and storage positions. The company was founded in 1903 and is based in Detroit, Michigan. Australian Ethical Investment (ASX:AEF) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: AU$81.1m (up 15% from FY 2022). Net income: AU$6.58m (down 31% from FY 2022). Profit margin: 8.1% (down from 13% in FY 2022). EPS: AU$0.059 (down from AU$0.086 in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Australian Ethical Investment shares are up 3.8% from a week ago. Risk Analysis You should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Australian Ethical Investment. 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. V.F. Corporation is an American apparel and footwear company in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1899 and initially headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania, the company has become a global leader in lifestyle brands, with a portfolio of over 30 brands, including The North Face, Timberland, Vans, and Dickies. V.F. Corporation operates in over 50 countries and employs over 50,000 people worldwide. The company is committed to sustainability, intending to be carbon-neutral in its operations by 2030. Benno Dorer was appointed Chief Executive Officer and Interim President in December 2022. Benno served as V.F.'s Lead Independent Director for a year before taking the position. Before joining V.F., Mr. Dorer held senior positions at The Clorox Company and Proctor & Gamble. Also notable on the team is Cameron Bailey, who has over twenty-five years of manufacturing and operations management experience. Over the past few years, V.F. Corporation has not delivered solid financial results. Back at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic V.F. Corporation missed its revenue goals by 14%, causing investors to sell the stock. However, increased online purchasing increased V.F. Corporation's gross margin by 230 basis points to 55.6%. The company has maintained a healthy balance sheet, with total assets capable of covering total liabilities. V.F. Corporation's valuation metrics are in line with industry peers. V.F. Corporation has a price-to-earnings ratio and a price-to-book ratio that align with industry peers. V.F. Corporation's stock has performed poorly recently. The company's market capitalization is $7.89 billion, making it one of the world's largest apparel and footwear companies. V.F. Corporation's average trading volume averages 10 million shares a day. The apparel and footwear industry is highly competitive, with many established brands and new players entering the market. The industry is also subject to changing consumer preferences and trends. There has been a growing focus on sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices in recent years, leading to increased industry scrutiny. V.F. Corporation has led sustainability efforts, committed to sourcing sustainable materials and reducing its carbon footprint. V.F. Corporation has several potential growth opportunities. The company has been expanding its direct-to-consumer business through e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores. V.F. Corporation has also invested in new product development and innovation, such as The North Face's FutureLight fabric technology. In addition, the company has been actively pursuing acquisitions, such as its recent acquisition of Supreme, a streetwear brand. Like all companies, V.F. Corporation faces potential risks and challenges. Changes in consumer preferences or fashion trends could negatively impact sales. The company is also subject to regulatory and political risks, such as changes in trade policies or tariffs. Additionally, V.F. Corporation's success depends on its ability to innovate and stay ahead of competitors in a rapidly evolving industry. However, the company's strong brand portfolio and commitment to sustainability should help it weather these challenges. In addition, V.F. Corporation faces supply chain challenges, particularly in the current global supply chain disruptions. The company sources materials and products from all over the world, and any disruptions to these supply chains could impact its ability to meet demand or increase costs. V.F. Corporation has been working to mitigate these risks by diversifying its supplier base and investing in technology to improve supply chain visibility and flexibility. Another potential challenge for V.F. Corporation is increasing pressure from e-commerce retailers like Amazon. While V.F. Corporation has been expanding its e-commerce business, it also relies on traditional retail partners for a significant portion of its sales. As consumers continue to shift towards online shopping, V.F. Corporation will need to navigate this changing landscape and maintain strong relationships with its e-commerce and traditional retail partners. Despite these challenges, V.F. Corporation has several strengths that position it for continued success. The company's strong brand portfolio gives it significant market share across various segments, from outdoor and athletic apparel to workwear and streetwear. V.F. Corporation's commitment to sustainability and ethical manufacturing practices is also a significant advantage, particularly as consumers become more conscious of these issues. PulteGroup, Inc., through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, American West, and John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods brand names. As of December 31, 2022, it controlled 211,112 lots, of which 108,848 were owned and 102,264 were under land option agreements. In addition, the company arranges financing through the origination of mortgage loans primarily for homebuyers; sells the servicing rights for the originated loans; and provides title insurance policies, and examination and closing services to homebuyers. The company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. provides insurance and financial services to individual and business customers in the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. Its Commercial Lines segment offers insurance coverages, including workers' compensation, property, automobile, general and professional liability, package business, umbrella, fidelity and surety, marine, livestock, and reinsurance through regional offices, branches, sales and policyholder service centers, independent retail agents and brokers, wholesale agents, and reinsurance brokers. The company's Personal Lines segment provides automobile, homeowners, and personal umbrella coverages through direct-to-consumer channel and independent agents. Its Property & Casualty Other Operations segment offers coverage for asbestos and environmental exposures. The company's Group Benefits segment provides group life, disability, and other group coverages to members of employer groups, associations, and affinity groups through direct insurance policies; reinsurance to other insurance companies; employer paid and voluntary product coverages; disability underwriting, administration, and claims processing to self-funded employer plans; and a single-company leave management solution. This segment distributes its group insurance products and services through brokers, consultants, third-party administrators, trade associations, and private exchanges. Its Hartford Funds segment offers managed mutual funds across various asset classes; and exchange-traded products through broker-dealer organizations, independent financial advisers, defined contribution plans, financial consultants, bank trust groups, and registered investment advisers, as well as investment management, distribution, and administrative services, such as product design, implementation, and oversight. The company was founded in 1810 and is headquartered in Hartford, Connecticut. Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment produces and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, cyclohexane, styrene, and polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals used in drilling and mining. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, aviation, and renewable. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products, including gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels. This segment also manufactures and markets specialty products, such as base oils and lubricants. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Some investors rely on dividends for growing their wealth, and if you're one of those dividend sleuths, you might be intrigued to know that Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) is about to go ex-dividend in just four days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. This means that investors who purchase Bank of America's shares on or after the 31st of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 29th of September. The company's upcoming dividend is US$0.24 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of US$0.96 per share to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Bank of America has a trailing yield of approximately 3.4% on its current stock price of $28.5. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. So we need to check whether the dividend payments are covered, and if earnings are growing. Check out our latest analysis for Bank of America Dividends are typically paid out of company income, so if a company pays out more than it earned, its dividend is usually at a higher risk of being cut. Bank of America paid out a comfortable 25% of its profit last year. Generally speaking, the lower a company's payout ratios, the more resilient its dividend usually is. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Stocks in companies that generate sustainable earnings growth often make the best dividend prospects, as it is easier to lift the dividend when earnings are rising. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. Fortunately for readers, Bank of America's earnings per share have been growing at 17% a year for the past five years. Story continues Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. In the last 10 years, Bank of America has lifted its dividend by approximately 37% a year on average. It's exciting to see that both earnings and dividends per share have grown rapidly over the past few years. The Bottom Line Has Bank of America got what it takes to maintain its dividend payments? Typically, companies that are growing rapidly and paying out a low fraction of earnings are keeping the profits for reinvestment in the business. This strategy can add significant value to shareholders over the long term - as long as it's done without issuing too many new shares. Bank of America ticks a lot of boxes for us from a dividend perspective, and we think these characteristics should mark the company as deserving of further attention. With that in mind, a critical part of thorough stock research is being aware of any risks that stock currently faces. We've identified 2 warning signs with Bank of America (at least 1 which is concerning), and understanding them should be part of your investment process. A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks. 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. Suncor Energy Inc. (TSE:SU) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important as the process of settlement involves two full business days. So if you miss that date, you would not show up on the company's books on the record date. Meaning, you will need to purchase Suncor Energy's shares before the 31st of August to receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 25th of September. The company's next dividend payment will be CA$0.52 per share. Last year, in total, the company distributed CA$2.08 to shareholders. Based on the last year's worth of payments, Suncor Energy has a trailing yield of 4.6% on the current stock price of CA$44.77. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing. View our latest analysis for Suncor Energy If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Fortunately Suncor Energy's payout ratio is modest, at just 45% of profit. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether Suncor Energy generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 41% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies. It's positive to see that Suncor Energy's dividend is covered by both profits and cash flow, since this is generally a sign that the dividend is sustainable, and a lower payout ratio usually suggests a greater margin of safety before the dividend gets cut. Click here to see the company's payout ratio, plus analyst estimates of its future dividends. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with strong growth prospects usually make the best dividend payers, because it's easier to grow dividends when earnings per share are improving. Investors love dividends, so if earnings fall and the dividend is reduced, expect a stock to be sold off heavily at the same time. Fortunately for readers, Suncor Energy's earnings per share have been growing at 12% a year for the past five years. Earnings per share are growing rapidly and the company is keeping more than half of its earnings within the business; an attractive combination which could suggest the company is focused on reinvesting to grow earnings further. This will make it easier to fund future growth efforts and we think this is an attractive combination - plus the dividend can always be increased later. Story continues Another key way to measure a company's dividend prospects is by measuring its historical rate of dividend growth. Suncor Energy has delivered an average of 15% per year annual increase in its dividend, based on the past 10 years of dividend payments. It's great to see earnings per share growing rapidly over several years, and dividends per share growing right along with it. Final Takeaway Is Suncor Energy an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? It's great that Suncor Energy is growing earnings per share while simultaneously paying out a low percentage of both its earnings and cash flow. It's disappointing to see the dividend has been cut at least once in the past, but as things stand now, the low payout ratio suggests a conservative approach to dividends, which we like. Overall we think this is an attractive combination and worthy of further research. In light of that, while Suncor Energy has an appealing dividend, it's worth knowing the risks involved with this stock. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Suncor Energy (including 1 which is a bit concerning). If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks. 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. [August 25, 2023] BANK OF AMERICA INVESTIGATION INITIATED BY FORMER LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Investigates the Officers and Directors of Bank of America Corporation - BAC Tweet Former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq., a partner at the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF"), announces that KSF has commenced an investigation into Bank of America Corporation (NYSE: BAC). On July 11, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced that an investigation found that the Company had harmed hundreds of thousands of customers across multiple product lines over a period of several years through a series of illegal practices including double charging insufficient fund fees, withholding reward bonuses and opening accounts without customers' knowledge or permission. As a result, the Company was ordered to pay over $100 million to customers and another $90 million in penalties, as well as a separate $60 million fine ordered by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for violating laws regarding overdraft fees. KSF's investigation is focusing on whether Bank of America's officers and/or directors breached their fiduciary duties to its shareholders or otherwise violated state or federal laws. If you have information that would assist KSF in its investigation, or have been a long-term holder of Bank of America shares and would like to discuss your legal rights, you may, without obligation or cost to you, call toll-free at 1-833-938-0905 or email KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-bac/ to learn more. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is one of the nation's premier boutique securities litigation law firms. KSF serves a variety of clients - including public institutional investors, hedge funds, money managers and retail investors - in seeking recoveries for investment losses emanating from corporate fraud or malfeasance by publicly traded companies. KSF has offices in New York, California, Louisiana and New Jersey. To learn more about KSF, you may visit ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230825674180/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 26, 2023] North America Last Mile Delivery Market size to grow by USD 62.71 million between 2022 to 2027 | The growing B2C e-commerce industry in the US drives market - Technavio NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio's latest market research report estimates, the North America Last Mile Delivery Market is expected to grow by USD 62.71 million between 2022 and 2027 and index a CAGR of 14.85%. The market for North America last mile delivery is driven by the booming B2C e-commerce industry in the US, which is boosted by increasing internet penetration and changing consumer preferences towards online shopping. Additionally, technological advancements enabling real-time tracking, transparency, and efficient management of deliveries are increasing market growth by enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. Other factors such as the premiumization of goods and merchandise delivery will drive the growth. Technavio provides a comprehensive overview of the present global market situation and the general market environment. View free sample report. Technavio's market report is segmented as follows: Service B2B B2C Vehicle Type Large OEMs Custom vehicle OEMs The growth of North America last mile delivery market is driven by two key drivers. Firstly, the surge in demand for efficient delivery services is increased by the rapid rise of B2C e-commerce, driven by consumer preference for online shopping and convenience. Moreover, the emphasis on premiumized delivery experiences and the adaptation to changing consumer habits, accelerated by the pandemic, are further bolstering market expansion. Secondly, technological advancements, particularly real-time tracking and delivery management tools, are gaining traction, enhancing transparenc and control for customers while addressing operational challenges, thus contributing to the market's robust growth. Technavio's market research report also offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends, and challenges. Write to us if you want a customized market research report. The research report also provides information on major companies and in-depth analysis of the market's competitive landscape. Averitt Express Inc. AxleHire C H Robinson Worldwide Inc. CMA CGM Group CRST The Transportation Solution Inc. DDC Logistics Inc. Deutsche Bahn AG Deutsche Post AG DSV AS FedEx Corp. GEODIS SA J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. Ryder System Inc. SEKO Logistics SF Express Co. Ltd. United States Postal Service Washington Express LLC Werner Enterprises Inc XPO Logistics Inc. Key regions contributing to the growth of North America Last Mile Delivery Market: The growth of the last mile delivery market is notably influenced by key regions, particularly North America, which serves as a significant driver. With the thriving B2C e-commerce industry, technological advancements, and changing consumer preferences, North America plays a pivotal role in the market's expansion. Within North America, the United States leads the way due to its extensive e-commerce landscape, urbanization, and tech innovation. The integration of real-time tracking solutions and delivery management tools is further enhancing the market's growth. Moreover, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demand for efficient last mile delivery, as remote work arrangements and shifting consumer behavior have intensified the reliance on prompt and reliable delivery services. Download the free sample report now to access the detailed analysis of the North America Last Mile Delivery Market. The report also provides historical data. Buy the report now! Related reports: Last Mile Delivery Market in Brazil: The last mile delivery market share in Brazil is expected to increase by USD 1.76 billion from 2020 to 2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 10.32%. The report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (e-commerce, food and groceries delivery, pharmaceuticals, and others) and service (B2C and B2B). Last Mile Delivery Market for E-commerce Sector in China: Our market analysts estimate that the market will grow steadily at a CAGR of close to 18% by 2022. Based on application, the houseware segment will dominate the shares of the e-commerce logistics market in China till the end of the forecast period. About Technavio Technavio is a reputable market research and advisory company that provides in-depth insights and analysis across various industries. Known for its comprehensive reports, Technavio offers valuable information on market trends, growth drivers, challenges, and opportunities. Their research aids businesses in making informed decisions, understanding market dynamics, and strategizing for future success. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-america-last-mile-delivery-market-size-to-grow-by-usd-62-71-million-between-2022-to-2027--the-growing-b2c-e-commerce-industry-in-the-us-drives-market--technavio-301909427.html SOURCE Technavio [August 26, 2023] Singapore-Based Global Schools Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Witty Group of Institutions Tweet The collaboration promises to provide global learning opportunities and future ready skills for students. MUMBAI, India, Aug. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Singapore-headquartered Global Schools Foundation (GSF) has entered a strategic partnership with Witty Group of Institutions from India. The partnership brings together two prominent international school platforms with a common vision of providing highly innovative education formats that create global learning opportunities and future ready skills for students. Witty Group of Institutions has campuses in Mumbai, Udaipur and Bhilwara, where they offer international curricula like Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels, as well as Indian curricula like CBSE and ICSE. The schools are known for their values-based education with special emphasis on kindling students' interest in innovative pursuits to make them inquisitive, informed, self-aware and ethical citizens. GSF network of international schools, spread across 64 campuses in 11 countries, focuses on a skills-based educational framework which is delivered through state-of-the-art infrastructure that uses various educational technologies, like proprietary Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence, to bring about significant learning outcomes for students. The strategic partnership is a meeting of values and ethos for both GSF and Witty. It aims to capitalise on the individual strengths of the two groups and benefit from the operating synergies and smart learning technologies. "We are delighted to welcome the Witty Group into the GSF network. We share a vision of providing quality education to students. Our collaboration is sure to greatly benefit the student community by encouraging ideation and peer-to-peer interactions at a global level," said Mr Atul Temurnikar, GSF Co-Founder and Executive Chairman." Founded in Singapore in 2002, GSF is a not-for-profit organisation focused on the K-12 education sector. It offers multiple curricula like International Baccalaureate, American curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE & A levels, British National curriculum GCSE, IPC, CBSE, ICSE, and Montessori. GSF students have been accepted by Ivy League universities such as Harvard, Princeton and Yale,other leading universities such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and the G5 of UK such as Oxford & Cambridge Universities, London School of Economics, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), as well as Top 50 ranked universities around the world. Each year over 150 global universities engage with GSF students who are guided by specialised in-house career counsellors. The network of schools and number of curricula gives GSF students the flexibility to study a course of their choice and provides them ease of mobility to change domicile if they prefer to do so. Students receive guaranteed admissions at any time of the year, at any of the GSF schools in South Korea, Japan, South East Asia, or the Middle East as well as those in top Indian cities such as Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune & NCR. Witty Group co-founder Dr Vinay Jain said, "Our goal has always been to give the best learning environment and opportunities to our students. Our collaboration with GSF has made this possible and expanded the horizons for our students to spread their wings. GSF's network will give a much better learning experience to the students to excel beyond academics and help shape them as global citizens." Dr Mrs Raina Jain, co-Founder of Witty Group said, "GSF's track record in progressive pedagogy will facilitate Witty school students & teachers to attain the next level of excellence." GSF schools are known for giving opportunities to students to excel through various events like Real World Challenges Convention, Qutuhal etc., where students from various schools are allowed to participate and exchange knowledge with their global counterparts as part of their learning journey. This year, students are also competing at international conferences like Asia-Pacific Quality Organisation, by presenting white papers alongside corporate entrants. GSF India Country Director Mr. Ashish Tibdewal added, "Witty Group students will be able to engage with international students in several collaborative projects and engagements and find these learning experiences beneficial for their overall growth and future prospects." As a sustainable and community-oriented institution, GSF believes in keeping today's young minds engaged with global collaborations and exchange programmes. Recently National Geographic channel featured a Smart Campus of GSF as a " School of the Future " which showcased how these curricula & skills are delivered through state of the art campuses. About GSF GSF, a Singapore-based not-for-profit foundation has a network of 64 campuses across 11 countries, including Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and Malaysia, where 45,000 students from 70 nationalities study. GSF schools rank high in IB results, with over 100 students scoring World Topper (45/45) and Near Perfect Scores (44/45) in the IB Diploma exams. Over 800 of its students have achieved A* and A in at least 7 or more subjects in the Cambridge IGCSE exams. GSF student was ranked No 1 in the world (outside India) in the CBSE Grade 12 exam. For achieving the highest school average in Grade 10 exam in 2020, CBSE ranked GSF Japan school No 1 outside India and ranked 9th amongst 25,000 CBSE schools in India and the world. GSF schools are a recipient of over 500 education excellence awards from international quality organisations and UK-Based World Book of Records Recognises GSF Schools as World's Most Awarded Network of Schools . Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2194903/GSF_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/in/news-releases/singapore-based-global-schools-foundation-announces-strategic-partnership-with-witty-group-of-institutions-301910554.html [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 26, 2023] CED SOLUTIONS Now Offers IT Certification to Veterans Who Have a Service-connected Disability Tweet If a veteran has a service-connected disability that limits their ability to work or prevents them from working, Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) can help. "These new courses offer our military community a pathway to gaining highly valued IT skills. We're excited to be part of their journey, providing tools and knowledge that will empower them in the rapidly evolving tech industry," said Richard Rodgers , President and CEO of CED Solutions. BOZEMAN, Mont., Aug. 26, 2023 CED Solutions, a leader in IT certification and training, is delighted to announce the expansion of its comprehensive range of IT training courses with now VA approved Certification courses. If a veteran has a service-connected disability that limits their ability to work or prevents them from working, Veteran Readiness and Employment (formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) can help. This program, also known as Chapter 31 or VR&Ehelps the veteran explore employment options and address education or training needs. In some cases family members may also qualify for certain benefits. This training may be taken in LIVE Virtual classes where the veteran can talk with the instructor all day. The Certification exams may be taken from home through a proctored service. The goal of the training is to provide an employment ability for the veteran. CED Solutions has worked with VA counselors in the past to provide the training for these veterans. CED Solutions started providing training opportunities for the different Chapters in October of 2002. In addition, CED Solutions, continues to provide training for active duty, veterans, and dependents eligible under Chapters 30, 33, and 35 can access a broad array of industry-recognized qualifications. The new offerings include A+, Network+, Security+, CySA+, CASP+, CISSP, CEH, CND, CHFI, CCNA, CCNP, ENCOR, ENARSI, CCNP: Security, SCOR, and SPN courses. Over the past 24 years, CED Solutions has established an outstanding track record, training more than 40,000 students in various IT certification courses. This expansion aligns with the company's commitment to support military personnel and their families in advancing their IT skills, leveraging their unique experiences to foster career growth and success. "With our expanded offerings, we continue to uphold our commitment to provide the best IT training for our students," said Richard Rodgers, President and CEO of CED Solutions. "These new courses offer our military community a pathway to gaining highly valued IT skills and qualifications. We're excited to be part of their journey, providing tools and knowledge that will empower them in the rapidly evolving tech industry." Every CED Solutions course includes official courseware, official labs, and practice and certification exams, ensuring students receive a well-rounded, comprehensive learning experience. What sets CED Solutions apart is the unique access to experienced instructors throughout the day, helping students clarify points and enhance their understanding of complex topics. All instructors have an impressive tenure of over 16 years of teaching, bringing a wealth of knowledge, practical skills, and industry insights to the classroom. CED Solutions also offers the Exam Pass Guarantee and free re-sit in courses for up to 6 months. The VA approval of these courses means eligible active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their dependents can take advantage of these opportunities, adding valuable certifications to their portfolios. As cybersecurity and networking needs continue to grow in every industry, the demand for certified professionals increases. CED Solutions' commitment to veterans extends beyond this recent expansion of services. By equipping them with cutting-edge IT skills and industry-standard certifications, CED Solutions helps ensure their seamless transition into civilian roles and enhances their employability in a highly competitive job market. Students interested in taking advantage of these new course offerings can find more information on the CED Solutions website https://tinyurl.com/y9tpueyh or reach out to the CED Solutions team for personalized guidance at [email protected] or (800) 611-1840. About CED Solutions: CED Solutions is one of the largest IT certification providers in North America, offering a range of services including IT training, certification courses, and testing services. With a focus on real-world application and practical skills, CED Solutions has provided certification training to more than 40,000 students over the past 24 years. Recognized for their dedication to student success and career development, CED Solutions is committed to providing opportunities for lifelong learning and professional growth. Media Contact Richard Rodgers, CED Solutions, LLC, 1 (800) 611-1840, [email protected], https://www.cedsolutions.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ced-solutions-now-offers-it-certification-to-veterans-who-have-a-service-connected-disability-301910131.html SOURCE CED Solutions, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [August 26, 2023] HE CLASS ACTION ANNOUNCEMENT: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP Announces Securities Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HE) Tweet The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. ("Hawaiian Electric") (NYSE: HE). The action charges Hawaiian Electric with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Hawaiian Electric's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Hawaiian Electric's investors have suffered significant losses. CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR HAWAIIAN ELECTRIC LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/hawaiian-electric-industries-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=he&mktm=r LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: OCTOBER 23, 2023 CLASS PERIOD: FEBRUARY 28, 2019 THROUGH AUGUST 16, 2023 CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS: Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at [email protected] Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both fearedand respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent. HAWAIIAN ELECTRICS'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCT The Class Period begins on February 28, 2019 when Hawaiian Electric filed its Annual Report which stated, among other things, that the company had "appropriately responded to environmental conditions." In early August 2023, a series of severe wildfires broke out in Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui. The most destructive fire began in West Maui near the town of Lahaina on the morning of August 8, 2023. By that afternoon, intense winds had knocked down approximately 30 utility poles throughout Maui, resulting in at least 15 separate outages impacting more than 12,400 customers. Moreover, videos captured by local residents showed that downed power lines belonging to Hawaiian Electric appeared to have ignited at least several of the fires. Ultimately, the wind-driven fires prompted evacuations, caused widespread damage, and have killed at least 114 people, with some 850 others still missing in Lahaina. On August 12, 2023, news outlets began reporting that Hawaiian Electric lacked the proper policies and procedures to mitigate the impact of the wildfires. Specifically, it was revealed that, at the time the wildfires began, the company did not maintain a public power shutoff plan-i.e., a plan in which electricity is intentionally cut off to areas where strong wind events could cause the fires to spread. On this news, Hawaiian Electric's 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 meeting with firms that specialize in restructuring advisory work and exploring options for the various financial and legal challenges that the company faces as a consequence from the Maui wildfires. Finally, on August 17, 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that Hawaiian Electric had for years been aware of the threat posed by wildfire but waited years to act. Specifically, the report stated that between 2019 and 2022, Hawaiian Electric spent less than $245,000 on wildfire-specific projects on Maui and did not seek state approval to raise utility rates to pay for broad wildfire safety improvements until 2022. Following this news, Hawaiian Electric's stock price fell $2.54 per share, or 17.43%, to close at $12.03 per share on August 17, 2023. WHAT CAN I DO? Hawaiian Electric investors may, no later than October 23, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Hawaiian investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The class action complaint against Hawaiian Electric, Bhangal v. Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., et al., Case No. 23-cv-04332, is filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF? A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff. ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230826138831/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Last year the Department Of Justice investigated KCPD hiring practices. For the past few years activists have been demanding federal investigation of the KCKPD. Next month . . . ACTIVISTS ESCALATE DEMANDS WITH OUTCRY FOR FEDERAL INTERVENTION AGAINST KANSAS CITY POLICE!!! They don't say exactly what "intervention" would look like but it seems like more than just mere investigation. Here's a glimpse at their main points . . . Of course, check More2's online presence to read their unabridged story . . . For our purposes and from our vantage, here are their main points . . . Again, it's important to remember that these demands are years in the making. Still . . . A month-long effort to organize a march and bolster numbers might garner increased support going into an election year. Developing . . . SMIC China has seen a remarkable, record breaking surge in semiconductor equipment imports in the recent months, particularly from the Netherlands and Japan, as it braced for the latest export restrictions from U.S. and its allies. This proactive approach is seen to ensure the smooth expansion of its chip production, focusing primarily on advanced and mature process technologies not covered by Western curbs, reports Financial Times. China's semiconductor equipment imports reached $5 billion in June and July, which is a 70% increase compared to $2.9 billion for the same period a year ago, according to the report that cites Chinese customs data. The bulk of these imports originate from the Netherlands and Japan. The spike is largely attributed to the impending export curbs set by these two nations prompting China to act swiftly to avoid potential disruptions of wafer fab equipment supplies. A closer look at the imports reveals that China's focus is on tools such as lithography scanners from the Netherlands-based ASML as well as etching and wafer-coating machines from Japan. These tools were shipped to recognized players like SMIC and YMTC as well as to recently established fabs supported by local Chinese governments. Both the Netherlands and Japan recently established export limitations on chipmaking equipment, collaborating with the U.S. in an effort to slowdown development of Chinese semiconductor industry. These new measures require Dutch and Japanese companies like ASML and Tokyo Electron to secure export licenses from Dutch and Japanese authorities before shipping their advanced products to Chinese entities. Since such licenses are unlikely to be granted in a prompt manner, Chinese companies preferred to proactively procure the tools they need. China's strategy appears clear: to sidestep any potential roadblocks in its ambitious chip production expansion plans. The equipment they're bringing in is predominantly geared towards the manufacture of less sophisticated chips, which fall outside the purview of the new Western restrictions. This ensures that China's chip production can continue unhindered despite all odds. China was the second largest wafer fab equipment importer in Q1 2023, according to SEMI. Chinese companies procured tools worth $5.86 billion, down 23% year-over-year and 8% quarter-over-quarter. China, Taiwan, and South Korea will continue to be the leading three regions for equipment spending in 2023 and 2024, according to estimates by SEMI. We're playing catch-up with a couple of these news items but all of them are worth a read was check recent local crime reporting, police action updates and community outreach efforts. Check TKC news gathering . . . Vandalism pushes back timeline for homeless housing project for women, children in Kansas City Vandalism pushed back the timeline for a project that would house women and children experiencing homelessness. Man fatally shot outside of Kansas City, Kansas business on Leavenworth Road The shooting happened outside of a local business at around 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening, according to police. Local police departments see rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts Thefts of Kia and Hyundai vehicles have increased across the metro. Grandview man receives 520-month sentence in $4.1 million meth conspiracy linked to two murders Ginnings was arrested multiple times in 2018 while in possession of methamphetamine and firearms. Retired Wyoming bishop cleared by Vatican of sexual abuse despite local findings has died at 91 The Bishop was a priest in Kansas City, Missouri, for 20 years before moving to Wyoming, where he served as auxiliary and then full bishop from 1976 until his retirement in 2001. Leavenworth woman caught in country music scam A woman was scammed out of $94,000 as her scammers posed as country star Neal McCoy Prowling suspect shot, police officer injured in incident at Gladstone apartment complex Police said the suspect drug the officer with a car before the shots were fired Independence police investigating after pedestrian struck and killed by car Friday night Independence police say at around 9:30 p.m., a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road. City of Fairway partners for T-shirt fundraiser for fallen officer Jonah Oswald Those wanting to help the family of fallen Fairway police officer Jonah Oswald have another option to show their appreciation. Developing . . . The Saudi Hawks aerobatic team arrived in Athens on Friday, August 25, performing a stunning aerial display ahead of the Athens Flying Week 2023 to be held at Tanagra Air Base on September 2-3, ANA reports. "It is their second time in Greece as last year they participated in events in Kavala," Panagiotis Podimatas, president of the Organizing Committee of the Athens Flying Week 2023 pointed out to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA). "We are particularly happy as an organizing committee to have the Saudi Hawks pilots with us. This is an amazing team and it is the second time they come to Greece. Last year they came to Kavala and they have earned the fans' confidence," he added. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Athens Flying Week Travel has helped me see my daughter more clearly. By stripping away everything familiar, all thats left is herDriving through Chateauguay Valley, south of Montreal, my Quebecoise host Rachel Billette points out an old graveyard as we enter the village of Ormstown: Your ancestors are buried at St. Pauls Presbyterian. A few minutes later, we arrive at a place Id only recently learned about: a tidy stone farmhouse built by my third great-grandparents Robert Selkirk and Catherine Robertson around 1838. Billette tells me her family bought the property in 1866 and always wondered what happened to the original owners. Its been a happy home, she says. Weve always wanted to thank the people who built it. Family travel has been growing in popularity for years, but my journey to Quebec wasnt for a typical multigenerational getaway. Instead, I was on the first stop on what would become a multi-year hunt for the long-gone ancestors whose name I carry and suddenly wondering why theyd left behind their pretty house. Ancestry-based travel, which Business Insider once forecast, pre-COVID, would be one of the biggest trends of 2020, has been on the increase. The trend has resumed post-pandemic, driven in part by the popularity of at-home DNA tests a game changer for people with lots of blank branches in their family tree. Ancestry tourism has also grown to include people traditionally left out of genealogy. A friend of mine, Nipuna Dasi, who never knew her father, was able to travel to New York and meet her paternal family and discover her rich Jewish heritage through an Ancestry.com test. In the U.S., where enslaved people were not recorded by name in federal censuses until after emancipation in 1870 (and even then documentation was scant), advancements in DNA testing can now determine a present-day country in Africa and a persons specific ethnic group or tribe, says Nichole Taylor, a spokesperson for African Ancestry, which helps people of African descent reconnect with the roots of their family tree. Meanwhile, online access to scanned documents offers up a wealth of archival information (and old addresses), inspiring more travellers to set off in search of their roots. In response to the trend, places that historically experienced significant outward migration including Scotland, Ireland and Poland have developed tourism strategies to attract heritage travellers. Countries with more complicated stories are also welcoming people home. In 2019, Ghana hosted the Year of the Return, which marked the 400th anniversary of the transatlantic slave trade, says Musah Alhassan, CEO and founder of Uprise Travel. Alhassan, whose tour company develops itineraries based on DNA details, says their trips cover general history, but visitors sometimes find personal connections theyll taste the food and realize its similar to what their grandparents used to cook. People mostly embark on genealogical travel to visit a place where ancestors lived, or consult archives or meet relatives. For American traveller Steve dOliveira, finding his long-lost cousins was one of the biggest gifts of his ancestral search. dOliveira always knew he had Portuguese heritage, but it wasnt until adulthood that he wondered what that meant. I interviewed my mom and aunt about our familys history, he explains. Learning he had ties to the Azores, and that his family might still have relatives there, dOliveira gathered a group of siblings and cousins for a 2018 visit. He hired George Pacheco, a researcher specializing in the Azores, who found a possible relative on San Miguel, the island his family was from. He was my moms cousin, says dOliveira. The most special moment came when he took us to see the house where my grandfather grew up. For Montrealer Marijke Vroomen, using a researcher helped her tackle a personal mystery. I wanted to know more about my parents and why they chose to leave their home in the Netherlands. She reached out to Bart Aerssens, owner of Brasia Genealogy, a company that specializes in helping Americans and Canadians of Dutch and Belgian origin learn about their ancestors. Aerssens got special permission to bring her into city archives. I never imagined he would uncover the detail that he did. But seeing and touching those documents was so much more than just learning facts, Vroomen says of the records, which helped unravel a family-splitting tale of mixed religions. We call them micro-histories, genealogical researcher Lindsay Carter says, describing the way that genealogy breaks down historical eras and events, and makes them personal. She recalls her own recent travels to Scotland, where she has ancestral roots, and how research helped her know the country on a deeper level especially when she drove the countryside with old ordnance survey maps searching for a family farm. You feel your ancestors. Theres a moodiness to the environment, an old Celtic bodily felt connection to the land. While Carter says hiring a researcher can help you get the most out of a trip, its important to set goals. And you need to think ahead. The best researchers book months ahead, and youll need to request documents well in advance. But, she says, if you have the aptitude, interest and time, working on your own can bring a place and its past to life. It was pretty moving, and rather haunting, to be at the same kirk where my third great-grandmother was hauled in front of the kirk session elders and forced to confess herself with child in fornication, says Carter, adding the historical context: Two hundred years ago, changing socioeconomics, farming reform and industrialization were making things financially difficult for young people to marry. In my own journey, when I learned that my ancestors had built a home in Quebec, my first question was: What brought them from the Scottish Lowlands to (what was then) Lower Canada? While delving into history that I didnt pore over in high school, I unexpectedly developed an interest in old maps and migration patterns, which helped me visualize my family leaving Scotland and voyaging along the St. Lawrence Seaway. By the point in the timeline where they were (again) uprooted during the upheavals of Confederation, leaving behind their pretty little Ormstown house, I was hooked. Not everyone is fascinated by genealogy; if youre travelling with others, Carter recommends ensuring they have other activities to keep busy. But theres something remarkable about having a chance to go full circle, walking in the footsteps of your ancestors. A shortlist of resources for heritage travel If youre planning your own ancestry-themed trip, the Board for Certification of Genealogists offers an extensive, searchable list of researchers. Visit Scotland has a variety of programs to assist ancestral tourism, including heritage tours, language lessons and access to local history centres. Ireland has several tour companies that focus on ancestral travel, including My Ireland Tour. In Poland, travellers looking to trace their history can book services or tours with companies like Polish Origins. African Ancestry offers birthright journeys and African Ancestry Family Reunions (AAFRs) for people who have taken their DNA tests. Ghana-based Uprise Travel focuses on helping those in the Black diaspora learn about their heritage in Western Africa. Following a successful landing made by Ukrainian paratroopers within the temporarily occupied Crimea, panic is now spreading among Russian invaders. The relevant statement was made by the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, referring to the intercepted call, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. In the intercepted conversation, a Russian invader is anxiously reporting on a repeated landing, which had allegedly been made by Ukrainian paratroopers near the temporarily occupied Crimeas village of Novoozerne, situated in the western part of the peninsula. The Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry can state that the units of Russian occupation troops are struggling with mental toughness and coordination, the Ukrainian intelligence concluded. A reminder that, on the night of August 24, 2023, with the support of the Ukrainian Naval Forces, Ukraines intelligence units conducted a special operation and made a landing near the temporarily occupied Crimeas Olenivka and Maiak. Ukrainian defenders engaged in combat with Russian occupiers. As a result, the enemy suffered personnel and equipment losses, and the Ukrainian flag was raised in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Ukraines Defense Forces have successfully repelled Russian attacks near the Donetsk regions Vuhledar. The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Russian troops have launched two missile strikes and 62 air strikes, and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) on Ukrainian positions and settlements 89 times over the past day. The air defense units and means of Ukraines Air Force intercepted two enemy Kalibr-type cruise missiles and four Shahed-136/131 suicide drones. Following Russian terrorist attacks, casualties among civilians were reported, as well as the damage caused to residential houses, schools and other civil infrastructure. The threat of Russian missile and air strikes is persisting all over Ukraine, according to the General Staff. Over the past day, more than 40 combat engagements have occurred on the front. In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation remained rather unchanged. In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, Russian troops launched an air strike near the Kharkiv regions Udy. Over 25 settlements were affected by Russian mortar and artillery strikes in the Chernihiv, Sumy and Kharkiv regions. In the Kupiansk direction, Russians launched air strikes near the Kharkiv regions Kyslivka and Pishchane. Such settlements as Hrianykivka, Synkivka, Kupiansk and Orlianske were affected by enemy artillery and mortar strikes. In the Lyman direction, Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near the Luhansk regions Novoiehorivka and Bilohorivka. The enemy launched air strikes near the Kharkiv regions Shyikivka, Cherneshchyna and Chervonyi Stav; the Luhansk regions Tverdokhlibove, Yampil and Makiivka; and the Donetsk regions Vesele and Spirne. Over 30 settlements were affected by Russian artillery strikes. In the Bakhmut direction, Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near the Donetsk regions Klishchiivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka and Ivanivske. Over 25 settlements were affected by enemy artillery strikes. In the Avdiivka direction, Russian occupiers conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near the Donetsk regions Pervomaiske. Enemy artillery strikes affected the Donetsk regions Novokalynove, Stepove, Avdiivka, Sieverne, Pervomaiske and Nevelske. In the Marinka direction, Ukrainian forces continue holding back Russias onslaught near the Donetsk regions Marinka. The enemy launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka. Russian artillery strikes affected Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Kurakhove, Novomykhailivka, Kostiantynivka and Hostre. In the Shakhtarske direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled enemy attacks near the Donetsk regions Vuhledar. Russian invaders launched air strikes near Vuhledar, Vremivka, Blahodatne, Staromaiorske and Urozhaine. Over 10 settlements were affected by enemy artillery strikes. In the Zaporizhzhia direction, Russian occupiers launched air strikes near the Zaporizhzhia regions Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka and Robotyne. Over 20 settlements were affected by enemy artillery strikes. In the Kherson direction, Russian artillery strikes affected Khreshchenivka, Dmytrivka, Mykilske, Kherson, Kizomys and Dniprovske. Meanwhile, Ukraines Defense Forces continue the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction, where they are gaining a foothold within the recaptured frontiers and carrying out counterbattery measures. Russian troops continue cynically violating international humanitarian law and deploying soldiers in civilian buildings, using civilians as a living shield. In the Zaporizhzhia regions Osypenko, up to 1,500 Russian Buryat soldiers arrived and were illegally accommodated in civilian houses, where local residents live, and in a local hospital. In the past 24 hours, Ukraines Air Force has launched 12 strikes on Russian personnel clusters and one strike on an enemy surface-to-air missile system. Ukrainian missile and artillery units hit one Russian surface-to-air missile system and three artillery systems in firing position. These days it's easy to simply buy an index fund, and your returns should (roughly) match the market. A talented investor can beat the market with a diversified portfolio, but even then, some stocks will under-perform. The Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLSE:KLK) stock price is down 12% over five years, but the total shareholder return is 2.5% once you include the dividend. That's better than the market which declined 1.6% over the same time. Since Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad has shed RM992m from its value in the past 7 days, let's see if the longer term decline has been driven by the business' economics. Check out our latest analysis for Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price. While the share price declined over five years, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad actually managed to increase EPS by an average of 10% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. It is unusual to see such modest share price growth in the face of sustained EPS improvements. We can look to other metrics to try to understand the situation better. The steady dividend doesn't really explain why the share price is down. While it's not completely obvious why the share price is down, a closer look at the company's history might help explain it. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts Story continues What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad's TSR for the last 5 years was 2.5%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! A Different Perspective Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad provided a TSR of 2.1% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it's actually better than the average return of 0.5% over half a decade This could indicate that the company is winning over new investors, as it pursues its strategy. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad that you should be aware of before investing here. If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them). Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Malaysian exchanges. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Russia has already lost about 260,270 troops in Ukraine (+640 over the past day). The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Between February 24, 2022 and August 26, 2023, the enemys total combat losses included also 4,390 tanks (+12 over the past day), 8,539 armored fighting vehicles (+18), 5,379 artillery systems (+18), 726 multiple launch rocket systems (+2), 497 anti-aircraft warfare systems (+2), 315 aircraft, 316 helicopters, 7,823 motor vehicles and fuel tanks (+33), 18 warships/boats, 4,367 unmanned aerial vehicles (+11), 804 special equipment units (+2). A total of 1,411 enemy cruise missiles (+2) were shot down. The data are yet to be updated. A reminder that Ukraines Defense Forces successfully repelled Russian attacks near the Donetsk regions Vuhledar. In the Kharkiv region, two civilians have been killed in Russias shelling of the Kupiansk district. The relevant statement was made by Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. According to the preliminary data from medics, in the shelling of Podoly, two persons were killed and one injured, Syniehubov wrote. In his words, Russian projectiles hit a cafe with people inside. Law enforcement officers and emergency services are working at the scene. Drone attacks on Moscow are a consequence of Russian armed aggression, and such incidents will happen more and more often. The relevant statement was made by Spokesperson for the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Yurii Ihnat during a nationwide telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Russia has got what it was supposed to get air raid alerts too. Of course, this is just the beginning. I believe the Defense Forces will have more means to make things more and more anxious and dangerous in Russia and make them go through what our citizens are facing, Ihnat told. In his words, Russian invaders must pay a high price for aggression. But, without weapons, without a reaction to what they are doing, of course, we cannot do, so Russia will experience such attacks more and more often, Ihnat noted. A reminder that Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin earlier complained of a new drone attack on Russias capital, which took place on the night of August 26, 2023. Ukraine does not currently keep Crimea under full fire control but can strike any part of the peninsula. Head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said this in an interview with RFE/RLs Crimea. Realities project when asked whether Ukraine keeps Crimea under fire control. "No, absolutely not. We don't even keep it under partial control. But we are capable of striking any part of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea as of now. We can reach the enemy at absolutely any point. But this is not fire control, these are completely different things. We have the ability to achieve certain goals at any point, but fire control is completely different," Budanov emphasized. As reported, Andriy Yusov, a representative of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, said that on August 25 an attack was made on the 126th Separate Guards Coastal Defense Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation which is stationed in the village of Perevalne in the temporarily occupied Crimea. Ukraine and Canada have started negotiations on a bilateral document on security guarantees. We have started negotiations with Canada on a bilateral document on security guarantees. Earlier we started with the United States and the United Kingdom. This will give Ukraine much more opportunities, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address. He also noted that more than 20 countries had already joined the G7 declaration on security guarantees for Ukraine. Our team continues its work. Now there are almost 30 [countries] in total, including the G7. There will be more, Zelensky promised. As reported, NATO Summit was held in Vilnius on July 11-12. The leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries agreed on the Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine. More than 20 countries have already joined the declaration, and the list continues to grow. Dutch beer producer Heineken has announced the sale of its assets in Russia. The company reported this, Ukrinform saw. "Heineken announces completion of the transaction to sell its Russia operations to Arnest Group. The transaction has received all the required approvals and concludes the process Heineken initiated in March 2022 to exit Russia, incurring an expected total cumulative loss of 300m," the company said. The purchase price for 100% of Heineken's shares in Russia was 1. All other assets, including seven breweries in Russia, will be transferred to the new owners. They will stop producing beer under the Amstel brand within six months (the Heineken brand was withdrawn from Russia in 2022). No other international brands will be licensed in Russia, except for a 3-year license for some small regional brands, which are necessary to ensure business continuity and secure approval of transactions. Heineken will also not provide brand support or receive any revenues, royalties or dividends from Russia. Read also: NACP adds Alibaba Group Holding Limited to list of war sponsors The agreement also obliges the buyer to repay the intra-group debt of the Russian business to Heineken in the amount of 100 million. Arnest Group has assumed responsibility for 1,800 Heineken employees in Russia, providing job guarantees for the next three years. "We have now completed our exit from Russia. Recent developments demonstrate the significant challenges faced by large manufacturing companies in exiting Russia. While it took much longer than we had hoped, this transaction secures the livelihoods of our employees and allows us to exit the country in a responsible manner," Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink said. The company had been operating in Russia since 2002, when it bought its first brewery in St. Petersburg. Heineken owned seven breweries in the country. As Ukrinform reported, the Dutch brewing concern Heineken had admitted that it was still operating in Russia and even introduced new drinks. The permission to launch new products was issued to the Russian division from Heineken's headquarters. This was necessary to find a new buyer and avoid bankruptcy. Read also: Ukraine adds spirits company Bacardi to list of war sponsors The company says that the Heineken brand itself was immediately removed from the Russian market. But if new products had not replaced it, this could have meant the end of the Russian division and over 1,700 employees would have been out of work. In addition, there was a threat of prosecution for local executives, as deliberately driving a company into bankruptcy is a criminal offense. Last year, Heineken Russia introduced new drinks. In addition to Amstel variants, there were also soft drinks. In a previous statement, Heineken said that the decisions were made by local managers in Russia. But now the company admits that it launched new products in Russia last year with the permission of the Dutch headquarters. Heineken explained the launch of new brands in Russia by the need to find a buyer for the business. Despite Russia's war, Ukraine remains in third place among the most important exporters of agricultural products to the EU and ranks 14th among the most important importers of European agricultural products. This is evidenced by the statistical summary of EU agricultural trade published on the website of the European Commission (EC), Ukrinform reports. "Imports from Ukraine continued to be at a high level over the beginning of the year (+EUR 2.1 billion, +60% from January to May 2023, compared to the same period last year). It remains the third source of EU agri-food imports over the beginning of the year, with large increase in flows of cereals, oilseeds, poultry and eggs and sugar & isoglucose," the report says. As noted, Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU increased from EUR 6.9 billion in 2021 to EUR 13.2 billion in 2022. From January to May 2023, the growth of agricultural imports from Ukraine to the EU amounted to 60% compared to the same period in 2022 (from EUR 3.5 billion to EUR 5.6 billion). Ukraine remains an important destination for European agricultural exports, ranking 14th among the largest importers of European agricultural products. Agricultural imports from the EU to Ukraine in 2022 decreased compared to 2021 to EUR 2.9 billion (from EUR 3.1 billion). In the first five months of 2023, agricultural imports from the EU to Ukraine increased by 37% (+EUR 384 million), from EUR 1.3 billion in 2022 to EUR 1.4 billion this year. As reported, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, the EU created so-called solidarity lanes on the borders with Ukraine to transport Ukrainian food products, in particular grain and other foodstuffs, to world markets. As a result of logistical problems, the increased flow of agricultural products from Ukraine has caused complications on the markets of 5 neighboring countries. After consultations, the EC banned imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023. On July 19, the agriculture ministers of the five EU countries issued a joint statement in Warsaw insisting that the EC's embargo on Ukrainian grain imports be extended until the end of 2023, while transit of grain will be allowed. First Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized that if the EC extends the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain after September 15, Ukraine may consider mirror measures. The Turkish side considers any alternative ways to the Black Sea Grain Initiative as risky and, thus, Turkiye continues efforts in cooperation with all parties at all levels to resume the operation of the grain corridor. The relevant statement was made by Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan during a joint press conference prior to his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to TRT Haber. Unfortunately, this [Black Sea Grain Initiative] ended as of July 17. We know that alternative ways are currently being sought for grain exports. However, we also see that these ways cannot be an alternative to the original initiative and carry risks. We need to resume the process as soon as possible before the gains brought by the Black Sea Initiative are lost. This is why we will continue to hold a dialogue with all parties at all levels, Fidan told. In his words, resuming the operation of the grain corridor as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative is Turkiyes priority task. Restoring this initiative is a priority for Turkiye. This initiative holds a special place in the global food security and humanitarian efforts. Our President is carrying out a very systematic work on this issue. In this regard, an uninterrupted discussion and exchange of thoughts are underway with a very large group, including Ukraine, the UN, Russia, European and some American actors, Fidan noted. The Turkish minister thanked the representatives of Ukraine for support regarding this issue. A total of 3.7 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain have been stolen in the temporarily occupied territories, excluding the Crimean peninsula. "In the temporarily occupied territories, excluding the Crimean peninsula, 3.7 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain have been stolen. Of them, 1.4 million tonnes have been stolen in Zaporizhzhia region. The Russians steal all this grain from farmers who are forced to sell their products at fixed prices many times lower than market ones. The grain is then resold to enterprises related to Kremlin-installed officials and sold at market prices in the Russian Federation," the National Resistance Center posted on Telegram. The National Resistance Center emphasizes that everyone involved in grain theft will be held to account in accordance with the current legislation of Ukraine. As reported, Russia destroyed 180,000 tonnes of grain crops, 26 port infrastructure facilities, and five civilian ships during nine days of shelling in July. The Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry has paid attention to a statement made by Polands agriculture minister regarding the approval of further import restrictions on Ukrainian grain until the end of 2023 on the part of Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. The relevant commentary was posted by the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Ministry on its official website, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We consider it absolutely unacceptable to continue trade restrictions on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine after the ban of the European Commission expires on September 15, the report states. According to the ministry, the intentions to add other Ukrainian products to the list of banned imported goods are also completely unclear. Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry emphasized that such unilateral restrictions do not correspond to the spirit and letter of the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and the principles and regulations of the European single market. The Ukrainian ministry called on the leadership of the European Union and the countries involved to develop a balanced solution in accordance with the EU legislation and the Association Agreement. Only in the spirit of solidarity can we counter the challenges caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine and strengthen the European single market, Ukraines Foreign Affairs Ministry concluded. A reminder that Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary agreed to support a ban on grain imports from Ukraine until the end of 2023. Key Insights Using the Dividend Discount Model, mDR fair value estimate is S$0.052 With S$0.062 share price, mDR appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value How far off is mDR Limited (SGX:Y3D) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow. 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. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you. Check out our latest analysis for mDR The Model We have to calculate the value of mDR slightly differently to other stocks because it is a electronic company. In this approach dividends per share (DPS) are used, as free cash flow is difficult to estimate and often not reported by analysts. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a company's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In this case we used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (2.0%). The expected dividend per share is then discounted to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.4%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.06, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. 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. Story continues Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate) = S$0.005 / (8.4% 2.0%) = S$0.05 dcf The Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the 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 mDR 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 8.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.281. 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 mDR Strength Debt is well covered by earnings. Dividend is in the top 25% of dividend payers in the market. Weakness Current share price is above our estimate of fair value. Opportunity Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows. Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine Y3D's earnings prospects. Threat Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow. Dividends are not covered by cash flow. Next Steps: Although the valuation of a company is important, it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" If a company grows at a different rate, or if its cost of equity or risk free rate changes sharply, the output can look very different. For mDR, there are three fundamental factors you should further examine: Risks: For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for mDR (2 are significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for Y3D's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. 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 Singaporean 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. On the morning of August 26, 2023, the bulk carrier PRIMUS left the water area of Odesa Port, which is the second vessel to have departed from Ukraines Black Sea ports since Russia terminated the Grain Deal. The relevant statement was made by Head of the Institute of the Black Sea Strategic Studies Andrii Klymenko on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The second [vessel] has set off. We keep our fingers crossed and trust in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Naval Forces, Klymenko wrote. According to Klymenko, the ship is sailing for Bulgarias Port of Varna. The estimated arrival time is 01:00 p.m., August 27, 2023. PRIMUS had been staying in Ukraine since February 20, 2022. During Russias blockade of Ukrainian sea ports, the vessel changed the owner, as well as the name and flag. A reminder that, on August 16, 2023, the container ship JOSEPH SCHULTE, flying the flag of Hong Kong, became the first vessel to have left Ukraines Black Sea ports since Russias withdrawal from the Grain Deal. Russia used to announce that any vessels sailing towards Ukrainian ports would be viewed as military targets. Starting from July 21, 2023, Ukraine declared all Russian vessels in the Black Sea as those carrying military goods. Photo: Andrii Klymenko, Facebook The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasized that no one will exchange NATO membership for Ukrainian lands, decrying such a proposal as a provocation. The president addressed the issue at a press conference on the sidelines of the Crimea Platform summit, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Exchanging NATO for our lands is a dishonest conversation, it is a dishonest dialogue. This is provocation, be it artificial or not," the president said. Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine will not give up Kharkiv, Donbas, Pavlohrad, or Dnipro. "And let all the analysts around the world not even count on it," he noted. He also noted that it is difficult for Ukrainians because they are at war with Russia. "It's just that everyone started to forget ... we relaxed a little, thinking that we had already won. We havent won yet. We took the first step we did not allow our state to be destroyed. And the fact that they are unable to destroy us today this fact is very important. This is an important victory for both our military and our people. However, it is not a final victory. We must de-occupy all our territories, return all our people and put a full stop or three full stops with such a neighbor. That is why we want to join NATO thats not for nothing," concluded the president. Ukraine and Canada have started negotiations on a bilateral agreement regarding security guarantees. The relevant statement was made by Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. Ukraine has started negotiations with Canada on a bilateral agreement on providing security guarantees, as envisaged by the Joint Declaration of Support for our country. At the instruction of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, I am coordinating the negotiations, Yermak wrote. In his words, the first round of talks was held by Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva. Canada became the third country of the G7, after the United States and the United Kingdom, with which Ukraine started relevant talks, and continued the positive dynamics of implementing the security agreements reached by Ukraine and the key international partners. According to Yermak, the bilateral security guarantees that Ukraine must receive now will make the country more secure even before it becomes a full member of NATO. Security guarantees for Ukraine must be effective and serve as a transitional stage on our countrys path to membership in the Alliance, the only most reliable security guarantee today, Yermak concluded. A reminder that earlier President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the Republic of North Macedonia for joining the G7 Declaration in support of security guarantees for Ukraine. Josep Borrell, High Representative of The European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, explained how Western sanctions affect Russia's economic, industrial, and technological potential. Within a year, they [sanctions] have already limited Moscows options considerably causing financial strain, cutting the country from key markets and significantly degrading Russias industrial and technological capacity, Borrell wrote in his blog. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has imposed 11 rounds of ever-tighter sanctions against Russia. The EU has also imposed travel bans and asset freezes on more than 1,500 individuals and almost 250 entities, he noted. To stop the war, we need to stay the course, the EU High Representative of the European Union stressed. He wrote that the Russian economy had contracted in 2022 by 2.1%. In particular, the production of motor vehicles was down 48% year-on-year, other transport equipment by 13% and computer, electronic and optical production by 8% while retail trade was 10% lower and wholesale trade 17%. Compared to 2021, 58% of total EU imports from Russia were already cut off in 2022. Non-energy imports from Russia have fallen close to 60%, with the most visible drops for iron and steel, precious metals and wood. This movement is accelerating: the decline in imports of non-energy goods is above 75% for the first quarter of 2023, and the fall is even greater for energy goods, at minus 80%. Overall EU exports of goods were 52% below the annual average before the war in 2022. At the same time, EU exports on dual-use items and advanced technologies, which are essential to produce the equipment and weapons used by Russia to wage its war, dropped by 78% in 2022 compared to 2019-2021, Borrell underscored. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that total Russian oil revenues are down 27% from a year before. As reported, the EU made public the content of the latest 11th round of sanctions against Russia on June 23, 2023. Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan met with the leaders of the Crimean Tatar people during his first official visit to Ukraine. The relevant statement was made by Turkiyes Foreign Affairs Ministry on the social media platform X, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. We support all the initiatives regarding the strengthening of the rights and status of the Crimean Tatars, Fidan said in the course of the meeting. Turkiyes Foreign Affairs Ministry posted the photographs, showing a meeting between the Turkish minister and Mustafa Dzhemilev, the leader of the Crimean Tatar people. A reminder that earlier Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Hakan Fidan held meetings with the President and Prime Minister of Ukraine, as well as the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. Civilian hostages detained before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine need immediate release. Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, posted this on Telegram. The Ombudsman mentioned 52-year-old Olena Pekh, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison for her clear pro-Ukrainian position, among hostages held by the Russian Federation for the fifth year already. "The woman suffered terrible torture she was pushed to attempted suicide. Prior to her detention, she had been diagnosed with epilepsy. Olena cannot walk because she has a destroyed hip joint and lives with unbearable pain," the Commissioner noted. According to him, the health status of the Ukrainian is assessed as extremely critical as a result of torture and long years of imprisonment. She needs immediate release to save her life and get qualified medical assistance. Lubinets once again emphasized that no international organization had been allowed to visit civilian hostages illegally held by Russia over the past seven years, the hostages had not been provided with the necessary medical assistance and had not been allowed to call their relatives. The real situation with the Ukrainian hostages may be critical. "We cannot remain silent when the Russian Federation violates the Geneva Conventions and tortures our people! Ukraine needs the world's help to free all civilians!" the Ombudsman emphasized. Another 11 Ukrainian children were returned from Russia and temporarily occupied territories. "Another 11 Ukrainian children were taken from Russia and the temporarily occupied territories. We are happy to share this good news with you," Save Ukraine charity organization posted on Facebook and published a corresponding video. To date, Save Ukraine team managed to return already 161 children. "We thank everyone who supports us in this difficult but such an important matter," the organization emphasized. As reported, the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights received buses from the Orphans Feeding Foundation to return children deported by Russia. First American Financial Corporation (NYSE:FAF) will increase its dividend on the 15th of September to $0.53, which is 1.9% higher than last year's payment from the same period of $0.52. This will take the annual payment to 3.5% of the stock price, which is above what most companies in the industry pay. View our latest analysis for First American Financial First American Financial's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings We like to see robust dividend yields, but that doesn't matter if the payment isn't sustainable. Prior to this announcement, First American Financial's dividend made up quite a large proportion of earnings but only 48% of free cash flows. Since the dividend is just paying out cash to shareholders, we care more about the cash payout ratio from which we can see plenty is being left over for reinvestment in the business. Over the next year, EPS is forecast to expand by 46.8%. Under the assumption that the dividend will continue along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 69% which would be quite comfortable going to take the dividend forward. First American Financial Has A Solid Track Record The company has a sustained record of paying dividends with very little fluctuation. Since 2013, the annual payment back then was $0.48, compared to the most recent full-year payment of $2.08. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 16% per annum over that time. Rapidly growing dividends for a long time is a very valuable feature for an income stock. The Dividend Has Limited Growth Potential Some investors will be chomping at the bit to buy some of the company's stock based on its dividend history. However, things aren't all that rosy. First American Financial's earnings per share has shrunk at 11% a year over the past five years. This steep decline can indicate that the business is going through a tough time, which could constrain its ability to pay a larger dividend each year in the future. It's not all bad news though, as the earnings are predicted to rise over the next 12 months - we would just be a bit cautious until this becomes a long term trend. Story continues Our Thoughts On First American Financial's Dividend Overall, we always like to see the dividend being raised, but we don't think First American Financial will make a great income stock. The company has been bring in plenty of cash to cover the dividend, but we don't necessarily think that makes it a great dividend stock. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment. Market movements attest to how highly valued a consistent dividend policy is compared to one which is more unpredictable. However, there are other things to consider for investors when analysing stock performance. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for First American Financial 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. DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Aug, 2023) The World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) announced that the 9th World Green Economy Summit (WGES) will be held on 28th-29th November 2023 at Madinat Jumierah Conference Centre. This will be right before the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will be hosted by the UAE at Dubai Expo City from 30th November to 12th December 2023. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the World Green Economy Summit has established itself as an ideal platform that brings together experts and specialists in various areas of the green economy from around the world to exchange experiences and knowledge and discuss new ideas and initiatives, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council Energy, MD and CEO of DEWA, and Chairman of WGEO. The aim is to stimulate investments in the green economy, develop sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, and encourage innovation to support sustainable development and balance economic growth and environmental sustainability. The 9th World Green Economy Summit is significant, as it was held just before COP28 in the UAE. Under the vision and directives of the wise leadership, the UAE has become one of the pioneering countries in climate action and the transition towards a green economy, supporting global efforts to combat climate change and achieve sustainable development. " WGES supports the UAEs efforts in promoting a green economy worldwide, encouraging international cooperation and partnership between the government and private sectors, and facilitating investments for sustainable projects. WGES also aims to discuss the acceleration of green ecosystems and smart cities as well as explore the impact of technology on the green economy as well as support innovations across different industries." Al Tayer highlighted that the participation of policymakers, the corporate sector and other participants plays an important role in shaping the global climate agenda and accelerating progress on the delivery of the Paris Climate Agreement through negotiations, capacity building, knowledge sharing, and partnerships. He noted that WGES supports dialogue and strengths partnerships to face global challenges and accelerate the transition towards a sustainable green economy. The 8th WGES, which was held last year with the theme Climate Action Leadership through Collaboration: The Roadmap to Net-Zero featured over 20 panel discussions and workshops, with the participation of global figures, key officials, decision-makers, thought leaders, and heads of international institutions and organisations. They shared insights and expertise on best practices to advance the transition to a sustainable green economy. (@FahadShabbir) OTTAWA, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 26th Aug, 2023) Wildfires in Canada's northwest territories on Friday forced the evacuation of the entire town of Hay River, a community of about 4,000 people on the Great Slave Lake, authorities said. According to Reuters, the government of the Northwest Territories ordered everyone in town, including essential workers, to go to the Hay River Merlyn Carter Airport and await further instructions. "Anyone who remains in Hay River is doing so at their own risk," Reuters quoted the Northwest Territories government as saying in an alert posted at 15:23 local time on Friday. "There will be no emergency services or response available." Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record and in the past week more than 50,000 people, including the entire population of the Northwest Territories' capital Yellowknife, have been forced to flee their homes. Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Nonetheless, only a fool would ignore the risk that a loss making company burns through its cash too quickly. So should Rio2 (CVE:RIO) shareholders be worried about its cash burn? For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. We'll start by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves in order to calculate its cash runway. View our latest analysis for Rio2 When Might Rio2 Run Out Of Money? You can calculate a company's cash runway by dividing the amount of cash it has by the rate at which it is spending that cash. As at June 2023, Rio2 had cash of US$7.6m and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through US$3.4m. Therefore, from June 2023 it had 2.2 years of cash runway. That's decent, giving the company a couple years to develop its business. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below. How Is Rio2's Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Rio2 didn't record any revenue over the last year, indicating that it's an early stage company still developing its business. Nonetheless, we can still examine its cash burn trajectory as part of our assessment of its cash burn situation. From a cash flow perspective, it's great to see the company's cash burn dropped by 91% over the last year. While that hardly points to growth potential, it does at least suggest the company is trying to survive. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. For that reason, it makes a lot of sense to take a look at our analyst forecasts for the company. Story continues How Easily Can Rio2 Raise Cash? While we're comforted by the recent reduction evident from our analysis of Rio2's cash burn, it is still worth considering how easily the company could raise more funds, if it wanted to accelerate spending to drive growth. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations. Rio2 has a market capitalisation of US$44m and burnt through US$3.4m last year, which is 7.9% of the company's market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan. So, Should We Worry About Rio2's Cash Burn? It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Rio2 is burning through its cash. In particular, we think its cash burn reduction stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even its cash runway was very encouraging. Looking at all the measures in this article, together, we're not worried about its rate of cash burn; the company seems well on top of its medium-term spending needs. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 3 warning signs for Rio2 (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about. Of course Rio2 may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks that insiders are buying. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) :-- China on Friday called on the international community to jointly urge Japan to halt its discharging of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. It is "to avoid causing unpredictable damage and hazard to the global marine environment and the health and well-being of people around the world," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly. "The disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water has transnational implications and is by no means a private matter for Japan. It is extremely self-serving and irresponsible of Japan to ignore the public interests and openly transfer the risk of nuclear contamination to the whole world, including the Pacific island countries," said Geng. He noted that there have been grave concerns about the impact of the discharge on the marine environment, food safety and human health. The legitimacy, legality and safety of the Japanese side's approach have been widely questioned by the international community. "The Japanese side has yet to address the major concerns of the international community about the long-term reliability of the water treatment equipment, the truthfulness and accuracy of the data on nuclear-contaminated water, and the soundness and effectiveness of the monitoring program," he said. Noting that the Japanese representative and the Japanese Government kept mentioning the final assessment report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in statements, Geng said that the IAEA's report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of the decision by the Japanese Government, as the head of the agency has repeatedly stressed. "Whatever and however they argue is not going to change the fact that in the next 30 years, Japan will discharge millions of tons of contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean and it would not change the fact that it is going to pose enormous risks to the environment, human health, etc.," said the ambassador. "I would like to call on the Japanese Government to address squarely the legitimate concerns of the relevant countries and stakeholders, immediately stop the discharge, engage in good faith with the countries and stakeholders, and address the nuclear-contaminated water issue in a responsible manner," he added. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated powerful tsunami waves that caused the meltdowns of three of its nuclear reactors, one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Despite widespread denunciation at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 26 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) :A Chinese envoy said Friday that the resolution of the Korean Peninsula issue relies on strong relations among major nations and a stable regional environment. "The final resolution of the Peninsula issue depends on sound interactions among the major countries and a good regional environment," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the United Nations Security Council. "Looking back at the history of the Peninsula issue, it is not difficult to realize that diplomatic efforts on the Peninsula issue can be effective only if the major regional countries keep generally stable and cooperative relations," said the ambassador. Geng said that in recent years, certain countries have used the Peninsula issue as a pretext to deliberately create tensions, incorporate the Peninsula into the Indo-Pacific strategy, strengthen alliances and partnerships, and significantly increase their military presence in the region, gravely jeopardizing the strategic security interests of the Peninsula and the neighboring countries. "Such practices, fraught with a Cold War mentality, only work to provoke bloc confrontation and undermine mutual trust among parties, serve their own geopolitical interests, and go against the goal of maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and advancing its denuclearization," said the envoy. Libreville, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) :Voters in Gabon headed to the polls on Saturday for a triple election in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, scion of a family that has ruled for 55 years, is seeking victory over a belatedly-united opposition. Bongo and his main rival Albert Ondo Ossa lead a race of 14 candidates vying for the top job in the small oil-rich central African state. Even before voting stations opened at 7:00 am (0600 GMT), a handful of people were waiting to cast their ballots at five schools in the centre of Libreville -- though most of the streets, decked out in the colours of Bongo's governing party, were still empty, an AFP journalist saw. The 64-year-old incumbent took office in 2009, succeeding his father Omar, who died after more than 41 years in power. But shortly ahead of the elections, a storm erupted over a purported conversation between Ondo Ossa and a fellow opposition figure. The conversation -- recorded without the pair's knowledge and disseminated on social media -- refers to various strategies "to create a power struggle" and support from other countries. Bongo has accused the pair of treason, saying the remarks reflect a plot to take over with the help of "foreign powers". At an eve-of-election rally attended by tens of thousands of supporters in Libreville, Bongo charged that the two sought to "destroy this country". "We won't let them to do it," he said. Onda Ossa, a 69-year-old economics professor who served as a minister under Bongo from 2006 to 2009, was chosen by the main opposition grouping, Alternance 2023, as its joint candidate just eight days before the election. Alternance 2023 this week issued a statement strongly denying the "veracity and authenticity of this conversation" and accused the government of "shameful manipulation". Guatemala City, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) :The party of Guatemala's losing presidential candidate Sandra Torres on Friday alleged fraud in the vote won by dark horse candidate Bernardo Arevalo. Arevalo, the son of former reformist president Juan Jose Arevalo, won the election Sunday with 58 percent of the vote against the 37 percent won by Torres, who has yet to concede defeat. "There are many inconsistencies, contradictions and above all variation of data," Torres' National Unity of Hope (UNE) party said in a statement, alleging that "the true results of the voting" had been manipulated. UNE's lawyer, Carlos Aquino, also filed a complaint with the attorney general's office against the five magistrates of the TSE electoral tribunal for dereliction of duty and abuse of authority. According to the complaint, the magistrates "provoked an electoral fraud that altered the true results of the elections, thus violating the popular will expressed by the people through the vote." Aquino has asked for the TSE's computer system to be audited. "Until the truth about the events of August 20 is clarified, the results will not be accepted," he said. Gerardo Guerrero, a lawyer for Arevalo's Semilla party, described the lawsuit as a "political and legal absurdity" due to the overwhelming margin of victory -- some 875,000 votes. Arevalo, a 64-year-old sociologist and former diplomat, campaigned against government corruption by the political establishment, a message that resonated with voters seeking fresh faces in power. Ahead of the vote, Arevalo accused authorities of political persecution, after prosecutors tried to suspend his Semilla (Seed) party and ordered raids against his party offices. He is set to succeed outgoing President Alejandro Giammettei on January 14, ending 12 years of right-wing rule in the Central American country. On Thursday, new measures were put in place to protect the president-elect due to reports of alleged plots to assassinate him. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Aug, 2023 ) :Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Saturday said that the interim government would focus more on rationalizing the expenditures, generations of revenue and development of human resource during its short constitutional period. Talking to a delegation of students from Howard University US, the prime minister said that in Pakistan, about nine percent population was contributing towards GDP with their taxes. How to bring the undocumented economy, people in the tax net and how to invest in the human resources would be broadly focused during the short period of the caretaker government, he added. The prime minister said Pakistan was gifted with the natural resources and was a country of talented people. He said the government was focusing to produce the high-tech educated and skilled human resource and cited a couplet of Allama Iqbal in which he had hinted the importance of human resource through individual and collective efforts. "Pakistani diaspora in the US is a success story itself," he said, adding the Americans knew the Pakistanis who were contributing in their society. A delegation of the Harvard University, comprising 38 students from nine different nationalities, is currently on a visit to Pakistan. Responding to a question, the prime minister said Pakistan had been the biggest victim of climate disaster which was a global issue. The climate change had become an existential threat, he added. He opined that the world viewed the US as a big power but at the same time, expected it to turn itself into a green power. Appreciating the progress achieved by the American society, he said the diversification in the US society was an example for other countries to follow, adding their society was tolerant and what the US had produced in the domains of knowledge and skills was amazing. The caretaker prime minister said the other countries ought to learn from it for their own benefits. Replying to a query, the prime minister elaborated the role played by Pakistan during the former USSR and Afghanistan war and the subsequent events in the region. He said Pakistan had contributed hugely towards the global peace and economy. They had faced a lot of challenges in the past as the two powers of the world; the US and Russia, had been in its milieu which had implications, he added. PM Kakar, explaining a viewpoint, said that priorities by different governments in Pakistan kept on changing, but they did have visions and tried to visualize those visions. He also deliberated upon the history and creation of Pakistan. The prime minister, to another question, said that democracy gave strength to parliament and mentioned that in Pakistan, in the last fifteen years, three successive democratic governments had completed their tenures. "Democracy is a process. We are committed to the performance and participatory process of democracy," he said. The prime minister also underscored the importance of continuation of the social order and the maintenance of rule of law. He said that Pakistan had been positively engaged with the US on different issues, adding there were also conversion and diversion between the both countries on various global issues. Iluka Resources (ASX:ILU) First Half 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: AU$760.3m (down 11% from 1H 2022). Net income: AU$203.8m (down 28% from 1H 2022). Profit margin: 27% (down from 33% in 1H 2022). The decrease in margin was driven by lower revenue. EPS: AU$0.48 (down from AU$0.68 in 1H 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Iluka Resources Revenues and Earnings Miss Expectations Revenue missed analyst estimates by 6.7%. Earnings per share (EPS) also missed analyst estimates by 3.9%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 7.3% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 2.3% growth forecast for the Metals and Mining industry in Australia. Performance of the Australian Metals and Mining industry. The company's shares are down 15% from a week ago. Risk Analysis You should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Iluka Resources (including 1 which is a bit concerning). 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. Insurgents in northwest Syria attacked an army position Saturday, killing and wounding more than 30 troops, opposition activists said. The attack came days after Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out several airstrikes on the last major rebel stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib and parts of Aleppo, killing several insurgents. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the Ansar al-Tawhid group, which is allied with al-Qaida, carried out the attack with its members first detonating a massive bomb and then storming the position manned by government troops. The Observatory said the attack killed 11 soldiers and wounded 20 others. Other activist collectives, including Amjad News, also reported the attack, saying it killed and wounded dozens of soldiers without giving a breakdown. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or state media. A truce reached between Russia and Turkey in March 2020 that ended a Russian-backed government offensive on Idlib province has been violated repeatedly, resulting in scores of people getting killed and wounded. Russia has been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and joined the war in September 2015, helping tip the balance of power in his favor. Turkey is a main backer of the armed opposition. Syrias 12-year conflict, which started with anti-government protests then morphed into a civil war, has killed half a million people and displaced half the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. More than 5 million Syrians are now refugees, most in neighboring countries. In the first encounter in central Niger state local gang members ambushed troops responding to an attack in the village of Zungeru, injuring seven and killing 25 22 of them soldiers. A series of violent events in recent weeks has fueled a growing concern about Nigeria's internal security. Later that day, a military helicopter deployed to evacuate injured soldiers crashed, killing every passenger on board, including injured soldiers and crew members. On Friday, the Nigerian army held mass burial for the military personnel who died. On Tuesday, Islamic militants abducted dozens of women on their way to fetch firewood in northeast Borno state. The militants are demanding about 60 dollars each to free the women. The 49 women have since been released, according to Agence France-Presse. Security analyst Mike Ejiofor said terrorists are trying to make a bold statement. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday that he had warned Russian mercenary chiefs Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin to "watch out" for possible threats to their lives, and insisted that Wagner fighters stay in Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin initially vowed to crush Prigozhin's June mutiny, comparing it to the wartime turmoil that ushered in the revolution of 1917. But hours later, a deal was clinched to allow Prigozhin and some of his fighters to go to Belarus. Lukashenko, who helped broker the deal, used prison slang shortly after the mutiny to say he had persuaded Putin not to "wipe out" the mercenary listed as a passenger on a private jet that crashed Wednesday north of Moscow. Prigozhin, Lukashenko said Friday, had twice dismissed concerns raised by the Belarusian leader about possible threats to his life. Lukashenko said that, during the mutiny, he had warned Prigozhin that he would "die" if he continued to march on Moscow, to which he said Prigozhin had answered, "'To hell with it I will die.'" Then, Lukashenko said, when Prigozhin and Utkin who helped found Wagner and also was listed as a passenger on the plane that crashed came to see him, he warned them both, "Lads you watch out." It was not exactly clear from Lukashenko's words, which were reported by state news agency BELTA, when that conversation took place. Lukashenko, both an old acquaintance of Prigozhin and a close ally of Russia, said Putin had nothing to do with the plane crash. "I know Putin: He is calculating, very calm, even tardy," Lukashenko said. "I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that Putin is to blame. It's just too rough and unprofessional a job." The Kremlin said Friday that Western suggestions Prigozhin had been killed on its orders were an "absolute lie" while declining to definitively confirm his death, citing the need to wait for test results. Lukashenko said Wagner fighters would remain in Belarus. When members of the marine mammal team from the International Fund for Animal Welfare rush to a Cape Cod beach to help a stranded dolphin or porpoise, they have no choice but to treat the endangered animal on site and then immediately release it. That is about to change. The organization, which protects animals worldwide, is opening a first-of-its-kind short-term dolphin hospital on Cape Cod this month that it hopes will not only improve survivability rates, but also enhance the research it has developed over 25 years. Stranded marine mammals are stressed, in shock and dehydrated, said Brian Sharp, director of the rescue team. Simply caring for them at the scene is often not enough. They need additional diagnostics, treatment and recovery time. "With this ICU for dolphins, we'll be able to get them treatment that's needed, then be able to release them quickly," he said. While there are marine mammal rehabilitation centers that can take care of animals for months or even years, the goal of this facility is to release them back into the ocean within four days, he said. "This is the first time that this has been attempted before," Sharp said. There are more live marine mammal strandings on Cape Cod than anywhere else in the world, Sharp said. The welfare fund has responded to more than 400 live stranded dolphins, whales and porpoises in the region in the past five years alone, the organization said in a news release. Cape Cod is a good habitat for dolphins, but a risky one. Its geography it is basically a hook-shaped spit of sand jutting into the ocean can make dolphin navigation difficult, and 12-foot tides can quickly expose a mile of beach. The 4,200-square-foot (390-square-meter) Dolphin Rescue Center is in a renovated retail space in downtown Orleans. It includes an 1,800-square-foot (167-square-meter) rehabilitation area with two treatment pools 15 feet (4.3 meters) across and a veterinary laboratory. The public will not be permitted to have direct contact with the animals being a cared for, but there is also an education center where visitors will be able to watch the recovering animals on a monitor. Staffed by four full-time workers, it is equipped to provide round-the-clock care. It will start by treating one animal at a time, but the goal is to eventually treat multiple animals simultaneously. The privately funded center has been federally inspected and expects to open by the end of the month, Sharp said. "We want to take what we learn here and share it nationally, internationally," he said. The number of tourists visiting China is a small fraction of the figures reached before the coronavirus pandemic, despite the fact that the country fully opened to foreign visitors in March. Henry Ridgwell reports from London on why vacationers are reluctant to return. "Relevant authorities" in Iran intervened Saturday to prevent a protest in the capital, Tehran, by judiciary lawyers in front of the parliament, according to media reports. As reported by Lawyers Press, several judiciary lawyers had initially organized a gathering in front of the Guardian Council building and had planned to assemble in front of the parliament afterward. However, their intentions were thwarted. The report says that during their assembly in front of the Guardian Council, the lawyers underscored the need for the autonomy of the legal profession. They expressed that sentiment by displaying placards and banners. Lawyers were urging the Guardian Council to annul the recent legislation passed by the Iranian parliament that strips the country's bar association of its already limited independence. Among other things, the new legislation compels bar associations to comply with decisions made by the Regulatory Board of the Ministry of Economy. Iranian lawyers said the legislation violates international legal norms and previous regulations, which granted them some measure of independence. According to eyewitness accounts, the Ham-Mihan newspaper relayed through its Telegram channel that the lawyers' gathering in front of the Guardian Council culminated in security personnel intervening and confiscating the mobile phones of certain attendees at the assembly. As outlined in the report, the security personnel requested that the participants remove any pictures taken during the gathering from their mobile phones. Highlighting the lawyers' effort to protest the decision within the parliament, Ham-Mihan reported "However, the ongoing gathering came to a halt as the concerned authorities intervened due to the absence of an official permit." Nevertheless, the publication did not explicitly mention the identities of the authorities. Previously, instances had occurred where law enforcement personnel and plainclothes forces had engaged with demonstrators, disrupting gatherings. Addressing the matter, Lawyers Press stated, "Even the access of buses transporting lawyers and heads of legal institutions to Baharestan Square (adjacent to the parliament) was denied." The Ham-Mihan reported the disruption of the lawyers' peaceful assembly in front of the parliament, citing Article 27 of the Constitution, which permits the formation of gatherings and processions without arms if they adhere to the principles of Islam. According to information shared by Lawyers Press, the leader of the nationwide union of the Iran Bar Association (ESKODA) cited Article 3 of the Constitution during the gathering in front of the Guardian Council. That article defines the legal profession as a national right. The leader also criticized the parliamentary resolution that intends to shift the supervision of lawyers to the executive branch. Bar Association official Jafar Kousha urged for the involvement of the judiciary and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi as the head of the Constitutional Monitoring Council. He expressed optimism for dismissing the parliamentary resolution by the Guardian Council. Under the new parliamentary legislation, the power to issue, renew, suspend, and revoke licenses for legal practice has been withdrawn from lawyers' associations and handed over to the Regulatory Task Force, which operated under the Ministry of Economy. Many lawyers consider the resolution to be a menace to the autonomy of lawyers' associations, potentially leading to its conversion into a government-affiliated body. Consequently, numerous protest gatherings have taken place across several provinces. Ali Tale-Zari, the head of the Golestan Lawyers' Association, stated, "Given the current situation, the autonomy of the associations will be completely eroded, and this resolution will roll back lawyers' associations to a state reminiscent of 70 years ago." Mozambican President Filipande Jacinto Nyusi on Friday reported the killing of reputed terrorist leader Bonomade Machude Omar, known as Ibn Omar, in troubled Cabo Delgado province. Speaking live on state Radio Mozambique from his seaside palace, Nyusi said the terrorist leader was fatally shot Tuesday during a gunbattle against Mozambique's defense forces that was supported by the Rwandan military and troops from the Southern African Development Community. Nyusi made the announcement after a meeting with visiting Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who is on a two-day visit to the country. There has been no independent confirmation of the deaths. Nyusi emphasized that the fight against terrorists would continue, even when they operate in small groups. Ibn Omar, considered the leader of the radical Islamic State group in Mozambique, was targeted by the second phase of the "Coup Duro II" operation in Cabo Delgado. On the ground in Cabo Delgado, the Mozambican defense forces have been fighting terrorism since July 2021, with support from Rwandan troops and the SADC contingent. The chief of staff of the Mozambican defense forces, General Joaquim Rivas Mangrasse, said the killing of the terrorist leader did not mean the end of the insurgency in Mozambique. He noted that continual combing through forests was needed to flush out the militants. Rivas Mangrasse said that with Ibn Omar, two more of his direct followers still unidentified were also killed. Little is known about the history and lifestyle of Bonomade Machude Omar, but it is believed that he is one of the few Mozambican terrorists who spent his childhood in Mocimboa da Praia, a district inside Cabo Delgado province with about 65,000 inhabitants. He has often been described as the brains behind jihadist attacks over the past five years, claimed by a group known as Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama. The United Nations says violence in the region has forced more than 1 million people to flee their homes. Oil giants Exxon Mobil and Total are among big international energy companies developing offshore natural gas projects near northern Mozambique, and one huge project has been put on hold because of the violence. A crowd of what appeared to be several hundred protesters in the southern Druze city of Suwaida, Syria, chanted slogans targeting the Syrian government Saturday on the seventh day of a growing movement calling for economic and political reform. An economic crisis across Syria has hit the general population hard, making daily life extremely difficult and sparking protests that seemingly are causing ripples to several other parts of the country. Activists in Suwaida said they are not trying to overthrow the government but to prompt leaders to try harder to improve the economic situation, citing the deteriorating exchange rate of the Syrian pound, the lifting of fuel subsidies, and price hikes on bread and other food. One protest leader, Marwan Hamzeh, told Saudi-owned al-Arabiya TV that the government has "not appeared to make any use of its security forces to crack down on the latest protests," adding that it's "unclear why." Some observers, however, say the government is concerned about provoking a wave of violence like that which sparked the much larger protest movements of 2011. Although Arab media broadcast video of protesters in several parts of the country calling for the "fall of the regime," Joshua Landis, who heads the Middle East Studies department at the University of Oklahoma, told VOA that "most of the protesters are calling for more government activity in the economic life of the country, rather than a collapse of the government." "It's an odd situation because the Syrians who are demonstrating all want more government services, not less, Landis said. They want more electricity, they want subsidies, they want better schooling, they want the currency to be stabilized. They are desperate. They want higher salaries." Landis noted that Druze leaders criticized the protesters that burned down their province's town hall in a previous protest movement last December, telling them they were "destroying the infrastructure needed to run their province rather than harming the government." Activist Hamzeh said that "90% of all government offices that collect revenue for land sales, vehicle registration and other taxes have been closed during the week of protests, and that "most people have stopped paying their taxes to the government." One middle-aged protester, looking tired but enthusiastic, told Druze social media it is "time for the government to clean up its act and govern fairly, rather than favoring certain sectors of the population." He said that protesters were calling for freedom, justice, dignity and humanity, in addition to demanding the law be applied fairly to everyone. The Saudi-owned Asharq al Awsat newspaper reported Friday that the protest movement has "spread to the Bedouin tribes in the south of Syria" from their initial communal origin among the Druze in Suwaida, "making them more of a national movement." Several Kurdish leaders, including Ilham Ahmed, have expressed support, insisting that "peaceful protests are the correct path to achieve democratic change." The Arab League normalized ties with the Syrian government in May, but those ties remain shaky. Investment in Syrian infrastructure has been slow to materialize, partly because of ongoing U.S. economic sanctions on the Assad government. Value-focused investors are always on the hunt for stocks that are priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that merits attention is Cohen & Co Inc (COHN). The stock, which is currently priced at $10.15, recorded a gain of 13.47% in a day and a 3-month increase of 108.94%. The stock's fair valuation is $16.28, 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. Future estimates of the business performance. We believe the GF Value Line is the fair value that the stock should be traded at. The stock price will most likely fluctuate around the GF Value Line. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. Investing in Cohen (COHN): Navigating the Thin Line Between Value and Trap Cohen's Financial Health: A Closer Look 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 Cohen should not be ignored. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Altman Z-score of 0.46. These indicators suggest that Cohen, despite its apparent undervaluation, might be a potential value trap. This complexity underlines the importance of thorough due diligence in investment decision-making. Before delving into the details, let's understand what the Altman Z-score entails. Invented by New York University Professor Edward I. Altman in 1968, the Z-Score is a financial model that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within a two-year time frame. The Altman Z-Score combines five different financial ratios, each weighted to create a final score. A score below 1.8 suggests a high likelihood of financial distress, while a score above 3 indicates a low risk. Story continues Company Overview: Cohen & Co Inc Cohen & Co Inc is a United States company that delivers financial services in fixed income markets. It is focused on small-cap banking institutions and has grown to provide an expanding range of capital markets and asset management services. It has three business segments. The Capital Markets segment, which is the key revenue driver, consists of fixed income sales, trading, matched book repo financing, new issue placements in corporate and securitized products, and advisory services. The Asset Management segment manages assets within collateralized debt obligations, managed accounts, joint ventures, and investment funds. The Principal Investing segment is comprised of investments to earn return rather than to support trading, matched book repo, or other Capital Markets segment activities. Investing in Cohen (COHN): Navigating the Thin Line Between Value and Trap Unpacking Cohen's Low Altman Z-Score A dissection of Cohen's Altman Z-score reveals Cohen's financial health may be weak, suggesting possible financial distress. The EBIT to Total Assets ratio serves as a crucial barometer of a company's operational effectiveness, correlating earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to total assets. An analysis of Cohen's EBIT to Total Assets ratio from historical data (2021: 0.02; 2022: -0.02; 2023: -0.01) indicates a descending trend. This reduction suggests that Cohen might not be utilizing its assets to their full potential to generate operational profits, which could be negatively affecting the company's overall Z-score. When it comes to operational efficiency, a vital indicator for Cohen is its asset turnover. The data: 2021: 0.03; 2022: 0.01; 2023: 0.06 from the past three years suggests a recent decline following an initial increase in this ratio. The asset turnover ratio reflects how effectively a company is using its assets to generate sales. Therefore, a drop in this ratio can signify reduced operational efficiency, potentially due to underutilization of assets or decreased market demand for the company's products or services. This shift in Cohen's asset turnover underlines the need for the company to reassess its operational strategies to optimize asset usage and boost sales. Conclusion: Navigating the Value Trap Despite Cohen's seemingly attractive valuation, its low Altman Z-score and declining efficiency ratios suggest that it could be a potential value trap. While the stock may appear undervalued, investors must consider the company's financial health and operational efficiency before making an investment decision. Thorough due diligence is key to avoiding potential pitfalls and making informed investment decisions. GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Altman Z-Score using the following Screener: Walter Schloss Screen. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Russian forces shelled a cafe in Podoly a suburb of the strategically significant northeastern city of Kupiansk killing two civilians and injuring a third one on Saturday. The attacks are raising fears that Russians are pushing to reclaim front-line cities in the northeast region. Ukrainian forces say that fighting there has become more intense, but the Russians havent broken through. The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that Russias probable objective in the region will be to advance west to the Oskil River and establish a buffer zone around Luhansk oblast. The U.K. military intelligence reports assess that Russia is attempting to reverse the gradual gains of the Ukrainian counteroffensive near Bakhmut and the Zaporizhzhia region. The Ukrainian regional administration of Zaporizhzhia reported Saturday that Russia shelled Mala Tokmachka on Friday one of the villages near which Kyiv's troops were said to be gaining ground. One resident was killed and another was injured in the attack. Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of about 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk, warning that Russian troops are trying to pierce the Ukrainian front. Kupiansk, a town with a prewar population of about 27,000 people, was seized by Russia in the early days of the February 2022 invasion. Ukrainian troops recaptured it in a surprise offensive last September that embarrassed Moscow. After the Russian occupiers left Kupiansk last year, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers and mass graves in the region. Ukrainian officials so far have reported limited advances in Kyiv's large-scale counteroffensive launched in early June, including in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and on the outskirts of Bakhmut, the eastern city that became the site of the war's longest and bloodiest battle before falling to Moscow in May. The Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, assessed late Friday that Ukrainian forces were pushing forward in Zaporizhzhia after taking the village of Robotyne earlier this week. Russias defense ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said the military shot down a drone over the Istra district of the Moscow region, 50 kilometers west of Red Square. Sobyanin said in a Telegram post there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. The attack Saturday prompted an early-morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports around the Russian capital, Russian state media reported. Aircraft collide, killing Ukrainian pilots Three Ukrainian pilots died after two L-39 trainer aircraft collided in midair in central Ukraine, the country air force said Saturday in a statement. The loss of the three pilots is a setback as the country prepares to train pilots on up to 61 Western F-16 fighter jets pledged to Kyiv. The crash occurred Friday over the Zhytomyr region, which lies west of Kyiv. Sudan's military ruler visited army bases near Khartoum on his first trip away from the capital since an internal conflict broke out in April, as the United Nations warned that the war could tip the entire region into a humanitarian catastrophe. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan intends to leave Sudan for talks in neighboring countries after visiting regional bases and Port Sudan, the temporary government seat, two government sources said. Burhan, who is also armed forces chief, plans to chair a Cabinet meeting. The army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces for control of Khartoum and several other cities in the north African country since April 15. Burhan emerged Thursday from the army headquarters, which the RSF says it has blockaded, and was seen in video and photos in the city of Omdurman across the Nile. The army circulated videos Friday of Burhan visiting the Atbara artillery base, north of Khartoum in River Nile state. Burhan could be seen carried by cheering soldiers. While the army has fought the RSF in Khartoum and the Kordofan and Darfur regions to the west, the central, northern and eastern regions of the country have remained calm and under army control. Attempts to mediate have proven fruitless as diplomats say both sides still believe they can win. More than 4 million people have fled their homes, basic services have collapsed, and the fighting has given way to ethnic attacks by the RSF and allied militias in Darfur. "This viral conflict and the hunger, disease and displacement left in its wake now threatens to consume the entire country," U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths said in a statement Friday. He said he was concerned about the expansion of fighting in the country's breadbasket Gezira state just south of Khartoum, where the RSF has made incursions. "Hundreds of thousands of children are severely malnourished and at imminent risk of death if left untreated," Griffiths said, adding that diseases such as measles, malaria, dengue fever and acute watery diarrhea were spreading. A U.N. children's fund spokesperson said he expected a lack of supplies to lead to a spike in child deaths. Susanna Borges with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), who returned to Geneva from the Chad border this week, told reporters refugees had not received food rations in August, and inadequate water supplies had prompted some to dig holes. The $2.6 billion Sudan appeal is just 26% funded, a U.N. spokesperson told a Geneva briefing, calling on donors to speed up promised aid. Washington on Friday condemned pervasive conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, which the State Department said credible sources, including victims, have attributed to the RSF and its allied militias. "The numerous reports of rape, gang rape and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls in West Darfur and other areas are deeply disturbing. These acts of brutality contribute to an emerging pattern of targeted ethnic violence," the department said in a statement. Health authorities in Bangladesh are wrestling with a surge in dengue fever cases as monsoon rains batter the densely populated country. According to a World Health Organization report issued this month, "The higher incidence of dengue is taking place in the context of an unusual episodic amount of rainfall, combined with high temperatures and high humidity, which have resulted in an increased mosquito population throughout Bangladesh." Almost 90,000 cases of the mosquito-borne viral illness had been reported his year through Aug. 15, according to government figures. Researchers and public health experts say the true numbers are much higher. By mid-August, at least 426 people 81 of whom were age 18 or younger had died of the fever, according to the Directorate General of Health Services, making this the deadliest year since the first recorded epidemic in 2000. There are four strains of dengue, including the most life-threatening, hemorrhagic dengue. However, only patients with severe symptoms end up in hospitals, where the government collects data. Last year, 62,098 dengue cases were recorded in Bangladesh, with 281 deaths. The dengue virus is transmitted through the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes, which also transmit chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection and is a recurring problem in Bangladesh during the monsoon season. However, this year's outbreak has been particularly severe, with the number of cases skyrocketing across urban and rural areas alike. "We have noticed the disease has changed its characteristics, and so do the mosquitos too. Theyve adapted and become more stronger and prevalent. And now we see that dengue is not an urban, problem anymore, the government database now records cases from every corner of the country," Dr. M.H. Chowdhury Lenin, a physician and public health expert told VOA. According to Lenin, "Dengue has been present in Bangladesh for over two decades now, and as we now know, dengue mosquitoes had mutations and they are now resistant to the usual insecticide or repellents that we use. So our existing measures are unable to curb the spread of the Aedes mosquitoes." Lenin warned the situation could get worse in the coming weeks, as monsoons are likely to intensify, with more rainfall and dengue hospitalizations and deaths. Monsoons in Bangladesh usually surge in August and September, continuing through early October. "We need to have orchestrated efforts to minimize the fatalities. Dengue is not new in Bangladesh, and as a tropical country, we have to live with such diseases. However, we failed to build a multisectoral approach to prevent this disease from becoming a big public health nightmare," Lenin added. This years surge in cases has significantly strained Bangladesh's already fragile health care system, which is plagued by mismanagement and corruption. Hospitals are grappling with the influx of patients, many of whom are suffering severe symptoms of dengue, such as high fever, intense headache, joint and muscle pain, and in severe cases, internal bleeding. "Health sector in Bangladesh is inundated under corruption and mismanagement. It was nakedly visible during the COVID-19 outbreak. Politicization and commercial interests are the most important causes behind the destruction to this sector," Sharif Jamil, a prominent Dhaka-based social and environmental activist, wrote in a WhatsApp message. "The failure to manage dengue spreading across the country is evident now that it is causing casualties in the urban areas in the periphery beyond the city areas." Government officials aim to apply the lessons learned from managing the COVID-19 pandemic, when state-run and private hospitals nationwide increased bed capacity, provision of intensive care, and emergency medical preparations. Dr. Robed Amin, the Directorate General of Health Services line director in the noncommunicable disease control program, said the directorate is hopeful the COVID-era measures will improve the fight against dengue. "As we have noticed, dengue isnt just an urban problem anymore. Its rampant in the entire country. And with the monsoon rain of August and September, the cases will likely to go up. During the COVID pandemic, we strengthened our entire health care network across the country, so I am hopeful most of the severe cases will be able to be managed locally, and not everyone will have to flock to Dhaka or other big cities with better hospitals," Amin told VOA. As most of the cases are reported from urban and suburban areas, experts and activists also blame unplanned urbanization and lackluster response from the authorities for the dengue outbreak. Kabirul Bashar, an entomologist at Dhakas Jahangirnagar University, told VOA unplanned construction and lack of awareness helped dengue to become widespread in every corner of the country. "Climate change is definitely a factor, but there are other man-made factors that are driving the disease. Not only in Dhaka, but even outside the capital, city-centric economic developments drive the rapid construction of high-rise business centers, hotels, and apartments in the urban areas," he said. "The entire country has become big construction zones marked by stagnant water on concrete surfaces after rainfall, and potentially breeding Aedes mosquito." Bashar said official "anti-mosquito drives" during the monsoon are inadequate to fight the current dengue outbreak, especially because over time and with climate change the mosquitoes have evolved and adapted and have become immune to the repellents used against them. Activist Jamil said he believes future dengue outbreaks are preventable with a timely and coordinated approach and proper urban planning, among other things. "A proper urban planning will include people and experts in the planning and implementation processes. If we can engage and empower people meaningfully, community leaders will come forward to work with the local government representatives and administrators to make their own areas safe from dengue outbreaks," Jamil told VOA. Bangladesh's best hope could be a cost-effective vaccine. The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, is leading a clinical trial in Bangladesh for a promising single-dose vaccine created by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, University of Vermont Vaccine Testing Center, and Johns Hopkins University, according to a recent article in the medical journal The Lancet. Meanwhile, the suffering of the people affected by the disease is mounting. Saleha, whose name was provided to VOA by her husband, is a 43-year-old patient in the dengue ward of the state-run Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital and was diagnosed with dengue fever almost a week ago. Her husband said the conditions require her to be put in intensive care, but the hospital is already at capacity, and the family is not able to afford private hospital expenses. "Her platelets count dropped as low as 13,000," said the husband, who did not give his name. A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. In addition, he said, her blood pressure fell to critically low levels. "At this stage, doctors said she needs intensive care support, but there are no beds available in ICU," he said. Taiwans defense ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a $500 million arms sale to Taiwan. The defense ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the Peoples Liberation Army and nine vessels from the navy were detected in the 24 hours between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwans air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the defense military said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwans political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a stern warning after Taiwans vice president stopped over in the United States while on an official trip to Paraguay. The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets and other related equipment to Taiwan worth half a billion dollars. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said Friday that China opposed the arms sale, calling it a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs and describing it as a heinous act that violates its One China principle, as well as three Sino-U.S. joint communiques. Zhang also said that China urged the U.S. to fulfill its commitment of not supporting the independence of Taiwan. Thousands of Rohingya refugee men, women and children in Bangladesh rallied in Coxs Bazar camps Friday to demand their rights as refugees on the sixth anniversary of International Rohingya Genocide Remembrance Day. The rallies, which took place after the weekly Muslim congregational Jumah or Friday prayer continued even as it rained heavily in the area. "Coincidentally, it had also been raining on the day when we were fleeing home," Mohammed Rezuwan Khan, a Rohingya community leader in Cox's Bazar, told VOA by telephone. Six years ago, almost 740,000 of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority many of them children and young people fled to Bangladesh in search of refuge, after a brutal crackdown by armed Myanmar forces. These refugees would join around 200,000 other Rohingyas who had already escaped to Bangladesh. As Rohingyas prepared to mark the anniversary, rights groups and international organizations also voiced their concern and frustration with the situation. Human Rights Watch said in an Aug. 20 statement that the United Nations Security Council had failed to hold Myanmars generals accountable for crimes against humanity and genocide against the Rohingya. Shayna Bauchner, a Human Rights Watch Asia researcher, said in the statement, Instead of addressing these issues head on, the U.N. Security Council inaction and government aid cutbacks are leaving Rohingya in even more desperate straits. Save the Children said in a press statement Aug. 24 that the over half a million young people in Coxs Bazar camps receive one-third less food than they did five months ago due to recent cuts in food aid. UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency, issued a statement on Aug. 22 appealing for sustained support for Rohingya refugees. The UNHCR report, which was issued from Dhaka, highlighted issues such as malnutrition, child marriage, child labor and gender-based violence plaguing the Rohingya camps. A dignified and sustainable return to Myanmar remains the primary solution to this crisis, the UNHCR statement said. Rohingya leader Khan told VOA that many Rohingyas, including himself, are willing to go back to Myanmar, but it is likely not going to happen anytime soon. Living in these uncertain conditions is so hard for us, he said. Around 1 million Rohingya refugees live in the overcrowded, violent and ramshackle camps in Coxs Bazar, with few amenities and no opportunity for legal employment. In a speech at a rally Friday, Maung Sawyeddollah, founder of the Rohingya Students Network, said that the day was a reminder of the atrocities that have scarred the Rohingyas lives and an opportunity to convey their disappointment to the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court over delayed justice. In 2019, Gambia filed a genocide case against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice. In the same year, the International Criminal Court authorized an investigation into the alleged genocide by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya. In a WhatsApp interview with VOA, Sawyeddollah called on the outside world to provide the Rohingya refugees with the necessary tools to rebuild our lives. One 12-year-old Rohingya boy who took part in the Friday rallies told VOA that conditions in the camps would cost residents their lives. He said what is needed is a safer and more tranquil environment for us, where we dont have to live every day in the fear of dying in the crossfire. Refugees International said in an Aug. 24 statement that Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh risk arbitrary detention or coerced return to the genocidal authorities from which they fled six years ago. They also face rising insecurity at the hands of criminal and extremist groups in the camps," the statement said. According to a January UNHCR report, last year alone, over 3,500 Rohingya refugees risked their lives for treacherous sea crossings to countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Most were fleeing Bangladesh or Myanmar. Since then, at least 348 Rohingya have died or gone missing at sea, the report said. John Quinley, director at Fortify Rights, a Southeast Asia-based nonprofit organization, told VOA that the Myanmar military is still brutalizing the Rohingya population in many ways, including the ongoing persecution against them in Myanmars Rakhine state. The Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh deserve rights, he said. The Bangladesh authorities should allow them freedom of movement and provide access to formal education and work for the refugees. Noor Islam, a 50-year-old Rohingya refugee who was present at one of the Coxs Bazar rallies, told VOA that he does not want to die in Bangladesh. I want my last breath to be in Myanmar. Hope is home, he said over the phone. In a joint statement on Friday, 18 Rohingya organizations said that it is the moral obligation of U.N. bodies and member states to pressure the Myanmar military to end the genocide against the Rohingya and ensure that their rights are respected. All 19 defendants in an election-fraud case in the Southeastern U.S. state of Georgia including former President Donald Trump reported to an Atlanta jail to be booked by police before a noon deadline on Friday. After Trumps appearance at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening in which he posed for the first-ever mug shot of a former president seven other defendants surrendered to police on Friday. Trumps other co-defendants reported to the jail earlier in the week. Court records show that all of the 19 defendants except one posted bond, agreed to the bail conditions set by court officials, and were allowed to leave the jail after being booked. Harrison William Prescott Floyd, who is accused of harassing a Fulton County election worker, remained in jail after turning himself in on Thursday. It was not clear whether Floyd was denied bail or was not able to come up with the money to secure his release. Federal court records said Floyd, who is active with the group Black Voices for Trump, was also arrested three months ago on charges of aggressively confronting FBI agents who had served him with a grand jury subpoena. Trump paid a $200,000 bond his lawyers negotiated earlier this week with Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis. The former president spent about 20 minutes in the Atlanta jail Thursday evening to be booked on felony charges of racketeering and conspiracy linked to his alleged efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection loss in Georgia. It was the fourth time that Trump had been arrested and booked in the past five months. Before boarding his plane at Atlanta's airport, Trump spoke briefly to reporters about his arrest. "What has taken place here is a travesty of justice. We did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong, and everybody knows that," Trump said. "What they're doing is election interference." Trump is facing 91 charges across the four indictments for his alleged actions before, during and after his single-term presidency ended in early 2021. He faces 13 charges in Georgia, where Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is expected to set arraignments for each of the defendants in the coming weeks. During an arraignment, the defendants typically appear in court for the first time and enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. At least five of Trumps co-defendants are trying to move their cases to federal court, instead of being tried in Georgia. Of those wanting to keep their trials in Georgia, at least two defendants are requesting speedy trials. Trumps legal team has asked that Trumps case be separated from any co-defendant who seeks a speedy trial. Trumps lawyers have not yet proposed a date for the trial. Regardless of when the trial in Atlanta starts, Trump is already facing weeks of criminal trials he would be obligated to appear at in the first half of 2024. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has said that the allegations leveled against him are a political witch hunt aimed at thwarting his 2024 campaign to reclaim the presidency. Even with the array of charges he is facing, Trump is the leading contender for the Republican nomination to run for the presidency against the presumptive Democratic nominee, President Joe Biden. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. The U.S. Embassy in Harare joined other election observers Saturday in voicing deep concerns about Zimbabwes general election, saying it fell short of the requirements of the country's constitution and regional guidelines. Meanwhile, President Emmerson Mnangagwas government and his ruling ZANU-PF party have blasted criticism of the controversy-marred general election. Zimbabwes general election Wednesday did not meet many international standards, Rebecca Archer-Knepper, acting spokesperson at the U. S. Embassy in Harare, told VOA Saturday, but she said Washington hopes Zimbabweans will stay peaceful as the countrys election commission counts votes. While the election days were predominantly peaceful, the electoral process thus far did not meet many regional and international standards, Archer-Knepper said. We share the deep concerns expressed by SADC and other international electoral observation missions, she said, referring to the Southern African Development Community. The SADCs preliminary statement on Aug. 25 said the elections fell short of the requirements of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the Electoral Act, and the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections. Archer-Knepper said, These missions cited problems with the transparency, independence, fairness and credibility of electoral processes; undue restrictions on the rights to freedom of assembly and association and freedom of expression that are guaranteed by Zimbabwes constitution and reflected in regional guidelines; reports of voter intimidation; and the disenfranchisement of candidates, particularly women. We are also gravely concerned by the arrest of civil society members that we believe were conducting lawful, nonpartisan election observation work, she said. On Wednesday, police took 35 election monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network and Election Resource Centre into custody and charged them with plotting to announce unofficial results. They were released on $200 bail each on Friday. Election observers, including those from the SADC, condemned the arrests and the confiscation of observers computers and cell phones by police, as well as the way the general election was held. Nevers Mumba, the head of the SADC observer mission to Zimbabwes polls, stopped short of calling the general election not credible when he presented the regional blocs preliminary report on Friday, but he did raise concerns. The Zambian national said a $20,000 registration fee for presidential candidates was restrictive. He also noted the Zimbabwe Electoral Commissions reluctance to release voter rolls to the opposition on time and criticized the disruption of opposition rallies by police. Late Friday, Christopher Mutsvangwa, spokesman for the ruling ZANU-PF party, responded to the SADC observers criticisms of the elections. SADC principles are not administered by a particular individual who may become a head of a delegation, Mutsvangwa said. It is not the duty of a particular individual to arrogate to himself the role of a constitutional review committee of the laws of Zimbabwe. So, Mr. Nevers Mumba from Zambia, we call you to order. Dont delve into the laws of Zimbabwe, he said. Zimbabwe Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi expressed support for Mutsvangwas statements. We waged a war for over 15 years, so that you and I, Zimbabweans here, would be able to hold a pen in our hands and put an X, he said. And the majority of those that are making noise never helped us. Its the blood and sweat of sons and daughters of Zimbabwe. So, the basic principle is we fought for this democracy, he continued. We will have elections when they are due. And we have religiously followed that to this day. So, we believe that some of those who want to teach us on democracy, they can actually get lessons from us. On Friday, Alexander Rusero, a politics professor at Africa University in Zimbabwe, welcomed the SADC report on the elections. Unfortunately, I do not think ZANU-PF is being advised appropriately, Rusero said. There was no way this election was going to be 100% perfect given the irregularities, he said. What is important is to celebrate, to say, in spite of all those irregularities, there are still certain positives. Unfortunately, government strategic department is doing a disservice to the republic of Zimbabwe. In the election, President Mnangagwa is seeking a second term, running against 10 candidates, including the main contender, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change. Voting was extended to a second day Thursday after election day was marred by polling station delays and shortages of ballots in opposition strongholds Bulawayo and Harare. There has been a heavy police presence in Harare since Friday night, ahead of the release of official presidential election results, expected by Monday. Hundreds of young African leaders are heading home after studying in the U.S., hoping to help their own communities when they return. Members of the Mandela Washington Fellowship through the Young African Leaders Initiative say they hope to inspire change. VOAs Anthony LaBruto reports. James Cropper (LON:CRPR) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: UK130.3m (up 23% from FY 2022). Net income: UK516.0k (down 62% from FY 2022). Profit margin: 0.4% (down from 1.3% in FY 2022). The decrease in margin was driven by higher expenses. EPS: UK0.054 (down from UK0.14 in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period James Cropper Earnings Insights Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 6.6% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, while revenues in the Forestry industry in Europe are expected to remain flat. Performance of the market in the United Kingdom. The company's shares are down 3.0% from a week ago. Risk Analysis You should learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with James Cropper. 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. Value-focused investors are constantly on the lookout for stocks priced below their intrinsic value. One such stock that deserves attention is Paramount Global (NASDAQ:PARA). Currently priced at $14.44, the stock recorded a 1.97% loss in a single day, with a 3-month increase of 2.9%. According to its GF Value, the stock's fair valuation stands at $32.96. Understanding the GF Value The GF Value represents the current intrinsic value of a stock, derived from our unique method. The GF Value Line on our summary page provides an overview of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. This estimation is based on three factors: historical multiples (PE Ratio, PS Ratio, PB Ratio, and Price-to-Free-Cash-Flow) at which the stock has traded, GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future estimates of business performance. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued, and its future return is likely to be poor. Conversely, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. Is Paramount Global (PARA) Too Good to Be True? A Comprehensive Analysis of a Potential Value Trap However, before making an investment decision, investors need to consider a more in-depth analysis. Despite its seemingly attractive valuation, certain risk factors associated with Paramount Global should not be overlooked. These risks are primarily reflected through its low Piotroski F-score of 2, and Altman Z-score of 1.05. These indicators suggest that Paramount Global, 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 Piotroski F-score and Altman Z-score The Piotroski F-score, created by accounting professor Joseph Piotroski, is a tool used to assess the strength of a company's financial health. The score is based on nine criteria that fall into three categories: profitability, leverage/liquidity/ source of funds, and operating efficiency. The overall score ranges from 0 to 9, with higher scores indicating healthier financials. Paramount Global's current Piotroski F-Score, however, falls at the lower end of this spectrum, indicating potential red flags for investors. Story continues The Altman Z-score, invented by New York University Professor Edward I. Altman in 1968, is a financial model that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within a two-year time frame. The Altman Z-Score combines five different financial ratios, each weighted to create a final score. A score below 1.8 suggests a high likelihood of financial distress, while a score above 3 indicates a low risk. Company Snapshot: Paramount Global Paramount Global is the rebranded combination of CBS and Viacom, creating a media conglomerate with global scale. The company operates several leading cable network properties, produces original motion pictures, and operates several streaming services, most notably Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Despite its strong presence in the media industry, its stock price is significantly below the GF Value, indicating a potential undervaluation. Is Paramount Global (PARA) Too Good to Be True? A Comprehensive Analysis of a Potential Value Trap Analysis of Paramount Global's Profitability One significant component of the F-Score is a positive return on assets (ROA). A closer look at Paramount Global's ROA reveals a worrying trend of negative returns. This indicates the company's inability to generate profit from its assets - a fundamental concern for any investor. Paramount Global's financial health is further complicated by the decline in its return on assets (ROA) over the past three years. The data indicates a decrease from 6.36% in 2021 to -2.05% in 2023. Such a decrease is concerning, as the Piotroski F-Score penalizes companies with lower current ROA compared to the previous period. This ongoing decline highlights another potential risk associated with investing in Paramount Global. Observing the financials of Paramount Global, it's important to note that the cash flow from operations over the trailing twelve months (TTM) stands at $-773 million, whereas the net income in the same period is significantly higher at $-1165 million. The Piotroski F-score considers this discrepancy as a potential red flag. The rationale behind this is that a company's operating cash flow is a more direct and less manipulated measure of its cash-generating ability than net income. Net income, while important, is susceptible to accounting treatments and non-cash items which can distort the true cash profitability of the company. If a company consistently shows lower cash flows from operations relative to its net income, it could indicate that the earnings quality is poor and the company might have difficulties sustaining its operations or financing its obligations, a fact which could negatively impact its financial stability and investor confidence. Leverage, Liquidity and Source of Funds: A Worrying Trend Is Paramount Global (PARA) Too Good to Be True? A Comprehensive Analysis of a Potential Value Trap Examining Paramount Global's financial stability, there's a notable decrease in its current ratio over the past three years, as shown by the data 2021: 1.78; 2022: 1.47; 2023: 1.17, which is expressed as percentages. The current ratio is a key indicator of a company's short-term financial health, as it gauges the ability to cover short-term liabilities with short-term assets. A declining current ratio suggests that Paramount Global's liquidity and capability to manage immediate financial obligations are deteriorating. Operating Efficiency: A Darker Picture Examining the data provided: 2021: 662; 2022: 650; 2023: 651, it becomes evident that Paramount Global has seen an increase in its Diluted Average Shares Outstanding over the past three years. This trend signals that the company has issued more shares. While issuing additional shares can provide immediate capital for the business, it can also lead to the dilution of existing shares' value. This dilution occurs because the earnings of the company now have to be divided among a larger pool of shares, which could decrease Earnings Per Share (EPS). Consequently, if the company's earnings don't grow at a pace that matches or exceeds this share increase, it could lead to a reduction in the value perceived by existing shareholders, potentially impacting their investment returns. Hence, while additional share issuance may provide necessary capital, it is important to monitor its impact on shareholder value carefully. Lastly, concerning operating efficiency, the Piotroski F-score examines changes in gross margin and asset turnover. Regrettably, Paramount Global follows a discouraging trajectory with a decrease in gross margin percentage over the past three years, as demonstrated by the data provided: 2021: 40.41; 2022: 34.66; 2023: 24.80 (expressed in percentages). This contraction in gross margin suggests that Paramount Global is grappling with either an escalation in the cost of goods sold or dwindling prices - both of which are inauspicious indicators for profitability. In terms of operational efficiency, another key indicator, Paramount Global has unfortunately reported a declining trend in asset turnover over the past three years, as evidenced by the data: 2021: 0.50; 2022: 0.52; 2023: 0.53 (expressed in percentages). Asset turnover measures how effectively a company uses its assets to generate sales, and a decrease in this ratio can indicate a drop in efficiency. This could be due to various factors, such as underutilization of assets or a decline in the market demand for the company's products or services. Consequently, this downward trend in asset turnover implies that Paramount Global may need to revisit its operational strategies to improve the utilization of its assets and boost its sales volume. Conclusion While the Piotroski F-score is not the only lens through which to view a potential investment, it is a robust and comprehensive tool for evaluating a company's financial health. Unfortunately for Paramount Global, its current score suggests potential troubles. The declining ROA, discrepancies between cash flow from operations and net income, decreasing current ratio, increasing diluted average shares outstanding, and declining gross margin and asset turnover all point towards a potential value trap. Therefore, despite the apparent undervaluation of Paramount Global's stock, investors should exercise caution and conduct thorough due diligence before investing. GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Piotroski F-score using the following Screener: Piotroski F-score screener . GuruFocus Premium members can find stocks with high Altman Z-Score using the following Screener: Walter Schloss Screen . This article first appeared on GuruFocus. I wish for his sake that he could have been, for just a little while, unfamous a random face in the crowd again. Big dreams Jensen Huang, Nvidias chief executive and principal founder, always had big ambitions. The company decided to focus on video games in the 1990s when Huang observed demand for increasingly advanced computer graphics and predicted a need for drastically more powerful chips as games moved towards more immersive and 3D worlds. Nvidia is growing faster and faster. Credit: AP When Nvidias share price hit $US100, Huang had the companys logo tattooed on his arm. But even he would have failed to see the AI rush that boosted his personal fortune to $US42 billion. Nvidias work on computer graphics in the 1990s led it to invent the graphics processing unit (GPU), a type of microchip dedicated to computer gaming and video tasks. GPUs, however, also excel at other types of number crunching. Nvidia thrived during the cryptocurrency booms of 2017 and 2021, as its processors proved to be highly proficient at the high-powered mathematics needed to mint new Bitcoins. It also rode a brief flurry of excitement around the metaverse, the virtual reality championed by Mark Zuckerberg. However, the AI boom has eclipsed all that. Loading Large language models such as ChatGPT and Google Bard require thousands of GPUs, both for their initial training and for the subsequent interactions known as inferences. Almost every company and government is falling over themselves to invest in AI. Amazon, Microsoft and Google, which operate the giant cloud computing data centres on which AI models generally run, are placing orders worth billions of dollars with Nvidia. To a degree, Huang is fortunate his video game chips are so well suited to AI, but his allies reject suggestions he simply stumbled upon a pot of gold. He was one of the early people to think about it (AI) and study it, says a former Nvidia executive. Jensen had big ears, he was listening to what was happening, he was experimenting and investing in how they could tweak these GPUs to be better at this stuff. He took a decision to bet significantly on AI in around 2018. Today, the company has competition from chip making giants AMD and Intel but enjoys a huge head start. So much so that Nvidia is now practically synonymous with AI itself. The companys results on Wednesday were seen as definitive because they suggested its leap in sales was not just a one-off but part of a sustained surge in investment. Huang said that there was now a tipping point at which companies were diverting more of their investment into AI technology. A new computing era has begun, he said. Our demand is tremendous. Still, not everyone is buying what Huang is selling. There are concerns that the publics interest in ChatGPT is beginning to wane. Analysis of web traffic data shows visitors to OpenAIs ChatGPT site fell by 10 per cent in June. While the ChatGPT boom has relied on companies buying up swathes of Nvidia chips, companies such as Meta are now championing AI algorithms that need less computing power. Meanwhile, some investors have decided that Nvidias skyrocketing share price makes it unpalatable. Nvidias hardware has become indispensable to the AI-driven economy. Jacob Bourne, an analyst at Insider Intelligence One investment house, AXS Investments, has even launched a fund dedicated to taking short positions against Nvidia - betting its stock will fall. Investors have so far put $US100m into the fund. High demand for the companys processors in China could also come unstuck due to US sanctions. The White House has already blocked the sale of some of its most powerful AI chips to Beijing and could go further. Greg Bassuk, chief executive of AXS Investments, says Nvidias valuation is suspect for some investors concerned about geopolitical impacts on the companys growth prospects. He adds investors are now looking at whether the companys runaway growth in AI can persist at this pace. Loading However, so far this year short-sellers are nursing heavy losses by betting Nvidias share price will fall and are down over $US11 billion, according to analysts S3 Partners. Nvidias hardware has become indispensable to the AI-driven economy, said Jacob Bourne, an analyst at Insider Intelligence. Its results show how crucial the tech giant has been to the current economic growth narrative resting on the outlook that AI will elevate productivity and unlock trillions in economic value. If Nvidia can secure a fraction of those trillions, it might be unstoppable. Telegraph, London All together now: Were happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be ... My apologies; you will now have that coursing through your brain for the rest of the day. Then, suddenly, youll feel a random craving for Vegemite toast. Its almost inevitable. Photo: Illustration: Simon Letch Are we ever really aware of the impact and emotional power of the jingle or, indeed, the advertising slogan? When I was growing up, I really believed that Peters ice-cream was The health food of a nation and that the meat in a FourN Twenty pie was made from four and 20 blackbirds. As an Aussie schoolboy, I identified as a Weetbix kid. And in a heated playground tussle, my friends would put their hands in front of my face and yell, Dont argue, Huttons is best! The old straight-armed dont argue gesture is still a potent tactic on the footy field. As I grew older, I learned that its the fish John West rejects that makes John West the best, that the best place to hide my Coolabah is in the laundry and that a Picnic is more like a banquet. They stay with you for life, these slogans and jingles, easily triggered by a vintage poster or a key word. In my earlier career as an advertising copywriter, I worked with the greats: Lionel Hunt, Gordon Trembath, Ron Mather, Tony Stewart, Sarah Barclay, Mara Marich. Among them was the as-yet-unpublished novelist Peter Carey, who created the dreamy, You make us smile, Dr Lindeman. Hogan said police were looking for a grey or silver sedan on the road at the same time, which did not stop. That will be a significant line of inquiry for our crash investigators, to establish the speed of the vehicle, and that appears to be at this time a contributing factor, Hogan told reporters at a press conference. The aftermath of the crash. Credit: Nine News At this stage well be seeking the assistance of members of the public to identify a grey sedan that was travelling in lane one around the time of the collision. Hady Sawan, who lives 10 metres away from the crash scene, was putting his son to sleep at about 9.40pm on Friday when he heard a loud noise and went outside. He said he had video footage of a silver car driving away. As I go outside, I heard the girl screaming, so me and other helpers forced the door to open, and thankfully she walked out safely, Sawan said. But unfortunately on the drivers side, we werent able to open the doors. It was jammed, so we had to wait for the fire engine. We could see the two kids at the back, it was not looking good for them at all. The driver, we werent able to open the door for him, but we could see he was OK - he was moving, he was breathing. Sawan said the girl was extremely distressed and crying out, and she was comforted by a woman who was at the scene. The fire brigade arrived 10 minutes later and got the other three occupants out of the vehicle, where they were treated by paramedics, but the neighbours had to leave when it became a crime scene, he said. Hogan said the man was under police guard at St George Hospital in a serious but stable condition, but was yet to be interviewed. The girl, who was in a stable condition at Sydney Childrens Hospital, was also yet to be interviewed. He said police were in touch with the childrens families. It is a particularly nasty crash where two innocent young children have lost their lives, Hogan said. We will be in constant contact with all members of their family to ensure their ongoing welfare and that theyre kept abreast of our investigation as it unfolds. Emergency responders who arrived at the crash scene found the mangled remains of the car wrapped around a tree, and four people hurt. Another witness said the engine was lying separately on the footpath. The three children were taken to Sydney Childrens Hospital, but the two boys died overnight, police said. Loading NSW Police have now cleared the crime scene and traffic is moving freely. Police have urged anyone with dashcam, CCTV footage or information about the incident to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Sawan said there was still debris from the crash on the footpath and in the front yards of his and neighbouring houses on Saturday, and visible damage to the tree. He said he had lived in the house for five years and hooning was an ongoing problem. While there were police patrols occasionally, Sawan said the community had been lobbying for speed cameras for some time. Bayside Council has experimented with closing Bay Street, one of the streets that connects with The Grand Parade in Brighton-le-Sands, most recently in June this year. But Sawan said The Grand Parade itself was where the hooning occurred. Bayside Council has had nearly 1000 contributions to its crowdsourced Say No to Hooning! Bayside Hotspots Map web page, with residents complaining about dangerous driving and loud engines with no mufflers all along The Grand Parade and adjoining streets. Earlier this week council passed a resolution that it would try to gain support from other local governments to push the state to introduce mandatory driver safety instruction in NSW high schools. Separately Alex Greenwich, the independent MP for Sydney, has called for the government to install noise cameras that can capture an image of a vehicle as well as measure the amount of noise it produces. The NSW government was contacted for comment. Yes, I am expecting it to generate debate, Roggeveen says. I do want to provoke ... My aim is to slightly widen what policy wonks call the Overton window, which is the broadly accepted terms of debate on a given public policy issue. On defence policy, and on AUKUS in particular, that window is pretty narrow right now. While some rival experts in the field privately question his expertise Roggeveen has not worked in the Department of Defence, for example he says he welcomes those who push back on his ideas. The debate shouldnt be governed by credentialism, he adds. A charge that does make him bristle is the notion his ideas are extreme. At the start of his book, he emphasises he regards himself as a conservative rather than a member of the far left. Before AUKUS was announced, support for nuclear-powered submarines among Australian defence analysts and commentators was very small; it put you on the fringe of the debate. All of a sudden, seemingly within days of the announcement, it became the conventional wisdom. What I want to do is say to people: you dont need to be politically radical, whether on the right or left, to question this stuff. Roggeveens central premise is that Australia must prepare for a future in which the safety blanket of the US alliance is effectively pulled back in a hesitant and gradual process of separation triggered by Americas declining interest and motivation to protect Australia. While Chinas rise to superpower status will challenge Americas national pride, he argues that it does not threaten its core security interests. A Peoples Liberation Army member watches military exercises. Credit: AP He acknowledges that much of the current evidence runs against his argument: the AUKUS pact represents a historic elevation of the US-Australia alliance and both major parties in the US agree on the need to counter China. Ultimately, though, he says there is no sign that America will make the massive investments in military power required to halt Chinas rise to strategic pre-eminence in Asia. Importantly, he thinks it matters little whether an internationalist Joe Biden or isolationist Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election. We have reached the point where the Americans have to ask the fundamental question: why are we in Asia, and if were not here in Asia, are we less secure? he says. I dont think America would really be that much less secure if it wasnt in Asia. And if youre taking on a contest thats as big as the one against China, eventually you will have to face those fundamental questions. Thats true no matter who is in the White House. This line of argument will be familiar to readers of Australian National University emeritus professor Hugh White, whom Roggeveen considers a mentor. Unlike White, however, he does not believe Australia needs to dramatically ramp up defence spending. Loading He does believe the military needs to be overhauled to make Australia more like an echidna: an animal that poses no threat to anything other than ants and termites but whose sharp quills warn larger creatures to keep their distance. (Roggeveen is Australianising the term porcupine strategy which is commonly used in the context of the self-governing island of Taiwans attempts to deter an attack by Beijing.) In Roggeveens schema, the Australian military would focus almost exclusively on self-defence, repudiating any capability to hit the Chinese land mass with Tomahawk cruise missiles, long-range bombers or hypersonic weapons. Large surface ships, like the planned Hunter-class frigates, would be scrapped to free up tens of billions of dollars, as would army helicopters, tanks and armoured fighting vehicles. Rather than cosying up to America, he says Australia should be attempting to strike a new security pact of unprecedented intimacy, akin to a formal alliance, with Indonesia to balance Chinas rising influence in the region (a proposal he admits is a long-term goal). As for the planned fleet of eight nuclear-powered submarines, he rubbishes AUKUS as a project of vaulting ambition that is out of step with Australian tradition as a military power, wildly at odd with our international status and, most importantly, a wasteful expenditure of public money that will make Australia less safe. He argues that such vessels, which can travel over long distances without being detected, are uniquely suited to operating off the Chinese coast and that acquiring them raises the likelihood of Australia joining the US in a disastrous fight against China. If the US was to act on its stated intent to defend Taiwan, I think thats not a conflict we want to be involved in, he says. Australia would be just fine with a small fleet of cheaper, conventionally powered submarines, he argues. Peter Dean, the director of foreign policy and defence at the US Studies Centre, forcefully rejects this argument, pointing to the increased vulnerability of conventional submarines (which have to regularly surface to recharge their batteries). Loading From a strategic, operational and tactical point of view, nuclear-powered submarines offer enormous advantages to Australia a huge island continent that relies on international shipping lanes, says Dean, the lead author of the governments defence strategic review. He dismisses the idea the AUKUS submarines are inherently offensive as conjecture and simply untrue. Roggeveen says policymakers are right to worry about Chinas military growth, but thinks the risk of Beijing attacking Australia has been massively overstated. That is, unless we poke the dragon so much that we antagonise it including by allowing Americans to fly operational missions from northern Australia. QANTM Intellectual Property Limited's (ASX:QIP) investors are due to receive a payment of A$0.035 per share on 4th of October. This makes the dividend yield 6.5%, which will augment investor returns quite nicely. See our latest analysis for QANTM Intellectual Property QANTM Intellectual Property's Payment Has Solid Earnings Coverage If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Before making this announcement, QANTM Intellectual Property's dividend was higher than its profits, but the free cash flows quite comfortably covered it. Generally, we think cash is more important than accounting measures of profit, so with the cash flows easily covering the dividend, we don't think there is much reason to worry. The next year is set to see EPS grow by 117.0%. If the dividend continues along recent trends, we estimate the payout ratio will be 52%, which would make us comfortable with the sustainability of the dividend, despite the levels currently being quite high. QANTM Intellectual Property's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency QANTM Intellectual Property has been paying dividends for a while, but the track record isn't stellar. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. The dividend has gone from an annual total of A$0.072 in 2017 to the most recent total annual payment of A$0.063. The dividend has shrunk at around 2.2% a year during that period. 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. The Dividend's Growth Prospects Are Limited Growing earnings per share could be a mitigating factor when considering the past fluctuations in the dividend. Over the past five years, it looks as though QANTM Intellectual Property's EPS has declined at around 4.6% a year. If earnings continue declining, the company may have to make the difficult choice of reducing the dividend or even stopping it completely - the opposite of dividend growth. However, the next year is actually looking up, with earnings set to rise. We would just wait until it becomes a pattern before getting too excited. Story continues QANTM Intellectual Property's Dividend Doesn't Look Sustainable Overall, it's nice to see a consistent dividend payment, but we think that longer term, the current level of payment might be unsustainable. In the past, the payments have been unstable, but over the short term the dividend could be reliable, with the company generating enough cash to cover it. We would probably look elsewhere for an income investment. It's important to note that companies having a consistent dividend policy will generate greater investor confidence than those having an erratic one. At the same time, there are other factors our readers should be conscious of before pouring capital into a stock. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for QANTM Intellectual Property that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield dividend stocks. 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. If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. Put simply, these types of businesses are compounding machines, meaning they are continually reinvesting their earnings at ever-higher rates of return. However, after investigating Estee Lauder Companies (NYSE:EL), we don't think it's current trends fit the mold of a multi-bagger. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? For those who don't know, ROCE is a measure of a company's yearly pre-tax profit (its return), relative to the capital employed in the business. The formula for this calculation on Estee Lauder Companies is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.10 = US$1.8b (US$23b - US$6.2b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023). Therefore, Estee Lauder Companies has an ROCE of 10%. In isolation, that's a pretty standard return but against the Personal Products industry average of 13%, it's not as good. See our latest analysis for Estee Lauder Companies roce In the above chart we have measured Estee Lauder Companies' prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Estee Lauder Companies here for free. What The Trend Of ROCE Can Tell Us In terms of Estee Lauder Companies' historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 24% over the last five years. And considering revenue has dropped while employing more capital, we'd be cautious. If this were to continue, you might be looking at a company that is trying to reinvest for growth but is actually losing market share since sales haven't increased. Story continues The Bottom Line We're a bit apprehensive about Estee Lauder Companies because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. Investors must expect better things on the horizon though because the stock has risen 14% in the last five years. Either way, we aren't huge fans of the current trends and so with that we think you might find better investments elsewhere. Estee Lauder Companies does have some risks, we noticed 4 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit concerning) we think you should know about. While Estee Lauder Companies may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list 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. SHAPE Australia Corporation Limited (ASX:SHA) stock is about to trade ex-dividend in 4 days. The ex-dividend date is one business day before a company's record date, which is the date on which the company determines which shareholders are entitled to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase SHAPE Australia's shares on or after the 31st of August will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 15th of September. The company's upcoming dividend is AU$0.065 a share, following on from the last 12 months, when the company distributed a total of AU$0.12 per share to shareholders. Calculating the last year's worth of payments shows that SHAPE Australia has a trailing yield of 7.3% on the current share price of A$1.57. Dividends are an important source of income to many shareholders, but the health of the business is crucial to maintaining those dividends. That's why we should always check whether the dividend payments appear sustainable, and if the company is growing. Check out our latest analysis for SHAPE Australia If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Last year, SHAPE Australia paid out 91% of its income as dividends, which is above a level that we're comfortable with, especially if the company needs to reinvest in its business. A useful secondary check can be to evaluate whether SHAPE Australia generated enough free cash flow to afford its dividend. It distributed 27% of its free cash flow as dividends, a comfortable payout level for most companies. It's good to see that while SHAPE Australia's dividends were not well covered by profits, at least they are affordable from a cash perspective. Still, if the company continues paying out such a high percentage of its profits, the dividend could be at risk if business turns sour. Story continues Click here to see how much of its profit SHAPE Australia paid out over the last 12 months. Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Companies with consistently growing earnings per share generally make the best dividend stocks, as they usually find it easier to grow dividends per share. If earnings fall far enough, the company could be forced to cut its dividend. For that reason, it's encouraging to see SHAPE Australia's earnings over the past year have risen 44%. While we'd be remiss not to point out that a year is a very short time in dividend investing, it's an encouraging sign so far. One year is not very long in the grand scheme of things though, so we wouldn't draw too strong a conclusion based on these results. Unfortunately SHAPE Australia has only been paying a dividend for a year or so, so there's not much of a history to draw insight from. Final Takeaway Is SHAPE Australia an attractive dividend stock, or better left on the shelf? Earnings per share have been rising nicely although, even though its cashflow payout ratio is low, we question why SHAPE Australia is paying out so much of its profit. All things considered, we are not particularly enthused about SHAPE Australia from a dividend perspective. On that note, you'll want to research what risks SHAPE Australia is facing. Every company has risks, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for SHAPE Australia you should know about. If you're in the market for strong dividend payers, we recommend checking our selection of top dividend stocks. 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. ALLENTOWN, Pa. Three people were arrested in a drug bust in Allentown on Friday, the Allentown Police Department said in a press release. According to the press release, detectives with the department's Vice & Intelligence Unit served a warrant in the 500 block of North Elliger Street. At the scene, detectives found a "significant quantity" of fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and U.S. currency. A loaded handgun was also found at the scene, the press release said. Detectives arrested 22-year-old Julio Delgado-Rivera, 32-year-old Lissette Saldana both from the 500 block of North Elliger Street and 18-year-old Jandiel Felix of Philadelphia. Delgado-Rivera and Saldana are both charged with three counts of possession with intent to distribute, simple possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and conspiracy to distribute. Felix is charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute, as well possessing the firearm without a license. HARRISBURG, Pa. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) recently awarded a $726,000 grant to the city of Bethlehem for violence prevention efforts. According to a city press release, the money will be put toward implementing "Better Blocks for Bethlehem," a cross-departmental program to promote violence and injury prevention at the neighborhood level. The initiative will be directed by the Bethlehem Health Bureau, the city's press release said. According to the press release, the project will begin next week by surveying residents from five selected neighborhoods to identify specific violence and safety issues. Based on that feedback, the Bethlehem Health Bureau will develop "neighborhood improvement plans" and services tailored to each neighborhood's needs. Such plans will incorporate the city's community and economic development, public works, police, fire departments, the press release said. Hospitals in our area say they're seeing an uptick in COVID cases as we head into the school year. COVID numbers are also on the rise across much of the U.S. One school closed in Kentucky less than two weeks into the school year for the rest of its week. Another in Texas closed last Tuesday, with plans to reopen this coming Tuesday. All this before most schools are even open for the year in our area. So what about our region? Doctors from both St. Luke's University Health Network and Lehigh Valley Health Network say they have been seeing an increase in COVID cases since about mid to late July. Dr. Jeffrey Jahre is a practicing infectious disease specialist with St. Luke's University Health Network. He also serves as Senior Vice President of Medical and Academic Affairs for the network. "Yes, there is a huge uptick in cases," Jahre, said. "But it is a small fraction of what existed a year ago." Dr. Alex Benjamin, Chief of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology at Lehigh Valley Health Network, adds it's by no means time to panic. "What we're seeing," Benjamin said, "is people who have underlying medical conditions that put them at risk, they're the ones, you know, getting sick coming to the hospital." "Even though there's an uptick in cases," Jahre said, "the overall death rate is down tremendously from a year ago. It's down more than 90 percent." Dr. Jahre also say most in his hospital are people who have never had any vaccination at all, or who have major other underlying health issues. But it is time, the doctors say, to put the idea of COVID back in our minds. Especially as we're accustomed to allergies during this time of year, and expect to exhibit more signs of colds in upcoming months. "It might not just be a cold, it might not just be your seasonal allergies," Benjamin said. That's why the doctors recommend having a rapid test handy once again and to not just blow symptoms off as a cold or allergies this time around. And while it's not yet a red flag here, the doctors say we need to be careful. "Remember, when Omicron came out like a year ago," Benjamin said. "Everyone said, 'oh, it's not very severe.' But you know, it's still kind of overwhelmed our hospital systems, our doctor's offices." Doctors say they hope the new vaccine effective for these latest strains will be ready by mid to late September. It should be available for ages 12 and up. "COVID has been changing, it has surprised us," Jahre said. "And therefore any advice that we give is subject to change." Dr. Jahre says it's not a one-size-fits-all situation. He suggests previous vaccines, like the bivalent vaccine, will be less effective on the new strains. But if you are immunocompromised, it's best to be protected however you can in the meantime. U. MACUNGIE, Pa. - A mysterious, loud "boom" in Upper Macungie Township early Friday morning has neighbors all abuzz about what it could be. Police looking into it have no explanations yet either. Many neighbors in Upper Macungie Township say they're shaken up after an earth-shaking "boom" they heard some time around 8 a.m. on Friday. They say they felt and heard it, but they don't know where it came from. "My wife and I were down in the living room," Brian Kresge, who lives behind Grange Road in Upper Macungie Township, said. "And we were having coffee." "Believe it or not, I was actually in the shower," David Cooke, who lives in the Olde Towne community in Upper Macungie Township, said. "All of a sudden, we heard this boom," Kresge said. "Thought it was like an earthquake." "And all of a sudden, I just feel a loud boom and shake," Cooke said. "Then we thought, you know, our daughter fell out of bed," Kresge said. "My fiancee comes busting through the door and she's like, 'Oh my goodness. I thought you fell,'" Cooke said. "And I'm like, 'no.'" Upper Macungie Township police tell 69 News that "multiple" neighbors called and e-mailed them about it. Police described it as a "a loud, ground-shaking 'thud'" in the Olde Towne community area, near the intersection of Grange Road and Ruppsville Road. Officers responding searched the surrounding area. They came up empty. Many neighbors took to social media to try to figure out what it was. Some said it was a UGI blast. But police say UGI confirmed to them no reported issues or problems in the area. Officers also contacted the United States Geological Survey, who reported no notable seismic activity in the area, according to police. Neighbors offered up other possibilities too. "We have well over like 20-plus different warehouses and factories all around this location," Cooke said. But police tell 69 News their search did not find anything along those lines. Also, an explosion from a nearby warehouse in a densely populated area like this one, likely would have generated a 911 call. And it did not. "Then I thought the township was over here doing some demo work on these rocks over here that they have...for the community center," Kresge said. Police say, though, if it was in fact from the township, the PD would have already been aware of it. "Listen, I'm an X-Files fan," Cooke said. "You know, I'm all into the unknown." So for now, it remains an unsolved mystery that has neighbors abuzz about it... "It's a little unsettling because you don't know what it is," Kresge said. ...if not completely jolted. Police say if new information about the unknown thud becomes available, it will be shared here. If anyone has any information to share about the incident, police are asking you to contact headquarters at 484-661-5911 or use the anonymous tip/text line at 484-504-9884. PHILLIPSBURG, N.J. - U.S. Sen. Cory Booker's summer road trip through all of New Jersey's counties kicked off Friday. Among his first stops: Warren Community College's drone lab in Phillipsburg. Students and staff involved in the college's drone program, known as Warren UAS, toured Booker through their new facility. "We're using this guy, right here," Pete Miller, unmanned systems specialist and flight operations manager at Warren UAS, said as he showed Booker a drone. Students are traveling the country, winning national awards, working in just about every industry, with other schools, various agencies and law enforcement and even manufacturing a drone themselves. "Initially, I got into school," said Saad Abdelhady. "I didn't really like school, the idea of college and everything, and then I got into this program." Now, the recent graduate works at the college. "I love that it's all hands on. I love that you can just see things come to life from scratch," said Abdelhady. "From our transportation issues, to our agricultural issues, to our first responders, there are so many implications for what we can do in helping with the challenges of climate change and helping to expand yields, in terms of crops," said Booker. Warren UAS has a crop spraying drone, which is designed to be precise and helpful for smaller farms you find in New Jersey. It can spray 30 to 40 acres an hour, saving farmers a ton of time and money. "We can tell this farmer exactly how much money he lost with drones," said Dr. William Austin, the president of Warren Community College and the chief pilot of its drone program. Friday's event celebrated nearly $700,000 in the Senate appropriations bill, which if passed by the House, would go to the college for its Precision Agriculture Technology Project. That uses innovative tools to create sustainable and profitable farming techniques. "That's something that I'm going to fight for. We won in the Senate. We got to win in the House now," said Booker. A man sits on the Wall street bull near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on November 24, 2020 in New York City. Spencer Platt/Getty Images The stock market should continue to rise as investor positioning continues to be subdued, according to Bank of America. The bank highlighted that while active managers are saying they're bullish on stocks in surveys, their portfolios don't reflect that view. Stocks could extend their current bull market until these two things happen, according to BofA. Hedge funds are saying one thing, but doing another, and that suggests to Bank of America's Savita Subramanian there is more upside to be had in the stock market until two things happen. In a Friday note, she highlighted that investor sentiment surveys have shown a noticeable uptick in bullish responses over the past few months as the stock market moved higher. But portfolio positioning data of active investment managers didn't reflect the increase in bullishness. "Investor surveys suggests less bearishness around risk assets, economic growth and equity returns from here. But holdings data of hedge funds and long only funds still betray deeply conservative biases," Subramanian said. For example, the most recent Fund Manager Survey from the bank showed utility stocks as the least overweight sector, but hedge fund holdings data show a 20% net long position in utilities, which is a near record. "The BofA Fund Manager Survey and our institutional Factor Survey are at odds with the latest holdings (and have been for a while)," Subramanian said. "Fund Manger Survey: getting warmer. Holdings: still ultra-defensive... Despite fading recession concerns, active equity exposure to cyclical vs. defensive sectors and high beta stocks remains well below average." Subramanian said the bearish positioning among hedge funds comes at a time when investors should be playing more offense than defense in the stock market. That means the 5% sell-off in stocks this month is likely a buying opportunity. Subramanian said investors should stick with cyclical stocks, referring to companies that follow economic cycles pretty closely, like consumer discretionary and technology stocks, and are not defensively positioned for a recession, like health care and utility stocks. Story continues But her bullish outlook for stocks could fall apart pretty quickly if two things happen: One is if hedge funds do what they say they're doing and significantly increase their exposure towards cyclical and high-beta stocks and away from defensive assets. Such bullish shifts can be seen as contrarian indicators that signal weakness ahead. Two is if the macro economy deteriorates considerably "to the point that the current defensive, low beta bias of fund managers is warranted," Subramanian said. "Until some combination of the two things happen, the pain trade is higher in cyclical sectors and higher beta stocks, in our view. Today's macro data including the most recent global earnings revision ratio and our US regime model tell us that now is the time for offense, not defense," Subramanian said. Read the original article on Business Insider American Express Company is a multinational financial services company based in New York City. The company provides credit cards, charge cards, traveler's cheques and other financial services to individuals and businesses worldwide. Founded in 1850, American Express has been a pioneer in the credit card industry and has developed a reputation for offering premium products and services that cater to high-income consumers. The company operates in over 130 countries and employs over 75,000 people globally. Stephen J. Squeri has served as American Express Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2018, succeeding Kenneth I. Chenault. Squeri joined the company in 1985 and has held various leadership positions. He is credited with leading the company's digital transformation and developing new partnerships with technology companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. Other key management team members include Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey C. Campbell and Vice Chairman Douglas E. Buckminster. American Express has consistently generated strong financial results, with revenue increasing consistently over the past few years. The company's net income has also grown during this same time frame. The company's profit margin has remained relatively stable at around 14%. American Express has maintained a strong balance sheet, with a debt-to-equity ratio and a price-to-book ratio consistent with industry averages. Over the past couple of years, American Express' stock has performed well, leading its industry peers. The credit card industry is highly competitive, with a few prominent players dominating the market. American Express competes with other major credit card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard and banks that issue private-label credit cards. The industry has been growing steadily, with global credit card transactions expected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2025. However, the industry faces several challenges, including increasing regulatory scrutiny and the threat of disruption from fintech startups. American Express has several growth opportunities, including expanding its presence in international markets and developing new partnerships with technology companies. The company has made significant progress in these areas, with global revenue growth from 2016 to 2022. American Express has also partnered with companies such as Uber, Marriott and Delta Airlines to offer unique benefits to its cardholders. Additionally, the company has been investing in its digital capabilities by launching its digital wallet and mobile app. Despite its stable financial performance and growth opportunities, American Express faces several risks and challenges. The company's high-end products and services may be vulnerable to changes in consumer preferences, and the company may need help to appeal to younger generations who prefer debit cards and mobile payments. Additionally, American Express is subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny, with regulators monitoring the company's anti-money laundering practices and compliance with consumer protection laws. The company's debt levels and dependence on the global economy also pose risks, as a recession or economic downturn could impact its profitability. Another major challenge for American Express is the increasing competition from fintech startups, disrupting the traditional credit card industry by offering innovative products and services. These startups are often more agile and adaptable than established companies like American Express and may be able to offer more attractive rewards and lower fees to customers. To stay competitive, American Express must continue to innovate and develop new products and services that cater to changing customer preferences. Vladimir Vladimirov / iStock.com The Department of Education announced on Aug. 14 that automatic discharges would begin for 804,000 borrowers who qualify for $39 billion in student loan relief due to fixes to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans implemented by the administration. But if you live in certain states, you might have to pay state taxes on the relief. Student Loan Forgiveness: 10 Expenses To Cut From Your Budget When Payments Resume Find Out: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS The department added that borrowers are eligible for forgiveness if they have accumulated the equivalent of either 20 or 25 years of qualifying months. For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said. By fixing past administrative failures, we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve, just as we have done for public servants, students who were cheated by their colleges, and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans. Yet, as Business Insider reported, five states have announced they will tax the relief: Mississippi, North Carolina, Indiana and Wisconsin. As for Arkansas, the state previously said that forgiven debts are expected to be taxed as income, but the state legislature could change that, according to Business Insider. The Tax Foundation explained in a blog post that while student loan forgiveness is generally included in taxable income, the current tax code contains a complicated patchwork of exceptions. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 temporarily exempted student loan forgiveness under IDR plans from federal taxation through 2025 under the rationale that a tax burden arising from treating forgiven student debt as income partially undermines debt relief, according to the post. In terms of who is eligible for that relief, the Department of Education said borrowers include those with Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans held by the department (including Parent PLUS loans of either type) who have reached the necessary forgiveness threshold as a result of receiving credit toward IDR forgiveness. Story continues Student loan interest payments will resume on Sept. 1, 2023, while payments which paused during the pandemic will be due starting in October a change that will put a dent in millions of Americans budgets, following the Supreme Court in a 6-3 June 30 decision struck down President Bidens student loan forgiveness program. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Student Loans: Borrowers in These 5 States May Have To Pay Taxes on Bidens Latest Debt Relief Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF (the Fund) is an open-end investment company. The Fund seeks to track the performance of the FTSE Global All Cap Index, which covers both well-established and still-developing markets. The Fund invests in both foreign and the United States stocks. The fund offers three classes of shares: Investor Shares, Institutional Shares, and ETF Shares. As of April 30, 2012, the Fund invests in sectors, such as consumer discretionary, consumer staples, energy, financials, healthcare, industrials, information technology, materials, telecommunication services and utilities. As of July 31, 2012, the Fund 10 largest holdings included Apple Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., Microsoft Corp, International Business Machines Corp, General Electric Co., Chevron Corp, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, AT&T Inc., Nestle SA and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the investment advisor of the Fund. China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd., a gold and base metal mining company, acquires, explores for, develops, and mines mineral properties in the People's Republic of China. It primarily holds 96.5% interest in the Chang Shan Hao gold mine located in Inner Mongolia; and holds interest in the Jiama copper-gold polymetallic mine that hosts copper, gold, molybdenum, silver, lead, and zinc metals located in Tibet. The company was formerly known as Jinshan Gold Mines Inc. China Gold International Resources Corp. Ltd. was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The following companies are subsidiares of Dominion Energy: 96WI 8me LLC, Align RNG Arizona LLC, Align RNG Arizona-Snowflake LLC, Align RNG California LLC, Align RNG California-Corcoran LLC, Align RNG Grady Road LLC, Align RNG LLC, Align RNG Magnolia LLC, Align RNG North Carolina LLC, Align RNG North Carolina-Bowdens LLC, Align RNG Utah LLC, Align RNG Utah-Milford LLC, Align RNG Utah-Minersville LLC, Align RNG Virginia LLC, Align RNG Virginia-Waverly LLC, Alpaca Holdings LLC, Angus Holdings LLC, Aster Holdings LLC, Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, BOE Holdings Inc., Bantam Holdings LLC, Bellflower Holdings LLC, Birdseye Holdings LLC, Birdseye Projects LLC, Birdseye Renewable Energy LLC, Blackville Solar Farm LLC, Blue Ocean Energy Marine LLC, BrightSuite Home LLC, BrightSuite Home Solar Inc., BrightSuite Inc., BrightSuite Solar CT Inc., BrightSuite Solar Development LLC, BrightSuite Solar SC Inc., BrightSuite Solar VA Inc., Brown Swiss Holdings II LLC, Buckingham Solar I LLC, CEA Americus LLC, CEA CO-Fort Morgan LLC, CEA Clovis LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Colorado LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Georgia LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Idaho LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Kansas LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Nevada LLC, CEA Dairy RNG New Mexico LLC, CEA Dairy RNG Texas LLC, CEA Greely LLC, CEA Mason LLC, CEA TX-Dimmitt LLC, CNG Coal Company, CNG Power Services Corporation, Canola Holdings LLC, Carolina Gas Transmission Corporation, Charolais Holdings LLC, Chester White Holdings LLC, Chicory Holdings LLC, Clean Energy Asset USA LLC, Clean Energy Enterprises Inc., Clipperton Holdings LLC, Collard Holdings LLC, Consolidated Natural Gas Company, Correctional Solar LLC, Cotswold Holdings LLC, Cove Point LNG Limited, Currant Holdings LLC, DE 700 Canal Place LLC, DE Arlington Solar LLC, DE Fluvanna Solar LLC, DE Hanover Solar LLC, DE Henrico Solar LLC, DE King William Solar LLC, DE Louisa Solar LLC, DE Newport News Solar LLC, DE Powhatan Solar LLC, DE Virginia Beach Solar LLC, DECP Holdings Inc., DEO Alternative Fuel LLC, Dairy RNG Holdings LLC, Denmark Solar LLC, Devon Holdings LLC, Dexter Holdings LLC, Dill Holdings LLC, Dillon RE Holdings LLC, Dominion ACP Holding Inc., Dominion Alternative Energy Holdings Inc., Dominion Atlantic Coast Pipeline LLC, Dominion Capital Inc., Dominion Cogen WV Inc., Dominion Energy Birdseye Holdings Inc., Dominion Energy Fuel Services Inc., Dominion Energy Gas Distribution LLC, Dominion Energy Generation Marketing Inc., Dominion Energy Inc., Dominion Energy Kewaunee Inc., Dominion Energy Marketplace LLC, Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut Inc., Dominion Energy Payroll Company Inc., Dominion Energy Questar Corporation, Dominion Energy RNG Holdings II Inc., Dominion Energy RNG Holdings Inc., Dominion Energy Services Inc., Dominion Energy Solar CA LLC, Dominion Energy South Carolina Inc., Dominion Energy Southeast Services Inc., Dominion Energy Technical Solutions Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies II Inc., Dominion Energy Technologies Inc., Dominion Energy Terminal Company Inc., Dominion Energy Wexpro Services Company, Dominion Equipment III Inc., Dominion Equipment Inc., Dominion Fairless Hills Inc., Dominion Fowler Ridge Wind LLC, Dominion Gas Projects Company LLC, Dominion Generation Inc., Dominion Greenbrier Inc., Dominion High Voltage Holdings Inc., Dominion High Voltage MidAtlantic Inc., Dominion Investments Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline Holdings Inc., Dominion Keystone Pipeline LLC, Dominion MLP Holding Company III Inc., Dominion Mt. Storm Wind LLC, Dominion Nuclear Projects Inc., Dominion Oklahoma Texas Exploration & Production Inc., Dominion Person Inc., Dominion Privatization Florida LLC, Dominion Privatization Georgia LLC, Dominion Privatization Holdings Inc., Dominion Privatization Kentucky LLC, Dominion Privatization Maryland LLC, Dominion Privatization Pennsylvania LLC, Dominion Privatization South Carolina LLC, Dominion Privatization Texas LLC, Dominion Privatization Virginia LLC, Dominion Products and Services Inc., Dominion Projects Services Inc., Dominion Resources Capital Trust III, Dominion Retail Gas Holdings Inc., Dominion Solar Holdings IV LLC, Dominion Solar Projects C Inc., Dominion Solar Projects D Inc., Dominion Solar Projects III Inc., Dominion Solar Projects IV Inc., Dominion Solar Projects V Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VI Inc., Dominion Solar Projects VII Inc., Dominion Solar Services Inc., Dominion State Line LLC, Dominion Utility Privatization LLC, Dominion Voltage Inc., Dominion Wholesale Inc., Dominion Wind Development LLC, Dominion Wind Projects Inc., Dorset Holdings LLC, ESCT-SA-Suffield LLC, Eagle Holdco Solar LLC, Eagle Solar LLC, Eastern Shore Solar LLC, Endive Holdings LLC, Energize Holdings III LLC, Flax Holdings LLC, Fremont Farm LLC, Gideon Solar LLC, Ginger Holdings LLC, Greenbrier Marketing Company LLC, Greenbrier Pipeline Company LLC, Greensville County Solar Project LLC, Guernsey Holdings LLC, Hardin Solar Energy LLC, Hecate Energy Cherrydale LLC, Hecate Energy Clarke County LLC, Hemlock Holdings LLC, Hereford Holdings LLC, Hodges Solar LLC, Hope Gas Inc., Hosta Holdings LLC, Innovative Solar 37 LLC, Joanna Solar LLC, Kale Holdings LLC, Leek Holdings LLC, Leghorn Holdings LLC, Lentil Holdings LLC, Leyland Holdings LLC, Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas, Millet Holdings LLC, Moffett Solar 1 LLC, Moorings Farm 2 LLC, Mustang Solar LLC, Mustard Holdings LLC, Okra Holdings LLC, PSNC Blue Ridge Corporation, PSNC Cardinal Pipeline Company, Phone House, Pikeville Farm LLC, Power Path Holdings I LLC, Power Path Holdings II LLC, Power Path Holdings III LLC, Prairie Fork Wind Farm LLC, Public Service Company of North Carolina Incorporated, Quail Holdings LLC, Questar Corporation, Questar Gas Company, Questar InfoComm Inc., Ridgeland Solar Farm I LLC, Rutabaga Holdings LLC, SCANA, SCANA Corporate Security Services Inc., SCANA Corporation, SRFI LLC, Safflower Holdings LLC, Scott-II Solar LLC, Seabrook Solar LLC, Sedge Holdings LLC, Shallot Holdings LLC, Siler Solar LLC, Silkie Holdings LLC, Simmental Holdings LLC, Sol Madison Solar LLC, Sorghum Holdings LLC, South Carolina Fuel Company Inc., South Carolina Generating Company Inc., Southampton Solar LLC, Strawberry Holdings LLC, Sumac Holdings LLC, Summit Farms Solar LLC, Sussex Drive Solar Project LLC, TWE Myrtle Solar Project LLC, The East Ohio Gas Company, Trask East Solar LLC, Tredegar Solar Fund I LLC, Tredegar Solar LLC, VP Property Inc., Virginia Electric And Power Company, Virginia Power Fuel Corporation, Virginia Power Nuclear Services Company, Virginia Power Services Energy Corp. Inc., Virginia Power Services LLC, Virginia Solar 2017 Projects LLC, Wakefield Solar LLC, Watercress Holdings LLC, Wexpro Company, Wexpro Development Company, Wexpro II Company, Wilkinson Solar LLC, Yemassee Solar LLC, and Yorkshire Holdings LLC. Read More Eagle Materials Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells heavy construction materials and light building materials in the United States. It operates in four segments: Cement, Concrete and Aggregates, Gypsum Wallboard, and Recycled Paperboard. The company engages in the mining of limestone for the manufacture, production, distribution, and sale of Portland cement; grinding and sale of slag; and mining of gypsum for the manufacture and sale of gypsum wallboards used to finish the interior walls and ceilings in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. It also manufactures and sells recycled paperboard to gypsum wallboard industry and other paperboard converters, as well as containerboard and lightweight packaging grades. In addition, the company engages in the sale of ready-mix concrete; and mining, extracting, production, and sale of aggregates, including crushed stones, sand, and gravel. Its products are used in commercial and residential construction; public construction projects; and projects to build, expand, and repair roads and highways. The company was formerly known as Centex Construction Products, Inc. and changed its name to Eagle Materials, Inc. in January 2004. Eagle Materials Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. First Mexican Gold Corp. through its subsidiary, Cornelius exploration S. de R.L. de C.V., engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. It explores for gold and silver deposits. The company holds interests in the Hilda Properties comprising the Hilda 30 property; the Hilda 37/38 property with two mining exploration concessions; and the Hilda 31/32 property with three mining exploration concessions comprising a total area of 1,350 hectares in the Yecora District, State of Sonora, Mexico. It also holds interests in the Santa Martha, El Hoyo, San Martin, Panda, Santa Patricia, and Vianney properties in Mexico. The company was formerly known as Auric Development Corporation and changed its name to First Mexican Gold Corp. in December 2010. First Mexican Gold Corp. was incorporated in 2007 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Friedman Industries, Incorporated engages in steel processing, pipe manufacturing and processing, and the steel and pipe distribution businesses the United States. It operates in two segments, Coil and Tubular. The Coil segment is involved in the conversion of steel coils into flat sheet and plate steel cut to customer specifications and reselling steel coils. This segment also processes customer-owned coils on a fee basis. The company sells coil products and processing services to approximately 230 customers located primarily in the midwestern, southwestern and southeastern regions of the United States. Its principal customers for these products and services are steel distributors and customers manufacturing steel products, such as steel buildings, railroad cars, barges, tanks and containers, trailers, component parts and other fabricated steel products. The Tubular segment manufactures line and oil country pipes, as well as pipes for structural applications. This segment sells its tubular products principally to steel and pipe distributors through its own sales force. Friedman Industries, Incorporated was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Longview, Texas. McDonald's Corporation is a U.S.-based multinational restaurant chain that serves hamburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and drinks. The company is the largest restaurant chain by revenue and serves more than 69 million customers daily. Total revenue topped $23 billion in 2022, with most revenue coming from its franchisees. The company operates in 100 countries and is the world's second-largest private employer, with more than 200,000 executives, managers, cooks and front-line staff. McDonald's most iconic food items include French fries and the Big Mac. McDonald's serves hot and crispy fries. Its Big Mac is a double-decker burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and "secret sauce," a combination of thousand island and French dressing that evokes a sharper flavor. Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in 1940. Its first restaurant location was in San Bernardino, California, and it quickly rebranded into a hamburger stand. The new concept met colossal success, and soon, the two were franchising their brand to other operators. The key to the brother's success was the Speedee Service System introduced in 1948. This system modeled concepts established by earlier chains. The company introduced the golden arches in 1953 in Arizona and reached a significant turning point in 1955 when Ray Kroc entered the picture. He came aboard as the company's franchising agent and bought the company while expanding it. His first restaurant was the company's ninth total, but many agree that Kroc created the modern McDonald's Corporation. During his tenure, McDonald's expanded its footprint, enhanced its menu and grew into international territories. The fictional character Ronald McDonald came to life in 1963. He lives in McDonaldland with his pals Mayor McCheese, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, the Fry Kids and the Hamburglar. He was invented as a marketing ploy to attract children and has become one of the nation's most beloved characters. At the peak of his popularity, the company employed more than 300 full-time clowns to portray Ronald McDonald. Today, McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants globally. The company generates revenue via sales in company-owned stores and rents, fees and royalties from its franchisees. The company's business model is to aid franchisees with real estate purchases and buildings so that it can collect on rent and other fees and brand royalties. As of 2022, the company owns about 45% of the land its restaurants sit on and 70% of the buildings. This model not only generates additional revenue and earnings but helps to insulate it from ups and downs in the consumer cycle. As of December 31, 2023, the company operated about 38,000 restaurants, which includes the closing or divestiture of business in Russia. MOL Magyar Olaj- es Gazipari Nyilvanosan Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated oil and gas company in Hungary and internationally. The also company engages in oil and gas exploration, and production of assets and related activities; and provides range of refined products including gasoline, diesel, heating oil, aviation fuel, lubricants, bitumen, Sulphur and liquefied petroleum gas which are marketed to household, industrial, and transport use. In addition, it offers consumer services comprising retail services, which operates a network of approximately 2,000 service stations under MOL, Slovnaft, INA, Tifon, Energopetrol, and PapOil brands; mobility solutions, which includes car and bike sharing, fleet management, and public transport services; and digital factory including data science, master data management, loyalty, customer relationship management, campaign management, API integration, omnichannel, and payment services. The company also provides industrial services, which includes oilfield chemical technologies comprising hydrate inhibition, and selective Sulphur removal; and oilfield services including drilling, workover, pressure pumping, cementing and stimulation, coiled tubing and nitrogen, tubular handling, well test, slickline, wireline mud logging, and seismic data processing service lines. Further, it operates natural gas transmission pipeline system. Additionally, it offers real estate, accounting, pipeline, leasing, machinery and equipment, investment, repair and maintenances, production and distribution of mineral water, marketing agent, transportation, power production, geothermal, insurance, financial, and security services; and firefighting, tourism, hydrocarbon exploration, wholesale and retail trade, rental, hospitality, caring, engineering, technical consultancy, and plastic compounding services. The company was incorporated in 1991 and is headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. AECOM, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional infrastructure consulting services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Americas, International, and AECOM Capital. The company offers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management, and investment and development services to commercial and government clients. It is also involved in the investment and development of real estate projects. In addition, the company provides construction services, including building construction and energy, and infrastructure and industrial construction. It serves transportation, water, government, facilities, environmental, and energy sectors. The company was formerly known as AECOM Technology Corporation and changed its name to AECOM in January 2015. AECOM was incorporated in 1980 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas. Vital Energy, Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc. and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc. in January 2023. Vital Energy, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bank Leumi le-Israel B.M., together with its subsidiaries, provides banking and financial services in Israel, the United States, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through Households, Private Banking, Micro Businesses, Small Businesses, Mid-market, Corporations, Institutional Entities, Financial Management, and Other segments. The company provides housing and collateral loans; loans to purchasing groups, including mortgage planning, and recycling existing loans; term loans and credit lines; financial support to Israeli high-tech companies; and credit cards online banking services, as well as cash management services. It also offers international trade financing, loan syndications and participations, foreign currency time deposits, and dealing room services. In addition, the company provides provident funds, mutual funds, study funds, pension funds, and insurance products; and invests in marketable securities, market-making activity involving securities and derivatives, repurchase and lending transactions involving securities, short selling of securities, and securities underwriting services. It is also involved in asset and liability management activities; and provides trust and custodial services for banks. Further, the company engages in activities, such as advisory services, sale and management of loan portfolios, and development of financial products. Additionally, it provides banking services to private customers and small businesses, largest and multinational corporations, and middle-market companies, as well as financial services to institutional customers and foreign banks. Bank Leumi le- Israel B.M. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel. China Feihe Limited, an investment holding company, produces and sells infant milk formula products in Mainland China and the United States. The company provides a range of raw milk, adult milk powders, liquid milk products, and health care products, as well as soybean powder and goat milk powder. It is also involved in the retail of vitamins, minerals, herbs, and other nutritional supplements. The company sells its products through distributors; and e-commerce platforms, such as Tmall, JD.com, and Suning.com, as well as through its website and mobile application, including WeChat. As of December 31, 2022, it operated a distribution network of approximately 2,700 offline customers with 94,000 retail points of sale. China Feihe Limited was founded in 1962 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? One common approach is to try and find a company with returns on capital employed (ROCE) that are increasing, in conjunction with a growing amount of capital employed. Basically this means that a company has profitable initiatives that it can continue to reinvest in, which is a trait of a compounding machine. Although, when we looked at Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Verizon Communications, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.093 = US$31b (US$380b - US$51b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023). So, Verizon Communications has an ROCE of 9.3%. On its own that's a low return, but compared to the average of 5.9% generated by the Telecom industry, it's much better. View our latest analysis for Verizon Communications roce Above you can see how the current ROCE for Verizon Communications compares to its prior returns on capital, but there's only so much you can tell from the past. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Verizon Communications here for free. So How Is Verizon Communications' ROCE Trending? When we looked at the ROCE trend at Verizon Communications, we didn't gain much confidence. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 13%, but since then they've fallen to 9.3%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. Story continues The Bottom Line Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Verizon Communications' reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Since the stock has declined 22% over the last five years, investors may not be too optimistic on this trend improving either. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere. On a separate note, we've found 1 warning sign for Verizon Communications you'll probably want to know about. For those who like to invest in solid companies, check out this free list of companies with solid balance sheets and high returns on equity. 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 following companies are subsidiares of Sumitomo Chemical: Asahi Chemical Co. Ltd., Bara Chemical Co. Ltd., Botanical Resources Australia Pty Ltd. (BRA Group), Cambridge Display Technology, Cambridge Display Technology Limited, Ceratec Co. Ltd., Chiba General Service Co. Ltd., Ciatec Ltd., Dalian Sumika Chemphy Chemical Co. Ltd., Dalian Sumika Jingang Chemicals Co. Ltd., Dongwoo Fine-Chem Co. Ltd., EGS Co. Ltd., Evolue Japan Co. Ltd., Japan-Singapore Petrochemicals Co. Ltd., Jilin Dongcheng Sumika Polymer Compounds Co. Ltd., Keiyo Ethylene Co. Ltd., Kenogard S.A., Koei Chemical Co. Ltd., LX MMA Corp., McLaughlin Gormley King Company, Mycorrhizal Applications LLC, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Ltd., Nihon Isobutylene Co. Ltd., Nihon Methacryl Monomer Co. Ltd., Nihon Singapore Polyolefin Co. Ltd., Niihama Coal Center Co. Ltd., Nippon A&L Inc., O.L.S. Corp., Oita General Service Co. Ltd., Osaka General Service Co. Ltd., Pace International LLC, Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore (Pte.) Ltd., Philagro France S.A.S., Philagro Holding S.A., Philagro South Africa (Pty) Ltd., Rabigh Conversion Industry Management Services Company, Rabigh Refining and Petrochemical Company, Rainbow Chemical Co. Ltd., S-RACMO Co. Ltd., S.C.C. Insurance Pte. Ltd., SC Environmental Science Co. Ltd., SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED, SCISPC COMPANY LIMITED, SSLM Co. Ltd., SUMIKA DX ACCENT Co. Ltd, SUMIKA FARM Mie Co. Ltd., SanTerra Co. Ltd., Sanritz Corporation, Shinto Paint Co. Ltd., Singapore Methyl Methacrylate Pte. Ltd., Sumika Acryl Co. Ltd., Sumika Agro Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Sumika Agrotech Co. Ltd., Sumika Alchem Co. Ltd., Sumika Assembly Techno Co. Ltd., Sumika Chemical Analysis Service Ltd., Sumika Chemtex Co. Ltd., Sumika Color Co. Ltd., Sumika Covestro Urethane Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Changzhou) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Hefei) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Shanghai) Corporation, Sumika Electronic Materials (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials (Xi'an) Co. Ltd., Sumika Electronic Materials Vietnam Co. Ltd., Sumika Finance Co. Ltd., Sumika Fukuei Agro K. K., Sumika HR Service Co. Ltd., Sumika High-Purity Gas Co. Ltd., Sumika Huabei Electronic Materials (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Sumika Logistics Co. Ltd., Sumika Partners Co. Ltd., Sumika Plastech Co. Ltd., Sumika Polycarbonate Limited, Sumika Polymer Compounds (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sumika Polymer Compounds Dalian Co. Ltd., Sumika Polymer Compounds Europe Ltd., Sumika Polymers North America LLC, Sumika Real Estate Co. Ltd., Sumika Sekisui Film Co. Ltd., Sumika Technical Information Service Inc., Sumika Technology Co. Ltd., Sumika Technoservice Corporation, Sumika-Kakoushi Co. Ltd., Sumika-Middle East Co. Ltd., Sumipex (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sumipex TechSheet Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Bakelite Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical (China) Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical (U.K.) plc., Sumitomo Chemical Advanced Technologies LLC, Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe S.A.S., Sumitomo Chemical Agro Seoul Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical America Inc., Sumitomo Chemical Asia Pte Ltd, Sumitomo Chemical Australia Pty. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Chile S.A., Sumitomo Chemical Engineering Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Enviro-Agro Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd., Sumitomo Chemical Europe S.A./N.V., Sumitomo Chemical Garden Products Inc., Sumitomo Chemical India Limited, Sumitomo Chemical Italia S.r.l., Sumitomo Chemical Philippines Inc., Sumitomo Chemical Polymer Compounds Saudi Arabia Company Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Shanghai Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Taiwan Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Chemical Turkey Kimya Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, Sumitomo Chemical Vietnam Co. Ltd, Sumitomo Chemical do Brasil Representacoes Ltda, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma America Inc., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Oncology Inc., Sumitomo Joint Electric Power Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Taiwan Co. Ltd., Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co. Ltd., Sumitovant Biopharma, Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Europe Ltd., Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sunrise farm Saijo Co. Ltd., Sunrise farm Toyota Co. Ltd., TS Agro K. K., Tanaka Chemical Corporation, Taoka Chemical Co. Ltd., The Polyolefin Company (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Valent BioSciences LLC, Valent U.S.A. LLC, Valent USA Corporation, Vector Health International Ltd., XUYOU Electronic Materials (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., ZS Elastomers Co. Ltd., Zhuhai Sumika Polymer Compounds Co. Ltd., and i - Agri Corp. Read More The Taiwan Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Nomura Asset Management U.S.A. Inc. It invests in the public equity markets of Taiwan. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. It employs fundamental analysis focusing on such factors as overall growth prospects, competitive position in the respective industry, technology, research, and development, productivity, labor costs, raw material costs and sources, profit margins, return on investment, capital resources, government regulation, and management to create its portfolio. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the TAIEX Total Return Index. The Taiwan Fund, Inc. was formed on December 23, 1986 and is domiciled in the United States. B2Gold Corp. operates as a gold producer with three operating mines in Mali, the Philippines, and Namibia. It operates the Fekola Mine in Mali, the Masbate Mine in the Philippines, and the Otjikoto Mine in Namibia. The company also has an 25% interest in the Calibre Mining Corp.; and approximately 19% interest in BeMetals Corp. In addition, it has a portfolio of other evaluation and exploration assets in Mali, Uzbekistan, and Finland. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. 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. It also offers IT lifecycle services comprising cloud platform solutions, managed IT services, application development and management, quality assurance and testing, system operations, IT service desk, internet of things, engineering solutions, and enterprise platform services; advisory services consists of digital strategy, CX process consulting, data and customer analytics, workforce management, learning excellence solutions, and business and process transformation; back office and automation solutions, such as robotic process automation, talent acquisition, finance and accounting, and supply chain management; and trust, safety, and security services, including content moderation and social media community management, and fraud prevention and detection. In addition, the company provides AI data solutions comprising data collection and creation, data annotation, data validation and relevance, and linguistic annotation for video, audio, text, image, and geographical data, as well as 3D sensor fusion. It serves technology and gaming, communications and media, ecommerce, financial services and financial technology, healthcare, travel and hospitality, and automotive industries. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. TELUS International (Cda) Inc. is a subsidiary of TELUS Communications Inc. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. provides digital services in Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Netherlands. It operates through Turkcell Turkey, Turkcell International, and Techfin segments. It offers work contact services, such as mobile communications, fixed business internet and business phone, and customer loyalty and programs; digital business services comprising uninterrupted access, cyber security, data center, Internet of Things, big data, e-transformation, technologies, and managed services, and cloud solutions. It also provides various devices, hardware, software, and financing solutions; and digital services, including search, invoice, and TL services, as well as information, entertainment, and application services. In addition, the company offers TV+, a television platform; fizy, a digital music platform; YaaniMail, a local e-mail service; GAME+; Iste Suit; BiP; smart legal documentation automation; Chatbot; and home internet and TV services. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. was incorporated in 1993 and is headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. Wipro Limited operates as an information technology (IT), consulting, and business process services company worldwide. It operates through three segments: IT Services, IT Products, and India State Run Enterprise Services (ISRE). The IT Services segment offers IT and IT-enabled services, including digital strategy advisory, customer-centric design, technology and IT consulting, custom application design, development, re-engineering and maintenance, systems integration, package implementation, cloud and infrastructure, business process, cloud, mobility and analytics, research and development, and hardware and software design services to enterprises. It serves customers in various industry sectors, such as healthcare and medical devices, consumer goods and life sciences, retail, transportation and services, communications, media and information services, technology products and platforms, banking, financial services and insurance, manufacturing, hi-tech, energy, and utilities. The IT Products segment provides a range of third-party IT products comprising enterprise platforms, networking solutions, software and data storage products, contact center infrastructure, enterprise security, IT optimization technologies, video solutions, and end-user computing solutions. It serves enterprises in various industries primarily in the Indian market, which comprise the government, defense, IT and IT-enabled services, telecommunications, manufacturing, utilities, education, and financial services sectors. The ISRE segment offers IT services to entities and departments owned or controlled by the Government of India and/or various Indian State Governments. It also provides cybersecurity consulting services. The company has a partnership with ServiceNow, Inc. to develop Wipro CyberTransform - Intelligent ServiceNow Risk and Security Solutions. The company was incorporated in 1945 and is based in Bengaluru, India. Four days may not be much, but for the two people at the center of The Bridges of Madison County, its enough time to discover the kind of love that is so deep and all-consuming you would change your whole life. This unabashedly romantic musical about an Italian American housewife and a globe-trotting photographer is beautifully brought to the stage at Signature Theatre. Finely directed by Ethan Heard, The Bridges of Madison County begins the Arlington companys 202324 season and immediately goes for the heart. Staged in the intimate setting of the Max theater, the production will make viewers feel as though they are a part of this tight-knit farming community as well as Francesca and Roberts private little world. Everything feels heightened as the connection between these two lonely characters grows stronger by the minute. Based on Robert James Wallers best-selling novel, The Bridges of Madison County captures the burgeoning love between a warbride who has settled in rural Iowa and the ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer who blows into town. Leaving behind her dear Naples, Francesca has created this comfortable and static life with her husband and children, Carolyn and Michael, but its apparent that shes not truly happy. After Bud and the kids leave for the Indiana State Fair, Robert arrives asking for directions to a famous local bridge. In just a short time after sharing stories and meals and lots of longing looks and side glances, Robert awakens something inside of Francesca that reminds of her former life and self, and he finds the light hes been searching for all this time. After the film adaptation with Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood, it was only a matter of time before Francesca and Roberts whirlwind relationship translated into a stage version specifically a musical. With a book by Marsha Norman, this tender love story gets an added emotional boost with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, whose works include Parade and The Last Five Years. His songs are full of gorgeous imagery and lyricism. Signature Theatre has found the perfect Francesca and Robert, with the casting of Erin Davie and Mark Evans. The palpable chemistry between the two performers drives this story, drawing viewers into their characters personal moments that are thick with feeling. Davie is luminous as the compassionate housewife, who feels whole again, and later becomes torn between her family and the newfound love that hits her like a lightning bolt. A new face on the Signature stage, Davie holds numerous Broadway credits including Diana, Sunday in the Park with George and Side Show (Im still bothered by that musicals early closing). Bridges provides plenty of opportunities to showcase Davies golden vocals, with moving songs, such as To Build a Home and Almost Real, which offer a window into her current and past lives. Coming off the off-Broadway musical parody Titanique, its wonderful to see Evans back at Signature and in a more dramatic role. A magnetic actor with a smile that would make anyone melt, Evans is also armed with powerful vocals. His delivery of introspective songs Wondering and It All Fades Away are both heavy hitters. Brown has a gift for composing sumptuous musical scores and intensely moving and uplifting songs. And The Bridges of Madison County is brimming with them. Davie and Evans voices intertwine exquisitely, especially on the big soaring musical numbers Falling into You and the skyrocketing showstopper Before and After You/A Million Miles. Other musical highlights include Another Life, a slinky tune from Marina Pires as ex-wife Marian; and Get Closer, a Patsy Cline-sounding number sung by Marge, whos keeping a close eye on the happenings at the Johnson farm. Rayanne Gonzales is a scene-stealer as the snooping, but good-hearted, next-door neighbor. Scenic designer Lee Savage transports audiences into Winterset, Iowa, with a warm and homey setting. A large walkway, with seating on either side, is bookended by rustic red barns. Moveable wooden storage chests line the stage, becoming seats on a train or truck, benches at the state fair or outlines of the famous Roseman Bridge. And video screens wrap around the entire space, changing colors with the musicals moods. Filled with strong performances and heart-piercing emotion, The Bridges of Madison County is gem of a show that lingers long after its over. Go ahead and weep away, youll be in good company. Weather Alert ...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM CDT /10 PM EDT/ THIS EVENING TO 9 AM CDT /10 AM EDT/ TUESDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures between 23 and 29 degrees expected. * WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky and southeast Missouri. * WHEN...From 9 PM CDT this evening to 9 AM CDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...This will end the growing season. 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. && FREDERICKSBURG Fairview Baptist Church, 900 Charlotte St., hosts a food pantry on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, 9:3011 a.m., for residents of Fredericksburg, Locust Grove and Spotsylvania, Stafford, King George and Caroline counties. Bring ID. 540/373-8377; fairview-baptist.org. Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave., will host Praise at the Fairgrounds on Sept. 10, from noon to 5 p.m., featuring music, food, giveaways and free back to school items. Bring lawn chairs. Sponsored by Buster Nelson, State Farm and Nat Harley. Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 308 Hanover St. Traditional services are Sunday at 8:15 and 11:15 a.m., Contemporary at 9:45 a.m., with a livestream on YouTube and Facebook at 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. Youth ministry will host a kick off bash at Lake Anna on Sunday; email youth@fumcva.org for more information. In September, the church will host groups for moms and parents with kids every Wednesday morning. 540/973-9021; fumcva.org. Hillcrest United Methodist Church, 2208 Lafayette Blvd., holds Sunday service at 10 a.m. 540/898-2180; hillcrestumc.com. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 309 Wolfe St., has reopened its regular church services. Capacity is limited to 50%; face coverings and social distancing are mandatory. Weekly and Sunday service will be held on Facebook Live at the following times: Bible study at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday worship services at 10:50 a.m. Call in by telephone conference number to 978/990-5000 and enter pin 569693#. 540/371-2878; mtzionfbg.org. Shiloh Baptist Church (Old Site), 801 Sophia St., worships in person and online each Sunday at 10 a.m. Masks are now optional and available. Worship virtually via Facebook, Shiloh Old Site Live; on the church's website; or by conference call 1-855/552-4463 ID 3487 96 5653. Breakfast is provided to the homeless/less fortunate every Wednesday, 7:308:30 a.m. The food pantry is open on the second and fourth Friday of each month, 9 a.m.noon, and can be accessed from the glass door in front of the church located on Sophia Street. Follow posted signs for directions and safety procedures. 540/373-8701; shiloholdsite.org. Trinity Episcopal Church, 825 College Ave. Worship services are held Sundays at 8 and 10:30 a.m. The food pantry is open 9-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday mornings. Limited financial assistance for utilities is sometimes available. Call the church at 540/373-2996 to request this help, and someone will return your call. trinity@trinity-fredericksburg.org. Turning Point Christian Church, Dorothy Hart Community Center, 408 Canal St. Sunday worship is at 10 a.m. yourturningpointchurch.org. United Church of Christ of Fredericksburg, 803 Princess Anne St. (Hanover Street entrance), will meet Sunday at 10 a.m. 202/255-3320. Unity of Fredericksburg. Sunday Services are held online through Zoom and YouTube livestreaming on Sundays at 10:45 a.m. Email info@uofva.org for the link. 540/661-7976; uofva.org. SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY Christ Episcopal Church, 8951 Courthouse Road. In-person worship is held Sundays at 8 a.m. (Rite I) and 10:30 a.m. (Rite II); 10:30 a.m. worship is streamed on YouTube. Children's activity bags available. Nursery and Christian education are also at 10:30 a.m.; youth at noon. Celtic Eucharist is offered Wednesday at noon. The food pantry distributes on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, 10 a.m. to noon. Families unable to come during these hours due to work conflicts may retrieve food from lockers on the church campus; for more information email secretary@christchurchspotsy.com. The 208 Sale Trail will be held Sept. 89 at the Thrift Shop. Food and baked goods for sale. 540/582-5033; christchurchspotsy.com. Church of the Messiah Episcopal Church, 12201 Spotswood Furnace Lane, holds Sunday worship services at 8:30 a.m. (Rite I) and 11 a.m. (Rite II); the 11 a.m. service is also livestreamed on the church's Facebook page. Children's Sunday school and adult education are offered Sunday at 9:45 a.m., August through May. Morning prayer services are livestreamed on Facebook at 9 a.m., Monday through Friday. 540/786-3100; churchofthemessiahva.org; facebook.com/cotmfredericksburg. Cornerstone Chapel, 4743 Patriot Highway, holds services on Sunday at 11 a.m. 540/663-3398; cornerstonechapel.cc. Eastland United Methodist Church, 10718 Courthouse Road, worships in person on Sunday at 11 a.m.; masks are optional. Services are also livestreamed on the church's Facebook page. 540/898-6430; eastlandumc.org. Goshen Baptist Church, 9800 Gordon Road. Worship service is Sunday at 10:45 a.m.; Sunday school is 9:30 a.m. for ages 3 to adult. Awana Clubs for ages 2 through fifth grade is Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. Redefine Spotsylvania: Student Conference for middle and high school students is Sept. 9. Register for both events on the church's website. 540/786-7500; goshenbaptistchurch.net. Mercy Hill Community Church, 9215 Courthouse Road, holds Sunday worship service at 10:30 a.m. Mercyhillcc.org. New Post Church, 1900 New Post Blvd., worships in person on Sunday at 11 a.m. Services are also streamed at facebook.com/newpostchurch. 540/287-4100; newpost.church. Olivet Methodist Church, 7664 Stubbs Bridge Road, will hold a yard sale today, 8 a.m.2 p.m. 540/840-9982. Peace United Methodist Church, 801 Maple Grove Drive, worships in person on Sunday at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Services are also streamed on Facebook; search for Family Of Peace. 540/786-8585; passthepeacechurch.org. Potomac Valley Church, 12500 Chewning Lane, worships in person on Sundays at 10 a.m. and provides a children's ministry. On Sept. 23, women are invited to "Broken Crayons Still Color" for healing and hope in God's grace. Register at povachurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/1875921 or call 703/878-6937. Redeemer Bible Church, 7610 Heths Salient St., worships in person on Sunday at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Services may also be streamed on the church's Facebook page. Resurrection Lutheran Church, 6170 Plank Road, worships in person and online on Sunday at 10 a.m. The service is livestreamed on facebook.com/ResurrectionPeople or resurrectionpeople.org. Bulletins are posted one hour before worship. Prayer requests may be left on the chat on the Facebook page. 540/786-7778; resurrectionpeople.org. Spotswood Baptist Church, 4009 Lafayette Blvd., worships in person on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. (traditional) and 11 a.m. (contemporary). Services may also be streamed at Spotswood.org/watch-live or from the church's Facebook page. Small groups meet Sunday mornings and throughout the week. spotswood.org. St. Matthew Catholic Church, 8200 Robert E. Lee Drive, hosts a drive-up food pantry and baby closet 26 p.m. Wednesdays; 9 a.m. to noon Fridays; and 911 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month. Tabernacle United Methodist Church, 7310A Old Plank Road. Worship Sunday in person at 8:15 and 10:30 a.m.; join the 10:30 a.m. service via livestream at tabumc.org/watch. The community is invited to a fall festival on Sept. 9 from noon to 3 p.m. The Resource Closet provides nonperishable food and paper/personal care items to families in need on the last Saturday of the month, 911 a.m. 540/786-6162; tabumc.org. Wallers Baptist Church, 4001 Partlow Road, Partlow. On Sunday, a traditional service will be held at 11 a.m. and posted on the church's Facebook page by 4 p.m. Drive Thru Prayer continues to be held in the church parking lot Wednesdays, 56 p.m. Adult Bible Study is Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. A Pinewood Derby race for adults and children is Thursday at 5:30 p.m.; dinner will be provided, and spectators are welcome. 540/582-5703; wallersbaptist.com. STAFFORD COUNTY Andrew Chapel United Methodist Church, 1732 Brooke Road, offers Sunday contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Traditional services are Sundays at 11 a.m., in person and on YouTube. Sunday School for all ages is 10 a.m. Bible study is held Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. 540/659-2461; andrewchapelumc@yahoo.com; andrewchapelumc-staffordva.com. Antioch United Methodist Church, 138 Kellogg Mill Road, worships in person on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., following current guidelines. A food pantry for qualified families is open every other Thursday from 35 p.m. 540/752-3108; antiochumcstafford.org. Aquia Episcopal Church, 2938 Richmond Highway, offers worship services at 7:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. most Sundays. Sunday school for all ages is at 9:30 in the Christian Formation and Fellowship Building. Broadcasts for morning prayer continue at facebook.com/AquiaEpiscopalChurch on most Sundays at 7:30 a.m. and most weekdays at 8 a.m. Bible studies are offered on most Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and most Thursdays at 11 a.m. on Facebook Live. These events are viewable afterward and can be accessed without a Facebook account. Aquia's Table provides curbside pickup of takeout meals and Aquias Pantry provides curbside pickup of groceries on most Wednesdays, 67 p.m., while supplies last. 540/659-4007; aquiachurch.org. Beth Sholom Temple, 805 Lyons Blvd. Friday evening Shabbat services are at 7:30 p.m. On first Fridays, a family Shabbat service is at 7 p.m. On Saturday, Shabbat services are at 10 a.m., and Torah study is at noon. Tots Shabbat is suspended for the summer. 540/373-4834; bstva.org. Bethlehem Baptist Church, 135 Chapel Green Road, will hold in-person services on first, second and third Sundays at 10 a.m.; phone conference call is also available. Services on fourth and fifth Sundays will be by conference call: 425/436-6350 code is 245538#. Homecoming will be celebrated Sept. 3 at 10 a.m., marking the church's 155th anniversary and dedication of new church windows. Guest minister will be the Rev. Ralph Williams, interim pastor of Mt. Morris Baptist Church, Hume. bethlehempbc.net. Ebenezer United Methodist Church, 161 Embrey Mill Road, will host the 13th annual Go For Bo 5K, 1-mile fun run and tot dash at Stafford Regional Airport on Sept. 16. Glow for Bo in a 6 p.m. sunset run benefiting the lifesaving work of Helping Children Worldwide in Bo, Sierra Leone. Entry is $27 for the 5K, $22 for the 1-mile fun run and $10 for the tot dash. Music, food truck and special activities for kids begin at 5 p.m. Register or make a donation at goforbo.org. 540/659-1349; ebenezerumc.org. Ferry Farm Baptist Church, 1 Westmoreland Drive. Worship services are Sundays at 9 a.m. (traditional) and 11:15 a.m. (contemporary); services are also livestreamed at ferryfarmbc.org. Bible Fellowship for all ages meets at 10 a.m. Sundays. Wednesday evening activities resume Aug. 30 and include Supper Service for all at 5:45 p.m.; Community Bible Experience for children in preschoolgrade 5 at 6:30 p.m.; Youth Bible Study for grades 612 at 6:30 p.m.; and a new Young Adult Bible Study will meet every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ferryfarmbc.org. Hollywood Church of the Brethren, 225 Ferry Road. Worship services are Sundays at 11 a.m. in person and on Facebook and YouTube. Sunday school for all ages is 10 a.m. The church hosts a food pantry on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. until noon. Donations are appreciated. Hulls Memorial Baptist Church, 420 Enon Road. Sunday school and adult Bible study are at 9:30 a.m., and Sunday worship is at 10:45 a.m. Childcare/nursery is provided. Homecoming service is Sept. 10; lunch will follow. Spiritual Renewal services will be held Sept. 1013 at 7 p.m., with the Rev. Eric Goforth as guest speaker. A potluck dinner will be held Sept. 13 at 6 p.m. 540/371-4124; hullsbaptist.org. Little Forest Baptist Church, 54 Little Forest Church Road, will hold its annual Homecoming on Sunday at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Garfield Cross as guest preacher. Revival is Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Taft Q. Healy, Shiloh Baptist Church, Alexandria; the Rev. Vernon C. Walton, First Baptist Church, Vienna; and the Rev. James E. Victor, Mount Olive Baptist Church, Arlington. 540/659-2449. Mount Olive Baptist Church, 395 Mt. Olive Road, worships in person on Sunday at 11 a.m.; or connect on Facebook or by conference call to 202/602-1295, access code 778-183-179#. 540/752-4296. New Hope United Methodist Church, 164 New Hope Church Road, has resumed in-person worship. A drive-in option is also available. The service can be viewed on YouTube and Facebook. 540/370-4875; newhopeva.com. Rock Hill Baptist Church, 12 Van Horn Lane. On Sunday, Bible study for all ages is at 9:30 a.m.; worship service is at 11 a.m. 540/752-0336; rockhillbaptistchurch.org. St. Lukes Anglican Church, 65 Warrenton Road, Falmouth, offers traditional Anglican worship using the 1928 Book of Common Prayer on Sundays at 11 a.m. Sunday school for adults and children is at 10 a.m. 540/371-8405; stlukeanglican.org. St. Matthias United Methodist Church, 426 Deacon Road, worships in person Sundays at 10 a.m. 540/373-8759; stmtoday.com. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg, 25 Chalice Circle. Sunday service is at 10:30 a.m. in person and online. Zoom and YouTube links may be found at uuffxbg.org. 540/310-4001. KING GEORGE COUNTY Antioch Baptist Church, 11102 James Madison Parkway, will celebrate its 155th anniversary on Oct. 7 at 11 a.m. at the Shiloh Baptist Church Activity Center, 13457 Kings Highway. The celebration will include musical guest Brach Cobb and a brunch buffet; the keynote speaker will be the Rev. Earl T. Howerton Jr., pastor of Little Zion Baptist Church, Oak Grove. Tickets are $20 per adult and $10 for children 12 and younger. To purchase tickets, contact Aubrey Bland at 540/207-7044 or Valerie Peyton at 540/903-5655. theantiochbaptistchurch.org. Emmanuel Church, 17062 James Madison Parkway, hosts Rite II Holy Communion on the third and fifth Sundays at 10 a.m. 540/775-3635; hwbkgva.org. Fletchers Chapel United Methodist Church, 8330 Fletchers Chapel Road, holds in-person worship on Sunday at 9 a.m., followed by adult Sunday school at 10 a.m. On the second Sunday of each month, Coffee Fellowship is at 10 a.m. with Sunday school at 10:30 a.m. 540/775-7247; fletcherschapel-kinggeorge-va.org. Gods Holy Temple, 17192 Kings Highway. Services are held on Sundays at 11 a.m., and Bible study is held Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Good Hope Baptist Church, 17223 Good Hope Road, worships in person on Sundays at 9 a.m. Masks are required. Lambs Creek Church, 4368 Blakley Drive, will host Homecoming on Sunday, followed by a covered dish picnic on the grounds. A blessing of the animals will be held Oct. 1 at 10 a.m.; dogs must be on leashes, cats must be in carriers and other animals must be appropriately constrained. 540/775-3635; hwbkgva.org. Little Ark Baptist Church, 15681 Owens Drive, holds Bible school at 8:45 a.m. and worship service at 10 a.m. on Sunday; worship is streamed on Facebook Live. Bible study is Wednesday at 6 p.m. The church's radio broadcast is Saturday at 4:40 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at dmvpoweredgospel.airtime.pro. 540/663-2831; little.arkbc@gmail.com; littlearkbaptistchurch.org. Mountain View Baptist Church, 6713 Passapatanzy Drive. On Sunday, small group Bible study is at 10 a.m., followed by a worship service at 11 a.m. On Wednesday, youth group for grades 712, adult Bible study and CIA Adventures for preschoolgrade 6 are at 7 p.m. mtnviewbaptistchurch.org. Peace Lutheran Church, 5590 Kings Highway. On Sundays, a contemporary service is held at 8:30 a.m., and a traditional service is held at 10:30 a.m.; Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m. View online services on the church Facebook page. 540/775-9131; peacekg.com. St. Johns Episcopal Church, 9415 Kings Highway, hosts Rite II Holy Communion on the first, second and fourth Sundays at 10 a.m.; coffee hour follows the service. Hanover Parish Labor Day Yard Sale will be held at the parish house on Sept. 4, beginning at 8 a.m. 540/775-3635; hwbkgva.org. St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 5486 St. Pauls Road, worships in person at 8 and 10 a.m., following current health guidelines. 540/663-3085; stpaulskgva.org. St. Stephens Baptist Church, 9142 Comorn Road, worships in person Sundays at 10 a.m. Access the service by conference line at 1-712/832-8330, access code 8055544#, or on Facebook Live. CAROLINE COUNTY First Baptist Church, 9262 Guinea Station Road, Woodford, will hold an in-person service on Sunday at 11 a.m.; guest speaker will be the Rev. Carolyn Marshall, associate minister at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Supply. Masks are optional, but temperatures will be checked. Stream the services at us02web.zoom.us/j/8046334233 (meeting ID: 8046334233). To dial in, call 301/715-8592 (meeting ID: 8046334233). 804/633-4233; firstbaptistwoodford.com. First Mount Zion Baptist Church, 17065 Seals Road, Sparta, will celebrate its 154th Homecoming on Sunday at 11 a.m. Elder Yolanda B. Flowers and Shining Star Freewill Baptist Church of Seat Pleasant, Maryland, will be the guests at the 3 p.m. service. Revival will be held Monday through Friday at 7 p.m., with guest preachers each night. Livestream on Facebook or via telephone conference line 425/436-6367, access number 201972. Full Gospel Church, 8488 Paige Road, Woodford, will host a gospel sing on Sunday at 4 p.m., featuring The Millers and Justified. Food will be available. Outdoor event, weather permitting; chairs available or bring your own. facebook.com/thefullgospelchurch. 804/448-3166. Long Branch Baptist Church, 14297 Long Branch Road, Woodford, holds in-person Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The service is also streamed on the church website and YouTube. Bible study is Wednesdays, 78 p.m.; call in to 605/313-5416, access code 7856145#. 540/373-0690; lbbcwoodford.org. River Rock Church Caroline, Lewis and Clark Elementary School, 18101 Clark and York Blvd., Ruther Glen, worships in person on Sundays at 10:15 a.m. Service is also streamed at riverrockcc.com. Community groups meet in person Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. and throughout the week; they can be found at riverrockcc.com/next-steps/community-groups. St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church, 10306 Ladysmith Road. In-church Mass is held Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 and 11 a.m. The church sponsors a drive-up food pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 67:30 p.m. Bring your ID. 804/448-9064; saintmarycc.org. St. Paul United Methodist Church, 25187 Signboard Road, Ruther Glen, meets in person on Sundays at 11 a.m. Zion Grove Baptist Church, 9450 Fredericksburg Turnpike, Woodford, will hold a car wash and bake sale today, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Advanced Auto in Ladysmith. ORANGE COUNTY Mount Olive Baptist Church, 11251 Tower Road, Unionville. Sunday's service is at 10 a.m. CULPEPER COUNTY Beulah Baptist Church, 9297 Eggbornsville Road, Rixeyville, holds Sunday school at 9 a.m. and worship service at 10 a.m. Revival will be held Wednesday at 7 p.m. with the Rev. Judy Johnson from Good Hope Baptist Church. The church's 143rd anniversary/Homecoming celebration is Sept. 3 at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Jerome Gipson of Rising Zion Baptist Church, Jeffersonton; morning worship will commence at 11 a.m., followed by dinner. 540/937-5563; bbc9297@gmail.com. Christ Episcopal Church, 14586 Alanthus Road, Brandy Station, will hold a regular church service Sunday at 9 a.m. christchurchbs.com. Jeffersonton Baptist Church, 18498 Springs Road, Jeffersonton, hosts Bible study Wednesday at 7 p.m. at the church and online. 540/937-5446; jeffersontonbaptistchurch.org. Oakland Baptist Church, 28348 Eleys Ford Road, Richardsville. Worship in person on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Sunday school is at 9:30 a.m. obcrichardsville@gmail.com; 540/399-1248. St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 115 N. East St. The Food Closet is in need of sugar, flour, cornmeal, vegetable oil, mustard, mayonnaise, catsup, rice side dishes and Spam. Drop off donations 9 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday. Park at 120 N. Commerce St. For more information, visit ststephensculpeper.net/culpeper-food-closet or contact 540/825-1177 or culpeperfoodcloset@gmail.com. 540/825-8786; ssec@ststephensculpeper.net; ststephensculpeper.net. WESTMORELAND COUNTY Our Lady of Good Hope Anglican Catholic Church, at Stilfontein Priory, 11264 Kings Highway, Montross, celebrates the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every Sunday at 5 p.m. 804/250-6502; stilfonteinpriory.org. REGIONAL First Baptist Church, 5340 Tidewater Trail, Loretto, seeks a youth/young adult pastor to lead and organize a life-changing ministry, implementing fellowship, worship biblical teaching, discipleship and evangelism. The candidate must possess a hunger for the things of God and display the ability to follow the vision of the senior pastor. Email resumes to godsservant10133@gmail.com; or mail Box 176, Champlain, VA 22438. The church holds worship services in the gym on Sundays at 11 a.m. Temperature checks, social distancing and masks/face coverings are required. Sunday worship and Wednesday 7 p.m. Bible study is livestreamed at facebook.com/fbcloretto or the conference line, 313/209-8800, access code 2610624#. Moments of Inspiration for Seniors is Thursdays, 66:30 p.m.; call 425/436-6367, access code: 871111. 804/443-5007. Grace United Methodist Church, 13056 Elk Ridge Road. Enrollment is open for Grace Place Preschool for ages 35. Preschool hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. with early drop-off available at 8 a.m. at no extra charge. Aftercare available from 15 p.m. For information or to schedule a tour, call 540/684-3535. graceumchartwood.net. Kirk O'Cliff Presbyterian Church, 16420 Monrovia Road, Mineral, holds services in person on Sundays at 11 a.m. with Sunday school at 10 a.m. 540/854-5525; kirk@kirkocliff.org; kirkocliff.org. Temple of Deliverance, HCG, 5756 Zachary Taylor Highway, Mineral, holds Sunday worship at 11 a.m. Arrive early for temperature check and seating; CDC guidelines will be followed. Sermon is livestreamed at 11:15 a.m. on Facebook Live. Bible study sessions are Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. on Facebook Live. Ladies' Evening Prayer is Tuesday at 8 p.m. by conference call; dial in: 978/990-5066, access code: 2133327. The church operates a food pantry every third Thursday, 57 p.m. 540/894-4458; templeofdeliverancehcg.org. Do you have information about workplace victimisations? Are you a sacked or suspended worker or rep? Get in touch and join the campaign using the form below. Your anonymity will be protected. A mass campaign must be launched mobilising Royal Mails entire workforce for the reinstatement of all colleagues victimised, sacked, and suspended during the year-long dispute. Since July 2022, more than 400 union reps and postal workers have been sacked or suspended in the largest number of victimisations during an industrial dispute since the 1984-85 miners strike. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) bureaucracy has mounted no opposition to management bullying, harassment, and intimidation. On the contrary, their pro-company Business Recovery, Growth and Transformation Agreement pledges the CWUs support for this war on postal workers. On top of those suspended and sacked, thousands of long serving colleagues have been forced out through unreasonable changes to working conditions. Many have resigned due to ill health, including PTSD, caused by targeted bullying and brutal workloads. Colleagues with decades of service have been left virtually penniless through reduced entitlements for ill-health and early retirement agreed by the union. This is fire and rehire through the backdoor. Senior staff are being replaced by new entrants on inferior terms and conditions, the bitter fruit of a company-union slave charter rammed through against the membership. The Falconer Review: a conspiracy against workers Dave Ward, Andy Furey and the national postal executive are holding out the fig-leaf of an independent review into mass sackings and suspensions, headed by Lord Falconer. But the review, devised by Royal Mail and CWU officials at conciliation service ACAS, is a conspiracy to bury any fight for mass reinstatement, including freezing all normal appeal processes. Falconer is a trusted representative of the ruling class. He advised the National Coal Board during the 1984-85 miners strike and is a friend of Tony Blair, who appointed him Criminal Justice Minister and then Lord Chancellor of Britain. It was Falconer who reportedly helped overcome legal objections to Britains invasion of Iraqa war crime that killed more than 250,000 Iraqis. That such an individual is being promoted by the CWU to investigate workplace victimisations is obscene. The CWU has agreed that All decisions on the conduct of the Review will be for him [Lord Falconer] to decide in his absolute discretion. The Falconer Review is the outcome of high-level state intervention. Former Trades Union Congress (TUC) General Secretary and retired ACAS Chair Sir Brendan Barber approached Falconer to head the review. Both are connected to the Blairite wing of the Labour Party, led today by Sir Keir Starmer. Falconers review had two essential aims: 1) to sweep the explosive issue of workplace victimisations under the carpet, blocking any industrial and political fight for reinstatement; and 2) enabling Royal Mail and the CWU to implement their national agreement against the workforce. Amidst the biggest strike wave in Britain since the 1980s, the Labour Party worked behind the scenes with Royal Mail, the CWU, and in ACAS talks headed by Barber to end the dispute. They did the bidding of a Tory government that was imploding under the impact of the deepest global crisis since the 1930s. Victimised workers abandoned Throughout the dispute, Royal Mail was given a blank cheque to remove anyone they viewed as an obstacle to workplace revisions and a ruthless company culture. Sackings have been enforced by HR processes amounting to a kangaroo court. Victimisations include: Craigavon Delivery Office, Northern Ireland: two reps sacked, one for union activity supporting a female delivery worker allegedly bullied by management, the other for challenging unagreed workplace revisions. Glasgow Mail Centre, Scotland: CWU rep on the nightshift sacked for using the word scab in a personal social media post, and for describing the dispute as a battle of rich against poor. Coventry, England: union rep for Parcelforce LGV drivers sacked by email on trumped-up charges of gross misconduct after 15 years service. Liverpool, England: postal worker sacked for using the word scab in an email. Hull, England: postal worker suspended for challenging management inaction over sexual harassment of female colleagues. Victimised and later sacked despite apologising for minor swear words on social media during the dispute. Workers responded with walkouts, sit-ins, and votes for industrial action under the CWUs Rule 13 demanding reinstatement for their reps. They were opposed by CWU national and local officials. At Craigavon, after CWU members met outside the office and voted unanimously for Rule 13 strike action to defend their suspended Reps, Dave Ward and the national executive blocked their democratic mandate. Royal Mails mass victimisations must not be allowed to stand. There is too much at stake. During the 1980s, the Thatcher governments mass victimisation of miners was aimed against the entire working class. Having isolated the striking miners, the TUC and its affiliated unions seized on the miners defeat to block any future challenge to the corporations and the state. Under Tory and Labour governments, the trade unions oversaw a decades-long suppression of strikes, and the biggest redistribution of wealth from the poor to the rich in history. The fight for mass reinstatement must come from the rank-and-file. Ward and Furey revealed last month that just 200 cases had been referred by the CWU to Lord Falconer, thereby excluding hundreds of victimisations. Falconers review process enables top officials to weed out those they regard as troublemakers. Meanwhile, those with cases before Falconer have heard nothing for months. Phone calls and emails to CWU head office are ignored. Sacked reps who have challenged their treatment have been deleted from CWU social media platforms. Launch a mass campaign for reinstatement! In April, Ward declared: This union leaves nobody behind. But the CWUs unaccountable bureaucracy has colluded with Royal Mails victimisations every step of the way, keeping members in the dark. It is time to break the wall of silence surrounding victimised colleagues! If the company succeeds in railroading members out of their jobs, a new benchmark will be set. Last months sacking of six delivery workers at Prenton DO for taking tea breaks at two local pubs shows the new regime in action. Similar cases are being reported elsewhere. Royal Mails mass victimisations cannot be defeated individually, either through the Employment Tribunal or Lord Falconers Review. Both are designed to leave workers at the mercy of the capitalist state, isolated and defenceless, while an orchestrated campaign against the entire workforce proceeds. The attacks at Royal Mail are part of a global assault. In France, President Macron has imposed widely hated pension reforms, attacking striking workers with tear gas and rubber bullets. In the United States, the Biden Administration has banned nationwide strikes by railroad and dock workers. The ruling class coordinates its agenda globally, and the working class must do the same. A mass industrial and political campaign can defeat the companys intimidation tactics, appealing for support across Royal Mail and from workers throughout the UK and internationally. The demand must be raised for the immediate and unconditional reinstatement of all reps and workers sacked or suspended during the Royal Mail dispute, and all those targeted in its aftermath. Meetings at mail centres and delivery offices should pass resolutions and set-up rank-and-file committees to lead this fight. Information about victimisations must be publicised to expose the extent and nature of this orchestrated vendetta. Victimised workers must not be starved into submission. Our dues money and other assets must be used to support victimised workers during their hour of need. The rank-and-file must take control, drawing up plans for a work-to-rule and other measures, including all-out industrial action, to win our colleagues reinstatement. The outcome of this campaign will be determined by the collective decisions and actions of rank-and-file workers. We appeal to all colleagues to get in touch. Send in reports from your workplace, share this statement with your co-workers, and help plan the fightback for our future. An injury to one is an injury to all! The following lecture was delivered by Tomas Castanheira, a leading member of the Brazilian Socialist Equality Group (GSI), to the SEP (US) International Summer School, held between July 30 and August 4, 2023. The opening report by WSWS International Editorial Board Chairman and SEP National Chairman David North, Leon Trotsky and the Struggle for Socialism in the Epoch of Imperialist War and Socialist Revolution, was published on August 7. The second lecture, The Historical and Political Foundations of the Fourth International, was published on August 14. The third lecture, The Origins of Pabloite Revisionism, the Split Within the Fourth International and the Founding of the International Committee, was published on August 18. The WSWS will be publishing all of the lectures in the coming weeks. Introduction Comrades, last June marked 60 years since the infamous congress of reunification between the Socialist Workers Party (SWP), alongside its supporters in Latin America and Asia, and the Pabloite International Secretariat. The body established through that fusion, the United Secretariat, represented an international alliance of the petty bourgeoisie dedicated to overthrowing the program of the Fourth International, a program based on the exclusive and non-transferable role of the international working class in the abolition of capitalism. The resolution of that Congress of Renegades proclaimed that a new epoch in the history of the world revolution began with the rise to power of a petty-bourgeois nationalist movement in Cuba led by Fidel Castro. It assigned to Trotskyism the servile role of helping to strengthen and enrich the international current of Castroism, both in the colonial countries and the metropolitan centers of capitalism. [ 1 ] This attempt to dissolve once and for all the Fourth International was frustrated by the principled stand taken by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) under the leadership of Gerry Healy and the Socialist Labour League (SLL), supported by the French section, the Organisation Communiste Internationaliste (OCI). Gerry Healy The struggle waged by the SLL between 1961 and 1963 secured the preservation of Trotskyism as a distinct international and historic political current. It is one of the great moments in the history of the Marxist movement. The crisis of Stalinism after the 1953 split After 1953, major developments in the international class struggle confirmed the critical character of the political differences that emerged in the struggle against Pabloism. In particular, mass struggles erupted in the USSR and the Eastern European countries against the rule of the Stalinist bureaucracy. Those struggles culminated in the Hungarian Revolution, which was brutally suppressed by the Soviet government in November 1956. That development powerfully vindicated the Trotskyist program of political revolution, defended by the ICFI against the revisions of Pabloism. The Soviet government brutally suppressed the Hungarian Revolution in November 1956. Taking up the critical lessons from that experience, the British Trotskyists concluded that while the spontaneous development of the political revolution can carry it to a high level... the first examples of the political revolution in real life have also underlined the absolute necessity of a conscious leadership.[ 2 ] The massacre in Budapest proved that the illusions fostered by the Pabloites in left-wing shifts by the bureaucracy under the pressure of the masses could only disarm the working class and prepare new bloody defeats. But the Pabloite International Secretariat reached the opposite conclusions. The growing crisis of Stalinism under the offensive of the working class had come to the fore earlier in 1956, with the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Secret Speech given by Nikita Khrushchev recognized that Stalin was a criminal, as the desperate bureaucracy sought to transfer the massive opposition it faced to a single individual. Nikita Khrushchev delivers his Secret Speech in 1956 recognizing that Stalin was a criminal. The Pabloites saw in those developments the realization of their prophecies about a peaceful self-reform of the bureaucracy and the growth of tendencies within it that represented the interests of the working class. The essential significance of the 1956 crisis, as David North wrote, was that it heralded a profound change in the world relation of forces between the Fourth International and the degenerate Stalinist bureaucracy. He continued: As Labour Review had declared in January 1957, the Great Ice Age had come to an end. Objective conditions that favored the resolution of the historic crisis of leadership of the working class were now emerging.[ 3 ] Emerging differences within the ICFI In the responses to that major change in the political situation, it became clear that critical differences were emerging within the ICFI itself. The British section of the ICFI, under the leadership of Healy, began a major political offensive among the working class, the youth and intellectuals to clarify the history and nature of the Trotskyist struggle against Stalinism that was being vindicated. As North wrote: The power of the British Trotskyists intervention in the crisis of Stalinism was derived from the clarification which had been achieved through the struggle against Pabloite revisionism. Precisely because the British section had rejected conciliation with and capitulation to Stalinism, Healy was able to achieve important breakthroughs within the Stalinist ranks...[ 4 ] As a result of this campaign, the British Trotskyists reached a new and higher relationship with the working class and emerged as a powerful political tendency in Britain. These conquests took form in the foundation of the Socialist Labour League in 1959. A completely different attitude was taken by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United States. While the SWPs analysis of the Hungarian Revolution and the Khrushchev speech had a principled character, stemming from its recent international struggle against Pabloism, that line came into direct conflict with the increasingly opportunistic policies it had developed since 1953. North wrote: The protracted economic boom, the quiescence of the labor movement, the stranglehold of the bureaucracy over the unions, and the lingering effects of the anticommunist hysteria [in the United States] had built up enormous pressures on the cadre of the SWP.[ 5 ] In contrast with the British Trotskyists, the practical response of the SWP to the crisis of Stalinism was the adoption of a regroupment policy, oriented to dissolving the party into the poisonous milieu of American middle class radicalism. Instead of reaffirming the political principles separating the Trotskyist movement from bankrupt Stalinism, the SWP sought to attenuate those differences to accommodate the repentant elements of the Stalinist bureaucracy. 1957: The SWPs march toward reunification The essential significance of the proposals that emerged at that moment for a reunification between the International Committee and the International Secretariat was synthesized by North: In the aftermath of 1956, the efforts of the Pabloites were directed, to use a military analogy, toward reinforcing the beleaguered forces of the weakened bureaucracies against the danger of an offensive by the revitalized forces of Trotskyism. The Pabloites responded to the crisis of 1956 by seeking, under the guise of reunification (i.e., ending the split of 1953), to split the International Committee.[ 6 ] The initial positions adopted by the SWP in relation to Hungary and the USSR could not in any way justify a reunification with the Pabloites. But its orientation towards that policy was the organic expression of its capitulation to the pressures of hostile class forces within the United States.[ 7 ] In March 1957, without consulting its comrades from the ICFI, SWP National Chairman James Cannon wrote a letter to the Sri Lankan centrists of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) accepting their demands for an immediate unification of Trotskyist forces in all countries. The unprincipled basis of that move was made clear by Cannons intentions to brush aside political differences and find a convenient agreement for common political action.[ 8 ] James P. Cannon Healys response to Cannons opportunistic maneuver set the political grounds upon which the discussions between the British and the SWP over the reunification with the Pabloites would develop during the following years. In his May 1957 letter to Cannon, Healy shifted the emphasis from organizational questions, claiming that such proposals could not overcome the very deep-going political differences that exist with the Pabloites. Instead, Healy emphasized the need to develop the struggle initiated in 1953. He wrote: The strengthening of our cadres is decisive in this present period and this can only be done in a thorough-going education around the problems of revisionism. His letter concluded: The British Section will never agree to anything which may cut across essential clarification.[ 9 ] The 1958 Leeds Conference A conference of the ICFI held in Leeds, in June 1958, analyzed the new developments in the world situation, reaffirming the principles of the ICFIs struggle against Pabloism. Answering the crisis of Stalinism, the conference resolution stated the ICFIs rejection of all conceptions that mass pressure can resolve the question of leadership by forcing reform of the bureaucratic apparatus.[ 10 ] While admitting unity in action with the tendencies breaking from the bureaucracies, it demanded that it be coupled with an ideological offensive against Stalinism, social democracy, centrism, trade union bureaucracy and the bourgeois and petty-bourgeois leaderships of national movements in colonial and semi-colonial countries.[ 11 ] The resolution also rejected the conception being developed by the Pabloites about a shift of the center of world revolution to the colonial countries. It declared: The world revolution cannot take a decisive leap forward until it breaks through in the metropolitan countries. It added that the counteroffensive of the workers in the metropolitan countries, in its turn, will spur the colonial revolution forward to new heights.[ 12 ] The leadership of the Socialist Workers Party rejected the conferences conclusions. Revealing their opportunist conception of reunification with the Pabloites, they denounced the documents for reviving the discussion around the 1953 issues which have been long superseded by events upon which there has been essential political agreement.[ 13 ] Nahuel Morenos opposition to the Leeds documents These documents were also denounced by another political leader, Nahuel Moreno, who participated in the Leeds conference in the name of the Argentinian section. Morenos contributions anticipated some of the critical issues that soon emerged in connection with the Cuban Revolution. They revealed the class pressures that existed in Latin America and formed the basis of support among its sections for the policy of reunification with the Pabloites. Nahuel Moreno. [Photo: Unknown author] Morenos main proposal at the conference was for the dissolution of each national section into what he called Revolutionary United Fronts based upon a whole new strategy for the epoch. This distilled Pabloite program was based on the following premises: The crisis of the apparatus releases unconscious revolutionary tendencies... Its emergence has a deep objective meaning: it is the beginning of a new revolutionary leadership of the mass movement It is a utopia to claim that the unconscious revolutionary tendencies that exist and will continue to exist in the workers movement and in the colonial masses of the entire world are immediately or automatically incorporated into the Fourth International.[ 14 ] These unconscious revolutionary tendencies, and not the party, would be responsible for carrying out the most urgent revolutionary needs of the country, zone or union, university or intellectual group where we act. Upon his return to Argentina, Moreno reported his disagreements with the perspectives of the Leeds conference in a report to other Latin American sections in January 1959. Titled Permanent Revolution in the Post-War, the report declared total opposition to the following paragraph of the Leeds resolution: In the colonial and semi-colonial countries, our central task is to build revolutionary proletarian parties. Armed with the theory of permanent revolution, these will participate in united anti-imperialist fronts with the aim of establishing proletarian leadership of the masses. We reject all conceptions of subordinating the program of the social revolution to the limited aims of the bourgeoisie or the petty-bourgeoisie.[ 15 ] Morenos disagreement with this formulation stemmed from his total opposition to the Theory of Permanent Revolution. Under the guise of updating it, he presented a diametrically opposed conception of historical development: The bourgeois democratic revolution and the socialist revolution were formerly combined, closely linked, only in the colonial and semi-colonial countries. But today we find that within the heart of the workers revolution itself in the metropolitan countries, the democratic revolution plays a role of the first magnitude, it is intimately linked to the workers revolution. The Negro problem in North America and that of the Algerians in France is the best example. England will not be an exception, and within two or three years will follow in the footsteps of France and North America; in England we will have a racial problem posed directly or indirectly by imperialism with its economic crisis.[ 16 ] The Cuban Revolution and the SWPs repudiation of Marxism The Cuban Revolution was the channel found by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) for the complete revision of its program to match its opportunistic practice and its drive for reunification with the Pabloites. The course of that process gave rise to Joseph Hansen emerging as the leading theoretician of the SWP. As the ICFI later found out, Hansen acted as an agent of the GPU and later the FBI. He was a physical manifestation of the infiltration of the Trotskyist movement by conscious agents of hostile class forces. But the rise of Hansens political authority expressed, more deeply, the SWPs capitulation to the ideological pressures of the petty bourgeoisie in the heart of imperialism. Once it abandoned the perspective of carrying out the socialist revolution in the United States, and it felt the need to break free from the shackles of Marxism to follow its opportunist path, Hansen was the man for the job. The overthrow of Batistas dictatorship in 1959 by the 26 of July Movement, led by Fidel Castro, was part of a whole series of anti-imperialist struggles and revolutions that emerged in the aftermath of the war. While the SWP had initially characterized it as a bourgeois nationalist regime, in the course of 1960 it completely changed its line. As Castros regime, pressed by intransigent demands by American imperialism, carried out a series of nationalizations and cemented its ties with the Soviet Union, Hansen claimed that it had established a workers state and was leading a socialist revolution in Cuba. Castro addressing the Tricontinental Conference in 1966, where he denounced Trotskyism The SWP argued that, under the influence of the mighty force of new objective conditions, the petty-bourgeois leadership, beginning with a bourgeois-democratic programme, followed the dialectical logic of the revolution instead of the formal logic of their own programme, and ended up establishing the first workers state in the Western Hemisphere and proclaiming it an example for all of Latin America.[ 17 ] Like Moreno, Hansen claimed to be simply updating the Theory of Permanent Revolution. He argued that the automatic development of unconscious petty-bourgeois elements to the conclusion of the necessity of the socialist revolution was a vindication of Trotskys theory. The objective of such revision was to deny the conclusionestablished by the Russian Revolution and confirmed in the negative by the catastrophic experiments with the two-stage theory under the Stalinists leadershipthat the petty bourgeoisie and the peasantry could play an independent political role in the epoch of imperialism. Directed at first to the colonial countries, its natural conclusion was that, in the advanced countries too, the petty bourgeoisie could play a leading role. Regarding Castro, Guevara and their colleagues as political virgins who were still growing as conscious Marxists, Hansen came to declare Cuba the only uncorrupted workers regime in the world! By praising these men of action, who supposedly initiated a revolution without a preconceived plan and by intuitively reacting to events defeated capitalism and started the socialist transformation of society, the SWP declared the Leninist party and the Fourth International to be useless tools. The political implications of characterizing Cuba as a workers state The SWPs characterization of the Cuban regime as a workers state carried vast implications for Marxist theory. These are carefully considered in The Heritage We Defend. North writes: In 193940, during the battle inside the SWP over the class nature of the Soviet state, Trotsky taunted the Burnham-Shachtman minority to explicitly state what strategic and programmatic conclusions were to be drawn from their proposed finding that the Soviet Union was no longer to be considered a workers state. In this way, he made clear that the struggle was not simply a dispute over terminology. The minoritys rejection of the Fourth Internationals designation of the USSR as a workers state was inextricably connected to profound differences with Trotskyism on all fundamental questions. Similarly, the question of Cuba was not merely a difference over terminology. Hansen sought to evade the formulation of a principled explanation of the implications, both for Marxist theory and the program of the Fourth International, of the definition of Cuba as a workers state. He refused to state precisely what conclusions the Trotskyist movement ought to draw from the alleged formation of a workers state under the petty-bourgeois non-Marxist leadership of Castro.[ 18 ] What were these implications? If workers states could be established through the actions of petty-bourgeois guerrilla leadersbased principally on the peasantry, who possessed no significant historical, organizational and political connections to the working class, and under conditions in which there existed no identifiable organs of class rule through which the proletariat exercised its dictatorshipthere then followed a whole new conception of the historical path to socialism, entirely different from that foreseen by Marxists It implicitly rendered anachronistic Marxs writings on the Commune and Lenins assessment of the universal significance of soviet power as the new form of state power discovered by the proletariat, the first non-bourgeois type state The relevance of the strivings of generations of Marxists to organize the proletariat independently of all other classes, including the oppressed peasantry, and to infuse the workers movement with scientific socialist consciousness was being flagrantly challenged. [ 19 ] Liquidationism in Latin America The liquidationist conceptions developed by the SWP in its drive to reunification with the Pabloites had immediate and disastrous consequences for the development of the Trotskyist movement in Latin America. It demanded that the Trotskyists in Cuba completely subordinate themselves to the soon-to-be-formed unified revolutionary party where they can work loyally, patiently and confidently for the implementation of the fully revolutionary-socialist program which they represent.[ 20 ] Within short order, the Castro regime seized the printing press of the Cuban Trotskyists, smashed the type set for a Cuban edition of Trotskys Permanent Revolution and imprisoned their leading members. Extending that criminal political orientation to the revolutionaries across the region, the SWPs resolution of 1962 declared: Trotskyists throughout Latin America should try to bring together all those forces, regardless of their specific origins, ready to take the Cuban experience as the point of departure for the revolutionary struggles in their own countries.[ 21 ] Those pieces of advice were followed in a series of countries with catastrophic results. Preparing the dissolution of the Workers Revolutionary Party (POR) of Chile into the Movement of the Revolutionary Left (MIR), an amalgam of middle class tendencies, the POR adopted a resolution published by the SWP in its International Socialist Review in 1961. It claimed: These developing militant currents tend to form movements that break out of the molds of the old centrist formations, in the final analysis fostering revolutionary currents that want to carry things through once and for all a la cubana. The new forces liberated by the impact of the Cuban Revolution pave the way for regroupment of various revolutionary groups, of independent militant sectors and of left tendencies while splits occur among the centrist formations mentioned above. The task of the Trotskyists, consequently, is to encourage and to develop all these militant and intuitively revolutionary currents, at the same time backing every anti-imperialist mobilization.[ 22 ] This liquidationist move left the Chilean working class without a Marxist leadership in the critical revolutionary situation that emerged in the coming years, causing its defeat and the assumption of power by the brutal Pinochet dictatorship in 1973. Commenting on the SWPs opportunist perspectives for Latin America, the completely demoralized Jim Cannon wrote to Hansen in 1961: Strangely enough, these definite proposals may conflict with some sectarian tendencies not only of our own Latin-American co-thinkers but also of the Latin-American Pabloites. But a clear and explicit statement of our position, along the lines of the above proposals, from the SWP which has consistently defended the Cuban revolution under the most difficult circumstances, should carry considerable authority. It might open the way for possibly better consultation and collaboration with the Latin-American Trotskyists of both camps.[ 23 ] As he himself recognized by then, Cannon and his party had completely assumed the perspectives of Pabloism. In some cases, more strongly than the Pabloites themselves. The Trotskyists take the offensive In early 1961, the SLL took a decisive step in the struggle against revisionism that put the Orthodox Trotskyists once again on the offensive. Writing to the leadership of the SWP in January of 1961, the SLL decisively refuted the attempt by the Americans to reduce the significance of the 1953 split to organizational problems. The British Trotskyists stated their commitment to the principles of Cannons Open Letter and directly asked the American leadership if they still stood for it. Considering the meaning of Pabloism from the standpoint of the revolutionary tasks confronting the Trotskyist movement, the SLL declared: It is because of the magnitude of the opportunities opening up before Trotskyism, and therefore the necessity for political and theoretical clarity, that we urgently require a drawing of the lines against revisionism in all its forms. It is time to draw to a close the period in which Pabloite revisionism was regarded as a trend within Trotskyism.[ 24 ] In a follow-up letter, dated May 8, 1961, the SLL confronted the revisionist line being developed about Castros regime. It declared that Even if the bourgeois revolution in Cuba has been forced by US policy to step beyond the normal bounds of the social measures of a bourgeois revolution this exceptional result of a particular situation did not justify any revision of the movements definition of a workers state. The letter continued: Even if Castro and his cadre were converted would that make the revolution a proletarian revolution? If the Bolsheviks could not lead the revolution without a conscious working class support, can Castro do this? Quite apart from this, we have to evaluate political tendencies on a class basis, on the way they develop in struggle in relation to the movement of classes over long periods. A proletarian party, let alone a proletarian revolution, will not be born in any backward country by the conversion of petit-bourgeois nationalists who stumble naturally or accidentally upon the importance of the workers and peasants. The dominant imperialist policy-makers both in the USA and Britain recognize full well that only by handing over political independence to leaders of this kind, or accepting their victory over feudal elements like Farouk and Nuries-Said, can the stakes of international capital and the strategic alliances be preserved in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.[ 25 ] The SLL concluded: It is not the job of Trotskyists to boost the role of such nationalist leaders. As the SWPs leadership had already embarked on its one-way trip towards liquidationism, those terms were obviously unacceptable to them. But the British Trotskyists were committed to carrying out a patient struggle to clarify the international movement about the nature of the new political division that had clearly emerged. In the battle of ideas that followed over the next two years, the SLL had an important advantage. While the SWP saw its arguments as the means to intimidate its opponents and to achieve its immediate petty factional aimsnot a single solitary Trotskyist in all of Latin America would touch the SLL position on Cuba with a ten-foot pole, Hansen criedHealy and his comrades understood this theoretical fight as a critical part of the realization of their revolutionary historical aims. As Cliff Slaughter stated during the discussion: In a period of revolutionary developments in the working-class movement, the clearest and most incisive political line is the highest necessity. This line is only arrived at through conflict with incorrect conceptions to arrive at an accurate reflection of the real situation; it necessitates a fight against revisionism, which always reflects the pressure of the ruling class. This means a scientific study of the history of the movement itself. Precisely in order to provide the revolutionary elements in the working class with an international Marxist strategy it is necessary to fight to the end all revisionism, to understand our own present position as the product of such conflicts, consciously resolved.[ 26 ] Cliff Slaughter In that spirit, the British Trotskyists celebrated when the Socialist Workers Party acknowledged explicitly the questions of principle which at the moment divide the SWP and the SLL[ 27 ] in the document Problems of the Fourth International and the Next Steps, adopted by the Americans in June 1962. Trotskyism Betrayed The SLLs response, presented in Trotskyism Betrayed, declared that its basic differences in method with the SWP centered upon the basic questions of Leninism, how to proceed to the construction of an international revolutionary party. It continued: The fact that a new stage has been reached in this discussion is itself part of a new stage in the construction of these revolutionary parties of the Fourth International, for which the defeat of revisionism is necessary. [ 28 ] The document declared: The workers of the advanced countries are entering big struggles. These will result in lasting defeats unless they become struggles for state power, for which Marxist leadership is necessary Apologies for the non-Marxist leaderships, assertions that petty-bourgeois leadership can become Marxist naturally through the strength of the objective forcesthese threaten to disarm the working class by disorienting the Marxist leadership. If capitulation to the centrists takes place now, preventing the working class from breaking with the Social Democratic, Stalinist and trade union bureaucracy, then the revisionists will have the responsibility for enormous working class defeats.[ 29 ] Denouncing the SWPs renunciation of the thesis of the crisis of revolutionary leadership and its embrace of the objectivist outlook of Pabloism, the SLL wrote: Talk of the laws of history accomplishing this as a process separate from the development of the party is an abandonment of the Marxist position on the relations between objective and subjective. ... There must be a conscious construction of this party if the working class is to take power and build Socialism.[ 30 ] Explaining that the differences in relation to Cuba were only part of these general and fundamental disagreements, the SLL exposed the complete fraud of the SWPs claims that its characterization of Cuba as a workers state was a continuation of Trotskys analysis of the Soviet Union: Trotsky insisted that his discussion and definition of the USSR were to be taken historically, and in relation to the world struggle between the working class and the capitalist class. The SWP method is the opposite, taking certain criteria from the discussion of one particular manifestation of the revolutionary struggle in one part of the world as a unique stage in the development of the world revolution. They apply this criteria to another part of the world a generation later, to a particular sector at a particular stage of the struggle. Thus nationalization and the existence of workers' militias are sufficient to make Cuba a workers state and to make the Cuban revolution a socialist revolution. This normative method is the theoretical cover for the practice of prostrating themselves before the present unstable and transitory stage of the strugglethe victory of the petty-bourgeois revolutionary nationalistsinstead of starting from the perspective and tasks of the working class.[ 31 ] The SLL asked: What does a workers state mean in concrete terms? It means the dictatorship of the proletariat in one form or another. Does the dictatorship of the proletariat exist in Cuba? We reply categorically no! The Castro regime did not create a qualitatively new and different type of state from the Batista regime. The nationalizations carried out by Castro do nothing to alter the capitalist character of the state.[ 32 ] And, answering the claims of Hansen and the Pabloites that the development of Cuba was confirming the theory of permanent revolution, it declared: Cuba constitutes, in fact, a negative confirmation of the permanent revolution. Where the working class is unable to lead the peasant masses and smash capitalist state power, the bourgeoisie steps in and solves the problems of the democratic revolution in its own fashion and to its own satisfaction.[ 33 ] Even at this point of the discussion, the SLL continued to maintain its proposal for the realization of principled discussions within the ranks of all international sections: Our intention in making these proposals is not to arrive at any summit agreement between the leading committees of the IC and the IS, but to carry on an unrelenting struggle against revisionism throughout the ranks of all sections of both organizations.[ 34 ] Opportunism and Empiricism Attempting to isolate the SLL, Hansen responded to the British Trotskyists principled attacks with Cubathe Acid Test: A Reply to the Ultraleft Sectarians in November 1962. Hansens document was a vicious attempt to slander the SLL, painting its positions as an idealistic and dogmatic denial of objective reality. Hansen claimed: The world Trotskyist movement has waited now two long and crowded years for the SLL to recognize the facts about the Cuban Revolution. Why this obstinate refusal to admit palpable events? Strangest of all, the leaders of the SLL have come to recognize that they are refusing to acknowledge the facts; they have converted this into a virtue and even elevated it into a philosophy.[ 35 ] Joseph Hansen Hansen was speaking here of the differentiation between Marxism and empiricism made by Slaughter in his Lenin on Dialectics, in which he argued that some Marxists assume that Marxist method has the same starting point as empiricism: that is to say, it starts with the facts. It is worth quoting Slaughter at length. He continues: Of course every science is based on facts. However, the definition and establishment of the facts is crucial to any science. Part of the creation of a science is precisely its delimitation and definition as a field of study with its own laws: the facts are shown in experience to be objectively and lawfully interconnected in such a way that a science of these fact[s] is a meaningful and useful basis for practice. Our empiricist Marxists in the field of society and politics are far from this state of affairs. Their procedure is to say: we had a programme, based on the facts as they were in 1848, or 1921, or 1938; now the facts are obviously different, so we need a different programme. It is a false and non-Marxist view of the facts which leads to these revisionist ideas. What our objectivists are saying, with their message history is on our side, is this: look at the big struggles taking place, add them together without analysing them, go on your impressions of their significance, and add all these togetherand you have the facts. Colonial revolutions are successful here, and successful there, and in another place; then the success of the colonial revolution is a fact. Nationalist leaders like Nkrumah and Mboya and Nasser make anti-imperialist speeches and even carry out nationalizations; this suggests that history is tending irreversibly and inexorably to force non-proletarian politicians in a socialist direction. But objectivism of this kind is a collection of impressions and not a rich dialectical analysis of the whole picture, with the parts related to one another. A truly objective analysis begins from the economic relations between classes on a world scale and within nations. It proceeds through an analysis of the relations between the needs of these classes and their consciousness and organization. On these it bases its programme for the working class internationally and in each national sector. A list of the progressive forces is not an objective analysis! It is the opposite, i.e., simply a collection of surface impressions, an acceptance of the existing unscientific consciousness of the contemporary class struggle as held by the participants, primarily by petty-bourgeois politicians who lead the national movements and bureaucratized labour movements. To overlay this theoretical blunder by suggesting that Castro and others are natural Marxists serves only to confirm that the theorists concerned are little aware of how far they have gone. They seem to suggest that the periods of maximum revolutionary tension are those when the participants in mass struggle arrive easily and spontaneously at revolutionary concepts. On the contrary, it is precisely at such times that there is a premium on scientific consciousness, on the theory and strategy developed in struggle over a long period.[ 36 ] The SLL utilized Hansens defense of the empiricist methodfalsely identifying empiricism systematically carried out with Marxismto further expose the unprincipled character of the SWPs opportunist policies. It revealed the historical and class foundations of the anti-Marxist philosophical method it used as its basis. In March 1963, the SLL published Opportunism and Empiricism, signed also by Slaughter. It declared: Hansen leads the tendency which calls for unification with a revisionist tendency on the basis of purely practical political agreement on immediate tasks. From this point of view he rejects an examination of the history of the split and of the differences between the tendencies What is the methodical basis of Hansens approach here? The dominant question for him is always what will work best?asked always from the narrow perspective of immediate political appearances.[ 37 ] The SLL laid down the fundamental differences separating Marxism from the objectivist method that united the SWP and the Pabloites: All this argument that the facts are the objective reality and that we must start from there is a preparation to justify policies of adaptation to non-working class leaderships. Empiricism, since it starts with the facts, can never get beyond them and must accept the world as it is. This bourgeois method of thought views the world from the standpoint of the isolated individual in civil society. Instead of taking the objective situation as a problem to be solved in the light of the historical experience of the working class, generalized in the theory and practice of Marxism, it must take the facts as they come. They are produced by circumstances beyond our control. Marxism arms the working class vanguard in its fight for the independent action of the Labour movement; empiricism adapts it to the existing set-up, to capitalism and its agencies in the working class organizations.[ 38 ] The British Trotskyists had established the essence of the conception of the new reality that served as the basis for the reunification of the SWP with the Pabloites. It was the justification of and adaptation to the bourgeois reality and continuation of the domination of the world by imperialism. Conclusion As the reunification was consummated, Healy wrote a final letter to the National Committee of the SWP. As North observed, it provided a scathing review of the fraud and deceit which attended the convening of the SWP-Pabloite reunification congress. But it was in the concluding paragraphs of the letter that Healys contempt for the political betrayal of the SWP found its most biting expression.[ 39 ] Healy wrote: Of course you have no time for the sectarian SLL. Our comrades in the ranks and in the leadership fight day in and day out against reformism and Stalinism in the best traditions of the Trotskyist movement. But they do not yet speak to tens of thousands at public meetings like Ben Bella, Castro and the so-called Ceylon May Day meeting. In your eyes we are merely small, ultra-left fry... It took you some time. (As the saying goes Those who come late to Christ come hardest.) It is approximately 12 years since George Clarke joined forces with Pablo and published the message of the infamous Third Congress in the Militant and what was at that time the magazine Fourth International. You failed to understand Pablo at that time, and then we had the split of 1953. Cannon hailed this split with the words that we were never going back to Pabloism. Until recently he has been a really stubborn convert to Pabloism. But at last you have made it. You now have allies all over the place, from Fidel Castro, to Philip Gunawardene and Pablo. We want to say only one thing and in this our congress was unanimous. We are proud of the stand which our organization has taken against such a disgraceful capitulation to the most reactionary forces as that to which the majority leadership of your party has fully succumbed.[ 40 ] What is left of the new forces and the blunted instruments, these facts that the SWP and the Pabloites claimed had overcome the fundamental pillars of the Fourth International? They have proved themselves completely unable to free either their own countries or any other part of the world from capitalism. Obeying the fundamental laws of the Permanent Revolution already verified by Trotsky, those bourgeois and petty-bourgeois leaderships have betrayed and disarmed the working class, preparing the path for fascistic military dictatorships and the reestablishment of balance within imperialism. The political price of the Pabloite opportunism was paid in the blood of hundreds of thousands of youth, workers and peasants that either followed their orientation to disastrous guerrilla struggles or were victimized by the defeats it produced. In a series of articles written over the course of the past year, the Slovenian pop philosopher, cynic and Stalin worshipper, Slavoj Zizek, has emerged as one of the most virulent advocates of the US and NATOs proxy war against Russia. Slavoj Zizek in 2015 [Photo by Amrei-Marie / CC BY 4.0 In an article for Project Syndicate entitled The Dark Side of Neutrality (Feb 17, 2023), Zizek denounced the principled stance taken against the NATO war by Roger Waters who stated in a speech to the United Nations Security Council: The Russian invasion of Ukraine was not unprovoked, so I also condemn the provocateurs in the strongest possible terms.... Not one more Ukrainian or Russian life is to be spent, not one, they are all precious in our eyes. So the time has come to speak truth to power. This is all too much for Zizek who, in an article in Die Welt (June 20), even went so far as to call for nuclear weapons for Ukraine. He wrote: One should not forget that Ukraine gave up all nuclear weapons to Russia when the Soviet Union disintegrated, with the promise that its borders would be recognised by Russia - would it not now have the right to get nuclear weapons (again)? Why is this obvious solution dismissed with horror even by those paying lip service to defending Ukraine?'. Now, just a week ago, in an article in Britains right wing New Statesman magazine (14.08.2023) titled Ukraine must go to war with itself Zizek openly articulates his fears that the much heralded, spring military offensive by Ukraine is failing badly. According to Zizek, European powers, including what he describes as the European left, must redouble their efforts to prevent a shattering defeat for the Ukrainian forces. As is usually the case with his work, Zizeks article is a combination of distortions, dissimulations, non-sequiturs and lies. Zizek complains that Those of us who stand firmly behind Ukraine worry about the fatigue of the West: as the war drags on, will the countries which support Ukraine gradually tire of the permanent emergency state and the material sacrifices demanded of them? The problem, according to Zizek, is an unholy alliance of the extreme right and extreme left (which he never properly identifies) espousing propaganda arguing in favour of: abstract pacifism (we need peace, the suffering has to stop at any cost); a balanced view of the war (NATOs eastward expansion provoked Russia and forced it to counterattack); and the need to protect our own national welfare (why should we give billions to Ukraine, a country run by corrupt oligarchs, when we have deep economic and problems of our own). Even more serious than the war weariness of the west, Zizek complains, is growing fatigue on the part of the Ukrainian population, which has paid the highest price in the war. Having been bombarded with propaganda by NATO and western politicians that Ukraine is conducting the good fight against corruption and for democracy, the Ukrainian working class observes on a daily basis how corruption continues to flourish while the countrys wealthy elite and their families flee abroad to protect their fortunes and avoid military service. To counteract these problems and avoid collapse in the war Zizek calls for the building of a truly united front against the common enemy. Zizek demands that leftists and also female recruits who have encountered discrimination as members of the Ukrainian military fully subordinate themselves to the nationalist and fascist elements leading the army. Appealing directly to identity politics he declares that only a wide popular front in which there is a place for everyone from LGBT+ individuals to the leftists who oppose the Russian aggression can save Ukraine. Sitting in the comfort of his academic lodgings in London and his flat in Ljubljana, Zizek is quite content to justify the slaughter of tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian recruits in a war which was incontestably provoked by the US and NATO in a land which, prior to the war, stood high in the world list of most corrupt countries and remains wracked by corruption. At the same time Zizek turns a blind eye to the various parties and groupings in Ukraine which have valiantly opposed the war and have been subsequently ruthlessly censured and repressed by the Zelensky government. Acknowledging in his latest article that his own political trajectory is coming under increasing scrutiny, Zizek lies about his past in Slovenia, claiming that he was a victim of the the nationalist right which had always castigated secular left opponents of the communist regime, as suspect, secret agents of the old communists. Far from being a secular left opponent of the communist regime Zizek quit the Slovenian Communist Party in 1988 and joined the pro-capitalist, secessionist Liberal Democracy of Slovenia (LDS) prior to the collapse of the Stalinist bloc. In 1990 Zizek ran as LDS candidate in elections to fill the four-person presidency of Slovenia, finishing fifth and losing a position by a narrow margin. The LDS led coalition governments from 1992 to 2004 and were instrumental in implementing capitalist shock therapy economic policies in Slovenia following its secession from Yugoslavia. Zizek continued to support the party throughout this period as he developed his relations with Stalinist and pseudo-left forces in Paris. Zizek ends his article with the ludicrous claim that NATOs war in Ukraine can be compared to the French Revolution and European partisans opposing fascism in the Second World War. Zizek turns history on its head. Not least because the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, General Valerii Zaluzhnyi, is an acolyte of the Ukrainian fascist leader Stepan Bandera. His latest screed for the Statesman confirms Zizeks role as an opportunist shill for NATO. Offering his services to the Zelensky government, Zizek urges his dwindling band of supporters to take up arms for a final battle which can only end in the deaths of many more thousands. Zizeks political lurch to the right and emergence as a slavish supporter of NATOs proxy war against Russia is a direct response to the developing mass mobilisations of the working class world-wide. His response in the past to clashes between working-class youth and the forces of the state has always been to line up with the state. Against a background of intensifying conflict across the globe, past experience indicates that Zizeks passage into right-wing and extreme right politics will only accelerate in the coming period. On Friday, the last of the 19 defendants in the Georgia election interference case turned themselves in for arrest at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. Eighteen of the 19 defendants, which include ex-President Donald Trump, his White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, attorneys Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis and Kenneth Chesebro and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark, have all posted bonds ranging from $100,000 to $200,000. The only defendant charged in the sprawling RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) case who has not posted bond is Harrison Floyd, the leader of Black Voices for Trump. Floyd, who did not negotiate a bond prior to his arrest, remains in detention at the jail as of this writing. In response to a motion for a speedy trial filed by former Trump lawyer Kenneth Chesebro, one of the architects of the fraudulent elector scheme, Georgia state Judge Scott McAfee set an October 23, 2023 trial date for the Trump co-conspirator. Last week, CNN broadcast photos and videos showing Chesebro marching outside the Capitol on January 6 with Alex Jones. Jones, along with Roger Stone and Ali Alexander, served as liaisons between the Trump White House and right-wing militias, such as the Oath Keepers, the Proud Boys and the III Percenters. In the lead-up to the coup and for over 12 years prior, Jones, who has not been charged for his actions on January 6, regularly hosted convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes on his fascistic program InfoWars. Rhodes is one of six Oath Keepers who have been found guilty of seditious conspiracy for their actions in furtherance of the coup. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Both the federal Justice Department and the Georgia state prosecutions of Trump and a section of his accomplices for conspiring to overthrow the 2020 election and illegally retain power are entirely warranted. One critical question is why the Biden administration and the Democratic Party authorities in Fulton County waited more than two-and-a-half years to indict would-be dictator Trump and his cronies. In Georgia, Trump and his lawyers illegally filed false documents, intimidated election workers, broke into voting machines and threatened elected officials, most of which was carried out in broad daylight both before and after the November 2020 election. Moreover, the indictment in Georgia and the earlier indictment filed by Special Counsel Jack Smith are deliberately constructed to cover up the links between the violence at the Capitol on January 6 and the widespread and active support Trumps coup had within the police and military, not to mention the US Supreme Court (Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas) and among Republican elected officials. None of the numerous high-level Pentagon, police and intelligence officials who were complicit in the attempted overthrow of the Constitution and imposition of a Trump dictatorship, including by delaying for more than three hours the deployment of D.C. National Guard troops to the Capitol, have been indicted, and their roles are never mentioned in the wall-to-wall media commentary on the cases against Trump. Recently uncovered internal US Secret Service emails published by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) shed more light on the close ties between the militia elements that stormed the Capitol and the agency charged with protecting the president. On August 23, CREW published emails that show that as early as September 15, 2020, Secret Service agents were talking on the phone with Stewart Rhodes. Stewart Rhodes, founder of the extreme-right Oath Keepers, speaks during a rally outside the White House in Washington on June 25, 2017. [AP Photo/Susan Walsh] In an email dated September 15, 2020, which was sent by one agent to others in the agency, the emails author wrote that he had had a phone call with Rhodes today, and that Rhodes was planning to have security details in Fayetteville for POTUS supporters. The message continued: He had specific questions and wanted to liaison with our personnel. His cell phone is [redacted]. Reflecting the cordial relationship between the Secret Service and the militia group, the agent began the email by noting that he was the unofficial liaison to the Oath Keepers (inching towards official). As early as 2015, the Anti-Defamation League characterized the Oath Keepers as anti-government extremists, whose members were involved in criminal incidents. Beginning with the 2014 police murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, Oath Keepers have repeatedly intimidated anti-police violence protesters by showing up to protests in body armor and wielding semi-automatic rifles. Yet, in the September 15, 2020 email, the Secret Service agent gave no indication he was aware of, or cared about, the Oath Keepers violent tendencies. Instead he wrote that the Oath Keepers are primarily retired law enforcement/former military members who are very pro-LEO [Law Enforcement Officer] and Pro Trump. Their stated purpose is to provide protection and medical attention to Trump supporters if they come under attack by leftist groups. Subsequent emails demonstrate the lengths the agency went to whitewash the far-right politics of the militia group. A separate email written by another Secret Service agent the following day, September 16, wrote of having just spoken on the phone with Rhodes and that [Rhodes] desire is to assist those attending the [Fayetteville pro-Trump] event [to] make it to and from their cars safely. The agent wrote that Rhodes and the Oath Keepers were NOT there to demonstrate or push a political agenda. He then requested that the recipient of the email conduct social media analysis on the groups and provide any information regarding their plans to attend the event. In response, another agent wrote that General searches revealed news articles that touched on the background of the founder Stewart Rhodes and the group. The agent wrote that Rhodes has denounced White Nationalist ideals while sharing his dislike for ANTIFA. He later added that the group claims it is a local community response team for natural or civil disorders. The uncovering of these emails by CREW is the latest proof that the near-success of Trumps coup cannot be attributed to the few hundred fascists and smaller number of organized far-right militia forces who stormed the Capitol, but the fact that these elements were supported and given free rein to operate by high-level security elements within the US government, including the Secret Service. In the course of the trials of Oath Keeper insurrectionists last year, one defendant, John Zimmerman, turned states evidence and testified that Rhodes frequently communicated with Secret Service agents using his cell phone, beginning in September 2020. In her book Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service, Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post described Secret Service agents on January 6 wearing red caps and cheering on the attack on the Capitol. Following the coup, Leonnig wrote that one Secret Service officer called the armed protesters patriots seeking to undo an illegitimate election. Leonnig described then-US Secret Service Assistant Director Tony Ornato as being extremely close to Trump and one of his yes-men. Trump made the highly unusual move of appointing Ornato, while still holding his Secret Service post, to be his deputy White House chief of staff for operations. The decision of President Joe Biden, the Democratic Party and the now-defunct House Select Committee to obscure the critical role of the security agencies and the Pentagon in Trumps coup is part of a deliberate policy. It is the result of a combination of political cowardice and complicity. Both before, during and after the attempted coup, the Democrats sought to downplay the danger to the democratic rights of the American people precisely because it is rooted in the mortal crisis of American and world capitalism. The ruling class has no answer to the crisis other than imperialist war and ever more brutal attacks on the social conditions and rights of the working class. Under conditions of an escalating war against nuclear-armed Russia and open preparations for war against China, another nuclear power, and a growing movement of the working class against social inequality and falling living standards, the Democrats work deliberately to politically disarm the masses. That is why from the outset Biden and the Democrats have advanced the one-man coup narrative. This fiction, made official in the final report issued by the Democratic-controlled House Select Committee, attributes the attempted coup entirely to Trump and a few enablers. This false narrative, the WSWS wrote last year, underscores the committees political goal of marginalizing Trump while exonerating key institutions of the capitalist state that were implicated in the conspiracy and continue to plot against the democratic rights of the population. This effort at cover-up and deception is driven principally by the foreign policy and war aims of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party, which, in Bidens words, desire a strong Republican Party to pursue a bipartisan policy of confrontation and war against Russia and China. Amazon Labor Union rally outside the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York, August 19, 2023 This past Saturday, August 19, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) at Amazons JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, New York, held what was supposed to be the unions first mass membership meeting. It was nothing of the sort. As the World Socialist Web Site wrote before the event, The union leaderships goals are not to listen to workers concerns and develop a fighting strategy but to prop up its deteriorating authority and mitigate the acute crisis in which it finds itself. The meeting took place down the block from the bus stop across from JFK8 in the form of a rally with a line-up of Democratic politicians and union presidents speaking. It began several hours after it was supposed to and was attended by only around 30 to 40 ALU organizers and supporters, joined by trade union officials from the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The AFT donated $250,000 to the ALU in 2022, according to public Department of Labor records. The meager crowd gathered to hear ALU President Chris Smalls; Democratic New York State Senator Jessica Ramos; Democratic New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, who chairs the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee; Stacy Davis Gates, president of the Chicago Teachers Union and vice president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers; Democratic politician Nina Turner and SAG-AFTRA actor Joseph Sikora. No rank-and-file workers spoke, and workers coming off of their shift at the same time paid no attention to the event, except to grab a plate of food being offered. The ALU event was not live-streamed for workers, and following it, a recording of the meeting was never posted online nor minutes or any summary shared with the ALU membership. The ALU merely tweeted, We would like to give a special shoutout to everyone who attended our mass membership meeting yesterday including our incredible speakers. To hold such an event in the name of a mass membership meeting without attempting to even invite workers waiting for the bus a mere 100 feet away shows that this event was a sham. In Smalls remarks, he praised his executive board for being primarily made up of women of color. However, he did not mention that the board is unelected or that the ALU currently is facing a lawsuit over its delay of its leadership elections. Smalls said that the ALU will continue to work with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to get a contract, which the union still does not have well over a year after it won union recognition at the facility. He also stressed the need for raising funds, especially voluntary worker dues. In the only new post the ALU made on social media on Saturday, it asked workers for dues money: We can not sustain the fight for a fair contract without voluntary Member Dues! Stop by the Dues table today! During her speech, Jessica Ramos praised the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, which she sponsored and was recently signed into law by New York Governor Kathy Hochul. However, the bill does nothing to stop companies from establishing brutal work quotas or prevent them from firing workers if they fail to meet those quotas, as long as they are previously disclosed. In the brief clips of the other speakers posted on the ALUs social media, the event continued, heaping much praise on both the ALU and the established trade unions. When the event was first announced more than a month ago via livestream, Smalls and ALU Vice-President Michelle Valentin-Nieves said: This is going to be very special. Because its not only going to be our first onewere doing it kind of different. Were actually going to do it at the location, at the warehouse we know that we got to meet workers where theyre at, and where theyre at is at work, especially when youre working at Amazon 40, 50, 60 hours a week. We want to catch the majority of our members. JFK8 has over 8,000 warehouse workers unionized by the ALU, but the union did nothing to build for the event. Organizers did not even try to get workers who were waiting at the bus stop right next to the rally to attend while it was taking place. The only ones interacting with rank-and-file workers at the bus stop were members of a team from the World Socialist Web Site and International Amazon Workers Voice. The team distributed copies of the statement: Amazon JFK8 workers at a crossroads: Which way forward? The campaigners also raised the broader situation in the logistics industry, including the UPS contract struggle. The following Tuesday, the Teamsters union declared the national contract for 340,000 UPSers ratified, drawing skepticism and anger from workers. The team spoke to workers about their working conditions, their demands and the need for workers to organize themselves to fight against the rapidly coalescing bureaucracy emerging in ALU. A different path of struggle was put forward from the one down the block, oriented to the broader working class instead of the Democratic Party and AFL-CIO bureaucracy. Out of the dozens of workers WSWS reporters spoke to at the bus stop, only one said they thought they had even seen something about the ALU event but could not remember what it was. None knew it was supposed to be a mass membership meeting for workers. A worker who had been at JFK8 for several years had only scorn for the ALUIts a joke, she said. The union only hands out free doodads but isnt waging a fight. Another worker said that nothing had changed since the ALU had been elected and they had no confidence in it. One worker asked the WSWS campaigners what was going on with the ALU and their contract since, explaining they had not heard anything this year. This was the typical sentiment of workers with whom the WSWS spoke. Workers also discussed their conditions and demands. One worker said that she had been working at Amazon for four years. I hate it, she said, adding that it is unbearably hot inside the warehouse in the summer. Theyve put up fans, but they dont make it any more comfortable. She also said that it was very difficult for pregnant workers to take maternity leave. She did not have confidence in the ALU because conditions had not changed. Her friend had just been fired by Amazon, which is still a common occurrence since the ALU was voted in. Another worker expressed his disdain for Amazons TOT (Time Off Task) surveillance system, which penalizes workers for even taking bathroom breaks. Its ridiculous, he said. He agreed that workers need to discuss their demands themselves and build power on the shop floor, rather than have Democrats and union officials give speeches to workers. An event titled An Island at the Center of World History: Leon Trotsky on Prinkipo was held on Sunday, August 20 on Prinkipo, a Turkish island in the Sea of Marmara. The event, which was organized on the 90th anniversary of Trotskys departure from Prinkipo (known as Buyukada in Turkey), commemorated the four years he spent there between 1929 and 1933 after his forced exile from the Soviet Union by the Stalinist regime. The meeting also coincided with the 83rd anniversary of Trotskys assassination by an agent of the Soviet secret police in 1940. Mayor Erdem Gul of the Adalar Municipality opened the event with a welcoming speech. Professor of history Mehmet O. Alkan served as moderator and made a short introductory speech. The main speakers at the meeting were David North, chairman of the WSWS International Editorial Board; Eric London, member of the WSWS Editorial Board; and Ulas Atesci, editor of Mehring Publishing in Turkey and leading member of the Socialist Equality Group. Ulas Atesci, David North, Dr. Mehmet Alkan and Eric London More than 160 people were in attendance in-person, and the live stream has attracted approximately 2,000 viewers from all over the world. There was a palpable sense among all those in attendance that this was an event of both historical and contemporary political significance. The renewed awareness that Prinkipo had provided refuge for a gigantic figure in 20th century history interacted with the realization that the commemoration of Trotskys exile is acutely related to the current state of the world. The most striking characteristic of Trotskys life was the extraordinary degree to which his personal fate was entwined in the vicissitudes of the class struggle on a global scale. In his autobiography, written during the first year of his exile on Prinkipo, Trotsky remarked: I know no personal tragedy. I know the change of two chapters of the revolution. In the first of the chapters to which Trotsky was referring that is, the chapter of revolutionary upsurge the movement of the masses had raised Trotsky, within the space of a year, to the pinnacle of power, from an apartment in the Bronx to the Kremlin in Moscow. The second chapter, marked by a decline in the revolution, reversed the trajectory of Trotskys life as a revolutionary leader, from power to exile. In the history of the socialist movement, what is the content of the present chapter that imparts to the island of Prinkipo a renewed revolutionary significance? The event both reflected and gave highly conscious political expression to the objective change in the relationship between Trotskyism and the international working class. It builds on the decades-long political struggle of the world Trotskyist movement, led by the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI), against Stalinism, social democracy, bourgeois nationalism and Pabloite revisionism. Leon Trotsky at his desk in Prinkipo When Trotsky landed in Turkey in February 1929, the Soviet and international working class was in political retreat, of which Trotskys exile was the most acute expression. The Stalinist bureaucracy, basing itself on and instigating a nationalist reaction against the socialist internationalism of the October Revolution of 1917, had usurped power from the working class in the Soviet Union. The strategy of world socialist revolution that had guided the October Revolution under the leadership of Lenin and Trotsky was replaced by the program of socialism in one country, which represented the interests of the Stalinist bureaucracy. The defeat of Trotsky and the Left Opposition, which had been formed in 1923, was in essence a political expression of the temporary retreat of the international revolutionary upsurge of the working class that began with the October Revolution of 1917. The rise of Stalinism and the continuing influence of Social Democracy, which exerted the pressure of imperialism on the Soviet Union and the international workers movement, had the same objective basis. The German Revolution of 1923 was defeated, while the British General Strike of 1926 and the Chinese Revolution of 1925-27 ended in disaster, all as a result of the destructive policies of the Comintern under Stalin. The world economic depression that began with the Wall Street crash of 1929 led to the radicalization of the working class on an international scale. But the betrayals of the dominant Stalinist and Social Democratic labor leaderships led to a series of further major defeats and disasters. As David North explained in his speech in Prinkipo, the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany in 1933, made possible by the disastrous policies of the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the German Communist Party (KPD), was the greatest defeat suffered by the German and international working class. This was followed by the betrayals and defeats in France and Spain and the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. The historic betrayal of the Stalinist Comintern in Germany led Trotsky, while in Prinkipo, to call for the building of the Fourth International in 1933. Despite the catastrophic defeats of the international working class in the 1920s and 1930s, the founding of the Fourth International in 1938 under Trotskys leadership preserved the political continuity of the Marxist movement. The second half of the 1930s also witnessed the Great Terror in the Soviet Union, as Eric London summarized in his presentation. A significant part of the political, intellectual and cultural vanguard of socialists, deeply rooted in the working class, was wiped out by the Stalinist bureaucracy. This political genocide culminated in the assassination of Trotsky by an agent of Stalin on August 20, 1940, and his death the following day. The revolutionary movement of the working class that erupted in Europe in the final years of World War II was crushed by the Stalinist bureaucracy. Under conditions of the re-stabilization of capitalism with the help of Moscow and the establishment of new Stalinist regimes in Eastern Europe and China, the power of Stalinism seemed unshakable. A tendency within the Fourth International, led by Michel Pablo and Ernest Mandel, adapted to these conditions by attributing a revolutionary role to Stalinism and arguing that Trotskyists should liquidate themselves by joining Stalinist, social democratic or bourgeois nationalist parties. It was James P. Cannon, leader of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) in the United States, who in 1953 opposed Pabloite revisionism and called for the creation of the International Committee, which saved the Fourth International from liquidation. In the decades that followed, the attacks on Trotskyism by the Stalinist and social democratic parties and various petty-bourgeois radical movements were aided and abetted by Pabloite revisionism. While all these forces worked hand-in-hand to isolate and destroy the Trotskyist movement, the International Committee tirelessly defended the historical foundations of the Fourth International for decades. The International Committees 1975 investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Trotsky, Security and the Fourth International, was a milestone in the historic struggle to defend Trotsky and Trotskyism. This investigation, succinctly outlined by Eric London, was essentially a counteroffensive of the Trotskyist movement against the bourgeois states and the agents of the Stalinist bureaucracy, ending the decades-long conspiracy of silence surrounding the assassination of Trotsky. As London noted: For the first time, a systematic investigation was conducted into the penetration of the Trotskyist movement by agents of both the GPU and the government of US imperialism. Questions were posed which, had they been asked and investigated decades prior, could have prevented significant damage to the movement and its members and saved or prolonged the lives of the leadership, including Trotskys. The revelations of the ongoing Security investigation and their presentation at Sundays historic event on Prinkipo show how far this counteroffensive, begun in 1975, has gone. In 1985-86, the Pabloite tendency within the International Committee was finally defeated as a result of the split with the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain. This ushered in a renaissance of Trotskyism within the ICFI, laying the basis for the establishment of the Socialist Equality Parties and the World Socialist Web Site. The International Committee upheld Trotskys analysis of the counterrevolutionary character of Stalinism, stressing that the fate of the Soviet Union depended on the Soviet working class seizing power in a political revolution and returning to the 1917 program of world socialist revolution. Otherwise, the bureaucracy would liquidate the USSR and capitalism would be restored. What happened in Eastern Europe, the Soviet Union and China in 1989-1991 proved the correctness of the Marxist analysis and perspective of Trotsky and the International Committee. The past 35 years have not only confirmed the Trotskyist perspective, they have brought a tremendous change in objective conditions around the world. Trotskyism represented the internationalist basis and perspective of Marxism and the October Revolution, while Stalinism, Social Democracy and Pabloism shared a historically obsolete and politically reactionary nationalist perspective. The globalization of capitalist production and the emergence of a gigantic, interconnected working class around the world allowed the political struggle of the International Committee to develop on a much more favorable objective basis. During Trotskys years of exile, the Turkish working class was in swaddling clothes. Today, it is a massive social force concentrated in industrial cities that play a pivotal role in the world economy, alongside a growing number of megacities from Africa to Asia to Latin America. At the same time, the deep crisis of capitalism in historic centers of imperialism is shattering both the economic and political foundations of bourgeois democracy and even the minimal vestiges of social reformism. The working class is being driven into struggle on a titanic scale. Stalinism and Social Democracy, as well as Pabloite revisionism and petty-bourgeois nationalism, which dominated the workers movement until the last decades of the twentieth century, are today, if they even exist, open defenders of capitalism. While the Stalinists liquidated the Soviet Union and the Communist Parties, the Social Democratic parties are indistinguishable from the right-wing parties of the bourgeoisie. The Maoists restored capitalism in China and created a massive source of cheap labor for transnational corporations and the Chinese bourgeoisie. Wherever they are present, the Pabloites try to put a left mask on the right-wing bourgeois parties and play a dirty pro-imperialist and pro-NATO role, as has been clearly seen in the war in Ukraine. All of these organizations, to paraphrase Trotsky, are rotten through and through. The International Committee, which they have sought to isolate and destroy, is gaining strength internationally among workers, youth and intellectuals as the only political representative of Trotskyism, that is, classical Marxism. The Trotskyist movement has entered a new phase of its history, characterized by an intersection between the objective crisis and the program and practice of the International Committee of the Fourth International. The Trotsky commemoration in Prinkipo took place against the backdrop of the escalating capitalist crisis, expressed in the renewed upsurge of imperialist violence that threatens a third world war, an ongoing pandemic that has killed more than 24 million people, a breakdown of democratic forms of rule throughout the world, an escalating ecological catastrophe, and, above all, the growth of the class struggle. Under the impact of mounting anger and social opposition, the ability of the corrupt, nationalist trade union bureaucracies to contain the class struggle is breaking down. In concluding his introductory speech, North expressed his 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. He added that 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 commemoration event on August 20th gave expression to the resurgence and interaction of the global class struggle and the world revolutionary perspective of Trotskyism, the Marxism of the 21st century. David North's remarks at Trotsky commemoration in Prinkipo Join the weekly autoworkers rank-and-file online forum on the 2023 Detroit Three-UAW contract fight, Sundays at 3 p.m. Eastern. Register here to attend. Sign up for text message updates on the Big Three contract fight by texting AUTO to (866) 847-1086. GM Flint workers picketing during the 2019 GM strike Workers at the Detroit Three automakers have voted by 97 percent to authorize strike action in an overwhelming expression of determination by workers to win major advances in wages, benefits and working conditions. The result was announced by the United Auto Workers on Friday, with just three weeks remaining until the expiration of contracts covering 150,000 workers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The near-unanimous strike vote is part of an ongoing eruption of class struggle internationally, from the months-long strike by tens of thousands of writers and actors in the US, to strikes in the airline and transport industries in a number of European countries. Struggles are looming among autoworkers on multiple continents, including the 150,000 Detroit Three workers in the US; another 18,000 autoworkers in Canada whose contracts expire September 18; tens of thousands of VW workers in Germany and other countries who are fighting against mass job cuts; and 150,000 autoworkers and metal workers in Turkey, whose contracts also expire in September. Autoworkers in the US are determined to reverse decades of UAW-enforced concessions, seeking the elimination of tiers and part time work, a massive pay raise and the restoration of pensions, under conditions where the auto companies are making fabulous profits off their labor. The auto companies are no less determined to impose mass job cuts and devastating concessions as they transition to electric vehicle production, and they are again relying on the pro-company UAW apparatus to contain and demobilize the intense opposition built up in the working class. In this vein, the UAW apparatus has held a series of practice pickets outside auto plants led by Fain and other top UAW bureaucrats, accompanied by militant-sounding rhetoric criticizing excessive corporate profits and bloated executive pay. At the same time, the UAW is parading politicians from the big business Democratic Party as the allies of workers in one of the surest signs that the union bureaucracy is preparing a betrayal. At Mack Assembly in Detroit, a few dozen bureaucrats, Democratic Party operatives, including Democratic Congresswoman and Democratic Socialists of America member Rashida Tlaib, and a small number of workers marched around an almost empty strip mall parking lot for about 20 minutes. At a rally at UAW Region 1 headquarters last Sunday, the UAW invited Democratic Congresswoman Haley Stevens as a featured speaker. Stevens was a member of the Obama-Biden administrations 2009 Auto Task Force, which oversaw a brutal restructuring of the auto industry, destroying thousands of jobs, slashing new-hires wages in half, and eliminating cost-of-living raises, among other major concessions. The Teamsters bureaucracy at UPS carried out a similar strike ready campaign, including various stunts such as rallies and practice pickets, in the run-up to the vote earlier this month on a sellout agreement that met none of workers basic demands. The Teamsters claimed a lopsided vote in favor of ratification under a cloud of suspicion among rank-and-file workers. The reality is that nothing can be won without an all-out fight and a direct confrontation with the Biden administration, but that is the last thing that Fain and the UAW bureaucracy want. Instead, Fain, with the help of pseudo-left groups like the Democratic Socialists of America, is attempting to lull workers, telling them to put their trust in a UAW leadership that has betrayed again and again. To prevent the imposition of yet another sellout agreement, workers must prepare now by building the network of rank-and-file committees in every auto plant. Workers seeking a way to fight should participate in the online meeting Sunday, How autoworkers can win their demands in the 2023 UAW contract fight. Fain: Biden is not involved in the contracts In a livestream announcing the strike authorization Friday morning, UAW President Fain again sought to present the union bureaucracy as leading a fight against the companies. UAW President Shawn Fain during a livestream on August 25, 2023 Fain criticized the poverty-level pay of new-hires and temp workers and the elimination of pensions. He also lamented, hypocritically, the terrible impact on family life of the forced seven-day, 12-hour work schedule now in place at many Stellantis plants under the critical status provisions of the UAW contract. In fact, when Stellantis announced it was imposing critical status at Warren Truck, Jefferson Assembly and several other Detroit-area plants, Fain said nothing and did nothing. All the ills decried by the UAW presidentpoverty wage levels, forced overtime and elimination of pensionswere contained in contracts either negotiated or supported by Fain and virtually the entire current UAW leadership. Fainthe former co-director of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Centerwent on to posture as an opponent of the policy of union-management cooperation that he and fellow UAW bureaucrats have pursued for decades, with disastrous results for the lives and living standards of autoworkers. The joint training programs were the conduit for both illegal bribes of union officials and legal transfers of huge sums of corporate cash to the union apparatus. In response to a comment during the livestream opposing Bidens intervention in the contract talks, Fain lyingly claimed that the president was not involved. In fact, just over a week earlier, Fain had issued a groveling letter thanking Biden for his supposed support in the contract process. On Friday afternoon, Biden told reporters that he was talking to UAW leaders, adding, I think there should be a circumstance where workers are displaced and replaced by new jobs, first choice should go to UAW members and the salaries should be commensurate. This is in line with the demand by Fain that the UAW be installed as bargaining agent at the new battery plants being built by the Detroit car companies. As the poverty level interim deal at Ultium Cells demonstrates, the UAW is willing to drop its demand for commensurate wages as long as it can continue to collect union dues from the workforce. Fain went on to make an appeal to the Biden administration to not let labor be left out of the equation, insisting, Labor has to have a seat at the table. Indeed, every action of the Fain leadership is being coordinated with the Biden administration. Both sides are equally determined to strangle the militancy of workers and impose a management-dictated contract as the US escalates the war against Russia and prepares for war against China. The promotion by Fain of the Biden administration, which illegalized a strike by railroad workers and imposed a hated contract on their backs, is the clearest demonstration of the anti-worker character of the whole UAW apparatus and its plans to impose a sellout contract. While the UAWs leadership is in daily contact with the Biden administration on the status of negotiations, the Democrats are doing all in their power to restore a vestige of credibility to the corrupt UAW apparatus. Bidens Department of Labor has sought to whitewash the fraudulent UAW election that installed Shawn Fain in office, which entailed the disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of autoworkers by the UAW apparatus, as documented in a series of official protests by socialist autoworker Will Lehman, who ran for UAW president against both Ray Curry and Fain and received 5,000 votes. Lehman has sued the US Labor Department to demand a rerun of the elections. During the livestream, Fain refused to respond to a question by Lehman about protests by workers at the Flint General Motors plant after management, with the acquiescence of the UAW, kept assembly lines running Thursday night in the midst of a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service. The nervousness and fear of the UAW apparatus at the anger of autoworkers, of which the massive strike vote is just one indication, is shown by the fact that the UAW has publicized a number of popular proposals, including a 40 percent pay increase, the abolition of tiers, COLA, pensions, and a shorter workweek with no loss in pay. A series of recent actions by the UAW belie the claim that the UAW will actually fight for any of workers demands. In opening his remarks, Fain boasted of the interim agreement just reached with Ultium Cells, a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions to make batteries in Lordstown, Ohio, the site of a now closed GM factory. Far from the UAW negotiating pay parity with the national UAW auto contract, the deal raises the pay of Ultium workers, who recently joined the UAW, to the still poverty level of just over $20 an hour. The deal is a further indication that the UAW is abandoning its promise that Ultium workers would be covered under the national auto contracts, and instead will be established as a new tier of workers with substandard pay and benefits. Further exposing Fains bluster, just this past Sunday workers at the Lear Seating plant in Hammond, Indiana voted down a second sellout contract negotiated by the UAW that would leave their wages at the poverty level and greatly increase health care costs. Fain and the UAW International have remained completely silent on the Lear workers rebellion, seeking to isolate the workers and string them out on repeated contract extensions. Earlier this year the UAW sold out a powerful strike by 500 Clarios battery workers in Holland, Ohio by ordering UAW members at the Big Three to install scab batteries produced by strikebreakers hired by management. To prevent a betrayal of their struggle, immediate steps should be taken by autoworkers. Workers must demand and fight for the right to oversee contract negotiations and be provided with daily updates on all information exchanged by the UAW and management. Strike pay should be raised to $750 a week and preparations made to strike the entire Big Three. The fight must be expanded to Canada, Mexico and beyond. Workers must expose and denounce all attempts to pit US workers against their brother and sister workers in other countries. To coordinate and lead this fight, rank-and-file committees must be established at each plant and warehouse, linking up with the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network and the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees. The WSWS Autoworker Newsletter and the Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network are co-hosting a meeting this Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern on how autoworkers can win their demands in the 2023 contract struggle. Register here to attend. On Wednesday, WSWS reporters spoke with workers at Volkswagens main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany about the looming slash-and-burn cost-cutting scheme at the German car company. Under the Accelerate ForwardRoad to 6.5 agenda, profit margins are to be more than doubled and a strict savings and cutbacks program is to be imposed on all divisions. At stake are 30,000 jobs. The VW Executive Board and Supervisory Board are working closely with the state government of Lower Saxony and the federal coalition government of the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP), with the support of the Group Works Council and the IG Metall union bureaucracy. As reported by the World Socialist Web Site, the latter has kept the workforce completely in the dark about the content of their consultations with management, which are being held behind closed doors. They intend to present the workers with a fait accompli. But there is growing resistance within the workforce. Klaus* told a WSWS reporter: Theres no question about it: Youre presented with a fait accompli. We dont get any information at all down here. Quite honestly, you get the feeling of having almost no influence on whats happening. It used to be a give and take. But today its just take. The works councils and unions arent what they used to be. ... Those who can, simply help themselves. That has to be changed. Lets get to it. WSWS reporters talk to VW workers in Wolfsburg, Germany WSWS reporters spoke with workers about building independent rank-and-file committees, such as those already established at the German railroad company, in public services, at the postal service, and internationally in many other sectors, so as to counter the unions systematic class collaboration with the employers. They distributed a leaflet warning against the mendacious role of Daniela Cavallo, chairwoman of the general works council. Arne, an older worker, said thoughtfully while reading the flyer, Basically, these plans have been known for a long time. But you never get the details. Its really a conspiracy. The people at the top all communicate with each other. There are supervisory board members who dont only sit at VW but have seats on the chemical industry boards, too. They coordinate everything with each other. Its a whole different world. And not only that! The government is providing hundreds of millions of euros in subsidies to build VW factories in China. Where does the money go? Certainly not to the people who work there. A WSWS reporter added that the German government is currently arming the military with hundreds of billions of euros and demanding that workers pay for it. In China, as in Germany, VW workers are exploited by the same family of owners, he said. Rank-and-file committees should unite workers of all nationalities and professions. To this Arne replied approvingly. Thats right, everyone should be unitedthats a nice thought. Decades ago, there was a campaign under the slogan: On Saturdays Daddy belongs to me! Things were really happening. Even in the 80s, there was something like that, and it worked. Today, he says, it would be unthinkable for IG Metall to do anything of the sort. Rank-and-file committees should consist of trustworthy colleagues and unite workers across all borders in a common struggle against this slash-and-burn. They must be composed of the most trusted workers and be independent of the trade union and works council apparatus. Their first task must be to fight the attempts of the works council and union to divide the company workforce and to expose all of the secret negotiations with corporate management and the government. Exactly, no secret negotiations! said an older production worker, who also expressed his deep distrust of the union bureaucracy. It is not okay that you either dont hear anything or hear it too late to do anything about it. And you cant know if theyre negotiating in our interest or not. I have the impression that they just want to have their peace. They dont care what happens to the rest of us. This is no longer the union that we had after the war... Another VW worker took a WSWS reporter aside to talk to him out of view of the surveillance camera, saying, The works council is getting all of this. They look at whos taking a flyer and make a note of it. Sonja, who has only recently started working in the plants canteen, also criticized the secret consultations between the works councils and management. When something takes place in secret, its always strange and you know something isnt right. Rank-and-file committees, open to all employees of the Volkswagen Group, including subcontractors and service providers, sound great to me, she continued. Its the right thing to do. Its one company: What applies to some should apply to all. Antonio (late 30s) also works in catering for the Groups service company, Volkswagen Group Services, but wants to move on as soon as possible, away from here. He said, I havent heard about these plans yet. That would affect us too. When electric cars come, a lot of people wont be needed here anymore, I expect. I think that is also the reason why the new factory was never built. I think a lot of people here feel safe and tell themselves theyve got a job for life. But as youve seen in the last few years, nothing is certain in this life except death. Antonio was referring to the profit-before-lives policy of world governments that led to the coronavirus pandemic taking the lives of more than 20 million people. Another younger worker criticized the audacity with which Volkswagen and other major German corporations raked in unprecedented government subsidies during the height of the pandemic and then paid out billions in dividends to their shareholders. As COVID-19 once again resurges, the war in Ukraine continues, a conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people on both sides and is being systematically fueled by the imperialist powers of the NATO alliance to bring Russia and Ukraine under Western control. Oleksandra*, who comes from Ukraine and works as an intern at VW, spoke about her experiences. In Ukraine, corruption is omnipresent. My father is the owner of a small business, and as such he had to pay bribes or protection money to authorities and the police in order to survive economically at all. When the war started, my mother and I fled abroad. It is not worth dying for this country and this government, we said to ourselves. But my father was not allowed to leave Ukraine, like all the other men. He tried to help in the civil defense so he wouldnt be sent to the front. Oleksandra is critical of the policies of all the governments involved and said, I also think that this war is about control and exploitation. You cant compare the situation one-to-one with World War IIWe have some rights today. But Ukrainian refugees are exploited here in Germany. Here in the company, for example, they only give me tasks that no one else wants to do and where I dont learn anything. I worked in a startup before. I learned a lot more there. She has already started learning about the Nazi roots of the VW Group and the family that owns it. I know that VW profited from forced labor during World War II. Polish and Belarusian people in particular were exploited here, and many died. The restructuring and slashing program will massively intensify exploitation at Volkswagen and put all the gains of past struggles at risk. We call on VW workers, regardless of nationality, union affiliation or occupational group, to contact us and start building rank-and-file committees to fight back against these imminent attacks. * Name changed by the editors The Virginia Department of Health has issued an advisory against swimming at Aquia Creek in Stafford County following a sewage leak from a broken main. The main has been repaired, but health officials are testing the creek to make sure it isnt contaminated. The sewer force main break occurred several hundred feet from the waterway near Aquia Drive, the Rappahannock Area Health District said in a news release Friday. The swimming advisory is being released out of an abundance of caution until results from water testing are available. The duration of the swimming advisory will be adjusted based on these results. The department of health is working with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Stafford County utilities department to assess the impact, Brent McCord, environmental health manager for the Rappahannock Area Health District, said in the release. He noted that there are marinas and private access spots along Aquia Creek, and the advisory is being issued to prevent any possible illness due to the sewage release. The health department said people should avoid the creek from the crossing of Aquia Drive to Government Island, warning against swimming, wading, tubing and stand-up paddleboarding. Boating and fishing should be OK. Anyone who is exposed to the creek water should wash with soap and water, and anyone experiencing health issues after creek exposure should seek medical attention. Join the weekly autoworkers rank-and-file online forum on the 2023 Detroit Three-UAW contract fight, Sundays at 3 p.m. Eastern. Register here to attend. Sign up for text message updates on the Detroit Three contract fight by texting AUTO to (866) 847-1086. GM-LG Ultium Cells battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio After pledging that autoworkers at the Ultium Cells plant near Youngstown, Ohio, would be part of the national agreement between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Detroit Three automakers, the UAW announced late Thursday that they have worked out a separate deal with the company that would reportedly set wages for workers at the plant to just over $20 an hour. Currently the starting wage at the plant is only $16.50 an hour, and workers have reported that the turnover rate is 50 percent. According to the UAW, the deal would raise wages $3-4 an hour. While the UAW is promoting this agreement as a breakthrough and a victory, it will set a new poverty standard for all the EV battery operations. In fact, the nearly 1,200 autoworkers at the plant will be earning less than two-thirds of the already depressed wages of their counterparts at the Detroit Three (Ford, GM and Stellantis) and just a few dollars an hour more than what most people working at fast food restaurants or convenience stores earn. The announcement of the deal at Ultium comes as anger and opposition are mounting quickly among 150,000 UAW members at the Detroit Three in advance of their September 14 UAW contract expirations. On Friday, the UAW announced that Detroit Three workers had voted by 97 percent to authorize a strike, a sign of the overwhelming determination of autoworkers to reverse the decades of concessions granted by the UAW bureaucracy to the corporations. In addition to low wages, workers at the Ultium plant have reported to the World Socialist Web Site horrendous conditions at the plant, including working around hazardous chemicals without proper training or protective equipment; abusive treatment by management; and irregular work schedules, varying between seven-day workweeks and frequent early dismissals due to parts shortages. The company and the union are seeking to push through the deal without a full contract being signed. A vote by the membership is set for Sunday. Workers are being pressured into voting for the contract with the promise that the pay raise will be retroactive, meaning some workers will receive bonuses of $3,000 or more. Workers at Ultium should vote no on Sunday and reject the UAW bureaucracys poverty-wage deal. No faith can be placed in the claims of Fain and other UAW officials that they will fight for higher wages at some undetermined point in the future. The UAW under Fain sold out the 40-day strike of Clarios lead-acid battery workers in Ohio earlier this year, forcing them to vote repeatedly on a contract with an insulting 3 percent raise, which opened the door to 12-hour workdays. For workers at Ultium to be able to conduct a struggle for far higher wages, benefits, and safe working conditions, rank-and-file committees of workers on the shop floor are needed. A rank-and-file committee at Ultium would provide workers with a means to draw up a list of their own demands and link up their struggle with workers throughout the auto and auto parts industries. In a move to save face, UAW President Shawn Fain is calling this an interim agreement and pledging that the UAW will still work to get a full contract. The interim agreement again makes clear that the UAW bureaucracy is willing to accept substandard wages and benefits for workers at the EV battery plants, despite its earlier claims that it was seeking to bring these workers under the Detroit Threes national contracts. The UAW stated it is still negotiating with Ultium Cells over health and safety contract language, which it says is expected soon. Such provisions have little to do with safety and more to do with setting up corporatist joint labor-management programs, which provide a lucrative source of additional income and privileges for union bureaucrats. Ultium Cells is a joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solutions to produce batteries for GMs electric vehicles produced in North America. In addition to the plant in Lordstown, Ohio, which started full production earlier this year, the company is building plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee and Lansing, Michigan. The Spring Hill plant is set to begin production later this year, and the Lansing plant is supposed to come online in the fall of 2024. Last year, General Motors announced that it had reached an agreement with the UAW that the company would not oppose the unionization of workers at the Lordstown Ultium plant. Far from seeing the UAW bureaucracy as an adversary, GMs management understood that it is an essential partner in managing workers. The UAW has in essence promised GM a more stable and disciplined low-paid workforce in exchange for the dues checkoff. Both Ford and GM have now set up joint ventures to produce batteries for their line of electric vehicles. UAW President Shawn Fain has repeatedly attacked the joint ventures as a means of the automakers avoiding the UAWs national contracts. In videos with Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democratic Party politicians, Fain has claimed that the UAW is fighting for wages and benefits at the battery plants to be on par with those at the Detroit Three plants. That type of (pay) scale is setting our members back 10 or 15 years, Fain said during an Automotive Press Association fireside chat, according to the Detroit News. Hell, so 10 or 15 years later, if we make gains were back to where we are now. Thats unacceptable. In fact, the deal agreed to by the UAW sets workers back 20 or 30 years. The UAW-Ultium Cells agreement indicates that the UAW is going to work with the automakers to establish yet another tier of low-wage workers to assist the automakers in their transition to electronic vehicles. The UAWs declaration that it is seeking comparable wages and benefits is in fact a smokescreen for its main objective, which is to establish its presence at the new EV plants and expand its dues revenue. The use of the UAW bureaucracy to oversee poverty wages and dangerous working conditions at the EV plants is an essential part of the Biden administrations domestic and foreign policy strategy. Biden has continued and escalated Trumps trade war measures, aimed primarily against China, but also against its so-called allies in Europe, in order to secure domination of the EV market through low-cost production. The Biden administration is also pushing hard to control and secure sources for lithium and the other materials that make up battery production. In line with the nationalist and chauvinist policy of the UAW bureaucracy and to pit American workers against their class brother and sisters overseas, the UAW and General Motors agreed that the union would not represent the hundreds of Korean workers that also work at the Lordstown plant. Most of those workers labor under even worse conditions. They could be described as indentured servants, facing deportation if they quit or are fired. The deal is also a warning to the 150,000 autoworkers whose contracts expires September 14 that the union plans to continue the hated tier system and suppress wages and benefits for all workers. The announced UAW-Ultium agreement comes just days after Ultium Cells said that the cleanup of a chemical spill that happened on Sunday is complete and that battery production has resumed. On Sunday, a pipeline carrying a highly toxic mix of chemicals, referred to as slurry, ruptured, pouring the highly poisonous substance onto the floor and around equipment in the mixing area of the plant. The slurry contained n-Methylpyrrolidon (NMP), a toxin that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as an unreasonable risk to human health. The EPA does not list a safe level of exposure to the chemical. N-Methylpyrrolidone (NMP) is a chemical substance that is commonly used in paint and coating removal products, automotive products, inks, degreasers and more. Overexposure to NMP can irritate the eyes, skin, nose and throat and can also affect the central nervous system or brain, causing symptoms of drunkenness similar to the effects of drinking alcohol. NMP is linked to fetal developmental problems, including low birth weight and birth defects, and affects fertility in both men and women. The final risk evaluation for NMP determined that there are unreasonable risks to workers and consumers for 26 out of 37 conditions of use. This is the latest in a string of accidents that have plagued the plant since its opening last year. Since the opening, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the Ultium Cells plant in Lordstown, Ohio 12 times, including seven so far this year, for numerous violations that endanger the health and safety of its workers. The scope and regularity of the infractions indicate a complete lack of concern for the safety of the workers at the plant. Many of the violations, like the most recent incident, involve exposure of workers to hazardous materials that are extremely toxic in low doses. Several of the violations include the improper control of power to equipment, particularly the failure to first de-energize the equipment during maintenance, which could lead to a worker being electrocuted or crushed while performing his or her duties. Other violations include blocking building exits which are needed in case of a fire, explosion or other emergency. The UAW has claimed it is fighting for protections at Ultium, such as joint union-management bodies, that are similar to those in place at the Detroit Three plants. But such corporatist bodies do little more than whitewash corporate disregard for workers health and safety, as evidenced most starkly in the UAWs role in keeping workers on the job during the COVID-19 pandemic. For workers to have genuine control over their working conditions and oversight over health and safety measures, organizational structures comprised of and led by the workers themselves are required. The Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network is building a network of rank-and-file committees of autoworkers at every plant to mobilize the full strength of the working class against the collaboration of the UAW bureaucracy with the companies to fight for decent wages, benefits and working conditions. We invite all Ultium Cell workers, both American and Korean, to contact us by filling out the form below and join this fight. The Autoworkers Rank-and-File Committee Network and the World Socialist Web Site Autoworker Newsletter are hosting an online meeting Sunday, August 27, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern/2:00 p.m. Central. The meeting will review the latest developments in the Detroit Three-United Auto Workers contract talks and outline the strategy for rank-and-file workers to fight for their demands. Register for the event here. Register now to attend our online meeting on Saturday, August 26, 1:00 p.m. EDT. To join the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Committee, fill out the form at the end of this article. Grad student instructors and supporters march during the strike at University of Michigan On Friday morning, the Graduate Employees Organization (GEO), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) at the University of Michigan (U-M), announced the ratification of a tentative contract, officially ending the five-month strike by 1,300 graduate student instructors (GSIs) and staff assistants (GSSAs) for a living wage and improved working conditions. The current average pay of GSIs, who teach 90 percent of undergrad classes at U-M, is $24,000 a year, well below the poverty level. The new contract fails to provide a living wage, granting total wage increases of 20 percent over three years for grad student workers at the main campus in Ann Arbor, and only 10.5 percent for GSIs and GSSAs at the Dearborn campus. Wage increases at the Flint campus will only bring the grad workers up to the lower-scale wages of Dearborn grad workers. The contract provides only marginal improvements in healthcare and parental leave benefits, rejects the workers demand for pay parity across all campuses, and rejects demands for mandatory masking and air filtration in classrooms to protect against COVID-19 infection. The GEO/AFT, which is politically dominated by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a pseudo-left faction of the Democratic Party, used the universitys threat to fire strikers who fail to return to work by the start of the fall term on Monday, August 28, to browbeat the student workers into accepting the university-dictated sellout contract. The DSA-aligned GEO leaders had systematically isolated the strikers, refusing to call out the AFT bureaucracy for failing to mobilize its other members at U-M and the universitys Michigan Medicine hospital system, as well as the AFTs failure to provide strike pay and its liquidation of campus strikes at Rutgers and in Illinois last spring. Earlier this month, a joint letter to the membership of the AFT-affiliated Lecturer Employees Organization (LEO) at U-M from LEO President Kirsten Herold and former AFT Michigan President David Hecker was posted on Reddit. The letter revealed that in late June, the GEO approached the LEO and Michigan AFT leadership, as well as former UAW President Bob King, a member of the LEO and major figure in the state Democratic Party, to intercede with the university to work out a contract that would be imposed on the GEO membership before the start of the fall term. This was done behind the backs of the striking GEO members. It amounted to a conspiracy between the DSA, the AFT, the Democratic Party and the university to ram through a sellout contract and end the strike. In early August, the university issued its threat of mass firings of strikers and submitted a new contract offer on August 2. At a GEO membership meeting on August 3, student workers spoke out against the contract and the strikebreaking context in which it was put forward. Over the past week, the GEO pushed through essentially the same contract, telling the workers that they had no choice but to accept it because they were isolated and without strike payboth the result of the GEOs own policies. In fact, even at that late date, had the GEO made a call for students and staff to respond to the firing or pay-docking of GSIs with a campus-wide strike and a call for solidarity action by Detroit teachers and autoworkers, themselves in the midst of bitter contract fights, such a call would have received a powerful response. The GEO leadership could not and would not do that, because it, and the DSA, are tools of the big business Democratic Party, an imperialist party of war and austerity. Along with concealing their maneuvers with the AFT and the Democrats from the rank-and-file student workers, the GEO officials have shamelessly lied about the contract itself, touting it as a historic win for the strikers. On Friday, the union reported that the contract had been approved by 97 percent of the workers who participated in the ratification vote. Even if one assumes that the reported tally is legitimatethe workers had no oversight of the vote countthe vote is not an expression of mass support for the deal or confidence in the union leadership. Those workers who have been taken in by GEOs grossly distorted and inflated characterization of the contract and its gains will soon enough be disabused, intensifying anger and disgust with the GEO/AFT apparatus. Amir Fleischmann, a GEO officer and DSA member, lied in a Twitter/X post that the contract provided an 80% raise for most PhDs. He was including as part of the contracts pay raises the universitys Rackham plan to extend funding for some PhD students to the summer months. What he dared not say was how many graduate students workers were left outDearborn and Flint students, students outside of Rackham Graduate School, PhD students in their later years, masters students, just to name a few. Moreover, the Rackham plan is not even part of the actual contract but only a side letter. The fraud of a union victory was exposed at a rally called by the GEO Friday afternoon on the Ann Arbor campus. The union leaders made a call for members to turn out en masse to celebrate their supposed triumph over the U-M administration and Board of Regents. Fewer than 40 people showed up in all, including the union officers. A reporter for the World Socialist Web Site asked how the new contract, virtually the same as the universitys August 2 offer, could be called a huge victory. Fleischman claimed that the new contract had huge differences that were major victories, but was compelled to admit that at least half of the membership was excluded from the Rackham Plan and would only receive a 20 percent wage increase. When asked why the GEO did not inform the membership that it had initiated talks in June with the LEO, Michigan AFT and Bob King to work out a deal with the university before the resumption of classes for the fall term, GEO President Jared Eno evaded the question and claimed that the union had fought every step of the way against the universitys desire to settle this out of sight. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at U-M has throughout the strike fought to mobilize support for the strikers and warned the rank-and-file student workers of the treachery of the GEO/AFT/DSA leadership. The IYSSE urged the workers to form a rank-and-file committee to take control of the strike from the pro-Democratic Party leadership and link up with Detroit teachers, autoworkers, UPS workers and other sections of the working class entering into struggle, many of whom are forming rank-and-file committees to coordinate their struggles, abolish the union bureaucracies and establish rank-and-file control. Mazin, an IYSSE member at U-M, supported the call for a rank-and-file committee, linked to a political perspective to mobilize the working class independently of the two parties of the ruling class and in opposition to the war in Ukraine and the war preparations against China. He told the WSWS: If the teachers of Detroit and the GSIs unify to form a rank-and-file committee, their voices will be overpoweringly loud and will undermine the ability of the DSA leadership to subordinate education to the drive for war. With the imposition of the sellout contract, the struggle of student workers at U-M and more broadly enters a new phase. The lessons of this betrayal must be drawn. The building of rank-and-file power must be combined with the fight to free the working class from the Democratic Party and mobilize it on the basis of a socialist program against war, austerity and the drive toward dictatorship. We urge graduate students at U-M to take part in the joint meeting of the Michigan Educators Rank-and-File Committee and the IYSSE at U-M and Wayne State University that will be held on Saturday, August 26, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. It was the summer of 1861 and Fredericksburgs longtime postmaster, Reuben Thom, was wondering how to continue doing his job. Virginia had seceded from the Union that spring and the U.S. Post Office was no longer delivering mail from and among the seceded states. The Confederate States of America formed its own Post Office in June of 1861 and appointed a postmaster general, but since most of the printers capable of printing large quantities of stamps were located in the North, Confederate stamps were not yet available. Meanwhile, Fredericksburg residents had business they needed to conduct and family and friends they needed to correspond with. So Thom became one of the first of 19 Virginia postmasters to create and locally print provisional stamps. In September of 1861, he had printed a number of sheets of 5- and 10-cent stamps 20 stamps per sheet printed in red or blue ink on blue paper surrounded by a border of multi-rayed stars and bearing his name, R. T. Thom. Its not known how many sheets Thom had printed in total, but only five of the 5-cent provisional stamp sheets are known to have survived, said Keith Littlefield, a local historian and philatelist who last year published a comprehensive book on Fredericksburgs postal history. Philately is the study and collection of stamps. There are no surviving full sheets of the 10-cent Fredericksburg provisional stamps, but there is a half-sheet now in the collection of the British Library. Littlefield estimates that there are only 35 of the single 10-cent stamps in existence. A single 10-cent stamp would sell for more than $1,000. There may be 100 5-cent provisional stamps in existence as singles, pairs or blocks of four. Each would sell for $400 to $500, Littlefield said. Currently, a block of eight 5-cent stamps is listed at $8,000 by a top stamp dealer. A 5-cent provisional stamp on an envelope or on cover would sell for $5,000. There are no known 10-cent stamps on cover. In June, a piece of envelope with a Danville, Virginia provisional stamp sold for $3,250 at auction in New York. A stamp on a piece of envelope is worth more to collectors than a single stamp by itself, Littlefield said, but not as much as a stamp on a full cover. For years, Littlefield said, philatelists and historians questioned who had printed Fredericksburgs provisional stamps. The assumption was that it was Jesse White, the publisher of the newspaper The Weekly Advertiser, because White also printed emergency scrip for the city of Fredericksburg once U.S. currency became illegal. However, Littlefield discovered through his research on Virginias obsolete paper money that a local Fredericksburg grocery store, Hart, Hayes & Co., had its own 10-cent emergency notes printed. Those notes, which were issued on Sept. 2, 1861, feature the same border of multi-rayed stars around the denomination block as Thoms provisional stamps. They also bear the imprint Recorder Job Office, meaning they were printed by Robert Alexander, publisher of the newspaper The Democratic Recorder. The Fredericksburg provisional stamps were in use by Sept. 12, which suggests to Littlefield that Thom saw the Hart, Hayes & Co. notes and got the idea to have provisional stamps printed by the Recorder using the same printing plates as the notes. One month later, Hart, Hayes & Co. printed a new set of 10-cent notes with a completely different design. Littlefield theorizes that this is because Alexander used up the Recorders entire inventory of star type pieces on the stamps. Fredericksburgs provisional stamps were only used for two months. The earliest known use of CSA-issued stamps is Oct. 16, 1861, and the last known use of the citys provisional stamp was on Nov. 16 of that year. At some point, someone tried to mail a letter using the 1861 5-cent Fredericksburg provisional stamp, Littlefield writes in his book, From New Post to Princess Anne Street: The Postal History of Virginia 1657-1990. The letter was not mailed until 1863 and required a CSA stamp to be posted over the provisional stamp. Fredericksburgs provisional stamps were of interest to collectors almost as soon as the Civil War ended, Littlefield said. People knew they existed, but because they were in use for such a short period of time, few people knew what they looked like. One man, Samuel Taylor, printed and hawked at least 20 varieties of the Fredericksburg provisional stamp that look nothing like Thoms original issue. He did this from the 1860s through the 1880s, Littlefield writes in his book. Thom himself was almost 80 years old when the Civil War began. Despite his age, he was quick to improvise and adapt to the rapidly changing situation caused by the war, Littlefield said. Thom died in 1868 at age 85 and is buried in the graveyard at St. Georges Episcopal Church. Littlefields book about Fredericksburgs postal history is available to read in the Virginiana Room of the Central Rappahannock Regional Librarys downtown branch, and available for purchase for $130 at Riverby Books and Becks Antiques, both in downtown Fredericksburg. Only 250 copies of the book are in print. Residents in Stafford County have a chance to get updated information Tuesday regarding possible data center development. The county has a community meeting on data centers scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the George L. Gordon Jr. government center, at 1300 Courthouse Road, where officials will talk with residents about the potential development of data centers. Data centers are server farms for cloud computing housed in large buildings filled with computer equipment. At the states urging, there has been an explosion in data center growth, so far primarily in the Northern Virginia counties of Loudoun and Prince William. In recent months, data center developers have proposed millions of square feet of space in Spotsylvania County, and more applications have been filed in King George and Caroline counties. Two data center applications have been filed in Stafford, both in the Falmouth District. Stafford Board of Supervisor Meg Bohmke, who represents the Falmouth District, said the meeting will provide an overview of data centers, including their purpose and impact to areas around them. Theres a lot to it, Bohmke said in an interview about what county staff has been doing to prepare for the data center applications. She added that there has been a learning curve for Stafford officials as well as other jurisdictions as the interest in data centers proliferates. Bohmke noted several key issues with data centers, as experienced in other areas with the facilities, include electrical and water usage along with noise. Data centers require a lot of power to run the servers and water to cool them, both of which can strain the system. Electrical usage is an issue that has arisen in Northern Virginia, with Dominion Power seeking upgrades to handle the facilities. Noise also has been a factor because data center facilities have cooling fans atop the roofs constantly running to cool the building interior. The Stafford Technology campus application, by Fairfax-based Stafford Technology LC, calls for building 5.5 million square feet of data centers on 523.94 acres on the east side of U.S. 1 and on both sides of Eskimo Hill Road. The property is currently zone agricultural, and the applicant wants to change it to light industrial. Bohmke said homes arent very close to the campus location, but there are houses and apartments near the other site, along Old Potomac Church Road. The supervisor said she recently held a community meeting with residents who live near the tech center site and felt like it was a good informational meeting. The Potomac Church Tech Center applicant, Amazon, wants to build two facilities totaling approximately 510,000 square feet on 49.9 acres, zoned B-2 for urban commercial development. The property is on the east side of Old Potomac Church Road, across from the intersection with South Campus Boulevard. Data centers are allowed under the B-2 zoning, but there are limits Amazon is seeking to change with a proffer amendment. After Bob served three years in the Air Force in Madrid, Spain, they have lived in Fremont since 1979. Bob still practices general dentistry and Sue is his dental assistant after retiring from a career as a psychotherapist. The Avett Brothers, a Grammy-nominated folk rock band behind "I And Love And You," perform at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Aug. 25. When folk rockers the Avett Brothers come to Iowa, they think of the song, It Sure Can Get Cold in Des Moines. But did the audience at their concert at Wells Fargo Arena know it? Some seemed to, judging by the response. I always just assume everybody knows Tom T. Hall songs but then I look on Spotify and he doesnt even have a little blue validated check beside his name, so I dont even know if he existed, Seth Avett said. Anyway, its a good song. The Grammy Award-nominated act, founded by brothers Scott and Seth Avett, thanked the audience repeatedly throughout their two-hour set, setting the mood with a twangy, upbeat instrumental as an opener before jumping into Open Ended Life. Yall are really amazing, Scott Avett said. This is a very unique crowd. Tonight would have not been great without you all, he added. Lucky us. The Avett Brothers keep it exciting with 'Talk on Indolence' Sure, the band had its slower moments in the night, minimal lighting and acoustic and all. Like when they performed The Ballad Of Love And Hate off their 2007 album Emotionalism. The song tells the story of the personified love and hate, the former seeing the world and returning home as the latter stews in bitterness, and yet both finding graciousness for each others actions when they meet again. Slower songs are to expected. Thats part of their discography, a body of work that has been built over two decades. The Avett Brothers practicially spat out their lyrics during Talk on Indolence with a speed that called into question when they last took a breath. Later in the song, band member Joe Kwon had fun with his cello, raising it in the air and beating it like a drum before the song came to an end. No one could accuse the Avett Brothers of being forced to fake their energy, unlike the line, Because we had to, in Talk on Indolence. During Slight Figure of Speech off their 2009 album I And Love And You, all seven musicians on stage, including the siblings, displayed just how much fun they were having with their instruments. Later, they evoked a bit of theatrics as they all proceeded to sit or lie on the stage as it went dark in order to give the drummer some time in the spotlight. More: Seth Avett says Iowa is 'interwoven' with songster Greg Brown, reflects on 'Swept Away' musical Make a joyful sound if you feel like theres hope for sure The Avett Brothers got the crowd involved early in their set, especially during 2019s High Steppin. The song contains a monologue that remarks on financial woes and trying to stay afloat in an at-times tiresome existence. Yet, the monologue ends on a high note with the lyrics, Cause theres hope for sure. Make a joyful sound if you feel like theres hope for sure, Seth Avett added to the song, cupping his ear to elicit what ended up being a loud response from the audience. Yes, thats what Im talking about. Other songs performed throughout the night included Laundry Room, Gimmeakiss, "Ain't No Man" and the song that launched them into the mainstream, I And Love And You. Its the opening song of the album by the same name produced by Rick Rubin, the sought-after man who has worked with the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash and many more. Thank you so much for letting us come here and work for you all, Scott Avett told the crowd just minutes before the show came to a close. It is our lifes work, and we are honored to come and do it for you. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other. Members of the band spent their final moments on stage tossing trinkets and crumpled up balls of paper to the crowd. Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at PBarraza@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: The Avett Brothers compliment Wells Fargo Arena crowd in Des Moines A Portuguese-language spyware called WebDetetive has been used to compromise more than 76,000 Android phones in recent years across South America, largely in Brazil. WebDetetive is also the latest phone spyware company in recent months to have been hacked. In an undated note seen by TechCrunch, the unnamed hackers described how they found and exploited several security vulnerabilities that allowed them to compromise WebDetetive's servers and access its user databases. By exploiting other flaws in the spyware maker's web dashboard used by abusers to access the stolen phone data of their victims the hackers said they enumerated and downloaded every dashboard record, including every customer's email address. The hackers said that dashboard access also allowed them to delete victim devices from the spyware network altogether, effectively severing the connection at the server level to prevent the device from uploading new data. "Which we definitely did. Because we could. Because #fuckstalkerware," the hackers wrote in the note. The note was included in a cache containing more than 1.5 gigabytes of data scraped from the spyware's web dashboard. That data included information about each customer, such as the IP address they logged in from and their purchase history. The data also listed every device that each customer had compromised, which version of the spyware the phone was running, and the types of data that the spyware was collecting from the victim's phone. The cache did not include the stolen contents from victims' phones. DDoSecrets, a nonprofit transparency collective that indexes leaked and exposed datasets in the public interest, received the WebDetetive data and shared it with TechCrunch for analysis. In total, the data showed that WebDetetive had compromised 76,794 devices to date at the time of the breach. The data also contained 74,336 unique customer email addresses, though WebDetetive does not verify a customer's email addresses when signing up, preventing any meaningful analysis of the spyware's customers. It's not known who is behind the WebDetetive breach and the hackers did not provide contact information. TechCrunch could not independently confirm the hackers' claim that it deleted victims' devices from the network, though TechCrunch did verify the authenticity of the stolen data by matching a selection of device identifiers in the cache against a publicly accessible endpoint on WebDetetive's server. WebDetetive is a type of phone monitoring app that is planted on a person's phone without their consent, often by someone with knowledge of the phone's passcode. Once planted, the app changes its icon on the phones home screen, making the spyware difficult to detect and remove. WebDetetive then immediately begins stealthily uploading the contents of a person's phone to its servers, including their messages, call logs, phone call recordings, photos, ambient recordings from the phone's microphone, social media apps, and real-time precise location data. Despite the broad access that these "stalkerware" (or spouseware) apps have to a victim's personal and sensitive phone data, spyware is notoriously buggy and known for their shoddy coding, which puts victims' already-stolen data at risk of further compromise. WebDetetive, meet OwnSpy Little is known about WebDetetive beyond its surveillance capabilities. It's not uncommon for spyware makers to conceal or obfuscate their real-world identities, given the reputational and legal risks that come with producing spyware and facilitating the illegal surveillance of others. WebDetetive is no different. But while the breached data itself reveals few clues about WebDetetive's administrators, much of its roots can be traced back to OwnSpy, another widely used phone spying app. TechCrunch downloaded the WebDetetive Android app from its website (since both Apple and Google ban stalkerware apps from their app stores), and planted the app onto a virtual device, allowing us to analyze the app in an isolated sandbox without giving it any real data, such as our location. We ran a network traffic analysis to understand what data was flowing in and out of the WebDetetive app, which found it was a largely repackaged copy of OwnSpy's spyware. WebDetetive's user agent, which it sends to the server to identify itself, was still referring to itself as OwnSpy, even though it was uploading our virtual device's dummy data to WebDetetive's servers. a side-by-side photo comparison of WebDetetive (left) and OwnSpy (right) running on Android. A side-by-side photo comparison of WebDetetive (left) and OwnSpy (right) running on Android. Image Credits: TechCrunch OwnSpy is developed in Spain by Mobile Innovations, a Madrid-based company run by Antonio Calatrava. OwnSpy has operated since at least 2010, according to its website, and claims to have 50,000 customers, though it's not known how many devices OwnSpy has compromised to date. OwnSpy also operates an affiliate model, allowing others to make a commission by promoting the app or offering "a new product to your clients" in return for OwnSpy taking a cut of the profits, according to an archived copy of its affiliate's website. It's not clear what other operational links, if any, exist between OwnSpy and WebDetetive. Calatrava did not return a request for comment. A short time after we emailed Calatrava, portions of OwnSpy's known infrastructure dropped offline. A separate network traffic analysis of OwnSpy's app by TechCrunch found that OwnSpy's spyware app was briefly nonfunctional at the time of publication. WebDetetive's app continues to function. Destructive attack? WebDetetive is the second spyware maker to be targeted by a data-destructive hack in recent months. LetMeSpy, a spyware app developed by Polish developer Rafal Lidwin, shut down following a hack that exposed and deleted victims' stolen phone data from LetMeSpy's servers. Lidwin declined to answer questions about the incident. By TechCrunch's count, at least a dozen spyware companies in recent years have exposed, spilled, or otherwise put victims' stolen phone data at risk of further compromise because of shoddy coding and easily exploitable security vulnerabilities. WebDetetive founder Leonardo Duarte did not respond to a request for comment. An email sent to WebDetetive's support email address about the data breach including whether the spyware maker has backups went unreturned. It's not clear if the spyware maker will notify customers or victims of the data breach, or if it still has the data or records to do so. Destructive attacks, although infrequent, could have unintended and dangerous consequences for victims of spyware. Spyware typically alerts the abuser if the spyware app stops working or is removed from a victim's phone, and severing a connection without a safety plan in place could put spyware victims in an unsafe situation. The Coalition Against Stalkerware, which works to support victims and survivors of stalkerware, has resources on its website for those who suspect their phone is compromised. How to find and remove WebDetetive Unlike most phone monitoring apps, WebDetetive and OwnSpy do not hide their app on an Android home screen, but instead disguise themselves as an Android system-presenting Wi-Fi app. WebDetetive is relatively easy to detect. The app appears named as "WiFi" and features a white wireless icon in a blue circle on a white background. A screenshot showing the "WiFi" app, which presents as a system Wi-Fi app. However, this app is spyware in disguise. The app icon has a blue wireless icon. A screenshot showing the "WiFi" app, which presents as a system Wi-Fi app. However, this app is spyware in disguise. Image Credits: TechCrunch When tapped and held, and the app info is viewed, the app is actually called "Sistema." This "WiFi" app icon, when tapped, will actually show as an app called "Sistema," designed to look like an Android system app, but is actually WebDetetive spyware. This "WiFi" app icon, when tapped, will actually show as an app called "Sistema," designed to look like an Android system app, but is actually WebDetetive spyware. Image Credits: TechCrunch We have a general guide that can help you remove Android spyware from your phone, if it is safe to do so. You should ensure that Google Play Protect is switched on, as this on-device security feature can defend against malicious Android apps. You can check its status from the settings menu in Google Play. Updated with details on WebDetetive's founder. If you or someone you know needs help, the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) provides 24/7 free, confidential support to victims of domestic abuse and violence. If you are in an emergency situation, call 911. The Coalition Against Stalkerware also has resources if you think your phone has been compromised by spyware. Russias aviation agency Rosaviatsiya announced Wednesday that mercenary Yevgeny Prigozhin had died in a plane crash outside Moscow, two months to the day he attempted to lead a mutiny against the Russian military. Vladimir Putins government has denied involvement in the crash, a move that CNNs Kimberly Dozier said is straight out of the Putin playbook. On Saturday, Dozier elaborated on the relationship between Prigozhin and Putin. Dozier said that, to understand what happened, You have to look at the relationship, at least as far as any of us could tell, what it was between Prigozhin and Putin. And it seemed like very close friends were talking sort of mafia territory. Nine other people were killed in the plane crash. Prigozhins fellow passengers included the top leadership of Wagner, the Russian state-funded private military company that Prigozhin founded in 2014. Notably, the only member of the top brass not on board was the executive director, who was not part of the attempted uprising against the Russian military. As Dozier pointed out, the deaths are convenient for Putin and his allies. She said, So, youve sliced off the ideological people who were a challenge towards Putin and Mother Russia and the war in Ukraine, and youve left intact the Wagner structure, which has been very useful to the Russian government. Dozier also explained that Prigozhin gained a lot of influence in Russia due to his relationship with Putin. She said, Once hed offended the man, hed, in a sense, lost protection. We may never know who ordered this. Was it Putin himself, or was it someone in the upper ranks of power who wanted to make a move to take over Wagner, or who simply wanted to possibly curry favor with the boss? In May, Prigozhins forces were among the troops who gained control of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Throughout the fight, he spoke out against both Russias army chief Valery Gerasimov and the minister of defense, Sergei Shoigu, and blamed the leaders for a supply shortage. The following month, Prigozhin led approximately 5,000 members of the military in a mutiny against the militarys leadership. The mutiny was called off before the group reached Moscow as a deal was struck that reportedly would have allowed Prigozhin to defect to Belgium. The Wagner troops were also told they could leave Russia for Belgium. The presumed death of Prigozhin means the Wagner Group is currently operating without a leader, and also calls into question whether or not the organization will continue to work in the Central African Republic, where the group controls natural resources. That Prigozhin would have boarded a flight alongside so many members of Wagners leadership without worrying about foul play has been questioned by many, including CNNs Amara Walker. When she questioned Dozier about what Prigozhin could have been thinking, the analyst began, Prigozhin had to make a call. She continued, When he looked into Putins eyes, when they had that meeting after their small insurrection and decided, apparently, that it was safe to continue in his orbit. And he could have altered his behavior. He could have stayed in Africa he might not have understood that he needed to keep a low profile. Watch the entire interview with Kimberly Dozier in the video above. The post CNNs Kimberly Dozier Explains the Putin-Prigozhin Relationship: Were Talking Mafia Territory (Video) appeared first on TheWrap. Asked by reporters while on a Lake Tahoe family vacation, the president said his predecessor was a "wonderful guy" Donald Trump's Georgia mug shot elicited a response from Joe Biden on Friday, with the president commenting on his predecessor's appearance. "Have you seen Donald Trump's mug shot yet?" asked one reporter in a video posted to the C-SPAN page on Twitter, now known as X. Biden responded with a laugh and admitted, "I did see it on television." "Handsome guy," Biden said. "Wonderful guy." The comments come during Biden's vacation to Lake Tahoe, which straddles the border between Northern California and Nevada. He was stopped by reporters as he was leaving a Pilates studio with his family in tow. CSPAN/ Twitter President Biden smiled when asked by reporters if he'd seen Donald Trump's mug shot last Friday. Lake Tahoe marks the second vacation this month for Biden, with the president arriving in Nevada on Aug. 19, per the Associated Press, following another break in early August at his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Related: Donald Trump Indicted for Attempting to Overturn 2020 Election Results in Georgia The 80-year-old left the Lake Tahoe region for a day on Monday to tour the area of the Hawaiian island of Maui that was ravaged by recent wildfires. Presently, 115 people have been confirmed dead and 388 are still missing after the blaze ripped through the town of Lahaina, located on Maui's west side. Former President Trump, who is currently running for president and is the 2024 Republican frontrunner, surrendered to authorities in Fulton County, Ga. on Thursday evening. A Georgia grand jury indicted him and 18 of his allies on Aug. 14 on charges related to their alleged efforts to overturn the U.S. presidential election in 2020, which Biden won. Related: Donald Trump's Mug Shot Released, a Historic First for Any U.S. President Included among Trump's allies who were also charged in Georgia were Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff, and attorneys Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and John Eastman. The 77-year-old turned himself into authorities in Atlanta Thursday night following the investigation led by District Attorney Fani Willis. As previously reported by PEOPLE, Trump faces 13 felony counts: racketeering (violation of the Georgia RICO Act); three counts of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer; conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer; two counts of conspiracy to commit forgery in the first degree; two counts of conspiracy to commit false statements and writings; conspiracy to commit filing false documents; filing false documents; and two counts of false statements and writings. With the latest charges out of Fulton County, Trump now faces a total of 91 criminal counts across four different cases, several of which carry recommended prison time. He would face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years if convicted of violating the Georgia RICO Act. Fulton County Sheriff's Office Trump was booked and released following his mug shot being taken in Fulton County, GA. last Thursday. After Trump was processed and released Thursday night, he told Fox News that having his mug shot taken was "not a comfortable feelingespecially when youve done nothing wrong." Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Meanwhile, Bidens re-election campaign seemingly attempted to capitalize off the media frenzy surrounding Trump's charges Thursday by posting the following message to his account on X: "Apropos of nothing, I think today's a great day to give to my campaign." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. When Guy Nattiv came on board to direct Golda centered on the first and only female Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir he knew he didnt want to make a war movie, despite the film being set during the 1973 Yom Kippur war. Weve seen war movies before, he figured, and what audiences hadnt seen before was Meirs story. With Golda, Nattiv, who broke out with his short film and subsequent feature Skin, hopes to bring more understanding to Meirs leadership during the conflict, which was seen both inside and outside her country as a failure and preceded her eventual resignation. A lot of the film watches on as Meir and the generals listen in to the sound of men dying on the battlefield as they play cat and mouse with the Egyptians and Syrians. Theres no blood on display but the agony and pain is embedded in the very soundscape itself, reads The Hollywood Reporter review of the film. More from The Hollywood Reporter Ahead of the films release, Nattiv talked to THR about his choice to use real battlefield audio in the film, the criticism of the casting of Mirren, who is not Jewish, to play Meir, and what it is like to be releasing Golda as Israelis are protesting the current Prime Ministers attempts to reform to countrys judiciary. What did you want audiences to understand about Golda Meir that they may not have been aware of previously? Golda, in Israel, was basically a myth. She was maybe a statue, but no one put her name on schools or parks. She was kind of the pariah of Israel because her name was connected to the failure of the Yom Kippur War. It was kind of easy to blame an older woman from Milwaukee who didnt know a lot about the war regarding what had happened. The Israeli generals did not take responsibility, did not say, Its on us. She said, Its on me. Im resigning. And thats the narrative that we grew up on, that Golda was a failure and it was a horrible war, but no one spoke about it. It was kind of a hidden secret until 10 years ago when declassified documents got out from the state and the truth came out that the actual intelligence division fucked it up. So, it wasnt only her, that was the face of this failure. When I read the script by Nicholas Morton, I felt that we could do justice to this pioneer lady who was not perfect, and who was a controversial character, but she was not the only person whom we could blame for this war. So when I read the script, this was basically 80 percent war, 20 percent Golda. I pitched my idea to do the opposite, to lets focus on Golda and lets have 20 percent war. I wanted to do a war movie with not a single drop of blood. In the film, the audience isnt shown much of battle or the frontlines but we hear battlefield audio as it is presented to Golda. What was the thinking behind depicting the war in this way? I grew up on The Conversation with Gene Hackman and Blow Out, the Brian De Palma film where theres a recording of a murder. I also thought of The Life of Others, where he creates a narrative through sound. I thought about how Golda experienced the war, which was only through sound because she couldnt go to the front. So [I thought] why dont we bring the war into the war room rather than just spend all our money shooting war scenes with tanks? So, I got from Amnon [Reshef], who was a commander in Battalion in the south. He owned all those recordings. I showed him the movie, and I asked him if he can give these [recordings] to us. I was blown away by the number of recordings from 1973. It made me cry and I did put it in a movie. What you hear, a big part of it, is real sound from the front. Was it a difficult decision including the real audio? I know your father fought in the war. It is one thing to portray war; its another thing to portray the war with real audio. What made you decide that the audio should be in the movie? The cinema today is so blended, you have documentary and narrative together. Look at Oliver Stones J.F.K. He used real footage from the assassination. I thought this would add to the authenticity. I asked the veterans what they thought about it, and they said that its an homage to the people who really gave their lives to the war. And when we screened the film in front of 6,000 people in Jerusalem with war veterans, they just were in tears and felt it was a beautiful homage. And we also dedicated this film to people who lost their lives in the war. Mirrens casting as Golda has been criticized given that she is not Jewish. What do you want critics to understand about your casting choice? When I came to the project, Helen was already cast as Golda. Gideon Meir, Goldas grandson, said to the producers, I look at Helen, I see my grandmother. Thats who I want to play my grandmother. When I came [on], they told me, you got the job why dont you meet with Helen? She came to my house in the middle of the pandemic, and we sat and talked for three hours. She told me that when she was 29, she toured [Israel] and went to the kibbutz and volunteered and fell in love with an Israeli man. They toured the country, they hitchhiked and they were staying there for three-and-a-half months. She was more than just a visitor. When I spoke to her at my house, I felt that Im speaking to my mom. I felt that shes someone from my tribe. I felt that she was someone who understands the bits and pieces of what it means to be Jewish. So I felt that shed be an amazing option to play Golda, other than the fact that shes one of the best actresses of our time in our time. I respect the discussion. I think that CODA 30 years ago would probably be cast differently. And when I see CODA with people with hearing difficulties, it makes it much more authentic. And I think that Rain Man would probably not have Dustin Hoffman today, or Dallas Buyers Club would not have Jared Leto. So Im open to that, but I personally thought that Helen is perfect for this to play Golda, especially after we got the blessing of the family. What did you want to audience to understand about Golda being a woman and holding that position of power? The disrespect and the misogynistic approach by those commanders and her staff in 1973 was despicable. You see that when shes taking the blame because no one has enough guts and enough respect to say, Its me. She took the blame because shes a woman and she was older and she was not coming from the milieu of those Sabras, of the Zionists. I think if she was not a woman, it wouldnt have happened that way. On the other hand, shes a pioneer, she paved the way for Angela Merkel, [Margaret] Thatcher, Hillary [Clinton] and many others. I think [her] downfall and the fact that she was the wrong person, in the wrong time, in the wrong place affected how women are treated in politics in Israel. How is it to be releasing the film when Israelis are protesting the current Prime Ministers attempt to reform the judiciary? Benjamin Netanyahus government extreme government I would say is leading the country into mayhem. Hes leading us to catastrophe. Its basically what happened in 1973. So when I went to demonstrate with my dad and my friends and my family, I met people from the Yom Kippur War wearing this t-shirt that said, I fought the Yom Kippur War and now Im fighting for democracy, again. But this time we dont have those enemies around us that trying to kill us. We have ourselves killing us from the inside. And the good thing about it is that you see the young people woke up. All the young people woke up in Israel and, with the older generation, you see hundreds and thousands of people going to the street, every single Shabbat. I really hope that the high court will disqualify what Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to do, and I hope that his government will obey the ruling of the high court. Golda believed in the high court, she believed in the system. Interview has been edited and condensed for clarity Best of The Hollywood Reporter Click here to read the full article. IATSE Grips Local 80 closed its offices in Burbank today after receiving a threatening letter. Local 80 received a letter threatening harm to our employees, the local said in an email to members. Burbank police have been notified, and an officer came to assess. They are currently evaluating the situation for credibility. We have evacuated our building out of an abundance of caution. The Local is closed until further notice. More from Deadline Burbank Police Sgt. Stephen Turner said in a statement that Burbank PD is aware and detectives are investigating the credibility and validity of the threat. No arrests have been made. IATSE, in an abundance of caution, have closed their offices. The identity of the letter-writer is known by the police. Dejon Ellis, Jr., the locals business manager, could not be reached for comment, but he told Variety that the sender appeared to be distraught over the ongoing writer and actor strikes. He said some very scary things. Hes just mad. He says hes out of work and homeless. Hes distraught. I dont know if its a cry for help or not knowing how to control his anger. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. The couples outing comes a week after they were spotted on vacation in Croatia with Katy Perry , Orlando Bloom and Usher Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez are enjoying each others company on their date night. The Amazon founder, 59, and his fiancee, 53, stepped out hand-in-hand for dinner Friday night with friends at the Italian restaurant Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles. BACKGRID Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Hold Hands After Dinner with Friends at Giorgi Baldi in Los Angeles Related: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Arent 'Planning the Wedding Yet,' Says Source The couples outing comes a week after they were spotted on an A-list vacation in Croatia with Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom and Usher. They took a stroll down Stradun, Dubrovnik's main street, with Bezos' security following close behind. Earlier this month, the billionaire and the Emmy Award-winning journalist hosted an engagement party, celebrating with friends and family on Bezos yacht on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. At the time, Sanchez, who is also a helicopter pilot, shared several snaps from the festivities, including a sweet shot of her and Bezos cuddling up together. "Seeing double after the most magical evening," she captioned the Instagram post. "Forever grateful." SplashNews.com Related: Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Enjoyed $4,000 Wine and Pop Music After Their Engagement (Exclusive) In June, the pair were spotted locking lips on Bezos rumored $500 million vessel while traveling in Capri. According to photos first shared by TMZ, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King joined them onboard for lunch. The duo also took the yacht, named Koru, to the South of France and the island of Mallorca in Spain, among several other spots. The previously reported luxury 417-foot-long yacht which has a wooden sculpture that resembles Bezos' fiancee on the prow is believed to be the largest sailing yacht in the world. It features three towering masts, several decks (including one with a pool), and a supporting 250-foot-long yacht with a helipad, per Boat International. The happy couple embarked on their European getaway in May after Bezos popped the question. After the news broke, a source told PEOPLE that the two "are really in love and happy, which makes everyone who knows them happy." Karwai Tang/WireImage 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. "They have been talking about it for a long time, added the insider. All of her friends say this is her dream come true. She found the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with, and they felt the time was right. He has all the money in the world, and what was missing was someone to share it with and everybody on both sides is very happy." However, Bezos and Sanchez arent in a rush to walk down the aisle, as a separate source close to the couple told PEOPLE recently, "They're not planning the wedding yet. "Theyre still just enjoying the engagement," the source said, adding that "they had an amazing time with close friends" at their engagement party. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. On Friday, Trevian Kutti, former publicist for Kanye West and R. Kelly , surrendered herself at Fulton County Jail in Georgia on racketeering charges. Kutti is accused of attempting to pressure poll worker Ruby Freeman to overturn the states results for the 2020 presidential election. Kutti posted 10% of her $75,000 bond and is currently free until she is due in court. The charges against her include an alleged violation of Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings and influencing witnesses. The former publicist was captured on video as she attempted to persuade Freeman to commit election fraud. In the footage, Kutti is heard issuing a threat to Freeman, who she told, I cannot specifically say what will take place. I just know that it will disrupt your freedom and the freedom of one or more of your family members. Kutti began working for West in 2018, after she stopped working for Kelly. In June 2020, she attended a rally for Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a trip she took three days after Trump pardoned Angela Stanton-King, a Georgia representative whom Kutti later began working with. Stanton-King was convicted of federal conspiracy charges in 2004. The time period also overlapped with Wests own enthusiasm for Trump. The rapper visited the then-president at the White House several times between 2018 and 2020. The pair would engage in wide-ranging conversations about everything from mental health to Wests own presidential ambitions. West is not the only rapper who has supported Trump throughout his political career. On Friday, Chief Keef posted an edited photo of Trump making a gang reference in his Instagram Story and wrote, Nah my boy in dat B Banging on dem folks [laughing emojis] I know what ever deck he on he good in da hood for sure he finna run the prison That boy finna be eatin like a mf all da blacks finna have my boy back. Lil Pump also joined in a day later when he shared a photo of his own mugshot next to Trumps. He captioned the collage simply, FREETRUMP. The post Ex-Publicist to Kanye West and R. Kelly Booked for Allegedly Intimidating Election Workers for Trump appeared first on TheWrap. First sunrise in the world in New Zealand. Youve got to see this, Sam. Graham knocks on the camper to rouse his friend. Totally worth it. Sam half-tumbles out of the door, wearing a sequined wrap and a sleep mask rucked up on his forehead. No, he says as Graham continues to wax poetic, then shuts the door behind him. Welcome to Men in Kilts Episode 3! This installment of the Sam & Graham Show will be all about food. Beef, pork, lamb theres so much lamb. Theres like 10 for every person here, Graham notes salmon, shellfish, honey. The guys talk about how theyre excited to chow down, and theyll check out some bees along the way. Tell the bees I am coming, Graham says, having fun with the title of Diana Gabaldons ninth novel in the Outlander series, Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. More from TVLine In Dunedin, Sam and Graham don white suits with netted hoods and meet Dave Temple, a beekeeper. They all talk a bit about Manuka honey, which is a local, very dark variety. Then Graham thanks Jeff wait, I thought the keepers name was Dave? and then theyre off to a dairy farm. Ive actually never held a teat or milked a cow, Sam offers. Do with that what you will. Graham shares that his worst cow encounter came during a professional endeavor and it did involve me examining a cow using a very, very, very long glove that went up to my shoulder. I think you can paint the rest of the picture. The farm theyre going to is home to more than 400 cows. And when they meet Stuart Muir, a farmer, Stuart Muir, hes wearing a kilt and explaining that hes a descendant of Scots that arrived in New Zealand seven or eight generations ago. Stuart adds that his family is very concerned with increasing biodiversity, planting trees and trying to make the land more like it was before it was cleared for farming many years ago. Enough jibber-jabber: Lets get to milking! Stuart offers some sage wisdom about spending some time near cows hindquarters: If they like you, they wont st on you. Its just like people. That seals it: I love this guy. Sam tries first and quickly messes things up. Youre going to give that one a personality disorder, Graham teases him. But then its Grahams turn, and he doesnt do much better. Back in the camper! A bee flies under Sams kilt, the guys give us a musical interlude the William Tell Overture sung with only the words men in kilts and then they head to Hawkes Bay, which is known for its wine. David McKee, a winemaker, gives them an overview of how winemaking became a billion-dollar export industry. Rose is about drinking, not thinking, he says at one point, giving Stuart a serious run for his money in the Kims Favorite Person of the Episode contest. Fleur Sullivan, a restaurateur with a spot in Moeraki, is the guys next stop. She makes them a feast complemented by Maori bread and finished off with a Christmas pudding, a cheese course and after-dinner spirits. And as the men contemplate their full bellies and food-based experiences, they clink glasses, and Sam says, Heres to driving with the best travel companion. Now its your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments! Best of TVLine Get more from TVLine.com : Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Newsletter Click here to read the full article. While My Next Guest With David Letterman executive producers had previously pulled off intimate sit-downs with culture-makers like Barack Obama, Malala Yousafzai and Cardi B, producing an in-depth conversation in a Ukrainian war zone was certainly not in their repertoire before pursuing an interview with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The idea to interview Zelenskyy started with producer Tommy Alter, and scored Lettermans immediate enthusiasm as the host told EP Tom Keaney, this is the only thing I want to do. I think Daves immediate reaction was probably generated by the fact that this is a world event thats happening in real time, EP and Imagine president Justin Wilkes told TheWrap, adding that it was still fairly early days in the war. Hes one of the most interesting people on the planet right now, and wouldnt it be interesting to go talk to him and see if we could actually pull that off? Determined to lock down a conversation with Zelenskyy, who was not readily accessible at that point in the conflict and had only done several short-form interviews with journalists including Christiane Amanpour, the producing team began sorting through logistical arrangements, starting with getting in touch with the presidents office. Luckily, Imagine, the production company behind My Next Guest With David Letterman, reached out to chef Jose Andres, who they had worked with on recent documentary We Feed People, as his nonprofit World Central Kitchen mobilized in Kyiv. Almost instantaneously, Andres responded that he could get a letter from Letterman to Zelenskyys office with the request. It was a very typical Dave letter that instantly got the presidents attention, I think very quickly, both because the president, as a former comedian, was very familiar with Dave and looked up to Dave, but also understood what this platform can be as an opportunity to really get his message and the message of the Ukrainian people out there, Wilkes said. He responded very quickly. I think an appeal from a comedian to another comedian to have a conversation that was sort of the gist of it, Keaney added. From there, the team worked with the presidents office to learn about how to safely move through the country, as well as secure the location for the interview which took place safely underground in a Kyiv Metro Station, where Zelenskyy had previously hosted conversations with visiting dignitaries. We spent a good month just calling folks and getting a sense of what people were doing on the ground, what kind of scenes that we could shoot that seemed appropriate, but also logistically was possible with the size crew that we had, which was very small, director and EP Michael Steed told TheWrap. Finding the local crew that could work with us was pretty standard in that sense, but it always had that understanding that we were headed to a place that is in the middle of a war. Leading up to the teams journey to Kyiv, which required a flight to Warsaw, a drive to a small town in Poland called Przemysl and a 14-hour train to Kyiv, the producers downloaded an app that would notify users when a missile is coming, which had become commonplace for Ukraine citizens. There hadnt been a significant missile strike in Kyiv for quite some time at that point And then theres a significant missile strike that happens within a week of of the departure date, Wilkes said. There was a real moment there where everybody, Dave included, got on a call to talk about the safety and what do we all think about this. Despite new obstacles and reminders of inevitable dangers, the team never wavered in their decision to head to the war zone as they knew Zelenskyys commitment to the appointment remained steadfast. While its its uncomfortable and disconcerting, its nothing compared to what theyre experiencing on the ground, Wilkes continued. If the Ukrainian people in the presidents office are projecting that degree of resilience, then youre going to rise to the challenge to meet them. In the special, which was nominated for an Emmy in the outstanding hosted nonfiction series or special category, Letterman stopped at a local comedy club, a discovery the producing team credits to co-executive producer Razan Ghalayini, in an effort to dig into Zelenskyys comedic roots. That, for us, was a very important field trip to actually inject levity by going and finding these comedians who are doing incredibly dark humor, in some cases, in the face of great adversity, Keaney said. We really wanted to talk to people who were in comedy now, particularly in a wartime setting. While the EPs admitted they werent certain how Zelenskyy would react to a discussion about comedy as a head of state in a war, they noted that the President opened the door to the topics and allowed himself moments of real, lighthearted levity as he pointed out the importance of maintaining perspective in the midst of a horrible situation. He has to wrestle with [it] on the daily because he comes from a comedy background, but he knows the seriousness of his situation hes both of those men; hes both of those people, Steed said. To be able tap into that, and then have a president who comes from that background was really an amazing opportunity, and rare. The post How My Next Guest With David Letterman EPs Navigated Ukrainian War Zone for President Zelenskyy Interview appeared first on TheWrap. A mariachi band plays and dancers swirl in Gabriel Perezs creation. Flowers bloom in bold colors pink, yellow, blue, orange and purple in a mural that celebrates the life of a man who left a legacy of baking to his family. Perez, a senior at Wayne State College, recently completed the colorful work of art on the exterior of the Artesan Bread store at 215 N. Main St., in downtown Fremont. He began working on the mural which wraps around the building in mid-July and finished it by the end of that month. The south side of the building features a scene of women dancers with flowing skirts and the mariachi band. That was meant to be more of a fun and lively side, Perez said. Flowers, along with a portrait of a baker, adorn the east side of the store, where people can buy fresh-baked bread and sweet treats. Edna Suarez, whose husband Raul Moreno owns the business, said they wanted a mural that would reflect his hometown, Aguascalientes, Mexico, and the Mexican culture. A picture of a baker on the mural depicts Morenos late father, Eusevio, who left a legacy of baking for his 16 children. Most of Suarezs brothers-in-law are bakers. We wanted to keep the tradition going, she said. Suarez said they wanted a picture of Eusevio painted on the building to honor him. Also on the murals east side is a picture of an arch, which she said is the most-visited place in Aguascalientes. Bright colors were chosen for the mural. You dont see that as often around Nebraska, where these lively colors are added, Perez said. And while hes used a brush to create other artwork, Perez uses spray paint to create the outdoor murals. He liked painting the mural. I like being able to do what I enjoy doing and be able to show it to others that this isnt just and East or West Coast thing, but it can be brought into the Midwest, Perez said. Perez noted that the East and West coasts have more street artists and a wave of pop culture, something he appreciates. Theres something for everyone, he said. Everyone can relate to it in some way or form. Perez has enjoyed interacting with area residents, including shoppers, who made various comments about his work. Sometimes, people are shocked about me being allowed to spray paint, he said, adding that others simply mentioned they like the mural. Perez is from Pender where he graduated from high school in 2019. Hes double majoring in studio arts and graphic design and triple minoring in art history, social media and web and mobile app development at Wayne State. He paints murals to help pay for college. Perez began painting murals in 2019 and now has painted more than 20 murals in more than 10 towns. His first was inside the Senor Tequila Mexican Restaurant in Fremont. For that mural, he used a paintbrush to create a cityscape and a man harvesting plants and a Nebraska logo. Hes painted murals on multiple buildings in Pender. Hes painted murals in West Point, too. In 2021, Perez painted an outdoor mural on the U.S. Post Office in Wisner that featured the towns name, buildings significant to the community and farm equipment. Perez wants to create more works of art. I hope to continue painting murals all around the Midwest and hopefully start up art festivals to run those to bring more art to the general public, he said. Suarez is pleased with the mural on the Artesan Bread store. I love how it came out, she said. He (Perez) is very talented. Hes great. Oliver Anthony, the man behind this week's fast-rising, chart-topping hit Rich Men North of Richmond, released the second installment of his Its a pleasure to meet you videos, this time talking about the way his song has been co-opted by conservatives and weaponized politically. On Wednesday, when eight Republican presidential candidates faced off at the first primary debate, the question that kicked off the night was, Why is ['Rich Men North of Richmond'] striking such a nerve in this country right now? In the 10-minute YouTube address, the Virginia songwriter said he hasn't liked watching people wrap politics up in this, and that hes disappointed and aggravated that the conservative media have tried to identify with him, like I'm one of them. In Anthonys first Its a pleasure to meet you videos, he described himself as in the middle, politically. It was funny seeing it in the presidential debate, because it's like, I wrote that song about those people, he said. That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden . You know, it's a lot bigger than Joe Biden. That song is written about the people on that stage and a lot more, not just them, but definitely them. Anthony continued that it was nearly impossible to articulate his political ideology and beliefs in three minutes, and that he hates to see his song being used politically. Read more: The right is feeling 'Rich Men North of Richmond,' Oliver Anthony's viral song. The left is not I see the right trying to characterize me as one of their own, and I see the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation. That s got to stop," he said. I don't know that I've seen anything get such a positive response from such a diverse group of people. And I think that terrifies the people that I sing about in that song. The Virginia songwriter got choked up as the 10-minute address went on, and he said he wanted to touch on comments he's heard from the left as well. I do feel compelled to address something: I do need to address the left ... because they're sending a message out that the initial song is an attack against the poor, he said. Anthony was addressing a verse about the obese milking welfare by using tax money to buy Fudge Rounds. Anthony said the lyric references a news article he read this summer that said adolescent kids in Richmond who normally get cafeteria lunch at school were missing meals over the summer because their parents couldnt afford to feed them; the article indicated that a significant portion of the food bought with welfare support was junk food. And that's not the fault of those people. Welfare only makes up a small percentage of our budget, Anthony said. Read more: Five takeaways from the GOP debate: DeSantis' not-so-big night, Trump's absence At some point, I will dissect all my lyrics of all my songs if that's what I need to do, he said. It's like it's driving people crazy to see the unity that's come from this, from all walks. This isn't a Republican and Democrat thing. Two weeks ago Anthony posted a lengthy Facebook post that he declined an $8-million offer, much to the shock from the industry. The post didn't provide more details about the source of the offer. "People in the music industry give me blank stares when I brush off 8 million dollar offers. I don't want 6 tour buses, 15 tractor trailers and a jet. I don't want to play stadium shows, I don't want to be in the spotlight. I wrote the music I wrote because I was suffering with mental health and depression," he wrote. "These songs have connected with millions of people on such a deep level because they're being sung by someone feeling the words in the very moment they were being sung. No editing, no agent, no bull. Just some idiot and his guitar. The style of music that we should have never gotten away from in the first place." 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. The couple is enjoying some time together down under as they take in the sights of Wilson's hometown Rebel Wilson is enjoying a nice trip home with her fiancee. The Sydney, Australia, native has been spending time down under for the last few weeks, and gave followers a glimpse of her holiday on Instagram. Wow, winter in Sydney, Wilson, 43, said behind the camera as she posted a video to her Instagram Story of one of the citys most famous views --a panoramic shot of an ocean-side pool in Bondi Beach. There are several saltwater pools across Sydney that lie parallel to the ocean and are a tourist hotspot for swimming and photo-ops and Wilson was at the Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club, which Travel & Leisure has called the most photographed pool in the world. In another post on her Instagram Story, she posed with her fiancee, designer Ramona Agruma. The two both wore sweaters and New York Yankees hats as they enjoyed other scenic ocean views in WIlsons hometown. Agruma, 39, kissed the Pitch Perfect actress cheek in the sweet selfie. Rebel Wilson/Instagram Rebel Wilson shares a beautiful view from Bondi Beach during a trip to Sydney, Australia with her fiancee Related: Rebel Wilson Shares Sweet Photo of Baby Daughter Royce: 'Cuteness Overload' The designer also shared several photos to her own Instagram Story, including a similar video of the breathtaking views from Bondi Beach, where she tagged the location as the famous Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club. Agruma shared three more photos to her story from the pairs walk along the water. She wore the same outfit from the kiss on the cheek selfie Wilson posted, a dressed down look with sneakers, jeans and a layered sweater, topped off with a Yankees cap. The fiancees are in Australia with their daughter, 8-month-old Royce, whom they welcomed via surrogate last year. Traveling as a family is nothing new for them, as they had visited Aspen, Dubai and the Caribbean already this year, and Wilson told PEOPLE earlier this month of their plan to visit Australia. She said that after the visit to her birthplace, shes planning to be a bit more relaxed about the projects she takes on. A self-proclaimed workaholic, she said shes keeping her focus on her family this year. Its the Year of Family, she said. We are building our family unit and working on how we do things as a new little family. Part of her Year of Family involves turning her focus onto a new role: bride. The couple got engaged in Disneyland on Valentines Day this year. Wilson said that they are working on compromise when it comes to wedding planning, as shes envisioning an elaborate celebration while Agruma wants the opposite. For now, though, theyre starting with the basics. Ramona gave me a wedding planning survival kit, I think as a joke, Wilson said. But then shes like, look at this venue or what do you think about this resort? And then I was at work all day and I came back and she's created a guest list. Related: Rebel Wilson Says She Auditioned for a Role in the Next James Bond Movie: 'Was Really Cool' Mike Marsland/WireImage Rebel Wilson and fiancee Ramona Agruma at the 76th annual Cannes Film Festival in May 2023 For Wilson, finding love with Agruma was a refreshing new experience. She described herself as a late bloomer when it came to romantic relationships in a cover story for PEOPLE last year. Meeting Agruma it was set up through a friend, she revealed made the waiting worthwhile. "We spoke on the phone for weeks before meeting. And that was a really good way to get to know each other," she said. "It was a bit old-school in that sense very romantic." 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. "I think going through the process of finding more self-worth, I think that what you want in a partner is elevated and so it's great to have someone who feels like an equal partner and be in a healthy relationship," Wilson continued. "There were times I'm not saying with all my exes, they're great but there were some times that I was probably putting up with that I shouldn't have. So it feels different to be in a really healthy relationship." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Stormy Daniels has joined the chorus of social media users who are skeptical of former President Donald Trump s booking weight. On Friday, the adult film actress and director took to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to explain why she doesnt believe the 77-year-old controversial politician was telling the truth when he claimed to stand at 6-foot-3 and weigh 215 pounds, according to the official paperwork from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia. The current front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination was booked Thursday to face charges in the Georgia election interference case, when both his mugshot and measurements overshadowed most of the days news. Mmmkay! And Im 110lbs and a virgin, Daniels wrote on X Friday, adding a laugh-out-loud emoji. Im not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215lb men and Tiny was not one of them, she added. The award-winning performer, real name Stephanie Clifford, first made national news in 2018, after saying she had sex with Trump in 2006 and later accepted $130,000 in hush money to keep silent about their encounter. Earlier this year, that case resulted in the first of four indictments against the former president. Prosecutors in New York accuse Trump of falsifying business records to cover up alleged election law violations ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Daniels wasnt the only social media user to make fun of Trumps alleged height and weight which rivals Muhammad Alis measurements when he battled Joe Frazier in 1971s Fight of the Century. Over the past two days, social media timelines have been inundated by a growing number of memes and photos comparing Trumps weight with that of famous athletes. Daniels message, which quickly went viral, was reposted more than 11,000 times and liked nearly 73,000 times in about 24 hours. Good thing she wasnt paid by the inch, one user wrote. Wish it had been by the pound, Daniels responded. I just assumed the 6 3 is 2 separate measurements, wrote another. Tweet of the day! she summarized it. Recently, I rounded up some "hidden gem" entry-level jobs recommended by the lovely members of the BuzzFeed Community . In the comments, people shared even more great suggestions! So, here are 13 underrated entry-level jobs that come with good benefits, on-the-job training, or advancement opportunities: 1. "Get into the optical field! Most states require a license to be an optician (like my state, NY). Typically you'd start maybe as front desk, doing prescreening for the doctor (including the dreaded 'air puff test'). all trained on the job. Apprenticeships for licensed opticians are offered at pretty much any chain optical (Visionworks, LensCrafters, etc.) and possibly smaller optical shops too. I started as a sales person in an optical, did the apprenticeship, became licensed, and am now a general manager/licensed optician making $90K a year." "The apprenticeship is a two-year program and 100% funded by the company (in my experience). Depending on where you live and state requirements, a new licensed optician could make $25-$30/hour plus commission on sales. Not to mention very high in demand. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement You can also go to a two-year school for this, but why when you can be paid to acquire the same credentials with no debt? amandanicholls 2. "I would definitely put 'the trades' way higher up on this list! I have a client right now who is 21 and was part of a court program that would erase a drug-related arrest after one of treatment and job training. He was hired by a trade union in my city WITH ZERO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE and is literally making more an hour than I do as his counselor who went to college." "He has great union benefits, obvious union representation so he's never going to just be fired, etc. They're training him as he goes, and he said he's never bored 'cuz he's getting to do different stuff every day. He loves it, and I seriously have never seen him happier in his life. He's on his way to saving up his down payment to buy a house next year, which is more than I can say for myself as an adult who went to college." ericamsamerica "Agree! My husband has been in the trades for years. You wouldn't know it to look at him sometimes sweaty and dusty but he makes a very, very good living. My dad, as well, was in the trades and in the union and learned on the job. Lots of tradespeople retired during COVID, and there's a need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masonry workers, etc." saltyspice75 "The trades are definitely not going anywhere anytime soon, as there are always people in need of the services of plumbers, electricians, AC and heating people, etc., as well as carpenters, masons, etc. It also pays good money, but make no mistake the hours can be long, the work hard, and the bureaucratic red tape of licensing and inspections maddening. But the rewards of honest work, pride in your craftsmanship, and knowing that you are helping people who may be at their wit's end is certainly gratifying." darthvicioussawyer 3. "HVAC starts at $20 an hour for a first year apprentice in my area. Good money, on the job training, and pretty much recession-proof." bluejaykaylaaa 4. "My son is training to be a plumber, and he makes good money at only 19 years old. He's also eligible for health insurance through the union." "And plumbers will never be replaced by AI or outsourced." lindastarr 5. "I work in correctional education in Texas as an education counselor. (I am a certified school counselor.) Look at the prisons near you for jobs other than correctional officer. You might be surprised at what you find. Pay isn't always the best, but it is a full-time job with benefits." USA Network / Via youtube.com "Working in a prison isn't scary. If you're in an office, you're most likely not going to be around many inmates. If you're an educator who is burned out, consider working in correctional education. It's wonderful to hand a man his GED after he has worked very hard to get it. Imagine being in your 30s or 40s trying to learn concepts that you haven't used in a long time or never learned because you dropped out before it was taught. I have worked in both private and state-run prisons. While my liberal brain doesn't like that a company makes money off men being in prison, I will say that doing something unique and creative is easier to do in the private prison, at least in education. Less red tape and bureaucracy." blissbednar 6. "I'm always amazed that air traffic control is never on these lists. All you need is a diploma, a cleanish record, and no major medical issues. Get in, get certified, and you're set for life. The pay is great, and it's a much better pension than most feds get." "However, you get treated like you don't matter, the politics is wild, and the hours suck." bignerd 7. "Working in a factory/manufacturing, especially if it is a union shop. Starting on the manufacturing floor, you learn about the different departments and functions. Many companies like to promote from within, and many offer tuition reimbursement." "I had several family members who started as operators in a factory and took advantage of apprenticeships within the company. One became an electrician, and others became engineering technicians. Also, manufacturing companies need maintenance, engineers, supply chain/procurement, IT, HR, project managers, contracts managers, etc. There are so many different career options related to manufacturing systems that pay pretty well." 12345678a 8. "Most companies have a need for executive/administrative assistants. If you're organized and smart and have some basic computer skills, it's a great way to get your foot in the door." 20th Century Fox / Via youtube.com "I did that over 20 years ago and now manage a team of 11 people at a major tech company." popculturemama 9. "This might be an unpopular opinion, but working in retail at 19 led to me getting promoted to management at 21, and I was making more back then as assistant sales manager than I do now (as an adult who went to college)." "Yes the hours can suck sometimes, but it's usually just around Christmas. I would just say be smart about what company/store you work for find one that matches your vibe. When I was 21 and working at the Express, one of my coworkers started as a cashier/sales person, got promoted to management, realized she was REALLY GOOD at the merch displays, and got promoted to store visual merchandise manager. When I was having my first kid, I worked as an assistant manager for a really well-known kids retail chain in a really nice mall. The job was SO FRIGGIN' EASY, the store was small, and I made good money ANNNNNND got an amazing discount on super cute clothes for my kid." ericamsamerica 10. "I'm a medical assistant. Originally, my goal was to use my CMA as a stepping stone to get my RN, but after working in a hospital for several years, I've found that I prefer CMA work to what I'd be doing as an RN, so I'm happy right where I am!" hellocomputer1701 Anchiy / Getty Images 11. "I started working at a bank in their call center, and within two years, I was able to get out of the call center and start working fraud cases. Came with a large raise and a lot of job security." laurag76 Warner Bros. Pictures / Via youtube.com 12. "My aunt started as a clerk in a bank, learned on the job, and studied by night, and now, she's a successful financial advisor whose clients are worth millions." mariepiergauthier1991 Fly View Productions / Getty Images 13. And finally: "Temp agencies are surprisingly good avenues for really good full-time jobs with benefits. Some companies use the agency as a filter to determine if people are worth keeping (and therefore giving their good benefits, too)." shadyslytherin BBC / Via Max What entry-level job would you recommend to someone who's looking for on-the-job training or tuition reimbursement? Share your suggestions and experiences in the comments! Its a nightmare that you could never come out of, says Elizabeth Coppin. I look back in horror, sometimes in panic, and I think, I cant believe this actually happened to me, in my time. The 74-year-old is describing her experiences as a girl in Irelands religious care system in the 1960s, where she was abused and trafficked, as she describes it, into one of the infamous Magdalene laundries at the age of 14. There, she was held prisoner, sleeping in a cell that was locked every night, and forced to work six days a week without pay in the commercial laundry business run by the Catholic order the Religious Sisters of Charity. They didnt have an ounce of charity in them, Coppin says, anger still gripping her more than 50 years later. The grandmother and former teacher, who spent her teenage years in three separate laundries, has pursued the Irish authorities all the way to the UN in her quest for justice, and is one of the survivors who was consulted by screenwriter Joe Murtagh during the writing of BBC Ones new six-part drama The Woman in the Wall. It stars Ruth Wilson as a woman suffering from extreme trauma caused by her time in a mother and baby home and Magdalene laundry in the west of Ireland. Shes experiencing flashbacks and hallucinations, acting out her pain in rage-filled attacks on symbols of Catholic authority, including a kitchen knife through the eye of a portrait of Jesus. 'I look back in horror': Elizabeth Coppin at home in March, Cambridgeshire - Andrew Fox/The Telegraph In real life, many of the estimated 30,000 women who were held in Magdalene laundries suffered abuse at the hands of the Church. And the terrifying reach of the nightmare that Coppin is describing becomes plain when she describes what happened after she escaped from the Peacock Lane laundry in Cork in 1966, when she and another girl jumped from a first-floor window and ran. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Coppin spent three months in the outside world working in a local hospital, when inspectors from the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children showed up. She was instructed to get into their car. He was driving, she recalls. And he turned around and said, Now, this place were taking you to you try to run away from it, we will put you in a place you will never get out of. Her voice breaks into a sob. There was nobody to turn to. Every instrument of the state was used to keep women and girls trapped in the laundries, from government agencies to the garda police force, all working in concert. The inspectors took her to a laundry run by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd at Sundays Well, also in Cork. Coppin knew the threats were real. At Peacock Lane there was an older woman two cells from hers, with grey hair. Id hear her at night, Bridie was her name. She used to call out, My baby, my baby. They took my baby from me. This poor woman. She was just so damaged. Bridie was likely one of the women who had given birth in a convent-run mother and baby home, before being confined in a Magdalene laundry. This was what happened to Philomena Lee , whom Judi Dench portrayed in the 2013 film Philomena the first time that many in the UK had heard of the Magdalene laundries. As in Lees case, many of the children were taken from their mothers and put up for adoption. (Some met a worse fate. Next year, exhumation will begin on a mass grave at a former mother and baby home in Tuam, Galway, where the bodies of 796 babies and children were discovered in disused sewage tanks.) The mother and baby homes were just one element of what has been described as Irelands architecture of containment which also included the industrial schools that housed orphans and abandoned children. Through a succession of convent-run institutions, Ireland could keep a woman prisoner from birth to death. As Katherine ODonnell, professor of philosophy at University College Dublin and member of the education and advocacy group Justice for Magdalenes Research, explains, Over half of the women at least who were put in [the laundries] from the 1950s on, never got out. Elizabeth Coppin (front, second left) aged 13 at the Nazareth School in Tralee, Ireland in 1963 - kennellyarchive.com ODonnell was a consultant on The Woman in the Wall, putting Wilson in touch with laundry survivors. She has been collecting their oral histories for more than a decade. Some of the accounts are so harrowing that ODonnell developed trauma symptoms herself. There were nuns who were maniacally cruel, she says. In 200 years, Irish nuns have done the most remarkable things, but also, at times, they were forces of evil. In Catholic Europe, Magdalene laundries had traditionally been a refuge for prostitutes, where they could spend time off the streets and work for their board. When they began to appear in Ireland in the 1820s, however, women were locked up in cells from the start. For a brief period later in the 19th century, they became associated with a Protestant movement aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating fallen women, but by the revolutionary period that began in 1912, ODonnell says, the laundries had entirely become places of incarceration. Poor women, unwed mothers and any child or woman who passed through the religious homes could be taken to one of the laundries and kept there for life. This was the fear that haunted Gabrielle OGorman, who was born in St Patricks mother and baby home in Dublin in 1945, the daughter of an unmarried mother who stayed there with me until I was four, she tells me. Until the age of 16, OGorman was raised in two industrial schools in Dublin, before being sent to work at a convent in London. Her mother, whom she had known only as someone who would sometimes come to visit me and bring me biscuits, was now married and living there in a one-bedroomed flat. Gabrielle O'Gorman with her supporters - Alamy/Alamy For OGorman, now an exuberant, Elvis-mad 78-year-old, London was very different from the repressive environment she had known. I was very gregarious, she says. I love life. After a year, though, her mother took her back to Dublin to work in the convent where she had lived from four to 12; she was 17. I wanted to get back to London because I had a lovely boyfriend, she says. I was quite cheeky with the nuns. I said, I want you to have my case ready. Im going to England. Instead, after staying out past the convents 10pm curfew one night, she found a garda waiting for her in the parlour next morning. She was taken to the notorious Magdalene laundry in Sean McDermott Street, Dublin (the last of Irelands 10 laundries to close, in 1996). All I could smell was carbolic soap, Jeyes fluid, bleach. They tried to take my clothes off, she continues, and I wouldnt let them because they wanted you to put on the uniform that way you cannot escape, you get brought back. Some of the women were in there for 20, 30, 40 years. And they werent allowed to speak. Even at lunch, youd have this nun watching you. A lot of the people in there, they didnt even know each others real names the women were stripped of their identities on entering and given a religious name and it was work from early morning. Or it was praying in the church Mass after Mass. It was awful. I refused to do anything, I refused to work, I refused to go to bed. I would sleep in my clothes. Like Coppin, OGorman made a break for freedom, but was brought back by the garda and taken to another laundry in Limerick. The nun in charge there, she says, was wicked, spiteful, she hated me. She remembers one occasion when the woman grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to the ground. She said, Get down on your knees and she was pulling my hair, and she said, You are here because nobody wants you. And that hurt me more than her pulling my hair. It really had a big effect on me, I think, because Id been brought up in an institution. They finally let her go, two and a half years later, aged 19. She and Coppin both moved to England, where they built successful lives; Coppin married, had two children and lives in Dorset; OGorman has seven grandchildren and lives in Hampshire. She looks back on her experience as like being kidnapped. Has there been a serious attempt by the Catholic Church to apologise for its crimes? Absolutely none, says ODonnell. Even when Pope Francis came to Ireland in 2018, he said hed never heard of these institutions. In 2013, Irelands then taoiseach Enda Kenny made an unreserved apology for the states role in the trauma and vowed to make amends. Yet, as ODonnell says, as long as it fails to force the orders who ran the laundries to release the records of the women held in them, the state itself is still colluding. The Woman in the Wall starts on Sunday, BBC One at 9.05pm 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. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." he latest season of American Idol ended back in May, but Ryan Seacrest is busy making a difference with his charity work. For many years, the TV personality's Ryan Seacrest Foundation has built state-of-the-art media centers (called Seacrest Studios) in various children's hospitals all around the country. Well, he's about to add another one to his ever-growing portfolio, because he announced in a video on Instagram that he'll be heading to Queens, New York this September with his family and surprise celebrity guests to open a brand-new Seacrest Studio at the Cohen Children's Medical Center. "Hey guys, it is Ryan here," he emotionally began the clip posted on August 7. "I wanted to share some very exciting news about our 13th Seacrest Studio for the Ryan Seacrest Foundation opening in September at Cohen Children's Medical Center in Queens, New York." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He continued: "We have been working on this with the team there for many, many years. So, very excited that it's gonna open, this state-of-the-art media center... It will be the heartbeat of the whole building, in the atrium for patients and their families to come escape what they might be going through in the hospital." When fans learned how Ryan's philanthropic work was supporting the creation of another Seacrest Studio, they didn't hesitate to share how proud they were about the prospect. "What a wonderful act of kindness!! ," one person wrote on Instagram. "This is an amazing thing you are doing Ryan, thank you for being such a caring person ," another penned. "Congratulations on the continued success of this incredible program. What a gift to those patients it will be ," a different user added. The news of Ryan opening another Seacrest Studio comes less than three months after he opened his 12th center at the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. Alongside the most recent opening, the radio host has opened others in hospitals across the U.S. since November 2010 and is expected to open one more in Salt Lake City later this year. When Ryan spoke out about creating the New York City location on Live in December 2021, he expressed why doing something like this was essential for him. "You don't realize how important these places are until you have to be inside one," he explained. "It's hard on the family, on the child... this is hopefully a way to have them escape." Our hearts are with everyone. And a big congrats and way-to-go for Ryan! You Might Also Like The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption in January 2022 was one of the biggest volcanic eruptions in recorded history . Detonating underwater with the force of 100 Hiroshima bombs, the blast sent millions of tons of water vapor high into the atmosphere. Some commentators have speculated in recent weeks that the volcano is to blame for searing summer temperatures and are even using the volcano to cast doubt on the role humans are playing in climate change , as reported by The Hill . So is the gigantic eruption responsible for this summer's sweltering conditions? "The short answer is no," Gloria Manney , a senior research scientist at NorthWest Research Associates and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and Luis Millan , a research scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told Live Science together in an email. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Even though El Nino has made the global temperature higher and the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption might have affected some regions for a short time, the main culprit is climate change," they said. And numerous studies show that the massive eruption isn't causing this climate change human activites such as the burning of fossil fuels are the driving factor. Related: Tonga eruption's towering plume was the tallest in recorded history Why are some people blaming the volcano? Massive volcanic eruptions usually reduce temperatures because they spit out vast amounts of sulfur dioxide, which form sulfate aerosols that can reflect sunlight back into space and cool Earth's surface temporarily, the researchers explained.But the Tonga eruption had another effect because it occurred underwater. "The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai eruption is peculiar because, in addition to causing the largest increase in stratospheric aerosol in decades, it also injected vast amounts of water vapor into the stratosphere," Manney and Millan said. Water vapor is a natural greenhouse gas that absorbs solar radiation and traps heat in the atmosphere. The aerosol and water vapor impact the climate system in opposing ways, but several studies have proposed that, due to its larger and more persistent water vapor plume, the eruption could have a temporary net surface warming effect, Manney and Millan said. A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change in January estimated that the eruption increased the water vapor content of the stratosphere by around 10% to 15% the biggest increase scientists have ever documented. Using a model, they calculated that the water vapor could increase the average global temperature by up to 0.063 degrees Fahrenheit (0.035 degrees Celsius), Eos magazine reported in March. Some commentators linked the eruption to warming because of this finding, and other studies suggesting a potential warming effect, but researchers involved in these studies have been clear that the volcano isn't a major factor in our wild weather. "It's probably fair to say that the influence of [the volcano] on this year's extremes is quite small," Stuart Jenkins , a climate scientist and postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University in the U.K. and lead author of the January study, told The Hill. The underwater Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption on Jan. 15, 2022. The bigger climate picture Earth's warming trend predates the eruption. July may have been the hottest month on record for global temperatures, but the five hottest Julys have all been recorded in the past five years, according to NASA. Manney and Millan said that more detailed models are needed to reveal how much impact the eruption had on global temperatures relative to burning fossil fuels and the El Nino, but the effects are expected to be much smaller than those from burning fossil fuels. RELATED STORIES Tonga 2022 eruption triggered the most intense lightning storm ever recorded Record-breaking Tonga volcano generated the fastest atmospheric waves ever seen Tonga's eruption injected so much water into Earth's atmosphere that it could weaken the ozone layer "Last July's record-breaking global temperatures are just a preview of what may happen if we do not take more bold and ambitious climate action," they said. In May, the United Nations' World Meteorological Organization warned there's a 66% chance that annual mean global surface temperatures will likely cross a dangerous 2.6 F (1.5 C) warming threshold at some point in the next five years. At 2.6 F of warming, extreme heat waves will become more widespread, with higher chances of droughts and reduced water availability, according to NASA . Going above 2.6 F could trigger climate tipping points such as the collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets . We all know who Tupac Shakur is right? Legendary MC who was known for his real and raw demeanor that would display itself in his music and movie roles. He was a beloved figure in music whose words and lyrics have stood the test of time. Despite his short life, hes still extremely influential to artists today who want to leave behind a similar impact when they no longer make music. Read more Photo: Variety Originally given the name Lesane Parish Crooks when he was born on June 16, 1971, in New York City, he was later given the name Tupac Amaru Shakur a year later. His mother was Afeni Shakur and his biological father was William Garland. His stepfather later became Mutulu Shakur. Revolutionary family Screenshot: CNN Pacs biological parents, stepfather, and godfather, Elmer Geronimo Pratt, were all members of the Black Panther Party in New York. His godmother, Assata Shakur, was a member of the Black Liberation Army. Education Screenshot: YouTube In high school, Shakur attended the Baltimore School for the Arts, where he was taught acting, poetry, and other creative arts. This is where he met future actress Jada Pinkett and the two became close friends. MC New York He later moved to the Bay Area in California in the late 1980s. This is when he started to record his raps and went under the name MC New York. It was during this time that he met his future manager Leila Steinberg while taking her poetry classes in the area. Shes the one who got Pac signed by Atron Gregory, who managed Digital Underground. Digital Underground Tupac later became a hype man and backup dancer for Digital Underground, a hiphop group based out of Oakland. This is when he changed his name to 2pac. He would also make appearances on songs from the group, most notably, Same Song which was a single that was on the soundtrack for the 1991 movie, Nothing but Trouble. 2Pacalypse Now Tupac dropped his debut studio album, 2Pacalypse Now, in November 1991. While the album did not sell many albums initially, it did include some good songs, the most popular being, Brendas Got a Baby. This album introduced Pac to the rap world as a solo artist and showcased his ability to make enjoyable music that touched on serious and important topics in the Black community. Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z Two years later, Shakur dropped his second studio album, Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z The record was a much bigger success compared to his previous record and included some of the most popular songs Pac has ever released such as Keep Ya Head Up and I Get Around. Thug Life That Thug Life on his stomach wasnt just for show. In 1993, Pac created the group Thug Life with other West Coast MCs. In 1994, they released their only album, Thug Life, Vol. 1, and although it wasnt too popular, it featured some great Pac songs including Bury Me a G, Pour Out a Little Liquor and Str8 Ballin. Relationship with Notorious B.I.G. Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives (Getty Images) The two young MCs initially became friends when they met in 1993 in California. They could be seen socializing with each other throughout the years and even recorded two songs together, House of Pain and Runnin from that Police. Acting career As his career as a rapper was starting to take off, he never forgot about his skills as an actor. He appeared in a lot of beloved movies in the 90s including Juice, Poetic Justice, Above the Rim, Bullet, Gridlockd, and Gang Related. Atlanta Shooting Photo: AJC In October 1993, Pac was arrested in Atlanta after he shot two off-duty Atlanta police officers. Shakur was charged with aggravated assault and one of the officers was charged with firing at Pacs car and another admitted to taking a gun from an evidence room. The charges were eventually dropped on both sides. Sexual assault charges Photo: Michael Ochs Archives (Getty Images) Pac was charged and eventually convicted on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse after he was accused of sexually assaulting a woman in November 1993, along with two other men. Although he was let off on three counts of sodomy, the other counts were enough to send him to prison, where he was sentenced to 18 months to 4.5 years. His sentence began in February 1995 and was released in October of the same year after Death Row Records CEO Suge Knight was able to organize the posting of his bond. Shooting at Quad Studios This is where the relationship between 2Pac and Biggie went south. While in New York in November 1994, Pac was asked to stop by Quad Studios in Manhattan to record a verse. When he arrived, he was shot and robbed by three men in the lobby. Shakur suspected a setup. Days after the shooting, Shakur showed up to hear the verdict in his sexual assault case in a wheelchair. Me Against the World Pacs third studio album was released in March 1995, as he was in prison for sexual assault charges. The record was beloved by fans and critics alike and made Pac a nationwide star. The song featured one of Shakurs most vulnerable and emotional songs ever, Dear Mama, which was meant to honor his mother. Death Row Records Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic (Getty Images) After he was released from Prison, Pac was an immediate signee of Death Row Records and started working on his next studio album. All Eyez on Me Pacs fourth album is easily his most popular. It was hip-hops first double album and featured a myriad of dope records including, Ambitionz Az A Ridah, 2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted, California Love, All Eyez on Me, and How Do U Want It. It debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 selling more than 500,000 copies in its first week. The record was eventually certified diamond in July 2014 for selling more than 10 million copies. Love life Photo: The Sun While in prison, Pac married his girlfriend Keisha Morris. The marriage was annulled less than a year later. He later started dating the daughter of Quincy Jones, Kidada, up until he was fatally shot in September 1996. Hit Em Up What else is there to say? Pac did not like Biggie at all and basically, any and everyone that was affiliated with East Coast rap. Although he had plenty of shots for Biggie, he went at Bad Boy Records, Diddy, Chino XL, and Mobb Deep. No debate, Pac made the best diss track ever with this song. Some of the lines arent even appropriate to repeat. Just listen and youll understand. Death Photo: Getty Images (Getty Images) Theres so much that happened the night Pac was murdered. The short story is that Pac was in Vegas to attend the Mike Tyson fight in September 1996 with Suge Knight and other associates. He later went to Suges nightclub. When they left the club and stopped at a red light, a car pulled up next to the Suge and Pac was in, and started firing shots rapidly. He was shot four times and later pronounced dead days later after internal bleeding. Posthumous releases There have been so many posthumous albums released after Pac was fatally shot. The first one was The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, which was finished before he was murdered. It was released in November 1996 and featured the singles, Hail Mary, Toss It Up, and To Live & Die in L.A. This album was much darker than his previous releases and included insults at many prominent MCs. Seven more posthumous albums would be released after The Don Killuminati Legacy Photo: Robyn Beck / AFP (Getty Images) To this day, Pac is still celebrated and loved by many in the music world. Hes considered to be one of the most influential artists of all time because of his ability to be honest, genuine, and emotional. He was just given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame earlier this year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. On Friday, August 25th, 44-year-old Toby Begg was surfing in New South Wales, Australia when he was attacked by a four-meter-long great white shark. The attack happened at Lighthouse Beach, Port Macquarie, on the mid north coast. Begg sustained serious injuries, as he was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, where he arrived in critical condition and, reportedly, lost his leg. Now, he's gone from critical to stable; but hes got a long road to recovery. In a GoFundMe account set up by Beggs family to help with the medical costs, they write: Hi, my brother-in-law, Toby Begg was the victim of a 4m great white shark attack on 25 August 2023 at Lighthouse Beach, Port Macquarie, Australia. Thankfully an off-duty emergency doctor was on scene to assist him however, his injuries are extremely serious and life changing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Toby is my sister Tracy's loving partner and they have two beautiful children. He is a skilled builder, runs a business and is the family bread winner. It is very early stages and the full extent of his injuries are being uncovered however, he will require many surgeries and has years of rehabilitation ahead of him. If you can, please donate to assist Toby with medical bills and help with ongoing bills during his recovery. So far, the crowdfunding effort has secured $30k AUD of the $50k goal. Whats more, a photo has emerged which shows the scene moments before the attack. You can barely see it, reports 9 News Australia. But just below the surface, where the water is disturbed, a four-meter great white shark is moments from striking. Its target: meters away, holding onto his blue surfboard, Toby Begg, doesnt know it, but his life is about to change. To support Beggs recovery, check out the a GoFundMe account. *** 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. Known for his erratic, offbeat, often borderline disturbing performances not to mention his prolific, 100+ film resume Nicolas Cage is a Hollywood legend. And his latest project sees him treading into foreign territory: surfing. The film, entitled The Surfer, which is being billed as a thriller, will see Cage battling against a gang of Australian surfers, as we previously reported when news of the movie first dropped. Now, theres a casting call for young, local surfers in Margaret River, Western Australia, to star alongside Cage in the upcoming project. Per a report from ABC, The call-out said teenage boys would play young surfers who hung out with a surf gang. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We are looking for kids who are really confident with a bit of 'attitude' ... we see them riding their BMXs delivering beer and generally causing trouble around town, the call-out said. According to The Hollywood Reporter, heres the films synopsis: In The Surfer, when a man (Cage) returns to his beachside hometown in Australia, many years since building a life for himself in the U.S., he is humiliated in front of his teenage son by a local gang of surfers who claim strict ownership over the secluded beach of his childhood. Wounded, The Surfer decides to remain at the beach, declaring war against those in control of the bay. But as the conflict escalates, the stakes spin wildly out of control, taking The Surfer to the edge of his sanity. As for the casting call, Margaret River Senior High School drama teacher Amy Johnstone told ABC: "As soon as we found out, we put it out in the school notices, and we had a stack of boys lining up at our office door by recess, these guys are pumped to be in a movie. Jack Robbos big-screen debut? *** 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. Patsy Koch Johns said Thursday she won't seek reelection to her long-held District 1 seat on the Nebraska State Board of Education. Koch Johns, a Democrat, ran unopposed in 2020 for the nonpartisan seat representing Lincoln and northwest Lancaster County. The decision to leave wasnt one that came easily, though, she said. She has dedicated much of her life to education and still isnt ready to say goodbye, even though she won't run again. I wouldn't trade my experience for anything in the world. It has been a wonderful experience, said the former Lincoln High teacher who was also a Nebraska teacher of the year. Now I'm not saying it's always been easy, and that I always succeeded in what I felt was important for kids and to provide for them, but I am saying that it was definitely worth my years. Kristin Christensen of Lincoln, a registered Democrat, has already tossed her name into the hat for next year's election, hoping to represent District 1, which encompasses Lincoln and northwest Lancaster County, on the board. A mother of three, Christensen was raised in Norfolk and has lived in Lincoln for more than a decade. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has been working as a special education teacher for eight years. She currently works at Sheridan Elementary School as an academic intervention teacher. Student success is at the top of Christensens priority list, and she believes students should have high-quality resources available to them. Another pillar of her campaign is teacher support. As the nationwide teacher shortage continues, Christensen said she is devoted to the recruitment, development and retention of teachers. She also plans to focus on collaboration between elected officials and community members. Christensen has been endorsed by Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, Board of Education members Lisa Fricke and Deb Neary, multiple current and former state senators, a slew of City Council members and Koch Johns. Because she has a background in education and fresh insight as a teacher, Koch Johns feels Christensen will bring a fresh perspective to the board. I ran immediately after I retired, so I was just coming out of the classroom. I felt like I had my finger on the pulse of education still, and I think that that's super important. Kristin has that, Koch Johns said. Shes just like me she has the desire to serve even deeper. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 Nyamayaro (second from right) speaks to women participating in a project that grants them micro-loans for business activities near Luxor, Egypt (WFP/Aboubacar Sidibe ) It is Elizabeth Nyamayaro s childhood experience of growing up in an impoverished village in Zimbabwe that serves as a guiding star to her today one she describes in her 2021 book, I Am a Girl from Africa. I was raised by my gogo, my grandmother, in a small agro-community, Nyamayaro says. We grew our crops together, we harvested together. There was abundance because the food was shared by everyone. Then came a crippling drought, drying out water and food supplies. It left Nyamayaro and other villagers on the edge of starvation. The arrival of a Unicef worker helped to save them. Nyamayaro examines maize with a farmer in Honduras (Behind the Cause) Nyamayaro speaks to a farmer from Aswan, Egypt, who is benefitting from new methods of agriculture and irrigation (WFP/Aboubacar Sidibe) That experience sparked my dream to become a humanitarian, Nyamayaro says, adding, Im now on the other side living that dream. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It was in Zimbabwe where she met a United Nations worker who, decades later, propelled Nyamayaro into her role as a World Food Programme (WFP) Special Adviser a position she held from 2021 until July of this year. I cant think of any greater or more noble cause than to fight to end global hunger, says Nyamayaro. As someone from the global South, I feeI I have a personal responsibility to advocate for supporting communities like mine that are on the front lines of global hunger. Nyamayaro assesses a farmers crops in Luxor, Egypt (WFP/Aboubacar Sidibe) Nyamayaro meets children in Egypt (Behind the Cause) In 2021, Nyamayaro was appointed WFP Special Adviser, travelling to some of the planets most fragile communities. She used her online and offline platforms to amplify their difficult and sometimes uplifting stories, along with WFPs impact in changing their lives. Her work as WFP Special Adviser took Nyamayaro to many other poor villages around the world, often visiting projects that are empowering women and girls. Nyamayaro in Honduras (Behind the Cause) Primary school girls wash okra growing in their school garden in South Sudan as part of WFP-supported school meals (WFP/Eulalia Berlanga) In Zambia, she saw how a WFP initiative giving tens of thousands of women farmers drought-resistant seeds and training on climate-smart practices is transforming agriculture and lives. Theyre able to grow other types of food beyond corn, the countrys staple crop that is vulnerable to climate extremes, she says, and send their children to school. In the traditional Aswan region of southern Egypt, Nyamayaro saw a rare upside to the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to a WFP income-generating project targeting women. With coronavirus restrictions keeping male farmers from their fields, the women became family breadwinners for the first time, rearing and selling ducks bought with WFP loans. Women and children wait for rations at a WFP distribution in Nigers Tahoua region as the country weathers a political crisis (WFP/Mariama Ali Souley) WFP is giving drought-resistant seeds and training on climate-smart practices to women farmers in Zambia (WFP/Andy Higgins) When lockdown ended, pretty much every husband whose wife had received a WFP loan said, I think you should keep on working, Nyamayaro recalls. It was such a simple but powerful way to empower women. Today, Nyamayaro has literally begun a new chapter in her humanitarian career. Shes working on two books, one fiction and the other non-fiction, which explore gender and other global inequalities. "Once a humanitarian, always a humanitarian, Nyamayaro says. My goal is really to explore what that means. Being on the front lines, but also using stories, which are the universal language of connection. Thats what I hope to achieve. Read more about the WFPs fight against hunger here. A while back, we wrote a post where people who had majors that others typically think are "useless" shared what they actually do for work now . Some of them revealed how their college major led them to a career they love, and others shared regrets about their decision. Here are the insightful and surprising responses: 1. "I got a bachelors degree in sociology and anthropology with an archaeology emphasis. Worked off and on in CRM (customer relationship management) for years, but the ridiculous work standards, low pay, and absolutely horrific misogyny finally got me. I now work as a patient advocate for a healthcare company with a great work environment and better pay." "Im glad I got out of CRM. Archaeology is a profession where less than 50% of the actual working people are female and half of all female archaeologists leave the profession at some point. That should tell you a lot." omgitsaclaire Luis Alvarez / Getty Images 2. "I graduated two years ago and have a BA in drama/theater. I wish I could say Im working in that field, doing what I once loved, but my passion sort of switched directions. Now, Im in limbo. ... Its a rough place to be, honestly." "But Im young, and I try to tell myself I have time to figure it out." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement babymagenta Hill Street Studios / Getty Images 3. "Studied history and English. Thought I'd teach high school. Realized I didn't want to teach. I'm a manager for an insurance company. I make better money than my friends who teach (and teachers here make good money)." stepha83 Skynesher / Getty Images 4. "I have a BS in criminal justice with a minor in business admin. After graduating in 2007, I ended up working for a major bank for five years (I started RIGHT at the beginning of the recession, and the whole 'too big to fail' banking fiasco). I then transitioned to entry-level accounting and have worked my way up to being an accounting manager. I dont have a CPA, although I did start a post-bach program to get all the credits I need to sit the exam. I dont hate my job, and Im good at it." "I should have gone with my original college plan and just majored in accounting instead of doing criminal justice." kristinap48d99e23b Boonchai Wedmakawand / Getty Images 5. "I got a degree in fashion design from a renowned private art school that consistently ranks top three in the US. I had an amazing experience and learned so much, but for how expensive the school was, they didn't provide a lot of alum support once you graduate. In fact, they actively didn't want to teach any business practices to help turn our respective art fields into actual lucrative careers, because the main focus was creating conceptual art. When I first graduated, after a couple of (unpaid) design internships, I had to find a paying job and found myself the head of production for a handmade leather goods company. Amazing, right? Except it was so mismanaged by my boss, I ended up being absorbed into her parent company...sewing drapes. My soul died there." "I left after YEARS there and made the transition to luxury retail, where I can at least utilize my skills in tailoring. Not the dream job I wanted, but I actually make decent money and really enjoy the friendships I've made with my incredible clients." shirleythecat Vladimir Vladimirov / Getty Images 6. "I have a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies. I work for a payroll company and do tax compliance. Never took an accounting class. I just make sure companies are registered in CO, IA, and AK so they can file and pay state unemployment taxes for any new hires or an employee that moves to those states. Been working in payroll since 2013, but with different companies and accounting firms. It has its pros and cons, but I find it fulfilling." pamelaloves Blake Callahan / Getty Images 7. "I was a history major with an interest in archiving, after graduating, I worked for a record label and went back to school to be a high school teacher. I don't even teach history. I make $70k and have only been working for four years. My job is great, but did I foresee this? Hell no." demons Mint Images / Getty Images 8. "I received a bachelor's in fine arts in 2004. Worked as an executive assistant and meeting planner for multiple corporate VPs for over 15 years. I loved the meeting planner part, but as the economy got worse and companies had to start budgeting more, I started hating my job. Went back and got another bachelor's in nursing." "Youd be surprised what you are capable of doing in life." amandak82 David Sacks / Getty Images 9. "I studied criminal justice. I started working in advocacy then opened my own social enterprise related to criminal justice and gender, which won several awards in the last three years." "I know it could be luck, and I was right place at the right time, but I dont want to discourage criminology and criminal justice majors." zaytay Sdi Productions / Getty Images 10. "I studied sociocultural anthropology in school and was told by family and friends that I wouldnt be able to be successful. Now, I work for a small consulting firm and have done research for clients like Amazon, Samsung, McDonalds, and Hulu. Markets shift and change all the time. So, be open to exploring and trying new things." "But the most important thing is to not compare your success to anything other than your own happiness." excuse_your_mouth Mavocado / Getty Images 11. "Psychology. I haven't been told it's 'useless' just that I won't be rich. I don't aim to be rich. I aim to be comfortable. There are a lot of stressors in the world that aren't going anywhere anytime soon, so therapy will always be needed." "I have a list of mental disorders, and I want to help get rid of the negative stigmas associated with mental health. I just want to give people hope." caffeineandnicotine Alexandr Kolesnikov / Getty Images 12. "I was a theater major and English minor with an emphasis on playwriting. I interned in Chicago for a year before accepting a $350/week job working in the production department of a regional musical theater company. I moved around departments a couple of times. I'm now the development manager at the company aka, fundraising writing grants and making $50k with basically no more upward mobility and no time to work on my own personal writing/art. The company has consumed my life for 10 years." "I didn't mind too much because I love theater. But I just landed a development job at a local university making $80k with free grad school and the promise of basically no commitments outside work hours. I gave my notice last Friday. I'm sad to leave the field and company I love, but I'm pumped for the next chapter. I'll write my plays and short films for fun, make more money, and get free education." braccolirob Ana Rocio Garcia Franco / Getty Images 13. "I have a BA in communications and media arts. I've gotten no work in my field, and I've been out of college since 2019." "Anybody wanna help a girl out? " laylaa422315a8f Tom Werner / Getty Images 14. "I have a BA in geography with a minor in French from a university my dad wanted me to go to (Ill be paying that off for the rest of my life). Had a whole cornucopia of different jobs, but mainly, I roamed throughout East Asia and taught English. A few years ago, I moved back to the States (but in an opposite part) and went back to school to be a vet tech." "Now, I work at a clinic. Hard work, but I like it more than anything else Ive ever done." nebulakenezzar Annastills / Getty Images / iStockphoto 15. "I studied film. Now, I work in an industry that doesn't care about its crews, promotes a-holes and nepotism, and scraps and bows to anyone with a little bit of money or fame who thinks they're God's gift to society. Oh, and I get yelled at for things I have exactly zero control over, get paid at least $15 less than the next lowest-paid crew member, and the only way up is by taking a job I have no interest in that would also mean I have to move." "I'm looking to get out of it as soon as I'm financially able." danan49ee425a0 Batuhan Toker / Getty Images / iStockphoto 16. "I majored in creative writing. I did become a freelance journalist just after college, but it was really my experience with the student newspaper that prepared me for that. Then, I worked in health insurance and felt like the degree was mostly worthless (though, I did make friends in my various English classes Im still friends with now, including my husband, so thats a big positive!) Now, Im in the final stages of editing my first novel after years of working on it." "Im scared of the next process, finding an agent who wants to help me publish it, but Im really hopeful. I have to keep reminding myself that even if it never does get published, I wrote a book. Its something Im proud of. But I dream of seeing it in a bookstore someday." am301394wne Mengwen Cao / Getty Images 17. "I got a degree in theater. I loved it, and it was so much fun, but the only way to make a living as an actor in New Zealand is either by teaching or moving to Auckland and trying to land a role on Shortland Street. I tried teaching acting and was terrible at it. So, now I'm back studying in my mid-/late-30s and getting a new degree in accounting." louisiana54 Pramote Polyamate / Getty Images 18. "I had to declare a major when I applied to college and I declared as a history major. I ended up switching to business management because I wanted to go into the banking industry, which is what I'm doing now and have been doing for nine years I love it. Business management seemed to be a good fit because the accounting, economics, and finance classes I took prepared me for credit analysis. However, if I could go back and do it again, I would have stayed a history major and done a minor in economics." "That way, my major would have been more fun, and I still would have taken the accounting, finance, and economics classes that would have helped me in my career." hlane09 Thomas Barwick / Getty Images 19. "I was a creative writing major and got my master's in religion. I work in higher ed admin now and love every minute of it. College taught me how to think and to communicate. Those are skills you can take anywhere." jillannk3 Sturti / Getty Images 20. "I majored in social work, and now I work in IT, and I love it. I would have burnt out in the blink of an eye in social work because I give my all to people and animals in need, and I can't not care and take their troubles to heart. But now, I work with cold numbers and code that leaves my heart whole and full to care for whoever needs to be taken care of." "I offer my home as a sanctuary to people and animals to mend and heal and be strong to live as best they can. Social work would have killed me." katrinagirl Morsa Images / Getty Images 21. "I got my BA in English a decade ago with the goal of becoming a middle or high school English teacher. I taught for a few years (mostly middle school English, but sometimes high school or elementary school) before realizing it wasnt for me. I switched to health care four years ago with the goal of becoming a physician." "Ive scribed for the past two years and love it. Goes to show English degrees are not useless!" leager129 Delmaine Donson / Getty Images 22. "I graduated with a degree in art. However, with my degree and experience of having worked in high school and college breaks at a health club front desk, I got a receptionist position at a real estate development company. Then, literally two months later, when the executive assistant left to go back to school, I was promoted to her position since I already had a degree and had shown I was capable of doing the work. Stayed there a couple of years, and with that one role, I was able to work in some of the best companies and had the opportunity to travel around the country planning events." "It was more that 'graduated' section on my resume that got my foot in the door than my major." amandak82 Stewart Sutton / Getty Images 23. "I majored in theater and acting because I loved to do that at the time. I did a lot of acting when I was younger, but now, I'm a psychologist!" elizaschuylerhamilton5 Fatcamera / Getty Images And finally... 24. "I went to school for fashion merchandising, and I tried and tried to stay, but that world is pure evil and filled with crabs-in-a-barrel-type people. So, I dipped. Fast-forward about 10 years later and several customer service jobs later, I now own a thriving trucking/dispatch business! Im at the point where I need to hire help, and this is my only source of income, and the bills are paid!!! I LOVE everything about this world and industry!!!!" "I NEVER thought I would get into trucking, but Im damn glad I did! I quit my job with just hope and a dream, and it actually worked." bluskywalker Artistgndphotography / Getty Images If you had a major that people typically would consider "useless," what do you do for work now? Do you have any regrets or insights to share? Feel free to share your story in the comments below. Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Ryan Reynolds has broken with tradition and shared a heartfelt tribute to his wife, Blake Lively, for her birthday. The Hollywood couple are known for their habit of poking fun at one another on social media, particularly on special occasions. On Livelys birthday in 2017, the Deadpool star wrote an Instagram post wishing his amazing wife a happy birthday, with an image that cropped out Lively almost entirely, leaving only his own face to take up the bulk of the frame. Two years later, Reynolds shared 10 photos to mark Livelys 32nd birthday, all of which showed her looking a little unprepared. In nearly all of the photographs, Lively was caught off guard and could be seen blinking, pulling funny faces or barely in shot, while her husband posed confidently for the camera. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, this year, Reynolds decided to share a moving love letter to the mother of his four children. The only thing irrevocably mine in the world is the love and appreciation and awe I feel for this person, he said. Witnessing her life is something I couldnt take for granted if I tried. And believe me, I try. The sweet images showed several selfies of the A-list couple, as well as solo shots of Lively - beginning with a photo of her lounging at a dinner table on the beach. Reynolds signed the post: Happy Birthday, Blake Lively. You hung the damn moon. During the 36th Annual American Cinematheque Awards last year, Lively honoured her life partner in a heartfelt speech made moments before he received an honourary award in Los Angeles, California. She explained that not only has Reynolds film career brought the world happiness, but so has his heart, his philanthropy, his humour, his integrity, his unmatched work ethic, his self-deprecating levity, his hard-earned depths in his scripts. And now I am his home, and our girls are his home, she proclaimed. And just like that 19-year-old boy [who used to commute home to Canada], he races home. Whether its from across the globe or a meeting across the street, he is hard-wired to get home. Lively went on to note: If he came home from set not in his wardrobe, we would be very concerned. While Reynolds and Lively met on the set of Green Lantern in 2010, their romance didnt spark until a year later, when they were both single. It only took one year for them to realise that their relationship was the real deal, as they secretly tied the knot in South Carolina. Most of their wedding details were kept private, except that their nuptials were held at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant - for which the couple later received backlash. Fast forward three years, the 46-year-old Free Guy star and 36-year-old Gossip Girl alum revealed they were expecting their first child. Now, the pair share four children - quietly welcoming their youngest in February of this year. Lively told her followers that she gave birth with a subtle Instagram announcement on 12 February. In the post, she was seen sandwiched between Reynolds and his mom, Tammy. Her caption read: Puppy Bowl Sunday 2023. Been busy. The name and gender of their newborn have not yet been revealed. While raising their four children - including daughters James, eight, Inez, six, and Betty, three - is a full-time job, Reynolds and Lively still find time to vacation together. The acting duo were recently spotted hand-in-hand during a European getaway to Paris, France. Brexit Derangement Syndrome is a terrifying condition. It can take intelligent people and turn them into the type of activists you see outside Parliament wearing blue berets with yellow stars. Consider the case of Peter Foster who, for many years, wrote sensible reports for this newspaper, and was latterly its Europe Editor. Even then, Foster didnt disguise his distaste for Brexit: he gave prominence to forecasts suggesting that Britains economy would tank, he wanted to stay in the customs union, and he was one of the earliest supporters of the backstop which removed Irelands incentive to push the EU to a more open trade-deal. In general, however, he strove to be informative, not declaratory. Not any more. In What Went Wrong with Brexit, every gloomy report by a Europhile think-tank is quoted as objective truth, and every Eurocrat is treated as a disinterested expert. In his accounts of the past and his recommendations for the future, Foster praises British concessions to the EU as mature and sensible, while condemning any assertiveness as unrealistic. For example, he thinks it obvious that the UK should sign up to whatever regulations the EU might adopt in future, at least as regards food and veterinary standards. To see how odd that notion is, try flipping it around and demanding that the EU accept dynamic alignment with the UK, arbitrated by our supreme court. At no stage does Foster recognise that the EU can be vindictive or inconsistent. At Salzburg in 2018, Theresa May offered to accept Brussels standards unilaterally and even to pay for the privilege; but, conditioned to reject every British proposal, EU leaders said no, thereby missing their best chance to have the kind of tight relationship that Foster wants. This episode goes unmentioned. Indeed, this is a book which makes no pretence at balance or nuance. Brexit is presented as an unmitigated calamity with no upsides at all. Foster mentions Covid-19 in passing, but the idea that paying people to stay home for the better part of two years might have a more serious impact on our economy than a change in our trading patterns is not considered. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Polemics have their place: I wrote one myself before the referendum. But I did so as, so to speak, a columnist rather than a news reporter. Foster started at the Telegraph under Charles Moore, who liked to hire correspondents who disagreed with the papers line, knowing that this would make them police their own biases. Peter Foster is the author of What Went Wrong with Brexit - JULIAN SIMMONDS Since Foster moved to the Financial Times three years ago, however, it seems as though such restraints have come off. Again and again, he gives his stories an anti-Brexit angle. Trade deals are portrayed as threats to British farmers, and the UKs recognition of the EUs CE kitemark, which the FT might have hailed as a welcome step towards mutual recognition and jurisdictional competition, is howled down as a Brexit failure. Most recently, Foster claimed in a news piece, not on the opinion pages that proposed changes in our intellectual-property rules to allow easier imports were a Brexit-driven threat to our creative industries. That, reader, is what you get here for 175 pages pamphleteering dressed up as analysis. And, no doubt, it will sell. A terrifying number of people are unable to move on from the 2016 referendum. Some actively wish for Brexits failure so as to be able to say I told you so. Yet it isnt even as though they had a plan to rejoin. Foster accepts that such a move is off the menu, and instead he proposes various ways to deepen our co-operation with the EU. But you feel, somehow, that all this is secondary. Like 18th-century Jacobites, the #FBPE crowd have no real plan beyond insisting to one another that they were right all along. This book is for them. What Went Wrong with Brexit is published by Canongate at 14.99. To order your copy, call 0844 871 1514 or visit Telegraph Books 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. My alarm goes off at 4:55 a.m. and my first thought is: I wonder what time Becky G got up today?" Its Becky's return to the TODAY stage for her TODAY Citi Concert after performing her hit song Shower almost 10 years ago. Looking outside, it appears as if shell be singing in the shower as the rain starts to pour. As a Southern California gal just like Becky, who hails from Inglewood Im not the biggest fan of the rain. But having the opportunity to see a Mexican American Latina just like me on the TODAY show stage is a career and life highlight. Walking to the plaza, there's a slew of people already rocking their orange TODAY ponchos and holding umbrellas, braving the rain to get a glimpse of their favorite Chicana. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Dancers and musicians are already on stage for soundcheck, and when the crowd sees a casually dressed Becky making her way outside, they erupt in cheers. If there is any worry about the rain, you couldnt tell from the 26-year-old's huge smile. Becky, Becky, Becky! the fans chant, and she waves to the crowd and laughs, before rehearsing the first song she will perform, Mamiii," her hit with Karol G. Zeke Ynoa, 24, and his three friends woke up at 3 a.m. and made their way from Brooklyn to see Becky. Ynoa says hes been waiting my whole life to see the global superstar. Ive (been a fan of) Becky since she sang Shower, back in 2014, and Ive kept following her career. Shes Latina, Im Latino from the Dominican Republic, and shes just really inspiring. The Latino pride is alive and well, with Mexican flags raised in her honor, and people from all over Latin America in attendance. One mom, Carolina Esquivel, brought her four children to see Becky. They just moved to New York three months ago from Peru and seeing Becky was a must, she says in Spanish. We are so excited to see her, Esquivel says, adding that Becky is beautiful inside and out. To get the chance to see her, hear her sing and enjoy the experience, we dont care about the rain. Showtime is just around the corner and during her time on the 3rd Hour of TODAY, Becky has a special announcement for her fans. It's pouring now, but we are more than ready to dance along to her songs. Dressed in a white lace corset with matching lace pants and white raincoat, Becky belts out Mamii as fans sing along to the tune. Como estamos mi gente!? she says in Spanish, asking her fans how they are doing despite before singing Arranca. Then, in what may be a Citi Concert Series first, a band consisting of a trombone, an alto horn, requinto acoustic guitar and double bass take the stage to accompany Becky as she performs the song Chanel," which she recorded with regional Mexican singer Peso Pluma. Hearing the corridos tumbados genre on TODAY gets the crowd singing along even louder. Midway through her set, Becky reveals the name of her third studio album, Esquinas (Corners). The Mexican music LP is a love letter to her grandparents, her culture and the next generation, she says. I have always identified not this side or that side of the streets that raised me, but the corner, where two flags, two cultures, two languages meet, she told the 3rd Hour hosts. Im the 200 percent. Im proud to be Latina and Im proud to be from Inglewood. That sentiment hits hard for the Latino crowd and me, who at times has not felt fully Mexican or fully American. Throughout her career, Becky has made it OK to speak in Spanglish Pocha Power shes known to say, which is someone whose Spanish is limited and speaks with an American accent and to embrace both cultures. Becky G performing on the TODAY show (Nathan Congleton / TODAY) Thats the power that Becky has, inspiring Latinos and her community. One fan celebrating her 20th birthday got a special moment with Becky during the show. The fan shared how her father, Alejandro, had been in and out of the hospital because of kidney failure, and they listened to Beckys music to help us go through the tough times when he comes home. Standing in the rain with her cousin and sisters since 3 a.m., the fan told Becky, Youre an inspiration to all of us Mexican Americans. You keep doing what you do because without your speeches, every time you say something inspiring to us, we can keep going. By the time Becky belted out her final song, Shower, the weather lightened up. The shower is over, Becky happily says after performing and wrapping up her performance. Despite the show being over, fans kept yelling otra, otra, which means, another song. They also yelled out Mayores, her song with a then-rising Bad Bunny, in hopes she would sing one more song. Becky takes the time to take selfies with fans, sign autographs and chat with people before she heads inside to do her interview. Becky G fans who braved early morning rain showers display a Mexican flag on the TODAY plaza on Friday. (Liz Calvario / TODAY) She thanks people in Spanish and English for coming out and standing in the rain. Its so incredible. So amazing, she says of her fans' dedication. Hasta veo la bandera de Mexico. I see Mexicos flag everywhere. That makes me so proud. After her decade-plus career, Becky will finally be headlining her first tour, Mi Casa, Tu Casa, in the U.S. Im inviting everyone to Casa Gomez, which is my last name, and its gonna be a beautiful experience to sing all my songs live with all my fans, she says. Back inside the studio, and after an outfit change, Becky is the consummate professional, charming everyone that she crosses and proudly representing Latinas and her gente (or "people"). If theres one thing Beckys fans can count on is to see her be her authentic self, whether thats on stage, answering rapid-fire questions or holding our TODAY tiny mic. Shes a classic California cool chica with a bright and wide smile at all times. And just like she inspires the fans I spoke to earlier in the day, shes inspired me to not let a little rain put a damper on an unforgettable experience. This SoCal gal can now go back to Los Angeles with a story about how Becky brought an array of Latin sounds to the TODAY plaza. But first, after an early wake-up call, a nap and hopefully one for Becky too. This article was originally published on TODAY.com MILAN Stone Island is headed to South Korea. The Italian high-end outerwear brand will stage an archival exhibition during the second edition of the Frieze Seoul international art fair and Seoul Fashion Week. More from WWD Running Sept. 5 to 9 at the Layer 41 Studio location, the Selected Works_Seoul 982-023: The Stone Island Archive show is billed to be the largest installation the brand has ever staged in Asia. For the occasion, the exhibit will encompass four decades of the companys heritage, spotlighting the high-tech research on fibers and textiles and innovation in product design it is best known for. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Stone Island is my whole life and my passion. When I enter our historical archive, it is a great emotion for me, because I see my whole life in the garments that Stone Island has created in 41 years of its history, said the brands chairman, Carlo Rivetti. Rivetti joined Stone Island in 1983 a year after Massimo Osti founded the company in Ravarino, near Modena by acquiring 50 percent of the firm. A decade later, Rivetti and his sister Cristina bought the remaining 50 percent and became owners. Rivetti has consistently pushed fabric technology and experimentation, particularly focusing on functionality and utilitarianism, gradually raising the brand to cult status when it comes to outerwear. Our customers are not consumers, they are enthusiasts, they are fans, they are friends, and they recognize the uniqueness of this brand. Every time I meet someone who wears Stone Island, I really feel proud. I feel proud of what my people have done in Ravarino, of what we have managed to build in these years, said Rivetti. As reported, Moncler acquired 70 percent of Sportswear Company SpA, owner of the Stone Island brand, in 2020, before taking full control of the firm the following year. Featuring more than 70 key pieces, tracing back to the first collection developed for spring 1982, the exhibition in Seoul will focus on groupings of work such as the Pure Metal Shell jackets, the Prototype Research_Series, as well as the brands continuing experimentation with both Ice Jackets and reflective materials. This will be a landmark exhibition as it is the largest ever showing of the Stone Island Archive in Asia in one of our most important global markets, where we have been present since 1996, said Robert Triefus, the former Gucci executive who was recently appointed Stone Islands chief executive officer. Over the years we have established a significant community of highly knowledgeable collectors and enthusiasts in Korea, who particularly appreciate the material innovation that the brand is recognized for, he added. For the occasion, the show venue will be divided in different areas granting visitors an immersive experience. A ghost-white, soundproof space will welcome the public, acting as a transition chamber for what is to come. The first engagement with Stone Island pieces will be interactive, with a series of refrigerators containing new iterations of the Stone Island Ice Jacket, where visitors will be invited to touch the thermosensitive pieces and see how their appearance changes with heat. An advertisement for the Selected Works_Seoul 982-023: The Stone Island Archive show. The main hall of the exhibition will feature a cathedral-like display of 45 archival pieces, representing important milestones of the company. Key items will include the Tela Stella cape hailing from the first Stone Island collection for spring 1982 and inspired by military truck tarpaulins; Glazed silk light, the fall 1987 jacket reminiscent of glass as created with a PVC coating on a hyper-shiny nylon base, and the spring 2011 Ventile Ghost Piece, a monochromatic jacket from the debut Ghost collection. In addition, a towering installation of nine plinths will be topped by life-sized 3D-printed sculptures of signature Stone Island looks, as well as the models who have worn them. Overlooking the main hall, a mezzanine floor will feature a display of 14 Reflective jackets, one of Stone Islands most popular fabric developments, which will be housed in a black-clad display to further heighten their effect. Miniature printed mannequins created to celebrate Stone Islands 40th anniversary in 2022 will also be showcased in the area. The second floor will spotlight the Pure Metal Shell jackets, with 35 pieces in stainless steel and bronze expected to be hanging from metal wire in an area coated with a concrete finish. Closing the exhibition, seven rare pieces from the Prototype Research_Series will be displayed, flanked by films detailing the innovations behind each garment. Two special events will add to the activations surrounding the show, including a conversation with Rivetti slated for Sept. 5 and an archivist event led by collector Archie Maher the following day. Stone Island wont be the only Italian brand in town during Frieze Seoul. As reported, Prada will also host the 10th iteration of Prada Mode, a social club concept created to provide members with art programming, music performances and dining. Titled Plural and Parallel and held at the cultural venue KOTE, the two-day event will showcase installations by award-winning film directors Kim Jee-woon, Yeon Sang-ho and Jeong Dahee. Best of WWD Click here to read the full article. Most people in the UK think they know piri piri. Thanks to a certain restaurant chain, it is most closely associated with chargrilled chicken, floppy bits of halloumi, corn on the cob and bottomless fizzy drinks. But the chilli oils history is a little more nuanced and murky than that. During a recent trip to the Algarve, where chicken houses outnumber British expats, I went in search of the truth. While no one can seem to agree on its exact origins, its thought that during Portugals mercantile era, explorers discovered the birds eye chilli pepper the main ingredient in todays ubiquitous hot sauce somewhere in the Americas in the 15th century. Seeing its potential to rival the black gold (black pepper) trade, they brought it back to their colonies in Africa to cultivate it before selling it on to Asia and Europe, significantly cutting down the shipping time. And so the global spice trade was born. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the plant suited Africas hot, dry climate and quickly became an important ingredient in local cooking. Fermenting it in the baking African sun and using it to marinade meat cooked over fire produced the first iteration of the classic piri piri flavour we know and love today. It wasnt until the late Sixties, however, when Portuguese settlers and native Africans started arriving in southern Portugal, bringing with them this centuries-old technique and an appetite for spice, that it took off globally. Around the same time, chicken was becoming more affordable in Portugal, with poorer families buying whole birds to keep everyone fed and the famous chicken houses opening up across the Algarve offering an economical meal out. Pairing it with the piri piri oil brought over from the colonies was a natural evolution. Marufo, on the outskirts of Quarteira, is a popular piri piri chicken house (Hannah Twiggs) Its enduring popularity is evident in sell-out restaurants like Marufo affectionately referred to as the chicken shack where come dinnertime theres a queue out the door. But with 20 chickens rotating on the purpose-built spits at any one time, meticulously tended by a hot in temperature as well as temper chef, service is quick. They churn out over 700 chickens a day. As a self-identified aficionado, its some of the best Ive had. Its also the place where Marco Mendes, co-founder of MJMK Restaurants, conceived the idea for Casa do Frango, Londons authentic Algarvan piri piri outpost. Ive been going to Marufo since I was a kid, he tells me as we pitch up in the queue. I took Jake [Kasumov, the other half of MJMK] to stay with my family. We were eating this chicken and we started to have that lightbulb moment of: You know, this is really something special. Could we bring this to London? They opened the first site in London Bridge in 2018, and have gone from strength to strength, opening three more sites, with the latest one earlier this year in Victoria. Keeping things authentic in Londons melting pot of cuisines is the driving force behind the concept. Aside from the centrepiece of the menu, the piri piri chicken, there are other touchpoints like the African rice supposedly created at a restaurant in the Algarve as a simple rice dish for staff to use up leftover ingredients and other things that are particularly Algarvan, such as the montanheira salad (mountain tomato salad), which really feels like home, or particularly Portuguese, like pastel de nata, the iconic custard tart of Portugal. (That obviously had to be on the original menu, and its been there ever since.) Piri piri in all its forms is as popular in the Algarve as it is in the UK (Hannah Twiggs) Theyre also the only restaurant using the smaller 800g-1kg chickens, known as chooks, that are traditionally used in the Algarve, which they source from a higher welfare farm in the UK. We adhere to the authentic route of the dish as its done in the Algarve, Mendes explains. From how we prepare our chicken to how we choose them to begin with; the fact that we reverse spatchcock them; that we dont marinate them before they go on the grill, theyre just basted in salt. So whats happening at Casa do Frango is pretty unique, and London is lapping it up. For people who know Portugese cuisine or know southern Portuguese food and have been to the Algarve, I think it really resonates with them, says Mendes. That being said, Portuguese isnt a cuisine thats all that well represented in the British capital or across the country, with only a handful of big name spots (MJMK also counts Nuno Mendes Lisboeta in its canon) and smaller, family-run eateries paying true homage. Busting myths is an exercise close to Mendes heart. Eating seasonally, eating with respect to the environment, understanding the ecosystem that youre living in, that to me is what Portuguese cuisine is, he explains. But I also think that theres a wealth of creativity. Some of the stereotypes around Portuguese food can be that its potentially a little bit rustic, or not as flavourful or complex or dynamic as our neighbours in Spain, but I think thats untrue. I find that theres so much deft in Portuguese cuisine. I think the storytelling or marketing side of it has felt quite fragmented, but now amazing chefs from across the country are bringing the message out and telling that story. And I think people are realising just how profound the cuisine is and what its got to offer. Hes quick to acknowledge, though, that the wider cuisine and the offering at Casa do Frango would be nothing without the controversial history that brought the birds eye chilli pepper to Portugal in the first place. Its definitely to do with Portuguese mercantile history in some form or another, he says. But I believe that in turn, we received a ton back from the countries and the people that formed part of that mercantile exploration. He mentions Japanese tempura, brought by Portuguese missionaries to Japan in the 16th century, or vindaloo curry, which was originally invented as a way to preserve fresh ingredients by Portuguese sailors, and was later adapted by local cooks in Goa. He also says a lot of our dishes came from the interaction between the Portuguese and their land. Take a dish like acorda [a Portuguese bread soup]. It came from Alentejo. The Portuguese living there need sustenance and nutrition, but they didnt have any money. So they put a piece of bread and a poached egg in broth, and made what was effectively a savoury bread pudding. It was a frugal way of filling peasant bellies, but today typically includes a handful of other ingredients like fresh herbs or seafood. Back at Casa do Frango in London, Mendes has some tips on how to have a truly authentic Algarvan experience. If I were to go through my perfect order thats truly intrinsic to Portugal, I would start by having the couvert, which is the bread and butter and the carrots and the lupin beans. As a starter, I would have the chorizo and the prawns, because both those dishes are iconic to Portugal. I would dip the bread into the piri piri oil as one should do. Of course. And then I would follow that with the patatas fritas [the fries], the African rice and the montanheira salad. Then the piri piri chicken. And I would finish it off with what is the most icnoic Algarvan dessert: the mousse de chocolat. And, while most of the Casa do Frango recipes are a closely guarded secret, hes shared exclusively with The Independent a few dishes so that you can host the perfect Algarvan feast at home. Saude! Casa slaw Casa do Frangos slaw is crisp and zesty, made with cabbage, carrot and fresh herbs (Charlie McKay) Ingredients: For the slaw: 1 x hispi cabbage (approx 700-800g) 350g carrots 1 red onion (finely diced) 1 bunch of parsley (finely chopped) Sherry and mustard dressing Pinch of Maldon salt For the dressing: 50ml aged sherry vinegar 150ml extra virgin olive oil 3 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp Maldon salt 5 turns of black pepper 2 tbsp caster sugar Method: Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl and whisk until fully emulsified. Wash the cabbage, cut in half lengthways, remove the core root and discard any outer leaves if bruised or damaged. Wash the carrots, peel and remove the tops and tails, then grate. Finely shred the hispi cabbage (use a food processor if you have one). Mix the cabbage and carrots together evenly. In a large bowl, mix the slaw with finely diced red onion and the sherry and mustard dressing. Place in a large serving dish and top with a pinch Maldon salt and the finely chopped parsley. Montanhiera salad Montanhiera salad, or mountain tomato salad, is a popular accompaniment to piri piri chicken (Eleonora Boscarelli) Ingredients: For the dressing: 75ml white wine vinegar 200ml extra virgin olive oil Large pinch of table salt 1 tsp sugar For the salad: 3 medium green peppers 2 medium white skinned onions (or red onions) 250g cherry tomatoes on the vine 1 cucumber, diced 150ml classic French dressing (shop-bought or homemade) Salt and pepper to season Pinch of dry oregano, to serve Method: Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl and whisk until fully emulsified. Pour into a clean bottle and keep refrigerated while you prepare the salad, or save for later. Grill the peppers on the barbecue, turning regularly. Cook for approximately 5 minutes or until the skin is evenly charred. Cool, peel off the skin and discard the seeds, then dice into 1cm cubes. Peel the onion and dice into 1cm cubes. Peel the cucumber, slice in half lengthways, remove the inside with a spoon and dice into 1cm cubes. Wash the tomatoes and slice in half through the eye. Mix the ingredients for the salad with the dressing in a large bowl apart from the oregano, add a pinch of Maldon salt and a few turns of black pepper, and mix well to coat all the ingredients. Serve in a salad bowl, with a sprinkle of dry oregano on top. Classic piri piri oil Ingredients: 5 garlic cloves (crushed to a paste) 1 tsp dried red chilli flakes 1 tsp chilli powder 2 tbsp whisky or brandy 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 bay leaf 1 tsp Maldon sea salt 250ml (1 cup) olive oil Method: Place all ingredients except half of the olive oil in a small pan on a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Then remove from the heat and whisk in the remaining 125ml oil. Cool down and refrigerate until needed. Casa do Frango has four locations in London Bridge, Victoria, Shoreditch and Piccadilly. Find out more or make a reservation at casadofrango.co.uk Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has instituted a ban on secondhand clothing imports from foreign markets to support the countrys domestic apparel and textile industry. Museveni made the announcement during a Thursday visit to Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park, the site of 40 factories developed with China via a 2018 partnership between Museveni and China Foreign Minister Wang Yi. The campus features factories that manufacture building materials, household appliances, glass, furniture, textiles and apparel, like jeans. More from Sourcing Journal ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We invested in the textiles because now they have been given a new strength to chase away secondhand clothes, Museveni told workers and state officials. We have people here who produce new clothes but they cannot infiltrate the market, because clothes are shipped here for our people to purchase and wear. There is no one who will stand in my way when he sees this picture here, he said, speaking of the burgeoning textile factories at the park. The head of state told Chinese investors also in attendance, Dont be discouragedwe are going to sort it out, and we wont allow these secondhand clothes to enter our country anymore. Uganda will ban used clothing imports from western markets starting Sept. 1, he said during the televised appearance. Museveni also announced that the government would be commissioning the construction of 15 new factories at the Mbale Industrial Park, saying that it has already broken ground on nine new facilities. At full capacity, the park could house 55 factories and employ 15,000 Ugandans. The deluge of used apparel goods has been a point of contention for some time, with the East African Community, a regional collective of countries working toward shared economic interests including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda having agreed to ban on used clothing seven years ago. But by the commitment deadline in 2019, only Rwanda had implemented the ban. Former President Donald Trump revoked the countrys Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) membership, which provided duty-free benefits for exports to the U.S. The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said the country was not making sufficient progress toward the elimination of barriers to United States trade and investment, including a refusal to reverse the ban on used clothing. East African nations like Uganda and Kenya, which are beneficiaries of the AGOA trade preference program, claim that the tons of secondhand goods are stifling the growth of their domestic industries, effectively negating the market benefits that come with being a part of the treaty. A 2022 economic survey showed that Kenya brought in 183,830 tons of secondhand apparel during 2021, up 20 percent from the year prior, even as the country works to rebuild its own textile industry and cotton sector. Data from British philanthropic foundation Oxfam shows that 70 percent of more of the garments donated to charity in the U.S. and Europe are shipped to Africa. Museveni wants Uganda to support domestic producers. I have decided to put my foot down and say no to imported second-hand clothes, he said. Click here to read the full article. During her recent vacation in Capri, Italy, Jennifer Lopez visited the restaurant Taverna Anema e Core and treated her fellow diners to an unexpected and epic karaoke performance. Captured on video by fans, the Mother actress, 53, was spotted at her table with a tambourine and microphone in hand, delivering a captivating rendition of Gloria Gaynors 1978 hit I Will Survive. With her soaring vocals, energy and enthusiasm, Lopez got everyone around her to clap, sing along and dance! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Taverna Anema e Core Capri (@tavernaanemaecore) Jennifer Lopez Wows Fans With Impromptu Cover Of Gloria Gaynor In Italy The restaurant posted a video of the riveting performance on their Instagram page last week, showing fellow diners cheering her on and snapping photos and videos. Not content with just one song, Lopez also wowed attendees with a soulful rendition of her 1999 hit Lets Get Loud, which was also shared on Twitter. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The On The Floor hitmaker, who released her previous album A.K.A. in 2014, has more exciting news for her fans. Lopez recently announced her plans to release her ninth studio album, titled This Is Me Now, in 2023. This upcoming record will serve as a companion to her 2002 release, This Is New Then. Jennifer Lopez performing Lets Get Loud tonight in Capri, Italy pic.twitter.com/fqUlmyEzdq kaitlin (@motheraffleck) August 12, 2023 People think they know things about what happened to me along the way, the men I was with but they really have no idea, and a lot of times they get it so wrong, Lopez told Zane Lowe in a recent interview while opening up about her forthcoming LP. Theres a part of me that was hiding a side of myself from everyone, she added, And I feel like Im at a place in my life, finally, where I have something to say about it. Who else cant wait to hear it? The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions is an invite-only comp held in absolute dream waves in the Maldives. Rather than mirror the WSL's format, the FSMSC is co-ed and comprised of three separate divisions: single fin, twin-fin and thruster, with a leaderboard for points, and the top 2 surfing head-to-head in a "grand finale" at the end. Day 1, Joel Parkinson dominated the single fin division. Days 2 and 3, he again exerted his will in wildly fun looking waves, winning both the twin-fin and thruster divisions, and putting himself at the top of the leaderboard, just ahead of Adriano De Souza. More from the latest presser: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "At an event function last night Parkinson spoke about his success this week being directly attributable to how much fun he was having with his family here on Kuda Huraa focusing on connection rather than competition, and he echoed the sentiments today." "Surfings not meant to be complicated," said the 2012 world champion, "Ive really been trying to just paddle out and surf. Win or lose I would still be completely enjoying this event, its a bonus that Ive had a few good results so far." "After their powerful performances this week Parkinson and de Souza will square off in the events ultimate heat, and despite the 3-0 score line the winner-takes-all grand final while determine who hoists the Surfing Champions Trophy in 2023." Click play above for a healthy dose of Parko's surfing on both a twin and thruster, alongside De Souza, and Mason and Coco Ho. Because even in "retirement", we can never get enough of the 2012 World Champs silky smooth surfing. So: Will it be Parko or De Souza taking home the trophy this year? Either way, it'll be an interesting match-up between two former CT rivals that haven't squared up man-on-man in a very long time. Stay tuned. *** 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. Connie DeBord could see the glow from the fire above her house in Kula, Maui. With extra clothes, credit cards and her cat, Ziggy, the former Fremonter began to drive down the mountain called, Haleakala, where she lives. Her ex-husband, Marv Pickett, evacuated with her. Below us were these flames that were really big, she said. As we were driving to get down to Kihei, where my friend lives, there was all this fire all along the bottom of the mountain. DeBord - who moved to Maui in 1988 learned wildfires were destroying areas of the beautiful island. Although her house was spared, DeBord has seen fire-caused destruction in Kula and Upcountry (part of Haleakala) along with news and social media accounts of devastation in other parts of Maui. Shes also seen the outpouring of support thats followed the fires, which started Aug. 8. On Friday, the Associated Press reported that Maui County released the names of 388 people still missing more than two weeks after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century. The number of confirmed dead after fires on Maui that destroyed the historic seaside community of Lahaina stands at 115, a number expected to rise, AP stated. DeBord, who grew up in Fremont, previously worked for the Nebraska Department of Social Services. After a friend told her about employment opportunities in Hawaii, DeBord got a job in Maui and moved there 35 years ago. She and her family built their home halfway up the mountain Haleakala which means House of the Sun in 1993. DeBord said Maui had four fire sites at the same time on Aug. 8. That day, shed been downtown and had started driving up the mountain to go home. I saw smoke all across our mountain, DeBord said. It was further north around the mountain from where we live. It was going up Olinda (an agricultural and residential community). DeBord saw a small fire closer to their house. She reached the house and monitored the news. They started talking about multiple fires, she said. There was one fire at Olinda and another lower on the mountain from Pulehu to Omaopio roads, which are about 4 miles apart. Friends previously warned DeBord to pack a to-go bag in case she needed to evacuate. I looked off the front deck of our house and right below us not even a mile away there were huge flames, she said. She and Pickett evacuated. They reached her friends house and watched the news. I couldnt go to sleep that night, DeBord said. I was half awake all night and, every hour after midnight, they would come on (the news) with an update. People worried about Lahaina, Kula and Olinda. There was a possibility that Kihei - where DeBord was - might be evacuated as well. At that point, it felt like the whole island was on fire, DeBord said. Kihei wasnt evacuated and DeBord and Prickett stayed there two days before returning home. The house was fine, but fire destroyed some homes in a subdivision about 10 minutes away. A couple of our friends houses are gone, she said. The subdivision is a disaster. Huge trees were downed across the roads, giant eucalyptus trees ripped out by their roots. It would have been hard for anybody to get through with firetrucks or water tanks. Despite the destruction to 16 houses in Kula and three in Olinda, DeBord said she believes the residents are OK. Folks erected stands along the roadsides offering free food and water. People were showing up at other peoples houses with chain saws and trucks to haul away the trees that were down, she said. Everyone even those who have lost everything are trying to help others. DeBord also said people had been trying to fight fires in Lahaina and Kula, but the water ran out. Since the wildfire destroyed several structures, causing the water system to lose pressure, harmful contaminants, including chemicals, may have entered the water. Kula remains in an unsafe water advisory. (It) may be several more weeks before we are cleared to use the water, she said. Large tankers are supplying water. Different places like the YMCA are open for people to take showers. DeBord is quick to differentiate her situation from others. What I experienced is nothing compared to Lahaina, she said. Lahaina is about an hour and a half away from where DeBord lives. So the firefighters were spread out pretty thin, she noted. News accounts also have stated that at least 18 firefighters lost their homes. On Aug. 8, firefighters extinguished a small fire earlier that day. Winds increased and more than 20 power lines on wooden poles went down on roads. People have videos of them (the lines) sparking and starting various fires, she said. Non-native grasses caught fire. It (fire) roared down along Lahainaluna Road to Front Street (in Lahaina), DeBord noted. Whipped by 60 mph wind gusts caused by Hurricane Dora, fire thundered down Front Street. Somebody said the fire got to 1,000 degrees, DeBord said Aug. 16. It melted metal. People were in their cars trying to get out. The cars were exploding. The gas stations were exploding. Theres lines of burned-out cars down Front Street. DeBord said Front Street is along the Pacific Ocean. Some people escaped into the ocean, she noted. Some said they were in there for five or eight hours. But danger was there, too. There were boats exploding, DeBord said. There was gasoline on top of the water. So it depended on where they got into the water. At one point, they said there had been 100 boats in the harbor and now theres only seven left. Some people tried to stay on a rock wall in the water. The U.S. Coast Guard along with others was able to rescue some. Theres different counts of how many people (children, adults, locals and tourists) got rescued out of the ocean, she said. News accounts have stated that the search for victims has extended to the ocean waters. Pets were affected, too. With an estimated 3,000 animals missing from Lahaina, the Maui Humane Society is trying to reunite pets and owners. DeBord compares her visits to Lahaina to Fremonters visiting Omaha. Lahaina was Hawaiis first capital and has irreplaceable history from the 1800s. It featured many good restaurants, shops and live music. It was amazing, she said. People hope to revive Lahanias 150-year-old banyan tree damaged in the fire. Looking back, DeBord recalls the feeling of being powerless to stop the fire. This whole, huge beautiful area is just ashes, she added. Continuing with physical therapy after a July knee replacement, shes been able to help people via telehealth. Shes been touched by stories of chefs cooking thousands of meals. Mental health experts have been helping first responders. Donations are being collected and 1,800 people from Lahaina have been placed in hotels north of the city. People from around the world are coming to help. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has donated $100 million to help Maui. South Korea has donated $2 million and Taiwan has donated $500,000. Its going to be a huge, long process of rebuilding, she said. Its going to cost billions of dollars to rebuild. DeBord believes climate change will create more storms and wind and Maui residents need to improve the islands infrastructure and also see how they and protect and preserve the ecology. She sees hope in how people are working together. People may donate to Maui Strong through the Hawaii Community Foundation. Its going to take years to rebuild and clean it up, she said. But theres a lot of amazing people here and a huge community spirit. This is part of Airplane Mode, a series on the businessand pleasureof travel right now. I climbed aboard the train in Hamburg, Germany, just before midnight, already looking forward to the breakfast of warm cardamom buns and milky coffee I would get upon waking up in Copenhagens central train station. I had tried to catch a more comfortable sleeper trainthe kind with bunk beds, private rooms, and a dining carbut even though two other trains make the same trip nearly every single night, every bunk was booked, and not just for this random Monday night. The sleeper train business is booming this summer. Across Europe, the bunks on overnight trainsonce viewed as a fading anachronism in an era of cheap EasyJet and Ryanair flightsare sold out, and even tickets for simple seats are hard to come by. The resurgence is being driven by concerns about climate change and the emissions from those cheap jet flights. But environmental consciousness is also making Europeans rediscover the perks, efficiencies, and subtle luxuries of overnight rail travel. Schedules are largely crafted so travelers can board downtown in one major city in the late evening, eat dinner, doze off, and wake up at their destination in the morning. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement My fellow passengers on this rather spartan Danish overnight train skewed younger; many of them were lugging stuffed hiking backpacks. My seatmate, a New Zealander on his way from Prague to Denmark for a music festival, told me that taking overnight trains has allowed him to save on hotels or hostels while skipping the taxi ride to airports located far away from city centers. Trains are the way of the future! he said before pulling on his headphones. I rolled my sweater into a pillow and folded myself into my upright seat as best I could. Overnight trains will take you from Paris to Vienna. From Rome to Munich or Vienna. From Berlin to Zurich, Stockholm, Brussels, or Budapest. From Zurich to Hamburg or Prague or Zagreb. From Milan to Sicily. From London to Penzance, at the far western end of England, or even from Stockholm across the Arctic Circle to the port town of Narvik in the Norwegian Arctic. Its both a very efficient and also affordable way of traveling, said Chris Engelsman, a co-founder of the sleeper train startup European Sleeper, a private Dutch cooperative that launched a BrusselsAmsterdamBerlin night train to widespread publicity earlier this year. But actually more important is the feeling of adventure, the romance of it: getting on the train, late at night, seeing the lights of your hometown disappear, peeking out of the window in the middle of the night, and then, in the morning, youre in a different city and a different landscape. That, for me, is so attractive. As a native Midwesterner, I kept thinking about the often-spotty rail connections and obscene travel times on Amtrak service back home in the United States. Wouldnt this sort of scheduled intercity serviceboard in the evening, arrive in the morningmake the average eight-to-12-hour trip between scattered points in North America far more pleasant? As I tried to doze off, the iconic train scenes from Alfred Hitchcocks classic North by Northwest kept popping into my mind, especially when Eva Marie Saint tells Cary Grant, in the dining car of the overnight train from New York City to Chicago, Its going to be a long night, and I dont particularly like the book Ive started. (I was also less than tempted by the door stopper on East German history Id packed in my bag.) That movie hit the big screen in 1959, just as intercity rail travel in the U.S. was at its final peak and on the cusp of collapse. The train carrying Grant and Saint westward, the New York Central Railroads famed 20th Century Limited, would be canceled within the decade. The New York Central Railroad itself would collapse in a desperate series of mergers that consumed rail operators in the late 1960s and early 70s and ended after most railroads offloaded passenger service onto the newly created Amtrak and focused on pushing up profit margins by going a lot bigger on freight operations. When Amtrak started in 1971, they literally killed two-thirds of the trains that were running and took them right off the rails, David Peter Alan, a longtime rail advocate and a contributing editor for Railway Age magazine, told me when I finally caught him by phone this summer. (He was in northern Manitoba on a two-week trip crisscrossing Canada by rail and the occasional bus.) Despite tweaks in service, Alan said, Amtrak hasnt added to its overall lineup of long-distance routes or made serious efforts to increase options, such as pairing a daytime train with a parallel overnight offering, in the decades since. In Europe, too, night trains recently appeared to be in imminent decline as booming budget airlines offered fast, cheap connections across the continent and gobbled up market share. A number of major European railroads scrapped night train service, including Germanys Deutsche Bahn, which decided in 2016 to shut down its fleet of sleeper trains. Austrias state-owned railway OBB decided to step in, scooping up many of Deutsche Bahns sleeper cars and taking over several routes with sleeper trains. The Austrian gamble on overnight railrebranded as Nightjetcame just before Swedish environmental activists, including Greta Thunberg, coined and popularized the term flygskam (flight shame) in an effort to stigmatize air travel, in what turned out to be a major boon to OBB. In general, traveling by rail produces significantly less pollution and climate-warming emissions than flying does, although just how much varies. A 2020 analysis by the European Environment Agency found that rail travel is the most climate-friendly choice (but that solo car road trips could in some cases be worse for the climate than long-distance flights). Electric locomotives, which are favored by many European railways (and used on most of Amtraks Northeast Corridor, though few other places in the U.S.), are generally far cleaner than diesel enginesbut the source of the electricity powering the trains can make a substantial difference, with renewables and nuclear plants generating far fewer emissions than coal-fired power does. With a new kind of awareness, growing numbers of regular travelers in Europe are now checking for alternatives before booking a flightand when a night-train alternative exists, the trains are fully booked, said Bernhard Rieder, a spokesman for OBB. Perhaps on a Tuesday in November youll find a private cabin, but the rest of the year the train is completely full. During the summer holidays, demand is so stiff that even upright seats in regular train cars are nearly all sold out. The biggest thing holding back sleeper train dominance in Europe, in fact, is the lack of available sleeper cars. Most railroads stopped investing in overnight trains decades ago, leaving only a dwindling number of aging trains outfitted with bunks or sleeper compartments. The startup European Sleeper has struggled to find enough sleeper cars to operate routes and has had to hold off on expanding operations despite strong demand for tickets. Its something that OBB is now trying to address, spending 700 million euros to buy 33 brand-new sleeper trains from Siemens that should be delivered sometime before the end of the year. New tunnels, faster trains, and upgraded, high-speed tracks will also likely put new trips in OBBs sights, including overnight service covering distances as far as Berlin to Rome, Rieder said. The kind of rambling, continent-crossing, multiday journeys favored by Amtrak in the U.S. are out of the question for OBBs business model. The ideal overnight, Rieder said, should leave one city between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and arrive between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. the next day (10-ish latest!). We are not talking about pure holidaymakers taking five days to go from Chicago to L.A., which is a nice experience for them, but its not a business, Rieder said. If it comes to crossing the continent, then take the flight. It makes no sense to go from Warsaw to Lisbon on a train. OK, if you want, if youre a freakbut we dont talk about freaks. We talk about real travelers going for business, for vacation, or for family visits. The decline of sleeper trains in North America began much earlier than in Europe, as interstate highways and rapidly expanding airline networks proliferated. After commercial passenger rail collapsed in the late 1960s, long-distance train travel coalesced into only a handful of lengthy routes, many of them running over 24 hours, even without factoring in delays. If you go back to before the 1960s, there were overnight trains all over the place. Leaving Penn Station every night, there were dozens and dozens and dozens of overnight trains going to here, there, and everywhere: Florida, Chicago cars that ran through Los Angeles, San Francisco, all over the place, said Jonathan English, a transit policy expert and fellow at New York Universitys Marron Institute of Urban Management. People could take the overnight train and it was the most common means of travel. Ive ridden overnight trains in the U.S. too, but largely in the sense that the sole daily train happened to stop somewhere in the middle of the night. Sleeper trainswith beds, rooms, dining cars, and portersdo make up a core part of Amtraks offerings, but they differ dramatically from the kind of overnight service favored by European travelers, which pairs cities with convenient evening departures and morning arrivals. To do night trains like theyre talking about in Europe, then you need more frequency, said James McCommons, a journalist and frequent train rider who spent a year on Amtrak writing a book about the systems history. Sometimes theres only one train a day going through a major city. Sometimes it goes through in the middle of the day. Sometimes it goes through the middle of the night. And thats why no one rides it. English, at NYU, remarked that overnight trains in North America have tended to slip into the attraction in themselves category. He added: Its more like a cruise than a means of transportation. Alan, the contributing editor for Railway Age magazine, said that operational conflicts with freight railroads, which own the vast majority of track outside the Northeast Corridor, would prohibit the expansion of night trains in the U.S. anytime soon. The only connection on Amtraks current schedule that would work for a traditional overnight connection, Alan said, is between Memphis and Chicago. But he quickly rattled off dozens of other connections that would work in theory. The Maple Leaf line, between New York City and Torontothe two biggest cities on the Eastern Seaboardtakes about 12 hours, but runs only during the day. Also, L.A. to San Francisco is a natural fit for a sleeper train, Alan told me, with the trip currently taking about 11 hours on the winding existing tracks. California is supposedly building a high-speed rail connection between the two cities, although the first small segment of the line, in the sparsely populated Central Valley, is currently massively over budget and years behind schedule, casting doubt over when, or even if, the line will ever be completed. Could consumer demandfueled by nostalgia, or perhaps some American flygskamever revitalize this type of travel in the United States? Overnight trains, especially for business use, are a wonderful idea. They kept the railroads going for a long, long time, Alan said. If they could come back, he said, theyd be good for anywhere you can name that would be anywhere from eight to 12 hours apartperfect for a good nights sleep. California authorities gave charged a total of 10 people in connection with a series of "smash-and-grab" burglaries in the Los Angeles areas. Image Courtesy Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Ten people have been charged in connection with a series of high-profile "smash and grab robberies" at multiple Los Angeles-area stores, according to authorities. Six of the suspects were charged in connection with two different incidents of organized retail theft at a Warehouse Shoe Store in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon announced Friday. Meanwhile, four others faced federal charges brought by the Department of Justice for allegedly planning "smash and grab" burglaries earlier this month at Burberry, Nordstrom and Yves Saint Laurent stores in the Los Angeles area, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. "We will not tolerate the brazen actions of those behind organized retail theft. These crimes harm our community's sense of security and the vitality of our local businesses," Gascon said in announcing the Warehouse Shoe Store arrests. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two of those suspects were also charged with carjacking a vehicle with a firearm on Aug. 7 while reportedly out on bail for a previous case. In the department store burglaries, officials said that between Aug. 1 and Aug. 12, some of the suspects stole about $750,000 worth of products from the upscale outlets. "Organized retail theft harms businesses, retailers, and consumers -- and puts the public at risk," Bonta said while thanking the Los Angeles Police Department, the Riverside County Sheriff's Office and the Glendale Police Department for their help in the case. "The California Department of Justice and its partners will continue fighting to keep our communities, businesses, and consumers safe from retail theft and other crimes," he said. The four suspects in that case were arraigned Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court and are facing charges of organized retail theft, second-degree burglary, grand theft, vandalism, carjacking, second-degree robbery and unlawful possession of ammunition. Council Bluffs police were justified in shooting and killing a murder suspect after a July 8 car chase that went from Omaha, Nebraska, to Iowa, the Iowa Attorney General's Office has ruled, concurring with the Pottawatomie County Attorney's Office. According to police in Omaha, the chase began after they received a report of a carjacking in the Omaha suburb of Bellevue and determined that the man who stole the car matched the description of Matthew Briggs, 42. They were seeking Briggs in the shooting death earlier that day of Steven Donsbach, 52, as well as in a break-in and assault on a woman and a shot fired at a neighbor of a nearby house where he drove his car through the garage door. An Omaha police helicopter spotted the stolen car and police cruisers engaged in a 20-minute pursuit through unusually heavy traffic, joined by Council Bluffs police as Briggs drove across a Missouri River bridge into that city, according to an Attorney General's Office report. It said the officers followed Briggs into Mills County before he doubled back to Pottawatomie County and Council Bluffs, managing to avoid a tire deflation strip officers had rolled out in an effort to stop him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Now in federal court, family claims Davenport police had no cause to shoot Bobby Jo Klum At the head of the line of police vehicles pursuing Briggs was Council Bluffs police Officer Mark Archibald, followed by Lt. Chad Geer, the Council Bluffs shift commander, who joined the chase because other officers were busy with two fatal accidents, the report said. Following an order by radio from Geer, Archibald used his vehicle to strike the car driven by Briggs, forcing it to spin. Geer then rammed his vehicle into the passenger side of the car, pinning it against a stop sign, the report said. Officer says suspect pointed shotgun at him It said Geer told investigators he saw Briggs in the stopped car, pointing a shotgun directly at him. He said he then fired his gun at Briggs, who witnesses said appeared to be racking the shotgun to load a round. Geer told investigators he thought Briggs already had fired at him and was reloading. Geer continued to fire until his gun's 17-round magazine was empty, the report said. It said that unseen by Geer, Omaha police Lt. Martin Stiles also had arrived at the scene. Stiles told investigators he saw Briggs looking directly at him and that he yelled at Briggs "something about showing hands." Stiles said he saw Briggs reach across, facing the passenger window, and opened fire on Briggs when he saw the butt of a shotgun coming up. More: Man sues Des Moines police he says let K-9 bite him for 10 seconds after he was in custody He said he initially saw Briggs point the shotgun pointed at him, then at Geer, and continued to fire. Police said the now-wounded Briggs slumped in his seat and was taken to a hospital, where he died. Two guns were found in the car he was driving, they said. Geer, as a lieutenant, was not required to wear a bodycam and his vehicle did not have a dash cam, the report said. Shooting 'entirely legally justified' The report concluded that the officers involved in the chase and shooting "were entirely legally justified" in their actions. Briggs, it said, was an armed suspect in a slaying who was endangering both the officers and the public with his flight from police, and that police had made numerous attempts "to end the situation peacefully." "Even after being in a position where he clearly could not escape, Briggs pointed a gun directly at Council Bluffs Officer Geer which would have been in view of Officer Stiles from the Omaha Police Department," the report said. "Even under these circumstance Briggs failed to comply with the officers and instead continued the threat by refusing to disarm himself, attempted to point a firearm at an officer, and refused to end the confrontation created by him peacefully. Legal justification is clear under these facts." The report said there would be no criminal charges against the officers. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Attorney General: Council Bluffs police officer justified in shooting at Omaha murder suspect Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency Saturday for 33 counties ahead of a potential hurricane headed for Florida. National Hurricane Center forecasters expect Tropical Storm Idalia will continue to strengthen and will become a hurricane as it moves northward into the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and could affect portions of Florida's Gulf Coast as early as late Tuesday. On Sunday, the state Emergency Operations Center was partially activated at Level 2 bringing in Division of Emergency Management personnel along with necessary emergency support functions. The governor, while campaigning for the presidency in Iowa, tweeted about the emergency declaration and urged residents to prepare. "Floridians should have a plan and a stocked supply kit and follow @FLSERT for updates," DeSantis tweeted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sunday forecast: Idalia forecast: Florida faces a major hurricane threat; prepare now | WeatherTiger A weather advisory from the National Hurricane Center in Miami had said there was a risk of dangerous storm surge, heavy rainfall, flash flooding, strong winds, hazardous seas, and the potential for isolated tornadic activity for the Florida Big Bend and portions of Florida's Gulf Coast. The threat posed by what is forecast to become a hurricane requires that timely precautions are taken to protect communities from the potential threat. This includes relocating individuals, equipment and supplies in areas still recovering from Hurricane lan and Hurricane Nicole. Which Florida counties could be affected by the potential storm? The order from DeSantis mentions 33 counties Florida has 67 counties. "Because of the foregoing conditions, which are projected to constitute a major disaster, I declare that a state of emergency exists," DeSantis said in his order. These are the counties under a state of emergency: Alachua County Bay County Calhoun County Charlotte County Citrus County Columbia County DeSoto County Dixie County Franklin County Gadsden County Gilchrist County Gulf County Hamilton County Hardee County Hernando County Hillsborough County Jefferson County Lafayette County Lee County Leon County Levy County Liberty County Madison County Manatee County Marion County Pasco County Pinellas County Polk County Sarasota County Sumter County Suwannee County Taylor County Wakulla County What does DeSantis' state of emergency say? This embedded content is not available in your region. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hurricanes: Florida in state of emergency as NHC watching Invest 93L Two days after she watched fires consume Lahaina, first-grade teacher Mindi Cherry stood in the ashes of her classroom. King Kamehameha III Elementary School, where she had taught for 13 years, had burned to the ground, only its aluminum roof left behind. As a teacher, she feels helpless. She doesnt even know where most of her students are right now. And as a Lahaina resident and mom of a seventh grader, she says shes also in limbo. She cant go to school, Cherry, 46, told NBC News. Shes already lost her home. As September approaches, families who lost everything to the fires are trying to regain a sense of normalcy. A big part of that is getting their kids back in school, and so far, they say their options are limited. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theres state-backed online classes, but many families say they cant afford to replace the computers that burned in the fires. Parents can enroll their kids in school on the other side of the island, but many dont have cars or even an address they can put down when registering. Above all, parents and teachers told NBC News, they want their kids close by, surrounded by their friends who experienced the same trauma, and they arent ready to leave Lahaina behind. Theyre fighting to keep their kids in school there. Our children need to be with people that understand what they have gone through and feel the same things that they have gone through, said Pakalana Phillips, a Native Hawaiian resident of Lahaina who lost her home in the fire. Once youve lost the people that are native to the land that have been living there for generations, you lose that heart and soul that makes Lahaina so unique. Mindi Cherry, 46, and her daughter Grace Cherry, 12. (Courtesy Mindi Cherry) Parents and teacher have limited recourse Schools in Lahaina are all currently closed, along with many of the schools in West Maui. Lahainaluna High, Lahaina Intermediate and Princess Nahienaena Elementary survived the flames and are currently being assessed. We are awaiting results of environmental testing to be sure that the air, water and soil are safe so that we may return to campus, said Derek Inoshita, communications specialist with Hawaii Public Schools. The King Kamehameha III Elementary campus was damaged beyond repair. Inoshita said that the state government will be aiding the district, but that there are currently any plans to rebuild or federal aid is still up in the air. Schools in central and south Maui have been accepting students from Lahaina and other west side towns affected by the fires. Many are reaching capacity, according to a release on Wednesday. But even with bus options being offered by the state, parents are worried about the emotional toll of letting their kids make the journey. They would have to drive through and see all of the ashes, Cherry said. Students and teachers who dont want to leave Lahaina are pushing for other options, including using ballrooms of West Maui resorts as temporary satellite campuses. Cherry says she sees that as a far better option than online school, which her daughter is currently enrolled in. Even though Im going to be displaced and living in Wailuku for who knows how long, I would rather teach on the West Side, she said. And if the intermediate school opens back up, I would rather have my kid go there than stare at a screen all day. Inoshita said the district is weighing such options. Though her temporary housing is east of Lahaina, Cherry says her daughter wouldnt thrive in a new school after all shes been through. Im not going to put her with people she doesnt know, and say, OK, figure it out, she said. She would shut down. Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii. King Kamehameha Iii Elementary School. This school is rated above average in school quality compared to other schools in Hawaii. (Michael Siluk / UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images file) Locals want to be consulted For lower-income immigrant families in Maui, information about where to get help or how to enroll their kids in school is inherently harder to access, says Maui-based immigration attorney Kevin Block. Many of his clients are scared to even let their kids out of their sight. People are in phase one, theyre still trying to find each other, he said. The air still smells like smoke. Everybodys just rattled. Once the resorts open, tourists come back and work resumes for many in Lahaina, getting their kids to and from a far-away school may be out of the question. Hawaii Public Schools announced this week that a meeting with West Maui parents and community members is on the books for Aug. 30. But Block wishes teachers and parents were consulted before this point. They just feel like theyre not being heard, he said. Residents say theyre doing as much as they can to restore their schools and community, but they wish the government was playing a more active role. Phillips, who lost a multigenerational ancestral home in the fires, says enough has been lost and taken from Lahaina. If the state encourages families to enroll their kids elsewhere, she fears they wont return. The more families you have leaving Lahaina, its harder to rebuild, she said. Our community are the ones that are reaching out to do that, our government needs to step in. Even if we have to live in tents until we are able to rebuild our homes, theres an important factor in having the families actually physically be in Lahaina. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Beyonce suffering on-stage technical difficulties Thursday (Aug. 24) has led the Beyhive to reference another memorable live performance from the superstars career. During a recent stop in Arizona, Bey hit the stage for a performance of ALIEN SUPERSTAR. Mrs. Carters microphone suddenly cut out amid the fan-favorite track, with the crowd finishing the song for her. Im one of one, Im number one, Im the only one, the crowd belted in unison. Bey looked visibly disheveled as she realized her audience could no longer hear her. After the track, Bey and her dancers went backstage, where she took time to change her outfit. Viral videos documented the ordeal, showing that it took 10 minutes to get the audio fixed to meet Beyonces standards. Bey acknowledging it later in the show ? pic.twitter.com/SJIjGzbUoo RENAISSANCE Updates? (@B7Album) August 25, 2023 Somebodys getting fired. You about to lose your job! a young woman could be heard screaming in the video. Yall need to fix this! ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Other social media users spoke out against the State Farm Stadiums staff. Somebody getting FIRED! Hey! Hey! Cuz why would yall play with Beyonce like this?!, someone xweeted. Somebodys getting fired is a reference to a previous Beyonce show where her lighting tech missed their cue during a performance of Diva, leading Bey to utter the phrase into the mic for all to hear. Another person spoke to Beys professionalism. What an amazing night, she handled this situation so professionally! Beyonce girl, you done took all my lit energy .. but it was beyond worth it! Later in the show, the Renaissance songstress addressed the audio snafu. You know, its certain nights when the crowd is so loud and has so much [joy], it makes the power go out, she said, debuting a brand new black and chrome outfit. In other news, Beys Renaissance World Tour recently made history. According to Billboard, her tour has accumulated over $295.6 million in sales. With this feat, she now holds the title of having the highest-grossing tour for a Black female artist. Sound went out in Phoenix!! Somebody getting fired!! #RENAISSANCEWorldTour pic.twitter.com/9XXMQC3Vj1 chris joseph (@chrisjosephd) August 25, 2023 More from VIBE.com Click here to read the full article. A man holds a flag as law enforcement investigate a home in Provo, Utah, Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. An armed Utah man accused of making threats against President Joe Biden was shot and killed by FBI agents hours before the president was expected to land in the state. The Utah County Attorney's Office announced Friday it would conduct its own investigation into the FBI over the shooting death earlier this month of a Provo man accused of threatening President Joe Biden . Craig Robertson, 75, was killed on Aug. 9 by federal agents at his home after they had attempted to take him into custody over his repeated online threats aimed at Biden, who was visiting the state that day. Federal officials say Robertson pointed a gun at the agents during the incident. In a statement, Utah County officials said they were investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting, including "a review of evidence in the FBI's possession as well as evidence independently gathered by the county attorney's investigative team." They would then announce whether they had determined the shooting to be justified. Robertson's death has been the subject of rampant speculation online. Friends and family argued he was mostly homebound and unlikely to be a serious threat, but the FBI reported that he had pointed a .357 revolver at agents when they went to his home. They did not say whether he fired a shot at agents or whether they were wearing body cameras that had recorded the incident. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was among those raising questions about the incident, saying in a town hall hosted in Legi on Wednesday that he thought the matter warranted "serious investigation," according to coverage by KSL.com. Neighbors told the Associated Press that Robertson a homebound, overweight man who used a cane to walk wasnt shy about his right-wing political beliefs. But they questioned whether he posed a credible enough threat to the president to justify the raid. They said FBI agents arrived early in the morning to attempt an arrest of Robertson. Several who knew Robertson said his home and the two sheds behind it contained large caches of firearms, which he modified as a post-retirement hobby. Multiple neighbors said they could hear law enforcement agents identifying themselves as FBI broadcasting on a vehicle loudspeaker to demand Robertson exit his home. Roughly 20 law enforcement agents came to Robertson's house, on a cul-de-sac, at about 6 a.m. Wednesday, neighbor Jon Michael Ossola told the AP. In the months ahead of Biden's Utah visit, Robertson had been making threats against high-profile Democrats, including key players in the legal proceedings against former President Donald Trump, Vice President Kamala Harris and Biden. The threats grew more specific in the lead-up to the president's visit, with Robertson threatening on social media to wear a camouflage ghillie suit and dust off the M24 sniper rifle to welcome the president. Those threats followed months of Robertson posting photographs on social media of various firearms, which he called eradication tools, along with threats against public officials. The posts painted a markedly different picture of Robertson than how some neighbors described him, as a caring, religious man. This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Utah County to investigate FBI's shooting of man who threatened Biden 14th Amendment, Section 3: A new legal battle against Trump takes shape Former President Donald Trump's legal battles are piling up: in Washington, Georgia, New York -- the list goes on. But even if all of those cases work out in his favor, advocates say a new legal challenge could still sideline him. Separate from the criminal cases, over the past few weeks a growing body of conservative scholars have raised the constitutional argument that Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election make him ineligible to hold federal office ever again. That disqualification argument boils down to Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, which says that a public official is not eligible to assume public office if they "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against" the United States, or had "given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof," unless they are granted amnesty by a two-thirds vote of Congress. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Advocacy groups have long argued that Trump's behavior after the 2020 election fits those criteria. The argument gained new life earlier this month when two members of the conservative Federalist Society, William Baude and Michael Stokes Paulsen, endorsed it in the pages of the Pennsylvania Law Review. PHOTO: Former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump reacts as he holds a campaign rally in Erie, Pa., on July 29, 2023. (Lindsay Dedario/Reuters) "If the public record is accurate, the case is not even close. He is no longer eligible to the office of Presidency," the article reads. Since then, two more legal scholars -- retired conservative federal judge J. Michael Luttig and Harvard Law Professor Emeritus Laurence Tribe -- made the same case in an article published in The Atlantic. "The disqualification clause operates independently of any such criminal proceedings and, indeed, also independently of impeachment proceedings and of congressional legislation," they wrote. "The clause was designed to operate directly and immediately upon those who betray their oaths to the Constitution, whether by taking up arms to overturn our government or by waging war on our government by attempting to overturn a presidential election through a bloodless coup." The argument even got raised on the Republican presidential debate stage in Milwaukee this week. "Over a year ago, I said that Donald Trump was morally disqualified from being president again as a result of what happened on January 6th. More people are understanding the importance of that, including conservative legal scholars," Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said, eliciting a mix of cheers and boos from the audience. "I'm not going to support somebody who's been convicted of a serious felony or who is disqualified under our Constitution." Baude and Paulsen maintain their theory is "self-executing." They say that means that public elections officials don't need special permission from lawmakers to disqualify Trump from the ballot: if they believe the argument is valid, they can disqualify potential candidates on their own. Not only that, the scholars argue, the election officials are legally required to do so. "No official should shrink from these duties. It would be wrong -- indeed, arguably itself a breach of one's constitutional oath of office -- to abandon one's responsibilities of faithful interpretation, application, and enforcement of Section Three," Bode and Paulsen write. PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump campaigns at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, on Aug. 12, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters) Alternatively, ordinary citizens could file challenges on the same grounds with state election officials themselves. Either scenario is almost certain to face legal and political blowback, and the argument could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court. The most immediate hurdle for those disqualification efforts might be timing as the legal challenges must be brought during specific time periods that vary depending on the state where they are brought. Plans materialize at state level On Tuesday, Bryant "Corky" Messner, a lawyer who lives in New Hampshire, became the first person to announce concrete plans to do just that. Messner was endorsed by Donald Trump when he ran for a New Hampshire's U.S. Senate seat in 2020. Now, he says that as a veteran and a graduate of West Point, his civic duty compels him to try to keep Trump off the ballot. "I really don't view myself as turning on Trump, as odd as that sounds," he told ABC News. "I love this country. I've served this country. I've taken an oath to this country. My sons are serving right now and I believe someone's got to step up to defend the Constitution." Messner first announced his plans on a local radio show, NH Today, on Tuesday morning. He says he is still doing initial legal due diligence on the topic and finding a lawyer to bring the case. He plans to finance the legal challenge himself and through his own personal network. New Hampshire's Secretary of State Office confirmed to ABC News that Messner met with Secretary of State David Scanlan Friday to discuss Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. "Secretary Scanlan will be conferring with the New Hampshire Attorney General and other legal counsel on this issue; however, he believes any action taken under this Constitutional provision will have to be based on Judicial guidance," Anna Sventek, communications director for Scanlan, told ABC News in a statement. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), another legal advocacy group, is also pursuing a push to this effect. Last September, CREW was successful in its effort to remove a New Mexico county commissioner from his post due to his participation in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. PHOTO: In this June 17, 2022, file photo, Otero County, New Mexico Commissioner Couy Griffin speaks to reporters as he arrives at federal court in Washington, D.C. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP, FILE) A district judge in New Mexico barred Otero County commissioner and "Cowboys for Trump" founder Couy Griffin, citing a clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits those who have engaged in insurrection from serving. Griffin was convicted of a misdemeanor trespass charge. The judge's ruling was the first time in 150 years that the provision has been used to disqualify an official and the first time that a court has ruled the events of Jan. 6 were an "insurrection." Griffin was arrested on Jan. 8, 2021, on a federal misdemeanor trespassing charge related to the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection. Griffin was convicted of the charge on March 22 and sentenced on June 17 to 14 days time served, ordered to pay $500 restitution, pay a $3,000 fine, complete community service and one year of supervised release. Following Trump's announcement that he would make a third bid for the White House, CREW released a statement saying it would work to ensure that Trump is disqualified from ever holding office again. "We warned him that should he decide to run again, we would be taking action to ensure the Constitution's ban on insurrectionists holding office is enforced," a statement from CREW said. "Now we will be. Trump made a mockery of the Constitution he swore to defend, but we will see that it is defended." In an interview with ABC News, a CREW official said its focus now is doing whatever possible to keep Trump off the ballot. "I will say we are focused on winning. We are not focused on getting our name in the paper ... We are focused on bringing the strongest cases possible in order to win and hold the former President accountable. And we are making the strategic choices in order to effectuate that," CREW Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel Donald Sherman said. MORE: Judge removes local official for engaging in Jan. 6 'insurrection' Free Speech For People, an organization that unsuccessfully challenged the candidacies of several members of Congress in 2022 under the disqualification clause of the 14th Amendment, also plans to take similar actions to attempt to prevent Trump from running for office. The organization plans to pursue two different paths. The first path involves sending a letter to all 50 secretaries of state asking them to exercise their authority to rule that Trump is disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The second path, when the timing is right, they said, is to file legal challenges to Trump's eligibility for office using state law procedures where available. Ron Fein, a lawyer involved in the organization's effort to prevent Trump from holding office, told ABC News that they are prepared to take on the former president. "We're prepared to challenge Trump's candidacy in multiple states. We're not going to tell him which states and when in advance," Fein said. "We have assembled top-notch legal teams and are working with voters in these multiple states and partners outside as well." Trump's campaign team is preparing for the challenges, telling the Washington Post in April the former president is being targeted. "What these undemocratic organizations are doing is blatant election interference and tampering," Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement to the Washington Post. "They are not even trying to hide it anymore and it is sad they want to deprive the American people of choosing Donald Trump -- the overwhelming front-runner by far -- as their President. History will not judge them kindly." Trump has denied any involvement in the attack on the Capitol. ABC News has reached out for comment to Trump's campaign team. Challenges ahead Still, as the efforts to keep Trump off the ballot for his alleged role around the attack on the Capitol and efforts to overturn the election grow, constitutional scholar and political science professor Kevin Wagner told ABC News in an interview the challenge to the former president's candidacy faces an up hill battle, due in part because there is no consensus on if Jan. 6 was an insurrection. "The challenge here is that the 14th Amendment isn't necessarily self-executing. In other words, it doesn't just automatically happen and there is some question about what it means to be engaged in insurrection or rebellion and how that is defined. The challenge for us is that historically, it hasn't been well-defined," Wagner, a professor at Florida Atlantic University, said. "The question is about what is "participating in a rebellion or an insurrection." There is dispute and people feel strongly what happened was essentially an insurrection -- and it's often referred to that way fairly regularly -- but others have suggested that this was a protest that may have gotten out of hand -- and may have even become criminal -- but didn't rise to a level of a rebellion or an insurrection. And the provision of the 14th Amendment really turns on how it is that we assess what happened," he said. 14th Amendment, Section 3: A new legal battle against Trump takes shape originally appeared on abcnews.go.com OKUMA, Japan The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it has begun releasing its first batch of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean a controversial step, but a milestone for Japan's battle with the growing radioactive water stockpile. In a live video from a control room at the plant Thursday, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings showed a staff member turn on a seawater pump, marking the beginning of the controversial project that is expected to last for decades. "Seawater Pump A activated," the main operator said, confirming the release was underway. TEPCO later confirmed that the seawater pump was activated at 1:03 p.m., three minutes after the final step began. Japanese fisher groups have opposed the plan for fear it will further damage to the reputation of their seafood. Groups in China and South Korea have also raised concern, making it a political and diplomatic issue. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fukushima radioactive material release: Japan can release Fukushima water from tanks with radioactive material, UN says But the Japanese government and TEPCO say the water must be released to make room for the plant's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks. They say the treatment and dilution will make the wastewater safer than international standards and its environmental impact will be negligibly small. But some scientists say long-term impact of the low-dose radioactivity that remains in the water needs attention. The water release begins more than 12 years after the March 2011 nuclear meltdowns, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami. It marks a milestone for the plant's battle with an ever-growing radioactive water stockpile that TEPCO and the government say have hampered the daunting task of removing the fatally toxic melted debris from the reactors. The pump activated Thursday afternoon would send the first batch of the diluted, treated water from a mixing pool to a secondary pool, where the water is then discharged into the ocean through an undersea tunnel. The water is collected and partly recycled as cooling water after treatment, with the rest stored in around 1,000 tanks, which are already filled to 98% of their 1.37-million-ton capacity. Those tanks, which cover much of the plant complex, must be freed up to build the new facilities needed for the decommissioning process, officials said. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said it is indispensable and and cannot be postponed. He noted an experimental removal of a small amount of the melted debris from the No. 2 reactor is set for later this year using a remote-controlled giant robotic arm. TEPCO executive Junichi Matsumoto said Thursday's release was to begin with the least radioactive water to ensure safety. Final preparation for the release began Tuesday, when just one ton of treated water was sent from a tank for dilution with 1,200 tons of seawater, and the mixture was kept in the primary pool for two days for final sampling to ensure safety, Matsumoto said. A batch of 460 tons was to be sent to the mixing pool Thursday for the actual discharge. But Fukushima's fisheries, tourism and economy which are still recovering from the disaster worry the release could be the beginning of a new hardship. 78 years ago: Historical photos show aftermath in Nagasaki after US drops atomic bomb Fukushima's current fish catch is only about one-fifth its pre-disaster level, in part due to a decline in the fishing population. China has tightened radiation testing on Japanese products from Fukushima and nine other prefectures, halting exports at customs for weeks, Fisheries Agency officials said. In 2021, the Japanese government announced plans to release the treated water to the sea. Then, on Sunday, Kishida made a rushed visit to the plant before meeting with fisheries representatives and pledging to support their livelihoods until the release ends. The rushed timeline raised skepticism that it was made to fit Kishida's busy political schedule in September. But Economy and Industry Ministry officials say they wanted the release to start as early as possible and have good safety records ahead of the fall fishing season. The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant's cooling systems, causing three reactors to melt. Highly contaminated cooling water applied to the damaged reactors has leaked continuously to building basements and mixed with groundwater. TEPCO plans to release 31,200 tons of the treated water by the end of March 2024, which would empty only 10 tanks because of the contaminated production of wastewater at the plant, though the pace will later pick up. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fukushima nuclear plant: Japan begins the release of radioactive water ATLANTA Only one of former President Donald Trump 's 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election interference case has been jailed as a result of the charges. On Friday, defendant Harrison Floyd was informed during his initial court appearance that he'd be spending more time at the Fulton County Jail since he was considered a potential flight risk. Floyd bristled at the suggestion that he might not return for future proceedings in the case. Theres no way that Im a flight risk, maam," he told Judge Emily Richardson after she denied his bond request. "I showed up before the president was here, he added, referring to Trump. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Floyd, who's charged with racketeering, conspiracy and influencing a witness, turned himself in Thursday afternoon, ahead of Trump's 20-minute appearance at the jail that evening. Prosecutors allege that Floyd, the former leader of Black Voices for Trump and the only Black man among the defendants, was part of a scheme to pressure election worker Ruby Freeman into making false statements. Freeman had been falsely accused by Trump and his allies of election fraud. Unlike the other defendants in the case, Floyd did not have a lawyer reach a bond agreement with prosecutors before surrendering. During Friday's hearing, Richardson asked Floyd if he had an attorney and he said he did not. He said the ones he'd spoken to cost between $40,000 and $100,000, and I cant put my family in that kind of debt. He added that'd he'd requested a public defender and was denied one. The judge told him he did not qualify for one. Richardson added that the judge who'll be presiding over the election interference case, Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, "will go through the process if you choose to represent yourself and to not retain a lawyer. He will go through that process and those questions with you. Richardson said one of the reasons she was denying him bond on Friday was a pending case for allegedly assaulting a federal officer earlier this year. According to an affidavit in that case, Floyd attacked a pair of FBI special agents who served him with a federal grand jury subpoena at his Maryland home for special counsel Jack Smith's election probe. The affidavit says Floyd body slammed one of the agents as they were leaving and repeatedly bumped him while yelling expletives at him. He was charged with assaulting a federal officer. "I do find that based on the open charge against you there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point, Richardson said. So Im going to go ahead and find that you are at risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. She also told Floyd that the issue is ultimately "not going to be decided by me. Its going to be decided by the judge who was assigned to handle your case. A date for Floyd's next court appearance has yet to be set. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had set a deadline of noon Friday for all of the defendants to surrender. The last of the defendants to turn himself in was Stephen Lee, an Illinois-based pastor who allegedly enlisted Floyd to help pressure Freeman. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com An Idaho judge has issued a permanent injunction meant to prevent far-right activist Ammon Bundy from disseminating defamatory statements about St. Lukes Health System and several of its employees. In a 40-page order, 4th District Judge Nancy Baskin ruled that the injunction was warranted and appropriate to stop Bundy and his former campaign adviser, Diego Rodriguez both of whom owe St. Lukes and other plaintiffs millions of dollars after losing a defamation case from posting harmful statements about St. Lukes; the systems CEO, Chris Roth; Dr. Natasha Erickson; and nurse practitioner Tracy Jungman. The actions and conduct of the defendants have made our community less safe, Baskin wrote in the order. Medical providers and other employees are leaving their professions because of the damage to their reputation, the invasion of their privacy, the harassment and threats of intimidation by defendants. The order also applies to organizations tied to Bundy and Rodriguez, including the Peoples Rights Network. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After Bundy and Rodriguez who did not participate in the court proceedings lost the defamation case, they continued to maintain websites containing false statements about St. Lukes and the case, and Bundy has posted a 14-minute video on YouTube which was shared on the Peoples Rights Network. Now, the order mandates that Bundy and Rodriguez stop posting and disseminating any defamatory statements against the plaintiffs including any statements that wrongfully claim the plaintiffs are criminals. I have nothing to worry about when it comes to Judge Baskins recent order, Bundy told the Idaho Statesman in a text. True statements are not defamatory. The judges order comes after a jury awarded $52 million in damages to St. Lukes and the other plaintiffs, who won a defamation lawsuit against Bundy, Rodriguez and various connected groups. In March 2022, the pair led protests at St. Lukes hospitals in Meridian and downtown Boise over a child welfare case involving Rodriguezs 10-month-old grandchild, leading to the case being filed. Bundy and Rodriguez also are tasked with removing any statements and deactivating any links on their websites that claim the plaintiffs are criminals or engaged in criminal activity. In addition, they must remove any contact information, personal information and images of the plaintiffs, according to the court order. The judges decision also noted that this includes posting St. Lukes employees personal information online in the future or encouraging others to do so. Baskin said that if Bundy and Rodriguez failed to abide by the order, they could face contempt proceedings, sanctions and other legal ramifications. Even after the jury verdict for $52 million, Mr. Bundy, Mr. Rodriguez, (the Peoples Rights Network) have continued to make false statements regarding St. Lukes and medical professionals who work for St. Lukes, Erik Stidham, an attorney representing the health care system, told the Idaho Statesman by phone. This order from the judge will be an important tool in taking steps to stop these continued false statements and hopefully to curtail the grift that Mr. Bundy and PRN continue to engage in to mislead their followers to donate money to Mr. Bundy, PRN and Diego Rodriguez. Another Idaho judge, Brent Whiting, recently issued a restraining order against Bundy and others temporarily restricting them from transferring ownership of any properties, companies or other significant assets after St. Lukes filed a new lawsuit against them regarding the damages they owe. On Monday at 1 p.m., Bundy is expected to appear at the Gem County Courthouse for a preliminary injunction hearing, where the judge will decide whether to permanently restrict Bundys financial transactions until the conclusion of the case. Hes then again expected to appear at the Ada County Courthouse at 10 a.m. Tuesday for his initial appearance in a contempt case related to the original St. Lukes lawsuit. PETERSBURG A juvenile has been arrested in connection with the killing of a South Carolina man who was found near Walnut Hill Elementary School. The youth, whose name and age were not released due to their age, was picked up Friday, according to a Petersburg Police email. That person has been charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting into an occupied vehicle and discharging a firearm. Matthew Gibbs, 19, of Columbia, South Carolina, was shot while sitting in a car at an undisclosed location in the city. Police found him inside a vehicle at the intersection of South Boulevard and Wakefield Street adjacent to the elementary school. He was taken to a local hospital where he died. The police email confirmed that the shooting did not take place in front of the school. Students are still about a week away from attending classes, but police put the school on a brief lockdown anyway to protect staff there. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Petersburg Bureau of Police offers its condolences to the family and friends of Matthew Gibbs, the email read. We also express gratitude to the community for their assistance, which led to a swift and secure arrest of the offender. The murder was Petersburgs 13th of the year. Previous murder victims include: Javarius Desmore, killed March 14 on Pin Oaks Drive; Antonio Walker, killed April 5 on Henrico Street; Shaun Hankins, killed April 24 on Leavenworth Street; Brian Chambers, killed May 24 at the Budget Inn on Jamestown Drive; Tewana Williams, killed May 27 on Talley Avenue; Anthony Williams, killed June 3 on Gillfield Drive; KVon Morgan (juvenile), killed June 17 at Pecan Acres Apartments; KeAsia Powell, killed June 26 on East Wythe Street; Lucky Dwayne Burress, killed June 26 on Berkeley Avenue; Darrell D. Morton, killed July 6 at Crater Square Apartments; and Kirk Nims, killed July 11 on Halifax Street. Johnny Englehart Jr., killed Aug. 8 on Rome Street Counting Friday, five arrests have been made in the deaths. 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: Juvenile charged in murder of man found near Petersburg school Family members in protective gear collect the cremated remains of their loved one bundled with yellow cloth at a crematorium in Beijing on Dec. 17, 2022. Chinas sudden reopening after two years holding to a zero-COVID strategy left older people vulnerable and hospitals and pharmacies unprepared during the season when the virus spreads most easily, leading to many avoidable deaths, The Associated Press has found. | Ng Han Guan, Associated Press After China lifted its zero-COVID restrictions last year, almost 2 million excess deaths occurred during the two-month period of December 2022 and January 2023, according to a study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle released Thursday. The study, published in the JAMA Network Open, said there was an estimated 1.87 million excess deaths, with the majority of those deaths occurring among adults ages 30 and older after the policy was lifted. All provinces in China, except for Tibet, were observed in the study. The Deseret News has previously reported on Chinas zero-COVID policy, which included using drones to remind people to wear masks, extensive lockdowns and mass testing. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The restrictions kept COVID cases and deaths to a minimum for much of the pandemic. But when the government abruptly lifted the restrictions in December after rare mass protests across the country, the virus was unleashed on 1.4 billion people who had barely been exposed to it, NBC News said. Related Study details Researchers analyzed search engine data and obituary data from two universities in Beijing and one in Heilongjiang, according to the study. Joseph Unger, biostatistician and health services researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, told The Independent, Because the Chinese population had been largely shielded from infection with limited natural immunity and was not fully or well vaccinated, the sudden introduction of widespread COVID-19 infection had a devastating impact. According to NBC News, satellite imaging and other evidence revealed an increase in activity at crematoriums and funeral homes, as well as internet searches for words like cremation and burial. Researchers added that, These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and public health experts and are important for understanding how the sudden propagation of COVID-19 across a population may be associated with population mortality. Related Reuters reported that in January, officials from the Chinese government said there were about 60,000 COVID-19 deaths resulting from the policy lift. As new variants were being discovered, health experts asked for more data from China since the number of hospitalizations and deaths kept growing, according to Reuters. Leaders in China declared a decisive victory over COVID in February, said The Independent. Unger said that despite China being the first place to be hit by COVID-19, it was able to quickly suppress the disease through stringent measures over an extended period, per The Independent. Jin Dong-yan, a virologist at the University of Hong Kong, told NBC News that the way the study estimates data is not scientifically rigorous, but it is nonetheless an objective and beneficial attempt. Columbus police investigate a shooting around 2:20 p.m. Saturday near the Dairy Queen at 1519 Shrock Road on the city's Northeast Side that left one person dead at the scene and sent another wounded to a hospital. Columbus police continue to investigate a shootout Saturday afternoon that left one dead and one wounded outside a Dairy Queen on the city's Northeast Side. Police responded around 2:20 p.m. Saturday to the Dairy Queen, 1519 Schrock Road, just west of the Karl Road intersection, on reports of a shooting. Responding officers found Nathaniel Joe-Summerall, 19, with a gunshot wound, according to police. Columbus Division of Fire medics pronounced Joe-Summerall dead at the scene shortly at 2:32 p.m. Soon after that, a second adult who had also been shot in the incident arrived at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, according to police, who have not identified that individual. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Homicide detectives say their preliminary investigation has determined that several males, including Joe-Summerall and the second gunshot victim, had gathered in the Dairy Queen parking lot in what seems to have been a planned meeting. Soon after they met up, police said, a fight broke out and gunfire was then exchanged. Radio traffic from police officers on the scene indicated they were looking for at least two possible suspects who may have run from the area on foot. Just after 4 p.m. Saturday, a crowd had gathered outside the Brookeville Apartment Homes, across Schrock Road from the scene. Police closed that section of Schrock Road. In addition, art of the intersection of Schrock and Karl roads was closed with crime scene tape after detectives found possible evidence there. Police do not think the victims were employees of the restaurant. Family members of Joe-Summerall were at the scene while homicide detectives and crime scene technicians pored over the area for evidence, but declined to speak with reporters. Authorities ask anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Columbus police homicide detectives at 614-645-4730 or can anonymously call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-TIPS. Fatal police shooting: Family of pregnant woman killed in police shooting hold candlelight vigil, seek answers Body camera footage: Columbus police release body cam footage of Wednesday fatal police shooting on South Side bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner dking@dispatch.com @DanaeKing This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 1 dead, 1 wounded iafter shooting at a Dairy Queen on Columbus' NE Side NEW LONDON, Conn. Bipartisan federal legislation was introduced Tuesday that would protect cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy who report a sexual assault from being disciplined for minor collateral misconduct, such as underage drinking. The change would put the Connecticut service academy in line with policies at Department of Defense military academies. The U.S. Coast Guard is overseen by the Department of Homeland Security. The legislation comes amid recent revelations that the service did not widely disclose a six-year internal investigation it conducted, known as Operation Fouled Anchor, into dozens of cases of sexual assault and misconduct between 1988 and 2006. The Coast Guard also apologized for not taking appropriate action years ago when it failed to adequately handle cases of sexual assault and harassment at the academy in New London. Democratic U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, whose district includes the academy, noted in a statement how the Department of Defense swiftly implemented a policy change preventing cadets at its service academies from receiving punishment for minor offenses when they report sexual assault or harassment. He said such protections must be extended to the Coast Guard Academy cadets as well. U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., speaks to the audience at the start of a Keep America Great Rally in Tupelo, Miss., Nov. 1, 2019. This is one step in the process to care for our cadets as I continue to engage with Coast Guard leadership on the path forward following its failure to disclose the investigation into its history of sexual assault and harassment at the Coast Guard Academy, said Courtney, the bill's lead proponent. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement His co-sponsors include Republican U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly of Mississippi and Democratic Reps. Rick Larsen of Washington and Salud Carbajal and Nanette Diaz Barragan of California. I know how important it is for our Coasties to have the same rights and protections against sexual misconduct as other members of our military," Carbajal, a veteran and the top Democrat on the House subcommittee overseeing the U.S. Coast Guard, said in a statement. This bill is simple and straightforward, bringing all military service academies under the same umbrella of safety and accountability to protect the next generation of servicemembers. The National Defense Authorization Act in 2021 required the Department of Defense to implement the Safe-to-Report Policy for a midshipman or cadet who is a victim of an alleged sexual assault at a DOD military academy and has committed a minor offense such as underage drinking or violating curfew. In June, U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin said the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which has oversight of the Coast Guard, was not informed of the probe until an informal briefing with Senate staff. They demanded documents and records related to the investigation, which identified 62 substantiated incidents of rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment that occurred at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy or by academy cadets. The internal Coast Guard investigation was first reported by CNN. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Bill proposed to protect Coast Guard cadets who file sexual assault reports Republican voters may be more open to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) after his performance at the first Republican debate earlier this week, according to a new poll. A Reuters-Ipsos poll taken in the two days since the debate found that roughly half of Republican respondents who followed the event were more open to a bid from the Florida governor. DeSantis still trails former President Trump, though, with 13 percent support from Republicans to Trumps 52 percent. The Hill Elections 2024 coverage The former president saw a boost from 47 percent before the debate to 52 percent afterward, even though he didnt take the stage with his fellow candidates. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After months of suspense over whether hed participate, Trump skipped the event and released a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as the Republican National Committees debate went on air. A Washington Post, Ipsos and FiveThirtyEight poll of potential Republican voters who watched the first GOP debate found that DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy performed best, with 29 and 26 percent of respondents giving them that label, respectively. That poll also found the share of respondents who say theyre considering casting their ballots for Trump dropped from 66 to 61 percent, while DeSantis went up from 62 to 67 percent on that front. Conducted Aug. 24-25, the Reuters-Ipsos poll surveyed 347 Republicans and had a credibility interval of plus or minus 6.4 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sofia Coppola is just like any mom dealing with a rebellious teen, except her daughter went viral on TikTok while talking about her famous parents. In March, Romy Mars posted a campy video on TikTok of herself making pasta because she had been grounded. Fans immediately compared her filmmaking skills to that of her mother, whose new movie "Priscilla" will be released in October, and grandfather, "Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola . In the clip, Romy explained that Coppola and her dad, Thomas Mars , the frontman for the band Phoenix, had grounded her because she tried to charter a helicopter from New York to Maryland on her father's credit card so she could have dinner with a friend. Thomas Mars and Sofia Coppola (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) Romy also explained that she's not allowed to have any "public social media accounts" and said her parents are "never home" to begin with. The cheeky video was immediately a hit and shared across social platforms. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In response to the since-deleted video, Coppola told The Hollywood Reporter on Aug. 23 that her daughter is becoming "rebellious" and she does not allow Romy or her other daughter, Cosima, to post on social media The 52-year-old only recently joined Instagram herself. We were raised to be so private, and social media is so the opposite of how I grew up, she said. So it was the best way for her to be rebellious. In the TikTok clip, Romy said her parents "dont want me to be a nepotism kid, but TikTok is not going to make me famous, so it doesnt really matter." A "nepo baby," as defined by New York Magazine, is an offspring of a public figure who can easily find success because of their notable parents. While many people have been impressed by her daughters video-editing skills, Coppola would prefer Romy not talk about her parenting style on social media. I got lots of compliments on her filmmaking. And comedy. Shes funny, Coppola said. But people discussing my parenting publicly is not what I wouldve hoped for. This article was originally published on TODAY.com In what appears to be a show of solidarity with Donald Trump , a former Illinois state representative posted a fake mugshot of himself online Thursday after the embattled former president was booked into a Georgia jail. "I stand with @realDonaldTrump!" Republican Darren Bailey wrote in a caption under a photo he posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The 45th president was arrested Thursday and booked at the Fulton County Jail on charges he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. In this handout provided by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, former U.S. President Donald Trump poses for his booking photo at the Fulton County Jail on August 24, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump was booked on 13 charges related to an alleged plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump and 18 others facing felony charges have been ordered to turn themselves in to the Fulton County Jail by Aug. 25. Thursday marked a momentous day as Trump is the first president in U.S. history to be booked at a jail. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Following his arrest, a mugshot of Trump was released. The photo shows him sporting a suit and tie, with his chin dropped and brow furrowed as he looks into the camera. Bailey's selfie "mugshot" depicts the former state leader in glasses wearing a dark button-down shirt. The shot shows him smiling. As of Friday afternoon, the post by the 57-year-old former Illinois gubernatorial candidate had garnered nearly 45,000 views. Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey responds to reporters questions after winning the Republican gubernatorial primary on June 28, 2022, in Effingham, Ill. Bailey will now face Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the fall. Timeline: How 18 other people got caught up in Donald Trump's Georgia indictment Another Trump endorsement welcome, Bailey says Bailey could not immediately be reached by USA TODAY Friday afternoon. But at the Illinois State Fair last week, Bailey made an appearance and spoke to reporters about Trump's indictment charges, the Springfield State Journal- Register, part of the USA TODAY Network reported. "It's a complete witch hunt," Bailey said. "We need more Attorney General's across the United States actually... filing indictments against Joe Biden." Bailey also told reporters he would again "like Trump's endorsement in his congressional run." A highly anticipated booking photo. A notorious jail. The Donald Trump arrest recapped Endorsed by Trump Endorsed by Trump for Illinois governor last year, Bailey lost his bid for governor to incumbent J.B. Pritzker, an American billionaire businessman and philanthropist. In January, Bailey completed his term in the state senate following the failed 2022 gubernatorial attempt. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker looks to supporters after he defeated GOP challenger Darren Bailey on Nov. 8, 2022, in Chicago. Last month, Bailey announced his run for the Illinois 12th Congressional District. He is set to face off against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, a five-term congressman representing 34 counties. Contributing: Patrick Keck with the Springfield State Journal- Register, part of the USA TODAY Network. Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @nataliealund. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Illinois' Darren Bailey posts fake mugshot after Donald Trump's goes viral The Michigan Court of Appeals has struck down state regulators' stricter drinking water rules on potentially health-harming nonstick "forever chemicals" known as PFAS, finding that regulators didn't adequately consider the costs to businesses to comply with the new rules. The appellate court, in a ruling published Tuesday, upheld a lower court's finding that the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy should have better considered that its new rules to restrict PFAS compounds in drinking water also impacted requirements to clean up the compounds in groundwater. Under Michigan's Administrative Procedures Act of 1969, or APA, state agencies are required to prepare a regulatory impact statement that includes an estimate of how much compliance with the proposed rules will cost "businesses and other groups." EGLE, in its PFAS drinking water rule-making process, found that it could not make an estimate of those compliance costs to businesses, but the appellate judges said that was an unacceptable answer. A stretch of shoreline on Van Etten Lake in Oscoda, near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, is covered in foam on Sept. 27, 2018. Previous testing by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy shows the foam contains very high levels of the potentially health harming compounds known as PFAS. "(State law) requires an estimation, and if EGLE cannot provide one, then it cannot propose the rule in a way that complies with the APA," the unanimous court stated in its ruling. The case was heard by presiding Judge Michael Gadola and Judges Christopher Murray and Allie Greenleaf Maldonado. What PFAS does in the body Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances PFAS were chemical compounds used in a host of consumer products since the second half of the 20th century for their nonstick and water-repellent characteristics. They're known as forever chemicals because they don't break down in nature. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two of the most common and most studied PFAS compounds, known as PFOS and PFOA, have been linked to cancer; conditions affecting the liver, thyroid and pancreas; ulcerative colitis; hormone and immune system interference; high cholesterol; pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, and negative effects on growth, learning and behavior in infants and children. A sign at Milford's Central Park advises anglers not to eat fish caught from Hubbell Pond or the Huron River, due to potentially harmful PFAS contamination, in this Sept. 8, 2018 photo. Michigan had previously used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's nonenforceable "health advisory level" for PFOS and PFOA, allowed at a combined 70 parts per trillion in drinking water. But in recent years, researchers have concluded that standard was not sufficiently protective of public health, and many other types of PFAS found commonly in the environment unaddressed in federal guidelines also appear potentially harmful. Michigan's multiagency PFAS Action response team, or MPART, spent more than a year reviewing existing science on PFAS compounds, and enlisted scientists from around the country, as well as business leaders and others, in forming its own standards. The state in 2020 adopted some of the toughest new standards in the country, limiting allowable PFOS and PFOA in drinking water to 16 and 8 parts per trillion (ppt), respectively, and for the first time assigning limits to five other PFAS compounds. More: PFAS contamination is Michigan's biggest environmental crisis in 40 years The lawsuit challenging Michigan's new PFAS water rules was brought by the Minnesota-based 3M Corp., one of the leading manufacturers of PFAS compounds historically. The company argued that EGLE had not fully accounted for all costs associated with the rules and had not estimated costs for businesses to comply with the related groundwater cleanup standards that would automatically result from new drinking water rules. The state Court of Claims in 2021 rejected most of 3M's contentions, but the court affirmed that the state's required regulatory impact statement was deficient for lack of a cost estimate to businesses for groundwater cleanup. The appellate court's ruling Tuesday upheld that earlier Court of Claims finding. EGLE, in an emailed statement, responded to the appeals court ruling. "It is disappointing that 3M, one of the major chemical manufacturing companies responsible for bringing PFAS to market, continues to push back on efforts that protect residents from toxic products," agency officials stated. More: Here's which pitcher filters took 100% of PFAS 'forever chemicals' out of drinking water "While EGLE respectfully disagrees with the court's decision, we appreciate that it has allowed the health standards to remain in effect while we appeal, because the safety of our citizens should not be compromised while the legal process moves forward." In a statement to the Free Press, 3M officials said the company "supports fluorochemical regulation that is based on the best available science and established regulatory processes." Contact Keith Matheny: kmatheny@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: State Court of Appeals rejects Michigan PFAS water rules after 3M suit Three school districts in the country have cancelled in-person learning this week as local officials report drastic drops in student and teacher attendance attributed to COVID-19 and other illnesses. Two school districts in Kentucky announced in-person closures for this week, citing a rise in illness among staff and students. Magoffin County Schools said all schools will close Thursday and Friday due to widespread illness. School officials said attendance has been quite low in the past week, and a mixture of viruses, including COVID-19 and influenza, motivated the closure. Lee County School District announced illness-related closures for Tuesday and Wednesday, and NTI days, or non-traditional instruction, for Thursday and Friday. Officials said there had been an increase in respiratory illnesses the last few days, and a significant drop in attendance motivated the closure. Scott Lockard, public health director for the Kentucky River District Health Department, which serves Lee County and six others in eastern Kentucky, said that ever since the pandemic started, there has generally been a rise in illnesses when schools first go back into session as people return to large gatherings. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There was a lot of illness in the county, and the absentee rate got up to the level where the school system felt it justified closing, Lockard told USA TODAY. So far, lab test data reported to the department in eastern Kentucky has confirmed positive COVID-19 results but no influenza cases. However, Lockard noted respiratory illnesses in general are a concern, as symptoms often overlap with COVID-19. Also, testing is not as readily available as it once was, and many people have turned to home tests, which means lab reports typically underscore the level of illness. Runge Independent School District in southern Texas, which serves 195 students, announced a weeklong closure due to illnesses, ABC News reported. According to the districts online COVID-19 tracker, ten of the districts 43 staff members had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Monday. Where COVID-19 numbers stand in the country Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on cases is several weeks out of date and no longer tracks COVID-19 infections. Most Americans take at-home tests and don't report results. However, more than a quarter of wastewater testing sites reported a large increase in virus levels over the past two weeks as of Monday. So far, the CDC has reported a total of 1.1 million deaths and 6.3 million hospitalizations due to COVID-19. The agency noted a recent surge in both numbers, citing a 21.4% increase in deaths and a 21.6% increase in hospital admissions in the most recently available week of data. Hospital admissions due to the coronavirus are also forecasted to climb in the following weeks, according to the CDC. How to protect yourself While some used to brag about battling through a flu to get to work, that's no longer a badge of pride, Lockard said. Social distancing and staying home when symptoms arise is a strong preventative measure, he added. Also, washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizer and covering coughs and sneezes are important steps to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 and other illnesses. Lockard also recommended staying up to date on vaccines for COVID-19 and influenza. RSV vaccines are available for some populations as well. Test scores reveal plunge in performance nationwide Earlier this year, USA TODAY documented how chronic absenteeism is schools continued to strain learning, even after widespread pandemic-related closures ended. The battle with attendance comes as students face unique learning challenges after extended shutdowns. Nearly all eighth graders in the nation fell behind in U.S. history and civics last year compared with 2018 on the National Assessment for Education Progress, also called the Nation's Report Card, according to scores released in May. The country also saw reading and math performance plummet among fourth and eighth graders in the same year. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: School districts cancelled in-person classes due to COVID-19 increase A Lincoln man from Iraq was called a liar and a danger to the community at his sentencing Thursday for raping a woman here in 2021. Mohammed Al Saad called the case all lies from a woman he said was his girlfriend and, in a presentence interview, expressed frustration she was being called the victim and not him. Prosecutors said Al Saad had made denials since day 1 in the case. First, he said he didn't have sex with the woman. Then when confronted with DNA evidence he switched gears and said she was his girlfriend and it was consensual. Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Julie Mruz said that when a probation officer asked him who was to blame, Al Saad said: "My girlfriend, of course." The woman wasn't his girlfriend, she said. "It's as simple as this: Mr. Al Saad will say anything and everything to paint himself in the best light," Mruz said. On April 19, 2021, a 39-year-old woman reported a sexual assault, saying Al Saad had helped her move that day, along with others in her community. After they left, Al Saad pulled her into the basement, hit and choked her, and forced himself on her. She eventually escaped, ran to a nearby gas station and called 911. Police arrested Al Saad five months later after a state lab report showed his DNA in the sexual assault evidence collection kit. He ultimately pleaded no contest to second-degree sexual assault and assault by strangulation, though since has tried multiple times unsuccessfully to withdraw his plea. On Thursday, Mruz said the woman's bravery and courage in coming forward should be commended, adding that it hasn't been an easy road for her, "especially in her community." "The state is certain that Mr. Al Saad is a violent man and a danger to women in this community," she said. Defense attorney William Harris said that though Al Saad pleaded no contest, he maintains his innocence, knowing that it ultimately may affect his sentence. "But his truth is his truth," he said. Harris said Al Saad, who is 29 and has only been in this country for a few years, has had a difficult time transitioning, especially with the different dynamics here between men and women. "He understands it's a different country and he has to adjust to the customs and terms of this country," the attorney said. Harris said Al Saad, who is married, admits he had an affair but denies it was a sexual assault. In prison, he said Al Saad plans to address his alcohol issue, "which obviously played a role in him getting charged." Lancaster County District Judge Ryan Post said Al Saad's record, which includes a domestic assault while he was out on bond, shows his propensity for violence toward women. "What you describe as a miscommunication was actually a violent sexual assault," he said. "You've taken no responsibility for your actions, and you continue to concoct stories with your wife to avoid any responsibility." (Al Saad's wife, Debra Cozine, got probation and 60 days in jail for attempting to tamper in a related case.) Post said, frankly, that it was remarkable that the victim came forward with everything that was put in her way. "The conclusion from all of this, Mr. Al Saad, is you lie, and you are a threat to this community," the judge said. He then sentenced him to 21 to 23 years in prison, the max that he could on the charges. Al Saad is expected to appeal the sentence. Trump and the 18 co-defendants in his Georgia election interference RICO case all met the deadline to surrender to authorities for arrest on Friday, and while most of them were released from the Fulton County jail on bail, one remains in custody. Harrison Floyd, a former marine who was associated with the group Blacks For Trump, was charged earlier this month with three counts related to his alleged participation in a racketeering scheme to meddle with the 2020 election results and his harassment of campaign worker Ruby Freeman. During a court appearance Friday, Floyd appeared without an attorney and claimed that he could not afford to hire one. The court countered that he did not qualify for the services of a Georgia public defender, which are granted or denied following an application and eligibility review. Judge Emily Richardson informed Floyd that she would not be granting his release on bond at that moment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are grounds for bond to be denied at this point, Richardson told Floyd. Im going to go ahead and find that you are a risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. So Im going to deny bond, but a full consideration of bond will be addressed. Floyds case has been assigned to Judge Scott McAfee. When the bond wasnt granted, the co-defendant objected and argued he had presented himself to authorities for his surrender in a timely manner. I got on a plane, I voluntarily came here, Floyd said. This is not Floyds first arrest. In Maryland, he was charged after allegedly assaulting an FBI agent in May. The agent had served him a subpoena related to Special Counsel Jack Smiths separate investigation into Trumps efforts to interfere with the 2020 election. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Time ran out on Friday for Americano Media as the deadline set by employees to keep working without pay at the Miami-based company came to an end without its owner being able to reach a deal with a potential buyer keep operations going. Efforts to sell the company to Texas-based Voz Media had proven unsuccessful by the end of business on Friday and most workers that who been keeping radio operations on the air, even though they hadnt been paid in months, said they had no intention of returning to work on Monday. A previous offer made by Voz Media last week which would have taken over the companys heavy debt burden along with a symbolic payment of $1 to the current owner was considered to be so low by Americano Media owner Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo that he told the Miami Herald that he did not consider it to be a real effort to buy his company. Garcia-Hidalgo agreed last week to submit a counter-offer this week, but people familiar with the negotiations said that as of Friday morning Voz Media had not received one. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A large number of the more than 100 employees that had been working for months without pay sgined a petition Friday asking Garcia-Hidalgo to agree to the terms that have been proposed to him. Ivan Garcia Hidalgo must immediately accept whatever proposal is on the table that will allow us all to put an end to this unpleasant chapter and get on with our lives, the petition signed by nearly 40 employees stated. Today more than 100 families are suffering because we have not received, for three months, the salary we deserve for our efforts. These are wages we accumulated after being promised falsely that we would be paid for that time. To delay this agony, under the argument that there is an alternative that would benefit the CEO which is unrealistic is unacceptable, the petition said. Americano Media employees told the Miami Herald that the situation has left most of them in severe financial straits, with some unable to make rent or mortgage payments and others going without health insurance. Launched in March 2022 with a $1 million investment, the company sought to build a conservative, Fox News-like network in Spanish and obtained around $20 million from investors backing Garcia-Hidalgos vision The company sought to build a vast syndication platform across key political markets ahead of the upcoming 2024 elections. But after building TV, radio and online news platforms, the company found itself running out of money a year later and now faces a total shutdown as employees walk out and creditors begin to take legal action. While the amount of the companys debt has not been made public, observers said it is substantial, as American Media spent heavily to acquire a top-of-the-line TV and radio operation. Employees at the TV and news online departments had already stopped working, while radio kept going while staffers hoped Garcia-Hidalgo would find an investor to save the operation. But Friday was the deadline imposed by them and now the company is planning to air reruns to keep the radio station going. Americano Media airs its radio programs in Miami on 790 AM. When the topic of abortion came up during the first Republican primary presidential debate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shared a perplexing anecdote about a woman he met who he said had survived the procedure. "I know a lady in Florida named Penny," DeSantis said. "She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to a different hospital." Some accused the governor of fabricating the story. "Let me see if I understand this correctly. Doctors tried to abort Penny multiple times and discarded her in a pan, and then her grandmother took her to another hospital? DeSantis lies like a toddler," one person posted on X, formerly Twitter. In this week's Republican presidential candidate debate, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described an abortion scenario that a woman says occurred to her as an infant but seems improbable. Our research found that a woman named Penny, who tells an unusual birth story about an attempted abortion, does exist. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We asked DeSantis campaign for evidence or more information. The campaign replied via email, sending only a link to a Daily Signal article that identified "Penny" by her full name and recounted her story. The woman DeSantis referred to is Miriam "Penny" Hopper, an anti-abortion activist who said she survived an abortion attempt in Florida in 1955. Her claim, which is uncorroborated, has been featured online by Protect Life Michigan, an anti-abortion advocacy group. In a video and in interviews, Hopper said she had been delivered around 23 weeks of gestation after her mother went to a hospital in Wauchula, Florida, while experiencing bleeding. In a 2013 interview with radio station WFSU, Hopper said she believes an abortion had been attempted at home before her parents went to the hospital, which also could be why DeSantis referenced "multiple" abortion attempts. Hopper said the doctor at the hospital induced labor, and she was born at 1 pound, 11 ounces and was left in a bedpan. She told WFSU her grandmother found her alive the next day and was enraged about her being abandoned. Then a nurse volunteered to transport Hopper to what was then Morell Memorial Hospital in Lakeland, Florida, now the site of Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center. Thats about 40 miles north of the hospital where Hopper says she was born. Her story has been used to support "born alive" bills in state legislatures, which aim to protect infants that survive an abortion, even though there are federal laws for that purpose. We were unable to gauge the accuracy of Hoppers account. We couldnt find records, such as news reports, dating to the 1950s, and people who could corroborate the story, such as her grandmother, are no longer living. Hopper did not respond to requests for comment. Medically speaking, the scenario is dubious. From the 1950s through 1980, "newborn death was virtually ensured" for infants born at or before 24 weeks of gestation, The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology says on its website. Recent studies have shown wide variation in modern-day survival rates for infants born around 23 weeks, partly because of improved hospital practices for resuscitation and active treatment. A 2022 University of Rochester Medical Center study found that babies born at 23 weeks who were "actively treated" at academic medical centers in the National Institutes of Health-funded Neonatal Research Network had a 55% chance of survival. This is considerably higher than the 23-week survival rate at many other institutions, as well as a previous study conducted from 2008 to 2012 in the same network, which put the rate at 32%. (Lifesaving care for babies born at 22 and 23 weeks varies by hospital policy and physician opinion, according to a New York Times story.) Before the 1970s, most babies born before 28 weeks of gestation died because they lacked the ability to breathe on their own for more than a short time, and reliable mechanical ventilators for these infants did not yet exist. That also makes it improbable that Hopper could have survived overnight without medical intervention when born at 23 weeks in the 1950s. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Untangling DeSantis anecdote about improbable abortion survival story TAMPA, Fla. After moving into their new condominium in June 2022, Umar Abdullah and his expectant wife were ready to welcome their daughter. They met their neighbors, and soon enough, a newborn was kicking around the place. Shortly thereafter, his downstairs neighbor, Xuming Li, began texting him, complaining of noises from upstairs. In texts shared with Nexstars WFLA, Li said he couldnt sleep, and could hear the toilet seat being moved. After months of back and forth between the two men, Abdullah and his family began experiencing grogginess, sickness and vomiting. I look at my daughter, Abdullah said. Her eyes were full of tears. She was not crying, but her eyes were full of tears. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Spirit Airlines agrees to $8.25M settlement over gotcha bag fees Abdullah said a friend of his first smelled the chemicals when she went to bring in a package while Abdullah was on vacation. When the family returned, they said smelled it too. Though some described it as nail polish remover, Abdullah said it was more obnoxious. First, he said he called an air conditioning company, but they said nothing was wrong. A plumber checked out the water heater, but that was fine too, though Abdullah said his landlord had it replaced anyway. The smell kept returning, even after the air ducts and vents were cleaned too. He even called the fire department, but their tests didnt reveal anything. Then, I actually double checked, Abdullah explained. I started sniffing that place like a dog. After all the suspects he could think of were checked off, Abdullah said his thoughts turned to his downstairs neighbor, who kept complaining of noises that Abdullah eventually believed didnt exist. When Abdullah found a crack in the corner of his door that a syringe could fit through, he installed a hidden camera in the plant outside. Even during war, the worst enemies do not attack the opponent, the other party, with chemicals, Abdullah said. Who qualifies for $0 student loan payments? On a day when he said he noticed his daughter sick again, he checked the hidden camera. It appeared to show his downstairs neighbor crouching down in front of Abdullahs front door, but the angle was not clear enough to tell what was going on. We were shaking, Abdullah recalled. We cant imagine that he is coming and doing something. After adjusting the hidden camera angle, Abdullah said he waited until his daughter got sick again. He checked the footage and saw his neighbor. This time, the video appeared to show his neighbor taking a syringe out, filling it with liquid, then injecting the liquid into the crack in Abdullahs doorframe. The first [thing] that came to my mind my daughter and my wife, Abdullah remembered. They need to be safe. He got his family out of the house, then called the police. Li was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including possession of a controlled substance and burglary. According to a Tampa Police Department affidavit, a hazmat test found the liquid chemical agent contained both methodone and hydrocodone opioid pain medications. Abdullah doesnt want to think about any long-term side effects on his daughter. Naked neighbor exposes cracks in indecency laws in Chicago Lis arrest record lists him as a student at University of South Florida, but the school told WFLA he was a chemistry PhD student and is no longer enrolled there his last semester was summer 2023. Li is out on bond. His next hearing is December 5. Hes also facing lawsuits from Abdullah for domestic violence and the condo association for breach of contract. In a statement to WFLA, Lis attorney said Li pleaded not guilty and all of the facts will come in due course of time. Abdullahs daughter celebrated her first birthday a couple weeks ago, in the same condo. He said the family is looking for a new place, but its hard to find one with their new specifications. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. US President Joe Biden (L) walks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky ahead of a working session on Ukraine during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima on May 21, 2023. SUSAN WALSH/POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to begin F-16 pilot training for Ukrainian troops. The offering is a marked shift from Biden's original position of not providing F-16s or training. In February, he ruled out providing F-16s; by May, he supported allies supplying jets. The Biden administration, once vocally opposed to providing F-16 fighter jets and training to the Ukrainian war effort, has departed from earlier statements that the country didn't need them and will now begin offering pilot training for Ukraine's troops as early as October. The training, which will be conducted at Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, is "in support of the international effort to develop and strengthen Ukraine's long-term defenses," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a Thursday statement. While the US has provided more than $135 billion worth of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia began its full-scale invasion last year, F-16s have been a sticking point on the world stage for months. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Russia's superior air power has been challenging for Ukrainian troops to overcome. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly requested that Western allies supply next-generation aircraft to aid on the front lines. In a February interview with ABC News, President Joe Biden sounded resolute as he maintained that the Ukrainian war effort didn't need F-16s at the time, saying he was "ruling it out for now" despite pleas from the country's leader that the fighter jets could change the course of battle. By May, Biden softened his stance after international pressure mounted during the G7 Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima. After being given "flat assurance" that Zelenskyy would not use the advanced aircraft for attacks on Russian territory, Biden allowed US-made F-16s from the Netherlands and Denmark to be sent to Ukraine. According to Ryder's statement, preparations are underway to offer training on US soil for an as-yet-undetermined number of pilots. He said basic training for a new F-16 pilot typically takes eight months, but "individual pilots' skill level" will determine how long the Ukrainian troops will be trained. Representatives for the Ukraine Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The move by the US comes after critical delays reported in the Denmark and Netherlands militaries, which had initially volunteered to lead the training, that would have prevented Ukrainian pilots from reaching the skies in F-16s until next summer. In an emailed statement to Insider, a spokesperson for the White House referenced a press conference at which Ryder stated the US was stepping in to accelerate ally-provided air force training "as quickly as possible in support of Ukraine." "We know that as the Danes and the Dutch prepare to train those pilots, that at a certain point in time in the future, capacity will be reached," Ryder said in the statement emailed to Insider. "So pre-emptively acknowledging that and leaning forward in order to assist with this effort is the impetus for why we're doing this now." The White House representative did not respond to questions about whether there was a specific reason the Biden administration had changed course on the issue in recent months. While with this latest move, Ukraine is a step closer to having the equipment and trained personnel required to man the F-16s their military has repeatedly called for, US experts say not to expect an overnight change in the war's direction. "It's not going to be the silver bullet and all of a sudden they're going to start taking down SA-21s because they have an F-16," Insider reported Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, said earlier this month. Read the original article on Business Insider a satellite photo of a plane crash site surrounding by grassy fields and trees, with 20 or so vehicles nearby. A satellite has spotted the wreckage of the plane that went down in northwestern Russia on Wednesday (Aug. 23), apparently with Russian warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin on board. The plane, an executive jet built by Brazilian company Embraer, was flying from Moscow to St. Petersburg when it went down. Prigozhin was on the passenger list, as were some other top-level members of the Wagner Group, the private military company that Prighozin led. There were no survivors, according to Russian officials. On Thursday (Aug. 24), a satellite operated by San Francisco-based company Planet snapped a photo of the crash site, which is a grassy area surrounded by trees. The destroyed plane is clearly visible in the shot, as are several dozen vehicles, which are likely part of the recovery and investigative effort. Related: Russia's invasion of Ukraine as seen in satellite photos ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That investigation is very much open at the moment, as the cause of the crash remains unknown. But it may not have been an accident. "The Baza news outlet, which has good sources among law enforcement agencies, reported that investigators were focusing on a theory that one or two bombs may have been planted on board," Reuters reported on Thursday. U.S. officials also consider a strike by a surface-to-air missile a possibility at this point, Reuters added. RELATED STORIES: Photos of Earth by Planet's satellites (gallery) Russian invasion of Ukraine: How it's affecting Europe's space plans The top 10 views of Earth from space Foul play would certainly not be shocking, given the nature of Prighozin's work and the strange and dramatic turn it took recently. The Wagner Group has long acted as an arm of the Russian military, fighting in a number of conflicts around the world, including the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. In late June, however, Prighozhin led a mutiny against the Russian armed forces and threatened to march his troops on Moscow. Prighozin ended up standing down from that threat, but the rebellion certainly complicated his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I had known Prigozhin for a very long time, since the start of the '90s," Putin said during televised remarks after the plane crash, according to Reuters. "He was a man with a difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life." Planet is best known for its constellation of Dove cubesats, which can resolve features as small as 10 feet (3 meters) on Earth's surface. But Thursday's photo was taken by a SkySat, a minifridge-sized craft with even sharper eyes: SkySats have a resolution of about 28 inches (72 centimeters). You are the owner of this article. A district judge has quickly shot down Aubrey Trail's request to file a petition seeking to force the states hand to carry out his death sentence for the murder and dismemberment of Sydney Loofe. Early this month, Trail had filed a motion asking to file the case without paying the filing fee. Lancaster County District Judge Kevin McManaman since has overruled the motion "because it asserts frivolous legal positions." In a three-page order last week, the judge gave two reasons. One, he said, those whom Trail sued -- Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Rob Jeffreys, the director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services -- do not have a clear duty to set his execution date. And, two, Trail "does not have the right to dictate when the state will execute him." McManaman pointed out that only the Nebraska Supreme Court can set the date, by statute. "The inescapable truth is that the only entity that can give the relator (Trail) the relief that he wants is missing," he wrote. McManaman said Trail also can't fix it by simply adding the Supreme Court as a party because the district court, "as an inferior tribunal, has no power to tell the Supreme Court what to do." He said it isn't uncommon for death-row inmates to "volunteer" to be executed by choosing not to pursue postconviction relief. Since 1976, over 10% of death-sentenced prisoners executed in the U.S. had hastened their own executions. In Nebraska, direct appeals are mandatory in capital cases like Trail's. McManaman said it isn't clear if death-row inmates could elect to forgo further proceedings and await their execution. Though, case law suggests they could. But this case isn't about that, he said. Instead, Trail argues he has a clear right to his own death warrant, McManaman wrote. "It is true that the Supreme Court has a ministerial duty to issue a death warrant, but nothing in the statutes suggests that a prisoner can enforce that duty. Put simply, the relator does not have the right to die on demand," he said. The judge gave Trail 30 days to pay the fee if he wants to go forward, despite the order, which suggests the suit is likely to fail. Trail, 56, has said he does not wish to conduct any further litigation staying the execution of his sentence in state or federal court. In 2021, Trail was sentenced to death for Loofes murder. The Lincoln store clerks disappearance the night of Nov. 15, 2017, led to a multistate manhunt for Trail and his girlfriend, Bailey Boswell, who in Facebook videos claimed to know nothing about it. Their cellphone records, though, led police, deputies and the FBI to fields and ditches in Clay County, where they made the grisly discovery of Loofes remains left scattered in trash bags. At trial in June 2019, jurors found Trail guilty. Two years later, he was sentenced to death. Boswell got a life sentence for her part in the crime. In September, while his automatic, direct appeal still was pending, Trail sent a motion to the Supreme Court from the Tecumseh prison asking them to set an execution date. He said they refused to let him file it because hes represented by counsel. Then, in November, just shy of the five-year anniversary of the 23-year-old Lincoln womans disappearance, the Nebraska Supreme Court affirmed his conviction and death sentence. In an email Thursday, Trail said he is trying to find an attorney who will help with the motion pro-bono. Lincoln attorney Tim Noerrlinger was appointed to represent him on post-conviction matters only. He said he would only go forward with a post-conviction motion "if it is obvious that I'm gonna sit here no matter what I do, which is what it looks like." "The judge's ruling was about nothing but the state's inability to carry out an execution and not letting me call their bluff," Trail wrote. He asked why he should even have to do all this when there's nothing stopping his sentence from being carried out. "Why do I have to fight to get the state to simply DO their jobs," Trail said. In July, the Journal Star confirmed the Department of Correctional Services was not in possession of any lethal-injection chemicals. Asked if steps were being taken to try to obtain them, Jeffreys said in an emailed statement: "My role and the role of NDCS is to carry out the order of the court." The inmates on Nebraskas death row and their crimes Raymond Mata Jr. Jose Sandoval Jorge Galindo Erick F. Vela Jeffrey Hessler John L. Lotter Roy L. Ellis Marco E. Torres Jr. Anthony Garcia Nikko Jenkins Patrick Schroeder Aubrey Trail 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. Tot mai multi studenti se lasa de studii! Cea mai mare rata de abandon universitar apare dupa primul an Tot mai multi studenti se lasa de studii! Cea mai mare rata de abandon universitar apare dupa primul an Tot mai multi studenti se lasa de studii! Cea mai mare rata de abandon universitar [citeste mai departe] Army Pfc. Charley Havlat of Dorchester, Nebraska, died in an ambush on a dirt road in Czechoslovakia during World War II, struck in the head by a bullet from a German rifle as he crouched for cover in his open-topped Jeep. Havlats sad end might not have stood out from those of the other half a million American service members who gave their lives in the war, except for its timing: May 7, 1945, just hours before the German surrender. The Nebraska farmhand was the last U.S. combat death of the war in Europe. Ten minutes later, they laid down their arms, said Ken Havlat, 62, of Lincoln, Charleys nephew and closest living relative. If he had just lasted 10 more minutes, he would have lived to a ripe old age. Charley Havlat is one of three U.S. service members two of them Nebraskans who will be honored by military officials from the Czech Republic at 10:30 a.m. Saturday during the opening ceremony of Lincolns Guardians of Freedom Airshow, at Lincoln Air Park. The Navy Blue Angels are headlining the show, which also will feature the Air Forces F-16C Viper team, vintage warbirds and static displays, including E-4B and RC-135 aircraft from Offutt Air Force Base. Gates open at 9:30 a.m., with the show running from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event and parking are free. The Czech deputy minister of defense has traveled here from Prague to present the nations Cross of Merit to family members of three former service members: Havlat; Ladislav Jisa, of Dwight, Nebraska; and 1st Lt. Virgil Kirkham of Corbett, Oregon. The presentation is meant to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the Czech military and the Nebraska National Guard. Nebraska has more citizens of Czech ancestry than any state, said Maj. Jakub Simicek, a spokesman for the Czech Armed Forces. So we found sons of Czech emigrants fought for the liberation of their parents original homeland, he said. We see this as an opportunity to pay tribute to those heroes. Czech girl honors Americans sacrifice Virgil Kirkham quit college during his freshman year in 1943 to join the Army Air Corps and trained as a fighter pilot, flying the P-47D Thunderbolt. He was only 20, but Kirkham already had more than 80 combat missions under his belt when he took off from Furth, Germany, April 30, 1945, on what was to be the last combat sortie of the war for the 362nd Fighter Group. Their target was a German military convoy near the Czech city of Pilsen. But Kirkhams plane was hit by a fierce anti-aircraft barrage and cartwheeled in flames into a forest. He was the last U.S. fighter pilot killed in the European theater before the German surrender a week later. His body was buried near the crash site and later moved to the Lorraine American Cemetery in France. Kirkhams story became widely known in Czechoslovakia (as the country was known before its split in 1993) because of the dedication of a 14-year-old Czech girl, Zdenka Sladkova, who witnessed the crash and was touched by the sacrifice of the young American pilot. For more than 70 years, she tended a small memorial in Kirkhams honor near the spot where his plane crashed. War is Over! Whoopee! Ladislav Jisa (pronounced HEE-suh) worked on his fathers farm near Dwight until he enlisted in the Army on June 23, 1941, more than five months before Pearl Harbor. He spent two years as a supply sergeant at Fort Omaha. In January 1944, he married Helen Janousek of nearby Brainard, Nebraska. That year he was assigned to the 303rd Infantry Regiment of the 97th Infantry Division, which fought in Germany and Czechoslovakia in the last two months of the war. His unit liberated the Karlovy Vary region. He was in Marienbad, a spa town, when the war ended. WAR IS OVER! WHOOPEE! Jisa wrote in a postwar diary. After the German surrender, Jisas unit was sent to the Pacific. He spent two months on occupation duty in Japan in fall 1945 before returning to the U.S. He was discharged in January 1946. Dave Jisa, Lads son, said his father started his own dairy business on 120 acres near Brainard, about 25 miles northwest of Lincoln. He started in 1946 with 10 red cows, said Dave Jisa, who still operates the dairy. We milk 500 cows now and sell retail cheese. He said his father rarely discussed the war but was an active member of the American Legion post in Dwight until his death in 2004, at age 84. Helen Jisa died last year, at 99. Dave Jisa and his brother, Ken, will accept the Cross of Merit on his fathers behalf on Saturday. I understand this event is to say thanks for their freedom, Ken Jisa said. I consider this to be a great honor. The Last Gold Star Charley Havlat was the oldest of six children growing up on the family farm near Dorchester. Unmarried, he was working as a farmhand and was a partner in a small trucking business when he was drafted in 1942. He was pretty much a free spirit, happy-go-lucky, Ken Havlat said. Charley Havlat was assigned to the 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, which landed at Omaha Beach June 13, 1944, one week after D-Day. He saw action in many of the storied battles of the European war. Havlat participated in the capture of Saint-Lo and fought across northern France, Belgium, Holland and Germany including battles at Aachen, the Hurtgen Forest, and the Bulge. Adolf Hitler was already dead, and his generals had agreed to lay down their arms, when Havlats squad set out on a reconnaissance patrol the morning of May 7, 1945. At 8:20 a.m., German troops from the 11th Panzer Division fired on his convoy, wounding several U.S. soldiers. Havlat took cover but apparently looked up momentarily and was killed by a single bullet. Charley didnt have a chance, Ken Havlat said. Minutes later, his unit received word of a cease-fire. The German officer whose unit attacked Havlats patrol later apologized. Havlats younger brothers, Adolph and Rudolf, were both serving in Europe and together visited his temporary grave near where he had fallen. His body was later moved to a permanent burial site at the Lorraine American Cemetery. Not until the 1990s did the Havlat family learn of Charleys status as the last U.S. soldier killed in combat in Europe. In 2002, a small monument was placed in the Czech Republic along the road where he died. In 2015, on the 70th anniversary of his death, then-Gov. Pete Ricketts presided over the dedication of a historical monument in Dorchester honoring Havlats sacrifice. Adolph and his sister, Lillian, spent years lobbying the state of Nebraska to rename a stretch of Nebraska Highway 33 between Dorchester and Crete as the Charley Havlat Memorial Highway. But the effort failed. Ken Havlat is honored that Czechs are recognizing Havlat, but he regrets that his father, Adolph, isnt around to see it. He died in 2021. Its nice theyre coming over here, but I wish it would have been earlier, while my dad was still alive, Ken Havlat said. Its bittersweet. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 Stiri pe aceeasi tema - Iohannis: 'Romania will continue to contribute to improving regional and Euro-Atlantic security'Romania will continue to contribute to improving regional and Euro-Atlantic security, including through its role as a pillar of stability in the Black Sea, Romania's President Klaus Iohannis told the participants - Minister of European Investment and Projects Adrian Caciu said on Saturday that Romania does not risk losing European money, but it risks being fined if nothing is done about what tax and budget consolidation means.He was asked by the press, before a meeting of the National Standing Bureau (BPN) - The gambling industry has a huge economic force, which needs a more rigorous legal and fiscal regime, which ensures a legal, stable, competitive and predictable climate, considers the Minister of Finance, Marcel Bolos."Gambling reform: an imperative. The Ministry of Finance has published an OUG (Government - The women's organization of the National Trade Union Bloc wants to initiate, by the end of this year, the process of ratifying the Convention of the International Labour Organization, which refers to violence and harassment in the world of work.The minister of Labour and Social Protection, Simona - Labour Minister, Kazakh ambassador discuss the mutual recognition of contributions to pensionsThe Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura Oprescu, on Tuesday discussed with the ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Romania about the steps that must be taken so that the pension - The Ministry of National Defense (MApN) "categorically" denies the information in the public space regarding a "so-called situation that occurred during the night of Sunday to Monday, in which Russian drones would have fallen on the national territory of Romania".MApN points out that the responsible - Ministrul Muncii si Solidaritatii Sociale, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, a declarat, sambata, la Neptun, ca ministerul pe care il conduce va folosi digitalizarea pentru a imbunatati serviciile de asistenta sociala din Romania, urmand a fi digitalizate Registrul unic al beneficiarilor de servicii si asistenta - Scheduled events for August 16EXECUTIVE:- Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has working meetings with the Minister of Labour and Social Solidarity, Simona Bucura-Oprescu, the Minister of Justice, Alina Gorghiu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Luminita Odobescu and the Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila Stiri pe aceeasi tema - In fiecare an, Halloween-ul devine o sarbatoare din ce in ce mai populara in Romania. Magazinele sunt pline de produse tematice, iar evenimentele cu costume si petrecerile dedicate acestei sarbatori se inmultesc in fiecare octombrie. Anul 2023 nu face exceptie, iar Bucurestiul se pregateste pentru o - The pilgrimage of thousands of faithful to the feast of Iasi shows how great is the missionary work of the saints who, by the example of their lives and their prayers, bring people close to God and gather them together in prayer, His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, says - Agricultorii bulgari protesteaza astazi fata de decizia Adunarii Nationale de a relua importurile de produse agricole din Ucraina, scrie Radioul National bulgar. Trecerea pe podurile de peste Dunare dintre Romania si Bulgaria,pe la Giurgiu-Ruse si Calafat-Vidin, este blocata din cauza protestelor. - Prime minister Marcel Ciolacu declared, on Tuesday, during a visit to eastern Vrancea county, that there are discussions regarding the possibility of candidacies on joint Social Democratic Party (PSD) - National Liberal Party (PNL) lists for next year's elections.The PSD leader stated that he has - Romania si Luxemburg nu sunt "parteneri doar pe hartie", ci si in realitate, a afirmat, marti, premierul luxemburghez Xavier Bettel, in cadrul unei conferinte de presa comune cu presedintele Klaus Iohannis, la baza militara de la Cincu. Acesta a reiterat sprijinul tarii sale pentru aderarea Romaniei - Six counties under Code Yellow warning for thunderstormsSix counties in the west and southwest of Romania will be under a Code Yellow warning for thunderstorms until noon on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Administration (ANM). Thus, in the southwest of Romania, the weather will - Four of the six Radio Romania musical ensembles will perform on the stages of the 26th edition of the George Enescu International Festival.The National Radio Orchestra, the Radio Chamber Orchestra, the Academic Radio Choir and the Radio Children's Choir will be seen during eight concerts as part - Cupa Europeana de juniori la triatlon, de la Chisinau, le a adus un rezultat deosebit sportivilor constanteni, in proba de stafeta mixta, sportivii de pe litoral cucerind medalia de argint in proba de stafeta mixta proba olimpica . Din echipa de patru a Romaniei I au facut parte, de la Constanta, Carol New Delhi: In a dreadful accident, a Rolls-Royce rammed into an oil tanker on the Delhi-Mumbai-Baroda expressway in Nuh, causing two passengers immediate death and one gravely injured. Kuber group director Vikas Malu was among three passengers seated in the rolls-royce. He was being hospitalized immediately. The rolls-royce reportedly crashed into the tanker when it was travelling at the speed of 200 kmph. According to the FIR registered, the luxury car hit the front tyre of the oil tanker after coming from behind, caused the tanker to overturn onto the luxury car. Authorities have initiated an investigation into the incident, and an FIR has been registered against the driver of the luxury car. However, due to the severity of the injuries sustained by the occupants, including Vikas Malu, statements are yet to be recorded. Narender Bijarniya, the superintendent of police in Nuh, stated, "We have registered the case against the driver of the luxury car but yet to confirm who was behind the wheels since all the occupants are undergoing treatment and have been declared unfit to record the statements." Who is Vikas Malu, Only Survivor In The Crash? Vikas Malu's identity is closely tied to his role as the director of the Kuber Group, an expansive conglomerate that operates across multiple sectors and has a global presence. The group, founded in 1985 by Mr. Mul Chand Malu, initially focused on tobacco production under the brand name 'Kuber Khiani.' However, it has since diversified its interests, spanning FMCG, packaging and lamination, holographic technology, poly films, real estate, and more. With a remarkable portfolio of 45 companies operating in 50 different nations, Vikas Malu oversees the activities of 12 key companies within the group. As the investigation into the tragic collision unfolds, questions about the circumstances leading to the accident and the responsible party remain at the forefront. The incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of road safety and responsible driving, especially at high speeds. The community awaits further updates as authorities work diligently to piece together the events that transpired on that fateful day. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met the ISRO chief S Somanath and other scientists of the ISRO team involved in the Chandrayaan-3 Mission. ISRO Chief greeted the PM at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru. PM Modi congratulatesd S Somanath and the team for the successful landing of Chandrayaan on the Moon on 23rd August. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets ISRO chief S Somanath and other scientists of the ISRO team involved in #Chandrayaan3 Mission at ISRO Telemetry Tracking & Command Network Mission Control Complex in Bengaluru and congratulates them for the successful landing of pic.twitter.com/D4icGMVAkP ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 PM Modi patted S Somanath's back as ISRO chief greeted him at the Telemetry Tracking and Command Network Mission Control Complex. The PM then met the team behind the successful landing of India's lunar spacecraft, Chandrayaan-3 on the surface of the moon. #WATCH | Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates scientists of the ISRO team for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon pic.twitter.com/xh7jDWdN4b August 26, 2023 Visiting the command centre, PM lauded the ISRO scientists with continuous claps and was joined by the entire team of Chandrayaan-3. The PM was given a tour of models of payloads of Chandrayaan-3 - Vikram Lander, Pragyan rover- and other crucial parts of the lunar spacecraft by ISRO chief S Somanath where he explained the importance of the various elements in the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3. #WATCH | Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates scientists of the ISRO team for the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon pic.twitter.com/xh7jDWdN4b ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2023 Addressing the ISRO scientists, PM Modi said, "I am feeling a different level of happiness...such occasions are very rare...this time, I was so restless...I was in South Africa but my mind was with you." PM Modi got emotional while addressing the Chandrayaan-3 team and said he wanted to salute the team behind the success of India's lunar mission as soon as possible. #WATCH | Bengaluru: I wanted to meet you as soon as possible and salute yousalute your efforts...": PM Modi gets emotional while addressing the ISRO scientists pic.twitter.com/R2BsyyPiNc August 26, 2023 PM Modi Names Landing Site of Chandrayaan-3 Shivshakti Addressing the Chandrayaan-3 scientists, PM Modi announced that the spot where Vikram lander landed, that point will be known as Shivshakti while the point where Chandrayaan 2 crash-landed on the Moon has been named Tiranga. India Gets National Space Day PM Modi further announced that August 23 will be celebrated as National Space Day to mark Chandrayaan 3's landing on the Moon. Gorakhpur (UP): A day after former Uttar Pradesh minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani were prematurely released from jail, their son and former Independent MLA Aman Mani Tripathi on Saturday called Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath his "guardian and guide" with whom he has "familial relationship". Addressing a press conference, he said the people of his constituency Nautanwa in Maharajganj district were celebrating his parents release like the festivals of Holi and Diwali. "Just as Lord Shri Ram's return to Ayodhya after 14 years of exile was celebrated as the festival of lights, a similar atmosphere prevails in Nautanwa," he said. Amarmani Tripathi, 66, and Madhumani, 61, serving life sentences in the poet Madhumita Shukla murder case, were released on Friday evening, ahead of the completion of their terms. The Uttar Pradesh prisons department on Thursday issued an order for their premature release, citing the state's 2018 policy on remission, since they have completed 16 years of their sentences. The couple is currently admitted to the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur. At the press conference, Aman Mani Tripathi said, "The chief minister is our guardian and guide. I regularly meet him and seek his blessings.... I am active in politics and regularly seek his advice, even in family matters. Our relationship with the chief minister is not political but familial." Asserting that he and his parents did not know about the release order in advance, he said, "At first, I couldn't believe the order. I read it several times and even consulted our lawyers.... My father didn't have any information and while signing the release papers, he asked me about it and I told him it's the release order." On poet Madhumita Shukla's sister Nidhi Shukla moving the Supreme Court against the release order, he said, "Everyone is free to approach the court. We have full faith in the Indian Constitution." Aman Mani Tripathi said his mother has psychiatric problems and father suffers from neurological and spinal issues which affect his ability to walk to a certain extent. "Due to judicial custody, doctors were not able to refer him to higher medical centres, but if they suggest, we'll certainly take them there. Currently, doctors are assessing their health condition and the effect of a medicine they recently added on my father," he said. "My parents are not in a condition to go somewhere else, they are still admitted to hospital. They will certainly come home directly if released from the hospital," he added. Amarmani Tripathi, who was elected from the Nautanwa constituency, was a minister in the state's BJP government in 2001 and also in the BSP government formed in 2002. He has also been with the Samajwadi Party. Poet Madhumita, who was pregnant, was shot dead on May 9, 2003, in the Paper Mill Colony, Lucknow. Amarmani Tripathi was arrested in September 2003 in connection with the murder of the poet with whom he was allegedly in a relationship. A Dehradun court had sentenced Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi to life imprisonment for Madhumita's murder in October 2007. Later, the High Court of Uttarakhand at Nainital and the Supreme Court upheld the sentences. The case was probed by the CBI Gangapur City: Addressing the Cooperative Farmers' Conference organized by IFFCO in Thadi village of Gangapur City, Rajasthan, Union Home Minister and Cooperative Minister Amit Shah took a direct aim at Rajasthan's Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. During Amit Shah's address, some attendees at the farmer conference also raised slogans. In response, Amit Shah remarked, "It seems Ashok Gehlot has sent some people here too; let them protest for a while." The protesters quieted down shortly after Amit Shah's statement. In his speech, Amit Shah suggested that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is afraid of Lal Diary (a reference to the alleged corruption during the Congress government's tenure), and he should not keep any records of corruption with him. Amit Shah addressed the farmers, emphasizing that the Modi government has established a separate Ministry of Cooperation to make farmers self-reliant and prosperous. He explained that through cooperatives, farmers are becoming self-reliant and prosperous. Amit Shah also mentioned that the Modi government is depositing Rs 6,000 directly into the accounts of farmers, providing substantial assistance. Amit Shah urged the farmers, who have consistently supported the BJP, to challenge the Congress government in the upcoming state elections and ensure a BJP victory. He also called on them to make a commitment at the farmer conference to win the upcoming state and Lok Sabha elections for the BJP. During the event, Amit Shah highlighted various government schemes aimed at benefiting farmers and reaffirmed the government's commitment to the well-being and prosperity of farmers. It is worth noting that in the 2018 state assembly elections, the BJP faced a significant defeat in Eastern Rajasthan. Therefore, the BJP is making every effort to not leave any stone unturned in the upcoming state elections. As part of this effort, the BJP will commence a transformation journey from Ranthambore's Trinetra Ganesh Temple on September 2, which will pass through all the assembly constituencies in Eastern Rajasthan. This journey will be launched by BJP's National President JP Nadda. Following Amit Shah's visit, JP Nadda's arrival on September 2 aims to strengthen the BJP's position in Eastern Rajasthan. Today's program in Gangapur City featured Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Kirori Lal Meena, among other BJP leaders. Chandigarh: Mobile Internet and bulk SMS services have been suspended in Haryanas Nuh District for two days after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad said they will go ahead with their Brij Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra on August 28. Internet services have been suspended from 12:00 noon today till midnight 12 on August 28, an official statement said on Saturday. Vishwa Hindu Parishad had on August 13 said that they will bring out a Brij Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra on August 28. Haryana government authorities have, however, denied permission for the Yatra citing apprehensions of disturbance of law and order expressed by local police as well as intelligence agencies. Previously, Nuh administration had suspended internet and SMS services after clashes broke out between two communities in Nuh on July 31. Nuh Deputy Commissioner had on Friday written to the states Home Department, recommending to stop Nuh internet service and bulk messages, following which orders were issued today by the Home Secretary of Haryana to stop internet service from August 26 to August 28, officials said. On August 13, Rattan Singh, a member of the Panchayat committee had said The religious organisations told the Panchayat that their Yatra was not completed and they want to resume it on August 28. The Panchayat has agreed to their demand and supported them. The Panchayat member said, "Permission is usually taken before the commencement of such a Yatra. Once permission is taken, it becomes the responsibility of the police to guarantee our security." Kolhapur: A day after the political row over his statements, Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that he remains NCP's national President while Jayant Patil is the state President, reiterating that the party has not split. He reiterated that though some MLAs have quit the party, they dont constitute a political unit and the party has not split -- referring to the breakaway faction led by his nephew Ajit Pawar. Why give them importance by taking their names? People are upset with those who have gone with the BJP. I can see a change coming in Maharashtra and the people will show the BJP its real place, declared Pawar. Touching on the upcoming third meeting of the grand opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A., Pawar said that it would review the preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and chart out programmes for joint electioneering in different parts of the country. Launching a strong attack on the BJP, he said they have unleashed central probe agencies against the Opposition parties and their leaders. I shall continue to fight against such fascist forces There has been misuse of central investigating agencies (CBI, ED and I-T). Those who couldnt face them have gone with them, he said. Pawar also revealed how NCP leaders like Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh, and Shiv Sena (UBT)s MP Sanjay Raut were threatened with the ED-CBI and asked to join the BJP. They displayed courage and opposed them So they ended up in jail. They (Malik, Deshmukh, Raut) deserve to be saluted, said Pawar. Without taking names, he rued how several of his former associates - who had no guts to face the probe agencies - jumped ship to the ruling side and freed themselves from all the problems. ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in a belated response, has termed the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as a great scientific achievement for which ISRO scientists deserved appreciation while the country's leading dailies heaped praises on India for achieving the feat on a lesser budget than rich nations. Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch during her briefing on Friday was asked to comment on the successful soft-landing of the Chandrayaan-3 mission on the Moon. I can only say that it is a great scientific achievement, for which ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientists deserve appreciation, she said in her brief response. Pakistan had so far officially ignored the landmark success of India. The media, however, gave front-page coverage to the historic event on Wednesday. The Dawn newspaper in its editorial headlined 'India's space quest' called the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission historic. The paper said this particular feat deserves appreciation as India achieved on a lesser budget what richer nations accomplished by spending larger sums. Perhaps the key to the success of India's space programme, apart from sustained state support, is the quality and dedication of its engineers and scientists who helped make these difficult missions possible, it commented. "Comparisons are indeed odious, but there may be plenty for Pakistan to learn from India's space success. Pakistan's space programme was launched before India's and managed modest success," it said. The Express Tribune newspaper in its editorial titled 'India's lunar laurel' said India's ambitious flight actually accomplished something that the US, Soviet-Russian, and Chinese space programmes have all failed to do land on the moon's southern pole. Chandrayaan-3 is also the most cost-effective moon mission ever, estimated to cost between USD 75-90 million, compared to the Chandrayaan-2 mission, which cost USD 117 million. It is also much less than most summer movies Avatar 2 cost USD 350 million, RRR cost about USD 80 million, and the new Indiana Jones movie is expected to lose over USD 100 billion, it said. The voices that heaped praise on India included former Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry who appreciated the country for the achievement. Many Pakistanis on social media also congratulated India for the feat, while other users criticised the lacklustre performance of Pakistan in space exploration, and even some cracking jokes about its space agency called Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), set up in 1961. In one such post, the housing society of SUPARCO was shown as among its achievements. The Biden administration on Friday issued a disaster declaration for Colorado, freeing up funding to help the state following a spate of storms, flooding and tornadoes that hit the state this summer. In a news release, Biden directed a Federal Emergency Management Agency official to coordinate recovery operations for affected areas. Under the declaration, funding becomes available to state, tribal, and local governments, as well as to some nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of damaged facilities. Extreme weather hit the counties of Cheyenne, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Kit Carson, and Lincoln in June. Gov. Jared Polis welcomed the declaration. "I applaud the White House for this action and thank the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and local officials who worked closely together to assess damages and determine if and when a county needs support from the state or federal government to enhance their efforts in providing support for Colorado communities, Polis said. Polis, too, declared a disaster emergency last month, enabling agencies to activate an emergency operations plan and for the state to allocate funding for response, mitigation, and recovery efforts. Among the areas hit hard in metro Denver was Highlands Ranch in Douglas County, where a storm wrecked havoc, toppling trees. The county, too, a disaster declaration. County commissioner Abe Laydon said the disaster declaration opens up the door for state support. Were counting our blessings that there were no reported injuries nor deaths from Thursdays storm. However, there was significant damage and debris, added Commissioner Lora Thomas. Were working in partnership with the Sheriffs Office, Highlands Ranch Metro District and the Highlands Ranch Community Association to help everyone affected. BHOPAL: With elections scheduled for later this year in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expanded his cabinet. The chief minister included 3 more MLAs in his cabinet on Saturday. These three MLAs took the ministerial oath today at a function in the Raj Bhavan. Prior to this expansion the state ministry had 31 members, including the CM. As per constitutional norms, the number can go up to 35, that is 15 per cent of the strength of the MP assembly which has 230 members. The last expansion of Shivraj Chouhan's cabinet took place in January 2021. The MP Chief Minister who is serving his fourth term as Chief Minister and is the longest serving Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh is looking to balance caste equations and address regional aspirations with this expansion ahead of the State polls. Rajendra Shukla, a 4 time MLA from Rewa Constituency in the Vindh region is one of the new ministers. Shukla earlier served as the minister of Commerce in the Madhya Pradesh Government. Gaurishankar Bisen a Rajput leader from Balaghar Constituency Mahakoshal region who had earlier served under Shivraj Chouhan as a minister is the second new name in the cabinet. OBC leader Rahul Lodhi from Kharagpur has also been included in Shivraj Singh Chouhan's cabinet, OBC's form nearly 40% of the state's population. He was elected to the Damoh Constituency in a bypoll in May 2021. Madhya Pradesh is among the five states where assembly elections are to be held later in this year to elect 230 members of the state. Recently, the BJP released its first list of 39 candidates for the 230-seat state assembly. After which the prominent leaders seeking tickets from the party have intensified their preparations to showcase their hold in their respective constituencies. In the 2018 assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Congress emerged as the single largest party with 114 seats and BJP got 109 seats. However, in 2020, the Congress government lost the majority followed by the resignations of some MLAs. After this, the BJP formed the government in the state and Shivraj Singh Chouhan was reinstated as the Chief Minister. Fatehpur Viral Story: In Uttar Pradesh's Fatehpur, a young man has alleged that he educated his wife through his labor and secured her a job as a Mission Manager in the village panchayat. However, she has now moved in with the Panchayat Secretary, leaving her husband behind, taking their children with her. The man claims that when he arrived in Fatehpur from Chitrakoot to meet his wife and children, he was subjected to physical assault. The aggrieved husband has filed a complaint seeking justice from the District Magistrate (DM) and the Superintendent of Police (SP). This incident is now under scrutiny, much like the recent case involving PCS officer Jyoti Maurya in Bareilly. Husband's Allegations Against Wife Sitasharan Pandey, residing in the Rapura village of Chitrakoot, recently approached the collectorate and complained to the DM that he married Neelam from the Lodhwara village on March 6, 2011. After marriage, everything was going well, and they had two children together. According to the husband's claim, he worked as a laborer and used his earnings to build a house in his in-law's village and educated his wife to apply for a job. Subsequently, on December 16, 2019, Neelam secured a job as a Mission Manager in the Bahua block of Fatehpur. Afterward, Neelam moved to the Bahua village with their children. The husband alleges that during this time, Neelam developed a romantic relationship with Anup Singh, the Panchayat Secretary of the block. Later, she moved in with Anup Singh, taking their children with her. Sitasharan, who works a private job in Delhi, came to Fatehpur upon learning about his wife's living arrangements. Here, he claims he was subjected to physical assault and denied access to Neelam and their children. He alleges that his wife's presence with Anup Singh led to a violent altercation. Wife's Serious Accusations On the other hand, Neelam denies the allegations made by Sitasharan. She claims that Sitasharan is addicted to alcohol and doesn't engage in any work. According to her, he used to take money from her and regularly traveled to Delhi and Mumbai. When he ran out of money, he would return home and physically abuse her and the children after consuming alcohol. This is why she decided to live separately with her children. Neelam further states that just a few days ago, her husband came to the block and, under the influence of alcohol, made baseless accusations of an illicit relationship and used offensive language. In response, the Block Development Officer (BDO) reprimanded him and had him removed from the premises. Neelam claims that since she stopped giving money to her husband, he has been making false allegations against her and continually complains to authorities. She plans to meet with the DM and SP to seek action against her husband. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Esha Gupta turned up the heat on Instagram with her fresh bunch of sultry photos in a green backless bodycon dress. She looked like a breathtaking sitting pretty on a tangerine-coloured sofa at the backdrop of a gorgeous full-size painting on the wall. Esha Gupta is dating Manuel Campos Guallar, who is a Spain-based businessman in real estate these days. She made her relationship official sometime back. She is an avid social media user who keeps sharing her amazing photos, luxe vacations and workout posts. Take a look at her sexy new photos: The actress has good taste in fashion and style. Her feed is full of sassy photoshoots. The Aashram 3 hottie made her stunning debut at the Festival De Cannes this year. The 76th Festival de Cannes began on May 16 and came to an end on May 27, 2023. She walked the red carpet in a specially curated designation led by Union Minister of State Dr L Murugan. On the work front, Esha Gupta was last year seen as a police officer in the web series 'REJCTX2'. She was seen along with Mallika Sherawat and Gautam Rode in the thriller series Nakaab recently. It has been directed by Soumik Sen. The actress featured in One Day: Justice Delivered and has 'Hera Pheri 3' in the pipeline. Esha Gupta was last seen in Aashram Season 3 with Bobby Deol. New Delhi: The KFC franchise is the best option for anyone looking to launch a food retail franchise in India. The KFC franchise offers excellent financial potential and is a rewarding and successful business. Yes, if you're looking to launch a retail-based food service franchise in India, KFC is unquestionably one of the most lucrative and satisfying possibilities. But before you get started, let's dig deeper. What Is KFC? It is a chain of fast-food restaurants with a focus on fried chicken. It has 22,621 locations worldwide in 136 countries, making it the second-largest restaurant chain in the world after McDonald's as of December 2019. The business's main office is in Louisville, Kentucky. Colonel Harland Sanders, a businessman from Corbin, Kentucky, who started selling fried chicken from his roadside eatery during the Great Depression, launched KFC. The first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" franchise debuted in Utah in 1952 after Sanders recognised the potential of the franchise business concept. With its "finger-lickin' good" motto, the food brand helped popularise chicken in the fast-food sector while diversifying the market by undermining the dominance of hamburger restaurants. KFC Franchise Business: Market Potential In India This brand is well-known in India and has a significant following in Tier I and Tier II cities. The business has more than 400 locations spread over its network and has been active in India for more than 20 years. For business owners wishing to launch a food-related venture, opening a franchise in India is a viable alternative. The franchise is a well-known brand with a sizable client base, and it gives investors good profits. KFC Franchise Opportunity KFC spokesperson said, "KFC does not grant individual franchise rights on an ad-hoc basis. We work with select franchise partners who are onboarded after a formal process." Furthering his caution on franchise opportunity, the spokesperson added, "As a responsible company, were committed to accurate, transparent communication to protect our stakeholders. We advise readers to exercise caution and go through detailed caution notice published on our website and mobile app." The KFC spokesperson cautioned people regarding the already prevalent unscrupulous entities that pose threats to lure and exploit individuals through fraudulent activities by impersonating KFC franchisors. New Delhi: Indian wearable company BoAt has launched a revolutionary wearable tracking device called Smart Ring, providing multiple usage from health monitoring to single-hand movements to smart tracking activity. The company has now disclosed the price of this new kind of wearable in the market that will cost you around Rs 8,999. The device will be available on Amazon, Flipkart and boAt website starting August 28 at 12 pm. The ring has been available in three size so it will fit perfectly in your fingers. What boAt is offering to you: Stylish Appearance It boasts a stylish, premium and metallic look to provide both tough and magnificent appearance. Smart Touch Control The ring provides the ability to interact and control other compatible devices with seamless swipe navigation. You can do the following things through your ring: Play/pause music Change tracks Click pictures Navigate applications Health Monitoring You can monitor hearth rate, body recovery, body temperature, SpO2 monitoring, sleep monitoring, menstrual tracker. boAt Ring app boAt ring will connect with its own app curating detailed and invaluable insights. These data will be in the form of: detailed insights, interactive data visualization, trend mapping, and progress tracking. Smart Activity Tracking Not only does it monitor your bodys inside vitals but also physical activities such as steps count, calories burnt, and distance travelled. Other features include: SOS feature that will alert others when you are in emergency. Its water resistance up to 5 ATM so it wont get affected by water. New Delhi: Google is reportedly experimenting with a text-to-speech feature for Chrome's reading mode on the desktop which will read articles for users. As per X (formerly Twitter) user Leopeva64, the feature can be found in Chrome Canary, Googles bleeding edge version of Chrome, reports The Verge. "Chrome for desktop will also have the option to "read aloud" articles, the initial implementation of this feature (in the Canary version) is pretty basic but it works, in this link you can see a video with the feature in action," Leopeva64 wrote in its post. If they have the feature, users can have Google read the text by clicking a play button at the top of an article in reading mode. The X user also shared a link to a video showing off the feature on Reddit. Based on the video, the report said that the tech giant still has some work to do here, as the voice is robotic and it spells out a header that reads "summary" instead of just reading the word. Meanwhile, Google's AI-powered Search Generative Experience (SGE) is getting a major new feature, which will summarise articles for users while reading on the web. Currently, the feature -- "SGE while browsing" is in the experiment phase. "When you're trying to understand the ins and outs of a new topic, you often need to digest long or complex web pages, and it's not always easy to hone in on specific details. So starting today, we're launching an early experiment in Search Labs called "SGE while browsing", available in the Google app on Android and iOS, and coming to Chrome on desktop in the days ahead," Google said in a blogpost. New Delhi: The average number of attacks per organization in India reached 2,152 attacks in the first half of 2023, reflecting a significant increase of 20 per cent (year-on-year), a report showed on Friday. In H1 2023, 48 ransomware groups breached over 2,200 victims, with Lockbit3 being the most active, reporting a 20 per cent increase in victims compared to H1 2022. The emergence of new groups like Royal and Play is associated with the termination of Hive and Conti Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) groups, reports Check Point Research. (Also Read: Turn Rs 50 Lakh Investment Into Rs 7 Lakh PER MONTH Earnings: Start This High-Return Business Venture) Criminal activities have continued to rise in the first half of the year, with an 8 percent surge in global weekly cyberattacks in the second quarter marking the highest volume in two years, Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software. (Also Read: Secure Your Future With Just Rs 210 Monthly: Get Rs 5,000 Pension Per Month With This Govt Scheme) Even legacy technology such as USB storage devices, which have long been gathering dust in desk drawers, have gained popularity as a malware messenger. Horowitz added. In terms of geography, 45 percent of victims are in the US, with an unexpected rise in Russian entities due to the novel actor "MalasLocker", which substitutes ransom demands with charitable donations. The manufacturing and retail sectors have seen the most victims, suggesting a shift in ransomware attack strategy. Ransomware groups have stepped up their game, exploiting vulnerabilities in commonly used corporate software and shifting their approach from data encryption to data theft, the report mentioned. USB devices have resurfaced as significant threats, with both state-affiliated groups and cybercriminals deploying USB drives as vectors for infecting organisations globally. Hacktivism has seen a rise, with politically motivated groups launching attacks on selected targets, the findings showed. Artificial Intelligence misuse has amplified, with generative AI tools being used to craft phishing emails, keystroke monitoring malware, and basic ransomware code, calling for stronger regulatory measures, according to the report. According to research presented at the ESC Congress 2023, middle-aged persons with three or more harmful features, such as a slightly elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and waist circumference, experience heart attacks and strokes two years earlier than their peers. Many people in their 40s and 50s have a bit of fat around the middle and marginally elevated blood pressure, cholesterol or glucose but feel generally well, are unaware of the risks and do not seek medical advice, said study author Dr Lena Lonnberg of Vastmanland County Hospital, Vasteras, Sweden. This scenario, called metabolic syndrome, is a growing problem in Western populations where people are unknowingly storing up problems for later in life. This is a huge missed opportunity to intervene before heart attacks and strokes that could have been avoided occur. Also read: Dessert For Weight Loss: Nature's Treats You Can Enjoy To Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth Guilt-Free The metabolic syndrome is thought to affect up to 31 per cent of people worldwide. Previous research has demonstrated that those who have metabolic syndrome are more vulnerable to diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and early demise. In this study, the relationship between asymptomatic metabolic syndrome in midlife and cardiovascular disease and death up to three decades later was examined. The study enrolled 34,269 adults in their 40s and 50s who attended a cardiovascular screening programme in 1990 to 1999 in the Swedish county of Vastmanland. Participants went to their primary health care centre for a clinical examination by a nurse, which included measurements of height, weight, blood pressure, total cholesterol, blood glucose, and waist and hip circumference. They also completed a questionnaire about lifestyle habits, previous history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and socioeconomic factors such as education. Individuals were classified as having metabolic syndrome if they had three or more of the following: 1) waist circumference of 102 cm or above for men and 88 cm or above for women, 2) total cholesterol 6.1 mmol/l or above, 3) 130 mmHg or higher systolic blood pressure and/or 85 mm Hg or higher diastolic blood pressure, 4) fasting plasma glucose 5.6 mmol/l or higher. Participants with metabolic syndrome were matched for age, sex and date of health examination to two individuals without metabolic syndrome who served as controls. Data on cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction and stroke) and death were collected from national and local registers. The researchers analysed the associations between midlife metabolic syndrome and nonfatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality after adjusting for age, sex, smoking, physical inactivity, education level, body mass index, hip circumference and living alone or with family. A total of 5,084 individuals (15 per cent) met the criteria for metabolic syndrome and a control group of 10,168 individuals without metabolic syndrome was identified. Some 47 per cent of participants were women. During a median follow-up of 27 years, 1,317 (26 per cent) participants with metabolic syndrome died compared with 1,904 (19 per cent) controls meaning that those with metabolic syndrome were 30% more likely to die during follow-up than their counterparts without metabolic syndrome. Non-fatal cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction and/or stroke) occurred in 1,645 (32 per cent) participants with metabolic syndrome and 2,321 (22 per cent) controls corresponding to a 35 per cent greater risk of heart attack and stroke in the metabolic syndrome group. The median time to the first non-fatal heart attack or stroke was 16.8 years in the metabolic syndrome group and 19.1 years in the control group a 2.3 year difference. Dr Lonnberg said: As metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors, the level of each individual component does not have to be severely raised. In fact, most people live with slightly raised levels for many years before having symptoms that lead them to seek health care. In our study, middle-aged adults with metabolic syndrome had a heart attack or stroke 2.3 years earlier than those without the collection of unhealthy traits. Blood pressure was the riskiest component, particularly for women in their 40s, highlighting the value of keeping it under control. She concluded, The results underline the importance of early detection of risk factors through health screening programmes so that preventive actions can be taken to prevent heart attack, stroke and premature death. As a general rule of thumb, even if you feel well, check your blood pressure every year, avoid smoking, keep an eye on your waist circumference and last, but definitely not least, be physically active every day. New Delhi: BJP's Manohar Lal Khattar led Haryana Government has denied permission for Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Braj Mandal Jal Abhishek Yatra, a religious procession, to take place in Nuh district on August 28. The authorities have also imposed Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people, and suspended internet services in the district till August 28. Talking to news agency ANI, Nuh Deputy Commissioner Dhirendra Khadgata said that the permission for the yatra was denied and that some people still insisted on conducting it. He said that Section 144 was imposed to prevent any law and order situation. The VHP has announced that they would organize the yatra in Nuh. However, the local police and intelligence agencies had expressed apprehensions of disturbance of peace and security in the district. The Haryana government also cited the upcoming meeting of G20 Sherpa group, which is scheduled to be held in Nuh from September 3 to 7, as another reason for denying the permission for the yatra. Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) Shatrujeet Kapur held a video conference with senior police officers of neighbouring states of Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh on Saturday. He called for a coordinated effort to deal with the situation effectively. He said that there were inputs that certain organizations had invited people from Haryana and other states to reach Nuh on August 28 despite the denial of permission. He asked the police officers to monitor social media platforms and take action against those who try to incite violence or hatred through their speeches. He also asked them to set up barricades at interstate borders to stop any mobilization of people. He said that ADGP Law and Order Mamta Singh would be the Nodal Officer and she would be stationed in Nuh. He also said that any incident that could disrupt communal harmony should be shared on a real-time basis so that preventive action could be taken on time. Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Gary Anandasangaree walks past members of the media during the Liberal Cabinet retreat in Charlottetown, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Canada changed the way it settles First Nation land claims, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada confirmed Friday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darren Calabrese Canada changed the way it settles First Nation land claims, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada confirmed Friday. The department is also mulling over possible amendments to the Indian Act and the Specific Claims Tribunal Act, though it didn't say what those changes would be. The response came after The Canadian Press obtained briefing materials prepared for the deputy minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada under the Access to Information Act. The July 2022 documents say Canada was mulling over changes to language about modern land surrenders, noting some First Nations are unwilling to settle specific claims if they have to do so. Specific claims deal with past wrongs against First Nations by Canada, including the administration of land or other assets. Instead of a modern surrender, federal officials suggested the use of a "promissory estoppel." "Under this approach, the First Nation agrees to forgo any legal cause of action in relation to the lands in question and further promises in the settlement agreement not to claim a reserve in the claim lands against Canada, the province, or third parties," a spokesperson from Crown-Indigenous Relations said in a statement. The briefing materials say that "until recently,'' all specific claims settlements concerning improper historical land surrenders included a requirement for a "modern Indian Act surrender'' to ensure "legal clarity and finality for Canada.'' This modern surrender isn't required by law, or under the Specific Claims Policy. "Rather it has been the go-to approach for the Government of Canada as the surest way to achieve legal clarity for Canada, First Nations and any third parties with interests in the relevant lands,'' the documents say. But First Nations have "increasingly objected'' to modern surrenders "as a vestige of colonialist laws and policies in Canada,'' and the insistence on using them has been an "impediment to resolution at other tables as well.'' Changing the requirements and implementing a promissory estoppel in place of a modern land surrender wouldn't extinguish the First Nation's interest in the land, "if any,'' the documents say. This would be included in the text of the settlement agreements. The federal government says in the documents this approach is "consistent with reconciliation objectives'' and supports nation-to-nation relationship building. "It is forward-looking in that it does not seek to correct the historical error through further reliance on a colonial measure that First Nations object to and enables the parties to clearly articulate agreement on the rights and obligations of the parties in relation to the claim lands,'' the document reads. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government has put an emphasis on advancing reconciliation, including the settling of specific claims and honouring Canada's moral and legal obligations to First Nations. While progress has been made, some First Nations organizations say problems continue to exist. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs penned an open letter to the former minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, Marc Miller, in July saying 98 First Nations had been denied specific claims funding for the coming fiscal year. Crown-Indigenous Relations confirmed Friday that it received the letter, but did not say whether it had responded. More than half of the 160 specific claim funding requests were denied, confirming the union's figures. Only 62 applications were accepted for funding. Canada provides this funding to First Nations to help level the playing field with the resources Canada has as its disposal. "Many of these First Nations are in the middle of researching and developing their claims and this work must now be put on hold indefinitely'' unless funding is provided, the letter from the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs reads. Crown-Indigenous Relations said the denied nations could reapply for funding next year. The letter from the union also calls on the federal government to increase its $12-million budget for specific claims funding, saying there is currently an $18-million shortfall. In 2016, the federal government committed to working with the Assembly of First Nations to reform the specific claims process. Currently, Canada follows a policy it created in reviewing specific claims, deciding whether to offer negotiations with First Nations. The assembly has often referred to this as a conflict, saying there should be an independent process to handle the claims. From April 2022 to April 2023, 56 specific claims were settled for $3.5 billion, the federal government says. Sixty-four claims were filed with the minister, and Canada offered to negotiate 58. Since 1973, the federal government has resolved 665 specific claims with First Nations. Colorado Springs Police are investigating three different calls for service, regarding bank robberies across Colorado Springs. CSPD first received a call of a bank robbery on East Pikes Peak Avenue around 9:46 a.m. Friday. The investigation revealed that a male suspect entered the bank, demanded money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. There are no reported injuries in this incident. CSPD received the a call of a second bank robbery on Hartsel Drive around 1:42 p.m. Friday. The investigation revealed the same thing; a male suspect entered the bank, demanded money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. There are no reported injuries in this incident. CSPD received a third call for a bank robbery on North Nevada Avenue around 3:30 p.m. Friday. The investigation revealed the same thing for the third time; a male suspect entered the bank, demanded money and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. There are no reported injuries in this incident. Read more at KKTV.com. Two resident groups said this week they are worried that a mayor- and City Council-sponsored "listening tour" intended to gather resident feedback isn't receptive to all community input. Integrity Matters and the Pine Creek Village Neighbors raised concerns this week that the format of six in-person listening sessions being hosted in each council district to inform the strategic plan Mayor Yemi Mobolade must submit to residents limits "robust" public participation and violates Colorado open meetings law. "We aren't against a conversational discussion, but when you're driving the discussion, you're limiting the amount of topics people can speak to," Integrity Matters founder Dana Duggan said at Friday evening's listening session hosted at Liberty High School. The city has adopted a "World Cafe"-style approach to lead each listening session, officials told Integrity Matters members in emails obtained this week by The Gazette. The structured process is formatted to best guide dialogue among large groups, city spokeswoman Vanessa Zink said by phone Friday morning. The method splits the group into smaller roundtables. "It has been built with such intention. We want people to come, but we have to have a way to be able to guide conversations and make it productive," Zink said. During the fourth listening session in District 2 (on the Springs' north side) Friday evening, 15 tables were spread out in the school cafeteria; 13 of them sat between six to 11 people each, and two tables remained empty. Each table included a facilitator to guide conversation among residents on issues like infrastructure, public safety and economic vitality, which Mobolade has identified as key focus areas. Table facilitators at the listening sessions include a mix of city staff, event volunteers and some Council of Neighbors and Organizations-trained facilitators, Community Affairs Adviser Thomas Thompson said in a Wednesday email to Integrity Matters members, obtained by The Gazette. After roundtable discussions, residents share their feedback with Mobolade and councilmembers during a "spotlight" period. On Friday, residents gave their input on public safety and the need for more police and wildfire evacuation planning; on the need for more infrastructure to support the city's booming growth; and cautioned against overdevelopment, among other subjects. About 20 people from Integrity Matters, the Pine Creek neighborhood and the city's west side silently protested against recently approved and proposed developments, as well as CONO's partnership in the listening sessions. Integrity Matters said in emails to Mobolade and city staff this week the format doesn't allow residents to share their input on other topics not identified as key focus areas. The group suggested officials adopt an "open mic" forum at the sessions. "There's lots of different ways to run these meetings, and this is what we chose," Zink said by phone Friday, adding the listening sessions are not town halls. "... We are trying to help focus discussion a bit. We're not trying to keep (residents) from discussion other topics. If they get off topic, that's OK, too." Integrity Matters and Pine Creek Village Neighbors said they were concerned that online registration for Friday's listening session was at capacity by midweek, allowing only up to 200 people to participate in the roundtable discussions. Ahead of the session, the groups asked the city to relocate to the high school's gymnasium, which they said could comfortably fit up to 2,000 people. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. They also urged the city to livestream the listening sessions. "How is that listening to your citizens, when we have over 86,000 residents in District 2?" the Pine Creek Village Neighbors wrote in a Thursday email addressed to Mobolade, using population statistics from the city clerk's final 2020 City Council district report. Duggan said she believed more people would have attended Friday, but may have tried to register for the listening session and found it was full. "People aren't going to show up if they can't register. They discouraged a whole bunch of attendance," she said. Limiting the number of residents who can attend and participate violates Colorado's open meetings law, members of both groups said this week. According to a summary on the Colorado General Assembly website, the law "generally requires any state or local governmental body to discuss public business or to take formal action in meetings that are open to the public." The state defines a meeting as a gathering called to "discuss public business," whether the meeting is held in person, by phone, electronically or by other means. Zink said the city is not "planning on turning anyone away" from the listening sessions, even if they are unable to register. "No matter the space, 200 (people) for this format is really the best participatory number. That doesn't mean we're not going to make space for others to come. They can still participate in conversations," she said. Residents can also complete an online survey as part of the tour; can email Mobolade their feedback on any city-related topic to inform the city's updated strategic plan; and can share their input during public comment sessions at the City Council's regular meetings, she said. Integrity Matters and Pine Creek Village Neighbors also objected to CONO's participation in the listening sessions, saying the organization does not represent all residents. Zink said the city partnered with the organization to run the listening sessions because it is involved in neighborhood and community outreach. The final two in-person listening sessions are scheduled for Friday in northwest Colorado Springs and Sept. 8 in southeast Colorado Springs. On Sept. 9, the city will host a virtual citywide listening session. For more information on the Listening Tour, visit coloradosprings.gov/ListeningTour. Chinese embassy in Fiji condemns Japan's nuclear-contaminated wastewater dumping Xinhua) 10:10, August 26, 2023 SUVA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Fiji on Friday opposed and strongly condemned Japan's dumping of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, saying it is "extremely selfish and irresponsible." The embassy said in a statement that the discharge will spread the risks of nuclear contamination to Pacific Rim Countries including China, and the rest of the world. The issue is by no means a private matter for Japan, the statement said, adding that the Japanese government has given scarce response to international concerns so far. The embassy said Japan failed to prove the legitimacy and legality of the ocean discharge decision, the long-term reliability of the purification facility, and the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data. It also failed to have thorough consultations with other stakeholders, the embassy added. "The ocean sustains humanity. The Blue Pacific is home to all human beings including Chinese and Fijian people, and is the foundation that Pacific Island Countries survive on," the embassy said. "It is not a sewer for Japan's nuclear-contaminated water. The tragedy of marine nuclear contamination cannot and should not be repeated." (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun) Photo: The Canadian Press Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Canada speaks to reporters at the COP15UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal, Sunday, December 18, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes Politicians and environmental leaders from more than 180 countries have been in Vancouver, B.C., this week, with many pledging to accelerate action on climate change and biodiversity loss at the assembly of the Global Environment Facility. The organization manages a series of funds aimed at helping developing countries meet their climate goals, such as those established by the Paris Agreement, which sets a target of limiting global heating to "well below" 2 C from pre-industrial levels. Facility CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez says the need to accelerate action is more urgent than ever, as disasters linked to global heating devastate communities worldwide, including wildfires ravaging British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. "The climate and biodiversity crisis is not something that is going to happen later this century, in 25 years," Rodriguez said in an interview ahead of the assembly, the seventh since his organization launched in 1991. "It'shappening right now. Look outside your window," he said. Canada's minister of environment and climate change, Steven Guilbeault, likewise said the wildfires that have forced tens of thousands of people from their homes serve as an "unwanted reminder of the need to act together with urgency." The minister made the remarks as he opened a meeting with several dozen of his counterparts from around the world gathering in Squamish, B.C., to discuss progress, challenges and opportunities in implementing the global biodiversity framework struck at the United Nations meeting in Montreal last December. "The climate change we're seeing is with 1 degree Celsius," he said, referring to the level or warming that's already occurred since the Industrial Revolution. "I don't want to see a world where we get to 2 degrees Celsius, what the impacts will be in Canada and around the world," Guilbeault said in an interview. "Therefore, we need to continue, and even accelerate," he said. Guilbeault along with Ahmed Hussen, the federal minister of international development, announced Thursday that Canada would be the first country to make a public pledge in support of a fund launched during this week's assembly. Canada has earmarked $200 million for the new Global Biodiversity Framework Fund set up to help finance the implementation of the agreement struck in Montreal, which aims to put nature on path to recovery by the end of the decade. "This is the start of a long climb," Guilbeault told the news conference. "We will keep working with our international partners to mobilize $20 billion per year by 2025 and $30 billion by 2030 in financial resources for biodiversity," he said. The United Kingdom has also pledged more than C$17 million. Hussen noted the assembly has agreed for the first time to allocate 20 per cent of the new fund to Indigenous-led initiatives aimed at protecting biodiversity. Canada is also adding $22.8 million to its earlier $219-million commitment to overall funding for the Global Environmental Facility, Hussen said. Biodiversity and ecosystems underpin human health, well-being and economic growth, but biodiversity loss has reached "critical levels," he said. Canada is among 40 states that have contributed money over the last 30 years, helping the organization provide $23 billion in fundingand facilitate more than five times that amount in co-financing for 5,000 projects in developing countries. But Rodriguez said accelerating concrete action to address the crisis requires a "paradigm shift" in how decisions are made and how funding is distributed in order to empower civil society especially youth, women, Indigenous Peoples and others often sidelined in international climate negotiations and domestic policy-making. "There is a consensus that if we don't incorporatecivil society and (the) private sector, there won't be time to really be on track on climate and biodiversity," said Rodriguez, who previously served as Costa Rica's environment minister. The Global Environment Facility has so far worked mainly with political executives whose approval is required for civil society groups to receive any funding, he said. But addressing the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution demand a more inclusive, "whole of society" approach, Rodriguez said. The assembly in Vancouver marks the starting point for that new model, he told an opening press conference on Wednesday, where he called on donors to "redouble" funding that's expected to flow directly to civil society groups for the first time. "For the last 15 years we've been talking and talking about inclusion, about the relevance of non-state actors, about the role of civil society," he said in an interview. "But we never put the money behind the talk." Labor Day weekend is coming, and it will be the unofficial start of the 2024 presidential election campaign. The 2024 presidential primaries are just five months away, and potential nominees are opening their campaign headquarters in early primary states such as South Carolina and Nevada. Presidential campaign debates are already underway, as are presidential campaign speeches and rallies. This is a good time to review Colorado political realities as the state sits on the verge of the 2024 presidential election. We will be using a new statistic in our analysis. We call it the Two-Party Registration (TPR). It presents only the registration figures for the two major political parties Democrats and Republicans and ignores unaffiliated voter registrants. It seeks to present a clear picture of the exact relationship between the major parties in a particular Colorado county. Statewide the TPR is 53.1% Democratic and 46.9% Republican. That gives the Democrats a lead in statewide party voter registration but not that big a lead. Notice that the Democratic TPR and the Republican TPR always add up to 100%. We therefore present the TPR with just the number for the political party that is in the majority in the county. Colorados TPR is thus 53.1% Democratic and nothing more need be said. The Republican TPR is always 100 minus the Democratic TPR and vice versa. As the 2024 presidential race gets underway, let's look at rural agricultural Colorado. It takes up a lot of space on the map but only contains about 10% of the state's population. It is also bright red Republican. On the Eastern Plains close to the Kansas border there is Kiowa County with a TPR of 89.0% R; Cheyenne 88.7R; Washington 90.7% R; Baca 80.4% R; Yuma 84.1% R; Phillips 82.5% R; and Kit Carson 85.3% R. And it is solid Republican in rural agricultural Colorado in the west side of the state close to the Utah border: Moffat County 86.4% R; Rio Blanco 92.5% R; and Dolores, 79.5 R. The major Democratic Party areas in Colorado are Denver, Boulder, and the major ski counties high in the Rocky Mountains: Denver has a TPR of 82.2% D; Boulder 78.7% D; San Miguel (Telluride ski area) 73.2% D; Pitkin (Aspen) 73.0% D; Summit (Breckenridge) 64.8% D; Eagle (Vail) 58.7 D; Routt (Steamboat) 57.0% D; and Gunnison (Crested Butte) 59.1% D. Also trending Democratic are the close-in Denver suburbs: Adams County 61.5% D; Arapahoe 60% D; Broomfield 59% D and Jefferson County 56.1% D. It thus would be easy to describe Colorado electoral politics as being defined by an urban-rural divide, but it is more complicated than that. Urbanized counties such as Denver and Boulder can be very Democratic, but there are other Colorado urbanized counties, such as El Paso County (Colorado Springs) and Weld County (Greeley), that consistently vote Republican. El Paso Countys TPR is 63.1 R; Weld 62.4% R; Douglas 64.5% R; and Elbert (next to Douglas) 83.1% R. In addition, nine Colorado counties can be described as purple, or political party competitive, in their TPR figures. We regard a TPR ranging from 45% D to 55% D as competitive. Here are the nine counties with relatively balanced voter registration between the Democratic and Republican parties: Alamosa 52.2% D; Chaffee 51.3% R; Clear Creek 54.2 % D; Conejos 53.0% D; Garfield 53.9 R; Gilpin 54.7% R; La Plata 51.3% D; Larimer 51.6 D; and Ouray 51.4% R, Except for Larimer County, which is on the Front Range, all of these counties are relatively small in population and located in rural Colorado far away from the Front Range. Sign up for free: Gazette Opinion Receive updates from our editorial staff, guest columnists, and letters from Gazette readers. Sent to your inbox 12:00 PM. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Here are notable realities about Colorado's political landscape that should be kept in mind as Colorado prepares for the 2024 presidential election: 1. East of Denver International Airport and the Colorado Springs Airport, Colorado is just as red Republican as Kansas and Nebraska, but that is less than 5% of the state's population. 2. Postcard Colorado, which includes the scenic mountain areas of Crested Butte, Telluride, Steamboat Springs, Aspen, Vail, Keystone, Breckenridge, and Snowmass is almost as Democratic as Boulder, Colorado or Santa Fe, New Mexico, or Santa Monica, Calif., or Silicon Valley, Calif. 3. Garfield County includes the small cities of Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Rifle. A large county geographically, it includes rural agricultural areas that support Republicans. In addition, Glenwood Springs and Carbondale provide services and overflow residential areas for the Aspen and Snowmass ski areas nearby. That produces votes for Democrats. We consider Garfield County, competitive at 53.9% R, to be half a ski county. And it has voted Democratic in recent elections. 4. About 85% of Colorado voters live along Interstate 25 in what is called the Front Range. That thickly populated corridor has red counties and blue counties fighting it out in every presidential election. 5. Third political parties only rarely play much of a role in Colorado statewide elections. One example was in 1992, when billionaire Ross Perot ran for president on the Reform Party ticket and split the Republican Party vote, thereby enabling Democrat Bill Clinton to win Colorado that year. The Libertarian Party has almost 40,000 registered voters in Colorado, over 6,000 of whom live in El Paso County (Colorado Springs). That is the largest Libertarian Party vote of any Colorado county. The Green Party has about 8,000 registered voters, with 1,200 of them living in Denver. 6. Colorado is not the only state to have a plurality of voters who choose not to align themselves with the two major political parties. Alaska and Massachusetts are about 55% independent or unaffiliated. Rhode Island has about as many as Colorado. So, Colorado is in third or fourth place among the states for percentage of voters registered unaffiliated, followed by Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Jersey. 7. There are several plausible reasons for these rises in unaffiliated voters. Many of the new migrants to Colorado from other states wish to live here for a while before deciding on their preferred political party. Many younger people register to vote when they are teenagers and are getting their drivers license at the Motor Vehicle Department. They are caught off-guard when they are asked about their party preference and dodge the question by registering unaffiliated. It is also likely, as several Republican state party officials fear, that the controversial Donald Trump presidency has turned some well-educated and well-to-do new voter registrants against the Republican Party. 8. Party registration rates don't necessarily predict elections voting. Thus Alamosa County, which registers Democratic, voted for Republican Trump in 2020. Garfield, Chaffee and Gilpin counties, with Republican registration advantages, voted for Biden. And the Trump vote in Republican strongholds like Douglas and El Paso counties was decidedly less than registration rates would have predicted. 9. Based on the recent past, it is highly likely that unaffiliated voters will decide forthcoming elections in Colorado, especially those in big I-25 counties such as Larimer, Jefferson and Douglas. 10. The 2020 presidential election indicated blue-ward trends in and around Denver and red-ward trends in Pueblo and southern Colorado. Here's a quick look at Colorado as it enters the 2024 presidential election. On the Front Range, populous Democratic counties such as Denver and Boulder will fight it out with populous Republican counties such as El Paso, Douglas and Weld. Much smaller electoral battles will take place in rural Colorado, where ski and other resort-oriented counties that favor the Democrats will tussle against rural agricultural counties that favor the Republicans. Stayed tuned. A Douglas County judge failed to ensure a defendant understood the charges against him and the consequences of proceeding without a lawyer before she allowed him to represent himself at trial, Colorado's second-highest court ruled on Thursday. Criminal defendants may give up their constitutional right to counsel, but the decision must be voluntary, intelligent and knowing. A three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals acknowledged that John Robert Tesar may have volunteered to proceed alone, but he lacked a clear understanding of what was going on including that he was entitled to a lawyer in the first place. "Tesars actions and comments," wrote Judge Jerry N. Jones in the Aug. 24 opinion, "indicate that he didnt understand that he had an unconditional right to be represented by counsel or that the court would appoint counsel for him if he were indigent." Case: People v. Tesar Decided: August 24, 2023 Jurisdiction: Douglas County Ruling: 3-0 Judges: Jerry N. Jones (author) Stephanie Dunn Katharine E. Lum Background: Appeals court finds Arapahoe judge mistakenly allowed man to represent self at trial To determine if a defendant is validly giving up his right to an attorney, judges in Colorado provide an "Arguello advisement," named after a 1989 state Supreme Court case. Although judges do not have to recite the list verbatim, there are more than a dozen questions they should ask, covering the defendant's understanding of legal procedure, knowledge of his rights, and the specific charges and penalties he faces. Tesar stood accused of stalking, harassment and violating a protection order, also known as a restraining order. In August 2020, his lawyer withdrew and Tesar applied for a public defender. However, the public defender's office determined his financial status rendered him ineligible for representation. At a conference with District Court Judge Patricia Herron, Tesar indicated that if the public defender could not represent him, he would proceed without a lawyer. The prosecutor asked Herron to give Tesar an Arguello advisement. Herron said she would mail Tesar an advisement for him to sign, which "tells you, essentially, it is very hard to represent yourself and that it's not advisable." There was no indication Tesar ever received or signed a document. Herron also did not review Tesar's understanding of the case with him personally, despite many signs Tesar was confused about the process. For example, Tesar said, incorrectly, that his harassment charge was a felony, and did not comprehend the elements the prosecution had to prove. Tesar also arrived at trial without having received key evidence, to which Herron responded it was "your job" to obtain it. Sign up for free: News Alerts Stay in the know on the stories that affect you the most. Sign Up For Free View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. At various points, Herron did stress to Tesar it was far preferable to have an attorney. She was also surprised that Tesar did not qualify for a public defender, as he was unemployed at the time. Tesar responded he understood the judge's warnings and his "faith is in the jurors." At the same time, Tesar communicated to Herron that he was unable to obtain a private or public defense lawyer, not that he was refusing representation altogether. A jury found Tesar guilty on most of the charges and he received 18 months in jail. The public defender's office provided Tesar an attorney for sentencing only. On appeal, Tesar argued that trial judges have the responsibility to review the public defender's denial of representation and appoint counsel themselves if they find it warranted. Herron reportedly made no attempt to do so, nor did she ensure Tesar received the information contained in the Arguello advisement, including his right to compel witnesses to testify. "Mr. Tesar consistently indicated that he did not want counsel to represent him in this case," countered Assistant Attorney General Jaclyn M. Calicchio, arguing for the Court of Appeals to uphold his convictions. The appellate panel agreed with Tesar. Herron had clearly explained to Tesar that it would be far better to have an attorney, Jones wrote, but she did not address Tesar's impression that he had to proceed by himself because the public defender's office had turned him down. Also, "the facts in the record dont 'clearly show' that Tesar understood the charges against him, the elements of those charges, or the range of possible penalties," Jones added. The panel ordered a new trial. The case is People v. Tesar. A winery in Philomath is taking on the entire state of Iowa to challenge a law that prohibits out-of-state wineries from directly selling to consumers and retailers. Pheasant Court Winery has asked a federal court to declare the ban unlawful, saying it violates what's known as of the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. Found in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, the clause gives Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with the Indian tribes. Listed as defendants in the case are Mary Mosiman, director of the Iowa Department Of Revenue, Stephen Larson, administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, Brenna Bird, attorney general of Iowa and Stephan K. Bayens, commissioner of the Iowa Department Of Public Safety. They are being sued in their official capacities as administrators or enforcers of alcoholic beverage laws in Iowa. Open since September 2001, Pheasant Court Winery is owned by couple Marcia and Charlie Gilson. For 15 years, they ran The Wine Vault, a wine tasting room, from an old bank building on the corner of Main and North 13th. They produce 300 cases of wine every year and sell directly to consumers and retailers around Oregon. Now, they want to reach retailers and consumers in Iowa in line with a business expansion, according to the lawsuit. But that goal has been stymied by an Iowa law that requires wineries to apply for class A wine permits, a step made easier for Iowan wineries. According to the code, the class A permits are only issued to applicants who are citizens of the state, have licenses to do business there or are of good moral character. The definition of having good moral character? You have to be an Iowan or be licensed to do business in the state. In addition, to obtain the permit, producers are required to have their wineries in Iowa, be citizens or residents of Iowa and process native fruit. Wineries which have the class A permit are allowed to self-distribute their wines without the need for wholesalers, giving them more control over costs, distribution and profit, according to the lawsuit. Because Pheasant Court Winery is in Philomath and its owners are neither from nor reside in Iowa, they are ineligible for the permit. According to the case filing, there are no other existing permits or licenses that allow the winery to distribute to retailers and consumers directly without breaking a law, which would jeopardize the Gilsons' ability to sell in Oregon. Iowa does allow out-of-state vintners, but they have to use an intermediary, a wholesaler. The lawsuit argues such a system guarantees Pheasant Court Winery will lose out on the cost, distribution and profit control enjoyed by its Iowan counterparts. The winery is willing to obtain the permits and licenses it needs, remit taxes and comply with other state regulations as long as they are nondiscriminatory, the couple's attorney writes, adding that the law shields Iowan wineries from healthy out-of-state competition, creating an unfair advantage. According to Christie Jensen, executive director of the Iowa Wine Growers Association, IWGA members are aware of the lawsuit. "There is nothing preventing this Oregon winery from establishing a manufacturing presence in Iowa, obtaining a Class A permit and utilizing all the rights and privileges that go along with that permit," Jensen wrote in an email to Mid-Valley Media. Although the Hawkeye State may be better known for corn and soybeans, Iowa has 100+ wineries and welcomes more than 300,000 wine tourists into the state each year, according to data from the Iowa Wine Growers' Association. While the Gilsons declined to be interviewed, their attorney spoke to Mid-Valley Media. There are precedents from lawsuits brought against other states that may convince the judge in this case to side with Pheasant Court, Indianapolis-based Robert Epstein said by phone. Between 2004 and 2005, Michigan and New York faced similar accusations for favoring in-state wineries over out-of-state producers. In New York, an in-state winery could sell, ship or deliver to a consumer in New York and an out-of-state winery could only do so if they opened a brick and mortar installation, like a warehouse, Epstein said. The Supreme Court found both to be discriminatory. Justices voted in a 5-4 ruling that both states' laws were in violation of the U.S. commerce clause and the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition. Pheasant Court Winerys attorneys are asking the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa Central Division to declare that Iowa's locals-only restrictions on its class A permits similarly is unconstitutional. Instead, the permits should be open to out-of-state wine producers, allowing them sell directly to retailers and consumers without the need for a wholesaler. The case is in its very early stages, and there has been no response from the defendants or the state. According to Epstein, it is impossible to know how the case will go, even with what he sees as previous rulings on his side. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help (copy) Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times. He was recently part of a similar case, except naming Oregon as the defendant. He was representing Washington brewers suing for the right to directly ship beer to customers in Oregon. The state of Oregon conceded, and within a few months the case was over, Epstein said. And sometimes they drag on for 10 years. Theres no way to tell what reaction well get from Iowa, and we don't want to predict." Photo: The Canadian Press Beijing and Ottawa are in talks over how to increase flights between Canada and China, following an American deal in June. A passenger checks her phone as an Air China passenger jet taxis past at the Beijing Capital International airport in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Ng Han Guan Beijing and Ottawa are in talks aimed at increasing flights between China and Canada, following American deals and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, but diplomatic spats and the aviation sector's gradual pace of change could prolong the turbulence. "It's a political problem; I don't think it's a one-day solution or that we'll have the green light right away," said Glynnis Chan, a longtime Vancouver travel agent. She says economy-class flights to China are costing her clients three times the price they paid in 2019. "They're very frustrated," she said. Transport Canada says the weekly number of flights between the two countries has dropped drastically, from more than 100 per week in the summer of 2019 to just 10 per week this season. The existing Canada-China air transport agreement allows each country 76 passenger flights per week, for distribution among their respective airlines. At the peak of the summer 2019 travel period, Transport Canada said Chinese airlines operated 76 flights to Canada per week from various cities, while Air Canada operated 35 flights per week to Beijing and Shanghai combined as the sole Canadian carrier flying to the country at that time. But now, Air Canada operates just four flights a week to Shanghai, while Chinese airlines fly six weekly passenger flights to Canada. The decline stems from China's strict COVID-19 rules, which up until January included caps on foreign flights and frequent quarantines and testing for visitors. Helane Becker, an airline analyst for investment firm Cowen, says those "very onerous" rules made global airlines break up their flights, making stops in places like South Korea, Hong Kong or the Philippines to rotate crews. That way, staff could stay on the plane without entering the terminal. "A lot of the airlines made the decision that they couldn't have their crews trapped in China for 14 days," she said. Now, with the restrictions lifted, there is still no direct flight between China and Canada. Meanwhile, Russia has retaliated against western sanctions by banning commercial airlines from countries such as Canada and the U.S. from using its airspace. That has forced Canadian airlines to avoid the North Pole, instead taking a longer, costlier arc over Alaska and Japan. In May and June, Washington allowed Chinese airlines more flights to the U.S., reportedly in exchange for those routes avoiding Russian airspace. Becker said this prevents Chinese airlines from undercutting American competitors through faster, cheaper flights. Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau highlighted the issue during an Aug. 14 earnings call. "It's difficult to have flights from Eastern Canada Toronto and Montreal, primarily to China without using a Russia overflight," he said. "We'd like to see that market come back. It was a strong market for us pre-pandemic." The airline hopes to restore daily flights to Shanghai and to Beijing both from Vancouver in the "medium term," Air Canada's head of revenue and network planning, Mark Galardo, said on the call. But beyond the logistics, Beijing and Ottawa have ramped-up rhetoric, particularly after months of reported allegations of Chinese meddling in Canadian elections. In May, the Liberals expelled a Chinese diplomat over an alleged plot to intimidate a Conservative MP, and the Trudeau government has been accused of turning a blind eye to foreign interference. China's government rejects those claims, as well as reporting by Canadian journalists and Ottawa's corporate ethics czar about alleged forced labour among China's Uyghur minority. This month, China lifted a pandemic ban on group tours to numerous countries but kept its tourists effectively barred from group visits to Canada. China's embassy in Ottawa said the move was due to the Trudeau government having "hyped up" the issue of foreign interference, and said an uptick in anti-Asian discrimination put Chinese citizens in Canada at risk. Chan says her sector needs the added demand of tour groups to convince airlines to offer more flights. For now, there's a scramble for the few available flights from Vancouver to China, which used to cost just over $1,000 for an economy round-trip ticket and now often cost more than double that. "In peak seasons the airline ticket can jump to $4,000 or $6,000 or something like that. It's just crazy," she said. Chan, who launched her company Happy Times Travel four decades ago, said many of her competitors specializing in China risk going out of business. "The most important issue is our two countries, how they (can) establish a good relationship, in order to get more flights back," she said. Chan said politicians have a right to express their views, but warned the rhetoric coming from government and opposition MPs in Ottawa puts Beijing on edge. "It doesn't bring a good harmony or peace of mind for the Chinese government to let their citizens visit Canada," Chan said. Both countries say they're in talks to increase the number of flights, with Ottawa hinting it might seek a deal similar to the U.S. arrangements with China. "The reopening of the Canada-China air transport market is being assessed, and Canadian officials are in discussions with Chinese counterparts on this issue," wrote Transport Canada spokeswoman Sau Sau Liu. "Canada's objective is that air services are added to this market in a manner that will both meet passenger demand and offer an equitable and competitive operating environment for the air carriers of both countries." The Chinese embassy in Ottawa says it's eager to get a deal signed. "We hope that the Canadian side could work together with the Chinese side to facilitate the exchanges between our two peoples," a spokesman wrote. "The Canadian business community, a great number of Chinese companies in Canada, scholars and students from both countries have expressed that direct flights between China and Canada are insufficient, making air tickets expensive, which affects the normal people-to-people exchanges of our two countries." Becker said there was a lag in Canadian demand for flights to Europe, with a 2023 travel boom coming a year after the continent lifted COVID-19 restrictions. She suspects Asia's delayed reopening will lead to more flights in 2024. "The demand for it will certainly be there," Becker said. "Business travellers especially, who haven't seen their clients or their factories for three years, want to get back to business." On this version of Hot off the Wire: Federal officials estimate that local governments now have spending plans in place for most of the money they received under a prominent pandemic relief law. The American Rescue Plan, passed two years ago, provided $350 billion of flexible aid to be divided among thousands of governments. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Facebook of putting profits over peoples safety during Canadas wildfire emergencies. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced earlier this summer it would keep its promise to block news content in Canada on its platforms in response to a new law that requires tech giants to pay publishers for linking to or otherwise repurposing their content online. A new report says female soldiers face rampant sexism, sexual harassment and other gender-related challenges in male dominated Army special operations units. The Air Force says no harmful levels of carcinogenic PCBs were found inside the launch facilities at a nuclear missile base in Wyoming. F.E. Warren Air Force Base is among three bases the service is investigating as it looks for possible causes for the number of cancers being reported among its nuclear missile community. Lawyers and unions representing rail workers say there is a clear pattern across the industry of railroads retaliating against workers who report safety violations or injuries on the job. A giraffe born without spots at a northeastern Tennessee zoo may be plain, but she's anything but ordinary. The female reticulated giraffe was born July 31 at the family-owned Brights Zoo in Limestone, a rural community in northeastern Tennessee. A new study shows a promising procedure to treat severe injuries in one eye by using stem cells from the other. Researchers take a small biopsy from the healthy eye, grow and expand the stem cells in a lab and then transplant them into the injured eye. A month after a car accident near Afton took the lives of three Southwestern Community College students, the lone survivor Abigail Barnes is making strides toward her recovery. Barnes, 20, of Lamoni suffered many injuries including large cuts to the face, internal bleeding, multiple skull fractures and eight broken ribs. A Mount Ayr graduate and student athlete at Graceland University, communities have come together to follow and pray for Barnes' recovery. A Caring Bridge site was started for Barnes to provide updates on her condition. An update Tuesday shows Barnes was moved Friday to the Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska. "This was a great leap in her recovery journey," the post by Allison Nixon states. "It is here that she will focus on her physical strength (range of motion, walking) activities of daily living (taking a shower, getting dressed, transferring in and out of a car) and speech." Barnes has regained mobility and has been wanting to walk. At this facility, she will be able to walk and go outside whenever she'd like with assistance from her staff member. "She has been able to make telephone calls to her family this week," Nixon said. "Hearing her voice and having a conversation again is like music to all of our ears." Though there was initial concern of her vision being affected by brain injuries, she has now been making eye contact and has been able to identify how many fingers are held up by family members. Photos: The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater The Iowa Theater DYSART Some details of when the five Morris children arrived on the orphan train remain a mystery. The impact that they and their descendants have had on the Dysart community, though, is as clear as day. You can see that they turned out to be productive citizens, said Catharine Wieck, who runs the Dysart Historical Society. I dont know that any of them became world famous or anything, but they were good citizens of Iowa and their communities. Orchestrated by several childrens' welfare agencies, the orphan train ran from 1854 to 1929 with the goal of taking orphaned and abandoned children from the East Coast and finding homes for them in the rural Midwest. It's estimated that in those 75 years, some 200,000 children were moved. These included the five Morris children in Dysart. Its not clear from the records if they arrived in 1892 or 93, though a newspaper from Chicago lists it at 94. Their names on reaching Dysart were Morris, but in New York, they were either Maresca or Marese. They were changed in New York to conceal their roots as the children of immigrants before going to the Midwest. It was the same reason the Childrens Aid Society was believed to have changed its religious affiliation from Catholic to Protestant. What is known is that Laura, Tessie, John, Jacob and Ben were all adopted into different homes. According Pam Whitmore, Lauras granddaughter, her grandmother had a rough go at first. The man whom she first went to live with was abusive, overworking her to the point where she eventually left to live with a family in Traer. But Laura never forgot her sister and three brothers. According to Whitmore, she went out every morning to follow her youngest brother, Ben unbeknownst to him to make sure he was getting to school on time. Eventually, she returned to Dysart, where she married and took the name McNamee. She and her husband had 13 children and dozens of grandchildren. Whitmores memories of her grandmother were of a gray-haired widow across the street who always went to church and ladies club. However, her children and their children helped to shape Dysart and had an impact in Northeast Iowa. Most of those (children) did just the normal things of that day. But the next generation we have lawyers, we have several dentists, we have doctors, we have teachers, we have two (professors) one of Uncle Bennys is a professor at UNI and I was a professor at Upper Iowa so that all added, Whitmore said. With the exception of John (Jack), who left the state after a bad experience with his adoptive family, all the Morris children remained nearby. Jacob married and moved Cedar Rapids. Tessie settled down with a man named Roland Schillig, a dairy farmer from Iowa City. Like Laura, Ben stayed in Dysart. Arriving at about 2 years old, he was the youngest of the Morris children, bringing with him only a coat his mother made for him before she died and a final note in one of the pockets. He was taken in by the Pippert family, where he had better luck than his oldest sister. Benjamin is growing up like a weed, a 1894 letter from the Pipperts read. He just commenced to talk and we wouldnt give him up for the whole State of Iowa. The feeling was reciprocated. According to Wieck and Whitmore, Pipperts birth father made the trip to Dysart some time after the boy was taken in, hoping to bring him back to New York. He refused to go. Uncle Benny, as the people of Dysart called him, grew up to be a pillar of the town. Never seen without his bib overalls, Pippert operated the dray wagon that brought goods from the railway depot to the town. He had six children of his own most of whom lived well into their late 80s and early 90s. Their children and grandchildren, like Lauras, took on a wide array of occupations and reached far beyond Tama County. Pippert died in 1999 at the age of 106. The coat he arrived in is on display at the Dysart Historical Societys museum. Wieck had nearly 50 years to get acquainted with Pippert, starting when she moved to Dysart in 1949 for her teaching job. In that time, she became close friends with a living piece of American and Dysart history. Always cheerful, he once confided in her his gratitude to the family that took him in and the community that became his home. Ben told me one time that he was very thankful that he had come here, Wieck said. Hed had a good life here. That was his quote. For her part, Whitmore said her family's origins havent been lost on her. Their success and the success of their descendants are a testament to the Morris familys character. Im proud to be able to talk about my grandma and say that she came from nothing and turned out to be how she was, Whitmore said. Email special events to news@registerbee.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday. SUNDAY, AUG. 27 New Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church, 375 Ephesus Church Road, Semora, North Carolina, will celebrate homecoming service at 11 a.m. with Bishop Gerald Franklin, pastor of New Ephesus, preaching the message of "Lunch on the Lawn" after worship service. Face masks are available. Service is available in person, using Facebook live, through conference line at 978-990-5000 with access code 197724 or if in the church parking lot on 107.3 FM. SATURDAY, SEPT. 2 Union Hall Baptist Church Food & Clothing Ministry, 6861 Strawberry Road (across from Union Hall Baptist Church), will be open from 9 a.m. to noon with food and clothing of all types. For more information, call 434-724-4354 or 434-250-8964. ONGOING Shockoe Missionary Baptist Church, 857 Java Road, Java, hosts a monthly Wellness Walking Ministry from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., meeting every fourth Saturday. All ages are welcome to participate. The Health and Wellness Ministry will meet at 9 a.m. before each walking session. For information, contact Kathy B. Ramsey at 434-251-0379 or atbjrk@gmail.com. Ascension Lutheran Church, 314 West Main St., worships Sundays at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and live on Facebook at www.facebook/ascensionlutherandanville. Mount Vernon United Methodist Church offers in-person services at 10 a.m. each Sunday as well as online worship services every Sunday at mtvernonumc.org or www.facebook.com/MountVernonUMC. Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1172 Franklin Turnpike, will have in-house worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m. Free books available anytime from a Little Free Library located on a post next to the driveway. Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 406 Gay St., has in-person services at 10 a.m. for hour of power on the first and third Sundays. North New Hope Baptist Church, 123 Old Piney Forest Road, has resumed in church worship services at 11 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 p.m. Mount Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold services in the sanctuary with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. The service also will be streamed on Facebook. Mount Freeman Baptist Church, 2100 Laniers Mill Road, hosts in-person service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no Sunday school. Sacred Heart Catholic Church will livestream worship service at 9 a.m. Sundays in English and noon in Spanish at www.facebook.com/sheartchurch. Staunton River Baptist Church, Long Island, will hold drive-in services at 10 a.m. each Sunday. Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates Mass every weekend with a vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and at 9 p.m. Sunday in English and noon in Spanish. Watson Level Missionary Baptist Church holds Sunday worship services each week at 11 a.m. Because of COVID-19, a face mask is required for all attendees and social distancing is mandatory. Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 2450 Franklin Turnpike, from 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday, will hold Ladies Need Encouragement, an hour of worship and prayer. Participants are asked to bring a Bible and practice social distancing. The event is for ages 10 and up with adult supervision. For more information, call 540-907-8836. Mount Zion Temple, now located at 503 Hughes St., presents The Word Homelitic Institute at 10 a.m. every Sunday. Transportation is provided by calling Bishop David K. Fuller at 434-429-8960. Have you heard of the rocket festival? We traveled to Ubon Ratchathani in Northeast Thailand to explore the fascinating culture, customs and traditions of the Isan people that is at the heart of this rocket competition also known as "Bun Bang Fai". This is a traditional event where local communities and villagers put their creativity to the test and compete to build the best rockets. While winning is important, each year the communities and villages who take part hope to summon the rain for their agricultural endeavors. Rocket maker Niyom Butprom and his daughter Tarn, bring us into their world and tell us how making rockets brings their family together. The sky is truly the limit for these incredible rocket makers! The Danville Area Humane Society will host a rabies vaccine clinic next month. Its planned from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 6 at the animal shelter located on South Boston Road. The John B. and Elizabeth Hall Animal Rescue Fund is offering the free vaccines for Danville residents, with a limit of four pets per household. Residents in Pittsylvania County will be charged $5 for vaccinations, with the same four pet limit. There have been many concerns about rabies in this area, Paulette Dean, executive director of the Danville Area Humane Society, said in a statement. With more land being developed and more outside cats being fed, reports of wild animals in urban areas have increased. She said making sure cats and dogs are vaccinated is a public health issue. Having all dogs and cats vaccinated is a public health matter. We are grateful to the Halls for their generosity. Virginia law requires the vaccines for all dogs and cats that are at least 4 months hold. Dr. Laura Luffman, of Animal Medical Center, will volunteer her time to administer the vaccinations. To streamline the process and to keep the waiting times to a minimum, the rabies certificates will be mailed to the owners the next day, according to a news release. The shelter isnt providing appointment times, but would like anyone interested in to call 434-799-0843. Proof of residency will be required because Animal Medical Center is required by law to inform the localitys treasurers office about the vaccinations, the release stated. A major leak at a Pennsylvania natural gas storage facility operated by the same company that is leading construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline was caused by corrosion of a well joint. Equitrans Midstream Corp. detailed its investigation of the November 2022 incident, which spewed about 1 billion cubic feet of a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, in a report to federal safety regulators. Water and oxygen weakened the wells underground top joint, causing more damage than what testing in 2016 had revealed. When the data was reprocessed using updated technology, it was determined that the earlier tests were inaccurate, Equitrans said in a news release Thursday. With construction of Mountain Valley resuming this summer, there are concerns that sections of pipe stored above the ground for years have been over-exposed to sunlight, which can break down a protective coating meant to guard against corrosion. We are distressed to hear confirmation of Equitrans failing pipes in Pennsylvania as we fear similar disasters will occur along the MVP route, said Denali Nalamalapu of Protect Our Water, Heritage, Rights, an anti-pipeline coalition. Many of us cant fall asleep at night for fear of MVP pipes exploding and killing our loved ones, Nalamalapu said in a statement issued by POWHR Friday. MVP is an unnecessary, beleaguered project that must be stopped immediately. A Mountain Valley spokeswoman said it was no surprise that pipeline opponents are attempting to link the incident in Pennsylvania to pipeline construction. Vertical storage wells are vastly different from natural gas transmission lines, including in construction, operations, and materials, such as coatings, Natalie Cox wrote in an email. Mountain Valley has worked with federal and state regulators for years to ensure the construction and integrity management practices of the project and will continue to do so, she said. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has called for additional inspections of the steel pipe before it is buried, although there has been no final action on a proposed safety order issued Aug. 11. Degraded coating and other conditions may pose a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property or the environment, the agency said in its proposed order, which mentions explosions of other pipelines in mountainous terrain that can be susceptible to landslides. Mountain Valley has requested an informal consultation with PHMSA, saying it welcomes oversight from state and federal agencies. But critics worry that while negotiations continue, sections of the 42-inch diameter pipe which may have been compromised by exposure to the elements since 2017 are being placed in the ground as the company rushes to complete construction by the end of the year. In an Aug. 18 letter to PHMSA, about a dozen organizations opposed to the pipeline asked the administration to work with other federal agencies and order that work be stopped until safety conditions are implemented. PHMSA has proposed an independent, third-party review of a process to inspect the steel pipes and, where needed, reapply a fusion-bonded epoxy coating before they are buried. Even though its safety order has not been implemented, PHMSA said Friday that it has been inspecting the pipeline since work began to ensure that Mountain Valley is in compliance with all safety regulations. Mountain Valley says it already has a program to examine the pipes and reinforce them when necessary along the pipelines 303-mile route from northern West Virginia, though Southwest Virginia, to connect with an existing pipeline near the North Carolina line. More than 270 miles of pipe have already been buried, the company says, and the coating met specifications at the time. The notice of a proposed safety order was not an effort by PHMSA to stop construction, according to Cox. Rather, it was intended to instill public confidence in the responsible construction and safe operation of the pipeline, and we agree with PHMSA that transparently outlining the steps being taken by the MVP project team to safely complete construction of the pipeline is of utmost importance to the public, her email stated. Construction of the $6.6 billion project began in the winter of 2018, but work has been stopped and restarted repeatedly as Mountain Valleys government permits were struck down by a federal appeals court. Legal challenges have focused on the projects large environmental footprint. State regulators in the two Virginias have cited Mountain Valley with nearly 500 violations of regulations meant to control muddy runoff from work sites, and critics say burning natural gas that will be transported by the pipeline will worsen what is already a climate change crisis. In western Pennsylvania, Equitrans operates the Rager Mountain Storage Facility, where natural gas waiting to be shipped is kept in wells that have been drilled dry by hydraulic fracking of the Marcellus Shale formation. The Rager facility has 10 storage wells with a capacity of about 9 billion cubic feet of gas. After the well joint on one of the wells failed, it took Equitrans nearly two weeks to plug the leak. In addition to the natural gas that was vented into the atmosphere, a smaller amount was contained within the earth at depths of 1,800 to 3,000 feet, the company said in Thursdays news release. Extensive testing found that none of the gas migrated to nearby residential areas, the company said. Equitrans has worked diligently with all regulatory agencies and various independent experts to identify the cause of the incident and to strengthen its existing storage well integrity program, said Cox, who is a spokeswoman for both Equitrans and Mountain Valley. Meanwhile, construction of the pipeline including sections in the Bent Mountain community of Roanoke County, Franklin County and the Jefferson National Forest in Giles and Montgomery counties is ramping back up. After getting log-jammed by legal challenges, the project was fast-tracked by a federal law, passed in early June, that mandated approval of all its permits while removing the federal Fourth Circuits jurisdiction to hear any legal challenges. Eight stream and wetland crossings have been completed in recent weeks, according to Matt Stafford, manager of the Virginia Department of Environmental Qualitys office of water compliance. About 600 such crossings in West Virginia and Virginia remain, in addition to major projects that involve boring under Interstate 81 and the Appalachian Trail in the national forest. In a presentation earlier this week to the State Water Control Board, Stafford said there have been no documented violations of erosion and sediment control regulations since work restarted. " " Scientists are learning more than ever about what babies see before birth. Tetra Images - Jamie Grill/Getty Images It might seem like fetuses aren't up to much other than growing in the cozy, warm environment that is the mother's womb. However, research published in the June 8, 2017 journal Current Biology showed that third-trimester babies have vision capabilities much more advanced than previously thought. And they can choose what they want to look at. Researchers from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom were keen on expanding the understanding of fetal sight capabilities. "We have been able to explore the use of all the fetal senses except vision up until now," explained lead researcher and professor of psychology Vincent Reid in an email interview in 2017. "There is a lot that we know about newborn babies and their vision, but almost nothing with fetuses just before they are born. The newborn is very good at processing faces and prefers to look at faces over any other shape so it was logical to explore the development of this preference before birth." Advertisement " " This pictures shows a 12-week-old human fetus. Steve Allen/Getty Images A total of 39 fetuses were examined (there would have been more, but some of the babies were in deep sleep because they missed the memo about participating in a research study, while others experienced poor image quality). They ranged in gestational age from 231 to 252 days, and were all single births. Obviously, since the fetal participants were still cooking in their moms' wombs, the researchers resorted to noninvasive attempts to assess their visual capabilities. To do so, the scientists shone a light through the maternal tissue. "The light consisted of three dots," Reid explained. "When these are arranged to represent two for the eyes and one for the mouth, newborn babies prefer to look at them more than anything else. So we didn't show fetuses a 'face' but an image that was 'face-like.'" The researchers used 4-D ultrasound to measure if and how much the fetuses turned their heads in response to the stimuli. They also showed the same three-dot pattern, but inverted (so it didn't resemble a face in structure) to the fetuses. As it turns out, non-face-like dots were none too appealing. "Turning it upside down means that newborns do not find it interesting," Reid noted. Although subtle, attraction to the face-like configuration of three dots makes a big difference in what we understand about developing sight. "It means that we have this preference even before we are born," Reid said. "[It] is either due to being innate or due to experiences prior to birth." Another major finding of this research is that it moves up the human visual timeline. "We now know that the fetus actively engages with visual information in the [prenatal] environment," Reid said. "The head movement was a deliberate movement to track the stimuli that we presented. This means that we can now look at many other aspects of fetal vision." Indeed, the study has laid the groundwork for future delving into fetal vision, because as it stands right now, little is known about how much fetuses can see. "Nobody has looked at this before," Reid said. "A week-old infant has very poor focal vision. It is all blurred. The same will be true for a fetus a few weeks before birth. We know that premature infants can see shapes, lights, and details. But that is once they are born, and it could be that the prenatal environment is different. We need to find out." When we interviewed Reid he said his group next planned to investigate whether fetuses could discriminate between quantities or numbers, which he noted is something that even newborns can do. "If the fetus can do this too, this tells us a lot about fetal cognitive capacities," he said. "We're also keen to look at how the fetus sees motion. Babies prefer to look at animate or biological motion. If the fetus has this preference, this would suggest that experiences that they have had engaging with their own body may have given rise to these preferences." Now That's Cool Sight is the final sense to develop inside the womb, with eyes staying closed until around gestational week 28. This is because fetal retinas aren't developed until that point. The Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers returned to historic Virginia City Aug. 4-5 for their 126th annual convention. The organization met in Virginia City in 1947, 1953, 1961, 1978, 1986, 1997 and most recently in 2008. The group meets each August in various Montana towns to do business, learn the history of the area and honor a Montana history teacher. This years honoree, Montana history teacher Eric Chaon of Great Falls High School, talked to members about how he encourages love of history, and especially Montana history, among his students. Luncheon speaker and Montana historian Ellen Baumler introduced the audience to Virginia Citys spirited women, storied female ghosts of Virginia and Nevada cities. Banquet keynote speaker Dwight Smith, husband of Norma Ashby-Smith from Great Falls, portrayed Ashbys great-grandfather, George Beatty, who arrived in Bannack in 1862 and was the first homesteader in Broadwater County. Members wore period clothing to honor the groups heritage for the official conference photograph, recreating the 1899 group photo taken on the steps of the Virginia City Courthouse. They posed to match the 124-year-old black and white photo, which is in the SDMP archives. Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers President Mike Collins of Helena said, We wanted to show our continued focus on our pioneers, so arranged to take a 2023 convention photo mirroring SDMPs 1899 convention photograph. The group also made a preservation donation to Virginia Citys Thompson Hickman Museum, a longstanding tradition of supporting museums at its convention sites. To be a member of Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers, people must be a lineal descendant of the states pioneer founders, who arrived in Montana prior to Dec. 31, 1868. The group's mission is To preserve the rich legacy, time-honored values, and cherished traditions of those pioneers who dedicated themselves to establishing the great State of Montana. Sons and Daughters of Montana Pioneers is a nonprofit corporation in Montana and was registered on Aug. 9, 1935. To learn more, visit www.sonsanddaughtersmontanapioneers.com or go to: https://bit.ly/3YLeSVY. On December 7, 1941, Albert R. Harp, was living in Wibaux where he was operating a coal mine with his brother. His first wife was terminally ill with leukemia and passed away in April 1942. Two months later Harp enlisted in the Army and was sent to Cavalry School at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he completed his basic training, before receiving advanced training at Ft. Brown, Texas. All of which was on horseback. Harp was assigned to the 7th U.S. Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, at Ft. Bliss, Texas, where his duties included horseback patrols of the Mexican border. That December he returned to Ft. Riley to attend officer candidate school. Upon graduation in March 1943, Harp was assigned to Troop H, 7th Cavalry as a 2nd Lieutenant platoon leader, and was later promoted to its Troop Commander. In February 1943, the 1st Cav had been dismounted and a training program began to convert the cavalrymen to foot soldiers. In June 1943, the 7th departed Ft. Bliss to Australia for additional training, followed by engagement in the Pacific Theatre of Operations (ETO), where they fought in the Admiralty Islands, New Guinea, Leyte and Luzon Campaigns. Like so many veterans, Dad never talked about the war except for humorous things like having a bottle of his whiskey confiscated for a visit from General MacArthur, related his son, Duane Harp, in a recent email from his Helena home. Or when a fellow very tall officer dove into too small of a foxhole where he was able to cover his head but his buttocks were totally exposed. Or on Luzon when his convoy got lost at night in Japanese territory and it was joined by some Japanese trucks, both sides thinking the other trucks were theirs. Albert Harp was born in Spooner, Wisconsin, in 1909. He attended high school in Beach, North Dakota, where he first met his future wife, Luceile Morris. Aver his graduation from Beach High in 1927, Harp joined his older brother William Harp who had served with the 2nd Cavalry in France during World War I in Wibaux, where the two men worked a small coal mine together for over 10 years, until Albert enlisted in June 1942. After his mothers passing, Duane who retired as a Helena District Ranger from the Helena National Forest in 2011 and his siblings found letters written to her from Albert which revealed many of his war experiences as well as his romantic proclivities. Mom and Dad went to high school together, but never dated, Duane recounted. In June 1944, Mom, who was a nurse anesthetist in Spokane, received the first of many letters from him; and over the course of those letters they fell in love. In addition to descriptions of some of his combat experiences, along with the difficulties of life in the jungle, Albert told of the beauty of the Pacific Islands and gave details about the lives of their inhabitants. Only occasionally did he mention some of the horrors he had witnessed, his son recalled. I learned that he came close to death on at least three occasions, Duane wrote. In total he made four amphibious landings and in one he nearly drowned when the landing craft operator stopped short of the beach, dropped the gate, put it in reverse and threw him into eight feet of water with his full combat gear and a box of mortar shells on his back. Albert thought he was going to drown, but one of his men was able to save him. He joked that his near drowning at least took my mind off the bullets that were whizzing by. Another time, the top of his ear was nicked by a snipers bullet, and Lt. Harp also experienced a Japanese knee mortar shell landed on his foot, but it was a dud and didnt explode. In one letter he said he hadnt been able to write because his jeep had been hit by a shell and all his writing materials were in it. Albert wrote of a Banzai attack and of night bombings and strafing by Washing Machine Charlie aircraft, as well, not necessarily to cause damage but to keep the soldiers awake and sleep deprived. On May 22, 1945, the odds caught up with him and he was shot in the leg. At the time he was also suffering from amoebic dysentery, malaria and jungle rot and Albert would be in and out of hospitals for the next seven months. During his time in the hospital on Luzon he wrote of the pending invasion of Japan and the 7th being scheduled to be first on shore, and the consequences to his men and him. When the Pacific War ended on September 2, 1945, Albert thought he would be sent home on 45 day leave and wed Luceile, but the Army had other plans and sent him to the Tropical Disease Center in North Carolina. He was granted a short leave from the hospital and on October 30, 1945, they married, but after only five days together he returned to North Carolina for two more months of treatments. He finally reunited with her on Christmas Eve. The couple had three sons in short succession -- Ralph, Duane and Eugene and remained married for 38 years. Like so many returning veterans, finding a job was difficult and the only one my father, who had led fifty to one hundred men in combat, could find was washing locomotive engines for the Great Northern in Spokane, the younger Harp recounted. He considered reenlisting, but instead continued in the Army Reserve and after 20 years of service he retired with the rank of Major. He eventually found employment with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and his 30-year career included assignments in Washington, Minnesota and California. Albert Harp passed away in 1983 at the age of 74, in Anaheim, California. In spite of all that he experienced in the Pacific, my Dad cherished his time with the 7th Cavalry and always considered himself to be a horse soldier, wrote Duane, who has resided in Helena for 24 years. His military decorations include World War Two Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, Philippine Liberation Medal with one Bronze Star, American Theater Ribbon and the Purple Heart. Mary Sheehy Moes account of the Montana State Library Commission decision to withdraw from the Montana Library Association (IR Aug. 19) made me shocked, angry and sad. Before taking this step, it would have been appropriate for the commissioners to inform themselves about the organization and how it helps Montana libraries. There is no evidence this was done. Punishing Montana libraries because the commissioners do not approve of their figurehead president who only serves a one-year term was uncalled for. I believe it wasnt the "lesbian Marxist" comment that prompted their decision to withdraw but rather the fact that the American Library Association continues to encourage librarians to offer a well rounded collection to their patrons and to resist censorship by a narrow, biased group. I hope Montana librarians will continue to push back against this withdrawal and continue to give their patrons the freedom to read what they chose. Sandra Jarvie, Helena Granting a wish for a local nonprofit organization can be easy, especially through the Community Foundation of Macon Countys (CFMC) Wish List. Requested items on the list range from $25 for flip score boards for Special Olympics Illinois, to $850,000 for an elevator at the African-American Cultural & Genealogical Museum. At CFMC, we are thankful that Macon County donors have granted more than $350,000 in wishes in just the past two years. To grant a wish, simply click on an organizations wish or wishes that inspire you to give and fund their request. Youll find the complete list on our website at www.maconcountygives.org/community-wish-list. In my job as CFMC president, I regularly review our wish list, looking at new requests and checking on granted wishes. As I found out from personal experience, funding a wish is often just the start of a beautiful journey to the extraordinary. Last summer, I was reading our wish list and a new request from Millikin University caught my attention $643 to purchase cancerous thyroid cells for a research study. In 2017, I was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer. I had two surgeries to remove my entire thyroid followed by radioactive iodine therapy. Prior to my diagnosis, I had never given much thought to my thyroid. But amid all the testing, I learned just how important it is. This butterfly-shaped gland produces thyroid hormones, which regulate almost every function in the body, such as metabolism, heartbeat, temperature and other important processes. The thyroid affects nearly every cell in the body. Following my surgeries, I now take daily doses of levothyroxine, a thyroid replacement hormone. I continue to struggle with weight gain and low energy. I also have blood work done every three months to check how the levothyroxine is being synthesized in my body. The wish request asked for funding for a Millikin University research study on the possibility of treating thyroid cancer without surgical removal of the entire thyroid. Immediately, I knew I had to fund the wish myself. After granting the wish, I was invited to meet with the requestor, Millikins Dr. Jennifer Schroeder, Professor and Director, School of Biological and Environmental Studies. Dr. Schroeders research interests span all areas of cancer, endocrinology and reproductive biology. Her teaching laboratory is located at Leighty-Tabor Science Center, an 83,000-square-foot building located on the north side of Millikins campus. Dr. Schroeders enthusiasm for working with students is inspiring. She provides her students with hands-on experience and encourages them to share their findings in medical journals. The funding I provided was used for a study to review the effects of punicalagin, an anti-oxidant derived from pomegranates, to induce apoptosis (cell death) and autophagy (destruction of damaged or redundant cell components) in papillary thyroid carcinoma; in other words, a possible way to remove the cancer without surgery. The study is being conducted by a student in Dr. Schroeders program who brings a special perspective to the project. For you see, the student leading the research is also being treated for thyroid cancer. I granted a funding wish to help a student conduct cancer research in a lab at Millikin University that I hope will lead to finding a cancer cure. Truly, that would be a wish granted for all of us. What wish would you like to grant? Sean Johnson walks with his girlfriend Angela Taylor to check out thier Frenchtown Villas Monroe home in Newport, Mich., on Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, after a heavy band of storms hit the region on Thursday. (Mandi Wright/AP) CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. At least six tornadoes touched down in Michigan as part of severe storms powered by strong winds that killed five people, while downing trees, tearing roofs off buildings and leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power, officials said. The National Weather Service on Friday confirmed that an EF-1 tornado with winds of 90 mph crossed from Ingham County into the western edge of adjacent Livingston County on Thursday night. Advertisement Four other EF-1 tornadoes were reported in Bellville and Gibraltar in Wayne County, and in South Rockwood and near Newport in Monroe County. A weaker EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 80 mph was on the ground for less than two miles in Wayne Countys Canton Township, west of Detroit, the weather service said. That tornado caused a tree to fall into a house, said meteorologist Sara Schultz. Advertisement The weather service office in Grand Rapids, in western Michigan, said officials would be in the field Friday conducting damage surveys on a suspected tornado in Kent County. The storms featured lightning displays erupting across the night sky and dumped multiple inches of rain on communities across the lower portion of the state. In western Michigan, the Kent County sheriffs office said a 21-year-old woman and two girls, ages 1 and 3, died Thursday night after two vehicles collided head-on as it was raining. There was two vehicles traveling toward each other. One hydroplaned on water and it was occupied by four people, Sgt. Eric Brunner told WZZM-TV. The sheriffs office said a 22-year-old Gowen man who was driving the car carrying the woman and two girls was seriously injured in the crash, which occurred when his car struck an SUV. That vehicles driver suffered minor injuries. In Lansing, the state capital, an 84-year-old woman died Thursday night after a tree fell on a home. Firefighters extricated the woman from the home, but she was pronounced dead at a hospital, Lansing Police Department spokeswoman Jordan Gulkis said. In Ingham County, where Lansing is located, the sheriffs office said Friday that one person was confirmed dead and several people severely injured as more than 25 vehicles were severely damaged along Interstate 96. It was not immediately clear early Friday afternoon if the storm or a crash was responsible for the wrecks on the freeway. Advertisement In the north Detroit suburb of Southfield, Muqitu Berry said he was in his ranch home about 9:30 p.m. Thursday when a large part of the trunk of a neighbors tree came crashing down, sounding like a train coming through. The tree ended up across the front of Berrys driveway and yard and took down power lines, dropping them onto his driveway and at least one vehicle, leaving Berry and his neighbors without power. I cant get out of my driveway. I cant go anywhere, Berry said Friday morning. Were out of power, and its very frustrating. Wayne County Executive Warren Evans declared a state of emergency Friday in Michigans largest county, which includes Detroit, due to power outages, flooding, fallen trees and power lines and storm debris. The county also warned residents to avoid any contact with several rivers after flooding caused municipalities to discharge partially or fully untreated wastewater into various waterways. In Macomb County, northeast of Detroit, several thousand basements in Eastpointe and St. Clair Shores were spared flooding when stormwater and wastewater were discharged to Lake St. Clair through an emergency bypass system, Public Works Commissioner Candice Miller said. The bypass has been used only three times since 2017 but twice this week. Advertisement Apparently, these storms have become our new normal, Miller said. This has been like a tropical storm, and both government and residents will need to make appropriate preparations whenever possible. Canton Township, a community of some 100,000 people, was hit earlier this week by flooding in its downtown business district. Some of our parks are destroyed, township supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak said, adding that the township received calls from 200 residents regarding flooding in their basements. More than 390,000 customers in Michigan and over 120,000 in Ohio were without power as of about 7:15 p.m. Friday, according to the Poweroutage.us website. Thursday nights storms followed a round of heavy rain Wednesday that left areas in southeast Michigan with over 5 inches of rain by Thursday morning, resulting in street flooding in the Detroit area, including tunnels leading to Detroit Metropolitan Airport in the suburb of Romulus, officials said. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday declared a state of emergency for Wayne and Monroe counties, which makes available state resources to help with response and recovery efforts related to storm damage. Advertisement The storms pushed east across Lake Erie and into northeast Ohio, uprooting trees and leaving thousands of homes and businesses without power. A tornado also tore through part of Cleveland late Thursday night. Its path was about 150 yards wide and nearly a mile long. No injuries were reported, but several buildings were severely damaged, including the 143-year-old New Life at Calvary Church that lost its roof. Church leaders asked members to stay away from the building. 2 Timothy 4:17 says, the Lord stood with me and gave me strength, Pastor Kellie Sullivan said in a press release. Our church has faced major loss and we praise God that no one was hurt. Please pray for our church as we start to rebuild. Parts of the western United States have been deluged in recent weeks with rain from Tropical Storm Hilary, and much of the central U.S. was beaten down by deadly sweltering heat. In Hawaii and Washington, emergency crews battled catastrophic wildfires. Scientists say that without extensive study they cannot directly link a single weather event to climate change, but that climate change is responsible for more intense and more frequent extreme events such as storms, droughts, floods and wildfires. Climate change is largely caused by human activities that emit carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, according to the vast majority of peer-reviewed studies, science organizations and climate scientists. Advertisement Associated Press reporters Rick Callahan in Indianapolis and Ed White in Detroit contributed to this story. HICKORY Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry recently unveiled a new logo and an updated website. As Bonita Ferretti, director of development, comments, We are very excited to introduce this new, colorful logo, which symbolizes the energy and compassion we have to serve our community neighbors in need. It reflects our effort, as always, to provide much-needed services to clients who are facing crisis or living in poverty. There are many excellent agencies in the community that work to meet those needs. GHCCM aims to avoid duplicating services and instead focuses on areas where we will have the greatest impact. Program areas at GHCCM include crisis financial assistance, homeless ministry services, a medical dlinic for primary and specialty care, a full-service pharmacy and education offerings at the Whole Life Center. The new logo is made up of three parts: the cross, the starburst and the pathway. The cross is the focal point of the logo. Molly Sain, executive director of GHCCM, emphasizes that Through Gods love, all things are possible. Although GHCCM is a deeply rooted Christian nonprofit organization, the ministry accepts all those who qualify for services, regardless of faith or background. The starbursts colors represent the different service areas within the ministry and also the bright future for GHCCM. Within the starburst, the green rays symbolize the GHCCM crisis assistance program. Crisis assistance includes financial assistance for rent/mortgage, utilities, transportation, and other needs. In 2022, GHCCM provided over $184,000 in financial assistance to clients. In addition, access to emergency clothing, laundry facilities, showers, haircuts, and mail service are available to those experiencing homelessness. The orange in the starburst designates the GHCCM free and charitable medical clinic which provides both primary and specialty care to those who have no medical insurance and fall within the government designated poverty guidelines. The medical clinic is the only free clinic in Catawba County and also serves Alexander County residents. In addition to primary and specialty care, patients have access to a full-service dental clinic and eye clinic. Substance abuse and mental health issues are often part of a patients diagnosis; therefore, a peer support specialist is available on-site who identifies and addresses the social determinants of health that may be keeping that client in poverty. The medical clinic also has active diabetes and hypertension programs providing education, guidance and one-on-one instruction to patients wanting to gain control of their diagnosis. The purple in the starburst indicates the GHCCM pharmacy. The pharmacy is a certified provider of low-cost or no-cost medications as prescribed by medical providers. Patients are referred from the GHCCM medical clinic as well as from outside medical practices. In 2022, the pharmacy distributed 18,343 prescriptions at a value of $3,907,609. The yellow rays represent the education that takes place at the Dr. John and Carol de Perczel Whole Life Center (WLC), a facility dedicated to education and collaboration. The WLC offers education services and community collaborations to help clients gain and improve life skills such as financial literacy, job search assistance and computer literacy through training and counseling. In addition, clients can receive new and renewal GHCCM health care cards at the WLC. Finally, the green pathway in the logo represents the journey clients are on as they move through lifes challenges. GHCCMs goal is to provide the means a pathway to independence and a brighter future. The pathway may have its ups and downs, but reaching a goal one step at a time is worth the hard work, Sain said. We invite our community to support the growing needs of our clients by donating funds, providing in-kind donations and volunteering time and talents. GHCCM relies on grants and financial contributions. For hours of operation, ministry offerings, or to donate, visit the updated GHCCM website at www.ccmhickory.org. Like virtually all Native American tribes, the Osage were driven from their ancestral lands (which included large swaths of Oklahoma) in the 1800s. They were forced to relocate, first to Kansas and then, ironically, back to Oklahoma, known then as Indian Territory. The forced removals were devastating and many Osage died, but unlike most other Native tribes, the Osage actually bought their land in the Indian Territory with money from the sale of their reservation in Kansas. And when cattlemen from Texas needed grazing land to fatten their herds on the way to Kansas City, they leased grasslands from the Osage. Those land leases provided excellent revenue for the Osage even before oil was discovered in 1897. Advertisement The Osage were also the only tribe in Indian Territory that wasn't required to comply with the 1887 Dawes Act that divided reservation land into "allotments," most of which were sold off to white settlers. Allotment was eventually forced upon the Osages by the 1906 Osage Allotment Act when Oklahoma became a state, but by that time they had money and bargaining power. "As much as they could, our leaders were trying to fight for the rights of our people, because we had seen what had happened to the other tribes in Oklahoma who were completely decimated," says Tara Damron (Osage), program director of the White Hair Memorial learning center. The Osage tribal leaders negotiated allotments of 640 acres (259 hectares) for each of the 2,229 registered Osages, without any "surplus" land sold to white settlers. And critically, the Osages retained mineral rights for all oil, coal and other resources beneath their land, the profits from which would be shared collectively among tribal members. Each share is called a "headright" and could only be inherited, not sold. "I don't think they realized just how much oil was here and how much wealth they were sitting on," says Damron. The Osages auctioned off oil-drilling rights to the highest bidder and collected a percentage of all oil revenue. The tribe was soon earning $10 million to $30 million a year, quickly making millionaires of each individual owner of an Osage headright. A common sentiment repeated in 1920s newspapers was that the Osages were "the richest group of people per capita on earth." " " Osage villages, like this one in Oklahoma circa 1906, consisted of longhouses covered with mats or skins arranged irregularly around an open space used for dances and council meetings. Teepees were used during hunting season. Library of Congress A local Charlotte native received a prestigious military medical award during a ceremony on August 11 held at the U.S. Army Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT) at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia. Army Maj. Gen. John Kline, Commander for CIMT and Senior Mission Commander for Fort Eustis, hosted the ceremony to honor Aljournal Ajaye Franklin, a Charlotte native who has served nearly 35 years as part of the U.S. Army, both in uniform and as an Army civilian. Franklin was presented the Order of Military Medical Merit for his work supporting the Army Medical field. The Order of Military Medical Merit is a prestigious award given to only a select few within the Army Medical Department. There is an extensive nomination process followed by selections made via a board of senior leadership to receive membership into the Order. Franklin served on active duty for a total of 24 years in such places as Fort Liberty (Bragg), Fort Sam Houston in Texas, Germany, Alaska and in deployed environments such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kosovo. Over the 10 years since he retired from active duty, Franklin has worked tirelessly in Suicide Prevention and Resiliency, and has addressed audiences about both topics as large as 4,000 in one setting. In the presence of his wife of 34 years, Maria Jones Franklin (Winston-Salem), Mother-in-Law, Gloria Jones (Winston-Salem), and a host of friends and co-workers, Franklin was introduced by Kline as being a vital part of the Commands success and credited Franklin with a long history of contributions worthy of his recognition with such a lofty award. We all know that Ajaye has a very Charismatic style and his personality is contagious, said Kline during his opening remarks. And this is the type of leader that just drives you! Following the presentation of the medallion and certificate of membership, Franklin took the floor and honored his wife and his family, which he referred to as Team Franklin. He presented his wife with a flower arrangement and card while remarking that this was a career achievement for them. He added that not everyone that served in the Army Medical Department received this honor, and that he did not take it for granted. Quoting Proverbs 22:29 KJV, Franklin spoke to the audience and stated that he strived to make Diligence his watchword and always worked to stay important and relevant in his work and that he worked to be True to what he did. The Franklins received well wishes and congratulatory greetings from those present before ending the activities with refreshments. Franklin currently serves as the Community Ready and Resilient Integrator for the Center for Initial Military Training (CIMT), on Joint Base Langley Eustis (JBLE), Virginia. MATTOON For the last 24 years, Lake Land College economics instructor Brian Lynch has sought to improve his students learning with the help of innovative teaching strategies. For instance, he has found that karaoke, ice cream and paper airplanes are excellent tools to help students grasp complex concepts such as supply, pricing and modeling. Recently, the Illinois Community College Faculty Association recognized Lynchs inventive efforts by awarding him the 2023 Dr. Joseph Cipfl Faculty Research/Workshop Grant. Through this grant, the ICCFA seeks to promote excellence in learning by supporting innovative research projects and workshops proposed by faculty throughout the Illinois community college system. Each year, the ICCFA provides a winning faculty member with up to $10,000 to conduct research designed to enhance student learning and education quality. Lynchs research focus involves studying the effects of using popular media to help students learn. In 2021, he, alongside Virginia Tech professor Jadrian Wooten, published a paper on how the television show "Superstore" could be used to teach economics. Now, Lynch seeks to use the ICCFAs support to research how the plotlines of another hit show, "Bobs Burgers", can demonstrate crucial economic concepts. The concepts of profit, advertising, and supply and demand, for example, are commonly found in the episodes, Lynch explained. While many college instructors cite popular media as engaging teaching tools, Lynch said that little research exists on its effect on academic performance. With the help of the ICCFA and Bobs Burgers, he plans to study this topic himself and share his discoveries. As the recipient of the grant, Lynch will be recognized for his accomplishments at the ICCFA Teaching and Learning Conference in 2024. There, he will present his research to many peers across the Illinois community college system. Mattoon-area places through the years Young Radiator Oil well New post office Memorial District Hospital Mattoon Mounters Kozy Log Illinois Central Railroad depot Downtown Downtown An East Bend man received a suspended prison term after he pleaded guilty to common-law robbery related to an incident at a fast-food restaurant in January in Winston-Salem, court records show. Caleb Charles Hutchins, 19, of Speas Ferry Road, was initially charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon, according to a court record. Judge Aaron Berlin of Forsyth Superior Court gave Hutchins a suspended prison sentence of eight months to 19 months in prison and put Hutchins probation for three years, the record said. Berlin gave Hutchins credit for 245 days he spent in the Forsyth County Jail awaiting his court hearing. Berlin also ordered Hutchins to compete 24 hours of community service. An armed man robbed the Bojangles restaurant Jan. 18 on Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem police said at that time. The suspect came into the restaurant shortly before 2:30 p.m., pointed a gun at an employee and demanded money, police said. The suspect left the business in a Ford truck. Hutchins was accused of stealing about $200 from the Bojangles after he threatened the employee with a handgun, according to a court record. Attorneys for the City of Winston-Salem have denied allegations in a federal lawsuit that the police department enabled a lender and a property management company to illegally seize a local church and evict its pastor, her staff and dozens of children from the churchs property last year. City Attorney Angela Carmon and Assistant City Attorney Marissa West filed Winston-Salems response Aug. 15 in U.S District Court to the lawsuit, which was filed two months ago by the Christ Kingdom Building Worship Center and its pastor, Ellen Wallace-Searcy of Winston-Salem. The church and Wallace-Searcy are suing the churchs former lender, LBC2 Trust, its affiliate, LBC2 REO, and a property management company, One Alliance Cos. of Cornelius and their employees, alleging that they violated the churchs legal rights. The legal action also names Officer C.N. Kiser and the city of Winston-Salem as defendants. Winston-Salem police were called to the church last year because One Alliance feared trouble from the Black staff and parishioners and the intimidation caused by the police presence was a deliberate effort to deprive them of their constitutional rights, the lawsuit said. The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages as well as exemplary damages of $495,000, the lawsuit said. In their response to the lawsuit, Carmon and West asserted that the city and Kiser have immunity that generally protects local and state officials, including law enforcement officers, from lawsuits arising from plaintiffs allegations. The defendant assert that they do not owe a duty to the plaintiffs and were not negligent in any way, according to the citys response to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs were negligent, and that said negligence contributed to their injury. Kiser didnt violate the plaintiffs constitutional or legal rights and is entitled to qualified immunity, the citys response said. Carmon and West asked the U.S. District Court to dismiss the lawsuit, according to the citys response. Marissa West, an assistant city attorney, repeated her comment after the lawsuit was filed that the city attorneys office doesnt comment on pending litigation. James C. White of Chapel Hill, one of the plaintiffs attorneys, said the actions of LBC2 REO were wrong. They needed to give 10 days (of) notice to the church and by law had to go through the eviction process, White said. They didnt. Instead they called the Winston-Salem Police Department to assist them in illegally removing the pastor, the staff, and dozens of children from the property. One of the lawsuits allegations is that a One Alliance representative said she feared for her safety so she called the Winston-Salem Police Department, White has said. This wouldnt have been done with a white church or another business. Christ Kingdom owned the church at 3894 Northampton Drive in the citys northeastern section. The church was paying a mortgage with Branch Banking and Trust Co. But that mortgage eventually was owned by LBC2 Trust, according to the lawsuit. The mortgage had a balance of $1.4 million, and the church made monthly payments. However, an unpaid balance became due on May 6, 2021, and Wallace-Searcy unsuccessfully attempted to renegotiate the mortgage terms after the balloon payments became due. Thats when things took a turn. During the week of June 28, 2022, the church was conducting a food bank and a summer program for children. The church also had a funeral scheduled for that week. According to the lawsuit, on June 29, a person who identified himself as Mack and said he was an agent of One Alliance came to the church. Mack told Wallace-Searcy and other church members that he planned to change the churchs locks. Everyone had to move out. On June 30, Lauren McElroy, a One Alliance employee, arrived at the church and called Winston-Salem police. The lawsuit alleges that McElroy asked the police department to assist her in removing Wallace-Searcy and church members from the property. McElroy told Kiser, the Winston-Salem officer, that the Christ Kingdom church had been foreclosed, and that her company possessed the property, according to a police incident report. Kiser then told Wallace-Searcy that she and church employees must vacate the property. A time of 2 p.m. was agreed upon. McElroy called Kiser at 1:18 p.m. and told him that no items had been removed from the church, and it didnt appear that Wallace-Searcy was making arrangements to leave. When Kiser arrived, he saw church members carrying tables and other items out of the building, according to the police report. At 2 p.m., Kiser accompanied McElroy, who told church members that the churchs front doors were being locked and that they must vacate the premises. The church members left behind thousands of dollars worth of furniture and equipment, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also alleges that One Alliance removed a safe that contained collection money. Wallace-Searcy and McElroy couldnt be reached for comment on the citys response to her lawsuit. Goler Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, the current property owner, occupies the building on Northampton Drive. Goler Memorial moved into its current location on Feb. 26. The church site is valued at $1.67 million, according to Forsyth County tax records. IWAKI, Japan Fish auction prices at a port south of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were mixed amid uncertainty over how seafood consumers will respond to the release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the ocean. In Seoul on Saturday, thousands of South Koreans took to the streets to condemn the release of wastewater and to criticize the South Korean government for endorsing the plan. The protesters called on Japan to store radioactive water in tanks instead of releasing it into the Pacific Ocean. The plant, which was damaged in the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, began sending the treated water into the Pacific on Thursday despite protests at home and in nearby countries that are adding political and diplomatic pressures to the economic worries. Fish prices largely depend on the sentiment of wholesalers and consumers in the Tokyo region, where large portions of the Fukushima catch goes. Hideaki Igari, a middleman at the Numanouchi fishing port, said the price of larger flounder, Fukushima's signature fish known as Joban-mono, was more than 10% lower at the Friday morning auction, the first since the water release began. Prices of some average-size flounder rose, but presumably due to a limited catch, Igari said. Others fell. It was a relatively calm market reaction to the water release. But, Igari said, "we still have to see how it goes next week." The decadeslong release has been strongly opposed by fishing groups and criticized by neighboring countries. China immediately banned imports of seafood from Japan in response, adding to worries in the fisheries community and related businesses. A citizens' radiation testing center in Japan said it's getting inquiries and expects more people might bring in food, water and other samples as radiation data is now a key barometer for what to eat. Japanese fishing groups fear the release will do more harm to the reputation of seafood from the Fukushima area. They are still striving to repair the damage to their businesses from the meltdown at the power plant after the earthquake and tsunami. "We now have this water after all these years of struggle when the fish market price is finally becoming stable," Igari said after Friday's auction. "Fisheries people fear that prices of the fish they catch for their living may crash again, and worry about their future living." The Japanese government and the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, say the water must be released to make way for the facility's decommissioning and to prevent accidental leaks of insufficiently treated water. Some wastewater at the plant is recycled as coolant after treatment, and the rest is stored in around 1,000 tanks, which are filled to 98% of their 1.37 million-ton capacity. Much of the tank-held water still contains radioactive materials exceeding releasable levels. The tanks cover much of the complex and must be cleared out to make room for new facilities needed for the decommissioning process, officials say. Authorities say the wastewater after treatment and dilution is safer than international standards require, and that its environmental impact will be negligible. On Friday, the first seawater samples collected after the release were significantly below the legally releasable levels, the power company said. Due to a series of accidental and intended releases of contaminated water from the plant early in the disaster, hard feelings and distrust of the government and TEPCO run deep in Fukushima especially in the fishing community. TEPCO says the release will take 30 years, or until the end of the plant decommissioning. People fear that could mean a tough future for youths in the fishing town, where many businesses are family-run. Fukushima's current catch already is only about one-fifth its pre-disaster level due to a decline in the number of fishers and decreased catch sizes. The government allocated $550 million to support fisheries and seafood processing, and to combat potential reputation damage by sponsoring campaigns to promote Fukushima's Joban-mono and processed seafood. TEPCO promised to deal with reputational damage claims, and those hurt by China's export ban. Tetsu Nozaki, head of the Fukushima prefectural fisheries cooperatives, said the fishing community will continue to worry for as long as the water is released. "Our only wish is to continue fishing for generations in our home town, like we used to before the accident," Nozaki said. At Mother's Radiation Lab Fukushima in Iwaki, a citizens' testing center known as Tarachine, tests were being conducted on water samples, including on tritium levels for seawater that the lab collected from just off the Fukushima Daiichi plant before the release. Lab director Ai Kimura said anyone can bring in food, water or even soil, though the lab has big backlogs because testing takes time. She said having independent test results is important because mothers want to know for serving safe and healthy food to their children and families. Kimura said people have different views about safety some are fine with government standards, others want them to be as close to zero as possible. "It's very difficult to make everyone feel safe," she noted. Kimura said the lab's testing has shown Fukushima fish to be safe over the past few years, and she happily eats local fish. But the treated wastewater release will bring new questions, she said. Mayor Allen Joines has met as he should have all along with community leaders over the tempestuous hiring of the new city manager. More recently, Assistant City Manager Patrice Toney has been named interim city manager until the new manager, William Patrick Pat Pate, the current city manager in Manassas, Va., starts in Winston-Salem in November. But every step of the way there has been some degree of dissent. Should that be a concern to Pate and to the rest of us, and, if so, how much of one? To recap: Pate, a white man, was chosen from among a field of three finalists that included Toney, a Black woman. Three of the four Black council members supported Toney for the job while one, Mayor Pro Tem D.D. Adams, voted for Pate. Toney, a longtime city employee, openly voiced her disappointment. Black women have to do 10 times more to prove ourselves and show that we are capable of leading, Toney said at the time, adding that the councils decision reflected that they are just not ready for a woman leader. I am qualified, and I have proven myself. Winston-Salem has never had a female or Black city manager. A group of local Black clergy expressed concern and asked for a meeting about the selection process. City Attorney Angela Carmon had told The Ministers Conference of Winston-Salem and Vicinity that such a meeting would not happen because it would involve confidential information. Good thing lawyers are there to give advice, not orders. Props to Mayor Allen Joines for accepting the hourlong meeting anyway behind closed doors at Union Baptist Church. It should have been an open session. But, as the Journals John Deem reported last week, by all accounts it went well. We had a very fruitful meeting, Keith Vereen, president of the Ministers Conference, told the Journal. All of our concerns were met, and our ultimate goal was to find a common ground where we could continue to work with our city officials (and) our elected officials in moving Winston-Salem forward. As for disagreement, there have been elements of it all along the way in this saga. A split council voted 5-3 to hire Pate, and 5-3 to make him a formal offer. And a split council voted 6-2 this week to appoint Toney as interim city manager. She assumed that post effective Friday. Adams initially had attempted to abstain but was told she could not. So she joined Jeff MacIntosh in voting no. What does all of this mean going forward? While unanimous votes may seem preferable in hiring decisions, disagreement does not necessarily signify division. It may simply mean reasonable people simply have different opinions. It also may bear testament to a strong field of candidates. Yes, a unanimous vote may have made Pate, or anyone else, feel more confident about accepting the job. But what Pate actually does on the job will matter the most in winning friends and influencing people in Winston-Salem. Meanwhile, Toneys future remains an open question. Will she stay? Will she seek other opportunities? But Pate has said he values strong-willed leaders on his staff. Well see. As for the selection process, the mayor acknowledged that the city could and should have followed the template of the most recent police chief selection, in which the three finalists were made public and had a chance to interect with the community. In the end, what matters more is not that everybody agrees with the outcome of a process but that they believe it was as fair and transparent as it should be. The man 33-year-old Kevin Teawon Spain was arrested around 2:30 a.m. after crashing his vehicle at the corner of Fourth and Trade streets and then attempting to escape on foot. We normally frown on such chases, as they are rarely worth the risk, no matter what time of day it is. But this time was different. Spain was a suspect in a domestic shooting and police found a handgun and assault rifle at the site of the crash. Police had a valid reason to engage in the chase: Spain posed a potential and imminent danger to the public. As high-speed pursuits go, this one was the right call. Weve been critical in other cases. Its only fair to give credit where its due. Despite filling every certified teacher position throughout the district for this school year, officials at Lincoln Public Schools fear the nationwide teacher shortage may be upon them soon especially in the special education department. After seeing the applicant pool for special education teachers slowly dwindle, LPS decided to partner with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in an effort to create a pipeline of new teachers in that department. In order to do so, they chose to offer up a new opportunity to paraeducators in the district, a group that already has experience working with special education students. The Para Pathway pilot program kicked off at the start of UNLs fall semester after over a year of planning. In order to enroll in the program, paras had to meet a few major requirements, including already having a bachelor's degree, continuing to work for LPS throughout the process and signing a three-year contract with the district at completion of the program. A cohort of 14 paraeducators from throughout LPS was selected from a pool of an estimated 25 applicants, said Vann Price, associate superintendent for human resources at LPS. It's a wonderful thing, to be able to invest in people who have shown their commitment to Lincoln public Schools, Price said. Creating this program is a way to invest in our own. The group will take two or three classes each semester for seven semesters in a row -- including taking summer classes -- in order to earn an endorsement in special education in roughly two years. Classes take place during late afternoons or evenings to allow cohort members to work during the school day. The program is primarily funded through LPS, and UNL waived some fees for those in the program. The students are only required to pay for any necessary coursework materials. It was important to make the program as close to free as possible, because the salary for paras can often be too low to afford further education, said Sue Kemp, a professor of practice at UNLs Department of Special Education. A lot of them that I've talked to wanted to do this, but they didn't have the means to do it, Kemp said of cohort members. They love working with kids, their passion is being in the classroom, but without the endorsement in teaching, they weren't able to really fully realize their dream of teaching. The shortage of special education teachers, and teachers in general, is something Kemp has noticed at the collegiate level, too. She noted that numbers of people looking to enter the field at UNL have started to decrease since the COVID-19 pandemic. However, she said shes hopeful that programs like this one will reverse the trend. We've got 14 students that in two years will be able to be teachers at LPS, which is going to really help that shortage, Kemp said. I think it's a win-win all the way around. For Derek Zabel, the timing of this program couldnt have been better. Zabel, 23, has spent the last two years working as a paraeducator at Mickle Middle School in northeast Lincoln. He graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan in 2022 and knew he wanted to pursue a graduate degree in either school psychology or special education. I figured regardless of which one of those two I picked, being a para would be a good way to transition into learning about what those jobs are like and just getting myself familiar with the special education students, Zabel said. I definitely enjoyed my work as a para last year a lot, and I think that's what made me really feel comfortable going with the route that I did. Last spring, Zabel decided to take a leap and apply for the special education masters program at UNL. He was set to start during the summer semester, but then Kemp told him about this opportunity. It was very exciting, Zabel said. I feel very fortunate to have applied when I did. At the completion of the program, Zabel will only be about two or three classes away from receiving a masters degree rather than only an endorsement. While hell have to pay for the extra courses himself, he plans to complete the full degree. But, free tuition wasnt the only thing that attracted him to the program. The security of knowing that I have a guaranteed position with LPS upon finishing, that's very nice, he said. To know that I will be able to immediately get started doing the work that I want to do, and that Im not gonna have any trouble finding a place to work. Zabel is excited to finally get started training for his next step, and Kemp is excited to play a role in helping him and the other cohort members achieve their goals. Being a paraeducator is a hard job and getting this as a benefit and adding to really highly qualified special education teachers is really great, Kemp said. Photos: UNL awards 588 degrees at summer commencement ceremony People make their way through a rainy farmers market in Chicago's Logan Square on Oct. 24, 2021. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) Lured by trendy TikToks flaunting stylishly dressed shoppers and colorful produce, upward of 15,000 people now attend the Logan Square Farmers Market every week, which features a wide range of products from smelly raclette to honey-infused tahini, said organizer Nilda Esparza. As the popular market reached new heights, it even became a go-to spot for singles searching for romance. But the growth also made the market unsafe, Esparza said. Advertisement Esparza requested earlier this summer a stretch of Logan Boulevard near the market be closed when the market occurs after fast cars had close calls with the overflow crowd. When the street closure wasnt granted by the city, the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce director decided to cancel the market for this weekend. The backlash was swift. Advertisement Im livid, Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. After a dayslong back-and-forth between the market organizer and authorities, the market will be back open Sunday. Esparza praised Ramirez-Rosa and Ald. Daniel La Spata, 1st, whose wards both include parts of Logan Square, for working with the Chicago Police Department and Department of Transportation when she announced the market would be open in an email to customers Friday. She also credited Mayor Brandon Johnson for help in addressing the safety concerns. Your push in making this happen has made our farmers market, not only safer, but stronger, Esparza said of Johnson. The mecca of farm culture in Logan Square remains alive! The Logan Square Chamber of Commerce did not say Friday what streets would be closed near the market. Esparza had earlier proposed to CDOT and CPD a closure of Logan Boulevard from Milwaukee Avenue to Sacramento Avenue, she told the Tribune Thursday. Authorities had not accepted her request earlier in the week, despite the closure being granted before for the first and last market of the year, she said. Esparza had tried for weeks to direct wandering pedestrians and confused or frustrated drivers around the market. Advertisement No matter how much I beef up with volunteers and staff, its just not safe, Esparza told the Tribune Thursday morning, when the market was still set to be canceled for the weekend after the closure wasnt granted at the meeting earlier this week. She was considering moving the market away from the neighborhoods center, she said. The market has its own heartbeat. Its a pretty amazing place to be and its extremely special. I dont want it to be tainted by an accident, Esparza said. People stroll through a crowded Logan Square Farmers Market in Chicago in July 2015. (Michael Noble Jr./Chicago Tribune) Ramirez-Rosa quickly backed the market when the closure was announced. Its totally reasonable and this is exactly the type of space activation that we as a city should be supporting, Ramirez-Rosa told the Tribune Thursday. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people visit Logan Square when they come to the market, Ramirez-Rosa said. They end up eating at Logan Square restaurants, shopping at Logan Square stores and getting to know the neighborhood, he said. It is an economic engine for our community, Ramirez-Rosa said. This is an extremely important event that helps feed so many families. Not just families that come and purchase food there, but the families that are selling food there as well. Advertisement La Spata, like Ramirez-Rosa, pledged to help the market come to an agreement with city officials. He had heard concerns about people driving fast near the overspilling crowds, he said. I really appreciate the chamber thinking about the safety of their guests and their vendors, La Spata said Thursday. I also personally believe that we can work out a solution for the short- and long-term that doesnt necessitate the market closing. The cancellation had threatened to deliver a financial blow to the dozens of small businesses that sell snacks, flowers, vegetables, bread, fruit and more at the market. The Logan Square market is the biggest in Chicagoland for River Valley Ranch & Kitchens, a Burlington-based farm that grows mushrooms and vegetables to sell at markets throughout Illinois and Wisconsin, general manager Jennifer Brown said. The markets are essential for the mushroom farm. It wouldnt be in business without them, she said. Its how we build our nest egg for the winter and keep everyone employed, Brown said before the market was reopened. Advertisement Vang Noua, owner of Pleasant Hill Produce, said Thursday that he planned to hold off on picking his flowers and vegetables for the market this week. 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 > He expected much of the food he sells tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, beets, sweet char, kale, green and yellow beans, squash, zucchini, jalapenos, eggplant, onions, cilantro, dill and more to keep quickly growing at his Richfield farm. It would have likely become too big and unfit to sell, he said. Its pretty bad for me, Noua said at the time. All my stuff is junk. The farm owner, who typically sets up on a market corner near Logan Boulevard, grows his produce organically and without pesticides, he said. Hes sold it himself at the market for around six years, he added. He estimated a one-weekend closure would have cost him between $5,000 and $6,000. Esparza said Thursday she knew the closure was set to come in the middle of the markets peak season and would be detrimental to many livelihoods. It wasnt a decision she took lightly, she said. But she felt the short-lived closure was in the vendors best interest. Advertisement Your resiliency is what was at the forefront, she wrote to vendors Friday as she announced the market would be open. It guided us and ultimately led us to where we needed to be for a safer farmers market experience. jsheridan@chicagotribune.com (For the next several weeks, columnist Jim McKee will be contributing new columns on the first week of the month. On other weeks, the Journal Star will publish some of McKee's past columns. This one ran on Aug. 4, 2013.) Jacob V. Wolfe, a prominent Populist and Democrat, was born in 1833 in Indiana. Serving as a teacher, school principal, college president, attorney, member of the Indiana legislature and two-term county treasurer, Wolfe visited Lincoln, almost by chance, then bought 160 acres of land in Grant Precinct of Lancaster County in 1872. Son Harry Kirk Wolfe, the first of nine children, was born Nov. 10, 1858, in Bloomington, Ind. Along with his parents and siblings, Harry lived three years in Lincoln so that he and Jacobs other children could obtain a good education. In 1876, at the age of 17, Harry entered the fledgling University of Nebraska, living at 23rd and R streets, and graduated in June 1880 in a class of eight. After teaching briefly at Park School in Lincoln and District 39 in Lancaster County, he took charge of Ponca High School in Dixon County, Nebraska. Then in September 1887 became principal in Edgar. During these Nebraska appointments, Wolfe also was carefully collecting data on student vocabularies. In 1883, the opportunity to study in Germany arose, allowing Wolfe to spend a year at Berlin University. He followed that with two years in Leipzig, where he studied with Hermann Ebbinghaus and Wilhelm Wundt, known as the father (founder) of experimental psychology. In March 1886 Wolfe received his doctorate and returned to Nebraska in search of a professorship. After a year without success, Wolfe accepted the position of principal in San Luis Obispo, Calif. In 1889, Wolfe was able to bring his new wife, Katherine, a medical doctor, back to Lincoln where he had been hired to teach psychology in the philosophy department of the University of Nebraska. In his first year, Wolfe, using his German educational background, established a psychology laboratory, which has been noted as the sixth such lab in the United States and the first created for undergraduate students. When Wolfe became a full professor in 1891, one of his first actions was to approach the Board of Regents with the request that it create a separate School of Psychology, though no action was forthcoming. Unfortunately, 1895 saw the arrival of George MacLean as chancellor. Although first in a positive frame about MacLean, Wolfe almost at once was chastised for bringing the question of evolution into his classes. Then in 1897, with no warning, Wolfe learned from the impolitic MacLean that he was about to be dismissed. Wolfe was told that the determination was from the regents, but it was totally unclear whether the action was brought about by the evolution question, Wolfes opposition to bringing Phi Beta Kappa to the campus, because of his Populist fathers election to a state office or because of his supposed meddling in other departments, particularly chemistry. Despite the press siding with him and a considerable student outcry, the regents would not budge, and though he thought he would prevail, Wolfe ultimately resigned. After another year of unemployment, Wolfe accepted a three-year contract as principal in the South Omaha Public Schools, then moved to Normal, Nebraskas school at what today would be 53rd and South streets in Lincoln. A year later, after one year at the University of Montana, Nebraskas new chancellor, E. Benjamin Andrews, invited Wolfe back to the University of Nebraska and the family moved to 1727 J St. When the anti-German sentiment surrounding World War I pushed the State Council of Defense to root out supposed unpatriotic university professors, Wolfe was in their sights. Although not a primary identified offender, Wolfe and about a dozen others were questioned and almost badgered by the regents sitting as a board about their support for the U.S. war effort and a possible lack of appropriate donations and insufficiently open pro-American stands. Wolfe was exonerated but battered by the experience. The Wolfe family left for a vacation visit to Wolfes brother in Wyoming in July 1918 and on the 30th, while helping in his brothers fields, Harry Wolfe died of a heart attack, which many felt was exacerbated by the regents virtual attacks. Harry Kirk Wolfe wrote 55 scholarly articles, primarily on child psychology, pioneered the study of psychology in the United States, was one of the charter members of the American Psychology Association, and history saw three of Wolfes students elected president of the A.P.A. Sadly, he wrote no books, and the University of Nebraska waited until 1941, almost exactly 50 years after his request, to create the separate School of Psychology. Truly his fame was founded in his students. Whats Going On is a fundraiser listing published on Saturdays in Community. Events held on a regular basis are not used. Announcements must be sent to community@journaltimes.com and arrive by noon Tuesday before the desired Saturday publication date. Add your event to the online calendar at journaltimes.com/events. Select the Community/Fundraisers category. SEPT. 9American Legion Auxiliary Unit 494 Trivia Night: American Legion Auxiliary Unit 494 is hosting Fest For Vets Trivia Night at 7 p.m. Sept. 9 at 4226 Michel Court, Franksville. Teams of eight will help raise money for a new pontoon boat for Camp American Legion. Prizes will be awarded for the top two teams and for the team with the best theme. The cost to enter is $160 per eight-member team. Food and beverages will be available for sale (cash only). For more information, or to register, contact Crystal Shaw at 262-672-8205 or crystalspres@gmail.com. ONGOING Caledonia Conservancy Cookie Collection Recipe Book: The Caledonia Conservancy is selling a recipe book featuring recipes of cookies usually served at the annual holiday party. The book contain more than 115 cookie recipes, family-favorites submitted by Caledonia Conservancy supporters, and even includes a few recipes for four-legged friends (horses, dogs, goats and donkeys). The cost is $15. Go to caledoniaconservancy.org/product-page/cookie-recipe-book. RACINE Beach season is going out like a lion, as both of Racine's major lakefront attractions are shuttered by unsafe bacteria or rough weather conditions. The City of Racine announced Saturday that both North Beach and Zoo Beach were closed to the public. North Beach was found to have elevated levels of bacteria in the water, while strong winds at Zoo Beach were creating unsafe water currents. Bacteria levels were up at Zoo Beach, too, although not high enough to force a shutdown for that reason alone. The closures were announced as the end of the summer lifeguard season was approaching Sunday at both Lake Michigan beaches. Some beach goers tried to squeeze one last day in the sun, despite the hazardous conditions. Sid and Patricia Shetty of Schaumburg, Illinois, brought their two children to North Beach, and the family tried to enjoy themselves without going into the contaminated water. Patricia Shetty said they were disappointed by the closure, but the children seemed to be having fun just playing in the sand. "That's good enough," Shetty said. "You've got to make lemonade out of lemons." City officials did not say whether the beach closures might be lifted for Sunday. With bacteria limits of 1,000 parts per sample for public beaches, officials said North Beach recorded levels of 1,352 and Zoo Beach had 879 parts per measure Saturday for E. coli bacteria. Racine collects water samples daily from the beaches to test for bacteria levels. Both beaches also were experiencing high winds and dangerous water currents, enough to warrant closing Zoo Beach for that reason. Lifeguards patrolling North Beach found that the rugged conditions and bacteria contamination were not keeping everyone out of the water. Lifeguard Phil Kiley said some beach goers insisted on taking a dip in the lake in many cases outside the limited area of North Beach that is assigned to lifeguards, which is about one-fourth of the mile-long beach. Kiley said his crew could only warn people about the bacteria contamination and other hazards. "We let them know about it," he said. "If they're going to go in, it's at that point really their choice." In photos: The Beach Boys... and their sister | Fun at North Beach The Kenosha Plan Commission raised a number of issues about the conceptional plan of a proposed private high school on the citys north side near Gateway Technical College on Thursday evening. Commissioners raised numerous questions about parking, traffic flow, congestion, water drainage and retention, school purpose and other matters during their regular meeting in the Municipal Building. Area residents also raised concerns about how a charter school not affiliated with Kenosha Unified School District would impact their quality of life. The commission took no action on the matter, voting only to receive and file the proposal. Kenosha School of Technology Enhanced Curriculum High School currently operates in the former St. Marys Catholic Parish School, 7400 39th Ave., but could eventually move to a new building at 3311 30th Ave., across the street from the Gateway Technical College campus. The proposed building is 44,520 square feet, made up of four main labs (transportation, building trades, welding, and automation and robotics), classrooms, offices and a commons. School staff said they would accept students from across Wisconsin and have capacity for some 600 high school students. According to commission documents, the schools plan is to move closer to Gateway for dual-credit purposes, and to strengthen the relationship with the technical college. Documents estimate the project value at approximately $10 million. The school receives private and public state funds. KTEC High School, a tuition-free charter school under a Governance Board, welcomed its first classes of freshmen and sophomores last fall, with approximately 43 students in each grade enrolled. The high school, which is not part of Kenosha Unified School District, opened last year under a charter from the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. KTEC has operated K-8 campuses in Kenosha since 2007. City staff raised issues with locating a new school on vacant farmland located across the street from Gateway Technical College. Developers in their proposal provided one full access into and out of the site on 30th Avenue. The access would align with an existing median break and a southbound left-turn area is proposed to be constructed. Also proposed is an emergency gated access to the rear of the property that would connect with an extension of 28th Avenue north. This site was chosen due in part to the curriculum of the proposed charter high school focusing more on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills that will benefit from working with Gateway. According to the operational plan for the high school, a total of 600 students and 25 faculty could use the school at full build out, commission documents state. Staffs main concern for the project is site access, the documents state. Staff is concerned with how potentially 625 students and staff could be dropped off, picked up and/or drive to and from the site on a daily basis through one access point, especially when most traffic movements are condensed to morning drop off and afternoon pickup. Staff is also concerned in emergency situations how first responders would access the site if students and staff are trying to leave the site at the same time. One option raised is to make the access to 28th Avenue a full access point. However, that could cause additional traffic in the existing neighborhood, according to city staff, which was a stated concern by residents of that neighborhood during a recent neighborhood meeting. Schools of similar size and student population in the city have multiple public street access points to the site to ease traffic safety concerns. On Thursday, neighborhood residents expressed concerns about the dearth of on-site parking and fears that student vehicles could overflow into the abutting neighborhoods and lower property values. Commissioner Lydia Spottswood questioned whether developers efforts are in line with larger city projects currently in the works. Spottswood said shes seen no coordination between the school and city staff. How are you syncing up with local planning efforts? Spottswood asked, adding it may be beneficial for KTEC staff and its governors to hold public information sessions. Commissioner Vincent Ruffolo asked the applicants if any other sites are considered. The applicants stood by their selection. This is uniquely, I would argue, quite a good site for a school, said pre-development project manager Ethan Mansfield, of Performance Charter School Development. Weve been developing charter schools for more years than Ive been at the company. Ive been at the company for several years. ... This is a good site. Mayor John Antaramian said he is not sure the proposed site is the best place for the school at this moment. KTEC's Angela Andersson said the high school aims to serve the needs of students that may be different than students served in other schools where this is giving you a pathway, there are all of these off-ramps if you think about how technical education works. Andersson said off-ramps include careers and training in the trades or preparedness for two-year associate degrees at a technical college. Its really about giving another option to students for these high-demand, high-wage careers where we arent filling the pipeline into those careers as much as that industry need us to do that, Andersson said. Kenosha Unified administrator Kris Keckler spoke during the meeting to emphasis that KTEC High School is not affiliated with KUSD. TOWN OF WATERFORD Retired businessman Greg Horeth has been selected to join the Racine County Board as the new representative for the Waterford area. The County Board chose Horeth over two other applicants Tuesday to fill the vacancy left by Supervisor Tom Hinczs death midway through his term in District 19. Horeth will serve out the remainder of the two-year term, which expires in April. The Town of Waterford resident said he feels honored to be chosen, and he already is working to orientate himself to his new role in the community. I am extremely excited about it, he said. The other applicants for the appointment were Waterford Village President Don Houston and Town of Waterford activist Ed Olender. The County Board voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Horeth on the recommendation of Board Chairman Tom Roanhouse. Supervisor Don Trottier of Racine said he is impressed by Horeths background, and he is happy to welcome the new District 19 representative to county government. His credentials are great, Trottier said. I will support him based on that. County supervisors serve two-year terms at a salary of $7,000 a year. District 19 includes the Town of Waterford, a portion of the Village of Waterford and a portion of the Village of Rochester. Horeth, 67, retired recently from the hospitality industry, where he served as an executive for hotel operator Spire Hospitality. As a town homeowner since 2013, currently residing at 29308 Forest Isle Lane, Horeth serves as chairman of the Waterford Waterway Management District. He also has been active in the Tichigan Lake Lions Club and in Waterford Balloonfest. Horeth said he has not yet identified any specific areas of interest in county government. But he looks forward to seeing his committee assignments and getting to work. Im a very proactive individual who doesnt wait for things to come to me, he said. I dont wait for things to happen. In Photos: A look at the construction of Hotel Verdant RACINE Racine Art Museum kicked off its sixth Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition 2023 on Thursday at its Wustum Museum. Held every two years, the exhibition features the works of five Racine and Kenosha artists. Four of these artists Peter Aymonin, Lisa Bigalke, Maureen Fritchen and Jojin Van Winkle are the recipients of the fellowship. Kelly Witte is the recipient of the Emerging Artist Award, which is the second time this award has been offered by RAM. The works highlighted in the exhibit represent a variety of art forms, including sculpture, digital media and printmaking. The exhibition had a lot to do with acknowledging that this corner of Southeastern Wisconsin has a lot to offer from a creative perspective, said RAMs Curator of Exhibitions Lena Vigna. After going through an application process and a juried review of their artwork in the winter, each recipient receives a monetary stipend. The artists can use the money however they choose, although Vigna said most recipients use the money to support their creations for the exhibition. During fall of the following year (a year and a half after originally applying), the artists will show their work in Wustums gallery spaces. Though the jury considers how the works will complement each other, Vigna said that because of the differences in the gallerys rooms, it also feels very much unique and special, artist to artist. The idea here, too, would be that it encourages people in the community to see the cool things going on here, Vigna said. And then also, if youre from outside of the community, that you could recognize, again, the richness and vitality of what artists are producing in the area. Indeed, the exhibition highlights the vast range of Racine artists. For Emerging Artist Award recipient Kelly Witte, participating in this exhibition is a really great opportunity for artists as it gives them a chance to create a new body of work and have their work exposed to a new audience. Witte said she was honored to receive the award, especially since some of her mentors are past recipients of the fellowship award. It definitely gives me a little more confidence in my work, she said. I received that award, and that means people think highly of my work. Creating a new body of work for this exhibition, Witte explores retro styles, colors and embellishments in her pieces, drawing stylistic inspiration from pop art, as she previously told The Journal Times, and focusing specifically on her two favorite disciplines: printmaking and painting. She also referenced her own life experiences, depicting her mother, who passed away in February 2021, in her pieces For Tomorrow May Rain So Ill Follow the Sun and A Little Sweet, A Little Sour and A Whole Lot of Salty. Witte said her mother was one of her biggest supporters when it came to (her) creative endeavors. I wanted to find a way to pay homage to her and include her in my exhibition because she obviously cant be at the exhibition, she said. So creating a piece with her image in it, its kind of a way to include her in everything. For Witte, her goal when creating these new works was just to have as much fun as possible and really push the limits with my use of color and my use of embellishments such as glitter and rhinestones. This years exhibition is also unique in that it features work from the first digital media artist to receive the fellowship. Jojin Van Winkle is a multimedia artist who frequently uses 16mm and Super 8 film cameras, high-definition video cameras, DSLRs and smartphones in her work and experiments with motion in the editing process. Van Winkle considers her digital pieces to be the second phase of three in a larger collection, The Destruction Project. The works in this iteration, Van Winkle explained, are based on augmenting a meditative experience, drawing on scenes from her neighborhood and majestic landscapes from Racine to the northwest United States. Displayed on TV screens and projected on a wall in a makeshift blackbox room at Wustum, her works emphasize natural spaces and elements, contrasting between those and a personal space. Im also working at creating the sense of the artificial because in all of them, theres an absence of people and an absence of the human impact on the natural environment, she said. This volume of Van Winkles creative works originates from her experience in isolating and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to create work that was more about being present and enjoying the present moment, as a counterpoint to the large amount of societal stress and inner stress that was heightened and perpetuated during the heart of the pandemic, Van Winkle said. Fellow recipient Peter Aymonin touched on similar themes through his artwork: colorful ceramic towers. In his earlier works, Aymonin addressed politics, but after a stroke in 2018 left him with the use of one hand, the tone of Aymonins art has shifted. Now, Aymonin wrote in his Artist Statement that his work is about process, healing and hope, and he said he wanted his work to convey peacefulness. With my art, you can look at it and ponder it and go home, he said. In his Artist Statement, Aymonin described his art as a dreamlike landscape, in which he pictures creatures some real and some fictitious navigating their way through these mountains. Aymonin added that he is also navigating the meaning of the towers. I want to enjoy the simple things, he said. A common thread throughout the fellowship artists is the prominence of the environment in their works. Printmaker Lisa Bigalkes art focuses on extinct and endangered species in North America, noting the impacts of human activities on the environment. For Bigalke, her artwork is recording these animals lives and journeys. I feel like we know what we need to do to right things for the climate, and there doesnt seem to be much interest in actually doing it, she said. So Im feeling more of a documentarian at this point. Using reduction relief printing, lithography and embroidery floss, her works in the Extinct Animal Series aim to tell the stories of animals that are already extinct, endangered ones on the brink of survival and those that have been saved. Recognizing the common theme woven between the fellowship artists works, Bigalke noted, I think mine just plays one part of many. Its really interesting to me, seeing four different visions kind of unifying around a similar theme. Maureen Fritchen, too, discusses environmental issues in her work through the materials she uses. From the hidden bases to the colorful polyethylene foam seen by viewers, she said she explicitly uses repurposed materials, only purchasing the hot glue holding the works together. For her, these repurposed materials allow her to explore the impact of consumerism. The show, I hope, will reflect that sustainability and that challenge for others to repurpose materials that come their way, she said. The RAM Artist Fellowship and Emerging Artist Exhibition 2023 will be open to the public until Nov. 25, at RAMs Wustum Museum. 1. Yes. If KHA cant continue to run it, the city should step in. Its a necessary asset to the area. 2. Yes. The city already uses it as a warming and cooling center. It would be a smart move. 3. No. It may be in the citys interest to help subsidize insurance for the center, but nothing more. 4. No. The city doesnt need the added burden of staffing and insuring the center. Its a bad idea. 5. Unsure. It may be seem like a good idea, but other options should be explored as well. Vote View Results Killeen, TX (76540) Today Periods of wind driven rain early. Remaining cloudy in the afternoon. High 46F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Low 37F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph. Nicole Kemper, of Elgin, center, holds Sparkles, the beagle she adopted a year ago from Anderson Humane in South Elgin. She attended a reunion of beagle adopters Saturday at Brilliance Subaru in Elgin, where she was joined by her granddaughter Nyla Minson, 8, from left, daughter Telena Minson, son-in-law David Minson and grandson Elijah Minson, 6, and the Rockford family's rescue dog Buttons. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) It was a special dog day of summer Saturday when more than 75 families who adopted beagles from Anderson Humane in South Elgin were reunited a year after the dogs were rescued from a Virginia testing facility. This is overwhelming, said Kevin Keefe, owner of Brilliance Subaru, which helped organize the gathering at his Elgin car dealership. Advertisement Anderson Humane took in 177 of the 4,000 dogs found at Envigo, a breeding and research facility in Cumberland, Virginia, which was shut down after the U.S. Department of Agriculture discovered myriad federal violations that resulted in the animals dying or being ill, injured or malnourished. Many of the more than 100 beagles rescued a year ago from a lab in Virginia and adopted out through Anderson Humane in South Elgin returned for an anniversary event Saturday at Brilliance Subaru in Elgin. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) The beagles were brought to South Elgin with assistance from Brilliance Subaru, Anderson CEO and president David Daubert said. Advertisement Some of the animals were collected by Anderson staff using two shelter vans while Keefe and dealership general manager Jim DaLuga drove an auto parts truck to get the rest. The trip took about 15 hours each way, Keefe said. It was intense, he said. DaLuga joked that he learned Keefe could wolf down a turkey sub sandwich in less than 10 minutes after witnessing it during one of their short driving breaks. What made the return trip harder, Keefe and DaLuga said, was the odor coming from the mistreated animals, who needs baths and medical attention. I learned the value of Vicks VapoRub. I put a little bit under my nose because the smell was a little gnarly, Keefe said. After the dogs were placed in homes, a community grew both locally and nationally among the families who adopted the Envigo beagles, with groups forming on social media to interact, Keefe and Daubert said. Greg and Lynda Ives, of Crystal Lake, pose with Gary, the beagle they adopted a year ago from Anderson Humane in South Elgin. Gary was one of 4,000 dogs rescued from a lab in Virginia, 177 of which were taken in by the animal shelter and placed in local homes. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) Several people who attended the reunion shared their stories about life with their new pets. When we showed up at Anderson at 9 a.m. on Aug. 9 (2022), we didnt know what to expect, said Greg Ives, of Crystal Lake. Gary, the beagle he and his wife, Lynda, took home was just 16 pounds, skittish and had a torn ear, he said. The dog now weighs 30 pounds. Advertisement Hes been wonderful, one of the best additions to our family, and weve had a lot of good ones, Ives told the crowd. Elgin resident Nicole Kemper, speaking offstage, said she felt compelled to add another pet to her family after hearing about the situation at Envigo. Her adopted dog, Sparkles, was initially both aggressive and timid but has since grown to love children and gets along with her other pets, including her 18-year-old miniature poodle Missy. David Daubert, CEO and president of Anderson Humane in South Elgin, donned a beagle-themed Hawaiian shirt Saturday to address a reunion of the people who adopted 177 beagles rescued last year from a facility in Virginia. The event was held at Brilliance Subaru in Elgin. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) Accompanying Kemper to the reunion were Kempers daughter and son-in-law, Telena and David Minson, and their children, Nyla, 8, and Elijah, 6. The family brought their boxer-beagle, Buttons, with them from Rockford. Its a chance for Buttons to meet other beagles. We adopted him from a shelter, Telena Minson said. Looking over the gathering, David Minson said he was impressed. Advertisement This is pretty cool, he said. Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. Omaha police arrested a man Thursday on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with the fatal shooting of 27-year-old Adrrell Taylor earlier this month. Kye Moss, 33, was arrested in Minneapolis with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department and the North Star Fugitive Task Force and will be extradited to Omaha, according to a press release from the Omaha Police Department. Moss is from Omaha, according to OPD spokesman Officer Michael Pecha. At 2:44 a.m. on Aug. 3, police responded to a shooting near 17th and S streets where they found Taylor. Taylor was taken by paramedics to the Nebraska Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Taylor left behind 5-year-old daughter, Ava. Based on the outpouring on his Facebook page, he touched a lot of other lives, too, his mother told the Omaha World-Herald after his death. He was an amazing son, an amazing brother, an amazing uncle and an absolutely amazing father, said his mother, Tammy Taylor. He was just a big supporter of anyone he came in contact with. I have so many people calling me, its unreal. Taylor was a graduate of Millard North High School, where he played offense and defense for the Mustangs. Top Journal Star photos for August 2023 Seventy-five years ago, the Jewish people of La Crosse marched the Torah down Main Street in a parade to welcome its current resting place the synagogue of the Congregation Sons of Abraham where the scrolls are still read today. A Jewish congregation has been active in La Crosse for over 150 years, occupying different spaces mostly converted homes for prayer service across the city. The members have been active in elected office, interfaith philanthropic endeavors and other community efforts. If you have a community thats 150 years old, and this latest building from 1948, were custodians of a small portion of a very long history, said Brian Serle, rabbi for the congregation. My role is to help usher that along and keep it safe. A celebration will take place Sunday at the temple at 1820 Main St., with a barbeque, live music, folk dancing, a Dunk the Rabbi tank and time capsule placed for the future. Mayor Mitch Reynolds will declare Sunday as Congregation Sons of Abraham Day with a proclamation. Congregation members participate in key roles in the community, including elected office at the county and city level, as well as share community values of commitment to prosperity, health, collective wisdom and the forward success of La Crosse, the proclamation reads. The congregation is the only one in Driftless region, providing religious connection for people from as far away as Winona, Lanesboro and Viroqua. Because it is the only congregation and synagogue, Serle said they accommodate a wide range of Jewish denominations from reform to more conservatively religious members. Changing congregation Over the century and a half of Jewish community, much has changed in the congregation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shabbat services on Friday night and Saturday morning shifted to Zoom. The congregation has kept up with streaming services so its accessible for far away congregants or older folks, Serle said. On most Shabbat mornings, there will be people both in synagogue and online for the service. There are also more interfaith families than ever before, with at least half of the congregations families being interfaith, according to Serle. Serle said these families appreciate the congregation and Torah school as a way for their children to learn about Jewish traditions, customs and text, as well as other Jewish kids. The Jewish population is constantly changing and evolving in La Crosse due to the influx of students and industries. Weve had that constant refreshing of our population, Serle said. Older people have died or moved away to be near their grandchildren. We lost some people, but whats great about this town is theres a lot of employers here, large companies and three colleges that attract people from other places. Interfaith connection Since moving to the area four years ago, Serle has preached at more thanb 30 churches in the area to teach about Judaism and the practices. Other faiths, churches and schools have asked the rabbi to teach or preach, which was a welcomed surprise for Serle. I started getting calls, Rabbi, my Sunday School here at Faith Lutheran would like to come visit your synagogue on Sunday, even comparative religions class at Viterbo wanted to bring me in for a two-hour discussion of what Judaism is, Serle said. Serle has also been amazed, and actively involved in, interfaith community and philanthropic work, such as Mobile Meals, Hunger Walk and the La Crosse County Jail Ministry. Together, the faith groups have worked on issues such as hunger and homelessness. As part of the Jail Ministry, Serle and other faith leaders have helped formerly incarcerated people apply for jobs, prepare for and take to job interviews. Its really been very rewarding. The interfaith community is really committed to making a difference, Serle said. Weve been a strong part of the community for a long time, since the city was founded. Dani Peterslie and her sister, Azia Thelemann, have opened the Keeper Goods Co. boutique in the renovated former Masonic Temple building at 330 Main St. in downtown Onalaska. They describe the store, which opened Aug. 15, as a Midwestern-inspired lifestyle boutique. It mostly sells womens apparel, jewelry and accessories, but it also has childrens games and books and there are plans to add a small mens section and more clothing that both men and women might wear. Keeper Goods also has home goods and bath and body products, some of which are made in the area. Peterslie and Thelemann also own the Drift Mercantile Co. local gifts and dry goods shop at 211 Pearl St. in downtown La Crosse and have major roles in other shops on that block that have been operated by their parents, T.J. and Michelle Peterslie. Scout Mayer manages both Drift Mercantile and Keeper Goods. The two sisters and their parents bought the Onalaska building in the spring of 2022 and extensively renovated it, Dani Peterslie said. The building was constructed in 1882, according to Wisconsin Historical Society records. We had originally planned to open (Keeper Goods) in downtown La Crosse, Thelemann said. We incorporated even before COVID. We ended up not finding (an available downtown La Crosse building) that felt right. As for merchandise, she said, Were focusing on things that seem to be higher quality but also have an affordable kind of Midwest price point. The stores grand opening celebration will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, with in-store specials, a giveaway and Pearl Ice Cream while it lasts. Regular hours at Keeper Goods are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday. Customers also can buy merchandise online at www.keepergoods.com. For more information, call the store at 608-790-9494 or visit its website or Facebook page. The La Crosse/Onalaska area soon will have a second Bath & Body Works store. The Skechers shoe store at 9402 State Road 16, between Target and Kohls in the Pralle Center in Onalaska, is about to be remodeled into a Bath & Body Works store thats expected to open this fall. And the Bath & Body Works store in Valley View Mall in La Crosse will remain open even after the new Onalaska store opens, said Emmy Beach, a spokeswoman for the chain, which is based in Columbus, Ohio. The Pralle Center location at 9402 Highway 16 is projected to open in late fall, Beach said. Bath & Body Works describes itself on its website as a global leader in personal care and home fragrance products. It has more than 1,800 company-operated locations in the United State and Canada and more than 435 international franchised locations. The Skechers store opened in August 2021. The shoe store is closing at the end of August and The lease has expired, Jennifer Clay, a spokeswoman at Skechers corporate office in the Los Angeles suburb of Manhattan Beach, Calif., told me Wednesday. At this time, we dont have plans for another store in this area that I know of, but the company is always looking for opportunities, she said.onl On Friday morning, I saw the large Skechers sign on the exterior of the Onalaska store being removed, and I saw that store was no longer on the companys online listing of Wisconsin stores. Julie and Tyrell Gebczyk opened their new Sassy Girl Aroma store on Aug. 15 at 1102 Superior Ave. in downtown Tomah. Theyve been selling their products online since 2010. Sassy Girl Aroma sells wax melts, perfumes and warmers. The new store has a perfume bar where people can design their own perfume. Candles will be coming soon. Highly scented wax melts made by Sassy Girl Aroma have been sold to customers around the world, such as people in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Japan. The Gebczyks, who live near Tomah, said hours at their new store are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday. Its been a dream of mine to own my own brick and mortar store, Julie Gebczyk said. For more information, call 608-567-0043 or visit www.sassygirlaroma.com or Facebook. The news that Heilemans Old Style is returning to be brewed in La Crosse again was happy news to me, as I imagine it has been to many if not most residents in the city. I spent the first 12 years of my life growing up three blocks from the brewery, and many in that neighborhood worked there, so its history and legacy means something to me. I am an old man now, and I have not lived in La Crosse for 58 years, since I transferred from La Crosse State, as it was called then, to the University of Wisconsin for my last two years of college. When I read about Old Styles return, it rekindled a small mystery and a question that have nagged at my curiosity for nearly 30 years. Old Style town After I received a journalism degree from the UW in 1967, I went directly to work for the Chicago Tribune, a job that I did not leave for the next 45 years until I retired in 2012. Chicago, I discovered as I settled in there, was an Old Style town. It was the citys most popular beer, thanks to its long-time sponsorship of the Chicago Cubs, and Old Style signs hung in front of bars and restaurants there just as ubiquitously as they did in La Crosse. For most of the past 20 years of my career I reported on natural sciences and cultural affairs in Chicago. It was an assignment that gave me an incredible opportunity in 1995 to go to Antarctica and the South Pole. Scientists I had been writing about urged me to apply for one of three spots awarded to journalists each year by the U.S. Antarctic program to go there to report on U.S.-sponsored scientific work there. With the backing of my sponsors, I won one of the three spots. I still have family in La Crosse and many, many dear friends there, so I return relatively frequently. It always feels like home, as it remains the place that is most familiar to me. Before leaving for Antarctica, I came home for a visit. Because so few people get the opportunity to work in or visit the South Pole, at most a perhaps a couple hundred a year, I wondered if anybody from La Crosse had been there before me. I wanted to take something with from my hometown while I was at the pole, so I visited my old friends at Salem Markos and Sons store on Pearl Street. I asked if they had a sweatshirt or a T-shirt that had La Crosse in large print on it. Indeed, they had a T-shirt with La Crosse Wisconsin emblazoned in across the chest, and I bought it and took it to Antarctica. South Pole My first couple of weeks there I spent on other parts of the continent visiting various scientific camps. I finally boarded a big Navy propeller transport plane at McMurdo, the main U.S. Antarctic base, for a bumpy flight of several hours to the South Pole. It was December, the middle of Antarcticas summer, which means six months of continuous, 24-hour-a-day sunlight. Arriving there was so surreal it was almost unnerving, the very bottom of the world in a camp that sits atop ice more than 9,000 feet deep. The balmy summer temperature hovered at 45 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The station was a group of utilitarian buildings housing various scientific projects and heavily insulated sleeping tents surrounding a huge, very unworldly geodesic dome designed by Buckminister Fuller. Under the unheated dome were several large metal buildings similar to big mobile homes, serving as administrative offices, dispensary and clinic, food hall and a recreation hall. Huge tunnels bored into the ice so that they radiated out under the perimeter of the dome held permanently frozen food stuffs and other supplies. The whole camp was abuzz with activity as workers unloaded a steady stream of cargo planes bearing supplies being stockpiled for the upcoming winter. Thats when a small crew of about two dozen scientists and support staff would be trapped there for six months in continuous winter darkness under the dome as they conducted scientific studies. The planes also disgorged construction material and components for scientific work for crews of expert technicians and scientists to put together for the coming winter undertakings. I spent most of my time tracking down and interviewing the scientists I needed to show me their work and technical set-ups, mainly astronomers who used the six-month winter darkness for viewing in the most unspoiled atmosphere on Earth. Special Export On one of my first few days there, I found a couple hours of nothing to do, so I nosed around the station under the dome, eventually finding the recreation area. It was deserted; a spartan room with tables and chairs that might seat 20 or 30 people, but with a fully furnished bar. And what was above the bar astonished me: A large Heilemans Special Export light fixture, the same one I had seen countless times hanging over the Third Street beer bars when I was a college student in La Crosse and, as a young reporter in Chicago, in my favorite bars there. Special Export was always my beer of choice in those days. So, evidently I was not the first person from La Crosse to visit the South Pole. Somebody was there before me and for far longer, perhaps a scientist or somebody working on a support crew for the scientific work. I asked around. Nobody knew where the light fixture came from, who brought it or how long it had been there. It was just there. And that was that. By that time the geodesic dome had been in service for decades and was wearing out. Worse, it was gradually becoming covered by the relentless accretions of ice, doomed to be buried in it eventually. Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and a group of his countrymen were the first humans to stand at the South Pole, Dec. 14, 1911, almost exactly 85 years before I stood there. Those plucky Norwegians, however, had a much more difficult time getting there than me. Whatever they left behind of their camp gradually was covered with ice and now likely sits hundreds of feet below the surface. Facility replacement When I was there in 1995, plans already were afoot to replace the dome with a new, more accommodating station. As luck would have it, I was invited back to do more reporting in Antarctica and at the South Pole 11 years later. The new station, a more conventional building on stilts was in service, and the geodesic dome was abandoned. At one point, the station chief, an alum of UW-Plattville, heard I had been in the old dome when it was still in use, and he took me inside it to have a look around. All the buildings had been dismantled, as I remember it, and whatever material was not usable in the new facility was stacked in piles. Some was eventually stored in tunnels beneath the facility and some was flown back to the U.S. for disposal. The dome itself was brought back by the U.S. Navy Seabees. What became of the Special Export bar fixture? Who knows? Who brought it there in the first place? I guess I will never know. As for that La Crosse T-shirt, I put it on one day and got somebody to go with me to the ceremonial South Pole, a candy striped pole with a globe on top sitting in the ice away from the station. I unzipped and opened my heavy coat momentarily so the T-shirt and I could be photographed next to the pole. What happened to that photograph? Like accretions of ice burying Amundsens camp, my photo is lost under accretions of lifes detritus in some closet, likely, also, never to be seen again. Places of the past: Heileman Brewery 1957: Old Style newspaper advertisement 1969: Strike 1970: World's Largest Six Pack 1972: Brewery expansion 1973: New York Stock Exchange 1976: Tasting 1977: 6 million barrels 1979: King Gambrinus 1982: New brewhouse 1984: Old Style L.A. 1985: Beer spill 1994: Heileman's free water 1999: City Brewery 2000: City Brewery Lake Geneva officials have decided to discontinue a proposed trail extension project that has caused concern among residents for more than a year. Members of the Lake Geneva City Council unanimously approved, Aug. 14, to not continue with the South Street trail extension project and a grant application to help fund the project. Whether to continue with the project and grant application has been a topic of debate among city aldermen during the past couple of months. The City of Lake Geneva received a $835,316 transportation alternatives program grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in 2020 to help fund the project. Plans for the proposed project was set to include extending the South Street bicycle trail, which runs near Badger High School and Lake Geneva Middle School, by about 1.5 miles. The extended trail would have led to a proposed future Geneva Lakes YMCA campus located near the intersection of Highway H and Highway 120, as well as west along South Street and at Lake Shore Drive leading to Big Foot Beach State Park. Several residents who live near South Street had expressed concerns related to the project including tree removal, potential water runoff, traffic concerns and the width of the trail, which was set to be about 10 feet. Members of the Lake Geneva City Council approved several revisions to the plan September 2022 to help address the residents concerns, and to have City Administrator Dave Nord discuss revised plans and grant application with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Also in September 2022, city aldermen approved to halt outside spending on the trail extension project until the revised plans and grant application were approved by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Nord advised the aldermen during the city council public works committee meeting, June 26, that the Wisconsin Department of Transportation wanted the city to submit the revised plans for the project to determine whether they were going to approve the revised plan and grant application. Since that time, whether to submit the revised plans and grant application has gone back and forth among the city council committees. Submitting the revised plans and grant application would have cost the city between $20,000 and $30,000. The public works committee approved, June 26, to submit the revised plans and grant application to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Members of the finance, licensing and regulation committee approved, July 5, to send the item back to the public works committee for further review and discussion. The public works committee unanimously recommended, July 24, to discontinue the trail extension project and grant application. Members of the full city council supposedly put the issue to rest, Aug. 14, by approving to discontinue the South Street trail extension project and the transportation alternatives program grant. Alderwoman Shari Straube said she feels some type of bicycle or pedestrian path should be installed along South Street for safety reasons but feels it would be better to establish a trail on the south side of the street instead of the north side where the proposed trail was set to be located, because it would not have as much of an affect on residents. The fact that there isnt a bike or pedestrian lane on that road makes me nervous but I understand the residents dont want it in their front yard and dont want their trees taken down, Straube said. I wish we could put it on the south side of the road but unfortunately that cant happen and since that cant happen I feel we should probably table this for now. I dont know if theres a way to ever put it on the south side of the road where it is more logical and it wouldnt cause all the trees on the north side to be taken down. Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said city officials should have done a better job of informing residents about the project from the beginning. We would like to think we did do that but obviously we didnt. They were notified by separate meetings where people showed up, and they started asking questions and putting things together, Fesenmaier said. So hopefully we can learn that lesson that when we do these grants and when they do impact people directly, we need to make a special effort to send information by multiple means and communications so that people are aware. Fesenmaier said she would like the city to consider working on other safety-related projects near South Street including establishing crosswalks across South Street from Lake Geneva Boulevard and Bonnie Brae Lane; making intersections on Bloomfield Road, Wells Street and South Street more accessible to residents with disabilities; and establishing sidewalks along Badger High School near the auditorium and near the Family Apartments. She said she would like to start discussing those projects during the Aug. 28 public works committee meeting. Fesenmaier said she appreciates the residents for expressing their concerns to city aldermen during the past year. I applaud the people on South Street for continuously coming to make sure we understand what you live with along that road because we dont, Fesenmaier said. We can travel it, we can walk it, we can ride it, but they live there. So they were in a unique position to inform us. Alderwoman Linda Frame also thanked the residents for presenting their concerns to the city council. She said discontinuing the project and grant application would help ease the residents concerns. None of us can imagine what you have been going through, Frame said. You have been hoping for so long that this would stop. I believe this is the right action to be done. We need to be done with this grant. We need to let these people live in their homes and be happy and rest, and we will all have a block party. I believe this is the best decision we could make for these people. Several residents who live near South Street attended the Aug. 14 city council meeting to ask the aldermen to not continue with the project and grant application. Kelly Nickel of Lake Geneva asked the council members to discontinue the grant and focus on other safety-related projects that need to be completed near Lake Geneva Middle School and Badger High School. Were going in the wrong direction that we need to go which is to improve the safety of the intersections closer to the schools, Nickel said. If we move forward with this grant, were still in the maybe position for God knows how long. We would still be, beholden to what the state wants us to do to fulfill those conditions of the grant. I think were being held back down from doing what we need to do which is to improve the safety of those sidewalks and intersections for students. Lois Preusser of Lake Geneva also asked the council members to discontinue the trail project and work on other projects that need to be completed near South Street. Lets use the remaining balance to move forward with improving the intersections near the schools instead of spending more money on getting over hurdles to create an off-street path that would distract from the character of South Street, Preusser said. Joseph Rowell of Lake Geneva also asked the aldermen to end the trail project and grant application. The grant needs to be returned so we can finally put this issue to rest, Rowell said. A Chicago man is accused of breaking into a Gary womans house to beat her with his fists and a gun last month. Aaron Jones was charged with domestic battery by means of a deadly weapon, a Level 5 felony; domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 5 felony; domestic battery with bodily injury to a pregnant woman, a Level 5 felony; domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury, a Level 6 felony; domestic battery committed in the presence of a child less than 16 years old, a Level 6 felony; and residential entry breaking and entering, a Level 6 felony. Advertisement On July 8, Gary police officers were dispatched to the 4900 block of Kentucky Street to investigate a home invasion and domestic battery incident, according to the probable cause affidavit. A caller told police that a man entered through the garage door and was trying to kick down another door. Officers saw a silver Chrysler 300 with Illinois plates in the driveway, saw the damaged garage door and could hear yelling, court records state. An officer entered the residence and saw a man holding a black gun in his hand. He ordered the man to drop his gun and to get on the ground, records state. Advertisement Police saw a woman who was bleeding from the head. She said that she was six months pregnant and that Jones attacked her, the affidavit states. She told police that she argued with Jones on July 7, telling him that she did not want him in her home. A relative told Jones that she wasnt home but he proceeded to physically raise the garage door, damaging it in the process, in order to gain entry, records state. He then kicked in a door to the home. The woman went upstairs to hide in a bedroom closet, but Jones found her and started hitting her in the head and face with his fists, court records state. A relative located the womans handgun and pointed it at Jones to stop him but he took the gun away and started beating the woman in the head with the gun. The woman suffered blood and swelling on her face and cuts on both her hands, the affidavit states. She told police that before he broke the garage door, Jones tried to break into the front door, climb through a window and break the back door. She hid her children in another room, records state. The woman received treatment at Methodist Hospital, including staples in her head, sutures to her right hand and she suffered a fractured left ring finger. Putin Tells BRICS-Plus, Russia Was Prepared To Provide Africa with Food, Energy and Development Aug. 25, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Addressing the BRICS-Plus meeting remotely on Aug. 24, the closing day of the BRICS Summit, President Vladimir Putin said that Russia was prepared to offer its resources to meet the food and energy needs of Africa and the developing countries. He described the importance of the BRICS Johannesburg summit as a part of the emergence of a new world order. The countries of the so-called Golden Billion have gone to great lengths to preserve the unipolar world as it used to be. It suits them, and they are the ones who benefit from it. They are trying to substitute international law with their own rules-based order, as they call it, but no one has seen these rules. At the same time, they use these rules in the pursuit of their self-serving objectives and change them whenever it suits their political agenda, whenever they like, and in any way that suits the interests of specific countries, he said. He remarked that he had met with some African leaders in July at the Russia-Africa Forum in St. Petersburg. Our country has been paying special attention to ensuring food and fertilizer supplies to African countries and the global markets in general. In other words, we use all the opportunities at our disposal to contribute to the global efforts to fight hunger and prevent a food crisis. Luckily, Russia has produced record grain harvests for the second year in a row. He reiterated his pledge to provide each of six African nations 25,000-50,000 tons of grain, delivering it for free. He said the arrangements are now under negotiation. In addition to grain, President Putin also underlined the tremendous natural resources in Russia available for the world: Experts have calculated that by 2050, the global population will increase by 1.7 billion people, while global demand for energy will be up by 22% with this demand mostly driven by the least developed and developing countries. Therefore, it is obvious that there will be no alternative to hydrocarbon fuel in the foreseeable future. This does not mean that we do not need to accomplish the energy transition, but the transition to a low-carbon economy must be gradual, balanced and carefully prepared, taking into consideration specific national contexts and capabilities. Putin further explained: Russia, along with its BRICS partners, certainly supports technological cooperation on equal terms in renewable energy as well as in other important areas, including the development of new types of nuclear reactors, the promotion of hydrogen technologies, and so on, for example, hydropower. By the way, Africa is our priority partner in these areas as well. Russia is currently involved in more than 30 promising energy projects in Africa, which are at various stages of development. We are active in 16 countries. For example, Rosatom is building the Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt. The total capacity of the power projects we are promoting is about 3.7 gigawatts. He noted that Russia will take over to preside over BRICS in 2024, and host the next BRICS Summit, Representing our colleagues, we will prioritize expanding ties with the countries that are joining us in the BRICS-Plus/Outreach format. The Summit will take place in Kazan, where President Putin will not be under the gun of Western threats, which had prevented his participation in Johannesburg. Chinas President Xi Commits to Africa Modernization, Amidst a More Just International Order Aug. 25, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)Speaking at the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue on Aug. 24, which followed the Aug. 22-24 BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinas President Xi Jinping gave an overview and details of upcoming activities and commitments, under the title, Joining Hands To Advance Modernization and Create a Great Future for China and Africa. He co-moderated the Leaders Dialogue with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose office reports that China initiated the idea for such a roundtable. Presidents Ramaphosa and Xi issued a joint statement. Xi Jinping expressed his great joy at returning to Africa (his 10th visit), after five years. He praised Africas strides on the path of independence, noting that it now was becoming an important pole with great influence. While China was moving toward its Second Centenary Goal of building a modern socialist country in all respects, Africa was moving toward the bright prospects envisioned in the African Unions Agenda 2063. China and Africa must work together to create a sound environment for realizing our respective development visions, Xi said. The many institutions he named, through collaboration will progress, are the Belt and Road, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), and many African agencies, including the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, and the African Union of Broadcasting. President Xi declared: To chart the course for our practical cooperation in the next stage and help Africa bring its integration and modernization into a fast track, I wish to make the following three proposals: China will launch the Initiative on Supporting Africas Industrialization. China will better harness its resources for cooperation with Africa and the initiative of businesses to support Africa in growing its manufacturing sector and realizing industrialization and economic diversification. In implementing the nine programs under the FOCAC framework, China will channel more resources of assistance, investment and financing toward programs for industrialization. China will launch the Plan for China Supporting Africas Agricultural Modernization. China will help Africa expand grain plantation, encourage Chinese companies to increase agricultural investment in Africa, and enhance cooperation with Africa on seed and other areas of agro-technology, to support Africa in transforming and upgrading its agricultural sector. China will host the second Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Agriculture in Hainan this November. To help Africa tackle the current food crisis, China will provide additional emergency food assistance to African countries in need. More importantly, China has confidence that Africa will attain food self-sufficiency through its own efforts. China will launch the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development. China plans to train 500 principals and high-caliber teachers of vocational colleges every year, and 10,000 technical personnel with both Chinese language and vocational skills for Africa. China will invite 20,000 government officials and technicians of African countries to participate in workshops and seminars. To support Africa in strengthening education and innovation, we will launch the China-Africa Universities 100 Cooperation Plan and 10 pilot exchange programs of China-Africa partner institutes. President Xi said that China-Africa collaboration involves working together to promote a just and equitable international order, opposing vestiges of colonialism and hegemonism in all forms. The two sides should also work together to safeguard a peaceful and secure global environment.... Africa is working unremittingly for the goal of silencing the guns, he said, referring to Africas proposals for peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Thirdly, the two sides should be working together to build an open and inclusive world economy. He went on: The world today is undergoing transformation and turmoil, and changes unseen in a century are unfolding at a faster pace. At this point of history, we all face the tasks of how to address the deficit in development, overcome security challenges and enhance mutual learning between civilizations. In view of this, I have put forward the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, called for peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, and advocated building a community with a shared future for mankind. These proposals have received the extensive support of African countries. China and Africa, through our creative explorations for modernization, are giving our answers to the questions of our times, and making joint efforts to advance the great endeavors of win-win cooperation, harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity of civilizations. The African leaders spoke highly of the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue and thanked China for supporting African integration and assisting African countries in times of need. They commended Chinas new initiatives and expressed support for the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative put forward by President Xi. In his concluding comments, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa underlined, Sustained engagement with China as one of the supporters of strategic development projects is critical. ... We have acknowledged the importance of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation as a means of deepening collaboration in the cause of development. The next meeting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation will take place in 2024 in China. EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 26, 2023 Celebrate the Shift to Development; Commit To Defeating Its Enemies Aug. 25, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)As it can sometimes happen, as if providentially, the personal and the historical come together in a moment of great happiness. Today is a special birthday of Schiller Institute founder and leader Helga Zepp-LaRouche, which caps off a week of momentous events, shifting the world onto the direction of economic development, justice and peace, which she has championed for a lifetime, alongside her husband Lyndon LaRouche. In South Africa this week, the five BRICS nations met (Aug. 22-24) and expanded their ranks with six new member nations (Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., and Argentina), acting on the side of commitment to global betterment. This must be seen as just the beginning of a new phase of international collaboration. An expression of this is the institutional commitment made at the Aug. 24 BRICS-Plus meeting by other associations to collaborate with the expanding BRICS, for economic and all-around development. ASEAN current chairman Indonesian President Joko (Jokowi) Widodo attended the BRICS meetings in person, and spoke of the mutual gain from the BRICS and ASEAN collaborating. He also made a state visit to African nationshis first as Presidentto Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya, to confer on trade and other plans. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, currently chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), spoke by video at the BRICS-Plus meeting, and raised various ways of collaboration between the SCO and BRICS-Plus, including their participation in the 2024 Kazakhstan SCO Digital Silk Road event. In a dramatic affirmation of the BRICS process, India on Aug. 23, landed a spacecraft on the Moon, an achievement embodying the interests of all humanity, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi said within minutes of its landing. Earlier in the week, the Russian mission for a Moon landing did not succeed, but Russias revival of its lunar and space program is itself a success, and likewise a benefit for all humanity. Last night, its robotic Russian Progress cargo spacecraft delivered nearly three tons of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), on schedule and on target. It was announced today that the U.S. and Russia have agreed, despite all conflict, that there will be an additional flight for an American astronaut on board Russias Soyuz MS spacecraft, in the ongoing cross-sharing of personnel on ISS trips. Also, as an outstanding indicator of epochal change, the world now has on its agenda, the full and rapid industrialization of the whole continent of Africa. This includes the full range of activity from advanced manufacturing, to food self-sufficiency, to high-technology power and scientific research. Yesterday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chinese President Xi Jinping co-hosted the China-Africa Leaders Dialogue. President Ramaphosa stressed the point of infrastructure. President Xi gave a presentation titled, Joining Hands to Advance Modernization To Create a Great Future for China and Africa. He presented specifics in three areas of modernizationindustrialization, agriculture production, and a mobilization for talent. Xi announced major new programs, for example, for inviting 20,000 government and other leaders to China for workshops, and providing advanced training for 10,000 persons in technical skills. The China-Africa Leaders Dialogue comes on the heels of the Russia-Africa Summit at St. Petersburg, committed to economic growth. This week, President Vladimir Putin reiterated key commitments for development, in a video address to the BRICS-Plus meeting yesterday. Calling Africa a priority partner, he said, Russia is currently involved in more than 30 promising energy projects in Africa, which are at various stages of development. We are active in 16 countries. For example, Rosatom is building the El Dabaa nuclear power plant in Egypt. The total capacity of the power projects we are promoting is about 3.7 gigawatts. Components and blueprints for this approach have been put forward for decades by Lyndon LaRouche and Helga Zepp-LaRouche, most notably beginning with the book, The Industrialization of Africa: Fusion Energy Foundation in 1980 (New York: Campaigner Publications, 1980). In 2017, the Schiller Institute released a special report, Extending the New Silk Road to West Asia and Africa: A Vision of an Economic Renaissance by Hussein Askary and Jason Ross. The terrible paradox we face at this moment is that with this current surge in momentum for realization of world development comes increased danger from the enemies of humanity, who are escalating their provocations and conflict to the point of triggering nuclear annihilation. This threat was part of the evaluation given today by Zepp-LaRouche, in a working meeting of the International Peace Coalition (IPC), conferring on how to forcefully expand against the danger. The Sept. 9 international, online conference hosted by the Schiller Institute is an important part of the upcoming action calendar, which includes activities on Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. One powerful call to action comes from the film, 8:15 Hiroshima: from Father to Daughter, being shown on PBS TV, and viewed at todays IPC meeting. See the trailer. It is with very best birthday wishes to Helga Zepp-LaRouche, that we commit to ending the horrors facing mankind and to bringing about a new era for the common good of all. A beautiful birthday message was issued today from Sergey Glazyev (in Russian) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, posted on his Telegram channel: Hi there! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between persons and people. Question: Hello, My name is Richard. I am from Uruguay. I would like to ask you about the differences between persons and people. I learned that I have to use "people" as a plural of "person," however I saw that in English sometimes they write "persons" as a plural instead of "people." Thanks in advance, Richard Answer Thank you for writing to us, Richard. This is a great question. Both words are the plural form of person, but we use them in different situations. Lets explore each word further. Persons A person is a noun meaning an individual human. Person is in the singular form. In English, we do have a plural form of that word, which is persons. Although we do not use it much in everyday speech, the word persons is often used in law, especially when talking about missing persons or persons of interest. Police said they are seeking three persons of interest possibly in connection with the robbery. People and Peoples Most often, we use the word people to mean multiple or a group of humans. It is the most common plural form of person. The word is a countable noun. And, although people is defined as many humans, it is not a collective noun. Collective nouns describe many individuals who form a group. There were 50 people picking apples at the orchard. Susan enjoys being around a lot of people. We often use the word people when talking about one ethnic group or nationality. The Ukrainian people celebrate their independence day on August 24th. Sometimes you may see peoples, with an s. We use peoples when we are talking about different ethnic groups in the same area. The peoples of the Caucasus are spread over six countries and include more than 50 ethnic groups. Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you, Richard. Do you have a question about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And thats Ask a Teacher. Im Faith Pirlo. Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. _________________________________________________ Words in This Story orchard n. an area of land on which fruit trees are grown Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. An exhibition of war stories and artwork from children in Ukraine recently opened in the Netherlands. The event is being held in Amsterdam, where Anne Frank wrote her famous World War II diaries as she hid her family from Nazi occupiers. The exhibition, called War Diaries, shows the experiences of children caught in the war in Ukraine. The conflict began when Russian forces invaded the country in February 2022. Khrystyna Khranovska developed the idea for the show. She said it is meant to describe the pains of war through the children's eyes. Khranovska added, It strikes into the very heart of every adult to be aware of the suffering and grief that the Russian war has brought our children. The exhibition includes notes like those written by Anne Frank in the Amsterdam home where she hid with her family from the Nazis during World War II. The show shares the stories Ukrainian children have faced during the war, as told in writings, photos and video. Among those taking part was Mykola Kostenko. The boy, who is now 15, spent 21 days surrounded by Russian forces in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol. Kostenko created drawings with pen and paper torn from notebooks. One of them showed the small basement where he and his family sheltered from Russian forces before they fled the city. Kostenko told the Associated Press, I put my soul into all of these pictures because this is what I lived through in Mariupol. What I saw, what I heard. So, this is my experience, and this is my hope. Katya Taylor is a curator for the exhibition, meaning she helps collect the materials included in the show. She said she thinks the diaries and artwork are useful tools for helping the children deal with the harmful effects of war. Kostenko said drawing and painting helped calm him and provided a healing effect. It also was an instrument to save the emotions that I lived through. For me to remember them in the future because its important, he added. Ukrainian officials have estimated that more than 500 children have been killed during the war. In addition, the United Nations childrens agency, UNICEF, estimates about 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health problems. The youngest diarist was 10-year-old Yehor Kravtsov, who also lived in Mariupol. In writing appearing next to the diary, he describes his dream of becoming a builder. But he said his experience living through the war changed his mind. Kravtsov wrote, "When we got out from the basement during the occupation ... I was very hungry, I decided to become a chef to feed the whole world." Im Bryan Lynn. The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story exhibition n. an event at which objects such as paintings are shown to the public diary n. a book containing information about meetings and other things to remember Nazi adj. related to the National Socialist German Workers Party which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945 grief n. very great sadness, especially at the death of someone soul n. the spiritual part of a person which is not material and is believed by many to be eternal basement n. the area in a house that is below ground post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) n. a mental condition in which a person suffers severe nervousness and depression after a very frightening or shocking experience A man crashed into one vehicle, fled the scene, then hit a concrete barrier in a St. John McDonalds parking lot last month, according to Lake County court records. Michael E. Phelps, 54, of Boswell, Indiana, is charged with battery against a public safety official, a Level 6 felony; operating a vehicle with an ACE of .08 or more but where defendant has a prior conviction, a Level 6 felony; and a litany of misdemeanors including OWI, resisting law enforcement, and leaving the scene of an accident. Advertisement Around 6:17 p.m. on July 23, St. John Police received a call about a red Subaru Impreza driving all over the road near 101st Avenue and Wicker Avenue, according to the probable cause affidavit. Another call alerted police that the car had made a U-turn, traveled south on Wicker Avenue, struck a vehicle and later hit a concrete barrier behind McDonalds. Callers described the suspect as an older white male with a dark tank top and white facial hair, records state. Police arrived at the McDonalds where the Subaru was pressed against the concrete barrier. Advertisement The suspect, later identified as Phelps, was standing outside the vehicle but reached inside the passenger seat, court records state. Police told him to stop reaching in the car but he didnt comply. Police grabbed Phelps and placed him against the car, the affidavit states. Police later found a handgun in a backpack on the passenger seat. Phelps resisted the officer, refusing to give the officer his hands, records state. The officer lowered Phelps to the ground, attempting to handcuff him, but Phelps tried rolling away from the officer. The officer cuffed Phelps and double locked them, court records state. The officers body camera was not activated and flew off his chest as soon as he applied force to Phelps, but once the officer realized that, he picked it up and activated it. The officer asked Phelps to get up off the ground, but he refused to stand so the officer physically picked him up, the affidavit states. The officer observed that Phelps was extremely unsteady and had to be held so he wouldnt fall over. The officer smelled a strong odor of alcohol on Phelps breath. His eyes were watery and bloodshot and his face was flushed and red, records state. The officer tried to speak with Phelps but he could barely string a few words together and his speech was extremely slurred. When the officer asked where he was, Phelps thought he was in Lafayette, court records state. Police spoke with the driver whose car Phelps struck, who said he was stopped at the Wicker and 96th Place intersection, facing south, when Phelps struck the rear of his car and fled from the scene. The driver followed Phelps down a private road near Crew Car Wash, where Phelps drove off the road and into a concrete barrier, records state. Police searched the inside of Phelps car, where they found multiple empty and full vodka shooters on the front passenger floorboard. Advertisement Police took Phelps to Franciscan Health St. Anthony in Crown Point, where he was belligerent to staff and kicked the officer, the affidavit states. Phelps initially refused a test of his alcohol level, but staff conducted a toxicology screen, which will be analyzed by the state lab. In September 2022, Phelps was convicted of operating while intoxicated in Warren Circuit Court and his drivers license status was listed as conditional, records state. A Fitchburg man and woman who lived together at a home on Rimrock Road were identified Friday as the persons who were found dead on Aug. 19 in what police said was an apparent murder-suicide. The Dane County Medical Examiners Office said Jacqueline Kadinger, 39, died from homicidal firearm-related trauma and Weston Schutz, 38, died from firearm-related trauma. A search warrant filed by police on Monday, but not made available for viewing by the Clerk of Courts office until Thursday, states that family members of Schutz and Kadinger called police with concerns after the couple had not been heard from recently. Police entered the home in 2800 block of Rimrock Road after nobody answered knocks on the door and police could not see into the home, the search warrant states. Schutzs mother told police she had last heard from her son on Aug. 14. Kadingers father told police he had last heard from her on Aug. 16, while her mother had last heard from her on Aug. 17, according to the warrant. When police entered the home, officers found the two bodies in different rooms. State Journal reporter Melissa Renee Perry contributed to this report. This State Journal editorial ran on Aug. 26, 1948: The Dane County Board will meet Friday night to make a final decision on construction of a joint City-County Building. Last July 30, supervisors approved the plan by a 44-34 vote. Supervisors will vote Friday on reconsidering that July 30 decision. For the life of us, we can think of no valid reason why the County Boards approval of the joint building should be reconsidered. We hope that the 44 supervisors who voted for the project will stick to their guns and vote against reconsideration. For 16 years, Dane County citizens urban and rural alike have been discussing all possible angles of the proposal to house city of Madison and Dane County governments in a single building. There has been a lot of oratory and a lot of name-calling from both sides, and some unpleasantness that could have been avoided. There has been unjust suspicion and misunderstandings. But the majority of the County Board last July 30 set aside that past feud and indicated a willingness to go ahead on a sounds and sensible building program that will benefit all of the countys citizens. The boards majority, conscious of the 20% to 25% savings that can be accomplished through construction of a joint governmental building, cast a verdict that was applauded by all citizens who look with skepticism on rising tax bills. Last month, members of the Dane County Board rose above the status of courthouse politicians and cast a vote for the general public welfare. We hope county supervisors hold fast to their previous stand. SEVERE WEATHER CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. At least seven tornadoes touched down in Michigan as part of severe storms that killed five people, downed trees, tore roofs off buildings and left hundreds of thousands of customers without power, officials said. The National Weather Service on Friday said an EF-2 tornado with a maximum wind speed of 125 mph struck Lansing, the state capital, killing one person Thursday night and injuring three others. Lansing Police Department spokesperson Jordan Gulkis said an 84-year-old woman died after a tree fell on a home. The weather service also confirmed that an EF-1 tornado with winds of 90 mph crossed from Ingham County into adjacent Livingston County on Thursday night. Four other EF-1 tornadoes were reported in Belleville and Gibraltar in Wayne County, and in South Rockwood and near Newport in Monroe County. A weaker EF-0 tornado with peak winds of 80 mph was on the ground for less than two miles in Wayne County's Canton Township, west of Detroit, the weather service said. That tornado caused a tree to fall into a house, meteorologist Sara Schultz said. The weather service office in Grand Rapids in western Michigan said officials would be in the field Friday conducting damage surveys on a suspected tornado in Kent County. The storms featured lightning displays erupting across the night sky and dumped multiple inches of rain on communities across the lower portion of the state. In western Michigan, the Kent County sheriff's office said a 21-year-old woman and two girls, ages 1 and 3, died Thursday night after two vehicles collided head-on when one of the vehicles hydroplaned in heavy rain. The In Ingham County, where Lansing is located, the sheriff's office said Friday that one person was confirmed dead and several people severely injured as more than 25 vehicles were severely damaged in wrecks on Interstate 96. More than 390,000 customers in Michigan and over 120,000 in Ohio were without power as of about 7:15 p.m. Friday, according to the Poweroutage.us website. A person in Bellevue was shot and wounded by a law enforcement officer Thursday morning, and an apparent homicide victim was found at the scene, police say. Officers from the Bellevue Marshals Office, Hailey Police Department and Blaine County Sheriffs Office responded at 6:03 a.m. to a residence in Bellevue for a report of a possible homicide, according to a news release from the Idaho State Police. Upon their arrival, a Bellevue deputy marshal became engaged in an officer-involved shooting with a suspect, the release said, and confirmed the presence of a deceased individual on the property, the apparent victim of homicide. The injured suspect was flown to Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise. The Blaine County Sheriffs Office and Idaho State Police are conducting a joint investigation related to the homicide, while the Magic Valley Critical Incident Task Force, led by the Jerome County Sheriffs Office, is investigating the officer-involved shooting. No further details of the homicide or the officer-involved shooting were released Thursday. A Castleford student was charged Tuesday with sexual exploitation of a child and possessing a weapon on school grounds, reports say. A school resource officer said he received a news tip that Alejandro Hernandez-Sanchez, 18, had shown a gun at school the week before, and confronted him, court records show. And, after finding a 9 mm handgun under the drivers seat of Hernandez-Sanchezs vehicle, and taking him to the Castleford school office, reports say the school resource officer received a phone call from law enforcement officers reporting Sanchezs possible involvement with enticing a 14-year-old Cassia County girl to send nude photos to him. A search of his phone yielded 200 sex-abuse related photos, including some of the Cassia County victim, court records say. Hernandez-Sanchez is being held on $100,000 bond on the sexual exploitation charge, and was given a citation for allegedly bringing the gun to school, records say. All steps were taken to ensure student safety, Principal Chuck Day said. The affidavit of probable cause doesnt mention any students being in danger. A Sept. 1 preliminary hearing has been set. In other news involving sex-related charges, a man has been sentenced by a Jerome County judge to five to 15 years prison for a sex crime for a minor child, although the court will retain jurisdiction of the case. Antonio Cortes-Silva, 41, was originally charged with four charges including sex abuse and sexual battery of a minor in a case filed in August 2021. One of the sex abuse charges was dismissed by a judge and in a plea agreement on Jan. 27, Cortes-Silva agreed to plead guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and a separate sex abuse case was dropped. Jerome Deputy Prosecutor Sam Beus argued for a prison sentence while defense attorney Peter M. Hatch urged Judge Rosemary Emory to institute probation. Judge Rosemary Emory decided on the prison term, but gave Cortes-Silva a rider, where if he successfully completes programs he can avoid prison, depending on Emorys discretion. In other court-related news involving sex-crime charges against minors, a jury trial for a Hazelton man accused of six felony charges has been vacated. Phillip Morrill, 36, has been charged with two counts of lewd conduct,three counts of sexual battery against children and a count of sex abuse, for offenses that allegedly took place from Jan. 1, 2021, to Feb. 10, 2023. He was initially held on a $150,000 bond but that was reduced to $50,000 with court compliance, including regular drug testing. A status conference has been set for Oct. 23. Jedediah James Mortensen, 36, of Jerome, is facing 10 counts of felony sexual exploitation of a child, after law officers said he had access to inappropriate images of minor children on his phone. A cloud service for his cell phone company told law enforcement officers last year that they had found inappropriate images of prepubescent and minor children that were associated with his phone number. On Aug. 9, a search warrant was issued for Mortensens residence. Court records said that Mortensen first told police that he didnt think having the photos was illegal, but then admitted that it was illegal. Bond has been set for $75,000, and an Aug. 18 preliminary hearing was vacated. Angel Antonio Lopez, 19, of Jerome was charged with three counts of lewd conduct with a child under 16 and one count of having child sexually exploitative material in incidents alleged to have taken place in 2022. He has posted a $50,000 bond and a jury trial is set for Nov. 1. Jack David Shepherd, 62, of Twin Falls, faces a charge of lewd conduct with a minor under 16 in an incident that is alleged to have taken place this year. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and an Aug. 25 preliminary hearing has been set. Edgar Jorge Sanchez-Aguilar, 19, was charged with lewd conduct with a child under 16 and rape after an incident police say occurred Aug. 5 in Buhl. He has posted a $75,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 29. Did you know your zip code can be more predictive of your health than your genetic code? Numerous published studies have investigated the link between nonmedical factors and health outcomes. These non-medical factors, known as the social determinants of health, are the resources and support systems available to an individual where they live, learn, work and play that influence health outcomes and quality of life. At St. Lukes, we are very aware of this research and are collaborating with partners to find solutions and improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. Consider where you live Do you have access to nutritious food? Do you have a car or an accessible mode of transportation? Do your children have access to quality early childhood education? These factors and many more are the types of questions we seek to answer and work with our community partners to address. There are areas within our communities where people are at a disadvantage when it comes to meeting their most basic needs. These inequities can lead to poor health outcomes. St. Lukes works with partners to understand and address these inequities by performing a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) every three years to identify the top issues facing our community, creating implementation strategies to address them, and providing grants through our Community Health Improvement Fund (CHIF) to support our community partners efforts. The 2023 CHNA identified the following as our communitys top-ranking health needs: Access to Health-Related Services (including language and cultural barriers) Mental Well-Being (including suicide prevention) Cost of Living (including housing, childcare, and education) We know these issues identified are not small they are complicated problems that take multiple partners coming together to strategize, work together, and pool resources to address. St. Lukes CHIF provides financial support to organizations or groups working to improve the health and well-being of people in our area. Through Sept. 5, St. Lukes Magic Valley will be accepting online applications for grants. For more information or to apply, go to www.stlukesonline.org/CHIF. Dorothy Moon, the chair of the Republican Party in Idaho, writes well and her column in the Times-News on Aug. 19 was concise and easy to understand. It was also an excellent example of disinformation. I need to define my terms to be precise. When anyone tries to convey an idea to someone, what they are saying can be objective (actual and unbiased) truth. It can be misinformation because the person was told it is the truth. Further, disinformation can be deliberately deceptive to direct thought away from reality. Ms. Moons headline, Its supposed to be one person, one vote, is deceptive because it infers that something is not what it should be. That something is the proposed ballot initiative to change how Idaho chooses its candidates to run against each other in the general election. No word, sentence, or paragraph in the proposed legislative language allows anyone to vote more than once or denies the vote to any citizen registered to vote. Her next paragraph states that the initiative would sideline political parties. There is no suggestion that the legislation prohibits a candidate from indicating which political party he feels comfortable aligning with. According to the bylaws that govern, a political party may select the person to use their brand name when running for office. There is no change, except that the field of candidates who may ask to be part of the general election can be more extensive. Her last sentence of the paragraph implies that the referendum will sacrifice election security by adopting a complicated voting mechanism imported from California. In fact, only Maine and Alaska currently use the ranked choice voting tabulation process for statewide voting. Only those who lost complained about it. The security of counting the votes cast and tabulated will not suffer. The third paragraph states that the attorney generals description was accurate and implies that Reclaim Idaho should not have challenged it. She then mentions three assertions in the legal brief, but not in the proposed legislation, that the court disagreed with. She did not note that the State Supreme Court ordered the attorney general to rewrite the description of the initiative. Quote The leadership of the current Republican corporate entity has decided that 'taking America back' involves overwhelming domination of governance by their carefully vetted elected officials. Calling this initiative a pernicious plot is standard political hyperbole. Still, Moon goes back to disinformation when she states that it takes away the ability to vote for conservative candidates and the right to nominate the voters choice of candidates. Nope, the voter can still select any conservative candidate on the ballot, and any citizen can gather the support to nominate a candidate. Suppose you sign the petition to place the initiative on the general election ballot. In that case, you only ask for statewide voter approval on an innovative way to select candidates to run for election and how the counties count votes for these candidates. Moon is concerned because the power of a political party to be the gatekeeper of an elected office will weaken. The leadership of the current Republican corporate entity has decided that taking America back involves overwhelming domination of governance by their carefully vetted elected officials. They recently sanctioned the current governor because he does not meet the quality-control measures of their Republican brand. Any traditional registered members of the party who, if they financially invest in its efforts, could be considered stockholders can only hope to replace the executives at the top if they want to change the characteristics of their brand. If the voters in Idaho decide to change their primary system, traditional political parties will still have their function. What will change is that I could establish the Linda Party and place my name or chosen candidate on the ballot. Yes, so could the Communist Party or the Libertarian Party. The voters then decide which of the candidates presents the best reasons to vote for them. Party rule will weaken while lawmakers must consider the preferences of the electorate. Our representative democracy favors just and fair governance over the accumulation of power in the hands of the few leaders of a political party. I understand Moons dismay that her strategy for one-party rule could fail, but I dont see it this way. Disinformation might sell her point of view, but it will leave most Idahoans at the mercy of the winners of a party power struggle. Four Henry County sheriffs deputies have been fired after an investigation into an incident at the Henry County Adult Detention Center. The four deputies involved were placed on administrative leave without pay in July, pending the outcome of the investigation. On Friday, a release from the Henry County Sheriffs Office stated that the investigation found that all four deputies violated multiple agency policies and, as a result, the employment of all four deputies ended Aug. 25. Sheriff Wayne Davis had described what happened as a concerning use of force incident that sent an inmate to a hospital. Davis held a press conference July 7 where he announced that he had asked the Virginia State Police to investigate the matter. On July 1st, a subject was arrested and brought into the Henry County Adult Detention Center for being drunk in public. Upon entering the detention center, he was intoxicated and very uncooperative, Davis said. A short time later that subject refused to change into his issued jail uniform. That situation ultimately escalated and resulted in Henry County deputies using force on the subject. Davis said the person, whose name he declined to reveal, was injured during the incident and transported to Sovah Health in Martinsville where he was treated and released. After reviewing this incident, I immediately contacted the Virginia State Police and I asked them to please come in and conduct an independent review of this incident, Davis said. We have turned over everything to the Virginia State Police and they have begun their investigation into the incident. Commonwealths Attorney Andrew Nester did not speak, but was present and advised Davis on one occasion not to answer a question posed by the media concerning the specific injury or injuries that the inmate incurred. Davis said at the press conference that an internal affairs investigation was also underway and it was the result of that investigation that resulted in the Henry County Sheriffs Office concluding that the deputies were in violation, the release stated. When the new 400-bed jail opened in March 2022, Davis said the sheriffs office was tasked with hiring nearly 100 new deputies to staff it at a time when it was difficult to find people with proper qualifications willing to do the job. The minimum hiring age was reduced to 19 years of age, but I can say effective today that we will take the minimum hiring age back to 21 years old. The names of the deputies whose jobs were terminated were not revealed. Davis said he didnt know the number, but approximately 30% of the deputies currently working at the jail were under the age of 21. Davis said all deputies under 21 would be reassessed and other issues at the jail were also being addressed including the chain of command that resulted in him not learning about the incident until five days after it occurred. Said Davis: Unfortunately these incidents take place from time to time across this entire country and no chief and no sheriff can be there with their officers 24 hours a day to oversee every process. Davis was sworn in as sheriff June 26 and officially took office July 1, after his predecessor, Lane Perry, retired. Davis is running for a full four-year term as sheriff in the November election against Del Mills and Daryl Hatcher. The incident involving the deputies has now been referred to a special prosecutor to determine what, if any, criminal charges are applicable, the release stated. A concert promoting traditional Chinese instrumental music and appeal of intangible cultural heritage in Chinese classical music is held at Princess GalyaniVadhana Institute of Music in Bangkok on Friday. [Photo/China Daily] In a rare concert, a traditional Chinese musical instrument erhu releases sentimental chants to the tidal companion of piano notes, touching nerves of audience. For the first time ever outside China, a program titled The Moon Sets below the River---duo by erhu and piano ranging from ancient time up to present, was performed on Friday in Bangkok, said Wang Xiaojun, dean of the School of Music at Nanjing University of the Arts. Wang and other artists shone at a concert of traditional Chinese instrumental music and appeal of intangible cultural heritage in Chinese classical music held at Princess GalyaniVadhana Institute of Music. Artists from the School of Music at Nanjing University of the Arts performed a total of nine repertoires with various traditional Chinese instruments, including bamboo flute, Chinese zither, erhu, pipaand yangqin. "Thailand and China shares a lot of common in music with some of the instruments even functioning the same. The rhythm of traditional Thai music also enjoys lots of similarities with that in South China's Fujian province," Wang said. He said the concert also provides Thai people with a chance of learning and a touch of some instruments among the representative list of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity, such as the Chinese zither, or guqin, which has existed for more than 3,000 years and represents China's foremost solo musical instrument tradition. "Also, the piece The Moon Sets below the River has drew inspiration from the Qinhuai Lantern Festival, which is included in the first batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list as a folk event popular in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province," Wang explained. "The music describes the reflections of the moon and stars in the water merging gradually with the lantern light. Listeners will fall into meditation over the unity of the past and the present and the unity of man and nature," he added. A pipa, Chinese zither and a yangqin, are presented by the School of Music with Nanjing University of the Arts as gifts to the Princess GalyaniVadhana Institute of Music on Friday. [Photo/China Daily] Former Thai prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's spouse Naraporn Chan-ocha, Chinese Ambassador Han Zhiqiang and his spouse Wang Huan attended the event. Naraporn applauded the performances and expressed her appreciation on traditional Chinese instrumental music and the efforts of those artists on promoting cultural exchanges between Thailand and China. Ambassador Han spoke highly of Princess Galyani's initiative to establish this art education institute to cultivate advanced professional music talents, and lauded Naraporn's efforts to promote the cooperation between the institute and Chinese colleges and universities. "There is no boundary for music. Every country has its own language, but only the music language is interlinked. Hope music will serve as a bridge and connect people from the two countries further," Han said. After the concert, Wang presented three traditional Chinese instruments as gifts to the Princess GalyaniVadhana Institute of Music, encouraging local Thai students to learn Chinese instrument and music in future. WASHINGTON The unraveling of Hunter Biden's plea agreement has thrust his criminal case into uncertain waters and given new fodder to Republican critics in Congress as they push ahead with investigations into the president's youngest son. Biden was supposed to plead guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor charges for failing to pay taxes. But U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika in Delaware put the brakes on the guilty plea after raising concerns during an hourslong hearing about the structure and terms of the agreement and another deal that would allow him to avoid prosecution on a gun charge if he meets certain conditions. Plea deals are carefully negotiated between defense lawyers and prosecutors over the course of weeks or months and it's unusual especially in high-profile cases for judges to not sign off on them. But Wednesday's hearing revealed that the two sides apparently did not see eye to eye on the scope of the agreement around a non-prosecution clause for crimes outside of the gun charge. A look at what happens now in the criminal case and what's next for the Biden investigations in Congress: WHAT HAPPENS NOW IN COURT? Noreika an appointee of former President Donald Trump told both sides to file written briefs addressing her concerns within 30 days. Among other things, Noreika took issue with a provision in the agreement on the gun charge that she said would have created a role for her where she would determine if he violated the terms. The lawyers said they wanted her to serve as a neutral fact finder in determining if a violation happened, but Noreika said that is the Justice Department's job not the judge's. Hunter Biden's lawyers and the Justice Department also disagreed on the extent to which the agreement gave him immunity from future prosecution. A prosecutor said Wednesday their investigation was ongoing, and that the agreement protecting him from other potential charges was limited only to certain offenses over a certain time frame. Hunter Biden's lawyers said it was broader than that. After intense courtroom negotiations, the two sides appeared to agree to a more narrow non-prosecution clause. Biden's lawyers and prosecutors will now continue negotiations to see if they can salvage the agreement in a way that satisfies the judge. "They are going to have to go back and figure out how they can come to an agreement terms of the plea and they have to come to a meeting of the minds, which is clear they don't have here," said Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law studies at George Washington University Law School. "So I think what you'll see is a renewed effort or it's just going to collapse." The judge may ultimately accept the deal that was proposed or reject it. If the deal totally falls apart, Hunter Biden could eventually face a trial. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday that President Joe Biden would not pardon his son. WILL HE AVOID JAIL TIME? Even if the judge ultimately accepts the plea agreement, she will have the final say on whether he serves any time behind bars. Prosecutors have said that they will recommend probation, but the judge can decide not to follow that. The two tax charges carry up to a year in prison. And the judge suggested on Wednesday that it was too soon to say whether she's willing to sign off on probation. "I can't predict for you today whether that is an appropriate sentence or not," Noreika said. "I can't say that I will accept the sentence recommendation or whether a different sentence would be more appropriate." WHAT'S GOING ON IN CONGRESS? The collapse of the younger Biden's plea deal Wednesday came as joyful news to House Republicans vying to connect him and his questionable business dealings to his father. Republicans had already slammed the agreement as a "sweetheart deal." "The judge did the obvious thing, they put a pause on the plea deal, so I think that was progress," Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said Wednesday. "I think it adds credibility to what we're doing." He added that this will only propel their investigation to get answers "as to what the family did, and what level of involvement the president had." Comer has been investigating Hunter Biden's financial ties and transactions since gaining the gavel in January. The Kentucky lawmaker has obtained thousands of pages of financial records from various members of the Biden family through subpoenas to the Treasury Department and various financial institutions. Last month, shortly after Hunter Biden reached an agreement with the government, Comer joined forces with two chairmen of powerful committees to launch a larger investigation into claims by two IRS agents who claimed the Justice Department improperly interfered in the yearslong case. IRS supervisory special agent Greg Shapley and a second agent, Joe Ziegler, testified before Congress last week that there was a pattern of "slow-walking investigative steps" into Hunter Biden, including during the Trump administration in the months before the 2020 election that Biden won. One of the most detailed claims was that U.S. Attorney David Weiss in Delaware, the federal prosecutor who led the investigation, asked for special counsel status in order to bring the tax cases against Hunter Biden in jurisdictions outside Delaware, including the District of Columbia and California, but was denied. Weiss and the Justice Department have denied that, saying he had "full authority" and never sought to bring charges in other states. Despite the denials, Republicans are moving forward with their probes, asking Weiss to come in and testify about the case directly. The Justice Department has offered to have the prosecutor come before lawmakers after the August recess. ____ Photos: Hunter Biden through the years HONOLULU Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures in areas including historic Lahaina town, forcing evacuations and closing schools in several communities Wednesday, and rescuers pulled a dozen people escaping smoke and flames from the ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard responded to areas where people went into the ocean to escape the fire and smoky conditions, the County of Maui said in a statement. The Coast Guard tweeted that a crew rescued 12 people from the water off Lahaina. The county tweeted that multiple roads in Lahaina were closed with a warning: "Do NOT go to Lahaina town." Fire was widespread in Lahaina, including Front Street, an area of the town popular with tourists, County of Maui spokesperson Mahina Martin said in a phone interview early Wednesday. Traffic has been very heavy as people try to evacuate and officials asked people who weren't in an evacuation area to shelter in place to avoid adding to the traffic, she said. The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles (805 kilometers), was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph (97 kph) that knocked out power as night fell, rattled homes and grounded firefighting helicopters. Dangerous fire conditions created by strong winds and low humidity were expected to last through Wednesday afternoon, the weather service said. Acting Gov. Sylvia Luke issued an emergency proclamation on behalf of Gov. Josh Green, who is traveling, and activated the Hawaii National Guard. Officials were not aware of any deaths and knew of only one injury, a firefighter who was in stable condition at a hospital after experiencing smoke inhalation, Martin said There's no count available for the number of structures affected by the fires or the number of people affected by evacuations, but Martin said there are four shelters open, with more than 1,000 people at the largest. "This is so unprecedented," Martin said, noting that multiple districts were affected. An emergency in the night is terrifying, she said, and the darkness makes it hard to gauge the extent of the damage. "Right now it is all-hands-on-deck and we are anxious for daybreak," she said. The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved a disaster declaration to provide assistance with a fire that threatened about 200 homes in and around Kohala Ranch, a rural community with a population of more than 500 on the Big Island, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. When the request was made, the fire had burned more than 600 acres (243 hectares) and was uncontained. Much of Hawaii was under a red flag warning that continued Wednesday, and two other uncontrolled fires were burning on the Big Island and Maui, officials said. Fire crews on Maui were battling multiple blazes concentrated in two areas: the popular tourist destination of West Maui and an inland, mountainous region. In west Maui 911 service was not available and residents were directed to call the police department. Because of the wind gusts, helicopters weren't able to dump water on the fires from the sky or gauge more precise fire sizes and firefighters were encountering roads blocked by downed trees and power lines as they worked the inland fires, Martin said. About 14,500 customers in Maui were without power early Wednesday, according to poweroutage.us. "It's definitely one of the more challenging days for our island given that it's multiple fires, multiple evacuations in the different district areas," Martin said. Winds were recorded at 80 mph (129 kph) in inland Maui and one fire that was believed to be contained earlier Tuesday flared up hours later with the big winds, she added. "The fire can be a mile or more from your house, but in a minute or two, it can be at your house," Fire Assistant Chief Jeff Giesea said. In the Kula area of Maui, at least two homes were destroyed in a fire that engulfed about 1.7 square miles (4.5 square kilometers), Maui Mayor Richard Bissen said. About 80 people were evacuated from 40 homes, he said. "We're trying to protect homes in the community," Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said of evacuating about 400 homes in four communities in the northern part of the island. As of Tuesday, the roof of one house caught on fire, he said. Fires in Hawaii are unlike many of those burning in the U.S. West. They tend to break out in large grasslands on the dry sides of the islands and are generally much smaller than mainland fires. Fires were rare in Hawaii and on other tropical islands before humans arrived, and native ecosystems evolved without them. This means great environmental damage can occur when fires erupt. For example, fires remove vegetation. When a fire is followed by heavy rainfall, the rain can carry loose soil into the ocean, where it can smother coral reefs. A major fire on the Big Island in 2021 burned homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The island of Oahu, where Honolulu is located, also was dealing with power outages, downed power lines and traffic problems, said Adam Weintraub, communication director for Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. 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. ___ How climate change drives hotter, more frequent heat waves How climate change drives hotter, more frequent heat waves Is climate change to blame? Understanding heat waves Analyzing the likelihood of a heat wave under climate change Protecting at-risk populations from heat waves Read with Dogs Registered Pet Partners Therapy Dog teams are just waiting for your child to read them a book at Missoula Public Library! Your child can read a favorite book from home or pick one of the many picture books we have to offer. This program is held on Aug. 29 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library and is great for hesitant readers or kids who just love dogs. Mock Evacuation Drill at Missoula Public Library Missoula Public Library will be performing a mock evacuation drill on Aug. 30 at 9:30 a.m. throughout the building. The drill will take approximately 30 minutes and the Missoula Fire Department will be in attendance. Patrons can avoid the building at this time if they do not want to be involved in the evacuation. Your safety and comfort is our top priority. Evacuation drills are essential for ensuring the safety of everyone in the building. Thank you for your attention and assistance in making this drill a successful exercise. Introducing Missoula Public Librarys Childrens Welcoming Library Starting Sept. 1 on Level Two of the Library, you will find our new Welcoming Library. We have chosen the items in this collection to build community belonging with books, and raise a new generation who welcome all. Our collection consists of items that feature the experiences of refugee, immigrant, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ communities and others. These items can serve as windows into cultures and experiences different from your own or mirrors of your lived experience. Please stop by and take a look. Library Closure Your Missoula Public Library will be closed on Sept. 3 and Sept. 4 in observance of Labor Day. Patrons can access their accounts online at: missoulapubliclibrary.org/. Montana Book Festival Events at the Library Its Missoulas annual celebration of all things literary! From Sept. 7 through Sept. 10 at Missoula Public Library enjoy an exciting array of readings, panels, and exhibits with your favorite, and soon-to-be favorite, literary personalities of the West. All events are located on Level Four of the library. Visit https://montanabookfestival.com/ for complete program information. NEA Big Read Launch Party Missoula Public Library is excited to launch our 2023 National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program exploring The Cold Millions by Jess Walter with a launch party on September 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. on Level One of the library. As part of Montana Book Festival activities, get your copy of The Cold Millions and enjoy snacks, specialty drinks by Bamboo Bar, live music by Wailing Aaron Jennings, and an old-time photo booth! The NEA Big Read in Missoula is presented in partnership with the Missoula Public Library Foundation, the Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, and the Friends of the Missoula Public Library, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. You can view a full calendar of events for the NEA Big Read in Missoula at readmissoula.org/. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith Little, Brown, 1948 Call Number: SMITH There are certain books that you somehow miss. Maybe you were on a sci-fi kick and missed a great historical fiction novel when it first came out. Maybe you were too busy writing your doctoral thesis and missed the Hunger Games train entirely. Or maybe, as was the case with me and this particular book, it was published decades ago and just never came on my radar. That is, until a friend of mine enthusiastically suggested I read this book. And reader, I am so glad I did. I will now pass the knowledge of its existence to all of you in the hopes that you will pick it up and enjoy it just as much. Dodie Smith wrote this book about an eccentric English family who lives in (you guessed it) a dilapidated castle in 1948. But unlike many novels published more than 50 years ago, this one holds up to modern eyes (and hearts). Cassandra Mortmain, our narrator, wants to capture her family in all their bohemian glory in her various notebooks. Her older sister Rose, younger brother Thomas, struggling author father, and sometimes-nudist stepmother Topaz, along with shy help Stephen, all live together in the castle with very little in terms of money. But what they lack in money, they more than make up for in personality. Each family member is given their due, even young Thomas who is away at school most of the time, so that the reader cant help but love each of them in all their quirks. Eventually, two American brothers, Simon and Neil, make the acquaintance of the Mortmains. Cassandra dutifully chronicles all that follows. What ensues is a wonderfully told (and equal parts funny and heartbreaking) story of first love, broken hearts, family dysfunction, sibling relationships, and, at the center, Cassandras journey from naive teenager in love to slightly-less-naive teenager willing to love again. This is one of those books that you end up clutching to your chest after you finish it, reeling from all that has happened. If you love it, make sure you pass it along to a friend. Reviewed by Kayla Whitaker Renowned London artist Peregrine Heathcote is bringing elements of the Mining City and Montana alive with vibrant colors in the heart of Uptown Butte. The Hotel Finlen has been a symbol of elegance and tradition for decades, so owners JJ and Shanna Adams commissioned Heathcote to add a new layer of charm to the landmark and to celebrate the rich history and culture of Butte. Heathcotes paintings have been exhibited at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters, the Royal Academy and are collected and displayed all over the world. The BBC recently filmed a documentary on his work. Ive been an admirer of his work for many years and its surreal to have him here painting a mural for our community, said Finlen Owner and General Manager JJ Adams. His work evokes many of the themes we strive for at the Hotel Finlen timelessness, intrigue, quality, glamour and travel. Cavalier Galleries says Heathcotes paintings conjure up a world of intoxicating glamour and intrigue, slipping across the boundaries of time to fuse iconic pre-war design with modern conceptions of beauty and silverscreen-era romance. Heathcote had never been to Butte before Wednesday night, when he and his wife and studio manager, Louise Heathcote, flew in from Salt Lake City following a nine-hour flight from London. Hes painting the mural on a section of the Finlen Motor Inn off of Broadway Street. It will be 12 feet high, 10 feet wide with a script along the bottom taking up just over a foot. Heathcote started work Friday and figures the painting could take three weeks or so to complete. Hes staying at the Finlen, of course. He says hell be painting a figurative scene that is representational as opposed to abstract so when you look at it youll know what it is. It will have elements special to the place, including the Finlen, of course, which turns 100 next year. It will feature the mile-high, mile-deep Mountain Con Headframe and Our Lady of the Rockies in Butte, and Lake McDonald and the mountains of Glacier. In addition, weve got a 95-year celebration from when Charles Lindbergh was here in the Spirit of St. Louis, so thats going to be in the mural, Heathcote said, noting that he specializes in vintage travel. Shanna Adams said JJ stumbled across Heathcotes work several years ago and they have probably been talking to him for maybe a year-and-a-half about coming here. We thought it was a good fit for the brand and everything we were trying to do, she said. The project will cost about $25,000, with about half paid through an artist grant by the Superfund Advisory Redevelopment Trust Authority. The Urban Revitalization Agency might contribute too. It took a while for the vision of the painting to take shape. JJ Adams sent Heathcote some pictures of previous work he liked and since hed never been to Butte, Heathcote walked down Broadway Street virtually on the internet. The initial sketches were composition ideas, Heathcote said. He (Adams) made some suggestions which he thought would be more beneficial, so we worked with those suggestions and came to a point where he was very happy with the idea, the layout, and I was as well. Heathcote said there is a rich cultural heritage about Butte evident in its mining history and architecture and other elements. It was pitch black when he and Louise got here Wednesday night but Heathcote awoke early Thursday morning to a place that really resonates with my creative heart. It was very quiet and there was a street cleaner working away and he was so friendly and polite and nice and it had a sort of emptiness about it. It was just inspiring, he said, taking a deep breath. Theres full color and theres beautiful buildings that seem to have been restored so well. But theyre quite empty, some of them, so theres an element of eternal possibility. Once the mural is finished, he said, it will be treated and weatherproofed to preserve it as long as possible so that everyone can enjoy it as long as possible. The timeline for now is flexible. Im hoping Ill be able to achieve the results in three weeks, Heathcote said. Its an open-ended ticket. Ill be here as long as it takes to create an amazing piece that everyone is happy with. Montanas sprawling countryside is only a skip away, of course, and Louise said they hoped to see some of it. Compared to home, she said, everything is so big here. Peregrine Heathcote was born in London in 1973. He graduated from the Florence Academy of Art in 1995 and currently lives and works in Chelsea, London. You can see more of his work at www.peregrineheathcote.com or on Instagram @peregrineheathcote HICKORY Appalachian State University welcomed its first students to the Hickory campus on Monday. Among the inaugural Hickory class was communication sciences and disorders major Ashlynn Caudill. Caudill is from Lincolnton. Caudill has wanted to attend Appalachian State University since she was 9 years old, she said during her speech at the ribbon cutting for the Hickory campus. Caudill said she did not apply to Appalachian State initially because she did not want to be 90 minutes away from home. Caudill found out about the new Hickory campus through an email, which she said she originally thought was a hoax. When Caudill realized it was legitimate, she attended an open house and applied. Caudill said she cried when she got accepted. One hundred twenty-four years ago, three founders had a dream and today their dream is helping me achieve my dream, Caudill said. My dream is to be a Mountaineer, not a Boone Mountaineer, but for me, even better, a Hickory Mountaineer. To celebrate the first day, Appalachian State University Chancellor Sheri Everts, Hickory Mayor Hank Guess and Caudill rang a bell. The bell is a long-standing tradition of the school. It rings on the first day of classes and at graduations, Everts said. In 1899, the Doughertys (the universitys founders) called students to classes with the ringing of a bell that was housed in a steeple of what was then the Watauga Academy, Everts said. Today, we honor our founders vision with a new founders bell that Hickory Mountaineers will ring as they take their place in App State history. Before Appalachian State University opened the Hickory campus, the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton metropolitan area was the largest in North Carolina without a public university, according to the university. App States founders B.B., D.D. and Lillie Shull Dougherty had an ambitious vision to increase access to higher education in the most rural mountain areas of western North Carolina, Everts said. I often wonder what would our founders think if they could see the App State of today with more than 20,000 students, top graduation rates and a national reputation for innovation and undergraduate teaching excellence. Today, we honor their vision and continue our trajectory of excellence by opening the App State Hickory campus. Everts said this campus is a benefit to students who want to be Mountaineers but need to stay close to home and work while attending classes. Students will be able to earn a full four-year degree at the Hickory campus, Everts said. The university is offering more than 100 undergraduate programs at the Hickory campus. Everts said an important aspect for Hickory students is that the education is affordable. Annual tuition, along with fees, is slightly more than $8,000. Students that are attending the Hickory campus do not have to pay for room and board, which typically adds more than $11,000 per year to college costs, according to the universitys website. The university offered a $2,000 scholarship to every Hickory student enrolled in the 2023-24 school year as well, Everts said. The university will not release official enrollment numbers until Sept. 1. Student capacity for the Hickory campus is 300-500 students. The new Hickory campus is in the former Corning Optical Communications building on U.S. 321. The university purchased the building on Nov. 19, 2021, for $1 million. Everts said the N.C. General Assembly allotted $9 million in initial funding for the renovations to the building. The building is 225,800 square feet, which is larger than any building on the Boone campus, according to the university. Approximately 50 faculty and staff members are working at the Hickory campus. The renovations included technology upgrades, a library, a new HVAC system, an energy-efficient roof and replacing the lighting system with LED fixtures. Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Management Nick Katers said the ground floor, first floor and fifth floors are currently in use. The fifth floor is being used for administration and the first floor is where the classrooms and library are located. When he was appointed to serve as a commissioner in 2011, he hit the ground running and hasnt looked back. And tonight, Burke County Board of Commissioner Johnnie Carswell will be sworn in as the 107th president of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners the first president of the association from Burke County in Raleigh on the associations last night of its annual conference. The association represents all 100 counties in the state, advocating for education, research, disaster preparedness, county outreach, member services and, lately, assistance with counties opioid lawsuit settlement, Carswell said. Its the fight against opioids and substance use disorder that will be at the center of Carswells one-year term as president of the association. The theme and focus of his year as president, One More Thing, will be one that is born out of loss. Carswell and his wife, Brenda, suffered the loss of a son, Greg, to overdose. Throughout their sons struggle and ultimate death, they asked themselves if there was one more thing they could have done to help him. The One More Thing of his term will be to make sure the association helps residents in North Carolina struggling with addiction. He notes that he is not the only commissioner in the state who has lost a child to opioids. Carswell said, as president, he will establish a planning committee, coordinated with the National Association of Counties, that will plan, organize and host a summit on reducing overdose. He said North Carolina and its counties are leaders in the country on opioid treatment efforts. He said next summer, NCACC will host a summit bringing together county leaders from across the US to shine a light on best practices on reducing overdose, he said. We want to highlight the work we are doing in North Carolina and share those experiences, Carswell said. At the same time, we have much to learn from our colleagues from other states. We look forward to the sharing and exchanging of these ideas. After counties and cities across the nation won their lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors, Carswell said now is the time to focus on ending the opioid crisis. Ending the crisis means building upon proven methods of treatment as well as exploring new and innovative solutions, Carswell said. I hope what we do on this initiative saves lives, Carswell said. Thats what its all about, to save as many lives as we can. As for becoming president of NCACC, Carswell called it humbling. He also admitted hes a little scared because its a challenging position. Im very proud to be there representing not only western North Carolina, but the entire state, and especially in Burke County. I hope the citizens of Burke County will be proud of what we have done. I hope they will continue to be proud of what we do as we move through the upcoming year when we tackle the initial problem that were having with drugs all across this state, Carswell said. So I want to make North Carolina proud but I also want to make Burke County proud. I want people to know that weve done a lot in this arena, but theres a lot more to do. And the commissioners here in Burke County have dedicated themselves to that, and the county manager and county staff. Im very proud of that, that weve all been able to work together and we all have that common goal. When Carswell is sworn in Saturday evening he will have a large group from Burke County there to celebrate him, according to some who plan to be there. Among them will be the four other members of the Burke County Board of Commissioners, Chairman Scott Mulwee, Vice-Chairman Jeff Brittain, Randy Burns and Phil Smith. The members have spent the last part of the week attending the conference. Carswell was first elected, unanimously, to serve the association as second vice-president and then moved up each year to now become president, said Mulwee, who also serves as District 13 director for the association. Its an honor and a privilege, Mulwee said of serving with Carswell. And I can tell you, as chairman and I speak for not only the county commissioners but all of Burke County, that were extremely proud of him. And he will do a tremendous job as hes always done for our county. And now he takes his skills and vision and utilizes those statewide. Previous to becoming a county commissioner, Carswell served as the chairman of the Burke County Republican Party and represented District 5 on the executive board of the State Employees Association of North Carolina. As a commissioner, Carswell served on the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners as director for District 13, which is made up of Burke, Catawba, Caldwell and Alexander counties. He also used his law enforcement background to serve on NCACCs justice and public safety committee, and he also has served as a director of the tax and finance committee for the association. Pair jailedEarly Friday morning, an officer was out on patrol and noticed a white Honda Accord parked in a field south of West Elementary School. As the officer approached the car and Samuel S. Landon, 46, no address listed, and Brittni J. Much, 32, of Butte both exited the vehicle and took off running. Much didnt get too far before getting arrested. Landon was found hiding in a field, where he was handcuffed. Syringes were found in the vehicle, along with some prescription medication and a digital scale. A syringe with dark liquid was reportedly also found, along with some suspected methamphetamine. Landon was jailed for obstructing a peace officer, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of dangerous drugs, and parole violation. He also had additional outstanding warrants. Much was jailed for obstructing a peace officer, eluding police, speeding, criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal possession of dangerous drugs, parole violation, and criminal contempt. She also had additional outstanding warrants. Sound asleepSean R. Waldron, 31, of Butte was arrested early Thursday on two outstanding warrants out of Butte District Court for violating conditions of release and criminal contempt. Officers responded to a call about a man sleeping in his truck near Perkins, which is where Waldron was taken into custody. Struck in faceA woman reported to police that Joshua C. Griffin, 36, of Butte had struck her in the face and took her phone. He was arrested early Thursday at a home on Silver Bow Boulevard for partner or family member assault and destruction or tampering with a communication device In custodyIan Blaylock, 46, of Bozeman was booked into the jail Wednesday on a parole violation and an outstanding warrant. Tires slashedA 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser parked in the 1300 block of Schley had the back windshield busted out and its tires slashed. Across western Montana, people are being squeezed out of their homes and communities by rising prices. Teaching positions go unfilled and no one is applying to fill them because a $40k salary the high end of starting teacher salaries in Montana, doesnt afford a home, even if youre lucky to find a house for sale in rural places like Seeley Lake. The 2023 Montana GOP had a super-majority and a $2.9 billion surplus, thanks to federal democratic policies. Armed with power and money, the Montana GOP imposed a permanent tax increase on residential homes while cutting taxes for large corporations, shifting tax burdens to residential homes all across Montana. The Montana GOP defended its property tax hikes by offering a one-time rebate for some but not all homeowners for taxes paid in 2022 and 2023. The rebate has significant problems. Unlike prior rebates under Governors Racicot and Schweitzer the rebate imposes an opt-in function. In addition, because of restrictions, only half of Montanas homeowners are even eligible for the rebate. And the rebate does nothing to help renters. Renters make up a large share of the housing units in Montana, and will surely see the tax increase passed on to them. Western Montana is facing huge population growth and increasing housing costs. For folks whose homes are valued at over $400,000, the temporary rebate doesnt cover the permanent increase on your property taxes beginning this November. The 2023 median value of a home in Flathead, Gallatin, Madison, and Missoula counties is well north of that. The tiny band-aid of a temporary rebate does nothing to help. Ryan Zinkes answer is 50-year mortgages. A 50-year mortgage locks buyers into longer, higher debt, essentially guarantees the buyer will never actually own their home, and limits the equity they will obtain. Zinkes pandering to corporate profits is nothing new, but be clear: Zinkes solution does not help homeowners but ensures large corporate lenders make more money. Montana is at the bottom of the pile of states using American Rescue Plan Act money for housing. In 2021 Governor Gianforte vetoed a bill to establish an affordable housing tax credit. In March of this year, the Montana GOP closed applications for emergency rental assistance from ARPA due to slow processing. With a $2.9 billion surplus, the GOP could have funded shovel-ready projects in Western Montana right now. Instead, they are shoving permanent property tax hikes to the tune of $200 million per year on Montana homeowners. In rural Montana, such as Drummond and Phillipsburg, businesses are eager to hire, and people want to move here for the good-paying jobs being offered in construction and other sectors. But the GOP taxed Granite County out of reach with its permanent tax hikes. Ryan Zinke and his GOP pals have done nothing to grow the middle class, to raise salaries for police, firefighters, and teachers, to help public schools, or help provide childcare to working families. The Montana GOP wants a state where the people who serve and work in our communities cant afford to live in them. Lets send them packing, and keep Montana for the main street businesses and working-class families who have made our state the wonderful place it is. Montana can be affordable for our middle class if we make that choice. MUSCATINE This year at the Iowa State Fair, Muscatine County saw another one of its residents get inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. Shirley Grimm received this honor for the work she did for Muscatine Countys 4-H group over the span of over 20 years. Although Grimm was unable to attend the ceremony in-person Sunday, but said Its quite an honor." Growing up with parents who served as 4-H leaders for multiple years, Grimm and her siblings joined 4-H as children. When I was a young girl in 4-H, the program was somewhat different, she explained. We learned life skills in 4-H, and I learned a lot of things that I have carried throughout my life. 4-H kids today are learning those kinds of things, maybe in a different way, and they also learn how to communicate while making friends." One of the biggest highlights of this period for her was receiving a state award for one of her Food & Nutrition projects and attending the National 4-H Club Congress in Chicago that year. As an adult, Grimm eventually joined the Muscatine County ISU Extension in 1999, being its office manager until retiring in 2020. In addition to her office duties, Grimm used her 4-H knowledge and experience to continue giving support to the group, helping during the county fair where she would get things ready as well as run events such as the ribbon auction. Because of my job, I was very much connected with 4-H, Grimm said. In a provided comment, Daleta Thurness, one of Shirleys former colleagues, said, She was up for solving any problem before her, but what I will remember most fondly is her care for each person for whom she came in contact. From her delicious chocolate cakes to just checking in on you, your family, or others, not only was Shirley a great contributor to 4-H, but someone who also truly believed and embodied making the best better. Through her work, Grimm also inspired her own children to join 4-H. 4-H is just a good program, Grimm said. We come from a very strong 4-H family, and I never let go of a lot of those things that I learned in 4-H. I just had a lot of wonderful experiences, and the people that you meet and work with were also wonderful. Its been a big part of my life. She also took a moment to acknowledge the other volunteers that shes worked with and their efforts. Theres a lot of very deserving volunteers. Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame inductees are selected by their counties for their exceptional work and contributions. This photo taken on Aug. 23, 2023 shows the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes in Shanshan County of Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua] A conference on the inheritance and development of Turfan studies has attracted over 100 domestic and foreign scholars to the city of Turpan in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The sixth International Conference on Turfan Studies was held from Monday to Wednesday, during which experts shared their latest findings and visited archaeological sites. Among the relics they visited was the Xipang Jingjiao monastery relics site in Turpan, also known as Turfan. Texts including Buddhist and Taoist manuscripts in Chinese and Nestorian manuscripts in Syriac had been unearthed there. Liu Wensuo, a professor at Sun Yat-sen University, said the site is a rare early Nestorian site in China, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Liu's team cooperated with cultural relics institutions in Xinjiang to excavate the site in 2021 and 2023. He said the site is of high academic value, as it reflects cultural exchanges along the ancient Silk Road. "When you walk into the site, history comes to life to you," said Erica Hunter, a University of Cambridge scholar. She shared her research on the Syriac manuscripts discovered at the site, and explained the site's religious and economic functions. "I learned so much from the Chinese scholars. The richness of cultures in Turpan means a lot to China and the world." Turfan studies are interdisciplinary studies of Turpan's cultural heritage, and have attracted significant attention in the international academic community. Over the past century, experts and scholars of classic philology, archaeology, history, linguistics, paleontology and other fields from around the world have contributed to Turfan studies. Scholars attending the conference also visited the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes in Turpan's Shanshan County, which can be traced back to the fifth century. The Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and Academia Turfanica conducted new excavations earlier this year. Xia Lidong (3rd R), a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), explains for scholars during their visit in Shanshan County of Turpan, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 23, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Xia Lidong, a researcher at CASS who was involved in the excavations, said that artifacts such as Buddha statues, Buddhist scriptures, Chinese ink brushes, inkstones and textiles were unearthed from the site. He said the murals in the grottoes had many features seen in grottoes found in Gansu Province and other parts of Xinjiang. "The interactions, exchanges and integration of multiple cultures are reflected in the Tuyoq Buddhist Grottoes," Xia said. Zhang Liangren, a professor at Nanjing University's School of History, said that thanks to Turpan's dry natural conditions, ancient clothing, food, utensils and other artifacts have been well preserved, offering clues for studies of the ancient Silk Road. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. Against the background hum of the convention center, Dar Leaf settled into a club chair to explain the sacred mission of Americas sheriffs, his bright blue eyes and warm smile belying the intensity of the cause. The sheriff is supposed to be protecting the public from evil, the chief law enforcement officer for Barry County, Michigan, said during a break in the National Sheriffs Association 2023 conference in June. When your government is evil or out of line, thats what the sheriff is there for, protecting them from that. Leaf is on the advisory board of the Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, founded in 2011 by former Arizona Sheriff Richard Mack. The group, known as CSPOA, teaches that elected sheriffs must protect their citizens from the overreach of an out-of-control federal government by refusing to enforce any law they deem unconstitutional or unjust. The safest way to actually achieve that is to have local law enforcement understand that they have no obligation to enforce such laws, Mack said in an interview. Theyre not laws at all anyway. If theyre unjust laws, they are laws of tyranny. The sheriffs group has railed against gun-control laws, COVID-19 mask mandates and public health restrictions, as well as alleged election fraud. It has also quietly spread its ideology across the country, seeking to become more mainstream in part by securing state approval for taxpayer-funded law enforcement training, the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found. Over the past five years, the group has hosted trainings, rallies, speeches and meetings in at least 30 states for law enforcement officers, political figures, private organizations and members of the public, according to the Howard Centers seven-month probe, conducted in collaboration with the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting. The group has held formal trainings on its constitutional curriculum for law enforcement officers in at least 13 of those states. In six states, the training was approved for officers continuing education credits. The group also has supporters who sit on three state boards in charge of law enforcement training standards. Legal experts warn that such training especially when its approved for state credit can undermine the democratic processes enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and is part of what Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor and executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University, called a broader insurrectionist ideology that has gripped the nation since the 2020 presidential election. They have no authority, not under their state constitutions or implementing statutes to decide whats constitutional and whats not constitutional. Thats what courts have the authority to do, not sheriffs, McCord said. Theres another sort of evil lurking there, McCord added, because CSPOA is now essentially part of a broader movement in the United States to think its OK to use political violence if we disagree with some sort of government policy. At least one state, Texas, canceled credit for the sheriffs training after determining the course content which it said included a reference to this is a war was more political than educational. But other states, such as Tennessee, have approved the training, in part because it was hosted by a local law enforcement agency. Unlike other law enforcement continuing education, such as firearms training, the sheriffs curriculum is largely a polemic on the alleged constitutional underpinnings of sheriffs absolute authority to both interpret and refuse to enforce certain laws. One brochure advertising the groups seminars states: The County Sheriff is the one who can say to the feds, Beyond these bounds you shall not pass. Since 2018, the Howard Center-AZCIR investigation found, at least 69 sheriffs nationwide have either been identified as members of the group or publicly supported it, though at least one later disavowed the organization. A 2021 survey of sheriffs by academic researchers working with the nonprofit Marshall Project found that more than 200 of the estimated 500 sheriffs who responded agreed with the groups ideology. In addition, reporters found, at least a dozen U.S. counties influenced by the sheriffs group have considered constitutional county resolutions over the past two years. Nationwide, there are some 3,000 sheriffs, whose salaries are funded by taxpayers. They serve as the chief law enforcement officers in their counties and are the only elected peace officers in the country. They appoint deputy sheriffs and jailers and service the courts in their jurisdictions. Especially in rural areas, sheriffs hold immense sway over what happens in their county. Some states have pushed back against the groups training efforts, and not all sheriffs subscribe to the groups ideology. Many at the National Sheriffs Association conference distanced themselves from the constitutional sheriffs or claimed not to know what they were about. When I took an oath 17 years ago as sheriff, I took the oath to uphold the Constitution, not overstep it, said Troy Wellman, sheriff of Moody County, South Dakota, and a vice president of the National Sheriffs Association. And there has been public pushback in some counties led by constitutional sheriffs. In Klickitat County, Washington, residents alleged Sheriff Bob Songer, a board member of the sheriffs group, engaged in fearmongering and intimidation. He was the target of a formal complaint in 2022 that the states law enforcement standards agency ultimately dismissed for lack of jurisdiction. The public-facing image of the sheriffs group, which is led by white men, prominently features the American flag and the experiences of Black civil rights icons who pushed back against unjust laws. But details of its operations are closely held, and its finances are shielded from public scrutiny. It was briefly registered as a nonprofit in Arizona, but internal records indicate it is now a private company. Three months after allowing plans for a 14,400-square-foot house to move ahead, the council fell one vote short of enacting a moratorium to prevent similar projects in ag-zoned areas. An urgency ordinance placing a moratorium on the demolition or expansion of houses and accessory structures in the A-20 district failed on Tuesday. It got three votes, one vote short of the four-fifths supermajority necessary to pass an urgency ordinance. Download the Napa Valley Register's free news app Easily access the very latest local news that matters in an app built for you. Read, see, and hear exclusive commentary, stunning photography, The moratorium was intended as a stopgap measure to prevent projects similar to the Madrona Avenue house from securing permits pending changes to the citys zoning code that would limit maximum floor area and lot coverage for houses in the A-20 district. Its setting reasonable boundaries, Councilmember Anna Chouteau said. Were not saying you cant build a big home, it just cant be as big as weve allowed, which has been very, very big. But the moratorium didnt win the support of Vice Mayor Eric Hall and Councilmember Billy Summers, whose votes were sufficient to shoot it down. It feels like were singling out one zoning (district) for perhaps one project, a few days before the code comes before us, Hall said. None of that feels good to me. Community Development Director Maya DeRosa said there are two pending applications for demolition and design review in the A-20 district one on Pratt Avenue and one on Fulton Lane. Both applications were submitted about a month ago. The Pratt project probably wouldnt be blocked by the new code, but the proposed Fulton Lane house is more than 14,000 square feet, much larger than the roughly 6,000-square-foot maximum the new code would impose in the A-20 district. The moratorium wouldnt have blocked demolition and building permits issued by staff on a ministerial basis. It also wouldnt have affected approved projects like the one on Madrona or brand-new houses only ones that replace an existing house. The urgency ordinance could have been rescinded as soon as the new zoning code takes effect as soon as late November, after council hearings in October. Several representatives of pending and future projects that would be affected urged the council not to pass a moratorium. Planning consultant Greg Desmond said a moratorium would send the very strong message to folks who are interested in investing in this community that its going to be tough. Im not sure thats the message you want to send to folks, said Desmond, whos working on a project that hasnt filed an application yet. The Madrona house drew heavy criticism from neighbors over its size and compatibility with agricultural zoning. The Planning Commission rejected the house in March, but on appeal the council voted 3-1 to let it move ahead, partly because a similar project had already been approved. However, councilmembers agreed that the rules needed to change as soon as possible. Mayor Paul Dohring cast the only vote against the Madrona project. Hall recused himself from the May hearing because hed received a campaign contribution from the applicant. Photos: Go inside the most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Most expensive home sold in Napa County in July Komeito Party leader to postpone China visit Natsuo Yamaguchi was planning to visit China from August 28-30. Photo: AFP The head of Japan's Komeito party, the junior partner in the coalition government, will postpone his planned visit to China at China's request, the party announced on Saturday. Natsuo Yamaguchi was planning to visit China from August 28-30 in hopes of meeting President Xi Jinping and to hand over a personal letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. However, the Chinese side on Saturday informed Komeito that "the timing is not appropriate considering the current situation of Japan-China relations", the party said in a statement. The foreign ministry in Beijing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Japan on Thursday began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific despite objections both at home and abroad, including China condemning the move and issuing a ban on all aquatic products from Japan. (Reuters) In order to mitigate the rising pollution level caused by vehicles, the Jharkhand government on Friday inked a pact with TCPL Green Energy Solutions Private Ltd (TGESPL), a joint venture between Tata Motors and Cummins Inc, USA to set up the country's "first" hydrogen fuel project in Jamshedpur. Expressing contentment Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Friday announced that Tata Motors, Tata Cummins and Jharkhand Government's Industrial department have come together for the first time in the country and taken an initiative to produce hydrogen vehicles. Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren said, "For the first time in the country Tata Cummins and Jharkhand government's Industrial department have taken such a step. Now vehicles will work on hydrogen. Its manufacturing work will be held in Jharkhand. This will be used in the whole country. This decision of Jharkhand is like a milestone for the rising concerns on the environment." Chief Minister Hemant Soren expressed that a lot of concerns have been raised regarding Green Energy in the whole world. He said, "We are trying to address the concerns of Green Energy through this development." An investment of over Rs 350 crore will be made over the next few years by TCPL GES to produce fuel-agnostic powertrain solutions including Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine, Battery Electric Vehicle Systems, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle Systems, and Fuel Delivery Systems in state-of-the-art production facility, the company said. Like all other Cummins facilities, the TCPL GES site will comply with lean, clean and green manufacturing operations. The plant is expected to commence production in 2024 in a phased manner. As per current plans, the Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine will roll out first followed by the Battery Electric Components and Fuel Delivery System-related products, the release said. This collaboration demonstrates the State Governments commitment to Indias Panchamrit Tatva to combat climate change and aligns with the Jharkhand Governments vision of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. "Jharkhand will be one of the first states in India to open the doors for manufacturing advanced technology products for the commercial vehicle industry in India, which will contribute to reducing the nations carbon footprint," said Soren.(ANI) Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Friday said that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's allegations that Lalu Yadav is being bothered are completely false. Earlier, Bihar CM said Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav is being troubled unnecessarily using investigating agencies by people holding power at the centre. "...Nitish Kumar's allegations that Lalu Yadav is being bothered are completely false. JD(U) and Nitish should remember their comment in court against Lalu Yadav. They should read their trial against him," Rai said. He further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is always against dynasty politics, corruption and appeasement. "We have always struggled against the corruption done by him. Our party is firm on their stand that whoever is guilty, legal action should be taken against them. These people sometimes say that no one is more corrupt than him, but then they say that he's innocent, this won't work," he said. Nitish Kumars comment came after CBI moved the Supreme Court against Lalu Prasad Yadav's bail, almost one and half years after the Jharkhand High Court granted him relief in connection to the multi-crore fodder scam (Dumka, Chaibasa, Doranda, Deogarh treasuries). "He is being troubled unnecessarily...Those at the Centre have been troubling everyone no one is being spared." Earlier, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav also questioned the CBI for challenging the grant of bail to RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav saying that such efforts will "continue till elections". "This effort will continue till elections. The greatest fear they have is from Bihar. So they are investigating," Tejaswi Yadav said while speaking to reporters on the CBI's latest move. The RJD leader said that they are not deterred by the CBI's actions and will present their side to the court. "We will present our side to the court. Nothing will happen from this no matter how much they harass us. We are clear from our side what we will do," the Deputy Chief Minister said. Speaking on the alleged efforts of the central government to harass opposition leaders through central investigating agencies, Tejaswi Yadav said, "No one fears them nor will anyone bow to them. We will fight and we will win." (ANI) During this, the Chief Minister directed the officials to prepare a detailed action plan for the protection and promotion of "Dev Bhasha" Sanskrit and to pay attention to the establishment of Sanskrit villages at the district level. The Chief Minister said that during the meeting, a detailed discussion was held regarding the promotion of the Sanskrit language, conducting research work on the Sanskrit language, Vedas, Puranas and scripts, and providing good knowledge of Sanskrit to the youth. (ANI) Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) CMD Commodore Hemant Khatri (Retd) on Friday said that the contract that the Defence Ministry signed with HSL will greatly benefit the Indian Navy. "It's a big day because today, contracts for five ships have been signed together. These five ships are very advanced in terms of size and technology...The Indian Navy will greatly benefit from them..., " Hemant Khatri said. The contract signed on Friday is for the acquisition of five Fleet Support Ships (FSS) for the Indian Navy at an overall cost of around Rs 19,000 crore. According to Defence officials, it would be a major boost towards achieving the goal of self-reliance in defence manufacturing as these ships will be indigenously designed and constructed by HSL, Visakhapatnam. Speaking to ANI on the occasion, Indian Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh said that the five Fleet Support Ships will enhance the cargo capacity and will promote maritime security in all regions of the Indian Ocean. "The current genre of Fleet Support Ships (FSS) that are now being signed today will carry cargo for almost 25,000 tons...With five of these tankers, we are confident that we'll be able to maintain presence and surveillance and promote maritime security in all regions of the Indian Ocean," he told ANI. Navys Controller of Warship Production & Acquisition (CWP&A) Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, said that the Rs 20,000 crore contract signed will help in generating job opportunities worth 170 lakh man-days. "If you count the five ships today then we have also signed a Rs 20,000 crores contract...This will create job opportunities worth 170 lakh man-days. As of now, we are handling the ship-building contracts of Rs 1.5 lakh crores which have already concluded...I am sure this is in line with the government's directive for Atmanirbharta and I am sure it takes us towards our major objective of having 100 per cent Atmanirbharta by 2047," Deshmukh said. (ANI) China urges global action to halt Japan's discharging of nuclear-contaminated water into ocean Xinhua) 15:11, August 26, 2023 UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- China on Friday called on the international community to jointly urge Japan to halt its discharging of nuclear-contaminated water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. It is "to avoid causing unpredictable damage and hazard to the global marine environment and the health and well-being of people around the world," Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, told the UN General Assembly. "The disposal of the nuclear-contaminated water has transnational implications and is by no means a private matter for Japan. It is extremely self-serving and irresponsible of Japan to ignore the public interests and openly transfer the risk of nuclear contamination to the whole world, including the Pacific island countries," said Geng. He noted that there have been grave concerns about the impact of the discharge on the marine environment, food safety and human health. The legitimacy, legality and safety of the Japanese side's approach have been widely questioned by the international community. "The Japanese side has yet to address the major concerns of the international community about the long-term reliability of the water treatment equipment, the truthfulness and accuracy of the data on nuclear-contaminated water, and the soundness and effectiveness of the monitoring program," he said. Noting that the Japanese representative and the Japanese Government kept mentioning the final assessment report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in statements, Geng said that the IAEA's report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of the decision by the Japanese Government, as the head of the agency has repeatedly stressed. "Whatever and however they argue is not going to change the fact that in the next 30 years, Japan will discharge millions of tons of contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean and it would not change the fact that it is going to pose enormous risks to the environment, human health, etc.," said the ambassador. "I would like to call on the Japanese Government to address squarely the legitimate concerns of the relevant countries and stakeholders, immediately stop the discharge, engage in good faith with the countries and stakeholders, and address the nuclear-contaminated water issue in a responsible manner," he added. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated powerful tsunami waves that caused the meltdowns of three of its nuclear reactors, one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Despite widespread denunciation at home and abroad, Japan on Thursday started discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the plant into the Pacific Ocean. (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun) Business leaders from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are expected to further strengthen cooperation at the upcoming 20th China-ASEAN Expo to be held from Sept. 16 to 19 in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. The expo will reinforce cooperation brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement and advance version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the Ministry of Commerce said during a news conference in Beijing on Friday. This year, the expo will attract nearly 1,700 companies from more than 40 countries to participate, with the international exhibition section accounting for over 30 percent of the total exhibition area. The exhibition scale of ASEAN has rebounded to the pre-COVID level. A group of Fortune Global 500 enterprises will participate in the exhibition, according to the local government of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. "The expo will focus on the promotion of high-quality development of the economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Topics including cross-border e-commerce, agriculture and the green economy will be discussed," said Li Fei, vice-minister of commerce. China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 14 consecutive years, and ASEAN became China's top trading partner in 2020, surpassing the European Union. Last year, the trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $975.3 billion, up 11.2 percent year-on-year and surging by 120 percent from the level seen in 2013, according to the Ministry of Commerce. During the exhibition, China will highlight cooperation with ASEAN in key areas such as the digital economy, green economy, the security and stability of industrial and supply chains, and trade and investment facilitation. "China will comprehensively expand its cooperation with ASEAN, jointly increase the trade scale, strengthen cross-border e-commerce cooperation, and continue to strengthen investment cooperation in sectors such as steel, petrochemicals, textiles and auto-motives," Li said. The expo will realize digital visualization of all venues for the first time and will also hold an anniversary achievement show to highlight its fruitful achievements over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade has continued to promote comprehensive cooperation between China and ASEAN. In the first half of this year, branches of the CCPIT nationwide issued some 96,000 RCEP Certificates of Origin, which will grant companies tariff reductions, jumping by 70 percent year-on-year. "We cooperate with ASEAN leaders to visit China, organize Chinese entrepreneurs to visit ASEAN member countries, and promote comprehensive bilateral practical cooperation," said Zhang Shaogang, vice-chairman of the CCPIT. As many as 1,588 posts were created in the Department of Health and Family Welfare. From next year, MBBS seats at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) will be increased from 50 to 110. We have also provided the requisite manpower to the Health Department, CM Khandu told media persons. TRIHMS is the first state-run medical college in Arunachal Pradesh. In another key decision taken by the Khandu cabinet, a district and sessions court will be set up at Seppa to ensure swift and effective delivery of justice. The state cabinet also cleared the proposal to introduce the Arunachal Pradesh Court Fees Bill, 2023 in the Assembly. In another key cabinet decision approved by CM Khandu, the new circle headquarters would also be created to enhance administrative efficiency. (ANI) Former Minister in Uttar Pradesh Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi, who are serving life imprisonment in the Madhumita Shukla murder case, have received a release order from the District Magistrate office on Friday after completing all the legal formalities. Poet Madhumita Shukla, who was pregnant, was killed and Amarmani Tripathi, then a minister in the Mayawati-led government, was arrested immediately after the crime. His wife was arrested later as the main accused for plotting the murder. Arun Kumar Kushwaha, Jailer of the Gorakhpur district jail reached the BRD Medical College with a copy of the order on Friday evening and after completing all the legal formalities, Amarmani Tripathi and his wife were released from the jail. At present, former minister Amarmani Tripathi and his wife Madhumani Tripathi are in BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur undergoing medical treatment. The couple have been undergoing treatment at the hospital where they were transferred to in 2013. We will take our parents' home only after consulting the doctors, Aman Mani Tripathi, son of the former minister said. The Supreme Court on Friday refused to put on hold the premature release of Amarmani Tripathi (66) and his wife Madhumani (61). Responding to the development, Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said that the couple's release ahead of the completion of their terms does not send a good message about the government's policies regarding women. "I think this release is sending a type of message to the entire country about the condition of women. Whether it is the case of Bilkis Bano or this (Madhumita murder case), such orders of release, being issued, are not sending the right message about our Indian culture, civilization and women," Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav's wife said. The case was first handed over to the CBCID and then to the CBI. Later, on the plea of the Shukla family, the case was transferred to Uttarakhand. Both the CBI court in Dehradun and then Uttarakhand High Court pronounced them guilty of the crime and awarded life terms in 2007. (ANI) The Delhi Commission for Women on Saturday issued notice to Delhi Police over two separate incidents of sexual assault involving two minor girls in the same hotel in Delhi and sought details of action taken against the hotel, an official statement said. According to the release, the Commission recently received cases of sexual assault with two minor girls at a hotel in Delhi. The Commission said that it has been informed that two persons in two separate incidents, allegedly assaulted two 15-year-old girls sexually multiple times in a hotel in Delhi. DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal stated, We have received two separate cases of sexual assault with minors in a hotel. It can not be a coincidence, action should be taken against the owner/manager of the hotel. In the past as well, cases of sexual assault with minors have occurred in Delhi. We are investigating as to what guidelines have been issued by Delhi Police regarding booking/stay by minors in hotels and for ensuring their safety. In both these cases FIRs have been registered at Jagatpuri police station. In the past as well, several cases have been reported wherein many minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by accused persons in hotels. In this regard, DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal has issued notice to Delhi Police seeking action taken report on the matter. The Commission has sought the details of action taken against the hotel. It also asked whether the manager/owner of the hotel had been arrested or not and sought the details of the association of any aggregator with the hotel. DCW has also sought details of FIRs wherein women and minor girls have been sexually assaulted in hotels and the present status of the cases and has asked for action taken by Delhi Police against hotels, where cases of sexual assault with minors have been reported. As per the official statement, the Commission has sought the details of any rules/guidelines issued by Delhi Police with respect to booking/staying by minors in hotels. It has also sought details of steps taken by Delhi Police to ensure the safety of women and minor girls in hotels/guest houses. (ANI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has given his approval for 17 welfare schemes under the Delhi Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (DBOCWWB). These schemes are aimed at providing financial benefits to construction workers, such as disability pensions, ex-gratia payments, medical assistance, maternity benefits, and death benefits, among others. The schemes will be implemented under Section 7 of the Aadhar Act, 2016, with a focus on ensuring that these benefits reach genuine beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) after Aadhar-based authentication. The primary objective behind implementing these schemes is to minimize leakages and ensure that the benefits are targeted and reach those who genuinely qualify for them. It also seeks to enhance the working conditions and quality of life for construction workers while safeguarding their welfare. To ensure the effective and transparent implementation of these schemes, Saxena has directed constant supervision and monitoring of the disbursement and payment processes. He emphasized the importance of making the registration of construction workers transparent, tamper-proof, and free from fraudulent activities. Deputy Labour Commissioners in respective districts have been assigned the responsibility of overseeing the benefit transfer process to ensure that only legitimate construction workers receive these benefits. Saxena stressed the need to establish the veracity of the registration process and the legitimacy of registered beneficiaries concurrently. This move comes in response to instances of financial irregularities and leakages in the distribution of benefits by the DBOCWWB, including providing benefits to individuals falsely claiming to be construction workers. An ongoing investigation is already in progress regarding the unauthorized and illegal registration of fake construction workers and related financial irregularities. The Anti-Corruption Branch is conducting this investigation under FIR No. 4/2018, based on sections 13(1)(d) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The approval of these welfare schemes and the emphasis on transparency and accountability in the registration process are significant steps towards ensuring that construction workers in Delhi receive the financial assistance and benefits they rightfully deserve. (ANI) 'TamilNadu Startup Thiruvizha 2023', StartupTNs first annual celebration of Startups, Innovation and Entrepreneurship turned out to be a phenomenal success with nearly 20,000 delegates and visitors taking part in the two-day mega event at CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex in Coimbatore. The convention and expo began with a video message by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. The event had the launch of hallmark initiatives by Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Thiru. TM Anbarasan, in the presence of Minister for Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Dr TRB Rajaa, Secretary to Government for MSME Department Thiru. V Arun Roy, I.A.S. and StartupTN Mission Director and CEO Thiru. Sivarajah Ramanathan, to benefit Startups and other stakeholders of the ecosystem. "A total of 23 Startups received sanction orders for total equity investment to the tune of Rs. 3.05 Crore under TANSEED 5.0, the 5th edition of Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Fund (TANSEED). This includes Rs. 15 Lakh each to 15 Startups and Rs. 10 Lakh each to eight Startups. This takes the total number of TANSEED awardees so far to 132. A toll free StartupTN Call Centre number 155343 was launched. The bilingual call centre can be reached by stakeholders from Tamil Nadu from 10 AM to 6 PM on all working days," a press note said. An exclusive Women Accelerator to benefit founders of 22 women-led Startups from various sectors was also launched, the press note further added. "The inaugural session concluded with the launch of the expo with more than 450 stalls by Startups and Startup enablers. The Ministers visited the innovative stalls by Startups from a wide spectrum of sectors including Automobile, EV & Smart Mobility, Aerospace & Defence, Web 3.0, VR & AR, Circular Economy, Climate Tech & Clean Energy, SaaS, IOT, Robotics, Edu Tech, Fem Tech, Social Impact, Rural Livelihood and Sustainability," the press note added. More than 80 Startups launched their brands and products free of cost at the StartupTN Lounge with a seating capacity for 50, as part of the expo. The lounge centrally located at the expo hall made it conducive for the Startups to play video presentations, talk about it and also respond to queries of the audience. A highlight of the expo and crowd puller was the Metaverse experience centre by the StartupTN Web3 sectoral forum. "More than 60 Startups pitched before investors in one-on-one Speed Meeting sessions before 50 investors comprising High Network Individuals, Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists. The investors interacted with Startups from various sectors and the prospects of investment are under various stages of consideration. The event was also studded with prizes and awards being given away to winners of various competitions on the sidelines of the Thiruvizha," the press note further added. The convention had more than 60 speakers including subject matter experts and celebrated Startup ecosystem stakeholders with vast experience who had 1,500 attendees glued to their seats throughout the course of the two-day deliberations. The Thiruvizha served the purpose of not only reaching out to the stakeholders but also sensitising the near and dear of prospective entrepreneurs about the Startup ecosystem in the State and the support offered to them by the Government of Tamil Nadu, through StartupTN. (ANI) According to ED, Prabir Kumar Chanda and Pranab Kumar Das, Directors of M/s MPS Greenery Developers Limited were arrested under the the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 on Thursday. Taking to social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, the central agency said, "ED arrested Prabir Kumar Chanda and Pranab Kumar Das, Directors of M/s MPS Greenery Developers Limited on August 24, 2023, under the PMLA, 2002 in connection with fraudulent Collective Investment Schemes. The Honble PMLA Court, Kolkata has granted ED custody for 7 days till September 1, 2023." Further details are awaited. (ANI) REC Limited, the Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, has entered into a pact with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), under which REC will provide a loan of Rs 4,527.68 crore to DVC for setting up a 1,320 MW thermal power project (2x660 MW) at Raghunathpur in West Bengal, a release said on Saturday. As per the Ministry of Power, "The Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase-II project, a collaborative effort between REC and DVC, will contribute significantly to the power generation capacity in West Bengal. With a combined capacity of 1,320 MW, the project marks a key milestone in the energy landscape of the region." "As the project progresses, REC and DVC remain dedicated to ensuring its successful implementation, adhering to the highest standards of efficiency, innovation, and environmental responsibility. This strategic partnership between REC and DVC underlines their collective commitment to foster sustainable development and strengthen the power sector," the Ministry added. The agreement was signed in the presence of Ram Naresh Singh, Chairman; Arup Sarkar, Member (Finance); Dr John Mathai, MemberSecretary; M Raghu Ram, Member (Technical); Joydeep Mukherjee, Executive Director (Finance); and Sumit Kumar Das, Senior General Manager (Finance) from Damodar Valley Corporation, and Pankaj Verma, CPM from REC Limited. REC Limited is an NBFC focusing on Power Sector Financing and Development across India. It provides financial assistance to state electricity boards, state governments, central/state power utilities, independent power producers, rural electric cooperatives and private sector utilities. Its business activities involve financing projects in the complete power sector value chain; for various types of projects including Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Renewable Energy. RECs funding illuminates every fourth bulb in India. DVC is a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Power, engaged in power generation and transmission, catering to the energy needs of the eastern region of the country. (ANI) China will extend the preferential tax policy for overseas talent working in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to Dec. 31, 2027 to support the area's development, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said on Friday. High-calibre overseas talent and professionals in short supply who work in the Greater Bay Area will get subsidies from Guangdong Province and Shenzhen Municipality to offset the difference between the individual income tax on the Chinese mainland and in Hong Kong, according to a circular jointly released by the MOF and the State Taxation Administration. The subsidies will be exempt from individual income tax, said the circular. The MOF also announced that a departure tax refund policy for overseas tourists will be implemented in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, from Sept. 1. The VSSC located at Thiruvananthapuram, is the lead centre of ISRO responsible for the design and development of launch vehicle technology. According to Kerala Police, the arrested persons sat on examination on behalf of other candidates and cheated in the exam hall. "(The arrests have been made) in connection with a competition examination of Vikram Sarabhai Space Studies conducted in Trivandrum on August 20, 2023. In that exam, some persons gave exams for other candidates and also copied the question paper through mobile devices, concealed under their shirts. The camera was placed on the button of their shirt through which they sent the question papers through applications and recieved answers on headsets placed inside their ears," a police officer said. He said that upon investigation the police got information that the accused persons hail from Jind, Hisar and other districts of Haryana. "Acting on the tip-off, today we arrested three persons," he said, adding that a total of eight persons have been arrested in the matter so far. An investigation into the matter is underway. Further information is awaited. (ANI) Business Chairman-Energy & International Airports of GMR Group, Srinivas Bommidala on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a leader par excellence who takes care of every section of society. "Wherever PM Modi goes, he's a celebrity, he's a hero. A lot of people do come in because he actually takes care of every section of society. He takes care of the country across sections of society and he is a leader par excellence, Bommidala said after having lunch with PM Modi in Greece on Friday. He said that: The bilateral relationships that PM Modi builds, very few people in the country could even imagine...Very few people can even understand what kind of impact invisibly PM Modi is creating for India." As per Bommidala, when PM Modi became the prime minister, I visited an important global event, where everyone was talking about other countries and no one mentioned India, but now everybody mentions only or probably India. India is the one that is actually spelt out everywhere and India's reference is very very high. US, Middle East, Asia, wherever you go, they talk about India..." Meanwhile, PM Modi on Friday said his Greece visit will add momentum to India-Greece friendship, particularly people-to-people linkages. This Greece visit is a very special one. It will add great momentum to India-Greece friendship, particularly people-to-people linkages. I also had a very memorable interaction with the dynamic Indian community here. Gratitude to PM @PrimeministerGR @kmitsotakis, the Government and people ofGreece,PM Modiwrote on X formerly Twitter on Friday. PM Modion Friday left for India fromGreece'sAthensafter wrapping up his visit to the country. The PM had started his four-day formal tour on August 21 for South Africa and Greece. In South Africa, PM Modi attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg from August 22-24 at the invitation of the countrys president Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa. During theGreeceVisit, PM held meetings with Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis and President Katerina N Sakellaropoulou. In the meeting with the Greek President, the PM added another feather to his cap, as he was conferred with the Grand Cross of the Order of Honour inAthens,Greece. President ofGreeceKaterina N Sakellaropoulou fetedPM Modiwith the Grand Cross after the latter called on the former during his day-long official visit toGreece. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and welcomed his invitation to visit India. In a joint statement during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Greece at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, both countries have agreed to elevate their bilateral ties to a "strategic partnership". (ANI) Nigers military leadership has asked the French ambassador to depart from the country. The move further escalates the international crisis in the West African nation after a coup that deposed the democratically elected president, Al Jazeera reported. French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was asked to leave Niger within 48 hours in a letter that accused him of ignoring an invitation for a meeting with the foreign ministry. The letter dated Friday, also cited actions of the French government contrary to the interests of Niger as among the reasons for Ittes expulsion. Frances foreign ministry on Friday said Nigers putschists have no authority to ask its ambassador in Niamey to leave. Niger, a former French colony, was Frances partner before last months coup in the fight against armed groups. A growing wave of anti-French sentiment has followed recent coups in the region with some locals accusing the European country of interfering in their affairs, as per Al Jazeera. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday criticised Nigers coup-makers and demanded the release of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum. The military leader, General Abdrahmane Tchiani, signed two executive orders authorising the security forces of Burkina Faso and Mali to intervene on Niger territory in the event of aggression, military official Oumarou Ibrahim Sidi said late Thursday after hosting a delegation from the two countries in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, according to Al Jazeera. Sidi did not provide further details about the military support from the two countries whose military regimes have said any use of force by the West African bloc ECOWAS against Nigers military government would be treated as an act of war against their own nations. The agreement was the latest of several actions taken by Nigers soldiers to defy sanctions and consolidate a military leadership they say will rule for up to three years, further escalating the crisis after last months coup in the country of more than 25 million people. (ANI) The Sikh community in Pakistan is facing threats, bringing the minority community into the forefront, Khalsa Vox reported, adding that former jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh, in a statement, attested to the longstanding persecution faced by Sikhs in the country. He said this is not a recent phenomenon but a continuous pattern of victimisation. The Sikh community members urged the Pakistani government to intervene and protect its vulnerable minority communities after they received a letter ordering them to convert to Islam or face deadly consequences, Khalsa Vox reported. The Sikhs of Pakistan have been living in fear for a long time and are subjected to recurrent persecution and targeting, the report stated further. The incidents that have unfolded in the recent past show the pattern of threat the Sikhs face in Pakistan, Khalsa Vox reported, invoking an incident of rape from October 27, 2018 "just to intimidate and suppress the Sikh community". On January 5, 2020, Ravinder Singh was brutally shot, marking a day of mourning for theSikhs in Peshawar. Just a month later, in February 2020, a Sikh man was tortured in Punjab, according to Khalsa Vox. On June 18, 2020, another woman was forcibly converted and stripped her of faith and identity, the report noted. In July 2020, sacred resting places of Sikhs in Lahore were desecrated and their graveyard vandalised, reported Khalsa Vox. In August 2021, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore was desecrated, in an incident deemed as disrespectfulto Sikh history and heritage. In another incident on February 15, 2022, Papinder Singh was shot at and gravely injured while afew months later, in April 2022, Mastaan Singh faced a similar fate in Nankana Sahib. Peshawar continued to be a hotspot for anti-Sikh violence. Two more Sikhs, identified as Kuljeet Singh and Ranjeet Singh, were brutally murdered on May 15, 2022. Later that year, a Sikh woman was raped in Jacobabad, Sindh. Sikh women in a Gurudwara in Sukkur, Sindh were harassed in June 2023, reported Khalsa Vox, noting more incidents. In the most recent incident, Amish Singh in Kandhkot province of Sindh was harassed on July 2, 2023, marking yet another dark day for the Sikh community. These incidents are a glimpse of the broader challenges faced by Sikhs in Pakistan. It is important for the global community to recognize these infringements on human rights and push the Pakistani government to reinforce measures to protect the Sikh community, ensuring their safety and dignity, the report stated. (ANI) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met European Commissions Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and discussed bilateral and financial issues of mutual interest on Saturday. In a meeting that was held in New Delhi, both the leaders exchanged views on ongoing consultations for India-EU Investment Protection Agreement IPA and India-EU Free Trade Agreement FTA, informed the Ministry of Finance. EU Trade Commissioner also co-chaired the EU-India High-Level Dialogue on Trade and Investment with Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in Delhi on Saturday. The negotiations for an FTA between the EU and India were relaunched last year, marking a significant step in trade relations. Prior to the meeting with the Union Finance minister, In a press conference, the EU Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis acknowledged that while progress has been made in the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) discussions, there are still substantial challenges to address. He said, The discussions on the Free Trade Agreement between India and the European Union (EU) have made progress but a lot of work is still ahead of us, said on Saturday, adding that the ties between the two sides have a lot of untapped potential. At a press conference held in India, Dombrovskis emphasized the untapped potential in the relationship between India and the EU, stating, "India and the EU are important partners. We share fundamental values and interests." He also highlighted that the EU is India's second-largest partner. Dombrovskis noted that the FTA negotiations come at a time of conflicting geopolitical situations, emphasizing the increasing importance of trust and credibility in international relations. Providing an update on the FTA talks, Dombrovskis, who also serves as the EU Commissioner for Trade, stated that both sides have engaged in intensive discussions. He highlighted the potential benefits of an FTA, such as providing preferred access for India to the EU market, which is the largest single market globally. Dombrovskis arrived in India earlier in the week and participated in the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers Meeting in Jaipur. The negotiations for an FTA between the EU and India were relaunched last year, marking a significant step in trade relations. FTA aims to eliminate trade barriers between participating countries, facilitating smoother import and export processes and fostering stronger trade relations. Talks initially began in 2007 but were frozen in 2013. The decision to resume negotiations in 2021 reflects the shared commitment to deepen economic ties and promote free and hassle-free trade between the two major partners. The negotiations encompass a wide range of areas, including sustainability, labour standards, and environmental considerations, to ensure that trade benefits both parties without adverse impacts on the environment or labour rights. (ANI) You are here: Business This aerial photo taken on July 28, 2023 shows the first direct China-Central Asia freight train from Dulaying international land-sea logistics port in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province. [Photo/Xinhua] China's international trade in goods and services in July exceeded 3.77 trillion yuan, or 526.5 billion U.S. dollars, official data showed on Friday. Exports of goods neared 1.83 trillion yuan and imports surpassed 1.44 trillion yuan, resulting in a surplus of 385.5 billion yuan, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange said. Services exports totaled 183.8 billion yuan last month, and services imports were at 315.3 billion yuan, resulting in a trade deficit of 131.5 billion yuan. The director of the British Museum in London, Hartwig Fischer resigned from his post after admitting to failing in his investigation into the theft of items from the museums collection, Aljazeera reported on Saturday. The museum was alerted more than two years ago to the possible theft or disappearance of valuable artefacts when an art historian became suspicious about objects for sale online. The publication reported that the museum, one of Londons most popular tourist attractions, informed last week that a member of staff had been dismissed after itemsincluding gold jewellery and gems dating from the 15th century BC to the 19th century AD, had been found stolen from a storeroom. The German art historian and the museum Director, who led the museum since 2016, said that there could have been a better response to the warnings that an employee may have been stealing items and the failings must ultimately rest with him. It is evident that the British Museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have, he said in a statement. The responsibility for that failure must ultimately rest with the director. Aljazeera reported that the police had interviewed but not charged an unnamed man in the case. The British Museum initially said in the statement that Fischer would step down with immediate effect, but later removed those words and said he would resign once an interim leader had been found. Fischer said that he withdrew remarks made about the art dealer who first alerted the museums authorities to the stolen items. Heclaimed earlier this week that Ittai Gradel, an antiquities dealer, withheld information about the scale of the stolen items when he contacted the museum. Fischer expressed sincere regret over the misjudged comments. The museum has also attracted controversy because it has resisted calls from communities around the world to return items of historical significance that were acquired or stolen during the era of the British Empire and Britains colonial rule. The most infamous of these disputes include marble carvings from the Parthenon in Greece and the Benin bronzes from West Africa. (ANI) Soon after former US President Donald Trump surrendered in Fulton County, in a Georgia election subversion case, his 2024 presidential campaign started selling merchandise featuring the first mug shot of a former US president, The Washington Post reported. Notably, Trump has throughout tried his best to appear unfazed and unbowed by having been indicted four times since March, as per the New York Times. It is not a comfortable feeling especially when you have done nothing wrong, he told Fox Newss website in an interview. However, Trump has been able to make the most of his mug shot, according to The Post.The merchandise, including T-shirts, mugs, koozies and bumper stickers of Trumps mug shot, was for sale about 90 minutes after he was released from an Atlanta jail on Thursday. The merchandise, which includes USD 34 shirts, is accompanied by the words NEVER SURRENDER! Notably, Trump surrendered at the jail on Thursday and was released on a USD 200,000 bond in a move his legal team negotiated this week. The Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee is also selling his mug shot, saying it would give out a T-shirt in exchange for a USD 47 donation. The Trump campaign claimed in a fundraising email that his mug shot was an attempt to make him look like a criminal in front of the entire world, The Post reported. Trumps oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., also posted on X a link to his own website featuring merchandise with the photo. The younger Trump said he would donate proceeds from the sales to a legal defence fund that his fathers advisers had set up to assist with bills accrued by people who are witnesses in the cases, NYT reported. Even before the mug shot was snapped at the jail in Atlanta, an email from Trumps joint fund-raising committee primed his supporters by saying, Its been reported that if I am unjustly indicted and arrested in the Atlanta Witch Hunt, a mug shot will be taken of me. Notably, one of Trumps top advisers, Chris LaCivita, issued a warning on social media to political entities that might seek to profit from the photo by using it to suggest a connection to the Trump campaign, NYT reported. Meanwhile, other Republicans are also raising money off the mug shots. A committee for Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), who is running for re-election in 2024, urged supporters to donate to WinRed, a small-donor fundraising platform for Republicans. Today, ALL defence pledges will be flagged SPECIFICALLY for President Trumps campaign, the ad read. They insisted on a mug shot and I agreed to do that, Trump told Fox Newss website after he was booked on a lengthy list of charges stemming from his efforts to remain in power after his election loss. This is the only time Ive ever taken a mug shot. However, this isnt the first time the Trump campaign has attempted to monetize the idea of Trumps mug shot, an unprecedented moment in American history. After a New York grand jury indicted Trump in April, in a case stemming from alleged hush money payments to former adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the Trump campaign sold T-shirts with a fake mug shot for 47 USD, emblazoned with the words NOT GUILTY, as per The Post. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden took a dig at Trump over his viral mug shot picture. I did see it on television. Handsome guy, Biden told a reporter while vacationing in Lake Tahoe. Notably, hours after he surrendered and his mugshot was released, Trump shared his mugshot with the link to his site. This came a few hours after his surrender in Fulton County, Ga. in the Georgia election subversion case. "ELECTION INTERFERENCE! NEVER SURRENDER!" he wrote while sharing the mug shot photo on X. It was the first time Trump posted on the social media platform since his account was suspended shortly after the January 6 riots at the Capitol. His last tweet was on January 8, 2021, when Trump said that he would not attend the inauguration of then-US President-elect Joe Biden. Trump surrendered himself in Fulton County jail in Atlanta, in connection with the Georgia election subversion case. But he was later released on bond, according to jail records, CNN reported. The jail records show that the former US President was placed under arrest and booked at the Fulton County jail on Thursday (US local time) night in connection with the Georgia election subversion case. Trump was at the jail for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Trump faces a total of 91 charges across four criminal cases. His surrender and arraignment in Georgia are expected to look different from those in his previous three criminal cases. (ANI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Ministers Meenakashi Lekhi and Arjun Ram Meghwal on Saturday attended a cultural event at the G20 program in Varanasi. The Culture Ministers of G20 countries met on Saturday, the last day of the four-day G20 Culture Working Group (CWG). The last night of the meeting started with the G20 orchestra of the international cultural program 'Sur Vasudha'. The message of the spirit of 'one earth, one family, one future' went to the whole world from Kashi to the tunes of G20 countries. Uttar Pradesh Chief MinisterYogi Adityanathwas present at the 'Sur Vasudha' cultural program organized at Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Hastkala Sankul, Bada Lalpur. Meanwhile, CM Yogi also handed over theG20Orchestra Baton toBrazil, the country that will hold the next leadership ofG20. CM Yogi also attended the dinner organized in honour of the guests of theG20Culture Working Group. He reachedVaranasion the last evening of the meeting of Culture Ministers ofG20countries. On the occasion, the Chief Minister handed over the chairmanship of the next G-20 meeting to the representative of the Culture Minister ofBrazilin the presence of Union Cultural State Ministers Arjun Ram Meghwal and Meenakshi Lekhi. Moreover, UP CM honoured the composer of Sur Vasudha with angavastram and garland. Cultural programs were presented in the program emphasizing the concept of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', the ancient tradition of India. In order to promote sustainable development, the message of environmental protection was given by organizing a program on the concept of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'. The international cultural program 'Sur Vasudha' included not only representatives fromG20countries but also artists from eight invited nations (Bangladesh, Mauritius, Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, Spain, Nigeria, and the UAE), along with participation from six international organizations. Notably, this program had previously been hosted inSaudi Arabia, Italy, and Indonesia. For the first time, India got the opportunity to preside over it. On this occasion, Union Minister of Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal, State Tourism Minister Jaiveer Singh, the Central Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shankar Mishra were present, along with representatives from G20 countries. (ANI) The Russian invaders have been using residential buildings and hospitals, hiding behind civilians as cover. Source: Ukrainian General Staff on Facebook Quote: "The Russian occupiers are cynically continuing to violate international humanitarian law and deploy their military personnel in civilian buildings, using civilians as human shields. Specifically, up to 1500 servicemen of the Russian occupying forces of Buryat origin were observed arriving in the settlement of Osypenko in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 23 August, illegally quartered in civilian houses with local residents and on the territory of the local hospital." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Background: The Russians have begun to send home previously "evacuated" residents of the settlements located directly on the contact line. They intend to use them as human shields. 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! An earlier busload of asylum seekers arrives in Los Angeles from Brownsville, Texas, last month at the direction of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott . Another bus from Brownsville arrived at Union Station on Saturday morning. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) A bus carrying 39 people seeking asylum arrived at Union Station from Texas on Saturday morning, the 10th such bus Gov. Greg Abbott has dispatched to Los Angeles since June. The group of migrants are asylum seekers from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela, according to a statement from the L.A. Welcomes Collective, a network of nonprofit organizations, faith groups and city and county services. They arrived obviously tired, exhausted after a long trip, but none seem emaciated or ill, said Jorge-Mario Cabrera, a spokesman for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, a member of the collective. They are desperate to get off the bus, but they are not distraught. Upon arrival at Union Station, the passengers were directed onto L.A. city buses that carried them to Bishop Mora Salesian High School in Boyle Heights. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The City has continued to work with City Departments, the County, and a coalition of nonprofit organizations, in addition to our faith partners, to execute a plan set in place earlier this year, said Zach Seidl, a spokesperson for Mayor Karen Bass , in a written statement. As we have before, when we became aware of the bus yesterday, we activated our plan. Once at the high school they were met by representatives of the L.A. Welcomes Collective, which has been assisting the roughly 400 people sent to L.A. in recent months from Texas under the states so-called Operation Lone Star. The passengers arriving Saturday included 12 families traveling with a total of 21 children, the biggest group of children on any of the buses so far, Cabrera said. Fortunately, we had enough toys for them, he said. At the high school, the group received legal advice and practical assistance like showers and food. Many have already made contact with family or sponsors in the Los Angeles area whom they will stay with while the legal process for their asylum application plays out, Cabrera said. Most of these folks are ready to work. Theyre ready to contribute to their community, he said. The group arrived less than a week after Texas officials defied cautions against road travel and sent a bus carrying 16 families through a tropical storm to L.A., a decision Bass called a despicable act beyond politics. Since April 2022, Texas has bused more than 33,270 asylum seekers to "sanctuary cities" around the U.S. to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden administrations refusal to secure our border, Abbotts office said in a statement. Earlier this month, a 3-year-old boy died after becoming ill and losing consciousness on a bus dispatched to Chicago from Texas. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A bus carrying Ukrainian tourists was involved in an accident in Italy in the evening of Aug. 25, injuring 15, including seven minors and two children, reported Italian news agency ANSA. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. on the A4 highway between San Giorgio di Nogaro and Latizana, not far from Trieste, said ANSA. Four of the victims were seriously injured, and another 10 have been hospitalized, said the report. Reportedly, the accident occurred after the the bus rammed into the side of a truck due to a sudden skid. It is unclear whether the skid was due to mechanical failure or driver error. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: 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 CHICAGO (WGN) Authorities are investigating reports of a shooting which injured two women at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. The incident took place around 7:30 p.m. on Friday night, during White Sox game against the Oakland As. Police have identified the two victims as a 42-year-old woman, who was shot in the leg, and a 26-year-old woman, whose abdomen was grazed by a bullet. The 42-year-old female was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she is listed in fair condition. The 26-year-old female refused medical attention, Chicago police wrote in a statement. Police did not elaborate on the circumstances surrounding the shooting, but said at no time was it believed there was an active threat to other attendees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Child at Pennsylvania theme park injured by box cutter that fell from roller coaster The White Sox, in a statement obtained by the Associated Press, said the victims were in the stadiums Section 161, in left-center field, when they were injured. As of Friday night, the teams security was not yet sure whether the shots were fired from inside or outside of the ballpark. Security also said the shooting did not involve an altercation of any kind, the AP reported. The White Sox are thinking of the victims at this time and wishing them a speedy recovery, the statement concluded. A police investigation is ongoing. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson spoke to Nexstars WGN on Saturday afternoon, saying police are currently working to ensure the safety of fans at Saturdays game against the Oakland As. The Chicago Police Department is doing everything to ensure a safe game tonight, and Im confident that our police department, our men and women who serve our city, are doing everything in their power to ensure that, Johnson said. There were nearly 22,000 people in the crowd during Fridays game, a 12-4 loss for the Chicago White Sox against Oakland. A postgame concert featuring Vanilla Ice, Rob Base and Tone Loc was canceled because of technical issues, according to the team. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Behind the wheel of her brand-new BYD, Zhao Jing completes her daily tasks with ease and as the day draws to a close, she makes a convenient stop at a charging station near her home. "Life is so much easier with a car," said the store owner in Dongshu town of Ningyang County, east China's Shandong Province. Zhao bought the car earlier this year, thanks to a county government subsidy that covers 8 percent of its price. "That was a great bargain! I was not prepared for such a discount." For her new BYD car, priced at about 180,000 yuan (25,040 U.S. dollars), the government provided over 14,000 yuan. Ningyang County has earmarked 10 million yuan for car purchase subsidies this year, said Zheng Peng, chief of the county's commerce bureau. "We launched the same promotion campaign last year to stimulate car purchases in rural villages, and as a result, more than 3,600 cars were sold in three months, a 12-fold increase from the same period of 2021." The county is also building more charging stations, particularly in its rural areas, he said. China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry has experienced rapid development in recent years. The output and sales of NEVs rose to 3.79 million and 3.75 million units, respectively, in the first half of this year, data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed. Since the start of July, major carmakers like BYD and Great Wall Motors, as well as emerging companies such as XPeng, Li Auto and NIO, have all experienced steady growth in NEV production and sales, some even exceeding market expectations. To narrow the rural-urban divide, China has intensified efforts to make cars -- particularly NEVs -- more affordable in smaller cities and the countryside. Over the past three years, more than 4.1 million car units have been sold to the rural market. In Shouguang City, a major vegetable production base, many farming households now own cars. In some villages, one out of five families owns a car. "We sold more than 700 cars last year, 40 percent to rural buyers," said a manager of one of the largest NEV sales outlets in Shouguang's city center. China's vast countryside has a market potential of 500 billion yuan, estimates the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. China EV100, an electric vehicle industry think tank, predicts that China's rural population will have more than 70 million cars by 2030, averaging nearly 160 cars for every 1,000 people. The National Development and Reform Commission released new measures in July to stabilize and expand the country's auto consumption, further promote the development of the NEV industry and build more charging facilities in small cities, townships and villages. A new charging station recently opened in Hongfanchi township of Pingyin County, on the outskirts of Shandong's provincial capital Jinan. "It's only 2 km from my home," said Yao Minghui, a local resident who no longer has to drive more than 30 km to the nearest charging station in the county seat. Charging infrastructure is one of the primary concerns for NEV buyers. Apart from building public charging stations, power companies are facilitating the installation of private charging piles for rural customers. In the first half of this year, the State Grid Jinan Power Supply Company built 82 charging stations and installed 255 charging piles in the rural areas of Jinan, so that charging piles are available in every township, a company official said. Meanwhile, 2,224 rural families have applied for private charging piles, the official said. As NEVs become popular in the countryside, car owners can easily apply for the installation of private charging piles through an application on their mobile phones, said Zhang Yan, deputy manager of the State Gride Lanling Power Supply Company. Easier access to charging facilities has drawn a growing number of tourists this summer to the farms and orchards in Yinjiayu Village in the city of Linyi. The village, nestled in the Yimeng Mountains, was once considered an isolated area with limited access to traffic. The growing popularity of NEVs, however, has linked the village closer to the outside world. "We have implemented a comprehensive action plan for charging facilities in towns and villages, bringing charging stations to rural areas to support eco-friendly transportation for the public," said Ren Yonghui, marketing director of State Grid's power supply company in Yishui County. The county has preliminarily established a charging service system covering all townships, dispelling electric car owners' worries. 2 Swiss flight attendants were spotted posing for selfies on the wing of a Swiss Boeing 777. They were pictured striking poses while the plane was at an airport in Buenos Aires. An airline representative denounced the behavior, saying a fall could be "devastating." Cabin crew for Swiss Air could be in big trouble after appearing to pose for selfies on the wing of a Boeing 777. A video circulating on social media and reported by outlets including by the New York Post shows two flight attendants standing on the wing of the plane before a flight departed from Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 16. The video begins with a female flight attendant posing for a picture pulling several poses, before being joined by a male colleague. He also struck a bodybuilder-type pose after she returned to the cabin through an open door. SWISS cabin crew in serious trouble for taking selfies on a 777 wing in Buenos Aires. pic.twitter.com/NrwevZ8ys8 Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 25, 2023 Ground crew can also be seen posing in front of an aircraft engine in the video, which appears to have been shot from the terminal. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a statement to Insider, a representative for the airline strongly criticized the cabin crew's antics and said their behavior wouldn't be tolerated. "What looks like fun in the video is actually life-threatening," said Michael Pelzer of Swiss. "The wings of a Boeing 777 are at a height of about five meters [16.4 feet]. Moreover, after landing, even in high temperatures, the wings may be covered with ice. A fall from that height onto the hard surface can be devastating." The airline has been in contact with the flight attendants in question, Pelzer said. No passengers were on the plane when the crew embarked on their stunt. Read the original article on Business Insider Three reality stars were arrested after officials say they were involved in a fight at a bar in Buckhead. Atlanta police told Channel 2 Action News officers responded to reports of a physical altercation at the Lucca Lounge on Pharr Road at 11:40 p.m. Friday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When officers arrived, they quickly broke up a fight involving 35-year-old Erica Mena, 35-year-old Rodney Shaw (A.K.A. Zellswag), 37-year-old Addie Richardson (A.K.A. Bambi Richardson) and Kareem Cadet. Clockwise from top left: Kareem Cadet, Erica Mena ( Officials have not said what caused the fight or if anyone else was involved. According to police, the responding officer tried to de-escalate the situation by talking to the people involved so that they could be escorted from the club. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, police say they then became physically aggressive towards the officer. TRENDING STORIES: Police say the unruly patrons were asked to leave by security but they refused to do so and a physical altercation ensued. According to the Fulton County Jail, all four individuals were charged with willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer. Mena and Shaw were also charged with simple battery. Officials also charged Mena with simple battery against a police officer. Richardson and Mena are members of the Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta cast. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Shaw is known for his role in Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood. It is unclear if Cadet is affiliated with the franchise. Channel 2 Action News reached out to the network that carries the show for a statement. IN OTHER NEWS: 200 volunteers are searching for the Loch Ness monster this weekend. The operation in the Scottish Highlands is the biggest of its kind in 50 years. The search for "Nessie" has been underway for 1300 years. The fabled Loch Ness monster is attracting the biggest search operation in 50 years. The elusive monster, affectionately nicknamed "Nessie," is a fixture of Scottish folklore and is believed to inhabit the deep lake in the Scottish Highlands. The legendary beast has eluded capture and definitive proof it was reportedly first spotted in the 6th century. The modern myth of Nessie began more recently when, in 1933, a hotel manager claimed to have seen a whale-like creature in the loch. The famous "surgeon's photograph" of 1934 allegedly shows the marine creature's head and neck. It was published in the Daily Mail and continues to make waves despite most now agreeing that the photo was an elaborate hoax. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This weekend, 200 monster hunters are trying to do what those before them failed to accomplish, the Washington Post reports. They are descending on the Highlands better equipped than their predecessors, using flying and underwater drones to survey the lake, which is 788 feet deep and 23 miles long. They are also employing infrared cameras to determine heat spots and a hydrophone that can pick up acoustic signals 60 feet below the loch's surface. These are not just people "with binoculars and a tub of sandwiches," insists Paul Nixon, head of Loch Ness Center. The expedition is the most elaborate in the 1300-year search for Nessie, the New York Times reports. Many have speculated that Nessie is a dinosaur lost in time View of Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands Getty Images Alongside the 200 volunteers on-site, almost 300 people have signed up to follow a livestream from the search, the BBC reports. Paul Nixon added: "The interest in our weekend of activities has been fantastic, and to see how people worldwide are still fascinated by the story of the loch and Nessie." The effort is the biggest since 1972, when the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau carried out a study. In the meantime, other efforts to find Nessie have persisted. In 1987, 24 boats outfitted with echo sounders swept the loch's length in Operation Deepscan. Many speculated that the creature was a plesiosaur dinosaur, a marine reptile that went extinct 65.5 million years ago. They somehow became trapped in Loch Ness when a geological rupture cut it off from the sea. In 2019, scientists reported Nessie could be a big eel. This weekend's operation, "The Quest," will span the 23-mile-long loch. Participants are asked to document everything they see from organized surface-watched locations. "We are looking for breaks in the surface and asking volunteers to record all manner of natural behavior on the loch," said Alan McKenna of Loch Ness Exploration to BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland program. Alan Rawlinson, business development manager at Visit Inverness Loch Ness, told The Washington Post that the intrigue surrounding Nessie and Inverness draws more than one million visitors annually. Read the original article on Business Insider Three Kentucky teens were charged with terroristic threatening after participating in a TikTok challenge, Oldham County Police said in a news statement on Friday. Investigators said that three separate incidents at Oldham County High School on Aug. 14, 15, and 17 were related to the challenge, which reportedly encourages students to record a video of themselves telling a teacher there was a bomb or gun in their backpack as a "joke." Two 15-year-olds were charged with terroristic threatening in the second degree, police said, and one 15-year-old was charged with terroristic threatening in the third degree. Because the teens are minors, their names and any further identifying details weren't released by the police. Oldham County Schools sent out a warning the previous week saying in a letter to families students will face "serious consequences" if they participate in such an activity, reported Louisville CBS affiliate WLKY. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Authorities have warned parents and children about numerous viral challenges in the past years, including ones in which chewing gum contained the same ingredient as pepper spray, pranksters who kick in doors, and car thefts. In recent months lawmakers, school districts, states, and the federal government have reacted by banning or limiting TikTok. In April Montana became the first state to vote to ban the app. Library of Congress marks 60 years since March on Washington Where U.S. election safety stands ahead of 2024 How will Trump balance campaign duties with busy legal schedule? This embedded content is not available in your region. On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast: Authorities have named 388 people still missing after Maui fires. Plus, USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison explains how co-defendants in former President Donald Trump 's Georgia indictment might turn on each other, a man has been charged with assaulting officers in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot after a USA TODAY investigation, new bills would make phone calls from prison free, and USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise gives a heads up about this fall's emergency alert test. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hit play on the player above to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript below. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text. Taylor Wilson: Good morning. I'm Taylor Wilson and this is 5 Things you need to know Saturday, the 26th of August 2023. Today, Maui's death toll is expected to rise with hundreds still missing. Plus, could co-defendants turn on each other in the Georgia indictment? And a man has been charged with assaulting officers on January 6th after a USA TODAY investigation. Maui's confirmed missing have been named after a devastating wildfire tore through parts of the island this month, largely destroying the historic Hawaiian capital of Lahaina. County officials released an FBI verified list of 388 people who remain unaccounted for more than two weeks after the worst of the blaze. 115 people have already been confirmed dead, a number that's expected to rise. Several people on the missing list share names, indicating that multiple members of families are missing. In one case, four members of what appears to be the same family are unaccounted for. Meanwhile, officials say that immediate family members of missing people can provide DNA samples to help with identifying the remains of fire victims. Search crews continue to work through burned areas of Lahaina and other parts of West Maui. For former President Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants in the Georgia election fraud case, the threat of jail time is getting real for those charged, arrested, and booked this week. And what happens next might be a question of who turns on whom. I spoke with USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison for more. Thanks for making the time, Joey. Joey Garrison: Hey, thanks for having me. Taylor Wilson: So a former federal prosecutor said this Georgia case has the indicators of a classic mob case. What did he mean by that, Joey? Joey Garrison: Yeah, so when the district attorney brought these charges, he did so under a RICO statute in Georgia. And RICO law is traditionally the law in which the Justice Department has taken on a criminal organization like the Mafia. And actually recently, two years ago, it's the same law that federal prosecutors prosecuted the college admission scandal in which there was a large network of people paid into a scheme to illegally get their children into some of the most prestigious universities in the country. So it allows a prosecutor to combine multiple suspected crimes into one charge, racketeering. And so that's why essentially what the prosecutor has laid out here in Georgia, there's a wide network of 19 individuals with one ringleader of sorts, and that was Trump, all different criminal activity, all for the purpose of overturning the election results in Georgia. You have attorneys who were working for the president, like Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell. You have a publicist for Kanye West. It's a wide assortment of people who have different levels of money to fight this case and notoriety in terms of their national fame essentially. And so the worry is that some of these people aren't going to want to continue to fight these charges and could decide to plead out in exchange for some sort of arrangement with the government. And that could lead for some of these co-defendants to turn into witnesses that could then provide other damaging information that can hurt the legal case of Trump or others. And so that's why this could be a dangerous situation, more so perhaps than even the other three indictments in terms of it really spiraling him into a difficult situation. Taylor Wilson: And Jenna Ellis, who served as a lawyer for the Trump campaign, is one of the co-defendants. She made a bit of a stir this week when she complained that Trump is not paying co-defendants' legal bills. Might that be a sign that she could flip on the former president? And how big of a factor will these legal fees play in how defendants decide who to turn on? Joey Garrison: Well, I'm not sure if it's necessarily an indicator that she will flip, but I do think it is concerned that any of these people could be showing signs that they're upset with him personally. At the same time, it should be noted former President Trump is helping raise money for Giuliani's defense. Of course, Giuliani is facing his own personal legal troubles as well and has really stood with the former president throughout his false claims of election fraud in the 2020 election. Some of these people have more money than others, and it's very expensive to have a good legal counsel for a long period of time. And so when you have 19 co-defendants, it's hard to keep them all on the same page. And so that's why this case is, it's definitely a complicated one for the DA in Georgia, Fani Willis, to prosecute. But it's also one that's hard to defend, not knowing what your other counterpart might end up doing. Taylor Wilson: And you mentioned Fani Willis. Is this part of Fulton County District Attorney Willis' strategy in indicting 19 people in the first place that some might turn? Joey Garrison: Yes. She has shown as a prosecutor to be willing and comfortable with turning to the RICO case. So she's also used this statute to prosecute gang members. There's a rapper, Young Thug, who was prosecuted at Georgia under the same statute. And again, it's a way that you can implicate many people as part of a larger criminal operation. And so it happens to be yes, a lot of people that feed into this conspiracy network that the DA has laid out. I suppose it certainly, I'm sure in the back of her mind, that could be to her benefit and the government's benefit to cite a number of co-conspirators. I think she ultimately settled on that number because she thinks each of those are proven in the facts of her indictment to have broken various laws. You don't list somebody as a co-defendant in this unless she thinks without a doubt that there is a burden of legal certainty that they broke the law. Taylor Wilson: USA TODAY White House Correspondent Joey Garrison with some great insight for us here. Thank you, Joey. Joey Garrison: Hey, thanks so much for having me. Taylor Wilson: A man identified in a USA TODAY investigation of January 6th Capitol rioters who have never been arrested has now been taken into federal custody and faces charges, including deadly assaults on police officers. That's according to an announcement yesterday from the Justice Department. 32-year-old Curtis Logan Tate was arrested this week, authorities said, and also faces other felony and misdemeanor charges, including destruction of government property. As USA TODAY reported in March, and you heard here on the show, volunteer online sleuths, some of whom have become known as Sedition Hunters, said they had identified more than 100 people who were at the Capitol riot, using publicly available photos and videos of the insurrection combined with facial recognition software. But they said that despite providing extensive information to the FBI, those people had never been arrested or charged. USA TODAY investigated their claims and confirmed the identity of several riot participants by reviewing online evidence and contacting some of the suspects. One of them was Tate, who the online sleuths said they first identified more than a year ago. You can read more with a link in today's show notes. Phone calls from prison, they can often be the main line to the outside world for those who are incarcerated and are a precious resource for family members and friends. But they come at a cost. Shannon Ross spent 17 years behind bars and estimates his parents spent between $15,000 to $17,000 to receive phone calls from him in prison. Such costs though would disappear under bills introduced or being drafted in a dozen states, including Ross' home state of Wisconsin. The bills would allow for free or reduced calls from prison. Mounting evidence shows that maintaining family ties not only helps inmates, it improves outcomes for their children and reduces violent incidents inside prisons. According to a prison policy initiative survey, Arkansas and Michigan are the most expensive states for 15 minute in-state calls from jail running around $25 and over $22 respectively. That's despite the fact that incarcerated people and their families already tend to be disproportionately poor. This coming October, you'll hear a blaring alert message on every phone, television and radio in the country. As USA TODAY National Correspondent Elizabeth Weise told me, don't worry, it's just a test. Howdy Beth. Elizabeth Weise: Hey, how you doing? Taylor Wilson: Good, thanks. Thanks for hopping back on. So a major emergency alert test is coming in October. What exactly is going to happen here? Elizabeth Weise: Most people will know this. You hear that ... "Blaannh blaannh. This is a test. This is only a test..." Taylor Wilson: That's pretty good. Elizabeth Weise: "...of the emergency warning," exactly. I feel like I've heard it a lot. They're doing a national one on Wednesday, October 4th at 2:20 PM Eastern time, 1:20 Central, 12:20 Mountain, 11:20 Pacific. Alaska will get it at 10:20, and in Hawaii the alarms will go off at 8:20. If there is any kind of national emergency on October 4th, we hope that there is not, the test gets put back to October 11th because they don't want to do it in the midst of something. Taylor Wilson: Why is a test of this magnitude necessary? Elizabeth Weise: We've been doing these tests for a long time. They do them at a national level periodically, mostly because they want to make sure that we have this national alert system in place. But you have to test these things because you never know when maybe there is a problem someplace and you don't want that problem to become apparent in the middle of an actual emergency, which is why we all grew up with these tests going off. We haven't had a national one done for a while. And when they did a big national one in 2011, they actually found some places where the system broke down and messages didn't get out. And if there were a national emergency, we'd all want to know about it. So that's what this is meant to do. Taylor Wilson: And Beth, what's the history behind our emergency alert system and have we seen a test like this before? Elizabeth Weise: So this all goes back to the Cold War. This goes back to, if you've seen Oppenheimer, this is kind of right exactly what it's all about. This started in 1951, was at the beginnings of the Cold War. We were starting to worry about an enemy attack, possibly a nuclear attack. This was the whole duck and cover. The entire U.S. would be warned that an attack was imminent and we were all supposed to get under our desk to survive a nuclear attack, which wasn't actually going to work. But that's when the system came into place. And in those days, I mean it was very hands-on. There was a tone that got transmitted to radio transceivers and to radio stations. And it's actually fascinating. When they first started doing this, one of their worries was that if enemy bombers came into the U.S., they would be able to find major cities by listening to the emanations of the radio stations. And so early on, as soon as the radio stations got the message that an attack was imminent, they were supposed to turn themselves off. And there was only a few places on the radio dial that would continue to broadcast this message and they wouldn't be out of major cities. I mean that was kind of a whole thing back then. Over time in the '50s and '60s, this whole system was refined as there were continued fears of nuclear attack. We've been doing national tests for many decades. The first nationwide tests that also incorporated all the new electronic systems was in 2011. And they've done a couple since then, but we haven't had one for a couple of years. So it's about time. Taylor Wilson: And Beth, do we ever see false alarms in this system? Elizabeth Weise: Yeah, we do. In the early years, in the '50s and the early '60s, there were a couple of false alarms. They were all really localized, like somebody at a local radio station would grab the wrong piece of paper or something. The most recent one though was in Hawaii, and this was pretty bad. So in 2018, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency System, they were in the middle of a shift change and somebody either incoming or outcoming selected the wrong item on a computer and it sent out an alert notification to everybody in the island that a ballistic missile was incoming to the islands. And the presumption on everybody's part was it was a nuclear missile. So for 38 minutes, people on the Hawaiian Islands thought that a nuclear attack was inbound. And then finally the statewide system realized, I think they called the mainland and the mainland said, "No, we don't see anything." And they realized it was a mistake and they got the word out. But yeah, it was going out on text messages and it was even up on some highway signs. Taylor Wilson: So on October 4th, it's just a test. It's not an emergency and it's not a false alarm. Beth Weise, thank you so much. Elizabeth Weise: You're so welcome. Taylor Wilson: And before we go, today is Women's Equality Day and separately also International Dog Day. The former commemorates the passage of women's suffrage in the U.S. and the latter celebrates our furry friends and encourages adoption. Did you know that 5 Things is now on YouTube? A limited number of our specials and Sunday episodes will now be available as vodcasts. We have a link in today's show notes. And thanks for listening to 5 Things. You can reach us at podcasts@usatoday.com. Dana Taylor is in for the Sunday episode tomorrow, and I'll see you Monday with more of 5 Things from USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 388 still missing after Hawaii fires, emergency alert test: 5 Things podcast In August 2022, Kansas voters opted against overturning a state constitutional right to an abortion. A few days later, Indiana lawmakers banned nearly all abortions. Both are conservative-leaning states that supported President Donald Trumps reelection bid by near-identical margins in 2020 - 56.1% to 41.5% in Kansas and 57% to 41% in Indiana. So what explains the different outcomes? The answer is that in Kansas, voters decided the outcome directly. In Indiana, legislators did so. This distinction matters because for contentious issues like abortion, as well as in other high-profile instances, state legislatures do not always represent public preferences within their states. We are a multi-university team of social scientists that has been regularly polling Americans in all 50 states since April 2020. In the wake of the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision overturning the constitutional guarantee of the right to abortion, our polling found a disconnect between the wave of new state laws restricting abortion access and the preferences of those states residents. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This raises the question of why public policy is sometimes inconsistent with what the public wants. Here are four factors that help explain such disconnects. Abortion rights supporters react to the vote to maintain the right to abortion in Kansas on Aug. 2, 2022. Dave Kaup/AFP via Getty Images 1. Gerrymandering Gerrymandering, or the practice of drawing electoral districts in ways that favor one political party over another, contributes to policy outcomes that do not reflect the will of a majority of voters. In many states, partisan state legislatures often create districts to maximize their partys dominance in upcoming elections. In North Carolina, despite a 50%-49% presidential vote in 2020, indicating an evenly divided voting public, an electoral map proposed by the Republican-controlled state legislature would, if implemented, result in Republicans likely winning 10 of 13 congressional seats in 2022. In Illinois, Republicans won 41% of the 2020 presidential vote. Yet the proposed electoral map drawn by Democrats would, if implemented, likely yield Republicans only 3 of 17 congressional seats in the 2022 election. Gerrymandering can lead to elections in which one partys candidate is primed to win, resulting in noncompetitive general elections where the only real contest occurs during the primary election. Since the abortion issue is strongly polarized between the two major political parties, gerrymandering can result in elected officials who do not represent the majority of constituents on this issue. 2. Low and uneven voter turnout Policies enacted by democratically elected governments can fail to reflect the will of the people they represent if people dont or cant vote. Turnout in U.S. elections, especially at the state and local levels, and in nonpresidential years, can be abysmal. For instance, turnout in national midterm elections since 2002 has averaged just 42% of eligible voters. Democratic representation is especially distorted when low turnout is combined with uneven turnout, with certain sociodemographic groups voting in particularly low numbers. In 2020, 70.9% of white voters turned out to vote in the presidential election, compared with 58.4% of nonwhite voters, while 76% of eligible adults ages 65 to 74 turned out, compared with 51.4% of those ages 18 to 24. Outcomes in the U.S. democracy for example, policies and regulations adopted are skewed toward representing people who vote over those who do not, so policies can become biased against people who dont turn out. Numerous factors influence the decision to vote, including whether people feel their voice matters and, to a smaller extent, how easy it is to vote. The U.S. has a long history of restricting access to the ballot box, and in recent decades the Supreme Court has weakened laws protecting voting access. In the post-civil rights era, however, most political scientists have concluded that restrictive election laws are less important than whether individuals think their votes will influence the political process. So far, there are mixed signals on whether the Dobbs decision will prompt greater turnout. Polls have found that the people who care most about abortion after the Dobbs ruling tend to hold pro-choice attitudes. However, our research and a recent Washington Post-Schar School poll find that Americans who are most concerned about abortion are less certain that they will vote in the upcoming midterm elections than their less concerned counterparts. A sign lists the names of the 57 Indiana House of Representatives members who voted to ban abortion during a special session in June, 2022. Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images 3. Design of American political institutions The Founding Fathers feared the tyranny of the majority. They worried that direct democracy would be unstable, tyrannical and eventually result in violent failure. In contrast, a large, representative republic bound by the Constitution theoretically creates a system in which interests would counteract one another to prevent any one from dominating the others. The system was intended to elect representatives who were more patriotic, enlightened and committed to the public good than the people at large, and thus to limit the direct representation of the people. But the Founding Fathers design of American political institutions also contributes to the disconnect between the people and public policy. For instance, Americans do not vote directly for president. They vote for electors to the Electoral College, who then cast their vote for president. Each states delegation of electors is equal to the states federal congressional delegation. Because every state automatically has two senators, individuals in states with small populations have outsize influence in presidential elections and in the U.S. Senate. The Electoral College system sometimes leads to presidential candidates losing the national popular vote but winning the Electoral College, and thus the presidency. The president then appoints federal judges, who, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, hold lifetime appointments and rule on the constitutionality of issues of national importance, such as abortion access. Of the six Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, three were appointed by a president who lost the national popular vote, and five were confirmed by a majority of senators who represented a minority of the U.S. population. Even in cases where the Electoral College winner aligns with the winner of the national popular vote, both chambers of Congress must pass a bill in order for the bill to be signed into law by the president. Because of Senate rules, enacting most legislation requires a supermajority of senators. This combination of design and rules means legislative processes are skewed toward inaction, sometimes contrary to the will of the majority of Americans. 4. Geographic polarization The U.S. is politically polarized along geographic lines, particularly among states and across population density. Rural areas tend to support Republicans and are more anti-abortion compared to urban areas. The primary causes of this geographic polarization are the influence of location itself, including local sociocultural differences, as well as preexisting demographic patterns that reflect differences between typical members of the two parties. So, for instance, urban city centers tend to appeal to relatively young, highly educated and ethnically diverse people who tend to align with the Democratic Party. Residents of rural areas tend to be older, less educated and white, all characteristics typically associated with the Republican Party. Rural areas and states with smaller populations have more electoral influence at the national level, especially due to features such as the Electoral College and equal numbers of senators per state. In turn, national-level partisan tendencies can affect decisions such as judicial appointments. In the case of abortion, geographic polarization has contributed to a disconnect between public preferences and government policies by yielding state legislatures whose members are, on average, more strongly anti-abortion than the overall state populations they represent. The U.S. system of government was forged in the 18th century from a compromise between relatively rural and urban states with widely varying population levels. It was designed to insulate the government from popular passions while making policy change difficult, and has inevitably led to public policies that fail to reflect the will of the majority. Recent trends like those described above have exacerbated these tendencies. Abortion is merely the latest, and among the more contentious, cases in point. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter. It was written by: Matthew A Baum, Harvard Kennedy School; Alauna Safarpour, Northeastern University, and Kristin Lunz Trujillo, Harvard Kennedy School. Read more: Matthew A Baum has received funding from The National Science Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation. Alauna Safarpour and Kristin Lunz Trujillo do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. Tom Horne, Arizona's superintendent of public instruction, has said he will block English Learners from taking approved Dual Language Immersion classes. Arizonans should be very concerned about a looming constitutional crisis between Superintendent Tom Horne and Attorney General Kris Mayes a crisis that deeply impacts tens of thousands of students. The crisis is a reprise of Hornes thwarted attacks on an ever-growing population of Latino students (and almost a third of Arizona residents), his heavy-handed approach to education law and his repeated abuse of taxpayer funds. In a recent letter to Mayes published on the Arizona Department of Education website, Horne refuses to abide by her guidance that he must not block English Learner students from Dual Language Immersion (DLI) models that have been approved by the State Board of Education. He claims DLI violates Proposition 203 passed by voters in 2000. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He states that he intends a legal challenge again a threat that could cost taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars. (Under Hornes first watch as superintendent, from 2003 to 2011, the state had paid more than $5 million to defend education requirements for English Learners.) 1. Lawmakers can 'further the purpose' My organization spent several years researching this issue before we championed a bill (Senate Bill 1014) that unanimously passed the Republican-majority Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey in 2019. Teaching students to learn English in English and then teaching them a similar amount of content in another language does not violate Proposition 203, for four clear reasons. First, and simplest, is that another voter-approved ballot measure, Proposition 105, states that a ballot initiative can be amended by a three-fourths vote of the Legislature to further the purpose of the law. This occurred in 2019, as SB 1014 ensured that all children in Arizona public schools shall be taught English as rapidly and effectively as possible. Legally speaking, this should be enough. However, even though he doesnt have the authority to do so, Horne added administrative barriers to English learners participating in dual language immersion for no clear, rational reason. Current law allows schools to select the right model of instruction for their students, whom they know best, from the models approved by the Board of Education. Horne is attempting to interfere not only with the boards determination of the list of appropriate models, but also with schools choices from that list. 2. Voters wanted a temporary transition A second key issue is that Proposition 203 proscribes Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) as a temporary transition period not normally to exceed one year. The legislative council analysis used in the 2000 voter pamphlet also indicates SEI should be used during a temporary transition period. Voters clearly intended a very short transition period for students to be in Sheltered English Immersion segregated classrooms, not the long, drawn-out segregation that occurred. This is the model that Horne has said he wants to force on schools. 3. Students learn English in English Another misread by Horne has to do with his interpretation of a prohibition of bilingual education for English learners. Proposition 203 defines bilingual education as a language acquisition process for students in which much or all instruction [is] in the childs native language other than English. In Dual Language Immersion that is not the case. The English language acquisition process is taking place in English. 4. Immersion wasn't supposed to be all day Finally, Proposition 203s definition of Sheltered English Immersion, which states nearly all classroom instruction is in English no subject matter shall be taught in any language other than English, is specifically referring to SEI. After Proposition 203 passed, the Board of Education defined Sheltered English Immersion time as a 4-hour block not the whole school day. This was reduced in 2019 to a 2-hour block. Thus, what happens outside of that block has no bearing on Proposition 203. Education official: Dual language is the inferior way to teach A school can teach Spanish immersion, or Mandarin immersion, etc. to any student even if that student participated in an English only section earlier in the day. If Proposition 203 meant the full school day, no foreign language classes could ever be taught. Horne shouldn't defend a double standard Horne sends up a red herring when claiming that parents can simply apply for a waiver for their child to participate in Dual Language Immersion. The requirements are quite narrow: the student must be at least 10 years old, a special education student or already proficient in English. This is unfair to children who cant fit into these limited categories. It is also worth noting that private schools receiving publicly funded ESA vouchers dont have to follow any of Hornes proclamations or jump through his bureaucratic hoops. They can teach and any parent can choose a full day in French, Spanish, Mandarin or any language they want. This seems like a questionable double standard. And a pretty weak basis to pursue an expensive legal challenge. Rebecca Gau is the Executive Director of Stand for Children Arizona, a non-profit education advocacy organization. Reach her at rgau@stand.org. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tom Horne attacks lessons for English learners without knowing the law A 5-year-old child from Seattle is showing that there isn't an age requirement for helping others. Edison Juel was on a family trip on Hawaii's Big Island when the devastating wildfires occurred in the island of Maui, which have killed a confirmed 115 people and nearly destroyed the town of Lahaina. Edison, whose nickname is Eddie, overheard his parents watching news reports of the tragedy. "It was Wednesday afternoon, we had the news on, and he asked me to turn it off because he said that made him too sad," Eddie's mother, Ami Juel told USA TODAY. "At that point, I realized he really was paying attention and listening, that we needed to actually address it. I hadn't really intended to tell him about it necessarily." Ami shared how their family had stayed in Lahaina earlier that year. She was able to explain to Eddie where the fires were and that he was safe but that many people were hurt. While it was difficult for Eddie to comprehend the devastation at a young age, it was easy for him to want to help people in any way he could. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement 'Burned down to ashes': Why devastated Lahaina Town is such a cherished place on Maui Eddie shared the idea of starting a stand, similar to one he had seen on a previous trip to Colorado, and donating all the money to support victims of the wildfires. Amy said she and her husband immediately supported the idea and set up a lemonade stand on Saturday on their busy Seattle street. The stand ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It sold pink and yellow lemonade, sparkling water, popsicles, ice cream sandwiches, candy and even some of Eddie's toys, Ami shared. The family posted videos on social media and told their friends and family. Lemonade sold for a dollar each, but most people gave $5, $10 and $20 bills as part of their donation. To Ami and her husband's surprise their one-day business found success quickly. Back-to-back cars would line up to purchase summer refreshments and many people donated online including one person from Honolulu who heard about the business from local news coverage. "Most people were like, 'this is so cool. What a great idea. We've been looking for ways to help. We felt so helpless and didn't know where to donate,'" Ami shared. "A lot of people came by and stopped and told us like their story of a trip to Hawaii or some connection they had to the island." The lemonade stand made over $17,000 as of Friday, with a combination of profits from the stand, online donations and corporate matching from programs at Ami and her husband's jobs. Ami said Eddie had a great time with the whole process with the exception of the amount of thank you videos he had to record in regard to Venmo donations. He especially loved giving detailed product summaries to customers at the lemonade stand. "I don't think he understands that this is just like not a normal response," Ami shared. "I had a lemonade stand as a kid. I remember waving and smiling for a long time hoping to get a car every now and then. But it was like, there's periods where it was just every car stopped." Ami and her husband are proud of Eddie's creativity and generosity and happy to support his positive ideas. "Struck by how his generosity invited others to be generous," Ami said. "It was not something we could have orchestrated for him so it was nice to see that was an idea he has." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Child's lemonade stand raises over $17,000 for Maui wildfire victims Five people were hospitalized after a shooting in Pasadena on Friday night, authorities said. The Pasadena Police Department reported that the shooting occurred shortly after 7:30 p.m. in the 100 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard. Four people were taken to a hospital by ambulance and one additional victim self-transported, authorities said. The extent of their injuries was unclear. Police said no information was available about the suspect or suspects in the shooting. In a social media post at 8:16 p.m., the Police Department urged residents to avoid the area of Raymond and Marengo avenues between Orange Grove Boulevard and Painter Street due to law enforcement activity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Anyone with information can contact authorities at (626) 744-4241 or provide information anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. On the 50th anniversary of National Womens Equality Day, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper officially designated August 26 as Womens Equality Day in North Carolina. Strong women leaders in North Carolina have continued to pave the way in the fight for equality, said Governor Cooper. Equal pay for equal work, respect for accomplishments and equal opportunities for women continue to be the guiding stars of this effort. READ MORE: International Women's Day: Stars celebrate The U.S. Congress established National Womens Equality Day in 1973 to commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment. Governor Coopers proclamation recognizes the federal day on the state level. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In addition to celebrating the 19th Amendment, Cooper says the day also recognizes the continued efforts to advocate for the rights and privileges of all people regardless of sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, or socioeconomic status. READ MORE: Faces of Pride: The Evolution In the proclamation, Cooper acknowledges that the 19th Amendment did not grant voting rights for all women, particularly women of color. While weve made considerable strides, more work remains not only to improve gender inequities across our state but disparities impacting our most vulnerable communities, said NC DOA Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell Read the full proclamation here. (WATCH: Charlotte Black Pride: Rally held to demonstrate equal rights, social justice) China's salt industry authority and producers have urged consumers against panic buying after anxious shoppers emptied supermarket shelves and online retail platforms of the condiment due to worries over Japan's discharging of radioactive wastewater. "Edible salt products are of ample supply and of stable production capacity in China," said Wang Xiaoqing, director-general of the China Salt Association, adding that there is no need to stockpile salt products. According to the association, the country's annual consumption of edible salt remains around 12 million tons while production capacity is over four times higher, at 50 million tons. On Thursday, JD Super, the online supermarket arm of JD.com, said searches for the key word "salt" on its platform surged 377 percent from midnight to 11 am, compared with the same period in July, while the transaction volume of edible salt skyrocketed 498 percent during the brief period. JD Super said it has ramped up supplies since Tuesday as sales of some salt products have surged dramatically. Wang Jing, who works for a trading company and is a mother of an 11-year-old, said she managed to buy 10 bags of lake salt online on Friday morning amid the mounting anxiety among her peers. "I don't think we need to hoard. But I really don't want any sea salt for my family anymore," she said. The world's largest salt production enterprise, China National Salt Industry Group, said in a statement that 87 percent of edible salt products in China are well salt, 10 percent are sea salt and 3 percent are lake salt. The production of well salt and lake salt is not affected by Japan's nuclear pollution, said the group. China National Salt Industry Group has a production capacity of over 10 million metric tons per year. Among this, well salt accounts for 95 percent, lake salt accounts for 4 percent and sea salt only makes up 1 percent. The group has sufficient salt reserve supplies, said the statement. Many local governments have issued notices regulating salt price hikes to nip market manipulation moves in the bud. Hainan market regulator vowed on Friday to crack down on those who manipulate and cause price hikes with maximum fines of 5 million yuan ($686,000). The Japanese government began discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the sea from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday. On Thursday evening, shelves of table salt at some supermarkets in the Macao Special Administrative Region were nearly emptied, with some having only a few bags of higher-priced sea salt left behind. The Economic and Technological Development Bureau of the Macao SAR government on Thursday reassured residents that supplies of table salt remain stable, with ample inventory available. They urged the public to remain rational and not succumb to unfounded rumors. According to the bureau, Macao currently has a local stockpile of over 190,000 kilograms of table salt, sufficient to meet the needs of Macao's population for about 37 days. They have established that the current supply chain is stable and will continue to make necessary purchases. The bureau emphasizes its commitment to monitor the situation, conduct regular market inspections, and take strict action against price manipulation and hoarding. Hong Kong doesn't see any stockpiling of salt by residents, said Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades. Wong said most of the salt in Hong Kong is from the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, with a very small portion of salt, mostly used in Japanese restaurants, being shipped from Japan. Another one of the 18 co-defendants in the Georgia indictment of former President Donald Trump has filed a motion to move their case from state court to federal court. Cathy Latham, the former chair of the Coffee County GOP, was indicted in the sprawling RICO case from Fulton County DA Fani Willis due to her role as a so-called false elector in 2020. Latham was also shown on security footage allowing a team of investigators linked with fellow indictee and election denier Sidney Powell into the Coffee County Elections Office to allegedly illegally download voting information from Dominion voting machines. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement She surrendered and was then processed, booked, and released from the Fulton County Jail on Friday. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] From the Fulton County indictment, Latham faces charges of violating the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, impersonating a public officer, forgery in the first degree, making false statements and writings, criminal attempt to commit filing false documents, two counts of conspiracy to commit election fraud, conspiracy to commit computer theft, conspiracy to commit computer trespass, conspiracy to commit computer invasion of privacy, and conspiracy to defraud the state. Lathams court filing, submitted by her legal counsel, said she possesses a right to move to federal court because she was acting under the authority of a federal officer of the United States. TRENDING STORIES: Additionally, the filing said the state charges require the construction of federal law and said the Court could also remove state action on grounds of lacking jurisdiction for prosecuting an elector for the U.S. Electoral College, related to conduct for a federal election. The documents submitted ask for removal to federal court say her actions were taken due to her status as an Officer of the United States, and cited federal statutes designed to protect federal officers from interference by hostile state courts. More specifically, Mrs. Latham was furthermore acting to assist the President, and was following the advice of the Presidents legal counsel for the purpose of preserving the challenge to the election results, Lathams filing reads, adding that her actions construe the relevant federal statutes broadly. The document from Latham was submitted Friday. No response by a court or the District Attorneys Office was available in the court records to view at time of publication. Other co-defendants in the case who have asked to move their cases to federal court include Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, David Shafer, and Shawn Still. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] In the photo, Sharon Langley is an infant girl of 11 months, dressed all in white atop a carousel pony in suburban Baltimore. Held in place by her father, she regards him with uncertain eyes, unaware of her role in civil rights history. On this day, Aug. 28, 1963, Gwynn Oak Amusement Park welcomed Black people through its gates for the first time, and Sharon would become known as the first Black child to ride the parks carousel, the very one that now graces the National Mall near the Smithsonians Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C. Monday marks the 60th anniversary of the desegregation of Gwynn Oak, and while capital visitors might be largely unaware of the merry-go-rounds civil rights importance, the eight-year fight to desegregate the park where it once circled held significance even as the country grappled with far-reaching issues of national inequality. The tide would turn when more than 400 people -- including more than 20 priests, pastors and rabbis -- were arrested over two days of protests in July 1963. The struggle showed the lengths to which a national battle for civil rights was being fought even on local fronts by people determined to make things right in their own backyard. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is the little-known story of Gwynn Oak's desegregation and the carousel that, by chance, now sits on the National Mall not far from where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic "I have a dream" speech on the same day as Langley's momentous ride. Gwynn Oak was a symbol of an unfair system in which bias on the basis of skin color began in prepubescence, planting early notions of secondary status and bitterness in the minds of Black children while leaving them outside looking in a theme touched on by King himself in his Letter from Birmingham Jail. As King wrote, how do you explain to your young daughter why she cant go into an amusement park where she sees other children her age smiling and laughing? How do you prevent ominous clouds of inferiority from forming in her psyche? Charles Mason, who as a Baltimore chapter leader for the Congress of Racial Equality organized numerous protests calling for the park's desegregation, said it seemed few white kids themselves had any issue interacting with Black kids. "But the adults had so much resistance," he said. "People thought Gwynn Oak was pivotal in the movement." At Gwynn Oak, the stinging darts of segregation King referenced seemed increasingly unfair in the 1950s as more Black families populated surrounding neighborhoods. Some purposely avoided driving by the park so they wouldnt face uncomfortable questions from their kids. People say, it was just an amusement park what difference did it make? said Langley, now 60 and living in the Los Angeles area. Its the importance of joy I still love a drippy popsicle and watching the man make cotton candy cones. I still like balloons. Have you ever seen a kid on a merry-go-round and not seen them wave every time they go around? Your child has to have joy. 'All you could do was stand outside, looking in' Gwynn Oak had opened in 1894, a mom-and-pop amusement park in a countryside setting northwest of Baltimore County. It included a lake, picnic areas and a baseball field, and eventually bumper cars, a Ferris wheel and several rollercoasters. Michael Furstenberg, a white 78-year-old clinical psychologist in Boston, remembers Gwynn Oak as a place he and other kids went with older siblings on weekend afternoons. It was a Northwest Baltimore institution, he said, even if by todays standards, it was old-fashioned. In 1947, the park added its carousel, according to Amy Nathan, author of Round & Round Together: Taking a Merry-Go-Round Ride into the Civil Rights Movement. Built by amusement park ride manufacturer Allan Herschell, its hand-carved wooden and aluminum ponies were so-called jumpers, with all four feet off the ground. Author Amy Nathan, left, with Sharon Langley at the Carousel on the Mall in Washington, D.C. in a photo taken in 2014. Langley, of Southern California, was an 11-month-old infant when she became known as the first Black child to ride the carousel, then located at Baltimore's Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, after the park desegregated in August 1963 after eight years of protests. Nathan wrote about the struggle in her 2011 book, "Round & Round Together: Taking a Merry-Go-Round Ride into the Civil Rights Movement." Linda Dorsey-Walker grew up in nearby Forest Park, a once-Jewish hamlet into which many Black middle-class families, including her own, had moved by the 1950s. As a youngster, she said, she and her friends would ride their bikes to Gwynn Oak and challenge the owners to let them enter. Everyone who was African American knew you couldnt get in, said Dorsey-Walker, 69, a retired Maryland health care administrator. You could go past the park and see and hear families having fun, but all you could do was stand outside looking in. Gwynn Oak was segregated from the start, with employees whose families had worked there for generations; many lived on a hill overlooking the park entrance. Some, Dorsey-Walker said, would emerge from those houses to taunt the Black kids as theyd arrive. They saw us as a threat to their neighborhood business, she said. They took it very personally. The abuse ultimately became worse. Civil rights successes inspire demands to integrate Gwynn Oak With Baltimore County divided between Southern attitudes and more progressive city leadership, the civil rights organization Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) launched its Baltimore chapter in 1952, conducting successful restaurant sit-ins at department store lunch counters throughout the decade. Baltimore schools largely complied when the U.S. Supreme Court issued its 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education, ordering desegregation of public schools. The city was changing, and that was exciting, Furstenberg said. I was in fourth grade when that happened. Whites started moving out of my neighborhood and Blacks started coming in. Black demonstrators being arrested after protesting segregation at Fontaine Ferry Park in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1961. The park was among a number of amusement park facilities, mostly in the South, that banned or restricted Black people from entry as the 1960s began, including Gwynn Oak Amusement Park in Baltimore. While segregated amusement parks werent uncommon at the time, civil rights successes made Baltimore activists hungry for change. They made Gwynn Oak a focus of desegregation starting in 1955. When negotiations with park owner Arthur Price Sr. failed and picketing had little effect on attendance, CORE hit the parks All Nations Festival, a Labor Day weekend event inviting cultural displays and foods from countries around the world except for Africa. Demonstrators handed out leaflets citing the hypocrisy of having Black soldiers fight for the U.S. but banned from the park. Arthur Price Jr., who managed the park with his brothers, wouldnt budge. In 1959, protesters started walking past the gates into the park in mixed groups of white and Black, prompting beatings by patrons and arrests by police that raised media coverage. Price told reporters integrating the park would be economic suicide, fearing white people would no longer come. Meanwhile, COREs efforts had convinced many hotels, movie theaters and downtown department stores to integrate; in 1961, the group-led Route 40 campaign forced restaurants along the main highway linking Baltimore to Washington, D.C., to do the same. In March 1963, when Dorsey-Walker was 9, Maryland approved a public accommodations law, outlawing discrimination in all hotels and restaurants. That news, she said, spread like wildfire in African American communities and hardened the youngsters determination to challenge park policies. However, the law did not include amusement parks so when she and her friends rode up to Gwynn Oak brandishing a copy of an article about the new law, gatekeepers tore it up and turned them away again. Ultimately, CORE leaders decided they needed a different approach. They looked to tactics employed by civil rights activists in the South, including a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama; widespread student sit-ins protesting discrimination at restaurants; and jail-no-bail practices in which arrested protesters refused bail as a means of overwhelming local jail systems. They learned from the protests going on down South that they had to be more assertive, Nathan said. They had to impose economic hardship in order to bring about change. Clergy help ramp up the demonstrations Dorsey-Walker had experienced hate from an early age. At 5, a white resident unhappy about the neighborhoods newly integrated elementary school burned through her skirt with a cigarette as she walked home, she said, and the following year, she and a cousin were dragged out by their collars from a whites-only diner when they went in seeking water. Thats how we were treated on a regular basis, Dorsey-Walker said. Thats why when it came time to speak up, I knew I wasnt going to put up with that. At Gwynn Oak, she and her friends continued to plead their case outside the gates. She recalled adults spitting in their faces, punching and hitting them with sticks and running them out of the area. Dorsey-Walkers father worked for the U.S. Department of Defense, and her parents had taught her not to respond with violence. He and my mother taught us to have a lot of backbone but dont make him lose his job, she said. They didnt want us identified as rabble-rousers. CORE decided it was time to ramp up the protests and overwhelm the park and area jails with sheer numbers. Meanwhile, the National Council of Churches had concluded in June that religious leaders should no longer remain on the civil rights sidelines, so when CORE announced a massive 4th of July protest, dozens of priests, rabbis and pastors were ready. On that day, as author Nathan recounted, hundreds of protesters confronted throngs of segregationists throwing rocks, shouting slurs and carrying signs reading Keep Gwynn Oak White and U.S. for Whites Africa for Blacks. More than 20 clergy members were arrested. That was a first in civil rights history to have so many clergy, particularly white clergy, arrested in a single demonstration, Nathan said. Stuart Wechsler, then a member of a CORE chapter in New York, recalled being part of a group of activists who impulsively attempted to enter the park from the back, intending to ford a stream near some rowhouses but instead being surrounded by a menacing crowd. A quick-thinking protester began singing the national anthem, he said. The others joined in, prompting the mob to stand at respectful attention before it closed in again. We continued singing until the police arrived and placed us under arrest, Wechsler said. I never returned to Gwynn Oak. On Sunday, July 7, CORE conducted another massive protest, with 300 demonstrators. Furstenberg, a college sophomore, was home for summer and eager to participate in the protests. He ended up in a jail cell accused of violating Maryland's trespass law with two dozen others including Yale University chaplain William Sloane Coffin, a renowned peace activist who conducted a seminar of sorts on world events for his captive audience. In all, more than 400 activists were arrested in those two days, including two dozen clergy members. At least two families, along with their kids, were taken into custody. Spiro Agnew was Baltimore's county executive as the fight to desegregate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park heated up in the early 1960s. After more than 400 protesters were arrested in July 1963, Agnew brokered a deal with the park's owners to integrate the park on Aug. 28, 1963. He would go on to serve as U.S. vice president from 1969 to 1973. Furstenberg recalled a festive air and prevailing sense of inevitability among demonstrators despite the antagonism they faced. There was a sense that Baltimore was ready for this, he said. So even though we knew we were going to get arrested, we knew it (desegregating Gwynn Oak) was going to happen. The historic carousel survives the park's demise The spectacle of protests and national coverage was finally too much for Baltimore officials to stomach. County executive Spiro Agnew and the countys new human relations commission made the parks integration their number-one priority. Agnew was trying to persuade people that Baltimore County was a good place to do business, and here was all this bad publicity with Catholic priests and children being arrested, Nathan said. Within two weeks, the Price family agreed to integrate on August 28, the same day as the March on Washington. With the parks integration, many white families vowed never to return. But the forces that left the park limping along by 1971 encompassed much more including the growing popularity of automotive travel and the rise of elaborate destinations such as Six Flags that made places like Gwynn Oak seem clunky and quaint by comparison. The next year, Hurricane Agnes pummeled the mid-Atlantic, killing more than 100 and destroying 300-plus homes. Gwynn Oak was deluged, its rides and attractions irreparably ruined. The carousel was all that survived. In 1981, National Mall concessionaire Jim Wells, seeking to replace his aging merry-go-round, bought the Gwynn Oak carousel. It was later sold to Stan and Donna Hunter who, after learning of its historic role, outfitted the horse Langley rode in a Freedom Riders theme. Now owned by the Smithsonian, the carousel is being restored with completion planned by 2026, the nations 250th anniversary. At last, a historic ride begins On Wednesday, Aug. 28, 1963, the carousel at Gwynn Oak spun just as it had on many days before, only this day was different: Baltimore's long segregated park was opening its doors to Black people for the first time. Some 43 miles to the south, hundreds of thousands had swamped the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for King's much-anticipated March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Meanwhile, at Gwynn Oak, Black families braved a gauntlet of anti-integration protesters and police officers to enjoy their neighborhood amusement park without incident. Charles Langley Jr., a Social Security Administration supply clerk, and wife Marian, a hospital nurse, had hoped to attend the Washington march with federal offices shut down for the event and Marian not on duty until nightfall. But when they couldnt find a sitter for 11-month-old daughter Sharon, they opted to visit Gwynn Oak instead. Their visit lasted barely an hour, with a stop by the arcade games and then the parks carousel. Sharon's father lifted her onto a pony, where she regarded him uncertainly as he held her in place. Two young white boys mounted horses just behind them and their mother asked Langley if he could keep an eye on them while they rode. It was a small gesture, one seemingly trivial today but rich with significance at the time the kind of thing, Langley thought to himself, that made him feel he and his family would finally be accepted. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Integration of Baltimore amusement park led to historic carousel ride The Yasser Arafat International Airport operated in Gaza for less than two years. By 2002, the airport was in ruins. Israel bombed the site's control tower, runway, and terminal. Today, crumbling buildings are all that's left of the airport. In 1998, the Yasser Arafat International Airport in Gaza stood as a symbol of independence. Just a few years later, the airport stood in ruins. Today, violence in the region continues to escalate after Hamas militants broke through Israel's security fences on the Gaza border and launched coordinated surprise attacks. These attacks left at least 1,000 people dead and wounded thousands more. Hundreds of civilians and military personnel were also taken captive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally declared war against Hamas, launching a counterattack that has killed at least 830 Palestinians and flattened entire neighborhoods in Gaza. Take a look inside the Gaza airport's short-lived history. Built in 1998, Yasser Arafat International Airport once stood as a symbol of sovereignty and peace for the Palestinians. A view of the abandoned Yasser Arafat International Airport. SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images President Bill Clinton, whose administration was heavily involved in peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, attended the airport's opening and cut the ribbon at the inaugural ceremony, NPR reported. The airport was built in Gaza's southern city of Rafah and served the approximately 1.1 million people living in the Gaza Strip in the late 1990s and early 2000s. An arrow points to the abandoned airport on a map. Google Maps The population of Gaza has since doubled to 2.2 million, making the 141-square-mile area one of the most densely populated places in the world, Reuters reported. Countries around the globe financed its construction. Palestinian policemen pray in front of Yasser Arafat International Airport on October 27, 1998. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Germany contributed funds towards the airport, which cost $86 million to build, NBC News reported. The airport had a fleet of three planes, including a Boeing 727, but its operations were short-lived. A person walks on the ruins of the airport. SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images On October 7, 2000, flights were halted when the second Palestinian uprising, or intifada, broke out, Al Jazeera reported. In 2001, Israel bombed the airport in response to Palestinian militant attacks on Israelis in the West Bank. The destroyed and deserted terminal of the Gaza Strip's former Yasser Arafat International Airport. Val_Yankin/Shutterstock Even after flights no longer took off from the airport, it still employed around 450 people, BBC News reported in 2005. Years later, Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza. Skeletons of the airport's buildings remain. SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images Locals scoured the airport, collected the site's remaining materials and recycling them for profit, when the price of construction materials skyrocketed under Israel's blockade, NPR reported. Today, all that remains is a crumbling skeleton of the airport. Palestinian policemen inspect one of the helicopters destroyed during an Israeli army attack in 2001. AYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images Remnants of the runway are littered with trash and debris. A large missile hole can be spotted in a golden dome, which was once home to the VIP terminal. A missile hole can be spotted in the airport's former VIP terminal. SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images The VIP lounge once featured Moroccan mosaics, crystal chandeliers, and a fountain, The New York Times reported. The golden dome design was an homage to the Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem. The crumbling Yasser Arafat International Airport. Mustafa Hassona/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images The Dome of the Rock, also known as al-Aqsa mosque and the Temple Mount, has long been a contested area with violent clashes. Israeli right-wing opposition leader Ariel Sharon's visit to the site in 2000 sparked the second intifada uprising, The Times of Israel reported. Hamas cited Israeli settlers entering the al-Aqsa mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam and the holiest site in Judaism, as part of the reason for its large-scale attacks on Israel in October. No planes have taken off from or landed at the airport for nearly 20 years, The Times of Israel reported. The abandoned airport at sunset. Val_Yankin/Shutterstock Daifallah al-Akhras, the chief engineer of the airport, told The Times of Israel in 2018 that he wept on a visit to the abandoned airport. "We built the airport to be the first symbol of sovereignty," he told the news outlet. "Now you don't see anything but destruction and ruin." Read the original article on Insider INDIAN RIVER COUNTY Nearly a dozen years after admitting to a string of armed robberies throughout South Florida, a former state prisoner is in local custody to face charges related to holding up a Fellsmere bait shop in 2012. Frenel Romain, 32, of Oakland Park in Broward County, was transferred Thursday from state prison to the Indian River County Jail, where hes being held in lieu of $1,530,000 bail, records show. Hes accused of being with an accomplice, Jurvis Spells both armed with handguns on Feb. 29, 2012, when they robbed two customers and pistol-whipped a clerk at a bait-and-tackle shop at 9 S. Mulberry St. in Fellsmere. Romain also is charged with robbing a Vero Beach man at gunpoint who was sitting inside a parked vehicle on Wilbur Avenue. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In both cases, Romain faces three counts of robbery with deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated assault with deadly weapon. Spells, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, who currently is not charged in Indian River County, is serving a 16-year sentence related to convictions in five armed robberies in Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Hes scheduled to be released from prison in 2028, state records show. In March 2012, CBS News reported that Miami Beach Police believed Romain, Spells and another man were responsible for as many as 30 armed robberies throughout South Florida. Reached Saturday, Fellsmere Police Chief Keith Touchberry said every person should be held accountable for crimes they commit. Whether it happens right away or after nine years of incarceration, Touchberry said, if he committed the crimes like he admitted to having committed, then he needs to be held accountable for that. Multi-county crime spree Once in police custody, Romain and Spells confessed to traveling from Miami Beach to Vero Beach around 2 a.m. on Feb. 29, 2012, where they robbed a man in Vero Beach then stopped at a Fellsmere bait-and-tackle store, according to an arrest affidavit. Spells went inside the store to confront the clerk and Romain stayed outside and robbed two customers at gunpoint, according to statements recorded by Miami Beach police. Romain confronted one man who was there to get ice for a cooler and another man looking to buy fish bait. He (Romain) said he pulled out his firearm and asked them for their wallets, investigators reported. Former state GOP leader remembered: House Rep for Indian River, St. Lucie counties Dale Patchett dies Home builder under investigation: Can't get permits for one year Spells told investigators he struggled with the store clerk after he brandished a weapon and struck the clerk twice in the head with a gun. The clerk ran out of the building and saw Romain and Spells flee in a Chevy Malibu. Spells admitted to Miami Beach police detectives that he tried to shoot the clerk but the gun didnt fire. He supposed to be dead cuz I really tried to shoot him, Spells told investigators. I aimed at him, fired and nothing comes out. So I got mad and hit him across the head.Media reports in 2012 show Romain and Spells were arrested by Lauderhill police, who recovered a rented silver Chevy Malibu used to rob two women at a Publix parking garage. Four days later in Miami Beach, they targeted a group of French tourists who were robbed walking to a hotel. Romain in June failed to convince a judge to remove a detainer placed by the sheriff's office in his prison release. Circuit Judge Janet Croom in a June 22 order rejected his claims that a statute of limitations had expired related to felony charges listed in two arrest warrants issued in 2012. Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Former prisoner charged in 2012 robberies in Fellsmere and Vero Beach Three Ukrainian pilots were killed on Aug. 25 when their planes collided in the sky, the Air Force confirmed on Aug. 26. Among the dead is a well-known pilot from the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade, who had the call-sign Juice. The pilot had over 14,000 followers on Twitter and frequently used his platform to advocate for the provision of F-16s to Ukraine. The crash involved two L-39 training jets that were flying above Zhytomyr Oblast. "This is a painful and irreparable loss for all of us," the Air Force said in a statement, and expressed condolences to the pilots' families. The State Bureau of Investigations said that it has started a probe into the accident to find out what went wrong. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The bureau will investigate "the technical condition of the aircraft, compliance with the rules of preparation for flights," and the black boxes of the jets. "The loss of each soldier is a huge loss for the entire country," the Bureau said. The preliminary investigation has assessed there may have been a violation of flight rules or preparation for the flight. The crime carries a punishment of up to 15 years in prison, according to Article 416 of Ukraine's Criminal Code. Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 22 F-16s and the irrational politics of military aid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's Ambassador to Germany Oleksii Makeiev has said that delays in the supply of Western weapons to Ukraine are the reason why the current counteroffensive by the Ukrainian defence forces is not meeting expectations in terms of its pace. Source: Makeiev, in an interview with public radio Deutschlandfunk, fragments of which were published by the DPA news agency on Saturday; European Pravda Details: The ambassador pointed out that hesitant military support from Western partners is one of the reasons for the difficulties Ukraine has been facing in its counteroffensive. "Russia had time to build barricades," Makeiev said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He added that "training and equipping" Ukrainian assault brigades took a long time. These brigades, he said, are now fully equipped with Western weapons and ammunition. Makeiev also mentioned the debate in Germany over the supply of infantry fighting vehicles and anti-aircraft systems, noting that he was conducting "very pragmatic and substantive negotiations" with the German government on the supply of long-range Taurus missiles. In addition, the diplomat stressed that Ukraine does not control the skies over its territory, which is why the supply of F-16 fighter jets is crucial to it. Background: Last week, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba addressed criticism of the pace of the Armed Forces of Ukraine offensive in the media, calling for patience and continued assistance to Kyiv. At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the Group of Seven states were aware of the long-term nature of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and were ready to support Kyiv for as long as necessary. 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! Imagine looking at Russia and seeing not a blood-soaked tyranny, but an ally. Imagine thinking of Vladimir Putin not as a villain, but as a role model. Imagine being so marinated in anti-Western sentiment that, when Russia breaks a treaty to invade a nation it had promised to defend, you convince yourself that Nato started it. Who has such a twisted view of the world? A lot of people, it turns out. Even as Russia was carrying out what looks like the latest in a long series of extra-judicial killings, this time of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Brics countries were meeting in South Africa to decide which delinquents to admit to their club. Its a strange creature, the Brics. It has no geographical or cultural cohesion, no obvious purpose. It began life as an acronym in Goldman Sachs, a way of referring to the worlds chief developing economies Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2009, the leaders of these states began holding annual summits, with South Africa joining the following year and adding the S. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It soon became clear that the bloc was seen by Russia and China as a counterweight to Western international structures, such as Nato, the IMF and the G7. At that stage, lots of anti-colonial autocracies expressed an interest in membership. Last week, the first six were invited to join: Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Argentina, Egypt and Ethiopia all, except Peronist Argentina, repressive dictatorships. How long, one wonders, can India, which has traditionally prided itself on being a law-based democracy, remain involved? A delighted Vladimir Putin, who could not attend in person because of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (which he doubtless sees as yet another instrument of American hegemony, despite the US having repudiated it), addressed the meeting remotely. He blamed the Ukraine war on a policy of continued neo-colonialism through which Western countries sought to preserve their global hegemony. To accuse others of colonialism while you are literally annexing territory from a neighbour who offered you no threat takes some chutzpah. But Putin has for years presented himself as the champion of all those who resent Western cultural supremacy including many Westerners. He appeals to authoritarians on the Right and the Left, portraying bourgeois democracy as soulless, effete and degenerate. It is an old song, a song once sung by the Nazis and the Soviets. And it finds an appreciative audience in parts of the world that were primed during the long decades of the Cold War to appreciate its cadences. More than a hundred years have passed since Lenin wrote Imperialism: the Highest Stage of Capitalism, one of the most influential pamphlets of the 20th century. Karl Marx, to the disappointment of his modern fans, was a supporter of colonialism, seeing it as a way to spread education, medicine and class consciousness. But, by the beginning of the 20th century, Marxists were beginning to wonder why the promised revolutions had not happened. In 1916, Lenin offered an explanation. The bourgeois had bought themselves time, he argued, by looting the wealth of their subject peoples, so that capitalism has been transformed into imperialism. The idea that the West became rich through plunder, rather than through independent courts, free contract, private property and limited government, was sedulously spread across Asia, Africa and Latin America by Soviet propagandists. It found its way into the school textbooks published by newly independent states the textbooks that educated many of todays leaders in the Global South. At the same time, anti-imperialist writers became popular in Western universities, preparing the ground for what we now call identity politics. Fortified in aggressive spirit by an arrogant, messianic Christianity, and motivated by the lure of enriching plunder, white hordes have sallied forth from their western European homelands to assault, loot, occupy, rule and exploit the world, wrote the Nigerian author Chinweizu in a story that inspires the statue-smashers and reparations activists of our own time. Here, in 1961, is Frantz Fanon, a revolutionary from Martinique who inspired anti-colonial movements across Asia and Africa: The well-being and progress of Europe have been built up with the sweat and the dead bodies of Blacks, Arabs, Indians and the yellow races. How many of todays woke activists are, without realising it, channelling a 60-year-old tract which was in turn directly inspired by Lenin? Yet the premise is false. Colonialism was a net drain on the treasury of European states. Many British possessions were acquired in the teeth of government resistance following pressure from abolitionists who, having halted the Atlantic slave trade, wanted to stamp out the institution inland, too. Unlike previous imperial powers, Britain brought most of its former colonies to independence peacefully. Indeed, it is striking that anti-colonialist sentiment has grown as memories of British rule fade, leaving those who never experienced it to rage against an imagined version. The success of former colonies, like the success of all countries, was determined by the policies they then chose. Singapore, for example, opted for low taxes, light regulations and free trade, and so overtook many resource-rich states that became independent around the same time. How twisted do you have to be to see Western civilisation, not simply as flawed (which all civilisations are) but as inferior to that of Russia? The death of Prigozhin follows a series of state-sanctioned murders, sometimes of magnates who stray too close to windows (Pavel Antov, Ravil Maganov), sometimes of opposition politicians (Boris Nemtsov), sometimes of investigative journalists (Anna Politkovskaya, Natalia Estemirova), sometimes of Russians living under the protection of another state (Alexander Litvinenko, Boris Berezovsky), sometimes of ordinary people in the wrong places (Dawn Sturgess). Was it a mafia regime from the start? Many analysts believe the 1999 Russian apartment bombings, blamed on Chechen separatists, were a false flag operation designed by the FSB, the successor agency to the KGB, to bring Putin to power. Russias authorities have blocked all attempts at an independent investigation, and we shall probably need to wait until Putins overthrow to learn the truth. The 2002 Moscow theatre siege advertised Putinisms values. Russian special forces pumped in a chemical agent which killed 130 innocent theatre-goers, before going in and shooting the hostage takers. And the population cheered. This is the regime that the other Brics (and wannabe Brics) admire. A notionally Christian state that places no value on human life. A kleptocracy that anaesthetises its people with promises of military glory even as it immiserates and brutalises them. And not just the Brics. Some Russian democracy activists, now based in Lithuania, carried out a series of opinion polls earlier this month. To their horror, they found that, while Putin is seen as a murderer in the former Soviet satellite states, he is admired in France and Germany as a strong leader. Asked who was responsible for the war, 36 per cent of Germans blamed the US, 15 per cent Nato and 9 per cent Ukraine; only 29 per cent blamed Putin or Russia. In France, 46 per cent blamed the Americans, 36 per cent Nato, 19 per cent Ukraine, and 40 per cent Putin. The trouble with performative wokery is that other countries are listening. Blaming Britain and America for all the worlds ills might be intended as a way to signal high-status views, but it has consequences. If the Anglosphere is systematically portrayed as wicked, rather than as the last-ditch defender of the rule of law, personal freedom and representative government, then some people will be drawn to other systems. Sure, theyll miss the ascendancy of Western liberalism when it has gone; but that will be scant consolation. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc.s chief security officer must face a criminal charge that he bribed California officials for gun licenses after a state appeals court revived a case that was dismissed two years ago. Most Read from Bloomberg A three-judge state appeals court panel ruled Friday that a lower court judge shouldnt have thrown out a bribery charge against Thomas Moyer, who was accused of promising to donate 200 iPads to the Santa Clara County Sheriffs Office to gain approval for concealed firearm permits that had previously been withheld from four Apple employees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The company pursued the gun permits starting in 2017 so that Apples executive protection team could be armed after Moyers staff reported receiving more serious threats against Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook, according to the ruling. A two-year investigation by the district attorneys office found that two officials in the sheriffs office held up the issuance of the concealed firearms licenses until the applicants gave something of value. In California, concealed weapon permits are issued by county sheriffs based on a finding of good cause to approve a residents application. The iPad donations worth $50,000 to $80,000 were scuttled in 2019 when Moyer learned that the handling of weapons permits by the sheriffs office was being investigated, according to the ruling. In 2020, Moyer and the two sheriffs officials were indicted by a grand jury. Moyer was charged with bribing an executive officer by making a promise of iPads to the Sheriffs Office with the intent to influence an official action, according to the ruling. Moyers lawyers then persuaded a county superior court judge to dismiss the charge on the grounds that a prosecutor gave erroneous instructions about the law to the grand jury. The San Jose-based appeals court reversed that ruling, after the district attorney challenged it. This appeal raises a question not yet addressed by any California court: whether a public official may be bribed with a promise to donate to the officials office, the appeals panel wrote. We conclude that such a promise may constitute a bribe. Apple said when Moyer was indicted the company had been made aware of the allegations, conducted an internal investigation and found no wrongdoing. Moyer is right back where he should be - on the trial calendar and charged with bribery, Santa Clara District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in an emailed statement. Ed Swanson, Moyers attorney, and Apple didnt immediately respond late Friday to requests for comment. Swanson said when Moyer was indicted that his client is innocent. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the United States' arms sale to China's Taiwan region, a defense ministry spokesperson said on Friday. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query on the U.S. Department of State's approval of selling infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets worth around 500 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan. The arms sale has grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and severely violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, the spokesperson said. The move has posed a threat to the well-being and safety of Taiwan compatriots and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Zhang said, noting that China has lodged solemn representations with the United States. The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, Zhang said. China urges the United States to honor its commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence," immediately cease providing Taiwan with arms, and cease elevating military contact with Taiwan, Zhang said. He said that any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail, and seeking "Taiwan independence" by military means will lead nowhere. The Chinese People's Liberation Army will always remain on high alert to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly maintain peace and stability across the Strait, Zhang said. The American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) named Bill Nebeker its 2023 Steeldust Award winner at its 15th annual Art Show and Sale Fundraiser opening reception Aug. 12 at the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum in Amarillo. The Steeldust Award is given annually to the artwork deemed best in show by judges. Winning best in show this year was Nebekers bronze sculpture Waltzing across Texas. Nebeker has sculpted for more than 50 years, beginning in 1964. From Prescott, Arizona, Nebeker has been a member of the Cowboy Artists of America since 1978, which makes him its longest-active member. His artwork is displayed in the Phoenix Art Museum, the Cheyanne Old West Museum, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas, and many other museums throughout the West. Arizona artist Bill Nebeker stands with his award winning bronze sculpture "Waltzing Across Texas" at the 15th annual AQHA Art Show Aug. 12 in Amarillo. Arizona artist Bill Nebeker holds this year's Steeldust Award for best in show at the Aug. 12 AQHA Art Show in Amarillo. He said the key to his success in art has been a long journey of refining his skills. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It has been a long process; I did not set my goals too high, just wanting to make my next piece better than my previous piece, Nebeker said. I was inspired to become a sculptor at one one-man art show with my wife featuring sculpted art. The sculptures just drew me in. I wanted to know how you do that." Nebeker said that initially, he bought the wrong type of clay to start, which made it quite a struggle to work with. Getting a job with a bronze foundry helped him learn the skills and tools necessary to become proficient enough to cast. A couple of attendees look over artwork at the AQHA Art Show Aug. 12 in Amarillo. I slowly started from there and never thought I would ever get anywhere with it, but I just loved doing it, Nebeker added. He calls his art style finished realism, with a focus on cowboy and Native American depictions in his art. Nebeker said he focused on depictions of Native Americans from the Arizona region. Growing up in ranch country, working ranches and doing rodeos gave Nebeker much inspiration for his work. Nebeker described his winning work Waltzing Across Texas as the depiction of the choreographed dance that a rider and horse must share while being in time with each other to complete the task at hand. Nikki Silva, the community outreach manager for the museum, spoke about the art show and what the proceeds go toward. More than 60 artists submitted Western-style artwork depicted in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pencil, bronze, charcoal, and other media. Patrons look over paintings at the 15th annual American Quarter Horse Association Art Show on Aug. 12 in Amarillo. Thirty percent of the proceeds go to the foundation to help with educational, equine and other programs that it supports, Silva said. The items that were not purchased tonight will go on sale through the duration of the show, which ends Oct. 14. People interested in purchasing these art pieces can do so online or at the museum. Silva said that she was happy with the crowd that turned out to support the AQHA and museum for this event. I am excited by the support that we have received from the Panhandle community, with the money going to a good cause, Silva added. Artists Kathryn Merril, left, and Rachel Brownlee were two of the more than 60 artists who submitted work for the 15th annual AQHA Art Show Aug 12. in Amarillo. Two artists who had their work on display at the show, Kathryn Merril and Rachel Brownlee, spoke about the inspiration for their works. Merril, an Oklahoma artist who describes herself as a realism artist with colored pencils, oil and graphite, said that she does strictly Western art depicting horses and people working on the ranch. I grew up on my grandparents' ranch in Montana and showed quarter horses with many friends in the ranching world, Merril said. I have been extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to ride at many ranches that have given me a lot of good material to draw inspiration from." Merril said that she feels the horse is so widely depicted in art due to its majestic nature. Kathryn Merril, an artist from Oklahoma, stands with her artwork at the AQHA Art Show Aug. 12 in Amarillo. I think there has been a love affair with horses since Bible times, Merril said. They are majestic, powerful and graceful. You will love horses if you have any part of the Western heritage in your blood. I think horses are also incredibly challenging to depict artistically, which is also an inspiration for artists." Brownlee, a Nebraska artist, does photorealistic charcoal drawings that portray her neighborhood and features many Western themes such as cowboys. Charcoal drawings by Rachel Brownlee adorn the walls at the 15th annual AQHA Art Show Aug. 12 in Amarillo. I am a fourth-generation Swiss immigrant whose family settled on the land we live on, Brownlee said. Everybody in my family has ranched on the land. I grew up riding horses every single day. I broke horses; horses broke me. I draw everything I know. The association of horses with freedom for many, Brownlee says, is a lot of fascination with the vast number of depictions of horses in art. She said this sense of freedom and her background had inspired her to have horses figure so prominently in her art. Artist Bill Nebeker speaks following his presentation of the Steeldust Award at the AQHA Art Show Aug 12. in Amarillo. For the entire world, horses mean freedom; they have meant that since the beginning of time. As soon as man found a horse, that meant freedom, Brownlee said. With the settling of the west, they were so important. We would not be standing here today if it were not for horses. In my community, horses are crucial because, in the area that we live in, it would be difficult to ranch or even get your cattle without a horse. For more information on the American Quarter Horse Museum and Hall of Fame, you can visit its location at 2601 East Interstate Drive in Amarillo or go to its website at https://www.aqha.com/museum-overview . An onlooker admires the artwork at the 15th annual AQHA Art Show on Aug. 12 in Amarillo. This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: American Quarter Horse Association gives Nebeker art Steeldust Award Kari Lake s announcement that shell decide by the end of the year whether shes running for Senate in Arizona adds to growing signals that the Grand Canyon State is headed toward a contentious, high-stakes race for Sen. Kyrsten Sinema s (I) seat. Sinemas seat is a top 2024 target for Republicans looking to seize control of the upper chamber, where Democrats hold a tenuous 51-49 lead that includes Sinema who dropped her affiliation as a Democrat after last years midterm elections. Liberals want to knock Sinema out, and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego has already launched a bid for the Senate seat. The Trump-aligned Lake lost her gubernatorial bid last year, and some Republicans think she could doom the party to defeat if she wins the GOPs Senate nomination. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But if it is a three-way race with Gallego, Sinema and Lake, few are entirely sure how it would turn out. Arizona is going to be the focal point again, said one GOP consultant, noting how close the battleground state came during the 2020 presidential race. I know that everybody talks about Ohio, West Virginia and Montana as the keys for Republicans to take back the Senate. But Arizona is very deep in that mix. Democrats will be defending seats next year in Ohio, Montana and West Virginia, all states won handily by former President Trump in the 2020 presidential election. The battlegrounds highlight the difficulties the party faces in retaining its majority in 2024. Quite frankly, anything can happen in the three-way race, said Barrett Marson, an Arizona-based GOP strategist. In an interview on NewsNations The Hill, Lake said shes seriously considering a bid for the Senate seat and shared she plans to make that decision by the end of the year. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar, which also owns The Hill. Colton Duncan, a senior adviser to Lake, said in a statement that a decision either way could come in roughly a month or so. Lake will have competition on the GOP side. Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb is running, and others could crowd into the primary. But strategists get the sense that if Lake runs, the GOP nomination is hers. Were seeing with Donald Trump that, even though hes a very divisive candidate with independents, hes loved by Republicans. Same with Kari Lake. I dont think theres any chance she loses the nomination if she runs, said Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide who thinks its highly likely Lake does jump in the race. Lake said last month she thinks shes the only one who could win the upper chamber seat. An April poll showed her leading a hypothetical GOP primary for Senate in the state, with Lamb in third behind her. The former candidate for governor refused to concede after she lost her bid during the midterms to Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs by less than 1 point and lobbed legal challenges to dispute the results. Lake has long defended former President Trumps false claims of election fraud during his 2020 race, and she argued earlier this year that it would be a big red flag if any 2024 GOP presidential candidate didnt absolutely agree that her Arizona gubernatorial election was stolen. Kari Lake clearly is a candidate whos got elbows out and some rough edges, and she will campaign much like Donald Trump. She will not hold back and will run a very, very aggressive campaign, Darling said. Lakes unflagging support for Trump along the campaign trail and afterward has led some to think she may be vying to become a vice presidential pick if the Republican presidential front-runner secures his partys nomination. Sporting a pin with the slogan Trump was right during her NewsNation interview last week, Lake sidestepped questions about whether she has ambitions to become Trumps running mate. You know what Im wishing for? Im really wishing to get our country back. Im wishing that people wake up and realize that were in a really perilous position right now with our country, and we have the opportunity to elect the greatest president in American history, President Donald J. Trump, Lake said. Pressed again about whether shes interested in joining Trump on a hypothetical ticket, Lake said, Im all about the here and now. She added that shell do anything I can to help the former president. Marson contended that drawing out her decision timeline until the end of this year and teasing a potential race shows an effort by Lake to draw media attention and raise her national profile. Darling said he thinks Lake has got a much better shot at becoming a senator than becoming vice president. But despite confidence that Lake could win the GOP nomination in Arizona, some Republicans are concerned about how Lake would fare in the critical general election, given her loss in the midterms. Her alignment with Trump is also seen as a factor that could complicate things for establishment Republicans gunning for the key Senate seat particularly as the party looks to avoid candidate quality issues that plagued the partys midterm results. Kari Lake turns this Senate seat from a winnable Republican seat to a lost cause. And money, good money, smart money does not flow to lost causes, said Marson. Sinema, without an official bid, reported raising $1.6 million in the second quarter of fundraising this year. Lamb reported roughly $607,000 while Gallego raised $3.1 million. A Noble Predictive Insights (NPI) poll from earlier this month found Gallego leading Sinema and Lake in a hypothetical three-way contest. Without Sinema in the race, Gallegos lead grew. NPI founder and chief of research Mike Noble said in the poll report that Gallego is a formidable candidate, but noted that Sinemas entry could create a more complex electoral landscape, given her ability to draw support from Independents. And independents are a crucial part of Arizonas unique electoral landscape. Though Arizona voters have elected Democrats to statewide offices in recent races, like Hobbss victory over Lake last year, Republicans make up the largest party-affiliated bloc in the Grand Canyon State. But the largest group of voters in the state are unaffiliated with either major party, according to voter registration statistics from July. Stacy Pearson, an Arizona-based Democratic strategist, said this trend indicates that more and more Arizonans are moderate, trending away from extremist candidates. It also means that a potential Democrat candidate will need to pull support from other parties in order to clinch the win. The only way for a statewide candidate to win in Arizona is to appeal to a portion of the Republican base and a large portion of the independent base. And its just math. Democrats are the smallest bloc of voters, Pearson said. The nonpartisan election handicapper Cook Political Report rates Sinemas seat as one of just three toss up states not leaning to either side, along with Ohio and West Virginia. Folks in D.C. can try to ignore Arizona all they want, said the GOP consultant, but it is part of the calculus for taking back the Senate from a Republican perspective and holding the Senate from a Democrat perspective. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukraines Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov has urged journalists to wait for the investigation into the controversy surrounding summer-weight military jackets purchased for Ukraines Armed Forces. At the same time, he made no comment on the involvement of an MP's relative in the purchase. Reznikov added that he "had no idea" why the jackets were sold at a lower price in Turkiye. Source: Interfax-Ukraine news agency, citing Reznikov Quote: "I suggest that everyone should try to deal with this issue calmly and publish a story without the word scandal in it at least once in your life, with a proper analysis and balanced conclusions. Maybe that story will be read by three times fewer people, but it will be beneficial to Ukraine rather than harmful. Please could all the journalists who are spreading news about the purchase of summer jackets instead of winter ones delete these unverified stories, publish the official position of the Defence Ministry regarding this purchase, and wait until the situation is resolved. As far as I am aware, an independent public body, the Defence Ministrys Public Anti-Corruption Council, is already investigating this [the procurement scandal ed.]." Details: Reznikov urged reporters to put an end to this "friendly fire", assuring them that neither MP Anastasiia Radina nor journalist Mykhailo Tkach are his enemies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Reznikov also stated that the ministry purchased 180,000 winter jackets, which they handed over to the Armed Forces in 2022. The minister said there were no complaints about the jackets from the military, and the price was appropriate for the market and the situation at that time. "There was a shortage of clothing on the market, and we had to provide it for as many military personnel as possible. Each jacket cost US$86 (now UAH 3,177). And I have no idea why some of the Turkish documents stated that the price of a winter jacket was $29 (now UAH 1,072). Maybe it was to do with tax evasion in Turkiye. In any case, that is not Ukraine's concern. Anyone who wants to is welcome to go to Turkiye and buy a batch of winter jackets at $29 each and have them delivered in just a few weeks," Reznikov said. "There is nothing in the investigation except the accusation that the winter jackets turned into summer ones. No one is prepared to take responsibility for this accusation," he added. Reznikov made no comment on the fact that Vector Avia, the Turkish company that supplied the Defence Ministry with the infamous military uniforms at a cost of US$30 million, was co-owned by Oleksandr Kasai, nephew of Hennadii Kasai, an MP from Zelenskyys Servant of the People party who sits on the National Security, Defence and Intelligence Committee in the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament. Learn more (English subtitles coming soon): Servant of jackets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Who is making money out of the war in Ukraine? Background: On 10 August, the media outlet Dzerkalo Tyzhnia reported that in 2022, a Turkish company had sold summer jackets to the Armed Forces of Ukraine under the guise of winter jackets. The outlets website, ZN.UA, has a package of supporting documents for one of the batches of goods from Vector Avia. It shows how 4,900 jackets worth US$142,000 were transformed into 4,900 jackets worth US$421,000. On their way from Turkish to Ukrainian customs, the jackets magically transformed from "camouflage jackets" into "windproof winter jackets" and gained in value from US$29 to US$86 per piece. At a meeting of the Anti-Corruption Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, it was reported that the scandal-ridden procurement of jackets and trousers for the Armed Forces involved a fake invoice scheme, that the supplier company was probably set up specifically for this supply, and that about 120,000 sets of uniforms are now in the hands of the military. Ukrainian Pravda found out that Vector Avia, the Turkish company that supplied Ukraines Ministry of Defence with the overpriced summer military uniform instead of a winter one at a cost of US$30 million, turned out to be co-owned by Oleksandr Kasai. He is the nephew of Hennadii Kasai, a Ukrainian MP and member of the Sluha Narodu (Servant of the People) party who sits on the Verkhovna Rada (Parliamentary) Committee for National Security, Defence and Intelligence. Reznikov responded to the accusations by offering Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach and MP Anastasiia Radina a wager. They have responded to his proposal. 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 U.S. Army has re-designated Virginias Fort A.P. Hill to Fort Walker making it the first installation to be named solely after a woman. During a ceremony on Friday, officials renamed the base in honor of Dr. Mary E. Walker. Walker was known for treating wounded Union soldiers at field hospitals throughout the Civil War and was given the Medal of Honor for her efforts. She remains the only female to receive the United States Armed Forces highest military decoration to this day. The training and maneuvering center was originally named after Virginia native Gen. Ambrose Powell Hill Jr., a confederate soldier. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fort Walker is just one of many military installations to undergo re-designation based on The Naming Commissions recommendations. The commission was established in 2021 after Congress overrode then-President Trumps veto of the annual defense spending bill. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave the all-clear for nine U.S. bases to be renamed in October last year after making recommendations in May. The effort started after racial injustice protests in 2020 brought the glorification of Confederate generals in the military back into the limelight. The effort to rename the bases officially began in January, and several floors have been renamed since then. Some other examples: Fort Lee was renamed Fort Gregg-Adams in April to honor two Black Army trailblazers; Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos in May after Richard E. Cavazos, the nations first four-star Hispanic general who served in the Korean and Vietnam wars and Fort Polk was renamed Fort Johnson in June after a World War I Medal of Honor recipient. The deadline to redesignate all the bases is the beginning of 2024. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia was redesignated Friday as Fort Walker to honor Dr. Mary Walker, the only female Medal of Honor recipient, who earned the medal for heroics treating wounded troops in the Civil War while under fire. Fort Walker, a small Virginia Army installation that serves as one of the main training grounds for National Guard units in the region, had been named in honor of a Confederate general who waged war against the U.S. The move comes after seven other installations have been scrubbed of their namesakes honoring Confederate figures who seceded from the U.S., largely to grow and protect the slave trade, spurring the Civil War. Read Next: After Years of Delays, Army Releases New Suicide Prevention Plan Short on Answers ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Walker was the first female surgeon for the Union Army, often serving near the frontlines during major battles in Maryland and Virginia. She often went beyond the frontlines to treat wounded Confederates and civilians caught in the crossfire. In 1864, Walker was captured by rebel troops after helping another doctor amputate a limb, and she was a prisoner of war for four months until she was released in a prisoner exchange. The renaming of Army bases was ordered by Congress and followed by a commission study under the Pentagon. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin officially ordered the bases and other military property to be renamed in October following months of base visits and community input. Some of the largest Army installations in the country were rechristened this year, including Fort Cavazos in Texas, previously known as Fort Hood, and Fort Liberty in North Carolina, previously Fort Bragg. Fort Gordon, Georgia, is the last base still slated to be redesignated and is set to be renamed after President Dwight Eisenhower on Oct. 27. Other than Fort Liberty, the bases were renamed after decorated service members and important historical figures. Walker was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Andrew Johnson after the Civil War for her service. But that medal was the only award at the time in the military and it was taken away from her, along with 900 other veterans, in 1916 after a government review of eligibility. Her medal was reinstated by President Jimmy Carter. "[She] devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon," the citation reads. Walker was a suffragette and advocated for so-called "dress reform." She famously always wore men's clothing, arguing it's more hygienic and practical. She was even arrested in New Orleans in 1870 for dressing like a man. Walker had a failed House and Senate bid in the late 19th century but testified before the Congress on women's rights. She died in 1919 at 86 years old. She was buried in a suit instead of a dress. Ambrose Powell Hill Jr., or A.P. Hill -- the base's former namesake -- was a relatively highly regarded general among the rebel forces. He was killed in combat during the Third Battle of Petersburg just a week before the Confederacy surrendered. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: These Southern National Guard Units to Toss Confederate Battle Streamers Eight people were injured and four were arrested after a shooting in Dorchester Saturday morning. According to police, a call for reports of shots fired came in around 7:43 a.m. at Blue Hill Ave. and Talbot Ave. Six adult males and two adult females were shot, according to Boston Police. Five of the men and one of the women were taken to nearby hospitals. Two victims suffered graze wounds and declined treatment. All of the injuries are considered non-life threatening. Police helped apply tourniquets to the victims until EMS personnel arrived. Police first stated there were seven shooting victims before upping the number to eight later in the afternoon. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Gerald Vick and Dwayne Francis, both 30 years old and from Dorchester, were arrested at the scene shortly after the shooting, according to BPD. Vick had a 9mm pistol with a large capacity magazine, equipped with a Glock switch that enabled the firearm to fire continuously, officials say. Francis was allegedly found with a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson pistol. Both men were charged with unlawful possession of a firearm. Police later obtained video showing two males involved in the initial spray of gunfire, BPD says. 21-year-old Sebastian Fernandez was shot in the leg during the exchange and limped into a nearby tow lot where he had a tourniquet applied to him by officers and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, BPD says. Fernandez was arrested for the shooting and is currently under guard in a local hospital. No firearm was found. The second individual shown on the video was able to initially escape the scene but officers were able to locate a 17-year-old male teen matching the suspects description on Westview Street around 1:50 p.m. The teen was found to be in possession of a Polymer 80 pistol equipped with a Glock switch, police say. He was arrested for firearm possession and his involvement in the shooting is under investigation. In a press conference, Police Commissioner Michael Cox said the shooting is not related to the Caribbean Carnival Festival taking place nearby and the shooting occurred on the outskirts of the scheduled parade route. Commissioner Cox said, these individuals displayed a complete disregard for human life in the midst of one of the Citys cultural celebrations, endangering the lives of hundreds of people. We are proud of all of our officers for their quick and professional response in the speedy apprehension of these individuals. This should send a clear message to anyone who comes into our City that we will not stand for this type of violence and we will use all our means to identify you and apprehend you. Boston City Council President Ed Flynn released the following statement regarding the shooting: Todays mass shooting highlights the gun violence crisis we are facing in the city. This is a public health and public safety emergency. Boston Police are confiscating and recovering guns at an alarming rate throughout the neighborhood. Now is the time to come together and develop a gun violence strategy in Boston, Flynn said. Flynn also added that the parade should be canceled. Its heart-wrenching to hear a treasured community event disrupted by acts of violence from those who have nothing to do with the event, Mayor Michelle Wu said. Boston 25 crews on the scene also observed the window of a Boys & Girls Club Van shot out. We have no interest in having anything but peace among the universe and so it was very very difficult for me to know that something occurred when we work so hard to put on something that is a family-oriented event, said Shirley Shillingford, a Caribbean Festival organizer. We have these lawless people who just look for events like this to come out and do their lawless behavior, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden released the following statement: The scope of this tragedy is mitigated only by the fact that no one was killed. But we see, once again, the consequences of too many illegal guns in the hands of too many people willing to use them, with zero regard for anyone in the path of their bullets. This happened against the backdrop of a city celebration, but also against the backdrop of a nation that cannot fashion a rational policy on reducing gun violence. This joyous festival of Caribbean heritage may have been affected by senseless violence, but we stand with the many good people here today who will not let this violence define their cultural celebration. Reverend Kevin Peterson, leader of the New Democracy Coalition, called for the festival to be shut down until there is absolute clarity about how everyone is safe at this event year after year. Violence in the Black community in Boston must be condemned and members of our communities must turn in the violent perpetrators connected to this shooting. The Black community has a prime responsibility at addressing acts of anarchy in certain neighborhoods and at specific events like the Caribbean Festival, said Peterson. Mayor Wu added that the Caribbean Festival is a huge benefit to the City of Boston and is necessary for the city. The remainder of Saturdays scheduled events proceeded as scheduled. Boston Police are asking anyone who has further knowledge of the shooting to contact them at 800-494-TIPS or 617-343-4712. Vick and Francis are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on Monday. MORE: A look at the aftermath of mass shooting at Caribbean Festival. @bostonpolice say 7 people shot, several people arrested, multiple guns recovered. All victims expected to survive. You can see the shot-out window of a Boys & Girls Club Van near Dorchester scene@boston25 https://t.co/AvErOY8A6Y pic.twitter.com/0UrIw4X1nb Julianne Lima (@JulianneLimaTV) August 26, 2023 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 At first, I admit, I was a bit flattered to learn that online entrepreneurs were selling study guides for my new book. I thought of CliffsNotes from long ago, helping fellow students who were short on time or interest to grasp the basics of notable works. Curiosity quickly won out. I pulled out my credit card, paid $9.99 plus tax for one of the offerings, and awaited its arrival in the mail. The thin booklet got off to a reasonable enough start, explaining with its first sentence, "The U.S. media coverage that makes it easier to sell wars to the public, as well as the often-hidden cost of civilian casualties from errant U.S. attacks, are all harshly criticized by journalist Solomon." That wasn't a bad summing-up of my book. But the study guide's second sentence was not nearly as good: "He guarantees that when Russia designated Ukrainian communities during the new attack, the U.S. media was everyone available and jumping into action with compassionate, piercing revealing." Rereading that sentence a few times didn't improve it. I began to worry. To the extent that any meaning could be grasped from them, the following pages seemed to include some praise: My book "constructs a convincing case that an excessive number of mysteries are being kept from people in general." What's more, "the creator presents a sharp and provocative outline of the outcomes of the media's horrifying disappointments in spreading the word." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But the study guide also included mild criticism, albeit so oddly worded as to be almost incomprehensible: "Solomon might have offered a fairly more profound examination of why American newscasting neglects to satisfy its beliefs in covering war and the justifications for why political pioneers could feel a sense of urgency to deal with misdirection while tending to people in general." The computer-programmed assaults on the English language escalated. And so the "war on terror" became the "battle on dread." A key source of meticulous research that I cite in my book, the Costs of War project at Brown University, became "the Expenses of War project at Earthy Colored College." At one point, my book's actual title "War Made Invisible" somehow became "War Caused Imperceptible." But the laughable malapropisms provided by artificial intelligence became more serious matters when I saw several dozen words forming badly mangled phrases all attributed to me inside quotation marks. I could imagine bleary-eyed students cramming on the night before a test or a term-paper deadline, reading the ostensible quotes and thinking that the author of my book must be an idiot. Likewise, any would-be scholars seeking to glean the gist of the book's themes in exchange for their $9.99 purchase will surely come away mystified, at best, after encountering sentences like this: "It's totally unsuitable for writers to toe the conflict line for a really long time, and afterward, at last report, essentially, it tends to be informed years past the point of no return." I'm not among the authors who claim to never read reviews of their books. In fact, I remember them. So I could recognize the uber-clumsy efforts of a large-language-model AI that had sifted through nearly a dozen reviews of "War Made Invisible," lifting bits and pieces while weirdly substituting supposed synonyms to steer clear of plagiarism lawsuits. So let's hear it for digital "free enterprise." Or maybe that's "unshackled business." Nice AI work if you can get it. Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. That brings us, however, to a vastly more substantive matter. Artificial so-called intelligence is hardly immune to a dynamic that computer experts long ago dubbed "GIGO" garbage in, garbage out. With AI, no matter how sophisticated it might seem, the consequences in war are apt to be horrific. Six decades after Martin Luther King Jr. warned of "guided missiles and misguided men," the missiles are even more terrible, the people ordering launches are no less misguided, and the mentalities bent on war are eager to twist AI technology for their own lethal purposes. A couple of weeks ago, the Department of Defense announced "the establishment of a generative artificial intelligence task force, an initiative that reflects the DoD's commitment to harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in a responsible and strategic manner." If they were still alive, the 4.5 million people who have died as direct and indirect results of U.S. wars since 9/11 might cast doubt on how "responsible" the Defense Department's manner has been. Let's hope that the people running the Pentagon's AI task force didn't graduate from Earthy Colored College. Read more about the ascendancy of AI a brown and white rocket rolls toward its launch pad with a blue sky in the background United Launch Alliance (ULA) rolled its Atlas V rocket to the pad today (Aug. 25) to gear up for the launch of a hush-hush mission next week. The Atlas V made the trek to Space Launch Complex-41 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, ULA representatives announced today via X (formerly Twitter). The Atlas V is carrying a payload for "Silent Barker," a joint mission of the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) that's scheduled to launch on Tuesday (Aug. 29) at 8:34 a.m. EDT (1234 GMT). You can watch the liftoff live here at Space.com when the time comes, courtesy of ULA. Related: Declassified US spy satellite photos & designs (gallery) a brown and white rocket sits next to a large metallic tower with blue sky in the background. The Silent Barker mission, also known as NROL-107, aims to provide "the capability to search, detect and track objects from a space-based sensor for timely custody and event detection," according to a ULA mission description. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Silent Barker/NROL107 will strengthen the NRO's ability to provide a wide range of timely intelligence information to national decision makers, warfighters and intelligence analysts to protect the nation's vital interests and support humanitarian efforts worldwide," the description adds. That's pretty much all we know about the mission. The lack of detail isn't surprising; it's the norm for the NRO, which builds and operates the United States' fleet of spy satellites. close-up view of a brown-and-white Atlas V rocket, looking up from its base RELATED STORIES: Atlas V rocket launches NROL-101 spy satellite to orbit Facts about ULA's workhorse Atlas V rocket These Atlas V rocket Space Force launch photos and videos are simply epic The Atlas V has 97 launches under its belt to date, all of which have been successful. Seventeen of those flights have lofted NRO payloads, ULA representatives said via X today. The workhorse rocket has launched a number of NASA spacecraft as well, including the Curiosity and Perseverance Mars rovers, the OSIRIS-REx asteroid-sampling probe and New Horizons, which performed the first-ever flyby of Pluto in July 2015. ULA plans to phase out the Atlas V, however; the company is developing a new rocket called Vulcan Centaur, which will replace its older counterpart. This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BEIRUT (AP) Insurgents in northwest Syria attacked an army position Saturday killing and wounding more than 30 troops, opposition activists said. The attack came days after Russian and Syrian warplanes carried out several airstrikes on the last major rebel stronghold in the northwestern province of Idlib and parts of Aleppo killing several insurgents. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said the Ansar al-Tawhid group, which is allied with al-Qaida, carried out the attack with its members first detonating a massive bomb and then storming the position manned by government troops. The Observatory said the attack killed 11 soldiers and wounded 20 others. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Other activist collectives, including Amjad News, also reported the attack saying it killed and wounded dozens of soldiers without giving a breakdown. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or state media. A truce reached between Russia and Turkey in March 2020 that ended a Russian-backed government offensive on Idlib province has been repeatedly violated resulting in scores of people getting killed and wounded. Russia has been a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad and joined the war in September 2015 helping tip the balance of power in his favor. Turkey is a main backer of the armed opposition. Syrias 12-year conflict that started with anti-government protests then morphed into a civil war killed half a million people and displaced half the countrys pre-war population of 23 million. More than 5 million Syrians are now refugees, most in neighboring countries. Mecklenburg County, the City of Charlotte, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Emergency Management Office, and homeless service providers are making efforts to keep the community cool during this weekends heatwave. On Saturday, the Charlotte Area Transit System will provide free transportation to the Roof Above Day Services Center, any Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library location, spraygrounds, and the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation centers, and senior centers. >>Click here for your local weather updates. Cooling Stations: Roof Above is offering its Day Services Center as a cooling station for anyone experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Mecklenburg County. The Day Services Center is at 945 North College St. and is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Misting stations, fans, water fountains, and chairs are also available. Outreach staff will visit homeless encampments to provide information about relief, cooling station locations, and water if needed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Park and Recreation: Centers The following Recreation and Senior Centers are open to residents seeking relief from the heat: Recreation and Senior Center locations and hours of operation are available online. Park and Recreation: Spraygrounds The following spraygrounds in Charlotte are available 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily: Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center, Cordelia Pool, and Ramsey Creek Beach are open weekends12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Labor Day weekend. >>To stay on top of changing weather conditions be sure to download our free WSOC-TV Weather app. Double Oaks Family Aquatic Center is located at 2014 Statesville Avenue. Cordelia Pool is located at 2100 North Davidson Street. Ramsey Creek Beach is located at 18441 Nantz Road in Cornelius. Watch the video below for this weekends forecast. Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries: Charlotte Mecklenburg Library locations are generally open to the public from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Mecklenburg County Fan Initiatives: The Department of Social Services is helping seniors and adults receiving disability income by offering free box fans. Mecklenburg County residents 60 years and older and adults ages 18 to 59 who are disabled can pick up a fan while supplies last. Call Mecklenburg County Child, Family, and Adult Services at 980-314-6800 or email mSFA-Events@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov. Individuals are required to show a valid drivers license or state ID providing proof of age and a current Mecklenburg County address when picking up their fan. Limit one fan per person. Energy Bill Assistance: Individuals and families in Mecklenburg County who are experiencing a cooling (or heating) energy bill-related crisis, a life-threatening or health-related emergency, and have a past due or final notice can apply for energy bill assistance through the Crisis Intervention Program. Details on the program, including criteria and applications, are available at MeckNC.gov/Energy or call 704-336-3000. Assistance is available year-round or until all funds are exhausted. Members of the public may also call 211 to receive the latest information regarding home utility and rental assistance options. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Friday he had warned the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin , that his life could be in danger before this weeks plane crash thats believed to have killed the mercenary leader and some of his lieutenants. Prigozhin, who led a failed rebellion against the Russian military just over two months ago, dismissed concerns raised by Lukahsenko, a loyal ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin , that his life could be in danger, the Belarusian leader said. Putin, who initially said anyone involved with the rebellion would suffer inevitable punishment, later changed his tone after a surprising truce deal brokered by Lukashenko. During the mutiny, Lukashenko said he warned the mercenary chief he would die if he kept marching toward Moscow. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement To hell with it I will die, Prigozhin answered, according to Lukashenko. He said he tried to warn him a second time, telling both Prigozhin and his close associate Dimitry Utkin to watch out. Utkin is also believed to have died after a private jet carrying Prigozhin and some of his lieutenants crashed about 60 miles north of Moscow on Wednesday. A preliminary assessment by U.S. intelligence found the jet crashed following an internal explosion and that Prigozhin was very likely targeted for his role in the failed coup though the Kremlin has denied any involvement in the deadly crash. On Friday, Russian officials said any suggestions that Moscow was behind the incident are a complete lie, Reuters reported. Lukashenko also shot down any ideas the incident was orchestrated by Russia. I know Putin. I know how scrupulous, careful, delicate he is, he told reporters Friday, according to the Belarusian state-owned news agency BelTA. I dont believe he would do such a thing. And another point. It is madness for a head of state. He is no madman. Belleville City Engineer Sal Elkott has resigned. Elkott notified Mayor Patty Gregory by email on Friday morning. When contacted by the BND, he didnt give a reason for the resignation, which is effective immediately. He reserved further comment for a later time. Gregory referred questions to Bill Clay, the citys director of human resources. He emailed the following statement on Friday afternoon: Mr. Sal Elkott resigned as City Engineer for the City of Belleville today via a Letter of Resignation. The city staff and elected officials have been notified. Mayor Gregory wishes him well on his future endeavors. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ward 3 Alderman Kent Randle, who worked closely with Elkott as chairman of the Streets and Grades Committee, said Elkott called him after submitting his resignation as a courtesy. I was stunned and disappointed, Randle said. Randle said he had a very good working relationship with Elkott and, to his knowledge, so did other Belleville City Council members who serve on the committee. Randle said he didnt feel comfortable sharing information from a private conversation with Elkott on his reasons for resigning. He called him a true public servant. We have accomplished more (under Elkott) in the way of street resurfacing and completed projects than we have in a number of years, Randle said. In a very short time, we have managed to make a great deal of progress for the residents of this city. Elkott joined Gregorys administration in June 2021, replacing former City Engineer Michael Velloff, who resigned shortly after Gregory defeated former Mayor Mark Eckert in the April election. Elkott later said he hadnt sought out the position, but he was glad he accepted it because he believed in serving others and thought he could help the city engineering department, which he described as constrained by a lack of staffing and lack of resources. I have been fortunate that I have been offered this job, as reluctant as I was to take it on, he said in August 2021. Elkott formerly served as Stookey Township highway commissioner. He founded his own engineering firm in 2004 but agreed to suspend its operation while employed as city engineer. Elkott began the city job as a part-time employee. He quickly concluded that it needed the engineers full-time attention, as well as a larger staff, including a construction inspector. Its a little bit of a lack of wisdom on my part, but I thought I would be able to serve and get things done (on a part-time basis), he said in 2021. This is not for half measures. Gregory made the job full time with the blessing of Belleville City Council. Sal is doing an excellent job, she said at the time. Elkotts annual salary is 120,819, according to Shelley Tarrant, the citys payroll manager. Earlier this year, local engineer Geri Boyer accused Elkott of providing false information to aldermen while recommending that they terminate her contract for a city road project and of shutting out her company, Kaskaskia Engineering, for political reasons. Elkott countered that he was protecting taxpayer interests by insisting that design work and inspections on construction projects not be done by the same company, which Boyer maintains is standard practice in the industry. Pucker up, Buttercup! Bellevilles first ever Kiss the Pig fundraiser is underway and contestants are running hog wild soliciting donations. Six participants are raising money for charity, explained the fundraisers organizer and Scottish Rite Commander Greg Giedeman. Whoever collects the most money has to kiss a pig during the Belleville Oktoberfest on September 16th. All donations will benefit the Scottish Rite of Southern Illinois Charities and The Belleville Area Humane Society. A tri-colored KuneKune piglet from Wild Blooms and Boots Farms in Waterloo is the swine at the center of the event. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Right now, shes not any bigger than a gallon of milk, said the piglets owner, Jessica Hoock. She is so sweet. She loves belly rubs. She hasnt been given a name yet. I plan to give her a bath before the big day. Fundraiser participants include St. Clair County Clerk Tom Holbrook, Belleville Area Humane Society President Shelly Korves, Belleville Mayor Patty Gregory, Belleville Police Chief Matt Eiskant, Scottish Rite Commander Greg Giedeman and past Shriners Potentate David Casson. For the next several days, participants will be busy collecting donations, through cash, checks, Facebook/Mightycause and Venmo. Giedemans wife, Stephanie, created personalized, money collection pig jugs for each of the contestants. Shes also making pig-eared headbands which will be sold along with fundraising T-shirts emblazoned with the saying Get Piggy With it! Were not going to know who the winner is till that afternoon, Giedeman said. We want to announce it and have a little showmanship to it. The momentum is building, along with the fun. The mayor is really excited about it, Giedeman said, proudly. I was afraid to ask her but shes been great. So has St. Clair County Tom Holbrook, who enjoys giving back to his community. Im looking forward to helping a lot of kittens and puppies, he said, and also helping out the children. The Scottish Rite Charities benefits the Southern Illinois Dyslexia Center. Probably no one is more excited about the prospect of kissing a pig than BAHS board president Shelly Korves. Im competitive and Im happy to raise money for a good cause, Korves said. But honestly, Im kissing the pig either way. Win or lose, theyll have to pry it out of my hands. The winner of the pig kissing fundraiser will be announced at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the corner of North 1st and West A streets in Belleville, following the Weiner Dog Race. Prior to the event, a fundraising Pig Kissing Booth will be open to the public, starting at 1 p.m. Donations can be mailed to the Scottish Rite of Southern Illinois, 225 E. A Street, Belleville, IL 62220. Please put the name of your favorite contestant on the memo line. President Joe Biden honored 13 service members who died during an attack while the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan two years ago in a statement Saturday. A bomb by the Abbey Gate at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021, killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghan civilians. Today, Jill and I remember and mourn these 13 brave American service members and the more than 100 innocent Afghan civilians who were killed in the horrific terrorist attack at Abbey Gate, Biden said in the statement. Many more were injured and will carry the impacts of their wounds and the horrors of that day for the rest of their lives. Biden and his administration have received heavy criticism over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan from Republicans. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he thought Biden should be impeached for the handling of the exit at the time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Also honoring those who died in the attack two years ago, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be put at half-mast in a post on X Saturday. Two years ago today, we tragically lost 13 brave servicemen and women in Afghanistan, McCarthys post on X, formerly known as Twitter, read. I have directed the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be lowered to half-staff in honor of these American heroes. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. President Joe Biden on Friday said he plans to ask for more funding from Congress for the development of a new coronavirus vaccine. I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works, Biden, who is vacationing in the Lake Tahoe area, told reporters. It will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether theyve gotten it before or not, he added. The announcement comes as a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in some regions has resulted in the return of mask mandates by some entities in the U.S. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 have also risen in the past few weeks as well, according to data. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement New vaccines containing the version of the omicron strain XBB.1.5 are already being developed by Pfizer, Novavax and Moderna. However, the viruss continuing mutation will likely necessitate updated vaccines. The Biden administrations supplemental funding request for Congress for the start of the new fiscal year did not include COVID-19 vaccinations. Instead, the White House asked for roughly $40 billion to fund short-term key priorities such as more aide for Ukraine, federal disaster funds, climate change and border priorities. Last fall, Biden asked for over $9 billion from Congress to combat the virus, but the request was denied. The Associated Press Contributed reporting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (The Hill) President Joe Biden on Friday chimed in on former President Trumps mug shot, saying his top political rival is a handsome guy after he was booked in Fulton County, Ga. When asked about the mug shot, Biden told reporters, I did see it on television. Handsome guy. Trump on Thursday evening surrendered to Georgia authorities after being charged on 13 counts related to seeking to overturn the states 2020 election. He took a mug shot, making him the first former president in history to do so. Donald Trump mug shot shows former president scowling at Atlanta booking They insisted on a mug shot, and I agreed to do that, Trump told Fox Digital after the fact. This is the only time Ive ever taken a mug shot. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Earlier this week, Trump was interviewed by former Fox host Tucker Carlson, which aired at the same time as the first Republican primary debate. Biden told reporters Friday he didnt have an interest or inclination to watch the interview. The president also bashed the GOP debate, arguing that the candidates vying to challenge him for the White House didnt talk about issues. Moms are cracking eggs on kids heads on TikTok. Why? I dont remember them speaking to any of the issues, Biden said. There was a lot of talk. But what are they going to do to deal with economic growth? What are they going to do to deal with the notion that maintaining the job pace that we have now? What are they going to do to deal with education? he asked. Biden spoke to reporters while on vacation in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The president was leaving a Pilates studio with his family, including his daughter Ashley Biden . For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Black Lives Matter joined the call for criminal charges against a Bronx NYPD narcotics sergeant who threw a drink cooler at moped operator Eric Duprey as he fled police over a $20 crack sale in the Bronx a death the city Medical Examiner has ruled a homicide. It was not an accident. It was not the result of a crash, Black Lives Matter Greater NY co-founder Hawk Newsome said in Kingsbridge Heights Saturday as he visited the spot where Duprey, a father of three, was killed. It was the result of an unhinged police officer who picked up a cooler full of sodas, full of waters, and slammed it into a mans face who was riding a scooter down this block. Newsome said his group has given a new nickname to Sgt. Erik Duran, the officer under investigation and suspended without pay in Dupreys death. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement You call him an NYPD cop, Newsome said. We call him the Cooler Killer. Duprey, who worked for Uber Eats, was about to be scooped up in a undercover narcotics operation about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday when he jumped on his moped and rolled off along Aqueduct Ave. Duran, an NYPD Bronx narcotics veteran with 13 years on the police force, grabbed a red and white drink cooler from a table and chucked it at Duprey as he sped down the sidewalk. Surveillance video of the incident shows Duprey losing control of his ride and skidding head-first into a parked car. Duprey, 30, died of blunt force injuries to the head, the citys Medical Examiner said Friday. In accordance with state law, his death is under investigation by the state Attorney Generals office. What were dealing with right now is a murder, Newsome said. We will protest until Letitia James, our attorney general, indicts this cop for murder. Not manslaughter. Not criminally negligent homicide. But murder. Before his death, Duprey sold $20 of crack to an undercover cop, a police source with knowledge of the case said. When he fled, officers radioed his direction of flight, so Duran knew Duprey was the man his co-workers were trying to apprehend, the source added. Newsome said Durans actions was the act of someone enraged. Thats not police protocol, he said of the cooler toss. This is not police procedure. The NYPD confirmed Thursday that Durans actions were not consistent with our guidelines. We dont train officers to pick up something and throw it at a suspect, a department official said. Duran has been suspended without pay as the NYPD and the State Attorney Generals office conduct probes into Dupreys death. His police record includes five cases before the Civilian Complaint Review Board, one of which resulted in discipline. In that 2021 case, Duran was found to have committed abuse of authority in an unlawful street stop. The incident resulted in Duran losing a handful of vacation days. At an expanding memorial site, longtime friends and neighbors swapped stories of Duprey, describing him as a doting dad who mastered daredevil tricks on his moped. He used to do wheelies with one foot, Hector Miolan said of Duprey. (He was) loved by everyone in the neighborhood. Especially all the guys on the scooters. He was real good at doing tricks. He was a legend, said Miolan, 39. Its really sad. Jonathan Roberts, a lawyer with the firm Talkin, Muccigrosso & Roberts who is representing Dupreys family, called the deliverista a family man and said his death devastated his children and their mother. Another young man gone too soon at the hands of a reckless police officer a loving partner, father, and son who provided financial and emotional support to his family, Roberts said Saturday. Nothing can mitigate this familys pain, but the individual who committed this heinous act must be held accountable. Miolan couldnt wrap his head around the NYPD sergeants actions. What makes a cop do something like that? he asked. It doesnt make any sense. Theyre supposed to protect us. Not to act like I dont mean to say the word but wild animals. San Francisco is a city of two realities. The Bay Area is arguably the tech capital of the world, and the Silicon Valley region has "both the largest tech talent pool and the highest number of tech roles of any U.S. market," according to TheRealDeal. San Francisco also remains a global leader in arts, culture and education, with its greater metropolitan area containing colleges like Stanford and UC Berkeley. It's also among the wealthiest cities in the world. It has more than 285,000 millionaires, per a 2023 report from Henley and Partners, and also has 63 billionaires more than any other city on the planet. The Bay Area is also known for its high cost of living and consistently ranks among the 10 most expensive cities in the world, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. Data released at the end of 2022 showed that San Francisco's "housing costs were 113% higher and utility costs were 67.5% higher than the national average," SFGate reported. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is $3,000, among the highest in the country, according to Zumper. Heading into downtown, though, displays a much less glamorous version of the city. San Francisco has been grappling with several societal ills for years, including a widespread drug addiction crisis. In 2019, the city had "more drug addicts than it [had] students enrolled in its public high schools," the San Francisco Chronicle reported, by a margin of more than 8,000 people. While the city's rate of violent crime is lower than the national average, San Francisco has high rates of property crimes like theft and burglary. Combined with the ongoing drug crisis, this has led to a large homeless population in the city. A mid-2022 report showed that 20,000 people were expected to experience homelessness in San Francisco that year, per the San Francisco Chronicle, and "for every one person housed by a city program, four more will become unhoused." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But San Francisco has had a long history of ups and downs. So how did the Bay Area get here, and is there still a way for the city to recover? Or is San Francisco destined for failure? Why is it an epicenter of drugs and homelessness? The influx of fentanyl is causing many of the problems, just as it is in cities across the United States. The drug has become almost ubiquitous in San Francisco. This past June, the California Highway Patrol "seized enough fentanyl in San Francisco to potentially kill over 2.1 million people," according to the Office of the Governor. Given the city's population of just over 800,000, this would be enough to kill everyone in San Francisco nearly three times over. At least 268 people in San Francisco died from fentanyl overdoses in the first four months of 2023, per the city's chief medical examiner. Many additional overdose deaths were attributed to heroin, methamphetamines, medicinal opioids and cocaine. As a result of this fentanyl surge, users smoking drugs in public has become a common sight. However, unlike many other major cities, San Francisco "largely does not prosecute public drug use," The San Francisco Standard reported. While drug possession remains a misdemeanor crime, experts told the Standard that the city's "harm reduction" approach was the "result of a growing sentiment that the government should take a public health approach that focuses on mitigating the harmful consequences of drug use." These drug issues have contributed to the city's growing homelessness epidemic. California itself is home to half of the American homeless population, per McKinsey and Company, and "on any given night, 38,000 individuals in the Bay Area are homeless." Drugs don't appear to be the root cause of the city's homelessness, though. A recent comprehensive study by ASR on the matter found that the problem was the result of a "severe shortage in affordable housing, a widening gap between rising housing costs and stagnant wages, and an insufficient safety net for individuals with disabling conditions." While 12% of respondents to the study said drug and alcohol abuse was the cause of their homelessness, this was only the third-most cited reason. Fourteen percent reported eviction as the culprit, and another 21% more than a fifth of respondents said they were homeless because they lost their jobs. What role does wealth disparity play? Not only is the cost of living increasing in the city, but the gap is widening, which researchers say is significantly contributing to the overall rise in poverty. If Silicon Valley were its own nation, it would be a "politically unstable country with extreme wealth inequalities," according to a 2023 study from San Jose State University. The study added that "African American, Latinx, Indigenous and various Asian American communities continue to receive considerably less of the economic, political, education and social rewards" afforded to other races in San Francisco. A poll from the Chronicle found that even the city's wealthiest individuals feel the gap between rich and poor is a major problem. Among 1,653 people sampled, 75% of those who made over $200,000 per year said the wealth gap was a "problem that should be made smaller." Those who made between $50,000 and $100,000 were the likeliest to believe that the wealth gap was a problem, at 80%. This is a notable statistic because these are people "who traditionally would have been able to afford homes but are not able to because of the city's high cost of living," Jacob Denney, of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, told the Chronicle. "People who are making $53,000 a year effectively are barely able to survive here," Denney concluded. How can the city's problems be fixed? One solution: Build homes. "Build lots of homes everywhere in the Bay Area. Fill in all the empty lots and surface parking with places to live. Convert commercial buildings to residential ones," Adam Rogers wrote for Insider. This could potentially be compounded by unused office space scattered throughout downtown post-Covid. While the city is already working on these initiatives, Rogers argued against zoning laws that prevent homeless people from being housed. "Fix the zoning issues that privilege big single-family homes and make multiplexes illegal. Get rid of rules that require every living unit to include parking for cars. Turn first floors into small retail spaces that local businesses can afford," he said. And despite cooled-off criminalization against drug addicts, police have begun arresting open-air users. While this has been panned by some critics as the "wrong approach to deal with addiction and could even increase overdose deaths," CBS News reported, the user's risk "depends entirely on what you do after the arrest," Stanford addiction researcher Keith Humphreys told the outlet. He added that these arrests should be coupled with "immediate enrollment in good medication" so people don't suffer from withdrawals. While San Francisco undoubtedly has its downfalls, "its problems aren't all that different from other major metros," Vox reported. Rather, the city has received large amounts of negative press coverage because it "occupies a unique space in the identity of the U.S." "San Francisco's always had this mythology of being this future-forward, progressive city," Aliyah Salahuddin, a Standford historian, told Vox. "But the rights of the disenfranchised have historically always been undercut and challenged." You may also like Homepage Current and former administrators claim Boston Public Schools discharge efforts concentrated on administrators of color close to the top of the managerial structure who supported Black students. The Boston public school system is investigating complaints accusing the district of ousting top administrators of color. According to The Bay State Banner, current and former administrators at Boston Public Schools central office claim the district has used its disciplinary process to fire at least a dozen successful Black leaders in recent years. The Boston public schools system has allegedly fired a dozen top Black administrators in recent years. (Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/Boston Public Schools) Ruby Reyes, director of the Boston Education Justice Alliance, noted in a 2022 op-ed that two senior administrators in charge of hiring Black and Latino administrators were on administrative leave near the start of the school year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement However, BPS spokesperson Max Baker told theGrio the district has made progress in recruitment, pointing the fact that individuals of color comprise most of Superintendent Mary Skippers executive leadership team. For example, he noted that most of the new educators hired this school year have been Black and brown people. Among many other recruiting initiatives, its recruitment team is organizing informational sessions this fall for students from HBCUs and Latinx-serving schools nationwide interested in becoming teachers. Our District must continue to recruit and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our young people, Baker told theGrio. We must be vigilant and intentional about monitoring the data on educator retention, recruitment, and staff discipline of our employees of color. According to The Banner, Sophia Hall, deputy litigation director at Lawyers for Civil Rights, asserted that the departure of administrators of color from a district that has a history of racism-related problems raises her suspicion. It really is shocking to see about a dozen high-ranking employees of color be pushed out all within a relatively short time frame, Hall said. It really raises a lot of red flags. The accusations against the school system come two years after a jury awarded Charles Sherman Neal, the sole Black male instructor at the Boston Community Leadership Academy, $1.7 million. The Associated Press reported that Neal sued the district after he said it fired him in retaliation for raising concerns about workplace discrimination. The Banner reported that a group of 15 former BPS workers who had all resigned before and independently of the alleged targeting wrote a letter on Aug. 24, 2022, expressing their concerns regarding administrative turnover. The concerned educators of color raised awareness of a trend in which people of color were frequently the topic of investigatory meetings and put on administrative leave while investigations were ongoing. Barbara Fields, one of the individuals who signed the letter and a member of the Black Educators Alliance of Massachusetts, said there has long been a pattern of racism in the district. However, she described the increased rate of claimed targeting and more senior officials confronting it as a new pattern. The concerned educators of color anticipated their letter would be well-received and taken seriously. Last fall, Skipper retained the services of outside attorney Natashia Tidwell for an investigation. She responded to the concerned educators letter by stating she was committed to giving workers a clear explanation of their rights at the outset of a disciplinary process. However, the length of Tidwells probe has raised worries from many involved, the Banner reported. The fact that Tidwell doesnt appear to have contacted the impacted administrators or anybody else directly connected to the matter further raises questions. Baker noted that the investigation is ongoing, but the Boston School Committee will receive the findings before the 202324 academic year begins. The last meeting before the start of the school year is Aug. 30. Superintendent Skipper will continue to make the investments needed to support and advance our current and future Black and brown educators and leaders, he told theGrio. TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today! The post Boston schools system investigating complaints that top Black administrators are being forced out appeared first on TheGrio. Ukrainian defenders shot down two Russian Shahed attack drones on the night of 25-26 August. Source: Ukrainian Air Force Details: The Air Force stated that on the evening of 25 August, the Russians also used Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs from the southeast amid numerous takeoffs of MiG-31K fighter jets. In total, two Shahed drones were launched and successfully destroyed in the skies over Kharkiv 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! For all our leaps in brain interface technology, the devices that help severely paralyzed patients communicate are still extremely sluggish. That may be starting to change. Two teams of researchers in California, as detailed in dual new studies published in the journal Nature, say they've engineered a device set to revolutionize the field. In essence, the device intercepts a patient's brainwaves, interprets them into speech and facial expressions, and externalizes these in a digital avatar of themselves. "Our goal is to restore a full, embodied way of communicating, which is the most natural way for us to talk with others," said Edward Chang, chair of neurological surgery at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and co-author of the university's study, in a statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "These advancements bring us much closer to making this a real solution for patients." The results already sound impressive. Chang's team has shown that their brain implant can empower patients to "talk" up to 80 words per minute, and on average, between 60 and 70 simply by thinking. Though that's not as fast as natural human speech which can tumble forth at 160 words per minute this is still over three times the previous record. Serving as the foundation of the implant is a tool to convert brain signals into text. For this, the researchers trained an AI algorithm on the electric signals of their patient's brain as they repeated a selection of phrases to themselves. The algorithm was designed to not look for words, but their distinct units of sound called phonemes. Alexander Silva, a co-author of the UCSF study, explained it this way: "if you make a P sound or a B sound, it involves bringing the lips together," he told MIT Technology Review. "So that would activate a certain proportion of the electrodes that are involved in controlling the lips." This stage of the device is fairly accurate, too, with a 9 percent error rate three times less than the record low. But text on its own is less impressive. To achieve something close to real-life speech, the researchers took the implant a step further by outfitting a piece of animation software with a custom AI that could use the patient's word signals to simulate facial expressions. Pairing this with a reconstruction of their voice, the patient's speech could be embodied in a digital lookalike on a nearby screen. A caveat: that 9 percent error rate was with a vocabulary of just 50 words. By the time they got to a 125,000 word vocabulary, though, the error rate was close to 24 percent which is still impressive, but would undoubtedly be frustrating to use. The important thing is that the researchers have proven that this kind of device is possible at least for the specific patient they designed it for. Future versions will have to prove their mettle in patients with all varieties of paralysis and hopefully bring down the errors, but so far the findings are promising. More on brain implants: Paralyzed People Successfully Test Brain-Controlled Electric Wheelchairs Bowed heads and raised hands Friday surrounded the Concord mother who lost her three children in a house fire days earlier. Troves of people nearly 200 filled the historically-Black Logan neighborhood where Felicienne Kueviakoes children died. The fire on Sunday killed 11-year-old Emmanuelle Kueviakoe, 15-year-old Stephen Kueviakoe and 16-year-old Daniella Kueviakoe just after 1 a.m. First responders, teachers, neighbors and strangers filled the courtyard of the citys housing department to pray, light candles and honor the lives lost. Cristiano Gray, center, holds a candle during a vigil for the lives of three youth lost in an apartment fire on Sunday night at Chapman Homes in Concord, NC. The 17-year-old Gray rushed into the flaming home around midnight. When he did not hear a response, or a sound from a fire alarm, he stumbled outside and called 911. The Chapman Homes duplex, owned and maintained by the city, was all her children ever knew, their mother said at the vigil. They boarded the same school bus at the same stop and played on the same playground for 10 years. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As she mourned next to the pastors speaking to the crowd, a friends hand never left her back. Others fanned her with folders, and a blonde child stationed next to her offered an oversized pink teddy bear. My children love this community, and this community loves my children, she said through a tightening throat and damp cheeks. And I love your support. Terry Mosco Benjamin, 46, remembers the children as a quiet but caring trio. The bus dad recalled the way Daniella would inquisitively look at people and how the neighborhood rallied together to help care for Stephen, who had autism. He hoped those looking in from the outside would offer grace and decency to their mother. Hes heard too many negative remarks about why their mother wasnt home, he said. We work, he said. And we do whatever it takes to take care of our children. Attendees pray during a vigil for the lives of three youth lost in an apartment fire on Sunday night at Chapman Homes in Concord, NC. A family friend has set up a GoFundMe page that raised more than $25,000 by Friday evening. Please help this mother bury her children, Latresha Robinson wrote. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but neighbors remain concerned with why fire trucks not fire alarms woke them up. The propertys smoke detectors worked the last time they were tested in January, a city spokesperson told the Observer previously. But the neighborhoods management is slow to tend to maintenance requests, neighbors told The Charlotte Observer. The issues arent new, they said, but the tragedy has highlighted them. HUD housing inspections in NC According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an inspection was last performed in June 2022. The Observer has requested a copy of the inspection results from the department. The inspections determine if communities qualify for continued benefits under its contract with the government, and subtractions may be made from the overall score based on any present health and safety deficiencies, according to the department. The inspections are done by the Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC), which checks the communitys site, building exteriors, building systems, common areas and units. Chapmans Homes barely passed its 2016 REAC inspection with a 60 out of 100 score. Thats 22.4 points worse than the average for North Carolina, according to ProPublicas 2019 HUD House of Cards project. One month ago, a woman evacuated her home when she smelled gas, but the carbon monoxide detectors never went off, Benjamin said. Neighborhood leaders are also pushing for the city to fix a broken bridge that would have allowed paramedics to get to the burning home earlier. A petition, which started in June 2022, now has 1,000 signatures, and the Department of Transportation is speaking to the neighborhood Monday, Benjamin said. With the crowd dispersing and children flocking to the playground, a group of teachers and students from Emmanuelles school, Wolf Meadow Elementary, walked up with a sign. Forever in the pack, it said. Several pastors asked attendees to pray for not only the family, but the community and its leaders. Its times like these when people need to band together to address issues, they said. As family, teachers, first responders and strangers sang Thy Kingdom Come at the end of the service, the sun shined through the clump of clouds that hung above the neighborhood Friday afternoon. Be mindful, Benjamin reminded the crowd. This is a time to breathe and to heal. The days of the old frontier produced men whose legend grew bigger than the dusty plains. In those wild years where the West was still growing, who was in the right in the eyes of the law was often decided by who had the fastest gun. One of the most notorious figures of South Texas in this era was King Fisher , a man who crowned himself the head of a cattle-theft ring and eventually became a lawman himself. John King Fisher was born on his parents farm in Collin County in 1854. He knew much loss early in his life. His mother died when he was only two years old, and his stepmother died only a few years after that. The hardships of the years after the Civil War forced the family to move to Williamson County, just north of Austin, where his father still had family. By the time he was 15, he ran afoul of the law. In two separate incidents just weeks apart, he was arrested on charges of horse theft. In 1870, he was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison but only served four months. After his release, he fell into a gang of cattle rustlers and gunslingers in the Rio Grande Valley. He learned their ways quickly and began dressing in flamboyant outfits and going by the name King. He soon took over his own gang, killing three Mexican men leading their own horse theft ring in the area. He soon built a network of hundreds of men dealing a brisk trade in stolen livestock. Before long, he owned his own ranch and routinely traded with such men as future Mexican President Porfirio Diaz in trading stolen cattle and gunning down anyone who stood in his way. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fisher was known for his ruthlessness and his quick draw. Reportedly, he once said, Fair play is a jewel. And I dont care for jewelry. Texas Rangers attempted to break up his criminal empire in 1876 and 1877, but local sheriffs refused to cooperate, making legal cases all but impossible. By 1877, he had been indicted for murder six times and for horse theft twice. Each charge was ultimately dismissed. He married in 1876 and soon had four daughters. His life shifted dramatically as a result. By 1881, Uvalde County officials were anxious to get the area under control and hired him as a deputy. In spite of his shady reputation and previous criminal conviction, Fisher was respected and popular in the area. And the thinking was that there was no one better to out-think or out-shoot a criminal than Fisher himself. He was noted for his efficiency and dedication. By 1883, he was acting sheriff and looked to run for the position in the 1884 election. On March 11, 1884, he went to a vaudeville theater in San Antonio with his friend Ben Thompson. Thompson himself had a notorious reputation. He had previously served as the city marshal of Austin until an incident in San Antonio in 1882. An argument over a card game with Jack Harris, who owned the vaudeville theater, erupted into a gunfight in which Thompson shot and killed Harris. Thompson resigned and was acquitted of murder. Now the two gunmen strolled into the theater. Presumably the two were there to enjoy the show, but San Antonio was far from home for both. They had both made enemies in the city, but the two were skilled enough with the gun that enemies were never a problem for long. The two went to find their seats in a balcony section with one of the owners, a former partner of Harris, Joe Foster, and a local law officer, Jacob Coy. But trouble found them first. As they went to sit, Fisher and Thompson were shot down in a blaze of gunfire from another balcony section. Fisher was hit by 13 bullets. Fisher pulled his gun and shot Coy, severely wounding him. As Fisher fired with his dying strength, Simms pulled his own gun and shot himself in the leg, dying days later. Fisher and Thompson died at the scene. In the aftermath, a Bexar County coroners jury ruled that the deaths of Fisher and Thompson were a result of self-defense. The entire details of the ambush were never made clear, and San Antonio police were anxious to drop the matter. Fisher has been portrayed in television and movies in the years since. Like many characters of the Old West who lived by their wits and the speed of the draw, he left behind little and faded into legend. Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Bridges: John King Fisher from cattle thief to Texas lawman Dr Jonathan Williams mused that the jewel might have been damaged during the war - Mattis Kaminer/Alamy An antiquities dealer contacted Jonathan Williams, deputy director of the British Museum, in 2020 with evidence that a Roman jewel he had bought belonged to the institution. When he returned the artefact in May 2021, after the lifting of Covid restrictions, he says that his concerns were dismissed because the piece had been listed as missing since 1963. The plasma portrait of a young man also had a piece missing, raising the possibility that a thief had broken it when removing it from its setting, but Dr Williams mused that it might have been damaged during the war. The item is now thought to be one of more than 2,000 objects that may have been stolen over more than a decade, many of which were sold on eBay. Ittai Gradel, the Danish antiquities expert whose warnings were ignored - Matthew James Harrison A museum source said: We believed it had been missing since 1963, so had no reason to believe it was as a result of theft. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The claim came after George Osborne , a former Conservative Cabinet minister, issued an apology to the nation and blamed groupthink for senior managements failure to face up to the scale of the scandal of artefact thefts from the museum. Mr Osborne, who is chairman of the British Museums trustees, said some missing items had been recovered, but conceded that hundreds more may have been stolen from its vaults and added: On behalf of the British Museum, I want to apologise for what has happened. We believe weve been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them. But I promise you this: it is a mess that we are going to clear up. I can tell you today that weve already started to recover some of the stolen items. Mr Osborne spoke after Hartwig Fischer, the director of the British Museum, resigned and Mr Williams voluntarily stepped back from his duties over their failure to uncover the theft of objects, despite years of warnings from whistleblowers. George Osborne (left), chairman of the British Museum and Hartwig Fischer, former director - Dave Benett/Getty Mr Fischer announced that he was quitting his role as director after seven years because the museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have done when presented with a dossier of evidence in 2021. He also expressed sincere regret for comments he made about Ittai Gradel, a Danish antiquities expert whose warnings were ignored, but whom Dr Fischer tried to blame for the delays. Mr Osborne said the review will look into what has happened not just in 2021, but for the many years before then, into how come the museum missed some of the signals that could have been picked up. The former chancellor said the estimate of 2,000 items stolen or missing was a very provisional figure. Last week, the museum announced that it had sacked a member of staff, now known to be Peter Higgs, the acting keeper of Greek collections, after jewellery and gems were found to have gone missing. Mr Higgs denies any wrongdoing. On Wednesday, Metropolitan Police officers investigating the case interviewed an unnamed man under caution. 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. Attorneys for Bryan Kohberger, a former Washington State Ph.D. candidate accused of murdering four University of Idaho students last year, have requested that cameras be banned from the courtroom for the remainder of the proceedings. In a new court filing obtained by ABC News, his lawyers contended camera-wielding courtroom observers have failed to obey a previous directive issued by Judge John Judge that ordered them not to focus exclusively on Kohberger. The defense cited several images they said were a blatant violation, as well as headlines they called blatantly sensationalistic and prejudicial. Kohbergers legal team said the continued exclusive focus on their client also provides fodder for those on social media who are not bound by notions of journalistic integrity and who have potentially an even greater reach than traditional media outlets. They also argued such content could prejudice a potential jury pool. Far from constituting an undue and over restrictive burden on the press right of free speech, his lawyers said, Mr. Kohberger is entitled to defend himself against capital criminal charges without cameras focused on his fly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The request comes after Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial during a status conference on Wednesday. His attorney, Anne Taylor, spoke on his behalf and said she may not be ready for the trial, which was initially scheduled for October. Kohberger is facing four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in connection with the deaths of 21-year-olds Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen, 20-year-old Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin, also 20. All four students were found fatally stabbed inside a Moscow home, not far from the University of Idaho campus, on Nov. 14. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty. Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech at the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue in Johannesburg, South Africa, Aug. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping's South Africa trip enhances the traditional friendship between China and Africa, builds new consensus on South-South cooperation and adds positive energy to peace and development, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and foreign minister, said on Friday. Xi attended the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa and paid a state visit to South Africa from Monday to Thursday. While in the country, Xi co-chaired with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue. This is Xi's fourth state visit to South Africa as Chinese president, Wang said, adding that the Chinese president had long and in-depth talks with Ramaphosa. During their talks, Xi called on both sides to remain strategic partners with high-level mutual trust, development partners for common progress, friendly partners with deep mutual understanding and goodwill, global partners safeguarding justice, and to jointly build a high-level community with a shared future for the two countries. Wang said that Xi's visit yielded fruitful results, as the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in such fields as the Belt and Road cooperation, new energy and electricity, agricultural products, special economic zones and industrial parks, blue economy, scientific and technological innovation, and higher education. The visit demonstrates the important consensus and shared interests of the two countries on major international issues, Wang said. During the visit, Xi pointed out that BRICS should not become a closed and inward-looking group, instead it should be an open and inclusive platform to attract new members and pool new forces, which meets the practical development needs of BRICS and serves the common interests of BRICS countries, according to Wang. The BRICS summit made a political decision to invite Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran and Ethiopia to join BRICS, and extended welcome to other interested and eligible developing countries to join the group, Wang pointed out, saying that this is a major historic moment in the development process of BRICS. Noting that there are various paths leading to modernization, Xi said during the visit that the African people have the most say on which path suits Africa best, and advancing modernization through integration is the independent choice made by African countries and people. On this path to modernization, the Chinese president added, China has all along been a firm supporter, and walking side by side with Africa. Xi reaffirmed China's support for the African Union to join the Group of 20, announcing that China will host the ninth conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation next year, Wang said. African leaders said the African side firmly adheres to the one-China policy, supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi, and will continue to push for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Wang added, highlighting Xi's remarks that China has been and will always remain a member of developing countries. Currently, Russians do not have any plans to depart from occupied Crimea, though local collaborators have begun winding down their businesses, said Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov , in an interview with RFE/RL on August 26.. In response to a journalist's inquiry about whether his agency is observing the departure of Russians from the occupied peninsula, Budanov replied that this is not the case. I wouldn't put it that way, Budanov said. It's occurring in surges. I believe there will be another surge of business departures soon, and it takes place in these surge intervals. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Russian S-400 Triumf in Crimea destroyed by Ukrainian missile Danilov Budanov emphasized that it is primarily local collaborators who are in the process of withdrawing their businesses from the occupied Crimea. They constitute the majority. Read also: Ukraine can strike Russians at any place in occupied Crimea Budanov Because they understand if the situation shifts suddenly, there will be varied possibilities for those who were building new [businesses] and those who were relocated, he clarified. However, [the collaborators] will undoubtedly lose everything. Hence, it's evident that they are escaping, relocating their businesses. It's not so much about running away as it is about relocating their businesses further into Russian territory." Earlier, the presidential representative in occupied Crimea, Tamila Tasheva, claimed that Russians who had moved to Crimea after 2014 are now leaving in large numbers. Additionally, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, the Crimean Tatar representative body, Refat Chubarov, stated that collaborators on the occupied peninsula are realizing the inevitable liberation of Crimea and have begun to flee "like mice, he told Radio NV on July 25. 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 Burke County Public Schools will provide free meals to all students this upcoming school year. On August 28, the first day of school, BCPS students will get free breakfast and lunch from the cafeteria. BCPS is now apart of the Community Eligibility Provision which provides a meal option for districts and schools in high-poverty areas. Families will no longer have to fill out the free and reduced meal application because of the provision. Were so excited to feed students breakfast and lunch for free this school year, Daniel Wall, BCPS Director of Child Nutrition said. Each BCPS student can get a filling, nutritious lunch from the cafeteria without worrying about the stigma of the price of their lunch. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement ALSO READ: Pig Rig feeds Burke County students, teaches grill skills BCPS has also changed the price of their adult menu items. Teachers and parents can purchase an entree and two sides from the cafeteria for only four dollars. The BCPS school cafeterias will still have Premium Days where it offers premium entrees for the same price as regular lunches. This initiative began last year and the entrees are free for students and $2.50 for adults. People can use cash, checks, or a students meal account to purchase items in the cafeteria. For more information about the school meals, click here. (WATCH BELOW: District divided: Town excluded from free meals for southern Lancaster Co. students) Burna Boy is on a roll, ruffling feathers all over the internet. He caught a lot of heat for his controversial stance regarding the disconnect between African Americans and their roots. Hes now using Malcolm X and Minister Louis Farrakhan to make his point. The 32-year-old artist is actively promoting his upcoming album, I Told Them and appeared on Complexs 360 With Speedy. Host Speedy Morman brought up his recent rant and Burna dismissed the negative rebuttals. My mission is to bring us together, he said. My mission is to build a bridge that cant be broken, a bridge that shouldve always been there. So for me, thats not really relevant. I dont really look at none of that because I feel like when people say that, they have their own agendas. The Nigerian artist then mentioned the two activists to clarify this statement. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Theres nothing I said that Malcolm X didnt say, he said. Theres nothing I said that The Honorable Louis Farrakhan didnt say. But, obviously, its Burna Boy saying it and hes from Africa. All thats beneath me. My mission and my movements [are] too divine for stupid sh*t like that. The comment that had fans riled up was Burnas response to a question activist Chaka Bars asked him in March. Chaka asked, Why it is important for the African diaspora to come home. "Why is it important that the diaspora come home?" Burna Boy: pic.twitter.com/YUP5W5BYIG @ (@OneJoblessBoy) March 17, 2023 Burnas response highlighted how several ethnic groups can trace their lineage to the first member of their family who came to America, but thats not the case for most African Americans. Same goes to everyone else except the African-American, he said. Before the clip ended, he implied the inability of African Americans to trace their roots could be a hindrance. How can an African-American and an Italian-American be on the same field, he added. While his comments got under the skin of some, Burna was unapologetic about his views, stating they are all part of the bridges he is building at this point in his career. The Grammy-winning artist previously had people in an uproar recently with his comments about the Afrobeat music genre. Blavity recently reported on Burnas views about the genre during his interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music. 90% of them have almost no real-life experiences that they can understand, which is why you hear most of Nigerian music, or Ill say African I dont even know what to say, Afrobeats as people call it, its mostly about nothing, literally nothing. Theres no substance to it, he said. Nobody is talking about anything in it. Its just a great time. He continued, No matter how nice of a time youre having now or you had at some point or you plan to have, youre still going to face life. So its like, for me, I feel like music should be that, music should be the essence of the artist, you understand? Burna Boy speaks on AfroBeats as a genre AfroBeats as people call it, is mostly about nothing, literally nothing. theres no substance to it like, nobody is talking about anything in it. its just a great time. pic.twitter.com/rfzOtCaZZY benny. (@benny7gg) August 22, 2023 Later, in his interview with Morman, Burna spoke about his work in the AfroFusion genre. The artist is often credited with its origin and stated it cant be boxed in like the alternative. I created Afrofusion because I didnt want to be boxed into any AfroBeats or any Hip-Hop, because I dont believe in genres, he said. You can watch the interview below. Former attorney to former President Trump, John Eastman cannot postpone his California disbarment trial, a judge ruled Friday. Eastman argued that his status as an unindicted co-conspirator in the federal election fraud case against Trump, and as a defendant in the sweeping Georgia election fraud racketeering case would complicate the disbarment hearing, as he could possibly incriminate himself. The California bar is seeking to revoke Eastmans law license for his alleged work spreading election fraud conspiracies and encouraging Georgia politicians to create a fraudulent alternate slate of Electoral College votes. Judge Yvette Roland ruled that Eastman cant get out of the disbarment, however, because hes already started the proceedings. He sat for an eight-hour interview earlier in the trial and chose not to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination when discussing matters which are now part of criminal cases. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is firmly established that a witness cannot choose to testify willingly about a topic during a single legal proceeding and then later claim the right to remain silent under self-incrimination privilege when asked about specific subjects, Roland wrote. She also noted that Eastman has invoked his Fifth Amendment rights numerous times before, including during his interview with the House Jan. 6 Committee last year over the same conduct in question. Roland further argued Eastman was already aware of the possibility that the conduct would be criminally investigated because he had been interviewed by the Georgia grand jury which eventually indicted him. [Eastman] was completely aware that he had potential criminal exposure for his actions surrounding the 2020 election, which is also the subject of the [disbarment case], she wrote. Yet, Respondent gave considerable testimony without ever invoking the Fifth Amendment and did not seek abatement until six days into trial. Roland said that normally a disbarment case would be paused due to criminal charges, but unique circumstance in this case, including Eastmans hours of testimony, make that impossible. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Attorney John Eastman , an architect of Donald Trump s last-ditch bid to subvert the 2020 election, may not postpone his ongoing disbarment hearings just because hes been indicted in Georgia, a California judge ruled Friday. Yvette Roland, a judge on the California State Bar Court, said Eastman had effectively waived any rights against self-incrimination by taking the stand in his disbarment proceedings in June even though he knew he could be indicted in either Washington, D.C., or Georgia. Eastman testified then for more than eight hours on a wide range of subjects related to his efforts to keep Trump in power, without invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. [Eastman] was completely aware that he had potential criminal exposure for his actions surrounding the 2020 election, which is also the subject of the [state bar charges], Roland wrote in a 10-page ruling. Yet, Respondent gave considerable testimony without ever invoking the Fifth Amendment and did not seek abatement until six days into trial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its the latest setback for Eastman as he fights to preserve his law license while facing felony charges in Georgia for his role in an alleged racketeering conspiracy with Trump and 17 other codefendants. Eastman was a central figure in Trumps final push to subvert the 2020 election. He helped press state legislatures to consider appointing alternate slates of electors that were later used to stoke a controversy on Jan. 6, 2021. When no state legislatures agreed, Eastman instead pointed to the existence of uncertified slates of pro-Trump activists who claimed to be electors. Eastman directly pressured then-Vice President Mike Pence to recognize those false elector slates to stoke a controversy on Jan. 6, 2021. Though Eastmans disbarment proceedings began in June, they were postponed to late August amid scheduled conflicts. In the interim, special counsel Jack Smith issued a four-count indictment against Trump alleging multiple conspiracies to subvert the 2020 election. In the indictment, Eastman was described, though not named, as an alleged co-conspirator in the effort, suggesting charges against him could be forthcoming. Even before Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged Eastman in Georgia, the attorney moved to postpone the remainder of his bar proceedings, saying his criminal exposure had become greater in light of Smiths case. Willis charges only added to his urgency to have the disbarment proceedings delayed. But state bar authorities rejected his push, saying Eastman knew seven months ago when the bar charges against him were filed that he could be facing criminal charges. The issue was discussed in pretrial proceedings, and Eastman opted to press ahead with the state bar proceedings anyway. He took the stand on several different days in June but his testimony had not yet been completed when the proceedings were paused until this week. Its unclear if Eastman will seek an appeal of Rolands ruling or whether hell take the stand and attempt to assert his Fifth Amendment rights in response to additional questioning. Hes been present in the courtroom as his proceedings resumed this week with testimony from witnesses called by state bar investigators. An aerial image taken on Aug. 10 shows homes and buildings burned to the ground in Lahaina on the Hawaiian island of Maui. (Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images) A 72-year-old California woman is among those who died in the wildfires that scorched swaths of Maui and devastated the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina earlier this month, authorities said. Theresa Terri Cook, who lived in the small community of Pollock Pines in El Dorado County, was staying in Lahaina when the fires broke out Aug. 8, according to her family. She planned to fly back home to the Sacramento area the next day, but went missing amid the chaos after being evacuated from her hotel. The Maui Police Department on Tuesday identified Cook as one of the fire victims. She is so far the only known victim from California. "Very outgoing and carefree, she was visiting Lahaina for some solitude and rest," her family wrote on a GoFundMe page. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more: After Maui officials named 388 people unaccounted for in fires, many called to say they're OK As soon as they heard about the fires, her children, Melissa Kornweibel and Adam Cook, desperately searched for information that their mother was alive. They contacted the Red Cross, Maui police and the Coast Guard, as well as posted in various Facebook groups , where dozens of others have also uploaded photos of missing loved ones, according to the family GoFundMe page. On Sunday, officials confirmed to Kornweibel that her mother had been found and identified as one of the fire victims. "With this news comes loss, heartache and responsibilities, her family wrote. Cook was an amazing grandmother of four who put others' needs before her own, according to her family. Read more: Mapping how the Maui fires destroyed Lahaina She is one of at least 115 people who died in the Maui wildfires, authorities said. Officials have so far publicly identified 35 victims and notified their families . Eleven additional victims have been identified, but family members have not yet been reached, authorities said in a release. Maui County this week released a list of 388 names of people who remain missing. More than 2,700 people displaced by the fires are sheltering in 11 hotels across Maui, authorities said. Three ongoing fires in Maui, including the Lahaina blaze that has scorched an estimated 2,170 acres, were between 85% and 90% contained as of Wednesday. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The two Black indicted individuals accused of conspiring to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia surrendered themselves at an Atlanta jail this week. However, questions are circling about why one of them was the only person out of all 19 defendants not to receive a bond agreement and forced to remain in jail. Mugshots of Trevian Kutti (left) and Harrison Floyd (right), who were both indicted in the Georgia election interference case alongside former president Donald Trump. (Photos: Fulton County Sheriffs Office) Trevian Kutti, the former publicist of R. Kelly and Kanye West, as well as Harrison Floyd, the former director of Black Voices for Trump, were both booked and processed into the Fulton County Jail just one day before the Friday surrender deadline. Related: We All Look Alike to Them: Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Says She Was Mistaken for Fani Willis By Trump Supporters Who Yelled Lock Her Up Outside of Jail Where He Was Booked Both Kutti and Floyd face the same charges, including violating the Georgia RICO Act and influencing witnesses in a large-scale criminal case involving Trump and more than a dozen of his allies and associates. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They were both indicted after prosecutors found evidence linking them to an alleged attempt to intimidate and pressure a Fulton County election worker into falsely admitting that she stole votes during the election. READ MORE HERE. Most defendants bond agreements were set at five- and six-figure sums. Trumps order was a bit more restrictive, with some with special terms on his social media use. While Kutti was granted a $75,000 bond for her release, Floyd wasnt provided a pre-arranged bond order or terms of release at all. So he had to spend the first night after his arrest in a jail cell before seeing a judge the following day. That hearing did not go well for Floyd. Floyd had a hearing in front of Superior Court Judge Emily Richardson at Fulton County courtroom Friday afternoon. The issue of bond will not be addressed today; that is going to be addressed by Judge [Scott] McAfee, who is assigned to your case, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Richardson told Floyd during his appearance. The Maryland man told the judge he has no attorney and hiring one would cost him $40,000 to $60,000, money he said he doesnt have. I cannot afford an attorney, the AJC reports Floyd told Richardson, to which she replied that he will have to work out an arrangement to represent himself with Judge McAfee. The absence of a bond deal is connected to a recent run-in with the law in May in which Floyd is charged with assaulting an FBI agent. Floyd faces federal charges stemming from an aggressive confrontation with two FBI agents sent to serve him a grand jury summons in Maryland. Those charges which Floyd pointed out during his hearing are misdemeanors were grounds to keep him behind bars for now, Judge Richardson ruled. Floyd contended during his appearance that he was no flight risk Ive had no issue with being on pre-trial supervision, there is no way Im a flight risk, I showed up here before the president was here but Richardson was not swayed, the AJC reports. For now, he will have remain behind bars, as it is unclear as of this writing when Floyd will appear before Judge McAfee. Social users had various reactions to news of Kuttis and Floyds arrests. These two should have known better than to accompany Trump down that rabbit hole. Why, just why? I have no sympathy for Trevian C. Kutti and Harrison William Prescott Floyd. #BlackTwitter pic.twitter.com/gJMCsNfUUc Kinsley (@BronzeAlert) August 15, 2023 Harrison Floyd is in custody because he couldnt negotiate a bond and I dont feel sorry for him I hope they hold him because thats what he gets for harassing Ruby Freeman on behalf of a deranged bigot the ancestors aint pleased with you homie and it aint never gonna be cool pic.twitter.com/xZ6zVmWxvd Renee (@PettyLupone) August 24, 2023 Temperatures in the Queen City have gotten so high, that MEDIC was called to rescue a worker from a tree in south Charlotte because of the heat. The incident happened around 12:30 p.m. on Berea Court off Camel Road, crews were called to help a tree trimmer having a heat emergency. Pictures of the rescue were sent to Channel 9, showing the large group effort it took to help him-both MEDIC and the Charlotte Fire Department were on the scene. Officials say the worker is expected to be okay. Judy Pickering lives in the neighborhood and watched part of the rescue unfold. She spent some of the day working in her yard and told Channel 9 she understands how quickly the heat can get to you. So it does creep up on you, you dont feel it until its almost too late, Pickering said. (WATCH: Huntersville Fire rescues construction worker from high angle) Charges have been dropped, at least for now, in the case against a 16-year-old boy arrested in connection with a May shooting that wounded four people in Over-the-Rhine, officials said. The teen was arrested on June 21 and charged with eight counts of felonious assault. His case was dismissed without prejudice on Friday, though the shooting remains under investigation and those charges could be refiled, said Amy Clausing, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office. The May 31 shooting left three children ages 10, 14 and 15, along with a man in his 20s, shot near McMicken Avenue and Lang Street, according to Cincinnati police. All four suffered non-life-threatening injuries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police released surveillance footage that shows at least two people firing from the rear windows of a 2017 black Hyundai Sonata. Rapid-fire gunshots can be heard and people on the sidewalk scatter. One of the shooters was firing over the top of the car while seated in the window. A look back: Teen arrested in quadruple shooting that injured 3 kids in OTR, police say Investigators found the car, parked and unoccupied, in Bond Hill just a day later, officials said. Police have yet to announce any other arrests in connection with the shooting. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OTR quadruple shooting: Teen's charges dropped; investigation ongoing Flash Former U.S. President Donald Trump posts his mug shot on Instagram on Aug. 24, 2023, local time. [Photo/VCG] Former U.S. President Donald Trump turned himself in on Thursday to the authorities in Atlanta for the Georgia election interference case, with his iconic mug shot and those of his accused acolytes heating up tittle-tattle that they not only told about the defendants' cynicism, but an irony of the U.S. political system. "As soon as it was taken, it became the de facto picture of the year. A historic image that will be seared into the public record and referred to for perpetuity - the first mug shot of an American president, taken by the Fulton County, Ga., Sheriff's Office after Donald J. Trump's fourth indictment," noted The New York Times in a report posted on Friday. "As such, it is also a symbol of either equality under the law or the abuse of it - the ultimate memento of a norm-shattering presidency and this social-media-obsessed, factionalized age," it added. "In the future the mug shot will seem like the ultimate bookend to a political arc in the United States that began decades ago." "It's dramatically unprecedented," Sean Wilentz, a professor of American history at Princeton University, was quoted as saying. "Of all the millions, maybe billions of photos taken of Donald Trump, this could stand as the most famous. Or notorious." In the photo, Trump is posed against a plain gray backdrop, just like the 11 of his fellow defendants whose mug shots were taken before him, including Mark Meadows, Sidney Powell and Rudolph Giuliani. "He has long favored a scowl over a grin, the better to project strength," said the newspaper in another article published on Friday. Smile mug shots "The traditional mug shot is usually a grim affair: poorly lit and sullen. It is a permanent portrait of shame -- the legal system's scarlet letter," said The New York Times. "It is, almost by definition, unsmiling." "But the booking photos emerging from the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Atlanta, where Donald J. Trump and 18 others are being charged with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, include several that are oddly cheerful," it noted. Trump's former lawyer Jenna Ellis smiles broadly, as does David Shafer, the former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party. Scott Hall, a Trump operative, fails to repress a smirk. Sidney Powell, accused of peddling debunked conspiracy theories about the election, reveals a twinkle in her eye. "The statement that all of their facial expressions convey unmistakably? Defiance," it said. "Modern politics in the age of social media is, as much as anything, a battle to create, control and define visual images. And the mug shot, pioneered in 1840s Belgium as a utilitarian method of identification, is becoming a new front in that fight." "But the way his accused co-conspirators have been composing themselves for the camera of the criminal justice system, and for the lens of history, evokes the other supporting roles they are playing, in what seems an extraordinary production of political theater - one in keeping with Mr. Trump's oft-repeated contention that the prosecution is a farce and a joke," it added. FILE - In this undated file photo released on Aug. 6, 2016, by China's Xinhua News Agency, two Chinese Su-30 fighter jets take off from an unspecified location to fly a patrol over the South China Sea. Taiwans defense ministry said Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a proposed $500-million arms sale to Taiwan. (Jin Danhua/Xinhua via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) BEIJING (AP) Taiwans defense ministry said Saturday that China sent dozens of aircraft and vessels toward the island, just days after the United States approved a $500-million arms sale to Taiwan. The defense ministry said in a statement that 32 aircraft from the Peoples Liberation Army and nine vessels from the navy were detected in the 24 hours between 6 a.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday. Of these, 20 aircraft either crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait or breached Taiwans air defense identification zone. In response, Taiwan tasked its own aircraft, vessels and missile systems to respond to the activities, the defense military said. China sees self-ruled Taiwan as a renegade province to be taken by force if necessary. In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military drills around the island in reaction to Taiwans political activities. The Chinese military launched drills around Taiwan last week as a stern warning after Taiwans vice president stopped over in the U.S. while on an official trip to Paraguay. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The State Department said Wednesday it had signed off on the sale of infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets and other related equipment to Taiwan worth half a billion dollars. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said Friday that China opposed the arms sale, calling it a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs and describing it as a heinous act that violates its One China principle, as well as three Sino-U.S. joint communiques. Zhang also said that China urged the U.S. to fulfill its commitment of not supporting the independence of Taiwan. Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen warned that theres a serious risk to the former president that his co-defendants could cooperate with Georgia prosecutors. Trump and 18 other defendants were charged in a broad racketeering case in Georgia this month, alleging that the former president led a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results in the state. If any one of them ends up turning, its destruction for the rest, Cohen said in an MSNBC interview Saturday. Cohen himself turned on Trump, cooperating with New York prosecutors investigating falsified business records related to hush money payments for Trumps alleged affairs. Once one of the former presidents closest confidants, he has since become one of his loudest critics. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The former attorney had a message for the co-defendants especially Trumps attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and his former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Donald doesnt care about you. He doesnt care about you one bit, he argued. He will use you as the scapegoat, and the system will use you as the scapegoat in order to get somebody. Cohen pleaded guilty to tax evasion as part of his cooperation, receiving a three-year prison sentence which was shortened by the COVID pandemic. He spent over two weeks in solitary confinement, he said, an experience he warned could become reality for the former presidents co-defendants as well. [Prosecutors] will get them to turn, because these three could easily end up in the same situation that I ended up, Cohen said. And I can promise you something, its not fun. Exactly what happened to me is going to happen to all 18 of the coindicted defendants, he added. Cohen has also repeatedly criticized Trump for opting not to pay his co-defendants legal bills, saying it encourages them to flip. Giuliani has reportedly asked Trump several times to pay his bills, and former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, also a co-defendant, has done so publicly. Donalds an idiot, Cohen said in a CNN interview Monday. Let me just be very clear: When it comes to paying money, he is truly an idiot. He has not learned yet that three people you dont want to throw under the bus like that: your lawyer, your doctor and your mechanic, he continued. Because one way or the other, youre going to go down the hill and therell be no brakes. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Law enforcement responding to calls about a suspicious individual early Friday morning arrested a man who they say shot at them. In a statement, the Richland County Sheriffs Department arrested Luis Pardo after he allegedly shot at officers. Deputies were called to the 1700 block of Broad River Road, near the Dutch Square Mall, just after 5 a.m. following reports of a man sitting in a dark sedan with a long gun, which typically refers to a rifle or a shotgun. When law enforcement arrived, the suspect allegedly fired multiple shots toward two sheriffs deputies and a Columbia Police Department officer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement No one was injured, and deputies have not located any damage to property, according to the statement. Pardo, 44, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder and one count each of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, aggravated disturbance of the peace, and pointing and presenting a firearm at a person. This is another example of the danger our deputies face every day, Sheriff Leon Lott said. Im glad no one was hurt by this mans dangerous disregard for the safety of others. Pardo was transported to the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center. A bond hearing has been set for Saturday afternoon. Its the second time in less than a week that sheriffs deputies have come under fire in Richland County. On Aug. 20, Cpl. Terrance Crawford, a school resource officer, and his fiance were shot in the leg after being caught in the crossfire of what Lott described as a gang-related shooting. Crawford, a 9-year-veteran of the sheriffs department, was not the intended victim of the shooting, Lott said at a press conference Tuesday. It was the 96th drive-by or walk-up shooting of the year, Lott said. With an uptick of coronavirus cases in the Southland, a member of the medical staff at MLK Community Hospital wears a mask while being framed by a sculpture titled "Pieces Together" by Lawrence Argent in Watts on Aug. 17. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) With coronavirus cases increasingly on the upswing across California and the nation, an updated COVID-19 vaccine is expected to come out even earlier than expected. Coronavirus transmission has been rising this summer and hospitalizations, while still low, have recently started to tick up as well. In Los Angeles County, COVID-19 levels have risen for the fifth consecutive week, with the number of newly reported infections likely growing because of travel, the back-to-school season and new Omicron subvariants, health officials said. New outbreaks are up at L.A. County's nursing homes, and one Hollywood studio temporarily imposed a mask mandate after several employees were infected. Nationally, there were 12,613 weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations for the week that ended Aug. 12 double the number from the start of this summer, but just one-third of the level seen at this time last year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read more: Masks are back on at Lionsgate HQ as COVID outbreaks rise, including at 'Masked Singer' studio The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said this year's updated version of the COVID-19 vaccine is likely to come out by the middle of next month, a bit earlier than the late September timeline previously announced by the Department of Health and Human Services. The earlier-than-expected arrival became apparent after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scheduled a Sept. 12 meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a likely indication that the vaccine would become available shortly afterward. The latest version of the vaccine is designed against the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, unofficially known as Kraken. Unlike last year's formulation, a bivalent vaccine that was designed against both the ancestral coronavirus strain and the BA.5/BA.4 Omicron subvariants that were circulating at the time, the upcoming vaccine will be monovalent, specifically designed against XBB.1.5. Kraken, dominant as of this spring, has seen other upstart subvariants rise to compete against it, such as XBB.1.16 (unofficially refered to as Arcturus) and EG.5 (also known as Eris). The differences between these subvariants are relatively minor, and it's expected the new vaccine will be effective against all three. Read more: New coronavirus subvariant Eris is gaining dominance. Is it fueling an increase in cases? But officials are closely watching another subvariant that has raised more questions: BA.2.86, nicknamed Pirola, after an asteroid. In a CDC risk assessment, the agency said that Pirola "may be more capable of causing infection in people who have previously had COVID-19 or who have received COVID-19 vaccines." The effectiveness of the upcoming vaccine against Pirola is still being evaluated, the CDC said Wednesday, but the agency still expects the new version will be effective at reducing severe disease and hospitalization. "At this point, there is no evidence that this variant is causing more severe illness. That assessment may change as additional scientific data are developed," the agency added. Read more: With coronavirus uptick, should I get a COVID shot? When are new vaccines available? Unlike more recently identified subvariants, which might have one or two mutations that distinguish them from earlier versions, Pirola has 36 distinct mutations from XBB.1.5, "which is making people raise their eyebrows," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert. "BA.2.86," he said, "is so different that people worry that the vaccine in the fall won't be a perfect match but nevertheless, it will still protect people against serious disease." "And who knows if it's even going to become ruler of the roost? It really hasn't taken off so far that we know," Chin-Hong added. "But again, sequencing always lags and not a ton of people are doing sequencing anymore around the world." Very few cases of Pirola have been identified in the U.S. thus far, and the subvariant has yet to be detected in Los Angeles County. But in some parts of Europe, Pirola now makes up perhaps 1% to 2% of cases, and the fact that it's on more than one continent suggests it is spreading, Chin-Hong said. Read more: COVID-19 is 'heating up all around' this summer. Should we be wearing masks again? Still, those infected with the Pirola subvariant have so far experienced generally mild symptoms, Chin-Hong said. Based on what's currently known, if Pirola does become dominant, "at some point, it may fuel another round of transmission, and may find people who are 'no-vids''' people who have never been infected "or people who are more vulnerable to getting ill," Chin-Hong said. Regardless of the new mutations in Pirola, Chin-Hong said, the anti-COVID therapeutic drugs Paxlovid and remdesivir should remain effective. Generally speaking, Chin-Hong said many people who have been infected with the coronavirus this summer did not require hospitalization, likely because they were vaccinated, had been previously infected, or both. Even those COVID-19 patients who have been hospitalized, Chin-Hong said, are generally requiring shorter stays than earlier in the pandemic. Still, those who are being hospitalized tend to be older and those who haven't received a COVID-19 booster shot in the past year meaning they are not considered "up to date." Read more: Are we in a summer surge? What to do if you get COVID now Areas of the country that are seeing particularly notable increases in new weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations are in the South, CDC data show. In California, there were 1,930 new weekly COVID-19 hospitalizations for the week that ended Aug. 12. That's more than a 60% increase from the start of the summer, but still relatively low historically. Coronavirus-positive hospitalizations are also increasing in L.A. County. For the week that ended Aug. 19, there were an average of 422 such patients in hospitals per day, a nearly 30% increase from the prior week. Coronavirus levels in L.A. County wastewater are at about 28% of the peak seen last winter, during the region's last significant spike. That concentration has been increasing since early July, when coronavirus levels were at about 8% of this past winter's peak. "While hospitalizations are increasing, the current levels are still far lower than what was seen in 2022 during the summer peak, when there was an average of 1,287 COVID patients hospitalized each day," the L.A. County Department of Public Health said. Read more: Are you getting billed for COVID-19 tests you didn't order? Here's what you need to know There were 39 new coronavirus outbreaks in skilled nursing facilities in L.A. County for the most recent week of data available, up from 20 the prior week. "While resulting hospitalizations and deaths among skilled nursing facility residents are lower than at other points during the pandemic, nonetheless, increased transmission of COVID-19 at nursing homes carries heightened risk for frail elderly," officials said. In a blog post, Dr. Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, said that recent trends underscore how "the pandemic isn't over." Topol described the recent increase in transmission as a "wavelet" that could pick up steam but is more likely related to waning immunity and behavior than the latest subvariants. "The fact that the inexorable evolution of the virus continues to find new hosts and repeat hosts cannot be ignored," he wrote. "At the moment theres no reason for alarm. ... What well see in the weeks ahead is whether BA.2.86 takes hold or not. If it does, that will pose a new challenge, and make the 'updated' booster shots considerably less helpful than what was conceived when XBB.1.5 was selected as the target," Topol wrote. Read more: A coronavirus mystery: Why New York was hit so much harder than L.A. County People who are infected with COVID-19 should stay home for at least five days following their first onset of symptoms or first positive test, whichever comes first, L.A. County health officials said. County health officials urged people at high risk, and those who spend time with them, to consider precautions against infection, such as wearing a mask in crowded indoor settings, especially those with poor ventilation, and on public transit. It's also important to test for an infection when symptomatic or after an exposure to someone with COVID-19, staying home when sick, and seeking anti-COVID drugs if infected. Californians who dont have insurance or are having a hard time getting a prescription for anti-COVID medication can make a free phone or video appointment through the states COVID-19 telehealth service, reachable through sesamecare.com/covidca or by calling (833) 686-5051. L.A. County has similar free telehealth services, which are accessible at (833) 540-0473. Free at-home COVID tests also can still be picked up at county libraries and vaccination sites operated by the county Department of Public Health, as well as at many food banks and senior centers. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A mineworker walks on the residual dump at a mine near Arlit, Niger, on March 8. A mineworker walks on the residual dump at a mine near Arlit, Niger, on March 8. It takes a long time to dig a mine, especially in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Just ask Bob Tait. The Toronto-based Global Atomic Corp. where he serves as vice president of investor relations started exploring for uranium in the middle of Niger, a landlocked West African nation roughly twice the size of Texas, some 18 years ago. It took until late last year to finally start digging the mine. The timing couldnt have been better. Countries all over the world were announcing plans for new nuclear reactors, right as nations that already had them started seeking alternatives to Russia for buying uranium fuel after the invasion of Ukraine. By July of this year, the company finished building the access ramp to the edge of the underground ore putting the project, called the Dasa mine, ahead of schedule. And a second shipment of mining equipment had just completed its overland journey north from a port in neighboring Benin. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then, suddenly, Nigers military toppled its elected government. On July 26, not long after the tools for excavating rock arrived in customs, Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani, the erstwhile head of Nigers presidential guard, led a revolt, detaining President Mohamed Bazoum and threatening to kill the leader if foreign powers intervene to stop the coup. Casting the ouster as an anti-colonial rebellion, the junta and its supporters accused France of meddling in its former colony and cut off military cooperation deals with Paris. Once the fourth-largest producer of uranium in the world, Niger has since slid to No. 7, exporting about 5% of the global supply. But Nigers uranium fuels at least 10% of Frances nuclear reactors, which generate most of its electricity, and supplies as much as one-fifth of Europes atomic fleet. Prices in the spot market jolted slightly upward after the coup. But at Global Atomics construction site for the Dasa mine roughly 600 miles northeast of the capital of Niamey, people are going about business as usual, Tait said. I dont see our operations getting interrupted, he said. There was some noise that the military leadership was going to block shipments of uranium to France. Whether that happens or not, I dont know. But it wouldnt affect us. Analysts say it wouldnt affect France much either. Or, for that matter, global uranium supplies. In the days after the coup, the price of uranium in global spot markets inched up only by 10 cents, to $56.25 more than double what it was three years ago, but still less than half its historic peak of $140 in 2007, when the world last looked poised for a major build-out of new reactors. By late August, the price spiked another $2 to $58.25. The incident highlights one of nuclear energys key advantages. Natural gas and oil need to be constantly replenished with fresh supply, giving producers particularly countries that control the taps of hydrocarbons buried beneath their land tremendous leverage over those nations whose economies would screech to a halt without fuel. While solar and wind run off of free sunlight and airflow, a dark, still sky means no electricity, making it virtually impossible for any major economy to run exclusively on those renewables without some kind of backup sources. And the supply chains for the processed metals needed to make solar panels, wind turbines and batteries to store that electricity to use later run overwhelmingly through China, which has recently threatened to cut off certain exports to geopolitical rivals. But reactors generate huge volumes of energy regardless of weather or time of day and do so using relatively minimal quantities of uranium. Depending on how theyre operated, they require refueling only once every few years. The worlds roughly 400 atomic power reactors, spread among 32 countries, need about 149 million pounds of uranium per year. The current measured supply of uranium that could profitably be mined is enough to fuel the worlds conventional reactors for roughly the next 90 years, according to World Nuclear Association data. But with all the new reactors expected to come online in countries such as China, India and Poland, and with existing reactors expected to extend their operating lives in France and the U.S., demand for uranium could climb to 209 million pounds per year by 2035 yet supply by then may only reach 114 million pounds. In the near term, however, the roughly 4.5 million pounds of uranium Niger exported last year are not enough to sway a global market that other mining countries like Canada, Australia and even the United States could supply. This photograph taken on July 24, 2023, shows cooling towers at the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant in Bugey in the Saint-Vulbas commune, eastern France. This photograph taken on July 24, 2023, shows cooling towers at the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant in Bugey in the Saint-Vulbas commune, eastern France. The real bottleneck in the nuclear supply chain, experts say, is not in mining raw uranium, but in enriching that ore into fissile fuel for a reactor. In other words, there is plenty of uranium to mine all over the world. The price of uranium just hasnt been high enough to indicate that investors really believe a nuclear renaissance is underway, justifying making long-term, big-dollar investments in fuel enrichment. Do I think theres a single reactor in the world that will go unfueled because of any one country being cut off from the supply chain? Absolutely not, said Mark Nelson, a Chicago-based nuclear engineer who runs the industry consultancy Radiant Energy Group. If Niger gets cut off, all reactors are going to be fueled, but someone is going to be caught in musical chairs, having to pay a huge penalty for expensive uranium. But because uranium is so dense with energy and the cost is spread out over a longer period of time, even a tenfold price increase in the raw uranium that goes to an enricher would only raise the cost of serving customers electricity from a nuclear plant by a marginal amount. The U.S., which built the worlds first commercial nuclear power plant in 1958, was once completely self-reliant when it came to atomic energy. In the 1970s, the U.S. produced nearly all the uranium for its power plants in western states like Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico, which have large deposits of the metal. But domestic production of uranium oxide peaked in the U.S. in 1980 at more than 43 million pounds, and for a number of reasons including more imports, particularly of Russian nuclear fuel made with dismantled warheads has dropped ever since, coming in at below 1 million pounds since 2019. Kazakhstan provided 35% of U.S. nuclear fuel in 2021, the most recent year for which there are federal statistics, followed by Canada at 15%. Australia and Russia each provided another 14%. The U.S. produced just 5% of its own uranium. Nigers uranium exports are much more impactful in France, which depends more on nuclear power but operates fewer reactors than the U.S. does. Over the past 10 years, France has gotten 20% of its uranium from Niger, with another 27% from Kazakhstan and 19% from Uzbekistan. While the French state-owned uranium giant Orano owns three mines in Niger, it currently operates only one. The company, which has hardened its security in recent years as Islamist terrorist groups in the region stepped up kidnappings of European workers, said summer was already an off-season at its mine, so few foreign workers were in Niger at the time of the coup. The situation at the mining site, the company told the newspaper Le Monde, was normal. On Thursday, the firm told HuffPost that mining activities are continuing on sites safely. A photo dated Nov. 5, 2022, shows the A photo dated Nov. 5, 2022, shows the "opening blast ceremony" commemorating the start of digging at the construction site for Toronto-based Global Atomic Corp.'s Dasa uranium mine in central Niger. Counting last month, Nigers military has overthrown its civilian government five times since the French government began exporting uranium from its former colony in 1974. But Orano kept up its operations going. Thats typical, Tait said. Ive worked for other companies that have operated in West Africa. Others have seen coups. Typically whoevers in charge and leading the country wants these mines to continue to succeed because they provide employment and economic benefit to governments through taxes and royalties. A coup, he said, was not unlike an election that ushers in democratic leaders who might want to change the terms of the governments deal with miners. In Chile, for example, the recently elected left-wing president has moved to nationalize the South American countrys reserves of lithium, the conductive metal surging in demand to make batteries for electric cars. But coup leaders typically leave mines alone and the business continues regardless of changes at the political level, whether they be democratic or he paused momentarily to find the right word more so like this event. In Niger, the mining code requires companies like Global Atomic to automatically give the government a 10% ownership stake in the local subsidiary that operates the mine. The state can then buy a bigger share in exchange for covering capital and operating costs. Since Niger opted to own 20% of Global Atomics local subsidiary, Societe Miniere de Dasa, the government will cover 10% of costs. The elected Bazoum administration had been considering changing Nigers mining code from requiring companies to pay the government a graduated royalty rate based on the mines profitability that went a high as 12% to a flat fee of 7%. That shift in how royalties are paid to the government would take effect in 2027, meaning a company like Global Atomic could fork over a double-digit percentage of earnings on uranium mined in 2025 and 2026 before dropping to 7% the next year. Whether that change goes through or not with the new group, well have to see how that plays out, Tait said. Nigers junta recently named Mahaman Moustapha Barke, the former head of the state uranium company, as the new minister in charge of mining and oil. Though Global Atomic met with Barke, Tait said the brief meet and greet did not include talks on changes to the mining code. Mining uranium has offered lucrative jobs in parched regions of the mostly desert country. But workers in Niger have enjoyed few protections when Orano has cut back. After the closure of one of its mines in 2021, Orano vowed to retrain its former workers and help establish new sources of income. But a half-hour documentary that aired in May on the French-German public service broadcaster Arte TV found former miners, whose families once dined regularly on meat and fish, now struggling to get any job at all. They mustnt lie to you. Theres no retraining, Mahamane Mourtala told the documentary crew as he sat drinking tea with fellow out-of-work miners. There are projects. Papers have been filled in. But no ones been retrained. Another man sitting beside him, Moussa Alassan, said that he had gotten a three-day training in IT, but it had been useless for finding a job. Gilles Recoche, a spokesman for Orano, insists in the documentary that the company has helped place nearly every worker with a new job. But the firm hadnt even managed to rebuild irradiated homes it said it would reconstruct four years earlier. In an emailed statement to HuffPost, Orano repeated its claim that 86% of former workers at its Cominak mine have been redeployed to other jobs and said it set up a system for its former employees providing social measures going beyond the national legal requirements such as health insurance for five years and 800+ trainings between 2019 and 2021. The company said it had cleared radioactive material out of 100% of the houses in the neighboring town of Akokan as of March 31, 2021, following a process that involved taking measurements in all the rooms of the houses and establishing scenarios of life and time spent in rooms to calculate the added dose for the inhabitants. But the film shows Almoustapha Alhacen, who spent 30 years working at the mine and now works as an activist identifying radiation, holding his Geiger counter up to the roof of a house and registering abnormally high levels of radiation. Im outraged, Alhacen says in the documentary. If we cant profit from our uranium, at least keep your shit there, all thats contaminated. They should keep it properly. Thats all we ask! Finding new partners to extract the uranium hasnt been easy. A decade ago, the state-owned National Uranium Company of China operated a processing plant in Niger to turn uranium ore into yellowcake, the refined material that then goes to enrichment facilities in France. But after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, utilities across the world canceled plans for dozens of new reactors. In 2014, the Chinese plant closed. However, weeks before the coup, in early July, Chinese officials visited Niger to discuss potentially reopening the plant. Tait said it could be a potential customer for Global Atomic. The Canadian firm is planning to build its own processing plant on-site to turn the uranium into yellowcake that would then be shipped to enrichers overseas. But the company expects to start mining in 2025, long before it completes any processing facility, and Tait said it was open to supplying other processors in the meantime. According to Tait, the deposit Global Atomic identified contains the highest-grade uranium ever found anywhere in Africa, formed over centuries as water flowed from the nearby Air mountains and filled an underground area between two fault lines with rich sediment. The ore the company has so far extracted is at least five times as dense with uranium as the material Orano mined. As a result, the company expects to be able to extract it at a cost of roughly $22 per pound, a price that includes the expense of maintaining the mine over decades. Already, Tait said, two utilities in North America agreed to buy uranium from Global Atomics mines in Niger. He declined to name the companies. That means Global Atomic can turn a profit at current prices. And Tait expects uranium prices to go even higher. What youre seeing already is a gap of supply not meeting demand projected, and there are more nuclear reactors being announced all the time, Tait said. There are new small modular reactors that havent even factored into the supply-demand equation yet. Thats only going to put more pressure on the price. Given the long-term importance of nuclear energy to phasing out planet-heating fossil fuels, he forecast the price of uranium to sustain a high price for the foreseeable future. Whats motivating the biggest shifts in the nuclear-fuel market today are Western countries seeking alternatives to the Kremlin-owned Rosatom, the only commercial vendor of a key type of fuel used by some advanced reactor technologies that the U.S. is hoping to bring to market. That monopoly has made Rosatom immune to the types of sanctions the U.S. and Europe slapped on Russian exports of oil and gas in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine which sent prices skyrocketing. Even so, a spike in nuclear fuel prices has a far different effect on utility bills. If natural gas prices double, the price of natural gas for electricity nearly doubles, Nelson said. If the price of uranium doubles, the price of nuclear electricity goes up by perhaps a percentage point. Related... A crane crashed at Coconut Groves HCA Florida Mercy Hospital Saturday afternoon, killing one person and injuring four others. The crane was on a construction site for a part of the hospital that was being renovated. We will be contacting the families of the people involved, said Miami District 2 Commissioner Sabina Covo. We have been in touch with the crane company to make sure these types of situations dont happen again. Miami Fire Department officials responded to a call at 12:15 p.m. Saturday about a crane crash. Upon arriving, officials found that a 200-foot crane had collapsed after reaching its highest point. It crashed onto construction workers below. Two patients were treated at Mercy Hospital and two were treated at Jackson Trauma Center in serious but stable condition, Miami Fire Rescue Lt. Pete Sanchez said. One was declared deceased at the scene. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Miami Police Department Assistant Chief Armando Aguilar said the department is conducting an investigation to find out what happened. OSHA has been contacted. No patients or colleagues were impacted and operations were not impacted. Our prayers are with families and workers that were injured, he said. Authorities will work through the night to remove the damaged crane and a small portion of patients will be evacuated from the hospital. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches NASA's Crew-7 astronauts to the International Space Station from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Saturday morning. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI Aug. 26 (UPI) -- NASA's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station lifted off on time early Saturday morning from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with the four astronauts aboard headed for a stay at the International Space Station. The launch came a day later than planned, with the delay caused by concerns about the Dragon spacecraft's environmental control and life support system components. Flight managers aborted the mission about 5 hours before launch time in the early hours Friday. On Saturday, however, all systems were go, and the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the four space explorers lit up the sky in central Florida at 3:27 a.m., carrying the twice-used Crew Dragon capsule named Endurance into space. After chasing the space station orbiting some 250 miles above Earth, the spacecraft was scheduled to dock there about 8:50 a.m. Sunday, with the astronauts entering the floating laboratory some two hours later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The crew, American Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Andreas Mogensen of the European Space Agency, Satoshi Furukawa of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, will spend six months aboard the space station, carrying out a range of scientific experiments, technology demonstrations, research and maintenance tasks. The exhaust plume of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket turns red at altitude as it launches NASA's Crew-7 astronauts to the International Space Station from Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Saturday morning. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI The Crew Dragon capsule in which the four will ride previously flew NASA's Crew-3 and Crew-5 missions to and from the space station. The stage 1 booster stage of the Falcon rocket was to be jettisoned about 9 minutes after lift-off and came back to Earth at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Minutes later, the second stage separation occurred as the Dragon spacecraft headed into orbit. Astronauts walk out to board a Crew Dragon spacecraft to be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida early Saturday morning, Photo by Pat Benic/UPI "I know just how happy the crew is right now," NASA astronaut Jessica Meir said during a live-streamed broadcast of the launch. Meir was the flight engineer for space station Expedition 61/62 in 2019. German-born Moghbeli, 40, who hails from Baldwin, N.Y., to which she emigrated with her Iranian-born parents in the 1980s, is the mission's commander, while Mogensen will pilot the spacecraft and Borisov will serve as the flight engineer. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Crew-7 Dragon capsule awaits liftoff Friday from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo by Pat Benic/UPI "SpaceX, thanks for the ride. It was awesome," Moghbeli said as the craft entered orbit. "On behalf of Andy, Satoshi, Konstantin, and I, we'd like to thank the multitude of people who led us to this unique moment." She added: "We may have four crew members on board from four different nations ... but we're a united team with a common mission. Human spaceflight requires an unparalleled level of vigilance and rigor, and we thank all those who prepared not only us but also this truly impressive spacecraft for flight." Left to right, members of the next NASA-SpaceX crew, Roscosmos cosmonaut Konstantin Borisov, ESA astronaut Andreas Morgensen, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli and JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa pose to display their nations' flags after they arrived at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday. Photo by Joe Marino/UPI Aboard the space station, the new group will join the Crew-6 astronauts, NASA's Stephen Bowen and Warren Hoburg, the United Arab Emirates' Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos' Andrey Fedyaev -- set to return to Earth aboard Dragon Endurance on Sept. 2. Also aboard are Sergey Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin and Francisco Rubio from Roscosmos' MS-22 mission, who are in their 10th month on the space station. FORT LAUDERDALE Pickleball players might love the idea of having 42 courts just a stones throw from their neighborhood. But thats not the crowd that showed up at a City Hall meeting on Tuesday, August 22, to blast the elected leaders of Fort Lauderdale even though only two of the five on the dais were the ones who approved a $20 million project that will bring an 8-acre pickleball complex and restaurant to Snyder Park. The deal got approved Nov. 1, just a week before three new commissioners were elected. Critics, still fuming months later, are not giving up their fight to block the project, says Kevin Cochrane, a community activist who led a Save Snyder Park petition drive. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cochrane and more than 100 volunteers spent months gathering more than 1,000 petition signatures in order to present the city commission with a proposed ordinance that would protect Snyder Park from commercial development. The developers attorney, Ellyn Bogdanoff, says the pickleball complex is a recreational amenity that will be open to the public and owned by the taxpayers the day it opens. Players will pay a fee to use the courts between 6 a.m. and midnight, with discounts given to residents. The courts will take up an 8-acre section of the park that now includes a seaweed composting site. The nearby lake, currently closed to swimmers, will be restored and reopened. Under the deal, Fort Lauderdale will collect $100,000 a year or 1% of the gross revenue collected the previous year, whichever is greater. The developer, My Park Initiative, will operate the courts for 50 years with an option for two five-year extensions. Bogdanoff says her clients are aiming to break ground in September. Initially, they were hoping to open by January 2024 in time for tournament season. But on Friday, Bogdanoff said it will likely take longer, but will be worth the wait. I think this is going to be an amazing project, she told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Hundreds and hundreds of people are excited about this. They had 1,000 petition signatures (opposing the pickleball project). We have well over 1,000 people excited about this project. Chorus of critics But not everyone is thrilled. On Tuesday, more than 30 people signed up to share their thoughts on the pickleball project. Nancy Long, president of the nearby River Oaks Civic Association, made it clear the pickleball crowd is not welcome at the mostly wooded Snyder Park. We dont want the traffic, she told commissioners. We want to keep the park the way it is. Caitlin Lector, her 8-year-old son by her side, told commissioners that people from all over the city love the peaceful park and want it left alone. My son learned to ride his bike there, said Lector, who lives miles away in Melrose Park. There is no other Snyder Park. You can find another pickleball place. But you cannot find another Snyder Park. Best spot? Pickleball enthusiast Brad Tuckman, the man who came up with the idea with his business partner Richard Campillo, stepped up to defend the project. We chose Snyder Park because we thought it was the best location for it, he told commissioners. Were one-third of a mile from the closest house. In the end, people wont hear it. They wont see it. Tuckman urged the commission to keep another fact in mind: More than 1,000 people may have signed the citizen petition, but more than 150,000 people live in Fort Lauderdale. The land for Snyder Park was sold to Fort Lauderdale in 1966. The purchase price: $375,000. The seller was a corporation owned by the late Byron Snyder, who at the time said he wanted to see the land preserved as a park with no commercial uses. After hearing from some speakers who were under the impression the land was given to the city, Commissioner Steve Glassman set the record straight. This land was not given to the city, he said. It was purchased. It was actually a rock quarry. We are bringing back a place that was used as a rock quarry and has been used as a seaweed composting site (for years). This is a rehashing of everything we have already heard. We have entered into a contract. This was not done in a fly-by-night fashion. This was done with hundreds and hundreds of people coming to a meeting and expressing themselves. Undoing that agreement at this moment would put us in severe (legal) jeopardy. Mayor Dean Trantalis and Glassman are the only ones still on the dais who approved the comprehensive agreement on Nov. 1. Former Commissioner Heather Moraitis also approved the deal. Former Commissioner Ben Sorensen left the meeting early and did not cast a vote. And former Commissioner Robert McKinzie, now a county commissioner, voted no. Commissioners Warren Sturman and John Herbst both told the crowd of critics they would not have voted for the deal. Herbst went even further, saying the city really should require a unanimous commission vote to convert parkland to any commercial use. Vice Mayor Pamela Beasley-Pittman told the Sun Sentinel she also would have voted no on the deal if shed had the chance. Beasley-Pittman, Sturman and Herbst were elected on Nov. 8, a week after the vote. But on Tuesday, not one commissioner was in favor of placing the citizen petition on the Sept. 19 agenda. Afraid of a lawsuit Under the city charter, citizens can petition the commission to consider an ordinance if they gather the required number of signatures. The signatures have been certified by the Broward Supervisor of Elections Office, as required by the charter. Cochran and his attorney, John Rodstrom III, asked the city back in May to place the proposed ordinance on the 6 p.m. commission agenda so the mayor and commissioners could vote on it. Instead, city officials placed the agenda item on the 1:30 p.m. commission conference agenda, where voting is prohibited. Rodstrom urged city commissioners to vote on the ordinance at the Sept. 19 commission meeting, but failed to gain support. Interim City Attorney DWayne Spence told the commission the proposed ordinance was flawed. He also warned that breaking the comprehensive agreement could lead to a lawsuit. Were exploring legal remedies, Rodstrom told the Sun Sentinel on Friday. The charter is really clear that this should have been put on a regular meeting. No one on the commission really wants to stop this project. None of them said theyd like to see this placed on a regular agenda. This is not over, Cochrane promised. I dont plan to stop, he said. I can get a court order to force them to allow us to present the petition at a regular meeting. We will follow the city charter. It is our governing document and must be followed. Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan Adapting tradition to times: Confucius birthplace explores cultivation of governance virtue in officials Xinhua) 15:52, August 26, 2023 This aerial photo taken on June 8, 2023 shows the Confucius Temple, the Kong family mansion and surrounding urban view in Qufu City, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) JINAN, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- In the sunlit lands to the south of Mount Tai, nestled along the banks of the ancient Zhu and Si rivers, lies the city of Qufu. It was in this city -- found in modern-day Jining in Shandong Province, east China -- that the Duke of Zhou established the state of Lu more than 3,000 years ago. It was the dawn of a new culturally-rich era, including the birth of Confucius and other ancient sages. "Governance based on virtue is like the North Star taking its place in the sky, while all the other stars revolve around it," Confucius once said. This philosophy of "governance virtue" as a cornerstone of Chinese traditional political culture continues to this day, and Jining has developed a distinctive model of education to cultivate moral excellence in officials. Under the theme of "promoting excellent traditional culture and cultivating virtuous leaders," Jining established the Jining Executive Leadership Academy for Governance Virtue Education, the country's first academy dedicated to governance virtue of officials, in April 2016. The academy runs on-site classes at cultural heritage sites such as the Temple of Confucius (the main temple for worshipping Confucius), the Kong Family Mansion (the official residence of the direct descendants of Confucius called "Duke Yansheng"), and the Cemetery of Confucius (where Confucius and his descendants are buried). It explains the contemporary value of traditional governance virtue ideology, and attracts officials from all over the country. So, what's new about this model? Firstly, it lies in its content. Chen Chong, secretary of the academy's Communist Party of China committee, emphasized that the institution focuses on the political and contemporary relevance of its teaching content, adding that the elucidation of the importance of "building public commitment to the greater good, public morality, and personal integrity" is its core task. Highlights of the on-site teaching content include "promoting moral excellence" at the Temple of Confucius, "people-oriented governance ideals" at the Mencius Temple in Zoucheng City, and "traditional thoughts on clean governance" at the Kong Family Mansion. The lecture on fighting against greed, given to officials at the Kong Family Mansion, is just eight-minutes long, yet it leaves a lasting impression. On an interior wall of the residence is a vivid image: a ferocious beast with a gaping mouth and glaring, greedy eyes. It eagerly devours treasures, even having the audacity to try to swallow the sun, leading to its downfall into the sea. "In the Ming Dynasty, Duke Yansheng commissioned this painting to warn himself and future generations to be wary of greed," explained Prof. Chong Shuxian from the academy. How do we guard against greed? Confucianism offers valuable insights. Firstly, one must establish a correct view of justice and benefits. Secondly, one must maintain a keen moral rationality. Lastly, the role of institutions cannot be overlooked. Confucianism stressed the importance of following rites, stating that without a profound grasp of rites, individuals will find it challenging to establish themselves in society. The term "rites" in ancient times referred to both moral principles as well as laws and rules. "Greed prevention" is an ancient subject that continues to be widely discussed today. Chong Shuxian further explained, "When faced with temptation, we must be aware of the harm that corruption poses to us. We must resist temptation, abide by regulations, and uphold the purpose of serving the people. With this spirit, we can make correct judgments and choices in many aspects of our lives." Jining's innovation in governance virtue education also lies in its teaching methods. Integrating classroom teaching, on-site teaching, experiential learning, and ceremonial music education, it makes modern China's demands of governance virtue deeply resonate with officials. In addition to on-site teaching at cultural heritage sites like the Temple of Confucius, the academy has also introduced experiential projects such as woodblock printing and bronze rubbing at places including the official residence of the direct descendants of Yan Hui, a revered disciple of Confucius. Experiential learning programs are also offered at rural homes to showcase how the traditional values of integrity and filial piety have helped enhance social governance. Operas have even been created to help nourish officials' governance virtue. Among them is "Guan Zhen Bei," which is dedicated to a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) four-sided stone tablet that bears inscriptions of four themes, namely benevolence, integrity, justice, and diligence, and is kept at the Mencius Temple. "The way to innovation, whatever its forms, either creative transformation or development of fine traditional culture, all starts with 'self-awareness.' Only by knowing our own culture can we have confidence," emphasized Liu Xubing, deputy head of the Confucius Research Institute. Indeed, many participants attending governance virtue education programs say they have personally witnessed the vibrant traditional culture in Jining, and have gained a significantly higher level of cultural confidence. The academy has hosted more than 1,800 sessions, training over 100,000 students from national ministries, and 31 provincial-level regions, as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR. They even include some senior public servants from Belt and Road countries. Kong Hong'en, a lecturer in the academy, has a sincere desire to sow the "seeds" of interest in fine Chinese traditional culture among the students through his lectures. "I am delighted to see that students often contact me to schedule visits with their families and children, and even organize trips for their kids' classmates to come and learn about traditional culture at the Confucius Temple in Qufu," he said. "Some students return after completing their own study and bring their colleagues here to receive governance virtue education, too." (Web editor: Zhang Wenjie, Liang Jun) Flash People gather to protest the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) decision on releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the headquarters of the TEPCO in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, disregarding public concerns and strong opposition from both home and abroad. The Japanese government and certain organizations claim that the released water is safe, but environmental activists argue that all the possible impacts have not been studied and the wastewater disposal will take decades to complete. Flip-flopping During a meeting with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Japan's National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations (JF Zengyoren) on Monday lodged a serious protest to the government's decision and action to release Fukushima nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. Masanobu Sakamoto, head of JF Zengyoren, said the group strongly opposes the ocean release project, which would ruin the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas. The Fukushima Daiichi plant was destroyed in March 2011 after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake generated powerful tsunami waves that caused the meltdowns of three of its nuclear reactors -- one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. Japan's fisheries industry, hit with years of reputational damage from radiation fears, has long opposed the plan. People fear it would lead to a sharp drop in sales, including export restrictions to major markets. In 2015, the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Japanese government swore in writing to organizations such as JF Zengyoren that they would not discharge the nuclear effluent into the ocean until they had the understanding of local fishermen and other stake-holders. However, six years later, the Japanese government unilaterally decided to discharge millions of tons of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea in 2023 after "treatment and dilution," and the discharge process may last 30 to 40 years. In the absence of sufficient scientific evidence, and transparency of related information, the irresponsible discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater will inevitably lead to serious consequences, said experts. Broad condemnation "China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We have made serious demarches to Japan and asked it to stop this wrongdoing," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday. Noting that the disposal of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is a major issue about nuclear safety, the spokesperson said its impact goes beyond Japan's borders, and the issue is by no means a private matter for Japan. China also suspended imports of all seafood products from Japan on Thursday due to concerns over the risk of radiation contamination. Shortly after TEPCO began discharging the contaminated water into the sea, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a nationally televised address that the South Korean government will strictly maintain import restrictions on Japan's fishery products. People protest against Japan's decision to release nuclear-contaminated wastewater in Seoul, South Korea, Aug. 25, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] Protesters broke into the Japanese embassy in Seoul on Thursday, after unfurling banners to protest Tokyo's release of wastewater. "The sea is not Japan's trash bin," read one of the banners. "Stop releasing contaminated water at once." The Japanese government's reckless move to release the radioactive wastewater also sparked waves of anger among local people, especially Japanese fishermen and business owners. Despite the scorching heat, hundreds of Japanese from across the country gathered in front of the TEPCO headquarters in central Tokyo on Thursday morning, demanding the Japanese government and TEPCO stop the release. Haruo Ono, a 71-year-old fisherman in Shinchi Town, Fukushima Prefecture, told Xinhua on Tuesday that "for us, the ocean discharge is a matter of survival." "Does Fumio Kishida, as the prime minister of Japan, have the right to pollute our workplaces?" the man asked. Long-lasting harm Critics say a lack of long-term data means that it is impossible to justify the tritium left in the contaminated water after processing poses no threat to human health or the marine environment. Although about 200 tonnes of treated wastewater were released on the first day, noted experts Thursday, however starting Friday, the pour volume will increase to 7,800 tonnes over 17 days. More than 1.3 million tonnes of wastewater -- enough to fill more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools -- currently contained in numerous water storage tanks at the TEPCO facility, are set to be poured into the ocean, which could take up to 40 years to complete. By dumping the nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, Japan is spreading huge risks to the rest of the world, and openly passing long-term harm onto future generations of humanity. A recent public opinion poll showed that the disapproval rate of the Japanese government headed by Kishida has reached 50 percent for the first time since last December, with 88.1 percent of surveyed expressing concerns and objection over dumping radioactive wastewater into the sea. The widowed father of two children who survived a gruesome Brooklyn hammer attack that killed their mom was greeted by his 5-year-old son during a Bellevue Hospital visit, with both kids still fighting for their lives, a state senator said Saturday. Grief-stricken Jing Hong Liu reunited with his children at Bellevues Trauma Center, where they remained in the intensive care unit three days after the savage Wednesday assault inside their Sunset Park apartment, said Sen. Iwen Chu (D-Brooklyn). Whatever happens next, we will face it together and provide the best care I can offer to my children, said Liu, according to Chu. Liu, a restaurant kitchen worker in Ohio, rushed to the city after receiving the heart-breaking news of the brutal attack on his family. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While older child David woke up when Liu arrived, his 3-year-old sister Sophie was fighting a lung infection Saturday, said Chu. A GoFundMe page established to help the family said Sophies scheduled Friday surgery for her injuries was postponed until her vital signs could improve. The father and his children will also need a lot more resources for long term recovery, both physically and mentally, said the fund-raising page, noting they no longer have a home to recover in once out of the hospital. Accused murderer Liyong Ye, 47, remained behind bars Saturday after police arrived to find him covered in blood Wednesday and holding the hammer near the body of Zhao Zhao, the 43-year-old mother. I am heartbroken, said Chu. As a mother myself, I cannot began to imagine what Mr. Liu is going through. Seeing them in such pain breaks my heart. The suspect was charged with murder, attempted murder and weapons possession in the slaying, with a roommate who shared the apartment with the killer and his victim saying the two had argued in the past over the living situation. Lori McCann decided she couldnt sit back and take it anymore, she told the Idaho Statesman. The Republican lawmaker announced Aug. 15 that she had been censured by her own party for the third time this year this time by the Latah County Republican Central Committee, over votes she cast during the 2023 legislative session. Its a bigger issue than just me and Latah County, McCann told the Statesman in an interview. Its about Idaho GOP politics and whats going on in our entire state. Theres a lot of mistreatment against some real good legislators who are more in the middle or are trying to work with all the Republicans. McCanns is the latest in a series of admonishments that Idaho Republicans have handed down to their own party members this year. The longtime Republican said its an unusual and concerning trend that she views as a push to move legislators further right toward fringe ideals that have been cultivated from the Libertarian Party. Little, other Republicans reprimanded by party McCann was appointed to her seat in May 2021 when the elected representative, Aaron von Ehlinger, resigned over an accusation of rape from a legislative intern. He was convicted and is in prison. She was elected the following year by constituents in District 6, which includes voters from Latah, Lewis and Nez Perce counties. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Aug. 15 decision by the Latah County Republican Central Committee to chastise McCann on her voting record marked a censure by each of those three counties. The Latah County Republicans censure rebuked McCann for no votes on five bills: one that would have allowed parents to sue over harmful library materials; one that would have banned drag shows on public property; one that addressed who can send out absentee ballots; one prohibiting requirement of the COVID-19 vaccine; and one to allow property tax budgets to be reduced by referendum. Several other Republicans have faced similar reprimands, including Rep. Matt Bundy, of Mountain Home; Rep. Mark Sauter, of Sandpoint; and Rep. Julie Yamamoto, of Caldwell. Those representatives, along with McCann and 10 others, were also hit with a vote of no confidence from the state party during the State Central Committee meeting in Challis this summer for their votes against House Bill 314, the library bill for which McCann was censured. The no-confidence vote also applied to Republican Gov. Brad Little, who vetoed the bill. McCann told the Statesman she never heard directly from Idaho Republican Party Chair Dorothy Moon about the no-confidence vote or the county-level censures. Earlier this year, Boise State Public Radio reported that censures shouldnt come as much of a surprise after Moon told lawmakers at the start of session that party representatives would be at the Capitol to have a watchful eye on every Republican member. But this year marks the first time many longtime Idaho Republicans recall such intraparty reprimands. Bundy, an Air Force veteran and high school government teacher, told the Statesman that its the first time hes seen this trend play out in the party. Ive been in Idaho for 25 years, Bundy said. All these different (viewpoints) have been around, but it just seems were moving to more of a my way or the highway element in some parts of the party. Censures could play role in Republican primary Boise State University political science professor Charlie Hunt told the Statesman in an interview that censures like the Idaho Republican Partys are becoming more common across the country as the major political parties become more homogenous. Censuring is a tool that state and local parties can use to try and enforce some of this ideological conformity, Hunt said. From a practical standpoint, censures dont have much sway. Hunt said theyre often the best avenue that hyperlocal parties have to set an agenda for their voters. But they could have an impact in election season. For someone like McCann or these other Republicans that have been censured, these are the kinds of things that will come up in a primary, Hunt said. He noted that most of the censures revolved around hot-button political talking points from the far right: transgender student-athletes, library books, drag performances, vaccines. Hunt said those could be leveraged for visibility in a primary. Were in fairly new and unfamiliar territory, especially if were seeing censuring of a governor of your own party who won his elections pretty handily, Hunt added. I think it does speak to where these local parties are relative to the average voter even the average Republican voter. McCann told the Statesman she thinks the average Republican voter includes folks in the middle. She said the votes she was censured on represented the will of her constituents, and she heard feedback from them praising her choices. Latah County Republican Central Committee Chairman Dan Schoenberg told the Statesman in an interview that he heard different takes. Maybe the far right are disappointed and thats who (the committee is) hearing from, McCann said. The central committees check a box full of folks who represent that far-right faction of the party, but that is not the majority of the Republican Party in my district and across Idaho. Concerns over your vote in Legislature In spite of their disagreement over constituents, Schoenberg and McCann both said they think the censure process encouraged better communication. Schoenberg said his group was in communication with McCann ahead of votes throughout the session, and he hopes to do the same next year. Its incumbent on both of us right now to be more deliberate about those conversations, Schoenberg said. He said the goal of the censure wasnt to force McCann or other lawmakers to behave a certain way. (Were saying) heres information that we wanted to provide to you where we have concerns over your vote, and not we absolutely expect you to do X, Y or Z, Schoenberg said. Shes absolutely still our representative and we want to work with her. But the legislators dont see it that way. Bundy said central committees seem to be treating the Republican Party platform as an absolute with one interpretation, reprimanding anyone who diverges from that view. Its a dangerous trend where legislators are not allowed free thought or independent thinking, where we can vote based on our own constituencies and on our own conscience, he said. Bundy and McCann said they wont let the censures influence their future votes, but they worry the actions could have a chilling effect on other lawmakers. Both legislators said they worry about the future of Idahos GOP if this trend continues. Bundy told the Statesman the party is splitting itself. I dont want to, he said. I want to remain a unified party. McCann noted that she was asked to publicly recommit to the Republican Party in the Latah County censure. But she said she doesnt believe thats appropriate. I didnt leave the party, McCann said. The party may have left me when they started putting in these extreme policies. Im still a conservative Republican who believes in smaller government and the things Republicans have believed in for many, many years. More than 25,000 women take to New York City's Fifth Avenue on October 23, 1915, advocating for womens voting rights. On August 26, 1920, eight days after it was ratified, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect -- giving women the right to vote. File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI Aug. 26 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1920, eight days after it was ratified, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect -- giving women the right to vote. In 1964, Democrats nominated U.S. President Lyndon Johnson and Hubert Humphrey. They won easily in November. In 1974, Charles Lindbergh died at the age of 72. He died of complications of lymphoma near his home in Kipahulu on the island of Maui in Hawaii. File Photo by Library of Congress/UPI On August 26, 1964, Democrats nominated U.S. President Lyndon Johnson (L) and Hubert Humphrey. They won easily in November. UPI File Photo In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected the 263rd pope and chose the name John Paul I. He died 33 days later. In 1983, catastrophic flooding in France and Spain destroyed much of the old town of Bilbao, Spain, when the Ria de Bilbao burst its banks. Dozens died. A bust of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh sits at the St. Louis Science Center. The aviator died on August 26, 1974, at the age of 72. He died of complications of lymphoma near his home in Kipahulu on the island of Maui in Hawaii. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI In 1996, a court in South Korea sentenced former President Chun Doo-hwan to death for the coup that put him in power. Chun's death sentence was commuted in 1997. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2008, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed decrees recognizing the independence of Georgia breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Medvedev said granting them independence was an act of necessity and he urged other nations to make similar diplomatic moves. In 2014, Palestinian militants and Israel agreed to end seven weeks of hostilities that left more than 2,000 people dead. The cease-fire was arranged in Egypt. File Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI In 2015, a former employee of WDBJ-TV in Virginia opened fire on his former colleagues on live television, killing news reporter Alison Parker and videographer Adam Ward. Vicki Gardner, who was being interviewed at the time of the shooting, was injured. In 2021, a suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport killed more than 180 people, including 13 U.S. service members working to evacuate people as the United States withdrew from the Afghanistan War. Flowers and balloons can be seen on the the grave of Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee at Arlington National Cemetary's Section 60. Gee was one of 13 U.S. service members killed outside of Kabul's airport on August 26, 2021. File Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) - An antisemitic flyer distributed at a German secondary school more than three decades ago is at the centre of a dispute that threatens to engulf Hubert Aiwanger, deputy premier of Bavaria, ahead of a regional election in the state later this year. The flyer, whose existence was first reported by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung on Saturday, parodies a national history competition and makes mocking references to Nazi concentration camps and the Holocaust. Aiwanger, 52, denied authorship of the typewritten document, written in 1987 when he was 17, The newspaper said multiple witnesses had said he was summoned before a school disciplinary committee over the flyer, which was found in a school lavatory. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "These are serious allegations. This flyer is hateful and revolting," said Bavaria's conservative premier, Markus Soeder. "The charges have to be cleared up, and fully." Aiwanger heads the populist Free Voters party which governs Bavaria in coalition with Soeder's Christian Social Union (CSU). Soeder has previously said he wants to renew his alliance with the Free Voters after October's election. Late on Saturday, Aiwanger issued a statement saying he had not written the flyer, a copy or copies of which were merely found in his schoolbag, and that the person who had done so, whose name he knew, would come forward of his own accord. "Neither then nor now has it been my style to snitch on people," he wrote. The leaders of the Social Democrats and Greens in Bavaria, said Aiwanger must stand down if he was the author of the flyer. The election campaign in Bavaria, Germany's most prosperous large state, has been ill-tempered, with Aiwanger competing to sound tougher notes on immigration than Soeder, in one recent debate criticising the government for "throwing passports at those Syrians". Opinion polls show that Soeder's CSU currently has 39% support. If it lost the Free Voters, which polls show currently commands 12% support, the party could be forced to turn to the much more left-wing Social Democrats or Greens, both of whom sit in the federal coalition in Berlin, to form a government. Charges of antisemitism are particularly sensitive in Germany because of its role in the atrocities of the Holocaust. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Frances Kerry) TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday for much of Floridas Gulf Coast as a potentially powerful storm moves toward Florida that could arrive next week. DeSantis made the emergency declaration for 33 counties ahead of a storm, now known as Invest 93-L. The disturbance is expected to strengthen into a depression as it moves over the unseasonably warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico next week. I signed an Executive Order issuing a state of emergency out of an abundance of caution to ensure that the Florida Division of Emergency Management can begin staging resources and Floridians have plenty of time to prepare their families for a storm next week, DeSantis wrote in a statement. I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked. A forecast published Saturday afternoon by the National Hurricane Center in Miami shows the storm is expected to dump heavy rains along the Yucatan Peninsula and western Cuba before winds steer it toward Florida. The storm is expected to pick up strength as it moves over the Gulf of Mexico, where water temps along the coast have consistently exceeded 90 degrees throughout the summer. It is currently tracked to make landfall in Floridas Panhandle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The list of counties that DeSantis included in the declaration is along the Gulf Coast, from Lee County in the south to Gulf County in the Panhandle, just east of Panama City. Some of the counties were also recently impacted by Hurricane Ian, which made landfall in September of last year in Southwest Florida as a powerful Category 4 storm. Ian killed at least 149 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. DeSantis, who is running for president, was expected to be traveling outside the state next week. DeSantis office did not respond to a question emailed Saturday about changes to his official schedule due to the storm. DeSantis is expected to increase the activation level of the state Emergency Operations Center in the next day if the storm becomes a greater threat to the state. The EOC is overseen by DeSantis' office through its Division of Emergency Management. On Saturday, the emergency management agency directed residents to clean up debris around their homes, bring in outdoor furniture and move cars to a safe area. Donald Trump was wounded, and Ron DeSantis was building a juggernaut. When POLITICO launched its 2024 Republican presidential candidate tracker in March, the GOP was still smarting over a weaker-than-expected midterm election thanks to Trumps influence. DeSantis had emerged as Trumps top challenger and was marshaling his resources to launch a giant-killing campaign. But five months later a span that's seen four indictments, three DeSantis layoff sprees and one Trump-less debate its Trump unambiguously on top. And everyone else, DeSantis included, way behind. Thats why were reshuffling the candidates on the tracker. The biggest move: DeSantis drops down a tier, leaving Trump as the sole candidate in the Frontrunners category. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The first votes are still 4 1/2 months away the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses but the field of candidates has already been reordered. In addition to DeSantis demotion, both self-funding businessperson Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have emerged from the long shots grouping to vault into contenders status. Public polling is far from the only factor in these rankings. We also consider a candidates likely floors and ceilings: What kind of coalition are they hoping to build? On which early nominating states are they banking? Whats their fundraising situation do they have the cash to execute their plans? Heres a data-heavy breakdown of the three tiers of candidates, and how theyve changed over the past five months: The Frontrunners: Donald Trump When the tracker launched on March 20, Trump led DeSantis in RealClearPolitics national polling average by just under 16 percentage points. Today, Trumps lead is more than double that margin: 42 percentage points. Over that time, DeSantis share of support has been cut in half, from 29 percent on March 20, to 14 percent now. Polling in the early states is much sparser, but Trump has expanded his advantage there as well. He was ahead of DeSantis by 23 points in this weeks Des Moines Register/Mediacom/NBC News poll , compared with leads in the single-digits and teens in polls conducted in the early spring. (The large gap in first-choice support is despite roughly equal percentages of likely caucusgoers in the new poll saying they are actively considering each candidate.) Its a similar story in New Hampshire, where Ramaswamy and Christie are jockeying with DeSantis for second place in some public polls as Trump has a wide lead in the first-in-the-nation primary. And in South Carolina, a Fox Business poll last month showed the former president leading by 34 points over Nikki Haley, the states former governor and Trumps one-time ambassador to the United Nations. Polling isnt the only way to measure the increasing distance between Trump and DeSantis over the past five months. Since jumping into the race in May, DeSantis campaign has been forced to scale back its ambitious plans because of slower-than-expected fundraising, almost immediately laying off staffers whod just started and farming out some campaign activities to the chief super PAC supporting his candidacy, Never Back Down. The Contenders: Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence , Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott The six candidates who make up our next tier dont all have equal chances at the nomination. DeSantis is clearly the leading candidate of the contenders group, though Ramaswamy, Haley and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) are also mounting credible campaigns. Each is claiming momentum coming out of Wednesday nights debate: DeSantis campaign says it raised around $1 million the day after. Ramaswamy dominated much of the action on the stage. Polls, focus groups and search traffic suggested renewed interest in Haleys candidacy. Scotts campaign says he effectively introduced himself and his positive message to millions of new voters. For Christie and former Vice President Mike Pence, polling shows theyre real factors in the race, though their higher negative ratings among a chunk of the GOP primary electorate namely Trump supporters and voters who say theyre very conservative make assembling a winning coalition less likely. The re-rankings represent promotions for Ramaswamy and Christie, who started the race in the long shots category. Each has clearly elevated their campaigns since then: Ramaswamy is now third in most national and state polls, and Christie has jumped to third place in New Hampshire and is relishing his role as the fields loudest Trump antagonist. Were still waiting on the tranche of post-debate polling to show if and how things changed for the participants, but the six candidates in this tier almost always range from second to seventh place in the polls, both nationally and in the early states. Nationally, they range from DeSantis at 13.8 percent to Christie at 2.9 percent. These six, along with Trump, are the only candidates whove qualified for the second debate next month. Given the increase in the polling threshold candidates will need to earn 3 percent in at least one national poll its possible that theyre the only ones who make it, though the deadline is still a month away. The long shots: Ryan Binkley, Doug Burgum, Larry Elder, Asa Hutchinson, Will Hurd, Perry Johnson, Francis Suarez North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson were the only two candidates remaining in this tier to appear at Wednesday nights debate. But both arent on track to make the next one, barring a significant bump in support, with national polling averages of 0.6 percent and 0.7 percent, respectively. Thats despite Burgums stronger standing in the early states. In the latest RealClearPolitics averages, Burgum is at 2.4 percent in Iowa and 4.5 percent in New Hampshire . But he still needs to earn 3 percent in at least one national poll before the Sept. 25 deadline to be at the next debate. Thats a taller task than it sounds: Burgum has never been above 1 percent in any of the national polls in RealClearPolitics database, let alone one that meets the Republican National Committees criteria for inclusion. The rest of the long shots havent broken out at all and didnt even make the stage this week. Businessperson Perry Johnson, conservative media personality Larry Elder and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez all protested their exclusion by the RNC. It didn't work for the first debate, and it seems unlikely to work for the second. Republican presidential candidates, from left, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson , former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence , Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , businessman Vivek Ramaswamy , former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley , Sen. Tim Scott , R-S.C., and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum stand on stage before a Republican presidential primary debate hosted by Fox News Channel Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. | Morry Gash, Associated Press Typically, days following a big primary debate, like the one in Milwaukee earlier this week, political pundits offer their analysis on each of the participants eight in this case but this time was different. The focus shifted away from other 2024 Republican hopefuls as former President Donald Trump , who skipped the debate and instead participated in an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, spent 20 minutes at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis charged him and 18 others with 41 counts, including racketeering charges, in connection with efforts to overturn Georgias 2020 election results, as the Deseret News reported. As for his mugshot, it instantly became viral, leading Trump to start selling merchandise featuring the picture. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related The wall-to-wall news coverage of Trumps arrest served as yet another example of the former presidents unique ability to suck up all available media oxygen, making it nearly impossible for his opponents message to break through to voters, as Joan E. Greve wrote for The Guardian, Greve added that Trumps day at the county jail could erase any advantage the other candidates gained. But, contrary to what Greve said, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the only GOP candidate polling in double digits, closed the wide gap slightly between him and Trump in a post-debate poll. A new Public Opinion Strategies survey, first published by Fox News, found that among 400 Iowa likely GOP caucus attendees, support for DeSantis rose from 14% up to 21% after the debate. Meanwhile, Trumps numbers dipped from 42% to 41%. Related Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley also saw a bump going up from 3% to 11% after the debate. Support for businessman Vivek Ramaswamy dropped from 10% to 7%, and the same goes for South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who slid from 8% to 7%. Meanwhile, former Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson continued to poll 3% or lower. Still, its clear that Trump maintains status as the front-runner. At Wednesdays Republican candidates debate, during a discussion of late-term abortion, Gov. Ron DeSantis told a horrific but puzzling story. I know a lady in Florida named Penny, the GOP presidential candidate said. She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to another hospital. Critics of the governor flocked to social media to suggest the Penny story was made up or wildly embellished. Supporters countered that liberals were triggered by an ugly truth. Penny is real and her last name is Hopper. But DeSantis failed to note key details from her remarkable story: The person who tried to end Pennys life in the womb was not a doctor or even an illegal abortion provider it was her father. And his effort to abort his daughter with a coat hanger took place almost two decades before the Supreme Courts seismic Roe v. Wade decision, which established a womans right to an abortion. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While DeSantis version of Pennys story honors life and a woman who survived a traumatic beginning, it also reflects the perils of a world where abortion is all but outlawed and women can be forced into dangerous, desperate alternatives. This article is based on previous recorded statements made by Hopper, newspaper clippings, public records and an interview with a family member who after speaking to a journalist at length asked not to be identified. She confirmed that Hoppers version of events has been told in family circles for years. Penny Hopper declined to be interviewed and did not respond to written questions submitted by the Miami Herald. The DeSantis campaign did not respond to a request for comment. A small farming town Miriam Penny Hoppers story begins in 1955, in a hospital in Wauchula, a small farming town in Central Florida. News reports at the time described her as a miracle baby, born weighing 1 pound, 11 ounces. She was so tiny that the nurses initially had to feed her with a dropper. Her now-deceased father, Charles Wesley Browder Sr., was a U.S. Army sergeant during World War II who served on the front lines in Europe when he was just 20. His family said he was a scout who performed advance reconnaissance missions before being wounded, captured and tortured by the Germans. Military records show he was discharged with honors in 1945 and was awarded four Bronze Stars in addition to a Purple Heart, a Good-Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. READ MORE: From backbench congressman to debate limelight: The rise of Ron DeSantis, soundbite by soundbite A native of South Carolina and son of a Baptist minister, Browder moved to Central Florida after the war. Public records show he married Glenda Marie Pierce, the second-eldest daughter in a family of ranchers and citrus farmers who moved to Florida from North Carolina and settled in Wauchula, about 75 miles southeast of Tampa. Wauchula was then known as the Cucumber Capital of the World, and each year a high school girl would be crowned Miss Cucumber Queen. A contemporaneous news article on the survival of Miriam Penny Hopper. In 1953, birth records show, Hoppers parents had a son, Charles Browder Jr., who was born at Walker Memorial Hospital in nearby Avon Park. At the time of the 1950 census, Glenda worked as a receptionist in a doctors office, and Charles was a salesman. Hoppers mother soon became pregnant with her second child, also a boy. In a video posted on YouTube several years ago by a group called Florida Right to Life, Hopper said that she learned later that her father had used the coat hanger to abort her mothers second child. It is one of at least two videos on the Internet relating her story, although the videos differ on some details. A second story about Pennys survival after a lengthy stay at the Lakeland hospital. When her mother became pregnant a third time with her, Penny Browder said her father returned to the same method in an attempt to end the pregnancy, later explaining to his daughter that he was earning only $125 a week, which he felt wasnt enough to support a larger family. Browders mother developed complications during the coat-hanger procedure. The couple rushed to a nearby medical facility in the middle of the night, with her mother very ill and bleeding. In the video interviews, Hopper said her parents were met at the clinic by a doctor in his pajamas. He examined her mother and concluded that the fetus had no heartbeat. He advised the couple to abort the baby, telling them the child would likely be stillborn. If it lives, it will be a burden on you your whole life, the doctor allegedly said. He used saline and injected her mother with a drug, then left, instructing the nurse to discard the baby dead or alive, Hopper said in a video interview, a segment that was to be incorporated into a TV commercial by the anti-abortion group Faces of Choice. It can be found on YouTube. When the baby arrived shortly after 3 a.m., the nurse wrapped her in a towel and placed her in a pan, Penny Hopper said one video. In the other, Hopper said her mother told her the baby was placed in a basket. The following day, Glendas mother and aunt came to check on her at the clinic, where she was recuperating. They found the baby outside on a back porch, unwrapped her, and discovered she was alive, Hopper said. My grandmother was so upset she called the local police, she said. A news clipping incorporated into a video segment said the baby was transported from the medical facility in Wauchula to what was then Morrell Regional Hospital in Lakeland. The news clipping, which isnt labeled, seems to partially contradict Hoppers story, as it states that the doctors at the Wauchula facility put forth greater efforts to keep the 1 pound, 11 ounce baby alive. The story said the child was on the brink of death when she was transported to Lakeland, with a police escort that crashed on the way to the hospital. An article about the crash of the escort bringing Penny to Lakeland. The Tampa Tribune from Nov. 29, 1955, reported on the crash, saying the baby had been born premature that morning. The infant was placed in an incubator, where she remained for four months. Hopper, however, said that while she was in the hospital her father tried to disconnect her from the incubator because he was upset at how much the care was costing. The hospital summoned the police to restrain him, Hopper said in one of the interviews. He basically couldnt stand the thought I was alive, Hopper said. In March 1956, she was finally strong enough to go home with her parents. By that time, her hair had filled in and was a coppery red. The nurses were calling her Penny the nickname that has stuck with her throughout her life. Pro-choice groups say that Hoppers story presents an even stronger case not to outlaw legal and safe abortions. Banning abortion doesnt stop people from needing or seeking abortions, said Marc Hearron, senior counsel for the Center for Reproductive Rights. It just leads to abortions outside the formal healthcare system. This story bears no resemblance to todays reality. Dr. Washington Hill, an OB-GYN, specialist in maternal fetal medicine who supports legal abortion, said that because the doctor didnt detect a heartbeat, it seems likely that he believed he was inducing labor to expel a stillborn infant. The doctor, for one reason or another, thought the baby was stillborn. Technically it was induced labor not an induced abortion. She doesnt want to be used as a political pawn It could not be determined whether Hopper had been contacted by the DeSantis campaign, whether the campaign vetted her story or if she knew it would be told to a national television audience. She doesnt want to be used as a political pawn, said the family member, explaining that Hopper prefers to work quietly behind the scenes to help those she sees as victims of botched abortions. In one of her video interviews, Hopper said that before his death her father told her how much he regretted what he had tried to do. Before he passed away, he looked at me and said Honey I dont know what Id done without you, Hopper recalls in the interview. No matter what circumstances my parents were facing surrounding my mothers pregnancy, I ended up having great parents, I ended up having a great life. Miami Herald investigative reporter Sarah Blaskey and the Wauchula Herald-Advocate contributed. Never Back Down is looking to reverse DeSantis' presidential campaign slump with a sizable ad buy. The $25 million blitz will be focused on the early-nominating states of Iowa and New Hampshire. DeSantis has promoted his conservative record on the trail, but Trump continues to dominate the GOP race. Never Back Down the super PAC aligned with Ron DeSantis is preparing to purchase at least $25 million in television advertising in Iowa and New Hampshire in September and October as the group looks to reverse earlier stumbles in the Florida governor's bid for the White House, according to The Washington Post. While DeSantis entered the race in May as the candidate most likely to dethrone former President Donald Trump from the top of the GOP pecking order, that has so far not been the case, as the ex-president continues to dominate in national and statewide polling even with four indictments looming in the background. And in some polls, DeSantis is pulling just as much support from GOP voters as first-time candidate and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Top officials for Never Back Down, who were encouraged by DeSantis' debate performance on Wednesday, outlined their strategy at a lunch shortly before the debate, according to The Post. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The initial $13 million in spending is set to be reserved this week, while additional purchases will be made for ads in New Hampshire at a later time, per the newspaper. Kristin Davison, the chief operating officer of Never Back Down, told The Post in a statement that the television ad buy could exceed the $25 million mark as the group continues to examine voter opinion from earlier ad buys. "After preseason dominance and a complete debate victory by Gov. DeSantis, we are now running aggressively into the political season while others are playing catch-up," Davison said. Backers of DeSantis are hoping that the Florida governor's debate performance will reinvigorate his campaign, as he has struggled to slow down Trump's march toward a potential third GOP presidential nomination. Such a development would also be welcome news amid headlines about layoffs and campaign shakeups in the DeSantis campaign. Last month, Trump mocked DeSantis' political standing at the Turning Point Action Conference in south Florida and suggested that the governor's candidacy was preventing the GOP from coalescing around his campaign in their efforts to defeat President Joe Biden next year. "We are totally dominating DeSanctus right here in the state of Florida," Trump said at the time, mispronouncing the governor's last name. "DeSanctimonious and his establishment handlers are wasting such precious time and resources to divide our party. They're dividing the party, although he's dropping so quickly he's probably not going to be in second place much longer." In the FiveThirtyEight average of national Republican presidential polls, Trump sits at 52%, well ahead of DeSantis (averaging 14.7% support) and Ramaswamy (averaging 9.9% support). Read the original article on Business Insider Flash China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposes the United States' arms sale to China's Taiwan region, a defense ministry spokesperson said on Friday. Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks in response to a media query on the U.S. Department of State's approval of selling infrared search and track systems for F-16 fighter jets worth around 500 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan. The arms sale has grossly interfered in China's internal affairs and severely violated the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, especially the August 17 Communique, the spokesperson said. The move has posed a threat to the well-being and safety of Taiwan compatriots and the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Zhang said, noting that China has lodged solemn representations with the United States. The Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations, Zhang said. China urges the United States to honor its commitment to not supporting "Taiwan independence," immediately cease providing Taiwan with arms, and cease elevating military contact with Taiwan, Zhang said. He said that any attempt to use Taiwan to contain China is doomed to fail, and seeking "Taiwan independence" by military means will lead nowhere. The Chinese People's Liberation Army will always remain on high alert to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity and firmly maintain peace and stability across the Strait, Zhang said. Despite the threat of flooding, a 266-home planned development in Bolivia was approved in August. A flood-prone property in Bolivia will soon see hundreds of homes. At its August meeting, the Brunswick County Planning Board approved an application for a 266-home planned development dubbed Danford Tract despite concerns from residents and planning staff regarding the flood zones present on the 121-acre site. Wilmington-based design firm H & W Design is the applicant on the project. The firm specializes in land planning, landscape architecture and site design, according to its website. Read this: This small Brunswick County town is getting a Dollar General. Here's what you need to know ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The development is to consist of 76 single-family homes and 190 townhome lots, creating an overall density of 2.19 units per acre. Dan Weeks with H & W Design said the construction of the development is set to occur in phases, with the single-family homes to be constructed first and the townhomes to come in a second phase. More than 40 acres of the land is identified as wetlands, the site plan indicates. While the entire property is 121 acres, the single-family homes will sit on just 13.3 acres of the property and the townhomes will sit on 14.2 acres. None of the proposed homes are set to be erected within the flood zone- or wetlands area, plans indicate. The development will be accessible by two entrances off of Danford Road. Of some concern to residents, staff and the board was the fact that one entrance is located in a flood hazard area. There is a significant flood zone on the property, said Marc Pages, principal planner for the county. But the entire development area, with the exception of the second access, everything else will be outside that flood zone. Pages added that the developments main driveway is located outside the flood zone, and the one located in the flood zone is a secondary entrance. Weeks said flooding is a concern with many developments. Pages said neither fire officials nor the flood plain administrator had objection to the development based on the location of the secondary entrance. 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. This embedded content is not available in your region. The required open space for the property is just over 24 acres, and the developer is proposing 48.2 acres of open space. Over 3.5 acres of recreation space is required where the developer has proposed 4.5 acres of recreation space. The property is zoned for medium-density residential use in the county. Danford Road intersects with Old Ocean Highway near Bolivia Elementary School and the Bolivia Fire Department. The planned development is anticipated to garner an additional 1,830 vehicle trips in a given 24-hour weekday. Water and sewer services will be provided by the county, and the roads within the development will be private. The planning board unanimously approved the development at the recommendation of county planning staff. 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: Danford Tract housing in Brunswick approved A mugshot of Donald Trump taken at the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on August 24, 2023. Fulton County Sheriff's Office Donald Trump's campaign shared a new fundraising plea urging his supporters to donate. It posted his mugshot and a note on its website following his arrest in Atlanta, Georgia. The post claims that his arrest was a "travesty of justice and election interference." Donald Trump's campaign posted a new fundraising plea on its website following his surrender to authorities in Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday. Trump's campaign uploaded an image of his mugshot alongside a call for donations. "At the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME," it reads. "The American people know what's going on. What has taken place is a travesty of justice and ELECTION INTERFERENCE." It also claims that people who hold left-wing political views want to "intimidate" his followers out of voting for him. "But I walked into the lion's den with one simple message on behalf of our entire movement: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA," it continues. The note ends with a plea for his supporters to donate to his 2024 presidential campaign and help oust what it calls the "crooked Joe Biden." Trump was arrested after a Georgia grand jury indicted the former president for his efforts to overturn the state's results in the 2020 presidential election. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump was first indicted in March in New York on charges relating to a hush-money payment to adult-film star Stormy Daniels. He also faced charges over his handling of classified documents, with prosecutors alleging that he broke federal law when he took the documents with him from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. Trump pled not guilty to 37 counts in the case. Trump's previous indictments have led to significant boosts in his fundraising, particularly in the aftermath of the hush-money case, NBC News reported. Trump's campaign said he had raised $7.1 million since he surrendered at the Atlanta jail, Politico reported. It added that Trump raised $4.18 million on Friday alone which would be the most he's raised in one day during this campaign. Read the original article on Insider BRAINTREE Daves Hot Chicken is blazing a trail to Braintree. The California-based restaurant chain has received approval from the Braintree Planning Board to open its sixth Massachusetts location at 30 Forbes Road, across the street from South Shore Plaza. The company expects to have the new place up and running this fall and will join Legal Sea Foods and QDOBA Mexican Eats at the site. Other Dave's locations in the state include Boston, Chelmsford, Newton and Woburn. A location in Framingham opened the end of last month. The restaurant has more than 120 locations across the country, with the heaviest state concentrations in California (47) and Texas (18). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In addition to Braintree, the company plans to open more than half a dozen new locations throughout the country. Chicken tenders, sliders and cheesy fries at Dave's Hot Chicken. More: What restaurant is moving into the location of Braintree's Lychee Bistro? The business also has international locations in Dubai, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with four locations in Toronto. The restaurant was founded by chef and company namesake Dave Kopushyan and his friends Arman Oganesyan and Tommy and Gary Rubenyan in 2017. As the companys website tells it, the four friends scrounged up $900 to put a tiny stand in an East Hollywood parking lot selling the tenders and sliders that remain the cornerstone of its menu. Word of mouth and a glowing review in an area food magazine pushed the nascent venture into prominence with its signature blend of flavors that the companys website said can range from the mild to The Reaper at its hottest. Dave's Hot Chicken has opened over 100 locations throughout the country and beyond since its founding in California six years ago. For a taste of Daves Hot Chickens menu, visit daveshotchicken.com. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Dave's Hot Chicken plans new restaurant in Braintree (Bloomberg) -- Former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries savaged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in an excoriating resignation letter, as she finally quit her parliamentary seat weeks after first saying she would do so. Most Read from Bloomberg Dorries, an ally of ex-premier Boris Johnson who blames Sunak for his ouster last year, lashed out at the prime minister in a letter published online by the Daily Mail late Saturday, saying he had no mandate to lead the country and no plan to run it. She also said Sunak lacks the winning X-factor qualities of Johnson, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair a line that preys on Conservative Party fears ahead of a general election expected in 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Since you took office a year ago, the country is run by a zombie Parliament where nothing meaningful has happened, Dorries wrote. Your actions have left some 200 or more of my MP colleagues to face an electoral tsunami and the loss of their livelihoods, because in your impatience to become prime minister you put your personal ambition above the stability of the country and our economy. Sunaks office declined to comment. While Dorriess antipathy toward Sunak was well known, her tone will do little to help the prime minister as he seeks to restore Tory fortunes and catch Keir Starmers opposition Labour Party, who lead by about 20 points in recent polls. Her letter is also a stark reminder that the governing Conservatives are far from united, and while Johnsons power has significantly waned, there are factions who have no qualms about making trouble for the administration. On the flip side, Dorriess departure will likely come as a relief. She had said as far back as June that she was resigning with immediate effect an announcement that came after it emerged shed be denied a peerage recommended by Johnson, a decision she also blamed on Sunak. But whereas Johnson and another ally Nigel Adams quit Parliament at the same time, Dorries stayed on. Her ongoing status as an MP riled even Conservatives who feared she had come to represent a broader dysfunction. Councils in her district complained she was not representing her constituents, and the press pointed out she hadnt spoken in the House of Commons for months. Public Frenzy At the moment people arent being properly represented in Mid Bedfordshire, Sunak said Aug. 2 in response to a question from a listener in a radio call-in. Dorries hit out at that intervention in her letter, accusing him of demeaning his office by opening the gates to whip up a public frenzy against one of his own MPs. She said she would submit her official resignation to Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt on Saturday, triggering the process to replace her when Parliament returns from its summer recess on Sept. 4. It will leave Sunak facing a tricky special election thats likely to take place close to the time of the Conservative Partys annual conference in October. While Dorries had a margin of over 24,000 in her district, the Liberal Democrats have overturned several huge Tory majorities in recent by-elections and have been preparing the ground. Meanwhile Labour were second there in 2019, and recently overturned Adamss sizable majority to take his constituency. It wasnt just Sunak that Dorries took aim at. The former minister who represented her seat since 2005 wrote in conspiratorial tones about the ouster of Johnson and Liz Truss last year, as well as their predecessors Theresa May and David Cameron. She said it was the result of the machinations of a small group of individuals embedded deep at the center of the party and Downing Street, and that she was working on a book which exposes how the democratic process at the heart of our party has been corrupted. No Vision But her most damaging remarks concerned Sunaks policy agenda. She criticized him for raising the UK tax burden to the highest level since World War II, for failing to cut immigration and for abandoning Johnsons leveling up agenda that aimed to equalize opportunities across the country. What exactly is it you do stand for? Dorries wrote. Bewildered, we look in vain for the grand political vision for the people of this great country to hold on to, that would make all this disruption and subsequent inertia worthwhile, and we find absolutely nothing. She also lashed out at Sunaks displays of wealth as she accused him of failing to deliver the regulatory reforms sought by technology companies to enable them to list on the London Stock Exchange rather than in New York. You flashed your gleaming smile in your Prada shoes and Savile Row suit from behind a camera, but you just werent listening, she wrote. All they received in return were platitudes and a speech illustrating how wonderful life was in California. London is now losing its appeal as more UK-based companies seek better listing opportunities in the US. That, Prime Minister, is entirely down to you. In her wide-ranging missive, she accused Sunak of failing to deliver the benefits of Brexit and abandoning plans to reform social care. You simply do not care about the environment or the natural world, she also wrote. But her lines on how Sunak came to power will be especially sensitive for the prime minister, given its also a view shared by opposition parties. After Trusss disastrous seven-week tenure, Sunaks entered 10 Downing Street without even grassroots members of the governing Tory party having a say. You hold the office of prime minister unelected, without a single vote, not even from your own MPs, Dorries said. You have no mandate from the people and the government is adrift. You have squandered the goodwill of the nation. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Much of the Florida Gulf Coast is under a state of emergency Saturday as forecasters track a weather system that could turn into a tropical cyclone and may impact the state in coming days. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state of emergency for 33 counties and said the storm system could hit the area next week. The National Hurricane Center said there's a 90% chance the system will become a cyclone in the next 48 hours. "I encourage Floridians to have a plan in place and ensure that their hurricane supply kit is stocked." DeSantis said in a statement Saturday. Storm could hit Florida early next week The emergency declaration covers the Gulf Coast from the southwestern city of Fort Myers north through Panama City in the Panhandle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement DeSantis' office said the weather system could make landfall as a tropical storm or hurricane along Florida's Gulf Coast early or mid-next week, "with the potential for heavy rainfall, strong winds, and for isolated tornadic activity." Storm system to bring heavy rains to parts of Cuba As of Saturday afternoon, the storm was becoming "better organized" and was located near the Yucatan Channel and is "expected to move very slowly northward into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico during the next couple of days," the Hurricane Center said. Heavy rains are likely in western Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Next named storm will be Idalia Unless another tropical storm forms in the next few days, the system could be named Idalia (pronounced "ee-DAL-ya") the next name up for grabs in the 2023 Atlantic hurricane system if it strengthens. Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY; The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHC tracks storm: Many Florida counties under state of emergency "Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including the Wilmington Morning News and the Evening Journal. Aug. 29, 1963, Wilmington Morning News 200,000 jam March for Freedom; Dr. Kings speech highlights rally WASHINGTON More than 200,000 Negroes and white friends yesterday staged a giant, orderly march for jobs and freedom a demonstration they hoped would lead to a breakthrough on all civil rights. In balmy 84-degree weather and a friendly breeze, the hosts walked from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial, enshrining the marble statue of the man who freed the slaves 100 years ago. Front page of the Wilmington Morning News from Aug. 29, 1963. Softly, as they went, they chanted the familiar civil rights hymn: Deep in my heart, I do believesome day we shall overcome. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement And a forest of placards moved with them. Some placards struck a religious note: God of wisdom, God of power, can America deny freedom in this hour? Others were more down-to-earth and slangy: No U.S. dough to help Jim Crow! The estimate of more than 200,000 participants came from the Washington chief of police, Robert V. Murray. He made the assessment in mid-afternoon and added: Up to now its been a very orderly crowd, a very orderly gathering. ..At the memorial, they heard many speeches, many songs and spirituals. They heard speakers demand passage of President Kennedys civil rights bill and much more. Of all the speechesthe one that drew the strongest applause was made by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, who said: I still have a dream, a dream deeply rooted in the American dream one day this nation will rise up and live up to its creed, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day in Alabama little black boys and little black girls will be able to go hand in hand together with little white boys and little white girls as brothers and sisters. This is the faith that I will take down to the South that out of this mountain of despair, I can find a soul of brotherhood. Aug. 30, 2005, The News Journal Hurricane Katrina: Devastating hit Announcing itself with shrieking, 145-mph winds, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast just outside New Orleans on Monday, submerging entire neighborhoods up to their roofs, swamping Mississipis beachfront casinos and killing at least 55 people. Jim Pollard, spokesman for the Harrison County, Miss. Emergency operations center, said 50 people were killed in his county, with the bulk of the deaths at an apartment complex in Biloxi. Three other people were killed by falling trees in Mississippi and two died in a traffic accident in Alabama, authorities said. Front page of The News Journal from Aug. 30, 2005. For New Orleans a dangerously vulnerable city because it sits mostly below sea level in a bowl-shaped depression it was not the apocalyptic storm forecasters had feared. But it was plenty bad, in New Orleans and elsewhere along the coast, where scores of people had to be rescued from rooftops and attics as the floodwaters rose around them. An untold number of other people were feared dead in flooded neighborhoods, many of which could not be reached by rescuers because of high water. More on preparing for emergencies: Here's how to keep safe and tips in case of a flood, tornado or heat wave hits Delaware Aug. 31, 1967, The Morning News Thurgood Marshall gets nod in Senate for Supreme Court WASHINGTON Thurgood Marshall, the first Negro nominated to the Supreme Court, won solid Senate confirmation yesterday, 77 days after President Johnson named him to the high tribunal. The vote was 69 to 11 with all of the opponents being from the Deep South except Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W. Va. All 11 are Democrats except Republican Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. Front page of The Morning News from Aug. 31, 1967. After the vote, Marshall declared, I am greatly honored. Let me take this opportunity, his statement said, to affirm my deep faith in this nation and its people, and to pledge that I shall be ever mindful of my obligation to the Constitution and to the goal of equal justice under law. The senators who opposed Marshall said they did so because he is an ultra liberal and a judicial activist in his constitutional philosophy. But supporters said they are confident Marshall will make a great justice on the basis of his record as U.S. solicitor general, his current job, and a U.S. circuit judge before that. After the vote, Senate Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield of Montana said, This is a shining hour for Mr. Marshall, President Johnson, the Senate and the United States of America. Catch up on history: D-Day, RFK assassination, city elects Republicans: News Journal archives, week of June 4 Sept. 1, 1997, The News Journal Death of a princess: World mourns loss of Diana LONDON Prince Charles brought Princess Diana home for the last time Sunday [Aug. 31], escorting the body of his English rose back to the land where their storybook romance ended in sorrow and scandal, a nation now plunged into grief and outrage over a stunning final tragedy. Front page of The News Journal from Sept. 1, 1997. A jet carrying the somber prince and the coffin bearing his ex-wifes remains landed outside London 16 hours after Diana died from injuries suffered when her automobile, chased by photographers, crashed in a Paris traffic tunnel. Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: MLK dream speech, Hurricane Katrina: News Journal archives, Aug. 27 Drive sober or get pulled over, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says. And we all know its illegal to drink alcohol while youre driving, or to drive after youve been drinking. But what if youre not the one driving? Can you drink alcohol as a passenger in a traveling vehicle? We reached out to the Sacramento Police Department to help answer this question, who sent us information about Californias open container laws. Heres what the law says you can and cant do regarding traveling with open containers, and what can happen if you do: Can passengers drink in vehicles in California? A California vehicle code says a person cannot have an unsealed or open container of alcohol while driving a motor vehicle, Sacramento police said. This means the open container cannot be in the cabin of the vehicle at all, whether it belongs to the driver or any of the passengers. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It is also illegal to have an empty container of alcohol in a vehicle, according to Los Angeles-based law group Eisner Gorin LLP. Exceptions to the law Drivers and passengers can store open containers of alcohol in a vehicles trunk or locked compartment, but not the glove box or other reachable areas, according to previous reporting from The Sacramento Bee. Passengers of limos, taxis and other for-hire vehicles can carry open containers and drink alcohol in said vehicles, according to attorneys. Penalties for breaking open container laws Fines associated with carrying open containers in a vehicle illegally can add up to $363 with fees, including court fees and state and county fees, according to police. You can also get points on your driving record. For drivers or passengers under 21, penalties for having alcohol in a vehicle is a misdemeanor, according to attorneys. The fine can be up to $1,000 without fees, and there is also mandatory community service and a drivers license suspension for up to a year. 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 appearance of new drones in Ukraine particularly marine drones has piqued the interest of Mykhailo Fedorov , Ukraines Digital Transformation Minister, in an interview with Radio NV on Aug. 26. Marine drones have worked quite effectively, the minister told NV. This market is actively developing and will continue to develop, he noted. New companies are appearing that produce similar products. We continue to invest in this area, we continue to support it, and we have ambitious goals for what will happen next. I cant share a lot of details, but I want to say that this type maritime drones has opened up for everyone, Federal added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are growth in other directions and we will work with you. Perhaps, in some time, another type of drone will unexpectedly appear, and it will also pleasantly surprise Ukrainians and protect our country. Read also: SBU chief Malyuk on how Crimean Bridge was attacked twice While Russia destroys up to 70% of Ukrainian naval kamikaze drones used in assaults, they have still proven to be an effective weapon, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Aug. 24. Naval drones are a deterrence weapon, not offensive, he added, stating that they can be used to paralyze Russias fleet. Ukraine has already mastered normal serial production of the maritime drones, Budanov said. According to an NV source in law enforcement, Ukrainian-made naval drones were used in an attack on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea on the night of July 17, halting all traffic on the bridge. Russia admitted that the damage caused would not be repaired at least until the end of 2023. CNN published a video on Aug. 16 that captured the momentthe bridge was struck by a naval drone, identified as a Sea Baby. This drone is the result of months of development that began immediately after Russias full-scale invasion began in Feb. 2022, confirmed SBU head Vasyl Malyuk. 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 nation got an insight Wednesday night into what Floridians already suspected that Gov. Ron DeSantis ousted two Democratic prosecutors, turned schools into culture-war battlegrounds and purposefully underplayed the states response to COVID to create bragging rights for his own political ambitions. That is a logical inference from his frequent boasts during the first Republican presidential debate. But the debate was light on what voters need most to hear: Why Donald Trump should not be president again. Too many Americans believe hes still the best choice, even after he tried to steal a legitimate election from millions of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike culminating in a violent mob attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trumps dominant absence Of the eight candidates on stage, only two Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson had the fortitude to declare Trump unfit. Somebody has got to stop normalizing this conduct, said Christie, the former New Jersey governor who had been a federal prosecutor. Whether you believe the criminal charges are right or wrong, the conduct is beneath the office of the president of the United States. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Amen to that. Hutchinson, another former governor and prosecutor, properly cited Trumps potential disqualification under the 14th Amendment, the post-Civil War enactment that bars federal and state offices to anyone who had engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution after taking an oath to support it. Over a year ago, said Hutchinson, I said that Donald Trump was morally disqualified from being president again as a result of what happened on January 6. More people are understanding the importance of that, including conservative legal scholars. The six other candidates raised their hands to show they would support Trump as the Republican nominee even if he is convicted of any of the 91 felony charges awaiting him in four different courts. That was shameful. That included Vice President Mike Pence, whose life Trump put in danger after his refusal to discard electoral votes for Biden. Pence ably defended his refusal to support Trump at the expense of the Constitution hed sworn to uphold. But he did not try to rationalize why he would spare Trump the consequences of his actions. None of the panelists suggested any other conclusive reason they should replace Trump as the presumptive nominee, although Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, scored strong points over his contribution to the national debt. She was also the only one to point out the logistical and humane barriers to a national law restricting abortions. Florida fined an Orlando abortion clinic $193K. Its volunteers are crowdfunding the bill The reluctance of most of the panel to criticize Trump made the former president the effective winner of the debate that he so ostentatiously and arrogantly refused to participate in. His no-show status was a put-down of his rivals, and an insult to the cultish voters he takes for granted. DeSantis: In Florida, I . DeSantis stood at center stage, but he didnt stand tall. Trumps leading but distant challenger got off easy, using rehearsed, sanitized talking points about his Florida record to evade commitments on the nations most controversial subjects. He refused, for example, to say whether he would sign a national ban on post-six-week abortions like the one he had enacted in Florida. But by going out of their way to pay DeSantis no attention, the other rivals passed up repeated opportunities to challenge his misrule of Florida. Instead, Fox News moderators favored him with softball questions, and nobody pierced the governors bloviation and redirection on key foreign-policy questions. The worst admissions came from DeSantis himself, when he boasted of having removed the two state attorneys, Andrew Warren and Monique Worrell, whom he accused falsely of refusing to enforce laws and blew his familiar anti-Semitic dog-whistle citation of their support from the Jewish philanthropist George Soros. The DeSantis on stage was not the crony-promoting, constitution-shredding, drag-queen-obsessed DeSantis Floridians know. Not by a long shot. Republicans deserve better The debate failed the public in another major respect. Not one of the eight raised a hand when asked whether they agreed on human-caused climate change, the most critical issue facing the planet. DeSantis could have led on this at one point, he was lauded as one of the few Republicans willing to tackle this urgent challenge. Instead, he left it to Haley, who verbally acknowledged that climate change is real, saying that we need to start telling China and India that they have to lower their emissions. Meanwhile, Vivek Ramaswamy, the 37-year-old entrepreneur who was by far the most disruptive element on stage Wednesday, called climate change a hoax. Thats just one example underscoring the impression that Ramaswamy is all platitude and no depth, utterly unprepared for the presidency and spouting from the playbook of the Heritage Foundation, which is heavily financed by the fossil fuel industry. His antics demonstrated yet again why debates of such national importance should not be held in front of live audiences that dont heed ground rules. The cheers, shouting and occasional catcalls often drowned out voices the national audience needed to hear. The moderators tried to keep the candidates focused on issues and to enforce their time limits, but the disadvantages were obvious. The most important takeaway is that none of the eight candidates made their case for taking the spotlight away from Donald Trump even in Trumps absence. Thats a sad disservice to those GOP voters who tuned in Wednesday night, hoping a clear alternative would emerge from Trumps long and sooty shadow. Republicans deserved better, and future debates should deliver. ____ The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Steve Bousquet, Deputy Editorial Page Editor Dan Sweeney, editorial writer Martin Dyckman and Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com. Flash People gather to protest the Japanese government's irresponsible decision to start releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater in front of the Japanese prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, Aug. 22, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua] A Chinese envoy to the United Nations urged on Friday Japan to stop releasing nuclear-contaminated water into ocean and called the action "selfish and irresponsible". Japan's actions are "in disregard of the global public interest" and "transfer the risk of nuclear pollution to the entire world, including Pacific Island countries", Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, told a UN General Assembly on the cooperation between the UN and the Pacific Islands Forum. "This is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act," he said. "The disposal of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is a major transnational issue and is by no means a private matter for Japan," Geng said. Japan started releasing nuclear-contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday. The nuclear plant was crippled by the massive earthquake and tsunami disaster that struck northeastern Japan in 2011. The Fukushima nuclear accident, which took place 12 years ago, was a major catastrophe that already caused the leakage of large amounts of radioactive substances into the ocean, Geng said, adding that Japans actions could bring a man-made secondary disaster to the local people and the whole world. Geng said there has been neither any precedent nor universally recognized standards for discharging nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean. For a long time, there have been serious concerns about the impact of discharging Fukushima's nuclear-contaminated water on the marine environment, food safety, and human health, Geng said. The legitimacy, legality and safety of Japan's ocean discharge plan have been questioned over and over again by the international community, said Geng. Japan has yet to address major international concerns such as the long-term reliability of the purification facility, the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear-contaminated water data, and the effectiveness of the monitoring arrangement, he said. "China and other stakeholders have pointed out on multiple occasions that if the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water is truly safe, Japan wouldn't have to dump it into the sea and certainly shouldn't if it's not," said Geng. Geng said that Japan has been citing the assessment report from the International Atomic Energy Agency and he said that the agency has been emphasized that their report is "not an endorsement" of Japans decision. "I would like to emphasize that the release of the treated water stored at Fukushima Daiichi Power Station is a national decision by the Government of Japan and that this report is neither a recommendation nor an endorsement of that policy," the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi noted in the foreword of the report. "The IAEA report cannot serve as a pass for Japan to discharge the nuclear-contaminated water into the sea," said Geng. "The report cannot give Japan the legitimacy and legality to discharge the sea, nor can it exempt Japan from its moral responsibilities and international legal obligations." "China calls on the international community to jointly urge Japan to stop its wrongdoing, cancel the ocean discharge plan, communicate with neighboring countries with sincerity and good will, dispose of the nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner to prevent damage to the global marine environment and avoid unpredictable harm to the health and well-being of people around the world," said Geng. After several months of work, Pasco School District staff and officials finally cut the ribbon this week and opened the doors to their new Digital Learning Center. The refurbished 10,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Court Street and Road 44 will serve as the new home of the Digital Learning Academy, a consortium of four online schools remotely serving 600 students from kindergarten through high school. The expansion is a response to an increased demand for digital learning programs for students who thrive in a virtual or online educational setting, said Superintendent Michelle Whitney. While the traditional in-person classroom continues to meet the needs of most of our students, its important to acknowledge that a substantial number of our students truly excel in an online environment, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The building was bought last year partly with federal COVID relief funds Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER). Tri-City school districts have a year left to spend $27 million in emergency COVID money before theyre no longer able to. But as school districts begin spending their final pennies, researchers are warning schools to be cautious. They argue districts should focus more spending on programs that address pandemic-caused learning loss and education gaps instead of buying buildings. I think student outcomes come first and facility projects second, Margeurite Roza, director of Edunomics Lab and research professor at Georgetown Universitys McCourt School of Public Policy, told the Tri-City Herald. When comparing 2022 scores with the national average, Pasco students are more than two grade levels behind in math and reading. Roza said that puts Pasco among the lowest achieving districts in the state. Her organization also has raised a red flag over fears of an impending bloodletting a mass nationwide layoff of school employees because districts are using COVID relief money to cover the recurring salaries of teachers and classified workers. As students, teachers and parents prepare to return to the classroom for a new school year, school districts must soon decide how to best to spend their final COVID relief dollars. But Tri-City education leaders say they havent seen any evidence to suggest such sweeping layoffs here. Spending priorities for ESSER money have shifted over the last three years. In the early pandemic days, the funds were used to respond to the spread of COVID, pay for personal protective equipment and buttress online learning support for millions of students. In recent months, spending has shifted to include investments in school facilities, mental health services and to combat pandemic-caused learning loss. Pasco, for one, has invested millions in tutoring, summer school, mental health support, one-on-one counseling, as well as targeted strong, rigorous instruction and intervention programs for students needing specific assistance. COVID, ESSER and Learning Loss Since March 2020, more than $190 billion in ESSER funds have trickled into public schools across the country through the federal CARES Act, CRRSA Act and the American Rescue Plan. Districts can only access the money on a reimbursement basis. The Kennewick, Pasco and Richland school districts combined were eligible to spend $137 million in ESSER. So far, theyve spent $110 million, or about 80% of their total allocation. Most of that covered the salaries of existing staff, summer school teaching and tutoring opportunities, and small building improvements such as heating and air conditioning unit upgrades. The Pasco School District used emergency COVID funds to establish the Pasco Digital Learning Center. A stipulation in the third and final installment known as ESSER 3 requires districts to use at least 20% for educational programs to address learning loss as a result of students spending several months away from in-person classes. From 2019 to 2022, Pasco students on average fell a half-grade behind on reading and math test scores, according to the Education Recovery Scorecard. Kennewick test scores also fell a half-grade behind while Richlands were near national averages. (Construction) is great for next decades kids, but what about todays kids? Roza argued. Does it do much if they cant read or do math? COVID-related lockdowns which lasted, on and off, for several months in Washington state are still impacting student learning to this day, especially the countrys youngest learners. One estimate from Georgetown Universitys Edunomics Lab estimates it would take more than $52.5 million in math tutoring and $25.2 million in literature tutoring for Kennewick, Richland and Pasco to collectively rectify an average learning loss of three months of math instruction and two months for reading instruction. Roza worries that a whole generation may miss out on the ability to accumulate wealth or to pursue certain career opportunities if districts arent more aware of the intent behind some of their ESSER spending. Their life values will be permanently impacted, she said. Being behind 2.5 years on math and reading outcomes means theyre closed off to many, many values of life. Nationwide, education leaders made similar regrets with funds that trickled down under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congress passed during the Great Recession. Spending appropriations in that law helped supplement state budget shortfalls, as well as retain and create 325,000 education jobs, but Roza said leaders were regretful about not making larger local investments to increase learning outcomes. Nationwide layoff concern With the final round of COVID dollars ending next year and as schools continue to struggle to return their enrollments back to pre-pandemic levels, researchers at Georgetown University are projecting layoffs beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Enrollment is important because its the driver for how much money a school receives. The number of students dictates how much money the state contributes to local school districts. Megan Hockaday, Pascos PIXeL district administrator, right, and Esmeralda Vallencia and her two daughters cut the ribbon Aug. 24 to celebrate the opening of the school districts new Digital Learning Center. Nationally, school districts are spending about $24 billion of ESSER money annually on labor costs. That money is covering about a quarter of a million education jobs, Roza says. Tri-City school officials arent expecting that to happen here. For the past decade, the number of employees in each district has mostly risen and fallen in conjunction with enrollment trends. But Edunomics Lab researchers say higher hiring rates compared with plateauing student enrollment rates should be concerning to all school districts. Enrollment at Richland the smallest of the big 3 Tri-City school districts, serving 14,000 students has largely returned to pre-pandemic levels. Pasco and Kennewick are still working to rebound from enrollment losses. Each district is down by about 300 full-time students. Vic Roberts, Kennewicks executive director of business operations, said that difference pencils out to a loss in revenue of about $3 million annually for them. Kennewicks budgetary future is the most uncertain. Not only has enrollment failed to rebound, but the district is using millions of dollars in ESSER annually to plug a $34 million hole that was made after local voters decided twice last year to not renew the districts educational programs and operations levy. Things will get a bit better next year, though, as the district resumes collecting its local levy. The district also is tapping into its reserves to fill the gap, but will still bleed about $5 million to $10 million annually over the next four years due to the levy failure of last year. The district has not had to make cuts to staff yet, but has reduced program spending on things such as new curricula. Riding it out until the next levy in 2026 is going to be a challenge. But, you see, districts all throughout the state are really in that same boat. So were really trying to do all we can to get through the next couple years, Roberts said. Layoffs could come during the 2024-25 school year, but those would be less a result of ESSER money expiring and more because of lost levy funds and recent hiring to keep class sizes smaller. With the passage of the 2023 levy, we will again be collecting levy dollars in the 2024 calendar year, said Superintendent Traci Pierce in a written statement. Over the next year we will need to manage the budget carefully, monitor enrollment, and continue to advocate for additional state funding in areas that the state underfunds. Data provided by Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction/Courtesy Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University Richlands ESSER 3 spending Richland has spent nearly all of the $13.6 million in ESSER 3 that its eligible to receive. The third installment made up more than half of the total $21.2 million it has been eligible to spend. Heres how the district is spending that money this year: $5.7 million to retain teachers and staff members, and keep class sizes small. $2.75 million is going to the districts Mental Health Assistance Team, which was established in 2020 to do threat assessment, suicide prevention, mental health and social-emotional learning strategies and training. $811,000 for special education learning loss measures and progress monitoring. $700,000 has been used to fund summer school from 2022-24. $575,000 to upgrade and replace HVAC systems. $270,000 for special education support at Pacific Crest Online Academy. About 30 students at the school need special education services, and the number continues to rise. These funds would go toward Presence Learning, a contractor that provides online staff to address special education needs. $150,000 to address building-level learning loss. These funds will act as a pool for individual building requests to support outside-the-box efforts to support student learning. This could include extended day or extended year programs. Data provided by Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction/Courtesy Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University Kennewicks ESSER 3 spending Kennewick is eligible to spend $37.6 million total in ESSER 3 and has roughly $20 million of the COVID funds left to spend. Most of that will be used to cover staffing that would otherwise be funded with levy dollars. Heres how the district plans to spend ESSER 3 this school year: $11 million will be used to maintain staffing needs due to loss of levy funds. $1.475 million various other eligible costs and overhead. $850,000 for student tutoring to address learning loss. $850,000 for the continuation of remote learning applications and licensing costs. $825,000 for mental health services. The school district has about $7.5 million in learning loss specific funds it plans to use for tutoring, mental health programs and mathematics curriculum adoption, among other things, Roberts said. The district might also use some of its ESSER to fund summer school, but that will depend on the availability of other funds. Data provided by Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction/Courtesy Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University Pascos ESSER 3 spending Pasco has spent $30 million of its $36.7 million in ESSER 3 allocations. The district hasnt updated the spending amounts on its website in a while, but whats available paints a picture of what the district is prioritizing in its final months with the federal funds. Heres how the district is spending ESSER 3 this year: $8.2 million to cover existing staff, including health aides, summer school teachers, additional work, and for staff at the Digital Learning Academy. $1.1 million to buy educational technology supplies. $1 million to cover indirect costs brought on by ESSER spending, operational costs for school, communications support, and rental costs for storage facilities. $300,000 to expand AVID, a college readiness support system for students to increase their awareness of, and access to, college and career success. $70,000 for supplies. $50,000 for virtual instructional software. $47,000 to mount projectors to ceilings in portable buildings. Of the $36.7 million, $7.3 million has to be spent on learning loss. And Pasco has used only $3.6 million of that so far. Pasco School District offers four separate online programs for its students to take advantage of. Each serve students of different ages and learning preferences to make education relevant, accessible and flexible. These programs will be housed in the new Digital Learning Center, located at 4403 W. Court Street. Learning loss funds will cover: $2.5 million for additional staff costs to address learning loss. $490,000 for supplemental tutoring services for students. $289,000 to cover indirect costs. $255,000 for the Hazel Health one-on-one student counseling services. $100,000 for staff training for AVID and professional development. A zoo in Chicago recently welcomed a stripey new addition to its family. A 16-year-old Grevys zebra named Adia gave birth to a strong, female foal at the Lincoln Park Zoo on August 21, according to a news release. The yet-unnamed baby zebra is Adias fifth offspring and the third with the foals father, Wester, zoo officials said. Her birth brought the zoos total population of endangered Grevys zebras up to four. The newborn and her mother are doing well and veterinary staff members will continue to monitor them, according to the zoo. The birth of an animal is always cause for celebration here at Lincoln Park Zoo, spokesperson Anna Cieslik told CNN in an email. Weve been lucky enough to welcome multiple Grevys zebra foals in recent years, and were excited to play a part in the continued growth of this endangered species population. The foal is Adia's fifth offspring, zoo officials said. - Christopher Bijalba/Lincoln Park Zoo There are fewer than 2,000 Grevys zebras remaining in the wild as hunting and habitat loss have affected their population, according to the zoo. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The largest of the zebra species, Grevys zebras have experienced a 54% population decline over the past three decades, according to the African Wildlife Foundation. The foal was born as part of the Grevys Zebra Species Survival Plan, which zoo officials say is a collaborative population management effort among the Association of Zoos and Aquariums institutions. The baby zebras reddish-brown stripes will turn black when shes older, and zoo officials expect her to grow to around 850 pounds as an adult a big difference from her birth weight of 105 pounds. Zebras nurse for about 275 days following an approximate 390-day gestation and birth, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo. While the newborn could run just an hour after she was born, shell still be dependent on her mother for the first seven months of her life. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Reuters) - Wildfires in Canada's Northwest Territories on Friday forced the evacuation of the entire town of Hay River, a community of about 4,000 people on the Great Slave Lake, authorities said. The government of the Northwest Territories ordered everyone in town, including essential workers, to go to the Hay River Merlyn Carter Airport and await further instructions. "Anyone who remains in Hay River is doing so at their own risk," the Northwest Territories government said in an alert posted at 3:23 p.m. local time on Friday. "There will be no emergency services or response available." Canada is experiencing its worst wildfire season on record and in the past week more than 50,000 people, including the entire population of the Northwest Territories' capital Yellowknife, have been forced to flee their homes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Mail service to numerous communities in the Northwest Territories has also been impacted by the fires, the government said in a later alert. (Reporting by Sharon Bernstein in Sacramento, California; Editing by Sandra Maler) The husband of the current Prime Minister of Estonia, Kai Kallas, Arvo Hallik Arvo Hallik, the husband of Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, has announced immediate sale of shares and his withdrawal from Stark Logistics, a company which maintains commercial operations in Russia, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported on Aug. 25. Read also: Ukrainian counteroffensive may extend into winter, says Estonian General Staff Hallik sent a statement to ERR saying that Stark Logistics had been making shipments from Estonia to Russia for an Estonian enterprise that produces aerosol packaging, AS Metaprint. He highlighted that his involvement with Stark Logistics reflected poorly on his wife's work. Therefore, Hallik arranged with other shareholders of Stark Logistics for the immediate sale of all his shares in the company. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "I will leave the board of directors, abandon the post of financial director and renounce all roles and duties, transferring them to other employees," Hallik said. He apologized for the harm caused to his wife and emphasized that Kallas was not aware of his business activity. Read also: Kremlin purges 28 high-ranking officers after Wagners mutiny Estonian intelligence "We discussed all of this in the light of the media statements this week, and her assessment was unequivocal: there are no circumstances that justify these supplies," he added. Read also: No future victories for Russia in Ukraine without further mobilization Estonian intelligence According to Hallik, Stark Logistics has been his life's work for the last 14 years. He stressed that a loan of EUR 350,000 granted by his wife to the company was repaid in installments throughout the summer. "My company made various financial investments, using this and other capital, but retaining these investments was never a topic of conversation between us," he maintains. 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 claim: Military arrested FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks in relation to Maui wildfires An Aug. 23 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows a screenshot of an article that claims a top official at the Federal Emergency Management Agency was arrested in relation to the recent wildfires in Maui. Military arrests FEMA Deputy Administrator Erik Hooks, reads the headline in the video. The post was shared more than 20,000 times in one day. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks Our rating: False FEMA officials confirmed Hooks has not been arrested and is still working at the agency. The article featured in the post was published by Real Raw News, which routinely publishes false claims about the arrests of high-profile figures. Claim originated on site that frequently shares misinformation Erik Hooks has served as the deputy administrator of FEMA since 2021, according to FEMA's website. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Jeremy Edwards, spokesperson for FEMA, told USA TODAY there was no truth to the claim Hooks was arrested in relation to the Maui wildfires. Deputy administrator Hooks is literally at FEMA Headquarters as we speak, Edwards told USA TODAY in an email. Hooks has been actively coordinating emergency response efforts with the agency all week, working with FEMA personnel and our interagency partners as we help the people of Maui recover, as well as respond to other events happening nationwide, Edwards said. Fact check: No evidence Maui wildfires intentionally set in 'land grab,' contrary to posts There is no evidence that the U.S. military arrested Hooks or presented him with an indictment as the post claims. No reputable news organizations reported the supposed arrest, and the incident was not mentioned anywhere on the websites or social media accounts for FEMA or the Department of Defense. USA TODAY has previously debunked numerous other claims about the arrests of high-profile figures stemming from Real Raw News. USA TODAY reached out to Real Raw News and the Facebook user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response. PolitiFact and Associated Press also debunked this claim. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: False claim military arrested FEMA administrator | Fact check Families of police shooting victims gathered on Tuesday to demand the Maricopa County Attorneys Office share reports of its investigations into those shootings. The demands come as the U.S. Department of Justice investigates the Phoenix Police Department, in part because of a record spike of 44 police shootings in 2018, 23 of which were fatal. As of August, Phoenix police fired their weapons in 22 cases, killing 10 people. By the same time last year, there were 21 shootings, eight of them fatal, according to data pulled from public reports and data provided by the department. Denise Garcia, the mother of James Garcia, who died after being shot by Phoenix police in 2020, and Maria Martinez, the aunt of Juan Carlos Bojorquez, who was shot by Glendale police in 2022, spoke to a small crowd about an increased need for transparency from the county attorney. Denise Garcia, mother of James Garcia, speaks at a news conference to demand then-Phoenix police Chief Jeri Williams release the body-worn camera footage from the July 4 killing of James Garcia, full 911 calls and missing facts in Phoenix on July 8, 2020. Garcia told onlookers that it took almost three years and hundreds of calls to receive updates on the investigation the county attorney was conducting. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yesterday, I received a supposedly completed investigation from the County Attorney's Office that had been heavily redacted. So once again, I will ask, where is the transparency? she said. The Garcia family filed a claim against Phoenix in December 2020 in response to the death of James Garcia after he was shot by police officers who were responding to a call about a stabbing. Garcia was in his car, and officers misidentified him as their suspect. Garcia carried a gun in his car, and when officers saw it, they told him to get out of the car. Officers shot Garcia when they believed he was reaching for the gun, according to police records. Maria Martinez, the aunt of Juan Carlos Bojorquez, who was fatally shot by Glendale police, joins others at the steps of the Maricopa County Attorney's Office on Aug. 22, 2023, to demand transparency. Martinez echoed some of Garcia's points and demanded the records of her nephews death from a year ago. We demand MCAO to release the investigative file on my nephew's death. Will my family ever get the justice we deserve for the murder of our child? she said. Bojorquez was 15 when he died after Glendale police shot him while looking for a stolen car. Police said Bojorquez and one other person were in the suspected stolen car. An undercover Glendale police officer, not wearing a body camera, shot the teen. Police claimed that during a struggle, Bojorquez was reaching for a gun. It was not clear what prompted the struggle. Buckeye police are investigating the Bojorquez shooting and said that normally the next step would be to prepare the records for release. Buckeye police did not provide a timeline for that. 'We will fight': Family, lawyer decry man's fatal shooting by Phoenix police The county attorney has reviewed 202 police shootings since 2020 and filed charges in one. In February, a former Mesa police officer faced endangerment charges after shooting at a fleeing car. The bodycam footage used by police and part of the County Attorneys Office reviews of police shootings has led to more officers being taken to court, though it has had an uncertain effect on preventing shootings to begin with. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell responded to the families demands. "I think one of the things that people are not understanding about that is we are not an investigative agency. So, we rely on the investigation of the police agency," she said in reference to police shootings. The County Attorney's Office can investigate but it is rare that it ever does, according to Communications Director Jeanine L'Ecuyer. If more information is needed while prosecutors review a police investigation, they will send the case back to the police agency instead of conducting their own investigation. Mitchell also explained that the County Attorneys Office had provided available paper documents to the family in reference to the documents Garcia had received earlier in the week. L'Ecuyer also said that before Mitchell's administration, there had been a backlog of cases needing to be passed to families and that the agency is now working to address them. She did not provide specifics, but in May, Mitchell reported her agency had halved the backlog of all types of cases. On Tuesday, state Sen. Anna Hernandez also took the podium to speak about the death of her brother, Alex Hernandez, in 2019 after Phoenix police responded to a violation of an order of protection. She claimed that his death and the lack of information shared with her family prompted her to run for office. Even with her understanding of government, she said her family is still waiting for documents. We know that the shootings will not stop, and next week we will have a new family that is now navigating this tragic and traumatic experience, she said. There will be a new family that will be looking for answers but will not receive those. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix, Glendale families seek records, answers in police shootings The family of a 21-year-old pregnant woman shot and killed by police Thursday outside a Blendon Township Kroger said a Friday night candlelight vigil was just the beginning of their search for answers and justice. Ta'Kiya Young, 21, of Columbus, died in the fatal police shooting, as did her unborn child. Young's family said she was pregnant with her third child, a girl, and was due to give birth in November. She also has two sons: a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. Sandriana McBroom, 22, lights candles that spell out "RIP Kiya" at a vigil Friday for Ta'Kiya Young, 21, whom Blendon Township police shot and killed Thursday outside the Sunbury Road Kroger. Young was pregnant with her third child, a girl, and was due to give birth in November, according to family. More than two dozen family and friends gathered at her grandmother's home on the Northeast Side, where they lit candles in memory of Young and the unborn child who was also lost. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More: Coroner IDs 21-year-old pregnant woman shot and killed by Blendon Twp. police. What we know Her grandmother, Nadine Young, told The Dispatch the family wants clear answers about why her granddaughter was deemed a lethal threat. "They didn't have to kill two lives," she said. "Her and a new baby girl she was excited about." Nadine Young, 61, right, vows to get justice for her pregnant granddaughter, Ta'Kiya Young, whom Blendon Township police shot and killed Thursday outside the Sunbury Road Kroger. Ta'Kiya's unborn child also died. Police say theft led to pregnant woman using car as weapon The shooting, which happened about 6:40 p.m. Thursday outside the Kroger at 5991 S. Sunbury Road, is being investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford said in a video statement Friday afternoon that the officers, who were on duty and in the area for an unrelated call, are on paid administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing. Police allege Young and others were stealing from Kroger and said the two officers were in the Kroger parking lot helping someone who was having car problems when a store employee alerted them to Young, alleging she took multiple bottles of alcohol from the store without paying. Young got into a four-door Lexus sedan that did not have a license plate, Belford said in his statement, and was illegally parked in a handicapped spot. One officer went to the driver's side of the car, Belford said, and told her to stop. The other officer then moved in front of Young's vehicle, he said. Police allegedly fired once, hitting Young, whose car then traveled about 50 feet before crashing. Young family says fatal police shooting was unnecessary Nadine Young learned about Belford releasing a statement Friday when The Dispatch asked her about it, saying police hadn't contacted the family beforehand. Friends comfort one another at a private candlelight vigil Friday for Ta'Kiya Young, 21, a pregnant mother whom Blendon Township police shot and killed Thursday outside the Sunbury Road Kroger, near Westerville. Young's grandmother said she felt like Blendon Township police were trying to build a narrative about Young before they release the body camera footage, which could be released as soon as Monday. "She stole something from the store," she said. "You didn't have to shoot the woman; she would have eventually gotten out of the car. You didn't have to kill her and the baby." The family's top priority, Nadine Young said, is making funeral arrangements and building a support network for her two young surviving sons. She said her granddaughter had a knack for bringing family together and that the police shooting has them scrambling into action. "We're all going to be rallying around (her sons), and be the village for them," she said. "Taking care of them, getting them into school, and keeping them focused and not having them hate the police. I don't want them growing up like that." @Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Family seeks answers for fatal police shooting of pregnant woman After a long day of working outdoors this summer, Jose Lumbreras Sr. would often go to the homes of Irene Aguilar or Marielena Aguilar to help them with home projects. He was helping with sod at one of their homes, and painting at another. Lumbreras had been in the 30-year-old twin sisters lives since they were little girls. He was a longtime partner of their mother. He was my father figure, Irene Aguilar said. He was a man that pretty much raised me showed me what a father should do. He was there raising my siblings. Mine was never around. Marielena Aguilar recalled how he helped teach her how to ride a bike as a child and spent hot evenings after work repainting her home this summer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He was just a wonderful guy, she said. Lumbreras two children recalled him as a loving and supporting father. The 50-year-old was found fatally shot early Monday just outside a motel room on Broadway. Police have arrested two people: 50-year-old Monicie Nena Ramirez, who has a listed address at a motel a block away from the killing, and 63-year-old Kevin Lynn Harris, who was arrested at his home in Lawrence after a standoff with police. Harris has been charged with intentional and premeditated first-degree murder. It didnt appear Ramirez had been charged as of Friday afternoon; she was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder in the commission of a felony. Police have not said why Lumbreras was killed. Family said that when they went to the motel after his death, someone staying there told them Lumbreras had been robbed. They took his wallet, Irene Aguilar said. They said he was temporarily staying at the motel after losing power at his home. The victims son, Jose Lumbreras Jr., 19, and the Aguilars said he would call often and check up on them. He also always jumped to help them with any projects. Jose Lumbreras Sr. was good with his hands, a jack of many trades. Working hard was just part of life growing up on a family ranch in Zacatecas, Mexico. He loved horse races, he loved horses, his son said, adding the father often wore a cowboy hat. He loved being a cowboy. In addition to being a cowboy, he liked having a Modelo with his friends, and watching Tom & Jerry cartoons, his obituary says. He came to Wichita as a teen, after high school, looking for a better life. He had some family already living here. He started to work construction and sent money back home to family. Here he met Irene Vega, his longtime partner, and the two started a family. They bought a home near Washington and Harry, where Vega, the younger Lumbreras and his two half-brothers still live. The son said his dad was a father figure to his half-brothers as well. Jose Lumbreras Sr. did all he could to improve the century-plus old home: He redid the plumbing, put in drywall and even took on the arduous project of redoing the driveway. He also had both of his children put their footprint and name on it when the cement was still wet. Jose Lumbreras Sr. did all kinds of physical labor. Most recently, he worked as a brick layer for Heart Stone Construction, according to his obituary. When he wasnt laying bricks, he was often using his free time to help family with their own projects. This summer, he helped Marielena Aguilar repaint her house and Irene Aguilar redo her sod. Afterward, he would come by to water it to make sure it was setting right and growing. He was a loving man that didnt deserve this, Irene Aguilar said. Jose Lumbreras Sr., now a U.S. citizen, also had plans to return to Mexico for the first time since he left, his son said, adding that his grandmothers health is failing and an uncle had recently died back in Mexico. He was very caring, the younger Lumbreras said. Emotional when he needed to be. He was kind hearted. The most selfless guy youd ever meet. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses. A service is planned for Sunday. He was MY DAD, Aracely Lumbreras, 20, wrote in the text for the fundraiser. He was loved by so many. I cant come to terms that this is my reality I pray we can lay my father to rest. Any donations would be appreciated. As of Friday afternoon, the fundraiser had about 30% of its $4,000 goal. The fundraiser can be found at rb.gy/hjwo4. ANTRIM COUNTY An FBI agent took the stand on Friday as the final trial involving the prosecution of conspirators in the attempted kidnapping of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer began this week. The trial started with the states prosecuting attorney laying the framework for the three remaining defendants' alleged actions in the kidnapping scheme. FBI Special Agent Henrik "Hank" Impola is interviewed by Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin. Impola was on the stand on Friday, Aug. 25 and detailed the increasing fervor of the group planning to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The men being prosecuted are Eric Molitor, 39, of Cadillac and twins Michael and William Null, 41, of Plainwell and Shelbyville. With the supporting testimony of FBI Special Agent Henrik Hank Impola, the state is prosecuting the three men for participating in a plot to kidnap Whitmer. Charges for the group, including 14 men, were first announced in October 2020. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The final three defendants are officially being charged in Antrim Countys 13th Circuit Court with providing material support for a terrorist attack and possession of a felony firearm. In December 2022, the group's ringleader Adam Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison and Barry Croft Jr. was sentenced to more than 19 years. In October, three men were found guilty of assisting Fox in Jackson County and sentenced to prison terms of seven, 10 and 12 years. Two men have been acquitted. Co-conspirators Shawn Fix and Brian Higgins, who were also being prosecuted in Antrim County, took deals from the state earlier in the year. More: Final trial in Whitmer kidnapping plot underway in Antrim County Broadcasting media lined up to record the last of the Whitmer kidnapping plot trials, starting on Aug. 23. During the first days of trial for the Null brothers and Molitor, much of the initial testimony from Impola was used to set the stage for the actions of the defendants. Impola testified for hours, detailing the infiltration of a group of men under investigation in 2020 and their increasingly concerning behavior. According to Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin, this group was working towards a nationwide civil war. During his testimony, Impola provided details on a confidential human source given the name of Undercover Dan who helped to infiltrate the defendants. Dan was a veteran and postal worker turned FBI informant after he joined the Wolverine Watchmen group on Facebook. He alerted police after becoming concerned with their extreme rhetoric. The prosecution characterized Dan as the eyes and ears of the investigation at the beginning. Michigan Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin displays an exhibit showing images of the Null brothers at an anti-government rally. Facebook messages, video calls and group chat threads were presented as evidence to highlight the increasingly zealous behavior of the individuals involved. Numerous exhibits were displayed with anti-government rhetoric from Fox and Croft. One photograph that was presented in court showed a bullet with the word "recalled" written on it. Impola testified that the political violence being proposed by the group increased to the point of being a threat to national security. Subscribe: Check out our daily offers The wives of twin brothers Michael and William Null watch the trial on Thursday, Aug. 24. The brothers are among the last conspirators in a failed plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to stand trial in the scheme. According to Impolas testimony, the level of danger was escalating because, "you have multiple groups coming together. They are providing their members of the team, their additional fire power and they are emboldening each other and they are refining their plans as they move forward with what they think they can achieve." At the end of the day on Friday, Aug. 25, the prosecution sought to connect the defendants with the sentiments of the ringleaders being expressed on social media and in texts and chats. The trial will continue at 9 a.m. in the Antrim County Circuit Court on Monday, Aug. 28. The trial is expected to last for nearly two weeks. Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: FBI agent testifies against defendants in final Whitmer kidnapping trial A federal judge ruled in favor of West Virginias restrictions on medication abortion Thursday, dismissing part of a lawsuit brought by an abortion drug manufacturer earlier this year. District Judge Robert Chambers rejected the manufacturers claim that the states near-total abortion ban, which took effect last September, conflicted with the US Food and Drug Administrations regulation and approval of the drugs. The ban has limited when an abortion may be performed, without touching how medication abortion is to be performed, Chambers said in his ruling. Subsequently, he wrote, the court is compelled to find that federal regulation of medication abortion prescription does not conflict with severe state limitations on abortion. The lawsuit is one of many that were filed across the country in the wake of the Supreme Courts ruling last summer that overturned federal abortion protections. Many Republican-led states have since moved to curb abortion rights including outright bans of the procedure and medication abortion has become a particularly acute flashpoint as it makes up a majority of abortions obtained in the US. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In January, GenBioPro the manufacturer of a generic version of mifepristone sued West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Putnam County prosecuting attorney Mark Sorsaia alleging that the states abortion ban and a 2021 measure prohibiting the prescription of abortion drugs via telemedicine violate the US Constitutions Supremacy and Commerce clauses. West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey speaks with reporters during a press conference at the state Capitol in Charleston on Thursday, May 4, 2023, in Charleston, West Virginia. - Jeff Dean/AP The company argued that the restrictions are preempted by federal law that gives the FDA the authority to regulate medication abortion and Congress the authority to regulate interstate commerce. In response, both defendants moved to dismiss the case. While the judge dismissed GenBioPros challenge to the abortion ban Thursday, he allowed its challenge to the states restriction on the prescription of abortion drugs via telehealth services to continue. In his order, Chambers said the restriction dictates the manner in which the drug could be prescribed, and Congress has assigned the FDA to make that determination. Following Thursdays ruling, Morrisey said that he is pleased with the decision and looks forward to arguing the remaining issue of this lawsuit. While it may not sit well with manufacturers of abortion drugs, the U.S. Supreme Court has made it clear that regulating abortion is a state issue, Morrisey said in a statement. I will always stand strong for the life of the unborn. GenBioPro said in a statement shared with CNN that the company is reviewing the mixed ruling. We are confident in the legal strength of our claims and are considering our next steps in the fight to ensure access for patients who need this essential medication, GenBioPro CEO Evan Masingill said in the statement. Access to medication abortion remains on the line as several other challenges to the drugs play out in court. Earlier this month, a federal appeals court wiped away a lower court decision that wouldve taken mifepristone off the market but ruled in favor of limiting access to the drug. The Justice Department has indicated that it will ask the Supreme Court to review the ruling, potentially setting the stage for the high court to weigh in on abortion yet again. CNNs Tierney Sneed and Devan Cole contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A huge fire broke out on Aug. 26 at a pyrotechnics warehouse in the Siberian city of Kemerovo, Russian media reported. Videos filmed by local residents show the sound of explosions coming from a huge plume of smoke. The emergency services confirmed to Interfax that the pyrotechnics warehouse caught fire and said that 10 fire brigades were dispatched to the scene. Meduza, a Russian independent media outlet, reported that the building was completely engulfed in flames. Meduza added that over 30 people were thought to be working at the warehouse. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations said the fire covered an area of 750 square meters. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 9, the Russian authorities claimed an explosion near Moscow which injured 22 people was caused by "human error" in a pyrotechnics warehouse. According to Russian media, the explosion actually occurred at the Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant, which develops and manufactures optical and optoelectrical devices. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Military intelligence reports raid into occupied Crimea; Putin says Prigozhin likely dead Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. First batch of 122mm munitions arrives in Ukraine Ukraine received its inaugural shipment of 122mm fragmentation-explosive artillery munitions, jointly manufactured in collaboration with a prominent Eastern European defense consortium, private military-industrial firm UKRAINIAN ARMOR reported on Facebook on Aug. 25. This initial delivery marks the introduction of the first thousand units of these munitions to Ukraines arsenal. Their production was achieved by amalgamating component manufacturers from multiple European countries. The 122mm artillery shells are designed for employment with the D-30 and 2S1 Gvozdika artillery systems. These fragmentation-explosive projectiles demonstrate effectiveness in engaging enemy positions, defensive lines, and armored vehicles, the company says. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Ukraine, two NATO countries in joint production of 120mm mortar shells We will continue to supply thousands of such rounds to our defenders, UKRAINIAN ARMOR stated. Ensuring our artillery personnel are equipped with these munitions is a key factor in the success of our counteroffensive. Read also: Zelenskyy sacks head of defense contractor Ukroboronprom Back in March, Ukraines state-owned defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom announced the establishment of production for a third variant of 122mm artillery munitions. Furthermore, Ukroboronprom has initiated the full-scale manufacturing of fragmentation mines in a NATO member state. 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 Abby Henry, founder and executive director of Queer in Canton, addresses the crowd during the opening event for her organization's LGBTQ+ Resource Center in the Planned Parenthood building at 2663 Cleveland Avenue NW in Canton. CANTON Abby Henry left Stark County in 2017, wishing to attend college in a community openly supportive of her identity as a bisexual woman. The Jackson High graduate later graduated with a degree in sociology from American University. When Henry moved to Canton to be near family, she said she discovered a vibrant LGBTQ+ or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer community she hadn't known about in high school. In 2021, she founded Queer in Canton, an organization that supports and provides resources to the local LGBTQ+ community. Related: LGBTQ+ ally groups discuss resources, support for queer community in North Canton ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The 24-year-old and others from Queer in Canton celebrated accomplishing their goal of establishing the first LGTBQ+ resource center in Stark County with a grand opening Friday at the center in Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio's building at 2663 Cleveland Ave. NW. A 'safe space' for LGBTQ+ community in Stark County The goal is to "bring everyone together so they can find each other, make friends, find community, find belonging. And they don't feel they have to leave necessarily to find that. They can find that right here," said Henry, who added that her organization raised $20,000 to fund the center. "First and foremost, it's a safe space for people to come and hang out. Meet each other, etc. We have a lounge area that has a TV and music and games. We have a cafe where people can make .... coffee and read a book and things like that. ... People can come in talk about their experiences in an environment with people who can understand what they're going through." Henry said the center, which leases about six rooms or about 40% of the building from Planned Parenthood, will have a community clothing closet for people transitioning to another gender that aligns with their identity and clothing for those who can't afford to buy new. The center would also provide hormone injection kits for those going through a gender transition but can't afford them. Erica Wilson-Domer, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, said many staff work remotely, freeing up offices in the building. She was thrilled to learn Henry had been looking to establish an LGBTQ+ center and offered her the space. "We have this extra space. Their mission aligns with our mission. Their constituents are our patients," Wilson-Domer said. Abby Henry, the executive director of Queer in Canton, and other celebrate the opening of the organization's LGBTQ+ Resource Center at 2663 Cleveland Ave. NW in Canton The Planned Parenthood organization also announced Friday that it will provide gender affirming care, which can include hormone treatments to people ages 18 or older. Room for youths A room, known as the Mayne Room, will host events for ages 12 to 18 on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. to provide a safe, affirming space for teens to meet other teens who are gay or transgender, Henry said. The Mayne Room is the middle name of Ollie Mayne Swanson, now 22, who transitioned to male over several years starting at age 15 with the support of his parents. His mother Wendy Swanson, of Lake Township, is one of the organizers of the Mayne Room with Mick Moss, 25, of Massillon. Moss said the center is not trying to turn people gay. "This is supposed to be a safe space for people who already might feel one way or that they think that they are a certain way. They might be questioning. They might be trying to figure out the way that they are. This is just a safe space for people to come and explore for themselves. We're not here to teach them anything or to try to push any beliefs on them. This isn't church where we're going to be teaching lessons or to teach people how to behave or things to believe. ... We're here to accept people as they are. Not try to make them a way that they're not." Henry said Queer in Canton, which as of now has no paid staff, began moving into the space early this month. When asked if parental consent would be required for those under age 18 to attend events at the center, Henry said she did not want to turn away those who needed support. "We're just providing a community space. We're not providing any medical care," said Henry, who said her organization would keep confidential the identities of anyone visiting the center. "There's no agenda. We're not trying to push anything on anyone. The whole point is creating a safe, open environment that's open to anyone." Positive reaction Madison Brindack, 21, of Louisville, who identifies as pan-sexual, checked out the center Friday. "There's like nothing else like this around. The only other things for queer people is like online," she said. "I've never seen an area just for queer people." Tristan Hoover, 38, a Stark County Library District librarian who lives in Akron and is gay, said he wished the center had been available when he was a student at GlenOak High School and called it "long overdue." "The decor and the choice of furniture and fabric. It's all just warm and welcoming," he said. "Being able to be at a place that automatically you open the door and they say, 'We're here for you' ... that's where it's different." Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Queer in Canton opens first LGBTQ+ resource center in Stark County Bobbie Haverly in the hospital receiving treatment for a severed finger after a library book return box door tore it off. When Florida woman Bobbie Haverly showed up at the hospital missing the tip of her finger, doctors thought she might have lost it in a cooking accident or doing yard work. Turns out, it was a library drop box that guillotined Haverly's left middle finger above the upper knuckle. Doctors couldn't believe it. "They had never, ever heard ever that someone dropping off a book in the library book slot lost part of their finger," Haverly, 62, said in an interview with USA TODAY. A severed fingertip yields 'a lot of blood' On Friday, July 28, Haverly had an afternoon of errands planned before spending the weekend with her two granddaughters. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement First up, she was returning an audiobook to the W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora in central Florida. When she saw a line at the circulation desk, she decided to drop it off in the built-in drop box inside. After pushing the audiobook case through the swinging door, she pulled her hand out at the exact moment the metal flap came swinging back down. As it closed, it pinched the tip of her finger between the wall and the bottom of the door. Haverly yanked her hand back in pain. But her fingertip stayed put. "After my fingertip got amputated, the tip of it was still stuck inside the stainless steel flap," Haverly said. "Because it had hit an artery there was a lot of blood." A metal swinging door on the library drop box pinched and severed the top of Bobbie Haverly's finger on July 28, 2023. Wound from freak library accident: 'It looks ugly' A former nurse, Haverly acted fast. She had the library staff put the detached fingertip on ice while the paramedics were called and carried it with her to the hospital. Doctors were unable to reattach the tip. Doctors contacted Haverly's husband during her surgery the following day to say that the wound had left exposed bone that would have to be cut back to allow new skin to grow up around it. They estimated that healing would take a couple of months, so the couple is still managing an open wound. "It looks ugly," Paul Haverly said. "It's an exposed wound that needs dressing for weeks and weeks until can be exposed to the air." Bobbie Haverly's finger weeks after surgery. Doctors estimate it will take two months for the skin to grow back over the wound. More: Boston teenager dies in 'freak accident' while skiing, family says More: School safety essentials to give college studentsand parentspeace of mind Grieving, but 'I don't want this to happen to anybody else' Bobbie Haverly hasn't practiced as a nurse since before the pandemic, but she had plenty of errand-running, eldercare and eBay side hustles to keep her busy. All of those have been put on hold since the injury. She also used to be an active member of her 55-plus community, regularly participating in yoga, water aerobics, pickleball and other activities. But she hasn't left the house much at all since the injury, she said. Bobbie Haverly and husband Paul Haverly playing golf. She has not participated in several of her favorite activities since the injury. While she knows she will heal, she is worried that playing the ukulele, another favorite pastime, will be too painful to continue. "So all of that is like a loss," she said. "Like the grieving process: First, you're in shock, and then you're sad. And then you're in denial. Like, 'Why did this happen?' And now I'm angry. I don't want this to happen to anybody else." What will the city do? The Haverlys have sought action against the City of Mount Dora and asked that any indoor drop boxes remove the protective swinging door. Bobbie Haverly and friend playing the ukulele. She worries that she won't be able to play anymore even after her finger heals. Their lawyer, Chris Largey, said that the city has sovereign immunity, so there is no lawsuit yet. Instead, they have filed a letter of negligence, which gives the city six months to respond to their request. In this case they could receive a maximum of $200,000 to cover all damages or pass a claims bill, according to Largey. "From all the attention this case has been getting, my guess is that city will come to us and resolve this case," he said. Mount Dora city representatives declined to comment on the matter due to the potential lawsuit. The Haverlys aren't looking to cash in on the accident, they said, but rather funds to cover their hospital co-payments and make up for Bobbie Haverly's lost wages. Her sister started a GoFundMe shortly after the incident to pitch in. "The outpouring from the community has been terrific," Paul Haverly said. The drop box at the W.T. Bland Public Library in Mount Dora after the incident. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida woman loses tip of finger in unlikely place: library drop box Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul said Friday that the reported death of Yevgeny Prigozhin proves that there is no rule of law in Russia. Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, is believed to have died in a plane wreck in Russia this week. U.S. officials, including President Biden, have speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have been responsible for his death, given that Prigozhin led a brief rebellion against Russian military leadership in June. The way that he was taken out, in this incredibly audacious way its pretty clear, allegedly, that his plane blew up and he was on it, McFaul said in an MSNBC interview. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Thats the way Vladimir Putin deals with people he doesnt like. Or he arrests them. Or he poisons them, he continued. Or he throws them in jail for 25 years for criticizing his war, as has happened to several dissidents, but theres no rule of law in Russia, thats for sure. Putin has increasingly clamped down on dissent in Russia since the country invaded Ukraine last year. Political opposition was jailed, and foreign affairs experts believe Prigozhins death may have been intended to send a message to those considering moving against Putin. This is a demonstrative action, Dmitry Oreshkin, a professor at Free University in Riga, Latvia, told The Associated Press. Prigozhin could have been quietly poisoned and he would have died of a heart attack, like many previous opponents of Putin or his generals. But apparently it was intended to serve as a show of uncompromising control over the situation. The Kremlin has denied allegations Prigozhin was killed by the government. In remarks after Prigozhins death, Putin said Thursday that the mercenary leader had contributed greatly to Russia but had made mistakes. He made serious mistakes in his life, Putin said in an address. But he added that Prigozhin, achieved the necessary results in his life, both for himself and when I asked him to do so for the common goal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also denied rumors that Ukraine was to blame amid its ongoing war with Russia. We have no relationship with this, Zelensky told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Former White House lawyer Ty Cobb on Friday commented on former President Trumps historic mug shot, saying he looks like a Batman villain. This is the first time that a former president and his colleagues have been charged with a heinous crime like this, this is the first presidential former presidential mugshot, you know weve ever seen, Cobb told CNNs Brianna Keilar on Friday. And while he looks like a Batman villain in his mugshot, hes still entitled to all the rights and privileges of a criminal defendant. Pressed by Keilar on when the Georgia election case will wrap up, Cobb suggested the appeals process could slow it down especially as several of Trumps 18 co-defendants have asked for either a speedier trial or for their case to be moved to a different court. Theres a good chance they could still be arguing about what court this would be tried in federal or state court a year from now after, after appeals, Cobb said on Friday. I think this is an appealable issue. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Asked about Trumps self-reported height and weight during his booking and rumors he misrepresented them Cobb said it wouldnt provide any material value to the case. Its just another insight into Trumps psyche and how driven he is by whatever facts that he can get out that he thinks will make him more appealable to others, he said. Cobbs comments come a day after Trump turned himself in to Fulton County jail over charges related to his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. The former president and his 18 co-defendants were given until noon on Friday to surrender. Kenneth Chesebro, the lawyer who drafted the fake electors memo, pushed for a quick trial and was granted an Oct. 23 start date by Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday. On Friday, former Trump attorney Sidney Powell also filed a motion for a speedy trial. It is a strategic move, and I admire those, Cobb said, responding to Chesebros initial request, adding, Now hes in a situation where he may have to go to trial with Sidney Powell, which I have to say of all the defendants in In this entire case, is the last person I would want to be alone in a courtroom with if I was another defendant. While Cobb suggested he still believed the bulk of the trials would take at least two years for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to prosecute, he said it is highly likely that Chesebro and Powells trials would be quick. I do think under Georgia Law, which is quite demanding, that it is highly likely that Powell and Chesebro do go to trial quickly, he said. Im not sure how that how that will work out. I personally think they are in great danger, but its their choice, Cobb added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Editor's note: This story references suicide. Resources for those in crisis can be found at the end of the article. A Fort Collins man has been sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for shooting at Larimer County Sheriff's Office deputies during a traffic stop last August. Bryan Erdbruegger, now 23, was sentenced to 34 years in prison Wednesday about a month after pleading guilty to attempted murder, a Class 2 felony. The defense attorney for Erdbruegger said he was in a mental health crisis when he was pulled over after speeding at an estimated 90 mph in a 40 mph-zone near the intersection of Timberline and Drake roads about 10:30 p.m. July 12, 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When Cpl. Jeffrey Kaley stopped Erdbruegger on Prospect Road east of Specht Point Drive, Erdbruegger opened his door and fired at Kaley, who was walking toward Erdbruegger's vehicle, Deputy District Attorney Aaron Brunskill said during Erdbruegger's sentencing hearing. Kaley returned fire as a second deputy, Aaron Horwitz, arrived on scene. Evidence showed that Erdbruegger was hit by the initial shots fired by Kaley but continued to reload his gun and fire additional shots. Horwitz joined Kaley in returning fire on Erdbruegger, but Kaley ran out of ammunition and was forced to physically engage with Erdbruegger to try and take his gun, Brunskill said. Horwitz was able to continue to shoot at Erdbruegger, who eventually fell down. Erdbruegger was shot four times, according to Critical Incident Response Team investigators. Neither deputy was injured in the shooting. Eighth Judicial District District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin determined both deputies were justified in their use of force in this case after reviewing the CIRT investigation. Both deputies told Judge Juan Villasenor about how this case impacted their lives. Kaley called this a "calculated attack" on both deputies. He said he's responded to many calls involving people in mental health crises as a deputy, and he's often able to give or connect them with resources, but Erdbruegger's actions took that option away from them. "I believe that night came down to choices and decisions," Horwitz said, including Erdbruegger's decision to not address his own issues and instead put the deputies and other bystanders at risk. A few cars drove by during the shooting, and Erdbruegger put them at risk, too, Horwitz said. To watch my partner literally fight for his life because of somebody elses choices, because they couldnt handle their own dilemmas or their own demons, he needs to take accountability, Horwitz said. Horwitz's daughter said if her father had been killed that day he would have not been there to walk her down the aisle at her wedding and would have missed seeing her other siblings graduate. In a letter from Kaley's wife, she said this case has left her with the "life-altering reality" that every day her husband goes to work there's a possibility he could not come home, leaving his two young children without a father. After the shooting, Erdbruegger reportedly told investigators that he was feeling suicidal at the time but did not want to hurt anyone else, but Brunskill called that claim "unequivocally false" based on his continued attack on the deputies, the research and planning he did on what type of gun to buy and the amount of ammunition he possessed. Instead, Brunskill called this "a twisted scheme to take down deputies with him." Erdbruegger had been planning this for weeks, researching and purchasing a gun and ammunition, Brunskill claimed, based on Erdbruegger's internet search history. But Erdbruegger's attorney, Dan Jasinski, said the prosecution "cherry picked" evidence that they think shows his intention to harm law enforcement in the process of harming himself. "In spite of what this looks like, in his heart of hears, in his soul, he had no intention of hurting anyone," Jasinski said. "... This was in an individual who was absolutely struggling with mental health." Erdbruegger's mother told the judge her son suffered a manic depressive episode at the time of this shooting, and he tried to get help that day but couldn't. She said her son is "a young man who's life has been altered by severe mental illness," and has been failed by the medical and health care systems. "No one in their right mind would do this and endanger others as he did," she said. "That's the point, he wasn't in his right mind." Villasenor agreed with the prosecution that "it's indisputable" that Erdbruegger had planned to harm law enforcement that night, but also said after viewing portions of the body camera footage played by attorneys during the sentencing hearing that "what I saw there was a young man in despair." Help for someone in crisis If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 988, or call 911 in case of an emergency. Colorado Crisis Support can be reached at 1-844-493-8255 or by texting TALK to 38255. Larimer County resources: SummitStone Crisis Stabilization Unit, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: summitstonehealth.org/services/; 970-494-4200 UCHealth Mountain Crest Behavioral Health Center: uchealth.org/services/behavioral-health/; 970-207-4800 Alliance for Suicide Prevention of Larimer County: allianceforsuicideprevention.org/ This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins man injured in shootout with Larimer County deputies sentenced As kids in Delaware prepare to head back to school, some community members want to ensure they have everything they need for a successful start to the year. Thats when someone like Alexandria Ferrell steps in. As the founder and creator of the nonprofit One Step at a Time Foundation, Ferrell works to serve her community through outreach efforts. The foundation, which started in Wilmington last year, has a mission to empower, improve and provide resources to enhance the social determinants of youth and families in Delaware. Alexandria Ferrell, co-founder of One Step at a Time Foundation, delivers remarks during a community back-to-school drive on Aug. 26, 2023, at Best Night Inn in New Castle. On Saturday, the foundation held a back-to-school supplies drive with minority-owned business Rheal Urban and a host of other organizations. It took place at the Best Night Inn in New Castle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The groups collaborated to give out 150 backpacks and school supplies to those in need. It is our mission and our passion to give back to kids, especially kids who we see who are at risk, Ferrell said. The main thing were trying to do is unlock these kids full potential. Residents attend a community back-to-school drive on Aug. 26, 2023, at Best Night Inn in New Castle. More: When is the first day of school in Delaware? Start dates vary across public schools 'Everyone has just been doing their part' Lauras Hair Creation provides services during a community back-to-school drive on Aug. 26, 2023, at Best Night Inn in New Castle. Kevin Potts Jr., who co-founded One Step at a Time, said events like this are big for bringing the community together. The power of collaboration is crazy. We have big donations from Staples, Walmart and other organizations. Everyone has just been doing their part, Potts Jr. said. Ferrell's uncle, Wayne Marshall, also pitched in. Children dance during a community back-to-school drive Aug. 26, 2023, at Best Night Inn in New Castle. While preparing to grill hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone, Marshall explained that the event was "totally needed" for the community. The kids in the area need something like this because times are just really tough nowadays, so giving people a positive outlook is advantageous, Marshall said. Plans for the One Step at a Time nonprofit The foundation plans to continue to put on community events like the back-to-school drive, such as food and clothing drives. Ferrell and Potts both said theyre excited for the future of One Step at a Time. Many residents attend a community back-to-school drive Aug. 26, 2023, at Best Night Inn in New Castle. Were trying to expand our biggest goal is self-sufficiency, people and housing, Ferrell said. And we plan on getting there one step at a time. To learn more about the One Step at a Time Foundation or to donate to the nonprofit, visit onestepatatimefoundation.com. Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight. This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: One Step at a Time Foundation hosts Delaware back-to-school drive Fox News host Jesse Watters has been ridiculed for telling his audience that Donald Trump looks good and looks hard in his Georgia mug shot. The right-wing host echoed many conservatives in complimenting the four-times indicted, former president over his historic booking photo. Watters bizarrely felt compelled to say that he was complimenting Mr Trump with an unblemished record of heterosexuality. A grand jury in Georgia delivered 13 felony charges against Mr Trump for his alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in the state. These charges included conspiracy to commit forgery, filing false documents, Solicitation of Violation of Oath by Public Officer. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Eighteen of Trump associates have also been indicted including former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and his former lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Jenna Ellis. Social media was quick to mock Mr Watters for his gushing praise of Mr Trump. Whether you support Trump or not, are people really saying he looks anything but completely ridiculous in the mug shot? Its one of the most ridiculous photos Ive ever seen and people like Jesse Watters are arguing that he looks like a badass what??? wrote one user on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. And another added: Jesse Watters mother told him not to get on TV and say dumb s***, yet here we are He might need some hush money, wrote another user. Another post read: Jesse Watters is a Fox Propaganda Network tool. Nothing more nothing less. He as well as all the other hosts on Fox in order to keep their shows cant spew out anything other than fascist lies. Mr Watters is not the only conservative figure enthusing about Mr Trumps mug shot. Convicted felon and prominent conservative, Dinesh DSouza, who was pardoned by Mr Trump in 2020, compared the twice-impeached Republican frontrunner to the late rapper, Tupac Shakur. In the urban black community, a mug shot can be an iconic symbol, both of victimization and of greatness, he wrote on X. Its a defiant UP YOURS to the man. Think Tupac Shakur. Trump is now the ultimate gangsta in our culture. The frequent launches of Russian MiG-31K fighter jets on Aug. 25, resulting in numerous air raid alerts in Ukraine, could be due to Russian training efforts, Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat commented on national television on August 26. Pilot training is an ongoing process that persists continuously, especially during times of combat, Ihnat explained. He also acknowledged the frequent air alerts are frustrating for the people in Ukraine. "Of course, this affects our economy, at the very least, and our psychological state. The enemy understands this well, he stated. Read also: Ukraine knocks out 15 of 17 Russian drones, explosions heard in Zaporizhzhya and Khmelnytskyi oblasts ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ihnat further clarified that Ukraine's radar stations lack the capability to track fighter jets operating deep within Russian airspace. These stations primarily focus on monitoring the movements of hostile aircraft taking off from Russian-occupied regions, as well as those traversing over the Black Sea and within a few hundred kilometers of the border. He underscored that critical information regarding the takeoffs of MiG-31K jets, their presence within Russian airspace, and whether they are armed with missiles, is shared with Ukraine by its international partners. Read also: Four air raid alerts in 24 hours due to Russian MiG-31K takeoffs, says air force As per Ihnat's remarks, the current alerts triggered by MiG takeoffs are of brief duration. He recalled that during the initial stages of Russia's large-scale invasion, such alerts endured for approximately ninety minutes, allowing for fuel checks. Presently, the fighter jets primarily undertake takeoff and landing operations. Air raid alarms sounded six times on Aug. 25, as Russia launched a number of MiG-31K jet fighters from the Savasleyka air base in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. This type of aircrafts are equipped with the hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missile. No launches of that missile were detected. Previously, Natalia Humeniuk, press spokesperson for the Ukrainian militarys Operational Command South, explained that the increasing number of MiG fighter takeoffs is due to the enemy testing Ukrainian air defense capabilities. 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 U.S. is preparing for the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine to last beyond U.S. PresidentJoe Biden 's first term, Taras Berezovets , a political scientist and officer of the I. Bohun special brigade, said in an interview with Radio NV in an interview on Aug. 25. Berezovets speculated that the U.S. and certain Western allies, informed by intelligence, have concluded that the conflict will not end any time soon. Jake Sullivan, an influential adviser in Biden's administration, is currently expressing sentiments that imply the United States is prepared for a long-term commitment, Berezovets noted. "They understand this entirely, Berezovets explained. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Crimeans using social media to help Ukrainian military spot Russian air defenses And they understand that this war might not end during President Biden's first term. It could extend into the next term, whether it's President Biden or his successor. He further emphasized that Ukraine needs to invest in its defense industry to secure victory in the war. In an interview with NV Radio on July 6, Taras Chmut, who runs one of Ukraines most prominent NGOs, Come Back Alive, speculated the war in Ukraine could persist for 20-30 years. On Aug. 15, Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraines Reintegration Minister, stated that the road to victory in the war would be long and challenging, urging Ukrainians to brace themselves for a prolonged struggle. 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 Classes have begun for the fall semester at New Mexico State University, at our main campus in Las Cruces, at our community colleges around the state, and for students attending our NMSU Global Campus. Im delighted to report that while we are still a few days away from our official census date, it appears as though we will see a second consecutive year of strong enrollment gains. These increases are thanks to the hard work of many of our university employees. These increases are also thanks to the states Opportunity Scholarship, championed by Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and funded by the New Mexico Legislature. As a land-grant university, our mission is to provide education, research, and Extension and outreach services to the people of New Mexico. I want to recognize our world-class faculty and staff for their efforts on each of these fronts. In support of providing education to our students, NMSU faculty members deliver the academic rigor our students need to be competitive in their careers after graduation. They also provide the compassion and support students need to succeed while earning their degrees. Faculty and support staff at NMSU are also responsible for research and outreach activities, and work each day to advance knowledge and to take that knowledge and other resources to the people of New Mexico to help in bettering their lives. Intrim Chancellor and former New Mexico State University President G.Jay Gogue April 11, 2023. (NMSU photo by Josh Bachman) We are in the process of searching for the next long-term leader for NMSU. I applaud our Board of Regents for their efforts to travel the state, from Gallup to Raton to Deming to Hobbs and many points in between, conducting listening sessions to learn what priorities our community members have when selecting our next leader. This kind of endeavor meeting people face-to-face in a state as large as New Mexico is no small task. The commitment of our Regents to seek input on our campuses and to visit so many communities highlights how they genuinely want to hear from the people. This effort is also a reflection of how much they truly care about our university. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As you may know, a university regent is a volunteer position in New Mexico. To serve in these roles, it only works if you have a passion for the university and want to ensure its future success. Were fortunate at this time in our history to have such a dedicated board. Credit, again, to Governor Lujan Grisham, for her thoughtful selection of this group to help lead the university. For more information about our presidential search, to provide feedback of your own, or to nominate someone to be the next NMSU President, I encourage you to visit https://nmsu.edu/president-search/. To our faculty, staff and students, I wish you a wonderful fall semester and thank you for the excellent work you do every day to make this a transformative learning environment for our students. To our community members and stakeholders around the world, New Mexico State University is on the right path and well positioned for continued success. Go Aggies! JayGogueis interim president of New Mexico State University. He may be reached at president@nmsu.edu. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: The future is bright for NMSU Wagner Groups fate is hanging in the balance after its top field commander and chief Yevgeny Prigozhin were both presumably killed in a fiery plane crash. The private military company a once wide-reaching empire that has helped prop up authoritarian regimes in several African countries and played a significant role in Russias invasions of Ukraine will increasingly come under Russian President Vladimir Putin s control, analysts told The Hill. Putin and his military officials must decide what parts of the group to keep, what to discard and how to keep the mercenaries in line. John Hardie, the deputy director of the Russia Program for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said Wagner will be easier for Moscow to control with Prigozhin, Utkin, and other top figures out of the picture. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But without its core commanders, it wont be the same organization, he wrote in an analysis sent to The Hill. And their deaths could lead some Wagner fighters to grow disillusioned with service altogether. The Kremlin could also seek to disband the mercenary force, which includes thousands of fighters across the globe. However, Catrina Doxsee, a program manager and research associate with the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said major changes were unlikely. Its really in Russias best interest to allow all of that operational infrastructure to continue with as little disruption as possible, she told The Hill. The wide network that Prigozhin established has basically become the cornerstone of Russias foreign policy in a lot of these regions. However, Doxsee said in the long-term Russia would likely seek to scale back Wagners independence from the state and reduce its dominance. The goal will be to ensure that there is tighter collaboration with the Russian government, tighter oversight, she said, and likely a push toward diversifying the general marketplace for mercenary companies. Putins plans aside, Wagner Group officials and fighters appear extremely upset about the presumed deaths of Prigozhin and co-founder Dmitry Utkin, who was a highly respected battlefield commander within the company. The group is actually named after Utkins old call sign when he served in the Russian military. Telegram accounts associated with Wagner Group have spent the days after the news broke eulogizing both men and blaming the Kremlin for the plane crash. Russia is still investigating the crash but the U.S. believes an internal explosion forced the plane down and Biden administration officials said the incident is consistent with Putins history of silencing critics. The Kremlin denied any role in the crash on Friday. On Friday, Wagner representatives wrote they were waiting for the word from top officers on next steps. Firstly, in such a situation it is important not to act on emotions, you need to formulate a clear plan of action, they wrote. Secondly, it is necessary to correctly redistribute responsibilities. Thirdly, we all need time to come to some conclusions. There are some reports that Wagner could march on Moscow again, but military analysts say the private company lacks the resources or capabilities to conduct any kind of retaliatory action and is likely more interested in retaining its global operations. Its game over, said Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. I dont think that Wagner without its leadership has the wherewithal, the credibility, the influence, to mount another challenge. The United Kingdoms Defense Ministry wrote in an intelligence update on Friday that Prigozhins apparent death would have a destabilizing effect on the company. His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor, it wrote. The future of Wagner has been up in the air since June, when Prigozhin launched, then quickly abandoned, a mutiny against Moscow. The warlord exiled to Belarus in an apparent truce with Putin, but still reportedly shuttled in and out of Russia. The uprising threw into question what would happen to Wagners network in Mali, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Syria, and Libya, which Russia sees as allies and has benefited from lucrative security, oil, gold mining, and other contracts gained in providing fighters to the countries. In the two months before Prighozins crash, Putin was signaling his intention to wind down the capabilities of Wagner and lay the groundwork for new ownership. In June, the Russian leader ordered the company to surrender its heavy weapons and announced publicly for the first time that Wagner was funded by the state. He also mentioned Prigozhins Concord catering company would be investigated for potentially stealing from Russias government. At the same time, Putin has avoided criticizing Wagners fighters, allowing them to go free after the mutiny. Numerous Wagner fighters have relocated to Belarus, part of a deal brokered by Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko to end the standoff between Prigozhin and Putin as the mercenary chief marched on Moscow. Lukashenko on Friday said up to 10,000 mercenaries were either in his country or arriving soon and they would stay there as long as we need this unit. PMC Wagner lived, PMC Wagner lives, and PMC Wagner will live in Belarus despite anyones wishes to the contrary, Lukashenko said, according to Belarusian state-run media outlet Belta. Prigozhin and I came up with a system of how PMC Wagner will be accommodated in Belarus. The Belarusian relocation might end up benefiting Putin, allowing him to keep the troops parked there for time being while the war rages in nearby Ukraine. Kupchan, from the Council on Foreign Relations, said he ultimately expects the Kremlin to create a hybrid structure in a way that allows the state apparatus to have much more visibility into what Wagner is doing. Mercenary armies sometimes become sufficiently powerful and autonomous that they turn against the center, Kupchan said. Putin has learned his lesson and hes not going to allow Wagner to continue to exist as a standalone mercenary army. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth will go into effect in Texas and Missouri despite court challenges to them. A state-level court in Texas issued an injunction Friday blocking enforcement of its ban, but the Texas attorney general's office quickly filed an appeal, and under Texas law, its filing of an appeal automatically lifts the injunction. Families, health care providers, and LGBTQ+ organizations filed suit in July to block Senate Bill 14 before the legislation goes into effect September 1. Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 14 into law in June, making it the most populous state to enact such a measure. But with Paxtons action, it will take effect as scheduled. In Missouri, St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer declined to issue an injunction in a lawsuit brought by families, health care professionals, and LGBTQ+ groups. Gov. Mike Parson signed that states ban, Senate Bill 49, June 7. Ohmers decision means it will go into effect Monday as planned. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Texas law bans surgery, hormone treatment, and puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition for people under 18, while allowing those procedures for treatment of congenital anomalies, early-onset puberty, and other conditions. It includes an exception for young people who began treatment before June 1 but says doctors must wean them off any prescription drugs theyre taking for transition. There is also an exception for those who have had at least 12 sessions of counseling over six months. Doctors, however, may be reluctant to offer these treatments for fear of violating the law. The plaintiffs say the law violates the Texas constitution because it bans the procedures for treatment of gender dysphoria but allows them for other reasons. They further say that young transgender Texans and their families will suffer irreparable harm under the statute. Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel agreed after hearing testimony in the case August 15 and 16. There is a substantial likelihood that they will prevail in a trial, Cantu Hexsel, a judge in the 53rd Judicial District Court in Travis County, wrote in her ruling. She also agreed that there will probably be irreparable injury to the young people and their families if the law is allowed to be enforced but now Paxton's appeal means it will be enforced while the suit proceeds. Cantu Hexsel scheduled the trial for May 6. The plaintiffs include five Texas families, three medical professionals, and two organizations, PFLAG National and GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality. They are represented by lawyers from Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and its Texas affiliate, the Transgender Law Center, and the firms of Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP. The Missouri law prohibits hormone treatment, puberty blockers, and gender-confirmation surgeries for the purpose of gender transition for people under 18, while allowing them for cisgender minors who have a disorder of gender development or other condition that necessitates their use. Trans minors already on hormones or puberty blockers will be able to stay on them, but they cannot initiate treatment. The law also bans gender-affirming care for adults imprisoned in Missouri and prevents the states Medicaid program from covering this care for people of any age. The suit against it was brought by the families of three transgender people, Southampton Community Healthcare and two of its medical providers, and also PFLAG and GLMA. They are represented by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. As in Texas, they argue that the ban violates the state constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws, interferes with parents rights to control their childrens health care, and will cause irreparable harm to the people affected by it. Ohmer held a hearing on evidence in the case this week, and Friday he released an order saying he would not issue the injunction. He wrote that the plaintiffs have not clearly shown a sufficient threat of irreparable injury absent injunctive relief and that there was no clear public interest in favor of the injunction. The science and medical evidence is conflicting and unclear, Ohmer added. Accordingly, the evidence raises more questions than answers. Former chancellor George Osborne has issued an apology to the nation and blamed groupthink for the scandal of artefacts stolen from the British Museum. Mr Osborne, the chairman of the British Museums trustees, said some of the items had been recovered, but conceded that as many as 2,000 may have been stolen from its vaults. Blaming what he called groupthink for the refusal of the museums senior management to face up to the scale of the scandal until now, Mr Osborne said: On behalf of the British Museum, I want to apologise for what has happened. We believe weve been the victim of thefts over a long period of time and, frankly, more could have been done to prevent them. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But I promise you this: it is a mess that we are going to clear up. I can tell you today that weve already started to recover some of the stolen items. Mr Osborne spoke after the British Museums director Hartwig Fischer resigned and his deputy stepped back from his duties over their failure to uncover the theft of objects, despite years of warnings from whistleblowers. Whistleblowers warned of the museum theft for years - EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Neil Hall Mr Fischer announced that he was quitting his role as director after seven years because the museum did not respond as comprehensively as it should have done when presented with a dossier of evidence in 2021. Three hours later his deputy, Jonathan Williams, said he had agreed to voluntarily step back from his normal duties with immediate effect until an independent review into the thefts. Mr Osborne said the review will look into what has happened not just in 2021, but for the many years before then, into how come the museum missed some of the signals that could have been picked up, not least when an antiquities dealer alerted them to the thefts. The former Cabinet minister said the estimate of 2,000 items stolen was a very provisional figure, but added: We have started to recover some of the stolen items, which is a silver lining to a dark cloud. The museum is working with the art loss register and members of the antiquarian community to obtain the return of some of the items, Mr Osborne said, adding that security has been stepped up around museum storerooms. Museum is working with the art loss register to recover some items - Shutterstock/Neil Hall/EPA-EFE He said the artefacts stolen were small items of jewellery, gems, bits of gold that were not on public display. Mr Osborne denied there had been a deliberate cover up by museum management, but conceded that there had been a refusal to listen to warnings about what was happening. He told BBC Radio 4s Today Programme: I dont myself believe there was a sort of deliberate cover-up, although the review may find that to be the case. But was there some potential groupthink in the museum at the time, at the very top of the museum, that just couldnt believe that an insider was stealing things, couldnt believe that one of the members of staff were doing this? Yes, thats very possible. Mr Osborne added that the scandal over the stolen artefacts has harmed the British Museums international image. Its certainly been damaging to the British Museums reputation. I think thats sort of stating the obvious and thats why Im apologising on behalf of the museum, he said. I would say lots of large museums around the world are potentially victims to this kind of theft. Thats not an excuse. Its just an observation. Our responsibility now is to make sure we really have learned the lessons so that this kind of thing is much harder and much less likely to happen in the future. 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. U.S. Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff (D) is working on getting federal nurses a tax cut amid a national shortage of staff. According to a release from the senators office, the effort to give tax cuts to members of the Federal Nurse Corps is bipartisan. The Federal Nurse Corps is a program aimed at providing health care to rural and underserved communities across the United States. Ossoffs office said the effort was in the form of legislation called the Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As proposed, the legislation would let nurses in the program have an exemption to paying federal income taxes on student loan forgiveness and scholarships. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Federal Nurse Corps provides scholarships and loan repayments for healthcare providers who work in underserved and rural communities, but Ossoffs office said those offerings are currently taxed as income, federally. I want to make it easier and more attractive for health care professionals to come and serve the people of Georgia, Ossoff said in a statement. All Georgians deserve world-class health care, which is why Im working to bring Republicans and Democrats together to lower taxes for nurses who serve Georgia communities. TRENDING STORIES: The senator said the Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act is part of a push to address the national nurse shortage, mentioning his move in early August to build a new nursing instructional facility in Mount Vernon to expand Brewton-Parker Colleges nursing workforce development program. Ossoffs office, citing the Bureau of Health Workforce, said Georgia currently ranks sixth nationwide for nurse shortages, with its rural areas hit hardest. So far, the legislation has been endorsed by a variety of associations, including the American Nurses Association (ANA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA), the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the Association of Public Health Nurses (APHN), the Association of Rehabilitation Nurses (ARN), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Commissioned Officers Association of the USPHS (COA), Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR), and the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). The Nurse Corps program is a critical component of our nations health care system. Many Americans, including millions of people living in rural and underserved communities, have benefited from the increased access to high-quality care that the Nurse Corps program enables, ANA President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, PhD, MBA, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, said. Removing taxes on scholarships and loans provided by the Nurse Corps would help to bring it in line with other programs that empower health care professionals to practice in high-need areas. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] OTHER NEWS: Germany has committed to transferring long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in an interview with the German newspaper Bild on Aug. 26. According to him, he is optimistic about the Taurus issue and envisions Germany providing Ukraine with these missiles in the future. Germany has proven to be a steadfast partner for Ukraine in this conflict, and we have already benefited from their provision of advanced equipment, Reznikov remarked. Read also: Like banning players from entering opponents territory Germanys plan to limit Taurus missiles He underlined that the acquisition process would not be protracted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While the logistics are intricate, I believe we wont have to wait for a full year, assured the minister. Earlier, on Aug. 13, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba underscored that the introduction of Taurus missiles to Ukraines arsenal would not contribute to an escalation of the conflict. He called on Germany to facilitate the arms transfer to Kyiv. Read also: Germany may provide Ukraine with modified Taurus missiles media reports Reports emerged on Aug. 10 that Germanys ruling party had granted approval, symbolized as a green light, from the countrys Air Force to proceed with delivering the Taurus missiles. Markus Faber, Chair of the Defense Policy Committee of the Bundestag and representative of the Free Democratic Party, emphasized on July 26 the vital importance of equipping Ukraines Defense Forces with the long-range Taurus missiles. NV However, discordant voices were also present within Germanys leadership. On Aug. 3, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reiterated that Germany would withhold this weaponry from Ukraine, citing the parallel restraint exercised by the United States in providing long-range missiles to the Ukrainian army. Amidst these internal debates, the Social Democratic Party of Germany has found proponents for the arms transfer. Notably, two members of the party expressed their advocacy for supplying long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine, as highlighted by the German newspaper Der Spiegel on Aug. 6. 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 Nothing speaks more loudly to the absurdity of the newly expanded Brics group of developing economies than the sight of India making common cause with China, and more ridiculously still, Saudi Arabia with Iran. In both cases, the two countries are virtually at war. Even as a bulwark against supposed G7 domination of the world economy, the Brics grouping makes little sense. Why has Egypt been asked to join, but seemingly not Nigeria and Indonesia, both of which are far more important economies? If merely a Trojan horse for Chinese leadership in the developing world, youd want as a participating member to be very suspicious of it indeed, the more so as its very existence seems to lend a degree of respectability to Vladimir Putins illegal invasion of Ukraine. Nations that sign up to it are saying that they dont care, or even positively approve. Yet it is the prospect of Chinese capture that other jurisdictions need to be most worried about. Chinas economic progress in the 45 years that have elapsed since it first started opening up to the rest of the world has admittedly been hugely impressive. There is much to admire and emulate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Any benefit to the already rich economies has, however, been far less obvious. For the West at least, China has been a wolf in sheeps clothing. And even for much of the developing world, any engagement with China has hardly been a bed of roses. We need to be a little bit careful here, because in most respects, and in line with the Ricardian principle of comparative advantage, free trade between nations is a positive boon, allowing them to specialise in what they do best while buying in from others what they are not so good at. But free trade also needs to be fair trade. As Western nations have belatedly begun to realise, security considerations will quickly become a major concern when largely dependent on potentially alien players for key economic inputs. China has cleverly managed to gain just such a stranglehold over key areas of production and resource, and grandly aspires to a great deal more. Just how exposed this has left the West became abundantly clear during the supply chain disruptions of the pandemic, when it quickly became apparent that we no longer make many of the things we need to function effectively as a modern economy. Dont get me wrong. No economy can be entirely self-sufficient. Any such strategy makes no sense at all in the modern world, and if widely pursued to its logical conclusion, would merely lead to multiple duplications, inefficiencies, tit-for-tat protectionism and growing international conflict. Nor should we begrudge China its economic progress. To the contrary, it should be celebrated as a wonder of the modern age, having lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty. Yet it is not just growing superpower rivalry, or Chinas malign influence on Western jobs and capabilities, we need to be concerned about. It is also Chinese triumphalism. That sense of Chinese superiority can be dated to the financial crisis 15 years ago, when Wang Qishan, then Chinas finance minister, remarked to his opposite number in the US, Hank Paulson: You were my teacher. But now I am in my teachers domain, and look at your system, Hank. We arent sure we should be learning from you any more. In the aftermath of the global financial crisis Chinas confidence in the supremacy of its economic model was personified in then finance minister Wang Qishan - Mark Schiefelbein-Pool/Getty Images Mr Wangs wonderfully understated observation soon transmogrified under President Xi Jinping into and here Im offering a caricature definitely not learning from you any more, because our system of governance and economic management is self-evidently far superior to yours. The seeming sure-footedness and order of the Chinese economic progress would from then on be routinely contrasted with the apparent chaos and decline of the West. During the early days of the pandemic, this became an almost unchallenged narrative, with China setting the template for how governments should respond in the face of a potentially deadly contagion. We all followed Chinas lead, with the positions of teacher and pupil unambiguously reversed. China became the gold standard in how to deal with a pandemic; a combination of extreme lockdown tailor-made for autocratic government, but anathema to freedom-loving democracy and mass testing proved highly effective in containing the disease, and was soon being trumpeted by President Xi as more evidence of Chinese pre-eminence. Here in Britain we seem to have had the worst of all possible worlds; at vast economic and social cost, we were eventually persuaded to follow China into government imposed lockdown, but to arguably little effect. As it turned out, the nation was hopelessly unprepared for a threat of this magnitude; the medical establishment was all over the place on decisively gripping the situation. Much the same was true of the rest of the democratised world. Other than South Korea and Taiwan, more or less everyone seems to have got it badly wrong. Yet in terms of the monetary cost, Britain seemed to come out of it worst of all. If Xi had concocted a dastardly plan to bring down the West, he could scarcely have dreamt up anything quite as effective. Lockdown was pure poison for our largely service based advanced economies. Yet the tables soon turned, and in the event, closing down the economy to fight Covid has proved just as economically disastrous for China as it was to America and Europe, and the way things look right now, possibly more so. While the West did what it does best, and rapidly came up with vaccines and medicines to fight the disease, China remained stuck in a timewarp behind the high walls of Xis zero-Covid policies, prevented by pride and innate sense of Chinese exceptionalism from recognising the damage they were doing. As in the West, the induced sleep of lockdown has acted as a petri-dish for all the economys underlying weaknesses. When finally forced by growing popular unrest to abandon the zero-Covid policy, China failed to come bouncing back as expected, and is now threatened with a tsunami of bankruptcies, deflation, and as demand plummets, oversupply in everything from housing to car production. There was never anything particularly unique about the Chinese development story, besides its sheer size, speed and the admirably hard-working qualities of the Chinese people. But like all such growth spurts, it was built on a Ponzi-style inverted pyramid of rising indebtedness. Now that the credit bubble is bursting, you wonder for how much longer the charade can be kept going by merely applying more of the same. Some may say good; China is finally getting its comeuppance. This may be to misread the dangers. An economically unstable China might prove even more of a threat to Western wellbeing than a resurgent one. But if I were India, Brazil, or any of the Johnny-come-lately additions to the Brics conflab, I know where I would be placing my chips. Despite years of shameful Western neglect, it would not be China. 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. Former President Trump and his allies are readily fundraising off of the former presidents historic booking photo, taking advantage of the unprecedented image to bank capital for their causes. Trump surrendered to Fulton County jail on Thursday for charges involving racketeering and his alleged attempt to overturn the 2020 election results in Georgia. He along with his 18 co-defendants in the case had their photos taken during booking. While the former president has been indicted in four separate cases since April, this is the first time a mug shot was taken. Soon after, Trump-affiliated groups including his own presidential campaign slapped the photo on nearly every type of merchandise, from t-shirts to beverage koozies to bumper stickers and posters. Campaign merchandise features the phrase NEVER SURRENDER! taken from the former presidents statements Thursday evening. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Donald Trump Jr. began selling t-shirts emblazoned with FREE TRUMP and the photograph, with proceeds going toward a Legal Defense Fund that the campaign set up for the former president, he said. The photo quickly became key in fundraising messages across the political spectrum, with the Trump campaign changing its website to highlight the image. Today, at the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME, Trump said in a personal note on his campaign website, featuring the mug shot. Today, I walked into the lions den with one simple message on behalf of our entire movement: I WILL NEVER SURRENDER OUR MISSION TO SAVE AMERICA, he said, adding, If you can, please make a contribution to evict Crooked Joe Biden from the White House and SAVE AMERICA during this dark chapter in our nations history. Allies including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and others have photoshopped themselves into similar Fulton County mugshots in a show of solidarity with the former president. Anti-Trump organizations, like the conservative Lincoln Project, have also started to sell merchandise, including a shot glass with Trumps glaring mugshot featured. The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame, a non-political organization, even announced a pre-sale for a Trump mugshot bobblehead. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Vivek Ramaswamy is one of the highest-profile candidates seeking the GOP presidential nomination, but he has not voted in a Republican primary recently enough to be affiliated with the party in his home state's voting records. Ramaswamy, 38, is listed as an "unaffiliated" voter in Franklin County, Ohio, where he's been registered to vote since November 2021, after he moved to Columbus. The biotech multimillionaire has described himself as being a libertarian freestyler in college. He's said he voted for a Libertarian in the 2004 presidential election, but did not vote in 2008, 2012 or 2016, according to Reuters, and has contributed to both Republican and Democratic candidates. He brushed past a question about his sparse voting history during Wednesday's GOP presidential debate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ramaswamy said he went on to become a "hardcore" Trump supporter and voted for him in 2020. In order to be listed as affiliated with a party in Ohio, a voter has to request that party's ballot during primaries. According to voting records first posted by an account called Ohio Legislative Watch on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, Ramaswamy did not vote in the Ohio state primaries last year. The records, which NBC News has independently reviewed, also show "no history recorded" in the primary held this past May. Ramaswamy did vote in the Aug. 8 special election for a Republican-backed ballot measure that would have made it harder to change the state's constitution ahead of an effort later this year to enshrine abortion rights. He also voted in the 2021 and 2022 general elections, records show. Ramaswamy's campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ramaswamy, who declared his presidential candidacy this past February, has previously defended his failure to vote in his younger days, telling Sean Hannity he hadn't then because he was "a jaded person in my twenties." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, located in the Oklahoma Judicial Center, is grappling with another case stemming from the McGirt decision. Gov. Kevin Stitt has intervened in an extraordinary case before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals seeking a route for the state to resume prosecuting some Native Americans on reservations in Oklahoma. The governor notified the appeals court late Thursday afternoon that he had appointed a district attorney to serve as a special counsel in the case, which is focused on whether the state can prosecute a Navajo tribal member suspected of making and distributing child pornography on the Cherokee Nations reservation. As special guardian of the State and its interests, the Governor refuses to stand by, idling on the sidelines, the governors attorneys told the appeals court. Although the defendant is a member of the Navajo Nation, this isnt an Indian issue; this is a public safety issue of first importance. The governor appointed Mike Fields, the district attorney for five western Oklahoma counties, to prosecute Brayden Kent Bull, the Navajo Nation member. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Stitts intervention came more than a month after Matt Ballard, the district attorney for Craig, Mayes and Rogers counties, in eastern Oklahoma, asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals to order a special district judge to issue an arrest warrant for Bull, something the judge declined to do because he believed the state lacked jurisdiction over Bull. Case the latest in tension over jurisdiction following Supreme Court's McGirt ruling The apparently unprecedented case is playing out as the latest battle over criminal jurisdiction in eastern Oklahoma in the wake of the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. That decision has led to most of eastern Oklahoma being affirmed as tribal reservations and the state being barred from prosecuting Native Americans on those reservations. The federal government and tribal prosecutors now handle the cases in which the accused is Native American. The underlying question in the case before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals is whether the state has criminal jurisdiction over a tribal member when the alleged crimes are committed on another tribes reservation. They are sometimes referred to as non-member cases. Bull is a Navajo, and the alleged crimes occurred on the Cherokee reservation. Former Oklahoma Attorney General John OConnor pushed the same question in a separate criminal case last year, but that case was eventually sent back to a district court because of some uncertainty regarding the status of the reservation involved. McGirt v. Oklahoma, 3 years later: How police work on the Muscogee Nation reservation The question is back, for now, in the form of Ballards request to the appeals court to effectively order Bulls arrest. And it is a question that Stitt and state district attorneys ultimately want the U.S. Supreme Court to consider since a decision in their favor could further narrow the scope of the McGirt decision. This issue is incredibly consequential for day-to-day law enforcement throughout northeast Oklahoma, Ballard, the district attorney, told the Court of Criminal Appeals in asking them to order Bulls arrest. Instead of the impossible task of contacting 574 separate Native American tribes to establish jurisdiction, this Court has the opportunity to hold that jurisdiction can be determined with a single phone call to the tribe of the reservation where the crime occurred This issue is ripe for timely determination. Every day that passes with the issue undecided only adds to the current instability in law enforcement. The unprecedented uncertainty facing local law enforcement is real and demands the certainty that this court can provide. Frustration over McGirt ruling District attorneys and law enforcement officials in eastern Oklahoma have been frustrated for the last three years about cases that they cant prosecute because of McGirt some of which have not been pursued by U.S. attorneys or tribal courts. Thats not the situation now with Bull. The U.S. attorneys office in the Northern District of Oklahoma, based in Tulsa, filed child pornography and child sexual abuse charges against Bull this month, a few weeks after the special district judge declined to issue an arrest warrant in the state case. The docket in the case shows Bull was in custody in Muldrow, in Sequoyah County. Still, Ballard, the district attorney for Craig, Mayes and Rogers counties, told the Court of Criminal Appeals that the case presents what could be an extension of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision last year that restored Oklahomas jurisdiction over crimes in which the accused is a non-Native American but the victim is Native. In that case, Oklahoma v. Castro-Huerta, the high court said, "Under the Constitution, States have jurisdiction to prosecute crimes within their territory except when preempted by federal law or by principles of tribal self-government. The default is that States have criminal jurisdiction in Indian country unless that jurisdiction is preempted. And that jurisdiction has not been preempted here." More: Supreme Court denies Tulsa's request to halt ticket ruling Ballard is arguing that state prosecution of non-member Native Americans on reservations also is not preempted by federal law or principles of tribal self-government and that Supreme Court precedents support his position. Castro-Huerta and other binding precedent compels the conclusion that the state has jurisdiction over Indians committing crimes on a different tribes reservation, the district attorney told the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. But were there any doubt, core principles of Indian law and constitutional considerations require the Court to avoid the opposite conclusion. The governors appointment of a special counsel suggests that he is pursuing the prosecution and arrest of Bull outside of Ballards district. The document filed by Stitts attorneys praises Ballards work on the case, but says the matter had gone on too long. The offenses for which Bull has been charged are two years old. Field was being appointed, the governors counsel said, to protect the interests of the State in this action and to prosecute the underlying offenses. Though extraordinary, this isnt the first McGirt-related case in which a prosecutor has brought an action against a judge. In 2021, a district attorney appealed a ruling by a Pushmataha County judge that overturned a murder conviction because of McGirt. That case led to a ruling by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals that the McGirt decision did not apply to those whose convictions had already been upheld on direct appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld that ruling, which dramatically reduced the number of cases involving Native Americans eligible for court review. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Gov. Stitt intervenes in state's prosecution of Native American Wayne Couzens was working as a Met Police officer when he murdered Sarah Everard - METROPOLITAN POLICE/AFP via Getty Images Tough new disciplinary rules that will make it easier for chief constables to sack rogue officers will be unveiled by Downing Street this week. Ministers have drawn up the reforms in response to a series of high-profile scandals that exposed serious flaws in the police vetting process. More than 2,000 bad actors within the ranks, including those who have been found guilty of misconduct, face the axe under the radical overhaul. It is hoped the plans will help restore public confidence in the police which has been badly damaged by cases like the murder of Sarah Everard. The new rules will be unveiled as part of a crime week of policy announcements planned by No 10 as it tries to wrest the initiative back from Labour. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Alex Chalk, the Justice Secretary, told The Telegraph that the proposals will allow police chiefs to act quickly to root out these bad actors He added: Its absolutely critical that forces can move very quickly to root out these sorts of offenders who do such damage to public confidence in policing. Serious failures in police vetting The rules have been drawn up by Chris Philp, the policing minister, following months of talks with chief constables about the powers they need. Last month he admitted that it is currently too difficult for forces to sack detectives even when there is clear evidence that they are guilty of misconduct. He told MPs: Officers who fall seriously short of the standards expected have no place in our police, and we must ensure they can be dismissed as swiftly as possible. The Government established a review to consider the effectiveness of the disciplinary system at removing officers who fall far short of the high standards expected of them. Ministers are considering the findings of the review carefully and will make announcements on the next steps as soon as practicable. The review was ordered earlier this year after serious failures in police vetting and disciplinary processes were exposed by two high-profile cases involving the Met. Wayne Couzens, a former parliamentary protection officer, was sentenced to life imprisonment in September 2021 for the murder of Ms Everard. It later emerged that he was investigated for indecent exposure six years before the abducted, raped and murdered the 33-year-old in London. Misconduct investigations In a separate case earlier this year, David Carrick, a former constable with the Met, was jailed for 30 years for raping and assaulting 13 women. Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the force, has revealed there are more than 500 officers subject to misconduct investigations who he cant sack. Under the new rules, chief constables will be put back in charge of disciplinary panels, replacing independent legally qualified chairmen (LQCs). LQCs, which were introduced by Theresa May when she was home secretary, have been accused of failing to dismiss many officers accused of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the six-stage process for removing bad detectives will be streamlined to just two stages, making it easier to get rid of underperformers. The reforms will also mean that officers who fail to keep their vetting status up to date will be automatically axed from their posts. 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. From where Ive been sitting these last few years (Berlin) it has been quite tough to witness what many regard as the general decline of my native homeland (Britain) as a tourism destination. What with longer queues caused by Brexit, soaring prices for everything from food and hotels to rail travel, and many friends feeling down in the doldrums these days in terms of jobs and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, I found myself putting off the idea of a home visit for much longer than I usually would. Then I started speaking to some Germans who had recently visited. Friends, initially, but also strangers both on and offline, and their reports gradually restored my faith. It started with a good friend, Marcel, from Cologne, who travelled to Wales (via Ireland) and London recently by train and ferry. He told me: Arriving by boat from Dublin, I was surprised to see that there were no passport checks in Holyhead, especially as I had been following the small boats/asylum discussion in the UK before and was expecting long queues. I knew from previous visits that London is expensive and the cost of an overnight stay during high season this year did make it almost impossible to find decent accommodation, even for someone with a decent travel budget. That being said, I was very happy to see some of the great London pubs like the Marquis Cornwallis, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (the best pub name in the world?) and The Old Bell Tavern doing a brisk business despite the cost of living crisis. Marcel, from Cologne, frequented 'great' London pubs such as Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Marcel, a noted train geek like myself, enthused at how great it was to see that train rail travel to and from London seemed as popular as ever, mentioning how St Pancras was very busy but the border controls were quick and easy. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Another friend, Daniel from Berlin, also travelled into London on the Eurostar at the start of the summer. From a pain au chocolat in Paris straight to a scotch egg in London, he enthused. In fact, the UK weather was a breath of fresh air compared to hot and sticky Paris. I spent 10 days in London in different hotels and areas due to high prices but even when I had to cross the entire city from west to east with a lot of luggage on three different buses something I would never try in Berlin it was convenient and less stressful than expected. The people and atmosphere were always relaxed and friendly, and my cultural program spanned immersive theatre and West End shows as well as a DJ gig in Brixton and a deep-dive into Westminster and the Houses of Parliament that was so spectacular even my London mate was speechless. 'The Houses of Parliament were so spectacular even my London mate was speechless' - The Image Bank RF/Getty Daniels real highlight, though, was the diverse food at the markets, which ranged from authentic Bengali dishes to a TikTok-famous Yorkshire burrito. The downside? Bagging his first Covid experience on the way home as a souvenir. But what about the weather? Surely that was a cause for holiday misery? I had 99 per cent sunshine, smiled Katrin Jahn from Hagen in North Rhine-Westphalia. Katrin, travelling with an Interrail pass, started her trip in Reading because of its relative cheapness and proximity to Oxford (which was too expensive for me), then moved onto Bristol, Bath, Torquay, Stonehenge, Southampton, Weymouth and Brighton, before a quick stop in London to visit a friend. Everyone was super nice and I cant think of a situation where I didnt feel safe. I also found some unique accommodation, including a vintage camper in an old warehouse in Bristol and some nice shopping places such as retro stores in Brighton. In terms of food, I had a B&B that served a traditional English breakfast most of that would be for dinner in Germany, but it was great nonetheless. And when I visited my friend in London we went to an Indian restaurant where my friend told the waiter to make it not so spicy because I am German. I am glad because if that was the not-so-spicy I really would have died with the normal levels. I expected everything to be way more expensive after Brexit but I went to the Netherlands before and compared to that, England really wasnt that bad. The only lowlight was that there were no postcards to be found in all of Bristol! 'I had a B&B that served a traditional English breakfast most of that would be for dinner in Germany' - Stone RF/Getty There were some critiques of course, including the astronomical prices for accommodation, that stressful feeling (for continental Europeans) of having to drive on the wrong side of the road, and loud, dirty diesel trains while travelling within the UK. One anonymous German, while praising the integration of immigrant communities, also added: There is a lot broken in the UK and the overall vibe feels off at times. Also, very few places in the UK feel very organic right now due to so many chains and large stores. Bruna, who recently visited Edinburgh, Glasgow, St. Andrews, Inverness, Isle of Skye and Isle of Bute, said: One downside I noticed is that there are so many more homeless people than a few years ago. It was heartbreaking walking in central Glasgow; Brexit and the Tories are definitely to blame for that. On the other hand, Bruna did manage to get a suntan in Scotland. The weather was amazing. We had blue skies on the Isle of Skye, which definitely surprised our guide. In Glasgow, we got 30C and a ton of sun. I ate a lot of local stuff like pies, haggis and pub food. I like it but I can eat it only for a certain amount of time as it is heavy and greasy. I also tried a few Indian restaurants and the quality is just so much better than in Germany. The people are absolutely the nicest and the service is incredible everyone just talks to you. After many months of procrastination, my trip back home has just been booked. 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. Firetrucks are seen on a road in burned forest near the Fyli suburb, northwest Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Authorities battling a major wildfire in northeastern Greece that has been described as the European Union's largest single fire recorded have recovered another body, the fire department says, bringing the total death toll of wildfires in Greece this week to 21. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas) ATHENS, Greece (AP) Fire department officials in Greece arrested two men Saturday for allegedly deliberately setting fires, while hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires that have killed at least 21 people in the past week. One man was arrested on the island of Evia for allegedly setting fire to dried grass in the Karystos area. The fire department said the man confessed to having set four other fires in the area in July and August. A second man arrested in the Larissa area of central Greece also was accused of intentionally setting fire to dried vegetation. Officials have blamed arson for several fires in Greece over the past week. It remains unclear what sparked the country's largest blazes, including one in the northeastern region of Evros, the location of nearly all the fire-attributed deaths, and another on the fringes of Athens. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Greece has been plagued by daily outbreaks of dozens of fires over the past week as gale-force winds and hot, dry summer conditions combined to whip up flames and hamper firefighting efforts. Firefighters were tackling 122 blazes Saturday, including 75 that broke out in the 24 hours between Friday evening and Saturday evening, the fire department said. Although most new fires were controlled in their early stages, some grew to massive blazes that have consumed homes and vast tracts of forest. Some ... arsonists are setting fires, endangering forests, property and above all human lives, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said Thursday. What is happening is not just unacceptable, but despicable and criminal. The minister said nine fires were set in the space of four hours Thursday morning in the Avlona area in the northern foothills of Mount Parnitha on the northwestern fringes of Athens that is one of the capital's last green areas. A major fire was already burning on the southern side of the mountain at the time, and it continued to burn Saturday. You are committing a crime against the country, Kikilias said. We will find you. You will be held accountable to justice. Later on Thursday, police arrested a 45-year-old man on suspicion of arson for allegedly setting at least three fires in the Avlona area. A search of his home revealed kindling, a fire torch gun and pine needles, police said. Lightning strikes from storms in some parts of the country Saturday were believed to have been the cause of several fires, including near the Greek capital. The fire department said 100 firefighters, including contingents from France and Cyprus, backed up by four helicopters, brought fires in four outlying areas near the Greek capital under partial control within hours. The fire department called on the public to be particularly careful and to follow directions by authorities given that intense thunderstorm activity is occurring in various parts of the country. The Evros fire, Greece's largest current blaze, was burning for an eighth day Saturday near the city of Alexandroupolis after causing at least 20 deaths. Authorities issued evacuation orders Saturday afternoon for three villages in the area. Firefighters found 18 bodies in a forest on Tuesday, one on Monday and another Thursday. The 18 included two boys aged between 10 and 15. With nobody reported missing in the area, authorities believe the victims might have been migrants who recently crossed the border from Turkey. Greeces Disaster Victim Identification Team was activated to identify the remains, and a telephone hotline set up for potential relatives of the victims to call. A man reportedly trying to save his livestock from advancing flames in central Greece also died on Monday. More than 290 firefighters, backed by five planes and two helicopters, were battling the Evros blaze. Another 260 firefighters, four planes and three helicopters were tackling the Mount Parnitha fire. Another blaze broke out on the Cycladic island of Andros Saturday, where an evacuation order for a village was also issued. Firefighting reinforcements, including French firefighters with vehicles were sent to Andros from other islands and from the Greek mainland. A lightning strike was reportedly suspected as the cause. With firefighting forces stretched to the limit, Greece has called on other European countries for help. Germany, Sweden, Croatia and Cyprus sent aircraft, while dozens of Romanian, French, Czech, Bulgarian, Albanian, Slovak and Serb firefighters were helping on the ground. Greece imposes wildfire prevention regulations, typically from the start of May to the end of October, to limit activities such as the burning of dried vegetation and the use of outdoor barbecues. Since the start of this years fire season, fire department officials have arrested 163 people on fire-related charges, government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said Friday, including 118 for negligence and 24 for deliberate arson. The police made a further 18 arrests, he said. BROCKTON Will voters pick a self-described "bully" for mayor? Restaurant owner and developer Hamilton Rodrigues says they will. "The city needs a bully," Rodrigues said. "The city is trash. The city is going down the tubes. S----- school systems. S----- streets. Kids running around shooting each other. Why not try me. What do you have to lose?" Rodrigues is one of five candidates who've qualified for September's preliminary election. The owner of George's Restaurant is betting his brash style will appeal to Brocktonians fed up with business as usual. Voters will also have to decide whether to back someone who regularly insults and threatens residents with extremely graphic sexual references. Brockton mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues on Friday, June 9, 2023, talks about how he plans to hold officials more accountable should he be elected. Rodrigues aims to prove he has substance behind the bluster. He touts his background growing up poor in Roxbury before establishing himself in real estate. He talks about attending what he calls "the worst high school in Massachusetts" Boston's Madison Park when by his count five rival gangs roamed the halls. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In campaign literature, he says he graduated Madison Park with a concentration in electrical technology before earning a Bachelor of Arts in communication from UMass-Amherst and a Master of Science in public affairs from UMass-Boston. Rodrigues says his work as a math teacher, real estate broker and philanthropist gives him the background to be mayor. He's broker and principal at Triple 7 Real Estate. "I am qualified, more than anyone in the city," Rodrigues said in a June interview. "I'm the smartest man in the city to do this. And I'm not saying it to be blunt or boast. I'm the most intelligent person in the city. I'm a numbers guy and I can do the job." Residency controversy Hamilton Rodrigues is running for Brockton mayor. But where does he live? 'An aggressive risk-taker' Rodrigues said if elected, he'll give his mayoral salary to charity. "I have what it takes to run a city. I have a business mind. Some folks will say, 'He's an aggressive business owner. He's bad for the city.' I agree. I'm an aggressive business owner. I'm good for the city. That's what the city wants, an aggressive risk-taker that's gonna go all out for the benefit of the people," Rodrigues said. Is Rodrigues a Democrat or Republican? Mayoral elections are non-partisan. But Rodrigues does not shy away from his party affiliation. "I'm a Republican. Proud Republican. I'm a Black Republican but I'm a humanist. I believe people get down on their luck in life. I was down on my luck. That's why I'm a Republican today. I believe, yes, people can pull yourself up by your bootstraps. Whoever tells me otherwise is lying to me, because I was one of those kids that was down and out," Rodrigues said. How he would fight crime by increasing legal ways to make money Rodrigues says he sees himself in Brockton's youth. His plan to fight crime is to give Brockton's young people options outside the illegal drug business. "These kids that they're calling at-risk youth, they're geniuses," Rodrigues said. "They're just looking for a capitalistic entrepreneur outlet and the city's not providing that. The city's pushing this college thing, socialist, Marxist thing, okay? And it's not working for these kids." Is Legion Parkway up-and-coming? New shops and restaurants seem to be popping up all over "They're smart, intelligent. I'd hire them any day for my [real estate] salesforce," he said. "I just have to teach them to change the products. Change the products and they'll be successful entrepreneurs." As an example, Rodrigues said he petitioned the real estate board to help a young man get his real estate license despite a drug trafficking charge. "That kid became my top producer in two years," he said. "These kids want to make money. They want to be businessmen. They want to be bosses. That's how you fight crime." Precincts instead of the $98M public safety complex Rodrigues has other outside-the-box ideas for Brockton. They include halting construction on the city's $98 million public safety complex. Instead, he'd keep the current police headquarters and split the money on four satellite precincts. And he proposes that Brockton build its own public hospital. He said he'd pull a page from Boston Mayor James Michael Curley, who made key improvements to Boston City Hospital (which is today Boston Medical Center). His plan begins with the fact that many users of the city's current hospitals are on some form of government assistance. Brockton mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues has a staff working at his restaurant, George's, but still checks in regularly going over the numbers, as he is here on Friday, June 9, 2023. Friday, June 9, 2023. "So instead of giving that money to the private hospitals, why not keep it in the city? Open up a city hospital. MassHealth provides money to the city. Man, you just created 20,000 jobs in the city. Doctors, lawyers, receptionists, nurses and so forth," Rodrigues said. Rodrigues said he'd institute six-month performance reviews for all city employees, with pay raises tied to positive outcomes for residents. It's a proposal that likely would run afoul of collective bargaining agreements, but it gives you an idea where a Rodrigues administration would be coming from. Exclusive first tour: Seeing Brockton Hospital for the first time since devastating fire What we saw and learned When is the preliminary election and who is running? Assuming questions about Rodrigues' residency don't keep him off the ballot, voters will choose between him, incumbent Mayor Robert F. Sullivan, Fred Fontaine, Richard Ripley and John C. Williams in a Sept. 19 preliminary election. When is the general election? The top two go on to the general election on Nov. 7. Brockton voters guide Brockton city election 2023: What you need to know Why Rodrigues says he needs a 'bully' persona Rodrigues says his "bully" persona is both a campaign strategy and a reflection of who he is. "I have to get low down and dirty and run a guerrilla warfare campaign," Rodrigues said. "I'm going through a lot of sabotage for my campaign. I'm going through a lot of people spreading lies about me in the city so on and so forth. So I have to punch back. I have to punch back and fight aggressive." Several Brocktonians have experienced these verbal punches in online forums. Rodrigues was banned from one group, "Brockton Political Central," in May after expletive-laden exchanges with Carla Grant and Jacob Tagger. Rodrigues threatened Grant's life and accused her of performing sex acts with her former colleagues at the Brockton Police Department. In the thread, Grant responded saying "I never cheated ... how's your poor wife Edny?" Rodrigues responded with "I will forewarn you, if I even smell a threat from you to my family. I will exercise my amendment rights to defend myself and the authorities will come grab you in a body bag." On at least one occasion, Rodrigues allegedly made threats in person. Jeffrey Charnel, the chairperson of Brockton's License Commission, expressed "concern for his own personal welfare" following threats Rodrigues made at the commission's May 18 meeting in City Hall. During that meeting, Rodrigues sought and received permission to host several outdoor events at George's. Charnel voted "no." Brockton mayoral candidate Hamilton Rodrigues on Friday, June 9, 2023, talks about his plans for Brockton, including providing Brockton's young people work options outside the illegal drug business. According to a police report and a License Commission meeting transcript, Charnel gaveled Rodrigues' portion of the meeting closed. Rodrigues said, "Watch what happens! Watch what happens! You jealous piece of s---!" Rodrigues said that once he becomes mayor, he will remove Charnel from the License Commission. The exchange ended with Rodrigues calling Charnel a "f------ worthless piece of s---!" and leaving City Hall. A more recent exchange with a city official came as Cyndi Hogan-Scrivani, the executive director of the Elections Commission, questioned whether Rodrigues really lives in Brockton. Responding to an email about where Rodrigues' name would appear on the ballot, Rodrigues wrote to her, "Cynthia, I'm not stupid. You are trying to put your finger up my a-- without Vaseline. Just like I said before, y'all just don't know who y'all f------ with." It will be up to Brockton voters to see if they embrace Rodrigues. "I'm taking no prisoners and I'm going as a bully. I'm a bully candidate. Write that in bold face," Rodrigues said in the June interview. "I'm the bully in Brockton and no one's gonna stop me." Editor's note: This story has been updated since publication to reflect confirmation of Rodrigues' two university degrees. Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @HelmsNews. This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton election 2023: Hamilton Rodrigues runs for mayor HBCUs look to use March on Washington anniversary to highlight new threats Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) taking part in this weeks celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington hope to use the event to highlight the threats to teaching Black history that are percolating across the nation. The threats take different forms, including new state laws attacking critical race theory, the academic theory that laws and movements are shaped by race and systemic racism, to increasing books bans. Almost one-third of the nearly 1,500 books banned this year are about race, racism or include characters of color and four of the most banned books are written by authors of color, according to PEN America. And in Florida, the fight over critical race theory has been at the heart of a battle over educational standards. Floridas Board of Education in late July approved controversial standards that include the provision that students be taught about the skills slaves learned during slavery. That specific provision became a flashpoint in the GOP presidential race as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis came under criticism over it from Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who is Black. Both men are running for the GOP nomination. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We want to highlight that history and then talk about what can be done to push back against these attempts to erase Black history, said Clarissa Myrick-Harris, professor of Africana Studies at Morehouse College and head of the Committee to Commemorate the Atlanta Student Movement. The Atlanta Student Movement was formed in 1960 by college students to fight for civil rights. The fight over how to teach race is hardly restricted to Florida. Federal, state and local government officials introduced 563 measures restricting teaching about race and racism from 2021 through 2022, according to a UCLA study published this year. Of those, 241 measures have been adopted. It is sad that many of those things that people in 1963 were marching for and marching against are still issues in the world, Myrick-Harris said. HCBUs have long played a critical role in providing educational opportunities to Black Americans, and the March will be another way to show their continued importance. There are too many people for too long who had been saying that HBCUs have had basically, past their expiration date, they were no longer necessary, in part because they didnt even understand why they were in existence, said Cassandra Newby-Alexander, the Emeritus Director of Joseph Jenkins Roberts Center for African Diaspora Studies at Norfolk State University. Clarence Dunnaville, a class of 1954 graduate of Morgan State University, vividly remembers attending the March on Washington and the long journey it took him to get there. Dunnaville, who at the time was an assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, traveled from New York to Washington, D.C., with his uncle to attend the march. It was a long drive on a very hot day, Dunnaville said. And Highway 95 had not been completed yet, so you had to drive through all those little towns and there were stop signs. It took us forever to get to Washington. Dunnaville, who later became the nations first Black attorney to work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), described a sense of jubilation at the march. There were flags waving out of the car windows and people were shouting back and forth, Dunnaville said. It was a really jubilant occasion. Dunnaville told The Hill that he does worry the history that he was part of will be erased. Its kind of a different subject, but Black history has been changed and whats happening in Florida that is something that troubles me a great deal, Dunnaville said. I think the HBCUs should take an important role in that to make sure that Black history is taught and that its taught correctly and be an emphasis in making sure that it is not obliterated. Dunnaville also acknowledged the power of HBCUs, saying that without the drive of student led organizations pushing forward with the march, many milestones and achievements made in the last 60 years wouldnt have happened. But we have to hold on to what they accomplished because people are trying to take that away, Dunnaville added. Thats the challenge for the 21st century to keep what we want, but overall weve made progress. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. TOKYO (Reuters) -The head of Japan's Komeito party, the junior partner in the coalition government, will postpone his planned visit to China at China's request, the party announced on Saturday. Natsuo Yamaguchi was planning to visit China from Aug. 28-30 in hopes of meeting China's President Xi Jinping and to hand over a personal letter from Prime Minister Fumio Kishida . However, the Chinese side on Saturday informed Komeito that "the timing is not appropriate considering the current situation of Japan-China relations", the party said in a statement. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Japan on Thursday began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific despite objections both at home and abroad, including China condemning the move and issuing a ban on all aquatic products from Japan. Kishida and the leaders of the United States and South Korea also met last week and agreed to deepen military and economic cooperation and made their strongest joint condemnation yet of China's "dangerous and aggressive behaviour" in the South China Sea. Komeito said in a statement that it hoped "to readjust the appropriate timing of the visit in the future". The party said the Chinese side had explained that the country sees the importance of Komeito's longstanding friendly exchanges with China and expressed appreciation for Komeito's efforts to realise the visit. (Reporting by Mariko Katsumura; editing by Jason Neely, Kirsten Donovan) Third-party presidential candidates may jump into the 2024 race. How have they affected elections in the past? Here's everything you need to know: How many 'third' parties exist? More than 50 appeared on state ballots last November, including the Reform, Libertarian, Socialist, Natural Law, and Green Parties. But since 1854, when the Whig Party imploded over the issue of slavery, every U.S. president has been either a Republican or a Democrat. Because the Electoral College is a winner-take-all system, it strongly reinforces the binary nature of U.S. politics: Every state but Maine and Nebraska awards all its electoral votes to a single candidate. That greatly reduces the chance a third-party candidate could amass the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, have automatic ballot access, huge fundraising machines, and high name recognition. For these reasons, the two dominant parties have received at least 94% of votes in all but four presidential elections over the past 100 years. Periodically, outsiders running on other party lines have intentionally or unintentionally served as spoilers, peeling off enough votes to change the winner of the election. With more Democrats than Republicans saying they're open to third-party candidates in 2024, President Joe Biden is particularly vulnerable to the spoiler effect. "Third-party candidacies do not have much of a record of winning," said Princeton University historian and political analyst Julian Zelizer, but they can "take enough votes from a handful of voters within a handful of states to have a dramatic impact." Which have come closest to winning? Since 1900, four third-party presidential candidates have received double-digit shares of the vote. Only one of them came in second: Theodore Roosevelt , who as president threw his support behind his secretary of war, William Howard Taft , in 1908 but ran against him four years later. In response to Taft's rightward drift, Roosevelt formed the progressive Bull Moose party. In the 1912 race, Roosevelt drew 27% of the vote, beating out Taft and Socialist Eugene V. Debs. The split of the Republican vote enabled Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win easily, with 42% of the vote. The last third-party candidate to win any Electoral College votes was segregationist George Wallace, who picked up five Deep South states in 1968. In 1992, billionaire Reform Party founder Ross Perot made the strongest third-party showing since Teddy Roosevelt, with 19% of the popular vote. Why do they run? A plurality of U.S. voters consider themselves political independents, and third-party candidates say they deserve options outside the two-party duopoly. Sometimes, after running, their ideas are incorporated into major-party agendas. Perot's advocacy for balancing the budget, for example, seems to have informed Bill Clinton 's ultimately successful push to eliminate the annual deficit as president. But third-party candidates' campaigns can wind up hurting the causes they claim to represent. In 2000, Green Party nominee Ralph Nader won 97,488 votes in Florida, a state Democrat Al Gore lost by 537. The following year, President George W. Bush pulled the U.S. out of the Kyoto climate protocol. Another Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, met with Vladimir Putin at a 2015 Moscow gala sponsored by Russian propaganda outlet RT and claimed Hillary Clinton would plunge the country into nuclear war. Stein played a significant role in Clinton's defeat: The votes Stein received in crucial swing states Michigan and Wisconsin in 2016, mostly from young progressives, exceeded Donald Trump 's margin of victory in each state. Which parties will participate next year? The Greens already have their candidate: activist and former Harvard University Professor Cornel West, a socialist who accuses "plantation" Democrats of taking the Black vote for granted. There's also No Labels, a group of centrist Republican and Democratic lawmakers formed in 2010. Its members have secured ballot access in 10 states, intend to raise $70 million, and say they will announce by March whether they will launch a bipartisan "unity ticket." Their pool of potential candidates includes Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.) and Maryland's former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. No Labels' founders insist they do not intend to act as spoilers. Instead, they say, their goal is to offer "an insurance plan," a chance to unify the electorate in case "the two major parties select candidates the vast majority of Americans don't want to vote for." Could that happen? Polls find that most Americans do not want either Biden or Trump to run again. But analysts are skeptical of No Labels' claim of having a path to victory. Instead, its candidate could ensure that no candidate gets 270 Electoral College votes, sending the choice of president to the House of Representatives, which has a Republican majority. Former GOP strategist and Lincoln Project co-founder Rick Wilson argues that No Labels' "centrist do-gooder" positioning is deeply misleading. "What could possibly go wrong?" he asks. "The thing that could go wrong is the election of Donald Trump." The first billionaire populist Ross Perot loathed the political establishment. The eccentric computer services magnate gained media attention by financing rogue attempts to get medicine to POWs in Vietnam and his employees out of 1979 Iran. In his largely self-funded, populist presidential campaign in 1992, Perot vowed to balance the budget, and advocated hard-line conservative policies on immigration and drugs and relatively liberal views on abortion and gay rights. He trash-talked his opponents, espoused conspiracy theories and vowed to "clean out the barn" in Washington, D.C. He also attempted to bypass the news media through 30-minute infomercials explaining his policies and a proposal for televised call-in town halls. Perot briefly surged to first in the polls; after briefly dropping out of the race, he ended up with 19% of the popular vote, enabling Bill Clinton to beat incumbent President George H.W. Bush and win the presidency with 43%. Many Republicans questioned whether Clinton could claim to have a "mandate" to govern with a minority of votes. "You take [Perot] away and we win," George H.W. Bush's advisor Sigmund Rogich later complained. "Those votes weren't Clinton votes, those were our votes." This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like Homepage Users on far-right online forums are publishing private information about members of the Georgia grand jury that indicted former president Donald Trump and 18 of his allies in a sweeping criminal case focused on alleged 2020 election interference earlier this month, leading to jurors receiving threats online. The Fulton County Sheriff's office announced last week that they were working on tracking down where the threats were coming from and were coordinating with "law enforcement partners to respond quickly to any credible threat and to ensure the safety of those individuals who carried out their civic duty." After the release of the indictment and the grand jurors' names, users on far-right message boards began sharing their addresses, identities, social media accounts and other information targeting the jurors, according to Media Matters. "It's a serious problem," Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told Salon. "These grand jurors' names and other personal information have been linked on dangerous sites, in particular 4chan. That's where multiple terrorist manifestos have been posted and the site is filled with white supremacists and other extremists." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On a forum that has served as a hub for "Q," the central figure of the QAnon conspiracy theory, a user shared the names of the jurors alongside their addresses. Meanwhile, on another platform where the QAnon conspiracy theory originated, a user appeared to make a veiled threat about following these individuals to their residences and photographic their faces, Media Matters found. Some users also made explicit threats aimed at the jurors on these message boards. One user referred to the grand jurors' names as a "hit list," prompting another user to reply with, "Based. Godspeed anons, you have all the long range rifles in the world." In addition to facing online harassment, jurors are at risk of several other dangers varying from receiving menacing phone calls to having people show up at their houses to swatting and even receiving death threats, Beirich said. "We've seen this in other cases where people have been targeted by far-right figures," she added. "Their families can also be targeted. It can be a dangerous and scary situation. We can never forget the two poll workers in Georgia that Trump targeted and who had to go into hiding afterward." After Trump posted on his social media website Truth Social that authorities were going "after those that fought to find the RIGGERS!" Advance Democracy, a nonpartisan research group founded by Dan Jones, a former FBI investigator and staffer for the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, pointed out that Trump supporters were employing the term "rigger" as a substitute for a racial slur in their online posts. "There is a lot of anger out there on the part of pro-Trump actors and given the harassment that is faced by public officials lately, the same could happen here," Beirich said. "It's unfortunate Georgia law doesn't provide any protections. These people are doing their civil duty; they shouldn't have to face this." Under Georgia law, the names of grand jurors are included on indictments a practice aimed at promoting transparency. However, this approach has come under scrutiny given the continuing threats following the recent indictment of Trump and 18 co-defendants. The only way Georgia or any other state would change the current practice is if there is a widespread outcry over the harassment or if there is actual violence that takes place, said Donald Haider-Markel, a University of Kansas political science professor who studies domestic extremism. "Much like election workers after the 2020 election, we may begin to see more efforts from potential jurors to ask for an excuse not to serve on a [grand jury], which could also incite a change in the law," he added. Verbal attacks and harassment have been common for a long time on the extreme right and left, Haider-Markel explained. He pointed to the example of "wanted" posters targeting doctors who perform abortions by the anti-abortion movement since the 1980s. Individuals would go as far as disclosing the addresses, phone numbers, car descriptions, and license plates of abortion clinic workers, he said. "This practice won't influence the way most people behave, but it only takes one true believer to use the information to harass and potentially use violence against the target and/or their family members," Haider-Markel said. The same tactics have been employed by environmental and animal rights activists against those they believe are threatening the environment or exploiting animals, he continued. The Unabomber, for example, selected targets for his mailing campaign in the same manner, going after executives and researchers. "Many observers believe that these practices have led to violence against abortion clinic workers and that these practices have led to individuals leaving the field," Haider-Markel said. "Certainly, there are plenty of stories about election workers that have left the field since 2020 because of the harassment and threats they faced." Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. These message boards have even gone as far as targeting two NBC News reporters who wrote about the grand jury incident. They had their own supposed addresses posted online, according to the Advance Democracy's latest report, Reuters found. The group also identified posts containing aggressive language targeting Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who brought state racketeering and conspiracy charges against Trump and his allies. Trump himself has gone after the DA and accused her of prosecutorial misconduct. He also criticized her time in office, asserting that she had been excessively lenient on crime allowing Atlanta "to become one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world." "He makes everything worse because he just doesn't seem to care what effect his words have in inciting his followers," Beirich said. "That has been true since his 2016 campaign. I'm sure Willis is facing a deluge of threats and will need protection." His verbal attacks against Willis come as no surprise though as the former president has a habit of denigrating prosecutors who are investigating him. Trump has used Truth Social to harass Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, New York's Attorney General Letitia James and special counsel Jack Smith, who brought two federal indictments against him. In a post against Bragg, he warned that there would be "death and destruction" if he was indicted. Shortly after his threat, the Manhattan DA's office received a death threat letter with suspicious powder, which was later determined non-hazardous, with the letter saying: "ALVIN: I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!" In other posts, Trump has called Smith "deranged" and accused him of taking away his First Amendment Rights. The former president even called for U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's recusal, saying he was calling for the move "on very powerful grounds." Chutkan is the federal judge overseeing the criminal case of Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Washington DC. Last week, a Texas woman was arrested and charged with threatening to kill Chutkan, The Associated Press reported. Abigail Jo Shry called the federal courthouse in Washington and left a threatening message. "You are in our sights, we want to kill you," the documents said. Despite public officials receiving such threats, the former president has continued his attacks. In some social media posts, he has even warned "If you go after me, I'm coming after you!" "It's important not to underestimate the chilling effect that personal targeting and online harassment can have on jurors, on voters, on elected officials [and] on community members," Lindsay Schubiner, director of programs at Western States Center an anti-extremism watchdog, told Salon. "And the publication of personal details, especially physical locations, is a huge risk factor for potential violence." Schubiner pointed to the examples of mass shooters, who were active in online hate forums prior to their crimes. There's also a "big risk" for the translation of online harassment into direct physical violence, she added. "Trump's words and his actions have normalized bigotry and harassment, and even political violence for a long time," Schubiner said. "From the beginning of his campaign, he opened the door to normalizing overt bigotry in politics and opened the door for bigoted and anti-democracy groups like the Proud Boys, like the Oath Keepers, to play a much more prominent role in our political system." Read more about MAGA threats Hodges University is closing permanently by the end of August 2024, citing financial difficulties and declining enrollment, according to the school's president. The private, nonprofit university based in Fort Myers will not enroll any degree-seeking students in September 2023, according to a notice Friday to students from Hodges President Charlene Wendel. The majority of Hodges degree offerings will end next April with limited classes through August 2024. The campus is at 4501 Colonial Blvd. Unfortunately, due to financial challenges and declining enrollment numbers, we can no longer provide the quality educational programs that we have provided over the past 33 years, the notice said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Hodges closure is not unique; dozens of smaller universities and colleges across the United States have closed in recent years, according to bestcolleges.com. We understand that this news may come as a shock, but we want you to know that our top priority is to ensure that your educational journey continues smoothly, and we are here to help you find another school to finish your degree if you will not be able to complete it before we close, according to the Hodges notice. Wendel said Hodges has started reaching out to other universities for transfer options for all students who will not be able to finish their degree at Hodges. Graduates wave to their friends and families during the commencement for Hodges University at Hertz Arena in Estero on Sunday, June 9, 2019, when 480 students graduated. Faculty advisors are establishing partnerships with other schools to enable students to easily transfer. We understand that transferring credits and adapting to a new environment can be challenging, and we are committed to minimizing any disruptions to your education, the notice said. Hodges has faced declining enrollment in recent years despite efforts to adapt to a changing educational landscape and provide innovative programs, according to a news release. But the track was unsustainable, prompting the school's board of trustees to opt for closing, the release said. More: Hodges University training dental hygienists; public can access care How many students are impacted? Seventy-six students had planned to start at Hodges in September and they will not, Wendel told the Fort Myers News-Press/Naples Daily News. We want to graduate as many of our students as we can before closing, she said. Wendel replaced John Meyer as president July 6 following a special meeting of the board of trustees who decided for a change in leadership. Hodges offered no details for the switch. We are enrolling students not seeking a degree, for example certificates, English as a second language, EMT students are being accepted, and non-credit bearing students are also still being enrolled, she said. Char Wendel, president of Hodges University In 2013, there were about 2,800 students and today there are 340 students in undergraduate programs and 70 graduate students. What about the financials? The financial issues are tied to the declining enrollment, Wendel said. These challenges were exacerbated by COVID-19 and by Hurricane Ian, she said, referring to the near Category 5 storm that hit Southwest Florida last Sept. 28. However, the primary fact is that enrollment is down and this is being seen throughout the country, she said. Hodges is not declaring bankruptcy, which Wendel said she has seen on social media posts. According to bestcolleges.com, at least 43 public or nonprofit colleges since spring 2020 have closed or merged with other institutions. Campuses shut down on-campus learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and many struggled to re-open, according to the site. In 2017, Jones College in Jacksonville closed after operating nearly 100 years. A notice cited loss of accreditation. Jones had 350 students. History of Hodges Hodges is a private non-profit university that was founded in 1990 and its original name was International College. Its focus was to provide education and training opportunities for working adults. It changed its name to Hodges in 2007 in honor of benefactors, Earl and Thelma Hodges, of Naples. Hodges offers associate, bachelors and masters degrees in fields that include accounting, psychology, business, computer science, nursing, dental hygiene, health science, marketing and other areas. It began offering online degree programs in 1995. Hodges ranked 37 for best online schools in Florida this year by University HQ, an independent educational organization. This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Fort Myers' Hodges University closing after 33 years of operation A Redditor has shared a new tool that generates recipes from the ingredients in your cupboard. Posting into the r/ZeroWaste subreddit, one Redditor shared how they built a website called Gumbo from scratch to help people use whats already in their kitchen, which would cut grocery bills and food waste. The scoop Gumbo is a recipe curation website, which scans the internet for dishes you can cook with whatever ingredients you input into its search bar. Simply add the ingredients in your kitchen into its search bar, then let the algorithm do its work. Gumbo will display whatever recipes that match the ingredients youve requested. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its a not-for-profit venture for now and completely ad-free. As someone who cares deeply about food waste and reducing my environmental impact, Im really proud of what Ive built, the creator wrote. Ive put a lot of time and energy into making Gumbo as user-friendly and effective as possible. How its helping Approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted globally. Americans throw out the equivalent of 130 billion meals a year, which costs consumers $408 billion in wasted food. Cutting food waste would help to ease household budgets, which is crucial now when food prices are rising. In the U.S., Western states are also seeing a historic megadrought, which is impacting some of the nations key agricultural areas. California, which produces a third of the nations vegetables, and two-thirds of its fruit and nuts, has lost $3 billion due to drought. This reduction in food produce is hitting consumers pockets food prices were 11.4% higher last year than in 2021. Cutting food waste is good for the planet too. When food waste breaks down in landfills, it releases the polluting gas methane, which has 80 times the warming power that carbon dioxide does for the first 20 years that it is in the atmosphere. If we stopped wasting food, we could reduce global greenhouse gases by 6% to 8%. Using a tool like Gumbo has measurable benefits for sustainability and it does so more efficiently than other similar tools, like Supercook. According to Gumbos designer, it relies on an AI algorithm to select recipes, unlike Supercook, which uses a pattern-matching algorithm. Gumbo recognizes more ingredients it knows 4,000, while Supercook knows 2,500. Gumbo also has a vetting process to make sure all the recipes it recommends are good quality, and Supercook has a more inclusive approach. What everyones saying Redditors have been quick to applaud Gumbos useability and to point out how it could help cash-strapped households. Saves me sticking my fridge contents in Google with the word recipe and doing some mental gymnastics to throw something together from the results (which is something I do at least once a fortnight), one user commented. Im in the process of moving and have small amounts of food in my cupboard that Ive been trying to figure out how to use and not move with this is the solution, another user replied. Another user said: I love that this reduces food waste and could also help people with limited access to groceries/different foods find new recipes. Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet. I'm an American who shopped at Hagkaup, the 'Walmart of Iceland.' Here are 5 surprising things I've never seen in US stores. I visited Hagkaup, an Icelandic grocery chain and retailer known as the "Walmart of Iceland." I was surprised to see a box of free fruit for children, which I've never seen in US grocery stores. Hagkaup also featured its own candy store and a large craft section with alpaca yarn. Hagkaup (pronounced HOW-kup), an Icelandic retailer with a wide-ranging selection of food, housewares, clothes, cosmetics, crafts, toys, and other items, is often compared to Walmart because it has a little bit of everything at low prices. On a recent trip to Iceland, I visited Hagkaup for the first time. While there were similarities with Walmart and other stores I've shopped at in the US, it also had features I've never seen in an American store before. Here are five things that surprised me about Hagkaup as an American shopper. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement There are seven Hagkaup stores in Iceland. I visited one in Kopavogur, about 5 miles outside the capital city of Reykjavik. The Hagkaup parking lot. Talia Lakritz/Insider The store was located inside the Smaralind shopping center in Kopavogur. Hagkaup's entrance featured a one-way gate, which I haven't encountered in US stores. The entrance to Hagkaup. Talia Lakritz/Insider Once I followed the orange arrows through the gate, the only way I could exit was through the checkout counters. I encountered similar one-way gates at grocery stores in Scotland, but I haven't seen them in US shops. The selection of Icelandic salmon and lox was larger than I've seen in American grocery aisles. Salmon at Hagkaup. Talia Lakritz/Insider In 2020, Iceland was the fourth-largest producer of salmon in Europe at 34,000 tons, according to Statistics Iceland. The expansive section of fresh and smoked Arctic salmon felt unique to Iceland, since most salmon I see at stores like Trader Joe's in the US comes from Alaska. Hagkaup offered a box of free fruit for kids to enjoy, a common feature of Nordic supermarkets. Fruit for kids at Hagkaup. Talia Lakritz/Insider I loved how family-friendly the offering was for busy parents running errands. I haven't encountered a similar stand in American grocery stores. Some select locations of chain supermarkets such as some ShopRite stores in New Jersey and New York, ABC7 reported in 2018 have rolled them out in the past, but I have never seen them during my own shopping trips. I didn't expect Hagkaup to have an extensive arts-and-crafts section. Alpaca yarn at Hagkaup. Talia Lakritz/Insider In my experience living in the US, craft supplies are mostly sold in specialty stores like Michaels or Joann Fabrics. I was surprised to find shelves of colorful alpaca yarn, beads, ribbon, drawing tools, and other items. I couldn't believe that Hagkaup contained a full candy store within a store. Nammiland at Hagkaup. Talia Lakritz/Insider At Nammiland, located in the back corner of Hagkaup, customers could take a paper bag and scoop out gummies, chocolates, sour belts, and other candies from giant bins. With its size and variety of options, it easily could have been its own establishment. Read the original article on Insider As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and later rape during my college years, my lifes journey is marked by determination to be more than what happened to me, constant dedication to the work of healing, being willing to push through the scars that abuse left, and committing myself to whatever it takes to never be unable to protect myself in life-threatening situations. As a young woman, trying to put back together the shattered pieces of my life, I promised myself I would not allow my trauma to define me nor would I ever be a victim again. That led me on a journey to learn everything I could about self-protection. Like many Americans, I did not grow up in homes where firearms were present. As a result, I relate to those individuals, frequently women, who are intimidated by firearms. I was first exposed to handguns for personal protection when I was gifted a handgun and a concealed-carry class for my 30th birthday. I was empowered by this experience and soon began spending more and more time at the range and learning to be proficient in self-defense. A shooting range outside Fredericksburg, Va. According to Gallup, 32% of U.S. adults say they own a gun, while 44% report living in a gun household. As a single mother and sexual assault survivor, I know women need firearms training In 2020, a year marked by social unrest and violent upheavals in the aftermath of George Floyd's death, friends started coming to me for guidance on how to protect themselves and their families. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I spent nearly every free moment I had for the next five months at the range, sharing what I had learned with the dozens of women wanting help. Word of my informal training spread quickly by word of mouth, and one day a woman handed me $80 at the end of our time and said, You should charge for this training. Two days later I had a website and a logo, and I have never looked back. I have dedicated my life to learning from the best of the best in the industry and have now personally invested thousands of hours into teaching first-time gun owners in Tennessee, primarily women, on how to be their own first responders. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. On a more personal note, as a single mother, I recognize that I am solely responsible for my daughters' safety. I never want them to be vulnerable the way I was, and like every mother I know, there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect them. Schools should be focused on safety, not being gun-free zones The memory of the Covenant School tragedy on March 27 remains etched in the collective consciousness of every Tennessean. During those harrowing moments, I prayed for the presence of an armed and resolute individual who could shield students and staff and make the killing stop. In these active shooter incidents, the longer it takes for a good guy with a gun to get on scene, the more people are killed. At the Christian school in the Nashville neighborhood of Green Hills, the shooter left three children and three adults dead. A pediatrician's view: I remember every gunshot victim I've treated. Our gun laws must change. The National Firearms Survey by Centiment of 54,000 U.S. adults, conducted in 2021 and updated in 2022, is the largest and most comprehensive look at American gun ownership to date. The survey indicates that firearms are employed in self-defense approximately 1.7 million times annually. Guns save lives. So why do we send our children to schools in gun-free zones where the adults who are supposed to protect them are defenseless but when time really matters, they call for someone with a gun to come help and wait while innocents continue to be killed. Tennessee has deemed schools gun-free zones. Instead, they ought to be fortresses of safety for our most precious our children and willing teachers should be armed and trained. Why red flag laws could harm law-abiding citizens In this past weeks special session of the state legislature, there was proposed legislation for extreme risk protection orders, more commonly known as red flag laws. They allow judges, via a petition from loved ones or law enforcement, to restrict individuals from acquiring or possessing a firearm when these warning signs constitute a threat to themselves or others. A father's view: Children are terrified of school shootings, gun violence. Tennessee lawmakers should listen. According to the federal government, approximately 8% of women and 4% of men will experience post-traumatic stress disorder at some point in their lifetimes. Red flag laws have the potential to leave millions of Americans people like myself, veterans, mothers dealing with postpartum depression and women escaping an abusive relationship defenseless. Such orders infringe upon the rights of citizens who have not been convicted or even charged with a crime. Kristin Benton In the wake of the Covenant School tragedy, proponents of gun control have resorted to intimidation and mob mentality tactics, pressuring lawmakers to erode the ability of law-abiding Tennesseans to protect themselves. History has shown that any failure of these newly enacted gun control measures to enhance public safety prompts subsequent demands for more stringent regulations. If we continue down this path, we will be left defenseless. I urge all Tennesseans to steadfastly champion our fundamental right to protect ourselves, our homes and our families. Kristin Benton has lived in the Nashville area for 26 years and owns She Shoots Training. This column first published in The Tennessean. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: As rape survivor, I know guns protect us. Red flag laws limit rights Paraska Demchuk, the mother of Oleksandr Matsiyevsky, the Ukrainian hero who lost his life after being shot by Russian soldiers for shouting "Glory to Ukraine!", opened up about her final conversation with her son in an interview with Radio Svoboda on August 24. While he was leaving, he sensed [his end] she recalled. He said farewell to me, kissed me: 'Mom, thank you for my life. Mom, we can be killed, we're going to zero...'. I told him, 'Sashenka, I'm worried about you, I guess I'm safe, do take care of yourself, my son!' And he replied, 'Mom, I don't have much time left, I'm passing the phone.'" Read also: Ukraine forming joint medical commissions to exchange POWs with Russia ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Watching the video of her son's execution is just as painful for her as the first time, she shares. "Other children died, their mothers didn't witness their deaths, but this image on Facebook, on the Internet, I see them almost every day. It's impossible to forget," she admitted. "I meticulously examine at what lies around. His gaze. I scrutinize his gaze. What was reflected in his eyes, what he was thinking about" Mrs. Paraska reminisces. Read also: Zelenskyy reacts to video of Ukrainian soldier's decapitation by Russians She shared that Oleksandr told her there would be a password between them, a code that he would share with her in the event of impending death. When he died, I thought about how it happened, she said. He couldn't reach me, he couldn't convey his message. He didn't get the chance to clarify. It haunted me, the way it happened. Did he die instantly, did he suffer, was he tortured? For some reason, I wanted to know how my son died. The mother of the hero said her son wished to survive until the ultimate victory. "He always said, 'when we win, I'll learn Ukrainian language'," she recalled. "Heroes should not die. The younger generation should follow the example [he set]. We need to build a new Ukraine on patriotism, on the examples set by soldiers. What Is Known About Ukrainian Hero Oleksandr Matsiyevsky A grim video went viral on social media on March 6. It shows Russian soldiers executing an unarmed Ukrainian prisoner at close range. After the camera was pointed at the prisoner, Matsiyevsky says Glory to Ukraine! and immediately a soldier shoots him in the head and then several times in the body. Read also: Mural dedicated to soldier murdered by Russians appears in center of Kyiv Matsiyevsky, 42, was a resident of Moldova but had lived in Nizhyn in Chernihiv Oblast. He volunteered to fight at the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, served as a sniper of the 119th Brigade of Chernihiv Territorial Defence Forces. Matsiyevsky was executed on Dec. 30, 2022. His body was exchanged in February, Ukraine's Security Service revealed. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posthumously awarded him the title of Hero of Ukraine, the countrys highest national title conferred upon citizens. 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 Editors note: Though the commanders quoted in this story are public figures, the other soldiers are identified by first names and callsigns only due to security reasons. DONETSK OBLAST In a wide field in Donetsk Oblast, the silence of what would otherwise be a sleepy August afternoon is broken up by bursts of gunfire, explosions and laughter. Five men enter the trench at once; two groups of two and a fifth covering the rear, as a machine gunner provides suppressing fire above their heads. With grenades, assault rifles, and a fair share of mistakes, the men clear the trench of todays enemy: paper targets of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Here, at a training range about 25 kilometers from the Bakhmut front line, infantrymen of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army (UDA) practice assault operations in their downtime between missions. Deputy company commander Oleksandr Bondar, 44, watches carefully from atop mounds of earth as his men go about their work. Loud and unforgiving when one of them slips up, he breaks into an open smile after the drill is over, helping each one to climb back out of the trench. There can always be mistakes and problems, at the shooting range and in life, said Bondar, but we must watch and listen to each other, support each other, so everyone will be thinking about protecting the team. Ukrainian infantrymen discuss tactics during assault training in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 5, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) Once finished, the soldiers each find their own way to unwind: some relax in the grass, some joke around with each other, others empty more magazines into targets on the hill opposite. After months of hellish fighting against Russias assault on the city over winter and spring, Ukraines summer campaign around Bakhmut has been one characterized by much good news and optimism on the outside. The Bakhmut area is commonly seen as one of the three main axes of the Ukrainian summer counteroffensive, along with the two main pushes on the southern front line. While attacks in the south stalled for weeks at a time, Ukrainian forces regularly mounted successful assaults on Russian positions near Bakhmut, especially on the southern flank, where the key settlement of Klishchiivka is now contested again after falling to Russia back in winter. We started attacking back in May, long before the announcement of that big offensive that was talked about in the media, said Serhii Ilnytskyi, 53, commander of the UDA grouping near Bakhmut. Unlike on the southern front, where the counteroffensive has been spearheaded by newly-formed units who spent months training, often abroad, advances around Bakhmut are achieved by some of Ukraines most battle-hardened units, most of which have fought in these same sectors of the line at least since the beginning of winter. Over mid-August, the Kyiv Independent spent two weeks in the region with infantry, artillery, medic, and drone units around Bakhmut. For those fighting here, beneath the new-found momentum on the battlefield lies a candid and unglamorous outlook on the future of the war. In world media, noise continues to build about whether or not the Ukrainian counteroffensive has already failed to meet its goals, and if so, who is to blame. But among soldiers here on the Bakhmut front, the word counteroffensive itself is treated with indifference if spoken at all. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Whether or not it is considered part of Ukaines great summer push, the fighting here is, in many ways, just more what it has been for a year already: assaults, counterattacks, close-quarters firefights, all under a sky teeming with drones and artillery fire from both sides. The only difference is that now, it is Ukraine that has the initiative; but that doesnt make things any easier. Rather, the ongoing battles around Bakhmut give an idea of what a longer, attritional war may look like once the counteroffensive culminates, and of the increased human price Ukraine must pay to liberate every new settlement, every new trench, every new kilometer of its land. Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 21 Counteroffensive progress: Expectations vs. reality Infantry grind As the sun begins to set at the training ground, the UDA troops collect their weapons and head back at a relaxed pace to the awaiting vehicles, watched with endearment by their commander Ilnytskyi, resting on the bonnet of his Nissan. Away from the cheerful chatter of the others, one young soldier stands off to the side, clearly in a more reserved mood. This company used to have seventy people when I joined, said Bohdan Hutsul, a 22-year-old infantryman from Rakhiv in the Carpathian Mountains, looking at the group of around 25 men. What you see here are the leftovers. Ukrainian infantryman Bohdan "Hutsul" in a trench during training exercises in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 5, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) Formed in 2015, the UDA is one of the few units of Ukraines armed forces that still carries a strong tradition of the many volunteer battalions that sprung up when Russia first invaded eastern Ukraine. Eighteen months into the full-scale war however, the formation, with units fighting on all three axes of the counteroffensive, is now beginning to pay a high price for its makeup of volunteers, rather than mobilized soldiers. It's hard to go forward, we don't have new weapons and equipment, and these days our personnel aren't being replaced, said Ilnytskyi. We move with what we have, but one thing we have is that we only accept volunteers, motivated people into our unit, who know what they are fighting for. South of Bakhmut, UDA infantrymen work together with Ukraines elite 3rd Assault and 80th Air Assault brigades, which also share the same training range. When the assault troops take a new position, the task falls on soldiers like Hutsul to move in and hold them over three-day shifts as Russian forces try to quickly take them back. The most important thing is to dig and entrench ourselves, he said. Other guys gave their lives to take these positions, and now we have to hold them. If we don't dig in they could push us back out, and you don't want your brothers' lives to have been lost in vain. Blown to bits by months of heavy artillery fire, the positions they must hold often offer little cover. It's hard, you don't even have room to stretch out your legs, and you have to sit there for three days, said Hutsul, who pointed to where shrapnel still remained lodged in his body after being wounded three times. At an earlier position we were sent for three days and it ended up being five. Thirty-six degrees, and our water ran out, thankfully on the last day it rained and we had something to drink. We held those positions, by the way, and now we are going forward. Sometimes you get the impression that we have been left out to pasture, guys can complain there is not enough support, said Bondar. But what they sometimes don't understand is that this is exactly our job, we are the infantry, the first line of defense, behind which the rest of the army works. Loosening up after the interview, Hutsuls expression shifts back and forth from stern outward readiness to reflection, if not fear. He has reason to be apprehensive: the following day, it is once again his turn to head out and hold the line for three days of battle. Read also: Just hold on: Front-line medics race against time to save wounded soldiers Edge of the city The road to Chasiv Yar, a city about 15 kilometers west of Bakhmut, is as picturesque as it is dangerous in summer. Through rolling, untended fields now overgrown with long grass, half a dozen wide dirt tracks give the endless military traffic to the city plenty of options. Approaching the entrance to the city, a shell thuds into a field just over 100 meters away, the soil leaping into the air. Our military escort asks politely to pick up the pace. At the units headquarters in an undisclosed location in the area, multiple screens show a live drone feed of a familiar scene: the last streets of Bakhmut, ruins of a city that has been liberated from almost all its buildings and inhabitants. A Russian shell lands in a field near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 7, 2023. (Photo: Larisa Kalik) Since Ukraines last great counteroffensive success in Kherson, the fighting has been dominated by the ongoing Battle of Bakhmut, a city with limited strategic value which has seen tens of thousands of casualties on both sides. Russian forces led by the Wagner mercenary group finally took the city in late May, upon which Wagner promptly withdrew from the fight to field camps, from where it launched its brief mutiny a month later. It's hard to say that either attacking or defending is easier or more comfortable, said Anton Lavryniuk, commander of the 214th OPFOR battalion, one of the last units to withdraw from Bakhmut, to the Kyiv Independent. Though Ukraine is advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut, here on the citys edge, it is Russian forces, reinforced by elite paratrooper units, which still attempt daily assaults of Ukrainian lines. When you are assaulting you have mines, you have direct contact with the enemy, Lavryniuk said. When you are defending you are just sitting under shelling all day, not knowing what to do but knowing your position could be assaulted at any moment and you will have to work. OPFOR Battalion commander Anton Lavryniuk at his unit's base in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 7, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) Since Ukrainian forces first regained the initiative around Bakhmut in May, Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi has repeatedly claimed that the occupied city was in the process of being encircled. On the ground, that still looks like a distant dream. Everyone has their own job, their own mission, said Lavryniuk dryly. If they (Syrskyi) say things like that then maybe they know something we don't. For the commander, the scenario of a drawn-out attritional war is a likely one. Already fighting in Donetsk Oblast for a year without rotation, his unit is under no illusion they will be switched out soon by fresh faces from the civilian rear. The idea that we will be rotated out isn't even discussed here, he said, it's more a subject of dark jokes more than anything, imagining we walk outside onto the street and our replacement has arrived. As long as that is the case, Lavryniuk is adamant that the OPFOR battalion will carry out their orders as long as required of them. To forget everything and turn around, that is the easiest thing to do. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us Waiting out the storm Driving out of a village near Chasiv Yar at 3 a.m., a Ukrainian military van turns off its headlights as it approaches its destination. Inside, the six passengers are silent: Even if they have done this dozens of times before, the tension of the ride out is never lost completely. The Kyiv Independent joined a five-man artillery crew for a 24-hour shift at positions just six kilometers west of Bakhmut itself, in an area where the front line has largely stood still despite months of heavy fighting. The chorus of both sides exchange of artillery fire at these positions is endless, intensifying in the afternoon to the point where the whistle of an incoming shell comes like clockwork about a minute apart. Desensitized to the sound, both soldiers and local cats are unfazed even as the blasts shake the walls of the house where they are based. In the rare breaks in the bombardment, another sound becomes audible: Russian fixed-wing drones flying hundreds of meters above, some surveying the battlefield, and others, like the notorious Lancet kamikaze model, loitering in the air, until a target to strike is chosen. The men operate a Soviet-built MT-12 Rapira field gun, first designed in the 1970s to fill an anti-tank function. The weapon is a relic of another era, outmatched in power, range, and accuracy by almost every other large artillery piece used in the war. Here, however, the Rapira has found its niche. Firing from concealed positions at a range of up to eight kilometers, the weapons flat trajectory is ideal for targeting Russian snipers and anti-tank squads spotted working out of Bakhmuts mangled apartment buildings. This time, the crews hands are largely tied. Collecting the shells from two firing positions under cover of darkness, the shift commander Serhii Zuba, 30, finds that there are only 13 100mm shells left to use, with more only arriving with the shift change. It's always good to have some (ammunition) in reserve, he said. Three days ago, the Russians assaulted and took some of our positions and we hit them with everything we had. Howitzers, mortars, we were all working together, just levelling where they were and that day we took the positions back. A good result. Forced to fire from close behind the front line due to the Rapiras limitations, the crew here are especially vulnerable to Russian counterbattery fire. Five days earlier, another shift on the same position had been targeted with poison gas munitions, leaving the crew hospitalized with internal chemical burns in their airways. Now, the team is equipped with gas masks, most of which themselves are relics from Soviet stocks. Russias limited use of chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine, a blatant violation of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention to which Russia is a signatory, is one of the least-discussed of Moscows war crimes due to a lack of independently verifiable evidence. Beyond the fear factor for those subject to a chemical attack, the gas is particularly deadly when coordinated with regular artillery fire, as it descends into the basements and dugouts where soldiers would normally take shelter from explosions and shrapnel at ground level. Ultimately, though spared from a chemical attack, Zubas team didnt receive any fire missions that day, as no targets were observed important enough to spend the scant reserve of shells. As is often in war, the shift was one of endless waiting. Sprawled over couches and beds, the soldiers alternated between getting some sleep and scrolling through social media to spend the time. Armed with a few dozen more shells, the next shift successfully eliminated a Russian anti-tank position inside Bakhmut, one artilleryman told the Kyiv Independent by voice message later. It will be a long slog, said Zuba of his outlook on the war. It's like a wall, it (the front line) has been standing here for so long, how long we've been fighting for this f***ing Bakhmut. Sometimes our guys take some land and sometimes they take something, it's this endless pendulum going back and forth. Read also: Endless Russian assaults near Kreminna test Ukraines defenses Life and death On the day Hutsul and his platoon are due to head out to battle, some of the soldiers make a short trip to a lake by their village to unwind. This is his first opportunity to swim this summer, prevented as he was earlier by his healing shrapnel wounds. By the evening, the young soldier seems less nervous than before, his mind on the task ahead, despite annoyance at the news that he has been assigned to carry and use the cumbersome machine gun. I just want the war to end. If we have to sit through another winter, it will be sh*t, Hutsul said. One winter was enough for me; it's really cold, your feet freeze... and the bastards are assaulting you. My dream... well I've never been to Crimea, I've lived in Ukraine all my life but I haven't been, it's really beautiful there. God willing, we'll go there. Hutsul returned the mission with concussion from nearby shell bursts, but was otherwise unharmed. After a few days on a fluid drip, he was back on duty. As summer draws to a close and Ukraine celebrates its second Independence Day in times of the full-scale invasion, the war itself has reached an onimous stage. Whatever gains the southern counteroffensive makes before culmination, both sides look set for a gruelling struggle that could last for years more. Eighteen months in, concern is mounting among soldiers, from commanders to the rank and file, that for much of the countrys civilian population, the war is increasingly fading into the distance, even as the fighting shows no signs of dying down. Late Ukrainian Volunteer Army commander Serhii Ilnytskyi types on his phone in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 5, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) Whats annoying is that its the people who are not doing anything are the ones talking about fatigue, said Ilnytskyi. The military are fighting, volunteers are volunteering, and its the armchair experts and observers who are getting tired. We, the military, are not tired. After the victory, thats probably when well have time for fatigue. On Aug. 23, it was announced that Ilnytskyi had been killed. Tributes poured in on social media for an iconic figure in the Ukrainian military, who had fought against Russias war from 2014, was a sitting member of Kyiv City Council, and had represented Ukraine at the Invictus Games. The war in Ukraine exists for everyone whether they want it to or not, he reflected in the interview, two weeks before his death. For many civilians, there is no war anymore. We started running out of people a long time ago; the people who are motivated, who want to win, who understand what needs to be done. They are long gone, because they were the first to come and fight. A sunflower in front of camouflage netting at a Ukrainian base in Donetsk Oblast on Aug. 5, 2023. (Photo: Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent) Note from the author: Hi, this is Francis Farrell, cheers for reading this article. It's been a while since I've done a field report from around Bakhmut, but this time was definitely different. For those of us who are dedicated to the victory of Ukraine, there is no point living with rose-tinted goggles on, this is what it will look like for a long time. As long as it goes on, we will be here, reporting on it as it is. Please consider supporting our reporting. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. INDIAN RIVER COUNTY A county man has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in the 2021 death of an infant who medical and law enforcement officials said died after choking on a wet wipe found in her throat, according to law enforcement records. Joseph Napier, 30, was arrested Thursday at his listed address in the 3700 block of 66th Avenue on a warrant charging him with aggravated manslaughter of a child, according to an Indian River County Jail arrest listing. The 2-month-old girl died May 29, 2021, according to accounts of the investigation in Napiers Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrest warrant. The day before, emergency workers were called to a home in the 1500 block of Sixth Avenue by Napier, who, in the report, told them he believed his daughter had been choking for roughly 10 minutes. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement An Indian River County Sheriffs Office official who was first to reach the home found Napier inside doing chest compressions and took over efforts to revive the infant. Efforts to remove the obstruction were unsuccessful. He handed the baby over to fire rescue paramedics who also attempted to remove the object and took her to Cleveland Clinic Hospital where several doctors soon joined attempts to revive and free her airway. It was only after a medical scope was used that a doctor saw the wipe and removed it with clamps, according to the report. A detective asked doctors if a 2-month-old could have ingested a wipe, and were told, a child this small does not have the motor function to pick up the wipe, consume it and swallow until it could not be seen. The girl was flown to Nemours Childrens Hospital in Orlando and pronounced deceased the next day. It had only been 10 minutes or so .... Several people lived in the home including the infant's mother and the infant's 18-month-old sister. The mother was working a shift at a local restaurant and left Napier, the children's father, to watch them both, according to the report. Napier told detectives the toddler likely put the wet wipe in the babys mouth when he left the two unattended and went into the kitchen. While in the kitchen, he said he scrolled through social media on his phone, drank a glass of milk and washed dishes. In his account to detectives in the report, Napier said it had only been 10 minutes or so before he returned and found the baby gasping for air. After searching his phone activity, detectives documented a roughly one hour period of activity between 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. that showed Facebook use, personal texts and food delivery orders prior to a 911 call at roughly 6:40 p.m., that lasted for just under 10 minutes, according to the affidavit. Another person who lived in the home told detectives that at 5:50 p.m. he heard Napier yelling loudly to someone to 'shut up,' and saw only Napier and the baby in the living room. Medical professionals consulted Detectives worked with Orange County medical examiners to get measurements of the infants mouth and throat and later took measurements of the toddler to see if it was possible for an 18-month-old to force an object into the childs throat. They found her hand could not fit into the child's mouth past her knuckles and only her middle finger could enter any distance into the mouth area. The wet wipe, once removed, was 8 inches long and 4 inches wide. Multiple pediatricians were questioned if there was a possibility of any scenario or freak accident in which the infant alone ingested the wipe. One doctor said she did not believe a baby could inhale an entire baby wipe, and at that age of development infants have a tongue-thrust reaction to remove things from their mouths versus swallowing them. Due to the complexity and circumstances with this case, a detective stated he sought out a third pediatrician who agreed with findings of others that neither the infant, nor the toddler could have forced the object deep into the throat. An 18-month-old, the doctor told deputies, would not have had the fine motor skills or patience, and only an adult could have forced a wipe not only into (her) mouth, but all the way down her throat. Napier was in the Indian River County Jail Friday on a $750,000 bond. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 19. Reporter made friends wherever she went: Longtime TCPalm reporter Janet Begley remembered He was 73: Former state GOP leader, House Rep for Indian River Dale Patchett dies No injuries reported: State fire marshal investigates 2 IRC house fires in a week Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter(X) @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: IRC man charged with manslaughter in 2021 choking death of infant Washington has agreed to ease sanction pressure on Tehran, enabling Iran to increase its oil shipments to China, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 25. The report suggests that this move was undertaken to maintain fuel price stability in the United States, as well as to counter Russias economic influence in Asia by allowing Iran to actively compete with Moscow for regional market share. Read also: Iran unveils new 24-hour flight capable Mohajer-10 drone with 300kg payload U.S. officials privately acknowledge theyve gradually relaxed some enforcement of sanctions on Iranian oil sales, the article reads. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: China and the ruble arent doing so well Tehran has restored production to the highest level since the ban kicked in five years ago and is shipping its most crude to China in a decade. Read also: Ukrainian diplomat says Minsk-Moscow-Tehran-Beijing alliance is threat to global security Ultimately, the daily export of Iranian oil to China has increased on average to 1.5 million barrels per day, a peak since 2018. The publication highlights that this was one of the reasons for the recent drop in oil prices. On the other hand, Russian oil shipments by sea over the past month have fallen to 2.84 million barrels, 1.5 million barrels less than in mid-May. Overall, its supplies to Asia have dropped by 30% over this period. 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 Israeli protesters march 'for judicial independence' at the Kaplan street, after the coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu passed the controversial 'judicial reform' law in parliament in Tel Aviv, Israel on August 19, 2023. Credit - Mostafa Alkharouf-Anadolu Agency/Getty Images A woman calls her husband to warn him, They just said on the radio that some lunatic is driving against the traffic. The man replies, Just one?! I'm on the highway right now, and I'm telling you baby, they're all lunatics! I heard this joke recently at a protest in front of the Knesset, Israel's parliament. The speaker, a well-known comedian, continued: "So go on, Bibi, keep driving, ignore all those lunatics telling you it's the wrong waythe U.S. president is a lunatic, the Nobel prize winners are lunatics, Tech giants, bankers, doctors, scientist, army generalswe're all lunatics!" As Netanyahu continues his crazy drive towards the cliff-edge, the Israelis opposing the judicial overhaul are facing a tough decisionhow far are we willing to go in order to stop him? When economic balance, national security, and physical well-being are at stake, civil resistance is no longer a theoretical conceptit is the new challenge every Israeli must face. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Major D. is an F-16 pilot, part of the Israeli air force reserve. To stay qualified, Major D. must attend a flight exercise at least twice a month. But this August, for the first time in his life, Major D. did not report for duty. Neither did ten other pilots from his squadron base. Their dramatic step is a reaction to the Israeli parliaments passing of a key judicial overhaul bill a few weeks ago. "I've risked my life for this county for more than twenty years," he told me, "I never dreamed something like this could ever happen." As another week passes without training, Major D. knows he might get rusty. And he's not the only one who's counting the days: Iran is watching. Syria is watching. The Israeli Air Force is a key factor in the country's national security. The reservists refusing to fly under Netanyahu are aware of that. Right now, its not the Iranian threat at the heart of their worries, it is the threat from within: "I will not serve a dictator," says Major D., "Until they cancel the anti-democratic bill, I won't get the engine going." "We have until the end of the year. No later," said Israels former Air Force Chief Amikam Norkin to Haaretz newspaper, when he was asked to estimate how long before the strike affects the Air Force's readiness to operate. Read More: Israel's Existential Crisis Major D. and his friends are far from the only ones resistingin the weeks since the vote, many more reservists have been missing duty, threatening not just military readiness, but also the army's unity. More than 11,000 reservists from different units of the Israeli army have already declared their decision to suspend their voluntary service. The real numbers are likely even higher, as many others prefer to withdraw from duty without announcing it. Resistance within the army couldn't have happened without the strong pushback to Netanyahu's plan from the economic system. Opponents of the judicial coup applauded when Israeli tech giants such as Wiz and Papaya global took a stand and announced their plans to withdraw company funds from Israel as a response. Now, as Moody's warns investors that Israel faces "significant risk" to its economy, we realize the economic effects each household will soon have to face. Civil resistance is the most powerful weapon we've got against the extreme rights' attempts to undermine the supreme court, but what if our own acts of resistance have a dangerous impact on our state's economy and national security? Could it be that we're sawing off the branch on which we're sitting? Stop your coup or we'll stop the countryyou can see this slogan on almost every board in the rallies. But when pilots stop training, when people stop showing up to work, when the markets start to slowwe're hurting the same country that we're fighting for. These are dangerous steps we're taking here, but we're desperate enough to take themit's our last hope. Lunatics on the highway, indeed. "We are striking today to protect our patients from tomorrow," said MD Noa Vardi, board member of the Israeli LGBTQ+ medical society. Vardi's vast experience has taught her that the first to suffer from anti-democratic acts are those at the bottom of the Israeli food chain: Arabs, refugees, patients from deprived backgrounds. "It's not enough to be angry at the government," she says, "OK, you're angrynow ask yourself what you are going to do about it." While the doctors were willing to strike to protect the Supreme Court from Netanyahu's overhaul, the court thought differently, and ordered them to stop the strike and return to work immediately. They said that the Israeli health system is too crucial to be allowed to strike. Israels High Court set September 12 as the date for the hearing on the judicial reform bill. For the first time in the courts history, Israels Supreme Court President Esther Hayut announced that the High Court of Justice would convene a full panel of 15 judges for the hearing. The panel will review a slew of legal petitions challenging the legislations legitimacy. Meanwhile, Israel's legislative body, the Knesset, started its annual summer break on July 30, a recess which will last until October. But this is not a regular summer vacation"It is injury time, and it must be used wiselywe can't count on the Supreme Court to cancel this anti-democratic law and do the job for us," said popular Israeli historian Yuval Noah Harari. Noah Harari was the key speaker at an emergency meeting of the Israeli mental health professional, held recently in Tel Aviv. I attended the meeting with my colleagues from Shalvata Mental Health hospital, where I work as a psychologist. The hall was completely packed, people were sitting everywhere. Hundreds of therapists and doctors, some of them holding key positions in public service, gathered to discuss the next steps of civil resistance. Strikes of school counselors, a halt on all training of new students, anti-tax moves and even a general strike were proposed. Action groups were formed. When Noah Harari entered the hall, an hour before his talk, some practitioners stared at him with wide eyes: an intellectual superstar just walked in and joined a group of protestors discussing "what's next." In 2022, Noah Harari spoke at the world economic forum in Davos. Now, in 2023, he's devoting his time to the protest, giving speeches at rallies, urging the public to understand that this struggle is one of the most important the country has ever faced. Harari's words were unsettling, even terrifying. Perhaps it was part of his attempt to move people to action: "If civil society remains silent, the Supreme Court judges might lack the courage to rule against the anti-democratic bill. So far, the army reservists have been courageous enough to stand up against the government's attempts to form a dictatorshipbut if others fail to prove their solidarity, we might lose this struggle." "He's right," Alberto, a lecture at Tel Aviv University, told me. "I've seen it happen in Argentina, you never know how fragile normality is, until you lose it. people won't realize it's a dictatorship until it's too late." Alberto worries that we're not fighting hard enough. The protests are nice, he says, too nice. The country is boiling over this summer. With a few weeks until the High Court hearing, it feels like anything could happena full blown dictatorship, or a new civil agreement. The best of times. The worst of times. Contact us at letters@time.com. Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko attempted to assert his domestic authority while upholding Kremlin narratives in his recent press conference, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in their Aug. 25 report. On Aug. 25, Lukashenko commented on the reported death of Wagner commander Yevgeny Prigozhin in a press conference. "Lukashenko endorsed the Kremlin narrative line that Putin had absolutely nothing to do with Prigozhins 'accident,'" the ISW wrote. However, Lukashenko also claimed that he had warned Prigozhin that continuing to push his June rebellion would lead to his death. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 25, Lukashenko refuted claims that Wagner mercenaries were departing Belarus following reports of Prigozhin's death on Aug. 23. He insisted that Wagner would not only maintain its presence in Belarus, but expand rapidly in the coming days. In June, Lukashenko claimed credit for brokering a deal between Prigozhin and the Kremlin to end the Wagner Group's march on Moscow. Following this, Wagner troops moved to Belarus, establishing formal ties with the Belarusian Defense Ministry. The ISW said that Lukashenko's claims about Wagner point to his "desire to maintain the appearance of being a sovereign leader," rather than a Kremlin puppet. Lukashenko may fear that Prigozhin's alleged death will signal to Belarusians "the Kremlins unilateral cancellation of agreements that he had made with Wagner," the ISW wrote. In his attempts to portray himself as both a Russian ally and strong power broker in his own right, Lukashenko's claims at times contradicted earlier statements. He said that security guarantees for Prigozhin were never part of Wagner's deal with Belarus, despite claiming otherwise in a June 27 press conference. "Security guarantees...were provided," Lukashenko said at the time. Read also: Belarus Weekly: Lukashenko says Russian invasion of Ukraine through Belarus was unexpected Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Mykhailo Tkach, an investigative journalist from NVs sister publication, Ukrainska Pravda, has responded to a wager proposed by Ukraines Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov , on Facebook on Aug. 26. The minister had promised that if corruption allegations regarding overpayment for jackets for the military were true, he would resign from his post. Reznikov made this proposition after the news outlet ZN.ua published an investigation on Aug. 11, revealing that the Defense Ministry had signed a contract with a Turkish company for the supply of winter clothing for the military in autumn 2022. However, the jackets ordered were relabelled as winter air-defense jackets and their price was tripled. On Aug. 25, Ukrainska Pravda published an investigation stating that one of the owners of the contracted firm was the nephew of ruling party Servant of the People MP Hennadiy Kasai. According to documents, 4,900 jackets (and pants) initially listed at a total cost of $142,000 in one document were later priced at $421,000. The price for camouflage jackets, which started at $29 each, escalated to $86 for the winter air-defense jackets. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Why Defense Minister Reznikov hasnt been removed from his post, despite a decision to do so According to the publication, citing officers on the customs front of Ukraine, this company imported 233,000 jackets for $20 million and 202,000 pants for $13 million from Turkey in October-December. Tkach made his statement on the matter public on Facebook, stating that Reznikov should have stepped down when an earlier scandal, regarding overpayment for eggs, was made public. Mr. Minister, you should have left your position after the investigation into the Defense Ministrys purchase of eggs for 17 hryvnias each, the journalist wrote. Instead, you engaged society in a spectacle involving kilograms, quantities, and other manipulations that have no place in the Ministry of Defense during a full-scale war. Tkach also emphasized that the Minister of Defense had not provided any explanations regarding the fact that the nephew of a Servant of the People party deputy was a co-owner of the company that supplied the controversial jackets, profiting from what was allegedly a tender-less purchase. Instead, Reznikov was forced to descend to a sub-ministerial level of pressuring the media. Tkach further underscored that he has no intention of leaving journalism, as it is his profession. I will only leave when the last internal oppressor of Ukrainian society, who believes they can exploit the power of society with impunity for their private interests, backs themselves into a corner, Teach stated. Read also: Defense Minister Reznikov rumored to be tapped for new role interview with MP Kostenko For now, I am not concerned with the ideas of those on the path to this corner, because this is my job. Tkach said that Reznikov should focus on fulfilling his duties, while placing bets should only be done privately and only when he has the intelligence to defeat the enemy through strategic planning, including procurement of winter uniforms, protective gear, and, notably, drones. This references Reznikovs statements on the impracticality of purchasing Mavic drones, previously derided by the minister as being wedding drones, for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In three years, Mr. Minister, you might not even be in the country, Teach concluded. Meanwhile, I will continue to do my job. Dont make wagers, Mr. Minister. Make procurement contracts at market prices and without involvement of relatives of Servants of the People. 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 vendor prepares salmon in a stall at a wholesale fish market in Beijing (AFP via Getty Images) No radioactive anomalies have been found in fishes tested in waters around the Fukushima nuclear plant, Japans fisheries agency said on Saturday. The tested waters did not contain any detectable levels of the radioactive isotope tritium, the Japanese Kyodo news service said as the country faced fierce criticism for discharging treated radioactive water from the nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. On Friday, the seawater near the nuclear facility contained less than 10 becquerels of tritium per litre, below its self-imposed limit of 700 becquerels and far below the World Health Organizations limit of 10,000 becquerels for drinking water. Japan has said it needs to discharge the highly reactive water in a key step of its critical process of decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant, including the removal of molten fuel. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Fumio Kishida administration on Tuesday cleared the release of 1.3 million tons of treated water from the plant destroyed in the 2011 tsunami as the countrys top power company was running out of storage space. While the utility filters most radioactive elements out of the water, it dilutes tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, which is difficult to separate from water. The contentious project began on Thursday, amid fresh and fierce criticism as neighbouring nation China slammed the move as selfish and irresponsible. China has already banned seafood imports from Japan, with Hong Kong expected to follow suit. Fishermen, activists and consumers in Japan have expressed anger at the move which can cause a health crisis amid a ban on Japanese aquatic products. Food lovers in the region have also expressed concerns over the quality and safety of the fish from the country. The decades-long project was approved two years ago by the Japanese government and given the greenlight by the UN nuclear watchdog last month. However, authorities on Thursday set up nets when plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) began releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific. Tepco agency has said it will announce test results daily. Hundreds have gathered in South Korea in a protest led by the countrys main opposition party and civil groups in downtown Seoul against the discharge of radioactive water. The protest, on Saturday 26 August, is against Japans discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The import ban from Hong Kong, that was slated to come into effect from Thursday, covers 10 Japanese prefectures. These include Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama. The ban on seafood imports in China has triggered a sense of unease among seafood aficionados, who now face the dilemma of finding credible seafood sources, several reports said. Japanese fisheries groups worry the release will cause further damage to the reputation of their seafood. Fukushima prefectures current catch is only about one-fifth its pre-disaster level due to a decline in the fishing population and smaller catch sizes. a roughly cube-shaped spacecraft covered in solar panels descends to the surface of the moon Japan is all set to launch a pair of exciting lunar and space science missions on a single rocket. The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will send the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM, to the moon to demonstrate accurate lunar landing techniques while also placing the X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission ( XRISM ) in low Earth orbit on the same launch to study extreme celestial phenomena. SLIM, also known as "Moon Sniper" in Japanese, will take it slow to the moon. It is expected to arrive in lunar orbit 3 to 4 months after launch. After a month or so in orbit, the spacecraft will make its 20-minute descent to the surface, aiming to land within 328 feet (100 meters) of its intended target. This is a key part of the mission, as accuracy of conventional landers is on the order of several kilometers. Launch of the H-IIA rocket carrying SLIM and XRISM is currently set for 8:26 a.m. ET on Aug. 27 (0026 GMT or 9:26:22 a.m. JST on Aug. 28). JAXA will provide live coverage via Youtube . ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: Missions to the moon: Past, present and future a roughly cube-shaped spacecraft covered in solar panels descends to the surface of the moon SLIM's launch was set for early on Aug. 26, but bad weather at Japan's scenic coastal Tanegashima Space Center has pushed back the launch at least until Monday (Aug. 27). The reserved launch period runs through to Sep. 15. The spacecraft will aim to land on the slope of Shioli Crater, a relatively fresh, 984-foot-wide (300 m) impact feature within Mare Nectaris, at 13 degrees south latitude and 25 degrees east longitude on the near side of the moon. SLIM will weigh 1,300 pounds (590 kilograms) at launch, with roughly two-thirds of this mass being fuel. Notably it will use five crushable, 3D-printed semi-circular aluminum lattice legs to absorb the impact of landing and help it land on a slope. in five different images, a cylindrical spacecraft turns on its side before landing If successful, Japan will become just the fifth country to successfully soft-land on the moon. The launch comes days after India became the fourth with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The main mission aims are demonstrating the "pinpoint" landing, while also proving lightweight systems for more economical exploration of the solar system . It also carries science instruments in the form of a multiband camera for assessing the local mineralogical environment with particular interest in olivine, which may have originated in the moon's mantle and a small laser retroreflector array. See more XRISM is a collaboration between NASA and JAXA and with assistance from the European Space Agency (ESA). It will observe X-rays released by extreme phenomena such as hot gas clouds enveloping galaxies and blasts from black holes. The spacecraft carries a wide-field X-ray imager and a cryogenic high-resolution X-ray spectrometer. Data from the observatory will help scientists delve into the evolution of the universe. "X-ray astronomy enables us to study the most energetic phenomena in the universe," Matteo Guainazzi, ESA project scientist for XRISM, said in a statement . RELATED STORIES: India on the moon! Chandrayaan-3 becomes 1st probe to land near lunar south pole New XRISM X-ray mission to study the most violent events in the universe will launch on Aug. 26 Private Japanese moon lander crashed after being confused by a crater "It holds the key to answering important questions in modern astrophysics: How the largest structures in the universe evolve, how the matter we are ultimately composed of was distributed through the cosmos, and how galaxies are shaped by massive black holes at their centers." XRISM will be doing some of the work intended for Hitomi, Japan's X-Ray astronomy probe which launched in Feb. 2016 but was lost a month later due to attitude control issues. The observatory is intended to orbit at 342 miles (550 kilometers) above Earth, where it is expected to survey the heavens for three years, until the cooling helium tanks which keep it at an operational temperature of -459.58 F (-273.10 C), run out. The mission may, however, be extended through mechanical cooling. Unhappy with his cars performance in Fridays practice sessions, Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) switched to a backup car Saturday morning for Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich qualifying. It paid dividends on his final flying lap around Virginia International Raceway when he jumped to pole position. Even though he hadnt turned a lap in the backup car prior to qualifying, Jeansonne was confident that his team had given him a machine worthy of the top spot. We had some issues in practice and had to go to a backup car, Jeansonne said. Fortunately, JTR Motorsports Engineering is the best team on the grid. They always have plenty of cars that are prepared to go out and run P1. We showed up this morning, ran a different car and it was as fast as any car in the fleet and we got pole. Jeansonne reset the Mazda MX-5 Cup qualifying lap record with a pole time of 2m06.544s. It was only 0.076s faster than the driver who had been at the top of the times most of the session, Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It was an accident really, Jeansonne said. I just wanted to get a solid qualifying run and be in a good position on the track. Jared [Thomas] and I got split up. It was a really crazy qualifying session with everyone trying to get in the spot they wanted to be in. I got lucky and got the right gap to a group of cars on the last lap. I was in the right place at the right time. Jeansonne will lead the MX-5 Cup field to the green flag for Round 11 at VIR, Saturday at 1:30pm ET. The 45-minute race will be streamed live on RACER.com. Story originally appeared on Racer Two years after the disappearance of Illinois State University student Jelani Day, his loved ones are still seeking answers. Jelanis mother Carmen Bolden Day is still putting pressure on law enforcement, demanding they solve the case of her son, who was last seen on the Illinois State University campus on Aug. 24, 2021. Im going to keep on doing everything in my power to add pressure to make them do their job, to make them think about Jelani every freaking day because I need to know what happened to him, Carmen told ABC 7 Chicago. I miss him. I miss him so much. I just want him to know that I love him dearly and that Im not gonna stop fighting for him. Im not gonna stop looking for the people that did this to him. The heartbroken mother said she tried to call her son a day after he disappeared, but he didnt answer her calls. The young mans body was found in the Illinois River in Peru, Illinois nearly two weeks later. His car was also found near this location in a wooded area with the license plates missing. The coroner said that he died from drowning. Carmen, however, said her son didnt kill himself. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, the FBI said its giving a reward to people who come forward with information related to the case. The FBI continues to solicit tips seeking information related to the death of Jelani Day and a reward remains available for members of the public providing significant information, the agency said in a statement. In an interview with Kendall Rae on her True Crime show, Carmen explained why Jelani was so special. He was that kid that was curious and so smart, she said. He would get his stuff done, get his work done. The teacher would call me and say Jelani, hes a good student, good kid, but he just doesnt wanna stop talking. Hes always playing.' Jelani was a standout athlete who earned a scholarship for track and field. He also stayed busy with several clubs and organizations at school. As a graduate student, Jelani was studying speech pathology. The weekend before he went missing, the Illinois student went to Texas to help his sister move into grad school. When he came back from Texas, Jelani called his mother to let her know that he has returned safely. Also at that time, as his father was battling cancer, Jelani had decided that he would donate bone marrow to help his dad because he was found to be the closest match. But everything changed when Jelani suddenly disappeared shortly after coming back from Texas. It was the director of clinical education at Illinois State University who first became concerned when the star student didnt show up to his class or the meeting he had scheduled with her. The concerned educator alerted the police, who then alerted the family. Carmen said she called and texted her son repeatedly, but never got an answer. The heartbroken mother, who suspects foul play in her sons disappearance, said he isnt the type of person who would go anywhere without telling somebody he knows. The first thing you need to know about this weeks episode of How To with John Wilson is that theres a huge name in the credits: Steven Soderbergh, who served as a consultant. The second is that, because of this guest contributor (but also because John Wilson is also brilliant), the penultimate installment of the series is a bewildering masterpiece. The episode starts about birdstitled How To Watch Birdsbut after youve seen the episode, your mind will be far removed from any avian-related topics. Wilson is sick of holing up inside his New York apartment all day; and yet, when he goes outside, all he does is scroll through his phone or look at the ground while he walks. He decides to pick up a new hobby to both force him outside and to keep his eyes aimed at the sky: bird watching. Wilson immediately demonstrates his lack of expertise by heading to the wrong store to buy supplies for his new hobby. Instead of going to, say, REI or another outdoor retailer, Wilson heads to a surveillance store. All he can buy are binoculars. The rest of the shop, the worker tells him, is full of tools used for watching people, not animals. Usually, the man tells Wilson, its women who come in here, because theyre looking to lie to the men in their lives. (Okay?) Men who want to bird watch? Its not the stores target audience. On a tour through Central Park with some other birders, Wilson spends about 15 minutes looking for species in the sky before he discovers a loophole: You can just tell everyone that you saw a bird, even though you didnt. Everyone in this community works under the honor system. Wilson starts telling his new friends that hes seen a bunch of different birds, and they all believe him. Max But Wilson becomes worried that theyll catch wise to his deceit, especially after he hears about swallowgate, in which a birder lied about seeing a violet green swallow and was excommunicated from the birding community. Instead of coming clean, Wilson tries out a polygraph test. Hes able to lie about seeing all the birds that he saw, but some other questions stump him. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Have you ever lied to someone on your show? He says no, but the lie detector reveals this is untrue. Have you ever lied about something you didnt actually see? Again, no. Again, lying. Did you ever betray someone you love? Wilson answers no and, no shock here, this is another fib. Wilson feels terrible. He needs to come clean to all of us. Theres a shot from the first season in the episode How To Remember Your Dreams that he faked for the show, he confesses. When Wilsons friend sent him a video of poop spewing out of a toilet like a geyser, the filmmaker grew enraged over the fact that he, himself, hadnt been around to shoot the feces fountain. But because he needed to shoot just one day on a stage to earn a tax credit for the show, Wilson decided to create his own volcanic eruption of fake fecal matter. Though Wilson expects his friends and family to applaud him for this shot, everyone keeps asking him if its actually real. Then, more and more folks start to ask him if certain scenes in his show are authentic. Did he actually meet these weirdos, or is he seeking them out? Even Jimmy Kimmel prodded Wilson over whether or not certain scenes actually happened in a talk show appearance. In this episode, Wilson has had it with the lies. He decides to make an honest documentary that no one can dispute. His subject will be the Titanic because it seems like people are really interested in the Titanic these days. (Note: This episode was created before the whole submersible situation unfurled. Now, people are really interested in the Titanic.) Wilson starts his doc with a simple interview with a Titanic expert who breaks down every aspect of the vessel. But its only minutes before Wilson is back into the world of conspiracy theories. He tracks down Bruce Beveridge, a man who wrote an entire novel about the idea that the Titanic ship was swapped with a sister ship called the RSS Olympic, and that the Olympic was actually the ship that sank. Beveridges logic, if you can call it that, is that the Olympic was a faulty ship. According to his argument, the owners of both ships supposedly colluded and sent the Olympic out to crash because it was already not working, and then split the insurance money from the Titanic sinking. While Beveridge and Wilson cruise (no pun intended) around Tennessee togetherBeveridge requested that Wilson come to him, and also demanded that he drive around Wilsons carWilson notices some suspicious messages in his inbox. You should quit while you still can, a cryptic email reads. Wilson also recalls that there seemed to be a white van following him around in New York back when he started this Titanic research. Oh, well. Wilson doesnt heed the warnings and continues exploring the vast history of the Titanic in Pigeon Forge, where Beveridge takes him to the local Titanic museum. Beveridge once applied to work at the museum, but they turned him down, perhaps because of his controversial beliefs. Its not like the Titanic museum is doing that great of a job of remembering the tragedy; theres a virtual, moving photo of Anne Frank in the museum, for some reason. The gift shop sells Titanic iceberg putty and sinking Titanic teabags. Uh, too soon? (The tragedy was over a century ago, but still.) How To With John Wilson Goes to the Worlds Most Emotional Vacuum Convention While Beveridge tells Wilson about what dead bodies smell like and waxes poetic about his favorite member of the Beatles (he can really jump from talking point to talking point), Wilson frets over another eerie email, which demands his presence at a local hotel. The back-half of this episode feels like, well, a Soderbergh thriller. Side note: Remember when this episode was about birds? Me neither. Wilson has Beveridge drive them (still in Wilsons car) over to the hotel, but when he approaches the room number he was told, theres no sign of life. Wilsons stalker isnt around. But as Wilson heads back out to the car to fetch Beveridge, things take a complete 180. KABLUEY! When Wilson is a few yards away from his car, it spontaneously explodes. Thats pretty much the end of the episode. Wilson tells the cops that Beveridge may have been in the carscratch that, actually, because Beveridge rounds the corner moments after. Did he blow up Wilsons car? Did Wilson blow up his own car? In that case, the honest documentary has been skewed into a work of horrific fiction. The world needs illusions, Wilson narrates. The next time you think something isnt true, remember you live in a world where something like that is possible. Personally, I prefer Beveridges quote about hiding the truth, which he offers to Wilson earlier in the episode. Only two people can keep a secretas long as one of them is dead, he says. Someones going to take this car explosion to the grave. 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. Chris Dennis family adopted his childhood best friend, Lummox the dog, when he was 5. Today, he and his wife, Christie, live in Leawood with their three rescues floppy-eared coonhounds Fern and Freddie, and Adela, a little Labrador mix. GivePet sells seasonal flavors, including its Howl-O-Ween and Love Bites treats. Its understandable, then, that after 16 years working for different pet food companies, Chris began mulling over ways to help shelter pups (other than adopting his own pack). All roads led to GivePet, and in 2016, he and Christie launched a business of their own that would benefit needy animals and family good boys, too. They sold their first few batches in Lawrences Pawsh Wash with the goal of getting into 200 retailers that year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The couples treats are now sold in 3,000 stores across the country and counting, Chris said. GivePets treat bags proclaim the companys mission: This bag gives back to shelter dogs. Inside are grain-free treats with no added salt or sugar. GivePet feeds shelter dogs and family pets alike. GivePet donates 10 treats to a shelter for every bag sold. There, the doggy biscuits are used to train and socialize dogs without a permanent home. This makes the adoption more successful, Chris said. And theyre healthy treats, so its a win-win. GivePet is sold online and in independent retailers, mainly smaller pet supply stores. The retailers choose a local shelter to support. Then, GivePet donates the treats either directly or via their retail partner. Locally, their products are available in Made in KCs marketplaces, Brookside Barkery and Bath at 118 W. 63rd St. and Two Dogs and a Cat in Overland Park at 7801 W. 119th St., among several others. Retailers are listed on their website at givepet.com. Kansas City area retailers donate to KC Pet Project, Wayside Waifs, Lucky 13 Rescue and the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City in Kansas City, Kansas. Were a company that can help more obscure rescues and shelters that dont get a lot of help that really need it and are doing good work, Christie said. While the business is based in Johnson County, the Dennises manufacture their treats in Wisconsin and Oregon, offering a variety of flavors, including breakfast all day (egg and bacon), campfire feast (salmon, sweet potato and blueberry), doghouse rock (peanut butter, bacon and banana) and doggy paddle (coconut, mango and pineapple). Online, baked treat bags are sold for $10.99, while soft training treats cost $9.99. Many pet food and treat brands use filler ingredients with little nutritional value, Chris said. GivePet promises health-conscious treats with human-grade ingredients mango puree, coconut flour and applesauce. Another recurrent theme in their treats: superfoods like blueberries and chia seeds. Nutrition is really important to us giving back, Christie said. If were going to put our name on something its going to be good quality that is actually beneficial for dogs. GivePet offers limited flavors, even adding a line of cat treats for this years holiday season. (Not to worry, canines gingerbread and peppermint bark flavors are on the way, too.) A judge in Texas on Friday temporarily blocked a new law that prohibits gender-affirming care for most minors in the state. District Judge Maria Cantu Hexsel wrote in the temporary injunction that the law would result in the loss of access to safe, effective, and medically necessary treatment for transgender adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria. The legislation, the judge said, likely violates three different sections of the Texas Constitution, including the fundamental right of parents to make decisions concerning the care, custody, and control of their children. The Texas attorney generals office, however, said in a news release that it had filed an appeal to the state Supreme Court that would pause the ruling pending its decision. CNN has reached out to the office for comment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Texas would be the largest state in the US to enforce such restrictions if the law were to take effect on September 1. Cantu Hexsels decision came the same day a judge in Missouri declined to block a similar law, allowing the states ban on gender-affirming care for minors to take effect Monday. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had signed Senate Bill 14 into law in June. The measure bars health care providers from providing gender transition surgeries, puberty blocking medication or hormone therapies to those under 18 in Texas, with violators at risk of losing their licenses. The law makes minor exceptions for children who had begun receiving non-surgical gender-affirming care before June 1 and underwent 12 or more sessions of mental health counseling or psychotherapy six months prior to beginning prescription drug care. Transgender youth to whom those exceptions apply can continue their care but must wean off from the treatment with the help of their doctor. Alex Sheldon, executive director at GLMA, an LGBTQ+ health advocacy group and one of the parties that filed suit, celebrated the decision Friday, saying: We are invigorated by the courts decision to protect and uphold the rights of trans youth, their families, and health care providers in Texas. Other plaintiffs in the suite include five families with transgender children and three doctors who provide services for transgender patients. Gender-affirming care spans a range of evidence-based treatments and approaches that benefit transgender and nonbinary people. The types of care vary by the age and goals of the recipient, and are considered the standard of care by many mainstream medical associations. Though the care is highly individualized, some children and parents may decide to use reversible puberty suppression therapy. This part of the process may also include hormone therapy that can lead to gender-affirming physical change. Surgical procedures prohibited under the law, however, are not typically done on children and many health care providers do not offer them to minors. Some Republicans have expressed concern over long-term outcomes of the treatments. But major medical associations say that gender-affirming care is clinically appropriate for children and adults with gender dysphoria a psychological distress that may result when a persons gender identity and sex assigned at birth do not align, according to the American Psychiatric Association. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Due to last-minute evidence and an uncooperative key witness, the jury trial for three Bellingham Public Schools administrators accused of failing to report a high school students sexual assaults after they were were brought to their attention has been delayed until the end of the year. The administrators jury trial had been scheduled to begin Monday. Jeremy Gilbert Louzao, Maude Chimere Hackney and Meghan V. Dunham were each criminally cited Dec. 7 in Whatcom County District Court with one count of failure to report, a gross misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine. All three have pleaded not guilty. The school district is providing legal defense for the three administrators. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During an hour-long court hearing Friday afternoon, Aug. 25, Whatcom County District Court Commissioner Tony Parise listened as the defense attorneys for the three administrators explained why they were requesting the trial date be continued, and why they were requesting a court order compelling an interview with a key witness. In the past week, the three defense attorneys received a mountain of discovery that included a nearly 70-page-long report, 11 pages of handwritten notes and 12 interview transcriptions, criminal defense attorney Michael Brodsky said Friday in court. The defense attorneys were also unable to interview former Bellingham Police Department Detective Adam (Bo) S. McGinty because McGinty refused to answer questions about anything other than the criminal case against the administrators, Brodsky said. McGinty, who was previously the lead detective and spent more than a year working on the cases, was fired from the department last week after he was accused of misusing public funds. Bellingham Police Department investigator Lisa Aspessi has now taken over the case. The defense attorneys attempted to interview McGinty, but said in court that when he was asked the first question about his education and where he went to high school, McGinty pointed to a copy of his police reports and said he would only answer questions directly related to the case in front of him. After that, the defense attorneys left. Brodsky said because McGinty was only willing to answer questions related to the administrators criminal case, it did not allow defense attorneys to question McGinty about the conduct that not only led to his termination from the police department, but also got him placed on a dishonest officers list, or Brady list. The 67-page-long report that the defense attorneys received earlier this week also makes it a necessity that McGinty be interviewed, given what we now know is in the report and cant share with the court at this point, Brodsky said. The report, authored by Aspessi, is sealed as part of a protective order signed by the court. For all those reasons, we are simply not ready. At this point, it would be malpractice for us to try to take a case of this magnitude to trial on Monday, Brodsky said in court Friday. Whatcom County Assistant Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Dona Bracke said she had spent a considerable amount of time attempting to make witnesses, including McGinty, available for interviews and to coordinate schedules with the defense attorneys in an effort to be prepared for trial. She said the prosecution has not received any discovery, except a 177-page-long best practices book by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction sent by one of the defense attorneys. Requesting the trial be moved and that McGinty be court-ordered to sit for an interview was too little too late, Bracke said Friday in court. They had the opportunity to do an interview with McGinty, but they chose to short-circuit that, Bracke said. She requested that McGinty not be court-ordered to sit for a defense interview and requested that the trial begin on Monday as planned. Parise, the court commissioner, said it was clear from the transcript of the attempted interview of McGinty that it was not going to be a productive conversation and said he understood the defense attorneys frustration. Parise said he found McGintys education and past experience relevant, as it could point to how he conducted his interviews or wrote his reports. He also deterimined that McGinty refused to cooperate during the past interview attempt, adding that it wasnt McGintys decision to determine which questions might be relevant to the case. Parise granted the defense attorneys request to compel McGinty to sit for an interview. He said McGinty would be required to answer questions, unless he was invoking his Fifth Amendment rights. He also granted the attorneys request to continue the trial date until mid-November to late December. Due to information being provided to defense attorneys mere days before trial was scheduled to start, and because a key witness refused to answer basic questions during a defense interview, Parise said he absolutely had to continue the case. I dont see how I could, with all the things coming here late, and with a key witness not willing to answer just some basic questions, I dont see how that could be called a fair trial, Parise said in court Friday. Trial dates in mid-November and early December were proposed. A formal date for the administrators jury trial will be set at a pretrial hearing next Friday, Sept. 1. When reached Friday evening, Whatcom County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Levi Uhrig, who is prosecuting the case with Bracke, said they couldnt comment on the case as its a pending criminal action. This case is a high priority for this community and our office, so we tried our best to bring this case to trial on Monday. We recognize, however, that there are many factors which Commissioner Parise considered when he granted a continuance. We understand the Commissioners ruling and will prepare to bring this case to trial as soon as possible, Uhrig said in an emailed statement. The Herald has reached out to the administrators defense attorneys and the school district for comment. Criminal citations issued All three administrators are mandatory reporters and are required by state law to report any suspected abuse or neglect of a child to law enforcement or to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. None of the three reported the sexual assaults on the female student, The Bellingham Herald previously reported. The school district has said it continues to support the administrators, that it believes they acted in good faith and that it does not believe any of the three violated any policies. At no time have we determined the employees violated district policy, Bellingham Public Schools spokesperson Jackie Brawley said in an Aug. 18 email to The Herald. At the time the criminal citations were issued, Louzao and Dunham were serving as assistant principals at Squalicum High School, while Hackney was an assistant principal at Bellingham High School. They were temporarily reassigned to the school district office in January, but were reinstated to their previous positions as assistant principals in late June. They will remain in their assistant principal roles for the upcoming school year, the school district announced Friday, Aug. 18. Background The three Bellingham Public Schools administrators were charged in early December for failing to report a female Squalicum High School students sexual assaults, which were brought to their attention nearly a year prior, The Herald previously reported. All three administrators are mandatory reporters and are required by state law to report any suspected abuse or neglect of a child to law enforcement or to the Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families. None of the three reported the female students sexual assaults, authorities said. All three were reassigned in early January to the school districts Department of Teaching and Learning. They were also included among the list of 60 administrative staff members the district recommended to the school board for employment for the 2023-24 school year. The school board approved that list at its May 18 meeting. Louzao, Dunham and Hackney were reinstated to their roles as assistant high school principals in late June. Louzao and Dunham will return to Squalicum High School, while Hackney will return to Bellingham High School for the upcoming school year. The district made the decision to return the administrators to their previous roles at the end of the 2022-23 school year, Brawley previously told The Herald. Our district continues to be supportive of these three staff as we believe they acted in good faith and did not violate any reporting obligations. We are confident that they will be able to effectively return to their roles and contribute to supporting students and staff, Brawley said in her Aug. 18 email. When asked whether an internal administrative investigation was conducted into the three administrators actions, and if so, details regarding that investigation, Brawley said that when the allegations against the district were brought forward in spring 2022, the districts human resources department gathered and examined facts. After the criminal citations were issued to the administrators in December, Brawley said the district continued to gather and analyze information. When asked whether any of the three administrators have received any discipline for their alleged failures to report the students sexual assaults, Brawley said, We have not determined that they broke any school district policy, and they have thus not received discipline. However, we have devoted significant attention to ensuring that all of our staff, including these three, have received recent training into mandatory reporting obligations. Bellingham Public Schools District Office, Jan.30, 2019. Federal lawsuit, criminal cases The former Squalicum High School female student who has accused the district of mishandling her sexual assault reports filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Dec. 7 against Bellingham Public Schools. The student, who has since withdrawn from the high school and began attending another school, accused the district in her lawsuit of violating her federal Title IX rights, failing its duty to protect and care for her and neglecting its duties to report the sexual assaults to law enforcement. She previously sought $1 million in damages from the district before filing the federal lawsuit. The district denied it mishandled the students reports in its January response to the lawsuit. The district said it took reasonable steps to stop the reported harassment, that the assault allegations contained in the students lawsuit were not reported to the administrators and that the conduct that was reported to them was not considered abuse or neglect under state law. The federal lawsuit is pending, federal court records show. The male student accused of sexually assaulting the female student was sentenced July 19 in Whatcom County Juvenile Court to 18-20 weeks in the custody of the state Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration. (The countys juvenile court is a division of Whatcom County Superior Court). The boy previously pleaded guilty May 17 to amended charges of two counts of fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation. He also resolved two unrelated criminal cases at the time. Detective fired McGinty, the lead Bellingham Police Department detective in the school administrators case, became the subject of an internal administrative investigation and a criminal investigation. McGinty is alleged to have misused public funds and has been placed on a dishonest officers list, The Herald previously reported. Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig fired McGinty, effective immediately, on Friday, Aug. 18. The criminal investigation into McGinty is ongoing, according to Mount Vernon Police Department Lt. Mike Moore. The Mount Vernon Police Department is conducting the criminal investigation into McGinty. Authorities are continuing the investigation into a deadly shooting that left a K9 injured. Grantville police said K9 Kilo, one of their former K9 units, is continuing to recover after being shot. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said on Friday, Coweta County deputies attempted to stop a man from speeding. The driver was identified as 27-year-old Anthony Richard Fields II. When Fields did not stop, deputies chased him until his car wrecked into a patrol vehicle, injuring the deputy who was inside. TRENDING STORIES: ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After the crash, GBI officials said Fields got out of his car and was attacked by K9 Kilo. He then pointed a handgun at deputies, prompting them to fire their weapons. GBI officials confirmed that Fields was killed during the exchange of gunfire. According to the GBI, K9 Kilo and the deputy are expected to recover from their injuries. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Prayers for our former officer and for our former K9 Kilo, Grantville police said. Our thoughts are with the law enforcement and all persons that are and will be affected by this sad situation. The investigation remains ongoing. IN OTHER NEWS: The first bus pulled into Los Angeles on June 14. It carried 43 men, women and children. They had arrived days earlier in Texas, presented themselves to authorities and asked for asylum in the United States. There, state officials, who have no jurisdiction in immigration matters, put them on buses and sent them to Los Angeles. The second bus pulled into Los Angeles on July 1 with 41 passengers aboard. The third on July 13. The fourth on July 18. All told, seven buses so far have made the trip to L.A., bringing a total of 283 people from the Texas border to the nations second-largest city. They have come from around the world: Colombia, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Brazil, Haiti, El Salvador, Cuba, China, Cameroon and, of course, Mexico. The reception given these migrants in Texas and in Los Angeles could not be more different. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has done everything possible to make these people feel unwanted, placing buoys and razor wire in the Rio Grande to make entry dangerous even lethal and his office has instructed authorities to withhold food and water from the families trying to make their way to safety. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and her administration regard those migrants as people in need of help rather than as a blight to be eliminated. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When the busloads arrive in Los Angeles, they are met by the LA Welcomes Collective, which provides the services that Abbotts administration deliberately denies. The asylum seekers barely exit the bus before they are given a quick medical check and offered food, water and hygiene kits. Volunteer lawyers brief them on their legal rights, and they are quizzed about family who might take them in. Travel is arranged for those who have connections in the United States, whereas those without a place to go are offered shelter until more permanent arrangements can be made. Volunteers give toys to bedraggled and bewildered children, some as young as 4 months old. What is perhaps most notable about this shuffle is the fact that these migrants arrive unannounced. There is no call from Abbotts office to say a busload is on its way, no coordination between the Texas governor who ships people like cattle and the local authorities who take on the responsibility of caring for those they regard as human beings seeking safety and opportunity of America. If this were genuinely an attempt to share resources and responsibly address the issues that arise from people crossing the border, officials in different states would be working together. The fact that there is no such effort speaks volumes to what is really going on. This is not an effort to address immigration but rather a political opportunity. In fact, border encounters contacts between law enforcement and migrants are sharply down this year, dropping from 252,000 last December to 145,000 in June. Moreover, the largest number of those in the country illegally settle in California already, so shipping migrants from Texas to California isnt some cynical form of burden-sharing. Whats ratcheted up in recent months is not the problem itself but rather Abbotts exploitation of it. The governor dispatched the first buses of migrants to Washington, D.C., in September 2022 to Vice President Kamala Harris house. He has expanded his program over the past year, directing thousands of immigrants to New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver and Los Angeles. Texas small border towns remain overwhelmed and overrun by the thousands of people illegally crossing into Texas from Mexico because of President Bidens refusal to secure the border, Abbott said after announcing the first bus to L.A. Los Angeles is a major city that migrants seek to go to, particularly now that its city leaders approved its self-declared sanctuary city status. Abbott is correct that Los Angeles recently declared itself a sanctuary city, but a word about that is in order: Immigrants who are in Los Angeles illegally are not protected from deportation. In 1979, Los Angeles famously or infamously, some would say conservative police chief Daryl F. Gates barred LAPD officers from acting as immigration authorities, preventing them from inquiring about a persons immigration status or stopping them solely on suspicion of being in the country illegally. That was intended not to offer sanctuary but to encourage cooperation with police to come forward as witnesses, for instance. The L.A. City Council recently expanded on that notion, and Los Angeles does not spend any city resources to enforce immigration law. But thats in part a recognition that immigration is enforced by the federal government, not the city. Migrants who live in Los Angeles illegally are subject to deportation, just as they are in Brownsville, Texas. Abbotts work, then, adds to the challenges that Bass already faces in governing Los Angeles, and for no apparent gain other than to bring the Texas governor a little attention and strengthen his credentials with those who demonize immigrants, fantasize a border crisis and award points for cruelty. This is a political strategy to make Democratic cities look like theyre helpless, Bass recently told me. It is coordinated and amplified by the helpful ideologues at Fox News, she added, noting that the bottom line is to make sure that things get worse and that Democrats get blamed. Gov. Gavin Newsom agrees. He believes in borders and is frustrated by illegal immigration, too. California, after all, is home to 2.7 million people without legal status more than Texas and Florida combined. But he sensibly pointed out that throwing people onto a Greyhound bus hardly solves anything. I get why people are upset about this, and they have a right to be, Newsom told me an interview this spring. But they shouldnt be upset with state and local governments and elected officials who are trying to keep people healthier, safer and more educated. Abbotts bus campaign which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has played along with, too is just ramping up in Los Angeles, but its full effects are more visible in New York City, where buses have been arriving for months. There, Mayor Eric Adams has buckled under the amount of people pouring into the city some 79,000 in total. Like Los Angeles, New York has tried to manage those arrivals with compassion, but the influx has overwhelmed city services. Immigrants in New York are sleeping in shelters and even parks. As with Los Angeles, officials are trying to connect the new arrivals to loved ones in the United States, and even those efforts have brought Adams some grief. One especially dense piece in Politico equated Adams relocation of 114 migrant households some in Florida and Texas to the influx of some 9,700 migrants that Abbott has sent to New York, calling Adams efforts something similar to those of Abbott. Thats just bad reporting, but its evidence that Abbotts campaign is working, at least to some extent, as Adams response to the Texas governors provocations has left him politically isolated: Hes angry at President Biden for not offering more help at the same time that hes furious with Abbott for keeping up the bus parade. Bass, by contrast, has focused her ire on Abbott. That may help preserve her relations with the White House, which is important to Bass on a number of levels. Just as importantly, it separates Bass from Abbotts deplorable political gamesmanship, a charade that ignores the humanity of those crossing the border and reduces those men and women and their children to talking points in Americas cynical immigration debate. Jim Newton is a veteran journalist, best-selling author and teacher. He worked at the Los Angeles Times for 25 years as a reporter, editor, bureau chief and columnist, covering government and politics. He teaches at UCLA and founded Blueprint magazine. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Karen Bass sees bused migrants as humans; Greg Abbott sees them as pawns As recently as 60 years ago, within the lifetime of many of our readers, America could accurately be described as a racist nation. Laws designed to oppress people of color existed in various parts of the country. Segregation was a way of life in an entire corner of the United States. Black Americans were required to sit in the back of the bus and barred from certain restaurants and restrooms. Those laws are no longer in place. America today is not a racist country, but like most other nations of the world it is a country where racism still exists. Theres a wide distinction between the two. D. Allan Kerr Continuing to define America as institutionally racist is a disservice to those civil rights pioneers being honored this weekend during a public march over Memorial Bridge between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in tribute to the 1963 March on Washington, D.C., highlighted by Martin Luther Kings epic I Have A Dream speech. Today our system provides legal recourse for those facing racial discrimination, or even violence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But one gets the sense from the opposite end of the political spectrum that racism itself is a thing of the past; that we dont need to continue the fight because the wars been won. Ive got some bad news racism is not likely to go away any time soon. But meanwhile, we can and should strive to further diminish its influence. Personally, I believe the election of an African American named Barack Hussein Obama as president of the United States, twice, put to rest the notion of America being a racist country. On both occasions, he actually won a majority of the popular vote 53% in 2008 and 51% in 2012. This didnt stop Obama and his family from being subjected to racist attacks throughout his presidency and beyond, demonstrating that while the institutional structure of America has shed its racist past, the ugly beast still resides within the hearts of some citizens. Ive been contemplating all this recently due to another compelling presidential campaign. Republican Tim Scott, the first Black senator from the South since Reconstruction, points to his own story raised in South Carolina by a single mom who worked 16-hour days to support her children as evidence that America is not a racist country. Im the candidate the far left fears the most, he said when announcing his White House bid earlier this year (and I happen to think hes right.) I disrupt their narrative. I threaten their control. The truth of my life disrupts their lies. Scott has been branded by some as a token, sometimes referred to as Uncle Tim for his conservative political beliefs. Pundits like Van Jones of CNN take issue with Scotts assertions denying the existence of systemic racism in our country. But Scott doesnt shy away from the realities of the issue, often mentioning how his grandfather in the past had to step off the sidewalk and not make eye contact when white folks were approaching. He also acknowledges hes been pulled over almost 20 times for driving while black. Scotts an inspiring figure, able to verbally joust with the hosts of left-leaning shows like The View and The Daily Show without sounding like a raving whackjob or hatemonger. In fact, he comes across as extremely likable, which in itself separates him from other GOP presidential contenders. He doesnt like being considered exceptional, however, telling the hosts of The View earlier this year such a notion sets a dangerous and insulting precedent for younger generations of Black Americans who may assume only the most gifted among them can succeed. While there have only 11 Black U.S. senators in the entire history of our country, three are serving right now. A fourth Kamala Harris was a member of the Senate prior to being elected vice president of the United States. In the most recent tallies Ive seen, there are nearly 60 Black lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives, as well as roughly 45 Hispanic Americans and 18 Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders. Two Black justices sit on the United States Supreme Court. These things dont happen in a racist nation. Yeah, theres still quite a bit of disparity there, but when you look at whats happened in this country just over the past few decades, the evolution is stunning. One of the genius aspects of our system of government, which I think both sides overlook, is our adaptability. I mean, its only been about 100 years since women were allowed to vote nationally, which seems crazy now. Today women are considered serious contenders for the highest offices in the land, including Nikki Haley, an Indian American running for the Republican nomination. The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshires anniversary march this Saturday will begin in Kitterys John Paul Jones Park at 10 a.m. and proceed into Portsmouth over Memorial Bridge, to the African Burying Ground Memorial on State Street. The event will provide an opportunity to reflect on the many successes forged by those who marched for freedom decades ago, while also reminding us theres work to be done to achieve our ideal of a more perfect union. There is nothing wrong with having a realistic and honest accounting of history, Scott wrote in his 2022 book "America, a Redemption Story." From my experience, however, dwelling on the pain of the past for too long threatens to keep us mired there. When I look back, I prefer to focus on how far weve come. Only then can I envision how beautiful the road ahead could be. D. Allan Kerr is an ex-dockworker, former newspaperman and U.S. Navy veteran living in Kittery. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Kerr: America is not a racist nation but it's not perfect, either This week: I Couldnt Help But Wonder We have now experienced the cultural event of the century: Kim Cattralls 70-second phone call cameo on And Just Like That. (Listen, if Donald Trump is allowed to be 215 pounds, that scene is allowed to be called historic.) If you havent watched this major moment, heres a quick recap: After several years of a so-called feud, Cattrall returned to the Sex and the City follow-up for one scene as Samantha Jones, her iconic character. She calls Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) to explain that she had planned to fly to New York from London to toast Carries last night in her old apartment, but her flight was delayed. Then she surfaced an old inside joke from a classic SATC episode. (My fingers never flew faster than they took to the group text when the words Annabelle Bronstein came out of Kim Cattralls lips.) ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its for the best, as the baggage surrounding Cattralls appearance was so heavy it likely would have grounded Samanthas plan anyway. So that raises the question: Was the scene worth it? For the love of God and Jimmy Choo, yes. To me, nothing is more relatable than two former close friends, as they get older, falling slightly out of touch, feeling guilty about it, reconciling over sporadic texts, and then one feeling intense emotion over a moment that harkens back to history, like Carrie moving out of her apartment. People are so attached to the characters of Sex and the City that they forget reality: Relationships change as time moves on. There are plenty of reasons to criticize And Just Like That, but my least favorite is [Insert main character] would never behave that way. Thats ludicrous. At any moment of the day, Kevin Fallon from 20 years ago would be astonished by his behavior now, let alone who he is and isnt still in close contact with. Its called getting older. (And the truth is that peoples most annoying and alienating tendencies intensify with time.) Miranda would never act like that Carrie wouldnt stand for such a thing... Nonsense! The smartest thing that And Just Like That did was acknowledge that these characters have changed; its the fans who are stuck in the past. HBO Ive found And Just Like That to be a sort of Rorschach test for how people feel about aging, or what they think constitutes a happy ending. Their indignance over certain plot lines typically, I feel, is rooted in their own denial. Or fear. Its a harsh truth for a series that we hold so dear because its always been a fantasy. Anyway, two Cosmopolitansstat! Theres No Crying in Television People ask me all the time, Whats a good show to binge right now? I have one perfect answer: Its A League of Their Own. The Prime Video series is exciting because it so intrinsically feels like the Penny Marshall film starring Tom Hanks and Geena Davis that its based on, but also thrillingly digs deeper into the characters and the fascinating aspects of the time period its set in. The series is both a testament to how wonderful this period of countless streaming services and the opportunity for endless content isthe fact that the show existsand how this time is utterly maddening. Prime Video Thats why I was devastated when Prime Videeo announced this week that a previously planned second season for A League of Their Own was canceled. In its statement, Prime Video blamed the decision on the concurrent strikes happening in Hollywood. It needs to be said that such a statement is HORSESHIT, a hollow attempt at villainizing workers who are owed the rights and compensation that greedy executives are denying them. Nothing needs to be canceled because of the strikes; a fair agreement needs to happen because of the strikes. As A League of Their Own co-creator Abbi Jacobson said in her own response to the statement, To blame this cancellation on the strike (which is an essential fight for fair wages, protections, and working conditions, etc) is bullshit and cowardly. The point is that, like the movie it was based on, this is a fantastic, nearly flawless series. You should watch it. Im really sad its not coming back. Its a show that matters. And I encourage you to read this thread from co-creator Will Graham, which elucidates exactly why. Get Thee to a Theater The movies are back, yall! It was reported this week that Barbie is going to overtake The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest grossing release in the U.S. this year, with both crossing the $1 billion box-office marker. I dont want to brag, but clearly 7-year-old Kevin is Hollywoods greatest tastemaker. All we need is a billion-dollar movie inspired by my Captain Planet lunch box to confirm it. But this shouldnt stop at Barbie. The new raunchy and surprising teen comedy Bottoms is out this weekend. As I learned while watching its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, its a film that demands a raucous audience who guffaws, gasps, and claps at its jokes and twists. (Dont let what happened to Booksmart, another genius film from the genre that died on the vine in cinemas, happen to Bottoms too.) Orion Pictures While youre at it, go see Passages, to support independent cinema. Or Talk to Me, one of the most fun horror movies of the year. Go buy movie tickets. Make theaters crowded again. You wont regret it. A Mantra My new therapist is just this quote from Patricia Clarkson from a recent interview. "My mother said, Patty, I just don't want you to wake up at 50 and be unhappy. I woke up at 50 in stilettos and a thong, she said, laughing. Ive had a great sexy-ass life. giphy What to watch this week: You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Adam Sandler remembered that he could be funny! (Now on Netflix) Star Wars: Ahsoka: Just make sure you have a Star Wars Wikipedia page up while youre watching. (Now on Disney+) Bottoms: Dont overthink it. Sometimes, fun movies are just fun. (Now in theaters) What to skip this week: Gran Turismo: Youd think a movie based on a popular video game would be more exciting. (Now in theaters) 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 Kremlin issued an executive order that could require members of the Wagner Group to take an oath to Russia Friday. The order comes in the wake of the apparent death of Wagner Group mercenaries head Yevgeny Prigozhin earlier this week. Russia reportedly has been working to dismantle the group ever since its failed mutiny against the Kremlin two months ago. The oath to the State Flag of the Russian Federation shall be administered to people joining volunteer units and other persons contributing to fulfilling the objectives of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, according to a post on the Kremlins website. The post also specifies the order applies to other troops, military units and bodies as per the Federal Law On Defence, and taking part in the special military operation; those employed by state enterprises established as per the law setting forth a special legal framework regulating the circulation of arms and security; and persons involved in territorial defence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The special military operation referred to in the post appears to reference the terminology Russian President Vladimir Putin initially used to refer to the Russia-Ukraine war. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Health officials have launched an investigation after cases of Legionnaires disease were found in guests who stayed in two of the citys hotels. The Southern Nevada Health District reported that two guests who stayed at Caesars Palace and another who stayed at The Orleans Hotel & Casino tested positive for the disease. Authorities stated that the Caesars Palace customers stayed at the hotel within the last 12 months. Environmental testing did not detect Legionella bacteria, the department said, and guests who may have been exposed are being notified. The Independent has reached out to Caesars Entertainment for comment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The case at The Orleans Hotel & Casino follows two confirmed cases at the property earlier this year. Remediation of the propertys water system was conducted, and post-remediation testing did not detect Legionella bacteria, SNHD said. A third guest of the property was recently identified as a case, and environmental samples have tested positive for Legionella. Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada (Getty Images) Officials say that the hotels owners are cooperating and it is undergoing remediation and environmental testing to ensure elimination of the bacteria to protect the health and safety of its guests. David Strow, a spokesman for Boyd Gaming Corporation which owns The Orleans, said that the property had extensive measures in place to minimize risk to its guests. We were recently notified by the Southern Nevada Health District that it is investigating a case of Legionnaires Disease reported by a guest who stayed at the Orleans. Upon testing, legionella was not detected in the guests room. However, we will continue to work closely with the Health District in their investigation, Mr Strow said. The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Nevada (Getty Images) Legionnaires disease is a type of pneumonia and is caused by the Legionella bacteria. The Centers for Disease Control says that people can become infected by drinking water that contains the bacteria or breathing in mist. Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Tanner Bibee works against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in Toronto. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP) TORONTO (AP) Ramon Laureano homered and had three RBIs, Tanner Bibee pitched six innings to win for the third time in four starts and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 Friday night. Andres Gimenez and Bo Naylor hit solo home runs as Cleveland rebounded after losing its past two. Bibee (10-3) allowed two runs and six hits, including two home runs. The rookie walked one and struck out five. He has that ability to kind of get another gear, which is really fun to watch, Guardians manager Terry Francona said. Enyel De Los Santos and Trevor Stephan each worked one inning. Emmanuel Clase finished for his 34th save in 43 chances. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Laureano wasnt in Clevelands original starting lineup but got the call when Will Brennan was scratched because of a strained right knee. He ended up being huge in the middle of our order, Francona said of Laureano. George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. both hit solo home runs for the Blue Jays but Toronto lost its third straight. Guerreros homer was his first since Aug. 4 at Boston. The slumping Blue Jays have scored five total runs over the past three games. Springer opened the scoring with a leadoff homer in the second, his 16th, but Cleveland tied it on Naylors one-out drive off Chris Bassitt (12-7) in the third. The homer was Naylors fifth. Playing in front of a large group of friends and family, Naylor became the 16th Canadian-born player to hit a home run in Toronto. All the things working up to this moment has made it super special, having the people I love dearest closest to me here, Naylor said. And to add a win on top of that, its a great night. Brother and Guardians teammate Josh also homered north of the border last season. The Naylors are from Mississauga, just west of Toronto. Toronto challenged after plate umpire Adrian Johnson called Clevelands Steven Kwan safe on a two-out double by Oscar Gonzalez in the third. The call was overturned when replays showed Kwans hand missed the plate as he slid by. It was a good slide to evade the tag, he just evaded the plate, too, Francona said. If he gets closer, hes probably out. Laureano made sure there was nothing to challenge with a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth, his seventh. The Blue Jays couldnt deliver on an opportunity to cut the deficit in the bottom half, when Guerrero was thrown out at the plate as he tried to score from first on Matt Chapmans double to left. Shortstop Gabriel Arias made the relay throw to Cleveland catcher Naylor, who tagged Guerrero to end the inning. Gonzalez doubled to begin the sixth and scored on Laureanos one-out double, but Guerrero replied with a one-out homer in the sixth, his 19th. Gimenez made it 5-2 with a two-out homer off Jordan Hicks in the eighth, his 12th. Bassitt allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander lost for the first time since July 31 against Baltimore. I felt fine, Bassitt said. I just pitched terrible. TRAINERS ROOM Guardians: Brennan injured his knee when he collided with the fence while making a catch Thursday. Brennan was in the original lineup at DH with Oscar Gonzalez in right field. Laureano started in right and Gonzalez was the DH. Blue Jays: RHP Chad Green (elbow surgery) is expected to pitch in back-to-back games at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday and Sunday, likely his final hurdle before joining Torontos roster. CLEVELAND CENTURY Clase has 101 career saves, 100 of them with Cleveland. He got his first save with Texas in 2019. BEAST FOR THE EAST Bibee is 4-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts against AL East opponents ROSTER MOVES Cleveland recalled RHP Cody Morris from Triple-A Columbus. RHP Hunter Gaddis and LHP Tim Herrin were optioned to Triple-A. UP NEXT LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (2-1, 1.89 ERA) was set to start for Toronto against LHP Logan Allen (6-6, 3.31). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb Harvard University Professor Emeritus Laurence Tribe argued that the Constitution couldnt be clearer on why Donald Trump is disqualified from becoming president again. The legal scholar, in an interview with CNNs Wolf Blitzer on Friday, cited Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which states that a person is barred from holding office in the U.S. federal government if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. You are disqualified, period, said Tribe, likening the disqualification to those on presidential term limits, age restrictions for the office, and whether someone is a natural-born citizen. So all of the charges against the president which at the moment dont happen to include insurrection are really beside the point, he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Conservative law professors have recently referred to Section 3 in arguments on Trumps eligibility for the Oval Office following the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson has similarly suggested that the former president is disqualified. Tribe later said that secretaries of state may have to set up a way to determine if Trump gave aid or comfort to the Constitutions enemies. But he then pointed to the former president considering full pardons for defendants in cases related to Jan. 6. When he said he was going to pardon the ones who breached the Capitol and who had Confederate flags in there and caused mayhem and even death, that sure sounds like giving aid or comfort to the enemies of the Constitution, Tribe said. Blitzer asked Tribe, who recently co-wrote an op-ed in The Atlantic on Trumps eligibility, if the call is subjective. Are you concerned this could potentially be abused down the road? Blitzer said. Its certainly problematic, but thats why the framers of the 14th Amendment put in a safeguard, replied Tribe. They said, if its abused, all you need is two-thirds of each house [of Congress] in order to remove a disability, a disqualification. H/T: Mediaite Related... The city of Redding, Shasta County and a company that provides healthcare for inmates in the county jail have agreed to pay $12.75 million to the sister of a Redding man who died while in the jail near downtown Redding. Katherine Johnson filed a lawsuit against the three entities and several city and county officials after her brother, Randall Scott Johnson, died two days after being brought into the jail in August 2018. In her lawsuit, Katherine Johnson said her brother was suicidal when police found him at his home in August 2018 and that they he should have been taken to the hospital rather than jail. In a statement released this week, Katherine Johnson said she was devastated by her brother's death. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "When he died, something in me died too. Jail workers and medical staff have to understand that the people they see in jail are not disposable, and they have someone who loves them. I cant imagine what my brother went through, and cant believe they just let him die on the floor. Would you want your family treated that way? He should have been in a hospital," Johnson said. Shasta County Jail on June 12, 2020 In the settlement, the city of Redding and the county agreed to pay $1.65 million, while Wellpath, a national for-profit company that provides healthcare to inmates at detention facilities across the country, including Shasta County, agreed to pay $11.1 million. Officials with Wellpath did not respond to an email sent to them seeking comment. Officials with Shasta County and the city of Redding also did not return phone messages left at the County Counsel's Office, Redding City Attorney's office and with Redding City Manager Barry Tippin. The incident occurred after a friend of Randall Johnson 's called 911 on Aug. 14, 2018, to report that the 56-year-old painter attempted to kill himself by taking a large quantity of methamphetamine. The lawsuit says the officers reported that Johnson was curled up in a fetal position in the driveway of his home, wearing only underwear and shoes. He also had feces smeared on his back, arms and on his underwear. Randall Scott Johnson At the jail, officers allegedly laughed at him after he soiled himself as he suffered the effects of overdosing on methamphetamine, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. Jail videos show that Randall was speaking incoherently, screaming in pain and vomiting, according to the lawsuit. Attorneys for Katherine Johnson said a nurse at the jail falsified intake forms for her brother and did not recommend that he go to the hospital. During his time in jail, Johnson refused to have his vital signs taken at least three times. The last time he refused to have his vital signs taken was at 10:48 p.m. on Aug. 15, the lawsuit says. Jail staff reported checking on him several times on Aug. 15. But at 7:35 a.m. the next day two deputies went to Johnson's cell to take him to a mental health clinic, but found him cold and without a pulse, the lawsuit says. The house in north Redding where Randall Scott Johnson was arrested in August 2018. He was taken to the Shasta County Jail, where he died two days later. A coroner's investigator and an ambulance were called, but they were unable to revive Johnson. He was declared dead at 8:01 a.m., the suit says. Julia Sherwin, a lawyer for Haddad & Sherwin in Oakland, said the settlement was the largest ever against Wellpath. Wellpath has shown time after time that it puts profits over people and money over medical care. Wellpath provided the Shasta County Jail with inadequate staffing, and assigned licensed vocational nurses to work as registered nurses, which is against the law," Sherwin said in a statement. "And, even when one of their nurses committed medical fraud and falsified Randalls medical chart, they kept her working at the jail. Their practices have deadly consequences. If Wellpath and its employees had done their jobs and followed the law, Randall Johnson would still be alive. Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Lawsuit in Shasta County Jail death settled for $12.75 million During a segment of Fox News on Friday, conservative political commentator Jesse Watters gushed over the mug shot taken of former president Donald Trump in a way that could be referred to as intimate. Joking that he's going to book the Fulton County photographer for his Christmas card, he followed up with a statement that few could guess was coming next, but many delighted in re-sharing to social media directly after the words left his lips: "I say this with an unblemished record of heterosexuality: he looks good, and he looks hard." Watters: I say this with an unblemished record of heterosexuality. He looks good and he looks hard. pic.twitter.com/jlNQ2YyZXM Acyn (@Acyn) August 25, 2023 Trump himself must agree. He's been sharing variations of the mug shot to his Truth Social account since it was taken in Georgia on Thursday, following his arrest and booking on 13 felony counts in relation to his involvement in overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election. Additionally, the photo has been posted to his official website, and his joint fundraising committee is already selling a variety of merchandise emblazoned with the "hard" image. Trump 2024 is now selling t shirts and coffee mugs featuring his mug shot and the declaration never surrender pic.twitter.com/SFxohGvo9e Kevin Carrico (@kevincarrico) August 25, 2023 Florida Atlantic Universitys attempts to quickly convince the state it conducted a fair and appropriate search for its next president arent winning over its critics, including the states chief financial officer, who has suggested opening a second investigation into possible wrongdoing. At the same time, many FAU faculty, donors and supporters are becoming increasingly alarmed by what they see as continued political interference by allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis , who has supported controversial State Rep. Randy Fine for the presidential job. A search committee did not name Fine as one of the three finalists for the job. Instead they chose Vice Admiral Sean Buck, superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis; Michael Hartline, dean of the College of Business at Florida State University; and Jose Sartarelli, former chancellor of the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The latest concerns come after a heated meeting of the universitys Board of Trustees on Aug. 15, where Vice Chairwoman Barbara Feingold, a major DeSantis donor, slammed the process, the finalists and Board Chairman Brad Levine, who has defended the process. Both Feingold and Levine were appointed to the board by DeSantis. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement With the presidential search on hold, faculty say its creating an unsettling atmosphere on campus, as the new school year starts. Many vacant positions, including the provost and the vice president of advancement, are on hold until a new president is selected. Related Articles The Board of Governors stopped the search July 7 as a result of alleged anomalies in the process. The board has questioned the use of a secret straw poll to narrow applicants, as well as a consulting firm without the knowledge of the search committee conducting an anonymous diversity survey where applicants were asked about their sexual orientation and gender identify. The university is really paralyzed, said Bill Trapani, an associate professor of communications. Faculty are very concerned that there doesnt seem to be a lot of haste and interest in resolving this quickly. And as it remains unresolved, its continuing to do harm to the institution and were all suffering as a result. While the Board of Governors investigation is scheduled to conclude by November, State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis suggested his office might open its own investigation. Patronis voiced concern about a story from WPEC-Ch. 12 about an email FAU General Counsel David Kian sent to search committee members asking them to coordinate responses with FAU lawyers, which some argued could compromise the investigation. Very concerned. Lots of smoke surrounding this process, Patronis posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. As the States CFO my office has the authority to investigate any fraud, waste, or abuse that may be happening in the state. Im prepared to use it. Will continue monitoring. FAU deserves better. The issue started Monday when Kian sent an email to search committee members about the investigation. I understand that some of you have been or may be contacted by the Inspector General seeking to interview you regarding your participation on the committee and our process, Kian wrote. If you receive or have received such a request, please contact me immediately so that we may assist with and coordinate responses. Two search committee members voiced concerns about Kians request, according to emails the South Florida Sun Sentinel received through a public records request. I find it troubling myself and inappropriate to offer assistance in order to assist with coordinated responses,' wrote committee member Dr. Jose Mellado, who is also a DeSantis appointee on the state Board of Dentistry. I will cooperate fully with the Inspector General if and when they contact me. I want to maintain the highest level of objectivity in this process. Kian told Mellado in an email that there was a misunderstanding. There is nothing that prohibits members of the Universitys search committee from communicating with the Universitys General Counsel about a matter pertaining to the search committee, Kian wrote. Kian wrote FAU is cooperating fully and objectively with the Inspector Generals investigation, and has done so in as transparent a manner as possible. We will continue to do so. Assisting with coordinating the Inspector Generals interviews with committee members in no way contravenes that. Alan Levine, a search committee member who serves on the Board of Governors, responded to Kian that he didnt want to be represented by FAUs lawyers since the Board of Governors was conducting the investigation and could create a conflict of interest. Based on what we know so far, no potential conflict is apparent between the University and its search committee members, Kian responded. However, you are in a unique position given your membership on the Board of Governors, the entity that is investigating the Universitys search process. I therefore fully understand your declining the Universitys offer of representation. Fine questioned Kians actions on X, asking, What do they have to hide? The naked witness tampering is unbelievable. Trapani said critics are mischaracterizing Kians intent. My sense is that the phrase that is triggering to most people is a very common phrase where people are really just saying, If we can be of assistance, let us know. We can help coordinate, Trapani said. I dont think there was anything nefarious. Other conservatives also slammed the university this week. FAU is a public university supported by the tax payers of the state of Florida. Those are the same people who elected a super majority of Republicans to the legislature and re-elected Gov DeSantis by a landslide, tweeted State Rep. Ralph Massullo, R-Lecanto. FAUs actions seem incongruous with those facts. Just saying. Fine retweeted Massullos post. The university also has been the subject of scathing critiques by Tracy Caruso, a DeSantis ally who is the wife of West Palm Beach State Rep. Mike Caruso. An Aug. 20 post on the conservative blog Florida Jolt criticizes Barry Richard, the constitutional lawyer Levine chose to review the search process. Richards conclusion: FAU fully complied with state law. Richard is the husband of Allison Tant, a former Democratic Party chair and a state representative, Caruso wrote, adding he worked on Democrat Andrew Gillums recount against Ron DeSantis in the 2018 gubernatorial race. Additionally, Richard is the attorney who worked to stop a subpoena issued by the state by State Representative Randy Fine, who demanded that records be turned over that would show the science supporting the need for gender re-affirming care,' Caruso wrote. Richard, who couldnt be reached, also has represented high-profile Republicans, including Jeb Bush in his 1998 run for governor and President George W. Bush during the 2000 recount. I dont understand why shes calling out the attorney who did the analysis, calling him partisan, said Lori Berman, a Democratic state senator whose south Palm Beach County district includes FAU. Hes done a lot of non-partisan things. He was hired in his capacity as an attorney. Berman said she supports Chairman Brad Levine and the FAU Board of Trustees. I dont know why there is so much involvement by the government in trying to change this, other than the fact they want to put their handpicked person into the position. The FAU search also is receiving scrutiny from donors, including those who want the FAU Board of Trustees to resume its search and pick one of its three finalists, as well as Feingold, a trustee and donor who doesnt want any of the three selected candidates. Feingold has pledged $30 million for a new dental school, but she raised doubts about that commitment during the Aug. 15 meeting. Nothing has been signed, she said. I am one of those donors that is concerned about the presidential process. Feingold, who couldnt be reached, is widely believed to support Fine for the job. She has donated at least $11,000 to his legislative campaigns in recent years. Other donors have opposite views. Donor Howard Weiner told the Board of Trustees on Aug. 15 that the presidential search must continue without outside interference. He told the Sun Sentinel that he believes that the next president needs to support FAUs mission to create inclusive, diverse and transformative learning environments. He questions whether a candidate like Fine would fit that. Fine is a self-described conservative firebrand who has sponsored bills to restrict drag shows and root out what he sees as wokeism in the state. If they choose someone who does not stand for the mission statement, that is very problematic, and as a donor, its very concerning and disconcerting, he said. Does it affect how we will support FAU? The answer is yes. He said that doesnt mean he would stop donating to the university but we will define those donations, so clearly that they must be used in a certain way that comports with the Universitys mission statement, rather than just giving it in a more generalized fashion because we want to make sure that it is utilized in the proper way. While many faculty and donors have complained that Fine is not qualified for the job, he disputed that in a tweet Aug. 20 without confirming he was actually an applicant. The wokies cant even do basic research. No post-grad degree? MBA from Harvard summa cum lauds, he wrote. No teaching experience? Teaching Fellow in Economics at Harvard. Published both a book at Harvard College and a paper at HBS. Not saying I applied but man these people are dumb. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a Republican state representative whose House district includes FAU, told the Sun Sentinel that Fine could be a good president. His leadership skills make him at least somebody that should be considered for the job, she said. No matter what anyone says on Twitter, he can be one of the most heartfelt sincere people. He was the one who successfully took the bill to clean up Indian River Lagoon, far before other people jumped on to that. This year, the Legislature allocated $100 million to create the Indian River Lagoon Protection program to improve water quality. Gossett-Seidman also said people need to let the investigation conclude before they rush to judgment. It would be great if everyone could just take a deep breath and try to reevaluate, she said. I would like everyone on all sides to benefit from from feeling confident that the process was correct. A Louisiana police officer came disturbingly close to raffling off an AR-15-style rifle this week in a misguided attempt to support victims of domestic violence. The effort was discontinued after activists in St. Tammany Parish spotted a flyer advertising tickets on social media. The digital leaflet depicted a Core rifle and a smiling portrait of Lt. Patrick Casnave, an officer with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office who was described as a Superhero for a domestic violence nonprofit. Lt. Patrick Casnave , AKA Superhero for Safe Harbor, is raffling off a rifle ... to benefit Safe Harbor, read the flyer, which was obtained by HuffPost. CORE AR-15 Valued at $800. $10 each or 3 for $25. The raffle soon faced pushback from activists like Cynthia Weatherly. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The LGBTQ advocate, who previously fought a local library board to keep challenged titles available, said she was shocked when she saw the flyer on Facebook. I had just pulled up in my driveway when I saw the ad and my heart sunk immediately, she told HuffPost on Friday via email. I dont consider myself a very emotional person and Im relatively introverted, but I was immediately struck by the insensitivity of this raffle. An image of the flyer advertising a raffle for the AR-15-style rifle. An image of the flyer advertising a raffle for the AR-15-style rifle. So Weatherly called the number on the flyer and spoke to Sgt. Carli Messina, another officer at the St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office. Weatherly explained how inappropriate the raffle seemed, but said she was told it was mostly aimed at Law enforcement and their friends and family. The activist rejected this as a justification to hold a drawing for a deadly weapon. As if the gun going into the hands of a LEO [law enforcement officer] made it okay, she told HuffPost. Though exact figures are murky, Weatherly cited one estimate that domestic violence among law enforcement is 15 times higher than the general population. In their discussion about the raffle, Weatherly said Messina tried to shift attention away from the rifle by arguing that alcohol also contributes to domestic violence. Weatherly told HuffPost that she felt dismissed by Messinas statements. I got teary eyed as I sat in my driveway, said Weatherly, noting that her mother had been a victim of domestic violence. I cant imagine being in the midst of this and trying to escape that sort of situation and knowing that the people helping are actively fundraising by putting more [guns] ... out into the world, she continued. According to the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, around 4.5 million women in the U.S. have been threatened with a gun, and nearly 1 million women have been shot or shot at by a partner. Women are five times more likely to be killed if their abuser has a gun. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriffs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But this isnt the first time that law enforcement has raffled off guns in the U.S. In Missouri, the Columbia Police Officers Association reportedly said it would proceed with a firearm giveaway last year, despite public outrage after recent mass shootings nationwide. The Bergenfield Police Department in New Jersey attempted the same in 2019. The effort was reportedly thwarted when the Bergen County Prosecutors Office intervened, arguing that a state statute prohibited giving away weapons as prizes. Gun raffles, like this one in North Carolina in 2022, have been popular among Republicans. Gun raffles, like this one in North Carolina in 2022, have been popular among Republicans. Mel Manuel, an LGBTQ rights activist who is running for Congress as a Democrat in Louisianas 1st District, told HuffPost they also learned about the flyer on Facebook and genuinely werent sure it was real at first. This isnt a gun for hunting deer, its for hunting people, wrote Manuel, who uses they/them pronouns. Raffling it off to support a nonprofit serving victims of domestic violence is unbelievably tone deaf, especially given that the presence of a gun in a domestic violence situation increases the risk of homicide by 500%, they continued. Manuels opponent in the congressional race, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), has espoused bewildering views on guns in the past. Last year, Scalise said that passing gun safety legislation to curb mass shootings would be wrong, arguing that there wasnt a conversation about banning airplanes after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He also stated that school shootings didnt happen in the 1960s, when we actually had prayer in school. But gun control advocates are demanding more stringent regulation, not prayer, to prevent violence. Manuel noted that Casnaves involvement in the raffle, which Safe Harbor ultimately canceled, is baffling. As an officer whose job it is to prevent crime, I cant imagine why hed want to add another semi-automatic weapon onto our streets, they wrote. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Related... Love Island couple Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti have experienced a "terrifying" airplane emergency on their way home from a holiday. Ekin-Su sent an alarming message on Twitter / X late Friday night (August 25) where she said she'd had a "nightmare experience" with Davide on their way home from Turkey. The reality star's message, which was retweeted by Davide, indicated the "engine on the left exploded 4 times [with] flames and [there were] sparks [like] something from a movie". Jeff Spicer - Getty Images Related: Love Island winner Ekin-Su reveals whether she'd return for potential All Stars series ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Emergency landed in Antalya. Most terrifying experience ever! Still worried about if we will make it safe," she wrote in a message where Davide was also tagged. As of early Saturday morning (August 26), the couple had not offered any clarification on whether they were indeed able to get home safely. According to The Sun, the couple's flight was diverted and did indeed land in Antalya, Turkey as of 2.15am local time. A JET2 spokesperson said in a statement: "Flight LS984 from Bodrum to Manchester followed standard procedure and diverted safely to Antalya on Thursday 24th August, after the crew reported a technical issue. Due to the late hour, customers were provided with hotel accommodation in Antalya, and were flown home last night. At no point was anybody's safety compromised, however we would of course like to apologise for the disruption caused." Ricky Vigil M - Getty Images Related: Love Island's Ekin-Su teases possible Strictly appearance "this year" Digital Spy has reached out to representatives for both Ekin-Su Culculoglu and Davide Sanclimenti for an update. The shocking incident comes on the heels of Ekin-Su and Davide fueling rumours that they'd got back together two months after publicly announcing their separation. Davide had posted on social media that he'd joined Ekin-Su on holiday in Turkey and was part of her birthday celebration earlier in the week. The couple won the eighth series of Love Island in 2022 and went on to star in their own ITV2 spinoff series Ekin-Su & Davide: Homecomings where they visited their families' homelands of Turkey and Italy respectively. Davide announced on his Instagram that the pair had gone their separate ways in June, but insisted he would "continue to support Ekin [in] any way possible". Ekin-Su would speak out a few weeks later to address swirling rumours around the reasons for their split, insisting that they still "care about each other" and remained on "good terms". You Might Also Like In the 17 years Shannon Ross spent behind bars, phone calls with family helped him get through tough times. They helped him maintain his mental health, and when he was released from prison, he felt like the weekly communication eased his transition to life outside of prison. Ross, 39, spent nearly half of his life in prison for a murder he committed at 19. After he was released in September 2020, he became a first-time dad. He completed his bachelor's in prison then got a master's degree in sustainable peace building at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He credits some of his success since being released to the phone calls that kept him in close contact with his parents hearing their encouragement and keeping him informed on the things he would have otherwise missed, like birthdays and anniversaries. I was lucky. My family could afford it, although I know many families cant, said Ross, founder and executive director of The Community, a nonprofit newsletter and organization working to help recently incarcerated people transition back into society. Shannon Ross He estimates his parents spent between $15,000 to $17,000 to receive phone calls from him in prison. Wisconsin is one of a dozen states where bills have been introduced or are being drafted allowing for free or reduced calls in jails and prisons. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Why? Mounting evidence that maintaining family ties not only helps inmates, it also improves outcomes for their children and reduces violent incidents in prisons. Wisconsin has some of the highest rates for calls from prisons and jails and is considering upping the fees it charges inmates for sending emails. Sharon McMurray, executive director and CEO of Table of the Saints, Inc., a group that helps incarcerated people make a positive transition back into the community and family life, said the phone calls from prison are a vital lifeline for the parent and the family. Especially in Wisconsin, which leads the nation in Black incarceration rates. Louisiana injustice: Angola's death row is haunted by its past and purpose. It shouldn't be housing kids. One of every 36 Black Wisconsinites is in prison, according to the Sentencing Projects 2021 report, The Color of Justice. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in State Prisons. The report noted that Black people represent just 6% of the states population but make up 42% of prisoners. We know how expensive everything is now, and people make tough choices daily. One choice they should not have to make is talking to their incarcerated loved ones, McMurray said. While phone calls are essential, McMurray said she didnt think phone calls should be free. The price should be reduced, but Im unsure if they should be completely free. People should still need to earn the right to use the phones, she said. High incarceration rates and fees to maintain family ties In Wisconsin, inmates' phone calls in state prisons are six cents per minute, and prisoners are given a maximum of 20 minutes per phone call. So, the total cost for a 20-minute phone call is $1.20 plus a $3 to $6 surcharge every time someone puts money into an account to add money for a phone call. Milwaukee County Jail calls are 21 cents a minute, but calls at other jails across the state can range from $1.80 for a 15-minute call in Jefferson County to as much as $14.77 in Green County, according to a Prison Policy Initiative survey of 30 counties. Last year, a plan for free calls for inmates at the Milwaukee County Jail was blocked due to to budget concerns. The survey shows Wisconsin has among the highest costs of a 15-minute in-state call from a jail, at $21.97. The only states with higher average costs are Arkansas at $24.82 and Michigan at $22.56. West Virginia charges the least at $1.80. A father's view: Children are terrified of school shootings, gun violence. Tennessee lawmakers should listen. While the cost of six cents a minute for a prison call may seem like just pennies to most, keep in mind that while the states Black population is 6%, they make up 42% of the prison population. And due to the large wealth gap in the state, Black residents only make 42 cents for every $1 white people make. Inmates and families need more affordable deal, but it should not just be limited to phone calls, Ross said. Starting Sept. 1, for example, inmates will pay 15 cents per email, up from the 10 cents they are charged now. They nickel and dime inmates every chance they get. Its not right because if you look at who the inmates are, they are already poor, he said. A 2021 investigation by The Post-Crescent and a study by the Prison Policy Initiative found that Wisconsin inmates and their families were being gouged by telecommunication companies. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. The concept of making phone calls more acceptable financially to inmates is not a new one. Two years after pledging to make phone calls free to their 13,000 people incarcerated in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors issued a deadline in July to make phone calls accessible by Dec. 1. The board said the decision comes after growing pressure from advocates and attorneys who say inmates and their families among the states poorest residents are being extorted due to the steep prices. In 2021, Connecticut became the first state to make all prison phone calls free. Since then, California, Colorado and Minnesota have followed. Children who remain in contact with incarcerated parents do better in school The changes are being driven by evidence that maintaining family ties is better for everyone. A study by The Marshall Project shows that a phone call helps inmates keep up with the going on in their family lives, reduces the chances they will go back to prison after they are released, and help improve the outcomes for their children. In the United States, 1.7 million children have parents incarcerated in prison, and millions of additional children have a parent incarcerated in jail, according to the report Childrens Contact With Their Incarcerated Parents. The study showed: Children who had contact with their incarcerated parents reported fewer feelings of alienation toward that parent than children who had no contact calls, visits or letters. Children with incarcerated parents who get phone calls, visits or letters are least likely to drop out of school or get suspended. An analysis of 92 incarcerated mothers with young children found that children who visited and talked to them on the phone were likelier to express warmth, closeness and loyalty to their mothers. Another factor for moving toward free or reduced-cost phone calls: the safety of corrections officers. More communication inmates have with their loved ones decreases the rate of violent incidents in prison by 20%, according to the 2013 study Ways of Coping and Involvement in Prison Violence. Former inmates say phone calls, family contact kept them going Over the years, I have taken dozens of phone calls from prisoners who wanted to talk to me about their cases or inform me about the abuse they deal with while incarcerated. James E. Causey - reporter When I worked on the project Life Correction: The Marlin Dixon Story, which chronicled the life of a young man who was sentenced to 18 years behind bars at the age of 14 for his part in the mob beating death of Charlie Young Jr. in 2002, I started communicating with Dixon via letters and calls eight months before he was released from prison in 2020. Dixon said the phone calls to his mother kept him going when he wanted to give up. He knew it was sometimes hard for his mother to scrape up the money for calls, so when he started working behind bars, he used his money to make calls home. When you are locked up, people on the outside keep living," he said. "They travel, have birthdays, go to parties, and sometimes you dont have anything going on when locked up. Those calls are all you need to keep going." James E. Causey started reporting on life in his city while still at Marshall High School through a Milwaukee Sentinel internship. He's been covering his hometown ever since, writing and editing news stories, projects and opinion pieces on urban youth, mental health, employment, housing and incarceration. This column first published at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Follow him on Twitter @jecausey You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: States moving to free phone calls for inmates to boost health, safety. Donald Patience had been dead for several days before police found his body A labradoodle owner whose dog was stolen had been dead for several days before his body was found, police have revealed as a man was charged with his murder. Donald Patience, 45, was discovered at a property in Bury, Greater Manchester, at around 10.30am on Tuesday. Although the cause of death is still being determined, police believe he had died a number of days before his body was found. Greater Manchester Police is appealing for information about activity near Mr Patiences home in Radcliffe, in the four days leading up to his death. It comes amid suggestions his attackers had monitored his movements before carrying out the alleged burglary. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ian Connell, 39, from Bolton, appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates Court on Saturday in connection with the incident. Two other men, aged 27 and 41, have been arrested on suspicion of murder but have been bailed pending further inquiries. Mr Patiences family described him as a much-loved son, brother and father who will be sorely missed by many. Dog taken for a haircut The suspected dog thief is thought to have taken the labradoodle to a grooming salon for a haircut after the owner was killed in an alleged burglary gone wrong. Mick Hewitson, 58, who runs the Dog Shop which is around 160 feet away from the scene of the crime, said: I had only just opened up and this young man came in and asked me if I would do his dog for him, cut his hair. The dog was an off-white labradoodle. Id never seen the man before but he seemed calm. He told me his boss had gone to Scotland and he wanted to get the dogs hair cut while he was away. Ive got a sore shoulder and the dog was a big thing so I told him I couldnt do it at the moment. Probably about 30 minutes later I looked outside and that same man was being arrested and the police were looking after the same dog. The labradoodle is now being looked after by the relevant authority, police said. Mr Patiences ex-wife, Kirsty Leigh Banks, paid tribute to her former partner describing him as an amazing father who adored his children. She added: We are all truly heartbroken at this news and we are all struggling to come to terms with his death. The cause of death has not been revealed but was ruled suspicious following a post-mortem examination. 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. WEST PALM BEACH A man who was beaten unconscious by a West Palm Beach police officer in 2019 filed lawsuits in state and federal court accusing the officer of using excessive force and the local police union of lying to cover it up. He is seeking more than $125,000 in damages across both suits. The allegations stem from an arrest on the city's north end on Nov. 1, 2019. Officer Nicholas Lordi responded to the Food Plus Grocery store to investigate reports of an intoxicated trespasser. The investigation devolved into a brawl when the suspected trespasser, 63-year-old John Monroque, ignored Lordi's commands to stand still. Surveillance-camera video showed Lordi push Monroque's head into a parked police car, place him in a headlock and wrestle him to the ground. He proceeded to punch Monroque 11 times, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious until a civilian bystander intervened. With a handcuffed Monroque lying unconscious and bleeding on the pavement, Lordi pressed his knee against the man's head for just under a minute. Jamesloo Charles, another officer on the scene and Lordi's co-defendant in the lawsuit, did not intervene. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Lordi arrested Monroque on charges of trespassing, resisting arrest and battery on an officer all of which prosecutors later dropped. In his arrest report, Lordi accused Monroque of reaching for Charles' gun and taser. Officer vindicated, accused, vindicated again in series of investigations The West Palm Beach Police Department conducted an internal use-of-force investigation following the incident and cleared Lordi of all wrongdoing. When the store's surveillance-camera video began to circulate online, the department asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to conduct its own investigation. The FDLE found that the video contradicted Lordi's account, prompting the officer's arrest on an aggravated battery charge in February 2022. The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office dropped the charge seven months later, vouching for the lawfulness of Lordi's actions. Lordi had already been the subject of several internal affairs investigations stemming from use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints, according to Monroque's lawyers. A Palm Beach Post investigation in 2021 found that Lordi was one of only two officers to receive three complaints in a single year. Post investigates: How a West Palm officer got his job back after he was disciplined 15 times and fired The city and the West Palm Beach Police Department are also named as defendants in the suit for their alleged negligence in allowing Lordi to remain on the force despite the numerous complaints against him. A police officer who threatens our communitys safety should not be tolerated, even by other officers. The charges against Mr. Monroque were dismissed, but this is hardly a just result, said Fan Li, one of Monroque's attorneys. The officer remained on duty and the victim was left uncompensated. Civil rights suits seem to be the only way to deter police abuse and see that someone answers for it. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, the judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's classified documents case, has been assigned to Monroque's federal lawsuit. Circuit Judge Jaimie Goodman is overseeing the lawsuit in state court. Police union leader lied to defend officer, attorneys say The state suit accuses the president of the local police union of defaming Monroque in an official statement to the press. Adam Myers, president of the West Palm Beach lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the video of the incident "doctored," and Monroque "a violent felon." None of those claims is true, said attorneys Li and Sean Parys. Palm Beach County court records indicate that Monroque, a retired public works employee, has not been convicted of a felony. In addition to their request for thousands of dollars in damages, Monroque and his attorneys have asked that Myers and the police union retract the statement and apologize to Monroque. "It's a nightmare for me, but I'm trying to cope with it. I have to," Monroque said at a news conference Tuesday. "I need the system to be right. The system is too crooked." Neither Lordi nor Myers responded to requests for comment. Mike Jachles, a spokesperson for the West Palm Beach Police Department, declined to comment on the litigation, which he said the police department has not yet been formally made aware of. Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm officer's use of force brings suits against city, union leader The death of Eric Duprey was ruled a homicide after an undercover police officer struck him with a cooler (ASSOCIATED PRESS) The death of a man, who was killed after a New York City police officer hurled a cooler at his head, has been ruled a homicide by the medical examiners office. Eric Duprey, 30, lost control of his motorcycle and crashed after an undercover officer threw the plastic object at him on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the scene in the Bronx. Mr Duprey, 30, had three young children and worked as a delivery driver. A vigil was held for him on Thursday night. NYPD Sergeant Erik Duran, who threw the cooler, was suspended without pay hours after the incident. An NYPD official condemned the sergeants actions, telling the New York Daily News: We dont train officers to pick up something and throw it at a suspect. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Surveillance videoviewed by the Associated Pressreportedly showed Duprey driving the motorcycle on a sidewalk towards a group of people including the plain-clothes officer. Sgt. Duran was working as part of a buy-and-bust operation executed by the Bronx Narcotics Unit. The footage reportedly shows the officer pick up a red picnic cooler and throw it at Duprey as he approached. Police previously said Duprey attempted to flee on a friends motorcycle after he was caught selling drugs to an undercover police officer. The type of drug was not identified. According to the New York Daily News, Dupreys family has hired lawyer Jonathan Roberts. He told the newspaper: Its tragic that yet again a poorly-trained NYPD officer has taken the life of another young man so unnecessarily. We plan to seek justice for the family. New York Attorney General Letitia James opened an investigation into the case on Wednesday. Authorities are asking the public to provide any information or cell phone video after a man died after falling from a parking garage following an assault at a night club early Saturday morning, police said. The victim has not been identified. At 12:52 a.m. Saturday, Portsmouth Police responded to an assault involving multiple people in the area of Hanover Street, between the Portsmouth Gaslight and the Portsmouth Parking Garage. Witnesses told police that a confrontation began upstairs at the Gaslight Night Club with a group of males yelling at the male victim and the group he was with, police said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Witnesses told police that once the victim was outside the Gaslight, the group of males assaulted the victim by the High Hanover Parking Garage entrance on Hanover Street. The victim was able to get away from the group after being assaulted and went into the parking garage, police said. At least one of the group members continued into the parking garage to pursue the male victim, witnesses told police. The male victim continued walking away in the High Hanover Parking Garage and then tried to climb onto the rail of the parking garage, witnesses told police. While climbing over the rail, he fell from the parking garage to the sidewalk below on Hanover Street, police said. The victim was taken to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he died of his injuries, police said. The Medical Examiner and Rockingham County Attorneys Office are working with the Portsmouth Police Department Investigative Division on the case. Anyone who may have witnessed the assault or the victims fall or may have video in the areas of the incident is urged to contact Portsmouth Police, and Capt. Dave Keaveny at 603 610-7511. Anonymous Tips can be submitted through www.seacoastcrimestoppers.com/submit-a-tip. 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 One man is dead and a boy was hurt Saturday after the car they were driving in struck a tree on the border of Sacramentos Pocket and Greenhaven neighborhoods. According to the Sacramento Police Department, the crash happened just after midnight when the car collided with a tree near the corner of Florin Road and Park Place Court, across from St. Anthonys Catholic Church. Police responded to multiple reports of the collision and located both victims. The male adult driver was pronounced dead by the Sacramento Fire Department. The child, whose age was not disclosed, was transported to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. The driver was identified by the Coroners Office as Dontay Kron McGee, 33, of Sacramento. A police spokesperson said the collision remains under investigation. To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, CBS News presents a special, season finale of BET's "America In Black" series with a look at the women behind the march in 1963, the volunteer worker who owns the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, an interview with Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson and more. Stream it on the free CBS News app starting at 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 29. On Aug. 28, 1963, Walter Cronkite began his evening news broadcast with a vivid description of the March on Washington. The day would come to be a watershed moment in the equal rights movement for Black Americans. "They called it the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom," said Cronkite. "They came from all over America. Negroes and Whites, housewives and Hollywood stars, senators and a few beatniks, clergymen and probably a few Communists. More than 200,000 of them came to Washington this morning in a kind of climax to a historic spring and summer in the struggle for equal rights." One of those clergymen was the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. , who made his famed "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the afternoon of Aug. 28. He spoke for 16 minutes in a rallying cry for all to have equal rights. Civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses crowds during the March On Washington at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C, where he gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech. / Credit: Getty Images What was the March on Washington? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs was meant to support the Civil Rights Act, which President John F. Kennedy was attempting to pass through Congress. The act called for an expanded Civil Rights Commission, the desegregation of public schools and other locations and voting rights protections for Black Americans. On the day of the march, more than 250,000 people walked from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. Cronkite remarked that the march sometimes looked "more like a parade of signs than of people," as marchers carried signs calling for equality and the end of police brutality. Along the parade route was CBS News correspondent Dave Dugan. He called the enthusiasm of the march "contagious," with older attendees "taking it rather relaxed and calmly" and younger marchers singing freedom songs like "We Shall Overcome," bubbling with energy and "exuberance." Between 200,000 and 500,000 demonstrators march down Constitution Avenue in Washington D.C. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963. / Credit: Getty Images The Civil Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 2, 1964, after Kennedy's assassination in Dallas in November of 1963. It outlawed discrimination based on race, sex and other protected classes, prohibited discrimination against voters of color and racial segregation in schools. It would be one of the most important legislative bills passed in American history. Who led the March on Washington? There were 10 main leaders of the march, according to a list of biographical information held by the JFK Presidential Library. The director of the march was Asa Philip Randolph, who was 74 at the time. He organized Black workers across America and was key in convincing President Harry Truman to integrate the U.S. military after World War II. Other major leaders included Eugene Carson Blake, a minister and former pastor to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Walter Reuther, a union organizer and presidential adviser. Also involved in leading the march was James Farmer, who created the Congress of Racial Equity and organized the Freedom Rides of 1961. Farmer was in jail at the time of the march after being arrested at a protest in Louisiana. Also leading the march was John Lewis, who was arrested dozens of times in pursuit of equal rights and would go on to be a senator in Georgia, and King, who would make his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech as part of his duties that day. The other leaders included Whitney Young, Matthew Ahmann, Roy Wilkins and Rabbi Joachim Prinz. After the march, the leaders met with Kennedy, spending about 75 minutes with him and other officials. Kennedy released a statement praising the march and its leaders. After the meeting in the White House, the civil rights leaders addressed media outside the presidential residence. King told assembled reporters that the president had made it "very clear that" they would need "very strong bipartisan support" to pass civil rights legislation that year. U.S. President John F. Kennedy in the White House in 1963 with leaders of the civil rights March on Washington (left to right): the Rev. Martin Luther King, John Lewis, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, A. Philip Randolph, President Kennedy, Walter Reuther and Roy Wilkins. Behind Reuther is U.S. Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson. / Credit: Getty Images "The job ahead is to get some of the individuals in both parties who are still a little on the fence to come over in a positive way and support this legislation," said King. "It must have bipartisan support if it is to get through." How is the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington being observed? One of the major observations of the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington was an assembly at the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, as thousands of people came to the monument to pay homage to King, marching from the Lincoln Memorial to the King Memorial. "Let's not give up, let's not give in, let's not give out, we must move forward," his son, Martin Luther King III told the crowd. Rev. Al Sharpton also addressed those gathered, telling them, "We're the children of the dream, let us march in the name of the dreamers." "Martin Luther King said then, give us the ballot, and then he moved up and said, 'I have a dream,' but he gave his life for that dream," said 91-year-old civil rights leader Andrew Young, an aide to Dr. King and former congressman and United Nations ambassador. Jacquelyn Bond Shropshire told CBS News she took part in the original march as a teenager. "Well, it was much like today, except it was shoulder to shoulder, people, we could barely walk, and we could not stay in hotels because they were segregated at that time," Shropshire said. Monday marks the exact anniversary of the March on Washington. King III and his family are expected to meet with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to commemorate the occasion. CBS will also produce a half-hour special that will air at 8 p.m. EDT on Monday, Aug. 28 on BET, BET HER, BET+, and Paramount+. The special, titled "America in Black: The March on Washington 60 years later," will be anchored by Mark Lamont Hill and will feature archival CBS News footage and new interviews looking at the next generation of people carrying on King's legacy. The March on Washington special will re-air on CBS News Streaming at 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Fifth-grade students from Watkins Elementary School, a school in the District of Columbia, wait to recite lines from Martin Luther King Jr.'s How did CBS News cover the March on Washington in 1963? According to Cronkite, it was a "balmy" 77 degrees on the day of the March on Washington, and the crowd had a "picnicking, holiday" spirit as the numbers swelled from tens of thousands to more than 250,000 attendees. The camera cut to a reporter standing with entertainer Lena Horne and the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, active members of the civil rights movement. Horne called the day "intense, to put it mildly." "This is the beginning again, another beginning," she said. Shuttlesworth, a civil rights activist from Birmingham, Alabama, said he saw the events of the day as the first step, not the end of the fight for equal rights. A CBS News correspondent interviews entertainer Lena Horne (left) and Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth (right) before the March on Washington. / Credit: CBS News Archives "I think if anything, this does say, it is there ought to be little Washingtons all over, in every nook and cranny of this country," he said. "We are thinking at this time about organizing a march through the Black belt of Alabama and Mississippi, because until the people in the Black belt can be free, then Americans on the best streets can't be free. I think the message to the country is 'Free yourself by freeing us.'" Soon, the march was underway, though it started earlier than expected, causing its leaders to have to run to catch up. The members of the march chanted slogans and carried signs. "All of the demands underlined the word 'Now,'" Cronkite said. "A mood clearly expressed, that there is no more time. Now is the time to act." After a few more moments of the marchers, the camera returned to Cronkite in the studio to talk about the political backdrop of the march. The march didn't immediately resonate with members of Congress, according to correspondent Robert Pierpoint, who reported from the U.S. Capitol. Instead, Congress was "preoccupied with a bill to settle the railroad controversy," Pierpoint said, referring to a narrowly averted railroad strike. Sen. Strom Thurmond, who represented South Carolina for over 48 years after one term as the state's governor, even said in an interview with Pierpoint that he believed the march would "not" help the cause. He was a Democrat at the time of the interview, but joined the Republican party in September 1964. Thurmond was a longstanding opponent of civil rights legislation, saying that Black Americans were not at any disadvantage and not in need of the Civil Rights Act. Meanwhile, Sen. Philip Hart, a Democrat who represented Michigan for over 16 years and was known as "the Conscience of the Senate," called the march an "excellent thing" that could motivate politicians to act. Sen. Strom Thurmond (left) interviewed by CBS News correspondent Robert Pierpoint (right). / Credit: CBS News Archives "Much of what was said and done in this city today was directed at Congress but much of Congress simply was not paying attention," Pierpoint said. Most Congressmen "had strong views on the march, depending largely on whether they were for or against the president's civil rights programs, but almost all agreed on one essential point: The march itself would not influence many, if any, congressman's votes. Only the reactions of the voters at home for the march would do that, and they have yet to be heard from." Cronkite then spoke of the meeting between leaders of the march and Kennedy, before ending the broadcast with a reflection on the progress the civil rights movement had made in less than a decade. "As the multitude stood today at the marble feet of Abraham Lincoln, its members might have reflected that it has been 100 long years since the Great Emancipator proclaimed the Negroes free. It has been only eight short years since a group of determined and daring Negroes in Montgomery, Alabama boycotted that city's busses and protested against back of the bus segregation," Cronkite said. "That was the first public demonstration that by today had swelled to this March on Washington. The momentum of change seems to be accelerating, and in the hearts of 21 million American Negroes and untold millions of sympathetic Whites, there beat tonight the hope that the dream of Negro equality was at last overtaking the reality of history." Georgia school district brings AI into K-12 classrooms Scotland hosts largest Loch Ness Monster hunt in 50 years Judge to set trial date for Trump; former chief of staff seeks to get election case moved A pilot was killed when an F/A-18D Hornet crashed Thursday night near Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, in a sparsely infrastructured area east of the installation, according to the Marine Corps. The pilot of the aircraft was "confirmed deceased at the site," according to a service statement on Friday. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. The jet belonged to Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, which is a unit based in Beaufort, South Carolina. The parent unit to the squadron is the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, which wrote the statement. The pilot was the only person aboard the jet, according to the unit. Read Next: After Years of Delays, Army Releases New Suicide Prevention Plan Short on Answers ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "With a heavy heart, our condolences go to the Marine's family during this time," the statement said. The crash occurred on government property, according to a previous press release issued by Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Friday morning. The jet was operating out of the installation about 15 miles north of San Diego. "There are no indications of damage to property on the ground," the station said. "An investigation has begun." The incident was first reported by local San Diego news. A spokesperson for the San Diego police department told Military.com that the Marine Corps waved off local services early on and "needed no further assistance" from local law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing. "As a matter of policy, identities of service members are not released until 24 hours after all next-of-kin notifications have been completed," the service said. The Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 224, a part of the Marine Aircraft Group-31, supports ground units "by providing supporting arms coordination, conducting multi-sensor imagery, and destroying surface targets and enemy aircraft day or night," according to the unit's website. The F/A-18 Hornet line is getting phased out of the Marine Corps and is being replaced by the newer F-35 Lightning II. -- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence. Related: After 36 Years, Marines' F/A-18 Hornets Have Completed Their Final Carrier Deployment A significant fire broke out at a fireworks warehouse in the Russian city of Kemerovo on the afternoon of Aug. 26, according to video released by Russian media, which depicted a colossal column of smoke billowing over the city. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire is accompanied by explosions of fireworks, audible throughout the entire city. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations has stated that the fire engulfed an area of 750 square meters. Due to the blaze, the structural integrity of the building gave way, resulting in its collapse. Within approximately an hour, firefighting efforts by the authorities successfully brought the fire under control. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: 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 House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced Saturday that he ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be put at half-staff in honor of 13 American service members who died in Afghanistan while attempting to help allies flee the country during the U.S. exit two years ago. Two years ago today, we tragically lost 13 brave servicemen and women in Afghanistan, McCarthy posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. I have directed the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be lowered to half-staff in honor of these American heroes. Other Republican lawmakers also noted the anniversary of the attack in their own social media posts Saturday. Today marks two years since we lost 13 brave U.S. servicemembers in a heinous attack at the Kabul airport during Pres. Biden s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) said in a post on X. These heroes and their loved ones have our deepest gratitude and we are forever grateful for their sacrifice. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Today, we mark the second anniversary of the day 13 servicemembers lost their lives during the Abbey Gate suicide bombing in Afghanistan, Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) said in another X post. The fact that this was a preventable tragedy makes this day all the more difficult. Republicans have criticized the way the Biden administration handled the U.S. withdrawal after 20 years from Afghanistan in 2021. On the heels of the attack that killed the 13 service members, McCarthy said that there will be a day of reckoning for Biden, but didnt join fellow Republicans in calling for Biden to be impeached. Look, Im extremely frustrated with the president. As I said, if you want to be president of the free world, you have to have the trust, faith and confidence of the American public. President Biden lost that yesterday, McCarthy told reporters during a news conference in the Capitol building at the time. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin released a statement on the two-year anniversary of the attack Saturday. He called the attack horrific and commended the service members skill, compassion and extraordinary courage. As we mark this painful milestone, my heart is with the families of these 13 American heroes. Today, the entire Department of Defense stands in sorrow with them along with all of the families whose loved ones gave their lives during our 20 years in Afghanistan, Austins statement read. We will never forget what they gave to serve this country that we love. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) introduced a resolution Wednesday to impeach Austin after the U.S. withdrawal for high crimes and misdemeanors, claiming the exit lacked planning despite having eight months to prepare. High-level officials in this administration blatantly ignored intel that Americans and our allied partners in Kabul would be left behind in harms way unless the U.S. corrected course in our withdrawal, Mills said in a statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Around 40 Ukrainians were on board a bus that crashed in Italy on the evening of Aug. 25, according to local media reports and the Italian authorities. A total of 15 people were injured in the crash, among them seven children, according to the Italian national broadcaster Rai News 24. Italy's National Fire and Rescue Service said that three people were seriously injured, among them a woman and two children. They were evacuated by helicopter to regional hospitals. The bus belongs to the Ukrainian company Transturlines, which regularly travels between Naples and Kyiv. The bus collided with a Polish truck transporting fruit and vegetables on the A4 motorway around 7:20 p.m. local time in the north-eastern province of Udine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In March 2022, a Ukrainian woman was killed when a bus carrying Ukrainian refugees crashed in Italy. Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 22 F-16s and the irrational politics of military aid Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian military, together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), launched a drone strike against the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. There were dozens of casualties, Ukrainska Pravda news outlet reported, citing their source at the SBU. "Today's strike on the 126th Brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet is a joint special operation of the SBU counterintelligence units and the Armed Forces of Ukraine," according to Ukrainska Pravda. The brigade was reportedly struck in the village of Perevalne located about 270 kilometers from the nearest Ukraine-controlled territories on the western side of the Dnipro River. It is also 300 kilometers away from the nearest Kyiv-controlled areas on the eastern side of the river. The attack which involved "a number of drones" hit ammunition depots and damaged Russian military equipment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Adviser to the head of the President's Office Mykhailo Podolyak says that the Ukrainian military is making progress on the southern front line and is seeking to take fire control of the "land corridor to Crimea." "The stakes are already clear: all Russian supply lines, including railroads, are at stake. This means one thing: the Russian army is on the verge of losing its strategic positions," Podolyak said n Twitter. On Aug. 24, Ukrainian troops landed in the Russian-occupied Crimea and raised the Ukrainian flag as part of an operation with the Navy. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Anton Shevchuk, Head of the Medical Service of the 82nd Separate Air Assault brigade, who requested that Medical Forces Command replace poor-quality Chinese tourniquets and asked social activist Oksana Korchynska to help with this, has been given a "severe reprimand." Source: Anton Shevchuk in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda; screenshots of parts of the order posted on Twitter; conclusion of the Military Law Enforcement Service available to Ukrainska Pravda Quote: "As soon as I arrived at the brigade at the end of April, I asked the then medical services chief about the first-aid kits. He said that the first-aid kits had been issued, each with two tourniquets, and there were no problems. Then, on 11-12 July, when we were preparing to join the fighting, I checked the first-aid kits and saw Chinese tourniquets with a German sticker and Lithuanian instructions that shook me a little... I replaced the tourniquets from the brigade's stocks for some guys who were already performing combat missions at that time. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On 12-13 July, I verbally appealed to those who supplied us, those higher up than the brigade [Shevchuk does not name the body in question - UP.], and they told me: either there were no tourniquets, or an investigation involving a commission was needed. On 14 July, I applied to the Medical Forces Command to replace the tourniquets. In a personal conversation with the command, I was told that there were no tourniquets in the warehouses. On 18 July, I saw Oksana [Korchynska - ed.] and asked her to help change the tourniquets. I got a call, said that a commission from the Medical Forces Command was coming to us to check the quality of the tourniquets as I later learned, they simply pulled out the packaged tourniquets, the combat doctors applied them to a limb and checked the pulse. Then a post appeared saying the tourniquets did not need to be replaced. The former head of the brigade convinced me that everything was fine with them. But on 22 July, we received permission to replace the tourniquets, later I applied for the replacement of the occlusive dressings, which were also s**t. They were replaced immediately. I was told that there had been a big fuss. As far as I understood, there had been two appeals by MPs to the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces they really wanted to shut me up, to convince everyone that this was because of me, but I didn't even know those MPs. There was an investigation, I wrote that I initially applied... I did not want to make it a scandal, I understand perfectly well that the country is at war and any attacks on the army are not a positive thing. But I could not let the guys go into battle with the Chinese tourniquets. I have not yet been reprimanded, although it was issued on 27 July. It concerns the fact that I have demonstrated insubordination." Details: Officially, the order states that the medical commander of the 82nd Brigade violated five points of the Charter of the Internal Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (relating to the duties of a serviceman, the duties of the chief of service, the order and sequence of reports) and one of the points of the Disciplinary Charter of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (relating to the obligations of military discipline). An official reprimand is the third most severe disciplinary sanction of the nine ones that exist. Ukrainska Pravda also received from its sources the results of an official audit of the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of 1 August, which in particular concerned the situation with the issuance of poor-quality first-aid kits to the 82nd Brigade. The results of the audit were signed by Volodymyr Hutsol, Head of the Ukrainian Military Law Enforcement Service. The document, referring to the decision by the commission that visited the brigade from Medical Forces Command, states that "information about the inadequate quality of tourniquets is the unconfirmed personal opinion of the head of the Medical Service A. A. Shevchuk." This contradicts the result of the inspection of tourniquets by state-owned enterprise Ukrmetrteststandart, which showed that the tourniquets do not maintain the necessary pressure. And also, in fact, in a statement by Medical Forces Command of 24 July, the command reports that "in order to prevent harm to the life and health of military personnel" it would replace the Chinese Tourniquet AZ-G6 units with high-quality American SOFT-T tourniquets. In the end, they were indeed replaced. The number of poor-quality tourniquets that the Medical Forces Command initially issued to the 82nd Brigade exceeds 10,000. Background: The story of poor-quality Chinese tourniquets in the 82nd Brigade, which was highlighted on social media on 20 July by volunteer Oksana Korchynska, launched a large public discussion of the problems of tactical medicine in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Medical Forces Command "confirmed the effectiveness of the tourniquets." On 31 July, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence listened to a report from Medical Forces Command on the situation with tactical medicine and gave it two weeks to check all first-aid kits for military personnel in Ukraine. As of 26 August, no report on this issue has been made public. In mid-August, it was revealed that law enforcement officers were investigating criminal proceedings regarding possible violations in the preparation of first-aid kits for the Armed 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! Children and teens at the Trailview Apartments in Bellingham entered the decorated community room Thursday evening to the sounds of applause from several Mercy Housing staff members, some dressed as clowns with their faces painted. In one corner of the room was a person juggling while in another corner a staff member was rolling out cotton candy. The circus-themed back-to-school night was a way to celebrate help students and their parents unwind and get ready for the upcoming trimester. Mercy Housing Northwest is an equal housing nonprofit that owns three properties in Bellingham to rent to low-income families. It has a number of programs to support families including its youth educational program called Mercy Scholars. Mercy Scholars brings in staff to the Trailview and Sterling Meadows properties who specifically focus on the education of K-12 students in these apartment complexes, said Lindsey Karas, resident services and education manager. Free food, including staples and fresh vegetables, was offered to families at a back-to-school event at the Trailview family apartments on Thursday, Aug. 24, in Bellingham, Wash. We believe really strongly in the importance of a really strong web between home and school and providing support for our students in both those spaces. So our staff really are doing that work by providing after school programming every day at the apartment complexes where the youth live, but then also being really strong liaisons with the schools, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Karas said the liaisons visit the schools, get to know principals, counselors and teachers. They also help parents navigate the school systems. The staff stay on top of how the students are doing in terms of grades and attendance. If a student is struggling with behavioral issues at school, the liaisons help them navigate that, too. Terance Morris, a youth specialist at the Trailview site, said his goal is for every child to know they are honored, heard and respected. The Trailview family apartments hosted a Back to School event on Thursday, Aug. 24, in Bellingham, Wash. I wanted to do something that was fun yet engaging where I can bring different educational resources to Trailview, he said. [It] was just a chance to unwind and have a good time. Morris said he helps children from ages 5-17 meet their educational goals. Not only does he assist with tutoring or social emotional learning, but Morris has cooking classes on Tuesdays for children to teach them how to make their own lunches. Post-secondary education support Another key aspect of Mercy Scholars is supporting and encouraging children to find success after high school. The program encourages every child living at the housing sites to apply for $1,000 scholarships. This is in conjunction with Whatcom Community Foundation, which has donors who help fund the scholarships, Mercy Housing Northwest President Joe Thompson said. Students must enroll in and stay active in the program to receive the scholarship upon graduation, if going on to higher education. One of the primary goals of the Mercy Scholars program is that every kid in a mercy property that has the Mercy Scholars program will graduate high school and will graduate high school ready for post secondary education opportunities, he said. A parent is given information about the Washington College Savings Plan at a back-to-school event at the Trailview family apartments on Thursday, Aug. 24, in Bellingham, Wash. Thompson said a majority of people who are part of the program are first-generation students who will be going into college or other post-secondary opportunities. The staff for Mercy Scholars are there to be a guide for the students and their parents. Karas said the program has a 95% high school graduation rate with 69% of students go on to higher education. I would say most of our students do go in state. We have had students who have gone to the technical colleges, the community colleges, Western Washington, University of Washington, Seattle Pacific, Seattle University, and then Gonzaga, she said. Karas said this is an exciting year because their first batch of Mercy Scholars alumni are going to get their masters degrees. Its just really exciting to see the growth and development, and I really do think that a lot of the success has been students being able to see their peers and their neighbors and their family members really pursuing these next steps, she said. In an MSNBC interview on Saturday, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen issued a warning to the 18 co-defendants in Trump's 2020 election case. Based on his own experience working with (and against) the former president, he offered first-hand knowledge of what could happen in a case where someone previously on Trump's "side" decides to put themselves first. "If any one of them ends up turning, it's destruction for the rest," Cohen said. "Donald doesn't care about you. He doesn't care about you one bit. He will use you as the scapegoat and the system will use you as the scapegoat in order to get somebody." Using himself repeatedly as an example, he went on to say, "[Prosecutors] will get them to turn, because these three could easily end up in the same situation that I ended up. And I can promise you something, it's not fun. Exactly what happened to me is going to happen to all 18 of the co-indicted defendants." The three people he's referring to here are Trump's attorneys Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, and his former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. As The Hill highlights in their coverage of the interview, "Cohen himself turned on Trump, cooperating with New York prosecutors investigating falsified business records related to hush money payments for Trump's alleged affairs. Once one of the former president's closest confidants, he has since become one of his loudest critics." NEW YORK A Staten Island judge ordered Friday that Mayor Eric Adams administration cannot use an old private school in the borough as a migrant shelter but the ruling was reversed within hours by a higher court, allowing the city to proceed with housing new arrivals at the site. The initial decision by Staten Island Supreme Court Justice Wayne Ozzi to block the city from housing migrants at the St. Johns Villa Academy came in response to a lawsuit filed by a group of local Republican politicians, including Borough President Vito Fosella, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Councilman Joe Borelli. Their suit claimed the Adams administration would violate existing zoning restrictions, create an unreasonable private nuisance and unduly burden Staten Island by housing migrants at the school, which has been closed since 2018. In his three-page ruling, Ozzi sided with the Republicans, writing that they are likely to succeed on the merits of the case. On that note, the judge issued a temporary restraining order barring the city from housing any migrants at the site at least until Sept. 6, when he scheduled a hearing for the parties to meet in court. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement But within a few hours, Brooklyn Supreme Court Appellate Division Justice Carl Landicino overturned Ozzis decision, said Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak. Landicinos ruling was not immediately available on the court docket, but Mamelak said it was issued during an emergency hearing. Soon after Ozzis ruling, city personnel started moving a group of migrants out of the school, video posted on social media by a PIX11 reporter showed. But Adams office said city workers quickly returned the migrants to the site after Landicinos ruling. Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said the citys opting to use unconventional sites like St. Johns because its completely out of space in traditional shelter systems. We have opened 206 sites, including 15 large-scale humanitarian relief centers, and are constantly searching for new places to provide asylum seekers with the shelter they are asking for, Mamelak said. But lets be clear: The sites we are now finding are the only options left. This situation demands a broader state and national solution. Its unclear if the lawmakers plan to appeal. The Staten Island legal developments come as the Adams administration scrambles to find room to house the tens of thousands of mostly Latin American migrants who have arrived in New York City since last spring. According to the latest data, there are more than 59,000 migrants in city shelters, with hundreds more arriving every week. _____ A Missouri law banning gender-affirming health care for transgender minors and some adults will take effect Monday after a circuit court judge on Friday declined to block it. St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Steven Ohmer on Friday rejected a request to temporarily block the enforcement of Missouris gender-affirming care ban, writing in an order that petitioners have not clearly shown a sufficient threat of irreparable injury absent injunctive relief. In a lawsuit filed last month on behalf of three Missouri families with transgender children, three LGBTQ health organizations and two physicians, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Missouri, Lambda Legal and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner argued that the measure will cause severe and irreparable harm to transgender young people in Missouri if it is allowed to take effect. Withholding or restricting gender-affirming medical care from individuals with gender dysphoria when it is medically indicated puts them at risk of severe, irreversible harm to their health and well-being, the groups wrote in the lawsuit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Adolescents with gender dysphoria if untreated, can suffer serious medical consequences, including possible self-harm and suicidal ideation, they said. Ohmer in Fridays order wrote that plaintiffs in the case are unlikely to succeed on their claim that Missouris law is unconstitutional. He added that scientific and medical evidence in support of gender-affirming care is conflicting and unclear, despite being considered medically necessary by every major medical organization. As a result, it has not clearly been shown with sufficient possibility of success on the merits to justify the grant of a preliminary injunction, Ohmer wrote. The ACLU of Missouri vowed to keep fighting in wake of the ruling. While we are disappointed in and disagree with the courts ruling, we will not stop fighting to protect the rights of transgender people in Missouri, ACLU of Missouri spokesman Tom Bastian said in a statement. The case is not over and will go to a full trial on the merits. Lambda Legal immediately responded to a request for comment. The law, Senate Bill 49, prohibits health care providers from administering medications including puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy to treat gender dysphoria in minors, with an exception carved out for transgender young people who began treatment before Aug. 28. The measure also bars transgender youths under 18 from receiving gender-affirming surgeries and prohibits MO HealthNet, the states Medicaid program, from covering transition-related procedures. Missouri prisons, jails and correctional centers under the new law are also unable to provide gender-affirming medical care to transgender inmates irrespective of age. The law, which hit several stumbling blocks before it was able to advance through both chambers of the legislature, will lapse after four years thanks to a sunset provision added after hours of closed-door negotiations between party leadership in the state Senate. Missouri Sen. Mike Moon (R), the bills sponsor, told The Hill previously that he plans to lobby for the removal of the sunset clause before it expires. LGBTQ rights groups on Friday slammed Ohmers refusal to block the law from taking effect. We are enraged not only has our government and elected officials failed us, but now our justice system has failed to do its job in protecting the most vulnerable of our population, Aro Royston, board secretary for PROMO Missouri, an LGBTQ rights group, said Friday in a statement. Not one single person who is in favor of this legislation understands how this law truly impacts the transgender community, said Royston, who is transgender. None of them understand the breath of relief we get to feel when we finally understand who we are and how beautiful it is to be transgender. They cannot fathom the best part of gender-affirming healthcare, which is being able to look into the mirror and see in the reflection the person you always knew yourself to be, Royston added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A second civilian vessel has sailed from Odesa through the temporary Black Sea corridor, set up primarily to evacuate vessels docked in Ukrainian ports since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to MarineTraffic data. The Primus, a bulk carrier sailing under a Liberian flag, left Odesa on the morning of Aug. 26, where it has been docked since before the full-scale invasion, said Andrii Klymenko, a project lead at the Institute of the Black Sea Strategic Studies, a think-tank. The vessel is heading to Varna in Bulgaria, according to the MarineTraffic. Prius followed the container ship Joseph Schulte, a Hong Kong-registered ship which left the port on Aug. 16. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 10, Ukraine's navy announced a new temporary corridor to allow passage for ships that have been docked in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenny since the start of the full-scale invasion. The navy nevertheless warned that the military threat posed by Russian forces toward merchant vessels persists. Ukraine proposed this route to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has appealed to Russia to cease all threats and adhere to international conventions. The last merchant ship left Odesa's port on July 16 as Russia unilaterally terminated the Black Sea Grain Initiative the day later. The deal, brokered in July 2022 by Turkey and the U.N., allowed Ukraine to export its grain even amid the ongoing full-scale invasion. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Moscow was again forced to shut down its major airports after Ukraine drones again targeted Russia's capital The Sheremetyevo airport is one of three major airports near Moscow that Russian officials say they have temporarily shut down. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters For the third time in a week, Ukrainian drone strikes have forced Moscow to shut down its airports. Ukraine has recently stepped up its attacks on Moscow as its counteroffensive continues to push back. Russia, meanwhile, has used its own drones to target Ukraine's grain storage depots. For the third time in just over a week, Moscow has shut down major airports as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes on the Russian capital. State officials temporarily shut down three major airports near Moscow following a drone attack early Saturday morning, Russian state media reported. Officials closed Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports, which provide domestic and international flights for civilians. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While officials with the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine was behind the attack, Ukrainian authorities have yet to confirm, according to the Associated Press. Ukrainian drone attacks have at least twice before caused shutdowns of all major airports in the greater Moscow area, disrupting and delaying dozens of flights. These shutdowns come amid a streak of near-daily Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow and the surrounding region, the Associated Press reported. The strikes within Russia's borders come as part of Ukraine's counteroffensive this summer, with Ukraine also going after key Russian targets near the Black Sea. In return, Russian forces have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian grain storage depots, the Associated Press reports. Read the original article on Business Insider People look at a large column of burnt out and captured Russian tanks and infantry carriers which have been on display on the central Khreshchatyk boulevard as Ukrainians mark Independence Day, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian forces struck a cafe in a key front-line area in northeastern Ukraine Saturday, killing two civilians and wounding a third, regional officials said. The shelling near the city of Kupiansk came as U.K. officials said that Russia may try to retake the area, which was captured by Kyiv in a lightning counteroffensive last September after more than six months of Russian occupation. Fierce fighting there earlier this month prompted mandatory evacuations and fears of a second Russian takeover. Russian shells on Saturday morning struck the cafe in Podoly, an eastern suburb of Kupiansk, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said in a Telegram post. He added that rescue teams were working at the site. U.K. military intelligence on Saturday assessed that Russia may increase the intensity of its offensive efforts around Kupiansk and nearby Lyman in an attempt to take pressure off its forces near Bakhmut and in the Zaporizhzhia region, where a Ukrainian counteroffensive has reportedly made gradual gains. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian defense ministry, said in a regular briefing Saturday that Moscows forces had improved their position along the front line in the Kupiansk area and repelled five Ukrainian assaults over the previous day. He did not give further details regarding any troop movements. Earlier this month, Ukrainian authorities ordered a mandatory evacuation of nearly 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages around Kupiansk, citing a concerted effort by Russian troops to punch through the front line. After the Russian occupiers left Kupiansk last year, Ukrainian authorities said they found torture chambers and mass graves in the region. Ukrainian officials have so far reported limited advances in Kyiv's large-scale counteroffensive launched in early June, including in the southern Zaporizhzhia region and on the outskirts of Bakhmut, the eastern city that became the site of the war's longest and bloodiest battle before falling to Moscow in May. A Washington-based think tank said late Friday that Ukrainian forces were pushing forward in Zaporizhzhia after advancing into the village of Robotyne earlier this week. The Institute for the Study of War in its latest assessment cited pro-Kremlin military bloggers expressing concern over a lack of reinforcements and troop locations in the area, while the Ukrainian General Staff that same day claimed unspecified further successes south and southeast of Robotyne. Also on Saturday, a new drone attack on Moscow forced an early morning temporary shutdown of all three major airports serving the city, Russian state media reported. Officials blamed Ukraine for what appeared to be the latest of near-daily strikes on the Russian capital and the surrounding region. Kyiv has since early this year sought to take the 18-month-war into the heart of Russia, also saying recently that it was behind strikes on Russian military assets far behind the front lines. Russias defense ministry and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that a drone was shot down over the Istra district of the Moscow region, some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Red Square. Sobyanin said in a Telegram post that there were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. According to Russias state Tass agency, the Sheremetevo, Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports all suspended flights for over an hour early Saturday. Russian Telegram channels on Saturday posted videos, some of them apparently from home security cameras, of what they claimed was Russian air defense downing the drone. One video shows a car parked outside what appears to be a suburban home, its alarm beginning to blare seconds after two loud blasts sound in the distance. Russias defense ministry that same day blamed Ukraine for the attack. As of Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities had not said whether Kyiv had any involvement. Russia and Ukraine traded multiple drone attacks earlier this week, with Kyiv apparently targeting Moscow and the Kremlins forces launching another bombardment of Ukrainian grain storage depots in what have recently become signature tactics. Also this week, Kyiv claimed it had destroyed a key Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian media also claimed that Ukrainian saboteurs coordinated by Kyivs military intelligence services carried out a pair of recent drone attacks that destroyed and damaged bomber aircraft at air bases deep inside Russia. Later on Saturday, Russias defense ministry said in a separate statement that another drone was brought down as it approached the Russian city of Belgorod, some 45 kilometers (27 miles) from the Ukrainian border. It did not mention any casualties or damage. Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov accused Ukrainian forces of shelling a border village using cluster munitions, wounding six civilians. Gladkov did not provide visual evidence for the use of the controversial and widely banned weapons, which contain dozens of small bomblets that scatter shrapnel over a wide area. Kyiv last month began receiving cluster bombs from the U.S., but has pledged to use them only to dislodge groups of enemy soldiers. Ukrainian officials have regularly accused Moscow of firing cluster munitions at residential areas, while Russian regional authorities have reported Ukrainian cross-border attacks in which civilians were hurt. Ukraines air force, meanwhile, reported early on Saturday that two Iranian-made Shahed drones fired by Russian troops were shot down during the night over the countrys northeast. In Ukraines front-line Kherson region in the south, local Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin reported that an 83-year-old woman died in a hospital after suffering burn wounds as Russian forces overnight shelled the riverside village of Olhivka. Also on Saturday, the Kherson regional administration reported that Russian shelling damaged a hospital in the provinces namesake capital, blowing out doors and windows but causing no casualties. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine: https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Editor's Note: Moscow airports have reopened early on Aug. 26. Russian media reported that all flights in and out of Moscow airports were suspended on the night of Aug. 26. Local authorities also claimed that a drone was destroyed over the city that night. Shortly after 2 a.m. on Aug. 26, authorities grounded incoming and outgoing flights at all Moscow airports, the standard protocol when unknown or dangerous objects are detected in the sky. Around the same time, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claimed that air defense shot down a drone over Moscow. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support us ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Sobyanin said the drone was destroyed on its approach to the city in the Istra disctrict. He said there were no preliminary casualties and that emergency services were at the scene. According to Russian media, at least 24 flights have been delayed and eight canceled at Moscow's Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo airports. Airports in Moscow have been shut down multiple times recently due to drone activity. On Aug. 22, all airports in the Moscow region were closed following reports of drone attacks. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. P-81, a young male mountain lion who was killed by a vehicle in January. Another cougar was similarly struck and killed on Thursday. (National Park Service) An adult male mountain lion died after it was hit by a car along Highway 126, the latest big cat to meet an untimely end on Southern California's busy roadways. The collision occurred around 10 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of La Falda Way and Highway 126, according to the Santa Clarita Valley Signal. A representative from the California Highway Patrol office in the area could not immediately be reached for additional information. The incident was reported to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Friday morning, according to spokesman Tim Daly. An agency conflict specialist went out and collected DNA samples from the deceased animal, which had been moved to a California Department of Transportation facility. The samples will be used to learn more about the specimen and determine its official cause of death. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Daly said the mountain lion was not collared or tagged, suggesting it was not tracked by researchers. Read more: California is turning mountain lions into roadkill faster than they can reproduce The mountain lion's death is the most recent instance of the big cats falling victim to Southern California's sprawling spiderweb of freeways. Another adult male mountain lion without a tracking collar suffered fatal injuries after being struck by a vehicle west of Malibu in February; while P-81, a 4-year-old male cougar, died on Pacific Coast Highway in January. In December, celebrity mountain lion P-22 was euthanized after suffering traumatic injuries consistent with being hit by a car. The death sparked mourning and tributes from fans across the region. Sign up for Essential California, your daily guide to news, views and life in the Golden State. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Left to right: Marc Andreeseen, Lauren Powell Jobs, and Michael Moritz are some of the prominent Silicon Valley investors who have backed Flannery Associates's pursuit to build a new city in California. Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle; Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME; Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Vanity Fair A company called Flannery Associates has been purchasing land in a county near San Francisco. The company has spent up to $15,000 per acre, court documents show. Silicon Valley has long sought to build a new city from scratch. A mystery company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires has been snatching up land in a northern California county in an apparent bid to build an entirely new city in the state. The New York Times reported those investors include some of the Valley's most recognizable names, from Marc Andreessen to Laurene Powell Jobs. The company, Flannery Associates, has spent $800 million to purchase thousands of acres of farmland in Solano County, which sits northeast of San Francisco, court documents obtained by Insider show. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Wall Street Journal reported that Flannery has purchased about 52,000 acres of farmland around Travis Air Force Base since 2018. According to the report, government officials began investigating the purchases due to concerns that foreign interests may be behind the company. Travis Air Force Base Google Maps "So the entire base is encircled now," Catherine Moy, mayor of Fairfield, told ABC 7 News. "So there's no part that isn't touched by Flannery." Little is known about Flannery Associates or its specific city plans. According to the Times, the company is led by Jan Sramek, a 36-year-old former Goldman Sachs trader. Flannery's backers include Andreessen, Powell Jobs, Michael Moritz of Sequoia Capital, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and others, according to the report. It's unclear how much they each invested in the company. Solano County, California, potential site of the mystery city Google Maps In 2017, Flannery Associates pitched an idea to turn the Solano County land into a walkable city powered by clean energy and housing tens of thousands of residents, The Times reported. Real estate data shows that the current median housing price in the county is $585,000. In an email obtained by the Times, Moritz said that Flannery had purchased about 1,400 acres of land for less than $5,000 per acre. But the spending price has since soared, with Flannery spending up to $15,000 per acre, lawyers for Flannery Associates said in court documents. In May, the attorneys for Flannery filed a lawsuit against a group of Solano County landowners, saying they conspired to inflate their land prices. The lawsuit alleges Flannery overpaid the owners by about $170,000,000 and is seeking damages of at least $510,000,000. In a motion to dismiss the lawsuit that was filed in July, the landowners said that they have "either engaged in good-faith, arms-length transactions for the sale of land, or were not tempted by Flannery's prices, because they had no desire (or ability) to sell." Attorneys for Flannery Associates and the landowners did not respond to a request for comment outside of working hours. Silicon Valley has long sought to build a city from scratch, sometimes with a utopian vision of a "smart city." In 2016, Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley startup accelerator, began looking into how it could build a city that could address California's affordable housing crisis. "We want to build cities for all humans for tech and non-tech people," the accelerator wrote. "We're not interested in building 'crazy libertarian utopias for techies.'" Tech founders, including Bill Gates and Elon Musk, have also had visions of their own cities. Musk recently purchased 3,500 acres of land outside of Austin, Texas, to build a town he intends to call "Snailbrook." Sources told The Journal that he envisioned a "sort of Texas utopia along the Colorado River." Read the original article on Business Insider Russian authorities in occupied regions of Ukraine are forcing residents to return to previously evacuated settlements on the front line, the National Resistance Center reported on Aug. 25. The Center said that Ukrainians who had earlier been deported to Berdiansk due to heavy fighting were being sent back to front-line homes in Tokmak and Vasylivka. People living in these communities are essentially "human shields," the Center said. According to the report, Russian authorities are also planning to open schools on the front. Along with the danger posed to schoolchildren due to intense fighting in the area, Russian troops may use schools as makeshift military bases. The official explanation for military presence in schools is to provide additional security for students. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "However, in reality, the vacant floors are used by combat units of the Russian Armed Forces," the Center said. Russian-installed proxies in the occupied regions have conducted forced evacuation campaigns as part of their efforts to depopulate Ukrainian territory and pressure residents to take Russian passports. By the same token, occupying authorities prevented evacuation from areas flooded after the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam. Read also: Kyiv, Moscows opposing attitudes toward Soviet past shape two different futures Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A Florida man is facing charges after he was allegedly recorded on video putting dangerous chemicals under the door of his neighbors home. Xuming Li, 36, faces multiple charges including possession of a controlled substance and dispersing a chemical agent, according to NBC News. The family that lives above Li told local Tampa NBC News affiliate WFLA that after welcoming their newborn daughter, Li started to text from his apartment and complain of noise coming from upstairs. Xuming Li, 36, is seen injecting a liquid under a neighboring familys door in Tampa Bay, Fla. (WFLA) WFLA viewed texts from Li that said he couldnt sleep and could hear the toilet seat being moved. Umar Abdullah, the upstairs neighbor, told the affiliate that after months of back and forth between them, the whole family started to feel sick. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement From grogginess to vomiting, Abdullah and his family began often feeling ill. Then, a friend smelled chemicals when she went to bring in a package for the family while they were on vacation. When the family came back, they said they could smell it too. After having professionals check the air conditioning unit, the water heater, the air ducts and vents, Abdullah said he had the fire department come check, but their tests didnt reveal anything. Then, I actually double checked, Abdullah explained. I started sniffing that place like a dog. He told WFLA that only after investigating everything else, he started to think of his downstairs neighbor. He then installed a hidden camera in the plant outside and eventually captured the video he gave to police. The video seems to show his neighbor taking a syringe out, filling it with liquid, then injecting the liquid into the crack into the familys doorframe. Umar Abdullah. (Courtesy WFLA) The first that came to my mind my daughter and my wife, Abdullah told WFLA. They need to be safe. He said he got the family out of the house and called police. Li was arrested and charged on June 27. According to a Tampa Police Department affidavit, a hazmat test found the liquid chemical agent contained methodone and hydrocodone both opioid pain medications, NBC News reports. Li was charged with one count of felony aggravated stalking, three counts of dispersing a chemical agent and one count of possession of a controlled substance, NBC News reports. He was also charged with battery on a law enforcement officer for exposing an officer to the chemicals. Li is also facing lawsuits from Abdullah for domestic violence and the condo association for breach of contract. His attorney did not immediately respond to TODAY.coms request for comment. The attorney gave a statement to WFLA saying Li pleaded not guilty and that all of the facts will come in due time. Abdullah told WFLA that his daughter turned 1 a few weeks ago and they are still living in the condo though theyre looking for a new home. A neighbor, who supposedly, whos seemingly a regular guy, he was coming and harming us with chemicals, Abdullah told WFLA. And that was very scary for us. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Researchers have identified a new speed limit for the universe's most extreme collisions. According to new research, the "maximum possible recoil velocity" for colliding black holes exceeds a whopping 63 million mph (102 million km/h) about one-tenth the speed of light. This peak occurs when the collision conditions are at the tipping point between the two black holes either merging together or scattering apart as they approach each other, according to the study published in the journal Physical Review Letters. Next, the researchers hope to mathematically prove that this velocity cannot be exceeded using Einstein's equations for general relativity, posing potential implications for the fundamental laws of physics. "We are just scratching the surface of something that could be a more universal description," study co-author Carlos Lousto, a professor of mathematics and statistics at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in New York, told Live Science. This newly discovered speed limit could be part of a larger set of physical laws that affect everything "from the smallest to the largest objects in the universe," Lousto said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: Supermassive black hole chews up huge star, spits stellar 'guts' into space (video) Quakes in the fabric of space-time When two black holes pass close by each other, they will either merge or swerve around their common center of mass before flying apart. Whether the black holes fly apart or spiral into each other depends on their separation at the point of nearest approach. To identify the maximum possible recoil speed of black holes flying apart, Lousto and study co-author James Healy, a research associate in the RIT School of Mathematics and Statistics, used supercomputers to run numerical simulations. These calculations stepped through the equations of general relativity describing how two interacting black holes will evolve. Lousto explained that although people began trying to solve these equations numerically more than 50 years ago, numerical techniques for predicting the size of gravitational waves from such collisions were not developed until 2005 just 10 years before gravitational waves themselves were detected for the first time by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO). two white galaxies join into one in space Since then, LIGO has observed nearly 100 black hole collisions. Comparing the data of one such collision with numerical relativity data revealed an "eccentric," or elliptical, black hole trajectory. Previously, scientists thought black holes approaching each other would spiral toward each other in near-circular orbits, Lousto said. The discovery of elliptical orbits broadened the range of possible collision events, and prompted them to look for extreme collision scenarios. "What we wanted to do is kind of push the limits of these collisions," said Lousto. Lousto and Healy looked at how adjusting four parameters affected the outcome of gravitational engagement between two black holes: the initial momenta of the black holes, the separation between them at the point of closest approach, the orientation of any rotation the black hole might have around its own axis, and the magnitude of that rotation. By running 1,381 simulations each of which took two to three weeks the researchers found a peak in the possible recoil velocities for black holes with opposite spins grazing past each other. While black holes give out gravitational radiation in all directions, the opposing spins distort this radiation, creating a thrust that adds to the recoil velocity. "The recoil of black holes after they merge is a critical piece of their interaction," Imre Bartos, Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Florida, told Live Science via email. (Bartos was not involved in the new study). This interaction is especially significant for places in the universe with a high density of black holes, since large recoil kicks might expel a remnant black hole from the region altogether. "As with every limiting theoretical quantity, it will be interesting to see whether nature exceeds this in some situation that could signal deviations from our understanding of how black holes work," Bartos added. New fundamental physics Related stories: Colliding black holes 'ring' across space-time with gravitational wave ripples The loneliest monster black holes may also be the hungriest Colliding black holes could hide in the light of superbright quasars According to Lousto, the "tipping point" that determines whether two colliding black holes will merge or recoil is open to a bit of variability in the black holes' orbits. Because of this, Lousto likens this interaction to a smooth phase transition, like the second-order phase transitions of magnetism and superconductivity, as opposed to the explosive first-order phase transitions of heated water, for example, where a finite amount of latent heat is absorbed before it all boils. The researchers also glimpsed what might resemble the scaling factors characteristic of these phase transitions, although further high-resolution simulations are needed to identify these definitively. Nonetheless, these aspects of the results hint at the possibility of "an overarching principle" that applies across scales from atoms to colliding black holes, Lousto said. What is more, while marrying the two main pillars of fundamental physics general relativity for gravity and quantum theory for the other fundamental forces remains elusive, descriptions of black holes are closely tied to several theories that have opened chinks in the barriers between the two. "This is far from rigorous proof," Lousto said. "But there is a line that deserves further research that maybe someone else or ourselves can make something of." This story was provided by Live Science. 18 defendants in Trump Georgia case have posted bail: Heres what they paid Every one of the 19 defendants in the sweeping Georgia election interference case centered on former President Trump have surrendered at the Fulton County Jail, where they were booked and released on bonds agreed to with District Attorney Fani Willis (D). All but one of the defendants paid between $10,000 and $200,000 to be released from custody ahead of a future trial over charges that they joined a criminal enterprise to overturn Georgias 2020 election and keep Trump in office. The other defendant Harrison Floyd, a leader of Black Voices for Trump did not reach a bond agreement with Fulton County prosecutors and is detained at the local jail. Here are the bond amounts for each defendant and how they bailed out of jail. $200,000 Donald Trump Trumps attorneys negotiated a $200,000 bond for the former president earlier this week ahead of his surrender. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It marked the first time that Trump, who faces 13 counts, had to post bail upon being booked in his criminal cases. Trump used a third party to post his bond, jail records show. CNN reported that Trump paid 10 percent of the amount to a local bail bonds company in fees so that it would cover his bond. This practice is known as a surety bond. That would mean Trump paid $20,000 to the company, which guarantees it will cover the $200,000 bond if the former president doesnt show up for court. $150,000 Rudy Giuliani Longtime Trump ally Rudy Giuliani, who faces 13 charges in the case, agreed to a $150,000 bond. Giulianis role in the alleged criminal enterprise centers on his efforts to spread false claims of election fraud, particularly to members of the Georgia Legislature, whom he allegedly tried to convince to join in a fake electors scheme to benefit Trump. The former New York City mayor also paid his bond via a surety bond, according to jail records. He was spotted walking into a bail bondsman office in Atlanta on Wednesday afternoon, after surrendering at the local jail. Its unknown how much Giuliani paid for his surety bond to a bail bonds company, but the maximum a company can charge under Georgia law is 15 percent of the bond amount. $100,000 Mark Meadows Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows agreed to a $100,000 bond and surrendered at Fulton County Jail on Thursday afternoon. He faces two charges in the sweeping case: a racketeering charge and a charge of solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer. The solicitation charge is tied to his attendance at a call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R), where Trump urged Raffensperger to help him find enough votes in his favor. Like Trump and Giuliani, Meadows paid his bond via a surety bond, according to jail records. John Eastman John Eastman, an attorney who forwarded memos that spurred Trumps pressure campaign on then-Vice President Mike Pence, agreed to a $100,000 bond. He faces nine counts. According to jail records, Eastman paid his bond using Fulton Countys 10 percent program, which enables defendants to only pay 10 percent of their bail amount upon being booked. Jeffrey Clark Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark agreed to a $100,000 bond Thursday afternoon. Like the others, Clark is charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, but he also faces a charge for criminal attempt to commit false statements and writings. Trump had planned to appoint Clark as U.S. attorney general so he could launch an investigation into his baseless claims of election fraud. Clark posted bail by using a surety bond, according to jail records. Jenna Ellis Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis also agreed to a $100,000 bond. She turned herself in at the Fulton County Jail on Wednesday. In addition to the racketeering charge all defendants face, Ellis is charged with soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer a charge tied to her presence at a Georgia Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing where false claims of election fraud were pushed. She has denied any wrongdoing. She posted bond using Fulton Countys 10 percent program, according to jail records. Kenneth Chesebro Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro agreed to a bond of $100,000. Chesebro faces seven charges in the Georgia case, mostly stemming from his role as a key coordinator of the fake electors plan. He drafted several memos devising a strategy for the plot, including ideas for how the fake electors could mimic the real ones. He surrendered Wednesday and paid his bond via a surety bond, according to jail records. Sidney Powell Sidney Powell, a lawyer for former President Trumps 2020 campaign, agreed to a $100,000 bond. A key surrogate of Trumps false election fraud claims, Powell faces seven charges in the Georgia case most linked to her alleged role in an election equipment breach in Coffee County. She paid her bond using Fulton Countys 10 percent program, according to jail records. $75,000 Stephen Lee Illinois pastor Stephen Lee charged in the case for allegedly attempting to influence Georgia election worker Ruby Freemans testimony agreed to a bond of $75,000. Hes charged with five counts and was the final defendant to surrender. He paid his bond using the 10 percent program, according to jail records. Trevian Kutti Trevian Kutti a former publicist for rapper Ye, previously known as Kanye West agreed to a $75,000 bond Thursday afternoon. She faces three counts in connection with pressuring Freeman to make false statements about her role in helping administer the election. Kutti paid her bond using Fulton Countys 10 percent program, according to jail records. David Shafer David Shafer, the former Georgia Republican Party chairman who signed documents purporting to be a presidential elector, agreed to a $75,000 bond. He is charged with eight counts, including impersonating a public officer, forgery, false statements and attempting to file false documents. Shafer paid his bond via a surety bond, according to jail records. Cathy Latham Retired teacher Cathy Latham, who served as the chairwoman of the Coffee County Republican Party, agreed to a $75,000 bond. Lathams role in the alleged enterprise stems from the Coffee County election equipment breach. She also signed documents purporting to be a presidential elector. Latham faces 11 charges and posted bond via a surety bond, according to jail records. $50,000 Ray Smith Ray Smith, a Georgia-based attorney who worked for Trump in the wake of the election, agreed to a $50,000 bond after being charged with 12 counts. Smiths charges largely focus on his statements at Georgia state Legislature hearings in December 2020 and his assistance with the fake electors plot. He posted bond using Fulton Countys 10 percent program, according to jail records. Robert Cheeley Robert Cheeley, another Georgia-based attorney, also agreed to a $50,000 bond after being indicted. Cheeley faces 10 counts, most of which relate to the fake electors plot. He also faces a count of false statements and soliciting a public officer to violate their oath over his participation in a Dec. 30, 2020, Georgia legislature committee hearing. Cheeley posted bond by using the 10 percent program, according to jail records. Michael Roman Michael Roman, a former Trump White House staffer who reportedly worked as director of election day operations on Trumps 2020 campaign, agreed to a $50,000 bond. Roman faces seven counts in connection with the fake electors plot, including charges of conspiracy to commit impersonating a public officer and conspiracy to commit forgery. Roman posted bail via a surety bond, according to jail records. $10,000 Shawn Still Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still (R) is the lone sitting officeholder charged in the indictment. He assumed office earlier this year. Still agreed to a $10,000 bond in connection with the seven counts he faces. It is a signature bond, however, according to jail records, meaning Still does not have to cough up any funds as long as he shows up to his future court appearances. Signature bonds are often granted to defendants in Fulton County when their charges are minor or if it is their first time committing a crime, according to the W. Scott Smith law firm in Atlanta. Scott Hall Scott Hall, a bail bondsman himself, was the first of the 19 defendants to surrender, doing so Tuesday morning. He agreed to a $10,000 bond after being charged in connection with his alleged involvement in the Coffee County breach. He faces seven counts and posted his bond using the 10 percent program, jail records show. Misty Hampton Misty Hampton is the second defendant who was given a signature bond, meaning she didnt have to provide her $10,000 bail amount. Hampton was Coffee Countys election supervisor and allegedly helped facilitate the election equipment breach there. She faces seven charges linked to the breach. No bond Harrison Floyd Harrison Floyd, a leader of Black Voices for Trump, was the lone defendant to surrender without negotiating bail in advance. Floyd faces three counts over accusations of trying to convince Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman to make false statements about election operations on Election Day 2020, under the guise of offering her help. He surrendered at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday afternoon and has not yet been released, according to jail records. Floyd was also arrested earlier this year after he allegedly assaulted an FBI agent. The district attorneys office and Floyds attorney did not return requests for comment about his detention. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Arizona prosecutors are "aggressively" intensifying their criminal probe into the 2020 fake electors scheme seeking to keep then-President Donald Trump in office, paying special attention to the role his attorney Rudy Giuliani played as "ringleader" in the plot, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Rolling Stone. In recent weeks, state prosecutors have been asking potential witnesses and other individuals specific questions about the former New York City mayor's background conduct as well as that of other key Trump associates at the time. Prosecutors have taken interest in a range of notable meetings and phone calls in connection to the plot, including a late November 2020 meeting Trump's legal team called with members of Arizona's state legislature, which featured unfounded claims of voter fraud and urged lawmakers to "take over" the state's selection of electors, the sources told the outlet. State investigators have also asked about Trump's level of involvement in the Arizona leg of the fake electors scheme, one of the sources added. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, who has assigned investigators to the case, called for patience in public comments following Trump's indictment in Fulton County, Georgia earlier this month. "We are doing a thorough and professional investigation, and we're going to do it on our timetable as justice demands," he said. At this early stage in the probe, it is unclear whether Arizona prosecutors will choose to file any charges. In addition to the Georgia charges, the former president also faces a federal indictment in connection to his alleged efforts to undermine President Joe Biden's 2020 victory. Jonathan Turley, a George Washington University law professor, on Thursday claimed that former President Donald Trump was merely seeking a recount when he demanded Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger "find" enough votes to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state. Trump called Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, and pressured him to "find" the 11,780 votes he needed in order to declare him the victor. Raffensperger's office had completed a recount of the votes the month prior at Trump's request, marking the third time public officials counted the state's votes, which Trump lost each time. Turley, who was a Republican witness during Trump's first impeachment inquiry, told Fox News host Sean Hannity that Trump was merely seeking another recount when he made the call. "I think this is criminalizing the challenging of elections," Turley said during the segment. "Basically, you have a Democratic prosecutor saying, 'How dare you challenge a Democratic victory?'" ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He then compared Trump's attempts to push public officials to congressional Democrats voting against certifying the former president's 2016 victory. "But in Donald Trump's case, he insists that he does believe that Georgia could have been flipped with a recount. And the way [District Attorney Fani Willis] portrayed that phone call to Raffensperger I think is really evidence of the bias and unfairness of aspects of this indictment," he added. "You know, it makes perfect sense when you're challenging an election to say, you know, 'I only need around 11,000 votes,'" Turley continued. "So, if you do a statewide review, that's not a lot in a state like Georgia. That's not criminal. That's making a case for a recount." get a load of Jonathan Turley defending Trump's call when he asked Georgia election officials to find votes for him. clown stuff pic.twitter.com/8SRrnjS90L Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 15, 2023 The Trump-Raffensperger call is one of the more than 160 acts listed as evidence of an alleged plot to overturn the 2020 election in the indictment handed up by an Atlanta grand jury earlier this month. The former president was charged with 13 counts related to his efforts, one of which pertains to claims Trump made in the call, and is one of 19 defendants. According to The Washington Post, Turley leveled a similar argument in Trump's defense earlier this month, asserting in another Fox News appearance that the "more obvious explanation" for Trump's request during the call was that he was advocating for a recount. "The Georgia officials were saying that further state recounts might not be necessary. It would be natural for Trump to say, look, you only need to find 11,000 to turn the outcome of this election," he said. "So I don't need that many votes. Thus, a state recount is justified." The Post notes, however, that 11,000 votes is a pretty sizeable sum when it comes to a recount. While recounts in federal or statewide races may scrounge up a few hundred votes that were uncounted or miscounted the first time, those random omissions typically benefit candidates randomly with changes in results being much smaller than the uncovered votes. "It's only in the closest races that a recount can make a difference and 11,000-plus votes is not a particularly close race in that sense," wrote WaPo columnist Philip Bump. Bump went on to detail the call between Trump and Raffensperger in the analysis of Turley's defense, pointing out that the former president never once asked for a recount during the exchange and outlining the "litany of suppositions about where there might have been errors or flaws in the votes cast" Trump had said. "All of which is to say that Turley's argument is obviously weak. A candidate simply hoping to ensure that all avenues were closed even after months of scrutiny and multiple recounts would receive information that those avenues had already been demonstrably closed with resignation and acceptance," Bump concluded. "That was not the way Trump received Raffensperger's pushback." Turley himself even criticized Trump for the phone call when The Post first reported it in 2021. "Telling Raffensperger to 'find' the votes on the Saturday before the certification is breathtaking," he wrote on Twitter, the platform rebaranding as X, linking to the article. "I am as mystified by the request as I am the logic. Such an opportunistic move to secure the 16 electoral votes would not work to change the outcome." Telling Raffensperger to "find" the votes on the Saturday before the certification is breathtaking. https://t.co/RAFqu6A41L I am as mystified by the request as I am the logic. Such an opportunistic move to secure the 16 electoral votes would not work to change the outcome. Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) January 3, 2021 Want a daily wrap-up of all the news and commentary Salon has to offer? Subscribe to our morning newsletter, Crash Course. Turley walked back his 2021 comment in a statement to Mediate two weeks ago, arguing that he was misinformed about the conversation because the "transcript presented a sharply different context and meaning." "The next day, I gave interviews on those differences and I then ran a column stating that the transcript shows a clear alternative meaning," he said in the statement. "I later wrote on the errors in The Post account of the calls. To its credit, The Post admitted the errors in its original story. I stated, as I have continued to state, that reasonable people can disagree on that meaning." However, Turley's account, Bump says, is misleading. While the outlet did correct an article about a different call where Trump attempted to pressure Georgia officials, the article linked in his tweet remained accurate. "Notice how he conflates the two, describing them as the 'Post account of the calls' and suggesting that it was our error that misled him," Bump said. "In reality, the error was and continues to be his own." Legal experts called out Turley's defense on social media. "I'm not asking every law professor out there to agree with my view. But would a fourth recount weeks after certification and just a couple of days before Congress convened have changed the election? No. This argument is obscene. Simply because it is devoid of logic and reason," wrote Georgia State Law Prof. Anthony Michael Kreis. "There's just no way if someone understood the basics of what happened in Georgia or cared to look at the timeline of events in at least a superficial way, that the Trump phone call comes off as a casual chat," he added, pointing out that "One might also want to ask why anyone felt the need to record the phone call if the entire episode was so innocent. It sure seems that folks had reason to be suspicious of Trump's overtures." Longtime Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias called Turley's defense of Trump "more proof that Jonathan Turley is Mike Lindell with tenure," referring to the MyPillow founder who continues to espouse election conspiracy theories while facing multiple defamation lawsuits. More proof that Jonathan Turley is Mike Lindell with tenure. https://t.co/AuAtSqCw0I Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) August 25, 2023 "A disgrace to my profession," wrote Eric Segall, the Ashe Professor of Law at Georgia State University. A disgrace to my profession. Man, Turley, Eastman, The Dersh.Ugg. https://t.co/LBauGMjEhB Eric Segall (@espinsegall) August 25, 2023 Read more about the Fulton case Read the latest updates from Saturday: Dozens of Florida counties under state of emergency as hurricane forecasters track storm A developing tropical system in the Caribbean which isn't even a depression or storm yet is moving toward the Gulf of Mexico and could affect Florida by next week, forecasters said. "The chance of a tropical depression or storm forming has increased, especially for later this weekend into early next week," said Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce. "This system would most likely impact Florida around Tuesday or Wednesday, but it's too early to determine the magnitude of any impacts." The next named storm of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season will be Idalia (pronounced "ee-DAL-ya"). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Last year's 'I' storm (Ian) also came from the western Caribbean and headed for the west coast of the Florida peninsula, but mercifully as of now there is zero indication of anything like that happening this time around," University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said on his blog Thursday. What does the hurricane center say? The National Hurricane Center is on board with development of this system, giving it an 80% chance of formation: "Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development of this system during the next several days, and a tropical depression is likely to form late this weekend or early next week while moving generally northward over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and eastern Gulf of Mexico." "Interests in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, western Cuba, and Florida should monitor the progress of this system," the hurricane center said. Dolce said that while Gulf waters are plenty warm for a depression or storm to form, wind shear is a possible limiting factor: Wind shear is the change in wind speed and direction with height and is usually a hostile factor that prevents the formation of storms, he said. "The likelihood that a hurricane could hit Florida is low at this time," Dolce said. The National Hurricane Center is giving the system a 70% chance of development within the next seven days. Gov. DeSantis prepares Florida for possible storm With Florida in the potential path of the storm, officials have begun to prepare. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis' official schedule showed he had a call with Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie. Later, DeSantis posted on X, formerly Twitter: Ive directed @KevinGuthrieFL & the FL Emergency Management team to prepare for a potential tropical system currently moving across the Yucatan Peninsula. Residents should remain vigilant and prepare for possible impacts early next week. Follow @FLSERT for updates. Spaghetti models for Gulf storm "Spaghetti models" comprise a broad array of forecasting models. As of Friday afternoon, the models pictured below are projections based on performance of previous storms and potential wind shear, and not the high-level ensemble models forecasters use to project a path once a storm forms. The latest on Tropical Storm Franklin Elsewhere in the Atlantic basin, Tropical Storm Franklin continues to spin in the Atlantic Ocean. Franklin is forecast to remain well out to sea, likely strengthening into a hurricane over the next couple of days, the hurricane center said. In the U.S., the only expected impact from Franklin will be along the Atlantic coastline, with rough surf and coastal erosion the main effects. A weather service forecast office in North Carolina said: "Tropical Cyclone Franklin is forecast to pass well east of NC Monday into Tuesday and produce long-period swell across the NC waters. This swell, in combination with a King Tide cycle early next week could result in some beach erosion and ocean overwash across the Outer Banks." Also in the Atlantic, a pair of tropical disturbances far out to sea are unlikely to affect land, the hurricane center said. One of them could become a tropical depression by early next week. Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY Network; Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHC watching storm near Gulf of Mexico: Could it hit Florida? The last of 19 defendants charged in Georgia over efforts to subvert the states 2020 election results to keep former President Trump in power have surrendered at the Fulton County Jail, records show. Trevian Kutti and Stephen Lee, both of Illinois, turned themselves in Friday morning. Their charges are linked to efforts to pressure Fulton County election worker Ruby Freeman into making false statements about her role in helping administer the election. Kutti, a Chicago publicist who worked with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is charged with influencing witnesses and conspiracy to commit solicitation of false statements and writings. A pastor in Chicagos suburbs, Lee faces five counts among them the same charges Kutti faces. All 19 defendants, including Kutti and Lee, are also charged with violating Georgias Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act a charge rooted in combating organized crime. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The two Illinoisans agreed to $75,000 bail bonds, which they each paid using Fulton Countys 10 percent program. The program enables defendants to only pay 10 percent of their bail amount upon being booked. Trump, who is also charged in the case, surrendered at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday evening. Like all his co-defendants, Trumps height and weight were recorded, a mug shot was taken, and he was given a prison identification number P01135809. Trump used a third party to post his bond, jail records show. Now that all the defendants have surrendered, arraignment dates will be set where they will formally hear the charges against them and enter a plea. An arraignment date has already been set for one defendant in the case, Kenneth Chesebro. A lawyer and key coordinator of the fake electors plan, Chesebro demanded a speedy trial a request that requires an expedited trial plan under Georgia rules. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set Chesebros arraignment for Sept. 6 and the trial date for Oct. 23. The timeline is significantly faster than the already-ambitious one Willis originally requested, which would have started the trial in March. Willis asked for the new timeline to apply to all 19 defendants, which Trumps legal team quickly opposed. Trumps counsel requested to sever his case from Chesebro and any other co-defendant requesting a speedy trial. McAfee wrote in his order that the ruling only applies to Chesebro at this time. Willis previously said that she is seeking to hold the arraignments for all the defendants the week following Labor Day. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A South Florida lawyer has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump seeking to have the former president declared ineligible to run for another term as president. The lawsuit, citing Trumps involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, wants the federal courts to enforce the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, added after the Civil War to prevent people who engaged in rebellion against the United States from holding office again. Lawrence Caplans lawsuit asserts the provision clearly applies to Trump: President Trumps efforts both in Washington, as well as in Georgia and perhaps other states, as well as the consequential assault on the U.S. Capitol make him ineligible to ever serve in federal office again. Now given that the facts seem to be crystal clear that Trump was involved to some extent in the insurrection that took place on January 6th, the sole remaining question is whether American jurists who swear an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution upon their entry to the bench, will choose to follow the letter of the Constitution in this case. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Caplan concluded that the bottom line here is that President Trump both engaged in an insurrection and also gave aid and comfort to other individuals who were engaging in such actions, within the clear meaning of those terms as spelled out in the 14th Amendment Trump is no longer eligible to seek the office of the President of the United States, or of any other state of the Union. Caplan didnt come up with the theory on his own. The theory has received lots of attention in recent weeks after legal scholars including one of the nations preeminent conservative legal thinkers and members of the conservative Federalist Society said the 14th Amendment unquestionably applies to Trump, and prohibits him from another term as president. Caplans lawsuit, filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in South Florida, utilizes that theory in asking the court to declare Trump is barred from seeking the presidency and is barred from participating in the 2024 Florida Republican primary. Despite the legal underpinnings for the case, people who dislike and fear Trump shouldnt get too excited and people who love him shouldnt get too alarmed. Realistically, its not a Hail Mary, but its just tossing the ball up and hoping it lands in the right place, said Charles Zelden, a professor of history and legal studies who specializes in politics and voting at Nova Southeastern University. Its hopefulness that we can make the problem that is Trump simply go away. And Im sorry, Trump is too big a problem to simply go away. Hes too much of a challenge to the system. Its kind of one of those ideas that only a law professor could love, Zelden said. Caplan said he concluded that its not beyond the realm of possibility that this character could get reelected and he decided that someone had to take the lead. Caplan said hes not a political activist. Im not active at all in party politics, he said. Im not a political animal. He has voted for presidential candidates of both parties over the years: Republicans Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and Democrats Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton (I held my nose) and Joe Biden (because there was no other choice.) To anyone who attempts to claim he isnt a patriot, Caplan said, hed tell them that after he finished law school he worked for the National Security Agency. People who have intentionally taken on or inadvertently gone against Trump have found themselves subject to harassment by the former presidents supporters. Most recently, members of the Georgia grand jury that indicted Trump for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election have been threatened. Caplan said he wasnt concerned about a negative reaction. Dont care. Ive been through multiple brain surgeries and Im not concerned. I can survive that. Caplan, 65, who grew up in Miami, lives in Boca Raton and practices law in Boynton Beach, said this case will be my last litigation. He said he would concentrate on estate planning, tax and business law. He also owns a title company. Zelden said he sees validity to the scholars argument. But its complicated. On a practical level, how do you make this happen in real life? The question with this is how do you determine that what Trump did was an insurrection? In some peoples minds it is and in some peoples minds it isnt. And even if you come down on the side that says yes, this is an insurrection, is the provision in the 14th Amendment self actualizing? Does it need laws that make it work in practice or is it simply automatic? Zelden said. These are tough questions to answer because there are no obvious answers. Caplans complaint describes recent history, including elements of what happened on and around Jan. 6, 2021. And it discusses Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, the disqualification clause, automatically barring from service those who having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof unless Congress restores their right to hold office by a two-thirds vote. In a scholarly paper posted online earlier this month and slated for publication next year in the University of Pennsylvania Law Review, William Baude of the University of Chicago Law School and Michael Stokes Paulsen of University of St. Thomas School of Law, detailed their conclusion after a year of research that the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump. Both are members of the Federalist Society, the incubator of conservative and limited-government legal thinking that has effectively become a requirement for judicial nominations during Trumps presidency and in Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis. On Aug. 19, J. Michael Luttig, a former federal appeals court judge and leading conservative thinker, and Laurence Tribe, a liberal professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, wrote in The Atlantic that the 14th Amendment disqualifies Trump. During the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, former Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas cited the legal scholars argument that Trump is disqualified. This is something that disqualifies him under our rules and under our Constitution, he said. The outcome depends on what trial judges decide with more cases likely in different states followed by appeals courts and ultimately the Supreme Court, if it makes it that far in time for 2024 voting. Caplans case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg, who sits in West Palm Beach. Rosenberg was nominated as a judge by Obama. Any appeals would go to the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, a court dominated by conservatives, some of whom could put stock in the Luttig analysis. Caplan said he expects his lawsuit will be opposed on multiple grounds, including whether he has legal standing to bring the case. In the complaint, he asserts he does. Zelden said procedurally it may make more sense for someone challenging Trumps ability to run would more appropriately file suit against the secretary of state, in charge of elections in many states, seeking an order to bar Trump from the ballot. Suing Trump directly is not likely to have the impact that (Caplan) wants. Zelden said the 14th Amendment eligibility issue is like many things that surround Trump. Its just more of the mess thats associated with Trump, whether you like him or dislike him, he makes the system of governance messy, complicated, difficult. _____ This was a plane crash felt far beyond the fields north of Moscow. The fiery demise of a jet believed to be carrying Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and some of his lieutenants will have sent ripples through the global web of financial and military entanglements the former caterer had built from his Kremlin connections. Their presumed deaths leave uncertain the future of the Wagner Group Prigozhin's powerful, battle-hardened mercenary force along with its often brutal and destabilizing presence in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and across Africa. There is a leadership vacuum in Wagner. That was likely the intention, Mark Cancian, a retired colonel in the U.S. Marines and senior adviser at Washington-based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told NBC News. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Alongside Prigozhin, Wagner commander Dmitry Utkin a shadowy figure with neo-Nazi tattoos known as the mercenary chiefs right-hand man and logistics chief Valery Chekalov were also on board the plane when it went down Wednesday, according to Russian authorities. That makes it much easier for the Kremlin and Russias military leaders to control what happens next, Cancian said. Sad in the Central African Republic Fidele Gouandjika was, at least briefly, in mourning. An adviser to the leader of the Central African Republic shared a post on Facebook on Thursday tagging himself as feeling sad with a photo of him saluting, alongside an image of the wreckage of Prigozhins jet. He praised Wagner for saving Central African democracy with an intervention that Western diplomats told NBC News had left the country effectively controlled by the mercenary group. But President Faustin Archange Touaderas spokesman, Albert Mokpeme, said by phone Friday that Prigozhins possible death doesnt change anything for us. His boss already deals directly with the Russian authorities, and that fruitful relationship was not about to be derailed, he said. Russian state-run news agencies on August 23, 2023 said that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner group that led a mutiny against Russia's army in June, was on the list of passengers of a plane that crashed near the village of Kuzhenkino in the Tver region. (Vladimir Nikolayev / AFP - Getty Images) You can call them Wagner or whatever you want, but it works, said Mokpeme, speaking from the BRICS summit of developing nations in South Africa, where Russia and China have been working to expand the blocs reach as a counter to the United States. The Kremlins bid to extend Russian influence abroad has long had Wagner at its heart, making the groups fate in Africa and beyond all the more crucial. Prigozhin and his mercenaries have supported strongmen on the continent and earned riches on the back of it, with the group accused of exploiting gold and diamond mines in some African countries in return for military support. Wagners focus on Africa appeared as solid as ever before the plane crash, with Prigozhin appearing in a video in which he hinted that he was in Africa, conducting reconnaissance and making Russia even greater on every continent. Prigozhin visited Mali and CAR only days before his apparent death, meeting with government officials and looking for new opportunities, according to J. Peter Pham, the former U.S. envoy to the Sahel region of Africa and a longtime analyst of the region. Having lost much in Russia ... it seems that Prigozhin was in Africa to look after and reassure not only his remaining clients the Central African Republic regime of Faustin-Ange Touadera, the RSF in Sudan, and the Malian junta but also his mercenaries, Pham said, referring to the Rapid Support Forces currently fighting Sudans military. Even with Prigozhin out of the picture, the opportunities that he seized upon to both undermine Western geopolitical interests and profit while doing so remain intact, Pham added. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Prigozhins recent visit to the region. Nathalia Dukhan, an investigator with The Sentry, a research and advocacy group that has tracked Wagners activities across the continent, said her organization obtained information indicating that in his recent trip to CAR, Prigozhin visited mining sites and also sought to obtain new contracts to control the countrys vast borders as well as attract potential investors in multiple economic sectors, including oil. The visit coincided with social media posts about the opening of an investment center at the Russian House, an organization registered in CAR and affiliated with the Wagner outfit, that is supposed to offer free business services to attract Russian investors, according to Dukhan. Prigozhins apparent aim was to reassure Touadera of Wagners commitment in CAR, to further scale up and accelerate profiteering activities, and lock in the Russia-CAR enterprise for the long term In short, a 21st century-style colonization, she said. NBC News could not independently confirm whether Prigozhin had looked to secure new contracts for border security operations or other commercial ventures. Russian President Vladimir Putin also acknowledged Prigozhins work in Africa during his eulogy for the mercenary chief Thursday, calling him a talented businessman who had dealt with oil, gas, precious metals and gems. Former U.S. officials and analysts said they also did not expect a major change in Wagners presence in Africa and the Middle East, including in CAR, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Syria and Libya. The outfits security contracts, mining operations and smuggling schemes likely will continue, albeit under more pliant management, as the Kremlin has seen Wagners presence as a useful tool to boost Moscows influence, they said. Wagners operations in Africa have been lucrative and effective for Moscow, providing a low cost investment for relatively high impact a lot of rubble for the ruble, said Paul Kolbe, a former CIA officer and now senior fellow at Harvard University Belfer Center. The purpose, the main goals and main mechanisms that Russia had for Wagner and the capability remain the same, said Kolbe, who served 25 years in the CIA with overseas assignments in the former Soviet Union, southern Africa and elsewhere. So theyll figure out a way to do it. Russia also appeared to signal it remains committed to Wagners role in Libya, with Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov paying a visit to the country Tuesday and meeting Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar. Flouting an international arms embargo, Wagner paramilitaries have armed and backed Haftar, whose faction has waged a campaign against the U.N.-recognized government in Tripoli. There was no indication Wagners operations would be scaled back in Libya, and though its leadership and activities might be reorganized, the effort will have to obey the same logic, which is to have a semi-private company that will operate on a clandestine basis, said Jalel Harchaoui, an associate fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank. Ukraine and Belarus But it may not be an entirely smooth transition for the Kremlin. The demise of Prigozhin would almost certainly have a deeply destabilizing effect on the Wagner Group, British military intelligence said in its assessment Friday. Prigozhins drive and extreme brutality permeated Wagner, the assessment said, and are unlikely to be matched by any successor. After Prigozhins short-lived mutiny against the countrys military leadership two months ago, it was already clear the Russian Defense Ministry had the intention of absorbing the mercenary force, allowing mutinous fighters to sign contracts with the regular military as part of a deal that also allowed Prigozhin and his fighters to go into exile in neighboring Belarus. Months of bad blood between the mercenaries and Moscows military leaders could mean that a lot of Wagner fighters would rather be commanded by anyone but Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov could be the man for the job. He said earlier this year he wanted to create his own mercenary force in the style of Wagner. Kadyrov lamented Prigozhins loss and iron character in a statement on Telegram on Thursday, one of the few top Russian officials to speak out after the crash, but called him out for putting personal interests ahead of matters of paramount national importance. Unlike Prigozhin, Kadyrov has maintained absolute loyalty to Putin. There are also questions about the fate of Wagner fighters who went into exile in Belarus, where their presence close to NATOs eastern borders has put U.S. allies on high alert. But its unclear how many fighters are still stationed there, and who could assume command over them. The number of Wagner mercenaries in the country had been gradually decreasing even before Wednesdays plane crash, with the majority going back to Russia, Andrii Demchenko, a spokesman for Ukraines State Border Service, said Friday. But President Alexander Lukashenko insisted that Wagner was alive and well in Belarus. While some fighters were leaving, the core of the group remained, the countrys state media agency Belta reported him as saying Friday. He said he could call up to 10,000 fighters back within days, if needed. Members of the Wagner Group in Rostov-on-Don, Russia (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Could the plane crash have a direct impact on the war in Ukraine, where Wagner units led a monthslong bloody battle for the town of Bakhmut to deliver a small but symbolic victory that helped elevate Prigozhins status? Their heroism in Ukraine will not be forgotten, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday, while skirting questions about Wagners future. With the Russian army trying to hold off Ukraines new counteroffensive, Moscow is desperate for reinforcements and may be eager to add most of the Wagner personnel into the armed forces, analysts said. The most likely outcome is that Wagner will splinter into two, with the remaining leaderless groupings in Belarus disbanded, and the other faction active abroad morphing into something else that can be a tool of Russian foreign policy, according to Emily Ferris with the Royal United Services Institute. The Kremlin will have likely learned its lesson that personalities like Prigozhin with their own dangerous ambitions are a wild card, and any new leader would likely be someone handpicked by the Kremlin, she added. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A New Hampshire woman has been indicted on murder charges in connection with the shooting death of 54-year-old Lisa Rocheleau in May, the Attorney General said. Haydee Rivera-Nadeau, 65, was indicted by a Strafford County Grand Jury on two counts of second-degree murder for the May 1 shooting, for knowingly causing Ms. Rocheleaus death by shooting her and for recklessly causing the death of Ms. Rocheleau under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life, by shooting her, Attorney General John Formella said in a statement. Rivera-Nadeau was also indicted on charges of falsifying physical evidence, in that Ms. Rivera-Nadeau believing that an investigation was pending or about to be instituted, altered, destroyed, concealed, or removed any thing, to wit, by moving and concealing the firearm, with a purpose to impair its verity or availability in such investigation, Formella said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Rocheleau died at Portsmouth Regional Hospital on May 11, several days after the shooting, Formella said. An autopsy found Rocheleaus cause of death was a gunshot wound and her manner of death was homicide, authorities said. On May 3, Rivera-Nadeau was apprehended in Charlotte, North Carolina in connection with a then-pending charge of attempted murder. She was subsequently extradited to New Hampshire and arraigned. Rivera-Nadeau is scheduled to be arraigned on the murder charges at 11 a.m. on Sept. 6 in Strafford County Superior Court. 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 Nigers junta ordered the French ambassador in Niamey on Friday to leave the country within 48 hours, according to the Nigerien Foreign Ministry. In a statement published by state-run broadcaster ORTN, the Nigerien Foreign Ministry said the ambassador Sylvain Itte had refused to attend a meeting scheduled for Friday with the countrys foreign minister. The ministry said Nigerien authorities had withdrawn Ittes credentials in light of the refusal, also citing other actions by the French government that are against Nigers interest. France has taken note of the putschists request, the French Foreign Ministry told AFP late Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The putschists do not have the authority to make this demand, the ambassadors approval comes only from the legitimate, elected Nigerien authorities the ministry said. CNN has reached out to the French Foreign Ministry for comment. Separately, the US State Department said in a statement late Friday it was told by Nigers Ministry of Foreign Affairs there were images of letters circulating on the internet calling for the departure of certain American diplomatic personnel. However, it said these were not issued by the ministry, and that no such request has been made to the US government. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com No Labels CEO Nancy Jacobson and National Director Joe Cunningham pose for a portrait at the Deseret News offices in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News The country appears to be barreling toward a rematch between President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump , with the current president under scrutiny for his sons foreign business dealings and the former president facing four indictments simultaneously. But one group is doing all it can to prepare an insurance plan to provide voters with a third option if the names atop the November 2024 ticket are Bidens and Trumps. We have never seen candidates disliked this much, ever, Nancy Jacobson, founder and CEO of No Labels, told the Deseret News. If were going to ever create power for the center and get these two parties working together, side by side, for results for the American people, this is the moment. No Labels CEO Nancy Jacobson talks with the Deseret News editorial board at the Deseret News offices in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News No Labels is quickly becoming one of the nations most controversial nonprofit organizations as it temporarily turns its focus from getting Republicans and Democrats in Congress to work on common sense policy solutions, to laying the groundwork for launching a bipartisan, unity presidential ticket in all 50 states. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The organization has secured ballot access in 10 states so far, including Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah. Despite Utahs solid Republican voting record, Jacobson, a former Democratic fundraiser, sees the state as absolutely representing a unique opportunity for what No Labels has to offer. A majority of people are realizing they want different choices, Jacobson said. They want to see people governing; they want to see, finally, resolutions to our problems. Utah has shown a willingness to buck party loyalties in recent years, with independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin peeling away upward of 20% of the vote from Trump in 2016, and Republican voters again showing less enthusiasm for Trump in 2020 than any Republican nominee in recent history. Former Utah Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman signaled his interest in No Labels last month, appearing alongside Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., at a Common Sense Town Hall in New Hampshire sponsored by the group. Huntsman said he wasnt interested in running for president again but called a Biden-Trump repeat insanity. However, No Labels has come under fire from all sides of the political spectrum as details of its Insurance Policy 2024 have become more public, with the most common accusation being that it will serve as a third-party spoiler. Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney is one of those who holds such reservations. I think a third party is likely to be a spoiler candidate extremely unlikely to ever be elected him or herself, and would make it more likely in this case, I think, to elect Donald Trump, he told the Deseret News and other members of the media this week. I think thats something that the No Labels people have to think through. Jacobson says she and others at No Labels have deeply considered this possibility but are convinced if they field a strong enough candidate theyll do far more than spoil the race one way or the other, theyll win it. We have never seen these numbers that we have seen repeatedly in extensive research and modeling that 60% dont want these two choices. It is unprecedented. And everybody knows it, Jacobson said. Jacobsons confidence stems from No Labels polling of nearly 9,500 voters in the eight swing states. According to the poll, 63% of registered voters do not think Trump should run for reelection and even more, 72%, say the same of Biden. Those surveyed expressed an openness to voting for a No Labels candidate, with 63% saying they would consider voting for a moderate independent candidate if the alternatives are Trump and Biden in 2024. The most surprising, and motivating, result of their polling, Jacobson says, is the overwhelming desire for elected officials to work together to solve the countrys most pressing problems. The No Labels survey reports 86% of registered voters believe common-sense solutions for resolving the big issues facing the country can come through compromise between Democrats and Republicans. No Labels has compiled a policy guide based on polling the group says represents the views held by the majority of the country, including reforming entitlement programs to ensure long-term solvency and regaining control of the flow of immigrants at the southern border. However, some point out that it is easier for voters to express support for a faceless cause than for an actual candidate who will likely bring with them political baggage some find problematic. While No Labels has not publicly talked about any candidates it would recruit, some names have been floated by national media, including independent Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and former Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who is a No Labels national co-chair. No Labels will decide whether it will move forward with its proposal following the Super Tuesday presidential primary elections on March 5, 2024. If a Biden-Trump rematch appears inevitable, and both candidates continue to have high unfavorable ratings, No Labels will move forward with candidate selection during its April convention in Dallas, Texas. Details of the candidate selection process will be announced this fall. Despite the long odds No Labels faces, and the prospect that all the efforts will come to a halt if Biden or Trump drops out of the race for any reason, Jacobson says what keeps (her) going every day is a vision of how a bipartisan ticket for president and vice president could alter the countrys path to endless polarization. With a Republican and Democrat walking down Pennsylvania Avenue and walking into that White House, arm in arm, trying to get results for the American people, we reset this country in a moment, Jacobson said, adding as a conclusion, We all know as good citizens, we need to do something differently. Correction: The original list of states where No Labels has secured ballot access was incorrect. They have not yet secured access in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania or Wisconsin. DEDHAM Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey on Friday issued a public statement condemning what he calls the dissemination of false narratives and harassment of witnesses involved in the prosecution of Karen Read , who is accused of killing Braintree native John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer. Read the latest in the case here. The case has attracted widespread attention with allegations of a cover-up. A Norfolk County grand jury indicted Read in June on charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. Read is accused of hitting O'Keefe, her boyfriend, with her vehicle outside the home of another Boston police officer in Canton after a night of drinking Jan. 29, 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement O'Keefe was found unresponsive in the heavy snow outside the Fairview Road home the following morning. He was taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton and was pronounced dead several hours later. Read and her attorneys have alleged others are responsible for O'Keefe's death. Earlier this month, a judge denied a request from prosecutors to rein in statements made by the defense. That judge also denied a request from the defense to remove herself from the case. Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey. In the video statement provided by his office, Morrissey denounced the way people connected to the case are being treated, WCVB reported. "It should be an outrage to any decent person and it needs to stop," Morrissey said. More: Funeral for police officer found dead in Canton draws hundreds of mourners to Braintree More: DA: Boston police officer found dead outside Canton home during Saturday's storm The DA said witnesses have been harassed and accusations were hurled at people other than those who are accused of a crime. He also said this is the first time in his 12 years as the county's top prosecutor that he has issued such a statement. "These people were not part of a conspiracy and certainly did not commit murder or any crime that night. They have been forthcoming with authorities, provided statements, and have not engaged in any cover-up. They are not suspects in any crime. They are merely witnesses in the case," he said. Throughout the statement, Morrissey responds to instances of speculation and accusations with the evidence he says dispels them. More: Prosecutors: Defense waging 'fishing expedition' in death of Boston cop from Braintree "I am asking the Canton community and everyone who feels invested in this case to hear all of the actual evidence at trial before assigning guilt to people who have done nothing wrong. And, certainly, before taking it upon yourself to harass citizens who, evidence shows, have done nothing in this matter but come forward and bear witness," he said. "We try people in the court and not on the internet for a reason." The full transcript of DA Morrissey's statement: This will be the first statement of its kind in my dozen years as Norfolk district attorney. The harassment of witnesses in the murder prosecution of Karen Read is absolutely baseless. It should be an outrage to any decent person and it needs to stop. Innuendo is not evidence. False narratives are not evidence. However, what evidence does show is that John OKeefe never entered the home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton on the night he died. Location data from his phone recovered from the lawn beneath his body when he was transported to the hospital shows that his phone did not enter that home. Eleven people have given statements that they did not see John OKeefe enter the home at 34 Fairview that night. Zero people have said that they saw him enter the home. Zero. No one. Some have, without any evidence, pointed to 18-year-old Colin Albert, a nephew of the homeowner, and accused him of attacking John OKeefe as he entered the home. But phone evidence shows OKeefe never entered the home at all. Testimony from witnesses tells us that 18-year-old Colin Albert had left his uncles home before John OKeefe and Karen Read had arrived outside the residence. There was no fight inside that home. John OKeefe did not enter the home. Colin Albert, the young man being vilified, was not present when Reads vehicle and John OKeefe arrived on the street. That is a false narrative. Colin Albert did not commit murder. Jennifer McCabe, Matthew McCabe, Brian Albert these people were not part of a conspiracy and certainly did not commit murder or any crime that night. They have been forthcoming with authorities, provided statements, and have not engaged in any cover-up. They are not suspects in any crime. They are merely witnesses in the case. To have them accused of murder is outrageous. To have them harassed and intimidated based on false narratives and accusations is wrong. They are witnesses doing what our justice system asks of them. The autopsy of John OKeefe was conducted by a forensic pathologist from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The doctor found that the injuries that left John helpless in the cold were not the result of a fight. She further found that the line of abrasions on his arm was consistent with blunt trauma not an animal attack. A grand jury of everyday citizens heard the documented evidence and testimony before making its decision. The subject of that murder indictment enjoys the constitutional presumption of innocence. Why should the witnesses, who have committed no crime, be afforded less by members of the community? They should not be harassed for telling the government what they heard or saw. I am asking the Canton community and everyone who feels invested in this case to hear all of the actual evidence at trial before assigning guilt to people who have done nothing wrong. And certainly before taking it upon yourself to harass citizens who, evidence shows, have done nothing in this matter but come forward and bear witness. We try people in the court and not on the internet for a reason. The internet has no rules of evidence. The internet has no punishment for perjury. And the internet does not know all the facts. Conspiracy theories are not evidence. The idea that multiple police departments, EMTs, fire personnel, the medical examiner and the prosecuting agency are joined in, or taken in by, a vast conspiracy should be seen for what it is completely contrary to the evidence and a desperate attempt to reassign guilt. Michael Proctor, the State Police trooper being accused of planting evidence outside 34 Fairview Road, was never at Fairview Road on the day of the incident. Proctor and his State Police partner traveled together the entire day, while other officers were processing 34 Fairview. Trooper Proctor was not there and did not plant evidence at 34 Fairview Road. In addition to having no opportunity to plant evidence as has been suggested, Trooper Proctor would have no motive to do so: Trooper Proctor had no close personal relationship with any of the parties involved in the investigation, had no conflict, and had no reason to step out of the investigation. Every suggestion to the contrary is a lie. This should all be seen for what it is and not used as a pretext to attack and harass others. What is happening to the witnesses some with no actual involvement in the case is wrong. It is contrary to the American values of fairness and the constitutional value of a fair trial. It needs to stop now. I am releasing this as a recorded statement rather than holding a news conference because my remarks need to be so narrowly tailored to the issue at hand while the prosecution is pending in Superior Court. But the message is the same. What is happening to these innocent people, these witnesses, is wrong and it needs to stop. This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Allegations in death of Boston cop from Braintree spark response by DA North Carolina state officials joined historians and Black community leaders Wednesday under a sprawling oak tree in the heart of downtown Raleigh for the long-anticipated unveiling of the states first park honoring the African American struggle for freedom. Located between the state Legislative Building and the governors Executive Mansion, the new North Carolina Freedom Park stands as a beacon of hope for Black North Carolinians and a reminder of their contributions in the fight for freedom and equality, said park project co-chair Goldie Frinks Wells. Twenty quotes about freedom line the clay colored walkways of the 1-acre green space, leading to a towering Beacon of Freedom sculpture at the parks center that beckons curious passersby on the hot August day. The metallic sculpture will be lit at dusk each night, illuminating the walls of quotes from Black historical figures and leaders from across the Tar Heel state. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement ALSO READ: NC Legislature overrides 6 governor vetoes, putting measures into law Board members who helped created the park, including retired University of North Carolina history professor Dr. Reginald Hildebrand, said they hope it will spark civic conversations and encourage the state to face all of its history. This park is a village of wisdom and courage and strength, Hildebrand said. When you come here, you enter and honor the souls of Black folk who are speaking to you, whatever your background and identity may be, whatever challenges you may face. The walls of quotes, he said, serve as reminders for the Black community that the battle for freedom and equality is ongoing and begins every morning. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said at the ceremony Wednesday that he was most excited for North Carolina students and tourists visiting the capital city to have an interactive learning environment that displays the brutal truth and extraordinary accomplishment found in Black history. He encouraged the crowd to applaud legislators from both parties who had supported the project. Cooper, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2024, has also played a key role in removing Confederate monuments from Capitol grounds during his six years as governor. RELATED: Gov. Cooper visits youth summer camp in north Charlotte The Executive Mansion is here, he gestured. The legislature is there. The Capitol is there. The courts are right over there. Now, nestled here among the branches of government, amidst the sound and the fury, shines North Carolina Freedom Park. The park was designed by the late Phil Freelon and his firm, Perkins + Will, and was built by the Raleigh-based construction company Holt Brothers. Before Wednesday, it had been under construction for three years. But the concept was decades in the making. The idea for North Carolina Freedom Park arose in 2000 when a group assembled by the Paul Green Foundation, a local humanitarian organization, first brainstormed ways to celebrate emancipation and freedom in North Carolina. Those discussion led to the formation of a non-profit tasked with planning and building a commemorative park in downtown Raleigh, according to the park website. Greg Milhouse, the father of one of the lead builders, Jordan Milhouse, said he was proud to finally see the product of his sons hard work and to celebrate his important role in preserving their history. Milhouse said he could not wait to bring his grandsons, friends and other family members to explore the park. Instead of wasting idle time, lets go learn a little bit about our history, lets go learn a little bit about our struggle, lets go learn about where were going and where we came from, he said in an interview before the ceremony. And this is a great place to start. (WATCH BELOW: Bill that would change voting in Gastonia frustrates council members) The truce village of Panmunjom inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korea has approved the return of its citizens who were abroad after years of strict border restrictions during the COVID pandemic, state media reported on Sunday as the isolated country cracks open its border to passenger travel. In a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters said on Saturday the approval was in line with its adjustment of the anti-epidemic degree following "eased worldwide pandemic situation." "Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week," the statement said. The announcement comes days after an Air Koryo flight from Pyongyang landed in Beijing for the first time since pandemic lockdowns began in 2020 amid a slow reopening of one of the world's most politically and economically isolated countries. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It wasn't immediately clear who was aboard the flight, but Western tour companies that operate in North Korea has said it appeared to be a flight that would carry back North Koreans who had been stuck in China by the years of border closures. Cargo train and ship traffic has slowly increased over the past year, but North Korea has only just begun to allow some international passenger travel. In a first since before the pandemic, Chinese and Russian government delegations flew to Pyongyang last month and this month buses carrying North Korean athletes to a taekwondo tournament in Kazakhstan crossed the border into China. Many foreign delegations closed their embassies in Pyongyang because they were unable to rotate staff or ship in supplies for much of the pandemic. (Reporting by Soo-hyang Choi; Editing by Daniel Wallis) Its official: Friday, Aug. 25 is the hottest day of the year so far in North Texas. DFW International Airport hit a record high of 110 degrees a little after 6 p.m. Friday, according to the Star-Telegrams news partner WFAA. Thats the first time the airport recorded a temperature of 110 since Aug. 2, 2011 and its the fourth-hottest temperature ever recorded at the airport. The hottest temperature ever recorded in North Texas was 113 degrees in June 1980. More heat this weekend in North Texas The heats not letting up just yet. All of North Texas is under an excessive heat warning through at least Saturday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Highs for the next two days are forecasted at 105 to 107, with oppressive heat indexes as high as 110 through the weekend. Another DFW Airport temperature record could be broken on Saturday if it gets hotter than 106 degrees. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement ERCOT is also asking Texans to conserve energy for the second day in a row as it braces for potential emergency operations. But ... a cold front might happen next week Afternoon storm chances are minimal this weekend just a 20% chance on Saturday in the afternoon and then 40% on Sunday. But after weeks of some of the hottest weather North Texas has seen in years, the area will get a reprieve Sunday night going into Monday morning. Thats when well see a weak cold front move into the area, bringing a 30%-50% chance of rain. Highs for the next week should be in the 90s, according to the NWS. As of Friday, DFW Airport has recorded 45 days with temperatures higher than 100 degrees this year, the eighth-most on record. Eleven people have been arrested in connection with the string of thefts in Los Angeles known as the flash mob robberies. The arrests were made by the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce on Aug. 23, but the suspects names have not yet been released. A shopper catches suspects stealing from stores in Los Angeles. (Photos: YouTube screenshot/ABC7) The Los Angeles Times reports the task force was created following several robberies across Los Angeles in which dozens of masked thieves quickly robbed several luxury retailers in the area, including the Versace Store at the Beverly Center, a Warehouse Shoe Store in Highland Park, Nordstroms at the Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park and Yves Saint Laurent at The Americana at Brand in Glendale. A Macys department store in Sherman Oaks was also robbed on Aug. 24, according to ABC7 News. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Related: Black Arizona Family Refuses to be Intimidated After Claiming Someone Spray-Painted the N-Word On Their Fence. They Believe They Were Targeted. During the robbery at the Nordstrom store, at least 30 masked robbers ransacked the store while stealing between $100,000 and $300,000 worth of expensive handbags, jewelry and clothing. The city of Los Angeles and neighboring cities have recently experienced an increase in flash-mob method retail crime incidents conducted by multiple suspects targeting retail establishments throughout the Los Angeles region, read a statement from the LAPD. Click here to read more. Upon the inception of the ORCT, detectives assumed investigative responsibility of nine cases involving organized retail crimes throughout the city of Los Angeles. Many of these retail theft cases have adopted linkage to other retail crimes which occurred in neighboring cities. The task force includes officers from the police departments in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Burbank, Glendale and the California Highway Patrol. The Los Angeles County District Attorneys office is also part of the task force. The ORCT consists of 22 full-time organized retail crime investigators. The arrests were made earlier in the week, but the LAPD has not yet released the names of the 11 people arrested. Its unclear if the most recent robbery in Sherman Oaks happened before or after the arrests. At least nine robbers fled the scene in a black Ford Fusion and a silver or gold Honda. During the robbery at Nordstrom, a security guard was sprayed in the face with bear spray. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke about the robberies during a news conference announcing the task force. What weve seen over just the past week in the city of Los Angeles and in surrounding regions is unacceptable, which is why today we are here announcing action, said Bass. These are not victimless crimes especially in the case where Angelenos were attacked through force or fear as they did their jobs or ran errands. A statement from Chief Manny Cid of the Glendale Police Department noted that the criminal activity will not be tolerated in Glendale and that an elevated police presence would be deployed in the downtown area. The Glendale Police Department will pursue all leads and utilize every available resource to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice, he said. Expect an elevated police presence in and around the downtown Glendale corridor. Our commitment to the safety of the residents, businesses, and visitors to Glendale is unwavering and our top priority. Our city remains strong and united against lawlessness and criminal activity threatening our safety and well-being. A group of Indigenous women and nuns have joined forces to heal the polluted waters of New York, using kelp and song. It all began when one of the sisters started singing while another played the flute and others recited poetry and prayers to help some kelp seedlings grow big and healthy before being planted off the shores of Long Island, New York, as reported by The Guardian. They are working with a group of women from the Shinnecock, a local Indigenous tribe, to establish a kelp farm. The goal is to clean up the pollution in their shared backyard, per The Guardian. Danielle Hopson Begun, a tribal member, told The Guardian: When we started our hatchery, we were doing a lot of research for ways to give our kelp the best start in life. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Begun told the outlet that studies have shown that plants respond well to high-frequency tones. The goal of the group is to use the kelp to get rid of the carbon and nitrogen that have been poisoning the local waters. For years, the waters surrounding Long Island have had health problems due to wastewater and stormwater runoff. That introduces too much nitrogen and other nutrients that increase the growth of algae, which uses up the oxygen in the water, per Earth.org. This lack of oxygen, called hypoxia, has made aquatic life-forms either leave the area or die. In 1985, the EPA, along with the states of New York and Connecticut, joined forces to form the Long Island Sound Study. Since then, the initiative has led investments and programs that have had a conservation impact of over $62 million, per Earth.org, for various regional and local projects. But there is still lots of work to be done, and kelp may be the answer. Studies have shown that kelp has the ability to absorb carbon and nitrogen from water, acting as a natural way to fight ocean acidification. Starting a kelp farm generally includes growing kelp from seedlings in tanks at a hatchery and farming them in ocean water. In 2019, six Shinnecock women decided to take their own initiative using kelp. They came together to create a kelp-farming collective and sought the help of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Together, they are working to save the bay where both communities are located, and it appears to be working. Our voices for so long have just been erased or silenced, said Shinnecock lawyer Tela Troge, whose tribe has been on Long Island for the last 13,000 years, per The Guardian. Its refreshing. Its empowering, Troge said, referring to the change her people are making with the nuns. Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Northwest utilities are spoiling for a fight with Canada over an aspect of the Columbia River Treaty that sends power generated in the U.S. to British Columbia. As the U.S. and Canada negotiate an update to the 1964 river management agreement, utilities say the so-called Canadian Entitlement is out of balance and deprives the U.S. of energy the Northwest needs to meet climate goals. Readjusting it should be Job #1. Negotiations intensified this spring, with both the U.S. and Canada agreeing the health of the Columbia must be a priority along with the two pillars of the original agreement flood control and generating electricity. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The U.S. hosted the 18th round of negotiations Aug. 10-11 in Seattle. The American-led team submitted a proposal to Canada and expects a response by late September, Jill Smail, the state departments Columbia River Treaty negotiator, said during a listening session last week. The session gave utilities, environmental groups and other stakeholders and opportunity to share their priorities for the updated treaty. Flood control deadline looms Reaching agreement is growing urgent as the treaty reaches its 60th year. In 2024, either side can exit and requirements to manage floods become less defined, putting downstream communities at risk. Negotiations cover a fraught mix of issues flood control, fish passage, navigation, power generation, irrigation and the importance of bringing tribes and first nations into meaningful roles managing one of the most important waterways in North America. The entitlement took center stage during the recent session, which included the entire U.S. negotiating team. The Canadian Entitlement compensates Canada for constructing the Duncan, Arrow and Mica dams north of the border and allowing the Libby dam on the U.S. side by giving it 50% of the resulting power generated at hydroelectric dams on the U.S. stretch of the 1,200-mile river. The power is currently valued at about $300 million after rising from $150 million just five years ago, according to utility industry figures. Dams in the Columbia River Basin are shown, including the Columbia River Treaty dams. Sticking point The sticking point from the American side: Canada sells it back to the U.S. through Powerex Corp., a subsidiary of the BC Hydro electric utility, at a profit. The U.S. pays premium prices to purchase the entitlement power during peak heating and cooling seasons. Scott Simms, CEO and executive director of the Public Power Council in Portland, explains that the 1960s-era formula estimates Canadas share of power benefits at rate an that far exceeds the value of coordinating power operations between the two countries. Readjusting the entitlement has been an industry priority for a decade, he told the Tri-City Herald. In terms of how hard we want the state department to push this issue with their Canadian counterparts we have been telling them for a decade to make it job #1, he said. Job #2 is ensuring flood control operations are addressed by the 2024 deadline and that costs are born by taxpayers, not ratepayers, consistent with flood control elsewhere in the U.S. Simms organization represents dozens of public utilities, including the Benton and Franklin public utility districts, Richland Energy Services and Benton Rural Electric Cooperative. Giving away too much Ryan Redmond, CEO of Benton REA, the Prosser-based cooperative with 11,000 customers in areas of Benton, Yakima and Lewis counties, told the treaty negotiators the entitlement is out of balance. Power from the Columbia should be available to domestic customers. Water is released at Grand Coulee Dam, Wash., on the Columbia River in this file photo. The U.S. and Canada are negotiating updates to the Columbia River Treaty. Modernization of this treaty is long since overdue. The benefits are all on the terms of the Canadians at the expense of ratepayers and this needs to be addressed, he said. The entitlement gives too much away, said Zabyn Towner, chief executive officer of Northwest Requirements Utilities, a trade association of 57 mostly rural utilities in seven states, including Washington, Idaho and Oregon. Towner said the Northwest needs the power to serve a growing population and to meet carbon-reduction goals of Washington, Oregon and other states. That rests, in part, on embracing electric vehicles that are plugged in rather than gassed up. Its only fair that more of it stays in the U.S., he said. Rachael Osborn, a retired water lawyer living on Vashon Island, speculated the Canadians must be astonished that Northwest utilities object to the entitlement. The Northwest boasts the lowest power rates in the U.S. It must be one of the reasons for the holdup, she mused during the listening session hosted by the state department. The entitlement is of less concern to those who want the treaty updated to put the ecosystem on the same regulatory footing as flood control and power generation, she said. First Nations agreement In June, British Columbia agreed to provide 5% of revenue from the Canadian Entitlement to the Ktunaxa, Secwepmc and Syilx Okanagan Nations. Representatives of the three nations served as representatives on the Canadian negotiating team during the most recent session in Seattle. The B.C. government describes the entitlement power as Canadas share. It notes 270,000 acres on its side of the border were flooded by dams and reservoirs mandated by the original treaty. More than 2,000 residents as well as indigenous people were displaced. Track Columbia River Treaty news Sign Up: Boom Town Tri-Cities Stay up to date on Tri-Cities growth and development with our weekly business newsletter. Get the latest on restaurant and business openings and closings, plus the regions top housing and employment news. Click here to sign up. In your inbox every Wednesday. The Aug. 23 strike on an a Russian anti-aircraft system in Crimea used a "new, completely modern" Ukrainian missile, Oleksiy Danilov , secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said on Aug. 26. Danilov was speaking to Ukrainske Radio about the attack on the missile defense system in Olenivka on the northwestern tip of Russian-occupied Crimea. The Ukrainian-made missile worked "flawlessly," he said. The blast wiped out a Russian S-400 air defense system. According to Ukrainian intelligence, the entire system was destroyed, along with all missiles and personnel. The S-400 anti-aircraft system could strike targets in air, on land, and at sea, and had the ability to hit aerial targets up to 250 miles away. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The day after the strike, Ukrainian forces landed in Maiak, five kilometers from Olenivka, and raised the Ukrainian flag as part of a join operation between the Navy and intelligence units. A radar base and radio engineering troop base for the Russian Aerospace Forces, the air and space branch of the Russian military, are located near Maiak. Intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian media that he could not release detailed information on the Aug. 24 operation, but that it "had the characteristics of a raid." An intelligence source later confirmed to Ukrainska Pravda that this was part of a "set of measures" of the same long-term operation as the strike on Olenivka. Ukrainian forces have launched a number of successful strikes against key targets in Crimea this summer, including an attack on the Crimean Bridge. Read also: Media: Ukraine strikes Russian positions in Crimea, dozens of casualties reported Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Jim Rauh talks about the wave of fentanyl that is overtaking the country on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Akron. Jim Rauh may not collect an $18 million judgment against the Chinese drug trafficking organization that he says caused his son's death, but that isn't stopping his campaign to have fentanyl declared a weapon of mass destruction. Rauh, an Akron businessman who founded the nonprofit Families Against Fentanyl, filed a civil complaint in 2020 against a group of Chinese nationals and businesses that local law enforcement and federal investigations found supplied the drug that killed his son. Opioids in Akron: Fentanyl, possibly mixed with tranq, still fueling opioid crisis as Summit deaths rise In May, after the none of the defendants appeared in court, Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kathryn Michael issued a default judgement in Rauh's favor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Moving forward, now I'm pushing for (fentanyl) to be classified as a weapon of mass destruction so we can put together the right forces to stop the material from coming into the United States, "Rauh said. "We need to put an all-of-government approach to stopping this." Weapon of mass destruction proposal gains high-level support In referring to the drug as a chemical warfare agent, Rauh said fentanyl has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans since his son suffered a fatal overdose in 2015. About 20,000 in Ohio have died from fentanyl since 2016, and more than 70,000 people across the nation died of synthetic opioids in 2021 alone. CDC data shows more than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses, mainly fentanyl, in 2022. Although fentanyl is used legally to treat pain caused by trauma, surgery or long-term conditions such as cancer, Rauh and some senior government officials are also afraid fentanyl can be used to kill thousands of people at once. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl equivalent to a few dozen grains of salt can be fatal. Carfentanyl, an analog of fentanyl, is 100 times more potent. A gram of fentanyl can kill hundreds. Carfentanyl can kill even more. On the left, a lethal dose of heroin; on the right, a lethal dose of fentanyl. Rauh has been pushing for the weapon of mass destruction designation since 2021, when he outlined those concerns in a letter to President Joe Biden and convinced some high-profile experts to sign on. Among those signing were former CIA Director John O. Brennan and former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. "U.S. policy toward illicit fentanyls cannot be based solely on the intent of drug traffickers," the letter states. "The entire federal government must acknowledge the risk that DOD has already recognized fentanyls pose a substantial threat as Weapons of Mass Destruction used by foreign or domestic terrorists." The letter was referring to a memorandum reported on in 2019 by the online military news outlet Task & Purpose. In the memorandum, a Department of Homeland Security official proposes using homeland security assets to combat fentanyl and states other federal agencies have considered the drug a WMD threat. Fentanyl overdoses: Where are people are overdosing and dying in Summit County? 7 ZIP codes In the letter to Biden, Rauh repeats the warning. "The significant presence of illicitly manufactured fentanyls in our cities and neighborhoods places all of us in danger. These chemicals have the capacity for wide-scale devastation when distributed through our air, water systems, or other methods," Rauh's letter states. Last September, attorneys general from 18 states delivered a similar letter to the president, stating a WMD declaration would require the Department of Homeland Security and Drug Enforcement Agency to coordinate with other agencies in an all-out effort to fight the import and distribution of fentanyl. And in May, U.S. Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) introduced the Stop Our Scourge Act of 2023 to designate illicit fentanyl entering the United States from foreign countries as a weapon of mass destruction. Other members of Congress have previously introduced similar resolutions, including former U.S. Rep Tim Ryan (D-OH). Traffickers took orders by email, had U.S. Postal Service deliver Rauh's civil complaint followed a federal investigation that was sparked by the death of his son Tommy Rauh, 37, who became addicted to painkillers after being prescribed opioids by a doctor following a rollerblading accident. Like many others at the time, Tommy Rauh eventually moved on to heroin and battled addiction for 10 years until he died in March 2015 after injecting fentanyl. Raugh said he first realized how dangerous fentanyl can be after the county medical examiner told him that his son had overdosed before he could finish injecting the drug and that he had been in possession of enough fentanyl to kill "hundreds of people." The resulting criminal investigation into the drug dealer who supplied Tommy Rauh with fentanyl, and a subsequent federal investigation, uncovered a Chinese organization that came to be identified in court papers as the Zheng Drug Trafficking Organization. Jim Rauh with a photo of his son Thomas Rauh who died from a fentanyl overdose on Saturday, August 12, 2023 in Akron. The Zheng DTO includes Shanghai members of a family surnamed Zheng, and the companies Qinsheng Pharmaceutical Technology Co. LTD., and Global United Biotechnology, Inc. It advertised hundreds of drugs for sale, including custom-made analogs meant to avoid detection and legal restrictions. According to court documents, Akron resident Leroy Shuarod Steele purchased fentanyl from the Zheng DTO, which at the time was selling the drug for $860 per 100 grams, $3,600 for 500 grams and even offered a kilogram of fentanyl for $6,800. It would then take payment electronically and ship the product via U.S. Mail. Steele was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Sentencing: Akron man sentenced to 20 years in prison for selling fentanyl to man who died after taking it The Zheng group was charged in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland, but the case was dismissed after they failed to appear for trial. Members of the Zheng DTO were then sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The sanctions mean the Zheng's property in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to Treasury officials. Rauh said he believes the government is in the process of seeking those assets both in the United States and in Mexico, where a Drug Enforcement Administration report says precursor chemicals are shipped from China for final synthesis by drug cartels, who then smuggle the product north. The U.S. government brought charges against the Zheng DTO to China, without success, as reported in a 2019 episode of the television news program "60 Minutes," "Deadly fentanyl bought online from China being shipped through the mail." The segment featured an interview with Rauh and others, including former U.S. Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio. Other local fentanyl dealers caught Steele was not the only person buying fentanyl from China at the time. Donte and Audrey Gibson, an Akron couple busted in 2017, ran a thriving drug business courtesy of Chinese mail-order suppliers until they and accomplices including family members were arrested in 2018. Gibsons arrested: Akron couple accused of running lucrative drug operation sentenced to federal prison Authorities started investigating the two in 2016, the year carfentanyl arrived in the area. Though it was suspected of causing 236 overdoses in three weeks, including 14 deaths, the Gibsons were not linked to the increases. However, the Gibson's 6-year-old daughter overdosed and was revived by Narcan. It is believed the girl was poisoned through contact with drugs that had spilled on the floor at home. The Gibsons got rich, and were found to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars, including $700,000 on luxury goods, in just a couple years. Donte Gibson got a 25-year sentence and was later busted for smuggling and selling heroin in prison. Audrey Gibson was sentenced to 10 years and 8 months in prison. The Zheng DTO is not the only supplier of fentanyl and related drugs into the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Cronin told 60 Minutes that federal investigators found dozens of Chinese suppliers online when they started investigating the death of Tommy Rauh, and that of another Akron resident, 23-year-old Carrie Dobbins. Ryan Sumlin, 29, was sentenced to life in prison for Dobbins death after it was found he had been mixing fentanyl from China with heroin he was selling to customers. He had 220 grams of fentanyl in his home when arrested enough to kill more than 100,000 people. Jim Rauh with a photo of his son, Thomas Rauh, who died from a fentanyl overdose. Facing son's addiction first-hand Rauh described his son's experience with addiction as someone who can't objectively ask themselves, "should I do this or not?" "(The addiction) becomes more than your desire to eat, more than your your need for water," Rauh said. "It doesn't leave you alone, even when you've recovered." He said that's what happens when people relapse that desire comes back when the person is dealing with anything that causes them anxiety or stress that makes them want to escape. Summit County Public Health Department's harm reduction clinics provides free test strips like these which will show whether the street drugs you're taking, from cocaine and meth to marijuana and pills, contain fentanyl. Nobody who uses illegal drugs is safe today, Rauh said, as fentanyl is being added to other street drugs, including cocaine and counterfeit prescription pills made with illegal pill pressing machines. Fentanyl now comes from Mexican cartels, with the help of Chinese drug traffickers, he said. "This is something that needs to be stopped," he said. "There's no $18 million that I know of anywhere, but if I ever find the $18 million, I'm gonna use it to fight against these evil people." Amanda Garrett contributed to this report. Eric Marotta can be reached at emarotta@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarottaEric. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ohio man works to make fentanyl weapon of mass destruction One year after unveiling a broad plan to address CTA service and safety challenges, President Dorval Carter touted decreases in crime on the transit system and service that runs more closely to schedule, helping to limit the prevalence of ghost buses and trains. But the CTA still faces challenges running all of its scheduled service, agency data shows, and riders complain of wait times between buses and trains. Key to running more service is hiring and retaining more operators, but the CTA has not yet met its staffing targets for the year. The data marks the progression of the first year of Carters plan to address unpredictable wait times, crime and ghost buses and trains, which show up on digital trackers but fail to arrive in real life. The agency has been plagued by complaints about service, safety and conditions since ridership plummeted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. By spring, the average number of riders had ticked back up to about 59% of pre-pandemic levels. As the complaints mounted, Carter found himself under pressure from riders, advocates and lawmakers. He remains in the hot seat as Mayor Brandon Johnson builds his administration, and declined to answer questions about whether he had met with the new mayor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I am very happy doing what Im doing right now, and continue to work at this job every day to meet the needs of the city of Chicago, he said. In his update, Carter highlighted Chicago Police Department data showing violent crime on the CTA was down 13% through July, and overall crime was down 9%. A Tribune analysis of Police Department data in 2022 found the rate of violent crime on trains that year or the number of robberies, homicides, more aggressive assaults and batteries and other instances of violence per million rides had also dropped for the first time since the pandemic emptied trains of many riders, but it remained more than twice as high as in the years before the pandemic. Carter highlighted additional police officers, private unarmed security and security dogs added to the system throughout 2022. The CTA did not immediately provide the number of security guards currently patrolling the system, but in December spokesman Brian Steele said the agency had about 300 scheduled each day, and 50 K-9 teams. Carter also said the CTA was working with the states attorneys office on the prosecution of people accused of committing crimes on the CTA, such as banning those charged with serious crimes from the system. The CTA said nine people recently charged have been banned from transit as a condition of their bond. Im not suggesting that crime does not happen on CTA. I think we all know that it does, Carter said. But I think its important to keep in mind that we have 900,000 people ride CTA every day, and when you look at the number of people who ride our system, its pretty clear that crime is not the major component of a customers experience on CTA. He also highlighted improvements in the reliability of CTA buses and trains, pointing to decreases in the number of large, unexpected gaps in service. In July, the agency ran 88% of its scheduled trains and 96% of scheduled buses. Both figures marked improvements over the past year. Trains and buses that run as scheduled help reduce instances of ghosting, because trackers rely on both scheduled and real-time service. The less discrepancy between the two, the more accurate the trackers will be. Trackers are also undergoing upgrades. But a Tribune analysis of CTA data in 2021 found that in the two months before the pandemic shut down Chicago, the CTA ran a higher percentage of its scheduled trains: each line ran at least 92% of scheduled trips. And to make service more reliable, the CTA has changed schedules in an attempt to match them to the number of operators available to drive buses and trains, leaving some riders complaining about wait times between buses and trains. I tend to make the point that this is more realistic service, Carter said. To say that I had service scheduled that I was never providing, doesnt really mean that is a (service) cut when I do this. In July 2023, the average wait times between trains on the Red and Blue lines, the CTAs two busiest, during morning rush hour were about seven and nearly eight minutes. During evening rush hour they were about 7.3 and eight minutes, the CTA said. The CTA was not able to immediately provide comparisons to prior years or for other routes. Carter said the goal of his plan is to get back to pre-pandemic frequency and quality of service. He couldnt provide a timeline to do so, but said it will come down to staffing. This is not a quick and easy process to accomplish, and we are constantly working that problem every single day, he said. I wish I could tell you that in six months well be back to full service again. In July, the CTA employed the equivalent of 3,400 full-time bus operators, and 709 rail operating employees. Both remained below the budgeted head counts of 3,707 bus operators and 839 rail employees, but Carter said the CTA has been hiring more people than are leaving, which will allow the agency to begin looking at how to boost service levels. Still, even if the CTA reaches the head count targets set out in its 2023 budget, they will remain below target pre-pandemic head counts. For 2020, the CTA planned for 3,815 bus operators and 1,810 rail operating positions, budget documents show. Carter said the target head count reflects a goal, and for many years the CTA was below the target but still provided full service. As the CTA adds more employees this year, it can begin adding back service, he said. To draw back more riders in a competitive job market, the CTA has held hiring fairs and offered financial incentives to help with hiring and retention. The agency also has a plan to refresh employee spaces, such as break rooms and restrooms, Carter said. Starting pay for both bus and rail operators is now $29.65 per hour, which rises to $39.53 per hour after three years, the CTA said. Morgan Madderom, a member of the commuter advocacy group Commuters Take Action, said she has noticed service becoming more reliable on the bus she takes to work most days. And the group is pleased to see the CTA publishes more data publicly about its operations. But still, by her groups calculations the service changes have amounted to cuts to the number of buses and trains scheduled to run each week. Instead, the group would like to see service added, she said. Were glad theyre running closer to schedule, but theyre still not running often enough, she said. And were only going to lose more ridership if trains and buses arent running often enough to rely upon. Carters plan also called for the creation of a chatbot to allow riders to report issues to the CTA in real time. That is set to be introduced to the board next week, he said. Amid heightened awareness of people living on trains, the CTA last year signed a $2 million agreement with the citys Department of Family and Support Services for outreach and support services for riders who are homeless, as well as for those facing mental health or substance abuse challenges. Another tenet of the plan called for taller ADA-compliant entry gates to be installed to help prevent fare evasion, and the CTA data shows 24 have been installed so far. The agency said it did not yet have enough data to measure how effective they have been. The good news is that our ridership is growing, Carter said. The reality is that were going to have to continue working hard to keep that number moving forward. ____ If the release of the fall Starbucks drink menu and the occasional hint of below-90-degree weather has got you itching for a cozy throw blanket to curl up in while you read a good novel, the reopening of a classic Sacramento bookstore is here to help you achieve your vision. Beers Books, which has been selling new and used books in Sacramento through four different owners and several locations since 1936, according to its website, is soft opening Saturday morning at 11 a.m. in a new Southside Park location. Frances Nelson, left, and English Price, both of Sacramento, leave Beers Books with their purchases during the longtime business soft opening at their new location at 712 R St. on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Sacramento. The bookstore is now located at 712 R St., in a building slightly bigger than its previous location, according to building owner and previous manager Jim Naify, who called the move serendipitous. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Beers vacated its previous location on S Street in early April, and operations were paused during the move. Its old building, which Beers moved into in 2004, is set to be demolished and replaced with a seven-story mixed-use apartment complex constructed by Anthem Properties of Vancouver, British Columbia. As of now, it is still standing. Volunteers milled around the building on Friday afternoon preparing for the opening, shelving books and adding labels as they sorted the inventory carried over from Beers old location. Despite concrete floors and harsh overhead lighting that hinted at the rooms previous life as a warehouse, books were already beginning to fill the wall-to-wall shelves, and memorabilia from previous locations were tucked into corners and on top of shelves as a hint of the stores history. Charlie Stadem, 17, of Sacramento, works on categorizing and organizing at Beers Books during their soft opening Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, at 712 R St. in Sacramento. They said they began working at the bookstore during a high school internship, and is now on staff at the decades-old business. Employees said Friday that despite not yet being open, there had already been an increase in foot traffic and people discovering their store, as compared to the S Street location, despite only being a block away. Naify also promised that Beers Books is in talks to get permission to hang the stores iconic block-letter sign outside the new building. There will be a bigger grand opening in September, staff members say, but in the meantime, the store will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week. Not everything will be perfect right away, reads a statement on the stores website and social media pages announcing the opening. But Beers has always been a work-in-progress sort of place/vibe. So please come see us, tag a friend, and keep the mind-rot at bay with a good book (or ten). Beers Books manager Andrew Naify, left, organizes books while interacting with English Price, of Sacramento, during the longtime local bookstores soft opening at their new location at 712 R St. on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Sacramento. Price, 21 years old, said she had been visiting the bookstore at its previous location on S Street since she was 10 years old. I want to help keep the independents alive, she said, adding she plans to return to the bookstore regularly. Were in a loneliness epidemic, and its become a public health concern. The cutting of in-person social connections during the COVID-era certainly didnt help. Loneliness isnt just bad for the soul, but for physical health too, with those isolated being at an increased risk for conditions like heart disease, stroke, and dementia. There are a few theories about how things got so bad. And men, it seems, have gotten the short end of the stick, with numerous surveys indicating that American men are stuck in a friendship recession. However, for some men, though close friendships can be hard, online communities such as those formed through gaming offer an avenue of hope. In a study published earlier this year, researchers from Texas A&M, The University of North Carolina, and Baylor University found that online gaming groups provided the same social support for life events as well as a sense of community compared to in-real-life connections. By studying a network of 40 male online gamers who played on the same site for 10 months, the researchers found that these digital relationships were important and helpful for those experiencing depressive symptoms. [Related: Dive into the wonderful and wistful world of video game design] This finding suggests the chat and community features of online games might provide isolated young men an anonymous third place or space where people can congregate other than work or home to open up, find empathy and build crucial social connections they may lack in real life, Tyler Prochnow, assistant professor of Health Behavior at Texas A&M University, wrote in a post in The Conversation this week. Online social spaces, like gaming communities, may offer an alternative avenue to find connection and discuss serious personal problems without the barriers of formal mental health servicesSeveral participants specifically said they confided about topics they felt unable to discuss with people in their real lives, suggesting these online friendships provided an outlet they were otherwise lacking. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Its a complicated matter. Online communities have long been a part of the modern internet, allowing people who are geographically separated to connect based on their hobbies, professions, passions, and beliefs. But their power and influence have only grown in the last two decades. Fun, niche communities started around fandoms can today drive cultural conversations and even movements. Video games themselves have spawned a number of online subcultures. In 2021, a study from NYU found that membership in online communities such as Surviving Hijab or Subtle Asian Traits built a strong sense of belonging among individuals who may be marginalized or isolated in real life. These communities opened a rare safe space that allowed for deeply personal discussions around problems like relationship struggles, health issues, abuse, grief, and loss. Especially during the pandemic lockdown, multiple studies found that community social networks, while not a complete replacement for in-person interactions, were an indispensable tool for alleviating psychological distress, and loneliness. [Related: Can I offer you a nice meme in these trying times?] Of course, there are possible downsides of relying too much on digital relationships, considering how there are ongoing debates around whether video games are good for mental health, and whether social media has too tight of a grip on the lives of young people. Prochnow, the first author of the recent study, also acknowledged the limits of findings, writing that a key question is whether online social support directly improves depression or are depressed individuals simply more inclined to seek connections virtually? Despite a massive industry and audience for online gaming, its mental health impacts remain murky. All of this raises the question: Are online friendships as good as the real world ones, or do they simply create a convincing illusion of one? To be safe, it cant hurt to have both. Bernardo Arevalo, a 64-year-old sociologist and reformer, did the seemingly impossible this week. He overcame trumped-up legal challenges and a better-financed, establishment-backed rival to become Guatemalas next president. Arevalos landslide victory delivered by young and middle-class voters fed up with endless government dysfunction is a watershed for Central Americas most populous nation. Political machines backed by big donors and organized crime have dominated elections there for decades, entrenching corruption, violence and poverty and driving millions of Guatemalans to migrate to the United States. Arevalos campaign, run on a shoestring budget from a rented garage, broke the mold. He won the presidency without backing by or promises to vested interests. It was a deeply symbolic victory. Guatemalans still remember his father, the late President Juan Jose Arevalo, for having ushered in a "democratic spring" before a 1954 CIA-backed coup thrust Guatemala into decades of military rule. At Arevalos closing campaign rally in Guatemala City, young and old supporters alike held signs promising the spring will flower again. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Now comes the hard part: making it happen. Arevalo has a path to success and Guatemala to a future that doesnt drive hundreds of thousands a year to the U.S.-Mexico border but both are mined with obstacles. Read more: Opinion: One thing Joe Biden could learn about Latin America from Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis The president-elect and his party have a commonsense, centrist agenda that most Guatemalans support and good political instincts to match. They are not ideologues, and they are ready to work with political and business leaders who share their goals. The problem? Such potential allies are in short supply. Under President Alejandro Giammattei, Guatemala has edged ever closer to becoming a mafia state, and the powerful vested interests that profit from the way things are will fight Arevalo tooth and nail. They could even put him in danger: The Organization of American States recently revealed two plots to assassinate Arevalo and the vice president-elect. Arevalo wants to replace the politically connected cronies in state agencies with trained professionals, stop skimming from government contracts and reduce soaring electricity and healthcare costs. But these reasonable reforms are contrary to the way Guatemala has operated for decades. The justice system, which is filled with establishment cronies, will be one obstacle. In July, in a naked bid to stop Arevalo from competing, Atty. Gen. Maria Consuelo Porras opened three criminal cases against his party and asked a judge to dissolve it. Resistance from parts of the private sector, civil society groups and foreign embassies foiled the plan, but the cases remain open. Porras, who cant be removed from her post until 2026, is pushing ahead with politically motivated investigations of Arevalos party and independent election officials. At worst, the cases could dissolve the party and hobble its lawmakers. Some fear the opposition-controlled Congress could even seize an opportunity to delay or prevent Arevalos January swearing-in. Read more: Opinion: From Mexico to Brazil, Latin America's democracies face a common threat from within Even if Arevalos party dodges that, it holds only about a seventh of the seats in the countrys Congress. The rest are controlled by political machines and hard-line conservatives who distrust Arevalo. Leaders of Arevalos party told me they kept the scope of their agenda modest, knowing that they would be dealing with a hostile Congress. But just passing basic legislation such as the annual budget will be an uphill battle. Arevalos party has pledged to not dole out public contracts, Cabinet posts or cash, the usual means of currying favor among legislators. Some business leaders rallied behind Arevalos reform agenda. But most were publicly silent as the current president chipped away at democracy and persecuted critics. And some influential tycoons are dead set against Arevalo. Navigating the private sectors many factions without watering down his agenda will be difficult. Some of his partys bolder proposals, such as passing an antitrust law and taking on a powerful pharmaceutical cartel, are sure to cause tension. Then there will be the challenge of meeting the expectations of his own supporters. When I asked Samuel Perez, the 31-year-old leader of Arevalos party in Congress, what would be the greatest challenge of governing, he didnt hesitate: Managing the expectations of the Guatemalan people. Because right now, the hope we have generated is huge. Theres still reason to hope that the president-elect can fulfill some of his promises. Simply by refusing to award contracts and jobs based on political connections, he could reduce rampant corruption. Without control of the presidency lining their wallets and funding their campaigns machine politicians in Congress may realize they are at risk of losing reelection and change their tune. Endemic corruption, bad government and pervasive crime drive many Guatemalans to abandon the country every year. If Arevalo governs as prudently as he campaigned, Guatemala has a good shot at fixing its broken institutions and giving more of its people reason to stay. Will Freeman is a fellow for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. 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. Former President Trump stares into the camera for his Fulton County, Ga., booking photo, taken Thursday. (Associated Press) Right now, the nation is confronting the chilling possibility that the next president of the United States could be serving from a prison cell, and it's all because of a jailhouse mug shot that landed with a thud Thursday night. Former President Trump, currently indicted on 91 felony counts in four cases across two states and the federal government, is one of the most photographed and filmed humans in history. But no image taken of him has drawn as much interest as the low-resolution one snapped Thursday at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, where he was indicted along with 18 others for the effort to overturn the 2020 election result in Georgia. How the media cover Trump or, to put a finer point on it, how we make him look has been the subject of debate since he rode down the escalator at Trump Tower and announced his candidacy in 2015. After Trump unwillingly left office in 2021, readers have protested The Times publishing prominent photos of the former president. But what happens when the photo is the story? Read on to see how letter writers reacted to The Times' coverage of the "mug shot seen round the world," as one reader called it. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement To the editor: I was greeted Friday morning by seeing, in The Times, the perfectly scowling face of former President Trump, in a booking photo taken at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta. He was clearly not pleased to be sitting for a jailhouse mug shot. In fairness, I wouldnt be either. Truth be told, I dont like the man, and I continue to believe that he isnt fit to be anything but a boorish oaf. He is world-class at that. Given that this is a center-right country, and that Trump continues to have about the same level of support nationwide that President Biden does, I can readily see the possibility of the electoral college putting Trump back into the Oval Office. The question of whether he can pardon himself for federal crimes becomes all the more interesting. For the sake of having a little fun with this, lets say that he wins the presidency and becomes a convicted felon (or vice versa). Nothing Im aware of says that he cant serve as leader of the free world from a prison cell. Travel would, presumably, be a problem, but he would be secure. Something to think about. Doug Tennant, Dana Point .. To the editor: Looking at the mug shot, I see the caption, "Donald Trump is seen here listening to a sobbing migrant mother pleading with him not to take her little girl away." We must never forget. Bob Wicks, Brea .. To the editor: Finally, we saw Trump booked as a criminal defendant, complete with his photo taken. Featuring one of the most image-obsessed defendants ever, we knew that it wouldn't be an ordinary mug shot. Trump didn't disappoint. He looks as if he took great pains to have his hair freshly dyed, with meticulous placement of every bald-spot comb-over strand. Then, to cap this momentous occasion, Trump, well, mugged for the camera, affecting the most contemptuous look he could manage. It's truly a mug shot for the history books. Sarah S. Williams, Santa Barbara .. To the editor: I wonder how many hours Trump spent in front of a mirror and merchandise advisors to get the perfect pose and glare for the mug shot seen round the world. Trump is always looking for an angle, and this was no exception. Linda Shahinian, Culver City .. To the editor: The former president was booked at the Fulton County Jail and released on bond, and you decide to run the story on Page A-5? Instead of his mug shot on the front page, we get a dated photograph of Lizzo. Oh well. At least you took a break from "Barbie" stories. I look forward to more such savvy news judgments when the trials begin. James J. Pacchioli, Los Angeles .. To the editor: Thank you for burying Trump's mug shot and booking story inside the Aug. 25 print edition. While the story is extraordinary in itself, it doesnt belong on the front page. Brilliant editorial decision. Melanie Crawford, Woodland Hills .. To the editor: The Trump indictment in Georgia rated only a place on Page A-5. What are you trying to tell us? That it was not important enough for the front page? That the story is national news, and The Times puts only local news on the front page? I don't buy it. The world's newspapers put it on the front page. You could have started the Trump story on the front page and continued it inside the paper. No, I think the placement carries part of the story. The medium is the message. What is that message? That the editor supports Trump? Ron Harris, Calabasas .. To the editor: Thank you for listening to your readers and resisting the temptation to put Trumps mug shot on the front page. Nancy Foster, Pasadena This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The majority67%of these vacancies are concentrated in Odesa Job vacancy numbers across southern Ukrainian oblasts are rebounding and approaching pre-full-scale invasion levels, according to employment data gathered from OLX Robota, a top online job advertising platform in Ukraine. As of July 2023, job postings in Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kherson Oblasts total 10,400 nearly double the count from the same period in 2022, when vacancies stood at 5,500. These regions boasted 13,400 job vacancies in 2021. Significantly, the majority67%of these vacancies are concentrated in Odesa, while Mykolaiv contributes 9% of the total. Within the Ukrainian-controlled territory of Kherson Oblast, job announcements remain limited for reasons related to damage caused by the Russian destruction of the Kakhovka Dam and ensuing flood, as well as the continuing partial occupation of the oblast. In regards to the city of Kherson, employment prospects do exist, albeit a modest 166 vacancies. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Common Professions Include: Unskilled worker - average salary: UAH 25,000 ($600) per month, with an average of 30 applicants per vacancy. Salesperson - average salary: UAH 12,000 ($300) per month, with 16 candidates per vacancy. Driver - average salary: UAH 26,250 ($650) per month, with 15 applicants per vacancy. Long-haul truck driver - one of the top paying professions, especially in demand in the south. Average salary: UAH 46,250 ($1200) per month, with 16 applicants per vacancy. Cook - average salary: UAH 15,000 ($400) per month, with an 8-to-1 applicant-to-vacancy ratio. Seamstress - average salary: UAH 12,000 ($300) per month, with 5 applicants per vacancy. Waiter - average salary: UAH 12,500 ($300) per month, with 11 candidates per vacancy. Security guard - average salary: UAH 10,000 ($250) per month, with 7 applicants per vacancy. Tractor driver - average salary UAH 20,000 ($500) per month, with 9 candidates per vacancy. 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 printing of the sketch found from the 1926 "Winnie-the-Pooh." E. H. Shepard A forgotten sketch from "Winnie-the-Pooh" illustrator E. H. Shepard was found in a cellar. The drawing was drawn on a small card with ink and pencil, and dated 1958. Chris Albury, an auctioneer and valuer, said the drawing could sell for tens of thousands of pounds. A lost drawing from famed "Winnie-The-Pooh" illustrator E. H. Shepard was recently found in a strange location in the back of a cabinet, wrapped in a dish towel. The sketch is an original, according to CNN, and was signed and dated by Shepard in 1958. The drawing appears on the final pages of A. A. Milne's "Winnie-The-Pooh." It was found in the cellar of Christopher Foyle, the former owner of the English bookshop chain Foyles, The Telegraph reported. Foyle died in 2022, and auctioneers had been valuing his effects and antiques when the drawing was found, per CNN. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The auctioneers said the drawing could have been misplaced or forgotten for decades. Chris Albury, a senior auctioneer as Dominic Winter Auctioneers, which will handle the sale, told CNN the sketch was incredibly valuable. "It's worth some tens of thousands of pounds," he said. In a press release from the auctioning house, the sketch was estimated to auction for between 20-30,000, or about $25-38,000. The sketch is a re-drawing of Shepard's the first 1925 copy, according to the release, was sold in 2022 in New York for over $200,000. "It's not in the same league as the original drawing made for the book in the 1920s, but it is the next best thing," Albury told CNN. "It's a fantastically poignant image that means so much to so many adults and children nearly a century after first publication." The sketch will be sold at an auction with other contents of Foyle's library on September 27, according to the Dominic Winter website. Famous illustrations from older books or comics have been auctioned off for thousands in past years, but the Shepard drawing is valued higher than many. Drawings by Quentin Blake, who illustrated much of author Roald Dahl's work, are valued at between $2,500 and about $4,000. A hand-painted collage of the titular character from "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle is valued at about $10,000. The Dominic Winter Auctioneers did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, sent outside regular business hours. Read the original article on Insider The 2023 World Robot Conference in Beijing unveiled dazzling robotic saviors, tailor-made for high-stakes rescue missions. Their assistance during the August floods is a testament to their capabilities. Dive into our video coverage for a closer look. Hiyam Abu Oun mourns her son, Ezzedin Kanan, 20, who succumbed to his wounds sustained during an Israeli army operation last month, during his funeral in the West Bank city of Jenin, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. The July 3 raid was the most intense Israeli military operation in years in the West Bank, involving airstrikes and hundreds of ground troops, that left a wide swath of damage in its wake. Kanan's death brings the death toll in the raid to 13. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) JENIN, West Bank (AP) The Palestinian news agency reported Saturday that a 20-year-old died of wounds a month after being shot during an Israeli army raid in the occupied West Bank. The WAFA news agency said Ezzedin Kanan, from the town of Jaba near Jenin, was shot in the head on July 3 during one of the most intense Israeli military operations in the West Bank since an armed Palestinian uprising against Israels open-ended occupation ended two decades ago. An offshoot of the secular nationalist Fatah party, the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, claimed Kanan as one of its fiercest fighters and pledged to avenge his loss. Armed and masked militants flanked the mourning procession for Kanan as his body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and adorned with a headband from the group, was carried through his home village of Jaba. Kanan's death brings the total to 14 killed in the raid, which lasted two days and included airstrikes, hundreds of ground troops and bulldozers that were used to raze roads and buildings. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp and that it had confiscated thousands of weapons, bomb-making materials and caches of money during the raid. Since early 2022, Israel has been carrying out near daily raids in the West Bank in response to a series of deadly Palestinian attacks. It says the raids are meant to crack down on Palestinians militants and said they are necessary because the Palestinian Authority is too weak. The ongoing violence in the West Bank has surged to levels unseen in nearly two decades, with more than 170 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since the start of 2023, according to a tally by The Associated Press. The Palestinians say such violence is the inevitable result of 56 years of occupation and the absence of any political process with Israel. They also point to increased West Bank settlement construction and violence by extremist settlers. The United Nations Mideast envoy told the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the upswing in violence is being fueled by growing despair about the future, with the Palestinians still seeking an independent state. The lack of progress towards a political horizon that addressed the core issues driving the conflict has left a dangerous and volatile vacuum, filled by extremists on all sides, Tor Wennesland said. ___ Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in Jerusalem contributed to this report. The parents of two Black men who died in unrelated in-custody encounters with law enforcement in Shelby County, Tennessee, this summer said they are seeking transparency. Jarveon Hudspeth, 21, died following a traffic stop with a Shelby County sheriffs deputy on June 24. Courtney Ross died after he was detained by Memphis police in August. In an emotionally charged news conference on Friday, Hudspeths mother, Charlotte Haggett, said the college student was missing for two days before she was told by the sheriffs office he died in a car accident. She said he actually died after a deputy shot him. Jarveon Hudspeth was shot after a traffic stop Edited video released on Thursday two months after Hudspeths death by the Shelby County District Attorneys Office shows a deputy pulling over Hudspeth. The 21-year-old followed the deputys instructions and got out of the car. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The deputy patted him down and checked his pockets before asking him to get in the back of the patrol vehicle. Hudspeth got back into his car behind the wheel, despite the deputy ordering him not to get back in, the edited video shows. As Hudspeth attempted to drive away, the sheriffs deputy jumped into the front drivers side with Hudspeth. Video released by the Shelby County DA's Office shoes Jarveon Hudspeth's interaction with police. - Shelby County DA's Office For reasons still under investigation, the situation escalated, resulting in the man driving off and dragging the deputy approximately 100 yards. At some point, the deputy fired his service weapon at least once, striking the driver, who drove about a half mile further before stopping, and subsequently died on the way to the hospital, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a news release on June 25. It is not clear why the Shelby County sheriffs deputy stopped Hudspeth. According to video obtained by CNN affiliate KHBQ, the deputy appears to fall from the car after the shooting and Hudspeth eventually crashed. The district attorneys office said the deputy had critical injuries following the encounter. A spokesperson for the Shelby County Sheriffs Office said in a statement at the time of the shooting the deputy involved in the incident has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. On Friday, the spokesperson said the deputy is currently receiving treatment following a number of surgeries sustained in the line of duty. The spokesperson declined to answer further questions about the shooting, saying TBI is handling the investigation. CNN has reached out to the medical examiners office for a copy of the autopsy report. How does this keep happening? Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents both the families of Hudspeth and Ross, said How does this keep happening? Unarmed Black men have interactions with police and they end up dead, he said. It is a concern of trust. We cant trust the police narrative, Crump added. A trained police officer jumped into the car with both feet on a routine traffic stop, created a life or death situation, shoots a young 21-year-old Black male, Crump said. The attorney said he knows people will want to blame Hudspeth for driving off, but said Tyre Nichols death has made a lot of young Black men fear law enforcement. Nichols died after he was repeatedly punched and kicked by Memphis police officers following a traffic stop and brief foot chase earlier this year. Hudspeths mother said her sons encounter happened in their subdivision, seven houses from his home, which is where she says he was trying to go so she could protect him. Jarveon wanted to get to me, I know that. Jarveon wanted to get home, she said. I know that Jarveon knew once he was in front of the house, that I was going to protect him by any means necessary. She cried as she showed her necklace, filled with her sons cremated ashes. I wear my sons body around my neck today. Nobody should have to do that, she said, adding she wants justice for her son. She says the deputy never called the traffic stop in, and when she called them looking for him, the sheriffs office said he had been in a car accident and they couldnt identify him. They never not one time told me that he was shot by a deputy and died, Haggett said. She says after his death, she slept on the couch in the living room to be close to the door in case he came home and she would watch the doorbell video of him leaving home for the last time. The footage released by the district attorneys office was from the deputys vehicle camera, his body-worn camera and a neighbors doorbell camera. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into Hudspeths death as well as the death of Courtney Ross. Our investigations remain active and ongoing in both incidents, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokesperson Keli McAlister said in an email to CNN. Foot chase leads to Courtney Rosss death Ross, 19, died earlier this month, according to the Memphis Police Department. Police responding to reports of a man rooting around in boxes containing rat poison and going through residents mailboxes approached Ross, the Memphis police department said in a news release posted to their Facebook page on August 11. Police say the 19-year-old walked away from the officers and began running. When the officers caught up to Ross, they say he began to resist being handcuffed and when they placed him in the police car, Ross appeared to be out of breath and exhausted from running, the news release said. Ross was transported to a hospital via ambulance in critical condition and later died, according to police. The Memphis Police Department said in the statement the officers will be relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Ross father, Courtney Allen, said his son, who shares his first name, looked like him and reminds him of himself so much. The two men worked together. Allen said Ross was a hardworking, talented and well-mannered young man who was familiar to people in the community. Crump said the teen had mental health challenges, and Allen said he was working with him on those challenges. We just want to know what happened. We just want to know the truth, Allen said, adding he believes his son ran from the police because he was scared. A spokesperson for the Memphis Police Department referred CNN to the district attorneys office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. CNN has not yet heard back from the Shelby County District Attorneys Office. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov shouldnt waste time fighting with journalists, said Anastasia Radina, head of the Ukrainian parliaments anti-corruption committee, responding on Facebook on Aug. 26 to a challenge by the defense minister to resign over a military procurement scandal. Reznikov offered to resign if the allegations that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had corruptly procured 180,000 winter jackets at inflated prices were proven true. He challenged Radina and Ukrainska Pravda journalist Mykhailo Tkach to resign if the accusations were false. Radina gave Reznikov until 9:00 a.m. on Aug. 28 to deny that the Defense Ministry bought jackets without a tender from a Turkish company, co-owned by a nephew of a ruling Servant of the People party MP. Radina, also an MP in Servant of the People, said that the Defense Ministry paid three times what was indicated on the document from the Turkish side. She promised to bring the legislation to parliament should the purchase be cleared of corruption, though she added a caveat. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Refute it I will draft a mandate immediately after the adoption of the law on the public declaration of the wealth of officials, including military officers and procurers for the army (you personally oppose the latter), she wrote. Earlier, Tkach responded to Reznikovs challenge by insisting that he would not be leaving journalism because it is his job. He added that the Defense Minister did not counter the accusations in his investigation, but instead was forced to stoop to the non-ministerial level of pressuring the media. I propose a wager, Reznikov told NV on Aug. 25. If it turns out that the Defense Ministry really ordered 180,000 summer jackets instead of winter ones, then I, Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defense Minister, will tender my resignation. I invite the parliaments Ethics Committee and the Journalists Ethics Commission as judges and respectable Ukrainian media as observers in this wager. Reznikov made his offer after ZN.ua published an investigation on Aug. 11 that alleged Ukraines Defense Ministry signed a contract with a Turkish company to supply winter clothing for the military in the fall of 2022. On the way, between customs, the order changed from camouflage to winter windproof and tripled in price. Ukrainska Pravda subsequently published an investigation on Aug. 25 saying that the co-owner of the Turkish company was the nephew of Servant of the People MP Hennady Kasai. The investigation revealed that the cost for 4,900 jackets (and pants) increased from $142,000 to $421,000. The price for camouflage jackets went from $29 each to $86 for winter windproof jackets. In total, 233,000 jackets worth $20 million and 202,000 pairs of pants worth $13 million were imported from Turkiye in October-December 2022 alone, reported UP citing Ukrainian customs officers. Reznikov denied that his ministry had purchased summer uniforms, but customs forms indicated they were winter jackets. He declared that the jackets will be shown soon. Deputy Defense Minister Denis Sharapov was summoned to a committee meeting on Aug. 23 and asked to bring the jackets with him. The jackets he brought with him turned out to be from a different order. 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 Are you feeling sick? COVID-19 is going around again, and hospitalizations are on the rise, including in Florida, though its much lower then this time last year. And while no one seems to wear masks or worries about social distancing anymore, a new COVID-19 vaccine booster is slated to roll out this fall to better protect people against new circulating strains. Heres what to know as we move into fall: Whats the COVID situation in Florida? What about in Miami-Dade, Broward, the Keys and Palm Beach County? COVID-19 hospitalizations in the country have ticked up again, with 12,613 new admissions the week ending Aug. 12, an increase of 21.6% from the prior week, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency says Florida saw 1,871 new admissions in the week ending Aug. 12, an increase of 11.6% from the prior week. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Current hospitalization numbers in the U.S. are about three times lower than the same time last year and about six times lower than in 2021, according to the CDC, ABC News reports. The CDC is using COVID hospitalization admissions to determine whether a county is considered to have a low, medium or high COVID risk level. As of Friday, much of Florida is considered to be low risk, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe counties. Some parts of the state, including Sarasota and Palm Beach counties, are considered to have a medium COVID risk level. People considered to be at high risk for COVID should wear a high-quality mask or respirator, such as an N95 mask, in indoor public settings if they live in or are visiting a medium risk county, according to the CDC. The federal agency says anyone who lives with or is in contact with high-risk people should also self-test for COVID before seeing them, and also consider masking up when indoors with them. The CDC is also recommending everyone, regardless of their countys risk level, stay up to date on vaccinations and avoid contact with people who are suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. And if you test positive for COVID, quarantine. The agency is also recommending that people considered to be high risk for the disease speak with their doctor about precautions. For Aarti Raja, a professor and virology expert in the department of biological sciences at Nova Southeastern Universitys Halmost College of Arts and Sciences, the increase of COVID hospitalizations in the country is likely due to the time of the year, with lots of summer travel, along with the arrival of several new strains. And while Raja said theres some concern with how the country will handle the possibility of another trifecta of flu, COVID and RSV circulating in the fall, she said the U.S. is better prepared with COVID vaccines and boosters, influenza vaccines and new RSV vaccines and monoclonal antibodies. READ NEXT: Are you sick, too? If not COVID, you may have another virus spreading in South Florida Whats the dominant COVID strain in Florida? Common symptoms? EG.5, also known as Eris, is the dominant COVID-19 strain in the U.S., including in Florida, and is a descendant of the omicron variant, according to the CDC. The CDC estimates that Eris makes up about 20.6% of cases in the country. Common symptoms are similar to other omicron strains and include a runny nose, sore throat and other cold-like symptoms. Raja said that Paxlovid, the oral antiviral medication used to treat COVID in certain patients, should still work. When will the new COVID booster come out? A new COVID-19 booster, formulated to provide protection against the XBB lineage of the omicron variant, such as XBB.1.5, is expected to be available this fall, possibly in September or October. Newer subvariants have emerged since manufacturers began working on the boosters, including EG.5. However, these strains are so closely related, the updated vaccine should provide some protection against them, according to Raja. Both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the CDC will need to give the OK to the updated booster before it becomes available. The best way to think of it is a lot like the flu vaccine, where, yes, you may have gotten the flu vaccine last year and the year before, but you kind of have to get the updated one to cover for the most prevalent strain that is floating around in the population, Raja said. COVID-19 testing options? Raja said most COVID tests should still be able to detect if someone is ill with COVID, regardless of the new circulating variants. However, it wont be as easy to get tested. Popular South Florida COVID-19 test sites, like the one at Tropical Park, no longer exist. If you want to get tested, check with pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens and other healthcare providers for options. Keep in mind that since the federal COVID emergency ended in May, insurers are no longer required to cover COVID-19 testing, including at-home test kits and PCR testing. Check with your insurance to see if it will cover part or all of your COVID testing costs, and if there are any restrictions, such as requiring the test to be done with an in-network provider. If you have expired at-home tests, check the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations website to see if the tests expiration date has been extended. READ MORE: When should you test for COVID, and what if you test positive? Here are latest tips Should you wear a mask again with COVID on the rise? While some schools and businesses in the country recently reinstated mask mandates, the face coverings have mostly become a pandemic relic. However, Raja said those who are considered to be high risk for severe disease, such as seniors and those who are immunocompromised, might want to consider wearing a mask if they live or are traveling to an area that has begun to see more COVID circulating. It depends on your risk factor and current situation. People 65-plus and people who are immunocompromised should strongly consider masking during flu, RSV, COVID season while in indoor public spaces, said Dr. Celine Gounder, a CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, told CBS News. And for everyone else it all depends on what their risk tolerance is. And while the COVID alphabet soup will likely continue as newer variants appear, Raja said we just have to be smart about it, realize and acknowledge this is out there and take the precautions necessary. If we have the means and mechanisms in place to protect ourselves, we should protect ourselves and start maybe getting used to the idea that this likely will resemble flu, not resemble the flu virus and what it does, but more in how we take precautions against it, Raja said. Just like how we think of the flu as a seasonal issue, were going to have to start thinking about COVID more along those lines. Peter Cullen attends Paramount's "Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts" premiere at Kings Theatre on June 5, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images) Few voice actors are as beloved as Montreal-born Peter Cullen, most famously known for voicing Optimus Prime in the Transformers franchise. As the 82-year-old makes his way to Toronto for Fan Expo Canada, Cullen said he feels "honoured" to continue to have the opportunity to meet fans Canadians in particular at fandom events. "It is an opportunity to say thanks," Cullen told Yahoo Canada. "I look forward to it always." Cullen has an achieved an impressive career going back decades. From the National Theatre School of Canada and summer stock theatre in New York, he also did one-hour radio shows for CBC and television work for the public broadcaster, as well. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "In voiceover, it just took off with commercials and movie trailers, cartoons, ... there was really no time for for acting in film or television," Cullen said. "I was a seven-day-a-week, in-front-of-a-microphone for years and it was a story of constant work, and then finally into cartoons, when the cartoons were massive. "It was an opportunity to work with other actors and replenish that absence of performing. It was always so much fun. Especially with Frank Welker ." Cullen met Welker on 1979's Mighty Man and Yukk, and the pair have been friends ever since. Cullen still celebrates Welker's talent and creativity. "Working with Frank, that was the beginning of a huge, huge ongoing career," Cullen said. "We travel together to a lot to these conventions and I look forward to it, because it's just non-stop laughter. ... Your stomach aches from laughing." Peter Cullen, right, helps Frank Welker, the voice of Megatron, make handprints in Play-Doh compound at HASCON, the first-ever FANmily event from Hasbro, Inc. on Sept. 10, 2017, in Providence, R.I. (Stew Milne/AP Images for Hasbro, Inc.) 'I like anything that has to do with helping children' While there have been so many impressive roles and iconic voices for Cullen, being able to impact the lives of children is high on the voice actor's priority list when it comes to projects he's particularly excited to be a part of. "I like anything that has to do with helping children and helping youth," Cullen stressed. "I do it out of love. ... I don't do any of that for money. "It's all very special to me when it involves kids and the effect that it has. It's a very rewarding life." Cullen also did some work with NASA, specifically the OPSPARC project, the Optimus Prime Spinoff Promotion and Research Challenge for elementary, middle and high school students. In terms of Optimus Prime, Cullen highlights that the character is a good example of "leadership, as well as "honour and courage" for children. "A father to many who don't have a father," Cullen said about the character. The voice actor has frequently spoken about how the actual voice of Optimus Prime was inspired by his brother, Larry, who was in the Marine Corps. More broadly, when Cullen is developing a voice for a new character, the sketches have a big impact on how he approaches the voice. "Are they big? Are they small? Do they have a small neck? Do they have a big neck? Do they have a big belly? A small belly? I will relate that to, what would it sound like? Like a musical instrument. Is it big like a tuba or small like a bugle? The voice, I think, will come from what it looks like," Cullen explained. Peter Cullen is seen in the LG photobooth at the "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" premiere after party sponsored by LG Mobile Phones at Mann's Bruin Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. on June 22, 2009. (Casey Rodgers/AP Images for LG Mobile Phones) For the many people who look up to Cullen's work, his biggest piece of advice is, "if you do something you love, you'll never work a day in your life." "I feel very fortunate that way with my life," Cullen said. He added that, for voice acting in particular, the most "interesting and the hardest" thing to do is be "honest with your words." "When I was younger, I read to children a lot. I would read children's books and I tried to amaze them by bringing words to life with feeling," he said. "When you get their attention, you know you're on the right track. "Try to make kids believe in your words by the honesty of them, and try to colour and ... make the beauty of a story come alive." Peter Heller is an award-winning adventure writer and the best-selling author of the novels "The Dog Stars," "The Painter" and "The River." In his new novel, "The Last Ranger," a stoic Yellowstone officer works to track down whoever is killing the park's wolves. The Adventures and Misadventures of Maqroll by Alvaro Mutis (2002) Mutis was a close friend of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and to my mind just as brilliant. The first in this collection of 1980s and '90s novellas is an up-the-river story that rivals "Heart of Darkness" for lush, ruminative prose and extreme, iconic characters. It induced in me a sort of hallucinatory malarial fever. Buy it here. Over the Plain Houses by Julia Franks (2016) An inveterate Appalachian river runner writes a novel and ... startles her readers into a vivid awareness of the life around them and of their own magic as sentient creatures. Franks knows the scent of damp earth under plow, the touch of sap on a cold tree, and how to write about men who cannot countenance the wildness of women. Buy it here. The Whole Motion by James Dickey (1992) Poems brought to you by the man who wrote "Deliverance." If you can clear your mind of Burt Reynolds in a wetsuit, you'll discover poetry full of pathos and self-awareness, humor and unadorned beauty. Dickey was a liar and a rogue; I read the poems and forgive him. Buy it here. West with the Night by Beryl Markham (1942) Markham, who grew up in the Kenyan Rift Valley hunting with spears and training horses, became one of West Africa's greatest bush pilots. Her memoir is so spare and pure it prompted Hemingway to write: "She has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer." Buy it here. One Hundred More Poems From the Chinese translated by Kenneth Rexroth (1956) These ancient poems constitute some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read. The writers were aficionados of loss, the first blues artists. In a few simple lines they can place you knee-deep in a mountain stream with the cold mist shredding the pines, then break your heart. Buy it here. The Carrying by Ada Limon (2018) Our current national poet laureate is a towering writer of nuanced, musical poems that are so simple on the surface but keep ringing and resonating and hitting chords, deeper and deeper, long after the last word has ended. Get the audio and hear her own rich voice. Nature writing, human nature writing, at its finest. Buy it here. This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like Homepage Rob Pollard seems to love his work. He almost bounces along the of claw machines inside Claw Daddy arcade, which he opened last week at Fashion Fair Mall. Hes driven by the ambient noise of it all: the cheers of a successful catch and release and also the defeated groans of watching metal fingers wrap around a small plush toy, only to have it slip away. So close. Got it, Pollard cheers, as a customer victoriously pulls a small, black plushie from a machine. Thats Maru! More accurately, its Badtz-Maru, a character created by the Japanese company Sanrio. Hes a penguin with spiky hair. Of the plush toys that fill Claw Daddys 25 claw machine games, most are inspired by Japanese animation or video games. So while you will find a plush version of Spider-Man, a cartoonish can of Spam or the painter Bob Ross, you will more likely see Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Super Mario Brothers or Kirby. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For players, whats in the machine is important, Pollard says. Sometimes, theyll come in and head to one machine, he says, such as the one with cute axolotl plushies. And, at $1-$2 a pop, theyll play until they win. Rows of claw games with various prizes await visitors at Claw Daddy arcade at Fashion Fair in Fresno on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. The plushies get switched out regularly. Pollard drives back and forth from Los Angeles, his van is loaded up with clear bags filled with toys. Two or three machines get new prizes every day. Six or eight machines get new stuff of Fridays, in anticipation of weekend crowds. I want everyone to win, Pollard says. So, there are no secrets or tricks at Claw Daddy. Customers can have staff rearrange the plushies inside the machine to give them a better shot at capturing a prize. Pollard also readily gives out his tips for winning: Go for the loose prizes, the ones that are high up or close to prize chute. Always use a quick double tap. That give players more control over the claw by forcing it to close quickly. Bundles of plush toy prizes await the claw machines in the back room at Claw Daddy arcade at Fashion Fair in Fresno on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Players can also trade up for better prizes, by collecting smaller plushies and exchanging them for larger ones, or for one of several Funko Pop vinyl figures displayed at a counter in the middle of the arcade. The arcade also gives a free gift with every $10 worth of credits. On Tuesday, it was a small cross body fidget purse in the shape of a pineapple. The arcades whole aesthetic a busy white-and-black wall mural is surrounded by bright shocks of colorful graffiti art is inspired by Japanese pop culture and the summer trips Pollard took to Japan as a child. His grandparents lived next to an arcade that was above a grocery store. It had one wall dedicated to claw machine games and Pollard would play until he ran out of money. Chia Vue, right, of Fresno plays a claw machine game with her niece Mavis Vue, 4, at the Claw Daddy arcade at Fashion Fair in Fresno on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Fresno is actually the second city to have a Claw Daddy arcade. Pollard had been working in unscripted reality TV, but the traveling got to be too much, so he opened a spot in in the East L.A./Boyle Heights area that would allow him to could spend more time with his family. The United State is seeing a trend toward Japanese pop culture and Pollard is looking to expand his company into malls across the state, including in Modesto, where he went to high school. He sees arcades like this as the future of retail spaces. You cant replicate this, Pollard says, watching as a father wins a Pikachu plushie, which he passes to his toddler son. You cant replicate experience. Hiro Vang, 16-months, of Fresno clutches to a Pikachu plush toy his father won for him at Claw Daddy arcade at Fashion Fair in Fresno on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. Spam can plush toys are featured in one of the claw machine games at Claw Daddy arcade at Fashion Fair in Fresno on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023. DeLand police are continuing their investigation into an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead on Friday. Law enforcement shot and killed Jayvion Barthel, 20, following a traffic stop, the DeLand Police Department said. The incident unfolded at around 1:30 p.m. at Euclid Avenue and South Woodland Boulevard. READ: Jacksonville mayor: Multiple fatalities after shooting in Florida city Jayvion Barthel previous booking photo Investigators said officers had been working on an unrelated burglary investigation in the area when they saw a vehicle -- a white Dodge Charger -- they believed was connected to a different incident from mid-August. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That case involved two victims who were approached on Aug. 17 by someone who pointed a gun at them and pulled the trigger multiple times, DeLand police said. On Friday, when officers conducted a traffic stop on the Charger, they saw three people inside, the department said. READ: Eye on the tropics: Invest 93-L continues to develop, Florida impacts possible Investigators said a DeLand police sergeant and a detective with Volusia Sheriffs Office fired shots, wounding Barthel. Despite officers attempts to save him, Barthel died at the scene, police said. Police believe Barthel was in possession of a firearm and said it was recovered from the floorboard of the backseat where he was sitting in the Dodge Charger. The department added that officers detained the driver and front-seat passenger who were also inside the car. READ: Liftoff! Launch lights up Space Coast as Crew-7 heads to ISS for 6-month mission As for the Aug. 17 incident, DeLand police said the two victims were not injured during the attempted shooting since the gun malfunctioned and the suspect ran off. Since that incident, police said they have been working to identify suspects in the case. The DPD sergeant and VSO detective involved in Fridays deadly shooting have been placed on administrative leave. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office reported two children have died due to unknown causes in the Southside Estates neighborhood at 2100 Cromwell Rd. This is just west of Interstate 295 and St. Johns Bluff Road. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< According to JSO, at around 12:00 p.m., officers and the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Department responded to the scene in reference to a medical emergency involving two 4-year-old children. When arriving, officers located who children who were unresponsive. Life-saving efforts were performed, but unfortunately, both children were pronounced deceased. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit responded and it is still very early in the investigation. Information confined by JSO reports that both children were playing inside a home, and when checked on both were found unresponsive. At this time, there were adults and other children inside the home at the time of the incident. All are currently being interviewed. JSO is currently working the partners at the Medical Examiners Office to determine the cause of the deaths. At this time it is not certain if the deaths are due to an accident or foul play is involved. This is an ongoing scene and will be updated when details arrive. This embedded content is not available in your region. [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. BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have unveiled a work plan for the development of the building material industry amid efforts to prioritize stable economic growth in the country. The value-added industrial output of China's building material sector will post year-on-year growth of about 3.5 percent and 4 percent in 2023 and 2024, respectively, according to the plan jointly released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the National Development and Reform Commission, and other government organs. The plan details 10 tasks to promote the high-end, intelligent and green development of the sector, covering investment, supply, consumption and international cooperation. The green transition of the industry will be carried out, and support will be given to qualified regions and enterprises in spearheading green and low-carbon development, according to the plan. As of the end of 2024, the number of certified green building material enterprises is expected to top 1,500, while that of certified green products in the sector will exceed 3,000, according to the MIIT. Regarding intelligent transformation, the plan outlines a commitment to accelerating efforts to work out key standards for important sub-sectors such as intelligent equipment and smart factories. Enditem PORTSMOUTH A man died early Saturday morning after falling from the High-Hanover parking garage as he was fleeing from assailants, according to a press release from the Portsmouth Police Department. The identities of the person who died and others involved in the incident were not immediately released. Police shared details of the incident as described by witnesses. At 12:52 a.m. on the morning of Aug. 26, police responded to an assault involving multiple people in the area of Hanover Street. The assault occurred between the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. restaurant and the parking garage. The High-Hanover parking garage in Portsmouth. Polices said initial information from on-scene accounts indicates a confrontation began upstairs at the Gas Light's Third Floor Nightclub with a group of males yelling at the victim male and the group he was with. Additional witnesses said once the victim was outside the Gas Light, the group of males assaulted the victim by the entrance of the parking garage on Hanover Street. The victim got away from the group after being assaulted and went into the parking garage. At least one of the members of the assailant group continued into the parking garage in pursuit of the male victim, witnesses told police. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement According to witnesses, police said, the male victim continued walking away in the parking garage and then attempted to climb onto the rail of the garage. While climbing over the rail and trying to escape, he fell off the parking garage to the sidewalk below on Hanover Street, witnesses told police. He was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, police said. The state medical examiner and the Rockingham County attorneys office are working with Portsmouth police to investigate. Police ask anyone who may have witnessed the assault or fall or may have video in the areas of the incident to contact Capt. Dave Keaveny at 603-610-7511. Tips can also be reported anonymously to Seacoast Crime Stoppers by calling (603) 431-1199, at seacoastcrimestoppers.com, and through the P3 mobile app, which is available as a free download. Rewards of up to $1,000 may be paid for information leading to an arrest or indictment, according to police. Police said more information will be released as it becomes available. This story may be updated. More: Driver indicted for Portsmouth Thanksgiving crash that took Drew Ceppetelli's life at 21 More: Portsmouth Gas Light, Liquor Commission in settlement talks after fatal Thanksgiving crash This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Man dies after fall from Portsmouth parking garage following assault Police in Seattle are looking for a group of robbery suspects accused of holding people at gunpoint inside their own homes during a robbery. Police say theyve received fourteen reports since June. Theyre all in the South Precinct area, which includes Rainier Beach, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, and many others. All fourteen robberies had masked suspects, who police believe are young people. Five of those home invasions happened within the last week and a half, two in one night. The people who live in the South Precinct say they feel left in the dark, and should have gotten more notice from police. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement This is the first Ive heard of it, said Rainier Beach resident, Jason Deiman. Jason said he had no idea as many as fourteen people in the area have been held up at gunpoint inside their own home. Elnah Jordan says shes not surprised. Hell yeah, they can come in your home. theres no fear. Theres no consequence and theres no attention. Elnah added, These invasions, where does that mentality come from? What makes it alright for you to invade somebodys home and scare a whole family and take what they worked hard for. The fourteen home invasions happened within the South Precinct in June. Theyve all had between three and seven suspects, sometimes in masks, but always carrying guns. In many cases, suspects approached people outside their homes and forced them back inside. Elnah said she and others in the area feel like they have to fend for themselves. All the way home Im thinking ok I got to make sure the lights are on, I got to make sure before I get out of the car theres no one in the carport I got to make sure I can get to my door. I got to make sure nobodys following me, said Elnah. Residents also say theyre tired of feeling like theyre on the back burner. They say that not being notified of the string of home invasions only reinforces that feeling. Ill just be blunt. Its a nonwhite neighborhood and therefore it gets less attention, said Jason. Elnah added, You cant deny it. Were not getting the attention we need and actually the care, the compassion, just the human decency. Wheres that? said Elnah. Right now police are asking for any surveillance video that may help them track them down the group that is responsible for the home invasions. If you have any information, call the tip line. Polish law enforcement officers have denied information about the involvement of Ukrainian citizens in an incident in Warsaw on Friday, during which a fight allegedly broke out due to the reluctance of the Poles to say "Glory to Ukraine". Source: European Pravda Details: One of the primary sources of information about the alleged fight on the embankment in Warsaw was the account of Gazeta Stonoga, associated with Zbigniew Stonoga, a whistleblower and a figure in several criminal proceedings. The report claims that on the night before Friday, "a group of young people who called themselves young Ukrainians" decided to "taunt a group of Polish youths" and allegedly demanded that the Poles shout "Glory to Ukraine" in turn. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "The Poles refused, claiming that they are Poles and will not shout these texts. Then they (the ones who posed themselves as Ukrainians ed.) began to punch and kick them. Eight of them suffered numerous injuries, and one (a psychology student) is in the hospital," says the post, which states that the attackers were "released". Dzisiejszej nocy ok godz.00:57 do osmio osobowej grupy polskiej modziezy bawiacej sie na bulwarach wislanych (19-22 lata) podesza grupa 12 osob podajacych sie za Ukraincow. Zazadali od biesiadnikow aby kolejno ustawiali sie i wykrzykiwali haso "slava Ukrainie". Polacy odmowili pic.twitter.com/pnW4t2Pl2K Gazeta Stonoga (@GazetaStonoga) August 25, 2023 Some media, which later reported on the news, called the attackers "Ukrainians", not "a group that identified themselves as Ukrainians." The Warsaw police provided an official explanation on Saturday. They explained that there really was a fight on Vistulan Boulevard, and the law enforcement officers arrived at the scene a few minutes after the call. Stanowisko Komendy Stoecznej Policji dotyczace zdarzenia na Bulwarach Wislanych w nocy z 24 na 25 sierpnia br. pic.twitter.com/p4pdHn3Deq Policja Warszawa (@Policja_KSP) August 26, 2023 Quote: "A total of 13 people were questioned, including citizens of Georgia, who were identified as aggressors. There were no citizens of Ukraine among those interviewed. An ambulance was also present at the scene, no one needed medical help," they say. Stanisaw Zaryn, the Polish government's plenipotentiary for the security of information space, believes that this case "is being used in an operation to destabilise the internal situation in Poland and incite the Poles." "This is a course of action that corresponds to Russia's operations against Poland," Zaryn emphasised. Sprawa jest wykorzystywana do operacji destabilizowania syt. wewnetrznej w PL i podburzania Polakow. To sposob dziaania, ktory koresponduje z operacjami Rosji przeciwko RP. 2/2 Stanisaw Zaryn (@StZaryn) August 26, 2023 Background: US intelligence believes that Russia's Federal Security Service is conducting a systematic campaign to impose Kremlin narratives on opinion leaders in the West so that they begin to spread them further unwillingly. 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! (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg Gabon blocked internet access during elections held Saturday that is likely to see President Ali Bongo extend the 56-year stranglehold his family has had on political power in the oil-producing central African nation. Live network data show a nation-scale internet blackout across Gabon on election day, Netblocks, an organization that monitors internet shutdowns, said on Sunday. Authorities also imposed a nationwide curfew from 7pm to 6am and banned all demonstrations. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The measures were intended to prevent the spread of calls for violence and limit the distribution of false information, Minister of Communication Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou said in a televised address. Bongos bid for a third term comes months after Gabons constitution was changed to allow the president to be elected in a single round, a move that could favor the incumbent because it splits the opposition vote. The new system also obliges voters to choose their preferred leader and lawmakers from the same party. Some polling stations in the capital Libreville opened late or not at all. Opposition leader Albert Ondo Ossa said he hadnt been able to vote as of 1 pm, five hours after polls were scheduled to open. I want to exercise my civic duty, but my polling station is still closed, Ondo Ossa said in a post on his official Facebook page. An official for the national electoral commission didnt respond to calls seeking comment. Bongo, 64, is squaring off against 18 competitors. His biggest challenge comes from Ossa, 69, an economics professor and former higher education minister nominated by the opposition coalition known as Alternance 2023. Bongo is likely to win comfortably due to his control over the electoral process and the opposition alliances high-risk strategy of picking a left-field candidate, Maja Bovcon, an Africa analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said in an emailed note. The vote comes as Gabon seeks to reduce the $22 billion economys reliance on oil, which funds more than half of the national budget. The government is betting that selling carbon offsets by preserving its forests can help make up for lost revenue. If the president were to change, Im not convinced that the model has got deep enough roots yet to be fully sustainable, Lee White, Bongos environment minister, said in a March interview. Read More: Gabon Wants to Pioneer Funding Model to Protect Africas Amazon Gabons abundant oil, timber and manganese supplies havent translated into better living standards one third of its 2.2 million people live below the poverty line, World Bank data show. Bongo has promised to create more jobs, boost micro-loan programs and cut public school fees. He studied law in France before going into politics and was elected president in 2009, four months after the death of his father, Omar Bongo , who had held power since 1967. He secured a second seven-year term in 2016 elections, defeating opposition leader Jean Ping in the closest election in the nations history. The run-up to the ballot has been calm, but many fear the post-election period could see unrest, similar to the protests that broke out after Bongos 2016 victory. The US embassy in Libreville warned of the possibility of protests throughout Gabon in the lead up to and aftermath of the elections. Violence erupted as Bongo won a second seven-year term in 2016, with protesters burning down shops and the parliament building. The government said seven people died in the unrest while the opposition accused the security forces of killing more than 50 of its supporters. Ping is boycotting Saturdays vote. Bongo was absent from Gabon in 2018 and 2019 after suffering a stroke while attending a conference in Saudi Arabia. He returned months later following a failed coup attempt by soldiers who questioned his fitness to rule. Over recent years, Bongo has spearheaded sweeping reforms to cement his grip, concentrating power in the presidency and ensuring the head of state retains influence over national policies, even when the opposition holds a parliamentary majority. In April, the parliament voted to reduce presidential terms to five years. The country has no term limits. Vote counting was scheduled to start after polls closed at 6 pm. Its not yet clear when preliminary results will be announced, or whether voting could be extended given the polling-station delays. (Updates with details on vote from first paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. FILE - Pope Francis attends his weekly general audience in the Pope Paul VI hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Pope Francis in a speech to Catholic lawmakers has warned against social media reducing human relationships to mere algorithms and urged lawmakers to be vigilant against partisan propaganda and divisiveness on social media. In his speech on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023 he said social media networks can help people realize they are part of something larger than themselves. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) ROME (AP) Pope Francis on Saturday warned against the danger of reducing human relationships to mere algorithms and urged lawmakers to be vigilant against partisan propaganda and divisiveness on social media. In a speech to participants of the International Catholic Legislators Network, who were holding their annual conference in the Rome area, Francis noted that social media networks can be a way to help people realize they are part of something larger than themselves. Indeed, that is the stated aim of many social media platforms, and certainly much good takes place through these means of communication, Francis said. Still, the pontiff said, vigilance was needed, for sadly many dehumanizing trends resulting from technocracy are found on these media. He cited the deliberate spread of false information about people, fake news and the promotion of hatred and division. Francis further decried what he called partisan propaganda and the reduction of human relationships to mere algorithms. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Another peril on social media networks is a false sense of belonging, especially among young people, that can lead to isolation and loneliness, he said. As a remedy, Francis advocated a culture of authentic encounter, which involves a radical call to respect and to listen to one another, including those with whom we may strongly disagree. An officer fatally shot a pregnant woman who police suspected of shoplifting Thursday night in an Ohio grocery store parking lot after officials say she accelerated her car toward an officer. Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford called the shooting a tragedy and an unfortunate loss of life" in a video statement. The chief did not identify the woman or disclose she was pregnant, but the Franklin County Coroners Office identified her as 21-year-old Takiya Young and confirmed she was pregnant. The office said she was pronounced dead shortly before 7:45 p.m. Thursday. While Blendon Township officers were helping a driver who was locked out of her car outside a Kroger, a store employee told officers about a theft by someone who was fleeing, the chief said. Ohio officers investigate an officer involved shooting outside a Kroger supermarket in Westerville, Ohio, on Aug. 25, 2023. (WCMH) Store employees later told police that several people had stolen items and fled in cars. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One woman suspected of theft was in a car parked in front of the grocery store, Belford said. She started the car, and an officer approached on the driver's side and ordered her to get out, the chief said. "She ignored the order and the other officer came from in front of the car and also ordered the woman to get out of the car, Belford said. Despite being ordered to get out of the car more than a dozen times, she refused to do so. He continued, The woman put the car in gear and accelerated forward. The officer who was directly in the path of the oncoming car fired one shot through the front windshield. Body camera video shows the officer who fired was directly in the path of the Lexus, Belford said, adding that the department plans to release the video as soon as the necessary legal redactions can be made." The car kept moving and officers ran after it for about 50 feet. It then came to a stop on the sidewalk outside the store, he said. After the shooting, officers tried to get to the woman but the door was locked so they broke the drivers-side window to begin medical assistance and called emergency medical personnel, the chief said. The woman, Belford said, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Belford said he asked the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation to lead an investigation. Two officers, who have not been publicly identified, have been placed on administrative leave, the chief said. The Office of Ohio Attorney General, which oversees the states Bureau of Criminal Investigation, confirmed in a statement the independent inquiry by the bureau into the deadly shooting. Court records from Franklin County Municipal Court show a warrant was issued Monday for Young for an alleged violation of a protection order or consent agreement. Nadine Young, 61, of Columbus, Ohio, said Friday that her granddaughter was a mother of two boys, ages 3 and 6, and was expecting a daughter in November. She said the unborn child did not survive. "My understanding is she locked the car doors because she seen the police coming at her with guns," Young said. "She was scared for her life. They didn't have to kill her and her baby." While many things remain unknown in the shooting, some things are clear, Young said. "An unarmed Black female was killed. That's what we know. Two kids have no mama." She said her family expects body camera footage to show something different from the account police have given. She did everything in her power to take care of her two kids, Young said. She was a good and positive kid who didnt deserve to be killed. Blendon Township Police will also investigate the officers' actions, the chief said. Following the Bureau of Criminal Investigations work, I will do the normal review to determine if policies and procedures were followed," Belford said. In every case, we hold employees accountable," he said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com The wreckage of Yevgeny Prigozhins Embraer private jet has been cleared from the crash site, and the flight recorders have been recovered, but the metaphorical smoke has yet to clear in Moscow after the presumed death of the Wagner mercenary boss. We still do not know what brought down Prigozhins Embraer Legacy 600 expert analysis points to the possibility of an explosion and we may never know. To use an inexact term, the biggest black box in this aviation catastrophe is Russian President Vladimir Putin s apparatus of state, which is not known for its transparency. That in turn points to a much bigger question: How will the Russian landscape change after the exit of the man who presented the most serious challenge to Putins rule in over two decades? Putin has offered his own hot take, obliquely referencing Prigozhins contributions to the war on Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I knew Prigozhin for a very long time, since the early 90s, Putin said Thursday. He was a man of difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life, and he achieved the results needed both for himself and when I asked him about it - for a common cause, as in these last months. He was a talented man, a talented businessman. But the real message Putin was sending, after waiting a full day after the crash, appeared directed toward Russias elite: mistakes can be fatal. The Kremlin has vehemently denied speculation that the Russian state might have been involved in the crash. All this is an absolute lie, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Now, of course, there is a lot of speculation around this catastrophe and the tragic death of the passengers of the plane, including Yevgeny Prigozhin. But not everyone is likely to be persuaded. Back in July, following Prigozhins abortive mutiny, US President Joe Biden joked at a press conference that if he were Prigozhin, Id be careful what I eat, keep my eye on my menu. Firefighters work amid the wreckage on August 23 following the crash of Prigozhin's private jet. - Investigative Committee of Russia/Reuters Jokes aside, Biden was making a serious point. The march on Moscow by Prigozhins men was a direct threat to the state and a personal affront to Putin, who has long cultivated a tsar-like image of masterliness and near-infallibility. So, who would dare stick their head over the parapet now? Any aspiring Prigozhins and there seem to be none on the immediate horizon are likely to be mindful of crossing real or perceived red lines. Its worth remembering that Prigozhin never had particularly high name recognition in Russia, at least certainly not before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But the Wagner groups successes on the battlefield raised his public profile, and Russian state television heaped praise on his Wagner fighters for capturing the shattered eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. That changed in late June after Wagners march on Moscow raised the unsettling possibility of civil war in Russia. Prigozhin may have cast the mercenary rebellion as a protest, but the uprising seriously dented his prestige. The independent pollster Levada-Center conducted a survey in July that found that Prigozhins public approval had plummeted after the abortive uprising. But that doesnt mean Prigozhin had no loyal constituencies. The Wagner groups actions were followed closely by a coterie of nationalistic bloggers, and Prigozhin who recruited fighters from Russian prisons and used the same salty language as convicts appeared to have commanded the respect of many of his fighters. So does Prigozhins apparent demise threaten to mobilize his followers, presenting a potential challenge to the state? At this stage, no. Wagner fighters were offered to sign contracts with the regular military after their uprising and Igor Girkin, a hardline ultranationalist who had openly criticized Putin, found himself in jail. The precedents have been set. Fans and supporters of Prigozhin were not dissuaded from laying flowers outside Wagner headquarters in St. Petersburg, Russias second city and the hometown of both Putin and Prigozhin, after Wednesdays crash. CNNs Matthew Chance even witnessed one of the gruesome mementos at the scene: a sledgehammer, the symbol of Wagners brutality, nestled among the floral bouquets. But bouquets as well as sledgehammers can be cleared away. Its worth recalling a political assassination that shook Russia to her core in 2015, the murder of charismatic opposition Boris Nemtsov, who was gunned down within view of the Kremlin. Nemtsovs admirers continued for years to leave flowers at the spot on the bridge where he was killed. Local authorities always swept the flowers away, and no permanent memorial stands to the slain politician The Wagner group's successes on the battlefield raised Prigozhin's public profile. - Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters Nemtsovs nonviolent supporters were a very different class of people than Prigozhins rifle-toting foot soldiers in Ukraine and elsewhere: Nemtsov, who had been investigating Putins secret war in eastern Ukraine when he was killed, was the face of Russias embattled liberal activism. Alexey Navalny, who succeeded Nemtsov as Russias most galvanizing opposition leader, is currently in a Russian prison colony, along with many others who have peacefully opposed Putins war on Ukraine. In a post from prison on Prigozhins death, which he speculated was Putins own doing, Navalny warned that the Kremlin leader had laid the foundation for a possible civil war in Russia. These are the ingredients used to create the dish called civil war, he wrote. They created a gang. Armed the gang. Disbanded the gang. Killed the leaders. No evidence has surfaced that points to the involvement of the Kremlin or Russian security services in the crash. But Prigozhins life and fate have laid bare the fissures within the paranoid, vengeful gerontocracy that rules Russia. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The Democratic Partys progressive wing has been through many iterations from the upstart insurgency of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016 to the 2018 primary upsets inspired by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and the expanding Squad of 2022. Now, at the start of the 2024 election cycle, the movement has seen even more promising levels of diversity, particularly among Black and brown communities, with many on the left hoping to redefine the party around their flank. Who and what does a progressive look like? asked Danielle Deiseroth, a former Sanders campaign operative who now serves as executive director of the left-wing polling firm Data for Progress. The progressive wing of the party increasingly becoming a bigger part of the Democratic base is really bringing that image more mainstream. Not every progressive looks like Bernie Sanders, she said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Elected leaders, strategists, and grassroots organizers want the diversity evolution to show what modern leftism can look like in generations to come. The transition has been deliberate and gradual, with many seeking to course-correct the white male stereotype that defined the narrative around the early Sanders phenomenon. The diversity of progressives in Congress from Maxwell Frost to Greg Casar to Delia Ramirez and so many others is a strength for America, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told The Hill. There is a new generation of progressives in the House and their diversity and lived experiences are driving a big tent movement to uplift all Americans especially those who have been forgotten or ignored for too long. Its exciting to see the rush of ideas and new issues like water breaks for workers get the attention they deserve, he said. Ocasio-Cortezs emergence onto the scene helped jumpstart that shift. She shocked the nation when, as a millennial Latina with modest roots, she successfully beat a wealthy former Rep. Joseph Crowley, a white man entrenched in the Democratic establishment class, setting the groundwork for more candidates to claim their own successes. Just a few years later, more candidates of color, including Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO), who has been candid about previously being homeless, Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), a former school principal, and Summer Lee , an organizer and community advocate, won in 2018, 2020, and 2022, respectively. A progressive can look like Summer Lee, they can look like Jammal Bowman, they can look like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said Deiseroth. The next generation of progressive leaders is really showcasing what every progressive looks like. Left-wing candidates strategies are often tied to their personal narratives in a way that few other mainstream Democrats can replicate. Politicians of all stripes use their lived experience as a tactic, but advisers who have worked closely with liberal contenders say their relatable, sometimes hardscrabble stories can be key to the movements growth in diversity and numbers. Many progressive candidates have found success by speaking candidly about everyday hardships like struggling to pay off student loans or afford housing and food. And in a political climate rife with spin and special interests, its been a way for candidates to level with people. In recent cycles, those candidates have overwhelmingly hailed from racially diverse backgrounds, making their wins even more critical as the wing tries to outgrow its image of nearly five cycles ago. The progressive movement has always been multiracial, working class, said Joseph Geevarghese, the executive director of Our Revolution, a leading activist group aligned with Sanders. The Bernie movement has been incredibly diverse, and its gotten even more diverse. Thats a function of the movements message permeating deeper and deeper, he said. While the lefts policy priorities are consistent with agenda items like economic equality, universal health care, and climate justice at the forefront, the focus on electing and keeping new Capitol Hill leaders to help push those goals has ramped up. In turn, candidates stories have become powerful entry points for discussing the progressive platform. And as systematic racism further hinders progress in every major sector, progressives say candidates of color have made credible pitches for reform. Young, progressive people of color are taking over, said Aru Shiney-Ajay, a national spokesperson for the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led disruptor force seeking climate reforms. From the halls of Congress to voting on the local, state and federal level, were fighting for progressive, common-sense solutions, she said. And were gaining in numbers and power. At Data for Progress, Deiseroth has seen firsthand the popularity of progressives ideas on diverse communities show up in the polls. We find that among some of the more progressive issues that weve conducted polling on recently, weve actually found higher levels of support for those policies among voters of color, she said. She noted that student debt relief, an issue thats been at the forefront of President Bidens administration, has especially motivated voters of color. Her groups recent polling found that the policy is more popular with Black voters and Latino voters, Deiseroth said. Theres a real opportunity for the left and for the progressive left to continue strengthening this multiracial, multigenerational coalition thats really in pursuit of more economic fairness, she added. This cycle, the left has not seen as significant engagement or fundraising figures as former President Trump and his mounting indictments zap voters attention. And with President Biden as the partys presumptive nominee, theres little debate about top-of-the-ticket progressivism for 2024. Still, candidates are finding ways to make their cases relevant. They have looked to flip the urban power structures in major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles, where Black progressives were both elected as mayor. And they still see ways to make inroads in the House, particularly among the Congressional Progressive Caucus. You have people of color in senior positions both elected and not elected really helping plot the movement strategy forward. I think thats key, Geevarghese said. Weve got a much more diverse leadership structure within the progressive movement than weve ever had before. In Californias 12th Congressional District, for example, two Black progressive women are angling to diversify the party through racial justice activism and decades of deeply rooted community work. Lateefah Simon, a civil rights leader and member of the Bay Area Rapid Transit board of directors, hopes to rise to power as another leading racial justice advocate, Rep. Barbra Lee (D-CA), tries to ascend to higher office. Simon is running in Lees district as the Oakland congresswoman campaigns in close contention for a Senate seat. Both candidates are hoping to build credibility with voters around shared experiences. Simon, a MacArthur Genius Fellowship recipient, started her activism at just 16 years old. She has since been outspoken about the challenges single mothers and young women of color face in their daily lives. With a baby on my hip, and still a baby myself, I worked with young women and children who were tracked in the street economy, she told The Hill this week. Im going to Congress to fight for the mother whos sleeping in her car, she said. For young people who are Black and brown to grow old. Just to grow old. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The late Mike Nichols a contributor to this history column space wrote about the old Texas Brewing Co. in his book Lost Fort Worth (2014) and his Hometown by Handlebar blog. But Mike never delved into what happened to the place after it closed in 1918. Thats an interesting story by itself. The company opened in 1891 as Fort Worths first heavy industry, years before the packing plants and King Candy Co. Located on Jones Street the edge of Hells Half-acre it stretched three blocks from Ninth to Twelfth streets. It was a complete operation with its own artesian wells, refrigeration plant and horse stables, and even made its own bottles and barrels. It also had a barroom for walk-in business and a gift shop. It was a favored stop for every out-of-town convention that came to Fort Worth. The local business community was so happy to have Texas Brewing Co. locate here that the Board of Trade came up with $10,000 to entice the brewerys local investors, who included Jesse Zane-Cetti, to build it. The biggest attraction next to the bonus was the quality of the water under Fort Worth. Breweries only go up where theres top quality water. The company went into full production on May 18, 1891, delivering their bocks and lagers to the citys eager saloons. Texas Brewing Co. wagons fanned out across town each morning with bottles and barrels of beer. The product was good enough that the company soon had 96 distributors in Texas and was shipping out of state. In the next couple of years, the company carried out a $200,000 expansion, making it the largest brewery in Texas, if not in the Southwest. By 1907, the company was producing 250,000 barrels of beer a year. Texas Brewing Co. wagons fanned out across town each morning with bottles and barrels of beer. The good times came to a halt in 1918 as Prohibition (the 18th Amendment to the Constitution) approached. Breweries either had to close or find another product line. At noon on May 21, Deputy Internal Revenue Collector R.C. Cain oversaw dumping all the beer on hand into the sewers. A month later, Cain oversaw an auction on the steps of the federal building to sell off all confiscated beer and liquor. Buyers were free to take their purchases home for personal consumption but not resell it. A Universal Studios cameraman was there to record the historic moment. Those who believed in karma or fate may have felt the man who stole their happiness got what he deserved when Cain was run over by a streetcar and killed a few years later. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When Texas Brewing Co. shut down, it employed 400 men, most of whom were unceremoniously laid off. The residential area around the plant was as somber as if the plague had just come through. A group of men standing with a Texas Brewing Co. cart in 1895, at the corner of Eighth and Houston streets in Fort Worth. Zane-Cetti, president of the company, huddled with his officers to figure out what to do next. The first order of business was to sell off the stock of bar fixtures. Counters, mirrors, ice boxes, cash registers, and cigar cases went at fire-sale prices. They were not done, though. Then the company followed the same playbook as other breweries across the country. They reopened as the Texas Beverage and Cold Storage Co. Their two, 50-ton De La Vergne ice machines could produce 175 tons of ice a day, and the beer storage vaults were turned into cold storage for Swift and Armours dressed meat and eggs from wholesalers such as the Fort Worth Poultry & Egg Co. It took a little time to get the new operation up and running, and there were some bumps along the way. In February 1919, the Texas Food and Drug Department forced them to destroy 58 cases of eggs found to be not fit for consumption as food. They survived that blow to their finances and their reputation to keep the packing plants and egg companies business. A new presidential administration and the repeal of Prohibition arrived in 1933. It was not just the Democrats who were singing Happy Days Are Here Again. Breweries were back in business. The brew masters had long since moved on (some returning to Germany), but a few of the former employees were still around, including Texas Brewing Co.s W.L. LeBow, a warehouseman, Buster McQuinn, in cold storage, and Ike Fear, in engineering. They were eager to return to brewing. Another former Texas Brewing Co. employee who would outlast them all was Oscar Crook, a porter who came to work in 1899 and stayed on through the companys successors for the next 60 years before finally retiring in 1959. With new management and a new workforce, the old brewery reopened as Superior Beer in October 1933, producing 3.2 percent beer in bottles. In the next two years, the company added draught beer to its product line. Superior even got the stamp of approval of the New Deal with the blue eagle of the National Recovery Administration, which they displayed in their advertising. The new brew had something else going for it. It was no longer just for men and women of low character. Superior marketed to the ladies with the promise that its beer was absolutely NOT fattening. Superior aimed to capture the hometown market, advertising itself as Fort Worths Own Brewery, organized by Fort Worth men and paying its entire payroll to citizens of this community. The only outsider in the business was a Belgian brew master. And Superior was a union shop, which in a time of labor strife across the country never had any labor troubles. Unfortunately, Superior Beer did not live up to expectations. By 1940 it was out of business. Much of the old Texas Brewing Co. plant was empty, but management made one last attempt to return to the glory days of old. In 1940, they began producing Lamsens Cola-Beer, an awful concoction of malt brewed and fermented then supplemented with a cola taste and flavor. They touted this Frankenstein of brews as the best drink of the century. No surprise, Cola-Beer did not last long, and the old Texas Brewing Co. plant was finally closed for good. The last part of the plant still standing (the corner of Jones and Ninth) was finally razed in 1953 to make way for a parking lot. The sprawling property of Texas Brewing Co. was eventually cleared and repurposed as the Santa Fe warehouse and city transit center. Author-historian Richard Selcer is a Fort Worth native and proud graduate of Paschal High and TCU. Ukraine is preparing to extradite a leader of the Russian far-right paramilitary group Rusich, the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Aug. 25. Yan Petrovsky, a Russian-Norwegian nationalist and Rusich co-leader, was arrested in Finland on Aug. 23. He had been wanted for terrorism by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU). The SBU's investigation found that Petrovsky collaborated with members of the Luhansk People's Republic (LNR), the Russian-installed proxy government in occupied Luhansk Oblast, and the Rusich "sabotage assault reconnaissance group" to aid the Russian invasion of Ukraine starting in 2014. In 2016, Ukraine served Petroskey a notice that we was suspected of participating in a terrorist organization. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In August, Finland's Migration Service informed the Prosecutor General's Office that Petrovsky had been detained in Helsinki. "In order to prevent the suspect's return to the Russian Federation, which would make it impossible to extradite him to Ukraine...prosecutors sent a request to the relevant Finnish authorities for the detention and temporary arrest of the person," the Prosecutor General's Office said. The Prosecutor General's Office is currently preparing necessary extradition materials in cooperation with the Luhansk Regional Prosecutor's Office. Rusich is a far-right, neo-Nazi paramilitary unit affiliated with the Wagner Group. Their insignia is a Slavic swastika, the kolovrat, which members have carved into the bodies of killed and captured Ukrainian soldiers. The Rusich group prides itself on atrocities, publishing photos and videos of the torture and murder of Ukrainian citizens. In 2022, the U.S. sanctioned Petrovsky and Rusich founder Alexey Milchakov for "special cruelty" in Kharkiv Oblast. Petrovsky assumed command of Rusich that same year after Milchakov was injured. Milchakov first gained notoriety for publishing images of himself killing a puppy on social media. Read also: Ukrainian soldiers on Independence Day: We, our families, future still in danger Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 15 Afghan inmates imprisoned in Pakistan have been set free and returned to their homeland Afghanistan, Afghanistan's Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation said on Saturday. According to the ministry's statement, the detainees were imprisoned in Pakistan for one to six months and, after being released, they returned to Afghanistan on Thursday through the Torkham border. Previously, the ministry on Sunday reported that 37 detainees were released from Pakistani jails and returned to Afghanistan. Former White House Press Secretary and MSNBC host Jen Psaki on Saturday said former President Donald Trump s recently released mug shot will not play well for him in a general election. In commentary she wrote for her weekly MSNBC Daily newsletter titled Trumps mug shot will backfire in 2024, Psaki said independent and moderate voters will not be more likely to vote for the former president because he was booked in the Fulton County Jail. She noted that while Trump and his allies are leaning into the mug shot, it may only be received well by his base. This photo will be shared on every text thread in America. Sometimes, images are more persuasive than anything, Psaki said. And it is hard to imagine that this image, of Trump scowling into the police camera, will make him more appealing to anyone who is not already a hardcore supporter. Trumps recent mug shot is a result of him surrendering to authorities in Fulton County, Ga., after being indicted alongside 18 other co-defendants in District Attorney Fani Willis case against them related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election. A Trump spokesperson described the mug shot as a trophy in an interview on Newsmax Friday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They didnt need the mugshot. It was, I guess to her, probably a trophy, but thank you, because now the trophy actually became ours, Trump spokeswoman Alina Habba said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. In response to the investigation of Ukrainska Pravda regarding the involvement of the nephew of a member of the Servant of the People party in the scandalous purchase of summer jackets for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov , Defence Minister of Ukraine, pledged to resign if he does not prove that the jackets were indeed for winter. Source: Reznikov in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, UP journalist Mykhailo Tkach and MP Anastasia Radina on Facebook Details: Earlier, investigative journalists reported that one of the Turkish companies received US$30 million from the Ministry of Defence for winter jackets for the Armed Forces but supplied the summer ones at a cost that had been inflated several times. On 25 August, Ukrainska Pravda published an investigation stating that one of the owners of this company was the nephew of a member of the presidential faction Servant of the People, who is a member of the parliamentary committee on national security, defence and intelligence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement After that, Anastasia Radina, the MP from the Servant of the People and the head of the anti-corruption committee, said that she would turn to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine because of this case. Reznikov responded to the accusations by offering a wager to Tkach and Radina: if it turns out that the 180,000 coats delivered were indeed winter jackets and not summer ones, then Radina should resign and Tkach should leave the publication and stop his journalistic activity for three years. However, he ignored the topic of the UP investigation into the involvement of the MP's nephew in the Turkish company. The minister said that during the analysis of the situation, "he will provide all the documents, evidence, facts and materials related to the case, so that the winner of the dispute is obvious to the entire Ukrainian society." Reznikov invited the parliamentary ethics committee of the Verkhovna Rada and the commission of journalistic ethics as "arbitrators" in this case, but did not explain why. Tkach replied that the minister should conclude not a wager but "procurement agreements at market prices and not with relatives of the Servant of the People." Quote: "If you are ready to refute this fact, I, like the Ukrainian society, will listen to you carefully. But within a day of the release of the investigation, we never saw any explanation about this. I do not know why, instead of explaining the participation of the nephew of the member of the defence committee in the procurement of the Ministry of Defence, you were forced to descend to a non-ministerial level of pressure on the media. I will leave only when the last inside butcher of Ukrainian society, who thinks that he can use the power of society in his private interests with impunity, is backed into a corner. And the ideas of those who are on their way to this corner do not really bother me. Because that's my job. Your job, which you do not seem to understand, is: ensuring transparent purchases of those things that do not constitute a state secret, making it impossible for corrupt earnings during the war; cooperating with law enforcement agencies in investigations regarding theft in your ministry; fully supporting those that facilitate the first or second point." Details: Radina also responded to the offer from the minister, supporting the wager. Quote: "I propose to you, Mr Minister, to refute these accusations by 9:00 on Monday 28 August: The Ministry of Defence procured jackets from a Turkish intermediary company without a tender; at the time of the agreement with the Ministry of Defence, one of the owners of the company was a very much Ukrainian nephew of the member of the defence committee, Kasai. Even Mr Kasai himself did not deny the nephew's involvement in the company; The Ministry of Defence paid for the jackets three times more expensively than indicated in the document on the Turkish side, with which the cargo left Turkiye and drove through the rest of the customs up to the border of Ukraine. The authenticity of the document was confirmed by Yaroslav Zhelezniak, the head of the temporary parliamentary commission of inquiry of economic crimes. [Refute it - ed.] or resign. If you manage to refute it, I will resign from my position immediately after the adoption of the law on the resumption of public declaration of the state of officials, including military commissars and would-be buyers for the army (you personally oppose the latter)." 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! Palm Beach County authorities are rapidly expanding their use of Floridas red flag law to take guns away from people they consider a risk to themselves or others, a fast-growing front in their efforts to prevent violence and suicide. The countys law-enforcement officials lead the state in the increase in their use of risk-protection orders during the past two years, a Palm Beach Post analysis of state court records shows. The county now trails only Polk County in how often it successfully uses the new legal tool, according to records from July 2022 through April. Risk-protection orders were implemented in Florida five years ago after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018. They allow police officers to ask a court to remove a persons firearms and bar them from possessing any for up to a year. More: Royal Palm Beach High teacher arrested on campus had gun complaints months earlier Palm Beach County judges approved removing guns from 325 people in the first 10 months of the 2022-23 budget year, the second-highest countywide total in Florida. Authorities say Florida's red-flag law lets them act to reduce the risk of violence or self-harm. Use of the orders has grown steadily across Florida, to more than 2,500 in the past budget year, state records show. In Palm Beach County, usage has spiked even more dramatically. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement During the 2020-21 budget year, Palm Beach County judges approved 103 petitions submitted by police, the seventh-highest total in the state. In the first 10 months of the 2022-23 year, the number had more than tripled to 325, the states second-highest. Sheriff's behavioral unit created after Sandy Hook Elementary shootings The increase is being driven primarily by the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office, the countys largest law-enforcement agency. There, the petitions are handled by the Behavioral Services Division, a special unit established by Sheriff Ric Bradshaw a decade ago. The unit long predates the Parkland tragedy, formed in the wake of another school shooting the December 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where 20 students and six adults were killed. It started out because of the mass shootings that were going on at schools, Bradshaw said in an interview, and it has turned into something much bigger than that. An offshoot of that division, the Targeted Violence Unit, which employs 15 deputies and 15 clinical therapists, now specializes in identifying cases that meet the criteria for a risk-protection order and filing petitions with judges. 'There's evil in the world': Fear fueled Palm Beach County gun sales, dealers say Capt. Randy Foley, who heads the Behavioral Services Division, said the rising number of orders is primarily a result of efforts to educate the agencys deputies about their benefits and how to identify potential cases. Now, more deputies responding to calls where threats were made or someone attempted suicide are aware they can ask Foleys unit to petition to remove that persons firearms, he said. All sworn personnel at PBSO has received training on when and how to refer individuals who may benefit from an RPO, Foley said in an email interview. The increase in RPOs is directly related to the education of law enforcement and our community members. Foleys unit is responsible for the vast majority of the countys risk protection orders. In 2022, it submitted 235, three-quarters of the 311 submitted countywide. The states red flag law gives judges wide latitude to authorize risk-protection orders. The law says judges may approve them if the subject poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to himself or herself or others by having a firearm. Officers requesting the order must demonstrate a reasonable fear of significant dangerous acts by the respondent, the statute says. More: 'Red flag' gun safety laws are saving thousands of lives Subjects of orders often have mental health history In Palm Beach County, the orders are primarily used in cases where people have threatened to harm someone or kill themselves. Often, the person has an established history of mental health troubles. Sometimes, the cases involved people who wielded a gun or threatened to use one. In January, a sheriffs deputy asked a judge to remove the firearms of a 36-year-old Delray Beach man who pulled a gun on a woman during a road-rage incident in Boca Raton. At about the same time, Boca Raton police requested one for a 32-year-old man who they say showed a gun in his waistband during an argument with neighbors. The man admitted to police he had a mental illness, and he had been reported previously for texting an ex-girlfriend what she said was a menacing photo of a gun. But a review of more than two dozen cases shows that, more often than not, no firearms were directly involved in the cases that led to risk-protection order petitions. Threatening texts, suicide note part of recent cases In January, the sheriffs office requested an order for a 38-year-old man who had repeatedly sent threatening text messages to his ex-wife and her fiance in Boca Raton. An order was requested for another man after a doctor at Delray Medical Center informed deputies that he had overdosed and left a suicide note, and that he had made comments about suicide in the hospital. This month, deputies applied for an order against Fernando Rodrigo Gaete, a 22-year-old alumnus of Loggers' Run Middle School, who was arrested on charges of threatening online to shoot six students at the school. Sheriff Ric Bradshaw says he's confident Florida's red-flag law has saved lives in Palm Beach County. You cant prove a negative, but it takes away the likelihood of something happening," he said. The purpose of risk-protection orders, of course, is to head off a tragedy before it happens by helping to ensure that people who demonstrate particular high risks of violent behavior dont have access to guns in moments of anger or desperation. Though its difficult to demonstrate, Bradshaw says hes confident the law has saved lives. Its prevented something bad from happening, he said You cant prove a negative, but it takes away the likelihood of something happening. The legal tool has spread quickly around the country in recent years. In 2019, 14 states, including Florida, had so-called red flag laws. Today, 21 and Washington, D.C., have enacted such provisions, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. More: Half who lose guns to red-flag orders threaten selves, not others, Post review finds Research indicates orders help prevent suicides The full benefits of risk protections orders are still not well-understood, said Edelyn Verona, a psychology professor at the University of South Florida and the co-director of the schools Center for Justice Research and Policy. They are a relatively new legal tool in most states, she said, meaning little thorough research has been done on their impacts. Still, what research has been done indicates that risk-protection orders reduce suicides. Studies of risk-protection laws in Indiana and Connecticut estimated that one life was saved from suicide for every 10 guns removed from suicidal individuals. But Verona said the impact on incidents of violent crime is less clear. These states that implemented them, they saw reductions, especially in suicides, she said. Not as much in firearm homicides, but definitely in firearm suicides. Before Parkland, the establishment of risk-protection orders would have seemed inconceivable in Florida, where the Republican-dominated legislature prioritizes expanding firearms rights and is loathe to implement new restrictions. But the scale of the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, where 14 students and three adults were killed, created an outpouring of support for change among Republican leaders. In March 2018, the legislature approved the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which included the red-flag law and several other gun-control and school-safety provisions, over opposition from the National Rifle Association. Then-Gov. Rick Scott signed it into law. People attend a candlelit memorial service in February 2018 for the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 people. Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz, a state legislator at the time, recalled to CNN last year that legislators rolled the NRA with the legislation and that not one Republican who voted for that bill in Florida has paid a political price for protecting kids and doing the right thing. Officials at the NRAs national and Florida offices did not respond to requests for comment. Today, Florida remains the only state in the Southeast to have enacted a red flag law. Use of the orders varies dramatically across Florida. Judges in Miami-Dade County, which has nearly twice the population of Palm Beach County, approved just 29 petitions in the 2021-22 fiscal year, little more than a 10th of the number filed here. Broward County, whose population is 25% larger than Palm Beachs, approved 25% fewer. Verona, who is researching the use of risk-protection orders in collaboration with researchers at John Hopkins University in Maryland, said one area of interest will be studying why some counties embrace the tool more than others. Some of it could be politics, she said. Some of it could be the burden of the administrative paperwork thats involved. Bradshaw said one factor in how extensively the law is used is whether a police agency has designated staff members to deal with the work-intensive process of filing the petitions and making the case in person before a judge. More and more agencies are establishing such units, he said, but those that dont will find it challenging to produce higher numbers of petitions. At the sheriffs office, though, Bradshaw and his deputies expect their usage to continue to increase. People dont realize how much mental health is pervasive in what we do here every day, he said. We know that weve prevented some (shootings) ahead of time. Theres just a lot of good things that come out of this. amarra@pbpost.com @AMarranara This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Use of red-flag law to remove guns skyrockets in Palm Beach County Its hard to imagine anyone was particularly surprised at the sudden demise on Wednesday of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the ultranationalist entrepreneur who founded the mercenary Wagner Group. An ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin ever since the former KGB agent made the transition to local politics in post-Soviet-collapse Saint Petersburg in the 1990s, Prigozhin died when the business jet in which he was flying crashed in a field northwest of Moscow only two months after a public falling out with his boss. I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families of all the victims. Its always a tragedy, Putin said in a televised speech the day after the crash. I had known Prigozhin for a very long time, since the start of the nineties. He was a man with a difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement One of those serious mistakes was when Prigozhin challenged Putins rule in a mutiny on June 23. While a variety of news agencies have cited unnamed sources to say the plane was shot down by Russian air defenses or that it was brought down by a bomb onboard, the specific reasons for the crash which killed all eight passengers and three crew members are not clear at this time. But some Western officials including President Joe Biden and former UN ambassador Nikki Haley immediately implied Putin was to blame. I am not surprised. Biden said. There is not much that happens in Russia that Putin is not behind, but I dont know enough to know the answer. Officials in Moscow were quick to chastise those who implied an assassination had occurred. The West presents all this speculation from a particular angle. All of this is an absolute lie, and here, when covering this issue, it is necessary to base yourself on facts. There are not many facts yet, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, told reporters. But Russia experts are skeptical that the crash was simply an accident, and say it likely was not the mutiny itself that sealed Prigozhins fate: it was the fact that by standing up to the incompetence of the Kremlin war machine, the mercenary chief was increasingly seen as a credible alternative to Putin by the public. With the Russian presidential elections only months away, Prigozhins sudden popularity was a real problem. The Presidential Administration had been toying with the idea of using Prigozhin in the 2024 election, says Mark Galeotti, a researcher who has specialized in security and international politics in Russia for decades, and is the director of Mayak Intelligence, a consultancy firm based in London. He would have been a scarecrow, the far-right candidate who makes Putin look like a reasonable statesman. Amid widespread public dissatisfaction with the war in Ukraine, that dynamic changed in the wake of Prigozhins mutiny. The symbol of a tough-talking Russian man who speaks truth to power and stands up to the people in charge resonates, Galeotti adds. I suspect Putin saw that [Prigozhin] was getting the polling numbers. That would have been very dangerous. On June 23, Prigozhin and a group of his fighters abandoned their positions on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine and marched on Moscow, demanding that the military leadership be replaced. The mutiny was the first major public challenge to the Kremlin over the conduct of the war in Ukraine, and Putins panic as the soldiers took Rostov and advanced seemingly unopposed was evident. The Russian president publicly branded Prigozhin a traitor. This is treason in the face of those who are fighting on the front, Putin said as the mutiny was ongoing, speaking in a televised nationwide address. This is a stab in the back of our troops and the people of Russia. Then Prigozhin who himself seemed shocked at the relative ease with which he was progressing gave up, lulled into capitulation through a deal brokered by his old friend Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus. Prigozhin seems to have honestly believed the accord would leave him free to carry out his mercenary work with the Wagner Group on behalf of the Kremlin apparently traveling to Mali just days before his death to highlight a mission in Africa. Wagner is conducting reconnaissance and search operations, making Russia even greater on every continent and Africa even more free, Prigozhin, clad in body armor and fatigues and cradling a rifle, said in a recruitment video apparently filmed just days before his death. In countries like Mali and the Central African Republic, Wagner has been adept at shoring up autocratic regimes, suppressing irregular militias, and terrorizing civilians while extracting resources from their erstwhile allies. Through this work, Wagner has become a bugbear for Western media and think tanks, imbued with almost mythical powers to operate in the shadows and surgically apply violence to achieve the Kremlins goals. That reputation is somewhat overhyped. Wagner is a modern private military company like any other light infantry formations of trained soldiers with a handful of heavy weapons and ad hoc logistics and support networks albeit one that is well-funded and enabled by Russian state intelligence apparatuses. Wagners limitations have been revealed consistently on the battlefields of Ukraine, where the mercenaries well-equipped and well-armed though they may be compared to their conscript counterparts were used as shock troops in numerous assaults, in most cases to little real utility. It was this consistent pattern of misapplication and futile, bloody offensives that were leaving thousands of Wagner fighters dead, wounded or missing in Ukraine that prompted Prigozhin to mutiny in the first place. Only a month before his mutiny, he told a Kremlin politician that as many as 20,000 Wagner mercenaries had died in the months-long, brutal effort to take the town of Bakhmut. I acted to prevent the destruction of the Wagner private military company, Prigozhin said in an audio recording released shortly after he capitulated in his mutiny. We started our march because of an injustice. We went to demonstrate our protest and not to overthrow power in the country. A view of site after a private jet, allegedly carrying Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin and other passengers crashed in Russias northwestern Tver region, Russia on August 23, 2023. Prigozhin was much more than just the head of Wagner: he was a skilled entrepreneur with an array of business interests operating under the parent company Concord Management and Consulting. His death could mean the end of the mercenary group. Wagner is going to fade away now. It was so dependent on Prigozhin, Galeotti tells Rolling Stone. Wagner was operating within the ecosystem of companies that Prigozhin controlled, and none of the groups surviving leadership has the money, political connections or entrepreneurial chops to keep such an ecosystem alive. Its great value was that it was operating within this wider commercial enterprise. In Putins Russia, all large business ventures are part of the kleptocracy, part-and-parcel of a mafia state where, so long as money flows to the center, businessmen are given free reign to grow their financial empires. Much of that growth occurs through padded government contracts, and it was through government catering contracts an outgrowth of his restaurant business that Prigozhin built his wealth. Now that Prigozhin has fallen, the constituent businesses that make up Concord are already being torn apart by his former rivals. One of the crown jewels of the empire, the infamous Internet Research Agency, was dissolved in the wake of the mutiny. But its components are too useful to destroy. IRA was set up in Saint Petersburg to carry out propaganda and influence operations around the world, using fake accounts and troll farms to control narratives on social media. It was so effective in this role that in 2018 it earned itself and Prigozhin an indictment from a grand jury in the United States for election interference, along with 12 other individuals and two other entities. Defendant organization had a strategic goal to sow discord in the US political system, including the 2016 US presidential election, the indictment asserts, adding Concord funded the organization as part of a larger Concord-funded interference operation. In June 2018, an Austrian journalist asked Putin if Russia was using disinformation to interfere with politics in Europe and America. These so-called troll factories are owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin you know him very well, he is referred to as Putins chef, since he caters for all your guests. Is it good that a person who maintains such close relations with the Russian leadership is managing troll factories? Putin responded with the plausible deniability that is characteristic of his decades-long rule: You have just said that Mr Prigozhin is referred to as Putins chef. Indeed, he runs a restaurant business, it is his job; he is a restaurant keeper in Saint Petersburg, Putin told the Austrian broadcaster ORF. But now let me ask you: do you really think that a person who is in the restaurant business, even if this person has some hacking opportunities and owns a private firm engaged in this activity I do not even know what he does could use it to sway elections in the United States or a European country? Putin would later describe Prigozhin as a mere private citizen with an interest in global politics, akin to George Soros, saying that Soros regularly funded activism abroad, but it doesnt make him his position, his posture the posture of the United States. Trump, in the same press conference, publicly declared that he was more inclined to believe Russias president than the CIA. I have great confidence in my intelligence people, but I will tell you that president Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today, Trump said. In March 2020, Trumps Justice Department would drop the case against IRA and Prigozhin, only weeks before it was set to go to trial. Meanwhile, Prigozhin himself admitted in November 2022 to his interference in the 2016 election, and promised to interfere again in the future. But of course, things have played out differently than Prigozhin planned. As I wrote 16 years ago, if you want to understand Putins regime, dont read history books, read Mario Puzo, Garry Kasparov, the chess grandmaster who fled Russia in 2013 after his involvement in a series of ill-fated anti-Putin protest movements, tweeted. He was referring to an op-ed he wrote for the Wall Street Journal in 2007, comparing Putins rule to The Godfather series of novels. If a member of the inner circle goes against the capo, his life is forfeit. Putins remarks recalled Don Corleone: I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families of all the victims I had known Prigozhin for a very long time He was a man with a difficult fate, and he made serious mistakes in life. Prigozhin did not heed this warning, and Putin must now find a way to fill the gaps created by the downfall of his former ally, even as he struggles to keep everyone in line. With Putin, [the mutiny] has been a shock to the system, says Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history at New York University who specializes in authoritarian regimes, and is the author of Strongmen: From Mussolini to the Present. Killing Prigozhin is going to set off a new stage of greater paranoia, greater suspicion and greater repression. And it will all depend on how the war goes. It isnt useful to claim that one side or the other is winning or losing the war at present, but it is easy to see that neither side has yet come close to achieving its long-term strategic goals. And whatever the result, for now the war has been a bloody fiasco for the Russian military. Prigozhins march on Moscow exposed that, but also demonstrated something else in the eyes of Putins critics. Prigozhin and his mutiny did serve a purpose, Kasparov wrote as news of the Wagner chiefs demise in a plane crash began to circulate. It proved that Putin bows only to force and threats to his power, as Ive said for years. It refuted the myth that Putin would escalate when confronted. Instead, he caved immediately and explained it away. From the Kremlins perspective, much now depends on eroding Western support for Ukraine by wearing down public opinion and sapping political will within NATO. That task will be made more difficult without a ready-made, plausibly deniable global influence operation at hand, ready to exploit divisions within Western democracies. When you look at the last stages of autocrats, when you look at what happened with Hitler, he pissed off the military and then there were all of these assassination attempts, Ben-Ghiat says. With Mussolini, when he was removed from power it was from inside. It was a palace coup, once the war began to go against him. The apparent assassination of Prigozhin, while reinforcing Putins thuggish image as a ruthless capo dei capi, is yet another sign of the decline and long-term unsustainability of his regime. But there is as of yet no reason to expect sudden regime change in Moscow or reversal of policy. Ad there is no reason to expect a quick end to the war in Ukraine. Putin has survived another crisis. But it comes at a cost, says Galeotti. Still, he adds: Things have to get much worse before people think the dangers of standing up to Putin are worth it It will have to come from a coalition of competing power centers. There is no one institution that can really be sure of being able to successfully move against him. Nevertheless, as Kasparov observed: The knives are out and must taste blood. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Click here to read the full article. Russia's Ka-52 attack helicopter has been imposing a high cost on Ukraine's counteroffensive this summer. The threat imposed by the Russian aircraft led the Ukrainian media to nickname it "Putin's vulture." The Kremlin bills the Kamov Ka-52 as the "world's best helicopter gunship." The Kamov Ka-52, an advanced Russian attack helicopter, has been touted by the Kremlin as the "world's best gunship," the Kyiv Post reported. The vehicle has been instrumental in Russia's attempts to thwart Ukraine's slow-moving counteroffensive, launched on June 4. The helicopter, dubbed the "Alligator," is a cutting-edge Russian military machine. The fearsome Ka-52 was designed by the Kamov Design Bureau, a division of Russian Helicopters, and cost upwards of $16 million. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement It's a two-seat version derived from the Ka-50 attack helicopter. It is "renowned for its exceptional maneuverability. The Ka-52 is capable of eliminating ground targets such as armored and unarmored vehicles, tanks, slow-moving airborne targets, and personnel on the frontlines," according to Airforce Technology. It can also serve as a surveillance platform and an aerial command center for a fleet of attack helicopters. While some military experts say the US Apache helicopter is superior to the Ka-52, the Russian helicopter gunship is highly rated. In its review of the top nine attack helicopters, Military-Today.com wrote: "The Ka-52 is one of the fastest and most maneuverable attack helicopters due to its two coaxial contra-rotating main rotors. The armor of this gunship withstands hits from 23 mm projectiles. Pilots are seated in ejection seats." One Ka-52 had its tail blown off, but kept flying In this handout photo taken from video and released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, a Ka-52 helicopter gunship of the Russian air force fires rockets at a target at an unknown location in Ukraine. Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File The Ka-52 (Hokum-B) was preceded by the Ka-50 (Hokum) attack helicopter, which was first flew on June 25, 1997. Development of this original Kamov helicopter began in 1994. The Ka-52 retains much of the same form, function, and armament capabilities as its forefather. It also includes a radar suite, the capacity for a second crew member, and an all-new designation. The commonality between models is about 85%. The Alligator's coaxial main rotors arrangement (two three-bladed systems) negates the need for a countering tail rotor unit, which arguably helps battlefield survivability. Indeed, proof of its robustness was demonstrated when a video surfaced on social media showing a Ka-52 helicopter with its tail torn off and the remnants of the vertical fin hanging perilously but still able to fly. It is powered by two Klimov VK-2500 turboshaft engines. The avionics suite is modern and incorporates high levels of automation to reduce crew workloads, according to Military Factory. The Ka-52 gives Russia a strategic advantage in the face of an armored assault Russian Kamov Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters over Moscow's Red Square during a military parade on June 24, 2020. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images In June, Insider's Ryan Pickrell wrote that the Ka-52 Alligators were "emerging as a threat to Ukraine's ground forces that must be quickly engaged with air-defense missiles before they can eliminate its heavy armor, such as tanks and infantry fighting vehicles." The helicopter, nicknamed "Putin's vulture" by Ukrainian media, has inflicted a heavy cost on Ukraine, according to UK defense intelligence, suggesting a strategic advantage for Russia in the face of an armored assault. The UK Ministry of Defence wrote on Twitter that the Ka-52 HOKUM attack helicopter is "one of the single most influential Russian weapon systems" against Ukrainian forces' offensive operations in Zaporizhzhia. In June, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a cockpit video of a Ka-52 destroying two Ukrainian tanks in 25 seconds using air-launched Anti-Tank Guided Missiles [ATGM]. However, military analysts suggested the tanks may have been abandoned when they were destroyed with such clinical precesion. Ukraine has complained that the Ka-52s are kept flying thanks to imported parts. "The Russian military-industrial complex should not have access to technology," said Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. The choppers are fitted with components from other countries, and sanctions should be strengthened to prevent this, according to Yermak. How Ukraine is fighting back Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter in Ukraine Ukrainian troops look at a wrecked Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopter at Hostomel Airport near Kyiv on July 8, 2022.Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images The Ukrainian counteroffensive has started to demonstrate that it has adapted to the Ka-52 threat and said it shot down two Ka-52 attack helicopters in a single morning last week. A video appears to show one of the Ka-52 attack helicopters being downed, revealing Russia's weakness, a former US general told Insider. It indicates that Moscow's pilots are inexperienced, as it shows the helicopter flying low enough to be susceptible to ground-launched missiles. Putin's bungled invasion of Ukraine also hit helicopter pilots particularly hard in the early months of the war, killing off the most skilled helicopter pilots. "The best Ka-52 crews got shot down early in the war while trying to penetrate deep behind Ukrainian lines," said The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, a military think tank. Man-portable air-defense systems, including American-made Stingers, have been among the most effective weapons at killing Ka-52 crews, Forbes reports. However, stocks of the Stinger, a hand-held antiaircraft missile, are reportedly at critically low levels following limited production in the US and over a year of deliveries to Ukraine. The latest projections from independent monitoring group Oryx, which only counts combat losses confirmed through open sources, show that Russia has lost 41 Kamov Ka-52 Alligator helicopter of the approximately 100 it has in its arsenal. Read the original article on Business Insider Maryland police say they have few new clues about the identity of who killed Rachel Morin, a mother of five from Bel Air, after announcing last week they found a DNA sample matching the unidentified man they believe to be the murderer. He still poses a threat wherever hes laying his head and we need to get him off the street, Harford County sheriff Jeffrey Gahler told NewsNation on Friday. The public will not be safe until we get him in custody. On 17 August, the sheriffs office announced it used DNA evidence collected at the scene of Morins 5 August homicide to identify a potential suspect. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The genetic material matched a sample found at the scene of a March home invasion in Los Angeles where a young girl was attacked. Unfortunately that suspect has not been positively identified, but he did leave behind his DNA, Harford County police colonel William Davis said during a press conference announcing the discovery. Based on the DNA evidence, we consider the individual in the video we received from the Los Angeles Police Department to be the person that murdered Rachel Morin on August 5. The sheriffs office believes that a man filmed exiting the LA home invasion is the same person who killed Rachel Morin. Maryland police believe Rachel Morin was killed by a man seen exiting a home invasion in Los Angeles earlier this year, based on DNA evidence (Harford County Sheriffs Office, Maryland Police) Since then, police have not made any major developments in identifying the individual seen on surveillance footage, who was described by police as a Hispanic man in his 20s. The majority of tips that come in arent going to really advance the investigation. Were still looking for that one, Sheriff Gahler told NewsNation. Someone out there knows who this individual is in the pictureThey need to come forward and share that information. Otherwise, the law enforcement official warned, the killer is not going to stop. Other than the match to the LA crime scene, police are still puzzled about the suspects whereabouts, with Sheriff Gahler saying the individual could no longer be in the US for all police know. The Harford County Sheriffs Office has said it is working with DNA specialists at the FBI to continue probing the evidence. Morin, a mother of five living in Bel Air, Maryland, was last seen heading to the Ma & Pa Trail around 6pm on 5 August. Her boyfriend Richard Tobin reporter her missing later that evening. Morins body was found the following day, and her death is being investigated as a homicide. Police have previously said a group of five witnesses were on the trail at the same time Morin was killed. We are grieving. We need the time and space to grieve as a family. We have not forgotten our community, Morins mother wrote in a social media post this month. Sacha Baron Cohen gives a speech at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 23 2023. Credit - Anti-Defamation League Comedian and advocate Sacha Baron Cohen gave a speech at the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington Saturday, asking people to choose truth and empathy over lies and hate. Here is the full text of the speech, as prepared. Reverend Sharpton, members of the King familythank you for inviting me to join you today. This is an incredible honor. Im indebted to the legacy of Dr. King and the work of the King Center. When I was a 19-year-old university student doing my thesis on the civil rights movement, I visited Atlanta and stayed at the historic Butler Street YMCA. Ive never forgotten how I was welcomed by the staff of the King Center and the people of Atlanta. More From TIME There, I learned about how Black Americans and Jewish Americansand people of so many faithslinked arms together, went to jail together, sacrificed their lives together, and achieved historic victories together for civil rights. Their brave alliance teaches a powerful lesson that we can never forget: when we are united, we can hasten the dayas Dr. King proclaimedwhen all of Gods children will be able to walk the earth in decency and honor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The power of our unity is exactly why those who stand in the way of equality and freedom seek to divide us. They appeal to the worst instincts of humanity, which often simmer just below the surface. Ive seen it in my own work. As Borat, the first fake news journalist, I interviewed some college studentsthree young white men in their ballcaps and polo shirts. It only took a few drinks, and soon they were telling me what they really believed. They asked if, in my country, women are slaves. They talked about how, here in the U.S., the Jews have the upper hand. When I asked, do you have slaves in America?, they replied, we wish! We should have slaves, one said, it would be a better country. Those young men made a choice. They chose to believe some of the oldest and most vile lies that are at the root of all hate. And so it pains me that we have to say it yet again. The idea that people of color are inferior is a lie. The idea that Jews are dangerous and all-powerful is a lie. The idea that women are not equal to men is a lie. The idea that queer people are a threat to our children is a lie. At other times, Ive seen people make a different choice. As Borat, I once got an entire bar in Arizona to sing, Throw the Jew down the wellwhich revealed peoples indifference to anti-Semitism. But when I tried to film that same exact scene at a bar in Nashville, something different happened. People started to boo. And then they chased me right out of that bar. Those people made the choice that brings us all here todaythey chose to belief the truth: the truth that we are all deserving of respect, dignity, and equality, no matter who we are, what we look like, how we pray, or who we love. We always have a choice. Today, the choices we make are more important than ever because the forces of hate have a new weapon that was not available in 1963social media. These social media platforms deliberately amplify content that triggers outrage and fear, including fear of the other. This technology gives an advantage to the intolerant. Theyve gone from Klan rallies to chat rooms, from marches to message boards. Its how they spread their filth, recruit new members, and plan their attacks. And weve all seen the deadly results. A surge in hate crimes. The murder of religious and ethnic minorities. And, on the other end of this Mall, an attack on democracy itselfhate and violence that should have no place in our pluralistic societies. Today, we make a different choiceand we call on people everywhere to join us in standing up to hate, conspiracies, and lies, especially on social media. To every person online, when someone tries to blame the problems of the world on vulnerable groups, dont believe it. Dont click on the conspiracy. Dont like the lie. Learn the facts. Educationas Nelson Mandela saidis the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. To every corporation that advertises on social media, these platforms cannot survive without your dollars. Without your revenue, racist influencers cannot spew the lie that immigrants and people of color are trying to replace white Christians. Corporationspull your ads from platforms that spread racism, hate, and bigotry. To every social media CEO who has gotten rich off algorithms that help fuel the mental health crisis among our children and the polarization of our societieschange your business model. Stop hate for profit. For once, use the billions of dollars youve made to build a product that is not toxic, but safe. Finally, to elected officials Here in the United States, its been nearly 30 years since Congress passed meaningful internet regulations, in large part because social media companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars blocking them. Meanwhile, from Pittsburgh to Buffalo and now Cedar Glen, hate in the virtual world kills in the real world. How many more people have to die? Congress, its time to hold these social media companies accountable for the harm they cause. We always have a choice. Today, as others spread lies, we choose truth. As others stoke conspiracies, we choose facts. As others fuel hate and division, we choose the empathy and the unity that allows us to make progress together, for equality, for decency, and for democracy, especially here in U, S, and A. Thank you all very much. Contact us at letters@time.com. Get ready for some more heat, San Luis Obispo County. A heatwave is expected to roll into the area beginning Sunday through Wednesday. Excessive heat watches were issued by the National Weather Service for inland areas throughout the Central Coast from San Miguel south to Santa Maria and Cuyama. Temperatures in the inland areas are expected to rise up to the low 100 degrees. On the coast and in San Luis Obispo, expect temperatures in the mid 70 degrees to low 90 degrees, according to the National Weather Services Friday forecast. San Miguel will see temperatures up to 100 degrees on Sunday, 106 degrees on Monday, 107 degrees on Tuesday and 106 degrees on Wednesday, the Weather Service predicted. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Those in Paso Robles can expect highs of 99 degrees on Sunday rising to 105 on Monday, 106 on Tuesday and 104 on Wednesday, according to the Weather Service. With a high of 95 degrees on Sunday, Atascadero residents will see temperatures rise on Monday to 103 degrees, 104 degrees on Tuesday and 100 degrees on Wednesday. In San Luis Obispo, temperatures will be notably cooler: A high of 86 degrees is forecast for Sunday, followed by 90 degrees on Monday, 91 on Tuesday and 87 on Wednesday. It may be smart to head to the beach during the heat next week as coastal areas such as Morro Bay, Pismo Beach and Avila Beach are not expected to see temperatures over 80 degrees, according to the Weather Service. Since this is normally the hottest time of the year for the Central Coast, temperature records arent expected to be broken, the Weather Service said. HEADS UP!!! EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCHES in effect Mon-Tue - Mountains - Valleys - Inland coastal plain Details: - Highs 100-110 Valleys and Mountains - Highs 90-100 Inland Coastal Plain - Overnight lows in the 70s to mid 80s - Elevated #FireWx conditions#CAwx pic.twitter.com/nlw8VEE1KZ NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) August 25, 2023 How to stay cool in the heat Cooling centers are open at public libraries and senior centers in the region. To avoid heat-related illnesses, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department advises that residents stay in air-conditioned buildings as much as possible. People should avoid exercising or working outdoors during the hottest times of day, the department advised. While outdoors, wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. Keeping a spray bottle of water in the fridge can help you cool down quickly from the heat, and its smart to drink more water than youd normally drink, the department said. MANILA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos has ordered the government to intensify the drive against human trafficking, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said on Saturday. At a media forum, Justice Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said Marcos has given "specific instructions" to strengthen measures to crack down on human trafficking. The Southeast Asian country continues to grapple with Filipinos falling victim to syndicates smuggling people out of the country in the guise of lucrative work. The Bureau of Immigration has barred nearly 14,000 Filipinos from leaving the country at airports from January to May this year, according to official data. Clavano said Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos are hotspots for illegal trafficking victims. "Our population is very migratory," Clavano said, adding that around 10 percent of the population seeks to find job opportunities abroad, which complicates the regulations on human trafficking. The solution is to create more jobs in the Philippines and to limit the opportunities for human trafficking, he added. Meanwhile, the Philippines is working with its Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) partners to strengthen cooperation against transnational crime. "We engage with our counterparts from different countries so that we can gather the best practices and we can also keep up with the trends in the trafficking industry or area," Clavano said. Marcos is expected to raise the issue at the ASEAN summit in Indonesia next month, Clavano added. Tied 4-4 with the Baltimore Orioles going into the final frame in the 2019 regular-season finale, Rafael Devers slapped a grounder a Baltimore fielder could only bat into right field. Like much of his Boston tenure, it was Betts leading the way, sprinting all the way from first base, crossing home with a slide and a simultaneous roar with the frenzied fans. A lot has happened in between but on Friday, Betts once again brought the Fenway Faithful to their feet. Fans showered the 2018 Al MVP and World Series with a chorus of cheers and in his first appearance in Boston since the 2020 trade that shipped him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. "Now batting, number 50, Mookie Betts." For the first time since September 30, 2019, @MookieBetts returns to Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/1QuDE0n3Lc MLB (@MLB) August 25, 2023 The 30-year-old outfielder has added to his trophy case in Hollywood, helping the Dodgers win their first World Series in 32 years in 2020. Betts has been selected to the MLB All-Star Game each and every year in Dodgerland, aside from the COVID-shortened and ASG-less 2020 season. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Betts arrived in Boston touting the best slugging percentage and OPS in the National League. Already the proud owner of four Gold Gloves earned for patrolling Fenways unconventional outfield, Betts has played the outfield, second base and shortstop for the Dodgers this year, plugging holes for the defense every time a fielder has landed on the IL. If not for Ronald Acuna Jr,s pursuit of MLBs first 40-home run, 70-stolen base season, Betts would be the running favorite to join an illustrious and limited club of players who have been named MVP in both the AL and NL. Whether Betts was always destined to finish his career in a non-Boston uniform or whether Red Sox ownership didnt properly extend themselves to retain him has been a point of contention among fans since the franchise-altering trade. Betts has publicly denied ever being offered a 10-year, $300 contract by the Red Sox. Betts signed a 12-year, $365,000,000 deal with the Dodgers in 2020. 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 Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich , who has been jailed in Russia on espionage charges since March, has appealed the extension of his pretrial detention, court documents showed Saturday. Gershkovichs detention was extended Thursday and is now scheduled to last until November, eight months after he was detained during a work trip to Yekaterinburg, in central Russia. An attempt to appeal his current detention was denied earlier this summer. He is the first American journalist jailed on espionage charges in the country since the Soviet Union era. His detention was scheduled to end on Aug. 30, and the Moscow courts decision to extend this week drew ire from U.S. diplomats and the Journal. U.S. officials have stated that he is wrongfully detained. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Journal said in a statement that Gershkovichs detention was improper and for doing his job as a journalist. The baseless accusations against him are categorically false, and we continue to push for his immediate release, the statement reads. Journalism is not a crime. President Biden has stated his intent to get Gershkovich out of Russia via a prisoner swap. Im serious about a prisoner exchange, Biden told reporters in Helsinki during a joint press conference with the Finnish president in July. Im serious about doing all we can to free Americans who are being illegally held in Russia or anywhere else for that matter and that process is underway, he added. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A real estate reporter for The New York Times, Stefanos Chen (@stefanoschen), recently tweeted a link to an article he wrote about how office furniture in NYC has been caught in pandemic limbo. According to Chen, about three years after the COVID-19 crisis began, approximately half of the office space in the Big Apple has raised existential, economic, and cultural questions. Tons of fancy office furniture has been moldering in storage since the start of Covid. Its next appointment: the jaws of an excavatorhttps://t.co/aHW2XqRidX pic.twitter.com/2xwP3DR4li Stefanos Chen (@stefanoschen) July 10, 2023 Chen said much of the unused furniture has headed to the auction block, a liquidator, or a landfill, the latter of which is its most likely destination. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He also stated that around 2,000 midsize companies in the region, from law firms to tech startups, have stored office equipment in [Dumbo Moving and Storage]s three New Jersey warehouses since the onset of the pandemic. Lior Rachmany, the chief executive of Dumbo, told the Times that [we have] never seen so many Herman Miller chairs, referring to the prestigious brand of furniture. In 2018, about 12 million tons of furniture ended up as waste in the U.S. alone. Around 80% of this furniture has ended up in landfills. On a global scale, as countries and cities become more developed and grow in population, the amount of waste they produce is expected to increase. According to the World Bank, the waste generated is predicted to go up from almost 2.2 billion tons in 2016 to close to 3.7 billion tons in 2050. Right now, at least 33% of this waste is not properly managed and is either dumped in open areas or burned, and that includes furniture waste. According to David Esterlit, the owner of OHR Home Office Solutions, a New York City-based refurbishing company, the amount of waste in this industry would boggle your mind. For individuals, an effective way of reducing furniture waste is to donate your furnishings instead of throwing it away. Conversely, we can also find secondhand furniture instead of buying it new you can sometimes get lucky and find amazing deals at thrift shops. People had plenty to say about Chens post. Thanks for the great piece, Stefanos, and for bringing attention to the problem weve been working on for more than a decade! replied Green Standards (@GreenStandards), a company that redistributes used office furniture and equipment. Really frustrating. I have to believe that most high schools would be so grateful to have these chairs I know I would! added Twitter user Jody Hackmeyer (@NJDawgteach). Join our free newsletter for cool news and actionable info that makes it easy to help yourself while helping the planet. Pauline Bawej, whose daughter Mali is now three, said she was devastated by the ordeal - Solent A restaurant manager whose boss told her you will be terminated after she revealed she was pregnant has won a payout of more than 35,000. Paulina Bawej, 32, was first told by her manager she must take a pay cut of 4,000 before receiving threatening messages and then being fired, an employment tribunal heard. Ms Bawej, who represented herself, has now been awarded 35,492 in compensation after successfully suing for pregnancy discrimination and unfair dismissal. Shocked by the news The company that employed her, Huangs Grill, runs Japanese restaurants Sushinoen, in Whitechapel, east London, and Taisho, in Golders Green, north London. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The tribunal heard Ms Bawej was employed as assistant manager from July 2018. Ms Bawej told her boss she was expecting a child shortly after she had learned she was pregnant in February 2019. But Mr Huang was reportedly shocked by the news and said he needed to consult co-manager Ms Kim. The 32-year-old expectant mother was then forced to relocate from Taisho to the Sushinoen restaurant. Ms Bawej asked to split her time between the two restaurants but Ms Kim abruptly refused. The restaurant manager then suggested Ms Bawej had her pay cut by 4,000. You will be terminated 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. 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. Its up to you. If you want come welcome, if not is fine. Ms Bawej, whose daughter Mali is now three, said she was devastated by the ordeal and has since given up on her hospitality career. At the Watford Employment Tribunal, Gary Tobin, employment judge, said the use of the word terminated was a threat to Ms Bawej. No proper explanation Judge Tobin also resoundingly rejected Mr Huangs argument that she was sacked due to redundancy, which he said was a made-up excuse. He said: No other explanation fits the sequence of events or appears plausible. Huangs Grill has provided no proper explanation as to Ms Bawejs dismissal. She was not dismissed for poor performance or misconduct as originally contended. This was not a 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. 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. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has vowed to hand in his resignation if accusations of the ministry procuring summer jackets instead of winter ones are accurate, Reznikov told NV on Aug. 25. Read also: Ukraine will prevail against Russia but cost in lives will be high, says Reznikov I propose a wager: if it turns out that the Ministry of Defense really ordered 180,000 summer jackets instead of winter ones, then I, Oleksii Reznikov, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, will tender my resignation, he said in a comment to NV. If it turns out to be false, Reznikov suggested that MP Anastasia Radina should leave her post and journalist Mykhailo Tkach of Ukrainska Pravda to resign. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I invite the parliamentary Ethics Committee and the Journalistic Ethics Commission as judges and respectable Ukrainian media as observers to this wager, the minister added. Read also: Defense Minister Reznikov shows off new Canadian armored vehicles The minister also promised to provide "all documents, evidence, facts, and materials" related to the case, to settle the matter conclusively. Read also: Reznikov on way out?, Taurus missiles, Russia murders two musicians in Zaporizhzhya On Aug. 11, Ukrainian newspaper ZN.ua published an investigation stating that the Ministry of Defense had signed a contract with a Turkish firm to provide winter clothing for the military in the fall of 2022. The ordered jackets that were initially "camouflage" became "winter insulated" and tripled in price. Read also: Ukrainian military recruitment offices to gain access to state records Reznikov From the documents, it is shown that 4,900 jackets (and trousers), initially valued at a total of $142,000, were later marked with a price of $421,000. The price per "camouflage" jacket increased from $29 to $86 for "winter insulated" jackets. Reznikov later asserted that the purchased jackets were indeed winter ones. He stated that "the jackets will soon be shown". 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 missing Warren man is presumed slain, and police investigators said they have enough evidence to charge two people, including the man's roommate, with murder or related charges in the case. James Wilkins, 27, a father and football coach, was reported missing from his apartment June 9 by family and friends. Police described the circumstances as "suspicious," and investigators suspected foul play in what is believed to be the Warren's only homicide so far this year. Police searched Wilkins' apartment and and a vehicle associated with his roommate. They found a recently patched bullet hole in a wall inside his apartment and found what they suspected was blood. They also obtained evidence that indicated his roommate rented cleaning equipment and bought additional cleaning supplies from a local hardware store on the day Wilkins disappeared, according to a release Friday. Police have yet to locate Wilkins or his body, but said they had enough evidence to go to the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, which authorized charges. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer said in the release that teams of investigators spent weeks gathering evidence and searching for Wilkins, who didn't show up for work and for whom police conducted a welfare check. Police cite strong evidence in pushing charges Dwyer told the Free Press that it is difficult to get a warrant for first-degree murder when no remains have been found. Authorities said they believe Wilkins was shot in the apartment. "Even though this is still an active investigation, I can tell you that the evidence obtained to date is very compelling against the two suspects. The fact that the charge of first-degree murder was obtained despite Mr. Wilkins body not yet being located speaks to the quality of the investigation and the quantity of critical evidence," he said in a release. Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer, center, speaks at Warren Police headquarters during a June 28, 2023 press conference about an unrelated case. "A life was cut short in the very dwelling that should have been a safe place. My office will stand as the voice of the victim, to recount the betrayal, and expose the acts that stole this victim's life and destroyed a family, Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a release. The two suspects were taken into custody without incident Thursday in Detroit and were arraigned Friday in 37th District Court in Warren, where police said not guilty pleas were entered. Suspects aren't talking, police say Wilkins' roommate, Donald Renfroe, is charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of an individual and a felony firearm offense. Police said he is 27 years old, but the prosecutor's office and district court records list his age as 24. Renfroe's friend, Darius Glenn, 28, is charged with tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact to a felony, according to police. The prosecutor's office and district court records also include a charge of concealing the death of an individual. More: Warren police arrest more than 400 in biggest enforcement sweep in department history More: Former Warren police officer charged in beating at city jail Dwyer said neither Renfroe, a longtime friend of Wilkins, nor Glenn, had made statements to investigators. He said police believe Wilkins and Renfroe argued and the shooting occurred in the apartment, though no one reported hearing anything. Police said the investigation revealed Renfroe allegedly contacted and worked with Glenn to clean out Wilkins' apartment and "likely dispose" of Wilkins' body. Renfroe fled to Ohio, where he was arrested on unrelated charges and extradited to Michigan. They said bond was posted as the missing persons investigation continued, including detectives analyzing evidence and executing additional search warrants. Search for the body continues Detectives also seized several handguns belonging to Renfroe. Dwyer said they believe one of the handguns was used in the the homicide. Dwyer said investigators are continuing to follow leads on the location of Wilkins body. He told the Free Press that investigators have searched different areas for the body, but would not say where. "I know the men and women of this department will continue to work this case in the hopes of locating Mr. Wilkins body so that his family can have some closure," he said in a release. Authorities said Renfroe was denied bond and Glenn was ordered held on a $1 million bond with a GPS tether if he posts bond. They have probable cause conferences Sept. 7 and preliminary exams Sept. 14. Both have no criminal history, police said. Police continue to investigate and said charges will be sought against anyone else who is found to have played a role in the disappearance or cover-up of Wilkins' death. Anyone with information about Wilkins' disappearance or a gold Mercury Sable station wagon police said is linked to one of the suspects can call Warren Police at 586-574-4781 or email the detective at pkulisek@warrenpd.org. Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Support local journalism. Subscribe to the Free Press. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Roommate charged with murder in Warren; victim's body not been found Russian forces launched 19 attacks at communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Aug. 25, causing a total of 164 explosions, local military administration reported on Telegram. The Russian military shelled six communities, inlcuding Esman, Krasnopillia, Bilopillia, Khotin, Seredyna-Buda and Shalyhyne. Multiple weapons were deployed against the region over the course of the day, including mortars, tanks, artillery, and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the Ukrainian military. The Shalyhyne community was attacked the most with 38 explosions reported over the past day. There were no casualties or damage to civilian infrastructure. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 24, the Russian army fired 39 times at the settlements of Sumy Oblast. There were 269 explosions. Bilopillia and Khotin communities was attacked with drones and mortars but no damages were reported. Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks from across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Moscow is considering mobilizing 450,000 more people into its military, Ukrainian Defense Intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with RFE/RL on Aug. 25. He further stated that covert mobilization in Russia continues uninterrupted. Read also: Liberation of Crimea slower than expected, admits intelligence chief Budanov From 20,000 to 22,000 are being called up each month for mobilization, said Budanov. Now they are considering the option, it's not yet fully decided, to call up an additional 450,000. This in itself raises the question: why such a number if the losses, as they say, are insignificant? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A covert yet comprehensive mobilization campaign is ongoing in Russia, where approximately 20,000 men are being conscripted into the Russian army every month, according to Ukrainian Defense Intelligence spokesman Andriy Yusov. Read also: Mobilization expansion cannot be ruled out, Zelenskyy suggests On Aug. 18, Yusov said that the Kremlin's actions amount to compulsory mobilization. Those who have recently acquired Russian citizenship are often the first to be mobilized. Read also: Macron hopes Ukrainian counter-offensive may restart peace talks on Kyiv's terms Earlier, Russia amended its law to increase the conscription age ceiling. Men aged 18 to 30 are now subject to service, rather than 18 to 27. According to a Bloomberg report from March 24, Russia intends to enlist an additional 400,000 contract soldiers following its unsuccessful winter offensive in 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 Russia has recovered 10 bodies and flight recorders from the ill-fated plane carrying Wagner chief and his allies which crashed on Wednesday, officials said. An investigative committee is carrying out molecular genetic testing to identify the bodies from the crash site, officials said on Friday. The jet crashed soon after taking off from Moscow for St Petersburg. It was believed to be carrying the powerful mercenary groups chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, six other Wagner members, and a crew of three, Russias civil aviation authority said. Rescue workers found 10 bodies at the spot of the jets remains, the Russian media reported citing anonymous sources from Wagner group which confirmed that their top leader was dead. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The officials have not confirmed the identities of the 10 bodies recovered from the wreckage. Russian investigators have opened a probe into what happened. However, they have not yet said what was the suspected cause leading to the planes to suddenly fall from the sky. A video of the crash showed the plane spinning and falling from several metres high altitude as smoke emanated from it. Prigozhin was also listed among those aboard the private plane flying northwest of Moscow. The crash has no survivors and comes exactly two months after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against army chiefs. While there has been no official confirmation of Prigozhins death, he has been eulogised by president Vladimir Putin who sent his condolences to the families of those killed in the crash on Thursday and spoke of Prigozhin in the past tense. Citing preliminary information, the Russian president condoled the death of Prigozhin and his top Wagner associates. While praising Prigozhin, Mr Putin said he also made some "serious mistakes" without elaborating on them. Western politicians and commentators have suggested, without presenting evidence, that the Russian leader ordered Prigozhin to be killed to punish him for launching the June mutiny against the armys leadership which also represented the biggest challenge to Mr Putins rule since he came to power in 1999. British military intelligence said on Friday there was not yet definitive proof that Prigozhin had been onboard but that it was "highly likely" he was dead. The Pentagon has said its own initial assessment is that Prigozhin was killed. A newly-developed Ukrainian missile successfully destroyed the Russian S-400 Triumf system in Russian-occupied Crimea, Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, said during an interview with Ukrainian Radio on Aug. 26. He described the operation as absolutely flawless. Danilov emphasized the cutting-edge nature of the missile used, without divulging specific details. Read also: Neptune anti-ship missile struck Russian S-400 radar in Crimea report The missile was new, absolutely modern, and state-of-the-art, he stated. Yes, this is our latest product, which performed impeccably. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 23, the Ukrainian militarys Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) confirmed the destruction of the Russian Triumf S-400 anti-aircraft missile system at Cape Tarkhankut in occupied Crimea. Early that same morning, reports of a significant explosion in Crimea surfaced on Telegram channels. An NV source from the intelligence claimed that Ukrainian forces had targeted the air defense system near the village of Olenivka on the Tarkhankut Peninsula. Read also: Ukraine destroys S-400 launcher used by Russians to attack Kramatorsk Stratcom Petro Andriushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of Mariupol, also reported damage to the Russian Bastion coastal missile complex. Additionally, there were reports of damaged radar stations at Cape Tarkhankut. The S-400 Triumf, previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system developed in the 1990s by Russia as an upgrade to the S-300 family. The S-400 went into service on 28 April 2007. 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 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan) URUMQI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged firmly grasping the strategic positioning of Xinjiang in the overall national situation and better building a beautiful Xinjiang in the process of pursuing Chinese modernization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when he was briefed in Urumqi about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech when he is briefed about the work of the Party committee and government of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 26, 2023. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) Two civilians were injured in Kherson as a result of Russian shelling during the day, the Kherson Oblast Military Administration reported on Aug. 26. Russian forces targeted the city center, injuring one 41-year-old woman, who was hospitalized, and another 70-year-old woman, who was treated at the scene. Earlier in the day, Oleksandr Prokudin, Kherson Oblast Governor, reported that Russian forces had hit the southern region 74 times over the past day. Russian attacks with multiple rocket launchers, mortars, tanks, loitering munitions, and conducted airstrikes damaged residential areas, critical infrastructure, educational facilities, a poultry farm, and a shop. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Prokudin later said on Aug. 26 that Russian overnight shelling had killed an 83-year-old woman in Olhivka. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian forces attacked over 100 settlements across seven Ukrainian regions, killing three civilians and injuring at least four others over the past day, regional authorities reported on Aug. 26. Over the past day, Russian forces attacked 26 settlements in southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, killing one civilian and injuring another in Mala Tokmachka village, Governor Yurii Malashko said in a Telegram post on Aug. 26. Russian forces hit the region 86 times with multiple rocket launchers, artillery, drones, missiles, and airstrikes, according to the report. In Kharkiv Oblast, two people were killed and one injured by a Russian artillery strike on the village of Podoly, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Aug. 26. Settlements in the districts of Izium and Kupiansk were also targeted damaging a farm, a house, and a gas pipeline, Syniehubov reported earlier. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Meanwhile, the Air Force said on Aug. 26 that it downed two Shahed loitering munitions in Kharkiv Oblast on the evening of Aug. 25. Russian attacks on Dnipropetrovsk Oblast over the past day killed one civilian in Nikopol, according to Governor Serhii Lysak. The attacks damaged houses, cars, power lines, and the gap pipeline. In Donetsk Oblast, Russian attacks injured one civilian over the past day, Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko reported on Aug. 26. The attacks also damaged houses, residential buildings, farm equipment, and a power line. Oleksandr Prokudin, Kherson Oblast Governor, reported on Aug. 26 that Russian forces hit the southern region 74 times over the past day, injuring one civilian. Russian attacks with multiple rocket launchers, mortars, tanks, loitering munitions, and conducted airstrikes damaged residential areas, critical infrastructure, educational facilities, a poultry farm, and a shop. Prokudin later said that Russian overnight shelling killed an 83-year-old woman in Olhivka. Russian forces also attacked northern Sumy and Chernihiv oblasts 13 times over the past day, Ukraine's Northern Command reported on Aug. 26. Sumy Oblast Military Administration also reported that Russian forces attacked the region three times overnight and on the morning of Aug. 26 with grenade launchers and mortars. No casualties were reported in either region. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia deploys drones against Ukraine; air defense intercepts and destroys both UAVs Air raid alarms sounded six times on Aug. 25, as Russia launched a number of MiG-31K jet fighters, as well as two Shahed-136/131 strike drones, the Ukrainian Air Force reported in Telegram. The UAVs were launched from the southeast direction. Both targets were successfully shot down by air defense over eastern Kharkiv Oblast. Meanwhile, takeoffs of Russian MiG-31K fighter jets from the Savasleyka air base in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast caused the numerous air raid alarms, as these aircraft can be equipped with hypersonic Kh-47 Kinzhal missile. No launches of this missile was detected, however, the military noted. Read also: What can stop Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Previously, Natalia Humeniuk, press spokesperson for the Ukrainian militarys Operational Command South, explained that the increasing number of MiG fighter takeoffs is due to the enemy testing Ukrainian air defense capabilities. 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 Governor of Russia's Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed that at around 2 p.m. on Aug. 26, Russian air defenses downed a drone approaching the city of Belgorod. Later in the day, Gladkov claimed that a Ukrainian drone had targeted the village of Shchetinovka in the oblast, killing a civilian man. Ukraine has neither claimed nor denied responsibility for the drone attack. The city of Belgorod is located less than 35 kilometers from Ukraines border. Multiple isolated drone attacks have occurred on Russian soil since Moscow unleashed its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in late February last year. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement These attacks appear to primarily focus on disrupting the infrastructure that supports the logistics of the Russian military. Kyiv has not claimed responsibility for most of these attacks. On Aug. 20 Gladkov claimed 12 drones were shot down approaching Belgorod. His claims, however, contradicted the Russian Defense Ministry's claim that air defense had shot down three Ukrainian loitering munitions over the Belgorod region in an alleged two-wave attack on the same day. Read also: Official: New Ukrainian-made missile used to strike Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary group Rusich refuses to fight in Ukraine in protest at Kremlin's lack of help in freeing its leader who has been arrested in Finland on war crimes charges A Russian neo-Nazi paramilitary group that supported the Wagner mercenary rebellion has announced it will no longer fight in Ukraine, accusing the Kremlin of abandoning its leader. The group, called Rusich, said that its leader Yan Petrovsky was arrested last month when he tried to pass through Helsinki airport and that Russian diplomats have ignored his pleas for help. Since July 20, Yan Petrovsky has not been visited by either the Russian consul or a lawyer. The Slav is threatened with extradition to Ukraine either directly or through a third country in a fictitious criminal case, it said, using Petrokvskys military call sign. Rusich stops performing any combat missions, it said on its Telegram channel. If a country cannot protect its citizens, then why should citizens defend the country? ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Petrovsky has been accused of war crimes and Ukrainian officials want to put him on trial. Rusich was set up in 2014 and is open about its pro-Nazi views. Even alongside Wagner, it was known for its brutality. In April Rusich posted a video on its Telegram channel of a Ukrainian prisoner being beheaded with a knife. Its leaders have also filmed themselves killing puppies. Rusich has criticised the Russian ministry of defences handling of its invasion of Ukraine and, although it wasnt directly involved, it supported Wagners rebellion in June that was called off 120 miles from Moscow. After the death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin this week in a plane crash widely blamed on Vladimir Putin, Rusich said: Let this be a lesson to you all. You always have to go all the way. Since the Wagner rebellion, the Kremlin appears to have begun a crackdown on Russian mercenary and paramilitary groups. Wagners camp in Belarus is being dismantled and its former fighters are being made to pledge their allegiance to Putin. Rusich also said that two Ukrainian intelligence officers had already interrogated Petrovsky in Finland. It remains incomprehensible (actually understandable) why our diplomatic wing in Finland is engaged in sabotage, turning a blind eye to the detention and interrogation of citizens by intelligence officers of the country that we are actually fighting a war against, it said. 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 troops launched 28 attacks at communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Aug. 26, causing a total of 147 explosions, the local military administration reported on Telegram. Ten communities came under attack, including Krasnopillia, Nova Sloboda, Putyvl, Velyka Pysarivka, Yunakivka, Bilopillia, Shalyhyne, Khotin, Esman and Seredyna-Buda. According to the authorities, a Russian helicopter launched an airstrike at the Esman community, damaging a grain depot there. Other communities were attacked with mortars, drones, artillery, and grenade launchers. No casualties have been reported yet. Sumy Oblast is located on Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia. It has been the target of daily Russian shelling and attacks from across the border since parts of the oblast were liberated from Russian troops in early April 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 25, Russian troops attacked six communities in Sumy Oblast, launching a total of 19 attacks. Read also: Official: New Ukrainian-made missile used to strike Crimea Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Two women have been injured as a result of a Russian attack on Kherson. Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The Russian army pummelled the centre of Kherson during the day. A 41-year-old woman was injured. She was taken to the hospital with a contusion and leg injuries. Another victim is a 70-year-old woman. She has suffered minor injuries. Doctors provided her with the necessary assistance on the spot." Details: Earlier, the Oblast Military Administration reported that the Russians attacked a hospital in Kherson on Saturday. A hospital's building was damaged, doors and 17 windows were broken. 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! Sergei Sobyanin, Mayor of Moscow, claims that on the night of 26 August, Russian air defence forces shot down a drone on the outskirts of Moscow. Source: Sobyanin on Telegram Quote: "Tonight, air defence forces destroyed a drone on approach to Moscow in the Istra district." Details: According to Sobyanin, no civilians were injured or infrastructure damaged as a result of the UAV attack. 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! Russian troops attacked the city of Kherson on Saturday, 26 August, hitting a business, and wounding a man. Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration Quote: "The Russian army attacked Kherson. They hit one of the businesses. A 34-year-old man was wounded. He was taken to the hospital in a moderate condition. Doctors are providing him with necessary assistance and conducting additional examinations." Background: On Saturday, 26 August, two women were wounded as a result of a Russian attack on Kherson. 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! Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, has said that Russian forces attacked Kupiansk district on the morning of 26 August, hitting a cafe, and at least two people have been killed. Source: Syniehubov on Telegram Quote: "The occupiers attacked Kupiansk district. As medics informed us, two people were killed in the village of Podoly, and one more was wounded. The enemy hit a civilian object a cafe, where local residents were at the moment." Details: Emergency services are working at the scene. Information about the killed and wounded is being confirmed. 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! This photo taken on Aug. 26, 2023 shows clouds of smoke rising from a post belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a drone attack launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Khartoum, Sudan. The SAF bombarded several RSF posts south of Khartoum, using warplanes and artillery missiles. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, which has left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. (Xinhua) KHARTOUM, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A massive explosion hit the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Saturday amid conflicting information about its causes and precise location. Fire and thick smoke rose above the central area of Khartoum, where major institutions such as the airport, the presidential palace, and the General Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) were stationed. An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the explosion occurred in a jet fuel storehouse inside Khartoum International Airport after a fire broke out there, while another eyewitness said it took place near the presidential palace in central Khartoum. The clashes between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued on Saturday in various areas of the capital. The SAF bombarded several RSF posts south of Khartoum, using warplanes and artillery missiles. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, which has left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. More than 4 million people have fled their homes, with 3.2 million displaced internally and close to 900,000 seeking asylum in Chad, Egypt, South Sudan and other countries, according to the latest UN estimates. This photo taken on Aug. 26, 2023 shows clouds of smoke rising from a post belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a drone attack launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Khartoum, Sudan. The SAF bombarded several RSF posts south of Khartoum, using warplanes and artillery missiles. Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the SAF and the RSF since April 15, which has left over 3,000 people killed and more than 6,000 injured, according to the Sudanese Health Ministry. (Xinhua) Ukraine is now believed to be one of the most mined country in the world since the Russia invasion. It could takes years to clear the minefields, allowing them to get more buried under dirt and snow. The demand for prosthetics and therapy could also overwhelm Ukraine long after the fighting stops. Russia's prolific use of land mines has indiscriminately maimed Ukrainians and hamstrung Western tanks, but the challenges posed by the minefields won't end once the war does. "I highly doubt the Russians will ever tell the rest of the world where all the mines were laid," Dr. Aaron Epstein, a former defense contractor and doctor with expertise in military medicine, told Insider. "It's going to be a really unfortunate, nasty discovery process." An organization Epstein founded, the Global Surgical and Medical Support Group, sent physicians to Ukraine last year to train military medics, physicians, surgeons, and even civilians on how to treat combat injuries. GSMSG ran combat casualty care courses out of gymnasiums and schools for a hundred people at a time and gave Ukrainian surgeons with other specializations crash courses in how to be trauma surgeons. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Some of the worst injuries coming out of the war have been amputations, many caused by the countless land mines Russia placed across broad swaths of Ukraine. Ukraine is now one of the most mined countries in the world, with an area roughly the size of Florida littered with the weapons, according to The Washington Post, which cited data from the Ukrainian government and from an independent organization. The minefields have posed issues for the much-anticipated counteroffensive that Ukraine launched in June. Western tanks have struggled to advance through them, with some getting so badly damaged that Ukrainian soldiers were abandoning them and proceeding on foot, according to a top Ukrainian general. "What Russia did throughout the war was just scatter these things everywhere," Epstein said, adding Russia has tiny mines purposefully made to look like leaves that can barely even be spotted on the ground. "You step on it, it kind of blows your foot off and it doesn't kill you, but it maims you." The use of anti-personnel land mines in war was banned by the 1997 Mine Ban Convention . Despite having signed the treaty, Ukraine has been accused by Human Rights Watch of using banned "butterfly" mines against Russia. Russia, on the other hand, has never signed on to the treaty, nor has the US. Even if the war ended tomorrow, it would take years of tedious, dangerous work to clear the minefields, but the longer it drags on, the worse the situation gets. Epstein said that the mines are only going to get more and more buried under dirt and snow. "Even if a city is liberated, it will take a very long time to just make it so it's really safe to live there," he said. For all the towns, fields, and farmlands where mines have potentially been laid, he said there will also be a difficult question to answer: "How deep do we need to scrape the surface of the Earth to really make these places safe to live?" It could be several years before the mine-clearing operations make it safe in some areas of Ukraine. At that point, even scraping away the top three feet of dirt might not be enough to feel safe, he said. What if the mines are now buried six feet underground? Or eight? Serhii, a Ukrainian soldier who lost a leg from a land mine while fighting in Ukraine, is assisted by Rebecca Gonzalez at the physical therapy department at Staten Island University Hospital on July 21, 2023 in New York City. The soldier, who is preparing to return to the war against Russia, was brought to New York through a program with the non-profit Kind Deeds. Spencer Platt/Getty Images The other long-term issue mines pose for Ukraine is the care that's going to be required for those who have been injured. Between 20,000 to 50,000 Ukrainians are estimated to have had an amputation since Russia invaded, reaching levels not seen since World War I, according to The Wall Street Journal. While Epstein said Ukraine has a good medical system, the demand for care will likely be overwhelming. "The prosthetics and the prosthetic therapy services that are going to be required for this population are going to be something on the scale that the US military has for all of the veteran populations," Epstein said, noting the US dwarves Ukraine in population size and GDP. Ukraine might simply not have enough resources for everyone who needs it. There are also the psychological services and therapy that many Ukrainians will need, even those who have not been physically injured, after living under the fear of Russian artillery fire and trying to dodge mines placed in everyday items like toys and refrigerators. Tanisha Fazal, a professor at the University of Minnesota who studies medical care in war, told Insider that war-induced psychological trauma is a hidden cost of war that often gets overlooked. The issue has been compounded in recent decades because advancements in medical care mean people are "surviving injuries they would not have survived in the past," she said. Right now Ukrainians are, understandably, focused on the present, or winning the war and treating the wounded, but injuries like amputations are going to be a "long term-cost of war for the Ukrainians." "This is something that's going to have to be part of rebuilding in Ukraine, dealing with veterans but also I think probably civilians with serious wartime injuries, both physical and mental," she said. Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at kvlamis@insider.com. Read the original article on Business Insider A new record may have just been set for the fastest-moving sloth in the world. And not just any sloth a three-toed sloth. "It is a three-toed sloth, not a two-toed sloth, because apparently that would be too fast for me," said Crew-7 pilot Andreas "Andy" Mogensen, a Danish astronaut with the European Space Agency (ESA), from on board SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft "Endurance," which was launched from Florida early Saturday morning (Aug. 26). Now on his way to a six-month stay on the International Space Station, Mogensen, together with his three crewmates Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Satoshi Furukawa with JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) and Konstantin Borisov of Russia's federal space corporation Roscosmos, are in Earth orbit traveling 17,500 mph (28,200 kph). As is "Sasha" the sloth. The average speed of a three-toed sloth (on Earth) is 0.15 miles per hour (0.24 km/h). Wild Republic EcoKins Mini Sloth: $13.33 at Amazon ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement You can get a plush sloth just like the Crew-7 astronauts in space on SpaceX's Dragon through Wild Republic's EcoKins Mini Sloth, which is 5% off right now.View Deal Sasha had a reason to move. As the astronauts' "zero-g indicator," it was the sloth's job to start floating in the cabin when the spacecraft entered orbit, signaling to the crew that they were now in the microgravity environment of space. "I would like to introduce our zero-g indicator, which was selected by my three children," Mogensen radioed to Earth via SpaceX's mission control in Hawthorne, California. "They chose the sloth because it is one of their favorite animals." ESA astronaut Andreas Mogensen in Costa Rica, where he and his family saw sloths in the wild. Mogensen recounted that on a trip to Costa Rica, he and his family were able to see sloths "in the wild," particularly on one memorable occasion. "We were at the beach when a sloth a very young sloth appeared in the trees above us and hung out," Mogensen said. "It was a very special moment for us as a family." Not that his children did not also have a second, less complimentary reason for choosing a sloth. "Additionally, it is what my children like to call me with strong encouragement from my wife," Mogensen said. "I'm always the last to leave the house whenever we are going anywhere. Personally, I think it's with good reason, but they say I'm the slowest person alive, which is also why it is a three-toed sloth." The practice of flying zero-g indicators can be traced back to the very first person to fly into space, Soviet-era cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who took a small doll with him on his 1961 mission to watch it float. Since then, other Russian missions have done the same and it became a custom. When SpaceX began preparing to fly astronauts in 2019, it borrowed the tradition, which has also been adopted by other companies and NASA. Sasha the sloth will meet "Suhail," the symbol of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut program and Crew-6 zero-g indicator, when Crew-7 reaches the space station on Sunday. Other dolls recently flown on SpaceX missions include a co-branded Build-A-Bear dressed in an Axiom Space AxEMU spacesuit; a "Little Thinker" Albert Einstein that flew with Crew-5; and a plush modeled after the golden retrievers that serve as assistance dogs at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The SpaceX Crew-7 zero-g indicator, The Crew-7 zero-g indicator appears to be part of Wild Republic's Ecokins line of "soft and cuddly" plush animals made out of 100 percent recycled water bottles. The 8-inch (20-centimeter) Ecokins Sloth Mini retails for $14. Whether slow or fast, Sasha the sloth may have one other lesson to teach about life in space. "We have a saying in space and it's often true: Slow is smooth, smooth is fast," said Jessica Meir, a NASA astronaut who co-hosted the space agency's broadcast of the Crew-7 launch. "When you rush too much, especially in space doing a spacewalk or anything that you're doing, you get in trouble. So slow is smooth and smooth is fast." Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. In 2019, about 100 homes in a Newmarket neighborhood switched their water supply from private wells to public water, after a modeling study showed that the amount of saltwater in those wells would only increase over time, eventually becoming unsafe to drink. Thats a scenario that could play out in more Seacoast neighborhoods and communities in the next few decades. In the last century, sea level has risen eight inches along New Hampshires coast, and scientists anticipate the increase will only accelerate as the climate changes. Sign for a Drinking Water Protection Area in New Hampshire. While some risks, like flooding, might be more obvious, local scientists, engineers and planners want to get a clearer picture on a less obvious vulnerability thats becoming more prominent: sea-level induced groundwater rise and its effects on coastal water sources. How groundwater rise affects water sources Groundwater rise has the potential to bring more disruptions to infrastructure than surface flooding in coastal areas, said Jayne Knott, environmental engineer who has worked on modeling projects for some Seacoast communities. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The closer to the coast a drinking water well or aquifer is, the more likely it is for saltwater to enter from below, known as saltwater intrusion. Wells that are drilled deep into bedrock are also increasingly vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. Saltwater is more dense than freshwater, allowing it to move further inland in the deeper geologic materials, said Knott. Septic systems can also fail if they become submerged in water, said Jennifer Jacobs, engineering professor at the University of New Hampshire. In order to work, septic systems need to have some distance between the system and the groundwater below it, where it provides treatment to the waste, said Jacobs. If wastewater isnt treated properly, it can increase the risk of pathogens and bacteria contaminating nearby water supplies. Saltwater intrusion can be exacerbated by overpumping freshwater sources. Knott said the way to reduce the likelihood of this is through conserving the water in the aquifers. Limited freshwater resources Brandon Kernen, administrator for the drinking water division of the Department of Environmental Services, said coastal areas dont have access to many freshwater bodies, which has caused problems to arise in the past for communities such as Hampton and Seabrook. There isn't a Lake Winnipesaukee or a Merrimack River there, said Kernen. They have to develop a large number of smaller water supply sources and diversify so that if any one of those smaller ones are impacted, they have other options. Kyle Pimental, assistant director of the Strafford County Planning Commission, said one thing his group is weighing is how population growth may affect demand on water supplies. County planners expect more people to move to the Seacoast, because of access to employment centers and major cities, like Boston and Portland. So with that, communities are going to have to continue to think about how they not only sustain their drinking water supplies, but also be prepared for exploring new sources, Pimental said. Coastal flooding closed several parts of Route 1A in Rye and North Hampton on Friday, Dec. 23, 2022. Here, at Rye Harbor, a dingy floats up along the road. How can drinking water infrastructure weather these changes? Several Seacoast towns have already undertaken some studies to assess their drinking water source vulnerabilities, including Newmarket and Durham. Taking inventory of what data a town has on water assets was one of the most frequent recommendations that came from these studies. Records such as the age of structures and the depth of a structure in the ground can inform necessary planning. The studies also predict how much sea level rise will change in the next 25 and 75 years, which can signal how frequently structures need to be maintained in order to weather these changes. When we put infrastructure in place, we're not thinking about what's happening in the next five years or even the next ten years. We tend to think much longer, much longer in the future, said Jacobs. Whats some emerging work related to this issue? Knott and Jacobs are working with the states environmental agency to do an updated coastal risk assessment for coastal communities in the state, which they said should conclude in September of next year. That assessment will include more inland communities, such as Dover, Madbury, Rollinsford, Exeter and Newcastle to evaluate how they might experience groundwater rise, in addition to other vulnerabilities associated with coastal proximity, Knott said. Knott and Jacobs are also working on a detailed modeling study for Portsmouth to look at their infrastructure. Knott said following the conclusion of this vulnerability assessment, they are planning on installing 10 wells near the coast in Portsmouth to monitor how groundwater rises with sea level rise. Theyll also be measuring for increases in salinity over time. In addition to the coastal risk assessment, Kernen, with the states environmental agency, said the region has been taking steps toward drinking water resiliency through water system interconnections. The Seacoast Commission on Long Term Goals and Requirements for Drinking Water is studying how existing connections can be improved. If any emergency situation occurs, such as water contamination or equipment malfunction, an interconnection can be used to send water from one public water supply to another. We're also going to look at supply and demand holistically for the Seacoast, both what it is now and what the projections are 20 years from now to see if there's any deficit issues and if so, what can be done to address it by regionally cooperating and managing the water resources, said Kernen. Portsmouth and Dover have been working on securing funding for an emergency water interconnection between their towns, which can also be used for ten additional Seacoast communities. John Storer, director of community services in Dover, told NHPR earlier this month that Seacoast communities are trying to ensure they can make it through any emergencies that can affect anyones access to water. All communities are still trying to keep an eye towards the future of where we might be able to get more water. And if we can't find more water supplies, the question is How can we rely on one another in a potential time of crisis? These articles are being shared by partners in The Granite State News Collaborative. For more information visit collaborativenh.org. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seacoast NH communities protect drinking water as climate changes A second ship has left a Ukrainian port since the collapse of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in June, as the bulk carrier Primus, flying under the flag of Liberia, left Odesa and set sail toward the Bulgarian port of Varna on Aug. 26, reports maritime tracking website MarineTraffic. A photo of the vessel as it was leaving Odesa was published by local publication Dumska. The ship had arrived in Odesas seaport on Feb. 20, after departing from the Greek port of Perama. Known at the time as Polarstar, its owner changed while in dock on July 12 from Greeces Erma Marine SA to Singapores Nova Polar, reported Andrii Klymenko, the editor-in-chief of BlackSeaNews and head of the Monitoring Group on Sanctions and Freedom of Navigation. marinetraffic Primus follows the Hong Kong-flagged container ship Joseph Schulte to become the second ship to set sail from the port of Odesa since the start of Russias full-scale invasion outside the grain corridor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Joseph Schulte left the port of Odesa on Aug. 16 and used a temporary corridor established by the Ukrainian Navy for civilian vessels in the Black Sea. The ship safely arrived in Turkiye on Aug. 18. The Ukrainian Navy announced on Aug. 10 new temporary routes for the movement of civilian vessels to and from Black Sea ports. The corridor will primarily be used for the evacuation of ships located in the ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdenny. Six vessels remain blocked in the ports of Great Odesa as of Aug. 23, said the Administration of Ukrainian Seaports (AMPU). Read also: 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 Kremlin has begun cooking up a new influence operation in the city of Rostov-on-Don in Russia, according to an assessment from the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this week. The assessment states that the operation is focused on training up new pro-Russia propagandists from occupied territories in Ukraine so they can later spread Kremlin lies there. While many pro-Moscow mouthpieces in Kremlin-occupied territories in Ukraine are Russian, the apparent goal of the new training scheme is to tutor local residents on spreading the Kremlins influence, and to try to create an image of local support for the invasion. Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has spread propaganda around the world to try to influence public perception. Russian disinformation and misinformation operations online have been aimed at quashing support for Ukraine in western countries, according to two U.S. intelligence memoranda The Daily Beast previously obtained. In recent months, Moscow has been running an espionage and propaganda network inside Poland meant to foment the same skepticism, a Polish official told The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview this month. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Kremlins influence effort is focused on spreading propaganda in Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, in order to expedite acceptance of the occupation and simulate support for it. Putin Grooms Russians for Defeat in Leaked Crisis Manual The apparent Russian effort to build up more internal propagandists from the occupied territories is a classic move to try to create the appearance of organic support for the takeover in Ukraine, said Darren Linvill, who has been researching Russian information operations for years. The Russians understand something that the Russians have always understoodand that all of the competent actors who engage in disinformation understandand that is that credibility is important, Linvill, co-director of the Watt Family Innovation Center Media Forensics Hub at Clemson University, told The Daily Beast. The Russians have understood this in Ukraine By using both people that are the genuine article, [or] natives to the occupied territories, and people pretending to be native to the occupied territories. Russia is likely scrounging for more propaganda over one year into the war and working to add context to Kremlin propaganda broadcast in occupied territories, Roman Osadchuk, an Atlantic Council digital research associate focused on Eurasia in Kyiv, told The Daily Beast. This training is just suggesting that there is a need for more propaganda soldiers, and they are desperate to find those people, Osadchuk said. There were not so many Ukrainian journalists who were willing to work with them in the occupation territories. So they need to find new people and train them. Its not clear how long the training will last and what the training entails. But Russian efforts to simulate and influence Ukrainian support for the occupation date back years. In 2014, when Russia illegally annexed Crimea, Russias media takeover was swift, with blocked internet sites and gagging of independent media that questioned the Kremlin line. The White House called the referenda Putin ran last year to justify annexing new regions in Ukraine pre-staged and orchestrated by the Kremlin. Russian propaganda proliferated thereafter. Taking Charge The location of the new training effort in Rostov-on-Don could hold symbolic value as Putin works to shore up his control within his own government. The effort to bolster Russian propaganda targeting Ukraine coincides with a visit from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Rostov-on-Don this weekend in an apparent attempt to broadcast control over his regime. During his visit to Rostov-on-Don, Putin met with military commanders overseeing the war in Ukraine, including Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov , according to TASS. The Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov at an expanded meeting of the Russian Defence Ministry Board in Moscow, on Dec. 21, 2022. Mikhail Kireyev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images Gerasimov has been a key architect of Russia using non-military measures in warincluding information warfare and propagandain concert with combat and kinetic means to achieve Russian goals. The very rules of war have changed, Gerasimov famously wrote in an article in 2016 that is thought to provide key insights to senior Russian military thinking on war. The role of nonmilitary means of achieving political and strategic goals has grown, and, in many cases, they have exceeded the power of force of weapons in their effectiveness. It was Putins first visit to Rostov-on-Don since Wagner boss Yevgeniy Prigozhin staged his revolt there in June. The march on Moscow this summer was the largest challenge to Putins hold on power in years, according to some analysts, many of whom argued it would almost certainly result in Putin retaliating against the mercenary boss. Members of Wagner group prepare to return to base in Rostov-on-Don on June 24, 2023, following the rebellion led by Prigozhin. Photo by Roman Romokhov/AFP via Getty Images Putin appears to have played his cards just this week, when a plane said to be carrying Prigozhin and some Wagner associates crashed in Russia Wednesday. Putin said Prigozhin died after making serious mistakes. The Pentagon believes Prigozhin is likely to be dead. The Propaganda Play Russia has already been running several propaganda hubs in occupied territories in Ukraine since last year. At the center of that operation is Alexander Malkevich, whom the United States has sanctioned on multiple occasions in the last several years for working on behalf of Prigozhinas a protege running global influence operations. In Ukraine, Malkevich seized the opportunity to support Russias war effort by spreading propaganda, establishing a streaming platform, organizing annexation referenda, and recruiting officials to serve in the occupation government, according to an investigation from Reporters Without Borders (RSF). His propaganda operation in Ukraine, which he established last year, includes ZaMedia group in Melitopol, with the propaganda television station ZaTV, as well as Tavria TV. He also established Mariupol 24 in Mariupol, and eventually, a journalism school in Kherson to work on recruiting locals to join the propaganda outposts. Malkevich himself has been peddling Russian propaganda online, sporting a shirt with a Z meant to show support for Russias war effort in Ukraine, and touring regions of Russian-occupied territory in the country. The Prigozhin protege is one of the 15 most influential Russian journalists on Telegram as of July, ranking in 13th place by number of mentions and reach of posts, according to TGstat. Russia has also been working to funnel propaganda straight to the youth in Ukraine through Malkevich, by running seminars for youth in the occupied territories. Malkevichs Telegram channel has been enthusiastically posting about the events, one of which recently took place in Berdyansk in Zaporizhzhia. From Murder Pigeons to Evil Forces: How Putin Sold His War The event, Young South, drew more than 1,000 young people from Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk to learn how to deal with information confrontation that today dictates to us, Malkevichs channel said Tuesday. At one of the forum sessions, I spoke on the topic of survival (and victory) in information wars. I believe that in an era of great change, this issue is especially relevant. When the interests of several parties collide, the information war becomes one of the main tools for achieving goals. And our youth must learn to lead it skillfully and competently, Malkevichs channel said. It is important to train specialists who can clearly and correctly convey the position of the state. But much of Malkevichs media empire, so far, doesnt pull on local talent, and instead leans on people from his hometown of Saint Petersburg in Russia, which Malkevich has only been able to do by offering hefty pay bumps, according to RSF. The latest training effort in Rostov-on-Don suggests Moscow is interested in bolstering and expanding its propaganda operation in Ukraine beyond the existing schemes, and perhaps finding a new way forward, said Linvill. I think its interesting that theyre not connecting it to the previous campaign it does suggest that there are other broader changes happening in the propaganda landscape with Prigozhin out, Linvill 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. Saturn makes for an excellent skywatching target this weekend, thanks to its current position in the solar system. The ringed gas giant will reach opposition, meaning it will be situated directly opposite from the sun with Earth in the middle. Around the same time, Saturn will reach perigee, its closest approach to Earth, according to In-The-Sky . The combination of these two celestial events means Saturn will appear at its biggest and brightest this weekend. The planet should remain visible through February 2024. For skywatchers in North America, look to the east-southeast just after sunset to find Saturn in the Aquarius constellation. Within a few hours, the ringed planet should be fairly high in the sky. It will reach its highest point around midnight local time on Sunday (Aug. 27), while the exact moment of opposition will occur a few hours later, around 4:20 a.m. EDT (0820 GMT) on Sunday. Related: Night sky, August 2023: What you can see tonight [maps] ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement TOP TELESCOPE PICK: A Celestron telescope on a white background Want to see Saturn's rings for yourself? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide. At the moment of opposition, Saturn will reach magnitude 0.4, its brightest for 2023. (Brighter objects have a lower magnitude; the full moon, by comparison, has a magnitude of around -12.6, according to NASA .) This means Saturn should be easily visible to the unaided eye as a bright, non-flickering orb in the sky. However, viewing Saturn through binoculars should reveal more detail and bring out the pale yellow color of the planet. Under the right conditions, some high-power binoculars could even begin to bring out faint traces of Saturn's rings or even its largest moon, Titan. Through a telescope, however, Saturn's rings should be clearly apparent. The gas giant's rings are currently beginning to tilt more on-edge toward Earth, and will continue to do so through 2025, according to NASA. That makes this weekend an optimal time to catch a glimpse of one of the best night sky targets available to most backyard skywatchers. Saturn in the night sky surrounded by stars If you're hoping to catch a look at Saturn at opposition or the next big night sky event, our guide to the best binoculars and the best telescopes can help you find the gear you need. And if you're looking to take photos of these celestial objects or the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the moon or how to photograph the planets, as well as our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography. Editor's Note: If you get an awesome picture of Saturn at opposition and would like to share it with Space.com's readers, send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. The Seattle Police Department is asking for your help with identifying robbers after 14 reported incidents. SPD has noticed an uptick in break-ins at 98108, 98118, 98144, and 98178 zip codes. SPD said the suspects were a group of three to seven armed teenagers. Some of them were seen driving KIAs or Hyundais. During the robberies, the teenagers allegedly assaulted people, pistol-whipped, or held them at gunpoint while stealing valuable items and cash. SPD is asking communities to review security systems and look for any video footage that could help. If you have any information call the Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000. If you witness anything that looks suspicious call 911. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SPD also gave tips for protecting yourself and your family: Be observant and remain alert trust your instincts. Be aware of your surroundings call 911 when you observe suspicious activity. Communicate with friends and family on who will be home and at what time. Install security devices and or sounding alarms at doors, windows, and garages. Install motion sensor lighting for entrances exits, and parking areas. Avoid keeping large amounts of cash within your home. Participate in your local neighborhood watch. Contact your local precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator for questions on security and prevention tips for crime in your area. CANBERRA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Australian Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt has said he is "confident" the nation is prepared for the upcoming bushfire season despite warnings of a significant threat. The minister hosted his counterparts from state and territory governments on Friday for a briefing from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and Natural Emergency Management Agency on the summer bushfire outlook. Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Watt said Australians should not be panicked about the threat. "While we are looking at a more significant risk of fire this year than we've seen in recent years, in many parts of Australia what that really means is returning to a normal fire risk and emerging from those La Nina wet conditions that we've been through the last couple of years," he said. "I am confident that we are well-prepared as a country for the fire risks that we will face this season." The Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) released its own outlook on Wednesday, urging rural communities to prepare for the most significant bushfire season since the devastating 2019-20 Black Summer. More than 240,000 square km were burned during the 2019-20 season, and much of the country was blanketed in heavy smoke. The AFAC outlook identified above-average temperatures, low rainfall, changing weather patterns, and high fuel loads after three years of strong rainfall as factors increasing the bushfire risk in 2023-24. The ministers agreed on Friday to consider the emerging risks posed by lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in consumer electronics and can spark fires that are difficult to extinguish. They will next meet at the first National Bushfire Preparedness Summit in Canberra in September, at which 250 crisis management, response, and recovery experts will meet for talks on bushfire response plans. A shooting at Bostons Caribbean Carnival leaves at least seven injured (Boston 25 / screengrab) Seven people were shot at Bostons Caribbean Carnival on Saturday morning leading to calls for a subsequent event this afternoon to be cancelled. Officers responded to Blue Hill Avenue and Talbot Avenue in the Dorchester area of the city at about 7.44am on Saturday. Seven victims have been shot and transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Firearms have been recovered and arrests made, the Boston Police Department told The Independent. Its unclear if arrests have been made at this time. City Council President Ed Flynn called for second parade at 1pm on Saturday to be cancelled. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He told the Boston Herald that based on the violence from this morning and not having enough police officers in the city, we should cancel it. Mr Flynn said police have been confiscating guns in neighborhoods but a more comprehensive plan is needed to address gun violence. The citys first Caribbean Carnival parade occurred in 1973, while Boston Carnival Caribbean week was signed into law in 1997, according to its website. The festival usually draws tens of thousands of people from all over the area, and includes many events like a Caribbean-style JOuvert celebration, a steelpan competition, and a masquerade ball. Its been a dizzying week in Fulton County Superior Court. As Donald Trump and his 18 co-defendants in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis sprawling racketeering case surrendered to jail and negotiated bonds, at least eight of them also filed what became a flurry of legal motions, arguing for their cases to be delayed, moved, or expedited. But former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani has some advice for all 18 co-defendants: make a dealsoon. Willis doesnt want to try 19 defendants, he told The Daily Beast on Friday. She wants to try Donald Trump, and flip 18 defendants against him. During his career as an assistant U.S. attorney, Rahmani, who is now in private practice, put more than 1,000 criminals behind bars, he said. Of those, I can count on one hand the number of people that I wanted to cooperate, who didnt cooperate. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement From Trumps perspective, its best if everyone charged alongside him holds the line and forces Willis office to take things all the way to trial, Rahmani said. But for the others, the opposite is true. Generally speaking, he said, most criminal defendants play ball with the government because there is a significant advantage to doing so. And usually, the first to cooperate gets the best deal, he said. Cracks developing The massive case in Fulton County involves countless moving parts, and the situation itself is the first of its kind in American history. At least two defendants threw a wrench into the works this week, with former Trump election lawyers Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell invoking their constitutional right to a speedy trial. (In Georgia, defendants are entitled to a trial starting within two weeks of indictment.) In response to Chesebro, Willis seems to have called his bluff, according to former federal prosecutor Richard Serafini, who served in the Department of Justice under then-Assistant Attorney General Robert Mueller. She requested, and got, a lightning-fast trial date of Oct. 23 from Judge Scott McAfee, who said he would not do the same for other co-defendants at this time. It appears that Chesebro was counting on forcing the hand of an unprepared Willis, instead finding the DA with a full tank of gas and ready to do battle not only with Chesebro, but all 19 defendants. This, argued Serafini, was a pretty good indication that the trial prep was, if not done, very, pretty far along. For his part, Trump swiftly opposed the motion, suggesting he would move to sever his case from Chesebro if the schedule were moved up so sharply. Georgia Indictment Throws Everything at Trumpand Some Might Stick Meanwhile, former Trump chief of staff Mark Meadows and four other defendantsJeffrey Clark, Shawn Still, Cathy Latham, and David Shaferfiled motions to remove their cases from Fulton County court to Atlanta federal court. Latham, Still, and Shafer said in their motions that they carried out their roles in the alleged plan to subvert the election results at Trumps direction. Defense attorney Michel Huff said he believes prosecutors certainly anticipated turmoil between the defendants, and will likely seek to use it as an opportunity. Conversely, what is taking place doesnt necessarily represent turmoilthough, if it does, the effects can cut both ways, according to New York-based litigation attorney Cynthia Augello. The defendants here are being charged with conspiracy; it makes sense that they would have separate strategies for defending the claims, she told The Daily Beast. The division means more work for the prosecution. Rather than proving one case, they have to prepare for and prosecute as many as 19 separate actions as well as fight whatever individual motions are made by each defendant. To that end, former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Joshua Ritter sees the legal maneuvering as more of an attempt to throw the prosecution off balance, than as a sign of infighting between the defendantsnot to say that fireworks could not develop further down the road. Divide and conquer If the slate of defendants were to develop significant fissures, defense attorney Peter Pullano, who heads up the criminal practice group at Tully Rinckey PLLC, believes it can only help Team Willis. Ive done trials where Ill be objecting because weve gotten to a point where there are now several prosecutors in the room pointing a finger at my clientand by that, what I mean is, the defense attorneys in a case where weve all gone to trial together, say, Well, it wasnt my guy, it was Pullanos guy, Pullano told The Daily Beast. And so Ive got to fight off the prosecution, but [also] Ive got to fight off a co-defendant making allegations. Pullano said the typical prosecution strategy in a multiple co-defendant case, is to divide and conquer. Right now, every defense lawyer involved in the Fulton County case will have a decision to make, as they review the evidence turned over by Willis office, he continued. Prosecutors like nothing more than to have the actual co-conspirators come in and testify, Pullano said, noting that these are people who can speak to first-hand knowledge about the alleged conspiracy, which sidesteps hearsay rules. Every defendant is there for themselves, he said. And whichever way that plays out, it usually benefits the prosecution It wouldnt surprise me if everybody in this conspiracy, maybe all the way up to the Number One, will be discussing some sort of plea agreement. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage Dennis Franks, a retired FBI supervisory special agent who worked as a state prosecutor in North Carolina before joining the bureau, said hes been through enough trials to know that anything is possible. But even though plea deals are the norm, some defendants will just roll the dice, he said on Friday. Maybe theres one juror that sees their sidethats all it takes. (Trump has remained insistent that he did nothing wrong, and has given no indication at all, to this point, that he is inclined to cop any sort of plea.) It is a painfully slow process to try numerous people at once, according to Rahmani, who described the Willis strategy as a kitchen sink play, throwing everything shes got at Trump & Co. to try and force those deals. A legal gambit As for the attempts to move the case to federal court, Meadows cited a law allowing federal officers to transfer state prosecutions to federal district court if their alleged illegal actions occurred while they were acting in their official capacity. (Trump is likely to try a similar argument.) There are legal reasons for the gambit, and a judge will hold a hearing on Monday on Meadows motion. For one, a federal judge could throw out the charges against Meadows if he was acting under color of his official position. And, hypothetically speaking, a less-culpable defendant doesnt want to be tried with someone whos more culpable, Rahmani said. That is, if Meadows or any of the four others were also able to formally get their cases severed from Trumps, they would likely avoid being tarred in front of a jury with the same brush as the disgraced ex-president. If a lot of [harmful] evidence is going to come out against Trump that may not be relevant to all the other defendants, sometimes certain jurors cant compartmentalize, said Rahmani. If they separate the case, youre on your own, only the evidence that implicates [that defendant] is going to come in. And its certainly a lot less than the evidence against Trump. At the same time, Meadows arguing that he was just following orders by Trump theoretically runs counter to any defense floated by Trump himself, according to Rahmani. Trumps Battle to Move the Atlanta Trial Is Just Beginning Yet, theres no clear-cut roadmap for what happens next, especially as Willis is prosecuting the group for conspiracy under Georgias Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. In such an instance, the whole conspiracy is on trial, according to Pullano, who noted that every defendant, naturally, is gonna try to distance themselves from the conspiracy. But the conspiracy gets tried as one, and so thats going to be the counterbalance, the countervailing interest, as a judge makes the decision on this, Pullano said. Meadows motion to move his proceedings to federal court will serve as a test case, of sorts, for a handful of his co-defendants. It remains to be seen how the broader prosecution will test the limits of the legal system, which has never put a president, former or current, on trial before. For now, Trump has reverted to usual form. On Thursday, he became the first-ever past or sitting president to have his mugshot taken by police. T-shirts bearing the defendants historic snap are now available, via the Trump campaign, for $34 each. 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. Sidney Powell , a one-time attorney for former President Donald Trump, requests a speedy trial in the Georgia election interference case following co-defendant Kenneth Chesebro. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee set Chesbros trial date as Oct. 23 two months away after he filed paperwork requesting a speedy trial earlier in the week. The judge has yet to approve Powells request, filed late Friday. Like Chesebro, Powell is accused of violating Georgias racketeering act by furthering a plot to assemble alternative electors. McAfee said earlier that the October date only applied to Chesbro, not to Trump, who said in court documents that he definitely did not wish to join the group seeking a speedy trial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement All defendants are expected to receive a large quantity of evidentiary materials in the discovery process; their attorneys have been told to provide USB drives that can hold at least two terabytes of data by Sept. 5. They will be expected to review the material before trial. Sidney Powell turned herself into the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. Sidney Powell turned herself into the Fulton County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. Chesebros request came as a surprise this week. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis had previously said she aimed to try all 19 defendants in early March 2024 an ambitious start date. Responding to Chesebro, however, Willis said her office was ready to bring all 19 defendants to trial as soon as October. Kay Levine, an associate dean at Emory Universitys law school, told CNN on Saturday that she believed Chesbros request was an attempt to call Willis bluff, and her response was, in turn, an attempt to call Chesebros bluff. However, Powell and Chesebro might stand to gain by separating themselves from Trump, the most notorious defendant, Levine noted. Powell made a name for herself in the aftermath of the 2020 election by helping Trump push allegations of voter fraud. She likened one lawsuit she was working on to a Kraken after the mythical sea monster and said she would release the Kraken to reverse President Joe Bidens electoral victory. The lawsuit did no such thing. Related... Here are three of the week's top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: Oversharing on Venmo Venmo is still sharing way too much of your personal life, said Brian X. Chen in The New York Times. Despite numerous complaints, the money-transfer app "is still set by default to publicly share when you receive or make a payment." This means you can potentially "see transactions among people who are not your friends if you visit their profile." Recently, The Guardian did just that, discovering through "a Venmo feed that an aide for Justice Clarence Thomas was taking payments from lawyers who have had business with the Supreme Court, a potential conflict of interest." I realized only recently that Venmo also makes your contact list pulled from your phone's address book viewable to anyone. I quickly switched that setting to "private." Signs of an unusual 'richcession' Unemployment is rising fastest among households making $125,000 or more, said Irina Ivanova in Fortune. A recent note from analysts at Bank of America said that the number of high-income households receiving unemployment benefits was up about 70% in a year, "more than double the rise in the lowest-income bracket." Tech, finance and other white-collar workers have been hit by layoffs this year, "even as restaurants and construction companies keep hiring." Wages for the top income bracket have stayed flat in 2023 "while rising 3% for the lowest paid third." A typical downturn "crushes the poor but merely inconveniences the wealthy." The current climate suggests we may instead be approaching something more like a "richcession." Robinhood meme-stock suit fails Robinhood prevailed over a lawsuit brought by investors who claimed the brokerage cost them money during the meme-stock craze, said Jonathan Stempel in Reuters. The proposed class action centered around the brokerage's controversial decision "to restrict purchases of 13 'meme stocks,'" including GameStop, during the January 2021 frenzy. Critics say the decision harmed mostly small traders, who used the app while big Wall Street institutions kept trading. But an appeals court recently dismissed the claims of harm because the company's "standard customer agreement specifically authorized the restrictions" by not suggesting Robinhood would accept all trade orders. Circuit judge Britt Grant said that Robinhood hadn't done anything illegal but had taken "a sizable and perhaps justifiable hit in the court of public opinion." This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here. You may also like Homepage 60th anniversary of the March On Washington and Martin Luther King Jr's historic "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C 60th anniversary of the March On Washington and Martin Luther King Jr's historic "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C By Rachel Nostrant and Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Thousands of Americans on Saturday commemorated the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington, a pivotal event in the 1960s U.S. civil rights movement at which Martin Luther King Jr gave his galvanizing "I have a dream" speech. The 1963 march brought more than 250,000 people to the nation's capital to push for an end to discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Many credit the show of strength with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This year's rally took place at the Lincoln Memorial, the backdrop to King's impassioned call for equality, as many speakers warned that much work was yet to be done. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Margaret Huang , the president and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center nonprofit civil rights advocacy group, told the crowd that the march 60 years ago opened doors and spurred new tools to fight discrimination. But new laws throughout the country that "claw away at the right to vote" and target the LGBTQ community threaten to erase some of those gains, Huang said. "These campaigns against our ballots, our bodies, our school books, they are all connected. When our right to vote falls, all other civil and human rights can fall too, but we're here today to say 'not on our watch.'" Speakers decried gun violence against Black people as the crowd chanted "No Justice, No peace." Ashley Sharpton, an activist with National Action Network and daughter of the Reverend Al Sharpton, said in a speech that Americans need to "turn demonstration into legislation" and cannot allow the sacrifices of ancestors in the fight for equality to have been in vain. Kimberle Crenshaw, executive director of the African American Policy Forum, said the anniversary occurs at a troubling moment. "The very history that the march is commemorating is being not only challenged but distorted," Crenshaw said, referring to bans in several states on books and classroom instruction based on so-called critical race theory, which views a legacy of racism as shaping American history. She called that and other moves such as the removal of an African American Studies course from public schools in Florida and Arkansas a "concerted effort to silence conversation about that history." Opponents of CRT say it distorts history and is needlessly divisive and upsetting for students. Speakers at the march include civil rights leaders such as King's son Martin Luther King III , his granddaughter Yolanda Renee King and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. In terms of the goals envisioned in King's "dream," the country has come a long way since 1963, said Jonathan Greenblatt , national director of the Anti-Defamation League, which played a role in the campaign for the Civil Rights Act's enactment. But, he said, recent Supreme Court rulings setting back affirmative action and access to abortion were a cause for concern. "We've seen an expansion of antisemitism, we've seen an intensification of racism," said Greenblatt. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday will meet with march organizers at the White House to mark the 1963 meeting between organizers of the original march and the administration of President John F. Kennedy. (Reporting by Rachel Nostrant in New York and Timothy Gardner in Washington; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Daniel Wallis) Spirit Airlines agreed to pay back customers who were hit with surprise bag fees. The settlement is the culmination of a six-year class action lawsuit against the company. Impacted passengers booked their flights on third-party sites, and did not expect to pay for bags. Traveling cheap usually includes hidden costs now, plaintiffs who previously flew on Spirit Airlines and were surprised with bag fees at the gate will be paid settlements. After a six-year-long class action lawsuit, Spirit agreed to pay up to $8.25 million for legal fees and compensation to impacted passengers who flew from 2011 to 2017, according to a motion filed Wednesday by the plaintiffs' lawyers. The plaintiffs brought the suit after they booked Spirit tickets on third-party booking sites like Expedia and were charged additional fees for carry-on bags at the airport, per the suit. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Per Spirit's baggage guidelines, only a small personal item that fits under a seat is included in the ticket price. A carry-on price changes depending on when and where you travel, but at the gate can run passengers $99 and up, according to reporting from Forbes. The lawyers asked the judge to approve the motion, saying it would represent a "fair compromise" for the plaintiffs. Spirit is consistently ranked one of the worst airlines in the United States, and the settlement is not the only issue it has had this summer. Last week, one woman said the airline confused her eczema for mpox and accused them of anti-gay discrimination. In mid-August, another woman alleged she was stuck on the tarmac on a Spirit flight for seven hours without explanation. Spirit and the plaintiffs' lawyers did not respond immediately to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Insider New drug use statistics released by the King County Prosecuting Attorneys office show just how prevalent the fentanyl crisis has been so far this year. King County says that it has filed 200 drug dealing cases this year. Almost 70% of these cases involved methamphetamine or fentanyl which is a 39% increase from the same time last year. Out of those 200 cases, 22 also had a firearm charge. Overdose data is provided by Public Health Seattle and King County and shows there have been 825 confirmed drug overdose deaths this year. Of those 825 deaths, 704 involved opioids, 443 involved meth, and 682 involved fentanyl according to the dashboard. Last year, there were a total of 802 deaths involving opioids, 532 involving meth, and 712 involving fentanyl. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Faced with these increasing overdose numbers, the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office says they will continue to prosecute the people who deal illegal drugs in our communities. For my part, I am committed to holding drug dealers accountable because their actions and behaviors harm individuals and our communities. The King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office charges those who deal with fentanyl and other drugs because this behavior is illegal and causes harm, said prosecuting attorney Leesa Manion. The King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office will continue to prosecute the people who deal fentanyl and other illegal drugs in our communities. Manion acknowledges that while this new legislation might get users off the streets, there also needs to be recovery programs for those people once they are in the system. This part of the plan is crucial as Seattle and other municipalities are responsible for their own cities when it comes to misdemeanor drug possession cases. I agree with Mayor Harrell that updating the Seattle Municipal Code to align with the recently passed state law makes sense, as does demonstrating how this additional tool will be applied and how it fits in the broader spectrum of treatment and diversion options, said Manion. The King County Drug Court was started in 1994 by Republican Norm Maleng and King County Superior Court Judge Ricardo Martinez. This program is available to adults who have been charged with any other lower-level and nonviolent drug-related crimes. The 10 months help the participants rebuild their lives by addressing the causes of their criminal choices. The most recent class graduation was Aug. 9 and involved five graduates. RUSKIN, Fla. (WFLA) A woman from Tampa Bay is recovering after being impaled by a venomous stingray which buried its barb inches into her back, just missing her lungs. Kristie Cataffo-OBrien said she and her husband visited Bahia Beach in Ruskin, Florida, to grab lunch and hang out in the water. They were knee-deep when the barb of a stingray impaled her. He was like, Stay still, dont move, Cataffo-OBrien told Nexstars WFLA. He was kind of holding my weight and the stingrays weight in the water. View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at fox4kc.com Cataffo-OBrien described the pain as excruciating. A stingray barb is seen piercing Kristie Cataffo-OBriens back after an incident at a beach in Ruskin, Florida. (Kristie Cataffo-OBrien) I felt something sting me right away. I felt like it was a jellyfish maybe or something, but it was super, super painful, said Cataffo-OBrien. I started to stand up, and thats when he was like, No, dont move at all, theres a stingray and its on you.' ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Cataffo-OBrien said she leaned back into the water. Her husband kept her calm. The stingray was moving and flopping around and anytime a wave, or anything moved, the barb I could feel the barb just jabbing into my back, she said. Cataffo-OBrien said it took 45 minutes for first responders to arrive after 911 was called. She was then rushed to the hospital, where doctors worked to surgically remove the barb. It was ultimately determined the barb was about three centimeters away from piercing her lung a thought that still haunts her. Were kind of at the mercy of the marine life, she told WFLA. This is their territory, its not our territory. I lived in Florida for a very long time. You never think anything like that can happen, and Im still in shock. Heat pushes Kansas City-area high school football to later start times Cataffo-OBrien is now on medication to fight off the stingrays venom and any potential infection. Her family set up a GoFundMe to help her with medical expenses while she takes time off work to recover. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. Stormy Daniels mocks Trump's self-reported weight of 215 pounds, as his Fulton County Jail booking record says Adult-film actor Stormy Daniels and former President Donald Trump. Ethan Miller/Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Stormy Daniels says she does not believe Trump weighs 215 pounds. His weight and height were released after he was booked at Fulton County Jail on Thursday. That would mean Trump lost 25 pounds and grew an inch since he reported his measurements in April. Stormy Daniels said she doesn't believe that former President Donald Trump weighs 215 pounds, as his booking record at the Fulton County Jail says. The adult film actor, who claims she had an affair with Trump years ago, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Mmmkay! And I'm 110lbs and a virgin!" "I'm not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215lb men and Tiny was not one of them," she wrote, using her derogatory nickname for the former president. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump turned himself in to authorities in Fulton County, Georgia, on Thursday and was booked on 13 felony counts related to efforts to overturn the state's election results in 2020. According to the jail records, the former president is 6-foot-3 tall and weighs 215 pounds. That would mean he had lost 25 pounds and grown an inch since he self-reported his measurements in April when he was booked in Manhattan over a "hush-money" payment to Daniels. Trump was last officially weighed in his annual physical as president in 2020, and his weight was recorded at 244 pounds which would put him in the obese category, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Adult BMI Calculator. Former President and 2024 presidential candidate Donald Trump campaigns at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines on August 12. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Trump's latest measurements in Georgia were pre-reported by his aides, The New York Times reported. His newly reported measurements have prompted skepticism and mockery on social media, with some men of a similar weight and height comparing themselves to him on TikTok. Others have juxtaposed images of him with celebrities with similar measurements but very different builds, including the boxer Muhammad Ali and the "Thor" actor Chris Hemsworth. Trump's weight has long been a sore subject, and he has resisted advice to lose weight from people such as Dr. Mehmet Oz to his own White House doctor, Ronny Jackson. Read the original article on Business Insider Myanmar police hand over five telecom and internet fraud suspects to Chinese police at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug. 26, 2023. (Chinese embassy in Myanmar/Handout via Xinhua) YANGON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A total of 24 telecom and internet fraud suspects have been brought back from Myanmar to China in four days, the Chinese embassy in Myanmar said on Saturday. At Myanmar's Yangon International Airport, Myanmar police handed over six suspects to Chinese police on Aug. 23, five suspects on Aug. 24, eight suspects on Aug. 25, and five suspects on Aug. 26, respectively, the embassy said. The suspects, who were detained in Myanmar by the police, allegedly operated telecom fraud targeting people in the Chinese mainland. An increasing number of telecom fraud organizations have moved their dens out of China to avoid police crackdowns in recent years, China's Ministry of Public Security has said. Since the beginning of this year, Chinese police have launched joint operations with police forces from the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, and captured more than 300 suspects, the ministry said, adding that these cases are still under investigation. Stormy Daniels has weighed in on Donald Trumps booking record at Fulton County Jail after he surrendered this week on racketeering charges. The former president was arrested in Atlanta, Georgia on Thursday as part of the states investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Alongside a historic mug shotthe first ever taken of a current or former US president his height and weight were recorded as 63 and 215lbs numbers that raised eyebrows on social media, where people began comparing his stats to those of athletes and celebrities like Muhammad Ali, Joe Burrow, and Chris Hemsworth. When he was in the White House, Mr Trumps weight was reported to be 243lbs. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Friday, adult film star Stormy Daniels decided to have her say on X, formerly known as Twitter. Mmmkay! And Im 110lbs and a virgin! Ms Daniels tweeted sarcastically. Im not a scale or a doctor but I have spent some time beneath 215lb men and Tiny was not one of them. Ms Daniels alleged affair with Mr Trump in 2006 also has him facing multiple charges in New York. In April, the Manhattan District Attorney charged Mr Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business records over alleged hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. He has pleaded not guilty. The former president was booked and released at Fulton County jail on 24 August. He faces 13 charges of attempting to overturn the 2020 election in the state of Georgia. He was charged alongside 18 others including Rudy Giuliani , Sidney Powell, Jenna Ellis, and Mark Meadows. Following his arrest, Mr Trump shared an image of his mugshot on X/Twitter, constituting his first post on the social media platform in two years. The former president was banned from the site in January 2021 but his account was reinstated after Twitter was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk. Mr Trump is already trying to profit from his unprecedented mug shot by asking supporters to pay $34 for a t-shirt featuring the photo and the slogan never surrender. His campaign sent out an email offering a free premium cotton t-shirt featuring the mug shot in exchange for a $47 donation. Israr Ahmed, who survived after being rescued from a stranded cable car, sits with other children in a classroom at a school in Battagram Israr Ahmed, who survived after being rescued from a stranded cable car, sits with other children in a classroom at a school in Battagram By Salah Uddin and Charlotte Greenfield BATTAGRAM, Pakistan (Reuters) - Ibrar Ahmed is relieved to be alive after being stuck on a cable car high over a river in northern Pakistan for 16 hours this week, but now the student wonders how he will make the arduous trek to class each day. "God willing, I am going to continue with my studies, but the way to our school is so long," he said after Tuesday's ordeal, which grabbed global attention. "Sometimes ... I get late for school because it opens at 8:30 a.m. and the road is so perilous," said Ahmed, in his first year of high school at Batungi Pashto Government School. "The (chair)lift is necessary, but now we are terrified of it." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Seven children and one man were rescued by Pakistan's military and civilians from the flimsy cable car after a cable broke, dangling them 183 metres (600 feet) high in mountainous Battagram district north of Islamabad. The harrowing ordeal highlights a crisis of school accessibility for many in Pakistan, with few high schools, poor roads, poverty and extreme weather hampering students' ability to get to class. That is a major reason Pakistan has the world's second-lowest rate of school attendance. Some 23 million, or 44%, of Pakistani children aged four to 16 are out of school and the situation is worse for girls, according to government figures and the World Bank. Given Pakistan's huge youth population, boosting education rates is vital for economic sustainability and to mitigate the security concerns that plague the South Asian country, exacerbated by the lure of militant groups in impoverished rural areas, analysts and economists say. "Long distances and travel times, few transportation options and costs are some of the barriers to access education, particularly for girls who are often not allowed to travel long distances alone," said Ellen Van Kalmthout, chief of education at UNICEF Pakistan. Ahmed wants "a proper road" and a high school near his village. 'NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS' Batungi Pashto High School head teacher Ali Asghar Khan links long commutes to high dropout rates. "Most boys who come from far-off villages try their best to continue but they often face problems in travelling back and forth, either because they are too young or not strong enough or sick, so they definitely leave their studies," Khan said. "The ratio of dropouts is high here." Many students must walk one to three hours each way on poorly built trails, crossing streams that swell into dangerous rivers in rainy seasons, Khan said. Those who make it are often exhausted by the journey, worsened by northern Pakistan's hot summers and freezing winters. Tired and hungry, they struggle to concentrate, he said. Communities have strung up scores of cable car systems through the mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of steep hills plunging into valleys. They often cut commutes to 20 minutes for a cheap fare but come at a dangerous cost, even before Tuesday's scare. "Numerous accidents have occurred in the past," said former provincial police inspector general Naeem Khan. "Mostly the local people themselves with some help from the local police rescue the stranded people." A civilian involved in Tuesday's rescue said he had rescued people at least six times before on smaller chairlifts. Some 50 charlifts dot the hillsides of nearby Swat Valley. Residents said the cars provide a lifeline for students, especially after severe flooding last year damaged infrastructure, but there had been multiple deaths and injuries in the past year. "Two months ago, a woman and her child fell into the River Swat... when the rope of the cable car broke. Their bodies are yet to be recovered," said resident Nasrullah Khan. 'THIS IS OUR DEMAND' Local officials and development agencies are struggling to fix the problems in the province, which are echoed throughout Pakistan. "It is very difficult for them to reach schools in far-flung areas, but our government has in the last few years invested heavily and innovative ideas have been brought forward," said Syed Hammad Haider, additional deputy commissioner of Battagram district. Remote learning and community-based classes, particularly for girls, are a priority, while all the area's cable cars are being checked and any with safety risks will be shut down, he said. The World Bank is investing $300 million in rural infrastructure for the province in a project through 2027, with access to education in mind. Challenges include the shortage of middle and high schools, especially for girls, and the lack of good all-weather roads, "which are becoming increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters due to climate change", a World Bank spokesperson said. For students in areas like Battagram who risk their lives to go to school, that cannot come fast enough. "We will now not go by lift, but I don't want to leave school either," said Rizwan Ullah, another rescued student. "We want roads in our region, we want a bridge, we want high schools, we want all these facilities. This is our demand." (Reporting by Charlotte Greenfield in Islamabad, Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar and Reuters TV in Battagram; Editing by William Mallard) Two Afghan sisters, ages 32 and 17, hug at their apartment in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Their identities are not shown to protect them from the Taliban. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Editors note: This is the first of five stories from the six-episode KSL podcast Stranger Becomes Neighbor, which follows the experiences of Afghan refugees in Utah and the people who try to help them. The stranger escorted the three girls into a dark, cold apartment in a country they only knew through television shows. For 16-year-old Baran, her 31-year-old sister, and their 4-year-old niece, it did not feel like the refuge they imagined as they fought their way through desperate crowds at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August of 2021. The first night that we came to Utah, it was a very horrible situation, said Baran, who doesnt use her real name in an effort to protect her family in Afghanistan. There was no power, no heat and this apartment was dark, completely dark. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement They asked the resettlement agent to come back the next day. Struggling to meet the demands of helping to resettle hundreds of Afghan evacuees in Utah, the caseworker told them hed return the following week. Then he left, closing the door on the dark room. Before escaping Afghanistan, they had never spent a night without their family. In the chaotic crowds at the airport in Kabul, they were separated from their parents who never made it through the gates. They never even got a chance to say goodbye. That night, they huddled under donated blankets in a strange land without a friend. If we live here with this kind of situation, I want to come back to Afghanistan, Barans sister told her. They were alone, scared, and so she wondered if it might be better to risk living with the Taliban. At least their family would be together. It was not the kind of warm welcome that Utah Gov. Spencer Cox probably envisioned when he wrote to President Joe Biden offering Utah as a safe haven for Afghans. Im proud of our states heritage, which has shaped our willingness to embrace those in need, he wrote in an editorial, referring to ancestors from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who came to Utah because of religious persecution. Within minutes of my writing to the president, letters, calls and notes from mayors, business leaders and fellow Utahns from all walks of life began flooding in, expressing support and offering to help. It wasnt just Utah. Across the country, there was widespread support for Afghan evacuees. In a poll shortly after the evacuation, 7 out of 10 Americans said they supported resettling Afghans who worked with the U.S. government or military. America promised to be a welcoming nation for our Afghan allies, but how well did we deliver on that promise? Over the course of a two-year investigation, a new podcast from KSL, Stranger Becomes Neighbor, follows the experience of Afghan arrivals and the people who try to help them. What happens for Baran and thousands of others like her depends in part on their neighbors. But what can one person do in the face of an international disaster decades in the making? Ward LDS Relief Society president Kerry Wickman talks with a 6 year-old Afghan girl near her apartment in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Their identities are not shown to protect them from the Taliban. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News This is a big challenge About 80,000 Afghans arrived in a very short time frame the biggest war-time influx the U.S. had seen since the fall of Saigon. And they came during a pandemic, a severe shortage of affordable housing and at a time when the resettlement agencies had been reduced to almost nothing. By the end of President Donald Trumps term, refugee admissions were slashed to 15,000, from 85,000 in the last year of the previous administration. With the reduced number of refugees coming to the U.S., resettlement organizations were decimated, staff laid off and offices closed. The whole program, basically, was shut down, said Aden Batar of Catholic Community Services. The infrastructure of the program was destroyed, pretty much. The two main resettlement agencies in Utah Catholic Community Services and International Rescue Committee were left with a handful of staff members to handle hundreds of expected arrivals. Agencies across the country were just starting to rebuild when Kabul fell, and Afghans started arriving in our communities. This is a big challenge, Batar said. When the families are arriving they need a lot of support. These folks need friends in order for them to be successfully integrated into our community. Neighbor rescue Given the challenging situation, case workers could not spend as much time as they normally would have with people like 16-year-old Baran and her family. So the experience of the new arrivals often depended on volunteers and neighbors to fill in the gaps. About a month after Baran, her sister and niece arrived in Salt Lake City to that cold, dark apartment, they met a neighbor named Kerry Wickman, who lived 2 blocks away. Wickman heard about the family in her neighborhood from a volunteer who had been tracking down the new arrivals to see if their needs were being met. I met them, fell in love with them instantly, Wickman said. Wickman, who is a social worker and a Relief Society president in her Latter-day Saint ward, decided to do what overtaxed agencies couldnt do. She took Baran to get enrolled in the local public high school, helped the older sister get a job at a day care center, drove them to appointments, and collected money for things they need in the U.S. and to send home for their family back in Afghanistan. Theyre like family, so I just do the things I would do for my family, Wickman said. They fill my heart every day Im with them. I come home and my husband says, Youre glowing. If Kerry was not here, we couldnt do anything, Baran said. Shes our mom, both my mom and my best friend. It was not clear what Wickman could do, though, about the fact that their 4-year-old niece was here without her parents. When an airplane flew over their apartment in Salt Lake City, the young girl mistakenly believed her parents were finally coming for her. My mom and my dad are coming home, she told her aunts. Lets go to the airport. I think that she not understanding what happened believes that they abandoned her, Wickman said. I dont know how you rectify this damage until this family is reunited again. Meanwhile, their family back in Afghanistan fled their home because they were afraid of what would happen if the Taliban found them. Baran and her sister worried about their father, who had trouble breathing after contracting COVID-19, and needed oxygen. Wickman collected money from her contacts to send back to Afghanistan, but Baran said her father wouldnt use all the money on himself. My father is actually so kind, Baran said. In Afghanistan, he said you have to help your neighbors, everybody that you meet, you have to help them. Baran believes that it is because of her fathers lifetime of generous deeds that Wickman has come into their lives, their honorary mom. I think God sent Kerry for us, Baran said. Every time that we need something, or we are faced with a problem, she comes and helps us. Its been two years since the harrowing U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan, and there are stories like Barans playing out across the country, maybe in your neighborhood. In the house next door or the apartment downstairs, people could be trying to rebuild their lives. Many remain without family members, without jobs, and without the certainty of what their future in this country will be. How are we connected to strangers from halfway across the world? What is our moral obligation to our new neighbors? What does it mean to be a welcoming community, and are we doing it? And what kind of a community do we want to be? Listen to Stranger Becomes Neighbor as we search for answers to these questions. Afghan Arrivals is available at StrangerBecomesNeighbor.com or wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes are published every Tuesday. An Afghan stands in her apartment in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Her identity is not shown to protect them from the Taliban. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News KSLs Andrea Smardon, podcast producer, interviews an Afghan woman near her apartment in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Her identity is not shown to protect her from the Taliban. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Two Afghan sisters, ages 32 and 17, stand with their 6 year-old niece at their apartment in Salt Lake City on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Their identities are not shown to protect them from the Taliban. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News Months after what critics have decried as a conservative takeover at New College of Florida, students and professors say a sense of confusion and anxiety looms over the start of fall semester in Sarasota, Florida. Amy Reid, a member of the schools Board of Trustees, said course options have dwindled after nearly 40% of faculty members have resigned. Reid said the situation is quickly becoming untenable. Just before I came to this meeting, I received word that one more faculty member in biology is leaving, she told CNN. Thats going to make a challenge for students to complete their areas of studies here. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Classes are scheduled to begin on August 28, but Chai Leffler is already struggling to navigate his fourth year at the school. Leffler is an urban studies major, but he said most of his professors have resigned. In order to graduate, Leffler said he has asked faculty in other subject areas to sponsor his thesis. Its a little messy, kind of like a dumpster fire right now in terms of administration, Leffler said. At the end of the day, I want to get my degree. Once heralded as a progressive liberal arts school, New College of Florida has found itself at the center of the states culture war over education. In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis replaced six of the 13 members on the colleges Board of Trustees. New members include Christopher Rufo, who who has been at the forefront of the conservative movement against critical race theory. In May, Gov. DeSantis signed a series of higher education bills on the campus of New College, aimed at ending critical race theory and curbing diversity spending in higher education. At a press conference following the bill signing, Rufo called the changes the most significant higher education reform in a half-century. The new board has since voted to abolish diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and replaced the colleges former president with Richard Corcoran, the states former education commissioner. The New College Board of Trustees is succeeding in its mission to eliminate indoctrination and re-focus higher education on its classical mission, DeSantis said earlier this month in a press release. The governor also pointed to concerns about enrollment numbers and test scores at the school. If it was a private school making those choices, then fine, I mean what are you going to do? DeSantis said. But this is being paid for by your tax dollars. Earlier this year, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz said state officials wanted New College of Florida to become Floridas classical college, more along the lines of a Hillsdale of the South. Hillsdale College is a private conservative Christian college in southern Michigan. Some students told CNN they chose to attend New College for its progressive values and because the school offered an environment where LGBTQ+ students could freely express themselves. Earlier this month, the Board of Trustees began the process to eliminate the schools gender studies program. The move prompted one gender studies professor, Nicholas Clarkson, to quit. In his resignation letter, Clarkson described Florida as the state where learning goes to die. When you start banning terms and banning fields of study and arguing that the state has the right to tell faculty what they can and cant say in the classroom that really hampers the learning environment, Clarkson told CNN. New College Trustee Matthew Spalding, who is also a dean at Hillsdale College in Michigan, disagreed. At a board meeting earlier this month Spalding said the gender studies program was more of an ideological movement than academic discipline. A challenge for the students In February, Florida legislators approved $15 million in funding for New College to increase faculty recruiting and fund new scholarships. Officials at New College said recruitment efforts are ongoing and more classes could soon be offered. Ryan Terry, a spokesperson for the college, pointed to an increase in fall enrollment as a sign the school is appealing to more students. Terry confirmed that there are 341 incoming freshman this year compared to 277 in the fall of 2022. The school has a total enrollment of about 800 students, he said. Its not just administrative issues complicating the return to school, students are also struggling to find on-campus housing. New College said in a press release that it is currently housing some students in Sarasota-area hotels after a recent engineering report cited air quality concerns in the Pei residential complex. Out of an abundance of caution, and for the health and safety of the NCF community, Interim President Corcoran has made the decision to shutter all of the Pei dorms, the press release said. Terry confirmed the school is now using other dorms to house the incoming class of freshmen, while returning students are being housed in hotels. New College senior Galen Rydzik said the move to hotels was poorly planned. Its more of a challenge for the students that were told last minute because a lot of them are not being housed here, Rydzik said. Despite the chaos, Leffler said he is determined to try to preserve the unique student culture at New College. Last year, students organized their own graduation ceremony to protest the governors changes at the school. Leffler said he is hopeful students will be able to do the same in the spring. Were willing to do what it takes to keep the culture alive at this school, Leffler said. We are really focusing on just the students, the administration is out of my control. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com As the 2024 race kicked into full gear with the first Republican presidential primary debate this week, the crowded GOP contest and former President Trumps surrender at a Georgia jail will likely dominate the Sunday talk show circuit. Eight candidates took to the debate stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday night to make their case to Republican voters. However, as moderator Bret Baier acknowledged at one point during the debate, Trump was the elephant not in the room. The former president and GOP frontrunner decided not to attend the debate and instead sat for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that was released just minutes before the debate got underway. The remaining candidates who had met the Republican National Committees (RNC) polling and donor requirements sparred among themselves on the debate stage over everything from Ukraine to abortion to the Jan. 6 riot. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , who is set to make appearances on NBCs Meet the Press and CNNs State of the Union on Sunday, emerged as a primary target at the debate. Several recent polls have showed the political newcomer gaining ground on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been touted as Trumps biggest competition for the Republican nomination but has struggled to make inroads on the former presidents sizable lead. Ramaswamy was at the center of some of the nights most contentious exchanges. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who will join Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures this weekend, slammed Ramaswamys lack of foreign policy experience after he suggested that the U.S. should no longer support Ukraine in its war with Russia. He wants to hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to go and stop funding Israel. You dont do that to friends. What you do instead is you have the backs of your friends, Haley said, later adding, You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie also took aim at Ramaswamy at one point, saying hed had enough already tonight of a guy who sounds like ChatGPT, while former Vice President Mike Pence argued that we dont need to bring in a rookie in an apparent reference to the 38-year-old entrepreneur. Christie and Pence are both set to join CBS Face the Nation on Sunday, while Christie will also make an appearance on ABCs This Week. Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson , who will join CNNs State of the Union this weekend, was one of several candidates who struggled to secure any significant breakout moments on the debate stage. However, Hutchinson did stand out as the only candidate to raise his hand when asked if they believe human behavior is behind climate change and was one of only two candidates, alongside Christie, to keep his hand down when asked whether they would support Trump if he were convicted. The former president is facing a litany of state and federal charges in four separate cases. Most recently, Trump was indicted alongside 18 others by a Fulton County grand jury over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election in Georgia. He made history as the first U.S. president to have his mugshot taken when he was booked at the Fulton County jail on Thursday evening. None of Trumps three prior indictments including two federal cases over his efforts to remain in power after the 2020 election and his handling of classified materials and a Manhattan case over a 2016 hush money payment required mugshots. Alina Habba, who serves as a legal spokesperson for the former president and is set to appear on Fox News Sunday this weekend, argued on Friday that Trumps mugshot was unnecessary but is a trophy that actually became ours. They didnt need the mugshot, Habba said in an interview on Newsmax. It was, I guess to [Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis], probably a trophy. But thank you, because now the trophy actually became ours. The Trump campaign has been fundraising off the historic mug shot, calling for donations and selling T-shirts, mugs, koozies and bumper stickers with the image and the phrase Never surrender. Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows: ABCs This Week Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential candidate; Cedric Richmond, co-chair of President Joe Bidens 2024 campaign NBCs Meet the Press Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican presidential candidate; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) CBS Face the Nation Former Vice President Mike Pence, a Republican presidential candidate; Christie; Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.); Fiona Hill, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution and former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council CNNs State of the Union Ramaswamy; Sanders; Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D); Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.); former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, a Republican presidential candidate Fox News Sunday Former Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.); Alina Habba, a lawyer for former President Donald Trump Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate; Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas); Gary Shapley, special agent for the IRS Criminal Investigation; Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); former Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R); former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon (R) For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) called on Republican presidential candidates to go on the offense against the GOP frontrunner, former President Trump. I think they have to take it to him, Sununu said in an interview on The Hill on NewsNation Friday. They dont have to go nuclear, like Chris [Christie] does but everyone in their own way has to find separation from him, he added. Some of them are doing it, some of them arent. Sununu, the popular four-term governor who recently announced he will not seek another term after considering a presidential bid of his own, has been a fervent Trump critic. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The Hill Elections 2024 coverage He said the candidates must stay serious about the race and understand when to drop out in order to keep up pressure on the former president. Thats the key, its not just attacking [Trump] but then finding out where your candidacy is, assessing it as we go through the fall and look, when the time to back out is there, you got to back out, he said. If the number of candidates challenging Trump winnows down, especially if its one-on-one, he loses, he added. When you look at 8 or 9 candidates, its too much. The Republican governor said the races first primary debate on Wednesday night which Trump did not attend proved that a post-Trump Republican Party is possible. He said he was impressed by candidates who distinguished themselves from the former president, pointing out former UN ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence. For the first time in six years weve seen leadership in the Republican Party without Donald Trump and it looked pretty good, he said. The party needs an alternative to Trump because hes unlikely to win the 2024 election, Sununu said. He also blamed the former president for Republican letdowns in the 2020 and 2022 elections. Im opposed to him because he cant win. I want winners, he said. Why would we do this a fourth time and expect a different result? Trump holds a sizable lead in primary polling, taking about 52 percent support according to national polling averages. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A 19-year-old Wichita woman was found dead in the trunk of her boyfriends car on Saturday at his north Wichita apartment, police spokesperson Juan Rebolledo said. Alexander Lewis was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, Rebolledo said, adding that the police are not yet releasing the victims name until her family has been notified. Police identify woman found dead in trunk of boyfriends car at north Wichita apartment He said she has no obvious signs of trauma. Lewis was cooperative with police when they went to his apartment in the 7600 block of East 21st, Rebolledo said, adding the victim was found in his car that was in front of his apartment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Police were originally dispatched after a 911 operator in North Carolina reported getting a call from a woman who said her son may have harmed his girlfriend, Rebolledo said. Rebolledo said Wichita police responded at 11:08 a.m. and went to two addresses: the one in the 7600 block of East 21st, where he lives, and in the 3900 block of East 17th, where she lives. Police arrived by 11:27 a.m., Rebolledo said, and then found the woman in the trunk. They did CPR, but she was pronounced dead around noon, Rebolledo said. Rebolledo said there is speculation that she may be pregnant, but does not appear to be, though an autopsy will later determine that for sure. This appears to be at least the citys 30th homicide so far this year, based on a database The Eagle keeps up on homicides reported by police. There were 27 homicides at this time last year. A fight between two 16-year-old boys left one dead and another serving 12 years for murder. Christopher Track, now 17, was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty in Maricopa County Superior Court in June to the second-degree murder of Prince Nedd, 16. Arizona law mandates that anyone 15 years or older who is charged with certain felony crimes must be tried as an adult. Both Track and Nedd had been working at a McDonald's in March 2022 when Track shot Nedd after a fight, he admitted. Superior Court Judge Suzanne Cohen sentenced Track on Friday, weighing Track's past and his actions in front of both his and Nedd's family. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Two teenage boys arguing over hash browns ends in a young man losing his life, Cohen said to everyone in court before sentencing Track. What happened? On March 2, 2022, Track and Nedd fought over a food order at the McDonalds bathroom near 51st Avenue and Baseline Road in Phoenix, according to court records. In a memo submitted to the court, the state explained that Nedd won the fight and then taunted Track about it. He also filmed it on his phone. Nedd walked out, and Track pulled a gun. He followed Nedd, and shot him in the back while still inside the McDonald's. After fleeing, Track walked into a police precinct five days later and turned himself in. At sentencing Nedds family members watched the sentencing through a virtual stream. They had written the court letters describing the heartache of losing such a young relative. Nedds family depicted him as a smart, reliable and aspirational teenager. Nedds mother wrote that his loss tore her family apart. The joy we once found in everyday life has been replaced by a profound sense of emptiness, she wrote. Prosecutors told the court that the state believed that Track had shot Nedd after reflecting on what happened, attempting to get revenge. They asked the judge to sentence Track to 16 years in prison. Tracks family and attorneys presented the judge with Tracks background and history of being raised in a violent home and growing up with psychological struggles. Tracks mother told the judge that he had lived through ongoing violence as a kid and that his behavior became erratic after he was hit by a truck. She explained that violence plagued her and her family, but when she got free from it, she tried to get Track into behavioral therapy. It had been working, but when COVID-19 hit, that treatment dwindled. It felt like the traumatic events just kept rolling downhill on him, she said. In court, she turned to look Track in the eyes and told her son, I refuse to give up on you. Tracks lawyer, Theodore Saldivar, explained that Track had been on medication and a doctor had described Track as being on a spectrum for schizophrenia. Track spoke in his defense and told the court that he was emotionally broken about what he did. Prince didn't deserve what happened to him. He was just working his first job like I was, Track said. I know his familys heartbroken like my family would have been if it had been me. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Suzanne Cohen. Before sentencing Track, Cohen spoke about the heartbreak he had caused not just Nedds family but his own, looking in their direction. About 16 members of Tracks family had shown up to support him. But the harm to Nedds family can't be put into words or numbers, Cohen added. She considered Track's childhood, his mental health history, and his turning himself in, and concluded that she disagreed with the state that Track had acted with reflection. I believe your action was one of impulse and not thinking based on the circumstances surrounding the crime, she said. She sentenced Track to 12 years and gave him some advice. Use the next years wisely, and you come out, and you give back, and maybe you give back in Princes name and make the loss of his life mean something, she said. Why we are writing this This reporting follows a crime that The Republic began to cover in 2022 and is part of our commitment to telling the story from start to finish. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Teen sentenced to 12 years for murder at Phoenix McDonald's A teenager from Fayetteville has been missing for months, and authorities believe she may have come to Charlotte. Arion Ellis-Hill disappeared from her home in Fayetteville in April and hasnt been seen since, according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. SEE MORE: Here are 35 of the open missing persons cases in Charlotte Authorities think she traveled within North Carolina state to Charlotte, Jacksonville, or Greensboro. Arion is described as 505, weighs 190 lbs., and has brown hair with black eyes. She may also be in need of medical attention. Arions mom, Ashley Ellis, spoke with NCMEC and said the family is desperate to bring Arion home safely. They miss her tremendously and urge anyone with any information on Arions whereabouts to come forward, NMEC shares. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Anyone with information about Arion or her disappearance is encouraged to contact NCMEC at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or the Cumberland County Sheriffs Office (North Carolina) at 1-910-323-1500. (WATCH: Cases such as Allisha Watts present challenges when they involve multiple agencies) A person holds an image of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as they listen to speakers during the 60th Anniversary of the March on Washington at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) WASHINGTON (AP) Thousands converged Saturday on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 's March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfill his dream. We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington," said Alphonso David , president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot." The event was convened by the Kings Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Al Sharpton 's National Action Network. A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history. Inevitably, Saturday's event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women after only one was given the microphone in 1963. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. I was 8 years old at the original March and only one woman was allowed to speak she was from Arkansas where Im from now look at how many women are on the podium today, she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now," said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today. As speakers delivered messages, they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were underway along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial while joggers and bikers went about their routines. Yolanda King , the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., roused marchers with remarks delivered from the same spot her grandfather gave the I Have A Dream speech sixty years ago. If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say Im sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your dream, she said. Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools and our shopping centers. From the podium, Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. Sixty years ago Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later were the dreamers. The problem is were facing the schemers, Sharpton said. The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for womens right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks." After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Several leaders from groups organizing the march met Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining. Saturday's gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering. All of Kings children have been invited to meet with Biden, White House officials said. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later in 1963, four Black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as Bloody Sunday, forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speakers warned that King's unfinished dream was in danger of being further whittled away. Im very concerned about the direction our country is going in," Martin Luther King III said. "And it is because instead of moving forward, it feels as if were moving back. The question is, what are we going to do? Rosetta Manns-Baugh knew the answer: Keep fighting. I think we have accomplished a lot, but I also think we lost." said Manns-Baugh, who was a Trailways bus counter worker in 1963 when she left her seven children and husband at home in Virginia to come to D.C. Now she's so disillusioned she's stopped singing We Shall Overcome, the anthem of the civil rights movement. But even at age 92, she returned to Washington for the 60th anniversary, bringing three generations of her family, all the way down to her 18-month-old grandchild. I think thats why we all are here because we do expect the world to get better," Manns-Baugh said. "We cant stop working at it thats for sure. ___ Associated Press journalists Gary Fields, Jacquelyn Martin, Julie Walker and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about APs democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content. (CNN) Dune: Part Two, the long-awaited sequel to Denis Villeneuves sci-fi epic Dune from 2021, has been delayed, Warner Bros. announced on Thursday. The film, starring Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, was originally slated for release on November 3rd of this year. In an email to CNN on Thursday, the studio confirmed the sequel was being pushed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. (Warner Bros. and CNN are both a part of Warner Bros. Discovery.) Actors in that union, the Screen Actors GuildAmerican Federation of Television and Radio Artists, have been on strike since July after negotiations with the studios and streaming platforms around a new contract failed. Sticking points in those negotiations include residual payments, transparency with viewership data on streaming platforms, and updated protections against the advent of artificial intelligence within the industry. The actors strike came as writers in Hollywood had already been on strike since May around similar issues, effectively bringing production activity in Hollywood to a grinding halt. Both entities currently remain on strike, with negotiations moving along slowly with the AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers). Warner Bros. confirmed this week that while Dune: Part Two has been pushed, the studios other major upcoming releases Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Wonka and The Color Purple are all still slated to be released later this year, in December. By Clark Mindock (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Friday canceled a license granted by a federal agency to a company to build a temporary nuclear waste storage facility in western Texas, which the Republican-led state has argued would be dangerous to build in one of the nation's largest oil basins. A three-judge panel of the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission lacked the authority under federal law to issue permits for private, temporary nuclear waste storage sites. The license, which was issued in 2021 to project developer Interim Storage Partners LLC, was challenged by Texas as well as west Texas oil and gas interests that opposed the facility. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement U.S. Circuit Judge James Ho, writing for the court, agreed with Texas that the Atomic Energy Act does not give the agency the broad authority "to license a private, away-from-reactor storage facility for spent nuclear fuel." Ho, an appointee of Republican President Donald Trump, said a license for that kind of a facility also conflicts with a U.S. law called the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, which prioritizes permanent storage solutions and otherwise allows temporary storage of nuclear waste only at reactors themselves or at federal sites. Representatives for the NRC, Texas Governor Greg Abbott 's office and the developer did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Abbott and other state officials had petitioned the court in 2021 to review the order by the agency authorizing Interim Storage Partners to receive and store up to 5,000 metric tons of spent fuel and about 230 metric tons of low-level radioactive waste for 40 years at a planned repository in Andrews County, Texas. Abbott opposed the plan, saying he would not let Texas become "America's nuclear waste dumping ground." The plan for a temporary facility was devised in order to address a growing nuclear waste problem in the United States. The Andrews County site was chosen after efforts to build a permanent storage facility in Nevada fell apart amid fierce local opposition. (Reporting by Clark Mindock in New York; Editing by Will Dunham) People in Jasper are in many ways still dealing with the aftermath of James Byrd Jr.'s 1998 murder. Many residents say the perpetrators were caught, but the crime still unfairly weighs on the town. In a Washington Post report, Byrd's family said that local officials want to move past the crime. In June 1998, the murder of James Byrd Jr. forever changed the small East Texas town of Jasper. Known as the "Jewel of the Forest," Jasper and its surrounding area had long been known for its natural beauty. But that changed after Byrd, a 49-year-old Black man, was chained to the back of a pickup truck by three white men and dragged by his ankles for more than two miles on a winding road outside of the city limits. During the shockingly brutal act, Byrd was decapitated, and parts of his battered body were discovered along the route his killers took that night. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Jasper, which was seen as one of the more racially integrated areas of the region, sought to dispel the belief that their community was a hotbed of racism and unbridled hate. Similar to many of the racial reconciliation efforts that took place after George Floyd's murder at the hands of Minneapolis police, many white residents of Jasper sought to assuage their Black neighbors that they would come together in the aftermath of the horrific crime. However, a new Washington Post report describes a town that in many ways has sought to move forward while downplaying a crime that for 25 years has defined the area. The Post reported that Byrd is not included in the local school district's textbooks on history in the Lone Star State. The crime perpetuated upon Byrd is also not a part of the Jasper County Historical Museum, which has been open for 15 years. And Byrd's family told the newspaper that local officials haven't offered much support in their efforts to keep Byrd's name alive in the eyes of the public. Louvon Byrd Harris, Byrd's younger sister, told The Post that many people simply "want to forget what happened." "You know who people really are once the cameras are gone. And once the cameras were gone, people started saying, 'Poor Jasper, we're victims, too,'" she said. David Shultz, one of the two white members on the Jasper City Council, told The Post that residents continue to bear the burden unfairly of the horrific crime. (Two of the men who killed Byrd have already been executed by the state, while the third man is serving a life sentence and is up for parole in 2038.) "I don't think what happened was the people in Jasper's fault. I think people have a tendency to judge Jasper on what happened in the past, not the city that Jasper is today," he said. And Jasper Mayor Anderson Land, who is Black and knew Byrd growing up, even told The Post that the city needed a fresh perception. "It's the family's job to keep James's memory alive and I'm here to support them in that. But in order for Jasper to grow, we must move on," he said. A section of Huff Creek Road in Jasper, Texas, where James Byrd Jr., was dragged to his death. AP Photo/Juan Lozano Many Black residents believe otherwise, though, as they have not healed from the brutal hate crime and point to deep inequities that still exist in the area, which include sharp income divides between Black and white residents. "Nothing much has changed here," retired nursing aide Betty Lane told The Post. While Byrd's murder prompted the Texas legislature's 2001 passage of the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, along with the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which passed by Congress was signed into law in 2009, his family has still sought to do more to keep his legacy alive. After the murder, the family launched the Byrd Foundation for Racial Healing. And they sought to open a museum that would be focused on racial reconciliation. But a lack of funding ended those plans. At the Jasper County Historical Museum, the institution's part-time director told The Post that they're trying to find a way to inform the public about the crime. "We are working on how to address it as a museum," Tod Lawlis told The Post. Lawlis, who is white, said that he found out about a Byrd exhibit that was in Austin, the state capital, but was unsure if it would be showcased in Jasper. "We're trying to make arrangements to see it, and if it's fair, we want to try to get it here. It is part of the county's history. We want to tell it in an unbiased, fair way," he added. Read the original article on Business Insider Four out of five emperor penguin colonies in Antarcticas Bellingshausen Sea experienced total breeding failure last year after the sea ice young chicks need to survive broke up earlier than usual. Researchers with the British Antarctic Survey used satellite images to track sea ice and the presence of penguins on the ice. Their findings were published on Thursday in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Its a grim story, lead study author Dr. Peter Fretwell told The Guardian. I was shocked. Its very hard to think of these cute fluffy chicks dying in large numbers. An emperor penguin chick. An emperor penguin chick. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement More than 9,000 chicks likely died in all, according to The Washington Post. Emperor penguins lay eggs in May or June, and the chicks hatch after 65 days. But it takes the young birds until December or January to develop waterproof feathers, meaning they must stay on solid ice before that. When the ice breaks up too early, the chicks can fall into the ocean and drown or freeze, according to the BBC. The study notes that localized sea ice loss has caused chick deaths in the past, but such widespread catastrophic breeding failure is new and alarming. We have never seen emperor penguins fail to breed, at this scale, in a single season, Fretwell told NBC News. A group of adult and juvenile emperor penguins. A group of adult and juvenile emperor penguins. Cassandra Brooks, an Antarctica researcher and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder who was not involved in the research, told CNN that the study adds to a growing pile of proof that human-caused climate change could easily be a death sentence for the birds. There is mounting evidence that emperor penguins may actually go extinct directly due to loss of sea ice resulting from our planets warming, she said. Our window in which to ensure their survival is narrowing. Related... Spanish policemen escort six German tourists arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a German young woman to the courts of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on July 15. Since then police have investigated two other alleged gang-rape cases involving young tourists on the island. File Photo by Miquel A. Borras/EPA-EFE Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Three Britons arrested in connection with the third recent case of alleged gang rape involving young tourists on the Spanish island of Mallorca made their initial court appearances on Saturday. Photos showed the three British men covering their faces as they went before a court in Palma, Spain, to face charges in connection with an alleged gang rape of a British woman who says she was drugged at a hotel in the town of Magaluf on Friday. The three men tried to leave the country but were apprehended at Palma Son Sant Joan Airport as they were about to board a flight to Manchester in Britain. A doctor who examined the alleged victim said she had signs of sexual violence. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "This morning a central response unit received an alert about a possible sexual aggression from a hotel in the municipality," a spokesman for the Spanish Civil Guard told the Manchester Evening News. Initial evidence suggested the woman had been drugged, he said, adding the victim told police "she felt completely unwell possibly because of the consumption of some type of drug. She said she didn't know the identity of the alleged aggressors, just the nickname of one of them used on a social network." Police were nonetheless able to identify the men. "Officers identified the alleged aggressors who had just abandoned the hotel with the intention of taking a flight back to their home country," the spokesman added. Earlier this month, six people, including five French nationals and one Swiss national, were arrested on suspicion of having gang raped another British woman at the same hotel where this week's attack took place. And in July, six German men were arrested for the alleged rape of an 18-year-old German woman at a Mallorca hotel. Authorities said it is likely the three Britons arrested on Friday will be held in the same facility as the Swiss and French nationals detained in connection with the prior attack. Winds brought by strong overnight storms Thursday knocked down tree limbs that crashed into Kent State University's memorial to students killed and injured on May 4, 1970. The damage to the May 4 Memorial was reported by the University online at Kent State Today. Photos: Kent State's 2023 May 4 Commemoration Damage to the Kent State May 4 Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 26, from Thursday's storm. Damage to the granite structure was being assessed Friday. The memorial was dedicated on May 4, 1990, the 20th commemoration of the day four students were killed and nine were wounded by members of the Ohio Army National Guard during an anti-war demonstration. Inquire, Learn, Reflect: How Kent State endured the 1970 shootings to embrace its tragic past ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Overnight severe storms and strong winds slammed the region Thursday and Friday morning, knocking out power and closing schools and roads. Six tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in Cleveland, Mentor, Ottawa County, Trumbull County, Erie County and Medina County. Kent State junior, John Love, meditates on Saturday, Aug. 26, next to a large downed tree next to Taylor Hall from Thursday's storm. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Thursday night storm damages Kent State's May 4 Memorial The Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe and more than 20 local nonprofits will be participating on Aug. 28 in the sixth annual Give 8/28 fundraiser. The 15-hour nationwide digital event supports Black-led and Black-benefiting nonprofits. On Monday, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County will unite donors with Give 8/28 participants during a community mixer from 5-7 p.m. at WBTT, 1012 N. Orange Ave., in Sarasota. Donations to WBTT will support the organization's Young Artist Program, which presented Raleigh Mosely IIs Titanium: A Soul Experience during the 2022-23 season. Info: give828.org. Tickets on sale for EcoSummit featuring author Carl Hiassen Discounted early registration tickets are on sale for the 2023 EcoSummit in December featuring bestselling author and Florida journalist Carl Hiassen and award-winning Australian documentary filmmaker Damon Gameau. Carl Hiaasen has published 13 novels for adults, including nine national bestsellers "Strip Tease," "Stormy Weather," "Lucky You," "Sick Puppy," "Basket Case," "Skinny Dip," "Nature Girl," "Star Island," and "Bad Monkey." The EcoSummit will feature solutions-oriented lectures and panel discussions with dozens of national, regional, and local experts who will share insights for recharging the environment and reducing human impacts. The event is presented by the Science and Environment Council, a consortium of 40 environmental nonprofit and government organization in Sarasota and Manatee counties. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Our natural environment is the foundation of our economy and quality of life," said Jennifer Shafer, SEC co-executive director. "By working together to educate and activate the community, we hope to bolster efforts to conserve and restore our treasured natural resources. The EcoSummit opens Dec. 4 at The Bay Park Nest with a free outdoor screening of the film 2040 featuring Gameau, the films creator and EcoSummit keynote speaker. The event continues Dec. 5-6 at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and includes "Florida Stories" with Hiaasen, a former Miami Herald columnist, and emcee and award-winning journalist Craig Pittman. For tickets and more information, visit eco-summit.org. Community Harvest initiative now includes Diocese schools Community Harvest, a fundraising initiative in September that supports area nonprofits, will include Diocese of Venice Catholic Schools for the first time as a beneficiaries. Were delighted to be included, said Father John Belmonte, Superintendent of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Venice. The Dioceses Catholic schools serve more than 6,000 area students, and contributions in any amount help us with our mission of preparing these students for a life of purpose. Those interested in helping nonprofits can do so by dining at participating restaurants in September. The restaurant donates 5% of diners checks to charities selected by the guests. Restaurants are the 1905 Family of Restaurants group, including all Columbia restaurants, Cha Cha Coconuts, Ulele, Goody Goody and Casa Santo Stefano. The Community Harvest program has donated more then $3 million since its inception in 1998. YMCA of SW Florida welcomes new Chief Volunteer Officer The YMCA of Southwest Florida recently welcomed Chief Volunteer Officer Dorothy Korszen and named Keith Farlow as Director Emeritus. Korszen has served on the YMCA of Southwest Florida Board of Directors since 2011. Her recent roles were vice-chair, treasurer and chair of the finance committee. She serves as a director at Farr Law Firm where she focuses on trusts and estates, real estate and business and corporate law. Korszen takes over for David Dignam, who served from 2021-23 and will remain on the board. Farlow served as CVO from 2019-21 and has been a board member for 10 years. For more information about the YMCA of Southwest Florida, visit ymcaswfl.org. Longtime educator promoted at Community Day School The Hershorin Schiff Community Day School has named veteran educator Barbara OBrien as its new K-4 Interim Director. With more than three decades of teaching experience, O'Brien has been a teacher at Community Day School for 20 years. Longtime educator Barbara OBrien has been named K-4 Interim Director for Hershorin Schiff Community Day School. O'Brien earned a B.A. degree in education with certifications in early childhood and elementary education from Stonehill College. Working in private and public schools, she has certifications in Montessori and Reggio Emilia teaching methods and has held multiple leadership positions. O'Brien, who has taught second-grade language arts, math, science, and social studies and fourth-grade math, will continue to oversee the second-grade team, guide the K-4 division, and work closely with Early Childhood Director Tracy Bortz on kindergarten and pre-K curriculum. Around and about ... Truly Valueds I AM Academy mentoring program has expanded to an estimated 100 students at Booker Middle School, thanks to support from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation. Truly Valued, which serves at-risk youth and families, offers support at eight schools in Sarasota County and nine in Manatee County. Our staff are fully committed to supporting students as they navigate, finding themselves and becoming active members of our community, said Shavonne Sams, founder and CEO. Info: trulyvalued.org; 941-222-0645. Congregation Kol HaNeshama is holding an open house with new Rabbi Sigal Brier on Sept. 9 at 5 p.m. at the South Gate Community Center, 3145 Southgate Circle, Sarasota. Info: office@khsarasota.org or 941-244-2042. BUDS (Manasota Bringing Up Down Syndrome) will hold its 21st annual Buddy Walk fundraiser on Oct. 28 at Bayside Community Church, 15800 S.R. 64, in Bradenton. The event includes music with DJ MoTown Ross Brown, a silent auction, carnival games, a 50/50 raffle, and food and beverages. Enrollment, team signup, and sponsorship opportunities are available at manasotabuds.org. Submissions by Sharon Kunkel, Karen Barry Schwarz, Jamie Browning, Shavonne Sams, Mike Stephens, Claire Kunzman. This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Early registration underway for EcoSummit in Sarasota with Carl Hiassen More than 100 people said they contracted bacterial infections after competing in a Tough Mudder challenge on Saturday and Sunday in Sonoma, California. The event was held at Sonoma Raceway, which is about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco, and challenged participants to run, wade and crawl through a muddy obstacle course. Three days later, the Sonoma County Department of Health Services issued a health advisory for all racers, citing multiple reports of rashes, fever, muscle pains and vomiting among the participants. These symptoms could be indicative of a minor illness called Swimmers Itch, but they can also indicate a Staph infection or other more serious bacterial infection such as Aeromonas, the advisory said. Swimmers itch, or cercarial dermatitis, is a rash caused by water parasites and doesnt usually require medical attention. Staph infections, however, are caused by bacteria, can produce swollen, pus-filled bumps on the skin and may lead to lung infections or sepsis if left untreated. Aeromonas hydrophila bacteria, also found in water, can cause infections, with symptoms including fever, diarrhea, cramps and vomiting. The rash on Noa Umbaughs leg/stomach. (Courtesy Noa Umbaugh) On Wednesday, 112 participants contacted Tough Mudder to report bumpy, pus-filled, rash-like infections, according to an email provided to NBC News. The email said it was writing on behalf of 344 participants, including the senders family members and friends who also raced but were not named or copied on the email. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Most of our doctors have identified this as staph, the email said, adding: Many of us have these additional symptoms, as well as fever and fatigue. Several have been hospitalized for days. Tough Mudder did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in a reply to the group email, a Tough Mudder representative wrote that the organization was working to complete its own investigation, ensure that the health advisory reached all participants and assist the Sonoma County health department. NBC News spoke to five people who said they experienced symptoms of bacterial infection after competing in one of the Tough Mudder races Sunday. David Long at the Tough Mudder event in Sonoma, California, on Aug. 20. (Courtesy David Long) David Long, 57, said he raced with several co-workers, then came down with a fever, chills and lesions from his ankle to his chest that night. He sought medical attention the next day and tested positive for Aeromonas on Friday, Long said. The larger sores on his leg resembled boils and were painful, he said. I think there is an element of what you would call negligence, Long said. It doesnt seem like it would be very difficult to test those water pools for bacteria. Matt Brown, a Sonoma County communications specialist, said the health department had logged seven cases of Aeromonas hydrophila infection so far, based on physician reports to the county. Our health department has received dozens of phone calls and emails from participants either concerned about their health or reporting symptoms, he said. Founded in 2009, Tough Mudder holds 5k, 10k and 15k races across the country in which participants are submerged in pits of muddy water, crawl through mud under barbed wire and scale muddy hills. After last years event in Sonoma County, a participant emailed Tough Mudder to report that she and several friends who raced had developed fevers and rashes, according to a screenshot of the message she shared with NBC News. In the recent group email to Tough Mudder, the senders wrote that the company should have informed them about the previous complaints but did not. Dr. Henry Chambers, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at San Francisco General Hospital, said mud can house thousands of species of bacteria, so crawling through muddy terrain especially with cuts and scrapes from obstacles carries an inherent risk of infection. The best way to prevent it, other than not doing the course is to immediately clean off, shower right away, so that organisms dont have a chance to get established, Chambers said. Though testing the area might have detected Aeromonas bacteria before the event, he said such a course comes with myriad infection risks beyond that particular one. Malia Helms, 25, said she completed the 10k course with five other friends, then woke up the next morning with itchy, painful red bumps across her body. She tested positive for Aeromonas infection, she said. Im still feeling sick from it, and my body is still recovering, Helms said. After learning of the complaints following last years event, Helms said she felt frustrated that the company didnt inform this years participants of a potential risk. Noa Umbaugh, 26, another member of Helms six-person group, said she woke up with similar bumps on her arms and legs, though she did not test positive for Aeromonas infection. After emailing Tough Mudder to report her symptoms, Umbaugh said the company told her it was looking into the matter. Umbaugh said she wants her registration fee refunded. It was just supposed to be a fun thing, and now all six of us are on antibiotics, she said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com A transgender woman in New York has achieved a significant settlement with Broome County after experiencing violence, discrimination and the denial of medical care while in custody at Broome County Jail. Broome County will adopt new policies affirming the rights of transgender people in the jail after a woman said she was discriminated against while in custody at the jail. Makyyla Holland, a 25-year-old Black transgender woman, reached a settlement with the county Thursday after filing a lawsuit in 2022 saying she was the victim of multiple forms of harassment, including physical abuse, misgendering and refusal of access to medication and commissary items during her time in at the jail in 2021. As part of the settlement, the county will pay Holland $160,000 for the harms she suffered, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) and Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund (TLDEF). ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "No one should ever have to go through what I went through at the Broome County Jail and I am so grateful that with this new policy, hopefully, no one else ever will," Holland said in a written statement. "This policy and policies like it can impact a lot of my community and I will continue to fight to ensure that no other trans person in New York or anywhere has to endure what I did." What the new policies entail Makyyla Holland's 2022 lawsuit against Broome County for how she was treated in the jail's custody in 2021 has incited policy changes. Under the settlement, the county is changing its policies to comply with federal and state laws, according to a statement from the NYCLU and TLDEF. Specifically, the county will: House people consistent with their gender identity or within the unit consistent with the sex designation the person in custody believes is safest for them. Conduct searches consistent with the person in custodys own view of what gender officer would be safest to perform the search. Ensure that staff at the jail respect a persons gender identity in all other contexts, including name and pronoun use. Ensure access to clothing and toiletry items consistent with a persons gender identity, and facilitate access to gender-affirming items such as binders, wigs, and gaffs. Ensure access to medical care free from discrimination on the basis of sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, including access to medical care for treatment of gender dysphoria. This policy isn't the first to be enacted in the Southern Tier. In August 2020, the NYCLU and TLDEF reached a settlement with Steuben County, which adopted similar policies. "Today we celebrate the stunning, transgender rights victory of courageous Makyyla Holland and the NYCLU in their lawsuit against Broome County, the Sheriff, Undersheriff, officers, and medical staff," Justice and Unity in the Southern Tier (JUST) said in a written statement Thursday. "This is a wonderful outcome, and we look forward to observing its implementation at the County jail and other facilities." Anti-trans legislation: Is all the anger, fury really about transgender rights? Maybe not. Broome County did not comment on the matter but referred to the jail administration. "While this settlement stems from an incident and subsequent lawsuit that occurred before I was elected Sheriff, Im pleased we were able to amicably reach a resolution that establishes clear LGBTI Guidelines, which were previously nonexistent, to address the rights of LGBTI inmates while maintaining the safety and security of individuals both housed and working at the Broome County Correctional Facility," Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar said. "Its another important step forward in pragmatically and safely modernizing policies to meet the needs of those we serve and protect as we work to build a better, safer community for everyone in Broome County. What the lawsuit says Broome County is adopting a new policy which will affirm the rights of transgender people while they are in the Broome County jail. During Holland's first period of incarceration between January and February 2021, the lawsuit states Holland faced several injustices, including: Being physically attacked during the intake process, suffering multiple bruises, cuts, a broken tooth and a painful lump on her head that caused her severe migraines. Never seen by a dentist or offered any treatment for her broken tooth, the pain in the back of her head and the migraine headaches she endured as a result, other than ibuprofen. Assigned to the men's unit inside the Broome County jail and placed in an isolated cell by herself with glass walls on all sides, visible to men in the unit at all times, despite informing correctional officers several times about her transgender status. Denied access to a shower and the ability to leave the cell during periods when men she detained with were allowed out. Between June and July 2021, the lawsuit claims Hollands second period of incarceration in the Broome County jail saw similar injustices, such as: Strip searched by several men, forced to peel off her acrylic nails without the appropriate tools and placed exclusively within mens housing units, despite disclosing her transgender status multiple times. Her wig, which was glued to her head, was ordered to be removed. Medical providers denied her hormone replacement therapy medications for four weeks, never provided her with her prescribed testosterone blockers or antidepressants and only provided her with a single estrogen injection after she had been in the jail for 28 days. Transgender rights: How abortion helped revive Alabama's ban on gender affirming care These denials caused horrible withdrawal symptoms, according to the documents, and she had to postpone her gender-affirming surgery. Throughout Hollands stay in the Broome County jail, the lawsuit states she was harassed and misgendered repeatedly and was forced to shower in full view of the male staff and the men in custody. Holland was denied access to undergarments, hygiene products and commissary items routinely afforded to women in the Broome County jail, according to the documents. The lawsuit also states Holland reported some instances to one of the correctional officers, as well as submitted several grievance slips, which Hollands lawsuit claims she never received any responses to. Emily Barnes is the New York State Team Consumer Advocate Reporter for the USA Today Network. Contact Emily at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Transgender woman in New York reaches landmark settlement with county jail Article first published: Sunday, Aug. 27, 2023, 5 a.m. ET On Sunday at 5 am, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory stating that the tropical depression left Mexico and headed to the Caribbean Sea The tropical depression is 30 miles south-southeast of Cozumel Mexico, with maximum sustained wind of 35 mph. Its moving 5 mph to the south. The tropical depression is forecast to change into a hurricane. YESTERDAY (Saturday): Yesterday (Saturday) at 5 pm, the National Hurricane Center published the first advisory for a tropical depression. The tropical depression was set to encounter Mexico's coastline from the Caribbean Sea ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement SUMMARY OF WATCHES AND WARNINGS IN EFFECT: A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for: - Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to Rio Lagartos, including Cozumel - Pinar del Rio Cuba A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for: - Isle of Youth Cuba 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 in Florida should monitor the progress of this system. HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND: RAINFALL: Tropical Depression Ten is expected to produce the following rainfall amounts: Portions of the eastern Yucatan: 2 to 4 inches, with isolated higher totals of 6 inches. Western Cuba: 3 to 6 inches, with isolated higher totals of 10 inches. Portions of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle, and southern Georgia: From Tuesday into Wednesday, 3 to 6 inches, with isolated higher totals of 10 inches. Heavy rainfall is also likely to spread into portions of the Carolinas by Wednesday into Thursday. This rainfall may lead to flash and urban flooding, and landslides across western Cuba. Scattered flash and urban flooding can also be expected across portions of the west coast of Florida, the Florida Panhandle and portions of the Southeast U.S. by Tuesday into Thursday. WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected to begin over portions of the warning area over the Yucatan Peninsula today and western Cuba tonight or Monday. Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area on the Isle of Youth tonight or Monday. STORM SURGE: Minor coastal flooding is expected within the Tropical Storm Warning area over the Yucatan Peninsula in areas of onshore winds. 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. Tropical Depression 10 has formed in the Yucatan Peninsula and is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday after the system enters the Gulf of Mexico. The system currently has winds of 35 mph and is sitting between eastern Mexico and western Cuba, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday morning. The 7 a.m. Sunday cone of uncertainty track was released by the NHC and shows the disturbance sitting in the near-same spot until Monday, when it will eventually move north into the Gulf and begin strengthening. Tropical Depression 10 has formed near the Gulf of Mexico The next name named storm will be Idalia. The NHC predicts the storm will be a hurricane by 1 p.m. Tuesday, and is currently projected to make landfall Wednesday somewhere along the Florida panhandle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres what Southeastern U.S. states can expect over the next five days, according to the NHC forecast. State of emergency issued for Florida While the exact location is not known, landfall is expected in Florida, with dozens of counties in the Sunshine States Panhandle and Gulf Coast under a state of emergency. It covers 33 counties, including the counties that are home to Panama City, Tampa, Bradenton and Tallahassee. There is potential for heavy rainfall, dangerous storm surge and strong winds for the Panhandle and Gulf Coast by the middle of next week, the NHC said. Residents should stay weather alert and monitor the system over the weekend. Tropical Depression 10 (#TD10) has been designated in the Yucatan Channel. 5pm graphics and advisory will be out shortly from @NHC_Atlantic! https://t.co/n1H9HrAaNG pic.twitter.com/rlv6QEQ6fS NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) August 26, 2023 What about the Mississippi Coast and New Orleans? The Mississippi Coast, including cities of Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis and Ocean Springs, are outside of the NHCs cone of uncertainty. The New Orleans metro and Alabama coast are also not in the forecast track as of 7 a.m. Saturday. What to expect in Georgia, NC and SC Heavy rainfall is expected across a large swath of the U.S. Southeast late next week as the storm moves inland. The precipitation could affect all of Florida and parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, the NHC says. Keep up with the latest updates at hurricanes.gov. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) In 2022, less than 2% of Filipinos had an insurance policy under their belt, which is one of the lowest rates in Southeast Asia. With the pandemic finally starting to ease its squeeze on the ways we live and work, FWD Life Insurance has rolled out several initiatives to make insurance more accessible to Filipinos from diverse backgrounds, with varying needs and budgets. The company showcased its ongoing endeavors to make insurance more inclusive, including developing cutting-edge products and services, helping increase financial literacy and fostering a culture of innovation within the organization at its inaugural Innovation Fest, commemorating FWD Philippines upcoming 10th anniversary. We want Filipinos to have access to relevant insurance, sensible services, and inclusive programs to close the financial gap and ultimately help in nation-building, said FWD Philippines President & CEO Antonio Manuel Jumbing De Rosas. When more people are empowered, everyone can provide more opportunities for one another. FWD Philippines President & CEO Antonio Manuel Jumbing De Rosas highlighted how the event marks their upcoming 10th anniversary in the Philippines. Photo from FWD Philippines Increased accessibility, enabled by AI FWD Philippines is currently leveraging AI technology to help customers plan their finances and long-term goals more effectively, and be better equipped to decide which type of insurance to purchase based on their lifestyles and needs. The company unveiled two services at the event FWD AI Protection Score, which will suggest relevant products to enhance their financial health coverage for added security, and FWDs AI chatbot Fi, which will help customers discover protection gaps by benchmarking their existing coverage against people with similar profiles. Innovation is in our DNA at FWD, and it fuels our unrelenting drive to set the benchmark as the insurer of the next generation, said FWD Philippines Chief Information & Transformation Officer JC Principe. "We continue to harness technology, data analytics, and consumer insight to offer inclusive and first-in-the-market products and services, he also said. FWD Philippines Chief Information & Transformation Officer JC Principe discussed FWD's innovation culture. Photo from FWD Philippines Platforms that enable accessibility and convenience FWD Philippines is committed to innovating in the insurance space and has embraced technology to offer customers products that are easy to understand, buy and claim. For example, the companys fully enhanced online shop is designed to make the insurance process smoother through paperless transactions and is accessible 24/7. In just a few clicks, the shop enables direct gifting of insurance policies to family members and loved ones and offers exclusive rewards for online transactions. FWDs recently launched 2-in-1 mobile app, Omne, focuses on simplifying policy management and also incorporates lifestyle elements into the user experience. The app enables users to file claims, manage and track investments, switch funds and pay premiums, while also incorporating health monitoring, HIIT workouts, mini-games, and reward vouchers to foster micro-habits and achieve daily goals. Financial literacy, gamified As of 2022, the World Bank reported that only 25% of Filipinos have financial literacy. To help the masses achieve financial health, FWD Philippines recently launched Pinoy Money Master, the countrys first ever online game show that blends pop culture and financial literacy. It features the battle of generations Gen Z, Millenials, and Gen X and shows how they are successfully managing their finances and planning for the future. The first episode is available to stream with more to come this September on FWD Philippines' Facebook page. FWD is also the official insurer of the upcoming 12th season of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL). Its The One for Gamers insurance policy was also announced and will be available on FWDs online shop. An exclusive offer during MPL Season 12, The One for Gamers is an insurance plan that can be customized to include critical illness and accidental death benefit, and uniquely comes with Mobile Legends in-game rewards. The event also engaged content creators and media through interactive activities. Photo from FWD Philippines Fostering a forward-looking culture of innovation The company is also looking to continue empowering the next generation with a platform to transform the insurance industry. Since 2021, FWDs SpringboardX Student Challenge excites students across 10 markets in the Asia region to come up with innovative and impactful solutions for real-life business challenges. SpringboardX Student Challenge will commence on Aug. 28 and is open (and free) to students from all academic backgrounds. FWD is 10 years young, and we take great pride in our journey thus far," De Rosas said. "We are excited to share our latest first-in-the-market initiatives that redefine the possibilities of what an insurance company can achieve. Our goal is to empower more Filipinos to celebrate living." Dueling election interference cases targeting Donald Trump s efforts to stay in office after losing the 2020 contest are creating complexities both for prosecutors and five other defendants accused of aiding the former president. Special counsel Jack Smith detailed six co-conspirators in his federal case against Trump, five of whom are now also among the 18 people charged with Trump in Georgia by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D). Its an unusual situation in a legal fight already without precedent in history. Its not common for there to be parallel federal and state prosecutions concerning the same set of facts, said Ankush Khardori,a former federal prosecutor specializing in white collar crime. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Thats in part because federal prosecutors often ask state and local authorities to stand down from bringing similar cases, Khardori noted, to sidestep issues on everything ranging from timing on the trials to dealing with overlapping witnesses. In this case, Khadori noted, the prosecutors and defense will face a much more complicated playing ground. There are these complexities, he added. At the intersection of the cases are five attorneys who advised Trump in the lead-up to Jan. 6: Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jeffrey Clark, Sidney Powell, and Kenneth Chesebro. While all five remain unnamed and uncharged in federal court documents, in Georgia they face a broader racketeering case as well as other charges. The sixth co-conspirator in the federal case, Boris Epshteyn, counsel and senior adviser to Trump, avoided charges from Willis. However other Trump allies who appear to have dodged any federal charges, such as former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis, were targeted in the Georgia case. The lack of additional indictments in the federal case streamlines things for prosecutors who have suggested a Jan. 2, 2024 trial date for Trump. But the lack of charges for the co-conspirators has fueled speculation over whether they are simply yet to be charged or whether some may still seek to cooperate with prosecutors. When youre thinking about these cases, you always want to think of the smaller cogs as the people that are cooperating because they have the most to gain, said Evan Gotlob, a former state and federal prosecutor now in private practice. He said DOJ likely views everyone who isnt Trump as low level fruit in the case. Theyre such a small piece of the puzzle, but they usually have really good information because theyre included in a lot of the decisions.A lot of the small cogs probably can get out relatively unscathed besides [having] some Truth Social tweets about them, and it makes a lot of sense to try to flip those people, Gotlob said. The would-be defendants in the Jan. 6 case have known for months they could be a target in the probe. Many have been publicly recalcitrant in the wake of the investigation. Others, like Meadows, have been publicly quiet, fueling speculation he could be cooperating with federal prosecutors. Thats not the case in Georgia, where Meadows has launched a suit to move the case to federal court and have the charges dismissed. Is Willis damaging Smith? Tim Parlatore, a former attorney for Trump in the Mar-a-Lago case who has also represented former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik in both probes, said the Georgia case could push those who are communicating with Smith to cease doing so. Fani Willis I think has actually done a lot of damage to Jack Smiths case here, he said. The unfortunate thing for the government is that you have two types of prosecutors that are essentially jockeying for position and hurting each others cases. Parlatore stopped short of suggesting any in Trumps orbit are cooperating with prosecutors, but he said those who were being cooperative may become more resistant. What she did was she effectively sidelined a lot of Jack Smiths witnesses by indicting them, he said. Tremendous strategic blunder. Khardori, however, dismissed the idea that the Georgia indictment does much to change the underlying dynamics of how DOJ proceeds with the yet-to-be-indicted co-conspirators. He said the failure to indict likely reflects that Smith wants to keep this case as tight as possible to try to get it to trial as quickly as possible. Smiths team has five years from the date of the offense to bring any charges and may well do so on the timeline it sees fit. Any competent defense lawyer representing any of these people should have advised them that they had significant federal criminal exposure years ago, Khardori said of the federal co-conspirators. What, if anything, does this do to materially change the unindicted folks incentives in the federal case? I just dont think it changes those incentives. They shouldnt be as worried today as they were worried a month ago that theyll be charged by the federal government. More complications But additional complexities could surface as the cases come to trial. For Smith and Willis its a lot of the same witnesses, Gotlob said, adding that prosecutors from both teams will need to begin coordinating. So thats all discoverable for their testimony. So, lets say theres a cooperator in Smiths case and they testify for three days of testimony, all thats discoverable. So their testimony down the road in Williss case better be pretty much close to identical or theyre going to get destroyed on cross examination. Khardori said the trove of past statements including those made to the Jan. 6 committee now all shared publicly, will be pored over by Trumps attorneys. Any testimony they provide is going to be open to claims that theres an inconsistency or that they changed their story, and those arent necessarily winning arguments but its needless headaches for prosecutors, he said. If youre Trumps lawyers, you would want to compile as comprehensive a set of prior statements on the part of government witnesses that you possibly can becausethey are going to want to mine that for any consistencies that they could use to impeach these witnesses at trial. The relationship among the co-defendants could also be strained. In one of the filings in Meadows bid to remove his case to federal court he noted another defendant in the case would soon file a similar motion but asked the judge not to delay consideration of his own matter. Mr. Meadows has articulated grounds for seeking removal unique to Mr. Meadows that should be considered unencumbered by different issues potentially raised by different defendants, his attorney wrote in the Friday court filing. Clark and David Shafer, the former Georgia Republican Party chair accused of assembling false electors, would later file motions to remove their case to federal court. And in Georgia courts, Chesebro filed a motion for a speedy trial, a move that garnered immediate pushback from Trump, a nod to other legal battles in which he has routinely relied on seeking to delay matters. While Chesebros trail has been moved to Oct. 23, the rest have yet to be determined, though the difficulties of handling a case with 18 defendants will likely slow the case, easily bumping it past the six-month window in which Willis hoped to go to trial. I know [the Georgia case is] the shiny object last week and will continue to be this week. But my expectation is that it will fall to the bottom of the list of trials before November of next year, Khardori said. But he said DOJ could have dodged the need to navigate its case alongside the corresponding case by launching its investigation into high-level actors much sooner rather than spend its initial energy on those who ransacked the Capitol. It could have opened a serious criminal investigation, more or less immediately after Biden took office or Garland took office in March of 2021. They could have telegraphed that it was going to be a serious high-level inquiry, he said, referring to Attorney General Merrick Garland. To the extent that there were state prosecutors, including in Georgia, that were considering investigating the same conduct, they could have approached them and said, Look, were handling this. We dont think your resources are necessary here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Correction: A previous version of this story failed to note that Trevian Kutti is also a Black defendant in the case. One of the defendants in the Georgia election fraud racketeering case was denied bail Friday and will now remain at the Fulton County Jail pending further proceedings. Harrison Floyd, the leader of Black Voices for Trump and one of only two Black defendants in the case, was deemed a flight risk by a state judge after turning himself in Thursday morning. Prosecutors allege Floyd harassed and pressured a Georgia poll worker over false election fraud claims. Floyd represented himself and was the only one of the cases 19 defendants not to organize a bond agreement with state prosecutors before turning himself in. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement He told Judge Emily Richardson that legal counsel was too expensive, costing between $40,000 and $100,000. I cant put my family in that kind of debt, he said. Floyd was previously charged with assaulting an FBI agent earlier this year. According to federal investigators for the case, he yelled at, pushed and struck an agent who was serving a subpoena at his Maryland home for federal special counsel Jack Smiths election fraud investigation. Richardson cited the open case as a reason to remand him to jail, and she called him a flight risk. She said the final determination on whether he will receive bail is up to the judge who will handle his trial. I do find that based on the open charge against you there are grounds for bond to be denied at this point, Richardson said. So Im going to go ahead and find that you are at risk to commit additional felonies and a potential risk to flee the jurisdiction. A date for his next court appearance has not been determined. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Disqualification Clause found in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment fits Donald J. Trump like a glove. Or as political podcaster Allison Gill asked on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: if section 3 of the 14th amendment wasnt designed for him, who was it designed for? The historical answer to Gills query is, of course, that it was designed for Confederates trying to get back into the federal government after losing the Civil War. And that very same historical context draws a direct analogy to Trumps efforts to get back into the presidency after losing the 2020 election. Georgia Indictment Digs Much Deeper Into Trumps Conspiracy to Overturn 2020 Election Than DOJs ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres what the Disqualification Clause says: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability. The plain language of this obviously encompasses Trumps actions to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. These actions include but are not limited to asking the Georgia Secretary of State to find additional votes for him, conspiring to put forth slates of unelected fake electors for the electoral college, and his call for wild protests on Jan. 6 that led to the attack on the Capitol. But while these actions have resulted in Trump being charged criminally both by the U.S. Justice Department and the State of Georgia, his disqualification does not depend upon him being convicted in either of those cases. As pointed out by the constitutional scholar Professor Laurence Tribe and former conservative federal judge Michael Luttig in their article in The Atlantic: the disqualification clause operates independently of any such criminal proceedings and, indeed, also independently of impeachment proceedings and of congressional legislation and was designed to operate directly and immediately upon those who betray their oaths to the Constitution, whether by taking up arms to overturn our government by waging war on our government and by attempting to overturn a presidential election through a bloodless coup. Tribe and Luttig are hardly outliers in their view. A forthcoming law review article written by Federalist Society conservative law professorsWilliam Baude of the University of Chicago and Michael Stokes Paulsen of the University of St. Thomasnot only agrees that the disqualification is self-enforcing but also makes the case that numerous others who supported Trumps efforts also may be disqualified. Baude and Paulsen note that this could include people like former National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn (who proposed a plan to seize voting machines), the fake electors, Jeffrey Clark of the Justice Department, and at least one member of Congress (that would be Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA)) who had supported Clarks plansand even lobbied for removal of senior DOJ officials who opposed Clarks scheme. Why Elon Musk Fought a Federal Search Warrant to Help Trump Disagreements with this dream team of constitutional scholars chiefly rely upon two arguments. They either argue that the words insurrection and rebellionrequire a criminal conviction before Section 3 can be activated or they argue that the legal theory is unsound because the enforcement mechanism is not specified. Both these arguments lack merit. First, the requirement of a criminal conviction is fictitious because thats not what the Constitution says. It simply says insurrection and rebellion. The lack of a specified method of enforcement can hardly be fatal to the legal theory since the Constitution generally does not give specific enforcement instructions. In fact, there exist a multitude of ways to enforce the disqualification of Trump. For starters, secretaries of state could simply decide he cannot be on the ballot. Secondly, citizens and states could challenge his presence on the ballot through the courts. There has already been a recent case involving removal of a Jan. 6 rioter from their position on a New Mexico state commission. All of these, naturally, would result in litigation which likely would end up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Nor is it clear how the Supreme Court would rule on this. Just because there is a conservative majorityincluding three Trump appointeesdoes not mean they would rule in his favor, especially given the originalist interpretation bent of the conservative justices. Some may also wring their hands and clutch their pearls over the worry that seeking to disqualify Trump means that political opponents will begin to regularly seek to disqualify their opponents. Such dangers are recognized by scholars and commentators, but the possibility for abuse is also mitigated by appeals to the judicial system. The Georgia Trump Indictments Started a Fight That Democrats Will Win Political fallout is inevitable and any efforts to disqualify Trump may even strengthen his support in the short term, helping him to secure the Republican nomination. But should a single battle ground state or reliably red state disqualify Trump from running, the effect would cripple his chances in the general election. Anyone who thinks that disqualifying Trump somehow threatens democracy should spend some time watching videos of law enforcement officers being beaten by Jan. 6 mobs while trying to protect the U.S. Capitol from attack. That will provide them with a better understanding of what a real threat to democracy looks like. At the end of that violent day, Trump made his statement to those who had sought to disrupt the election process. He told them: We love you. Youre very special. Sounds a lot like aid and comfort to me. 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. Donald Trump on Friday bashed Fox News and the GOP primary debate that he refused to attend, returning to one of his favorite themes: ratings. Two days after the first GOP debate punctuated by Trumps arrest in Fulton County, Georgia the former president wrote on social media that the Republican presidential candidates were second tier and that the debates ratings were low, while boasting about millions of views of his pre-taped interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, which aired the same night. The Debate on FoxNews had a hard time with the proverbial RATINGS. It was one of the lowest rated EVER, if not THE LOWEST. It showed that many of those participating are second tier and merely pretenders to the throne, Trump wrote on Truth Social. Some of the answers were sooo bad, with delivery even worse. The numbers were less than half what I had in 2016, not a good way to start the fight against Crooked Joe Biden, and his Lunatic Thugs. We will not let this happen. MAGA! Wednesday nights debate drew just shy of 13 million viewers, according to host network Fox News on Thursday. While the debate was the highest-rated non-sports cable broadcast of the year, it paled in comparison to the 24 million viewers garnered by the networks first GOP primary debate in August 2015. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In a separate post Friday night, Trump claimed his interview with Carlson had over 257 million views which the former president said made it the single most watched Video and Interview in HISTORY but in reality, the view count is much lower. While X, formerly known as Twitter, displays views as the number of times a post has been seen, including appearances of a post on a users feed, the updated platform no longer shows the number of times a video has been played. Direct engagements with posts are still publicly available, with Trumps interview showing around 800,000 likes and over 200,000 reposts as of Friday night. Trump on Thursday returned to X publicly for the first time in two years posting a picture of his Fulton County jail mugshot. Linking to a fundraising site, Trump used the viral moment to raise money for his campaign. In addition to the mug shot, he wrote the words ELECTION INTERFERENCE and NEVER SURRENDER! Trump has more than 86 million followers on Twitter, compared with over 6 million on Truth Social. In Russia, multiple indictments of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump prompted intense coverage and detailed discussions in the Kremlin-controlled state media. Russian propagandists and analysts speculate that the criminal prosecutions wont hurt their favorite candidate, but only bolster his popularity. Encouraged by their belief that most of the GOPs top contenders would limit or stop U.S. aid to Ukraine, Russian talking heads nonetheless prefer Trump himself. Referring to Trumps booking record in Georgia, reporter Valentin Bogdanov, who is based in New York City, told the audience of 60 Minutes, Our strawberry blonde! There is only one like him in the United States. In his report for the evening edition of Vesti on channel Rossiya-1, Bogdanov showcased Trumps mugshot along with that of Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Presley. He mused that in his legal struggle, Trump likely sees his rightful place alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, like someone who suffered for the sake of truth. During his Saturday show on channel Solovyov Live, Yevgeny Satanovsky continued the same train of thought, lionizing Trump alongside some of the most prominent historic figures: He is like Nelson Mandela, like Martin Luther King Jr., he is being persecuted by an evil shadow government! Satanovsky feverishly claimed that Trump might be assassinated, like Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy. Sentiments aside, Putins mouthpieces are considering Trumps runners-up, in case he is unable to reach the finish line. The Russians initially placed their hopes in Ron DeSantis, whose Russian nickname is Number Two, but another contender captured their attention after the first Republican debate. Vivek Ramaswamy became an overnight success in Moscow, because of his geopolitical naivete and statements about cutting U.S. assistance to Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Fridays broadcast of 60 Minutes included a montage of Ramaswamys debate performance set to Johnny Thunders 1968 song, Im Alive. Multiple clips of his statements were peppered throughout the segment and featured all over Russian state media, including RT. Political scientist Vladimir Kornilov pointed out, Whats most importantthe most telling momentdid you hear the excitement in the audience when Ramaswamy said he wouldnt support continued U.S. aid to Ukraine? There was an ovation in the auditorium! This shows that Ukraine will certainly experience problems! Despite being pleased with Ramaswamys rhetoric, Kornilov surmised: The debate has demonstrated that Trump has no real competition within the Republican party. In Russia, the final outcome of Putins invasion of Ukraine is roundly considered to be dependent on the outcome of the next presidential election. State media pundits are openly pining for the day when America focuses predominantly on its own issues, ceases to be a global driving force and becomes merely another regional leader. What Putins marauding troops werent able to take by force is expected to be handed over by Trump or a Trump-adjacent candidate. Political commentator Sergey Strokan openly said that the outcome of the American presidential elections will ultimately determine how and when the war in Ukraine will end. Despite delighting in Ramaswamys commentary, Strokan noted, We just watched the debate. The most important thing is that all of it was overshadowed by the one who wasnt there: ex-President Donald Trump! Strokan alleged that consciously or subconsciously, Ramaswamy is copying Trump, down to his mannerisms. Calling the former president Americas diagnosis, Strokan argued that his approach to governing the country is here to stay and Ramaswamy is one of Trumps pupils. Host Evgeny Popov noted, We should take a closer look at this Mr. Ramaswamy. The last time, we had installed President Trump for Americans, but our bet didnt quite work out. Why not try again? Lets give it another try and see how Ramaswamy will perform, in case Trump doesnt manage to win the post of the president. Perhaps recalling that Russian TV programs can also be viewed abroad, he quickly added, Just kidding. 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. Alina Habba , legal spokesperson for Donald Trump, said the former presidents mugshot was unnecessary in an interview on Newsmax Friday. They didnt need the mugshot. It was, I guess to her, probably a trophy, but thank you, because now the trophy actually became ours, Habba said, referring to the district of Fulton County, Ga. and District Attorney Fani Willis . She wanted to get it done. We obviously had told her that no other jurisdiction required it, he is the single most famous man on the planet. Trumps mugshot is the result of the former presidents surrender to Fulton County, Ga. authorities in Williss case against him and 18 other co-defendants related to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election Thursday. The former president posted the now-infamous photo on his social media accounts in the wake of its release, with the words Election Interference! and Never Surrender! with a link to a page asking for political donations. At the notoriously violent jail in Fulton County, Georgia, I was ARRESTED despite having committed NO CRIME, a statement on the links landing page reads. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Donald Trump s path to the GOP nomination is littered with court dates. He is a defendant in seven pending cases: four criminal prosecutions and three civil lawsuits. Starting this fall and continuing through the first half of 2024, he is likely to face a near-constant string of trials that will overlap, and perhaps overshadow, the primary calendar. The cases vary in their potential to interfere with Trumps campaign. He is unlikely to attend his three civil trials, all of which are scheduled over the next six months. But hell be required to be in court for his four criminal trials across four jurisdictions, and those could last for weeks at a time while voting is underway. On Monday, the schedule may crystallize further. Thats when the judge overseeing Trumps federal case on election fraud has signaled she will choose a trial date. If she opts for a trial in early 2024, as prosecutors have requested, Trumps already packed courtroom calendar will get much more complicated. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Heres a look at what we know about Trumps upcoming trials, the key variables that could shake them up and how they will intersect with the primaries, which begin in January. New York business fraud lawsuit Trial date: Oct. 2, 2023 New York City Before his criminal trials begin in earnest, Trump and his business empire will go on trial in a civil lawsuit filed by New York Attorney General Tish James. The lawsuit alleges a raft of financial mismanagement and malfeasance. Fulton County, phase one Trial date: Oct. 23, 2023 (Kenneth Chesebro only) Atlanta The fastest-moving case against Trump is also the newest: the sprawling criminal indictment, unveiled Aug. 14, in which prosecutors in Fulton County, Ga., accused Trump and 18 codefendants of a racketeering conspiracy to subvert the 2020 election. District Attorney Fani Willis initially signaled she wanted to take the case to trial on March 4, 2024, but then one of the co-defendants threw a curveball. Kenneth Chesebro, a lawyer who helped devise Trumps plan to send false slates of presidential electors to Congress, formally requested a speedy trial. Under Georgia law, that required Willis to take his case to a jury no later than Nov. 3. Chesebros strategy was not entirely clear, but Willis appeared ready for the gambit. On Thursday, in response to Chesebros motion, Willis proposed bringing all 19 defendants to trial on Oct. 23, signaling she was ready to put on the broader racketeering case against all of them. Judge Scott McAfee did not go that far. He scheduled Chesebros trial for Oct. 23 but indicated that he would not apply the expedited timeline to the other 18 defendants at this time. Trump quickly signaled in a court filing that he would oppose being linked to Chesebros timeline, though Trump has not yet submitted his own proposal for when his Georgia trial should occur. Jack Smiths wishlist Proposed trial date: Jan. 2, 2024 Washington, D.C. Separate from the Georgia case, Trump also faces federal criminal charges over his bid to derail the transfer of power to President Joe Biden. Prosecutors and Trumps legal team disagree wildly about when that case should go to trial: Special counsel Jack Smith proposed to begin the trial on Jan. 2, 2024, while Trump suggested April 2026. U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan will hear arguments on Monday from both sides, and she previously indicated she would select a trial date at that hearing. Chutkan has also said she will accelerate the timeline if Trump continues making inflammatory comments about the case. Whenever Chutkan schedules the case, the trial is already shaping up to be a long one. Smith has estimated that he expects to put on evidence for four to six weeks a timeline that could be slowed by lengthy cross-examinations or legal disputes. So if Chutkan adopts Smiths proposal, the trial could carry deep into February or early March, brushing up against both the early primary calendar and Trumps other scheduled legal proceedings. Carroll v. Trump, again Trial date: Jan. 15, 2024 New York City E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Donald Trump of raping her in the 1990s and defaming her in 2022, won a $5 million jury verdict in a civil lawsuit against Trump earlier this year. But a separate lawsuit from Carroll remains pending this one involving other allegedly defamatory statements that Trump made, including some he made while president. The case is scheduled to go to trial in federal court in New York on Jan. 15. Trump is seeking to assert claims of presidential immunity, which are now working their way through the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. GOP primary/caucus calendar: Jan. 15 (Iowa), Jan. 23 (N.H.) (tentative) Another lawsuit alleging business fraud Trial date: Jan. 29, 2024 New York City Just two weeks after the start of the Carroll trial, Trump faces another civil trial that takes aim at his business practices. The little-noticed federal lawsuit accuses Trump himself and the Trump Organization of inducing vulnerable people to invest in spurious business opportunities, including ACN, a multi-level marketing company that allegedly paid Trump millions of dollars to promote its products. GOP primary/caucus calendar: Feb. 8 (Nev.), Feb. 24 (S.C.), Feb, 27 (Mich.) (tentative) Fulton County, phase two? Proposed trial date: March 4, 2024 Atlanta As Republicans in more than a dozen states prepare to head to the polls for Super Tuesday primaries, Trump may be gearing up for his racketeering trial in Georgia at least if Willis initial proposal of March 4 sticks. The Fulton County schedule, though, is still in flux. Chesebro has already been granted an expedited trial date, and on Friday, Jenna Ellis, another one of the 19 defendants, joined him in requesting a speedy trial. Meanwhile, five other defendants Mark Meadows, Jeff Clark, David Shafer, Cathleen Latham and Shawn Still have filed petitions to transfer their cases to federal court. If they are successful, they could scramble the entire timeline or result in the dismissal of some of the charges. Once Willis does bring Trump to trial, its not clear how long the case will last. But if it begins March 4, it could easily run right into Trumps next trial scheduled for three weeks later in New York. Trump allies have also noted that a March 4 trial date would put the start of the proceedings a day before Super Tuesday and a week before Georgias GOP primary. GOP primary/caucus calendar: March 2 (Idaho), March 5 (Super Tuesday Ala., Alaska, Ark., Calif., Colo., Maine, Mass., Minn., N.C., Okla., Tenn., Texas, Utah, Vt., Va.), March 7 (Hawaii) (tentative), March 12 (Ga., Miss., Wash.), March 19 (Ariz., Fla., Ill., Kan., Ohio), March 23 (La.) Hush money criminal charges Trial date: March 25, 2024 New York City Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg was the first prosecutor to charge Trump (and indeed, the first prosecutor to charge any president or former president) when he brought 34 felony counts of falsifying business records under New York law. The charges stem from Trumps alleged scheme to conceal an extramarital affair with porn star Stormy Daniels. The presiding judge, Juan Merchan, set Trumps trial for March 25, 2024 but Bragg has indicated publicly that hes willing to cede the timing of his trial if a judge in any of the other criminal cases schedules a trial that conflicts with his. Its unclear how long Braggs trial would take, but its unlikely to match the length and complexity of the others Trump is facing. GOP primary/caucus calendar: April 2 (Del., N.Y., R.I., Wis.) (tentative), April 23 (Pa.), April 30 (Conn.) (tentative), May 7 (Ind.), May 14 (Md., Neb., W.Va.), May 21 (Ky., Ore.) Classified documents case Trial date: May 20, 2024 Fort Pierce, Fla. In Florida, Smith charged Trump with 32 felony counts of willfully retaining national security secrets at his Mar-a-Lago estate, plus eight additional felony counts stemming from his alleged efforts to obstruct investigators efforts to recover the missing materials. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon set the federal trial for mid-May, splitting the difference between Smiths call for a December 2023 trial and Trumps push to set it immediately after the November election in 2024. Prosecutors have estimated it would take about two weeks to present their evidence, ensuring that the case would stretch at least until early June. GOP primary/caucus calendar: June 4 (Mont., N.J., N.M., S.D.) Steven Shepard contributed to this report. MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 16: Glenda Hatchett speaks during a press conference flanked by members of Philando Castiles family on November 16, 2016 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Updated: 8/26/2023 at 8:00 am E.T. Trigger Warning: depictions of sexual violence Kristopher Coody, the disgraced former Georgia Sheriff who pleaded guilty to groping TV Judge Glenda Hatchett, resigned on Monday. But for Hatchett, the fact that Georgia Governor Brian Kemp didnt remove him from office for assaulting her doesnt sit right. Read more ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For those who arent caught up, on Monday, the Former Bleckley County Sheriff pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery and resigned from his position. He was sentenced to a year on probation. According to CNN News, he was also ordered to pay a $500 fine and complete a drug and alcohol evaluation. Hatchett, an Atlanta-based attorney representing the family of Philando Castile is best known for her shows Judge Hatchett and the Verdict with Judge Hatchett says she met Coody while attending a meeting of the Georgia Sheriffs Association. The two were at a hotel bar where the convention was being hosted. Hatchett told the AP that she told Coody that she didnt know where his home county was, and he then pointed at her chest, saying: In the heart of Georgia. He then repeated the phrase while groping her breast. According to CNN, he didnt stop until someone else removed his hand and pushed him off of her. Hatchett told the Associated Press that like many victims of sexual assault and battery she froze in shock during the incident. It happened on a Tuesday, and by Thursday morning I could not get out of bed, Hatchett told the AP. So I started counseling literally that evening. She reported the incident to Cobb county where the case was pending until this weeks hearing. After the hearing, Hatchett spoke to the Associated Press about the sentencing. 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. More from The Root Sign up for The Root's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. As investigators continue to build their case against the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer Rex Heuermann, two Long Island sex workers have described the suspect as violent and aggressive during encounters they had with him. The two women, who have not been identified, told members of an anti-human trafficking unit with the sheriffs office in Long Islands Suffolk county that they became concerned for their safety during encounters with the 6ft4in, 240lbs Manhattan architect. Related: Gilgo Beach serial killer suspects lawyer opposes request for DNA swab Both women had one meeting with Heuermann, and were unnerved, according to Suffolk sheriff Errol Toulon Jr during an interview with Newsday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A person of that size being a little aggressive was probably frightening, he said. In the six weeks since the suspect was arrested for the deaths of three women, Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Lynn Costello, and named as prime suspect in a fourth, he has remained very emotionless, Toulon said. You wonder what is going on Is there something going on inside that is brewing? Toulon said. Heuermann has pleaded not guilty to the killings. The interviews with incarcerated sex workers on Long Island are expected to expand to women held on Rikers Island in New York City as investigators seek more information about Heuermanns activities in the 13 years since the Gilgo Beach murders took place. Sheriffs department spokesperson Vicki DiStefano told Newsday that five women have given information considered helpful to authorities. The incremental advances in the Gilgo Beach case come as the 59-year-old architect submitted a DNA cheek swab last week. The move came after Heuermanns attorneys lost a court battle over the issue. Heuermanns trial date has not been scheduled. Six of the 11 bodies discovered in the vicinity of Gilgo Beach have been identified. The identities have been discovered through DNA analysis techniques used by forensic anthropologists with New Yorks chief medical examiner, which were reportedly developed to identify victims in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Anthropological analysis has identified the remains of two dismembered victims, Valerie Mack and Jessica Taylor. Earlier this month, Karen Vergata, 34, also known as Fire Island Jane Doe, was identified. Another victim, known as Peaches, and her child, along with an Asian man, remain unidentified. Still, significant questions remain unanswered, including why there was a profound lack of progress in the Gilgo Beach investigations for more than decade until a new police commissioner, Rodney Harrison, established a multi-agency task force 18 months ago. Heuermann was identified as a suspect two months later. The shadow of blame has been cast over the former Suffolk county police chief, James Burke, who was then under FBI investigation and served time in federal prison for beating up a heroin addict who stole a dildo and porn stash from his police cruiser in 2015. Law enforcement officials have conceded that Burkes refusal to allow FBI and other agencies to assist in the Gilgo Beach case hurt their investigation. Last week, the disgraced police chief was busted for allegedly soliciting sexual engagement from a park ranger at 10.15am in the Suffolk County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in Farmingville. Burke, 58, allegedly exposed himself, began masturbating in front of a plainclothes ranger and said he liked sucking dick just before he was arrested, according to an arrest report obtained by the New York Post. The ranger who made the arrest of Mr Burke did not know he was [James Burke] not at first, not until he identified himself and said who he was and said, Do you know who I am? said Suffolk county park rangers chief Stephen Laton at a press conference. Burke has been charged with offering a sex act, indecent exposure, public lewdness and fifth-degree criminal solicitation. He is due back in court on 11 September. (Reuters) - U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich has appealed against the latest extension of his pre-trial detention in Moscow on spying charges that he denies, Russian state media said on Saturday. TASS news agency quoted a Moscow court as saying it had received the appeal from the defence team of the Wall Street Journal reporter. Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on spying charges that carry up to 20 years in prison. No date has been set for his trial, and on Thursday his detention in Moscow's Lefortovo prison was extended by three months to Nov. 30. He has failed in two previous appeals, in April and June. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The United States says Russia is using Gershkovich to conduct "hostage diplomacy", at a time when Moscow's war in Ukraine has plunged relations with Washington to their lowest point in more than 60 years. Washington says the case against him is bogus and has demanded the release of both Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen convicted of espionage in 2020 and serving 16 years in a Russian penal colony on spying charges that he too denies. (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by David Holmes) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) Not even a month after the death of Jemboy Baltazar in Navotas, another teenager was killed by police on Aug. 20, this time in Rodriguez, Rizal. In a statement, the Rizal Police Provincial Office said the incident that led to the death of 15-year-old John Francis Ompad happened at midnight in Barangay San Isidro. The victim's brother, John Ace Ompad, was on his way home riding a motorcycle when two individuals attempted to flag him down. "John Ace refused, took off his helmet, and threw it at the suspect. At that moment, one of the suspects drew an unknown firearm and fired a shot in the direction of John Ace," the statement read. "Unfortunately, John Francis, who emerged from their house, was accidentally hit in the abdomen," it added. Ompad was rushed to a hospital but died while undergoing treatment. Rizal police ruled the incident as "isolated." RELATED: Trigger-happy police: The killing of Jemboy Baltazar Authorities identified the suspects as Police Corporal Arnulfo Gabriel Sabillo, and Jeffrey Beluan Baguio, a resident of Barangay San Jose in Rodriguez. The two were detained at the municipal police station and will face charges of homicide and attempted homicide. Drone attacks on the territory of Russia, the number of which has increased during the last few weeks, aim to show Ukrainians that Kyiv is able to respond to Moscows actions. Source: The New York Times with reference to American officials Details: The officials believe that these strikes are important amid an allegedly slow pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. The NYT remarks that this summer, drone attacks on the territory of Russia became more frequent, and many of these drones were Ukrainian-made. These attacks resulted in damaged buildings in the centre of Moscow, temporary closure of the airports and even in destruction of long-range strategic bombers. The strikes "did not cause significant harm to the military potential of Russia but did not lead to escalation either". ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Yet American officials state that the attacks have "a more important target audience". If drone attacks have any strategic goal at all, then it is to strengthen the morale of civilians and the military of Ukraine. The US officials also expect that Ukraine will continue launching attacks on the territory of Russia as it is an important signal to the Kremlin: Kyiv is ready to strike back. Background: Sergei Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, claims that on the night of 25-26 August, Russian air defence forces shot down a drone on the outskirts of Moscow. 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! Retired Major Oleksiy Hetman, a veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, discussed the effective advance of the Ukrainian Forces in the south and the unsuccessful Russian attacks on the Kupyansk direction in an interview with Radio NV on Aug. 26. NV: Well start with a statement from the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, General Mark Milley , who talks about Ukrainian soldiers seemingly breaking through the first line of Russian defense in Zaporizhzhya Oblast and now expanding their presence towards the strategically important city of Tokmak. Do we really see a significant change in the course of the military operations in southern Ukraine? Hetman: There is even official information that we are already in full control of Robotyne. Take a look at the map of military operations. There's Novoprokopyvka, Solodka Balka, Ilchenkove. From this position we are around 15-18 kilometers to Tokmak now. Read also: Zaluzhnyi convinced Ukrainian forces on verge of breakthrough report ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Tokmak is crucial on our path to Melitopol. Around Tokmak, circular defensive structures have also been built. Its like being encircled by a defensive ring You can trust Mr. Milley if he says that [the Ukrainian Forces] have breached the first line [of defense] and approached the second one. Read also: Macron hopes Ukrainian counter-offensive may restart peace talks on Kyiv's terms Regardless of what the Russians might say, based on differing sources of information, the second, third, fifth, and subsequent lines lack the strength of the initial line. While the Russians were holding their defense along the first line, they were repositioning forces from the rear, from the second and third lines, to prevent us from making the breakthrough. There is a sense that there will be swifter progress ahead because the defensive lines are not as formidable, and the fields are not as heavily mined, the fortifications are not as dense as they were on the first line. NV: Your intuition is highlighted and corroborated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, to U.S. officials. He mentioned that Ukrainian forces are on the brink of a breakthrough. The Wall Street Journal reported this. Additionally, according to the publication, U.S. officials debated with Ukrainians for several weeks on the best approach. American military personnel urged the Ukrainians to concentrate their efforts to attempt breaking through Russian defenses and reaching the Sea of Azov. How viable and feasible is such an idea? Hetman: This was part of our summer offensive operation plan - to reach the shores of the Sea of Azov in order to prevent the transportation of goods to Crimea from the mainland part of Russia and also to hinder the export of anything from Crimea to sever this artery, leaving only the Crimean Bridge, which could also be targeted by us. Read also: Western observers failing to understand Ukrainian military tactics in counter-offensive Friedman As for the idea of concentrating forces in one place and conducting offensive actions, I believe that Zaluzhnyi, our General Staff, has a better understanding of how to conduct military operations, as we consistently achieve success without having an advantage in anything - neither in manpower, nor in equipment, nor in artillery, nor in aviation, especially. Read also: Ukrainian counter-offensive likely to last for many months Blinken Therefore, perhaps these assumptions of our friends and partners from the United States are not bad, but it's only when such opportunities exist. And if we concentrate in one place, it's evident that it would become vulnerable to Russian ballistic and cruise missiles, artillery, and aviation. Gathering in one place to make us easier to target it seems to me that this isn't entirely a wise tactic. We have never done so, nor do we intend to. However, the actions we are taking are yielding results. We see progress. So, let's leave the decision-making on how to conduct offensive operations to our General Staff, rather than to our friends and advisors from other continents. NV: Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi visited the Kupyansk and Lyman sectors. He states the Russian forces are currently regrouping to resume their offensive in the east. But, please explain, do they have the chances and resources for that? Hetman: They had resources before that. Because there, in Luhansk, in the northern part of our front line, they had a significant concentration about 130,000 troops, over 500 pieces of artillery, more than 350 multiple rocket launchers, over two thousand pieces of heavy equipment, including up to a thousand tanks. Certainly, it was a powerful concentration. A few days ago, they concentrated directly on the Kupyansk sector. They assembled around 45-50,000 personnel and the corresponding amount of everything needed for an attack. They attempted to attack, launching tank strikes. It didn't work out very well for them. Read also: Ukraine's slow counteroffensive could jeopardize continued US military aid report So it's quite possible that they will regroup, attempt to advance somewhere nearby, or bring in the forces they still have remaining there, aiming to involve around 40-45,000. We understand that mathematically, they still have 80-90,000 left, which they haven't used yet. They might concentrate in one place and try to launch offensive operations, a breakthrough. Let them concentrate. Any concentration of forces is a vulnerable situation for the enemy, for them. If they gather a significant number of personnel and equipment in one place, then we will have targets to engage and strike at. 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 (Bloomberg) -- Three Ukrainian military pilots were killed after a midair collision of two L-39 jets on Friday, the defense ministry said. Russias navy has shifted some of its missile carriers to the Azov Sea and is shelling targets in Odesa and Mykolaiv from there, Ukraines military said. The UK defense ministry foreshadowed the move in July, saying warships, including three that could launch Kalibr cruise missiles, may be part of a fleet headquartered in occupied Mariupol. While Russia shot down drones near Moscow and in the Belgorod region north of Ukraines border, two people were killed by Russian shelling of a cafe in a village near Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Most Read from Bloomberg President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Friday ordering paramilitary fighters such as those in the Wagner group to sign an oath of allegiance to Russia, two days after the presumed death of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin. President Joe Biden said Friday the US is trying to nail down precisely what happened to Prigozhins private jet when it crashed on Wednesday killing all ten people aboard. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraines defense minister said hes confident Germany will supply his country with Taurus cruise missiles, a controversial potential addition to Berlins military aid offerings. Its unclear when Berlin will provide the long-range weapons, but I dont think it will take a whole year, Oleksii Reznikov told Politico and the German daily papers Bild and Welt. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to provide the missiles, which have a range of over 300 miles (482 km) and could strike targets inside Russian territory. Scholz told a Bavarian newspaper group on Saturday that he would never do anything rash as opposition leader Friedrich Merz warned against too much hesitation. Latest Coverage Russia Rejects US Claims Putin Likely Approved Prigozhin Killing Ukraines Slow Counteroffensive Boosts Putin and Worries Allies Russia Ally Calls Prigozhin Crash Too Crude to Involve Putin G7 Will Support Ukraine for as Long as It Takes, Trudeau Says Poland Probes Potential Hack After Trains Halted in Northwest Markets Oil prices posted a second weekly loss on signs of improving supply and a deteriorating economic situation in China, the biggest importer. Still, crude remains markedly higher than its lows in June, driven largely by supply cuts by OPEC+ linchpins Saudi Arabia and Russia. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. Ukraine managed to bring back 11 children illegally abducted by Russia, Save Ukraine executive director Mykola Kuleba, a former commissioner for childrens rights, said on Aug. 26. Save Ukraine has now returned 161 Ukrainian children, Kuleba reported. Ukraine has repatriated approximately 380 children illegally deported by the invaders since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Reintegration Minister Iryna Vereshchuk reported earlier. Russian invaders have scaled up the abducted of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories since the February 2022. Over 13,000 children are estimated to have been abducted, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated in December 2022. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement That number has grown to over 20,000 by August 2023, according to Vereshchuk. Read also: Russia changes names and birthdates of kidnapped children to hide the genocide, Vereshchuk In another estimate, The Center of National Resistance placed the number of abducted children from the occupied children as over 100,000. The European Parliament believes the number could be anywhere from 16,000 to 300,000, though that number includes the number of children illegally deported since 2014, when Russia first invaded Crimea and parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Russias childrens ombudsperson Maria Lvova-Belova are wanted war criminals for their role in these abductions, as stated in warrants for their arrest issued by the International Criminal Court on March 17, 2023. 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 first GOP presidential primary debate underscored the split in the Republican Party and among its candidates for president when it comes to U.S. support for the war in Ukraine against Russia. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy s hand shot up immediately Wednesday night when moderator Bret Baier asked which of the candidates would oppose providing Ukraine with more financial help. I think this is disastrous that we are protecting against an invasion across somebody elses border when we should use those same military resources to prevent across the invasion of our own southern border here in the United States of America, said Ramaswamy, who is rising in polls and has modeled his insurgent campaign on many of former President Trumps policies. At the other end of the spectrum on the political stage was former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley , whose stark differences with Ramaswamy on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine led to one of the most memorable moments of the night in Milwaukee. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ukraine is the first line of defense for us, and the problem that Vivek doesnt understand is he wants [to] hand Ukraine to Russia, he wants to let China eat Taiwan, he wants to go and stop funding Israel. You dont do that to friends, Haley said. You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows, Haley told Ramaswamy, echoing former Vice President Mike Pence , another GOP candidate on stage that night, in blasting Ramaswamy as a political and foreign policy novice. When you look at the situation with Russia and Ukraine, here you have a pro-American country that was invaded by a thug, she said, referring to Putin. The struggle for Ukraine has long divided Republicans, though not enough to hold up support for the embattled country. Opposition to U.S. support for Ukraine has been most vocal among pro-Trump lawmakers in the House, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). In July, the House rejected five measures backed by some Republicans to curtail aid to Ukraine. The measures were offered as amendments to an annual Pentagon policy bill. Greenes amendment to strike $300 million in Ukraine funding failed in a 341-89 vote, with 130 Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against it. Another proposal from Gaetz that would have prohibited all security assistance for Ukraine failed in a 358-70 vote, with 149 Republicans opposing it. The votes were broadly seen as a testament to the relative strength of support for U.S. assistance to Ukraine, despite vocal opposition from some voices on the right. Support for Ukraine in the Senate among Republicans has been even stronger, in part because of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has visited the country and indicated support for Kyiv should be a major U.S. national security interest. But that doesnt mean Ramaswamy is alone as a voice of opposition or that the future of U.S. support for Ukraine is stable. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said last October that Ukraine should not receive a blank check on aid. He said Ukraine is very important and Russia should be defeated but indicated Republicans would further scrutinize the amount of assistance if they won a majority in the House. Trump, the leading contender for the GOP nomination, recently called for a pause on additional aid for Ukraine until federal agencies provide every scrap of evidence they have on alleged corrupt business dealings by President Biden and Hunter Biden. The former president, criticized by lawmakers in both parties while in office over his handling of Putin and Russia, has refused to directly say he wants Ukraine to win the war and claimed he would be able to end the fighting within 24 hours if he became president again. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, second to Trump in most polls, has also given conflicting signals on Ukraine as he seeks to win over GOP primary voters. DeSantis at Wednesdays debate raised his hand partway and said the countrys European allies need to step up to provide greater support than they are providing. He said U.S. support for Ukraine should be contingent on if those countries pull their weight. Haley was joined by Pence and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in forcefully pushing back at the notion that supporting Ukraine is not in the U.S. national security interest. Yet all three of those candidates look like also-rans in the GOP race for the White House, and their opinions on Ukraine may be out of step with voters. A CNN poll released earlier this month showed 55 percent of Americans said the country should not provide additional funding for Ukraine, including 71 percent of Republicans and 55 percent of independents. Meanwhile, 38 percent of Democrats said the same. And if Trump or another Republican with views similar to his on Ukraine were to take office, it could change the level of support in Congress on the Russian-Ukraine war. The Washington Post reported earlier this month that the U.S. has spent about $66.2 billion in support for Ukraine in military, economic and humanitarian aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Thats less than 4 percent of the total defense budget for fiscal 2023 of $1.77 trillion. Yet to critics, thats way too much, given issues they see as more important including at the southern border. Ramaswamy argued the U.S. should focus on its issues, like enhancing security on the southern border, over other countries conflicts, as did DeSantis. As president of the United States, your first obligation is to defend our country and its people, and that means, youre sending all this money [to Ukraine], but youre not doing what we need to do to secure our own border, DeSantis said. Pence, who visited the Ukrainian capital Kyiv during the war, maintained the U.S. can address problems at home like the southern border and abroad, like Ukraine. He cited the Reagan Doctrine declared by President Reagan in the 1980s in which he vowed to support those fighting pro-communist governments. Anybody that thinks we cant solve the problems here in the United States and be the leader of the free world has a pretty small view of the greatest nation on earth, Pence said. Vivek, if we do the giveaway that you want to give to Putin to give him his land, its not going to be too long before he rolls across a NATO border, he added. The Biden administration requested Congress allocate an additional $24 billion in military, economic and humanitarian aid for Ukraine earlier this month. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said on Aug. 26 that it is unacceptable for European Union members to continue the ban on Ukrainian grain imports until the end of 2023. The announcement followed Polish Agricultural Minister Robert Telus warning on Aug. 25 that Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary would ban the grain imports unilaterally if the EU did not extend the ban. "We consider it absolutely unacceptable to continue trade restrictions on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine after the expiration of the European Commission's ban on Sept. 15," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said. The Foreign Ministry also said that the intentions to expand the list of banned Ukrainian imports are causing a "complete misunderstanding." ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The ministry said unilateral restrictions do not comply with the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU and the single market rules, and called on the EU leadership "to find a balanced solution" based on domestic legislation and the Association Agreement. Agricultural workers in the five EU countries have organized several strikes against Ukrainian grain imports, fearing they threaten their production and pressuring the European Commission to impose a temporary ban. Ukraine's grain exports are hampered by Russia's unilateral decision to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative on July 17. The deal, brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, allowed the country to export its agricultural products amid the full-scale invasion. Ukraine's partners have since pledged to assist with shipping out its produce. The EU announced on July 19 the expansion of its "solidarity lanes," facilitating the export of over 45 million metric tons of grain since May 2022. Cheap Ukrainian grain has been flooding the EU market since the beginning of the invasion, helped by the bloc waiving customs duties and import quotas to keep Ukraine's agricultural sector running. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraines SBU security service has apprehended an additional four military personnel and commanders of military medical commissions (VLK) who were allegedly capitalizing on individuals seeking to evade conscription and flee abroad, the SBU reported on Telegram on Aug. 26. These officials are accused of fabricating documents citing health-related reasons to declare individuals unfit for military service. The cost of such services reportedly ranged up to $10,000 per person, varying based on the timeline for resolving matters and the financial capacities of the clients. The SBU carried out arrests in Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv Oblast. Among those detained in Kyiv were the head of a district military commissariat and a chief of a VLK in the capital, who were selling counterfeit medical certificates indicating serious medical conditions. Holders of such certificates could exploit them to avoid military obligations and depart the country. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read also: Alleged 26-year-old poses as 15-year-old in audacious border crossing attempt In Kharkiv Oblast, a district military commissariat head was arrested, alleged to have amassed over 11 million hryvnias ($300,000) from potential conscripts, according to SBU reports. The fraudulent scheme also involved three personnel from a local hospital, who, in exchange for bribes, falsely diagnosed military conscripts with health issues. These fabricated health problems then served as formal grounds for their military discharge. In Odesa, cybersecurity experts from the SBU dismantled a corrupt scheme in which the secretary of a local VLK was implicated. Collaborating with a Kyiv-based lawyer and two accomplices, they orchestrated a vast distribution of falsified documents indicating unfitness for military service. This elaborate operation involved identifying clients nationwide and enlisting them at the Odesa military commissariat to effectively exempt them from military duty. Currently, the secretary of this VLK and her accomplices have been apprehended in the act, according to SBU officials. They are now facing charges, and the question of preventative measures is under consideration. Conviction could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years, along with seizure of assets. Read also: Zakarpattia border guards catch six draft dodgers trying to cross border with Romania On Aug. 17, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed an order for the dismissal of the heads of all regional conscription centers, and their replacement with combat officers. This decision follows a scandal involving former head of the Odesa Oblasts military commissariat, Yevhen Borysov, who illicitly amassed 188 million hryvnias ($5 million) and whose family acquired a villa in Spain. Zelenskyy also ordered a comprehensive review of military commissariats throughout Ukraine. The government is also actively transitioning military commissariats to digital operations. 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 Ukraine's counteroffensive has breached Russian first defensive line, Gen. Mark Milley said. Ukraine is breaking through complex defenses and making sustained progress, the top general said. Milley said that the advance is "bloody, long and slow" but that this is not unusual in war. Ukraine's counteroffensive has crossed the first line of Russian defense despite progress being "bloody, long, and slow," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said. "Specifically on the axis of advance that they're attacking on right now, they've attacked through the first main defensive belt," Milley told Al-Mamlaka on Friday. "This defensive line, which the Russians spent many months preparing, it's got minefields, it's got dragon's teeth, it's got tank ditches. It's a very, very complex set of defensive preparations that the Ukrainians are fighting through," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement While the speed of the counteroffensive is "slower than the planners had thought," Milley said this is not uncommon in war when lives are at stake. Ukraine is making steady progress of 400-500 meters or sometimes up to 1,000 meters a day, Milley said, and has liberated a considerable portion of Russian-occupied Ukraine. He said while it's too early to tell whether the counteroffensive has succeeded or failed, "clearly it's had partial success." While kicking out 200,000 or 300,000 Russian troops will be difficult, said the top US general, Ukraine still has a "significant amount of combat power remaining." "The bastards are rapidly advancing, covered by artillery strikes" A Ukraine soldier covers his ears as an M777 howitzer is fired on the frontline in Zaporizhzhya on July 16, 2023. Gian Marco Benedetto/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images There have been concerns about the pace of Ukraine's two-month-long counteroffensive, but recent assessments have suggested that there is now sustained progress. Ukraine appears to be gradually gaining ground in the south, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ukraine's military and gloomy Russian military bloggers, as well as assessments from the UK Department of Defense and think tank the Institute for the Study of War. One Russian blogger writing about the upturn in Ukraine's fighting fortunes said: "The bastards are rapidly advancing, covered by artillery strikes." In its latest assessment, the Washington DC-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said, per CNN, Ukrainian forces "advanced closer to the Russian second line of defense in the Robotyne area further widening their breach of Russian defensive lines in the area." The ISW said, "Russia's lack of operational reserves will force the Russian command to conduct additional redeployments as Ukrainian counteroffensive operations continue to degrade defending Russian forces in several sectors of the front." Read the original article on Business Insider Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on Aug. 25 that he is ready to resign if the accusations of summer jackets procurement instead of winter ones are confirmed. In a conversation with the journalists, he offered to make a bet. "I propose a bet. If it turns out that the Defense Ministry really did supply 180,000 summer jackets instead of winter jackets, then I, Defense Minister of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov, will write a letter of resignation," he said. If this turns out to be a lie, Oleksii Reznikov suggests that lawmaker Anastasia Radina, who accused the Defense Ministry of dishonest schemes, resigns from her post, and that Mykhailo Tkach, a journalist at Ukrainska Pravda, resigns from the publication because of his article and stops his journalism work for three years. The minister also promised to provide "all documents, evidence, facts and materials" related to the case so that the winner of the dispute would be obvious. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement On Aug. 10, the Ukrainian media published an investigation alleging that Ukraine's Defense Ministry had signed a contract with a Turkish company to supply winter clothing for the military in the fall of 2022. While the jackets were on their way to Ukraine, they tripled in price. The documents show that 4,900 jackets and pants, which in one document are listed at a total cost of $142,000, are later listed at $421,000. The price for "camouflage" jackets increased from $29 per one to $86 for "winter air protection" jackets. Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov denied information that the ministry had allegedly purchased summer uniforms for the Armed Forces and stated that "the jackets will be shown soon." On Aug. 23, a committee meeting was held at which Deputy Minister Denys Sharapov attended on behalf of the Defense Ministry. He brought jackets with him, but they were from another batch. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian forces have broken through Russian main lines of defense in some areas, top US general says Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukraine's spy chief said naval drones were effective against Russia despite many being destroyed. Kyrylo Budanov said the maritime attack drones had successfully paralyzed Russia's Black Sea fleet. He revealed that one drone forced Russia's Admiral Essen warship into dock for months for repairs. Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said naval attack drones have been able to "paralyze" the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Radio Svoboda reported. He said that despite 60-70% of the drones being destroyed by Russian forces, they were still a highly effective "deterrent" and had been able to stall the Russian fleet's activities. While refusing to provide an exact figure, he told the outlet that Ukraine was using "a lot" of the drones, and while the Russians destroyed many, the 30% they missed gave them a big problem. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The spy chief added that Ukraine had " a lot" of maritime drones, now being manufactured at scale. Budanov noted one occasion when a sea drone had been destroyed as it approached Russia's Admiral Essen frigate in Sevastopol Bay. "It seemed unsuccessful. But the blast wave, because it was destroyed about 100 meters from the ship, and the charge was quite powerful, the wreckage completely damaged some of the ship's electronic equipment, antennas, certain systems, and the hydroacoustic system. And it took 3-and-a-half months to repair," Budanov said. "Russia's equipment is from the 20th Century, ours is from the 21st" Russian Navy vessels near the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea on February 16, 2022. REUTERS/Alexey Pavlishak Ukraine proved the threat offered by its sea drones earlier this month when it attacked a major Russian naval base in the Black Sea. During the attack, a drone carrying about 1,000 lbs of TNT also hit a Russian warship, leaving it tilting and low in the water. "A big navy ship, [the] Olenogorsky Gornyak, was hit," a Ukrainian source told CNN. "As the result of the attack, the Russian ship has received serious damage and is not able to fulfill its duties." Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the minister of internal affairs in Ukraine, shared a video of the reported attack. It appears to show a drone heading straight toward the ship and slamming into it, with the video ending as the drone reaches the vessel. Last month, Ukraine unveiled its new sea drone for the first time. The Ukrainian-designed drone is remotely controlled and can be used for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. It can hold hundreds of pounds of explosives and hit targets 500 miles away. These are faster than anything else in the Black Sea," a developer told CNN. "Russia's equipment is from the 20th Century, and ours is from the 21st," he added. Read the original article on Business Insider Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 26) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered government agencies to boost efforts against human exploitation to keep the Philippines' Tier 1 ranking in the United States anti-human trafficking report, a Department of Justice (DOJ) official said on Saturday. In fact, he has given specific instructions to maintain our Tier 1 ranking, DOJ spokesperson Mico Clavano told a news forum. That means he will support all the facets and all the programs that the IACAT (Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking) has already put in place and he would like to enhance those programs, he said. The DOJ is the lead agency of the IACAT. In its 2022 report, the US Department of State said the Philippines maintained its spot as one of the countries that earned the Tier 1 ranking, but it also noted that being in the highest rank does not mean that there is no human trafficking problem in a country. RELATED: PH's Tier 1 rank in US anti-human trafficking report a comfort for nations who want to hire Filipinos DMW The IACAT recently issued the revised guidelines for Filipinos travelering overseas in a bid to combat human trafficking. It was met with criticism from lawmakers and ordinary Filipinos for being too strict, adding that the new requirements are too burdensome. The fresh set of departure formalities was made public on Aug. 22, and shall take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation or in the Official Gazette. READ: What you need to know about the new requirements for Filipinos traveling overseas Marcos is set to tackle the issue of human trafficking with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the 43rd ASEAN Summit in Indonesia this September. Clavano said the DOJ has previously briefed Marcos on the area of human trafficking and that the president understands very clearly the depth and how wide-spread this problem is. Although we have already been given the Tier 1 ranking for 2022, we felt we could further enhance our own operations against human trafficking, he pointed out. We have to understand that our population is a very migratory population, he added. Around 10 percent of our population seeks to travel abroad and find their opportunities abroad and this is very specific to our country as opposed or as compared to other countries who have job opportunities where they are. Clavano said among the identified hotspots for illegal trafficking for Filipinos include Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. Ukraine is mourning one of its most widely known fighter pilots after a mid-air collision in Zhytomyr Oblast. Major Andrii Pilshchykov, better known by his callsign Juice, was one of three pilots killed in the crash involving two L-39 jet trainer aircraft. Juice served as something akin to the informal 'voice' of the Ukrainian Air Force at times, providing numerous first-hand accounts of Ukraines air war to The War Zone and other media outlets, sometimes from the cockpit of his MiG-29 Fulcrum as he sat alert on the ground. These included detailed perspectives, from the first desperate hours over Kyiv to fighting the scourge of Iranian-made drones heading for Ukrainian cities. Then Capt. Andrii Pilshchykov, callsign "Juice", with a Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum. Juice/Ukrainian Air Force. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense confirmed Juices death Saturday morning, reporting that he was previously awarded the Order of Courage, Third Class. The Ukrainian Air Force said the two L-39s collided during a combat mission, but specific details of the flight remain unconfirmed. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1695487434136469858?s=20 https://twitter.com/_juicefighter_/status/1669018460700004353 https://twitter.com/kpszsu/status/1695432434488119531?s=46\u0026t=cbCZ6V64euYCCy5V9r9oiQ The crash remains under investigation, President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed, in a video that paid tribute to the three fallen aviators, mentioning Juice by name. https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1695504821585850369?s=20 Juice's accounts of combat included a sprint to his home base as the first cruise missiles struck, then serving as an infantryman as Russian troops launched failed special forces and air assaults against the airbase. He went on to describe harrowing combat missions against Russian Su-35s and MiG-31s, as well as Ukraine's adoption of the AGM-88 HARM in suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) missions along the front line. Tributes to Juice continue to pour in across social media. Apart from his exploits in the cockpit, Juice was among the most vocal advocates for Western fighter jets and weapons for the Ukrainian Air Force. In July 2022, Juice and another pilot, callsign Moonfish, visited Washington D.C. speaking to Congress and the Pentagon on the need for Western fighter aircraft. https://twitter.com/LatinMilitaryAv/status/1695408697806147755 https://twitter.com/nolanwpeterson/status/1695415970766999770 https://twitter.com/_hawkeyed/status/1695417657963454635 https://twitter.com/Veteransforukr1/status/1695170905914114347?s=20 https://twitter.com/Heroiam_Slava/status/1695456381929767068 Juice acted as an ambassador for an air arm at war a unique arrangement to say the least that allowed him to represent the pilots and support personnel of the Ukrainian Air Force. In his death, that mission continued. We really don't know how many Ukrainian aviators or support personnel have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty during this horrible war, but there have been many. The loss of Juice serves as another stark reminder of just how terrible the costs of this 'special military operation' have been. Blue skies and tailwinds Juice. Update: One series of videos, originally published by the Operational News of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, shows a traditional tribute paid to the fallen pilots through a piano-burning: a ritual that is said to date back to the World War II-era U.K. Royal Air Force and which has since been adopted elsewhere, too. The original tweet with those videos also revealed the callsigns of the other deceased pilots: Minka and Prokazin. https://twitter.com/operativno_ZSU/status/1695511581889609947?s=20 Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com and tyler@thedrive.com Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson believes that the likely murder of Yevgeny Prigozhin , financier of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), would not have been possible unless it had been ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin , and is therefore proof of the futility of negotiating with the dictator. Source: Johnson in his latest column for the Daily Mail, as reported by European Pravda Quote: "And surely to goodness there is one glaringly obvious conclusion from the Luciferian fall of Yevgeny Prigozhin. Look at that tumbling plane, all you who tell me we can have a negotiated solution, or that we must somehow encourage the Ukrainians to trade land for peace." Details: Johnson emphasises that whatever happened to the plane Prigozhin was on, his apparent death could not have happened without Putin's order. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "Putin stands exposed as a gangster, and his absurd televised tribute to the dead Wagnerites is straight from the pages of The Godfather... With these murders Putin is being transformed before our eyes into an Asiatic despot, slaughtering his former favourite just to show who is boss, revelling in his ruthlessness," Johnson said. The former British PM explains that the Russian president's open desire to challenge the US makes him popular in countries that are sceptical of the West. "If Putin wins in Ukraine, it would be a disaster for democracy worldwide. If Putin were to win, it would be a vindication of all those who say that you cant rely on the West, and that they wont stick with you and see things through," the statesman said. Johnson further added that rather than dwelling on Putin's fate, Ukraine's allies should maintain support for the state he has decided to take over. Background: Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba commented on the impossibility of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow, recalling the mysterious plane crash involving Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who also negotiated with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. On the evening of 23 August, Russian media and the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency claimed that a plane carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner PMC, had crashed in Russia. The 10 people on board, including Prigozhin's deputy, Dmitry "Wagner" Utkin, were reportedly 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! United Airlines is set to pay a $30 million settlement to the family of a quadriplegic man who was injured while deplaning from a flight to Monroe, Louisiana, a few years ago. The incident involved now-26-year-old Nathaniel Foster Jr., a man who was using a wheelchair, ventilator, and tracheal tube in February 2019, Reuters reported. Nathaniel Foster Jr. is now in a vegetative state after allegedly being manhandled by a United Airline agent. (Photos: Getty Images, YouTube/The Independent) The family accused a supervisor assisting Foster of aggressively pushing him while getting off the plane, according to the report. It resulted in his body jerking forward, then back, and eventually him whispering, I cant breathe. Related: Drunk Woman and Entourage Dragged Off Flight to Ibiza After Brawling Before Take-off, Passenger Says Airline Should Have Done More to Stop it It prompted his mother to get help, but she said an airline gate agent giggled and said, we got this when a health professional offered a helping hand, per the outlet. The family alleged that Foster had a cardiac arrest, leading him to suffer from major brain damage. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Click here to read more. According to CBS News, citing the lawsuit, the situation caused Foster to not be able to eat solid foods or speak and cut years from his life expectancy from 39 to 31.5. When traveling, four to six staff members usually assist Foster in getting off a plane. But that day, only one person was originally there when they got to their destination, the outlet reported. When booking the trip, Fosters mother said she disclosed Fosters condition to the airline. Based on the repeated assurances provided by United Airlines of its ability to provide safe transportation for her son, Mrs. Foster purchased her familys tickets, a June press release posted by the familys attorneys said. Arriving in Louisiana, after a period of delay, agents were unprepared to handle the deplanement of NJ Foster. The statement added, NJ Foster remains in a persistent vegetative state today. According to reports, the settlement was reached on Tuesday, after one day of the trial. In a statement to Reuters, the airline said: We are pleased to share that this matter has settled. The settlement will see $12 million go to legal fees, and $3 million reportedly will cover other expenses. A 20-year-old University of South Carolina student was shot and killed in Columbia overnight, the Columbia Police Department reported. Early information suggests that the student, who lived in the neighborhood, was attempting to enter the wrong home during the early hours of the morning, according to police. The student, who was identified as Nicholas Anthony Donofrio by the Richland County Coroners Office, was from Connecticut. Officers say that they were responding to a call about a burglary at 2 a.m. on the 500 block of South Holly Street in Rosewood when they received reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Donofrio on the front porch with a gunshot wound to the upper body. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Preliminary information indicates that Donofrio who resided on South Holly Street attempted to enter the wrong home when he was fatally shot, according to a statement released by investigators. This is a breaking news story. Check back here for more updates. (Reuters) - The United States on Friday condemned pervasive conflict-related sexual violence in Sudan, which the State Department said that credible sources including victims have attributed to Paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their allied militias. "The numerous reports of rape, gang rape and other forms of gender-based violence against women and girls in West Darfur and other areas are deeply disturbing. These acts of brutality contribute to an emerging pattern of targeted ethnic violence," the department said in a statement. "In particular, we are gravely concerned about the situation in and around Nyala, South Darfur where tens of thousands of civilians are trapped as fighting escalates between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF)," it added. The United States called on the RSF and SAF to immediately halt the fighting and allow safe passage for all civilians out of the city, the department said. (Reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz in Cairo; Editing by Will Dunham and Sandra Maler) A US envoy for Iran met on Friday with the family of Iranian-German national Jamshid Sharmahd, who has been imprisoned and sentenced to death in Iran. I welcomed the opportunity to meet with Jamshid Sharmahds family today. He should have never been detained in Iran, and we hope to see the day he is reunited with his loved ones, Deputy Special Envoy Abram Paley said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, alongside a photo of him with Sharmahds son Shayan and daughter Gazelle. Sharmahd, a longtime US resident, was arrested in 2020 by Iranian authorities who claimed he headed a group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing in the city of Shiraz, according to state run news agencies ISNA and IRNA. He was sentenced to death last February for corruption on Earth, which sparked widespread condemnation from human rights groups and Western governments. Amnesty International said he had been sentenced after a grossly unfair trial. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In April, his death sentence was upheld by the Iranian Supreme Court, a decision condemned by the European Union and the United States. Iranian-German national and US resident Jamshid Sharmahd attends his trial at the Revolutionary Court in Tehran on Feb. 6, 2022. - Koosha Mahshid Falahi/Mizan News Agency/AP In a statement following the decision, the European Union said Iranian authorities denied consular access to Sharmahd, despite his German nationality. Earlier this month, the US State Department called the Iranian regimes treatment of Sharmahd reprehensible. He has been sentenced to death after a legal proceeding that has been widely criticized as a sham trial. And we condemn this kind of treatment in the strongest of terms, Vedant Patel, the US State Departments principal deputy spokesperson said in a briefing on August 14. In response to Paleys statement, Gazelle Sharmahd urged the US government to help free her father. I told the acting special envoy I need actions. Our father must be part of whatever is agreed to free US nationals. We will continue to urge the Biden Administration to work with stakeholders to #LeaveNoOneBehind or stop negotiations with my dads kidnappers, she wrote in a statement on X. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com The US has agreed to sell Taiwan a $500 million tracking system for its F-16 fighter jets. Taiwan plans to use the system to help identify long-range targets. China has been increasing military activities near the island, which it views as its own. The US has signed off on a $500 million arms deal with Taiwan in a move that could further stoke tensions with China. The Pentagon informed Congress of the sale of an F-16 infrared search and track system to Taiwan following approval from the US State Department Wednesday. It's the 11th arms deal between the countries since Joe Biden became president in 2021. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the US had agreed to a deal over the tracking system, which it said would help it defend the volatile Taiwan Strait. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement "In the face of China's ongoing military expansion and provocations, Taiwan will do its utmost to enhance its self-defense capabilities in order to protect its people's lives, property, and free and democratic way of life," Taiwan's government said in a statement. The country's defense ministry said it intended to use the tracking systems on its F-16 fighter jets to help it better detect long-range targets. However, in a statement to Reuters , the Pentagon said the agreement "will not alter the basic military balance in the region." The deal is the third this year between China and Taiwan following a $619 million agreement for the sale of anti-air and air-to-surface missiles in March. Read the original article on Business Insider The US Department of State has said that it sees "viable routes" for Ukrainian grain exports and therefore aims to return to "pre-war averages" of exports in the coming months. Source: Reuters, quoting James O'Brien, head of the State Department's Office of Sanctions Coordination Quote: "I think we see there are viable routes through Ukraine's territorial waters and overland. And we are aiming ... over the next couple of months to return to exporting at kind of prewar averages from Ukraine." For reference: Ukraine used to ship millions of tonnes of food from the Black Sea ports of Odesa and Mykolaiv. After Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Ukraine has to rely on ports on the Danube River. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Background: On 17 July, the Russian Federation announced the suspension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and threatened "risks" to parties who would decide to continue the initiative without Russia's participation. On 19 July, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced that it would consider all ships approaching Ukraine to be potential weapons carriers. 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! Echo, an 11-month old coonhound mix, plays outside at Salt Lake County Animal Services in Millcreek on Thursday, April 20, 2023. | Spenser Heaps, Deseret News August is National Dog Month, with the monthlong celebration culminating in a special commemorative 24 hours, National Dog Day. Shelters and rescues across the United States celebrate our canine friends the entire month, often holding events and offering specials. This year, National Dog Day lands on Saturday, Aug. 26, and Utah shelters are celebrating mans best friend by aiming to get as many homeless pooches as possible adopted into loving homes. Dogs in shelters throughout the U.S., including in Utah, are at the highest risk of being killed since 2017, according to Utah-founded Best Friends Animal Societys latest data release, the Deseret News recently reported. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In 2022, 1,700 dogs and cats were killed in animal shelters across Utah, Best Friends site reads. Not all of Utahs shelters are no-kill, but supporting your local animal shelter can help it accomplish or maintain no-kill status. For Utahns that are in or around the Salt Lake Valley and looking to welcome a furry friend into their homes, National Dog Day may be the perfect opportunity to adopt from two local shelters in need of adopters West Valley City Animal Shelter and Salt Lake County Animal Services. Related West Valley City Animal Shelter West Valley City Animal Services operates a municipal no-kill shelter that serves residents in both West Valley City and Taylorsville, Utah. Hannah Wright, a volunteer who runs West Valley City Animal Shelters Instagram page, is hoping for a good community turnout at the shelters National Dog Day adoption event where 29 of the shelters adoptable dogs will be in attendance. The event is being held on-site at the shelter on Saturday, Aug. 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., giving prospective adopters the opportunity to meet animals on a weekend when the shelter is usually closed. Potential adopters are also welcome to bring their pets to ensure a proper fit, according to Wright. A lot of the dogs are pretty kennel crazy right now, its just such a stressful environment for them, Wright says. But once you get them out, theyre amazing dogs. All of the dogs up for adoption come spayed or neutered, microchipped and up to date on vaccines, according to Wright. The dogs also come with a collar, harness or leash. For the remainder of August, the adoption fee for a dog from West Valley City Animal Shelter is $20, or adopters can donate school supplies for local schools in lieu of a fee, Wright says. We have a range of small to large, young and old we have an 8-week-old puppy all the way up to an 8-year-old Cane Corso mix, she says. We have a big range of dogs right now that we would love to find homes for. Screenshot from West Valley City Animal Services Facebook page Salt Lake County Animal Services Salt Lake County Animal Services is also a municipal operation, and the Salt Lake County Animal Shelter is the largest no-kill municipal shelter in Utah, according to the organization. We serve the citizens and pets of Bluffdale, Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek, Murray, Salt Lake City, and the Salt Lake County Metro Townships: Brighton, Copperton, County Islands, Emigration Canyon, Kearns, Magna, and White City, the organizations site reads. What differentiates both Salt Lake County Animal Services and West Valley City Animal Shelter from animal rescues is that, because they are municipal operations, the bulk of their dogs were abandoned or found as strays. If the animals are still at the shelter after the mandatory five business day hold, they legally belong to the shelter, according to Jami Johanson, development coordinator at Salt Lake County Animal Services. At that point, the animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped by the shelters in-house veterinarian, and placed for adoption. Salt Lake County Animal Services is open on Saturdays, and individuals can browse adoptable pets and finalize adoptions from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For the remainder of National Dog Month, were doing pick your price adoption fees, and the minimum is a dollar, Johanson says. The shelter also offers a foster-to-adopt program, where potential adopters can take a pet home to see if its a good fit before officially adopting. Right now were just full were in the triple digits, she says. Were just out of space, we need adopters. Screenshot from Salt Lake County Animals Services Facebook page (CNN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said he warned Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin twice to watch out for threats to his life. The first time was when I phoned him and negotiations (were taking) place while they were marching on Moscow, Lukashenko told reporters in comments carried by Belarusian state news agency Belta on Friday. I told him: Yevgeny, do you understand that you will doom your people and will perish yourself? He had just come back from the front. On an impulse he said: I will die then, damn it! Lukashenko said the second time was when Prigozhin and Dmitriy Utkin, a long-term lieutenant of Prigozhins, had come to see him and he warned them in no uncertain terms to watch it. Lukashenko did not say when the meeting took place. The Belarusian president said he suggested to Prigozhin that he could talk with Putin and guarantee full security in Belarus if he was concerned for his security, Belta reported. I said: If you are afraid of something, I will talk to President (Vladimir) Putin and we will extract you to Belarus. We guarantee full security to you in Belarus. And credit where credit is due, Yevgeny Prigozhin has never asked me to separately pay attention to security matters, Lukashenko said, according to the agency. Footage published by Russian state media outlets this week appeared to show the moments before a private plane, purportedly carrying Prigozhin, crashed in a field northwest of Moscow while en route to St. Petersburg. The crash comes two months after Prigozhin launched a short-lived mutiny against Russias military leadership, posing an unprecedented challenge to Putins authority. On Friday, the Kremlin said that examinations including genetic testing were underway to determine whether Prigozhin was killed in Wednesdays plane crash. Utkin was also believed to be on board the plane at the time, according to a list of passengers released by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency. Russian authorities have yet to officially confirm Prigozhins death but have acknowledged the plane crash in public comments. The Pentagon has said it believes that Prigozhin was likely killed in the crash. US and Western intelligence officials that CNN spoke to believe the crash was deliberate but said it was still too early to determine what brought the plane down. Plenty of speculation remains and the future of the group is anyones guess. Cant imagine its Putin Lukashenko previously said that he could not imagine that Putin was behind the apparent death of Prigozhin. I cant say who did it. I wont even become a lawyer for my older brother. But I know Putin he is a prudent, very calm and slow-paced person when making decisions on other less complex issues. Therefore, I cannot imagine that Putin did it, that he is to blame, Lukashenko told journalists. It was too rough, unprofessional work, for that matter, he added. According to Belta, Lukashenko said Prigozhin had never asked him for security guarantees following the attempted mutiny two months ago. I dont have to ensure Prigozhins safety. This is first of all. Secondly, the conversation [between Prigozhin and Lukashenko] never centered on this, he said. He also said Wagner will live in Belarus, adding that within a few days everyone will be here, referring to Wagner fighters and the deal he struck to host the group after the failed uprising. Up to 10 thousand people, he said. As long as we need this unit, they will live and work with us. Referencing satellite imagery that purported to show camp sites for Wagner fighters being dismantled recently, Lukashenko said: Why are we removing extra tents, we dont need so many of them. The core base remains here, someone went on vacation, someone decided to live on the sidelines, but all telephones, addresses, passwords, and appearances are known. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Belarusian president says he warned Wagner boss Prigozhin twice to watch out" Electric lineworkers will get their own appreciation day this weekend as the peak of hurricane season approaches. Saturday marks Florida Lineworker Appreciation Day and celebrates the men and women who keep the power on. It is ranked as one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, next to fighting fires. Read: OUC celebrates Florida Lineworker Appreciation Day, heres what it means Line workers are briefed on the hazards they will face before going out on a job. Workers also service customers by replacing utility poles and raising power lines. Patrick Gullotti, a line technician for Orlando Utility Company, said the workers look out for each other because they know each other. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Read: 150 Florida lineman put their skills to the test in this years competition Its always (a) top priority to make sure we all take care of each other, and we all get home safe, he said. On average, lineworkers could be out late in the evening to restore power from afternoon storms. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. VERO BEACH A Vero Beach man is facing multiple felony charges after being accused Thursday of firing several gunshots at a man in a Ford pickup truck, arrest records show. Kenneth Green Jr., 37, of the 6000 block of 85th Street, Vero Beach, is being held at the Indian River County Jail in lieu of $595,000 bail, records show. Hes accused of shooting at an unidentified Sebastian man around 8:30 p.m., as he drove his truck away from a friends house on 61st Drive near County Road 510, in Vero Beach. Arrest records show the man told Indian River County Sheriffs deputies he was driving his truck to meet a friend when he saw Green on 61st Drive, pacing and yelling as he drove past. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A short while later, the man saw Green again in the road near a stop sign still yelling. He said he saw Green reach into his back pocket and brandish a small black firearm and point it at him, investigators stated in an arrest affidavit. The man quickly turned his truck south on 62nd Avenue, then stopped when he heard approximately six gunshots, and a round striking the rear of the truck. The man then drove away from the scene, he told deputies. Two male witnesses who saw Green fire a gun at the man, told investigators he pointed the weapon at them as he was walking back toward his residence. Four 9mm shell casings were found at the scene, reports noted. Once Green was in custody and searched, deputies found a small amount of crack cocaine in his pants pocket, which he stated belonged to him. Its unclear from court records whether Green has an attorney. 'Our hearts are broken': Longtime TCPalm reporter Janet Begley remembered Home builder under investigation: Can't get permits for one year After his arrest, Green told deputies he was standing in the road when the man attempted to run him over in the truck he was driving. Green stated he brandished his black EC 9mm handgun and pointed it at (the man) as he was driving away from him, investigators reported. Green claimed the man then stopped and while walking toward Green said, Im going to take that gun from you. Green then fired six rounds in the mans direction, forcing him to flee back towards his truck. Hes charged with attempted felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, shooting or throwing a deadly missile, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of cocaine and tampering with evidence. Green is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 19. Florida Department of Corrections records show he was released from prison in March 2021 after serving nearly three years for drug convictions in Indian River County. Melissa E. Holsman is the legal affairs reporter for TCPalm and Treasure Coast Newspapers and is writer and co-host of "Uncertain Terms," a true-crime podcast. Reach her at melissa.holsman@tcpalm.com. If you are a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest local news on the Treasure Coast. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Kenneth Green Jr accused of firing shots at a man inside a truck Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC) Vice Chair Charlie Gerow is stepping down from his role with the organization, both confirmed on Friday. Gerow served as both a board member for the American Conservative Union (ACU) Foundation and as vice chair for ACU/CPAC. It is with deep sadness and true regret that I have joined several of my colleagues in resigning from the Board of ACU/CPAC. I have consistently exercised my fiduciary duties to the organization and always done my very best to fulfill all of my responsibilities to this very vital organization. I know I have done the right things, Gerow said in a statement. Although I will not now be able to participate in the August Board meeting, I am calling on my former colleagues to authorize an independent investigation into the charges against Matt Schlapp , to conduct an independent forensic audit of the organizations finances, to obtain a written opinion of counsel that the organization is in full compliance with its own by-laws and all applicable law and to thoroughly review all the exit interviews of the large number of staff who have recently left CPAC/ACU/ACUF, he added. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement CPAC, a prominent conservative organization whose annual conferences are a staple on the Republican political calendar, has faced months of turmoil. A campaign aide to former Senate candidate Herschel Walker filed a lawsuit against its chairman Matt Schlapp and his wife in January, alleging that the CPAC chair sexually assaulted him. Schlapp denies the accusations. And Politico reported several other board members have stepped down from their roles. CPAC issued a statement Friday accusing Gerow of resigning because he had been denied another term as board member and saying they had learned of his resignation from a report in The Washington Post. It was only after Charlie Gerow realized that the board was not going to grant him an additional term that he decided to resign. It comes as no surprise that we learned of his resignation from the Washington Post, CPAC wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. This is the same paper that received all the previous leaks this year. The only thing worse than for conservatives to try and harm CPAC is to use this hateful rag to do it. In CPACs post on X, it also included a video of Gerow praising Schlapp. In a brief interview with The Hill, Gerow pushed back against the assertion that CPAC had learned of his resignation through The Washington Post and alleged that top officials at the conservative group were trying to push him out. First of all, they learned of it from a letter that I sent to each and every director earlier today, a multiple-page letter, he said. I dont know how many it was, but it was a lot of pages detailing a lot of different reasons for my resignation and setting forth each of them at light. So they learned about it from a private letter sent to each and every director. They did not learn about it from the Washington Post unless they just happened to be routinely reading The Washington Post every minute. So thats a fabrication. I was aware that [ACU General Counsel] David Safavian and Matt Schlapp had conducted a very concerted effort to try to get me removed from the board. I was well aware of that, Gerow said. The former vice chair said he believed the motivation behind it was because I had done my duty, my fiduciary duty to the organization by asking the tough questions that needed to be asked and still need to be answered. The Hill has reached out to CPAC for further comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, a son of Indian immigrants, has made support for race-neutral policies and opposition to affirmative action cornerstones of his campaign. GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy , a son of Indian immigrants, has made support for race-neutral policies and opposition to affirmative action cornerstones of his campaign. PELLA, Iowa Vivek Ramaswamy, the multi-millionaire biotech investor seeking the Republican presidential nomination, characterized Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), prominent author Ibram X. Kendi, and other progressive anti-racists as akin to grand wizards of the modern KKK. The remarks came up on Friday afternoon in response to an Iowa resident asking Ramaswamy at a campaign event whether he is likely to be accused by liberals of being a white supremacist or some kind of white adjacent race traitor. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ramaswamy responded with a long riff on how he considers those contemporary progressives, who insist that he should have liberal views based on his non-white identity, to be the biggest sources of racial discrimination in contemporary American culture. He cited as examples two statements made by Pressley and Kendi, who are both Black. We dont need any more brown faces that dont want to be a brown voice, Pressley said at the liberal Netroots Nation conference in 2019. We dont need Black faces that dont want to be a Black voice. Ramaswamy also noted that Kendi wrote the following in his bestselling book, How To Be An Anti-Racist: The only remedy to past discrimination is present discrimination. The only remedy to present discrimination is future discrimination. (Ramaswamy did not cite the sentence preceding those two, The only remedy to racist discrimination is antiracist discrimination.) Pressleys comments, in particular, deprive non-white people of their agency as individuals, treating them as a monolith based on their identity in a similar way to what the Ku Klux Klan used to do, Ramaswamy argued. The greatest racism Ive experienced and I have experienced racism comes from the modern left at a scale unimaginable, said the GOP candidate, who is the son of Indian immigrants. Because I think they feel a sense of betrayal, saying that, Youre not speaking in the tone that youre supposed to. So the other side will gaslight you when youre saying this stuff, Oh, youre just making that stuff up, added Ramaswamy, emphasizing that he was citing specific quotations. These are the words of the modern Grand Wizards of the modern KKK. Pressed by reporters after the event, Ramaswamy stood by the essence of his remarks but tweaked them to avoid comparing contemporary progressives to KKK leaders in themselves. Instead, he said, Pressley, Kendi and the whole movement with which they are associated would make the KKK proud. The fact that were taught to see one another on the basis of our genetic attributes is something that would make the old wizards of the grand KKK proud, Ramaswamy said. I think here is no better way to disempower someone in this country, as a kid, than to say that you cant get ahead because of the genetics that youre born with. I would say in recent years, probably the last decade, its come from the left. And I think it says a lot about the decay in our culture, he added. From the likes of the modern evangelists of this modern religion would certainly make, in some ways, the old generation of KKK grand wizards very proud, in a certain sense of that word. Ramaswamy has made opposition to the racial preference programs designed to correct past racism, such as affirmative action, a core focus of his campaign. To that end, the list of ten truths he recites at every campaign stop includes the idea that reverse racism is racism. HuffPost reached out to representatives of Pressley and Kendi for comment but did not receive an immediate response. Pressleys campaign team, however, responded with outrage in a fundraising email on Saturday, Politico reported. We typically dont engage in these bad-faith attacks but yesterday a line was crossed. A GOP candidate referred to Ayanna as a modern grand wizard of the KKK because she speaks out against racial injustice, Pressleys staff wrote to prospective supporters. This is backwards and harmful, but that is the point. Related... GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy floated Elon Musk as a potential White House advisor. Ramaswamy has praised Musk's actions after taking over Twitter, which has now been rebranded as X. "I expect him to be an interesting advisor of mine," Ramaswamy said during a Friday event in Iowa. Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Friday floated Elon Musk as a potential White House advisor should he win the presidency next year, according to NBC News. During an Iowa campaign event, the entrepreneur whose presidential candidacy has surged among GOP voters in recent weeks spoke fondly of Musk. He remarked that he wanted to bring in people with "a blank fresh impression." "I've enjoyed getting to know better Elon Musk recently. I expect him to be an interesting advisor of mine," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Ramaswamy in the past has given a shoutout to Musk over his takeover of X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, where the Tesla chief executive laid off a sizable number of workers. "What he did at Twitter is a good example of what I want to do to the administrative state," Ramaswamy told Fox News host Laura Ingraham earlier this month. "Take out 75 percent of the dead weight cost. Improve the actual experience of what it's supposed to do." Musk in a post on X earlier this month said that the 38-year-old Ramaswamy was "a very promising candidate." In recent weeks, Ramaswamy has surged in GOP presidential surveys and has closed in on Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who was long thought to be former President Donald Trump's most direct competitor in the race. Read the original article on Business Insider The Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has said that he wants Elon Musk as an adviser if he becomes president. The billionaire biotech entrepreneur was in Newton, Iowa, campaigning at a town hall on Friday when he was asked about whom he would want as advisers for his potential presidency. Ramaswamy said in response that he wanted people with a blank fresh impression who do not come from within the government. Related: Hes an insider: Ramaswamys deep ties to rightwing kingpins revealed Ive enjoyed getting to know better, Elon Musk recently, I expect him to be an interesting adviser of mine because he laid off 75% of the employees at Twitter, NBC reports. And then the effectiveness actually went up. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In an earlier interview this month with Fox News, Ramaswamy said of the layoffs: What [Musk] did at Twitter is a good example of what I want to do with the administrative state Take out the 75% of the dead weight cost, improve the actual experience of what its supposed to do. Ramaswamys response on Friday also doubles down on comments he made in February: Just as @elonmusk did at Twitter, as president I will release the state action files from the federal government exposing every instance where the feds pressured companies to take constitutionally prohibited actions. Roll that log over & see what crawls out. Wont be pretty. Since Ramaswamy joined the campaign trail, he has attracted the attention and praise from Musk, who earlier this month said: He is a very promising candidate. In response to another tweet in which Ramaswamy repeated his campaign values including God is real, There are two genders, Human flourishing requires fossil fuels, and Reverse racism is racism, Musk wrote: He states his beliefs clearly. Despite Ramaswamy positioning himself as an outsider and accusing his opponents of being bought and paid for by various GOP donors, a recent Guardian investigation found that Ramaswamy has deep ties to influential figures on both ends of the political spectrum including Peter Thiel, a rightwing donor and co-founder of PayPal. Ramaswamys other ties include Leonard Leo, a prominent rightwing activist currently under investigation in Washington DC over his efforts to install judges on federal courts including the supreme court. Other investigations by ProPublica and Documented have reported that Ramaswamy has delivered speeches at events staged by Teneo, a group chaired by Leo that seeks to crush liberal dominance in American life. Earlier this week, Ramaswamys campaign told the Associated Press that he had raised $450,000 in the first hours following the GOP primary debate on Wednesday night. Al Capone. Lee Harvey Oswald. OJ Simpson. And now, Donald Trump. In the annals of American history, few mugshots are so iconic that they end up in history books. When they do, though, they become cultural touchstones, evocative of the times and tumult in which they were taken. Certainly, the mugshot of the 45th President of the United States, indicted for his alleged role in conspiring to subvert the 2020 election in Georgia, is one of those images. Future historians will look at it as one of the defining photos of our era, one marked by deep divisions and the irreconcilable realities the two Americas that of the Trumpian movement, and that of the rest of us find ourselves in. I find myself deeply conflicted over this image and its potency. Instead, I find myself more circumspect, as does the legendary journalist Dan Rather. Sometimes, an image appears that you know will be one history will long remember. Trumps mugshot is one of those. It is menacing, foreboding, and speaks to a future that is, as of now, unpredictable, he tweeted last night. Notably, Rather did not share the mugshot. I agree that our future is menacing, foreboding, and unpredictable at least, in all but one regard. I think it is entirely predictable how this image will be used in the immediate future, and it is deeply concerning to me as someone who cares about our democracy. Trumps mugshot will go down in history, of that there is no doubt, but first it will be used as potent political propaganda to galvanize his base, endangering the entire American experiment at this crucial hour in its survival. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For its part, the left is intoxicated from the heady euphoria of what it sees as justice being served. We got you! Democratic Congressman Jamaal Bowman of New York says through, depending on your point of view, vindictive or vindicated laughter. He posted the video to his Twitter account last night, calling the indicted former president a clown in the process. It was indicative of the progressives general elation at seeing Trump booked like a common criminal. Of course, many of them think he is. For that matter, so do I; Trump is a uniquely despicable and villainous character in modern American history, and though he is innocent until proven guilty, it is my sincerest wish that he will indeed be proven guilty. Still, I do not share Congressman Bowmans exuberance, as much as I wish I did. The Fulton County District Attorneys office, in treating Donald Trump like any other defendant, has forgotten that he is not any other defendant. He is a former president, one who is the de facto leader of one of the two mainstream and viable political parties a party which has leapt headfirst into authoritarianism and autocracy. Like it or not, there are political and social ramifications to everything concerning this man that simply are not there for most defendants. Never before has a former president been indicted, let alone for trying to steal an election and remain in power despite the will of the voters. Were in unchartered territory. Donald Trumps booking photo (AP) Perhaps that is why the federal prosecutors did not force Trump to have his mugshot taken. The former president is hardly unrecognizable he has been one of the most famous men in the world for decades, and perhaps the most famous for the past eight years and his photograph is readily available in the public domain by dint of his time in office. There simply was no need to give his supporters such a potent image to which to cling. Treating Trump and his indictments otherwise is a grave mistake. That includes giving him and his base this very powerful political weapon. In 2016, a poll of Trump voters found that nine out of 10 of them felt their beliefs and values are under attack. Things have not changed much since then. A CBS News/YouGov poll from earlier this month found that a majority of Republicans see Trumps indictments as a direct attack on them personally. In another CBS/YouGov poll from last week, Trump voters reported higher levels of trust in the former president (71 per cent) than religious leaders (42 per cent), conservative media figures (56 per cent), or even their friends and family (63 per cent). It is here I would encourage my fellow leftists to step back from their own hatred for Trump and consider what this means. Clearly, the cult of personality around Trump has not abated. His core voters, at least, identify more strongly with him than with even their own families a terrifying finding to anyone hoping to break the fascistic fever convulsing our body politic. They see an attack on him as an attack on them. The mugshot, then, serves as a stark reminder of what they view wrongly and utterly devoid of reality, mind you as what will happen not to Donald Trump himself, but to them, if Trump is not again elected. Trump himself has said as much. Im being indicted for you, he has said to his supporters. They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom. They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you. Already, the mugshot is being appropriated by the Trumpian movement as a rallying cry to galvanize its foot soldiers. The influential rightwing troll Catturd2 (who Rolling Stone once dubbed the s***posting king of MAGA Twitter and who boasts over a million followers) claimed correctly that the right is using the mugshot as a rallying cry and calling it the worlds biggest backfire. As an example, committed Trumpian Marjorie Taylor Green, the controversial Republican Congresswoman from Georgia, quickly posted a photoshopped mugshot image of herself in solidarity with the former president. No one of the left should underestimate the power of this mugshot to stir up the passions and prejudices of the Trumpian base. Images, after all, are incredibly potent tools of political propaganda. Theres a reason the Gadsden Flag has become ubiquitous at rightwing events, and that the Confederate battle flag persisted long past Lees surrender at Appomattox. This iconography emboldens the far-right movement, serving as both a rallying cry and a touchstone and inspiring in them something akin to the fervor of the troops at Iwo Jima raising the stars and stripes in the heat of battle. The American left should understand this. We have effectively used images to advance our cause. Alice Paul understood this when she planned the 1913 suffrage march in D.C. and picketed the White House. Mamie Till understood this when she opened her son Emmetts coffin to let the world see what they did to my child. More recently, the 2008 campaign of Barack Obama the nations first Black president understood this. Artist Shephard Faireys Hope poster the iconic red, white, and blue image of Obama peering into the distance and seemingly the future, is one of the most iconic images of the 2000s. It perfectly summed up the ethos of Obamas campaign, one that progressives and young people, especially, clung to, responded to, and carried to the polls. The rest is history. Shepard Faireys Hope showing Barack Obama (AFP via Getty Images) Now, the Trumpian movement has its own iconic image. This one is not of hope, but of a scowling, vindictive, and deeply embittered man bent on revenge. Yet it speaks to their movement the same way Faireys spoke to Millennials 15 years ago. Underestimating its potency is a perilous mistake. Yevgeny Prigozhin turned the Wagner Group from a shadowy band of mercenaries into a feared military powerhouse operating across multiple countries on three continents. Now that he is gone, the future of the group is anyones guess. The warlord is presumed dead after aviation authorities said he was on board a jet that crashed near Moscow on Wednesday, exactly two months after he launched a short-lived rebellion in Russia. Most security experts doubt Wagner can survive without Prigozhin, posing major questions about what will happen to the groups fighters, weapons and operations. They said the Kremlin may seek to further absorb the group into the Russian military, or try to replace the Wagner chief with an ally, but its unlikely there will be much appetite for that among Prigozhins men. Whats clear is that the fallout will be felt far beyond Russias borders, especially in African countries where Wagner has been employed to help prop up leaders and suppress rebellions. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement My guess is that (Wagner) is going to fall apart without him because he led the group in a very personalized manner, in a way where loyalty was to him over any other entity or person, said Natasha Lindstaedt, a professor at the University of Essex who researches authoritarian regimes and violent non-state actors. The kind of clear chain of command that is common in traditional military does not exist in Wagner, which makes Prigozhins demise a potentially existential problem for the group. Its really all about him and once he is gone, it will be more chaotic. Its not clear where the loyalties are going to go to, Lindstaedt told CNN. The leadership vacuum is even more acute given that two of Prigozhins trusted lieutenants Wagner field commander Dmitriy Utkin and logistics chief Valeriy Chekalov were also on the plane, according to the authorities. Utkin in particular is a major loss; reportedly a former Russian intelligence officer who went by the call-sign Wagner, he was described as the founder of the group by the United States when it sanctioned him over his role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2017. Full backing of Russia Wagner wielded an unusual amount of power for a mercenary group, and a lot of that was down to Prigozhin and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin . Nicknamed Putins private army, Wagner was used to boost Russias influence across the world. They have been deployed to many countries in Africa and Middle East and also initially to the Donbas in Ukraine, and theyve done a great job of promoting Russian foreign policy through very shadowy and illegal means of controlling political actors, extracting fossil fuels and other resources from these countries, said Huseyn Aliyev, lecturer at University of Glasgow who researches non-state armed groups in Russia and Ukraine. Wagners influence rose further over the course of Russias war on Ukraine, especially after the group took a leading role in the assaults on Soledar and Bakhmut, showing little regard for the lives of its troops in the process. The capture of those cities at a huge human cost was a rare Russian gain in Ukraine. But with its growing influence, Wagner quickly became a headache for the Kremlin. It started to get out of the Kremlins control because they were given green light to do a lot of things to recruit prison inmates, to get almost unlimited access to weapons from the Ministry of Defense in order to achieve things in Ukraine, but instead, they became, especially Prigozhin, very powerful and influential, Aliyev said. The success on the battleground emboldened Prigozhin. He started to see that he had his own following, and that the loyalty from his own following was getting greater and greater and he felt the Wagner Group was by far the most effective Russian fighting force, Lindstaedt said. Prigozhin and his troops in Bakhmut in an image taken from a video released on May 20, 2023. - Prigozhin's Press Service/Telegram Military takover Now that Prigozhin is no longer in the picture, the Kremlin will need to decide what to do next with the group whether to legalize it and make it part of the Russian armed forces, or let it continue on in some other form. The Russian Ministry of Defense tried to swallow the Wagner Group earlier this summer, announcing in early June that volunteer units and private military groups would be required to sign a contract with the ministry. Aliyev said the Kremlin was trying to reduce Prigozhins sway as he became bolder and more difficult to control. Prigozhin refused to obey the order and continued to criticize the military leadership. This culminated in late June, when Prigozhin ordered his troops to take over a Russian military base in Rostov-on-Don and began a march on Moscow before pulling back. The fact that he was so brazen, taking on this mutiny, that is a sign that, to some extent, he was delusional, Lindstaedt added. While Putin has called Wagners actions treason he has floated around the idea of the group being incorporated into Russias military. In the wake of the uprising, Putin told the Russian business daily newspaper Kommersant that he had offered Wagner commanders the option to continue to fight for Russia. Now, with the troublesome warlord gone, Putin is likely to want to keep Wagner outside the formal structures, Aliyev said. I would expect that Kremlin will try to keep it as this kind of non-registered, officially non-existent private military company in order to use it in these different enterprises overseas. It can put someone more loyal in charge, someone closer to Kremlin but it obviously will not be the same type of group because a lot of things in Wagner were absolutely fixated on Prigozhin, he said. The UK Ministry of Defense said in its intelligence update on Friday that Prigozhins demise would almost certainly have a deeply destabilising effect on the Wagner Group. His personal attributes of hyper-activity, exceptional audacity, a drive for results and extreme brutality permeated Wagner and are unlikely to be matched by any successor. Lindstaedt said it was unlikely Russia will be able to gain full control over the group. What I see as more likely is splintering. And Russia wont have full control over this and I think youre gonna see quite a bit of chaos and thats very dangerous because these types of groups once they splinter, they get more bold and they pose a huge threat to regional security, she said. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24, 2023. - Stringer/AFP/Getty Images Security fallout in Africa But Wagners influence goes way beyond Russia. The mercenary group has fought alongside Russian troops in Syria and has been engaged in a wide range of activities in Africa, with some experts estimating it operated in more than a dozen countries. There were indications that Prigozhin was planning to refocus Wagners operations on the continent following the failed mutiny. Last month he was spotted meeting African dignitaries at a Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg. Earlier this week, before his apparent death, video emerged of Yevgeny Progozhin speaking from desert surroundings in what analysts said was likely Mali. In the video, Prigozhin claimed to be making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even freer. Wagners operations gained momentum after Moscows 2014 invasion of Crimea, when Russia began to eye the continents riches as an avenue to circumvent a slew of Western sanctions. A number of CNN investigations have established Wagners involvement in and complicity with atrocities against civilian populations across number of countries. Wagner got involved in the Central African Republic in 2018, when the Russian government provided military assistance and weapons in exchange for mining concessions. When CARs security deteriorated ahead of elections in late 2020, the situation worsened and Wagner switched from training to combat missions. Wagners involvement in Mozambique in 2019 was also aimed at battling violent Islamists. A July 2022 CNN investigation exposed deepening ties between Moscow and Sudans military leadership, who granted Russia access to the east African countrys gold riches in exchange for military and political support. In recent months, Wagner had been supplying Sudans Rapid Support Forces with missiles to aid their fight against the countrys army, using Libya, where a Wagner-backed rogue general Khalifa Haftar controls swathes of land. There are growing signs that the Kremlin is trying to tap into some of the lucrative Wagner operations. A Russian military delegation went to the Libyan city of Benghazi this week to meet with Haftar, who has been supported by Wagner for several years. Reuters cited a Libyan official with knowledge of the meeting as saying that Yevkurov told Haftar that Wagner forces in eastern Libya would report to a new commander. CNN could not verify what was discussed in the meeting and has reached out to two LNA spokespeople for confirmation. A statement by the Russian defense ministry added that the visit aimed at discussing the prospects for cooperation in the field of combating international terrorism, as well as other issues of joint actions. Oluwole Ojewale, Regional Coordinator for Central Africa at the Institute for Security Studies, told CNN Prizgozhins death should send a resounding message to leaders across the continent that relying on foreign mercenaries for security sector reform comes with a large risk. He said the cracks in the foundations of West African and Central African countries that have leaned on the Wagner Group for support could begin to emerge now. If Wagner collapses, theres going to be a lot of fallout, a lot of consequences in terms of security relapsing in those countries, he said, adding that these countries will need to make critical investments in their own security sector reform. Prigozhin talks about making "Africa freer" in unverified video shared online - Telegram/WAGNER_svodki But Christopher O. Ogunmodede, a foreign affairs analyst and associate editor at the World Politics Review, told CNN the influence of Wagner in some of the countries it reportedly operated in might have been overplayed. Its operations were just in a handful of countries. Its not exactly marching across all of Africas 54 countries, he said. On top of that, Ogunmodede said some countries have already been looking to send Wagner packing. That was already in discussions before Prigozhin died. We could see a swapping out of Wagners presence. Already in Mozambique, they were forced to leave, they took a beating there and couldnt put up a fight, in Mali there has been some realization there that the junta there made a mistake getting in bed with those guys, he said. CAR, where Wagners presence is most prominent, the attention could turn to Russia instead, Ogunmodede said. Speaking to Russian state TV channel RT after the Wagner rebellion in June, Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov alluded to that possibility and said Russian fighters presence in CAR will continue. CNNs Mostafa Salem, Tim Lister, Sarah El Sirgany contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com WASHINGTON Jazmine Williams spread her black and gray blanket on the ground early Saturday just steps from the Lincoln Memorial. She wanted a prime spot so her family, including her 4-year-old niece, Aja, could hear and see speakers at the March on Washington. Being here is resistance," said Williams, 32, who had traveled from Baltimore. As much progress as we make, theres a system pushing back against that process. We always have to counter all the narratives Its important to continue the conversations in the boardrooms and in the streets. Its important to show up and spread the word." Its been 60 years since Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his iconic I Have a Dream" speech here during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, demanding equal rights for all, including in housing, jobs and education. Williams joined thousands, including some who had attended in 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial to continue that fight. The effort comes at a time when civil rights leaders and activists complain some states are banning books about race, trying to erase Black history and dismantling voting rights. They also point to court decisions they say rollback affirmative action programs and reproductive health protections. Speakers, including Kings eldest son, Martin Luther King III , and Rev. Al Sharpton , head of the National Action Network, challenged the nation to press Congress to approve legislation to better protect voting rights, such as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and adopt more police reforms with the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The dreamers will win, Sharpton said. The dreamers will march. The dreamers will stand up. Black, white, Jewish, LGBTQ. We are the dreamers. We are the children of the dream. Detra Williams, left, and Fay Findley listen to speakers. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held on Aug. 28, 1963. 60 years later, people gather on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C., to celebrate its anniversary. Push for civil rights bills continues In the wake of the march in 1963, Congress passed landmark civil rights legislation, including the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. And in the six decades since the first march, a Black man, Barack Obama, was twice elected president of the United States, Colin L. Powell was the first African American to serve as Secretary of State and Condoleezza Rice became the first Black woman in that role. More: Americans stood up to racism in 1961 and changed history. This is their fight, in their words. Today, Kamala Harris is the first Black and South Asian woman vice president and Ketanji Brown Johnson is the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, civil rights leaders said the fight for equal rights is unfinished. Now, were dealing with an escalation of attacks on the progress of the last 60 years," said Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, who also attended the 20th and 50th anniversaries. Morial said the march alone wont lead to all the needed changes, but it raises awareness and energizes people. We have to double down. We have to vote," he said. We have to continue to work on every single front, in the Congress, in the legislatures, in the courts, in corporate boardrooms, in the community." Jocelyn Hilaire, 74, of Brooklyn, joined others from the National Action Network on a bus to Washington that morning. Hilaire, who had attended other marches, worried that racial hatred is on the rise. Im happy that we can get together and celebrate what he did," she said referring to Kings speech and work in the movement. But we're not fulfilling his dream This is not continuing Dr. Kings dream at all. Activist Monica Simpson after speaking Saturday. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held on Aug. 28, 1963. 60 years later people gather on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C., to celebrate its anniversary. More women take the stage One notable change from the march 60 years ago was the addition of more women speakers, including Monica Simpson. Despite the critical role of women in the civil rights movement, few women spoke at the march. I feel the pressure of what that means," Simpson said. We have an incredible moment in this political moment, particularly the women who will be speaking, to bring in a narrative that has been a missing narrative to this larger fight for liberation. Civil rights leaders also hosted other events earlier in the week, including a salute to women of the civil rights movement. They also met with officials at the Justice Department and are expected to meet with President Biden Monday. During the march people chanted, No Justice. No Peace and We want a seat at the table. They sported shirts that read Black and Proud," Racism is a public health issue" and Good Trouble. The march drew members of unions, civil rights organizations, sororities and fraternities and faith groups, including from Jewish organizations. Churches and faith groups have long played a key role in the movement and were also key to getting congregations to attend the march 60 years ago. John C. Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC speaks with reporters before speaking Saturday. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held on Aug. 28, 1963. 60 years later people gather on Aug. 26 in Washington, D.C., to celebrate its anniversary. John Yang, president and executive director of Asian Americans Advancing Justice/AAJC, which was a co-sponsor for the first time, said it absolutely matters" to hold the event particularly to push back against forces trying to divide civil rights groups. For example, he said, it's important to counter misinformation that many Asian Americans dont support affirmative action programs. Its important to show unity," he said. There are groups that want to maintain power. They know the best way to do it is to divide the other groups that dont have that power. Some marchers showed up as early as 6:30 a.m., including Amya Thomas, 21, a junior at North Carolina A&T State University, and Valerie Daehler, 21, a senior at Wingate University in North Carolina. They joined students on a bus from historically Black colleges and universities. Daehler welcomed the chance to see where the march happened 60 years ago. Its different to read about it and experience it," she said. Were walking with our ancestors," said Thomas, who has participated in smaller protests on her campus, but this was her first march in Washington. I feel like were doing something monumental ... It makes me want to be more intentional with my life. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March on Washington: Thousands of attendees fight for civil rights (CNN) Hundreds of people are still listed as unaccounted for after this months devastating wildfires on Maui a number thats expected to change as the FBI continues vetting names. The validated list curated by the FBI currently includes 388 names, Maui County said Thursday, as cell phone data is now being used to try to pinpoint where victims may have been when the deadliest US wildfire disaster in more than 100 years tore through the Hawaiian island. At least 115 people are confirmed dead, though authorities say that number is likely to change. The FBI on Friday acknowledged the list of names was a subset of a larger list of people who are believed to be missing. Steven Merrill, the bureaus special agent in charge in Hawaii, said those currently on the list are people who authorities had more complete information about. Since the list was released, theyve gotten at least 100 people that have notified us that a certain person shouldnt be on the list, Merrill said so the number of those still unaccounted for is expected to change. As the race to identify the lost continues, the states main electrical utility stands accused of compromising evidence in the fire investigation, and Maui County officials have followed others in suing the company over responsibility for the fire. First responders also are pressing for answers about why they werent better prepared after a similar ruinous fire five years ago. The updated list of the missing was released with hopes of confirming anyone whos not truly still lost, officials said. Were releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation, Police Chief John Pelletier said in the release. 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. Pelletier said Friday that since the names were released, authorities have received hundreds of calls. Authorities would like to do a weekly update on the list of missing people to help notify the public, he said. The FBI has worked with agencies to unduplicate people that have been reported missing, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said earlier Thursday in a social media post. Some 800 to 1,200 people have been listed as unaccounted for since the fires, he said. The grim search for those believed missing began shortly after wind-whipped flames tore through the island on August 8. Much of the western Maui community of Lahaina once a lively economic and cultural hub was left in ruins, with entire neighborhoods and businesses reduced to ash. Some residents were forced to jump into the ocean to survive as flames overtook the town. Search crews and cadaver dogs have searched 100% of single-story homes in the disaster area, Maui County officials said Tuesday. They are now going through multistory homes and commercial properties. And an FBI team that specializes in using cell phone data has launched in Maui to help identify potential fire victims, a law enforcement source told CNN. The Cellular Analysis Survey Team was on the island working with local law enforcement, the official said. The team can get and analyze cell phone company subscriber records and cellular tower registration data, which could prove useful to the search efforts by geolocating the last known area where a victims cell phone was operating. The team in the past has used information obtained through court orders to help with terrorism, kidnapping and criminal investigations. Cellular telephone analysis is among the resources being provided by the bureau, Steven Merrill, special agent in charge of the FBIs office in Hawaii, said during news conference Tuesday without giving specifics. Evidence may have been compromised, power company says As the human toll of the fire comes into focus, investigators also are trying to determine what sparked the flames, and while no official cause has been announced, the Hawaiian Electric Company is facing scrutiny over its actions before and after the fires broke out. Some evidence potentially vital in determining the cause of the deadly fire in Lahaina may have been compromised, Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) acknowledged in an exchange with attorneys included in court documents obtained by CNN. The company said fallen power poles, power lines and other equipment were moved during firefighting efforts and as officials worked to make the area safe for residents, according to letters part of a class action lawsuit. The company told attorneys, who are representing Lahaina residents in the class action suit, that it was possible, even likely that evidence that relate(s) to the cause of the fire might be lost, correspondence obtained by CNN shows. The equipment was removed from the area around the Lahaina substation which is thought to be where the blaze started before federal investigators arrived. Those actions could have violated national guidelines, which say the fire scenes should be heavily preserved for investigators and any and all evidence should be secured and not removed from the site without documentation, court documents filed by attorneys say. The ATF said on August 17 that its National Response Team was being deployed to Hawaii to help determine the cause and origin of the deadly fire days after the utility company acknowledged equipment and evidence had likely been moved or lost. On August 10 two days after the wildfire devastated the town of Lahaina, a group of attorneys notified the utility of anticipated litigation and requested that all electrical equipment that may relate to the origin of the fire including power poles, lines and conductors be preserved. An attorney for Hawaiian Electric responded on August 11 that some potential evidence may have already been compromised during the firefight, not by the utility itself, but by others. John Moore, an attorney for the utility wrote to attorneys for the families on August 11 that the companys main focus was the safety of first responders and displaced residents and restoring power. The company also noted it was taking steps to preserve property but local, state and federal agencies were on the ground and it was possible that the actions of these third parties, whose actions Hawaiian Electric does not control, may result in the loss of property or other items that relate to the cause of the fire. The families attorneys then submitted a request for a temporary restraining order to stop Hawaiian Electric from altering the scene where its believed the Lahaina fire started, court documents show. A judge signed an interim discovery order on August 18, detailing how the company should handle evidence around the scene, including preserving and protecting all physical evidence within a defined area and refraining from destructive testing. The order also specified that it was not making any findings of any wrongdoing at this time. The class action lawsuit was filed several days after the fires ignited alleging Hawaiian Electric failed to deenergize power lines ahead of the fire despite high wind and red flag warnings. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. It is believed to have ignited near a power substation where where authorities reported a downed power line early on August 8, 2023, the complaint says. Hawaiian Electric vice president Jim Kelly previously told CNN that, as has always been our policy, we dont comment on pending litigation. At this early stage, the cause of the fire has not been determined and we will work with the state and county as they conduct their review, he said. Hawaiian Electric has been in regular communication with ATF and local authorities and are cooperating to provide them, as well as attorneys representing people affected by the wildfires, with inventories and access to the removed equipment, which we have carefully photographed, documented and stored, spokesman Darren Pai told The Washington Post. CNN has requested further comment on the potentially compromised evidence. The ATFs National Response Team, which is investigating the cause of the fire, declined to comment. The county has sued the electric company While the investigation continues, Maui County officials made their position clear in a lawsuit filed Thursday, claiming the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness, and/or unlawfulness of Hawaiian Electric Company and its subsidiaries is directly responsible for the fires. The utility, known as HECO, inexcusably kept their power lines energized in early August, despite the National Weather Service issuing a High Wind Watch and a Fire Warning, the lawsuit alleges. The warnings cautioned that strong winds could knock down power lines and ignite a fire that would spread quickly due to dry conditions, the lawsuit indicated. Maui County is seeking damages from HECO that may total tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, said John Fiske, an attorney representing the county in the suit. Our primary focus in the wake of this unimaginable tragedy has been to do everything we can to support not just the people of Maui, but also Maui County. We are very disappointed that Maui County chose this litigious path while the investigation is still unfolding, a spokesperson from Hawaiian Electric told CNN in a statement. Hawaiian Electric Company serves 95% of the states customer base. As of Thursday, officials still were tracking at least three active fires on Maui, including the Lahaina fire, which was 90% contained after burning more than 2,170 acres. The Olinda fire, which has burned an estimated 1,081 acres, was 85% contained, and the Kula fire was also 85% contained, with just over 200 acres burned, county officials said. We all knew this was going to happen again And even as fire crews work to find and contain hot spots, a Hawaii police union official said firefighters were set up for failure ahead of the outbreak. Following a destructive wildfire that broke out in 2018 under similar conditions in the same area, no wildfire management or other preventative methods were taken to mitigate future disasters, Nicholas Krau, the Maui Chapter Chair for the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers, told CNN. We all knew this was going to happen again. While no one could have predicted this much destruction or loss of life, we all knew there would be another destructive fire that would threaten these same businesses and homes again, Krau said. I dont know whos responsible for preventing wildland fires and managing the private owned land where the fire started, but they should definitely answer for it. More than 2,000 acres burned and 20 homes were damaged in the 2018 fire, county officials have said. Many police officers who helped with evacuations this month suffered smoke inhalation because they didnt have proper respiratory protection, even after it was requested following previous fires, Krau said. If someone needs help, (the police) are going to rush in and do everything they can to help. But the department and county of Maui have the obligation to properly equip them, he said. CNN has reached out to Maui County and the Maui Police Department for comment on Kraus claims. This story was first published on CNN.com, "As hundreds remain missing after Maui wildfires, electric company admits evidence on how blaze started may be compromised" The first Republican presidential debate gave eight candidates not named Donald Trump a chance to introduce themselves to the country, and give conservatives an alternative to challenging Democrat Joe Biden in 2024. But that's easier to say given how Trump is running away with the nomination, according to the polls, despite being indicted four times during the early stages of the primary. Even though Trump's absence overshadowed much of the discussion, the other contenders were able to touch on abortion, Ukraine and climate change among other policy views. It also gave voters a closer look at 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy, a political newcomer who is rising in the polls and tussled with multiple rivals as he sought to use the debate as a coming-out-party. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Trump stole the show again this week, however, when he became the first former president to have his booking photo taken , which is creating another earthquake in the primary and beyond. The Georgia case represents the fourth court case against Trump, who is being accused of trying to steal the state's 16 Electoral College votes. Americans who love and loathe the former president waited for hours outside the Fulton County jail before his surrender carrying signs and wearing costumes either applauding or mocking his arrest. In the coming weeks, Trump and his 18 co-defendants will return for arraignments and other proceedings as the the threat of jail time becomes a reality for those charged, arrested and booked in the Georgia election fraud case. Amid all of this the Biden campaign is out with a new TV ad slamming Republicans on abortion, which remains a sticky subject for the GOP in the wake of Roe v. Wade being knocked down by the Supreme Court. The president also reminded supporters to chip in during the hours Trump was being processed at the Georgia jail. Biden also made a bit of political news when his campaign refused say whether the president would debate Trump should he win the Republican nomination. But it wasn't a week where the president was let off the hook either, as Hawaii residents recovering from the deadly wildfires gave Biden an earful "to do more to help. First GOP debate gives Ramaswamy a close up From left, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy joke with one another during a commercial break at at the first Republican presidential debate on Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee. No Trump, no problem. For the 12.8 million people who watched the Republican candidates contrast views in Milwaukee, there was plenty to absorb even without the front-runner in the room. None who attended the debate received more attention than biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio Republican whose brash conservatism and eyebrow raising positions have become the one non-Trump story shaking up the primary. Ramaswamy drew fire from multiple rivals on a number of fronts during the two-hour debate, from foreign policy to defending Trump and even comparisons to Barack Obama, who he appeared to borrow a line from during his opening statement. "First, let me just address a question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight," Ramaswamy said. "Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name?" Trump booking photo makes history, now what? Wearing a blue suit and red tie, Trump's booking photo is a piece of American history that will have implications beyond the 2024 GOP primary. Trump and his co-defendants, who include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, are being charged under the state's RICO Act, a law that is historically used to take down illegal drug organizations and street gangs. In coming weeks the focus may shift to how those other individuals are mulling their options in terms of how to fight the case as it moves through the courts, including if any of them will flip on the real estate mogul. One of the Georgia state false electors has blamed Trump, saying his group was only following the orders of the commander-in-chief. Biden leans into abortion rights post-GOP debate President Joe Biden and the Democrats have made clear they plan to make reproductive rights a centerpiece of the 2024 election cycle. During the Republican debate the president's reelection team had a digital ad on Fox News's website pledging to restore Roe, and a few days later they released a 60-second spot highlighting many of the GOP contenders views on abortion. "These guys showed us this week they dont have a clue about the power of women," Biden said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. "They are about to find out." In the year since the high court ended Roe v. Wade, six states have addressed reproductive rights questions and the liberal side has won each of those ballot questions. A Biden v. Trump rematch could see no debates Trump stood up his primary election rivals at the Republican debate, but Biden might do the same should he and Trump meet again in 2024. The president's reelection campaign is unwilling to commit to debating Trump, saying they haven't "had any substantive conversations about that yet." The Republican National Committee last year voted to no longer take part in debates hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates, alleging left-wing bias from the historic organizer Hawaii wildfires test Biden's leadership, empathy President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden greet first responders as they tour areas devastated by the Maui wildfires, Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. In the background is the massive Banyan Tree burned in the fire. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) ORG XMIT: HIEV375 Facing a monumental rebuild, Hawaiians are starting to ask tough questions about the governments response to the wildfires that devastated the island of Maui. Many are also looking closer at Biden's response after he refused to comment on wildfire relief while relaxing at his Rehoboth Beach home earlier this month. The president also faced criticism for waiting to visit Maui for nearly two weeks after the fires, a delay the White House said was necessary to avoid interfering with search and rescue efforts. In the past, disasters have become crucial tests of presidential leadership and Biden is no different. "Wheres the president?" Maui resident Ella Sable Tacderan said in an interview. "Why are we getting put in the back pocket? Why are we being ignored?" This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week in politics: Trump surrenders in Georgia, Ramaswamy's close up The West Deer Township Police Department is selling shirts and hoodies as part of a K9 fundraiser. The department is working to raise money to buy a ballistic vest for their K9, Midas. Midas, an 18-month-old German Shepard, is featured on the shirts and hoodies. A goal of $3,000 has been set on another fundraising page. To buy a shirt, click here. To donate to the fundraiser, click here. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW TRENDING NOW: Thousands in Pittsburgh region without power after strong storms; some schools close, delay Trump surrenders to face Georgia election charges, mug shot released PHOTOS: Thousands in Pittsburgh region without power after strong storms; some schools close, delay VIDEO: Mental health: Family of suspect, neighbors come together to heal after Garfield shootout DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts The White House told New York Gov. Kathy Hochul that it cannot send more assistance to the state to help with the influx of migrants, placing the blame on a lack of Congressional action. Hochul announced Thursday that she wrote a letter to President Biden requesting executive action to help the state. She estimated that about 100,000 asylum seekers have come to the state in the last year, mostly to New York City. The reality is that weve managed thus far without substantive support from Washington, and despite the fact that this is a national, and indeed an inherently federal issue, Hochul said. But New York has shouldered this burden for far too long. The Biden administration responded by defending its actions so far, while explaining the Congressional hurdle. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Without Congressional action, this Administration has been working to build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system and has worked to identify ways to improve efficiencies and maximize the resources the federal government can provide to communities across the country to support the flow of migrants, a White House spokesperson said in a statement. We will continue to partner with communities across the country to ensure they can receive the support they need, the spokesperson wrote. Only Congress can provide additional funding for these efforts, which this Administration has already requested, and only Congress can fix the broken immigration system. The state has earmarked over $1.5 billion to assist migrants this year. The governor said she expects that cost to rise to $4.5 billion next year and has asked for federal assistance in footing the bill. New York City shelters have been at near capacity for months and officials have scrambled to set up temporary housing in hotels, recreation centers and school gyms. Mayor Eric Adams (D) has also demanded more assistance from Hochul and the federal government for months. The city has already received $140 million in federal funds to assist migrants, the largest amount for any city not on the U.S.-Mexico border. Hochul and Adams want the federal government to speed up processing for asylum-seekers so they can work in the U.S. legally. The migrants have created a rift between Adams and the Biden administration which resulted in him being stripped of surrogate status for the presidents reelection team over comments deemed too critical to the president. While many Republicans in Congress may be holding up critical reform, the White House can help us now, Adams said earlier this month. The federal government must take action. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Homeless camper Chadwick Justin Foy, 41, holds all his belongings on his shoulders as friend Valencia Hardwich, 35, steps behind him in the shade while Sacramento police patrol the intersection of 28th and C streets on Tuesday, July 18, 2023. The city has given notices to dozens of people living in tents on the sidewalks in that area, near Leland Stanford Park, telling them to move by Wednesday. The notices cite violation of city codes regarding sidewalk obstruction and storage of personal property on public property. Hardwick said the church has been very supportive offering them water and food every week and the area was great because there were bathrooms in the park. They city has offered them Miller Park but she was concerned because it made people have curfews and said her friends relocated there said its a horrible mix of people that dont get along. People are a community here and we ban together where we are safe, she said. (Renee C. Byer/rbyer@sacbee.com) Last week, when I wrote about an affordable housing proposal the City of Sacramentos Law and Legislation committee was struggling to bring to a full council vote, I was unsurprised to receive several emails from readers who rejected the idea that a lack of affordable housing is a primary reason for homelessness because many of them choose to be homeless. And yet, thats the same myth repeated by city and county officials who ought to know better: That many of Sacramentos unhoused population is service resistant and are choosing to be homeless. That is patently untrue, and it is a dangerous belief we must dismantle before Sacramento can ever truly begin to solve its homelessness crisis. Opinion ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement For some, living outside is the best choice between terrible and very few options. People who are homeless do not reject the idea of shelter, they reject the idea of being shoved into an overcrowded, unsafe shelter situation for a night or two at best before being told to leave; often returning to their former location only to find all of their belongings have been destroyed or stolen. Its a fact there arent enough shelter beds available for Sacramentos homeless population; between the city and county, there are little more than 1,000 beds on any given night, a number that fluctuates within seasons, for nearly 10,000 unhoused people. To gain access to those beds, the unhoused are often required to leave their possessions and support animals behind. Imagine being asked to make that choice. Additionally, families, couples and friend groups may be split up if theyre directed to a shelter that only caters to a specific demographic, which serves to separate communities and causes further fear and possibly further trauma. Moreover, many of Sacramentos shelters do not house people for more than a short period of time or are only open during inclement weather, making it an impossibility to plan where youll next lay your head. Choosing to live in a relatively safe, public area albeit inside a tent means you may have at least a few weeks in the same location before you are rousted. That sense of semi-permanence is far more comforting than constantly shelter-hopping, but if a person who is unhoused even once refuses an offer of a shelter bed, they are deemed service-resistant. Theres a better way: In Denver, between January 2016 and December 2017, 363 people were referred to the Denver Supportive Housing Social Impact Bond Initiative program, which provides permanent housing and wraparound services, in partnership with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the Mental Health Center of Denver. Within six months of referral, 311 of the 363 were located by staff, and of those located, 90 percent agreed to housing within six months, according to the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research. The average time between the initial meeting and a client agreeing to housing was just six days, and 81 percent agreed within one day of being located. Why was their program so successful? Because they provided services to where people were and offered them permanent, supportive housing. One reason for the high take-up rate among Denver SIB participants is the programs emphasis on Housing First, which doesnt require participants to meet preconditions to entry, such as sobriety or a commitment to services, wrote the Urban Institutes Vice President for metropolitan housing and communities policy, Mary K. Cunningham, in a blog post. The program breaks down barriers to housing. Instead of using housing as a reward for good behavior, housing is offered as a stabilizer, Cunningham wrote. Throughout every step of the process from engagement to housing Denver SIB participants needs are prioritized. Service providers take time to build trust and rapport with clients, allowing clients to largely decide what services they receive. Sacramento has only the barest semblance of this program, with the Homeless Engagement and Response Team (HEART) at the county level and the Sacramento Police Departments Impact Team, but neither is staffed to the level that is demanded by the sheer number of people who require their attention. The HEART team, for example, has only nine clinicians and four peers going out to encampments. We must direct more funding to programs like HEART that actually work, not toward punitive measures like sweeps or as one reader suggested recently to me declare martial law and construct metal industrial buildings to store ... homeless persons. No one who is homeless prefers the hard ground to sleep on, and no one who depends on a tent to keep the elements out would rather have a thin canvas than a roof between them and a rainstorm. No one who deals with the bugs, rodents, animals and the diseases that accompany them secretly prefers to live squalor, nor is it easier to connect with their drug dealer when stretched out on the sidewalk, as another reader so eloquently wrote me. We cannot effectively help people get off the streets and into shelters if we believe the uncaring and untrue myths about them. When that happens, we are allowing our fellow human beings to be hungry, cold and unsafe while simultaneously condemning them for their choices. Federal investigators released a list Friday afternoon including hundreds of people still unaccounted for following the Maui wildfire disaster. The validated list contains 388 names the FBI says have not been heard from since August 8, the day the Lahaina wildfires began. Officials say the names are being provided to the public in an effort to help identify anyone who can be accounted for nearly 3 weeks after the disaster. Were releasing this list of names today because we know that it will help with the investigation, said Maui Police Chief John Pelletier. We also know that once those names come out, it can and will cause pain for folks whose loved ones are listed. Included in that list is Linda Vaikeli. Rochester family awaiting word on loved one missing in Maui wildfires Her family in Rochester remains worried for her safety, as they say she has some health issues and has trouble getting around. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement The family told Boston 25 News Linda lived in an apartment in Lahaina that she shares with her husband, Sione Vaikeli. He had a doctors appointment on the other side of the island the day the fires started and couldnt reach her before the streets were closed off due to the flames. 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, Chief Pelletier said. As of late Thursday afternoon, investigators say an additional 1,732 individuals who had originally been reported as unaccounted for have since been found safe and well. If you believe an individual is still unaccounted for and their name is not included on the validated list of names, please email unaccounted@mpd.net immediately to provide the Maui Police Department with any additional information you may have on that person. For a the full validated list of missing persons, click here. 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 09 August 2022, Brandenburg, Sieversdorf: The head of a grass snake (Natrix natrix) looks out of the water of a pond. Patrick Pleul/picture alliance/Getty Images Michelle Griese spotted snakes while staying at a Country Inn and Suites by Radisson in Wisconsin. She said one man used a plunger to try to catch a snake that slithered under the door to his room. It's unclear where the snakes came from, but snake have gotten into homes through plumbing before. A summer getaway in Germantown, Wisconsin, included a slithery, unwelcome surprise. Michelle Griese and her 4-year-old son booked a stay at the Country Inn and Suites by Radisson in Germantown last week and were greeted by snakes in the hallway, hot tub, and pool, according to local outlet WISN. Griese also witnessed a snake scoot under a fellow guest's doorway during their nightmarish stay and it's still unclear where the reptiles spawned from. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Video taken by Griese when she tried to go swimming showed a snake wriggling through the water. "Sure enough, I go in, and there's a snake in the hot tub," she told WISN. Afterward, she saw another snake sliding down the hotel hallway, right into the room of another guest. "I literally watched the snake slither under this person's door," she told the outlet. Griese said she knocked on the man's door to let him know but he was already aware, and grabbed a plunger to try and catch the snake. Michael Herhold, another guest at the hotel, told WISN his friend also saw a snake struggling to get out of the hot tub, so he grabbed the snake using his shirt to rescue it. The hotel did not provide comment when reached by Insider. Radisson, which owns the hotel, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. WISN reported the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department conducted an inspection on Tuesday, during which time a snakeskin was found. One hotel employee told the inspector he thought a pregnant snake may have gotten inside when a guest left a door open. The department did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. While it's unclear how the snakes got into the hotel, snakes have been known to get inside homes through the piping or even the toilet, though it is not very common. When a snake was pulled from a toilet in Arizona earlier this month, Bryan Hughes, the owner of Rattlesnake Solutions, recently told Insider that his company is generally called one to two times a year about a snake in a toilet. "It's something that happens" maybe once or twice a year, Hughes said, but added that it's "very rare." Read the original article on Insider Two women held a symbolic wedding in Kharkiv on Aug. 25 to protest the lack of marriage equality for same-sex partners in Ukraine. The Ukrainian state does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions. Alina Shevchenko , a member of Ukraine's armed forces since 2015, married her partner Stanislava Petlytsia, an LGBTQ+ activist, as part of a performance for Kharkiv Pride. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the issue has become urgent for same-sex couples where one or both partners are in the military. Without the state recognition of a marriage or civil partnership, partners of those serving in the military do not have the right to receive official information on whether their partner has been wounded, captured, or killed on the battlefield. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement In case of injury, the partner of the fighter is not allowed to visit them in intensive care or make decisions on their behalf. An unrecognized partner cannot be recognized as the veteran's guardian in case they become incapacitated. In case of death, the partner has no right to carry out the last will and testament of the deceased. If both die, they have no right to be buried together in a family grave. The lack of marriage equality also impacts life at home, as same-sex couples are not allowed to jointly own property, and one partner cannot inherit property or receive state support after the death of a partner. The performance of Shevchenko and Petlytsia began at the Kharkiv Civil Registry Office. The ceremony followed Ukrainian wedding traditions, such as sprinkling petals, rice, and coins, throwing a bouquet, and taking photos with their guests. Shevchenko, who holds the military rank of captain, said that other soldiers she fights with are aware of her sexual orientation and knew about her engagement plans. "I probably already bragged about the ring and my status to everyone," she told LGBT Military, a Ukrainian NGO that advocates for gay members of the Armed Forces. "It is very important for us to have the same legal protection for our family and security guarantees from the state as heterosexual couples have," Shevchenko said. Lawmaker Inna Sovsun, who is part of the Holos political faction, submitted a draft law in March to legalize same-sex partnerships. "A few months ago, Ukrainians called on the president to legalize same-sex marriage in a petition," and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky instructed the government to look into legalizing same-sex unions, she explained on Twitter on March 7. "But the government is in no hurry, so I decided to submit a draft law to speed up this process," the MP said. According to Sovsun, 56% of Ukrainians agree that LGBT couples should have the right to civil partnerships. She added that homophobia in Ukrainian society was a remnant of Russian and Soviet influence that needed to be discarded. Read also: Ukrainian soldiers on Independence Day: We, our families, future still in danger Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Womens Equality Day is Aug. 26. It marks the anniversary of the certification of the 19th Amendment, granting some women the right to vote in 1920. Then, as now, women of color faced additional barriers to representation. Today 103 years later women have fewer rights than they have had for decades. At the national level, we have lost Constitutional protection of reproductive rights and the Equal Rights Amendment, which has stalled in Congress. Jennifer McMillan Rubin Lets look at what is happening to womens rights in North Carolina. Reproductive rights have been restricted, affecting the ability of child-bearing individuals to make decisions about whether and when to start a family. The legislature has inserted itself in gender affirming medical care decisions that families seek for their children. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Legislation being considered now has the potential to inflict damage on our public school system by funneling money away from public schools and to private schools through vouchers. So, our public schools, our bodies and our families health care are now all being negatively impacted by legislation, some of which has already become law. Is this womens equality? And then theres the attack on voting rights. The legislature passed a slate of election changes that Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed on Thursday. If his veto is overridden, the legislation will make it harder and, in some cases, less secure to vote. Under the guise of correcting voter fraud, these bills address problems that dont exist. But they put roadblocks in the way of voting, adding complexity and oversight that is not needed and could intimidate voters. Women are the backbones of our communities. Despite this, the N.C. legislature is limiting our rights. North Carolina is a majority female state. We must come together as community volunteers, church leaders, PTA officers, mothers, household managers, business executives, hourly workers, and students. We can impact how elected officials make decisions that affect our schools, our bodies, our families, and our ability to cast a ballot. We must fight back against gerrymandered districts that skew outcomes and render some of us powerless to influence the selection of those who will represent us. And our best weapon is the one weve had for 100 years that we can no longer take for granted. It is the power to vote. To show up. To bring others. To work for change. If we want a legislature that truly represents the views of our varied and wonderfully diverse state, we must vote. It can feel like Womens Equality Day is more like Womens Inequality Day. For the sake of our communities, our state, our daughters, we must channel our strength to protect our rights. We can do that in a nonpartisan way. Lets address the issues, regardless of the political parties. They did it in Ohio when women of all parties united to put reproductive rights on the ballot this November. We can rise above partisan politics here, too. We must vote. This fall, in municipal elections and in every election. It is the only way women can make Womens Equality Day a reality. Jennifer McMillan Rubin is president of the League of Women Voters of North Carolina. WORCESTER - After serving on the City Council for five years, District 1 City Councilor Sean M. Rose decided that he would not seek reelection. His announcement in December created an open district councilor seat on the 11-member body. Jennifer Pacillo, David Peterson and Larry Shetler are competing in the Sept. 5 primary. District 1 generally includes the following neighborhoods: Salisbury Street, Westwood Hills, Assumption University, Hancock Hill, Grove Street, Holden Street, Indian Hill, Indian Lake, Greendale, the Summit, Quinsigamond Community College, Upper Burncoat, Clark Street, Lincoln Village, Great Brook Valley, Curtis Apartments, Montvale and Massachusetts Avenue Local Historic Districts, Hammond Heights, Bancroft Tower, Winter Heights and Richmond/Flagg. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement As for the key issues in the district, it matters what candidate you ask. Jenny Pacillo Jennifer "Jenny" Pacillo Age: 41 Education: Bachelor of arts in history from Worcester State University; a master of arts in teaching and master of public administration, both from Clark University Occupation: Editor at Pulse Magazine and CM Pride Pacillo said she wants Worcester to be a place where kids, seniors and families can thrive. Constituent services are a top priority for me, Pacillo said. I will fight to improve city services like snow and litter removal, and crosswalk and road repair. Protecting our environment and green spaces are essential to a good quality of life. Pacillo said she would work with residents and police to keep the community safe. She also said she would fight for in-home care and an expansion of senior property tax relief so our elders can stay in their homes. Pacillo stresses that Worcester needs strategic citywide planning, including Greendale revitalization and a dual tax rate that saves homeowners money. She also supports programs for first-time homebuyers that provide down payment and loan securement assistance. As a Worcester Public Schools parent, Pacillo said she believes our children and educators deserve safe and healthy school buildings. Pacillo said she will work to expand child care for working parents, create pipelines for women and girls to get good-paying jobs, defend reproductive rights and support maternal health care. Dave Peterson Dave Peterson Age: 43 Education: Attended Syracuse University, majoring in broadcast journalism. Occupation: Worcester Bravehearts general manager Peterson said his No. 1 priority is job growth in District 1 and the city as a whole. He pledges to work hand-in-hand with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce and Worcester Business Development Corp. to find the right fit for the 51 acres of land on the former Saint-Gobain property in North Worcester that, he said, is ready to be redeveloped. I want Worcester to be more business-friendly and, if we can increase our commercial tax base, we can limit the burden on residents who are disproportionately paying for a larger share of the citys services each year the number of businesses in this city shrinks. Peterson insists that with a larger pie of tax revenue, the city can begin the master plan for construction of a new Burncoat High School, which, he added, is one of his next priorities after job growth. As construction of Doherty Memorial High School wraps up in 2024, its time to turn our attention to Burncoat, Peterson concluded. Larry Shetler Larry R. Shetler Age: 71 Education: Bachelor's in sociology from Skidmore College Occupation: Retired urban planner; former owner and principal of CAB Engineering Limited Inc. Shetler said his campaign's focal point is the restoration of Colony Retirement Homes I & II, a senior residential community located at 485 Grove St. He envisions a revitalized living expanse tailored exclusively for seniors. He said this initiative not only underscores his unwavering dedication to the well-being of Worcester's elderly inhabitants but also accentuates the pressing requirement to prioritize and attend to this oft-neglected demographic within our community. My proposal kindles hope, pledging a more radiant tomorrow for Worcester's senior citizens, who have long yearned for a place they can genuinely call home, Shetler said. In addition to rallying behind seniors, Shelter said he hopes to establish a direct pathway for accessing the Worcester Regional Airport and to unearth the Blackstone Canal a move, he said, akin to successful efforts in cities like San Antonio and Indianapolis, aimed at drawing in visitors. This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester election: 3 candidates for District 1 City Council seat Tensions are rising between the New York City mayors office and the state and federal governments over how to handle more than 58,000 asylum-seekers now in the citys care, as the Biden administration resists a quick fix proposed by the state and city. Many migrants, some of them shipped to New York by Republican governors to the south, have been sleeping on the streets after existing hotels and shelters reached capacity, and they are starting to fill new shelters converted from houses of worship and schools. Opponents of the new migrant shelters rallied this week at protests in Brooklyn, Staten Island and Queens. Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has repeatedly blamed the Biden administration for not giving the city more resources to house the migrants and fast-track them for work authorization. People attend a protest against the Weve been saying it since last year: We need the federal government to allow asylum-seekers to work, so they can provide for themselves and their families, he said Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement So why wont the federal government fast-track work authorization for the tens of thousands of asylum-seekers in New York Citys shelter system? Two senior Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News the administrations hands are tied because of a rule that requires asylum-seekers to wait 180 days before applying for work authorization. The officials said it would take an act of Congress to change the law. But the Adams administration has proposed another solution to the problem: Granting Temporary Protected Status to certain nationalities, such as Venezuelans, that would let them apply for work permits instantly. We are calling on the White House, the United States Department of Homeland Security to ensure our newest Americans can work lawfully and build stable lives for themselves in our country. Our leaders in Washington must redesignate and extend Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, Adams said at a news conference in May. And we want to be included those from Venezuela, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Sudan, South Sudan, Cameroon and other nations. Given the continuing worsening humanitarian crisis in those countries, they are going to pursue the stability that our country has to offer. But the two Homeland Security officials said its not that easy. The Biden administration previously made Temporary Protected Status available to Venezuelans but only for those who were already living here before March 2021. Most Venezuelans living on the streets and in New York's shelters crossed the U.S.-Mexico border more recently and are not eligible. A former Homeland Security official said the agency is reluctant to grant Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans and other nationalities unless there are new crises in their home countries that would justify making recent arrivals in the U.S. eligible. There is a concern that granting TPS to one nationality will spur others from that country to come here, said one former Homeland Security official. The concern is that word will get out, even through misinformation, and others will think they too can work and live here. Adams has also said U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, should speed up its processing time to approve work permits after migrants apply. A spokesperson for USCIS said the agencys processing time for asylum-based work authorizations has been less than two months this fiscal year. Another challenge, the Homeland Security officials said, was that many of the migrants on the streets of New York had entered the country illegally or without detection, and are not actually seeking asylum through U.S. immigration courts, making them ineligible for asylum. Homeland Security does allow migrants to apply immediately for work authorization if they have used a number of legal pathways to seek asylum, including by making an appointment through the CBP One app or enrolling in a parole process designated for nationals of Cuba, Haiti, Venezuela and Nicaragua. Adams has also called on the federal government to implement decompression strategies to make sure some cities, like New York, arent taking on a disproportionate amount of the burden to shelter newly arrived immigrants. Just this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced $77 million in funding for communities receiving migrants, bringing the total given to cities along the border and in the interior, like New York, more than $770 million. The Biden administration has also asked Congress to approve more than $600 million more for cities taking in migrants. But Adams says the city will incur a $12 billion bill if it doesnt get more help to shelter the migrants, and he has called on both the federal and state governments to do more to support the city. Meanwhile, the state's governor, also a Democrat, has accused Adams of taking too long to communicate with the state and to take action to avoid a crisis. In a 12-page letter to Adams last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul said, The city can and should do more to act in a proactive and collaborative manner with the state." But, like Adams, Hochul wants more from the federal government, including a way for migrants to find work. On Thursday, Hochul sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking that the federal government "expedite work authorizations," "provide the state and the city with significant financial assistance" and let the city use federal buildings as shelters. "I cannot ask New Yorkers to pay for what is fundamentally a federal responsibility," she wrote, "and I urge the federal government to take prompt and significant action today to meet its obligation to New York state." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (CNN) Nigers junta ordered the French ambassador in Niamey on Friday to leave the country within 48 hours, according to the Nigerien Foreign Ministry. In a statement published by state-run broadcaster ORTN, the Nigerien Foreign Ministry said the ambassador Sylvain Itte had refused to attend a meeting scheduled for Friday with the countrys foreign minister. The ministry said Nigerien authorities had withdrawn Ittes credentials in light of the refusal, also citing other actions by the French government that are against Nigers interest. France has taken note of the putschists request, the French Foreign Ministry told AFP late Friday. The putschists do not have the authority to make this demand, the ambassadors approval comes only from the legitimate, elected Nigerien authorities the ministry said. CNN has reached out to the French Foreign Ministry for comment. Separately, the US State Department said in a statement late Friday it was told by Nigers Ministry of Foreign Affairs there were images of letters circulating on the internet calling for the departure of certain American diplomatic personnel. However, it said these were not issued by the ministry, and that no such request has been made to the US government. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Niger orders French ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours" During this weeks Republican primary debate on Fox News, a young voter notably asked about the climate crisis: How would these presidential candidates assuage concerns that the Republican Party doesnt care about the issue? The question was all but unavoidable after weeks of extreme, deadly weather. Global temperature records have been shattered, extreme heat has soared off-the-charts in the US and the Maui wildfire death toll continues to climb. What followed the question was one of the nights most chaotic exchanges, demonstrating the challenge some conservatives face in getting climate policy on the 2024 GOP agenda, even as extreme weather takes its toll on millions of people across the country. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the leader of a state that has been thrashed by deadly extreme weather in recent years, refused the moderators show-of-hands question on whether climate change is caused by humans. He used the moment to deride the media and President Joe Bidens response in Maui. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement Then 38-year-old Vivek Ramaswamy notably the youngest candidate on stage called the climate change agenda a hoax, an answer that elicited intense boos from the audience. A majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents 55% say human activity is causing changes to the worlds climate, according to a recent Washington Post/University of Maryland poll. It also found a majority of Americans and Republicans say their area has been impacted by extreme heat in the past five years. But connecting the dots between climate and extreme weather is proving a more partisan issue. The poll found there are deep divides between Republicans and Democrats on the question of whether human-caused climate change is contributing to extreme weather: just 35% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents said they think climate change is a major factor in extremely hot days, compared with 85% of those who lean Democrat. After the debate, a prominent conservative climate group said Ramaswamy tried to clarify his position. He came to our after-party and he blatantly told us that he believes climate change is real, Benji Backer, founder of the American Conservation Coalition, told CNN. So, he changed his position again. Asked by CNN on Friday whether he believes climate change is real, Ramaswamy responded, Climate change has existed as long as the Earth has existed. Manmade climate change has existed as long as man has existed on the earth. In an email, Ramaswamys campaign spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told CNN the candidate does believe climate change is real, but policies to address it have little to do with climate change and more to do with penalizing the West as a way to achieve global equity. A wildfire burns in Kihei, Hawaii, on August 9. - Ty O'Neil/AP Yet for Republicans working to make climate policy more mainstream in the GOP, Ramaswamys language at the debate echoed a climate crisis-denying candidate who wasnt onstage, former President Donald Trump . Trump has called climate change itself a hoax and falsely claimed wind turbines cause cancer. The fact that he chose the word hoax, to me, hes emulating what President Trump had said before, Heather Reams, president of conservative nonprofit Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, told CNN. Reams, who was sitting in the audience in Milwaukee, noted that Ramaswamy calling the climate change agenda a hoax didnt go over well in a room full of Republicans. The whole place booed him, so it wasnt well received, Reams said. Hearing booing was actually heartening to hear that the party is really moving on, theyre seeing the economic opportunities that can be had for the United States being a leader in lowering emissions. Ramaswamys response was an attempt to go after the older GOP voting base in the primary, Backer said. Its the kind of audience that Fox News has historically played to when it hosts climate deniers on some of its shows or casts doubt on the connection between extreme weather and the climate crisis but Backer said the fact the network even asked this question just shows that the pendulum is shifting. Backer warned Ramasways response to the question risks alienating younger conservative voters who are increasingly concerned about climate impacts. Ive in two presidential elections and Ive never voted for a Republican president in my life, because I dont vote for climate deniers, Backer said, adding that climate denial is the way of the past. Several Republican presidential candidates have said they believe climate change is real and caused by human activity a shift from previous elections. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley acknowledged its reality but said foreign nations, including India and China, bear larger responsibility for addressing it. Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have all engaged frequently with conservative groups, Reams and Backer said. I think that Nikki Haley provided a very clear, very positive response, Danielle Butcher Franz, CEO of the American Conservation Coalition, told CNN. We need to see more responses like that in the Republican Party. I think its important that we show the conservative environmental movement is here to stay. Backer warned that Ramaswamy and other candidates risk losing young voters if they continue to engage in climate denial or anything that sounds remotely like it. Theres a lot of Republicans leading on this, but the narrative is that we dont care, Backer said. And if we nominate another person who doesnt care, young people are not going to forget that. Theres not going to be a lot of baby boomers in 20 years, so you better start thinking about the next generation. CNNs Aaron Pellish contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Valerii Zaluzhnyi , Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has met with high-ranking NATO officials on the PolishUkrainian border in mid-August to discuss Ukraine's counteroffensive strategy. Source: The Guardian Details: The Guardian said the meeting took place 11 days ago [on 15 August ed.] in a secret place on the PolandUkraine border and lasted for five hours. At the same time, Zaluzhnyi allegedly "brought his entire command team with him". The meetings goal was to help reset Ukraine's military strategy. "Top of the agenda was what to do about the halting progress of Ukraines counteroffensive, along with battle plans for the gruelling winter ahead plus longer-term strategy as the war inevitably grinds into 2024," The Guardian said. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement US General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Admiral Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff of the UK, were also present at the meeting. The Guardian noted that this was not the first such talks. The meeting at the border happened after Radakin visited Kyiv without the UK ministers, holding an undisclosed 45-minute meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Defence sources said the aim of that meeting was to get a better understanding of Ukraine's strategy and how the West can help it. At the same time, The Guardian claimed that General Mark Milley, Radakin's colleague at the Pentagon, was banned from visiting Ukraine. On 18 August, Radakin published a photo with Zaluzhnyi and Cavoli. 2/2. Russia underestimates Ukraines resilience and resolve, continued military strength and expertise, and the solidarity of its allies. pic.twitter.com/ddHIyaLxOw Chief of the Defence Staff (@AdmTonyRadakin_) August 18, 2023 National Security and Defence Council Secretary Oleksii Danilov said Zaluzhnyi described Radakin after the meeting at the border as "our guy". As The Guardian wrote, the UK sources are reluctant to talk about the results of the meeting at the border, but signals come from the West that Ukraine's strategy has changed after the discussions. "I think you can see they are focusing on the Zaporizhzhia front," the source said, commenting on new Ukrainian attacks on the city of Tokmak. Background: The Wall Street Journal said Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, has told US officials that Ukrainian forces are on the cusp of a breakthrough in the counteroffensive. 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! (Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner of an election that observers said was deeply flawed, extending a tenure that has been marred by the near-collapse of government services and endemic poverty and unemployment. Most Read from Bloomberg Mnangagwa won 52.6% support and his main rival, Nelson Chamisa , 44%, Priscilla Chigumba, chairwoman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, told reporters in the capital, Harare, on Saturday. There were 6.6 million registered voters and 68.9% cast ballots. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A compilation of tallies from concurrent parliamentary elections by the local media showed the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front won 136 of the 210 National Assembly seats and Chamisas Citizens Coalition for Change 73. Those results still have to be officially announced. The Aug. 23 vote was extended by a day in some areas because of procedural delays. Observers from the Southern African Development Community, a regional bloc, said the election fell short of the required standards, criticism the government rejected. European Union monitors and the US and the UK embassies in Harare were even more scathing, saying the process was marred by violence and intimidation and the playing field was heavily titled in favor of Mnangagwa and the ruling party. We reject any result hastily assembled without proper verification, CCC spokesman Promise Mkwananzi, said on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter. We will advise citizens on the next steps as the situation develops. Read More: Zimbabwe Election Fell Short of Standards, Say Observers Mnangagwa accused some observer missions of going beyond their call of duty by interrogating the election legislation that Zimbabwe as a sovereign nation had every right to adopt, and denied that he had rigged the contest. I can assure you that I did not conduct the elections. I competed to win, he told reporters in Harare on Sunday. Those who feel the race was not run fairly, should know where to go to complain. Every election held in Zimbabwe since 2000 has been marred by allegations of irregularities. Doubts over whether the latest vote was credible will complicate efforts by Mnangagwa, whos held power since longtime ruler Robert Mugabe was ousted in a 2017 coup, to restructure the nations $18 billion debt arrears. Creditors including the African Development Bank have warned that any deal would be contingent on a fair contest. Mnangagwa garnered 50.6% support in the last presidential elections in 2018, and Chamisa 44.3%, a result the opposition continues to dispute. --With assistance from Desmond Kumbuka. (Updates with Mnangagwas comments from seventh paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2023 Bloomberg L.P. A new healthy nutrition option is making its way to River Ridge Mall's West End District this fall. According to a news release, Playa Bowls offers healthy, delicious acai, pitaya, coconut bowls and smoothies with sustainability and community in mind. We couldnt be more excited to join the River Ridge family, Brit Campbell, owner of the Lynchburg Playa Bowls location said in the release. She said the mall's ongoing redevelopment has made the property an ideal location for their expansion to the Central Virginia market. We are looking forward to bringing a slice of summer year-round to the Lynchburg community," she said. What began as a pair of blenders, a patio table and a fridge has flourished into more than 190 stores, thousands of employees and a mission to lead communities in healthy, sustainable living, the release states. "Playa Bowls serves communities with the highest quality, innovative products to support healthier lifestyles and inspire a world of fun, excitement and togetherness." Nutrition options at Playa Bowls will include acai- and pitaya-based bowls, cold-pressed juices and smoothies. Menu items include the Goji Bowl made with pitaya, granola, banana, pineapple, goji berries, coconut flakes and honey, and the Mermaid Fuel juice made with kale, pineapple, apple and mint. Headquartered in New Jersey, River Ridge will be Playa Bowl's third location in Virginia. To welcome Playa Bowls not only to Lynchburg, but to the entire region, is an honor for us, Melissa Faria, general manager at River Ridge, said in the release. Playa Bowls will be our tenth first-to-market retailer welcomed to the center over the last two years, in the company of others like HomeGoods, Ulta, Duck Donuts and more. Faria said there is more in store for the West End. "And with Playa Bowls as our most recent addition, this will continue to be a top destination for the community to visit," she said. The community can learn more about Playa Bowls at its website at playabowls.com, and River Ridge encourages guests to stay tuned for an opening date. Advertisement New Delhi: Miley Cyrus, the songstress known for her transformative journey, has once again captivated hearts with her new song Used To Be Young, released on August 25, 2023. The track serves as a poignant reflection on her past while embracing the prospect of a promising future, leaving listeners profoundly moved. Unveiling her creation on her Twitter platform, Miley penned, This song is about honoring who weve been, loving who we are & celebrating who we will become. I feel proud when reflecting on my past and joyful when thinking about the future. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her steadfast fanbase for translating her dreams into reality on a daily basis, dedicating the song to them. Truly, Miley, she concluded. In the accompanying visual, Miley Cyrus dons an ensemble that resonates deeply with her journey, featuring attire inspired by the iconic Mickey Mouse. The distressed tank, a creation by Mason Margiela for Disneys centenary celebration, serves as a symbolic representation of her evolution from her Hannah Montana days to her current artistic incarnation. The song itself is a testament to emotional resonance, its poignant lyrics striking a chord with listeners and garnering an outpouring of affection within just a day of its release. Through the songs video, Miley delves into her personal history, addressing her past self, her relationships, and her learnings from her mistakes. Adorned in the Mickey Mouse tank paired with a heart corset, the video showcases Miley Cyrus with wavy hair and glittering eyeshadow, pouring her heart into every note. USED TO BE YOUNG. OUT NOW. This song is about honoring who weve been, loving who we are & celebrating who we will become. I feel proud when reflecting on my past and joyful when thinking about the future. I am grateful to my loyal fans who make my dreams a reality daily. I am pic.twitter.com/pUVRNlB1RD Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) August 25, 2023 In a pre-release ABC Special, the artist confessed to being emotionally overwhelmed during the shoot, even shedding tears while singing the following lines: I know I used to be crazy I know I used to be fun You say I used to be wild I say I used to be young The song emerges as an ode to her younger self, celebrating her evolution into a source of inspiration and maturity while acknowledging the changes she has undergone emotionally and artistically. The lyrics poignantly illuminate the journey of growth and transformation that Miley has embraced. Social media has witnessed an outpouring of love and admiration for both Miley and her song, with fans expressing how deeply connected and moved they are by the introspective track. The song not only underscores Miley Cyrus evolution but also signifies her ever-evolving connection with her audience. Our society already makes the hours and days if not years following a sexual assault harder on the survivor. Those barriers, whether it's the stigma or making a report to law enforcement or anything else, are worth our efforts to remove or reduce to the extent possible. Yet the Iowa Attorney General's Office has created a new obstacle for women who have chosen to use emergency contraceptive after their attack. Iowa Public Raido reported earlier this week that more than 160 reimbursement requests for emergency contraception provided to rape victims are pending in the office. The records, obtained by IPR and later by the Gazette, show the requests total about $7,500, with several dating back as far as 2021 and one left unresolved since August 2020. The delay has prompted Johnson County this week to join Polk County in providing for reimbursements on the county level, which is laudable for the Iowa City and Des Moines communities but fail to solve the problem for other Iowans. Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird paused the funding as part of an audit of victim services when she took office in January, although it wasn't confirmed until early April, according to reporting and records obtained by the Gazette under a public records request. Though the payments are not explicitly required by law, it has been the states longtime policy to cover the cost of emergency contraception from the victim compensation fund. In rare cases, it has paid for abortions for rape victims. The Iowa Attorney Generals Office said it was reviewing the practice to evaluate whether this is an appropriate use of public funds" as it conducts an audit and wouldn't provide an update on the effort to the Lee-Gazette Des Moines Bureau. Bird said during an appearance last month on Iowa Press on Iowa PBS that policy decisions made as a result of the audit including whether to stop state funding for emergency contraception and abortions for rape victims will be permanent and will not require legislative action. Iowa law requires the state to pay for many of the expenses facing assault survivors who seek medical help, including the cost of forensic examinations to collect evidence and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. That is funded through the state's victim compensation fund, which comes from fines, fees and penalties paid by criminals. No taxpayer dollars go into the fund. Should this pause become permanent, we would expect to see victims get billed for choosing to take Plan B after being assaulted. While it would be far from the only outrageous medical bill patients have received, it would be galling. It's a policy choice we hope Iowa doesn't make. And, if Bird's office acts to stop making reimbursements, we hope voters will urge lawmakers to reverse the change. Plan B, while imperfect, works to prevent ovulation, block fertilization or keep a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, according to the Mayo Clinic. The choice to use emergency conception after a sexual assault shouldn't be influenced by a person's financial means. Morocco has stepped up its raspberries exports becoming the top supplier for key markets such as the UK where it sold $86 million in 2022 of the reddish-pink fruit, specialized farming website East Fruits reported. Moroccos raspberries exports to the UK grew 40 times to 15,800 tons this season as many Moroccan farmers see opportunities in the growing demand for the fruit. East Fruit noted that demand for fresh Moroccan raspberries surged following Brexit as British importers were open to new alternative sellers. In the UK, the fifth largest importer of fresh raspberries in the world in 2022, Moroccan exports represented 55% of fresh raspberries imports. Morocco has quintupled its raspberries exports over the last six years, selling 60,000 tons last year. The UK also was the key importer of fresh raspberries from Morocco in the MY 2022/23 with the share of 25% in Moroccos total exports. In recent months, media reports showed a tendency among growers of tomatoes to shift to farming more lucrative raspberries. South Korea is planning to sign Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with seven emerging countries, including Morocco, to boost growth momentum and diversify its trade portfolio. The announcement was made Friday by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which affirmed that Seoul is planning to ink FTAs with Morocco, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand, Pakistan, Serbia, and the Dominican Republic. The seven countries bear high growth potential and offer huge opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation, said Mr. Roh Keon-ki, deputy minister for trade negotiations. These countries will also enable Seoul to further expand its global trading network, he said. In June 2023, South Korea exported $37.4 Million and imported $12.7 Million from Morocco, resulting in a positive trade balance of $24.6 Million. Between June 2022 and June 2023 the exports of South Korea have increased by $15.5 Million (70.9%) from $21.9 Million to $37.4 Million, while imports decreased by $-1.6 Million (-11.2%) from $14.4 Million to $12.7 Million. Last month, the top exports of South Korea to Morocco were cars, tractors, trucks & parts, Iron & steel, machinery, mechanical appliances, Man-made filaments, and plastics, while the main imports from the North African country were copper products, electrical machinery and electronics, ores, slag & ash, non-knitted clothing accessories & knitted clothing accessories. With its geostrategic position and proximity to Europe, Morocco is a gateway to investment in Africa, and offers huge business opportunities to South Korean investors in various sectors including railways, renewable energies, and the automotive industry The new Nigerien government has declared the French ambassador persona non grata and issued him an ultimatum to leave the country within 48 hours. In a statement released on Friday, Nigers Minister of Foreign Affairs revealed that the decision to expel French Ambassador Sylvain Itte was prompted by a series of perceived provocations by the French government. Among the provocations, the statement notably mentioned the diplomats refusal to engage in a scheduled meeting with the minister and other actions that were deemed contrary to Nigers interests, which led to this drastic diplomatic measure. Meanwhile, the military junta has refuted media reports claiming it also ordered the US, German, and Nigerian envoys to leave the country, confirming that only the French envoy is persona non grata The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it never ordered the envoys of Nigeria, the United States and Germany out of Niger. Contrary to the information distilled and purpose on social networks which report a decision by the Nigerien authorities ordering the Ambassadors of Germany, Nigeria and the United States of America to leave Nigerien territory within 48 hours, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifies that the said information is false and that only the Ambassador of France in Niger is declared persona non grata, the Foreign department said. The Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Nigeriens Abroad also reminded those who are agitated and still doubt the expression of its sovereign will that Niger does not need authorization or an interpretation of the Vienna Convention of 1961, to exercise its prerogatives and have Ambassador Sylvain Itte leave, after the 48-hour period ultimatum. Upon the instructions of King Mohammed VI, Princess Lalla Hasnaa received on Saturday at the Palais des Hotes in Rabat, the children from Al-Quds who have taken part in the 14th edition of the summer camps organized by Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency. The agencys initiative, placed under the high patronage of King Mohammed VI, Chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, reflects the Sovereigns constant support for the Holy City and its inhabitants. The initiative strengthens the work of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency, which is dedicated to supporting the Holy City of Al-Quds and its inhabitants through multiple projects that have a significant impact on the population of the Holy City, particularly women, children and people in difficult situations. Since its launch in 2008, the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agencys summer camp program, now in its 14th year, has seen a total of 700 children from various districts of the Holy City, accompanied by 70 supervisors, visit different regions of the Kingdom and see for themselves the strength of Moroccans solidarity with the Palestinians. Dubbed the Green March, this years event, which ran from August 10 to 26, benefited, as in previous editions, girls and boys from the city of Al-Quds aged between 11 and 14. Several parents of beneficiary children have hailed the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Agency summer camps as a cultural initiative with noble human dimensions In statements to MAP in Al-Quds, the parents stressed that the various activities of the camp are a real added value for the children, who are in dire need of such initiatives. They praised the warm reception and accommodation reserved to their children, and noted that the initiative was crowned with a noble royal act that filled the children and their families with unspeakable joy as they were received by Princess Lalla Hasnaa. Pointing out that the initiative is welcomed by the children, their families and the residents of Al-Quds, the parents expressed their sincere thanks and gratitude to Morocco, the King and the organizers of the summer camps, which constitute, they said, another bridge between Al-Quds and Morocco. Minister of Al-Quds Affairs Fadi Al-Hadmi also hailed the initiative and underlined that Moroccos concern, under the leadership of King Mohammed VI, for Al-Quds and its residents is a constant, appreciated effort that has positively affected various aspects of life in the holy city. There is a constant and continuous communication between Al-Quds and Morocco, which is reflected in many actions and initiatives, one of which is the summer camp of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency, he said, expressing appreciation for the Kings sincere and genuine role in the defense of Al-Quds and the efforts of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in this regard, which covers various aspects of life. In this connection, Palestinian education official Samir Jibril said the summer camps have great moral impact on the holy citys population, which highly appreciates this initiative as it constitutes an important educational impetus for their children. This is so far the best initiative for the citys children, he said. The Palestinian official voiced his appreciation for King Mohammed VI and for the efforts of Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency in supporting education and schooling, providing scholarships, backing healthcare, housing, agriculture and culture among other sectors in the holy city. He also described Princess Lalla Hasnaas encounter with the delegation from Al-Quds as a noble and humanitarian act. Astoundingly arrogant, irritating, glib, smarmy, obnoxious, a zero, preening, and completely bananas, according to Times roundtable. But is that what winning looks like now? Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images During one of several explosive exchanges between Vivek Ramaswamy and his Republican opponents in the first debate of the 2024 presidential-primary season, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie called Ramaswamy an amateur who sounds like Chat GPT. Ramaswamy met this volley, as well as a cascading chorus of whoops and laughter and oohs from the crowd, with an impervious smile and a barb about Christie literally embracing Barack Obama after Hurricane Sandy. The shield of his smile had to be deployed all night long, as his rivals took obvious umbrage at the presence of this rude political neophyte and attacked him with relish an uncanny replay of the dynamic that governed Donald Trumps debates in 2016. But nothing could dampen Ramaswamys spirit or dim that grin. To borrow a line from FDR, Ramaswamy seemed to be saying to his rivals that he welcomed their hatred. Ramaswamy, a wealthy entrepreneur who muscled and hustled his way from obscurity onto a debate stage that notably did not include the races front-runner, Trump, is adept at borrowing lines. Christies jab was in part a reference to his robotic, rat-a-tat delivery of aphorisms that resemble a cross between traditional conservative know-nothingism and Elon Musks brand of Silicon Valley know-everythingism. (Fossil fuels are a requirement for human prosperity!) But Christie was also calling out Ramaswamys naked appropriation of one of Obamas most famous quotes from the 2008 campaign, with Ramaswamy introducing himself to the Republican faithful in Milwaukee as a skinny guy with a funny last name. His crisp hand gestures and tight little head shakes were vintage Obama, yet the words coming out of his mouth were Reverse racism is racism. It really did feel like Ramaswamy was a computer program trawling the past two decades of American history to cobble together a ruthless strivers idea of a political persona, some unholy amalgamation of Obama, Trump, and Musk. The press has been about as hostile to Ramaswamy as the rest of the Republican field. In a New York Times roundtable after the debate, commentators from across the ideological spectrum described him as astoundingly arrogant, irritating, glib, smarmy, obnoxious, a zero, preening, and completely bananas. The conservative columnist Bret Stephens said Ramaswamy seems to think hes Jesus, and not in the meek-shall-inherit-the-Earth way. There is a sense in the Establishment media that because Ramaswamy is such a copycat, particularly of Trump, that he represents no broader threat or significance, that hes just another wannabe swimming in the MAGA slipstream. The Princeton historian Kevin Kruse tweeted, Whats funny is that Vivek is going to campaign with furious Debate Bro energy for six nonstop months and then Trump will casually refer to him as Rama-smarmy, or whatever and hell immediately turn to dust. But I would posit that perhaps Ramaswamy signifies something more. If you are a youngish person looking to get into politics or some other career of public renown, its only natural that you would model yourself on the people in your lifetime who have had ostentatious success in those areas, people like Obama and Trump and Musk. It seems likely that, in the future, we will see a lot more politicians like Vivek Ramaswamy. Ramaswamys youth is important, as American democracy slides into gerontocracy. So is the context of the debate, where you could see this lithe figure with taut skin and a full head of not-gray hair antagonize and fluster the leathery dinosaurs that, if the polls are to be believed, he is already eclipsing. Ramaswamy flaunted his age at every turn, beginning his closing statement with a huge flex: I was born in 1985 which makes him the youngest presidential aspirant of my own lifetime, indeed one who is several years younger than me, a horrific personal milestone for which I will never forgive him. His liveliness irked his opponents as well, particularly former vice-president Mike Pence, who showed his irrepressible counterpart nothing but disdain in what read to me as the way Pence would talk to Trump if Trump had less power. We dont need to bring in a rookie, Pence scoffed. In response, Ramaswamy took great joy in exploiting Pences age and experience, which came through in Pences delivery (the long statesmans pause), his appearance (Ken doll whose smooth plastic veneer has gone a bit sludge-y), and constant references to the old deities of the Republican Party (God and Ronald Reagan). Some others like you might have a Morning in America speech, Ramaswamy told Pence. But it is not morning in America. We live in a dark moment. When the discussion turned to the war in Ukraine, which saw Rawaswamy taking passionate fire from all sides for his opposition to additional U.S. aid for the Ukrainians, he said to Pence, I have a news flash: The U.S.S.R. does not exist anymore. He was intent on drawing a line in the sand between ancient history and the boundless future. And in doing so, he happily smashed the Republican Partys idols as Trump had done before him, the jeers raining down on him for his anti-war stance reminiscent of the stern admonitions Trump received in 2016 for saying the Iraq War was a mistake. Though if Trump was a flattening bulldozer, Ramaswamy was nimbler, more precise a guided missile. He could also perform the equivalent of wading into a brawl and inviting all comers, calling his rivals super-PAC puppets and declaring, Im the only person on this stage who isnt bought and paid for, an audacious line that drew a scandalized Whoa whoa whoa and Thats ridiculous from people who very much are bought and paid for. In the melee over the Ukraine war, he turned to former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, a hawk, and said, Nikki, I wish you well on your future career on the boards of Lockheed and Raytheon, a rebuke so impolite and so close to home that Haley was left red-faced and sputtering. In appreciating and even admiring Ramaswamys sheer disrespect for his fellow Republicans, I realize I am falling into the same trap that ensnared so many liberal journalists the last time this happened, when Trump seemed so attractive because he was demolishing politicians I also wanted to see demolished. Still, the appeal of the iconoclast remains, and Ramaswamys primary influences, the Ur-trolls Trump and Musk, let it be known that game recognizes game. Vivek is increasingly compelling, Musk tweeted during the debate. This answer gave Vivek Ramaswamy a big WIN in the debate because of a thing called TRUTH, Trump posted on Truth Social, referring to Ramaswamys claim that Trump was the best president of the 21st century. Obama has not deigned to comment on a politician who is destined to be a member of Trumps entourage, and maybe even a partner on his presidential ticket, but Obamas influence on Ramaswamy is fascinating, a sprinkling of a feel-good, only-in-America story on an otherwise tiresome recapitulation of Trumps American carnage speech. Obama, too, exhibited a preternatural confidence that his critics described as arrogant, obnoxious, preening, and worse; Obama, too, reveled in his relative youth, swishing three-pointers on the campaign trail and jogging up the steps to Air Force One; Obama, too, played the insider-outsider sweeping away the fossilized vestiges of an older era. Its unclear whether Ramaswamys policy positions, such as they are The climate change agenda is a hoax! will have much lasting appeal in American politics. But surely his style, no matter how much it may grate on the ears and annoy finer sensibilities, is on the ascendance. No longer will politicians be as slow, as pious, as patriotic as Mike Pence, who came of age in the pre-Trump world; theyll be quick to let the insults fly, fearless in their misguided convictions, and scornful of their elders and betters. To believe otherwise is to believe that Trump, especially, is a one-off phenomenon, that we will one day return to having a slate of normal candidates running to be the Republican nominee for president, when so many incentives point in the other direction: toward politicians who are younger, hungrier, meaner, wilder. In response to Cambridge Halls temporary closure, Auburn Universitys Board of Trustees had decided to move forward with plans to build a new student housing along Haley Concourse. In Fridays Board of Trustee meeting, the approved the move to build a new four-story, 125,000-square-foot dormitory that can house 371 students. Theyll began accepting construction bids for the $80 million project in the coming months. I think this will help support our on-campus student housing significantly, AU President Christopher Roberts said. This building will among other new residential housing developments coming to campus. Introduced in 2019, the project has been pushed forward in response to the Cambridge Hall closing for the entire 2023-24 academic year. Storm damage from heavy rails lead to moisture concerns that forced AU to temporarily close the dorm. AU Housing sent out an email to parents and students notifying them of the closure just days after Cambridge residents began arriving at Auburn for move-in and a week before classes began on Aug. 16. The residence hall was expected to house 305 students this year. Cambridge Hall is on track to reopen by spring 2026, according to the university. Auburn University Architect Simon Yendle said more on campus housing will come after phase one is complete. Potential housing sites include the west parking lot by the Village. Cambridge Halls location could become a site for new housing. Were continuing to look at and evaluate whats going on there, Yendle said. Were still in that process of trying to understand whats the next right step to deal with that location. It was clearly, in my opinion the right decision. For the safety of our students, we just did not feel like that was the right thing to do. Continue to keep it open. In addition to the new Haley Concourse project, the Auburn Board of Trustees also gave approval for the university to move forward with phase two of the Quad renovation project. Approximately 51,320 square feet will be renovated in the Quads Teague Hall and Little Hall. Construction on the $22.5 million project will begin in May 2024. Construction on the two halls is expected to be finished before fall 2025. That really is a comprehensive whole building renovation where we go in, gut the place out and rebuild it every system and every piece of it, said Dan King, the associate vice president for facilities at Auburn. The university plans to renovate all the Quad dormitories. The project will be complete in five phases. Two buildings are being renovated in each phase. Harper Hall and Brown Hall were completed in 2022. The entire Quad project is expected to be finished by fall 2028. The Board of Trustees also approved Talon Resident Hall in the Village to be refurbished. Each suite in the dorm will be updated with new flooring, casework, countertops, vanities, bathroom fixtures and air conditioning units. The refurbishment, King said, will mostly be cosmetic. The Talon Hall project can be expected to cost $3.8 million. Construction will take place during summer 2024. Opelika native Turri Thomas Hughley has been professionally taking pictures for the past six years with her photography business Everlasting Image by Turri in Auburn. Hughley took pictures as a child and used every brand of disposable cameras. She was always the one who took pictures of everything and everyone, including family. As a child, she wasnt able to drive or earn money to have pictures developed. She waited a long time for the pictured to come back. When they did come back, they were black. I lost pictures of family members who were extremely close to me, and that weighed heavy on me for years, even today, Hughley said. So, one day the idea popped up in my head to start my own photography business. Everlasting Image by Turri specializes in family, wedding, birthday, anniversary, engagement, maternity and senior portraits. Hughley enjoys capturing special moments, bond of families and friends, unions of love and smiled of happiness and joy. As a wife and mother of two, Hughley figured she could schedule sessions around her full-time job at the East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika. She could bring daughter along to assist instead of paying someone else. At the time, I felt that it was the best decision for me and my family, Hughley said. I didnt want anyone else to experience what I had gone through. Therefore, I wanted to capture memories and moments that would last forever. With that in mind, thats how I came up with the name Everlasting Image by Turri. In a complex journey, Hughley had taught herself everything she knows about photography. She had plenty late nights and early mornings, but its an awarding experience overall. Everlasting Image by Turri gave Hughley the opportunity to travel many places such as Hawaii, Puerto Rico, California and New York. Throughout her photography journey, Hughley has learned a lot about the field. Hard work definitely pays off, and Im just getting started, Hughley said. God has blessed me so much, and I am forever grateful. I am excited to see how my photography business grows and continues to capture everlasting images. Hughley plans on expanding her business in the near future, because there is much more work to be done. Eventually, she will offer more services than what is currently available. If you want to know more, visit the Facebook page Everlasting Image by Turris. Imagine getting your most legendary role at 64! I can't be sad, 99 is a lot of life, RIP sir. Reply Thread Link He was 48, but still definitely later in life. Reply Parent Thread Link Whoops, I Somehow thought he was still hosting the show at the time of his death!. I wouldn't consider 48 later in life, but I guess in showbiz it is. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I always wonder if hes still alive and today I no longer have to wonder. Who are the next two? Reply Thread Link Henry Kissinger PLEASE Reply Parent Thread Link That fact that he is still alive is INSANE to me. I cannot wait to celebrate that monster's death. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Woody Allen. Reply Parent Thread Link Well, allegedly, Arleen Sorkin died a few hours ago The original voice of Harley Quinn. Reply Parent Thread Link RIP. Watching TPIR when home sick from school or on vacation was such a comfort. Get your pets spayed or neutered *and yes, Im aware he was a creep to the Barker Beauties. Reply Thread Link Exact same thing, whenever wed stay with my nana shed come in and tell us wheel of fortune is on like it was a special event, for that Ill always have a soft spot for this show/him Reply Parent Thread Link I used to watch it with my nana too. :) That and Judge Judy :) Reply Parent Thread Link Same, it feels like comfort. I watched it so much with my dad. Reply Parent Thread Link RIP Bob. I'll never forget to have my pets spayed or neutered. Reply Thread Link I thought he was already dead tbh. RIP Reply Thread Link You just killed this man twice. Reply Parent Thread Link It's just incomprehensible to me that he outlived Jerry Springer Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I saw that joke tweet and I was like holy fuck that is a perfect joke, weird how nobody has ever made it before (because I also thought hed been dead for a while and the news in this post has thrown me for a loop). Reply Parent Thread Link Me too! Reply Parent Thread Link Maybe you were mixing him up with the host for Jeopardy. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I cannot believe Bob Barker lived as close to 100 as possible without going over. Louis Virtel (@louisvirtel) August 26, 2023 Edited at 2023-08-26 05:36 pm (UTC) He lived a long life. Good for him. Reply Thread Link I knew there was such a joke in this somewhere! thank you to this person for finding it Reply Parent Thread Link Missed opportunity to use the "bark bark bark" tag tbh (yes, I know I'm going to hell). In all seriousness tho, RIP! We should all be so lucky to live to age 99 and doing so with our health and mind intact. Reply Thread Link Might as well add the meow meow meow tag too. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link RIP remember to spay and neuter your animals Reply Thread Link omg why the capslock in that title Reply Thread Link IDK but it gave me a brief moment of panic bc all I saw was DEAD and my brain tried to fill in all the possibilities of who that could be before it caught up to the rest of the title Reply Parent Thread Link ikr? like is op really excited about this or what Reply Parent Thread Link I know right? Its very TMZ Reply Parent Thread Link It cracked me up unintentionally Reply Parent Thread Link just in case there was any doubt! Reply Parent Thread Link The way ONTD doesn't read, you really have to ask? Reply Parent Thread Link i lost it jsfghjk Reply Parent Thread Link i read it in a wendy williams voice when she was like DEATH to all of them Reply Parent Thread Link Patron Saint of Sick Days (yes I know he wasn't actually saintly and was a gross creep to all the models on the show) Reply Thread Link Yup. Grandparents would go straight from price is right to the young and the restless. In this home, Bob Barker & Victor Newman were family. Reply Parent Thread Link lmao same my grandma lived with us for a while so i watched a LOT of those two shows Reply Parent Thread Link i don't know why but the DEAD in caps like that is sending me. Reply Thread Link lol same Reply Parent Thread Link To be fair, I once asked for ops to include Still ALIVE when it came to certain celeb headlines. Reply Parent Thread Link Me too lmao like HE'S GONE at first I interpreted it as an invitation to a party post like "what did he do" Reply Parent Thread Link Reminds me of that scene from Roseanne with Jackie calling their aunt lol Reply Parent Thread Link omg YES lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Dad's dead! He's dead! NO, DEAD! DAD! He's fine! He sends his love! Bye! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I think of this scene whenever I have to document that a patient has passed, and I straight up have to give their reason for discharge, functional status at time of discharge, and the setting of their discharge. Like after the first "patient expired", the rest should really all cancel out lmao. Reply Parent Thread Link just to be clear hes DEAD DEAD. Reply Parent Thread Link right lol I even read past the first line thinking I was gonna learn some shit that'd make me want to un-DEAD him just to send him back to the grave Reply Parent Thread Link Aww he was the kind of old person I wanna be. Crotchety and give no fucks. RIP. His career was so long that I imagine he had to have several people be long-term associates. He had to outlive all his agent, publicist, manager, etc. Reply Thread Link Dude is being fully embraced by thousands of animals at the rainbow bridge Reply Thread Link or he's being chased by thousands of animals who are mad that their balls got chopped off cuz of him Reply Parent Thread Link Nah cats and dogs dgaf, they don't know what they're missing one way or another Reply Parent Thread Link Thanks for being everyone's sick day companion <3 Reply Thread Link Weird I'm about to get my cat neutered - found out the date yesterday. I'm a little scared about my fur baby going through it. And I kept thinking this is what Bob Barker would want. Rip to one of the staples of my childhood. Reply Thread Link Good luck to your kitty! Im sure it will be fine. Mine was just lethargic for a day or two then back to normal. Reply Parent Thread Link Try not to worry too much! I've handled hundreds of cats after their spay/neuter and those boys recover super quick (the procedure is much quicker too and less invasive). And he'll feel so much better emotionally & mentally afterwards with his new manscaping. Post surgery just keep an eye on him for a couple of days to make sure he's not escaping his cone and licking the incision site. And thank you for being a responsible pet owner! Reply Parent Thread Link I just went through it with my two(a girl and boy) too. It will be ok but I sure understand the fear. Keeping them from licking the wound or jumping or running around too much for a 1-2 weeks was so difficult, especially when they look at you and meow and get mad and try to make you sad when you have to put them in a certain area at night and stuff. They will be just fine I promise! Reply Parent Thread Link The video recorded on a Kazakh farmer's smartphone reached the Internet like a distress signal. "Zhambyl Province. Sugar beet. There is no water. The beet has died," the voice said over footage of failed crops in this traditionally fertile corner of southern Kazakhstan. As a baking July segued into August, beet farmers in the province were indeed without water -- irrigation water that they would otherwise have received from a reservoir in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. Though not all the farmers were blaming Kyrgyzstan. Some were aiming their complaints at local authorities, an alarming development for authorities in the Kazakh capital, Astana. "Why do we need this kind of governor?" vented one farmer, during a visit by RFE/RL correspondents to the area. The Kyrgyz Agriculture Ministry argues it has fulfilled all its obligations to its downstream neighbor but maintains that in a year of extended droughts and high summer temperatures, there simply isn't any extra water to share. The Kirov water reservoir in its northwestern Talas region is carrying a fraction of last year's volume, the ministry said, and is only 3 percent of its capacity. Satellite images of Kirov from this year and last year appear to support that assertion, while farmers in northern Kyrgyzstan, too, have been complaining about a lack of water. But many Kyrgyz feel Kazakhstan has decided to punish them anyway. Since August 20, a queue of hundreds of cargo-carrying vehicles has formed at the Ak-Tilek border crossing, with another 100-plus line emerging at the Ken-Bulan border crossing in the days that followed. Truckers at Ak-Tilek say Kazakh border officials are slowing the passage of vehicles to around six per day. The usual pace is about 20 per hour. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Yerulan Zhamaubaev told journalists on August 23 that Kazakhstan's Committee for National Security had been conducting anti-narcotics operations on the country's shared border. He did not say how long the delays at the border might last. As if that were not enough, on August 24 the office of Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev suddenly announced that Toqaev would host Emomali Rahmon, the leader of Kyrgyzstan's bitter regional rival, Tajikistan, on August 25-26. A coincidence? Perhaps. But past form suggests that when Astana is not happy with Bishkek, it makes its feelings known. 'When There Is Not Enough Water, Tensions Arise' Tensions over water in Central Asia are not new, although regional cooperation as a whole has improved since 2016, when Shavkat Mirziyoev came to power in Uzbekistan. Mirziyoev's predecessor, Islam Karimov, had been notoriously prickly on the subject, even warning of the potential for military conflict over access to transboundary resources such as water. But this year's droughts have stretched existing arrangements to their limits while hammering farming in the region. It was Mirziyoev's office that sounded the alarm in April, with a presidential decree rolling out emergency water-saving measures in lieu of forecasts that the region's Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers would see their water levels drop between 10 percent and 20 percent this year. At the beginning of the year, there had been expectations of relatively strong inflows into the region's mountain rivers, but "they did not come to pass," according to Yevgeny Simonov, international coordinator of the Rivers without Boundaries Coalition, a nonprofit formerly based in Russia. Although "the trend toward a reduction in the volume of rivers is common to all river basins" in the region, several rivers rising in Kyrgyzstan's mountains and flowing into Kazakhstan -- the Syrdarya, Chu, and Talas rivers -- seem to have notably reduced flows, Simonov told RFE/RL. "Perhaps in the first half of the year, [Central Asian] countries spent more water than they could afford in such a drought," Simonov argued. "Almost always when there is not enough water, tensions arise between neighbors. The mechanisms for their resolution leave much to be desired," he added. At least one Kyrgyz official, irrigation expert Ulan Chortombaev, has already linked the stoppages at the border to the water issue. But on August 23, Kyrgyz Agriculture Ministry official Almazbek Sokeyev claimed his Kazakh colleagues "viewed [the situation] with understanding" after talks and had assured him the problem at the border was completely unrelated to the water cutoff. Bishkek had warned Astana in negotiations earlier in the summer that water would be a problem, but maintains it had fulfilled its quota for the provision by early August, triggering the end of outflows from the parched reservoir. Kazakhstan has stopped short of accusing Kyrgyzstan of playing water games, but an August 9 Ecology Ministry statement highlighted the discrepancy between volumes in the Kirov water reservoir this year (32.48 million cubic meters on August 9) and last year -- some 144.8 million cubic meters more than that total. "According to the 2022 schedule, Kazakhstan's requirements from the Talas River in August were 45 cubic meters [of water] per second. [Now] no water is effectively being supplied," the ministry said at the time, pledging to continue negotiations with Kyrgyzstan. In Zhambyl Province, which sources 80 percent of its water from Kyrgyzstan, authorities have declared emergency situations in six districts while pledging compensation to farmers set to lose 25 percent to 30 percent more of their harvest compared to last year. On the Kyrgyz side of Ak-Tilek, meanwhile, where truckers working between the two countries have been offered tents by Kyrgyz officials, there were few doubts that the flow of water and the flow of goods were interlinked. "The Kyrgyz side is working perfectly. The Kazakh side is a real pain," said a driver named Igor, speaking to RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service. "It's not official. But [people] say [the border delay] is because Kyrgyzstan has stopped sending water." 2017 Redux? In terms of language, culture, and tradition, Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are two of Central Asia's most similar peoples. But the relationship at the political level is not particularly warm. The nadir for bilateral ties in recent times was in 2017, when Kyrgyzstan's outgoing leader Almazbek Atambaev launched a spectacular tirade at Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan Nazarbaev, whom he accused of interfering in the country's upcoming election. The then-Kyrgyz president depicted Nazarbaev as an aging autocrat in the vein of a Mongol khan and said Kazakhstan's elite was robbing its population. The response was swift, and -- just like this week -- long lines soon began appearing on the Kyrgyz side of the pair's shared border as the Kazakh side announced an extended operation to combat smuggling. Atambaev rather carelessly suggested the logjams would soon disappear if Kyrgyzstan "turned off" Kazakhstan's water for two or three days. But the erratic politician did not carry through with the threat, and even he may have realized he had overplayed his hand. Kyrgyzstan's border crossings with Kazakhstan are an economic lifeline for exporters in the north of the country, and the logical jumping-off points for goods heading even further north to Russia. ADVERTISEMENT The fact that both countries are members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union has never prevented Kazakhstan throttling trade at the frontier in the past. This might explain why Kyrgyz social media users have expressed anger at notions their country is using water to exert leverage over a more powerful neighbor. One article published on the Asia Times website on July 31 and subsequently translated and republished by Kazakh media suggested exactly that, linking so-called Kyrgyz "pressure" to Russia's desire for Kazakhstan to do more to help it evade sanctions over the Ukraine war. Yet that somewhat fanciful argument is undermined by images not just of Kirov, but of Kyrgyzstan's largest reservoir, Toktogul, which services the vital Toktogul hydropower plant. To be sure, water in Central Asia is not well managed. But this year, there is simply less to go around. By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Via Metal Miner Its called the nickel model, and China hopes to duplicate it for its aluminum industry. Indeed, after more than 20 years of fast growth, Chinas aluminum sector recently reached its domestic capacity limit. The government imposed this ceiling on new smelter construction to cut down on pollution and energy consumption. Now, the policy spur significant changes in both aluminum prices and the market. Chinas continued demand for aluminum has Chinese companies drawing up plans for a combined annual capacity of 10 million tons. The firms intend to spread this new production across Southeast Asia, with most of it centered in Indonesia. In many ways, Chinas foray into Indonesia will emulate Chinese projects focused on nickel smelting and downstream processing industries. During the third quarter of 2022, a substantial majority of the 1,150 new investment projects with Chinese involvement fell under this umbrella. In all, they amount to about $1.56 billion. On the other hand, Indonesia continues to develop its own aluminum industry. Indeed, the country is home to some of the worlds largest reserves of bauxite, nickel, and copper, the former being the raw material for aluminum. Incidentally, Indonesia recently banned the export of unprocessed bauxite. The goal of the policy was to encourage foreign investors to build smelters in the country. MetalMiners September workshop Falling Demand, Rising Material Costs & Supply Chain Shocks covers all the key points procurement professionals need to know when going into 2024 contract negotiations. Opt in here. Indonesia, Southeast Asia Remain Integral to the Chinese Economy What mainly attracts Chinese companies to Southeast Asian destinations like Indonesia is cheap labor and access to energy resources. A few days ago, one of Chinas largest producers of aluminum alloy bars, Innovation New Material Technology, announced plans to invest about U.S. $191 million (CNY1.4 billion) in a new plant in Vietnam. The plant will produce aluminum alloy sections for computers as well as communication and consumer electronics products, mostly for the Southeast Asian market. Surprisingly, the companys share price fell following the announcement. Experts feel this stemmed from concerns about the new plant and its profitability. MetalMiner previously reported that there was significant uncertainty regarding the trajectory of Chinese aluminum production for the remainder of 2023. This came after a series of power cuts disrupted production in Chinas Yunnan province, a region that accounts for roughly 12% of Chinas total aluminum capacity. Indeed, since September 2022, Yunnan has experienced repeated issues with its power output due to low rainfall. These power problems continue to force electrolytic aluminum producers to reduce their power usage, resulting in slower output growth. In March, there was a 3% rise in Chinas primary aluminum production compared to the corresponding period of 2022. Nonetheless, this growth occurred at a more subdued rate than in the preceding months. This and more metal market shifts are covered weekly in MetalMiners weekly newsletter. Opt in here. Global Aluminum Prices Could Suffer from Chinas Move Some experts believe the expansion of Chinas aluminum industry into Indonesia would have a significant impact on the global aluminum market. Indeed, many fear it may lower aluminum prices as more production capacity comes online. It could also increase competition for bauxite as Chinese companies seek to secure raw material supplies. Another major concern, particularly for Indonesian authorities, is the environmental impact of the expansion. After all, aluminum smelting is a major polluter. Therefore, the Indonesian government must ensure that Chinese aluminum smelting projects are properly regulated to protect the environment. Aluminum Prices Could See a Significant Impact In June of 2023, Shandong Nanshan Aluminum Co., a prominent aluminum manufacturer in China, revealed intentions to construct a sizable alumina refinery with a capacity of 250,000 tons in Indonesia. This ambitious project is slated for completion by 2026 and earmarked for establishment on Bintan Island. Subsequently, in July 2023, the Chinese government approved a substantial two million-ton alumina refinery in Indonesia. That proposal came from Huafon Group, a significant player in the chemicals industry. Reports indicate the refinery is set for construction on Sulawesi Island and has an anticipated completion date of 2025. All of these new facilities will increase supply and potentially impact the global aluminum price. $5376.72 That same month, the Indonesian government announced it would impose an export ban on bauxite. Many analysts feel the move restriction could adversely affect China-Indonesia relations, though not as much as the general public might expect. ADVERTISEMENT Indonesian President Joko Widodo said China, the countrys main Bauxite importer, was free to file a complaint with the World Trade Organization. Still, he was clear there would be no going back on the ban. But overall, the construction of alumina refineries in Indonesia is a major step forward for China. This is especially true after imports increased due to lower domestic supply from power cuts and reduced rainfall. By Sohrab Darabshaw More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Iowa Attorney Generals Office has found that the Omaha and Council Bluffs police officers who fatally shot a homicide suspect in July were justified. The officers who shot 41-year-old Matthew Briggs on July 8 fired at him only after he aimed a shotgun at them from the car he had stolen, a report from the Attorney Generals Office said. The report found that Lt. Chad Geer of the Council Bluffs Police Department and Lt. Martin Stiles of the Omaha Police Department were legally justified in their use of lethal force and that no criminal charges are warranted. The Attorney Generals Office concurred with a report issued by the Pottawattamie County Attorneys Office in July that found both officers justified in the use of deadly force in the case. Briggs, 41, was suspected in a string of felony assaults and a homicide in Omaha before he reportedly stole a car and led police on a multi-county high speed chase, The World-Herald previously reported. The string of incidents involving Briggs began in the early-morning hours of July 8 when Omaha police responded to reports of a stabbing. Briggs had reportedly forced entry into the home of an ex-girlfriend, cut her and threatened her with a gun. He then went to the home of a different ex-girlfriend, who was not home, and repeatedly drove his car into her garage, according to Omaha police. Shortly before 7 a.m., police received information that Briggs had shot and killed someone in the Regency neighborhood. At 9927 Essex Drive, police found Greg Donsbach, 52, shot to death inside his home. Briggs was quickly identified as a suspect in the assaults and killing of Donsbach, and law enforcement began a citywide search for Briggs. His car was later found running and abandoned in a ravine near Mandan Park in South Omaha around 1 p.m. As officers were completing their search of Mandan Park around 3:30 p.m., an armed carjacking was reported about a mile south of the park in Sarpy County in which Briggs had stolen a blue Toyota Camry. Officers then began a pursuit of the stolen car, which lasted more than 20 minutes as Briggs traveled from Bellevue into Council Bluffs. The pursuit ended when an officer was able to bring the car to a stop using a PIT maneuver, a tactic in which an officer hits the back of a fleeing vehicle to cause it to spin out. Once the car was stopped, Briggs pointed a shotgun at officers, at which point both Geer and Stiles fired at him, the report said. Briggs was taken to the hospital, with CPR in progress, where he later died. Forty-six years ago today, about 1,100 former Omahans from across the country returned to the city for the first Native Omaha Days. The four-day homecoming celebration was organized by Bettie McDonald and Vera Johnson, founders of the Native Omaha Club. The idea for the event was born over cold sandwiches. McDonald and Johnson hopped a bus from Omaha to California for a trip for Omaha Days, a reunion of native Omahans who had moved to the Western state. The reunion turned into a disappointment. "This ain't no homecoming," McDonald said. "We had to bring our own cheese and lunch meat and eat on a blanket." Never again, the Nebraska women vowed. So they decided to host their own Omaha Days in their city. The dayslong annual homecoming festival celebrates North Omaha's culture and history. It is a gathering of people who grew up in Omaha, or spent many years here, to celebrate their roots. McDonald and Johnson watched the event grow from an idea in the old M&M Lounge to a wildly popular community reunion that draws people from across the country back to Omaha. The first homecoming brought thousands of people home to dance in the Dreamland Ballroom, shop along the then-bustling North 24th Street business district, or catch up with longtime friends along the block. The highlight of those homecoming activities was a picnic at N.P. Dodge Park that was attended by an estimated 10,000 people, including the out-of-town guests. Thousands now return to Omaha every two years for the celebration, and the streets of North Omaha are packed as families, schools and friends hold reunions. Photos: Celebrating Native Omaha Days LOS ANGELES Californians watched in dismay this month as the York fire seared through Mojave National Preserve, igniting a delicate desert landscape that may never fully recover. The fire chewed through stands of beloved Joshua trees, torching their tops and potentially incinerating their roots. Park officials fear that millions may have been burned in the fire, though the precise number of those killed will be hard to discern from the piles of ash that remain. But researchers say Joshua trees are just the latest species to suffer unprecedented losses amid a climate that is growing warmer and drier. From towering sequoias to ancient bristlecone pines, millions of California trees are succumbing to worsening wildfires, severe drought, extreme heat, disease and other stressors that have been intensified by global warming. The losses, they say, will only accelerate. "We've long known that the trends to anticipate in the 21st century are extended droughts and more active fire regimes, and these types of disturbances are having profound effects on forests statewide," said Ryan Tompkins, forest and natural resources advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension. About one-third of the state is covered by forested ecosystems, and they have always experienced some form of drought, fire and tree death, he said. "But the problem is we're seeing tree mortality rates that are far beyond those endemic levels. There's no doubt that climate is exacerbating what we're seeing." Indeed, an estimated 36.3 million dead trees were counted across California in 2022 a notable increase from the 9.5 million dead trees counted the year before, according to a report from the U.S. Forest Service. The dramatic die-offs were largely attributed to drought, disease and insects such as bark beetles, which prey on weakened trees. Douglas firs showed the biggest mortality rate increase, 1,650%, followed by white and red firs. Pine trees are also growing more vulnerable to traditional threats. Since 2013, drought and bark beetles have killed thousands of bristlecone pines considered the oldest trees on Earth at Telescope Peak in Death Valley National Park. Some of the trees that died were as old as 1,612 years, according to one recent study. Though the bristlecone is "revered for its extreme longevity and has been considered an icon of stability during periods of change," warming temperatures and extreme dryness are stressing the trees and leading to death, the study said. What's more, the beetles that kill them are flourishing amid the changing conditions at the high elevations where the trees typically grow. Ponderosa pines are also suffering from bark beetles and heat-related stress, said Avery Hill, a postdoctoral researcher at the California Academy of Sciences. He noted that for every 1.8 degrees of additional global warming, up to 40% more trees could die from beetle infestations. "The climate has been changing, but it's the rate that matters," Hill said. "And why it's the rate that matters is because the rate at which individual organisms and species and ecosystems can respond to climate change seems to be a lot slower than the actual rate of climate change today." Hill recently co-authored a study that found about 20% of all conifer trees in California's Sierra Nevada are no longer compatible with their surrounding climate, a term he dubbed "zombie forests." These trees are losing their ability to reproduce and probably will not be able to replace themselves in the future, he said. "Every species has a set of environmental conditions that it's best adapted to and can reproduce in and thrive in, and these components are biological but also related to climate," Hill said. "Climate is one of those environmental variables that, like a house of cards, a lot of other things are built upon." His study came on the heels of another one published in November, which found that nearly a third of southern Sierra forests were killed by wildfires, drought and pestilence over the past decade. Such dizzying losses were only amplified by the York Fire, which produced harrowing images of Joshua trees alight as it burned through the Mojave. "The reality is that Joshua trees are already in a state of decline because of global warming and increasing frequency of drought," ecologist James Cornett said as the fire raged. "And then on top of that, you throw on a fire like the York Fire, and these trees are not likely to recover in our lifetime." The potential loss of Joshua trees is becoming an all-too-familiar refrain for Californians. Between 1985 and 2021, tree cover in California declined by 6.7% due largely to drought and fire, while Southern California saw the greatest loss of tree cover, research has found. "California's climate is warming and drying fast enough that it's sort of lifting the lid off of where fire can go," said Jon Wang, an associate professor at the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Utah, who led the study. WASHINGTON Thousands converged Saturday on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfill his dream. "We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington," said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. "Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot." The event was convened by the Kings' Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history. Saturday's gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary Monday by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering. All of King's children were invited to meet with Biden, White House officials said. Saturday's event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. "I was 8 years old at the original March and only one woman was allowed to speak she was from Arkansas where I'm from now look at how many women are on the podium today," she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. "I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now," said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. "It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today." Yolanda King, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., roused marchers with remarks from the same spot her grandfather gave the "I Have A Dream" speech 60 years ago. "If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say I'm sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your dream," she said. "Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools and our shopping centers." Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. "Sixty years ago Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later we're the dreamers. The problem is we're facing the schemers," Sharpton said. "The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for women's right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks." After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Several leaders from groups organizing the march met Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining. 50 movies that address the history of racism in America 50 movies that address the history of racism in America Within Our Gates (1920) Shadows (1958) A Raisin in the Sun (1961) Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) In the Heat of the Night (1967) Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1968) The Learning Tree (1969) Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970) Sounder (1972) The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) Ganja & Hess (1973) Killer of Sheep (1978) Losing Ground (1982) She's Gotta Have It (1986) Tongues Untied (1989) Do the Right Thing (1989) Daughters of the Dust (1991) Boyz n the Hood (1991) Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. (1992) Malcolm X (1992) Hoop Dreams (1994) Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) The Watermelon Woman (1996) Down in the Delta (1998) Bamboozled (2000) How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It) (2005) The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (2005) The Great Debaters (2007) Trouble the Water (2008) The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 (2011) 12 Years a Slave (2013) Fruitvale Station (2013) Dear White People (2014) Selma (2014) Rat Film (2016) I Am Not Your Negro (2016) O.J.: Made in America (2016) Loving (2016) 13th (2016) Get Out (2017) Did You Wonder Who Fired the Gun? (2017) Strong Island (2017) The Force (2017) Mudbound (2017) Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018) If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) Sorry to Bother You (2018) The Hate U Give (2018) Just Mercy (2019) The foals arrived with dead, defeated eyes, Lin Guyton says, almost like those of deprived children from an impoverished country. Theyre among 36 horses confiscated from the Blue Valley Veterinary Clinic and Pickrell Veterinary Clinic in Gage County that are being cared for at the Epona Equine Rescue in Crete, Nebraska. Vet Jennafer Glaesemann has been charged so far with 37 counts of livestock neglect after an estimated 15 to 17 horses died under her care. Guyton volunteered to take the horses at the rescue shes run for nearly 20 years. They are starting to bounce back and be little stinkers and run around, Guyton said. They cant believe there is always food around them. The babies are getting more milk. Guyton was already caring for 24 horses but said she couldnt stand by, knowing that this herd needed help. Now shes asking for help from the public. Were estimating 40 to 60 large rounds (of hay) is what its going to take to feed this herd, she said. At this point, theyve already gone through 10 of my winter hay. Some of the mares were just slightly malnourished, but others were horrendously emaciated, Guyton said. When checked by her veterinarian, they scored from a 2 to 5 on a body condition scale. Six is considered healthy. Guyton said one group of 20 mares is going through a bale of hay a day. A group of nine already in her rescue usually takes a week and a half to go through that amount. These horses are just eating and eating and eating because they dont know when food is going to next appear, she said. They cant get full. Guyton said she needs good grass hay or a grass alfalfa mix. Nursing or pregnant mares cannot eat hay with any fescue or clover. Gage County will eventually reimburse Guyton for her expenses, but she said she needs immediate help because of the condition of the horses. Any hay donated will save the county money. The list of her usual volunteers has been growing since the horses arrived. Others are donating cash. One said, Were just a bunch of cow guys that cant believe how these horses got treated. Guyton plans to start socializing the babies and halter breaking them so they can be worked with, she said, and become good citizens. She expects to be caring for the horses for a minimum of 60 days, standard procedure in a livestock seizure. The Gage County Court will determine the timeline. She said the horses then could be auctioned off. Shes hoping to persuade Gage County officials to instead let her find homes for them. My fear is that at an auction some of these horses will end up back in undesirable situations, she said. Sgt. Tim Hanson, the primary investigator for the Gage County Sheriffs Office, said its a complex case. Sheriff (Millard) Gustafson has taken this case seriously from the very beginning, Hanson said. He called in a investigator from the Nebraska Brand Committee, and his help has been invaluable. He said his office is grateful to Epona and its volunteers for their quick help with the horses. Its been a lot of work, especially in the recent high temperatures, but Guyton is thrilled to see some life in the eyes of the horses again. I am humbled at the outpouring of love and concern toward these gentle souls, she said. This is a huge undertaking, and animal lovers everywhere are reaching out. How to help Online, go to PayPal and donate to eponahorserescue@msn.com, or go to Venmo and search for @horses-rescue. All donations will be reported to Gage County Checks can be made out to Epona Horse Rescue and mailed to : Gage County Sheriff Attention Sgt. Hanson 612 Lincoln Street Suite 1 Beatrice, NE 68301 Horses are being cared for at Epona Rescue LINCOLN Nebraska Auditor Mike Foley has notified the Lincoln Airport Authority that he plans to audit the use of $3 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus funds on a failed airline. In a letter dated Friday that was sent to David Haring, executive director of the Lincoln Airport Authority, Foley said his office had received concerns regarding millions of dollars in funding to Red Way Airlines. Red Way earlier this week announced that it will cease operations at the end of the month after less than three months in business. As part of a deal to start new service at the Lincoln Airport in June, Red Way received a revenue guarantee backed by $3 million in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds $1.5 million each from the county and city. The money was meant to be used to supplement startup losses the airline incurred in its first months. However, former airport authority board member Nick Cusick, who resigned last month, told the Lincoln Journal Star the airline had already used more than $2 million in its first two months of operation. Its not clear whether it will be entitled to any more money. Foley, in his letter, said his office will audit all funding received by Red Way and all expenditures made by the Lincoln Airport Authority on behalf of or in relation to Red Ways Nebraska operations. In a statement, John Olsson, chairman of the airport authority, said the airport already had been planning to do its own audit of the Red Way operations, and the board, looks forward to cooperating with the State Auditor, as well as our community partners the Lancaster County Board and the Lincoln City Council to coordinate all efforts to ensure a transparent audit process moving forward. Red Way was a creative solution the airport came up with after having trouble finding another airline to start service at its newly remodeled and expanded terminal. The airline was technically providing charter service through Global Crossing Airlines, although to customers, it looked and operated like a regular commercial airline. Service began in early June to seven cities, and though the airline seemed to be doing well, flying more than 13,000 total passengers in June and July, it was apparently bleeding money. Red Way used more than $900,000 from the incentive fund in June, and Cusick told the Journal Star it withdrew even more than that in July. What was left was deemed to be not enough to safely get them to the finish line, Cusick said, causing Red Way to make the decision to pull the plug. In a Facebook post Wednesday, Red Way said it faced insurmountable challenges as a small startup, and the compounding of costs and lack of resources have made it impossible for us to sustain operations. The Lancaster County Board issued a written statement Wednesday, saying it is deeply disappointed and troubled at this unexpected and sudden turn of events. The board said there are many unanswered questions regarding the Red Way project, (and it) looks forward to receiving a full accounting of this situation as the Lincoln Airport Authority charts a new path forward to serve our community. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird declined to comment Wednesday. Sgt. Brandi Sullivan of Omaha squinted through her rain-splattered windshield late in the afternoon of May 18, 2019, homeward bound on Interstate 80 west of Gretna after a Saturday of training with her Nebraska Army National Guard unit. The flight medic watched in disbelief as the driver of a car about 100 yards in front of her, a Chevrolet Cruze, lost control in the downpour and plowed through the grassy median into the westbound lanes. Cars swerved and skidded to avoid oncoming vehicle, but one of them, a Chrysler Town & Country minivan heading west through the storm, slammed into it, tearing the Chevy in half. Still in uniform, Sullivan raced across the highway to where a young couple searched frantically for their 4-month-old daughter who had been in an infant carrier in the back seat. Now, the back seat and the baby were gone. I could hear the mother just screaming like Ive never heard before. The father, too, Sullivan, now 31, recalled in an interview last week. She was screaming the babys name. Amila! Amila! Sullivans efforts that day bringing order to a chaotic crash scene, organizing several Good Samaritans who stopped to help, rendering CPR to the youngest victim and comforting the survivors earned her the first Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal. Gov. Jim Pillen authorized the medal in June for Guard members who perform valorous acts while off-duty. He presented it to Sullivan on July 8 during a change-of-command ceremony in Lincoln that saw Brig. Gen. Craig Strong take over as the Nebraska National Guards adjutant general from Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac, who retired. Many acts of heroism are recognized by our military during ... times of war or military engagements where the recipients own life was at risk, Pillen said when he authorized the medal. This award also acknowledges extraordinary acts: those that occur in everyday life and are equally deserving of recognition. Sullivans service is part of a family tradition. She is the youngest of seven children who grew up on a farm near Randolph, in northeast Nebraska. Five of them served in the military, including four in the National Guard. So did her father, Gene Sullivan. (Her mother, Joanne, worked 26 years for the U.S. Postal Service). She enlisted shortly after graduating from Randolph High School in 2010. One of my older brothers led the charge. Some of the rest of us saw the advantages of serving in the Guard, Sullivan said. She earned money to pay for her studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she graduated in 2018 with a degree in nutrition, exercise and health sciences. In civilian life, she works as a project manager at Gallup, a workplace consulting firm with a large presence in Omaha. For one weekend a month and two weeks each year, Sullivan serves as a flight medic with Company G of the 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment. Earlier this month, she traveled with her unit to Michigan to join in field training that included responding to a simulated airplane crash. Sullivans 13-year National Guard career has not yet taken her to a combat zone. But her skills were tested under fire four years ago along I-80. She was driving about two miles west of the Gretna Highway 31 interchange when she witnessed the high-speed collision just in front of her. There was no question she must stop. It was a bad wreck, Sullivan said. I did not know what would be left of the car. She grabbed her first-aid kit. Hearing the screams, she hoped to bring some calm to a scene described later by a first responder as horrific. She did a quick assessment. Adriana Rodriguez, 19, of Scottsbluff, the young mother who had been driving the Chevy, was crying and pointing at the wreckage of the front of her car. (She) didnt know where her baby was, Sullivan said. The back seat wasnt even there. I grabbed her and said, Well find your baby. She ran across the highway to the north shoulder, where another bystander had found Amila, still strapped in her infant seat. It had been thrown about 50 feet from the wreck. Sullivan quickly examined her. The little girl was badly bruised. Blood was coming from her ears. I checked the babys pulse. It was thready, but it was there, she said. I picked her up and ran. Sullivan set up in a grassy area near the parents and tended to little Amila, who was turning blue. Sullivan began chest compressions but continued to give directions to other bystanders to care for the five other injured crash victims. She was so calm, it seemed like she had things under control, said Kristy Hiebner of Henderson, Nebraska, an eyewitness to the crash, in an email to the National Guard. When I saw her pumping on the chest of the baby for CPR, I had to turn away because the sight of the baby made me cry. After about 10 minutes, paramedics arrived at the scene. Sullivan stayed to manage the handoff and help where she was needed. We werent in a great location, she said. Because of the storm, no rescue helicopter could fly to the accident scene. Ambulances took the five adult victims from the two cars to hospitals, and they recovered from their injuries. But Baby Amila did not survive. Sullivan drove home, drained. I had a bit to process, she said. The next day, she returned to finish her weekend Guard drill. Already word had gotten around about her efforts on I-80. From the day of the incident, her National Guard superiors wanted to recognize Sullivan with a medal. Her commander, Capt. Oliver Berglund, gathered statements from several witnesses about her actions at the scene. In one such statement, Lt. Matt Core of the Sarpy County Sheriffs Office described her courageous and selfless in her attempt to save a life. In another, Mike Dvorak, a first responder to the accident, praised her rapid, focused and determined effort. Hiebner described Sullivan as calm & controlled. I was beyond impressed & hope that, if someday I need help, someone just like her would be there to help me! The problem was that her heroic conduct didnt quite fit the criteria for any of the available federal military awards, said Col. Dan Benes, the G1 personnel director for the Nebraska Army National Guard. The Soldiers Medal is awarded for heroism off the battlefield only when the service member faces personal hazard or danger and risk of life. The Bronze Star with a V device for valor is reserved for bravery in combat. The Meritorious Service Medal rewards outstanding work over a whole military tour, not an act of courage on a single day. We didnt have a (state) award that covered that, Benes said. So Bohac asked the governor to create the Nebraska National Guard Heroism Medal. Presenting it to Sullivan was the last act of his 10-year term as the adjutant general. Sullivans parents and other family members attended the award ceremony. I know they were pretty proud, she said. She said she was honored to be the first to receive the medal, but that was tempered by the loss of a young life on the highway, despite her efforts. I was given the award, but it was arguably the worst day of peoples lives, Sullivan said. The most positive memory from that stormy day was being part of a group of strangers who pulled together to help out in a terrible situation. Knowing that I could give back in a small way, it was really rewarding, Sullivan said. I felt like I was in the right place at the right time. Through the years: Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac as adjutant general of the Nebraska National Guard EL PASO A variety of weather events left some farmers scratching their heads this spring wondering if they should replant corn or soybeans this year. With harvest not far off, they will soon know if they made the right decision. Farmers may be prompted to consider replanting because of flooding, drought, hail, frost or other factors that would affect the crop. Now, work underway at the Practical Farm Research site operated by seed company Beck's in El Paso aims to help with the guesswork. As part of a long-term project, agronomists are trying to establish guidelines to help farmers make the right economic decisions about replanting in specific cases. For example, analysis of hail-damaged soybeans at the El Paso farm shows that it is better not to replant in most situations, said Keith Ehnle, Becks Practical Farm Research lead. Often, the advantage gained by early planting is a key factor to consider. Soybeans are resilient, he said. So far, the research has shown that not replanting is the right decision most of the time. That lines up with anecdotal evidence exchanged by farmers on a tour of plots on Aug. 10, an occasion that allowed them to exchange stories about their own experiences. Several agreed that they typically do not replant, having seen badly damaged crops bounce back fairly well. Sometimes patching certain areas is a good choice, they said. To simulate hail, researchers at the El Paso farm use a contraption with knotted ropes to beat up the corn and soybeans at various times. To mimic the effect of frost, they burn the leaves. The agronomists also tried applying fungicides and stress mitigators to help the damaged crops rebound, an effort that did not bring much benefit. There was no yield bump, Ehnle said. "It doesnt pay." One farmer suggested treating damaged crops with sugar water. Ehnle said that might be worth looking into for further research. In the decision about whether or not to replant corn, timing is also a factor, especially considering the developmental stage of the corn plant, he said. As for frost, the studies showed that when the frost is early, in some cases it pays to replant corn, but usually it doesnt. Other research taking place at the El Paso site includes work centered on cover crops, fertilizer placement, nitrogen timing, fungicide use and planting dates. BLOOMINGTON The Soil and Water Outcomes Fund has added 34 Illinois counties to its area of eligible cropland for 2023. This now makes all Illinois farmers eligible for enrollment in the program, which is a leading agriculture ecosystem services program. The fund provides payment to farmers for environmental outcomes that result from implementing conservation practices. In 2022, the fund provided an average of $34 per acre to farmers who transitioned to on-farm conservation that yielded outcomes like carbon sequestration and water quality improvements. New conservation practices that qualify could include tillage reductions, implementing cover crops and extending crop rotations. The Illinois Soybean Association believes Illinois farmers will also see soil improvements. Visit theoutcomesfund.com or contact contactus@theoutcomesfund.com for more information. CHICAGO A year is an awfully long time to spend planning a party. Unless youre trying to drum up $90 million to pay for it. Chicagos turn in the national spotlight hosting the Democratic National Convention starts in fewer than 365 days. Organizers hosting the event are already looking ahead to the made-for-TV gala, and have begun leaning on corporations and wealthy donors in Illinois and across the nation to help cover the costs. For Chicago Democrats and Gov. J.B. Pritzker, its time to deliver on their promise that they can come up with the cash they pledged to finance the spectacle that will unfold between Aug. 19 and Aug. 22, 2024, at the United Center and McCormick Place. Pritzker who promised the Democratic National Committee the convention would be debt-free as a selling point when Chicago was vying against New York and Atlanta to host it sounded confident recently about the cash flow trajectory and the overall convention vibes. Amid concerns his own personal wealth would give other potential Democratic donors alligator arms as they wait for him to pick up the convention tab, the billionaire governor said lots of people are cutting checks, and that wont be a problem. Fundraising is going very well. It is, Pritzker said at the recent Illinois State Fair. Ive made some of those calls. I can tell you. Things are going very well. Were pleased. We know what pace weve got to be on to meet the deadline. I am absolutely satisfied. Although DNC officials would not say exactly how much theyve raised so far, many involved in putting on the convention acknowledge theres still quite a way to go to get to the goal of a little over $90 million. Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor and a key Democratic ally, said that while the total amount needed is large, individual donors want to be able to say they were in on the convention. People across the board know how important this upcoming election is going to be, Reiter said. They also want to be part of whats going to be an incredible economic event for the city of Chicago thats really going to put the city on display. A person close to the convention organizing effort said donors have been stepping up, and fundraising will ramp up after Labor Day. The donations so far have come from a broad base of contributors locally and across the country, said the convention official who declined to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak on the matter. The moves further boost the feeling among organizers they will reach their goal, even though everyone involved knows $90 million will be a big lift and all involved need to continue to keep the fundraising pressure on until they get there. People have been contributing regardless of the governors wealth, which has been a non-factor in the fundraising drive, just as it was in convincing the Democratic National Committee to select Chicago for the once-every-four-years event, the convention leader said. Rather, Democrats want to be in Chicago because the city and the state of Illinois exemplify the diversity and the policy priorities the party wants to highlight in the presidential election, the official said. Still, the task is daunting. The $90 million target for Chicago 2024 is unprecedented. When Chicago last hosted the Democrats, in 1996, organizers raised a total of around $32 million, a mix of corporate cash and in-kind donations, and contributions from the city and state. In Philadelphia in 2016 the last presidential election year in which the party conventions were in-person before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the 2020 festivities to go virtual the Democratic convention committee raised around $70 million. About $10 million of that came in the form of a grant from the state of Pennsylvania. And Democrats this year are desperate to avoid the financial shortfall from the Charlotte 2012 convention, when the host committee raised $24 million, and then had to borrow $8 million afterward from an energy company to cover additional costs. Meanwhile, Republicans are shooting to raise around $70 million for their 2024 convention in Milwaukee. The discrepancy in part can be attributed to higher costs in Chicago. Democrats also pledged to use union labor to set up and run the convention at the United Center and McCormick Place, as well as at hotels where conventioneers stay, with national and local Democratic officials joining Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson here last month to herald the signing of the labor-peace agreement to showcase their allies in labor. Those across-the-board union wages will drive up the bottom line. Yet for Chicagoans in neighborhoods that have long struggled particularly parts of the West Side in the shadow of the United Center the fear remains that theyll get left out. They worry the big party to nominate President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for a second term will descend for four days next August, then depart without giving them a shot at a share of the host convention funds that will go toward paying companies and their employees to build the convention sets, host parties and transport delegates, set up the technology infrastructure for the media frenzy, put up tens of thousands of attendees in hotels and lease offices for the many Democratic functionaries who will run the event. Chicago officials have pledged to make it a top priority to get West Side residents a seat at the convention table. Promising to help underserved Chicagoans see some of the money makes political sense at this point in the planning process, however, it likely will remain unclear how well the Democrats delivered on that promise until after theyve left town. Johnson has made his residency in the West Side Austin neighborhood central to his identity as a mayor whos committed to lifting up communities that have long gotten short shrift. At the signing of the convention labor peace agreement with union leaders and Democratic Party officials, Johnson said the convention in particular presents an opportunity to help Chicagoans in majority Black and Latino communities whove frequently been shafted, because everyone associated with the event is committed to making sure that neighborhoods that have experienced disinvestment that there is real assurance with the execution of our agreement. Late last week, Johnson reiterated that to take advantage of the convention platform and show Chicago is a world-class city means we must look for every possible opportunity to integrate all of Chicago, and every corner of this city, into this convention. Thankfully, there is alignment among all of us stakeholders including longtime friends of Chicago at the Democratic National Committee in Washington to uplift and highlight our great city, he said in a statement to the Tribune. U.S. Rep, Danny Davis, who represents much of the West Side, has pledged he and other members of Illinois Washington delegation will press the Democratic National Committee to secure Black businesses dont get left behind when contracts and jobs are awarded ahead of the event. Convention Chair and Chicago native Minyon Moore added her voice to the chorus Thursday, issuing a statement promising were committed to ensuring communities across Chicago feel as though they are a part of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. As someone who grew up on Chicagos Southside and have worked with many community leaders on the Westside, I understand the opportunity this poses, particularly for communities that have been underserved, Moore said. The Democratic Party believes in equity and opportunity, and were bringing those values with us to Chicago. But there have been precious few specifics, and the clock is ticking. August 2024 will be here in no time at all. Tribune reporter Jeremy Gorner contributed. Photos: Illinois State Fair political days through the years 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2015 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2008 State Fair 2009 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2005 State Fair 2004 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2003 State Fair 2006 State Fair 2007 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2018 State Fair 2012 State Fair 2021 State Fair 2021 State Fair Gov. J.B. Pritzker has taken some heat for vetoing legislation to eliminate the states decades-old moratorium on constructing new nuclear power reactors. Pritzker was asked about the topic again last week and he said he would sign a version of the bill if it limited new construction to only what are called small modular reactors (SMRs). Small modular reactors are very beneficial, Pritzker told reporters, noting that the technology wasnt yet ready to deploy. They do seem to work very well, and they do seem to be safe, but theyre going to be several years of testing yet ahead. Asked how he could be confident of stopping a veto override, he said many legislators didnt know that the bill had been changed. In the last week, things go very quickly, Gov. Pritzker said about the end of spring legislative sessions. It isnt known to every legislator that an amendment actually made a major change, not just a minor change. But legislators who shepherded the bill through the General Assembly have taken umbrage with the governors claim, noting that nine days passed between the final amendments introduction and the Houses floor vote. They also claimed they worked the final bill hard, and members were fully aware of what was going on. Senate Bill 76 as originally introduced by Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) wouldve opened the door specifically to SMRs. Pritzker indicated last week he wouldve signed something similar to that bill into law had it not been so significantly changed. I believe strongly that we should bring small modular reactors to Illinois, he claimed. But Sen. Rezin then amended her bill to delete her previous SMR regulatory language and limited it to merely deleting the states longstanding nuclear moratorium language. Rezins bill was further amended in the House by Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa) to add in language requiring that all new nuke plants be an advanced nuclear reactor as defined in federal law. The governor claims drafting it that way would open the door to large-scale nuclear power plants, which he opposes. Others hotly dispute this notion, including Sen. Rezin. The problem for Pritzker is that the bill passed the House with a strong, bipartisan majority of 84 votes, which is far more than the 71 needed to override his veto. The Senate, on the other hand, voted 36-14 to concur on Yednocks amendment, the bare minimum needed for an override. Sen. Rezin told a local radio station last week that House Speaker Chris Welch, has indicated he will not be calling the bill. Pritzkers veto message declared he vetoed the bill, at the request of the leadership team of the Speaker of the House and advocates. But the House Speaker himself has made no such public comments on the legislation, and a Welch spokesperson told me, Were going to put this to the caucus before any decision is made for an override. The amendment in the House was in direct response to concerns expressed by the governor, so this really came out of left field for everyone, Senate Republican Leader John Curran told a reporter last week. Others have claimed the same thing. But a review of email messages between the bills sponsors and others show only one from the governors office, and that email was a simple thanks for giving the office a heads up about Rep. Yednocks House amendment. Senator Rezin and I spoke with the governor in the spring, said Rep. Yednock. He said he was supportive of nuclear. I cant say there was more than that. Sen. Rezin (R-Morris) said she and Yednock met with the governor for half an hour in the spring and the governor said he agreed with the concept of lifting the moratorium to make way for Small Modular Reactors. Some of the nuclear energy proponents Ive spoken with do seem to realize that if the governor successfully stops a veto override, their issue may stall out and even disappear. The governor does appear to be playing both sides on this topic. The House Speakers staff, after all, was involved with the amendments drafting, so proponents believe the governor was looped in all along. Some environmentalists dont want anything to do with any nuclear restart, small or large. So, the governor can appease them with the veto, but still publicly claim to be on the side of a zero carbon energy source. If he is bluffing, nuke proponents should call it, run a new bill that makes their intentions clear and put it on his desk. The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) has intensified its drive to impact the lives of Ghanaians especially in deprived areas with its educational and social infrastructure support projects. The Amenfi West and Wassa East Districts in the Western Regions are the latest to benefit from the National Oil Companys benevolence. On Thursday, and on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation. Opoku-Ahweneeh Danquah, a 3-unit classroom block each was handed over to the Yepimso and Ohiapenika communities in the Amenfi West District to help improve the quality of education there. GNPC Foundations Executive Director, Dr. Dominic Kwesi Eduah representing the Corporation CEO said, these classrooms blocks will not only enhance learning but also save lives of the teachers and pupils as the old facilities built with clay were not only obsolete but also dilapidated. Same in that district, GNPC handed another 12-seater sanitary facility at Mumuni Camp. The GNPC team next stop was the Wassa East District where a 6-unit classroom block built for the Atobiase D/A Basic School was handed-over to the chiefs and people there. On behalf of O-A Danquah, the Foundations Executive Director noted that this intervention would bring relief to the Atobiase community. He added that GNPC will continue to place premium on the strong relationship it has with the Western Region and its resolve to help the region see a major facelift will not be shaken. Dr. Dominic Kwesi Eduah said the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation has so far ensured that all 13 districts in the region have benefited from one project or the other ranging from Astro Turfs, dormitories, classroom blocks, sanitary facilities, laboratories, boreholes, artisans training, scholarships, among others. The Nifahene of Wassa Atobiase Nana Bukuro II, flanked by his Queen Mother, Nana Yaa Frimpomaa II, thanked GNPC for the facility and reiterated that pupils from this school who studied in a dilapidated structure were the best in the district in the previous BECE and with new edifice, they will be the best in the region in the years ahead. Representing the District Director of Education for the Wassa East District, the School Improvement Support Officer (SISO) Michael Akuleye thanked GNPC for the fully furnished state-of-the-art classroom unit adding that it will enhance teaching and learning. He charged the pupils to study hard to achieve high academic laurels. In attendance were the Headteacher for the school, Mr Edward Appiah, Assembly Member for Wassa Atobiase electoral area, Hon John Kankah Amoah, who represented the District Chief Executive for Wassa East, the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Acquah and Head Pastor for the Church of Pentecost for Wassa Atobiase, Pastor Godwill Kuseini. 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 Bernard Allotey Jacobs has fired salvoes at the Minority in Parliament over their persistent demand for the removal of the Governor of Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr. Ernest Addison and his deputies. The Minority has served notice to picket the BoG if the Governor and the deputies do not resign within 21 days. Accusations They accuse the Governors of mismanaging the bank, hence incurring 60 billion losses. The Bank of Ghana recorded a staggering loss of GHS60.8 billion, which is equivalent to $6 billion. This is twice the amount we are to receive from our recent IMF bailout, the Minority said at their Moment of Truth engagement with the media days ago. They added; The bank has also recorded a negative equity of over GHS55.1 billion. What this simply means is that the Bank of Ghana is insolvent" and blamed the incumbent government stating "the once prestigious Bank of Ghana, the mother of all banks in Ghana, has been bankrupted and collapsed by this NPP economic management team led by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with the complicity of the Governor of the Central Bank. Clarifications The Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Addison, setting the record straight, says the BoG's 60 billion loss was a timely intervention to rescue Ghana from collapsing resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war. "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", he said, adding that "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". He also recounted that "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" and asserted that "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". The Minority still holds their position and readying to picket the bank in protest against the Governors. Minority Has No Power But the former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Allotey Jacobs says the Minority "do not have that power to remove the Governor and his two deputies". To him, what the Minority should rather be doing is to engage the Governor to disabuse their minds of the misconceptions and notions of misdemeanor instead of they threatenig to picket the bank. "They should be serious. There are various avenues for them to invite the man, sit with the man and then get some kind of explanation from him like he has done," he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show. "If Ghana's economy had collapsed, would they go to Parliament? Would they be receiving their salaries?", he blasted the Minority. Allotey Jacobs however advised the BoG management to also be proactive in their interaction with the public to dispel the illusions about them and the bank. "I believe the Governor and his two deputies, they will take a lesson out of this. Next time any issue that will crop up from somewhere, they will quickly react on 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 Sylvester Tetteh, the Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie- Amanfro and a member of Alan Kyerematen's campaign team, says the 90% score prediction by some people for their favorite presidential aspirant during Saturday's election of the New Patriotic Party will come to no fruition. Some campaign team members of the various aspirants have made their wishes for their candidates to be among the top five at the end of the Special Delegates Congress on Saturday. Dennis Miracles, Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, endorsing Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to lead the New Patriotic Party foretold the outcome of the elections, stating "with all the work Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has done and with all the support that the party people and their belief in his principles and message, I doubt if Dr. Bawumia will do less than 80 percent. I think he should do between 80 to 90%". But to Hon. Sylvester Tetteh, it is not possible for any candidate to win by such huge margin. "People will be disappointed in their expectations", he told Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo". He however believed the former Trade Minister is the right choice for the party to win the next general elections. "In the face of all the challenges that the party is facing, Alan Kyerematen will be the savior for our party, come 2024", he emphasized. 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 Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has finally unveiled his list of aspirants who will make it to the top at the Special Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party this Saturday. Mr. Pratt, joining Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" panel discussion programme Friday morning, revealed his top three candidates namely the Assin Central MP, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former Trade Minister, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen. According to him, these three will win the elections by high margins and the remaning two to make the list will only poll insignificant votes. "Whether you like it or not, you cry or not, by tomorrow; only three people will get the majority of votes. Kennedy Agyapong, Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen; they will get more than 50% of the votes. In fact, they may even get more than 80 percent of the votes...The rest will compete for less than 50 percent of the votes", he said. Over 900 delegates are expected to partake in the Special Delegates Congress across the sixteen Regions plus the party's headquarters. Five out of the ten candidates vying for the presidential slot of the NPP will be selected to compete in the party's main election on November 4 where over 200000 delegates will vote to elect their flagbearer. 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 The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has commenced its Super Delegates Conference which is being held in all the 16 regional capitals across the country as well as the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra. The final collation will take place at the EC headquarters in Accra. In all, 958 delegates, which includes: the National Council, National Executive Committee (NEC), regional executive committees, members of the National Council of Elders, Members of Parliament, three representatives of each of the special organs of the party, past national officers, three representatives each from every external branch (27 branches in all), and founder members at the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC), will be voting in today's election. The Super Delegates conference will see the 10 presidential aspirants contesting for the NPP flagbearership position, trimmed to five, ahead of the crucial national conference scheduled to take place on November 4, 2023. Aspirants The 10 aspirants are: Alan Kyerematen, former Trade Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Former Agriculture Minister, Kennedy Agyapong, MP for Assin Central, Joe Ghartey, former Railways Minister, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, former NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Poku, an energy expert, and Boakye Agyarko, former Energy Minister. The rest are: Kofi Konadu Apraku, former Trade Minister, Francis Addai Nimoh, former Member of Parliament for Mampong and Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. Meanwhile, there's a heavy police presence at the various voting centres to maintain law and order. 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 A new political party has been launched, with a call on Ghanaians to join in their numbers to build a new and better Ghana ahead of the 2024 election. The Interim General Secretary of PRM, Edward Adade, made the call at a news conference in Accra to outline the vision of the new political party. The party has a lion as its symbol, and Adade explained that it portrays the strength to defend the country against abuse and destruction of state resources by anybody in high or low places. Peoples Redemption Movement (PRM), the leadership of the party said it sought to renew and restore the hope of Ghanaians in this moment of great fear, despair and anxiety that has gripped the psyche of the nation. He said the symbol also signified royalty, dignity and respect for Ghanaians and the values of the nation which has the motto: Open Government for Real Development, with black, red and white as its colours. In conformity with established standards, our abbreviation is PRM but we prefer to be known to the public by the acronym alternative, PEREMO, Adade said. He added that in conformity with the movements motto, nothing would be hidden from the people of Ghana, saying we believe that we shall gain nothing if we amass wealth in corruption, stealing and dissipation of the nations wealth, but if we work in honesty and openness to protect the nations resources it would benefit the people of Ghana. Adade said with recent developments on the countrys political landscape and the re-emergence of military coups in West Africa, there was the need for a new movement to restore hope to Ghanaians. He indicated that the re-establishment of a democratic constitutional rule as a preeminent political organisation in 1992 had caused a political turn that rotated between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Adade, however, indicated that after 30 years of the democratic experiment, Ghanaians had become disillusioned with the unprecedented levels of corruption, unemployment, insecurity, wanton dissipation of state resources and poverty that threatened the stability of the countrys democracy. That, he explained, had led to Ghanaians demand for a new political movement for restoration of hope for a better society of peace, openness, justice and selflessness to promote real development in Ghana. Adade said the movement had obtained its provisional certificate from the Electoral Commission (EC) to operate in the country, and was yet to proceed to elect its executives, adding: we already have our interim executive, so after we have officially announced our existence, we will unveil our executives. He said the movement was serious about its decision to contest the 2024 presidential elections as it had made available to the EC all the relevant documentation to guarantee its certification. Source: Prince Baffour Asamoah/Peace FM Newsroom 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 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: Side view of the crater Moltke taken from Apollo 10. Credit: Public Domain India became the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon's south pole after Russia's attempt at a lunar touch down in the same area ended in failure following an engine malfunction. Chandrayaan-3India's spacecraft that launched last monthachieved a soft landing at 6:04 p.m. local time on Wednesday, after Russia's Luna-25 crashed into the moon on Sunday. A rover, named Pragyan, or wisdom, is set to analyze the chemical makeup of the moon's surface and search for water over the course of one lunar day, which is equivalent to 14 days on Earth. India is the second country, along with China, to have an operating rover on the moon. A successful touch down lifts India's prestige in the global space race, after the country suffered a setback from a failed moon mission in 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to bolster the country's place among the world's space faring nations and in June India signed the Artemis Accords, a U.S.-backed initiative with more than two dozen other countries to govern joint missions and civilian space exploration. Vikram, Chandrayaan-3's lander, has been trending on X, formerly known as Twitter, as billionaire industrialists and Bollywood actors eagerly awaited the historic moment. Schools urged students across the world's most-populous nation to watch the live event and commemorate the landmark mission, while some prayed in mosques and temples for a successful landing. Shares of 13 Indian space-sector companies, including PTC Industries Ltd., Zen Technologies Ltd. and Centum Electronics Ltd., rallied and added more than $2.5 billion in market value this week, according to data complied by Bloomberg. The water ice present in the moon's unchartered south pole has also piqued the interest of space voyaging countries, including the U.S. and China. It could be a crucial drinking, breathing and rocket fuel resource to advance human space exploration deeper into the solar system. The U.S. space agency's mission, Artemis III, plans to send the first humans to explore the area near the south pole in 2025. China is also seeking to build a research station near the region and place astronauts on the moon by 2030. Japan has an uncrewed mission planned for launch on Aug. 26. India has other space efforts slated. The country will soon launch a mission, called Aditya L1, for a detailed solar study. A Venus mission is also on the Indian Space Research Organisation's agenda, Modi said after the landing. The agency plans to demonstrate human spaceflight capability through its Gaganyaan mission, which will launch crew members into an orbit of 400 kilometers (249 miles) for three days before bringing them back safely to Earth. India's space agency and NASA have agreed to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station. The South Asian nation is also in discussions with Japan to work on a moon mission together. 2023 Bloomberg L.P. 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 Global trade is important and brings many benefits. But trade can also spread pests and pathogens that harm agricultural crops and the natural environment. For farmers and exporters, identifying the best combination of measures to prevent the spread of pests and diseases is complex. Particularly, in order to comply to the different needs of trading partners. A new science-backed menu of measures aims to make this easier. The tool has been developed through the Trusted Agrifood Exports Mission in partnership with Hort Innovation. It will help keep trade flowing and open up new markets for Australia, while protecting biosecurity. What's on the menu? CSIRO's Rieks Van Klinken, leads research and development on market access for the Trusted Agrifood Exports Mission. Dr. Klinken and his team conducted a global review to see what biosecurity measures are being used, how these measures reduce plant pest risk, and how their effectiveness is demonstrated. "We found only 39 different types of measures," Dr. Van Klinken said. "Many are underutilized because they don't have adequate scientific, trade and regulatory frameworks in place. As a result, market access agreements often rely on just a few, well-known measures." The menu raises awareness of the wider range of risk mitigation options that could be used. Regulators have tended to rely on a limited range of measuressuch as fumigation or cold treatment. The menu highlights many other options. These may be more compatible with contemporary supply chains and could reduce reliance on harsh chemical treatments, for example. Trialing biosecurity measures from the menu In a recent trial, growers in New South Wales and Victoria used a mix of measures from the menu to produce more than 17,000 tons of cherries. The trial detected no Queensland fruit flies in 70 consignments for trade to South Australia and Western Australia. So rather than following a program of "calendar spraying," growers can monitor pests and beneficial insects on farm and respond with sprays only as necessary. This integrated pest and disease management can reduce chemical use while still managing biosecurity risks. Another example highlights how Australia could get produce to markets in Asia faster. Producers could use in-field crop monitoring with optical scanning at the packing stage, instead of longer traditional processes such as fumigation. This would allow premium quality fruit to reach Asian markets within 24 to 48 hours of picking. Making the export supply chain faster and smoother with more streamlined biosecurity measures could improve our competitiveness in premium markets, grow export volumes and bring greater returns for Australia. It's something many export industries are looking at to boost returns using innovation and technology. For example, the cherry industry has set itself the target of exporting 40% of production by 2025, up from 23% of production exported last financial year. Credit: CSIRO Harnessing technology in agricultural production and supply chains "We developed the tool to help regulators and trading partners recognize and quantify the things that farmers already do to reduce risk. "For example, we could extend the use of optical scanning imaging technology in fruit grading to also find and remove infested fruit. "The menu can help drive innovation and opportunities to harness commercial practices and supply chain technologies that can contribute to biosecurity. "This is transformational biosecurity beyond some of the usual options for reducing trade-related biosecurity risks, such as fumigation of fresh produce and checking produce shipments at borders," he said. Building the science behind plant biosecurity "We want to keep improving the science-base for plant biosecurity. "We also want to build international agreement on how to demonstrate the effectiveness of risk management measuresespecially for the lesser-known measures or options arising from newer technologies. "This could help increase international trade opportunities for Australian exporters while reducing plant pest risks," Dr. Van Klinken said. "Australian farmers are already doing a great job at producing fresh produce that is free of pests and diseases. "Ultimately we want to give producers a wider range of management options to efficiently reduce biosecurity risks that are recognized for both interstate and international trade," he said. On a mission to further grow trust in Australia's agrifood exports Development of the menu of measures tool is a key outcome from the Trusted Agrifood Exports Mission. The Mission is a partnership between CSIRO, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Meat & Livestock Australia to digitally transform Australia's agrifood supply chain and grow export premiums across commodities. Together we're aiming to boost the global export earnings of Australian grown food by 2030 through tools and technologies that verify our food quality, safety and sustainability credentials. As a next step, a comprehensive digital resource is being developed in collaboration with biosecurity specialists in the Australian and state governments to provide more detail about each measure in the menu and what evidence is required to support their use in trade arrangements. Explore the interactive menu of measures prototype. Or find out more about CSIRO's work on managing plant biosecurity risks related to trade. Provided by CSIRO 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 new research suggests that leaf death could become a new factor in the predicted "tipping point" where tropical forests transition due to climate change and deforestation into savannah-like landscapes. Global warming is driving leafy tropical canopies close to temperatures where they can no longer transform sunlight and CO 2 into energy, threatening total collapse if the thermometer keeps climbing, according to a study Thursday. A tiny percentage of upper canopy leaves have already crossed that threshold, reaching temperatures so highabove 47 degrees Celsiusas to prevent photosynthesis, the study published in Nature reported. Currently, some leaves exceed such critical temperatures only 0.01 percent of the time, but impacts could quickly scale up because leaves warm faster than air, the researchers said. "You heat the air by two to three degrees and the actual upper temperature of these leaves goes up by eight degrees," lead author Christopher Doughty of Northern Arizona University told journalists. If tropical forest's average surface temperature warms 4C above current levelswidely considered a worst-case scenario"we're predicting possible total leaf death," he said. The new research suggests that leaf death could become a new factor in the predicted "tipping point" whereby tropical forests transition due to climate change and deforestation into savannah-like landscapes. If air temperatures increase unabated by 0.03 C per year, the study projected, mass mortality among the canopies could happen in a little more than a century. Doughty and his team used data from the NASA ECOSTRESS satellitedesigned to measure plant temperaturesvalidated with ground observations, based in part on sensors attached to individual leaves. Increased tree death There remain uncertainties as to how high leaf temperatures might impact the forest as a whole, the scientists cautioned. "Believe it or not, we don't know terribly much about why trees die," said co-author Gregory Goldsmith of Chapman University. It doesn't take a scientist to know that when a tree loses its roots it dies, he said. But the interactions and feedbacks between heat and droughtand water and temperatureon overall tree health aren't as clear. Map showing the current forest area in the Amazon and the deforestation since 2000. Total leaf death might not necessarily mean total tree death. The critical temperature at which leaves turn brown and die might also differ by species, depending on the size and thickness of their leaves and the breadth of their canopy. But there are already concerning signs. In the Amazon, where temperatures are higher than in other tropical forests, the rate at which trees are dying has increased in recent decades. "The Amazon is currently experiencing higher levels of mortality than Central Africa and that could possibly be due to the high temperatures we've seen there," said Doughty. Increased fragmentation of the forests from deforestation has also been shown to make the remaining forest areas warmer. Tropical biomes contain 45 percent of the Earth's forests, and play an outsized role in absorbing human-caused carbon pollution. They also harbor half or more of the world's plant biodiversity, with at least 40,000 different tree species, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The fact that a few leaves are overheating at current temperatures is a "canary in the coal mine," said senior author Joshua Fisher of Chapman University. "You want to be able to detect something happening before it's widespread," he said. "The fact that we can do that now gives us that ability to actually do something as a collective society." Scientists not involved in the study said it should serve as a warning that nature's capacity to adapt to climate change has limits. "It is true that trees and other kinds of vegetation can soak up emissions and provide cooling," commented Leslie Mabon, a lecturer in environmental systems at The Open University. "However, this study illustrates that without concerted action by humans to reduce emissions and limit global heating at the same time as protecting and enhancing nature, some functions of nature may start to break down at higher temperatures." More information: Christopher E. Doughty et al, Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds, Nature (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06391-z Journal information: Nature 2023 AFP ATLANTIC CITY Being the first-born children of Mexican immigrants, and a first-generation Mexican immigrant, is what gave Cristian, Irvin and Victor Moreno the motivation to make life better for the local Hispanic community. Through their individual efforts like Cristian Morenos role as executive director of El Pueblo Unido, which the Moreno family formed in 2019; Irvin Morenos run for Pleasantville City Council; and Victor Morenos work at Atlantic Cape Community College the Moreno family is striving to improve the quality of life for Hispanics on multiple levels. By working together, the Moreno brothers (Victor Moreno is actually Cristian and Irvins uncle, but they all consider themselves siblings because they were raised together) make an effort to fill a gap in immigrant services to the community. No ones fighting for us. It doesnt feel like theres an organization for the pueblo, by the pueblo, for the people like us, said Cristian Moreno, 28. So, we actually said lets do something, lets form an organization thats more grassroots in nature. Like more working-class oriented, more hands on, and solely focused on justice and dignity. Irvin Moreno said Cristians philosophy is marching and raising up their arms, protesting right away and taking action at a moments notice, such as helping families displaced by fires, or advocating for justice in the case of Irving Mayren-Guzmans death last year. Mayren-Guzman, 19, of Egg Harbor Township, went missing in January 2021 after going to a Pleasantville strip club. He was found dead in the marshes just feet away from the club a few days later. As authorities investigated, eventually charging three men with aggravated assault, Cristian Moreno was instrumental in organizing marches, gatherings and rallies focused on justice for the young man. Irvin Moreno, 29, has been assistant director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University since 2019, as well as a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education the past two years. Hes the one thats good with filing paperwork, getting in touch with resources, said Victor Moreno, who added Irvin was also the familys voice of wisdom. Atlantic City councilwoman takes slim lead in primary race Atlantic City Councilwoman LaToya Dunston has taken a slim lead over challenger Viana Vivi Victor Moreno, 35, has been working at Atlantic Cape for 16 years. He currently holds the title of senior manager of special projects for its Department of Student Affairs. His focus is on making sure the voices of the Latino community are heard and considered. I think in general, the Latino community is very underrepresented, said Victor Moreno, an Atlantic City resident. From 1990 to 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in New Jersey has almost doubled from 12.5% to 23%, according to state immigration data collected by the Migration Policy Institute. In Atlantic City, the Hispanic-Latino community makes up 31.6% of the population and is the second largest demographic in the city. Thats higher than the county and states percentage of roughly 21%, according to census data. El Pueblo Unido has advocated for reform on immigrant justice issues since 2017. The nonprofits first major event was rallying at the Statehouse in Trenton for undocumented immigrants right to get a driver license, which the state passed into law Dec. 19, 2019. Since then, El Pueblo Unido has held multiple events for the Latino community at bodegas like La Cosecha in Pleasantville and La Villita in Atlantic City, and churches like Our Lady Star of the Sea and the Parish of St. Monicas, both in Atlantic City. The group also organizes food distribution events, English as a second language instruction, voter registration, information sessions for NJ Dreamers, health insurance information and student aid assistance. Here's when we'll know the final numbers on Tuesday's primary Votes will be counted through at least June 13 to determine the winners in two close races in the June 6 primary election in Atlantic County. Collaborating with Atlantic Cape and Stockton, as well as local organizations like the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County, and through grant funding from Thrive AC and the Atlantic City Community Fund, the group has made strides. The Moreno family is invaluable to the community, said Bert Lopez, president of the Hispanic Association, adding the Morenos have served on the associatons board. Theyve been a great asset to Atlantic City and Atlantic County. Lopez started his initial work with the family through their dad (and Victors oldest brother), Nefaki Moreno. Their early efforts focused on bringing folkloric dance and music to schools. To this day, the Hispanic Association continues to work with Nefaki Moreno through the nonprofit he founded in 2010, Organizacion Azteca. Nefaki has always been involved with spreading knowledge of his Mexican culture and heritage to the community, Lopez said. Nefaki Moreno recognized these needs from his own struggles when he immigrated to Atlantic City from Putla, a city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, more than 30 years ago. In the 90s, there was a lot of work, said Nefaki Moreno about the boom in jobs from Atlantic Citys casino industry. He took up a friends invite to come to the States in 1989. Pleasantville councilwoman has slim lead over challenger PLEASANTVILLE A fixture in city politics has built a narrow edge over a community organize The first years are always the hardest because you leave your family, friends, kids the food just to start a new life, said Nefaki Moreno. The language barrier is the biggest struggle you have to overcome, because you need to know English to find a job and communicate with people. Nefakis arrival led to a form of chain migration that opened the door to other family members, like his brother Victor, as well as other people from their small village in Oaxaca. One of those others was Maria Rodriguez, who became Nefakis wife after they met in Atlantic City (they didnt know each other in Mexico). The desire to help improve their community was a torch Nefaki Moreno passed down to his sons, Cristian and Irvin, and to Victor. All of them believe theres more work to be done. At the moment, that includes creating a community survey with Stockton that would help them address the needs of the local Hispanic community more effectively. In the future, the Moreno family would like to have a brick-and-mortar building for El Pueblo Unido, which could act as a multipurpose community center. And Irvin Moreno might try again to run as an elected official since he only lost in his Democratic ward primary by about 32 votes. But thats if the people call for it, he said. For a long time, it feels like weve only been putting out fires, said Irvin Moreno. So we want to go from reactive to proactive, and sort of get down to the root cause of these issues and figure out the best way to manage our time, our resources and now with this funding, our grants and our money. ATLANTIC CITY The new president of Stockton University still vividly remembers how an administrator at the University at Scranton, a Jesuit institution, helped him through a difficult time as a student there. I lived off campus, I was actually in the seminary ... but I had decided not to continue (toward becoming a priest), said President Joe Bertolino, 59, in an interview this week. It was senior week ... I didnt want to stay in the seminary, I wanted to be on campus with my friends. So he approached the vice president of student affairs for help. Ill never forget it. He gave me the key to a room, then called down to food service and said, I want you to give this kid a meal plan for the week so he can enjoy the last week on campus before graduation, said Bertolino, known on campus as President Joe. That act of kindness, feeling so welcomed and valued at Scranton, along with experiences working summers as a camp counselor for what is now the YMCA of the Pines, helped to shape his career, he said. I had no idea at the time that two decades later I would be a vice president of student affairs, he said, and then go on to be president of three institutions of higher education. Bertolino has been in the Stockton job since July 1, and says he is still learning about the school and community. People keep asking what his priorities will be for Stockton, but he cant answer that yet and it wouldnt be right to try, he said. I think its presumptuous. ... Ive been here for six weeks. If I were someone who has been at Stockton a very long time Id be offended, said Bertolino, who grew up in Camden County and summered in Ocean City. One thing he does know, he would like to refocus on the Galloway Township campus, and work with the community to decide what the Atlantic City campus will be. We spent a great deal of time and money on the Atlantic City campus, which is important, but I dont want people to forget the Galloway campus, he said. I want to make sure we are investing time and attention to our main campus, and clearly defining what the Atlantic City campus should be and needs to be for the city, the university and the state. Stockton has formed a working group to look into enhancing its impact on Atlantic City, made up of members of the schools Board of Trustees, alumni, business and community leaders, as well as students, faculty and staff. The primary task of the group will be hiring an experienced firm to conduct a feasibility study for Phase III of its Atlantic City campus, which is currently a 2.25-acre parking lot between Hartford and Albany avenues. Bertolino was selected from 80 applicants after a seven-month national search. Three finalists were chosen to be interviewed and to interact with faculty, staff, students alumni and community members for feedback. Comments from a wide range of people were considered in choosing Bertolino, and the boards vote was unanimous, according to Stockton Board Chair Raymond Ciccone. Before accepting the Stockton presidency, Bertolino was the president of Southern Connecticut State University, where he garnered lots of attention as the accordion-playing president. He taught a leadership development class there, and plans to do that at Stockton as well. Bertolino, like former President Harvey Kesselman, has personal ties to Stockton. His mother earned her bachelors degree in nursing at Stockton in the late 1970s, he said. Kesselman was in Stocktons first class of students when the university opened in 1971. Bertolino still remembers how vulnerable he felt graduating from college as a psychology/sociology major. You are never going to get a job, was my fathers position, Bertolino said about his choice of major. I remind him that it worked out. A priest friend helped him get a job as a high school religion teacher at St. James High School in Carneys Point. I spent four years there and loved it, Bertolino said. While there he decided to get his masters in social work to become a guidance counselor, but a position as a graduate assistant in residential life on campus convinced him to work with students at the university level. He held a variety of administrative jobs in higher education in New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Connecticut and now back in his home state. And he has made social justice a cornerstone of his presidencies, he said. For me social justice is not a political commentary, even though the words are usually associated with the current political climate, which is unfortunate, Bertolino said. All Im asking members of our community at Stockton to do is make sure everyone is treated with dignity, respect, kindness, compassion and civility. I dont care who you are or what you believe, none of that is relevant, he said. What is important is how are we treating one another. At the same time, he said, the world is not a fair place. We dont all come from same place, same experiences and start at the same point. ... Im asking folks to acknowledge that and understand that. That means it is our responsibility as good citizens to ensure that everyone has the access and opportunity needed to live a successful, full life, he said. Social justice also does not mean squashing conservative viewpoints, Bertolino said. Students often ask me, Are you willing to have controversial speakers on campus? he said. Well, yeah, were a campus, were an educational institution. That means debate is important, he said, but so is listening. Our students hear that (fair debate), they learn and they make their own decision, he said. I kind of cringe when ... a family member says, Our family has a particular point of view, are they going to be welcome on your campus? Its a shame the question even needs to be asked. While most universities may be left leaning, he said, Stockton is a little different because it is located in an area that tends to be a bit more conservative. As a result our student population is quite mixed politically speaking, and not only that, Bertolino said. At least a good half or close to half of our students define themselves as people of color. He said students in school now are referred to as the P generation for the Pandemic Generation. Students are coming to us with a different set of experiences, facing a whole different set of challenges, Bertolino said. That includes a need for physical and mental health services, learning challenges and more. Given all of that, institutions need to take a step back and decide who they are, what they want to be and what their responsibilities are to the community, he said. We are not changing our mission or values, but we need to be realistic as to where is the most need, and are we serving that? EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Sally Sooy Bridwell taught her first kindergarten class at Glenview Avenue Elementary School in Haddon Heights in 1953. Seventy years later, she reunited with seven of the students from her first class. I just cant believe it. They were all 5 years old, Bridwell, 91, said as she looked around the room at her former students, who are now in their 70s. Bridwell, who lives in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, is originally from Gloucester Township and spent summers at her grandparents house in Somers Point. Bridwell taught at the Glenview Avenue school for three years and then at several schools in Pennsylvania. She was a teacher for 35 years, and over the course of her career she taught almost every grade from kindergarten to ninth grade. In all the years I taught, I never had a student I didnt like, Bridwell said. Linda Snyder, one of Bridwells students, hosted the group at her house here Friday. Snyder and others pored over photos of the kindergarten class displayed on the counters and told stories about their childhood years. Jim Augustin, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, showed off his kindergarten report card, which featured positive comments from Bridwell. Did anyone bring their blanket from nap time? Augustin joked. Augustin said his memories of kindergarten are of fun activities they would do, like finger painting, which he often misses. Mary Jane Thorne, of Bethany Beach, Delaware, reminisced about their teachers kindness. I fell out of a car and landed on the back of my head. I remember I went back to school and Sally Sooy put her arm around me and said, Mary Jane has been in an accident, everyone be nice to her! said Thorne, laughing. She was just the sweetest. Several of the students became teachers themselves, including Thorne, who taught home economics in Ethiopia. Rick Wonderlin, of the Blackwood section of Gloucester Township, taught elementary school physical education there for 32 years. Lynne Bruthers, of the Marlton section of Evesham Township, was an elementary school teacher in Cherry Hill for 42 years. I think I became a teacher because of her, Bruthers said. Bridwell graduated from Glassboro State College, now Rowan University, in 1953 and got her first teaching job the same year. She said most of the people from college she kept in touch with are gone now. Thats why these times are so precious for us, Snyder said. I told people I was having lunch with my kindergarten teacher, and theyd say, Oh, thats nice. And then it would sink in, and theyd say Wait, what? said Alice Crowe, who now lives in The Villages in Florida. Bridwell had each of the seven former pupils go around the table and share what their lives are like. They told stories about their jobs, travels and families as Bridwell listened intently and shared her own stories. Bridwell said all her students were always kind and well-behaved. Crowe added that it was probably because she was such a good teacher. I enjoyed teaching so much. Every single class, I loved, Bridwell said. Charles Laspata, a union electrician from Millville, filed petitions in the spring to challenge Republican incumbent Michael Testa for his 1st Legislative District Senate seat. It does not sound like hes done much about the campaign since then. Democratic leaders in Cape May and Cumberland counties say they have not heard from Laspata, and attempts to contact the candidate through email, social media and by phone have been unsuccessful. We havent had any contact with him, said S. Harvey Roach, chairman of the leadership committee for Cape May County Democrats. The candidates were picked in Cumberland County and introduced to Cape May County. But there does not seem to be any more contact with the candidate from the Cumberland County party. He hasnt spoke to me, said former Cumberland County Democratic party Chair Nancy Sungenis on Tuesday. She led the party when Laspata filed petitions to run. The current party leader, Kevin McCann, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Laspata has not withdrawn from the race, but hed be easy to miss. His name does not appear on a flyer for a meet the candidates event the Cape May County Democrats plan to hold remotely Sept. 18, at which his running mates, Assembly candidates Damita White-Morris and Eddie Bonner, are set to speak. He also is missing from the candidate profiles on the respective websites of the Cumberland County and Cape May County Democratic parties. He has no campaign website of his own, and there is little activity on his personal Facebook page. The website of New Jerseys Election Law Enforcement Commission does not show any of the required campaign finance forms have been filed for the primary election. Campaign finance forms for Testa from June show his campaign had more than $230,000 left at the end of the primary. Finance reports from the Assembly side show Republican incumbents Erik Simonsen and Antwan McClellan with a closing balance of $31,440 at the end of an uncontested primary, while Democrats White-Morris and Bonner did not raise any money. Its possible the Democrats have been busy raising money all summer, said John Froonjian, executive director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University. But he said there does not seem to be any campaign activity from Laspata at all. That includes actions that dont cost the campaign anything, such as communicating with news media or filling out a questionnaire for Ballotpedia. It is tough to be a Democrat these days in the 1st District and in much of South Jersey, which has trended Republican in recent elections, Froonjian said Monday. But I think its a fair question for the media and voters to ask whether this is a candidacy in name only or will the candidate or the slate actually be out seeking votes or running ads. Meanwhile, Testa appears to be a rising star, building a statewide profile despite being in the minority party in the Senate. The district which encompasses all of Cape May County, most of Cumberland County and three towns in Atlantic County had once been firmly Republican, but then-Democrat Jeff Van Drew put together a team that kept the district blue for a decade before running successfully to succeed U.S. Rep. Frank Lobiondo, R-2nd, in 2018, bringing that seat to the Democratic column for the first time since Bill Hughes announced he would not run for reelection in 1994. Van Drew became a Republican in his first term, throwing his support behind then-President Donald Trump, shortly after Testa, Simonsen and McClellan flipped New Jerseys 1st District to the GOP, ousting Van Drews picks of Bruce Land, Matthew Milam and Bob Andrzejczak. Election spending light so far this year, but super PACs may change that soon The 2nd Legislative District has hosted the top-spending race three times since 2001 and ranked in the top five six times, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. This year, however, spending has been light so far. That was a relatively close race, but the GOP teams reelection effort in 2021 was not, with the incumbents far outpolling the Democratic challengers that year. This spring, Republicans challenged Laspatas place on the ballot, according to a story in the New Jersey Globe in April, which stated that Laspata had gathered just 115 signatures for his place on the primary ballot. A judge was not convinced enough of those signatures were invalid to remove him from the ballot, the news story states. At least for a while, the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association avoided criticizing the sate Cannabis Regulatory Commission as New Jerseys legal weed industry took its first steps. That restraint appears to be over. The trade group, whose members often describe it as the chamber of commerce of cannabis, issued a report this month blaming the state commission for the slow growth of the industry and comparing New Jersey unfavorably to other states with legal cannabis for adults. Officials say legal cannabis sales in New Jersey could soon be a billion-dollar industry. But current sales are not there yet. The business organization blames regulators. The NJCTA report accuses the state commission of moving too slowly on approvals and not doing enough to address the continued black market sales, what many in the cannabis field describe as the legacy market. New Jerseys cannabis industry is being willfully held back and it is inhibiting the fulfillment of promises made to residents and taxpayers, including generating increased tax revenue to support critical social programs, the report reads. Additionally, the CRC is falling short in its obligations to support social equity entrepreneurs and cannabis businesses of all sizes who desire an efficient regulatory process that effectively addresses illicit market competitors. South Jersey has seen new cannabis dispensaries open, and more are on the way, including Cape May Countys first, planned for West Cape May. But licensed growers say demand has not increased as much as expected, and legal weed sales have stagnated, according to the trade groups August report. As of July 26, 37 recreational cannabis dispensaries were open across the state, up from 11 when sales began in April 2022. Disappointingly, the states overall sales figures have stagnated after reaching a nine-month plateau since the adult use markets initial launch, the report states. When compared to other smaller states adult-use cannabis programs, New Jersey is falling shore and lagging significantly behind. Thats based on $20.1 million in new tax revenue from cannabis in New Jersey. The trade group compared that to $36.6 million in New Mexico during the same time period, a state with about 2.11 million people compared to 9.27 million. Recently weed-legal Montana, with 1.1 million people, brought in nearly $42 million in cannabis excise taxes last year, while Oregon, with 4.2 million people, brought in more than $150 million. The root cause of the weakness in New Jerseys cannabis industry is straightforward: The Cannabis Regulatory Commissions anemic pace of licensing operators has suffocated the legal market, according to the report. That hurt tax income, the report states, suppressed the number of new jobs and kept the illicit market functioning and dispensary cannabis costs high. Many who continue to buy weed the old fashioned way cite the high cost of buying from dispensaries, a complaint that has often been raised at commission meetings as well. Jeff Brown, the executive director of the Cannabis Regulatory Commission, said the states bringing in more revenue tax cannabis at a higher rate. He said New Jerseys legal market is set to rapidly expand. He also called on the industry to work to lower cannabis costs. After five quarters of sales growth in recreational cannabis, New Jerseys cannabis market is poised to be a $1 billion market in the next year, within the first two years of legal sales. The NJ-CRC is encouraged that the NJCTA calls for more tax revenue. The report highlights three states with more than double the cannabis tax rate of New Jersey. New Jerseys innovative law calls for the Social Equity Excise Fee to increase as prices fall, Brown said in a prepared statement this week. This ensures low taxes at the outset of the market but will lead to double or triple state revenue in the future, increasing investments in communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. We are also encouraged that the NJCTA highlights the need for lower prices and more competition. We hope their membership heeds their own call to action. High prices keep consumers out of the legal market and keep tax revenue low, Browns response continued. New Jersey voters backed legal marijuana by a wide margin in a 2020 referendum leading to the creation of New Jerseys legislative framework for the new market and the licensing process overseen by the CRC. The first legal cannabis sales began in April of 2021, with more than 12,000 customers spending close to $2 million on the first day. Since then, the cannabis trade group alleges, the growth has been achingly slow, with one recreational dispensary for roughly every 21,200 cannabis consumers. Not only has the pace of licensing by the CRCs board been soundly criticized, but more so, weve seen an all-too-frequent level of dysfunction and arbitrary decision-making, the report reads, citing a decision to deny a license renewal to one of New Jerseys largest cannabis growers, a decision quickly reversed in a special meeting. Brown remains hopeful. New Jersey can be the premier cannabis market on the East Coast, he said. The NJ-CRC looks forward to working with the NJCTA, and all stakeholders, to make that a reality. SOMERS POINT Dissent from residents and civic groups has led City Council to reconsider its intention of allowing cannabis sales in the city. During its Thursday meeting, the City Council agreed it would not bring an ordinance that would have allowed cannabis sales in town up for a final vote. That ordinance, which council had introduced on July 27 by a 5-2 vote, would have revised the municipal code to permit cannabis sales. But strong community and business opposition to the ordinance convinced the council to change its mind. I agree that we cant move forward with this one, Council President Janice Johnston said during a discussion Thursday night. While a formal vote to table the ordinance was not held, the Council members agreed to shelve the ordinance for the rest of the year. Recommendations by the citys planning board also suggested cannabis sales wouldnt be feasible for the municipality. The choice to at least temporarily nix cannabis sales follows what Councilman Sean McGuigan said was a renewed interest in allowing those facilities to operate in town. I have strongly opposed to it from the get go and never wavered from that position, said McGuigan, who voted against the introduction of the ordinance in July. The Planning Board, in a report, told the Council it believes cannabis retail cannot be fit for a stretch of Route 9 between Groveland and Pennsylvania avenues. That stretch of road features a series of retail locations leading into Ocean City. The Planning Board also recommended cannabis businesses be housed in the citys outer limits, in an attempt to prevent traffic congestion. The planning boards recommendations came up Thursday during a discussion prior to the announcement that council wasnt holding another vote for adoption of the cannabis measures. Council agreed not to bring the ordinance for an adoption vote for the rest of the year, which would lead to the introduced version of the ordinance to expire, McGuigan said. Council still can return to the ordinance for a vote in 2023, although Councilman Howard Dill encouraged his colleagues not to do so. Councilman Richard DePamphilis said he doesnt plan on rehashing the issue. DePamphilis, who is Linwoods former mayor, initially supported the idea. As far as Im concerned, its not going to be brought back to be put on any agenda any time soon, DePamphilis said to Johnston during the meeting. As far as Im concerned, if the residents dont want it, I dont want it, so its a dead issue. In the month following the introduction, the Council received push back from the community. In a letter to the Council, the Somers Point Licensed Beverage Association urged members to rethink their stance, believing easier access to the drug could make the community more susceptible to impaired drivers. It also said the police, businesses and Shore Medical Center were against allowing sales. Members of Somers Point Community First, a local organization of concerned citizens, mirrored the businesses remarks on the idea. We agree that this legislation is one of the most important in the history of Somers Point, the organizations Aug. 8 letter to the Council said. If this legislation passes, then in years to come, it would be a case of the last one out turns the light out. Gov. Phil Murphy legalized recreational marijuana use in New Jersey in 2021, following a voter referendum during the 2020 General Election that endorsed the proposal. Since then, several cannabis facilities with licenses approved by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission have opened in the area, including in Atlantic City. VINELAND Brady laid near the entry way of a building, enjoying the cool tile or the shot of air conditioning every time the door opened. A few people stopped and asked Jess Meehan if Brady, a shepherd/Rottweiler mix, was friendly. Of course he was, especially when having his hind quarters scratched. The roughly 3-year-old dog was hanging by the South Jersey Regional Animal Shelter tent Saturday morning hoping someone would give him a forever home and all the air conditioning and butt scratches he'd like. As they say, every dog has its day. Saturday was National Dog Day, and the shelter joined the handful of vendors who set up tents along Landis Avenue for the Paws on the Ave event. There were groomers, businesses selling dog treats and other accessories, the shelter and more information on dog ownership. "It's sticky, but at least we have some shade, which is great," said Meehan, 33, of Bridgeton. "We've got water keeping the pups cool, and it's been worth it for them if they can get some exposure and meet some people." National Dog Day began in 2004 by author and animal rescue advocate Colleen Paige, according to nationaldogday.com, and is celebrated Aug. 26 each year. Per the website, National Dog Day "celebrates all dogs, mixed breed and pure. Our mission is to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort." The city invited people to bring their dogs with them in the late morning and early afternoon to Landis Avenue, the main road through downtown Vineland. A professional photographer was on site taking photos with the "Yuck, Go Fetch" statue on the sidewalk. DJ Tony Gambino provided music. Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary was present, introducing people to three of its dogs as well as Kelly, the cross-beak chicken who loves being held. But it was the dogs who each had a story. Tucker, a German shepherd, has megaesophagus, a disorder of the esophagus that makes it difficult to eat. Then there was Puppy, who always seems to get into mischief at the farm. Farley, the Australian shepherd, literally has his own story, as they were selling copies of his children's book at the table Saturday. "I think this is absolutely lovely that they offer this for everybody to come by and promote their businesses or organizations, and all the dogs seem to be happy today, too," said Jamie Covello, of Galloway Township, who has been volunteering at Funny Farm for three years. Chris and Jazmine Vidro love taking their dogs to events. The Vineland couple were flanked by pups at opposite ends of the size spectrum a chihuahua named Kiki and a Great Dane named Lobo. This was Lobo's first real adventure meeting new dogs, Chris Vidro said of the 5 1/2-month-old puppy that was already among the biggest dogs there. He was the Vidros' first big dog in a few years since the passing of their 15-year-old boxer. "We said, 'Hey, we need a big dog again,' a dog we can mess around with," said Vidro, 49. "His play is like, he knocks stuff over when he's playing around. But he's a big baby. He's a little on the hyper end but not in a bad way." Sitting at a nearby picnic table were Darron and Kevalyn Tiggett, of Vineland, with their 1-year-old German shepherd, Knuckles. It was their first time at the event. "It's great. It's a good opportunity for him to socialize with other dogs," Kevalyn said. Darron said Knuckles is a very active dog who loves to stay up all night and bark every time he hears something. "I've always been a dog person, and she's been wanting this dog for a long time," Darron said. Adrienne Mathiesen and Robert Bijaczyk, of Millville, were there for Adrienne's Pet Grooming. They were joined by their pit bull mix, Angelica, their poodle, Moose, and their Pekingese, Oliver. Aside from advertising their business, Mathiesen was sharing tips on how to keep pets groomed, from monthly nail trims to ear maintenance. It's more than just making a pet look nice. "It's nice that people come in and want to learn how to groom their dogs," Mathiesen said. "We get a lot of owners who don't do that, but we have owners that really wanna take care of their pet. ... Proper maintenance is a very big thing." Jess Meehan started working for the S.J. Regional Animal Shelter about two years ago. Standing with Brady, she said he is fixed and dances for butt scratches. He was previously owned, walks well on a leash and is very playful. The best part, is his adoption fee was sponsored, which means he would be free to whoever adopts him, she added. "(Going to events) is great for so many reasons. No. 1, it gives them practice being out in public and they can practice their manners," Meehan said. "It gives us, the staff and volunteers, a chance to get to know them so we can describe them better. It makes them more adoptable. We get photos, other than them in their kennel. And it's a break from the shelter for them, which is a high-stress environment." Meehan is motivated to get dogs adopted each day, drawing inspiration from her late English bulldog, Maya. A dog person her entire life, she also owns a 3-year-old miniature dachshund. Maya died in January, so Meehan has been really committing herself into volunteer work to help her cope with the loss of her friend. "She was a rescue, so I know how important she was to me," Meehan said, "so if any of these dogs could be somebody's best friend like she was mine, it's worth every second." GALLERY: Paws on the Ave in Vineland 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. As many people east of the Mississippi know by now, Stone Harbor made the shores biggest unforced error this summer by springing a new parking payment system on residents and visitors. For decades, the borough had relied on parking meters to collect its modest fee to park, currently a mere $1 an hour in most places. Couldnt have been simpler. Need to park for half an hour? Put two quarters in the meter. A very affluent community, Stone Harbor doesnt need the parking money. Charging to park keeps motorists from taking up precious parking spaces for longer than needed. This summer, in a memorable case of penny wise and pound foolish, Stone Harbor officials decided they must save the estimated $33,000 cost of operating their parking meters. So they contracted with a parking technology company to change to paying for parking with the companys smartphone parking application, or app. This privatization of Stone Harbor parking eliminated the parking meters. All the borough had to do was let the company have 30 cents from each parking fee. So for that half hour of parking for $50 cents, 60% of it goes to the company and the rest to the borough. If the motorist paid with a credit card, the company adds a charge to cover the credit card fee. Charging for parking with a smartphone app is a great way to issue more parking tickets. A digital map could be generated for ticket writers showing which spaces dont have a paid up vehicle in them, so if one is there it gets a ticket. Or just punch a number and have a parking ticket sent automatically to vehicles owner. That would have been bad enough, appearing to residents and visitors that Stone Harbor was nickel-and-diming the people whose presence ensures the borough has more than enough money. To this, borough officials added a thoughtless misstep suddenly requiring the frequent use of a new technology without providing convincing reasons for it or anything approaching adequate instruction in its use. The boroughs dubious choices brought a season-long avalanche of parking tickets down upon its residents and visitors. In May of last year, for example, police wrote 33 parking tickets. That jumped by 17 times this past May. Since then almost a thousand tickets a month have been issued. One of the unlucky recipients of a ticket, Nancy Dunderman, called to say she wanted to pay for her parking but couldnt because she didnt know how. She said many seniors dont use apps and dont know how to use them, and its unfair of Stone Harbor with many older residents and visitors to suddenly require app use without making it possible for them to learn what they needed to avoid getting tickets. Quite so. Throw in this too: The new high-tech parking payment system is announced to motorists with tiny green signs that are easily missed. Probably many people thought that Stone Harbor, not needing the parking fees, had simply taken out the meters. When man bites dog, as they say, its a story. Or when rich shore town torments visitors and residents during summer vacation season. Heres a sample of some of the headlines: New York Post: Parking tickets explode by 1,600% after Jersey Shore town launches app PhillyVoice: Stone Harbor issues 17 times more parking tickets this May than a year ago and the police chief has no remorse Advance Media for NJ.com: Jersey Shore town wrote 1 years worth of parking tickets last month after app switch As the Philadelphia headline notes, Stone Harbor doubled down on its mistakes instead of admitting them. That kind of negative publicity at the start of the summer season will deter some visitors for a long time, costing borough businesses far more than that $33,000 officials saved. We suspect residents are appalled to see their borough government portrayed as grossly incompetent or penny-pinching cheapskates. Borough officials should apologize profusely (never too late), belatedly institute a long no-fault soft launch of the parking app accompanied by more help than people would ever want, and resolve to think twice or thrice before greenlighting another brilliant high concept. Other municipalities thinking of following Stone Harbor into digital parking payments should consider going halfway first with payment kiosks. Theyre common in cities, probably familiar to many more people, and payment can be made at the kiosk without use of a smartphone. And a final thought. Many people, especially older people, prefer a simple flip phone to a smartphone. That saves a lot of time and annoyance, except when some fool business or government prioritizes its own convenience at their expense. A new warden has been named for USP Thomson. Brian Lammer was named the new warden earlier this month after a memorandum from the U. S. Department of Justice Director Colette S. Peters. Previously, Lammer was the warden of FCC Victorville in California, an all-male high-security prison in the western Mojave Desert. Calls for removal of the previous warden, Thomas Bergami, heated up last summer. As previously reported, AFGE Local 4070 President Jonathan Zumkehr called for the immediate removal of Bergami, citing "an abundance of serious incidents" and the mass departure of 60 correctional officers under Bergami, who was appointed warden in March 2022. By June of that year, the U.S. Department of Justice Inspector General's Office opened an investigation into Thomson Federal Prison amid ongoing allegations of abuse, the overuse of solitary confinement and the deaths of seven inmates over a two-year period. At that time, area senators requested the investigation following the publication of a report on May 31, 2022 by The Marshall Project and NPR that described serious abuse of inmates by correctional officers. In August 2022, a task-force was assigned to evaluate the prison after Zumkehr sent a letter from the union to U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco demanding the removal of Bergami. At the time, Zumkehr accused Bergami of allegations including that he "covered up" the escape of prisoners. The union did not offer details of the alleged escape. Zumkehr said Friday that staff were excited about the new warden and have spoken to him several times. Lammer shares the same values with programming and creating a safe environment that the union is trying to achieve. Thomson made headlines again in February of this year after it was confirmed inmates were being moved out of the prison. However, the bureau at the time declined to say why. In an email from February, BOP spokesperson Scott Taylor said the bureau "identified significant concerns with respect to institutional culture and compliance with BOP policies at the United States Penitentiary Thomson. We believe these issues are having a detrimental impact on facility operations and the BOP has determined that there is a need for immediate corrective measures." Taylor concluded by saying, that although the BOP is considering "a change to the mission at USP Thomson, there is no plan to close the institution." That change became clear in March when it was announced Thomson would temporarily be converted into a low-security prison. All remaining inmates were moved to the Special Management Unit and Reintegration Unit. At the time, the facility was expected to house about 1,178 low-security adults. Recently, the bureau has announced that change will be permanent. U.S. Sen. Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) released the following statement Friday: We welcome todays announcement by BOP Director Peters that USP Thomson will be permanently converted to a low-security facility. This change is a decisive effort to address the many challenges the institution has faced in recent years while relieving some of the overpopulation pressures BOP is experiencing in low-security facilities nationwide. While were disappointed that this conversion will lead to a reduction in the number of full-time staff positions, were relieved that the facility will retain all of its current employees and will end the overuse of augmentation and overtime that created a great strain on Thomsons employees. It is critical that BOP leadership ensure that the prison stays fully staffed and that BOP prioritizes retention and recruitment efforts to incentivize employees to continue working at the facility. With this mission change and retention of all current employees, Thomson will be better equipped to become a safe and secure facility with a focus on rehabilitation and reentry. Now, Zumkehr said the union is concerned about the change to low-security because Thomson was originally built to be a high-security prison and does not have the programs needed for the transition. Low-security inmates receive programs like anger management, parenting and even welding in some cases, he said. Without those programs, the chance of recidivism rises. "All these programs, we're not built for that, and we don't have the space for that," he said. The union is also concerned about the loss of jobs locally. Zumkehr said workers currently have a 25% retention bonus built into their salaries, an average of $16,000 a year. Part of the reason for putting it in place, he said, was that Thomson is in a remote location, and factory jobs in the area pay higher. The goal of the retention bonus was to make the job more appealing. According to the bureau's website, USP Thomas has about 1,300 inmates at the Carrol County facility, including 130 at the adjacent Minimum Security Satellite Camp. Zumkehr said that number specifically for the prison is expected to rise to more than 2,000 inmates. A roundup of highlights and key agenda items from recent local school board meetings: North Scott Community School District AUG. 21 Joni Dittmer was the only board member absent. The board kicked the meeting off by recognizing the following: District eighth-grader Pacey Kane for winning the 2023 Iowa Composers Forum Student Composition Contest for his piece, "The Forest of Sihir." North Scott's FFA chapters the junior high chapter ranked in the top five nationwide, while both junior high and high school chapters earned 3-Star ratings (highest standard) from the National FFA Organization. Several district FFA students also earned national finalist rankings and other accolades. Jill Van Roekel, the district's business affairs director, and her staff, for earning the Government Finance Officers Association's "Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting" for fiscal year 2022 After bills, the board unanimously approved all old and new business items. Highlights: Language changes to a slew of board policies, including those governing bullying and harassment procedures, board meeting notices, personnel records and more. A list of contracts for the district's 2023-24 Student Built Home the most hefty investment being $43,702 with Eldridge Lumberyard Superintendent Joe Stutting gave an update on North Scott Vision 2025, noting the new softball complex is likely within a month of completion. Masonry work is continuing on-site for the Alan Shepard renovations, and the upcoming Regional Innovation Center will have its foundation laid within the next few weeks. Stutting said remaining North Scott Vision 2025 projects will go for bids in December and January. In his update, he said all district summer projects were successfully completed before the 2023-24 school year, namely upgrades to the high school's special education rooms. This included a handicap-accessible kitchen. He also noted the upcoming Nov. 7 Iowa school board elections. Candidate filing begins on Monday, Aug. 28, and ends at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 21. The deadline to withdraw candidacy is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 26. The board also held a special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 24, for a $150,775 total bid from Quad City Construction Service to renovate the high school's wrestling facility. This was not approved due to the cost, and the district will move forward following the state's bidding process. Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m. East Moline School District No. 37 AUG. 21 All board members were present. The district's Black Hawk Area Special Education District committee updated the board on its ongoing search for two school social workers. The committee also noted 51 students participated in the district's eight-day Summer Achievement program in July. After committee reports, the board approved all items requiring action. Highlights: An updated intergovernmental agreement with the city of East Moline for a school resource officer. Kimberly Dyer voted against this item. Appointing Joann Snelling to former board member Kai Killam's vacant seat. Killam served on the East Moline school board for 12 years, and decided to give the opportunity to another. Snelling, a former district student and employee, will serve the remainder of Killam's term, which expires in the spring of 2025. Raising the district's substitute teacher pay rates for fiscal year 2024, from $110 to $120 per day. Next, the board went through several informational items, most notably: A presentation on Glenview Middle School's "Latinx Workshop" group. Led by bilingual teacher Margarita Mojica, the group is focused on service, female empowerment and sisterhood. Through T-shirt sales, the group has been fundraising to stock new underwear in the Glenview nurse's office in case students have an unexpected period during the school day. Many district staff wear these shirts on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The district's preliminary 2023-24 budget will be voted on at the Sept. 25 meeting. The board discussed how East Moline schools will likely be in a deficit this school year, due to the state's recent funding cuts and corporate personal property replacement tax decreases. Embarking on a district strategic planning process to kick off in September. Superintendent Kristin Humphries said the district will gather input from parents, employees and community members to inform strategic objections moving forward, alongside data collection. A finalized strategic plan is slated for board approval at the April 22, 2024 meeting. The board also presented its Appreciation, Recognition and Encouragement awards to the following district staff: Bus monitor Cherie Branch, for saving an individual's life during a house fire Mojica, for her support of various programs at Glenview Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. Rock Island-Milan School District No. 41 AUG. 22 All members were present. After procedural committee reports, the board held a Committee of the Whole session with community members about student behavior. Dr. Kathy Ruggeberg, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, opened with information on nationwide, post-COVID student behavior trends. She also highlighted current district work on social-emotional learning, like the high school's $3.8 million Education Innovation & Research grant. During the discussion, several board members encouraged district students and families reach out to the district with questions or concerns and lean on community resources. Others spoke to the value of structured behavioral expectations. Community member highlights: Most feel the district should implement clear, consistent student behavior expectations across all buildings some suggested sharing these with students on the first day of school Many also suggested building principals to introduce students to their building's security and support staff on the first day Some want to bring back school resource officers, citing frequent fights during the school day Some expressed concerns about the district's use of resources and funds, particularly for school safety infrastructure One parent suggested more socialization opportunities for students, as that may help with behavior. Representatives from School Exec Connect, the district's contracted superintendent search firm, then led an informational planning session about the search process, featuring proposed dates. While dates are not confirmed, they recommend scheduling public forums and focus groups for the superintendent search in early September. Information gathered from public forums, focus groups, surveys and stakeholders will be used to make a "profile" of ideal candidates for Rock Island-Milan schools. School Exec plans to present this profile at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 26. Applications for a full-time superintendent will come during late October. School Exec will interview and screen applicants before recommending five to seven candidates, tentatively slated for the Tuesday, Nov. 28 meeting. After a lengthy executive session, the board cast a blanket motion over a slew of items. Highlights: Renewing the district's Head Start contract for $20,000 A $224,000 contract with Spring Forward Learning Center for after-school, intersession & summer school programming Hiring Lanty McGuire former Moline-Coal Valley superintendent as the districts interim superintendent for the second semester of the 2023-24 school year. The board went into another executive session to discuss litigation before adjourning. Next meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 6 p.m. Bettendorf Community School District AUG. 24 All board members were present. Iowa Sen. Scott Webster (R-Bettendorf) gave an update on 2023 legislation. He noted potential education initiatives moving forward, such as: Ch. 12 accreditation standards Increased teacher pay Full-day preschool Teacher safety Webster then turned to the board for questions. Board vice president Andrew Champion asked about opportunities for increased state funding for school mental health, which Webster said the legislature would still explore come next session. Board members Richard Lynch and Linda Smithson asked if the state would provide further clarification or guidance on what kinds of school books and materials are deemed "age-appropriate" under Senate File 496. While he believes the "age-appropriate" category is common sense, Webster noted the ambiguity schools may be dealing with. Dr. Michael Pyevich suggested re-formulating the state's special education funding, citing hefty annual deficits. During the discussion with Webster, superintendent Michelle Morse noted recent talks with him and other local lawmakers regarding the state's funding formula. Before moving on, Joanna Doerder echoed her colleagues' calls for more mental health resources, also urging Webster to listen to teachers and school staff when it comes to education legislation. During board reports, Morse thanked several district staff and leadership teams for their work in preparing for the new school year. She also noted how the district's recent "Maker's Market" raised funds to offset prom costs for students. Finally, Morse reminded attendees of the annual Run with Carl fundraiser race on Monday, Sept. 4, which supports Bettendorf and Pleasant Valley students. The board then held a discussion about Bettendorf's Cub Scouts program. Morse opened by explaining how Iowa's current equal access laws bar outside community groups including Boy Scouts from engaging in certain activities at district facilities, as Bettendorf schools are public entities. However, she suggested several methods for the Scouts to promote themselves and engage with the district, such as: Virtual Backpacks, "Bett Updates" and Friday district newsletters Annual events, like the Bett Community and STEAM Expos Signage outside of the high school and middle school Partnerships with Bettendorf PTO, PTA and Parent LINK groups Participation in the homecoming parade Brian "JR" Girskis, assistant Cubmaster of Bettendorf's Pack 199, then took the podium to urge for the board's support with marketing and in holding activities at district Unpack Your Backpack nights. Since Iowa's policy change, he said Bettendorf's Cub Scouts program is down to 77 participants and two packs total. Representatives from the Illowa Council, a Cub Scout outreach program for the Quad-Cities, also addressed how the district can partner with Cub Pack 199 moving forward in accordance with legal guidelines. To view the full discussion, visit watch Thursday's livestream on the "Bett School Board" YouTube channel starting around the 1:01:24 timestamp. After a lengthy discussion, the board unanimously approved all action items. Highlights: Hiring Bray Architects for $40,000 to design a partial replacement project at Bettendorf Middle School, and hiring Bruce Builders for $8,300 as the project's construction planning consultant. Options for how the district will phase this project will tentatively come to the board in February A revised "Board Meeting Agenda" policy, to align with Iowa Association of School Board recommendations Next meeting: Thursday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. A peek into Herbert Hoover Elementary School's first day of school Photographer Paul Horsted and retired journalist Ernie Grafe followed the path of Gen. George Custers 1874 exploration of the Black Hills in their book Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition. Now, using new information and updated technology, Horsted and Grafe have released an updated, even more comprehensive account of Custers journey. The book recounts a turning point in Black Hills history. Gen. George Armstrong Custers journey to the Black Hills was better documented than any military expedition in Old West history, thanks in part to photographs by William H. Illingsworth and diaries kept by at least 15 men. Horsted and Grafes book Exploring with Custer: The 1874 Black Hills Expedition combined the first photographs taken in the Black Hills with excerpts from journals, newspaper reports and scientific observations about events of that summer -- including the discovery of gold that started a rush to the Black Hills and changed the course of Western history. Custers journey was the first military expedition in what was, in 1874, an unmapped area of the West unknown to non-Native Americans. Exploring with Custer was originally released in 2002; the fourth edition was released in June. The fourth edition is the result of three years work by Horsted and Grafe, who completely updated and revised the book to incorporate new information, perspectives and discoveries about the expedition. Both Ernie and I had been talking about this for awhile. We knew things had changed in terms of development (in the Black Hills), so places you used to be able to go now somebody purchased it and they gated it. There were things like that we felt needed updating, Horsted said. Technology helped us a lot. Google Earth had come along to further verify a lot of what we thought we knew about the expedition. We had more sources to add (such as information from the oral history of an Arikara guide at the expedition)." Grafe said some new information in the book has come from readers. One example is a journal from a wagon driver on Custers expedition. A relative of the driver who had his diary read Exploring with Custer and contacted Horsted. There were over 1,000 people on this expedition, Horsted said, calling sources such as the wagon drivers journal manna from heaven. Those hand-written diaries have an immediacy about them that is amazing, Horsted said. What he did write is a perspective we dont get from other sources. Grefe said such firsthand accounts of people on the expedition were a fascinating part of updating the book. You realize youre reading what people have written, usually the day of or the day after, so they were really alive. I had the idea of stringing those pieces together withnewspaper reports, Grefe said. In this book, we have new sourcesthat provide more depth, more imagery and more stories of what they were going through. Every page of the book has been updated, and the fourth edition of Exploring with Custer includes several entirely new sections, including a discussion of wagon ruts the authors believe originated in 1874, landmarks visited by the expedition, a selection of expedition artifacts, and local museums with artifact displays. We added 36 pages of new material, Horsted said. Its like a whole new book. In the opening pages, the late Lakota scholar Jace DeCory reflects on what the expedition meant for her people as well as what the sacredness of the Black Hills can mean for everyone today. DeCory died in November 2022. The Black Hills is the center of the universe for the Lakota, a place where prayer prevails and ceremonies are held to give thanks and connect with our ancestors, and where sacred sites remain vital to our existence, DeCory writes in the book. Freedom is oftentimes associated with a geographic place, and the place where the Lakota find freedom is in the Black Hills. Im pleased to have Jaces voice, a Lakota voice, giving their perspective on this expedition, Horsted said. Clearer images, then and now This edition of Expedition with Custer is the first time all 50 of the Black Hills sites visited by photographer William H. Illingworth in 1874 have been identified. Each of his images printed in Exploring with Custer are paired with a matching then-and-now image taken in 2020 or 2022 by Horsted. According to Horsted, the historic photographs in this edition of Exploring with Custer are presented in much greater clarity because of high-resolution scans of the original glass plate negatives, using the latest digital tools. The result is better detail in areas that had previously been lost to over- or under-exposure. The glass plate negatives are held by the State Historical Society in Pierre. The new scans as reproduced in the book also show the entire glass negative. Previous prints in traditional darkrooms had often cropped the image. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Illingworth had recorded clouds in the sky and landscape details we simply couldnt see in earlier renditions of his work, Horsted said. Theres a surprising difference of clarity in the pictures. A fair number of photos contain actual human activity and especially for local people, you can now go see where the generals tent was parked, or men were working on something, or there was a wagon train. Seeing where those things are actually happening is pretty interesting, Grafe said. Advances in technology since the first edition of Exploring with Custer was printed in 2002 have improved Horsteds photography as well. He said current digital cameras allowed him to re-photograph sites with greater precision. Often, he was able to place his camera within inches of the location of Illingworths tripod, a goal that was difficult to achieve with film cameras 20 years ago. The quality of photos is much better now compared to shooting with film, Horsted said. This updated edition of the book presents several of the most famous expedition images in full color through advances in digital colorization. The colorization gives an exciting realism to familiar views such as Custer with a grizzly bear or the infamous Champagne Supper photo of July 31, 1874, he said. Then-and-now photos for which Horsted is known make up about half of Exploring with Custer. While many areas in the Black Hills look different than they did in 1874 or even in 2002 when the book was first released, some places are remarkably unchanged. You can stand in Castle Creek Valley and about the only change is there is a road (now) where the wagon train was passing in 1874, Horsted said. The most startling thing is theres a couple of burned stumps, and a stump was there in 1874 and its still there, Horsted said. Information provided by the United States Forest Service estimates the stump is about 600 years old, Horsted said. Meanwhile, some notable differences even in the past 20 years have occurred because of pine beetle infestations. The forest has undergone considerable change since the first edition was published, Horsted said. In some places, formerly dense stands of pine trees are now meadows, due to the mountain pine bark beetle epidemic that took place during the past twenty years. In a few other areas trees have continued to grow, sometimes blocking views that were more open in 2002. A trail guide through the Black Hills Exploring with Custer provides an updated guide to the trail itself, accompanied by excerpts from firsthand accounts of day-to-day events along the route. The result is a narrative of expedition life linked to precise locations within the Black Hills. Horsted and Grefe said the book is designed so readers can enjoy the book from the comfort of home or take the book into the field to follow Custers wagon train, with the help of detailed maps and GPS coordinates. The updated trail guide reflects changes in land ownership, along with more precise GPS data for following the route thats been altered in several locations. Even after 20 years its still fascinating to walk through the woods or drive a back road and know that the expedition passed this way almost 150 years ago, Grafe said. Youre viewing the same landscape its members saw and wrote about. Were not trying to glorify Custer, Horsted said. Its about the history of that expedition. It is our history and we continue to be fascinated by it. Exploring with Custer is available at Mitzis Books and The Journey Museum in Rapid City, from the South Dakota State Historical Society, and at select Black Hills museums, galleries, bookstores and National Park and National Forest locations. Numbered, author-signed limited edition hard-cover copies are available directly from Paul Horsted. Go to paulhorsted.com for more information. Former President Donald Trump is set to speak in Rapid City in early September, and while Republican leaders from across the state are set to attend including Governor Kristi Noem there will be three notable exceptions. All three of the state's top Republicans Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson have conflicting events, according to correspondence with their respective offices. Dezmond Ward, communications director for Rounds, told the Journal they had been working with state party leadership to secure a speaker for the summer fundraising event in Rapid City, but when the date was moved, the Senator was no longer able to attend. Rounds announced his endorsement of South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott in May the first Senator to do so even before Scott's presidential campaign had officially launched. Thune has also expressed support for Scott, telling the Journal this week he thinks the chances of Republican success are enhanced significantly "if we have a candidate at the top of the ticket that is looking at the future and talking about the issues that are central to what the American people want us to focus on, rather than looking in the rearview mirror and talking about the past." When asked if he would support a Trump nominee, Thune commented he feels it's "time to turn the page." Johnson's office said they "do not have a statement to provide this early into the primaries" when asked if he would support Trump should he secure the nomination, but clarified he doesn't plan to endorse anyone in the presidential primary. Trump is set to speak at the South Dakota GOP's Monumental Leaders Rally scheduled for Sept. 8. Tickets are sold out, according to The Monument's website. So, who has noticed a fatter wallet since the sales tax was reduced from 6.5 percent to 6.2 percent? I haven't. The population is growing at an unsustainable level. Maybe Elevate Rapid City could elevate the living conditions instead of grow grow grow. Seems like we should slow down a bit and grow from the inside out. We lost grocery stores, Albertsons, Dan's and now kind of have two. Seems like Elevate could bring in Aldi or Trader Joe's to help the living conditions. I find it insane that John Thune is finally "ready to turn the page on Trump," now that our party is destroyed. What does it say for our party following this man and his destruction for so long? I challenge Gov. Noem to make an ad to recruit badly needed teachers to come to South Dakota. Her selling points would be "no individual income tax ever" (but 49th lowest pay) and "freest state in America" (except for politicians writing curriculum standards). None of South Dakota's congressional delegation will show up for Trump's Rapid City event, but they still refuse to acknowledge his numerous indictments and disastrous drag on the Republican party. Corvallis School District is ready for a new school year. Superintendent Pete Joseph said it is going to be a great year. I think whats going to be great is all of us pulling in the same direction as it relates to taking care of kids, Joseph said. He said the district is heading in a great direction with an excellent staff. Matter of fact, the tagline this year is A Legacy of Excellence, Joseph said. Corvallis has always been excellent, has a legacy of excellence with incredible educators providing an incredible education. We are going to continue to be the best we can be and really shine, especially with some of the changes that are coming in education. Were going to embrace those changes and find a way to navigate in a real positive way. In May, Corvallis voters rejected a $300,000 operational levy for the Corvallis School District, facing the end of pandemic-era ESSER funds. This summer, the district retired a Building Reserve Levy that the Corvallis community passed five years ago for the REC property purchase of 21.23 acres. Joseph said that despite a $150,000 budget deficit, the school will be fine. Were in a really good spot, he said. Weve already made the majority of cuts we needed to make in the course of the last 16 months. Our school system is very stable. We are in a spot that were going to do our job and find ways to help each other out. I believe well pay for that deficit over the course of three years to stabilize our community. Maybe it will be the passing of another operating levy, increased enrollment, or accessing grants. The district recently created the Corvallis School District Endowment to accept direct, private donations. "That is another revenue source that I hope to start to build and generate interest," Joseph said. "Im confident that in the next two or three years well find ourselves in a position where the talk of a fiscal cliff or deficits is non-existent. Information will be available soon about the Corvallis School District Endowment. The Corvallis Schools Foundation, a 501c3, helps meet classroom needs and supports school programs in math, science, language arts, robotics, music, gifted and talented education, and special education. In the 2022-23 school year CFS awarded 22 Classroom Teacher Grants, provided hands-on science education kits and paid for field trips amounting to more than $60,000. Special purchases have included microscopes, outdoor science lessons and musical instruments at $88,000. CFS has merged with a similar program called the Parents at Work in Our Schools (PAWS) program. As to hiring staff for the coming year, there are a few openings but mostly for support staff. We are fully filled within our certified staff, with the exception of a special-ed position, Joseph said. For every opening, we had five to seven really good candidates. We currently have two teachers who are working at becoming counselors, so we do have those positions secured and are fully staffed in our counseling department. I think we need two classified positions. All positions were fully budgeted, and the school has capped out-of-district enrollment because the classes are at the desired numbers for class sizes, specifically in kindergarten through eighth grade. Were still hovering around that 1,320 range, Joseph said. We can expand at some grade levels and at the high school. The big challenge is the status of the kitchen and cafeteria for the school. Due to the extreme cold, the older building housing art, orchestra, counseling, kitchen and cafeteria rooms experienced three floods. The final flood on Dec. 24 flooded the entire facility all of the pipes were in the ceiling, Joseph said. It caused havoc for us. As we mitigated the water issues, we did what we could to serve our students and we finished out the school year. Joseph has been working with insurance companies, Payne West at the state level and Liberty Mutual at the national level. When school got out, after June 19, we found significant damage, he said. The school placed modules between the district office and the bus barn to serve art classes, storage, a kitchen and cafeteria. This is all insurance money, Joseph said. "It is not a bond, not district money it is an insurance claim. It is has been a success story. Well probably be over here for the next 12 to 18 months, part of an excess use policy with the insurance company taking care of us. At this point, it is unsure what will happen to the building that flooded. Either a complete remodel or rebuild will take at least two years. That is another insurance claim, Joseph said. Orchestra classes moved to the mini-theatre in the high school and counseling will be in the district office. The district office is fully staffed, Joseph said. We will take care of our kids and our people. Safety and security is paramount but our routine will be a little off [as it will take students longer to walk to and from lunch and art.] Our job in leadership roles is to solve problems and take care of people, Joseph said. Thats what were doing. We didnt cause this, but were going to do everything we can to solve it. As Missoula City Council mulls revising public comment rules, some councilors want more security at public meetings amid concerns over safety in council chambers. Feedback from city staff, the public and a handful of elected officials has council leadership considering bolstered security at City Council meetings, according to Council President and Ward 3 Representative Gwen Jones. Based on recent trends, council leadership and the administration continue to work on safety plans and security to ensure this, Jones wrote in an email. Unfortunately we are going in the direction of adding more security instead of lessening it, based on input from staff and the public as well as elected (officials). Jones said some on council want more police officers in the chamber. Currently, one to two uniformed police or Black Knight security guards (a private security company contracted by the city) rotate through at Monday night general meetings. They also ask people coming into council chambers if they have any weapons on them. Points of order have been handed out in recent City Council meetings, including to Brandon Bryant, a Missoula local whos known for being a whistleblower on the U.S. militarys drone program. Bryant was warned that way twice at an Aug. 7 council meeting. Bryant landed himself a felony intimidation charge after he was arrested on suspicion of making threatening remarks to councilors and late Missoula Mayor John Engen in February 2020. He was subsequently acquitted of that charge by a Missoula jury in July 2021. If the City Council was held accountable for what their members do I think there would be less contention, Bryant said in a social media message to the Missoulian this week. He said he was never given justice for what happened to him, referring to his 2020 arrest. Bryant started coming back to council meetings in recent weeks after a two-year hiatus, and on Aug. 7 took the public comment podium requesting an apology from local officials when two councilors objected to him. The second time was during an off-camera exchange with another member of the general public. Bryant is seen getting up, leaving the chambers and being followed out by police. Jones, who was named by Bryant when he was warned the first time, said point-of-order notices are handed out usually because of how public comments are delivered, rather than the criticism itself. Sometimes no point of order is called, but later observations are made, and it is clear that some people felt threatened or unsafe, Jones wrote. In her decades-long tenure with the city, Missoula City Communications Director Ginny Merriam observed hundreds of public meetings. While its a minority of public commenters contributing to the problem, she said theres a perception council atmosphere is more threatening. The recent couple of years, people have become more angry, weve seen higher incidents of people who are very angry when they come up to give their comments, Merriam said, echoing concerns raised by Jones. Merriam said several people have been escorted out by police in recent years, but werent arrested. Missoula Police Spokesperson Whitney Bennett said a few calls resulted in people getting trespassed from council chambers at its current location on West Pine Street. A push for more security comes as other councilors are trying to loosen public comment rules. Ward 3 Councilor Daniel Carlino and Ward 6 Councilor Sandra Vasecka proposed a change earlier this month regarding public comments. Citing concerns over free speech, the councilors proposed changes would strike the current language that prevents public commenters from engaging in name-calling and personal attacks, along with loud, threatening, abusive and indecent comments, among other adjustments. A decision on the public comment changes likely wont be made until the fall. I dont necessarily think thats the best use of city resources to have more officers than the two officers already there, Carlino said about a possible increase in security at meetings. Regarding his proposed rule change, he said hes looking to amend the threat language from his rule change, meaning threats to councilors wouldnt be tolerated. Threats against officials is a documented problem throughout the country. In the wake of the FBI shooting and killing a man suspected of threatening President Joe Biden earlier this month, NPR reported violent threats against public officials are spiking nationwide. We want a civil atmosphere thats safe for everyone, Merriam said. And we want every person who lives in Missoula to feel its safe to come to City Council and express opinions. Its that time of year again when our public school children are getting ready to head back to school and our public school teachers are busy preparing their classrooms to welcome students. But this year, there will be 1000 fewer teachers in Montanas public schools to greet our students. The problem is twofold: recruitment and retention. First, Montana has the lowest starting teaching salary in the nation, so it is no surprise that newly certified teachers exiting college are choosing to teach elsewhere. But conversations by policy makers often focus on this problem alone: how do we get new teachers in the door? The more pertinent question should be: why are our teachers leaving the field in the first place? Retention is a much more complex problem to address, and one that lawmakers seem both uncomfortable discussing and reluctant to fully investigate. This might be due in part to a distaste for acknowledging the way our educators were treated during the most recent legislative session. From public testimony to the legislators themselves, our schools were labeled failures and our teachers branded with all manner of nonsensical accusations. Bills were brought that would place an incredibly unrealistic burden on teachers, all in the name of transparency, while bill sponsors insinuated that teachers could not be trusted to present school board-approved curriculum to students. Discriminatory bills were passed that limit the ability of teachers to do what is best for individual students, all in the name of parental rights. And bills were passed that will siphon money from our public schools to unaccountable, for-profit entities. Educators are not only facing a critical lack of resources and an unprecedented student mental health crisis, but blatant disrespect from their elected officials as well. There is so much that these naysayers do not, or are unwilling to, see when they label public schools as failures. As a fifth-grade teacher, I had about 30 students each year. I had students with mental health challenges and once, had to evacuate all my students from the classroom because of one students behavior. I did not have enough textbooks for each student; the water in my classroom was undrinkable because of potential lead poisoning; support staff for teachers was severely limited; and because the school did not have the funds to meet the basic needs of our students, I, along with so many other teachers, purchased snacks and provided other support. Despite these many obstacles, I and my colleagues devoted ourselves to helping our students thrive. Some years, 50% of my students performed at grade level on standardized tests. However, what that number doesnt reflect is that despite all of these challenges, many of those students came into my classroom reading at a third-grade level, and came out at a fourth-grade level. Or came in struggling with basic subtraction, and came out able to multiply. We meet our students where they are and the growth they achieve is a much stronger measure of success than any standardized test score. The lack of appropriate funding has set teachers up for failure; perhaps even more importantly, the attacks on the character of our teachers has set them up to leave the profession. Despite all this, they are performing miracles every day. Its time that we provide them with both the financial support they need as well as the respect and courtesy they so rightly deserve that will then set them and our children up for success. WAR IN UKRAINE KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine on Thursday marked its second Independence Day since Russia's full-scale invasion, with officials vowing to keep up their fight to drive out the Kremlin's forces and local people remembering their fallen loved ones. The national holiday coincided with the war's 18-month milestone, giving a somber mood to the commemorations. "We remember everyone who gave their lives for freedom and independence, for the free future of Ukraine," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a social media post. In the northeastern Kharkiv region, families visited a cemetery where fallen Ukrainian soldiers are buried. Kateryna Krotchenko, the mother of Serhii Krotchenko who was killed near Bakhmut, cleaned his grave. "He was an ordinary boy who loved life and dreamed of something," she said. "Therefore, he did not accept the fact that war had come to our land and decided to (sign up) voluntarily." Zelenskyy said an independent Ukraine is "what we are fighting for." That battle has earned the support of foreign allies, especially NATO alliance member countries that have provided Kyiv with sophisticated new weaponry. The new weapons have allowed Ukraine to launch a counteroffensive. Ukraine's defense ministry marked the day with a series of social media videos that mixed gratitude with wry humor to thank those allies individually for their support. The United States' video was set to Frank Sinatra's "Our Love is Here to Stay" and ended with a cheeky "thanks for the F-16s" and the words "too soon?" The U.S. has agreed its allies can send Ukraine the fighter jets, but the lengthy process has been a source of frustration to Kyiv. Speaking to Norwegian news agency NTB in Kyiv, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Thursday that Norway will provide more F-16 aircraft to Ukraine, but the number will probably be less than 10. In January, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney made the roughly 100-mile trip to Washington, D.C., to attend the annual four-day winter conference of the United States Conference of Mayors, a gathering he has attended every year since his 2017 election. But unlike other Virginia mayors, Stoney did not stay at the four-star Capital Hilton on 16th Street Northwest, the host venue for the conference and where the speaking events took place. Instead, Stoney booked a room a block north, at the St. Regis Washington, D.C., a five-star hotel. His four-night stay cost a total of $2,148, charges that were paid for by the city, according to credit card receipts. Gianni Snidle, a spokesperson for Stoney, said the mayor was one among others to stay at the St. Regis. Traditionally, mayors from across the country either stay at the Capital Hilton or the St. Regis hotel to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting in Washington, D.C. Alongside other mayors, Mayor Stoney stayed at the hotel across the street from the conference location, Snidle said. 200 mayors attended high-profile conference Staff said the St. Regis is sometimes booked as an overflow location for the conference, held this year Jan. 17-20. More than 200 mayors among them Karen Bass of Los Angeles; Andre Dickens of Atlanta; and Eric Adams of New York traveled to Washington for the 2023 event, the 91st time that the gathering has occurred. The nonpartisan organization, founded in the 1930s, is for top officials in municipalities with populations of more than 30,000 to discuss policies, network and learn about initiatives. The group holds two conferences each year one in the summer at a host city and one in the winter in Washington to engage with the White House, the current administration, and Congress. The winter meeting featured discussions about mental health, public safety, technology, infrastructure, homelessness and jobs. Stoney has served in leadership positions for the organization, including a position on the advisory board and as chairman of the Children, Health, and Human Services Committee. He is also president of the Democratic Mayors Association. Also attending the events in January were the mayors of three other Virginia cities Petersburg, Newport News and Portsmouth. Each stayed at the Capital Hilton, according to documents the Richmond Times-Dispatch obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Staff in Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parhams office said his stay at the Capital Hilton cost less than $800. Receipts from Newport News showed that Mayor Phillip Jones room at the same hotel cost $1,350, excluding a fee for valeting his car. Rooms at the Capital Hilton start at about $200 a night. Rooms at the St. Regis start at about $460. Stoney paid on average $522 each night, excluding a bill at Alhambra, the hotels Mediterranean restaurant. It did not include room charges for other staffers. Stoney also stayed at the St. Regis in 2022. That stay, which was one night shorter, cost the city $1,325. Official: Conference helped secure grants Stoney is one of numerous city employees to have a city credit card, or a purchasing card, which draw money from the city account like a debit card. P-cards are managed by Richmonds Office of Procurement Services. The office did not immediately respond to questions on whether it had reviewed and approved the charges. In 2019, The Times-Dispatch reported on Stoneys use of his city credit card to extend a work trip to Hawaii, where the summer Conference of Mayors was being held, so that he could vacation for an additional three days. Stoney charged $1,000 total on his city-issued card and reimbursed the city a month later. City officials said this was the result of a mistake by hotel staff, who used his P-card instead of his personal card. Using the card for personal charges is explicitly forbidden under city procurement rules. At the time, city spokesperson Jim Nolan called the charges an erroneous mistake that caused some confusion but was corrected in good faith. Nolan also said in the story that participation in the conference helped Richmond secure $150,000 in grants from affiliates in 2019. Gallery: Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney delivers State of the City speech Farmville is having a moment. On the same evening that country music sensation Oliver Anthony played to an enthusiastic hometown Farmville audience, Rich Men North of Richmond would be the topic of debate among Republican presidential candidates in Milwaukee. A Fox News moderator asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis why Anthonys song has become so popular. That the question was even asked was more instructive than the answer. Anthony, whether he likes it or not, is a right-wing hero for now, despite his middle-of-the-road protestations. Whether driven by the music or politics, folks showed up in droves to the North Street Press Club. Caleb Calhoun, a Farmville resident, waited an hour and a half for tickets, according to an account in The News & Advance, Lynchburgs newspaper. I never thought Farmville would be headlining the news and everything like that, Calhoun said. Its a really cool thing to have happen here. That take mystifies Taikein Cooper, a Farmville native and executive director of the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation. I think people are quite oblivious to American history if they think that this is the first time Farmville has been mentioned, he said Friday. When we think of many of the big things that happen in American history, Prince Edward County was on the cusp of it, he said, citing Melvin Patrick Elys book, Israel on the Appomattox: A Southern Experiment in Black Freedom from the 1790s through the Civil War. That book examines a community of free Black people living, farming and transacting business with white people in relative parity. That early progressiveness contrasts starkly with Farmvilles role as Ground Zero during Massive Resistance. The headlines surrounding Prince Edward, and its county seat, Farmville, tell the story. There was this May 4, 1951, headline in The Daily News Leader of Staunton: Striking Farmville Negro Pupils Told to Return to School Monday. Or a headline the previous day in the Washington Evening Star that read: Lawyers Plan Action to End Segregation in Farmville Schools. Or a July 2, 1959, story in the Bristol Herald Courier with the headline, Prince Edward County Closes Public Schools. What began in 1951 as a student walkout, led by Barbara Johns, protesting substandard facilities at Robert Russo Moton High School would become a part of the 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, overturning racially segregated schools. What followed was Massive Resistance to the ruling in Virginia, and Prince Edwards decision to shut down its public schools from 1959-64. The white community, with state assistance, established private schools for wealthier white students. Its a legacy worthy of a song, more blues than country. Education remained largely separate and unequal in Prince Edward for decades after Kennedys visit some might say to this day. Into this breach stepped Ken Woodley as editor of the Farmville Herald, the daily newspaper that once championed Massive Resistance. Woodley, who served as editor of the Herald for 24 years, proposed a state-funded scholarship program for people harmed by the school closings. In 2004, the Virginia General Assembly created the Brown vs. Board of Education Scholarship Program and Fund for the casualties of Massive Resistance. In 2008, the Board of Supervisors denounced the decision of its 1959 board not to fund the county schools, and then lit the courthouse bell tower light in honor of Johns and her fellow student protesters. It later posted a plaque in front of the courthouse apologizing for the school closings. That was the year Barack Obama was elected as the nations first African American president another time that today seems like it happened in another country altogether. Wednesday night, seven of the eight GOP presidential aspirants raised their hands when asked if theyd support Donald Trump (who skipped the debate) as the partys nominee, even if hes convicted in a court of law a nauseating profile in cowardice that should be disqualifying. Trump, in the meantime, puts judges, prosecutors and jurors in harms way with his incendiary remarks. After Obamas election, people opined that wed entered a post-racial America. At the moment, we barely seem postbellum. Kudos to Oliver Anthony. And I hope this spotlight on Farmville is bright enough to enlighten those around the nation and Prince Edward County who dont know that Farmville is the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement in this nation. A movement that still has deep wrongs to right, Woodley said in an email Thursday. Theres a museum a few blocks south of the North Street Press Club that tells the awe-inspiring story of a terrible racist darkness being turned into a light that shines for every human being, he said, speaking of the Robert Russa Moton Museum, which operates out of the former site of the Black student walkout, now a National Historic Landmark. Not all of that darkness is gone. In fact, some of it has been trying to sneak and slither back in recent years all across America. Presidential hopefuls need to address that, said Woodley, a lay preacher in the Episcopal Church. Theres a Light of Reconciliation atop the Prince Edward County Courthouse. Turn it up! Reconciliation is frowned upon in Donald Trumps America. And Anthony, in an interview with Fox News, appears to have gone off-message in saying: We are the melting pot of the world. And thats what makes us strong, our diversity. And we need to learn to harness that and appreciate it and not use it as a political tool to keep everyone separate from it. This embrace of the D-word anathema to Republicans has not been well-received by members of the far right. Anthonys ideological ambiguity makes him a hard artist to peg. But a pro-diversity anthem would be a nice flip side to his unlikely hit. Turn it up, I say. Photos from Oliver Anthony's concert in Farmville In front of the town hall of Oswego, New York, is a statue of Mary Edwards Walker, a 19th-century womens rights activist, abolitionist, dress reformer, Army surgeon, prisoner of war and the first and still the only female recipient of the Medal of Honor. She is depicted leaning against a lectern that is inscribed with one of her own quotes: I have got to die before people will know who I am and what I have done. One hundred and four years after Walkers death, she is being honored by the U.S. Army, which on Friday officially renamed Fort A.P. Hill, its garrison in Caroline County, after her. Maj. Gen. Trevor Bredenkamp, commanding general of the Joint Task Force-National Capital Region; retired Lt. Gen. Nadja West, the 44th Surgeon General of the Army; Walkers great-great-grandniece and great-great-nephew; members of the Armys Naming Commission; and representatives from local government were among those on hand for the official unveiling of Fort Walker. It was fitting that the redesignation occurred the day before Womens Equality Day, which commemorates the adoption of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, Bredenkamp said. Women have been and remain a central and invaluable part of the Army, he said, noting that Fort Walker is now the only Army garrison in the country named solely for a woman. West, who is the first Black woman to have achieved the rank of lieutenant general, said that, If there had been no Dr. Walker, there would have been no Dr. West. My awe and gratitude to her is profound, West said. Walker was born in Oswego in 1832 to abolitionist and nonconforming parents who supported her right to a comprehensive education. She first worked as a teacher and saved money to attend Syracuse Medical College, becoming only the second woman to graduate. She married a fellow student and together they opened a private practice. When the Civil War broke out, Walker petitioned the Union Army for a commission to serve as a surgeon. She had the training and she was ready, but there was no precedent for her service, so she worked as a contract nurse, said Alexandra Kolleda, education specialist at the U.S. Army Womens Museum at Fort Gregg-Adams. Eventually, Walkers skills were recognized by a commanding officer, and she was allowed to work as a surgeon. She treated wounded soldiers at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chickamauga and even went behind enemy lines to treat civilians, Kolleda said. Walker was finally employed by the Army as its first female surgeon. In 1864, she was captured, charged as a spy and held for four months as a prisoner of war in Richmond. In 1865, President Andrew Johnson personally granted her the Medal of Honor, which she wore every day for the rest of her life. The citation reads that Walker, has rendered valuable service to the Government, and her efforts have been earnest and untiring in a variety of ways, and that she has devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded soldiers, both in the field and hospitals, to the detriment of her own health, and has also endured hardships as a prisoner of war four months in a Southern prison while acting as contract surgeon. Walker went on to become a writer, lecturer and advocate for womens suffrage, health care and dress reform. The restrictive corsets and voluminous dresses of her time made it hard for Walker to perform her job in the field, Kolleda said. She wanted to be able to dress comfortably, so she wore pantaloons under skirts and then gave up the skirts completely, Kolleda said. Later in life, Walker wore jackets, trousers and a top hat. She was frequently ridiculed for her clothing and, in 1870, she was arrested in New Orleans for being dressed as a man. Everywhere she went, she made a scene, Kolleda said. In 1917, the Army revised eligibility requirements for the Medal of Honor and rescinded the citation from 911 individuals, Walker included. The new standards required the recipient to have demonstrated valor in direct contact with the enemy. She argued for it back, Kolleda said. There are stories that when they came to collect it from her, she refused to give it back. Walkers Medal of Honor was eventually legally restored to her, but not until 1977. She died in 1919. During the redesignation ceremony, West said renaming allows us to reach into our nations storehouse of faithful citizens and bring forward those whose accomplishments have dimmed. During her lifetime, Walker had to speak out so strongly to be heard, said George DeMass, historian for the town of Oswego. And she was aware that it might take a very long time for people to listen, he said. IN THE NEWS Lawsuit filed over greenhouse gas plan The Southern Environmental Law Center has filed a lawsuit challenging the decision of Gov. Glenn Youngkins administration to withdraw the state from a regional carbon emissions reduction program. Virginians know that we need this program and that we have no time to waste, Nate Benforado, the centers senior attorney, said in a statement. We will be doing everything we can as quickly as we can to enforce the law and maintain this successful program. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is intended to reduce the use of fossil fuels as an energy source and to encourage a shift to renewable energy production by requiring energy producers to buy allowances for each metric ton of carbon they produce. The General Assembly passed a resolution to join RGGI in 2020. But Youngkin has sought to pull the state from the program, saying it forces power companies to buy allowances that raise the cost of energy for consumers. At the behest of the governor, the Air Pollution Control Board in June voted 4-3 to withdraw from the initiative. RESTRICT: The U.S. Forest Service is restricting off-trail access and camping along a portion of Dragons Tooth Trail, part of the Appalachian Trail near Roanoke, because there's concern heavy use is harming the environment. Hikers have trampled the pirate brush, a rare native plant, and disturbed the forest floor so much that sediment has washed away. "The use out there has just exploded," said Beth Christensen, district ranger for the Eastern Divide Ranger District. THEY SAID IT The new hemp law takes critical steps to strengthen consumer safety and regulations around edible and inhaled hemp-derived products as well as delta-8 THC products." Macaulay Porter, a spokeswoman for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, about new fines for retailers found to be out of compliance with laws restricting the sales of certain hemp products. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services began inspections last month. You cannot find a more patriotic group of people. They participated in the revolution but never benefited from it." Historian Paula Royster, who has been working to identify who in Fredericksburg may have been involved in Underground Railroad activities between 1797 and 1865. BY THE NUMBERS 15 Days spent on a boat in the Pacific Ocean by Virginia Beach second-grade educator Lisa Carlson, who was selected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for its Teacher at Sea Program. She conducted a fisheries survey. "It was intimidating, but definitely exciting," Carlson said. 200,000 Solar panels to be installed at Dulles International Airport by Dominion Energy and the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority as part of the largest renewable energy project ever built at a U.S. airport. ODDS AND ENDS ACCESS: A project to improve access to Culpeper Regional Airport in Brandy Station is ready for launch. The $2.9 million Greenhouse Road project will add an access road to the east side of the airport, which opened in 1968. ENROLLMENT: Virginia Tech estimates it will have 7,085 first-year students this year, drawn from a record pool of 47,128 freshman applications. IN THE NEWS Accused UVa shooter appears in court The 23-year-old man who authorities said killed three University of Virginia students in an on-campus Nov. 13 shooting waived his preliminary hearing Monday. Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., of Henrico County, faces 10 felony charges including three counts of second-degree murder. Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and DSean Perry were killed. Judge Andrew Sneathern accepted the waiver. The case will now proceed to a grand jury. If the grand jury agrees to indict, the case will move from Albemarle County General District Court to Albemarle County Circuit Court. HOSPITAL: A judge has ruled that most of the claims of sexual abuse and other mistreatment made in a long-running civil lawsuit by dozens of former patients of a New Kent County childrens hospital can move forward. The lawsuit was filed in October 2020 by former patients of the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents. Richmond Circuit Court Judge Bradley Cavedo rejected defendants' arguments that most of the allegations were time-limited under the states medical malpractice law. An attorney for the plaintiffs calls it an incredibly important decision. An attorney for several of the defendants says they are still reviewing the ruling. The lawsuit is set for trial next year. From the Archives: The Virginia state Capitol building August marks National Breastfeeding Month. This years National Breastfeeding Month theme is This Is Our Why, highlighting why breastfeeding is so important. We know from research that breastfeeding benefits moms and babies in numerous ways. Breast milk contains moms antibodies, so breastfed babies are protected from many illnesses while the babys immune system develops and matures. Mother and baby skin-to-skin contact promotes bonding and milk production. These are just a few of the reasons why Gov. Glenn Youngkin has recognized August 2023 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month in the commonwealth. Breastfed infants also have lower risk of asthma, obesity, diabetes and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding benefits to mom include lowering the risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease and post-partum depression. For those reasons and more, breastfeeding is a recognized strategy both nationally and locally to improve the health and well-being of individuals and communities. Healthy People 2030, an initiative of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, includes goals to increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed exclusively and to increase the duration of breastfeeding. Virginia families start off strong with breastfeeding 63% of newborns who start breastfeeding continue for six months, which is higher than the national average. Having a community that rallies around breastfeeding makes a huge difference. The early initiation of breastfeeding is critical to success, which is why the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is so important. The initiative recognizes facilities that implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. A number of Virginia hospitals have received the designation, and I encourage more to pursue this voluntary but important standard. Together, we can continue to improve health outcomes by normalizing breastfeeding and creating breastfeeding-friendly environments. In Virginia, the right to breastfeed in public is enshrined in the Code of Virginia. The Virginia Department of Health encourages Virginians with questions or concerns to contact us at vabreastfeeds@vdh.virginia.gov. Additionally, the Virginia Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requires employers with five or more employees to make reasonable accommodations to support workers who are pregnant or who are breastfeeding. Examples of such accommodations include break time and a private location to express milk or a temporary shift to light-duty assignment. A national reasonable accommodations law went in effect in June. Questions about the Virginia law should be directed to the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry. Questions about the federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act law should be directed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Across Virginia, women enrolled in the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) have access to nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support, and breast pumps and supplies. WIC offers breastfeeding classes and counseling at local health departments, covering such topics as infant feeding cues and newborn behavior. To find your local health department, visit our website at Local Health Districts Virginia Department of Health. There is a lot more we can do as a community to encourage breastfeeding and to support breastfeeding moms. Some women may have difficulty breastfeeding, and not all women who want to breastfeed will be able to do so. We want to make sure all women have the information and support for their circumstances. For additional resources on breastfeeding, visit vdh.virginia.gov/breastfeeding. At the Virginia Department of Health, we are committed to spreading the word on the benefits of breastfeeding and providing education and support. I salute all the breastfeeding champions people who promote, support and protect breastfeeding and its very important role in maternal and child health. As a public health official, physician and mother, I support breastfeeding for the many benefits to Virginias families and communities. This is my why. What is yours? From the Archives: Nurses 20150324_FEA_POD_Red_Cross 20150724_FEA_POD_Sheltering nurses Army Nurses Red Cross march Sheltering Arms Sheltering Arms Sheltering Arms Sheltering Arms Sheltering Arms Sheltering Arms RUSSIA Mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led a brief armed rebellion against the Russian military this year, was aboard a plane that crashed north of Moscow on Wednesday, killing all 10 people on board, according to Russia's civil aviation agency. The crash immediately raised suspicions the fate of the founder of the Wagner private military company has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted the mutiny. At the time, President Vladimir Putin denounced the rebellion as "treason" and a "stab in the back" and vowed to avenge it, but the charges against Prigozhin were soon dropped. The Wagner chief, whose troops were some of the best fighting forces for Russia in Ukraine, was allowed to retreat to Belarus, while reportedly popping up in Russia from time to time. The crash also comes after Russian media reported that a top general linked to Prigozhin was dismissed from his position as commander of the air force. A plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers that was en route from Moscow to St. Petersburg went down almost 185 miles north of the capital, according to officials cited by Russia's state news agency Tass. Russia's civilian aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, quickly reported that he was on the manifest and later said that, according to the airline, he was indeed on board. Keir Giles, a Russia expert with the international affairs thinktank Chatham House, urged caution about reports of Prigozhin's death. He said "multiple individuals have changed their name to Yevgeniy Prigozhin, as part of his efforts to obfuscate his travels." "Let's not be surprised if he pops up shortly in a new video from Africa," Giles said. Meanwhile, Gen. Sergei Surovikin, a former commander of Russia's forces in Ukraine who was linked to Prigozhin, was dismissed as chief of the air force, Russian state media reported Wednesday after weeks of uncertainty about his fate. Surovikin has not been seen in public since June 23-24, when Prigozhin sent his men to march toward Moscow. In a video released during the uprising, Surovikin who was believed to have close ties to Prigozhin urged him to pull the mercenaries back. Aeromexico announces daily Mexico City flights into Tulum International Tulum, Q.R. Aeromexico is the third national airline to confirm routes for the up-and-coming Tulum International Airport. News of their new flight came on the same day as Viva Aerobus announced the five routes they will offer. In a statement, Aeromexico says they will begin operating flights from the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) to the Tulum International Airport as of December 1, 2023. The airline will begin with two flights per day. They have said that passengers interested in buying tickets for the Mexico City-Tulum route will be able to do so in coming days. We arrived in Tulum! We are happy to announce this new route that from December 1, will allow you to connect directly from AICM to this destination and the south of the Riviera Maya with two daily flights. The route will be available for sale in the coming days, Aeromexico announced. Their statement adds that with the addition of the Tulum route, Aeromexico will offer of 221,000 seats per month to Quintana Roo. To date, Mexicana de Aviacion, Viva Aerobus and Aeromexico have all announced routes into the under-construction Tulum Airport. Lopez Obrador says construction company executives will accompany him on next Maya Train tour Mexico City, Mexico Executives of the companies constructing the various Maya Train sections will be included in the next presidential tour. On Thursday, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador announced that they will accompany him during his next tour on September 1. Lopez Obrador says the purpose is for them to reaffirm commitments to deliver the sections and corresponding projects for his December inauguration. The companies invited to tour the routes from Campeche to Merida are Grupo Carso, Grupo Mota-Engil, Grupo Indi and ICA. The tours will also be attended by the governors of Campeche, Layda Sansores San Roman and Quintana Roo, Mara Lezama Espinosa, as well as the governor of Yucatan, Mauricio Vila Dosal. The engineers heading the projects will also be included. AMLO says that at the end of the year, representatives of the media will be able to witness the start of the Maya Train. Lopez Obrador says the Maya Train will be inaugurated in December. Photo: Fonatur The next Tren Maya government report will be from the state of Campeche, he said. We are going to have the report for the first time in Campeche because it is one of the most forgotten states and we want to do it there, he said. When sharing the itinerary of the work tour that weekend, President Lopez Obrador explained that on September 2, he will visit Chichen Viejo, a new archaeological zone that will open to the public that same day. Later, the journey will continue on the first Maya Train from Merida, Yucatan to Cancun. On September 3, the modernization of Luis Donaldo Colosio Boulevard and the Cancun junction Airport Distributor will be inaugurated. After that, he will fly over Tulum by helicopter where he will supervise the new airport that, together with the new airline Mexicana de Aviacion, will also be operational in December of this year. Mexico sends fourth brigade to help battle Canadian wildfires Guadalajara, Jalisco A fourth group of forest firefighters has left Mexico bound for Canada. The group of 100 men and woman left the country Wednesday to help battle Canadas raging wildfires. The 100 Mexican forest firefighters were assembled from 22 of Mexicos states. In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Relations, the Government of Mexico said they continue to provide support to Canada derived from the emergency caused by forest fires that plague the North American country. According to the Canadian Interagency Wildfire Center (CIFFC), more than 1,000 wildfires are currently active in the region of which 379 are in the province of British Columbia. During this season, 5,850 fires have been registered that have affected 15.3 million hectares. In this context and on the instructions of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a fourth contingent made up of 100 combatants and a forest fire technician from 22 states in the country left Guadalajara for the province of British Columbia. Another brigade of 100 Mexican men and woman forest firefighters were preparing for deployment as seen pictured here. Photo: la Comision Nacional Forestal (Conafor) August 23, 2023. The combatants of this contingent belong to official brigades of the National Forestry Commission (Conafor) and have the training, experience, physical aptitude and training required to remain in the field for as long as necessary, adhering to international standards to execute the work of control and suppression of forest fires, the Ministry reported. The second intervention team sent on July 5 returned on the same day the fourth team was sent out. That contingent concluded its assignment in the Prince George region after 49 days of combat and liquidation work. Of the almost 400 combatants that Mexico has deployed in Canadian territory, 185 Mexican men and women will remain to continue to support coordination, control, liquidation actions and specialized fire management techniques in that country. In June, a first team of 100 Mexican forest firefighters were deployed to Canada from the Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla International Airport in the city of Guadalajara. They landed in Thunder Bay, Ontario from where they were dispersed around the country to help battle ongoing forest fires. Seguin, TX (78155) Today Rain showers early, then remaining overcast and windy later in the day. High near 45F. Winds N at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 42F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Daniel Heng, an undergraduate and a financial advisor, shares why he bought a condominium unit as his first home instead of an HDB flat. (PHOTO: Daniel Heng) SINGAPORE When it comes to purchasing first homes in Singapore, it is common to buy a Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat, either through balloting for a Build-to-Order (BTO) unit or buying one from the resale market. Eschewing the usual first-property route, university undergraduate Daniel Heng, 25, recently put down a hefty deposit for a S$1.27 million condominium unit. The low-rise condo, in which Heng told Yahoo Finance Singapore he intends to live, is located in the central region and is slated for completion in 2027. Heng, who is also a certified financial advisor and personal wealth manager, bought the home with some help from his mother she loaned him S$100,000 for the downpayment of S$354,000; Heng said he intends to repay her with interest. As a working university student majoring in accounting and business, he earns over S$20,000 per month providing financial services and advice to high-net-worth clients. He started as a "broke university student" at 22, spurred by events in his personal life. With a modest family background his mother is a single mum who worked as an accountant to support him and his two sisters Heng was motivated to work and pay for his own university fees. "I only spend what I need to, and invest the rest of my money as discipline savings," Heng shared. His investment portfolio includes, among others, equities, fixed-income investments and cryptocurrency. Condo vs HDB Heng, who is single but in a relationship, considered purchasing an HDB flat as his first home. Though there is a fiance-fiancee eligibility route for BTO and Executive Condominium (EC) units, Heng's monthly earnings had exceeded the S$14,000 and S$16,000 income ceiling for BTO flats and EC apartments respectively. Furthermore, Heng said that he wanted to live in the central region as he travels around Singapore throughout the day to meet with clients. "Central is really the most efficient place, and I don't mind paying a space premium for being efficient. I don't mind getting a smaller unit within my budget if I'm more connected," said Heng, referring to his newly purchased 463 sq ft condo unit at Orchard Sophia. Story continues Heng also explained that buying an HDB flat in the central region, or in a Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) project, would mean that the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) would be 10 years this is five years more than a regular HDB flat. This was an opportunity cost, Heng said, as he could "upgrade" only in 10 years. Resale flats were out for Heng too. Besides being ineligible as a single buyer who is younger than 35, Heng said that buying a condo unit is a form of "investment into my business". He shared that he hopes to inspire his team members and give them something to aspire to. "I thought that being able to buy a condo will serve as an aspirational visualisation for my associates. It illustrates the potential rewards of hard work and ambition. Letting them see the place, and see that I can afford it, will motivate them to work hard so that they can afford it for themselves," said Heng. He had emphasised to his property agent the need for a home that would fit a "swanky" image. Daniel Heng and his girlfriend at the show unit for Orchard Sophia. (PHOTO: Rachel Chan) Condo as an investment While Heng said that he had purchased the condo with the intention of living in it, he also wanted a property that would not "lose money". "My plan is actually to stay for a short while... (about) two years. Then, I can flip. Once I sell the house and use that to buy a nicer property, maybe a two or three-bedroom unit, that will be enough for me to have kids," said Heng, who added that he is open to resale options. Heng thought about the future even when it came to selecting his unit. By choosing one on the first floor, Heng reasoned that it would be easier to sell in the future since units on lower floors tend to be cheaper, and would come out top in searches as buyers tend to search by price. I thought that being able to buy a condo will serve as an aspirational visualisation for my associates. It illustrates the potential rewards of hard work and ambition.Daniel Heng "I find that Daniel is very visionary in his thinking because he's already thinking of an exit strategy before putting the downpayment. He knows that this is not going to be his last home; it's only going to be his first," said Rachel Chan, Heng's property agent who helped him secure the unit. "It's a myth for people to believe that they must buy HDB as their first property or that they must go into it with their spouse. It really depends on what you want," she added. To aspiring homeowners, Heng said, "Make sure you do your math properly and talk to your financial consultant. Also, do a lot of research and don't be desperate to buy." If you have an interesting True Singapore HDB story to share, email us at sea-finance@yahooinc.com Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter. Shortly after the wildfires on Maui, residents said realtors and investors were making calls offering to buy land (AP/AFP) Just days after fast-moving wildfires broke out in Maui, Hawaii, residents were heartbroken to see the remainder of their homes, businesses and lives turned to ash. Thousands are without shelter and their possessions, as nearly 80 per cent of structures in the town of Lahaina have been damaged or completely destroyed. Even worse are the scores of people forced to mourn the untimely loss of loved ones who were unable to escape the blazes before they engulfed neighbourhoods. But the same people who are trying to grapple with the immense loss and figure out how to move forward, are reportedly being forced to defend what they have left of their land and grief as investors and realtors try to captalise on the disaster. I am so frustrated with inventors and realtors calling the families who lost their home offering to buy their land, Lahaina resident Tiare Lawrence said in a video on KAkoo HaleakalA. KAkoo HaleakalA, a nonprofit organisation aiming to protect and preserve Hawaiian land and native species, was just one of the many that sounded alarms about investors efforts. How dare you do that to our community right now, Ms Lawrence said. More people have come forward saying real estate agents and investors have called them inquiring if they would sell their land, not even one week after the wildfires. Though Hawaii governor Josh Green has insisted he will not allow investors to take land, some are worried it is inevitable because Maui is so expensive to build on and the federal governments payments may not be enough to cover everyones rebuilding efforts. Fear of being erased Six days after the Lahaina fire, KeEeaumoku Kapu, a Kanaka Maoli (Indigenous Hawaiians) community leader, told CBC that he was contacted by a realtor asking to buy his burned property. "Because our island is now turned into a cheaper commodity because theres nothing more important to save here, you have people coming in willing to buy burned-out places, Mr Kapu told CBC. Story continues Destroyed buildings and cars are pictured in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii on August 16, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) Mr Kapu said he has urged people not to sell their land but he fears the price will motivate people to leave. Im hoping that we can get over this hurdle but at the same time the fear of being erased, he added. Mark Stefl told USA Today he, too, was approached by developers to buy his land. Im not gonna sell it, Mr Stefl told the news outlet Mr Stefl said hes lived in the area for 24 years and already has to rebuild two homes one that burned in a fire and one that was destroyed during a hurricane. He added: Im going to stay here. I love it here, as messed up as it is. Kaniela Ing, a Native Hawaiian community organiser, told CNN that predatory land grabbers have been eyeing the island for generations. Fear of predatory land grabbers coming in is legitimate because its already happening, its been happening for generations now, Mr Ing said. Mr Ing has been on Maui for seven generations. He added: And every time theres a crisis, it accelerates. Activists, including the organisation KAkoo HaleakalA, have encouraged residents to report the names of realtors and investors who are trying to buy their land. Keoni, a Kanaka Maoli Kiai (Native Hawaiian Activist) tweeted asking people who are receiving calls from realtors to take down their names so they could expose them. Residents and activists quickly called on the government to issue a land block to prevent people from grabbing land while the federal government figured out payments, which Mr Green responded to in agreement. Maui is not for sale Governor Green told reporters on 14 August that he spoke directly with the attorney general to try and issue a moratorium on any sales of properties that have been damaged or destroyed. Mr Green reiterated the importance of keeping land to its rightful owners and scolded realtors and investors for trying to capitalise on traumatised families. Additionally, Mr Green said that realtors will likely not be offering Hawaiians what their properties are valued at. I would caution people that its going to be a very long time before any growth or housing can be built and so you will be pretty poorly informed if you try to steal land from our people and then build here, Mr Green said. One realtor in Hawaii, named Ashley Correa, told NewsNation she heard some people were offering $100,000 for burned land. Its so insensitive and just despicable, Ms Correa said. More than 2,000 structures have been burned in Lahaina alone. Mr Green said he estimates it will cost $5 billion to rebuild parts of Maui. Wildfire wreckage is shown Friday, Aug. 11, 2023, (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Mr Green said that the housing moratorium doesnt mean that we dont want people to come and invest in Hawaii and travel to Hawaii away from the impact zone. But it is a way to protect Native Hawaiians and residents first and foremost. That first step will be getting people housing, food and clean water first. Mr Green has enlisted the help of the federal government, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to begin issuing payments to those affected by the wildfires to help rebuild their homes. To start, residents in need of food, water and clothing are getting a one-time payment of $700. On top of that, the agency is paying to house people in hotels and motels until they can find more permanent housing. FEMA will also help survivors repair their homes and reimburse them for personal property needs that may not be covered by insurance. As for those who had their entire house burned down, the agency is also offering disaster loans of up to $500,000 for homeowners to repair or replace their real estate. Another loan of up to $100,000 is available to renters and homeowners. Nonprofit organisations as well as personal fundraisers like GoFundMe can be used to help repair or replace homes that were burned in the wildfires. But waiting for the payouts may take a while as the disaster zone has not even begun to be cleared. Officials are still looking for approximately 850 missing people and the bodies of those who did not make it. Given FEMAs response history with other disasters like Hurricane Katrina in 2005, there is a fear that government payouts will not be enough to help those who lost everything. Rebuilding without selling Hawaii is one of the most expensive states to live in, partially due to its remote location, which can require a lot of goods to be flown in. The average home in Lahaina is valued at around $1m, according to Zillow almost double the price of the average home in America, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data. But the rise of hotels, resorts and condos on Maui, has made it a favourite, and more affordable option, for tourists and people looking to move. (AP) Richy Palalay, a 25-year-old who was born in raised in Lahaina told the Associated Press that the is worried that investors will seize the opportunity to pay a lower price for the land locals live on to build expensive resorts. Im more concerned of big land developed coming in and seeing this charred land as an opportunity to rebuild, Mr Palalay told Associated Press on Saturday. Mr Palalay said his workplace, his neighbourhood, his friends homes and potentially his own home were burned down in the fire. Archie Kalepa, a longtime resident of Lahaina told The Washington Post, he similarly is worried that big investors will make deals that desperate survivors have no choice but to take. One of the things that we as a community and as a state is going to be faced with, is how do we begin to address the long-term recovery, rebuilding, keeping people here and not selling off what losses they had and moving, Mr Kalepa, said We want to make sure we keep Lahaina, Lahaina. NORFOLK, Neb. -- Ho-Chunk Capital earlier this month acquired one of the largest buildings in downtown Norfolk, and plans to transform it into a luxury hotel. The National Register of Historic Places-listed Kensington building, located at the northeast corner of West Norfolk Avenue and North Fourth Street in Norfolk, will undergo a more-than $14 million rehabilitation; when complete, it will be a roughly 62-room Marriott. Dennis Johnson, CEO of Ho-Chunk Capital, said renovations might begin next year; the hotel might be finished sometime in the second half of 2025. Before construction begins, Ho-Chunk Capital and Marriott will go through a "branding" process, to define and refine the character of the hotel -- "to kind of figure out what kind of unique attributes we want to enhance and retain and keep," Johnson said. Ho-Chunk's in-house architectural firm, BluStone Architecture, will be engaged on the project. The century-old, five-story, brick, stone and reinforced concrete building -- which was originally a hotel -- had been used as an apartment building since the 1960s. For the past 25 years, it was owned by the Norfolk Housing Agency. The Norfolk Housing Agency used the building for low-rent apartments, but the building was in need of costly upkeep. Last year, the Norfolk Housing Agency put out a request for proposals for new uses for the property. Ho-Chunk Capital, a division of Ho-Chunk Inc. noted for major real estate purchases, submitted a winning proposal and acquired the property for $1.5 million. "We're kind of bringing it back to its glory days, really, as a hotel," Johnson said. The former occupants of the Kensington apartments have found new homes and the building is now unoccupied, said City of Norfolk Communications Manager Nick Stevenson. "It's better than the conditions that they were living in at the Kensington. I mean, you could have someone turn their microwave on in one apartment, and have someone turn their oven on in another one, and the whole breaker would trip," Stevenson said. Johnson described the building's condition as "fair." "It was kind of a tired apartment complex, I would call it," he said. "So, this will definitely be a revitalization, an enhancement." Turning the Kensington into "the premier hotel in town," Johnson said, "will, I think, definitely help downtown Norfolk -- but downtown Norfolk doesn't need a lot of help, I'll be real." "They have a very vibrant, active downtown environment," he said. "So this will just really plug in very well to that." The building retains much of its 1920s grandeur -- particularly its elegant lobby, where ornate railings, high ceilings, stonework and antique woodwork survive. "It's got a really grand entry, actually, and that lobby area, that was retained," Johnson said. "And there's a lot of the original woodwork that is still in that area too that we'll definitely retain and enhance and restore, as much as we can." A troubled early history The Kensington, originally known as the Hotel Norfolk, was plagued by bankruptcy, lawsuits, deadbeat developers, swelling costs, ruined investors and painfully slow construction in its early years. The North American Hotel Company, an Omaha-based investment group, purchased the parcel in 1917 with the intent of building an eight-story, 134-room hotel there. Enthusiastic Norfolk residents helped bankroll the project by purchasing about $90,000 worth of stock, according to the property's National Register of Historic Places application. World War I brought the hotel project to a halt and the developer ran into financial problems. By 1919, the site had been excavated, but no further work was being done. Norfolk residents and investors negotiated with the developers and eventually took possession of the property, forming the Norfolk Hotel Company. The new developers eventually discovered a high water table, natural springs and quicksand that lurked beneath the surface; the basement would require double layers of concrete, and the cost of materials and labor ballooned. Because of the cost overruns, the intended eight-story hotel -- subsequently scaled back to seven stories -- was further whittled down to five stories, according to the NRHP documents. After a temporary roof was installed in 1921, the ground floor spaces were leased; but progress on the upper floors went slowly, and by 1925, the building was only about three-quarters complete. In March 1921, one shareholder advertised their holdings in the project -- five shares -- for sale in the Norfolk Daily News. "Best offer takes it," the shareholder wrote. The Nebraska Volunteer Firemen's Association planned to hold their annual convention in Norfolk in January 1922, but the hotel wasn't nearly finished. "Great disappointment is expressed in local fire department circles over the incompleted condition of the new Norfolk hotel building," the Norfolk Daily News wrote of the situation in November 1921, before the convention. In 1925, the Norfolk Hotel Company went bankrupt, and the $320,000 that had been invested was wiped out. Finally, the Omaha hotelier E.C. Eppley acquired the property and finished the project; Eppley was purportedly pleased to have acquired a hotel worth $600,000 for half that price. The hotel had its long-awaited grand opening in the summer of 1926. "The new hotel will take care of conventions, travelers and tourists and we have the facilities to do so here in Norfolk. I am optimistic about the outcome of the Hotel Norfolk," E.C. Eppley said at a gala reception for the hotel in July 1926, according to a contemporary report in the Norfolk Daily News. SIOUX CITY Former Sioux City schools superintendent Paul Gausman knew of and asked for one of the closed school board meetings he claims violated Iowas open meetings law, according to documents filed by the district and the four board members named in Gausmans lawsuit. The defendants, in the documents filed Friday afternoon in Woodbury County District Court, offer various pieces of evidence that Gausman was aware of a Jan. 24, 2022, closed session and the reason for the meeting. The documents also give the legal reasoning for a Nov. 30, 2022, closed meeting. Gausman, who is now the superintendent of the Lincoln (Neb.) School District, filed a lawsuit in January claiming Sioux City school board members Dan Greenwell, Jan George, Taylor Goodvin and Bob Michaelson violated the states open meetings law. The suit alleges that at special meetings on Jan. 24, 2022, and Nov. 30, 2022, the board met privately behind closed doors to discuss Gausman and his professional qualifications. It also claims the board members cited incorrect state code sections to avoid notifying Gausman or the public of their discussions about him and a subsequent decision by the board to file a professional ethics complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Fridays filing was in response to a request by Gausman for a partial summary judgment in the case and an order to require the district to turn over the minutes and recordings of the two closed sessions, as requested by the former superintendent. The response was in resistance to Gausmans request for a partial summary, stating he did not provide undisputed evidence to support his claim. On Jan. 24, 2022, Gausman states the board met in a closed session to discuss him and his professional qualifications and proposed to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. To go into the closed session, the board cited the Iowa Code stating the closed session was to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individuals reputation. The code section specifically states that the individual being reviewed must request the closed session, as well as meet other requirements Gausman claims did not occur. Gausman claims he was not notified and the board did not notify the public that they intended to file a complaint against him with the state Board of Educational Examiners, which the lawsuit claims was required. He contends items other than his appointment, hiring, performance or discharge were discussed. The school board members have denied Gausmans claims, saying the closed sessions were legal. Fridays court filings show the Jan. 24 meeting was a quarterly review of Gausmans performance while he was still the superintendent. In the filings, the board said the conversation was limited to Gausmans appointment, hiring, performance or discharge. Documents included in the filings detailed Gausmans knowledge of the meeting, including an emailed meeting invite to all of the board members from Board Secretary Seaniece Heilman on behalf of Gausman, Paul, and a screenshot of Gausmans Microsoft Outlook calendar, showing the closed session scheduled on Jan. 24 titled Closed Session re: Superintendent Quarterly Evaluation. The filing also included a district document titled 2021-2022 superintendent evaluation, which was dated July 14, 2021. The document outlined the districts goals for the superintendent, as well as a timeline for quarterly superintendent evaluations. The evaluations were scheduled for Sept. 27, 2021, Jan. 24, 2022, March 28, 2022, May 9, 2022 and June 13, 2022. Dr. Gausman was notified of and requested a closed session on January 24, 2022, Greenwell, the board president, said in an affidavit filed Friday. Greenwell also outlined two separate times Gausman was emailed a draft copy of the closed session agenda, the minutes of an administrative cabinet meeting where the quarterly review was discussed with Gausman in attendance, and an email directly from Gausman to the board mentioning his work preparing for the meeting. The documents mentioned in Gausmans email were then mailed to each board member on Jan. 21, 2022, Greenwell said. When the board went into closed session the board had good reason to believe and in good faith believed the closed session was being held in compliance, Greenwell said. These statements were also repeated in an affidavit by Heilman. Greenwell said the boards discussion was limited to the reasons it gave for the closed session. On Nov. 30, 2022, the board held another special meeting and closed session to discuss Gausman, he claims. The board cited a different section of the state code, saying the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential. That code section specifically says public bodies are only allowed to discuss confidential records and Gausman claims the school board went beyond that. He also alleges the board again discussed his professional competency, job performance and the possible filing of a complaint with the Board of Educational Examiners. After the closed session ended and the board went into open session, Goodvin made a motion to direct Greenwell to file the BOEE complaint. Board members Monique Scarlett and Bernie Scolaro abstained from the vote. Perla Alarcon-Flory was not present. The motion did not publicly identify who the complaint was being filed against. Greenwell, a frequent critic of Gausmans both before and after he won election to the school board, said in his affidavit the board received a legal opinion for the November meeting that stated the board was allowed to cite that specific code section for a conversation regarding a Board of Education Examiners complaint. The law states information reported to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners is privileged and confidential, Greenwell said. He further explained the process and reasons for going into closed session were consistent with past practices. A bench trial is scheduled for Nov. 28 in the case. Last month I wrote about RAGBRI starting in Sioux City for its 50th anniversary. We were expecting 30,000 to 40,000 people to arrive in Sioux City. I talked about some of the cleaning we needed to do before our guests arrived. Thank you to all of the volunteers that helped make our parks look welcoming by pulling weeds, removing dead plantings, picking up trash, and remove graffiti that was on city property. Driving throughout the city I saw people mowing their property, pulling weeds and weed wacking. A thank you goes to our district office of the Iowa Department of Transportation and their employees for their efforts in mowing, removing graffiti from their property along the route, and making certain the highways were in good repair as did the county roads employees. The Iowa Department of Safety played a major role in keeping riders safe as well. The highway patrol is a great partner with the Sioux City police and the Woodbury County Sheriffs Office. Along with IDOT, a big thank you goes to the city of Sioux City and their employees and volunteers for all of their efforts to make the community look beautiful and welcoming. This proves we have a community that can come together for the betterment of our area. Many of you probably remember that Sioux City received the All-America Award two times, first in 1961 and then in 1990. "The All-America City Award is a community recognition program in the United States given by the National Civic League. The award recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronger connections among residents, businesses, and nonprofit and government leaders. Over the years, we have been known as Sewer City, a place that is hard to build a business, let alone to conduct business. As a city, business leaders have worked hard to overcome those issues. However when elected officials act out at public meetings and are disrespectful to their fellow board members or a citizen publicly talking to them, it destroys what many have given a lot of time and effort to dispel the negativity. Difference of opinion is a good thing, discussing the differences with respect and dignity is imperative. We can learn from one another if we listen honestly and not have the attitude my way or the highway. In my opinion, we all usually want the same thing, we have different ideas as to how to get there. A better way of doing something often comes from honest and respectful dialog. Remember Aretha Franklin sung about "RESPECT." A little respect is all she wanted or if she did not get it she might be gone when you come home was her message. We dont always know when a company or individual is looking to start or expand their business to Siouxland. Many times they scout the area without the communitys knowledge. Today, they dont need to physically come to the place they are considering, they can read newspapers online or view local television on the internet. It saddens me when I see portions of meetings in the news because there is a lack of respect and decorum. If parts of a meeting are in the local news because people are being disrespectful, you can count on it being in the news in other parts of the state as well or country. Due to the Internet and different platforms, you know bad news is going to show up there as well. Anybody can get local news from anywhere in the world, remember you never know what is going to appear on a social network platform and gain millions of views. Look back at 2011, Siouxland became one, helping to prepare for a flood that lasted three months. People from all three states pitched in to help save communities, fellow citizens personal belongings by lending people, equipment, and storage space. Small business owners and employees drove dump truck loads of dirt to build a dyke through Dakota Dunes, tons of sandbags were filled to use wherever needed in all three states. The Iowa Department of Transportation crossed into South Dakota with loads of dirt for dykes. Nobody asked, people jumped in to help save our communities from the flood waters of the Missouri River. People opened their homes for family and friends to live with them for months. This is the real Siouxland, people helping people, people being respectful, courteous, and kind. Charese Yanney, of Sioux City, is owner and managing partner of Guarantee Roofing, Siding and Insulation Co. She serves on the Siouxland Initiative Executive Committee, the Orpheum Theatre Preservation Board, the Orpheum Theatre Endowment Board and the Iowa Department of Transportation Commission. 2023 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #34 Posted on 26 August 2023 by John Hartz Skeptical Science Facebook Page during the past week: Sun, Aug 20, 2023 thru Sat, Aug 26, 2023. A chronological listing of news and opinion articles posted on theduring the past week: Sun, Aug 20, 2023 thru Sat, Aug 26, 2023. Story of the Week Scientific journal retracts article that claimed no evidence of climate crisis Publisher Springer Nature says 2022 article not supported by available evidence as editors launch investigation One of the worlds biggest scientific publishers has retracted a journal article that claimed to have found no evidence of a climate crisis. Springer Nature said it had retracted the article, by four Italian physicists, after an internal investigation found the conclusions were not supported by available evidence or data provided by the authors. Climate sceptic groups widely publicised the article, which appeared in the European Physical Journal Plus in January 2022 a journal not known for publishing climate change science. Nine months later the article was reported uncritically in a page one story in the Australian newspaper and promoted in two segments on Sky News Australia a channel that has been described as a global hub for climate science misinformation. The segments were viewed more than 500,000 times on YouTube. The article claimed to have analysed data to find no trend in rainfall extremes, floods, droughts and food productivity. In conclusion on the basis of observational data, the climate crisis that, according to many sources, we are experiencing today, is not evident yet, the article said. Several climate scientists told the Guardian and later the news agency AFP that the article had misrepresented some scientific articles, was selective and biased and had cherrypicked information. Click here to access the entire article as originally posted on The Guardian website. Scientific journal retracts article that claimed no evidence of climate crisis Publisher Springer Nature says 2022 article not supported by available evidence as editors launch investigation by Graham Readfearn, Environment, The Guardian, Aug 25, 2023 Articles posted on Facebook Sunday, Aug 20, 2023 Monday, Aug 21, 2023 Tuesday, Aug 22, 2023 Wednesday, Aug 23, 2023 Thursday, Aug 24, 2023 Friday, Aug 25, 2023 Saturday Aug 26, 2023 Dear Prudence is Slates advice column. Submit questions here. (Its anonymous!) Dear Prudence, After 10 years together and six years of marriage, I think my relationship with my wife is at a breaking point. We argue far more frequently than I would like (weve spent at least an hour not talking to each other 3-4 times the past week), dont know how to make up or apologize, have little emotional or physical intimacy, and dont do much together other than watch TV. We have talked about these issues numerous times and sometimes can solve them for brief periods of time, but the same problems always eventually come back. Complicating the matter is that we have young children and live abroad in my wifes native country. I have no other real family or close friends here, and if we split up, I cant imagine staying. But if I go back to the U.S., my children will essentially grow up not knowing me (maybe one day I would be able to take them for the summer, but given that they would barely know me, who knows if they would be open to that). Advertisement The way I see it I have three options: Try to stick it out and hope my marriage improves as the kids get older and life gets hopefully a bit easier; split up and stay in a country I dont think I can be happy in to try to maintain a relationship with my children; or split up and move back home accepting that I will have little to no contact with my kids. What do you think? Breaking Dear Breaking, I thought this sounded like an impossible dilemma until I went back to re-read about what exactly the problem in your relationship was. And I breathed a sigh of relief. I know the situation feels interminable, but while we argue far more frequently than I would like (weve spent at least an hour not talking to each other 3-4 times the past week), dont know how to make up or apologize, have little emotional or physical intimacy, and dont do much together other than watch TV does not describe a great situation, it also doesnt sound that bad at all! Were not dealing with abuse or infidelity or a lack of respect or one partner who fundamentally dislikes each other. Youre just not getting along very well. This is the kind of thing couples work through all the time, often by making a real effort to remember what brought them together in the first place. And because of the logistics, you have more incentive than most to make it work! Unless youve left out a lot of details or a lot of failed attempts at fixing things, I dont think you should even begin thinking about leaving your children in another country. Its a totally solvable, made-for-couples therapy dynamic. Get in to see someone and stop looking at plane tickets. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Got a question about kids, parenting, or family life? Submit it to Care and Feeding! Dear Prudence, I live in the northeast. For many years, I have taken a week off in late winter to travel somewhere warm. My go-to destination has been Florida, but Im going to withhold my tourism money from the state until its current governor, and his policies, have been replaced. I have a relative, Uncle Steve, who lives across the country in a town that fulfills all my vacation spot requirements. Id like to make this town my destination this time around. I will certainly let Uncle Steve know I am going to be in town because I would love to visit with him while Im there, if he is available, but I will plan to stay in a hotel (even if he offers me his guest room) because I prefer being able to set my own schedule while on vacation. This town is also close to another relative, Marcy, whom I havent seen in a long time and who expressed excitement that I might be visiting and could meet her young kids for the first time. Advertisement My issue is my brother, Jim, who lives in the same state. I know that when Jim finds out that Im going to be on his coast, two things will happen: Hell immediately want to make the eight-hour drive down and spend the entire week hanging out, and hell be hurt that I chose Uncle Steves town, not his, as my destination. Honestly, I just want to have a week away, spend an afternoon with Marcy and her kids, treat Uncle Steve to a dinner or two, and hang out by the pool reading a book without turning the trip into a family reunion. So am I just complicating things by considering a vacation near Uncle Steve and Marcy? Or is there a way for me to clarify the purpose of my trip, and my own expectations around it, to Jim? Wanderer on the Fence Dear Wanderer, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I think this can be a group email: Hi [insert location] family! Ill be moving my annual solo retreat to your neck of the woods this year. Its an absolute must for me to have time alone and recharge, and Florida doesnt work for me anymore. But since Ill be close, I would love to see family on Thursday and Friday and treat everyone to dinner before I head home. Uncle Steve, will you be around? Marcy? Jim, would it be worth it to come down to hang out a couple of times? If notI know its a long drive!lets start thinking about the holidays. Get Even More Advice From the Dear Prudence Podcast Advertisement Dear Prudence, My same-sex spouse and I live in a very conservative small town in a thankfully Blue State. Recently, one of our service providers (think dog groomer) posted that they Stand with Jason Aldean on their personal social media page after the recent controversy surrounding his song Try That in a Small Town. I use this page as a way to contact them and set up appointments, and I saw it when I was checking in on our next visit. Needless to say, we do not stand with Jason Aldean, nor the racism surrounding the song and video. I have found another service provider, but Im at a loss as to what to do with the former. Theyre a relatively new business owner, and a recent college grad, so Im torn as to whether I should just ghost them and unfriend them, or should I have a conversation about why were not returning to use their services? I know that these types of memes can appeal to a certain client base, but they are also toxic. Not Trying This In a Small Town Dear Small Town, Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You can absolutely just go sign your dog up to get his nails clipped somewhere else, unfriend this business page, and go on with your life. But if you have time and want to make a statement (either to embarrass the business, or to educate the owner, or to inform the other people following the page, or to show solidarity with any Black customers who may be taken aback by the meme) go for it! How about a comment on the photo saying, As a customer, I was really disappointed to see this post, followed by an excerpt from this Vox.com article by Aja Romano, which does a great job explaining the critique of Aldeans work: The lyrics and accompanying video are layered with references to Black Lives Matter protests, sundown towns (see how far you make it down that road), and white protectionism (good ol boys we take care of our own). The videos main location was no less than the site of historical lynchings, a particularly unsubtle jab. Inevitably, however, when you attempt to illuminate this racist imagery, a Try That in a Small Town defender will show up. Advertisement I am sure you are aware that the replies will include They have a right to post what they want and Free speech and Everyone is too sensitive these days and other things that are not really responsive to what you wrote, because people love racism, struggle with reading comprehension, and are not thoughtful. But at least you will have stood up for what you believe. Theres something to be said for that. Catch up on this weeks Prudie. More Advice From Slate I am married to a lovely, kind, and funny man. Our marriage is wonderfulwe both just gel when it comes to most things life throws at us. However, hes the type who likes to fall asleep snuggling, and I cant fall asleep if Im being touched. Plus I feel terrible when I have to disentangle myself from a snuggle, so we sleep on our own sides of the bed. My husband does often cuddle our small dog, and shes usually very happy to sleep in any number of ways that would be very uncomfortable for me. But there are often times when she doesnt want to snuggle, and my husband will hold her in place. There are several federal grant programs available to help small businesses with energy upgrades. One that is especially relevant for rural businesses is the Rural Energy for America Program. While this small business grant program is available to businesses around the U.S., one state is currently offering extra support to businesses interested in applying. Read on for more about this program and other small business grants. Rural Energy for America Program The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is an ongoing grant and loan program run through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agriculture businesses and rural small businesses can apply for federal funds to cover renewable and efficient energy upgrades like solar panel installation. The program mainly supports rural businesses, but urban farms can apply as long as at least half of their income comes from farming. The federal government recently increased funding for the program. So, a REAP solar grant can now cover up to 50 percent of eligible projects. Solar United Neighbors is an organization that aims to help businesses in Minnesota make the most of these upgrades. The organization is hosting a webinar this week to help farms and rural small businesses apply for the program. Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here Little Haiti Revitalization Trust Small Business Grant Program The Little Haiti Revitalization Trust in Miami, Florida is launching its Small Business Grant Program to support economic growth in the community. The program focuses on supporting micro-businesses in Little Haiti through two funding options. The first is the Commercial Facade Enhancement program, which offers up to $20,000 for businesses looking to upgrade their commercial space. The second is the Business Innovation and Operation Improvements grant, which covers technology and software enhancements up to $10,000. The application period opens September 1. And grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Salinas Marketing and Technology Micro Grant Salinas, California is offering a Marketing and Technology Micro Grant program to support businesses looking to upgrade their tech. The program offers grants of up to $2,500, which can be used to purchase new tech equipment or to invest in new tech-related initiatives like social media marketing. To qualify, businesses must be located in the city of Salinas and have at least six months in business. A training program is also offered to participants. 2023 Ticonderoga Microenterprise Grant Program Ticonderoga, New York is partnering with the Essex County Industrial Development Agency and the Ticonderoga Area Chamber of Commerce to offer a new small business grant program this fall. The 2023 Ticonderoga Microenterprise Grant Program officially launches on September 11. The town will also host an informational session on that date to share more about the application process and eligibility requirements. Cambridge Storefront Improvement Program Cambridge, Massachusetts is increasing funding for its Storefront Improvement Program grants. The citys Economic Opportunity and Development Division, which facilitates the program, is also making the grant terms more flexible to increase the amount of businesses that may qualify. Through the program, Cambridge property owners and business tenants can now apply for up to $50,000 to cover part of the cost of various upgrades. Eligible projects include signage, lighting, and interior renovations. In addition to storefront improvement projects, brick and mortar businesses can also apply for up to $8,000 for equipment and marketing improvements. Home-based and co-working-based businesses can also apply for up to $2,000. Small Business Deals Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center Grant The Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center in Colorado recently received a grant of nearly $1 million to support small businesses looking to improve their cybersecurity. The organization will use funds to provide training, certification, and other programs for Colorado small businesses. The grant does not provide direct financial assistance to businesses, but the training and support can provide significant value. Interested businesses can contact the Pikes Peak Small Business Development Center to inquire about assistance. Guava has unveiled its latest innovation Huddle. This is not just a community hub but a much-needed beacon of hope and connectivity in the business world. Guava is known as the premier banking and networking platform catering to Black creators and small business proprietors. In an era where small business operations are fraught with challenges ranging from economic downturns to supply chain disruptions, this platform seeks to bridge gaps and offer solutions tailored specifically to Black entrepreneurs. For small business owners, networking and collaboration are key ingredients to success. As described by Guava, Huddle aims to be a dynamic facilitator in this process. Its mission transcends mere business mechanics by championing the spirit and achievements of Black entrepreneurs. By creating a space for mutual collaboration, Huddle offers an opportunity for these business enthusiasts to tap into a collective reservoir of knowledge, expertise, and mutual support. What makes Huddle indispensable to small business owners, particularly those in the Black community, is the underlying challenges that this demographic faces. While the past three years have seen global challenges affecting businesses, Black entrepreneurs also grapple with unique hurdles. Black business owners have faced the same challenges [as others] while also fighting an uphill battle against unconscious bias, structural challenges, and institutionalized racism, stated Kelly Ifill, Founder and CEO of Guava. Drive Traffic to Your Website Sell Your Business Discover the Zoho Ecosystem Advertise Your Business Here The essence of Huddle, as emphasized by Ifill, is to provide a sanctuary where these entrepreneurs can connect, collaborate, and learn from each other, while also celebrating collective milestones and progress. The features offered are attuned to the needs of todays entrepreneurs. From member discounts to access to live events, curated content from industry bigwigs, and funding pathways Huddle seems primed to be the companion that small business owners need in these trying times. In an age where digital transformation governs business operations, platforms like Huddle reflect the evolving needs of modern entrepreneurs. For those interested, Guava has provided an opportunity to delve deeper with a public webinar on August 9, focused on establishing ones online retail enterprise. Guava took its first steps in 2021 and has since been on an upward trajectory. Guava has made notable strides with a vision centered on addressing the distinct challenges of Black entrepreneurs. Last year, the company announced a $2.4 million funding round to fortify and expand its offerings. Its essential to note that while Guava stands tall as a fintech pioneer, it does not function as a bank. The banking services associated with it are courtesy of Piermont Bank, a recognized FDIC member. Small Business Deals For small business owners, especially those in marginalized communities, platforms like Huddle are not just tools but lifelines. In a market brimming with challenges, such initiatives may well be the catalyst for ushering in change, fostering growth, and, ultimately, achieving success. To learn more about Huddle and the plethora of benefits it brings to the table, visit their platform. For insights into kickstarting an online retail business, sign up for the August 9 webinar. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/flagging-ukraine-counteroffensive-triggers-allies-fears-about-support-nosediving---report-1112903607.html Flagging Ukraine Counteroffensive Triggers Allies' Fears About Support Nosediving - Report Flagging Ukraine Counteroffensive Triggers Allies' Fears About Support Nosediving - Report As Ukraine has nothing to show for its much-heralded counteroffensive, partners of the Kiev regime are fretting that maintaining the same massive level of support will become an uphill battle, stated a US report. 2023-08-26T07:05+0000 2023-08-26T07:05+0000 2023-08-26T07:05+0000 world us europe ukraine f-16 joe biden congress republicans /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/1a/1112902872_0:164:3057:1884_1920x0_80_0_0_5c3d164c8717fde332c1d6c88ac1a1ec.jpg As Ukraine has nothing to show for its much-heralded counteroffensive, launched over two months ago, but heavy losses in manpower and NATO-gifted materiel, Kiev's partners are fretting that maintaining the same massive level of support will become an uphill battle, stated a US report. Dwindling hopes of any "definitive breakthrough" by Ukraines military in the face of Russias impressive defense lines, fortifications and minefields which have destroyed large numbers of armored vehicles and tanks, are increasingly harrowing for those fueling the proxy war against Russia, sources are cited as saying. Ukraine recently deployed its 82nd Brigade from its reserves, said to be one of the last major fighting units available to Kiev, but also to no avail.European officials are reportedly concerned that lack of battlefield progress in Ukraine, coupled with the rising pressures of the revving up 2024 presidential election campaign could prompt Joe Biden to "nudge" Ukraine in the direction of negotiations. The afore-mentioned fears are supposedly rooted in the fact that Washingtons European allies do not possess the military capacity to buoy Kiev. The US and Europe have been spending billions on propping up Ukraine, training and arming its armed forces. But as the counteroffensive flounders and the conflagration drags on, Washington and its allies on the continent are left staring at severely depleted stocks of ammunition, in particular. Any hopes for ramped up production in the US and Europe can only be expected sometime in late 2024, stated the report. One glaring example is Germany, which has been sending various weapons to aid Kiev, including Leopard tanks. However, the German foreign minister recently acknowledged that the reserves of the countrys armed forces (Bundeswehr) are depleted. Other Western nations have also been reporting low weapons stocks, which will only be replenished after changes in budget plans are made.As for the Kiev-coveted F-16 fighters likely wont make it to Ukraine until next year, either.Opposition to Ukraine Funding GrowsPublicly, Biden has been saying that his administration is prepared to support Ukraine "for as long as it takes". But amid growing "hostility" among Republicans toward continuing to funnel aid to Kiev, from a political aspect, sustaining aid is getting harder in the US, wrote the report. It pointed to the anticipated struggle to pass the next funding bill for Ukraine in Congress in autumn. The US president's "Bidenomics" policies, as it is, have resulted in bleak economic data and bloated Federal budget deficit, yet the Democratic POTUS is banking on billions more. On Friday, reports revealed that US Senator J.D. Vance and Congressman Chip Roy drafted a letter they intend to send to the Office of Management and Budget to oppose President Joe Biden's request of an additional $24 billion in aid to Ukraine next year.The letter is dated September 5 and it is unclear whether other lawmakers will cosign it as well.A growing group of Republicans want Americas commitment to Ukraine to wind down, so the stage appears to be set for a tussle over funding when Congress comes back in September. Everyday Americans are also increasingly against authorizing additional funds for Ukraine, as evidenced by a poll published in early August. It revealed that 55 percent of Americans dont want Congress to authorize any more funds for Ukraine. 51 percent said the US has already done enough to help. Another 59 percent fear that the Ukrainian crisis could unleash a wider war in Europe. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230824/as-counteroffensive-falters-us-starts-deliberate-sustained-leak-campaign-to-blame-ukraine-1112850144.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230521/russia-would-ruin-f-16s-reputation-by-destroying-jets-sent-to-kiev-1110506754.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/two-republican-lawmakers-draft-letter-opposing-more-us-funding-to-assist-ukraine-1112902562.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230825/ukraine-quagmire-will-cost-us-600-bln-more-even-if-fighting-stopped-tomorrow--analysis-1112886390.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko ukraine crisis, ukraine counteroffensive, flagging ukraine counteroffensive https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/georgia-must-admit-responsibility-for-aggression-against-sossetia-in-2008---president-1112901981.html Georgia Must Admit Responsibility for Aggression Against S.Ossetia in 2008 - President Georgia Must Admit Responsibility for Aggression Against S.Ossetia in 2008 - President Georgia must recognize its responsibility for aggression and war crimes against South Ossetia in 2008, sign an agreement on the non-use of force and demarcate state borders, South Ossetia President Alan Gagloyev told Sputnik. 2023-08-26T02:31+0000 2023-08-26T02:31+0000 2023-08-26T02:30+0000 world south ossetia georgia russia alan gagloyev georgian aggression act of aggression tbilisi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102493/30/1024933054_0:138:3151:1910_1920x0_80_0_0_436e8857b60f90cfc3baad1590b400c7.jpg Early on August 8, 2008, Georgia shelled South Ossetia from Grad multiple launch rocket systems; Georgian troops attacked the republic and destroyed part of its capital, Tskhinval. Russia, protecting residents of South Ossetia, many of whom had Russian citizenship, sent troops into the republic and, after five days of hostilities, ousted the Georgian military from the region. On August 26, 2008, Russia recognized the sovereignty of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. "First of all, Georgia must recognize its responsibility for the aggression and war crimes committed, sign an agreement on the non-use of force, and carry out joint work on the delimitation and demarcation of state borders with South Ossetia," the official added.Moscow has repeatedly stated that the recognition of the independence of the two former Georgian autonomies reflects the existing realities and is not subject to revision. However, Tbilisi refuses to recognize the independence of the republics. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230808/georgias-invasion-of-south-ossetia-was-testing-ground-for-nato-proxy-war-1112463934.html south ossetia georgia russia tbilisi 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 georgia, war crimes against south ossetia in 2008, demarcation of state borders, south ossetia, south ossetia president alan gagloyev, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/nigeriens-rally-in-niamey-in-support-of-military-leadership-1112916395.html Nigeriens Rally in Niamey in Support of Military Leadership Nigeriens Rally in Niamey in Support of Military Leadership Nigeriens rallied along with military leaders at Seini Kunche stadium on Saturday in the capital of Niamey. 2023-08-26T20:52+0000 2023-08-26T20:52+0000 2023-08-27T07:29+0000 africa niamey niger economic community of west african states (ecowas) france /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/0d/1112567452_0:0:2998:1686_1920x0_80_0_0_62506232daf698dfd3da04714a5bff34.jpg People rallying at the Seini Kunche stadium, the countrys largest, were filmed cheering on senior military officers as they took the stage to assure the demonstrators that the armed forces were on the side of the people. The Nigerien military sided with the rebel presidential guard soon after it deposed President Mohamed Bazoum in late July to seize control of Niamey. The rebels appointed a caretaker government in early August to oversee a transition of power.On Friday, the military leadership told French ambassador Sylvain Itte that he had to leave the capital within 48 hours, accusing him of ignoring an invitation to speak to Niger's new foreign minister and saying that the French government had taken actions "contrary to the interests of Niger."France rejected the command, saying "The ambassador's approval comes solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities."France and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have called on the military leadership to restore Bazoum to power and threatened military action. Meanwhile, neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso are supporting the new leadership and said that any military action taken against Niger will be seen as a declaration of war against the two countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230825/niger-military-leaders-give-french-german--us-ambassadors-48-hours-to-leave-country-1112900038.html africa niamey niger france 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 rally in niamey, conflict in niger, what is going on in niger https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/no-biden-cant-wage-forever-war-in-ukraine-1112913227.html No, Biden Can't Wage Forever War in Ukraine No, Biden Can't Wage Forever War in Ukraine Biden administration officials appear to be fixing for a new "forever war" in Ukraine, as per the US mainstream press. Does Washington have enough resources for a protracted conflict? 2023-08-26T18:25+0000 2023-08-26T18:25+0000 2023-08-26T18:25+0000 us analysis russia opinion joe biden volodymyr zelensky mark milley ukraine kiev nato /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/04/1c/1109914558_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_da0b8ee93ca3478f08511695ca41af3e.jpg The US mainstream media has hinted at the possibility of a new Ukraine counteroffensive next year. Reportedly, Biden administration officials are privately bracing for a "war of attrition" that will last well into next year.According to The Wall Street Journal, "military strategists and policymakers across the West are already starting to think about next years spring offensive" while preparing for a protracted conflict. Having analyzed the publications, one DC-based think tank, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, has raised the question whether the White House is going to unleash a new "forever war" in Ukraine.Why NATO Weapons Can't Tip Balance in Ukraine's FavorThe provision of more NATO-grade conventional weapons won't become a "magic bullet" for Ukraine, either, according to the military analyst. Pyne takes the reports about planned deliveries of General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons to Kiev and training of Ukrainian pilots undertaken by the US and its NATO allies with a pinch of salt.He believes that the provision of 50-60 early-model F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine is unlikely to make much of a difference in the course of the conflict.The military expert noted that US advocates of further weapons supplies to Kiev have been insisting since April 2022 that "if the West just provides with a limited number of additional major weapon systems, then somehow that will enable Ukraine to force Russian troops back to Russias pre-2014 borders." However, all those predictions have proven wrong.It's Becoming Hard for Biden to Get New Money for UkraineWhat's more, the Biden administration is going to have a difficult time getting additional aid approved by Congress, according to the former Pentagon officer.An August SSRS survey indicated that 55% of Americans are against Congress authorizing more funds for Ukraine, while 45% believe it should authorize such funding. Meanwhile, 51% say that the US has already done enough to help Ukraine, while 48% say it should do more. Back in February 2022, 62% of American respondents believed the US should have been doing more.The survey results came as the Ukrainian military got bogged down, sustaining massive losses in terms of military equipment and manpower.Meanwhile, the White House is trying to put on a brave face and shift the whole blame for the botched counteroffensive on Kiev.Per the military expert, the Biden administration appears to be engaged in "the first deliberate and sustained unauthorized leak campaign" since the conflict began "with multiple big liberal media outlets now saying Ukraines counteroffensive is faltering because they are not concentrating all their resources on breaking through on the southern front to the Black Sea."Still, some US newspapers have raised questions about the quality of US training and war planning, while informing their readers that Ukraine shifted back to its old tactics after NATO-trained Ukrainian troops armed with Western weapons failed to make any progress on the ground.How Zelensky Throws Sand in Gears of Possible Peace InitiativeAs excitement over the Ukrainian counteroffensive morphed into deep disappointment, the US press is now quoting some American officials and insiders privately wondering if they should have listened to outgoing Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, who proposed last November to consider peace talks. At the same time, they seem irritated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's maximalist claims that Ukraine should grab all territories which belonged to it prior to 2014.In his latest interview with The Washington Post, Milley signaled that the Ukraine debacle could still be solved through diplomatic means. Pyne also doesn't believe that the window of opportunity for peace talks has closed.Pyne is inclined to think that Zelensky is currently twisting the White House's arm into prolonging the conflict. The EMP Task Force scholar noted that President Joe Biden reportedly offered Russia to keep all of its newly admitted territories back in January 2023 without closing the door on Ukrainian NATO membership. However, Zelensky is said to have vetoed the peace proposal.Earlier, it was the Ukrainian president who outlawed Ukrainian officials from negotiating a peace agreement with Russia and who has been "the principal obstacle to negotiating a peaceful end" to the conflict, the former Pentagon officer emphasized.It appears that the White House has walked into its own trap in Ukraine, seemingly unable to halt the hostilities or prolong the conflict further at one and the same time. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/voila-we-have-air-power-f-16-transfers-to-ukraine-will-take-years-to-produce-results-1112766548.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230822/what-is-the-fastest-fighter-jet-in-the-world-today-1112789685.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230814/how-team-biden-hurts-us-prestige-and-credibility-by-walking-into-ukraine-trap-1112585807.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230804/majority-of-americans-oppose-additional-us-funding-for-ukraine---poll-1112392442.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230824/as-counteroffensive-falters-us-starts-deliberate-sustained-leak-campaign-to-blame-ukraine-1112850144.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/flagging-ukraine-counteroffensive-triggers-allies-fears-about-support-nosediving---report-1112903607.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230811/alexander-mercouris-how-zelensky-blackmails-the-us---1112524718.html russia ukraine kiev Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova 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 Ekaterina Blinova ukraine conflict, war in ukraine, ukraine counteroffensive, ukraine counteroffensive failure, ukrainian military got bogged down, peace talks ukraine, ukraine attrition rate, ukraine war map, ukraine war latest news, joe biden, volodymyr zelensky, us military aid for ukraine, f-16 for ukraine, nato weapons ukraine, mark milley, crimea, donbass, biden administration war of attribition, biden forever war in ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/prigozhins-plane-crash-summary-of-everything-we-know-1112910037.html Prigozhin's Plane Crash: Summary of Everything We Know Prigozhin's Plane Crash: Summary of Everything We Know A jet carrying PMC Wagner chief Evgeny Prigozhin, Wagner deputy commander Dmitry Utkin, and eight other passengers and crew crashed in Russias Tver region Wednesday evening. What happened? How have Russian officials responded? How did Western officials react? With several days passing since the incident, Sputnik summarizes everything we now know. 2023-08-26T16:10+0000 2023-08-26T16:10+0000 2023-08-27T10:51+0000 analysis vladimir putin alexander lukashenko russia ukraine embraer nato kremlin belarus wagner aborted mutiny /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/1a/1112909656_0:0:3048:1716_1920x0_80_0_0_2cd850a8dcd49335f59a402195e7752c.jpg For the second time in two months, Wagner boss and businessman Evgeny Prigozhin has garnered international headlines, this time after his Embraer Legacy 600 business jet, traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg, went down near a remote village in the Tver region, about 300 km from the Russian capital, killing everyone onboard.Who Was Evgeny Prigozhin?Prigozhin, 62 at the time of his presumed death, became a media sensation in Russia in 2022, when his private military company, Wagner Group, sent its well-trained, well-equipped, and experienced fighters into battle in the NATO-Russia proxy conflict in Ukraine.Launching a national recruitment campaign, Wagner helped the Russian military during the difficult first months of the crisis, after Kiev and its US and NATO patrons rejected a peace deal and made clear that the Wests goal would be to "weaken" Russia militarily, if not institute outright regime change, by pumping tens of billions of dollars of weapons into Ukraine. In May 2023, Wagner fighters and Russian Army troops liberated Artemovsk (also known as Bakhmut), a Donbass city reduced to ruins in over eight months of brutal street-to-street and house-to-house fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces. The Artemovsk operation tied down and destroyed tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries as Russia built up its reserves and military production was ramped up, and, ultimately, helped the military prepare defenses in Donbass, Zaporozhye, and Kherson for Kievs summer offensive, which is now on the verge of complete collapse.In late June, Prigozhin became an overnight international celebrity after his men launched a mutiny. The PMC boss, who had a long and storied feud with the Defense Ministry centered on complaints about a lack of weapons and logistical support, accused the military of deliberately attacking Wagner's camps, and demanded the ouster of its senior leadership. The MoD denied Prigozhin and Wagner's charges, stressing they "do not correspond to reality."The mutiny was ultimately defused by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who held hours of back-and-forth negotiations between the Russian leadership and Prigozhin, with the PMC chief ultimately agreeing that his men would stop their march on Moscow and relocate to Belarus. There, Lukashenko said, the fighters would help train the Belarusian Army, accounting for their vast experience in conditions of modern warfare.For the next two months, the situation seemed to have been resolved peacefully, with Wagner forces setting up shop in Belarus, and Prigozhin traveling back and forth between Russia and Belarus and further afield.What Happened to Prigozhin on August 23?On the evening of August 23, at 6:11 pm Moscow time, an Embraer jet carrying seven passengers and three crew went down in the Tver region. The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations soon confirmed that names of Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin (call sign "Wagner") were on the planes passenger manifest, and said that according to preliminary data, everyone onboard was killed, with eight of ten bodies found.Russian aviation authorities and law enforcement launched probes.On Friday, the Russian Investigative Committee indicated that the remains of all 10 persons on board the plane had been found, its flight recorders recovered, and that molecular genetic examinations were underway to identify the victims.How Did Putin React to Prigozhin's Plane Crash?On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the plane crash during a meeting with Donetsk Peoples Republic head Denis Pushilin.How Did Lukashenko Respond?Lukashenko commented on the plane crash at length on Friday, once again evoking the personal role he played in defusing the Wagner mutiny, revealing that he and Prigozhin never discussed the issue of personal security, and ruling out claims circulating in Western media that Putin was responsible for the incident. Lukashenko also confirmed that a core force of about 10,000 Wagner fighters would remain in Belarus.Furthermore, Lukashenko stressed, although Putin wasn't a "madman" who would be foolish enough to carry out such a provocation, especially in such a "sloppy, unprofessional" manner, he would surely "be blamed for it anyway [...] The West has started shouting. Others started singing along that Putin is evil and vindictive," the Belarusian leader stressed.What Accusations Have Western Leaders Spread, and How Credible are They?Sure enough, just as they could barely conceal their delight at the beginning of the June 23-24 mutiny, expecting it to weaken Russia's positions at the front, Western leaders have come out of the woodwork to blame Putin.It started with media speculation by a major US news agency "citing US officials speaking on condition of anonymity" that Prighozins plane may have been blown out of the sky by a surface-to-air missile. This theory was later ruled out, and by the Pentagon, no less, with a spokesman calling the missile theory "inaccurate."Footage showing the fuselage of the plane falling from the sky almost completely intact (apart from its tail section) gave rise to theories of sabotage from on board the jet, a theory which Lukashenko also said seemed credible.German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock similarly took a conspiratorial tack aimed at Putin, saying "it is no accident that the world immediately looks at the Kremlin when a disgraced former confidant of Putin suddenly, literally falls from the sky two months after he attempted a mutiny. We know this pattern in Putin's Russia: deaths, dubious suicides, falls from windows, all which remain unclarified that underlines a dictatorial power system that is built on violence.Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau echoed Baerbocks approach, alleging that "it so happens that political opponents whom Vladimir Putin considers a threat to his power do not die naturally."Rau did not elaborate on how Prigozhin, who stressed repeatedly even throughout the Wagner mutiny in June that he respected Putins authority as commander in chief, squares with her assessment of him being a "political opponent" of the Russian president.The British and French governments took a curiously different tack, with Cabinet Minister Nick Gibb urging the state to "avoid jumping to conclusions," and saying that authorities "will have more to say once our assessment of is has happened, and conversations with allies reach clear conclusions."A French government spokesman characterized Prigozhin as "the man who did Putins dirty work," and claimed that "what he has done is inseparable from the policies of Putin, who gave him responsibility to carry out abuses as the head of Wagner."Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed the West's "speculation" around the incident, characterizing Western assertions of Putins possible involvement as "an absolute lie," and emphasizing that additional details would have to be clarified in the course of an ongoing investigation. "As soon as any official conclusions are ready for publication, they will be published," he said.In an Information Age, Truth Will Out"I personally dont know who did it. ButI know Putin. I know how scrupulous, careful, delicate he is. I don't believe he would do such a thing. And another point. It is madness for a head of state. He is no madman. I am far from calling him white and fluffy. He has a dirty job. I am not saying he is white and fluffy, but I know that he will be blamed for everything," Lukashenko said in his remarks Friday.Solid advice from the Belarusian leader. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230823/wagner-chief-prigozhin-was-aboard-crashed-private-jet-1112830074.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230710/kremlin-says-putin-held-meeting-with-wagner-group-commanders-1111788660.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230626/biden-says-us-had-nothing-to-do-with-prigozhin-mutiny-1111478108.html russia ukraine belarus Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov evgeny prigozhin, plane crash, vladimir putin, alexander lukashenko, sergey shoigu, russian military, wagner, wagner pmc, wagner group, speculation, theories, allegations, claims, analysis, who was evgeny prigozhin, embraer, plane crash, accident, incident, causes https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/swedish-pm-rules-out-ban-on-burning-of-religious-texts-after-denmarks-move-1112907665.html Swedish PM Rules Out Ban on Burning of Religious Texts After Denmark's Move Swedish PM Rules Out Ban on Burning of Religious Texts After Denmark's Move Sweden has no plans to ban the burning of religious texts, as Denmark seeks to do, because it would require amending the kingdom's constitution, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said. 2023-08-26T10:56+0000 2023-08-26T10:56+0000 2023-08-26T10:56+0000 world denmark sweden stockholm burning quran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/103904/95/1039049572_0:192:2048:1344_1920x0_80_0_0_a30ea70f1d8f34294d86243ef9c83d4f.jpg Sweden has no plans to ban the burning of religious texts, as Denmark seeks to do, because it would require amending the kingdom's constitution, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has said.On August 18, the Swedish authorities said they would review the public order law that permits Quran-burning protests in the country. Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said that a public gathering could be banned if public order or safety were endangered. 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 a burning of the Quran in Stockholm. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230819/sweden-mulls-changes-to-laws-on-public-events-after-quran-burnings-raise-terror-threat-1112722618.html denmark sweden stockholm 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 swedish prime minister ulf kristersson, burning of religious texts https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/trump-surrenders-to-georgia-jail-after-changing-lawyers-1112898640.html Trump Surrenders to Georgia Jail After Changing Lawyers Trump Surrenders to Georgia Jail After Changing Lawyers On this episode of Fault Lines, host Jamarl Thomas and Melik Abdul discussed a number of topics from around the globe, including a review of Donald Trumps week as he surrenders in Georgia. 2023-08-26T04:14+0000 2023-08-26T04:14+0000 2023-08-26T10:38+0000 fault lines radio fukushima nuclear plant tucker carlson donald trump georgia gop ukraine kiev /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/1a/1112906053_0:0:1920:1080_1920x0_80_0_0_bd4caca55432c5b8a5f9f6fd9629e303.png Trump Surrenders to Georgia Jail After Changing Lawyers On this episode of Fault Lines, host Jammarl Thomas and Melik Abdul discussed a number of topics from around the globe, including a review of Donald Trumps week as he surrenders in Georgia. Scott Ritter - Former UN Weapons Inspector and Military AnalystTed Harvey - Political Commentator and Former Colorado State SenatorKJ Noh - Author, Journalist and Geopolitical AnalystIn the first hour, Fault Lines discusses the recent revelations about the US and Ukrainian perspective regarding the Kiev regime's offensive in the Donbass region. The two parties appear to have differing perspectives as to why the offensive has been a disappointment, prompting a war of words between the two allies. To help us better understand the internal turmoil, military analyst Scott Ritter joins the show to give us his take on the relationship between Washington and Kiev.In the second hour, Fault Lines team spoke to political commentator Ted Harvey about Ex-US President Donald Trump since he has been at the forefront of headlines this week, following his viral interview with Tucker Carlson and his agreement to surrender himself to the Fulton County Jail.In the last hour Fault Lines team discussed Chinas recently announced that they are prohibiting seafood imports from Japan, a move influenced by Tokyo's decision to release the water from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. At the same time, Japan has become increasingly more militarized, something that China has taken notice of, given Tokyo's decision to form a de-facto coalition with Western powers and South Korea. Geopolitical analyst KJ Noh talks to Fault Lines about the latest from the Far East.The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM fukushima georgia ukraine kiev china Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png 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 Jamarl Thomas https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/02/12/1082114086_0:0:373:374_100x100_80_0_0_c7506df4524fd8cdd4e40ad19918cd78.png fault lines, trump surrenders, kiev regime's offensive in the donbass region, release of the water from the fukushima nuclear plant, fukushima nuclear disaster https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/ukraine-closes-kiev-pechersk-lavra-for-theological-academys-students-1112904142.html Ukraine Closes Kiev-Pechersk Lavra For Theological Academy's Students Ukraine Closes Kiev-Pechersk Lavra For Theological Academy's Students The Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has equated students and teachers of Kiev Theological Schools with visitors to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra and banned access to the territory of the monastery and the buildings of the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) said. 2023-08-26T06:47+0000 2023-08-26T06:47+0000 2023-08-26T06:47+0000 world kiev ukraine ukrainian orthodox church (uoc) ministry of culture /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/03/1c/1108863592_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_a7376099ddc325bde115412083f0e5ba.jpg "The Ministry of Culture has sent a letter to the Kiev Theological Academy and Seminary informing that teachers, students and staff of Kiev Theological Schools are defined as visitors to [the Kiev-Pechersk] Lavra, now access to the territory of the monastery and the academy's buildings is prohibited to them," the information and education department of the UOC said on Friday. The National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve decided to close the territory of the Lower Lavra (where the academy's buildings are located) to visitors on August 11, the UOC added. On August 10, Ukrainian media reported that a commission of the Ukrainian culture ministry has sealed four buildings of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Tensions between the Ukrainian government and the UOC escalated after Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. UOC monks were ordered to leave the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, whose jurisdiction is divided between the National Kiev-Pechersk Historical and Cultural Preserve, a Ukrainian cultural organization, and the UOC, for allegedly violating the terms of the lease. Then-Ukrainian Culture Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko said that the monks could remain in the Lavra if they joined the non-canonical Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU). Lavra monks slammed the unilateral eviction order as illegal as it was not backed by a court decision. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230706/ukraine-police-resort-to-violence-against-religious-believers-at-kiev-pechersk-lavra-1111695600.html kiev 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 kiev-pechersk lavra, ukrainian ministry of culture and information policy, ukrainian orthodox church https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/ukraines-pilots-wont-be-competent-to-fly-f-16s-let-alone-boost-kievs-offensive-1112907390.html Ukraine's Pilots 'Won't Be Competent to Fly F-16s,' Let Alone Boost Kiev's Offensive Ukraine's Pilots 'Won't Be Competent to Fly F-16s,' Let Alone Boost Kiev's Offensive After just six months of language, and six months of flight school, Ukraines pilots will not be fully competent to fly American-made F-17 fighter jets, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik. 2023-08-26T14:07+0000 2023-08-26T14:07+0000 2023-08-26T14:07+0000 us ukraine f-16 us f-16 f-16 fighter jet pentagon karen kwiatkowski nato f-35 analysis /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e6/09/0c/1100668870_0:44:1024:620_1920x0_80_0_0_041d339eefe3e9959c42bec59f7a2a50.jpg After just six months of language, and six months of flight school, Ukraines pilots will not be fully competent to fly NATO-gifted American-made F-16 fighter jets, retired US Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik.In the latest development, the Pentagons press secretary, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, revealed that Ukrainians would be training to fly and maintain F-16 fighter jets in the coming months on US soil starting in October after their English language training in September. The scheme is to be implemented at the Morris Air National Guard Base in Tucson, Arizona, facilitated by the Air National Guard's 162nd Wing. Estimates suggesting that a foreign pilot would be able to operate an F16 fighter jet after an intense training period of six to eight months would only work in the case of an American pilot who has already been through US basic flight school, Kwiatkowski, a former analyst for the US Department of Defense, suggested.However, the proposed timeline should be quite successful, the expert added, if the goal is not to produce proficient and fully competent pilots, who can immediately add value in a combined defensive (and possibly offensive) sea-land-air operation against a competent and seasoned enemy.Language HandicapApart from the actual plane-operating skills, the other problem facing the Ukrainian pilots aspiring to fly US-made F-16s is the language barrier. Ukrainian pilots will be receiving language training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, to ensure that have sufficient language skills to understand "complexities and specialized English required to fly the aircraft," Ryder said on Thursday.If the initial English language skills fall short of being satisfactory, a separate preparatory language class in advance of any practical training, and continual augmented language study while in flight school is expected, Karen Kwiatkowski clarified.Accordingly, bearing in mind this language "handicap," the US will likely use it to "slow walk the actual F-16 training," she said, adding:Ukraine has been increasingly resorting to terror tactics against its own troops amid the huge losses and plummeting morale that the faltering counteroffensive has resulted in. So there has been speculation that foreign mercenaries, like those currently fighting on the ground, could be recruited to fly the F-16s.I suspect that finding F-16 pilots who are ready to fly any F-16s provided to Ukraine will be no problem at all. Again - the key way the US can delay delivery of F-16s is using 'training Ukrainian pilots,'" said Kwiatkowski.The US and its NATO allies have already committed billions' worth of military support to Ukraine, and weighing in on how much the aforementioned pilots' training will cost, Karen Kwiatkowski elaborated:For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been clamoring for F-16 fighter jets from his patrons in the West. The Biden administration held off on complying with the request, arguing that learning both to fly and logistically support the advanced craft was no easy feat. Furthermore, there were ostensibly worries on Capitol Hill that signing off on such deliveries could escalate tensions with Russia.However, as has been the case throughout NATOs proxy war with Russia in Ukraine, these considerations were finally quashed. Joe Biden announced at the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Japan that the US would enter a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, with the training taking place in Europe.Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has since stated that her country would send 19 F-16s to Kiev, but only after receiving new F-35 jet fighters. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed that the Netherlands had pledged to supply another 42. Norway will also provide F-16s, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said on August 24.Amid reports that Norway intends to join Denmark and the Netherlands in providing Ukraine with F-16s, Karen Kwiatkowski found it hard to believe that other countries would be eager to join them in doing this.Moscow has vowed to account for the deployment of F-16s into its military strategy, and warned that such an "escalation scenario" carries "enormous risks" for the West. Washington and its NATO allies are creating risks of direct confrontation with Russia, and this could lead to catastrophic consequences, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. He added that Moscow would consider the delivery of nuclear-capable F-16s to Kiev as a threat from the West. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230821/voila-we-have-air-power-f-16-transfers-to-ukraine-will-take-years-to-produce-results-1112766548.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230822/f-16s-for-ukraine-cant-carry-storm-shadows-experts-say-mishap-more-of-same-from-nato-1112795859.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/20230812/mig-35-vs-f-16-russian-veteran-pilot-explains-which-plane-would-win-in-a-dogfight-1112552714.html ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Svetlana Ekimenko Svetlana Ekimenko 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 Svetlana Ekimenko f-16, f-16s, f-16 jet fighters to ukraine, https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/us-born-orthodox-priest-why-western-christians-seek-shelter-in-russia-1112910395.html US-Born Orthodox Priest: Why Western Christians Seek Shelter in Russia US-Born Orthodox Priest: Why Western Christians Seek Shelter in Russia Father Joseph Gleason, an American-born Orthodox priest, moved to Russia with his wife and eight children in 2017. He is now helping other Westerners settle down in a land where traditional family values and Christian faith are respected. 2023-08-26T15:26+0000 2023-08-26T15:26+0000 2023-08-26T16:16+0000 us russia americans vladimir putin rostov russian orthodox church us supreme court christians world same-sex marriage /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/15537/01/155370170_0:219:4256:2613_1920x0_80_0_0_53418c9e2d0b2e0db39879706860bfbb.jpg Roughly six years ago, Father Joseph Gleason fled the "Land of the Free" for Russia, pursuing the freedom of faith.The US has become an environment that is very hostile to Christians, says the priest. Even though religious liberties are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, a radical liberal ideology is being forced down the throat of Americans.Father Joseph argues that when the very definition of marriage and family as a faithful, exclusive, and lifelong union of a man and a woman is distorted, it breaks the societal moral compass and turns things upside down.It's not what the Christian church and Founding Fathers taught the American people for centuries, argues the priest. However, even the US Supreme Court, which has long served as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution, has forced the people of the US to accept the idea of homosexual marriage in every state. One dreads to think what will happen next.Currently, in some states one can lose one's job and be denied an education in the US for simply not embracing the ideas of transgenderism or same-sex marriage, says the cleric.It's impossible for a pious Christian to bow down to modern Western liberal values, which are propagating and glorifying the same sin for which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; the same sins that were being committed by the Canaanites when God told Israel to come and wipe out the Canaanites, Father Joseph highlights.Why Russia is Good Place to Raise a Christian FamilyIt is for this reason, among others, that Father Joseph decided to move to Rostov Veliky (not to be confused with Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia), one of the oldest cities in Russia, located on the banks of the vast Lake Nero in the Yaroslavl region, three hours north of Moscow.However, Russia is not heaven and not everything is perfect here, the cleric says. However, the country offers spiritual freedom, which has been increasingly curtailed in the West, according to him.Why Father Joseph Became an Orthodox PriestFather Joseph was not raised as an Orthodox Christian: initially, he came from a Protestant family and had long served as Calvinist pastor in a small church in Omaha, Illinois.However, as an adult he started to read more about history and found that Protestantism has only been around for about 500 years. According to the priest, the teachings of Protestantism are very different from what came before it. He started to dig into what the earliest Christians believed, and came to the conclusion that Orthodox Christianity has largely preserved the spirit of the same church that Jesus Christ and the Apostles founded. This is how he became an Antiochian Orthodox Christian in America. So whether one is Antiochian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Serbian Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, it's all the same teaching and it all goes back to the apostles, he explains.A few years later, he was ordained as an Antiochian Orthodox priest, and only after he moved to Russia did he join the Russian Orthodox Church."So at that point, it was just as simple as my bishop in America, you know, sent a letter giving a blessing for me to become a priest in Russia. And then my bishop here in Russia accepted the letter and received my application. And he received me as a priest here in the Russian Orthodox Church," Father Joseph says.Russia Welcomes Christian Immigrants From All Over the WorldNow Father Joseph is helping others from around the world to travel and move to Russia.He meets people who are largely like himself: they speak English, they're from a Western country, but "they're sick and tired of the rainbow flags and the LGBT and the transgender stuff and a number of other problems in America, in the West." They see that a lot of Orthodox Christians live in Russia, he says. And these Westerners just decide that Russia is a better place to live and a better place for their families.On his Substack blog, Father Joseph has outlined "nine great reasons" to move one's family to Russia. Among them: "the GloboHomo LGBT Rainbow Mafia is not allowed to force their views down your throat here"; one won't be subjected to cancel culture and one "won't get called a 'racist' every five seconds"; "the American military-industrial complex has no power in Russia"; "inexpensive, fertile, beautiful land is in abundance here"; taxes are low when compared to Western countries; and, above all, "there are gazillions of Orthodox churches and vibrant Orthodox Christian communities here."Some Western families have already come to Russia, per Father Joseph: as of August 2022, two English-speaking families moved to Rostov one from America, the other from Brazil; three English-speaking families moved to Pereslavl-Zalessky two from America and one from France; meanwhile a whopping eight English-speaking families are building a community in the rural outskirts of Borisoglebsky, a half-hour drive west of Rostov Veliky, to name but a few. And this number is growing, according to the priest.Moving to Russia is a difficult process, but it's getting easier, the cleric says: the Russian authorities "have been doing a lot of work trying to help smooth the process for, for good, family oriented, hard-working Christian immigrants who want to come here from America and the West." https://sputnikglobe.com/20220913/christians-could-become-us-minority-group-by-2070---survey-1100739573.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20211022/why-putins-conservatism-of-optimists-approach-resonating-with-traditionalists-in-us-and-eu-1090128178.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230809/american-farmer-russia-to-become-worlds-number-one-agricultural-powerhouse-1112487115.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20170511/russia-orthodox-christians-europe-poll-1053520863.html russia rostov Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova 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 Ekaterina Blinova russia, orthodox christian priest, family values, traditional family values, christian faith, russian orthodox christian church, western liberal ideology, cancel culture, same-sex marriage, transgenders, transgenderism, western christians https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/us-restrictions-on-china-dictated-by-ensuring-dominance-in-pacific---not-trade-interests-1112900977.html US Restrictions on China Dictated by Ensuring Dominance in Pacific - Not Trade Interests US Restrictions on China Dictated by Ensuring Dominance in Pacific - Not Trade Interests Recent Biden administration restrictions to impede China's advances in different domains are not dictated by its economic interests, but instead stem from an effort to maintain US dominance in the Western Pacific. 2023-08-26T01:43+0000 2023-08-26T01:43+0000 2023-08-26T01:42+0000 analysis joe biden jeremy kuzmarov china nato microchip semiconductors chipmaker taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company (tsmc) /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/01/12/1081799952_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_9162f74d85eebf2ecaa044876a0419fe.jpg The Biden administration has recently exacerbated tensions with Beijing through both economic sanctions and escalation of US involvement in the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier this month, Biden signed an executive order that restricts US companies from investing in Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and technologies - including semiconductors and quantum computing. The trilateral summit in Camp David last week between the leaders of the US, Japan and South Korea raised suspicions of the establishment of a Western-aligned military and political bloc in the region. The Biden administration claiming NATO alignment was not a top priority of the talks did little to placate Beijing. China in reaction warned that exclusionary blocs in the Asia-Pacific will be met with vigilance and opposition from regional countries. Garver said China has benefited from the free flow of foreign, Western and US capital since 1978, when China opened, and especially since it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. And now, Garver added, the US wants to restrict the flow of Western technology and Western capital to prevent it from contributing to the development of Chinese military capabilities. Garver pointed out, however, that the US industry is divided on the matter. China is a huge and growing market for large US corporations, which they are very reluctant to give up, he added. Resistance and Blow BackThe CEOs of major US microchip companies in recent weeks have urged the Biden administration to refrain from imposing drastic measures on China. Some even warned that new restrictions may harm US leadership in the semiconductor industry. China has retaliated to Biden's restrictions with new export controls on minerals like gallium, essential to the manufacture of microchips, and considered a critical mineral by the US Energy Department. US historian and foreign analyst Jeremy Kuzmarov views Biden's latest restrictions as a high-stakes gamble that could backfire. The United States, Kuzmarov said, is hoping to establish a formidable anti-China bloc and expedited economic productivity in Taiwan and domestic industries, but those could potentially be significant negative economic trade offs for trying to isolate China. The US and many allies are also at risk if China should decide to move on Taiwan, where one single firm - the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) - makes more than 50% of the world's semiconductors. Former US diplomat Steve Young told Sputnik it would be a "disaster" if China occupied Taiwan given the world's dependence on TSMC, not to mention it could spark World War III. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230811/why-bidens-investment-ban-wont-stop-chinas-microchip-industry-1112538373.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230802/chinese-tech-firms-unveil-new-microchip-production-amid-spat-with-west-1112354567.html china 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 biden administration, chinese advancements, us-china trade, us hegemony, us dominance in western pacific, semiconductors https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/watch-ukrainian-punks-attack-group-of-poles-try-to-force-them-to-chant-fascist-slogan-1112908057.html Watch Ukrainian Punks Attack Group of Poles, Try to Force Them to Chant Fascist Slogan Watch Ukrainian Punks Attack Group of Poles, Try to Force Them to Chant Fascist Slogan The Polish government has committed billions of euros in military and economic aid to Kiev, and eagerly taken in over 1.5 million refugees fleeing the Ukrainian crisis. However, a growing number of Poles have asked questions about Warsaws role in fueling NATOs proxy war with Russia, and Ukrainian authorities lionization of WWII-era fascists. 2023-08-26T12:15+0000 2023-08-26T12:15+0000 2023-08-26T12:16+0000 world ukraine poland russia nato organization of ukrainian nationalists (oun) europe nationalism /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/08/1a/1112907809_7:0:1408:788_1920x0_80_0_0_2614aae5eb84ec1d91af28ccc5fbf50d.png A scandal is brewing on Polish social media over footage of an altercation between a group of Ukrainian nationalists and Polish men, which degenerated into a fistfight after the Ukrainians tried to force the Poles to chant a popular Ukrainian slogan used by the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists, a fascist group that collaborated with the Nazis during World War II.Footage of the incident, which took place along the Vistula Boulevards in Warsaw on August 24, the anniversary of Ukraines Independence Day, shows a group of Ukrainians gathered around a young Polish man and aggressively asking him to chant "Slava Ukraini" ('Glory to Ukraine!') with the man refusing. The individual filming the altercation could be heard complaining to a colleague that the Ukrainians appear to be "Banderites" and "Nazis," with two of the individuals give the cameraman a Sieg Heil salute.Separate footage filmed shortly after shows Ukrainians and Poles engaging in a no-holds barred brawl involving punches, kicks and broken glass bottles.According to a Polish media account of the incident, eight Poles were attacked by 12 Ukrainians. Police were called to the scene, but reportedly released the perpetrators shortly after taking down their information. Some of the injured Poles were said to have been hospitalized with internal injuries, one of them remaining in hospital as of Friday.The incident sparked outrage online, with some Poles demanding that the "eager to fight" youths be deported back to Ukraine, while others suggested that the violence was the consequence of the Polish governments policy of "submitting" to the "geopolitical agenda of the West." Others sarcastically suggested that Poland should immediately send "more billions" of zlotys to Kiev, as well as "Polish F-16s."Others still expressed grievances about their experiences with Ukrainian refugees in general, saying they treated [their] house like a hotel and acted as if the homeowner owed them something. I will not write the details (which are almost a trauma) but they cured me personally of helping Ukraine, someone said.A few conspiracy-minded users also chimed in, with one suggesting the whole incident was a Russian provocation. Others complained about the lack of national media coverage of the incident, suggesting that if the shoe was on the other foot and Poles attacked Ukrainians, it would be on every news portal across the country.Over 1.6 million Ukrainian nationals applied for asylum or temporary protection in Poland in 2022, with authorities spending over $700 million to assist them. Poland has also sent over 4 billion euros ($4.3 billion US) in military and economic support to Ukraine for the ongoing NATO proxy war against Russia.Not all Poles have supported their countrys role in the conflict, with some politicians, public figures and religious leaders slamming the Law and Justice government for aiding Ukrainian authorities who are responsible for lionizing Ukrainian WWII-era fascist leaders including those responsible for the Wolyn massacre.Poles' shifting attitudes on the Ukrainian crisis have shown through in opinion polling, with one recent survey finding that some 55 percent of Poles dont think their country should offer more aid to Ukraine, compared to 28 percent who say more support is needed. 60 percent of respondents said they believe Ukrainian refugees should not receive equal access to social benefits as Polish citizens, particularly after media reports of some refugees have abused the system by claiming benefits in Poland while living in Ukraine. Some respondents also accused refugees of a demanding attitude, and expecting to get everything for free. https://sputnikglobe.com/20230802/polands-zealously-pro-ukrainian-policy-has-come-back-to-haunt-it---media-1112337536.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230717/polish-politician-slams-idiotic-ukrainian-partnership-talk-amid-praise-for-wwii-fascists-1111949160.html ukraine poland russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2023 Ilya Tsukanov Ilya Tsukanov 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 Ilya Tsukanov ukraine, poland, incident, altercation, fight, brawl, nationalism, video, footage https://sputnikglobe.com/20230826/which-eu-countries-have-most-ukrainian-refugees-1112867187.html Which EU Countries Have Most Ukrainian Refugees? Which EU Countries Have Most Ukrainian Refugees? Europe grapples with an unprecedented influx of over 5.8 million Ukrainian refugees, escaping NATOs proxy war against Russia in their country, prompting strained resources and swift action from the EU. However, the continent faces the complex task of sheltering and sustaining this displaced population. 2023-08-26T18:55+0000 2023-08-26T18:55+0000 2023-08-26T18:55+0000 filippo grandi europe russia moldova ukraine un refugee agency (unhcr) nato european union (eu) slovakia world /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/19082/95/190829524_0:160:3076:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_74dc6a89487496b708e47306cb03a2dd.jpg In less than a month, NATO's proxy war against Russia in Ukraine has prompted over three million people to seek refuge in adjoining countries, predominantly Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Moldova, and Romania.A significant number have relocated internally - from eastern to western Ukraine. According to Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, this is one of the swiftest mass movements witnessed in the last four decades. Currently, most of the affected are women and children, as men are being conscripted, often without proper military training to fight a more advanced Russian Army at the frontlines.Europe has witnessed past refugee crises, but the one happening in Ukraine is distinct because of its scale and momentum. The magnitude and speed of the displacement are clear indicators, but so is the European Union's assessment that this time, it's a unique situation. The closeness of the borders is an evident distinguishing factor.In light of the Ukraine crisis, Europe initially extended open arms, both symbolically and practically. On March 3, 2022, the European Union initiated its temporary protection directive for the first time, allowing fleeing Ukrainians the right to reside, seek employment, and access social benefits in 26 out of its 27 member bloc.Economically speaking, refugees can have a dual impact both as a challenge and a potential asset. In 2022, Goldman Sachs, a leading US financial institution, said that the European Union's top four economies were projected to allocate approximately 0.2 percent of their GDP to assist the incoming refugee population, provided that four million Ukrainian asylum seekers arrive in the region. While this figure might appear modest, it adds to the ongoing crisis-affiliated costs the EU would cater to.Sputnik explores the Ukrainian refugee crisis in Europe and some related financial updates.How Many Ukrainian Refugees Are in Europe?According to UNHCR data, as of August 2023, 5,829,600 refugees from Ukraine have been recorded in Europe. Only four countries featured in the Refugee Response Plan have recorded a refugee population of over 100,000 people. They include:Source: UNHCR (*date is as of the time of writing this piece)Source: UNHCR (*date is as of the time of writing this piece)The Russian Federation has recorded 1,275,315 refugees, with 65,400 people applying for asylum, temporary protection, or similar national plans.Why Do Refugees Opt for Specific Host Countries?Moreover, a survey commissioned by the UNHCR found that refugees with Ukrainian origin found refuge in their host nations as the 2022 conflict erupted. Interestingly, a significant portion, 58 percent, attributed their choice of current host country to its proximity to Ukraine. Reuniting with family and friends (33 percent) followed closely as another key reason. The language spoken in the host country was also identified as a motivating factor by 14 percent of respondents, with a higher ratio in Moldova. Furthermore, nine percent stated that the pursuit of temporary protection prompted their move, while job opportunities enticed eight percent.Does EU Prioritize Ukrainian refugees?Since the commencement of the Ukraine conflict, over 5.8 million Ukrainian refugees have formally documented their presence across Europe. The EU has flung open its borders, extending temporary haven to Ukrainian citizens who find themselves displaced. The EU lifted border restrictions on March 4, 2022 to afford Ukrainians uncomplicated sanctuary. This Temporary Protection Directive allowed Ukrainian refugees to cross into the European Union without requiring a visa or formal asylum filing.How are EU Member Countries Funded to Support Ukrainian Refugees?The bloc has released billions of untapped funds for European regions designated to assist Ukrainian refugees immediately. The Cohesion Fund comprises funding from the European Social Fund and the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived. Furthermore, an additional 10 billion from the REACT-EU pandemic recovery initiative is now available.The European Union has endorsed a rule termed CARE: Cohesions Action for Refugees in Europe to assist EU countries in handling the immediate and crucial costs of accommodating these refugees. CARE empowers EU member states to use unutilized and unassigned funds totaling several billion euros from the Cohesion Funds 2014-2020 budget.Apart from helping defray the expenses related to temporary housing, food and water provisions, clothing, and bedding, these funds can also be allocated for educational resources, medical and psychological care, training programs, language programs, and childcare.How Do EU Members Coordinate Efforts to Address Ukrainian Refugee Crisis?The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) is an EU institution that assists member states in implementing EU regulations that oversee asylum, international protection, and reception standards, acknowledged as the Common European Asylum System (CEAS).To harmonize the agency's endeavors in providing support to EU member states regarding asylum and accommodation necessities related to Ukraine, the European Asylum Authority (EUAA) inaugurated the Ukraine Emergency Response Board (UERB) on March 7, 2022, and plays a role in executing the Temporary Protection Directive.What is Funding Update Regarding Ukrainian Refugee Crisis?According to the UNHCR's Refugee Response Plan (an inter-agency planning and coordination tool for large-scale or complex refugee situations) targeted at refugees from Ukraine, 25 percent of the funds - $424,466,645 - have been realized out of the needed $1,685,495,254. Source: Refugee Response Financial Tracking, UNHCRSource: Refugee Response Financial Tracking, UNHCRSource: Refugee Response Financial Tracking, UNHCR https://sputnikglobe.com/20220823/ukraine-refugee-hosts-in-uk-should-get-double-payment-amid-fears-they-will-drop-out-minister-warns-1099893904.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20221023/berlin-struggles-to-deal-with-influx-of-refugees-from-ukraine-1102547469.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20220216/researcher-warns-nordic-countries-of-refugee-flow-from-migrant-nation-ukraine-1093070894.html russia moldova ukraine slovakia 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 ukraine refugee crisis, nato proxy war, european refugee crisis, unhcr data, displacement, european union, temporary protection directive, refugee population, economic impact, goldman sachs, cohesion fund, react-eu, care program, eu member states, european union agency for asylum, funding update, refugee response plan, funding donors, asylum seekers, asylum applications, eu regulations, common european asylum system, ukraine emergency response board, inter-agency planning, financial tracking, humanitarian aid, hungary, poland, slovakia, moldova, romania, czech republic, germany, united kingdom, spain, italy, european union member countries, united states of america, japan, norway, france, switzerland, sweden, denmark, canada, netherlands, liechtenstein, russia, republic of korea, new zealand, israel, lithuania, bulgaria, latvia, estonia.